Too many Ashes spoil the broth

England have comprehensively regained the Ashes by beating Australia by an innings and 78 runs at Trent Bridge. The urn has had a fair bit of give and take in the last few years and is now again in English hands. While England must be given credit for winning in such a convincing manner, the road ahead is not easy as tougher challenges lie and chinks still remain in their armour. The Australians will again enter the throes of transition post this series with a new captain and a relatively new set of players. They have many questions to answer.

The fifth and final Test at the Oval has now been rendered inconsequential.

In terms of the quality of cricket played, most people are wondering whether this has been one of the poorest Ashes series they have watched. One cannot blame them for thinking that way. The overall quality of cricket in this series has not been exceptional. England bossed the games at Cardiff, Edgbaston and Trent Bridge and Australia lorded over at Lord’s. None of the Tests went into the 5^th day and the 3^rd and 4^th Tests were dragged into the third day with great difficulty. As Jonathan Liew of the Telegraph put it, ‘in a battle of two evenly flawed and evenly matched teams, England have pulled decisively clear as a result of better execution and being less inept more often’. As cricket fans, we like to watch good and competitive Test series, which this one has not been. We do not enjoy games that end within two or three days with one team totally dominating the other, however fast-paced they might be.

This has been the 4^th Ashes series in the last 5 years. Out of the four, three have been won by the home team. Plus, none of the four have been particularly good when it comes to the quality of cricket. The first one was the 2010-11 series in which England dominated. The one in England in 2013 was not bad, as Australia gave a good fight despite England winning. However, it cannot be classified as a great Test series. The following Ashes in Australia again had some pretty one - sided cricket with Australia crushing England 5-0.

This year, most neutral fans did not just feel disappointed by the cricket, but also felt fatigued by the overdose of Ashes series. A feeling is on the rise that the number of Ashes series increasing in a stipulated time period cannot be good. This is because this can dilute the nature of the historic contest. No-one would want a series like this to lose colour because of being overdone. One gets reminded of the old adage 'Too many cooks spoil the broth'. 

Cricket Humour post 1: India vs Australia, Melbourne City

I happened to watch a snippet from Namak Halal, an old Bollyood film, on TV a few days ago. In this clip, Amitabh Bachchan utters those famous lines about a conversation taking place between Vijay Merchant and Vijay Hazare as they batted together during an imaginary match between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground many years ago. This made me think of the present day scenario and with all the cricket satire on the internet, it automatically gave me a new idea to do a humour post about it. So, here it is:

India vs Australia. Melbourne City. Present day scenario.A very prestigious match.

The second over of the second day of the Test is about to be bowled. It is about 5:15 in the morning in India and Indian fans are just about waking up.

Steve Smith and Joe Burns are at the crease at the moment and Ishant Sharma is due to bowl the second over. Smith is on strike,with two slips and a gully in position. There are no fielders behind square on the on - side. The umpire signals that it is time for the bowler to start his run-up and Ishant charges in from round the wicket. He ends up bowling a short ball on the leg stump. Indian fans who have just woken up immediately cover their bleary eyes as this is the first sight that they see when they switch on the TV. The next second, Steve Smith maneuvers the ball for a four through fine leg. The commentators go gaga in the commentary box, "That's a terrible delivery from Ishant Sharma!". Ian Chappell automatically gives his view of the situation on air, "Kohli should have probably asked Sharma to go over the wicket". What does the captain himself think? He looks indignant. He chirps to the bowler from mid - on, "Bhai, mein slip fielders ko taali bajane ke liye nahi raka hoon". (He told Sharma that he hasn't positioned those fielders at slip to simply clap their hands every time the bowlers bowl, indirectly hinting that the bowler must bowl on 

the off-stump)

Response to the article 'World Cups and some uneven applause'

To the editor of the Hindu:

 Dear Sir/Madam,

                         I really appreciated the points mentioned in the Open Page article titled "World Cups and some uneven applause"(Dated 21st December 2014) regarding the response that the Indian Blind Cricket Team received from the public and the media when they won the Blind Cricket World Cup recently.

People in India tend to say that there is 'too much focus' on cricket in general by the public, the authorities and the media, but they tend to forget that women's cricket and disabled cricket are much neglected by all three. It is actually only the 'able-bodied men' that are given the focus and attention.

As far as I know, there was not a single news item in any of India's leading newspapers regarding the Indian hearing impaired team winning the Asian Championships for the Deaf in Dharmashala. I was informed of what was happening in the tournament through the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association's official fan page on Facebook. The women's team and the disabled teams have to enter every tournament with almost negligible support from the board.
 
Though the BCCI did well to arrange for the series between Indian women and SA women which included a one - off Test, they still need to support the team more by announcing contracts for them and ensuring that they have more match practice. They are the only women's team in the world that does not have contracts with their board. It is not that Mithali Raj's girls don't have the ability; they just need to be backed by the BCCI.

As a cricket fan, I was delighted when I came to know that the Blind team had won the World Cup. I was thrilled when I came to know that they had chased down 390 in 40 overs, which is not an ordinary feat even by normal standards. However, I was interested to note in an article on a cricket website that 390 in 40 overs isn't an imposing total by Blind Cricket's standards.

Yours Sincerely,
Shruthi S.

Sachin through the eyes of a new follower of the game

This is it. The end of a 'great habit' as Harsha Bhogle puts it. Sachin Tendulkar has announced his decision to retire from international cricket after his 200th test. One of the greatest men to have ever stepped on a cricket field is to retire soon. 24 years of Sachin, 24 years of utmost joy. The tributes are flowing as expected, understandably leaking of nostalgia and emotion. Everyone has their own story of watching Sachin Tendulkar play. Here's  my tale.

********

To me, Sachin Tendulkar has been there forever. He was there when I was born and he is still there 16 and a half years later. 

                        

I grew up abroad, in a country which had and still has no exposure for cricket. It is a nation crazy about football, but it is not a great footballing nation either. Due to this atmosphere, I had no interest in cricket or sports in general as a child, despite us being in constant touch with the Indian community there. But, I knew one name. Sachin Tendulkar. He was one of the very few cricketers whose names that I knew before beginning to watch cricket. My earliest recollection of having something to do with Sachin is me sitting in the huge kitchen that we had abroad sticking his picture in my EVS book with my mother saying "Anga ottu!(Stick it there)" in the background. That was for an activity in EVS in 1st or 2nd grade for which we had to stick the pictures of our favourite sports persons and singers in our activity books.There was no solid reason on my part to stick it, because I had not watched him play. I just knew his name; but that was not the reason why I stuck that picture. My mother told me years later that she made me stick his picture there because I knew no sports person and everybody knew his name. That picture was of him in his ODI jersey. Little did I know then that I would watch and appreciate his batting one day.

Fate brought me back to India at the age of 10, but my opinion about cricket still did not change. It was the year 2007. During the Pooja holidays that year, my mother and I along with my grandmother had gone to Narsapur, a small town in Andhra Pradesh, to visit my grand-uncle and aunt. My grand-uncle is a huge cricket fan. The day after coming back from a brief visit to Vizag during that trip, he switched on the television in the evening and began watching an ODI between India and Australia as we joined him in the hall. I could not understand anything that went on on the television, but I was just sitting there because almost everyone in the house was there. I saw flashes of Sachin, Robin Utthapa (if I am not mistaken) and Andrew Symmonds(I did not know his name at that time) on the television. The match began to get close and my grandmother went to bed thinking that India would lose. Only me, my grand-uncle and my mother were left in the hall. We eventually won the match, and Sachin must have played a match-winning innings because I saw a huge picture of him splashed across the sports page of the newspaper which my grand-uncle was reading the next day. The headline also had the word "Tendulkar" in block letters. 

In 2008, after the Mumbai attacks, I remember hearing something about Sachin hitting a century. I came to know 2 years later that that was the century that he hit during the Chennai test vs. England to win us the match. In 2010, I heard of his double century in ODI cricket. A few days later, the IPL began and as everyone was watching it in the country, I too began watching it. During the course of the tournament, I began to like cricket. As Harsha Bhogle or Sunil Gavaskar once said, "In India, everyone from the CEO of a company to a paan-wala watches cricket". That stinging atmosphere had finally caught up with me. There was a match in the IPL, I remember, which CSK had narrowly won vs. MI in Chennai. Sachin was the one who had waged a lone battle and had eventually got dehydrated. That match was the one from which I learnt the importance of a pitch in a match.

I began to get bored without cricket after the IPL, so I threw myself at international cricket. I followed the World T20, the Zimbabwe tri-series and the Asia Cup, learning a lot about the game and life along the way.  The Sri Lankan test series finally presented me with an opportunity to watch Sachin Tendulkar bat. He hit a 200 during the drab SSC test match on a pitch which was a bowler's graveyard. The last day of the third Test at the P.Sara Oval was the only day of that series which I could watch properly because it was a Saturday. I watched a wonderful innings from VVS Laxman to yet again rescue us from trouble to win us the Test match, but Tendulkar's contribution in the form of a half-century and the partnership that he had had with him could not be forgotten. 

Everyone had always said that Sachin was great. During the next Test series that India played, the Border-Gavaskar series, I understood why. It was a fantastic series with both the Tests being very interesting and Sachin had a phenomenal series, winning the man-of-the-series trophy. The double century that he scored in the second test at Bangalore will always be a cherished innings for me. I will never forget some of the shots that he played in that innings; the cover drives, the paddle sweeps and the lofted shots down the ground. I still remember the huge sixes that he hit off Nathan Hauritz. That innings is all the more special to me because the moment Sachin hit the 200th run, I understood something very important from a cricketing perspective. When he raised his bat and helmet to the sky in acknowledgement of the crowd's cheers, I understood the meaning of Test Cricket. Since that day, I have always maintained that Test Cricket is a test of character, a test of skill and a test of patience and endurance. 

Then came the all the drumming for his 50th test ton. To me, Sachin was unfazed by all that. He played really well in the 2nd and 3rd tests of the test series versus New Zealand, scoring 2 half-centuries, if I remember right. When the 50th ton did arrive, I was away in a temple outside Chennai. It was pure drama. My grandmother telephoned and asked whether we would like to come and my mother agreed. I refused. India was in a horrible position in the first test versus South Africa and hurtling towards an innings defeat, but I had a bit of hope left inside me that something would happen to avoid the innings defeat at least. My mother, after giving up on trying to convince me to come, left the house to the car that was waiting in front of the apartment complex. That moment, Suresh Raina edged a short ball to the slip cordon and I lost all hope. I hurriedly telephoned my mother and asked whether I could come and ran downstairs to the car, which had not left. I sat inside the car with a heavy heart and pondered about the Test match. At the temple, I and my grandfather discussed heatedly about the match. My grandfather was already suggesting a test debut for R. Ashwin. We discussed about the game all the way back home as well. As soon as I reached home and switched on the television, I got the news that Sachin had hit a 100. Overjoyed, I telephoned my grandfather and said, "Thatha(grandfather),Thatha,Sachin has scored a 100!Dhoni is with him now!" and my grandfather said, "Oh. Good". When I got off the phone, my mother said, "It is a special 100 as it is his 50th". I just said, "Oh...oh". In my joy that he had scored a century, I had momentarily forgotten that it was the 50th ton.

During that series, I discovered what a great professional Sachin was. I also discovered his willingness to always learn and improve despite being a great player. In a hotel room in Kumbakonam during the 2nd Test at Durban, I watched as Sachin played a wonderful drive on the off-side off Lonwabo Tsotsobe. It was during India's second innings. I remembered that he had gotten out to a similar ball in the previous innings bowled by the same bowler. It was quite evident that he had practised and I thought to myself, "This is the difference between a good player and a great one". There is a cliche in cricket which says, "The word 'legend' is often misused, but not in this case". That series witnessed some of Sachin's greatest batting as he went on to score his 51st test century in the final test in Capetown with panache. Many people said that the contest between him and Dale Steyn was one to behold. I wished that I had been there to witness it as I had been unable to watch a major part of his innings due to school. I was there for the 100th run though.  
 
I remember being excited to watch the first ODI between India and South Africa as I had never watched Sachin Tendulkar bat in an ODI before. But, his stays at the crease in both the games that he played in that series were short and he left the field due to a minor injury during SA's innings in the second game. He resurfaced during the World Cup and I got my desire of watching him in full flow in ODI cricket. In the match versus England, he scored a wonderful century. I celebrated 1 year of watching the game on March 12th 2011 by watching that fluent 100 scored by him in the match versus South Africa. Though India lost the game due to typical reasons  (the bowling[especially in the last 20 overs of the match] and the batting powerplay mess up[the not so typical reason]), it was a good match. Sachin was not at his best in the semi-final with the Pakistani fielders dropping him 4 times. When he got out in the finals, I was away from the television screen due to a bad feeling that I got after Sehwag got out. I thought to myself, "Well done, Sri Lanka, you deserve to win the World Cup". But, we were all treated to a magnificent display of batting by Gambhir, Virat Kohli and Dhoni after that which resulted in India winning the match and the World Cup to boot. Awestruck, I sat in total disbelief as the players took Sachin around the field on their shoulders for a victory lap. I remember writing a short tribute to Sachin's contribution to Indian Cricket in my summary of the World Cup and India's campaign(I am too embarrassed to even think of that summary now to give you all a link of it, but if you want to read it, you can scroll down as I have posted it on the blog. The title is 'India conquer the world'). 

"It’s too much pain and too much sorrow.Guess I’ll feel the same tomorrow." – The Last Time 
(Source: Dileep Premachandran's most recent article. )
I thank my lucky stars for arriving in time to watch Sachin's last excellent year of playing cricket. I say this because after the World Cup, things began to go downhill for him and me. In the morning after the World Cup final, I discovered that my cycle had been stolen in the night along with six others. Since then, I probably had the worst time of my life till April 2012. Though Sachin did not have a bad IPL(great century in one of the matches, full of wonderful shots), I had. My bad year was because I felt that I was not watching the game like I used to before. I felt that I was not enjoying it like I used to before. That phase began right after the World Cup. I longed to watch the game like before again. Some people said that it was because I wanted to concentrate on my studies because I was in 10th grade. But, I knew that it wasn't. Something was amiss. I did not know what it was and what was causing this feeling. I felt like I had been jolted awake from a wonderful dream that was the previous year. I was pained. Even now, it has not come back fully, but it keeps coming and going since April last year and I am pretty sure that I will make a full recovery in due course. My bad year coincided with a bad time for the Indian team and Sachin. I watched as India recorded loss after loss, highlighting the need for fresh blood in the team with every match. I watched as Sachin batted like he was burdened like never before. It was painful to watch him bat. He was not himself. All these years, whenever he went to bat, it was like the entire nation went to bat with him, but he was unfazed. Now, he was bothered by it all. All the pressure on him to get his 100th 100. His own frustration of not being able to score freely. One could tell from the way he batted. From personal experience that year, I can say that if the link between you and something close to you suddenly feels like it has diminished, it pains you and you know that that thing has left you. You feel crippled. Sachin's experience was identifiable for me at that time. Except that he had been associated with cricket for many years and I had been associated with it only for one year which felt like a lifetime.  I felt at one point that all the drumming for his 100th international 100 was getting ridiculous. "Leave him alone!", I wanted to say. I have never liked it when people call him 'God'. He is truly great, but not God. I knew that the time for his retirement was nearing.


When the 100th 100 actually arrived, I, like everyone else in the country, felt happy for him. But, my inner self told me that his time was nearing. I felt that when he goes, he must go in a dignified way. Sachin continued to struggle after that. It became all the more painful to watch him bat. I began to fear that the selectors might be forced to intervene. I, like everyone else, felt that for a great player like him, the decision to retire must be taken by him and only him. I also felt that he should exit with dignity. However, all my fears came to rest when he announced his decision to retire from ODI cricket with immediate effect. I was on another visit to Kumbakonam in December last year when I saw his name associated with the word 'oyivu' in a Tamil newspaper in the hotel lobby. I asked my mother, "Amma, 'oyivu' na enna?(What is the meaning of the word 'oyivu'?)". My mother said, "'oyivu' means retirement". For a second, I thought that he had retired from international cricket, but my eyes caught the word 'oru-naal cricket' (ODI cricket) on the second page of the newspaper. My grandfather quipped, "It is time". From that moment, I was confident that when he does retire for good, he will take the decision himself. There were rumours about the selectors having a word with him about his ODI career, but I was confident that he had taken this decision himself. As we went from place to place outside Kumbakonam that day, I think I recalled with detail some of his best ODI innings that I had seen as it happened or during some highlights programme. The most evocative line in the press release was:"Ungalodiya anbu en kanil kanir vara vaikudu". "Your love brings tears to my eyes".

Tendulkar walks in to bat in his final Test match at one of his favourite grounds, the MAC

Sachin Tendulkar walks to the crease to bat for the final time at Chepauk

 

Tendulkar plays a shot off Nathan Lyon on the final day of the Chennai Test

I remember fighting tooth and nail with my mother to take me to the India vs. Australia Test at Chepauk earlier this year. One of the main reasons for me wanting to go was Sachin Tendulkar (some other reasons mentioned in this article written by me at that time). My mother refused, but offered to take me to the Mumbai Indians IPL match held in Chennai. I said, "No. It will not be equivalent to watching him in a Test match or any match in which he is representing India". I reminded her that we could not go anyway due to security reasons as CSK vs. MI matches are always night games. That was that. I had obviously heard of his exploits in Chennai. His enduring romance with the MAC, as journalists would put it. Nine hundred and seventy runs in 10 matches. Most of his knocks here created history. Chennai is a city which values cricket. It boasts of a sporting crowd which is renowned in the world for its knowledge of the game. Here, most of the beaches and parks in the mornings and evenings have old grandfathers talking about the game. I had the pleasure of meeting Tamil Nadu first-class cricketer Malolan Rangarajan's grandfather at a beach near my house last year. Most of us have the habit of reading the SportsStar. Surely, such a crowd would have appreciated a master technician at his best over the years. It surely enjoyed his last visit as a Test batsman. After many months, Tendulkar came into his own during that match. He was batting freely like he hadn't for days. I watched many miles from Chepauk as he pulled out those cover drives fluently. The Tendulkar of old was on display. Many lined up on the third day for a Sachin special but went away with an equally good prize: a masterful batting display by Dhoni and Virat Kohli. Sachin ended his innings at Chepauk with a quick 13* on the final day to help India win the Test match. There was applause all around as he left the field with the curator and other ground staff shaking hands with him. Harsha Bhogle said on commentary, "What a wonderful story it has been".
Sachin couldn't do much after that in that series. I remember standing up as he left the field on the final day of the last game at Delhi and applauding with the Delhi crowd. "We never know. It could be the last time.", I told my mother.
      

When his decision to retire from International Cricket came to public attention the afternoon before the last, I remember feeling nothing. I had no emotion. Maybe because my mind was clogged with Integral calculus, maybe because I knew it was coming. Hearing of his decision had numbed many people in the country. "It is the right decision. Thankfully, the selectors did not push him out", I thought to myself. But, later that evening, when a news channel played out a few flashes from that Bangalore double, I felt myself go numb. As I watched those paddle sweeps and cover drives again, my heart stopped. My feelings that afternoon could also have been because I don't know the big three, Sachin, Dravid and VVS like some veterans out there do due to my time spent watching the game being short. Regarding Dravid and VVS, I have always maintained that I am not the right person to comment about them as I have not spent more than 3 and a half years watching the game. I have always felt that their contributions to the game can only be justified by the comments of people who have watched them over the years. Apart from saying that they were truly great batsmen, people and role models, I couldn't say much. I could just thank God for giving me an opportunity to watch them play cricket for India before their retirements. But, for Sachin, I have been able to write such a long article(in no way undermining the others' contributions to the game). That evening, all the news channels were eulogising him and a panelist on one of them said: "Sachin's appeal transcends generations. Everyone from a little child to an old man has something appreciative to say about him". So true.

******** 

The picture above is definitive in many ways. Towards the end of his career, there were many accusations of Sachin playing for records. I for one, think that such accusations are churlish. This man has spent 24 years of his life serving Indian cricket. Saying such things is a poor way of repaying him for all the blood, sweat and toil for the nation's image in cricket. I feel that his decision to retire after his 200th test maybe because he wants to end it in Mumbai, where it all started for him. It is certainly not because of records. There were rumours before Thursday that the selectors spoke to him about retirement. But, I am pretty sure that the selectors did not influence his decision.

Many people say that Sachin is a hero of the middle-class society. My father- who by the virtue of being a Mumbaikar is knowledgeable in Kanga League cricket, Harris Shield cricket and all tournaments in Mumbai-once told me about Sachin telephoning his coach Ramakant Achrekar after hitting that 200 in ODI cricket to ask him whether there were any flaws in that innings. I know that many people have said this before, but I say it again: Despite his greatness, Sachin has remained grounded. His intense focus in every match enabled him to handle truck loads of pressure with ease. This quality in him has been enviable around the world. He is set to leave the game with as much distinction as he played it. He also leaves Indian Cricket in good hands. There are players like Pujara and Kohli in the team who promise much. 

The day before yesterday, when the news of his decision to retire broke out, I heard a few people talking about him completing a triple century in Test cricket before his retirement. I also heard a few people debating whether he timed his retirement right. I endorse the view that all of that is immaterial; it is better to enjoy what is left of him and think about what he has done rather than what he has not. I hope I will be there at home to enjoy the last match of his career; being a 12th grader has its privileges. If I am there(which is highly likely), I am sure that I will stand up and applaud in my living room whenever he enters the field to take guard and whenever he leaves after completing his innings.

Men may come and men may go, but there can be only one Sachin Tendulkar.

Cricket comes to town

*******

Sorry guys, I know I am a day late but can't help homework and heaps to study. Guess Class XII would be more hectic than this.

******* 

The MA Chidambaram Stadium at Chepauk, Chennai

The above picture is of a place which I have never been inside of, but seen from outside. It is a place where drama has come alive. A place which still reminds regular visitors of that drama despite its renovation. A place where dreams have been both realised and shattered. The MA Chidambaram Stadium at Chepauk, Chennai is no ordinary cricket ground. Cricket fans around the globe have great memories of cricket at this place, the most recent one in Test cricket being the India vs. England match in 2008.

I am fortunate enough to have this great ground a half an hour to 45 minutes drive away from my house. Ever since I became a fan of the game,whenever I think of the Marina Beach, I think of the stadium. Whenever I think of Triplicane, I think of the MAC. I have lived here long enough to know that a few minutes after we cross the Santhome Church, we come to "that" stretch of the Marina Beach-the most wonderful stretch of the beach-with institutions on the left and the beach on the right. We go ahead, passing the Queen Mary's college, the Lady Wellington school and a few other institutions on the left. We turn at a signal which faces a monument which is rather hard to describe. As we proceed, we pass the Marina Cricket Club ground from where a headlight of the Chepauk ground can be seen. We swerve round a corner and proceed further. We then see the stadium.

Test Cricket returns here after a gap of 4 years and nearly 2 months. Everyone knows what happened the last time a Test was played here. I was not part of the cricketing fraternity at that time, but had heard something about Sachin hitting a century soon after the 26/11 attacks. I came to know all the details of what happened when I became a fan of the game. It was clearly one of the best matches in history.

Michael Clarke and MS Dhoni pose with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on the eve of the Test

I had been wanting to attend a match for sometime now. The first test of the new installment of the prestigious Border-Gavaskar series which is being held here presented a perfect opportunity. Naturally, I wanted to attend it badly. Alas, as I feared, the circumstances did not turn out to be right (I have my annual exams beginning on Tuesday and my atrocious Chemistry marks in the pre-annual evaluation don't help the cause. Plus, there are a few personal issues as well). I knew that my mother will not take me and had to drown any hopes of attending. My mother assured me that she will take me some day, but after 1 and a half years(which is when India next host a Test series) I will be eligible to take her myself (i.e. if at all Chennai gets to host a Test). Every cricket fan, at least once during his/her childhood would have watched a match live. But, for me, everything is happening upside down.

One of the reasons behind me wanting to attend this match was my feeling that this would be Sachin Tendulkar's last appearance at one of his favourite venues. It is no secret that Sachin likes to bat at this ground. There have been many memorable innings. There is something here that makes him click. Whether he scores a century or not would be immaterial to the people of Chennai, just a glimpse of him one last time would be sufficient. The 3 fours that he hit after arriving at the crease in the afternoon today were really wonderful to watch and there would definitely be many people wishing that he'd hit his 52nd Test 100 tomorrow.

 Another attraction would definitely be Michael Clarke. The Australian captain is one of the best batsmen in World Cricket today and no one in Chennai would want to miss the opportunity of watching him bat live. His century yesterday was fantastic and his consistency is just brilliant.
Those who attended the match yesterday were privileged to watch it. There has been enough proof in the past 18 months that captaincy acts as a boost for him instead of a burden.

 I know that Harbhajan Singh did not bowl well in the first innings, but this is a landmark test for him. It is his 100th appearance in Test Cricket. Any cricketer who gets the opportunity to represent his country in 100 tests deserves applause, even if his form has been ordinary in recent times. Representing your country in 100 Tests is no ordinary feat; it means you are a truly exceptional player who has put his blood, sweat and toil in the game. Harbhajan Singh is an exceptional player who has done great things for Indian cricket. He achieves this landmark in Chennai and there surely would be many people who would want to watch him live. Harbhajan also has a good record at Chennai; anyone remember the Test between India and Australia at Chennai in 2001?

There is one thing that is priceless in the life of a cricket fan: the experience of watching a Test or any match at the stadium. Whether your team wins or loses is immaterial; if you get to watch a good match, the satisfaction is more than enough. I am sure that there would be many people like me who haven't watched a match yet at the stadium. The people who did not attend the first 2 days of the test would be thirsting for the opportunity. What disturbed me 2 days ago was the fact that people who are not genuine fans of the game -in the sense that they watch only the IPL and ICC events- and people who are just not interested in the game, get to watch matches at the stadium, but people like me who watch all formats of the game do not get to go to the stadium due to circumstances. Well, I guess that is fate. The gaining of this priceless experience was another reason why I wanted to watch the game live. 

Hopefully, I get to gain this experience soon.

***********

Looking ahead in the Test match:

 

  

  

 The first 2 days have produced some exciting cricket. It is 50-50 at the end of day 2. Tomorrow, India would look to build on their momentum and get a first innings lead and the Aussies would try to get early breakthroughs. Day 3 should be an interesting day.

CHETESHWAR PUJARA-A FINE PROSPECT FOR THE FUTURE OF INDIAN CRICKET

It was evident during Australia’s 4-0 drubbing of India that Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman are definitely past their prime. The truth was there for everyone to see and it is quite clear now that it is time for young Indian batsmen to make their way into the Indian batting line-up and build a new India. Amidst all the touting of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane as the men of tomorrow of Indian Cricket, I hope the selectors have not forgotten a debutant who played a crucial role in the test victory against Australia at Bangalore in October 2010. Not that Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, etc. are any less capable, but this particular player is as capable as they are and would have definitely featured in all the test squads after the tour of South Africa had injury not intervened. This young Indian batsman is Cheteshwar Pujara.

MAKING A MARK

Hailing from Saurashtra, Pujara first made his way into the good books of the selectors after some fine and consistent performances in first-class cricket and in India-A tours. With poor form ruling out Yuvraj Singh from the test squad against Australia in 2010, he first got selected in the team as a back-up middle order batsman and was made to warm the bench for the 1^st test at Mohali which resulted in a miraculous victory for India. But opportunity soon dawned on Pujara. The man who played the most crucial role in the Mohali victory, VVS Laxman, pulled out of the 2^nd Test at Bangalore with a back injury and Pujara was asked to replace him in the batting order. After sitting in the dressing room for more than 2 hours with his pads on due to a mammoth 303 runs partnership between M. Vijay and Sachin Tendulkar, he faced his 1^st ball in test cricket off Mitchell Johnson, which he hit for a 4 through mid-wicket. But the very next ball resulted in a sad thing: he was out, lbw. But there was more to the story of his test debut.

Cheteshwar Pujara pulls during that unforgettable innings of 72

 The match entered a decisive and interesting stage on day 5. Virender Sehwag was out, India required 200+ to win and the whole world expected the usual man at no. 3, Rahul Dravid, to stroll out of the dressing room and take guard. But that was not to be. Instead of Dravid, it was young Pujara coming out at no.3 and many were surprised. Pujara had a very positive approach in his batting from the beginning, not afraid of the occasion, and played some excellent shots. His technique struck me. THWACK, THWACK, THWACK, he pulled Mitchell Johnson’s short balls to the boundary. Those shots remain fresh in my memory. He made a well-crafted half-century and guided the team forward with M. Vijay and Sachin Tendulkar giving him company at the crease. The coach’s and the captain’s decision to send him instead of Dravid at no. 3 was vindicated. Dravid was not in form before that match and was out early in the first innings, so probably the team thought of sending Pujara at 3. For whatever reason that decision was taken, it paid off in the end. Unfortunately, his entertaining and positive innings had to end when he was on 72. But he had done his job before he left, so I had to say, “Well played, young man”. Dravid came in at 5 and joined Tendulkar after Pujara’s departure and the duo maintained the positive approach. They brought about the victory for India and Pujara had played a crucial role in it. I was very impressed. In the test series in South Africa, he finally got his chance in Durban replacing an out of form Suresh Raina at no. 6, after being used for drinks, towels and substitute fielder duty in the previous 4 tests. He also played in the subsequent match at Capetown. Although he did not score many runs in that series, he showed powers of temperament and fight by sticking it out with VVS Laxman during his decisive innings of 96 in India’s 1^st innings at Durban in tough circumstances, tough conditions and against great bowlers like Steyn and Morkel. After seeing all this, there is less doubt in my mind that Pujara is the candidate to replace Dravid at no. 3 in Tests.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A NO. 3

When we think about Test batsmanship, immediately the words “technique” and “temperament” come to our mind. Especially when we are thinking about batsmanship at the no. 3 slot. Is there any doubt that Pujara has those traits? I don’t think so. The general idea about the role of a no. 3 batsman is that when an early wicket falls, he should be able to negotiate the new ball and then take it forward. Pujara can do that. During the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar series, Ian Chappell mentioned a very good point about batting at no. 3. He said that a no. 3 batsman should be able to take the team and the game forward with his batting. Being a batsman who is adept in attack and defence, Pujara is capable of doing that. Also, most importantly, he has a cool mind and is not afraid of anything. Therefore, I think he is suitable for the no. 3 position in Tests.

He is now out of injury and has played a few first class games. So, I expect to see him in the squad for the next Test series. With a new horizon in sight for Indian cricket, players like him are surely the need of the hour. 

India conquer the world

Disclaimer:This post was published when I was 14 years old. I think this post reflects what a 'chamathu' kutti papa I was :p. I mean, this is one of the posts that really shows what an innocent child I was, so please bear with some of the language used. :p



Well, I don’t know what to say. WE ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS! It took some time for it to sink in, when it did, it was an amazing and elated feeling. No words to describe that feeling. When M S Dhoni hit the winning runs, as the ball soared up into the air into the stands, a 1.2 billion hearts soared with it and they continue to be up in the air long after the ball landed in the stands to register a win. After he hit the winning runs, he paused as if he had not realized what he had just done – he had just done a 1.2 billion people so proud. Only when he saw Yuvraj Singh sprint from the non-striker’s end to embrace him did he begin the celebrations. When the ball landed in the stands, down the players’ cheeks went tears of happiness, out came the emotions on the support staffs’ faces and up went the crackers as a symbol of the emotions of a 1.2 billion people. CHAK DE INDIA!

Yuvraj Singh, the man of the tournament. No surprises there. Before the tournament, he was woefully out of form and it clearly was the worst phase of his career. But, as the saying “Cometh the hour, Cometh the champion” goes, Yuvraj rose to the occasion magnificently in the World Cup. He scored over 300 runs and picked up 15 wickets in the entire tournament. Before the World Cup, he would not put value to his wicket; he had put on weight and would not field at his usual position at backward point. But in the World Cup, he batted with great maturity and wanted to put value to his wicket, went back to fielding at backward point and always made sure to be the captain’s go to man whenever a wicket was required.  Hats off to his father Yograj Singh, his guruji and all the people who helped him in his rough phase.

This World Cup victory was not all about Yuvraj Singh; every member of that 15 man squad had a contribution to it. We gave everything to it and we totally deserve this victory. It was sheer teamwork.

There is one unsung hero : Coach of the team, Gary Kirsten, the man who worked behind the scenes. Four years ago, the Indian cricket team was in absolute turmoil. Early exit from the World Cup 2007 and the demoralising presence of Greg Chappell in the dressing room had left the team in absolute tatters. Gary Kirsten started work as so...on as... he was appointed the coach of the team during this horrible phase. Kirsten resurrected the team from shatters, brought self-belief back into the team and got them together as a team. Four years ago, no-one believed that the team would come out like this. Gary Kirsten, a soft-spoken man from South Africa, has spoken volumes for the team. It is sad that he is ending his tenure as a coach after the World Cup, he has done so much for the boys, but it understandable because he has a young family back home in SA. Coaching is not an easy job, you have to travel with the team 24 x 7. Hats off to you Gary! What a way to sign off as a coach!

This World Cup was probably Sachin Tendulkar’s last World Cup. And what a swansong it was. Sachin has equaled Javed Miandad’s record for participating in 6 World Cups, all this time he yearned for one thing: a World Cup. It has finally happened now. It is a dream come true for him to lift the World Cup in front of his home crowd in Mumbai. He has now got practically every cricketing record throughout his glittering career, except the one which is waiting for him : a 100^thton in International Cricket. Lets not put too much pressure on him to get it, when he does, we will all celebrate. I want him to get it when the team goes to England this year, in the match at the Lords’ Cricket Ground, the home of Cricket. But, lets hope for the best. This World Cup has elevated Sachin to a higher position. Hats off to the team for making this happen to the greatest batsman this decade has seen. Virat Kohli got it absolutely right when he said that Sachin has carried the burden of the country for a long time and it is now time for them to carry him. It was a very emotional moment for all Indians when Sachin Tendulkar was carried around the Wankhede.This World Cup for you, Sachin! For all the things you did for India, Indian Cricket and World Cricket.

M S Dhoni, the captain with the Midas touch. It is true in a way. We became the “Kings of the three worlds” under his captaincy – we got the no. 1 ranking in the ICC rankings for Test teams, we won the World T20 2007 and we won the World Cup 2011, going up to the no. 1 ranking in the ICC rankings for ODI teams in the process. Chennai Super Kings won the IPL and the Champions’ League under his captaincy. There is something very special about that man. The World T20 2007 was the first assignment for M S Dhoni as a captain. We went on to win that tournament, and everyone knew at that time that he was something special, because not everyone succeeds so well on such a big stage, that too in their very first stint with the job. Not for nothing he is called Captain Cool. The way he batted yesterday when the team was under pressure and many more occasions suggests us. Many were surprised when he came up the batting order yesterday, but I was not. His coming at no. 5 and not at no. 6 made a lot of cricketing sense (to form a left-hand & right-hand combination at the crease, to make the fielding captain think and because off-spinners were bowling at that time) and there was one more thing which I liked about him coming up the order; he took the responsibility, as a leader, to come to the aid of the team when it was in trouble. If we can see, there is a perfect blend of young and senior players in the team. Dhoni manages them very well without applying too much of pressure. He is pretty instinctive with his decisions and takes a lot of gambles, but when his instincts don’t prove right, he accepts his mistakes and that a great quality to have. He inspires his team-mates with his activities.All these are the marks of a good leader. M S Dhoni – the true spirit of leadership.

Imran Khan, the 1992 World Cup winning captain, made a very good point about pressure. He said that pressure matches during the knock-out stages during the tournament helped India handle the pressure during the finals. We faced Australia and Pakistan in the quarter-finals and the semi-finals respectively, and facing these two teams during the knock-out stages of such a big tournament involves quite a bit of pressure and we handled it pretty well. Certainly, the experience of tackling that pressure, helped us with the pressure in the finals when the chips were down, after our bowlers were given a pasting in the last five overs at the hands of Jayawardena, Nuwan Kulasekara and Perera and after we lost Sachin and Sehwag early to Slinga Malinga. The way Gambhir, Kohli and Dhoni batted under pressure was superb. They held their nerve and batted sensibly, they bisected the field, they ran hard between the wickets and did not allow the spinners – Murali and Randiv – to settle. When the dew came on, it became all the more difficult for the bowlers. Gambhir batted beautifully, but had himself to blame for getting out, that was not the shot to play that ball, nevertheless, it was a brilliant and a crucial knock. Dhoni lead from the front and inspired his players. Yuvraj Singh finished it well along with Dhoni. 

On June 25^th 1983, Kapil Dev lifted the trophy for everyone present at the Lords’ Cricket Ground to see. 28 years later, on April 2^nd 2011, the same feat was emulated by M S Dhoni & co. To me, both the wins were special, not just yesterday’s. When we won the World Cup in 1983, no-one expected India to win, and we did. That beautiful summer of 1983 changed the course of World Cricket and Indian Cricket. Kapil Dev led a young team to World Cup victory, he made them believe that they could win the tournament and told them to make a fight out of it. They beat West Indies in the finals – West Indies, in those days was the best team in World Cricket. They fought it out against the best players and won. That was a memorable moment. When we won the World Cup in 2011, we went into the tournament as favourites for the trophy and we lived up to that billing. The fact that this win means so much for the country, makes it so special. This could well be a beginning of a new era in cricket. Kapil Dev’s running catch to get Viv Richards out off Madan Lal’s bowling in the 1983 final is as special as Dhoni’s six off Nuwan Kulasekara to win the 2011 final.

As for Sri Lanka, well-played. It is not easy to come to a World Cup final and they came. They should be proud of their performance in this World Cup. It just was not their day yesterday. Murali could not end his career on a high with a win, but he has done great things for Sri Lankan Cricket and for World Cricket. Unlike Sachin, he had already had a World Cup before, in 1996. Nevertheless, Murali too is a legend of the game. Murali was injured and tired yesterday, that is why he could not get as much zip as he normally gets. My second case for the “Cometh the hour, Cometh the champion” quote: Mahela Jayawardena. Before yesterday, the Sri Lankan middle order was a matter of debate among experts and a matter of concern amongst Sri Lankan fans. True, there was indeed a problem with the middle order, and amongst that discussion Jayawardena’s name was also mentioned since he had not scored many runs since the first game against Canada. But, yesterday, when Sri Lanka were in trouble, he rose to the occasion magnificently and scored one of the finest ODI hundreds I have ever seen. He was there till the end of the innings, shepherding Nuwan Kulasekara and Perera – lets not forget the role of the 2 of them in Sri Lanka’s total yesterday. Unfortunately, Jayawardena’s innings could not turn out to be a match-winning one. 

In this World Cup, we have seen some incredible cricket and have had some great moments when we were proud to be cricket fans. The tournament was a huge success. Ireland’s win over England, the centuries made by many players and of course, as an Indian, India winning the World Cup, would stick with me for life. To me, this tournament showed the supremacy of Asia, not only in terms of viewer ship, but in the terms of the Cricket played as well. I was very proud that two Asian teams made it to the finals. The 1970s and the early 1980s witnessed the first chapter of Cricket supremacy: The West Indies and the late 1990s and the early 2000s witnessed the second chapter of Cricket supremacy: Australia. This could be the beginning of the third chapter: Asia. To me, the performances of two teams in this tournament were something which came entirely out of the blue: New Zealand and Pakistan. Both of these teams, before the World Cup, had serious off-field issues which were impacting on the field and both of them were not expected to make it to the World Cup semi-finals and they did. It has been great fun for 6 weeks.

1975 and 1979: West Indies under the captaincy of the Clive Lloyd

1983: India under the captaincy of Kapil Dev

1987: Australia under the captaincy of Allan Border

1992: Pakistan under the captaincy of Imran Khan

1996: Sri Lanka under the captaincy of Arjuna Ranatunga

1999, 2003 & 2007 : Australia. 1999, under the captaincy of Steve Waugh. 2003 and 2007 under the captaincy of Ricky Ponting

2011: India under the captaincy of M S Dhoni

Krishnamachari Srikkanth has had the unique distinction of being a part of a World Cup winning team in 1983 and being the chairman of selectors of the World Cup winning team of 2011. I will remember World Cup 2011 forever. The final of the World Cup 2011 was a great game of cricket and it befitted a World Cup final. The better team won. It was a combination of teamwork and skill to get Team India through. As Imran Khan said, the winning has been happening for quite a while now, in the build up to the tournament. 2^nd April 2011 will be in the hearts of Indian Cricket fans for a long time.

India's chances at the ICC Cricket World Cup: A detailed analysis

Disclaimer:Another post that was published when I 

was 14 years old. Another portrayal of childish innocence, I think. So, I again request you all to yet again bear with the language used. :p 

It was a memorable day for Indian Cricket way back on June 25^th 1983, when Kapil Dev, the then captain of India, lifted the World Cup trophy for all present at the Lord’s to see. Truly, 1983 is a stamp in memory for all Indian Cricket lovers. Now, there is hope in every Indian heart that this feat would be achieved again 28 years later, but, only time can tell whether it will happen or not. According to me, India stands a very good chance for the coveted title this time, in 2011. India is playing the World Cup in the Sub-continent which makes them familiar with the conditions but there are more reasons, which I will be mentioning. India has quite a good side on paper. Anyway, there is no point in talking about selection now as it is already over and nothing can be done about it. Execution is what matters now.

SQUAD:

Virender Sehwag (VC), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, M S Dhoni (C & WK), Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Sreesanth (as a replacement for Praveen Kumar),Suresh Raina, Ashish Nehra, Ashwin and Piyush Chawla.

 BATTING:

 The World Cup is taking place in the sub-continent, where pitches suit the batsmen more and India arguably has a world-class batting line–up. Anyone who goes through it right from the top order – with Sachin and Sehwag opening and Gambhir coming in at 3- and all the way down to the middle and lower middle order would say that it is the best batting line-up in the tournament on paper. The names of the top order – Sachin, Sehwag and Gambhir- are self-explanatory. The form of Virat Kohli is a huge plus point considering his performances in the recent past where he has thrived under pressure and has displayed the right temperament and the maturity to hold the innings together in the middle order. Adding to it, Kohli is an electric fielder. Yusuf Pathan – the man who sends shivers down bowlers’ spines whenever he walks out to bat– made a comeback into the team at the right time and immediately made an impact. His game-changing maiden century vs. New Zealand, his half-century which also turned the way things were going in the 3^rd ODI at Capetown and a century that went in vain at the Centurion is testimony that he is raring to go. A man who can single-handedly turn around the fate of matches coming down the order is always a plus point in any team. True, he can play rash shots and get out, but that’s the way he plays, we cannot do anything about that and we should see whatever positives he brings to the side. Any questions regarding his short ball problem were answered when he hit even short balls for sixes in the final ODI at the Centurion. Also, I feel such players with this degree of talent should be allowed to play the way they play as then only they thrive, such is the case with Yusuf. He is also a useful part-time off-spinner, which gives more options to Dhoni. Some men down the order – Harbhajan Singh, Ashwin, Piyush Chawla, and Zaheer Khan – can also contribute with the bat, which is another plus point. Although the batting was not up to the mark in the ODI series against South Africa, it can be taken note that they played in the absence of the regular top order and that that series was in South Africa and not in India, which is co-hosting the show piece event and the batsmen would be comfortable with the pitches in the sub-continent. Also, it is better for them to look at the brighter side of things before the World Cup and concentrate only on the World Cup, which they would obviously do and are doing considering the signals from the training camp.

BOWLING:

PACE DEPARTMENT:

The pace department in the World Cup will be obviously led by Zaheer Khan. As everyone is aware, he is not only a class bowler, but also a great mentor for the other pacers­- which is a great boost. Also, as M S Dhoni said, he always has a plan in hand. As Harsha Bhogle said, a fit Zaheer Khan can be really very dangerous. Munaf Patel has been in good form over the last 2 series; proof, his 4 wicket-haul at the Wanderers against South Africa in that miraculous victory and his performance in the ODI series vs. New Zealand. As everyone knows, he is a different kind of bowler who does not concentrate much on pace, but concentrates a lot on accuracy which has paid rich dividends. Although not much bounce will be provided by merely hitting the deck in the Sub-continent, Munaf obviously knows how to bowl the way he does on sub-continental wickets. Praveen Kumar, one of our main ODI bowlers, was unfortunate to have picked up an elbow injury during the one-off T20 match between India and South Africa and further aggravation forced him to be ruled out of the tournament. But, he has been replaced by Sreesanth, who has got his chance. He deserves to get it and I am happy for Sreesanth. Sreesanth is also a good bowler who is a natural outswinger of the ball and can also reverse it when required. He can be really dangerous when in rhythm and is a wicket-taking bowler, only thing he can get a bit temperamental at times. His economy rate in ODIs and his ODI record are not very good, but it will be wise for us not to judge him on that basis. He is an improved bowler now and not like the way he was. Also, the way he bowled in the ODI series vs. New Zealand was very impressive, especially the 1^st match in which he produced wicket-taking deliveries to finish off the match, also, he was impressive in the warm-up match against Australia. Not only that, we must remind ourselves that this is cricket that they are playing, so we will just have to wait and watch how he bowls on the field, i.e.; if he gets a chance in the playing XI. Sreesanth maybe a little too Test match suited, but he will learn.

SPIN DEPARTMENT:

As the World Cup is taking place in the sub-continent, every team would look to have their spin department decked up. The spearhead of the spinners would obviously be Harbhajan Singh. Although he was not in the peak of his bowling form for some series and was a bit defensive in his approach, he bowled well in the ODIs vs. South Africa, especially at the Wanderers during the middle overs. As Harsha Bhogle said, Harbhajan should be assuming the wicket-taker’s role. Ashwin impressed one and all in the only 7 ODIs he has played. He brings versatility into the team considering that he can bowl in the death and the Powerplay which is not easy for any spinner to bowl in and he also brings a lot of variety considering he is a thinking bowler and makes use of the carrom ball very well. Some would have questioned his presence in the team due to the presence of part-time off-spinners and Harbhajan Singh; but I would say, although Harbhajan Singh and Ashwin are both off-spinners, their style of bowling is different. Also, even though there are part-time off-spin options in Raina and Yusuf Pathan, they cannot bring the variety that Ashwin brings into the attack. Although he cannot be really judged properly considering that he has played only 7 ODIs, it can be taken note that he is in good form and there is no-one else to fit the bill. Yuvraj Singh brings the left-arm spin dimension into the attack; although he cannot bring that conventional left-arm spin as he is a part-timer, he stops the flow of runs and picks up wickets whenever required and that is more than enough. He too bowled well in the ODI series against South Africa. Also, as mentioned above, we have some really good part-time options in Raina and Yusuf Pathan. Piyush Chawla was a surprise to me considering he had not had many games before the World Cup, but if Dhoni had really asked for him; we had better trust it as majority of Dhoni’s hunches have proved to be right in the past. Besides, we have to accept it now, as nothing can be done about the selection and looking at the brighter side, it is good to have a leg-spinner with a good googly and flipper in the side as it adds to the variety, which is always good. Not only that, he put on a disciplined bowling performance against the Aussies in the warm-up game, mixing up the wrong ones rightly. With this, he puts some competition for the second spinner’s slot with Ashwin, in case the conditions demand it, and this is a good dilemma for the Captain. According to me, India’s spin department for the World Cup is one of the best on paper amongst those selected for the tournament.

OTHER POSITIVES:

Cricket is not only a physical game, but also a mind game. Any tournament of such a large scale such as the World Cup will not come without pressure, so does this World Cup and the Indian Team will be playing at home, thus, expectations from the home fans would be there. But, as M S Dhoni said, this side is better equipped to handle the pressure. Also, the calming presence of M S Dhoni in the dressing room and during times of pressure helps a lot. He has a calm and cool head and not for nothing he is called “Captain Cool”. Speaking of Dhoni, he has the penchant for winning big tournaments such as the ICC World T20, the IPL and the Champions’ League and he follows his gut feel while making any decision, just like the captain who lead India to the 1983 World Cup victory, Kapil Dev. Also, the players respect him a lot. Coach Gary Kirsten, for whom this World Cup would be a swan song, has had a positive influence on the players and is a great man manager - which helps in building team spirit and self belief. He has worked wonders with the team. The players would like to win this World Cup for Sachin Tendulkar – who on all practical purposes would be playing his final World Cup – and Gary Kirsten additional to their want of lifting the Cup for the country. Many have told that the probable playing 11 of the World Cup not playing in any match due to injury is a concern, but I feel that would not be a problem as they move together in the dressing room. Fielding has been quoted by some as a weak area, but I would say that we are not natural athletes and we have to accept that fact, besides, this Indian team is an improved fielding unit. Although the Men in Blue lost the ODI series against South Africa, it can be noted that the series was not lost without a fight, and that is really good to see.

ISSUES OF CONCERN:

The fitness issues with the batting department have been sorted out, so, the only concern that remains over there is the form of M S Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina. Yuvraj is a match-winner on his day, so his return of form is very important to the chances of the team. On the other hand, he gives the left-arm spin option and is one of the best fielders in the team at the moment. M S Dhoni weighed by the additional responsibilities of captaincy and wicket-keeping, has not played an innings of substance in the recent past. To win a match, it should be a team effort and a one- man show cannot be the case. Also, his style of explosive batting and shot-making is always useful. I understand that managing all the three – captaincy, batting and wicket-keeping- is not an easy job, but his runs are also important for the team. Raina might not get too many games or at least the first match as the performances of Virat Kohli have overshadowed his in the recent past and a player like Yusuf Pathan cannot be dropped for the first match for Raina to be accommodated. Glimpses of Raina’s form were seen at Capetown and at the Centurion, but he threw his wicket on both the occasions.   Otherwise, Raina can finish games excellently, has a variety of shots and is an excellent fielder wherever he is positioned. He also provides the part-time bowling option. For those positives - perhaps Raina's 50 in the warm-up match was too late-Raina’s form is also important, which is a good dilemma for the captain. Ashish Nehra is in poor form, which is another matter of concern. He can be good in the death. Zaheer Khan is apparently nursing a niggle and this is another issue of concern. There has been some pressure on Zaheer to deliver sometimes as mentioned in one of the papers, so, the other fast bowlers will have to step up and give him support.

This is what I have observed, being a fan of the Indian Cricket Team. Reading these chances of the team winning the World Cup, one can say that India have a very good chance. But, Cricket is a game of uncertainties, so, it is all down to how the players play on the field on that particular day. As Peter Roebuck, a famous cricket columnist said “Cricket is played on the field and the minds of men”.