Just for kicks..

With the year drawing to a close and Bangladesh fighting in the first test against Sri Lanka and the West Indies New Zealand game washed off, I decided to put together an India Second XI

India First XI

Gautam Gambhir
Virender Sehwag
Rahul Dravid
Sachin Tendulkar
VVS Laxman
Yuvraj Singh
MS Dhoni (c)
Zaheer Khan
Harbhajan Singh
Amit Mishra
Ishant Sharma

India Second XI

Murali Vijay
Shikhar Dhawan
Cheteshwar Pujara
Rohit Sharma
S Badrinath (c)
Virat Kohli
Dinesh Karthick
Irfan Pathan
Munaf Patel
Piyush Chawla
L Balaji

Honorable mentions - Ajinkya Rahane, Tanmay Srivastava, Suresh Raina, Md Kaif (c), Venugopal Rao, Manoj Tiwary, Abhishek Nayar, Parthiv Patel, S. Sreesanth, Siddharth Trivedi, Mohnish Parmar.

HAPPY NEW YEAR !

It began with a furore...

and has ended with another.

What a year, Ricky Ponting!

Brilliant

The Old Batsman

Short of a Length

Outside The Line

Now, I worry

187 runs to win. 7 wickets to get. A 5th day pitch. The best two teams on the planet. A tussle for the #1 spot. The second highest successful run chase in the history of the game.. The highest successful run chase in Australia.

And a 1000 people.. Or maybe 2000. Thats all.

During the Border Gavaskar Trophy, there was a general consensus that Test Cricket was dying. And that consensus was based on ground attendence. Never mind the fact that the television rating were off the charts, the lack of people inside stadias was presented as proof that Test cricket was dying.

Now, Indian stadiums have never been spectator friendly. Lack of facilities and bad viewing are only two of the many reasons why people avoid the stadium experience. And the two best stadiums in the country ( Mohali and Nagpur) are located sufficiently far from the city to deter people from travelling.

But no... Test cricket was dying because of a percieved lack of interest among Indians.

Forward fast to Perth.

England and Australia remain the two bastions of in stadia viewership for Test cricket. Watching a test match in the stadium is a part of the culture. And yet, barely a 100 people showed up to watch the final day's proceedings.

And in the meanwhile, I come across this in the Sydney Morning Herald

Early indicators suggest the first Test between Australia and South Africa will prove a ratings winner for Channel Nine and the match also seems to have attracted a keen following overseas. The two televisions in the Indian team dressing room at Mohali were tuned into the Perth Test. And Tony Cozier, commentating the New Zealand-West Indies Test in Napier, apparently went to air complaining of sleep deprivation from watching the "real Test" being played at Perth's WACA Ground.

So, the death of Test Cricket because of Indian "disinterest" in the longest form of the game is a tad exaggerated.

I worry, however, because the countries were Test cricket viewing is a part of the culture, are giving up on this.. And I worry because, in the countries where in stadia cricket viewing is a summer ritual, cricket is not the most dominant sport. Australia has the AFL and the Rugby code. England has football. New Zealand ahs Rugby. And in these economic times, people may not necessarily be willing to shell top dollar for a day' cricket viewing.

And administocratic greed does not help either. Full price tickets for the final day's play at Perth. 100 pound tickets at the Brit Oval. And a Sky TV subscription to watch the game on TV.

So no, India will not usher in the death of Test cricket. Because there is a sizeable fan base for the longest form of the game in the second most populous country in the world..

Test cricket will die because the bastions of the longest form of the game have abdicated their stewardship.

Geniuses!

It is not only the Indian selectors who are periodically prone to brain fades... On a wicket that Ricky Ponting described as "almost subcontinental in nature" last year, what do the Australian selectors do

The uncapped Ben Hilfenhaus has been called to provide Australia with another bowling option for the second Test on Boxing Day as they attempt to recover from the demoralising defeat to South Africa in Perth. Jason Krejza, the offspinner, has been dropped for Nathan Hauritz while Peter Siddle holds his place in a 13-man squad despite not taking a wicket at the WACA.

What is the logic of dropping an attacking off spinner for a defensive one? If Ricky Ponting wants to stench the runs from one end, he has Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds. And Simon Katich..

Jason Krejza is a wicket taker. And he bowled pretty well at Perth ( despite the numbers). Given that Australia find one wicket taker per match ( and the rest of the "attack" make up the numbers), it is galling to see a man who took 12 wickets in a Test 3 matches ago being sidelined for a guy who cant get a contract from his state side!

Why I am not surprised

Two matches, two record chases. The world is agog with what is a safe 4th innings total on the back of India's successful chase of 387 and South Africa's even more surprising chase of 414.

Thing is, I am not surprised.

Here is a list of the top 15 run chases in Test cricket

Innings by innings list

Team	Score	Overs	RPO	Lead	Inns	Result		Opposition	Ground	Start Date
West Indies	418/7	128.5	3.24	1	4	won		v Australia	St John's	9 May 2003
South Africa	414/4	119.2	3.46	1	4	won		v Australia	Perth	17 Dec 2008
India	406/4	147.0	2.76	4	4	won		v West Indies	Port of Spain	7 Apr 1976
Australia	404/3	114.1	3.53	1	4	won		v England	Leeds	22 Jul 1948
India	387/4	98.3	3.92	1	4	won		v England	Chennai	11 Dec 2008
Australia	369/6	113.5	3.24	1	4	won		v Pakistan	Hobart	18 Nov 1999
Australia	362/7	101.0	3.58	4	4	won		v West Indies	Georgetown	31 Mar 1978
Sri Lanka	352/9	113.3	3.10	1	4	won		v South Africa	Colombo (PSS)	4 Aug 2006
West Indies	348/5	69.0x8	3.78	4	4	won		v New Zealand	Auckland	27 Feb 1969
West Indies	344/1	66.1	5.19	3	4	won		v England	Lord's	28 Jun 1984
Australia	342/8	87.2x8	2.93	4	4	won		v India	Perth	16 Dec 1977
South Africa	340/5	104.5	3.24	6	4	won		v Australia	Durban	15 Mar 2002
Australia	336/5	123.6x8	2.03	1	4	won		v South Africa	Durban	20 Jan 1950
Australia	334/6	79.1	4.21	4	4	won		v South Africa	Cape Town	8 Mar 2002
England	332/7	159.5	2.07	1	4	won		v Australia	Melbourne	29 Dec 1928

Barring 4 matches, in all the remaining games, the team batting last has had around 100 overs ( or more) in which to pace their run chase,

100 overs translates to 3 sessions and a bit.

The other interesting thing is that there are only two matches where the team batting last has had a run rate in excess of 4 runs/over ( India came close with 3.92 in their chase against England).

Here is the third interesting thing - the third innings score in each of the games reads

Australia 417
Australia 319
West Indies 271/6 decl
England 365/8 decl
England 311/9 decl
Pakistan 392
West Indies 439
South Africa 311
New Zealand 297/8 decl
England 300/9 decl
India 330/9 decl
Australia 186
South Africa 99
South Africa 473
Australia 351

Two games out of 15 featuring a 3rd innings collapse.The remaining games has the team batting first trying to force the issue ( or batting themselves into a position of apparent domination).

The inference is this - If I can score big in the third innings (on a Day 4 wicket) at a fair clip, odds are that the opposition can do the same. And if there is enough time left in the game, odds are that the opposition will do just that!

From a captaincy standpoint, I think the focus now changes to time rather than runs - if I have 300 runs but I leave the opposition 75 overs instead of 90 to achieve that score, odds are that I can take wickets because the opposition will go for the runs first up and if I get early wickets, odds are that I can force the opposition to crumble by applying pressure once I make the initial break through.

Pressure works both ways.. Fielding captains control the pace and the tempo of the game. Captains who do a better job of marshaling resources and controlling the pace of the game will do a much better job of closing the game ( either by way of a draw or a win).

So no, this is not an era of the great run chase ( although with T20, mindsets on what constitutes a good score has altered). But mindsets do not translate to ability. And ability is what delivers results.. A run rate of 4 runs/over is gettable in the minds of the batsmen.. But actually getting it is a whole different ball game.

Joy!!!

(copyright PA Photos)

Ponting surveys crumbling empire

- couldnt happen to a nicer man!!

PS:- Just realized - this is my 1000th post. Joy!!

Snapshots

Mike Selvey

Yuvraj played his perfect part but the day, the match and the country demanded it belong to Tendulkar. It could not have been scripted more perfectly: a boundary to win the match and complete a century. It had to have been preordained. Had to be. And Tendulkar's articulate, measured summary of what it all meant, even as the euphoria reigned all around him and the adrenalin still coursed through his veins, placed it all into a proper context. It was a triumph for India, but no less so for England who can be proud. Above all, though, it was a triumph for the spirit of Mumbai, through its champion, Tendulkar. Karma.
---
The Uncle JRod

But this is a good thing, because what a fucking test match.

It had an unpredictable ending.

It had Strauss show what mental strength can do.

It had Swanny come down from mars with a special over.

It had a great tail end partnership between Dhoni and Bhaji.

A classic England defensive collapse.

GOD.

Sachin making a ton.

England fans felling happy in their despair.

And Indian fans feeling happy with their victory.

What a game, you should all be proud, even those of you who played shit.



So take that terrorists.

---
Samir

My favorite moment from last night's incredible finish to the Chennai test: Tendulkar politely shaking hands with all the members of the groundstaff that ran on to congratulate him after the winning runs. At that moment, it all came together. The win, the essential simplicity of this great player, the role of cricket in India, and the relationship between the greats we create and our dreams.
---
Tunku Vardarajan

When England's young opening batsman Alastair Cook read out “an open and public statement of support for the Indian people following the tragic events in Mumbai” I found it hard to resist the courage, the poise, the sheer decency of this England cricket team. There is a kind of Englishman who is admired by Indians, who was admired, even, in the old colonial days. I know that because my parents' generation speaks of the type. Amid the boors and oiks that England is so good at producing (and was so good at exporting to its colonies), there is - and always has been - the Upright Englishman.

--
Paul Newman

His jaw juts defiantly and his voice almost quivers with emotion as Sachin Tendulkar addresses the Indian people with a statesmanlike message that has been shown incessantly here on television between overs of the first Test.

'We will emerge stronger for the bad times, ' Tendulkar promises his people. 'Now, more than ever, I play for India.'

Leave..

( My apologies to everyone who left a comment on the blog.. I havent had the opportunity to respond to the comments, something that I intend to do over the next couple of days. Apologies to for not blogging. After Mumbai, cricket seemed trivial, blogging even more so.)

Lots of talk about Rahul Dravid in the media and the blogosphere.3 runs in 24 balls and a dropped catch to boot has everyone wondering about what the future holds for Dravid.. My suggestion - do the honorable thing and call it quits.

Not because you will lower your average by hanging on. Not also because of the legacy you will leave behind.

But because when you were captain, you and the Coach and the Chairman of Selectors of the time insisted on a simple mantra - perform or perish.

Its time to walk that talk.

And let us be very clear here - it is not because Dravid has not been scoring centuries or that his average is in the 30s that he should call it a day. It is because he is the biggest momentum killer in the Indian batting line up right now. And also because his scratching and pottering around in the crease kills whatever confidence the dressing room has after the Sehwag-Gambhir opening.

And if the general tone of this post suggests that I have no sympathy for Dravid, I dont.

He was on the cusp of being one of India's best Test captains when he abruptly ( and without any explanation) quit after the England tour. He had the team, he had the bowlers, hthe team was getting moulded in the image of their captain when he walked.

His ODI captaincy, I never rated.

Greatest #3 India has ever had or a batsman who hit a purple patch between 2001 and 2005, posterity will decide.

Churlish and selfish. That is how I will remember Dravid's legacy as captain. Always the bridesmaid,never the bride, that is how I will remember Dravid's career.

Sayonara Rahul, and thanks for Kolkatta 2001 and Adelaide 2003 and RawalPindi 2004.

Thank You

The Mumbai Police

The Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad

The Rapid Action Force

The National Security Guard

The Marine Commando Force

The Indian Army

The Indian Navy

The Mumbai Fire Brigade

The Mumbai Hospitals

The Railway Police

The people of Mumbai.

58:26

12/03

11/07

26/11

Never again!

Never forget!

The other Mr Chopra

here.

Which reminded me of this.

The ball, is in Chris Broad's court.

Dear Mr Chopra..

My comment on Akash Chopra's latest offering on Cricinfo.

Will Mr Chopra please own up to some personal responsibility instead of whingeing about everything under the sun?
First there was the DDCA who were to blame for Mr Chopra not seeing Gautam Gambhir score a double ton, now it is the scheduling that is responsible for Delhi's current predicament.

How about admitting the fact that Delhi's batsmen, led by their captain, are not good enough or bat long enough to give their bowlers some rest?

And finally "In the past I would have tried to prevent people from scoring easy centuries" - nice way to belittle the achievements of your peers.. Just what is expected from the captain of the National Champions!

Cheers,

I fully expect this comment to not see the light of the day - it is not in keeping with the usual "how great you are Akash" theme that forms the bulk of the comments.

The big fight

The board of Control for Cricket in India has asked the International Cricket Council to remove Clive Lloyd, the former West Indian captain, from his post as chairman of the ICC's Cricket Committee following some remarks Lloyd made at a public function in Mumbai recently.

Lloyd had expressed hope that the Indian Premier League and the Indian Cricket League could co-exist, saying, "There's nothing like having a discussion to break the ice. Just like the United States president Barack Obama said 'you have to speak to people'. They [IPL and ICL] both need to understand their agendas and work accordingly."

The former West Indian great, who has replaced Sunil Gavaskar as the head of the ICC's cricket committee, added, "Leagues similar to the IPL and ICL will not only bring young talented players in the national team but will also make their basics clear."

In doing so he has incurred the BCCI's wrath. "When Mr Gavaskar was chairman of the cricket committee, he was told he had to choose between making certain comments, as a television commentator and as a journalist and holding an important ICC post. Why should it be any different with Mr Lloyd," a source in the Indian board observed.

When Gavaskar headed the ICC's cricket committee his trenchant columns attracted severe criticism from Australia and England, who were often the target of Gavaskar's blunt opinions. At the time David Morgan, ICC president, said: "There is a concern that he (Gavaskar) is chairman of the cricket committee and a journalist who has expressed some fairly outspoken comments." With the cries of a conflict of interest growing louder every day, Gavaskar finally had to choose between his ICC post and the freedom to express his views as he pleased. He chose the latter, and now the BCCI is demanding that Lloyd do the same.

The BCCI contends that the issue of the ICL and whether it should be given authorized unofficial cricket is still being discussed by the ICC and its members. Therefore Lloyd really had no right to comment one way or the other on its status. The BCCI will also say that Lloyd, by going public with his statements, is showing a lack of respect to the ICC and to member boards who are working on the issue on an ongoing basis. The other aspect that will have the BCCI up in arms is that the ICL is, essentially, a domestic issue and the ICC has thus far left it to the Indian board to handle. The ICC's cricket committee has no jurisdiction over this and Lloyd making these statements could be construed as interference.

A source confirmed that the BCCI had already made its stand clear, in writing to the ICC.

Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, and David Morgan, were unavailable for comment on the issue.

Negotiations with the ECB, the tiff with Sri Lanka,the Champions League, the sanctity of Test cricket all pale in comparison with this.

This is going to become the next major showdown between the BCCI and the ICC. And I fully expect this to be bloody.

Fun!

Peter Lalor on Matthew Hayden

NO matter how calm a cricketer tries to be amid the distractions on and off the field, karma has a way of sinking its frustrating teeth into his behind.

Matthew Hayden may have had reason to rue his own words when he took strike at the Gabba yesterday.

Lacking diplomacy last week, the big Queenslander had blamed "Third World" conditions for some of the over-rate problems on the subcontinent. He pointed out there were often delays because of sightscreen malfunctions and the like.

"Often we find ourselves with hands on hips waiting for someone to either face up or someone in the sightboard to move away - all the little frustrations that happen in Third World countries," Hayden had said.

India exploded with righteous indignation.

It was unfortunate because Hayden is a long-time fan of the country and an enthusiastic tourist to the subcontinent. The big man loves the big place and embraces its culture with genuine warmth.

He had been singing Indian cricket's praises just minutes before dropping the phrase, but by now Australian cricketers of all people should know that ill-chosen words can cause all sorts of problems.

And so there was Hayden back in the alleged first world and ready to face the first ball at the Gabba yesterday.

The ground was a bomb site after storms the night before. The large white sails that once formed the roof above one section of the stand lay shredded across a broad expanse of the seats while engineers were called to test the structural integrity of the supporting pylons.

A few weeks ago the Australians had been disappointed to see the small crowds attending Indian Tests, but only 12,498 people showed up yesterday.

The fans with tickets to the damaged area and the corporates who were due to eat in the dining room below were redirected to other sections of the ground. There was plenty of room.

Later a section of sail fell down on to an inhabited section blocking their view.

Outside traffic was diverted as cranes were brought in to repair the damage.

Play started half an hour late because the covers had blown off during the night and the square had taken a soaking. Ground staff worked feverishly with oversized hair dryers trying to fix the problem.

As Chris Martin stood at the top of his mark ready to deliver the first ball of the game, Hayden pulled away. There was a problem with movement near the sightscreen.

Play was delayed for a few more minutes while the fourth umpire climbed into the relevant section and suggested the entrance above it not be used.

A few overs later there was another delay as Tim Southee waited to bowl. Again there were sightscreen problems. After much arm waving, somebody realised what was going on but more time was lost. The same thing happened later and drinks were taken early.

New Zealand's cricketers were patient and understanding. After all it wasn't as bad as they had put up with the week before in the dusty provincial cricketing outpost of Sydney during the tour match. The Paddington end sightscreen there had malfunctioned on Saturday. Come Sunday the Randwick end machine had given up the ghost.

The ground staff decided to use two small tractors to shift it when needed, which had led to long delays and comical scenes as the vehicles bucked and slipped and struggled to move the screens.

It's a tough tour for the Kiwis. Jesse Ryder had copped a bad stomach bug from the water or the food and had spent a few days in the team hotel on a drip, but had recovered enough to be back for this Test.

Hayden only lasted 18 minutes at the Gabba yesterday, caught out by the foreign bounce and a touch of indecision.

The day before the match he had said a batsman had two options on such a wicket; belt it or block it. The first 20 overs, he said, were the hardest. As it was, he was done by the trampolining bounce inside 20 balls.

Hayden started to hit his stride in the last two Tests in India. He came into the series after a long lay-off with an injury, struggled to find rhythm and good umpiring in the first pair of matches but was getting there with 83, 16no, 16 and 77 in his last four innings.

Now he has to quickly readjust his game to trying home conditions. Australia's second innings will almost certainly be Hayden's last Test knock at his home ground. He would love to give Queenslanders something to smile about after a hell of a week.

---

Matthew Hayden on Matthew Hayden

MATTHEW HAYDEN has defended the "third-world country" remark that so infuriated India this month, but insisted he meant no disrespect to the nation or its citizens. Senior Indian officials, Mahendra Dhoni and an army of angry bloggers criticised Hayden over the comment, which he used when describing the factors that contributed to Australia's slow over rate during the Border-Gavaskar series. But Hayden, while standing by the comment, feels he has been the victim of "certain sections of humanity [who] want to take someone like myself down".

"The politics of cricket has gone mad," Hayden told The Tonk. "One of the things I love the most about India, is that you walk around the back of the hotel, and there's a man who's selling peanuts on the street for one cent a month, and he holds his head so high, and is so proud, as if he was making $2 million a month. It frustrates me that certain sections of humanity want to take someone like myself down, who is a really great admirer of the country, and who has really built his career on the back of the country in a very proud and honoured way.

"We've had our competitive spats, but I'm sure that's only enhanced the reputation of India. It's made them play better against me, and I've played better against them. I stand by what I said. There is a large portion of India that is third world, that is below the poverty line. But from my experience, it is those people who I admire the most. They are the ones who send out the messages of love and passion and have that amazing enthusiasm for life. I greatly admire, and appreciate, all the wonderful sentiments they have conveyed to me over the years, and for anyone to suggest otherwise is way off the mark."

---

But Dan, this is not India!

Daniel Vettori will look skywards and pray the coin tumbles his way tomorrow as New Zealand eye a rare chance to place Australia under pressure in the first cricket test.

The toss looms as vital on a Gabba surface which has been under cover after several days of rain and will provide some seam movement, if the weather allows a start on time at 1pm (NZT).

As the sun fought its way through the cloud after another night of torrential downpours, Vettori admitted the onus was on him to call correctly to give his side a chance of belying their status as $A9.50 outsiders.

Outpointing Delhi!

As I type this

Mumbai vs DDCA (scores will be updated after every 10 overs)

Mumbai

1st Innings - 330/10 in 110.3 overs Ajinkya Rahane - 160, Amol Muzumdar 83, S Narwal 4/43

2nd Innings - 313/1 in 68 overs Sahil Kukreja - 148*, Ajinkya Rahane - 64*, Wasim Jaffer - 98

DDCA

1st Innings - 295/10 in 94.3 overs Sairaj Bahutule - 3/44, Ramesh Powar 3/54, Ajit Agarkar - 2/64

SWEET!!!

Just say NO!

The ECB is considering a request from the BCCI to push back the first Test between England and India by a day to allow breathing space for both teams between the two-match series that starts on December 11 and the Champions Twenty20 League that ends the previous night.

Sorry, but no can do.. The schedule has been decided in advance, and just because some BCCI drone deems a cooked up Twenty20 tournament to be more important than an already agreed upon itinerary does not mean the BCCI should have it its way.

If the ECB does not step to the plate, the TV companies should.. Ditto the advertisers.. And the local associations and ticket holders.

Allow the BCCI to get away with this ( their sloppiness with the scheduling the Champions League and their arrogance in trying to change schedules to suit their whims) and this will be only the first of the many instances world cricket will have to face in the coming years.

Call the BCCI's bluff - just say NO!

Killing 'em softly

First ODI

INDIA
dot balls - 125
singles - 111
twos - 12

ENGLAND
dot balls - 110
singles - 79
twos - 8

Second ODI

INDIA
dot balls - 146
singles - 100
twos - 16

ENGLAND
dot balls - 169
singles - 77
twos - 9

Yuvraj Singh. India's power hitting. Strike rates. Just a few of the things that have dominated the narrative following the first two ODI's against England.

The one component of the narrative being paid scant attention is this - India have outperformed England in the small ball stakes.

Battle plans for any contest are based upon certain assumptions. And stereotypes. And some well established canons.

Playing cricket against India brings about its own set of assumptions.

Enter left, Mickey Arthur -

Any visiting team should be able to outfield India. Whereas Steyn might dive to stop a boundary at fine leg, Ishant Sharma will stick a boot out and it will go for four. India's fielding has improved but they're some way off most teams.

Enter right - Ricky Ponting

We did a lot of planning and a lot of thinking leading into the last Test series here four years ago, trying to develop a style of play that would firstly negate boundaries and make them bat for long periods of time with the scoreboard barely ticking over.

(The tacit assumption being that Indians are loathe to look for the singles and twos.)

Both of these assumptions have been turned on their heads in the first two ODIs.

When a Gautam Gambhir pushes the ball, off his back foot, to Paul Collingwood and completes the run safely, it not only turns established assumptions on its head but also helps creat self doubt in the minds of the opposition.

Which is precisely what has happened.

Any team can get bashed around. And more often than not, teams can leave behind heavy losses much more easily than close defeats.

However, when a team is challenged in areas where it is clearly the superior unit, it creates, at some level, doubts about the overall gameplan as well as a questioning of one's abilities.

Which in turn leads to a loss of confidence.Which is what England faces at this moment.

The first salvo..

It is fair to say that the English media does not do idolatry quite so often. Pietersen's charisma can be a little too arty, and it caused a stir when he practised a reverse sweep in the nets and sent a ball careering towards the Indians, who were practising 40 yards away. A retaliatory ball flew back into England's half and the tour had its first flashpoint. Peter Moores, England's coach, suggested to his opposite number, Gary Kirsten, that a truce should be called. Pietersen's cry of innocence brought a chuckle. "I was batting at the time," he said. Well, yes, quite.

The Guardian
---

And tempers briefly flared yesterday morning when the two squads met for the first time as they trained simultaneously at the ground. Flintoff's minor confrontation arose because India's batsmen hit numerous balls from their practice area into the region where Kevin Pietersen's side were working. Each shot was followed by the courtesy call of "heads" or "watch out", but this did not prevent England's players from having to take evasive action.

The ground's logistics meant that it was inevitable the occasional ball would travel from one area to another, especially in the build-up to a limited over match when players practise big hits over the leg side, and a couple of Pietersen "switch hits" sent the Indians scurrying. It would be wrong to say the Indian batsmen were doing it intentionally, but sporting teams have been known deliberately to invade the space designated to the opposition before the start of a match in an attempt to antagonise them.

After an hour of ducking for cover every three or four minutes England had finally had enough and Flintoff, in full batting kit and with his bat waving, marched over towards the Indian team to complain. It was here he met Prasad, pointing angrily with his bat.

The Independent

---

If that was a puerile prank that backfired (India went on to win the series 2-1) there was no sugar coating to Thursday’s set-to, which saw tempers rise after cricket balls were struck into each others net areas.

England, probably because they were ideally situated at cow corner for India’s right-handers, came under the greatest bombardment and were the first to react when Andrew Flintoff marched over to upbraid India’s bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad.

Flintoff had been waiting to bat when another mighty slog from India’s nets scattered those waiting to bowl to Kevin Pietersen and Owais Shah.

It probably wasn’t deliberate on India's part, but some fairly robust language was obviously used by Flintoff, for England’s players stopped to watch as Big Freddie strode over to Prasad gesticulating with his bat as to how close the ball had come to hitting someone.

The Telegraph

---

England and India, with a history of spats in their recent meetings, did not even wait for the one-day series to start before falling out again. The touring side were roused this time when India batsmen struck balls into England's practice area during final preparation for the game in Rajkot this morning.

Andrew Flintoff, in his pads, strode more than 50metres to complain to Venkatesh Prasad, the India bowling coach, after one shot narrowly missed Andy Flower, the England batting coach, who was concentrating on his team's nets. As he confronted Prasad, the all-rounder brandished his bat in the direction of the stroke to reinforce the point.

Minutes later, Peter Moores, the England head coach, followed a similar path to warn Gary Kirsten, his opposite number, that somebody could be seriously hurt if the India batsmen continued to swing at full power in the same area. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the captain, was among those who had hit expansively.

The Times

--

4 newspapers. 4 reports of the same incident. Each more dramatic than the other.

If this continues to be the trend, we are in for an enjoyable 5 weeks of newspaper reportage :).

PS:- I particularly enjoyed India bombarding the Poms with cricket balls imagery..

Welcome to India!

Has the empire crumbled?

Plenty of debate on Australia's fortunes following the 2-0 loss against India in India. Plenty of people saying that it is too early to write off the Australians, that India is the toughest place in the cricketing world to tour and that, but for foibles by the selectors and a couple of ill advised captaincy calls, it would have been a whole different story.

All of those arguments hold merit. And while I may not necessarily further the debate, here are my two cents.

The current Australian team ( to India) reads

Ricky Ponting - 33 years
Doug Bollinger - 27 years
Stuart Clark - 33 years
Michael Clarke - 27 years
Brad Haddin - 30 years
Matthew Hayden - 37 years
Michael Hussey - 33 years
Phil Jacques - 29 years
Mitchell Johnson - 27 years
Simon Katich - 33 years
Jason Krejza - 25 years
Brett Lee - 32 years
Shaun Marsh - 25 years
Peter Siddle - 23 years
Shane Watson - 27 years
Cameron White - 25 years
Bryce McGain - 36 years

Adding Shaun Tait, Andrew Symonds, Beau Casson and Ashley Noffke to the mix, we have
Shaun Tait - 25 years
Andrew Symonds - 33 years
Beau Casson - 25 years
Ashley Noffke - 31 years

8 of the 21 players listed above are 32 or older. 7 of the 8 players above the age of 32 are automatic picks for the Test team.

And what this points to is that within the next 3 years, there is going to be another churn in the Australian ranks with player retirements.

Australia are already struggling with life after McGrath, Gilchrist and Warne. And no suitable replacements have been found for Martyn,Langer or Gillespie either.

Nor have the replacements been given a long enough rope to hang themselves ( Beau Casson is a case in point).

And there is really no thought given ( in all the discussions on Australia's supremacy) on the replacements for people like Ponting, Lee, Symonds and Hayden. Nor is there any discussion on what type of cricket the Australains should play in this new environment.

The one characteristic of all the transitions from Border all the way through to Ponting was that the core remained stable - people tapped as replacements for the tried and tested senior pros were playing long enough alongside them to imbibe the team ethic and team philosophy and the team ethos.. And this ensured a seamless handover when the old pros retired

The situation now is different. There is no replacement identified for Ponting. Watson may replace Symonds, but as long as Symonds plays, it will be difficult to justify two all rounders ( unless Australia want to do away with the specialist spinner).

Jacques for Hayden, Rogers for Katich?

Tait for Clark but that means there is really no one to exert control at the other end. And if Symonds and Watson play, there is really no spinner to perform that role. ( which also means that Australia will continue to grapple with over rates, but thats a whole different discussion).

And who comes in for Lee?

Hussey Sr may be replaced by Hussey Jr, but Hussey Jr is not exactly a spring chicken himself.

So, if the 32+ guys get replaced with 30 year olds, we are talking of another churn after another 2-3 years..

And what this means is that the team ethic developed and nurtured by the various teams from Allan Border down to Steve Waugh will be lost..

And that being the case, we are talking of another reconstitution of the team from ground up, with its own ethos.

It is nobody's argument that there is no talent in the Australian domestic scene. The question is, do the selectors have a vision on how they want to bring together this talent?

And does the Australian think tank have clarity in how they want to mould this talent together and how they want to approach their cricket?

Australia is not that far ahead from the rest of the pack now. And the pack is closing in.. And with the next wave of retirements, they may be with the rest of the pack or may fall behind too..

The million dollar question is, will they fall behind the rest of the pack? And if so, by how much?

The Captain speaks

It’s difficult to not feel exhilarated after a comprehensive victory over an Aussie team that hasn't lost a series in the last three years. And it's difficult not to feel proud of an Indian team that pretty much achieved all that we had set out to accomplish over long discussions during the Irani Trophy and the pre-series camp in Bangalore. We had told ourselves, 'This is where we want to be after Nagpur' and that is exactly where we are.

That was our short-term goal, to beat the Australians, the longer one lies ahead - to try and be the No.1 Test team in the world by April.

And even while we faltered against Lanka, I think we can.

At the moment though, we're all savouring the sweet thrill of a win that we wanted badly. After the events of the last series in Australia, where, if circumstances had been different, we should have won the series if not leveled it, this feels so very good. That hurt, this finished the healing process.

Still, given the conditions and our form going into this game, I never thought we'd lose this game, a fair reflection of the way we've played this series.

Dhoni has led extremely well and stood out when it mattered with the bat. I must mention here that those who criticised the tactics he used on Day Three should know that he did what was required to change the momentum. To execute an 8-1 field is not easy. We've done it a couple of times, in England, and to a certain extent in Sydney, when we used a 7-2 and 8-1 to Hayden for a while against Ishant.

India's tactics ensured Australia had gone nowhere by lunch. Then, that run-out of Hussey made a huge difference, along with the other two top order run-outs in the game, also reflecting the Australians' nerves and vulnerability.

For us, it was a major bonus. That and the fact that Australia didn't turn the screws the only time we were under pressure, during the post tea session on Day Four. To not bowl your best bowlers in that situation is strange.

Captaincy isn't about running to the bowler every two balls to tell him what to do, or about strategies devised on the field. It's about getting on with the game, trusting the men who've come through for you in the past, encouraging players to make mistakes and learn and keeping their faith whether you're on top or under pressure.

Our bowlers were standout. Bhajji and Amit had some brilliant spells, Zaheer has been aggressive right through, and Ishant has shown so much character. It's brilliant for a youngster like Ishant to be Man of the Series and will definitely give India confidence for the future.

Even as some of us bid goodbye, it was an emotional time for Sourav here as for me in Delhi, the future itself looks good. What is most important from this series is that for many of these youngsters, there is no baggage of the past. A couple have played Australia for the first time and beaten them. Others have held their own in the Australia Test series and won the one-dayers there, so there is no Aussie bogeyman in their heads. And that's vital, that they do not think this team is invincible. That attitude might make all the difference in the years ahead.

Who wants to be a millionaire?

is the title of the post. But this is not the post I wanted to write when I started.

I wanted to write about the depth and variety that the English bowling attack possesses, their hunger after the Stanford debacle,India being emotionally spent after the departure of two of their stalwarts coupled with the draining experience that is playing Australia,the over confidence that comes in with a 2-0 defeat, the one month lag between the end of the Australia series and the first test.

In short, the be wary of England and lets not get too carried away post.

Then I saw this.

98.. Ninety Eight! N I N E T Y E I G H T!!

The England first XI for the 7 ODI set mustered ninety bloody eight runs against an attack that could charitably be called Mumbai's third XI!

And so, the be wary of England and lets not get too carried away post has been consigned to the dustbin.

Instead, I sense the best opportunity India has for a repeat of 1993. The English, already bitter over the shenanigans in Antigua, are now where we want them to be.

In the two warm up games, they have not been able to run through scratch outfits. And in the two warm up games, their batting has been scratchy ( despite Flintoff getting a hundred in the first of the warm ups).

And if India can take advantage of this, if we can beat England handily (7-0 will be ideal, 6-1 will work as well), we will be doing ourselves a huge favor leading into the first test.

With the Ranji Championships going on, the non ODI Test players can actually use the less stressful environs that is domestic cricket to maintain or work up form leading into the Tests.

And with 7 ODIs, India can actually rotate its bowling stocks to keep the first and second lines of attacks ready for the 2 Test series.

We have the opportunity, are we willing?

Are we ready to be millionaires?

PS:- "Who wants to be a millionaire?" - a nice sign to wave in the stadium to remind the English of what they lost in Antigua.. Sure to warm Kevin Pieterson's heart :)

A shoutout

to Scorpi - a quite brilliant post!

The last cut....

The Australia team was fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during its 172-run defeat against India in the fourth and final Test played on Monday.

Skipper Ricky Ponting was fined 20 per cent of his match fee while his players will each pay 10 per cent as fine.

Chris Broad of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees imposed the fines after Ricky Ponting's side was ruled to be two overs short of its target when time allowances were taken into consideration.

Captaincy stats!

Played Won Lost Drew
Ricky Ponting ( in India) 5 0 3 2
M S Dhoni 3 3 0 0

My captain!

11.02 am: The margin of 320 runs is India's biggest victory in Test cricket (not counting innings victories). The Australians line up to congratulate the Indians as they troop off the ground. Dhoni's got a stump as a souvenir, but, seeing that Ganguly doesn't have one, he gives it to him.
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50.2 Harbhajan Singh to Johnson, OUT, And the doosra does the trick. Game over. India have won the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Fabulous win. Johnson didn't pick it up, shouldered arms and the ball turned in to hit him on the pad. Hawk eye suggests it would have missed the off stump. The Indian players converge to celebrate in a huddle of joy. Dhoni had asked Ganguly to lead the team for the last few overs. In the last Test, he had lifted Kumble on his shoulder as they went around the stadium. Meanwhile, in the here and now, Dravid puts his hand over Ganguly's shoulder.
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Additionally, MSD gave a stump to Murali Vijay after completing the Nagpur win.
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Dhoni moves away from the interview and gives the trophy to Kumble and the entire team celebrate and pose with the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
--
Brilliant!

WE WIN!!!

And, as anticipated, it was not even close!

Day 4 - Lunch

Is the Prick not setting a 8-1 field as a mark of protest or because he has no confidence in his bowlers?

Mumbai beat Rajasthan

My take - here

A shade better than Mohali

41 overs bowled by spinners. Half an hour added to the end of the day's play.And Australia manages only 87 of the 90 overs required?

Murali Vijay looked good. As did Sehwag. And Laxman.And Sachin Tendulkar. And Saurav Ganguly. And yet four of the five fell to mental mistakes. Which made the Australian bowlers look better than they were.

I think this Australian bowling attack is grossly over rated. If India's batsmen dont throw their wickets out of boredom or playing for the break ( are you listening Sachin), I will be surprised if this attack can get 10 wickets in the entire match.

Rahul Dravid has to go. He has exhausted all his get out of jail cards and all the goodwill built over the years.It is not the fact that he is not getting runs, it is that he is doing his utmost to kill whatever momentum the team has leading up to him getting to the crease. And this has been in evidence since that innings in Cape Town!

Overall, even stevens. Which is fine as far as India go. It is Australia that had to do all the running going into this test, given that it is they who are trailing in the series. They lost the toss and have been playing catch up ever since.

If India gets to around 450, with the purchase Krejza was getting, it will be an uphill task for Australia to make a match of it.

India has two quality spinners and a part timer coming off a 5 wicket haul. India's best bet will be to bat a little beyond midway between lunch and tea and get about 8 overs before tea at Australia.

If India push the score above 400, it will leave Australia chasing not only runs but also time to force a result. And that can lead to indiscretion.

As it is, Australia's thinking has been muddle all through this series.

Which is a brilliant opportunity for India to force the win!

'Sensationalism is outweighing accuracy'

After shedding copious tears on media sensationalism

Distressingly, the role of the media in all this has been quite dubious. Instead of acting as the voice of reason and sanity, large sections of the media have become active participants in creating and feeding the frenzy.

Cricinfo has gone and done just that

Justice Albie Sachs, appointed by the ICC to hear Gautam Gambhir's appeal over his one-Test ban, has upheld the penalty imposed by match referee Chris Broad. The BCCI has refused to accept the decision, and has sent its objection to the ICC.

In a release, the Indian board said: "The said order has been passed without affording the player an opportunity of personal hearing, legal representation and without acceding to his request for certain documents/recordings to be given to him and also denying him an extension of time."

Gambhir was banned for one Test by Broad after he pleaded guilty to a charge of not conducting play "within the spirit of the game as well as within the laws of cricket" during the third Test against Australia in Delhi, a Level 2 offence under the ICC Code of Conduct. The incident that led to the ban occurred in the 51st over of India's first innings on the first day, when Gambhir, who had verbal altercations with Shane Watson, appeared to elbow the bowler during a run. He was told of his ban before the third day's play after which he filed an appeal.

When making his decision, Broad took in to account Gambhir's previous fine for running into Pakistan's Shahid Afridi during an ODI in Kanpur last year. He had been fined 65% of the match fee after he was found guilty of a Level 2 charge of inappropriate and deliberate physical contact between players as well as a Level 1 charge of not conducting himself within the spirit of the game.

Under the ICC rules, Gambhir was permitted to play pending the result of the appeal, but with the ban upheld, he is set to miss the final Test in Nagpur, which starts on Thursday. The selectors have called up M Vijay, the Tamil Nadu opener, to join the squad. Gambhir has been the leading run-getter in the series so far, with 463 runs in three Tests at an average of 77.16. He scored his second Test hundred in the second match in Mohali, and followed it up with a double-ton in Delhi.

Justice Sachs, Cricket South Africa's representative on the ICC Code of Conduct Commission, is a senior judge on the Constitutional Court of South Africa.

No mention of the fact that Justice Sachs reached his conclusion without holding a hearing!

'Sensationalism is outweighing accuracy' - Indeed!

Whither due process?

Whats with the South Africans?

First, Mike Proctor at Sydney and now Albie Sachs at Nagpur.

Now, as then, due process has been circumvented to arrive at a decision (hastily!). Now, as then, the BCCI has expressed outrage.

And now, as then, this issue can quickly go out of hand and become a raging controversy.

So this is what I want to know from the ICC- why do they have rules and regulations and all that other good stuff when their own appointees willfully ignore these very same rules and regulations?

And why does the ICC choose to appoint people ( and pay them good money) and not hold them accountable for their actions?

Snapshots and blog posts

At that stage, India were 167/8, and obviously dead to rights.

And then came the most brilliant part of the match, as the tempestuous Srinath struck calculated blows - including an outstanding straight six off Steve Waugh - while Anil Kumble, every inch the responsible deputy skipper, guided, coaxed and cajoled his more temperamental partner through a stand of 52 runs in only 40 deliveries that brought India past the winning post with seven deliveries, and two wickets, in hand.

---

Amid all that, Kumble ended up unbeaten on 110, scoring the only Indian century of the series so far as India eventually closed on 664. Then, in the eight overs that remained a tired Strauss pulled Zaheer from well outside the off and only managed a catch to fine leg, leaving England at 12 for 1. Alastair Cook stayed largely away from the strike, and trouble, as England ended on 24 for 1, a staggering 640 behind with three days to play.

And that's the key, as the man of the day put it. "I always knew I could bat and I didn't think it would be 17 years coming," said Kumble. "I'm really satisfied, and we'll celebrate, but there's still a lot of work to be done in picking up the remaining 19 wickets."

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But Anil Kumble battling on till his body wouldnt do his mind’s willing anymore. One hand hurt going for a catch that would ordinarily have been well left by most in the team. That hand then administered 11 stitches under general anaesthesia. Kumble asking if the stitches could be administered under local anaesthesia ( I need to bowl tomorrow) and being told that it was a medical decision and not a cricketing one. Then coming out to bowl the next day and taking three wickets including a caught and bowled

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This is probably true, but the night after facing him many a batsman has looked at the ceiling of a Delhi hotel thinking, “how the fu©k did I miss another straight one”.

He is not so much a bowler, but an artist who uses minimalism to deceive you.

Like Samuel Beckett he strips away the reality of spinners needing to turn the ball a mile. He brings bowling back to the very base level of the human condition.

Kumble turns batting into an introspection of life itself. The batsman has many questions to face during his spell.

Do I go forward, do I go back, is it turning, is it going straight, should I attack, should I defend, when is the right time, is he a leggie, is he an inswinger, can I pick his wrong un, is my pen1s really satisfying my partner?

A normal bowler tries to beat the batsmen, Kumble makes you define the very idiom of bastmanship.

Then he bowls the straight one.

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The Day 5 gameplan

What I would like to see happen

India bat for 38 overs, score at a rate of 5 rpo ( irrespective of wickets lost), push the total up to 270 and declare. This will give Australia 270 runs to chase in 50 overs on a Day 5 wicket.

What is likely to happen

Australia will throw everything at their disposal at India in the first hour. If they dont make a serious enough dent ( a wicket or two), both teams will resign themselves to the draw. And we will see Australia get their over rate right for the first time in the series ( courtesy the extra work done by the spinners).

Rahul Dravid will get some valuable time in the middle and Gautam Gambhir will consolidate his claims for Man of the Series.

And the Australians will get an additional day of working on their tans.

From left field

India bat at 3-4 runs/over till tea. That pushes the score to 250-270. And then India declares. This will give Australia 30 overs to play for the draw.

And gives India the opportunity to pull the Australians down just a notch ( or two). Or the opportunity to think of the what might have beens if we get 5 odd wickets.

Ridiculous!

In a move to curb the presence of the ICL in Bangladesh, the Information Ministry of Bangladesh has issued a notification to their official broadcaster Diganta TV against providing live feed of the Dhaka Warriors' matches.

The Hindustan Times has a copy of the letter (dated October 19) sent by AKM Hanif, Executive Director of Diganta TV to Tuhin Barua, the CEO of the channel, asking him to take necessary steps to curtail the telecast.

180 overs to go....

Australia 338/4,chasing India's 613/7 decl.

From an Indian standpoint ( make that purely my own!), I would break the game down into 3 parts ( factoring in overs lost for change of innings).

60 overs to get the remaining 6 Australian wickets.
45 overs to bat and set a target
70 overs to bowl at Australia in the second innings

Assuming that Australia maintain their current run rate of 3.21, they will add an additional 193 runs to their total in the 60 overs mentioned above. Which takes their score to 531.

And amounts to a lead of 82.

If India bats at a run rate of 4 runs/over, we are looking at a score of 260 or thereabouts for the Australians to chase in the 70 overs - an effective run rate of 3.74.

A 5th day wicket ( with all its attendant charms), 70 overs to see out for a draw, or 420 balls to seal a win,fielders buzzing, a Sunday crowd at its vocal best...

Whoever said Test cricket was boring.. or dying?

No problem, Gautam

Sit out the last Test of the series. Or better yet, play for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. That should keep you match fit.And ready for the English.

Because, in their ranks, the Poms have Stuart Broad. Who just happens to be the son of Chris Broad.

And he will be a worthy target of your wrath.For pointers, just ask Yuvraj Singh.

And if Mr Broad jr opens his mouth, you can always tell him - "Did your daddy not teach you about Level 1 offenses?"

Why so angry?

If this is okay



why the outrage over the elbow?

Brilliant!

The ECB are demanding an urgent review of the behaviour of billionaire Allen Stanford which calls into question their continued participation in Saturday's $20million Stanford Super Series match in Antigua.

The England and Wales Board are concerned that the tawdry nature of the event - which they have committed to participating in for five years - is doing great damage to the image of the game.

Cool.. But as the English players are not exactly welcome in the IPL, what will Giles Clarke do?

Third Test - Day 1 Australia have a problem

and his name is Ricky Ponting.

And not just because he lost the toss, twice in a row.

Saurav Ganguly, in one of his interviews, mentioned that Ricky Ponting's true worth as captain would be known after Shane Warne and Glen McGrath retired.

And so far, in this tour, Ponting has been found wanting.

What is the point of playing Cameron White as your spinner when Michael Clarke, with a crooked back, bowled more overs than him? Ditto Simon Katich.

Starting from his self imposed go -slow after scoring his maiden Test hundred on Indian soil through his rather timid declaration at Bangalore, from his inept handling of his bowling resources at Mohali down to his callous treatment of Cameron White on the first day at Delhi, Ricky Ponting has done his utmost to undermine the confidence of his team.

And it shows.

India finished the day at 296/3.From 5/1, And 27/2.

And while Gautam Gambhir deserves a kudos for his 100 and Tendulkar and VVS for their 50's, I am inclined to believe that Nasser Hussein would have done a much better job with this bowling attack to restrict the Indians.

From India's point of view, the game plan is simple enough. Keep the Australians on the field for as long as possible. There have already been signs on the first day of fraying nerves in the Australian ranks and a touch of the smog and the sun will abet the cause even more.

And with back to back tests, grinding the Australian bowlers to the ground is not a bad ploy.

PS:- The blog turns 2 today.. :)

A mind in disarray?

WE'VE put considerable thought and effort into how we're going to play the third Test, which starts in New Delhi tomorrow.

Working on the themes of what we're going to start doing, what we're going to stop doing and what we're going to keep doing, we've got a very clear idea of how to tackle India.

However, there were a lot of nodding heads at our team meeting on Sunday morning when I made it clear that it's fine to write those things down and talk about them, it is putting them into action that is the important thing.

After a disappointing last Test in Mohali and with some relatively young and inexperienced players in the squad, it's important to keep communicating all the time and not let little things slip away.

I've made a point of talking to every player at some stage during training over the past couple of days just to see how they're going.

That includes a good chat with Matty Hayden about the way he batted during the second innings of the second Test, when he took on Zaheer Khan.

Haydos plays his best cricket when he gets himself locked into a one-on-one battle with a bowler. There's no doubt about that.

When you see him glaring back at the bowler you know he's really up for the contest.

He went beyond that in the second innings with Zaheer after Zaheer had dismissed him in the first three innings.

Haydos wanted to put the pressure back on the bowler but he was actually through that stage.

He got to 29 and didn't need to go hard any more.

He'd won that battle and there was a change of bowler. Harbhajan Singh came on and I think he could have pulled the reins in a little bit then and played a different way.

He totally agreed with that and knew he had made a bit of a mistake.

But with his presence you only have to listen to the Indians talk about him. They genuinely fear him.

If he gets to 29 or 30 in the next Test, I reckon there is a big innings just around the corner.

If I've got a bit of advice to offer about cricket to the guys, great, but my chats are often just about communicating and seeing how things are going for them away from cricket.

Brad Haddin has a newborn at home, Cameron White's in the middle of his first Test series and missed out a few times with the bat, although he's been pretty good with the ball and Brett Lee's probably been putting extra pressure on himself.

If the guys tell me absolutely everything that's going on it makes things easier for me to communicate with them and it helps them get a little bit off their chest if they need to.

Brett was obviously disappointed after the second Test. He was one of a number of players who didn't meet their expectations, including me. It's important to do what he's done. Have a couple of days of reflection and then get that all out of the way and look at what he needs to do building up to this Test to give himself the best possible chance of playing well.

Everything that's come out of his mouth and his actions in the past few days have been spot on.

He's been in the gym doing extra weights and doing extra running and bowling sessions, so he's giving himself every opportunity to be ready for this game.

To see him take things on like that and have a bit of an extra spring in his step about it will be great for him and hopefully rub off on the rest of the team.

It was important that we moved on quickly, forget about what happened last week and start thinking about some of the more positive things we did in the first Test and try to start this game well.

The whole momentum of the last Test went away really quickly with the way India started.

The way they began with the bat was very positive and they had a lot of momentum.

And the way we started our innings was exactly what we didn't want, losing early wickets.

There has to be a certain strategy around the way everyone goes about their cricket. The way we attacked things with the ball and the bat in the last Test, it looked on reflection like a lot of the strategy we had in the first Test wasn't evident. That's generally what happens when you're under pressure in a game but the important thing this week is everybody has their strategy for success.

It's important that we apply it from the very first ball we bowl and the very first ball we face.

With our batsmen, the chance to get out early in these conditions is pretty high and if we give a little bit of room to the Indian batsmen when we're bowling, all of a sudden we're under pressure.

We must get back to what we did in the first Test and put India under pressure.

Or the after effects of having spent a hour too many with Guru Greg?

You decide.