In just a few minutes the most anticipated matchup of the 2011 ICC World Cup so far will begin. India versus Australia promises to be a high voltage, no holds barred battle, some are calling it a “mini final” – but there seems to be nothing mini about these teams. Stick with us for live updates, or check out the links (below) to various live streams from Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera. This is the one you waited for.
These teams are so evenly matched there is little point in doing comparisons or attempting to over analyze, the team that wants it most is going to win basically. Ruling out a good dose of luck, India or Australia will prevail because the best team shines, or because one or more heroes emerge. Battle is that way, and what you are about to see, hear, or read about is nothing short of an athletic battle. Ricky Ponting probably said it best: “We’ll have to be on our toes for 100 overs.” The game begins at 14:30 local time, 09:00 GMT, and 10:00 CET, check for other time zones.
We can expect anything to tip the scales today. One shot, one instant, a miss, anything can alter the universe when competition is this close. I hate to admit it, but when it comes down to it, this game is about favorites. For me, India is the only choice here actually. Why? I hesitate to say it, I love my friends from down under, but India will want it more. And there is that factor I talk about in almost every one of these pre-game lead ins – the hero aspect. When you have a figure such as Sachin Tendulkar, Ponting too, the force of their greatness often shines through.
In case you missed a recent Six Nations Rugby event, Ireland defeated England in an upset of legendary proportions – on the strength of another such hero – Brian O’Driscoll. But we are here to witness cricket greatness, and with greatness at stake (I say it again) NEVER count out individuals like Tendulkar. I am going with India all the way here – Tendulkar and his fellows hearts will carry them through today. We shall see.
For our readers who want to watch the game online, here are a few websites providing live streaming, live scorecards and updates: ESPNstar.asia (live streaming available only in Asian countries), Crictime.com (site for live streaming, broadcasting on four different servers) and ESPN3.com (ideal for US viewers). Willow TV is also an official online broadcaster in the United States. Our most recent feed came via a very nice mail from someone who created a nice feed here called CricZero. Fans in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland can watch the game via BSkyB. A complete list of 2011 Cricket World Cup broadcasting rights can be found via Wikipedia, or at Yahoo! Sports, in *pdf format.
And the lineups are:
India – MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, R. Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel.
Australia – Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin (wk), David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Shane Watson, Cameron White, Mitchell Johnson, Jason Krejza, Brett Lee, Shaun Tait.
These teams are so evenly matched there is little point in doing comparisons or attempting to over analyze, the team that wants it most is going to win basically. Ruling out a good dose of luck, India or Australia will prevail because the best team shines, or because one or more heroes emerge. Battle is that way, and what you are about to see, hear, or read about is nothing short of an athletic battle. Ricky Ponting probably said it best: “We’ll have to be on our toes for 100 overs.” The game begins at 14:30 local time, 09:00 GMT, and 10:00 CET, check for other time zones.
We can expect anything to tip the scales today. One shot, one instant, a miss, anything can alter the universe when competition is this close. I hate to admit it, but when it comes down to it, this game is about favorites. For me, India is the only choice here actually. Why? I hesitate to say it, I love my friends from down under, but India will want it more. And there is that factor I talk about in almost every one of these pre-game lead ins – the hero aspect. When you have a figure such as Sachin Tendulkar, Ponting too, the force of their greatness often shines through.
In case you missed a recent Six Nations Rugby event, Ireland defeated England in an upset of legendary proportions – on the strength of another such hero – Brian O’Driscoll. But we are here to witness cricket greatness, and with greatness at stake (I say it again) NEVER count out individuals like Tendulkar. I am going with India all the way here – Tendulkar and his fellows hearts will carry them through today. We shall see.
For our readers who want to watch the game online, here are a few websites providing live streaming, live scorecards and updates: ESPNstar.asia (live streaming available only in Asian countries), Crictime.com (site for live streaming, broadcasting on four different servers) and ESPN3.com (ideal for US viewers). Willow TV is also an official online broadcaster in the United States. Our most recent feed came via a very nice mail from someone who created a nice feed here called CricZero. Fans in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland can watch the game via BSkyB. A complete list of 2011 Cricket World Cup broadcasting rights can be found via Wikipedia, or at Yahoo! Sports, in *pdf format.
And the lineups are:
India – MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, R. Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel.
Australia – Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin (wk), David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Shane Watson, Cameron White, Mitchell Johnson, Jason Krejza, Brett Lee, Shaun Tait.
