The plays of the day from the opening match of the Indian Premier League

Cricinfo staff18-Apr-2008
Old rivalries have been shelved for the moment (file photo) © Getty Images
Where’s the anthem?
It’s all very well having pop stars beltingout hits at inaugural functions, but if the teams are serious aboutbuilding up a fanatical following along the lines of English football orAmerican football’s legendary Cheeseheads, a team anthem would go a longway. The PA system blaring out or Fields of Anfield Road can send shivers down thespine.Not made to measure
While Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid walk outfor the toss, Zaheer Khan assesses his run-up with the help of a tapemeasure. But after more than three months out of the game, thecalculations aren’t quite what they should be. Brendon McCullum takes himfor 18 in his first over, with three heaves over midwicket and an edgedsix over third man. Ashley Noffke replaces him right away, and concedes 23in his first over. Hmmm.George Lucas, where are you?
With their golden helmets, theKnight Riders look like they’ve just stepped off a Star Wars set.Just imagine R2D2 in black clothes, and you get the idea. Mind you, as anAustralian journalist watching from London said: “You’ve got to love thosegolden pads.” No worries with a team song for this lot. , whichwas a massive hit in the mid-90s for Babylon Zoo, whose lead singer, JasMann, has roots in the Punjab.New day, new team
Ishant Sharma’s status as the most expensive bowler in the IPL owed everything to that remarkable spell he bowled to Ricky Ponting at the WACA in January. Three months on, after an over when the batsmen couldn’t put bat to ball, Ponting ran up and patted Ishant, his Knight Riders team-mate, on the back. Old rivalries have been shelved for the moment.The Duck and the Rocket
He may never live down that nickname of Bombay Duck, but there’s much more to Ajit Agarkar than those seven noughts on the trot in Tests against Australia. A superb spell of 3 for 25 would have pleased anyone, but there was also a tremendous throw from deep square leg to send back Ashley Noffke.Lack of force
Next to the sightscreen at the BEML end, you couldsee a Force India Formula One car. The team that Vijay Mallya owns hasmade a poor start to the racing season, and tonight he saw his cricketteam lapped in a metaphorical sense. Some would say that they even forgotto turn on the ignition.