The Boxing Day test match looked like a case of “oh not again” till the end of Day 2. That was when the Australians showed some fight and created a situation from where it would have been very difficult for any side to lose. They had put close to 400 runs on the board and had 7 opposition wickets down for 198. At the crease was a batsman playing his second test match and the tail. No one in his wildest dreams would have given any chance to the SA team at that stage, including the punters who were predicting an Aussie win.
Day 3 of that test match was a defining moment of the series and possibly of a new era in test cricket. I would call it the moment when the Australian stranglehold on the championship crumbled. SA not only wiped out the deficit but actually took the lead. From then on it was a downhill slide for the Australians and only one team showed the discipline, the courage and the brains to win this test match. You can read a very damning analysis of that day from Peter Roebuck in his article “Timid effort produces a disastrous result” or Peter English’s article “It’s not funny anymore”.
In my books the blame lies squarely with Ponting and he must resign as a captain. He selected the wrong playing eleven and then his field placements and bowling changes were less than ordinary. A captain is expected to make things happen but the manner in which he let the advantage slip clearly showed lack of will or faith in his teammates. In both these test matches so far, the Australians have not been able to claim 20 wickets nor have their batsmen scored runs. Ponting cannot blame the pitch or the luck simply because these are the demands of the modern day schedule. I cannot see this Australian outfit troubling the South Africans in Sydney too. A 3-0 whitewash looks like a fair result under the circumstances.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Christmas Gifts
I was thinking what I would gift the various players if I were Santa this year. Here is my list:
- Virender Sehwag: Just a wish that he continues to be himself.
- Gautam Gambhir: Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. After he finishes reading the book he can share that with the umpires and then pass it on to the Australian cricket team as his gift to them.
- Gautam Gambhir (Again); 3 free lessons in shadow boxing from a reputed gym in Delhi.
- Rahul Dravid; A bag of cement. The wall needs repairs. May be a tour of Bangladesh would be the right tonic he needs.
- Sachin Tendulkar: Well he is God himself. I would wish for 10 more centuries from him next year.
- VVS Laxman: Nitro-powered batting shoes.
- M S Dhoni: He has got all his wishes fulfilled. A movie date with Deepika Padukone is the only thing I can think of.
- Yuvraj Singh: Since MSD is going with Deepika Padukone, he can go with Ranbir Kapoor.
- Bhajji: A week’s stay in Bangalore sharing the room with EAS Prasanna to discuss merits of flighting the ball.
- Zaheer Khan: A few smiles. He needs to pick a handful of opponents to fight not the entire team.
- Batsmen facing Zaheer Khan: A mirror vision so that they can counter the reverse swing.
- Ishant Sharma: A free treatment at Berkowitz. He looks awful in that short hair cut and his bowling has suffered too. Look at the number of no balls he bowled recently.
- Amit Mishra: A tread mill.
- Munaf Patel & R P Singh: They get a license to start a tea stall near CST station. They have carried the drinks quite regularly and that practice should help them.
- Sreesanth: Who is he? Let us give him a television acting contract so that he stays away from cricket.
- Ricky Ponting: He almost needs a dedicated Santa with so many gifts coming his way.
- Hair and Nail extensions: So that he has more to chew on in tense situations he is getting in regularly.
- Stock of moisturizer: Stop using the spit Ricky.
- A weekend date with Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson to thank them for Sydney.
- A group photo with Bhajji, Symmo and Hayden in the same frame and smiling for a change.
- Eleven players who can win a test match for him.
17. Mathew Hayden: An autographed picture of Harbhajan Singh.
18. Andrew Symonds: Free lessons to learn Punjabi language.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays !!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Shining South Africans Fading Australians
The South Africans pulled off a magnificent victory coming from behind and have clearly wiped out the chokers tag associated with them. They were patchy in the first innings and I thought they let the advantage fritter away after taking three quick wickets on Day 1 and then conceding a lead of 94 runs. That was almost a situation from which very few teams have recovered and against the Aussies at Perth it was a tall order. They chased down 414 quite nicely and the batting of Smith and AB de Villiers was a joy to watch. Fine resolute innings from both these batsmen, who were ably supported by the top order, ensured a record-breaking victory.
I don’t want to take anything away from the South Africans but I think the Australian side is rapidly fading. They don’t have the ability to take 20 wickets consistently and have struggled in the recent past in both batting and bowling department. They have no bowler who is even half as threatening as McGrath and Warne. Hayden, Ponting and Symonds are struggling with their batting form. This is the second test they have lost to visitors at Perth.
We are going to see a change in the rank order of test playing teams pretty soon and Australia is not going to be at the top for long.
I don’t want to take anything away from the South Africans but I think the Australian side is rapidly fading. They don’t have the ability to take 20 wickets consistently and have struggled in the recent past in both batting and bowling department. They have no bowler who is even half as threatening as McGrath and Warne. Hayden, Ponting and Symonds are struggling with their batting form. This is the second test they have lost to visitors at Perth.
We are going to see a change in the rank order of test playing teams pretty soon and Australia is not going to be at the top for long.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Champions at Chennai
All the people who say that Test match cricket is boring and is doomed for extinction, you should read the synopsis of the just concluded first test match between India and England. What an enthralling game!! We had all the ingredients of a perfect test match. Perfect wicket, perfect weather, tough and gritty performances and magical changes of fortune we had it all. If you ever wanted a script for an advertisement for Test cricket, here is an example. Who would have imagined that India will win this test match after they conceded a first innings lead of 75 runs and failed to bowl out England briskly in the second outing?
Secondly I think whoever doubted Sachin’s contribution in the second innings of a test match to seal a victory for India, should see this innings of his. He was in superb control throughout and he showed why he is still the master. He played a fluent innings full of confidence and I believe he was also influential in guiding Yuvraj through the patchy start. He must be vividly remembering that test match against Pakistan at the same venue in January 1999 when we lost to Pakistan by 12 runs after he got out. This time he shepherded the innings and ensured that he stood there when the winning runs were scored.
In my mind England lost the plot on Day 4 when after having built a substantial lead they failed to speed up the scoring. They did not impose their superiority on the Indians and as the scoring rate dipped to an abysmal low they also lost quick wickets. That allowed the Indians to get their chin up.
And then Sehwag came and played a blinder. When he is in that kind of mood, the opposition can just watch him play and pray that he makes a mistake. On the Sunday afternoon, I was switching between “Gone in 60 Seconds” and the test match. Partly because I am superstitious person as far as cricket is concerned and did not want India to lose wickets and partly because the movie had started before Indian innings. On the cricket channel it was “Gone in 60 minutes”. He clobbered the English attack out of the park and immediately put them on a defensive stance despite having a lead of over 350 runs. Such was the power and speed of his scoring that by the end of day four, the target was well within the reach of Indians and all three results were a possibility.
I think this Indian team is now building a reputation for itself and is certainly championship material. It has a perfectly balanced attack that can routinely take 20 wickets and a good batting line up that can take the gauntlet. The combination of Sehwag and Gambhir at the top of the line up makes all the difference. I would possibly rest Dravid and promote VVS to No. 3 and bring in a fresh new candidate in the next test match. As far as England is concerned I think they would have to think hard for their available options. Strauss, Collingwood with the bat were good but were not fast enough and Flintoff bowled his heart out for his captain. The rest of the bowling was pedestrian and made no impact.
Secondly I think whoever doubted Sachin’s contribution in the second innings of a test match to seal a victory for India, should see this innings of his. He was in superb control throughout and he showed why he is still the master. He played a fluent innings full of confidence and I believe he was also influential in guiding Yuvraj through the patchy start. He must be vividly remembering that test match against Pakistan at the same venue in January 1999 when we lost to Pakistan by 12 runs after he got out. This time he shepherded the innings and ensured that he stood there when the winning runs were scored.
In my mind England lost the plot on Day 4 when after having built a substantial lead they failed to speed up the scoring. They did not impose their superiority on the Indians and as the scoring rate dipped to an abysmal low they also lost quick wickets. That allowed the Indians to get their chin up.
And then Sehwag came and played a blinder. When he is in that kind of mood, the opposition can just watch him play and pray that he makes a mistake. On the Sunday afternoon, I was switching between “Gone in 60 Seconds” and the test match. Partly because I am superstitious person as far as cricket is concerned and did not want India to lose wickets and partly because the movie had started before Indian innings. On the cricket channel it was “Gone in 60 minutes”. He clobbered the English attack out of the park and immediately put them on a defensive stance despite having a lead of over 350 runs. Such was the power and speed of his scoring that by the end of day four, the target was well within the reach of Indians and all three results were a possibility.
I think this Indian team is now building a reputation for itself and is certainly championship material. It has a perfectly balanced attack that can routinely take 20 wickets and a good batting line up that can take the gauntlet. The combination of Sehwag and Gambhir at the top of the line up makes all the difference. I would possibly rest Dravid and promote VVS to No. 3 and bring in a fresh new candidate in the next test match. As far as England is concerned I think they would have to think hard for their available options. Strauss, Collingwood with the bat were good but were not fast enough and Flintoff bowled his heart out for his captain. The rest of the bowling was pedestrian and made no impact.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Thank you England !!
As an Indian and a test match aficionado I am so happy that the English cricket team has agreed to come back and resume the tour and as I write this the first test match is under way.
I quite understand the state of mind of the players when they must have heard of the terror attacks on Mumbai. I was in a similar situation when I saw the WTC Tower 2 being blown away right in front of my eyes on live television. As a business traveler I had stayed at the Marriott in the WTC and the Millennium Hilton across the road and on numerous occasions I had taken the Path train to the WTC station. As I saw the terrible events, it dawned on me that this could have been any one of those days and that shook me. As time passes and one starts thinking rationally, one takes it as a part of modern day life and moves on. I guess the English team also must have gone through the same process. Change of the venues and the security audits were additional measures to ensure that India means business.
Thank you England and thank you KP. We respect your courage and the determination to not let the terrorism push us into the shell and defeat the spirit of humanity.
I quite understand the state of mind of the players when they must have heard of the terror attacks on Mumbai. I was in a similar situation when I saw the WTC Tower 2 being blown away right in front of my eyes on live television. As a business traveler I had stayed at the Marriott in the WTC and the Millennium Hilton across the road and on numerous occasions I had taken the Path train to the WTC station. As I saw the terrible events, it dawned on me that this could have been any one of those days and that shook me. As time passes and one starts thinking rationally, one takes it as a part of modern day life and moves on. I guess the English team also must have gone through the same process. Change of the venues and the security audits were additional measures to ensure that India means business.
Thank you England and thank you KP. We respect your courage and the determination to not let the terrorism push us into the shell and defeat the spirit of humanity.
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