India climbs to #1

India won the series against SL and in the process became the #1 team in ICC test rankings. While there is a lot of talking about the #1 spot, I do want not read too much into it. India plays only 2 test matches in the next year (and that too against BangladeshL) and therefore it is unlikely that India will remain #1 for a longer duration of time.

However, the fact that India won two matches by an innings against SL is indeed a expression of supremacy against the islanders. As far as I remember, beating Lanka whether in India or in Lanka has never come easy for India. On the other hand we have been at the receiving hands of Lankan batting (especially Jaya uncle, Attapattu, DeSilva and Ranatunga in the past) and Jayawardene in the recent times.

Indian batting looked rock solid throughout the series barring that first innings in the first match at Ahmedabad. And then we had the Wall, Yuvi and then Dhoni to bail us out. Kanpur and Mumbai were much different though. Sehwag did very well and could have well entered the record books. Anyways, I am sure Sehwag will crack another triple ton before he retires as he has quite some cricket left in him at the moment. Gambhir performed brilliantly too as he got two centuries in the series and so was Rahul Dravid’s performance. Laxman and Yuvi were a bit subdued but then in series where you have such huge totals like 700 being made, a 60 odd is likely to be dwarfed by a 293. Sachin got a century but I wish he would have got another one atleast given the fact that Ponting is chasing him and we are not playing much test cricket.

Among bowlers, Sreesanth was cool in his comeback matches and delivered the opening blows while Zaheer was good too. Bhajji did an OK job though Ojha sa’ab was much better. But again when the batsmen score so many runs, the bowlers always have a cushion and the opposition is always under pressure. So the bowling was good but certainly not great.

However, what pleases me most was the way we beat SL by huge margins in two test matches. As a kid, I have seen Jaya Uncle murdering our bowlers to all parts of the ground (especially that infamous test series in 1997 where he scored a triple and then 199 in the next match). The difference lies in the fact that India have been able to win the series while at that stage Lanka were happy with draws. I mean, how else could someone explain a score like 952/6?

Lankans came here with a very strong team but their spinners were in-effective while their pacers were pedestrian, to say the least. Among their batsmen, Sangakkara himself struggled throughout the series though he tried to redeem himself by hitting a century in the last innings. It was too late by then.

Lankans would definitely not be happy by their performances even though Sangakkara tried to put the blame on the lack of UDRS (Umpire Decision Review System). He said that the non implementation of UDRS was severely detrimental to Lanka and made a difference of 500 runs and a lot of wickets. I am sure Sangakkara’s Insurance Company would be having a terrible time dealing with him if he presents such inflated figues before them as well. On a serious note, UDRS continues to be in its beta version and therefore cannot be taken as a foolproof system. UDRS is being implemented in the other series currently being played and the feedback has been mixed. Infact, I heard that one of the umpires in the Aussie-WI series is so pissed off by the same that he has decided to retire! Poor old chap.

Ojha and Murali were the finds from the series; Murali was a revelation in fact even though he batted in one innings only. Sehwag’s form was tremendous and therefore he made things much easier for the middle order.

It would be interesting to see how the two teams fare in the T20s and the ODIs that follow. I would appreciate if India can continue the ruthless form which they showed in the beginning of the year against SL, but SL in ODIs is no pushover for sure. My money rests with India for some obvious reasons.

All the best to the #1 test team in the world (?????? ).

CT---> Post 1

Well the first week of CT has seen some pretty good and unpredictable cricket. SA has been knocked out and SL is on the brink (two of the pre-tournament favorites). England coming after the 6-1 mauling at the hand of Aussies, have done very well while NZ is also a strong contender to get to semis.

Coming to the Indian team (and it is rather painful to talk about it), we are all but out of the tournament. Theoretically speaking, India does have a decent chance but practically speaking those chances are very slim. And with the current form and talent, we do not deserve to get into semis either. So I would be mighty surprised if we manage to get there.
The problems with the Indian team start with the bowling itself. RP is kind of one dimensional bowler (at least presently) and Ishant Sharma is very low on confidence and form (I am being very generous here). And Bhajji Singh is still basking in the glory of his last fiver which he took in the Compaq Cup final. These bowlers were responsible for Pakistan being able to post 303 and things did not look too good when we were playing Australia today. Overall the standard of bowling is something that makes you cry as an Indian supporter (I am sure I would have been a better bowler had I decided to pursue a career in cricket). The only positive was to see Nehra bowling a good line and getting among wickets and Amit Mishra’s leg spin bowling. The whole bowling department needs a revamp and I think RP and Ishant are going back to domestic cricket for some time now. Sreesanth and Balaji would be making their comebacks (and may be Munaf) against the Aussies when India play them, I believe.

However, the Indian batting which has traditionally been very strong also failed in the game against Pakistan and I doubt whether we would have flourished against Aussies as well. Sachin did little justice to his experience and talent when he fulfilled a 17 year old fast bowler’s wish and Kohli sa’ab was not just up to the task. Dhoni was trapped leg before while he was strolling on the pitch and Yousuf Pathan continues to prove that he just lacks the intent and the determination needed to succeed at international level. Gambhir batted in a beautiful manner and made me feel that atleast there is something to cheer about and so did Dravid and Raina. It was good to see that Dravid knew exactly what his role was and did that to near perfection. Had Raina stayed there for a bit more, things may have been different but who knows. And we also boast of a tail where atleast three batsmen (RP, Nehra and Ishant) do not even know how to hold a bat properly. Of course, the team was handicapped by the absence of Viru and Yuvi but we simply cannot claim to be #1 if we are to depend on a couple of players.
Indian selectors must realise that we need to develop a pool of players who are fit and strong enough to play international cricket. Just think over this, we all know that Yousuf Pathan would most likely not fire under pressure and still he plays in the team. In a country where you have more than 110 crore people, a huge cricket fan base and having IPL like talent finder events, it is shameful that we are struggling to get into semis (we are not getting there). There should be a strict policy of perform or perish and there should be strong competition for even seniors to get into the team. They should be constantly challenged by the younger lot and nobody should take his place for granted.
I wish the selection committee led by Kris Srikanth takes some bold decisions when they pick the team for the next series against Australia (which I doubt).

A little mention for Graeme Smith and his lion-hearted innings against England, something which will be etched in my mind for quite some time. He batted like a champion and perhaps deserves all the applause especially for a team which has crashed out of CT.

Stay tuned for the rest of CT and I would love to see someone like England or NZ to lift the cup. England have played beautifully for the first two matches and let’s see if they can carry the same momentum forward. Pakistan may just do what they have been uttering in their press conferences while Aussies are always a force to reckon.
I would love to be proved wrong in my predictions and would even offer an apology to my team if something contrary to what I have said does happen, but I doubt if that will happen.May the best team win !!

India lifts COMPAQ CUP

A masterly performance by India in the final of Compaq Cup against Sri Lanka saw them lift the trophy and take the honours in this tri-nation tournament. That this triumph comes after the early round exit in the T20 World Cup can only add to the joy of cricket crazy Indian population. Moreover, India also continues to be a consistent performer in ODIs throughout this year and the team does deserve applause.

After the win over NZ and loss to SL in the prelims, it was not going to be easy for India to come back into the finals. But Dhoni called the toss correctly and that is something which would have really pleased him. Sri Lanka is really a strange place to play especially when you are in a day-night contest. Over the past couple of years, the number of times when teams batting second have successfully chased a decent total has really gone down. And hence a lot does depend on the toss. (Also lends support to some theory which Tendular put forward…some 25 over innings…I am sure he was jokingJ). Anyways, India left out Mr. Dinu Karthik after his indifferent performances and brought in Kohli sa’ab. While that was a decent thing to do, the team management showed great vision in asking Dravid to open with Tendulkar.
It is after all a tournament final (matches where Indian record has been pretty bad) and asking a young kid (Kohli sa’ab) to open was definitely not the right thing to do. So the duo of Sachin and Dravid opened the innings and did very well in fact. They kept the scoreboard moving with singles and doubles but did not hesitate to punish the loose ball either. Sachin was at his best with wonderful shorts being played through the covers in particular while Dravid was particularly severe on short stuff either pulling or cutting the same to the boundaries. Dravid even welcomed Mendis with a six (kind of misfield as well) but Indian score started to look really good at that stage. Then came Jayasuriya Uncle and bowled a really slow ball to get rid of Dravid. Dravid departed for a well made 39 and by then he had laid a perfect platform with Sachin from where India could harbour hopes of posting a really challenging total.
Dhoni entered the stage and again that was a really courageous move. He could have failed as well but that did not really bother him and that is what makes him special. People call him “lucky” but I would say that he is a brave guy. Dhoni and Sachin played in a really special manner, collecting singles and doubles and picking up a few boundaries when they were on offer. Sachin batted with tremendous application and reached his 44th ODI hundred. What a feat, man!! Kudos to this special character for an innings of grit under extremely trying circumstances (extreme hot and humid weather, slow pitches and Lanka’s slow bowlers with Uncle Jayasuriya leading the pack). Dhoni went after making a useful 56. While he scored at a decent pace, he also ensured that India did not loose any wickets in the middle overs and therefore had a perfect launch pad to start an assault at some stage in the later part of the innings. Yuvraj came and settled down with Sachin (by then he was using a runnner). Sachin did delay the assault a bit more than expected but it did come in a splendid fashion. Mendis was hit for a six and two reverse swept fours before Sachin eventually got out for a strokeful 138. Yuvraj kept one end while the others came and left but with useful hits from Yuvi and co, India reached a total of 319. 319 was a pretty huge score and it was always going to be too much to chase for SL.

Indian score was built around Sachin and as I have written earlier as well, no words can do justice to the service Sachin has done to Indian cricket. Dravid’s return to ODIs is also pretty successful and it is always good to see a person of his calibre doing well. Dravid is someone who has done everything he has been asked to do (ask him to open the innings, to come at #7 or to keep wickets, the man’s a complete team guy). Dhoni and Yuvraj are the stalwarts of the present times who are supposed to take Indian cricket to greater heights in the future.

After India finished their batting, the general feeling was it is only a matter of time when India lifts the trophy. But India were in for a shock especially with Dilshan and Jayasuriya Uncle hitting the ball to all parts of ground. The fast bowling was pathetic and all of the fast bowlers were willing to run and just bowl. A dropped catch of Uncle did not help either. Finally, it was Bhajji who brought the downfall of dangerous Dilshan (he is really a dangerous batsman, believe me—I don’t praise Lankans so easily J) and later Mahela in his next over. While the Lankans still kept pace with the asking run rate (in fact they were much ahead of it initially), the wickets started to tumble. Uncle went soon after and the score read 85/3 in 11 overs. With three of your really main players back and more than 225 to get, I knew Lanka won’t be able to manage it. Thushara (promoted as pinch hitter) came and hit a few boundaries but then departed and so did Matthews a bit later. So at 131/5, only one team would have won (Teams do win from such positions as well like the Natwest cup final when Yuvi and Kaif combined to demolish the English) but chances of such improbable events are always rare. The fast bowlers did not bowl a decent line or length at all so it was left to India’s slow bowlers (remember it is slow bowlers and NOT spinners). Yuvraj and Raina bowled 14 overs amongst themselves and conceded only 50 while they also managed to get 2 wicktes. Yusuf Pathan got rid of the dangerous Uncle but was very expensive. Bhajji was at his best and picked wickets exactly when a team’s strike bowler should be picking. The pacers were disappointing and so was the level of fielding (run-outs, stumping and catches put down). It was the combined bowling of Bhajji-Yuvi-Raina that brought the Lankan scoring to a halt and with wickets tumbling, Indi won by 46 runs. The batting helped India win this tournament though among the bowlers only Bhajji Singh looked like a bowler of international standard. (Do not count Yuvi or Raina here because slow bowlers like them can only succeed here. Just like Lanka used to employ a lot of its slow bowlers, choke the runs and then win such finals but nobody heard of such bowlers outside Lanka).
So coming up is the Champions trophy and I am sure that would generate a lot of interest. India plays Pakistan, Australia and WI in its pool and it would be a quite a challenge to play in S.Africa. India has fond memories of S.Africa for sure and I am putting my money on India (I simply love India playing in S.Africa, that’s where a lot of our famous victories have come). Let’s wish our team all the luck for the CT and congratulate them on their success in the Compaq Cup.

Indians sent packing

Well, I never thought that within three days of posting my report about the interesting super 8’s, I will have to write something like this :(.
But the unthinkable and unimaginable did happen and India crashed out of T20 WC.
When India was about to begin its chase against England, I said to my friend that India should get to 153. And if they do not get, then obviously they lose and will be out of the competition. But at the same time, they don’t deserve to be in the semis at all then.

The stories of both the matches which India lost have a lot of things in common. The failure of the ‘famed’ batting line-up was central to both the losses. While against Windies, we got off to a poor start and reached only a decent 153 thanks largely to the efforts of Yuvi and Yusuf, against England we could not even reach 153 :(
To blame Dhoni for the failures is not the right thing to do. Of course, some of his moves backfired but as a captain you are not supposed to make the right moves all the time.
So now the issue is who all failed in the competition? The answer is pretty simple…it was a collective failure. While the likes of Raina and Rohit failed in the match against W. Indies (these guys were going through the form of their lives), the bowling was also a very average performance. Zaheer Khan (who was very happy with his bowling form against Ireland) did not do what is expected of a team’s top bowler and Bhajji was not up to the mark as well. Ishant Sharma had a forgettable tournament and I don’t think this format suits him much. He should be going back to Test cricket and try to hone his bowling skills. Dhoni did screwed the innings with a painful innings of 11 off 23 deliveries and with only 153 on board, things were always going to be tight for Indians.
While the W Indies did not begin their chase in a bang-bang manner, they always kept the asking run-rate under check. Gayle and Fletcher could not do much but Bravo was the one who made all the difference. I was just wondering that when cricket experts talk about the present all-rounders, they would inevitably name guys like Flintoff and Kallis and even Yuvraj. But this fellow is at par with the ones mentioned above. He is a proper bowler, has a very good technique as a batsman and very good fielder as well (I remember watching a match between KXIP and MI at PCA stadium, Mohali during IPL-2008 where Bravo took a wonderful catch at long-off to dismiss Yuvraj and immediately became the most hated player among the crowd). Chanderpaul also came good at the end (he does this every time when he plays against India :( ) and W. Indies won comfortably.
Against England, India started with a couple of changes by replacing Pathan and Ojha. While RP deserved to be in, I am not so sure about Jadeja. While the pacers only did a decent job (again Zaheer failing to get some early wickets, though RP bowled beautifully) Jadeja and Bhajji bowled pretty well to restrict England to 153.
However, Jadeja was the difference between both the teams. While bowling he got rid of Peitersen and Bopara but when he was batting, he got rid of everything for India unfortunately. He played an astronomical 35 deliveries and made only 25 and that was a setback to the chase. Yuvraj should have come in the place of Jadeja and things MAY have been different. Yuvraj came and departed soon and then Dhoni and Yusuf just could not find enough boundaries. In the end India lost the match by 3 runs but they never looked like winning. I just read a report in the morning where Yuvraj stated that he wants to bat up the order. Since this did not happen and played a major role in India’s defeat, the media definitely has got something to write against Dhoni.
However, I still stand by what I had said. T20 is an unpredictable format and India just got a taste of this. Last time they won when no one expected them to win and this time, the tables have been turned.
Nevertheless, I stilll back by my team and wish them all the luck for the up coming 4 ODI series against W. Indies (I still do not understand how this series came up).

PS: This is a report by an Indian cricket fanatic and therefore is highly biased :). Don’t expect me to praise anything BUT Indian performances. The wins by W. Indies and England are merely fluke :). This WC is all over for me now :(

All set for super eights !!

As the T20 World Cup super eights round has just begun, I realised that it is indeed the right time for me to get my fingers moving again and put something on my blog. Credit is of course due to some of my friends (Yogesh, Niraj and Prakash ---aaah! What a feeling, these three guys in fact represent three different generations of PI@NIPER) who asked me to write again.

The tournament began on an interesting note with England losing the first match (and then having to receiving a lot of flak from their media), Bangladesh knocked out (they were the ones who were eyeing a win over India, NOT Ireland) and then Australia also following Bangladesh. While Bangladesh delivers an on-off kind of performance, the Australians were not expected to make an early exit. However, to put it in simple words, the Aussies do not have the fire power now that they used to have. Their seniors have retired and the juniors simply are not good enough. Add to this, the fact that the ones who are actually good also have other serious businesses like fishing, having a drink and may be, they are planning their future with IPL.
The eight teams which have made it to super 8’s are more or less the ones which were expected to cross the first hurdle. Ireland is a surprise inclusion but I can only be delighted by this because I can now support two teams whole heartedly.
The teams can be divided into 2 groups and the one where India is now placed is indeed a bit tough. We will be playing West Indies, England and South Africa. While MS Dhoni would be busy making plans for each one of them, the most unpredictable of all these is West Indies, for sure. India will be playing them tomorrow and it won’t be an easy task to go pass them. Of course everyone knows by now what Gayle can do to the opponent’s bowlers. WI also has a good batting line-up boosting of Chanderpaul and Sarwan (people who have flourished against India, though in Test matches) and the new opener Fletcher. Bravo is an ideal all rounder and therefore the team is pretty strong overall. Their bowling however is not up to the mark and this is one area which India must look to capitalise. Also the bowling at the start of the innings needs to be very disciplined and tight because if Gayle and Fletcher get going, then things would be very hard to control.
The next team India faces is England on this Sunday and the English would be pretty fired up as well. They lost their first match to S. Africa and therefore for the second time are on the brink of elimination. Last time, when they were in a similar situation, they responded in a terrific manner when they beat Pakistan last Sunday. Hopefully, they won’t be able to repeat the heroics. The English team is a decent combination but definitely weaker to India on paper and therefore India will definitely start as favourites.
Then, India faces S.Africa on Tuesday in what would be their toughest match so far. The Proteas are one of the most balanced teams in the world right now and the match between India and S.Africa will test the Indians. It is not easy to envision but I actually cannot rule out the possibility of India in a situation like the one in Super Sixes in 2007 World Cup. India went into match knowing fully well that they need to win to make it to the semis while S. Africa just needed to play the game and lose by a not-too-huge margin. What followed was a memorable performance by the Indians and the catch which Dinesh Karthik took to remove Smith will always be there in my list of top cricket catches. India won comprehensively as Rohit Sharma marked his arrival to international cricket, RP Singh bowled a wonderful spell and India eventually shut the doors for the S. Africans.

Well, the million dollar question right now is…Who is going to win the World Cup this time? I won’t be surprised if India does it again but won’t be amazed either if India does not make it to the semis. The issue is the unpredictability associated with this format of the game and hence there is no such thing as clear favourites. However, this does not mean that this is a mere tullebaazi competition (some Pakistani great said this) nor does this mean that matches are fixed in this format (another Pakisatani great said this). The thing is being able to master this format and develop a pool of players who can perform well at this level. This would include batsmen who have a decent technique but can hit big (Yuvraj Singh- an ideal example of this), bowlers who can take wickets and bowl tight lines (Zaheer Khan among pacers and Ojha among spinners presently), a thinking and innovative captain (who else but MS Dhoni) and lastly some good fielders who back their bowlers (mmmmm..mmmmm…who would fit in here ?? Probably Yuvraj and Rohit). Fianlly, some lucky mascot like Joginder Sharma (India’s lethal bowler…..lethal to India and not to the opposition :) ) always comes handy.
To conclude, India does have all the ammunition that is needed to perform a repeat of 2007. But a couple of sub-standard performances can send India packing just as the World Champions suffered an early exit.
Stay tuned and wish India the best of everything.
Jai Ho !!!!

A memorable Kiwi tour..

India won the Test series 1-0 to complete their most successful tour outside the sub-continent for quite some time now. And though the weather Gods denied them a victory, the team and the fans are still more than happy from the showing. India lost only the T20 matches and their domination was complete in both the series that followed.
The third match began on a very positive note for India as MS Dhoni returned from an injury to captain the side. After being put into bat, India started off decently but then could not stitch some long partnerships and at one stage were really in trouble at 204/6. However Dhoni batted well with the tail and the rub of green also went India’s way with Bhajji’s edges finding boundaries more often than not. However Bhajji also showed some sense of purpose and resolve to stay at the crease to make a useful 60. Zaheer also batted well for his 33 and so did the rest of the tailenders. At the end of Day 1, India were 375/9 and NZ had easily frittered away the advantage that they had at one stage. India were all out for 379 as Day 2 commenced. NZ batsmen were now expected to put up a really brave show if they were to harbour any hopes of squaring the series. However, some wonderful swing bowling by Zaheer and some lack of application of NZ batsmen were on display as the NZ first innings folded on Day 2 itself. It was some terrible batting and some equally good bowling as the Kiwis lost the plot miserably and handed India a substantial lead of 182 runs. Zaheer bowled beautifully for his 5 wickets and so did Bhajji for his 3. India again went in to bat and though they lost Sehwag early, they were still in a very comfortable position at the end of Day 2. The next day saw a familiar display of batting by the Indian batsmen as they looked to shut the doors for the Kiwis. Dravid batted well for his 60 and so did Laxman for his 62, though Sachin had a rare failure. The day however undoubtedly belonged to Gautam Gambhir who made people stand and notice his extra-ordinary batting skills. While he saved the last test match with his gritty knock, this knock was perfectly tailored to the situation and he made sure that India is going to bat NZ out of this game. At the close of Day 3, India held a massive lead of 531 runs and convential wisdom would have suggested that India declared. However Dhoni decided to bat for some more time on Day 4 and the Kiwis were asked to chase a target of 617. The Kiwis started cautiously, lost some wickets then and finished the day at 167/4. With three sessions to bat, some moderate batsmen to come and a very good bowling attack, Kiwis were all set to loose but fate had other plans. Due to persistent rain in the post lunch session, play had to be called off and Kiwis could manage a draw.
Dhoni’s timing of declaration is now a subject of debate though this is now a matter of trivial importance as India won the series and the outcome of the match was not vital unless India lost. Well, Dhoni did not do the right thing by delaying the declaration but there was plenty of time on offer so, he may have been a bit casual. Despite this, Indian fielders were in a bit of holiday mode on Day 5 and that may have affected the outcome as well. India won the series 1-0 in the end and completed a memorable tour to NZ, something that will remain a benchmark for years to come.

The positives that emerged from this tour are very very encouraging. Firstly, the successes especially in the Test series were a collective effort. The opening stand was not particularly good but Gambhir showed the way. Sehwag did not use his brain at all in the series and therefore had a very ordinary one. However, the middle order fired on a regular basis as Dravid made a statement after some indifferent scores last year. Laxman also batted very well and Sachin Tendulkar just looked like getting younger. Yuvraj, though did not do justice to his talent, nor was he able to stake a claim as a Test batsman. From bowling point of view, the picture is pretty rosy. Zaheer looks like a hunter who is looking for a prey all the time while Ishant was tidy. It was his first tour to NZ and some experience is always going to help the youngster. Munaf had a far better approach than he had in ODIs and played an ideal third seamer. Bhajji bowled beautifully and did not let the absence of Anil Kumble to be felt. It is not easy to fill the void that has been created by Jumbo’s retirement but Bhajji did well to finish as the highest wicket taker from either side with a tally of 16 wickets. Dravid also made the world record for the highest number of catches and I have all the praise for this person who has held some beautiful catches in the slips to help the Indian cause. Gambhir was the best choice for the Man of the Series trophy because he announced his arrival to the opening slot in test cricket in this series only with two contrasting centuries.
Indian team lived to its full potential and therefore pocketed both the series. The action now shifts to the IPL and I would be covering only a few matches of the same (as if I am a cricinfo reporter :)). Let’s hope that the action continues and there is some really good cricket to be watched (on Set Max) and to be read (where else but right here :))
Good bye guys ! Thanks for reading and commenting…
See you soon !!

India start with a bang.....

India won the first test in an emphatic manner with a day to spare and reinforced the belief that they are indeed much superior to the Kiwis at the moment. That the Indians dominated almost each and every session of the match is another fact to support their domination over the proceedings. However, a test victory in NZ came after a long gap of 33 years is something hard to believe actually. Does that mean that no Indian team that ever toured NZ after Pataudi’s team was good enough to win a test match there? However, I do believe that winning a test match in NZ was more of a mental block than anything else. And the way, the current team is on a roll, it is indeed difficult for any team to pose a challenge to them.

Dhoni won the toss and decided to field first. Indians generally have been poor starters in a Test series abroad, especially when they start a tour with the Test series. However, this was not the case this time and Dhoni’s decision had more to do with an attacking intent of picking wickets rather than being a defensive one of shielding his batsmen from the early moisture in the pitch. The Indians seamers made a very good use of the conditions and the Kiwis were 61/6 by the end of the first session. That was a very decisive moment in the larger context of the result of the match. Kiwis were undone by some very good exhibition of pace bowling by the Indian trio of Zaheer, Ishant and Munaf and they were literally in shambles. The susbsequent sessions saw a rearguard action by Ryder and Vettori and they managed a pretty decent total of 279. Vettori and Ryder both got to their centuries and that was some consolation for both of them. Vettori indeed is a wonderful batsman especially in the tests and I have lost count of the number of occasions he has helped NZ to recover from some batting collapses (the latest being the Test series against minnows Bangladesh). Indian bowling was very disciplined and the bowlers made full use of the moisture present in the first session. As the day progressed, the pitch became better for batting and hence the centuries from Vettori and Ryder. Ishant was pick of the bowlers picking 4 wickets and its always good to see the youngster doing well. His presence as an attacking bowler in the Indian bowling department is something to cheer about. He also forms a pretty lethal opening attack with Zaheer Khan. Munaf is good bowler from a test match perspective and the bowlers overall did very well. India had to bat out seven overs in the Day 1 and the openers started their innings in pretty much one day mode with Sehwag being in a ruthless mood. India ended day one in a strong position having bundled the Kiwis for a rather modest 279 and scoring 29 without losing any wicket.

When Day 2 began, all eyes were on Sehwag, as the dashing opener from Delhi looked like murdering another hapless Kiwi attack. However, he was run out, courtesy some stupid calling by Gautam Gambhir, and in walked Rahul “The Wall” Dravid. The duo batted with a very sensible approach and steadied the innings. Gambhir departed for a well made 72 and deserve some praise for his batting as well. He consistently walked down the pitch to negate the swing that the bowlers could get and also was intelligent enough to put the run-out behind him. India later lost Dravid and Laxman by the close of play but they had touched the NZ first innings score by then and Sachin and Yuvi were still there. Day 2 also belonged to India, and it was good to see none of the batsmen getting carried away. All were willing to work hard for their runs, and it was a day of vintage test cricket.
When Day 3 began, Sachin was the cynosure of all eyes as he looked all set to get another hundred. Sachin began on a very confident note and hit some boundaries to make sure that he did not have to labour to the nineties. While Yuvi was out soon, Sachin continued to motor along with Dhoni at the other end. He reached his century soon and put on a valuable 115 run partnership with Dhoni. That was the stage where NZ started heading towards a sure defeat. Even when Dhoni got out, the Indian tail continued to wag with the likes of Bhajji and other bowlers chipping in with some invaluable runs. Zaheer made a very important and quick fifty and Sachin made a masterful 160. India amassed a huge total in 520 and looked on their way to achieve something which had eluded them for quite some time.
With a very handy lead of 241, NZ were always going to be under pressure. Their second note began on a disastrous note as McIntosh was out in the first over of Zaheer. Guptill batted well, but kind of threw his wicket to Bhajji and the tailender Mills could not survive the last over. At the close of third day’s play, India again held a position of complete advantage and supreme control and things looked pretty bad from the Kiwis’ perspective.
When play resumed on Day 4, it merely looked like a question of when and not how. NZ lost the wickets of Taylor and Ryder in the first session itself, and the writing was pretty much on the wall for Kiwis. Bhajji Singh bowled beautifully and from 199/8, the Kiwis did very well to reach to 279. McCullum did well for his 84, but then again it was only a question of delaying the inevitable. With a meagre target of 39 to chase, Gambhir and Dravid did the job in less than 6 overs to seal a memorable win.

For India, the win once again helped them stake their claim for the BEST side in the world. This stupendous victory was achieved by contribution from all the players and therefore is even more special. While Day 1 belonged to the Indian pace attack, Day 2 and 3 were set up by meaningful and substantial knocks by almost all the batsmen. Sachin lead the pack and I don’t think I can write any words that will do justice to all that he has done for Indian cricket. The man has donned the mantle of Indian batting for several years and he just refuses to bow down to anything. Way to go Sachin !
Day 4 was again marked by a wonderful display of spin bowling from Bhajji Singh, and it was good to see him getting into the role of India’s lead spinner by performance and not just by default. Indian pace attack lived up to the expectation and so did the Indian batting line-up. While Zaheer and Ishant can challenge the best of batsmen, we also have a very good spinner in Bhajji Singh. He bowled beautifully and once again made me fall in love with the art of spin bowling (The first time he did was in the infamous World Cup Final in 2003 when he had Hayden caught behind by Dravid).

If you are a NZ supporter, then things would look disappointing to you, to say the least. However, NZ are a very young team at the moment, and they have a long way to go. In Flynn and Ryder, they have atleast two new batsmen who belong to the Test cricket arena. Vettori is also more like a batsman these days and provides some strength to the lower order. However, their bowling looked very ordinary and Kyle Mills was the biggest disappointment of the match. He is the senior bowler in this bowling attack but looked like the least experienced of all. O’Brein was the one who impressed the most among the Kiwi bowlers. Even Vettori had a moderate outing, but then not many spinners fancy their chances against India. There would be at least a couple of changes in the team which faces India in the next Test. For India, the only concern is the injury to Sachin Tendulkar. Otherwise, India looks like the team to put your money on. Unless NZ raise the level of their game significantly, it is going to be another walk in the park for India at Napier.

A successful venture overall

India played some exceptional cricket in the ODI series against NZ to pocket another trophy and increment their tally of victories in bilateral series. That this triumph came after some 33 years makes it even more special. Again it is also important to note that the same NZ team gave the Aussies a run for their money in their own backyard just a month ago. Indian batting continued to flourish throughout the series but for the last game (India did so poorly in the last one day that I am not writing about it at all :)).

For India, the positives which emerged from this series are tremendous. The batting clicked on a regular basis and proved that Indian batsmen can continue playing their strokes in alien conditions and on foreign pitches. Some people do argue that the NZ grounds are small and the pitches have favoured the batsmen, but then they have been the same since some time now. However, not many teams have come to NZ and managed to score like the Indians did.
With the completion of this series, Sehwag has quite easily and deservingly earned the tag of most attacking batsman in the world cricket at present. He is the best batsman at the top of order for India and with age too on his side, he should continue to serve India for some pretty decent time. Sachin and Gambhir are the two ideal partners who can open with Sehwag. While Tendulkar did very well in this series, Gambhir quite did not live up to the expectations. However, it’s not something to really worry about. The concern for the team management right now is which place Gambhir should bat at. On current form and experience, Sachin and Sehwag should open the innings and Gambhir is not actually the best bet at Number 3. Yuvraj should be the one coming at that stage especially if India gets to a good start. Yuvraj has the attacking intent to capitalise on a good start. Raina has a style which is more or less similar to Yuvraj’s but then Yuvraj’s experience has to be rewarded by allowing him to come a bit up in the order. Raina should bat at number 4 but then again Gambhir is again overlooked. Most of Gambhir’s successes have come while batting up the order, so in that case Gambhir should not bat at any position lower than 4. This combination makes Raina to come at Number 5, which is not too bad. At number 6, we should have the next batsman coming in which could be Rohit Sharma. However, Dhoni is quite an experienced batsman, so he can take the number 6 slot and push the last recognised batsman (Rohit Sharma) at number 7.
However, this order should be subject to change and Dhoni understands this point more than anyone else. For example, allowing Gambhir to bat at Number 3 in case the opening stand does not yield much. Secondly Dhoni can always go up the order and he does that more often than not. Lastly, while playing in subcontinent, the last batsman can be omitted and a tits and bits player like Irfan Pathan or Ravinder Jadeja can be included. Lastly the four bowlers for India should be Bhajji Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar.
Bhajji Singh is a seasoned campaigner and so is Zaheer Khan. The two have done well for a period of some years and they are the senior most bowlers in the team now. Zaheer is actually in the form of his life and this augurs very well for India. Ishant and Praveen on the other hand are still novices as compared to Bhajji and Zaheer. Praveen had a decent series but Ishant definitely had a disappointing one by his standards. Ishant bowled too full on many occasions and also gave a lot of extras. However, he is still a young kid and spending more time in the middle should help. Praveen Kumar bowled well in patches but he should realise that his strength is his impeccable line and length, and therefore should never deviate from it.
The present team is a very good one day outfit for India and the batting strength and depth is good enough to send shivers down the spine of any captain or coach who are going to face India. For a change, Indian bowling combination is also balanced and therefore the chances of success, whether playing at home turfs or abroad are very high. However, Indian fielding is still very ordinary and that is one serious concern.
Secondly, the complacency which the team showed in the last ODI is another issue.

The test series will begin very soon and it remains to be seen if the team is able to get into the test mode at a fairly quick pace. On paper, India easily is the better of the two teams and therefore should win. However, the Kiwis have a reputation of challenging the best sides and therefore are no pushovers. I am sure the test series will provide ample moments of excitement to watch for and also for me to write about :).

The ODI series was a very successful venture for India as a team and for me as a blogger. Would like to thank all those who read my match reports and commented on them as well, especially Dr. Channa :).
Looking forward to the 3 Test series with much hope and enthusiasm.

India win the one day series

India won the fourth ODI at Hamilton to seal the fate of this one-day series. India have done exceedingly well with the bat in the series so far and Bhajji Singh’s prediction that India is going to make a clean sweep is a distinct possibility. It will really require something very very special from the NZ team in general and from their bowlers in particular to win the last inconsequential ODI.
NZ were bolstered by the return of their captain Vettori, and after winning the toss, he planned to do something different by asking Indians to bowl first. Indian bowling was much better to begin with and the NZ openers didn’t find the going easy. However, much sense prevailed and both Ryder and McCullum decided to stay on and wait for the loose deliveries. McCullum is playing as a batsman these days, and he has proved that he has all the qualities of a modern ODI batsman. Both Zaheer and Praveen bowled a decent line and length and it was not until the introduction of Ishant that the NZ batsmen really started to feel at ease. Ishant did not have a very good first over, and suddenly the momentum started to shift in the favour of NZ. Ishant also bowled a couple of no balls and it was good to see Bhajji making a fine save on a free hit. Dhoni, as expected introduced spin and immediately gave a life to McCullum, a missed stumping. The first wicket stand was eventually broken when Yuvi deceived Ryder and a top edge was safely taken by Raina. However, with the spin attack of Yuvi and Yousuf Pathan, the Kiwis were strangulated a bit and that also bought them the wicket of Taylor. Guptill joined McCullum and slowly but surely McCullum also started to play a bit of shots, he is famous for.
McCullum fell leg before to Zaheer and Oram fell immediately to Ishant in the next over. That brought McGlashan to the crease and he was instrumental in taking NZ to a healthy total. Thankfully for NZ, Guptill departed at the right time, since he was not contributing much and Elliott in company with McGlashan did some repair work to take NZ to a decent total. To get 270 in 47 overs is a pretty demanding task unless you have to bowl to someone like Sehwag and then there are some more like him to follow.
For NZ, there were a few positives to come from this innings. Their batsmen did reasonably well and McGlashan played some interesting strokes and made a nice half century to support his candidature for further selections. Indian bowling was definitely better but their fielding was again disappointing. Dhoni, Sehwag and Gambhir let go easy chances and with a team like NZ you may be able to afford these lapses, but definitely not with Aussies or S. Africa.
Indian chase began on a wonderful note and Sehwag, as he has always looked on this tour, again looked invincible. The whole innings was more like a highlights package and I don’t think there is much to discuss about that. Sehwag kept on hitting the ball with utter disdain and Gambhir did just the right thing by rotating the strike and letting Sehwag take much of it. However, something that deserves mention is the running between the wickets. Sehwag was scoring boundaries at will but never did he refuse a quick single and that was the most heartening aspect of the partnership for me. None of the NZ bowlers was spared and the run rate just kept on soaring. I really find it difficult to write something about Sehwag’s batting, because you could not really pick something from the innings. He kept on going for his shots and there were a couple of miscued hits as well (that is practically always the case with Sehwag, the way he bats) but overall he looked very much in control. The NZ bowlers looked like some club standard bowlers who were dispatched to all parts of the ground. That Sehwag made his century in 60 balls is just an addition to statistics, but he never was troubled through out. Gambhir gave him good support and with the rain interruptions, the only question was if the match would indeed be completed. But on India’s part it was good that they ended up winning (they would have won the series otherwise also). Somehow, I feel that it was good for NZ too that they lost. May be, this will help them realise that they were truly outplayed and they need to make some serious amends.
Things look very good and positive for India but they have to guard against complacency for the Test matches are a different ball game altogether. Dhoni also need to give a kick in the butt to his players and also ask someone to give him one as well (perhaps Robin Singh) as the Indian fielding was again pretty ordinary. Finally, it is good to see Indian team realising its full potential. Theoretically speaking, India always have a good collection of highly skilled batsmen but it has seldom happened that all of them have fired on a consistent basis and help India won continuously (touch wood).
That’s all for now. Will be back with the report for the last ODI and an analysis of the whole ODI series.

India take a 2-0 lead

India did well to win the third ODI in Christchurch. As I wrote in my previous blog, Indian batting is a tremendous asset and when they fire in unison; you can win matches with dropped catches and some very stupid bowling (Munaf Patel, leading the pack).
India did not start too well, with the law of averages catching up with Sehwag. But, he is a sort of player with an extremely aggressive intent and I don’t think he will regret playing that shot. Gambhir steadied the innings a bit with Sachin and none of them tried to be too adventurous. Gambhir did depart in 13th over and even the strongest of the optimists would not have predicted the storm that was about to follow. Enter Yuvraj, and the rest as they say is history. He started with a wonderful cover drive and when he strikes the ball in that fashion at the start of his innings, you get a gut feeling that this guy is going to make a big score today. Sachin and Yuvraj had started to middle the ball pretty well, and then came the master-stroke- the batting power play. India made 69 in that PP and made sure NZ will have to make a herculean effort to give them even a remote chance of winning the game. Yuvraj batted in splendid fashion and made it look the easiest thing in the world. At the other end, Sachin was playing beautifully and had almost made his mind that he is going to bat right through the innings. When Yuvraj did depart in 29th over, India had already compiled 203 and therefore were all set for a big score. Dhoni started with a bit of caution and even benefitted from a life, but by then the Master Blaster was on a song. The duo kept on making life miserable for NZ bowlers, and McCullum must have felt that his first day in Captain’s Office was really a tough one. NZ bowling was pretty ordinary, to say the least. Of course they suffered a big loss in Vettori’s absence (In a team devoid of star players, Vettori is the only one who can command the tag). Moreover, Oram did not complete his spell and neither did Butler, though I doubt whether it would have made any impact on the final score.
Sachin eventually had to retire at 163, though 200 was a distinct possibility. Sachin has been a tremendous player for India over the years, and it’s great to seem him scoring big hundreds. I remember when Sachin opened for India in NZ for the first time, India were 1-0 down in the series, and his strokeful 88 helped India level the series. I was in class 6 at that time, and the day was also special, the festival of Holi. India had started that one day series with a new colour jersey which was a combination of yellow and dark blue [I was wondering why do India always choose to try their new colour jerseys in NZ only].The great man has given so much to the Indian cricket over the years, and still continues to do the same.
Dhoni and Raina also hit some big strokes in a small ground and helped India reach a very competitive total of 392. NZ bowling has been below par in all the games that they have played and as I said, Vettori’s absence made things even more difficult for them.
NZ started their chase on a very strong note and both the openers seemed hell bent on punishing the Indian bowlers. The Indian bowling was also well below their usual standards and the bowlers look a bit complacent. Zaheer and Praveen looked like waiting for things to happen rather than making them happen. However, Munaf Patel was not even trying to do something. A dropped catch off him didn’t help either, and Indian complacency and lack of application was getting more and more evident. Ryder and McCullum kept on taking a bit of chances (they had no choice) and it was paying off well. The introduction of spin did not bring any relief to Dhoni as Bhajji was hit for 2 consecutive sixes in his first over. In such scenarios, the only way to get a wicket is to pray that the batsmen do something foolish. And Ryder did oblige. McCullum was run-out by quite a distance and brought some smiles to the Indian faces. Meanwhile, Ryder completed his century and looked like the key player for NZ if they were to fancy any chance of winning this game. However, wickets started falling in a heap when an alert Yuvi’s throw got rid of Taylor and then Yuvi had Guptill leg before the wicket to an arm ball. From 166 for no loss, NZ were suddenly 182/3. Ryder started to feel the absence of batsmen around him and lost the plot as he chipped Bhajji straight to Zaheer at long-off. Those four wickets started a procession of sorts and with more than 200 runs still to get, it was going to be India’s game only. When your bowlers concede so many runs, it’s as good as impossible to chase the target. You need to keep the asking run-rate with in your reach and make sure that you do not lose too many wickets. It’s like ignoring your studies throughout the year and then looking for the final night before the exam as your time to get things right. It comes off only occasionally, not always. Zaheer also came back well and chipped in with the wickets of Elliott and McGlashan after Bhajji had removed Oram. The ninth wicket partnership between Mills and Southee saw a late recharge from NZ, but they were ably supported from some generous half-volleys and length deliveries from Indian bowlers. Munaf looked like on a vacation and should not be playing in the next game in all probability. Yusuf did manage to have Mills out and the expression on Zaheer’s face when he caught Mills told the story. Praveen wrapped the innings and India won by a 58 run margin.

The win made sure that India will not lose the series but this is surely not enough. India must win the series with a 4-0 margin, given the differences in the teams’ composition. India definitely have a better combination than NZ and their team also boasts of a lot of stars. When India won the T20 World Cup in 2007, Adam Gilchrist had later said that Indian young turks are amazing without specifically naming anyone. I believe the current Indian team does have a lot of amazing strikers, and India can win a lot of matches solely on the basis of their batting, like they did today. However, if India do want to be THE BEST team, then a lot of things need to get fixed. Dhoni was modest enough to accept this at the post match presentation and admitted that he set a bad example by dropping a sitter early in the innings, and the trend continued.
Let’s hope that the team will put up a much better performance in the coming ODIs.

India return to winning ways

It was good to see India coming back strongly after the losses to NZ in the two T20 matches. Well, Indian team has traditionally always been equipped with a lot of talented batsmen, and when they do come good, the chances of success increase tremendously. The famed batting line-up did not do too well in the T20 matches and consequently we lost both of those. However, T20s are not the real test of strength (at least I believe so) and this ODI series provides a wonderful opportunity to India to stake a claim for the best ODI side in the world.
India started off pretty well, with Sehwag in wonderful nick, and when he bats in that fashion, you can only sit and applaud. Sehwag to me looks like the most attacking batsman in the world (marginally ahead of Pietersen) primarily because he is so clear in his mind. He does not let any iota of doubt enter his mind when he decides to hit the ball. Sachin Tendulkar with years of experience and tonnage of runs and records provides an ideal partner to Sehwag. The duo started well, and the loss of Sachin’s wicket did not mean much to India at that stage. India was off to a wonderful start, and then came Mr. Captain Cool- Dhoni. Dhoni deserves a lot of appreciation for the way he has established himself as an international cricketer. He was supposed to be a wicketkeeper-batsman. But his rise to become the captain of Indian team is the stuff fairy tales are made of. He went in, knowing fully that the team needed to consolidate at that point and he took the responsibility (However that does not make him the best Indian captain, Sourav Ganguly holds that crown, as per me). Dhoni batted with calm and did not let anything bother him; he was quite content just being there. Actually with Sehwag, you can afford that luxury. The loss of Sehwag and Yuvraj brought another talented batsman Raina. Raina has been in and out of team but the guy established himself during IPL. I still remember the four sixes he hit in the semi-final against Kings Punjab XI, the ball just kept on sailing. He has all the big shots in his armoury and that was what India needed. Yusuf Pathan is another IPL find and he is a very useful batsman coming down the order. He entered the situation that he would have loved to be in, and some lusty blows from him took India to a healthy total.
In nutshell, India batted just the way they should have done in the last two T20 matches. However, it’s better late than never. Dhoni also did the right thing by shuffling the batsman according to the situation, and remained the top scorer. Lastly, the three stars of this batting effort- Sehwag, Raina and Dhoni have something in common. More on that later.
NZ began their chase on a disastrous note as they lost their star batsman to Parveen Kumar. McCullum is a wonderful batsman for T20 matches mainly because he does not have to bat for long periods of time. However, I believe he does not have the technique and the range of shots to repeat his heroics in ODIs and that too consistently. He has started to win matches for NZ but he won’t be the match winner that Sehwag is for India or say Habibul Bashar is for Bangaldesh (Does Bangladesh win any match actually ??? …trying to be funny). Praveen Kumar bowled a wonderful line and so did Zaheer. Being the more experienced and senior bowler, it is expected of Zaheer actually but Praveen Kumar is a very useful ODI bowler as well. He bowls wicket to wicket, exploits the new ball and is faster than he appears. With the wicket of Ryder in 8th over, Praveen made sure that NZ were going to struggle always. Guptill and Taylor tried to bring some life back in the match but with the asking run rate climbing up every over, NZ were all set to loose. And it did happen. The rain delays didn’t help their case either. But the mammoth total India had posted was always going to pose problems for the Kiwis. In such scenarios, their best chance is to open with McCullum and expect that he gets them off to a flier. Didn’t happen today but may be, some other day. Bhajji Singh bowled beautifully and the wicket of Broom (stumped on a doosra) was a treat to watch. Nothing better than foxing a batsman with doosra (Remember Bhajji doing the same to Ponting in Sharjah and getting banned later for one ODI, also did the same to Kallis when India successfully defended 232 in S. Africa 2001-02). The star bowlers for India were Zaheer (he is easily the best fast left-arm pacer right now, and let’s hope he remains the same), Praveen and Bhajji. India won comfortably in the end, and opened their account in NZ. It was disappointing to see India lose those T20 matches and I was starting to wonder what if India does not start this series with a win. The media would have started post-mortems into virtually everything related to the team and its composition. Thankfully, it didn’t happen, and we had some reasons to celebrate.
My flatmate also bought some sweets (he just got his first salary) and we celebrated.
This win did confirm a few things. The first among these is the fact that for India to win, they need their batsmen to fire (like blaming the poor Irfan Pathan [one time fast bowler] for the last T20 loss while defending a meagre 150). It also confirmed the fact that players from small towns have started to make a mark in Indian cricket. Dhoni (Ranchi), Sehwag (Najafgarh), Raina (Ghaziabad), Praveen (Meerut) and Bhajji (Jalandhar), all these provide ample testimony to what I have said.
Lastly, it also proved that whether I stay at Ambala, Chandigarh, Mohali or Cork, I will continue to follow cricket with the same passion as I used to do when I was in school.
That’s all for now. Will write about the second ODI provided India wins.

Welcome

Well, I have been in Ireland for quite sometime now (very close to 3 months) and the country does have a feel good factor to it. Its amazing to see how the people can be so friendly here. The overall atmosphere is electric here and with a lot of students studying at UCC, the crowd is quite young.

Secondly Cork is also a compact place, or may be it appears to me as compact. My laboratory is reasonably close to my apartment and this ensures that I can come and go back to the lab, at my will. Our apartment being in the heart of the city, we have also a wonderful access to the local market and that has definitely made life easy for us.
:)

I have started some computational exercises in the lab and look forward to getting something out of those exercises. I have also learnt a few experiments in the kitchen and those are the ones that have actually helped me survive here and have given me the confidence that I can manage in a foreign land, and still be a vegetarian.

Well, that's all I feel like writing. However, I plan to write in much detail very soon and share my experiences with all fellow bloggers and friends..

Till then good bye !!