How does RCB counter the threat of Lasith Malinga ?

I was about to begin my fitness routine of bending elbows when the RCB batting unit came into my room, followed by a rather upset looking Jay Rennings. He looked very concerned.

I wondered if there were some security issues all over once again.

I greeted them: “Hello guys! Nice surprise seeing you all here. What’s the matter, anyways?”

Before any of them could answer, Jay thundered at them. “Look guys. I know what is best. Who is this joker here?” he said pointing at me. “And what can he do to help you face Malinga?”

The RCB unit looked at me intently.

I dramatically threw my arms in the air for impact. “Look guys, I am not into abducting people, holding them hostage and stuff like that.”

Dilly spoke first: “Noo, noo! We just came for some ideas on how to handle Malinga?”

“Oh, I see. Can I get a season pass for all RCB games?” I decided to ride my luck and see where it took me.

“Of cooooooooourse!” the entire batting unit went in chorus, much like school children wishing ‘Good morning Ma’aaaaam’!

Jay was fuming now: “Look fellas, I’m the coach, and I will tell you’ll how to play.”

“Boss, you can tell how to play, but you are not the one out there to play him!” piped in Kirat Vohli, rather sarcastically but matter of factly. He looked genuinely worried.

Jay Rennings was seething. “I AM OUT OF HERE!” he said and stomped as the RCB unit gleefully clapped their hands like a bunch of school kids who were told that the moral science class had been called off.“YAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!” they screamed and exchanged high-fives!

As they looked at me, I went on the offensive. “So guys, when can I get the tickets? Season passes, ok?”

“Sure, sure but tell us what we need to do to ensure that we don’t lose our wickets to Malinga,” piped in Van Dettori.

“Errrrrr… you can get out to the bowler on the other end!”

ve Dilliers looked very irritated and had his fist rolled into a ball, “Look, we are serious. We are not here for jokes. We are here to get a solution.” And for impact, he pulled out a few tickets with his other hand and started fanning himself.

“Well guys, the solution is simple,” I said. “Did you see Malinga at the post-match interview?”

Some heads shook vertically, some horizontally.

“Look, Malinga practices with a shoe placed at the crease. Do you know that?”

Every head shook in acknowledgement. “We have been seeing his videos for the last 48 hours but are clueless how to handle him!” cried Taurabh Siwary!

“Solution is simple guys!! Malinga simply zones in on the shoes!!!

When your turn comes to face Malinga, simply face him without your shoes! Go barefoot to bat against him. That will confuse the heck out of him and make him clueless where to bowl!!!

A wave of happy screams rented the air, as the RCB batting unit jumped in joy.

“And guys, if you want to make it even better, carry your shoes and place them outside the off stump, and then hammer the full length balls outside the park!!”

Dhoni's Tonsured Head - The Reason

My editor threw back the CWC final report at my face. “People see the game live, and over and over and over again on TV! You describe the game all over and call this an article?. Get something better or you are fired!” he screamed.

Crestfallen, I wondered what to do, and thought the best idea would be to meet the best Leader in the country and get some ideas.

All roads seem to be leading to Chennai, and when I expressed my inability to get to Chennai from Bangalore, my Editor again screamed! “Think!! Think!! You cannot get to Chennai given the IPL game there on 8th!! Take a flight to Delhi, use some political influence to get a ticket, telling them you will garner Tamil Nadu electoral votes and then fly to Chennai”.

Now who do I run into after landing at New Delhi airport? Virender Sehwag himself!!

“Congratulations Viru! You have created history, do you know??” I rushed to him.

Viru smiled, “Thanks, thanks, I know”

“Oye Viru, am not talking of the win! I think you are the only batsman to have used the UDRS twice in three deliveries faced, and then walked back to the pavilion twice!!”

“Arre yaar, what to do?” Viru sounded genuinely apologetic. “We just don’t understand UDRS na!!! I all along thought it was VDRS!!”

“VDRS?”

“Yeah, I thought it was Viru Dismissal Rejection System!!”

Viru was kind enough to call for emergency service as I collapsed to the floor. Managing my way to Chennai, I rushed straight to meet the Leader himself, Mahendra Singh Dhoni!

I was delivered another body blow as I entered his room. I found Dhoni sobbing bitterly, face buried in his palms!

Unwittingly I screamed in Tamil “Dey Mottai!! Yenna aachu?” (‘Hey Tonsured! What happened? ’ or “Oye Taklu! Kya huva?”).

He looked up and then graduated from sobbing to wailing aloud!! “Nooooooooooooooo!” he wailed, as I stood in shock! Captain cool as a cucumber who never showed any expressions on the field, acknowledged at the best leader in the country crying like this??

I moved closer to him. “Mahi!! What happened? Did someone tease you as Mahendra Shakaal Dhoni?”

His head shook vigorously.

“Huh? Did Sakshi ban you from partying and going after other………….”

“No no, she has gone to her maikey!” and he continued to wail.

“Boss! Tell me why you are crying!! You are a leader, and leaders don’t cry! You are the best, better than Kapil or Dada or anyone! You are better than Bradman, better than Benaud, better than Lloyd, better than Ian Chappell, better than Illingworth!! Better than everyone! Even Tendulkar could never be a leader, not even be a captain for long!”

“Exactly!” he continued to sob, “and do you know why I tonsured my head?”

“I know why you are crying now Mahi!!” I was excited now, thinking I had figured out the reason! “Gillette didn’t give you a million dollar contract for the head blade advertisement is it?”

The back handed slap from Mahi sent me sprawling across the room. Crawling on all fours and now red faced, which is very different for me, I got back closer to the now bitterly sobbing man.

“Please tell me! Are you crying because Guru Gary is gone?”

“You just don’t follow at all, do you?” Dhoni looked up, “What do leaders do?”

“Well, they ….. they make a lot of money!”

“Aaargghhh!!” he looked around for something heavy and I quickly backtracked on all fours on the floor.

“Boss!! Please please, tell me why?” I pleaded, from a safe distance now.

“Think!! What do leaders do? “

“Errrrr ….. they lead, win a lot of cups and stuff!”

“And?” he thundered now. “OK! What does the PM do?”

“He does what madam tells him!”

“Aarrrgghhhh!!”, he made a motion that seemed like that of one wanting to his hair in frustration before realization struck him. “You don’t understand at all! Leaders show the way right? Yes or no?”

“Ofcourse ofcourse Mahi!”

“And why do you think I removed all my hair?” he was now looking intently at me.

I shook my head, completely accepting defeat!

“I have to lead the team man, and I wanted to show the way! I was hoping that by tonsuring my hair Sreesanth will follow me and remove that ugly bush off his head!! I called to check if he had done it but that joker was having a coconut oil hair treatment before going to streak his hair to look more like Malinga now!!

“Mera baaaaal!” he clutched his tonsured head and then resumed wailing.

Gambhir explains the fly in the ointment while running with Yuvraj!

I finally managed to get hold of Gautam Gambhir, and found him chewing on a ball in his room. Shocked, I asked: “Yo Gauti! What’s going on buddy?”

“Practicing for the game, yaar!” responded Gauti, as he again tried to bite into the shiny side.

“Sure you ought to be practicing, but shouldn’t that be running between the wickets?” I asked softly, not knowing how he will react.

“Are you mad?” Gambhir thundered. “You fans have a short memory, and you have forgotten what Shahid Afridi did in Australia some time back.”

“Worry not about public memory, Gauti. Everyone will remember the running between wickets at Motera. Actually, my sources tell me that Salman Butt, Mohammed Amir and Mohammad Asif thought they had you for company now!”

In a fit of anger, Gambhir yelled at me: “Shut up before I elbow you out the Watson way, you idiot!”

“Easy, easy, Gauti! Just that it was a tense game and you know……..” I was desperate now trying to find a way to stay in the room.

“Look, you arm chair morons have no clue to what is going on in the middle, do you? Have you ever held a bat?” Gambhir sneeringly asked.

“Well, well, Gauti……. I had a wooden toy bat when I was toddler for a long time, just that it was not Kashmir willow. With all good intent my people fed me only Kashmir apples to keep the doctor away”

Going back to chewing on the ball,”Errr, this tastes terrible …”

“Could be cow hide, you know!”

Throwing the ball away in disgust, Gambhir glared again, “I guess I’m better off belting the hide off that ball then!”

“Yes, yes Gauti! Next game is very crucial, but just make sure when running with Yuvraj……”

“Look, you fool! You people assume anything watching TV! It was just that Yuvraj’s fly was open and I was keen on running up to him and telling him about that!”


http://www.cricketcountry.com/cricket-articles/Gambhir-explains-the-fly-in-the-ointment-while-running-with-Yuvraj-/1506

India/Pakistan Semi Final WC 2011 - Two Little Gems

Two telling performances didn’t quite get the accolades they deserved in India’s win over Pakistan.

The typical Sehwag start took one key Pakistan player completely out of the game. Umar Gul, who had hitherto been a fine performer at the start and in the latter stages of the game, was completely shattered by Sehwag’s blazing pyrotechnics. Gul’s miserable fielding efforts seemed to prove his state of mind after the Sehwag bludgeoning. Had Gul been at his normal self with the ball and combined with Wahab Riaz on that day, it may not even have been a 100 over game. Sehwag just took one critical player out of the game for India.

At 205/6 in the 42nd over when Dhoni departed, and with just the tail to come, India looked doomed to something in the range of perhaps 225. Full credit is due to Raina for having shepherded the innings to a respectable 260 at the end. Raina’s innings is even more precious given how the tail batted without any common sense – trying ambitious heaves instead of attempting a single to give Raina the strike.

Where the advantage given by Sehwag was frittered away by the middle-order, Raina ensured a score that could apply some pressure when the chase started. Pertinent to also note that the Pakistani fielding that was ragged in the early part of the innings picked itself up towards the end, and not many runs were gifted. Had India finished around 225, it would have needed more than a miracle to win.

Was the final result more owing to a disciplined Indian bowling performance or poor Pakistani batting? Even Shahid Afridi’s little girls placed the blame on Misbah-Ul-Haq for slow batting. Pakistani networks lambasted both Misbah and Younis for choking in the middle, as they berated Hafeez for throwing away his wicket. Gifted, not earned wickets, was the loud cry.
The Pakistan batsmen never looked nervous about the bowling. They were just under immense pressure. Had Hafeez batted another 10 overs the script would have been very different, probably as different it would have been for India had Sehwag batten another 10 overs earlier in the day. Umar Akmal, playing with a fearless approach was the only real threat India had to remove.

Excellent captaincy, disciplined bowling and safe catching did help in the ultimate analysis. But take away the small gems from Sehwag at the start and Raina at the end and we could have been witnessed a very different result. Perhaps, one of the two really deserved the Man of the Match award in a game that was all about handling pressure.


http://www.cricketcountry.com/cricket-fan/posts/India-Pakistan-Semi-Final-Two-Little-Gems-/post-968/comments/page/1

Why Zaheer Needed A Rest In The World Cup!

With just under less than two weeks for the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL), I decided to meet up with a key administrator of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to check out the team’s preparations.

I told myself repeatedly not to speak of the World Cup, not even the Indo-Pak game. Given the huge stakes, it would be natural for team owners and key administrators to be focused entirely on the IPL preparations. Right?

As I was shown into his chamber, the RCB heavyweight looked up, “Oh, it is you! I didn’t know it was you waiting for the last three hours. Actually I had far more important things to clear and you could have waited for another ….”

I squirmed like unprotected batsmen facing Dale Steyn and mumbled, “Just a few thoughts, Sir, on how things are on the IPL preparations for RCB! That is all, Sir… Just a few thoughts from you, Sir.”

In my state of nervousness, I was now rambling more than mumbling.

“Oh, it has been a mixed bag! We are not at all happy that South Africa lost to New Zealand the other day! They should have played Morne Van Wyk!”

“But what has RCB and IPL to do with the South Africa-New Zealand quarter-final game? Errr….”

“I also wish the Aussies had gone on for a 3rd consecutive World Cup win,” he thundered!

“But, Sir…India winning World Cup for Sachin?”

“Are you a RCB supporter? An RCB fan?”

“Yes, Sir! Of course, I’m a RCB fan!”

“Then how can you be happy with New Zealand winning and Australia losing?”

“But, Sir, that’s in the World Cup”

“How naïve can you be? Tell me, who should play at Mohali for India? Zaheer Khan or Sreesanth?

“Of course, Zaheer Khan, Sir! He has been brilliant, Sir. He is our best bowler, Sir! He is fantastic! Sreesanth is so useless.”

“And you still want Zaheer, our best bowler to play and not Sreesanth?”

“Sir….”

“Don’t you read the game properly? With South Africa losing, de Villiers would get some deserved rest. But Daniel Vettori, coming off an injury, is still playing. If you asked me, I wished New Zealand had lost and Vettori got some more rest. Thank goodness we didn’t retain Roscoe! I’m concerned about Zaheer as well. Normally his shoulder or hamstring acts up after seven or eight consecutive games. Why don’t you write that he should be rested at Mohali?”

“But, Sir, it’s very big game for India and that too against Pakistan. And Zaheer is our only wicket-taking bowler!”

“Look, are you stupid? You came here to talk about RCB preparations, right? And now you worry about an India-Pakistan game! You just don’t simply understand the business part of the game that is so essential! Look at that, Dilshan! What is he doing exerting himself the way he is in taxing weather conditions in Colombo? You think he is paid the big bucks to be on the field for the entire game in a World Cup match? The entire game? Why doesn’t he make Kumar Sangakkara or Mahela Jayawardene also bat and sweat in those conditions? Our first game is against Kochi! Do you still think Zaheer should play in place of Sreesanth? ”

“Sir, but Pakistan, semi-final and World Cup …..”

“Oh God! Vettori, Zaheer, Dilshan are key RCB players and you want them to continue playing? Are you mad! GET OUT!!!”

With just under less than two weeks for the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL), I decided to meet up with a key administrator of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to check out the team’s preparations.

I told myself repeatedly not to speak of the World Cup, not even the Indo-Pak game. Given the huge stakes, it would be natural for team owners and key administrators to be focused entirely on the IPL preparations. Right?

As I was shown into his chamber, the RCB heavyweight looked up, “Oh, it is you! I didn’t know it was you waiting for the last three hours. Actually I had far more important things to clear and you could have waited for another ….”

I squirmed like unprotected batsmen facing Dale Steyn and mumbled, “Just a few thoughts, Sir, on how things are on the IPL preparations for RCB! That is all, Sir… Just a few thoughts from you, Sir.”

In my state of nervousness, I was now rambling more than mumbling.

“Oh, it has been a mixed bag! We are not at all happy that South Africa lost to New Zealand the other day! They should have played Morne Van Wyk!”

“But what has RCB and IPL to do with the South Africa-New Zealand quarter-final game? Errr….”

“I also wish the Aussies had gone on for a 3rd consecutive World Cup win,” he thundered!

“But, Sir…India winning World Cup for Sachin?”

“Are you a RCB supporter? An RCB fan?”

“Yes, Sir! Of course, I’m a RCB fan!”

“Then how can you be happy with New Zealand winning and Australia losing?”

“But, Sir, that’s in the World Cup”

“How naïve can you be? Tell me, who should play at Mohali for India? Zaheer Khan or Sreesanth?

“Of course, Zaheer Khan, Sir! He has been brilliant, Sir. He is our best bowler, Sir! He is fantastic! Sreesanth is so useless.”

“And you still want Zaheer, our best bowler to play and not Sreesanth?”

“Sir….”

“Don’t you read the game properly? With South Africa losing, de Villiers would get some deserved rest. But Daniel Vettori, coming off an injury, is still playing. If you asked me, I wished New Zealand had lost and Vettori got some more rest. Thank goodness we didn’t retain Roscoe! I’m concerned about Zaheer as well. Normally his shoulder or hamstring acts up after seven or eight consecutive games. Why don’t you write that he should be rested at Mohali?”

“But, Sir, it’s very big game for India and that too against Pakistan. And Zaheer is our only wicket-taking bowler!”

“Look, are you stupid? You came here to talk about RCB preparations, right? And now you worry about an India-Pakistan game! You just don’t simply understand the business part of the game that is so essential! Look at that, Dilshan! What is he doing exerting himself the way he is in taxing weather conditions in Colombo? You think he is paid the big bucks to be on the field for the entire game in a World Cup match? The entire game? Why doesn’t he make Kumar Sangakkara or Mahela Jayawardene also bat and sweat in those conditions? Our first game is against Kochi! Do you still think Zaheer should play in place of Sreesanth? ”

“Sir, but Pakistan, semi-final and World Cup …..”

“Oh God! Vettori, Zaheer, Dilshan are key RCB players and you want them to continue playing? Are you mad! GET OUT!!!”


http://www.cricketcountry.com/cricket-articles/Why-Zaheer-Khan-should-be-rested-/1550

Indian Cricket's Theme Song

What matters at the end is winning. A win absolves any weakness or shortcoming that was pertinent until that point. An Indian cricketing win absolves a sinner of all misdeeds and converts him to a saint. An Indian cricketing win instantly converts a pauper into a millionaire.

The Indian batting was rated as a strong line-up, and the problems for the Indian camp was not whom to play but whom to leave out from the batting line-up. Hearts did beat when the bowling line-up was looked at; the inclusion of Piyush Chawla was questioned and ridiculed, and Shantakumaran Sreesanth’s replacement for an injured Praveen did nothing to put the Indian heart at ease or comfort.

The league stage for India threw up plenty of worrisome questions on the batting front. Batting collapses from a position of strength, when they were posed to bat opposition out of the game, and also the lack of runs from skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni himself were key concerns.

Group B was the tougher of the two groups, and it was ironical that only one Group B side went into the last four, whilst the relatively easier Group A saw three sides move into the last four. Sri Lanka came into the final with relatively comfortable wins over New Zealand and England.

Even a biased script writer couldn’t have put together a better scenario for India in the knock-out stage. India had to put away the Aussie challenge built on a fine return-to-form hundred from Ponting; then overcome a batting failure by bowling a steady line and fielding brilliantly against Pakistan, two aspects of the game that was not seen as their strengths.

Battle hardened India were clearly favorites at Wankhede, and deservingly so. The fielding and bowling stifled Sri Lanka at the start. Sri Lanka missed the “Colombo Comfort” at the start as the most successful opening pair in this tournament struggled against Zaheer Khan on a wicket very different from the Premadasa pitch. Zaheer’s fine line was supported by the fleet footed off-side arc of Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli. The magnificence of Mahela Jayawardene kept Sri Lanka in the game, and the batting powerplay blaze took them to a score that could have been defended.

Champion sides get out of troublesome situations, and India did that precisely after the Lasith Malinga twin strikes sent back Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar quite early in the innings. While Gautam Gambhir put his best performance of the tournament with the bat, Dhoni read the situation to absolute perfection. His decision to promote himself was a brave one, taking responsibility in the most crucial moment of the tournament. Dhoni’s innings was an intelligent and well measured knock. He settled in with his first 12 runs taking 21 balls, after which he switched gears. The next 38 runs to reach his 50 took 31 balls, after which he nailed the Sri Lankan coffin with his last 41 runs comings off just 27 deliveries.

Dhoni success story as a captain has been phenomenal: Leading India to a T-20 World Cup win, leading the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to victory in the Indian Premier League triumph in 2010, leading India to the No 1 position in Test cricket and now leading India to a 50-over World Cup win after 28 years!

Yenga thalai Dhoniyukku periya whistle adiyungo! (Put in a big whistle for our leader Dhoni!) runs Chennai Super Kings (CSK) theme song in Tamil. Perhaps that should now become Indian cricket’s theme song as well!

(originally written for www.cricketcountry.com)

Wanted! Sachin the Shepherd!

Barring the Bangla Desh game where the batting script went as desired, the late innings batting collapse has now occurred thrice. If we managed a tie against England and lost a game where the South Africans could have been batted out of the game, the inexperience and lack of pedigree players in the Windies line-up helped us avoid a loss. There are no guarantees however the collapses won’t get repeated again, which would mean the exit door in the knock-out stage.

Where exactly is the problem and what is the solution? The problem is with losing wickets quickly, and the solution is not to lose wickets. Fairly simple to find a solution, armed with a keyboard. The lineup after Sehwag, Sachin and Gambhir is Yuvraj, Kohli, Dhoni, Pathan and Raina. The most experienced of the lot is Yuvraj for whom the number four slot seems apt. Kohli is best utilized at number three but that is in conflict with the position Gambhir is slotted at. Dhoni, Pathan and Raina over time have played in the lower order as finishers!

Pathan failed in all the collapses attempting to be aggressive, Kohli is clearly not cut out to come in at the end, Raina swiped a catch off a ball that otherwise would have been a wide, and whether Dhoni was playing for the country or for the ‘home’ crowd yesterday is not clear, but on two occasions he has fallen to aggressive shots.

How do we arrest the collapse? Whilst the middle/lower order certainly has talent and match winning abilities, they have tendered to get lost like sheep probably with no one to herd them. Think a little deeper, and one thought that comes is whether these talented guys have the pedigree of a Dravid or Saurav or Laxman. Talented batsmen who also used their mind and read the game situation well. Batsman who were mentally strong and aware of how the game was panning out. The problem with our repeated collapses perhaps is more of not reading the game well and faulty shot selection. Sheep that went astray and got lost. Who can shepherd and guide them?
A line of thinking that was shared with three cricket knowledgeable friends, who didn’t quite agree since they were of the view, ‘why fix something that isn’t broken’, but this thought is more on fixing the repeated lower order collapse towards the end of the game.

The thinking must now be apparent - open with Sehwag and Gambhir. Both know each other, have played a lot and are openers capable of providing a good start. Does it mean your best batsman doesn’t get to bat all 50 overs? Well, the strongest mind in the line-up would serve India better if he were to arrive around the 30th over, when there would also be a harder replaced ball in operation at over number 34, and shepherd the potential match-winners with this presence at the other end. His own run making aside, he can guide the other batsman like no one else can.

It is a known fact that Tendulkar prefers to open, but the situation is that we need some fixing to ensure the potentially strong batting line-up lives up to expectations in a crucial stage of this tournament. Saurav Ganguly dropped himself, breaking a fine successful opening pairing with Sachin, to accommodate Sehwag at the opening slot. It was a self-less act in the interest of the team. Open with Sehwag and Gambhir and pencil in Virat at number three and Yuvraj at number four. Around the 30th over mark, it should be time for Tendulkar to arrive.

Sachin’s 100th hundred will probably get postponed to some other day, but another opportunity for him to be part of a World Cup winning side may probably not come. Probably, since this man looks like he is good enough to be around for the next World Cup.

Originally written for www.cricketcountry.com

World Cup 2011: Where Did India Really Lose The SA Game?

Many a movie, Indian and foreign as well, have portrayed this scene. The protagonist is involved in a fight, either in boxing ring or on the street, and is almost thrashed to death. Just as the end seems near, there is a dramatic change. Either it is the protagonist’s parent egging him to fight or his love lady screaming or some divine intervention. The scene will end with the protagonist miraculously finding the strength needed to demolish his opponent. The script writer is in complete command and ensures he/she plays to the gallery and comes out a winner.

India had gotten off to a dream start. At the end of over 17, the score read 140 without loss at a run-rate of 8.23. More importantly, the South Africans looked completely demoralized. Sehwag had looked more dominant with 72 off 63 balls, but a sublime Tendulkar was at a higher gear having made 59 off just 40 balls, and this against an attack that read Steyn, Morkel and Kallis. When Sehwag departed in the 18th over, the stage appeared to be set for a big Indian total, and the numbers even went as high as 400. A side fancied by the media as favorites had indeed started this game all guns blazing. South Africa, the other favorite to win this WC and with good and better reasons as well, seemed down and out. Graeme Smith looked crestfallen. Some South African twitter friends had even switched off their TV sets in disgust. Why Smith opted for the second bowling Power Play when both batsmen were in a murderous mood was a point of thought at that state.

Much of the blame for the defeat has been laid at the batting collapse starting with the 9 wickets that were lost for 29 runs. Batsmen strode in, fizzled out. Tendulkar, Gambhir, Pathan, Yuvraj, Harbhajan, Nehra were out playing attacking or airy shots, and Virat pushed one back gently to the bowler. Patel was clueless to the first ball he got. An utter implosion of the much vaunted batting line-up. More significantly the boxer who had been smashed to pulp, lying bloodied on the floor and gasping for oxygen at over 18 was now up on his feet and dancing with delight and confidence.

While the collapse was a result, what was the cause of that? Steyn’s spell? Probably. His five wickets included Bhajji and then Nehra and Munaf off successive deliveries. What else caused it? The second wicket partnership lasted 22 overs of which 15 overs got 58 runs - a single of two overs, two runs from one over, four runs each off six overs, and five runs each of six overs. Coming in the light of the blistering and demoralizing start, this partnership realized 125 runs off 22 overs at 5.68 rpo.

There have been voices suggesting Gambhir should be replaced by the more agile Suresh Raina, also quick scoring batsmen in the sub-continent who can turn his arm over for a few overs. Gambhir had 128 runs from 4 games coming into this game. For a batsman who generally is positive and aggressive, and also rated as one of the best in the country against spin bowling, Gambhir struggled for the most part of his innings. The fluency was missing as he defended, jabbed, tucked and got the occasional boundary. As the partnership for the second wicket progressed, one pondered if we were losing on the fabulous start provided. The posts on the net forums and the twits are there as proof of this concern. Gambhir clearly looked like a player consolidating his position in the side with a good score. That was the honest impression, which only was reinforced by a conversation with two former first class cricketers who simply expressed disgust over the approach in the middle.

Where is the need for ‘consolidation’ when the opponent was already down and almost out? Why go by the middle-overs with cautious game play, when the opponent was gasping to stay alive? India missed a golden opportunity by not forcing the run rate in that crucial phase. Australia got to 125/2 in the 20th over in the 2003 World Cup finals against India, and there was no looking back as they plundered the Indians for 359 runs. They got 172 for the first wicket in 23 overs and ensured they ran off with the game getting 281 runs off 38 overs in a curtailed game. Those were they ways of true champions, not pretenders to the throne.

Did the lower order fail and made us lose the game? There certainly is a valid point for the utter brain freeze and the resultant failures. Was the batting order being changed a reason? That is another debate altogether.

More than a defeat, which in the ultimate analysis does not matter in as far as qualifying for the last eight is concerned, there were more losses from this game. The psyche of the likes of Kohli and Pathan must be severely dented. They now have a couple of failures against their names. South Africa could have been completely demoralized and been made to fight for the last eight spot but they are on track with a morale boosting win from a point of no hope.

As for India, as things stand, the chances will brighten tremendously if the WC finals were to be preponed by a day from the originally scheduled date of 2nd April!

Originally written for www.cricketcountry.com

Ind/Eng WC Game: 27th Feb 2010: Where Indian Batting Failed

A team that scores 300 batting first would normally have reasons to be happy with that kind of effort. India scored 338 against England at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday. Content and happy at a good batting effort? No! At the risk of sounding ridiculous, one felt not enough was done by the Indian batting.

Let us crunch some numbers and see if one is justified in taking that line.

* The Indian innings had 140 dot balls (46% of the total deliveries in the innings) and 109 deliveries that resulted in singles (36%). Effectively 249 deliveries (82%) got just 109 runs. The score of 338 was thanks to 35 boundaries and seven sixes which adds up to 182 runs from just 42 deliveries. Flashes of brilliance, but overall pedestrian?

* England had 111 dot balls (37%) and in spite of just 29 boundaries (10% of total deliveries faced for 116 runs) and only 4 sixes (1% for 24 runs, but at a crucial juncture) bettered India with 134 single run deliveries and 22 deliveries of 2 runs each.

Looking at the overs and runs scored, India had 21 overs where they scored 4 runs or less, and accumulated just 64 runs. These included 7 bowling Powerplay overs and three batting Powerplay overs. The combined 10 Powerplay overs fetched India a measly 30 runs! Tendulkar played 29 deliveries in the Powerplay for 12 runs, Gautam Gambhir eight deliveries for four runs, Yuvraj managed seven off 15 deliveries and Dhoni seven runs off eight balls.

In comparison, England had 19 overs where they scored four runs or less and accumulated 62 runs in these overs. These included five bowling Powerplay overs where they managed just 14 runs, and five batting Powerplay overs that fetched just 25 runs, totaling 10 Powerplay overs for 39 runs. This poor performance, however, is far better that what India managed.

The higher number of dot balls didn’t help India’s cause. England, with lesser number of dot balls and higher number of single and two run deliveries (134 and 22 respectively), scored 178 runs compared to India’s 141 runs (109 singles and 16 two’s). England were simply more industrious and effective.

How Tendulkar fared

Reviewing Sachin Tendulkar’s innings is interesting. His innings had 57 dot balls (50%), 36 singles (31%), 7 two’s (6%), 10 fours (9%) and 5 sixes (4%). Ten fours and five sixes fetched Tendulkar 70 runs and the other 100 balls faced by him fetched 50 runs. A glorious, brilliant hundred, or a hundred with 15 brilliant hits? Or, 13% brilliant and 87% pedestrian? A dominant innings or 15 dominant supershots? It is incongruous to point a finger at a master batsman who had a 100 to his name, but one cannot but ask some fact-based questions.

Andrew Strauss, the other centurion, had 55 dot balls (48% and close to Tendulkar) but 62 singles (54%), 9 two’s (8%) and one six (1%) plus 18 fours (16%) which gave him 72 runs. Less fancied, less breathtaking with the big hits but more effective overall? Strauss simply ensured England never had a high run-rate to chase, which was at 6.70 when the last 10 overs began for England at a comfortable 272 for two.

Indeed 338 looked a big score, but the fact of the day was that India batted brilliantly for 42 balls and the remaining 265 deliveries had England calling the shots. England just botched a win after Strauss’s departure.

This was originally written for www.cricketcountry.com

Should the measurement criteria change for cricketing performances?

The game of cricket has seen changes over the last few decades. From a pure sport that was considered a “gentleman’s game” it has today changed into versions that are different from traditional cricket, and not quite gentlemanly is the behavior of the practitioners of the game. The purist would argue that cricket is not the same and has predominantly become a component of visual entertainment.

The yardsticks for reflecting cricketer’s performances have, however, not changed over the years. The measurement primarily continues to be the number of runs scored, batting averages, number of wickets taken, bowling averages and the like. Other criteria such as number of games played, hundreds, double hundreds or fifties scored, batting and bowling strike rates, catches taken etc are tracked, and in the age of information technology there is more granular data available such as the bowlers runs have been scored off, the time taken to score runs, number of deliveries played and much more. In time to come, data such as the distance covered by sixes may also get recorded, as these statistics, whether reliable or not, are being announced during commentaries.

Statistics have been questioned from a perspective whether they really convey the real picture. In a world where perception often scores over reality, the manner in which statistics are compiled for cricket records could probably do with some changes or modifications or enhancements.

What factors are overlooked when we look at vanilla statistics? The condition of the wicket never ever gets weightage. The quality of the bowling attack never gets reflected. The situation of the game under which runs were scored or wickets were taken never gets reflected. How much do you rate an innings where a batsman hauls the side from a precarious 15 for 5 in the second innings on the fourth day of a Test, with a knock of 91, to lead the side to an honorable draw?

Will statistics reflect this higher than three other hundreds that were scored in the same game? How much value does a match-winning, unbeaten knock of 73 that bails the side from a situation of 76 for 5, and later 124 for 8, in pursuit of 216 runs get? How will it be compared to bigger knocks in the same game in the first innings, when years down the line someone looks at just numbers? Why is that we have fans who at times critic Sachin Tendulkar hundreds inspite of his undeniable greatness? Data on home ground performance and overseas performances, where conditions differ are available, but these still do not consider factors that pose a challenge to the technique and temperament of a player, or the conditions or extremely adverse game situations from which a player emerges creditably. Whilst this is particularly relevant in Test matches, even T20 or ODI game statistics do not give a fair presentation of the contribution to the particular game.

In the Super Six fixture between Australia and New Zealand in the 2003 World Cup, Shane Bond had the Aussies tottering with a spell that read 6-0-20-3 and had Australia at 41 for 3 off 11 overs. He came back at 78 for 4 off 22 overs and picked two wickets in the 25th over, and another in the 27th over before finally finishing with figures of 10-2-23-6 leaving Australia at 88 for seven in the 29th over.

Thereafter came a recovery act between Michael Bevan and Andy Bichel which carried Australia to 185 for eight 8 in the 48th over. Enter Brett Lee. Australia 192 for eight at the end of 49 overs and Andy Bichel on strike. Lee went on to hit two sixes off the last two balls to carry Australia over the 200 mark.

John Buchanan has remarked that those two towering sixes that Lee signed the innings off was crucial from a morale perspective, and helped Australia to defend a total of 208, with Lee himself picking five for 42 in a Aussie win. Buchanan’s point was that those two hits changed the complete complexion of the game. How much credit do batting records give Lee for those 15 runs off 11 balls?

Take today’s T20 games. How does one value the wickets taken by a bowler at the start of an innings as against wickets taken towards the end, where there is a charge for runs with batsman throwing their bats around? Or, which performance between a run-a- ball or better 50 at the top of the order vis-à-vis a quick 15 or 20 runs at the end when the more experienced or able bowlers are in the attack, deserve higher rating and applause? Do statistics reflect how much these contributions affected the result of the game?

Does a stifling spell of bowling that facilitates fall of wickets at the other end to a different bowler get recorded? How does a brilliant performance as a fielder get recorded in statistics? As mere numbers or as game changers?

What then is a better yardstick to record performances? Or how can performances be recorded giving weightage to the playing conditions, quality of opposition and situation of the game under which a player performed? How do we differentiate good performances versus great performances? How do we assign more value to an individual score under 100 runs under extreme situations in comparison to perhaps a century in the same game, that, in the context of the game was not as valuable as the below 100 score? How do we give due credit a terrific but wicketless spell of a bowler that helped wickets at the other end?

In addition to the present statistics, can a pool of points (say 100 per game) be disturbed amongst the players based on their performance and the impact they have had on the game? How will the allocation happen? Anything subjective is always questioned. Can parameters be evolved which will be a guideline for such point distribution?

A start may have to be made somewhere for the present system of statistics just hinges on quantity, and the qualitative aspects of performances just aren’t getting recorded in a formal manner.

(This article was written for first being published on www.cricketnation.com)