Ashes Roundup.

The Ashes are finally back to entertain and thrill the crowds World Over. Cricket’s oldest rivalry always has something new to offer every time the English and the Australians face each other on the Cricket field. Right since the first ever test match in 1877 to the whitewash series down under in 2006-07, every contest between the two great cricketing nations has been amazing. The Ashes have produced some of the greatest cricketing moments the world would ever see.
The Ashes 2009 are being played in England. Australia come into it without any of the contemporary greats Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Matthew Hayden, and Justin Langer. A young side has been named to play and defend the urn and it is led by Ricky Ponting. England on the other hand may take some confidence out of Australia’s fortunes. They have a strong side and well led by Andrew Strauss. The First test at Cardiff was a humdinger. England held on for a draw and it would give them a lot of confidence. The second test is already underway at the Mecca of Cricket, Lords. England have scored 425 in their first innings with skipper Andrew Strauss leading the way with 161. The rate at which England have scored takes me back to the 2005 Ashes held in England. After loosing the first test, England came out rejuvenated in the second test. They played cricket the Aussie way by scoring at more than 4 runs an over. This was also seen at Lords when England 425 in 101 overs, which is more that 4 an over. England now have to bowl extremely well, the way they did the last time around. Specific tactics against some batsmen worked wonders for them the last time, for example bowling around the wicket to Adam Gilchrist, the use of reverse swing etc. As I write Australia 5 down for 114. Looks like the English have a plan this time. The cricinfo.com text commentary for Michael Clarke’s dismissal tells me that it looked planned.
As a fan of test cricket it would be nice to see Australia fighting back and this turning out to be a great test match. I think the Ashes and India V. Pakistan contests can help revive test cricket in a age where T20 looks to steal the show.
I would be posting as the match continues.

The Flying Dutchmen

The second edition of the T20 World Cup began at Lords on an overcast day. It wasnt the clouds that threatened to overshadow the opener but reports of a rift in the Indian Camp made the headlines. Even if it is true, the media should not make a big issue out of it, let the players concentrate on the field. Sometimes such reports may unsettle a team and the media has to understand this. The coach Gary Kirsten has said that the accusations have motivated the team and that is very encouraging to hear for an Indian fan.
On the field the action was just superb. Who would have imagined the Netherlands beating England in a game of Cricket at Lords? Who would have imagined that the minnows would steal the show at the World Cup opener? The Netherlands put England in after winning the toss. The English pair of Ravi Bopara and Luke Wright got off to a very good start and added 102 in 11.1 overs before Bopara was out caught in the deep. From there England never looked in the hunt for runs. They reached 162 in their complete quota of 20 overs. The Dutch seemed to have started badly when they lost the young Kervezee in the 1st over. Darron Reekers then hit two sixes and a boundary to have relieve the pressure. The first six was an absolute slog over mid wicket the second one was just a jab over square leg. These shots left me gaping at the power that the man has. He also has a very interesting technique while playing the fuller deliveries. He stands tall and just times them. One such shot went to the boundary through midwicket. The commentators said that he could take the game away if he stayed until the 10th or the 15th over but that was not the case. He was dismissed in the third over and out came the man of the match Tom De Grooth. He with the help of Peter Borren helped to take the Netherlands in a position from where they could eye a win. The last over was an absolute thriller. With 7 needed the Dutch took a single of the first 5 balls. 2 to win of the last ball and Stuart Broad tried to hit the stumps as the batsmen scampered through to tie the match. The ball then went to the man at long off and the batsmen came through for a second and the Dutch were there. There were jubilant scenes in the Dutch camp and the English were left shocked. What cost England the game was their batting after the 10th over. The middle order did not contribute after the good start given by the openers. When we have a look at England's scorecard we see scores like 5 6 11 12 and 3. Compare this to the Dutch scorecard almost all the batsmen in the middle order have reached double figures and this helped them reach the target.England missed more than 7 run outs which includes 3 in the last over. Had they effected even one, they might have just sneaked through. What this match has shown us is that T20 is anybody's game and the team that performs on the given day wins the match. All the teams must keep in mind that they cant afford to be complacent against the weaker teams. As for England, they have to beat Pakistan to stay alive in the competition. They may have to take inspiration from their traditional rivals Australia. The Aussies had lost their first game against Zimbabwe in the last World Cup but still managed to reach the semis.
Today, the tournament would see 3 matches, they are New Zealand V Scotland, Australia V. West Indies and India V. Bangladesh. If the first day of the tournament is anything to go by we are to witness a fantastic tournament.

Boom Boom T20

One day Cricket started in the early 1970's when it was believed that cricket was loosing fans. 30 years later the ECB evolved the concept of T20. Looking back at the last 6 years this concept has caught the imagination of millions of people world over. Even those who were not so keen on cricket have embraced the sport due to the slam bang entertainment and thrills provided by it.
The ICC World T20 starts tomorrow at the Mecca of Cricket ie Lords. England are up against The Netherlands. Like the first version of the tournament, this one too promises to be a spectacle. The teams that would be contesting for the T20 crown are England, Australia, West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Netherlands, Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, and the champions of the inaugural tournament India. There is not much too write before the tournament kicks off, so i will be back with a new post after the opener.

Fantastic Summer of Test Cricket

Contests between Australia and South Africa have caught the imagination of cricket fans all over the world even before the aparthied era. South Africa's last series before the aparthied era was against the Australians and they whitewashed them 4-0. That South African line up boasted of the likes of Barry Richards, Greame Pollock, Mike Proctor, Peter Pollock among others. However, the contests between the two teams after South Africa's readmission have been nothing short of fantastic. From Soth Africa's thrilling 5 run test victory at Sydney in 1994 to the monumental run chase at Johannesburg in 2006, we have been treated to some fantastic cricket. Among all these moments, this summer will standout as the best contest between the two teams. During this summer, we have watched some great cricket and performances which would be remembered for years to come.
South Africa landed on Australian shores in December last year with the hope of becoming the first team in more than 10 years to win a test series in Australia. The series was thrilling to say the least. The matches swung between the two teams like a pendulum. The highlight of the series was the emergence of Jean Paul Duminy. His calm fifty in the first test ensured a win for the Proteas and the boxing day test match was his as he and Dale Steyn pulled off an unlikely partnership. Australia did not play badly. In fact, the South Africans played brilliant cricket. What more could Australia do? They however came back to win the third test at Sydney but what signified the South African performance was when their injured captain Greame Smith came out to bat at no 11 to save the test match for his team. This just showed the spirit with which the South Africans played in the series. He was the last man to get out in the series but his guts won hearts of many cricket fans.
The Australians went to South Africa after the twin setbacks of loosing the test and the odi series at home. This time it was the turn of the Australian debutants to show thir talent. The Aussies completely dominated the first two test and sealed the series with ease. The final test was won by the home side comprehensively. The Aussies discovered Marcus North and Phillip Hughes during this series. North's hundred on debut helped Autralia to set up a good score. Phillip Hughes wiped out the dissapointment of a duck in his ebut innings by scoring 2 hundreds in the second test match.
Cricket fans have been treated to fantastic test cricket from the two sides during the last 4 months. Some of the performances have been brilliant. This has been a summer of new talent. A summer which would not be forgotten by both the teams for years to come. New players have emerged from this series who seem to have the character to play test cricket for years to come. Test cricket is the actual test of a player. It just shows the quality of the player. Temperament is essential to play test cricket and some of these players have shown it early in their careers. Mitchell Johnson's all round display was a revalation. There are talks of him being the next all rounder for Australia. However, one must spare a thought for Bryce McGain. He was completely taken apart on his debut by the South African batsmen at Cape Town and one doesnt know what lies in store for him. Let us just hope he gets another chance and makes good use of it.
As a cricket fan I hope to see more cricket like this. Such contests will help increase the popularity of the longer version of the game in an era where T20's are gaining popularity all over the world. We must all remember that a player's class can only be determined when he plays test cricket. A cricketer is said to be complete when he dawns the test cap for his country. T20 cricket is like a small dynamite and can entertain people in a short time but how can we forget that test cricket has also produced fantastic moments. I end my post by quoting Paresh Rawal's dialogue from the movie Chini Kum "Asli Cricket is the Test Cricket."

The Unsung Heroes of Indian Cricket

The Indian Premier League is just a few days away. All the focus and attention of the cricket world has turned to South Africa. The IPL in its first season was successfull in creating a huge fan following. What was interesting to see was that the teams recieved good support from their home fans. This was the first time that the regional teams in India recieved good response from the fans. Amidst all this hype has anyone ever thought of the players who played the premier four day tournament of the country, the Ranji Trophy. Has anyone realised that these players had not recieved attention that they deserved?
A year before the start of the Indian Premier League, the Ranji Trophy had started being telecasted live on TV. Before 2006/07 season, cricket fans could keep in touch with the domestic game only through the news media. Previously, the domestic game as such was not marketed as well as the international. India had a huge cricket following population, or rather the Indian Team had it. Thanks to the IPL, ceratin domestic players have got exposure to foreign players, coaches etc. Hats off to Lalit Modi for introducing this concept. Prior to the IPL, alot of Ranji Trophy players got unnoticed. They never got the attention that they deserved from the fans. Many of these players played seasons of domestic cricket but could never make it to the top inspite of being consistent performers. It was just their luck that they were bon at a time India had some other great players. They were as we can say just unlucky. Two to three names instantly come to mind, those who were fantastic performers but never made it to the highest level, nor did they get the attention that they deserved. One can say that there was no internet or news channels when they played but they were certainly fantastic players who deserved a lot more.
Rajinder Goel was a left arm spinner who played for Haryana from 1958 to 1985. He has a fantastic record of 750 wickets from 157 matches at an average of just over 18. A player of this quality could not play for India as the team already had the famed spin quartet. Goel once said that he was born at the wrong time.
Padmakar Shivalkar was another unlucky player to miss out. He too had an exemplary record for Mumbai as he took 589 wickets in 124 matches at an average of 19.69. He too could not play at the highest level as India already had 4 great spinners. There are a few more names to this list and many other dometic players who served their teams for many years.
I sometimes wonder as too how many Indian Cricket fans actually know these players. They have served Indian Cricket tirelessly for years and have come up with memorable performances. If a concept like the IPL existed when they played then they would have become household names in India. This is why i really thank Lalit Modi for introducing the IPL. Many heroes at the domestic level will now get a chance to show their talent at the world stage and earn good fan following. As a cricket fan I salute all the players who play domestic cricket as they too work really hard to play the game the country loves the most. They are the ones who keep the sport going in India.

Genius Personified

Genius is someone who makes his work look easy and Sachin Tendulkar has always proved this statement to be true. The last two years Sachin has batted like only he can and has proved numerous critics wrong along the way. Let us turn the clock back by two years. It was March 2007. Nothing looked good for Indian Cricket as the team had not even qualified for the Super Eights stage of the World Cup in the West Indies. India had lost to Bangladesh in their first match of the World Cup. Almost all the fans had now turned their backs to the team that they had supported most passionately not long before. The image of Sachin being bowled for a duck against Sri Lanka was flashed everywhere and it had become a symbol of India’s failure. Ian Chappell had said that Sachin should retire. A suggestion which I thought was not welcome. Indian fans had turned their backs to Sachin as well. Even his ads were being boycotted by the public. As one of his biggest fans I always prayed that he bounced back from this phase. His comeback would have been huge not only to the fans but also to the morale of the team. Since his introduction to the international arena at the age of 16 he has carried the hopes and aspirations of the team and the fans. People used to switch off their TV sets the moment he got out. Sometimes, the team would panic after his early loss.

India was to travel to Bangladesh after the World Cup. Sachin was rested for the one day leg of the tour but was back in action for the tests. He stroked two hundreds in the two test match series which India won 1-0. I felt, this is the start and the best is yet to come. India then moved on to their tour of England. Before the tour to England India were to play 3 ODI’s against South Africa at Belfast. India won that series 2-1 and Sachin Tendulkar was declared the man of the series for his two strokefull 90’s. He carried that form to England and was instrumental in India test series win there. He then dominated the bowlers in the One Day series. In this series too he got two nineties. The best of them was at the Oval when he scored 94 as India successfully chased a target of over 300. His innings was full of fantastic strokes. One shot is fresh in my memory, it is the straight drive he hit off James Anderson which sped away to the boundary at the rate of knots. He was consistent right through the Australia series and against Pakistan he produced 2 more nineties. The 95 he scored at Gwalior was an innings in which he did not give the bowlers a chance. A tough pitch to bat on and didn’t he make it look simple. In Australia, he scored two 150’s in the test series. The one at Sydney was a great innings as he batted with the tail to go past Australia’s score. The series was overshadowed by the Harbhajan Singh-Andrew Symonds row otherwise Sachin’s performance would have been its highlight. Sachin had patchy form in the league matches of the Commonwealth Bank series but in the finals he was majestic. HE ensured that India win the series without playing a third final. The critics were silenced again. When Australia came to India they had to face a Tendulkar in fantastic form and loose the series 2-0. Sachin overtook Brian Lara’s record of being the highest run scorer in test cricket during the second test. He also battled hard to save the 1^st test which was the turning point in the series for India.

Then came England in December and in the 1^st test at Chennai, Sachin brought up his century and a remarkable win with the remarkable paddle sweep. Chasing 382 India were given a fantastic start by Virender Sehwag. Sachin then ensured that this did not go waste by scoring a century and winning the match for India. In New Zealand he was dominant in both Tests and the One Dayers. The 163 not out at Christchurch would remain as one of the best innings of the new century. Sachin was very consistent in the test series. His 160 at Hamilton was instrumental in India’s win. He also batted well to give able support to Gautam Gambhir and save the second test and and scored an aggressive 62 in the third and thus ended up as the second highest run getter in the series.

People have always criticized him for not playing when required but they fail to see that he has played match winning innings on many an occasion and made it look so easy that one never felt that there was a “situation”. However, the last two years have been fantastic. He has batted like Sachin of the old. We must look at the number of match winning innings he had produced during the last two years. Previously too he had batted well and made it look absolutely easy. In fact many times a “situation” would arise after he lost his wicket. Thus it would be unfair to say that he has not delivered when required. He has carried our hopes with fantastic dignity and continues to be one of the most followed cricketers in the world. Let us all hope that the next year to is a good one for him as if it is a good one for him it will certainly be one for team India, and yes please do not tell him when to retire because he is the best judge.

Victory in Kiwiland

The memories of India's previous tour to New Zealand must have been fresh in all Indian fans' minds before the latest results. The disastrous results of the previous tour had shocked everyone as India had gone to New Zealand with success in ODI's and tests before the tour. The tour proved to be a wake up call for the team before the 2003 world cup. But 6 years down the line, things have changed. India have won their first test series in New Zealand in 41 years. This was an appropriate gift for all the members of the 2002-03 touring party. The win in the test series would be remembered by the players and the fans for years to come. The highlight of this tour was the way the team saved the second test match. Following on is never easy, especially trailing by more than 300 runs with more than two days to go. Gautam Gambhir delivered at crucial junctures in the series and he for me was the man of the series. He has been quite a revalation during the last year. The way he charges down the track to hit fast bowlers signifies the new spirit of the team. Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been able to motivate a bunch of talented youngsters to perform to their fullest potential. The Wisden test 11 of the year signifies the performance of the Indian Cricket team. 5 Indians have made it to the 1 and they are Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, M.S Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan. Each of these players have been instrumental in test victories over the last year and a half. M.S Dhoni has been selected as the captain of this team ahead of Greame Smith who led his team to a test series victory in Australia. The cool temperament of Dhoni probably led to him being chosen as the captain of the annual Test 11. The focus now moves on to the Indian Premier League in South Africa. From the classical version we now move on to the slambang arena. In the midst of all this we must congratulate all the players for their remarkable performance on this tour and hope they keep up the good work when India plays next.