Sachin's Swang Song

Warning: This is a very emotional post. It comes from a die-hard Sachin Fan.

Dear Sachin,

I got up this morning and like every morning the first thing I did was to open my laptop and go to Cricinfo. Today I was taken aback as I saw the headlines as 'Sachin Tendulkar retires from ODI cricket'. It took me a few seconds to believe what has actually happened.

Sachin, Thanks a lot for all that you have provided for us. Now that you have decided not to play the limited over format, it makes me sad.  It is hard to imagine how a full-strength Indian team would look, without the name 'Sachin Tendulkar' on it. And, so I am never going to see you play that exquisite straight-drive in coloured clothing. Never again would I see you open the batting for India. Never again would I be so nervous when India starts batting in an ODI. Never again, would I sit on the same chair and ask my mates not to move while the game is going on.

I knew it was coming but did not expect it this way. There were no warnings -- no farewell match - nothing. You just quietly moved away. I knew it had to happen some day - but when it has actually happened, it is not sinking in. I was so eagerly waiting for the Pakistan series to watch you bat in ODIs. But as the adage goes - All good things have to come to an end. I truly consider myself blessed to have been born in the same era as you have played your cricket.

Sachin, I thank you not for the runs you scored or the boundaries you hit. I thank you because even the gloomy days of Indian cricket you were the reason we smiled. You brought a smile to my face even when India lost; especially those days in the 90s. I still remember that disastrous tour of Australia we had in 99. I used to get early in the morning to watch the match, despite knowing that India had no chance in the game. But, I knew that I would not be disappointed as you were batting.

So, what were my favourite knocks of yours? I love the 175 you scored at Hyderabad. We lost that game by a whisker. But you played one of the most outstanding knocks I had ever seen. Then the 98 you scored against Pakistan - 2003 WC. I love that knock because I feel you enjoyed it the most. Then the desert-storm at Sharjah. I was too young to understand the game when you played it, but I have seen it over and over again on YouTube. Of course the 200* against South Africa. We had a huge celebration in our hostel rooms when you became the first person to break the 200 - barrier.

But Sachin, numbers will tell their story themselves. I do not need to say anything. 49 hundreds, 18,426 runs at an astounding average and strike-rate may never be matched again. The entire India is grateful to you, not because you were the greatest batsman of your era but for the amount of joy that you gave. There was a time when India slept well when you played well. If you had a bad day, I am certain, the average happiness in India was low.  We treated your success as our personal success.

Sachin, wish you fantastic luck with the rest of you cricket career. I am sure, you have few more master-pieces left which you would unveil soon.

Wishing you great success ahead,
A TRUE FAN

India and Test Cricket?

I have been a supporter of the T20 revolution. I have always welcomed the IPL with open arms. I am not the one who says, "T20 is not cricket". I do believe playing Twenty 20 does require a completely different set of skills which are worth appreciating.

Recent developments in Indian cricket worry me. Are we disrespecting the purest form of the game? It is not just the 8-0 away defeats that really bother me. I am also not particularly concerned about the fact that two English spinners were able to run through an Indian batting line up. I do understand that in sport, such things do happen. Did we not bowl out South Africa for 80 odd on a green top a few years back. Then, did we not win against South Africa in Durban on another green top? And the WACA win? Playing on extreme conditions have backfired for so many other teams (while playing against us). So, the Mumbai loss is not a concern for me. Even as we stand at the brink of losing another test at Kolkata, it is not the result that really concerns me.

What bothers me is no one in our cricket administration seems to be really concerned about the away loses. There seems to be no preparation for our next away tournament in South Africa. What is the batting line up we would have? Would a Sehwag - Gambhir opening combination still work? Despite the failure in 8 matches, would we persist with the same combination? Who will bat at number 6. And at number 4? Is Sachin going to South Africa? If he is not going to South Africa, isn't it better that a youngster gets chance to bat in home conditions before heads to South Africa? What about our bowling attack? Would Zaheer go there? If he is not going, would it not be better to give a young pacer a go, before an important overseas tour? There are so many such questions to which our administrators seem to have no answers.

It almost seems to me that India is not giving enough respect to Test cricket ; in fact we have stared disrespecting the purest form of the game, which is really sad. I am not calling for sacking Dhoni, but no question marks on a captain's place even after losing 8 away games is unheard off in any cricketing administration. India's nonchalance towards this entire issue shows that we are really not concerned about doing well in Tests. 

Let me get one thing quite straight, I rarely whine about the Indian team losing. I honestly do not mind it. I understand that in sport sometimes things just do not work. But, I get irritated when the team is not sad about doing so poorly. I get a feeling that the only people bothered about India doing well in Test match cricket are fans like me, the commentators and columnists.  

I am not a fan who wants India to win all the time. I know it is not possible. And by that I am actually asking for too much. All I want is an honest effort every time they take the field. I want to see in the intensity. The rush of the blood because they are playing for India. It is that intensity that has driven me to watch the game. But now, that seems to have gone. I have become quite nonchalant with the results; because I get the feeling I am the only one who cares.

I know there is a lot of talent in India. We can still surprise everyone and win in South Africa. But for that something has to change - The Attitude. If that requires to drop MS, so be it.

Well as an Indian fan my line up for the first Australia Test is:

Unmukt Chand, Abhinav Mukund, Cheteshwar Pujara (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Manoj Tiwary, Wridhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Ravi Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Ashok Dinda, Pragyan Ojha.  Ravindra Jadeja (12th Man)

The World Rejoices when they win

I was told there were crackers being burnt on the streets of Bangalore as the final of the World T20 concluded. The Bangaloreans forgot their differences with it's neighboring state over the Cauvery issue and plunged into joy as the World T20 concluded. No, they were not celebrating an Indian win - but a win of a cluster of American nations miles apart - the West Indies. I am certain the West Indies win must have brought joy not just to Barbados, Trinidad, Guyana or Antigua but every part of the cricketing world - and probably even to Sri Lanka. 

They are just that kind of a team. It is that brand of cricket they play, that makes everyone fall in love with them. It is the brand of cricket for which I cannot use an adjective; for there is none. It is just the Caribbean way of playing the game. They play it hard and yet they are always aware of the fact that it is just a game. They play the game with a smile, irrespective of the match situation. They are a kind of team, you do not want to see on the losing side. It is just inexplicable, how they charm everyone irrespective of their nationality. Probably it is the way the celebrate - they make us feel part of the triumph. Or probably it is the smile with which they play that casts a spell on us. Or probably it is that boisterous laugh they manage even in between a tense contest. Or it is just their approach to the game which gravitates us towards them. They remind us of the way we played cricket (or any sport) when we were kids; desperately wanting to win but in the complete consciousness of it being 'just a game'. Compete fiercely while playing but forget about the game and share a joke with the opponents moments after the game concluded.

During the entire tumultuous period of West Indian cricket, the one that remained constant was the way they played cricket - the attitude towards the game. And thus they have more well-wishers across the globe than any other country. When Australia was the most dominant side, everyone outside Australia would have celebrated an Australian loss. I am sure, that was not the case when the Windies dominated. The world has loved to see the West Indies play cricket. Whether it was Sobers, Richards, Holding, Marshall or it was Lara, Walsh, Ambrose or the modern day players like Gayle, Pollard, Narine, Samuels there is one thing that is always common - the amount joy that pervades when they play cricket.

These bunch of West Indians might not have all the cricket records to their name. These bunch might not be ranked among the greatest cricketers of all time. They are no Richards or Holding or Roberts. But these bunch of West Indians at Colombo have touched the hearts of the entire cricket watching public. They have brought a smile on the faces of all those who have followed this edition of World T20. I know for sure that this West Indies team has been the reason many watched this WT20 and there can no bigger compliment than that. No record would give you the joy than the fact that you have become the reason for people to watch the game.

I had written previously that a victory in World T20 could begin the much-awaited revival of West Indian cricket. Now, that has happened. I really hope this does embark a new era in West Indies cricket. Their cricket has definitely improved in the past couple of years. I really wish and hope that this is the beginning of the things to come for their is no other team (barring my home nation - India) whose success tastes sweeter to me.

MS Dhoni: Has he already created a place for himself in history?

On April 5th 2005, at Vishakhapatnam, a young lad with long hair from Jharkhand, a state which has almost no cricketing history announced himself in the international scene. From then on Dhoni's career took off. Just 2 years after that knock MS Dhoni captained India to a T20 World Cup Triumph in South Africa. Dhoni's rise in cricket has been quite dramatic. It has just been around 5 years since Dhoni captained an Indian team. In this span he has ticked almost all the boxes - won the T20 World Cup- won the 50 over World Cup - lead his side to world no. 1 in Test Cricket - became the first Indian captain not to loose a test series in South Africa- Has never lost a home test series - Has won a couple of IPL silverware - Has won a Champions league silverware - Has been a part of the ICC ODI team 6 times (4 times a captain) - Has been a part of the ICC Test team twice (on both occasions as a captain) - Has won the ODI player of the year twice. 

These are great achievements for any player. But when you take into consideration that it has not even been 7 years since MS Dhoni has made is Test debut, these achievements become simply astonishing. Put his wicket-keeping also into perspective and then those achievements look quite mind boggling. Anyone who has played the game or even seen it enough would know that wicket-keeping is one of the most tiring jobs in cricket. To captain side while keeping for the length of the time he has done and with the success which he has is quite remarkable. And he does it without a break - he does wicket keeping even for his franchise team, CSK. Which means that throughout the year, he plays all the three formats as a wicket-keeper batsman who captains his side (whether it is India or CSK). This is quite incredible. A great virtue of MS which goes unnoticed so many times is his extraordinary fitness. Playing almost 8 years of international cricket (5 of them as a captain), he has not once faced any fitness issues. On the contrary he has remained arguably the fastest runner between the wickets in the country (if not in the world).

One criticism that Dhoni has always faced is his batting in overseas conditions. People have often rightly pointed out that he is not quite the batsman he is at home when he plays overseas. Although that statement is perfectly true, I have not seen any wicket-keeper batsman who has batted with the same success he does at home in the overseas conditions.

Wicket-Kepeer	Batting average at Home	Batting average overseas
MS Dhoni	45.42	31.72 *
Adam Gilchrist	47.42	38.72 **
Mark Boucher	30.30	28.54 **
Alec Stewart	39.30	28.45 ***
Matt Prior	42.61	39.54 ***

* By away I mean (Australia, Englans, SA and NZ)
** By away I mean (the sub-continent and England)
*** By away I mean (the sub-continent and Australia) 

Only one wicket-keeper batsman stands out as absolutely outstanding in both alien and home conditions. He is Zimbabwe's Andy Flower. Barring Flower it is clear that the batting averages of other wicket-keepers do dip considerably when they play in alien conditions. Dhoni's batting average is quite respectable in front the legends of wicket-keeping of the past decade or a decade and a half. It is also important to make note that none of these keepers led their side for the period of time Dhoni has.

So, has MS Dhoni made a place for himself in the annuls of cricketing history? I would say 'YES'. Dhoni is easily one the greatest ODI wicket-keeper batsman the game as ever seen, along side Adam Gilchrist. Dhoni as a batsman is more versatile, he can be the accumulator as well the demolish-er. In test cricket he is definitely one of the greatest India has ever seen. In the world stage, when people talk about the really good wicket-keepers who have played MS's name should definitely pop up.

As a captain in Test Cricket, many times he might have erred with his field placements. He has been criticized for going into the defensive a bit too early. But on the positive side, MS never gives you the impression that he runs out of ideas. He maintains that same calm yogic demeanor irrespective of the match situation. He never lets his shoulders drop and even in the most difficult of circumstances, his body language makes you believe that there is another trick up his sleeve - a very important trait for a captain. Even if Dhoni is clueless about what has to be done, he never lets anyone know what he feels.

Dhoni is just 31. I believe he has quite a bit of cricket left in him. I am pretty certain when his career finishes MS would be a much better Test batsman. With the amount of work load Dhoni carries, he stretching beyond the 2015 WC looks difficult. But when goes, he would one the greatest ODI cricketers of all time and a very fine test cricketer.

The Cricketing Poet: VVS Laxman

As VVS Laxman retires, it brings an end to an extraordinary career. As one does on such occasions, I would like to look back upon the career of this wonderful batting genius. Laxman played cricket for India in a very special era. It was an era where India had arguably its best ever middle order. VVS Laxman was one of the major pillars of the Indian batting in that era. Out of the four giants of Indian batting, I had found VVS was the most attractive. His batting was almost like the manifestation of the divine. When Laxman batted, it was not just about the number of runs he scored but also the manner in which those runs came. When he batted, the context of the game, the opposition and everything else lost meaning. There was an artist's touch to his batting. When Laxman played, he did not merely hit a boundary. He wrapped it with his magic.

Blessed with divine timing and freakish wrists, VVS conjured some breathtaking shots. The brand of cricket that Laxman played can never be taught to anyone. It is an ability one has to be just blessed with. He could gracefully cover drive a half-volley to the boundary for a four. He would flick the same delivery to the mid-wicket boundary just as gracefully he had cover driven the ball. In fact he could play at least four different strokes to the same delivery and each of those strokes would be leave you gasping, with mouth wide open. 

Laxman was not all about this mystical player who could play these seemingly impossible strokes. I had always thought there are two kinds of batsman. The first charmed you with their grace. They kept you riveted to their batting - pulled of shots from impossible angles, almost as if they were defying gravity. The second were the 'get the job done' kind of players. These were the guys you needed in tough situations. They fought hard with courage, may not be looking elegant but got the runs. Laxman combined these two diverse batting methodologies. He was gritty and yet so elegant.

Laxman had built the reputation of being India's crisis man. When the chips were down, when it looked gloomy and bleak, VVS Laxman found his comfort zone. When the rest of the team faltered, Laxman rose to the occasion. Laxman has scripted many improbable wins, pulling victory from the jaws of defeat. It began in Kolkata against the mighty Australians. The 281 he scored against Australia in that historic test match of 2001, is regarded as the greatest innings ever played by any Indian in test match cricket. From that day Laxman has given hope even in the darkest hour. 

Another great quality of Laxman was his ability to play with the tail. He brings out the best of what the tail-enders have got. Whether it was Ishant Sharma in Mohali or Zaheer Khan in Durban, Laxman rallied with them and produced match winning partnerships.

In the 134 matches VVS Laxman played, he scored 8781 at an average of 45.97 scoring 17 hundreds. These outstanding statistics for any cricketer. But when you put the fact that for the better part of his career he batted at number 6, these statistics look even better. I am certain that if he would have batted at number 3 or 4, he would have scored at least 10-15 centuries more and averaged may be 5 - 8 runs higher. But Indian cricket was best served with him batting at number 6. This is what Laxman has always stood for - putting the team's needs above his. Laxman's career can never be judged by the numbers. His contribution is way beyond those 17 hundreds he scored. 

Laxman has never been the darling of the masses. He has rarely featured in advertisements. That is purely because Laxman was a cricketer of the elite. Like Shakespeare or Milton, whose work can only be appreciated only by the connoisseurs of English language, Laxman's batting was an art that could be understood and appreciated only by the devoted fans of cricket. 

As Laxman calls it a day, poetry stops in Indian cricket. In my opinion he would the cricketer who would be missed the most. Rather than getting bogged down, he faced adversity face to face and invariably thrived in such situations. I have been privileged to be born in an era where I could follow the career of the greatest poet of Indian Cricket.   

Wrap up of the Olympics!

The Olympics has concluded and indeed on a very historic note as far Indian sport is concerned. On the 12th August 2012, Sushil Kumar became the first ever Indian athlete (individual athlete) to win back to back Olympic medals. Sushil Kumar bettered his performance from Beijing and won the silver medal. 

Now that the games are over it is a good time to sit and reflect back on how India fared in the games. Although the Gold remained elusive till the end, this was India's best ever medal haul. In fact India doubled it's medal count from Beijing. From Atlanta and Sydney where we had just won one Bronze or the years before that when we had a long dry spell, to finish with 6 medals is an astounding achievement and I am thrilled with this performance. At this point, I would like to address a really flawed argument - 'How can a country of 1.2 billion produce only 6 medals?'  We need to realize the fact that we not a sporting power house. 76% of the medals lie in Track/Field events and aquatics, where India does not have any history. I would even go on to say that perhaps we are not naturally built, to produce great Track/Field events. The weather conditions that prevail, the diet of the Indians and probably the genetic factors does not make Indians naturally very athletic which is important for these events. To corroborate that, even in our most celebrated sport- cricket, we have produced really few genuine fast bowlers- Fast Bowling being an art which requires genuine athleticism. In India, traditionally the brain takes precedence over the brawn and probably there is very little tradition of taking part in such events. Keeping all this in mind, having won 6 medals is indeed an achievement to be proud of.

Vijay Kumar, the Subedar from Indian Army and Gagan Narang by winning medals have made shooting India's most successful individual sport. In the past 3 years India has won 4 medals in shooting.

Fighting all odds, from a village in the eastern most state of the country Manipur, came the mother of two 5 year olds - Mary Kom. Mary Kom's story is both inspiring and historic. She stood on the podium when the event was introduced for the first time in Olympics. Also, when we keep in mind that she was fighting in a higher weight category than her usual fly-weight category, which was not there in Olympics, the success tastes sweeter.

Saina Nehwal's story has been that of sacrifice and single-minded devotion towards the game. The hours spent in the training translated into a Bronze Medal. This achievement is also a story of another great Indian player - Pullela Gopichand who is living is dream of winning medals through his student. Gopichand's contribution to Indian Badminton as a coach has been fantastic.

Yogeshwar Dutt brought a different success story. He is a seasoned wrestler and was competing in his 3rd Olympics. He was tantalizingly close to a medal in Beijing and almost fell short again in London when he lost his pre-quarter final bout. Fortunately, he entered the repacharge round. In a span of 40 minutes Dutt fought his heart out and won 3 bouts. In the Bronze Medal match he came from behind to win his bout. Dutt's story has been that of an ever lasting hunger and the desire for the Olympic Medal. It is to Dutt's credit that despite the disappointments he was able to his passion and desire alive.

By bettering his Beijing performance Sushil Kumar has etched his name in the pages of India's sporting history. Sushil Kumar became the only Indian to have multiple medals in an individual event. Despite illness Sushil fought his way to a Silver medal.


The Non-Medal winning Heroes

It has not just been the medals that makes me feel happy. There were so many other heartening performance. Joydeep Kamarkar's effort in Men's 50m Rifle Prone was one such performance. There were so many moments in the game, when Joydeep looked good to win a medal and in the end it was just a matter of couple of points between him and the Bronze medal winner.

Krishna Poonia (Women's Discus Throw) and Vikas Gowda (Men's Discus Throw) were other positives. As I have already mentioned India has never been a country which has excelled in track/field events. So, the very fact that they qualified for the finals is something to take pride in and celebrate. Krishna Poonia became only the 6th Indian to qualify in the finals of a track/field event. The 7th Indian to qualify also happening in the same Olympics in the form of Vikas Gowda is a very positive sign. Milkha Singh, Gurbachan Singh Radhwana, PT Usha, Sriram Singh and Anju Bobby George are other Indians to have qualified for the finals.

Irfan Thodi finished an impressive 10th in the 20KM Walk race. Yet again, such a performance is really refreshing.

Cynics may say that by celebrating the mere qualification of our athletes into the finals or celebrating an athlete finishing in the top 10, we are setting our bar too low. I do not share that view. We need to remind ourselves that in athletics, India has almost no history of great achievements. Putting that into perspective, we would realize that 3 of our sportsmen doing well in athletics is indeed something to take pride in. I hope this rather than being an abrupt peak be the beginning of the gradual improvement in India's performance at athletics.

The 20 year old boxer from Manipur, Devendro Singh is one of the biggest non-medal winning heroes for India. In fact the AIBA chairman believed that the verdict of his quarter-final bout should have gone in his favor, which would have meant that he was at least ensured of a bronze medal. But, not getting into the problems we had with our boxing verdicts, Devendro Singh Laishram is a great talent to be watched closely. The amount energy with which he fought his bouts, was indeed great to watch. His pre-quarterfinal bout was against Mongolia's Purevdorjin Sedamba, who was the Silver Medalist in the 2008 Games. Contrary to all expectations Devendro trounced the Mongolian 16-11. I am certain, if groomed properly, Devendro Singh would be a huge medal hope in Rio.

18 year old wrestler, Amit Kumar's was another performance, which has kindled hope for the future. Though beaten in the quarterfinals, and not being able to win his repacharge rounds (one must keep in mind that he had lost the toss both the times in the repacharge), he has shown, with proper coaching he is a wrestler to look forward to.

The performance of Parupali Kashyap, in the Men's Badminton and Jwala Guttha and Ashwini Popanna (in Women's doubles) were other such highlights. In this Olympics along with the medal winners, there were many such inspired performances which showed, India does have a very decent pool of sportsmen. 

The Downers

There have been a few disappointing moments - Deepika Kumari in Archery and Ronjan Sodhi in Double Trap Shooting were big downers. Perhaps, we could have had a few more medals in boxing if the rub of the green would have favored India. In Tennis I feel India definitely had the potential. The events that happened prior to the games were really disappointing. I believe those events extinguished any chances of winning. It is a pity, that two India's greatest doubles Tennis players - Leander Paes and Mashesh Bhuapati will have finish their careers without a single Olympics doubles medal. 

The biggest disappointment was Indian hockey. India failed to qualify for the Beijing Games and when it qualified for the London games they finished last (12th) loosing all the games. Expecting India to win a medal was too far-fetched. I had believed that a top 6 finish would be equivalent to a medal winning performance. But, coming 12th is indeed disheartening. The answer to the question whether we can get back the lost legacy in hockey seems more and more in the negative which is really sad. 

This Olympics has shown that Shooting, Boxing and Wrestling could be India's forte with a lot of talent emerging from these areas. Now, we look forward to 2016. Let's hope that in Rio we touch the double digits as far as the medals are concerned! 

The Rise of West Indies?

When the New Zealand and West Indies are playing test cricket, it is hard for me to decide whom to support. One one hand I want the resurgence of West Indies cricket on the other hand I fear  the demise New Zealand cricket. West Indies and New Zealand both are very important members of out cricketing family. West Indies add a very unique flavor to the game. The style with which they play the game- the kind of cricketers they produce are the ones who compete fiercely on the field but at the same time do not the game too seriously. New Zealand on the other side have been this poor kid who has always tried to maximize what he has. They have never been a team of stars. Sir Richard Hadlee and Martin Crowe are probably the only two starts that NZ have ever produced. Despite the paucity of stars, NZ have always been competitive at the world stage. It is the resilience of NZ that has always fascinated me. Thus, it is really hard to see any of these two teams lose. 

This series has kindled a hope for the long awaited resurgence in West Indian cricket. The arrival of Chris Gayle has had a very positive impact on the team. It was so important that Gayle used all his talent for the betterment of West Indies cricket rather than draining it away playing for the T20 leagues all over the world. Marlon Samules finally seems to realize the potential he is with the bat.  Powell and Bravo are a few other good batsman in the West Indian ranks. Shiv Chanderpaul has always been the crisis man who fights the solitary battle for the WI.  

Sunil Naraine and Kemar Roach add a great strength to the Windies' bowling attack. Roach in particular has been extremely impressive. One attribute which is so rare to find in modern fast bowlers which Kemar Roach has is that he rarely gets injured. He does display good fitness levels which are very important for a quick bowler. Darren Sammy may not be a great batsman or a very penetrative bowler but he does give the impression of being a very good man-manager which is very important for a team like West Indies which is going through a very turbulent phase.

I am not saying that this performance over  NZ will mark a revival in the WI cricket. To expect them to be a side of 80s and 90s is too far fetched. I understand that it has a long way to go. But, things do look much brighter now. With the arrival of Gayle, the batting looks much more solid. With bowlers like Naraine and Roach WI look like a side which can pick up 20 wickets. It does bring a ray of hope and probably their is indeed light at the end of the long tunnel of darkness which the WI cricket has traveled through. The performance of WI in this series, keeping aside the wins does send a glimmer of hope.

I suspect this World T20 could be the turning point in WI cricket if they do well. Sometimes all teams need is an inspiration. WI on paper do look a very potential side. With Gayle, Pollard, Bravo and Naraine they are side to reckon with. If they indeed become the World T20 champions it would go a long way not only to inspire it's cricketers do well in other formats but would also re-kindle the interest in the game in the Caribbean which does seem on a steep decline.

Thus it is important that the administration and player alike keep their vested interests away move forward for the betterment of cricket in the West Indies. They surely have the potential to be a force to reckon with again. The question is can the potential be tapped properly and used completely. The last thing cricket wants is young talented blokes in the Caribbean wiling their time away playing just beach cricket.

Bodyline Revisited!

I have been enjoying a long vacation. One thing I usually do in my free time is search YouTube for some cricket videos. Recently I stumbled upon one fantastic TV series called the Bodyline. It beautifully portrayed the three protagonists of the Bodyline incident - Douglas Jardine, Harold Larwood, and Sir Donald Bradman. I strongly recommend every cricket fan to watch this TV Series. 

In order to give a preamble to my post, let me narrate the Bodyline story briefly. By 1931 Don Bradman had already built the reputation of being the greatest batsman to have ever taken the field. If England had to get the Ashes back, they would have to find someway to stop this almost supernatural batting displayed by Don Bradman. After a bit of controversy, Douglas Jardine was appointed as the captain of the England team. Against the wishes of the selectors, Jardine demanded a strong fast bowling unit. Jardine had in fact thought of a plan to restrict the Bradman dominance. He asked his bowlers especially Larwood to bowl fast and at the body of the Australian batsman. He had set a predominantly leg-side field, with fielders there waiting for a catch in case the batsman fended one of the balls aimed at the body. In fact, with this kind of bowling, the batsmen were left with only two options, either to fend the ball to the fielders or to get hit on the body. This ploy worked and England had won the series 4-1. But for this ploy to work, Jardine required a fast bowler who could tirelessly bowl at extreme pace and accuracy. For this Jardine had found Harold Larwood. 

What Jardine did was perfectly within the laws of the game. To be fair to Jardine, he did not have enough options if he wanted to win the Ashes.  In the opposition was a batsman blessed with almost super-human abilities whose could single-handed performance could win the series for the Aussies. What does one do when one faces such a player - Use everything at one's disposal to win the game or surrender to the greatness of the player. Jardine was not the kind of player who ever surrendered. In fact, Jardine had gone on to infamously say -  "I have not travelled 6000 miles to make friends but to win the Ashes."

But, we all know that cricket is a unique game. It has more to it than, just the laws governing it. So much so that in English, the phrase - "It is not cricket" refers to something which is not correct. Almost the entire cricketing fraternity feels that Jardine by employing those tactics breached the code of conduct. The supporters of Jardine would say that it is the responsibility of the lawmakers to ensure that they have covered all grounds. On the other hand, many others believe that it is the responsibility of the sportsmen who are the custodians of the game to play it in the spirit of the game.

While I am here not here to either defend Jardine or to condemn Jardine, I must point out, amid the copious amount of criticism being shed out, one must not forget to appreciate Larwood - the Bowler. It takes a lot of skill to bowl with that accuracy and pace as Harold Larwood did.

At the same juncture, it is worth examining the other Bodyline-like events that have taken place in the modern era. The famous Bodyline series is succeeded by numerous incidents where a few players have taken advantage of a loophole in the laws of the and a few have refused to do so. As I have already mentioned I feel a debate on what is correct is not really fruitful.

The Australians were very upset with the Bodyline tactics. The then Australian captain Bill Woodful even went on to say that only one team was playing cricket. Jardine went on to become the most hated man in Australia. On the occasion of Jardine's death, Bradman refused to give him an obituary.  On February 1st, 1981 Half a century after the infamous Bodyline Series took place the infamous Underarm incident. This time it was an Aussie who was the perpetrator. Greg Chappell asked his brother Trevor to bowl a ball underarm (all along the ground), with New Zealand requiring 6 runs off the last ball to TIE the game - Not to win, but to tie the game. Like Jardine, even Greg Chappell did not do anything to break the law. Neither Jardine nor Chappell were guilty of 'trying to win by hook or crook'. They did not cheat in any way.  They simply used, (if I am permitted to say) the loopholes in laws to their advantage. While Jardine's was a planned tactic, Greg's was the one that came in the heat of the moment. Whether they were right or wrong is a debate that has no end.

One more such incident, which is not talked about too often happened when the Indians toured West Indies under Bishen Singh Bedi in 1976. Sunil Gavaskar describes what happened at Jamaica as barbarism. More than trying to get the Indians out, the West Indians were trying to get them injured. Gavaskar in his autobiography Sunny Days says that the crowd rejoiced every time an Indian got injured. As many as five Indians were absent hurt in the second innings of the test match. It is true that this bowling did differ from the Bodyline in one major regard - The field placements. Nevertheless, that strategy adopted by the West Indies has to be in question from the point of view of the spirit of the game. As a bowler, if one continuously aims at the body of the batsman rather than the stumps, then there is something wrong going on.

Now, there is a question of Mankading. It was started by the Indian left-arm bowler Vinoo Mankad the 1947-48 tour of Australia, when he ran out the Australian batsman Bill Brown while delivering the ball (While Bill was backing up ).  There have been quite a few instances since then where batsman have been mankanded by bowlers like Greg Chappell did it in an ODI and so did Kapil Dev. Few bowlers have refused to mankand.  For instance, quite famously in the 1987 WC Walsh refused to Mankad Salim Jaffer and that cost the WI a place in the semi-final. In 2003, The Bangladeshi bowler Mohammad Rafique refused to mankand Umar Gul. Pakistan won that test match by 1 wicket. If the mankading was done, Bangladesh could have had historic Test win.  Quite recently, there was an incident involving Ravichandran Ashwin and Lahiru Tirhumanne. After Ashwin mankanded Tirhumanne the stand-in captain Virender Sehwag withdrew the appeal.

In Christchurch, there was another incident that sparked a bit of controversy. It was test match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Kumar Sangakkara was batting with the last man Muttiah  Muralitharan. Sanga took a single to get to his hundred. There was never a second run in it and both the batsman knew it. Murali casually tapped his bat in the crease, assuming that ball was dead (which was not the case), and with no intention of the second went towards Kumar Sangakkara to congratulate him. Since the ball was not yet dead, Brendon McCullum ran out Murali.

A very similar thing had happened in 1974 at Trinidad. Tony Grieg and Alvin Kalicharan were the men involved in that incident. Kalicharan had assumed the close of play for the day and Tony quick to realise that the ball was still in play ran him out. This resulted in a huge outbreak in the crowd. The next day the English camp decided to reinstate Kalicharan.

A more recent incident of this kind happened when India toured England in 2011. In the second test match at tent-bridge, Ian Bell after playing the last ball before tea started walking towards the dressing room as the ball was still in play. The Indians quick to realise this ran him out. But after the interval, they  withdrew the appeal for the sake the spirit of the game.

In fact, after the bodyline incident, there have been so many incidents that have happened (I have just narrated a few of them that came to my mind) in the game which have asked the same question. The question that remains is if it is okay to be within boundaries of the laws of the game and not worry about the manner in which the game has to be played or should we remember that there is much more to our coveted game than the thick law book.

All these incidents, especially the Bodyline series has helped the game evolve. Since ours is a very complicated sport with a Law Book which almost resembles the advocate's law book with so many laws, it can only improve and become perfect when it learns from such incidents.


Please let me know your thoughts by posting your comments down here 

I let my imagination go wild

If you have read few of blog posts you would know about my love affair with cricket. Cricket has, in fact, hijacked the major part of my brain. Every form of cricket excites me. I love the history of the game and am keen to know how this great game came to being. I often wonder if we could pass this heritage to our future generations or will it be lost somewhere in the tide of time. Amid all this, there is one regret that I have. The regret is I do not know how to play cricket. The fact is that I am a terrible cricketer - Not even good enough to make it into the Departmental Cricket Team of my University. 

Despite my inadequacies, I have always wanted to play Test Cricket at Lords', the MCG, the Eden Gardens and every other hallowed venue. And I have done all that - in my imagination. Imagination is the greatest gift that a human has received. It is here where a man can fly and a blind can see. And it is here where all my cricketing ambitions are fulfilled. 

In this post, I would like to describe the events that have taken place, but since they took place in my imagination, no one else but me knows about them. 

My favourite story of imagination is winning a test match for my country, battling an injury and batting with the tail in the fourth innings. It is this imagination that gives me the greatest joy. We would be chasing some 270-280 runs in the final day of test match, probably at Chennai. The pitch has worn out. The ball is turning square when the spinners bowl and the odd ball from the quickies keeps low. It is a typical Chennai day. Grueling heat and humidity would be the conditions prevailing. It would be a full-house (although it is a rarity  in the modern day). Batting in Chennai heat would make me loose a lot of fluids and I would be suffering from some cramps. The top-order has succumbed  to the spin and low bounce and we would reeling at 150-160 for 7. I would be in resolute avatar, battling the turn and low bounce- sweating it out- taking the hard singles despite the pain - sometimes limping and yet maintaining a stern face. Sometimes I would come down the track and take the odd risk. None of these stories are complete without a tense finish. With 10 runs to victory, we would loose two quick wickets back to back. I would be on strike for the fresh over. Loads of things would going through my mind. 'Should I take a single or should I go for the big hit. I can't take a double because of my cramps.' Out of no where I pull off two boundaries. With two runs separating us from victory, the field is pushed in. I am restricted, and it goes to the last ball of the over. I take a chance and it pays off. We run to the dressing room in joy and my imagination closes with emotions running high! Probably a victory lap and the crowd chanting my name.

I have often imagined myself as a young batsman probably 18 or 19 making a debut in the toughest of conditions - probably Perth or Durban. My imaginations expand even to bowlers having a go at me. Probably Brett Lee after bowling a lethal bouncer would raise his eye-brows and say a few words to be. Perhaps, he would say 'This is test cricket...not a school game'. I would simply wear a shy smile but at the same time, my heart would be pounding. The senior batsman at the other end, would come down and calm me down. Like all the other imaginations, this too does have a fairy tale finish. After battling the fiery spell of fast bowling, which had included various words being said to me, I would end up scoring a well fought 100. The innings would include everything: fierce pulls, graceful drives and even some brisk singles. The crowd would stand up in applause. I would remove my helmet and look at the dressing room which would also be standing in appreciation. The opposition players would come to shake my hand and congratulate me.

Well, there is a lot more that has come and gone from my imagination. Sometimes I have captained the side to improbable victories. At other times I have bowled the opposition out of nowhere. Sometimes spun my team to victories and at other times it was my pace that has done the job. In the God's greatest gift to mankind - the mind, I have scripted so many stories which I wish had occurred.

How many of you other cricket fans have scripted such stories? :)

Cricket in 2070?

I have been a very loyal fan of test cricket and I continue to do so. Test cricket has always fascinated me. I have always loved the intricacies of the game. In fact, when T20 cricket came into being I did not even consider it a game. I had considered IPL and T20 profane and had thought it to be a grave disrespect to our revered sport.

Over the last couple of years, though, I have become a lot more liberal with my views. I have not only managed to accommodate both T20 and the IPL into my cricketing life but have also started appreciating the various nuances of the shortest form of the game. This in no way means that my interest towards test cricket has come down. The shortest form of the game requires a completely different set of skills when compared to test cricket, but nevertheless are skills worth appreciating. In the same breath when I look at the way Test cricket is progressing it does send some shivers through my spine.

Future of the game has always been the discussion in the recent past. How would cricket be in say 2070? Would cricket and in particular test cricket still find a place in that era? If I shed my optimism away and view the future as a realist, I have to admit that test cricket has to fight hard to survive and sustain itself for such a long time. Sparse crowds for cricket matches especially test cricket has become a common sight in India. Pakistan has been sans international cricket for a while now. West Indies cricket is in a turmoil owing to poor administrators. In NZ cricket has never been a primary sport and things have not changed dramatically; the fact that WI is dominating them does send signals of concern. Sri Lankan cricket has done reasonably well, but with the advent of SLPL test cricket is not going to gain popularity. 

Test cricket is still a humming and buzzing entity in the UK and Australia. It is still quite popular in South Africa. But, the sad truth is that in the major parts of the globe the popularity of the longest form of the game is on the decline. Some urgent measures have to be taken to revive Test Match cricket in Asia. For the first time, the Eden Gardens witnessed a test match played in an almost empty stadium (India versus West Indies). Later, a One Day international was played in front of a really sparse Eden Gardens crowd (India v England). When this happens, it should definitely ring the alarm bells. 

Many may jump to the conclusion that a five-day game does not find a place in the fast moving world. I personally do buy that claim. Australia, UK and South Africa are the places where the most exciting brand of cricket is played. And it is in these places where test cricket has thrived. 

Test Cricket is indeed the highest form of the game. A form of the game which can be appreciated and enjoyed only when played by great players in really good conditions. A T20 between two ordinary teams could be enjoyed, but the most important requirement to produce a great Test Match is to have two really good teams. After staging two really good teams, a good surface becomes essential. Test Cricket can go to either extreme very easily. If played on a sporting track, by two really good teams, Test Cricket can be a thoroughly exciting and an entertaining sport. The same sport could be easily reduced to a dull and boring sport if the contest between bat and ball is reduced. There is no fun in watching a team pile up over 500 runs and the opposition respond with another 600. Preparing a batting beauty for a test match is definitely not a good advertisement for the game. The recent Pakistan - Sri Lanka series has disappointed me in precisely this regard. It is not just the pitches in Test Matches, but also in First Class cricket which have to be made lively. Once the quality of first class cricket improves it would automatically, produce good players which in turn would make Tests a great spectacle.

Another important task is to bring a context to every game that is played. A lot of meaningless series' have been played in the recent past. The ODI tours of West Indies and England to India in 2011 are few examples. I would even say that the current England-Australia ODI series lacks context. Even in test cricket, the West Indies tour of India (in 2011) lacked context, as India had just toured WI just a few months back. The fan has to be kept waiting before unveiling the spectacle. Too much cricket of the same kind is detrimental to its future. Again, I can never fathom the context of the India's tour on SL late this month. The idea of test championship was great to step forward in bringing contest into the game. It is sad that the idea did not materialise.

Finally, measures have to be taken to encourage players to play First Class cricket. The quality of FC cricket directly affects the quality of test cricket. Producing sporting pitches is the first step forward. I am glad that BCCI has taken measures to make Ranji more competitive. Next important measure is the coverage of FC cricket. Media has to take it up as a responsibility to cover FC cricket in a more elaborate manner. A better coverage would result in more people following it and thus adding more value to FC cricket. Drawing in crowds for FC is being very optimistic, but people should be encouraged to at least keep a track of the scores FC games going around.

Yes, T20 is a great innovation. The IPL is doing well. But, it can in no way be a replacement for the traditional form of the game. The administrators have to take special care to protect and preserve this great heritage so that our future generation can experience the thrills of this form of the game.

The real challenge in front of the cricketing world is how to encourage young kids who are 6 or 7 now to come to test cricket. These are the kids who have been brought up on the IPL diet. They might have never seen and will probably never see the ball being flighted in the air or a perfect forward defensive shot. For them, batting has been about switch-hits, reverse-sweeps, scoops and probably clean hitting. Bowling has been about slower deliveries and yorkers. Would these kids be encouraged to play in the traditional way? Will they experience the joy of scoring a fourth innings hundred or getting those late break-throughs in the final session of the day?  Or would genuine fast bowling and classic spin bowling be restricted only to YouTube videos? 

Don't judge IPL as Black and White

This edition of the Indian Premier League has been fantastic. It has produced some great cricket. The games have been tightly contested and have been played in front of capacity stadiums. These fans who turned up in large numbers got to see some incredible cricket. Whether it was the incredible fielding by Steve Smith, the brutal Chris Gayle or the elegant Rahane. There have been many facets to this fantastic competition.

I have always been a fan of IPL. It is a great platform for the lesser known players to showcase their talent. It is a rare opportunity for them to rub shoulders with the legends of the game, interact with them and become better cricketers. It is just an incredible platform. Never would have someone like Ajit Chandila got an opportunity to play in front of a full-house along side players like Dravid, Watson and against players like Ganguly. It is with the advent of IPL that such things are possible.

Sometimes, some people are born in the wrong era. For instance, two really good Indian spinners, who were in wilderness were Padmakar Shivalkar and Rajeder Goel. Sunil Gavaskar in his book 'Idols' mentions that if they were born in any other era they would have easily made to the Indian team. Had the concept of IPL had been there since then Shivalkar and Goel would not have been lost. They too would have got a platform to be recognized and appreciated. If one looks back at cricketing history, in every era there are players who are equally talented  but fail to make to the big stage. If we go back further in history, Salim Durani would have been a player who would reveled on a stage like IPL. How many wicket-keepers would have missed out despite being really talented, during the eras of Farookh Engineer, Syed Kirmani or even Nayan Mongia?

In the current era, India is flooded with batting talent. Getting into the Indian team as batsman is a near impossible task now with the kind of line up India posses. Some of the talent like Ajinkya Rahane is finding it hard to make into the Indian XI. It is a grave mistake not to allow that kind of talent a recognition it deserves. With IPL coming batsman like Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, Naman Ojha, Mandeep Singh, Venugopal Rao, Ambati Rayadu and many others are getting a platform to perform. Such players are getting a chance to be recognized and to compete with the very best in the world. If not for IPL, there would have been a myriad of Shivalkars and Goels in today's era as well.

It is not just the batsman who are benefiting. If you one looks at the talent pool of Indian bowling, one finds that there are many bowlers of similar talent. It has given Lakshmipati Balaji a chance to come back and bowl well for the KKR (He is in serious contention for getting a WC call). Aaron and Yadav got an opportunity to bowl alongside Morne Morkel. From Punjab we have found a talent in Awana. No where else would have Awana got an opportunity to bowl to likes Tendulkar, Dravid, Kallis or any other great. The story of Veer Pratap Singh is a very inspiring one. The young lad from Bihar now has got an opportunity to bowl along side Dale Steyn.

Another aspect of IPL which is fantastic is that it promotes innovation. Batsman are finding new methods to score runs faster. They are ready to try out shots which otherwise they would not have even dreamt of playing. In the process they have realized that the shot which actually seemed risky is not really a risky shot. The Dil-Scoop, the reverse lap shot (by AB Devilliers) are product of this innovation. The bowlers are innovating to reduce the flow of runs. The captains have realized that opening with a spinner is not as risky as it was perceived to be.

Evolution is the key in almost every aspect of life and it holds true in sport as well. Sport has to evolve with changing ages. IPL and T20 cricket are helping cricket evolve. In summary, IPL is great platform which gives an opportunity to everyone. Any initiative which increases the number of opportunities has to be supported wholeheartedly.

Corruption and allegations of match-fixing have marred the face of IPL lately. But that is no reason for us to discard IPL. Corruption is there is almost every walk of life. Any big undertaking which involves huge money is bound to have corruption. For instance, if there is a lot of corruption in a project for construction of road, does it mean that we discard the use of roads? No. We need to find solutions to the problem. That is the similar case with IPL. We need strict anti-corruption laws. Further, these laws have to strictly implemented.

I have read many purists writing that, IPL is not 'cricket'. Despite being an ardent fan of test cricket (In fact one of my blogs was about the beauty of Test Cricket: http://cricketadithya.blogspot.in/2012/04/why-do-i-love-test-cricket.html), I believe that it is really wrong to say that T20 cricket doesn't require skill. It requires a completely different set of skills. People may not required to leave a swinging ball outside the off-stump or sway away from a lethal bouncer. In T20, the players are required to be innovative with their short making. A result we have seen some spectacular shots which have been breathtaking. Fielding skills have to be brilliant and so has to be running between the wickets. We were able to see some unbelievable developments in the fielding department. The six saved by Steve Smith will always be etched in the memories of those who had seen it. The catch which involved Johan Botha and Rahane was a spectacle which had never been seen before.

There is another aspect of IPL which people have not liked. They say that it does not give time for a bowler to get settled and thus produce a great spell. It is true that in T20 we will not see 3 slips and two gullies. But, it is certainly not true that we do not see great spells. Few of Dale Steyn's and Morne Morkel's spells have been exhilarating to say the least. Some of the death bowling has been a treat to watch. Death-bowling is an an aspect which has come to cricket thanks to the shorter formats of the game. It is different from Test cricket, but a different genre of great bowling which is also worth appreciating.

I am also not fond of attributing India's disastrous performance in test matches to the IPL. India had lost the test matches because our famed batting lineup did not perform. These are not the IPL products and I am certain they are far too good to be effected by IPL. Ironically, the silver lining for India in the Australian tour was Virat Kohli - an IPL product.

Despite being a great fan of IPL, there are a few things in this IPL that have not particularly liked.  It is non-cricketing 'masala' that goes around this. I am not mere alluding to cheer-leaders in the game. That is not only the major problem I have, although I do believe the IPL is much better without them. My major concern is with the way the IPL is broadcasted.

My first issue is with the quality of the pre-match shows. I am afraid, the amount of cricket discussed in this program is really less compared to the other nonsense that goes around in the show. We firstly definitely do not need dancing girls in studio. The entire point of having a pre-match show is to have constructive discussion about the game. The prerequisite for a constructive discussion to take place is to have a good host. The pre-match show is neither a place to play a commentary-game or to promote a movie.

IPL as I have already mentioned is great platform to play the game of cricket. It is place to play some serious cricket. It is not a place for anything except that.

I am a big fan of IPL but only a fan of the cricketing aspect of the tournament. I strongly believe that IPL should divorce itself from anything that is non-cricketing. My point is if the IPL needs all the above non-cricketing stuff to survive, then I am afraid it is not good enough to stay.

Shiv and Chris: Two Contrasting Greats

The Test match season has begun in the UK and the IPL is about to conclude in the sub-continent. It has been a delight to see two West Indians in two different continents, playing two completely different forms of the same game in two completely contrasting styles. Shivnaraine Chadrapaul and Chris Gayle would arguably be the next best thing to Lara that West Indies have produced.

Both Shiv and Chris, would go down as two of the finest cricketers from the Caribbean. As a fan when you watch them, they both leave you awe-struck, though for completely different reasons. Gayle mesmerizes you with his brute force and power hitting and Shiv casts a magic spell which makes you forget when he had started batting in the innings. If Gayle is a bulldozer which can run over any bowling attack, Shiv is the slow-steady but more importantly a perpetual grinder which never stops. Nevertheless, they both inflict immense pain on the opposition bowlers. Shiv's exploits result in slow death and Gayle's result in a savage butchering.

The Maurader 

Chris Gayle has the ability to take the game away in a span of 15 minutes. He keeps you on the edge of your seat and makes six hitting look so incredibly easy. With Chris Gayle in a particular team, you just cannot rule that team out, whatever the target they may be chasing. Gayle is brutal, he massacares the opposition. Despite all this, one of the greatest aspects of his batting has been the consistency with which Gayle has demolished bowling attacks. Another great aspect about Gayle's batting has been the fact that there has been a lot of method to his batting. He has brought a lot of thought process to his batting. This has made life all the more difficult for the opposition bowlers. Right from the moment he has donned the Bangalore clothing, Gayle's batting has felt the opposition and spectators gaping. His century against Delhi at Feroz Shah Kotla in IPL-5 was the innings which is a testimony to the fact that there is a lot of thought process into his batting.

The Perpetual Grinder

Chanders has never known what it is to throw his wicket away. He doesn't blow the opposition away but slowly grinds them. He loves batting and he can do it all day. The concentration with which he bats is incredible. Nothing perturbs him. Even if wickets are falling at the others or if the runs are tied down, he continues to bat the way he knows the best. He has been an epitome of determination, tenacity and grit. He might not be the 'pleasing to they eye' kind of cricketer, but he is certainly one of the most effective. The problem for him has been the lack of support he has got from his other team mates.

Despite having such contrasting styles, Both Chanders and Gayle have a few things in common, barring the fact that they both are from the West Indies. They both are batsman with fantastic ability. Above all, lately the consistency with which both these batsman have batted has been fantastic. They have left the aficionados of the game awe-struck, not just with the number of runs they scored (and in Chris Gayle's case the manner in which he scored) but also how consistently they have been able to get these big scores albeit in completely different environments.

West Indies cricket is in crisis. There are so many problems which hindering the progress of cricket in West Indies. It is the need of the hour that two of the finest Caribbean  batsman of this decade play together for the West Indies and help it revive back. West Indies is really important for the cricketing world simply because of the unique brand of cricket they play and the atmosphere they create. It is really sad to see where the state of cricket has reached. With the contrasting styles of Chanders and Gayle, they could really complement each other well and help take West Indies back to the good old days

Gambhir: The forgotten hero?

I was watching the IPL game between the KKR and the RCB. Gautam Gambhir played one of his best T20 knocks. It was a yet another 90 from Gambhir. I was so wishing that Gambhir had got this century because I did not want it to be another of his forgotten knocks. Gambhir for me would remain one the most under appreciated cricketers in modern times.

In this post, I would like to throw light on two of the most crucial innings played by Gambhir, which I feel haven't been given the credit they deserved. Both these knocks came in the two World Cup finals which India had won. The 75 in the T20 World Cup and the 97 in the 2011 50 over World Cup.

The forgotten Innings of World T20

Whenever one talks about the T20 world cup win, the things that typically come to our mind are, Joginder Sharma's over, Sreesanth's catch, Irfan's Man of the Match performance, Misbah's innings and his scoop and also MS Dhoni's masterly move to give Joginder the over ahead of Harbhajan. All these played a very important role in shaping up a famous win. It is indeed true that Dhoni's captaincy was inspiring. It is true that Joginder kept his calm and it is also a fact that Irfan did bowl out of if skin. But despite all this, it is really unfair to forget the fact that it was Gautam Gambhir's innings that had set up the stage for these great things to happen. Gambhir was the architect of the stage where one of the greatest T20 games was played. On the day when the Indian batting failed Gautam Gambhir stood strong. India went into the game sans Sehwag which must have added extra pressure on Gambhir. Despite the losses around him, Gambhir crafted a crucial 75 of 54 deliveries. It was the day when all the T20 heroes had failed to deliver. Yuvraj, Uthappa, Pathan and Dhoni - They all had an off day with the bat. And coupled with this disaster was the fact that this was a World Cup Final. Imagine the pressure Gambhir must have played under. Under these extreme circumstances, Gambhir unearthed 75 priceless runs and allowed India to post a total which they could defend. Gambhir is surely one of the chief architects of the Indian T20 World Cup win. It was not just a 'useful contribution' as many reporters had put it as. It was one of the most important constituents of the win.

Gambhir missed a magical century just by 3 runs

In the 50 over World Cup final Gambhir played another magical inning. When you are chasing 270 odd and the team 30 odd of 2 and when it is a World Cup Final, you are playing under immense pressure. Gautam Gambhir skillfully absorbed all the pressure and crafted a magnificent 97 runs. Each of those 97 runs had come under extreme pressure. It is a pity that Gambhir did not get the honour of a hundred in a World Cup Final which he truly deserved. It is also a pity that his innings was overshadowed by more swashbuckling innings by MSD. Not taking any credit away from Dhoni and his bold decision to come up the order, but yet again it was Gambhir's innings that allowed Dhoni to free his arms. Yet again, Gambhir had constructed the stage and Dhoni revelled on it. Despite that fact that it was fantastic innings by MS, it would not be unfair to say that, unlike Gambhir's innings fifty percent of those runs had come when the pressure was off. That is why I rate Gambhir's innings a few notches above Dhoni's.

 Time and again Gambhir has shown his great ability to handle pressure and carve great innings' under extreme pressures in games of high importance. Gambhir may not have the artistic touch to his game. He also does not have the power-hitting touch to his game. But he undoubtedly has a lot of guts and tremendous ability to play under the most difficult of circumstances.Whether you talk about his exploits in the two World Cup finals or his match-saving innings at Napier, he has always been an epitome of guts and determination. Gambhir is very similar to Shiv Chanderpaul, probably Gambhir's cricket is less ugly than Shiv's. But both of them have a very similar approach to the game - 'It is not about how you get those runs but how many you get'. He may nudge the ball here and there and defend awkwardly but Gambhir will never throw his wicket away. It has to be always earned by the bowlers. There may not be many who would pay to watch Gambhir bat, but in a difficult situation, most people would put their money on Gautam Gambhir.

It is important that Gambhir is recognised as one of the true heroes of modern cricket. He is one of the rare breeds who plays all the three formats of the game equally well. Gambhir deserves far more recognition than what he gets.

The two Rs of the Rajasthan Royals (RR)

After the disappointing IPL 4, I have found IPL 5 thoroughly entertaining. The quality of cricket has been amazing. A lot of swashbuckling innings, players innovating with different shots has been the order of the day. Among all this carnage and flamboyance there lies an opening combination in the Rajasthan Royals's, which brings sanity back to the IPL. I would like to call them the 2 Rs : Rahul and Rahane. In this edition of IPL, the Rahul-Rahane combination as by far been the most enjoyable to watch. They do not bludgeon the ball. They are not cruel to the cricket ball, the just caress the ball gently.  They treat the ball with so much grace. Without being brutal they have given some excellent starts to their team.

The Shishya getting the reward from his Guru

Rahane has shown what a prospect he can be for the future. His ability to score at a fantastic rate without slogging has been a treat to watch. He seems to have all the ingredients to be the face of the Indian batting in the future. His six over extra cover against Muralitharan was testimony for his ability. It is too early to say anything about Ajinkya, but one thing is assured - There are exciting times in ahead in his career and in Indian Cricket.

Dravid on the other hand, has shown his fantastic ability to adapt to the shortest format of the game. Dravid has never been a natural limited over player. He can rarely be associated with playing cameos. For a player like him to adapt to T20 cricket is amazing. The way he has played is an inspiration everyone. He is yet again shown that not being blessed with natural ability should never be a hindrance for achieving success. In fact Dravid never needed to be good at T20. With his fantastic Test record, he could have easily snubbed the format and said, 'That is not my cup of tea'. But again, here was vintage Rahul - Willingness to learn and improve even after such an illustrious career.

It is a very interesting combination that exists. While one is the emerging face of Indian cricket the other is the beautiful past of the same. It is a perfect amalgamation of the past with the future. While Rahane is trying to learn all the new tricks of the trade the other is a veteran ready to pass on all the knowledge. For an emerging cricketer like Rahane he could not have asked for a better captain and an opening partner. As Harsha Bhogle said in one of his video blogs, there exists a kind of Guru-Shishya relationship between the two.

This is the beauty of the IPL. It allows combinations like these. Where else could Ajinkya Rahane would have got an opportunity to open with Rahul Dravid. After this tournament, Rahane can come out absorbed in the knowledge he gained from his mentor Rahul Dravid.

I am not raising my hopes or expectations, but I would be keenly watching the growth of Ajinkya Rahane. And must confess, in some corner of heart I do imagine him becoming the next big thing in Indian cricket.
 

Micheal Clarke: The Bridge Between the Old and the New

While we in the sub-continent have been healing all our wounds of Test Match losses abroad with the greatest panacea - "The IPL", Bridgetown Barbados witnessed one of the great Test Matches. In one of my previous post, I had described why I find Test Cricket a such an intriguing sport. This test match at Barbados proved testimonial to my claims. Until probably the end of day 3 it always seemed like this game would go down as a dull high scoring draw. But Test Cricket has a habit of springing in great surprises. This game went down to a final session thriller. Under fading light, Australia scripted an amazing victory.

Great Test Matches are won not merely by great skill, but by an amalgamation of skill and insight towards the game. In this game, Clarke showed his great ability as a leader and the way he thought about the game. It was so refreshing to see Clarke not scared of losing. The fight put up by the Australian lower order, the decision to declare with 40 odd runs behind, the fiery spell by Hilfenhaus, Warner's blitz all played a part in scripting a famous and memorable test.

 Suddenly, after the retirement of the Aussie legends who shaped the team in the first decade the Australian team slacked down. The team of the early 2000s, never knew what it meant to play for a draw. They believed that every game could be won. It was this attitude in the team, which made them such a great unit to watch. 2006 Adelaide Test at the Ashes was a prime example. Despite the drubbing England gave in the first innings, Australia played to win. Shane Warne spun the web in the second innings and Australia was a part of an unlikely victory. At that time Micheal Clarke was still a very young guy in the team- still learning various tricks of the trade. As Clarke himself said that it was from the Adelaide Test that he derived inspiration to win this game.

Australian Cricket has traditionally always stood for ruthlessness and the willingness to win at all cost. Winning in Australia has always been the benchmark against which other teams compared each other. After the depletion of the great unit of the early 2000s, when it seemed that those qualities which defined Aussie cricket would slowly die off, the arrival of Clarke as a captain comes a great relief for the fans in Australia. Micheal Clarke seems to have all the ingredients to be the bridge between the Australian team of yesteryears and the current team. This win at Barbados might have the same impact on the relatively new caps in the Australian line-up like David Warner, Ed Cowan, Mathew Wade, Hilfenhaus etc. as the Adelaide Test would have had on him. These cricketers will now understand what that winning is having no fear of losing. Micheal Clarke's decision to declare with a deficit was a brave and a smart move. It also re-signified the beauty of Test Cricket. It is sometimes like an on-field chess game. You may have to lose a few pawns and maybe also the queen to protect the king. After this win, Clarke has shown that the dynamic and pro-active captain he is. Cricket Australia can be assured that Australian cricket is in safe hands.

I am in no way saying that, this team would again be the near-invincible like that in the first decade of the 21st century. Such teams are formed by convolution of rare abilities at a single time. Such teams are formed only once in a generation. To expect this team to be like that is unfair. What I hope is that Clarke passes on the 'win at all cost' attitude to this team. I hope he retains the image of Australia as one tough nut to crack and teams overseas should still take pride in beating Australia in Australia.

The Beauty and the Beast with in Rohit!

An IPL game between the Mumbai Indians and the Deccan Chargers went down to the wire with 19 required off the last over. And there was Rohit Sharma, with his magical touch taking Mumbai home to an unlikely victory. There is no doubt Rohit Sharma is one of the most talented youngsters in Indian Cricket. Here and then he has shown glimpses of a great player that he can be. He plays strokes which make you say, 'wow' with awe and admiration. Sharma has a lazy elegance about him, which makes his batting so special to watch.  He is kind of player who makes things look so simple but does convince you that in no way can you bat like him.

With his special knocks, Rohit has shown what he can be

Rohit Sharma is a kind of batsman, who can adjust to different circumstances. He has the ability to hang in there and work his way out during tough times. Extra bounce doesn't trouble him. Nor does extra spin. He can play all the strokes in the book with amazing style. He surely has the ability to be permanent in the Indian Test team. Not only does he have the ability to be a great test player he can be one of the most dangerous limited over players. He is a rare breed who has the ability to both build the innings and also to destroy the oppositions with great stroke play.  As he has shown on so many occasions he can score runs at an amazing pace and yet not slog the ball once. When a batsman plays that brand of cricket he is the most ominous. He doesn't give you enough chances but scores at a blistering pace.

Rohit has shown us the batsman he can be. He has shown that he can be the next big thing in Indian Cricket. The unfortunate part about all the praise for him so far is that it is always what he can be that we are talking about. I feel he has been at this level for far too long. If he stays on this longer, from what he can be articles will be written about what he could have been. It is about time that Rohit becomes the batsman he is meant to be. There are so many occasions when one gets the feeling that Rohit's batting lacks the intent which is required. There have been numerous times when he has given away his wicket without much fight. CB Series was a great opportunity for him to make the number 4 place in ODIs his very own. Unfortunately for Rohit, his performance was far from being impressive. He had one outstanding home series against West Indies but did not follow it up with any such performance. Opportunities have been abundant for Rohit. And I am certain, with his talent, there are many more chances for him coming.

Rohit Sharma stands at the danger of just being the shadow of the player he could have been. He needs to rise above that. With the retirement of senior players looming more doors open for the likes of Sharma to make it to the Test level. People believe that very soon Rohit Sharma would be a regular in the Indian outfit. For that to happen, Sharma needs to add consistency to his armoury.

Greatness is never about the talent one possess. Talent dazzles us. It catches our at the first short but doesn't demand a place where it can be etched in the minds. It doesn't demand a place in the pages of history. It only has the potential to make all that happen. Rohit Sharma should make himself a part of history.

Why do I love Test Cricket?

We are in the age where even the time measured in nanoseconds can be made more accurate. We are in the age of changing technology, where everything is getting faster than ever. Communication, travel and in fact everything now is much faster. In this fast age, there still exists a sport, which lasts for 5 days. And, at the end of 5 days, it is not guaranteed that we have a result to the game. And I must be crazy to be in love with this sport - Test Match Cricket. It is an irony that I might get frustrated if my pizza takes more than 30 minutes to come, but Test Cricket still intrigues me and still keeps on the edge of my seat.

The first tied Test Match

I have often pondered, what is so charismatic about Test Matches that makes me watch it with so much intrigue and interest. The reason I love test cricket so much is maybe due to the fact that it is probably a very unique sport. It is indeed true that at the outset it may seem as a boring dull sport. 11 men standing on the field for  7 hours a day over a period of five days might seem a boring prospect when you hear about the game for the first time. The more one starts knowing the game, opinions are sure to change. Once you understand the game fully, it is very unlikely that you do not fall in love with the game. As an avid follower of Test Match cricket, I can say that is one of the most beautiful games and it still finds a place in this fast moving world.

Test Cricket is probably the only sport where in between the game you get time to think and plan for next day. It allows time to regather your thoughts and change plans and come up with new strategies.  It almost stimulates a war, you play in the day and come back at dusk. In cricket, though, everyone is alive to play the next day. So many times a team has a torrid day on the field. Test Cricket gives you a chance to learn from your mistake and come back the next day with a completely different strategy and hope to win the day. In the same day, it incorporates breaks after sessions, which again may be really important to plan the game out.  It is a sport, which allows the players to think and re-think their strategies. It is a sport which always allows you to come back. It is a sport where strategies and skill converge. Both are essential entities of the game.

Test Cricket at West Indies

Test Cricket also stimulates life as such. One bad day on the field doesn't mean you lose the game. Like life, Test Cricket always gives the team a lot of time to think and crawl their way back into the game and probably even win the game. It allows time to learn from the mistakes made and tests whether one can rectify them. A great day on the field does not mean you can win the game. The same intensity has to be maintained for five consecutive days. Courage is one the most important elements of test match cricket. There are moments in the game when it is not the most skilful but the one who is most courageous who prevails. They say life is a marathon, not a sprint. So is test match cricket. It is not won or lost in a session.

Test Cricket is not won or lost in a session as Laxman as Dravid showed in the famous Kolkata Test

It is also a unique sport where weather conditions affect the game to a great extent. The captain has to change is plans with the changing weather. A cloudy day would call for the quicker bowlers to bowl. If the sun is out and he sees the pitch wearing he could get the spinners on. Or he could still persist with the seamers hoping for the ball to reverse. Overnight rain effects the run-scoring rate as the outfield might be wet. Like life, there are so many things which are way beyond control that effect the game. Teams need to fight all this to win a game. There are moments in the game, where one could be intimidated by sledging or by mind games and thus can be lured into playing the way he may not usually do. It tests the courage, the determination and the concentration levels to the highest degree.

It is only in test matches that we can get some beautiful moments in between the game. Say a day ends with both the teams having an even chance on the final day. Or a young batsman stranded on 99 at the end of the days play waiting to score his maiden hundred. The jitters one gets the night before, those sleepless nights filled with excitement and anticipation in between the game is the beauty which test matches provide. In no other sport can one get the moments like this while the game is in progress.

It is a sport which includes so much of variety. Playing on a turning track is entirely different from playing on a bouncy surface or a seaming track. Each country has its unique brand of the game. A game played in England is so different from one played in India.  If it is the swing in England it is the spin in India. If it the bounce in Australia, it is the spungy turn in Sri Lanka. In the West Indies, they have quick wickets in Barbados and batting paradise in Antigua. Pakistan is the paradise for Batsman while South Africa is bowler's paradise. There are so many facets to the same sport. The same sport looks so different when it is played in different parts of the world.  For instance, the Indians are invincible when they play at home, but when they play the same sport in England or Australia they look a completely different unit! In which other sport can one find so much of variety.

People who have played test cricket hail it the biggest test for a cricketer. Once you contemplate, you realise that winning a test match requires an entire package. It is definitely one of the most unique sports which brings to test way beyond the skill part.Once you have understood the game, there is no doubt you will fall in love with this great sport which reflects all the vicissitudes life. It is not a sport that will entertain you all the time, but a sport which will make you think at almost every moment. There is a small caveat, though, the game should be played between two really competitive teams. Otherwise, it will turn into nothing but a dull boring one sided game with no meaning.

Bravo, Bangladesh!

For the last one week cricket has been exciting. A week back, I had written a post where I had said that, this edition of Asia Cup will have no meaning unless Bangladesh do something special. Bangladesh have indeed brought life and meaning to this edition of Asia Cup. I hope history will remember the 2012 Asia Cup as the tournament that gave birth to a competitive Bangladesh. I hope the entire Bangladesh will celebrate this edition of Asia Cup as their first real step into becoming a proper cricket playing nation. People of Bangladesh who saw this tournament should tell stories to their grand chidren of a hero called Mushiqur Rahim, who shed tears on loosing a famous final. Years from now, they should talk about Sakib al Hasan whose journey into becoming the greatest ODI all-rounder began in Asia Cup 2012.

Bangladesh have always been a side, which look to threaten the opposition for a while and then they revert back to their normal self of being the minnows. A great opening start would be followed a staggering middle order collapse. They only used to give a scare to the oppositions which lasted for a very short period of time. They did win a few games, but each victory was followed by a dry spell. Whether it was Pakistan in 1999 or Australia at Cardiff or India in the home series and the 2007 WC, each of these victories did not follow up with any significant performance.

Probably after NZ whitewash this tournament is the biggest Bangladesh have achieved. They have competed at the same level in 4 different games against 3 different teams and won two of those games. At no point in the tournament they looked like a side that could be written off. Every time, they could like some other team coming in disguise as Bangladesh.

So, have Bangladesh risen to the peak we all had always hoped for? Or is it yet another spark which they have shown but is likely to go away. I do feel their home performance has been really good in the past one year. They did pull off a win against England at WC and have had really memorable Asia Cup.

Where does Bangladesh go from here? They are yet to be tested when they bat first. We still do not know if their batsman can set totals and whether the bowlers can defend them. They are yet to compete abroad. There is still a long way to go for them to become a very good cricketing nation. But, these baby steps taken by Bangladesh are very encouraging and I am pretty sure, there would be any eye-balls closely   following Bangladeshi cricket.