I should have posted at least 3 articles in the last week or so if only all of my topics, in the head, materialised into something meaningful. Dravid, Sree and Harbhajan were the main topic points in my mind. But I could not develop any of them into more than a paragraph. So here I am compressing all of them into one post.
I was thinking about Dravid's 191 that came despite his struggles. He still is not the Dravid many of us know, yet he managed to score two centuries in this series. It's against Kiwis yes, but then its runs that too something that one of the young guns in the team couldn't manage. More importantly this young gun was dancing and jumping up and down to Southee / Martin and Mckay. I wonder what Raina will do in SA. May be selectors should bring Pujara in and play him at 3 or 6. Coming to Dravid I was happy to watch him score runs and as SP put it in VMinerva's blog, what underlines his greatness is, he is scoring centuries despite struggling. Something for the young brigade to observe and learn. It's exhilarating to watch Sehwag bat long, mostly entertaining to watch Sachin bat long and it's like meditating to watch Rahul bat long and that's my experience of watching these three bat. Somehow my eyes tail the ball to Rahul's bat but when Viru is around I just watch him or his bat. Some time back Jrod wrote " His forward defence was the sole reason for world peace" in his ball's profile of Rahul Dravid. I don't know about the world peace, but there is always peace in my mind whenever I see Rahul's forward defense. People at times have even ridiculed me for saying so, for they know not the value of a forward defense and the assurance that comes with it. Many of Rahul's partners in his record number of century partnerships would vouch for that.
Sreesanth is one of my favourite bowlers and I always like to see him bowl well. But I am growing more and more impatient with his bowling discipline. He bowls few gems and lot of trash. It's fine if he could pick up wickets with his gems but that's not the case. The probability of getting a wicket with good deliveries is less whereas the probability of being spanked for the trash is very very high. The huge mismatch between the effects of his good balls and bad balls will destroy his effectiveness as a bowler and his future. He can learn something from L.Balaji, as far as working discipline is concerned. Balaji worked very hard to get back to cricket after suffering a stress fractures in his back. For nearly 2 years he toiled hard, toed the discipline line and worked his way back to lead his Ranji team's bowling duties. His recovery and hard work is something that amazed me and is inspiring too. His recuperation was very gradual and quite painful. He endured the process, importantly mentally, and has played two full seasons successfully. He even got selected to represent India again purely on the weight of wickets he took in the Ranji in 2008/09. I personally had a chat with one of Balaji's ex-clubmate who knew how he worked his way out of his darkness. He may not be as good as Sreesanth but he is ways ahead when it comes to working discipline. Sreesanth too is injury prone but how well is he managing them? If only he could concentrate on his bowling and fitness he will be a big asset for India. I just hope and wish for the same. In any case, looking forward to a wonderful SA tour for him.
Kohli impressed me in that U19 world cup, he captained and won. The thing that I like about him is his presence at the crease. And it's not just confident presence but also the performance to pack it up. When I saw him first (U19 world cup), he reminded me Ricky Ponting. That was the time Ricky was playing some amazing cricket, and I told my brother, here is our Ponting. Kohli should be higher in the pecking order for replacing the test middle order. He should be next to Pujara and well ahead of Raina. Suresh is fine in ODIs and I in fact like him there. But he is some distance behind Pujara and Kohli when it comes tests. May be Kohli should try and get into CSK. That could help him.
Ashwin is making some news. He is another player whom I like to see perform well. His feet are firmly on the ground. In one of his interviews, he came across as someone who knew his limitations and what he needed to catch up with. He has improved as a bowler from 2008 to today. He should probably be playing the ODIs regularly from here on. Harbhajan can't be complacent anymore. But, I worry, what effect this competition will have on Harbhajan's bowling? Harbhajan was troubling batsman whenever he flights yet most of the time chooses to bowl flat. Hope he doesn't get even more flatter with Ashwin around.
On the Ranji front, weather is playing spoilsport and the usual suspects are making merry with the bat. I owe an apology to SB for I failed to meet my commitment to him, that I will post regularly after each Ranji round. But some work and lack of motivation made it difficult for me. I didn't want to bore myself and readers by repetitively complaining about dull draws. One notable thing was Chahar's debut performance and his subsequent ordinary performances. In any case it is too early to comment anything on him. Let's see where he stands few years down the line. I will try and post on Ranji from Knockout round onwards.
Monday, 29 November 2010
Collection of thoughts related to Indian cricket - November 2010
Friday, 19 November 2010
A refreshingly positive Indian sportsman
Before I go on to the subject of this post, I must first thank my friend Bala, for contributing an article in my absence. From the comfort of individualistic flexibility at work previously, I have now been pitched into a situation where one can only pop in to the chamber for the odd snatch of match viewing on television and a strictly regulated internet protocol which is basically not meant to visit external sites. As a result, for the purpose of interaction, I am limited to tweeting fom my mobile device in those snatches of time. By the time one is back home, there is barely enough time to rest before setting off for work again. So my apologies and thanks to those who may still be following this blog and thanks again to Bala. This is a month's duty I must perform without escape.
Where I work now, I have people from various fields interacting and contributing their element of expertise towards the big cause. From the security wing is a colleague from SPG, with whom I have formed a friendship due to our common interest in sports and ongoing Asian Games at Guangzhou and, who, in his younger days, was a national boxing champ for a fair number of years in his weight category. He has since travelled to many parts of the world and all around India many times over in official capacity, and is a very 'aware' sort of chap with a curious and positive mindset. So we have useful discussions upon Indian sports, sports structures in India and other countries and so on. Surprisingly, completely against the common perception about non-cricketing sportspersons, this former national boxing champ is not an instinctive cricket and cricketer hater. He understands well the reasons for its popularity and wishes that administrators for other sports in India take the better leaves out of BCCI's manual and implement them. Moreover, he comes across as one who is not envious of cricketers and enjoys their exploits like those of other sportspersons.
We were talking about the first Indian man to win a rowing gold at Asiad, Bajrang Lal Takhar, yesterday. When I opened the sportspages of the newspaper today, I was pleasantly surprise to read that Takhar too, like my new found boxing friend from SPG, has a refreshingly different and positive appreciation of Indian cricketers and Indian cricket. This Rajasthani Army man's role model happens to be Sachin Tendulkar!
The reason I found this humble champion's oulook refreshing was because, only in the recent past, very young, probably educated, supposedly aware, new-mindset champion sportspersons from India were seen to be parrotng old loony tunes about cricketers, when a television channel presented them with a platform to air some positive constructive thoughts!
Young people, of a modern generation, were seen to be stil trapped in this convenient nonsense of earlier sportspersons and administrators, for whom cribbing about cricketers was an escape route to deflect spotlight from their own inadequacies of organisation, excellence and marketing. Cricketers and cricket administrators too have had to succeed against all odds to be in the position they are now with their chosen sport. Not many Indian cricketers were born with silver spoons in their mouths.
The completely bogus performances of these champions in the ongoing Asiad are explained as a trough after peaking at the Commonwealth Games earlier. Then what about the champion cricketer Sachin Tendulkar? Is he not sill peaking regularly twenty-one years into the sport? What about Indian cricketers who have to keep performing under unimaginable pressure of expectations from the nation which these cribbing champions of other sport rarely feel? People are ready to allow these now icons leeway to fail but not to the cricketers. Yet cricketers like Laxman, Dravid, Sachin et al, perform again and again over decades, never once bad-mouthing fellow sportspersons or other sports. And they take their adversities on their chin withut blaming or unching someone else on air.
Some of these new generation pampered champs of other sports need to take many leaves out of the books of these cricketers and develop consistency in their respective sporting performances and decency in their observations about fellow Indian sportspersons. They must look to improve their chosen sport rather han wail jealously bot Indian cricketers on television and through press.
Heck, these neophyte sports champs can learn much from Leander, Mahesh and Anand too. These guys and their parents struck out an independent path, not complaining about how cricketers are given this and that, but focussing instead on how best to generate support for their wards in a still sportingwise dormant nation. None of these champs have ever berated cricket or Indian cricketers. Even Sania Mirza...never have you heard her father or from her, such comparitive complaints - they gained support through their diligent marketing efforts and meritorius excellence. So in my mind, these champs command more respect than the alternative champs wthout a heath spirit being hyped around into our faces.
Three cheers for Subedar Bajrang Lal Takhar of Rajasthan Rifles though - Hip Hip Hurray! Hip Hip Hurray! Hip Hip Hurray!
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
India's spin troubles
Harbhajan - We all enjoyed his back to back centuries and many batsmen would start to envy his timing. That said he has no future in this side as a batsman, especially not with someone like Pujara getting trained on carrying drinks. People say he picked 4 wickets in the first innings. Yes, he picked Ryder, No.9 and No.11. Vettori's was Taufel's wicket. People may say, he picked up 11 wickets in 2 tests against Australia. When you bowl more, your chances of taking a wicket goes up. His strike rate was 74 in that series at an average of around 34. His bowling is hardly matching the image that of a strike bowler that too on Indian wickets. May be the pitches are not as supportive as they were back in 2001 but surely leading spinners of the past relied more on their guile than the pitch. Harbhajan is half the bowler he was in 2001. The cup board may look empty but nothing wrong in trying someone else, even if it means there won't be a offie in the side. If Harbhajan is retained for his centuries then India should go in with 5 bowlers.
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Ha ha ha Mickey Priceless Arthur
Next time the balding veterans of cricket's biggest chokers, the South Africans, squeal in delight as if they have won the world cup...or do an Allan Donald or Andre Nel or even Hansie Cronje or Kallis on the field..like some juvenile etiquetteless retards, slam them in books and blogs.
G'waan Sree..revv up the engines and let's see you crack the whip again in South Africa.
In his book 'Taking the Mickey', released here yesterday, Arthur has recalled a 2008 series against the Indians and criticised their celebrations after notching up a series-levelling win.
"The behaviour of the (Indian) younger players in the aftermath of victory was absolutely extraordinary," Arthur wrote as he reminisced about the third and final Test in Kanpur in 2008 in which the home side tied the series.
"They ran around screaming, shouting and cheering as though they had just won the World Cup. Perhaps what made me cringe was the shock of seeing a celebration style so different from our own, but I found the practice of spraying each other with Coke and Fanta very hard to understand. But, then again, why should that be so different to our custom of using champagne?"
The Economic Times
Fgg the 'our' celebration style...we do Fanta and Coke, you do champagne, or worse, maybe coke and ho?
It made us cringe too, to see a grown up man like Allan Donald..or Cronje.. squealing on the field and running around imitating airplanes and birds like some moronic adults let loose from an asylum upon taking Sachin's wicket. You'd have thought South Africa won the World Cup or something after all!
And all those bizarre faces Nel pulled and sounds he made from somewhere on his person...fgg the author's hypocrisy. Talk about those jerks first who showed how it is done.
Next time graceless Saffers fkcing win, or take a wicket...ah dare the author's retards to celebrate in the idiotic ways Saffers do.
If this author has omitted the context then he obviously i playing games. Why the fgg does this fellow not mention how his own 'graceful adults' spat expressions like baccy chewers into these very young Indians' faces?
Let me give a reminder to this graceless hypocrisy who happens to also write with a twisted pen.
And who has selective memory and standards...
See that video and see what the fgg Nel's doing!
And f anybody wnts to read about this South Africa fgging grace!
The author could be stiring up trouble with half-truths to push sales up. Before India's tour to SA. And we must read first the book and see if he has made the mistake of omitting the context. We must not make that mistake as the author might have.
Man, if that author had won the world cup with South Africa, it might have been worth an instant buy...but let's be graceful and read what he has to say in its proper context. But don't expect me to rush for I am low on spare, expendable, money right now.
I hope India beats South Africans right and proper this time and has a grand celebration on the ground they clinch the series. Mad them with the bhangra....mad them out of their skins! Mad them with crates of Fanta!
Bust beat the Saffers well and proper! Read More......
CLOBI Cup: Updates 3
Sri Lanka and West Indies square up for the title in the finals today...well tomorrow by India time I guess. Barbados time 8.00pm Tuesday.
Before that, India and England, last years champs will sort out the third and fourth places among them four hours before the finals.
When a civil society must reclaim reality
The rapid sequence of events this year beginnig from the Australian tour by Pakistan and the latest one involving talented Pakistani youngster and wicketkeeper-batsman, Zulqarnain Haider, tells me one thing - that Pakistan civil society must reclaim reality which they have conceded to illusonists and distortionists in their land so much that nobody knows what Pakistan is all about except that is the expressive organ of all things wrong in this current world. Sports is just one aspect of that.
The civil society has been mesmerized by these illusionists into believing so many untruths, or bullied and battered into doing so. The dominance of the Rogue in Pakistan's existence...it's daily breath...is so entrenched that the distortion is complete - wrong is right and right is wrong. Any attempt by others to help them shed these scales are severly resisted by those who benefit from their society living blinded behind these scales.
Zulkarnanin Haider might be just another athlete fleeing to a future he likes, in the manner of so many people from various entourages from different fieds have done in the past. But that theory shouldn't quite hold because, from my limited knowledge of such things, I can only presume that Haider would not have been denied immigration into England through the proper channel.
He was scared...he was terrified for himself and his family's safety...and he found a solution which could achieve all he might not otherwise be able to achive because Pakistan is in the complete grip of dastardly illusionists who have distorted all things.
With his highly public 'Escape to Victory', he was 1) able to direct world attention to the intricate links between adminstrators, members of government (Cricket is just an arm of their government), terror mongers (matchfixers and fund-generators for Pakistani terror oganisations and their links and branches outside Pakistan overlap) 2)able to escape to relative safety 3) able to ensure the safety of public focus at least for his family and 4) also able to reveal the helplessness with which the saner elements within Pakistan have to live.
Because of the dastardliness which Pakistan must execute, to fulfill the illusory images painted into their psyche by its hallucinating past and present leaders of society and utilizing foreign influences, Pakistan has always welcomed the bad and the ugly to assume a prominent, guiding, performing throne in their consciousness and reality. Sports, being largely government controlled, could not escape the nexus between illusionists in the government and the sum of badness that is their vehicle to make those fake images appear real. We have all seen the resultant shenanigans.
Civil society...the innocent but meek ones..have either sought an escape route via migration if they could, or lived like voiceless, powerless entities within their own country...the reality of Pakistan which they were given to believe during the process of creation. Their reality today is probably distorted many times over by many players...many motivated hands...to appear the real truth.
A talented youngster who only wants to excel for his country, has to flee his nation and give up his field, because he dared to be normal in an abnormal society deeply ridden with, and pickled in, fundamental philosophical cancers. What can be more shameful for the quiscent civil society of Pakistan? What can be more shameful that memebers of their own society plot against them? Use them...for their own gains and philosophies in the name of the nation...to cheat their country or to attack a neighbour on fake prescriptions of religion and alleigance to it?
Nothing is honest or real in Pakistan...to be a martyr you must attack someone with a false philosophy...not one who stands up for preserving the goodness of his nation and its people. To be a hero in a team...you must fix the right moment in the right way...otherwise you are a pariah. If you want to live in peaceful coexistence with your neighbors and focus on your internal progress, you will prbably be a traitor, coward, irreligious and whatever else the dictionary or thesaurus contains.
They develop and encourage international networks to distribute terror and resources for terrorists...they draw from gangsters and brainwashed locals to execute these...they employ drug trade, extortion, and, among other things, betting and match-fixing across sports to generate required revenues to exist as a covert nexus of government and criminals. Cricket being popular and therefore money-generating, has always been an attractive passion with such elements in Pakistan and link up to form networks with them all over the world. Why Pakistan? Because it is a governmental shelter for dastardliness like no other in the world currently. A kind of shelter where even USA and UK and China can truly do nothing even if they wanted to. It is the dastardly arm of these nations....to execute whatever task that has been entrusted to Pakistan and one which the countries wouldn't want to be connected with. Gangsters across the breadth of this planet of ours like to be associated with Pakistan aand network that emerge from it, for it promises their growth! It is an alternative world! Where they rule, by their law...not the law which you and I abide with. Everytime you want an example, think Dawood.
Because Pakistan's civil society has long submitted itself to this role...of being the dastardliness purveyor...without ever raising an objection to, or questioning of, of those who told them repeatedly that this is what they must be doing if they are good Pakistanis.
I could be all wrong about this...I am sure I must be in some ways...but when you see something like Haider escaping from his Ideal, you are forced to look beyond sport for reasons.
I do not hate Pakistanis or believe all are alike...I have a few friends on the net gained mainly through cricket discussion with whom dialogue is possible and easy...it is just frustrating that Pakistan finds it difficult to shed this overwhelming negative force in its existence and doesn't get on with being a progressive coutry racing to meet the better ideals behind its foundation.
I also understand that people may disagree with sections or the whole of this post and I have no qualms in beling constructively educated. This is also not to demean them. And yes, these are just my opinions.
Shucks, and we had just begun to warm up to this Pakistan player of some substance.
UDRS: Revisiting 100 percent
One of the points of discomfort for Indian players, and therefore the BCCI, as regards the Decision Review System (DRS) was the inherent design flaw in its usage which limits its role to simply an entertainment addendum to the visual experience of a cricket match via the electronic medium, rather than truly be an umpire's assistant to provide a fairer game than what unassisted humans can manage in an electronic world. Our consistent position over the years of debate on this topic has also been that DRS (or UDRS) must be more like a library assistant always available to the umpires and players to refer to from the ground, especially when there is doubt or contention.
The Indian position may be to link DRS to all appeals and perhaps expand it, since it is available, to a retrospective role as well when a decision has been given but found to be incorrect on replay even if there was no contention over it.
Broadcasters may prefer DRS to remain an entertainment addendum rather than become a system for better conduction of the game, for it will not necessitate then, very great changes in the existing system of generating broadcast and airing it, and, the limited lottery manner of the system is considered by broadcasters as a sufficient proxy-interactive, suspense gimmick to increase viewer interest in the screening of the match. They are said to be against taking the lottery out of what should basically be an assistant to the judicial system in cricket
ICC's recent suggestion during their meet in Dubai, envisages a system of generating funds to install and maintain at least the limited edition of this DRS. While the funding plan itself is germinal and not yet perfect, it provides a direction along which Cricket may progress to address a few of the broadcasing reservations and their reluctance to adopt a full version of the DRS, besides making the system self-sufficient.
It is this 100% coverage of the match by DRS which perhaps Indian captain, Mr.M.S.Dhoni, was referring to the other day and not just to the accuracy aspect of the system.
To support such a view as his, another international captain, New Zealand captain and veteran cricketer, Mr.Daniel Vettori, went on record with his support for Dhoni and India's viewpoint, when asked specifically at the conclusion of the first Test between India and New Zealand at Motera, which also saw significant wrong decisions made by both umpires, by saying
I am always in favour of technology. It is good for the game. But I suppose it should be 100 percent.
- as quoted in The Hindu
So there is scope for a more detailed discussion on the topic among those who matter. The issue of 100 percent may need to be taken up by all cricket captains, players and opinion-makers. There could be resistance, as there was to employ of technology in the first place and this limited version of UDRS currently in use, but like with most such progressive steps, the dark corridor begins to light up as we keep walking along it and switching on the lights along the way. Fears over how, what and why can be addressed once the ball begins to roll definitely in this direction.
That almost all of them are welcoming of technology is now well kown. There is no doubt about his aspect now at all. Cricket has certainly inched forward in the past 4-5 years on the issue of technology in cricket, to such an extent that perhaps its role is no longer in question anymore but the debate has shifted to modalities of its use and which technology to employ instead. This is progress.
In all these years, this is exactly what we had been trying to encourage on the forums we have paticipated in. :)
We now await a time when the discussion will advance from here...from this point to the next logical step - to a discussion on development of cheap, reliable, accurate, easy-to-use-for-umpires, always-available-for-all, transparent cricket-specific technology by the sport's governing body. That will fulfill all our points in discussion and debate on this topic in the past few years.
ICC and all cricket nations may take another decade to move to that next step - we certainly hope for a quicker progress of events and rapid strides may actually transpire as long as possesors of existing technology (and brodcasters) do not play the stalling or misleading role, but we will not be complaining if they eventually reach this point a little later than hoped. For starters, ICC's cricket broadcasting must become less a monopoly of a single agency and should arise out of a competitive process from among those agencies equipped with technology and willing to move in the same direction as Cricket eventually, as porgressive partners and not regresive businessmen.
EDITED TO ADD
Golandaaz has a wonderful article on the same topic up at Opinions on Cricket titled Delivering Decisions.
He makes hard-hitting points. I quote a portion
It isn't about the technology and the need for it to be fool proof. Its about empowering the on-field umpire with the data; images, sounds, heat patterns, etc; available to "off field" umpires and millions of viewers and then allowing him to make a decision.
- Golandaaz
That is a succint encapsulation of all that's been swirling in our mind. Read more of the excellent post at Opinions on Cricket. Read More......
Monday, 8 November 2010
This Harbhajan fella
One has to hand it to this fiesty fella...he is not just a irritant for the sake of irritation, but he backs it up with perormance. No doubt about it - if it isn't bowling, it is through batting.
Of course we would like him to be more prolific as a bowler, but if say, he isn't generating as many ickets as we might like him to be, he tries to make it up with the bat.
The thing is he tries. And that's what matters.
VVS Laxman is the ultimate pressure batsman...forget numbers and various time XIs lists..he's the one you would probably pick out as your choice for the candidate to be in the hot seat in a bizarre game where your life hangs by the thread of peformance of the player in the hot seat.
While Harbhajan might not be all of what Laxman is to batting, India and management of partnerships, at least the spirit this Sardar embodies can serve one well as one awaits the outcome of the performance of the hot seat occupant and therefore your fate in that bizarre imaginary game!
Harbie, Herb, Weed, Bhajji or whatever, this Sardar make you feel like saying it once more - Teri......Ki!
Scorecard
Harbhajan 115
Laxman 91
in ADVERSITY.
CLOBI Cup: Updates 2
Match 5: England (170-7) bt India (148-8) by 23 runs, Dominic Cork and Philip DeFreitas undid India with the bat! Cork was MOM for his 69.
Match 6: Lanka (157-5) bt West Indies (155-6) in a two run thriller. Russell Arnold scored for Lanka while Sherwin Campbell continued his good frm for WI and Floyd Reifer, ex-captain of West Indies, did well too with a half-century. Arnold was MOM.
A very special unforgettable niche of his own
VVS Laxman is not going to play for ever. Given the public state of his back, he isn't likely to play for very long either. His career numbers might have worried his supporters at different times, maybe even himself, but he has elevated himsef, through his own actions, beyond numerical debates and into a very special niche in cricket's history - he will be the quintessential fightback man for ever. That's his identity...his calling card in cricket.
New Zealand are the latest to experience this aspect of his cricket. No disrespect to them, they have humbled many an Indian cricket follower already, but the figtback looked likely considering Laxman - the doubt was about the tail on the other side.
Harbhajan, these days, is finding constructive outlets for his passion to be a contributive member. Given that his bowling is currently stable on a plateau he has begun to channelize his energies through the willow as and when he canand the need arises. The inspired state that batsman Harbhajan was in this Test after the first innings, it was heartening to see him partner Laxman with that spirit continuing. As the partnership began to settle, Harhajan drew further guidance from it and went on to secure his maiden Test century. Laxman's presence must have made Harbhajan believe that if he himself hung around, India would be bailed out. It's that simple...his mind told him there was a special man on the other side and he just needed to partner him.
I have always believed that when it comes to setting targets by declaring, Dhoni is a more traditional captain than others would like to beleive. He may take many risks in life but likes to set up stiff challenges...in the minimum realms of 5.00 rpo.
He probably knows best about the combination of conditions and his resources and certainly appears to believe that he is no Dada with the likes of Anil Kumble and a youg Harbhajan in his camp, but a simple Mahi who must remind his bowlers from behind the stumps to turn the ball on a fifth daypitch in India.
So we understnd his reluctance to declare like a teen-patti player for the entertainment of viewers. Also, he doesn't appear too obsessed by the points tables as much as we are, and is quite happy securing series wins of whatever scoreline. Sure, he might ike a sweeping scoreline but he does not appear to be a captain who will take pointless risks in the fist Test of a series. He's not the first captain to have such a philosophy.
Also, if a player is in a situation like Harbhajan was, within striking range of some rare milestone, Dhoni appears to be the kind who prefers to let it happen for his mates and take the series subsequently.
We understand everybody has their opinions and that's OK with us. As long as they make them work of course!
The efforts of Kane Williamson, Jesse Ryder, Viru Sehwag, Rahu Dravid, Chris Martin, Dan Vettori and Jeetan Patel need to be remembered. Williamson, if he continues to be as good as he looked in the first innings, will be a player of substance for New Zealand cricket, and who knows, he might be as significant in cricket as Martin Crowe.
Sunday, 7 November 2010
How do you?
How do you tell a well educated, possibly intellectual, and a very important guest that he is in some significant ways, actually quite a, well, runt?
Read More......CLOBI Cup: Updates
Match 1: India bt Sri Lanka
Match 2: West Indies (177-6 in 19.5) thrilla ovah England (176-4 in 20)
Craig White for England - 86
Stuart Williams for WI - 86*
Match 3: Lions of Sri Lanka consume British lions England by 28 runs
Match 4: Windes (97-3 in 14.5) thrash India (97/10 in 19.2).
Shouldering Arms
It's a lost art. Sunny Gavaskar built a significant career by doing it when it mattered most. When a batsman has the ability to shoulder arms (or drop them down beneath the flight), he will also be able to shoulder the burden opposition team and bowlers are bringing to bear upon one. Also, it eliminates the risk of inside edges going on to hit the stumps when one is fending at balls at an akward angle instead.
Modern players are not very good at this fine art.
The trick is not in just raising your arms up like a flagpole or an unnecessary ceremonial totem to the sky just because you can do so or feel like doing so; the art lies in the ability of the mind to decide which ball, what moment and whether to raise arms or drop wrists in the heat of battle. Gavaskar's clarity in this regard - the pressure of murderous pace bowlers, team situation, personal ambition and captaincy notwithstanding - he could leave enough uncluttered space in his mind which could then be employed with this subtle and important, repetitive decision making.
Shouldering arms, or dropping wrists under the ball's flight, are also well-recognized strokes to play. Like the cover drive or square cut, the late cut or glance down to fine leg, or the hook and pull.
More than the other strokes, shouldering arms and dropping one's wrists under line of fire are matters of instinctual judgement rather than coached learning. But you've got to train and keep that instinct in good working shape.
I'm a bit iffy about Dhoni the Test match batsman to be frank - I have great respect though for his managerial skills, LOI play and vast strides of improvement made to his keeping, but have frequently mentioned my reservations aout his Test batting. Chris Martin's rising delivery today can happen to anyone, most times you manage to keep it down and a few unforunate times it allows the cutting back of the ball as it did today onto the stumps.
My point, however, is about the instinct to shoulder arms - Gavaskar's last reaction, upon espying the lift of the delivery...sensing it...would have been to sway the dangerous parts of the body and its extentions away from the line - shouldering, or dropping down wrists or swaying away. He would abort the stroke and mostly leave in the design of the stroke, sufficient time to abort it if required and morph it into another. The instinct is not to continue with the stroke and hope for the best like the proverbial trapped one in the headlights.
I am not comparing Dhoni to Gavaskar, Mahi is quite different a batsman and everybody cannot be a Sunny Gavaskar or a LOI Dhoni, what I'm just saying is that some cricketing strokes from within the armamentarium of the batsman are forgotten.
In fact, shouldering arms has been largely banished to the realms of Tailenders' Theatrical Society, and members of that society have their highly individualistic senses of timing, interpretation and expression of the stroke, all the while adding to the theatrical value of it with a smile or a grimace or a pasted-on grim look.
Which is all unfortunate, because even today the leading batsmen of our times like Ponting, Tendulkar and Dravid or Mahela and Kallis do play this stroke (and its purpose-equivalent ones) regulary and rather well. So it's not as if it is an extinct art or instinct. Only, even among them, there might be a detectably less sensitivity to this instinct's call in comparison to players of an earlier era. Many are the reasons for it - format is one, equipment is another...the philosophy of the game's changed.
Just like people carry strokes from one form of the game to add to another, strokes which you already have should not be forgotten. So when you return from LOIs to play Tests, that stroke...that instinct...should be ready.
Doesn't a hunter check his apparatus before embarking on a hunt? A batsman must keep his quiver ready with the special strokes required for that game. The instinct to shoulder arms (or drop wrists) is one such special stroke in the quiver.
The warrior who retains this space of lucidity in the heat of battle prevails more often than not - forgetting the shouldering arms instinct is a bit like Karna forgetting the Brahmastra mantra when he has Arjuna at his mercy. While Karna's deficiency might have been due to a curse suffered in the wrongful pursuit of secret knowledge, the post-modern players' curse might be the knowledge of many formats that makes one forget key instincts. [Link 2]
Coming to the match at hand, India might have gone in tomorrow with Dhoni still at the crease.
I hope readers do not think I am making too much of a stray incident or am picking on Dhoni; it's just an observation and many batsmen today play the steepling ball from length or thereabouts differently...sometimes it appears without having a major plan...a Plan A. Like I said before, today could have happened to anybdy else other than Dhoni too, but as captain with his team in a state of attrition, I would be correct in expecting the captain to bat with a crystal clear head. And just because batting is one of the captain's abilities.
Well bowled Chris Martin. A well deserved fifer for the bald one. This is yet another instance when Kiwis have undermined a confident bunch of Indians. Only, his time New Zealand might win his Test rather than allow India to escape with a draw after an incisive bowling spell in India. [Link]
Tomorrow India might fight back with its tail, or New Zealand might record a rare victoy in India in true imitation of the combat between David and Goliath. Whichever of the two scenarios my happen, it will be a day's play well worth watching. By no means is this a boring match as described initially.
By the way, given India's playing methods and team structure, it might be best if they always batted second. The pressure is then on the other team to make a win, and that's what India's been good at cashing on.
Coming back to the topic, for me, there was no better exponent of this art than Sunil Gavaskar, and none who displayed this instinct to decide and execute as late as possible, developed to the highest degree, than him. Watching the ball till it has passed beyond is one aspect and keeping the mind totally free and fixed to the task is another aspect of mastering this art.
Dial 011 for Kiwi Mismatch
No longer out of mere curiosity, but with intent, the New Zealanders took field at Ahmedabad before Tea on the fourth day, to see how many they could rake in. The slow Indians, who like to begin every series lethargically, responded with alacrity to the Kiwi feeding call with two immediate Delhi Dhakk--s and a Bengaluri freebie to go along with them.
So Sachin finds himself in the perfect cricketing script for his fiftieth Test hundred - with India 3 down for just 2 runs and a mere 28 run lead in hand from first innings, there can be no better setting for Tendulkar to score a significant ton for his team. Doing it on Deepavali wouldn't have carries he same cricketin significance.
Gambo is in trouble. Yessir, Gambhir better clean out those rear-view and side-view mirrors, for he is likely to be run over and outof te team by, at least, M Vijay first. Who know if Mukund and Rahane will be following. He is paying with corny mechanisms...ok, these little prods have been there before but form covered them up.
Sehwag, we can be charitable here, was run out trying to dliver an express pizza to Bengluru. That was a fielding wicket (my friend Kartikeya Date may not agree that fielding adds to wicket-taking enough to make a difference to a Test or series) and contributed to by a reluctance of the batsman to run.
But Rahul Dravid poked out and pulled back in uselessly to become an instant extra snick on the meal ticket. A kind of a light dessert or maybe like fingerfries. A snick which can be consumed easily even without chutney or sauce. Chris Martin serving up the fryums.
As I am typing this, Sachin Tendulkar finds his middle stump...the middle peg..uprooted by a Chris Martin delivery. All right, I'll pause here and allow you a guess as to what kind of deivery got him.
That's right! Knew there would be no surprises, his nemesis,the incoming ball from just short of his reach bends in a little and finds that gate between his bat and pad. We have see this all through his career. The thing is not many exploited it frequently enough frSachins scored all those runs...but Chris Martin elevated imself to the level of those few...and upon a pitch which was said to be slow...too slow for India.
So Fiftieth will have to wait for a while more.
Suresh Raina walked in but the Kiwis are hungry. Martin finds a teeny edge again of a slow, doubtful, alsmost disinterstedly fearful Raina bat, and now at 15-5, the generally less reliable Test batsman form of Dhoni (in comparison to his ODI glam) steps up to prevent New Zealand from winning its first Test on Indian soil in 15 years.
OK guys, I agree with you all, this is a boring mismatch after all!
By the way, Ojha bowls better with a newer ball...he must learn a few tricks with the older, softer one or he will not be very useful for India if we have to wait all those o ers till a newer ball comes along to take wickets with a spinner.
15-5 India...totally on the ropes. A very loose game...too casual and hence mentally unable to respond to the first bite of chilli pushed to it. We had begun this series by sugesting Kiwis be gven the respect they deserve, but their bowling efforts on the second day and today have exceeded even our generous estimate.
Gambhir: 0 c Hopkins b Martin
Sehwag: 1 run out (Guptill-Vettori)
Dravid: 1 c Hopkins b Martin
Tendulkar: 12 b Martin
Raina: 0 c Taylor b Martin
A chance for Dhoni to change perceptions, and Laxman once more.
Balajhi's Ranji Reviews
What does this season promise? More draws? I think so, if the first round is any indication.
Read more of Balajhi's review of the first round of Ranji Trophy 2010 at The Ranji Trophy Chronicles. Read More......
Saturday, 6 November 2010
Broadly, it will be Kangaroo Stu
We have, over a few months, built a theme for ourselves capable of giving us a reason to watch the Ashes, which was in serious danger, at one time, of becoming a battle of mediocrity till England began to pull away a bit as a well rounded team. We have been harping about it here as and when England played other nations, observing closely with an eye firmly fixed upon the Ashes and a possible visit by this new, agressive England team to these parts to truly test themselves. Through different articles we have studied various English players building themelves up for this match-up in the tabular midlands so to speak. From a cricketing angle, we have oserved the foundational role Strauss plays in this team, the cricketing edge given to it by the likes of Swann, Eoin Morgan, Jonathan Trott, Steve Finn and of course Collingwood and KP. We have wondered if Anderson has finally made the grade, to be also a travelling knight of the British cricketing army rather than a home-performing stud. But most of all, we have focussed on the possibility that this could be a taste of Australiana being given to the Ozzies by the Englishmen.
Never before has England possessed such a complete Australian skool player as Stuart Broad...not since Douglas Jardine at least. No, Ian Botham was too decent, he just played cricket as he saw it...too propah otherwise.
Never before has there been such a benignly blessed player in an England team...perhaps cricket in toto, endowed with such extremely decent gifts of cricketing skills, and so superbly possessed with the attitude worshipped by modern and post-modern Australians, as Stuart Broad has, embodied in his self.
Stuart is unlikely to be juvenile enough to spread jelly beans on the pitch or mirthfully ask about yo momma's health, he's more likely to spike you with his boots when you are least expecting it. He's an alleycat, is Stu.
The beauty of this player lies not in his resemblance to any actress, but in the player recognizing the special crossing he stands upon, through which intersect the beneficial lines we mentioned above, and making full use of them all too. Many players have recognized the spoons placed into their mouths, but not grown up to make best use of them. Stuart Broad has gone on to make complete, unabashed use of the kevlar spoon born inside his mouth.
So we anticiated a contest between Mr.Australia - Ricky Ponting - and England's true Kangaroo - Stuart Broad. We anticpated a Broad versus Ozzies contest upon the lines of Man vs Food episodes and we are pleased to report that SuperBroad has begun stirring the continent up and the Western Kangaroos have been sent scurrying from their burrows/dens suitably spaked by him.Score
SuperBroad is not ashamed to call a spade a spade - if you ask him about his bratness, he'll turn around all Kate Winsletty and tell you to your face that no Match Referee ever admonished him for it yet, so...S.T.F...[ Mail Online ]
If you point out that one of the commentors below the interview, Mabel Thorpe, might have summarized it all in her comment, SuperBroad will as easily point out the 67 'red' thumbs down (and still counting) given to that comment, and ask you to cast your eyes instead, over the majority opinion on that page. After all, who knows better than Englishmen about majority - they venture forth so often with keynot(e) lectures to rest of the mindless world upon the topic, is it not? So when Nasser Hussain, just to place it onto record, asks of him,
Mail Online (dailymail.co.uk)
SuperBroad replies without batting an eyelid, but perhaps with eyebrows raised in mock astonishment and a smirk upon his face,
I think it's a cricket thing. I went to Wembley to watch England play football and all the fans were saying to me 'I love your aggression' and 'I wish you were out there' pointing to the pitch. In cricket you seem to have to stand up tall and put your jacket on
Mail Online (dailymail.co.uk)
We think he is a buck, an unbridled buck with a deep sense of entitlement, prone to useless, ugly and even dangerous expressions of energy, especially if the wind dares to even contemplate blowing aginst his face. Let me dig out Mabel Thorpe's precise summary for that says it all
It doesn't matter what Broad says, he is just a yob in cricket gear. His attitude leaves a lot to be desired, and his excuse that he is fired up doesn't hold water. He is ill mannered, aggressive and a loud mouth. He needs to learn to play like a gentleman and cut out this yobbish attitude. He will make a great bvowler in time, but at the moment he is just slightly above average. He is only a legend in his own mind, and certainly not in many other peoples. Grow up son, act your age and people might one day have respect for you and your ability.
Rating ▼ 67
Mail Online (dailymail.co.uk)
But it is precisely this 'yobbishness' which Megan points out that has lifted the already existing playing skills of England into a surly, combative team, which can even bluff away a weak-minded opposition without having to actually play them maybe! That's SuperBroad's magic, so what if those are Dark Arts he practices. When Englishmen practice Dark Arts, it transforms into White Magic. It may not be right or moral or sporting and that kind of spirity thing, but who cares, as long as he is not an Asian Sree or some other punk like that. Then we can trouble ourselves to care and maintain the integrity of all that's been lost.
This very 'yobbishness' of SuperBroad, while it may not be right or moral, is a sin which makes us salivate at the prospect of it meeting the broadly yobbish bat of Australian SuperCaptain, Ricky Ponting. Both being alumni of the same skool, this is a mouthwatering accident waiting to happen. We too are/were waiting.
Only problem is, Ricky is now only a very tired Mr.Ponting, thoroughly softened up by Asian bullies just before this crucial encounter. When he tries to roar today, everybody laughs and no one scurries to battle positions or ducks into defensive holes. SuperCaptain's roar is now merely a mew....to be laughed off mostly and almost pityful.
SuperBroad is the one who is flying high at the moment, his cape casting a long dark shadow on Mr.Ponting and his mild milky men below. It depends upon Mr.Ponting to rustle up the Ricky in him, inflame his team mates with an old magic potion, and give with his unyielding superbat, to this superbrat, the hiding his Pa probably never gave him. To counter this practioner of White Magic, Ricky's bat will have to find more honest magic than available in the entire land of Oz and comparable amounts of courage to go along with it. We wish there is a contest worthy of our collective viewership!
You know, this isn't going to be easy as a cricket watcher - on the one hand a rare event like England winning in Australia can unfold, but there is also the fact that Australia's fight from beneath must be encouraged and can be more excting.
I'll watch this little SuperCap-SuperBroad battle with relish, for I can't wait for SuperBroad to grow stronger with his dark arts before a visit to India in his new avatar as Lord SuperBroad, so that when he steps into dangerous territory, he can be taken apart by the wands of Heroic Pujara and his intrepid team mates....oh yes, Pa's army would be welcome to come and watch, just as it was when SuperBroad was merely a bubbling Stu. Read More......
Kiwi duo pricks the Indian hot-air balloon
For the second straight day out of the first three of this series, where 'lowly' New Zealanders were not even given a tour match to settle in, the Kiwis dominated proceedings. On the third day, it was their batsmen showing up doubters and all who sighed in disgust at the 'mismatched' series, just like the Kiwi bowlers had stifled such rude talk on the second day. Voices have gone silent. Humbled, some have begun to appreciate and ohers patronzingly so. But by and large, Indians have conveyed a very good impression of having been caught unawares...unexpectedly with their pant down, just as every Indian TV channel and screen denizen appeared to convey over Obama's failure to name Pakistan as the soure of terror during hi PR moments at the Taj hotel. In regard to both events - the Kiwi tour of India and Obama's Indian fly past - it appeared India loved to hype itself up to enjoy being 'surprised' later.
In two earlier poss on this tour, we had cautioned India to consider Kiwis to be their doughtiest rival of he past 15 years...having lost the least propotion of their matches of all visitors to India. While they may not have won much, they have lost only the one match in the past decade and half.
This fact should have clued in Indian planners to a possible batting performance by Kiwis which could stall India. Traditionally, they appear to do well here and this batch of Kiwi batsmen have the further advantage of having spent a few IPLs here. So a pitch and place like Ahmedabad was a wrong one to start with - India might have done better on more northern grounds and pacier pitches. While players said they were not underestimating the Kiwis, their play appeared to suggest they did. [Taking it too easy]
Indian batsmen first got out laying carelessly, and then, when it was time to bowl, Indian bowlers had no Plan B when they found Kiwi batsmen not lying down and playing dead immediately. Dhoni was unable to bowl his seamers much, who looked more likely than hs finger-spinnin twins to tae a wicket, because of the slowish over rate. So, in Pragyan Ojha we had one bowler who had given up trying to take wickets seeing his defensive bowling lines, and an exerienced Harbhajan, surprisingly, going alongwith th same philosophy. At least the Kiwi Off spin-SLO duo, after the first day dominated by Sehwag, came back to take seven wickets for just a litle over 160 runs. The champion side's bowlers were found wanting in ability under home conditions and were praying for mistakes instead.
Jesse 'Fatbwoy' Ryder, the completely human Kiwi we can easily relate with, came in after Indian bowlers had their only successful phase, when the seam was prouder and ball harder, and everyone was weighing the match still in India's favour. He is a spirited chap, is Jesse Ryder. He probably wouldn't mind going down if he has had his chance to la blows before that. So he took crease wth a body language that suggested that was exactly what he was going to do.
He drove off either foot fluently, elegantly; he pulled and punched Zak as and when he the Khan attacked him with short ones; he swept Harbhajan trying to hide between Ryder's legs...maybe hoping to sneak in around their defiance and into the wickets...Ryder even sashayed down like a veteran to loft the Sardar into Motera's sands. Ojha posed no problems either, Ryder easily swatting him away like one does to a pesky harmless fly; once he danced down the wicket in precision and used his wrists to propel Ojha over and above the mid-wicket boundary. That was the end of any germinating Plan Bs in India's most promising finger-spinners mind. He reverted to his flat defensive lines in a trice. Containing, not getting rid of the batsman being the intent. Vettori, the experienced one, looked like a wizard in comparison.
Ross Taylor, the other RCB Kiwi playing this Test, initially partnered his mate Ryder, but lost concentration. He was replaced by Kane Williamson, 20 years old and captain of New Zealand U-19 when Virat Kohli was his counterpart in the Youth WC of 2007-08, and one who appears to be serious about his cricket career. This chap doesn't look like he is going to catch the first flight after a few innings to disappear inside the English county system. At least for the time being, he appears he want to build a career in cricket for New Zealand. Mind you, this man captained Tim Southee in that world cup, so he has been given time to mature properly before being brought into Test cricket. He's a lad who has faced the likes of Chawla and Ishant Sharma before in the age-group Tests. H igt have been looking forward to his debut, but showed no evidence of nerves. He matched Ryder step for step, and now, the boot's on the other foot. It is jst likely that India might find themselves trailing if Vettori digs in. The Kiwi tail can wag a bit when it applies itelf.
Ryder gave a chance early on when Rahul Dravid couldn't make it happen in the slips. Wlliamson edged Zak to be taken towards close on Day Three, but the known useless umpire Kumara Dharmasena, one of the most error-prone ICC umpires we have written about before, missed that.India cannot complain for they opted against UDRS. It is awonder ICC encourages umpires like Dharmasena. Maybe I should apply too...I should stand a good chance of a cushy job if Dharmasena is the ICC gold standard. Bt let that not detract us from the valuable innings Williamson's laying for his team.
Late evening yesterday, Sreesanth kept one straight when Ryder played for swing and rapped him on the pads to have his appeal confirmed by the umpire. That was reward for some hard work Sreesanth put in. Kane Williamson awats his reward - a debut Test to - as play commences shortly on Day Four.
CLOBI Cup: India beat Sri Lanka
India beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets with four balls to spare under the Duckworth-Lewis system in the first match of the second annual Cricket Legends of Barbados Inc. (CLOBI) Cup Twenty20 championship at Kensington Oval, Barbados.
Sri Lanka were tooling along to finish with 158-9 in their 20 overs when rain came down to interrupt proceedings. Play recommenced with India set a revised target of 127 off 15 overs, which India scored easily, finishing with 129 for two off 14.2 overs to win the match.
Ex-India and Punjab opener, Vikram Rathore, scored an unbeated 63 off just 39 balls to help India along and was therefore declared the MOM.
Former India, Madhya Pradesh and Central Zone stalwart, Amay Khurasia, gave good company with an unbeaten 49 off 33 deliveries.
Sadie and Khoda went early in the chase.
Earlier, ex-India and Mumbai pair of Kuruvilla (right arm medium fast) and Kulkarni (slo), shared seven of the nine Sri Lankan wickets to fall, with Abey picking up 4-27 off his four overs and Kulkarni following it up with 3-22 off his quota of 4. Venky Prasad had figures of 1-22 off 4 overs. Delhi bwoys, Wassan and Chopra went for some runs along with Robin Singh of Trinidad, India and Tamil Nadu.
CLOBI Cup World Masters 20-20 Tournament
In its second year, the tournament has attracted four of the world’s top cricketing nations – defending champions England, Sri Lanka, India and the West Indies – to compete for the winner’s prize of US$50,000 (BDS$100,000) and the coveted CLOBI Cup.
It is being held at Bridgetown, Barbados.
India's representation:
1) Venky Prasad
2) Amay Khurasia
3) Nikhil Chopra
4) Abey Kuruvilla
5) Robin Singh
6) Atul Wassan
7) Vikram Rathore
8) Nilesh Kulkarni
9) Subroto Banerjee
10) Sameer Dighe
11) Sadie Ramesh
12) MSK Prasad
13) Gagan Khoda
14) Rahul Sanghvi
The other teams are West Indies, Lanka and England.
I used to wonder where Subroto Banerjee vanished. He used to swing the ball well and today, he would have played at least 40-50 Tests. I learnt that he migrated to Ozzieland and became a coach there. Good to see him in the line-up. Always felt, this peer of Javagal Srinath was shortchanged.
And Sadie Ramesh is still only 34! And Maska Prasad. Poor lad. He too never came back.
By the way, Aravinda de Silva and Kaluwitharna'll be turning out for Lanka. Liked watching both play in their respective heydays.
Cork and Fairbrother (this man seems to go on and on - one of the original probots created well before Mike Hussey usurped the title) for England.
The Windies team is all fiyaah and lashings!
Good luck boys! Show 'em how it's played!
The Clobi Cup: November 5 to 9. Read More......
Putting it in perspective
In the hysteria which has gripped TV channels (one essentially more than the others) and all worthies who appear on them, a voice of sanity.
The high and mighty prostrate themselves in his path. Public money is spent like water and ordinary citizens inconvenienced for HIS convenience.
And who is He?
No. Not the most powerful man in the world. That is Hu Jintao. He is not even the most powerful man in the US. Since the heady days of 2008, his influence has been vastly reduced and the aura around his head much diminished after a middling presidency. Hell he is not even the most powerful person in the Obama family—-the honor of that going to Michelle Obama, who has the angriest expression on a face I have seen since Mike Tyson and whose arms always remind me of Sunny Deol’s dhai kilo ka haath.
So why should we care about Obama’s visit considering that we as a country have little to gain from this man or his administration? Obama’s vision for the world is one where India is marginalized politically, kind of similar to that of Bill Clinton’s whose messenger Robin Raphel was as viscerally anti-India as one could be (He has now been appointed by Obama to handle the disbursement of non-military aid to Pakistan). Yet when Billu Badshah came at the fag end of his presidency, we as a country prostrated ourselves, showering him with “warmth”, bending backwards. Just like we will do for Obama.
Worth a full read at Random Thoughts of a Demented Mind Read More......
Friday, 5 November 2010
Let's talk Dravid once again
A batsman's pitch, a wayward opposition and a blazing partner on the other side, yet Dravid was feeling the pressure. It was visible. But the pressure, I feel, was more about getting that big innings which matters.
I saw the first day's play on the edited rerun later in the night. The pressure that was visible was not the one which expressed itself in the scratching around or inability, in the earlier stages, to get the ball off the square, but more in his visage. His jawline was unusually determined, yet it showed exasperation with himself. That was unusual about Dravid - he never berated himself visibly for scratchy bypasses of play ever before.
We have seen many times before Dravid begin the way he did on Day One, or lapse, mid-innings, into such unmoving eddies in an otherwise smooth innings, so I do not take the scratchiness of the initial part of the innings as a sign of struggle as the majority opinion appears to suggest. For me, the quiet 'tchah' said almost to himself, via a fleeting twist of expression ( but caught by the camera ) and a slight slap to the air around his thigh with the gloved right hand, were different. It revealed Dravid on the all-or-none brink inside.
Besides, it revealed to me many more things. I deduced from this unusual expression from Dravid, that he is 1) a very proud man and conscious of he is seen to have played the game till the end of his career. 2) he has a time frame in his mind and 3) he has some goals lined up to achieve in that time frame.
Dravid is clearly not one to keep playing for the sake of playing or just hanging around on legacy knowing there are able youngsters to take his spot, even if they can never replace him per se. He values also to be seen to be playing in a contributive manner rather than otherwise.
To me it appears there is a time frame in his mind for the remaining stages of his career and he wants to execute that well. The span may be longer or shorter than our guesses.
It appears he has voiced some minimum remaining goals to himself and is dead serious about achieving those.
From this start, his innings blossomed into a flurry of exquisite suqare cuts, drives and cover drives off the back foot. In their perfection it was as if he were lashing the handicaps that had descended upon his game in the past four years, and admonishing them to begone for ever! His sashaying lofted bowler's backdrives hinted at an ambition and attempted to fan support for that raging flame inside him - Dravid wants to be on the team for World Cup 2011 and he wants to win it. Yes, this is one hungry player. At least it appears so. Not that attacking play is unnatural for Dravid, he has played blinders on many occasions before, but there is something about his aggressive play these days which tells us he isn't convinced himself he'll be picked for the World Cup but he very much would like to be in on it.
While watching the replay, I set aside many of these doubts and debates that surround mention of Dravid these days and simply enjoyed the perfection of his off-side play as it began to unravel itself ball by ball. There is an element of the buccaneer in playing square or cover driving off the back foot, when the batsman delays the stroke to the last possible moment to ensure the stroke creates gaps and pierces them with minimum fuss. There is a large element of risk in it - like Russian Roulette - and can only be played that late and that perfectly by one in majestic control of his senses and skills. So, I, humbly submit an opinion against the majority one, that his reflexes are not quite what they are because his nerves and muscles have slowed down...no, they are what they have always been in this genius of Indian cricket...it is just that the element of dissipation of his mind and famed concentration (consider here also the bad decisions too he got along the way) appeared to be more prominent and throttling his instinctive reflexes. On the first day of this Test, to me, he appeared to have made an effort - not in regaining the measure of his front foot's reach to a ball pitched there and thereabouts but in re-mastering the ability to judge on a per-ball basis over a long period of time, the appropriateness and degree of its reach. There were times in the recent past when it appeared that he was playing shots well before his whole...his entirity had come to join him at the crease.
His effort was in being more selective in the initial phases of his innings. Like the old Rahul.
There was reason to murmur about Dravid in the past few years. I grant that. Even I felt restless with the visible changes in his stay at the crease. Then there are all these new names. It all fit in like closely-cut disparate pieces of a puzzle. You could bung in a call for his head at the same spot in the puzzle just as easily as urging chaps to wait till the Saffer tour was out of the way, without great difficulty in fitting the puzzle, but the end result never really convincing.
"Why keep a formless, absent-minded, expended Dravid for the Saffer tour?"
"What likely miracle could he perform there in such a state which he could not do in India or Lanka or elswhere?"
These were the questions that popped in my mind when th opinion that came by was that Dravid should be retained till at least the end of Saffer tour. An in-form, hungry batsman was more likely to succeed than one who isn't any of that.
Then, when the call for his head grew louder, something pinched you, held you back. Something reminded one "Wasn't it just the last year that Dravid began to play magnificiently again after two poor years?"
"Didn't he play well and contribute importantly on the tour of Kiwiland?"
"And those two big hundreds against Lanka - didn't they come only last year?"
Did he not hold India together at Mohali just the year before, during his slump-time, against the Englishmen with Gambhir, while other team members quit before they warmed up in the first innings?
And was it not Rahul Dravid, who provided India with a platform to attack Australia at Perth, in partnership with Tendulkar, during that calculated retaliation against the injustice meted out to the Indian team at Sydney and the intervening time? During his down-time, so to speak? India won for the first time at Perth, was it not?
And was it not he, who in the company of VVS, tried to avert defeat at P. Sara, Colombo, two years ago with a stolid performance in the second innings?
I am not saying he wasn't suffering, he was, as our previous discussion shows, but it was not slowing of his reflexes which was the matter - it was the preoccupied mind that was making it appear so. As and when he was able to gather it around, the innings came to the fore.
Yes indeed, this need for him to make an effort to concentrate could be the basis for a stentorian call for his head since we have a few young batsmen nudging in the que for the spot, agreed change is forever beckoning, but let it not be said that it is because Rahul Dravid cannot play cricket anymore. Just say you now have choice and change is inevitable.
Lara might unretire if Zimbo T20 goes well
After Zimbo's Southern Rocks franchise signed up Brian Lara in addition to Englishman, Ryan Sidebottom, for their Stanbic Bank Twenty20 series, Brian Lara is said to have mused out aloud that if all goes well in Zimboland, he might consider coming out of retirement for West Indies.
We have always awaited that missing Lara biggie in India, having twice gone to the grounds in different cities to watch him play. Therefore, we welcome this kind of talk and pray all does go well with him in Zimbabwe.
God knows how much WI needs class like his!
Things must be serious Down There
If an Australian Captain is quitting a series and going back to the drawing board.
Ricky Ponting will not take part in the third one-day international against Sri Lanka in Brisbane, and will instead travel to Hobart to prepare for Tasmania's Sheffield Shield game against Queensland in order to fit in as much first-class cricket as possible ahead of the first Ashes Test against England on November 25
Australian Captains never did such things before, no cause was ever given up as lost...even if lost, or so we were led to believe. No, we're not saying this skipper is running from his watch, but he is appearing to be trying to be in too many places at the same time searching for some wonder, winning mantra, that could reassure him. In the process, no job is being well done.
We'd like England to push he Ozzies for the Kangaroos have dominated so much for so long that it gets boringt watch Australia repeatedly murder England in Oz, but, now that the Kangaroos are the distinct underdogs, our natural sympathy kicks in.
The lowman, we say, might just land a few significant punches in the overconfident British groin. Read More......
Two news items that need to be looked at
WICB confirms IPL procedures for all players
05/11/10
St John's, Antigua - On the advice of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) announces that all players in the West Indies who wish to take part in the Indian Premier League for the 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons must do so through the WICB only.
Another blow to the trade unionists and their supporters who tried to invent various conspiracy theories against BCI and India over the past four years.
India and BCCI, loves respective boards to have control over their player movements...always did want that... unlike what Australian, English, Pakistani and West Indians players, player unions, boards and rubbish portions of their media tried to portray. Some crickets fans sucked hard at all those misleading straws and swallowe the tripe whole.
This means that WICB is using BCCI as its shield in its almost mortal fight against WIPA, WIPMACOL etc. Bt BCCI should be wary about WICB as an ally. Better to maintain an element of suspicion on their words and actions.
But say West Indian players, who are WIPA sympathizers and also keen migrators with the flexibility to hop across to either USA or UK, were to migrate to USA or England...they can negotiate trough those cricketing asociations bypassing an antagonistic WICB. As it is West Indian emigres form the basic organizational skeleton of cricket in USA. They are far more organized, unified and entrenched than the expats from Asian countries in USA. Many of these are sympathetic to WIPA causes even if as many are also perhaps supporers of WICB POVs.
Let's say Sarwan, a player now likely to play in USA, hounded by WICB, rumored to possess a US citizenship, would like to play for IPL, he can immediately bring in the USCA into the international cricketing picture by applying through it instead of WICB which might like to keep the pressureon this newly-elected Treasurer of WIPA.
USA will be the new battleground for all n cricket...make no mistake.
Once and for all, let it be clear to all IPL haters and India baiters that there it is gain below...any player participation is vetted by respective board. Nobody is running a Packer-style show here as many sought to paint. It is the Boars who will decide whom they want to allow greater prticipation in IPL. Even County system is not so understanding and ends/not selects players who cannot commit sufficent tme to the county's cause.
The BCCI/IPL, as per its IPL rules, will not have any communication with player agents or managers and will only deal directly with the national boards/associations.
The hate against India's initiative continues. There is still much name-calling going on among fans. What is interesting to see is they do not apply the same lingo to Big Bash. When Big Bash happens ad the recruitment begins there, I'd like every Tom, Dick, Harry and Smith still mouthing propaganda against India say the same to Australia. I can wager those idiots will not say a word!
---
The other news is this - about South Africa securing a Test deal.
Season protection and commerce accruing from that may no longer be the sole privilige of a nation or two.
With Australia and South Africa making it known that they prefer making local money during festive season, other countries might look at such touristy options and issues like protecting their seasons.
What about FTP and cycles of championhips? What about Asian countries who also have a winter cricket season?
Effect on Exclusivity? Can it extend soon to exclusivity of series?
Australia and South Africa will henceforth then ou India only at the tail end or start of Inda's season. We can forget December at Mohali.
More thought needs to be put into digestng these two articles than I can spare today, and a discussion needed to listen to everybody's views on the two. I'll come back to this later with my promise also about the Australian Big Bash.
We will not be ones to call it a Big Bah instead, in the denigrating fashion of attackers of IPL, but we will wait to see the faces of he likes of Ponting and Clarke light up and who knows, whose else May?
Ponting was a known antagonist of IPL who quit in a bit of pique, Pup Clarke never sure about his role in the LOI scheme of things for Australia, couldn't possibly have been confident of delivering among the world's cream.
Our stated position is of the inevtability of such leagues and more of them in future. We look at it dispassionately as a necesary survival evolution. Read More......
Lanka blanked out Australia Down Under, I hear
These are indeed grim, human, times for Australian Cricket.
Chap's are sure there is a light waiting at the end of the tunnel ahead. Or is all that white light just the shining England uniform just hanging about, with knuckles and Broads et al, to land the ultimate KO punch?
No way to escape Australia, it seems. The Kangaroos need a special hop to overcome karma calling.
The other day, an English lady was playing some Waughian mind games on the Ozzies - she was suggesting, after inferencing from an Ozzie newspaper article, that fans are abandoning Australian Cricket in droves. Don't tell me the stadiums in Australia will be filled with cheering English fans!
Taking it too easy
India made the mistake of doing that, irrespective of what any player says. Yesterday, set baatsmen threw it away and today, it appeared the focus was different even it might not have been. Somewhere in all that, people forgot about New Zealand and that they could pull it up.
The batting collapses of the past few Test matches, once the top order has been breached, obviously hasn't been worked upon. For a mere 160-odd runs, seven wickets fell today to what everybody was touting as a poor poor attack. Ad those 160-odd runs included 67 off Harbhajan's bat. Makes you pause to think. Dhoni, our beloved Mahi, averages aside, failed to inspire confidence again in Tests as a reliable contributor.
The point is not whether India will win this or not, a few weakesses are not being addresed.
Yesterday, in response to a tweet, I did mention that 320-odd for 3 with three dropped chances against a purportedly poor attack was maybe just a par performance given the shape of modern Test innings and their construction and taking into account Sehwag's galloping innings. What if they had held thse catches? If NZ were to make adjustments, India would be found wanting...not they.
As it turned out, they bowled better today and fielded better too. India continued to play, pardon me for sayng so but I really felt that way, that the focus was on some other thing and not innings building in an ongoing Test match. I am prepared to be told I was wrong in feeling so, but I'm juss sayin'...that's all.
Whatever it is, hard labour beckons India to win this one.
I reiterate Golandaaz'sview that NZ are the one team which has lost the least number of Tests in India in the past fifteen years. India has suffered before for underestimating the Kiwis. Win India should, but it's not given.
On a diferent note - due to change in my work schedule, till mid-December, I shall
be fitful in watching and reporting on cricket. Balajhi has kindly consented to pop in an article or two ever week in the interim.
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
Kumble - A silver lining
KUMBLE IS INDIA's leading wicket taker and a spin great. Yet I admire him more for his leadership qualities than his performances on the fielder as a bowler. I have always enjoyed his bowling, especially his yorkers and the googly, late in his career. But it is his leadership that surprised me. He is probably India's best captain material, not used to its fullest potential. At least, I hope his leadership benefits Indian cricket in administrative capacity.
Kumble and Srinath are contesting KCA elections for President and Secretary posts. Two key posts of KCA and hearteningly men who were dominating cricket administration in Karnataka like Brijesh Patel, Vishy and others have come forward to support Kumble and change of guards. These people do not want to hold on to power citing even our prime minister is aged and that they have a lot to contribute. Good on them. I salute Brijesh and his men for leaving the place for young administrators.
It's not necessary that players become administrators but then players like Kumble can be good administrators. What more, he played cricket at the highest level and hogged the limelight for nearly two decades. He still leads his IPL team with panache. Somehow I have a feeling that these cricketers will inject more professionalism into cricket administration. It may have got to do with my perception of them as players or simply a gut feeling. But I strongly believe Indian cricket will benefit with people like Kumble as administrator. I just hope this catches up with other associations and slowly at the top most cricket organisation of India. Importantly people occupying those posts currently and doing an ineffective / unprofessional job must make way instead of undermining the efforts of capable, young men. Good luck Kumble and Co. Karnataka cricket is in for a positive change.
http://www.cricinfo.com/india/content/current/story/485154.html
"How could we lose that?"
At the MCG, as Angelo Mathews and Lasith Mahalinga demolished, with their bats...chasing, a great Australian fightback in the match after Australia having been dismissed for a moderate total built around Mr.Cricket's determination, the record for ninth wicket partnership in ODIs went for a toss. Till today, for 27 years, it was held by the Indian pair of Kapil Dev, the then Indian captain, and Syed Kirmani, India's keeper aginst Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells is 1983 World Cup.
They went about reconstructing an innings saved from annhilation by an earlier partnership of sixty runs between Kapil and Roger Binny after India were reduced to 17-5 in no time at all. Binny's departure at 77 brought Kapil and Kirmani together. The rest is history, as they say. India went from that crucial qualifying match to win the Cup. In the process, the seemingly invincible West Indians were thrust into the start of a tailspin that only Lord Sammy, newly appointed roving Ambassador of St.Lucia, God supported captian of West Indies, seeks to end when he wll embark to Sri Lanka with his team after all these years.
Mathew and Mahalinga of Sri Lanka, might have just stabbed their bit into the falling giants of today - Australia - with a similar performance at the MCG today. They stuck their bats into the fiery Australian bowling fire...a debutant fire in the form of Xavier Doherty... that razed the Lankan innings almost to nothingness, with little more to back them than self-belief and PASSION. And LOOK what they achieved!
Australia are in serious danger of being crushed mentally head of the Ashes.
Even though the Test team will be different, the string of recent losses in Tests (starting from Butt's Pakisan), T20s and ODIs betrays a secret - Australia have lost the champion ability to win in cricket consistenty. Are we now at the lip of the downward twister dragging Australian cricket or already into it?
Chaps are saying, after seeing Lanka's crushing superiority over Australia, that Lord Sammy should start praying a litle harder to his beloved god. To deliver the PASSION he has banked so heavily upon. I do not know...the dynamics of Sri Lanka-Australia are different from that of Sri Lanka-PASSION Windies.
Anyway, Australians have now begun to ask themselves "How could we lose that?" in the same manner as ageing fans from the glory era of Windies cricket are asking till today about that signifiant day at Lord's 27 years ago.
As an underdog supporter, I hope Mr.Ponting and his men pull a big rabbit out of their collective baggies and scare the confidently expectant Englishmen. Otherwise the series will be insipidly one-sided (pending of course the prevailing strength of England's inherent disintegrablity factor).
By the way, spare a thought for Xavier Doherty and such newcomers who are performing for Autralia but ending up on the losing side. As Steve Waugh wrote, that was not a pleasant situation to be in when he was a newcomer, and felt the NSW team was more cohesiv than the Australian one of tht time. Mr.Ponting must at least now, make sure, like AB did back then, that youngsters have a team to support their talent and pluck. Who knows which one will be the new Waugh of Australian cricket?
I forgot to mention and hence I re-enter the post - Did Mahalinga surprise anyone? I mean his pyrotechnics wih the bat? Poeple shouldn't have been because only recently he partnered Herath in the first Test agaist India to rescue his team with the bat and ultimtely win.
Going back a litle further to 2007 and a Test match played at Hobart between Sri Lanka and Australia, it was Mahalinga who was Sangakkara's comrade-in-arms in that brilliant charge for an astonishing victory. Unfortunately, Rudi Koertzen snuffed out that Test match with a straightforward, clear-cut poor decision which dismissed Sangakkra on 192 and Sri Lanka on the brink of something magnificient. Such a shame it is even today as it was then, but those were the days when umpires were in partnership with a high-riding Australia to a great extent. It was the prevailing atmosphere.
But don't forget Mahalinga in that Test. He can bat when his PASSION is high. And both WI and Australia must tap into this PASSION thing to start winning again..specially ahead of respective important series.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Makhaya Ntini
"Makhaya is not just a name, or a person, its energy, dedication, pride, all of us together. It's Ubuntu."
- Makhaya Ntini, South African pace bowler
He brought all of that into his game. What I remember most about Ntini as a player was an article I read about his training methods, which included, according to the report, a fun marathon of 10 kilometers to kick off th day. Fast bowlers are not known to be fond of long-distance running on a daily basis, hence the amazement.
Cricinfo explains further about Ntini who has called it a day from international cricket - The word originates from African traditions and focuses on communities. Its meaning, 'I am because we are,' captures how Ntini flew the flag for the black majority in South African cricket. Read More......
Pakistan are definitely there in the mix
Observing the two competitive ODIs played in the Gulf, it is obvious that Pakistan is definitely there in the mix for World Cup 2011. If Pakistan succeeds in getting the bowlers currently under suspension onto the field of play, then they must be counted in as potential prospects for the trophy rather than mere wreckers of seedings.
Pakistan's strength lies in their bowling; their batting is unpredictable. Yet it took all of South Africa's resources to subdue Pakistan yesterday after being shot out for a mild total.
Hashim Amla, the player we had once adorned with the title of "Bearded Laxman", held South Africa together in the face of hostile bowling by Pakistan which swept away the remainder of the batting order.
In return, South Africa pegged back Pakistan too in no time at all, Tsotobe accounting for Hafeez. Younis Khan followed soon after, edged out by Morkel as he played in two minds to a ball which also rose sharply. Fawad Alam played his sensible brand of cricket, creating an island in the swirling tides for Pakistan to hop over the attainable target. But Razzaq failed this time. The hero of the first match didn't wait to see Pakistan through, and like in the Saffer innings, Pakistan's batting order, bar the couple of eddies, was a rushing river in rootless flow.
Only one thing remained which could probably see Pakistan to a win - the famed ability of South Africans to choke on their efforts till then.
Unfortunately for Pakistan, that didn't happen yesterday and South Africa prevailed in a rare narrow game.
The series is tied 1-1.
Pakistan, if they can achieve consistency in a chunk of their batting order, can then be near certainties for honours at the World Cup.
Monday, 1 November 2010
Remembering a friend - Prof. Neb Raj Bhatia
This morning, I learnt that one of my fast friends, Prof. Neb Raj Bhatia, passed away. He was poised to celebrate his 87th birthday next year and was looking forward to 'completing century' when I met him last couple of weeks ago.
Also called 'Spanish Bhatia', the professor and I became acquainted a few years ago, and soon, friendship developed because of shared common interests. Prof. Bhatia was a linguist - proficient in many European languages such as Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portugese, and of course English. Besides, he was in command of Urdu, Punjabi, Sanskrit and Hindi. Being also a poet, he often wrote poems in all the above languages and has an anthology of Spanish poems called El Wanderlust y otros poemas published in Spain.
Born in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, Prof. Neb Raj Bhatia migrated to India a couple of months before India became independent. Starting from the scratch as a typist, he educated himself in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Urdu and Persian besides doing his B.A. with French and M.A. in English Literature from Punjab University Camp College, New Delhi which took him to various countries across the globe.
He stood First in an All-India Competitive Examination for selection of French Translators held by UPSC in 1955, joined in that capacity DGP&T, New Delhi and in the following year, i.e. 1956, he was awarded a two-year scholarship to study Spanish Language and Literature and went to Spain where he also studied Portuguese. On his return to India in 1958, he followed courses in German and Italian. In 1959, he was deputed as a part-time teacher to teach Spanish at Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan, New Delhi.
In 1963, he established Diploma Course in Spanish at Delhi University and also taught French and Spanish at Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi. He taught these two languages for five decades. Lately, at the age of 80 years, he has done a diploma Course in Persian at the Iran Cultural Centre, New Delhi.
Again in 1969, he stood First in a competitive test for French-English translators held by the International Bureau, Universal Postal Union, Bern (Switzerland) and went to Tokyo to work for 45 days during the sessions of the XVI UPU Congress.
Before his voluntary retirement from government service in 1977, he worked as a simultaneous and consecutive interpreter/translator in international conferences and also accompanied dignitaries visiting India to various universities, institutions and industrial installations in India. After his retirement, he established ACTIVOS (Multi-lingual People) and covered 250 international conferences as interpreter-translator in India and abroad.
Because of his literary pursuits in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Hindi and Urdu, he won laurels when he took part in several poetic symposia in India and abroad. In 1994, he was sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi, to participate in poetic symposia in Medellin and Bogota (Colombia), where he recited his Spanish verses among 70 Spanish-speaking poets to the great applause from the audience.
Spanish Bhatia, as he was called, also accompanied the late Smt. Indira Gandhi as interpreter-cum-translator on her European missions. There was an interesting story he used to narrate when he refused to go Mrs.Gandhi's house and give tuitions upon her request. Apparently he told her "One cannot create the class room atmosphere of teaching and learning in a wealthy person’s living room. You have to come to my class", which she is said to have gracefully accepted. Prof. Bhatia also accompanied many other Indian leaders of the time upon their sojourns or when visiting dignitaries were here.
Though Prof. Bhatia's memories dwelled upon the Indira Gandhi era, he also had interesting anecdotes from Pt.Jawaharlal Nehru's time. One of his stories went like this - Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was known for his off the cuff remarks. Spanish Bhatia accompanied a group of foreign correspondents, and at the invitation of the ministry of external affairs, to the prime minister's office soon after India annexed the Portuguese colony Goa in the early 1960s. An Italian journalist asked Nehru that since India propagated global peace, how could he justify India's armed invasion of Goa. Before translating the question, Prof. Bhatia is said to have suggested to Nehru in Hindi to be careful with his reply. Nehru appreciated this and took his time to come out with a convincing reply.
The man was full of life and wanted to accomplish many more things.
He would drop by every Saturday afternoon, en route the Press Club to share an afternoon and evening with his friends there, and spend half an hour with me. He was a serious sports enthusiast, having been an active footballer in his younger days and an active member of the football adminstration here in Delhi at one time. He also loved chess and I shared that passion too along with poetry and an interest in his stories. Most of all, I was always awestruck by his energy and zest for life.
One of his friends from the Press Club has a website of his own where he put up an article on Prof.Bhatia once. Professor saheb's excitement knew no bounds and he would, every Saturday when he'd come over, before leaving, he'd ask me to log into that site and add my views. He wanted to read my views about him and introduce me to his other friends who had put down their notes there. I'd promise myself each day to do so. Little did I realize that when I eventually would, it would be as an obituary. Prof.Bhatia loved to visit TCWJ and he'd be on the phone during some of the matches during the South African World Cup.
He had predicted to me Spain's victory and every time Spain won their match, he'd either drop by or ring me up. The day after Spain won the cup, even though he was ailing and could barely walk, he stopped by my offices especially for the purpose of sharing his joy. He was like a child...as excited and happy for Spain's success.
He used to tell me 'Soulberry ( he used to refer to me by my pseudonym just as he liked to be referred by his - Shola Hispanvi ), I have miles to go and many more things to do. This lifetime is not enough and I want to complete my century. I have no desire to die.'
Many of his friends were like me...years younger than he...spanned a spectrum of ages, nationalities and vocations. He always made it a point to pump me up if ever I sounded despondent and all the while he was battling with cancer and asthma.
Professor, if you are watching, I finally got around to writing about you. And I know you must be smiling. Wherever you are, I know you must have already organized a mushaira.
I'm going to miss you Sir. I'll miss the joy for life you used to infuse everybody with. Saturday's are not going to be the same again.
He is survived by his wife and a large family of many generations.
