My Cricket Diary

Shikhar Dhawan trolls Dean Jones

2013-03-16T16:58:00.001+05:30

In Defence of the Master: the 'Choker' tag

2013-03-13T21:27:00.001+05:30

This morning, I was following the live commentary of the Deodhar Trophy final, between North Zone and West Zone, on Cricinfo. The rising star, Unmukt Chand, happened to play another composed innings. His histrionics in the last ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup is still fresh in memory. So, it was not out of place when someone exclaimed at his ability to perform big in 'finals'. But there was something else, let me reproduce:

“And seriously, what is it with Unmukt and finals? Is he the anti-Tendulkar or what?”

Say something about the God of Cricket and it never disappoints to spark a discussion, and at that a negative one, never fails to incite a debate. What ensued was heated arguments for and against the proposition that Sachin Tendulkar, for all his greatness, has never been a real performer in tournament finals. Some guy, under the interesting pseudonym 'Vinod Kambli', even shouted that cliched allegation: “I can't remember any innings of substance from Tendlya in finals apart from one against Aussies in Sharjah.”

Painfully, I realized that this was not the first time that I was experiencing these popular beliefs about Tendulkar. As a die-hard fan of his, it's not easy to sleep with these. I remember when Tendulkar got out very cheaply in the 2003 World Cup final, in the very first over, I had heard similar comments. They would draw your attention to his failure in the famous NatWest Trophy final at the Lord's in 2002, being the freshest in memory then. Someone would quip in with the mention of the 1998 Sharjah 'sandstorm' innings. The attacker would concede that but as an exception and come back with something like the “can't remember any innings of substance ... in finals apart from [that] one against Aussies in Sharjah”. Same arguments resurfaced after Sachin failed to capitalize on his fluent start in the 2011 WC final. But today, 'Vinod Kambli' did something that challenged me:

“Can someone put up the stats plz?”

I think, why not? And here is what I came up with.

Following are his scores in the 39 innings he batted in ODI tournament finals:

53, 0, 4, 69, 28*, 26, 0, 66, 41, 57, 67, 32, 45, 53, 95, 1, 41, 15, 134, 100, 128, 124*, 40, 0, 69, 5, 0, 17, 14, 7*, 4, 45, 8, 27, 74, 117*, 91, 138, 18

Total: 1853 runs at an average of 54.59, with 6 centuries and 10 half-centuries. His overall career average stands at 44.83. Perhaps that indicates that he has actually been more prolific in finals than in other matches.

That's not all. I remember how detractors would draw abstract comparisons with some of the other contemporary batsmen who might be spoken of in the same breath among with the maestro. Now when I speak of contemporaries of Sachin Tendulkar, it means greats from almost different era spanning the four decades that the world has seen him play. The names which would feature the most would be those of Steve Waugh, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Jacques Kallis.

Firstly, Steve Waugh. The skeptic's favourite as the ideal crisis manager. No doubt about his composure as a sportsman, but does it anyway place him ahead of Tendulkar as far as finale performances are concerned? Let the records speak for themselves. In 32 innings in tournament finals, Waugh scored 783 runs at an average of 27.03, less than his career average of 32.90.

Then, Ricky Ponting. 1345 runs, with 2 centuries and 7 half-centuries, in 40 innings in tournament finals at an average of 39.60, which is again, less than his career average at 42.03. Brian Lara, cuts a sorrier figure with 447 runs (1 century, 1 half-century) in 18 final innings at 24.83, which is abysmally lower than his overall average of 40.48. Inzamam has not done much better. His figures: 471 runs in 17 innings, with 2 half-centuries, at the average of 30 (career average – 39.52). Last but not the least, considered to the most underrated of batsmen, is Jacques Kallis. While his impact on any game cannot be measured by his batting figures alone, still they deserve a comparison. It is a shame that South Africa have not played many tournament finals since their re-inception to international cricket post-Apartheid, and I believe that is somewhat responsible for the non-impressiveness of Kallis' batting record in tournament finals: 236 runs in 12 matches at 19.67 – mentioning his career average beside this would be an insult to this greatest all-rounder of our time.

Well, I have made my point. Popular conceptions may often belie facts. So, it is my request to all the Sachin fans out there: memorize this. Because though the man has retired from ODIs, the game will take ages to move out of his shadow, and till then, debates will ensue. Next time, someone calls him a choker for big occasions, just mouth out the numbers.

P.S. - I may be hasty in this, but perhaps the only other legend who has walked the ODI pitch who boasts of an average in tournament finals which is healthier than the overall career average is none other than Sir Vivian Richards. In the 17 tournament finales he batted in, he scored 811 runs, with 1 century and 8 swashbuckling half-tons at 55.82, his career average being about 47.

(also published at http://thejerkbarks.wordpress.com/2013/03/13/in-defence-of-the-master-the-choker-tag/ )

Starting afresh

2011-04-07T23:19:00.000+05:30

Enter the part-timers in the stands,it's time for the Indian Premier League.The League this year is gonna be a novelty in a few ways.First and foremost,the absence of Lalit Modi at the helm of the event.This year's edition was once potentially a doubtful case with outrageous disclosures on procedural abuse in between the administrators and the constituent franchisees.Not only have Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals,despite cases pending in court against them,have been allowed to feature in this edition of the IPL,but we will have two new teams competing it out this time,namely Pune Warriors and Kochi Tuskers Kerala.The constitution of the teams have completely been revamped this time after the expiry of the original contracts between the players and the franchisees they have been representing,a fresh auction having taken place earlier this year.

The last 3 seasons have been utterly disappointing for us down here with our home favourite,Kolkata Knight Riders,failing to impress with their game.Rather they have been more in the news throughout for the never ending controversies revolving around the team,and for Shah Rukh Khan,its owner,of course.So,while KKR looked to start afresh releasing all its former players,each team having been provided the option of retaining four,a new debate was sparked off concerning whether it was right to to let go of their original icon player,Sourav Ganguly,who also captained the team in the 2008 and 2010 editions.

Controversies are plain fond of our favourite Dada,it seems.You must acknowledge the emotions associayed with Sourav in the heart of the average Bengali cricket fan.He almost represents the nearly extinct Bengali nationalism.Successful as KKR has been in their market strategy,a lot of the local demand can be credited to the status and prestige of the former Indian captain.We remember the resentment evoked when Sourav was scrapped off the captaincy before the 2009 season in South Africa as a result of the experimental team management theories of the then coach John Buchanan.His batting position was also toyed with throughout the entire edition.Last year,leadership was restored to his aegis and he led from the front in many occasions with the bat and in the field.He finished as the highest run getter for the Knights last year and fourth overall in the Orange Cap table after Sachin Tendulkar,Jacques Kallis and Suresh Raina.It is not difficult to comprehend the intensity of the furore created by Ganguly going unsold in the entire auction spanning two days.It was insulting indeed on two counts.The first of the brought upon by Dada himself.He was one of the two players to have augmented their base prices before the auction,the other being V V S Laxman.The latter was purchased by Kochi.The second one came in the very last minutes of the auction.After the business was supposedly over,the names of the few players unsold yet,who were shortlisted on requests from the representatives of the teams at the auction.Contrary to our hope,Sourav's name did not feature in the list.All set to be wrapped up,it was announced that one final call was to be made on an unsold player due to a last moment request.To our rude shock and jaw dropping disappointment,it was Mohammad Kaif,of all people,whose name came up and was even sold to Kings XI Punjab.

The KKR management was under severe attack from its home followers.There were strong hopes in the air that Dada's home team might include him in their plans.Thr rage threatened to rob the franchisee of its local fan following and Shah Rukh Khan the good wishes of his admirers.The 'King' Khan,as he is often called,had to publicly offer Sourav a role in the management,which was declined by the Prince of Kolkata.Lots of retrospective claims were made and reported.Arguments over the rationale of the total wipeout faced by Ganguly.It was not only a case of KKR 'ditching' him.If it were,well,I could give you a good many reasons in favour of KKr's strategy.Like perhaps the Knight Riders,despite acknowledging his contribution to the team in the last three years,are looking for more impact players with the bat in the side,with a more intimidating strike rate to flaunt.Or hunting for fresher legs.Or maybe the fact that Dada doesn't play enough competitive cricket any more went against him.(Of course,the same consideration holds true for stalwarts like Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne,but they are still playing.)But a player of his standing failing to find favour with all the teams is a little too much to digest.Even when Kochi made efforts to make a post-auction purchase of Ganguly,Royal Challengers Bangalore vetoed it,ensuring he remained an untouchable.I have been forced to concede that various non-cricketing factors were at work which I am in no authority to dwell upon here.

Perhaps,it wouldn't have come to this if Sourav chose to retire from domestic twenty20 cricket,as I had remarked to many a friend when speculations were at peak if he'd feature in the future plans of KKR,after the decision was not taken not to retain him.If it was humiliating,it was enough by then.Anyways,as expected mass agitations were afoot after the auction,mostly through the social networking sites and SMS campaigns,so much so that many Sourav fans went on to endorse the 'No Dada,no KKR,no IPL' hardline.

With the World Cup in our hands now,most of it seems to have died out.The exalted people are now waiting to erupt in celebration with the crickentertainment bonanza.Cricket,we know,is a great unifying force for our nation.But the IPL has set an unmistakable opposite trend.Domestic cricket rivalry is a living reality today in India.We in Kolkata are now rooting for a refurbished team under the leadership of former Delhi DareDevils captain,Gautam Gambhir.A lot of thought seems to have been put into the composition of the side this time,unlike in 2008,when despite bagging a handful of foreign stars,they got the balance all wrong struggling to recruit good Indian players.This time,along with the likes of Jacques Kallis,Brad Haddin,Brett Lee,Shakib-al-Hasan,Eoin Morgan and Ryan ten Doeschate,national players of the calibre of Yusuf Pathan,Manoj Tiwary,Laxmipathy Balaji and Pradeep Sangwan fill up the ranks.Strength in the allrounder department also means strengthened chances in this format of the game.However,due to the coinciding ODI series between Australia and Bangladesh in Bangladesh from the 9th to 13th of April,KKR will not be able to avail the services of Brad Haddin,Brett Lee,Shakib-al-Hasan and James Pattinson in the first two matches,against the Chennai super Kings on 8th in Chennai and the Deccan Chargers on 11th in Kolkata.

Like everytime else,only a fool may strive to compare the strengths of the sides.Barring CSK and Mumbai Indians to some extent,every team that has featured in the earlier editions have undergone a thorough change in their core.The Indian Premier League is one hell of an unpredictable tournament.I remember,after the first ever auction in the League in 2008,the Deccan Chargers looked the strongest on paper before play ever began,closely followed by the Knights in public anticipation,even helped by the thunderous start they provided to the first season in Bangalore.But the tournament has had the habit of throwing up unlikely heroes and making ants of giants.The Rajasthan Royals,the most underestimated team before the first edition,ended up lifting the trophy for the first time under their illustrious coach-cum-captain,the legendary Shane Warne.Decaan Chargers finished last,only to emerge champions the next time.So,heed my advice,play your fantasy cricket steady and wise,and get ready for the 50 day long battle to make you dance to its excitement like never before.Enjoy!

Final blow of the Blue-smith and the incineration of a photograph

2011-04-05T07:07:00.001+05:30

India is my country.Cricket is my religion.And I witnesses the salvation of my religion two nights ago.When almost 28 years ago,Kapil Dev's underdogs stunned the world to snatch the Prudential World Cup from the mighty West Indians on June 25,1983,I was more than 6 years from being born,the seniormost playing member of the current Indian team was a little over 9 years of age,the captain about 1 and some of the rest hadn't yet seen the light of the world.It was a Saturday.Now,28 years later,on April 2,2011,another Saturday,finally,that nostalgic afternoon at the Lord's could peacefully retire to the past.We can afford to bask in the glory of the present.That trophy of dreams of a 1.21 billion-crazy-nation is ours again!

Ever since I've watched and understood cricket,I've known that India were world champions once.Just for that once.I've always tried to imagine,from reminiscences of people who lived the moment,how it would have felt celebrating being top of the world.

I was acquianted with World Cup cricket,and cricket in general,as early as 1992,incidentally,the first Cup Sachin Tendulkar featured in.Of course,at just about 3 years old,I didn't understand the game,but at least picked the fact that it was an enjoyable activity,which kept people (at least my father) happy.I would try to imitate the poses I watched the players make,mostly shots played by batsmen with some wooden plank I'd find lying around.Soon,I was holding a plastic bat,much to my father's amusement.

It was the Wills World Cup 1996 held in the subcontinent that thrust me into watching full time.I was about 6 and a half and imbibed the enthusiasm that my infant mind noticed centred around a sporting event.I was rather quick learning the bare physics of the game at that tender age,because I didn't wanna be left out of the fun.Within no time,I started reading and memorizing the names of the participant teams and their players.This was the first occasion that planted the seeds of nationalism in my mind.I understood that I lived in a country called 'India',where cricket is pretty important to people and the World Cup means everything.And that in the Indian team played a childish looking bloke who they called Sachin Tendulkar,who was the centre of all the craze.

And there were some other important guys as well,I heard,like Shane Warne,Brian Lara,Allan Donald,Courtney Walsh,Wasim Akram,Dominic Cork,Graeme Hick,etc.I remember watching Tendulkar score a century,for the first time in my life,against Sri Lanka in Delhi.The first conscious tinge of defeat in the same match.I was overwhelmed by the fanaticism around the Indo-Pak quarter final in Bangalore.The delight of victory.Bit by bit,I entered into an irrevocable emotional attachment with 'India' and cricket.Then came the semifinal at the Eden Gardens in Calcutta.School broke about an hour ago than scheduled on account of the match.I was reminded that Sri Lanka had already beaten in the match I mentioned earlier.A sigh of relief when Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana dismissed cheaply after the Lankans were put into bat by Mohammed Azharuddin even after winning the toss.Sachin Tendulkar's run and hopes of India making the final receiving a death blow and the crowd turning violent soon after.Who can forget that black day in the history of Indian cricket and the legendary Eden Gardens.120-8 chasing 258,the umpires marched the teams out of the ground,a weeping Vinod Kambli bringing out my bloody tears - which I can't explain till today.The match was awarded to Sri Lanka on default.

Sri Lanka went to lift the Cup in Karachi,but the humiliation painted on our face has since lived in my heart.There was a photograph in the newspapers the morning following the Eden debacle showing a garland of shoes adorning a larger than life image of the Indian cricket team,put on by angry and disappointed fans.That photo has remained indelible forever in my memory.Since then,every time India took on Sri Lanka,or appeared in the following editions of the quadrennial event,the photograph returned to haunt me,calling for revenge,kinda satisfied when India returned the humiliation in a World Cup event,in a Group match in Taunton,during the English summer of 1999.

What was I thinking of when Sachin Tendulkar nicked that ever so slightly leaving the bat delivery to the safe custody of Sangakkara's gloves?I can't swear that I wasn't thinking of that picture.Maybe more than of the tumbling Sourav Ganguly's men took in 2003 at the Wanderers,Johannesburg.And above all,eight years on,will the last dream elude the man just walking out the pitch of his home stage once again?And that,I did not have it in me to wait for another four years to well up fresh hopes of that ultimate prize.

I placed a pillow on my lap seated on a chair,rested my legs on my bed right beside,fetched a book,kept it on the pillow and started reading.M mother turned around on the bed and lay with her face turned away from the telecast.As if it's gonna work!If I was superstitious by nature,I'd say,it worked!Gambhir and Kohli slowly put the chase back on track,as I kept on reminding myself of how Kohli had it in himself to handle the pressure like he had done a few times before,one being the magnificent match winning century against Australia last year,bringing the team out of a similarly tight spot.Some of my friends had almost lost hope as Tendulkar flattered to deceive,taking a cue from the thunderstruck crowd at the Wankhede,some stopped watching the match itself.Even then I had a chuckle to myself as I spotted the legendary Rajnikant in the stands,thinking of the superhuman jokes about him in the market.Perhaps he could win it for us?

Just as I was starting to relax a bit,Kohli hit one back in the air for Tillekaratne Dilshan take an acrobatic catch off his own bowling.What happened next took everyone by surprise.I received a text from a friend claiming that Yuvraj would play another match winning innings only to watch the largely out of touch captain,the former no. 1 batsman in ICC ODI rankings,Mahendra Singh Dhoni,promoting himself ahead of the man with the Midas touch.And I think,hmm,logical though,with having already seen three off spinners into the attack,Randiv,Muralitharan and Dilshan,and having noticed that Kohli was exercising greater ease in handling them.With Yuvraj coming in,they might have settled into a rhythem with two left handers at the crease.

Rest is history.Dhoni played like a man completely different from the batsman we saw throughout the tournament.The intent was present right from the very first ball he faced,along with the resolve to guide the innings along.The bottom hand play flourished as he bullied the ball into the cover fence time and again as only he can do with his fierce cuts and push drives.And he sealed it with another old Dhoni trademark,the lofted shot into the crowd just like he used to finish when he was still raw in international cricket.Calling it a "captain's knock" will be a gross understatement.It was the proverbial blow of the blacksmith.Or shall I say 'Blue'smith?

The final was always gonna anybody's game.57 overs into the match,Sri Lanka had the upper hand.Mahela Jayawardena,choosing to stamp his class in the final with a delightful hundred,denting India's spirit towards the end with Kulasekara and Perera's assistance as they plundered 63 of the last 5 overs of the Sri Lankan innings,the bating powerplay.Malinga sent the two most feared batsmen upfront within 6.1 overs.But,seriously,it was the fielding that spelt out the difference in between the teams.India were electric in the field from the onset,Yuvraj Singh looking the same man who was once considered one of the best at point in world cricket.On the other hand,the Islanders were sloppy.Kulasekara dropped,quite a tough one at that but in a close World Cup final these are catches that win you matches,Gambhir on 30.One might repeat that legendary folklore from 1999,dude,he dropped the Cup!

There were two surprise inclusions for the final,one in each team.Sreesanth,who fell out of favour after a dismal performance in the very first match of the World Cup,found himself in for the very last match.He started reasonably well,but lost his way,leaking runs regularly.On the Sri Lankan side,as many as 4 changes were forced by the unavailability of Angelo Mathews,but none more striking that that of Suraj Randiv.There he was in the Emerald Island not selected in the original squad,he's called up as a standby and thrown into the Grand Finale of all out of nowhere.Muttiah Muralitharan was forced into playing one last match in international cricket,one last attempt at lifting the World Cup as only he among all the 22 playing had the experience of having done it before.His injury meant he wasn't as lethal a bowler and a champion like him had to finish second best.

The ghosts of the past had been exorcised,of the shock exit in 2007,the stumble at the final hurdle in 2003,and what not.Now I can mock at that photograph from 15 years ago and banish it forever!And above all,for that all important 'childish looking bloke' who came and saw for 5 consecutive editions,but never conquered,has now in the 6th attempt,made that wretched,forever elusive trophy his own,and deservedly so.He was instrumental,again - top run getter for his team,second highest run scorer in the tournament.And suddenly,I wonder if he has enough motivation left to continue representing the country in ODIs any more.At least for now,in stark contrast to a 27 year old Lasith Malinga,Sachin,soon to be 38,hasn't expressly ruled out the possibility of him playing in the next World Cup in 2015!

MS Dhoni never stops catching you unawares.A few hours from the historical victory,he emerges with his brand new,almost bald look!What is this guy,creeps?He had gone for cropping the long locks that we for long came to identify with him after that ICC World Twenty20 triumph.Thank your luck that there isn't an ICC tournament for Tests!

Had the World Cup come home 4 years back,the champions would have earned a well-deserved rest.But the richest cricket board in the world has found new ways and resources to replenish its wealth.The Indian Premier League has been a huge hit over the last 3 years and the golden goose of the BCCI,and they saw no reason for scrapping the crickentertainment package this year even if it meant kicking off the event within 6 days of the conclusion of the tournament of tournaments.I strongly felt the IPL ought to be given a miss this year.An inhuman scheme to plan another long and exacting ordeal in the heat and humidity right after we had one.I have serious doubts about how many players who have survived a reasonable length in the just concluded extravaganza will actually start in the IPL.All the more reason with the IPL having trodden a scandalous terrain since lids blew off commercial transactions concerning the franchisees.Also,the BCCI ran a huge risk of a fall in demand had the Indian team disappointed in the World Cup.

Well,now with the World Cup glory ours,at least the fans aren't tired in the least.Two more teams - Sahara Pune Warriors and Kochi Tuskers Kerala - and a relaid format to spice up the show.Make no mistake,if the World Cup is the achievement,the IPL's gonna be the celebration.It was noteworthy to hear the cheer of the Mumbai crowd when the name of Lasith Malinga was announced at the awards ceremony.They are waiting for their blue eyed toe crusher!

Having said all that,I've gotta concede,it'll feel incredibly awkward to see two men who steered a side to the greatest of victories 3 days ago,Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni,will be leading their respective troops against one another in only 3 days time,when Kolkata Knight Riders challenge Chennai Super Kings in Chennai in the inaugural match of Season 4 of the Indian Premier League.

Blue.................

2011-04-02T02:44:00.001+05:30

The Indian Premier League is secure.So are the earnings of the International Cricket Council and the Board of Control for Cricket in India from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.The commercial significance of India beating Pakistan in Mohali in the second semifinal on Wednesday.

How can I be so cold?The hopes of more than a 121 crore nation on the swing and I'm counting money!Tragedy of my life.Misunderstood despite the best of intentions.So what will convince you?

INDIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA..........INDIA!

This is the first time I am genuinely feeling the urge to attend a cricket match at the venue.and why not?This is the single most significant sporting occasion in the last decade to take place in India.In a few hours,for the first time in World Cup history,two Asian teams,and two teams led by their respective wicketkeeper captains will steam up the summit clash of the biggest event in cricket.

It was said that even if Dhoni's men make the final,perhaps the semifinal would be the match with the highest barometer reading.India have made the final,but now,just before the final itself,I am not so sure.It was a perfect setting at Mohali on March 29 for the most anticipated game of the tournament.And yet,almost true to my worst fears,it showed every signs of culminating into an anticlimax.Sehwag started in customary fashion destroying the prolific Gul once and for all in the match only to perish to Wahab Riaz.Sachin Tendulkar got into the clinical mood to be shaken up by the wily Ajmal.The heartbreak as the crowd favourite Yuvraj followed Kohli into the hut missing a devastating inswinging yorker onto his middle stump.The duo of Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez allaying nerves in the Pakistani camp with a comfortable start.Only that it didn't turn out to be so.Sachin had fate on his side,as UDRS and the Third Umpire gave him the first two 'lives',and he got four other off the butter fingered Pak fielders.Maybe he should have utilized them and got his 100th hundred then and there.But,justice had it,it wouldn't have worthy of the special occasion;perhaps he would wish to get there in a less forgettable fashion.And just as India looked in serious danger of wrapping up withing 230-240 with Dhoni adjudged lbw off Riaz,leaving India at 205-6,Suresh Raina struck two small but substantial partnerships in the context of the game with Harabhajan and Zaheer,so much so that India actually produced their second best performance in bating powerplays while bating first in the tournament.Zaheer picked up Pakistan's first wicket,Munaf the second when Hafeez tried to play a scoop off an almost wide delivery,but still it seemed Pakistan had the upper hand.Yuvraj again turned the game on its head by striking a double break of Asad Shafiq and Younus Khan.

Halfway through the Indian innings,Dhoni must have been under pressure of his own conscience for having replacing Ravichandran Ashwin with Ashish Nehra (because,as he conceded later,the Indian thinktank had misread the wicket).Experts were after his head during the break and the memories of Nehra's last over against South Africa coupled with a series of ordinary performances since his return to international cricket from an injury layoff earlier this year did not help his cause.Abuses were running in fan circles and on social networking sites.Suresh Raina in Motera was not under one tiny fraction of the pressure on Nehra in Mohali.Nehra finished as the top Indian bowler,showing samples of the death bowling he's capable of and exercised so well when he led the Indian attack in the absence of Zaheer in 2009-2010!Nehra was almost the M-Seal for Indian bowling that day and India displayed an organised,compact and disciplined bowling performance supplemented by the spirited fielding and the rediscovered enterprise in Dhoni's leadership.There was no necessity to look beyond the 4 specialist bowlers and Yuvraj Singh for completing the 50 overs.When has that last happened in Indian cricket?Another special note about Dhoni and his captaincy.He has been below par with the bat,but he's not letting his failures affect his regulation of the team.Conversely,the team has also been supportive,always ready to vouch for the captain.Besides,we tend to forget that he has another important role to play in the team.He's been doing the thankless job almost without any fuss behind the stumps.

In the end,one might say,the pressure got to Pakistan.You drop the Little Master 4 times,he makes you pay for it.However scratchy it may have been,the 85 runs he scored will be an unpaid debt forever for Pakistan.The batsmen started comfortably,but they pushed themselves into a position of no return,the main culprits being Hafeez and Misbah.The former chased a wide delivery outside off trying to scoop it,gifting a dolly to Dhoni.Misbah,it seemed,took on the responsibility of seeing his side lose.Playing way too many dots,failing to even rotate,let alone hitting fours and sixes.By the time,he decided to use the long handle,it was too late and he had run out of partners.

The joke of the day,though,happened at the presentation ceremony when the MoM went to Sachin Tendulkar.I can't remember a more embarrassing innings by the Maestro.I had no doubts about the rightful recipent of it,and you gotta agree with me: Wahab Riaz.There were lot of speculations if he should make way for Shoaib Akhtar,who had already annonced his retirement plans after the Cup,in the semifinal as he was looked upon as by far the weakest link in the otherwise formidable looking Pak bowling.He stayed.And he scalped 5 wickets,in the match of his life yet.His scalps included the prized scalps of Sehwag,Kohli,Yuvraj and Dhoni!He and Saeed Ajmal,the only bowler to shake,stir,trouble and play on the mind of Tendulkar that day,extinguished India's chances of batting their opponents out of the match.

One thing needs to be mentioned.I had been carefully staying out of the rhetoric surrounding the semifinal for the week preceding it.Even in the Australia match,I had kept my quiet and calm for almost the whole match before standing up to rejoice when Yuvraj hit the winning runs,presenting the picture of a close follower of the game rather than the proverbial cricket fan.Last match,the script was going along the same lines,until Younus Khan holed out to Raina,duped by Yuvraj in flight.I jumped up,pumped my fist in the air thrice,shrieking my lungs out.That was India's in into the match.I didn't stop.With every wicket,I would break into an inpromptu jig in front of my applauding mother.

Bygones are bygones.Over to Mumbai from Mohali.The Wankhede Stadium.All set for the Grand Finale.

Sri Lanka have the advantage in ground experience.They have played one in Mumbai in their last Group A tie v. New Zealand,whereas the Indian team have set their foot in the relaid stadium for the first time.India have won two pressure games in a row which gives the mental practice for crunch situations.Save that,there's nothing to pick between the sides once again.

There are some undercurrents flowing,but none of them more important than the big question: Will Muralitharan overcome his injury to play in an international match for one last time tomorrow?Angelo Mathews,too,is uncertain.On the other hand,India's sole injury concern has at least helped simplifying a selection dilemma.It was commonsense that Ashwin will be back for the final in Mumbai's dry deck conditions.But who to replace?The finger injury that Nehra picked up while trying to grab a low catch of Afridi has saved Dhoni from making a choice.

Statistically,Dilshan and Tendulkar are in a tight scuffle for the leading run scorer honours.Zaheer Khan has a good chance to pip Afridi to the top wicket taker spot.The Player of the Tournament may also turn out to be a choice between Yuvraj Singh and Tillekaratne Dilshan.

But frankly?Right now,nobody cares.It's time to live the moment we have waited for since February 19.Two teams.One Cup.One team carrying the hopes of 1.21 billion cricket crazy nation for whom the sport is religion and drug from daily boredom and disappointments.The other team represents a country just trying to recover from a civil war that is almost as old as the country itself.One side has pledged to win it for their living legend,the God of Indian cricket.The other looking to throw the perfect farewell for their amazing wizard.To whom does tonight belong to?Blue?Or Deep Blue?

N.B. : It's been reported in the morning's newspapers that Dhoni is seriously contemplating about fielding Sreesanth in the XI."If you see the Mumbai track there’s a bit of pace and bounce for seamers initially. Also if there is reverse swing going, the third seamer can make an impact.At the same time if the three seamers are bowling well I can easily manoeuvre the bowling. But if you have three spinners along with a part-timer, and two medium pacers, you can’t manoeuvre too much,” he said.Well,playing him is always a huge risk.This single match can make or break Sreesanth's career,does he play.We can only hope for the best and wish Dhoni's proposed third gamble in as many matches sees success like the other two.On the Sri Lankan side,Angelo Mathews has been ruled out of the final.

The Battle of the Void

2011-03-30T14:04:00.000+05:30

And we have a new champion after more than a decade.Credit to the Indian cricket team!But that's stale news,ain't it?The hottest news in India and Pakistan and in the cricketing world for the last 6 days has been that India and Pakistan are to meet in the second semifinal of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 in Mohali.

Let's warm up a bit.We saw two damp quarter finals and two scorchers.Pakistan and Sri Lanka had thumping wins over West Indies and England on the first and last matches of the last 8,respectively.The margin was same - 10 wickets.But the other two interceding the former ties were as good as it gets.India beat the defending champions Australia in a match of swinging fortunes,living up to its reputation.Tension from ball one,neither teams letting the other run away with the match for almost the whole of it.On 24th March,Motera saw a story of standing up and getting counted when it matters.Ricky Ponting battled poor form with the bat to produce a gem of a ton,which turned out to be his World Cup swansong.M S Dhoni stood up to display some proactive captaincy becoming of his stature as a highly rated leader in world cricket,right from picking Suresh Raina in the XI ahead of Yusuf Pathan.As it turned out later,Raina had to come out as a most decisive pawn when Dhoni departed leaving India at 187-5 with 74 runs still to get to win and the jitters surely set in.He and Yuvraj Singh did an excellent job in overcoming the panic triggered by Gambhir's 'planned' and suicidal run out.Yuvraj Singh continued his superb run in the cricket field,having earlier claimed two important wickets in the Australian innings,to hit the threatening pair of Lee and Tait out of the attack and forcing the Kangaroos to play the game at his pace.Raina then virtually ended the match by hitting the very first ball of the batting powerplay taken in the 46th over,off a wounded Lee who had to be reintroduced into the attack,for a six,following it with a four off the first ball of the following over from Tait.

Actually,I kinda started feeling sad for Ponting.You could notice his dejection,sensing the end of his illustrious World Cup record.The player to have featured in the most number of matches in World Cups,spanning over 5 editions - 1996,1999,2003,2007 and 2011,he never saw his team fail to make the final before,lifting the last three Cups,with him as the captain in the last two.This was a rude crash for him,he barely managed to contain his emotions at the presentation ceremony after being knocked out.

New Zealand,in the following match,rank underdogs in Dhaka,pulled off a stunner.With the Oz sent home,the South Africans were the best bet till then to fill their shoes.Not many would have given the Kiwis much chance after they set a modest target of 230.The Proteas began well despite the awkward loss of Hashim Amla early on.Smith failed yet again to build on his start,still Kallis and de Villiers exuded a sense of assurance.But once Kallis was sent back with a swift palming by Jacob Oram at the deep mid wicket boundary,somehow the panic set in.New Zealand did field like springing tigers that day,and with Martin Guptill brilliantly running out AB de Villiers,the procession started.None of the later batsmen,save Francois du Plessis,showed stomach for fight.Two heavyweights eliminated in two days.

Yet,Sri Lanka started as favourites and remained so till a middle order collapse saw them slide from 160-1 to 169-4.Muttiah Muralidharan bowled for the last time in an international match on home soil and wrapped it up appropriately with the wicket of Styris of his last delivery.Dilshan and Sangakkara are in ominous form,but the lower middle order have looked vulnerable.So last eve,when Thilan Samaraweera and Chamara Silva were left out with a late challenge from the never say die Black Caps,the 49 runs then needed to reach the finish line of 218 looked like a sweat.Silva hit two boundaries off Ryder to release the pressure momentarily,only for Southee to rattle his stumps to keep the game alive.An injured Angelo Mathews then screwed the visitors' hopes by hitting a few lusty blows to wrap it up,helped by 5 wides sent down the leg side by Andy McKay.So for the first time in World Cup history,the final is gonna be an all-Asian affair.

Also for the first time,India fights Pakistan for a place in the final.Need we say more.Right from the instant Yuvraj hit Lee for the winning boundary,it was as if the fantasies of the average cricket fan came realised.The mother of all cricket matches is to start a few minutes later in a historical battle zone.A lot of stories have a cocked up in the background of this match in the last 6 days.The experts have speculated their fill.Most of them,barring a few like Imran Khan,understandably,have sided with India.My emotions as an Indian are bound to be with India,but my cricket sense acknowledges that Pakistan have greater momentum.They have been playing as a team while India have managed to strike it right only on the last match.Pakistan bowlers have impressed with their low economical rates,but a reason for that might be the fact that they played a lot of their cricket in this Cup in slow wickets in Sri Lanka,while wickets in India have been traditionally flatter and truer.But India's inability to put pressure on the opponents by failing to pick up early wickets in an area of concern.Strategically,Indians need to be more wary of Ajmal than Afridi,I feel,with India being likely to field 3 left handed batsmen.But will Pakistan play Shoaib Akhtar?We'll know.

Head to head in Mohali,Pakistan enjoys the advantage,While India have triumphed over Pakistan in all their World Cup clashes.One way or the other,history will be rewritten.Once the match starts,make no mistake,sparks will fly,6 days have been a long wait.Both teams will have a third invisible party to contend with.I need not name it,call it what you may,you have been feeling it for days.It's India vs. Pakistan,need we say more?

Last match.But whose?

2011-03-24T13:01:00.000+05:30

Here we are in what Ravi Shastri says the business end of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.You are tempted to think it's 3 matches to laying your hands on the coveted ultimate prize,but it's more of having to fight to live the day now.No surprises as to the composition of the last 8.But Pakistan have done remarkably well to top Group A,as coming into the tournament not many would have fancied them to beat Australia and Sri Lanka.Notably,they ended Australia's unbeaten run in World Cups since they were last beaten by none other Pakistan in the Group League stage of the ICC World Cup 1999.And what a show they put up yesterday!They started favourites but to dismiss the West Indies by 10 wickets...fantastic.Now Ashok Malhotra says he won't be surprised if they lift the Cup.I said the same after they beat Sri Lanka!

Bangladesh,on the other hand,in Group B,were so close,yet so far from booking a knockout berth.They finished with 6 points from 4 matches,same as the Windies,but the unfathomable manner in which they surrendered to the latter,which was repeated in their last game against South Africa cost them dear.The cricketing following in Mirpur,Dhaka would have been crestfallen.But cricket has its own way of leveling things,it's said.West Indies,after being stoned at the same venue,whether mistakenly is a question of potential controversy,had to return to play Pakistan for the first Quarter Final.And the crowd favourite,as they have been always,Pakistan 'returned' the humiliation the Carribeans had inflicted on the home team earlier,bowling them out for a paltry 58.A look at yesterday's Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium,and you could sense the thrill of being avenged.

I have been in Bangladesh quite a few times and I have noticed that they take their cricket very seriously.I was there when Bangladesh earned for the first time the ticket to play in a World Cup,the 1999 edition,after they beat Scotland in the semifinal of the ICC Trophy and eventually were crowned champions by beating Kenya in a rain truncated match spanning two days.The celebrations that followed the last two wins were memorable.Political separation from the Indian mainland and then Pakistan never dampened the spirit of cricket a wee bit.Even when the Bangladesh cricket team had not yet made their arrival at the big scene,the population had their favourites,namely India and Pakistan,the majority inclined towards the latter.An India-Pakistan clash attracts as much excitement as you can find in India and Pakistan.So,we can safely say that this tournament is still very much alive in the hearts of the Bangladesh cricket fan.

Let's now shift focus on the present.If there were one terribly unpredictable tie in the Quarter Final line up,it's this one.Australia versus India.A wagerer's delight.Evenly matched sides,both having had their shares of clicks and misses.The Indians have been flashy and scratchy.The lower order has added to the worries regarding bowling.Three consecutive failures to capitalise on a formidable platform from the top order and failing to play out the 50 overs while setting the target.Pluses include the sterling touch Tendulkar is in and likelihood to fire in big matches and the all-round form of Yuvraj Singh.Zaheer Khan has been consistent with the ball but the same cannot be said about the rest of the bowling.Munaf Patel is playing because we dare play anyone else,therefore missing a genuine wicket taking option there.A word about him.I strongly feel that the communication between him and the captain isn't the best.I noticed in the matches against England and South Africa that Munaf tends to relax concentration and persistence against lower order batsmen,which proved costly in both matches,Ajmal Shehzad hitting him for a straight six in the former match and Johan Botha punishing him in the latter.He needs to understand that in today's cricket the 'tail-enders' are no mug with the bat,and Johan Botha is only a genuine all-rounder coming in at no.8,it is the duty of the skipper,and the coach,off the field,to ensure this.Over-reliance on spinners has not yet been convincingly answered by Harbhajan Singh,who's bowling well in patches but nowhere near his threatening best.Ravichandran Ashwin was pretty impressive the last day and offers Dhoni an option with the new ball,but was finally included in the playing XI only after a dismal show by Nehra including his shocking last over,rather 4 deliveries,of the South Africa match.I had written earlier that Dhoni has his qualms about playing two specialist right arm off spinners in the team,but Chawla has been anything but consistent with his line and length.

Australia too haven't been firing on all cylinders yet.They started cautiously and convincingly,showing glimpses of flamboyance of the old Australian sides,only for the graph to slip in the last few matches.Brett Lee has been their star performer with the ball,with Tait providing some bursts here and there.The loss of Bollinger haven't helped them,either.But the middle overs management is a worry as their spinners haven't been mention-worthy.Ponting hasn't been in the best of form,but we know him to be one who rises to the big occasion.Shane Watson and Brad Haddin are always threatening to take the game away in the first few overs,but they have shown their frailties once they have been bogged down by some tight bowling.Michael Clarke is known to have a good record against India in India,and Mike Hussey as a replacement for Bollinger no doubt strengthen the batting.It's to be seen how quickly he adjusts to the conditions,though Pakistan match was a tease for him,coming back from his hamstring layoff.

The big question that precedes the match is whether Virender Sehwag will feature in the XI today.He has been reported to be uncertain.It would be most unfortunate if he misses today's match.Because who knows it may be India's last match this edition.He certainly wouldn't like to let go watching by the sidelines.Neither would the cricketing community.

And that's the dismaying prospect.I came across a post on Facebook wondering if this match will be Sachin Tendulkar's last appearance in a World Cup.Shivering,isn't it?It is only coupled by a reasonable assumption that this World Cup is going to the last for Rick Ponting,too.So who bows out today?Sachin or Ricky?

This is also an occasion for India to set the record straight.They have lost to the Kangaroos every time they have met after their triumph over the Aussies in the 1983 World Cup in Chelmsford in their second league encounter.Since then,the Oz have been victorious over the Men In Blue in 1987,1992,1996,1999 and twice in 2003.The last time these two met in a World Cup was the 2003 edition Final at the Wanderers,Johannesburg,where Australia brutally crushed India's hopes of regaining the title.

And with Pakistan waiting for today's winners in the Semifinals,what could be a more mouth watering prospect than an Indo-Pak semifinal?Come 2:30 pm on the clock,Sardar Patel Stadium,Motera,Ahmedabad is going to witness an emotional occasion by all means.

The Group of Death

2011-03-17T23:56:00.001+05:30

Andre Russell was nearly destined to be the character of the match.

244 was always a challenging ask on paper when the England - South Africa humdinger is fresh memory at the same venue,Chennai.Then,a Ga(y)le roared up the English Channel and threatened vanquishment.England had to Tread( )well,it could have been well England's Swa(n)nsong.

Switch to 118-5 and 150-6,hopes for a Windies win fast diminishing.Enter Russell,who had picked up 4 wickets earlier.He also caught the eye for some weird reasons,when he,being a seamer at that,almost completely stopped in his run up just before jumping on to the popping crease 2-3 times in the English innings - umpire Steve Davis nearly ruled a 'dead' ball on the first such instance - only to proceed on finishing the delivery,catching the batsman wide unaware.Fortunately.he didn't dismiss anyone in any of those instances,otherwise it could have sparked a major controversy regarding the laws of cricket,the match being such a crucial one to the fate of these teams in the Cup.Now,he chose to try his luck with the willow.And boy,he played the unlikely co-saviour,beside the seasoned Ramnaresh Sarwan to take them 22 runs adrift of knocking the John Bulls out.

Only to lose the final 4 wickets for 3 runs.Russell,however,featured in another drama when Jonathan Trott claimed to caught him off Swann just inside the boundary,but repeating TV replays came back inconlusive,and it was something in between a benefit of doubt and a calculation of the possible,the probable and the eveident that some part of Trott's sleeve touched the line which saved the batsman.He,then,led the final procession of the Carribeans out of the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.Just when the West Indians looked they would cruise through,England say,hang on,we are in no mood to catch the morning's flight to Dubai.

Group B is still so so open.We need just another upset of South Africa by Bangladesh,who'd be so disappointed tonight,and we would have India,West Indies and England fighting for the remaining two spots for the quarters.Then,if India beat West Indies in the last Group League encounter,India and England go through,joining South Africa,who are already sitting pretty after they beat Ireland.If West Indies win,they advance,with the net run rate deciding between India and England.In case they share points,India are out of harm's way,with the net run rate factor dangling between England and West Indies.And if South Africa beat Bangladesh,the co-hosts' hope going through vanish in thin air as the huge advantage the Windies enjoy in terms of the net run rate would,barring an apocalyptic Calypso,ensure them the fourth slot from Group B.

Kick In The Ass

2011-03-12T13:41:00.000+05:30

Still fresh cranks the second upset,to be proper,of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.Bangladesh did almost everything to make sure they lost the match last night after making progress chasing 226 against England.For the first time any team was chasing under lights in Chittagong in an ODI,and at one stage the hosts were 155-3.Thanks to some harakiri committed by Imrul Kayes and Shakib-al Hasan,and a devilish spell from Ajmal Shehzad,they slipped to 169-8.The spectators - Bangladeshi supporters - had started vacating the stands,and soon,it was half empty.Though the hosts were very much ahead of the required rate at that time,not many would have really believed that the last two wickets were gonna see them through.

And then,as a friend put it,cricket happened.Mahmudullah and the number 10 batsman,Shafiul Islam,had other ideas.The required rate was creeping up,but they showed sense not take undue risk,took their time to weather the Shehzad burst as England pressed for the kill.By the time he was finished,Bangladesh required 33 off the last 5 overs.It was an astounding experience to witness how the batsmen held their nerves and England kept on losing theirs,especially James Anderson.In the end,the unbelievable happened,something that would put the South African performance in Chennai to shame,with an over to spare and without any more casualties.

Group B is being stretched wider and wider.If there had to be a 'Group of Death' in this Cup,it always had to be this one.But only because 5 of the 7 teams in this Group are Test playing nations,where the other one has 4.But thanks to England,this pool is really turning out to be a slippery trough.

Look at the matches they have featured in.Started with the Netherlands running them long,then the tie of swinging fortunes with India which would perhaps be one of the most important factors in determining the fate of the Group.Then came Ireland,down in the gutters 111-5 chasing 327,only for the storm named Kevin O'Brien to blow the cross-border rivals off.To make matters more interesting,they chose to shock South Africa,who were expected to shoo them off,and did so for the greater part of the match,only to collapse from 124-3 to 127-7 and choke 6 runs short of the 172 run target.

After last night,it's pretty hard to predict the qualifiers from this group to the knockout stage.England have played themselves into worry.As the points table stands,Bangladesh and even Ireland have a fair chance of making it to the quarters,at the expense of England.Both Bangladesh and Ireland have South Africa and the Netherlands to contend with,while England have West Indies.If Bangladesh beat Netherlands,and England lose to West Indies,as looks enormously possible,Bangladesh will have edged out England.However,Ireland will have a chance if they manage an upset over South Africa,and win it against the Netherlands,as their net run rate is healthier than that of Bangladesh.On the other hand,if England lose,Bangladesh have a upper hand over them and South Africa lose the upcoming matches including today's,the English will go through only in the event where Ireland loses to the Netherlands.So,unless they win their last match,it's too much of a pickle for England.But then again,the word 'possible' is reaching new heights this Cup,as we saw in the Group A encounter between Pakistan and New Zealand,92 runs ARE 'possible' in the last 4 overs of an innings!

To focus on today's big match,it has been billed for long as the match deciding the Group topper.South Africa started well,only to justify their ineluctable 'chokers' tag in their last match.India,on the other hand,have been the only unbeaten team of this pool,but scratchy at best.Serious worries with the bowling attack,unlike the Proteas who seem to have struck upon the right mix of variety and potency.While Imran Tahir,their newest recruit,has been pretty impressive,Piyush Chawla,his Indian counterpart in the right arm leg-break department has struggled to settle into a consistent rhythm.It's reported that he's likely to be fielded again ahead of Ashwin amidst pressure to play the latter.Yuvraj Singh did a good job in saving us the blushes in the last two matches,both in batting and bowling.Fielding is not yet upto the mark.It's interesting to note that the first two matches,India batted first and blasted the opponents.The next two,shivers ran down the spine while chasing modest totals against two of the least fancied teams.

Maybe the real problem doesn't lie with the batting or bowling prowess,or the combination,rather it may lie in the psyche,the intent or the lack of it.It was so evident in the England match,where the body language more tha anything else was more than disappointing,coupled with Dhoni's insipid captaincy.

The optimist would say there hasn't been enough motivation for the Indian team to play to potential yet.But today,it is South Africa we are up against.This is different.Perhaps this is the kick in the ass we have been missing.Let's hope it brings the Men In Blue out with all guns blazing in Nagpur.De ghuma ke!

The revenge sweet-sour

2011-02-20T12:45:00.000+05:30

The anticipation was huge on both sides,baying for blood.India and Bangladesh do not quite fit the billing of arch-rivals in cricket,but India's infamous and unceremonious loss to Bangladesh in Port-of-Spain in their Group League encounter in the last World Cup,which virtually knocked them out of the tournament in that preliminary round itself,raked big and had set off undercurrents between the two.You could always say that the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 inaugural clash between them would rank as one of the most hyped meetings in this tournament,with India looking to settle the score and Bangladesh fantasising with the past to repeat it one more time.

Some fine batting by India after they were put into bat by Bangladesh skipper Shakib-al Hasan almost ensured the revenge.MoM Virender Sehwag scored a career best 175,and nearly saw through his pledge of batting out the full 5o overs.Virat Kohli continued his great form to hit an unbeaten ton on World Cup debut,becoming the first Indian to do so.Maybe he thought he was continuing from his U-19 World Cup triumph in 2008.Well,at the end of the day,the job was done and Port-of-Spain was avenged in Mirpur,Dhaka.India comfortably beat Bangladesh by 87 runs.

A margin of 87 runs reads handsome against any team in the world.But then we can't forget that Bangladesh posted 283-9 in reply to our 370-4.What if we had not handed them a target that big?Let's focus on the second innings.Bangladesh maintained a run-rate sniffing around 6.Imrul Kayes provided a competitive start,and Tamim Iqbal and Shakib kept on the illusion of being in the hunt for a good while.Perhaps we won't feel very elated about this win.Perhaps we have it in our psyche that our eastern neighbours are still little more than minnows in world cricket.Perhaps we will doubt the potency of our bowling against the more fancied opponents.

Let me then draw a parallel from the history of the World Cup.As the match wore on towards the end I could not help but remember a similar occasion from the 1999 World Cup in England.It was Australia v. Zimbabwe in a Super Six clash at the Lord's.Zimbabwe back then used to be what Bangladesh is today - giant killers,and that particular edition they had a dream run in the Group League stage.And yet,they were the underdogs by far.Australia bat and put a heavy 303-5 on the board.Zimbabwe begin their chase in a promising fashion.Remember Neil Johnson?One of the finest all-rounders to have played the game since the Kapil-Imran-Botham era.When he and Murray Goodwin were together for the 2nd wicket partnership (114),the Aussies looked tense and threatened.The likes of Andy Flower (though he unfortunately scored a golden duck that match) were waiting in the hut.Goodwin was dismissed,153-2,but Johnson carried on,but bad day he didn't get able support from the other end.Zimbabwe ended up at 259-6.The Kangaroos won convincingly by 44 runs.People granted that it was a reasonable performance from Zimbabwe,and Australia needed to bowl better.Because Zimbabwe was still an underdog in our psyche.I was a Std. V kid back then and I wept when Zimbabwe had beaten India in their Group game.The same I felt sad for Johnson,who scored 132 not out off 144 and was also adjudged MoM that match against Australia,by the time he took guard in the last over.

Did the McGraths and Warnes bowl badly that day?No.Did the Men in Blue bowl badly last evening?No,with the exception of Sreesanth.You have to acknowledge that the conditions were much more conducive for batting under lights - ball came on to the bat easier due to dew around.Plus,perhaps Dhoni overrated the dew factor to field a 3-1 combination.Anil Kumble wrote in his column,and I too in my blog felt that it will be surprising if our strategy doesn't bank on 2 seamers and 2 spinners.But for Sreesanth,Ashwin was the obvious choice,Bangladesh has a number of left handed batsmen in their ranks.Look at the figures of the other bowlers.Munaf picked up 4,Zaheer was economical and Harbhajan was on the money too.The death bowling looks good.However,the likes of Zaheer Khan need to nurse their fielding woes.

A word of concern with the dew factor.The majority of games in the World Cup are Day/Night affairs,as are all matches featuring India.If last eve was any indication,the signs are bad for a tournament as crucial as these.We would not like the results of important matches to depend largely on the flip of the coin.

Anyway,a win is a win,and the team deserves thanks for ensuring that India start with a win and averting any 'accident' they met with last time round.Because Group B is the tougher pool and the going is bound to be rugged.The pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag would like to follow suit.Not everyday will they want to gift a run-out as last afternoon's to the opposition.A gap of 8 days now before they take on England,this time back in India,in Bengaluru.Till then,enjoy the other teams in action DE GHUMA KE!

The Cup That Counts

2011-02-19T12:39:00.001+05:30

Just about two more hours for the battle for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 to begin at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium,Dhaka,Bangladesh.From a high of 16 teams in the last edition,this time the number of participating teams have been reduced to a sane 14.Cricket's ultimate showpiece is being hosted in the subcontinent after 15 years and with it returns the 'Quarter Final' stage in the tournament format.Incidentally,the 'Quarter Final' as a round was introduced and included in the format for the first and only time the last time the World Cup was staged in South Asia,in 1996.

Anyways,perhaps the second most pertinent speculation in the mind of the Indian cricket enthusiast is what should be the composition of the first playing XI of the Indian team.Few grounds for animosity exists when it comes to fielding a 7-4 combination,i.e.,7 batsmen (including wicketkeeper batsman and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni) and 4 bowlers.And unless venues like Mohali tempt otherwise,4 bowlers would mean 2 seamers and 2 spinners.Now,we understand there are two dead certainties in the bowling line up - Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh,shall they keep fit.Going by the recent performances by Ashish Nehra,you can count him out.It's unfortunate Praveen Kumar has to sit out due to injury,so either Munaf Patel or Sreesanth,Praveen's replacement,will make the cut as Zaheer's partner.Munaf is in good stead with some impressive show in the ODI series in South Africa,while Sreesanth is always an exciting prospect and temptation,because the rare occasions he finds himself a consistent rhythm,he can be devastating,so you never know.

As regards the spinners,the omission of Pragyan Ojha from the squad ahve raised many an eyebrow.Instead Piyush Chawla was picked at the haste of captain Dhoni,his reason being the inclusion of a leggie will add to the variety of the spin attack and also his batting prowess will add solidarity to the lower order.Well,Chawla has not been half as consistent as Ojha in the recent past with the ball,so how much more variety does him being a leggie add than a left arm orthodox?Or perhaps Chawla has edged out Ojha because he has a fantastic googly in his armory?Questions that will never be answered conclusively.And better put at rest at this moment.We saw how Chawla turned around the warm-up match against Australia on a square turning track in Bengaluru.Whether he will be able to recreate the magic in less helpful conditions is a metaphysical ask,but it has added to the selection dilemma.Yes,Ravichandran Ashwin has convinced us with his consistency and maybe he's the more reasonable choice beside Harbhajan.But then,why have a leggie in the side,with the two other spinners being right arm off break bowlers,if you can't play him?

The fifth bowler has always an area for concern for us in the last 15 years.The shoulder niggle Virender Sehwag is carrying takes away one good option in home conditions.Fortunately,Yuvraj Singh is in brilliant form with the ball.Look at his figures on South Africa and the warm-up games.Hardly betrays that he still considers himself a part-timer.He,along with Yusuf Pathan,can be entrusted with the task of assisting the front-line spinners in the middle overs.

And this is where we are almost drawn into sighing,poor Suresh Raina!I had in my first entry in this blog (http://caesarcricket.blogspot.com/2010/12/no-vacancy-for-yuvi.html) pointed out that it's either Yuvraj or Raina who makes the final XI.Yusuf Pathan has only succeeded even more in proving my point and neither Yuvraj nor Raina has helped his cause with the bat.Yusuf's bowling is a plus,and though he isn't used as much as his antics in domestic cricket would suggest,he has been observed to be good in breaking crucial partnerships.And Yuvraj's bowling would most probably see him make the cut despite Raina's blinder against New Zealand in the warm-up in Chennai.

The batting has not gunned big in ODIs this year.While a part of it can be attributed to the absence of Sehwag,Gambhir,and also Tendulkar for the better part of the series against South Africa,the rest collectively has been a letdown.Virat Kohli is in golden touch,and Yusuf Pathan can almost single handedly win any match in the subcontinent if he continues his good run with the long handle.Will the others,especially Yuvraj and Dhoni,follow suit?

One would say our seam attack looks vulnerable.While the likes of Zaheer Khan,Munaf Patel and also Sreesanth,if you take into account the Test series in SA,thrived on the more lively decks there,and what's more heartening is our death bowling,which has been our biggest worry in the recent past and beyond,looked really good.If they would be able to replicate the effort in the brutally batting friendly conditions expected here is something to watch out for in the coming few weeks.

And finally,the billion dollar question,who will lift the Cup?Only a fool would predict for sure this time,for the first time since 1999.Australia were runaway favourites in 2003 and 2007,and rightly so as we found out.This time some people were starting to ignore their potential while they were being hammered by England in the Ashes at home!They have just succeeded to send a timely reminder to them that they are still the No. 1 ranked side in ODIs by returning a 6-1 favour to the English in the ODI series that followed.Ricky Ponting is coming back to play with a half healed finger,but looked composed in the warm-up v. India.Shane Watson is in crushing form and the likes of Cameron White can float like a butterfly and sting you like a bee.Brett Lee's thumping return is good news for Australia and the cricketing world.The news is,you can count them out at your own peril.

India are always a strong side at home and their team is definitely one of the teams to beat and displays an exciting mix of youth and experience,calm and exuberance.Sri Lanka,on the other hand,look closest to he perfectly balanced side,and the fact that they get to play most of their group games in Sri Lanka make it even harder for the other teams to handle them.Maestros like Sachin Tendulkar and Muttiah Muralitharan will definitely love to sign off in style.In fact,I feel ot would be an upset if we don't see Sri Lanka making the Final.Beware Malinga and his toe crushers!

South Africa look very intimidating on paper,perhaps their best side to play in the Cup after 1999,but they have yet to prove their worth in the subcontinent against the subcontinent teams in ODIs.Players like Hashim Amla and Johan Botha who would be instrumental to their fate,are in sublime form over the past year or so,and they boast of the best pace attack in the world.England are the dark horses,and if Pakistan,bubbled up from their success in New Zealand,plays as a unit,the Afridis,Razzaqs,Akmals and Akhtars won't be far behind to excite up the arena.

But cometh the hour when play starts,all this analysis,predictions,opinions will be reduced to a heap of shit.Because it will be the best 8 of the 14 who make it to the knockout stage and from then,it's a matter of who plays better on the respective day.But we cricket crazy people across the globe will be connected in our pulses,will breathe,live and die together for the 43 days that follows.Let all the teams fight with all their strength and valour.Because glory does not and must not come cheap.Because this is The Cup That Counts.

The Hour of Truth

2011-02-07T21:22:00.003+05:30

12 days to go for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 to kick off.For the third time,after the Reliance World Cup 1987 and the Wills World Cup 1996,the quadrennial showpiece is being hosted in the Indian subcontinent.But make no mistake,this time it's gonna be a different ball game altogether.

This is the first World Cup,and you gotta add,of the ODI format of the sport after Twenty20 cricket has taken centrestage big time.Barely 5 months after the conclusion of the last ICC Cricket World Cup in the Carribean,the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 took place in South Africa in September 2007,and made the cricketing world sit up and acknowledge the arrival of the shortest internationally recognized version of the game on the big scene.The money makers smelled immediately the opportunity to churn out big profits by exploiting the format,and so did the International Cricket Council see its window of spreading the game to newer places on the globe.The rest,as they say,is history.We have witnessed the introduction and growth of the Indian Premier League and Champions League Twenty20,courtesy the Board of Control for Cricket in India,with all its obscene money and glitz.There have been two more World Twenty20 meets in 2009 and 2010.As a result,the professionals have taken T20 seriously,and thereby increased its popularity.And in the last four years,we have seen it pose a mortal challenge to the more traditional versions.There's no escaping the fact that the viewership of the Test and ODI matches are decreasing with the increasing indulgence in the T20s.

And it is hence that the test begins on February 19 in Dhaka,when Bangladesh take on co-hosts India.At a time when Twenty20 is being dubbed as the future of cricket,when changes are being suggested and even implemented (in the Australian domestic circuit) to the one day structure to spice up the format,when the ICC World Twenty20 is threatening to dethrone the ICC Cricket World Cup as the premier tournament of the sport,2011 is faced with a challenge.A challenge to provide a fresh lease of life to 50 over cricket.A challenge to sustain the excitement of this historical tournament.A challenge to keep alive the Cup!And we know,there could be no place better for the mega event to happen this time than this cricket-fanatic land.The Cup has returned to the home it truly belongs to.Hope it doesn't abandon it yet...

Grand Finale

2011-01-05T12:33:00.000+05:30

The two best ranked teams in Test cricket are fighting it out,and what can you expect but the best?The Newlands,Cape Town can be in that sense said to be hosting the Grand Finale of the Test Championship.Last year when South Africa toured India for a two Test series,the scoreline was tied at 1-1.Two Tests in the return series and it's 1-1 again after Centurion and Durban,2-2 in aggregate.Though India have now been at the helm of the ranking for an unbroken period for almost a year now,critics have questioned their supremacy on grounds of absence of consistent and overwhelming successes overseas as you you would expect of a side tagged no. 1.Bitter truth,or maybe the Australian era holds the definition of dominance.And you know that the team who's close at heels have to be the chief challengers.

So,there isn't a better place to seal the issue than the den of the Proteas,if not a more suitable time.More so when South Africa has been dubbed as 'India's final frontier' - they have always had to bear the ignominy of defeat here.Hence when Ravi Shastri says that India would be happy with a no result in Cape Town,not many will contradict him.

But,even then,what about the pride?The tension and hype involved in this series reminds me of Tyler and McCarthy in 'Never Back Down'.The end has to be decisive,right?The question requires settlement at least for a while.Thus we can see there's a lot to play for at the lap of the Table Mountains.A result here grants recognition to the winner as the best Test team.A draw keeps the legitimacy in abeyance.

With such a backdrop,it would unfortunate if one doesn't witness a tooth and nail battle.And we ain't disappointed.Perfect conditions for a five day encounter at the Newlands.A green strip once again but neither lopsided in its nature as at the SuperSport Park nor like the almost unplayable batting conditions at the Kingsmead.To get value for work,the bowlers have had to manufacture wickets by able manipulation.That's why Sreesanth,with his persistent seam movement, and Dale Steyn,by his unrelenting questionnaire,have stood out.And Kallis and Tendulkar showed us that you can get runs here if you knew which balls to leave.It's the gutsy nature of their play that have left them tall among the peers.

Collectively too,the teams have so far matched each other inch for inch.Three days go by,and still none has an edge.India managed a first innings lead of a mere 2 runs,courtesy a late partnership between the Master and Harbhajan Singh,after South Africa scored what the visitors would think 50-60 runs too many after being 8 down for some 270-odd.And just when the Protean openers were looking to sign off the day on a high,the Turbanator pegged two back just before stumps last eve,leaving things pretty much even stevens all over again.

They say,the direction of a Test match is pretty much decided often by how it goes on the penultimate day.The intentions are as clear as the sky in Cape Town.The wicket is showing signs of wear and tear,puffs of dust emerging here and there.India will be conscious of the fact they will have to bat last;to contend Paul Harris,quite a bit of uneven bounce,and Dale Steyn's pace and skiddiness.They won't like the target to be steep.South Africa on the other hand would like to pile on runs quick.In short,another contest between the bat and ball awaits us.But,Virender Sehwag may well be the name of the ace up Dhoni's sleeve on Wednesday.

Battle royale at the Kingsmead

2010-12-28T03:42:00.000+05:30

What an engrossing day of Test cricket at the Kingsmead in Durban yesterday!And I watched almost all of it.18 wickets tumbled on the day - as many as 8 before Lunch,another 6 between Lunch and Tea,and 4 after Tea.That the partnership between VVS Laxman and Cheteshwar Pujara of 46 unbeaten at Stumps is the most remarkable partnership of the day says it all about how difficult life has been at the crease.India lead by 166 runs with 6 wickets remaining in the 2nd innings.Just the second day over,we're into almost halfway the 3rd innings,but yes,we have the least idea who's gonna be King of the Kingsmead.

After Dale Steyn returned figures of 6-50 in the first innings,it didn't surprise that Zaheer Khan led India to a lethal fightback.Such is the myth that Indian batsmen cannot cope with quality seam bowling that South Africa have overdone the wicket here,and it has backfired.Australia got it at the WACA in 2008,England at the Oval in 2007.By now,we are used to the difference Zaheer brings into the Indian bowling attack,specially in Tests.He is to bowling what Sachin Tendulkar is to batting for India.And despite the fact that he didn't exactly get effective support from the other end,he proved instrumental in reducing the hosts to 74-4 at Lunch.It is as if he has made it a habit to fool Graeme Smith one way or the other,and that's one big factor negated.But it was Harbhajan Singh who turned out to be the big surprise factor.A 4-10 burst from him was last thing South Africa needed or expected.The catching in the entire match has been praiseworthy,and the visitors refused to be left out of the party this time.Rahul Dravid's 200th catch in Tests will rank as one of the very best ever caught be the slip veteran.

One was perhaps laying back in the chair satisfied that India were in the driver's seat,with a reasonably good start in the 2nd innings after having secured a substantial 1st innings lead of 74,until Sehwag nicked Tsotsobe complacently to Boucher.From 42-0,suddenly it was 56-4.Sehwag and Dravid,also scalped be Tsotsobe,would perhaps be kicking themselves for the way they threw their wickets away.Funny thing,I perfectly anticipated Dravid and Tendulkar's wickets.Just seconds before Dravid got out I was thinking that India might do the mistake of taking Tsotsobe lightly,who's certainly not in the league of Steyn and Morkel if the speed is concerned.and Dravid ended up doing just that.On the latter occasion,Dale Steyn had been brought in for his second spell and as he ran up for the first delivery,I wondered perhaps there's a wicket looming,and if somethings to happen,it would happen off that very first ball of his new spell.And lo,Tendulkar edges one to de Villiers,as if he's not really prepared for the sudden outburst of speed.

Since then,it's been Laxman and Pujara applying themselves pretty well out in the middle,one must say.Needless to say,they need to carry on the good work this morning.Another 100-150 runs and the way the match has chameleoned so far,who knows...

Half Century of Centuries in Centurion

2010-12-20T10:07:00.000+05:30

Sachin Tendulkar reacts after scoring the hundred on Sunday. (AFP)

...
Main rooun yaa hasoon
Karoon main kya karoon
...

If you had missed out on the 'Live' action in the Supersport Park yesterday and took a loose glance at the score summary after Day 4,you'd think it was just another disappointing day with India still staring at an innings loss with only Jaydev Unakdat left to arrive in the middle.That is until a '107*' catches your eye against the name of a certain Tendulkar.

And suddenly the whole mood changes.No,your 'integrity' isn't being put to scrutiny.It's just you'll never be prosecuted for hero worshipping,when the hero is the flag bearer of the hopes of the Indian cricket fanatic for some two decades,and he has waved his bat and helmet in the air in which is not just yet another innings,but it is his 50TH such innings.Those fire crackers in my neighbourhood had every right to go up.

I myself did not have the good fortune of witnessing the very moment.Was minutes away from reaching home back from the coaching class,when a friend sent me a text informing that Sachin Tendulkar had finally touched the milestone after a wait of 3 Tests.When I left home last afternoon when Dravid and Tendulkar were out in the middle,probably like any other Indian fan,hoped that I would return to see the same pair batting.That was not to be.In fact,when that friend updated me that India were six wickets down at Tea,despite a relatively productive partnership between Tendulkar and Dhoni being on,it didn't need a soothsayer to make out where the match was heading.And yet,I bet every single cricket follower were tuned into what was happening in Centurion.

Also the 7th Test century by the Maestro this calendar year.He is now just one short of equaling the record of scoring most number of Test centuries in a calendar year,currently held by Mohammad Yousuf of Pakistan (8 centuries in 2006).And of course,with the total tally of international centuries going up to 96,he's just 4 short of the Century of Centuries,a feat predicted by Wisden more than a decade ago.

A friend on Facebook remarked,"A single shot by Sreesanth triggered a storm",when play was suspended due to bad weather conditions.Only such turbulent and persistent miracles can save India from a humiliating loss in the 1st Test vs. South Africa.But it's time again for the team to take the cue from the God of Indian cricket when it's game in Durban.

Sleepy in the (Supersport) Park

2010-12-17T07:47:00.001+05:30

If the manner of Virender Sehwag's dismissal was any indication,one would have got the feeling that at least the Indian batsmen are not prepared to a play a Test match in South Africa just yet.India have narrowly escaped the ignominy of being bowled out within the very first day,a mostly rain curtailed one,of the 1st Test vs. South Africa in Centurion.I had feared something akin to this considering the possibility that once Graeme Smith wins the toss and sends India into bat.Because though part of the Indian contingent had made a premature landing here while the others were busy engaging with New Zealand in the very recently concluded ODI series in their own backyard,commencing a tough tour like the current one full on without having played a single competitive ball in these foreign conditions is ridiculous.India is touring SA after a length of 4 years.Unless you take a few blows and bruises,you are hardly ready to tackle Dale Steyn and Co. on a surface specifically designed to kill.

No major surprises in the Indian XI except for Jaydev Unakdat,the Saurashtra pacer finally making his debut, after being in contemplation of the the national selectors for the past few months,as Zaheer Khan sits out with an injury.One had perhaps expected Chetshwar Pujara (even captain Dhoni had hinted at this after the Test series vs. NZ was over) in place of Suresh Raina,who's going through a rough patch lately.Pujara stands god with his sound technique and his recent experiences in overseas surroundings in the Emerging Players' tours he's been part of.

Anyways,the matter in stead instead is,India are 136/9 after play was stopped on the first day due to bad light and so it remained at stumps,which means Dhoni can't be expected to add substantially privileged only with the company of the debutant at the centre.The task today is well cut out,to get out of the sleep bags as quickly as possible and pull the socks up.

No vacancy for Yuvi?

2010-12-08T23:42:00.000+05:30

Before the start of the ODI series between India and New Zealand,one would have been worried about Gautam Gambhir's place in the first XI of a full strength team for the upcoming World Cup.His appointment as the captain of the depleted side for the current series seemed almost ironical.Only two things could save him a slot - one,some good knocks with the bat,which have been missing this calendar year,and secondly,if Yuvraj Singh fails to strike swashbuckling form.Yuvraj was adjudged Man of the Match in the first ODI for his allround performance.However,that didn't do much to Yuvraj's cause.After all,who is satisfied with a 40 plus something score from his willow.Neither did Gambhir score too many in that match.But back to back centuries by him in the second and third ODIs have dented Yuvraj's fortunes further.Even then,he didn't get much time at the crease in those two ties,so he deserved a fair chance.It came,and a golden one at that when India had lost two quick wickets in succession last evening,he,the seniormost pro in the current squad alongside Zaheer Khan,squandered it.That Yusuf Pathan almost single handedly smashed the visitors off the pedestal they had been enjoying midway in the match doesn't help either.Just appreciate the batting line up with full ammo.Virender Sehwag,the indispensable dynamite;Sachin Tendulkar,the living legend;Virat Kohli has been consistent right through;M S Dhoni,the gamemaker.Yuvraj only leeway seems to nudge out Suresh Raina,who has hit a lean patch just recently.still he has been prolific at the four or five down slot and is hard to overlook him.It is Yuvraj who has to prove his mettle all over again.Just one match left here and then the dress reharsal in South Africa.But,if India is to put up a stupendous show in the quadrennial showpiece,the angry young Sardar,who but for his father and former India cricketer,Yograj Singh,would have adorned the track and field,at his murderous best is one weapon without which the arsenal will always be short of the knockout firepower.