Here we go again..

or, what we will hear and read in the next few days following India's capitulation in Durban ( the language will vary,depending on how strongly one feels about this)

• The vaunted Indian batting order is spineless/ no good/has beens/never were.
• The Indians cannot bat out on the final day under pressure
• Sachin Tendulkar never delivers in crunch situations
• India cannot string together a set of wins. Every win is followed, inevitably, by a loss.
• The mindset needs to change.
• Virender Sehwag must go
• Rahul Dravid must go
• Greg Chappell must go
• Sachin Tendulkar is useless
• (will add more as I think of/hear more)

Personally, I slept through the whole thing , so I have no first hand account of what transpired and therefore, wont comment.All I can say is that South Africa wanted this more, and despite me having reservations on their approach over the first four days of the test, they delivered.

They talked the talk, and they walked the walk.Kudos to them!!!

As far as the Indian's are concerned, this is a wonderful lesson on the need for discipline over a sustained period of time, belief in your abilities and maximizing opportunities that come your way.

Onto Newlands then, and for all of you people out there.. HAVE A SAFE AND WONDERFUL NEW YEARS!!!

On the weather favoring India..

From CricInfo, this

So how does the weather look like tomorrow? Pretty favourable for India. Forecast suggests, rain and scattered thunderstorms by afternoon. High 77F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a half an inch.

Regarding the weather tommorrow, a quick peek at the 10 day forecast following the Jo'burg test would have told anyone that there was scheduled rain for tommorrow.In fact, rain was scheduled for the first 3 and the last day of this test. So the fact that the weather would have a huge bearing on this test was a known factor well before the toss. Add to it the fact that 29 odd days out of 80 odd have been lost at Durban to the weather since 1992.

So if weather does intervene tommorrow,does that necessarily favor India?

The pattern throughout this test has been that the light has faded at around tea or a little past. When light was offered to the South Africa on Day 1, they were 257/8. If play were to have been prolonged, what are the odds that they would have reached 328?

At the end of Day 2 ( when light was offered to the batsmen, Sachin was on 46 and looking ominous. If light were to not intervene, what are the odds of Sachin having converted the 46 into a big one?

When Graeme Smith took the light yesterday,he did so fully aware that it was South Africa that had to do the hard yards as it is they who are 0-1 in the series.

Even today, given the light, given the situation, the Proteas should have declared sooner rather than later. But they chose not to.

If India were to go to tea without having lost anymore wickets and needing about 90 runs in the last session, and light and rain were to intervene, will we still say the weather is favoring India?

On why Munaf Patel should not play at Durban

Munaf is recovering from an ankle strain that has taken over a month to heal. Given that he is carrying this ailment, and given that he has not played competitive cricket in the last month, is it prudent to play him at Durban?

In other news ...

Shane Warne retires.

AB DeVilliers may partner Graeme Smith in the second test at Durban.

Shabbir Ahmed gets an all clear from the ICC

Martin Crowe accuses Murali of chucking... again!!!!

Stephan Harmison retires from ODIs

Bob Simpson, on coaching and coaches

Indian Eves Win

Simply marvelous, that!!

Mukul Kesavan

on the Wanderers win.

A tantalizing prospect

It appears Shane Warne is set to retire from International cricket following the Ashes. Glenn McGrath is to follow suit.

Australia is not schedule to play any Test from the end of the Ashes until November 2007 when India tours Australia to play 4 tests.

We all know what happened the last time the Indians were Down Under fronting up against an Australian attack sans Mcgrath and Warne.

What are the odds of an even better performance this time 'round?

Update :-

Peter English' article in Cricinfo on the same subject

Goddamn!!!

Ravi Shastri, in the Asian Age

India should go for the kill now

Ravi Shastri

South Africa will now lose sleep for approaching the Wanderers Test with a condescending approach-as if the Indian team didn’t exist.To be honest they were caught with their pants down. It must explain their lack of application though nothing must detract from India’s folklore of a win. There were far too many heroes which in essence means the team spirit in the hut is just fine. Criticism hasn’t got to Greg and the boys yet. The monkey is truly off their back now.It was good old fashioned Test match cricket where the batsman gutsed it out and the bowling was disciplined backed by superb catching.

This win though still doesn’t crown a triumphant campaign which must now be India’s aim. They can fine tune the team for Kingsmead by bringing in Irfan Pathan and it would mean laying off Wasim Jaffer for the moment. It’s a drastic measure and in no way is a vote of no-confidence against the likeable Mumbai opener. It’s simply what India need best to stay on top against an opposition who would now be an enraged beast. You don’t slay a lion in his den just like that. Bottom line they have to think of a win and go for the kill.

Pathan’s assets are obvious: he has been on this tour for over a month and his batting is just getting in order on these pitches. He is a left-hander to boot which is always a drain on the concentration of a bowler. As a left-handed bowler, he could play a good relieving role for the present strike-forces of the team. It’s horses for courses really. Even Dravid opening can become a possibility.

It’s Sreesanth’s moment and he just can’t be pegged back in the pecking order at this hour. Enough has been said about his quality and feisty approach and much of it is true. He was the best bowler on view at Wanderers and the likes of Shaun Pollock wouldn’t grudge the fact. He did everything that captain Rahul Dravid could have asked. He will now be a household name in India, the star of the moment whose glow could put to shade even the most celebrated names of the team. India can rejoice in his emergence.

Sourav Ganguly and Zaheer Khan now rightfully belong to this team. The period they served out of the squad has seen the old hunger back and skills much more refined. They chose to rediscover themselves and everything they do now is for the good of the selves and the team. Performance and performance alone is the byword for them.

One aspect of India’s win which need be recounted is the third wicket stand between Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid on the first morning. Another success for the South Africans then and the new ball, a moist wicket and a rampaging attack would certainly have exposed the middle order. As it was, India’s middle order had a shining presence in the match. They negated the bad start in both the innings. A victory margin as big as 123 runs in a low-scoring match is an eloquent word on it.

V.V.S. Laxman, top scorer for India in this match, once again underlined how he comes good when the chips are down. He has been Mr Crisis for India in crunch situations and this was one more such instance.Much like the great Gundappa Vishwanath did in his time.

This win must now perk up India and enable them to turn the corner in one-day cricket as well. Ganguly deserves a recall for he stood up to the test of these pitches and hostile opposition. Selectors didn’t cotton-wrap him up for home matches and instead, he was provided same conditions to prove himself as it was the case with Rainas, Kaifs and Mongias. The prodigal has returned in style for sure.

And finally one must not forget the role Chappell and his team are playing.He has had his fair share of criticism but make no mistake, he is good for Indian cricket. (TCM)

And to think I typed something similar two days ago!!!

Here's more

on why we need a bowling coach !

Some thoughts after the first Test

1. South Africa face an uphill battle from this point on especially since the series is limited to 3 tests. To win the series, the Proteas have to win the remaining two matches, and to do that, they will need to make wholesale changes to their squad. The current Protean top order is way too much in the one-day mode to actually throttle back and build an innings.
However, if wholesale changes are made, it would indicate a loss of faith in the current lot of players and also hint at panic amongst the ranks.
I doubt if the South Africans can really do anything to turn this around. All the talk of fast, bouncy wickets is now chucked out of the window. India is sitting pretty at the moment and South Africa will have to do all the running from here on in.

2.We need to make a distinction between ODI and Test discussions only because the Indian Test team is far superior to the Indian ODI Team.
In ODIs, the need to have batting depth handicaps team selection because there are only so many bowlers who can competently wield the willow. That allayed with the need to have superior fielders pares the pool even more.
In Test cricket, it is easier to pick specialists instead of bits and pieces players and this is where India can compete because India has much greater bowling depth.

The failings of the Indian ODI team have been well documented. And given that the World Cup is around the corner, I do not believe we can turn around our ODI fortunes prior to that.

3. It was heartening to see India get its fielders in the right positions in this match. For far too long, non specialists were stationed at specialist positions, resulting in fielding lapses that cost India important tests.
It was wonderful to see Rahul Dravid at midoff and Zaheer Khan at mid-on when VRV Singh was bowling in the Proteas first essay.

4. Durban will be a fast wicket only because it has always been so. India's team composition going into this test will be interesting.
One school of thought will be to retain the winning XI because thats how you show faith in your players.
Another school of thought is to dump Jaffer for Gambhir and VRV Singh for Munaf Patel ( assuming Munaf Patel is fit by then).
My own thinking is that we should retain the winning combination.

If a change has to be made, it should be Irfan Pathan for Wasim Jaffer with Rahul dravid opening the innings. Here's why

• It is well know that Pathan is out of form, bowling wise. A fast, bouncy, seaming wicket with a 1-0 cushion should be the perfect platform for him to make a comeback.
  
• As the 5th bowler, there will not be as much pressure on Irfan as it would have been if he was drafted into the first test as one of the 4 mainline bowlers.
  
• He gives India a 5th bowler and an additional batter down the order. Given the way Zaheer batted, it will give added depth to the batting line as well as variety to the bowling line.
• It also allows for Laxman to come at 3, and given current form, gives him more time and latitude to play.

The need for a bowling coach

Dilleep Premachandran, in his Day 3 verdict, wrote -

While Sreesanth and friends were doing their thing for the second day in succession, it was hard not to think of the reams that have been written about the need for a bowling coach. With the team's one-day fortunes in free fall in recent months, the back-room staff have been slated, mostly by those who haven't watched a single practice session and therefore know little about the effort that Ian Frazer and Greg King put in to assist Greg Chappell.

Coaching staff can't win you a game, they can only prepare you to be successful. And after the one-day debacle, both players and coaching staff have worked like Trojans to put things right. Much was made of Sreesanth's chat with Allan Donald on Saturday morning, and while it undoubtedly helped, it shouldn't obscure the fact that the hard yards had been done over hundreds of practice sessions dating back more than a year. And the manner in which India have outbowled South Africa in this game was ample proof that bowling coaches - South Africa do have one in Vincent Barnes - alone don't guarantee magic bullets.

I fail to understand the reluctance of the Team Management to get a bowling coach on board. Given that India's pace attack is raw, and given the amount of test cricket that India has to play next season ( away series against BD, England, Pakistan and Australia), wouldn't prudence demand that we have someone to work exclusively with the bowlers, making them understand the nature of the different surfaces they are going to encounter and tactics/strategies to be employed on said surfaces?
Given India's inability to bowl at the death in ODIs, given that tours are getting shorter and bowler workload is getting higher, given the paucity of time to adjust to different conditions, given the number of times bowlers are breaking down, wouldn't a bowling coach, with insight on these issues, make a difference to the bowlers performance ?
If a bowling coach is not a value add, then what case can be made for having the rest of the support staff? Each role can be similarly dismissed as no guarantor of success and can be done away with.
In conclusion, to quote Dileep Premachandran " Coaching staff can't win you a game, they can only prepare you to be successful", and here we are, gleefully shutting the door to greater success. This pig headedness by the Team Management is going to cost India big time.

A win to savour

India ended its 14 year drought in South Africa by winning the first test match at the Wanderers by a whopping 123 runs.
Shaun Pollock and Ashwell Prince gave the Indians ( and their legions of supporters) some anxious moments, but in the end the result was beyond doubt.
A comprehensive team performance, a win to savour, but let us not forget there is a series to be won.
Durban, here we come.

India v/s South Africa Test 1 Day 3

India 249 and 236. SA 84 and 163/5 need another 239 runs to win

The Indian Innings :-

Someone needs to sit down Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virender Sehwag and tell them "Guys, there is a reason God has put something between your ears. Try using it ever so often. It helps". Given that India had South Africa on the run and given that losing wickets and thus handing momentum to the Proteas was the last thing India needed,, MS Dhoni's heave-that-was-pouched-by-the-keeper was an absolute no brainer.
That was followed by Kumbles dismissal, and at 148/7, the Indian innings looked to be in the danger of folding too early.
Enter left, Zaheer Khan.
For blunting the South African attack, for staying with VVS Laxman for as long as he did, and for playing a huge role in India's eventual lead of 402, Zaheer Khan deserves sustained applause.
So does his partner-in-crime, VVS Laxman. Like Mumbai 2004, this innings was created under adverse circumstances. This innings was a testament to the infinite reserves of patience this man has. It was a courageous innings, and potentially a match winning one.
The tail wagged and so did Sreesanth. His antics , following the six off Nel, were hilarious. But they also sent a message that this team, despite being bruised and battered, is going to give back as good as it gets, and is not going to be cowered by niceties or ICC match referees.

The South African Innings :-

With only one over to face before the lunch interval, the last thing the Proteas needed was a wicket to fall, and Herschelle Gibbs duly failed to comply. Sunil Gavaskar was livid during the interval, calling for Gibbs' dropping from the squad altogether.
For the rest of the innings, the game followed a predictable script. Plenty of unplayable deliveries, a few fours, some streaky, others authoritative, and wickets falling at regular intervals.
The heartening feature in all this, from an Indian standpoint, is that the Indians retained their focus and intensity throughout. At no point in time was the game allowed to drift, even when Kallis and Prince and then Prince and DeVilliers were stitching together those partnerships.
The ground fielding, barring a couple of misfields, was spot on, and no better example of this than the DeVilliers run out. One of the fastest runners between the wickets in world cricket, drives the ball to mid on, where India's pace spearhead is positioned. Here is a guy who has batted out of his skin, bowled his heart out, and must be feeling the effects going into the final session of the day. The fact that he reached the ball and effected a direct hit is testimony to the Indian's commitment on the field.

Verdict :-

India's day, on points.

Looking forward :-

The Indian fielding and bowling had started showing the effects of a long day on the field towards the end of the days play. This, allied with complacency, will kill India's hopes of winning. India's focus must be to get the remaining 5 wickets in the shortest possible time. They have answered all the questions asked of them so far, but the biggest question of all remains... Does India believe it can win this Test? if the answer is a resounding Yes, India are home and dry.Any doubts at this stage, having come this far, will allow the South Africans the breathing room they desperately crave for.

India v/s South Africa Test 1 Day 2

India 249/10 South Africa 84/10 India 146/5 lead by 311 runs. nuff said!!!

Verdict :-

India's day, by the proverbial country mile.

Looking Forward :-

India is in the driver's seat at the moment with the entire lower order having the license to swing away. With Dhoni and Laxman at the crease, India can look forward to stretching their lead to 350+. And with the wicket dusting up and the bounce getting more uneven, India has the bowling to chalk its first victory in South Africa. That said, India must not let things drift in the thought that there are enuf runs on the board and there is enuf time in this test match. Every single psychological point that can be scored must be taken advantage of.

Shaun Pollock - CHAMPION!!!

India v/s South Africa Test 1 Day 1

India 156/5 at the end of the days play.

The Toss:- was won by India who duly elected to bat.

This decision will be debated if India go on to lose the test, with the critics harping on the fact that an undercooked Indian batting lineup was exposed, first up, on a wicket that has bounce and pace and enough lateral movement to keep the bowlers interested. With the wicket expected to play its best on Day 2, this will be more grist to the mill for critics at large.

On the flip side, it is a bold decision in keeping with the decision to sit out Irfan Pathan. Yes, the wicket has juice, no doubt aided by the "sweating" of the Hessian covers put ostensibly for preventing the cracks on the wicket from widening. However, the wicket will become even more two paced as the aforementioned cracks get more prominent and the bowlers footmarks come into play over the course of 4 innings. Anil Kumble then looms as the most important factor going into the 4th innings and I believe this, more than any other consideration, tilted the decision to bat first.

The Indian Innings :-

At the end of the day, the Indians will feel that they lost one wicket too many over the course of the day. If the light had been offered an over prior to when it actually was, India would have been pretty content with the position they were in ( 4 wickets down for around 150).

The wicket itself does not look like an easy one to bat on, and at no time did any of the batsmen look settled. Sachin and Rahul got done by beauties after they had done all the hard work, and VVS has reason to feel aggrieved, having got out in poor light at the end of the day.

The wicket itself is two paced, with the bounce being up and down. Some balls have stayed low, and with the cracks on the wicket widening and the wicket aiding lateral seam movement all through the day, batting wont be easy hereon in.

The South African bowlers bowled as they were expected to, and were always in the game although they may feel a little miffed at not having snapped a couple more wickets.
The fragile Indian batting line up showed a lot of gumption, and while none of the batsmen scored a big one, all in all it was a fairly satisfactory day's outing for the Indian batsmen.

Verdict :-

South Africa's day, on points.

Looking Forward :-

If Saurav and Dhoni can see through the early start tomorrow, they will still have about 10-15 overs tommorrow before the new ball becomes due to pile on the runs. A total of around 250-280 will be competitive, and anything more will be a bonus.Lose early wickets,and the initiative will have been handed over to the Proteas on a platter.

Like I have been saying all along...

South Africa can be beaten

CricInfo shifts to India?

CricInfo to focus on India

wonder how no one else picked on this story.

Untitled

Just how many reams of paper are going to be wasted analyzing India's batting weaknesses?

At the end of the day, what matters is that India take 20 South African wickets and score 1 run more than the Proteas. Thats all!!!

And I believe we have the team that can deliver on both counts only if we get the right people in the right fielding positions and hold on to our catches.

NZ v/s SL Day 2

28 wickets in 2 days at Christchurch, with the match headed towards an early finish on Day 3. If Sri Lanka lose, will Mahela Jaywardene say this and Sri Lanka do this?

Oh dear !!!

Indian media boycotts team briefing... Someone needs to makes this book mandatory reading for the Team Management.

South African Team announced

The squad

two spinners in along with the usual suspects.. Interesting!!!

A round of applause...

for Saurav Ganguly, Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh for helping the Indians reach316/7 after being 69/5 at one stage.

Here is the scorecard

Can we please win the toss for a change?

7 outings, 3 captains, and they still cant get the call right!!!!

This explains Englands dramatic loss :-)

Freddie is a Sagittarian, not a born leader

Stunning!!!!

This and this...

More Twit Speak

Dileep Premachandran, again..

Ultimately, no one else can bat, bowl or field for you, but the loss of Dravid was a big blow, given Virender Sehwag's appalling run of form in the one-day game. Question marks over his commitment and attitude led to him being removed as vice-captain of the Test side, and combined with his lack of runs, there was no question of leadership from the front in the final two games. Dravid himself could do little at Durban or Cape Town, and it was clear that morale wasn't what it should be.

- agreed Dravid was not much of a factor in Durban, but guess who was at the helm when South Africa moved from 76/6 to 274/7 at Port Elizabeth?
-If morale is not what it should be, then surely, surely the captain holds some responsibility for this ? and doesn't his job description includes raising the morale?
- Whats with the hatchet job on Sehwag anyways? And the kid gloves with which Rahul is treated?

Since the tour began, there have been constant whispers of a couple of players not exactly contributing to the building of team morale. By this time, board officials should have had a word with the offenders, but it's not a healthy sign. Not everyone is a model professional like a Dravid, a Tendulkar or a Kumble, and some of the younger players have been treated shabbily by those who should be mentoring them. Halfway through such a crucial season, it remains to be seen if the disgruntled elements fall into line, or whether they pay the price.

rofl..Dileep Premachandran, your biases show ..

On Greg Chappell

At the end of the World Cup, India will need to make a decision on its controversial cricketing coach.. Here are my two cents

• Irrespective of how deep we go into the WC campaign, India needs to rethink Greg's role in the Indian cricketing establishment.
  
• While a great cricketing brain and a super skills coach, Greg obviously has not tapped into the pulse of his players and has had a lot of issues with motivating them. Run-ins with ex-captains haven't raised his stock either
• My vote for India's next coach will be either Darren Lehmann ( another South Australian, but with a lot more pizazz and cricketing savvy) or Ravi Shastri ( tactically astute, a shrewd cricketing brain).
• 
  
• Greg has a role in the Indian cricketing establishment because of what he brings to the plate.He should, if he is willing, be moved to the NCA, or some arrangement must be put in place between the NCA and Chappellway to leverage the skills as well as mental fortitude of the next generation of India's cricketers, because this is where he adds value, unlike coaching the national team
  

Some Thoughts on the Test Series ( India v South Africa)

The test series between India and South Africa kicks off at Jo'burg on the 15th. It will be an interesting contest, not least because India, in the extended format of the game, can go toe to toe with the Proteas.

The South African Team

The Proteas have a potent bowling attack, and I wont be too surprised to see Dale Steyn drafted into the squad only for the shock value he provides. A bowling line up of Ntini, Pollock, Steyn, Nel and Kallis is pretty potent under any conditions, and the Proteas are playing at home, so BEWARE!!
The batting lineup will pretty much be the same as in the ODIs, with Rudolph coming in place of Kemp and Prince coming in the middle order. Smith, Gibbs, Kallis, Rudolph, Prince, DeVilliers and Boucher are a pretty good front 7.

The Wickets

The Proteas have sensed that the Indians are uncomfortable with the bounce and so I do not expect any freebies on the wicket front. Expect to see bouncy wickets, though I doubt they will be green tops.
I think the Proteas will be exposed if green tops are provided, only because the South African batting, while deep, is surprisingly fragile and India has the bowling to expose this fragility.

The Indian team

This is going to be the most contentious section of this post, and I will be flamed for this ( if anyone does read this blog :) ), but here is my lineup for the first test ( given fitness)

Sehwag
Jaffer
Dravid
Tendulkar
Laxman
Ganguly
Dhoni
Kumble
Zaheer
Munaf/Sreesanth
VRV Singh/Sreesanth

if Rahul is not available

Gambhir
Jaffer
Laxman
Tendulkar
Sehwag
Ganguly
Dhoni
Kumble
Zaheer
Munaf/Sreesanth
VRV Singh/Sreesanth

variations of the above ( by adding Harbhajan in the mix) can be used for the remaining tests. 2 spinners for Port Elizabeth and 4 pace 1 spin in the remaining 2 tests.

I do not know whether the Ganguly selection or the Pathan non-selection will raise hackles but here is my reasoning for this :-

Saurav Ganguly -
Now that Saurav has been drafted into the test squad, its a no-brainer that he will play. I mean, do we really want to have Saurav and Greg in the dressing room together for ALL 5 days of the match (j/k) ? That said,playing Saurav will put an end to the whole " he is the messiah"/ " he is past his sell by date" debate. If Saurav performs, he pushes his candidacy for the World Cup. If he flops, its "thank you very much, and here is your pension".

Irfan Pathan -
Pathan is, by all accounts, undergoing a major crisis of confidence. This has been a problem since the beginning of the 2006 season , and is one of the pivotal reasons for India's dismal performance in the ODI arena.
Given that he is not feeling his best, does it make sense to play him in the test series? Wouldn't it be better if he was made to train with Wasim Akram ( on tour as ESPN commentator and Pathan's early mentor) for the duration of the test series? A couple of hours everyday at the nets for the next month or so should do enuf to get some confidence back. And not being exposed to the Protean batsmen ( and getting mauled), should also soothe nerves and get the head straight. India has enuf in the pace bowling department to cover for Pathan the bowler unless the other bowlers drop like flies ( highly unlikely) and so Pathan on the bench is not such a bad deal.

Season 2007-2008 looms as a significant one in the Indian cricketing calender, one that offers both crisis and opportunity.
There is the World Cup, the 20/20 World Cup, a test series in England, an away series in Pakistan and a home and away series against Australia.
It is imperative that we have our spearhead in proper working condition for this.
Short term expediency ( read the SA series) at the cost of the long term will hurt us and hurt us badly.
Opportunity lies when India plays BD in an away series and this is where the next generation of India's middle order can be identified and tested. Ditto for a leggie and a left arm orthodox spinner.

Splitting the captaincy

Post the World Cup, the BCCI needs to seriously consider splitting the Test and ODI captaincy.

Boof for Coach?

Come 2007, Greg Chappell's contract runs out.. Boof wants to coach England.. Can we get him to coach India?

Who wants to be a bowler?

Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy

Tamil Nadu 393/5 (134.0 ov)

Baroda 406 Saurashtra 27/0 (7.0 ov)

Hyderabad 358/8 (135.0 ov)

Gujarat 208 Punjab 164/0 (53.0 ov)

Karnataka 371 Haryana 44/2 (15.0 ov)

Delhi 299 Uttar Pradesh 73/1 (22.0 ov)

Bengal 405/5 (141.0 ov)

All's not well in South Africa

If you thought the Indians had problems

SA get behind Smith

Does Smith have too much power?
Publish

When Resource Management went awry

Sehwag at the crossroads

Have they lost the plot?

Greg's Dharma, decoded

A Lax ray of hope in heart of darkness

Sehwag’s fall is a VVS warning

For all the Management mumbo-jumbo mouthed by the Team Management, they have sadly overlooked Personnel Management.

There is a lesson in this, somewhere, on what not to do when dealing with individuals and teams.

Little things...

add up to a lot ( random thoughts during India's first 20/20 game at Jo'burg).

South African Innings.

• Sreesanth's 3rd ball of his first over is a wide.. to first and second slip.. who bail out and let the ball go to the boundary.
• 1st ball of Zaheer's second over. Bosman is ball watching while Smith wants a single.. Throw at the bowlers end.. Would have been out if it hit.. but the point of interest is that neither the bowler nor any of the fielders are close enuf to collect the ball and effect a run out.
• "Go out there and enjoy" says Wasim Jaffer.. About time too.
• Zaheer Khan.. you beauty!!!
• Oh dear... over #4.4 and another run out chance wasted.. to add insult to injury, overthrow given.. and the next ball crashed through midwicket for 4.
• Wicket maiden Ajit Agarkar...In a 20/20 contest..
  
• Its official.. Graeme Smith is Zaheer Khan's bunny.
• over#8 : Who is this imposter posing as Ajit Agarkar? a wicket, a maiden and now another wicket!!!
• over # 10 :- oh dear Ajit.. what have you done to yourself?
• over #11 :- is there something wrong with sachin's left hand?
• India on fire.. Sachin gets Kemp!!
• over 13 :- lets not lose the plot now.... 13 runs in the over.. not good
• brave... getting Harbhajan to bowl over #15.
• ooooooh!!! aggression from Sreesanth after bailing out of his bowling run.. 103/6 in 16
• oh dear!!! Sreesanth misfields.. over #17. A super over ends up being just good.
• Dinesh Kaarthick .... Energizer Bunny!!
• 126/9 SA
• Now, over to India's weakest link!!!!
  

Indian Innings

• 4 in the first over.. But Sehwag is stroking the ball well.
• a lot more smiles from the Indians today
• MISFIELD!!!!! Way to go Albie!!!
• Sachin looks shaky..
• oh dear... How close was that Sehwag?
• AB deVilliers not wearing pads?
• over #3 steady Veeru.. steady now.
• over #4.. here come the chants ... "Sachin SAAAAAACHIIIIIIIIIIIIIII"
• and GOOOOOOOOOOOONE.. Sachin departs..
• Mongia at one drop.. Interesting... Maybe the county stint is the reason behind him coming up the order.
• sweet pull Mongia... Super!!!
• finally, the Indians are playing out the overs instead of trying something stupid
• over # 7 :- problems for SA.. Telemachus in some pain.
• over #7 :- good, aggressive running between the wickets..
• this is going to be interesting.. If the Indians don't lose a wicket in the next 3 overs, the pressure will be square on the Proteas for the first time this series. How will Smith react?
  
• Just thinking that Lalit Modi and co could use the 20/20 format in domestic cricket.. Will be a huge money spinner. Revenues generated could be used to upgrade Stadium infrastructure and also supplement the players income.. Just a little marketing and a little glitz ( Bollywood meets cricket on the sports ground), and this thing will fly.
• over #9 :- Sehwag turning it on here.
• Taking on Gibbs for that single. Nice
• over 9.3 :- SUICIDE!!!
• hang on now.... was Langeveldt holding onto the ball after the stumps were broken? remember the Harbhajan run out of Haddin in the DLF cup? This looks eerily similar.
• over #11 :- Dinesh Mongia.. sweet swing of the bat there.
• over #11 :- Dinesh Mongia using a baseball bat? Look at that bat go :-)
• over #12 :- GOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE.. Dhoni goes. another inside edge
• out comes Energizer Bunny
• over #13 :- easy now Dinesh.. the runs will come.
• over #14 :- steady.. steady.. steady
• 38 in 36 with 7 wickets.. if India botch it up from this point forward, they deserve to be dumped in the Indian Ocean.
• 33 in 30 with 7 wickets.. Energizer Bunny looks cool .. Mongia, a little edgy..
  
• over #16 :- oh Brian.. what a cock up!!
• 29 in 24 with 7 wickets..
  
• over #17.. Energizer Bunny.. you beauty!!!
• PRESSURE!!! South Africa is feeling it.. and how..
• The Indian bench is all smiles.. YAY!!!
• Robin Peterson on..Huge gamble!!!!
• And why was that required now Dinesh? After all the hard work, you toss it all away
• 18 in 14
• Scores level. INDIA cannot lose!!

STOP PRESS!!! INDIA WIN

Playing favorites?

"Apart from Dravid in the Cape Town game where he broke his finger, Sachin Tendulkar in Durban, and Irfan Pathan in the last game at Port Elizabeth, no batsman has shown signs of having come to grips with the conditions."

- What about this fourth gent, who scored 55 in the very same game that Rahul broke his finger?

Making the right noises..

is Venkatapathy Raju, here... Now, can he and the Board match their words with deeds?

I couldn't agree more..

with Bob Simpson, in the Sports Star

Some thoughts on the Team selection

Overall, a pretty balanced effort I think..

Ganguly's selection is bound to inflame passions, and it will be a pretty interesting Indian dressing room with Ganguly and Rahul and Greg. That said, from a purely cricketing point of view, Ganguly is bound to be a passenger more than anything else. If Rahul is fit and available, it will be difficult to slot Ganguly anywhere in the Team XI, unless India go with a bowler short and Ganguly becomes the 5th bowling option, something even Ganguly wont be too keen on.

Questions have been raised about what this means to the "process" so dear to Greg and Rahul, and IMHO, if the "process" is paramount, then the process should succeed irrespective of personnel. I will be dammed if the "processes" put in place are so personnel-centric that any change will derail it completely. If that is the case, what is the value add from Greg anyways?

About investment in youth, its a good thing to do.. After all, the middle order is nowhere as potent as it was a couple of years ago. And with the players ageing, and retirement not far away, it is imperative that younger players be given a chance.. But, is there a real, conscious effort to do so? But for Kaif and Yuvraj, has there been any other player who has been identified as a middle order bat and played in place of Rahul or VVS or Sachin ( when fit and available) in Test Cricket? and regarding the youth policy in ODIs, the only kid who has been persisted with, irrespective of performance, has been Suresh Raina ( under the new dispensation, that is). Robin Uthappa was tried and dumped, so was Piyush Chawla, ditto R.P Singh and VRV Singh . Besides these, what other player has been really groomed who was not part of the thinking under the previous management?

Finally, the wickets.. Or lack thereof in the Indian domestic structure.. Shashank Manohar of the "player salary to be linked to performance" fame, had no qualms getting his groundsman to prepare a green top at Nagpur.. Neither did the CAB at Kolkata.. Jamshedpur, Mohali and Hyderabad have been bouncy. So it is not that the wickets cannot be prepared.. But does the BCCI, and local associations, have the guts and gumption to do so on a regular basis? Punjab tried a green top and lost to Bengal.. To avoid relegation, wont they go for "patta" wickets in the remaining home games?
There are 30 teams playing the Ranji Trophy ( give or take a couple). Why does the BCCI not mandate that the home grounds of each of these teams be of a particular character.. Bouncy, Green, Square turner, Balanced between bat and ball ( some purchase on the first day for pacers, easing out on day 2 and 3, and turning on day 4 and 5), and patta wickets.. Balance this across all 30 teams, and let each of the teams in the Elite and plate divisions of the Ranji Trophy be exposed to each kind of wicket.
the BCCI could also mandate that the Balanced wickets be in the test match centres ( Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalaore, Chennai) and the remaining types across the board.
Its not that hard is it?

About talent search and the dearth of "quality" players in the domestic scene, why not revive the "A" tours that have been sporadic so far? The Indian domestic season runs roughly between end November through Feb.. How about this then

1. Identify a pool of 30 players, categorized into two ("A" and "B") teams,based on the performance in the Ranji domestic season.
2. Play home series against England/SA/Oz/NZ/WI/SL/Pak in the period between February through April/early May.
3. Tour England or play county/club cricket in England during the English summer. Monitor the progress of each of these players through the period.
4. Tour SA/NZ/Oz during October/November or play club cricket there during this time..Play Queensland Second XI, or Auckland or Gauteng or any of the other teams depending on tam availability.

based solely on performance, rate the players. Those who make the cut can be put on a supplementary retainer along with the national team. Those who don't make the cut always have the next year .

Make this an annual affair with all players ( on retainer or otherwise) be available for selection.

The BCCI surely has the money and the muscle to get this in place if they wanted.

Given the amount of cricket played, it is difficult to get the National team guys to play domestic cricket.. But surely, a system can be set into place in spite of them?

In closing, this bit from Sambit Bal on CricInfo :- "The average Indian cricket fan might have been fooled by the team's success in the last World Cup in South Africa but it wouldn't have been lost on the discerning few that the pitches were flat, almost designed to give India a good run."
The weakness to cope with anything outside of the norm was apparent even when India was beating all comers at home last season. But so swept in the euphoria of winning and team changes was everyone that it took a string of defeats to bring this weakness to the fore.

Md. Yousuf.. take a bow!!

Yousuf breaks 30-year-old record

Master Stroke

VVS Laxman appointed vice-captain of the test team

Indian Test squad

Virender Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman (vice-capt), Rahul Dravid (capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Munaf Patel, Zaheer Khan, Sreesanth, VRV Singh, Irfan Pathan, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh.

Dileep Premachandran is a twit..

"But with the batting coloured by the lack of confidence that has characterised every game on this tour, an eminently gettable target became as difficult as the search for El Dorado. Without the immense presence of Rahul Dravid, there was never going to be any gold at journey's end." -- enuf said!!

109/6

is it an inability to play on bouncier tracks or a lack of application? time and time again, batsmen have gone for broke without a) settling down and judging the bounce b) awareness of the match situation. I think they are so caught up with their image of swashbucklers that they are unwilling to do the hard yards in the middle, irrespective of the conditions.

39/4

What does one say to this performance? Why would anyone, after this, want to bowl?I mean, the bowlers get the stick for bowling badly at the slog. So,they put on a much improved performance this time round..
And what do the batters do? Play like headless chicken!!! Time and time again, the Indian bowlers have bowled superbly, only for the batters to lose the plot. If I were Zaheer Khan or Anil Kumble, why would I put the extra effort only for the "superstars" of Indian cricket throw it away?

4th ODI ( India vs SA)

is it just me or is there a lot more purpose and discipline in the Indian effort today? Did the change of captains or the heat back home do the trick?

If the tv reports are to be believed...

Laxman for ODIs.... Ganguly for Tests.
Jaffer for ODIs... Gambhir for Tests
Irfan for ODIs.... VRV for Tests.

Have the selectors completely lost it?

Reverse sweep!!!

First Laxman, and now Ganguly!!!
Looks like the current batch of selectors are hell bent on reversing everything Kiran More's mob did in their 3 years at the helm.
Given the rehab of (former) players,I wont be too surprised to see if India fields the same crowd in this World Cup as they did in the last one..
So where does all of this leave Greg Chappell?

You cannot be serious!!!!

Vaughan in line for dramatic return to action

VVS Laxman called up...

bad call, this one.. And here is why :-

VVS, while a brilliant test batsman, does not quite cut it in the ODI arena. I am aware of him scoring back to back centuries in Australia and a century in the 5th ODI at Lahore, but those innings were played on wickets where the bounce was true and the ball was coming onto the bat.
Given the conditions in the West Indies, where the bounce is low and the ball does not come onto the bat, Laxman's inability to work the ball off the square and force the pace are negatives. Plus, his fielding is not upto scratch.And so,Laxman will not make it to WI.
Given that, why include him for 1 ODI in SA? By the time he gets to SA, the ODI series will be done and dusted.
If Wasim Jaffer and KKD Karthiks selections are contentious, dont the same arguments apply to VVS also? Or are we clutching at straws to turn around a season that has gone pear-shaped pretty quickly?

Blessing in disguise?

Injury scare for Dravid

More Theatre of the Absurd...

Chappell gets the stick from West Bengal MLAs

"Cutting across party lines, members of the West Bengal Assembly on Monday condemned Indian cricket coach Greg Chappell for his comment on MPs and demanded his immediate removal.......
Chakraborty, however, said Parliament should not engage itself with the issue as it had important business of national and international importance to deal with........

Trinamool Congress MLA Sovandeb Chattopadhyay said the Australian had no idea about the Indian constitution. "He has not only shown disrespect to the MPs, but also to the people of the entire country."

"He should be summoned to parliament for the outrageous comments and removed as coach," he said."

Protestors burn Chappell`s effigy

"The mps are people`s representatives. Insulting them is akin to insulting the Indian people," they said, carrying aloft posters condemning Chappell.

"Moreover, Chappell is an outsider, a foreigner. What right does he have to speak about the functioning of our parliamentary democracy," they asked.

Bengal Sports Minister wants Ganguly in Indian team

MPs take on Chappell

Now, a privilege motion against Chappell in Parliament?

Dear Rahul,

It has been a rough second season for you as captain of the Indian cricket team, and things are not looking any better now than they were at the start of the season.

Your batting lineup is short on form and long on insecurity. Your bowling lineup is more Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, with no one knowing who will show up on a particular day.

Your brightest prospect is undergoing a huge crisis of confidence, not knowing if he is in the team for his batting ability or for his bowling.

Your coach has polarized public opinion to such an extent ( aided and abetted in large part by your predecessor) that any reasonable cricketing debate quickly degenerates into a clash of personalities.

Your stalwart players cannot pull their weight, and your junior players do not know what is expected of them.

The Indian public wants blood, and statements like "Criticism does not motivate us" does nothing to soothe the inflamed sentiment back home.

Your ability to lead, for the lack of a better word, stinks!!

You had a superb first season , with your team winning on a whim. There were external distractions galore, but they did not faze you. Your team played like champions, and played with such energy that they made even skeptics believe.

Your captaincy had clarity and decisiveness, and all you touched turned to gold.

Yes, there were basic flaws in the team even then ( inability to play on anything other than a "patta" wicket), but such was the mood within the team and such was the vibe, that these flaws were papered over.

You raised our expectations and we believed.

Given how badly your team is performing right now, maybe you need to step back. Having lost two games on the trot, and with no realistic hope of winning the ODI series in South Africa, maybe you need to take a break.

Take a safari, spend some time on the beach, spend quality time with your family if you like. The remaining two ODIs really don't matter in the larger scheme of things, and you are required for the test series to follow.

Take the time to recharge you batteries, spend the time clearing your mind. Attitude reflects Leadership and Team India does not want to be found wanting on this score.

You need a break. There is just too much on your plate and there are no quick fixes or long term solutions in sight. Instead of trying the retrieve whatever is left of this disastrous ODI season, focus on the task ahead.

India has never won a test match in South Africa. You are blessed with having, for the first time, the bowling attack that could just swing it your way. That must be your prerogative.

In the meantime, let the captain in waiting, Virender Sehwag, lead the charge. If he is the man chosen to lead in your absence or after you leave the game, this is as good an opportunity as any to assess his leadership potential.

There have been numerous complaints from various quarters about the lack of responsibility shouldered by him in the ODI arena. There can be no responsibility greater than captaining India, and let us see if he is up to scratch.

And while you are away, take Greg and Sachin and Anil and Ian with you. Let the youngsters chart their own path outside of your long shadows. Let them play the way they choose to.At worst, they will lose. Big deal!!

But you, the batsmen, and more importantly, you, the captain, are vital for India in the near future.

Take Care and God Bless,

Homer

A woeful inattention to details

"A woeful inattention to details" writes Dileep "Rahul Dravid can do no wrong" Premachandran in his verdict .

He cites the following examples of India's poor ground fielding

" Kemp had his share of good fortune, reprieved on five when there was a big noise as a delivery from Anil Kumble drifted past the bat and into Mahendra Singh Dhoni's gloves down the leg side. That could be termed unfortunate, but what followed was truly wretched. Sachin Tendulkar put down a caught-and-bowled chance when he had made just 9, Dinesh Karthik put down a tough chance to his right at midwicket when he had 34, and Kumble let one slip at cover when he was three short of a maiden century."

but conveniently forgets

"25.3 Harbhajan Singh to Pollock, 1 run, fuller in length, the one that goes straight on. Pollock is sucked forward and the edge is produced, ball goes high towards Dravid at first slip and he fails to hold on to a very difficult chance".

He writes

" It didn't help that the death-overs bowling was as abysmal as the fielding. They bowled far too full to Kemp, a man who likes the ball in the slot,"

but forgets that there is a guy, designated as the captain, who could, if he chose, talk to the bowlers on what is required, set fields accordingly, and control the tempo of the game.

Finally,

"Cricket matches are often won by the little things, the sliding stops and the pushed singles, rather than the big booming sixes."

and little more imagination by the captain perhaps?

And how about a little more attention to details by the writer ?

-----
As an aside, Cricinfo conveniently sidesteps Bengals win over Punjab in the Ranji Trophy game at Mohali that was played on a green top, focusing instead on inane details on the Delhi-TN game played at the Kotla. The "Ranji Trophy Super League round-up, 1st round, 4th day" contains no mention of the game either.
Given that Saurav Chandidas Ganguly is the captain of the Bengal team, just how objective is the Cricinfo editorial staff?

Disappointed... ( further thoughts on the second ODI India-SA)

Senior player comes out and plays a bone headed shot when a little more diligence was the order of the day- Sehwag playing the upper cut to the third ball of the Indian innings and holing out pretty much sums up Team India's approach to the game these days.

A game, that by rights hould have been India's, was lost because of inept and incompetent cricket. And the rot starts at the top, with the captain being the most culpable.

The chronic inability to press home the advantage has become the hallmark of Rahul's captaincy since SA toured India in 2005.

Poor team selections, poor on field marshalling of resources, poor off the field management, lack of planning and a distinct lack of execution has become the calling card of this team.

It does not help that constant shuffling of the batting lineup has made players unsure of thier roles in the team. I am not quite sure how much they are being talked to about why they are being shunted up and down the order.

And then there is the question of priorities:- Given that the Indian pace attack is "raw" and "inexperienced", the standard go-to excuse bandied by the captain every time we lose, why is there no bowling coach travelling with the team? Is having a "shrink" associated with the coach's academy more valuable than a full time bowling coach?

Rahul Dravid needs to stand up and taketotal and complete responsibility for his team's slide, instead of hiding behind homilies.. Or he needs to step down and let some one else take charge of Team India's fortunes in the One Day arena.

Second ODI- India SA

This loss hurts.. and the blame lies squarely in the lap of the captain..letting a team that was 76/6 reach 274/7 is criminal.. To say I am disappointed will be stating the obvious.

First ODI - India SA

India staring down the barrel at the moment. 85/8 and I will be real surprised if they can take the total past 100. But not all is doom and gloom. Two straight changes for the next ODI: Sehwag for Jaffer and Irfan for Raina.
Sure, the Proteas are all over the Indians at the moment,but I wonder how long this will last.Given the conditions in Durban, something like this was expected. However, there is a sameness to the Proteas bowling line up, and given a slightly less inimical wicket, I will back the Indians to push the Proteas real hard.
There will be a lot of breast beating about this performance, but I take heart from the fact that the bowlers, for the most part, kept it tight and Sachin Tendulkar looks in ominous form.
So 1-0 to the South Africans, and onto Cape Town we go..win the toss and bat first Rahul!!!
As an aside, the Poms play the Roos today Down Under.. Ashes or something it is called :)

Greg Chappell..

here, here and here

The BCCI

neither has clothing, nor balls!!!

Theatre of the Absurd

Alex Brown in the Sydney Morning Herald

"Although the matter has been deemed trivial by some observers — Martyn, after all, was hardly forceful in his push — in India, where respect for elders is paramount, the incident has attracted headlines." - more Alex Brown in the Sydney Morning Herald

"It does need to be noted that officials on the subcontinent love a bit of podium time. It is not unusual for the players to be outnumbered by officials, sponsors, dignitaries, guests, family members and ocasionally a groundsman or two, all desperate for their minute in the limelight.

Speeches drag on and on, and when it is photo-time, everyone present tries to squeeze in on the edges.

The Australian cricket team can argue they are on a hiding to nothing sometimes. For every thousand polite handshakes, it is the one snub that will be remembered." - Iain Payten in The Daily Telegraph

"Pawar is founder of India's Congress Party, he's Agriculture Minister and a member of the Indian Cricket Board " -Comment by Ray Chesterton

And in India NCP contemplates legal action against Aussies for nudging

and Ponting apologises over Aussie win antics

"Australia cricket captain Ricky Ponting offered to apologise on Wednesday to any Indian officials who felt insulted by his team's victory celebrations after the Champions Trophy final this week."

surely SOMEONE should know the difference between "offered to apologize" and "apologises".