Team India in Galle played the part of exemplary in-laws to Muttiah Muralitharan to the hilt. They ensured that the spin legend’s last Test would be his most memorable and seemed to go out of their way to see that Chennai’s jamai raja (son-in-law) reached the magic figure of 800 Test wickets.

With Rs 70 crores a year minimum guarantee promised in a record endorsement deal recently signed for the next three years, Team India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is set to increase the earnings gap between himself and Sachin Tendulkar.

Rarely does sport produce two winners in a single match.

If Germany do not beat Ghana on Wednesday at Ellis Park they are goners. The beauty of the group situation is any two of the four can qualify from here. The danger for Germany is Ghana need only a draw to squeeze into the last 16.

I was saddened to see the picture of Nelson Mandela released last week when his family said he was too frail to be at the opening of the soccer World Cup. On the same day there were pictures of him receiving the Bafana Bafana at the Nelson Mandela Foundation while seated on a wheelchair. But at least that carried some hope. I am hoping desperately that he would be strong enough to attend the great global event he helped bring to his native land.

The deep disappointment caused by Team India’s performance in the Caribbean caused such hurt that many have gone to the extent of calling for MS Dhoni’s head. Realistically speaking, is there an alternative to Dhoni? It was his steady hand on the rudder that took India to the top in Tests and twice, albeit briefly, in ODIs too. And all this took place just a few months ago.

Cricket’s oldest nation is now its newest winner in its latest T20 format. And the cricket world could not be happier after having experienced this wonderful break for Team England that had won nothing in ICC’s global events in the 35 years since the country hosted the first Prudential World Cup in 1975.

How quickly the rollercoaster world of T20 has changed. Even a week ago Asian domination of the event was being spoken of. But now Australians and Englishmen are looking forward to a pre-Ashes T20 showdown in the Caribbean since both teams are likely to have reached the semi-finals without losing a game.

May 3: Is cricket going more and more the baseball way? Evidently so, especially after the advent of the T-20 format. The exciting game is all about the blazing big hits, the length of each being measured by missile tracking systems and put up on television for the enjoyment of viewers.