Congrats England !!!

Though I couldn't follow the last two days at the Oval, the result was good enough to make me happy. Now the world order is settled; a new war for world domination is on. Nothing could be more gratifying.
So, England rejoice for the moment, and please take the one-dayers seriously. New Zealand, start making some runs. India, concentrate on your bowling; you won't be able to make the semi-finals of Champions Trophy if the pacers don't perform well.

Under Cook' & Kat'ch

Why is nobody talking about Cook and Katich? People and Things are helter-skelter over Flintoff’s knee, Pietersen’s Achilles, Hughes’ ouster, Aussies pace-bowlers selection etc etc But they have gone surreptitiously quiet over these guys.

Only things I have heard about them this Ashes are, “Cook has a problem with his footwork, and hence more prone to LBWs. Katich is a sort of ungainly-nudger player who makes other batsmen look good.” The very oft-mentioned phrases about them.

Hello, aren’t they part of the team? Are they scoring runs? Apart from a crisp 95 at Lord’s, Cook has had a very average time in the middle. Katich too after his century in Cardiff has looked uninspiring. But they have just managed to escape the spotlight.

I believe it is time for England to haul up Cook. He is a fantastic player, no better demonstrated by his century in his first test against India. But he has hit mediocrity of late. His technical deficiency apart, he has also started looking awkward on the crease. He has fared no better in getting a start and squandering it than Bell or Bopara. But surprisingly he hasn’t even copped an earful.

Katich on the other hand has reeled off a lot of runs in his last few matches, but still have they been scored when they mattered? I don’t think that he has played well enough on sporting pitches. May be his unattractive play elicits more ungenerous response from everyone, including me, but his efficacy in times of need is open to question.

I hope they come good in the next test, not only for the sake of their teams but also for the spectators. The Oval nevertheless promises to be a mega-stage. What a delight it would be if the match dishes out a fairytale finish in the last over of the match, with England hopefully on the winning side.