India is not in the pink of health in any form of cricket is probably a huge understatement. This I say because of the recent test performances aside, even the one day form has not been great for India. Since the world cup, India has not won a single one day series against any team apart from Sri Lanka and the West Indies away from home. This is just the bi-lateral side of it. India has not performed exceedingly well in the two one day tournaments which had more than two teams participating in it subsequent to the world cup. Even in the world cup had it not been for New Zealand, India could not have won the world cup. India did not have to face South Africa in any of the knock out matches. India did not have an equal match apart from South Africa in the world cup. But the South Africans had a problem of their own, choking at the moment that matters. This has been the state of Indian cricket for a while now. The world cup has been over for almost two years now and the team is still basking in it's glory. Not that it is wrong, but we have to move on some time.
This complacence has spilled into the test arena. The performances outside India in the recent past should sting the players to perform better. But that has not been the case. Neither Gambhir nor Sehwag have looked to lift their game. They are the two stalwarts of the Indian batting order after Sachin Tendulkar and will probably remain that way for a while to come. Team India does not have a replacement for the retired greats as yet. India is still struggling to find a proper replacement for Anil Kumble and Saurav Ganguly. None of the retired greats had the impact that Sehwag does. When he goes at it, the opposition gives up. When he does not perform, the middle order looks a lot more brittle than in it should. India does have a very brittle middle order in the longer formats of the game and apparently in the shortest format too, partnerships at the top and middle order seem to be very hard to come by. The disease has seeped into every form of the game that the team is playing. Virat Kohli for the present tea, has become the Sachin Tendulkar of the 90's Indian Team.
IPL is partly to be blamed for the decline. But it is a necessary evil so trashing it will not help anybody's case. BCCI for all its arm twisting in the ICC does not seem to control the attitudes of the players at all. More than the scores that Sehwag has produced for the last couple of years, it is the way in which he gets out that is most worrisome. Gambhir has not sorted out his fending problem outside the off stump. Rohit Sharma is being given all the chances Manoj Tiwari or S Badrinath should be getting. In return the performances speak for themselves. M.S. Dhoni remains the captain of the test team after 8 losses in 11 consecutive matches. India's bowling seems to be a non entity at this point of time. India has had a hard time finding the replacements for the fab four that have reitred, this being the case, one shudders to think what would happen when Zaheer Khan retires. That should be sometime in the recent future. One cannot see him travelling to Australia for the next one day world cup.
The problems seem endless and the management seems to be content on doing nothing about it. Sitting on a problem never solved one. Proactive steps need to be taken. The world t20 team should not have had Sehwag, Gambhir, Zaheer Khan, Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh or Harbhajhan Singh. This was the right platform to test new talent. CSK fans must take note that India has jnot won a single super 8 match since it had won the world cup back in '07. Virat Kohli or R Ashwin should have captained the team while Vijay and Rahane opened. India could have probably retained Dhoni just for his keeping abilities which is not much in itself. the replacement for Dhoni could be the young kid on the block Smit Patel. If the selectors felt that Vijay was too old for making a comeback, they should have roped in Unmukt Chand. Indian bowling has not been their dtrong suit ever so commenting on it is just a waste of time. This has been the case due to negligence of proper care to budding bowlers in India. This is fast becoming the norm with the batsmen also. One hopes that this changes and the new selection team makes a few proactive changes to the team that looks like the shadow of the team that won the world cup two years ago.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Third Day's Play.
Today the match was a bit boring for an ordinary spectator, just 166 runs scored by Australia. Dhoni had a very defensive 8-1 field on the off side to restrict the run flow which was criticized by the commentators. He stuck to it the whole of the first session and got Simon Katich out. Although criticized by the commentators he managed to get the Aussies out for 355 gaining a lead of about 80 odd runs. This I think has made most of the cricket pundits behind the microphone eat their words. I think one has to hand it to Dhoni the way he has handled himself and also the team even when the Australians threatened to take the game away from India.
Dismissed as negative tactics, Dhoni's strategy has actually brought India to the brink of a historic series win. Now the critics seem hardly fair in judging the strategy of a skilled leader who has managed to bring a very stiff looking opposition down to the mat. Even though the senior-pros had a nightmare of a day out in the field, some shrewd thinking and excellent execution of plans has made India fare better than yesterday when the batsmen succumbed to some accurate spin bowling by Jason Krejza.
I just read a few articles in the Australian newspapers The Age and The Australian. Chloe Saltau and Malcolm Conn, I thought made no sense when they kept re-emphasizing the fact that Dhoni had been negative and set negative fields. Considering the situation of the match now that hardly seems the case. Dhoni has made brilliant strategies to win the match and has it seems, literally bored Australia out of the game. Australia have never looked comfortable playing the waiting game. This was no exception. Dhoni has read the script well and has made the invincible Aussies look mortal.
Dismissed as negative tactics, Dhoni's strategy has actually brought India to the brink of a historic series win. Now the critics seem hardly fair in judging the strategy of a skilled leader who has managed to bring a very stiff looking opposition down to the mat. Even though the senior-pros had a nightmare of a day out in the field, some shrewd thinking and excellent execution of plans has made India fare better than yesterday when the batsmen succumbed to some accurate spin bowling by Jason Krejza.
I just read a few articles in the Australian newspapers The Age and The Australian. Chloe Saltau and Malcolm Conn, I thought made no sense when they kept re-emphasizing the fact that Dhoni had been negative and set negative fields. Considering the situation of the match now that hardly seems the case. Dhoni has made brilliant strategies to win the match and has it seems, literally bored Australia out of the game. Australia have never looked comfortable playing the waiting game. This was no exception. Dhoni has read the script well and has made the invincible Aussies look mortal.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Second day's play
Could not see the day's play completely because of my afternoon exam. Little did I know that i was in for a surprise when I came back home seeing the match. It had turned on its head, chief architect being, well who would have guessed? Jason Krejza. I don't think he will ever have a repeat of this performance against any team let alone India. The lad was quite unassuming in his approach. He took 8 wickets for a plenty. It could partially be attributed to India's complacent approach towards him. It was always on the cards that he was going to pick up wickets if the batsmen went reckless against him. One shouldn't deny the tall off spinner any credit though. He thoroughly deserved the reward for his very consistent bowling.
India in the first session went on in a very professional manner. They did not lose a wicket in the first session. Ganguly and Dhoni were looking steady. They were quite evidently taking the game away from the Aussies. I did not know what happened in the second session where India were bowled out and Australia went on to pile up on the runs. I was busy writing my exams. I did quite well in the test so to say. And in Nagpur there was a debutant ripping through the lower order of the Indian batting.
The third session though belonged entirely to Australia. They piled on the agony for India by some steady batting. Katich and Hussey were looking quite ominous. I turned off the T.V. I think India have been undone today by sheer complacency. Had India posted a bigger total, which would have been possible if they had respected the steadiness of the rookie off spinner, they might have won the day. Their complacency has cost them the day and probably the match. I can't think of a worse collapse by India. Sure they might have collapsed before. But all teams can collapse to incisive bowling which Australia clearly lacks.
India in the first session went on in a very professional manner. They did not lose a wicket in the first session. Ganguly and Dhoni were looking steady. They were quite evidently taking the game away from the Aussies. I did not know what happened in the second session where India were bowled out and Australia went on to pile up on the runs. I was busy writing my exams. I did quite well in the test so to say. And in Nagpur there was a debutant ripping through the lower order of the Indian batting.
The third session though belonged entirely to Australia. They piled on the agony for India by some steady batting. Katich and Hussey were looking quite ominous. I turned off the T.V. I think India have been undone today by sheer complacency. Had India posted a bigger total, which would have been possible if they had respected the steadiness of the rookie off spinner, they might have won the day. Their complacency has cost them the day and probably the match. I can't think of a worse collapse by India. Sure they might have collapsed before. But all teams can collapse to incisive bowling which Australia clearly lacks.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
First day's play
India at stumps were 311/5. Not a very good day for India per se. It did have its share of brilliances. But on the whole one has to accept that the day did belong to the debutant Jason Krejza. He has made small yet sure inroads into the Indian top order. He had a fizz about his bowling. India took him light at its own peril. He ended up being the wrecker-in-chief for Australia picking up Sehwag, Dravid and Laxman. He was prepared to give the ball some air and he got some purchase out of the fairly benign pitch. He seemed to be unfazed by the breathtaking batting display by two of India's greatest. Sachin and Sehwag did tonk him around the park a bit, but in the end Krejza was quite brilliant for his captain.
Being a finger spinner one would expect him to be far less expensive. But any captain would love to buy a few wickets. It was a surprise in the morning when Ponting selected Krejza ahead of Clark. Although Clark has not had the greatest of series, he has by far been Australia's most economic bowler over the past year. Ponting realizing wickets are more important than economy took a chance that paid off.
Another player of the day was none other than the little master himself. Another feather in the cap of this maestro. He played some breathtaking shots against the fast bowlers and the spinners alike. He made a stroke filled 109 before being dismissed by Mitchell Johnson. He and Laxman put on a magnificent display to a very meager crowd in a large stadium. This is Tendulkar's fourth hundred in Nagpur. Seems like he cant put a foot wrong in Nagpur.
Virender Sehwag made yet another blitzkrieg 66 before falling to the rookie off spinner. Laxman also made a stylish 64 before getting out. Debutant M. Vijay also looked quite comfortable before he was gobbled up by Brad Haddin off Shane Watson during a fiery over. The opening partners put on a quickfire 98 run stand before M. Vijay nicked the ball behind. Australia managed to plug things back with Jason Krejza.
Arjun Calidas
Being a finger spinner one would expect him to be far less expensive. But any captain would love to buy a few wickets. It was a surprise in the morning when Ponting selected Krejza ahead of Clark. Although Clark has not had the greatest of series, he has by far been Australia's most economic bowler over the past year. Ponting realizing wickets are more important than economy took a chance that paid off.
Another player of the day was none other than the little master himself. Another feather in the cap of this maestro. He played some breathtaking shots against the fast bowlers and the spinners alike. He made a stroke filled 109 before being dismissed by Mitchell Johnson. He and Laxman put on a magnificent display to a very meager crowd in a large stadium. This is Tendulkar's fourth hundred in Nagpur. Seems like he cant put a foot wrong in Nagpur.
Virender Sehwag made yet another blitzkrieg 66 before falling to the rookie off spinner. Laxman also made a stylish 64 before getting out. Debutant M. Vijay also looked quite comfortable before he was gobbled up by Brad Haddin off Shane Watson during a fiery over. The opening partners put on a quickfire 98 run stand before M. Vijay nicked the ball behind. Australia managed to plug things back with Jason Krejza.
Arjun Calidas
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
About tomorrow's test match
Tomorrow begins the series finale of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar trophy between India and Australia. Gautam Gambhir, the stylish southpaw is most likely to miss out on this rubber due to his "little incident" with Shane Watson. This might well prove to be costly for a team with too many distractions already in it. This is Saurav Ganguly's last test match. V.V.S. Laxman is set to get into the ground as a player who has played a 100 test matches for his country. And the biggest of all. India has lost its biggest weapon as far as bowling goes. Anil Kumble is not playing. Above all, Gautam Gambhir too has done himself in by elbowing Shane Watson.
One might tend to think that Australians have the edge over India due to all the reasons and a resilient batting display in the last match. But deeper analysis puts this forward. Australians' lack of penetration in the bowling has been exposed. It has gone to an extent where Indian media has made a mockery out of an attack which boasts of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson, all match winners in the real sense of the word. All the cricketing brains have boiled it down to Aussie's lack of a quality spinner.
Is that all Australia lack? Is it just a spinner? Was Shane Warne just a spinner for the Aussies? Warne is a player who has more than 2000 runs to his name. He has a 100 catches to his name. He was a more than a tail ender. He could pluck catches out of thin air. Warne was not just a tweaker who attacked all the time. He could stem the flow of runs when needed too. This being said, his record in India has always remained below par. He averages over 40 a wicket here. He has always been a meat and drink bowler for India. But his all round capabilities is what Australians are missing. They have two players who can fill in his shoes, not as a spinner but as a bowling all rounder, Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson. But Lee has failed with the ball while Johnson has failed with the bat. If one of them had clicked, the Aussies could have fielded in a more "regular" spinner Jason Krejza. This would have given them much more of a flexibility in their attack and taken a lot out of the shoulders of part timers Michael Clarke and Cameron White.
Comparing both the situations one would want to be in the side where bowlers can bowl the opposition out twice in a test match. That side clearly is India. So logically India should not lose to the Aussies in the forthcoming test. But as we all know, India can always be beaten and Australia is the strongest team in the world. So who is your money on? The new young turk (India) or the old warlord (Australia)?
Arjun Calidas
One might tend to think that Australians have the edge over India due to all the reasons and a resilient batting display in the last match. But deeper analysis puts this forward. Australians' lack of penetration in the bowling has been exposed. It has gone to an extent where Indian media has made a mockery out of an attack which boasts of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson, all match winners in the real sense of the word. All the cricketing brains have boiled it down to Aussie's lack of a quality spinner.
Is that all Australia lack? Is it just a spinner? Was Shane Warne just a spinner for the Aussies? Warne is a player who has more than 2000 runs to his name. He has a 100 catches to his name. He was a more than a tail ender. He could pluck catches out of thin air. Warne was not just a tweaker who attacked all the time. He could stem the flow of runs when needed too. This being said, his record in India has always remained below par. He averages over 40 a wicket here. He has always been a meat and drink bowler for India. But his all round capabilities is what Australians are missing. They have two players who can fill in his shoes, not as a spinner but as a bowling all rounder, Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson. But Lee has failed with the ball while Johnson has failed with the bat. If one of them had clicked, the Aussies could have fielded in a more "regular" spinner Jason Krejza. This would have given them much more of a flexibility in their attack and taken a lot out of the shoulders of part timers Michael Clarke and Cameron White.
Comparing both the situations one would want to be in the side where bowlers can bowl the opposition out twice in a test match. That side clearly is India. So logically India should not lose to the Aussies in the forthcoming test. But as we all know, India can always be beaten and Australia is the strongest team in the world. So who is your money on? The new young turk (India) or the old warlord (Australia)?
Arjun Calidas
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