Weather Gods not happy with IPL?

The weather in northern India is going crazy again. At first we didn’t mind it much, dismissing it as just another squall of the season, and it looked obvious that it wont last beyond one-two days.

But the way things are going, it looks as if its already pre-monsoon showers knocking at our doors, or shall I say banging at our doors! The winds were recorded to be around 100kmp a few days ago when the first bout hit the city of Delhi. There was dust, dust and even more dust flying around. I remember, I went scampering here and there, trying close the doors and windows of my house before a sand is created inside. I had to call my domestic help from the back to help me out. Yet, doing so looked almost like a mission impossible, as I found myself in a whirlwind of sand and dust. Dust in my eyes, dust in my hair, my mouth, my clothes covered in dust…………EEEEEEEEEEEkkky!

We somehow managed to close all the windows, without any glass shattering, but by that time I was under a heap of dust, and having a coughing fit. It was an awful experience.

But I consider myself lucky, not much damage suffered other than inconvenience. Others suffered a lot more than me I guess.

So, such a weather is obviously ominous new for any form of cricket. The weather didn’t change much for the DD vs KXIpunjab match. In the beginning itself, we could hear the thunder above the stadium(which is not very far from my home, so it was live thunder action cast for me). DD batsmen knew that it may well come down pouring, so they picked up the run rate as much as could, till the rain burst finally happened. The match was delayed(no surprises at all). Then it was the cat and mouse game the rain played with us. It stopped for a while, and it looked as though play would resume, but then it started drizzling again, then stopped, then drizzled..

---stop---drizzle---stop---drizzle---

Finally when the play resumed amid fears of yet another break in play, DD had just above 2 overs left to complete their innings (overs cut to 11 per side). Needless to say, a set Sehwag had lost the touch, and the new ones didn’t have enough time to settle, so the score didn’t really fly off in those 2 overs. Target of 123 in 11 overs was set for KXI. (this D/L mumbojumbo is amazing!)

As happens with any rain delayed match, controversy was lurking right behind the umpires. The rain gods got pissed once again and the play was stopped at a very faithful time indeed. In the last over bowled, last ball was crucial- if dot,then DD win, if runs scored, then KXI win.(all this would not have been there had Sehwag not bowled that expensive over where 22 runs were scored. Ahh what was he thinking? He had his strike bowlers’ overs intact! Where was the need? Anyway, he possibly hasn’t got his act together yet). So yeah, Jayawardene slammed a six off the last bowl of that over and the game tilted to KXI’s favour. And after that over the umpires went into deep consultation and thought, as to whether its okay to continue with the game or not(with ony 3 more overs left-not more than 6-7 mins needed for it to be over). The discussion went on and on for about 10 mins. Does anyone else see the light here? The rain was not that strong,just a light drizzle at that time, and we have seen matches being continued in that situation. Then what happened to the umpires? Got scared of rain and thunder eh?(kindly add your choice of profanity here, for I felt very kindly to abuse them. ARGH!)

The umpires, they never seize to amaze me and annoy me at the same time.

DD lost the match to the umpires, and KXI got a breather( because they weren’t in as much of a winning situation at that time). DD’s loss is going to hurt them in the race for the semi final birth, for which 2 other teams are also battling-KKR and MI. MI is looking good, as they have not lost their key matches, but KKR got the same treatment as DD got from the rain gods.

The Delhi mini cyclone reached Kolkata when KKR were playing CSK yesterday. The winds were too much for the ground staff, as the covers were flying all over the place, let alone covering the pitch. KKR lost to CSK by D/L method.

And thus this puts MI ahead of DD and KKR in the race for semi spot. So far the rain gods have spared MI, but you never know. If MI lose, its back to square one. Then run rate shall decide who goes into the semi. Lets see what happens………..