Ponting and Tests need to fire

Sorry that it’s taken an eternity for this post to finally be up, but I believe fate and a hammerhead yak have conspired against me.

I was absent, for Cardus was in Wankhede recently pretty much demanding a little known Mr. Tendulkar to score a 100 runs along with about 32,999 other Indians. When this did not happen, they too blamed the fates and a hammerhead yak for having conspired against the man and stopping him from getting a 100^th international century, a feat so elusive it has yet to occur in the known history of space and time. Thus, if he were to get those six measly runs, this would make the occasion as rare as the Big Bang and the creation of life.

But that was last week, when my word puncher and electricity would not let me reach out to you. This week carries a different agenda. As you may have noticed, Test Cricket has become edge of the seat stuff again, with the series of South Africa Vs. Australia and the last match of a dead rubber between India and the West Indies providing close finishes. One must remark that this only happened as the bowlers were able to battle it out on even terms with batsmen again and look how much joy that has brought. Thus, it can only be hoped that the series between Australia and their Tasman rivals can keep the momentum going and put bums on seats. This needs to keep the interest levels high for what must be the main event of the Australian summer, a clash of no.2 Vs no.4 (doesn’t say much considering there are only 10 ranked teams, but still).

But the more immediate question on everyone’s minds must be whether this is Ricky Ponting’s last summer in International colours. In a game now consisting of players with new age sensibilities and well moisturized profiles, his steely glare, iron jaw and constant scowl are a throwback to the days when cricket was a sport played by unpleasant, sweat encased, bearded men. And surely, even though it has been predicted for a long time coming, seeing this man walk in to the sunset would be more bitter than sweet.

This is where cricket is not just a sport but a dramatic rendition of those in the spotlight.The series, which starts tomorrow, would be followed by cricket enthusiasts over the world not for a 100^th hundred, but for an emotional glimpse into what could be the final days of a batsman, who in his prime, was second to none.

FOUR DAYS OF DESPAIR, ONE OF JOY!

Just when the fading glow of hope started to vanish completely, there was an unexpected flicker which gave many a reason to believe that Test Cricket has many more innings to come. The third test between India and WI’s was turning out to be a lifeless event, till fifth day came to the rescue and what a day it turned out to be! Well, you talk about drama, suspense or excitement, we witnessed it all.

                         With WI’s batting on 81/2 at stumps on fourth day, there was not much people would have expected from the upcoming day. Ojha, however turned things around when he took the first five wickets leaving the Indies struggling at 112/5. The ball was turning big, and the Indian spinners capitalised on the strip. There wasn't much in it for the seamers as it was evident from the fact that all ten wickets belonged to the spinners. Ashwin after a brilliant performance with  the bat followed it up with four wickets in the 3^rd innings(9^th of the match). India were set a target of 243 with 64 overs left to be bowled.

                        Sehwag got right into the act and a repeat of the famous Chennai test against England was on the cards. Toying with the field en route his 60, India were favourites at the moment. The day had more drama to offer, though. Sehwag fell, Sachin and Dravid followed as India was left in a desperate need for partnerships. Kohli looked determined to get India across the line and till he was on the crease, an Indian victory was the most probable option. However with his departure , four possible outcomes lay before us. The game could have headed in any direction, and it came down to the last over with none other than the performer of the match given a chance to add another star to his credits. What happened next is difficult to explain as India were unable to score 3 runs from 6 balls, giving Darren Sammy a reason to smile.Officially, the match ended in a draw but I would like to believe it was a win for the WI's and a loss for the Indians.                           Despite being adjudged the MoM, deep down somewhere Ashwin would be thinking “ Why did I hesitate to run two?”. Let’s just hope that the public does not remember him for this error, as he was undoubtedly the Player of the Series.

               

Cricket or Commerce?

Test Cricket lived up to its billing as the pinnacle of the 3 forms of the game as Australia managed to crawl past the line against South Africa in the second of the two matches. Lots to like about what went on in the field, Philander and Cummins making memorable debuts, Cummins being the fourth bowler to pick up a man of the match award on his debut in the space of a month, Ponting, Haddin, Clarke performing under pressure, et al. But there was disappointment in the length of these matches. I wouldn’t call this a series, as a series would imply that it was a long fought war in which each team went through troughs and peaks and the team with the least troughs won out. This “series” was not even up to the modern convention of being composed of 3 matches. How did it come to pass?

Sandwiched into a calendar, a third match was instead replaced by two T20’s, and this has stopped us from witnessing the most entertaining rivalry of recent years in the longer format reach a satisfying conclusion. This is completely related to the commerce of the game, and the fans might cry themselves hoarse over how cricket has sold its soul for a quick buck. But it is the only way forward. If Hockey had been made into a sport with high pay packets, it might still have been the eminent sport of our country.

The fact we most need to realize is that cricket (sadly) is not the only sport in the world and that’s why broadcasters need to play around with timings. If the games aren’t short enough, then they might not get covered. If the games are too short, then the people paying for advertisement slots do not get their return on investment. Tests, which can be on either of the two extremes, make it a very risky business proposition. The first match of Australia Vs. South Africa was entertaining, but it left a lot of people with a lot of money invested in a difficult place.

This is why the ODI’s are current favourites of the men with the money as they are comparatively risk free. The alternative is to create pitches which last 5 days and that has produced games that have led to speculation about the death of Test matches. The common argument is that people can no longer spare five days to watch a Test Match. The truth, according to this fan, is that we now watch more cricket than we have ever had, and it is the dilution of the sport as an event that has led to the declining interest in Test Matches. In an age of gluttony, Tests are the biggest meal of them all. No wonder that we are shying away from them at an increasing pace.

As much as I hate to admit, the only way to ensure Test Cricket survives is through increased profitability and that means handing it over to our not so beloved administrators and let the ad men try to sell the game. This means we will be sidelined and pushed and prodded into an inconsequential mass whose needs and wants will not be catered to. The choice is this, do we allow this takeover of the administrators as principal stake holders of our game or do we let the game’s revenues fall and allow it to die prematurely? The choice is not an easy one to make, but is one that is creeping up on us.

Is Pakistan the best ODI team going around?

I was not in town for the last few days and hence the late timing of this blog. But being in India, I was not too far from a cricket match, and got to see the 3^rd ODI between Sri Lanka and Pakistan on a high definition, widescreen, surround sound supporting television set. And it got me thinking, who has the best ODI team at the moment?

The two clashes in England and India by the respective teams did not clear any confusion about it. It only reiterated the point that both the teams are really hard to beat at home and that England are a bunch of whiners when things don’t go their way. Australia does have the top spot at the moment, but it is India with the World Cup in their cabinet. South Africa are always good without somehow ever managing to be the best. Since the slot for the best team on the field is open for discussion, allow me to put up my candidate, Pakistan.

I admit, they don’t have a great track record of consistency in any sphere. Their batting has been prone to collapses throughout their history, their bowling can either be world beating or pedestrian, and the less said about their fielding the better. But they have always produced talented cricketers and any man who can bind these precocious talents into a collective whole has the potential to win a World Cup. Imran Khan did it; Inzamam was close, as was Afridi. Under Misbah, a veteran with a good temperament and calm nerves, Pakistan might have stumbled onto another such leader. His age might be a bit of an issue, but as we have seen with the likes of Kallis, Hussey and yes Tendulkar, it is certainly not an insurmountable barrier. I believe this level of calm is only going to help a team long known for its rash decision making and inconceivable methods of self destruction.

Their batting has never looked too far away from a collapse and it hasn’t changed much. Now however, they have got a nice stability in their order. With stroke makers on either side of the experienced duo of Misbah and Younus, with Razzaq at the bottom, there is some assurance against failure. Though this does not mean that they can’t go wild and hit 350 with the likes of Umer Akmal and Hafeez in the side, it does mean that they are in lesser danger of getting skittled out for 150. But this is probably not the suit that is going to win them games.

Their fielding has always been their Achilles heel and the rest of the leg. But considering the athletic ability of the younger generation in Umer Akmal and the new keeper Sarfraz, things might be changing or be a false dawn. Hopefully, Pakistan can find the work ethic they have long been lacking and push themselves to perform better.

Their bowling however, has got to rank as the best ODI bowling line-up in the world. The main reason behind it is the vise like grip that their 3 spinners, Hafeez, Afridi and Ajmal, have over the middle overs of an ODI contest. The first two are more defensive adaptations of Anil Kumble, varying their pace to keep the batsmen guessing and by constantly keeping the pressure up by bowling tight lines. Ajmal, on the other hand, is a true attacking spinner who can get the ball to dip and spin in the most awkward of angles. These three were a major reason for Pakistan’s run to the semi-finals of the WC, conceding as a unit, 3.5 RPO with an average of 17. Considering how even Sri Lanka are finding it difficult to get them away, they could pose problems for some time to come. Another plus is Umar Gul, a man whose ability for bowling at the death is almost as fearsome as that of Lasith Malinga. Add to that the experience of Razzaq, and there are few reasons not to fear this bowling unit.

All in all, Pakistan have always been world beaters on their day. It is sad to note that it’ll be some time before they are invited to play in locations other than Dubai and thus we may never get to test their true strength in different conditions. Even so, I think they are in with a shot at being the best. But it might be a long time coming before politics and nefarious organizations allow them to be.

YADAV: A BRIGHT PROSPECT

                                                        

A hard fought but in the end a comfortable win at Kolkata ensured that Dhoni would have his hands on yet another silverware this season. It was a combined effort by the team with everyone chipping in to provide India with only their 2^nd Innings victory against the West Indies.VVS Laxman was adjudged the Man of the Match for his unbeaten 176 in the first Innings.

                                                                However, India would have wanted things to go better on the field, as it was just 15 runs that separated India’s win with an innings margin. Darren Bravo deserves much credit for this affair, which saw him with statistics similar to the great Brian Lara. His impressive innings of 136 almost had India  padding up again. Samuels contributed too with a well made 84,before the Indies collapsed losing 4 wickets for just 21 runs. Ojha and Ashwin each picked up two while  Samuels started to entertain the crowd hitting both these spinners to the pavillion. An inspired bowling change from Dhoni gave Yadav his chance to finish with 7 wickets in the match, as it took him only three deliveries to wipe out the tail.

                                                                                Yadav’s brilliant performance with the ball has left many with one question in their mind: Could he be the bowler that could wipe out the tail with much ease? Well, we would have to wait a bit longer before we jump to conclusions, as in the past bowlers have come with much to offer but have left nothing but disappointment behind. With the Australia tour around the corner, Yadav has definitely set his foot on the right track given that a bowler with his pace can prove to be lethal in such conditions. Undoubtedly, a bright prospect for the future, will Yadav live up to the expectations of a billion people remains to be seen.

                                               

                                                       

BOWLER’S DAY OUT

After, the much envied Indian line-up provided us with a remarkable display of batting, the bowlers stepped up to show what they were capable of! West Indies came out with a hope to steady the ship after their opener’s had walked back without troubling the scorekeepers. The Indian bowlers howsoever were in no such mood as they dismissed two more in quick succession leaving them sinking at 46/4. Bravo and Samuels offered some resistance , before the much impressive Yadav broke through their defence leaving the Caribbean’s helpless. After that it was just a matter of time, as the spinners wrapped up the first Innings with the scorecard reading 153, and Ojha finishing with four.

                      An obvious decision to follow on was made by the Indian skipper , which meant the Indies were looking at a huge Inning’s defeat. The young boy from Vidarbha struck early, as he got Brathwaite to edge one to Dhoni. A partnership of 90 odd runs between Edwards and Barath brought back smiles in the West Indies camp, with the two batsmen looking  to finish the day unbeaten. Ishant Sharma  however had other plans. Patience and persistence paid off for the tall fellow as he got Barath to edge one towards Laxman who made no mistake, therby ending the long partnership. The day was drawing closer to stumps, before Sharma struck again removing the other half centurion, giving India a satisfactory close of play session.

                        Tomorrow could well be the day when India closes the 3 match series, taking an unassailable lead. Will Ojha and co. have it easy tomorrow or would the likes of Chanderpaul test India’s patience? Catch the action tomorrow as the fourth day promises to be entertaining and don’t forget to come back as we bring you the end of day’s report at Cardus: Live from the grave!

What next for no.6?

Today, the match started with the score at 346/5, with the Indian top order having delivered a performance many would have expected coming into this series. The platform was set for a big first innings score, and Yuvraj Singh strode to the middle, knowing that today could be day that would form the basis of his future in Test whites. On a placid pitch and against a tiring attack, he would have to achieve a big score to guarantee his place for the third match.

What he did manage on his way to a score of 25 was a missed pull and an ugly looking swipe to get out to Darren Sammy. This means that the search for a No.6 in the Indian batting line-up continues and there are more names than ever in the hat to replace Yuvraj for the series in Australia. Let us now examine the future of the No.6 in the Indian batting line-up.

For starters, we have the two batsmen currently in the squad, i.e. Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane. Kohli is, to my mind, the front runner for his continued performance in one dayers, he is ranked in the top 10, but has already got a series under his belt against the Windies where he flopped on all occasions. However, the selectors must surely be running out of batsmen in India who can face Australia’s fast bowling unit with any degree of comfort. And this is where Rahane can make his mark.

Having been on several academy and A tours to traditionally difficult destinations such as Australia and South Africa, and having scored buckets of runs in those, Rahane is one man who can handle the pace. But will the selectors risk exposing him to an attack that is both fast and lethal in home conditions? And him being released to play for Mumbai in the Ranji might also mean he is being given practice before the third test.

Of course, the previous holder of the spot, Suresh Raina, has been forced back into Ranji cricket and he too has come good, scoring a 200 against a fellow India outcaste, Harbhajan Singh. But his continued lack of comfort against the fast, rising ball is now well documented and the Aussies will see him as a walking wicket. Other than that, the selectors, who themselves have survived a period of transition not long back, will not want to look shifty and give him back the spot in such a hurry.

Another Ranji hopeful, Ravindra Jadeja has made his claims for a test spot by continuing to perform in the Ranji. If the selectors are looking for an aggressive left- hander who can bowl, Jadeja might be coming onto the forefront of the selectors radar. Also, a Ranji triple can never be ignored. But even he has been known to succumb to pace and short bowling, two things the Australian bowling attack is not short of.

A personal favourite of mine to take over the slot is Rohit Sharma. He does not boast the greatest of international records in one-day matches, but his technique has no real flaws and his consistent record in the Ranji (average of 64), means he is a player for the longer format of the game. He can also counter attack as well as roll his arm over. Of course, he would also fit aesthetically into a middle order of Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman. The selectors don’t seem to think the same, and he is far from making a debut in a test match it seems and even seems to be fighting for his place in the one-day squad. His form is currently exemplary, two consecutive centuries in Ranji, but we might have to wait a while for him to be considered a hopeful for the No.6 slot.

This leaves us to the final contender, who could have actually sealed this berth had he been fit. Cheteshwar Pujara, a man who had to knock the proverbial door down to get a test berth, has now been out of the game for the best part of a year, and there continues to be no news about his condition. Of all the hopefuls, he had the best opportunity to close this debate, but with his ill-times injury, has missed out on key tours where the selectors continue to chop and change. With his tight technique and ability to rack up big scores, he really should be the front runner, whenever he is capable of wielding the bat again. This injury break has really set his career back in a time where he could have cemented his place alongside the legendary trio.

All this means the selection for the next match will be closely followed to see who has the next opportunity to book the No.6 after it was left vacant by Ganguly more than 3 years ago. Who is your pick among the contenders?

The Wall stands firm

In what has been a great turnaround for Rahul Dravid since the South Africa series early this year, he has notched up his 36th century on a placid track at the Eden Gardens. In the process, he became the highest scorer this calendar year, beating Ian Bell's tally of 950 runs .
Overall, the batting display, after MS Dhoni won the toss and decided to bat, was one that many would have predicted this team to deliver. However, most of the top-order will be ruing the missed opportunity to score big on this track, and the score could have been much bigger had they not fallen to soft dismissals.The Windies did themselves no favours in the first hour, where Fidel Edwards, a bowler capable of generating swing, was bowling more than 80% of his deliveries at a short of a length in conditions favouring swing due to the early start and moisture in the pitch. Though this tactic has worked for the Windies as recently as 2008 against this very same Indian line-up, today it just meant that the Indians were not troubled by swing in the first hour.
On the other end, Edwards' opening partner Darren Sammy, who took up the role due to the unavailability of Ravi Rampaul due to a stomach bug, leaked runs at around 9 runs per over, though he came back first ball after the drinks break to get the wicket of Sehwag. Sehwag, dominating in usual fashion, lost his wicket trying to force a slower ball over the mid-wicket region, ended up turning his bat face and giving a sitter to Adrian Barath.
The pair of Dravid and Gambhir matched the pace of the association between Sehwag and Gambhir by doubling the score for the loss of no wickets by Lunch. This was mostly due to the aggression shown by Dravid during the initial stages of the innings. After lunch, the Windies came back to bowl a more fuller length and this paid dividends in them tightening the scoring and getting Gambhir for a careless stroke to a ball that in normal circumstances should have been left well alone.
This meant that Tendulkar walked out to try and score his 100th international century in front of a now expectant nation, ready to burst into celebration. He started well and was in no real discomfort when he perished on 38, again trying to force the pace off a Bishoo delivery that did nothing untoward, warranting a dismissal.
But after this, it was plain sailing for two of India's most dependable, as Dravid and Laxman serenely went about accumulating runs at a good pace. Dravid was in such a positive mood that he hit two sixes, his 20th and 21st in tests, even when the close of play was no more than 20 minutes away. He maybe should have continued in the same vein as he was out defending back to a Braithwaite delivery, giving the Barbadian youngster his first Test wicket. West Indies struck back to pick up the nightwatchman Ishant Sharma on the last delivery of the day, to end a day that India could have dominated if it weren't for silly strokes,. Though with an average first innings score of 396 at the venue, and a new batsman fighting for his place in the squad and a longish tail to follow, West Indies might still be in the hunt in this Test match, provided they come up with a better performance than their first hour today.