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.

Broad's Disciplinary Issues

Samir Chopra over on Cricinfo brings up a topic that has been doing the rounds for a while now - Stuart Broad and his disciplinary issues. That Broad's got a problem in controlling his emotions has been a well documented fact. The issue has raised a bit of a storm in the past due to the Asian bloc in particular accusing the powers that be of letting him off the hook a little too easily. The fact that his dad Chris is an ICC match referee complicates matters even further. I've always believed that the Asian bloc does play the racism card a little too often and I for one certainly don't believe that every time a decision goes against the Asians there is a deep rooted conspiracy behind it.

Having said that, I do find it a little strange that Broad has gotten away with all his indiscretions without having to face the music. The blame has to rest squarely on the shoulders of the ICC. It's about time the ICC standardize the penalties that need to be given out without letting it rest on the shoulders of the match referee. Too often we are seeing situations where 2 people who have committed the same offence are penalized differently. This system is bound to give rise to acrimony amongst players and indeed fans the world over.

It's also about time Broad grows up. Hearing his and the England captain / coaching staff's excuses after each transgression is becoming tiresome.

http://blogs.cricinfo.com/diffstrokes/archives/2010/08/aggression_or_just_plain_petul.php

Here we go again!

Here we go again. Yet another series between two teams that cannot seem to get enough of each other. Fans are not bothered and who can blame them? Rivalries are exciting when teams play each other occasionally. This creates a sense of excitement that keeps building until the series eventually starts. During the recently played Asia cup, a friend remarked that his interest in the tournament was restricted to watching India play Pakistan. India may have played SL in the final - but that was just another India SL game. Who cares?

Team building for the WC is possibly the only consolation of what is becoming a tiresome exercise. India are testing the bench strength and I think it makes sense. Kohli & Sharma will know that they have been in the side for long enough now. They cant hide behind the excuse of inexperience for any longer. Yuvraj will pile the pressure on himself if he has another bad tournament. Karthik was the man of the match in the Asia cup final and will be keen to continue impressing. Yesterday's debacle in the first game against NZ will mean that India will have to keep winning from here on to make the finals. It should turn out to be a good test for some of the youngsters irrespective of whether they succeed or fail. It should also give us the spectators & the selectors a better idea of how the squad will look like come March next year.

I would also like to hear Dhoni / the team management define the word allrounder. What has Jadeja done that seems to have transfixed the selectors and the team management? At his best he can be economical with the ball - but there's hardly been a single performance to suggest that he should be a permanent fixture in the side. An allrounder's importance is well documented. It's about time time we admitted that we don't have one. The point in playing anybody and everybody and hope they turn into world class allrounders is crass stupidity. Our world beating allrounders in the recent past have ranged from Agarkar to Powar from Pathan to Jadeja. Shastri even mentioned during India's disastrous T-20 campaign in the Caribbean that Chawla is in the side because he's an allrounder. When are we going to learn?

It was good to see the Kiwis play well yesterday. Taylor has to be one of the most devastating hitters in the world game at the moment. It will also be good to see how they go on as the series progresses. Tougher tests will definitely come their way and it will be interesting to see how they progress from here.

And finally, SLC have to do something to ensure that matches played in SL don't depend very heavily on the toss. NZ played very well yesterday and deserved to win. However, the importance of winning the toss in these conditions is extremely high. Equal chances for both sides, generally, makes for far better cricket.

Where to now RD?

India's unexpected victory in the third test was crafted by a sublime innings from VVS. VVS is the kind of player you pay money to watch and when in form it is difficult to think of a more attractive batsman in world cricket. Amidst all the jubilation of this rather unexpected win, it is important not to lose sight of the bigger picture. There are still a number of questions that hover over this side, and India still remain some way away from being a world beater.

One of those questions is the form of Rahul Dravid. Dravid over the years has undoubtedly set in stone his place as one of India's all time greats. Many of India's greatest triumphs (Headingly, Adelaide, Rawalpindi, Jamaica) were due to fantastic knocks by India's Mr. Dependable. Even in Perth, where India pulled of a stunning win after being two down in a controversial series, it was Dravid who top scored despite looking a shade uncomfortable. His value to the side has never been in question - until now that is.

Judging someone of Dravid's caliber after one or two failures is ludicrous. The fact is though that over the last 2-3 years, Dravid has looked increasingly uncomfortable. Consistency has always been Dravid's calling card - that very consistency seems to have deserted him. There has still been the odd good knock - but they are becoming fewer and further in between.

The form of the other members of the middle order has increased the pressure on Dravid. Tendulkar has scored 5 hundreds in 7 tests since the start of this year and Laxman averages nearly 90 in 2010. The selectors will certainly want to give Dravid as many opportunities as possible for him to find form. However, how much is too much?

India play Australia next - an opponent against whom Dravid played arguably his greatest ever innings. The last time Australia came to India, 2 years ago, Dravid had a torrid time. Another poor series, and time may well and truly be out. The whole of India will be hoping that Dravid manages to recover from the current slump ASAP. A tour to South Africa awaits at the end of the year - and the prospect of somebody else striding out at no:3 certainly makes me jittery.

Time for Change

At the end of day 2 in Colombo, 737 runs have been scored and 4 wickets have gone down. If we had any doubts as to why test cricket is struggling, those figures have the answer. Cricket is meant to be a game between bat and ball. The moment the role of the bowling is undermined, it becomes a contest between bat and bat, and that is just not cricket.

The recent series between Australia & Pakistan was absolutely riveting because conditions ensured that the bowlers were always in the game. Low scoring matches may not attract as many advertisers, but it often provides for scintillating cricket. Isn't that the point after all? Commercial interests have dictated the way the game is governed for too long. For test cricket to survive and flourish, this has to stop.

I also struggle to understand what is to be gained by starting a match on a Monday morning. How difficult is it to ensure that the scheduling is done in such a manner that the cricket lover has every opportunity of going for the game?

Coming to the match, bad pitch or otherwise, India need to start worrying big time about their lack of bowling resources. The most worrying aspect is that India are missing only 1 first team regular in Zaheer Khan. A country that once had a quality spinner in almost every Ranji team, is today unable to find a single bowler capable of bowling consistently at the international level. Changes need to be made right from the grassroots level, if things are going to improve.

Young spinners need to be encouraged to flight the ball more. T-20 cricket prevents spinners from flighting the ball, and flight is a finger spinner's biggest weapon. The focus swings more and more in favor of containment rather than aggression. Fast bowlers have not been spared either. An Ishant Sharma who so impressed in Australia should have been made to focus on the test format. He should have been given adequate breaks and should have been allowed to learn as much as he could about his own bowling. Instead he was playing meaningless T-20 games that did nothing to either enhance his skill as a bowler or to help him gain in confidence.

India are very unlikely to take anything away from this series. Lessons, though, have to be learnt. Unfortunately, the chances of that happening are remote.

India Overrun

Defeat is acceptable, the appalling lack of any kind of fighting spirit is not. To say India were comprehensively outplayed would still be understating things to a great extent. It was a thrashing - the kind of thrashing from which India have little or no chance of recovering. Discounting the minnows, this is probably the worst bowling line-up in international cricket at the moment. Mithun is 1 test old and should be encouraged. The others have a lot to answer for. On the same wicket on which Murali & Herath looked so threatening, the Indians could hardly muster a whimper.

The batting was not much better. The much famed batting line-up crumbled like a house of cards under pressure. Sehwag & Tendulkar (in the second innings) apart, the others got everything wrong. The entire approach was incorrect and that was perhaps what was most disappointing. After India failed to avoid the follow on, Gambhir played another loose shot to get himself out. Second time in the same match - no lessons learnt. Dravid walked in with a whole host of expectations resting on his normally broad shoulders. Dravid's approach though was mystifying, though, not unexpected. Many a time in pressure situations the Indians seem to go into a shell. Yes it was important to bat time, but it was just as important to score runs. Tendulkar has also been guilty of going into a shell from time to time in the past. But this time he got it right. He refused to let the bowlers settle and was always on the lookout for scoring opportunities. When he did get out, he got out to a genuinely good delivery. Dravid's approach, however, was to stonewall. Given the amount of time that was left in the game, the approach was never going to work.

Nothing was expected from Yuvraj Singh and after a stroked filled half century in the first innings, normal service seems to have been resumed. Nevertheless, the first innings half century has probably cemented his test place for the next two years!

VVS batted well but really needs to re-think his strategy when batting with the tail. No risks are taken, and invariably the first ball of the over is punched into the many gaps left purposely unplugged by the opposing captain, and the single taken, leaving the tailender to negotiate the rest of the over.

India go into the next test having been outplayed in every department. A massive improvement is needed if India even hope to compete in the next test at Colombo. Barring a miracle, though, expect, weather permitting, another comfortable win for SL.

SL - India Day 1

Most previews before the game came to the conclusion that it was going to be SL's test series to lose. At the end of day 1, those predictions seem perfectly justified. India might be ranked no1 in tests, but with a bowling line up as toothless as the one currently on display, those rankings are unlikely to last for much longer.

India's first mistake was made even before a ball was bowled. After losing both Zaheer and Sreesanth due to injuries, the think tank should have strengthened the already weak bowling resources. Given the experience of the Indian batting line up, India should have made the bold decision to go in with five specialist bowlers. Having said that, the bowlers at the moment seem so poor that even playing eleven bowlers may not have made too much of a difference. Nevertheless, the chance had to be taken.

SL at home have always been a difficult side to beat. India have not won a series in SL for seventeen long years, and the early signs suggest that the wait may have to be prolonged even further. The only positive on a eminently forgettable day for the Indian bowlers was the fight that was displayed by Abhimanyu Mithun. Mithun troubled both openers early on and was unlucky to not have Dilshan out lbw. He toiled manfully the whole day and in conditions that offer a bit more for the seamers, he might be a handful. Harbhajan was clearly unwell and played only because there are no other options available.

The bowler that disappointed the most was undoubtedly Ishant Sharma. Sharma's stocks have been in free fall since his impressive debut series against Australia two years ago. His pace seems to have disappeared. Every over has a minimum of 2 bad deliveries that were duly dispatched by the batsman. Tragic, it might be, but the time has probably come for Ishant to be left out of the Indian squad for a while atleast. Maybe some time away from the harsh scrutiny of international cricket, will help him re-find the ability that once marked him as a special talent.

Ojha was also largely unimpressive. He bowled a poor line - pitching the ball on middle and leg with the ball turning further towards the on side. The point of bowling this line is completely lost on me. This series is an ideal opportunity for Ojha or Mishra to cement their place in the squad as the second spinner. A performance like this will do Ojha no favors.

If India have any hope of even competing in this series, then I guess that hope lies squarely on the shoulders of Virender Sehwag. If Sehwag has a good series and scores some big runs, it might just put the Sri Lankans under a little bit of pressure. With the bowling line up we have, however, the Sri Lankans are likely to cruise.

Aggression from Afridi

http://blogs.cricinfo.com/diffstrokes/archives/2010/07/the_case_for_the_attack.php

That's an interesting piece by Mike Holmans, where he defends Shahid Afridi's entertaining but ultimately flawed performance in the first innings. I wonder if he still believes that Afridi went out there with a 'plan' after watching him bat in the second innings. I understand where Holmans is coming from, but having watched Afridi play over the years, I don't think there is any thinking involved in his batting. I do agree that in the first innings at least, it was probably the right way to go, but what about second time around then?

Afridi defenders, like Holmans, often come up with the 'natural game' defense. His natural game is to attack, there's no point in him hanging around because if he does he's going to get out sooner rather than later etc etc. I think that's a load of bull****. I find this whole Afridi can't bat like Rahul Dravid, so he's justified in swinging at everything really amusing. There are plenty of aggressive players in international cricket. The secret is not going into a shell or 'hanging around' but shot selection. In today's day and age, even tail enders who swing at everything are rarely forgiven. So when a batsman, that too captain goes out and plays like that, its beyond redemption.

The 20 year Myth

After Bangladesh beat England in the 2nd ODI on Saturday, Bangladeshi fans made their feelings clear regarding criticism directed against their team. A popular sentiment seems to be that other nations took a long time to record their first wins and therefore Bangladesh are on the right track. Rafique, a blogger from Bangladesh has this to say:

"Don't forget that India took 20 years to win their first test match. Bangladesh have won 4-5 test matches in their first 10 years, not to mention ODI successes against every test playing nation on the planet. Any criticism against the tigers should be made after taking this into account".

Statistically, he's right. India won their first test match in 1952, 20 years after their first test in 1932. Dig a littler deeper though and a different picture emerges. India played just 7 tests between 1932-1936, and none at all between 1936-1946. When India eventually recorded their first win, in the summer of 1952, it was only their 25th attempt. Their first 24 tests resulted in 12 defeats and 12 draws. Not bad at all for a team completely new to international test cricket. It must also be remembered that in those early days, India played just three teams namely England, Australia & the West Indies. All three were very strong sides.

Bangladesh by contrast have played 68 matches in their first 10 years, winning just three. These three victories have come against an un-fancied Zimbabwe and two against a West Indies side missing its entire first team. It is also interesting to note that Bangladesh have managed to draw only 6 out of their 68 tests and have suffered a whopping 59 losses during this period.

Cricket will be the winner if Bangladesh were to go on and become a strong competitive side. The reality though, is that the destination is still far far away. Repeatedly stating myths and taking comfort from them, is still not going to make them true.

Well bowled Murali!

Mutiah Muralitharan will forever ignite debate. I must admit that when I saw him bowl for the first time, I believed he chucked. It is almost impossible for the human eye to believe otherwise. Scientific technology though, has a funny way of tearing down myths. After a thorough scientific research, it was found that every bowler bent his elbow to a certain degree when bowling. The ICC therefore modified the law to allow a permissible limit, within which a bowler could operate. Muralitharan's action operates within those limits and with that the matter must rest.

As a bowler Murali has been a champion. His records, like Bradman, will in all probability never be broken. Murali was SL's goto man and has bowled more overs than anybody in the history of the game. Any SL match would more often than not see Murali wheel away at one end for almost the entire innings. Whilst Murali was a fine bowler in most conditions, in SL he was often unplayable. The extravagant turn that he could extract from the deadest of surfaces remains one of cricket's great sights.

Perhaps the only blemish was the number of wickets collected against Zimbabwe & Bangladesh, the perennial whipping boys of international cricket. But using this against him would be churlish given his outstanding record against the better sides.

Was it the right time to go? I would say yes. The last year has not been good for Murali. The turn is still there but the bite that he used to generate from surfaces is missing. Virender Sehwag's onslaught in the Mumbai test was probably the last straw. Murali was part of spin's golden generation (along with Warne and Kumble). The other two have gone and Murali is on his way out. Well bowled Murali, you will be missed.

John Howard

I normally blog only about on-field events. The John Howard story though has evoked such passionate reactions that I felt I must comment. It is a sad situation because this was so preventable. The ICC is proud about the fact they are a democratic organization - as they should be. The ICC's constitution allows boards to vote against a candidate they deem unworthy. However, a democratic, transparent system which is what they claim to have - should ensure that the public is kept informed as to the reasons for the rejection of Howard. I'm no fan of John Howard - but he certainly deserves to know the reasoning behind his exclusion.

Most Australian commentators have come out and blamed the BCCI for Howard's nomination being rejected. The BCCI are anything but saints but I truly believe that off late the BCCI seem to be blamed for everything that goes wrong in cricket. In this case it's even stranger because the BCCI were actually one of the few bodies that did not have a problem with Howard's nomination. It voted against him only because boards that normally support the BCCI had a problem with him.

This brings us to the question of the so called Asian bloc and how they gang up against the rest. I find this quite ironic because this is precisely what the white nations do themselves. Any contentious issue and you will generally find the white nations (Australia, England, New Zealand) lining up on one side and the non-white nations on the other. Whilst this is certainly unfortunate and quite obviously not the best way to go about solving issues, it is something that is unlikely to change. It would have been foolish of the BCCI to go against nations that normally support every stance they take (rightly or wrongly).

I also find it difficult to understand why John Howard was nominated in the first place. Cricket Australia should have known that his nomination was going to create a furore. Five mins on Wikipedia will tell you that Howard has been accused of being anti-aborigine, anti-immigrant and he apparently also called Nelson Mandela a terrorist. Now I have no idea whether these accusations are true. Nevertheless, mud sticks. You could argue that these issues have nothing whatsoever to do with cricket and you will be right. But the romantic notion that sport and politics cannot mix remains just that - a romantic notion.

What can be proved, however, is that John Howard called Muthiah Muralitharan a chucker. Everybody is entitled to an opinion. But when you are in a position of power it is important to exercise that right with a degree of caution. Murali is a Sri Lankan icon. Sri Lankans are passionate about their cricket and many feel Howard insulted Sri Lanka as a nation when he criticized Murali. You may think this is far fetched - so let's flip the coin - will Australia embrace an ICC head from Sri Lanka who has gone public with negative remarks directed at Sir Donald Bradman? Don't count on it!

SL Test selection (contd..)

For those of you wondering what the Squad actually is, here it is

1. Viru
2. Gambhir
3. The Wall
4. God
5. VVS
6. Raina ?
7. MSD
8. Bhajji
9. Ojha
10. Ishanth
11. Zaheer
12. Mishra
13. Appam C***** (Sreesanth)
14. W Saha
15. M Vijay
16. Yuvraj

Well I have also included my playing 11 and yes- I deliberately put Yuvraj at no.16

Some of them are extremely obvious choices and lets not waste time looking at their performances.

There are only two places that are in contention, No. 6 batsman and our second spinner.( I aint happy with Bhajji either in the recent past, but lets leave that there for now)

Raina and Yuvi are in the team and I definitely think Raina should be in the Playing 11 and not Yuvraj.

Yuvraj has simply got far too many chances in tests and hasnt made a huge impact YET. I cant remember one great innings. ( Infact the only good innings I remember is the partnership with Sachin to seal the win against England at Chennai after being battered by Viru)

Also, it gives us a nice ground to TEST raina out. All thats being said about his deficiency in technique and how he cant be a good Test batsman.

I think the slow-low pitches in SL would be the best place for him to start. If he cant do it here, I will start believing that theory, else we can put him through more 'tests'.

Raina I think has amazing temperament and FEEL he will make it big. Raina must get a game !!

Now, feelings aside... Lets look at some numbers.

http://stats.cricinfo.com/indiandomestic2009/engine/records/batting/most_runs_career.html?class=4;host=6;id=2009%2F10;type=season

People we must be looking at

M Pandey 956 @ 59.75 in 16 innings

A Rahane 887 @ 63.35 in 17 innings ( 3 n.o including a 265*)

P Patel 813 @ 58.65 in 13 innings

S Badri 800 @ 57.14 in 14 innings

D Karthik 776 @ 77.6 in 10 innings

R Sharma 718 @ 79..1 in 10 innings ( 309* of 718 came in 1 innings )

Manish Pandey, Boy ! I love him. He was great in IPL 2009, has been great in the Ranji. Great prospect, scores quick. He s young, he can wait.

Rahane and Sharma's figures are massively skewed by their n.o scores, but Rahane has been performing well over a couple of seasons. He doesnt look tight in his technique though, atleast to me.

Badri, Patel and Kartik have been scoring tons of runs in the past few seasons. Very sad for Patel and Kartik that they have MSD in the team. Kartik especially has shown enough to be played as a batsman alone.

The obvious choice for the squad however was S Badrinath. He s a veteran. Has always been knocking the doors, but never got above the Tall Indian Middle Order. But now that it is coming to an end, must be part of the team.

He also played Mendis very well ( while no-one else could) in the ODIs just after the mystery man knocked our top guns in the test series just before in 2009.

Yuvraj VS Mendis on SL Pitches ? I like Yuvraj, I really do - I dont want him to be a national embarassment !!

Raina hasnt played much scoring 292 @ 41.71 in 7 innings with no hundreds and 3 fifties. H.S 98 ( Not very impressive )

Yuvraj has got 158 in 3 innings in the domestic circuit and 195 in 5 innings in Test matches against Bangladesh and SL

The bottomline here is I think the selectors have got it terribly wrong. Neither Raina nor Yuvraj must be in the team on the basis of performance.

However, now that they have been picked, it must be Raina who must play simply because he has been superb for us in the other formats. We might as well give him a try in Tests.

Now on to the spinners, slow low pitches are slow left arm bowlers' paradise. I really hope they play Ojha.

19 wkts @ 29.31 in 8 innings S.R. 65 ( 13 wickets in 3 matches @ 29 in Tests )

Mishra has got 20 @ 37.5 S.R 86 !! (12 wickets in 4 matches @ 54 with a S.R of 105 balls per wicket ) He has really lost it !

Piyush, on the other hand has 36 @ 29.41 in S.R 53 last season

Bhajji - 23 @ 25.7 in S.R 72 ( Thats in Tests, he hasnt played a single domestic game)

Its quite clear here about who needs to play. However,India's top spinners arent just good enough. (Wow an idea for the next post, watchout)

I also assume that Sreesanth is in the team just for entertaining the team and the crowd with his antics. Fair !

SL Test selection

Consistency in selection is what everybody looks for, and that is where I think this selection panel has failed. Yuvraj Singh was dropped from the ODI squad for the Asia cup and the decision was justified given Yuvraj's appaling recent fitness. Even so there was a lot of understandable skepticism, given Yuvraj's track record as a match winner in the shorter formats of the game. Nevertheless, no player is above the game and the message to Yuvraj Singh should be shape up or get ready to be shipped out.

That is why his selection to the test team less than a fortnight after he was overlooked for the Asia cup is baffling. Yuvraj, as I've said before is a fantastic limited overs batsman. He's singlehandedly swung many a game in India's favor and should, fitness permitting, still be an important member of the ODI squad. Test cricket though is a different ball game. Yuvraj even in his ODI hay days has struggled to make an impact in the test arena. Yet the selectors seem to have decided that he is a permanent fixture in the Indian middle order.

The last time India played a test series, Yuvraj missed out because of fitness problems. Badrinath and Rohit Sharma were then named in the squad. Badrinath played 2 tests (3 innings) scored a fighting half century in his debut innings and then failed in the remaining two outings. It was certainly not a performance that set the stage on fire, but it certainly should have merited another opportunity. Its only fair that he be given a chance to state a case for himself. Despite Yuvraj's numerous failures he seems to be given a free pass every time.

Rohit Sharma who was selected for that test series is now dropped without even being given an opportunity to stake his claim. Raina who was not part of that squad has now suddenly overtaken both Sharma & Badrinath as the reserve batsman. With the senior batsman surely coming to the end of their illustrious careers, India needs a selection panel that is consistent and has the ability to make brave decisions that will ensure that the inevitable transition that will occur is a relatively smooth one.

The case for Irfan Pathan

Who should be India's all rounder? India have invested a lot of time in Jadeja. Jadeja has come in for a fair bit of criticism in the recent past, some of it a tad harsh. He's done well with ball. He's economical, gets the odd wicket and generally bowls his full quota of 10 overs. Most of his matches have come in the batting paradises on offer in the subcontinent. So he does deserve some credit for that. The problem is his batting. Jadeja strikes me as the kind of player, who on a good day can pick up the singles and twos and hit the occasional boundary. He does not seem to be able to change gear though and at no 7, which is where he is going to bat, you need a player who can play the big shots.

Yusuf Pathan is another option. He's been found out in recent times largely due to poor technique especially against the short ball. Teams are going to keep bouncing him and unless he can overcome this particular weakness, he is likely to struggle. Yusuf is also not as a good a bowler as Jadeja is.

The only other option is Irfan Pathan. Pathan is quite obviously not the bowler he was in the early noughties. It's disappointing to see a natural swinger of the ball, resorting to the cutters and slower balls that he seems to bowl all the time at the moment. What we need to remember though is that Pathan, if selected, will be India's 5th bowler. He is not required to lead the attack. He can be used once the field is spread out and batsman are looking more at rotating the strike.

Where he really scores over the other two is his batting. Unlike his brother Yusuf, Irfan's game is built on a solid platform. He does the basics well. He does not have as big a problem with the short ball. He's got all the shots and has played some crucial innings' for India in the past. Irfan also has the ability to play the big shots that are needed lower down the order.

With not too much time to go before the WC starts, India certainly need to give Irfan a few games and see how he goes. If he can strike some form going into the tournament, he still has the potential to be an asset to the side.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh's approach during the game against Pakistan was astonishing. Whenever anyone has questioned Bangladesh's right to be playing cricket at this level, we have had angry responses from passionate Bangladeshi supporters. Whilst I appreciate the passion, the fact is Bangladesh are not yet ready for international cricket, nor do they look like beating any half decent team consistently in the foreseeable future. Occasional victories are going to happen - a team that plays 35 matches in a year are bound to win 1 or 2. But I really can't see them achieving anything beyond that.

Today's match or mismatch was a case in point. It reminded me of Sunny Gavaskar's infamous innings against England in this match http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/65035.html. If Bangladesh do not have the desire to compete, they should not be playing, it's as simple as that. Yes they were most likely going to lose no matter how they approached it. But the fact that they did not even try is embarrassing to both cricket and Bangladesh as a team.

Yusuf Pathan

I've been mildly surprised to see the reaction the Yusuf Pathan dropping seems to have evoked. Whilst the majority, myself included, feel that the dropping is justified, there is a lobby that has reacted with surprise to his axing from the national team. The argument put forward is that he was batting lower down the order where chances to get big runs do not come about very often. This is probably true to a certain extent but is still no reason to continue with him.

Look at the statistics - 37 matches, average of 22 & 2 fifties. For starters in those 37 matches there must have been at least the few odd occasions where he got to bat with overs to spare. He has obviously failed to take those chances. The other problem is that Yusuf was selected as lower order biffer. He is not good enough to bat any higher. For those of you who still think its unfair, then who would you pull down the order to accommodate Yusuf?

It is also fairly obvious that teams have caught on to his absolute inability to deal with the short ball. Yusuf's average statistics seem even poorer when you take into consideration that the bulk of his ODI's have been played in the more favorable environments that are on offer in the subcontinent. He is yet to play a single ODI in Australia, England or South Africa. If he is unable to successfully combat the short stuff in India, what chances does he have on the bouncier surfaces abroad?

I'm no apologist for Srikkanth or his selection panel. But this time folks, I think he's got it right!

IPL & Pakistan

The exclusion of Pakistani players from the IPL has divided opinions like few other issues. Like most issues involving India and Pakistan, opinions have been mixed. Was the IPL right in keeping the Pakistani players out?

It is immediately obvious that the reasons for their exclusion are non-cricketing ones. Apart from the fact that Pakistan are world champions in this format, they have also easily been the most consistent team in T-20 cricket. Afridi, Asif, Aamer, Gul and maybe even Imran Nazir, Saeed Ajmal and youngsters like Umar Akmal would have certainly found bidders had they been from any other cricketing nation.

Pakistani journalists have lashed out at the IPL for ignoring their players. They have also claimed that there is a larger conspiracy here – namely to insult Pakistan and its cricketers. Some of the Pakistani cricketers have echoed these sentiments. The IPL for its part has said that the selection of players are the prerogative of the various franchises and that it had no say over who gets selected.

The franchise owners have invested a lot of money in the IPL. Like all business people their priority is to get a reasonable return on their investment. Given the fragile relationship that India shares with Pakistan at this point, it is only natural that the franchises were reluctant. The recession may have shown signs of receding, but the after effects are still being felt. Another bomb blast or terrorist attack in the near future and the participation of the Pakistanis would again be in doubt. The franchises were not prepared to take a risk and there is nothing wrong with that.

What could have been avoided though was the way the whole thing was conducted. The horrendous attacks in Mumbai happened well over a year ago and this situation is nothing new. If the franchises were reluctant to sign Pakistani players, then what was the point on going through the meaningless charade of asking them to apply? It would have been much easier to have just informed the players before-hand that they need not apply as the franchises were not interested.

Lastly for those claiming that India should have played the role of big brother and encouraged the Pakistanis to compete are missing the point completely. The IPL is a private owned league. The owners have not invested money to spread the cricketing gospel or for any other such noble cause. Their objective has been to make as much money out of possible from the new ‘craze’ that has engulfed world cricket. Given this it is hardly surprising that they have gone for players who they know would be available to them for as long as possible.