India - SL : Second ODI - 28 Oct 2005 - Pre-game thoughts

On to Mohali, for a day-night encounter. Reports state that the toss could be vital, as the dew factor can make life difficult for the spinners later in the game. Reports say that having two spinners wouldn't help for a side bowling second. Lankans have three or four spinner who come into action.

India side - would there be a change in the composition? Would Murali Karthik's performance bring him into the XI? Or will the winning combination be used again? Would there be an experimentation of using Sehwag lower down the order and giving either Dhoni or Gambhir the opening slot? Yuvraj coming in at No 4 when Pathan departed seemed to indicate that the think tank preferred a right/left combination at the wicket. Personally I wouldn't be surprised if there is going to be some change to the playing XI tomorrow.

And more interesting tomorrow would be the announcement from the selectors for the upcoming games.

1st ODI - India Vs Sri Lanka - 25 Oct 2005

Prematch Thoughts

Most Dravid fans, while being happy about his elevation as the skipper, would be looking at the new series with some concern.

For starters we have a bowling attack that is now spearheaded by Ajit Agakar on his comeback, Irfan Pathan has played just two ODIs in India and will be looking for his first wicket on our flatbeds, permanent fixture Harbhajan hasnt won any game with the bowling for several years now. Would India opt for experience and use Murali Karthik? How well would the newcomers R P Singh and Sreesanth perform? Questions galore!

On the batting front, we have Tendulkar on his much awaited return. Yuvrajs record against Sri Lanka in particular and in general while batting up the order wouldnt gladden his most loyal fans. A lot will depend on the trio of Dravid, Sehwag and Dhoni. After his impressive game against Murali in Sri Lanka, Venugopala Rao should win the spot ahead of Raina.

India do not even seem to have a proper candidate for the super-sub spot. With Yadav a certainty now, it will be interesting to see who gets the supersub role.

Probable side?

1.Sehwag
2.Tendulkar
3.Dravid
4.Yuvraj
5.Venugopala Rao
6.Dhoni
7.J P Yadav
8.Agarkar
9.Irfan Pathan
10.Harbhajan Singh
11.Sree Santh


Thoughts As Game Progressed

And notwithstanding another failure from Sehwag, India off to a rollicking start, thanks to Sachin on his comeback!

We couldn't have expected/hoped for a better start!!!

350 for 6 off 50 overs!! Have India batted SL out of the game?

Big ask for the Lankans. How will they fare? Reportedly, a belter of a batting wicket, and an inexperienced Indian bowling attack.

Interestingly, Vaas didnt get to bowl his full quota of 10 overs. Supersub Karthik will come into play, and provide another alternative to Dravid.


Post Game Thoughts

A 152 run victory for India. Most unexpected!

1. + Biggest plus is Tendulkar's return and form.
2. + Bowlers - spinners - did their job. Bhajji finally with a three wicket haul after 17 games; Supersub Karthik matching with another three.
3. + Batting was sustained throughout.
4. - Sehwag's poor run will be a concern.
5. - New ball attack - will they persist with this combination? 13.4 overs for 93 runs, and three wickets - two of the tailenders at the end. Averaging almost 7 an over.


Got To Watch The Replay Of The Telecasts - Some More Thoughts

1. Wicket keeping. The stumpings that Dhoni missed should be a cause for concern. He did get one good stumping, but the two he missed were chances club keepers would have managed with ease.

2. Captain cool!! An excited Murali Karthik on getting Jeyawardene starting mouthing something at the outgoing batsman and Dravid wraps his arms around Karthik pulling him away.

3. Seeing the two spinners in action makes one wonder if the team balance would change to include two spinners.

4. New ball attack - looked very pedestrian. Would we be able to defend say 250 or 275 with this attack? Not very sure!

What Makes Harbhajan An Automatic Choice?

He has figured in 107 ODI’s since 1997, and has 127 wickets. A single five wicket haul back in February 2002 against England at Mumbai, one four wicket haul against Zimbabwe in March 2002 at Guwahati and another 4 wicket haul against Sri Lanka at Bristol, UK in the NatWest Tournament.

In the last 17 ODI games since Nov 2004, a haul of 11 wickets from 154.3 overs with two games where he had two wickets, seven games with a solitary wicket and wicketless in eight games.

Most certainly not a match-winner by any standards. Restrictive at best in a few games.

Whatever makes Harbhajan an automatic choice in this Indian side?

Cricketers or Puppets?

The BCCI placed a gag order on players speaking about the Ganguly/Greg issue. Cricket fans, obviously, should NOT know more of the murky behind door issues. Fair enough.

Though exactly not commenting on the issue, we have statements cropping up.

First was Dhoni coming out with praises for Greg and today, of all the people, BC fame Yuvraj has batted for Greg!!! http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/india/content/story/221149.html

Does this article in Cricinfo http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/columns/content/story/221152.html (well researched and written) just a fair article in the normal course of work, or is someone batting in favor of RD at the helm??

Nothing is black and white, everything about Indian - or BCCI cricket is colourful!!!

Rich BCCI and poor stakeholders!!!!

We seek transparency and the right to know information in the functioning of the state and central governments, government departments and agencies. Public business corporations are required to inform their shareholders the status of business and operations through an Annual Report after duly having an audit conducted. In every sphere of activity which has any public interest, there is a vociferous need for transparency and information/facts.

Cricket in India is run by BCCI, the richest sports body in the country. The manner in which this body manages internal affairs as well as the game is public knowledge. Where and how does this body get the riches, and who contributes to making it what it is financially? You and me, and every cricket follower in this cricket crazy nation. We either are paying to watch the games at the stadium, or we are tuned in to every game possible and also, probably, patronizing many of the products that some of the heroes of the game are endorsing.

Why then should not the cricket fan, the stakeholders of the game in the country today, have the right to know of the internal operations of the BCCI as well as the off-field ‘functioning’ of the team that is chosen to represent (disagreed by many at times) the national team? There has been a hue and cry that the ‘leaks’ in the Chappell-Ganguly soap opera should not have happened. Former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu claimed on a popular national TV network that worser things than the present drama have happened in Indian cricket, and such issues should be kept within the dressing-rooms and never exposed. Pray WHY??? Why shouldn’t the stakeholders of Indian cricket know what their heroes and gods are really upto? Is it disgraceful? Is it obnoxious? Is it detrimental to the game? Does it affect the performance on the field? Would the happenings lower the esteem of the heroes and gods in the eyes of the stakeholder, the ordinary Indian cricket fan? Pray, why should all of us not really know what happens?

There is no compromise of national security if we were to know what really happens with the cricket team. The economy of the country isn’t going to plunge if we were to know facts. Why then should these, apparently, sordid details be buried or shoved under the carpet? Why? Why shouldn’t the report of a coach, the report of the captain, minutes of the deliberations made on those reports, and the conclusions after review meetings be made available to us, the people, who keep this game alive and prosperous? Why not? Every paisa that the Board makes has roots to the support of every cricket lover. And should we NOT be aware of what happens?

Imagine a situation where every one of us stopped visiting stadiums to pay and watch games, opted not to watch any of the telecasts? What would be the repercussion? Surely not a feasible situation, but just imagine for a moment that the cricket fans of this country got fed up of the performance and decided to shun the games of the BCCI chosen cricket team. What would happen? In very quick time the BCCI as well as the heroes and gods who play the game at the international level would lose lucrative endorsement contracts. The board would begin to bleed, and the bank balances will dwindle. Give it a couple of years, and there would even be no takers for any of the positions in the BCCI. No money, no power politics, nothing. The BCCI would suddenly become a leper! That is the kind of power we ordinary folks wield.