SUMMER OF 1985

 

I could only listen and read about the win of India in the 1983 Prudential World Cup.I was very young and it was my father who told endless times the story of the famous win to me and my younger siblings.

By the time the 1985 Benson and Hedges World Championship of Cricket took place in Australia, I started to play cricket. With no television, the print media and the radio were the only sources of information.

But there was a problem. The event was to be followed by 10^th class examinations that in many ways are life defining for most of us, even now. My mother would not let me have the radio near me and so while she was busy with her school or household chores, I would get the scores from my younger brothers.

The win made me take to cricket after the examinations.It is true that I could not make much of an impact on the cricket field as well on the result sheets of later examinations, but cricket has remained with me since that eventful day of 1985.

Months after the famous win in Australia the son of a successful businessman of my town started to make money by showing the video footage of the finals between India and Pakistan.It was not that difficult to ask for money from father much to the chagrin of my mother.

The win in 1983 was considered a fluke but the win in 1985 suddenly made India a team to reckon with in the future.It is this win that heralded many innovations. The carefree batting of Srikkanth at the top and the inclusion of two spinners in the team coupled with a large number of players who could bowl and also bat made the difference to the way one dayers have been played since. Also, let us not forget the fielding display put on by the Indians.

Two decades after the win in Australia, I could watch the recordings on the television and whenever I watch the same, I am taken back in time to the good old days.

In many ways, 1985 shall remain the most important year in my life. It was the year I stepped into the college minus the uniform and the opening prayer. It was also the year of the great victory for the Indian cricket team.

It was also the year when Boris Becker won the Wimbledon.

Let us all tip our hats to the winning team of 1985.

Technorati Tags: INDIA,CRICKET,PAKISTAN,WCC 1985,AUSTRALIA,BORIS BECKER1985

FLASH IN THE PAN OR AN ABERRATION?

It was the same old story, the same old failings and the same old result-a defeat after raising the expectations to very high levels, in fact, leaving some to dream about the glory days of long gone by decades.

The hockey team that suddenly became the focus for all the right reasons after the stunning victory over Pakistan, was stopped in its tracks by the team from down under.The stronger physique of the rival coupled with a stronger strategy was too hot to handle for team India.

This match between India and Australia grabbed the headlines in the manner that has been given to cricket matches between these two nations since 2001.This was a proud moment since hockey became as fashionable as cricket.Over the years, hockey matches between India and Australia were considered one-sided and there was very little hope for the fans.But now after the win over Pakistan, things appeared rosy, to say the least.

Team India could do no wrong in its match against Pakistan, while nothing seemed to go right in its encounter with Australia.Penalty corners, never a strong point with the Indians, proved to be very costly and decisive against Australia.Three penalty corners were squandered away and that made the difference to the final scoreline.

It is argued by some that the suspension of Shivendra for foulplay after the first match was the reason for the defeat to Australia.But the other members of team India could not raise their play seemingly exhausted after the effort against Pakistan.

The World Cup is not over by any means, but after this defeat, one is discouraged to look ahead to the rest of the matches.

It is either a case of a flash in the pan(the win over Pakistan) or just an aberration(the defeat to Australia).

Technorati Tags: HOCKEY,INDIA,AUSTRALIA,PAKISTAN,WORLD CUP 2010

AN INTERESTING CHOICE

Waqar Younis has accepted the offer to coach the cricket team of Pakistan.It is learnt that Younis shall be with the team till the 2011 World Cup.There was speculation in the past about this but now Younis has himself confirmed the offer from the PCB and the subsequent acceptance.

There is nothing new in a former player becoming the coach but things are extremely complicated in Pakistan. Things between Younis and his bowling partner, Wasim Akram were less than cordial and this can divide the team into two groups, each owing allegiance to a great fast bowler.Add to this is the fact that former players like Javed Miandad and Sarfraz Nawaz are always happy to give their take on Pakistan cricket.

Waqar was a great bowler but this does not guarantee his success as a coach. It is not rare to find great players not having a good time as coaches. The players might not be as talented as the coach and the coach finds it difficult to make the players lift their game.Besides, Waqar does not have any coaching experience.

Even as the contract runs through the forthcoming World Cup, Pakistan can still spring surprises and have a new coach in place of Waqar

Technorati Tags: PAKISTAN,CRICKET,WAQAR YOUNIS

HOME ADVANTAGE!

Sreesanth and R.P.Singh shall miss the first test at Delhi due to injuries. This is not the news. The news concerns the drafting of Ishant Sharma into the playing eleven. Munaf Patel is also called as a replacement.

Ishant Sharma made his debut in the test series in Bangladesh when the Indian team was on a mission to avenge the defeat in the World Cup. By all accounts, Sharma is someone who didn’t look like a bowler suited the highest level of the game. Even when faced with the prospect of bowling at the Bangladesh batsmen, there were few deliveries that looked threatening leave alone wickettaking ones.

So what has made Sharma the chosen one? The reason is far simpler and obvious. Sharma happens to play for Delhi at the domestic level. Let the BCCI make it a policy to include at least one player from the local team in case of matches played in India.

Irfan Pathan has the experience and he is definitely the better choice. But at the present point of time, Pathan is unable to convince the selectors.

Munaf Patel has only played a handful of tests and he looks and bowls like a veteran bowler of more than 100 tests. The pace has dropped alarmingly and the body language does not speak well. Of course, Pathan’s pace also is something that cannot worry any batsman of some class. But then Sharma looked pedestrian even in his debut test.

BANISHING THE GHOSTS OF A DEFEAT

I still remember that day like it was only yesterday. That was the time when my town did not have the television. To watch live cricket one had to go to friends who stayed ten kilometres away.

I and a couple of friends decided to cycle all the way to watch the 1986 finals at Sharjah featuring India and Pakistan. We chose a classmate who was having a colour television.

India batted first and made a score that was going to challenge Pakistan. Srikkanth and Gavaskar laid the platform and Dilip Vengsarkar scored a fifty. India lost wickets late in the innings and that prevented a truly big score. Pakistan’s innings mainly revolved around Javed Miandad. India was always in the match and just a couple of wickets away from a win. The last over was to be bowled by Chetan Sharma and Miandad hit the last ball-a full toss for a six to claim the win.

That one shot changed the equation between India and Pakistan on the cricket field in general and at Sharjah in particular. In most of the matches that followed, India finished on the losing side. Chetan Sharma became the villain. In those days, the issue of match fixing was not in vogue, otherwise, the public pressure would have forced the authorities to launch an investigation. Even when Chetan Sharma went on to take wickets in England helping India to win the series only for the second time, the tag stayed with him.

A couple of days ago while surfing the channels, I watched a programme titled “Remember the Titans” on ESPN or Star Sports. The programme featured Chetan Sharma’s exploits on the English tour of 1986. The tour is best known for the series win and the batting of Vengsarkar but the programme brought to the fore the invaluable contribution made by Sharma.

In a great coincidence, India secured a series win over Pakistan-the first in an ODI series on home soil in 24 years. Sharma is now an expert on Doordarshan. The win and the programme helped to banish the rather unforgettable pain of cycling all the way back home after the Miandad six when ten kilometres appeared a great distance.

Thanks a lot, Mr.Sharma for the win in England.

A NICE JINX!

In recent months Sachin Tendulkar has been getting out without making a century. In the process he has the distinction of notching up the most number of 90 plus scores in one dayers. This has led to the belief that there is jinx that prevents Sachin from having his 42nd ODI ton. It is sad that Sachin has been unable to get beyond the 90s. But that jinx has not helped Pakistan with India taking the series.

At times the talk about the jinx becomes ridiculous. We are talking about a batsman who has scored thousands of runs and a lot of hundreds. So it cannot be question of nervous nineties. It is more of a coincidence. Any lesser player would be proud to become the owner of the 90 plus scores that Sachin is accumulating these days.

There was a time when Sachin scored a 100 but India was not able to force the issue with the opposition. So it matters very little whether Sachin scores a 100 or falls in the nineties. What matters more is the win for India.

I believe Sachin also gives a greater importance to the fortunes of the team than to his own.

HOMING ON THE FACTS

South Africa won their test match at the Wanderers in Johannesburg by taking advantage of the home conditions. The pace and the bounce proved too much for the visiting Kiwis. Home conditions played a role too in the win of Australia over Sri Lanka in Brisbane. The bowlers and the batsmen of the home team deserve all the appreciation.

England managed to beat the Aussies in the Ashes of 2005 and it was the English bowlers who proved to be the decisive factor. Call it reverse swing or not, the swing generated by the likes of Simon Jones proved to be the undoing of the Aussies.

New Zealand is always a tough proposition when it comes to playing them at home. Teams from the subcontinent are often at sea when it comes to the rising ball.

In their pomp, the West Indies bowlers succeeded everywhere and at home they were truly devastating. It is an entirely different story now.

But it is altogether different when it comes to the teams from the subcontinent in general and India in particular. The wins are never attributed to the skills of the players. The pitches are given all the dubious credit. Cricket analysts who are otherwise balanced seem to lose their judgment once the results go in the direction of the home team. Seemingly, it gives more delight to watch a batsman duck to a bouncer than be fooled by the spinning ball.

What is appalling is the fact that the local media also takes jibes at the pitches. The statisticians take delight in calling batsmen ‘fat track bullies’. It is quite another thing when batsmen from teams outside of the subcontinent fail to tackle the spin. The pitch is blamed. The spin bowlers are not at all given the credit. Of course, even a mediocre spinner like Ashley Giles is praised for his acumen when bowling on the wickets of the subcontinent.

Things have gone to such a pass that the cricket administration has appointed a committee to look after the pitches and produce wickets that are more suitable to the visiting teams!

Home teams have always taken the advantage of the conditions and this is something that is not peculiar to cricket alone. Of course, to be fair, good teams possess the talent and the skill to beat any opponent anywhere, be it at home or away.

A NEW COLOUR OF SYCOPHANCY!

The third one dayer between India and Pakistan is to be played at Kanpur. That is not the news. A news channel reported that the UPCA (Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association) is likely to apply blue colour to the ground. It has nothing to do with the colour of the Indian team dress. The colour blue is associated with the ruling party in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

If this is true, then it gives a whole new dimension to the game of cricket. Instead of talking about the green of the ground, everyone shall be wondering about the blues! A real precedent is likely to be set. The different political parties ruling the states in India will surely want their party colours to be used for painting the cricket grounds.

With the state cricket associations dominated by politicians and shady characters and also government officials, it is no wonder that everyone wants to be in the good books of the party in power.

It is further reported that the UPCA has asked the BCCI not to give an invite to Shah Rukh Khan to watch the match at Kanpur. The official view is not to create any crowd trouble at the Green Park. I have an entirely different take on this. The authorities know very well that Khan’s presence could simply overshadow the presence of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.

Is this sycophancy at its best or at its worst?

INDIA TAKES THE FIRST MATCH

The first one-dayer of the Indian Oil Cup went India’s way. There were no big scores and batsmen had difficulty hitting the ball over the boundaries. It was not a match expected on the wickets of the subcontinent.

A score of 240 was never expected to trouble the Indians. With the bowling of Pakistan unable to exert any pressure, things became a lot easier for the Indians, despite the failure of Sachin. It was Shoaib Akhtar who took the wicket of Sachin.

Gambhir and Ganguly put a decent partnership where good shots were interspersed with streaky shots. Ganguly is simply not the batsman he used to be in the limited overs variety. Gambhir is simply playing in the way he is known to be.

Dhoni and Yuvraj strung a match winning partnership. There were few big shots from the bat of Yuvraj. Dhoni also played in a sensible manner. There was a mild excitement in the dying stages with the dismissals of these two.

Salman Butt started off nicely and his run out seemed to take the fizz out of Pakistan innings. Younis Khan and Mohammed Yousuf batted in the test match style and the total could not become a challenging one. Misbah and Afridi hit some lusty blows but by then the Indians began to feel comfortable about the chase.

The toss was the only thing that ought to have made Shoaib Malik happy after this match.

THE ACTION STARTS

The first one-dayer between India and Pakistan kicks off in the northeastern city of Guwahati on Monday.

The press and the players want us to believe that a series between the traditional rivals has the potential to overtake even the Ashes. In many ways that is true. Given the rancour between the two countries, a victory in the cricket field is seen as a victory for the winning nation.

Players have made their reputation or have theirs marred in the past encounters between the two teams. Traditionally, it is Pakistan players who always seem to reserve their best for the Indo-Pak encounters.

Shoaib Akhtar has a lot to prove and that is certainly not good news for the Indians. On the Indian side, Sachin and Saurav have a lot on their hands after the ‘rest’ given to Rahul Dravid. The two captains also have a lot to prove. Shoaib Malik has to cement his captaincy after the losses to South Africa at home. Dhoni has to make his mark in the larger versions of the game.

I am a little unhappy over the timing of the series. With most of the matches on working days, there is little chance of following them. Of course, I am hopeful of my students giving the classes a miss.

A REAL JOLT

The Pakistan cricket team has received a jolt even before a ball has been bowled in the series in India. Just as the team management appeared to rejoice over the return of Shoaib Akhtar, another pace bowler, Mohammed Asif has pulled out of the tour with an elbow injury.

Ever since Asif started with a bang against the touring Indians, he has been the bowler who looked most likely to take wickets. The Indians were ambushed by the swing and control of Asif and the hosts won the series

But in the short career so far, Asif has been dogged by injuries. The ban for the alleged doping offence also did not help the matters.

It is not Akhtar who is to be feared since it is not the nature of the bowler to be consistent for an entire series. Moreover, Akhtar is only moments away from a new brawl and injury. Umar Gul can be a handful on helpful wickets, but he is not in the same class as Mohd.Asif.