Live Commentary

Aiwa Cup - 1999

Here we go again. After a break of about a month and a half during which our cricketers amused themselves in various ways -- Sachin Tendulkar spent quality time with his family; Rahul Dravid explored the contours of the Rajasthan desert, Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath got married, and so on and so forth -- it is time to get back to work.

And the new cricket season starts with an interesting match up -- the Aiwa Cup, in Sri Lanka.

Interesting, because of the teams coming together, and the inherent possibilities therein.

For starters, there is the host nation -- a nation, what is more, in the grip of cricketing chaos. Defeat -- disgrace, even -- in the World Cup in England saw the erstwhile champions making dramatic changes. Arjuna Ranatunga, the man who led Sri Lanka to a brilliant Cup win in 1996, is gone. As is his deputy and premier batsman Aravinda D'Silva, who you will recall took the game away from India in the semifinals, then repeated the performance against Australia in the final. Gone, too, are veterans Hashan Tillekeratne and Roshan Mahanama. In their place, we have a young, largely untested team -- headed by Sanath Jayasuriya, whose exploits in the 1996 World Cup were as startling as his slump in batting form thereafter. Can the Lankans start putting the pieces back together again? This would seem a good time to find out.

Then there is Australia, the holders. A team that captured the imagination for the way it won in England -- at one point, after a string of indifferent performances, nothing would do but to win seven straight games. The Aussies, under Steve Waugh, didn't pause to consider the options -- they just went out and did what they had to, won the games they needed to win, and took the Cup; in the process downing, twice on the run in two brilliant games, the pre-tournament favourites South Africa. But then, Australia have always done well in England -- the question here is, can their style of play be as effective on the sub-continental tracks? We'll find out, soon enough. One thing is for sure -- the holders of the title are always under the gun, since they have everything to lose while their opponents, not under as much pressure, are likely to go flat out in a bid to upset the applecart.

And then there is India. A team that, by any yardstick, played below par in the World Cup. But that didn't lead to the kind of drama witnessed in Sri Lanka. Instead, two players -- skipper Mohammad Azharuddin and stumper Nayan Mongia -- declared themselves unfit. And the national selectors retained the rest -- the argument being that it was a vote for continuity. But yes, there is one important change -- Sachin Tendulkar, albeit with initial reluctance, returns as captain. And given the Tendulkar mindset, India's performance in this tournament is going to be watched keenly -- the captain elect has made it clear that he does not like to lose, that he wants his players to give 100 per cent effort and commitment, that performance rather than other considerations will be the sole criterion for berths in the side. But will all this tough talk yield results? That is the question a few million fans will want answered, as India prepare to take on the 1996 and 1999 world champions.

It promises to be an interesting match-up. And it is live, as always, on Rediff.

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The schedule for Aiwa Cup, 1999.

Sri Lanka v Australia, Galle, Sunday, 22 August, 1999
India v Australia, Galle, Monday, 23 August, 1999
Sri Lanka v India, Premedasa, Wednesday, 25 August, 1999
Sri Lanka v Australia, Premadasa D/N, Thursday, 26 August, 1999
India v Australia, Singhalese, Saturday, 28 August, 1999
Sri Lanka v India, Colombo (SSC), Sunday, 29 August, 1999
Final, Premadasa, Tuesday, 31 August, 1999