Now that the wheat has been separated from the chaff, and the men from the boys, and the boys from the bachchas, here’s a simple question: who do you think will win the 2011 cricket World Cup?
Is India’s flawless march to the quarterfinals an indicator of the shape of things to come? Could Pakistan spring the biggest surprise of all? Is Sri Lanka’s passion going to ensure that a World Cup in the subcontinent stays in the subcontinent?
Or, is it going to be “This time for Africa?” to prove that Shakira‘s hips don’t lie? Or will it be Australia all over again?
Having gotten their choke out of the way, I think South Africa should be firm favourites for this one.
That said, I don’t put it past South Africa to find a new and hitherto undiscovered way of losing in the knockouts.
We can safely say that India, England, West Indies and New Zealand would need a lot of luck to make it to the semis and no further.
Of the rest, Australia will probably lose in the semis (after crushing India in Ahmedabad) and Sri Lanka and Pakistan will be the only ones who can challenge South Africa for the Cup.
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Hey who wrote this piece?
India’s ‘flawless’ march to the quarter-finals!!!! Who said it was flawless, the right word is lacklustre, a stronger word would be ‘lucky’.
With this kind of a march, it is going to extremely tough for the Indians against professional and talented teams like Australia and South Africa.
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1. South Africa – It depends on how they hold their nerves together
2. Pakistan – their better bowling gives them the edge and some improved fielding
3. Australia – you cannot write them off
Sri Lanka – an outside chance may be
England – could be the dark horse – they have held on and won some close matches
India – Ineffective bowling and batting collapses, not to mention unsuccessful poweplays – though i dont like it, my guess is that they may not make it to the semis
NZ and 8. WI – again dont expect them to make semis
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There is no water to wipe my – you know what. Cities look like Germany after WWII, villages from 15th century. People on roads as beastly as Gladiators of Rome.
Cricket, Vishwa Kannada Sammelana? you may shove it up your – you know what.
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1. Pak
2. SA
3. Aus
4. SL
5. Will God Displease a Billion.
Worth Seeing.
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@ the Colonel
God has nothing to do with it sir. More fools the billion :D
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Ramesh says he closes his ears when IT czars talk green
“The IT industry is a huge guzzler for air conditioning. IT buildings are horribly inefficient when it comes to meeting energy efficient levels. I close my ears when the IT czars are giving long lectures on green building,” he said.
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India, flawless ? Saaru match nodde kuttu idhare ansutte. Post faar the sake of postu idu ?
1. SA if they don’t find ways to screw themselves.
2. Australia – bastards, they never give up , do they ?
3. England who sway from good to worse
4. Pakistan (outside chance ; they choke too)
5. India (It has to be really something if we win despite the horrid lacklustre performance we the #1 have given. Hope to see Sachin get his 100th ; that will pacify the billion)
6. SL
If NZ or WI win, the world should come to and end ….
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Abhi: You commit Suicide! why are you in front of a computer when the world is suffering?
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Old Jungle Saying
– India will win. Big money at stake. Lot of sponsors. Matches will be fixed so will the outcome.
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why do you want to join the channels and add to waste of time and energy.It will not add an iota to us and you.let us keep off this bala
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Dear Twistleton:
The Rich Ask: Kitna Deti Hai.
the poor ask: score kya hai.
Everyone has his OPIUM.
Mine’s LADY NICOTINE.
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Like the cliche goes any team that plays well on that day will win the World Cup. So it is not worth our time speculating.
As for India, it is true that they have disappointed at times but their performance by and large has been based on their potential. The team has a top heavy batting lineup and an average bowling attack at best. With such a combination they have won 5 games and lost one narrowly. Different batsmen have contributed to post above par totals, the dramatic collapses notwithstanding. For Indian cricket fans, it seems as though nothing is ever enough.
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there’s this guy whose body has experienced every known and unknown injury. he always struggles with his infirmities and some how manages to carry on.
he is determined, gracefull.
he WALKS.
he has done his best and keeps doing it and finally at the end of evey match he is very much dejected.
HE HAS DONE IT FOR TWENTY TWO YEARS. a very long long long time.
he comes back with a flourish, he ENCHANTS.
there would be no more fitting tribute to HIM than the world cup.
Jago India Jago
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It seems like everyone here have that decided a billion Indians watch cricket- you speak a lie a thousand times and it becomes the truth for those who speak the lie.
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India are the perennial favorites as they always have the best team on paper. Their on field performance is a different story. Our cricket team is a perfect metaphor for the whole country it seems. A mediocre underachieving team with very very few exceptional players. In this case, Sachin no doubt is world class. The team thinks it is the best out there but the hard reality is starkly different. The difference between perception and reality is not that great for the cricket team though.
Anyway I sure hope India makes it past Australia in the semis. Its about time we had a different world champ.
My favs in order are : Aus, SA, SL, Pak, Ind.
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Is The Colonel talking of Suresh Kalmadi!
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Rama – Don’t worry. I am not about to commit suicide. Infact, most likely, I am in better spirit than you. I have chosen to stay away from all the crap that perhaps you have to go through.
Forget the sufferings of the world. Spare a bit of pity for yourself for all the crap you have to go through if have to go through Chinnaswamy stadium during cricket matches. Wow, just that they forgot about arranging parking space for the spectators and forgot about the traffic in the center of the city while building the statdium.
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Abhi: Be positive man. You look like a sick guy always crying and cribbing at the world! get a life!! stay away from blogs not interesting you! afterall Churumuri is not everything!
Abhi: Hope you wiped clean your ——- what you know by now! :-)
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How can anybody else win the World Cup when it is India’s birthright to win it?
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dear Gabby,
nice one.
SACHIN MAN!
and INDIA DONE IT.
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Don’t you all arm-chair pundits look like a buncha idiots with the Aussies and the Proteas gone !
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Dear Colonel,
India done what? Built a temple for its favourite cricket player!
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Rama – Stop pitying about me…I am doing pretty well and quite positive about lot of things. There are somethings you can not be positive about unless start being unrealistic. One of which is this cricket hype. I am perfectly fine as long as they can arrange cricket matches in a way that is not like those played Colosseum.
We can like cricket, but when we can not even arrange matches that do not bring entire city to halt causing traffic jams in the heart of the city, when we can not sell tickets in a way that does not require lathi charge, being “positive” about such insanity is delusional.
And do not worry about my arse, I live in a country that can provide enough water for such basic human needs.
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India is naturally stressed a lot of being the favourites. It is Pak that has this edge and advantage. Pak has nothing to lose. Ind has everything to lose. People ready to sacrifice world cup for this semi final. that is the mood prevalent.
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SRI LANKA WILL WIN CRICKET WORLD CUP 2011
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Abhi:
If you criticize India being an Indian, it is welcome self-criticism, possible leading to introspection and improvement. If you criticize India as a foreigner, it will be considered typical patronizing crap, and will be called trolling/flaming, and you can expect appropriate responses. We are struggling to make India a better place here, and things are indeed getting better day by day, no matter what you see perched on your lofty arse somewhere in the world.
If your thinking is that India is a ‘gone-case’ and choose to ignore the improvements that are taking place and always view the glass as half-empty, and don’t have anything constructive to add, and are happy with your life wherever you are, that’s your prerogative. But the least you can do is to keep your shit to yourself and take more interest in affairs of your adopted nation, instead of coming to whine and moan about Indian issues on Indian blogs.
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@Abhi: You are the odd man here. stop being a spoil sport. Cricket Hype? what do you mean. the sport is popular and high profile games throw everything out of gear. you ought to b on some other blog. hope you’ll observe earth hours on wednesday.
I’m least worried about your ……you know what! but dont go in the crowd stinking!
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Rama:
Precisely. And among all the matches that have been organized all over the nation, how many lathicharges and traffic jams have we had? Moreover, the area around Chinnaswamy is anyway congested due to metro construction and general traffic.
Not saying that the initial lathicharge was a very good thing – it should certainly be condemned – but when the discussion is about World Cup here, patronizing morons coming and babbling about unrelated crap, Kannada Sammelana, etc. should be condemned even more.
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Umm where did I hear this nonsense about residents trying their hardest to make good and therefore being ibntolerant of any external criticism—–was it on Fox News or was it the Australian hooligans who beat up Indian students!
All World Cups are media circuses- FIFA in South Africa or this ongoing one- bloody inconvenience to everyone and the sporting spirit is dead is any case.
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It is amazing that “about 16%” of the population thinks Pakistan will win…. Hmmmmmm……….
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I am one of the 16% that hopes pakistan will win and I have a harake to the nearby Anjaneya temple for vadehara and Venkataramana Swamy temple for 101 tenginakayi if this happens.
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Vinay dude – How does it matter where I live and what I do. Do not arrogate yourself by making the you (and me) the subject of discussion. You can claim you are making india better each passing day and I can claim 101 other things on forums. Does not matter.
Rama – How does it matter if I am the odd man out? I am not here to win votes. You can continue to get a sense of false achievement by bragging about world cups (and kannada sammelana – to that extent bringing that up here is relevant). And churumuri is the sanest blog relating to India/Karnataka and I will keep visiting until I find something better.
Tarffic jam near Chinnaswamy during matches is not because of match? Clearly you are joking.
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Suhas may have a point…
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India will rock in World cup final ,
Sachin , Yuvi and Zaheer will smash sri.
Support for India and pray for India
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