All posts by h716a5.icu

Virender Sehwag proved once again that he isn’t only a fairweather batsman

On the ball with S Rajesh and Arun Gopalakrishnan15-Oct-2005The conditions were perfect for seam and swing bowling, the pitch was an excellent one for spinners, and Australia had champion bowlers to exploit both. All that didn’t matter one bit to Virender Sehwag, though, who came up with another characteristically flamboyant knock. He had an especially good time against Brett Lee and Shane Watson, blasting 57 off the 50 balls he played from them. Glenn McGrath went for 13 from 16, while the spinners were far more effective in stopping his runs, going for only six from 16. And Sehwag’s scoring rate off good-length balls from the fast bowlers is a fair indication of his mind-set at the crease.The wagon-wheel shows Sehwag’s strength square of the off side. Of the 14 fours he hit in his innings, 12 came in the arc between third man and cover.Sehwag’s 76 lifted his first-innings stats to 2718 runs from 37 tries at an average of 73.46. Eighteen of his 20 fifty-plus scores in Tests have been in the first innings. In the second innings he averages a paltry 25.66, a stat he’ll surely have the opportunity to improve upon over the next couple of days.McGrath continued his stranglehold over Rahul Dravid. Since September 2001, McGrath has bowled 156 deliveries to Dravid, conceded 24 runs, and dismissed him thrice – that’s an average of eight runs per wicket, and less than a run per over.

Sri Lanka’s 78-run defeat against South Africa leaves them on the brink of being eliminated from the Champions Trophy, but all isn’t lost for them yet

S Rajesh24-Oct-2006

A second defeat in three games for Mahela Jayawardene and his side, but all isn’t lost for them yet © AFP
Sri Lanka’s 78-run defeat against South Africa leaves them on the brink of being eliminated from the Champions Trophy, but all isn’t lost for them yet. Since they have played all three matches in the group, the situation isn’t in their hands any more, but if other results pan out well, Sri Lanka might still make it to the semi-finals.For that to happen, though, Pakistan will need to win both their remaining matches, which will put them on top of the group with six points, leaving New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka with one win each. In such a case, the net run rate will decide which team joins Pakistan in the semi-finals.Currently, Sri Lanka’s NRR of -0.195 is below that of South Africa (-0.090) and New Zealand (0.414). For them to make it, Sri Lanka will have to hope that Pakistan demolish South Africa and New Zealand by big enough margins to make their NRR drop below Sri Lanka’s.In fact, South Africa’s NRR is so marginally above Sri Lanka’s that even a narrow defeat against Pakistan will be a huge setback – if, for example, Pakistan score 250 and South Africa lose by 30 runs, their NRR will still drop to -0.26.For Sri Lanka to beat New Zealand’s NRR, though, they’ll need greater help from Pakistan. If Pakistan manage 250, they will have to restrict New Zealand to less than 189 for Sri Lanka to get through. Considering the way batsmen have struggled in this tournament, such a margin of defeat can hardly be ruled out. It’s not the ideal situation for Mahela Jayawardene and his team, but it’s hardly time yet to pack their bags and head home.

Dropped and just about forgotten, Sourav Ganguly has returned in a manner that has confounded many. “I’ve come back to this stage all on my own and that feels very good,” he says

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan19-Dec-2007

Somehow I have this ability … I believe I can be successful © Getty Images
Sourav Ganguly has been to hell and back, and looks the better for it.We are sitting in his hotel room in Visakhapatnam. It’s been a couple of hours since India have wrapped up a hard-fought series win over Sri Lanka, and it’s been a tough day at work for Ganguly. celebrations kept him awake the previous night; a short lunch break due to the delayed start meant he could hardly grab a bite; his bowling spell in the match left him a bit stiff; and the soaring temperatures had him cramping.He had come out to open and then retired in the second over after a dizzy spell. But he was back when the second wicket fell, produced a controlled fifty, his fourth in six innings since his dramatic return, collected the Man-of-the-Series trophy, and was sprayed with aerated drinks by his team-mates. Now, bathed and in fresh clothes, he looks fresh enough to run a marathon.He sits comfortably on the bed, the trophy lying close by. The landline and cellphone buzz incessantly. He has semi-packed. In a couple of hours he will catch a train – yes, a train – that will get him home before the flight the next morning can. The ticket is delivered when we are in the middle of a question. Ganguly sprints to the door, sprints back, and carries on from where he left off.Every bit of him looks rejuvenated. His eyes are twinkling, radiant even. He appears both serene and energetic. A burden has been lifted off him, and his performances have vindicated his resolve to carry on when many, including well-wishers, willed him to give up. But if he is burning with indignation, he keeps it to himself. There is no rancour in his voice. Yes, there is a quiet confidence, and the air of man who wants the world to know that he knew he could do it.He says that he now views cricket differently while maintaining that he hasn’t changed as a person. But he certainly looks different from his last few months as captain of India, when he mostly looked besieged. The world-weary stubble he sported back then was emblematic of his worries, as were his pained facial expressions, and the constant chewing of his fingernails.Misfortune seemed to follow him everywhere – he was banned for poor over-rates, struck for a last-ball six in a Deodhar Trophy game, and during his horror run at Northamptonshire, where he managed just 19 runs in three first-class games, was clattered on the head by a Shahid Nazir bouncer. Zaheer Khan’s very presence appeared to rattle him, be it in the Duleep Trophy, the English County Championship, or the Challenger Series.One quote sums up his remarkable return. “Somehow I have this ability,” he says, “whether it’s god-given or not I don’t know, but I believe that I can be successful.”How have the last few weeks been? Can we call it a completely new phase?
I don’t think so. Just that I’ve played well since I’ve come back. I’ve played well in the past also, had some lean patches in the past also. It’s going to happen to everyone. The satisfying thing is the consistency, I think that’s the best part of it. It’s not just that I’m getting runs – I’ve got runs earlier also – but it’s the way I’m playing, and the consistency.It’s as if you’re in a supremely calm mindset, in a different zone almost.
When you play well, it seems like that. That’s why form is so important. It’s the patches that you hit in your career at different stages.I’m playing very well, touch wood (touches the table next to him). Nothing matters to me except performance. Till whenever I play, I hope I can keep that mindset. I haven’t allowed too many other thoughts to trouble me.Can you talk about your innings in the Karachi Test last year. It was a difficult pitch, where not many batsmen succeeded.
I batted well in Karachi. I wasn’t getting many opportunities at that stage, and I thought I batted very well. I was unfortunate not to continue, but that’s past. But yes, I thought I started batting well in that innings. This phase is a continuation of that.You seem to have made some changes in your batting.
I have changed my technique, bit with my stance, bit with my initial movement. I use a slightly lighter bat compared to my earlier days. I’ve worked on it, but nothing major.I would have tried for a certain period of time – till probably the World Cup. If after that it didn’t happen, probably I would have taken other decisionsIn most professions people reach their peak between 30 and 35. As a sportsman you are entering the final stage of your career. How frustrating is it?
I don’t think age has got anything to do with it, unless you’re in your forties, or a fast bowler in your late thirties. I’m 34 now, and for a batsman it’s not any age at all. I don’t think age has anything to do with sports. It’s just how fit you are and how you perform. I have worked on my fitness.See, when you’re captain of India, it takes a lot of time away from you. I’m sure it takes a lot of time out of Rahul [Dravid] also, and it’s going to take a lot of time away from future captains too. Captaining is hard work, and in modern-day cricket it involves a whole lot of things. You don’t get space. When you’re not captain, you get a lot of time for yourself – you work on your fitness, your game… you don’t have to worry about other things. So I’ve had a lot of time.You made a statement when you joined Northants: “People in India are very fragile, they can take decisions based on one match or two.”
It is a mindset in India. Decisions change very quickly with one win and one loss. I’ve seen some renowned names do it. We are a bit sensitive as a country. I wouldn’t say that only that kept me going. I felt I was good enough, I felt that at some stage I’d get an opportunity because of the performances I’ve had for my country. I knew it would not be easy to throw me away easily. I also knew there was a lot of tough cricket coming [for the Indian team], and as I said, people forget things very easily in India.How would you compare this period to 1994 or ’95, when your chances of playing for India appeared slim?
I was young then. When you’re 21-22, nothing matters. The world is at your feet, you don’t care much about things. I was enjoying playing for Bengal. Bengal were doing well. I never missed playing for the country. But obviously this time when I got dropped it was different. The circumstances in which I got dropped were not very good. I’ve been part of a successful team for 10 years, and I still believe that I can be a part of this team. So these are two completely different situations.Can you talk about the period before you were recalled? What was going through your mind? Did you have a deadline for giving up?
I would have tried for a certain period of time – till probably the World Cup. If after that it didn’t happen, probably I would have taken other decisions. But at that stage I was trying very hard because I knew I had to perform every time.At any stage did you seriously think of quitting?
No. I knew that the selection committee would change in September. There were a lot of things involved. As I said, these things were not in my control. I’d just given myself a deadline that I would try till this period of time, and just kept going.There were a lot of strong emotions involved in your dropping. The nation was divided on the issue. How difficult was it to focus on the cricket?
As I said, these reactions were not in my control. But a lot of the reactions were very positive. Cricket is so huge in this country that there will be reactions at different stages. But it’s what you think about yourself. I’m a firm believer that what you think about yourself is most important. Not what others think about you. And I always believed that I would get another opportunity.People will be tempted to say that your return is because of the failure of the youngsters who were tried.
That’s always going to be the case. Two years down the line, if we get dropped, it will be because we’ve not done well. That’s the way this game goes. You perform, you play. If you don’t perform, you don’t. Obviously the team went through a phase when some guys were not performing, so that opened up the doors.You joined the team in South Africa when they had lost the one-day series. What was the mood like then?
They were pretty much okay. They knew they hadn’t played some good cricket, but they knew they could turn it around also. South Africa is always a difficult place to tour. I also had things on my mind – trying to establish myself back in the team. So we all had different thoughts on our mind.What about the innings in Potchefstroom? There were many positives there.
It was important because it opened up my place in the Test side. Although it was a side game, it helped me play the Test match.

” My comeback is because I still had the ability to perform at this level” © AFP
At the Wanderers, what was going through your mind when you walked out to bat after nearly eight months?
Every time you walk out to bat for India, however many matches you’ve played, some tension will be there. I’ve always believed I had it in me to be successful. Somehow I have this ability – whether it’s god-given or not, I don’t know – but I believe that I can be successful. That’s the only way you can be successful. If before playing you believe that you may not be successful, then you’ll definitely not be successful. I took it as a challenge, that if I can do well, I can get my place back. And obviously a little bit of luck helped.Ganguly the batsman as captain and Ganguly the batsman alone. Were they two different people?
In certain phases as captain I’ve played outstandingly, certain phases I’ve not played well. But that is more to do with a career over a long period of time than with captaincy. And it’s going to happen to everyone. Also, captaining India is hard, and it gets harder the longer you stay as captain. But I have made useful contributions as captain. Obviously, when you’re not captain, things are different. I’ve always said captaincy is hard work. And captaining India is the toughest.If you were to go back to that phase, would you have given up captaincy to be a batsman?
I’m never that sort of a person, who would give up things. I never think that way, because captaining India is a huge honour. And I’ve played some good knocks as captain and I’ve always believed that I could play good knocks again. So I never thought of quitting captaincy at that stage for batting. Maybe at some stage I would have, if I had not been dropped, because I’d been captain for too long, I’d say.If you take away the circumstances in which you were dropped, do you think it was a good thing for Ganguly as a batsman to be dropped?
I don’t think so.Has the successful comeback been possible partly because you were dropped at that time?
No. My comeback is because I still had the ability to perform at this level. And I don’t think it’s because I was dropped.Tell us about the Baroda game against Sri Lanka. Dravid and Tendulkar were off the field and you captained for two overs.
I think I knew it would be for only four or five overs. So I was just trying to do the job that Rahul would have done.Was there any sudden excitement on realising you were captain?
It doesn’t excite me anymore.Coming to the inevitable question: how’s your relationship with Greg Chappell?
It’s been good. As I said, lots of things happened. But time heals everything. I’ve come back to the team and am performing, helping the team to win. And that’s what a coach requires from a player, and that’s what a cricket team needs.What were things at home like when you were out of the team?
My father is obsessed with the game, obsessed with me playing for India. Luckily my wife is not a great follower of the game, but she was sad that I wasn’t playing for the country because she knows how happy I feel when I play for India and perform. From that point of view, she was upset. But it probably hurt my dad more than anybody else, and I’m happy for him that I’m playing well.Have you changed as a person over the last year?
No. I think I’m a person misunderstood by a lot of people, because of the way I interact on the field – which was the way I thought India would play the best. I think that’s happened a lot in my career. I judge myself as a person off the field, not as a person on the field. That hasn’t changed.Has your view towards cricket changed?
Obviously it will change. Performance is the key but I’ve realised that life’s a lot more than just cricket. It’s something I’ve realised over the last year or so. But as I’ve said, nothing makes me more happy than performing.What is it like for an Indian captain to go back to playing domestic cricket, playing against 18-19 year olds?
It’s tough. It’s not easy playing domestic cricket, because of the standard of cricket you’ve played. But I’m lucky to be playing for Bengal because we’ve got the best facilities and always have good hotels to stay at. It made my job a bit easier. But you’ve got to accept one thing – when you’re out of the team, the only way to get back is by playing domestic cricket. I have this ability to accept reality very quickly, and probably that part of my character helped me go into domestic cricket and try and make a way back into the side.A lot of people said, “Why is he doing this to himself, when he can quit in a grand manner?”
There’re two ways of looking at it. You can quit and go. But I looked at it as, “I’ve seen the best, achieved quite a few things for India, let’s see if I’m good enough to go through this.”You did a Pepsi advertisement during that period, which prompted lots of negative reaction.
It’s just a commercial. It’s important to treat a commercial as a commercial. It’s got no connection to reality, real life. I’ve seen a lot of people singing and dancing in commercials, but I think we should not mix up commercials with life.Did you have to think a lot before doing it?
I said no to them, because I knew what people would think – how it could be and could have been twisted. But in the end I decided to do it because it was obviously really important for the brand.You’ve seen the development of the side for more than 10 years. How do you see the current team?
I think the current team that’s going for the World Cup is probably the best possible Indian team at the moment. There’ll always be a few names here and there who could have been part of the side, who somehow missed the bus, who are probably as good. But that’s the way it is, you can only pick so many. But I’m happy we’ve picked a strong side to go to the West Indies.This comeback has been special, as if you’re riding a wave. You must want to hang on to it forever?
I hope I can play as well as I’m doing now. I know it’s not going to continue forever, there will be hiccups at some stage. And it’s how quickly I bounce back from that and start performing again. If you play 10 innings and perform six times, I think you’ve done a good job. Performance is the key but I’ve realised that life’s a lot more than just cricket. It’s something I’ve realised over the last year or soHave you batted better than this at all?
I think in 1996 I was playing very well. For four-five years I batted very well. In Australia [2003-04] I batted very well. Batted very well in England in 2002, batted very well in the Champions Trophy in 2000, when I first became captain. There have been phases when I’ve batted as well as this.Surely you can’t have batted better than this?
Why this looks good and different is because of everything that’s gone along. It’s a package, it’s not just one thing. So that probably has made it special. I wouldn’t say I’ve done something really special. I’ve done something that’s made me happy. Because I had to go back to domestic cricket, go through the grind, sometimes have been left out of the team when I felt that I’m probably as good or better than some. But it’s just that I’ve come back to this stage all on my own, and that feels very good.

Pakistan’s decision to play an unfit Shoaib Akhtar weakened their bowling attack and the Indian batsman took full advantage

Anand Vasu in Kolkata30-Nov-2007

Shoaib Akhtar was not match fit and it showed in his body language © AFP
Two errors of judgment, one from an inexperienced opening batsman and the other from an experienced umpire, caused minor blips in an Indian batting feast that left the first day’s play devoid of any contest. Wasim Jaffer, tall at the crease and elegant in stroke execution, provided much aesthetic pleasure to those who enjoy batting as spectacle, and the Kolkata crowd was happy just cheering India’s unchecked advance. However this isn’t why Test cricket is regarded as the highest and most pure form of the game.Beyond a point, there’s little joy in watching a set batsman dominating in conditions where the bowlers, fast and slow alike, have been defanged by a pitch so dead that you’re more likely to find life on Mars. But it’s hardly India’s fault that they dominated so, in fact it was to their credit. If anything, it was Pakistan who should be held accountable for taking the life out of this Test.The decision to play Shoaib Akhtar – flying in the face of common sense and, presumably, medical advice, given that he had been in hospital receiving antibiotics via an intravenous drip since Tuesday evening – was foolhardy rather than brave. Sure, Shoaib looked the only bowler likely to get a wicket in Delhi and might have been desperately keen to play, but if teams were merely decided on who was keenest to play, there would be no need for selectors.A 20-minute fitness Test on the morning of the Test deemed Shoaib fit to play. From his first spell, though, it was clear that he was nowhere near match fitness. After Anil Kumble chose to bat, denying Pakistan’s bowlers a chance to rest a bit more, Shoaib bowled four overs for nine runs, often pushing 140 kmh, before disappearing from the attack. He returned for a limping two-over spell just after lunch where enthusiasm rather than ability kept him going. The third spell, again two overs, was an apology and the final one – a solitary over before stumps – left Shoaib with 9-1-29-0 at the end of the day. In all honesty he should pass a large chunk of his match fees to Sohail Tanvir and Danish Kaneria. Having Yasir Hameed bowl offspin was an equally desperate measure, and to see these two [part-timers] operating in tandem on the first day of a Test was unedifying With their strike bowler out, Pakistan had only one option, and that was to take a leaf out of Nasser Hussain’s book and strangulate the opposition into making a mistake. On a pitch perfect for batting, Younis Khan, the stand-in captain for Shoaib Malik, should have done all he could to control the flow of runs. This would have meant putting men out on the fence to protect the boundaries, a conservative field in the ring, and bowlers operating on one side of the stumps.Instead, Younis had some strange fields in place, often employing two men in unorthodox and largely pointless midwicket and cover positions, slip and gully, giving Jaffer space on this large ground to pick off his boundaries. As the day progressed, Jaffer went past the milestones – 50, 100, 150 – with mind-numbing certainty and was unbeaten on the verge of his second double-century.By then, a procession of bowlers had tried their hand at changing Pakistan’s luck. It’s not clear if Younis was making a point by asking Tanvir to bowl left-arm spin. Abdur Rahman, the specialist practitioner of the art, was left out of the XI in place of two iffy fast bowlers. Having Yasir Hameed bowl offspin was an equally desperate measure, and to see these two operating in tandem on the first day of a Test was unedifying. To compound matters the ground fielding, spoken of as an indicator of team morale, began erratically and ended comically ragged.The only relief for Pakistan came in the form a Kaneria googly that Sachin Tendulkar failed to pick, being bowled for an unusually brisk 82. Once again the century proved elusive but, with Jaffer on 192 and India having reached 352 for 3 in a day, with VVS Laxman and Mahendra Singh Dhoni still to come, even the most optimistic Pakistani supporter would do well to curb his enthusiasm.

After matching India blow for blow on the most alien of surfaces and conditions for two days, South Africa slipped up – decisively – in the first hour of the third day

Sidharth Monga in Kanpur13-Apr-2008
Graeme Smith had scored quick runs in the first innings but failed to repeat the act in the second © AFP
After matching India blow for blow on the most alien of surfaces and conditions for two days, South Africa slipped up – decisively – in the first hour with the kind of display in the field that is usually associated with their rivals. It’s India who are supposed to struggle with getting the tail out, but here South Africa allowed 46 runs to be added for the last wicket, and once that happened, they were always likely to struggle to get back on level terms.Mickey Arthur had sounded the warning yesterday, saying they needed to get the last wicket “ASAP”, but Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini, the bowlers who began the day, made a wayward start. They slipped quite a few down the leg side or full on the stumps.Every streaky run by run, South Africa saw the match slip away at the hands of Nos. 10 and 11. Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma played the sort of irritating knocks that every opponent dreads. When they edged, they either found the gaps or one of the South African fielders in a rare inattentive moment, and when a mis-hit finally found two hands, it was off a no-ball. To rub salt into their wounds, an edged boundary would immediately be followed by an immaculate forward-defensive push. Smith tried all the bowling changes, the bowlers tried different things, but nothing worked until Sreesanth and Ishant had worked “some magic”, as Sourav Ganguly had put it yesterday, taking the lead from 23 to 60. This is the second time in recent Tests that the India’s last wicket has troubled South Africa – in Johannesburg in 2006-07, Sourav Ganguly and VRV Singh had added 44 in another low-scoring game.On a pitch which was misbehaving increasingly, South Africa’s only chance to get back was to get quick runs. Scoring runs off every opportunity, before the inevitable unplayable delivery came along, was the only way to bat on a pitch like this one. That is exactly what Graeme Smith, Neil McKenzie, Hashim Amla, VVS Laxman, and Ganguly did to counter these conditions in the first innings.In the second innings, though, the South African batsmen seemed to have forgotten the value of looking to score on this pitch. Much of this was to do with the Indian bowling and the condition of the pitch, but a lack of intent to score was conspicuous. Till this match, their gameplan against spin had worked perfectly well, but this pitch required something extra: some out-of-the-box adjustments, which usually comes with prior experience of batting on such pitches. Ganguly and Laxman did that, but the South African batsmen could not.The Indian bowlers deserve credit too for bowling much better than they did in the first innings. They were the better equipped side to utilise the conditions, and they did it perfectly in the second innings. Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s move to open with Harbhajan Singh was a smart one, as he had seen the fast bowlers spray the new ball around in the first innings. This time India made a controlled start, making sure a repeat of first innings wouldn’t happen this time round. And when they saw a lack of intent from the batsmen, they knew it was only a matter of time when venomous deliveries would get the edges even if the batsmen had moved back and across in the most perfect manner.Till this match, their gameplan against spin had worked perfectly well, but this pitch required something extra: some out-of-the-box adjustments, which usually comes with prior experience of batting on such pitches The lack of boundaries was the most conspicuous difference between South Africa’s first and second innings. McKenzie had hit the third ball of the first innings for four; the first four in the second innings came in the ninth over. Smith played 66 balls before he hit his first boundary. Consequently, a partnership that lasted 11.3 overs hardly put India off their track as it added 26 runs only. All along the bowlers knew they would be able to bowl deliveries that would be vicious, which is what McKenzie and Amla got in quick succession.The 16-over third-wicket partnership between Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis fetched 38 runs, which just about got them past the deficit they had started with. During the course they kept getting unplayable balls, which only accentuated doubts in the heads of the two at the crease and others who followed.For two remarkable days, South Africa had not let the pitch get to their heads, playing the ball and not the pitch. And although there was no shame in losing in conditions none of them would have encountered before, they might just have missed a trick on the final morning.

A Royal Challengers’ fan gets a win for his side, a replica top, a fantastic crowd, and an encounter with a celebrity

James McGillivray24-May-2009Team supported
Royal Challengers Bangalore. My loyalty to Bangalore has grown stronger since I umpired the warm-up game, and I was happy on Thursday when they beat the Deccan Chargers, because it set them up to play in the semi I’d be watching.Key performer
No true individual brilliance, more of a team effort. I thought that Jacques Kallis’ comeback after his first two overs was very important, and the five-over spell either side of the time-out was probably where the Chennai Super Kings lost the momentum.One thing I would have changed about the match
Not much I’d change, maybe have the players in my fantasy team perform better! Overall this was a very satisfying game for all followers of the Royal Challengers.Face-off I relished
Albie Morkel vs Kallis. Two of the best allrounders in the game, two South Africans, and two who can win any game on any given day. Contrary to expectations, Morkel outdid Kallis with the bat, but Kallis made a big impression with the ball. Shared spoils, methinks.Star-spotting
As I was leaving the stadium I’m pretty sure I walked past Deepika Padukone. It was certainly a celebrity trying to slip through the crowd without being swamped (The bodyguards gave it away).Wow moment
As the game was drawing to its conclusion, the whole squad of the Royal Challengers stood up, and linked arms, waiting to celebrate. It was a hugely symbolic moment for me, the team who were in total disarray last year, who were so disappointing and never looked like a unified group, suddenly seems like a team. I got the feeling at that moment that they’re no longer relying on the stars, or any specific group, but that they trust every member of the team to be able to play a match-winning hand, should it be required.Cheerleader factor
Bangalore took this comfortably, purely on the quality of the pre-match routine.Crowd meter
The atmosphere was fantastic inside the Bullring, with both teams having huge support. The merchandise stands made a killing as South Africans really chose a team and decided to back them to the hilt. The red of Bangalore got more and more prominent as the game wore on, but I really enjoyed the brief time period when Sivamani was drumming up the support for the “day-glo yellow”, as my mate described the jersey of the Super Kings.It was also fantastic meeting and chatting to a group of guys who came over from Jaipur to see the end of the IPL and to have a short holiday in South Africa.Local hero
Plenty of local talent on show in this game, and the crowd showed their appreciation. Morkel got a massive welcome when he came out to bat, and hit a trademark massive DLF-er (with apologies to Danny Morison and Simon Doull).Entertainment
The crowd was thoroughly entertained by the cricket, but while the TV companies were paying their bills, two of South Africa’s most popular bands, Wonderboom and The Parlotones, kept the stadium entertained. And with Sivamani keeping the noise level up between overs, even the most die-hard of purists couldn’t help but enjoy the IPL experience.Banner of the day
It wasn’t as cold tonight as other games I’ve been to, but someone was clearly expecting it to be, and she had an interesting solution: “Mr Delivery, please bring me Dhoni and some hot chocolate”.Overall
The semi-final promised to be a wonderful occasion, and I was kept entertained throughout the game. My side won, I picked up a replica top for the final, and the crowd was fantastic. What more could a fan ask for?Marks out of 10
9.5 . The only thing missing from the game was a real nailbiting finish. But when your team wins, you don’t mind small things like that.The IPL’s first foreign trip
The IPL in South Africa is almost certainly a once-in-a-lifetime event, and it has been such an amazing experience. I’m quite surprised at how well the crowds have responded and how, as the tournament progressed, more and more people that I know nailed their colours to the mast and picked a side to support. Who knows, maybe the success in IPL 2009 will strengthen the brand and we could see the tournament outside of India again. But if we don’t I’m extremely pleased that I had a chance to experience IPL 2009, and I have no idea what I’m going to watch after I get off work from now on. [email protected].

Over the course of the decade, India’s not-so-formidable links have gotten progressively stronger

Dileep Premachandran06-Dec-2009A decade ago, India were annihilated 3-0 by an Australian side on the cusp of world domination. Even for a nation that had been bowled out for 42 in a Test and been heavily beaten on other occasions, it was a nadir that said much about the state of their Test game. Prior to that tour, the board secretary’s private thoughts had been leaked, and his prediction of a 3-0 defeat turned out to be uncannily accurate. A few months later, Hansie Cronje’s South Africans became the first touring side to win in India since the days when permed hair was fashionable. From that Mariana-Trench low to this No.1 high, it’s been a long 10-year road.It was interesting to listen to MS Dhoni speak of short-term goals afterwards. Like many of the seniors in his team, he doesn’t lose sleep over the rankings. He’s probably aware that Sri Lanka too could have assumed the mantle with a series win, despite never have won so much as a Test in India, South Africa or Australia. India themselves have series-win boxes left to tick in Australia and South Africa, but for the moment, this achievement will be cause for celebration. After all, it’s not as though India or Sri Lanka devised the ranking system, which affects every team in the same way.Though they may not voice it publically, there’s little doubt that these moments at the summit, no matter how short they prove to be – South Africa can take over with a 2-0 success against England – mean a lot to the seniors who were part of that drubbing in Australia 10 years ago. Soon after Zaheer Khan’s fine morning spell sealed a second successive innings victory and confirmed India’s ascension to No.1, Rahul Dravid said: “Rankings are not something I concern myself with overly, but I believe it’s a good reflection of the kind of cricket we’ve played over the past few years.”If that ill-fated tour of Australia in 1999-2000 taught many players harsh lessons about the game and the rub of the green, then it was the next visit there that really laid the platform for what India have gone on to achieve since. Having overcome improbable odds to thwart Steve Waugh’s quest for Indian glory a couple of years earlier, India went into the series without being overawed or intimidated. With a little more luck on the final day at the SCG, they could even have won.They followed that with a first-ever triumph in Pakistan and their first series victories in the West Indies (2006) and New Zealand (2009) in more than a generation. Zaheer Khan’s sensational bowling and a solid batting display ensured victory in England in 2007, jellybeans and all, and over the past 15 months there have been comfortable home successes against Australia and Sri Lanka, and a epic last-day heist against England.In the new millennium, India have won 40 and lost 27 of their 103 Tests. In the past five years, the win-loss record is 22-10. It goes without saying that it’s been the most successful epoch in India’s cricket history, one that has been shaped by a golden generation and some nearly forgotten fringe players. When asked of the contribution of the seniors, Dhoni pointedly spoke of how “everyone who has played over the past four of five years has played a part”.Some of those men are now just fond memories. Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble retired 12 months ago, while John Wright left the coaching job in 2005. All three were major pillars in their own way, as were support staff members like Adrian Le Roux, Andrew Leipus and Greg King.Spare a thought too for the players who have come and gone. How many remember Sanjay Bangar, whose first-day defiance alongside Dravid was so pivotal in India squaring a series at Headingley in 2002? And what of RP Singh, on the honours board at Lord’s in a game that India saved largely because of a tremendous rearguard action from Dhoni?Victory in Pakistan in 2004 would never have been possible without the tireless efforts of Irfan Pathan and L Balaji, with both new ball and old. Even more unexpected was the contribution of M Vijay at the CCI. In for the absent Gautam Gambhir, he was both fluent and solid as Virender Sehwag and India got their second double-century start of the series.As the cliché goes, a team is only as strong as its weakest link. Over the course of the decade, India’s not-so-formidable links have gotten progressively stronger. The fielding will never rival Australia or South Africa, but the catching is invariably safe, and there’s finally a bowling attack capable of taking 20 wickets in most conditions.Zaheer, Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma will make most teams think twice before preparing a green top, and successes at the WACA and the Wanderers have gone a long way to exploding the stereotype of India being poor travellers. If there is a concern, it lies in the waning quality of the spin stocks, though it’s far too early to pass judgement on the likes of Pragyan Ojha and Amit Mishra.

Though they may not voice it publically, there’s little doubt that these moments at the summit, no matter how short they prove to be mean a lot to the seniors who were part of that drubbing in Australia 10 years ago

Over the next year or two, the No.1 ranking will change hands often. Unlike in the days when Australia, and West Indies before them, ruled the roost, it no longer signifies the best team in the world. For India, greater challenges await, but there’s little use brooding about Australia or South Africa right now. When asked if victory in those climes was essential to be legitimate top dogs, Dhoni said: “Let’s see when we go there. We can’t play them sitting here.”Five years ago, in an interview with the , Sachin Tendulkar spoke of why Australia were the No.1 team in the world. “They deserve that status because they’ve beaten every other country both home and away,” he said. “When we start to win series abroad on a regular basis, then I can say that we are definitely No.2. But right now, there are three or four teams pretty close together. If anyone wants to be the undisputed No.2, they’ll have to start winning wherever they go.”The world has changed since then, and teams can aspire to more than bridesmaid status. Tendulkar and the other weatherbeaten warriors alongside him has done as much as anyone to get India to where they are now. Regardless of what happens over the next few months, it’s something to savour. In a country where both administrators and fans are obsessed with cricket in coloured clothes, whether it be over 50 or 20 overs, the players deserve much credit for keeping their eyes on the red ball. After the horrors of a decade ago, these are the best of times.

Compared to the Indian batting and bowling, New Zealand’s squad looks distinctly lightweight

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan03-Nov-2010New Zealand, who are coming off a terrible tour of Bangladesh, go into the Tests against India as clear underdogs. They have not won a Test in India since their triumph at Mumbai in 1988, and given the lack of form and experience of this squad, the winless streak is likely to continue. They start the series at a venue that is one of India’s less successful ones over the last decade, but that is unlikely to bother the home team too much. In matches played in Ahmedabad since 2000, India have won one Test, against Sri Lanka, but lost to South Africa by an innings. The last game played in Ahmedabad was a dull high-scoring draw in which seven centuries were scored. New Zealand had a more settled outfit when they drew at this venue in 2003, but with an inexperienced team this time around, they could struggle to compete with an in-form India, who are fresh off a 2-0 series win over Australia.Ahmedabad has proved to be a batting-friendly venue in matches since 2000. Apart from the one occasion when India were bowled out for 76 against South Africa, batsmen have generally found the going quite comfortable across all four innings of matches. The average in the first and second innings of matches is 37.86 and 44.90 while the averages in the third and fourth innings are 36.41 and 35.36. Visiting teams have done slightly better than India in both the batting and bowling departments in matches played since 2000. New Zealand bowlers average 54.34 in all Tests in India since 2000, which is the worst among all Test playing nations. Their record at Ahmedabad is even poorer and the inexperienced attack is likely to face a stern test against the powerful Indian batting.

Performance of India and visiting teams in Ahmedabad since 2000

TeamPlayedWonLostDrawRunsBatting ave100s50sWicketsBowling ave5WI10WMIndia5113296638.518126941.6242Visiting teams5113280640.087137639.7720New Zealand100155934.93151163.3600Dale Steyn’s 5 for 23 in April 2008 is the best performance by a pace bowler in Ahmedabad since 2000. At a venue that has traditionally suited spinners better, fast bowlers average over 43 with just one five-for, while spinners have averaged 39.02, with five five-wicket hauls and two ten-wicket hauls.

Pace v Spin at Ahmedabad since 2000

Type of bowlerMatchesRuns concededWicketsBowling average5WI10WMPace524995843.0810Spin533568639.0252After a horror tour of New Zealand in 2002-03, Indian batsmen have done well against the New Zealand bowlers both home and away. In the last series played in New Zealand, Gautam Gambhir was the best batsman, aggregating 445 runs including a superb match-saving hundred in Napier. Rahul Dravid, who hasn’t been in top form in 2010, has been India’s best batsman in matches against New Zealand since 2000. Virender Sehwag, surprisingly, averages only 27 in seven matches with one hundred.

Indian batsmen v NZ since 2000

BatsmanMatchesRunsAverage10050Rahul Dravid775858.3016VVS Laxman760160.1024Sachin Tendulkar751539.6114Gautam Gambhir344589.0021Virender Sehwag735727.4610Among New Zealand’s batsmen, Daniel Vettori, Ross Taylor and Jesse Ryder all average more than 50 against India since 2000, though Taylor and Ryder have played only three Tests. Vettori’s numbers clearly show his growing stature as a batsman. Ryder and Taylor shared a record 271-run partnership for the fourth wicket in that Napier Test, and their form will be crucial to New Zealand’s chances.

NZ batsmen v India since 2000

BatsmanMatchesRunsAverage10050Daniel Vettori735550.7112Jesse Ryder332765.4020Ross Taylor332264.4020Brendon McCullum323246.4011Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan have been India’s most successful bowlers over the last two years in Test cricket. Zaheer was exceptional in the series against Australia, troubling most batsmen with reverse swing. Ishant Sharma, who missed the second Test against Australia, has been quite inconsistent, though, and averages over 40 in the last two years.Vettori has been New Zealand’s best bowler for almost a decade now and his experience and consistency stands out in an otherwise weak bowling attack. Chris Martin, who picked up 14 wickets at an average of 32 in the series against India at home last year, leads a highly inexperienced pace attack.

Indian and NZ bowlers in the last two years (Nov 2, 2008)

BowlerWicketsAverage5WI10WMHarbhajan Singh6934.6920Zaheer Khan6627.7441Ishant Sharma4240.4500Daniel Vettori5436.2410Chris Martin4140.5600Tim Southee2041.2000Indian batsmen have handled the best spinners comfortably over the years. Given that Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan average over 40 in Tests in India, Vettori would be fully aware of the huge challenge ahead. He has picked up 12 wickets at 58.25 in seven Tests against India since 2000, but his average goes up to nearly 67 in Tests in India in the same period. Among Indian batsmen, Gambhir and VVS Laxman have handled him best while he has had some degree of success against Sachin Tendulkar. Sehwag, who has a strike rate of almost 82 in Tests, has managed to score at just over two runs per over off Vettori.

Vettori against Indian batsmen since 2000

BatsmanRunsBalls facedDismissalsAverageRahul Dravid159338279.50VVS Laxman1123001112.00Gautam Gambhir1011960-Sachin Tendulkar69205234.50Virender Sehwag2883128.00

Despite a traumatic third day in the field, England showed that they’ve got what it takes to fight back, if not right now, then without question as the series wears on

Andrew Miller at the Gabba27-Nov-2010Despite batting through to the close with all ten wickets intact, England face a bitter struggle to recover from a traumatic third day – and given the Gabba’s Lions v Christians reputation, the chances of them doing so would appear to be slim in the extreme. Nevertheless, amidst the wreckage of their immediate match prospects, there were plenty reasons to believe that they’ve got what it takes to fight back, if not right now, then without question as the series wears on.If England need a precedent from which to draw inspiration, they need only rewind 16 months to Cardiff at the start of the 2009 Ashes. On that occasion they had to hack their way back into the contest after conceding 674 for 6, the highest total in post-war Ashes history, and though they eventually did so by the skin of their teeth, the momentum they generated sustained them for the rest of the series, and beyond.Australia know, from what happened in 2009, that titanic scoreboard feats are only half the battle where this particular England side is concerned. It remains a source of bemusement, and outright dismay in some quarters, that they managed to rack up six of the top seven run-scorers in last summer’s series, as well as collecting eight individual hundreds to England’s tally of two, only to be trumped in the final analysis by two first-innings batting failures at Lord’s and The Oval.With that in mind, the brilliance of the triple-century stand between Michael Hussey and Brad Haddin will not be allowed to have anything like the same effect as Australia’s last humungous partnership against England, the 279-run stand (also for the sixth wicket) that Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds compiled at the MCG in December 2006. Not least because, on this occasion, England know precisely how and why their day went so sour. And they’ll also believe that they won’t get quite so unlucky in quite such a bizarre way again.Whatever the rights and wrongs of the review system, the isolated set of circumstances that kept Michael Hussey at the crease in the first half-hour of the day meant that James Anderson was denied his just rewards for a spell that Haddin described as “probably the hardest Test bowling I’ve ever had to face”. On 82, Hussey successfully overturned an lbw decision that had pitched outside leg; on 85, he survived a stone-dead shout because England had already used up their reviews on the first day – one of which, ironically, was lost on a caught-behind appeal against Michael Clarke that snickometer later suggested was out.It was a set of circumstances that, had the ECB chairman Giles Clarke been in town, might have caused a few toys to fly out of a few prams – as was the case in Johannesburg earlier in the year, when he set about demanding the reinstatement of a lost appeal against another man who made a match-turning century, Graeme Smith. Unsurprisingly, the petition fell on deaf ears, and as it happens, the fuss didn’t do a lot for the focus of the team – they went on to lose by an innings.Right now, however, the spirit within the squad looks more durable than was the case 12 months ago, and as Eoin Morgan noted by tweeting: “made up for Finny!!” moments after the close, the sight of Australia’s last five wickets tumbling for 31 in 13 overs – four of them to the rookie Steven Finn – will be of greater consequence this evening than everything that happened up until that point.Up until then, retaining optimism in the face of such adversity had been a challenge, and there were moments throughout the day when England’s spirits were allowed to flag, not least when Alastair Cook and Anderson dropped the only two catches that came their way in the whole of the first two sessions. And yet, all throughout there were little moments that spoke volumes for their resolve, such as the sight of Matt Prior and Kevin Pietersen running a full 40 yards from the cordon to congratulate Cook at mid-on for a particularly sharp piece of groundwork.”I enjoyed the wicket bits,” said Finn, whose 6 for 125 was not only a personal best, but England’s best at the Gabba since John Snow in 1970-71. “It was a tough day of Test cricket for us, but we’re a confident unit, we know we can get ourselves out of tricky situations, and we back ourselves to do that. To concede a first-innings deficit is not good, but we feel we’ve done things properly. We kept the intensity up in the field and we kept the pressure on.”The final moments of Australia’s innings were a reminder, however belated, of the fragility that still lurks within their line-up, but the day as a whole lived up to the maxim, repeated ad nauseum in the build-up to the series, that a bowling team has to make the most of the Kookaburra ball while it’s still shiny and new in those crucial first 15 overs. With that in mind, there was nothing more that Anderson in particular could do, as he hounded the outside edge for eight of the best overs of his life, much as Dale Steyn had done to Paul Collingwood at Cape Town back in January.If England do go on to lose, there’s another precedent that would be worth bearing in mind. The 2005 Ashes series began with a two-day dogfight at Lord’s, but descended into a rout on the pivotal third day, when Australia were allowed to get too far in front in their second innings, following a crucial drop from Pietersen off Clarke. In the end it became embarrassing, with Shane Warne administering a string of ducks on a beaten batting line-up. But then as now, the tipping point was one clearly defined moment, rather than a long and slow tilting of the scales.”The game’s such a fine line,” said Hussey of the let-off that transformed Australia’s day. After the month of speculation that he’s just endured, there’s no danger that he will be getting ahead of himself after his remarkable day. And nor, for that matter, will any of the ten Australians in this side who played in 2009. There are too many opportunities for the narrative to twist again.

Largely impassive through his brief maiden interaction with the Indian media, there were a only a few glimpses of the real Duncan Fletcher that bubbled over the veil

Sriram Veera in Chennai13-May-2011The first thing about Duncan Fletcher that stood out in his maiden press conference in India was his expression – or lack of it. He maintained a largely impassive face over the brief interaction – all of 19 minutes – but there were a few glimpses of the man that occasionally bubbled over the veil.The first came when he was asked whether his philosophy of coaching would suit India and its prevailing superstar culture. He didn’t hem or haw, he didn’t say he would try to fit in, he didn’t say that he was hopeful; instead he nailed the question swiftly and effectively. “Gary Kirsten followed my philosophy … and now, by Gary sort of pushing me for this job by taking my credentials to the BCCI, he realised that my philosophy of coaching is right for India.” There was no trace of arrogance; just a statement of fact: Kirsten’s way was way (or even the other way round).This conference will probably be the gentlest that Fletcher will attend during his tenure. There were around 15 journalists, a motley group from the print and electronic media, and public attention was focused squarely on the election results from five states including West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. For perhaps the first and last time, an Indian coach’s press conference wasn’t even carried live. It was the calm before the storm.Yet, even in this short span of time Fletcher had to fend off a couple of googlies. Out of the blue came a question about the DRS, which the BCCI has opposed vehemently for some time now. Perhaps unaware of the background, Fletcher said the DRS was here to stay. “I think it’s a system that will come in place. Obviously there are imperfections but once they are sorted out, it will play a role.” Barely had he completed his reply did N Srinivasan, the BCCI secretary sitting alongside, intervened. He first turned to Fletcher, whispered something to him and turned to the questioner: “That was a loaded question. Mr Fletcher doesn’t know the BCCI’s stance on DRS. You should have prefaced your question properly. Anyway, it doesn’t matter.” Fletcher, as ever, wore that impassive cloak on his face.Later, he was asked his views on the player rotation policy. Again, Srinivasan chose to interject. “It’s a selection matter, no? He can give advice but ultimately it will come down to the selectors. But I am sure when the coach sits in on those meetings his views will be taken on board by the selectors.”The cumulative effect of those two brief statements was seen when Fletcher was asked about the possibility of seniors retiring. “That’s up to the selectors,” he said. “My job is to go out there and offer advice to the players on how to handle some situations. I believe if a player is good enough to play – no matter what his age- he should play. India is fortunate to have outstanding senior players.”There was another moment where his strong character came through, when his unimpressive ODI record as coach of the England team was brought up. “It’s interesting,” Fletcher began, clearly warming up. “I know that was bandied about [in the media]. But when I left Western Province, and Glamorgan, I had a better record in ODIs…if you go and look at my record there. It was somewhere along 13 matches, I think, for Western Province that played against England sides at first-class level. I didn’t lose a match against England … When I played for Zimbabwe, we only played ODIs. As it turned out, we (England) had a better record statistically in tests but I am very comfortable with ODIs.”There was only one genuine faux pas from Fletcher. “Hopefully, my observations on the players will prove useful when I coach the England team.””I mean the Indian team.”