IDRF - Summer of 2004

" In great attempts it is glorious even to fail" Before the tournament began, this team wasn't there. The idea of team came up just to be together, an attempt to reunite 162 Riverside, which looked scattered. Purvin was attached with Suhas, Shamin was attached with Gaurang/Chintan, I was playing with Rohit/Sabeeh, we all members would have ended up playing in the different team and who knows what could have been the story. Frankly speaking the team was made becuase of Jinal Shah and Sripad Kangle and what a team it was!!! After a few days gone by, Now I am started feeling proud of the achievement of being in the Finals of the biggest championship getting played in the easters zone of United States of America, IDRF. ***************************************************************************** FIRST ROUND ***************************************************************************** First match of the tournament, always a nervous one. All the preparation, thoughts, dreams,desire has to be put into the account to the execution. The team was without Purvin Desai, an allrounder which is always going to be problamatic. It was going to be played at the very same ground, where we lost the last match played. According to the pre played plans, I had AShutosh and Jinal opening the inning after being send by the oppositions to bat. The team that we were playing against were fit players and it will always going to be a tough match. Jinal has the fobia of the first ball, I had seen him now atleast three times getting out on the very first ball, History repeats again, and It did. It had to AShu and Gaurang to pull up a good fighting score. They both played well, till Ashu got out in a very unfortunate way. We were about to put up a fighting score, when Gaurang got out and after a little support from Shamin, I was left with Sripad. Gaurang's big six and one four from me, pull up the score in thirties but it was the final over when Sripad got going with three two's helped to put up a fighting score. It was run a ball and the only way we can win is by knocking off their six wickets. Player of the match was Gaurang, He took crucial two wickets, and one great direct hit which caused a run out. Three wickets down but they needed run a ball, Thats when Jinal Shah's throw to prevent the two runs and the same story repeated from off side by me, caused the opposition's on backfoot. They lost five and needed 12 more runs in 12 more balls. Sripad bowled a good one to get the last priceless wicket and we were through to the second round. ******************************************************************************* Second Round ******************************************************************************* We knew, if we win this match, we are going to play against Nashua Nukes at Nashua. In the past we have failed to achieve this and hence wanted all the experiments get over in this match. Before the match, it was great team spirit shown by Jinal Shah, to make a move for Purvin Desai. There was no dobuts in my mind to take the fielding first and we did won the toss. Game started with the nerve breaking start, as the first three balls were wide from Purvin. He bounced back well with little support from me taking a brilliant one handed catch. Gaurang bowled a great second over and they were about 11 runs from 2 overs. Purvin followed by the equally cometitive third over, where he bowled one batsman. Sripad took a good catch followed by a run out and oppositions were around 20 for 4. Gaurang and Shamin finished up the tail and we needed a minow to chase. Purvin Desai needed some practice, and so do I. What a good time for us to get some much needed practise at the top. We scored the runs without loosing a single wicket, though I punched few in the air just to get the hitting power going but didnt got the success, a touch of worry. But Purvin got his much needed pull stroke going for a boundary. We won it and will face Nukes in the Pre-Quarter Final. ****************************************************************************** Pre-Quarter Finals ****************************************************************************** One of the best thing I did as a captain was organizing the matches according to the players comfort. Shamin can not play after 3 in some of the days, AShu wouldnt like to play in the afternoon, Purvin had to go to New Jersey and matches had to be organized in the those ways and particular days. Nashua Nukes, this is the team to beat. Luck again went out of our way, as we lost the toss. In form Viral and Ashutosh opened out the inning. We scored just 3 runs at the end of the good first over. We bounced back in the second over though and were 11 for no loss. To me I always look for 12-15 without loosing the wicket in the first two overs. Exactly the same score was up, when Ashu hit the boundary on a no ball and we were 15 at the end of two overs. We played well, till 26 runs before I got out. Gaurang went in with Ashu followed by Purvin and Shamin. Gaurang got out at the wrong time, when atleast one hit from him was the doctor order. Nevertheless, we scored 52 runs which looked more than enough with the bowling line up and fielding on the on side. I was good enough for covering the small area on off side while Sripad and Ashutosh were the two best runners and catchers on on side. Gaurang was equally good in the keeping while Shamin was at his usual position of mid-off. I just cant see we loosing out defending this score. Purvin who has bowled earlier on the same pich, was accurate enough to get the first blow. Nice catch taken by me and Ashutosh put Nukes on the defence. Gaurang and Shamin bowled great and pressure kept mounting on them to go for the biggies. They kept loosing wickets and in the end third consecutive match and we got the oppositions all down. ******************************************************************************* Quarter Finals ******************************************************************************* It was Lord Barron and we have a history to defeat them everywhere. I have never played a match against them which we have lost. It was not a easy team to defeat, but we were playing some good cricket. We won the toss, and elected to field first. It was pre-decided to give one over to Sripad atleast which should have happened in the previous matches itself. He is too good a bowler to miss out on the opportunity. To me, his one over and wicket of Arun was the reason to win that match. Purvin/Gaurang combination opened up the bowling attack and were brilliant. When the fourth over was given to Sripad, it was equally balanced, they have lost three wickets but they have scored run a ball. In our team we were lacking a hitter, who can hit the much needed sixes, In this small, over tournaments, those sixes can turn the match in either side very easily. Suhas, Parag and Arun are those big hitters, who can give any side a worry. Sripad started nervously but came back well, with the Arun's wicket. Shamin[Gaurang] bowled Rafiq and we were chasing 37 runs, almost run a ball. I played well in the first three matches, Purvin had his chance to get the confidence but it was Ashu and Gaurang who came out in my mind as the best two batsmans from our side. Now it was about time, when the matches will get tougher and you want your best two batsmans to play as much as they can. If first match was won in batting by Gaurang second was by Purvin third was by Ashutosh then fourth again was by Gaurang. He batted exceptionally well, to carry his bat till the end. We just lost one wicket that of Ashutosh that too after scoring the opening partnership of 27 runs. It was never going to be that easy to win against Lord Barrons and to score those 40 odd runs but Gaurang/Ashutosh/Purvin combination worked and we WON. ****************************************************************************** Semi -Final ****************************************************************************** Hip Hip Huraay, we made it till the semi-finals. There was a chance when we might have to play against Suhas's team or Mansfield XI neither of team was good enough to win against us. I and our team was so confident to made it till the FINAL. Only thing which was worrying was, the Over confidence, and If Suhas's team win it, his big hitting. Unfortunately, Suhas's team didnt won the Quarter-Final and I witness that match. I saw every player of MANSFIELD XI and it would be only miracle can stop us to reach to the Finals. When I called Purvin early in the morning, He didnt picked up my phone. He was at New Jersey and for a moment it gave me a scary thought of playing without him. I still didnt thought that we can loose that semi final even without Purvin, just to show how bad the oppositions were in the semi -final. We won the much needed toss, and we were going to field first. Third ball, their best and only good batsman Raj, was out, a clean knick, Umpire turned it down. One of the best thing of playing at Nashua ground was the assurance of fair and best umpiring. I knew Umpires are not going to be good enough, more than that they will be the ones who know nothing about Cricket. Umpire's eye was hitting on what his son and wife doing rather than the game. Organizers themselves ended up coming late, on the Final day and then they wanted Final to be played in a hurry. However, that bad decision gave a chance to win a thriller of a catch taken from Purvin Desai. I was keeping the wicket, and found Gaurang going too much down the leg side and gave away 14 runs. 17 in two overs and it had to be a tough one if Raj would have stayed there for two more overs. Fortunately we got him, and I personally wanted to give one over to Sripad this time. Well the reason is, Shamin and Gaurang bowls on the stump while Sri is good bowler outside the off stump. Gaurang after bowling the first bad over, wanted to bowl the second one[that is fouth of the match]. I had to stop him saying, Shamin might have to bowl 5th and 7th and it was advisable if does that. My idea was giving 4th to Sripad as Shamin was so much tired, after running back and forth, that wil allow him to get the much needed rest. It didnt happened that way, though but later on, Mansfield XI didnt had a better batsman to cash on our lousy bowling and we ended up chasing 45 to win. It was again the top two batsman Ashutosh and Gaurang opened out the inning. I probably think, Gaurang really had a problem of seeing the ball clearly, probably due to a hit on his eye last match. Ashutosh was playing well, and they both stayed there till 35 odd runs. The match was ended there itself, and it required Purvin to do the finishing act alongwith not out AShutosh. ******************************************************************************* FINAL ******************************************************************************* We were on the Finals, almost the end of the tournament, which go a long way. This is about time, when the team members disclose, who did what thing? Personal Glory, Achievements, Moments all come as a distraction. That's when, I blew up, I still hate the moment, when I declared AShutosh to be the best batman and Purvin to be the best bowler and Gaurang to be the best all round performer. Probably the way I said it, it sounded like Gaurang felt, he was ommitted after the hard work, he might have felt this is not his team, Shamin felt, he didnt got the chance to show anything in the bowling and hence he was not in the picture. All this things just before the much important FINALS, AHA, I feel I missed the trick here. I could say this, as I was feeling the same. I was not out in the first two matches played, third match I scored 10 odd runs and the partnership of 26 runs by opening the inning. Never had the chance to bat in Quarters and Semi, imagining myself, If I would have opened the inning, I could have made the runs, I could have got the best batsmans award. Shamin and Sripad could have got the award in the bowling, but this is not about personal achievements, It should not be and hence I disclosed the facts in front of everyone. That aint included my name or Sripad's name and we never mind that. Honestly speaking, I was about to disclose a plan, for the Final match, I wanted the best player from our side, that is Gaurang to go in the one down position while wanted Shamin Patel to open out the inning alongwith ashutosh. The reason that I thought of doing this, the team never depended upon shamin's batting, he never batted after the first match. Its Final and there will be a touch of nervousness in everyone. One or two good hits by a player like him, may not reach to the boudaries, may not reach to the sixes, but those hits could have lift the spirit. Its tough to chase, in the Finals, 50 + and we would have won it on the paper itself. But due to me messing up, at the start still haunts me. Second and could have been the big reason, TOSS, now why would any of the guys have to talk with the organizers. If they feel, they are in hurry, they would contact me on phone, and I would have given them the reason. There was not a single drop of water from sky before the match, yes the sky was cloudy but it was like that from the start of the day. It was not even 15 mintues, and toss was done and if you can see when the match got started. Third thing, the Umpiring issue, I think I bet Geoffrey Boycott's mom could catch the ball but not someone like Ashish who was umpiring. I personally feel, Prashant also didnt gave atleast two no balls which Ashutosh pulled. Fourth and the most important factor, we played bad in batting as well as bowling, COunting all factors doenst hide the bad cricket played by us. WE got defeated by a team who played better cricket then us. There are many reasons to give for the defeat but that might have changed the good one hour of cricket and not the results. Not to take away a good effort from Ashu/Purvin and a great effort with the bat by Shripad. We scored 40 which was not the most easiest score to chase. I failed in the batting department wasting crucial three balls, not only that I failed in lifting the spirit on the players to give a real fight. Purvin start of with an exceptional first ball, and tough dropped catch. I think that catch might lift the spirit a great deal. Nevertheless, we were still on the game after 4 overs, when they have 17 to score from 18 balls. The only problem which I thought was the number of wickets left, I think, In all the previous matches, WE have got all the wickets from the opposition, this time though, they had 4 to go. Three shoft balls from Purvin, 10 give away runs, Next over by Shamin, One bad ball, giving away no room for more errors. We got defeated, comprehensively in the end, but the heads were up. Reason is, all of us knew, that we played bad on that day and hence we got defeated. ******************************************************************************* In the end, It was a great tournament and I will cherish all the memory of it and I am sure ALL of you guys will !!! I would love to thank Jinal Shah for being there to cheer us up and CEO[chief entertainment officer] manoj kathrani to be there and support us all the way.