I'm not a conspiracy theorist. I don't care who you are, who you are playing - you don't lose 6 wickets for 12 runs. Especially when you are on the verge of winning a game. Deccan needed 25 from 18 to against Dehli and imploded to 161 all out. Adam Gilchirst is the most straight-laced cricketer you can imagine, but I don't about his teammates.
If you haven't been paying attention, sit down and here's a lesson from the textbook of "How Cricketers Arouse Suspicion."
174 required to win.
149 for 4 with Andrew Symonds at the crease; he then shows no composure and gets out 2 balls later. Another international cricketer, Dwayne Smith, then gets a two duck after two balls faced. Venugopal Rao, who has played 16 ODIs and has an average of 24, a proper batsman -falls for a single in three balls. Chaminda Vaas sticks in for 10 off 6 balls.
More international cricketers come - and go. RP Singh (international bowler) run out after facing just one ball; Pragyan Ojha - who was smoking hot bat and ball just 10 days ago - falls for a two ball duck. Is form that fleeting or is he just not that good? Shoaib is the last man to go - holing out to AB De Villiers at long-on.
Most of these wickets falling to some mystery bowler - R Bathia - whom nobody bar his missus and closest 100 mates have heard of. Chrisis! He must having been bowling hand grenades. Bathia's not played an international game and gets 4/15 in 2.4 overs. I hope that Bhai went out, gambled and bought a European lotto ticket and looked for a potential wife. Today he'd be a married millioinaire.
Put this as a storyline for Roy of the Rovers or Billy's Boots about 25 years ago, not even they would have bought it. Hot Shot Hamish blasting the ball through the back of the net is more believable.
May 13 was dodgy in Durban - with a smattering of the usual dropped catches comedy to remind us that the players were trying.
Someone out there made money last night.
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