Kemar Roach, one of our favorite emerging players on the international scene, and also a favorite alongside Adrian Barath and Bravo Jr. from the Caribbean region plucked six Dutchmen out with the kind of pace the Oranjes had probably not contemplated even in their dreams. They were mowed down by this new express train. In the process, he claimed a hat-trick and is the fourth bowler to do so in World Cup history.
Bishoo, a leggie in some form, is set to join Roachie in future games. Now that Kemar has declared himself in the mood, his stinging pace coupled with a difficult Benn and unknown Bishoo, is acquiring the shape of a formation.
West Indies definitely would be upbeat today after the beat dong the other day. Their batsmen were able to calibrate themselves in these conditions too in readiness for tougher battles ahead.
The excitement generated by Roach's bowling performance has managed to down a particular West Indian cricket forum. They are looking forward to erase the mediocrity that has lathered them all these decades and it hasn't been often that their websites have been broken dong by the number of hits. Been a while. One fine old rummed up West Indian fan of cricket expostulated thus - "Roach's in de Dutch Petticoats!" as soon as Kemar picked up his hat-trick and wound up the Dutch innings. Little wonder that site went down soon after...it must have been quite a melee!
Meanwhile, hope Indian think tank has an analysis ready for our team....both bowling and batting analysis.
Monday, 28 February 2011
Roach Effect
Devendra Bishoo
Devendra Bishoo - young Guyanese leggie selected as replacement for Bravo Sr.
Now this is interesting for the initial excitement among those who claim intimate knowledge was for Tino Best as a sorely needed wicket option. In fact the well-informed sources had almost put Best on the plane to London. Someone prevailed to change that - Bishoo is a prolific wicket taker in the West Indian domestic circuit and is in some form in the f-day format currently going on.
West Indies have been bold in choosing a callow leggie to bowl on sub-continental pitches. Credit here must go to WICB, who are willing to look for options other than the expected ones. This spin-laden West Indies is so different from the hot rods of Clive Lloyd's teams and of his successors.
Maybe Imran Tahir's success swayed the decision in favour of a useful leggie.
People in the Caribbeans think highly of this lad, but not everybody is glad. They fear he is being thrust into major action too early.
Good luck to him. Hope he gets a game.
In 20 FC matches he has 82 wickets at 27.9 average. In One-Day bowling, he has 25 wickets at an average of 12.64! And an eco rate of 3.95!
Take it or leave it, like it or not...
There are plenty of cricket fans still breathless after last night's 'excitement' churned out in generating a tie between England and India. Plenty more are still wide eyed and eulogistic. There is talk about this cup catching fire or sparking up or some such thing. It is difficult to make out who among the combined swarm of Indian and English supporters is more relieved. Anyway, I am not one of them. Perhaps because I had conceded the match to England with Strauss and Bell still blitzing and just a little over six runs an over required when I turned in for the night to face a tough day at work the next day.
Yes, I was surprised to learn England tied it when I opened my morning newspaper, The Hindu, but was somewhat taken aback by the title A perfect finish to a pulsating tie unless it was the expression of an Indian exhaling. For you see, there was nothing perfect about yesterday's match. Not to me. India bowled as poorly as they could - a blindfolded batsman should have easily put away the match just as he might have put away the customary four balls donated by India in every over - yet England chose to descend. From the soaring heights of a much anticipated 'upset' win they crashed shudderingly to a wet cardboardy tied match. Somebody in the English camp should be kicking himself or themselves, if in the right mind.
Much after breakfast, I had opportunity to browse first The Guardian to gain the British perspective of the match. What I gained from my efforts was even more mind-boggling than The Hindu headline.
England and India tie and breathe life into the World Cup• India 338; England 338-8 wrote Vic Marks, the former England Off spinner and lower order batsman and genially described by Cricinfo in his profile as follows
There's more of that in the Cricinfo profile and one can head there to read it.
He writes something that appears like newfound knowledge to him besides suggesting that England were indeed relieved to have drawn the encounter instead of winning it! Let's read the concerned paragraph - It suggested that England, for all their frailties, have a much better chance in this World Cup than we thought 24 hours ago and that India are not quite so invincible upon their home patch as their status as favourites indicates. It also told us that any obituaries for the 50‑over format are premature.
Only the deliberately blind would have stubbornly refused to acknowledge that England were now a team with quite a changed attitude. Unless there is some assuaging power in thinking so, or it serves to highlight England in glowing colours despite a choke ultimately, I cannot understand why people think England was not capable of doing well in this cup. We have been moaning about it for about a year now!
Also the obituary bit - it is thanks to a few cricket writers and a few players equipped with such megaphones who have created the death of 50-50 first and then lifted it to a debate. Perhaps thet was their way of pushing 20-20. 50-50, we always felt had to merely undergo slight adjustments to become a niche product describing a certain level of quality to continue existing happily between Tests and the beast of burden - T20 cricket. And this is happening via ICC. The monstrosities of meaningless ODIs and such tournaments will of course have to cede space to T20 convenience.
Lest you think I'm needlessly going after Vic Marks, let me assure you I have no such intention. I used the portion, unfortunately for Marks, to emphasize my point. By all stretches of imagination, after India was held up by Bresnan first and then counter-assaulted by Strauss and Bell, there was no way England should have lost, much less tied. I would have expected English commentators to tell it like it was rather than duck into such distortional views - there was nothing great about bad bowling and a worse collapse. Indians have the right to feel relieved they didn't lose, not England!
Somehow, one of the finer writers in cricket circles today - Lawrence Booth - also succumbs to the same spirit even though it is concealed among the deserving praise for Strauss and Bell.
Why is nobody talking about India's bad bowling? For at least 35 overs nearly all of them bowled donkey drops or two per over. Three good balls and two truly bad balls was the norm. Piyush Chawla, irrespective of how good a bowler he percieves hismelf to be, is not international material. That should be amply clear by now. He may have the odd good match. He may be the rajah of county cricket or the raj kunwar of UP cricket, but I haven't seen him do well for a long long time. But chaps who play alongside him and those who select players must be able to see something because they pick him again and again.
But it wasn't all Chawla's fault. Just like it wasn't all Sreesanth's fault the other day. In the article titled The Opener we forced ourselves to only mildly question the Indian bowling performance in allowing 283 runs to be scored by Bangladesh despite being under pressure of chasing a large total like 370. Mildly, because we had earlier been chided for our 'negativity' in focussing on such points when most felt they'd have taken a 87-run victory if offered in the morning. The economy rates of leading bowlers of India was pointed at. But that accounted for only 30 overs, I said...the remaining 20 overs were bowled like billionaires.
Then the main bowlers - they finished at 4.0 and a little over but could they not channelize the pressure of a large score to an even better performance? As rare as such batting scores are, India could at least, on such rare occasions, show that they too could to unto others what others teams can easily do to them - crumple up and discard the Indians quickly if they, the opposition, set up a large total batting first.
Against teams more balanced and better than Bangladesh, I cautioned India might have to pay if they did not develop bowler discipline in being able to reel a few overs in one go with 6 good balls. As it turned out, India dropped a crucial point to England and hurt their NRR too. With West Indian batsmen licking their lips and pawing to maul unwary, indisciplined, width-spraying, long-hop showering Indian bowlers, don't be surprised if India finds itself fighting to qualify for the QFs behind South Africa, West Indies, England and Bangladesh! Even Ryan ten Doeschate must be looking forward to scoring his next World Cup hundred.
Why do Indian bowlers do not take that extra microsecond when they are stepping into their fourth and fifth balls? Why do they not visualize their next ball clearly and execute it as intended? In India, it isn't all about pace only they must surely know! Why do they not focus on putting the ball in the most likely unplayable spots? They are NOT fools let me assure you - Indian bowlers are a wily lot to have helped their team achieve so much. That's what bugs me...their work ethic sometimes takes things for granted...just like England was supposed to play worse than Bangladesh. What else can explain pitching the ball in hitting areas over and over again? Were they not fit? Experienced as they are, surely they know what's to be done.
To me it smacked of lazy mindset...of lethargic motivation...to expect that just because 300 is up England will crumble with minimum effort on the part of bowlers.
I had said in my earlier India post - the very same The Opener - that I shall no longer criticize Indian fielding. That's all they are capable of bar the inspired youthfulness - so our plans must take into account this factor while planning our batting and bowling strategies.
Dhoni was cussed for poor field placings - sure, he did appear lost at times, but wasn't that because his bowlers ALWAYS strayed from whatever was planned for? Bad days like this can destroy chances. Our effort is walking on a thin edge - if we have some flexibility in batting, we are arthritically rigid in out fielding and bowling attributes. And since we are the way we are, we need to do those things that help us bowl and field in the most disciplined manner ball after ball for an over, and then over after over for a few overs to create the wicket taking pressure.
Yesterday, England turned charitable most unexpectedly and spurned an easy win irrespective of the size of the total. By the way, 330 today, against India, is like 250 scored against South Africa or Pakistan or Australia.
While we fussed over Broad's absence, in retrospect, it was good he was employing the chamberpot usefully instead of reducing India's total.
On many counts, like it or not, take it or leave it, yesterday was a poor match played by both sides - India limped back when it matterd most after wasting themselves from their 40th over through England intial 40 overs, and England, after bowling as poorly to India first up came back via Bresnan, Strauss and Bell only to discard it all in one late heap.
Maybe I am seeing all this too darkly. Competition and contest must show a consistent fight, not swabs of that floating in an ocean of mediocrity.
Sachin, Gambhir, Yuvraj played well. Tim Bresnan did plenty of what I wrote above..took time between balls, visualized and placed the ball where exactly he wanted them. Andrew Strauss made the most of what was offered - he is the key England player as I have been saying in conversations - and KP and Bell did their bit. The rest were forgettable unless you consider the tailenders who saved England from actually losing what they had been winning from the first ball of their batting innings!
For the 2.5 m rule and UDRS, I suggest Kartikeya Date's latest article in his growing collection on the subject as the last word. Interesting articles can also be read at Venky Babu's Cricketweb and Jaju Saheb's Cric-Sis. Read More......
Monday, 21 February 2011
Perceptual Parallax
I was sort of hoping that would be the same sort of thing for me really, that they'd give me every chance to have a crack at it really.
- Mike Hussey, quoted from article in smh.com.au
The way I read it, Cricket Australia's selectors have gone conservative, simply because, despite being the top-ranked ODI team in the world, the perception of falliability has crept upon the Australians almost stealthily. And that, combined with a few more recovering elements in the team (mentioned in the SMH report), has probably drawn their intuitions and risk taking confidence inwards, into a tight tight clump meant for storage purposes for the time being. They want able-bodied men first and for every match. In the past, the difference in quality available to Australia and other teams was great enough to afford them the luxury of making exceptions. Today, even if the format is not threatening to any of the top teams (unless they play rather poorly of course), Australia prefer to be conservative. For the moment, Cricket Australia has clad its instinct to risk a shot in long grey skirts instead of the usual beach kissing g-strings. Not even if Mr.Cricket is available on the sands.
He'll be missed.
UPDATE
NM links me up with this article in smh.com.au where it appears Guru G may be involved in an Australian misunderstanding rhis time. Read More......
Sunday, 20 February 2011
Missing the Passion
Anybody who saw the Group A match between New Zealand and Kenya would have come away feeling there was shortness of passion in many quarters. The empty stadium in Chennai on a pleasant Sunday during the World Cup itself, bore testimony to the fact that neither the marketing managers of the local association nor the city public were willing to attest the recent and oft touted 'cricket passion' of the city we have been forced to listen to, and read, over and over again by numerous breathless and hyperbolic commentators. Where was the city of Chennai? Where was the city that stands up to the highest standards of sporting spirit? Where was the disposable income? Where was the cricket passion?
Then the pitch. We mentioned the strange behaviour of the Chennai pitch that tends to keep low at the beginning in our report on the warmup match between Australia and India. For some reason Kenya ignored that footage from their analysis. Perhaps the spin extracted by Indian spinners later in the match was more glaring. Perhaps the early Indian wickets to fall were ascribed to Lee's mere presence than any machinations of the pitch. But if the Kenyan honchos had watched the footage carefully, both Sachin and Sehwag initially had to be extremely wary of the low bounce. In fact, Sehwag succumbed to a shooter. For if they did check the practice match footage, Kenya wouldn't have opted to bat first, and if they did, they would have been ready for the surprise element that low intial bounce can create. Not the perfect belter type WC pitch prepared by TNCA-BCCI at all.
Bennett bowled beautifully - recognizing instantly what the pitch had to offer for him, he went on to employ the incutting low ball to rap the Kenyans mid-tibia to lower third enough times to make it appear the Kenyans lacked passion and stomach for the game and the stage.
ICC is cutting down the teams in the World Cup and making it a niche event along with probably Tests - we have advocated this before...either the WC or the CT had to become a niche event and the T20 to be the world wide vehicle for cricket. There is a group of nations who have invested sufficient time in the ODI scheme of things to feel cheated by this change. The best statement they can make is give the bigger teams a run for their money. And to do that, you need, first and foremost, intelligent planners in the dressing room who can put together a cogent, coherent, easily implementable plan after taking into account all the factors. The strength and weaknesses of self, of the opposition and careful analysis of conditions and the nose to smell out the psyche of the opposition - the team may yet lose due to inferior skill sets, but that's one way to maximize your chances and look competitive. By not accounting for the low bounce, and then, when evident, the players not accomodating for it and the line Bennett was bowling, smacked of lesser preparation. A team wishing to show ICC that they belong should do things like homework correctly at least.
The Kiwis were the only people, other than the studio pundits of course, who looked passionate about the proceedings. The Kiwis could have easily allowed things to drift because of the mismatch, but their recent history has made their thirst for victory that much keener. They loved this match and the way it went. It was the perfect pep-up tonic. The studio pundits have no option but to always look interested always - its their job and they are being paid well for it, and it is only correct that they should remain enthusiastic about the cause under any circumstance.
I missed passion at different levels - Jony Rhodes was sitting with a leg up in another chair in the Kenyan dressing room. A man of his experience would definitely have shared a tip or two with the members of the room immediately upon seeing the alarming low bounce and the line taken by Bennett. He must have advised the Kenyans to stand a step ahead and play on the front foot. We were not expecting Kenyans to win, but the team that beat West Indies, India and other nations was missing today. Too demure and slow to respond to an unexpected, and also changing, climate. 
Let us hope, for their sakes and the sake of the tournament, Canada, Ireland and the Dutchmen begin brightly and Kenya bounce back too.
Brief Scores:
Captains: Kenya - Jimmy Kamande New Zealand - Daniel Vettori
Toss: Kenya won and opted to bat first
Kenya 69 (23.5): Waters 16, RR Patel 16, H Bennett 4-16, T Southee 3- 13.
New Zealand 72-0 (8): M Guptill 39*, B McCullum 26*
New Zealand - 2 points (NRR 7.62) Kenya - 0 points (NRR -7.62)
Scorecard - Points Table
Saturday, 19 February 2011
What's the latest on Wankhede Stadium?
...
MCA joint secretary Lalchand Rajput, however, said there were only a few minor changes required. "We have already received the NOC and what is left now is the compliance certificate," Rajput told ESPNcricinfo
- Cricinfo
Like we said,Link sometimes, and for some people, fire clearance is just a piece of paper that can be signed by the chap sitting on the designated desk.
Then there's a bit more apparently
There have been previous worries about the progress of renovations at the Wankhede, which began soon after the conclusion of the 2008 IPL season. Back in 2010, a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed stating the work at Wankhede was in violation of several environmental and safety norms. One of the main concerns was the lack of access of the fire brigade to all parts of the venue, as required under the National Building Code of India.
The stadium was then supposed to be ready by November to host a Test match between India and New Zealand, but was dropped as a venue for that series. In December last year, the ICC inspection team slammed the stadium, saying it was not possible to confirm that it would be in a suitable condition to be handed over by January 31.
The Wankhede managed to recover from that setback and was given the go-ahead by the ICC on January 27, even as Eden Gardens lost the India-England fixture
How come, ICC, that you stretch for one and slam the other?
We'd be glad to know what is the latest on Wankhede. After the CWG mismanagment by Kalmadi and co., surely Mumbai, MCA and BCCI should have been up and wary as regards these things.Reuters It is surprising to note they've been sleeping all the while. Yet matches slated to continue according to ICC's non-action. Matches should have been shifted to say, Bengaluru, out of Wankhede or to any other games-ready, cricket-crazy city like say, Hyderabad. At least in Hyderabad or such games-ready cities, we wouldn't have seen so much yellow as was visible at the empty Chennai stadium today...on a Sunday match of World Cup! Whither the peeps with 'disposable income' and 'cricket passion'? We understand if they didn't have the time on a weekday. But this is going away from the topic.
MUMBAI (Reuters) - Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium went into complete lockdown on Saturday just 24 hours after it was criticised by the city's top fire chief for not meeting safety standards.
All unauthorised personnel were being shooed away by harassed security guards, who were under orders not to allow any media to come within 75 metres of the stadium, which will host the World Cup final on April 2.
"We are under so much tension. Every day something or the other is happening. Please go away. Our jobs are on the line. If any officer sees you, we will be in trouble," a uniformed guard told Reuters as he escorted journalists out of the stadium complex.
...
There was no disguising the fact that time was fast running short too for Mumbai's cricket authorities to get their problems sorted before the venue hosts the first of its three World Cup matches on March 13.
Safety inspectors were unhappy that mandatory fire equipment, including water hydrants, no-smoking indicators, fire alarms and extinguishers were still not in place.
"They should have sorted this beforehand as you never want to leave these things so late," a Mumbai fire officer, who declined to reveal his name, told Reuters while leaning through the window of his engine after freeing a trapped bird from a house situated just a stone's throw away from the stadium.
- Reuters
Considering that some vocal Mumbhais on public portals went on record stating that they had better organisational infrastructure and ability than Delhi prior to the CWG, it is boggling to note the predicament Mumbhais find themselves in while organising just two ODI matches. If it hadn't been for the CWGOC's mismanagement, we wouldn't have seen as much controversy then. In the end Delhi managed its role in the games quite smoothly.
Also, it is peculiar TV channels aren't talking much about it like they did back then. Read More......
The Opener
For a change India began the tournament reasonably warmed up instead of stutteringly. Delhi boys, Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli, thumped a hundred each thereby placing India upon a high ledge of safety this time - the Tigers, no matter how high they leapt, had to make do with frustration. Giant-killing would have to wait for another day this tournament.
Sehwag scored 175 off 140, under cover of his blistering 47.3 over long attack, Virat Kohli scored an aesthetically pleasing fast-galloping century on world cup debut to remain not out on 100 scored off just 83 balls. Both innings were a treat to watch and put into perspective what lays in store for bowling-poor teams in this edition of the Cup despite being a decent batting and fielding side.
Much as the two innings place things in such a perspective, combined with the Bangaldeshi response, there are some cautionary tales for India too. That is if they choose to see them in the first place at all.
Mashrafe Mortaza and Shahadat Hosain weren't in the Bangla bowling line-up. In a flash, their opening bowling looks waner. India, to their credit, made good with what was presented to them, but teams will not be so charitable as Bangaldesh were. So 370, while not impossible, will not be a regular option and India will probably have to settle for scores that are 80-100 runs lesser against better teams. It is then that India's 10 overs of part-time bowling and 10 overs of a mainline bowler will be required to be more effective and disciplined.
On the face of it, three frontline bowlers of India went through 30 overs very well. Their economy ranged within a narrow scale of 4.00 to 4.80, averaging 4.30. Yet Bangaldesh scored over 280 runs despite the supposed pressure of a 371 target. So 20 overs made the difference between a 215-230 score and the eventual 283. Even if we grant 5.00 rpo for that set of 20 overs, as a matter of overall strategy, it was exceeded. This thing could be the difference between winning and losing when the teams are more evenly matched across the board. India must have an overall bowling target in it mind - that they would like to keep teams within 250 or less by and large. 10 overs each for 50 runs each among five bowlers (or more) is probably a reasonably mediocre and conservative ambition to achieve in a 50-50 game. Anything less would be in the realm of excellence and anything over this will probably be counted as poor bowling. T20 bowling scales are probably not yet applicable in the 50-50 structure - 5 rpo is enough concession to that.
Before accusations of nitpicking and improper focus upon wrong priorities fly around, let me end the bowling criticism by saying that collectively and individually, bowlers must develop a stress busting strategy so that they can correct these chinks in our armour. What can be corrected should be looked at and not ignored as undue focus on negativity. When a batsman gets going, if it is his day, a bowler must have an exit plan for that stress - there must be a damage limiting mode to switch into effectively and immediately. That's for each bowler to design on his own just as batsmen have their plans for playing their innings in different gears as per requirement. Collective thought might help.
I will not harp upon India's fielding any more for that cannot and will not be greatly better than what it is. Call me a dark man to talk less about four batsmen and three bowlers, and dwell more upon 20 overs - if India can cover that, then they are winning this cup most convincingly.
Look, 280+ is a good score as a standalone and is better when you consider it is a lesser team scoring it chasing the monster of 371. We must play with the strength we have already in our minds - that is not stuff just for tweeting and speaking at pressers or discussing at sessions and forgotten. If it was Sreesanth yesterday, it could be Nehra tomorrow or it could be Ashwin...just like it was Zak in 2003 finals. Zaheer Khan may have since gone on to develop not just his mental stamina, but has also devised strategies within his physical abilities to be India's cosh-man today. Same with Munaf Patel - players who have learnt from stick and have devised Plan Bs and Cs. Sreesanth or Nehra or whoever it is who might be bowling as a main bowler, that is what they need to get organized. Think, think a little more and probably you'll find what you need to do when the pressure is upon you. If you ignore it as dwelling on negatives, then the good lawd help ya.
And yah, I'll speak glowingly about the openers, Sehwag and Tamim, (and others who contributed like Virat, Gambhir, Sakib, Munaf, Zak, MSD's Cobra Stumping) and this opening match too, but sometime later as part of nostalgia - today I must speak what you do not want to hear.
Winning in the subcontinent is tough - it requires you to overome mental and physical fatigue to prevail over all others. It requires great team effort where everybody finds a way to remain in sync with the cause. India would probably prefer, bowling wise, a world cup in England, but here they know loose ends can be costly for there is less chance of a magical spell counterbalancing under these conditions. Maybe therefore, only Sri Lanka among Asians have won the Cup here. Look at their bowling then - Five of their regular bowlers were under 5.00 rpo and only Aravainda went over that even as he made up by having the best strike rate.
Today, rules are a little different perhaps, more batsmen friendly and batting philosophies are different leading to more concerted assaults on bowling, so those averages may not be meaningful - this argument is only self satisfying. We know with better discipline we can get those kind of figures or better - and that, for me, will be the key to win the cup...the better bowling side will prevail over evenly matched batting sides with now enough experience of subcontinent - it's heat, dust, water, air, smells and sounds thanks to IPL and frequent tours. If supplemented by good fielding, the better or thereabouts bowling sides will end up dominating as the pressure to constantly bat on begins to play. India enjoyed leeway from Bangladesh others teams may not give. So tighten up your bolts.
Brief Scorecard
Captains: BD - Sakib Al Hasan India - Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Toss: BD won, opted to bowl first.
India 370-4 (50): V Sehwag 175 (140), V Kohli 100* (83), G Gambhir 39, S Tendulkar 28, S Al Hasan 1-61
Bangladesh 283-9 (50): T Iqbal 70 (86), S Al Hasan 55 (50), M Patel 4-48, Z Khan 2-40.
Scorecard
Friday, 18 February 2011
Glitched again
I love Blogger - they are generally comfortable to work with and nice people, but this blog keeps getting glitched over and over again this way - For some reason, my blog isn't loading beyond the last line of the most recent post so I am unable to respond to comments while I can see them in my Dashboard and E-mail. The right navigation column doesn't load either. And all on the eve of World Cup!
But like I said, I love Blogger.
I have read your comments - Jaju Saheb, Devarchit, Krishna, Govind Raj and FantasyBob - but in my Dashboard and E-mail. I'm wondering how I can get rid of this glitch which has struck my blog once again.
India is co-existence of contradictions
Wankhede yet to be okayed by fire officials
Let's see how we can word this without offending the memories and feelings of victims and their survivors - of course completion dates don't really matter in some cases, especially if the structure falls within the jurisdiction of the ruling clique, and what IS a fire clearance anyway...as long as an Uphaar doesn't happen, it is just a piece of paper to be signed by the authorized gentleman (or lady) in the fire department isn't it? But if it were, say, Eden Gardens Kolkata, then the rule book would have been needed to be thrown hard at them by BCCI and ICC. "Jaggu Dada's" fiefdom is mashable, consumable, rapable by the chieftains of empowered rulers. The annas and bhaus who are comandeering Indian cricket with double, treble and multiple interests and what not, and their mouth pieces need to answer how Mumbai has managed to escape with what Kolkatta couldn't. Completion within dates.
What's the ICC survey team's take on this? How did it okay Wankhede as complete without the fire certificate but took cognizance of Eden Gardens' incompleteness and shifted out a match to Bengaluru? Did ICC's team extend Wankhede's date - if so, why didn't they concede the same to CAB? Does it have something to do with annas and bhaus having influence with ICC combining with a local spirit of vendetta?
How can Lalchand Rajput's (MCA honcho) plea for time and promise be considered and not Dalmiya's?
Lalchand Rajput, joint secretary of Mumbai's cricket association, told CNN on Friday that fire inspectors visited the city's Wankhede Stadium two days ago.
He acknowledged they did offer suggested improvements to follow.
"We are working on them. There will be full compliance," Rajput said.
Rajput insisted the venue had already been given a no-objection clearance by Mumbai authorities. He said he was confident the stadium would also get a fire-compliance certificate.
How can ICC inspection team be selectively flexible? Is that within safety norms laid down by ICC, if there are any such?
Related link - Palingenesia Read More......
Thursday, 17 February 2011
Proud Bangladesh
They have travelled a long and difficult path in cricket and outside it and today, they kicked off the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 with a colourful, varied and melodious opening ceremony. Certainly this is one of the larger sporting events Bangladesh has hosted and did they do it well!
The most amazing piece was the game of cricket played along the side of a tall building! Terrifying to see the chaps running down the side!
Then there was Runa Laila and Bryan Adams, Shankar's crew, Sonu Nigam among other singers.
There was a brief montage about Bangladesh's origin and struggle and a bit of histiry about its flag. Then there were laser shows and folk dances. Pleasing.
Excellent effort Bangladesh! And now for the faceoff on Saturday - BD is perhaps the only team other than New Zealand that India hasn't beaten in world cups. India begin distinctly as capable underdogs in the opener. The Tigers will be ferocious at Mirpur this weekend, and the stadium would be ready to devour the Indians - so be warned!
If India break through this trap, then they will compete well in this tournament.
I Support India
Description:
India flag is the top band.
India Kit colours are the middle band.
ICC CWC 2011 colours are the bottom band.
BCCI/Indian Team emblem on the left.
This is our sticker of support to the Indian team. If you wish to use it on your blog, simply right click on it and save the image.
Too big for a twibbon :) Hence a formal post.
Go for it boys! Jai Hind!
UPDATE
NM, I have uploaded a smaller version that might work. For some reason, this blog isn't loading beyond the last line of the most recent post so I am unable to respond to comments while I can see them in my Dashboard and E-mail.
250 x 100 px
180 x 72 px
80 x 32 px
Hope this works :)
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
West Indies hit by injuries
CANA News Sports reports that promising teenage opening batsman, Adrian Barath of Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaican wicketkeeper, Carlton Baugh Jr. are injured and out of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. There is some confusion about replacements. Further, Barath is likely to miss the India tour that follows as well. Whch, according to us, will be a pity.
Fans in the Caribbeans are hoping Lendl Simmons (an explosive batsman) and ADS Fletcher are sent across as replacements instead of the already named ones. A few other fans are considering and hoping the bowling could be bolstered instead.
Sadly, given the convoluted and intricate polytricks of the region as regards cricket selection and existence, still others are saying they sense something dastardly in the scene given the recent tensions among the nations of the Caribbeans and bizarre selections, droppings and elevations in the team. One hopes that isn't the case, but the secrecy surrounding this issue and recent history is probably responsible and contributing to this ill feeling.
I was certainly looking forward to Barath's performance in the WC and in India later. Now I'll have to go ahead and also change my Fantasy Team! But that's not such a big deal. Anyway, for those fans interested and friends, you can join a private league called World Cup Winners on ESPNCricinfo Fantasy League. The PIN No. is 6882.
Baugh was sidelined with a hamstring injury during the team's second World Cup warm-up match on Tuesday, and Darren Bravo was required to keep wicket.
Barath has also been struggling with a leg injury, and is also likely to miss the tournament, which opens on Saturday, and will be co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
The West Indies Cricket Board had previously announced batsman Kirk Edwards and wicketkeeper/batsman Devon Thomas as two of their three World Cup reserves.
No official replacements however, have been named, and the WICB will have to submit their names and a request for a change of personnel to the tournament's event committee for approval.
CANA News Sports
A few supporters of the West Indies team, given the volatile reactions this news has fomented in the West Indies among sections of fans and the frequency with which teams are replacing players, are calling for an independent medical evaluation by ICC to check if the injury reports are correct. One suspects such a process is already in place - only point is, how it is implemented.The WICB on its part has clarified the rumours and has tried to explain to the irate fans via Twitter
Lots of rumours and speculation re Carlton Baugh and Adrian Barath. At this stage both have injuries but are to complete scans.
Once scans are completed an assessment will be done then. It is now night in Sri Lanka, decision to be taken tomorrow.
Guess that's fair enough.
UPDATE
If both players are indeed ruled out and ICC allows, there is a possibility that WICB may seek outside the named reserves and recall Marlon Samuels and Denesh Ramdin to the team. Marlon Samuels has been impressive in the Windies 4-Day Regional Tournament, even cracking up a quick 250 for Jamaica upon his return from his two-year exile into the wilderness. Ramdin had been discarded for inconsistent batting by the selectors earlier. Read More......
Maharajah Warm Up
India's middle order batted like kings today at Chennai. It was one of those days when the batsmen who looked infirm and out of form came good for India. The entire nation had been queasy about the iffy batting contributions of overburdened Captain Mahi, woozy Suresh Raina, gubby Gautam Gambhir and wayward Virat Kohli in the recent past. Today these men got their act together and raised 360 runs without a fuss in an ever increasing run rate to the finish line. In the process India lost only four wickets. The man who missed out on batting practice was the all-important Yuvraj Singh, who India must need play in most matches, ahead of raina and Yusuf Pathan.
The mainline batsmen at the top - Sachin and Sehwag - didn't make much Link, Virat Kohli threw it away, but those who had the chance made good of what came by. The caution here is India have played Kiwis recently quite a lot and the New Zealanders are not exactly setting things on fire with their bowling. Better bowling attacks will be certain to test this chunk of India's batting in a sterner manner. That said we take the gains of this warm up without complaining too much.
Somehow, I do not want to be convinced that our boys will be able to repeat this batting as and when required. Perhaps to avoid disappointment knowing our up and down methods of existence. They are perfectly capable of winning everything and equally, they are capable of the opposite. We saw this against South Africa so recently.
Since when we broke of last - see our earlier post on the match below - we conservatively estimated 110 runs accruing in remaining 16 overs at that time. Indian middle order went ahead and knocked off 193 runs from that point! 83 more than we expected them to score safely. This is a comment on the quality of bowling avaliable certainly, but the element of batting enterprise cannot be subtracted from the assesment. Gambhir gave away his hundred. Dhoni secured his hundred and Raina his fifty before characteristically holing out before time. Both Dhoni and Raina were almost at 200 SR. India would be looking for such fifties from them if their top order clicks and, if they do not, longer innings at a decent modern ODI scoring rate.
Sachin, Sehwag and Yuvi would end up wishing they had more time out there. The rest would pray that they wake up with the same form and fludity three days later at Mirpur. The Indian bowlers have to take up the challenge and make sure a large total from the team's batsmen is followed by a withering spell from them. That's the way teams used to do us in...never allowing advantage to shift away for even an over or two. India would want to go up against Bangladesh completely aware of themselves, their opponents and the conditions, and be as mean as possible in dealing with the opposition with both bat and ball.
New Zealand, today, would love this target for it gives its batsmen an opportunity to unburden themselves and play with abandon to come as close to the total as possible, if not overtake it. They could rid themselves of the limiting cast of constantly losing matches too and put them all in a good mood for the matches ahead. Scoring anything from 300 and above should be their target. 
Scorecard
England Cheemaed, Yet Remain Broad
Rizwan Cheema, the Canadian all-rounder, clambered all over England but could not scale the wall ultimately for his team in their warm up encounter with the ICC T20 World Champions. In the end, the difference were the runs added by the final two wickets of England after a disastrous start and gradual rehabilitation guided by Matt Prior. For only 16 runs separated the novice team of expatriates from the world t20 champions, in a match almost completely dominated by Canada except for the phase when England reeled off the top order in quick time.
Accompanying Rizman Cheema was Khurram Chohan, who has already played a part in pegging down England with a fine bowling performance - 3/34 off 9 overs as opening bowler. Combining then with the other new ball bowler, Chohan had England 4-86 and then 7 down for 158 before Prior and Broad turned on the tiring bowlers. England were bowled out in 49.4 overs for 243 ultimately. While batting, Chohan scored a gritty 44 while helping Rizwan Cheema in reviving Canada from 6-96 after they had initially been 5-28.
Cheema scored a brilliant 93 off 71 balls and included two sixes in an over off the dominant Stuart Broad. It is becoming a habit with Broad to go for multiple sixes in an over! But i guess it doesn't matter much if he can come back to pick up crucial wickets. Like he did with Cheema, consuming him soon after.
Stuart Broad, the bratboy come back from injury break, ripped through the top order of Canada with truculent ease. He ended up with 5-37 in what will be counted as an important face-saving spell for England in ODI cricket. England can thank him once more and continue to treat him gently for saving them from shame.
This was a match England won but was mostly dominated by Canada.
Well played Canada, keep up the tempo! 
On the other hand, England needs to shake of their frosty ODIness which they have been inflicting upon their spring-ready supporters and the cricket watching world right through the past month. Guardian
Scorecard
Why did Chennai prepare such a pitch ?
Tamil Nadu is enjoying a rare season in world cricket - it enjoys the power to influence this world of cricket. It may not last forever as such things usually are mortal, so one might have expected Chennai, its super kings of BCCI and, by extention, world cricket, to be in crisp crackling readiness for all matches of the world cup irrespective of whether they are warm ups or tournament matches.
Look at the wicket Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and BCCI presented for an imporatnt practice match today. Mostly low bounce and uneven unexpectedly - is that the kind of World Cup we are supposed to expect? What kind of practice is one supposed to gain from this match unless one is to play on the same pitch again? Would bowling efforts mean anything?
Sachin fell to an airy fairy. Unlike Punter who came out bounding from a leave of absence, Sachin clearly showed the effects of leave from the game. His game looked srab and his movements looked soggy and heavy. Ultimately he went for a heave ho with his head already looking into the mid-wicket sun while the bowler bowled a slower one. 'Clean bowled' was the unanimous consensus. he lasted all of 23 balls of practice. But Sachin warms into a tournament match by match usually.
Sehwag was undone by the variable bounce of the pitch. Oram's first ball kept low and Sehwag found himself in such a position where a mere puff of breeze would have tipped him over. Neither here nor there having played for more bounce than actually present, he was easily bowled.
Virat Kohli played well. He reached his fifty at almost run a ball, chipping the ball here and there cleverly and at times unleashing classic strokes. Just as he was motoring along at over 50, he hit, yet again, an Indian pothole. Like in the previous match, against the run of play, he reached out, almost bent over hosrizontally in the air, to a wide ball. In the previous match he ended up connecting rather well and in the air and the ball flew to gully, this time it was an edge to the keeper. One doesn't know if the instructions were to get out after a 50 so that other batsmen could have their turn, but this was an opportunity to play himself truly in to the mood. This reaching out inconveniently to balls completely wide outside off stump must be resisted and given up by Kohli. He will be expected to play the role Dravid used to play in earlier teams and throwing his hand away isn't suited to that role. He comes in as playmaker till the last ball of the innings.
Meanwhile Gambhir began scratchily, bade his time, and has now found his rhythm for the day and match. He is playing with a few runs over fifty scored at a strike rate in the 80s. So not bad...but there aren't really any quick bowlers amonst the Kiwis to trouble him and confound his peace at the wicket.
India is scoring around 5 an over and should set a target of 280 or thereabouts, another 110 runs, in the remaining 16 overs. But that will not absolve Chennai bhais and BCCI bhaus from preparing an unsuitable surface for a major event.
Scorecard
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Pakistan is a frontrunner
They are preferring the quiet entry route this time. Pakistan is actually trying hard to keep some distance between controversy and itself before the tournament and allow its team members to fous on the aspect of playing to the best of their abilities.
For a team that has behaved in the past as any-news-is-good-news appears to have adopted the no-news-is-good-news format this time. one barely has heard or read any of its cricketers putting the ball into their mouths. I think that's a wise move...somewhere, light has shone and Pakistan are trying to concentrate on cricket. As they should, for they are a capable and talented team with a fine balance for the conditions they are to play in.
The selection of this team is said to have seen some controversy. That is quite usual for Pakistan - what is unusual is that has not been allowed to explode and dominate this edition of the World Cup instead of their cricket.
The absence of Mohammed Yusuf is probably not such a bad thing as it has been sought to be made out. There is a good blend of youth and experience in this team. Razzaq and Afridi provide the perfect all-round balance in the lower middle order. In fact, they could be split in the order to cash in on different power plays! Younis Khan and Misbah are experienced innings builders. The end of Butt and Farhat may actually be welcomed by Pakistan supporters for it opens up the top batting slots to a possibility of steadiness and consistent contribution. The warm up was not too bad in this regard.
Saeed Ajmal, Gul and Akhtar are wily veterans. Muhammed Hafiz has also proved to be a useful all-round performer. For me, Saeed Ajmal will be a key performer in the line up.
Kamran Akmal makes a comeback after the new Pakistan keeper abdicated and fled to England. Akmal, in these conditions is a capable bat and can make up for any keeping lapses. I think he might actually try and lift his keeping levels for he needs a good performance as badly as Pakistan do.
Umar Akmal - if he can stop playing Cowboy Bob, he can make this tournament his own.
This is a team of known entities - all said and done, Pakistan's opposition in the tournament would have played against the main players often enough to know their strengths and weaknesses as well as their abilities to lift their games a notch or two.
Lanka and Pakistan are both more beatable than before in ODIs, but that said, both teams are very strong contenders in familiar conditions.
We keep talking about familiar conditions and all that - barring Sri Lanka, no other Asian team has capitalized on them to worthwhile effect in ICC tournaments. This is a point to ponder upon though.
Pakistan Team for ICC CWC 2011 :- Shahid Afridi (Captain), Misbah-ul-Haq (Vice-Captain), Muhammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umer Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Abdul Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umer Gul, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan and Ahmed Shehzad.
Ponting and Australiana
Ricky Ponting is a class player. Look at the two warm up matches Australia's played - Ponting, returning from injury, has already displayed his big-tournament class with worthwhile innings in both of them. Australia were overrun in both matches but that's more to do with the rest of the players than Ricky Ponting, and there lies the problem for Australia.
In the past 'Australiana' was crystal clear in all matches they played and most evident in World Cup engagements. Be it bowling or batting, the secret of their approach lay in the early attack which was continuos, unrelenting and consistent. So much so that most teams expected it and were baulked by the prospect of encountering it. From the batting perspective, Ricky Ponting, was an integral component of this aggressive philosophy Australia followed where they attacked the head of the task right away and incessantly till that head was cut off...the remaining body of the match could then die later in suffering peace as the lifeblood of opposition planning an efforts spurted out of the severed mainlines and Australia merely watched on then but still with a foot on the headless neck of the opposition corpse as the oxygen in their breathingless, paralyzed lungs was gradually consumed till inevitable end happened. If McGrath and his cohorts partnering him employed the same philosophy while bowling, Ponting was very much the lynchpin amongst the likes of Hayden, Gilchrist, Waugh brothers and other Australian batting entities that played so murderously.
Nearly all sports channels and some news channels are showing summarized packages of reruns from previous world cups. Today, undistracted by hope and ambition, we can sit back and observe this philosophy and its chilling, freezing effect upon all opposition - be it the cavalier Pakistanis, mysterious Sri Lankans, phlegmatic Indians or the Bwanas of South Africa. It didn't matter how much White Lightning or Pollocky or Jontyness the South Africans possed in their Cronje, it didn't matter how sharp were their Lances and Gibbs or the remaining cast - the big hunters from South africa were shot down by the same Australiana that only was extended to a longer period of the match. Against Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka, the matches were over far quicker.
This doing the right thing right away and repeatedly is what I spoke of in an earlier article. This sustained big war aggression is what Steve Waugh keeps talking about as an invited or paid speaker/writer these days. This is what sets apart Ricky Ponting from all his current team mates of today. You can see that rising...so inculcated in his corpuscles is this Australiana...again in even warm up matches. Almost like a genetically culled and developed instinct, Ponting flares for combat. Even if his nostrils are ageing like the rest of his body, they flare with hs mind to allow oxygen into the Australian counterattack. Don't underestimate this man on the big stage, and if he gets going, there is every chance the uncharacteristic Australian team will rally around him.
Look at Ponting pulling and hooking South Africa's Donald and Pollock with bestial ferocity. Look at him flay the Asian attacks. You can actually feel the collective team and individual brutality of the man's batting through the glassy television screen.
I'll take this opportunity to diverge a little - watching those reruns, I don't see on what grounds was Sreesanth criticised and punished when Brett Lee, Donald, Pollock and McGrath did more stunts on the field than all of Sreesanth and Harbhajan put together. Watch the reruns..Brett Lee punching up holes in the pitch after every wicket and Sree only plays a pale imitation of it. Alan Donald...with that receding hairline and juvenile behaviour on the field looks weird....like an overgrown psychopath or something...and Sree's just a kid in comparison. But I diverge...
Brad Haddin may be just a lippy impersonator of the distorted aspects of this winning philosophy, and all others on the Australian team may not even be on board with this philosophy yet except Shane Watson, Ponting can forge something out of them yet with his individual performance. India is familiar with this situation where a team is held together by one man. Shane Watson is the only one who appears to be trying to measure up to this Australiana alongside Ponting consistently. But do not underestimate this Australian team on the back of warm up results.
South Africa may have killed the match with Australia yesterday easily, yet I wouldn't rule the Austalians out even with the largest dose of self-confidence. Even if South Africa is, today, looking like runaway winners of it all. India continues to play magic tricks that reveal themselves only when the match ends - not when it begins. Australia has played these two teams in the warm ups...I'll say it is great prearation for them.
India is a good team but it needs to squash a match's head right in the initial stages itself while batting and bowling to emerge from this even field. A bit of Australiana will help India's own methods overcome the tough competitors lurking around every corner.
Today, India plays New Zealand - a difficult team for India in ICC tournaments - with a full strength team for a final dress rehearsal. It will tell us a lot about how India is feeling in the dressing room.
Sunday, 13 February 2011
The Australian and other cricketing folk
Usually, he doesn't like to lose, just like anybody else. Doesn't matter if the game is just a dummy run, the Australian dislikes being placed on the backfoot. Also, unlike some teams, he finds it hard to come to terms with being bested on performance by his rival. Again, even if it is in just a dummy run. The man referred to affectionately by the world as 'Kangaroo' (after the marsupial unique to his island country), the Australian, legendary for his sporting spirit and the gift of spinning it at will, chose to report yesterday's "Dry run" from different angles. One newspaper printed from his homeland, which incidentally calls itself The Australian in the manner of the subject of our topic, came up with the most interesting introductory lines to its article recounting yesterday's warm up.
WORLD Cup co-hosts India has took advantage of an old-fashioned turning pitch to crush Australia by 38 runs in a warm-up match in Bangalore
Small mercy that it was an old-fashioned spinning pitch - Imagine how outraged this traditional sporting man might have been if he had been bested on a fashionably paced wicket! This is not to remind him of course that he was indeed bested also upon pitch styles he employed at home the last time the two teams met in an ODI series Down Under.
Curiously, the pitch, like a well-trained professional model, to most viewers appeared to respond completely and uninhibitedly to the demands of each and every bowler - paceman, dibbly-dobblyman or tweakerman - who had a design from his mind to exhibit.
Leaving the sporting Australian behind, I must say the Indian fans, including myself, were rather plugged up till the Australian wickets began to tumble. This is a trend I have begun to notice - a subtle but definite change in the fan reaction. Unlike the past decade, they are now a tempered lot, prepared to watch quietly, non-commitally, and emerge towards the end of an Indian success like a huge sigh of relief. The Indian fan has learnt the cliche well - cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties -he now believes it is possible that his team might not generate a responsive win for all the din he creates in the stands.
Across the globe, towards the West, is a great vibrant cricketing community and its diaspora spread over many lands. They have a message board up in the clouds and I like to josh around with them every now and then upon that. I've fallen in love with one of their two infalliable prophets - an elderly silver-haired lady, who never fails with her prophecies. If you are a stock market playah or fancy a punt now and then, you can go ahead and invest in exactly the opposite to what that seer decalres! That's right, yesterday she called out the spirits were pointing to an Indian defeat. Given that she has a 100% record over many tested years, I find some comfort when she says India ain't winning this World Cup! Poor Saffers, she picked them to win the cup! And all out of love for Lopsy Tsotsobe.
In the end, let me announce a discovery - a new blog who likes to describe itself as - "WITTERINGS - FANTASY BOB'S CASUAL OBSERVATIONS ON CARLTON, CRICKET, LIFE AND ALL THAT OTHER STUFF".
Excellent posts from FantasyBob at Witterings.
Eminently readable and followable. Read More......
Let's be conservative in assessment
Piyush Chawla might have played himself into the starting XI - he bowled well and stopped Australia in his tracks. The danger here is to begin thinking he's the cat's whiskers. I haven't been a great fan of his - no secret and no apologies, and I'm supposed to eat humble pie, but my crow-pie shall only be ready to eat only if he can make it happen for India in this cup. Too often, from Scotland to lawd knows where, we have seen him bowl well in the odd match, his team being suckered into picking him for the next, and then he going to zillion pieces. On this pitch, in this practice match, he did enough.
No denying he, and whoever backed his cause, have earned space till the next match he plays. let's see if he can play the big ones, the real ones. If he does do well, I am ready to eat all the crow pies there are.
What did the batsmen do? Gambhir looks a wan shade of his reformed self that saw him secure a permanent spot on the Indian team and then earn accolades. Sachin didn't begin and has opted instead to start straightaway in the cup matches. Sehwag was watchful till he was totally distracted by the falling wickets, his redefined role and the tantalizing presence of Krejza flighting the ball. God only knows why Australia didn't employ Krazy Krejza in the ashes campaign, but that's another story.
Kohli was looking like a Mercedes...or a Rolls...till he hit that typical Indian pothole. Somehow he contrived to find a way to gift his wicket playing at a ball that would have been called wide by miles outside his off stump. He didn't even miss it! In fact he timed the stroke sweetly despite being at a fair distance from the ball and leaning towards it. The only problem being he couldn't keep it down and Australia hadn't begun to drop catches yet. They did later, perhaps to generate an Indian total to bat against for practice - if they did that, they must be feeling a little silly having lost the match!
Yuvraj Singh was presented a ball that was placed on a steepling incline from his probable blind spot by the unpredictable cartwheeling arms of Mitchell Johnson. As it tore up the extreme tangent, it appeared to take the startled face of his bat in its stride, and also the skin of the tip of his nose one thought, before being arrested by Tim Paine's Trinibago colored gloves about a foot above his leaping head. Yuvraj promptly turned and walked even before Johnson could complete his appeal and the umpire figure out what the hullaballo was all about. In fact Paine was distinctly unsure to start with.
Yuvraj was out without a shred of a doubt but his response to the dismissal tells me how much he is aching to do well now with every opportunity he has. The prince with the silken touch was gutted that he was out in a practice match. Augurs well for Indian chances, this desire of his. So strong that it hurts inside when denied. Nothing superficial about it - beware opponents! That said, he did look slow in taking evasive action...must be the surprise element and nothing more.
Nobody else made sense. Raina's exhausted his goodwill and if still does get picked over Kohli, then he better perform for his spot. Yusuf was dropped and he looked as if he'd make Australia pay. Only intermittently though for the Ozzies didn't oblige by putting the ball in the areas of his preference all the time. When they did, the balls soared like white seagulls winging it towards a distant coast. I hope Pathan never has cause to lift a bat against any man. Let him expend his life's aggression flaying hidebound cork and rubber balls. Safer...
Harbhajan, our new all rounder, commenced his innings murderously, cutting short the ambitions of a short quick ball seeking gristle and discarding them outside the square leg boundary. Brett Lee, Australia's best bowler, was incensed. Next ball zoomed in like an Eagle in a feeding dive, levelled off, and squeezed through the millimeters available beneath Harbhajan's unsure bat to levitate his middle stump with a loud CLATAAAAAX! Ashwin batted around meatily and Nehra had one glorious evening angling his bat and sending balls to third man. India crossed 200 and that immediately placed a question mark on Australia's chances upon a pitch where Krejza spun it like a mad hatter on a unicycle.
Australia began briskly with Paine and Watson before Watto fell at 51. The prevailing strength of collective mind in this team came to the fore as Chawla began his plugging act. India didn't crumble away to a beating like they did in the 2003 finals but made sure they'd fight till the end. Jaju Saheb of Cric-Sis said it best - "There is a quiet-sort-of desperation mixed in that desire of the team to win this Cup! It has eluded them for too long" Link
Steve Waugh would have noted and approved. Now to do it every match till the final's won!
It is difficult to predict India's performers these days - one is never sure where the match-turning performance will come from - a Pathan might belt it or a Chawla might spin it - that's the beauty of Dhoni's team. They look like a line of sitting ducks through the aim of your rifle, and they tend to behave like it, but one or two of them jump out to grab your rifle and wrap it around your neck most unexpectedly!
It is both our strength and weakness - we crave consistency, assurance, but are left quivering...we also crave indefatigablity from the men in our team....and we can sigh in relief when we get it. No Sir, it isn't easy being an Indian supporter at all.
Friday, 11 February 2011
Steve Waugh is correct
When he says - “Australia has won big matches when it counts and that is what India has to do” The Hindu
Since Kapil's Devils beat West Indies in a pressure match at Lord's in June 1983, which also happened to be the finals, perhaps beating Pakistan in 1996 and 2003 are the only two that rate as big matches. In 2003, in fact India did well to treat every match since its first loss to Australia as a big match and advance to the finals but once it reached the final stage, it simply couldn't play it as a big one. On this count, Steve Waugh is spot on.
As a result now, India is faced with a situation where all previous history in world cups or otherwise doesn't count and it enters this tournament where every match for it is a big one - just like it was in 1983. India, whatever people say about its team structure and its inherent strength, today comes in as another wide-eyed, but ambitious nevertheless, team seeking a novel experience. This could be an advantage, for perhaps this is the first team since '83 without the baggage of that win which has dogged every team since.
Recent Saffer evidence notwithstanding, Dhoni's men indeed have acquired a reputation of being possessed with the ability to win under pressure all the big matches it must in the ODI format. Let us see if Dhoni's men can change India's history since '83 according to the suggestion of Steve Waugh.
We shall see
"Batting long is Sehwag's aim"
If Viru keeps his word.
It is possible he now realizes the importance of playing at least 25-30 overs. Off his own bat then, he could have a matchwinning score on the board.
Concentration...the task...the team purpose...must be his constant aim like Arjuna's unwavering attention upon the fish's eye.
Far too often recently bowlers have declared their intention, set the trap and suckered Viru into gambling against their subtle variations into the gully. As long as Viru is watching the ball, it will go out of the stadium, otherwise it will be an edge.
Image is totally espncricinfo/AFP combine's own.
Wednesday, 9 February 2011
Saturday, 5 February 2011
Thought Altering
MS Dhoni, India's captain and an intelligent person, has chosen to change how his team perceives pressure. He said something to this effect, if not the exact words
I commend him upon this attempt to make the devil look like a mere overgrown child - flawed but lovable at the same time. In fact he placed things in correct perspective when he brushed off all predictive discussion in a presser about India's progress by sticking everybody's attention to just one game - against Bangladesh. In one stroke he annnulled speculative conversation which is totally meaningless anyway and usually only fodder to the powerful spiralling of hype. India's World Cup begins and ends with every match - we know that as a fact now.
Perhaps that's the reason why India is rather low-key in its reception of the World Cup. We are in the month of the Cup and nowehere do I see the excessive hysteria generation we saw for a world cup in the Caribbeans, or in South Africa or England before that. This is good, people are being rational, there is talk all around about this being the most 'open' world cup of all therefore. The absence of blinding blitzes of biased (or bigoted) publicity in India is not only refreshing but is allowing the ordinary fan to weigh competing teams with clarity. In fact, it appears - from evidence of Twitter campaigns - that this system of rustling up support...installing proxy confidence inside the selves of players and supporters alike...has shifted to other regions of the cricketing realm. South Africa is the most intensive and has taken tom-tomming and smoke-signalling to new levels via the technology of internet. It may sound strange to say so given that England are being routed in Australia in the ODI series, but England is perhaps next to only Africa in the existence of such a compulsive marketing vortex designed to hypnotize everybody concerned towards the realization of the goal.
These two teams perhaps actually believe this is their year for both teams haven't won this World Cup. South Africa is perhaps shriller because it hasn't won anything unlike England who can always show off a T20 victory on their mantlepiece. They also have reason to, for both teams are well balanced and strong in various departments. On top of that, they are motivated greatly.
Australia is also drumming up a beat like the West Indians because they need reassuarance. Their purpose in whipping up a frenzy around the cup is basically to drown the moanings and groanings that comes with the pernicious ache of defeat and collapse. Ditto for West Indies, but in a sense they are different from Australians - they are farther ahead of Australia in this chain of events and are now in a radical phase of ruthless rebuilding which involves employ of novel risks. Think Sammy, think Sarwan, whenever you need an elucidation of that. And West Indies, lest anyone think otherwise, are not incapable of serious competition for the title.
And what about the rest - Lanka is silent. They like to chat along their chances usually but not this time. Pakistan, despite remaining in the'limelight' before a major ICC tournament, is actually staying quiet. Unusual. Bangladesh aren't even making the customary noises of throwing a surprise. India is almost as if it doesn't exist.
It is not that these teams are simply unsure of themselves, but they have reached that part of the curve where they know talk counts for nothing and performance is all that matters. The provocation for performance in these regions may be differing, but it is there. These teams and their peoples, both have taken a maturational step forward in preparation for an event. Gone is the adolescent misuse of enthusiasm and confidence. Gone is the quest to recreate an old successful scenario. These teams are playing in reality. The Asians, more than ever before, actually want to win something tangible for they realize that it is this success which can boost and sustain their cricketing prestige. bannaer, placards and loud speaking advertisments cannot be surrogates to simple success.
So, as Dhoni says, the pressure is there but they choose not to see it as such. But I disagree with Dhoni on this point - in fact the pressure on India is less because now the public is wary of every match and is ready to play their support and elevate their hopes on a per match basis. They appear capable now of understanding a loss, even forgiving the players.
Dhoni and his men should actually feel much lightened - not only is India keeping itself pre-occupied with other things, it is also able to see the game for a game and from a distance like it did before June 1983. India doesn not want to relive 1983 anymore but is willing to play a hard game waiting...biding their time and backing their efforts...to experience a new victory.
I like the way Dhoni is bringing his team into this tournament...even shielding Sachin from unnecessary spotlight at the moment. His senior pros, he knows, are key to the cause and Dhoni is keeping them focussed without pressure. Read More......
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
Palingenesia
On 31st Jan, one finally kicked off the dedicated blog to ICC WC 2011 called Palingenesia. One was provoked out of disinterested indolence and into it after observing reputed commentators playing regional and groupie politics over the Eden Gardens fiasco. What they said stank of traditional vendetta and cover-up rather than as an explanation. One had even charged a prominent commentator on Twitter with a simple direct question in response to his tweet. I asked him pointedly about it on Twitter but recieved no reply from the gentleman. That commentator wrote today instead, in a national daily, suitably diluting his initial vendetta without however giving up on it, and in continuing to shield one group from responsibility has dragged in everbody's donkey (for it is suitably foreign sounding and not directly read as BCCI) - the ICC - in instead of fixing first responsibility upon BCCI.
It isn't just "Jagguda" who "has to pack up" as the commentator tweeted a week ago, serious questions have to be asked of BCCI, of "Manohar Bhau and co." (as we had asked), the governing body of the game in India, for not monitoring progress or taking over if 'Jagguda' was being incompetent, or perhaps for not providing sufficient assistance if that's the case.
BCCI cannot escape the responsibility Mr.Waingankar - what about Wankhede Stadium? Is it ready? Hasn't the practice match there been postponed and then finally shifted out to another venue? Haven't you yourself tweeted so about this subsequently? If Eden Gardens is penalized with alacrity and matches shifted to South Zone centres in like haste, even before official communication to CAB from ICC, why not Wankhede given the same treatment? This itself stinks considering that ICC is headed by an old "Jagguda" rival and chief of ruling clique of BCCI.
You might have tweeted subsequently about these points but you haven't included these points in your article in The Hindu.
In fact, you completely escape raising these questions or berating MCA or BCCI in that article for their Wankhede incompetence, and BCCI for their Wankhede AND Eden incompetence. If at all you mention Wankhede, you do so about its glamorous initial construction decades ago! Cntrl + F reveals there isn't one mention of BCCI in the The Hindu article! How can that be? From evidence of what you tweeted and what you write, to a dedicated follower of your writings over the years, there is clear dichotomy in your mind today Sir, over this issue.
Let me ask you in the same regional groupie political spirit of the linked article - Is it because you are writing for a South Zone paper and you are a staunch Mumbaiyya?
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
Esto Vir Mr. Maken!
It might have been an exciting period for me to watch the Indian sports scene and blog about it when Mr. Ajay Maken was in the chair as Union Minister of State, (Independent Charge) Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. For two reasons mainly - first, the man is a clean dynamic person who knows how to get things done; and second, he has always been deeply interested in sports and youth affairs. In fact he has played constructive roles at various levels in support of youth from very early days. But we have retired from blogging actively on cricket and sports so we'll probably just watch from the sidelines and maybe tweet as convenient.
Ajay Maken proposes to introduce a National Sports Development Bill. Link
In a bid to bring about tranparency and good governance, the government has decided to frame a National Sports Development Legislation by February 20 which, among other things, will force officials to abide by tenure and age restrictions.
Maken himself said
Elaborating on six points based on Basic Universal Principles of Good Governance, Maken said that these would not be mere policies but would be implemented legally so that there are no vested interest or interferences.
When I read that I wasn't bemused at all - despite the fact that Indian sports federations and organisations are quite demonical in their practice of pure politics, the "Eden Gardens Fiasco" being the latest example of how deep and vindictive these pure politics can be. But this man, Ajaj Maken, is one who has always enjoyed a challenge and has gone about dedicatedly pursuing a solution to those that come by. Maybe that's why I felt that statement to be quite credible.
Maken has invited the BCCI to join forces and register itself with the National Sports Federation. Let's see how he handles the plump dariyaayi ghodaas of Indian cricket when provoked into agitation while they are enjoying a sunny float upon the deeply still waters of the game in India. But he's a man who can handle jaws as strong as theirs. At least I am certain he'll set the ball rolling in the correct direction.
Be a man Sir, be a man!
[ My sincere thanks to all who typed in notes of posts in respose to the previous post. I shall post a few articles as the ICC WC 2011 gets underway. At the moment, I am toying with the idea of putting them here or on another lightweight, dedicated blog.] Read More......
