India win under 19 world cup,but

While the Indian senior team was dominating South Africa in the limited over series in South Africa, their Under-19 comrades outshone their opposition in the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand, Coached by the legendary Rahul Dravid, the team won the final convincingly to lift the Cup against the powerful Australians! Overall performane by the Indians dominated the headlines, especially the fast bowlers, middle-order batsmen and captain Prithvi Shaw!

Images from Cricinfo website

While this is great, what becomes important is how many of these players make it to the senior team - have a look at the team that won in 2008 - Virat Kohli, Jadeja, Manish Pandey have graduated nicely but not much is known about the other players. Hopefully, we should nurture this team properly and ensure we get maximum representations in the senior team soon!

More actions required from ICC

ICC addressed the declining on-field behavior in December 2016. This was very much required and the tough stance will bring back some level of decency to the gentlemen's game.

There are other areas ICC should take up in 2017, which have been waiting for quite a while.These around few specific areas:

1. Follow-on rule -  Since VVS Laxman's epic 281 versus Australia at Eden Gardens, Kolkata 2001, the number of times a team has enforced follow-on despite having a lead of more than 200 has reduced drastically. Maybe the lead of runs should be reduced to 150 ( as is applicable to a four-day match). This will keep the legacy of follow-ons  ( remember Kapil Dev's four sixes off Eddie Hemmings to avoid the follow-on)to continue without putting undue pressure on the bowlers ( having to bowl for consecutive innings).
2. DRS uniformity -Now that India has conducted a complete series with DRS system, it is time the competing nations or ICC take responsibility of DRS  system rather than leave it to the broadcasting companies. This will mean that the features available are same for all countries and tests.
3. LBW for ball pitching outside the leg stump.- An off-spinner pitches the ball outside off but is able to get a LBW in his favor if the ball is deemed to hit the stumps. With DRS in place, it is easy for the umpires to make the judgement. Hence, it is time to allow balls pitched outside leg to be given out as well.This will rule out batsmen kicking out balls pitching outside the leg and eliminate negativity.

With these changes, test cricket can move further and get the much-needed attention over the other formats. The key question is whether ICC is ready to bite the bullet? Time will tell.

Dhoni the unconventional hero

MS Dhoni was always unconventional - when I thought of writing a blog entry about him, there were many thoughts that entered my mind. But, Rahul Dravid's post was just superb, on the spot about what MSD stood for. Hence, I will try to write this post a bit differently.

When Ganguly announced his retirement, he was merely a player. What did MSD do? Watch this video for a timely gesture.

When Anil Kumble announced his, he was taken around for a lap by his team-mates (no, just one man)

Thanks to Times Group for image 

When Sachin Tendulkar's famous last match finished, this was the fitting finale

Thanks to Cricinfo for image

Having done all this, MSD also watched the likes of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman walk away into the sunset without any fanfare. He was also witness to his friends like Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag fade away from the limelight. 

Would he have scripted a better farewell himself than what he did? Probably not. Taking India to safety on the last day of the Boxing Day test match was the best way for him to say goodbye.

Thanks to Cricinfo for image

His records speak for themselves and there is no comparison for a wicket-keeper who captained his side so well. 

Finally, what did his workload look like? In 2014, he captained his team in nine tests, twelve ODI's and seven T20 internationals. Other than this, he led CSK in 16 T20 matches in the IPL as well as six T20 matches in Champions League. 

It was probably a choice of letting go one of the formats or one of his occupation (wicket-keeping or captaincy). Since he would continue to keep wickets (he is not a good fielder according to himself) as well as captain the side (his CEO would demand it always), one of the format had to give way. And that is exactly what MSD opted.

SAF Test 1 - Satisfying day for Indian team

It has been one of the most satisfying days for an Indian fan like me for years. The pride with which the Indian team responded to the challenges posed by the No.1 test team (definitely the best bowling attack in the world, including the Aussies) was a sight to watch. Planning was evident in the way the team batted and implementation was spot-on.

Right from the start, Vijay and Dhawan (to lesser extent) chose to play the balls that were going to hit the wicket only (or the bad balls of course). Vijay was instrumental in calming the nerves of the dressing room after MSD had won the toss and opted to bat - his knock was similar to the one played by Sanjay Bangar in Headingley when Dravid and Tendulkar had prospered because of his tenure. Dhawan has a new challenge ahead of him now - the short ball darting into his body. How he can counter this challenge in the unique way only he plays is critical for his near future.

Pujara looked solid, more than Kohli in fact. The two repaired the ship and started to attack the easy pickings of Imran Tahir when disaster struck. It was Kohli's mistake and Pujara had to pay the price (it looks like Pujara was ready to bat on for the next 2 days). Kohli would make up for his mistake by scoring a century but got out just when he had the attack at his mercy. Kohli's century had 18 boundaries (which means 72 of 119 runs) which meant that he was not letting the bad balls go a waste.50 of his runs came of 44 balls of Imran Tahir and JP Duminy - again showing that he did not let the chances slip when it came.

Rahane has shown so far that his prolific scores in domestic cricket is true reflection of his potential. Though 23 of his 43 runs have come against the spinners, he looked comfortable against pace as well. How well he combines with Dhoni on the 2nd day will be critical for the Indian team to score a good total. Dhoni has started well, scoring a boundary of all the three quicks. Will he carry the good form again?

Again, to repeat, a good performance by the team with the sessions shared on the first day. The Indian team should capitalise on the good start and make it count. Only then will they get into a good position on a ground where they havent lost in the four matches so far.

2013 Champions League starts

After the qualifiers, the main tournament started on 21st September with Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid squaring off.

Rahul Dravid's Rajasthan Royals continued their perfect record at Jaipur as they defeated Mumbai Indians with relative ease. The stars were relatively unknown players like Vikramjeet Malik, Sanju Samson and Stuart Binny. Others pitched in together to make it a comfortable victory at the end. Mitchell Johnson will feel aggrieved though!

Is this the beginning of Dhoni's Team India?

All articles after the first test at Chennai have been proclaiming the genius of MS Dhoni and how he changed the course of the first test match against Australia. What seems to have gone missing is the slow but steady appearance of a nucleus of what one can call Dhoni's new Team India - one that he seems to be hand-picking very carefully.

What are the changes that are typical of this new team?

• Opening combination - Gautam Gambhir was dropped because of his lean period with the bat for quite a few tests. His partner, Virender Sehwag, escaped a similar treatment because of his extraordinary record in test matches more than anything. Murali Vijay was the beneficiary - Dhoni's CSK team-mate and one who had made a century against Australia during the previous tour. Vijay's technique was not in doubt but his comeback run was in the wilderness until Dhoni insisted on his presence. People might call it a favour but then what happened in the second test at Hyderabad? A wonderful century for Vijay who put on a record triple century partnership with Pujara. If this is not foresight, what is? Well, one might say that it is too early to call him a success but his run in the home tests will give him enough confidence for the tougher conquests overseas. Sehwag's tryst with low scores continues and there is backup in the form of Shikhar Dhawan in the squad. If Sehwag continues to fail, one should not be surprised to see him making his debut in the last test. What is also important to note is that these players are good movers on the ground and fit enough to run fast - abilities that Dhoni likes to see in his team.
• Middle Order - the middle-order has Sachin Tendulkar at the core with Pujara and Kohli once again showing their class in opportunities that have come their way. Look out for Ravindra Jadeja to continue on home soil while the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma ('special player' is what Dhoni calls him), Suresh Raina, Manoj Tiwary will compete for the sole position. Once again, the common factor for all these players is the fitness and multiple skills they possess. Clear qualities that show what Dhoni has on his mind. Yuvraj Singh was given his chances but he seems to be lacking clearly on the test arena.
• Bowling - While Ashwin and Jadeja are the preferred spinners, Ojha is not-so because of his relative slowness and lack of batting skills. He will be present in the squad but might play in the eleven only if and when Ashwin lacks form or fitness. On the opening bowlers, Ishant seems to be getting a long rope but not for long (remember he cannot bat and is very slow on the field). Bhuvaneshwar Kumar is the current favorite for all the right reasons. Shami Ahmed might be the next to make his debut while the likes of Dinda and Vinay Kumar might fade away.

If one remembers right, the English tour of 1996, the Indians lost to England but were lucky to get the debuts of Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly. Similarly, the disastrous 1996 tour of Australia saw the emergence of VVS Laxman. Virat Kohli was found during the miserable tour of Australia 2011-12. The South African tour will also be terrible for the Indians but surely one or two batsmen will emerge (and few bowlers hopefully). This will then be the making of the new-generation Team India. One that will be of MS Dhoni's making.

2012 Mumbai Test - India caught in their own web

MS Dhoni would have been happy with the wicket, his team composition as well as his luck with the toss. For other than this, there was nothing that worked in the match (other than Pujara and Ashwin with the bat in the first innings). Dhoni did not factor his own batsmen's incompetencies against quality spin bowling (how he wished he had the recently retired Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman in his batting eleven!)

For most of the match, the commentators showed the pitch map as well as the pace of English bowlers in comparison with the Indians. Though this was true, the Indian bowlers were not consistent and disciplined in their attack. Every over there was one ball that would give runs to the batsman and rotate the strike. Dhoni's captaincy has deteriorated so much that he is now ball-following mostly. He is not trying to make things happen but instead moving the fielders to where the ball went the previous delivery.

In the second innings, none of the batsmen (other than Gambhir of course) played more than 20 deliveries! What else can you expect with such a performance. Gambhir also wanted to prove that he still deserved his place in the team rather than rotate strike and score some runs for his team. Though one can praise Kevin Pietersen and Alistair Cook for their batting, it was the failure of the Indian batsmen to come to terms with the pitch that did the main damage.

Sachin Tendulkar played more like a debutant rather than one with 192 matches to his credit. Virat Kohli's stroke selection was suspect while Yuvraj showed his weakness against quality spin. Sehwag did well until he met Monty. Harbhajan's selection was a surprise and seemed to be on course on Day 1 but it has to be remembered that he did not get wickets even in Ranji matches - how can he be expected to make miracles in test matches? He was the one who bowled faster usually but on this track if the English bowlers could make such a big impact, why couldnt he? Not every question can be answered with Pietersen and Cook's brilliance!

What will happen in the next two tests? Will Dhoni still ask for a turning track, considering that the opposition has Monty and Swanny in their eleven? Kolkata will have the answers for us!

India versus New Zealand test series - will Sachin be next?

New Zealand are fresh after their defeat to West Indies - they lag the Caribbean team by 10 points in the ICC Rankings table. The Black Caps are in India after the loss, still without veteran Dan Vettori. Is there any point in getting interested about this 2-test series?

As predicted, Ashwin and Ojha trapped the NZ batsmen in the first test in their web to ensure that India ran away with the match to win by an innings and more. After the VVS controversy, Pujara raised his hands and put up a big hundred to boot. All nice and well. We will revisit the scene once the English and Aussies are in India. Kohli, as usual, is milking runs like there is no tomorrow (nobody should blame him for there will be a time when he will struggle to score runs). As with Rohit Sharma in the ODIs, MS Dhoni has given Suresh Raina a long reign in the test matches (ahead of the senior Badrinath). Time and again, Raina has promised much only to under-deliver - this must be making Dhoni's youngsters-only mantra more difficult to implement.

Sachin Tendulkar has failed twice so far, completely bowled in the innings he has faced. Though Gavaskar and Manjrekar thought that this was due to Tendulkar's age, they managed to come up with a statement (as only fellow Mumbaikars can) to assure the viewers that Sachin might still come up with a big hundred in his next outing with the bat! The double standards are visible for everyone to see - when Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman were not doing well, they were questioned but the same is not applied to a certain Sachin Tendulkar. Even if he is a genius, there is a time one must leave, isnt it? You cannot put a Dravid or Laxman anywhere behind Sachin in terms of their effectiveness, commitment and dedication to Indian cricket - then, why the dual policy?

After the initial flurry of wickets on the second day of the second test, Raina, Kohli and Dhoni have wrested back the initiative. It is just a matter of time when the Indian spinners weave a web around the Black Caps again!

IPL5 - KKR gets past CSK

KKR finally had their moments of glory in their fifth attempt. After several controversies, they had the trophy to cherish under a captain who led from the front. If reports are true, there will be a bus ride in Kolkata and the team will be honored by the Chief Minister of West Bengal! Manvinder Bisla deserves his moment in the sun, thanks to his blistering knock.

Let us look at all the teams and see how they fared overall:

1. Kolkata Knight Riders - Gautam Gambhir proved that his demotion from the post of vice-captain from the national team was so wrong. He put runs on the board consistently and ensured that there were winners from the rest of the team as well. Kallis was wonderful with his all-round abilities while Sunil Narine gave the mystery factor to the team. Best Indian player - Gautam Gambhir. Best Foreign player - Sunil Narine.
2. Chennai Super Kings -  Lucky was the word attached to the CSK team. In the knock-out stages, they showed that they had the skills to match as well. Without a singularly outstanding player in their team, CSK was able to reach the final and take the team to the last over. Simply hats off to the overall franchise for being able to be consistently successful. Best Indian player -  Suresh Raina. Best Foreign player - Faf Du Plessis.
3. Delhi Daredevils - A team that was so consistent in the league phases, Delhi failed in two attempts to reach the final! Call it choking or bad strategies but Sehwag's team had done all the right things in the initial phase.With all their international players (Kevin Pietersen, David Warner, Mahela Jayawardene) firing, Sehwag provided the Indian touch to ensure Delhi reached the final stages. Sehwag also nurtured the Indian fast bowlers Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron very well - a good sign for the national team. Best Indian player - Umesh Yadav. Best Foreign player - Morne Morkel.
4. Mumbai Indians - While Rohit Sharma shone in bits and pieces, Mumbai was also helped by timely knocks from Rayudu, Tendulkar and Pollard. The bowling was in the safe hands of Munaf and Malinga. Harbhajan led well though his individual form was not encouraging. Best Indian player -  Ambati Rayudu. Best Foreign player - Lasith Malinga.
5. Royal Challengers -  RCB was unfortunate to lose out on the knock-out stage because of their run-rate. Their dependence on Chris Gayle was worrying for the management while Murali's efforts on the field was exemplary as usual. Though Vinay Kumar and Zaheer Khan were among the wickets, they were not consistent enough to threaten the other teams. Best Indian player - Mayank Agarwal. Best Foreign player - Chris Gayle.
6. Kings XI Punjab - David Hussey captained the team mostly in the absence of Adam Gilchrist but the role Punjab played mainly was that of party-poopers. Spoiling RCB's chances to move to the next stage, Kings performed well in patches thanks to the efforts of Mandeep, Awana and Piyush Chawla. Best Indian player - Mandeep Singh. Best Foreign player - Azhar Mahmood.
7. Rajasthan Royals - Led ably by Rahul Dravid, Rajasthan lost steam after their good start. Ajinkya Rahane, Owais Shah and Shane Watson shone for the team but the bowling was their weak-spot. Siddharth Trivedi was their best bowler and he was ranked 18th on the wicket-taking list - proof enough that the team was lacking the firepower. If the team can introduce more star power to their bowling lineup, they can do much better than where they finally ended up. Best Indian player - Ajinkya Rahane. Best Foreign player - Owais Shah
8. Deccan Chargers - The only surprise from the Chargers was how they managed to avoid the wooden spoon this year. Thanks to Dale Steyn, the Chargers gave their opponents a lot to worry about but the batting was not consistent despite the efforts from Shikhar Dhawan and Cameron White (both appearing in the Top 10 list of top scorers). Best Indian player - Shikhar Dhawan. Best Foreign player - Dale Steyn.
9. Pune Warriors - Sourav Ganguly's team was erratic to start with and then went downhill in the latter part of the tournament, not knowing whether the captain was part of the team or not. Robin Uthappa and Steve Smith tried their best with the bat but their efforts were not enough. The bowling department lacked penetration which is reflected in the overall position of the top wicket-taker Ashish Nehra (25th)! Best Indian player - Robin Uthappa. Best Foreign player - Steve Smith.

If there was a team selected from the other eight teams to play against the winners Kolkata, this would be my list of sixteen players

1. Shikhar Dhawan
2. Chris Gayle
3. Ajinkya Rahane 
4. Suresh Raina (captain)
5. Mandeep Singh
6. Robin Uthappa
7. Azhar Mahmood
8. Steve Smith
9. Mayank Agarwal
10. Ambati Rayudu (wk)
11. Lasith Malinga
12. Dale Steyn 
13. Piyush Chawla
14. Parvinder Awana 
15. Umesh Yadav
16. Morne Morkel

What would be your list?

Good Bye to Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid retired from test cricket - a sad day for Indian cricket. Harsha has, as usual, pays his tribute to the Wolf who lived for the pack.

There is no point in talking about his game or statistics or the impact he had on the Indian team as well as cricket, in general. Here, I want to talk about five qualities of Dravid that was unique to the man and made up his character all the more special

• Adaptability - After having started off as a test specialist, Dravid adapted his game to the shorter format so beautifully that he made centuries that were better than run-a-ball
• Selfless - Whether it was opening the innings or keeping wickets (or both), Dravid did it for the team's cause even though he did not like it one bit. Putting his team above his cause was second nature to him.
• Humility - Dravid with all the gains made in the IPL as well as BCCI's riches, has always remained humble and down to earth. Accessible to the youngest player in the squad, he is ever approachable.
• Team Player - Peer Pressure is usually faced by those who have geniuses (like Tendulkar, Laxman, Sehwag) for company within their team. This results in a loss of performance and creates issues within the dressing room but as one has witnessed over time, Dravid has been the team-man forever not just for the Indian team but also teams like Karnataka, Rajasthan Royals
• Determined - When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. This is so true for a player like Rahul Dravid (remember the Windies series win where he scored half-centuries in both innings)

I do not think any current (or old) player has all these facets in their character - even the legendary Sachin Tendulkar or Sunil Gavaskar.

All the best for your new career, Rahul Dravid. Let us see you in a new avatar that helps Indian cricket recover from the current crisis!

Australian tour - All is not well with Indian team

0-8 in consecutive overseas test matches. This is acceptable if the team in question is Bangladesh or Zimbabwe or even the current West Indian team. Not the No.3 team (which was recently No.1) in the world. The performance has led to a lot of disappointment in the hearts of Indian fans, ex-players, commentators, journalists. There have been a huge outcry to sack all the seniors of the Indian team. Why this Kolaveri? Is it justified?

Now, let us take a step back and analyse what went wrong and what (if any) did go as per plan?

1. The batsmen started the tour Down Under with a lot of expectations from their fans. There were suggestions that the team would win their first ever series in Australia. Hope, even after being white-washed in the four-test series in England, was probably not right especially without any remedial actions after the disaster.
2. There was no series of injuries as witnessed during the English series. Zaheer Khan went through an entire series without breaking down. But, this did not make a difference in the final analysis. The result was the same in both series.
3.  By the end of second day in Melbourne, India were slightly ahead of the Aussies. They could not tighten the screws on the Aussies even after half-centuries by Sehwag, Tendulkar, Dravid. This is where, from the 3rd day of the test, things started to turn to the Aussies. Not able to seize the opportunities that came their way was a big mistake (Hussey's dropped chance by Dravid might have tilted the scales).
4. Planning by the Australian team cannot be ignored. The plans laid out by the support staff was on the dot, be it Gautam Gambhir or the other Indian batsmen. This should not be forgotten in the hue and cry raised about the Indian seniors.
5. The previous point also raises an important point on the effectiveness of the Indian support staff. Are they not able to impose their plans on the Indian team? Or are they not able to plan at all? Are Duncan Fletcher sealed? Why has he not attended any press conferences on the tour? Is there something that the public is not aware of? The head of Eric Simons is surely going to fall but that will not solve the entire crisis the Indian team is under.
6. Virat Kohli and Umesh Yadav emerged as the positives of the tour but they must now endure the feeling of a whitewash through their initial years and emerge stronger. Only then, they can travel the paths of their current colleagues.

The BCCI had, through its powers, created tests from a non-existent schedule to ensure that the test team remains No.1. Can it do the same magic and conjure test series from nowhere (even against minnows like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe) so that the younger players can start playing tests? Or have they filled up the time with their money-making ODIs and T20s already? Can 'A' tours be restarted? 

My review comments after the previous whitewash still remain - will they ever be implemented? God only knows.

Australian tour - Oz Planning - Part II

Continuing from the previous post on Gautam Gambhir's dismissals, here would like to point the planning done on other Indian batsmen.

Rahul Dravid came into this series with a rich vein of form - scoring 3 centuries on the ill-fated tour of England as well as contributing heavily against the Windies both away and home. After this series, he was left contemplating a retirement decision based on the ways he has got dismissed. Look at the details below (courtesy Cricinfo)

• 1st Test at Melbourne - he's bowled 'em! what a ball to get early in the morning, as straight as you can get, fullish length, bang on off stump, straightens enough to sneak past Dravid's push and rattles the off stump, Dravid's front foot did not come as forward as he would have liked 214/4
• cleaned him up! Dravid left a big gap between bat and pad to let the ball sneak in, Pattinson is besieged by his team-mates, it was angled in fullish and moved in further, Dravid was caught in the crease and ended up pushing way outside the line 58/3
• 2nd test at Sydney - through the gate and the malaise hasn't escaped Dravid yet! Hilfenhaus squares him up for a delivery that comes back in, Dravid gets forward but leaves a gap between bat and pad, the ball sneaks through and hits the top of the off stump 100/2
• 3rd test at Perth - Dravid is bowled, yet again! It wasn't the movement this time as it had been on previous occasions this series, that was a yorker aimed at the legs, Dravid was struck on the full outside leg and it ricocheted off the pads onto the stumps, quicker from Siddle and Dravid's bad run this series continues 32/2
• 3rd test at Perth (2nd innings) - Dravid is bowled again, yet again! Done in by a ball that swung in and was bowled full, moved in a touch further after pitching, Dravid got across to try to drive it through midwicket, he missed, it clipped the pads and then knocked out leg. 135/5
• 4th test at Adelaide - would you believe it, he's been bowled again, tad unfortunate, but full marks to Australia for sticking to a tight line and length, he was just a touch late in motioning forward, the ball bounced from a length, hit him near the elbow, and ricocheted on to the stumps 31/2

Sachin Tendulkar started and ended the series in the conquest of a 100th hundred. His technique was also tested by the opposition and his scores after a confident start went southward. Two of his dismissals were planned out very well in the series

• Melbourne test - Sachin has looked positive throughout his stay, and that is what consumes him now, he reaches out to drive this pitched up widish delivery that moves away a touch, and gully accepts the thick edge, Siddle is overjoyed, Australia are dominant, and India face a stiff defeat 81/6
• Adelaide test - Siddle strikes big, Tendulkar looking to push away from the body towards cover with a slightly open face and Ponting takes a very low catch at second slip, pitched up, the angle in to Tendulkar and the fuller length draws him forward, the open face takes the ball straight to Ponting, it was taken low enough for them to have a second look at it, looks alright 78/3

Virat Kohli enhanced his reputation in this series with a string of good knocks against the Aussies. He was one who was quick to recover from the initial errors he made in the series. Witness his dismissals in the beginning that the Oz bowlers capitalized on

• Melbourne test - Virat departs now, caught in front, front foot moving across a long way, the bat had to do a lot of work in coming around it, it even brushed the pad on its way down, and the length ball had already nipped in to strike him in front of middle, Virat looked rather cross with the decision, wonder why 69/5
• Sydney test - It landed on that crack on a good length and kept really low, the ball nipped back in sharply after pitching and as he tries to whip it to the on side he's trapped flush in front of the stumps and falls over at the crease 286/7

One can go on with similar examples of others dismissals as well but the bottom-line is that the amount of planning and execution to go along with it had been top-notch in this series. Kudos to Billy McDermott and his wards for the whitewash.

Australia series - India lose 6th overseas test in a row

9.5 to 2.5. The session dashboard conveys a story that was grim for the Indian test team and its fans. There was hardly any session that the Australian team was tested to the potential that the Indian team had on paper. Right from the first innings on the first day, the match went downhill for the team.

The runs scored in the series by both teams reveal the true picture as shown below. Though the number of runs scored by the openers (thanks to Gambhir's second innings at SCG), bowlers (Ashwin being the main contributor), wicket-keeper (Haddin's dismal form continued), the difference of runs scored by both teams show the main reason why India is two tests down. Though the gulf of difference is because of Clarke's triple ton, the others like Ricky Ponting and Hussey have not been far behind.

VVS Laxman seems to have lost his Midas touch (is there something to do with his spiritual mentor Sai Baba's death?). Sachin Tendulkar has been drowned in the hype surrounding the Super Century (there is no other reason to be blamed for his failures to score a big ton). Rahul Dravid's defiance has been breached not once but repeatedly - putting a big question mark in his mind about his defence. Gambhir has retained his touch but will it continue in the remaining tests? Virat Kohli seems to have lost his spot to Rohit Sharma after two non-performances once again.

Number of runs scored in the series

The wickets taken in the series also reflect a similar trend for the Aussies - agreed that the Australian team has played only one innings compared to the two by India. The pace bowlers have made use of the helpful conditions they were provided (obviously luck played its role at SCG) to grab the wickets. The Indians have been found lacking here as well, despite doing well in the first test (again with conditions helping them). Ashwin has won the battle for spin against Lyon in this series but that does not amount to much in the series. Ishant has been bowling without taking any wickets, putting pressure on the others. Umesh has been lacking ideas when the pitch was not helping the Indians while Zaheer was off-color for the time the bat dominated the Indians on the 2nd and 3rd day.

Wickets taken in the test series

Boxing Day test - Bowlers rule the MCG

It was a fascinating battle at the MCG where the bowlers from either side held the upper hand. Only the veteran pair of Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey managed to survive the carnage to put up a well-paced and crucial partnership in the second innings for Australia.

The day started with India in a good position to use the momentum of the partnership between Sachin and Dravid to score further and possibly take a handy lead. Hilfenhaus thought otherwise. Pitching the ball up and generating just enough movement to beat the batsmen and remind them of their old weaknesses, Hilfenhaus had the Indians play to the hands of the cordon behind the stumps. Dravid was bowled by a peach of a delivery while Kohli continued his overseas test match form by nicking to the keeper. Laxman was cleaned up by Siddle's well-pitched delivery while Dhoni continued his miserable run in test matches by edging to gully. All this while, Ishant was patient enough to continue his stint as a night-watchman but not for long. Ashwin showed what the top-order batsmen could have done by adding runs to the total and thereby reducing the deficit to a better-looking 51.

Australia's recent record has not been so great in the second innings - remember 47 vs South Africa as well as the recent debacle vs Black Caps in Hobart! There was a danger of a repeat performance when four batsmen perished to the bowling of Umesh and Ishant. Zaheer was bowling well and maintaining the pressure from the other end while the batsmen were getting out to the other bowlers. It needed the experience of Ponting and Hussey to stop the rut and keep the scoreboard ticking. Ponting looked more relaxed compared to the first innings while Hussey was on a mission to show his worth to a squad that cannot afford to miss him. Zaheer came back with late strikes but Hussey's miss by Dravid might prove to be costly.

Overall, a close dashboard for the test match with the Indians having a slight edge over Australia. The only difference will be the runs on the board that India will have to chase down. If the last 2 wickets are dismissed quite early tomorrow, India will expect their famed lineup to come to the party the second time.

Related articles

• Boxing Day test - Australia have noses in front of India (myhistoryisinteresting.blogspot.com)

Boxing Day test - India grit their way vs Oz

The Indians put up a better bowling display in the morning to wrap up the last four Oz wickets, led by the swing of Zaheer Khan. The Aussies will be dreading the very sight of this bowler from now on, the bowler having retained his rhythm back after bowling a good number of balls this innings. Ishant and Umesh was supportive in their efforts to restrict the run-scoring without managing any wickets on the day. Ashwin came to the party to take the last two wickets, especially the last one was a wonderful sight to watch. A flighted ball on the middle-wicket that straightened to defeat the sweep and hit the stumps, must have given the Aussies another headache to deal with.

The Indian reply started in the usual fashion with their openers taking quick singles and rotating the strike. Gambhir was fleet-footed and ended his innings with a poke to the keeper. Sehwag continued merrily, chancing his arm and keeping the bowlers (and fielders) interested. Viru's batting is good to keep the captain and his bowlers occupied in thinking of various strategies to put in place. Whether they implement or not, the non-striker benefits from this by settling down at the crease. Rahul played a very typical innings that was very much in-sync with his nature and character. Grinding down the attack while Sehwag and later Sachin scored boundaries, Dravid accumulated runs in his own way.

Tendulkar had decided to score runs when it was offered, especially with his patented upper-cut with which he scored many boundaries on the day. He was picking runs with a great flourish and steady run-rate that was adequate for an ODI. The impending close of day was a distraction that slowed Sachin down, sending him into a shell. Peter Siddle was unlucky not to have Dravid dismissed because of his over-stepping nature. It was a similar delivery that  dismissed Sachin in the fag end of the day.

A good day for the Indians when they captured all the three sessions of the day to take a lead over the Aussies in the Session dashboard. Tomorrow, they will hope to consolidate their position and take a lead of hundred runs before being dismissed.

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• Boxing Day test - Australia have noses in front of India (myhistoryisinteresting.blogspot.com)

Indian cricket - own Argus-like review

The Argus review has been completed in Australia recently and the committee has suggested a number of moves, some of them ratified by the Board so far. If a similar review was done for Indian cricket, what would we find?

1. The true fact is that there have been quite a few bowlers blooded by India in the post-Srinath era. Not just bowlers, there have been middle-order batsmen and spinners in this list. Barring a few, none of them have gone on to be consistent in their approach. Quite a few have been injured while most of them have lost their way. Other than giving them their first chance, has the BCCI given them any directions? Not much. Have there been any opportunities these players received, other than the odd match or two as part of the senior squad? Nope. 
2. Similarly, quite a few bowlers have been given chances in the ODI squad. They have been part of the regular circus undertaken by the BCCI on tours and series at home. Once again, no one takes care of these players once they are out of the team. How many times have we heard that Failure is the stepping  stone to success. Even Laxman, Tendulkar did not make it big in their first few attempts - it was over time they have matured to the Greats they have become now.
3. What can one say about the Indian cricket schedule drawn by the BCCI? Is there any say of the players in drawing up this ridiculous schedule? Or is the BCCI just keen to milk the cow that Indian team is now. Such a schedule will only lead to injuries like the ones suffered by Zaheer, Gambhir and Sehwag.
4. The amount of money being paid by IPL franchises to the players is much more than what the BCCI plays as per their contract. This obviously shows where the players' priority lie. Can the BCCI take care of this disparity and ensure that the players are compensated well if they represent the nation. National pride aside, compensation plays a big part in the individual's interests.
5. The top-20 list of batsmen and bowlers who have done well in the domestic tournaments still shows veterans who are no longer considered for national selection. The other players have been given few chances but there is no one in the BCCI who can vouch for the greatness of these cricketers, can they? The pitches being used on the domestic circuit are either completely supporting the bowlers or the batsmen - there is no place for bounce, seam on these pitches.
6. Cricket academies where the younger players are groomed are no longer serving the purpose. Kiran More remarked that the NCA was a joke. Karsan Ghavri also added that he had not seen a youngster bowl 140kmph in the Bowling Academy ever. Even now, the MRF Pace Academy manufactures bowlers who are good in their art and have represented India for a decent period of time - latest being Varun Aaron. The first bowler from these stables was T A Sekhar who is the current coach in the same academy. Can the BCCI formalize this Academy so that more bowlers come out of this production-line to play for India?
7. Can the administration of the state cricket association be separated from the cricketing aspects? There used to be a concept of TRDO (talent scouts) earlier in the domestic circuit. Various cricketers like MS Dhoni, Irfan Pathan are examples of players who have been identified by such scouts. Can these scouts/officers be re-initiated?
8. How much of the domestic cricket is being watched by the selectors? Can one get more accountability being drawn out of the performance of first-class players? Will a player like Bhargav Bhatt (leading wicket-taker) get more chances to ply his wares? Or will he get demoralised like Mithun who after getting his chance at the senior level (and making a decent performance) is back to the root-level without knowing what he needs to further his chance once again. Communication and Feedback to the players is an important aspect that needs to be included. Rahul Dravid had no clue that he was coming back to ODI after being dropped for a long while. Similarly, Murali Karthik has no idea why he is still out of the favor with selectors.
9. Will there be a clause in the contracts of the players where performance of the individual will have a bearing on the compensation he receives. It should be a reflection of the players presence in the next year contract as well. Only then will the players get a feeling that they are being watched for their performance and compensated accordingly.
10. Will Duncan Fletcher get a say in the selection as well as the injury management of players? Hope players like Sehwag and Zaheer (even though they were not fit enough after injury) are not fast-tracked to the playing squad.

Obviously, these 10 points were collected after reading the comments of ex-players, bloggers and other columnists. If one talks to other players like the Argus Review did, one can come up with an even bigger list.

Eng-Ind series - When India had a chance

Though England have won the series against India convincingly, there were incidents when everyone involved felt that the Indian team had a fair chance of matching the English, at least in the first two test matches


First test at Lords

Zaheer Khan walks out of the attack after bowling a little more than 13 overs, reducing the Indian attack to a three-bowler (including an off-color Harbhajan). From a total of 62-2, England launch a score of 474-8 before declaring their innings. MS Dhoni is forced to exchange his gloves for the ball and comes close to taking Pietersen's wicket (denied by the DRS)

Dravid and VVS Laxman are going good at 182-3 when VVS gifts his wicket away. The Indians fold up for 286, barely avoiding the follow-on. 

Ishant Sharma puts his best in an inspired piece of bowling to reduce England to 62-5. He does not return after lunch, giving Morgan and Prior enough time to break away and eventually Broad decides to cut loose against the tired bowling (162 runs in 28 overs). England set India a target of 458. 

Gambhir gets hit on the elbow in the 2nd innings, ruling him out of the opening slot in the crucial final innings of the test next as well as the test match. 

Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni take tea on the final day at 218-5 in 81 overs. With one more session to follow, all hopes are on these two to take India to safety. Dhoni had been there and done the rescue act during the Lords test on the previous tour. This time, he edges behind to start the procession of the Indians to end at 261 in the 97th over.

2nd Test at Nottingham. India were supposed to be the comeback Kings.  

• They did start on the right note by reducing England 124-8. Broad and Swann came together to take the total to 221 (adding 97 runs in a little more than 18 overs).
• Rahul Dravid (again) and Yuvraj Singh were going great guns at 267-4 when Yuvraj poked to one outside off against Broad. Result was that India folded out to 288 (just 67 runs lead!)
• Harbhajan Singh picked up an injury, once again reducing the Indian attack to a three-member show. Yuvraj and Raina bowled the additional overs to spare MSD the plight of bowling.
• England were 24-1 by end of 2nd days play and quickly went to 57-2 before the Ian Bell show started. KP, Morgan, Prior and then Bresnan and Broad dismantled the Indian bowling to such an extent that the team was demoralized. The team must have lost their confidence during this innings - so much that their intensity got lower and lower after this mark. There was no way the Indians were going to extend the match to the final day. The humiliation was complete when the team was reduced to 55-6. After taking a 67-run lead, the match was lost by a whopping 319 runs - unbelievable.

After these two test matches, India were always playing catch-up. If only some of these chances were taken, the outcome of the series would have been different. Do you agree?

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• Eng-Ind - England go up 1-0 (myhistoryisinteresting.blogspot.com)
• Eng-Ind - MSD needs a break (myhistoryisinteresting.blogspot.com)
• Did the Indians have any luck at all against England (myhistoryisinteresting.blogspot.com)

Eng-Ind - 2nd test preview

While the English press is already celebrating the win in the Lords test by saying that the team is a step away from being No.1, the Indian media is talking about the typical attitude shown by Indian teams in coming back from such situations. While both are partially true, the players must be quietly planning their own battles for the next test match with the hope that there will be enough support for their style of cricket.

Now, what should be the Indian approach in the next match to equalize the series? A number of small steps:

1. The famed batting lineup should come to the party. Rahul Dravid will most likely open the batting and he has to take this in the right spirit (and not just do it for the sake of the team).
2. Sachin Tendulkar has to forget the fact that he is one-century short of a landmark milestone. He cannot get bogged down by statistics and even though he will create history eventually, he has to free up his mind.
3. VVS Laxman has to blame himself for both his dismissals at Lords. If not, he has shown that he can correct his record in England. Will it start from this test? MSD will hope so.
4. Yuvraj Singh will be the player to take over from Gambhir and must ensure that his pie-chucking skills get Kevin Pietersen out quickly.
5. The Indian team should kindle Sreesanth in such a way that he performs with the ball and not lip-service.
6. Hope Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar have been kept in cotton-wool for the last 3 days. 
7. Harbhajan Singh should start flighting and turning the ball now. It has been high time he has led the attack and he should realize that his bag of wickets is not justifying his performance on the ground.

Yes, a long list of tasks but not impossible for the Indian team.

Related articles

• Eng-Ind - England go up 1-0 (myhistoryisinteresting.blogspot.com)

WI-India 2nd test - Laxman and Ishant nearly make it 2-0

Ishant Sharma with the ball and VVS Laxman with the bat almost got the win for India that would have enabled them to go up 2-0 in the test series. Bad light and rain had made the most impact on the match and they ensured that they will have the final say on the fate of the match.

Ishant Sharma had shown glimpses of form in the first test match - here, he took it a notch higher. It was very satisfying for the Indian fan to see him pinging the opposition batsmen on the helmet and then troubling them with his swing/seam. He was the leader of the pack and he came to the party whenever his captain asked for a breakthrough.

VVS Laxman, just like Rahul Dravid in the first test, held the Indian innings together after early inroads were made by the Windies pacemen. The short ball has never been a problem for the tall batsman - here also, he pulled out his horizontal bat whenever required to keep the bowlers at bay. Raina in the first and Abhinav Mukund / Rahul Dravid in the second innings gave him good company. He missed a century in both his innings but he would have been the happiest if India had gone on to win the match.

Mukund learnt from his own as well as the rival batsmen on how to survive and play on such wickets. His gritty performance meant that he was selected to continue in the Indian team for the England sojourn also. Suresh Raina continued to impress everyone with his gutsy performances - weaving and pulling whenever the ball was pitched short. He seems to have reclaimed his spot in the batting order during this series with the help of such timely knocks.

Harbhajan Singh again continued to disappoint - a bowler of nearly 400 wickets has struggled to pick up wickets once again. His friendship with the captain will be under strain now, because of such lackluster performances. It is time to look at Pragyan Ojha for the next test match.

MS Dhoni was involved in two incidents that could have made a difference to the verdict - one was his dismissal in the first innings of a no-ball (even though the TV umpire was involved, the wrong decision was given) while the other was the dropped catch by him of the wicket-keeper Baugh (Baugh and Bravo held the fort for Windies on the last day to ensure that the match would not be lost). Though it must be argued that, because of Dhoni's decision, the match came to life on the last-day after the declaration. One can say it was brave but obviously the form of Windies batsmen must have made it easy for MSD.

The last test match with India 1-0 up in the series. Will they make it 2-0 in Dominica?

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• WI-India 1st test - Dravid helps India take lead (myhistoryisinteresting.blogspot.com)

WI-India 1st test - Dravid helps India take lead

The Indians gained early lead in the test series in the Caribbean thanks to the heroics of Rahul Dravid and the bowlers.

The test started with a relatively inexperienced line-up on both sides. Two players on both sides had played in excess of 80 matches while there was a lot of inexperienced players also - 3 debutants from the Indian team. The table below shows the difference between both teams.

The bowler with the maximum number of wickets had the least impact in the test match while showing his latest prowess with the bat. It was the debutant, Praveen Kumar, who shone for India by swinging the ball both ways. Similarly, Bishoo from the Windies was effective with his leg-spin, capturing wickets of leading batsmen from the Indian team.

The batsmen with the highest number of runs on both sides, however, showed everyone how to bat on such a surface. He had done a similar act on the same ground the last time India visited the Windies. Probably the KSCA need to create a wall in Sabina Park the same way they have done in Bangalore. This will not only be a honor for the legend but also a way to remind their future batsmen of the four innings that Dravid played on this ground. The patience with which Rahul handled the vagaries of the pitch as well as the Windies bowling was worth every dollar spent by the crowd. The youngsters in the Indian team should feel blessed that they received such a master-class during their stint with the Indian team on how to bat in difficult conditions. There is nothing much that can be said about the WALL himself. He has time and again, proved his worth to the Indian team despite all the claims by the media that the younger stars were ready to take the mantle.

VVS Laxman had rare failures in both the innings - another class act who will be raring to be back at his best in the next test match. The Tamil Nadu openers could not capitalize the opportunity that was provided to them because of Gambhir/Sehwag's injuries - hope they learn from their mistakes and rise to the occasion in the future. Virat Kohli is regarded as 'future of Indian cricket' by Duncan Fletcher and one expected him to continue the good form from the ODI's. Alas, this was not to be in this test match - he will get more chances in this series to justify the praise from the coach. Suresh Raina used this opportunity to help the team recover from a difficult situation in the first innings even though he looked ugly while playing the short ball.

Regarding the bowlers, the Windies batsmen have now got used to Amit Mishra's variety - that could be the only reason for his less-than-usual haul of wickets. Is it time to bring Pragyan Ojha to the team? Ishant Sharma was good in patches but he is still not the bowler who troubled Ricky Ponting in Perth. If the Indian team plays as per their potential, they will have no reason for not winning the series 3-0.