Hong Kong's shining moment - lodestar or flash in the pan?

There was a time, back when such things were poorly understood, when the appearance of a light in the sky where there wasn't one before would create a fair stir amongst those accustomed to following the predictable motions of familiar astral bodies. Books might be penned, ad-hoc explanations proffered, and a good deal of portentous nonsense would ensue.

These days, though the science of Novas is far from a finished field, and their prediction still largely educated guesswork, astronomers have a fair idea of what lies behind them and the conditions under which they can occur. So it was, if you will pardon a rather laboured analogy, with Hong Kong's recent flash in the cricketing firmament. Heading to the UAE with two of the better-performing spinners in associates cricket, a workmanlike but canny pace attack, and a top three of proven quality, one might have guessed Hong Kong arrived at the Asia Cup pushing their metaphorical Chandrasekhar limit.

And for all its brightness, their shining moment would likewise prove transient. Kinchit Shah's efforts at the death kept India in check, holding them to a chasable 285 before Nizakat Khan and skipper Anshuman Rath gave them an