Beleaguered India gets another beating !!

Zaheer must have felt like slapping half the Indian team, especially after the way they let things slip from 66/6 to a 274 score. Few teams have risen from such a depth but we are talking about India and its inability to finish for a long time and here it showed up again. Justin Kemp, who did not have a 100 till this match was waiting for a feast against an innocous attack like India and it was all too easy since 4-6 chances were grassed too. Some 100+ runs were scored without a loss of a single wicket in the last 10 over, as Kemp kept it hoisting it taller and taller and Indian bowlers responded fuller and fuller. It was a shambolic display and even school boys would have thought better than what was dished out by Indian bowlers.
When India batted, it was a familiar story. In sheer desperation, they had thrown in Dinesh Karthik as front line batsmen and he too flattered to decieve (After hitting 2 fours and a well hooked Six). Dhoni and Dravid hit 50s in a loosing cause but it was too little to boost even the morale, leave alone the victory.
With the injury scare to Dravid now, India is almost over the cliff (and as well can jump into the ocean, as once Bedi threatened them to, since they are going to a convenient location - Port Elizebeth for the next slaughtering).

Can it get any worser?

I think that it can get worse. 3 Indian batsmen managed double figures in the 2nd ODI and I doubt whether they can achieve such a feat in the remaining matches against SA !! Give me a break guys !! This is all becoming too easy to predict - I would love to be wrong but based on current form and the Durban drubbing experience, Indian batsmen may not able to put more than 150 score in the remaining ODIs.
Coming to the Kingsmead game, Zaheer started off ok with 2 wickets and although he ended up more expensive than he should be, he was decent enough and way better than the other option Sreesanth. Kallis played a majestic innings with some booming front foot drives and both Zaheer and Munaf were guilty of pitching it too full but I have not much grouse against the bowlers. We all know what Kallis can do but the gift wrap in the end to the likes of Nel were too much. India gave some 30 runs more than what they should have but considering that it was home conditions for SA, it was ok. Sachin's 9 overs were a treat of guile and deception. But 249 was a very much gettable score but few team have troubled SA in SA, other than Aus.
When Jaffer fell in the 1st over and Kaif hung around for his usual 20 balls before opening his account, it was all too predictable. Sachin tried a bit with a few lovely off drives but they were up against it, with this class of attack. Pollack bowled a clinical opening spell and Nel and Kallis did the rest. Raina, Mongia and the rest were looking like wax in a fire house and they were simply blown away, one after another. At this rate, India may not ever reach a 3 figure total in the remaining matches.

No Contest. Lame duck end to Champions trophy

With the way, Chris Gayle and Chandarpaul began, it looked like WI will hit something like 300+ and I thought 'at last some one will tame the Aussie Juggernut' but it all proved to be a flash in the pan. Normal service was restored as soon as Bracken got into the act then the seasoned McGrath came in and cleaned up the rest. In the end, it was tame end to an otherwise enjoyable tournament and for the umpteenth time, Punters walked away with the trophy.
I have to say a word of appreciation about the pitches used in the 3 venues; instead of going in for the usual 'patta' wickets, where batsmen would have feasted to hit 300+, this tournament featured sub 200 and sub 250 scores and it proved be an even contest between bat and ball. For once, even the outfield at Jaipur looked ok to look in the TV and India managed a tournament with no major hiccups, inspite of the ongoing spat with ICC. As far as the sorry state of the Indian team, well !! they got to blame themselves and it is high time GC comes clean and tells us what is in his head.