Opinion
When I first heard the term ‘bio bubble’ the first thing that came to my mind was the ‘Bubble Boy’ episode of Seinfeld.
I had a minor chuckle visualising all the players inside a plastic bubble and trying to play cricket on the field.
Joking apart, COVID has had the worst impact on lives and livelihood this year.
Even in a year as traumatic as 2020 humanity found its expression through its sports. The theme of the year to me is defiance – the unconquerable spirit of humankind.
Triumph of cricket over COVID: West Indies and England play ball
The West Indies-England series in 2020 will go down in history as an act of human defiance against the microscopic enemy. It was a statement that life will go on, COVID or not.
It only fitted that the West Indian team won the first Test match of this new era, a team that is universally loved and whose wellbeing is cared for by every cricket fan. Jermaine Blackwood’s matchwinning knock in the fourth innings was another story of a man returning after his previous reversals. The symbolism of this match and the result has to be the highlight of 2020.
Jimmy Anderson conquers Mount 600
When Azhar Ali edged one to the slips Jimmy Anderson became the first fast bowler to reach 600 wickets. Jimmy Anderson was often dismissed as ‘Clouderson’, a bowler who could take wickets only in overcast English conditions. Anderson climbing on Mount 600 having taken loads of wickets across the globe, an act of defiance against the stereotype. It again fits that Anderson, a swing bowler, reached the top in 2020, a year that threw a curveball at humanity.
Thirty-six all out
On the third day of the Adelaide Test India went into bat with a healthy lead and looking to win the game. An hour and 20-odd runs later India collapsed and let Australia score a comfortable eight-wicket victory. If not for 2020, which other year could such an event fit into?
Will the Boxing Day Test witness 2020’s last act of defiance by a team or will India let the events of that Saturday morning in Adelaide get the better of them?
Tim Paine (Photo by Mark Brake – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
IPL in the desert
The marquee T20 league found a new home in the desert as India was closed due to COVID. Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah played hosts to IPL 2020. The show must go on, COVID or not!
The two highlights of this IPL season to me were the rise of Rahul Tewatia and that literal eye-to-eye contest between Surya Kumar Yadav and Virat Kohli.
Rahul Tewatia and Surya Kumar epitomised the rise of the challengers against the powerful. The video of Tewatia demanding Ricky Ponting speak about his achievements on the field defined his character and his performance on the field in IPL 2020.
That fact that Surya Kumar was overlooked for the Virat Kohli-led India side in their Australia tour added spice to that encounter between Kumar and Kohli. That brief moment of courage and defiance stood as proof of humanity’s undefeatable soul.
Chris Woakes’s heroics at Old Trafford
Chris Woakes combined with Jos Buttler to take England to an unlikely win at Old Trafford against Pakistan. Chasing a big 270-plus fourth innings target, England were five wickets down for 117 at one stage. Chris Woakes walked in and scored an impressive 84 runs to help England to victory. A genuinely commendable performance when combined with the four wickets that he took during Pakistan’s innings.
Those were the highlights of 2020 from the cricketing field for me – 2020, a year of hope and defiance.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
Check out some of the short-arm pull shots from Rocky Flintoff!
Harshal Patel was not a happy man!
David Lord has been remembered as an icon of Australian sports journalism following his death, aged 84. The renowned writer and broadcaster was an…
Sign the man up for a contract next season!
RCB have suffered a massive HEAD-ACHE after Travis Head smashed the fastest century by an SRH player in just 39 balls, as they amassed…
A brutal century by Travis Head has blasted Sunrisers Hyderabad back into the Indian Premier League play-off places in another match for bowlers to…
