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.