WILL LAXMAN MAKE THE CUT?

This tour of England is going to be remembered for a long time in the history of Indian cricket. It is not because of the possibility of India emerging winners; it is because a number of greats are surely on their last tour of the Old Blighty.

Sachin Tendulkar made his mark and his first century in test matches in the course of a match saving innings in the company of Manoj Prabhakar. In the subsequent tours too, Sachin made runs at the most critical of moments.

Saurav Ganguly set the cat among the pigeons by scoring a hundred on debut at Lord’s. It was a knock that surprised all. The present Chairman of selectors was extremely critical of the then selectors picking the left-hander from Kolkata for the tour. Even in the last tour, Ganguly contributed significantly to the team cause. The hundred at Leeds after electing to bat on a seaming wicket was a truly captain’s knock. Even in the Natwest finals, Ganguly opened the innings in the company of Sehwag and set the ball rolling for a famous victory. However, in both instances, Saurav was overshadowed by his teammates.

It is difficult to speak on the achievements of Rahul Dravid. In his debut test, Dravid scored only 95. Those were the days when Dravid seemingly was unable to convert fifties into hundreds. But the last tour, Dravid made all the difference between the two teams as far as the test matches were concerned. The English bowlers could not breach the wall. The one-dayers also showcased the talents of Dravid.

V.V.S. Laxman has taken on the best of the bowlers with ease. But he missed out on the runs in the last tour. In between Laxman was not included in the squads for two World Cups and was ‘rested’ for some test matches. Never has been Laxman given the merit that he richly deserves.

In the match versus Sussex, Laxman made a half-century but there was disappointment in the first innings against England A. With Yuvraj and Karthick in the reckoning for a middle order slot, things are not rosy for Laxman.

It would be great for Laxman and for his fans like me if he makes the cut and scores runs. A failure would put a big question mark on his future in international cricket despite his enviable record.

SAME OLD FAILINGS

The first day of India’s tour match versus England A was not something that offers joy to the fans in India. The home batsmen put up a good score and as usual the Indian bowlers were unable to take wickets. In the last match also Sussex players defended bravely to deny the Indians.

These kinds of bowling displays are not going to win test matches. Cricket, especially, the longer variety involves both the bat and the ball. In the past also, lower order batsmen of opposition teams could keep the Indian bowlers at bay and the matches that should have been won were on a number of occasions lost.

The continuing misery of Wasim Jaffer is sure to put the team management in a bother. Gambhir with the wishy-washy ways is not going to survive the swinging ball.

CARRY ON SACHIN

In the recently concluded Future Cup in Belfast, India managed to beat South Africa. It was a creditable performance after the loss in the first encounter. Sachin was adjudged the Man of the Series.

Sachin scored runs in the first two matches and in the process went past the 15,000 mark as far as runs in one-dayers are concerned. Sachin was rather subdued in the first match but in the second match, it was the batsman we all loved to watch in the past. The two knocks came after the failure in the match against Ireland.

There was one noticeable thing about Sachin. After a long time, the master freed himself from shackles and that made all the difference. Sachin seemed to enjoy his cricket. The body language was there for all to see. The reaction after the umpire rejected a catch surely tells the story. Of course, it may appear ridiculous for an ordinary mortal like me to make such judgements.

It is too early to predict the performance of India in general and the success of Sachin in particular, as far as the tougher test against England. But with the evidence from Belfast, things are looking bright.

SOUTH AFRICA WIN

India lost to South Africa by four wickets. The match ended with only a few balls of the 50th over of the South African innings. Some good slow bowling on part of Piyush Chawla and typical South African style ensured a tight finish.

Kallis played a captain’s innings and stayed till the end. There were small but valuable contributions from the others. Since the target was not big, things did not appear to be complicated. Kallis got the Man of the Match for he also got two wickets.

The Indians did well to post a total of 242 with both the openers returning without making much contribution to the team total. Gambhir is not someone who can be trusted to face the new ball on helpful pitches. Ganguly is past his best like many of his teammates.

After a long time Sachin made a good score against a good bowling attack. The pace of the innings was slow. Some of the typical Sachin shots-the off drive was there. But at no time, Sachin looked to collar the bowling. At the other hand, Rahul made a score at a good rate. At the end, it was Dinesh Karthik who played some unorthodox shots to swell the total.

The bowling did not trouble the South Africans since many of the regulars were out on the sick list. Sometimes, the fielding appeared ragged to say the least.

The Indians have to improve on all the fronts to make the most of the rest of the matches.

WIMBLEDON 2007 DAY TWO

SANIA AND HENMAN ADVANCE

Tim Henman took more than four hours and five sets to thwart the challenge of Carlos Moya. The first round match was spread over two days because of the rain. The final set alone lasted more than two hours. Henman used all his experience to advance to the second round. In his prime, he would have dispatched Moya in straight sets without breaking any sweat.

Sania Mirza scored a straight sets win over her Russian opponent only to face another Russian in the form of Nadia Petrova. In the only encounter between the two, Sania was the winner. But Wimbledon is a bigger event and Petrova is a far superior player.

TOO COLD FOR COMFORT

Just ahead of the one-dayer between India and South Africa, there is news that at least 8 players of India are down with virus. Of these eight, five are definitely bound to miss the match. With the weather conditions in Ireland predicted to be cold and cloudy, the South African pacers are going to have the clear edge.

The Proteas are going to be tough opponents unlike the Irish. South Africa has in the recent past been a team that has mostly beat the challenges of India. So a win for India is highly unlikely.

THE BIG GUN LEAVES THE GUNNERS

The transfer of Thierry Henry from Arsenal to Barcelona is a great loss for the Gunners. The French striker has played in the English Premier League for a long time. The lack of success in European competitions is said to be the motivating factor. Also, with the possibility of the coach Arsene Wenger set not to renew his contract after the next season, Henry decided to ply his trade with one of the most glamorous clubs of Europe.

Time and again Henry came to the rescue of Arsenal when nothing seemed to go right. His goals were simply outstanding and the angles conjured by the Frenchman defied the laws of physics.

Though Henry might one day win the top prize in European club football, the Gunners are likely to face a tough transition without their star striker.

For a while the guns will not sound right at the Emirates stadium.

WIMBLEDON 2007 DAY ONE

ANOTHER STEP FOR FEDERER

It was a rain-curtailed day at Wimbledon. The rains are part of the tradition at the famous grass courts. In the midst of all the rain delays and interruptions, one man took another step towards tennis immortality.

Roger Federer the reigning champion easily overcame the Russian, Gabashvili in straight sets. The champion needs to win another six matches to win a fifth straight trophy to equal the record of Bjorn Borg.

Andy Roddick has lost the last two finals to Federer and the American scored a straight sets win over his countryman. A former ladies champion. Martina Hingis also advanced to the third round, with a three set victory.

A WIN IS A WIN

India won the one-dayer against Ireland by nine wickets. Saurav Ganguly and Gautam Gambhir scored unbeaten half centuries to steer the team home after the target was revised under the Duckworth-Lewis system following a rain interruption after the lunch break.

But the easy victory does not tell the full story. The bowlers were not able to bowl out the home team for a lower score. The unheralded batsmen of Ireland were given enough bad balls to put up a decent score.

The top run maker in the history of one dayers was not able to show his class. Ganguly and Gambhir played scratchily with the timing going awry a number of times for both the left-handers.

A team that is supposedly in the revival mode on the road to greatness, this is not the best of starts. Perhaps, the low temperature could not warm up the Indians to the task.

Maybe, there is no room for any complaints because Ireland finished in the top eight at the World Cup. It is the win that counts, not the opponent.

WIMBLEDON 2007

FEDERER IS THE FAVOURITE

The 2007 edition of Wimbledon is less than 24 hours away. The most intriguing question is regarding the fifth crown for the reigning champion, Roger Federer. If the Swiss manages to do it, he will equal the record of Bjorn Borg. Borg won the top prize in tennis for five years in a row. It is a special record, which eluded even the great Pete Sampras. With the French Open record of Borg matched by Nadal, and with the grass court ability of Federer, there is little to bet against the top seed.

However, Nadal advanced to the final in 2006, only to lose to Federer. That is not impossible and Federer has the clear edge on a surface that is not favoured by the Spaniard.

Justine Henin is given the top billing in the women’s side and she just won the Eastbourne event beating Amelie Mauresmo. Both are contenders and strong challenges are expected from the likes of Sharapova and Serena Williams.

Indian fans would like to see Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi do well but with different partners. Bhupathi is to team up with Sania Mirza for the mixed doubles event.
Speaking about Sania, the Hyderabadi is to partner Sahar Peer from Israel in the women’s doubles. Will this partnership elicit reactions from the moral police?

NEW TECHNOLOGY AT WIMBLEDON

The AELTC (All England Lawn Tennis Club) has decided to introduce ‘hawk-eye’ in order to remove errors on part of the people who judge the lines. With this measure, players can now challenge the calls. After the US Open and the Australian Open, it is the turn of Wimbledon to accept the new technology.

Purists may not be too pleased with the advent of this technology. From the viewpoint of the viewers, there might not also be players to question any bad calls. Of course, the game does not have characters like John McEnroe now.

It is not the first time that new technology has been tried out at the famed grass courts of SW19. Since 1980 a machine called ‘Cyclops’ is being used to judge serves.

But technology cannot be completely relied upon. There have been instances of hawk-eye giving wring calls. Cyclops also beeps even when the serve has not taken place.

LAST ROUND OF HENMANIA?

I was browsing through http://www.wimbledon.org/ the official website for the premier grass court tennis event and for many, the greatest tennis tournament. I found a link about Tim Henman, the perennial British favourite at SW19.

Henman is now past his prime and despite his confidence, few would give the Brit a chance at this year’s championships. Henman had all the tools that one needs to have to win on grass. The serve though not big, still was good. The volleying was crisp. But time and again, Henman could not hold the famous trophy.

This, I believe, was due to the presence of a certain player named Pete Sampras. Henman was at his best when the American was also at his best. It is sad that Henman had to contend with arguably one of the best grass court players of all time. In another era, Henman and the British could have celebrated a victory.

This may be the last year of the Henmania.

WHAT PRIORITIES!

The IOA (Indian Olympic Association) has provided a list of 8 athletes who were found guilty of using banned substances. The offences were detected during the National Games held at Guwahati in the month of February. It took almost four months to make this announcement. The IOA defended itself on the ground that the samples were sent abroad in order to eliminate any suspicions.

We have to understand the pressures that the likes of Suresh Kalmadi have faced in the last couple of months. The IOA put a lot at stake to secure the right to host the Asian Games. Of course, Incheon city of South Korea put up a superior display to emerge the winner.

Kalmadi was also busy talking with the organizers of Formula 1 to get a race in New Delhi.

These are the priorities of our sports administrators and no wonder the sports scene is so dismal.

FORMULA ONE

The IOA (Indian Olympic Association) is said to have inked a deal with FIA to bring F1 to India. The news channels are reporting the likely staging a race in New Delhi by 2009. For this purpose, a new stadium is to be constructed.

This is where things are likely to be messy and true to Indian style, full of politics. Mani Shankar Iyer, the Union Minster in charge of Youth Affairs and Sports is at loggerheads with Suresh Kalmadi, the man who controls the Olympic movement in India. Reportedly, Iyer is not in favour of staging costly sporting ‘spectacles’ when at the grassroots there is no support to sports and sportspersons, in terms of facilities. To a large extent, this is the truth.

About 600 acres of land is needed to construct the race course and the Indian promoters have to pay an annual licence fee of $30 million US.

But unless Kalmadi and company stage and host events, they are not going to make the money. It is only through such events that bosses of sports bodies in the country like to show their gratitude to the supporters. Not to mention the reaping from the spurt in the real estate prices.

So a race is likely to take place for the actual race.

BORDE SPEAK

Chandu Borde has dismissed the talk of ‘generation gap’ when asked about cricket of his day and the cricket of today. Further, Borde has been emphatic to assert that the Indian cricketers don’t require a coach.

The statement on the irrelevance of a coach for the likes of Sachin, Dravid, Ganguly and Dhoni needs a closer look. There are two ways of looking at it. First, it is clear that the ‘superstars’ need no advice and it is they who advise the BCCI and others.

Secondly, does Borde feel that no coach can do any wonders with these players?

Does Borde intend to endear himself with the likes of Sachin so that his tenure becomes successful and non-controversial?

Without realizing, Borde has stepped into a controversy and that is not a good start to his new innings.

MORE SURPRISES

Indian cricket never is short of surprises. The refusal of Graham Ford to take up the coaching job was a surprise, to say the least. This made the BCCI to appoint Chandu Borde as the Manager for the tours of Ireland and England.

But the biggest surprise was reserved for the teams that were selected for the one-dayers and the test matches. It was a surprise to find the names of Sehwag and Harbhajan missing from the lists. Sehwag should have been included in the longer version of the game for he performed rather well on the last tour. There is not much surprise in the omission of Harbhajan. On cricketing reasons it is justified, given the often-poor showing on away conditions, i.e., outside the sub-continent.

Munaf Patel was pronounced fit by the team physio John Gloster. But the selectors are reportedly unhappy over the fitness or the lack of it. In the same way, there are enough doubts over the fitness of Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth as well.

Akash Chopra could have been taken to the tests as a specialist opener in place of Karthik and Gambhir, Karthik is a makeshift opener and Gambhir is simply not up to test standard.

The selectors and the BCCI made a lot of noise before the Bangladesh tour about the ‘fresh’ and ‘bold’ initiatives. They made Sachin and Sourav take ‘rest’ during the one-dayers. But for these tours, both of them have been included in the tests as well as for the one-dayers.

The bowling looks the weak link with people short of experience and ability. The batting is with experienced but people well past their best.

It is the opportunity for England to win comprehensively.

250 NOT OUT

This is a bit of blowing my own trumpet. Started this blog just for the kick. Never thought about it seriously. But I am proud to have survived in the blogsphere and posted 250 times.

Thanks a lot to all the fellow bloggers and friends who care to look at my ramblings

SEHWAG SHOULD GO THE SLATER WAY

Virendra Sehwag came to international cricket with a bang. The man from Nazafgarh seemed to be the perfect replacement for Sachin Tendulkar, that is, once the latter decided to quit. But for the past couple of seasons, Sehwag is not even a shadow of his former self.

Sehwag came into public reckoning in a one-day international. However, it is in the traditional form of the game that he made his mark. It is very difficult to forget the knocks that Sehwag played in India as well as on foreign pitches. The near double ton in Australia and the famous triple ton in Pakistan are just two examples.

The kind of stroke play that made Sehwag a superstar was expected to yield great results in the shorter version of the game. But apart from a great strike rate, there is nothing much to write about. In the first match of the Afro-Asia Cup, Sehwag belted a few balls before being dismissed in his own unique way. In the World Cup of 2007, he made a good score only against an attack as lethal as Bermuda. In the matches that counted, Sehwag was a flop.

In the Australian sides captained by Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh, there was this opener Michael Slater. He was a dashing batsman who hit every shot as if to knock the leather covering off the ball. But he was never able to repeat this in the one-dayers. After a few games, Slater was designated a test player.

I feel it is time to consider the role of Sehwag in the one-dayers. The think tank may argue that his bowling skills are an addition. But at the end of the day, it is the batting that is more important to the team. There is no harm if Sehwag is asked only to play in the test matches.

A RETHINK?

There is speculation in the media over the issue of putting a cap on player endorsements. After the dismal showing in the World Cup, a large section of the public felt that the players were spending too much time for the advertisements and hence, little could be devoted to honing the cricket skills. Further, the earnings of the players were also called into question.

With Sharad Pawar, the astute politician getting the support from characters like Lalit Modi, the BCCI took steps or rather plainly put, took ad hoc measures to curb public displeasure. The BCCI announced a limit or a cap on player endorsements so that the players would be forced to practice. In truth, these measures were simply announced to bring the players down to their knees.

The players on their part were predictably, angry given that the board infringed on their right to earn a living. Worse, the contracts were scrapped and there was no clarity on sharing between the players and the BCCI. It is to be realized that the players bring the money to the game and not the BCCI.

It is now reported that instead of putting a limit on the number of advertisements that a player can appear, there is to be a limit on the number of days a player can use for advertisements. Wonder, who is the wise guy behind all this?

THE GREAT COACH DEBATE: DUBIOUS ROLE

Sunil Gavaskar was not in favour of Greg Chappell when the Aussie was made the coach of the Indian cricket team. It was Gavaskar who was not in favour of Dav Whatmore to succeed Chappell. In the light of cricketing judgement, it is very to little to argue with Gavaskar. But in both the cases, there is one common aspect. The greatest common factor is that both Chappell and Whatmore come from Australia. Was this a factor in not considering the case of Tom Moody?

The latest from the Little Master is the invite handed to John Emburey. There is no surprise with Emburey coming from England and not Australia. Is this the latest from the quiver of arrows that Gavaskar aims the Aussies with?

Gavaskar never misses a trick to take the Aussies to task. Few forget that it was Gavaskar who brought the notice of the ICC to the sledging of the Aussie cricket team. During the World Cup of 2007, he raked up the matter once again much to the chagrin of the Aussies and the non-Aussies alike.
It is very sensible to not ape the Aussies in every aspect of cricket. But are personal biases and prejudices taking the interest of the Indian cricket team into the dustbin

THE GREAT COACH DEBATE: A SURPRISE

Out of nowhere John Emburey has emerged as a candidate for the post of the coach of the Indian cricket team. It is strange considering the fact that the former England off-spinner was not an applicant in the first place. The BCCI decided to make this public only after Emburey gave his acceptance to appear before the committee for an interview or a discussion.

The great Sunil Gavaskar is said to have come up with the name of John Emburey and that is what comes as a surprise. For one who opposed Greg Chappell and later Dav Whatmore, it is a billion dollar question as to this idea.

By now, most of us have been informed about the coaching achievements of Emburey. He was not a success at Middlesex and also at Northhamptonshire. In recognition of his cricketing non-skills, Emburey is now involved in a non-coaching role as the Director at Middlesex.

This episode of inviting Emburey is similar to the practice in India where political bosses put up their cronies in posts.

THE GREAT COACH DEBATE: THE HUNT CONTINUES

The hunt for the saviour of the Indian cricket team continues. But, surprises never cease with Indian cricket.

Suddenly, the frontrunner for the post, Dav Whatmore was sidelined. Now the committee constituted to appoint the coach is to hold discussions with two more candidates. On of them is Graham Ford who previously coached South Africa.

The second one is not clear. There is speculation that either Duncan Fletcher, the former coach of England or Arjuna Ranatunga, the former captain of Sri Lanka might be involved.

There was confusion about Graham Ford. It was reported in the media that he was an applicant and then it was revealed that Ford did not apply in the first place. But Ford is invited for ‘discussions’.

Everytime we talk of success in the cricket field, we look at Australia and wonder why things are so different in India. The selection of the coach is a clear indicator why Indian cricket is different.

END OF SPECULATION?

The Jamaican police are to announce formally the final findings of the investigation into the death of Bob Woolmer. The media have already reported that Woolmer was not murdered but it was a case of death by natural causes.

The announcement by the Jamaican police may finally put to rest all the speculation and rumours over the demise of Woolmer. In the days after the death of Woolmer, everyone became a sort of a detective while analyzing the causes. For a while, attention was diverted from the cricket fields of the Caribbean to stories about the alleged murder.

Is this finally the time for Mr.Woolmer to rest in peace?

A RELIEF INDEED

It is a relief that Sharad Pawar has decided to withdraw himself from the race for the top post of the ICC. Pawar is now categorical that the post should go to a South African, since Percy Sonn who passed away recently, was also from that country. Is this out of compassion for Sonn died in the post or this a strategy to win the support of South Africa in the future?

I say relief because Pawar has shown very little of administrative acumen, either as the President of the BCCI or as the Union Agriculture Minister. The BCCI is at a loss to explain many things. Of course, the BCCI never had the reputation of being organized along professional lines or run by people with experience.

As the Union Agriculture Minister, Pawar is presiding over a ministry that does not care anything about the problem of scarcity of essential food grains. It is indeed a paradox that while the farmers on one hand are unable to realize their costs and the hapless consumer
Is forced to pay through his nose that the big retail chains on the other are claiming to sell the products at reasonable prices.

It is no achievement to lord over the ICC when the BCCI is not in order. Ever since Jagmohan Dalmiya made it to the top, every cricket administrator in India wants to go all the distance. Let us not bring the question of race or nationality here. It is simply a question of excellence.

THE GREAT COACH DEBATE: ARGUMENTATIVE INDIANS

Last night, a news channel-CNNIBN discussed whether the Indian cricket team needs a foreign coach or a native. These debates have really hogged the airtime as well as paper space, not to mention net space. Such debates have not really taken place ever since when a certain person of foreign origin was set to rule over our destinies. It is altogether another matter that the same person today wields supreme power, without owning any responsibility.


England went through the same routine when the coach for the football team was to be considered. Sven Goran Erikkson was appointed the coach. He is from Sweden and not from England. By all accounts, his tenure was much scrutinized and the Swede was also embroiled in a scandal. When he failed to deliver at the World Cup, the English F.A decided to end the contract. The FA has given the job to Steve McClaren. Many national football teams hire foreigners to improve their fortunes. Many also fall by the wayside once the results are less than impressive.


A section of the media and a few players as well as some of the Board officials appears to be enamoured with the idea of having a foreign coach. It is alleged that an Indian does not have the expertise and the experience to coach the team. Much was made over the laptop glitch that was faced by Mohinder Amarnath the last time when interviews were conducted for the post of the coach of the Indian team.


Every time the issue of coach comes up, there are parallels drawn with the Australian team. John Buchanan did not play at the international level and the new coach Tim Nielsen did never appear for the Australian team. Why are we so fascinated with the Australian model when we are radically different from the Aussies as far as our sporting culture is concerned?


In the whole issue the role of the ‘superstars’ is stinking to say the least. It is puzzling to hear that some of the players are calling for a foreign coach. Wonder what Ponting and company make out of this!


In my humble opinion, it matters very little whether the coach is Indian or not. What matters are the results and the outcome. To paraphrase Deng Xiaoping, the Chinese leader, the colour of the cat may be black or white but what is important that it should catch the mice.

WANTED: A SCRIPTWRITER

The BCCI is never known to take the right decisions. But in the last couple of days, things have been utterly chaotic and at times, ludicrous.

The pull out of Nimbus from the telecast of the Afro-Asia cup was followed by the decision of Zee to not telecast the tour of Ireland and Scotland. The Board officials were assuring the people that negotiations were on and that the problems would be sorted out. EspnStar decided to telecast the Afro-Asia event and Nimbus was roped in to show us the games to played in Ireland.

In the first instance, the broadcasters offered insanely huge sums of money. The crash of India in the world cup brought them down to their knees and senses. The Board is trying to play the hard ball by putting a cap on player advertisements. This also added to the problem.

It would be nice in the fitness of things that the Board hired some scriptwriter to pen the right scenes.

BACK TO WINNING WAYS!

India trashed Bangladesh at Mirpur and England routed the West Indies at Leeds. Both India and England had not performed well in the World Cup. Of course, England went into the Super 8s whereas India was sent packing in the first round itself.

In the first test at Chittagong, rain played the spoilsport and the match ended in a draw. The late batting effort from Mortaza helped his team avert the follow on. Far away, the batsmen from the Carribbean islands put up a good batting display in the first test. Also, rain prevented the home team a shot at a win.

In the second tests, both England and India posted huge wins. In case of England, Leeds has always been a good ground with the local conditions creating havoc with the visiting batting line-ups. The absence of the likes of Sarwan and Chanderpaul only weakened the batting further. The swing and seam reduced the West Indies to shambles.

India was not expected to face much resistance in the test matches, despite the loss in the World Cup. In the first test, not too many runs could be posted even after the centuries from Sachin and Saurav. That might have given some hope to the home team. But things became clear in the second test. There is no indication on the improvement of Bangladesh in the test matches.

England are a good team in home conditions while India can always put up a fight in sub-continental conditions. England was beaten soundly in Australia while India was defeated in South Africa. Now these two teams are on the winning track.

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,

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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.