Roll out the green

India were known for struggling on wickets with a little pace and bounce so the
directive was to put them on such wickets. That was the intent but the reality
was they were asked to play on fiery green demons. They didn't play particularly
well, were roundly criticised and left muttering derogatory things about playing
in New Zealand.
The make-up of their team has not changed much over six years and again they will bring a batting line-up chock to the gunwales with class.
Once again New Zealand's only chance may lie in playing on surfaces that offer movement for the bowlers.
India has seam bowlers who would also thrive in such bowling conditions but in flat conditions and in a pure bat-off, India surely would take a huge advantage.

writes Mark Richardson.

Thing is, taking 20 wickets wins you the match. And if the conditions are bowler friendly, India has a much better chance of taking 20 wickets than if the wickets are flat.

And if India get rolled out for 99 but roll in NZ for 94, and do that over the two innings, they still win by 10 runs.

Which is the only thing that matters.

So roll out the green.. Because that gives India its best shot of winning a series in New Zealand in 41 years.

Listed below is the breakdown of the innings played on the three venues hosting the Test series (over the last 5 years)

Seddon Park, Hamilton

In the last 5 years has hosted 2 Tests

Team innings list

Team	Score	Overs	Target	RPO	Inns	Result		Opposition	Start Date
South Africa	459	139.2		3.29	1	draw		v New Zealand	10 Mar 2004	Test # 1686
New Zealand	509	164.4		3.09	2	draw		v South Africa	10 Mar 2004	Test # 1686
South Africa	313/4d	116.1		2.69	3	draw		v New Zealand	10 Mar 2004	Test # 1686
New Zealand	39/1	16.0	264	2.43	4	draw		v South Africa	10 Mar 2004	Test # 1686
New Zealand	470	138.3		3.39	1	won		v England	5 Mar 2008	Test # 1866
England	348	173.1		2.00	2	lost		v New Zealand	5 Mar 2008	Test # 1866
New Zealand	177/9d	55.0		3.21	3	won		v England	5 Mar 2008	Test # 1866
England	110	55.0	300	2.00	4	lost		v New Zealand	5 Mar 2008	Test # 1866

McLean Park, Napier

In the last 5 years has hosted 4 Tests

Team innings list

Team	Score	Overs	Target	RPO	Inns	Result		Opposition	Start Date
New Zealand	561	159.1		3.52	1	draw		v Sri Lanka	4 Apr 2005	Test # 1746
Sri Lanka	498	148.1		3.36	2	draw		v New Zealand	4 Apr 2005	Test # 1746
New Zealand	238	92.4		2.56	3	draw		v Sri Lanka	4 Apr 2005	Test # 1746
Sri Lanka	7/0	1.3	302	4.66	4	draw		v New Zealand	4 Apr 2005	Test # 1746
New Zealand	DNB	0.0		-	0	draw		v West Indies	25 Mar 2006	Test # 1793
West Indies	256/4	78.1		3.27	1	draw		v New Zealand	25 Mar 2006	Test # 1793
England	253	96.1		2.63	1	won		v New Zealand	22 Mar 2008	Test # 1868
New Zealand	168	48.4		3.45	2	lost		v England	22 Mar 2008	Test # 1868
England	467/7d	131.5		3.54	3	won		v New Zealand	22 Mar 2008	Test # 1868
New Zealand	431	118.5	553	3.62	4	lost		v England	22 Mar 2008	Test # 1868
West Indies	307	107.0		2.86	1	draw		v New Zealand	19 Dec 2008	Test # 1900
New Zealand	371	126.4		2.92	2	draw		v West Indies	19 Dec 2008	Test # 1900
West Indies	375	145.0		2.58	3	draw		v New Zealand	19 Dec 2008	Test # 1900
New Zealand	220/5	51.0	312	4.31	4	draw		v West Indies	19 Dec 2008	Test # 1900

Basin Reserve, Wellington

has hosted 7 Tests in the last 5 years

Team innings list

Team	Score	Overs	Target	RPO	Inns	Result		Opposition	Start Date
New Zealand	297	104.0		2.85	1	lost		v South Africa	26 Mar 2004	Test # 1692
South Africa	316	99.5		3.16	2	won		v New Zealand	26 Mar 2004	Test # 1692
New Zealand	252	96.2		2.61	3	lost		v South Africa	26 Mar 2004	Test # 1692
South Africa	234/4	72.2	234	3.23	4	won		v New Zealand	26 Mar 2004	Test # 1692
Australia	570/8d	140.0		4.07	1	draw		v New Zealand	18 Mar 2005	Test # 1742
New Zealand	244	81.1		3.00	2	draw		v Australia	18 Mar 2005	Test # 1742
New Zealand	48/3	17.2		2.76	3	draw		v Australia	18 Mar 2005	Test # 1742
Sri Lanka	211	65.1		3.23	1	lost		v New Zealand	11 Apr 2005	Test # 1748
New Zealand	522/9d	146.0		3.57	2	won		v Sri Lanka	11 Apr 2005	Test # 1748
Sri Lanka	273	92.5		2.94	3	lost		v New Zealand	11 Apr 2005	Test # 1748
West Indies	192	61.4		3.11	1	lost		v New Zealand	17 Mar 2006	Test # 1790
New Zealand	372	106.3		3.49	2	won		v West Indies	17 Mar 2006	Test # 1790
West Indies	215	90.5		2.36	3	lost		v New Zealand	17 Mar 2006	Test # 1790
New Zealand	37/0	8.1	36	4.53	4	won		v West Indies	17 Mar 2006	Test # 1790
Sri Lanka	268	65.0		4.12	1	won		v New Zealand	15 Dec 2006	Test # 1822
New Zealand	130	39.1		3.31	2	lost		v Sri Lanka	15 Dec 2006	Test # 1822
Sri Lanka	365	109.3		3.33	3	won		v New Zealand	15 Dec 2006	Test # 1822
New Zealand	286	85.1	504	3.35	4	lost		v Sri Lanka	15 Dec 2006	Test # 1822
Bangladesh	143	45.3		3.14	1	lost		v New Zealand	12 Jan 2008	Test # 1861
New Zealand	393	103.2		3.80	2	won		v Bangladesh	12 Jan 2008	Test # 1861
Bangladesh	113	47.0		2.40	3	lost		v New Zealand	12 Jan 2008	Test # 1861
England	342	107.0		3.19	1	won		v New Zealand	13 Mar 2008	Test # 1867
New Zealand	198	57.5		3.42	2	lost		v England	13 Mar 2008	Test # 1867
England	293	97.4		3.00	3	won		v New Zealand	13 Mar 2008	Test # 1867
New Zealand	311	100.3	438	3.09	4	lost		v England	13 Mar 2008	Test # 1867

On the ICC Code of Conduct

Kartikeya's post encapsulates the dichotomy beautifully.

Shades of 1998?

Australians bowling Overs Mdns Runs Wkts Wides No-Balls
Reiffel 15 1 65 0 - 4
Dale 10 4 38 1 - 1
Warne 16 1 111 0 - 4
Wilson 13 0 46 2 - 2
Robertson 15 0 96 1 - 2
Blewett 5.1 1 23 1 - 1
Lehmann 4 0 25 0 - -
---

	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	DE Bollinger	13	1	69	0	5.30	(2nb)
	BW Hilfenhaus	20	2	60	1	3.00	(1nb)
	PM Siddle	11	2	35	1	3.18	(1nb)
	MG Johnson	13	0	56	0	4.30
	BE McGain	19	1	126	2	6.63
	AB McDonald	8	3	23	1	2.87
	MJ North	7	2	15	0	2.14

Good for the ego?

RUMOURS that Australian captain Ricky Ponting was privately shopped around to other Indian Premier League franchises - and that no buyers showed interest - have been denied by his Kolkata Knight Riders franchise.

A leading IPL figure has claimed that Ponting was unwanted by Kolkata this year, and that they looked to trade him to a rival franchise last month. Ponting yesterday announced he would not participate in the April-May series to rest and spend time with family in what is the busiest international schedule mapped out in Australia's cricket history.

But the source said Ponting had little choice but to pull out and that his future at the franchise is all but finished.

"They tried to trade him. No other team wanted him," said the source, who did not wish to be named.

A Kolkata source said last night that trading had never been an option.

Come on BCCI.. Expat here!

D'Costa's own career is also undergoing a change. He has been invited to coach at India's Nagpur academy. Flown out to meet the boss, Indian cricket board chairman Shashank Manohar, he was astonished by the facilities and the intelligence and vision of his new boss. The academy is at the old Test ground and includes a 40-room hostel, 16 turf nets, a gym, a medical room and a sports science wing. He accepted the opportunity, and from May 1 will oversee 80 students in two squads.

Just how hard is it for the BCCI to put this and other development related information on their website? And how about posting relevant pictures and video footage while you are at it?

Just why the heck should I have to go through a thousand news paper articles to find out what you are doing? Especially when you are doing it right???

A game of what ifs..

What if England had declared earlier?

What if the West Indies batsmen had shown a little more application in both their innings?

What of England had shown a little more enterprise in pacing their second innings?

What if Gayle had not shown the penchant for the sweep?

What if the England bowlers had been fit?

What if the West Indian bowlers had bowled better lengths?

What if the English had exorcised the ghost of Sehwag?

The score card - here

What constitutes excessive appealing?

There was an appeal. A very good appeal. And the umpire finally decided in favor of the bowler. The Cricinfo commentary describes it thus

That is crucial. If any man was likely to dig in to the close, it was Nash, the mini-Chanderpaul of the middle-order. So ... four wickets now, and the best part of two hours to claim them. Game on!
96.3	Swann to Nash, OUT, that's the breakthrough, and that looked especially tight! There was no discernible spin, and struck the middle of the pad well before the bat was involved. Umpire Harper thinks long and hard, but gets his decision right in the end

What is not mentioned is the prolonged and sustained nature of the appeal. I counted atleast four "Howzats" from Graeme Swann before the decision was made. And it is very likely I missed a couple more.

There have been previous instances when similar obvious decisions have not gone in favor of the bowler because, to quote the commentators, the appeal was not strong enough.

Per the ICC

Excessive appealing -Excessive shall mean repeated appealing when the bowler/fielder knows the batsman is not out with the intention of placing the umpire under pressure. It is not intended to prevent loud or enthusiastic appealing. However, the practice of celebrating a dismissal before the decision has been given may also constitute excessive appealing.

Now, if the bowler/fielder knows the batsman is not out, why have the umpire?

And if the bowler/fielder dont know, how can the instance listed below be anything more than "loud and enthusiastic appealing" ?

Mushfiqur, the wicketkeeper, had appealed confidently believing Tillakaratne Dilshan had edged the ball off the bowling of Mehrab Hossain jnr. He ran towards the umpire while appealing before stopping about six metres in front of the batsman. Ashraful, the captain, too joined the appeal from his position at midwicket and stood near the pitch after the appeal was rejected.

And if excessive appealing is really all that, can someone explain this

20.5	Muralitharan to RG Sharma, OUT, another excellent delivery from Murali, tempting the batsman forward and he plays down the wrong line as the ball bounces away from him, taking an edge. Sangakkara pouches and is almost celebrating before the decision comes. No third umpire is called for and he's on his way, but could be in trouble later as he stood there for a while, unhappy with the call
	RG Sharma c Sangakkara b Muralitharan 0 (1m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

Rohit Sharma was fined 10% of his match fee for dissent after being incorrectly judged caught behind for 0 off Muttiah Muralitharan at the Gabba. Sharma was the second India batsman to remain camped to the crease following his dismissal over the past six weeks, but his punishment was stronger than Yuvraj Singh's following an in-depth pre-series discussion on behaviour by Jeff Crowe, the match referee.

PS:-

And after that excitement, Flintoff has left the field.
104.6	Anderson to Taylor, no run, massive appeal though who knows what for! Cracking delivery from Anderson, zipping off the seam and over the top of the stumps. It could have been an appeal for a catch or lbw, but replays show the noise was shirt. Another good decision from Harper

Alan Hurst, I will be watching!

Blame the IPL...

This morning, on Sky, Nasser Hussain, Mike Artherton and Ian Botham held forth an animated discussion on Andrew Fintoff's injury and his impending stint with the IPL.

The overwhelming consensus was that Flintoff and Pieterson playing in the IPL was a bad idea because there could be a chance for injury and with the Ashes looming in the distance, that would be bad for England.

There was also discussion that with Flintoff injured and the 3 week window for the IPL being the only rest period available, Flintoff would be better served resting than playing the IPL.

That, in short is the synposis of the discussion. The actual tone and tenor was more visceral, more animated and more hostile towards the IPL.

Which is fine.

So where is the same angst when Andrew Flintoff, with a hip injury et al, comes to bowl in the post lunch session and stands to aggravate an injury that has already seen him come lower down the batting order and stay off the field for the entirety of the first session on the fifth day?

If the injury aggravates enough for Flintoff to give the Ashes a skip, will the same venom be directed towards the ECB?

Timid?

So here is the Boucher interview ( of sorts) in the Star

Ricky Ponting may believe the great expectations that South Africa will carry into next week's first Test at the Wanderers might be a burden, but veteran wicketkeeper Mark Boucher wouldn't have it any other way.

"If you want to be the best side in the world then you must live with that kind of expectation. We want to be the best team in the world, obviously there's a lot of expectation and pressure, but we're looking forward to it," said Boucher.

Even for Boucher, a veteran of 123 Tests, the situation South Africa find themselves in is an unusual one - favourites for a Test series against Australia.

In all his many battles with the side that hitherto have carried the crown as the world's best, Boucher has yet to find himself in a position where the South African side are expected to win.

However, like most other things on a cricket field, he is not fazed by the expectation.

"There's always hype about when South Africa meet Australia in a series, lots will be said before hand.

"It's important we don't get too far ahead of ourselves. We have to focus on the process. I've read a lot about what will happen after the series, but it's important that we take things one step at a time.

"Our biggest focus must be on preparing for the first Test and then the first session, and take it from there."

Boucher stressed that unlike previous Australian touring parties, the group that landed in South Africa this week doesn't have an invincible aura attached to it like the sides that contained Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist.

"They have a few loopholes in their squad, there's no doubt about that. You only have to look at their side to see that," he said.

"But they are still a very good team. As a great cricketing nation, they would have been badly hurt by what happened over there and they will come back harder here."

Without many of those great players, Boucher feels the Australians may tone down their usual pre-series bravado.

"In the past, they've been fond of talking big before a series. They did it again before the last one in Australia. It will be interesting to see how they go about that sort of thing before this series."

Like most of the South African players, Boucher has been taking it easy since returning from the history-making tour to Australia in January.

His break was enforced, though, by the need to rest a broken toe which he picked up courtesy of a 150km/h yorker from Shaun Tait in the third one-day international at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

"It's coming along pretty well. Normally you need up to six weeks for it to heal completely, but I guess I'll just have to play through a bit of pain. If I need it, I'll take an injection."

Boucher's experience will be heavily relied upon in the build-up ahead of next week's Wanderers Test.

Although the hype is certain to be massive, Boucher feels there's sufficient experience and nous within the South African group to deal with it.

"A lot of our guys are humble, they have their feet on the ground, they'll deal with it. And if anyone wants a chat, we as senior guys have to let it be known that we are there.

"A guy like JP (Duminy) came back and he's been a hero and he will have to deal with those personal pressures. He has gotten a lot of big accolades, but that's because he's done well and that's a good thing."

Much of South Africa's attention will be on how to repeat the success they had in Australia.

"It's important to remind ourselves what we did well in that series, but also about our mistakes. Those errors need to be rectified."

And here is Tim Nielson's response

"I'm certainly not saying it's timid," Nielsen said.

"It's more difficult when you are not holding the mantle of being the team that has just won the last series we've played. That's something we've got to get used to. South Africa have just won the series in Australia. It's more a perception of Australia being cocksure over a long period of time.

"The fact that we have won a lot of series and won a lot of cricket games that people see us as being that way. And now you're telling us that we're maybe not as cocksure as we should be, but inside the group, we are very confident.

"We feel as though we've got a good group, ready to play good Test-match cricket."

Remember Haddingate? The one in which Ricky Ponting claimed Vettori had apologized to Haddin only for Vettori to deny this.

Then, as now, words have been attributed to the opposition players that they never uttered. Which begs the question - how cuckoo is this current Australian outfit?

And what does one make of this gem

"It's more difficult when you are not holding the mantle of being the team that has just won the last series we've played. That's something we've got to get used to. South Africa have just won the series in Australia. It's more a perception of Australia being cocksure over a long period of time.

"The fact that we have won a lot of series and won a lot of cricket games that people see us as being that way. And now you're telling us that we're maybe not as cocksure as we should be, but inside the group, we are very confident.

Nielson spending too much time with Ponting?

He's not coming...

Its official.. Mr Bargain Basement has decided to give the IPL a skip this year.

Given his run production last season (39 runs in 4 innings at 9.75), I expect the KKR's to be thrilled to bits by this news.

Is nothing sacred?

after the recent initiative of 'thank you sachin' campaign...the need of we hate [dash] was being felt very strongly...

so thank god (or BCCI?) they have changed the color...now we can say, very proudly, after every misadventure of team india or team 'indians'...

WE HATE the COLOR!!
--
Worse, you’ve probably seen it. They seem to have found the one shade of blue that is repulsive, repugnant, vomit-inducing, etc etc etc. And then they’ve gone a step further and some retard decided the best color to compliment it is orange. Fluorescent frickin orange. And just to make sure they cover the small percentage of people who haven’t yet developed strong reactions to it, there’s this scribbled design of the tricolor that they’ve attempted to fuse in. Hideous. I can’t think of a better term to describe the outfit.
---
Cricketnext.com says that they got deeper for New Zealand, but as I saw the news on TV, my mind couldn't help but rewind to the time nearly two decades ago when India were given (no choice then) uniforms based on the darker blue colour in their flag. I am speaking of the World Cup 1991-92 Down Under.

At that time, I felt they looked like a smarter version of sarkari uniforms, predominantly of Indian Railways. We know how that WC went.
---
Team India's new jersey was unveiled amid much fanfare in Mumbai today. To be very honest, I don't like it at all. Whoever designed and approved of jersey is an idiot. The sky blue colour Team India jersey is nothing short of a national symbol. Opting for a darker variant of blue suggests that the board/ whoever approved of this ugly shirt, doesn't care for the sentiments of over a billion supporters of the Men in Blue.
---
So early in the morning I find out that Team India has changed its uniform colors.
I checked out the "collection" and.. well.. umm
All I'll say is, when the showpiece of the 2008-2009 Spring/Winter collection (aka MSD) can look bad (*shudder*) in it.. then you do know what this means right?

HORRIBLE!
--
Powder Blue defines Team India, BCCI!

CHANGE THE DAMN OUTFIT. NOW!

PS: -

Is Shashank Manohar a closet member of the Beige Brigade?

India's Mr Wright

“That’s probably the biggest difference between the India side of today, and the combinations of previous years: the bowling,” he said. “It now has everything – pace, swing, left-arm variation, wrist-spin and finger-spin. When I was there things were just starting to turn but now you really see the difference.

“It used to be that the most successful Indian sides were renowned for their batting. These days the batting’s still strong but India have made huge gains in terms of the bowling. They’ve probably got the best attack in world cricket at the moment, when you think about it.

“And the good news is that the gain hasn’t come at the expense of the batting. Any side with VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Gautam Gambhir and Mahendra Singh Dhoni is going to run up some totals.”

What gives?

Dear Mandarins at the ICC,

So you decided to alter the FTP to accommodate an extra Test in the ongoing England tour of the West Indies.

And you, in your infinite wisdom, decided that since the technology could not be made available for the referrals, to do away with referrals for this test. Ths altering the previously agreed upon playing conditions.

And yet, there seems to be an interminable delay in questioning the WICB over the debacle at the Sir IVA Richards stadium. Till date ( 5 days after the said debacle), the match referee is yet to file his report, and there seems to be no urgency to do so. Unlike Kanpur.

Also, the ARG has displayed variable bounce from Day 1. Some balls have been taken by the wicketkeeper above head height while others have snaked along the ground. And the variety in the bounce is getting more pronounced with every passing day.

Now, per your own guidelines on what constitutes a good pitch, this would be considered poor.

And yet, there is not a peep - either from the officialdom at the ground or the mandarins at Mt Dubai.

So, what gives?

On why England will win the Ashes

1. Ricky Ponting's reverse reverse psycho-babble - A cursory glance at the articles written by Ponting suggests a very confused mind at work - "New age cricket" versus India, "all the pressure on South Africa because they are trying to be #1" - and it shows on the cricket field- in the field settings and the bowlers reactions.

2. Fast Bowling depth - England have Flintoff, Anderson, Harmison, Tremlett, Sidebottom, Mehmood, Plunkett. Australia have Johnson, Lee, Clark, Siddle, Bollinger.

3. Spin Bowling depth - Rashid, Panesar, Swann. Mcgain. Enough said.

4. Lee and Clark will be coming of injuries and because of that, a lack of match practise.

5. Match practise - Between March 23rd and July 8th, Australia play precisely 0 test matches. In the same time frame, England play the Wet Indies for a 2 Test home series. The lack of match practise showed when Australia toured India. No reason why it should not manifest itself again.

6. Home field advantage - Disarray or not, England are playing at home. Which is as good a reason as any to close ranks.And Australia are in a tailspin. A series loss against South Africa will increase the pressure on Ricky Ponting. Which plays into the hands of the English.

7. Because it is the Ashes - England live and die by it.. The end of every Ashes tour is the beginning of planning for the next. No other tour/series comes close to the Ashes hype.And because. like 2005, England genuinely expect. And unlike 2005, Australia is weaker ( no Warne, no McGrath, no Gilchrist, a new opening batting pair, a new ball attack with little exposure to English conditions, a bowling attack with little exposure to English conditions, a batting line up low on confidence).