South Africa T20Is - India finish series at the pinnacle

After the ODI series drubbing,the Proteas decided to rest most of their seniors and announced a new-look team. With nothing to lose, the Indians continued their momentum to win the T20I series 2-1 to finish a great series for themselves (especially after the revversal in tests). The Indians won two matches by comfortable margins(28 runs, 7 wickets). Like the one-days, there was just one loss, mainly due to the weather. The confidence was so high that the Indians rested their captain in one match and still won!

Bhuvneshwar Kumar's good performances throughout the series was remarkable for his consistency, irrespective of the format - he started with a five-wicket haul in the first match and ended as the joint highest wicket taker in the series!

Suresh Raina chipped in with fast-paced knocks that were not convincing - his skills and temperament though will be useful to the Indian team in days to come.

The Indians on the field were super, probably better than the home team in some cases! If they can continue this progress for few more years, it is difficult to stop them!
In MS Dhoni, Kohli has a great guide and friend on and off the field - he can only get better from here!

The emergence of Jasprit Bumrah as a dependable force in the limited overs format was another BIG takeaway for India!

Shikhar Dhawan shone in the limited over variety but could not translate the same to whites! But, he was a revelation in the T20I format!

All images from ESPN Cricinfo website

2015 World Cup - Bring on the semifinals

After the league stage, the individual standings looked quite interesting - while few batsmen performed as well as their form in league (Guptill, Gayle), the leading bowlers were those who shone in the Quarterfinals (Shami, Wahab Riaz). There are few new entrants into the Top 50 club in both departments but we will now focus on players of teams that still have a chance to win the Cup.

Let us look at the leading batsmen and bowlers once again after the quarterfinal and predict who will do well in their respective semifinal.

Batting

The semifinal between India and Australia will be interesting purely from the perspective of how Mad Glen Maxwell will be tamed by MSD - if you remember, Maxwell has hurt Dhoni quite a bit in IPL (check this knock here). If one sees the chart below, key highlights and analysis include

• Maxwell appears in isolation with a high rotation-rate (David Miller being his nearest competitor). What this means is that these two are very adept at rotating the strike while scoring 300 runs. Dangerous batsman to watch out for the Indians (no surprises there).
• Indians have scored higher mainly because of the abandoned match against Bangladesh and hence contributing to one less innings for Australia
• Australian rotation rate on average is higher than the Indians. The Indians should avoid the dot-balls while trying to increase the same for the Australian batsmen - easier said than done. 
• The size of the circles (calculated from the product of Rotation Rate, Average and Strike Rate) also shows the key batsmen being Maxwell and India's Suresh Raina. 
• Virat Kohli and Steve Smith are the ones who are in the middle of the chart - they seem to be the dangerous floaters who can make an impact in this match (considering their recent form prior to the World Cup) 
• Watson and Dhoni have not hit as many runs as the others but that could be attributed to their position in the batting order. 
• Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan's rotation rates are quite low, compared to the others. This is reflective of the strategy followed by India where they have tried to retain wickets for the end overs.

The other semifinal shows clear trends unlike the one above where the players seem to be bunched together. The South Africans seem to rotate strike better than the others - are the Black Caps focusing more on boundaries alone? Possibly if you consider McCullum, Anderson and Guptill. In terms of runs scored, Guptill is the one who has scored the highest in the competition but there are four others who have scored higher than the next Black Cap (McCullum). But the Proteans lost two matches in the league stage thanks to inspired bowling by India and Pakistan. New Zealand with their home advantage would have to repeat their league form to restrict their opponents - if not, the target (if SAF play first) will be 350+

Bowling

Highlights from the bowling chart shows

• The bowling chart shows Mitchell Starc being the leader but there are four Indians between him and his fellow opening bowler (Mitchell Johnson). India should weather the Starc-storm at the top of the innings to build a good total whether during the chase or setting a target. Considering the fact that Dhawan and Rohit have contained their wickets in the beginning, it will be a good fight at the top. 
• Australia will struggle with their fourth and fifth bowler as they have not been as effective (in terms of wickets and strike rate) as the Indians. Will Faulkner and Watson step up in the semis?
• In this chart, the circles in the lower half show the effectiveness of the bowlers. Jadeja has not had a good Cup so far and hence appears at the top. His spin will be effective against the Aussies especially at SCG where it is expected to support spin.
• Shami and Umesh Yadav are the key bowlers from the Indian team who can hustle the Australian bowlers with the short stuff that Wahab Riaz troubled them with

The other semi-finalists are more bunched together in this chart - four Proteans versus four Black Caps. Steyn has not had a great World Cup so far and hence he appears more at the top of the chart. In terms of wickets, Boult, Vettori and Southee have claimed more in conditions that suit their bowling. Will Imran Tahir have the same impact in New Zealand - probably not, especially on smaller grounds - remember Ashwin's struggle in India's matches in NZ. The battle will be between how the supporting bowlers of both teams contribute to the attack - this will determine who comes on top.

Another list courtesy ICC's twitter id - all of them are still playing in the Cup except the first! The semifinal between NZ and SAF will be a six-fest hopefully. No Indian appears in this list!

2015 World Cup - India ease past Bangladesh

The cricketing world had deemed India to be lucky as they drew Bangladesh in the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup. They had momentarily forgotten the fact that the Indian team was on a winning streak from last World Cup as well as the fact that they had taken 60 wickets in six matches this edition (with the same bowling lineup except a replacement in one match). The Indian team extended the streak by one more match at MCG by a convincing win over their neighbors.

Photo Courtesy: Cricinfo

The openers started steadily, thanks to the profligacy of the opposition captain (Mortaza) who was off-color but did not take himself off the attack. The space given to the openers was good not only for Rohit to settle down but also have a steady run-rate going. Once Shakib and Rubel got together, the pressure started showing on the Indian batsmen. Three wickets fell in no time, more because of the pressure of non-scoring fast enough than the conditions. Rohit was determined to cash in on this opportunity as is his wont against competition below the top Six. 

Raina joined him to put a match-winning partnership for his side. The Indian team is more confident because of the experience in such situations, better skills as well as conditioning. The Bangla team is improving but a long way to go. Raina decided to give the charge from 36th over when the score was 155 for 3. India almost doubled the score at the end thanks to the exploits of Raina, Rohit and a cameo from Sir Jadeja. Dhoni had a rare failure but that did not stop the charge by much.

Even though Bangladesh had a better batting lineup compared to their bowling, the start was shaky. Umesh Yadav had been dominated by his compatriots in this tournament even though he had done a decent job as well (Did you know that he is on top of the list of catches in this tournament?). His speed as well as control was good enough for the Bangla batsmen. They were hurried and he led the way when Shami was hit in the beginning. The haul was poetic justice to the paceman who has come a long way in this tournament. Ashwin too did a great holding job bowling against Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib but was unlucky not to have any catches. 

Overall, the Indian pace bowlers picked wickets again by the generous use of short ball. Will they continue in same fashion in the semifinal? Probably not. Going by the first quarterfinal, it looks like a pitch of subcontinental type and the Indians will fancy their chances against whoever they play. All parts of the team (fielding, bowling and batting) did their job well - what more did MSD wish for? Dhoni himself caught a couple of great catches to round off the evening. Next is the semifinal at SCG. 

We definitely Wont Give It Back!

2015 World Cup - India finish league with clean slate

India not only made it 6-0 by beating Pakistan but also completed a clean slate of six wins in the league stage by winning against Zimbabwe. This time, the chase was harder and the top-order slumped to give a chance for Raina and MS Dhoni to put on a large partnership. They turned back the clock to replay the chases they have done over years in a clinical fashion, hastening the end with big strikes.

The Indian spinners suffered against the Zimbabwe team while the pace bowlers not only picked wickets but also bowled in a miserly fashion. This should have given a good feeling to the Indian think-tank. With the larger grounds in plan for the next knock-out rounds, the spinners will come back to the fore.

The Indian team have tested to the maximum extent in these six matches - they look to be well-primed for the next stages. Next is Bangladesh in quarterfinal at MCG. Form and History suggests that India should go to the semifinals.

2015 World Cup - India are tested by West Indies

The Indian team wanted a stiffer test after their previous match against UAE. The West Indies team was well-relaxed before their match against India at Perth. Probably too well-relaxed, one thinks. The Indian team after the match had not tested their Bowling Plan B at all - what happens if one of their key bowlers get hit? How will Suresh Raina fare with the ball against well-set batsmen? No, not this day. They leave Australian shores after a long while for two matches in New Zealand but with their confidence sky-high.

The Indian captain had a good workout in the middle - he had to shepherd a chase that was not steep in terms of asking rate but could have been tricky with wickets lost. The top-order batsmen suffered a collapse but this is welcome in the early league matches rather than the vital knock-out ones. Also, the bouncy pitches are going to say good-bye to the tournament soon. It will be more of the MCG's and SCG's, if not the New Zealand turf for the Indian team next! 

Yes, couple of catches as well as half-chances were dropped. The complacency seems to be rearing its head but what the Indian team now needs is for their batsmen to flex their muscles after batting first - post a total of 350-400 in the next two matches and boost their Net Run Rate, even if it is not necessary. They have played very similar to the other group leader (New Zealand) so far. The bowling outshining the batsmen with one tricky low chase in the campaign - in fact, NZ had two (Australia and Scotland).

It might be worthwhile to give Shami and Ashwin a rest to try out Bhuvi and Axar for the next phases. Dhoni could skip one match to watch the team's performance but dont think this will happen.

2015 World Cup - India make it 6-0

India defeated Pakistan today, just like they did in 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2011 - a winning streak that actually totals TEN if you include the T20 World Cup as well. Incredible! From the looks of it, the Pakistan team does not seem to be able to absorb the pressure that comes with such a marquee clash. At the same time, the Indian team seems to ride on the pressure involved to put a spirited performance. The same team that seemed to behave like amateurs in the Tri-series matches were transformed into tigers.

Except the  overs 46-50 while batting (when they collapsed - contributing to a total that was 20-30 less than what looked possible), the Indian team dominated the entire match! The Indian fan must have been visibly impressed by the incredible win on this day. Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan were the ones to star with the bat - getting their act together against a bowling attack that was inexperienced but had the talent to trouble any team. Riding on the luck that supported them (dropped chances), the batting and running between the wickets climbed several notches higher than what was on display Down Under in last three months.

Picture Courtesy: Cricinfo Site

Virat Kohli was missing in action in the ODIs after a great test series - today, he was back in action. First with Dhawan and then with Raina, Kohli found his bearings and slowed down only near his century. Pity that he fell on completing the milestone. Raina was pure class - the shots he made and the placement of his strokes were on the spot. The opposition bowlers could not pitch the ball up to him at any time - he was just ruthless. The other aspect of Raina was his selflessness - milestones do not matter to Raina at all, only the team's objective matters. Witness his celebration when Kohli got to his century - amazing character. The only downside was the lack of form for MS Dhoni - though he hit one large six, he was a shadow of his old self. Time enough for him to get back to form still.

While the batting clicked, everyone was worried about the bowling composition. Will they come to the party as well? Starting with the ball that dismissed Younis Khan, Shami was like a man possessed. He was supported well by the others though Umesh was expensive at the beginning. Mohit provided good backup to ensure that the pressure was on the batsmen. Fielding was another area where the Indians scored higher than their opponents - the experience of fielding on the larger Australian grounds for the last few months had helped so much! The Pakistan team was always on the lookout for the big shots because of the tight fielding. One more noticeable aspect was Dhoni's willingness to attack - the slip catchers were usually missing in the previous matches - Dhoni is showing signs of aggression already. Ashwin was bowling as he should in a test match - looking for wickets and bowling outside the off (did Manager Arshad Ayub have a word with him?). Jadeja was solid but went for few runs (making up for the wickets). Umesh came back in his subsequent spell and looked much better - maybe it is a good idea to have him following Mohit Sharma in the next match.

All augurs well for the Indian team but they have to make this as a practice in most of the group matches to get an easier opponent in the quarterfinals. 

Australia Tour Tri-series - India bow out winless

On Twitter, Statistician Mohandas Menon posted the series where India finished winless since 2011 World Cup

• 2011 in Eng 
• 2013/14 in SA 
• 2013/14 in NZ 
• 2014/15 in Aus

They escaped a whitewash in the test series and another losing streak in the ODI series (thanks to rain) but that was no consolation to a team that has high hopes on retaining the next World Cup.

At Perth, the Indians started well. Their openers did a decent job to see off the dangerous Anderson and managed to score a 80+ partnership with both taking chances but surviving. Dhawan was back to something that resembled form. Rahane, after the initial jitters, settled down to anchor the innings. It was the failures again of Kohli, Raina that hampered India. The batting collapsed from 83-0 to 165-9 before Shami hit out to get 200 on the board.

The Indians seem to be experimenting with the batting positions and getting some answers. Stuart Binny has made Dhoni realize that he is a handy person to have in the lineup. Jadeja was rusty with bat and ball but Axar has proved that he is a good bowler to have in the middle overs. The batting depth is present on paper but that has to be translated to reality. With Ashwin in the squad, the team management must figure out what is the combination to play in the World Cup. What happens to Umesh and Bhuvi? Are they injured? Dhoni's answers in the press conference seems to suggest.

The Indian batsmen dont have a first (or even second) gear - they seem to bat only at the top gears or perish. This was the fashion few years ago when batsmen used to play defensive and rotate the strike over. But, the new generation tend to be aggressive in any situation - that is causing the problems to the Indian batsmen, like this game. No longer are they happy to score at 3-4 runs per over. They are looking at boundaries every over. This will not work - Kohli, Rahane, Rayudu, Jadeja should be told this. Rahane should have gone on and controlled the innings but could not.

The Indians fared better while bowling thanks to the pitch and an accurate bowling attack (except the comeback man Jadeja). Binny made use of the conditions to his favor and picked up wickets to put England  on the backfoot. But, the Indians could not restrict the winning team. Jadeja and some sloppy fielding (by selected fielders) meant that the Indians could not put enough pressure on the duo of Butler and Taylor. Overall, a tour that ended without a win. It can be termed as a success still if the next tour (with more or less the same players) contains few winning moments. Hopefully, the players remember and implement the lessons learnt.

Australia Tour Tri-series - India lose to Australia in first match

The Indian team started their ODI series with a clear intention to finalize few remaining strategies for the forthcoming World Cup. Firstly, they wanted to figure out the key team member's form on Australian pitches and see how they would fare against the fearful Australian bowlers. Secondly, the team management wanted to check how the strategy of batting first (on winning the toss) would pan out. The think-tank would have also wanted to see how the fielding positions have to be planned out on large grounds with their bowling attack. Finally, they also wanted to see which combination would be the most ideal for the World Cup in different situations (opening, middle overs, death overs).

Hence, Dhoni elected to bat after winning the toss. Dhawan did not make use of the opportunity to open with Rohit by slashing at a wide ball from Starc within the first over. Rahane was sent in at No.3 giving him a similar feel of opening the batting. Rohit was going strong at one end despite not getting the strike as much as he would have liked to. Rahane got going with some good shots on both sides but got a bit too aggressive for his own liking. Kohli is not as effective batting first as he is when chasing a target -  today was no different.

Thanks to  Cricinfo for  this image

Kohli's wicket set the scenario for Rohit and Raina to set a partnership. Both did motor along nicely upping the scoring rate and preventing any further wicket loss. Till the batting PowerPlay when Raina holed out to  mid-on - the Indian team should plan well for this phase when they should bat normally and avoid any loss of wickets. Dhoni had to drop anchor because of Rohit's century first and then ensuring the loss of further wickets. But, he fell against the run of play followed by quick wickets at other end. All this led to a total that was probably 25-30 runs behind what was required. MSD has summed up his issue at the batting dead-end very nicely in his interview.

The Australian innings started off with both openers putting up a fifty stand before Yadav stuck. But, continuous partnerships for the second and third wickets meant that the asking rate was never a problem. India grabbed four quick wickets for 32 runs but it was too little too late. The bowlers were inconsistent but what was promising was the last 15 overs when the Indians defended with new resolve. Dhoni's message to the team during the last drinks break looked to have worked - the bowlers found the yorker-length while the fielders dived and caught everything. If only this was done earlier in the innings, the Indians might have been still able to squeak home.

All in all, a good start that could have been much better. Due to the absence of a tour game (removed because of Phil Hughes), the Indian team had to use this as a warm-up match. The next match should see the Indians stepping up a gear against the English team. The bowlers should be able to find the lengths that work in the  opening spell - Shami's injury concern might hamper the team.

WI 2014 ODIs - India equalize series with amazing turnaround

It was indeed an amazing turnaround at Delhi. India were close to another loss in the ODI series despite putting a decent score on the board.

On the batting front, India would have been happy to see Kohli's return of form (of course he was helped by the demotion in the batting order to a certain extent - he didnt have to play the new ball much here). Suresh Raina sparkled like he has been doing recently - his recent consistency has been amazing. Here, he continued the scoring when Kohli was settling down at the crease. The foundation laid was good for MSD to launch the final assault (71 in the last 10 overs). Virat, on the other hand, scored the same number of runs as Raina but needed a higher number of deliveries to do so. One cannot say that he was back to his form but he did all the right things to stay at the wicket and score a fifty. Dhoni did what he usually does - rotate the strike to keep the scorecard ticking and then launching into the bowling at the death.

Those who knew the Kotla wicket were aware of the low bounce that the pitch would offer for the chasing team. Dhoni knew it and the Windies were aware of the same. A good start by their openers meant that the Indian bowlers were on the backfoot. Amit Mishra was taken to the cleaners in the first ODI but here he came back with a vengeance. Despite conceding four sixes of his bowling, Mishra gave 16 more runs in his full quota but importantly scalping the important wicket of Pollard and Ramdin. Two maidens to Marlon Samuels meant that the Windies were strangled and the asking run-rate was growing. This led to Dwayne Smith's dismissal and then the wickets tumbled one after the other (eight wickets fell for 45 runs in less than 11 overs). Shami and Jadeja then came into the match, claiming regular wickets to hasten the end.

One-all and three matches to play. India will be expected to win now with the Windies tasting defeat and still hurting from the pay-issues. Let us see what happens next.

CLT20 2014 Finals - CSK halt the KKR juggernaut

Thanks to Suresh Raina's blistering century, CSK chased down the target set by KKR who were themselves helped by Gambhir's return to form. Without Naraine, KKR were hampered badly in their bowling but that should not stop the praises for Raina's knock. The R-B chart has never  looked so evenly balanced for a 180+ score. Ever!

CLT20 2014 - SuperKings thrash Dolphins

Thanks to a blitzkrieg from Brendon McCullum and then Suresh Raina (followed by Ravindra Jadeja), CSK posted a huge target for Dolphins. Even though their opponents tried the best in the beginning, CSK were the runaway winners.

England Tour 2014 ODIs - India win series after 1990

Despite calls to experiment, India took the field today in a mood to dominate the series like never before. There were few points remaining to be ticked from the Indian perspective - the opening combination in both batting and bowling were the key areas. The players responded in telling fashion at Birmingham. The match was finished with 117 balls and 9 wickets to spare. Imagine what had happened just before the ODI series had started. Obviously, colored clothing transforms the Indians into tigers!

The match started with Bhuvneshwar Kumar making use of conditions that are favorable to him. Dhawal Kulkarni, making his debut, was given the new ball but probably nerves got the better of him. He gave away runs at the other end that were releasing the pressure to some extent. MSD immediately made changes to ensure that Shami and Bhuvi not only regained control but took three quick wickets. It was as though Indian bowlers could do no wrong. Just when they were tiring came the lengthy partnership between Root and Morgan.

The Indian spinners then took over and struck regularly. Suresh Raina excelled both with the ball as well as catching to ensure that the pressure continued to remain on the England side. But for some attacking batting by Moeen, the English should have bowled out for a paltry score. The boundaries were dried up by some pointed bowling coupled with smart fielding (the fielding was probably the best in recent ODIs). 173 dot balls out of 297 bowled reflects the stranglehold the Indian bowlers had over their rivals. Similarly, the entire innings saw 16 boundaries (3 sixes in them) - the English could neither rotate the strike nor hit the long boundaries. The result was an easily chasable 207.

Rahane used to open but plays in the middle-order. Rohit Sharma's injury has given him the option to play higher in the order - a good move for India by which they could spot a replacement opener in case Rohit or Dhawan continue to fail. Today, Dhawan came good as well (to be fair, the pitch did not do anything at all) with an almost-century. Rahane's silken touches were great to see but what would have made the Indian fan the most happy would have been the four boundaries off Anderson. Anderson's failure (because of continuous matches in the summer) is one of the reasons why England have not been able to put pressure on the Indians. Once the new balls were seen off, the Indians just changed gears and never looked back. At the end, it was just embarrassing for the English fans to watch. The Indians won a bilateral ODI series in England after 1990 with MSD becoming the best Indian captain (with highest number of wins).

In the next match, these are the changes that India should go with

1. Sanju Samson for MS Dhoni
2. Virat Kohli as captain, Suresh Raina as vice-captain
3. Karn Sharma for Ravindra Jadeja
4. Umesh Yadav for Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Will they do this and tick another box in testing their bench-strength? I think they will try this. What do you say?

England Tour 2014 ODIs - Time to experiment now

Win by six wickets with more than seven overs to spare. Wow! What a turnaround? If one looks at the last seven matches played by India in UK, they are on a roll (after incorporating the lessons learnt during the disastrous 2011 tour). The 3rd ODI was no different with the bowlers setting up a low target for the batsmen to chase down comfortably.

Even though the English openers started well, the part-time bowlers as well as the specialist spinners were able to put the brakes on the scoring by picking up wickets regularly. Rayudu provides MSD with yet another part-time option like Suresh Raina. On this day, he provided the breakthrough to the team by some smart bowling. England has been very fruitful to Rayudu right from his younger days - remember this match early in his career. Couple of ironies here - Rayudu was Raina's captain during the under-19 days while Rayudu's initial days in Ranji tournament went topsy-turvy when he had a spat with the son of current BCCI acting Chairman (Shivlal Yadav) - he still does not play for Hyderabad! Hopefully, those days are behind him and Rayudu should be ready to fire for his country.

Ashwin took three wickets - this should have given him the necessary encouragement for the future especially when his performance had taken a downward turn. His variations have taken a backseat (for the good) while his line and length have made a comeback to ensure the opposition was on the ropes continually. He and Jadeja will continue to form the backbone of the attack in the forthcoming ODIs - again, when there is a hint of turn, they become lethal. MSD loves this combination for just this aspect alone - he is able to put the right field to put pressure on the batsmen and choke them further. The opening bowlers are not able to dent the opposition so far - with two more matches, Dhoni will be trying to get this sorted. Just like the opening batsmen combination. Dhawan will be getting desperate every match - with Kohli getting some semblance of runs, Dhawan will face further introspection in the next match. Will he able to hit his way out?

Coming back to this series, the two wins have given India an unbeatable lead in the series - good opportunity for the Management to experiment with the squad. Sanju Samson (in place of MSD), Dhawal Kulkarni/Umesh Yadav (replacing Mohit Sharma), Karn Sharma (instead of Ravindra Jadeja) can be played in this match. This will help India identify options for the World Cup instead of focusing only on the current series.

England Tour 2014 ODIs - Convincing win for India

304 runs. 133 runs. 10 wickets. Those were the total India scored in their 50 overs, the margin of win in the 2nd ODI (after the 1st ODI was washed out) as well as the number of England wickets taken correspondingly. Based on the latest performance in the test series, these numbers were music for Indian fans not just at Cardiff but across the globe.

The opening batsmen were different from the last two that opened in the test series (Old Trafford and Oval) to their credit, they did spend some time to gauge the pace at the beginning of the innings (even though the pitch was no way comparable to those tests). Dhawan threw it away edging to the keeper but Rohit Sharma carried on - he will be under pressure to retain his place not just for this series but also the West Indies ODIs. Virat Kohli tried to be aggressive by running down the pitch to the third ball he faced (not sure what he was thinking) - this move also failed just like the other shots he manufactured during the tests. It might be good for Kohli to take a break in the next ODI to take his mind off. This might actually help him better than continuing to play all games (as he has done - not  just the international games but also the warm-up matches).

Rahane, even though he could not convert his score to a bigger one, seems to be a good choice to play at No. 4 - a batsmen strong in technique who can be the bedrock of the innings in case of a collapse. Especially when Cheteshwara Pujara has not been able to replicate his successes in the shorter format, Rahane is the perfect choice to have in the batting lineup. Just like Suresh Raina is at home where he played yesterday - this gives him the opportunity to rotate strike initially and then go for the big hits in the  last 15 overs. The Indian team now have their strategy clear - ensure that wickets are saved during the first 10 overs, start rotating strike with occasional risk during overs 11-35 and then launch into all-out attack from 36 over (when the PowerPlay overs start again). This seemed to work during the second ODI and there is no reason why they should change this method.

Ashwin and Jadeja have been getting the quick runs in the  two-three overs they get at  the end of the innings while turning their arm for useful wickets. Against teams who are weak against spin, these bowlers were a handful. How they will fare on unresponsive (for them) wickets and stronger (against spin) batsmen remains to be seen. As of now, they will continue for the rest of the matches (unless India win another ODI and the think-tank decide to give Karn Sharma a chance). The pace bowlers did well, especially Mohit Sharma even though he did not get any wicket. There will be days when he will get wickets by the bucket but in this ODI, Shami reaped the benefits. After the poor form in the tests, Shami kind-of redeemed himself but it will be good for him to continue the performance for the rest of the matches. Is the Indian team trying to tire Bhuvi out by playing him for all the matches? Isn't it time he is rested?

Overall, the Indian team ticked all the boxes in this ODI but the series is not over. It is resembling the test series in that there was no decision in the first test and ODI, India won the 2nd match (in both series). What should happen now that the Indian team continue to win instead of going the route the test series ended up. Lets hope the think-tank can guide the team to victory. First ODI win in the third overseas series is a good start but the game is not over.

England Tour 2014 - India starts its ODI sojourn...now what?

The Indian team for the ODI leg of its English tour was announced during the test series. Quite a few new faces, which in hindsight (after the test series), is a good idea so that fresh energy can be inducted into a squad that is feeling the effects of a long series.

The squad is as follows:
Openers - Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane (in case Dhawan's poor form continues). From the current thinking, I feel that Dhawan will be given the warm-up match (on 22nd against Middlesex) as well as first two ODI's to prove his form. If he continues to fail, Rahane will open the batting with Rohit. I feel that Rohit will get all the five matches, especially as he received only one opportunity in the test series. The openers will have their technique tested against the in-form English bowlers (even though Stuart Broad has been rested from this series). Rahane will get a chance to play in the opening position only, as there are other options in the middle.

Middle-order batsmen - Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Sanju Samson, MS Dhoni. Kohli will be the focus of all during this series, especially since this is a format he has excelled in recent times - an average of 50+ in ODI's and 45+ in England ODI's (though it has been helped by the matches during Champions Trophy) will be tested thoroughly. If he can regain some of his image that he lost during the test series, he will end the tour a relieved man. Raina will bring in the energy and fielding expertise into the squad that was missing in the last few matches (as well as bowling few key overs during the slog). It will be interesting to see Rayudu and Anderson against each other (for they are built of the same cloth!). Samson should get few chances to test him against high-quality bowlers but at the moment, the Indian team's motive is to win the series (which means that he might be on the reserves mostly).

Bits and pieces players (not exactly all-rounders) - Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Karn Sharma, Stuart Binny, Bhuvneshwar Kumar (on the basis of the just concluded test series). Bhuvi should be brought back (if required) only after the first three matches - he should be merely a tourist till then. That is the minimum the Indian team management can reward him with. Jadeja and Ashwin will start while Karn and Binny will be the back-up after the initial set of matches for poor form.

Pace bowlers - Mohammed Shami(29 ODIs), Mohit Sharma (8 ODIs), Umesh Yadav (31 ODIs), Dhawal Kulkarni. Inexperience is written all over this squad, especially the bowlers (even in ODI scenario). Shami seems to be struggling (based on reports) and hence he might not star in the lineup. Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma will be the likely duo who will open the bowling based on their exploits in recent days. Kulkarni can be a handful in these conditions but his pace will be almost the same as Bhuvi (35 ODIs). Umesh will provide the extra pace but will it be enough?

Based on the pitches and weather conditions (Bristol, Cardiff, Nottingham, Birmingham and Leeds will host the matches), the Indian team's performance will vary. Of course, Ravi Shastri's recent appointment will see the Indian team in a different light (hopefully better one). Dhoni will be back in his best form in a format that he relishes - revenge will definitely be on his mind but does he have the arsenal to attack as well as the mind to challenge? That will dictate the results of the ODI series.

NZ ODI Series - spinners keep India alive

Indian Spinners kept the hopes alive thanks to their batting and economical bowling in the 3rd ODI. Both Ashwin and Jadeja scored more than 65 while Jadeja picked up one more wicket than Ashwin's solitary one (one catch each for both). There were calls to drop one or both of them by the fans (including me) for their ineffectiveness during the last few ODIs but they have given MSD enough hope to continue sticking with them. Stuart Binny has to wait for some more time.

The Indians batted better than what they had done in the first two ODIs while the bowlers came back well to stop the NZ run-flow. The coaches seem to have done a good job - proof being the yorkers at the death by Shami and Bhuvi. Aaron bowled well in his comeback and showed that he needed couple of more chances (compared to the never-learning Ishant). Ishwar Pandey is part of the test squad and hence he might have to wait that much longer. If not for the batting exploits of the spinners, Dhoni might have thought of trying Amit Mishra in the next match. Let us see what the next match brings about.

The batting department showed signs of urgency this time with the openers putting a 50+ partnership but they couldnt kick on. For once, Kohli failed and Rahane got an unfair verdict putting pressure on Dhoni and Raina again. What does one say about Raina ? He ticks all the right boxes about enthusiasm, passion, never-say die spirit, fielding, death bowling but in the area of his core competence he seems to be shaky. He is always on the lookout for the short ball and it might be a good idea for him to talk to Virat Kohli and understand how Kohli turned around after the dismal series against West Indies overseas. Dhoni batted like only he can but it was the Ashwin-Jadeja show that turned the tide.

Ashwin has always batted well in test matches but his ODI record is nothing to gloat about. This match was one where both players wanted to improve their records and take India to victory. They could have won the match if not for the spectacular catch by Guptill. Jadeja took over and single-handedly took India to a tie. He showed character, decision-making ability (remember the refusal to take single in the last over with 12 required) and big-hitting during his knock. Will this knock help him in future? Hopefully it should. Not for nothing, Shane Warne labelled him as the RockStar.

CLT20 2013 - SuperKings continue their juggernaut

Thanks to smashing knocks by Raina and Dhoni, Chennai posted a total that was enough to push back the Sunrisers giving them a second win on the trot.

Zimbabwe Series

What can I say about this one when I said this about the ongoing tri-series.

What was interesting is not the team selected for the ODI series against Zimbabwe but the 'A' team selection for tour to South Africa.

India A squad: Cheteshwar Pujara (capt.), Shikhar Dhawan, M Vijay, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha, Parvez Rasool, Shahbaz Nadeem, Shami Ahmed, Stuart Binny, Ishwar Pandey, Jaydev Unadkat, Siddarth Kaul

The team is captained by the current No.3 batsman and contains both the openers who played against Australia in the last test match (well, Dhawan would have played if he had not been injured). Then, there are couple of folks who are in contention for the No. 6 slot (Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Dinesh Karthik, Suresh Raina). If Stuart Binny can redeem himself with a good performance, he could well given Irfan Pathan a run for his money for the slot of the coveted all-rounder position in the senior team.

Definitely, a good move by the selectors to ensure that the young players from the Indian team get a chance to experience the conditions first-hand before the test series starts later. There is no doubt that the test matches will be a different cup of tea with the likes of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, but nevertheless this experience will be handy. One would have liked Ravindra Jadeja to be part of the tour as well since he is Dhoni's No. 7 batsman (and as Dhoni has admitted that Jadeja has to work on his batting).

The bowlers in this list seem to be relatively new and unknown (with only Shami Ahmed having some recent experience and Unadkat with that unexpected test debut during the last South African tour). The selectors have to be credited for this move to get the youngsters some exposure - another feather in the cap for Sandeep Patil and Co. 

India - back to the learning curve

Indian cricket, whether it is the test or the ODI version, is back to the drawing board where most of the players are learning their way around. Yes, there are seniors involved but they are now learning how to play with new players as well as realizing that they now don the mantle that they depended on others like Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Zaheer Khan and Virender Sehwag (to name a few).

Sehwag might be still in the scheme of things in test cricket but looking at his reflexes, it will not be for long. Gautam Gambhir would have been the ideal choice for the person whom MS Dhoni could depend on, for the rebuilding process. But, Gambhir himself is undergoing a process of bad form (which brings in gaps in technique and skill). Virat Kohli is now showing everyone why the option of having him as the captain of the Indian team is such a bad idea - he is in the midst of a lean patch that every player goes through after a successful first stint. We all know what the veteran legend is going through but let us assume for the time being that he is not available for selection (Blasphemy!)

Yuvraj has shone in the shorter version but very clearly he is not made out for the longer version. This then means that there are multiple slots that remain in the batting order, assuming Pujara, Gambhir and Kohli are there in the top six:

• Opening batsman - Murali Vijay did well in the opportunities he received but those were few years ago and then failed to deceive in overseas tests. Abhinav Mukund did decently in some of those overseas tests but has lost his form in domestic matches. Ajinkya Rahane is another option to look at, but I think he is more cut out for the middle order than the opening slot. The Indian think-tank should do well to keep Vijay and Mukund in the running unless there is an extraordinary talent on the scene.
• Middle-order - Here, there are two slots up for grabs and the selectors favourite choice at this time seem to be Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja. Jadeja is no No.6 batsman while Rohit Sharma has failed more than delivered in the many opportunities he has received. Who else? As mentioned earlier, Rahane should occupy one of the slots and then leave No. 6 to MS Dhoni. In the ODI's however, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina will walk in without a doubt - there is no room for anyone else. Jadeja has been bowling well recently and he will continue probably at No.7 then.

Who will play at No.7 then? Ravichandran Ashwin. Not because of his bowling but due to his great performances with the bat and he has showed that he can do a good job even in overseas conditions. His form is not so great with the ball but then we can wait, as he has the talent.

Let us go to the bowling side then - who are the best four bowlers for India then? Whenever Irfan Pathan is fit, he will provide balance to the side and he can be direct competition to Ashwin. If not, both of them can play parts of both and provide the best options for positions 7 and 8. With the next test series in India, obviously India will have to go with two spinners and on current form and performance, Pragyan Ojha is the ideal candidate to go with Ashwin. The two new-ball overs will then have to be Ishant Sharma and Asok Dinda, though I am not so convinced about Dinda's ability in test matches. If Sreesanth and Praveen Kumar can return to top form after recovering from injury, they will be a good addition to the squad. Shami Ahmed and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar have done well and it will be good if they are given a long lease in the Indian dressing room.

What will help is that the selectors should ensure all these bowlers talk regularly and keep improving - this is where the bowling coach should play a big role. Whether the current coach has played in India is a different issue but his impact should be seen (there is no point in blaming Duncan Fletcher alone). With a younger team, MS Dhoni should be able to solve most of the problems on the field but then he has to become more vocal on the field. It is good to be cool on the field but maybe he has to show more emotions now! He will play the crucial role of moulding the unit that he has to a world-class side again. The BCCI should organize matches against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe away so that these matches will be used to test the new combination thoroughly. Only then, they will be ready for the bigger tests.

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!