Faislabad to Rome...
This is how the online cricinfo.com live commentary read about two non-descript, overs at the fag end of day 2 of the 2nd test of the current India-Pakistan series... an uneventful quarter of an hour which produced 5 meagre runs off 11 balls.
End of over 27 (maiden) India 95/1 (trail by 493 runs)
Shoaib Akhtar 8-3-24-0 - Pavilion End
VVS Laxman 21* (47b 3x4) R Dravid 38* (76b 6x4)
26.6 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, no run, short of a good length and outside
the off, Dravid stands tall and defends
26.5 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, no run, full and very quick, Dravid stands
tall and defends to the on side
26.4 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, no run, full and straight, Dravid defends
towards the cover region, that is quite quick, good effort from
Shoaib late in the day
26.3 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, no run, short one banged in, Dravid sees
it coming and ducks well under it
26.2 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, no run, just dragged down a touch shorter,
Dravid gets behind the line and blocks with caition
26.1 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, no run, full and on the stumps, defended
back down the pitch
End of over 29 (5 runs) India 101/1 (trail by 487 runs)
Shoaib Akhtar 9-3-29-0 - Pavilion End
VVS Laxman 23* (52b 3x4) R Dravid 42* (83b 7x4)
28.1 Irrelevant to our discussion... a single
28.2 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, no run, short one banged in outside the
off stump, Dravid sways inside the line and lets it go through to
the keeper
28.3 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, no run, full and on the off, a hint of
reverse swing in to the batsman, defended back down the pitch with
a straight bat
28.4 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, FOUR, full and outside the off, Dravid
leans into the line of the ball and drives through cover. That was
the slower ball but Dravid picked it well and sent it on its way
28.5 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, no run, short one banged in to follow the
slower one, Dravid moves across to the off side and plays
awkwardly. The ball goes down to the keeper
28.6 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, no run, short of a good length and outside
the off stump, left well alone to the keeper
It transported me to the Colloseum, Rome. Two gladiators pounding away at each other...
One running in like his life depended on it, his mane battling with the cold wintry wind - fighting a losing battle, body chuffed - leaving a trail behind; as in the Asterix comics, chest puffed, every sinew complaining - unheeded, eyes blazing (if looks could kill...), gaining momentum with every step he took towards the 3 sticks, the mesmerising leap as he hit the crease, the landing - an inhuman amount of stress (9 times his body-weight) searing through his hamstrings, thighs, back and shins, the loud grunt which reached the batsmen's ear just before the venomous ball...
The other awaiting - akin to a man on the death-row, patting the piece of earth beneath him with his trusty weapon, body taut, you could literally feel his blood pressure raising with each step the deadly adversary took, eyes calm, eyes which pick up the hurled grenade in less than one third of the second it takes to reach him... Contrary to the expectation of the billion plus spectators his body calmly moves towards the ball! The knees bend at just the right angle, elbows bent just right, the trusty weapon intercepts the ball at precisely the right moment, the impact sends shudders through the handle to fingers, knuckles, wrists; all the way to the elbow and the soulders. The asked-question drops limply to his feet, spent.
Their eyes meet; one smouldering, one calm. Neither one takes a backward step. Deep in those eyes, hidden, were respect and admiration of the other's craft - unacknowledged of course!
They start all over again... poetry in motion is about to begin.
Ah! the joys of Test Match Cricket.
End of over 27 (maiden) India 95/1 (trail by 493 runs)
Shoaib Akhtar 8-3-24-0 - Pavilion End
VVS Laxman 21* (47b 3x4) R Dravid 38* (76b 6x4)
26.6 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, no run, short of a good length and outside
the off, Dravid stands tall and defends
26.5 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, no run, full and very quick, Dravid stands
tall and defends to the on side
26.4 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, no run, full and straight, Dravid defends
towards the cover region, that is quite quick, good effort from
Shoaib late in the day
26.3 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, no run, short one banged in, Dravid sees
it coming and ducks well under it
26.2 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, no run, just dragged down a touch shorter,
Dravid gets behind the line and blocks with caition
26.1 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, no run, full and on the stumps, defended
back down the pitch
End of over 29 (5 runs) India 101/1 (trail by 487 runs)
Shoaib Akhtar 9-3-29-0 - Pavilion End
VVS Laxman 23* (52b 3x4) R Dravid 42* (83b 7x4)
28.1 Irrelevant to our discussion... a single
28.2 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, no run, short one banged in outside the
off stump, Dravid sways inside the line and lets it go through to
the keeper
28.3 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, no run, full and on the off, a hint of
reverse swing in to the batsman, defended back down the pitch with
a straight bat
28.4 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, FOUR, full and outside the off, Dravid
leans into the line of the ball and drives through cover. That was
the slower ball but Dravid picked it well and sent it on its way
28.5 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, no run, short one banged in to follow the
slower one, Dravid moves across to the off side and plays
awkwardly. The ball goes down to the keeper
28.6 Shoaib Akhtar to Dravid, no run, short of a good length and outside
the off stump, left well alone to the keeper
It transported me to the Colloseum, Rome. Two gladiators pounding away at each other...
One running in like his life depended on it, his mane battling with the cold wintry wind - fighting a losing battle, body chuffed - leaving a trail behind; as in the Asterix comics, chest puffed, every sinew complaining - unheeded, eyes blazing (if looks could kill...), gaining momentum with every step he took towards the 3 sticks, the mesmerising leap as he hit the crease, the landing - an inhuman amount of stress (9 times his body-weight) searing through his hamstrings, thighs, back and shins, the loud grunt which reached the batsmen's ear just before the venomous ball...
The other awaiting - akin to a man on the death-row, patting the piece of earth beneath him with his trusty weapon, body taut, you could literally feel his blood pressure raising with each step the deadly adversary took, eyes calm, eyes which pick up the hurled grenade in less than one third of the second it takes to reach him... Contrary to the expectation of the billion plus spectators his body calmly moves towards the ball! The knees bend at just the right angle, elbows bent just right, the trusty weapon intercepts the ball at precisely the right moment, the impact sends shudders through the handle to fingers, knuckles, wrists; all the way to the elbow and the soulders. The asked-question drops limply to his feet, spent.
Their eyes meet; one smouldering, one calm. Neither one takes a backward step. Deep in those eyes, hidden, were respect and admiration of the other's craft - unacknowledged of course!
They start all over again... poetry in motion is about to begin.
Ah! the joys of Test Match Cricket.