Look Ma, I'm blogging about cricket

(India v England first test)

I've just watched England's Graham Swann take two wickets in his first over on his test match debut. Taking two wickets in an over is a tough enough proposition for anyone but for a debutant.

His first every ball was a loose one which Gambhir dispatched for four. After seeing that my heart dropped down a setting or two. The sight of a test bowler (especially English) stuffing up his big moment is not unfamiliar and can often haunt them during their short and unsuccessful spell at the top. However, I braced myself and remembered Richard Hadlee's first ever ball in test cricket went for four.

The second ball resulted in a massive shout for a catch at close quarters (I'm not up on my field positions even after years of following the sport). The replay suggested it may have come off the pad (that's not out for non cricket readers). On the very next ball, the batsman refuses to play a stroke and the ball hits the pad. Up go 22 English arms and one umpire's finger. Gambhir is out leg before wicket. The Hawkeye Techno Tracking Thingy confirms (in as much as it can) that the ball would have hit the stumps.

Batting legend Sashin Tendulkar takes to the crease and, wisely, gets himself off the mark and away from Swann with three runs. This left Dravid on strike facing a bright eyed noob who started the over wondering why he was there and was finishing it believing he could bowl the entire opposition out single handed, starting with him.

And so it proved to be. Swann bowled Dravid out LBW. Apparently that's some sort of record. Good for him. However, the replay and Hawkeye Techno Tracking Thingy suggested that the call was marginal. The ball clipped the top of the stumps. There is no way the human eye can tell at that speed whether the ball would have hit under those circumstances and usually you give the benefit of any doubt to the batsmen. The umpire must have looked at it and thought the force was with Swann and gave it out.

I suppose the incident demonstrates three truths about sport:

Don't give up.

Officials will often reward good play by giving tough calls in your favour.

Video evidence can't replace that feeling in your gut.