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!
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