World Cup 2011 - Sri Lanka stands before 83 repeat - Part I

After the Mini Grand-Final and Mother of all battles, comes the Grand-Final itself.

Consider these statistics of how India and Sri Lanka fare against each other?

• After their last match in 2007 World Cup, both the teams have met in 33 matches. India holds the advantage 18-13.
• At home, India's advantage over Sri Lanka is even more obvious but the matches played (since the last World Cup) has been far less - 3-1
• Overall, at home, India has a big advantage over Sri Lanka - 28-11 
• India vs Sri Lanka in competitions that have more than 5 teams - Sri Lanka heads the count 8-7. A very close statistic that does not convey much. 
• India vs Sri Lanka in World Cup - India have won their contests against Sri Lanka in 1999 (England) and 2003 (Sri Lanka) but lost their battles in 1979, 1996 (twice), 2007. One match was washed out (1992). 4-2 for Sri Lanka once again. 
• Simon Taufel and Aleem Dar, the best umpires in world cricket, will officiate in the World Cup final. How has India fared when Taufel officiated? 21-24 - not so favorable, though the Indians won the last match he stood in. How has India fared when Aleem Dar officiated? 11-9. The only match both officiated was in Johannesburg when India played West Indies. Verdict - India won.

Geoff Boycott in his article mentions that India have to handle Malinga and Murali well in the final to take advantage. How have the duo fared against India? Not so great - check the stats below.

• Record of Lasith Malinga against India is not so great - 18 wickets in 18 matches with an average of 45+, Economy of 5.6+ and a strike rate of 47 balls per wicket.
• Record of Muralitharan against India is the worst compared to his numbers against all other nations - average of 31+ and a strike rate of 44 balls per wicket. His best in ODI though came against India in Sharjah.

In the current edition, what has been the performance of the two teams in batting and bowling?

• India have five players in the Top-50 batsmen - Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli while Sri Lanka have four - Tilakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Upul Tharanga, Mahela Jayawardene. 5 hundreds and 11 fifties for India while Sri Lankans have scored 6 hundreds and 7 fifties.
• In the bowling department, Sri Lanka have six in the Top-50 bowlers in the tournament - Muralitharan, Malinga, Dilshan, Ajantha Mendis, Perera, Angelo Mathews. India have four in the Top-50 - Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Munaf Patel and Harbhajan Singh. 1 five-wicket haul for both teams while Sri Lanka have one more four-wicket haul than India's one.

Gary Kirsten and Trevor Bayliss are stepping down from their current positions after the final match. How has India and Sri Lanka performed under these coaches?

• India's record from December 2007 after Gary Kirsten became coach - 61-32. Impressive.
• Sri Lanka's record from June 2007 when Bayliss became coach - 54-35. Not bad but not so impressive as that of Kirsten.

World Cup 2011 - India puts it past Pakistan again

Four matches between the neighbors earlier had resulted in India victories - 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003. In 2011 World Cup as well, there was no difference to the verdict. This match was probably much more tilted in India's favor than the previous matches as the gulf between the two sides was huge. The media hype surrounding it was huge and one wondered how the players would cope up. Thanks to this match, the lives of few people were changed - notice what cricket can do.

Of course, for the players involved in the match itself, they will never forget this match till the next time they meet Pakistan in a match of similar nature. The pressure was intense and it was a match full of events, right from the toss. MS Dhoni made a change which was not the right one on hindsight but again he did not face the after-effect thanks to his bowler's resolve to make amends.

Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag started the match in a positive manner, especially the latter. Sehwag probably likes Pakistan bowling as much as he likes to 'drink milk'. He dismantled one of the engines that was powering Pakistan's march in this tournament - Umar Gul - reducing him to a bystander in the entire match. The effects of the first spell would haunt Gul even in his latter spells when he could not land yorkers the way he could in the previous matches.

Thanks to Wahab Riaz, Sehwag had to take the stride back to the pavilion but Sachin took over the responsibility of hitting boundaries. Somewhere in his eagerness to score quickly (he admitted that he was looking at a score of 310-320), Tendulkar started giving chances to Pakistan players. Sachin has been against UDRS as well as been at the receiving end of Umpire reviews many a time. Today, both came to his rescue in consecutive balls! In all, he was dropped by Pakistan's seniors (Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq), wicket-keeper (Kamran Akmal) and best fielder (Umar Akmal) before Shahid Afridi took matters in his own hands and ended the veteran's stint.

In between was another partnership between Sachin and Gambhir that motored along scoring singles and the odd boundary. Gambhir tried to attack Hafeez who was bowling a very tight line and fell by the wayside. Virat Kohli couldnt get going thanks to Wahab's tight bowling - the youngster does not have the same stats when he is batting first compared to his solid performance during chases. He and Yuvraj Singh fell in consecutive balls, putting India under pressure again. This was the turning point in the first innings - a stage when MS Dhoni and Tendulkar got together and probably reduced their target from 310+ to a more realistic 270+. They stabilized for the next few overs, scoring at a reduced run-rate but keeping their wickets intact.

Tendulkar and Dhoni also fell in the space of 5 overs and there was a possibility that the famed Indian collapse could make its appearance once again. But, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan played a neat cameo with the help of Suresh Raina to take India to a decent score at the end of 50 overs.

The Pakistan team must have been happy at the break at restricting the Indians to a score of 260 and they had enough reasons to be. But, the Indians knew that the ball was stopping and turning during their innings. MSD knew that the spinners would make an impact and wasted no time in bringing in Harbhajan early after the initial overs did not fetch any wickets. The pressure of chasing a good score on this pitch started playing on the minds of the batsmen and they fell to shots that they should have probably not played. Hafeez against Munaf and Asad Shafiq against Yuvraj were examples of how pressure was making its presence felt.  

These wickets meant that there were players of defensive mindset (Younis and Misbah) at the crease. They were very slow at their intentions, thinking that the latter overs would make up for their tactics. Maybe, Umar Akmal should have come in earlier, as he showed what he can do in his short stint. But, thanks to this move, by the time Umar was at the crease, the required run-rate was rising and he had to go for the big shots every over. Harbhajan out-foxed him with a ball that went on with the arm, giving another dent to Pakistan's hopes.

Razzaq was promoted by his skipper but he could not do much on a pitch that had started gripping the ball more. He was quickly disposed of, bringing the captain to the crease. To his credit, Afridi lasted the most in the tournament so far without showing any of the mindless aggression that he is capable of. But, Harbhajan again sent him on his way with the help of a low full-toss that he hit to cover.

Nehra turned up to the party by adding wickets to his tidy performance with the ball. Wickets started falling and PowerPlay was taken by default. It was then, Misbah started unleashing his big shots. He showed that he could play the aggressive game as well as anyone else - why he waited for so long was Ramiz's question throughout his innings. But, the Indians knew that he was one hit away from getting hit. The bowlers bowled impeccably well, with Munaf hitting the right lengths repeatedly.

Overall, a good bowling performance by a set of bowlers who have been under pressure throughout. Here, also, under pressure they delivered a great spell, restricting run-making as well as taking wickets repeatedly to put additional pressure. All the stints with Paddy Upton and Horn were visibly helpful to the Indian team - they were able to soak in the pressure environment and show their A-game. No wonder, they are the favorites in the finals now. Will Sachin Tendulkar have a grand sign-off in his home-town by scoring his 100th ton and winning the Cup? Well, wish the script is written this way.

World Cup 2011 - Mother of all battles

Castrol Index puts the semi-final between India and Pakistan at 153-149, quite closer than what would one expect looking at the rankings of the two teams.

Let us cut the hype that is out in the electronic media and see clear facts:

• The Indians have not lost to Pakistan in World Cup in four matches played so far. Sachin Tendulkar has played in all the editions and is very much aware of the pressure that comes as part of such matches. Will the streak come to an end? Do not think so - Pakistan has not lost to Sri Lanka in World Cup and the streak continued here as well. Similarly, New Zealand has beaten South Africa in KO matches in World Cup. Similarly, India's streak is set to continue. The Champions Trophy in 2009 saw the Indian team lose for the first time in an ICC tournament. There are quite a few players from both teams who played in this match but the one missing is the Player of the Match, Shoaib Malik. 
• The Pakistan team has not had anyone who has scored higher than the top twenty batsmen. There are 3 Indians in the top 10 who have scored heavily. 
• In the bowling department, Shahid Afridi comes up at the beginning of the table. Zaheer Khan has taken more wickets than Umar Gul. Similarly, Yuvraj Singh and Munaf Patel have taken more than the others in the Pakistan team. Obviously, Indian batsmen have to stave off the danger of Umar Gul more than Afridi, being better batsmen of spin.

The Indian team has been more consistent and even the only match that they lost was because of a poor last over by Ashish Nehra. Despite the big collapses, the team has not scored less than 200 any time. The top 3 batsmen have had starts almost every match and Yuvraj seems to be doing little wrong. The bowling has gained teeth thanks to the inclusion of Ashwin, who has given MS Dhoni an option to rely on other than Zaheer Khan. Harbhajan Singh has not been among wickets but restrained the run-scoring to a large extent. Yuvraj's bowling has been a bonus and there is no reason to think why he will not be able to continue his wicket-taking ways. Suresh Raina, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli will roll their arm over to compensate for any bowler who might have a bad day. So far, it has been Munaf Patel who has been taken apart but tomorrow will be a team that will give him rewards for his consistency of line and length. No changes are expected to the eleven unless Dhoni has another master-stroke up his sleeve. Gary Kirsten has clearly articulated to his team that they will have to raise their levels to beat their 'dangerous' opponent tomorrow.

Afridi suggested that Indians will be more pressurized tomorrow because of the home support. This is where the Pakistan team does not have a mental conditioning coach like Paddy Upton - the Indian team will definitely be the more cooler team on the ground, thanks to inputs from the coaches. MSD in fact, told his players clearly to be not worried by the hype that has been built up.

Shoaib Akhtar is doubtful for the match and one wonders whether there is any other story gaining ground there. The Minister had given a warning to the team two days back about match-fixing - the timing of his statement must make ICC stand up and take notice. Razzaq is key to the balance of the playing eleven as he has proved quite frequently in recent times. The spin department will be taken care by Hafeez and Ajmal, both off-spinners. The batting is brittle for Pakistan with Younis and Misbah expected to prosper against an attack that they have scored quite a few runs of. The Akmal brothers will come to the party hoping to repeat their success so far - once again, no one is sure about the catches that Kamran will take in this match. Coming to the fielding department, this is again one match that the Indians will be better equipped than their opponents.

Overall, a match that India should win convincingly if they can retain their head over the shoulders tomorrow. They are way above their opponents in form as well as quality of players in their lineup. But, will the media's hype play spoilsport? As far as my prediction goes, I will still go for an Indian-Sri Lankan final (Sri Lanka at this point is cruising in their semis today).

World Cup 2011 - Snippets before Mohali

The Mohali semi-final between India and Pakistan is evincing interest from all sides - a sampling here:

• Emotions could run high, says the BBC site
• Imran Khan says that India has the best chance to win the match. The team that handles the pressure better will win, according to him
• Javagal Srinath suggests that India should not lose sight of the real target, the Cup - not just winning the semi-final match. Srinath also prefers playing a seamer in place of Ashwin. 
• Ian Chappell thinks that because of Dhoni's cool nature, the Indians will be able to keep their cool in such a high-pressure match.
• Jacques Kallis, while grieving on his side's ouster, thinks that the match is a spectacle that cannot be ignored.  
• Intikhab Alam who has coached Pakistan during the World Cup wins in ODI as well as T20 requests everyone to consider this as another match, not war - very good gesture by the senior sportsman
• Opening batsman Hafeez is in awe of Sachin Tendulkar but added that his team would target him
• Misbah does not show any feelings about his removal of captain - he praises Afridi for bringing unity to the team
• Umar Gul wants to target the top three batsmen in India's lineup. What about the next four, Gul?
• Ramiz Raja mentioned that the pressure will be more on India while praising his team for the unity they have displayed
• Geoff Lawson, ex-coach of Pakistan, predicts Pakistan to win and reach the finals
• Pakistan Minister warns the Pakistan players not to indulge in any match-fixing - surprising indeed. Why is he making a remark at this juncture? Imran Khan says that the Minister is an issue, not the players.
• Harsha Bhogle predicts India as the favorites at 60-40 but says that it is not much on such a crucial stage of the tournament
• News, however, breaks through that the team management is not keen on playing Shoaib Akhtar. Umar Gul comes to his support saying that Shoaib will ease the pace burden

World Cup 2011 - SL favorites to repeat win over NZ

177-154 says Castrol Index in favor of Sri Lanka against New Zealand for the first semi-final in the 2011 World Cup. The advantage goes much more than what the numbers say. The teams have faced each other in the League stage and Sri Lanka won the match convincingly. The spinners have spun webs around the batsmen of Black Caps so much that the match result looks decided already.

Once again, Muralitharan is doubtful for tomorrow's match and with confidence on his other spinners, Sangakkara will probably not risk him tomorrow. Herath and Mendis, along with Dilshan, will more than a handful for the NZ batsmen. The team composition contained Malinga and Matthews as the only non-spinners against England - there is no reason why this strategy should change against New Zealand. The opening batsmen have showed that if they settle down, they can notch up large partnerships at the top. Their success has ensured that the fragile middle order is not exposed. Sangakkara and Jayawardene were not given any match practice in the last game - they must be itching to contribute heavily.

The only Protean who was happy when they choked once again was Alan Donald, currently bowling coach of New Zealand. He has teamed up very well with John Wright to bring NZ to the stage that they are in. NZ was the best planned team in the entire tournament, having visited the host countries in the last few months. Though the results were not favorable to them, the experience is handy in the World Cup. They have also gone with three spinners along with Southee and Oram. Ross Taylor, McCullum and Scott Styris will be expected to lead the front on the batting side - playing in a test-like mode before going into the T20-mode in the slog overs. If they can get going, the strength of the Lankans (spin) can become their enemy very soon.

The Lankans start as overwhelming favorites for the match but one cannot rule out the eternal braids-maid of World Cup. Over-confidence is one aspect the Lankans will do well to avoid.  

Related articles

• World Cup 2011 - Sri Lanka favorites vs England (myhistoryisinteresting.blogspot.com)
• World Cup 2011 - Will South Africa choke vs NZ in QF? (myhistoryisinteresting.blogspot.com)

World Cup 2011 - On to the Semi finals

Two ten-wicket wins and two incredibly close matches - that sums up the four quarter-finals that were played in the 2011 World Cup.

West Indies were always in contention with Ireland and Bangladesh for the final slot in the quarterfinals. That itself showed their current form and capabilities. Over-dependence on Gayle in the batting front and Roach in the bowling department meant that they were always at the mercy of their opponents. Their coach, Gibson blamed the senior players for not putting their hands up during the match against Pakistan. Gayle was furious and tweeted his response back. There are going to be changes in the team following the disaster which is not surprising. The team morale was not high and one can see the same players play the IPL with great camaraderie. The unity that was on display during the times of Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards are missing altogether. It will be a long time before the team makes a decent comeback into international cricket. They will struggle to beat top nations for a while, as has been in the last 20 months.

England also had a severe bashing at the hands of the Sri Lankans last night - no one was surprised though. The English had managed to stumble their way to the quarterfinals and clearly had to depend on other teams' generosity to make the cut. Injuries to several players hampered them and the media were quick to point out the grueling schedule that the team had to endure over the last six months. It has been the same with the other teams as well, one can say. The English team's strategy in ODI cricket is far from adequate - notice the experience of the players in this format for further insight. 

Australia came into the tournament being ranked No.1 in ODI, as per ICC rankings. Though the rank did not justify them, the team was able to string together victories that enabled them stay at the peak for a long period. Injuries to players (mostly bowlers) meant that there were frequent changes to the playing eleven. It was not noticed as long as they were winning. Ponting's loss of form coincided with the lack of batting might in the Oz team. Watson and Haddin were probably the most consistent players for the last one year. After the retirements of a number of greats (like Mcgrath, Warne, Gilchrist), the Aussies were never able to recover. The loss of Warne left a gaping hole in the spin department - this was one of the biggest concerns going into the tournament which was expected to support the spinners.

South Africa prepared their campaign very well, adding a number of spinners to their squad who were capable of standing up to the demands of the subcontinental pitches. Imran Tahir was the surprise weapon, who showed initial promise of picking up a bushel of wickets. Opening the bowling with a spinner and Steyn, Greame Smith had a good strategy in place. They beat the Indians due to the help of their lower order, assuring everyone that they had left their choking back in Africa. Kallis and Smith were not firing in the first few games but it did not matter. The other batsmen were showing good form in bringing the team to the knockout stage. One great catch followed by a runout in the Quarterfinals meant that the cat was among the pigeons. No matter what the lower order tried, the writing was on the wall. The Proteas had choked once again - they cannot deny this any longer. This stigma will stick to them for another four years or till the time they win a knockout match in the World Cup.

On to the semi-finals then with three subcontinental pitches along with New Zealand contesting for the final match in Mumbai. May the best team win.       

World Cup 2011 - Sri Lanka favorites vs England

    Key Player 
179-153 says Castrol Index, reflecting the difference between England and Sri Lanka. Quite a big difference, one can say, that has been justified by the inconsistent performances by the English team during this tournament. The Quarter-final match is being held in the backyard of the Sri Lankans, which will boost their confidence further.

Murali has been declared fit by his team - knowing him, he would have played if he was even 50% fit. Further, if he was not in the team also, the other spinners would be a handful  for the English team. It is a fact that England have played well against the test-playing nations, faltering against the minnows - the inconsistency of the batting lineup must be haunting both the Andys.

Strauss must stay as the anchor of the lineup so that the others can bat around him. Swann and Tredwell proved their prowess last match - will they do it again this match? The Sri Lankans are much better batsmen of spin and can negate the threat easily. Anderson will make a comeback but again, he is not much of a threat on these pitches.

Muralidharan, Mendis and Herath will play in all likelihood with Dilshan providing the part-time option. Malinga and Matthews can open the bowling with the new ball. Sangakkara and Jayawardene will be the key batsmen for the Lankans who will be expected to provide the strength. It has been a while that Dilshan has put up a big score - if he and Tharanga can put up a solid base, the others can take on from there. The middler order is suspect and might come apart just like the Proteas did against the Black Caps in their quarter-final.

The Emerald Isle team have the ability to put it across the English team easily, if they play as per their reputation. Will the English finally regain their Ashes-winning form?

World Cup 2011 - India end Oz dreams

If you can dream it, you can achieve it - so goes the saying. Yuvraj Singh had dreamt about beating Australia in a crucial game - today, he had a chance to make history and how he went about it. From the beginning of the World Cup, he has been going from strength to more strength every match. This knock once again highlighted the mental toughness for which he is usually not given much credit actually. As he mentioned in the press conference, the decision to play straight and on the ground helped him put up partnerships with the others.

Not just Yuvraj Singh, almost all the top seven batsmen made crucial contributions to the score - creating partnerships that helped move the score along while the batsmen were getting comfortable on a pitch that obviously was to the strength of the Indians. Sachin and Sehwag started briskly to make sure that the early threats of Lee and Tait were seen through. Even though Viru did not make a big score, he had helped the scoring rate a very healthy one and pushed the Oz skipper to start making quick bowling changes.

Yes, Sachin Tendulkar did walk again today. But, not many will talk about it since the nick was heard by most. After creating history by scoring 18000 runs (Motera's affinity towards history came to the fore again), Sachin was in such good form that one could see he was determined to stay till the end. The feet were moving so quickly even before the ball was delivered and the boundaries were coming along easily. One of the good balls bowled by Tait consumed him that might have given him a lump in his throat - the latter batsmen were good enough to keep his dream continue for another match. One could see his enthusiasm come to the fore in the morning itself when he decided to bowl after a long time - in fact, he spun one delivery that would have made Shane Warne proud.

Gambhir made another half-century in the busy way he goes about, scoring in singles and the odd boundary. Jumping out to spinners and pacers, he was able to keep the required run rate below six throughout. He must have gained inspiration from his fellow partner (Sehwag) of giving 3 opportunities in the space of 5 balls - bizarre running ended his innings that once again looked good to go the distance. Kohli, as well, started well and was motoring well when he tried to tonk a full toss from Hussey to mid-wicket.

Suresh Raina was one potentially controversial selection in the morning but by the end of the day, turned out to be a master-stroke. One was a bit confused why he did not get a bowl in the morning but that would not matter in the end result. It was going to be tough for him with the trio of Johnson, Lee and Tait operating for the Australians. Short balls were going to be the order of day and he was suspect. But, it looks like he has worked out a strategy with Gary Kirsten that would work, even though right now only on the subcontinental pitches. The pull shot was used frequently and the singles were taken to keep the pressure down. The Oz players tried their usual tactics of needling him but Yuvraj kept talking to him to keep his cool.

Overall, the Indian team played with a passion that was not seen before. The fielding display was the best that they had put up so far in the tournament, as Dhoni acknowledged. One sample was the dives that Ashwin put in on the boundary line to save boundaries. The players were apparently given Sachin's best knocks before the match - no wonder all of them were charged up for the match. If they continue with the same form, the Cup is not too far away.

In the morning, Dhoni started with Ashwin and it was clear that there was ample turn for the spinners. Though the Indian team did not run through the Oz lineup, they grabbed wickets regularly to thwart a launch against putting up a big score. MSD rotated his bowlers and brought in non-regulars like Sachin and Kohli to make up for Munaf's quota. If not for Ponting or the late assault of David Hussey, the target would have been probably less than 200. Zaheer, as has been his wont, came back in the second spell to take crucial wickets. Harbhajan bowled well without taking wickets - after Ashwin's presence in the team, Bhajji's bowling seems to have improved slightly. Yuvraj has been spectacular with the ball as he has been in the tournament - flighting the ball and getting decent purchase.

For the Aussies, Watson and Haddin gave a good start but could not sustain against some good bowling by the spinners. Ponting was the lone batsmen who gritted out in the searing heat, scoring a century after donkeys years. How this loss will affect him remains to be seen - will he be part of the team as a captain? Hussey was outfoxed by Zak and it was left to his younger brother to get a decent score on the board - eventually not enough for them.

India next takes on Pakistan in the semi-finals - a great match that will keep the subcontinent on their toes. I had predicted them to meet up in the quarters but some twists in the tale meant that they are meeting one stage later. Hope the next prediction I made (India vs Sri Lanka in the semi-finals) also goes the same way - India meeting the co-hosts in Mumbai in the finals! The Indians have the talent and today they showed their character to win the Cup - no wonder they are back as favorites once again.                

Related articles

• World Cup 2011 - India meet Australia in QF (myhistoryisinteresting.blogspot.com)

World Cup 2011 - Will South Africa choke vs NZ in QF?

Castrol Index says 190-154. A difference of 36 points between the two teams. South Africa's performance in this edition of the World Cup is clearly illustrated in the Index. They have steamrolled most of their opponents except against England when they succumbed to the pressures of the spinners. Similarly, India had a good chance to knock them over but the lower order pushed the score past the target.

It is very interesting statistic to know that in the last two editions of the World Cup, South Africa have lost to the Black Caps! Will history repeat itself? The only glimmer of hope for NZ is to take the blueprint of their win against the red-hot Pakistan team in the group stage. Ross Taylor played a wonderful knock to hit 100 runs in the last 5 overs to put up a total that was beyond the reach of the Pakistan team. But, that exactly is the problem with NZ - the dependence on Taylor and Brendon McCullum in the batting department. Vettori will make a comeback and strengthen the bowling but that is no match to the might of the Proteas.

Everything seems to be going well for South Africa so far except the blip against the English. The only obstacle that will stop them is not any team but their own history and mental toughness. Will they choke, as everyone in this tournament has been asking their captain repeatedly? Kallis has had a silent tournament by his own high standards. Imran Tahir will make a comeback after injury and mostly finish the match the same way Afridi did against West Indies. It is such a different image of the Proteas with so many spinners and one of them repeatedly opening the attack with Dale Steyn. AB and JP are solid in the middle-order while Amla is steady at the top of the order. Between them, they can set up or chase any target.

My prediction of the winner would be South Africa but Ross Taylor has the ability to prove everyone wrong on his day.

World Cup 2011 - India meet Australia in QF

A Grand Mini-final is what Tim Nielsen calls the 2nd quarter-final between India and Australia, adding that the pressure will be on India in front of their home crowd. Fair enough, Tim. But what about pressure on your team to maintain the Cup-winning streak? Your team has lost a World Cup match after 1999 - is it just the beginning of the end?

Play 3 spinners, says Wasim Akram.Good idea, Akram, but is it not the formula the Indian think-tank using for most of the matches (except for the first one)? Harbhajan, Chawla/Ashwin, Yuvraj/Pathan are our tweakers - more than enough for the Oz batsmen. If you want to add another specialist spinner, who will open the bowling? Sachin Tendulkar?

Ricky Ponting himself is under pressure from his country, thanks to his poor captaincy skills in the last few games. Hussey had to affirm that Punter had the backing of the team and there is no question of change as of now. I am not sure if Steve Smith shares the same confidence in his mind after he was given a mouthful by his skipper for attempting a catch! Dressing room television sets are given more protection after the last incident by Ricky - insurance agents might be in business!!

Javagal Srinath has full praise for Zaheer Khan - a very rare article when a bowler of his same ilk applauds the youngster for his consistency and control. Srinath proposes that India use an extra seamer if the pitch is flat. What will the pitch hold for the bowlers, will be known later today. Whatever it is, I feel Ashwin is a better bet than Nehra against Australia.

Mitchell Johnson targets Sehwag and says that he will try chin-music. That is a good ploy, Mitch. But, can you put two balls on good length in a row? Your radar seems to be firing all over the place? Can you control it better? Brett Lee has proven again what a leader he is for the Australian team. Shaun Tait has given him good support but Johnson has been himself - fast and accurate on some days and wayward normally. Viv Richards, in his interview, mentioned that Sehwag reminds of himself. In the new avatar of Sehwag (where he is willing to play the entire fifty overs), the Oz bowlers will find it difficult to contain him.

What about the legend himself? Talk has been going on about his walk during the match in Chennai but tell me one thing frankly. Does it surprise you? No. The man has proven himself to be above the game in many situations and this is another example in his glittering career. Motera has been a ground where many records have happened earlier - Gavaskar's 10,000 runs, Kapil Dev's 432 wickets and now, I expect, Sachin's hundredth century against his favorite opponents.

The Indian team has to look at the collapses that the batting has seen over the matches against the top teams - Dhoni will probably the player once again who will play till the 50th over while stroke players hit out around him. The team that played against West Indies will see Sehwag return in place of Raina. Ashwin will be key to take wickets and bowl in PowerPlay overs. Harbhajan should find his form, after seeing a certain Ponting in the opposition lineup. Zaheer will relish the reverse swing that the hot climate will offer.

The Oz team has a problem with spin and that is going to play on their mind. Ponting's loss of form is another worry while Hussey's return from injury will strengthen the middle-order. Cameron White or David Hussey? Hussey might come back to supplement with his off-spin. The bowlers are raring to go against Sachin/Sehwag once again. Will they take early wickets?

Castrol Index puts Australia at an advantage of 178-156. Do you agree? I feel that the Indians are slightly ahead in this match between the top two ranked teams in ODI cricket.

World Cup 2011 - Windies-Pak in Quarter-finals

The first Quarter-final gets underway in Mirpur on Wednesday between two teams that are not too dissimilar. The West Indies have, to take Greg Chappell's words few years ago, forgotten how to win. Pakistan is, the least to say, one team whose players themselves will not know how they will play on the day of the match (no, I am not hinting any other thoughts here). Castrol Index shows both of them to be very close - in fact, Windies lead the Pakistan team 150-149.

The Paks have beaten the World Champions in their last match and that must have given them a lot of confidence but that is not assuring anything for this team. Their bowlers have mostly won the match by restricting the targets that their not-so-sure batsmen have to chase. Umar Gul, Shahid Afridi have been the stars while the others have been more steady than spectacular. Hafeez, in particular, was miserly in the match against Australia. On the Mirpur pitch, will he be so effective against the Windies who admittedly played the Indian spinners better than most expected?

The batting of Pakistan has revolved mainly around Umar Akmal so far. The youngster is so talented that he will be able to walk in to any team's playing eleven but one is not so sure about where his priorities lie, if stories are to be believed. He shares a strong bond with his elder brother and that is where the rumor-mills start their tales about him feigning injuries to save Kamran's place in the squad. Misbah and Younis have played their part but failure to hit the boundaries (check their rotation rate) will cost the team critical runs in the final overs.

West Indies have to thank Devon Smith for his contributions so far and expect him to shore up the batting with the returning Chris Gayle. If Gayle can put his head together and stay for a decent period at the wicket, he can take the match away from the opposition. His is the key wicket for Pakistan for the dependency on him is so high that Windies have lost their way after his dismissals. Bravo has blown hot and cold while Sarwan has been disappointing. Only if these players can put up a score against Pakistan that is challenging to chase, the bowlers can probably play on the pressure created on the minds of Pakistan batsmen.

Kemar Roach is one bowler who will be expected to rip through the top-order of Pakistan with his sheer pace. Benn has opened the bowling but has not been so effective. Bishoo was very impressive in his stint against the Indians - he will play and I feel that he will do well once again taking wickets by the handful. Rampaul will play, thanks to his fifer against the Indians - who will be dropped to accommodate remains to be seen since Russell had played well in earlier games. It is a good sign for the Windies that their bowlers have slowly started to show signs of taking wickets.

An even game is what one might be tempted to call. But, Windies have not won enough against major test-playing nations in recent times. Will this be the match that will stop the bad streak? Will Pakistan self-destruct as they can? Interesting match in store tomorrow but I will support the Windies to create an upset here!

World Cup 2011 - India end up 2nd in group

West Indies had not won a match against teams other than Bangladesh (or lowly ranked teams) for almost 2 years. India is currently the second-ranked ODI team in the world, going into the World Cup. Of course, they were one of the favorites to win the tournament at home. If one sees the scorecard after 2-3 years, the first thought that will come to mind is that it was an easy win for the Indians with 80 runs separating the two teams. Castrol Index also suggests a 34 difference between the 2 teams (165-131)

But that was not the way the match went. India started on the back-foot thanks to the perfect ball from Ravi Rampaul, who is another bowler who fancies taking wickets against the Indians. Gambhir threw his bat at a wide one to be taken on the boundary. Virat Kohli and Yuvraj then started a rearguard action to get the batting back on track. Yuvraj was lucky to be dropped twice by Sammy in two consecutive overs, both difficult chances. Kohli was his usual self, scoring runs at a confidence that seems to be growing every match.

Yuvraj was suffering from 'stomach cramps' (as he mentioned in his speech) and it was difficult to understand why the team management did not ask him to come back. He is invaluable now in his bowling avatar and one did not know whether he will get well for the second innings. He continued and stuck to his job gamely while Kohli decided to throw his bat at an inopportune time. The long batting order has somehow given the Indians a sense of over-confidence on the next set of batsmen to follow. Hence, those who are settled feel that they should start taking more risks with the sense of security based on the lineup on paper. This game, the batsmen were a bit careful while the overs were running away but even then, could not help in avoiding the collapse.

Dhoni had mentioned in the previous match that batsmen should not play for the gallery but one could blame him for the same error in this match. Bishoo was bowling so well that either he or Yuvi were not able to get him away. MSD thought that he could do his skip down the track like yesteryears and hit him off the line. But, he was second best this case. Raina fell sweeping and Yuvraj was out just before the Batting PowerPlay was supposed to start. Familiar tale once again - Pathan was yorked by Rampaul while Harbhajan was dismissed by a great catch by Pollard. Ashwin threw his bat around but the others did not stay with him again. Here is where the attitude of Munaf Patel was irritating to say the least. He deems that he is in the eleven to bowl only and hence need not contribute with the bat or field - once this campaign is over, the first thing the selectors have to do is to dump him.

The presence of Ashwin in the team gives Dhoni an opportunity to use him in PowerPlays along with Zaheer Khan, something he promptly utilized. Patel was not to be seen even after 25 overs. Harbhajan was bowling as usual but things were looking good for Windies with Devon Smith and Sarwan rotating the strike and scoring runs quite easily until Zak was brought back to make use of the reverse swing.

Once the breakthrough was obtained, the innings went on a downward spiral - Dhoni attacked with the spinners at one end and pace at the other to pick up wickets frequently. Yuvraj again picked up wickets with his loop and spin, something that is missing when Bhajji bowls! The fielding was decent and the Indians did not need any further invitation to win the match.

Ashwin performed well and that meant that the Indian team has another wicket-taking bowler to its arsenal. How it utilizes him and the others in the Quarter-final remains to be seen.

World Cup 2011 - Last group match for India

On Sunday, India play the last group match against West Indies at Chennai, a track that will favor them. They have already played one of the warm-up matches (against New Zealand) here and won it convincingly. Castrol Index rates both the teams closely (159-154) but that might not be the case tomorrow. India has the arsenal in their team to put a strong display but whether they actually do it, remains to be seen.

Thanks to Bangladesh's capitulation against South Africa today, the Indian team is assured of a Quarter-final berth irrespective of the result of the match. The scenarios of who will be their opponent is also clear. At the time of writing this post, Pakistan are coasting against Australia in their final match. This only means that the Indians will face either Australia (if they beat Windies) or Sri Lanka at Ahmedabad on the 24th.

MS Dhoni has hinted during his press conference today that both Raina and Ashwin were playing the match tomorrow. Sehwag also might be rested to ensure that he is fit for the latter games. It will also give the Indians a chance to play both Raina and Kohli in the match. Viv Richards put pressure on the Indians by giving his opinion that India may not be capable to win the World Cup - is he playing mind games?

The Indians have their last chance to get their team right and their strategy sorted out for the knock-out matches. Hope they can utilize it to the maximum and get their campaign back on track.

PS - This article illustrates another facet of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar - playing blindfold in his nets practice. Interesting!

World Cup 2011 - Kirsten needs a change of plan

As one read the article about Gary Kirsten in IE, it gives a lot of insight into the coach and his skills on the ground. This text stands out for me.

“You can ‘go with the flow’ if that is your preferred option, and I’m happy with that. But if the ‘flow’ is going against you, then it does no harm to rethink your approach. I’m happy for players to rethink their careers by themselves, if they prefer to, but I’m here to assist if they require me. And also Paddy (Upton, mental conditioning coach) is there all the time, too.”

It is such a neat way to deal with players, especially so with the stars that man the Indian team.

But, I think, it is time that Paddy and Kirsten now take a session to find out what is going wrong with the Indian team - a team cannot slump in their batting so miserably twice (England and South Africa). The players did not seem to be having any plan in their mind, where to hit the ball or whether to give the strike to the non-striker. The lower order (last four bowlers) with the bat, if one looks at the statistics here, average 1 run per wicket - a grand total of nine runs in eight innings!!! This is ridiculous numbers, even if you are playing for the associates.

The other article in IE about Dhoni's twelve is so true. Surely, MSD must be thinking how to have Raina and Kohli both in his team during fielding. But, here is where I find it interesting. In both matches that India have not won, Kohli has not been able to get going. This role is better when played by Raina than Kohli. In the form that you see the top three in, there are going to be lesser opportunities where Virat has to shore up the batting. Why not play Raina in his place? He is the best player to play the PowerPlay overs. Dhoni prefers his CSK team-mate to Yusuf (with the ball) during slog overs.

What do you think about this? Should Dhoni's team-mates from SuperKings (Raina and Ashwin) come in to the next playing eleven? Let me know.

World Cup 2011 - Sachin Tendulkar in his 6th

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Sachin Tendulkar is playing his sixth World Cup - well known fact that he is only second to reach this landmark in the history of World Cups so far.

He has looked different in this edition from what we have noticed in the first five matches of the Cup. How?

• He has hit the highest number of sixes in the Indian team. This stat, in a lineup containing Sehwag, Pathan, Yuvraj is surprising. Considering his age, it becomes phenomenal.
• He has scored two centuries so far - not surprising. What is different though, is the fact that both have come against test-playing nations, not the minnows. England and South Africa are considered to be among the top-5 if not top-3 nations in cricket today.
• His fitness (touch wood) has been the best. He has been running quick between the wickets without any issues at all. No cramps during his centuries also. 
• His fielding has been top-notch - remember the saves he put in against South Africa in yesterdays match. The enthusiasm he showed to cut off boundaries of Kallis was worth emulating.

Some pointers on how he can take India all the way

• Bat for fifty overs. India has combusted badly in the final overs when scores of 350 were there for the taking. This score will give the team extra runs as insurance against their comparatively weaker bowling as well as their slow fielders
• Keeping their head. The Indians seem to be losing their head when things become hectic and batsmen/bowlers do not know how to keep their head intact. This is where Sachin should come in and advise MSD and the rest of the team on how to regroup.
• Get his 100th hundred out of the way quickly. One has seen that Sachin gets distracted on an impending landmark (remember the time before his 50th test century). With 99 in his kitty, Sachin will be under high pressure to score the next one. If he can get the century against West Indies, the knock-out matches will be relatively pressure-free for the veteran.
• On a lighter note, it will help the Indian team if Sachin can open the bowling as well with Zaheer Khan. Looking at the form of Munaf and Nehra, it is better that India goes with Harbhajan, Piyush and Ashwin in the playing eleven.

World Cup 2011 - India suffer their 1st defeat

Let us understand the situation after the match between India and South Africa at Nagpur - this was India's first defeat in the tournament (after the tie against England) in five matches but they are not still sure of a Quarter-final position! Yes, this is great for the tournament as well as for the 'revival' of ODIs. But, has the home team played as well as their pre-tournament billing? In parts. When the batting has clicked, the bowling has been average and vice versa.

After the match was finished, MS Dhoni launched criticism against the batsmen but he should have realized that whatever his batsmen had put up, his bowlers would have given those away also. What else can one explain giving runs to the likes of Botha and Peterson in the ending overs? Zaheer Khan was bowling the best he could but he was not helped by Munaf and Nehra. As Harsha Bhogle mentioned in his post-match summary, the incapability to bowl yorkers is impacting them the most. Harbhajan had one over with him but MSD decided to go with Nehra - another area where Dhoni has been very predictable (not using spinners in the end-overs and preferring to go back to the pacers irrespective of their performance). He needs to get more overs out of Yusuf Pathan, who has been decent in his spells. From the matches played so far, it looks like the priority of finishing ten over spells should be Zaheer - Yuvraj - Harbhajan - Pathan - Munaf - Nehra. The selection of the team was also not right for this pitch - Dhoni must have realized this looking at Kohli's dismissal.

Let us come to the batting then - the great start provided by the openers meant that the Indians were at an advantage very early on. Steyn and Morkel were going at more than 8 runs per over. The Proteas thought that having a packed off-side field would stifle the scoring of Viru but that is when he pulled out his strokes on the leg side. Runs were leaking all over. Once Sehwag slowed down, the Maestro took over to go faster than Sehwag at one stage.

Smith was lost and started trying his part-time spinners to slow down the scoring - even went to the extent of calling for an umpire review just to have a chat with his team. This quick thinking helped him and his team to an extent - they were able to reduce the scoring from its earlier highs. Sehwag was dismissed and though Sachin/Gambhir were getting runs, the boundaries had reduced quite a bit. Sachin was hitting the big sixes and got slowed down a little nearing his 99th century. Once the hundred was out of his way, Tendulkar and Gambhir started to show signs of aggression.

The Batting Powerplay was taken and all hell broke loose. There used to be a saying in ODI that if a team was trying to score fast and had two players at the crease for a long time, one of them would play till the end of the innings. This was definitely not on the players mind as one after the other, Sachin and Gautam hit out and left the crease. Once new batsmen came to the crease, they could not get going at the same rate thanks to the improved bowling and strangle imposed by the fielding. The PowerPlay also meant that easy singles were not on offer. Dhoni was left stranded at one end while all the other batsmen came and left the crease. Another basic tenet of ODI's - eight balls were left unused by the Indians.

The middle-order is a point of worry for Dhoni as in both matches (against England and South Africa), the top three batsmen played well only for the rest of the batting to falter away. In fact, in both these matches, the Indians could have touched the highs they scaled in the match against Bangladesh but not to be. Making Pathan play in PowerPlay might not be a good idea - whether the field comes in or not, he is capable of going out of the ground. Having other players like Yuvraj, Dhoni during PP seems the best bet. Of course, as has been mentioned by many so far, going for an approach not to lose wickets during the last PP must be the new strategy.

The Indians will surely qualify for the Quarterfinals but they must ensure in their last match against West Indies that they do not finish last to draw Australia (mostly) in the first knock-out match. How soon can they pick up and figure out a way to keep their heads during tense situations will determine the next course of their journey in this World Cup.

Related articles

• World Cup 2011 - Yuvraj's all-round skills help India win (myhistoryisinteresting.blogspot.com)

World Cup 2011 - Yuvraj's all-round skills help India win

Yuvraj Singh - allrounder
India reached the top of their Group after a not-so-easy win against the Irish team. They did not have it easy as they would have liked to. The bowlers were troubled by a lengthy partnership after two early strikes. Similarly, their batting was rattled when they were little more than hundred for four wickets. Experience was one weapon missing in the arsenal of Ireland - if only they had it, the match would have been closer. There was no lack of effort though - the fielding and effort to support the bowlers was tremendous. Also, the pitch helped the Indians more today - hint of generous turn was on offer for the slow bowlers (the pitch seemed to resemble the warm-up matches once again).

The Indians went with an unchanged lineup today and opted to field first - Dhoni had hinted that this was his preferred way to go before the match. Zaheer Khan put his hand up and got the initial breakthroughs for the team to put the Irish back on the ropes. His standard trick, that of bowling two balls away from the batsman and then getting it back in, worked today. Even in his latter spells, he was consistent and on the dot. That could not be said of his partner, though. The selection of Munaf Patel somehow generates a feeling that Dhoni is on the defensive and likes to go for a steady bowler rather than one who can take wickets. Patel again went for runs and hardly bowled half his quota. Dhoni, in his mind, must now hope for one of his bowlers like Munaf or Nehra to get injured and ruled out of the tournament - for, that is one way to bring back Praveen Kumar (if he is fit) to the team. The team is missing PK at the top of the attack when he could complement Zak and get critical breakthroughs regularly. For now, Munaf has to make way for Nehra in the next match.

Dhoni usually gives his players a long rope and backs them to the hilt - Piyush Chawla is also facing the same generosity right now. But, MSD will soon realize that Piyush's lack of match practice is haunting the team clearly. The pitch was offering turn and it was for all to see in the very first over of Chawla but the leg-spinner did not help his cause by not sticking to a good line and length. Forget taking a wicket, giving away seven runs every over was not on considering the pitch conditions. Similar to Munaf, Chawla has to make way for Ashwin in the next match.

There is no point in blaming only the younger spinner when the senior spinner in the team, Harbhajan Singh, continued to bowl on an average manner. The figures might look good against him on the scorecard but bear in mind that the bowler was operating against the Irish team who do not have much experience against spin. Dhoni supported his bowlers by giving close-in fielders regularly but somehow the mindset that the spinners are operating are not the same that someone like Shahid Afridi or even Imran Tahir is trying. It was finally left to the all-rounder of the day, Yuvraj Singh, to salvage the situation for India.

His fielding has gone down and he is no longer as mobile as he used to be few years ago but his bowling has gone up a notch - an area that has kept him in the squad compared to Suresh Raina. He was bowling with pace that would ensure that the balls would stand up even more than normal. Check out the shot that Porterfield hit while getting out, for example. Yusuf Pathan also chipped in with seven overs so that the bowling of Patel was not required later in the innings.

In the reply, Sehwag and Gambhir fell early in their innings. Sehwag was again beaten by a ball that stood up, making him play early. Gambhir guided the ball to the fielder within the circle on the leg-side and could not believe the accuracy of his shot! Sachin and Virat Kohli came together and produced a good partnership - they managed to get rid of the initial butterflies and rotate the strike to keep the scorecard moving. As is his wont, Tendulkar got out to a youngster once again - he wanted to go for a review badly but his partner was not so keen about the same (rightly so, one must add).

Kohli was run-out in a mix-up with Yuvraj - probably the only blot on the copybook of Yuvraj Singh today. Yuvraj's running with his skipper was more confident and comfortable - probably the lack of partnership with Kohli was a factor in their misunderstanding. The young lad must have surely eyed another big score in a chase but it was not meant to be. Another fifty-plus partnership between Yuvi and the skipper meant that the target was being depleted slowly and surely. The departure of the Indian skipper after a typical knock of busy-ness at the crease, meant the arrival of Yusuf Pathan.

Pathan very clearly outlined why he is important to the team - a reasonable ask of forty one in little less than ten overs was reduced in the space of four balls by sixteen runs (a boundary and two sixes of Dockrell). Once the task was made innocuous, both the batsmen just kept their heads and took India to victory. Yuvraj completed the double of scoring a 50 and five wickets.

In passing, I would like to congratulate the Irish team for their performance today. They did not disgrace themselves on the field after the highs against England. With proper exposure, they have a role to play in future World Cups (though ICC might still keep them out by having only ten countries participate). What the ICC should instead concentrate on, is to ensure that players like O'Brien's, Dockrell are not poached by the English cricketing team. If this goes on, it would mean a further setback to the team's future hopes.      

World Cup 2011 - 15 players for a team

Why does ICC mandate that only fifteen players have to be selected for the World Cup? With the amount of money that all teams make in this sport, it does not cost much more to have additional players to travel along with the team, even though they are not part of the official squad. If so, why does the ICC mandate only fifteen players to be announced?

England has a player (Chris Tremlett) in their squad who is extra insurance for any player who might be injured. Today, we have seen the announcement of Dirk Nannes who has been added in similar capacity to the Australian team. Interesting, isnt it?

Another point in the same article referred above is the case of Michael Hussey. He was dropped from the initial squad because of injury. But, he went back to the domestic competition and proved that he was fit. Now, when a bowler is injured (Dougie Bollinger), Hussey makes a comeback. Obviously, after the warm-up matches, the Australian team management realized that their team was suspect against spin and wanted Hussey to be back to bolster the team. Is there nothing in the rule that says that only a bowler can replace a bowler, not a batsman?

Wonder if the lack of response would have been the same if an Asian player replaced thus? What do you think?

Related articles

• World Cup 2011 - Contenders after first 2 weeks (myhistoryisinteresting.blogspot.com)

World Cup 2011 - Contenders after first 2 weeks

Image via Wikipedia
It has been a little more than two weeks since the start of the 2011 World Cup and the initial results are mixed, in fact. There have been the expected one-sided matches coupled with the odd upsets. These set of matches have eliminated the thought that ODI cricket was on its way out and has no role to play - how wrong was this thinking?

The points table as of now shows a clear trend that looks like it will follow for the rest of the tournament. Two sides top each group - Pakistan and South Africa - two teams that were not high in the list of favorites tipped to win the Cup this time. But, guess what? They are doing well and looking dangerous.

South Africa has been a revelation in this World Cup, especially when they are playing with three spinners and mostly opening with one. Today's match against England looks to go the same route as the other two that South Africa have played so far. Smith and Kallis have not been in the best of form but that is not affecting the team so far - what does it say about the team? One initial fear about this team is that they always look so formidable in the initial stages of most ICC tournaments only to falter in the knock-out stages. Right now, that is far away from our purview and hence, we will focus on the current performances.

Pakistan has already showcased their strength in bowling, thanks to their captain's three successive four-wicket hauls. Their batting looks brittle while their fielding is ancient, to say the least. Run-outs are incidental and this is the only team that does not have the resources to have specialist coaches like other teams. This is not stopping them to top the group after wins that included one against Sri Lanka. Again, this is the team that can self-ignite any time of the tournament and this ability makes them the wild-card for the rest of the tournament.

Australia have motored along with results that do not reflect their current mess in test cricket. Two wins and a no-result against Sri Lanka means that the Aussies can be confident about their position in their group. Their team has performed so well that they have not felt the need to select the replacement of Bollinger. For all one knows, Michael Hussey will be on the plane to the sub-continent as this player - just wait and watch. Only if Ponting can stop complaining about the pitches after each match that helped the spinners - is he expecting a pitch like Perth on the sub-continent?

West Indies, despite their loss against South Africa, are looking good thanks to the performances of Kemar Roach - a fast bowler who can make the pitches insignificant. Their senior batsmen, Sarwan and Chanderpaul, have not made a mark so far but it will be a surprise if they do not when the situation warrants it.

Enough has been made of India's lineup - whether seven batsmen are required or six - but one has to realize that they have played only two matches so far. They play their next two matches against the so-called minnows - Ireland and Netherlands. Time for the team to use these matches to fine-tune their artillery that is capable of strikes that can match those happening in Libya right now.

Group B is all the more interesting with the last spot for the Quarterfinals up for grab between Bangladesh, England and Ireland. How this will pan out remains to be seen. So far, the ICC cannot complain - Bangalore has given them enough sound-bites to be remembered for a long time. The ODI is not going anywhere folks - it will remain along with the test and T20 version in a very nice way.