Things We've Learned From The IPL Today (20/04)

April 20:

Deccan v. Kolkata
Mumbai v. Bangalore


Star among stars... David Hussey (Kolkata K'Riders)
Where did another one of these come from?! His brother's Michael's ascendancy already had me baffled enough; now we get a carbon-copy of that, only right-handed. (He even does the little flick of the heels that Mike does after hitting the ball to the on-side.) So here's my question: where's the Trevor of the Hussey family? Surely there has to be one aimless underachiever among the Hussey clan, right?

Old-timer on an egg-timer... V.V.S. Laxman (Deccan Chargers)
Maybe it's unfair to judge him too harshly -- based on the tough pitch he was batting on, and his saintly persona -- but did he ever look like scoring in his short, 6-ball innings? It's tough to see how he can adapt to this format. I can't even picture Laxman with a backlift, let alone improvising an ungainly hoick over the 'keeper's head for six.

Catch from the catchment... Virat Kohli (Bangalore Challengers)
Good fielders are of untold importance in Twenty20, especially in a team full of creaky-backed thirtysomethings, like Bangalore. Kohli pulled off a stunner (er, sorry... a 'DLF stunner'!) at point to dismiss Luke Ronchi, and he later came in to play a useful middle-order innings. He might also be the sleaziest-looking guy I've seen in the league so far -- I can't tell if he's supposed to be patrolling the infield or just trying to invite all the foreign players to his family's warehouse to sell them some black market Persian rugs.

3 Bullets to the head...

• I see they've started doing the whole 'talking to the keeper/captain in the middle of play' gimmick in the IPL now... and I hope they stop doing, a.s.a.p. Yeah, it's mildly intriguing the first couple of times you see it, but it has a very distinct whiff of, as the Americans might say, 'bush-league' to it. How about this instead? Just turn up the stump mics, give the players complete freedom to sledge at will, and then release the audio feed as a pay-per-view kind of thing. You're telling me you wouldn't pay to listen in when Harbhajan is playing Symonds?
  
  
• Repeat after me: "Low-scoring pitches are GOOD pitches. Low-scoring pitches are GOOD pitches. Low-scoring pitches are GOOD pitches..."

• Happy 4/20, everyone:
  
  

Comments

[J Rod]

Repea after me, David Hussey is nothing like Michael Hussey, one protects his wicket like its his daughters virginity, the other one bats like an ice addict looking for an old lady to mug.

[D.S. Henry]

If you say so, J Rod. It still seems like they usually reach the same result in the end. (I do like David's general "Younger brother with a more unevolved-looking face and a point to prove" vibe... kinda like Fred Savage and the kid from Boy Meets World.)

[Avik]

'Trevor the underachiever'?? You mean the 'Trevor the Under-armer' correct?
And live commentry from field has its moments...
Commentator: Hello, I'm Sunil Gavaskar speaking...
Ronchi: Pardon...
Commentator: I'm Sunil Gavaskar...
Ronchi: Oh, ya ya... Err.. Pardon again!!!

[Nesta]

How can I get a job at the FDA? The fringe benefits look very attractive!!