Friday, December 23, 2005

MEGA DEAL?


The marketing arm of BCCI led by Lalit Modi was proud to announce the fact that the Indian cricket team or rather the BCCI has overtaken the likes of Juventus, Manchester United etc. as the richest sporting body in the world. This announcement was made after the near Rs.200 crores deal with Nike.

But there is one thing amiss in all this. That is, the lack of any accountability. Manchester United is run with a professional approach. The same is the case with most of the big football clubs all over the world. It is interesting to note that all are privately owned and some like Manchester United are also listed on the stock exchange. But BCCI does not even have any permanent office address of its own. During the days of Dalmiya, everything was run from Kolkata. Now, with Pawar at the top, things are made or undone in Mumbai.

There is another thing that has come to my mind in the aftermath of the deal with Nike. None of the players have any endorsement deals with Nike. The biggest one, Sachin endorses Adidas; ditto with Sehwag. The others have contracts with Reebok. Does this deal with Nike not result in a conflict of interest? We may very well witness a row between the players and the Board as in the case involving the West Indies.

THE WHEEL HAS TURNED A FULL CIRCLE


The wheel has turned a full circle; the transfer of power has been complete. I am talking about the appointment of Raj Singh Dungarpur as the Manager of the team to Pakistan. Until now, he was acting as the spokesperson for the anti-Jagmohan Dalmiya camp. Now his statements would carry the official sanction. It is persons of this kind that have damaged Indian cricket in the past and would continue to do the same for the years to come.

It is this gentleman who happened to find something in Azharuddin. No doubt, India with Azharuddin and Wadekar did win a couple of home series for India. But in general they took India at least a decade back vis-a-vis other teams. Everyone knows how the then captain found himself in the thick of the match-fixing scandal.

What has really upset me is the statement of Raj Singh on the possibility of Saurav Ganguly making a comeback. The newly appointed manager made some startling revelations to a news channel. On asked about the observations of Greg Chappell on the former Indian captain faking injuries, Raj Singh replied in the affirmative. He cited the 1999 World Cup match against Pakistan and the test matches at Nagpur and Mumbai against Australia as the evidence of Ganguly faking injuries.

Despite all this Raj Singh promised full backing if Ganguly was included in the touring party to Pakistan!

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

PERTH TEST


The test match at Perth featuring Australia and South Africa finished in a draw. This is a rarity since in recent times test matches have been witnessing runs scored at a fast rate. There is another rarity that Australia could not finish off their rivals in a day and a bit, on arguably the fastest pitch. This is what separates the present Australian team from that under Steve Waugh. Despite having the likes of McGrath, Warne and Brett Lee the Aussies have lacked the cutting edge.

The South Africans were never in the hunt for the target of 491 runs despite all the big talk from their skipper, Graeme Smith. In the first innings, the two sides appeared to be evenly matched reminding one of the matches between the two teams when the Proteas just returned to the fold of international cricket.

The South Africans were surprisingly uninspiring in the fielding department, letting off a few of the Aussie batsmen. Brad Hodge was dropped on 13 and he went on to score a double hundred in his third test match.

The South Africans were able to save the match thanks to the marathon innings played by Jacques Rudolph. The left hander was at the crease for the entire 5th day. That is something of a novelty these days since batsmen are far more inclined to play the shots rather than occupy the crease. This innings was certainly something that batsmen of the past such as Boycott, Gavaskar would have been proud of.

Warne was once again in the headlines for the right reasons. He became the highest wickettaker in one calendar year going past his countryman Dennis Lillee. It is to be seen whether he can take 12 wickets in the boxing day test at Melbourne to score a century of a different kind.

AHMEDABAD TEST-DAY THREE


By the end of the third day, the Indians are in a commanding position in the third test at Motera. Harbhajan finished the Lankan first innings with a haul of 7 wickets, incidentally, in his 50th test match.

The Indian top order failed to click the second time and the lower order came to the rescue once again giving India a lead of over 400 runs. Yuvraj has once again played a tremendous innings after not troubling the scorer in the first innings. Is that a record of sorts?

The real mystery is the inability of Muralitharan to pick wickets by the bagful as is his wont. Does it have something to do with the fact that SG balls are used in India and not the Kookaburra balls that Murali uses back home? Or does it have to do something with the team composition. There was a news item about how Sanath Jayasuriya destroyed his television after the win by India at Delhi.

Monday, December 19, 2005

AHMEDABAD TEST-DAY TWO


The end of the second day at Motera saw India in a strong position with Sri Lanka losing 5 wickets for not many runs. This time Harbhajan was the tormentor with 4 wickets with the other going to Irfan Pathan.

On the first day a score of 398 looked impossible with 5 Indian batsmen back in the hut for less than 100 runs on the board. But thanks to Laxman, Dhoni and Pathan, India could recover to the present position. Laxman again underlined his class with a century. However, he could not carry on to post a big score. Pathan continues to impress with his temperament and class. Kumble and Agarkar also did their bit to frustrate the visitors.

The main talking point in the college staff common room was the strange action of Lasith Malinga. The batsmen found it pretty difficult to judge the ball since the bowling arm came suddenly from the back of the umpire. I saw him earlier on a tour to Australia where he was more than impressive.

Sunday, December 18, 2005

AHMEDABAD TEST-DAY ONE


As expected, Wasim Jaffer, the new hope of Indian cricket was made to sit on the bench. The team management or the think-tank need to be congratulated for their courage in making the Mumbai opener warm up the bench, especially in the aftermath of his controversial selection.

Coming to the test match at Ahmedabad, the Indians were in a deep hole, thanks to some lackadaisical batting, including from one Sachin Tendulkar. Gambhir did not deserve the extended run given his repeated failures. With this kind of scores behind him, it is scary to think of the team against the likes of Pakistan and England. The captain for this match, Sehwag is carrying his natural game a little too far in the interests of the team. Yuvraj is not known for his ability to play spin and this showed today. Kaif was not at all comfortable after the long lay-off from test cricket.

Laxman has done it again when more heralded batsmen bit the dust at Motera. There were some streaky shots interspersed with the trademark away from the body that guided the ball beyond the balls. In the morning I read somewhere about the knocks played by Laxman in low scoring innings. Dhoni seemed unfazed by the spin and went to play some meaty shots. Irfan Pathan has really shown wisdom beyond his years. Laxman and Pathan have to stay at the wicket long enough on the second day to dent the hopes of the Lankans.

My congratulations to Anil Kumble on achieving the landmark of 100 tests. Here is one cricketer who has always stuck to his job even when he was dropped unceremoniously. He was made to miss the World Cup and there were no protests in Bangalore.

Friday, December 16, 2005

TWO WRONGS MAKING A RIGHT


Kiran More was not very reliable with the wicketkeeping gloves in his playing days. After all, he was the man who made Graham Gooch a great player. In that match, More grassed a chance and the English opener went to score the highest number of runs in a test match.

It came as no surprise that the Chairman of selectors went on to justify the selection of Saurav Ganguly on the ground that the former Indian captain was needed for his all-round ability. More than a few questions were raised considering the exclusion of Ganguly from the one day team where his all-round skills are more helpful for the team.

Now, when Saurav put up a good show in the second test, the selectors dropped him in favour of Wasim Jaffer who to nobody's surprise hails from the new power centre of Indian cricket, Mumbai. Of course, More can now claim that the selection of Ganguly for the first two test matches was beyond his control with pressure from some members of the selection panel. This time with a more friendly panel, More can be proud of having corrected the mistake. Talk about two wrongs making a right.

It is people like More backed by the likes of Raj Singh Dungarpur who give Indian cricket the bad name that it has. To my surprise the role of More was not investigated in the Abhijit Kale episode.

The exclusion of Ganguly and the inclusion of Jaffer in the team for the third test is something that is going to please people like Ravi Shastri. The former player had always expressed his dislike for Ganguly the captain. He always cited the case of Australia and tried to pretend like an Australian with borrowed phrases and accent.
If domestic performances are any yardstick for selection, then what about Zaheer Khan? Is the left arm paceman given ignored because he does not play for Mumbai? Does Ajit Agarkar continue in the squad for being a part of the Mumbai team?

A couple of months back, Saurav Ganguly was a hated figure and now he has become a martyr or even a saint. Kiran More and his backers deserve all the credit for this amazing transformation.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

WATCH OUT



It was not a surprise that the Chennai test ended in a draw after just four sessions of cricket. It was, of course, a surprise that the Lankans managed to put the Indians in a spot of bother. The Indians could put up only 167 runs, their lowest score against the Lankans so far.

Muralitharan was more than a handful on the pitch that had uneven bounce. All the Indian batsmen struggled including the likes of Sachin and Rahul. Only Sehwag was looking comfortable. Ganguly added another single digit to this career tally while Laxman got himself involved in a runout in the company of Ganguly. The right hander from Hyderabad is a poor runner between the wickets and Ganguly is always a reluctant runner.

On Monday the Lankans, especially, Mahela Jayawardene batted very fluently. Suddenly, the pitch did not show any devils. It can be argued that the sun did the favours for Sri Lanka. On the flip side, it can be pointed out that the Indian batsmen were not simply upto the task of test batting.

It is after eight long years that Sri Lanka are in India for test cricket. In all these years, Muralitharan has picked loads of wickets on similar pitches back home. And, in all these years Indian batsmen have not played a good spinner with the exception of Shane Warne and Saqlain Mushtaq. The off spinner from Pakistan took 5 wickets in consecutive innings of two test matches.

My take is that the Indians have got to take on Muralitharan to have any chance of denying the Lankans a test win on Indian soil. At the same time, the Indian spinners and more specifically, Kumble needs to get on to the wicket taking mode.

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

MEET THE NEW BOSS


Many years ago, The Who sang “meet the new boss, same as the old boss”. The line could not be more appropriate with the election of Sharad Pawar as the President of the BCCI. This is certainly a big blow to Jagmohan Dalmiya. But true cricket lovers need not rejoice.

It is foolish to expect any changes in the way the richest cricket body in the world works. If Dalmiya put politics into cricket, then Pawar and his backers are no novices in this respect. Worse, the new President is a professional politician who has no accountability in this part of the world. Now people like Dungarpur can wield their considerable influence on the way cricket is played in the country.

If one looks at the grassroot level, then most of the office bearers of cricket bodies or associations are run either by hardcore politicians or by people who have strong politicial links. No wonder, the elections are so deeply mired in controversy.

The media reported very triumphantly the ouster of the candidate backed by Dalmiya. Former players and the press never speaks anything good about Dalmiya. It is something of a surprise since it is the same person who brought money to cricket, in India and elsewhere too.

I have a very humble suggestion to make. Let there be elections for the selection committee also. In that way politicians can directly have their say. Of course, M/s More and Company could make a killing out in the political arena.

Friday, November 25, 2005

ONE STEP FORWARD, FEW STEPS BACKWARD


The selection of Saurav Ganguly for the test side, ostensibly as an 'all-rounder' is something that has been made on the basis of reasons not related to form or performance. A few days ago, the selectors cited poor performance as the reason for the appointment of Dravid as the test skipper. Now all that has changed.

The threat of disruption of the one-dayer at the Eden Gardens seemed to weigh heavily on the minds of the selectors. The cricket loving people of Kolkata are not justified in their anguish over the non-inclusion of Ganguly in the present squad. The selection in the test team is something to placate them.

The selectors, three of them were completely in favour of Ganguly being taken in the team, despite the stiff opposition from the 'super' coach, Chappell. This is what the press has reported. It is also reported that the selectors were not in favour of Laxman. Now, the batsman from Hyderabad is someone who does not have any godfathers in the Board, the Press or the Selection committee. The public of Hyderabad too did never issue a threat to disrupt the match played at Hyderabad.

The selection does not guarantee the place for Saurav in the first eleven. He is too proud to be content with the task of being the 12th man.

I am a big supporter of Ganguly but at this point of time there is no place for him in the Indian team. Let he find his form and confidence at the domestic level.

Saturday, November 19, 2005

VERBAL VOLLEYS


In recent days, quite a few ladies have landed themselves in trouble over their remarks on pre-marital sex. First it was a Tamil actress who faced the wrath of some self appointed culture police. Then another actress had to face the heat on account of the support given to the first. Now the latest to join the ranks is a sportsperson, Sania Mirza.

Sania has demonstrated her abilities on the tennis court where her rivals are to face volleys off the racquet. But this time her verbal volleys on the issue of pre-marital sex have met with tough resistance from the opponents.
I agree that everyone has the right to have and say their views but something on sex is always regarded as a taboo. It is even more of a sin when it is uttered by a personality who is well known and is seen as a role model for others. The worst offence is committed when such statements come from ladies.

I don't have the faintest idea of the reason behind these utterances from the tennis player. A 20 year old Indian girl speaking about the s** word is something that is sure to raise the eyebrows in a society like India.

Sania concentrate on tennis and leave these things to people to decide for themselves.

Friday, November 18, 2005

SUSPECT ACTIONS


The actions of the Pakistani bowlers Shabbir and Shoaib Mallik are once again in the news. Even after the whole issue of 15 degrees, the umpires and the match referee found them 'suspect' enough to report.

The ICC handled the whole chucking issue very shoddily and changed the laws. It seems, those amendments are not suitable enough.

Today all teams have at least one bowler who has a suspect action. So it is better to legalise chucking or prevent such bowlers from playing at the highest level.

INDIA VS SOUTH AFRICA


After the euphoria came the fall at Hyderabad. Of course, it is too early to predict the eventual winner.

The toss provided the break the visitors needed. Yuvraj and others made sure that the match did not go away from the home team. But such recovery is a rare occurrence.

The day and night encounter at Bangalore might also make the toss a crucial factor with the dew in the night. The lack of a specialist fifth bowler was felt at Hyderabad. Taking on Gambhir as a super-sub in place of Murali Kartik was a panic reaction. It was also strange for Dravid to opt for Yuvraj when R.P.Singh had three overs in his quota.

Harbhajan was fined for his gesture at Ashwell Prince although no one noticed the reactions of Andre Nel. I have always felt that Indians are at the receiving end while their opponents are let off for showing their 'emotions'.

I am convinced that Sachin did not nick the ball from Pollock into the gloves of Boucher. The South African 'keeper did not appear to claim the catch. That is a dubious one for the umpire Hariharan.

IN DEFENCE OF KARTHIKEYAN


It is sad that in all probability Narain Karthikeyan is going not to drive in the next season's races. The performances of Karthikeyan have attracted a lot of criticism and ridicule from a lot of people in India who cannot spot a difference between a go-kart and a Formula1 car. It is not to say that I know much about the sport of racing and Formula1.

What pains me most are the supposed jokes cracked by a person who unashamedly imitates the likes of Jay Leno and David Letterman. The joke was that Karthikeyan could be beaten by the taxi drivers of Mumbai.

The greatest contribution of Karthikeyan is to make the Indians talk about Formula1. It is great achievement in a country where owning a car is the ultimate dream.

THE AMAZING INDIAN FAN


The Indian cricket fan is very demanding and sometimes this borders on absurdity. It is good to support the team and adulate the players but not at the cost of logic.

I have in mind a letter written to the editor of an English daily after the heroics of the latest Indian batting star, Dhoni. The reader was expressing his displeasure at the Sri Lankans not being able to put up a total that would have given the chance to Dhoni to break the record for the highest individual score in one-dayers held by Saeed Anwar! For the record, Anwar made 194 in Chennai.

would it have mattered if the record belonged to a batsman not hailing from Pakistan? After all, a player of the past, B.B.Nimbalkar was denied the opportunity to go past the then highest score in first class cricket. The fielding captain did not want to be irreverent to the record holder, Don Bradman.

Monday, November 07, 2005

VIDEOCON CUP

As expected, the Indian thinktank carried out the ‘experiment’ but the ‘processes’ backfired and the Sri Lankans got back to their winning ways. There is nothing wrong to try out the youngsters but there is nothing wrong either in having the winning side. A couple of years back it is the ‘rotation policy’ that undid the mighty Australians in a triangular one-day tournament that also featured the South Africans and the Kiwis. If I remember correctly, the great Steve Waugh lost his one-day place thereafter.

The policy of tinkering with the selection of the team and the rest given to the likes of Sachin is unjustified to say the least. Sachin was out of the game for the best part of a season and is in need of more outings. Harbhajan seems to have discovered his bowling rhythm, at least on home turf and a spinner needs more overs in the middle. Pathan is a young man who can surely be expected to take the load. If anyone has to be ‘dropped’, then it is Yuvraj.

The wiseheads have decided to bring back Kaif and Singh. Kaif is someone who deserves his place on purely cricketing reasons. Have the selectors been convinced of the abilities of Venugoal Rao to the extent that he is given the rest? Kumble was given the rest in recent times for the one-dayers. ‘Rest’ is something akin to being dropped as far as things in Indian cricket go.

Not sounding like Sidhu, I like to add that too much tinkering makes the vessel weak though the noise is there.

Saturday, November 05, 2005

VIDEOCON CUP

After four matches, the scoreline reads 4-0 in favour of India and all of a sudden the captain, the players and most importantly, the coach are paid glowing tributes. One news channel even conducted a poll, ostensibly, to identify the person who had the most important contribution to the performance of India. The poll found the captain, Rahul Dravid to be the most significant factor and the embattled coach, Greg Chappell came a distant second. Truly, cricket is a magnificent obsession in this country.

Now, everyone is expecting a clean sweep of the seven match series. Let us not forget that the Sri Lankans were the most feared opponents till a few months back. In my opinion, the biggest factor behind the poor show by the Lankans so far is the failure of Jayasurya. The lefthander has always shown a liking for the Indian bowling taking it to the cleaners, be it in the test matches or the one-dayers. Of course, players like Dhoni, Raina and Venugopal Rao have shown the grit and determination that is required in international cricket.

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

VIDEOCON CUP

It was a splendid gift on the eve of the festival lights. Dhoni really set the stadium ablaze with his brand of pyrotechnics. It was the day of the wicketkeeper batsmen with Kumara Sangakkara coming good with a terrific knock earlier in the day when Sri Lanka batted. It really puzzles me when the Lankan was dropped in favour of the South African in the ill advised 6 day super test at Sydney.

Whether Dhoni’s secret is milk or anything else, his hits really stay hit. Even Sehwag also looked pedestrian in comparison. If Sangakkara was classy in his methods, then Dhoni was all power, but is not slogging. If anything, it was flogging of the Sri Lankans.

Sachin failed and it showed that he is after all a human. Yuvraj, once again showed his fallibility against spin.

Sunday, October 30, 2005

VIDEOCON CUP


India won the first two matches of the seven match series against Sri Lanka. The media hype surrounding the victory has been shameful; it makes someone feel as if we just won the World Cup. Perhaps, the last couple of months have been so tumultous that we can excuse the media for all the gloating and the shouting.

There are a couple of things that are sure to cause some pain the true lovers of the game and its players. Let me start with the praise that the television commentators had for Murali Kartik during the first match. Here we have a former left-arm spinner raising his eyebrows over the 'harsh' treatment meted out to the Railways spinner despite his 'good' show in international matches. If only, Kartik would have displayed some spine and provided the necesary support to Kumble, then we could have won the test match at Sydney and the series on the last tour down under. The same Kartik was belted all over the park in a one-dayer at Vijayawada by the Windies. It is too early to call him a world class performer on the basis of one good performance. One swallow does not make a summer.

The second one also concerns Kartik. The same left -arm spinner of yesteryears praised Rahul Dravid for his 'imaginative' use of Kartik. There was also a hint that Saurav Ganguly conspired against Kartik. If at all Ganguly erred in the choice of spinners, it was the rather unwarranted backing of Harbhajan at the expense of Kumble.

The cake goes for the suggestion that Dravid is a better captain than what Ganguly was. It is too early to make any statements on the basis of two wins against a team that is not known to win many matches abroad.

FAIR AND LOVELY


Thanks to the Videocon Cup, it is time to watch cricket on Doordarshan. It took me to the days when there were more advertisements than cricket on the state owned broadcaster. There was this one-dayer between India and England. As is the case now, every fall of a wicket was followed by the ubiquitous ad. Sometimes, the fifth ball of an over and/or the first ball of the next over was taken over by the ads. By the time, the ad was stopped and play resumed on the telly, India lost another wicket and the ads resumed. It took quite a while to figure out the identity of the batsman who came out to bat and went back to the pavilion all in the space of a few ads. By the way, the batsman was Ajay Sharma. I presumed that he got ditracted by the ads and thus his stay at the wicket was very short.

Now, the babus at Doordarshan and the producers of the show have decided to take the bull by its horns and have replaced the aspiring actors and models with the former captain of the Indian women cricket team.

By the way, the word Doordarshan became part of the lexicon with Sanjay giving an account of the war (live)between the Pandavas and the Kauravas to the Dhritarashtra. Of course, we are not blind like the king .

Friday, October 07, 2005

JOHNNIE WALKER SUPER SERIES


The much awaited clash between Australia and the rest did not take off to the expected heights. The Aussies won with ease with the rest looking miserable with the bat. The stars including the likes of Lara, Dravid and Kallis could not simply get their act together. Maybe, the closed environs of the Telstra dome played havoc with their brains just as a mountaineer feels due to the lack of oxygen.

The rest of the world could contain Australia to just over 250. It was a combination of good bowling by the spinners and the scratchy Aussie batting that made the total look reasonable rather than unsurmountable. The batting woes continue for the Aussies with many of them not looking convincing. However, the great McGrath found his rhythm and returned to his familiar miserly ways while Watson made the best of the opportunity.

Sehwag looked out of sorts as has been the story in recent times, especially in the shorter version of the game. Dravid has not been his confident self ever since Ganguly took back the captaincy. Lara looked to be in a hurry to catch a flight back home and the Aussie fielders did catch one. Kallis has always been a suspect against top quality bowling and it showed. It is too early to talk about Pietersen's failure and Flintoff showed a glimpse of his batting ability although he was not successful with the bat. The super-sub Shahid Afridi did not add to his tally of sixers.

There was some anxiety over the damage to the roof that could result from the hits from Gilchrist and Pietersen. There was no such damage. The audience presence was not encouraging.

Hope to have a good match the second time round with the rest of the world pulling one back to maintain interest in the series. Personally, I am looking forward as my brother is going to be there inside the dome.

Thursday, September 22, 2005

SG BATS FOR SG


Sunil Gavaskar has an unenviable record in taking on the best of the fast bowlers of all time. Many time a long innings from the original 'Little Master' saved the day for India. The only one classic innings I remember is the one played at Bangalore which was his last appearance in a test match. I could not watch his other innings live.

Here I am not interested in telling the world about the fantastic record of Gavaskar. During the second day of the second test at Harare there was a comment from the great man that prompted this post. He is known for his political correctness(- a quality that is perfected by Sachin). But this one had me stumped.

Maybe Gavaskar was reacting to the media criticism over the quality of the hundred scored by Ganguly in the first test at Bulawayo. It was argued in a large section of the media that the hundred came against a very ineffective bowling attack. Gavaskar on the contrary, argued that a hundred is a hundred, irrespective of the quality of the bowling. He also pointed out the fact that only two hundreds were scored by the Indians in the first test when the other batsmen could not against a weak bowling line-up.In order to support his argument, Gavaskar cited the 380 scored by Matthew Hayden against Zimbabwe while the rest of the Australian batsmen could not score even a double-hundred in the same match.

I agree with Gavaskar that a hundred is a hundred, no matter the opposition or the venue or the situation. But here the case involves a player who has consistently struggled against all opposition in both the long and the short versions of the game. The player concerned gave the impression that this hundred gave him the freedom to do whatever or say anything. It is only after scoring the hundred that Ganguly 'disclosed' the proposal for his stepping down from captaincy. This is when the credentials of the Zimbabwean attack came to be discussed. In the second test the same batsman could not prove his supporters right!

There is no belittling the contributions made by Ganguly but now the time has come for a change. This is where I find it ridiculous for SG(Sunil Gavaskar) to bat for another SG(Saurav Ganguly).

Sunday, September 18, 2005

O(H) CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN


I have to first apologise to the students of English language for the way the title of a famous poem by the American poet Walt Whitman is used. For starters, Whitman wrote the poem on the death of the American President, Abraham Lincoln.

I feel the recent events surrounding the Indian captain Saurav Ganguly have also saddened my heart. He was petulance personified in disclosing before the media about the proposal of Greg Chappell. The coach, it is alleged, wanted Saurav to step down as captain in view of his rather poor form in recent times. Now what was the response? The captain responded with a century against the opposition. So far so good, but the problem is that the other team happens to be Zimbabwe. There is no denying of the fact that Bulawayo is one of the friendliest of the pitches for the batsmen and that the quality of the bowlers is also of a rather friendly type. Of course, the record books will not show any of these things.

The timing of the disclosure by Saurav left a rather bad taste in the mouths of his fans like me. What takes the cake is the allegation that Saurav called on Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya to complain about Chappell. This action is typical of the way Indian politicians respond when stripped of their posts or denied of undue favours. Usually, they start new parties. There is no such likelihood in this case.

What the whole incident has done is to reduce the standing of the captain. It has given a stick in the hands of the known Dalmiya and Ganguly baiters like Rajsingh Dungarpur. It has in one instance, thrown the stellar contributions made by Ganguly as a batsman and more importantly, as a captain, to the dustbin. For once, the magical timing that once made Ganguly a delight to watch has deserted him. Surely, it is like a drowning man clutching at straws.

Friday, September 16, 2005

INDIA IN ZIMBABWE


India won the first test without much trouble. There was no resistance from the home team with the sole exception of yet another innings of substance from Tatenda Taibu. Hope the innings from the Zimbabwean skipper will bring some sanity to the Indian camp.

Team India is now in a bad shape as is evident from the events relating to Ganguly. Laxman also sent out feelers about the lack of trust in the team.

Now I am happy to inform everyone that Dheeraj Jadhav was able to take the field albeit as a substitue fielder.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

INDIA IN ZIMBABWE

India expectedly finished the third day on a commanding position, albeit coming against a team as weak as Zimbabwe. Ganguly used all his experience and ability to score a hundred. Wonder what this would to his and the team's confidence in the coming months. The last time he scored a century, it was different. It defined the Indian performance in the tour to down under.

Yuvraj once again proved his doubters right. He has shown a spectacular lack of ability playing spinners of all kinds. What is bothering the team think tank in having Kaif in the playing eleven. Kaif has been given the raw deal even when performing creditably in the test matches. This backing of Yuvraj by Ganguly is somewhat unjustified.

The Indian bowlers had their opponents of the mat with Irfan Pathan in particular showing a liking for the Zimbabweans the second time also. At one point, Zimbabwe were well on the way to beat their lowest test innings score of 54. But they finished the day past that score. Looks like a four day test and the media in India shall be all over the place with the victory ignoring the recent dismal show.

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

INDIA IN ZIMBABWE

The day two of the first test ended with India taking a lead with seven first innings wickets in hand. Laxman and Ganguly are at the crease though having scored their runs in contrasting styles. Both batsmen are in a way on trial. While Laxman scored his runs fluently with some signature shots, Saurav was playing for life. He is just a pale shadow of his glorious past when spinners were despatched over the boundary with disdain. But here we have the Indian captain who was showing extreme caution to the Zimbabwean spinners.

Earlier, the innings of Zimbabwe was terminated with Pathan cleaning up the tail. Poor Harbhajan toiled in vain to get his 200th wicket in test matches. He is not the bowler that he appears on Indian wickets. Forget what people like Sidhu say about the cause, such as the Kookaburra ball. Wonder what Shane Warne could have done with Indian balls! Here we had Warne who was spinning the ball a mile on English pitches while Harbhajan could not achieve any turn of significance on a slow Zimbabwean wicket.

Sehwag and Gambhir got out after giving a good start against a none-too impressive attack. Dravid was his usual self before getting out uncharacteristically. This where I feel that batsmen of other teams are far superior to the Indian batsmen. Remember the record score of 380 posted by Hayden versus Zimbabwe not too long ago. Attapattu, the Sri Lankan captain has perfected the art of scoring double hundreds when playing the likes of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.

The decision to keep Kaif out of the playing eleven is just ridiculous. Maybe, it is the only way of giving Ganguly the opportunity. Finally, what about Dheeraj Jadhav, the man who replaced Sachin?

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

ASHES UPDATE

AT LAST

The Ashes have been reclaimed by England and it may mark the beginning of the end of the Aussie dominance over world cricket. With stalwarts like Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath certainly on their last tour and people like Gillespie and Kasprowicz being on the way out, it is hard to think of replacements. Make no mistake, England can never even think of taking away the mantle of 'world's best'. They have to beat all sides under all conditions to emulate the Aussies or the Windies of an earlier era.

Despite rain, the fifth test was eventful till the last. The English managed to upstage their rivals, although Kevin Pietersen has to thank his stars for the dropped chances. It was ironical that the man who gave his everything to keep the Aussie flag flying, Warne dropped a sitter. This is what makes cricket, for that matter any sport, a cruel business. Just a night before, Agassi was outlasted. There were no fairy tale ending for the men in the baggy green.

As expected, Warne and Flintoff were the 'Men of the Series' and many would have felt happy if the Compton and Miller trophy was also shared by the same two. It is not to belittle the efforts of Flintoff who gave a dream performance. He remarked during the presentation ceremony that it(the Ashes victory) was all yet to sink in. Flintoff has mellowed down since his shirt removal days at Mumbai.

For few days the English and their supporters will enjoy their moment under the sun. Who can complain?

Sunday, September 11, 2005

ASHES UPDATE


DELICATELY BALANCED

The fifth test is interestingly poised with the Aussies bowled out for 367, six runs short of the English total. Flintoff bowled like a man possessed, with Hoggard giving him tremendous support. Between them, the two shared nine wickets.

The umpires offered light to the Aussies but the offer was declined. The tourists decided to bat in the gloomy and near dark conditions to put the pressure on the English. Probably, they were trying to make up for their rather unwise decision on the second day when the light was much better.

Now it has become a rather difficult issue for the English to bat under such conditions for a second time. McGrath would be relishing the prospect of having the ball and make the best of the conditions. I would be surprised if the English would decline the offer to stay in their dressing room. Now it is just a question of one innings for each team to clinch the issue.

Speaking about McGrath, he joined Shane Warne in tallying up 32 ducks in test matches.

US OPEN


The big one-the final of the US Open is to be contested between Andre Agassi and the defending champion Roger Federer. In the semifinals, Agassi had to fight off a determined challenge from Robby Ginepri. For a second match in a row, Agassi had to go all the distance over five-sets. On the other hand, Federer got home in just four sets. Of course, it was not a cakewalk for the world number one, with Hewitt offering a good challenge, though not consistently enough. It was more tight than what many expected.

Kim Clijsters won the womens' crown by brushing aside Mary Pierce. There was no need for any injury break this time round for the Frenchwoman. The Belgian was in command right from the start to take home her first Grand Slam title.

Few would bet against Federer in not extending his hold over the trophy for another year. But Agassi remains the sentimental favourite and also the crowd favourite. A great match is in prospect with both men expected to raise the level of their game. Will it be a repeat of the Australian Open where Federer simply blew away Agassi off the court or will the American just do it for a last time.

ASHES UPDATE


DAY THREE-FIFTH TEST-RAIN AND AUSSIES SHINE

The third day went much in the same way as the second day with rain playing the spoilsport. In whatever play that was possible, the Aussies finally looked like finding some of their class. Langer scored a typically gritty century not before getting another blow on the elbow from a Harmison delivery. It is not a bad occasion to register his 22nd century and also in the process overtake Don Bradman as far as overall career test runs are concerned. Hayden finally made a score of some substance but he played very cautiously. Pressure has a strange effect even on the best.

Ponting was expected to make a big score but Flintoff removed the Aussie captain on an otherwise pedestrian day for the English bowlers. The English simply ran out of ideas and the rain actually helped their cause. There was also one instance where Damien Martyn nicked a delivery into the hands of the English keeper Gerraint Jones but there was no appeal of conviction. The umpire disallowed even as the replays told otherwise. Nasser Hussain in the commentary box recalled the Melbourne test where the then keeper James Foster did not appeal for a knick from the bat of Steve Waugh.

The Aussies have to score their runs quickly and take a lead of 150 runs and then put pressure on the English. The English would be happy to let the weather gods bless them with more rain.

Saturday, September 10, 2005

US OPEN


The last Grand Slam of 2005 has thrown in some surprises. Few expected Andre Agassi to reach the semi-finals. The Las Vegan missed Wimbledon due to injury and suffered an early knockout in the French Open. The comeback in the match against James Blake was simply terrific. The same goes for his semifinal opponent Robby Ginepri who took the hard path to reach the last four after going through five-setters. But, I give Agassi the edge to reach the finals on account of his experience and the fact that Ginepri might be in awe of his opponent. Make no mistake, Ginepri is not one to take a backward step in a slugfest as was the case in his match against Coria.

The other semifinal is very nicely poised with Hewitt and Federer battling it out once again. The big question is whether the Aussie can reverse his fortunes in the face of the Swiss onslaught. Federer looked highly efficient and his best in disposing off David Nalbandian.

In the womens' side, Mary Pierce took out Dementieva to reach the finals. The Russian seemed to have the match in her pocket until Pierce took an injury break. This changed the course of the match giving victory to the Frenchwoman. The long injury break prompted the Russian to question the tactics of her opponent. It is not outside the laws of the game to avail an injury break, but it should not be used as a strategy. For long, this has been the subject of debate. (Cricket fans all over the world can take their thoughts to the outburst of Ponting after being runout by a substitute fielder in the test match at Nottingham.)

The Belgian Kim Clijsters could stave off the challenge of Sharapova over a three set affair. The finals can reach a high with both Clijsters and Pierce hungry for the ultimate glory. The Belgian is looking for her first ever major while Pierce wants the same- after a while.

I am going for Andre Agassi to go all the way even in the face of the claim from Federer. That is the best this 35 year old can do for another 35 year old.

Thursday, September 08, 2005

ASHES UPDATE

DAY ONE FIFTH TEST

At the end of the first day of the much awaited fifth test at the Oval, the honours were shared between the two teams. England promised much, especially the stand between Strauss and Flintoff. The all-rounder from Lancashire looked good for a hundred, a potentially series deciding one but McGrath had the last say.

Strauss made another hundred, the seventh of his short test career of 19 matches. He does not possess the elegance or the grace of left-handers such as David Gower but he is effective. The substance makes up more than the style. He looked good to bat the rest of the day until one Warne came up with the solution.

Warne continues to amaze with his stupendous display in an otherwise mediocre display by the tourists. He bowled Pietersen who appeared clueless. Australia have managed to keep themselves in the match and the series by taking seven English wickets.

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

AGAIN?


Again it is that time when everyone says that India could not do it in a final. Team India is labeled a 'choker' for the lack of success on the big day.

I feel much fuss is made out of the fact that India loses in the finals. The team members and the captain take refuge in the excuse that they have after all reached the finals. Of the 19 or 16 finals that India played in, there is only one victory. But in all this statistics, one thing is cleverly and conveniently ignored. In the two most recent cases, the third team involved in the competition was too weak, making India a certainty in the finals. Of course, there were some anxious moments given by the West Indies and Zimbabwe. It was not a cakewalk to the finals for India. So no big deal in reaching the finals.

The media and the fans expect much from the team without taking the reality into account. The performance in the one-dayers in Zimbabwe was inconsistent and patchy to say the least. Ganguly struggled with the bat and now stronger questions are going to be asked about his place in the team. Dravid was one who was a big factor in the tremendous showing in the one-dayers upto the World Cup of 2003. Now in Zimababwe, he simply could not put his bat to the ball. He was out to spinners, a rare occurrence.

The bowlers were the biggest disappointment in the finals with Nehra and Pathan caned to all parts of the park. Harbhajan makes a mockery of the confidence the captain has in him.

All this brings one thing to the mind, “the sum of the parts may not be equal to the whole”.

ASHES UPDATE


CRUNCH TIME

The time for talk and speculation is over. The battle lines are drawn and the soldiers are ready. Now it is just a question of who is going to blink first. So far no quarter has been asked or given. I am talking about the fifth test of the ongoing Ashes. Never in the last decade and half, the last match held the key. Theoretically, England seem to have the advantage with just a draw needed to get back the famous urn or at least the replica.

The pressure is on both sides. The English have the burden of the whole nation with the Trafalgar Square booked and double-decker bus rides on the cards. There is also a talk of some the cricketers being included in the Queen's new year honours list. Australia are under enormous pressure to retain the Ashes. Ponting does not want to be the Australian captain after Allan Border to lose the Ashes. It is as much required for Ponting the batsman as well as the captain to win the Oval test.

That is where I feel Australia can go in for the kill. Most of the players are certain to play their last match on the English soil and that would definitely be the incentive to put up a great show. England have to soak in all the pressure and put in the finishing touches to a great summer.
The injury to Simon Jones might not prove as important a setback as was the absence of McGrath in two test matches to the Aussies. The time is right for Flintoff to put in another performance that would place him alongside legends like Ian Botham. Vaughan has to prove that his team is capable of winning against the big teams and not gloat over the wins over teams like Bangladesh.

Let the better team win.

Monday, September 05, 2005

IN DEFENCE OF CRICKET

“Cricket is one of the most depressing topics for Indians today”.-Smriti Irani.

Now who is this lady? She is a television actress and a politician belonging to 'the party with a difference'-BJP. For the uninitiated, she has been one the by-products of the Saas-Bahu(mother-in-law versus daughter-in-law) daily soap operas that are currently dominating the mainstream 'entertainment' channels in India.

What is the standing of this person? She was chosen by a party to contest the last Parliamentary elections because she was a woman and also because her husband belongs to a minority community. More importantly, the party wanted to cash in on her television popularity. Luckily, she was defeated heavily. Make no mistake, the Indian voter has the knack of sending actors to the highest offices in the country. Taking her role as a politician seriously, she made some comments on one of the Chief Ministers of her party. Faced with trouble, she retracted in the same fashion as any other politician or actor. Her stint so far in politics has coincided with a slide in her fortunes as an actress.

It is people like her who give cricket a bad name. I agree that the Indian team is not doing well. But that does not give anyone the right to talk derisively about cricket. People who have no liking for sports and games consider them a waste of time and money. That is typical of the Indian society.

Saturday, September 03, 2005

US OPEN


It is after a while that I am writing on something other than cricket. The reason is the huge time difference between my part of the world and New York where the final grand slam of the year is staged. Part of the disinterest also seems to be due to the absence of Vijay Amritraj and company as the telecast is provided not by EspnStar but by Tensports.

For the Indians, this year has been a special one with the splendid show put up by Sania Mirza. Her next opponent is Sharapova but that has not in any way reduced the interest. No one predicted Sania to come this far and now she has nothing to lose. Go Sania go. At the beginning of the year, she stated her aim to break into the top 50 and now she has done that. Of course, staying there is the difficult part. One has to run faster to stay there.

Most of the favourites have progressed with the exception of Roddick. That came as a surprise with the American expected to do well on the artificial surface that favours big servers and power hitters. Speaking about big serves, the match between Agassi and Karlovic was a master class by the Las Vegan. Age has not diminished the ability to return. It was something that Agassi used to good effect while dealing with the likes of Becker and Ivanisevic. Of course, Karlovic is not to be bracketed with the German and the Croat though.

Federer and Hewitt are on course to renew their duel while Nadal cannot be discounted. In the womens' section, the ouster of the defending champion Kuznetsova in the first round was not more than a statistical entry. The Russian has done very little since winning in New York last year.

The Indian interest continues with Paes and Bhupathi in the doubles. Paes has stuck to one partner-Martina Navratilova while Bhupathi seems to have perfected the habit of doing well with any partner, with Hantchukova this time round.

Thursday, September 01, 2005

SPORTING SPIRIT?

The fourth test has gone in favour of England and for the first time in more than a decade and half the English are not going to lose the series, although the Ashes may not come their way. The unexpected revival of English cricket has coincided remarkably with the slide of the Aussies.

Ponting was not at all justified in his outbursts after he was run out by a substitute fieldsman. Now Glenn McGrath has added his thoughts to the issue. McGrath voiced in a radio interview that the fielding of substitutes by England was not in the 'sporting spirit'. Now, very few cricket watchers are unaware of the unsportsmanlike conduct of McGrath and many of his teammates.

Ramnaresh Sarwan and McGrath were involved in a verbal scrap in the historic run chase of the West Indies after the Aussie hurled some verbals at the West Indian. No one can forget the outburst of Michael Slater at Mumbai on the Aussie tour of 2001. Steve Waugh was quite renowned for his verbals. So what is the sporting spirit that McGrath is cribbing about?

When the Aussies are winning, the incidents are labelled 'mental disintegration' and their supporters call it 'playing the game the hard way'. But when the Aussies are at the receiving end, they are whining. Grow up, Glenn it is like the pot calling the kettle black.

Monday, August 29, 2005

ASHES UPDATE


The fourth test at Trentbridge went the way of England who managed to cross the finishing line despite the efforts of Warne and Lee. From the start, the Aussies were on the backfoot with no McGrath in the line-up after picking up an elbow injury. At last, Gillespie was put on the bench and Shaun Tait was given his first cap.

In many ways, the dismissal of Tait in the Aussie second innings typified the state of mind of the tourists. That was the last ball of the over and all of a sudden Tait goes to the wide of the off stump and tries to connect. The Harmison delivery is right on target and the Aussie innings are over leaving England plenty of time to score 129 runs. Michael Holding remarked that the batsman might have been stung by something. I am not saying that Tait would have scored runs or that Lee would have made a century. What I want to press here is the total lack of application from the batsmen. Of course, the English bowlers have been relentless and superb.

The outburst of Ponting over the use of a substitute fieldsman in place of the injured Simon Jones was unwarranted. Would the Aussie captain have complained if the run out did not took place ?

The summer is not quite turned out the way for the Aussies but one gentleman named Shane Warne who was in the news for all the wrong reasons before the tests can hold his high. He not only took wickets but also scored runs when people like Hayden, Martyn and Gilchrist found it extremely difficult to score.

The summer is turning out to be a fairy tale for Andrew Flintoff who seems to do everything right at the moment. A few other Englishmen like Trescothick have redeemed themselves after poor shows against the Aussies in the past.

The English, however, need to win the fifth test to recapture the Ashes after a long interval. The Aussies also need a win to level the series and retain the Ashes. It is the fear of losing the Ashes that may force the Aussies to come up with something special.

Friday, August 26, 2005

IS THE AUSSIE MODEL RELEVANT?


As a student of Economics, I had to go through several models of economic development. Each model has its merits and demerits. There is no one universal model that fits all countries. Each country has to follow a development strategy based on its strengths and weaknesses.

Here my intention is not to talk about Economics; it is about cricket. Ever since Australia began to dominate world cricket, everyone is fascinated and enamoured by the cricketing strategy followed down under. Sri Lanka started the trend by getting the services of Dav Whatmore who is now the coach Of Bangladesh. Whatmore's tenure was marked by Sri Lanka triumphing in the 1996 edition of the World Cup. Since then the island nation has always relied on the talents of the Aussies and at present Tom Moody is in charge. India for the first time engaged a full time coach in the form of John Wright who comes from a country that is situated very near to Australia. Now India have, after a lot of hype and heartburn, entrusted the job to an Australian proper, Greg Chappell. Even the West Indies have an Australian to revive their sagging fortunes in international cricket.

It is not just the coach who comes from Australia, the support staff in the form of physios, the psychiatrists, and also the consultants all belong to Australia. Surely, this is one form of BPO that is rarely noticed.

Things went to such an extent that countries with diverse cricketing cultures as England and Inda jumped into the bandwagon to start Cricket academies modelled after the original one at Adelaide. Rod Marsh, the Australian is put in charge of the academy in England.

In India the craze for anything foreign is well known and well documented. An Indian author comes of age only when honoured with a foreign award or offered a hefty advance by an international publisher. Not that I am not in favour of having Greg Chappell as the Indian coach. What I am against is the belief that the Australians can do wonders with our teams. If that is the case, then why are John Buchanan and company are unable to come up with any answers on the present tour to England.

The post is in response to the interview given by Bob Simpson( a 'super coach' from Australia to cricinfo.com.(August 24,2005) .On being asked about the change in cricket culture since his days, he repied ”Even the Pura Cup players will play on until they are 38 years old. There are problems there because you need youngsters coming through. It used to be said in New South Wales that if you did not make the side by 20 you would never make it. But the old guys are holding on longer and the average of players going into the NSW team at the moment is about 26. That is a huge difference. If you look at the cricketers who are just below the test level, most of them are 30. If young players are playing beneath their level they may not develop the skills to go to the next stage.” Of course, like any other Australian he replied in the negative when asked about the older players in the present Australian team.

Even if Simpson does not admit it, the fact is that most of the present members of the Australian squad are just too old and the bench strength is also not consisting of talented youngsters. So everything connected with the Australian cricket system is not fit to be copied. Even innovations of today become obsolete by tomorrow.

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

NORMAL SERVICE


Normal service has resumed with the wins for Tiger Woods and Roger Federer. Woods has not appeared as dominant as in the past but a win is what matters the most. But when it comes to Federer, the aura of invincibility gets to become stronger with each win. The Swiss had a tough time against Ginepri in the semifinals while Roddick put out Hewitt in the other semifinals. So the final promised to be a great one.

As was the case in the last two Wimbledon finals, Federer appeared too strong for Roddick. The American just could not take his game to a higher level as Federer simply shfited gears at will. What I have observed is that Federer is motivated at the prospect of facing people like Roddick, Hewitt and Agassi. Roddick, on the other hand, simply loses his momentum at the sight of Federer across the net.

Kim Clijsters won over her countrywoman Henin-Hardenne after quite a while. It is always surprising why she is not able to repeat these performances at any of the majors.

Monday, August 22, 2005

AFRO-ASIA CUP-ZAHEER K(H)AN


The decider of the Afro-Asia cup was disrupted by rain and the teams shared the trophy. The team from Asia managed to level the scores in the second match after being pipped to the post in the first. In all the three matches, there was one player who was consistently good-Zaheer Khan. There were yorkers which one rarely saw after the heady stuff in the ICC Champions Trophy at Nairobi where he uprooted the stumps of the great Steve Waugh. He bowled with purpose and deservedly was named the Man of the Series.

Waqar Younis expressed displeasure over the omission of Khan from the Indian team that tours Zimbabwe. The left-armer might have bowled badly in the Indian Oil cup in Sri Lanka but his performance in South Africa deserves the credit.

Consistency has never been the forte of Zaheer although no one can question his ability. His temperament has always been suspect especially after the caning at the hands of Ponting and company in the finals of the 2003 World Cup. So this performance came as a surprise, albeit a pleasant one.

Was Khan merely reminding the selectors of their folly?I am of the view that with the pressure of playing for the country gone, Zaheer was unburdened. The public anger over a failure can be very high in India. It is not easy soak all the pressure and deliver.

Sunday, August 21, 2005

ASHES UPDATE:TRULY WORRIED


The Aussies are really under the hammer with a defeat and a hard fought draw. For the first time in a better part of a decade the Aussies have had to admit the superiority of their rivals. Their tactic of 'mental disintegration' does not seem to have, at the moment, any impact on the English.

The Aussies have admitted their problems in so far the swing bowling of Harmison and company. They also have admitted the lack of pace of their bowlers with the exception of Brett Lee. Even Warne was rendered ineffective the second time the English batted in the third test.

The West Indies teams of the 1980s were thought to be invincible, but now the Caribbean teams are one of the weakest. The same applies to the Aussies as well. Most of the players who have been the architect of many a victory in the past are on the last legs of their careers. The new talent has not been coming up despite all the talk of having an academy. Further, it does not make much sense to blood players when they are approaching thirty. In the recent times, Ponting and Michael Clarke have the distinction of breaking into the side at a young age. A certain Shane Warne also came into the side at a young age before being sidelined.

The next two test matches are going to decide not just the future of some key players but also the future of cricket. No longer the rest of the cricketing world needs to be afraid of the Aussies. The victories of the Aussie teams have been the result of the superior talent and also the way in which their opponents accepted defeat even before the fight.

In this context, the comments from Buchanan about the flaws in the English team seems to be in a bad taste.

Saturday, August 20, 2005

HOTELS AND THE INDIAN CRICKETER


There is nothing wrong for the cricketers to make money out of their popularity. It is also not wrong for them to plan for the future once they quit the game. But now-a-days many Indian cricketers are busy making retirement plans. Is this the way of the cricketers expressing their insecurity in the wake of their non-performances.

I am talking about the restaurant of Sehwag which comes in the aftermath of a similar venture of Zaheer Khan. Of course, Tendulkar was the trend setter and Ganguly responded with his own eatery in Kolkata. Now where does it leave the other members of the Indian squad? Rahul Dravid is not expected to set up a hotel while the oldest member of the team, Kumble is also involved in other business. Harbhajan and Yuvraj might be tempted to offer Punjabi dishes while Dhoni might be successful in having a bar to offer milk and milk products.

The timing of the Sehwag venture was very curious unlike his timing on the cricket pitch these days. For a moment the media overlooked the failure and took us to the hotel. Surely, the cricketers know how to make the media play into their hands! It is time the glamour boys of Indian sport concentrate on the game.

Friday, August 19, 2005

AFRO-ASIA CUP:KAPIL DA JAWAB NAHIN


The first match of the Afro-Asia Cup is over with the Africans winning a low scoring encounter-a rarity in one-dayers now. The match once again exposed the frailities of the teams from Asia when facing the seaming and bouncing ball. That is not the reason for this post.

The telecast of the match was on Zee Sports which lost out in the bid to secure the rights from BCCI. The television presentation was led by a lady-a standard offering since the heady days of the 2003 World Cup where Mandira Bedi flummoxed people like Tony Greig and Barry Richards with her lack of knowledge on cricket. The same story here. The presenters also were able to change their apparels in between the two innings. This is again not the reason for this post.

The presenters had the company of Kapil Dev and Waqar Younis. The presenters were firing one dumb question after another. Pity that two greats were subject to such torture. All this in the name of demystifying cricket and taking the game closer to the people. Waqar Younis was asked about his entry into the Pakistan team. Wagar told the story about how Imran asked him to join the team to Sharjah after a few bowls at the nets. Then Kapil was asked about the kind of selection policy in India. Kapil responded by stating that a different policy is followed by India. The presenters were insisting to know why a selection like Waqar's does not ever take place in India. There have been many instances in the past when youngsters with no first-class experience fast tracked into the Pakistan team-most such instances took place when Imran was the captain. I wondered about the likely reply from Kapil. The great all-rounder did not bat an eyelid and replied that it was possible in Pakistan because the country has dictatorship. In India a different selection policy is followed on account of democracy.

Does this mean that Kapil as captain was not able to have players of his choice while Imran enjoyed the ultimate authority as captain. Such an observation left me totally bewildered. Is it a six or a an outswinger?Well said Sir.

DOPE STORY


The doping episode of Neelam J Singh has panned out along familiar lines. Firstly, the athlete was caught when she didn't need it for the competition. She put up a dismal performance at Helsinki. Secondly, she pleaded her innocence as soon as she landed in India. It was typical of any sportsperson found caught cheating.

In the last couple of years, there has been a spurt in the number of Indian athletes caught with some illegal substances in their bodies. This is not to say that doping is a new problem. This has existed in some form. Even at the junior level, the athletes are given 'tablets' to improve their performance. They are not caught because of the lack of adequate and honest testing procedures.

Always athletes who do well in international competitions fade away after coming back to the country. Most of the recent national record holders have been found guilty of cheating. The recourse to drugs is the personal gain from a medal or a record and the lack of any punishment. Take the case of Sunita Rani who had her Asian Games medal taken away after the involvement in doping at Busan. She got her medal back on technical grounds. The people in charge of running the show in India such as Suresh Kalmadi proclaimed it as a national victory. Now where is the said athlete? She was in the wilderness for quite a while before participating once again. Her performance was well below her personal best.

There is doping in Indian athletics and one cannot deny it. It will not go away until we have people like Kalmadi at the helm. Any one found guilty should be punished.

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

ASHES UPDATE-THE BEAUTY OF TEST CRICKET


There was a great joy in the Australian camp as Brett Lee successfully negotiated the last ball of the match from Steve Harmison. It was as if Australia won the match. Australia had just managed to live another day. How the mighty have fallen! The same people were calling the series one-sided even before it commenced.

The innings from Ponting was truly great for himself and his team. Before the last day of the match, many started to question the ability of Ponting to lead the team. There were few suggestions that Warne could have made a better captain. That is something that will always hurt the champion leg spinner. But to his credit, Warne has never let such disappointments get the better of him. He always gives his best as is evident in this test with both the bat and the ball. There is Anil Kumble who has a similar experience being an also-ran even with such a splendid record.

The Australians were never in the hunt for a win. They realised the futility of going after the target of 423 runs and played sensibly. It is this change in the attitude of Ponting and company that eventually saw them ward of the English challenge. Ponting received tremendous support from Warne and Clarke. Lee also rose up to the occasion and survived the threat posed by the Lancashire hero Flintoff. All the English bowlers performed to their best with the exception of Giles. Harmison was also below par through out this test match. Simon Jones and Flintoff looked threatening and Hoggard also created quite a few scares for the Aussies.That is perhaps the reason why the English failed to seal the issue in their favour. There were also a couple of umpiring decisions that went in favour of the Aussies- close leg before decisions. Martyn got a rough decision and that perhaps evens out the score of the Umpires.

The first three test matches have been really exciting as far as neutral spectators like me are concerned. There is no way test cricket can die if such matches are played. The last few overs were better than in any one-dayer. There were fielders surrounding the batsmen to take any chance. There was as many as seven slip fielders in the closing stages of the match.
The English are mightily disappointed at the outcome of the test. Now, can they overcome this result and land the shots in the next test or will the Aussies find their feet and turn around the English summer in their favour.

Sunday, August 14, 2005

ASHES UPDATE


There was very little action on the third day with rain keeping the players inside. In the time that play was possible, Warne helped his team avoid the follow-on. Geraint Jones was very kind to return the favour by messing a stumping. On the first day, the Aussies allowed Vaughan to strike good with their shoddy fielding. Now, Warne took the opportunity with both hands. In going this far, Warne has taught a lesson to the superior batsmen of his team.

The fourth day is also not expected to be good, weatherwise. Even then, the match can go either way with the English in an advantageous position. The big question is will Warne finally score his first hundred.

Saturday, August 13, 2005

ASHES UPDATE


The third day of the third test promises much with England in the box seat. The Aussies have staggered at the blows inflicted by the English.With the exception of Warne, none of the other batsmen showed much inclination to stay at the wicket. Giles, who was considered by many as a non-performer showed all the guile that makes a spinner a difficult proposition.

The English total was extended thanks to good contributions by Flintoff and Geraint Jones. The wicketkeeper was under some pressure to make runs and he responded. The other Jones -Simon, continued to trouble the tourists with his incisive bowling. Hayden and Langer flattered to deceive after a good start. Ponting appears to be brought down to the earth by a combination of good bowling and the burden of captaincy. Martyn is getting the runs and so is Gilchrist.

In the past, the English gained a dubious reputation of injury prone at the start and in the middle of the Ashes. Now it is the turn of the Aussies. The wheel has turned against the Aussies.

It is interesting to speculate over the follow-on. Will the English enforce it and how shall the Aussies respond to this unfamiliar situation. Is there a possibility of any miracle here?

Friday, August 12, 2005

WARNE(D) 600 NOT OUT


I like any other Indian who knows a bit about cricket and spin bowling, did never accept Shane Warne. It was largely borne out of the belief that India alone could produce quality spinners. It was unthinkable for a foreigner and a white man to be able to make the ball do tricks.
The debut of Shane Warne was not auspicious, coming against India where Ravi Shastri and Tendulkar took him apart. Warne returned with figures of one wicket for more than 150 runs. Later, Warne talked about the nightmarish experince of bowling in India. Every batsmen fancied his chances facing Warne. This reinforced the belief that Warne is something of a hype.

The exploits of Warne when dealing with opponents like England, New Zealand, South Africa was something that was attributed to the inability to play spin. However, his performance in Sri Lanka was a revelation in more ways than one. It came against players who had the home advantage and also the supposed prowess in playing spin. Warne had a bagful of wickets coming shortly after his ignominious exit from the World Cup of 2003.That performance helped in a large way to neutralise the Murali effect and Australia triumphed 3-0.

Australia lost the second test of the ongoing Ashes at Edgbaston but Warne bowled beautifully in the second innings. The ball to dismiss Andrew Strauss was a gem. The 'ball of the century' stuff may be somewhat overhyped but there is no doubting the ability of the man. He also took his team to an unlikely win with a sterling contribution with the bat. Warne is a good slip fielder who held his ground in the midst of outstanding slipmen like Mark Taylor and Mark Waugh.

I heartily congratulate Warne on being the first bowler to claim 600 wickets in test matches. It is good to see a bowler with a clean and undisputed action climb up the summit. Looking forward to more zooters etc.

ASHES UPDATE


The first day of the third test belonged to Michael Vaughan. He managed to push Shane Warne into the background. That is no mean task when the Aussie got his 600th wicket in test cricket-the first man to do so.

McGrath returned to the side and Brett Lee resumed his normal service by hurling thunderbolts at the batsmen. But McGrath did not create much of an impression with the normally reliable Aussie fielders including Gilchrist had a day off. The pitch was not giving any assistance to the bowlers. That does not, however, take the credit away from the efforts of the English skipper. The victory at Edgbaston seems to have reduced much of the pressure and this showed in the shots he played. If the present form continues, the Aussies have reason to worry about with their fourth bowler-Gillespie not finding his rhythm and range.

For a change, Kevin Pietersen could not make a good score. Have the Aussies sorted him out? The rest of the series could provide us with an answer. The Lancashire faithful are to be expected to turn out in large numbers with the local hero Andrew Flintoff to come next in the batting line-up. Does Freddy have it in him to do a repeat of the last test? That could well be the deciding factor in the third test.

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

ASHES UPDATE


The third test in the current Ashes is very interestingly poised with the English on a high after the win at Edgbaston and the Aussies suddenly appearing vulnerable and seemingly out of their wits.

Nothing seems to have gone right for the Aussies ever since the win at Lords. McGrath's injury seems to have given the self-belief that the English lacked. Now with Brett Lee doubtful, things have become very bleak for the tourists. Warne is a great bowler and he displayed all his tricks in the second test. But then the rest of the bowlers went for runs. It is highly unlikely for Gillespie and Kasprowicz to get the English batsmen out for low scores twice in the match.

The batting machine is also not in top shape with most of the batsmen not firing. The unexpectedly hostile bowling from Harmison and company has created doubts in the minds of the Aussie batsmen.

Ponting does not want the posterity to remember him as the captain who surrendered to the English. A good test match is on the cards with the both sides keen to have the psychological edge.

Tuesday, August 09, 2005

INDIAN OIL CUP-04-THE SAME OLD STORY


Recently, I watched an interview of Marvin Hagler on BBC. He was nicknamed 'marvellous' for his brilliant record in the ring. He was asked about his preparations before a fight. Hagler replied that he simply focussed on the fight and nothing else. He shut out everything out of the mind, including in his own words, the girls also. All the pent up feelings were then released on the hapless opponent. This is what is called as 'tunnel vision' by experts.

It is this lack of such mental preparations that have proved to be the greatest deficiency of the Indian cricket team and the finals of the Indian Oil cup was no exception. The Indians put up such an inept display in the finals and the matches leading to the finals, that one doubts their mental strength. On the other hand, the Sri Lankans played as if the script was written for them.

Mahela Jayawardene was out of touch for quite a while but then the Indian bowlers allowed him to score runs freely. For his efforts, Jayawardene got th Man of the Match as well as the Man of the Series awards. The Indians don't like to be ungrateful guests to their Lankan hosts. Russel Arnold was out of the team and he also took the opportunity with both hands. Muralitharan always has this habit of troubling the Indians in both the versions of the game and again Tuesday was not different. People have forgotten the mauling that Sidhu gave him in a test match. Worse was the inability to cope with a part-time bowler-a spinner(if he can be called one) like Dilshan Tilakaratne. Even a good player of off-spin bowling like Ganguly was deceived by him.In a previous match Maharoof appeared as menacing as McGrath to the extent that Javagal Srinath called him 'Sri Lanka's McGrath'.

The bowling of Zaheer and Pathan was reminiscent of the stuff dished out in the World Cup final of 2003. The fielding was not impressive with question marks over the keeping of Dhoni. There were times when the commentators were surprised at the technique of the keeper.

It does not help to have a high profile coach if the players themselves are not sure of their responsibilities. The Indians could benefit from the display put by the English at Edgbaston versus the Aussies. They displayed a spirit that refused to die without a fight.

Monday, August 08, 2005

ASHES UPDATE-04-THE JUGGERNAUT IS SLOWING DOWN


The second test at Edgbaston might have proved to be a heartbreaker for the Aussies and an occasion to rejoice for the English. But in my opinion this match has the potential to turn the current cricket thinking on its head.

In the first place, the Aussies are not as unbeatable as they are thought to be. Very often, teams accept defeat and then the Aussies are very adept at mind games. Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer have not done much on this tour so far to back up their big talk. McGrath and Warne seem to be the only exceptions.

The 'present' team under the leadership of Ponting has only inherited the winning record that goes back to the heady days of Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh. Ponting appeared clueless when the bowlers were heaved over the top by most of the English batsmen. Ponting is not in the same league as his predecessors.

Even the teams under Taylor and Waugh faced defeat at the hands of determined opponents, especially bowlers. Allan Donald at his peak was more than a handful. The spinners from India made a mockery of the reputations.It was more often the expertise of McGrath and Warne that made the difference. What is needed to defeat the Aussies is some exceptional individual brilliance like the one shown by Flintoff and Harmison. VVS Laxman and Harbhajan Singh also made the Aussies bite the dust with their showing.

The Aussies are brittle in the batting department with Gilchrist not able to strike form. Ponting is always suspect against class bowling. Hayden is someone who has to count himself extremely lucky if he is given any more opportunities in the series. It is one thing to knock a triple hundred against the hapless Zimbabweans and quite a challenge to face the grenades of Harmison and company. Even an ordinary bowler like Ashely Giles was made to look menacing. Damien Martyn was once made to sit out of the team as a punishment for a rash shot. In both the innings, he just threw his wicket away. There is no solidity in the middle order in the form of the Waugh twins. It is a pity that an accomplished batsman like Mike Hussey is not even in the touring side.

In the bowling department, the absence of McGrath was something that hurt the Aussies the most. The English batsmen were feeling totally liberated and just made merry.It is time to think about the future of Gillespie and Kasprowicz. The bowlers are just showing the signs of aging. The time for new faces has come.

In the end, the Aussies might just reatin the Ashes but the signs are here for a change.

Monday, August 01, 2005

INDIAN OIL CUP 2005-03


As expected, India won the second match and again Rahul Dravid had to lead the way. The others continued to disappoint. Yuvraj and Kaif showed some pluck that too against a none too experienced bowlers. The Windies managed to trouble most of the Indian batsmen. There were a lot of misses and near escapes with a lot of the defensive shots off the backfoot taking the ball precariously past the stumps. The Windies were truly let down first by the inept batting and then by the pathetic display in the fielding department.

Raina has shown some promise but it is too early to sing praises. Sehwag is still waving the bat like a magic wand that cannot cast any spell on the bowlers and the spectators. It will take some ask for the team to meet tougher opponents with such attitude. It is time the selectors took note of the lackadaisical attitude of players and showed them the exit door.

Laxman's luck is truly wretched. He does not get an opportunity to play the one-dayers and when there is an opportunity, injury defeats him.

Sunday, July 31, 2005

INDIAN OICL CUP 2005-02


India started the Indian Oil cup on a rather bad note with the defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka. It is too early to criticise the coaching of Greg Chappel. I was not able to watch much of the match live since the cable operators did not want to pay for the hike in the subscription of Ten Sports.

The batting turned out to be the big disappointment with only Rahul Dravid and Venugopala Rao making some decent runs. Of course, Harbhajan, Zaheer and Irfan took the total narrowly past the 200 mark. The lack of a specialist 5th bowler proved to be very costly in the end.

Sehwag and Dhoni batted like billionaires being bored by their wealth while Yuvraj once again proved his detractors right. Kaif was surprisingly unable to perform in a tight situation. Raina was done in by a perfect 'throw' from the 'king of chuckers'-Muralitharan . In the next match, Raina might be asked to make way for someone else.

The think tank have erred in not picking Anil Kumble who could have created pressure on batsmen of a lower calibre like Mahroof and Chandana. Instead, he watched the match from the sidelines.

India appear to have an easy encounter in the second match against the Windies. But the newcomers from the Caribbean islands might want to establish themselves in the absence of players like Brian Lara.

There is some consolation from the match. After quite a while a player from the state of Andhra Pradesh-Venugopala Rao made a good entry into international cricket.

INDIAN OIL CUP 2005-01


It is him once again to spoil India's hopes once again. I am talking of Sanath Jayasuriya who despite a dislocated shoulder stayed there to take Sri Lanka home after being in some kind of strife. Sanath has always shown a particular penchant for the Indian bowling. Javagal Srinath was holding the microphone in place of the ball but the result would have given him a sense of deja vu.

During the course of the past week, Arjuna Ranatunga was quite optimistic of Sanath returning to form with the prospect of having to take on the Indian bowlers. I donot have any intention of denigrating the talents of Jayasuriya but he always does good against the Indians. He has displayed streaks of brilliance against other teams, but against India his showing has been extraordinary. I feel that the Indians simply don't have it in them to shrug off the past demons. Suddenly, the bowlers appear clueless and there are dropping shoulders in the field.

Jayasuriya is the list of those players who have done exceedingly well against India. Saeed Anwar was one such player who on many occasions took the Indian attacks to the cleaners. There is another player-Shivnarine Chanderpaul who has always done well against India. This is something that Greg Chappel needs to work on.

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

VERY VERY SPECIAL INDEED


The latest bit of speculation relating to the Indian cricket team in Sri Lanka is the possibility of VVS Laxman partnering Sehwag at the top of the order. There is nothing wrong with such experiments but Laxman is not the guinea pig. Everytime there are one-dayers, there is a lot of talk about the inclusion or rather the non-inclusion of Laxman. I feel that he is too good a player with a proven record to be left out of the team.

I make a strong case for Laxman to be made a regular fixture in the one-day squads even when Sachin and Saurav are available. Let us not forget the knocks that he played in the VB Series on the last tour to Australia and also in Pakistan when the series was even.

I think Yuvraj is not the player he is made out to be. One good innings is sandwiched between numerous failures. His fielding is not a scratch when compared with the best. He sometimes gives the impression of making unnecessary dives when faced with simple catches. His bowling is not even of a club level variety. Far more deserving is the case of Mohammed Kaif who has always revelled in crunch situations be it the one-dayers or the test matches. He is someone who is most unsure of his batting position as the team management is very keen to accommodate Yuvraj. These days Yuvraj is far more preoccupied with matters outside cricket.

Laxman has the right to feel hurt over his omission from the world cup team of 2003. I have nothing against Dinesh Mongia but it was sad. Laxman should be given the position he likes the most and not being forced to open. Laxman has never failed to mention his disappointment on being asked to open in the test matches. The team man that he is, Laxman never shies away from doing something even if it does not suit him.

If there is anything that caused me pain over Saurav Ganguly's captaincy is the injustice meted out to Laxman and Anil Kumble. They have managed to overcome their frustrations with splendid performances and prove their detractors wrong.

The plea for the inclusion of Laxman arises not because I share two parts of my name with him and also not because we speak the language, but because he is a good player.

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

GOING UP IN A BLAZE OF GLORY



The name Armstrong is something special to me. My first cricket bat had a sticker with the name 'Armstrong'. There are very fond memories attached to it. Then, of course, Neil Armstrong who was the first man on the moon.

Now, one more Armstrong has joined the list-lance Armstrong, the cycling great who ended his career on the road with a seventh consecutive victory of the Tour de France. What impressed me most was that the Texan has decided to hang up his boots while at the top. Such timing is very rare among modern sportspersons, especially with Indian cricketers. I can think of Sunil Gavaskar who called it a day after a masterly knock at Lords' in 1988.

It is truly remarkable to author such a script with rivals like Ulrich and Basso in the race for the big prize. Armstrong was the clear favourite before the tour and for a brief period in the early stages there were other pretenders to the throne. But once, he had the tour leader's yellow jersey, Armstrong never let it go off his back. Even a fall in the last stage when the road was slippery due to persistent drizzle, there was no doubt about the final outcome.

This is amazing to remember that Armstrong once had been diagnosed with cancer. Cycling had a similar hero in the past with a multiple tour winner Greg Lemmond who had a difficult time after being involved in a freak shooting accident.

In recent years, the sport of cycling-especially, the professional variety has taken quite a big knock with many riders and teams being put under the scanner for the use of banned performance enhancing substances. Almost every tour has seen some such incidents. Questions had also been asked about the involvement of Armstrong. We may never know the truth, but Armstrong never let these things to distract him.

Armstrong made it clear about his decision to leave the sport he loves the most. He seemed more than satisfied with the fame and fortune that resulted from his stupendous achievement. The finishing at the Arc de Troimphe was memorable with Armstrong having his family for company. His twin daughters were dressed in yellow.
Thanks Armstrong for the display of courage and humility that is so rare in these times.

Sunday, July 24, 2005

ASHES UPDATE-03-DAY THREE

The first test started off with an unfamiliar display but shall end on predictable lines with the Aussies taking a 1-0 lead. The first day saw the English bowlers led by Harmison give the Aussies a real work out. It is not since the days of the West Indies pace machines, that the Aussies have been found wanting in terms of temperament and technique. It may appear that the batsmen got out playing irresponsible shots but the fact is the pressure generated by the English bowlers was too much for the liking.
The English were feeling top of the world with this masterly display at Lords' where their record against the Aussies has not been good. They had something to cheer about especially in the light of the blasts that rocked London(something that the English did never anticipate). Now all such fanciful thinking was given a big jolt by McGrath. Whatever do the commentators say about the uneven bounce or the lack of consistency in the pitch, the English batsmen were made to look like real novices. The English batsmen are highly overrated even by the standards of the British press, but this is the real deal-facing the best in the world.
In the last Ashes down under, Michael Vaughan appeared to be in a different class taking the might of the bowling. He had all the answers to the questions posed but since then he has not played an innings of note, especially in difficult times and climes. The only thing that he does now-a-days is to play a couple of his signature drive through the covers. The decision to drop Graham Thorpe in favour of 'attitude' in the shape of Kevin Pietersen is questionable. Thorpe has been a dependable batsman albeit without much flair or flamboyance. The selectors could have given the Surrey lefthander a chance-a final one in place of Ian Bell.
Pietersen is still there at the wicket but the task before him and the rest is impossible. The English catching, especially in the third innings was shoddy with Pietersen making a mess of really simple chances. The let off given to Clarke and the partnership between him and Martyn has become the deciding factor when scoring runs has been rather difficult in the match. Pietersen may after all score the runs but then the lapses have proved to be very costly.
The English still have something to look forward to-the rest of the series. If the weathermen are to be believed, there is still some hope in the first test with rains expected over London.

This was written in the morning and due to some technical problems at my end, it could not be posted then. The Aussies were not needed to wait for the fifth day to wrap up the match.

Saturday, July 23, 2005

ASHES UPDATE-02-FIRST TEST-DAY TWO

The first two days of the first test of the Ashes have been very interesting with both sides landing and taking blows. The Aussies appeared to have been pushed to the wall with most of them smarting from the bruises to the body and most importantly to the ego. But the new found confidence of Flintoff and company was shortlived though, with McGrath renewing his liking for the slope and the air at the Lords'. In a matter of few overs, the English top order was back in the pavilion. In the second innings the Aussies showed their fighting spirit with Ponting, Martyn and Clarke making runs. Langer attempted an impossible single and the new 'English' hero Pietersen found the target. John Buchanan needs to have a go at Hayden. This is not the Zimbabwean bowling to let him score runs. Clarke distinguished himself with a sparkling knock and Martyn just let his reputation to grow. All the batsmen were beaten time and again by the bowlers but this was a better day for the batsmen. In the morning session, the English total was extended thanks to the blows of Pietersen. Jones also scored a couple of boundaries. Shane Warne got the wicket of Pietersen after being hit over the boundary. The English have to do something extraordinary to save the match from this point. With Katich at the crease, the Aussies would hope to put the match beyond the English. Has the contest petered out to a one-sided one or will any Englishman prove me wrong.

Thursday, July 21, 2005

ASHES UPDATE-01-FIRST TEST-FIRST SESSION

History suggested that the Australians have mostly triumphed at Lords' but the present English team showed their mettle in the first session of the opening test of the Ashes. By the time the players went back to their dressing rooms for lunch, the visitors had five of their batsmen looking forward to the second innings. To add insult to the injury, three of the five received blows with the captain having to endure a cut on the cheekbone. Hayden, Langer, Martyn and Ponting fell to very ungainly shots. Of course, Ponting seemed to be shaken by the blow. Clarke has not added anything to his initial success. Now it is upto Gilchrist to stem the rot. He has on most of the occasions scored a 100 in the first test match of a series and that has helped the Aussies to have control right from the start. Will it be the same again? Katich has a lot to prove the selectors wrong.

The blows and the ducking and weaving of the batsmen before the four English bowlers made me think of the great pace quartets from the West Indies. I never got to watch them in full flight. Will Harmison and company do the same or will the Aussies be able to recover from the bad start.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

ALLROUNDERS IN INDIAN CRICKET

Read with interest the lament on the lack of allrounders in Indian cricket(Wisden Asia Cricket, June 2005-'Whatever Happened to the Indian allrounder?') In the history of the game there have never been instances of quality allrounders purveying in large numbers; always it has been a case of few genuine players who could bat and bowl with authority and become match winners. Indian cricket is not blessed on this count, especially after Kapil Dev and Ravi Shastri. Manoj Prabhakar was the last of this category of unique players. He was a genuine allrounder in more ways than one! Of course, the other test playing nations have been blessed either. England have the services of Flintoff long after Botham became a regular before the microphone. Australia had the services of Steve Waugh for a while before he relinquished bowling. New Zealand had Richard Hadlee and then Chris Cairns. The all conquering West Indies teams of the 1980's did not possess quality all-rounders. It is Pakistan who are somewhat lucky to have players like Abdul or Abdur Razzaq to inherit the slot vacated by Imran Khan. Right now, South Africa have Jacques Kallis. Of course, there is a long way to go for the present generation to be compared with the likes of Kapil and Imran. I have a simple argument on the dearth of allrounders in general and in particular on the Indian scene. It is the batsmen who always hog the limelight and with the heroics of Sachin, Rahul etc., everyone budding cricketer dreams of making it big with the bat. Now we have allrounders of the quality of Yuvraj and Dinesh Mongia whose bowling shall not cause any alarms even to players like me. The young cricketers of today might never have gone through the exploits of greats like Kapil, Vinoo Mankad, Salim Durrani, the father and son duo of Lala Amarnath and Mohinder Amarnath etc. All they are good about is to think of becoming a good batsman. The young players start with the aspirations of being allrounders but then the physical stresses and strains put an end to them. Also, the present trend of instant gratification in every walk of life has deterred young players from taking the hard route to mastering the trade of an allrounder.. It is the lack of a fast bowling all-rounder that is often the difference between India winning or losing. The victory of India in the world cup of 1983 was not due to the batsmen or the bowlers, but because of all-rounders. It were the bowlers like Roger Binny, Madan Lal who were instrumental in Kapil going to 175 not out against Zimbabwe after being reduced to 17 for 5. It was Jimmy Amarnath who got important wickets in the finals and the semi-finals and also excelled with the bat. It is difficult for the youngsters since they have no role model to idolise and become good all-rounders. Kapil Dev was a freak in more ways than one. He was a fast bowler from the land of the Guptes, Bedi, Chandrasekhar, Prasanna, Venkataraghavan etc. Secondly, he could win a match either with the bat or with the ball. Thirdly, he was a good fielder at a time when Indian players in general were averse to run after the ball or stop the ball. All we now have is VVS Laxman improving his bowling skills to fill the vacant all-rounder slot at least in the one-day squad.