A Slap on Indian Cricket

It was exactly a week ago, when the whole of India came together to fight its image, pride and global identity through Jade Goody's antics against Shilpa Shetty in a television show. Exactly three days back, an irate Indian fan showed how intolerant a country we can be when it comes to foreigners. It may have been a slap on Greg Chappell for not including any Orissa cricketer, but the larger issue here is how choosy we can be when it comes to race and identity. In fact, Biranchi Maharana, the culprit is as good or as bad as Jade Goody, as going by what he says, he "chose Greg Chappell because he was Australian". Through the uproars last week and this incident barely 72 hours ago, India has taken one step forward and five steps back.

The incident should not have taken place in the first instance and now that it has, it reflects poorly on Orissa as a secure state and its public's frustration over something they do not control. If I remember right, the Chief Minister of Orissa, Naveen Patnaik was rated as the best CM in a poll conducted by a television channel. This is not the first time that an Australian became a casualty in the state. Perhaps, the Oriya public are somewhat allergic to Aussies, for reasons they themselves know. Circa 1997 was when an Australian missionary Graeme Steins was charred to death by certain extremists of the Bajrang Dal who were against Christian conversions.

Security is another concern that bewilders me. We take extreme care to protect our superstars like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, but do we really care about the support staff ? Or is it just too foreign for their liking ? The Orissa Police may have been embarrassed through this incident, but it certainly raises questions about intentions of the Government. In 2005 and 2006, I witnessed this whole security affair myself at Pune and Mumbai. At the Taj Blue Diamond Hotel in Pune, some of the senior players of the team were walking through an intense security cordon, surrounded by cops on four sides, whereas younger players like Suresh Raina and RP Singh were left unguarded. Not to mention, Ian Frazer and Greg Chappell. Even during the 3rd test against England in Mumbai, the situation wasn't any different. Why this double standards when it comes to this team ? Is it because they are foreigners and should be treated differently ? The Board alone knows.

Another issue that was exposed through this barbaric act was the state of Orissa cricket. Honestly, I couldn't care any less if a guy from Orissa is not playing for Team India. Yes, Orissa has been playing some decent cricket for a while now, but how many of their cricketers have it in them to play for the country ? The answer is none. Some of them came, promised and faded away. Debashish Mohanty is in most ways the torch-bearer of Orissa cricket, but what has he contributed to Indian cricket ? Sanjay Raul was another guy who managed to don Indian colors, but did he do anything significant ? No. Shib Sunder Das was perhaps the most impressive cricketer to come out of that state. However, he too faded away after Wasim Jaffer and Deep Dasgupta grabbed their chances in the West Indies-England tour of 2002. Since then Orissa cricket has been languishing in the Plate League, and having qualified for the Elite Division for the next season, it is upto them to get noticed and satisfy the likes of Biranchi Maharana. To add on, Ranjib Biswal from the Orissa Cricket Association had a stint as a national selector from the East Zone. If he himself couldn't identify enough talent in that state, how can one irate maniac ?

To sum up, the wild demeanour of one individual shouldn't be the benchmark for judging a state or a country. A banner by some Orissa fans in the match at Cuttack yesterday which said "Greg, We are Sorry" is a reflection of how the people of Orissa and India see this incident as. One hopes that such incidents won't be repeated all over again. It is indeed an eye opener for many - the administrators, the fans and the security authorities. For now, with India having won the game at Cuttack, the wounds of the slap might have healed, but one cannot hold back himself by calling this act as a "slap on Indian cricket" !

My Second Coming Too..

Raving about Saurav Ganguly's determination and grit does not stop me from apologizing to my readers for the lack of substance that was visible on the blog. I was handling some major professional and academic assignments that did not make it easy for me to slot in time to write on the topics. I am sure, in the coming days and weeks - the blog shall see a splurge of articles on various issues, largely concerning Asian cricket.

Cheers,
Venkat Ananth

The Rebirth - Ganguly's Second Coming !

This time last year, the sacked Indian captain Saurav Ganguly was yet to recover from the saga that perhaps stunned Indian cricket - his sacking. Speculations were rife over his future and instead of gearing himself for his cricketing assignments, the man was facing mordacious balderdash from the Indian media. Sympathy surrounded him and even his daughter couldn't refrain herself from questioning his non-presence in Team India. Somewhere, the prowess conflicted itself with the hunger and things did not work his way. Time decided to move on and so did Indian cricket. Change did it for him, perhaps.

Today, life has indeed come a full circle for Dada. Change did it for him, again. The selection committee's decision to include him for the South African tour did raise many eyebrows but having seen the first Test, Dilip Vengsarkar was spot on ! There were shades of freshness in the way he went about his business, having seen the dynamics of what Team India missed due to his absence. There was a certain method, largely unassociated with the Ganguly game. The pair of eyes were lensed with a never-before determination and application followed. The flamboyance took a back-seat and all that he'd learned or unlearned in the past 10 months was put into practice. To be on the franker side of the divide, I was quite skeptical of Ganguly's selection, let alone inclusion. But thanks to a string of big scores for both Bengal and East Zone, he put himself on the selector's notepad, and then it was a mere formality. This was the Ganguly I was expecting, not the one who lived on his past laurels or political proximity or for that matter the captain's job ! The difference is the mental psyche with which he approached the game. For a world-class player who was on the wane, talent was never going to be an issue. If any, how he took the setback in his stride and worked his way in shows the mental effort on the part of Saurav. For people who feel that Ganguly's selection is the biggest slap on Chappell's face or ego, think again. In hindsight, such tough decisions could define Indian cricket.

I for one recall a newspaper report, highly Kolkattan by nature, talking about how Dada used his privileged club membership at East Bengal during these beleaguered times to return as a fully fit cricketer. However degraded the Indian football league maybe, the emphasis on fitness in football is n-times more than what these cricketers go through. Injuries formed another cloud in his sky, with claims of "tennis-elbow", but he saw it with the straight face of the bat and proved himself all over again. During his pre-sacking days, merit distanced itself from the man and there was an environment of change that he found uncomfortable dealing with. The coaching staff, the administration and even the functioning styles of these two entities was something he could not handle, and as Chappell says, "We felt that a time off from cricket was the best thing for him." Even during the county stint at Northamptonshire, under Kepler Wessels, Saurav did not exactly set the County circuit on fire, but at least ensured that he resorted to better regimens of fitness and emerged a much focused cricketer. To be honest, I don't think Saurav would have learned more in his 10 years of International cricket than this 10 months in virtual hibernation.

As a cynic, I made this statement not so long ago to my friend "You do not make comebacks at 33", but Ganguly proved me wrong. If his contributions start gaining more meaning within the setup, it won't be before long that he would have booked his ticket to the Caribbean. For now, the passion seems to be back, the hunger for success is well on its way up the graph and the desire to claim this re-birth with both hands on an all-time high. Cynically speaking, Saurav has proved no one wrong, including Greg Chappell but proved him right. I am sure his colleagues Zaheer Khan and VVS Laxman will agree. Scores of 51* and 25 will remain longer in public memory than some his earlier knocks. After all, along with Team India, it was Saurav's grit, patience and determination that won the first Test.

Why John is (W)right !

Why John is (W)right !

As soon as it was launched, I managed to pick up a copy of Indian Summers, the memoirs of John Wright’s stint as the coach of Team India. I wouldn’t call it the most authoritarian work on Indian cricket, but with the premise being largely personal, it gives us a worm’s-eye view of how cricket is seen by outsiders. It makes good reading for the understanding of how the system functions, the chaos, the politics and the power. Wright reinforces the commonly held belief of a defunct zonal selection system stronger than ever and even as I say, it is time to rid it off – question marks have risen over a few selections for the Champions Trophy, especially one pertaining to Sreesanth.

To be very frank, I read this book as more of a journey than a mere turn of pages – where John tried to remind me about some of the key moments of his tenure, through a lively description of the games, which makes interesting reading. I have myself resorted to some criticism of Wright’s stint, but this book gives an in depth insight into how he had to fight the dark holes of the Indian cricket system and yet delivered. I find it hard to believe that towards the latter part of his time as the Indian coach, he was at the end of some rather unwanted criticism from the media, public and of course the “former players union”.

After reading the work, John Wright has quite aptly listed some problems that need to be sorted out sooner than later if Indian cricket has to make it to the next level. It certainly did not need a book to remind our moneybags about the state of Indian cricket. When John writes about an unknown person (possibly a journalist) from Kolkata calling him to inform his appointment as the Coach of India, it was a shocker – it sounds aghast to see no levels of professionalism from the Board. Second incident involved not giving John a contract. I mean how on earth can you hire, especially a foreigner without giving him a contract to work under? Sounds absurd, but that’s Indian cricket for you. Often, the off-the field wrangles generate more interest than the matches we play in. Oh and yes, the fact that he had to put up with the mega Board elections by doubling up as Manager and coach for one home series shows how dependent the system is on votes and loyalties. What’s worse, it was his first series as coach of the team.

I remember interviewing a former media manager of the Australian team, Jonathan Rose and he made a very valid point when he said “Your cricket team is a mirror image of how your Board is. Cricket Australia believes and practices professionalism thoroughly and so does our team”. Put it in the Indian context and you’ll probably fill a page with question marks. Professionalism does not merely mean install a CEO with strings tied over his head. In the Indian context, it seems hard to define. It may not also mean having a website. It could probably refer to building a conducive environment where everyone is taken care of – the players, the administrators, the fans, the officials. Cricket Australia practices this to the T. How shocking is it to know that common fans like you and me form just 10% of a ticket sales during a one-day international in India ? Ask where the rest of the money goes, and the answer is “loyalists, police commissioners, big politicians” etc ! Oh, have you heard of truck owners being managers of a cricket team ? Probably yes! John Wright mentions about a Maharashtra heavyweight, who became manager of the team, but by profession was a truck owner ! Why don’t we get it ? We need a full-time manager, someone in the mould of a Michael Tissera from Sri Lanka, Steve Bernard from Australia or even Goolam Rajah of South Africa. These guys have been around for ages ! Wright sees it as an award for the loyalty shown by the association towards the powerhouse, which to a large extent is true and unfortunate. I may draw some flak from the BCCI for this, but both me and John Wright know that we are correct.

How about opening another can of worms ? The selection system ! Mention it and you get thoughts like “Arghhh…they did it again !”. Here too, Wright makes valid points worth notice. He says that selectors discuss about who not to select for hours together rather than who to select. The North-South divide often makes more talking than Team India ! The Zonal system was, is and will always be prone to bias, especially with the reputation of the association at stake. But is this the way we select champion teams ? The answer is a loud NO. The pressure on these selectors, often middlemen, is absolutely inevitable. For example, if Kiran More was asked a question on dropping Sreesanth, he’d probably give the same boring answer saying “He is certainly in our minds for the future. We have decided to rest him”. Its time the Indian public gets tired of this shutout and there is a need by the media to create public opinion about the professionalization of the selection system. This has been the demand ever since eternity though. But who wants to lose out on votes ? If their player does well, it means approval from the association and hence a big fat job in the Board. Who says it’s a tough job ? John Wright doesn’t !

Oh ! And who can forget the brigade of former cricketers. This seems like an obsession all over the world, but the brigade is much much stronger in India and the subcontinental countries. They become best friends when the team is succeeding and turn their backs on you when things go haywire. How can you function in such a system ? Some of these guys have coached the team before and hence try and suggest things and maybe boost their candidature, but unfortunately they cant ! its more of an ego problem than anything else. Some of the fiercest critics of Greg Chappell now have been these television experts and its so absurd seeing them change weather from the last six months, when the team has turned out leaner than before. If they knew what to do with the team, why don’t they make good coaches ? It becomes so easy to say “Sehwag should have batted like this, played a shot like that” but did they do it during their tenure ? No ! And yes, seeing a foreign coach as a white-skinned-man who has come to make India his own and some of these experts bringing the strong jingoistic claims of a need for an Indian coach is often seen. I do not know if these airwaves will stop sometime, but that’s the problem in a democracy – you often get away with whatever you say ! I mean how could you condone Sanjay Jha’s public outcry of Chappell last October by calling him a “Godzilla” ? Atrocious, I say !

John Wright may have not given us the results we desired or expected from him, but has certainly shown us the way forward. I used to call him the “Naïve New Zealander”, who believed in going about the job in his own way, his own pace, but this book brings a no-holds-barred approach from the man, which should be lauded. It’s a must read for fans, who look at cricket beyond the 11 demi-gods and are willing to know the harsh realities of the system here. This is not advertising of any sort, but a genuine recommendation from a critic of Wright himself. Its time this book finds a place in the library of every cricket association and the bookshelf of every Board member. That’s the only way Indian cricket can quite “literally” move forward !

Extraaa Nonsense : Where Cricket Weds Crap

Extraaa Innings is back on air ! This seems to be the nth time I am making this statement, but all thanks to Sony Entertainment Televisions's ridiculous policy, it wont stop until the 2007 World Cup is over - thats an assurance ! The only difference this time is that the crap has got crappier and Mandira and Charu have become too inane to switch on the TV sets. Its time cricket gets rid of these elements who seek gracious time to punch their visibility and seek roles. I mean, let cricketers analyse the game not some airhead chicks who did not know what cricket was unless they were offered a ransom by the television channel. Oh, and what on earth is someone like Rohit Roy doing there ? I tend to think he's an absolute disaster at whatever he does (refer Nach Baliye last year) and his constant concern at Dada's exclusion from the team just adds a bit of murkiness about the whole guy.

Now lets get to the show. There is this audacious tarot card reader, who always seems to get it wrong. This was the same lady who predicted India's win in the World Cup of 2003, and the rest is recorded history. Alright, they have the astrologer there, but what dominates the conversations is questions like "Will Mandira have a good Bollywood future ?" ! Holy heavens, are we watching a cricket preview show or weird attempt at trivializing the game ? Absolute rubbish ! Oh and the Maruti ride with Mandira and Charu, seems quite misplaced. Such visuals at best are condemnable, one feels ! How can the Indian audience, the so-called intellectual audience which knows to measure trash and sense accept such a comical approach to cricket ? Shocking!

What is even more unnerving is the India element. I mean, the high emotional ground these anchors gain when they chant the word "I-n-d-i-a", which to a large extent, pisses me off ! It gets too emotionally wound up, that a semblance of objectivity is almost cancelled at the first go, which is absolutely unfortunate. Compare this with a Channel 9 or an ESPN-Star Presentation and you'd probably know how inanely designed show this is. No doubt there is some element of patriotism in these shows, but where Extraaa Innings distinguishes itself is through the use of absolutely unrequired "in-studio jingoism". That brings me into questioning the use of female anchors for cricket. Sexist, as it may sound to readers, I do not feel the need for oomph in cricket and especially when these so-called anchors read through a whole chunk of Cricinfo updates all through the night and come up with questions that sound rather stupid. Oh, no doubt it is one more shot at bagging a Bollywood role for all you and I care (and it sounds better than casting couches too). Mandira's use as an ad-doll also seems rather stupid. All she does is lend her squeaky voice to some of the ads that sponsor segments. I bet, she might have come up with 50 "brought to you bys" in one episode. Her cleavage or whatever she seems to wear attracts more attention than what she tends to talk - such is the low sinking nature of cricket presentation these days. I am sure the Harshas and the Wilkins' must be tearing their hairs apart (if any).

Charu Sharma, who started off as a promising presenter has also a huge part of the blame to share. He was perhaps seen earlier as a man who could restore some sense into the proceedings, but as it has progressed from time to time, Charu has fallen into the trap of bringing in these emotional rants about India and more or less wraps his thoughts with a degree of plasticity. Even in his show the Fourth Umpire, he morphed his thoughts with some elements of extreme patriotism, which exposed his credibility to analyse matches as an expert. Its getting to a stage where, the viewer can almost predict the script given to him, which makes it dull ! Beating around the bush is his forte, he talks too much about things that are absolutely inconsequential to the match and he whatever he talks makes sense only to him ! I mean who gives a f*** if he spent his childhood days in Rajasthan or Sikkim, as it does not justify a good cricket match. He's just nailed himself on the presenter front. As someone who was seen as a decent competition to Harsha, Charu has just taken five steps back ! If he has to get any closer to Harsha, he better get out of shows like Extraaa Innings and the Fourth Umpire. The only time I found him to make sense was during the couple of tennis tournaments he did for Star Sports and Ten Sports respectively. Though, that jingoistic element didnt get off him, especially when he made repeated remarks about Sania Mirza, he sounded effective if not pleasing.

Its time cricket presenting takes a serious step forward. We do not need ladies who just make appearances to attract the cricket-watching male or twist their libidos during a cricket match. All we need is a host of good analysts, who take the viewer beyond the happenings of the game and put in real perspective in whatever they are talking. Bias is as inevitable as Mandira showing off her cleavage, but if these hosts can keep the bias away in their homes, it will make cricket watching a good experience. We need to learn from other countries with this regard too. Cricket presentation is serious stuff. Cricket itself is entertainment, but more importantly its a sport. If we are equating cricket to entertainment in the real sense, we are wrong. Cricket is more unpredictable than what could happen in a prime time daily soap. It can never wed entertainment. But, as Extraaa Innings has proved over the few years its been on air, cricket is made to wed crap and crap of the highest order !

Statutory Warning : Please switch off your television sets from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm to avoid this show. Ignorance of this warning could lead to a mental disorder that would take years to get out of !

All Opened Up !

Yes folks, the Champions Trophy is up and running. Despite the certain reservations I have had about the intentions behind the tournament, it is slowly moving towards a climax that would rather seem unpredictable. With 8 teams vying for glory in this tournament, it now seems very difficult to pick a definite winner ! Some of the results that the tournament has witnessed has surely justified the nature of one-day cricket, which is now "On-the-Day" cricket. Australia succumbed meekly to some intensified West Indian pressure, while Abdul Razzaq's gusto finish made all the difference between a bigger setback and a victory for Pakistan. Pundits have gone through the various permutations and combinations to see who goes through from their respective groups. It will be a case of luck, on-the-day performance and calculations that will take four of the 8 teams through.

More on Champions Trophy to follow...

Voila...ICC Champions Trophy 2006 Beckons !!

Finally, the drought of a big tournament has ended ! After spending 10 years in wilderness, it is now India's turn to play host for the 5th edition of the Champion's Trophy. It is indeed ironical that the country which mooted this concept in the first place gets its due after the tournament has managed to create a niche for itself. When it started off, perhaps the intentions of the ICC were sounding straight and clear - to create a common platform for all teams and use this to catalyse their future. But now after 8 years, things have taken a 360-degree turn and its more of the commerce that rules the roost and not competition. Its not been a smooth ride after all, considering the marketing and endorsement chaos of 2002. Perhaps, those were the first signals of a long and well-planned commercial venture the ICC invested into four years back then. It may not completely turn into a farcical event just yet, but faces a pretty bleak future in the days and years to come, especially with the invasion of 20/20 being a good money-spinner for the Boards and the ICC.

As far as preparations are concerned, India has been on the dot, since the very day the clearances by the Government and subsequently the tournament was announced. But what should seem murky, is the law that the ICC has chartered, which does not allow "sponsored" stadiums to host any ICC-oriented matches. Which is why quality stadiums like the Chinnasawamy Stadium and the Chepauk have felt the ditch this time. Having said that, it does give an opportunity to other good stadiums in the country to prop up their standards and create an international feel about them. With Mohali being voted as the best stadium in the sub-continent and listed as one of the four centres for the Champion's Trophy, expectations will surely reach the limit, and it is about time Indian stadiums realize the need for recognition, especially in spectator management and hardcore infrastructure. It will give an opportunity for these stadiums to be rated and know where they stand on the international radar. Another positive to come out is the revival of the Brabourne Stadium at the Cricket Club of India, Mumbai. It has been 11 years since the last game was played there and a place that used to be regarded as the Lords of Asia, will soon bear the new look, with bucket-seats and floodlights simmering over the action ! Perhaps an indication of how tradition can merge itself with the needs of change, especially in the new age.

One of the major grudges that foreign teams have when they come to India is the business of traveling. To some extent, their grievances have been looked into by the BCCI and the ICC while the selection of the venues. The tournament will bear a more Western look as teams will shuttle between Ahmedabad, Mohali, Jaipur and Mumbai, cutting across four states that figure in an almost straight line on the political map of the country. So lesser connecting flights, more time in the nets and more action is all that this edition promises. To be on the franker side, I perceive this tournament to be a rough one for teams that are traditional strugglers in the sub-continent. Mainly because the wickets during this part of the year in India will probably assist slower bowlers as the season has not yet got underway and with constant rain in places like Mumbai, the curators may have just compromised a tiny bit on the nature of the pitches. It should be a traditional sub-continental pancaked belter, but also expect some sharp turn and tennis ball bounce if you are a non-Asian team.

Evaluating it critically, one of the main problems of this tournament is the lack of focus of some teams when they especially play this tournament. Australia have mentally resigned themselves to playing the Champion's Trophy to avoid huge sanctions and the signals coming from their side is very clear. The Ashes forms about 95% priority in their minds today - which clearly is a reflection of their mindset about the tournament per-se. England have named an experimental squad for this series, ensuring that their key players will be rested before the Ashes. Which is exactly why I said earlier, that this tournament is losing its competitive value and teams are participating in it just to get a share of the ICC revenue pie and be happy. Not that this tournament has proven to be a great platform per-se for teams going into major series etc. West Indies won the last edition, with a great amount of luck one would feel, but they have failed miserably to kick on from then. New Zealand (2000) is perhaps the only team that considers this trophy a holy one, because of its failure to win major tournaments and the same would hold true for South Africa in the inaugural version in 1998.

Add to that the inappropriate timing of the event - when most teams have just begun their seasonal cricket, barring England. I would not be surprised one bit if certain teams fail to fire as they normally would and expose the rust they have acquired by not playing enough of match-oriented cricket. This turns into a positive for some others who would capitalize on these matches as practice games for bigger tournaments in the future - especially considering high-intensity series like the Ashes. Do not be surprised if Australia get rated as the favourites, but get knocked out of the group stages or the Semis, they have a larger task on hand at home ! And remember, big teams win bigger trophies - a reason why Australia in the Champion's Trophy have regularly suffered in at the hands of teams they would otherwise decimate.

All in all, this tournament promises to be an entertainer, with the likes of Mandira Bedi always "charming" the screen and the likes of Kapil Dev stuttering some straw-hat English. With the marketers of the tournament doing a good job, especially with the advertising, it is of no doubt that cricket turns entertainer for a month. The format seems to be a bit skewed, but it only adds to the drama and the anxiety of cricket lovers. On a personal note, I back the form teams, two from the sub-continent to make the Semi-Finals, whereas the other teams may just struggle to tie two ends together here, partly due to focus and largely due to the conditions. For India, its a big tournament - one that can provide their World Cup charge some impetus, a direction, which will reinforce the faith and the belief that many of us have laid on our team. But, from the 8 teams in the race, may the best horse win !

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.