Butcher In ICU

Dear Mr. Dhoni,

All we cricket fans, particularly Indian cricket fans, will eagerly look forward to the Old Trafford Test that begins tomorrow.  And look forward with some amount of trepidation as well. 

You are indeed someone with the most coolest and calculating brain in the cricketing fraternity today.  You do think and act out of the box, and we have seen some fabulous successes in the past. Who can forget your own batting promotion ahead of Yuvraj in the World Cup 2011 with stunning success!

Why then do you get into a completely defensive mindset in Test cricket Mr. Dhoni? The 2011 Dominica Test against the West Indies when you opted not go after 86 runs in 15 overs with 7 wickets in hand still rankles a few of us who want to see India as a dominant champion side.

Much has been said about this series and the three Tests till date, and it doesn’t warrant a recall.  But the key question that bothers many of us is, how will Mahendra Singh Dhoni approach this Test? Yes, there are injury concerns but we have a big squad and replacements, who if not the ideal, are available.  And the guys on the bench have earned their place to be there.  The key question is will you enter the field with a view to win the game? Will the bowlers perform as an ‘attack’ or will it be a ‘squad’ with a defensive mindset and orientation right from the word go? 

We accept a failure with the bat or ball or even a poor performance in the field. We understand that everyone has talent as well as limitations and it isn’t an utopian existence for anyone, where everything goes well for us and everyone performs to his ability.  In fact when in trouble on difficult wickets and you come into bat, we feel as anxious as a crowd outside a hospital ICU where a butcher has arrived in place of a heart surgeon to perform a life saving procedure.  Yet, we still hope that youwould battle it out, for if not the technique you have the grit and determination in addition to a smart brain. So, win or loss is not an issue at the end of the day. It is the effort and approach that matters in the first place.  If that is in the right earnest, the changes for success are manifold.

So please Mr Dhoni, approach this Test the way you approach the shorter version of the games!  If the T20 and ODI games had an option for a draw, you perhaps would have topped the list of such games as captain with the most number of drawn T20/ODI games!  But you have better mettle and we are hoping to see a Test where we don’t end up feeling ashamed a non-performance as in the last game!

Thank you!

Die Trying!

In sporting encounters, there is only one winner.  There also exists the view that what matters more is the participation than winning or losing in a competitive arena. Fans are also not averse to putting together their hands to applaud their team even if the team hasn’t been successful. What makes sports endearing is the action on the field and the joy it brings to those watching it. 

When a young Indian team came up with a stirring win at Lords’ just a week ago, Indian cricket fans were overjoyed, and with good reason.  Conditions were quite not in their favour and the manner of the win was also one where aggression and game plan worked well. Had India lost, it would perhaps have been accepted as a game where the odds were stacked against them and they lacked experience.  Euphoria prevailed not just over the win, but the thought that this team was now growing in maturity and confidence.  Was this the beginning of a new era? A new found confidence that would erase the bitter memories of many a past overseas tour outside the subcontinent?  Yes, only time would tell.

India came into Ageas Bowl Test with more aspects in their favour than the home side.  Alastair Cook, the England skipper was under the hammer. The experienced batsmen in the line-up were under question. Key strike bowler Stuart Broad suspected of playing with a knee injury. Matt Prior had stepped down after the Lords defeat. The English side was a in a free-fall with no win in the last 10 Test, the previous Test victory having come in August 2013. India had to deal the knock-out blow to bury England.  The only negative, if any, had been the docking of Ravindra Jadeja with a match fine stemming from the Anderson/Ravindra Jadeja incident.

How did India and England approach this game?  England won the toss and decided to bat first, which, before the game started, was seen as a bold move both by a side that was on a winless streak and by a captain battling for form.  True, India were without their spearhead Ishant Sharma.  Great sides are those that overcome adversities to emerge with honours.  Not those who requires the best of everything to come up winners.  The defensive line that Ravindra Jadeja bowled on the first day was a clear indicator of the mindset of the India side.  True, the catch that Jadeja dropped to give Alastair Cook a real ‘life’ and probably the first innings stroke that led to the dismissal of Rohit Sharma may arguably be seen as two critical incidents that led to the humiliating loss for India.  But did a side that start a Test with four bowlers of whom one was assigned to a negative role really deserve to win? 

If India had it’s legs at the throat of England after the Lords Test, not just did it weaken it’s hold but stopped low enough to allow Engalnd to grab it where it hurt the most.  Players may perform remarkably or have failures.  No one deliberately fails, one trusts, in these days and times.  When a side that had everything going in its favour begins a game with no intent to win, it deserved the humiliation Engalnd handed them.  You may be weak but you will still get some respect if you die trying. India have not just lost a Test but also all respect, perhaps.  The weeks ahead will tell if the Ageas Bowl Test was an aberration or perhaps reinforce that feeling that India are presently being led by a think tank with an utterly negative mindset that refuses to throw the first punch and lurks like a weakling to catch a weak prey.

2012 WCT20 - Sri Lanka Vs Zimbabwe

It ought to be one of the key tournaments from a perspective of being an event involving all the top cricketing nations with the qualifiers.   And in that context, it would be appropriate to expect a grand opening event as the curtain raiser.

And how does the 2012 T-20 World Cup kick off? The day chosen is a Tuesday - a working day, the venue chosen is a distant Hambantota, and the team playing the home team is a clueless Zimbabwe, a side that has lost it’s last dozen games in this format. 

That a country that sees generally vibrant and full stadiums was more than half empty was a statement that the ICC had bungled big time in it’s planning of this event.  “It's a packed crowd here in Hambantota” was perhaps the only time something positive about this game was echoed, but this senile comment from an aging commentator was quite simply another meaningless expression that had nothing to do with reality.

If there was some hope of a contest around the midway mark of the Sri Lanka innings, Zimbabwe quite simply fell apart after that.  Whilst Prosper Utseya and Graeme Cremer bowled well, the rest of the bowlers were wayward. Add a display of abysmal fielding, once a big positive for Zimbabwean sides,  and the writing was clearly on the wall.

That the Zimbabwean batting fell apart came as no surprise, the camera shots of the celebrating crowd became more entertaining that the batting in the middle.

The post match show was interesting as Jatin Sapru quizzed the minds of Kevin Peirtersen, Saurav Ganguly and Wasim Akram for some interesting analysis aided by Dermot Reeve’s graphical presentation and theory.

Cricket fans however may have to bear with a few more days of one sided games, much as this format can produce a shocking result!

And ever seen a tournament where a ‘warm-up game’ is played the day after it has started?  Well, England warm-up with Pakistan a day after the first official game today!

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