Ian Botham had a snide remark to contribute a few years ago about women's cricket for which he had to eventually apologise. Personally, I have always thought women's cricket to be a joke. No, it has nothing to do with being sexist but its just my perception that there is too much testosterone at work in the game. I have romanced leg spin bowling since Warne but have always stuck to bowling pace myself. Again, just a consequence of testosterone. No matter how bad my lower back, no matter how stiff my leg or how sore my shoulder, I have always wanted to bowl fast. When I get a bat in hand in a match situation, I can never control myself from swinging hard no matter how hard I talk myself into 'getting my eye in'. I have always attributed my proclivities on the field to testosterone and have always harbored a quiet resentment towards the so called purists like Gavaskar, Dravid, Boycott and their ilk.
So much so, when my favorite cricketer SRT comes out in a defensive frame of mind, I have always been able to smell his defensiveness. For instance, I was certain during the India vs Srilanka match in WC2007 that Sachin had come in to bat with the fear of failiure tormenting him. You could feel his tension being broadcast through your TV sets and lo and behold, he obliged by being out cheaply. That was not the case in the WC2003 final. He went after McGrath, belted him for four before top-edging the next ball. I was disappointed then but not angry. The point here is: Cricket should be played with a man's mind; in other words, no mind at all. It should be played instinctively, naturally and fluently. There should be naked aggression and brutal domination on display.
Why I am writing this now?....
Because, I saw some primeval cricket today. Yes, I saw Sehwag's innings today at Chennai against South Africa. There was nothing masculine about the Chennai wicket or the South African attack but Sehwag was glorious. He was instinctive; he was a lion ousted by his own pride, out to 'make his bones' and he ended up marauding his way into cricket lore. It was a brutal assault by a quintessential opportunist. It was a predator vs prey opera on the cricket field. Sehwag knew the odds were on his side. Every predator plays on the odds and a successful kill is usually decided by choosing the right odds and then going full throttle. Sehwag's undefeated knock today had that same primitive drive. He knew the conditions were in his favor. Any other batsman would have been content with double hundred in a day but not Sehwag. For this guy, its not the runs but the run-making that is important. He does not care about the century but he does take care to ensure he gets the milestone with a bang and not a nervous single!
Today was his day and he made sure everyone will remember it by being brutal to the core. Mind you, by being brutal, not suicidal, therefore, he is still there!!
Fingers crossed, Brian Lara's quadruple may be under attack on Day 4!
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
Time for fresh Blood
My previous post was an analysis for managing Dhoni's and Sachin's workload in India colors. Continuing in the same vein, I would like to point out one curious facet in my choice squad of 14 for India's home engagements with South Africa later this month.
My squad of 14 includes the same old, tried and tested 'test' batting line up for India. This choice of mine was followed by a comment by AnandKrishna that it is time to give Badrinath his international test call up. In the light of this comment, let me make it very clear that I have not given my squad of 14 as my favorite test squad. It is a squad which I feel is most likely as well as likeable given the current line of thought of the selectors. I do not think the selectors are even comtemplating infusing new blood in the test squad.
I do not think the selectors will be bold enough to throw in a newbie like S. Badrinath or even Manoj Tiwary for contesting a batting spot with the fab-four of Indian cricket. Mark my words - sooner of later, the selectors will have to look towards youth even in the test team. It would sound too cynical now, but I had fervently told my father during the Aus-Ind test series that Ganguly would fail at Perth and thereon. Dravid never got going in Australia and Laxman and Sachin aren't getting any younger. Clearly, the Indians were out-fielded by the Australians in the test series. Right now, it may not seem decisive, but give it some time and India's lack of athleticism in the field will eventually cost us a test.
India and especially Anil Kumble have big dreams of upstaging Australia from the number one test spot. Kumble however has more realistic aims. He wishes to leave India at number one or withing striking distance by the end of the year. I have a strong feeling he will announce his international retirement after the Ind-Aus test series later this year. That way, he will be doing the greatest service to Indian cricket. He will have shepherded the bowling through the tough 1990s and would have bowed out with the bowling in more than capable hands. What is more, he will be reducing the average age of the test team which invariably means more athletic ability. All in all, Kumble retiring after his last, forthcoming Aussie encounter will be a fantastic ending to a monumental and historic career in Indian as well as world cricket.
What about the fab-four though? Clearly, Ganguly will not make it into any of the top test playing nations as a batsman alone because he is too one-dimensional to be a specialist. He is too much of a liability on the field that a captain has to build strategies around him. Then again, he is not so consistent with the bat that you can back him for at least one century in a series. Laxman has never been too athletic and Dravid has slowed down a wee bit too but both these batsmen are under lesser pressure on the field because their slip fielding is still of the highest quality. Dravid will be under as much pressure as Ganguly because of his famine in run-making in the semi-arid lands down under.
Its really a poignant fact but on the face of it, Sachin still seems to be the most athletic of the fab-four after 18 years of international cricket and this truth is vindicated by the fact that even Dhoni sees Sachin as fit to play in the ODI format. Still, Sachin is on the brink of an injury. If he is not careful in choosing which games to play and which to pass, I reckon his international career is in for some rough weather (more like a hurricane ending!!).
All in all, it is time to look beyond the fab-four and Kumble. It is time to put a date on Piyush Chawla's test re-entry. It is time to give Yuvraj a kick up his backside and ask him to start taking his test spot seriously. And finally, endorsing Anand Krishna's view, it is time to start bleeding some new talent who have promised at the domestic level.
The time is ripe for picking India's next test batting generation.
My squad of 14 includes the same old, tried and tested 'test' batting line up for India. This choice of mine was followed by a comment by AnandKrishna that it is time to give Badrinath his international test call up. In the light of this comment, let me make it very clear that I have not given my squad of 14 as my favorite test squad. It is a squad which I feel is most likely as well as likeable given the current line of thought of the selectors. I do not think the selectors are even comtemplating infusing new blood in the test squad.
I do not think the selectors will be bold enough to throw in a newbie like S. Badrinath or even Manoj Tiwary for contesting a batting spot with the fab-four of Indian cricket. Mark my words - sooner of later, the selectors will have to look towards youth even in the test team. It would sound too cynical now, but I had fervently told my father during the Aus-Ind test series that Ganguly would fail at Perth and thereon. Dravid never got going in Australia and Laxman and Sachin aren't getting any younger. Clearly, the Indians were out-fielded by the Australians in the test series. Right now, it may not seem decisive, but give it some time and India's lack of athleticism in the field will eventually cost us a test.
India and especially Anil Kumble have big dreams of upstaging Australia from the number one test spot. Kumble however has more realistic aims. He wishes to leave India at number one or withing striking distance by the end of the year. I have a strong feeling he will announce his international retirement after the Ind-Aus test series later this year. That way, he will be doing the greatest service to Indian cricket. He will have shepherded the bowling through the tough 1990s and would have bowed out with the bowling in more than capable hands. What is more, he will be reducing the average age of the test team which invariably means more athletic ability. All in all, Kumble retiring after his last, forthcoming Aussie encounter will be a fantastic ending to a monumental and historic career in Indian as well as world cricket.
What about the fab-four though? Clearly, Ganguly will not make it into any of the top test playing nations as a batsman alone because he is too one-dimensional to be a specialist. He is too much of a liability on the field that a captain has to build strategies around him. Then again, he is not so consistent with the bat that you can back him for at least one century in a series. Laxman has never been too athletic and Dravid has slowed down a wee bit too but both these batsmen are under lesser pressure on the field because their slip fielding is still of the highest quality. Dravid will be under as much pressure as Ganguly because of his famine in run-making in the semi-arid lands down under.
Its really a poignant fact but on the face of it, Sachin still seems to be the most athletic of the fab-four after 18 years of international cricket and this truth is vindicated by the fact that even Dhoni sees Sachin as fit to play in the ODI format. Still, Sachin is on the brink of an injury. If he is not careful in choosing which games to play and which to pass, I reckon his international career is in for some rough weather (more like a hurricane ending!!).
All in all, it is time to look beyond the fab-four and Kumble. It is time to put a date on Piyush Chawla's test re-entry. It is time to give Yuvraj a kick up his backside and ask him to start taking his test spot seriously. And finally, endorsing Anand Krishna's view, it is time to start bleeding some new talent who have promised at the domestic level.
The time is ripe for picking India's next test batting generation.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Dhoni and Sachin need to be rested ...
The whole of India and expats around the world are slowly adjusting to the high of beating the Aussies in their own den. This high will wane in effect over the next few days but it will only truly come down when the next series with South Africa starts in India at the end of this month.
There have been a few words of caution especially for the U-19 world-cup winning team to not go overboard with success. I reckon a word of caution is in order for the senior team too. No, I do not think the senior team are under threat of becoming complacent or loose but I do think the senior team are under threat of overwork. Just as the Australians looked jaded towards the end of the CB series, the long summmer seemed to be taking toll of the visitors too. Sachin was definitely struggling and if it had been anyone but Sachin, he would have cracked in the finals. Yuvraj is still in recovery and is at least a month away from full match fitness. Most of all, Dhoni is ignoring a few niggles that are beginning to crop up. It is a bad habit he is falling into - Ignoring these niggles will only lead to an injury over an entire season or two. Given Dhoni's workload, he must be well managed by the selectors.
It is ideal that the selectors had the farsight to deny Dhoni the test captaincy for the time being. To prove their worth, they must manage his playing commitments too especially with the BCCI coming up with new events like the IPL. For starters, they should look to use the reserve keeper in Dinesh Karthik wisely. For one thing, it will keep Dhoni on his toes because, I do not consider him, at present, to be an automatic selection in the test eleven. He has still to prove himself as a batting all-rounder. Secondly, it is an ideal chance to keep a reserve keeper match-fit, ready and raring to go.
Ideally, the selectors should inform Dhoni about resting him for the first two tests of the Ind vs SA series. Karthik could play as a opener and wicket-keeper and partner Sehwag at the top. It would allow Kumble to play Yuvraj who I suppose will be fully fit by the end of this month. It would give Ganguly and Dravid time to prove their test form and the selectors will not be blamed for not giving these two giants a last chance to prove their test-worthiness. I reckon Dravid will be back with a bang but Ganguly will struggle with the pace and lift of the South African attack; then again, I would be the happiest person if Ganguly proves me wrong yet again!
Then, in the last test, the selectors must give Sachin a break. He must not be put through the grind of three back to back tests so soon after the summer down under. Come on folks, Sachin is special; AGREED: but he is not superhuman!!
My squad of 14 for the first two tests would be:
Kumble (c), Sehwag, Karthik (wk), Dravid, Sachin, Laxman, Ganguly, Yuvraj, Harbhajan, Zaheer, RP Singh, Ishant, IK Pathan, Sreesanth.
In case RP or Ishant are injured, VRV Singh must be given a chance given his recent domestic performances. Depending on pitch conditions, Chawla may be given a spot replacing a paceman. It is unlikely that India will play three spinners. Gone are the days of the dust bowls; Indian cricket has finally come of age!!!
There have been a few words of caution especially for the U-19 world-cup winning team to not go overboard with success. I reckon a word of caution is in order for the senior team too. No, I do not think the senior team are under threat of becoming complacent or loose but I do think the senior team are under threat of overwork. Just as the Australians looked jaded towards the end of the CB series, the long summmer seemed to be taking toll of the visitors too. Sachin was definitely struggling and if it had been anyone but Sachin, he would have cracked in the finals. Yuvraj is still in recovery and is at least a month away from full match fitness. Most of all, Dhoni is ignoring a few niggles that are beginning to crop up. It is a bad habit he is falling into - Ignoring these niggles will only lead to an injury over an entire season or two. Given Dhoni's workload, he must be well managed by the selectors.
It is ideal that the selectors had the farsight to deny Dhoni the test captaincy for the time being. To prove their worth, they must manage his playing commitments too especially with the BCCI coming up with new events like the IPL. For starters, they should look to use the reserve keeper in Dinesh Karthik wisely. For one thing, it will keep Dhoni on his toes because, I do not consider him, at present, to be an automatic selection in the test eleven. He has still to prove himself as a batting all-rounder. Secondly, it is an ideal chance to keep a reserve keeper match-fit, ready and raring to go.
Ideally, the selectors should inform Dhoni about resting him for the first two tests of the Ind vs SA series. Karthik could play as a opener and wicket-keeper and partner Sehwag at the top. It would allow Kumble to play Yuvraj who I suppose will be fully fit by the end of this month. It would give Ganguly and Dravid time to prove their test form and the selectors will not be blamed for not giving these two giants a last chance to prove their test-worthiness. I reckon Dravid will be back with a bang but Ganguly will struggle with the pace and lift of the South African attack; then again, I would be the happiest person if Ganguly proves me wrong yet again!
Then, in the last test, the selectors must give Sachin a break. He must not be put through the grind of three back to back tests so soon after the summer down under. Come on folks, Sachin is special; AGREED: but he is not superhuman!!
My squad of 14 for the first two tests would be:
Kumble (c), Sehwag, Karthik (wk), Dravid, Sachin, Laxman, Ganguly, Yuvraj, Harbhajan, Zaheer, RP Singh, Ishant, IK Pathan, Sreesanth.
In case RP or Ishant are injured, VRV Singh must be given a chance given his recent domestic performances. Depending on pitch conditions, Chawla may be given a spot replacing a paceman. It is unlikely that India will play three spinners. Gone are the days of the dust bowls; Indian cricket has finally come of age!!!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
A Tale of Two Captains
If truth be told, I do not want to analyze India's CB Series triumph. I just want to enjoy it. I want to write an ode to my favorite cricketer - Sachin Tendulkar. I have waited for a long time since that fateful sand-storm in Sharjah to boast the fact that Sachin does deliver when it matters. I have argued many a hour with fellow cricket crazies that Sachin does not seem to score when it matters because "whenever he scores cricket seems to be too simple a game to matter at all". However there have always been doubters and I am sure there will be a few still lingering around with stats and sarcasm waiting to pounce after Sachin's next cheap dismissal. I would request such souls to cast away their cynicism and rejoice in a true master of the art that is batsmanship.
Unfortunately, my critical urge takes over at this very moment and I need to lay aside my art appreciation and look at the crucial difference between India and Australia especially in the finals of the CB series. As I admitted in my last post, I was surprised Dhoni played Piyush Chawla at Sydney but it was a punt taken on pure cricketing logic. He deserves a lot of praise for his punt to play Chawla and open the bowling with Praveen Kumar. Brisbane threw up new challenges to Dhoni while choosing the final playing eleven. Ishant was iffy and Sachin was struggling with his groin strain. Again Dhoni made the call based on pure cricketing logic.
No captain must risk a fast bowler in an ODI. If he breaks down, the game is lost then and there. The captain loses the tactical advantage of playing 5 frontline bowlers if one of them breaks down. It does not matter if they go for runs but breaking down is a totally different story. It upsets the captain's rhythm, the team's rhythm and results in a scramble on the field to finish 50 overs. Dhoni was too smart to risk Ishant Sharma. He called up Sreesanth. Sachin was a different matter because batting is a different matter. A batsman can play at 70-80 % fitness especially when he is in form and the captain does not want to risk upsetting his top order. And if that batsman is Sachin, the captain does think twice before replacing him when he has scripted the side's last win.
The final and biggest decision Dhoni had to make and the one that eventually was the difference between the two captains was Piyush Chawla's inclusion. There was a lot of talk about the bounce and carry at the Gabba and Ponting fell for it. He replaced Hogg with Clark and 2 overs into the Indian batting, I remarked to my friend that it was a wrong move. The first two overs proved the slow nature of the wicket as well as the low bounce. Eventually, Ponting must have realised his error when he used Michael Clarke and Symonds to bowl more than 10 overs between them. When Yuvraj got going, Ponting must have definitely been ruing the fact that he hadn't given Hogg his last hurrah at the Gabba. Again, Dhoni proved the smarter captain. He made the call to play the leggie especially since the Gabba is a venue where Warne has enjoyed a lot of success in ODI's. This fact makes Ponting look more stupid leaving out Hogg who is a wrist spinner too.
One needn't look too far to see why Dhoni has been making the right calls on team selection than Ponting. The reason is Dhoni is a captain in form. He is at the top of his own game which allows him the clear head to make calls before and during the game. Ponting on the other hand has struggled for form throughout the summer. It has affected his captaincy and it has had a telling effect on the result of the ODI series. In the past I have seen Australia win a few series just because their captain was in top form. He seemed to magically pull them out of trouble from his pivotal number three position. Now, we can look back and realize how important a captain's form is to his captaincy.
Dhoni has always down-played the value of good captaincy. He has always maintained that captains are made to look good when their charges return the trust the captain places in them. However, when you contrast the captains' decisions in the finals of the CB series, you do realize that a captain does make some sound choices and some unsound ones irrespective of how these choices pan out. Moreover, the soundness of a captain's choices are mirrored in the captain's own performance and form.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Sachin's Masterclass and Dhoni's Masterstroke
Admittedly, I am a Sachin connoisseur. It was as if I had written the script in my last post and Sachin decided to read it and deliver a critic's dream performance. Pity the Academy awards were done and dusted last week else, I guess, Sachin's batting today would have been a contender. At the very least, it has been a slap in the face to all his eternal doubters. Enough said about him; my generation has grown up watching Sachin and if anything, I have always wanted him to be in a world cup winning squad. Then again, that's just me!!
A more pertinent accolade must go to the firebrand Dhoni. I was pretty disappointed he did not play a fully fit Piyush Chawla until the final. In fact, I had rued the fact in my last post. What I didn't expect was to see Dhoni field his trump card at the deep end! It was always a given that Chawla would be more than useful in Sydney and Adelaide if not at the other venues. However, if Chawla had been taken to the cleaners today, I am sure there would have been a fair amount of tabloid space dedicated to some Dhoni bashing. That would have been quite unfair. I guess Dhoni's line of thought would have been something like this - "I have got a bits and pieces bowler in Praveen Kumar and I have got two bowlers struggling for some form in Munaf and Sreesanth. Why don't I punt on my reserve leggie kid who had a good time on the most unhelpful pitches in Ireland and England?". The worst that could have happened was that Piyush Chawla might have gone for a few runs but then Munaf and Sreesanth couldn't have been backed for anything better. Therefore, I consider Dhoni's call to play Piyush as one backed by sound cricketing logic and hence a masterstroke.
Then again, there is that small matter of Dhoni's masterstroke paying off with Bhajji and Piyush suffocating the Aussies in the middle overs. Dhoni has a presence even in press conferences. He comes across as a captain who does not take the post match presentation as a formality. He treats it as just another chat and his words are pertinent and natural. His rider for caution and intensity for the remaining games was well received. Here is a leader of men whose words will not be lost on his charges. I hope he is able to back it up with results and in the very short term I hope he is able to finish his business down under at the Gabba!
Good Luck India, May the fours be with you ...... always !!
A more pertinent accolade must go to the firebrand Dhoni. I was pretty disappointed he did not play a fully fit Piyush Chawla until the final. In fact, I had rued the fact in my last post. What I didn't expect was to see Dhoni field his trump card at the deep end! It was always a given that Chawla would be more than useful in Sydney and Adelaide if not at the other venues. However, if Chawla had been taken to the cleaners today, I am sure there would have been a fair amount of tabloid space dedicated to some Dhoni bashing. That would have been quite unfair. I guess Dhoni's line of thought would have been something like this - "I have got a bits and pieces bowler in Praveen Kumar and I have got two bowlers struggling for some form in Munaf and Sreesanth. Why don't I punt on my reserve leggie kid who had a good time on the most unhelpful pitches in Ireland and England?". The worst that could have happened was that Piyush Chawla might have gone for a few runs but then Munaf and Sreesanth couldn't have been backed for anything better. Therefore, I consider Dhoni's call to play Piyush as one backed by sound cricketing logic and hence a masterstroke.
Then again, there is that small matter of Dhoni's masterstroke paying off with Bhajji and Piyush suffocating the Aussies in the middle overs. Dhoni has a presence even in press conferences. He comes across as a captain who does not take the post match presentation as a formality. He treats it as just another chat and his words are pertinent and natural. His rider for caution and intensity for the remaining games was well received. Here is a leader of men whose words will not be lost on his charges. I hope he is able to back it up with results and in the very short term I hope he is able to finish his business down under at the Gabba!
Good Luck India, May the fours be with you ...... always !!
Monday, February 25, 2008
O India! May the Fours be with you!
Finally, we are at the business end of the CB series and I am glad to stick with my finalists at the crucial juncture: Aus v Ind. Frankly, the Lankans have not beefed up their game. Australia definitely go into the finals as favorites but the Lankans will have to pull off a Houdini act to make it to the finals from here on. Expecting them to win against the Indians and Australians at the business end of the series is a big ask. Yet, if they do manage it, they will have an edge going into the finals with a win against the Aussies.
I did predict that the Indians would get better as the series progresses and I am glad it has panned out that way. Going into their last game, they would like a few more runs from their top order and I feel one of Sachin and Sehwag will fire in their last pre-final game against the Lankans. Nevertheless, I whole-heartedly believe the Indians will make it to the finals and give the Australians a run for their money.
Call me a fan but I have my money on India to win the last edition of the tri-series down under. I still feel, India must go in with five bowlers on a featherbed of a pitch for the first final at Sydney and I also feel Piyush Chawla must have been given a few games as he would have been useful at Sydney and Adelaide. I expect the Indians to win the second final at Brisbane and if they can pull off a thriller in Sydney, India have an outside chance to beat the Aussies 2-0 in the grand finale.
If Dhoni gets lucky with the toss at Sydney in the first final, expect Sachin to fire away batting first against Lee and Johnson. Sachin is due big time and being the quintessential cricket purist, I would love Sachin to get big runs in the finals. Sachin getting runs is a celebration of cricket and is beyond winning and losing.
Trust me, the Aussies are not sitting pretty; they have had the better of the Indians in some close encounters over the last month but that streak is bound to end. Given the weight of performances, one must regard the Australians as the favorites but the forthcoming finals are by no means a "David vs Goliath" affair. I would rather compare them to "Bheema vs Jarasandha" borrowing two champions from the Mahabharata and delightfully leave it to the reader to decide who's who amongst the two!!
I did predict that the Indians would get better as the series progresses and I am glad it has panned out that way. Going into their last game, they would like a few more runs from their top order and I feel one of Sachin and Sehwag will fire in their last pre-final game against the Lankans. Nevertheless, I whole-heartedly believe the Indians will make it to the finals and give the Australians a run for their money.
Call me a fan but I have my money on India to win the last edition of the tri-series down under. I still feel, India must go in with five bowlers on a featherbed of a pitch for the first final at Sydney and I also feel Piyush Chawla must have been given a few games as he would have been useful at Sydney and Adelaide. I expect the Indians to win the second final at Brisbane and if they can pull off a thriller in Sydney, India have an outside chance to beat the Aussies 2-0 in the grand finale.
If Dhoni gets lucky with the toss at Sydney in the first final, expect Sachin to fire away batting first against Lee and Johnson. Sachin is due big time and being the quintessential cricket purist, I would love Sachin to get big runs in the finals. Sachin getting runs is a celebration of cricket and is beyond winning and losing.
Trust me, the Aussies are not sitting pretty; they have had the better of the Indians in some close encounters over the last month but that streak is bound to end. Given the weight of performances, one must regard the Australians as the favorites but the forthcoming finals are by no means a "David vs Goliath" affair. I would rather compare them to "Bheema vs Jarasandha" borrowing two champions from the Mahabharata and delightfully leave it to the reader to decide who's who amongst the two!!
Monday, February 11, 2008
A Terribly Consistent Rudi!!
Never seen an umpire who so consistently fails to hear thin edges. I guess age is catching up with Rudi Koertzen. He failed to hear the thin inside edge on Gilchrist's bat and adjudged him Leg Before and he so faithfully failed to hear Sachin's thinnest of thin edges.
To be fair to Rudi, watching these wickets on television, Rudi seemed to have got them right. Coupled with the noise exodus in a thickly populated MCG, it was difficult to hear these close edges. Gilchrist's dismissal was the easier one to spot. While watching it live, I thought there was some odd deflection in the line of the ball before it hit the bat; a deflection that didn't look like late swing but of course, one couldn't hear a sound. In Sachin's case, watching the match live with a few friends at home, none of us heard anything or picked any deflection. Only after repeated replays and snicko's could one be sure that Sachin had nicked it.
This brings us again to the question of employing aging umpires in international cricket. Bucknor paid the price for too many mistakes and I feel, Rudi is aging fast and needs to be careful before he is reported by some disgruntled captain.
Surely the ICC must be doing some "Umpire hunting" overtime!!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Experience vs Youth in cricket
Essentially, the conundrum in Indian ODI cricket is valuation of experience and youthful energy. This is not a problem of economics but a puzzle of perspective. The term 'experience' is often used to mask the lack of athleticism among senior players in the Indian cricket team. Of course, Sachin Tendulkar, as of today remains an exception. He has still got the zip in spite of 18 years of international cricket but for all practical purposes, let us exclude him in our analysis; after all, the entire cricketing intelligentia considers him a legend of the game, so for our analysis, he is a pleasant exception.
Of course, Sachin's case might be put in perspective if you look at international standards of player performance. Ponting, Hayden et al are in the same age bracket (albeit with lesser years at the international level) and they set the benchmark when it comes to aging gracefully as an international cricketer. Nevertheless, the experienced bunch in Indian cricket - Ganguly, Dravid, Laxman, Kumble et al - live by the standards of an older era: the bygone era of Indian cricket when "senior" players were mollycodddled for having that rare gift - experience. This bygone era includes Azhar and Kapil Dev to name a few. If truth be told, both these greats (match fixing or not!!) were given huge career extensions without due regard to their performance on the field. Again, the selectors were ready to stick with the 'old bunch' in search of that abstract gift: experience.
It is but obvious that we need to ask ourselves, "what exactly does experience bring to the table?" The answer is verbose so bear with me! A cricketer, while playing the game in the heat out in the middle at any level, 'experiences' different situations. It doesn't matter if he is playing test cricket at the county, grade, Ranji or international level. He still learns from his role in the middle. He grows as a cricketer and the sum total of these 'cricketing episodes' are somehow hard-coded in him. He is supposed to find himself in similar situations and react in a more informed manner given that he has already been through more of the same. Therefore, if he has been in a huge fourth innings run chase at the Ranji level, he is supposed to be more anticipating when confronted with a similar situation in a Ranji final. He is supposed to know exactly, how to pace his innings; when to press the initiative, when to block, when to play for time and so on.
In the limited overs contest, the player learns precisely the same issues via experience. He learns how to assess pitches, how to visualise a target, how to pace his innings etc. Watching the game between India and Australia on Sunday, I daresay, the Indian youth were trenched in their belief that anything short of 300 is useless while playing against Australia. Some might say, they still have the hangover of the T20 world cup experience. Then again, that should be classified as a lack of 'experience' and count against 'youth' in this contest with 'experience'!
Then again, in this circular argument the question always remains, "If one cannot go with experience indefinitely, then how to ensure that the youth builds experience?" The answer is simple: Make sure the experiences built at the domestic level are meaningful enough at the international level. For this to happen, domestic cricket must meet the standards of international cricket. This is precisely the reason why Australia do not have the problem of bleeding new charges straight out of domestic cricket. The difference in quality between domestic cricket down under and international cricket is not insurmountable. This is not the case with any other cricket playing nation. India have the best chance to ensure that domestic cricket takes a quantum jump in quality and they are taking minute steps over the last few years. In general bowling standards have improved but batting standards haven't. This would be puzzling but the root cause is the pitches. Even today, India does not have enough sporting pitches to even out the contest between bat and ball and at the same time, India has too many domestic teams!
A multitude of domestic teams means a lot of weak opposition for quality players. Therefore, the performance statistics do not reflect the true merit of the player - bowler or batsman. The 'experience' gained at the domestic level needs to be put in perspective taking into account the lack of quality opposition. It would be fruitful for India to cut down the elite domestic competitions to 6 teams only and continue building infrastructure at a level below that. More focus should be on the zonal teams than the state teams. The zonal teams must play more cricket against each other so that quality reveals itself. When someone from the zonal team makes it to the international circuit, he will not feel a quantum leap in quality.
I am also critical of giving preference to players in touring A and B teams. Just because they have international experience playing against other A and B teams does not mean they have adjusted to international cricketing prerequisites. This is also detrimental to the quality of domestic cricket. If you take out the creme de la creme for international duty, the cream below the cream for A and B team duties, then the domestic leagues are going to languish far, far behind.
Australia's dominance in world cricket must teach every other cricket playing nation at least one sure truth - There is no short cut to international success. There is no bypass to international cricket. There is no possibility of building a consistently successful national team if a country does not have a high performing domestic cricket setup.
Of course, Sachin's case might be put in perspective if you look at international standards of player performance. Ponting, Hayden et al are in the same age bracket (albeit with lesser years at the international level) and they set the benchmark when it comes to aging gracefully as an international cricketer. Nevertheless, the experienced bunch in Indian cricket - Ganguly, Dravid, Laxman, Kumble et al - live by the standards of an older era: the bygone era of Indian cricket when "senior" players were mollycodddled for having that rare gift - experience. This bygone era includes Azhar and Kapil Dev to name a few. If truth be told, both these greats (match fixing or not!!) were given huge career extensions without due regard to their performance on the field. Again, the selectors were ready to stick with the 'old bunch' in search of that abstract gift: experience.
It is but obvious that we need to ask ourselves, "what exactly does experience bring to the table?" The answer is verbose so bear with me! A cricketer, while playing the game in the heat out in the middle at any level, 'experiences' different situations. It doesn't matter if he is playing test cricket at the county, grade, Ranji or international level. He still learns from his role in the middle. He grows as a cricketer and the sum total of these 'cricketing episodes' are somehow hard-coded in him. He is supposed to find himself in similar situations and react in a more informed manner given that he has already been through more of the same. Therefore, if he has been in a huge fourth innings run chase at the Ranji level, he is supposed to be more anticipating when confronted with a similar situation in a Ranji final. He is supposed to know exactly, how to pace his innings; when to press the initiative, when to block, when to play for time and so on.
In the limited overs contest, the player learns precisely the same issues via experience. He learns how to assess pitches, how to visualise a target, how to pace his innings etc. Watching the game between India and Australia on Sunday, I daresay, the Indian youth were trenched in their belief that anything short of 300 is useless while playing against Australia. Some might say, they still have the hangover of the T20 world cup experience. Then again, that should be classified as a lack of 'experience' and count against 'youth' in this contest with 'experience'!
Then again, in this circular argument the question always remains, "If one cannot go with experience indefinitely, then how to ensure that the youth builds experience?" The answer is simple: Make sure the experiences built at the domestic level are meaningful enough at the international level. For this to happen, domestic cricket must meet the standards of international cricket. This is precisely the reason why Australia do not have the problem of bleeding new charges straight out of domestic cricket. The difference in quality between domestic cricket down under and international cricket is not insurmountable. This is not the case with any other cricket playing nation. India have the best chance to ensure that domestic cricket takes a quantum jump in quality and they are taking minute steps over the last few years. In general bowling standards have improved but batting standards haven't. This would be puzzling but the root cause is the pitches. Even today, India does not have enough sporting pitches to even out the contest between bat and ball and at the same time, India has too many domestic teams!
A multitude of domestic teams means a lot of weak opposition for quality players. Therefore, the performance statistics do not reflect the true merit of the player - bowler or batsman. The 'experience' gained at the domestic level needs to be put in perspective taking into account the lack of quality opposition. It would be fruitful for India to cut down the elite domestic competitions to 6 teams only and continue building infrastructure at a level below that. More focus should be on the zonal teams than the state teams. The zonal teams must play more cricket against each other so that quality reveals itself. When someone from the zonal team makes it to the international circuit, he will not feel a quantum leap in quality.
I am also critical of giving preference to players in touring A and B teams. Just because they have international experience playing against other A and B teams does not mean they have adjusted to international cricketing prerequisites. This is also detrimental to the quality of domestic cricket. If you take out the creme de la creme for international duty, the cream below the cream for A and B team duties, then the domestic leagues are going to languish far, far behind.
Australia's dominance in world cricket must teach every other cricket playing nation at least one sure truth - There is no short cut to international success. There is no bypass to international cricket. There is no possibility of building a consistently successful national team if a country does not have a high performing domestic cricket setup.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
T20 International: Preview
Simply put, T20 is a lottery. It you hit it, you win it. Its the punter's dream, his addiction and his pitfall too! The upcoming India vs Australia T20 is a virtual sellout. Last time I checked, more than 90000 tickets were gone; few remain in the general admission category. Only a few thousand members' tickets still remain. The max. capacity of the G is close to 120,000 so I guess, last minute fans still stand a chance. More pertinently, I am not one of them. I will be enjoying the game in High-Definition at home. Its the first time a sports match is being telecast on Australian national Television in Hi-Def.
So far, so good; now, about the match up itself: this time around, Australia have the definite edge over the world champions!! (Do remember India are the T20 world champs.. hehe!!) The young Indian contingent do not have any match practice in Australian conditions going into the contest. I confidently believe they are under prepared and even a bit nervous. However, the Indian bowling will take care of itself. My five bowlers would be Sreesanth, Irfan, Ishant, Praveen Kumar and Bhajji with Sehwag and Yuvraj bowling an over or two if needed. For once, the Indians will match Australia if not better them on the field. Trust me, this will be an experience to savour!
The batting is the biggest worry for the tourists. The Australian line up is good enough to post a score of 150 and even chase such a score against our bowling at the MCG. The question is whether our batting can match up! Shaun Tait will not be playing by the looks of it which means the Aussie bowling will once again be led by Lee followed by Bracken, Johnson, Hogg and Symmo. They might give Hilfenhaus a run; lets wait and watch. I do not think the Indian batting led by Sehwag, Gambhir, Uthappa, Rohit Sharma, Yuvi and the rest will be able to deal with it. If I were Dhoni, I would include Sachin in the team simply because Sachin has been down under for a month. Yuvraj and Sehwag along with Dhoni himself hold the key. One of these guys (and Sachin, if he plays) will have to fire.
India's best chance is to put up a score of 150+ and defend it. If the Aussies bat first and post anything over 160, I must admit, they will win their first T20 against India.
So far, so good; now, about the match up itself: this time around, Australia have the definite edge over the world champions!! (Do remember India are the T20 world champs.. hehe!!) The young Indian contingent do not have any match practice in Australian conditions going into the contest. I confidently believe they are under prepared and even a bit nervous. However, the Indian bowling will take care of itself. My five bowlers would be Sreesanth, Irfan, Ishant, Praveen Kumar and Bhajji with Sehwag and Yuvraj bowling an over or two if needed. For once, the Indians will match Australia if not better them on the field. Trust me, this will be an experience to savour!
The batting is the biggest worry for the tourists. The Australian line up is good enough to post a score of 150 and even chase such a score against our bowling at the MCG. The question is whether our batting can match up! Shaun Tait will not be playing by the looks of it which means the Aussie bowling will once again be led by Lee followed by Bracken, Johnson, Hogg and Symmo. They might give Hilfenhaus a run; lets wait and watch. I do not think the Indian batting led by Sehwag, Gambhir, Uthappa, Rohit Sharma, Yuvi and the rest will be able to deal with it. If I were Dhoni, I would include Sachin in the team simply because Sachin has been down under for a month. Yuvraj and Sehwag along with Dhoni himself hold the key. One of these guys (and Sachin, if he plays) will have to fire.
India's best chance is to put up a score of 150+ and defend it. If the Aussies bat first and post anything over 160, I must admit, they will win their first T20 against India.
Running in the night: the Narcissist's delight
I am one of the more fortunate people on the planet to live bang opposite an evenly grassed park that accommodates two cricket grounds side by side. In a nutshell, it makes for a 500 metre lap. Given the parsimony in population that Australia revels in, the park is one of the hot spots for joggers and pet owners during the evenings. A few Indians including myself enjoy a game of cricket 4 times a week on the matted pitches adjoining the park. Now why am I writing all this?
No, its not because I am a real estate agent trying to sell a few properties around my home but because I have taken to the park at night-time. Now this is an old habit of mine. I sleep at around 3am hence I occasionally go for a jog in the park at midnight. What I would like to share is the absolute sense of delight as your heart rate increases with each lap in the stillness of the night. The park is desolate with the occasional car passing by the road that makes the only sound. Once you are in the running rhythm, you feel an expansion of the self. One of the most fundamental of human drives seeks to manifest itself. As the body tires with each lap, your senses become sharper. You start to feel like the park itself. You start picking up each flutter, every ripple in the breeze; you even start to feel the grass under your feet respond to your running rhythm. You stop limiting yourself to your body and become the consciousness of your environment. Keeping up the pace is a non-issue. You become aware of your body only when you slow down. It seems so relaxing to keep a steady pace. The quiet of night seems to welcome you into her tresses and you feel peacefully vulnerable to the seduction.
I strongly suspect that an increase in fitness will result in a heightened sense of awareness; and I do not just mean sensory awareness. I want to emphasize the awareness of the self. The understanding that there is no fundamental boundary between the body and the world at large. The limits are set by consciousness alone and these limits are revealed by silence alone.
In other words, running in the night is as much an appreciation of the self as it is the appreciation of the world around. When this boundary between the self and the rest starts to fade, I guess what remains is the ultimate Narcissist who loves everything and everything is the Self!!
No, its not because I am a real estate agent trying to sell a few properties around my home but because I have taken to the park at night-time. Now this is an old habit of mine. I sleep at around 3am hence I occasionally go for a jog in the park at midnight. What I would like to share is the absolute sense of delight as your heart rate increases with each lap in the stillness of the night. The park is desolate with the occasional car passing by the road that makes the only sound. Once you are in the running rhythm, you feel an expansion of the self. One of the most fundamental of human drives seeks to manifest itself. As the body tires with each lap, your senses become sharper. You start to feel like the park itself. You start picking up each flutter, every ripple in the breeze; you even start to feel the grass under your feet respond to your running rhythm. You stop limiting yourself to your body and become the consciousness of your environment. Keeping up the pace is a non-issue. You become aware of your body only when you slow down. It seems so relaxing to keep a steady pace. The quiet of night seems to welcome you into her tresses and you feel peacefully vulnerable to the seduction.
I strongly suspect that an increase in fitness will result in a heightened sense of awareness; and I do not just mean sensory awareness. I want to emphasize the awareness of the self. The understanding that there is no fundamental boundary between the body and the world at large. The limits are set by consciousness alone and these limits are revealed by silence alone.
In other words, running in the night is as much an appreciation of the self as it is the appreciation of the world around. When this boundary between the self and the rest starts to fade, I guess what remains is the ultimate Narcissist who loves everything and everything is the Self!!
Friday, January 25, 2008
90 Overs: An outstanding JOKE!!
If law breakers are to be believed then "Rules are mere guidelines and boundary lines, you can stretch them a bit and even occasionally put a foot on the other side". I guess this is exactly how Mr. Ponting views the 90 overs a day rule in test cricket. Otherwise, he would try to cut down on the camaraderie building chats he decided to have with his bowlers throughout the day.
Consider this: 15 overs a session, 6 hours of play with an added half hour to make up for dawdling Punter(s)! Still our Punter manages to clock 86 overs in 6 and a half hours. I get the feeling he particularly likes to learn the nuances of chinamen bowling in the middle of a test match from Bradley Hogg. I guess he even wants to pick up McGrathesque techniques from Mr Clark. It really beggars belief that the best team in the world cannot bowl the quota of 90 overs with a regular and part-time spinner in their ranks. Either this or one must believe that Ponting thinks he is above the law which can at the most rob him of his match fees. I guess he has made too much money to be bothered by such inanities of life.
If truth be told, captains all over the world have regarded the 90 over rule as more of a guideline and they have started taking the extra half hour as the official close of play. Ponting rules the roost in this regard. I wonder if the match referee will see this disgression kindly. If "alleged" racial slurs are enough to threaten a player with hearings and bans, such an open mockery of the rules of cricket in consecutive tests must not go unpunished. The worst advertisement for test cricket is a captain who doesn't take its rules seriously. In this series itself, Ponting has gone from appealing for a grounded catch to violating the required quota of overs to be bowled.
In Perth, Ponting could be excused for having a four pronged pace attack coupled with more than warm playing conditions. However in Adelaide, under pressure of a fine in the previous test and with 2 spinning options used to bowl overs on a pleasant day, he decided to flout the rules by enjoying jaunts to the bowler's end. Ian Chappel made a remark that the slow over should not be blamed on the bowlers but on Ponting's frequent trips to them.
The match referee and the ICC need to look at this as a serious violation especially given the precedent. Ponting is undoubtedly one of the best run getters of all time but he must not allow such transgressions to tarnish his image. He must remember that he is not merely a great batsman; he is not only a ambassador for australian cricket but a sport icon in many parts of the world.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Dada & Dravid: Que Sera Sera
Let's all be honest, no serious cricket follower would expect Laxman to fit in the ODI format. Therefore, I would like to look at the decision by the Indian cricket selectors to drop Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid for the Commonwealth Bank series down under.
Consider Dravid: he was in the squad for a few matches in the Ind-Pak ODI series, yet he wasn't selected for a few games. Its obvious that he is no longer an automatic selection in the playing ODI Indian eleven. Therefore his axing should not come as a total surprise. A senior pro should not be in the national squad if he is not an automatic selection especially when he is a specialist (batsman or bowler). Dravid was a 2 dimensional cricketer in ODI's a few years ago. He was in top form and very handy with the gloves. Now, he is not able to sustain the intensity that his contemporaries like Ponting are quite comfortable with. This is a hard fact that every Dravid fan must accept. He was never an explosive ODI batsman but he did make up by building from slow starts. Now he has lost his zip on the field. He is still an automatic choice in the test team especially with his slip fielding. My guess is that he will be able to play at test intensity levels for 3 more years. Lets see how it goes.
Sourav Ganguly would have been a trickier decision for the selectors and by trickier, I do not mean 'for cricketing reasons alone'. He has always had passionate support from Bengal and whenever he is not selected, the river of passion overflows to inundate inappropriate areas! Personally, I had predicted that he would fail at Perth. Well, he did. Yet, I must admit, he is in good (not great) batting form therefore an automatic choice in the test team as a specialist.
In ODI's however, he is a liability on the field. Now, his die-hard fans would jump up and say that athleticism in fielding and especially Ganguly's lack of it are often over-exaggerated. This is absolute rubbish. Let me elaborate: an un-athletic presence on the field not only results in shoddy, unproductive dives but they bring down the entire team's intensity on the field. You get the typical cross-eyed glares from your team-mates and you end up putting extra pressure on yourself to perform in your area of expertise which is Ganguly's case is his batting. This is where we come to the crux of the matter. In Australia, Ganguly's part-time out swingers are not going to be of any use. Therefore, he has one and only one department to prove his worth: his batting. Given that he holds on to the opening spot for dear life, he is under extreme pressure to get the team off to a good start every time he steps out into the centre. Again, his poor athleticism means he never is a candidate for quick singles (Even Monty Panesar ran him out, remember!!). If you notice his recent dip in form in ODIs you will notice a pattern: He could never get off strike quickly enough and was always looking for the boundary. His partner Sachin on the other hand is still fit enough and athletic enough to play in ODI mode. Ganguly not only puts pressure on himself to score but affects his partner too. If Sachin gets out or is not playing, the standby opener Gautam Gambhir or the younger Robin Uthappa coming one-drop is either shut out from the strike or entrusted with the complete responsibility of blazing away.
Inevitably, Sachin's dismissal or unavailability has meant a poor batting display. Without Ganguly, the younger brigade along with Sehwag, Yuvraj and the rest will not be under so much pressure to keep finding the boundary. This is the nature of the new Indian team. We now have fitter and younger players who do look for singles to rotate strike in addition to being good boundary hitters. Simply put, the younger brigade has set a higher fitness and athletic standard and only those senior pros able to match up to it or at least not be over exposed by it can find a place in the playing eleven. Sachin passes these basic standards and in addition, is in good batting form.
Look, for players like SG, RD, VVS and SRT, form is something temporary. Batting form is so fuzzy a concept that if other things are going well, their batting will take care of itself; they are simply awesome batsmen, all of them. Therefore, it is the selectors' and captain's job to make sure they fit the bill in all other accessory requirements. If not, they must not be included as excess baggage within the squad. That will only create more problems in the dressing room. Right now, Sachin alone passes these addition requirements of ODI fitness and ODI athleticism therefore, he is rightfully still in the ODI squad and will be in the ODI playing eleven.
I do not think Sachin will last long in ODIs. His body simply does not allow him to play the long innings. That is one reason he gets out in the 90s so often nowadays or he usually gets cramps around the 90s. I do not think he will allow himself to be dropped by the selectors; I desperately hope he will retire from ODIs of his own accord within this year or the next.
If the younger brigade along with Sachin, Sehwag and the rest do well in Australia, all else will be forgotten. The selectors will be hailed as people building for the future; if India do not manage to make it to the finals, the knives will be sharpened again. All in all, I would like to see this move by the selectors to drop VVS, SG and RD as a positive, brave and hopeful move. In fact, I am so surprised the selectors were brave enough to drop SG that I am sure, they will recall him into the squad in a few days saying it was a communication error!!
Consider Dravid: he was in the squad for a few matches in the Ind-Pak ODI series, yet he wasn't selected for a few games. Its obvious that he is no longer an automatic selection in the playing ODI Indian eleven. Therefore his axing should not come as a total surprise. A senior pro should not be in the national squad if he is not an automatic selection especially when he is a specialist (batsman or bowler). Dravid was a 2 dimensional cricketer in ODI's a few years ago. He was in top form and very handy with the gloves. Now, he is not able to sustain the intensity that his contemporaries like Ponting are quite comfortable with. This is a hard fact that every Dravid fan must accept. He was never an explosive ODI batsman but he did make up by building from slow starts. Now he has lost his zip on the field. He is still an automatic choice in the test team especially with his slip fielding. My guess is that he will be able to play at test intensity levels for 3 more years. Lets see how it goes.
Sourav Ganguly would have been a trickier decision for the selectors and by trickier, I do not mean 'for cricketing reasons alone'. He has always had passionate support from Bengal and whenever he is not selected, the river of passion overflows to inundate inappropriate areas! Personally, I had predicted that he would fail at Perth. Well, he did. Yet, I must admit, he is in good (not great) batting form therefore an automatic choice in the test team as a specialist.
In ODI's however, he is a liability on the field. Now, his die-hard fans would jump up and say that athleticism in fielding and especially Ganguly's lack of it are often over-exaggerated. This is absolute rubbish. Let me elaborate: an un-athletic presence on the field not only results in shoddy, unproductive dives but they bring down the entire team's intensity on the field. You get the typical cross-eyed glares from your team-mates and you end up putting extra pressure on yourself to perform in your area of expertise which is Ganguly's case is his batting. This is where we come to the crux of the matter. In Australia, Ganguly's part-time out swingers are not going to be of any use. Therefore, he has one and only one department to prove his worth: his batting. Given that he holds on to the opening spot for dear life, he is under extreme pressure to get the team off to a good start every time he steps out into the centre. Again, his poor athleticism means he never is a candidate for quick singles (Even Monty Panesar ran him out, remember!!). If you notice his recent dip in form in ODIs you will notice a pattern: He could never get off strike quickly enough and was always looking for the boundary. His partner Sachin on the other hand is still fit enough and athletic enough to play in ODI mode. Ganguly not only puts pressure on himself to score but affects his partner too. If Sachin gets out or is not playing, the standby opener Gautam Gambhir or the younger Robin Uthappa coming one-drop is either shut out from the strike or entrusted with the complete responsibility of blazing away.
Inevitably, Sachin's dismissal or unavailability has meant a poor batting display. Without Ganguly, the younger brigade along with Sehwag, Yuvraj and the rest will not be under so much pressure to keep finding the boundary. This is the nature of the new Indian team. We now have fitter and younger players who do look for singles to rotate strike in addition to being good boundary hitters. Simply put, the younger brigade has set a higher fitness and athletic standard and only those senior pros able to match up to it or at least not be over exposed by it can find a place in the playing eleven. Sachin passes these basic standards and in addition, is in good batting form.
Look, for players like SG, RD, VVS and SRT, form is something temporary. Batting form is so fuzzy a concept that if other things are going well, their batting will take care of itself; they are simply awesome batsmen, all of them. Therefore, it is the selectors' and captain's job to make sure they fit the bill in all other accessory requirements. If not, they must not be included as excess baggage within the squad. That will only create more problems in the dressing room. Right now, Sachin alone passes these addition requirements of ODI fitness and ODI athleticism therefore, he is rightfully still in the ODI squad and will be in the ODI playing eleven.
I do not think Sachin will last long in ODIs. His body simply does not allow him to play the long innings. That is one reason he gets out in the 90s so often nowadays or he usually gets cramps around the 90s. I do not think he will allow himself to be dropped by the selectors; I desperately hope he will retire from ODIs of his own accord within this year or the next.
If the younger brigade along with Sachin, Sehwag and the rest do well in Australia, all else will be forgotten. The selectors will be hailed as people building for the future; if India do not manage to make it to the finals, the knives will be sharpened again. All in all, I would like to see this move by the selectors to drop VVS, SG and RD as a positive, brave and hopeful move. In fact, I am so surprised the selectors were brave enough to drop SG that I am sure, they will recall him into the squad in a few days saying it was a communication error!!
However, I will be extremely unhappy if SG or VVS or RD complains of not being treated with respect in relation to this axing. I desperately hope the selectors or the administration had the courtesy to internally explain their decision to these senior pros. Knowing the BCCI, I know this is wishful thinking. I feel we have too many bloated egos within the BCCI that makes it impossible for senior players to leave the game ceremoniously. If the BCCI is trying to make sure Indian cricket catches up with Australian cricket, they must first ensure their own handling of the players matches up to the standards of the ACB.
Again, I know this is wishful thinking. The BCCI has too many non-cricketers to make sure they are never part of an outfit that has cricket's best interests at heart. Usually the BCCI has its annual turnover closest to its heart and a lot of skeletons locked up in undisclosed closets!!
Again, I know this is wishful thinking. The BCCI has too many non-cricketers to make sure they are never part of an outfit that has cricket's best interests at heart. Usually the BCCI has its annual turnover closest to its heart and a lot of skeletons locked up in undisclosed closets!!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
That Be-Witching Hour!
Whew, India finally managed to win a test in this series! It is a great achievement but given the talent in this team, its a win too late. Of course, one could come up with a lot of thoughts on why India were denied a win till now in this series but .... the hurt is still the same.
I know that the atmosphere back home would be joyous given that this win came in Perth which has in the past proven to be a death-knell for most touring teams. Yet, I expected the series to be alive till now. Thanks to Bucknor, Ponting and our tail, this is not quite the case. However, this is not the time to cry over spilt milk; now is the time to sit back and savour not just the win but a particular passage of play that put India on course for today's win.
That bewitching hour was beyond national loyalties; it was beyond winning and losing; it was just exceptional interplay between bat and ball. One of the greatest batsmen of all time was wielding the willow - Ricky Ponting - and he was up against a 19-year old tyro by the name of Ishant Sharma. If I hadn't seen his 9-over spell today, I would never have believed that an Indian seamer had Ponting in trouble with pace and bounce and nip over an hour. I have never seen an Indian fast bowler bowl such a sustained and long spell of quality bowling to a player of Ponting's class. The best facet of the spell was it did not seem like Sharma was pulling out something special for Ponting (Such bursts are usually short-lived); he wasn't bowling just one good over; he was just bowling his best in his short career. The hard work in training to achieve the super spell was evident. It was sustained excellence. At the end of it, you were almost imploring Kumble from your living room to give the rookie one more over. Well, it seems Sehwag had the same idea too!
Let me put things straight here. Over the last decade, I have had this silly perception that wickets taken by the Indian pacers are bonus wickets. Yes, there have been special deliveries, there have been bowlers coming good in a match only to let you down in the next. It has been my firm belief that India will struggle to take 20 wickets in a test after Kumble retires. Yet, from time to time, India throws up raw talents to question my belief. Munaf Patel burst on the scene, so did Balaji and Sreesanth. RP Singh and Zaheer have been steady performers and there have been a few disappointments like VRV Singh. There is a pattern here: it seems the newbies put in everything in their first six months of international cricket to cement their place in the side. They start their international career at 140kph only to slow down to the early 130's six months later. Be it injuries or complacency, it reeks of incompetency and lack of challenge at the domestic level.
In spite of all my reservations about India's ability to produce genuine fast bowlers, today was a golden day. It remains to be seen if Ishant is a one night stand or one worthy of a longer commitment to Indian cricket. He has had his debut at the right age. He has time to grow in international cricket. The challenges will be consistently tougher than toiling at the domestic level and the rewards will be worth the effort. He just has to keep improving without compromising on pace and lift. He must not come up in six months and do a 'Munaf' who said "I am concentrating on line and length" and ended up bowling dobblers at 130kph. Ishant claims Glenn McGrath to be his idol. However I hope he adds Brett Lee too. He would do well to remember Lee's words two years ago: "I don't see any reason why I can't bowl faster"!! Today Lee has improved his control without compromising on pace and is now a worthy successor to McGrath in leading the Australian attack.
All said and done, today was a special day for Indian fast bowling. It was one of my special days as a spectator. Ponting's struggle reminded me of Sachin struggling against quality fast bowling. I said to myself "Tonight Sachin will definitely thank Ishant for giving back a fraction of the quality he has handled in his 18 years of international cricket". It is one of the marvels of cricket to see a batting great being challenged. That's precisely entertainment for the cricket connoisseur.
I know that the atmosphere back home would be joyous given that this win came in Perth which has in the past proven to be a death-knell for most touring teams. Yet, I expected the series to be alive till now. Thanks to Bucknor, Ponting and our tail, this is not quite the case. However, this is not the time to cry over spilt milk; now is the time to sit back and savour not just the win but a particular passage of play that put India on course for today's win.
That bewitching hour was beyond national loyalties; it was beyond winning and losing; it was just exceptional interplay between bat and ball. One of the greatest batsmen of all time was wielding the willow - Ricky Ponting - and he was up against a 19-year old tyro by the name of Ishant Sharma. If I hadn't seen his 9-over spell today, I would never have believed that an Indian seamer had Ponting in trouble with pace and bounce and nip over an hour. I have never seen an Indian fast bowler bowl such a sustained and long spell of quality bowling to a player of Ponting's class. The best facet of the spell was it did not seem like Sharma was pulling out something special for Ponting (Such bursts are usually short-lived); he wasn't bowling just one good over; he was just bowling his best in his short career. The hard work in training to achieve the super spell was evident. It was sustained excellence. At the end of it, you were almost imploring Kumble from your living room to give the rookie one more over. Well, it seems Sehwag had the same idea too!
Let me put things straight here. Over the last decade, I have had this silly perception that wickets taken by the Indian pacers are bonus wickets. Yes, there have been special deliveries, there have been bowlers coming good in a match only to let you down in the next. It has been my firm belief that India will struggle to take 20 wickets in a test after Kumble retires. Yet, from time to time, India throws up raw talents to question my belief. Munaf Patel burst on the scene, so did Balaji and Sreesanth. RP Singh and Zaheer have been steady performers and there have been a few disappointments like VRV Singh. There is a pattern here: it seems the newbies put in everything in their first six months of international cricket to cement their place in the side. They start their international career at 140kph only to slow down to the early 130's six months later. Be it injuries or complacency, it reeks of incompetency and lack of challenge at the domestic level.
In spite of all my reservations about India's ability to produce genuine fast bowlers, today was a golden day. It remains to be seen if Ishant is a one night stand or one worthy of a longer commitment to Indian cricket. He has had his debut at the right age. He has time to grow in international cricket. The challenges will be consistently tougher than toiling at the domestic level and the rewards will be worth the effort. He just has to keep improving without compromising on pace and lift. He must not come up in six months and do a 'Munaf' who said "I am concentrating on line and length" and ended up bowling dobblers at 130kph. Ishant claims Glenn McGrath to be his idol. However I hope he adds Brett Lee too. He would do well to remember Lee's words two years ago: "I don't see any reason why I can't bowl faster"!! Today Lee has improved his control without compromising on pace and is now a worthy successor to McGrath in leading the Australian attack.
All said and done, today was a special day for Indian fast bowling. It was one of my special days as a spectator. Ponting's struggle reminded me of Sachin struggling against quality fast bowling. I said to myself "Tonight Sachin will definitely thank Ishant for giving back a fraction of the quality he has handled in his 18 years of international cricket". It is one of the marvels of cricket to see a batting great being challenged. That's precisely entertainment for the cricket connoisseur.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Tata Nano: World's envy, India's pride
Greatness engenders envy, envy engenders hate and hate fosters gossip. Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter (Book 6) says something similar! The truth is indeed true, no matter who utters it and in what context.
Do not be put off. This is indeed a post about Tata's newest brainchild, the Tata Nano. It is refreshing to know about a CEO who delivers on a promise. One who keeps his word and delivers the first car for Rs 1 Lakh. Being an engineer myself, I can imagine the rate of innovation to launch a hitherto unknown product. If you have seen the number of patents filed during the development of the A380, you would get the picture: Invention and Innovation go hand in hand. Knowledge and knowhow are generated only through enterprise. Of course, the A380 will ply far above the clouds but the spirit is the same in the Tata Nano project. Yet, I wonder why the international media is bent on bashing the Nano. Why does everyone from the BBC to the CNN all the way down under to Channel 9 cover the purported flipside of the Nano. Why doesn't the world stand up and salute an inspired innovater.
Flashback to the late 1930's. Hitler had arrived and so had the German nation. The nation needed a people's car. It was the Volkswagen (lit. people's car). In spite of the lack of the internet, the Volkswagen wasn't greeted with uniform hostility; and look what Hitler did thereafter! 80 years later, an Indian innovation is being dubbed Hitleresque for the environment. With so much media space dedicated to the auto industry, I wonder why every major tabloid fails to acknowledge the achievement.
Rest assured, the Nano is here to stay. In India and across a lot of the alleged 3rd world the family car segment still lies wide open to cost reduction. Technically and economically, the Nano fits the bill. It will irrevocably improve the standard of living across a significant section of the world population. Undeniably, it will impact 2-wheeler sales thereby balancing out the purported environmental Armageddon. Anyone who has witnessed rural families travel in India will remember a family of four on a bicycle or motorcycle. Let me add: the motorcycle sometimes runs on kerosene. Such practices and their underlying mindsets are bound to change due to this "people's car" of the 21st century.
Despite everything, the international media labors to bash the Nano. Even the US tried to delay the inevitable before giving a grudging thumbs-up. The Australian media surpassed its own naivette. I have witnessed a lot of bilge cooked up to ape CNN on Australian networks. When it came to the Nano, they did a thorough job of surpassing their own ineptitude. Channel 9 reported that the Nano is available for $800. Australian or American, this figure is downright 'BullS***'. Then they took to harping the environmental line painting an impending doomsday.
Is it envy, is it a superiority complex or is it a warped fear of failiure? Australia, as a nation doesn't mind living on cheap Chinese-made consumables: from 'Made in China' Treadmills to 'Made in China' toilet paper. Yet, the nation is plied with media bilge that a billion Indians with a billion cars are going to usher the Day of Judgement.
No, its neither envy nor hate, it is mere IGNORANCE!
Do not be put off. This is indeed a post about Tata's newest brainchild, the Tata Nano. It is refreshing to know about a CEO who delivers on a promise. One who keeps his word and delivers the first car for Rs 1 Lakh. Being an engineer myself, I can imagine the rate of innovation to launch a hitherto unknown product. If you have seen the number of patents filed during the development of the A380, you would get the picture: Invention and Innovation go hand in hand. Knowledge and knowhow are generated only through enterprise. Of course, the A380 will ply far above the clouds but the spirit is the same in the Tata Nano project. Yet, I wonder why the international media is bent on bashing the Nano. Why does everyone from the BBC to the CNN all the way down under to Channel 9 cover the purported flipside of the Nano. Why doesn't the world stand up and salute an inspired innovater.
Flashback to the late 1930's. Hitler had arrived and so had the German nation. The nation needed a people's car. It was the Volkswagen (lit. people's car). In spite of the lack of the internet, the Volkswagen wasn't greeted with uniform hostility; and look what Hitler did thereafter! 80 years later, an Indian innovation is being dubbed Hitleresque for the environment. With so much media space dedicated to the auto industry, I wonder why every major tabloid fails to acknowledge the achievement.
Rest assured, the Nano is here to stay. In India and across a lot of the alleged 3rd world the family car segment still lies wide open to cost reduction. Technically and economically, the Nano fits the bill. It will irrevocably improve the standard of living across a significant section of the world population. Undeniably, it will impact 2-wheeler sales thereby balancing out the purported environmental Armageddon. Anyone who has witnessed rural families travel in India will remember a family of four on a bicycle or motorcycle. Let me add: the motorcycle sometimes runs on kerosene. Such practices and their underlying mindsets are bound to change due to this "people's car" of the 21st century.
Despite everything, the international media labors to bash the Nano. Even the US tried to delay the inevitable before giving a grudging thumbs-up. The Australian media surpassed its own naivette. I have witnessed a lot of bilge cooked up to ape CNN on Australian networks. When it came to the Nano, they did a thorough job of surpassing their own ineptitude. Channel 9 reported that the Nano is available for $800. Australian or American, this figure is downright 'BullS***'. Then they took to harping the environmental line painting an impending doomsday.
Is it envy, is it a superiority complex or is it a warped fear of failiure? Australia, as a nation doesn't mind living on cheap Chinese-made consumables: from 'Made in China' Treadmills to 'Made in China' toilet paper. Yet, the nation is plied with media bilge that a billion Indians with a billion cars are going to usher the Day of Judgement.
No, its neither envy nor hate, it is mere IGNORANCE!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
New year, Old Aussie!
After a mini hiatus over Christmas and new year, I was hoping to turn over a new leaf in terms of my blog topics. Unfortunately, the age-old Aussie approach to cricket in the recently concluded SCG test is torturing me to add my word on the test match, the series and beyond. For starters, look the image of Ponting claiming a clearly grounded catch. Someone should show Ponting this pic in private and plead with him: "Grow up, Mr. Ponting, PLEASE!!!"
My previous post titled "Sunny Days..." turned out to be more of a damp squib. India's unpreparedness in the first test was clearly exposed by a ruthless Australian attack. Personally, I expected India to bounce back at the SCG. Being an ardent follower of the game, I must say, my expectation was vindicated. Yesterday, we had a not so cool discussion at the university about the 2nd test. One of my Australian-born colleagues remarked, "A fair result would have been a draw but the Aussies changed it with some horrible sporting spirit". I couldn't hold back my retort: 'A fair result would have been an outright Indian victory on the 4th day if Symmo a.k.a the mon**y, had been given out on Day 1'. Hold on.....
Do not call me racist. I am only stating what Symmonds would love to be called! Thats why he jumps around trying to catch every other person about him calling him that name. Well, that is what I could make out of the theatrics over the monkey-calling issue. Either that or I am afraid, Ponting is so bamboozled by Bhajji that he wants to see him off at Perth, one way or another.
All in all, no words can express my disappointment after the 2nd test match. Two things really hurt. It was sickening to see Ponting go to any length to equal Steve Waugh's record and it was heartbreaking to see a fantastic series being killed off at the halfway point by forces that just were NOT CRICKET.
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