The Harbhajan Dilemma

Heading into the third test a lot of talk has once again centered on Harbhajan Singh. His inconsistency with the ball is beginning to hurt and taking some time off may not be a bad idea. In the recent past Harbhajan has managed to escape the scrutiny he would have otherwise been subjected to due to his form with the bat. His improvement as a batsman has been remarkable and his commitment needs to be applauded. However, that can no longer hide the increasingly toothless performances that Harbhajan has been coming up with and solutions need to be found.

There is an increasing tendency amongst modern day spinners to push the ball through. The abundance of limited overs cricket means spinners are reluctant to give the ball air. A spinner is generally at his best when he slows the pace down and invites the batsman to attach him. This increases the spinner’s chances of beating him in the air and this often leads to a wicket.

Harbhajan also needs to work on his line of attack. Pitching the ball on middle stump and turning it towards leg is a strategy that I’ve never been able to understand. The other perplexing aspect of his bowling seems to be the lack of variety. Harbhajan in days gone by had a wicked doosra. This kept the batsman guessing. His reluctance to bowl the doosra now means that Harbhajan relies entirely on his stock delivery, the off break, and batsmen are beginning to find this quite easy to negotiate.

India may get away with an underperforming bowler against the West Indies. This is unlikely to happen against the stronger international sides. With away tours to both England & Australia on the horizon, for Harbhajan it’s time to shape up or be shipped out.

Comparisons

Why are we so obsessed with comparisons? Is it really that important to find out who the greatest batsman or bowler of all time is? What makes this even stranger is the fact that most people who have a basic understanding of the game will tell you that comparisons are generally inconclusive and very often almost impossible to do.

Indian fans are probably keener when it comes to this topic than most others. Almost any cricketing debate (whether it has anything to do with Indian cricket or otherwise) generally will have a bunch of Indian fans writing about how great their favorite player is. Whilst I have no problems with that, a lot of people seem to feel the necessity to downgrade other great players to make their favorite player appear even better.

The other topic that has often attracted several passionate comments is the 'our era' vs 'every other era' debate. Plenty of old timers find it very difficult to look past the achievements of players who played in their generation. Equally there are many youngsters today who have no appreciation of all the great performances chalked up by players in an earlier era.

Every era throws up a handful of great players. These players due to their achievements on the field can easily be separated from the other run of the mill players. However, comparisons between them are just not possible. This situation becomes even more complicated when players from different eras are compared.

A pet theory of old timers is that great batsman in the early days had to be greater as they often faced bigger obstacles. There was no protective gear, wickets were often very poor and umpiring standards around the world were ordinary to say the least. Whilst braving these circumstances and still scoring big runs game after game is undoubtedly a splendid achievement, does this really make them better than the modern day masters?

To gain a better understanding of this issue, the best thing to do would be to look at things from a different angle. If the batsman then were indeed better, then is it not fair to say that great modern day bowlers are much better than their counterparts who played in a different era? If the batsman had everything stacked against him then, bowlers today are in the same boat. Bats have become better, wickets have nothing in it for bowlers, grounds are becoming increasingly smaller and rules have been tweaked to such an extent that cricket is fast becoming a game between bat and bat with the bowlers being reduced to the role of fringe performer.

The fact remains that the moment we try and compare players from different eras, it becomes a game of assumption. Great players around the world have given immense enjoyment to millions of cricket lovers across generations. From Bradman to Tendulkar, Trueman to Wasim, all great players have left their unique imprints on this great game. Rather than losing sleep over comparisons that can never yield a concrete result, why not just appreciate the huge contributions each and every one of these players have made in making a great game even better?

India Escape with a draw.

Well done NZ. Written off before this series even started, it took immense guts - not to mention a fair bit of skill, to end the first test as the happier of the two sides. Ryder yet again showed the potential he has whilst KW even at this early stage looks the part. India had Harbhajan to thank for what otherwise was a pretty shoddy performance. I have immense respect for bowlers who put in the effort to improve their batting. It's not something you generally associate with Indian teams - so take a bow Harbhajan. However, there is no escaping the fact that India desperately need a spinner challenging Harbhajan on the bowling front. Admittedly the wicket was pathetic (what else do you expect in Motera?) but that does not change the fact that our spin bowling is going through some tough times. Ojha remains a good backup spinner but is unlikely to run through sides.

India have some decisions to make going into the 2nd test. How long can they keep Pujara out? Too early to judge - yes - but with South Africa coming soon and Raina still looking suspect at this level, maybe the time has come for him to be given a go. Gambhir is another man who is desperately in need of a big score. NZ's attack is ordinary to say the least and he needs to make the next test count.

All in all it was yet another instance of a poor wicket hurting test cricket. The last time a test was played at Motera, SL made over 700 and the match ended in a tame draw. Wonder what happened to the ICC's plan of punishing test grounds that consistently prepare pitches that are not suited for test match cricket? It is also about time that the BCCI hold tests in centres that enjoy their test cricket. Kolkata, Bangalore, Mumbai & Chennai should get the bulk of the games with maybe Kanpur thrown in from time to time. Why play matches in cities that are not interested in tests?

Hyderabad has not hosted a test match in a long time. Hopefully, the curator there will prepare a pitch that encourages better cricket. India's top order will also do well to play a little more positively. It's true that they were up against a disciplined bowling line-up on a slow, slow pitch. Nevertheless, it was strange to see the shell that they got themselves into. A top team needs to show more initiative. Sehwag's genius at the top should enable the batsmen following to play a little more freely.

Australia & all that

Been away for a bit and just did not find the time to blog. In the meantime, quite a bit has happened in the cricket world. India beating Australia was obviously the highlight. Enough has been said about how these two teams have no business playing just the 2 tests - I agree with all of it and then some more. Nevertheless, the series still brought about some riveting test cricket.

India can look back with pride at a top notch performance. The emergence of young talent though has been the biggest bonus. Vijay's 100 was a superb innings made all the more satisfying given that he came in at a time when India were in a bit of trouble. Young batsman today are often accused of lacking the temperament for test cricket but Vijay showed that in abundance. For a free stroking batsman, it was pleasing to see Vijay curb his natural tendency to attack and be a lot more selective about his shot-making. I'm still not convinced whether his technique will hold up on more responsive pitches, but few will argue that he has earned his chance.

All the hype over Pujara has only intensified after his quite fabulous knock in a high pressure situation. His innings more than anyone else's, made what was looking like a tricky chase into a thumping win for the Indians. It has been just one innings, but it's impossible to not get excited over what might be coming. Amongst the other youngsters, he looks the most composed against the short ball and surprisingly for an Indian batsman he is willing to play the hook shot. It will be a shame to leave him out against NZ but it would also be unfair on the others who are all there on merit.

Nothing new to add on Tendulkar or VVS - simply brlliant. Dravid looked patchy yet again and maybe just maybe it's time to go. South Africa will be an acid test and it will be interesting to see whether Dravid still has it in him to succeed there. It's probably unfair to criticize Raina given the success he's had so far in his still fledgling career. His awkwardness against the short ball - exposed once again in Bangalore - is however, a real cause for concern. South Africa will be watching and I will be surprised if he gets anything pitched inside his half once he walks out at Durban or Joberg.

Dhoni's performance will also cause a bit of concern. He was never likely to become a great keeper, but he's managed to transform himself into a very reliable one. That reliability deserted him against Australia and he missed out on a number of fairly straightforward chances. His batting suffered too and he's another bloke who SA will be looking to target. Apart from the odd knock here and there, I reckon it's fair to say that the bulk of Dhoni's runs in test cricket have been made in friendly conditions. How he adapts will be worth watching.

The bowling was steady but that's about it. Zak was the exception. After the number of fast bowlers who seem to disappear after a handful of performances, it's good to see someone evolve into a truly world class performed. Zak was super with the old ball and actually reminded me at times of a certain Pakistani fast bowler who just made it to Cricinfo's all time world XI. The rest of the bowling was ordinary. Ojha is steady but is unlikely to be the kind of spinner who will take a bagful of wickets. He did enough to hold his place though. Harbhajan Singh is looking more and more ordinary with each passing series. Unfortunately, the spin bowling cupboard is not overflowing with talent and therefore Harbhajan is unlikely to be challenged anytime soon. Sreesanth was woeful in his only outing and Ishant desperately needs to find some consistency.

NZ's visit almost seems like an appetizer given what lies ahead. It's difficult to see NZ being able to trouble India too much especially given the lack of experience most of them have in Indian conditions. India will want to win and win emphatically. Let the tests begin!

Overdose

Amidst all the hype and hoopla over the champions league T20, I personally have been feeling a little disconnected with cricket's newest money spinner. When the IPL first came into existence in 2008, I reckon I was as excited as numerous other cricket followers world over. It was a brand new idea and the concept of stringing together the best cricketers from around the world and getting them to team up with Indian youngsters seemed like an interesting prospect. I watched nearly every game of the IPL in 2008 but since then it's just not been the same, at least for me.

Sport is at its best when it gives the viewers time for anticipation. A world cup comes along once every 4 years. Football leagues around the world have their best sides playing each other just two times every season. So when these events do come along, the sense of excitement is tremendous. Imagine if Arsenal & Manchester United for instance played each other 3 times a month. The excitement in watching the contest will all but die. This is the biggest problem I have with T20 cricket. There's too much of it and it shows no signs of letting up. In 2 years we've had 2 world cups, 2 IPL's & 2 champions leagues. If that isn't an overdose then what is?

The constant building up of club cricket has also got to the point where it's become a little annoying. Commentators keep telling us that the quality of cricket in these tournaments is second to none. Yes, some great players certainly figure in these events. Yes, we do see some terrific performances. However, the standard of cricket on show is nowhere near what the administrators would lead us to believe. If the IPL really was that high on quality, then India should be the best T20 team in world cricket by a Herculean mile. Far from being the best, India's T20 team is probably it's weakest link.

I don't have a problem with T20 cricket as such. Whilst IMHO it certainly is a dumbed down version of cricket, it has it's strengths. The action is non-stop and the game finishes in just 3 hours. The crowds love it and it certainly is the biggest money spinner in cricket right now. The big question though is whether it is going to allow the other formats to survive and flourish. As I write this, I hear that Pollard & Bravo of the West Indies have rejected contracts offered to them by the WICB to ensure that this does not clash with their T20 commitments. In a recent interview, Bravo was pretty candid when he admitted that the West Indies figure right at the bottom of his priorities after Trinidad, the Mumbai Indians & any other T20 contracts that he might have at the time. Is this going to set a trend amongst younger cricketers especially those coming from countries that are unable to offer cricketers the kind of money on offer in the richer cricketing countries?

I don't blame the cricketers here simply because it is what most of us would do. Who would want to pass up an opportunity of earning a fortune for a few days work? It certainly is far easier than putting your body on the line for 5 days in a test match. Andrew Symonds for instance plays for about 3-4 months in a year, earns more than many cricketers who play all year around for their national sides do and gets to spend 7-8 months doing as he pleases. Why would cricketers not be tempted by that lifestyle?

I've had a bunch of people telling me that all this negativity is exaggerated. Their point being simply that ODI cricket when it first came along faced criticism from numerous quarters only for it to go on and not just flourish but also contribute favorably to test cricket. There's no doubt that test cricket over the last 15 or so years has been more exciting. Runs are being scored faster and cricketers are taking more chances. Whilst pitches loaded in favor of the batsman have contributed to this, ODI cricket has certainly helped too. The notion that T-20 cricket will have a similar effect on tests is, however, a little misguided. The fact is 50 over cricket still has a lot if things in common with test cricket. 50 overs is still a reasonably long time. Batsman early on can afford to take time in building an innings. Similarly, bowlers can set attacking fields to a certain extent and concentrate on bowling in good areas for most of the game. T20 on the other hand has hardly anything in common with test cricket.

There is no doubt that T-20 cricket is here to stay. The administrators, however, need to urgently enforce a cap on the number of T-20 matches that can be played in a year. If they can work around the scheduling problems that are bound to come up, it would be ideal to see a window for club cricket wherein cricketers are allowed to represent their club sides without having to miss out on any national commitments. This will ensure that cricketers will not have the difficult choice to make between playing for huge sums of money as against representing their countries in international cricket. Test cricket always has and always should be the premier format of the game. If someone similar to Pollard is regarded as the greatest player in the game 10 years down the line, it will be a bloody tragedy.

On a slightly more cheery note, India play Australia in a 2 test series starting next week. These 2 sides have probably provided cricket fans with the greatest contests over the last decade or so. For me, it can't begin soon enough!

A sorry state of affairs

If those that govern the game are serious about freeing it from corruption, the time has come to act. For too long administrators have shied away from making difficult decisions. The easy way out is no longer an option. Life bans have to be given out to anybody proven to be involved in the latest fixing scandal that has once again rocked cricket. It does not matter if someone like Aamir has an entire career in front of him. It is undoubtedly unfortunate but needs to be done for the sake of the game. Nobody is bigger than the game.

Cricket had a chance to get things right when match fixing reared its ugly head in the late 90's. Enough was not done then. It has to be done now. We cannot afford for an event like this to happen again. Nasser Hussain has pointed out that this could be only the 'tip of the iceberg'. I'm inclined to agree with him. A thorough investigation is the need of the hour. Every shred of evidence needs to be examined and any match thought to be anything less that 100% clean needs to be revisited. There may not be any further chances.

Innocent until proven guilty - yes, but the evidence at this stage looks pretty convincing. The thought that cricketers are so easily accessible to such nefarious characters as Majeed is indeed scary. If the PCB had (as they say) warned the cricketers to stay away from the 2 implicated brothers, how then were they able to get in touch with the players so easily? The ODI series cannot possible go on in the light of what has transpired. We cannot afford to stage matches in which every victory / defeat will have viewers doubting the fairness of the result. Financial implications for once will need to take a backseat.

Back in 2000, many felt that not all the wrongdoers were punished. Malik was nearing the end of his career and Rehman was mostly out than in the Pakistan side. They were the easy targets. That they deserved what they got is in no doubt. Were the the only ones who deserved the penalty is another question altogether. Many people felt then that legends like Akram & Younis were let off without having to face the music. This time that cannot happen. Anybody implicated must face the consequences. Youngsters must know that this will not be tolerated. Only a life ban will send out the message that cricket is willing to do everything in it's power to fight this scourge.

What is most depressing, however, is that this has happened just when things were looking up. Aamir has been a breath of fresh air and is one of the few genuinely good fast bowlers around. On a tour where even the most passionate of Pakistani supporters expected little or nothing, Pakistan have performed beyond expectation. With the West Indies becoming a bit of a joke around the international circuit, cricket can ill afford to lose another of its traditional powers. Nothing, though, is more important than the integrity of the game. We cannot sit back as that very integrity is being dragged through the mud. The time to act has arrived. It's now or never!

England & Pakistan

And so Pakistan continue to confound. Rubbish on one day, world beaters on the next. No team swings from good to rubbish as much as Pakistan do. I'm glad they managed to come back - it's been a riveting series so far, despite the fairly one sided nature of the first 2 tests. It would have been disappointing if the fourth test had nothing to play for. As it stands, the series is poised superbly with both teams having a chance to get something out of the series at the conclusion of the last test.

England's fantastic summer has not managed to conceal a few weaknesses that they will need to address prior to the ashes. Whatever happens to the Aussies in India, there's no doubt that they will be a much tougher opponent than either Bangladesh or Pakistan once the Ashes come around. Australia are a difficult team to break down at home and England will need to fire on all cylinders if they hope to win their first Ashes tour down under in over 2 decades.

Strauss, Trott & Collingwood have all got starts without carrying on. They cannot afford to waste starts against Australia. Australia are certainly not going to be as generous as Pakistan were on the field. In good batting conditions, Australia are also likely to put up much bigger scores than the ones Pakistan have managed in this series. Cook's 100 will give him some breathing space, but only just. The fact is that's he's looked completely out of touch right through this series. KP is a couple of bad games away from being dropped. Who could have possibly imagined that even six months ago? The bouncier conditions in Australia, though, may suit his style of play. Bell should slot in place of Morgan.

The bowling's test will be whether they can replicate the success achieved at home, away. I've believed for a while now that Anderson given the right conditions is right up there with the best in the world. His problem has been the inability to bowl half as well once he's out of his comfort zone. The ball's not going to swing anywhere near as much in Australia, so it will be interesting to see how Anderson copes.

In theory, Broad & Finn should find the conditions in Australia to their liking. Both of them are tall and 'hit the pitch' kind of bowlers. They don't rely on swing as much as Anderson does. Both of them are still pretty young and will be playing in Australia for the first time. Australia will definitely target them and how they respond may decide the destination of the urn.

Pakistan have for me made giant strides on this tour. Whatever happens in the fourth test, Pakistan have showed that their cricket is still in relatively good health. Their batting & catching must improve a great deal if they are going to win more consistently. Nevertheless, the raw materials are in place and if managed properly, this young bunch will go far.

If Pakistan bring back Younis, the middle order reads Butt (assuming he continues batting at 3), Younis, Yousuf & Umar Akmal. Akmal needs to work on his temperament, the talent is certainly there. This is not a bad middle order by any stretch of the imagination. Azhar Ali has gone from strength to strength as the series has gone on and may be asked to open. Given his lack of experience it may be a bit of a risk. However, Ali has shown the temperament required at test level and may be the best candidate for the job. Haider's arrival will mean Kamran Akmal will constantly be under pressure to deliver. This may actually help him in improving his glove work which is shoddy to say the least.

Pakistan's bowling line up is far more settled. I've tried to think of a better bowling line up in world cricket at the moment and must confess that it's difficult to look past Pakistan. Aamir has got that x-factor that so many great cricketers possess. We will be hearing a lot about him in the future. Asif is one of the cleverest bowlers going around at the moment. My only reservation against Asif is whether he will be able to be as effective on flatter tracks. Asif was never quick, but he seems to have lost a couple of yards of pace. He makes up for it with intelligent changes of pace and uses the angles that he creates very effectively. But again, whether this will work on the shirtfronts of the subcontinent or even in Australia / South Africa where there is more bounce than swing will need to be seen. It's too early to comment on Riaz, but between him and Gul, Pakistan have got good competition for the third seamer's role.

The battle between Swann and Ajmal in the last test made for some fascinating viewing. Swann's the best spinner in the world now by a fair distance. He turns the ball big and is one of the few old school off spinners around. Ajmal by contrast is like most modern day subcontinental spinners. Yes, he's got a good off break, but his real strength is the doosra. He disguises the doosra very well and apparently even Pakistani batsman have a problem in picking it. As long as he refrains from over-bowling the doosra, something that may other subcontinental bowlers have been guilty of in the past, he should be an asset to the side.

England are amongst the top 2-3 sides in world cricket today. Pakistan are rebuilding and look to be heading in the right direction. Watching how these to teams progress from here, over the next year or so is going to be very interesting.