Watching Sourav Ganguly raising his bat today after he got his fifty just signified his fighting spirit. In Chennai the other day there was a placard with Sachin Tendulkar’s picture saying “The government says there are 1411 tigers, they forgot to count 1.” I think we should make that two as dada would easily come in the fold of the tigers.
What amazes me about Sourav Ganguly is his fighting spirit. Even in adversities he has never given up. I remember, when I was in 11th and had a tough time passing my mother told me “Learn from Sourav Ganguly, look how he has made a comeback.” This was just after India had toured South Africa and Dada had made a successful comeback to the Indian Team. When he was made the captain of the Indian team he brought with him a killer instinct and a never say die attitude that helped him take on the Aussies in the famous 2001 series, 2003 world cup, the tour down under etc. Under him, the younger breed of cricketers like Yuvraj Singh, Md. Kaif and Zaheer Khan became match winners as he instilled a new attitude in the team. The captaincy had to end but little did anyone think that he would be dropped from the team itself. Dada roared back hard at his detractors and returned fitter and a much better player. People said that he was suspect againt the short ball but you could make out that he had worked on it. After the bad period in 2006 you could actually see him getting behind the shorter deliveries and playing them down on the ground. There were calls for him to retire in 2008 after the Sri Lanka tour but he had a last go at the Aussies and he played some crucial knocks. If you have a look at his career you will notice that he has always fought back after being dropped. Dropped after a solitary ODI in 1991 he was back in 1996. Dropped after a horrible controversy in 2005 back again the next year. He has stood up in the face of adversities and has emerged victorious on many occasions. During the start of this year’s IPL a lot of people including myself felt that he wasn’t up to the mark for the shorter format but he has shut our mouths for good. He has taken some blinders in the field and was back hitting the spinners out of the ground.
What youngsters must learn from him is his never say die attitude. More importantly all captains should learn from him. When you have a captain with an attitude like that it helps the team. When the leader believes anything is possible, the team too can believe. Dada has set a great example in front of us and it is the duty of captains (Indian Cricket Team) to come to keep his legacy alive with the spirit that he has imbibed in Indian Cricket when he became the captain.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
A Table Wide Open
We are down to the last two weeks of the Indian Premier League and we still aren’t able to pick atleast 3 teams who will definitely make it to the knock out phase of the tournament. Mumbai have made amends from the previous two seasons and have booked their place in the semis with a win over Rajasthan on Sunday. The other three teams that will be a part of the semi final line-up are uncertain. All the teams except Punjab have a realistic chance of making the semis. Punjab has a slight mathematical chance but they need lady luck to shine on them big time and also influence the results of the other games.
When I have a look at the IPL table, it reminds me of a gate that is wide open. There is enough chance for a lot of teams to get through. With Deccan winning over Bangalore we have four teams with 12 points namely, Deccan, Bangalore, Rajasthan and Delhi. Chennai and Kolkata have 10 points to their name and they also have a chance to make it to the semis if they win all their matches. Even two wins may do it for them but they wouldn’t like to leave it to a net run rate situation. Bangalore are still second and they should qualify easily if they win their next two games. This is because they have a healthy net run rate. At +0.34 they should try to wrap up their next two games which are against Rajasthan at Jaipur and Mumbai at Bangalore. The game against Rajasthan will decide the fate of the two teams. Both teams have to win to book their places in the semis and not leave it to net run rates. The game is even more important for Rajasthan as they do not have a very good net run rate. Rajasthan have to win this game more than Bangalore. Bangalore can still make it to the semis by winning their last game against Mumbai but they wouldn’t like to leave it too late. Tomorrow we will come to know if Rajasthan are still alive in the tournament. If they lose tomorrow then they are all but knocked out unless results of other games affect their fate.
Kolkata take on Chennai in Chennai tomorrow. Both teams are on 10 points but Chennai are ahead with a positive net run rate. If Chennai looses, they would have to win their next two games handsomely to have a chance to make it to the semis. If Kolkata loses then they have to win their two games even more comprehensively. Tomorrow’s game is very crucial for both teams but I think Chennai will fancy their chances as Kolkata have struggled a little and public comments by Ganguly and Whatmore will not help their confidence. We have to see if the KKR players get motivated by these comments and put up a commendable performance. Their line up looks strong but I think their bowling needs more attentions. Karthik is doing well and Dinda was good in the game against Delhi but they need a combined effort from their bowlers. Their first task would be to keep Vijay and Hayden quiet and then take on the rest of the batting order. Kolkata’s top order looks strong but I think Ganguly should play a little faster. We have seen that he can turn it on in this format and if he does so then Kolkata will feel confident. Chennai too have to worry about their bowling. Bollinger has strengthened the attack but yet again he needs more support from the other bowlers. Their batting line up is strong and shouldn’t be a worry.
Delhi will take on Mumbai tomorrow at Brabourne. It will be interesting to see if Mumbai make any changes to their line up. I think Graham Napier should get a game. The all rounder has shown his talent in New Zealand and England and certainly deserves a look in before the semi finals. An area of concern for Mumbai has been the keeping. Tare was dropped after inconsistent performances with the bat and he should get a look in again as Rayadu doesn’t look very comfortable doing the job. Tare can bat well as we saw in the first few games so it may not be a bad idea to give him another go. Delhi on the other hand will be glad to be away from Kotla. The Brabourne pitch will provide them a good chance with both bat and ball. Delhi can make one change by bringing in Dilshan instead of Warner. I think they should open with Sehwag and Gambhir and Dilshan should come at No.3. Dilshan is a game changer and he can strike form anytime. He may have had a bad outing but if Delhi are to ensure a semi final spot, this is a gamble they have to take.
That’s it from me now but all I have to say is that we are to witness a few thrilling days of cricket in the IPL. The next few days are going to be the best days the league has seen. But I have two names for you Mumbai and Punjab, and I say this because they are still crucial to this table as they may spoil a few parties here.
Till then….Adios.
When I have a look at the IPL table, it reminds me of a gate that is wide open. There is enough chance for a lot of teams to get through. With Deccan winning over Bangalore we have four teams with 12 points namely, Deccan, Bangalore, Rajasthan and Delhi. Chennai and Kolkata have 10 points to their name and they also have a chance to make it to the semis if they win all their matches. Even two wins may do it for them but they wouldn’t like to leave it to a net run rate situation. Bangalore are still second and they should qualify easily if they win their next two games. This is because they have a healthy net run rate. At +0.34 they should try to wrap up their next two games which are against Rajasthan at Jaipur and Mumbai at Bangalore. The game against Rajasthan will decide the fate of the two teams. Both teams have to win to book their places in the semis and not leave it to net run rates. The game is even more important for Rajasthan as they do not have a very good net run rate. Rajasthan have to win this game more than Bangalore. Bangalore can still make it to the semis by winning their last game against Mumbai but they wouldn’t like to leave it too late. Tomorrow we will come to know if Rajasthan are still alive in the tournament. If they lose tomorrow then they are all but knocked out unless results of other games affect their fate.
Kolkata take on Chennai in Chennai tomorrow. Both teams are on 10 points but Chennai are ahead with a positive net run rate. If Chennai looses, they would have to win their next two games handsomely to have a chance to make it to the semis. If Kolkata loses then they have to win their two games even more comprehensively. Tomorrow’s game is very crucial for both teams but I think Chennai will fancy their chances as Kolkata have struggled a little and public comments by Ganguly and Whatmore will not help their confidence. We have to see if the KKR players get motivated by these comments and put up a commendable performance. Their line up looks strong but I think their bowling needs more attentions. Karthik is doing well and Dinda was good in the game against Delhi but they need a combined effort from their bowlers. Their first task would be to keep Vijay and Hayden quiet and then take on the rest of the batting order. Kolkata’s top order looks strong but I think Ganguly should play a little faster. We have seen that he can turn it on in this format and if he does so then Kolkata will feel confident. Chennai too have to worry about their bowling. Bollinger has strengthened the attack but yet again he needs more support from the other bowlers. Their batting line up is strong and shouldn’t be a worry.
Delhi will take on Mumbai tomorrow at Brabourne. It will be interesting to see if Mumbai make any changes to their line up. I think Graham Napier should get a game. The all rounder has shown his talent in New Zealand and England and certainly deserves a look in before the semi finals. An area of concern for Mumbai has been the keeping. Tare was dropped after inconsistent performances with the bat and he should get a look in again as Rayadu doesn’t look very comfortable doing the job. Tare can bat well as we saw in the first few games so it may not be a bad idea to give him another go. Delhi on the other hand will be glad to be away from Kotla. The Brabourne pitch will provide them a good chance with both bat and ball. Delhi can make one change by bringing in Dilshan instead of Warner. I think they should open with Sehwag and Gambhir and Dilshan should come at No.3. Dilshan is a game changer and he can strike form anytime. He may have had a bad outing but if Delhi are to ensure a semi final spot, this is a gamble they have to take.
That’s it from me now but all I have to say is that we are to witness a few thrilling days of cricket in the IPL. The next few days are going to be the best days the league has seen. But I have two names for you Mumbai and Punjab, and I say this because they are still crucial to this table as they may spoil a few parties here.
Till then….Adios.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
The Three Men
“It’s a game for the dashers” that’s what all of us believed about the latest format of the game. When we spoke about T20 we always talked about players like Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Yusuf Pathan etc. In short we always spoke about the dashers of the game who aren’t particularly known for their technique. What this IPL has taught us is that any player can play the format effectively. This IPL we have seen the likes of Tendulkar and Kallis among the runs, these two are obviously known for their technique and experience and were at one time dubbed as not fit for the “young man’s game.” How wrong have they proved everyone in this tournament? Then we also have a young man from Chennai who was thought to be a test match specialist, scoring runs at a really rapid pace. Murali Vijay has proved a huge asset to the Chennai Super Kings in the last few games. His hundred against Rajasthan yesterday was a pleasure to watch as he played some good cricket shots with panache.
We have the example of three players in front of us. All the three of them have scored a lot of runs in this years IPL at a rapid rate and as effective as the dashers. This just shows us the importance of technique in cricket. What technique gives a player is more stability and more consistency. We all have been talking about the antics of players like Pathan and McCullum in the past but if we compare the stats then we see that players like Kallis and Tendulkar are more consistent that the dashers in this format. Obviously with players like Pathan there is always an unpredictability factor and you should have guys like him in your side but in tough situations you have to always depend on your “dependable” players. Kallis has been giving good starts upfront for Bangalore. What he does is that he paces his innings and holds the Bangalore batting together which gives the opportunity to guys like Pandey and Uthappa to go after the bowling. He also goes after the bowling when it is required as we saw in the game against Punjab where they chased down 203. He doesn’t have a very high strike rate compared to Tendulkar and Vijay but is effective nevertheless. A very good sign for South Africa with the World T20 coming up.
What to say about Sachin Tendulkar? Words are not enough to describe this man’s prowess with the bat. He came into this IPL in top form with a 200 in an ODI behind his back and is really in his elements here too. Sachin has literally creamed the bowling around this year. He has played classical shots and has kept the scoring rate high. The common feature in all his outings was his timing and the fact that there were no slogs all natural shots. If you can play natural shots well why waste your energy on slogs for which you may get the same reward but a higher chance of getting out. The cover drives, straight dives, the flicks to square leg are still a joy to watch and they make us believe that the art of batting will survive in the T20 era.
One man who has taken the IPL by storm is M Vijay. Some called him a test opener, others said he isn’t fit for this format but he has laid all this to rest. The Vijay revolution started from the game against Rajasthan at Ahmedabad when he creamed over 20 runs in an over. The shots he played were good cricket shots and the flicks over mid wicket in particular were a joy to watch. He played another gem against Bangalore but his hundred was out of this world. He started the innings playing good classical shots, the cover drives, straight drives etc. He then went after the bowling just using the pace of the bowlers and those shots weren’t exactly slogs. He played a few slogs in the end but the core of the innings was full of good textbook shots. A good find for Chennai and who knows, he could be used by India for T20’s too. What this has done is that it has relieved the pressure of Matthew Hayden’s shoulders and he wouldn’t always have the burden of providing Chennai with fast starts. There is a man at the other end who can do it just as well.
The moral of the story is: A good test player can become a good T20 player…….but can a good T20 player become a Test player?
We have the example of three players in front of us. All the three of them have scored a lot of runs in this years IPL at a rapid rate and as effective as the dashers. This just shows us the importance of technique in cricket. What technique gives a player is more stability and more consistency. We all have been talking about the antics of players like Pathan and McCullum in the past but if we compare the stats then we see that players like Kallis and Tendulkar are more consistent that the dashers in this format. Obviously with players like Pathan there is always an unpredictability factor and you should have guys like him in your side but in tough situations you have to always depend on your “dependable” players. Kallis has been giving good starts upfront for Bangalore. What he does is that he paces his innings and holds the Bangalore batting together which gives the opportunity to guys like Pandey and Uthappa to go after the bowling. He also goes after the bowling when it is required as we saw in the game against Punjab where they chased down 203. He doesn’t have a very high strike rate compared to Tendulkar and Vijay but is effective nevertheless. A very good sign for South Africa with the World T20 coming up.
What to say about Sachin Tendulkar? Words are not enough to describe this man’s prowess with the bat. He came into this IPL in top form with a 200 in an ODI behind his back and is really in his elements here too. Sachin has literally creamed the bowling around this year. He has played classical shots and has kept the scoring rate high. The common feature in all his outings was his timing and the fact that there were no slogs all natural shots. If you can play natural shots well why waste your energy on slogs for which you may get the same reward but a higher chance of getting out. The cover drives, straight dives, the flicks to square leg are still a joy to watch and they make us believe that the art of batting will survive in the T20 era.
One man who has taken the IPL by storm is M Vijay. Some called him a test opener, others said he isn’t fit for this format but he has laid all this to rest. The Vijay revolution started from the game against Rajasthan at Ahmedabad when he creamed over 20 runs in an over. The shots he played were good cricket shots and the flicks over mid wicket in particular were a joy to watch. He played another gem against Bangalore but his hundred was out of this world. He started the innings playing good classical shots, the cover drives, straight drives etc. He then went after the bowling just using the pace of the bowlers and those shots weren’t exactly slogs. He played a few slogs in the end but the core of the innings was full of good textbook shots. A good find for Chennai and who knows, he could be used by India for T20’s too. What this has done is that it has relieved the pressure of Matthew Hayden’s shoulders and he wouldn’t always have the burden of providing Chennai with fast starts. There is a man at the other end who can do it just as well.
The moral of the story is: A good test player can become a good T20 player…….but can a good T20 player become a Test player?
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