Mission 2014..

So the test series is finally over. As the last wicket fell at the Adelaide Oval, India's tour of misery was over, atleast in the longer version of the game. For nearly half of the XI that took the field in Adelaide, it was surely their last Test innings in Australia, maybe their last innings itself. As another 0-4 whitewash became a reality (the writing was on the wall ever since that massive hammering at the SCG), the fans and media back home immediately jumped in with bazookas in hand. The usual suspects were rounded off and sentenced: the ageing seniors, captain and coach, BCCI, the selectors and, of course, that favourite whipping boy, the IPL. To condemn the last two was something I found amusing. When the squad of 17 was announced, there was near unanimity that this was the best the selectors could send Down Under. With the benefit of hindsight, to now say that Srikkanth and co. should have selected X instead of A is improper. As regards the IPL, when the majority of the batting order had already made their names before the IPL started, it beats me how the IPL could have corrupted their batting style. Indeed, India's batting star on the tour is partly an IPL product.

Anyways, now is the time to look forward and not behind. But it is important to remember the lessons of the past while planning the future. And the future is not far ahead. Starting in late 2013, India embark on possibly their most prolonged and toughest string of overseas assignments. Starting with South Africa, the Indian team move on to New Zealand, England and finally Australia in the space of 14 odd months, playing 15 Tests in all (this is excluding playing the West Indies at home). And if all this was not enough cricket, this crazy bit of scheduling finally culminates in the defence of the World Cup in Australia in 2015 (that is after a 4 Test and ODI series there). Hence the title of this post. It is for 2014 that the Indian Test team needs to prepare. And the change needs to happen at all levels. Here are my two cents on some of the things the team, the board and, finally, the fans can do:

a. Leave the seniors alone : The demand, indeed the insistence, from a section of the fans and the media, that the batting trinity call it a day immediately is sad to say the least. And I say this not because I feel that they still have more years to give to Indian cricket. Like most others, I am in agreement that the old needs to give way to the new (in fact, it has been my constant rant that Sachin, Dravid and Laxman should not have played the tests against the West Indies together, a rotation policy should have been followed). But then I also do believe that the decision to retire is theirs alone and no one else should dictate that to them. All three have been great servants of Indian cricket and they would be the last persons to be accussed of having anything else than the team's interest at heart. So, if they feel that their time is up and they are not adding value to the team, I am convinced they will be first ones to quit. I am sure they are in deep introspection now and we should patiently wait for the announcement, whenever it comes. In any case, the next Test assignment is not until September, so why fret over this issue now ?.

b. Start identifying the team for 2014: Here the role of the selectors and team management comes into focus. I believe that there should be a role identified for each of the core players in the team basically on whether he is a long-term test prospect or if he is more suited to the shorter versions of the game. And if people like Rohit Sharma, Kohli, Pujara and Rahane are identified as the core of India's test team in 2014 and beyond, it is essential that they are nurtured and yet, given good exposure before hand. For e.g. once the IPL ends in May, it might be worthwhile for these guys to undergo a county stint in England. If it means that they miss some meaningless ODIs in Sri Lanka, so be it. And it would be even better still if someone like a Dravid can travel and work with them on the county circuit. This, in addition to the very beneficial Emerging Players Tournament subsequently, will help the youngsters gain valuable exposure. The Aussies have used IPL and other visits shrewdly in getting used to Indian conditions. It is time we repay the faith.

Equally important is the role of MS Dhoni as a wicketkeeper. He has publicly announced his intentions to relook his Test feature after 2013. That would the most inopportune time, especially with such important series coming up in 2014. In case MSD plans to quit Tests, it should be sooner than later. The selectors need to have a word with him regarding this and accordingly, groom a couple of young stumpers for the job. Similarly, when it comes to bowling, there needs to be careful handling of the bowling unit. Zaheer, though he lasted very well in the 4 Tests, may not be around in 2014. And Ishant continues to baffle. For a man who has played 45 tests, he hardly looks like someone who is ready to take over as the leader of the attack. It is interesting to note the role played by Craig McDermott in shaping the current Aussie pace attack. Maybe having a bowling coach with vast test experience might be the answer. Another important aspect of the role of the bowling coach is to manage the injuries that have lately become part and parcel of a bowler's life. The same holds for the spinners as well.

These are just some of the steps that can be taken to ensure that, come 2014, India has a young and stable core of Test match players. Of course, this also needs measures to be taken at the ground-level (read our domestic structures) to ensure that we are ready even beyond 2014. In my next post, I will put down some thoughts on how, in my opinion, we need to look at the long-term.

Till then

Cheers

Amit

Battle at the WACA..

After the (not so great) attempt at humor in my last post, it is back to serious business. The Indian team finds itself in Perth and 0-2 down. It was the same situation 4 years back but, as Sambit Bal of Cricinfo has pointed out, the circumstances could not have been more different. Then, an angry Indian team landed at Perth, convinced (as was most of the world) that bad umpiring had done them in Sydney. To add to that was the bad blood between the two sides. And what followed was the most stirring of comebacks by any Indian team ever, as they handsomely won the 3rd Test at the WACA. This time, Dhoni's boys are hurt and despondent. They have been completely outplayed and beaten fair and square by a good Australian side. Relations between the teams have been generally good, excepting the odd incident. Hence, this time, the Indians have to find that resilience from deep within them if they are to stop the slide and maybe, even, get one back as in 2008. But the dream of a test series win in Australia remains that, a dream.

To be fair, it was nothing more than a dream to start off with. Some pre-series media reports that suggested India were starting as favourites were, even without the benefit of hindsight, way off the mark. No visiting team starts as favourites in Australia (except maybe the West Indians in the 1980s and the current English team). It might have been such articles that stoked the Australian fire in the belly, cause they have come back with a vengenance, led, of course, by the captain and the tried and tested middle-order duo around him. So, to think that India had the upper hand to start off with was a mistake. Of course, not even Australian fans would have imagined that the competition would be so unequal. If Melbourne was a case of missed opportunities for the Indians, in Sydney, they were blown away right from the third ball of the match. Much has been made of MSD's decision to bat first at the SCG but I feel he took the right call. It was not a 191-wicket on the first day. His batters simply failed to deliver. Gambhir's technical flaws were once again exposed as, on both occassions, he got a leading edge (blame it on the shorter formats) while trying to work straight deliveries on the on-side. Sehwag did not fire, and one can only hope that the big innings is on its way. Dravid has found out that 2012 is not the same as 2011 while Laxman's 66 in the second innings could not redeem his Very Very Sorry shot in the first knock. Better test batsmen than Kohli have struggled in Australia so it is important that we show some patience with him. And finally, coming to the small man and the big hundred. Rarely before has SRT been in such good touch without having a century to his name. He is batting on a different planet altogether as compared to the other 21 players on the park. But that century is slowly becoming a pain in the neck not only for him, but also for the team. And as innings go by and time runs out for him, it may not be a question of 'when' but of 'if'. Hopefully, once he gets the century, it will liberate not only him but the teamas well. And Indian fans would be hoping it happens at the WACA. The bowling, of course, has to be termed ordinary if the opposition score is 650+ for 4 and the bowlers, especially R Ashwin, need to show improvement and results and of course, need to find a way after the first three wickets which, thankfully, are coming easy as I had earlier imagined.

Now onto Perth and the WACA. Everyone is quick to remind the tourists that the wicket is not quite the one where RP Singh, Irfan Pathan and Ishant Sharma swung India to victory in 2008. It is supposed to have regained its earlier fearsome pace of the 80s and 90s and four quicks might form part of the Aussie setup. This, of course, is supposed to send shivers down the Indian batting line up but, as Sanjay Manjrekar pointed out, many of India's overseas victories have come on sporting wickets (Headingley 2001, Durban 2010, Kingston 2006 and of course, Perth in 2008). But this WACA wicket would surely test the Indian batting line up and MSD, for once, would be hoping its a good toss to lose !!. Speaking of the side, there is high speculation that Rohit Sharma will finally get his debut. I, for one, would not be surprised if we go with the same XI, though I believe Rohit should get a chance. If he gets, it will probably be at Kohli's expense. I would have liked it to be in place of VVS but that seems unlikely given our cricketing setup and his second innings half century. And this is where we are handling the transition very badly. The No.6 batting slot is becoming a game of musical chairs now with Yuvraj, Raina, Pujara, Kohli and now, maybe, Rohit. As far as the bowling is concerned, it should remain the same with Ashwin under severe pressure. Hopefully Umesh Yadav will enjoy (and not get carried away) by the wicket.

Finally, it would be a good result if India can manage a draw (though draws are rare in Perth as per recent records). If they are 1-2 down on the 18th, it would be a huge step forward for the team. But whatever the result, for once, it would not harm the fans to collectively pray for that hundred. I really feel that it is holding back the team.

Cheers

Amit

BREAKING NEWS: 99 is the new century.. !!

In an unprecedent development that has stunned the cricketing world, the ICC has announced in a late-night press release on Saturday that henceforth, all scores of 99 would be regarded as a century in the record books. The terse press release stated 'In the interest of all concerned and of the game in general, the ICC has hereby unanimously decided to grant century status to all scores and figures of 99".

The trigger that started this amazing run of events was a late afternoon Indian team meeting at Sydney. In that meeting, MSDhoni suggested to Sachin Tendulkar that he take a break from the Perth Test and clear his mind of that elusive hundred. Visibly upset at this suggestion, SRT shot back: 'Aila.... What ??? You want to drop me from the team ??? Arre Dhoni, you forgot the time in 2007 when I pulled you by your (then) long hair and put you in front of the selection committee as India's new T20 captain ? Well, I did not imagine then that you would win two World Cups but, anyways, is this how you repay me ??'. Going on, he declared, angrier than he had ever been as India captain: 'I will continue to keep playing as long as I get to that hundred !!!'. At that time, there was a thunderclap heard (it was a stormy Sydney afternoon anyways) and Rahul Dravid, who has a keen sense of history, said he was reminded of the Bhishma pratigyaa scene in BR Chopra's Mahabharata. Anyways, many of the others were in their nappies when the serial used to be on air, so they had no idea of the serial. Alarmed at this development, MSD relayed the news to the BCCI top brass. They were even more alarmed. Said one top BCCI official : "At this rate, it will take a few years for him to get there. Forget Rohit Sharma, he will block even Arjun Tendulkar's place in the Indian team. After all, there is only room for one batsman from Mumbai, you know." This sent the BCCI team into a closed-door meeting wherein Sharad Pawar came up with the suggestion of changing the record books and convert the 99 into a century. When someone asked if this would be possible and if it would seem logical, the matter was quickly referred to Rajnikanth, who, in his inimitable style, made it possible :)

Of course, the other members in the ICC were not so enthused by the suggestion. Cricket Australia raised the first flag of revolt, but then they were offered the honour of converting the average of the second-best player of all time, Sir Don Bradman, to a round 100. They were satisfied. Said the Cricket Australia representative: "The ghost of Sir Don can now rest in peace. Else, we dreaded the prospect of he reincarnating himself as an Indian and dominating cricket one more time'. As a further sop to the Australians, the BCCI offered to purge all online content that put Sachin over Sir Don as the best batsman ever. The BCCI official explained that India's cabinet minister, Kapil Sibal, would do a good job of regulating Cricinfo and other sites. New Zealand, too, were delighted at this suggestion. 'Finally we get a triple centurion' said the NZCC representative, referring to Martin Crowe's 299 that would henceforth be termed as a triple hundred. Closer home, there was double delight for former Indian skipper Mohammed Azharuddin. Not only he would become a double centurion (he has a top score of 199), he would also become the latest member of the 100-Test club (he is currently the only man stranded on 99 Tests). The former captain turned MP also assured the BCCI of full government support in handling any diplomatic fall out of this decision. As far as England's opposition was concerned, the BCCI threatened to retire the Indian team from test cricket altogether !!. Alarmed at the gate money and TV rights money they would lose if the 2014 and 2018 tours were cancelled, the English board gave in. The other boards did not matter anyways and were quickly won over. Finally the issue was settled and it became official. The official statistics committee of the ICC will amend the record books and release the new records within 15 days, it was announced.

Finally, the Indian government has also decided to contribute its bit. The RBI has notified of a new Rs 99 note that will be put in circulation (see picture) with Sachin Tendulkar on it. The RBI Governor D Subbarao said that this the best way of recognizing the efforts of the little maestro who, in the eyes of some, is no less than the man who currently adornes India's currency notes. This note would be officially allowed to be used as a Rs 100 note and would be officially introduced on 24 April 2012, the little master's 39th birthday.

With this decision, the (cricketing) world, and India in particular. can now breath a sigh of relief !!

Cheers

Amit

PS: On hearing of the decision, Sachin Tendulkar remarked that this will not prompt him to hang his boots. 'I always play for the team, you know, and I will keep on playing till I want'. !!!

The more things change, the more they remain the same..

So in a little under four days, the Indian team is back on familiar territory. At the end of the first test in an away series outside of the subcontinent, they find themselves 0-1 down. And the pattern of their defeat is strikingly similar to many in the past i.e. the bowlers keeping them in the hunt throughout only for the batsmen to squander away the chance. And here in Melbourne, it happened not once, but in both innings.

Can India bounce back after this ? I think it can. They have got the most difficult part of the series out of the way. The first test has always been a stumbling block for the Indians. And this time, like the last, it was at their least favourite venue. India now has lost its last 5 tests at the MCG (from 1991-92 onwards). So MSD and his men would want to believe that things can only get better from here. If one were to look at the entire match, the first sessions on Day 3 and 4 turned out to be key ones. One over before the end of day 2, India were 214/2, just 119 behind. This was as good a position as they will ever get. From there to be all out of 282 was criminal, especially against a team like Australia who, irrespective of the quality of their team, do not give you a second chance. Surprise surprise, the Australians actually gave us a second chance, by being 27/4 and then 166/8 in their second innings. But what I saw early today morning was absolutely baffling. The No. 10 batsmen James Pattinson looked around and saw a deep extra cover, deep point etc. He would have felt he was a No. 3 batsman at 150*. Once the Australians escaped from jail a second time, the match was as good as over as our batting came apart in the second innings. While I am not an expert on batting technique, there are a couple of things I obseved. Gautam Gambhir tends to poke at those short ones outside the off, possibly as an effect of one-day cricket where he so loves to just tap it on the off side and take a single. But in a Test match in Australia, the bounce ensures that the ball goes to the slips. His manner of dismissal was similar in both games, just that today, he got a much better ball. Then there is VVS Laxman. For a person as experienced as him to score 2 of 21 and 1 of 14 balls betrayed a lack of form. I think he tends to stay on the backfoot far too much at the start of the innings (ever remember a Laxman straight drive ?). And with the ball on a full length and at pace, he becomes vulnerable, in my opinion.  He goes to his favourite venue, the SCG now and must be hoping for a big one there. Kohli can be excused since this is his first experience of Australian conditions. What was encouraging, though, was to see Ishant and Ashwin put a price on their wicket and score some runs.

Now onto the positives. I mentioned in my pre-series post that a lot will depend on the fitness and form of Zaheer and Ishant. And they have made a very good Test match comeback. Hopefully, they will keep that fitness for the remainder of the series. I mentioned that Umesh Yadav would provide decent backup but he turned out to be India's find of the game. He is a big lad with broad shoulders and seems to get good pace and bounce. The speed gun was not shown on Star Cricket but I have read that he was regularly clocking 145kmph. In Zaheer, Ishant and Yadav, India have a very good attack capable of paying back the Aussies in their own coin should they prepare fast tracks in places like Perth. And while Ashwin was below par in the game, especially in the 2nd innings where, from the little I saw of the innings, he bowled too short. He should get much better as the series progresses, starting with the spinner-friendly track at Sydney.

To sum up, while the result was not what India wanted, the series is still not over yet. The Australian top order looks vulnerable against Zaheer and co. and India need to make early inroads in every innings. And most importantly, the batsmen need to step up to the task. Personally, I do not see any changes happening for the New Year test. Rohit in place of Kohli might be one option but may not change things that much.

Happy New Year to everyone !!

Cheers
Amit

And on to Boxing Day and the G !!

It is that time of the year ahead. Santa has met us riding his sleigh and has (hopefully) delivered us our wishes and promises. Today is time of the Christmas lunch and Down Under, atleast as far as the cricketing fraternity is concerned, the venue is Melbourne and it is a day ahead of one of the most venerated traditions in cricket: The Boxing Day test match at the G (as the MCG is fondly called) !!. And today, as MS Dhoni and Micheal Clarke look ahead to tommorow and the coming month of Test Cricket, both would do well to also dwell on the larger picture surrounding the teams that they command.

That the Aussies are in a rebuilding phase is now known to all. With an Ashes defeat last summer that would have most certainly hurt, they come back to the MCG against an opponent with whom they have had several wonderful duels over the past decade. The fact that they have handed nearly a dozen Test caps this year tells us something about the state of Aussie cricket. A top 3 of Warner, Cowan and Shaun Marsh with a grand total of 5 Test caps between them should surely be making the opening bowlers on the opposition rub their hands in anticipation. Then come the ageing warhorses in the middle, Ponting and Hussey, with the captain sandwiched in between. This might well turn out to be their final summer of Test cricket if they fail to fire against the Indians. But then, only a very brave man would bet on that happening. Expect Ponting and Hussey to come back hungrier and more motivated. Moving on, Haddin has never turned out to be next Gilchrist (can there ever be one ?) as was half-expected. Coming to the bowling, we have Hilfenhaus and Siddle to open the attack. Both good bowlers, honest triers but not in the McGrath-Gillespie bracket. James Pattinson has had an exciting start to his career (14 wickets in 2 Tests) and, aged 21, looks like he might have great things ahead of him. His first real examination would begin tommorow. Nathan Lyon also has a better record than most of the dozen odd spinners in the post-Warne era. All in all, while the Australian team is young, bursting with talent and have only one way to go - up - atleast as far as this series is concerned, they look more vulnerable than they have been onver the past few years. The Kiwis exposed this vulnerability at Hobart, and will the next opposition take the cue from them ?

If only the next opposition did not have problems of its own. And topping that list of issues would be conditions of their lead pace bowlers. The Aussie top order with 5 tests between them can be exposed only if you have a couple of good pace bowlers upfront bowling at full tilt. For India, unfortunately, the part about bowling full-tilt is a great concern. More than anyone else, it will be Zaheer and Ishant who hold the key to India's fortunes in this series. If they can, firstly, play all 4 Tests without any injury concerns and, then, be close to their best, India will be a different unit altogether. Umesh Yadav should provide good backup and Ashwin's height should give him decent bounce to trouble the Aussies. One favour that MSD would be looking for is for Sehwag and Kohli to consistently give him 12-15 overs a day. If his shoulder is doing well, Sehwag is a better bowlers than his record - 39 wickets at 44 each- suggests. The batting of course, should not worry the Indian fan too much. It is hard to see the Aussie bowling consistenly troubling Sehwag, Gambhir and co. And in Rohit and Rahane, they seem to have adequate backup. So India have their troubles in fast bowling, and it is alarming to think that, should either of Zaheer or Ishant break down, the replacements are miles behind. If such a thing should happen, it will be interesting to see if Dhoni asks for Irfan Pathan to come down and then gambles with 5 bowlers. It might be a gamble worth taking, especially at the SCG or Adelaide.

Finally, coming to the test match. The Aussies would be glad that the venue is the MCG, one of their happy hunting grounds in recent times (their innings defeat last year not withstanding). It is also a venue where the Indians have struggled in their recent past, comfortably losing their last 4 tests here. The big boxing day crowd, with a healthy contingent of the Swami Army, should provide a great atmosphere tomorow. The playing XIs of both teams look decided, barring any last-minute injuries. It should be a win toss- bat first decision for either captain. Winning the toss might be a good start for Dhoni. All in all, it promises to be an exciting match and series between two equally-matched teams (the Aussies top order and Indian pace attack matching each for brittleness) and that itself should provide excellent viewing over the next month or so.

Its 5 am tommorow then !!! See you all there...

Cheers

Amit

A new beginning...

Dear Reader...

It has been quite a while (nearly 9 months now) that I have written about our favourite pastime and obsession. A lot has happened during that while. India reached the pinaccle of success by winning the ICC World Cup at home in front of a delirious crowd in my city of Mumbai. That euphoria took a beating a few months later in England, when an injury-hit Indian team tasted their first whitewash in 11 years, losing 0-4. Fair to say, that this year had seen more than its fair share of ups and downs. Now, as we approach a new year and with another potentially mouth-watering series (after England, one should be careful about using such words :) starting in couple of days time, I thought it was time to rejevenuate my blog.

But then, as they say, if you are beginning anew, then go the whole hog. So I thought of giving a completely new identity to my blog. A new titla as well as a new address (http://amitoncricket.blogspot.com/). Hopefully, this new identity will spur me to be more active on this forum and hopefully, reach out to a wider audience with better quality writing. And, as always, I count on you, dear reader, for your continued support and endorsement. Will post shortly with my preview on the Boxing Day test.

Till then, be safe and keep reading...

Cheers

Amit