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