FULL SUCCESS!

The victory in the one-day series was followed by the ‘emphatic’ and the ‘crushing’ win in the second test. The team achieved certain milestones and a couple of records were broken. The team returned to India. But there was very little rejoicing on the streets and the airport. For a nation whose fortunes are so closely intertwined to the cricket team, this came as a surprise.

It is true that the average fan was extremely disappointed after the failure at the World Cup. But the recent victories came against Bangladesh.

The top four Indian batsmen scored centuries and this was a first in the history of test cricket. Karthik and Jaffer provided a solid start and this was capitalized by Sachin and Dravid. The bowlers performed well with Zaheer getting a five-wicket haul in the Bangla first innings. Kumble took crucial wickets and Ramesh Powar also added his name to the list of wicket takers.

But all the success has to be taken lightly. Of course, the record books never tell the full story. Sachin scored his 37^th ton and in my humble opinion, this is the worst from the master. For a long part of the innings, he scratched and edged. Karthik got a life early in the innings.

The fielding was shoddy to say the least. A number of sitters were dropped.

DEBATABLE DECISIONS

The Indian team management decided to open the innings in the test matches with the help of a makeshift opener, Dinesh Kaartick. This meant no place in the team for both V.V.S.Laxman and Yuvraj Singh.

It is to be remembered that Kaartick is also a wicketkeeper and the team has the regular keeper M.S.Dhoni in the playing eleven. So the decision is strange.

Dhoni does not inspire much confidence with the keeping gloves. He is awkward as far as the collections to the spinners are concerned. Probably, Dhoni took to keeping as an afterthought. He is not a natural when it comes to wicketkeeping. Ugly is the word that comes to mind when describing the wicketkeeping of Dhoni. In this context, it is unwise to have two keepers in the playing eleven when proven batsmen are sitting in the dressing room.

In the past, there were few instances when two wicketkeepers, Kiran More and Chandrakant Pandit were in eleven. But then the situation was different with players down with illness and injury. But Laxman and Yuvraj are fit and healthy.

If the management is committed to find an opener, Gambhir might have been a better choice. Kaartick is, at best, an ad-hoc opener.

Is the fact that Bangladesh is the opponent that such decisions are made or are they the indicators of the things to come?

TEST MATCHES ARE NOT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST

When Nimbus won the rights to telecast cricket matches and predictably the state broadcaster Doordarshan refused to pay for the feed, there was a lot of heat. Public was disappointed for they were deprived of the action.

The Government also stepped into the picture with the Minister coming up with a bill to check the anti-people actions of private broadcasters. This led Nimbus to share the feed with Doordarshan.

Now the test matches in Bangladesh are shown only by Nimbus on its channel New Sports. The one dayers were also shown on Doordarshan. But there is no controversy now.

Is there no public interest involved when test matches are concerned?

Is the public showing its disappointment after the failure of India in the world cup?

AC MILAN WINS

In the much-anticipated finals of the UEFA Champions League, AC Milan beat Liverpool in Athens. Liverpool were the winners in 2005 when the Italians squandered a 3-0 lead from the first half to go down on penalities.

This time Kaka could not score a goal and Steven Gerrard could not inspire his teammates to repeat the magic of Istanbul.

Questions are always going to be asked for AC Milan were allowed to take part in this year’s competition since they were involved in the match-fixing scandal of last season.
It helps that the owner of the club happens to be one of the richest and powerful men in Italy.

Liverpool is not one of the glamour clubs of Europe or for that matter in England either. But the arrival of Rafael Benitez has in a way taken the club to its glorious days of the past. The club seems to be content in playing second fiddle to the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea when it comes to success in the English Premier League. They have just done enough in the EPL to stay in contention for the next season as far as the Champions League is concerned.

Carlo Ancelloti has done it as a Coach and also as a player. Let us not forget the presence of the ageless Paolo Maldini who became the oldest player to take part in the finals. He is reported to be in talks with his club over a new contract.

GREAT BENCHMARKS

It is billed as ‘The Revenge Series’. The Indian team won the one-day series by winning two matches of three. One match was washed out.

Dhoni who received a lot of flak after the failure in the World Cup came good in the first match and he won the Man of the Series award. Gautam Gambhir scored a ton in the series to justify his selection in place of Sehwag. The bowlers too, took wickets.

The first test match ended in a draw with almost three days of play lost due to rain. Sachin and Saurav scored 100s to add to their career tally. Hard as they tried, the Indians could not enforce the follow-on and let the home team escape from the jail.

Predictably, the media has gone to town about the revival of the team. It is quite a revival with the success coming against a team whose status was, till recently, not up to the international level!

In the recently concluded Sultan Azlan Shah hockey tournament, India secured the third position. The hockey team also witnessed changes both at the level of the coach and the players. It was indeed an achievement that the Indian team could reach the last four of an international tournament after a while. Pleased with this success, the ruling body of hockey in the country announced a cash reward of Rs.50,000 each to the players. Suddenly, Indian hockey is in a revival mode, despite the Union Sports Ministry removing the sport from the priority list.

There are some interesting parallels that I wish to draw from the world of politics. The BJP put up a dismal show in the state of Uttar Pradesh. But the leaders of the party are confident of doing well in the general elections of 2009. It appears, that they are afraid of the anti-incumbency factor. Similar is the case with the political party of India-the Congress. The top leadership of this party also wants us to wait till 2009. Interestingly, both the national parties talked a lot about their revival before and during the elections.

Looks like the entire country is in a revival mode. The new benchmarks are really great!

GREAT TIMING

With the French Open coming up, things were not looking good for Roger Federer. The top ranked player lost to clay court specialists and questions were asked. The Spaniard, Raphael Nadal, was on the other hand, adding to his long winning streak on clay. Things could not get worse with Federer parting ways with his long time coach, Tony Roche. Suddenly, the prospect of a Grand slam appeared to be impossibility.

In the first set in the finals of the Hamburg Masters, it was Nadal all the way. Another clay court title was, it seemed, going his way. But from the second set, it was Federer who put up a superb display. The third set was won without dropping a game.

This augurs well for the French Open and fans are hoping for a Federer triumph. That would be a tough ask given the challenges posed by Nadal and others who favour the red clay of Paris.

The Grand slam chase is not over, at least for this season.

LACK OF A SPORTING CULTURE

India lost to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the world cup. This loss prevented the team advancing to the Super 8s, despite the thumping win over Bermuda.

New Delhi lost out to the South Korean city of Incheon to host Asian Games, despite the best efforts of the likes of Suresh Kalmadi.

FIFA head Sepp Blatter visited India in the company of the Chief of Asian Football Confederation. Blatter made a visit to the big clubs of Calcutta and their facilities. After the visit, Blatter remarked that the clubs could not make much improvement to their original facilities of more than 100 years. The Chief of AFC warned that Indian football does not have the quality to compete with the best teams even after 100 years.

Predictably, the defeat of India and the failure to host the Asian Games resulted in a lot of heat and buck passing. The blame game has not ended and the wheels are in a sort of a perpetual motion.

These three events should not be looked or dealt in isolation. They are the symptoms of a malady. It is well known that politicians or at least wannabe politicians today are after sports bodies. The only thing that they know and take care is themselves. Often the trade-off is the well being of the sportspersons and the sport itself.

The Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs is often headed by people who are very old or have the least inclination to show any interest in sports and games except for the game of verbal volleys of the worst kind.

However, the poor showing of the country in the sphere of international sporting arena has to do a lot with the sporting culture of the lack of it. As a nation, sporting pursuits are not given any priority. We have educational institutions where there are no playgrounds. Parents abhor the idea that their wards take part in sports and games. The idea of getting dirty and taking bruises is something that is loathed upon in a big way.

There are no instances where watching sporting events in the stadia is a family affair. The only exception is that the family gets together is to watch soap operas of the worst kind.

Awards instituted by the Government to honour sportspersons are even named after mythical superheroes.

So, let us not regard a sporting failure as a national disgrace. After all, we are firm believers in the idea that participation is more important that winning.

AUSTRALIA IS THE FAVOURITE

The first of the Super8 matches of the World Cup kicks off today at Antigua with the home team facing Australia.

It is a tough call for the home team to face the world champions but the Windies have in the recent past emerged winners. The Aussies were expected to face a stern test in the match against South Africa. The Aussie big guns fired in the batting department to put up a big score. The Proteas were in the game until the midway and then fell behind the asking rate. With that display, Ponting and company have managed to shut the mouths of those who predicted their decline following the losses in Australia and New Zealand.

Brian Lara has to be at his best to inspire his colleagues and also to thwart off the Aussies. Gayle has not given the starts so far in this tournament. It is time that the likes of Gayle, Sarwan and Bravo to prove their worth.

In the bowling side of the match, it is the Aussies who look the stronger team. It was Brad Hogg who took the key wicket of Gibbs to keep the South Africans down. The Windies have to take the threat of Hogg rather seriously.

Speaking of Antigua, the match is not played on the Antigua Recreation Ground at St. Johns where Brian Lara posted two world record scores in test cricket. The match venue is the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium at St.Peters, Antigua.

The name should inspire the two teams to put in a memorable display.

FROM VIRTUAL TO REALITY

Till last night, the Indian team was ‘virtually out’ of the World Cup. But with Bangladesh triumphing over Bermuda, India is truly out. That is what the television experts want us to believe.

Bermuda was never going to upset Bangladesh. The most optimistic of the fans of Indian cricket was confident of Bangladesh going through to the round of ‘Super8’.

The match itself was interrupted several times by rain and in the end it was a 21 over a side game. Each time the covers were removed and the match restarted, Bermuda lost wickets. It was only in the last 5 overs that some big shots were played and the score was pushed up to 94.

Bangladesh lost 3 wickets in the process. But they had the nerves to stay calm and finish the game with a lot of balls to spare. Ashraful who had been overshadowed so far by younger players stayed till the end.

I expected to see Dwayne Leverock come up with a catch similar to the one taken against India. But there was no such luck.

WAS IT AN ABERRATION?

The Indian team christened as ‘Team India’ and ‘Men in Blue’ put up an unforgettable display in the West Indies to be knocked out of the tournament in the first round. The defeat has the media and the cricket loving public in anger. This defeat has once again raised the question of the ability of the Indian team to win the world cup.

Every team since 1983 has been regarded as the best ever and is promptly put in the reckoning for the top prize in the cricket world. But there has only been disappointment for the genuine cricket fan. The only time since 1983 that has played as a unit was in 2003 when it lost to Australia in the finals.

The poor showing of the team has brought one question to my mind. Was the win in 1983 an aberration, a fluke? This question brings anger to the cricket followers in the country. Mind you, I also consider myself to be a fan who doesn’t believe in effigy burning or demolishing half constructed buildings.

The win in 1983 was the only time that the Indian team played with purpose, with honesty and with a belief. The core of the same team went on to win the World Championship of Cricket in Australia in 1985. Those wins ought to have made better players and teams. But instead, the teams have become something of a joke.

The win in 1983 created demigods out of cricket players. The cricket player became a marketing tool.

The win in 1983 made cricket administration a much sought after occupation. No wonder even at the grassroots level, the game is run by people who know very little about the game or the needs of the players.

The win in 1983 and the subsequent advent of the satellite television channels has resulted in a frenzy that is at best irrational.

So despite being knowledgeable enough to say that the team of 1983 won the top prize due to simple cricketing fundamentals, I cannot but feel that the win was more of an aberration on account of the dismal shows put by the Indian team.

QUO VADIS?

Cricket players of yesteryears have never had it so good with so many 24 hours news channels wanting to cash in on the opportunity provided by the world cup. Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. But there is a limit to the non-stop nonsense.

NDTV has engaged the services of Navjot Sidhu and Ajay Jadeja. The MP from Punjab is an acknowledged master of the gibberish. He did not mince any words following the shock defeat of the Indians in the match against Bangladesh. Sidhu, if one remembers correctly, had run away from the tour of England in 1996. So he is not at all qualified to pass judgments on the commitment of the present day players, despite his cricketing achievements. Such comments got Sidhu the boot from EspnStar during the world cup of 2003.

It was surreal to watch and hear Jadeja talk of match fixing and the role of the betting syndicates in major cricket events following the murder of Bob Woolmer. Jadeja himself was caught in the betting and match fixing scandal that brought an end to his international cricket career.

But the cake goes to CNN-IBN which prides itself on the ‘whatever it takes’ attitude. It provided a phone number to the viewers for asking their queries on the murder of Woolmer to Waqar Younis. Waqar was a terrific bowler. Then what makes him qualified to solve the murder mystery is itself a great mystery.

The channels raised the hype to such levels that everyone started to believe in the cup winning ability of the Indian team. Then one defeat changed everything. The tragic death of Woolmer saw the channels expressing concerns over the effects of stress on the modern cricket players, particularly those from the sub-continent. They cautioned the fans to reduce the pressure of expectations on the players.

The channels ought to display some responsibility and maturity.

TOO MUCH DEFENSIVE

Watching Sri Lanka give a trashing to Bangladesh, only one thing crossed my mind. The Indian team as a whole, barring Yuvraj Singh appeared too much defensive in the match against Bangladesh. Even Ganguly, who top scored for India played too many dot balls.

Jayasuriya and company took the Bangladesh bowlers to the cleaners and the left arm spinners who were treated with utmost caution by even Sachin were taken apart in a clinical display. Suddenly the team that supposedly came of age with the win over India was shown its true stature in the world cricketing hierarchy.

The Indian bowlers appeared clueless when the Bangladesh bowlers played their shots. The same batsmen could not handle the bowling firepower of the Lankans. Zaheer Khan was put over the fence by a batsman who used his feet.

The decision of Dravid to bat first after winning the toss has been considered the reason behind the defeat in the first match. That was the only decision that was not defensive. Dravid followed the footsteps of the Aussie captains who don’t mind batting first even on the pitches that offer help to bowlers. But the rest of the action on the day was defensive to say the least.

It is now going to be very tough for the Indians to beat the islanders and advance to the second stage of the tournament. The Lankan display last night is sure to add to the pressure faced by the Indian team.

A LONG WAY TO GO

The loss to Bangladesh sparked off a lot of anger on the streets and the television channels. The win over lowly ranked Bermuda seems to have erased all the bad feelings. That is the extreme reaction of the typical Indian fan.

Now the real battle is to be won with the match against Sri Lanka. The islanders have been beaten on Indian soil in recent times but this high-pressure encounter may mar the chances of India. Even if the Indians manage a win, there is no certainty of a place in the Super 8 with a lot of calculations to find the net run rate.

Things may get more complicated if the encounter is washed out. Then Bangladesh and Sri Lanka advance to the next round.

CHANGE OF APPAREL

Some the members of the Indian team bound for the world cup in West Indies showed off the new apparel designed by the official sponsor Nike. The new apparel is claimed to be lighter than the previous one. It is supposed to provide better cooling in the warm climes of the Caribbean.

All the news channels and newspapers came up with these facts. One channel went on the air saying that the world cup winning squad of 1983 was dressed in all whites. The reason was no team played cricket wearing coloured clothes at least as far as the world cup was concerned. It was only in Australia that coloured clothing was the norm as far as the one dayers were concerned.

For years my brothers and me have been unable to understand why the colour of the Indian team is rather bland compared to the clothing of other teams like Australia. I am not speaking about the blue colour but the light shade of the colour. The new apparel is dull to say the least. The previous one was more appealing.

Will the change of apparel and the new fabric bring any luck to the team?

INCREDIBLE

New Zealand has done it three times in a row. First the Australians were handed out their first ever 10 wicket loss in limited overs cricket and then scores of over 300 were chased down successfully twice with a day separating the two.

The victory of South Africa while chasing over 400 was stupendous and the victories for New Zealand are simply incredible. In all the cases, the much vaunted bowling and fielding of the Aussie team were left lacking at crucial occasions.

It can be argued that the Aussies were handicapped by the absence of key players.

It can be argued in the lines of Adam Gilchrist that the Aussies needed rest after the Ashes.

It can also be argued that the losses do not make the Aussies any less threatening in the word cup.

For the time being let us enjoy the fact that the Kiwi has managed to fly.

THE AUSSIES ARE BEATABLE

It always takes a special effort to beat the Aussies, be it in the test matches or in the one-dayers. The loss in the finals of the Commonwealth Bank tri-series and then the two losses in the Chappell-Hadlee trophy to the underdogs is something straight out of the imagination of fiction writers of some repute.

The losses to England were nothing short of an upset, while the Kiwis are always strong on their home turf and have in the past, shown commitment of the highest class when facing their trans-Tasman rivals.

The losses to New Zealand were suffered when some of the key players in the Aussie one-day machine are either rested or injured. However, the record books are never going to show this fact. There is something that is to be realized by other teams around the world. Australia is beatable and the reputation of the team should not be a factor for the opponents. The Indian team has to learn this lesson for the mere thought of facing the Aussies unsettles even the best.

Even the best captain can be made to look like a novice. Ricky Ponting appeared out of his wits when Gibbs, Smith and Boucher overhauled a score of over 400. Hussey too, appeared clueless when the likes of Taylor, Fulton and Macmillan took on the might of the Aussie bowlers.

There is another thing that emerges out of the victories for the Kiwis. The team led by Stephen Fleming could not reach the finals of the tri-series in Australia. Yet, on home grounds, they managed to upstage their more famous rivals. Home advantage always counts and teams should not be ashamed to count on this factor.

The Indian media has managed to raise the visions of an Indian win in the World Cup. The win over Sri Lanka and the losses suffered by the Aussies have given strength to this fallacious theory. The Aussies cannot be taken lightly and the Indians have a long way to go.

MATCH FIXING, AGAIN?

The matter of match fixing has reared its ugly head once again with the Nagpur police making allegations that Marlon Samuels of the West Indies had a number of telephone conversations with a bookie Mukesh Kochchar before the match against India. It is alleged that the player concerned had a lot to talk about the strategy adopted by his team. For the record, India won the match and Samuels lost his wicket to a rash shot when he looked settled.

I don’t quite agree with the contention that the player in question was attracted to big bucks since cricket is not as remunerative in the West Indies as in case of other countries. If that is the case, what would explain the involvement of a player like Azharuddin who made a lot of money from cricket. Corruption is rampant at the highest levels of official machinery where the pay packets are quite big. Teachers of colleges and universities indulge in practices like private tuitions even when they are well paid. It is not a question of how much one is getting, but how much one is likely to receive.

Predictably, the Indian cricket officials have come up with the assertion that Indian players are clean. I am not saying that they are involved, but it would be foolish to deny altogether. Let us not forget that people like Ali Bacher first denied vehemently when the Indian police alleged that Hansie Cronje was involved in match fixing.

HAIR RAISING INDEED

The Australian umpire at the heart of the controversy involving Pakistan and England when a test match was called off after the Pakistan team refused to take to the field following ball-tampering allegations, Darrell Hair has dropped a bombshell.

Mr.Hair was dropped from the panel of Elite umpires after the Pakistan team was exonerated of the ball-tampering charges. His partner Billy Doctrove from the West Indies, however, was not found guilty of ‘bringing the game into disrepute’. This is what has prompted Mr.Hair to sue the ICC and the Pakistan Cricket Board on the grounds of ‘racial discrimination’.

If the demand for half a million dollars from Mr.Hair in the event of losing his job was obnoxious, this latest legal action is even more disgusting.

At the heart of the problem is the way the ICC handled the whole issue in the first place. Some action should have been taken against Mr.Doctrove also.

Looks like Darrell Hair has chosen the path taken by Shilpa Shetty on her way to glory.

WHOSE PRIORITIES?

Even as one talks about the market forces hitting India, the Licence-Permit Raj days are not over in the true sense of the term. Nimbus a private agency got the rights to broadcast cricket in India after being the highest bidder. It outbid even the likes of EspnStar and Zee Sports. The state controlled broadcaster, Prasar Bharati was not even a bidder, if my memory serves me right. Nimbus started a television channel Neo Sports to telecast, among other things, cricket.

But things did not go smoothly as soon as India took on the West Indies. People were angry since not many could watch the first two matches live as if our lives depended on cricket. Make no mistake; I am a big follower of the wonderful game. But this is ludicrous.

Not to be cowed down by the market dynamics, the Information and Broadcasting Minister went on the airwaves threatening action to make Nimbus see reason. Matters went to the judiciary and Doordarshan (the state television) was allowed to telecast the match after a delay of 7 minutes. We watched ‘live’ scores on news channels and the ‘deferred live’ on Doordarshan.

Soon after the series was over, the Union Cabinet met and the wise people came out with an Ordinance. This Ordinance would become a law once the Parliament is in session. With this, it is now imperative for private broadcasters to share the live feeds of ‘important’ sporting events in ‘public interest’.

Luckily, or unluckily, the Minister made no efforts to make Channel 4 telecast the show ‘Big Brother’ for many Indians felt offended (incorrectly) over the so-called ‘racist’ remarks against an Indian actress.

Thankfully, the Minister did not feel the need to put this new piece of Legislation in the 9th Schedule of the Indian Constitution. That would have a whole new meaning to the concept of the ‘welfare state’.

So the lessons have to be learnt and quickly. No private broadcaster should ever bid for the rights to telecast cricket in India. If at all, the rights are secured after payments of millions, free feeds have to be given to Doordarshan.

In the Mahabharata, Dhritarashtra wanted to know the details of the epic war fought out between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. The problem was the king was blind. This made his aide Sanjaya narrate the war ‘live’ using Doordarshan. The Information and Broadcasting Minister wants Indians to be glued to the television watching cricket. The reason- we all are blind and oblivious to every other thing that takes place.

COOL SWISS VS. RED HOT CHILE

The men’s final of the Australian Open 2007 features Roger Federer and Fernando Gonzalez. The two men reached the finals after annihilating their opponents. Federer did not look that convincing until the semifinals. Andy Roddick beat the Swiss World number 1 in the event preceding the first Grand Slam of the year. This made the American a real contender for the top prize. He also looked the part until he ran into the ‘Federer Express’.

I also believe that Federer keeps the best for the top players but even by his lofty standards the semifinals was simply awesome. Roddick was handed out a tennis master class. Federer won 10 games in a row and in the process, took a set to love. Some of the shots were out of the world. He defied all principles of physics and geometry and made the ball obey his racquet. One shot in the first set took the beating. Federer was on the move and Roddick made a shot that looked like a winner but the champion took the ball on the half volley and took the breath away. In each of the three sets, Roddick was broken in the first game.

Federer looked supremely confident of his abilities and his instincts. He challenged the rulings and every time Federer was proved correct.

The other finalist is the Chilean, Gonzalez who pulverized the German, Tommy Haas. The Chilean also looked awesome in the previous rounds when he disposed off the likes of Rafael Nadal.

It remains to be seen whether the cool Swiss overcomes the Chilean or the red hot Chile melts away the ice.

NOT A STRAIGHT DRIVE, COLONEL

After his playing days were over, Dilip Vengsarkar wrote a weekly column in The Hindu called ‘The Straight Drive’. As the Chairman of the selection panel, his moves are not as straight as some of his drives during his playing days.

The decision to make Sachin the vice-captain for the one-day series against the West Indies defies all logic. Vengsarkar and company has justified the decision on the ground that the vice-captain ought to be experienced. Since Sachin is more experienced than Dravid, the speculation is rife that the Mumbai batsman is likely to be made captain for a third time.

This time it is not a straight drive, it is a cross batted heave that seldom pays dividend to the batsman.

MORE ON GIBBS

The reaction of the father of Herschelle Gibbs after the South African batsman was banned from two matches after making ‘racial comments’ on the Pakistanis is in poor taste. Gibbs senior attacked the ICC for its knee-jerk response. The ICC is itself to be blamed for these kind of reactions, for it hardly covered itself in glory during the dark days of the match fixing episode.

One thing that has come out of the outburst of Gibbs senior is the fact that Pakistan has allowed two of its players to go to South Africa even after being found guilty of consuming performance enhancing substances. The ICC has a lot to answer.

A GOOD CALL

The ICC match referee Chris Broad rightly handed out a two-test suspension to Herschelle Gibbs of South Africa. The South African player was heard making some remarks on the Pakistani players that were deemed ‘racial’. The ICC in its Code of Conduct makes it clear that:

“Players and/or team officials shall not verbally abuse, assault, intimidate or attempt to assault or intimidate any umpire, spectator, referee, player or team official. Nor shall any player or team official engage in any conduct towards or speak to any other player, umpire, spectator, referee or team official in a manner which offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, disparages or vilifies the other person on the basis of that person’s race, religion, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin”.

Gibbs has decided to appeal on the grounds that the remarks were not meant for public consumption but only for his teammates. Further, he was provoked by a section of the crowd into making such a statement.

The cake in this whole issue should go to the coach of the South African team who believes that the stump microphones are the reason for Gibbs getting caught.

A STEP IN THE BACKWARD DIRECTION

The Indian selectors took a real step backward by naming Sachin Tendulkar as the Vice-captain for the forthcoming series against the Windies. Sehwag was stripped of the post midway through the tour of South Africa and Laxman was elevated to the post. Now, with both Sehwag and Laxman out of favour, the selectors had to find someone to deputise for Dravid.

A two time former captain is being asked to be the Vice-captain and that begs the question over the so-called forward-looking policy of M/s. Chappell and company. It is even more surprising that Sachin actually took up the job.

Is this a way of giving more role to Sachin in the decision making process?

Is this a way of making Sachin take up greater responsibility in the larger interests of the team?

Whatever the reason, it is something that only Indian cricket can be proud of.

COMMONWEALTH BANK TRISERIES

FOR SECOND PLACE

As expected, Australia won the first two matches of the Commonwealth Bank tri-series. The wins over England and New Zealand were comfortable.

The third match features New Zealand and England. England has lost Kevin Pietersen to injury. It is a pity since Pietersen looked the best English batsman on tour. The return of Michael Vaughn after a long injury layoff has certainly freed Flintoff from the burden of captaincy. But Vaughn does not have the one day record that some of his top order contemporaries of other teams boast of.

New Zealand has done reasonably well with the limited resources. But the injuries to the likes of Oram and Styris have weakened the team. The failure of Astle to fire at the top has surely tested the Kiwis in recent times.

The match will go a long way in deciding the second placed team in the tournament.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2007

LOOKING AHEAD

The first tennis Grand Slam of the year kicks off on Monday in Melbourne. The win of Andy Roddick over Roger Federer in the warm-up event makes the American a genuine contender for the top prize. The win may only be an aberration but Federer is still beatable. Of course, champions have the knack of shifting gears on the big occasion.

Nadal can match anyone stroke for stroke and step for step. But outside of the clay courts of Paris, the Spaniard has not done too well in the big events. Safin can on his day upset even the best. But the Russian has done precious little ever since he won the Open a few years ago. The home favourite, Lleyton Hewitt is always a serious challenger.

In the ladies part of the event, Sharapova and Mauresmo look the best bets with the withdrawal of Henin-Hardenne.

For the Indian fans, the ‘Indian-Express’ still continues to be the fascination. Although Paes and Bhupathi play with different partners, their progress will be keenly watched. Sania has played well in the recent days, suggesting some improvement in her form.

THE USUAL STUFF

The selection of the team to face the West Indies in the first of the four one-day matches at home, is hardly surprising, except for the recall of Suresh Raina and the dumping of Laxman. Raina proved to be a failure for a large part of his international exposure and a few good outings in the Ranji trophy earned his recall. At the same time, the selectors could afford to omit Laxman after giving him very little opportunity in the shorter version of the game.

The dropping of Sehwag was on expected lines and so was the recall of Saurav Ganguly. It is a pity that the man who could play the most attacking game, is on the sidelines.

Vengsarkar and company have hardly earned any brownie points on the way things were handled in the tour of South Africa. Munaf played the third test even when there were doubts over his fitness. The worst part was the decision of the team management to let Sehwag partner Jaffer in the third test. All these happened when the Chairman of Selectors was with the team.

Truly, Indian cricket doesn’t cease to throw up surprises.

A CASE OF SOUR GRAPES?

Orissa managed to beat Assam and qualified for the Elite group of the Ranji trophy after a gap of four years. A match which was supposed to end in a draw ended as a win for the host. Assam secured a slender lead of 2 runs in the first innings and that seemingly ended the hopes of Orissa. However, the likes of Debashish Mohanty had other ideas.

For a state starved of any sporting success, this result is a positive. But not yet, as the Assam Cricket Association has launched an official protest. The team from the Northeast alleges that the pitch at the Barabati stadium in Cuttack was tampered to benefit the home team.

Is this allegation a case of sour grapes?

Would any team stoop so low?
Why shouldn’t the victory be attributed to better adaptability to home conditions?

IS THIS NOT INDIAN CRICKET?

First it was the startling decision to send Irfan back home from South Africa that raised the hackles. Then came the news that the selectors were keen to send Ishant Sharma, the Delhi bowler to South Africa as a replacement for Irfan. The news channels provided all the information about Ishant and even carried interviews of coaches and players.

But by the afternoon, things settled down and the Board came up with the clarification. It was decided not to send Ishant to South Africa after all.

In one day, a player nearly made it to the Indian team and in the end, did not. This is Indian cricket. Who writes these kind of scripts that can put the best to rest?

'ROY' COMES OF AGE?

For someone who got a chance to be back in the test squad only due to retirement of Damien Martyn, it was a last chance at a test glory for Andrew Symonds. He could do little in previous test outings. So despite his fielding skills, Symonds could not command a place in the test team.

The early dismissals of the likes of Ponting, Clarke and Hussey must have filled the English hearts with joy. The credentials of Symonds, the test player were in question and there was sufficient pressure. The setting was similar to the 2003 World Cup encounter between Pakistan and Australia. That day, Wasim Akram and company put the world champions under pressure by taking 4 wickets for few runs on the board. Then Symonds took charge with a hundred. Today at the MCG, the situation was similar and the response from Symonds was also similar.

This knock not only would help the Aussie cause in this test but would also hopefully secure a permanent place for Symonds in the team. That would not too bad for someone who in the last tour to England was ‘disciplined’ by the team management and his contract was in doubt.

SS DAS

Anyone remember Shiv Sundar Das? He used to open the innings for India in test matches. He was promising. The ‘critics’ harped on the soundness of his technique. But something went wrong and Das lost his place in the Indian team. The opener could not make runs even at the domestic level for his team Orissa. He was even stripped of Captaincy.

But in the ongoing Ranji match at Cuttack against Jammu and Kashmir, Das scored a triple century. This is the first time that a batsman from Orissa has achieved the distinction of scoring a triple ton in first class cricket.

Since cricket is a team game and also due to the fact that Orissa is one of the weaker sides, the efforts of players like Das don’t get the attention that a player from the more fancied sides gets.

It is unlikely that this effort can force the Indian selectors and the think tank to consider Das for future encounters. Even Das also might have this thing in mind. In that context, the triple hundred is all the more worthwhile.

A RECORD FOR STRAUSS

After Shane Warne announced his retirement from international cricket, a cartoon appeared in The Hindu. It showed a batsman running happily back to the pavilion after being dismissed. The batsman is happy to become the 700th wicket of Warne.

In the test match at the MCG, it was Andrew Strauss who became the 700th wicket. Unlike in the cartoon, Strauss showed little joy. But unwittingly, he also went into the record books along with Shane Warne. Indian cricket fans belonging to my generation remember till today the bowler off whom Sunil Gavaskar scored his 10000th test run. By the way, the bowler was Ijaz Fakih of Pakistan. Strauss has joined the club of players who have contributed to great cricketing records over the ages. The feat of Garry Sobers hitting 6s off successive balls in an over will always be remembered alongside the name of the hapless bowler, Malcom Nash. So is the case with Tilak Raj who was bowler when Ravi Shastri emulated the efforts of Sobers. So Strauss should not feel unhappy. He is great company.

Batsmen are not happy to give their wickets away and Strauss is no exception. Till that point, Strauss was playing without any discomfort. His dismissal led to a procession of English batsmen back to the pavilion.

A FAIRY TALE

Days after announcing his retirement from international cricket, Shane Warne could not have chosen a perfect place for his 700th wicket. It was achieved on his homeground-the MCG. Incidentally, this is the 100th time that a test match is being played on this famous ground. His achievement overshadowed for once the capitulation of England, not for the first time on this tour, though. The 700th wicket successfully managed to relegate another 5-wicket haul from the champion leg spinner into the background.

The Aussies were eager to see Warne play for the last time at the MCG and were all expecting their team and the most liked Melbournian (at least for some time now) to create history. The homecrowd was not disappointed with Warne getting his due and the visitors bowled out for a paltry score.

The whitewash, the first time since 1921(correct me if my facts are wrong) is a strong possibility. England is well and truly beaten.

WHAT A STORY!

RAVI SHASTRI, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE,

WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE,

WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE,

WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE,

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WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE,

WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE,

WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE,

WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE,

WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE,

WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE,

WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE,

WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE,

WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE,

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WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE,

WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE,

WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE,

WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE,

WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE,

WARNE, WARNE, WARNE, WARNE,WARNE, ANDREW STRAUSS

That is a whole lot of wickets.

RADICAL INDEED!

Irfan Pathan is sent back home to enable him play the Ranji Trophy matches for the purpose of regaining his bowling form and confidence. This is, surely, a radical part of the process started by Greg Chappell. It is true that Pathan was not able to bowl so far on the tour to South Africa. But was this step warranted?

It may be the first time that a player has been sent home for poor form. There were instances in the past when players returned midway from tours due to injuries or ill health or even ‘stress’ related issues. We also had the case of Sidhu who returned from India from a tour to England for undisclosed reasons. But the Pathan episode is different.

From a player who once was regarded as the successor of Kapil Dev, this is a mighty fall.

BOXING DAY TEST

The Boxing Day has nothing to do with boxing. It is about getting gifts or boxes with gifts in them. In terms of boxing, the Indians have to land the knockout punch at Kingsmead in Durban to shut the Proteas out of the series.

The tourists have to be alert in warding off the threat from the home team. The South Africans are not in the same league as Australia when it comes to resilience, but this test can separate the winners from the pretenders. A win for India settles the series, while a win for the home team could make the third test interesting.

Ganguly and Laxman batted with a lot of purpose in the first test; they have to perform well in the second test. Sachin and Dravid have to post big scores to take the match beyond the reach of South Africa. Sehwag and Jaffer have to provide a good start while Dhoni has a lot to prove.

In the bowling department, Sreesanth, Zaheer and Kumble bowled superbly in the win in the first test. Looks like Munaf is going to be included at the expense of V.R.V.Singh. But Munaf does not have the pace to worry the batsmen.

A win would be a lovely gift.

THE REDS ARE COMING

The Indian economy is facing the onslaught of the Chinese manufacturing juggernaut. There is another Chinese threat that cannot be taken lightly. In the recently concluded Asian Games in the Qatari city of Doha, no team from the subcontinent managed to reach the finals of the hockey tournament for men.

The eclipse of India followed by the decline of Pakistan was marked by the ascent of other teams from Europe and Australia. Then towards the 1990s, South Korea became a serious contender at least in the Asian scene. Now, China has taken a ‘long march’ towards displacing the traditional superpowers of Asian hockey. All the while people like K.P.S.Gill were busy finding excuses and scapegoats for the sad story of Indian hockey.

The progression of China is something that shows the attitude of the people towards sports and games. Indians should never feel let down by the lack of success in the sporting arena. It is not in our genes to excel in sporting activities. We don’t have many role models in this respect. The lack of sporting culture is reflected in the fact that the top sporting recognitions in our country are named after mythological heroes like Arjuna and Dronacharya.

WHAT A MESS!

Indian athletics is in a mess. The controversy over the alleged doping offence of Seema Antil had barely died that the Santhi Soundarjan affair has put the sports officials in the dock. If the athlete was found to be in contravention to the rules, why was he/she sent to Doha?

A news channel first broke the story with the catchy headline that screamed how ‘a man won a medal in the women’s’ section’. The officials were quick to pass the buck around and pleaded their ignorance, as is their wont. Revelations came out that the athlete was considered ‘unfit’ for jobs meant for women. With all the evidence, it is a shame that the athlete in question was allowed to participate in the meet.

The felicitation of the Tamil Nadu government was something that appeared to be ludicrous, even by the Indian standards of governance. The state government went ahead with the presentation even after the scandal broke out. This is the worst attempt at populism even by the lofty standards of Dravidian governments.

INDIA IN SOUTH AFRICA

“INDIA HAVE TO KEEP THE HAMMER DOWN”

This the view expressed by former South African fast bowler, Allan Donald. The aggression from the bowlers, especially, Sreesanth paid off and now it is time for the others-the big guns-Sachin, Sehwag and Dravid to fire to strangle the Proteas. It is the never-say-die attitude that has served the Aussies for so long and the Indians can take a leaf out their book.

The success at Jo’burg was nothing short of a miracle. A draw was also not expected considering the lackluster display in the shorter version of the game.

Sreesanth was a revelation. He may not have the pace of a genuine fast bowler. He is aggressive and that intent was refreshing. The six off Andre Nel and the subsequent dance movements made a statement.

The veterans who were seemingly past their use-by date, Sourav, Laxman, Kumble and Zaheer all had their contributions to the victory.

The victory was not based on the efforts of an individual. The whole team added to the to final outcome.

After a long time, the sum parts of the Indian team have become the whole.

ASHES UPDATE

WHAT A LOSS!

There are few instances in the history of test cricket that a team lost after putting up over 500 runs in the board and still end up the loser. The Ashes win by England in 2005 was not a fluke. It was the result of some great cricket played by a bunch of determined cricketers from England. But the loss in the second test made that victory look like a fluke.

The moment Giles grassed the chance offered by Ponting, the match and with it the entire series slipped out of English hands. Ponting has been scoring runs by the hundreds and he made the most of the let-off. Michael Clarke came good with a ton after a long time. Hussey only added to his growing reputation. It is really baffling that the Aussie selectors ignored a player of such class and caliber in the last Ashes. Gilchrist contributed with a knock of substance after a while.

Collingwood and Pietersen rendered the Aussie big guns like Warne and McGrath ineffective. Hoggard was the lone English bowler to cause difficulties to the home batsmen while Flintoff bowled well in patches. The burden of captaincy is having the effect on the free-flowing brand of cricket played by the Lancastrian. Flintoff was one of the architects of the last series between the two teams.

In the second innings, the English batsmen were on a mission to lose their wickets and the match. Warne bowled as only as he can and picked up four wickets. The wicket of Pietersen gave fresh energy to Warne. The ball was similar to the ball bowled to Mike Gatting in terms of effect. Pitersen does have this habit of coming up with shots that border on overconfidence.

The Aussies scored the runs with Ponting and Hussey once again shared the spoils.

Duncan Fletcher erred in not picking up Monty Panesar. Giles mostly bowled a line that was once famously desribed by the Indian commentators as ‘negative’. Moreover, Giles did little to justify the supposedly superior batting talents.

The English have to salvage some pride in the remaining matches.

ANOTHER DOPING LET-OFF

Another doping case has been resolved on a ‘technical’ ground. Shoaib Akhtar and Asif Mohammad were let off with the enquiry tribunal not finding any intentional use of banned substances. The authorities were blamed for the players were not properly warned or advised about the WADA stipulations. Can the ignorance of the law be held as an excuse for breaking it?

In a curious coincidence, the President of Pakistan predicted that Pakistan would win the cricket World Cup in 2007. So is there anyway that the exoneration of the two bowlers came at the behest of instructions from the top? The ICC and the WADA can actually allow Pakistan to field drug tainted players on the back of the ‘war against terrorism’ argument.

Only a couple of days ago, Dick Pound expressed his unhappiness over the way in which Cricket Australia imposed a one-year ban on Shane Warne following a diuretic use during the World Cup of 2003. It seems Pakistan is ready with the justification for the let-off given to Shoaib and Asif.

Now what is Bob Woolmer going to do? It was widely reported that the drug tests were carried out in the first place at the insistence of the coach. Moreover, there were reports about a fight between Shoaib and Woolmer. In case, the PCB decides to include Shoaib in the team, things could take an interesting turn with the fast bowler not having cordial relations with the captain, Inzamam.

What is Imran Khan going to say? The former captain of Pakistan was all in favour of the firm action taken by the PCB. But with the bans revoked, what does Khan now have up his sleeve?

It is time that the whole anti-doping policy be revamped with most of the offenders escaping.

NOT A WHITEWASH

What if India lost the one day series 4-0?
There are some positives to come out of the series.

It was not a whitewash as some would like us to believe. A whitewash would have meant a 5-0 loss. But it is now only 4-0.The raingod save us from that ignominy.

No Indian batsman except Dhoni aggregated even 100 runs. But that is to be expected when the team is in the process of rebuilding and experimenting.

Sachin is still in fine touch as evident from the last match where he scored a half-century. But he was not even a shadow of his best in the other matches.


Sehwag looked burdened with the captaincy due to the injury to Dravid. The selectors realized this and gave the test match captaincy to Laxman.

Dinesh Karthick was suddenly elevated to the pantheons of Indian cricketing greats following the innings in the 20-20 match. His fielding was also top class.

Jaffer was the best equipped to cope with the bouncing and the seaming balls but he could not last long at the crease to demonstrate his talents and skills.

Irfan Pathan averaged better with the bat than with the ball. But he is still to get opportunities for we want him to be a Kapil Dev.

Harbhajan was expected to spin the Proteas out but he was hit out of the park. Of course, he still is a fine bowler in Indian conditions.

The selections of Saurav Ganguly for the test matches and the late inclusion of Laxman for the one-dayers were construed as something of signal to Chappell. But the experimentation continues.

To paraphrase the great Shelley, if winter is here, spring cannot be far behind.

OBSESSION WITH TECHNIQUES

When I was in +2, a teacher of mine was not happy with the way I held a pen. He believed that my writing speed was slow because of the particular grip I used. He even pointed out this to my father who was a colleague. This gave me a harrowing time for those two years and even now I am curious to look at the grip employed by others.

I believe rather strongly that each has his or her own way of holding a pen. There can also be a hereditary pattern out here. Ultimately, it is not the grip that decides the outcome, but it is the matter and the quality of the handwriting that are important.

Much in the same lines, I also have come to the conclusion that as Indians we are obsessed about techniques when playing cricket. Whenever a batsman is dismissed, the commentators-Indians come up with the reasons. Faulty technique is the readymade answer. The same kind of reasoning is employed when a bowler is hit for a boundary. What is hilarious is the fact that bowlers are able to find fault with the techniques of the batsmen and batsmen are able to do the same with the bowlers.

Former cricketers and coaches talk about the copybook or the textbook technique. What is the textbook or the coaching manual that is to be taken as the best? A different person based on his personal experiences has written each one. So how can a player of a different era can correlate with a present player and his needs?


Players are different in terms of physique and so use methods best suited to them. Players change the methods in the light of the conditions and the match situations. Here it is the adaptability and not the technique that is the key to the outcome.

The Indian team has not been lacking in technique but has been unable to adapt to the conditions abroad. Too much emphasis has been given to correct the technical flaws and even a player as successful as the great Sachin Tendulkar has been unable to decide on the balls that are to be left and those that are to be played.

THIRD ONE-DAYER

NO NEW RESULT FROM NEWLANDS

Where is Mr. Jaywant Lele now?

Well as Secretary of the BCCI, he once famously predicted a loss for India with a scoreline of 4-0 in the test matches in Australia. Of course, like a true public figure, Mr.Lele had the temerity to deny the quote. Whether it was true or not, the Indian team could not disprove it. With the display so far in the two matches, the scoreline will be 4-0 for the home team.

The team under Dravid has proved that the defeat or rather the trashing at Durban was no aberration by putting up a spineless display under the tabletop mountain.

The start of the match was nothing short of a dream with Zaheer Khan picking up both Graeme Smith and Kallis for nought. The home team lost 6 wickets with not even 100 runs on the board. Sachin let go a caught bowled chance offered by Kemp and from then the whole complexion of the match changed. I wonder what would have been the reaction if another bowler grassed the catch.Of course, that was not the sole reason for the dismal show.

Dravid is shown reading Bill Bryson’s ‘A Short History of Nearly Everything’ in an ad. But he looked completely lost when his bowlers fluffed their lines.. More than 100 runs were scored off the last 10 overs.

The batting effort was no less atrocious. The third man caught Sehwag brilliantly and Sachin went while playing a pull shot. It seems Kaif can do no right . What made the selectors go in for Dinesh Karthik in the first place. Karthik is a wicketkeeper and this begs the question. Is a wicketkeeper-batsman better qualified to play on the pacy wickets when there are specialist batsmen sitting on the bench?

The chief Selector, Dilip Vengsarkar justified the inclusion of Wasim Jaffer on the ground of his ‘superior technique’. Then what made the team management go in favour of Karthik ? What happened to Dinesh Mongia?

Dhoni struck the ball nicely for a 50 but that was not enough. The laboured effort of Dravid helped India go past 91.

Looks like the process and the experiments are finally showing results.

30 PLUS AND GOING STRONG

Before the start of the Ashes, a lot of doubts were expressed over the ability of the Aussies. The concern related to the age of a lot of the key players of the home team. McGrath and Warne are well past 35 and Damien Martyn, Langer and Hayden are also not young either. But McGrath and Warne have been the pick of the bowlers in the Brisbane test. Langer scored a 100 and Ponting who is also past 30 also scored in both the innings.

Age had caught up with the ability and reflexes of Brian Lara many years ago. But he is the best batsman of the West Indies in the first two test matches in Pakistan. His 34th ton belied the all the talk of the effects of ‘father time’.

In the 3rd one dayer at Capetown, Shaun Pollock first scored runs giving good company to Kemp and then took the wickets of batsmen a lot younger. True, the pace has surely gone but the batsmen could not handle him.

The only exception seems to be Sachin who looks completely out of sorts.

Is there anyway that Laxman and Ganguly could find a place in the team for they are also over 30 ?

BILLION BLUES

India lost yet another match to Australia and that is not a surprise. Not many genuine followers of the Indian cricket team expected a result in favour of the home team. Those who did were banking on a miracle that did not materialize. In desperation, many television channels had astrologers, numerologists and tarot card readers as guests. The numbers and the cards and the symbols ultimately did not make India win the match. The more devout were shown offering prayers that the Gods also did not heed.

At home my father wished well for the Indian team while I went for Australia. But my mother supported Australia since my younger brother is currently in the land down under.

But there was unanimity about the performance of a certain Sachin Tendulkar. He looked assured but the contribution was a mere 10 runs off 26 balls. Sachin was once again dismissed by the McGrath-Gilchrist combination. This is the 7th time that Sachin fell to McGrath. Gilchrist pouched a knick off the bat of Sachin for the 8th time. Believe me, that ended any hope of a real match. The statistics are telling.

Sachin has so far scored 7 centuries against Australia and India could win 6 matches. As far as the 50s are concerned, Sachin has scored 11 versus Australia and India has won 3 matches. When Sachin has been dismissed for a score of less than 50, India could win only 6 matches. It is really frustrating to see the great batsman failing again in a crucial encounter.

Sehwag and Dravid made half-centuries that are only statistically relevant. Raina and Kaif scratched at the wicket. Dinesh Mongia is simply not upto the international class. In the bowling department, not a single bowler looked like getting a wicket. But Australia managed to lose 4 wickets.

Ponting, Watson and Martyn made 50s and Martyn extended his good run on the Indian wickets. Ponting was given some batting practice and he came good. The score that the Aussies required to chase was not challenging enough and so there were not many shots that demanded attention. The run chase was as professional as one would expect from the Aussies.

After the match ended, a filmstar hollered the punchline of a softdrink in support of the Indian team. The poor show of the Indian team surely has given the ‘blues’ to the fans.

Does anyone really give a damn to cricket fans of this country? It is time for changes and they should start at the top right from the coach.

AN UNWANTED THRILLER

The Windies managed to snatch defeat but in the end they pipped India to the post. A match that was one-sided became a thriller thanks to the insipid batting from Runako Morton and some good bowling from the Indians.

The much vaunted batting line-up of India failed to make runs again. A good innings from Rahul Dravid came to an end with a run out going for a non-existent single. Sehwag lashed 3 boundaries before falling a victim once again to the incoming delivery. Sachin looked in fine touch until he dragged a pretty innocuous looking ball from Bradshaw onto the stumps. Irfan Pathan did not trouble the scorer. Yuvraj showed glimpses of his talent as well his failings in his short stay at the crease.

In the end, the total of India crept past 200 thanks to some good hitting from Dhoni and Harbhajan. Dhoni and Raina were guilty of playing a number of dot balls. At times, Dhoni looked awkward in the way he defended his wicket.

Gayle was in his usual elements and unleashed a few ferocious shots. He was helped by a dropped chance. Chanderpaul once again frustrated the Indian attack and Sarwan also scored a 50. A simple run chase appeared to become a Herculean task in the closing overs of the match. Lara caned a four and got out. Samuels hit the winning shot with only two balls to spare.

In the bowling department, Harbhajan Singh looked the best and Munaf Patel was good. The omission of the experienced Kaif is unjustified since Raina is in no form. It is time the Indian think-tank does some real homework and not perform a random experiment.A berth in the last four looks out of question since India have to face Australia on Sunday.

For the third day in a row, the captain winning the toss elected to field. But the trend has been bucked by Lara’s men.

SCHUMACHER IS THE BEST

Michael Schumacher failed to win the last two races of the season and so failed to win his 8th driver’s title in F1. Frankly, did Schumi needed to win at all to establish his credentials as the best F1 racedriver of all time?

I know nothing about the working of a car leave alone that of a F1 car. I also know nothing of a F1 racetrack and its nuances. But I am a fan of Schumacher. The grit and determination of the German on the track is something that all sportspersons and sports fans should be aware of. As long as the German was in the car, the race was not over for the other drivers. Forget the criticism.

Schumacher was so dominating that F1 was in danger of becoming a one driver show. That is when the bosses decided to tinker with the rules and new champions like Fernando Alonso could emerge. Is this possible to change the rules of Golf when Tiger Woods wins every event? Michael Jordan could not force changes the NBA during his heydays. That shows the domination of Schumacher.

Schumi called it a day when he was almost on the top. That is perfect timing needed to win the race.

STRATEGY? WHAT STRATEGY?

It is like making waterfalls out of dew drops. Pardon me for imitating the master of gibberish, Navjot Sidhu. Nothing explains the rather foolish decisions of two captains in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy.


The captain of Sri Lanka, Mahela Jayawardene won the toss and decided to take to the field, stumping the conventional wisdom. When asked about the decision, Mahela felt that the fall of the dew would make the task of bowling and fielding difficult in the second innings. He also seems to be in agreement with the ‘experts’ who argue that batting becomes much simpler under the lights with the ball coming on to the bat aided by the dew on the wicket. Pakistan was able to beat the Lankans under the lights. Probably that outcome weighed rather heavily on the Lankan think-tank. It should be recollected here that the score put up by Sri Lanka was low considering the conditions during the first innings.


The Lankans were outplayed by South Africa who defended a small target of 219. Surprisingly, the dew could not help the team of Mahela.

The captain of Pakistan, Younis Khan won the toss and as with his Sri Lankan counterpart, asked the Kiwis to make the first use of the wicket. Again, the dew factor influenced the decision. New Zealand put up a good score and Pakistan failed to overhaul it. New Zealand bowlers were able to overcome the negative effect of the dew.

So is there any strategy that is worth talking about ? There is clearly no thinking behind the decisions of the two Asian captains. It makes me laugh when Khan was hailed as an aggressive and thinking captain after the unexpected win over Sri Lanka. Mahela also in the books of many is a wonderful captain.

However, the cake goes to the cricket authorities at the PCA ground in Mohali. Some chemical was sprayed on the grass to lessen the impact of the dew. In the end it did not help as dew was well and truly all over the ground. Of course, a few days earlier a chemical adhesive was sprayed on the pitch at Wankhede to prevent the breaking up of the pitch.

Don’t give due to the dew.

ARE LOW SCORES BAD FOR CRICKET?

Are low scores bad for cricket? Yes, seems to be the answer based on the views of the commentators, news channels, ex-players and the presenters of ‘extraaa innings’. So far in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy no team has been able to post a score that we have been used to see at least on the subcontinental wickets.

Typical has been the reaction of the teams losing to blame the pitch and the commentators blaming things like the dew and the start of the game. It is opined that the toss is the crucial element in deciding the outcome of the matches. On the contrary, the matches have so far provided cricket of good quality.

The loss of South Africa to New Zealand started off the blame game. It is a known fact that the Proteas cannot handle good quality spin and that was the reason for their defeat. The wicket at Wankhede only helped the spinners. A good team has to learn to play and win on all surfaces. That is the factor separating a good team from the best team.

A good bowling and fielding display is as entertaining as the boundaries coming from the bats. South Africa have knocked out Sri Lanka from the tournament with a superb display on the field. West Indies put up a modest score and they could defend it successfully against Australia.

Cricket is not just a game played with the bat and the ball also has a decisive part to play. There have been enough of matches where scores of 350 plus have been chased much to the chagrin of the opponents. It is time to give bowlers their due.

INDIAN EXPRESS DERAILS

MANY CASUALITIES

The decision of Mahesh Bhupathi not to play for the country does not augur well for the country’s prospects in competitions like the Davis Cup, the Asian Games and the Olympics. Bhupathi has his own reasons for this drastic decision. Leander Paes the other half of the famed duo, is hopeful of finding a solution.

Paes and Bhupathi appeared to have the world at their feet with their exploits on the tennis court, more so when playing for the country. Their glorious run came to a premature end and the renewal of the partnership was only shortlived. But this decision has jolted the country’s hope of a medal in the Asian Games. A medal in the tennis competition was a sure bet.

The derailment of the ‘Indian Express’ has so far resulted in many casualities.

ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY

ALONG EXPECTED LINES
The first two matches of the ICC Champions Trophy went along expected lines. Sri Lanka was never in the danger of being upset by Bangladesh while the West Indies swept aside Zimbabwe.

In the first of the qualifying matches, the difference between the two sides was just 37 runs. Bangladesh played much better than in the past, but simply were no match to Sri Lanka. Zimbabwe is just added to make up the numbers and it showed in their pathetic display, especially with the bat. The Windies knocked off the runs before the dinner break.

West Indies and Sri Lanka will make to the ‘Super 8’. I personally, think that the knockout format of the earlier versions was much more interesting. The tournament this time stretches to nearly one month and it is just too boring. Looks like the ICC and other parties involved are far more eager to rake in the moolah by selling the television rights.

BALL TAMPERING

ACQUITTED BUT GUILTY

Predictably, the ICC has taken actions that are at best ridiculous. If the Pakistan team was not guilty of ball tampering, then action ought to have been taken against the umpires, Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove. If Inzamam was slapped with a suspension for bringing the game into disrepute, the umpires also were as much guilty. Ranjan Madugalle did not find anything incorrect with the decision of the umpires when there was no evidence of ball tampering.

The ICC decided not to have Hair and Doctrove for any of the matches in the ongoing Champions Trophy. This leaves one question unanswered, how does Mike Procter, continue to act as the Match Referee? Procter was the man-in-charge at the Oval when the whole incident took place.Procter could have done much to diffuse the situation.


Everything speaks of the double standards. Procter is from South Africa and the ICC chief is also from that country. Hair is from Australia and Madugalle is from Sri Lanka. Thus, poor Billy Doctrove was made a scapegoat.

BALL TAMPERING

WHO IS THE LOSER?




In the end, everyone went home smiling. The wisecracks at the ICC were happy in the belief that they were able to diffuse the situation. The PCB felt ‘vindicated’ and decided not to appeal against the 4 match suspension slapped on Inzamam. The umpires, particularly, Darrell Hair, was not made a scapegoat. So it all makes a ‘win-win’ game.

But there is something larger than a few individuals that has taken a beating and one that will suffer even greatly in the future. It is the game of cricket. From now on, the umpires may not be really vigilant towards the condition of the ball. I am not in any way dropping hints that the Pakistan bowlers resorted to ball tampering in the Oval test. The whole thing has relegated the role of the umpire.

Umpiring and umpiring mistakes have been part of the glorious uncertainties that cricket is. If I remember correctly, Steve Bucknor refused to take the help of the 3rd umpire on India’s first tour to South Africa. The home team cashed in on this reprieve and went on to save the match. In the recent DLF Cup, every team got the benefit of the umpires’ largesse and every team felt robbed by the umpires at crucial moments. Does this make umpires biased and prejudiced? With neutral umpires, things have more or less evened out for all the teams.

It is not sporting to take recourse to questions of race and nationality whenever any decision goes against the team.

After all, George Orwell said many years ago that sport is war minus the shooting.

PAWAR POLITICS

As expected, Sharad Pawar and company have managed to consolidate their position in the BCCI. It was also according to the script that people who were part of the Dalmiya camp were sidelined while anyone who showed even an iota of support for Pawar, was rewarded with a plum position. With a full time politician at the helm, things are now not different from the way ministerial berths are awarded.

Dilip Vengsarkar is now the new Chairman of the selectors. There is no doubting the cricketing credentials of the Colonel. But there has always been a concern over his bias towards Mumbai players and the prejudice against non-Mumbai players. Few of us can recall the anger that Vengsarkar displayed in his column over the selection of Saurav Ganguly for the tour to England in 1996. It is another story that he later apologised after the magnificient show by Ganguly.

In all this farce that is BCCI, everyone seemed unperturbed by the dismal showing of India in the DLF Cup in Malayasia.

BALL TAMPERING

NEEDED A CLEAR LINE OF ACTION FROM THE ICC


It is hard to comprehend the issue of the ball tampering in the aftermath of the Oval test match. I am in no position to make any value judgements. But the fallout has the potential to hurt the game.

Pakistan have always been suspect of doctoring the ball much to the chagrin of the others. It is quite a different thing when English bowlers like Simon Jones managed to make the ball swing in the other way. The appointment of Waqar Younis as the bowling coach and the subsequent allegations leveled by Hair appear to be justified. Let us not forget that Bob Woolmer is someone who doesn’t always play the game fairly. In the 1999 World Cup match between South Africa and India, he had conversations with the South African captain Hansie Cronje through a wireless communication device. Further, ICC match referee Barry Jarman has now accused the South African bowlers of having tampered with the ball in a match against India.

The one fallout will surely be the undermining of the role of the umpire. Captains have a way of making their displeasure over the performance of the umpires. But Inzamam and the Pakistan team think-tank decided to take the drastic measure of not coming on to the field after the tea interval. Then Hair appeared to be on solid ground but the revelation of the Aussie umpire seeking a golden handshake tilted the scales in favour of Pakistan.

In the recently concluded FIFA world cup, many referees made horrendous decisions and the governing body took immediate steps. Referees were asked to leave the world cup after being found guilty of bad decisions. Why not the ICC devise such a strategy?

At the best of times, the ICC does not have the acumen to take tough and definitive stands on prickly issues. This was demonstrated during the match fixing crisis and the chucking issue. The dilly-dallying and the procrastination led to the farcical 15-degree leeway given to the bowlers with suspect actions. The inaction then also led to racial and other such allegations. Now things have gone one step ahead with the inclusion of religious beliefs.

US OPEN

AGASSI BIDS GOODBYE-BECKER BEATS AGASSI


In 1992 Andre Agassi won the Wimbledon and in the way to the title, he got the better of Boris Becker. Those were the times when Becker was my sporting hero, exceeded only by the likes of Kapil Dev and Steve Waugh. The defeat of the German was painful since he was the natural grass court player while the American was the pretender.

However, with the passage of time, even as his contemporaries bid adieu, Agassi was still busy on the courts. He surprised everyone with the finals at the US last year. The initial disapproval turned into admiration.

The match against Baghdatis demonstrated the longevity and the staying power of Agassi. That win seemed to drain away all the mental and physical strength so much that in the match against Benjamin Becker, Agassi looked pedestrian at times.

The game of tennis has lost a character that is very hard to find in the era of the Federers and company.

BOOTCAMP ANYONE?

I am not much of a tech guy. So this blog is not meant to highlight the ways and means of installing Windows on a Mac with the help of bootcamp.

First, the Indian cricket team went through drills and exercise regimens that are commonly associated with the armed forces. There were even photographs of the Indian players attired in military fatigues and shooting targets.

The second concerns with the training camp for the Australian team to take on the English in the forthcoming Ashes. Ricky Ponting and his men undertook training that was called ‘bootcamp’. Opinions were divided on the logic of holding such training or conditioning camps. Neil Harvey, one of the few survivors of the 1948 ‘invincibles’ was highly critical of the camp. More recent ex-players were all for the need to toughen up the players in order to recapture the Ashes.

The Indians played just 4 overs and three balls in Sri Lanka after preparing themselves for a war! The Aussies are truly hell bent on revenge. But in the final analysis it may not be necessary considering the absence of key players from the English side.

Why do coaches go to such extremes? Is there any method to this madness?

US OPEN

UPDATE-AGASSI FIGHTS TO LIVE ANOTHER DAY


Andre Agassi overcame a tough challenge in the form of Andrei Pavel to advance to the second round. At times Agassi looked jaded and tired before the experience and determination saw him through on the big points. Every match played by the American will be watched with a great deal of interest for it may be the last.

Andy Roddick gave a powerful display to secure a very comfortable passage into the second round. At times the serve and the returns were simply scorching. The only thing missing so far in the arsenal of Roddick is mental toughness when playing the likes of Federer.

Sania Mirza started her campaign with a straight set win over a fancied opponent. I did not give much chance to Sania considering her form for much of the season.So this win over Sprem was a surprise. It remains to be seen whether Sania can repeat her performance of the last year when she went to the fourth round.

BALL TAMPERING ROW

PREDICTABLE REACTIONS

The crisis triggered by the allegation of ball tampering in the Oval test has thrown up the familiar reactions from everyone.

The Aussies stood up in support of their beloved countryman Darrel Hair. Former captains and players were unanimous in their admiration for Hair. The Prime Minister of Australia took time off his busy schedule to speak on the matter.

The Sri Lankan cricket officials were very quick to condemn the actions of Hair. It was Hair who first no balled Muralitharan. So this reaction from the islanders was hardly surprising.

Pakistan as a country felt outraged and hurt. Allegations of racial discrimination flew thick and fast. The old bogey of reverse swing once again came into the spotlight. The part time politician Imran Khan used this opportunity to allege conspiracy.

The Indians have not been able to take a clear stand on this issue. Poor Niranjan Shah was in no position to articulate the stand of the BCCI. Many Indians feel that the whole issue is nothing but racial discrimination. Navjot Sidhu and Ajay Jadeja ‘admitted’ that ball tampering is something that goes on a regular basis in the domestic scene.

The bomb in Colombo shocked the South Africans and so they flew to home. But with the one-dayers between Pakistan and England in doubt, the Proteas expressed their intentions to fill the void caused by the pull out of Pakistan.

The ICC was caught in a quandary with the initial support to Hair receding following the offer of a ‘golden handshake’ from the Umpire. David Richardson of the ICC, however, is confident of Hair’s tenure in the elite panel.

Predictable reactions but what does the future hold?

US OPEN

This year end Grand Slam shall witness the end of a great career. Andre Agassi announced his intention to bid goodbye to professional tennis after the US Open. Looking back, his longevity causes a great deal of amazement and also at the same time, a sense of awe.

Agassi continued to play long after his friends like Sampras and Courier called it a day. The retirement of the Las Vegan comes at a time when good players from the United States have become a rarity.

Martina Navratilova has also made the decision to step off the courts. It is another fact that she called it a day once before in 1994.

It is to be seen whether the tennis world will once again see the likes of Agassi and Martina.

DRAWING PARALLELS

In the recently concluded 2006 FIFA World Cup, England could not even reach the semifinals and they lost out on a penalty shoot out. Portugal were the team not fancied to go to the last four. Italy went on to win the Cup and France went to the finals when every one expected not much from the likes of Zidane. The hosts Germany also managed to reach the last four when they were not favoured to do so. England, on the other hand, had all the stars and the talent one could ask for but still returned home with no credit. It is not everyday that a football team boasts of the talents like Beckham, Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard, Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole. Even the bench consisted of precociously talented youngsters like Theo Walcott. So what went wrong?

The English struggled against their opponents before caving against Portugal. Now there are excuses galore. First, the target is their Swedish coach Sven Goran Eriksson. The second reason for the defeat is Christiano Ronaldo who caused Rooney to receive the red card. The third reason is the alleged distractions posed by the wives and girlfriends of the English players, called ‘WAG’ by the English press.

The Indian cricket team went to the Caribbean with a lot of hope. The team of Rahul Dravid was expected to beat the West Indies in both the tests and the one-dayers. The Indians won the first one-dayer and then lost the remaining four. The reversal in fortune was hard to explain considering the success in Pakistan and then in India. England and Sri Lanka were trashed. The Indians won the test series 1-0 after a lot of difficulty. Even if there was no Tendulkar in the team, talent was never scarce for the Indians. But most of the players came a cropper. The coach of the Indian team got flak as was with the selectors. So what went wrong?

There was a lot of controversy when a Swede was appointed as the coach of the English football team. There were similar noises when John Wright was appointed the coach of the Indian cricket team. Former greats were appalled by the decisions. The parallels do not end here. The decisions of the respective coaches have received widespread criticism. The pay packets given to the ‘foreigners’ have been the subject of many a discussion.

Coming to the public, a lot of attention and time is given in the following of the lifestyles of the players. The private lives of the players interest most followers of the game. The players are placed highly even if their success is moderate and every failure is treated as a national calamity. If Rooney gets so much attention even when he is relatively new to the international football scene, the birthday of Dhoni is an event to cover for most of the television news channels.

India won only one world cup in 1983 which seems ages ago and England won their only world cup in 1966. But every time the teams step onto the field, there is anticipation which time and again is not fulfilled.