Plays of the day

When it's not going your way even the toughest of catches are pouched. And so it was for Robin Uthappa. He flashed hard outside the off stump to Malachi Jones, who was bowling his first ever ball in a World Cup match, and the thick edge flew towards the slips cordon. The slips cordon consisted of one Dwayne Leverock, standing at a wide (and we're not referring to his size) first slip. Leverock launched himself to his right and plucked out a one-handed catch that would have made Mark Taylor proud.

Sachin Tendulkar doesn't often bat at No. 6. But on the day, India's decision was a masterful one, and despite a slow start, Tendulkar began to toy with the bowling as only he can. The shot of his 29-ball 57 was when he gave himself a bit of room against the left-am spin of Dwayne Leverock and timed the ball over long-off. There was a minimum of power used, but the timing was so sweet that the ball sailed into the stands.

In this time in cricket where some unfortunate things have happened, not least of all the death of Bob Woolmer, Pakistan's coach, you would expect that fans turning up at the matches would exhibit some sense of perspective. But one gent held up a placard that read: "Last warning to Team India. Reach Barbados or stay forever in Trinidad." That's just not funny, and neither is it in good taste.

It's been 59 innings and almost two years since April 2, 2005 when India played Pakistan in Kochi. That was when Virender Sehwag scored his last hundred in One-Day Internationals. Out of form, struggling for runs and in some danger of having his house attacked back home in Delhi, Sehwag struck gold with an 81-ball 100, and ended on 114. It's too early to call it a return to form, but it's at least a return to his runscoring ways.

In the 15th over of the Indian innings, David Hemp sent down a no-ball to Virender Sehwag. The batsman had a swing and a miss, and Dean Minors, the Bermuda wicketkeeper, had the bails off in a flash. There was an excited appeal, and perhaps the excitement got to the umpire, Aleem Dar, as well. Or maybe he just didn't see the no-ball call. He referred the decision to the third umpire, despite the fact that a batsman cannot be stumped off a no-ball.