A Roar of Revival ?

A Roar of Revival ?

The roars of warning are clearly out. Having beaten England comprehensively in the 3rd and final Test at Trent Bridge, the Sri Lankans have already sounded the alarm of resurgence. At last, there seems to be a conscious effort to raise the standards of their cricket every game and it won’t be before long that these efforts will be translated into notable results. Tom Moody’s one-year in charge of the islanders has finally seen a high-point. A test win away from home is not the easiest thing to achieve for an Asian team, barring Pakistan, but as they did in 1998 at the Oval, such victories have had their own say in galvanizing and rejuvenating the spirit in the Sri Lankan camp.

A major question that might torment the average fan of Sri Lanka cricket would be, if this is just a phase or is it real transformation they have shown from the previous 6 months ? To start off, in the past 6-8 months of Tom Moody’s tenure, he had nothing much to show in terms of results, except for a few wins here and there, that too against teams like West Indies and Bangladesh. They had a forgettable tour of India, where putting 300 runs was a mammoth task by itself. Then came a tour to New Zealand, where resistance was visible to an extent, but not worth an outcome. As the pundits of the modern game claim, a tour of Australia is a toughening experience, for both the team and the individual player. It surely rubbed off in Bangladesh, where they surprisingly encountered competition from the home side, before a string of mistakes from the home side gifted the Lankans with two wins. One perceived the loss to Bangladesh in an ODI, as a low point in their journey towards a successful metamorphosis, but then the even bigger loss to Pakistan ensured that Sri Lanka go through a month of introspection before the English tour kicked off.

Here they are now with a new blood of spirit flowing through their veins, a new wave of confidence taking them through to the shore and a tough side, for whom results are just a matter of extending this exuding confidence to its logical conclusion. Having fought off a brave English challenge and perhaps achieving the unthinkable by drawing the first test might have played catalyst to this revival. A loss without fight at Edgbaston did not faze them one bit as they virtually saw through a hapless position to rout England at Trent Bridge. Maybe, this is just the beginning. Surely, Tom Moody & Co have a lot more to offer to the world.

As for the positives from whatever has transpired in Sri Lankan cricket this summer, firstly, Mahela Jayawardena’s appointment as captain as surely infused a sense of innovation and youth to this team. He is by far their best batsman at the moment, and as far as his short stint as a captain is concerned, it looks astute to the tee. Secondly, the coming back of Sanath Jayasuriya from retirement has surely had its say in reinforcing the faith and the belief within the camp. The young brigade of Sri Lankan batsmen in Chamara Kapugedara, Upul Tharanga and Michael Vandort now have a senior figure in a mentoring role to look up to and his presence in the dressing room will surely be a big enough lift the team was looking for. Lastly, for once Sri Lanka has shown signs of playing as a team, rather than relying too heavily on individuals like Vaas, Muralitharan and Jayasuriya. There is a sense of responsibility that has creeped into this team, which can only usher a good future.

Most teams only need a small yet meaningful win to trigger their revival. There are stiffer challenges ahead of this Sri Lankan team at the moment leading to the world cup. It will be imperative for them not to get too buoyant about their achievements and lose the plot when it matters. It wouldn’t be too incorrect to say that Sri Lanka are peaking at the right time, but what will test them is maintaining this good run of form. The test series against South Africa at home will prove to be another examination for this promising bunch of Sri Lankans. And, the tri-series to follow will be a test of their consistency and form.

Sri Lankan cricket has quite often flattered to deceive. With a rich wealth of raw talent in their wings, it is time they deliver against quality opposition. Beating teams like Bangladesh and West Indies might win them a series, but will only result in insecurity of belief when it comes to playing the best. One surely hopes that Sri Lanka can overcome their odds, whatever little they might have at the moment and become a force to reckon with, come West Indies 2007!

Sport's Poor Old Cousins

It has indeed taken four years to remind the world about what one sport can do in bringing everyone together. While the World Cup in Germany has done more than enough to grasp and glue the viewers' attention, other games are quite perceivably falling behind. The other day, I got an SMS from my mate, who wanted updates from the tennis match between Nadal and Lubijic ! Unfortunately, the tennis fan in me took a backseat and it took me no time to put my football jersey on, and that poor friend was perhaps distraught me being naive to the courts ! Another fine incident that I can personally relate to was the choice between the slack cricket match between India and the West Indies or the gruelling encounter between England and Paraguay. Obviously, being an English fan, my hands held sway from the remote and cricket got termed into a lagger, of course with no regrets.

It must be known that apart from the Olympics, the World Cup has a larger appeal. The Olympics is more of a worldwide phenomenon and automatically the 200-odd countries participating in them have their people gripped with anxiety, enthusiasm and passion. But, football unravels a different yet charming story. Having put through the grind in the qualifiers, 191 teams try and vouch for the 31 vacant spots in the Finals (the hosts are automatic qualifiers). And once these teams qualify for the World Cup, there is a telling hysteria that grips their respective nation. A hysteria that blends itself with an acute amount of anxiety and an equal amount of expectation. And what more, the marketing of the game has been done in a professional and immaculate manner that even the non-qualifying nations have a large say in the viewership charts. For example, even with cricket being the number-one sport in the sub-continent, there are little takers for the ongoing India vs West Indies matches as compared to the FIFA World Cup in Germany.

Another question it raises is about other sports - like tennis, cricket, golf and the second most popular sport after football - F1, vying for their share of viewership ? The worst affected sport seems tennis. I am sure given the current hype and hoopla about Germany, France's very own Roland Garros seems a smaller place to be in. Tennis in its own way has given birth to many a rivalries, and none bigger than the emerging one between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Be it the off-court mouth-slinging or be it the intense baseline battles, this contest has surely exceeded expectations and promises to enthrall its takers. Another sport that would feel the heat would be F1. Apart from football and to an extent tennis, F1 has a large following all over the world and will surely lose its ground to football when it comes to viewership. And if the race collides with some of the matches, it will have a few loyalists glued to the TV sets, but there is a heavy chance of defection of passions to football ! Cricket, most certainly bites the dust in the sub-continent, with India's tour of Windies going hand-in-hand with the kick-off timings at Germany. It will be a challenge to red-card this immense sense of euphoria that has surrounded the world.

This World Cup will surely be the grandest of them all. And five matches down, it is already becoming a World Cup - where goals will be scored, players will be booked and of course as proved by Trinidad & Tobago yesterday, unscripted stories will be written. It has surely achieved its goal in galvanizing the world through its motto of "Its time to make friends" ! The FIFA World Cup 2006, even though in its initial formative stages has left a huge unerasable mark on the viewer that only threatens to grow as the tournament moves on...

'Ali' Unplugged

‘Ali’ Unplugged :

South African cricket has given the world some truly legendary personalities. One of them is Dr. Aron ‘Ali’ Bacher. Having represented his country both as a player and an administrator with immense success, Dr. Bacher was in India as a consultant to a South African based company for electronic scoreboards – ‘Stellavista’. Venkat Ananth caught up with him at the Coffee Shop of the Cricket Club of India, Mumbai.

Venkat : Dr. Bacher to the present generation is a chapter from a story book. I, for one haven’t seen you play, but as far as I know, Dr. Bacher was one of South Africa’s best captains of all time. How do you look back at those years as the man who pioneered South African cricket ?

Dr. Bacher : I played around 12 Test matches for South Africa between 1959 to 1974. As a captain of the South Africans, we played Australia in a four-test series in 1969-70 and thrashed them 4-0 at home. Apart from these international matches, I represented Transvaal for 14 years in the domestic competitions. And, I was one of the youngest captains in the first class scene in South Africa, until Hansie Cronje took charge of Free State at the age of 19 or so.

Venkat : You were an astute captain during your playing days and one of the best known administrators cricket has seen. Was management natural to you ? Or you learnt the art as you progressed during your cricket ?

Dr. Bacher : Yes. I did enjoy being a leader. As a schoolboy, I always wanted to lead people, in whichever sport – cricket, tennis or soccer. I was always seen as someone who liked motivating the lads and enjoyed helping people during tough times. I think leadership can be put down as an ingrained quality within me.

Venkat : Your first brush with a major controversy was the organizing of the Rebel tours during the 1980s. Twenty-five years on, do you in anyway regret for doing so ?

Dr. Bacher : If I could take you back to the scene in the 80’s, there were very restrictive laws. The blacks would oppose tours and most often than not, the organizers would be put behind bars. We always were living with this false sense of security, because we thought that everyone was happy with these games being played. When the Gatting rebel tour occurred in 1989, the then President of South Africa, FW de Klerk announced some amount of freedom of speech and expression. That’s when the blacks came out in numbers and protested the tour. Yes, in retrospect, I would’ve thought twice before organizing such tours.

Venkat : The match-fixing will be the biggest yet irremovable blot on South Africa cricket. Does the ghost of 1999-00 still come back and haunt you ? Do you feel things could’ve been handled much better in this regard ?

Dr. Bacher : When this match fixing saga came into the fore, I took immediate action by setting up a commission of enquiry under Edwin King. It was indeed a moment of national shame and a big moment of shock when Hansie Cronje confessed to it. The entire issue was handled to the best of our abilities. We were transparent, especially when we allowed cameras to take pictures of the proceedings. I drew a lot of criticism for not defending Hansie Cronje during this time, but as the managing director of the board, I had to stand for credibility. My personal view regarding the match fixing episode was that it was not only in South Africa that this was going on, but all over the sub-continent.

Venkat : What are your personal views on the Boje and Gibbs controversy ? Are you of the opinion that they should visit India and co-operate with the investigating authorities ?

Dr. Bacher : I am very confident that Nicky Boje was not a party to match-fixing. In my personal interactions with Nicky, his body language was very confident and did not give me indications to suggest he was guilty. As far as Gibbs is concerned, he admitted to match-fixing and subsequently, the Board did the right thing by handing him over a ban of 6 months. I am not very happy with the way the issue has been handled by both the boards. I feel that both Governments should step into the matter and resolve it as soon as possible. I can empathize with Herschelle and Nicky, as they could be subject to intense media harassment to go with the police and investigating authorities in India.

Venkat : How and to what extent do you feel that the World Cup in 2003 has helped South Africa, both in cricket and non-cricketing terms ? Was it the ideal tonic the game could’ve asked for to boost its popularity ?

Dr. Bacher : The entire country was charged up and galvanized during those two months. There was immense unity between all the ethnic communities in South Africa. Although, the majority of the crowds who came to the cricket were whites, the coloured (includes blacks and Asians) preferred to watch it on television. The very fact that such an event graced our country has surely been a catalyst to cricket’s popularity.

Venkat : Cricket, as a social phenomenon in South Africa has gradually progressed from a rather white-centric sport to a mass and now raceless sport. Are coloured players like Gibbs, Amla, Prince, Ntini etc, soon turning into role-models for the youth in general and writing a new chapter in South African cricket ?

Dr. Bacher : Not really. I would have liked to see more blacks at the top i.e. international level. Hashim Amla is surely one for the future, but as far as the black players go, Makhaya Ntini is certainly the number one today. I hope our team one day is filled with several top quality coloured players in order to reflect the true racial balance that South Africa is actually made up of.

Venkat : What are your views about the current domestic structure in practice in South Africa ? Is the reduction of teams a good way to increase the competitiveness ?

Dr. Bacher : I do not think the reduction of the number of teams has helped in increasing the competitiveness. Today, with so much of international cricket being played, the key players i.e. players who represent South Africa hardly play domestic cricket. I personally feel that is one of the better ways to increase competitiveness. If I went back to my playing days, every South African cricketer represented his province. And each and every match I played in the span of 14 years was absolutely competitive. Unless the Kallis’ and the Pollocks step up into the domestic scene regularly, I do not think the standards can be raised.

Venkat : As a former Chief Organizer, what would be the ideal advice you would give to your West Indian colleagues ?

Dr. Bacher : Firstly, they should avoid comparing our (South Africa) World Cup to theirs, mainly because of the difference in the region. They can leave their mark by producing facilities of international standards. I often wonder how the West Indies produce truly great cricketers with such poor facilities. I am sure that by improving the overall infrastructure and with the carnival-like atmosphere that already exists, the West Indies could give the World a tournament, which they are unlikely to forget.

Venkat : What future do you see for African cricket ? Especially with Zimbabwe in a turmoil, Kenya – lack of proper domestic structure/new administration ? Is South Africa, the big brother playing an active role in the diffusion of crises and promotion of cricket in the continent ?

Dr. Bacher : As far as Zimbabwe is concerned, it is nothing but a self-inflicted conflict. Kenya is a totally different case altogether. As the Development Officer of the ICC, I initiated a process where Kenya acquired an official One-Day International status. What followed later was disheartening. They were hardly given any exposure against the top teams inspite of being World Cup semi-finalists.

Venkat : How do you see South African cricket in the next 10 years ? Can you see some shades of your captaincy in Graeme Smith ?

Dr. Bacher : Graeme Smith comes across as a young and dynamic personality with a lot of character and determination to do well for his country. He has made some mistakes on the way, but that’s the advantage of being young. One hopes he could learn from them and become a better leader and cricketer in the near days to come. And as far as the future for South Africa is concerned, it looks very bright.

Venkat : South African sport in general has taken a notch ahead when it comes to organizing World Cups. How do you think these events will change South Africa’s image in the world ?

Dr. Bacher : It has been very positive thus far, though the biggest is yet to come. The only reason why we have been successful enough to host these World Cups is that we have good infrastructure, good facilities like airports, hotels etc. and of course stadia of international standards. Cricket and rugby have most certainly helped change South Africa’s image in the minds of the people, but the most-awaited and the biggest event will be the Soccer World Cup in 2010.

Venkat : Franz Beckenbauer in an interview last week talked about the power of football channelizing African nations together. He said “There is only one language they speak, there is only one power that brings them together.” Do you think cricket can also share the mantle and becoming a unifying force for African nations one day ?

Dr. Bacher : Not quite. I cannot see cricket making the same amount of impact as football has done in the continent – primarily because it is only a few countries like Uganda, Namibia, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa that have taken up to the game. It will certainly make its mark as a popular sport and grow in a few countries but not on an overall scale.

Venkat : Any memorable incidents on and off the field that you would both look back at and feel proud about ?

Dr. Bacher : The unification of South African cricket is right there at the top. That would be the biggest and the proudest moment for any South African cricketer, past or present. Subsequently, organizing the Cricket World Cup in 2003 successfully was a great way to sign-off.

Venkat Ananth

venkz86@gmail.com

The Battle of the Royal Lions (Sri Lanka's Tour of England)

After a rather unconvincing performance against Pakistan at home, Sri Lanka embark on a tough tour to England that might well decide the direction they are taking in international cricket. They were tamed to submission by Pakistan and struggled gradually as the tour progressed. Having played the top teams in a brief period of 6 months, Sri Lanka's report card does not sound encouraging. Losses to India, New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh (one match) and now Pakistan in the ODIs was something Tom Moody and Co would prefer forgetting as Sri Lanka aim to undo the mistakes they did in these matches. And to be frank and blunt as a writer, Sri Lanka do not appear a Test side to me. They keep repeating the same mistakes and this has cost them dearly. Playing teams like Bangladesh regularly (2 series in a gap of 8 months) is taking Sri Lankan cricket nowhere, as performances in these matches flatters to only deceive later. In my humble opinion, I would rather see Sri Lanka play teams like Pakistan, India, England regularly than the Bangladeshis and the West Indians. This is a preview in the typically 'Deano' fashion - a SWOT analysis.

Strengths

There are obvious signs of improvements in this Sri Lankan team, but unfortunately they are not long-lasting. I would tend to think that apart from being mighty in the spin department, their batting seems to be a certain strength. Kumar Sangakkara's progress indicates an obvious growth in stature as their best batsman, followed by Mahela Jayawardena and Tillekaratne Dilshan. If they can score massive runs against the bowling attack that England boasts of, they are sure to create positions of strength. The squad seems stacked with batsmen, who are inexperienced and if guys like Tharanga and Vandort can realize their potential, the void created by the retirement of Jayasuriya will somehow be unseen. The relatively inexperienced bowling seems to be maturing with every other outing and if they can capitalize on the conditions they are presented with, bowlers like Vaas, Maharoof, Malinga, Kulasekara, Zoysa and Fernando could prove a handful. Utilizing the conditions will be the key to their success. Besides, the spin attack of Malinga Bandara and Muttiah Muralitharan seems potent enough to create pressure situations, which the team can cash in on. Who can forget Murali spinning the Oval one-off Test of 1998 on its head with a match haul of 16 wickets. So, if they can start the series well, there is no doubt that there is some quality in this Sri Lankan line-up, good enough to disturb the England team.

Weaknesses

Weaknesses are in plenty to be honest. The inexperience might just as prove to be a weakness as it is a strength. The openers' spot seems a major concern for me. Tharanga and Vandort might not be technically adaptive to the conditions in England. Kumar Sangakkara might have to play saviour time and again by coming in situations that might probably be avoidable. The openers will be under pressure to bat well everytime they go out to bat and if they succeed in evading this pressure, they would have done their bit to the team's cause. The role of Tillekaratne Dilshan is a question mark. He has a decent technique to go along with his wide range of strokes and if Sri Lanka can push him up in the order, it will do good to their totals. But, from his side, he has to curb his natural instincts of playing one shots too many and put a tag on his wicket, which has been a continual problem with him. The bowling line-up somehow comes up with a tag of 'inexperienced'. Apart from Vaas and Zoysa, the bowlers look naive. There is a uni-dimensional look to this bowling attack. The sameness should ideally be masked by picking a bowling line-up that consists of Vaas (angle), Maharoof (accuracy), Malinga (action and pace), Malinga Bandara (leg-spin) and Murali (off-spin). All in all, there are plenty of loopholes in this Sri Lankan squad, the earlier they are plugged, the better would be the chances of tasting successes in England.

Opportunities

There are plenty of things the Sri Lankans can learn from this tour. Having picked Prasanna Jayawardene as the second wicketkeeper, it will be important for the management to play Sangakkara purely as a batsman, due to the unavailability of Marvan Atapattu. If Sangakkara can purely concentrate on his batting, it would help both his and his team's cause as runs flowing from his bat are invaluable. Mahela Jayawardena gets a golden chance to cement his position as the skipper of the team. One hopes that he can manage to lead by example and with Atapattu's cricketing career in doldrums, cashing in on these limited opportunities would be the key. There is a great scope for improvement in this Sri Lankan team. They need to get their combination correct before every match and march on with a belief that they can be more than competitive against a strong opponent.

Threats

There are plenty of threats looming around Sri Lanka and the most important one would be their opponents. Having won the third test convincingly against India at Mumbai, England will surely be drenched in confidence and besides, the return of their regulars like Vaughan, Trescothick, Simon Jones and Stephen Harmision does not send encouraging signals to the Sri Lankan camp. Another problem that they could face would be adaptability. The earlier they get going in England, the better it could be for the Sri Lankans, which possibly means winning all their tour games and being match fit as they go into the Tests.

There was a time when the English board refused to acknowledge Sri Lanka's credentials as a Test side, and just as the Royalties had their way, the 1998 win changed their vision towards the Island nation. Since then, Sri Lanka have been playing one test extra each time they visited England (2 in 2002 and currently 3) and more importantly in quality venues like Lord's, Edgbaston and Trent Bridge. Sri Lanka can surely look to impress their case further by putting up performances that can stand out and get noticed by not only England, but the rest of the world, if they have any intentions of transforming themselves into a force to reckon with for the near future. As a fan of Sri Lankan cricket, I am sure that the boys will come up with the goods and push England to the limits if not shock them as they did in 1998.

Squaring-up in Style

After all the extravaganza associated with the first ODI, it was business time in the DFL Cup. The first match appeared to be more of a contest between a jaded Indian team and their relatively fresh counterparts. India went into this ODI with a plenty to do and importantly, maintain that unbeaten series run they have been on since the Sri Lankan series at home.

Rahul Dravid won the toss and elected to bat on a wicket that more or less was the same from the previous game, except for the unevenness in the bounce. Batting first on this wicket is always an advantage as runs on the board and the pressure of chasing can get to the best of teams in the 4th Innings, considering the earlier match. India made one change to their line-up, bringing in Sehwag for the inexperienced Uthappa, while Pakistan chose to remain unchanged.

Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid opened the innings for India on expected lines. The initial overs were played with a great degree of circumspect and following that dry spell where no runs came off the bat, a spite of indifferent bowling from the Pakistani bowlers, some overpitched and short and wide deliveries allowed the Indians to set the tone for the score they were aiming at. Sehwag particularly took toll of anything pitched up to him and bowled on the stumps and as he grew in confidence, he started freeing his arms and left the Pakistani bowlers clueless at times. Having finished the powerplays on top of the situation at 100/0, Dravid and Sehwag laid a perfect platform for what looked like a score in excess of 270. Pakistan did manage to eventually break the partnership, when Afridi bamboozled Sehwag with a peach of a delivery at 138, with Sehwag having made 73. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was sent to up the ante at the fall of Sehwag, but with two spinners bowling from either end, taking the pace off it was always going to be a tough task in hand. Dhoni's innings got underway thanks to some unorthodox strokeplay, the finest paddle sweep one can ever imagine (a shot hard to describe) and in an almost nonchalant manner, he reached his fifty. Dravid looked solid as ever and adding some crucial runs with Dhoni. However, India did miss a trick by not timing their final charge to perfection. With wickets in hand, there was scope to start the acceleration at around 36 overs, but it did come a bit late. Dravid, in his bid to accelerate, played on one from Rana Naved as he left for a gutsy effort of 92. Dhoni followed him to the pavilion after scoring 59. Pakistan seemed to get back in contention having picked two good wickets quickly. Yuvraj then showed the way by belting Mohammad Asif for 20 runs in an over that included 3 fours and a majestic six. However, his brief cameo was ended by Rana Naved in the very next over, and India's hopes of reaching a total of 280 began seeming a distance away. Through some hare-paced running and last-overs frills, Suresh Raina and Irfan Pathan managed to guide India to 269 runs, a total one felt comfortable with considering the nature of the wicket and the weather conditions to follow.

History does not back Pakistan when it comes to chasing totals. But having been there and done that in the last game, Pakistan would have approached this total in the orthodox way of chasing, i.e. keep wickets in hand and make the last 10 overs count. Imran Farhat and Shoaib Malik started off the innings for Pakistan. They came down heavy especially on Irfan Pathan and got off to what can be considered a reasonable start. However, the batsmen looked edgy at times and that is exactly what led to the first wicket - Imran Farhat adjudged leg-before to Pathan for 8. Imran Farhat would consider himself unlucky, as the ball from Irfan seemed to head down the leg-side. Pakistan decided to put their chase at stake by promoting Shahid Afridi up the order. He barely managed to survive in the middle as Irfan Pathan managed to get through his defences with a perfect in-dipper. Having lost two wickets in quick succession, the need of the hour for Pakistan was to rebuild and then consolidate. In the meanwhile, Sreesanth from the other end was bowling impeccably constantly hitting the corridors of uncertainty and keeping the batsman on his toes. Ajit Agarkar's introduction gave India their third wicket. It was one of those rare occasions where Ajit was getting his shape and swing to go beautifully. Younis Khan edged one to Dhoni for 5 and Pakistan in dire straits. The skipper walked in and along with the set batsman, Malik, had to take charge in the middle. As their individual innings progressed, there was a certain calmness to this batting. They looked at ease on the wicket and it would only be a spell of brilliance from the bowler or the fielder that would dislodge them. That is exactly what happened as Shoaib Malik holed out to a spectacular catch by Yuvraj off Powar's bowling for a well-made 45 and this wicket seemed to have drained the gas off the Pakistani batting. The wicket of Malik triggered a collapse with Mohammad Yousuf, Kamran Akmal and Abdul Razzaq going down cheaply. The skipper, in the meanwhile chugged on and brought up his 83rd fifty and 12th against India. He seemed to find an able ally in Naved ul-Hasan Rana, who struck meaty blows to help raise the dampened spirits. This late order charge by Rana yielded a 50 run partnership with Inzamam and for once in the game, India were made to think. Irfan Pathan virtually sealed the fate of the match, when Rana skied one to Venugopal Rao, who took the catch just centimetres from the boundary line. The writing gradually seemed to appear on the wall. Inzamam was finally run out for 72 and what followed was a celebration beyond description, Rahul Dravid running for a 100 m Olympic gold was a sight worth seeing. The coffin was sealed when Sreesanth picked up Rao Ifthikar Anjum at 218, with India emerging worthy victors by 51 runs.

It was a tournament for the skippers. Rahul Dravid was named the man of the match for this game, while Inzamam bagged the honours for the man of the series. All in all, an excellent effort by both teams to take time off their busy schedule and play two matches for a noble cause. Both teams will be embarking on overseas tours next, with India leaving for the Caribbean and Pakistan heading off to England.

PS : It was a new experience at writing a fully authentic match-report. It was purely done on an experimental basis. I do not know if I have justified the way it needs to be written.

The Purple Patch

If ever India needed to reinforce some faith onto their fans' minds, it was done with a great degree of arrogance. I know some people who constantly sulk about the Ganguly episode, but the rapid strides that Indian cricket has taken after the phased ouster of the former skipper is absolutely commendable. Greg Chappell may be seen a villain in Kolkata but overall he has all but sealed his stature as the 'Guru' in the rest of the country. His record as Indian coach speaks volumes for the transformation this team has gone through since he took over in May 2005. India were among the bottom few of the ICC ODI Rankings when the Aussie took over and after some initial hiccups in Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, he and the boys seemed to get their acts together. Since then, India have been unbeaten in four bilateral ODI series so far. Its a new page in Indian cricket that was waiting to be written since a long time. A page that has writings of ruthlessness, dominance and enthusiasm, words missing in the context of Indian cricket in the recent past.

There were two important things to come out of the series. Firstly, a large percentage of this squad have surely confirmed their way to the 2007 Caribbean World Cup and secondly, the seeds of youth sown in the Sri Lanka home series in October is finally reaping great rewards. Yuvraj Singh has peaked at the right time, nearly rounding off a season of glory, one in which he has played a larger role in India's successes as an ODI team. MS Dhoni has gone through a 360 degrees turnaround since that hundred he got at Jaipur against the Lankans. He has gradually perfected the art of finishing (Chappell has earmarked him for the Micheal Bevan role). Raina seems to be maturing and plugging the hole that once eluded India of many games, the crucial no. 5/6 spot, which inevitably went to VVS Laxman. His contributions as a fielder have also been worth noting. The only area of concern that Greg and Rahul will look to sort out by the earliest would be Sehwag and Kaif. Both of them should ideally be rested and brought back for the West Indies tour. Having said that, yesterday's win highlighted that this team has moved beyond individuals. I would tend to agree with Deano, who claimed that "Even Australia would find it tough to beat India at home".

The area of real improvement has been the fast-bowling unit. Still at its growing stages, the identification of potential strike bowlers was essential as the tried and tested like the Nehras and the Zaheers would usually get injured and inexplicably, the bench strength would be close to null. A conscious move was taken by Chappell to blood young pacemen into the team and the returns are here to see. Sreesanth's bucketful of wickets at Indore exemplifies the very fact that opportunities as much as hardwork are the key to success. Munaf Patel has been bowling exceedingly well in the Tests along with Sreesanth and Irfan Pathan but the larger picture suggests that the team management is looking ahead to breed a cocoon of fast bowlers. Irfan's growth as a batsman has surely helped his make-up as a bowler. Having been through a consistent success pattern as a batsman, he now thinks like one and his bowling seems to go through periods of troughs and crests, but contributes largely to the team's success. The spinners have come off according to expectations as well. Harbhajan fought through a rough patch and pulled it off with a fiver at Delhi, while Powar may soon prove to be a handy utility player India has always been searching for. Yes, after four series at home and in Pakistan, one might quite conclude that the inexperienced bowling has exceeded certain expectations, but seems to be heading in the right direction as far as the larger future of India is concerned.

For now its a big leap forward as far as Indian cricket is concerned. India are now ranked #3 in the ICC ODI Championships, at a sniffing distance behind South Africa. India is certainly on a roll, as they were back in 2002. It will be imperative for the Indians to leave complacency at their backyards and move forward with a larger goal in mind. It surely is great to see success finally making their way to Indian shores, after a quiet and inconsistent 2004-05. One surely hopes that these smaller tournaments (in importance) can be the perfect entourage to attain the biggest one !

From 'Chokers' to Chasers : A meteoric transition

Not so long ago, the term 'choking' was as synonymous with the Indian team as Sachin Tendulkar. If I remember right, it came to serious light when India last toured Zimbabwe for the triangular series, and it was a case of 'yet-another-final, yet-another-failure'. One did not have to be a nuclear scientist to theorize India's inverse relation to pressure. It seemed as though a phobia was wading through the minds of the eleven men in blue. The rot had to be stemmed to pursue greater success in the ODIs. India's inability to cope with the larger demands of chasing targets surely made its way onto Greg Chappell's priority list. For once, there was a transparent acknowledgement of the problem by the coach and to change this perception was going to be a daunting task.

Chasing, to say was never India's forte. They had showed spells of brilliance off and on, but consistency, while reacting to the scores set was never there. There was a Natwest Series final, where India did more than enough to chase down 324, but in dark contrast there was the Asia Cup, where India stooped their way in pursuit of 230. Such was the inconsistency and a larger vulnerability of Team India to targets. The only problem that seemed to have engulfed the Indians in the past was their inability to finish matches. There were times when India would put themselves in positions of superiority during a chase, and due to reasons they best know, lose the entire plot. If anything, finishing games was one area where India have been found wanting. It needed serious redressal, simply because in situations like a World Cup semi-final, they may have to chase, purely out of compulsion.

Here we are, 20 games on and India seemed to have got the better of their mindset by successfully and consecutively chasing down 15 out of these games, thereby setting a new record. For starters, India has never been a part of a streak or a spree, so to say but with this sudden paradigm shift in thought and mindset has surely made a strong statement in Indian cricket. When Greg Chappell started off his reign as India coach, he was hounded by media and public pressure of India not being good chasers. And to his credit, he acknowledged the existence of this very problem and sought immediate remedial measures to correct it. He used the Sri Lankan home series to bring about, what now seems like a transformed thought and as a spectator it was a path-breaking move to consciously understand the frailties of the team and correct it by setting simulated situations. From there-on, India have seemed to have perfected this very art of chasing.

A large share of credit for this sudden reversal has to be given to the youngsters in the team. There is a greater acknowledgement of responsibility and application within these boys and that has surely worked to their credit. The presence of a new steely resolve has only strengthened the mindset of the team and the victories are a tribute to that very change in direction. Pressure, to this Indian team seems to be an enzyme that only made them more determined and more responsible and the results are there to see. In the past, with India reeling at 90 for 5, the common tendency was to switch off the TV sets and conduct a post-mortem about an Indian loss, but now a distinct sense of belief has re-emerged both within the team and the public mindset. And another point of satisfaction and celebration is the fact that each chase has its own heroes. be it Yuvraj Singh in Pakistan, Mahendra Dhoni against Sri Lanka or Suresh Raina in the ongoing series.

"Old habits die hard", they say ! But having seen India's transformation in the recent past, such phrases will remain phrases. For now, it seems as though India have visibly done away with their unwanted habits of wilting to pressure, but it will be equally important for India to start looking at setting targets and winning matches than only chasing them. Chasophobia if I may call it, is surely a thing of the past and has translated itself into a red-hot chasomania. If anywhere India need to inspire themselves, it the Test matches. They may well have lost the game at critical moments, but they only need to look within their dressing room to find an inspiration to correct their wrongs. The adage of "I don't care how they come, as long as they come !" is the new buzzword among the Indian cricket fans. Be it by batting-first or by chasing, an Indian win enthralls the masses. One hopes that this massive streak of run-chases will surely take Indian cricket to new heights in the near future.

Missionaries of Charity ?

Mixing business with noble intentions is the latest mantra of the BCCI. As India and Pakistan head to Abu Dhabi for the two-match DFL Cup, a greater cause will take center stage. Sport is often noted to be a wound-healer, and on this occasion cricket will play the medium and catalyst to provide relief to those affected by the Kashmir Earthquake. It is indeed heartening to know that there is a certain amount of social responsibility that both the PCB and BCCI are showing and none better occasion to start off this endeavour than the Abu-Dhabi tournament. For once, the age-old mindset of the money going straight into the Board's kitty has taken a sidestep and the revenue generated through this event, should in all likeliness reach the President's Relief Fund. As per reports, the overall-revenue from the first ODI could be as much as 10 million USD and with Percept D'Mark bidding successfully for the in-stadia rights for close to 4 million USD, it would seem as if cricket has finally decided to contribute its share to a cause. Moreover, the players from both teams have come forward to donate their match-fees for the cause.

As the BCCI makes its gradual transformation from being run as a typical Indian public-sector unit to a more privatized and corporatized version, innovation in thought and action is well on the cards. This renewed mindset could not have come at a better time for India, as they seem to do well both on and off the field. India and Pakistan certainly carry a larger social responsibility on their shoulders as they head off to the UAE. They not only make up as ambassadors of the country they represent, but also the game they play. The 'giving-back-to-the-society' notion seemed to have gripped the Indian sub-continent. As the tsunami waved through the island of Sri Lanka, it was the cricketers like Muttiah Muralitharan and Kumar Sangakkara who took it upon themselves to reach out to the victims and try and heal the grave wounds of calamity. It is certainly a step for both the Boards in more ways than one, as there is no better way to show solidarity for the cause than cricket.

All this comes with a but, a big one at that ! For BCCI it might be considered as a good marketing move to take cricket to identified "markets", where the game has yet to leave its imprints. An aggressive step in its own way, Lalit Modi and the BCCI have outlined several 'overseas' venues where cricket might not yet be that popular, and tapping the ethnic Asian community is crucial to the positioning of cricket in that country. This is precisely why India is slated to play about 30 one-dayers against Pakistan in venues like Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Canada, US and the Middle-East in the next 5 years. Another proposal surrounding this 'overseas' theme is where India play some of their home matches abroad. I somehow tend to disagree with this aspect, simply because losing out on the strong and existing market would hit the BCCI badly. It is within India itself that the marketing of the game needs to improve and a shift in focus from the original statements could prove a bit harmful at a later stage.

Another thing that concerns me is the official status of such matches. Maybe the official status was kept with a larger marketing perspective in mind, considering that a large audience would pool in for an India-Pakistan one-day international than for a desert-carnival. But will charity or the cause have any impact on the way the games will be played ? Its hard to answer it at this stage. But having accorded official ODI status to these games, the onus now is upon the teams to maintain the same levels of intensity and competitiveness they would had they been playing in Karachi or Kolkata for that matter. That for me should define the directions these 'charity' matches would take in the future.

I am glad that there is finally a recognition of a larger responsibility by the BCCI to its fans and the society in general, unlike the past, where elections defined responsibility. Such events must be encouraged in the near future and provide that one chance for our cricketers to understand the larger human interest. To conclude, one hopes that two spirited games of cricket is all that the Kashmir quake victims deserve to bring a smile on their faces. We also hope that the 22 men on the field, in blue and green do enough to try and undo the mental scars of this intense calamity.

Random Scribblings : Yuvraj’s Day Out, England’s struggle and Breaking the Goa jinx…

It was one of these matches where it was a contest between momentum, form, confidence and weather. Having pulled-off a nail-biter at Delhi and a comprehensive run chase at Faridabad, the Indians looked like a side on a roll and it seemed as though England had to pull out several tricks out of their kitty to get through this in-form Indian side. As India powered themselves to 294/6 in 50 overs, it almost looked as if England marooned themesleves after conceding 98 off the last 10 overs and victory seemed as far as a trip back home. It was a convincing victory for India by 49 runs and if I may say, already have one hand on the TVS One-Day Cup. Here are some musings about a game took India to their seventh consecutive ODI win…

Yuvraj’s Day Out

Dominant is one word that comes to mind while describing Yuvraj Singh’s knock of 103 today. As he walked into bat, it almost looked as if India got back to their struggling ways as they were nailed down at 130 for 4. On a pitch that did not quite accommodate well for the batters, the timing and strokeplay that Yuvraj Singh showed were nothing short of exemplary. The knock typifies an ideal one-day knock, where the first half included a much required rebuilding act and he found an able ally in young Suresh Raina to help him in this endeavour. There were very notable signs of marked improvement in both the technique and attitude. As the inning gained momentum, he stepped on the gas and his other 50 off only 24 balls vindicates the shift in direction. As the inning approached its carnivalesque stages, Yuvi was quite happy to power the team to a more-than competitive score of 294. As an observation, this was one of the better centuries by Yuvraj purely because the manner in which he commanded the situation and the overall maturity he showed were surely good indications of things to come for the future. Hopefully this purple patch would lead to a possible extension in the future games to come !

England’s Struggle

England might have enjoyed their brief stint at Goa, but on the cricket field, they looked a totally silenced unit. Jadedness, mental fatigue, travel and above all the unforgiving conditions at Goa might have played their part in preventing England’s much-strived for success. Another knock-out punch was delivered to the England management when they discovered this morning that Kevin Pietersen was down and out, thanks to a stomach bug. Added to their woes, bowlers like Sajid Mahmood did not give an account of their international belonging as he was at the receiving end of both the weather and the rampaging Indian batsmen. They could do nothing right today, even when playing Irfan Pathan as it was not his in-dipper but slower delivery that found four English batsmen wanting and only Paul Collingwood gave them a semblance of fading hope, but hope nonetheless. England will surely have to raise their game if they have any intensions of competing in this series. Kochi is not going to get any cooler and it will be important for England to adjust to the nature of the different centers. The must-win days have arrived for England and can Kochi mark their revival ? Maybe Freddie Flintoff and Duncan Fletcher might have better answers to that question !

Breaking the Goa jinx…

Goa will always be known as the Football capital of India, though it competes with Kolkata and Kochi for that standing. Cricket has always played second-fiddle in this picturesque destination and it was important for India to win at the Furtoda ground to boost cricket’s popularity in the state. Ask any Goan to name some sportsmen and names like Bruno Coutinho, Alvito D’Cunha and Noel Wilson might supercede the likes of Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni and Irfan Pathan. Only guys like Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar might have their popularity sky high over footballers here. And the results of India at the Nehru stadium might have played its part in this selective memory. Today’s victory was the first ever one by India at the Nehru stadium and perhaps their previous losses should hopefully be a thing of the past. One hopes that apart from winning the 3rd ODI, the cricket and the cricketers have won over the hearts and minds of the Goans.

Kochi is also a football city in many ways, boasting of more football clubs than cricketers and incidentally, the 4th ODI will also be played on a football ground ! As long as India keep winning, the fans won’t mind where they come, on a football field or a cricket maidan.

From the Indian perspective, the Kochi ODI might seem more like a decider. India would be keen to settle the issue at the Nehru Stadium in Kochi and get on with their constant eye on the future and try more youngsters in the last 3 games. It will surely be a test of physical and well as mental stamina and with a lot at stake, India might look the better of the two teams. England have surely drained themselves, but cannot afford to drown at Kochi. Incentives of a series win and a possible series comeback throng the teams as they head to Kochi, and it will be interesting to see which of these intentions prevails.

For now, its over to Kochi for the 4th ODI.

Will the Prince charm us again ?

"Who would have thought I would ever make it here after all that has happened?" Capriati said afterwards.

"Maybe dreams can come true."

This is what Jennifer Capriati, the US tennis star had to say after winning the 2000 Australian Open, in what has been touted as one of the best ever comebacks in International sport. There is one man in India who could gain a lot of heart from this story. As Saurav Ganguly has been dumped to seclusion by events that not only demoralised the person but also Indian cricket in general, is he the man Dravid and Co are looking back to, for answers to their top-order woes ? Several scoops in the media seem to tow that line !

Even though India has been performing consistently and winning matches, the top 3 or 4 have not been much of noted contributors. India has been struggling with batsmen getting in and once they looked secure and safe at the wicket, a rash shot follows and they end up taking the long walk back to the pavillion. This rot needs to be sorted out as soon as possible and the answer lies in the selectors and the team management's hands. In an interview to CNN-IBN, Dravid catagorically stated that the lid has not yet been put on Ganguly's career, and if newspaper report in the DNA is to be believed, Ganguly might just get the nod in the immediate future (could be tomorrow when the team is selected for the rest of the ODIs or the upcoming West Indies tour). These angle of opinions that have lingered about for a while predicting Ganguly's comeback for quite sometime may finally get their due justification as constant failures from the likes of Gambhir and Sehwag has prompted the selectors to look eastwords.

The BCCI is strongly considering bringing back India's latest 'Forgotten Hero'. Call it coincidence or what ? Both of India's apparent heroes belong to Kolkata ! It is nothing short of a revelation that Ganguly's name was discussed in every selection meeting and his brief and frequent meetings with senior Board officials might just prove the much needed catalyst for his inclusion. For the records, Ganguly has not exactly set the domestic circuit on fire, but has certainly made meaningful contributions to help his side end up on the winning side. His aggregate of 203 from 5 matches at a healthy average of 50.75 is an additional incentive to move his inclusion and certainly satisfies the criteria of merit set by the team management. The ball is surely in Ganguly's court it seems. Will he be ready to put that extra yard of effort on the field and keep up to the standards set by the young brigade of Yuvraj, Raina and Kaif ? This is where he might lose out to youth. At 33, age is not doing him any good, but on pure form and quality, Ganguly should still haunt the selector's minds.

The demands of international sport is such that past experiences have to be forgiven if not forgotten. To an extent, there has been a great deal of exaggeration about the Ganguly episode and the war of words from both sides have not in anyway helped the cause. Besides, the media has chosen to up the tempo and gain more mileage by adding fuel to fire in this clash of minds. As a professional, one expects both Greg Chappell and Saurav Ganguly to bury their hatchets and get on with the job in hand. If Ganguly fulfils the requirement of any domestic cricketer pushing his claim in Team India, he should be given equal credence ! Having said that, if Ganguly's name indeed falls into the team squad sheet in the immediate future, he will have to take fresh guard at the crease and grab any opportunity with both hands.

With a lot of emphasis on youth these days, one somehow feels that experience tends to get submerged and with India going through a rough phase with respect to Sachin Tendulkar's injury and the woeful top order form, the selectors can do no wrong by looking upto the tried, tested and now 'Forgotten' man of Indian cricket to heal these wounds. Maybe the time has come for a change of heart, and a change that will keep the best interest of Indian cricket in mind, and restore the much needed experience among these bundles of youthful energy.

PS : This is not a personal change of heart, but a pragmatic amalgamation of facts and opinions. I still back Chappell in his methods and will continue to praise him for the good he has done so far with India, but at the same time, its my opinion that we cannot afford to miss out on experience at tough times and if we need someone to look up-to, its surely Saurav Ganguly. Maybe one can hope a fairy-tale ending to this unanswered saga of Indian cricket !

Random Scribblings : India Em-'Powar'ed, India's Youth Policy, Raina's Chase and the Official Biker...

Having snatched victory from the jaws of a certain defeat, India went into this game as a confident side, knowing what they wanted to do. The onus was surely on England to create a feeling about themselves that they could compete in this form of the game against the hosts. With Powar replacing RP Singh (a good move in my opinion because the latter looks nothing but a 'dibbly-dobbly' guy with some pace), strategy prevailed and two-spinners on this dusty Faridabad wicket, would be quite a task for the Poms to handle. In the end, India prevailed in what looked like a nervy encounter and quite worthily, taken a 2-zip lead in the 7 match ODI series. Here are some musings from the Faridabad encounter...

India Em-'Powar'ed...

At last, one feels that the hunt for India's compatible second spinner in ODIs is seemingly over. Ramesh Powar was handed a perfect opportunity in the 2nd ODI and even though he could not grab a catch (Strauss on 27) off his own bowling, he surely grabbed his chance as a part of this side. India in the recent past have tried several others like Murali Kartik and of course the old warhorse Anil Kumble, but the recent loss of form for Kartik and Kumble's aged make-up not in Chappell's scheme of things at the moment, it was an important game for the Mumbai offie. What makes Powar an effective ODI bowler is his variations - in line, length, trajectory and indeed speed. Early wickets do help any bowler for that matter, but an impeccable line and length coupled with patience is what saw Powar through. It was imperative for him to perform today purely because of the fact that his showings in the last four games he played were'nt encouraging enough. I always believed that he has a crucial role to play in Indian cricket and add his lusty batting at the lower part of the innings and Powar seems a invaluable player. Perhaps the dawn has just begun with this stellar performance and Faridabad. Knowing Ravan (a nickname his Mumbai team-mates have given him for his huge fetish for food) he has a cool head on his shoulders and one certainly hopes and wishes that he be given regular chances to prove his mettle.

India's Youth Policy

Persistence with youth seems the way ahead for Indian cricket. And indeed, this way is leading to smoother roads. At 92/5, most of us 'fickle-minded' Indian fans would've written the team off. But thanks to some young thought processes and indeed unquestioned talent, there is surely a sense of belief emerging not solely from the player himself, but also the fans. I do not quite want to be an Economist, quoting statistics about the youth in India and stuff, but as far as cricket is concerned a team with an average age of 25 is surely worth a mention. The emergence of a 'young brigade' so to say has had an immense impact on India's recent successful one-day run. This is a side, that at least appears to have rid away with the concept of 'Choking' and a testament to this fact would be the last 14 out of the 16 wins coming through chases. With Sreesanth, Munaf Patel, Suresh Raina, RP Singh and of course Irfan Pathan coming through the ranks successfully, age is slowly getting out of the equation. That of course highlights the difference playing two seasons of first class cricket can make to a young cricketer. Thus far, thus good and as an observer of the Chappellian comrades, the policy of blending youth with a touch of experience is the only way Indian cricket can take the 'Giant' leap into the next level.

Raina's Chase

The situation was pretty precarious when this young man walked into bat. With India reeling at 80 for 4 and later 92 for 5, it almost needed a near-miracle to pull it off. It was a fascinating inning played by Suresh Raina today and what was more pleasing than seeing the young man seeing the chase through the last ball. There are 3 Ts that most experts look out for in a young player - Talent, Temperament and Technique and add another T when it comes to Raina - Timing/Touch. It was indeed an encouraging sign as a cricket watcher to see Raina get his timing spot-on when batsmen as good as Flintoff and Pietersen (earlier) were struggling. Responsibility often gets the best out of you as a person, and Raina for sure succeeded with greater burden of pressure. His shot-selection pretty much summed up his innings, that one might describe as one with class, yet a tinge of cheekiness. He picked his spot as and when he desired and what better time to get a boundary than the first ball of any over. Believe you me, it eases the pressure for the rest of the 4 or 5 balls. Being involved in a match-winning partnership and producing a virtual chase of his own would probably do him loads of good and I surely hope that the Team Management look after this chap with a great degree of care and even though it is too early to say, let me put my hand up and predict him to lead India one-day !

The Official Biker

He's India's man behind the stumps, an important part of the batting line-up and that apart an added responsibility has been ushered onto Mahendra Singh Dhoni - the team's official biker. For the second time today, MS Dhoni took the victory lap on Suresh Raina's brand new TVS Apache. And let me tell you, its not a bad idea to do something that would please his sponsors (He is sponsored by TVS). For a man who often publicly professes his passion for biking, its a responsibility he sure would be thriving on ! And who knows, 2 rides gone, 5 more to go. Lets hope Dhoni gets the last ride !

Over to Goa for the 3rd ODI !

Random Scribblings : The Delhi Debacle, Sweep-o-mania and Bhajji's Coming at Last...

Delhi played host to what seemed like a contest between England's momentum and India's recent one-day international form. It seemed like a keen contest from the time England won the toss and inserted India in, but little did they know that their purpose would go unrewarded as their batsmen fell like nine pins in a bowling alley. Here are some snippets from the 1st ODI that are worth a mention...

The Delhi Debacle !

It all seemed done and dusted when England were riding themselves high at 116/3. As the game was heading towards a particularly known direction i.e. an England win, I decided to swap channels and check out a rather intriguing contest of ball and bat between Pakistan and Sri Lanka ! Five minutes and two overs later, the England score read 117/5. The match had already turned on its head, quite literally - with Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff falling in succession. Then it was Jones, then Blackwell, then Collingwood, Ali and lastly Plunkett. It was only a spell of imagination that stung England and quite badly so. The collapse might just prove a bit costly and will remain as a scar had to erase in the coming few matches. And it was the second consecutive time that England failed to chase a low-score against India. The previous occasion was at the Oval back in 2004 (Natwest Challenge), when while chasing a similar score the English team faltered badly. So, at one end of the globe we see bullions of runs being chased successfully and at the other, scores around 200 is becoming a major mess to contend with. Long live the man who hailed cricket as the "game of uncertainities" !

Sweep-o-mania

The strong fetish of sweeping just can't get off the system of the visiting teams against India. For them, somehow it turns into a success recipe, for reasons only they'd know best I guess. Today, the shot got rid of at least 4 English men (Flintoff, Jones, Blackwell and Prior) and a more decent way of smothering the spin needs to be looked at. It seemed like a computer game whereby the bowler exactly knows what the batsman is going to do next and pitches the ball in areas, where at best the strength could also hail his downfall. This obsession of the batters has to change quickly, whereby the risk element is reduced and they play free cricket. Dean Jones in his commentary stints has stressed on the importance of finding targets (a term used for boundary-riders in Australia) and has always maintained that it could be achieved by playing simple risk-free cricket. For now, it looks as though another bug has creeped into the English system. The earlier they get rid of it, the better and secure they might seem. That does not quite mean taking the shot completely out of the game, but using it selectively according to the situation ! As spin-friendly tracks await the Englishmen, it would be interesting to see how much of sleep they would be losing over the s-w-e-e-p !!

Bhajji's coming at last !

India's confidence man is back at last ! One could almost sense the fact that Harbhajan Singh was just a spell or so away from being back to his best ! He bowled with a lot of intensity and guile in the Third Test at Mumbai, but sometimes wickets do not play justice to the fact that the numbers in the confidence meter were just rising. And today, it reached its optimum best ! Of course an early wicket played its part in easing his nerves and the tough times had ended for good ! The entire make-up of the man looked so different. His approach to the wicket was smoother than recent times, the ball was leaving out of his hands much better and the overall outlook at its best. It should not be so ironical that England have been at the recieving end of Harbhajan (his first 5-for came against the Poms at Mumbai on 3rd Feb 2002). But, this one would be worth remembering for both Bhajji and his fans, as he won the game single-handedly with both bat and ball. Having seen him bowl today, one can certainly see brighter days ahead of him ! As far as England are concerned - "Bhajji has hit the dance floor, finally"

Thats all for today ! Watch this space for more random scribbles after the second ODI at Faridabad !

The Battle of the Blues

In just three days from now, the battle will resume again. This time in coloured clothing and white balls. Yes folks, it will be one-day time from the March 28 and going by the high-intensity cricket played in the Test matches between India and England, it will be a keenly-contested contest, one hopes. It will surely be a contest between a team brimming with confidence (England) and a team that knows what forgetting the bad games is all about (India). With England's 'nothing-to-lose' mindset, nothing is at stake for them but the ODIs for India come at a heavier price - keeping their unbeaten series run in the ODIs thus far since october.

India will start as unquestioned favourites for this series, but one might argue that they did so for the Tests as well. It was upto England to raise their intensity of cricket to match upto the Indians and so they did to, what they might equate to a series win, having been through all the pre-series problems. This time around, it will be a different level of challenge for a team that is not known to trouble most teams in the ODIs. To start off, their recent form against Pakistan comes as a boost for the Indians and having seen some of their players in the recently concluded Tests, it will be bunch of boys whose awareness about the opposition might have just gone a little higher. India does have its own share of problems with Sachin Tendulkar nursing a shoulder injury. But having said that, a problem brings itself an opportunity. For someone like Venugopala Rao or Gautam Gambhir, the call-up to the squad might not have come at a better time. The onus will be on them though, to grab this hint of opportunity and translate it into their destiny, perhaps ! There is something about this Indian one-day team. They seemed least perturbed, though highly disappointed after the Test series loss to Pakistan and their ability to claw out of difficult situations should be commended. It must be noted that India's rich vein of form in the ODIs has surely help mask its undoings in the Tests and if history repeats itself as it did in Pakistan, India should surely come out on top. One need not be an Einstein to figure out if surprises will come England's way and knowing Chappell and Dravid's determination to innovate and 'experiment', several players would be put to test. So, it would be fair to say that the 'Form is with India but the confidence with England'.

On the other hand, England have surely taken a leaf out of India's book in terms of a wink towards the future, and the quite immediate one - World Cup 2007. They have gone with a horses for courses philosophy with guys like Vikram Solanki, Owais Shah and Sajid Mahmood having played here for England A in the Duleep Trophy a season or two back. And more importantly, they are the men in form. Gareth Batty, Vikram Solanki and Sajid Mahmood have entered the squad through sheer merit on account of their strong match-winning performances in the recently concluded England A tour of West Indies. It will be interesting to see how they match-up to the conditions and the weather especially in some of the unusual centres in India, like Kochi which will be nothing short of a scorcher. But, they have a confident leader in Andrew Flintoff, who has eased into the demands of captaincy quite well. The Poms will surely be welcomed by flat pitches and their ability to post big totals will have to come to the fore if they intend to succeed. These pitches can be unforgiving for the bowlers and somehow I tend to feel, this is where England would struggle. There may well be a sameness about their attack and I find it surprising as to why a bowler like Monty Panesar has been sent home, after all the good work he did in the Tests. If England do believe in wearing the underdog tags, they might be able to spring a bigger surprise on the punter's bets - India.

Flexibility of thought and action would decide the outcome on Indian pitches. After the near whitewash of the Sri Lankans and the tough grind against the Proteas', it would not be wrong to brand the Indians as clear favourites by a long mile. But, it will also be imperative for them not to let complacency creep into their systems as it did in Mumbai in the test match and go out their and play the game with a sense of meaningfulness, purpose and intensity. The last time the English were here, India managed to succumb to the pressure after leading the series 3-2 and the visitors drew the series at Mumbai. This time around the teams are different, the centeres are different and of course the form !

One hopes to see a highly competitive series of cricket and this would be only justified if the better team wins. Both teams are young in terms of age and spirit, but the team that holds its nerve in the testing conditions coupled with good catching and fielding will come out on top !

For now, let the battle begin !

A View from the North Stand....

Barmed by the Army

Oh well, as I made my way through the 'F' Block in the North Stand at the Wankhede Stadium, surprise was the first emotion that went through me, as I could all but bump into a swarm of the British Barmy Army fans. It was a pleasant one as well, as for once, I happened to watch cricket with a bunch of highly knowledgeable persons. It was a great sight to see so many fans travel all the way from England/Wales to watch their country play, braving the weather and the pathetic infrastructure of the Wankhede stadium. It felt pretty lonely out there to be an Indian, but gave me a perfect opportunity I was looking for to discuss some good county cricket (something I follow religiously) and of course, flaunt the pride I carry with Manchester United (highly unpopular among the fans there of course though I managed to find someone with the same leanings).

Where is the comfort ?

Someone actually remarked about the inferior state of infrastructure, particularly the seatings of the Wankhede Stadium. He asked me "You guys have so much of money, why don't you spend it in improving the stadium ?" and to a large extent I do empathise with him, having come all the way from England just for this game and this is what we welcome our 'guests' with ? Another British spectator went to the extent of rating the stadium as the "worst" he's ever been to, having seen cricket all over the world. Unfortunately, one must admit, Indian cricket has been too busy about revenue-making than actually bothering to allocate it. It is about time the administration takes the question of spectator comfort seriously ! The Mumbai Cricket Association need not look anywhere outside for inspiration, just up north at Mohali. The way the spectator has been treated there is nothing short of exemplary. Dean Jones has gone on to rate Mohali as the number 1 venue in the Indian sub-continent, for its hospitality, the stadium and ground and the pitch of course. As someone based in Mumbai and a regular spectator at the Wankhede, I must confess, its much better off to watch the cricket at home than the Stadium, with some good snacks and of course comfort at its best. One hopes that by the time the ground hosts another match, such issues will be addressed and Mumbai will also throw its hat in the ring to claim some accolades.

Of Bloated Egos

A British-Indian based in London remarked about the electronic scoreboard at the Garware Pavillion End, which was nothing but an advertising spot used by the Mahindras. He asked me "Does this Anand Mahindra have a big ego ?" and that left me wondering if our corporates have resorted to cricket matches to flaunt their prowess ! There was a scroller in the scoreboard, which constantly, if not very regularly reminded what the Mahindras stood for and beyond a certain extent, it just seemed a pointless exercise. Of course, there were mentions of Anand Mahindra winning the Businessman of the Year and the taking over of British Telecom by the Mahindras, but one somehow felt that they were overdoing it, jumping over all the lines of publicity !

Definition of Appalling

If ever the dictionary got a chance to describe the shot Mahendra Singh Dhoni played, a few words like appalling would do it best. It was nothing but a display of mindless and reckless cricket by the Indian wicketkeeper-batsman, and as it turned out to be, his dismissal proved costly under the circumstances. Maybe I would lose many friends here, but it won't be wrong to say that Dhoni is still very much a one-day specialist. Test Cricket is not meant for nuts that crack easily and Dhoni, somehow has not yet learned the grind and the mettle required to answer the tough questions, test cricket poses at you as a batsman. I would stick my guts out and say that Dinesh Karthik got a raw deal at the hands of the selectors and perhaps should be back in the reckoning, bouyed by Dhoni's lack of maturity as a batsman and butter-gloves as a keeper. Of-course, Dhoni is a phenomenal one-day cricketer, no-body denies it, but as per the requirement of the game, talent, technique and temperament are imperative to the makings of a quality Test batsman. Dhoni seems to have a decent blend of the two formers, but certainly lacks on the latter.

P.S : This post is in no way undermining the ability of Dhoni, but just questioning his makings of a Test cricketer ! As a footer, I'd like to quote Navjot Singh Sidhu here, "To Err is Human but to repeat the error is foolishness" - hope Dhoni's listening !

Awakening a Generation !

Awakening a Generation…

"Do the words “nayee dagar naya safar mera…” from Rang de Basanti ring a bell in our ears ? Yes, they do. Loud and clear, as it could be the closest expression that describes the present state of Indian cricket. Indeed, they have embarked on a new journey of excellence the driving force behind it has been the Wall himself, Rahul Dravid.

As we have gathered here to celebrate the century of tests for the Indian skipper, his initial footings in International cricket deserve a mention. Playing his first Test match against England at Lords, considered to be the ‘Mecca of Cricket’ in 1996, Dravid went on to score 95 and since then looking back has never been a part of his dictionary. That was the starting point of a journey that would be most cherished by Indian cricket. His first century of 148 runs at Johannesburg in 1996-97 was a treat to watch for all cricket fans, and the bricks of an unbreakable Wall were laid. He has then gone on to score 21 Test centuries and in the process of doing so, is the only cricketer to score a hundred in every Test playing nation. His average of 58.16 is envied by many nations and his presence on our television sets is a strong reassurance of our hopes. This unfinished journey has a long way to go and going by his consistency and performances, it would to fair to say, that a place amongst the all-time greats is just a mile away.

My mind dates back to September-October 2005, when Indian cricket languished under a barrage of controversies and, it wouldn’t be wrong to say, that our cricket had hit an all time low. The country looked up to its crisis man, yet again to reignite and reinstate the spark that was needed to resurrect its present and reassure the future. As the transfer of the captain’s armband took place from Saurav Ganguly to Rahul Dravid, the country was gripped with a bright ray of hope and a bucket full of expectations and all he asked for patience for deliverance. The man promised, performed and delivered. A resounding 6-1 one-day series win over Sri Lanka, marked his arrival and ushered the Dravidian Era of Indian cricket.

The elements of leadership always existed within Rahul, but the timing of acquiring the mantle deserves credit. As the management gurus would put it, the traits of a leader have to be identified, nurtured and then must be handed over the responsibility. The identification stage was done way back in 1996, when he was leading the Board President’s XI side against the visiting South Africans at Kochi. The nurturing process began with his stint as Saurav’s deputy from 2000 and today, the process has reached its logical conclusion, with his appointment as Captain. He was given stop-gap opportunities and surely demonstrated his leadership capabilities in these few matches and being a part of the learning curve for him, it proved to be a successful arrangement for the team.

As a captain today, Rahul Dravid’s leadership is nothing short of inspirational. His leadership style is highly reflective of the team’s mindset of mixing aggression with a degree of control and cautiousness. As a leader, he comes across as a man with a larger vision, in the form of the long-term future and success of Indian cricket and a focused mission that is the game on hand. Such exemplary definition of goals is what leads to initializing and continuing a process and he repeatedly talks of the commitment to the process of team-building, irrespective of the results at the end of the day.

Another important facet of his leadership is the way the individual goals are blended with the team goals. Yes indeed, individual goals are important, but channelising them in accordance with the team’s approach is what leads to a successful unit. His decision to declare the innings in 2004 with Sachin just 6 short of a personal score of 200, virtually shocked the nation, but when one reads into it, for Dravid an individual is just a mere part of the eleven, and has to bind within the framework of the team-strategies. Such tough decisions have surely played their part in taking Indian cricket forward.

To put it straight, Rahul’s influence on the dressing room is impeccable and enormous. The team has recognized and acknowledged the talent and shaping up the right attitude is what Rahul and Chappell have set out to do. There is a greater sense of belief within the team. Who could believe that India could chase totals of 270+ repeatedly to win matches, when a stigma of ‘chokers’ accompanied them just a while back ? A few years ago, with India reeling at 190 for 5, many fans would have written the team off, but now, the new approach and leadership has led to a greater steel and belief in their own individual abilities, and this is the one of the main reasons for the resurgence we are witnessing now. Another important area, that defines the dressing room climate is confidence. What Dravid brings to the dressing room is sheer confidence. Along with the runs from his bat, he adds confidence to the dressing room, as the symbol of hope and reassurance. Today, it is great to see the youngsters in our team like Sreesanth and Munaf Patel derive strength from this confidence and perform better. Desire is another factor that Dravid’s men thrive on. It is really heartening to see the a great amount of desire to perform, irrespective of the results. Rahul has played his part in creating these levels of desire among his players and the hunger has surely rubbed onto the results. And lastly, as a leader, it is important to empower the team. What we see today as Team India, is nothing but an extended family of individuals. There is a huge emphasis on team spirit and for shaping it up for the larger needs of the team, the credit goes to Rahul Dravid and Greg Chappell.

Another notable dimension to Dravid’s leadership qualities, is the fact that he believes in leading from the front. One of the recent examples accentuate it – Putting the team’s interest in mind, Rahul Dravid decided to open the batting in Pakistan, sacrificing his usual No. 3 spot. It was a great example that was set by him and such instances of bravado and courage, rubbed off to the other members. His stature as a captain is surely respected by one and all. No wonder, at times when the boat is uncertain of the weather, it is the captain to whom the crew looks upto. His gradual progression as a captain, has surely succeeded in instilling some of his guiding principles on to the players like determination, discipline and dedication. His performances along with the consistency, have surely given the right sort of direction to the rest of the team members and more importantly, have translated into India’s performances in the recent past. These are some of the reasons why, Rahul Dravid is the man we look up to, when adversity stares us straight on our faces.

The sudden emergence of a new generation of Indian cricketers is surely a food for thought, and it would be fair to say that Rahul’s vision for the future has started bearing ripe fruits already. Opportunities are the key for any cricketer to express his talent and get noticed and it is indeed heartening to see this phenomenon happening under the leadership of Rahul Dravid. And what is more delightful than seeing these young bunch of talents making their mark by delivering to their captain’s needs ! The youth to an extent form an integral part of any cricketing side – mainly because of their approach to the game, the extra degree of exuberance they bring into the side along with the fresh legs and approaches of course. Rahul has done exceedingly well in tapping and nurturing talented players like MS Dhoni, Irfan Pathan, Sreesanth, RP Singh and Munaf Patel by giving them the right platform to bring out their skills and talents. For now, it would surely be safe to say – A Generation Awakens !"

The Big One

Me with the England skipper Andrew Flintoff at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai
Picture taken on 16th March during the Felicitation Function of Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble for their respective achievements.

Venkat Ananth

Of Two Horse Races....and Emergence of the Third Horse !

It was a welcome break to divert some attention from the ongoing off-the-field ramblings in the India-Pakistan ODI Series. For starters, a cricketing nation that I follow as close as my own took the field against the might of the World Champions in their own lair. It was VB Series final time at Adelaide and to be fair, it was a really gripping encounter, which eventually the least-fancied team in the series won. After a success vacuum in ODI's for Sri Lanka against India and New Zealand, it was almost certain that they would finally hit gold somewhere, and no better place to do it than Australia.

It was an ideal game for the Lankans, as they won the toss and chose to bat first, perhaps a priority in their strategy. Having done that, the onus was on them to post a challenging score for the Aussies and let the bowlers ease into the situation. They seemed pretty comfortable with the entire surrounding of a major final. There was a clear indication of intent as Marvan Atapattu strode out to bat with Sanath Jayasuriya. Positivity flowed from both bats and after a lean patch, as Mark Nicholas summed it up "the cover drives were back !". Kumar Sangakkara, playing the role of the propeller of the Sri Lankan batting scored a fluent 83, putting the Aussie bowlers to the cleaners. And this knock proved to be decisive for sure. Youngster Chamara Kapugedara played the catalyst in Sri Lanka reaching a more-than respectable score of 274.

From the moment Sri Lanka scored 274, it seemed like a mission impossible for the Aussies. Considering the gameplan of the Lankans, the introduction of slow bowlers like Malinga Bandara, Murali and Dilshan, it for sure looked like a task beyond them. And it indeed turned out to be that way. Tillekaratne Dilshan, showed the world why he was such an impact player on the field - effecting four run outs and one catch. The Aussie hope was fading apart, one by one, players returning back to the hut and a lone warrior fighting his way to glory was Micheal Clarke, who himself got run out as the last wicket. There were three attributes, this entire Sri Lankan performance was revolving around - intense self-belief, positivity right from the outset and indeed deliverance from the players. The entire team looked like a different bunch of boys when they came out to field.

This win augurs well for the future of Sri Lankan cricket. To beat Australia for the first time in a VB series finals since 1997/98 (South Africa had beaten them at MCG) itself is a task worth appreciating. As Marvan Atapattu remarked in the presentation "Everybody before the start of the series thought it was a two horse race (referring to Australia and South Africa). But here is the third horse, in the finals and winning it". Those words reflect a great sense of character in the Sri Lankan dressing room. To be in the finals is one thing, and to win it is a totally different thing altogether. The second finals to be played at Sydney Cricket Ground could well have a tag of history attached to it, if Sri Lanka wins, that is. It will be their first VB Series, earlier known as the World Series of Cricket and a recognition of the feat would be none less than winning a World Cup or lets say a mini-World Cup. One hopes for the future of Sri Lankan cricket, that they deliver a similar if not a better performance at Sydney, a ground where they have felt homely in the past three encounters, amassing well over 300 in as many matches, a mini-fortress of sorts.

For Australia, it will be an interesting challenge to come back from behind. One felt that they missed McGrath (he's with his wife, who has a recurrence of breast cancer) . Buchanan and Co, would take this loss, as one of their off-days. The utter miscommunication among the batters was a reflection of it. So, the men in gold have to get to their drawing boards and plot their way into contention for the trophy. All one can say now is that Sri Lanka have one hands on the VB Series already and Sydney would decide if they can snatch it away, or allow the Aussies to smell some much-needed blood and taste the champagne.