Cardus: Live from the Grave!

Mega Dhoni Vs. Bevan Best Finisher Stat fight

2013-07-12T11:41:00.001-07:00

But are either as good as a Stunner?

Dhoni wins another game for India and there are calls to recognise him as the greatest chaser/finisher in ODI history. Now, we can argue on semantics on who can do the most damage and is the last person that a bowling side wants to see take strike in the last over of an ODI, but they just cannot compare to stone cold statistics. And here, I shall see the merit of the statistical case of ranking Dhoni above the previous greatest finisher in ODI's, Michael Bevan.

Why is this comparison being made now?

It is being done now as Dhoni has finally gotten close to the level of games that Bevan played during his career. Dhoni has 226 ODI's as compared to Bevan's 232, Dhoni has 96 innings chasing compared to Bevan's 81, and more important than all those, it is because you, the reader, want it to be done and we here at Cardus (Keshav and Keshu), provide what you need for your cricketing soul.

Right, on with the numbers.

Out of the 96 innings that Dhoni has played while chasing, his side has won 54 times (56.25% success rate), while Bevan got a victory in 45 of those innings (55.56%).

Dhoni's average of 52.45 in all chases (successful or not) is below Bevan's chasing average of 56.50. Furthermore, Dhoni averages above 40 in chases against only Bangladesh (137), Pakistan (77.42) and Sri Lanka (82.84), which means he doesn't actually chase well against a lot of teams.

In contrast, Bevan averages over 40 in all chases against all teams, other than West Indies (39) and Kenya (15). This certainly shows that Bevan was a much more consistent performer against all sides, while Dhoni may be accused of boosting his performances against sub-continental teams.

When comparing averages in chases they have won, Dhoni overtakes Bevan quite significantly, averaging 100.09 compared to Bevan's 86.25. But the fact remains that Dhoni continues to enjoy his time against Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, keeping an average of 262, 172.5 and 157.20 against these opponents, while having an average of 10.33 against South Africa. Bevan gets even more superlative in his consistency in chases won as he maintains an above 50 average against all teams, apart from Kenya (15) and boosting his average against West Indies from the aforementioned 39 to 136 in wins. Bevan also has a 100+ average in chases won against Zimbabwe (121) and Pakistan (133.50), while he averages 97.33 against India.

But averages don't tell the whole story. Looking at their scoring rates, Bevan scored at a strike rate of 66.42 in chases won, which was well below his career strike rate of 74.16. Dhoni scores his runs at a brisk rate 89.63 in chases won, which is marginally higher than his career strike rate of 88.17. If we magnify Bevan's strike rate by the amount that scoring has increased for all batsmen between the period that he was active (RPo of 4.72) and Dhoni's career (5.01), Bevan would still be striking his runs at a rate of 70.50 runs per 100 balls. Thus, Dhoni is far and away the more dynamic striker. Doing the same to Dhoni's average, it would reduce his average to 98 in wins.

So what about their peers?

Considering their playing careers, and a cut-off of a minimum of 20 innings played, these two certainly had the best averages in chases won. Dhoni's average of 100.09 is followed by Misbah-ul-Haq's average of 89.83 (1.11 times) in 27 innings, while Bevan's average of 86.25 leads Arjuna Ranatunga's glorious average of 74.70 (1.15 times)in 34 innings, which shows that Bevan was slightly better, but not conclusively so.

Taking the number of other batsmen who had averages above 50 during their playing periods doesn't help. Bevan's playing days saw 33 batsmen above that benchmark and Dhoni's have seen 31 batsmen. However, the change in strike rates is the most eye-catching bit about the two sets of players though.

Dhoni's time has seen 10 players average more than 50 while scoring at a strike rate above 90. This list is so exclusive, that not even Dhoni makes it to this list. In Bevan's time, this list was so exclusive, that there was only one member in it over the 10 years of Bevan's ODI career, and he was Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar scored at an average of 64.90 at a strike rate of 92.38 from 14 April 1994 to 29 Feb 2004. Why does nobody ever put him in the ranks of greatest chaser ever?

But anyway, getting back to the topic at hand. We have seen that Dhoni scores heavily against a handful of teams, while Bevan scored against everyone other than the cricketing powerhouse of Kenya. Dhoni can certainly play bigger shots and chase higher scores but such was never asked of Bevan and we cannot rule out the possibility that he might have been able to do the same. Neither has proved that they were significantly better than their peers. If it was for the most valuable player, Dhoni would certainly clinch it with his wicket-keeping, but we are only considering their batting exploits.

I fear, that stats have not quite been able to help us here. Hence we must settle it the old fashioned way... a drunken fist-fight to the death.

Cardus' XI to most likely forever dominate the cricketing Multiverse

2013-06-30T05:08:00.002-07:00

The Kraken appealing viciously for an LBW

Everyone loves hating selectors and somehow also love to pick their own XI's. There is a certain appeal inherent in creating fantasy playing sides that could never play together due to a number of reasons, mostly dealing with the inflexibility of time and space (what a party pooper that concept of Physics is). But here is a side which is made up of members who completely refuse to bow down to Physics and shall aid in helping to let the Universe find its true reason for existence, i.e. Test cricket.

So here is a complete side, ready to put on their caps and stroll out onto the village green to conquer, enslave and emancipate the audience. They come from a variety of backgrounds and thus it is important to not only give them a batting position, but also tell them their role within the team. Hopefully, they don't just all kill each other, and we should be winning the 2017 Test Championship with this lot.

No.1 Leonard Shelby (Opening Batsman/ bowler (if you tell him he can))

As an opening bat, it is often important to forget about the previous ball, as Virender Sehwag can attest to, and no one forgets the previous ball better than Leonard Shelby. A true see ball, hit ball, in any case forget ball type player, he can provide the type of direction in the innings that is crucial to any Test Match and will certainly add to the thrilling narrative that is Test cricket. He can sometimes appear clueless while running between the wickets but being the unselfish team player that he is, he often plays with no scoreboard pressure and does not celebrate personal milestones, almost as if he doesn't know his own score and will also bowl if you tell him he can. A great talent, if he shows up for the match.

No.2 Dexter Morgan (Opening Batsman)

A classical batsman with a great eye and favouring the off-side with his patented cuts, slices and slashes, Morgan provides a great contrast to his opening partner. Scheming ways and means to dissect the bowler, Morgan plays with the long game in mind and can sometimes be the cause of madness for those close to him due to his almost Boycott like nature. A natural cricketer in every way, he has even acquired the superstition attached with the sport, saying that he has a sliver of wood from the stumps of every game he has ever played in a box at his home.

No.3 Oskar Schindler (Batsman)

Though born in a non-cricketing country, Mr. Schindler certainly knows a thing or two about nurdling and noodling singles through gaps in the field. Being an accumulator has served him well and he is well respected in the non-cricketing world which lends him some much needed stature for a role as important as no.3 in the line-up. Another competitor who was considered highly for this role was Andy Dufresne, but his criminal record means he might not be allowed to travel with the team at all times and seriously, who needs all that paperwork?

No.4 Sachin Tendulkar (Omnipotent deity)

Because there can only be one no.4 in any line-up made by me at any given point of time.

No.5 Leonidas (Batsman/Captain)

A true leader of men who organised men through military discipline, he is a shrewd tactician and can get his team members to pull in the same direction. Being renowned for his defensive technique, he often sees himself as the last line of resistance in any batting line-up and will not give up ground to the bowlers without a fight. Having gained notoriety for defending low scores with few bowling resources with his local team, he will surely enjoy the considerable bowling wealth of this team, though the lack of discipline in this line-up may infuriate him. He has been a part of many successful campaigns in the past, but I think the defeat in the quadrennial Greece Vs. Persia tournament of sudden and excruciating death, where his side were defeated within 3 days by a much stronger Persian line-up, may be the exact thing that he needs to spur him on to success with this squad.

No.6 Mario (All-rounder)

A true utility man if you ever met one. Having competed in everything from F-1 to Baseball to Golf to stone cold murdering of animals in an almost psychopathic manner that has certainly destroyed the natural balance of all areas that he has ever been to, Mario has done it all. And now he turns his sight to what could be his biggest triumph, being a part of this squad. The Italian plumber turned controversial sex symbol can bat, bowl and field while riding Yoshi and is an important member who adds maturity, balance, stability and moustachioed magnificence to this side.

No.7 The Kraken (Leg-Spin, Off-Spin, SLA, Chinaman)

Mystery spinner from the bottom of the ocean, the Kraken has proved to be a divisive figure in the ICC. He can bowl leg spin, off-spin, Chinaman or slow left arm based on which tentacle the ball is placed in. Due to being born with excessively flexible limbs, he can often let his tentacles bend more than the prescribed 15 degrees while bowling the wrong-un off his 3rd, 4th, and 6th tentacles. His enormous girth has often drawn comparison to the likes of Shane Warne for being a roly-poly spinner leading him to develop a taste for sexting on at least 4 phones simultaneously and human flesh.
Though some might denigrate him for being a showman (he does not come to the bowling crease until his Captain yells,' Summon... THE KRAKEN!', followed by thunder), he certainly seems capable of enjoying a long career due to him being nearly immortal. All in all, a must have spinner for almost all conditions.

No.8 Zeus (Fast Bowler)

Known as Bolty, Zeus has been claimed as the next generation Jeff Thomson. Able to deliver thunderbolts from a high release, he consistently gets under the batsmen or curses them to be eaten out by a bird daily for the rest of eternity... a pretty good party trick, if you ask me. He has been known to perform better when served with a diet of mindless worship and reverence, though this diet has still not been cleared by WADA.

Though temperamental, he brings back some of the classic staples of cricket, such as the beard of WG Grace and the class superiority of a 19th century British lord who thinks the proletariat classes should be happy with their lot in life and just be happy that they are being allowed to serve the Gods. Truly, a classical at heart.

No. 9 The Flash (Fast Bowler)

Probably the fastest bowler in the side, Flash, otherwise referred to by his mates as James May, has been known to skittle out sides quite cheaply in domestic cricket. Not only has his skiddy bowling action seen the back of many a batsman, his fielding in the outfield has saved countless runs for his side, though sometimes he moves so fast that his hand phases through the ball, something he has been working on tirelessly in practice. His speed does mean he can bowl a rather heavy ball and this means he can be a crucial bowler in the death overs. If things don't work well, he can always tear through time and space and try again.

No.10 Forrest Gump (Right Arm Medium-Fast)

A man known for his athletic achievements across the spectrum of the sports world, be it American Football or Ping Pong or The Vietnam War, Mr. Gump has done things most others can only dream of. Coming out of his sporting retirement for a last crack at sporting excellence, Mr. Gump can no longer hide his admiration for the greatest sport in the universe and has taken to cricket in a bowling capacity. Capable of a military medium, Gump is a large hearted bowler who will run in all day as per the wishes of his Captain with near metronomic accuracy. Some may call him unable to think a batsman out, but after the serious pace of Bolty and James May, Gump may provide the perfect foil as the medium-pacer to help maintain control of proceedings as well as lend a sense of discipline to the rest of this side of super-egos.

No.11 Spiderman (Wicketkeeper)

A true old-style keeper, picked on his keeping ability and nothing else, Spiderman may be the only glover able to keep to the bowlers of this team. Behind the stumps, he is agile and his uncanny ability to make catches stick mark him out from the other hopefuls for this spot. However he is not without controversy as his webbing is often larger than ICC regulations allow for which has caused much furore across the world. His use of artificial webs as well as the use of symbiotes have also been the matter of much debate as lawmakers continue to argue whether they should be considered as performance enhancers. But until they can legislate clearly on that issue, he will continue to be a member of this team.

No.12 Stone Cold Steve Austin (Drinks Man)

A man with a passion for his drink, he is widely touted to be the one to finally break David Boon's record of 55 cans of lager in flight from Australia to England. He often brings enough liquid encouragement to cheer up the lads and his wicket celebrations are the stuff of legend. Some may call him unhealthy for the team atmosphere as he has been known to give his teammates a drink and then stun them after consumption of said drink, but I say let the boys be boys and have a bit of fun at the physical expense of others.

Right, let the global domination begin.

The Frank Worrell Trophy round-up

2012-04-26T23:29:00.000-07:00

I have been forced back into the world of blogging due to the rather shocking events that transpired yesterday. Yes, I am talking about the release of MLA Jhina Hikaka by the Maoists in Orissa. But there has been some cricket taking place in the meantime and I'm certainly more excited to talk about that rather than the negotiating strategies of the government of Orissa.
An important series which is on its last day is the Frank Worrell Trophy between West Indies and Australia and it has been tense stuff. I won't use the word exhilarating because it hasn't been a stream of quick wickets or runs but an ongoing interrogation of batting technique as well as the patience of bowlers. A particular spell to underline this battle was the spell of Fidel Edwards to James Pattinson, where the bat was beaten on almost every second ball, but Pattinson survived by being not quite good enough to hit any of the balls and Edwards went away a man thinking the world was against him. It is this sort of play that makes for tense but admittedly tedious play and why Test Cricket shall remain the pinnacle of display of cricketing technique.
One thing which has been interesting to look at how the two sides are coping with the current team composition. While Australia have David Warner at the top, West Indies are missing their own enforcer by way of IPL, leaving Kraigg Brathwaite at the top. Now Brathwaite is the sort of opening batsman that has been made extinct thanks to Sehwag and Warner is the new breed. However, looking at the way he has gone about his business, Warner is willing to graft for his suns as well, which is a great sign for the Aussie teams of the future. Enough cannot be said about the continued inspection on Ponting and his form, but as Ed Cowan said, Ponting's average of 24.33 in this series masks the fact how difficult it has been to score at any pace in this series.
I think another round of congratulations should be handed out to Shivnarine Chanderpaul for reaching the milestone of 10,000 runs. Playing Dravid to Lara's Tendulkar is a job not greatly appreciated and the irony is that some of the most useful players through time have simply not been appreciated and the biggest of them is perhaps Jacques Kallis.
A major reason why I stayed up to watch these games is ~~Lara~~ Darren Bravo. His style is so similar to a certain other West Indian that it is almost a time machine back into the late 90's. In fact many of the commentators have mistaken him for another man from Trinidad repeatedly and who can blame them. For me, watching till 3 in the night is worth it as long I get to sample another of those flashes outside the off-stump after which the ball magically disappears to the backward point fence.

Did the Argus Committee Report work?

2012-01-09T08:25:00.000-08:00

Most committee’s are known to work as well as a piece of cheese in hammering out the dents in a militarized tank, i.e. not very well. (But might provide some useful results if persisted with over a long period of time. For e.g., the cheese might melt on the metal body, thereby providing you a hot plate on which to cook delicious continental food, or in inventing the tastiest tank ever, the use of which shall be in the battle against obesity. Generally though, its contributions towards fixing dents might be minimal.) They sit around, wasting financial resources on obscene amounts of caffeine and generally twiddling of thumbs. However, Cricket Australia (CA) employed such a committee to publish a report that would save Australian cricket through well thought out critique and provide direction to its administrators. And it did so by quite unequivocally stating that the Australian cricket team “can’t bat, can’t bowl, can’t field.”

Somehow, this had been exactly what the CA needed to hear about a cricket team which, quite specifically, needed to learn how to play cricket. So they sacked a lot of people in administration, brought in a bunch of other people, sacked a batsman with an average of 50 over the last three years, kept a batsman with an average of 29 over the last three years, refused to let go of a keeper who has still not learnt how to bat, managed fast bowlers on the basis of whoever is not injured is picked, finally coming back to a bowling attack that is similar to the one that was told it can’t bowl, but have now drawn two series and are on the cusp of winning one. That is on the go dynamic administration for you.

However, their success cannot be argued against. To draw a series against the current world no.2 and now on the verge of winning a series against the current-current world no.2 is not an easy task. Sure the Indians have been as likely to pull together 2 full innings without a batting collapse as a person smelling a cricket ball with his teeth (unless of course you are a certain Afridi, in which case the normal standardized organs for smell detection are nothing but a rule meant to be broken), but the Australians have capitalized and in no small measure thanks to the effort of Captain Clarke, who apparently never misses a trick when on the attack, are now looking to steamroll the side that was no.1 as well as no.3 in the world this year.

So the big question is, do committees make better cricketers? The answer, quite obviously, is apparently, yes. Thus, from now on, all cricket boards should form committees that are given guidelines to tell the players, in no uncertain terms, that the only way to win cricket matches is to play better cricket.

How class based does cricket remain?

2011-12-31T22:45:00.000-08:00

Cricket, along with the railways and the education system, is one of the many aspects of the Indian culture passed down from British times. But much like British times, cricket seems to be one of those things that is still separating its participants on class lines i.e. the rich and the poor, the urban and the rural and most of all, the batsmen from the bowlers.

This essay first clarifies its position on why it is clear from historical data that bowlers and batsmen are, more often than not, divided in their background in terms of the affluence of families and the rural/urban centers they were raised in and how it is usual to find that especially fast bowlers are from a different strata of society than most batsmen. In this context, let us first take the examples of a few Indian cricketers, past and present, who have followed the prescription to the letter.

The Indian team has seen many Princes grace the scorecard in its long history. From Ranjitsinhji, an imperious figure both on and off the field and after whom the Domestic First-Class tournament is named after, to the bespectacled Maharajah of Vizianagaram, an avid fan of the sport who did much for its promotion but was widely regarded as one of the worst international cricketers of all time, to the recently deceased Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, who incidentally was also partially blind, India has seen its richest segment participate in the sport of the masses. Yet, for the purpose of this essay, the importance of these men is that they were all batsmen. In the current team, we have Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir, Sourav Chandidas Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, and Vangipurappu Venkat Sai Laxman who are from rich backgrounds with a high educational attainment. So now what about the alternate version of this theory?

For this, we must go to South Africa, a country where the divisions on the lines of race and class are as deep-rooted as those of India. Their recent lot of fast bowlers, Makhaya Ntini, Mfuneko Ngam, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Marchant de Lange, are all from rural backgrounds with little to no coaching. In the words of former cricketer Peter Kirsten,” They are mentally tougher and not as pampered as other players in their early days. And they are also hungrier.” It is now an observable phenomena that rural players are selected, more often than not, as fast bowlers. The current lot of South African batsmen are from the more renowned schools in urban centres. Graeme Smith, Mark Boucher, Abraham Benjamin de Villiers and Jacques Rudolph are all from reputed sports universities in cities such as Johannesburg, Pretoria and East London.

Even in India, with its limited stock of fast bowlers, we have seen that most of them come from a rural environment, with names such Mohammad Nissar, Kapil Dev Nikunj, Zaheer Khan and India’s latest, Umesh Yadav having all come from rural backgrounds. Even the man who made Bradman look ungodly during the Bodyline series, Harold Larwood, was a coal worker at the age of 14 and later took to club cricket to earn a living. And this trend is foreseeable in almost all Test playing countries.

We have thus seen that there does indeed exist a divide in the location of the centres from where cricketers possessing different skills originate. To some extent, this has been observed in most cricketing countries but for the purpose of this paper, has been proved with reference to the situations in India and South Africa.

So now the question must be asked, why does this divide exist? Is it the attitude or the lifestyle that contributes to this bifurcation of talent and physical ability? Are there some key aspects that can only be trained with the help of coaches? Does a rural atmosphere create more robust bodies capable of handling the loads of fast bowling as compared to a more sedentary urban setting? Since these are all qualitative in nature, this paper will seek to answer the question with the help of a more quantitative aid, i.e. the cost of training and equipment required.

To put it bluntly, batsmen often require specialized equipment which includes items used for personal protection, clothing, apparel such as shoes and other accessories according to personal preferences, while bowlers need only buy clothing and shoes. An entire cricketing set can cost up to and over $200 in the market depending on quality of manufacturer. In a country like India, where the average Per Capita Income is $1,371 (International Monetary Fund, 2010), this represents a considerable investment. While considering costs, we also see that the cost of enrolling a child into a reputed educational institute or a coaching centre becomes prohibitive. When training a fast bowler, however, most former cricketers agree that it is best not to coach youngsters as it inhibits their natural athletic movement which may cause injuries. For example, the likes of Makhaya Ntini and Kapil Dev had actions that were deemed to be anatomically strenuous but had relatively injury free careers since it was a motion that their bodies were naturally suited to. Sri Lanka is a prime example of countries telling their coaches not to interfere with bowlers natural actions and that has given them bowlers such as Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga. The world leading fast bowlers of Pakistan are often given no formal training and they continue to churn out fast bowlers of repute. Hence, it can be observed that fast bowlers require lesser finance to train for and perfect their art, thereby making it suitable for those either with lower incomes or in places where adequate infrastructure for training might not exist.

So finally what can we conclude about this inherent division of labour in our game? Even though every day rules, regulations and formats are being changed, the defined roles of participation from the different groups in a population continue to remain the same. And being a sport which is meant for the masses, isn't that what counts, that every part of our national heritage and segment of population, whether it be from the bustling metropolitans of India to the innumerable rural centres of Bharat, be represented on a cricket field?

Zimbabwe Cricket’s New Beginning

2011-12-04T10:58:00.001-08:00

There has been a lot of action this week around the world of cricket, with domestic seasons in the Southern hemisphere now in full swing and the international calendar on its relentless march to nowhere in particular continuing to serve up a number of matches.

The Australians won the first Test match against their Trans-Tasman rivals in another of those infuriatingly short two match series. Another Aussie debutant, James Pattinson, brother of English international Darren, took a five-for to completely rout the Kiwis in the morning session of the fourth day’s play, leaving a target of 19 runs to go ahead 1-0. He is the third Aussie to pick up a five-for on debut this year, and the fifth in about 6 weeks of cricketing action and the fourth in the same time period to go home with a man of the match trophy. This continues what has been a fine season for greenhorn bowlers around the world.

Pakistan and India continue to pile up the wins in their respective series against opponents who are looking more outclassed by the match. Ravi Rampaul’s record rear guard action notwithstanding, the West Indies looked completely at sea against a stronger opposition at home. One can only hope they can bring some life back into this series starting with a win in tomorrow’s encounter.

The greatest news of this week, however, is the conclusion of the Stanbic Bank 20 series, Zimbabwe’s domestic T20 competition. Having come back into the test fold this year, Zimbabwe have turned up with some good performances with certain individuals appealing for worldwide attention. Brendan Taylor, leading from the front, has shown he has the ability to score in any situation and at any pace required by the team. Tino Maoyowo and Hamilton Masakadza have proved to be a tough opening partnership to get rid off while bowlers such as Brian Vitori have shown there is much depth in the current setup.

The domestic competition has given the Zimbabwean youngsters a way to learn from world-class professionals such as Ryan Ten Doeschate, Chris Harris and of course no T20 competition can be complete without Chris Gayle. Being deprived of such communication previously due to political instability, it is a good tonic for these youngsters to find out how the professionals go about their business. For the Mountaineers, who won the tournament final against the Mashonaland Eagles, the Zimbabwean squad players will have hopefully picked up many tricks of the trade and hopefully Zimbabwe cricket can look towards a growth curve to match that of South Africa after readmission.

The greatest thrill of this competition for me was one that has been predicted since the birth of T20. As cricketers have to give way to younger players on the national levels, it is good to see someone such as Chris Harris, man of the match in the finals, with all of his 42 years, still out there enjoying cricket and winning trophies. Harris, as some may remember was a New Zealand international who was part of an XI of bits and pieces cricketers that occupied the team sheet around the turn of the millennium.Who knows, with a batting average of 70.66 and a bowling average of 23.11, he might fancy his chances for an IPL contract. Seeing him out there for the Mountaineers gives hope that years from now, we’ll still be able to see cricketers who we have grown up watching still plying their trade and us loving them for it.

Ranji Round-up

2011-12-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

For those following the current round of India’s domestic First Class tournament, these are heady times. For those not following India’s domestic First Class tournament, this would be the time to jump in. The fourth round of matches has given rise to a flurry of activity that must surely be of great interest to the Indian cricketing fraternity.

First up, is Sourav Ganguly, the man whose spot has yet to be filled in the Test squad for the last 3 years, has announced his return with a century against Haryana. Though he couldn’t help his team gain the first innings lead, his innings must surely send some warning signs to the current crop of players lining up to take his spot, more so if any of the selectors happened to see him caress 20 fours and a six on his way to 135. Could we see him taking the field alongside the famed trio once again? Or is it just the misguided delusions of a nostalgic fool? Reason points to the latter, but the heart wants something more.

Cheteshwar Pujara is finally back on a cricket field and this would certainly be not so good news for Kohli, who is the favourite to hold the position come Boxing Day in Melbourne. Having looked good in his first few games, Pujara must be kicking himself for getting injured at a time when the slot was so nearly his. His first outing wouldn’t help him a whole lot, as he scored 9 runs in an hour and 3 minutes, but at least he’s back on the field, and after nearly a year’s worth of inactivity, he would be satisfied to finally be able to play some cricket.

India’s current leading wicket taker in Tests however, has no such reason to smile. Harbhajan Singh is now out of the Punjab team facing a Railways side at Mohali. With Ashwin and Ojha having performed more than commendably at home against the WIndies, it could be a long time before we see the spinner turn out for India. Though the reasons for the exclusion were not clear, it is certain to be a performance based decision by the selectors as Singh, with 406 Test wickets to his name, picked up only 4 wickets in the first 3 games and did not contribute significantly with the willow either.

But some good news to round off today’s action as Zaheer Khan came back to pick up four wickets across two innings as a part of the all round destruction of Orissa by Mumbai. Being conditionally picked for the tour Down Under, Zaheer looks set to lead the attack once again. Also, Irfan Pathan has found some form with the ball, picking up his third five-for of the tournament against Delhi. Could he too be on his way back into the Indian Team?

Ponting and Tests need to fire

2011-11-30T07:57:00.000-08:00

Sorry that it’s taken an eternity for this post to finally be up, but I believe fate and a hammerhead yak have conspired against me.

I was absent, for Cardus was in Wankhede recently pretty much demanding a little known Mr. Tendulkar to score a 100 runs along with about 32,999 other Indians. When this did not happen, they too blamed the fates and a hammerhead yak for having conspired against the man and stopping him from getting a 100^th international century, a feat so elusive it has yet to occur in the known history of space and time. Thus, if he were to get those six measly runs, this would make the occasion as rare as the Big Bang and the creation of life.

But that was last week, when my word puncher and electricity would not let me reach out to you. This week carries a different agenda. As you may have noticed, Test Cricket has become edge of the seat stuff again, with the series of South Africa Vs. Australia and the last match of a dead rubber between India and the West Indies providing close finishes. One must remark that this only happened as the bowlers were able to battle it out on even terms with batsmen again and look how much joy that has brought. Thus, it can only be hoped that the series between Australia and their Tasman rivals can keep the momentum going and put bums on seats. This needs to keep the interest levels high for what must be the main event of the Australian summer, a clash of no.2 Vs no.4 (doesn’t say much considering there are only 10 ranked teams, but still).

But the more immediate question on everyone’s minds must be whether this is Ricky Ponting’s last summer in International colours. In a game now consisting of players with new age sensibilities and well moisturized profiles, his steely glare, iron jaw and constant scowl are a throwback to the days when cricket was a sport played by unpleasant, sweat encased, bearded men. And surely, even though it has been predicted for a long time coming, seeing this man walk in to the sunset would be more bitter than sweet.

This is where cricket is not just a sport but a dramatic rendition of those in the spotlight.The series, which starts tomorrow, would be followed by cricket enthusiasts over the world not for a 100^th hundred, but for an emotional glimpse into what could be the final days of a batsman, who in his prime, was second to none.

FOUR DAYS OF DESPAIR, ONE OF JOY!

2011-11-26T09:41:00.001-08:00

Just when the fading glow of hope started to vanish completely, there was an unexpected flicker which gave many a reason to believe that Test Cricket has many more innings to come. The third test between India and WI’s was turning out to be a lifeless event, till fifth day came to the rescue and what a day it turned out to be! Well, you talk about drama, suspense or excitement, we witnessed it all.

With WI’s batting on 81/2 at stumps on fourth day, there was not much people would have expected from the upcoming day. Ojha, however turned things around when he took the first five wickets leaving the Indies struggling at 112/5. The ball was turning big, and the Indian spinners capitalised on the strip. There wasn't much in it for the seamers as it was evident from the fact that all ten wickets belonged to the spinners. Ashwin after a brilliant performance with the bat followed it up with four wickets in the 3^rd innings(9^th of the match). India were set a target of 243 with 64 overs left to be bowled.

Sehwag got right into the act and a repeat of the famous Chennai test against England was on the cards. Toying with the field en route his 60, India were favourites at the moment. The day had more drama to offer, though. Sehwag fell, Sachin and Dravid followed as India was left in a desperate need for partnerships. Kohli looked determined to get India across the line and till he was on the crease, an Indian victory was the most probable option. However with his departure , four possible outcomes lay before us. The game could have headed in any direction, and it came down to the last over with none other than the performer of the match given a chance to add another star to his credits. What happened next is difficult to explain as India were unable to score 3 runs from 6 balls, giving Darren Sammy a reason to smile.Officially, the match ended in a draw but I would like to believe it was a win for the WI's and a loss for the Indians. Despite being adjudged the MoM, deep down somewhere Ashwin would be thinking “ Why did I hesitate to run two?”. Let’s just hope that the public does not remember him for this error, as he was undoubtedly the Player of the Series.

Cricket or Commerce?

2011-11-21T09:15:00.000-08:00

Test Cricket lived up to its billing as the pinnacle of the 3 forms of the game as Australia managed to crawl past the line against South Africa in the second of the two matches. Lots to like about what went on in the field, Philander and Cummins making memorable debuts, Cummins being the fourth bowler to pick up a man of the match award on his debut in the space of a month, Ponting, Haddin, Clarke performing under pressure, et al. But there was disappointment in the length of these matches. I wouldn’t call this a series, as a series would imply that it was a long fought war in which each team went through troughs and peaks and the team with the least troughs won out. This “series” was not even up to the modern convention of being composed of 3 matches. How did it come to pass?

Sandwiched into a calendar, a third match was instead replaced by two T20’s, and this has stopped us from witnessing the most entertaining rivalry of recent years in the longer format reach a satisfying conclusion. This is completely related to the commerce of the game, and the fans might cry themselves hoarse over how cricket has sold its soul for a quick buck. But it is the only way forward. If Hockey had been made into a sport with high pay packets, it might still have been the eminent sport of our country.

The fact we most need to realize is that cricket (sadly) is not the only sport in the world and that’s why broadcasters need to play around with timings. If the games aren’t short enough, then they might not get covered. If the games are too short, then the people paying for advertisement slots do not get their return on investment. Tests, which can be on either of the two extremes, make it a very risky business proposition. The first match of Australia Vs. South Africa was entertaining, but it left a lot of people with a lot of money invested in a difficult place.

This is why the ODI’s are current favourites of the men with the money as they are comparatively risk free. The alternative is to create pitches which last 5 days and that has produced games that have led to speculation about the death of Test matches. The common argument is that people can no longer spare five days to watch a Test Match. The truth, according to this fan, is that we now watch more cricket than we have ever had, and it is the dilution of the sport as an event that has led to the declining interest in Test Matches. In an age of gluttony, Tests are the biggest meal of them all. No wonder that we are shying away from them at an increasing pace.

As much as I hate to admit, the only way to ensure Test Cricket survives is through increased profitability and that means handing it over to our not so beloved administrators and let the ad men try to sell the game. This means we will be sidelined and pushed and prodded into an inconsequential mass whose needs and wants will not be catered to. The choice is this, do we allow this takeover of the administrators as principal stake holders of our game or do we let the game’s revenues fall and allow it to die prematurely? The choice is not an easy one to make, but is one that is creeping up on us.

Is Pakistan the best ODI team going around?

2011-11-19T20:42:00.000-08:00

I was not in town for the last few days and hence the late timing of this blog. But being in India, I was not too far from a cricket match, and got to see the 3^rd ODI between Sri Lanka and Pakistan on a high definition, widescreen, surround sound supporting television set. And it got me thinking, who has the best ODI team at the moment?

The two clashes in England and India by the respective teams did not clear any confusion about it. It only reiterated the point that both the teams are really hard to beat at home and that England are a bunch of whiners when things don’t go their way. Australia does have the top spot at the moment, but it is India with the World Cup in their cabinet. South Africa are always good without somehow ever managing to be the best. Since the slot for the best team on the field is open for discussion, allow me to put up my candidate, Pakistan.

I admit, they don’t have a great track record of consistency in any sphere. Their batting has been prone to collapses throughout their history, their bowling can either be world beating or pedestrian, and the less said about their fielding the better. But they have always produced talented cricketers and any man who can bind these precocious talents into a collective whole has the potential to win a World Cup. Imran Khan did it; Inzamam was close, as was Afridi. Under Misbah, a veteran with a good temperament and calm nerves, Pakistan might have stumbled onto another such leader. His age might be a bit of an issue, but as we have seen with the likes of Kallis, Hussey and yes Tendulkar, it is certainly not an insurmountable barrier. I believe this level of calm is only going to help a team long known for its rash decision making and inconceivable methods of self destruction.

Their batting has never looked too far away from a collapse and it hasn’t changed much. Now however, they have got a nice stability in their order. With stroke makers on either side of the experienced duo of Misbah and Younus, with Razzaq at the bottom, there is some assurance against failure. Though this does not mean that they can’t go wild and hit 350 with the likes of Umer Akmal and Hafeez in the side, it does mean that they are in lesser danger of getting skittled out for 150. But this is probably not the suit that is going to win them games.

Their fielding has always been their Achilles heel and the rest of the leg. But considering the athletic ability of the younger generation in Umer Akmal and the new keeper Sarfraz, things might be changing or be a false dawn. Hopefully, Pakistan can find the work ethic they have long been lacking and push themselves to perform better.

Their bowling however, has got to rank as the best ODI bowling line-up in the world. The main reason behind it is the vise like grip that their 3 spinners, Hafeez, Afridi and Ajmal, have over the middle overs of an ODI contest. The first two are more defensive adaptations of Anil Kumble, varying their pace to keep the batsmen guessing and by constantly keeping the pressure up by bowling tight lines. Ajmal, on the other hand, is a true attacking spinner who can get the ball to dip and spin in the most awkward of angles. These three were a major reason for Pakistan’s run to the semi-finals of the WC, conceding as a unit, 3.5 RPO with an average of 17. Considering how even Sri Lanka are finding it difficult to get them away, they could pose problems for some time to come. Another plus is Umar Gul, a man whose ability for bowling at the death is almost as fearsome as that of Lasith Malinga. Add to that the experience of Razzaq, and there are few reasons not to fear this bowling unit.

All in all, Pakistan have always been world beaters on their day. It is sad to note that it’ll be some time before they are invited to play in locations other than Dubai and thus we may never get to test their true strength in different conditions. Even so, I think they are in with a shot at being the best. But it might be a long time coming before politics and nefarious organizations allow them to be.

YADAV: A BRIGHT PROSPECT

2011-11-17T09:44:00.001-08:00

A hard fought but in the end a comfortable win at Kolkata ensured that Dhoni would have his hands on yet another silverware this season. It was a combined effort by the team with everyone chipping in to provide India with only their 2^nd Innings victory against the West Indies.VVS Laxman was adjudged the Man of the Match for his unbeaten 176 in the first Innings.

However, India would have wanted things to go better on the field, as it was just 15 runs that separated India’s win with an innings margin. Darren Bravo deserves much credit for this affair, which saw him with statistics similar to the great Brian Lara. His impressive innings of 136 almost had India padding up again. Samuels contributed too with a well made 84,before the Indies collapsed losing 4 wickets for just 21 runs. Ojha and Ashwin each picked up two while Samuels started to entertain the crowd hitting both these spinners to the pavillion. An inspired bowling change from Dhoni gave Yadav his chance to finish with 7 wickets in the match, as it took him only three deliveries to wipe out the tail.

Yadav’s brilliant performance with the ball has left many with one question in their mind: Could he be the bowler that could wipe out the tail with much ease? Well, we would have to wait a bit longer before we jump to conclusions, as in the past bowlers have come with much to offer but have left nothing but disappointment behind. With the Australia tour around the corner, Yadav has definitely set his foot on the right track given that a bowler with his pace can prove to be lethal in such conditions. Undoubtedly, a bright prospect for the future, will Yadav live up to the expectations of a billion people remains to be seen.

BOWLER’S DAY OUT

2011-11-16T10:14:00.001-08:00

After, the much envied Indian line-up provided us with a remarkable display of batting, the bowlers stepped up to show what they were capable of! West Indies came out with a hope to steady the ship after their opener’s had walked back without troubling the scorekeepers. The Indian bowlers howsoever were in no such mood as they dismissed two more in quick succession leaving them sinking at 46/4. Bravo and Samuels offered some resistance , before the much impressive Yadav broke through their defence leaving the Caribbean’s helpless. After that it was just a matter of time, as the spinners wrapped up the first Innings with the scorecard reading 153, and Ojha finishing with four.

An obvious decision to follow on was made by the Indian skipper , which meant the Indies were looking at a huge Inning’s defeat. The young boy from Vidarbha struck early, as he got Brathwaite to edge one to Dhoni. A partnership of 90 odd runs between Edwards and Barath brought back smiles in the West Indies camp, with the two batsmen looking to finish the day unbeaten. Ishant Sharma however had other plans. Patience and persistence paid off for the tall fellow as he got Barath to edge one towards Laxman who made no mistake, therby ending the long partnership. The day was drawing closer to stumps, before Sharma struck again removing the other half centurion, giving India a satisfactory close of play session.

Tomorrow could well be the day when India closes the 3 match series, taking an unassailable lead. Will Ojha and co. have it easy tomorrow or would the likes of Chanderpaul test India’s patience? Catch the action tomorrow as the fourth day promises to be entertaining and don’t forget to come back as we bring you the end of day’s report at Cardus: Live from the grave!

What next for no.6?

2011-11-15T09:24:00.000-08:00

Today, the match started with the score at 346/5, with the Indian top order having delivered a performance many would have expected coming into this series. The platform was set for a big first innings score, and Yuvraj Singh strode to the middle, knowing that today could be day that would form the basis of his future in Test whites. On a placid pitch and against a tiring attack, he would have to achieve a big score to guarantee his place for the third match.

What he did manage on his way to a score of 25 was a missed pull and an ugly looking swipe to get out to Darren Sammy. This means that the search for a No.6 in the Indian batting line-up continues and there are more names than ever in the hat to replace Yuvraj for the series in Australia. Let us now examine the future of the No.6 in the Indian batting line-up.

For starters, we have the two batsmen currently in the squad, i.e. Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane. Kohli is, to my mind, the front runner for his continued performance in one dayers, he is ranked in the top 10, but has already got a series under his belt against the Windies where he flopped on all occasions. However, the selectors must surely be running out of batsmen in India who can face Australia’s fast bowling unit with any degree of comfort. And this is where Rahane can make his mark.

Having been on several academy and A tours to traditionally difficult destinations such as Australia and South Africa, and having scored buckets of runs in those, Rahane is one man who can handle the pace. But will the selectors risk exposing him to an attack that is both fast and lethal in home conditions? And him being released to play for Mumbai in the Ranji might also mean he is being given practice before the third test.

Of course, the previous holder of the spot, Suresh Raina, has been forced back into Ranji cricket and he too has come good, scoring a 200 against a fellow India outcaste, Harbhajan Singh. But his continued lack of comfort against the fast, rising ball is now well documented and the Aussies will see him as a walking wicket. Other than that, the selectors, who themselves have survived a period of transition not long back, will not want to look shifty and give him back the spot in such a hurry.

Another Ranji hopeful, Ravindra Jadeja has made his claims for a test spot by continuing to perform in the Ranji. If the selectors are looking for an aggressive left- hander who can bowl, Jadeja might be coming onto the forefront of the selectors radar. Also, a Ranji triple can never be ignored. But even he has been known to succumb to pace and short bowling, two things the Australian bowling attack is not short of.

A personal favourite of mine to take over the slot is Rohit Sharma. He does not boast the greatest of international records in one-day matches, but his technique has no real flaws and his consistent record in the Ranji (average of 64), means he is a player for the longer format of the game. He can also counter attack as well as roll his arm over. Of course, he would also fit aesthetically into a middle order of Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman. The selectors don’t seem to think the same, and he is far from making a debut in a test match it seems and even seems to be fighting for his place in the one-day squad. His form is currently exemplary, two consecutive centuries in Ranji, but we might have to wait a while for him to be considered a hopeful for the No.6 slot.

This leaves us to the final contender, who could have actually sealed this berth had he been fit. Cheteshwar Pujara, a man who had to knock the proverbial door down to get a test berth, has now been out of the game for the best part of a year, and there continues to be no news about his condition. Of all the hopefuls, he had the best opportunity to close this debate, but with his ill-times injury, has missed out on key tours where the selectors continue to chop and change. With his tight technique and ability to rack up big scores, he really should be the front runner, whenever he is capable of wielding the bat again. This injury break has really set his career back in a time where he could have cemented his place alongside the legendary trio.

All this means the selection for the next match will be closely followed to see who has the next opportunity to book the No.6 after it was left vacant by Ganguly more than 3 years ago. Who is your pick among the contenders?

The Wall stands firm

2011-11-14T02:51:00.000-08:00

In what has been a great turnaround for Rahul Dravid since the South Africa series early this year, he has notched up his 36th century on a placid track at the Eden Gardens. In the process, he became the highest scorer this calendar year, beating Ian Bell's tally of 950 runs .
Overall, the batting display, after MS Dhoni won the toss and decided to bat, was one that many would have predicted this team to deliver. However, most of the top-order will be ruing the missed opportunity to score big on this track, and the score could have been much bigger had they not fallen to soft dismissals.The Windies did themselves no favours in the first hour, where Fidel Edwards, a bowler capable of generating swing, was bowling more than 80% of his deliveries at a short of a length in conditions favouring swing due to the early start and moisture in the pitch. Though this tactic has worked for the Windies as recently as 2008 against this very same Indian line-up, today it just meant that the Indians were not troubled by swing in the first hour.
On the other end, Edwards' opening partner Darren Sammy, who took up the role due to the unavailability of Ravi Rampaul due to a stomach bug, leaked runs at around 9 runs per over, though he came back first ball after the drinks break to get the wicket of Sehwag. Sehwag, dominating in usual fashion, lost his wicket trying to force a slower ball over the mid-wicket region, ended up turning his bat face and giving a sitter to Adrian Barath.
The pair of Dravid and Gambhir matched the pace of the association between Sehwag and Gambhir by doubling the score for the loss of no wickets by Lunch. This was mostly due to the aggression shown by Dravid during the initial stages of the innings. After lunch, the Windies came back to bowl a more fuller length and this paid dividends in them tightening the scoring and getting Gambhir for a careless stroke to a ball that in normal circumstances should have been left well alone.
This meant that Tendulkar walked out to try and score his 100th international century in front of a now expectant nation, ready to burst into celebration. He started well and was in no real discomfort when he perished on 38, again trying to force the pace off a Bishoo delivery that did nothing untoward, warranting a dismissal.
But after this, it was plain sailing for two of India's most dependable, as Dravid and Laxman serenely went about accumulating runs at a good pace. Dravid was in such a positive mood that he hit two sixes, his 20th and 21st in tests, even when the close of play was no more than 20 minutes away. He maybe should have continued in the same vein as he was out defending back to a Braithwaite delivery, giving the Barbadian youngster his first Test wicket. West Indies struck back to pick up the nightwatchman Ishant Sharma on the last delivery of the day, to end a day that India could have dominated if it weren't for silly strokes,. Though with an average first innings score of 396 at the venue, and a new batsman fighting for his place in the squad and a longish tail to follow, West Indies might still be in the hunt in this Test match, provided they come up with a better performance than their first hour today.

PURE LUCK OR SHEER BRILLIANCE

2011-11-12T10:42:00.001-08:00

When people talk about his enormous success they usually conclude with: "Its all about pure luck” OR “Its about sheer brilliance”! Since, i have now a platform to express myself , it gives me an opportunity to throw light on both these opinions.

Let’s start with the more obvious conclusion: LUCK! There is no denying the fact that lady luck has been more than partial to the Indian skipper. I say this because there was no way Joginder Sharma could have gotten us that world cup victory or a group of youngsters playing for the first time could have beaten the mighty aussies. That said, people try to take advantage of this word to cover up some extraordinary decisions that deserve credit. Once I eavesdropped on a conversation that went something like this: “ Hey he’s winning matches because his wife has proved to be very lucky.” Now, as ridiculous as that may sound that’s the common perception people carry presently.

Moving on to ‘Brilliance’, which has been exhibited on more than a numerous occasion , the captain has taken Indian Cricket to a different level. The calmness of sea and the aggression of waves all compiled in one package. He has shown the world what responsible batting is about with a win percentage of more than 70 if he’s still on the crease. Also it would be unfair if all the credit is given to him because there was no way he would have accomplished this without the help of his team mates who complimented him on all his decisions.

So, after reading this where do we stand on the final verdict?

I say it’s neither about PURE LUCK nor about SHEER BRILLIANCE, it’s about the man himself from the smallest of towns with the greatest of determination, its abt MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI!!

Why Cape Town was a wake up call.

2011-11-12T00:02:00.000-08:00

Do you remember the day when the Aussies completely forgot how to make contact between a piece of willow and a spherical leather object for about an hour of incredible chaos and amusement? I do. I remember it like it was the day before yesterday.

Not since the first half of the theatrical version of The Return of the King (my taste in movies is not up for discussion), have there been more instances of men padded in armor being butchered mercilessly than what was on show in Cape Town. And it was fun. And considering that it was fun, a strict no-no on the ICC’s strict policy of ensuring 5 day test matches in which batsmen pile up runs as high as Wilt Chamberlain, it brought interest back to the game.

The ICC will no doubt react to this outrageous source of entertainment by condemning the pitch and by slaying a kitten for every man awake on the first three days of a test match. The overall attitude of the ICC in trying to standardize pitches in order to get longer test matches has resulted in yawn fests, especially in the sub-continent. But let us not get into a discussion about cricket administration, for we are cricket fans and that makes our views on anything of absolutely no import to the big wigs at the ICC or the BCCI.

What we will concentrate on is our shared love of the sight of batsmen in distress, who, unlike most damsels in the same situation, we probably would not want to save them and live happily ever after. The image of Ricky Ponting in a lace dress, needing a kiss to be resuscitated back to life is... well... awkward and difficult to explain to your wife as to why exactly you had such a vision.

So, I have come up with a list of things that cricket administrators can do to ensure that the spectators are brought back to the stadiums to watch massacres first hand:

Convert all pitches into a minesweeper grid to ensure that batsmen can no longer indiscriminately charge at bowlers.
Test sides should be allowed to bring back four bowlers from the past using state of the art necromancy. Imagine Johnny Briggs finally being able to bowl against the greatest batsman of our times, Chris Martin.
All future contracts for building pitches should be given to those building rural roads in India.
All sight screens facing the batsmen should have a picture of Curtly Ambrose staring back at them.
Bowling captains should be given an option to choose to bowl with either a cricket ball or a grenade after every 80 overs in a test match.

HARBHAJAN- STILL AN ASSET?

2011-11-11T22:17:00.000-08:00

Indian Selectors bold move to disclude Harbhajan Singh from the first test of the on going series against the Carribeans worked wonders for Team India. Ashwin and Ojha gave the selectors much reason to smile for after an extraordinary display of their skill with the old ball. What came next, would have been less of a surprise to everyone as Bhajji got axed from the second of the affairs between the teams as well.

Now, the question arises about the future of the most experienced bowler in the country.
Habhajan’s heroics on and off the pitch is no hidden fact to any cricket fan in India or even around the world for that matter. His exceptional display of off break has given us much to awe about in the past. Playing alongside greats like Anil Kumble had certainly evolved him into a force to be reckon with.

Leaving these facts aside, the big ticket question is: Will Bhajji be selected for the tour down under?
He certainly is the only experienced spinner to have bowled in the aussie conditions. His inputs to the team can be more than handy all along the tour. But giving the youngsters a chance to gain experience by playing in such conditions can only do more good to the future of the team. So, i guess it again comes down to the selectors who will have to come out with the right choices keeping in mind the future of ‘The Turbanator’ in one hand and ‘Team India’ on the other.

P.S:- Let’s not forget that after the incidents that took place the previous time India toured,the local fans would have a lot to say to Bhajji!

Introduction

2011-11-11T19:18:00.000-08:00

Now some of you may remember Neville Cardus, others will not. So go on and Google him now.

Back? Well, the reason why we chose to name this blog after the great man was because we wanted to cover cricket in all of its glories and T20. Yes, we’re a bunch of traditionalists. But, you ask, why not name yourselves after the more infinitely recognizable names of Bradman or Sobers? Well, we have the answer to that too. See, we’re only going to be covering cricketing events, not playing in them with the least modicum of talent. Thus, we seek to be true arm chair enthusiasts of the great game where leather and willow catapault those possessing otherwise meaningless skills in life to be appreciated and ultimately be paid more than you and I will ever earn, and yet grumble about having to play the sport year round, like a real job.

Other than that, we don’t really have the cricketing skills which are synonymous with names such as Bradman et al, for our bowling at its nastiest can at best be used to physically intimidate infant koala bears, and everybody knows that short pitched bowling is their kryptonite owing to their lack of balance on the back foot. So carrying on the great tradition of the loud Indian uncle shouting his way past every logical barrier to proclaim that he alone knows what is going on in the field at any given moment, we too shall trumpet our horn and try to drown out the noise from the rational side of your brain and inundate it with cricketing truth, which would mostly be made up on the spot from our bottomless reserves of writing fiction with our mouths.

In this sense, we see Cardus as a true role model, for he revolutionized cricket coverage across the media of radio. Though one can also blame him for the advent of commentators, and Ravi Shastri, who believes that shouting is commentary, it is important to remember that he also made the game more accessible than ever. It is our firm belief that even if we come nowhere near those standards, we should still be able to voice our opinions on the game we love so much, and isn’t that what any blog is really about?