Preserving Test Cricket: Just reduce the number of games

Future of cricket is one of the hot topics being discussed in almost all cricketing forums. People are wondering if Test Cricket will survive, will ODIs be the scrape goat, will city versus city be the order of the day in the future. Gaurav Kalra, CNN IBN sports editor had come to Amrita University for a TEDx talk. He believes that ODI cricket would eventually die leaving only two formats of the game: one the limited overs and the other unlimited overs. He also favored bringing in various innovations to spice up the longer version of the game. 

All the cricket purists and the lovers of the game are really concerned about preserving Test Match cricket. There has been a lot of talk by various experts including Gaurav Kalra in his TEDx talk about getting night cricket, cricket with pink balls, tweaking with the format etc. to draw crowds. I will make bold statement here. I believe that all these innovations would play a very small role in increasing the following of the game. It may result in a sudden rise in viewership, but soon games with these innovations would become a routine and the viewership would be back to square one.

Getting a ticket for a match at the Eden Gardens was a prestige issue

Eden with empty seats was unheard of. Signs of spectator-burnout 

I am a firm believer that cricket viewership (at least in India) has gone down recently not because, the fan now finds the game boring or finds less spice in the game. I am also convinced that modern day test cricket has all the required spice to pull crowds.  The viewership has gone down for the simple reason that the fan now has had just too much of cricket. I have been an avid cricket follower for the past 12-14 years. Let me rewind my cricket viewing days to around 5 to 10 years back. Despite the fact that it was still a busy cricketing schedule, there were relatively long breaks in between the series. When an ardent follower of the game picked up the itinerary, one could see that there would have been a 2 to 3 month game before India played their next test or ODI. Since nations did not play each other as often as they do now, it created an excitement and the wait for the series. There used to be a long build up to the tournament. There would be pre-tournament air flowing. The devoted fans would be discussing the squad and playing XI weeks before the first ball was bowled. As the moment arrived every ardent follower switched on his/her TV sets with excitement to view the game. Since there was so much talk about the game before it was played getting a match ticket was a prestige. Thus, almost every game was played in front of a full house. 

Now things have changed dramatically. We get cricket almost everyday. Let me just go through the year 2011. India had an extra-ordinary World Cup.The fact that India had actually won the WC had barely sunk in that the IPL began. This IPL thus was not an event which the Indian fan had waited for. There were no discussions even among the devoted fans about this event. There was no time for all that to happen. Fans were still busy savoring the World Cup success that they were dumped in with the IPL.  So, the IPL just came and went. It met with a cold response. India then flew to West Indies for a low-key series and right after that we went to England. We got battered in England and as we came back, England came to India to play a 5 day ODI tournament. Then West Indies came to India to play 3 tests and 5 ODIs. Just as this tournament concluded, India flew to Australia and they are still there.That is how jam-packed the schedule is. None of these tournaments had a build up which could transform into a better viewership. Everything happened so fast that the fan barely remembers what happened in a series 2 months back.

There were concerns raised when the Eden Gardens was not even half full for an India West Indies test match. It really did not surprise me. It was the second time India were playing a series against West Indies in the same year. How could this excite anyone to turn up. There were concerns about low crowds in the India England ODIs. In India, ODIs were always a sell-out. Again empty stands this time around did not surprise me. Why would a fan invest his time to see India play again right after he has seen them play against the same opponents for 2 months.

The ongoing India-Australia games have had good following and viewership. Despite the schedule being packed, this was a marquee series and everyone was waiting for it. The hype of the Boxing-Day test match and the fact that this was being considered one chance for India to win down under (Though it is ironical that India were thrashed). If cricket was not played that often, every series would have had a similar hype. Every series and game would have a meaning and a context associated with it. It is essential in the interest of the game that tournaments which do not have much context like the West-Indies tour of India or the India-England ODI tournament are weeded out.

There is a deluge of cricket matches and so much so that, one could almost loose a track of which tournament is currently going on. After watching 100 matches in a year it is really hard for the fan to get excited about the 101st match. When there is so much cricket going on the stakes associated with each game go also down considerably, which contributes to the poor following of the game. Spectators want to watch a game which has a high value associated with it. They want to view a series where the stakes are high. When the game comes everyday fans simply looses interest in it.

I remember the wait that always preceded these big tours like that of Australia or England a few years back. It was this wait for the tournaments to begin that made them special. But, now we do not have any time to wait.  The entire year is so packed with cricket matches that the fan is never starved for the game. Fans need to be starved for cricket before they actually fed with it. That is will make the game special so that he can savor it. As it is with great cuisines, if they are eaten everyday they loose their charm. No matter what innovations you bring in, if you keep having the same thing it eventually becomes boring. What we need is giving a long breaks between tournaments. There needs to be a dry spell with no cricket at all. The fatigue concerns not just the players but the spectators as well and if the trend continues it may well result in a spectator burn-out. 

Any opinions, disagreements, comments etc. are welcome.

India versus Australia: Postmortem

I had decided not to write the match reports at the end of the days play during the Adelaide Test match. The reason was there was nothing special happening. It was always the same old story. The Australians capitalizing on an inept Indian bowling followed by the star studded batting line up falling apart was the order of the day. 4-0 was not a surprise and now India have been white washed twice in a row on an overseas tour. It is now worth introspecting what exactly went wrong. Why is it that team which looks so capable on paper so meekly submitted without much fight?

Dead and buried

When India had risen to a peak in test match cricket, their strength lied in their batting. For the past two series their biggest strength has now become the weakest link. In the 16 innings India batted in England and Australia, India scored above 300 just once. That too came in the second innings at Sydney when the lower order batsman were swinging the bat at everything.  In the entire tour, the batting kept failing but the line up remained unchanged. They did not even tweak with the batting positions. After the touch Kohli showed in first innings at Sydney it would have been worth swapping his batting position with Rahul Dravid. It is difficult to understand, why the management kept persisting with Dravid at 3 despite his continuous failures. Not once did he look assured in the crease. India were not bold enough in the series to try something new.

Melbourne did not begin that badly. India were always in the game till the morning of the 4th day. But owing to some woeful field placements and defensive leadership India allowed the the number 9, 10 and 11 to extend the lead to 291. After the 2nd innings batting failure at the MCG, which was followed by another collapse at SCG, it seemed as if the Indians got psyched out. At no point did the 11 members taking the field believed that they could win. Over the years, Indian team has grown to be a bold confident side. But, this time around it reminded me of the India in 1990s where an overseas tour was mere formality to turn up and loose. Whether it was picking a seamer ahead of Ashwin in Perth or getting completely lost when Warner went all guns blazing or constantly getting into a shell while batting, this Indian team did not have the courage.

Courage, self-confidence and the will to fight at every moment and give it back at every moment were pillars on which the success of the Indian team was built in the last one decade. India had the courage to bat first on a green track at Leeds under Ganguly. The team had the will to bounce back after the acrimonious Sydney test and win at Perth under Kumble. The team believed that any target could be chased down and any total could be defended. However big the loss would be India had the ability to put it behind them and start fresh. This time around, the very pillars on which the success of the team rested have cracked and cracked badly. This team did not show the intent and will to look at the opponent face to face and give it back. An aging batting line up, however skilled it may be, lack of confidence, loss of reflexes and great bowling attack to face are the perfect ingredients for the battering India received.

Now things have to change. It is about time we move on from the star concept in our side. It is time we re-build a new side. I am not necessarily calling for a new captain, but the fresh legs in the batting line up is need of the hour. Kohli's resilience in the later half of the series is a testimony to the fact that the young blood are ready for the cricket in white clothing.

As far as the bowling is concerned, India still have worries with regard to inconsistency. But this is not a new problem. It will really hard to unearth a lethal and consistent quick bowling attack. R Ashwin has been a real positive. He has the heart to come back even after being slaughtered. His batting also adds a lot of value to the team.

Indian test team has a long way to go. It will take some visionary selection and management to get India out of this hole and make them breathe fresh air of victory once again.

Adelaide Test: Preview

Indians have now come to Adelaide, depleted both in confidence and players. MS Dhoni has been banned for this test match owing to poor over rate which would mean W Saha would be the stumper and Sehwag would be leading the side. The encouraging factor for India would be the pitch at the Adelaide Oval. It is a kind of surface, the Indian batsman would enjoy batting on. It is also expected to turn on day 4 and 5 which would get the spinners interested.

R Ashwin would definitely be back in playing XI which would mean the Vinay Kumar would be left out. It would interesting to see if India on in with 2 spinners leaving Ishant Sharma out. Though Sharma has bowled well in patches, he failed to bowl the good balls consistently. It may worth giving Ojha a game. Being a left arm bowler he adds variety to the Indian attack.

There was a lot of talk about Rohit Sharma getting a game ahead of Laxman, but that seems highly unlikely. Nevertheless, this could be the last time we see Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman bat in an international match. Both these batsmen have struggled a lot to get going in this series and there has been a lot of talk of age getting to them. This match in all likelihood will bring an end to an era of the great Indian batting unit. Like all great things, even this batting unit seems to have passed it's 'used by' date. The way Tendulkar is going, we may have just a little bit more cricket from him. But, after this game, it is time for a complete transformation of this test team.

The pitch in Adelaide will provide the great Indian middle order with a great chance to finish on a high. Indians have traditionally played well at this venue and they would be hoping to finish this test series on a positive note. They should be looking bat really long and regain the lost confidence.

The Indian bowling will once again rely heavily on Zaheer Khan. He has been the spearhead for quite some time now. The heartening thing is he about to complete an overseas tour without breaking down. The Indian management would really pleased with this effort. Ashwin will have a very important role in this game. It is really important that he understands his role well. The dilemma of whether to attack or contain is the worst situation for any bowler to be in. He should ideally be thinking to pick wickets. Though he has had a rather poor series with the ball, this is an opportunity for him end this tour on a high.

It is really important that Ashwin bowls well. With his batting, he is able to provide great depth in the Indian line up. If he can show that he can bowl on overseas surfaces, then he would be a great asset for the Indian team.

As far as Australia is concerned, their bowling has been their greatest strength. They cannot have the 4 fast bowler strategy at the Adelaide Oval. Their worry would be Nathan Lyon. Adelaide is kind of a place where Australia will need him to tie things down when a partnership is going on. Lyon has had a pretty ordinary series so far. He would itching to turn it around in this game. With Lyon coming in, Stark will have to sit out.

David Warner would be looking to carry his form into Adelaide. He is the kind of player who can who can give sleepless nights to the opposition's skipper. Adelaide's great batting conditions should be a very good opportunity for Shaun Marsh to find his form. Rest of the middle order for Australia has been among runs and they would not worried about it. Haddin's glovework improved from Sydney to Perth. But Perth is a paradise for keepers. Wicket-keepers are not really tested at Perth.

When a team is in winning ways, the players not performing get an extended run. Haddin has been the beneficiary of this policy adopted during this series. He would be hoping to use Adelaide as an opportunity to make some essential runs for the team.

Overall, the odds are highly in favour of Australia. India needs to mentally lift themselves up completely to put up a good show.

An Index for Finding the Effectiveness of a Batsman

I have been working under cricinfo developing a statistical index for calculating the effectiveness of a batsman and facilitate comparison between eras. The following images show the work done. Any suggestions or opinions are welcome as comments.

Please click on the following images to read the content. (You may have to zoom in even after clicking)

England, your test begins now!

English cricket has seen a remarkable rise in past two to three years. From a weak, timid side they have transformed into a ferocious and a ruthless unit. I was looking at some statistics. These statistics reinforced the dominance of England in past few years. In the past three years, England has played 35 matches and have won 18 of them and lost just 6 games. English team has great mix with enormous depth in the fast bowling unit. They have found a solid opening pair to whether the new ball and also a decent middle order. They have also found a very good off-spinner - a species which is very rare in England. With Swan, England get a great balance. Even the famous team under Vaughan had a spinner in the form of Giles, whose role was merely to contain. But now they have a spinner who can get the very best into trouble.

But if one looks at the statistics more carefully, one would find that, England have played 18 of the 35 test matches at home and have won 14 of them.  3 of the wins came in the Australia during the famous Ashes win and 1 in South Africa. All the wins in the past few years have come in conditions favorable for the faster bowlers.I am not trying to take the sheen away from the growth of England but they have not yet been tested in conditions which they do not enjoy very much. They are yet to win in the sub-continent. The hammering they received at the hands of Pakistan opens up the question if England can be the same dominating force in a place where the conditions are exactly opposite to what they find back home in the UK.

England find themselves in a juncture very similar to what the Indians found themselves last summer, just before their tour of England. India had come to England with a couple of 2-0 victories against Australia 1-1 against South Africa at home and away, victories against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka and in the West Indies. England was the first real test and they failed miserably and the slide carried forward to Australia. England would be wary not fall into the same trap as India did.

Playing spin would be the biggest test for the English batsmen

Clearly, England have been fantastic in conditions which assist fast bowling. Their pace attack has a lot of depth and have found a great mix in the team which makes them a near-invincible unit. But, for the first time in quite sometime they are put in a very alien place. The English batsman have real tough task ahead of them- that is to play the spinning ball. Their batsmen are not used to the ball turning square, keeping low and 3-5 men around the bat making life even more uncomfortable. They need to figure out which ball spins, which does not and which one goes the other way. Spin at both ends with men around the bat on wearing pitch is the dish England have not tasted lately and it will be interesting to see how they react to it.

While playing Pakistan, their bowling will not tested to the same extent as their batting owing to the fact that the Pakistani batting is still very fragile. But if they come to India the test would be bigger. Suresh Raina would look a completely different batsman in India and Anderson will not get that vicious movement. Even Shane Warne did not make a huge impression in India, and Swan may not either.

England have a huge test in front of them. For this team Asia is the place where they are yet to stamp their foot and leave a mark. Will this English turn around and stamp its authority in Dubai or will they succumb to spinning ball?

One thing is assured. England would be one of the closely watched teams in the cricketing fraternity. Everyone would be looking forward to see if they can translate their dominance at home to the sub-continent. A huge test lies ahead of England and the question everyone is asking is will England conquer the 'Final Frontier'?

Don't blame the IPL now!

After the humiliating loss for India at the Perth Test, reactions have started pouring in. Many former players like Micheal Vaughan and Bishen Singh Bedi seem to blame the IPL for the slide in Indian Cricket.

I am pretty certain, I will disagree to it. On the contrary, I believe that IPL will help Test Cricket grow and survive. The purists see the IPL as the manifestation of this rich monster called BCCI, which would eventually kill the game's purest version. But far from being the monster, it may well be the panacea for many of the woes of test match cricket.

India loosing abroad is not new. In fact India spent the entire decade of the 1990s without a single test match win overseas. India went, lost, came back and then forgot. There was no IPL then. So, suddenly these defeats cannot be attributed to the IPL. Before we start pointing our fingers to the IPL, it is worth looking at all the good it has done.

IPL is a huge platform where everyone gets to showcase their talents. From playing Ranji cricket in front of empty stands suddenly these young Indians are moved to packed stadiums. All of a sudden they start playing along side the best in the world.

 Let us also not forget that it is courtesy IPL that we have players like David Warner are coming up. It is this new and exciting brand of cricket that will keep test match cricket in great health. Warner has showed that success in T20 format can be translated into Test Match cricket as well. Traditionally opening in test match cricket meant that one had be technically exact with the book. Openers were expected to score not more than two and half runs an over. They were expected to bat long and take the shine away from the new ball. With the advent of players like Sehwag, Warner, Dilshan and Watson there is transition to the openers being the game makers. They now make use of the new ball by crunching it t different parts of the ground. Now they make use of attacking fields and hit over the top. This radically new approach to cricket would have never come to being if we did not have shorter versions of the game.

 Cricket is unique sport which is played in three different formats and each one of them helps the other in improving the cricketing standards. For instance ODI cricket brought speed into test match cricket and we started getting more and more games with results. Similarly, T20 and IPL are likely to benefit improve the other two forms of the game.

Indian cricket has also benefited from IPL. It was here in IPL that Suresh Raina got back into form. India unearthed Ravichandran Ashwin from IPL. Rahul Sharma who has not yet made a mark in international cricket but who seems to have the potential is an IPL product.  Players like Irfan Pathan get a chance to come back because of this tournament. Ravindra Jadeja who has real future in the Indian team was also spotted in the IPL. IPL is a format where the young Indian players, who would never have been noticed get a chance to rub shoulders with the legends of them. They get to compete with them. They get a stage where playing well would leave a huge impression. I am pretty sure, IPL has done more good than bad to cricket and Indian cricket in particular.

IPL allows players from Netherlands (like Ryan Ten Doeschate) to play at big stage get recognized. Such, opportunities for these talented players from non-test playing nations do not come easily. If  Ryan Ten Doeschate can take his game to a new level in IPL, it will encourage the other young talents from Holland to take the game seriously. This could be the stepping stone to spread cricket around the world.  Surely, we cannot take a 5-day match around the world. It is this shortest format, which can get people into cricket. Once, they are into the T20 cricket we can hope that the interest percolates into test matches as well.

IPL in the long run has some great things to offer. At the same time there could some aspects which may not be so good for cricket. For instance it may allow the wounds of defeat in test match cricket heal far too early. But, that does not mean we throw it out of the window. We need to find a way to work with it such that we can reap all the benefits of IPL and yet not loose anything from it.

Perth Test: Day 3

After the 4-0 loss in England, one must have felt that this was the lowest ebb, Indian team could go to and there was only uphill from here. But in Australia India have continued their woeful form overseas and have gone further down.

Just over 7 sessions is what it took for Australia to maul the Indians and take a 3-0 lead in the series. Before the series began Australia were the side which had issues to be sorted out. This was considered one big opportunity for India to finally win a series down under. Many even considered India to be favorites coming into the series. Far from being able to win here, India have failed to compete in this series except for the first 3 days at the MCG. In fact, India have failed to recover from 4th Day collapse at MCG and it has been downhill since then.

After being 88/4 at stumps, a miraculous effort was required if India had to fancy any chances in the game. Dravid and Kohli batted solidly for the first one hour before Rahul Dravid was yet again bowled in this series. Now, he has got bowled the maximum number of times in the history of Test Match cricket. After the fall of Rahul Dravid, the rest of the Indian batting collapsed within 36 runs. MS Dhoni failed yet again to make an impression on foreign soil. He was caught in the slips by Ricky Ponting.

After the Lunch break, Hilfenhous picked up 3 wickets in the same over, reducing India to 171/9. In the very next over Siddle dismissed Kohli and with it sealing the series 3-0.

The only positive for India has been Virat Kohli. He has showen real skill and ability at the Test level. He has also justified the long run given to him by the team management. I have no doubt, he would be turn out to be a fantastic test match player.

Umesh Yadav is another positive from this game. He seems to have all the ingredients to be a very effective fast bowler. But, the worry is in the recent past there have been so many Indian fast bowlers who after showing some promise have gone into wilderness. One should hope that Yadav does not fall into that trap and he should become the bowler he deserves to be.

Like every time, the question is 'what now?' Clearly, changes are required in the side. I am certain Rohit Sharma would get a game ahead of Laxman. Kohli may bat at 3 and Dravid may go down the order. I also expect Adelaide to be Rahul Dravid's last test match. I also believe that Perth would in all probability be Laxman's last test match.

Indian management have a lot of thinking to do. There is great pool of young and talented Indian batsmen. By not giving them an opportunity we are letting that talent go waste. They have to be harnessed and modeled into great batsman.