Breaking news - Rediff ishtyle!!!

It was Kartikeya's post on the Rediff ICC expose that led me to read the story..

But guess what!!!! Amit had already beaten Rediff to the post by 13 days.

Hah!!

Thank you Dwayne

Leverock for giving the rest of us hope that 19 stone is no impediment to playing cricket at the highest level!!

On the India-The Netherlands game tomorrow

A few things I will be looking for -

1. Partnerships - and the ability to rotate the strike and keep the score board ticking

2. Batting order - I think this will signal intent more than anything else.

3. Building an innings - it will be interesting to see if the Indians can score and score big batting first, or chase hard losing minimal wickets batting second.

4. Sustaining momentum - India has a tendency of dozing off when nothing is happening - the middle overs are a prime example. If India has the Netherlands on the ropes, how quickly can we finish off the game?

I may be looking for too much in a game that is of absolutely no significance - but in terms of attitude and approach, two things that India has been suspect in recent times, this game is as good a starting point as any!!

And do check out this color coded schedule- color is good!!

Update:- One more thing I will be looking for the effect the "break" ( from 17 February until tomorrow) has on the Indian team performance.It will be interesting to see how they start off the blocks.

Two of my favorite writers

here and here.

PS:- Guess who's back!!

It was fun while it lasted !!!

In the end it was a no-contest. Bermuda were blown away by England, folding up for a dismal 45.

Meanwhile, Ireland is giving the Proteas a real good scare.. If only I could get updated scores!!! ( The Cricinfo scorecard is stuck at Ireland - 134/4 in 38 overs ).

Holy crap!!!! Ireland lose.. darn!!!

Meanwhile, the West Indies have posted 268/5 against Kenya.

Interestingly, all four non-minnow teams have batted first and none of them have posted towering scores ( SL and England 286, WI 268, SA 192).

Maybe it is their first real workout in the Carib, maybe it is because of the minnows, maybe the players want to take it easy - but I would have liked to see the minnows get tonked around - if only to validate Holding and Walsh. and Ricky.

More fun!!!

England did well to recover and post a decent score of 286/8 in the end.

Interestingly, Andrew Flintoff had the second lowest strike rate of 66.66 in the England innings ( Ed Joyce had the lowest at 58.33)

Jamie Dalrymple did a good job pacing his innings to finish his innings at around a run a ball.

The other interesting facet of the England innings was partnerships - 71 for the 3rd wicket, 54 for the 6th wicket, 66 for the 7th wicket and an unfinished 35 run partnership for the9th wicket.

Dwayne Leverock finished with 2/32 in his 10.

Sri Lanka is in a spot of bother at 210/5 after being 117/1 and 203/3 at one stage.

South Africa, aided by a late innings recovery from Andrew Hall, end up at 192 all out.

Too early to spot any trends, but one thing stand out - wickets can fall in a heap if the batsmen are not too careful and spinners will come into their own the longer this tourney progresses ( unless the actual WC wickets are completely different in character from the practise wickets :D )

This is fun!!!

I just started watching the England Bermuda warm up game on Willow.tv

As I type this, England are 129/4 in 23.4 overs.

DM Leverock, the slow left arm spinner has figures of 2-0-4-1.

And there have been no sixes hit so far !!!

Okay, make that 132/5 and Leverock has 2/5 having just claimed Pieterson's wicket. And he is turning the ball square!!!

And one more thing - South Africa is 74/7 in 21 overs against Ireland.

There is a message in this - don't take the minnows lightly and non-minnow teams better rethink their run making strategies.

Interesting

Simon Wilde - in the Times

Ahmer Khokhar - in the Telegraph

Stephen Brenkley - in the Independent

The Guardian - here.

Paul Lewis - The New Zealand Herald.

Dan Nicholl - here

Neil Manthrop - here.

Deodhar Trophy update

I spent a good part of this morning trying to find links for the North Zone-West Zone Deodhar Trophy match at the Brabourne.

Cricinfo did not carry it, nor were there any match updates.Googling for the score card did not yield any results either.

Finally found the match report and score card here. The West Zone creamed the North Zone!!!

To anyone reading this - Are there any other sources where one could get scorecards and such like for the Indian domestic season?

Iqbal Abdullah watch

here

Just what is that kid doing playing a 20/20 game anyways? If he is the next big spin hope for Mumbai, is it prudent to be playing ODIs, that too at this stage of his career?

Nothing against ODIs or 20/20 games, but I do fear the effect it has on the mindset of spinners.
There is a certain beauty in seeing a spin bowler tossing the ball up, teasing and taunting the batsman with his wiles.

When the ball is tossed up, high above the batsman's eyeline, there has to be conviction in that action. If done half heartedly, there is every possibility that the bowler ends up tossing full tosses and ends up being crap.

So what are the suits at the MCA going to do about this?

action ... REACTION

The action

the REACTION

Never mind the fact that the Secretary of the Board opines on players and matters cricketing.

Never mind the fact that a Vice President of the Board wants to "make payments based on performance".

Never mind the fact too that the BCCI cannot get to any conclusion on what direction to take on domestic cricket.

Never mind too that the BCCI cannot make up its mind on what to pay the Ranji Champions and when.

The Chairman of Selectors reiterates what is common knowledge and lo - the BCCI gets its knickers in a knot!!!

PS :- As punishment for this gross insubordination by the Chairman of Selectors, the BCCI has mandated India to play 50 more ODIs and 30 more 20/20 games in the year 2007!!!

Update:- here

More Trend-spotting

This is basically a continuation of the conversation Kartikeya and I have been having on whether it is the bowlers who fail to deliver or the batsmen and the captain who are culpable in games that India has posted or chased scores between 176 and 250.
---

ODI # 2237
Pakistan in India, 2004-05, 3rd One-Day International

FoW: 1-31 (Shahid Afridi, 5.4 ov), 2-176 (Shoaib Malik, 31.2 ov),
  3-219 (Inzamam-ul-Haq, 36.4 ov), 4-239 (Salman Butt, 40.5 ov),
  5-287 (Yousuf Youhana, 44.4 ov), 6-291 (Abdul Razzaq, 45.2 ov),
  7-308 (Younis Khan, 48.4 ov), 8-316 (Mohammad Sami, 49.3 ov),
  9-317 (Naved-ul-Hasan, 49.5 ov).

FoW: 1-6 (Sehwag, 1.4 ov), 2-11 (Tendulkar, 2.6 ov),
  3-20 (Ganguly, 5.6 ov), 4-54 (Dhoni, 9.1 ov),
  5-66 (Yuvraj Singh, 11.4 ov), 6-82 (Dravid, 16.1 ov),
  7-143 (Kaif, 27.4 ov), 8-152 (Harbhajan Singh, 30.2 ov),
  9-204 (Pathan, 39.6 ov), 10-213 (Nehra, 41.4 ov).

---

ODI # 2239
Pakistan in India, 2004-05, 5th One-Day International
India v Pakistan

FoW: 1-10 (Tendulkar, 2.5 ov), 2-11 (Sehwag, 4.3 ov),
3-26 (Dhoni, 6.6 ov), 4-59 (Yuvraj Singh, 16.2 ov),
5-194 (Kaif, 42.3 ov), 6-248 (Dravid, 49.5 ov).

FoW: 1-131 (Shahid Afridi, 14.2 ov), 2-135 (Salman Butt, 15.4 ov),
3-193 (Yousuf Youhana, 31.1 ov), 4-216 (Shoaib Malik, 35.4 ov),
5-248 (Younis Khan, 41.3 ov).
---

ODI # 2262
Indian Oil Cup, 2005, 1st Match

FoW: 1-17 (Sehwag, 2.1 ov), 2-22 (Dhoni, 3.3 ov),
3-44 (Yuvraj Singh, 13.3 ov), 4-63 (Kaif, 18.6 ov),
5-64 (Raina, 19.3 ov), 6-122 (Dravid, 32.5 ov),
7-159 (Pathan, 43.5 ov), 8-159 (Venugopal Rao, 43.6 ov),
9-202 (Khan, 49.3 ov).

FoW: 1-19 (Sangakkara, 4.3 ov), 2-55 (Atapattu, 13.1 ov), 3-60 (Jayawardene, 15.2 ov), 4-104 (Dilshan, 27.4 ov), 5-112 (Arnold, 29.4 ov), 6-140 (Dilhara, 34.2 ov), 7-172 (Chandana, 40.3 ov).
--

ODI # 2265

FoW: 1-67 (Sehwag, 15.1 ov), 2-117 (Laxman, 29.5 ov),
3-127 (Ganguly, 32.6 ov), 4-128 (Dravid, 33.2 ov),
5-157 (Dhoni, 39.6 ov), 6-161 (Raina, 41.4 ov),
7-194 (Kaif, 47.6 ov), 8-207 (Harbhajan Singh, 48.5 ov).

FoW: 1-4 (Tharanga, 0.6 ov), 2-36 (Sangakkara, 11.1 ov),
3-78 (Atapattu, 19.4 ov), 4-88 (Dilshan, 22.2 ov),
5-94 (Arnold, 24.3 ov), 6-95 (Dilhara, 25.6 ov).

--

ODI # 2297
South Africa in India, 2005-06, 1st One-Day International

FoW: 1-1 (Sehwag, 1.1 ov), 2-4 (Kaif, 2.2 ov),
3-5 (Tendulkar, 4.1 ov), 4-34 (Dravid, 10.3 ov),
5-35 (Gambhir, 11.1 ov), 6-110 (Pathan, 30.1 ov),
7-159 (Dhoni, 38.2 ov), 8-198 (Agarkar, 46.2 ov),
9-227 (Yuvraj Singh, 47.6 ov).

FoW: 1-32 (de Villiers, 5.2 ov), 2-76 (Ontong, 11.6 ov),
3-76 (Smith, 12.1 ov), 4-165 (Prince, 33.4 ov),
5-168 (Boucher, 34.3 ov).
---

ODI # 2299
South Africa in India, 2005-06, 4th One-Day International

FoW: 1-2 (Pathan, 0.3 ov), 2-14 (Tendulkar, 4.3 ov),
3-23 (Gambhir, 6.5 ov), 4-49 (Sehwag, 11.2 ov),
5-71 (Dravid, 18.2 ov), 6-152 (Yuvraj Singh, 35.3 ov),
7-167 (Kaif, 39.2 ov), 8-187 (Agarkar, 44.4 ov),
9-187 (Dhoni, 45.2 ov), 10-188 (Harbhajan Singh, 45.5 ov).

SA 189/0
--

ODI # 2361
England in India, 2005-06, 6th One-Day International

FoW: 1-4 (Sehwag, 0.5 ov), 2-46 (Kaif, 7.1 ov),
3-58 (Yuvraj Singh, 10.3 ov), 4-63 (Raina, 12.3 ov),
5-79 (Venugopal Rao, 15.3 ov), 6-186 (Dhoni, 38.1 ov),
7-196 (Harbhajan Singh, 40.2 ov), 8-209 (Powar, 43.2 ov),
9-216 (RP Singh, 46.3 ov), 10-223 (VRV Singh, 47.6 ov).

FoW: 1-107 (Bell, 19.5 ov), 2-120 (Solanki, 22.6 ov),
3-198 (Pietersen, 36.1 ov), 4-207 (Prior, 38.5 ov),
5-209 (Plunkett, 40.3 ov).
--

ODI # 2363
DLF Cup, 2005-06, 1st One-Day International

FoW: 1-25 (Uthappa, 7.1 ov), 2-47 (Dravid, 13.5 ov),
3-65 (Yuvraj Singh, 16.2 ov), 4-72 (Pathan, 18.5 ov),
5-136 (Raina, 38.3 ov), 6-149 (Dhoni, 41.4 ov),
7-171 (Agarkar, 45.5 ov), 8-180 (Powar, 47.6 ov),
9-196 (Harbhajan Singh, 49.5 ov), 10-197 (Sreesanth, 49.6 ov).

FoW: 1-42 (Shoaib Malik, 9.4 ov), 2-60 (Imran Farhat, 14.4 ov),
3-146 (Inzamam-ul-Haq, 36.2 ov), 4-149 (Mohammad Yousuf, 39.4 ov).
--
ODI no. 2379

Fall of wickets1-1 (Gayle, 1.4 ov), 2-1 (Morton, 2.2 ov), 3-24 (Lara, 10.5 ov), 4-43 (Chanderpaul, 18.6 ov), 5-103 (Samuels, 34.6 ov), 6-105 (Bravo, 35.5 ov), 7-143 (Baugh, 41.6 ov), 8-163 (Bradshaw, 46.3 ov), 9-197 (Taylor, 49.5 ov)

Fall of wickets1-25 (Sehwag, 5.4 ov), 2-37 (Dravid, 9.1 ov), 3-51 (Pathan, 13.6 ov), 4-60 (Kaif, 16.6 ov), 5-124 (Raina, 35.2 ov), 6-130 (Dhoni, 37.3 ov), 7-134 (Agarkar, 38.5 ov), 8-177 (Powar, 46.3 ov), 9-187 (Harbhajan Singh, 48.1 ov), 10-197 (Yuvraj Singh, 49.4 ov)
------

ODI no. 2380

Fall of wickets1-1 (Dravid, 0.6 ov), 2-62 (Raina, 10.2 ov), 3-174 (Sehwag, 28.4 ov), 4-210 (Dhoni, 37.1 ov), 5-215 (Kaif, 39.4 ov), 6-218 (Pathan, 40.4 ov), 7-222 (Powar, 43.3 ov), 8-232 (Venugopal Rao, 46.3 ov), 9-242 (Agarkar, 49.3 ov)

Fall of wickets1-30 (Samuels, 8.6 ov), 2-31 (Morton, 9.3 ov), 3-116 (Gayle, 24.3 ov), 4-131 (Lara, 27.3 ov), 5-237 (Chanderpaul, 48.2 ov), 6-241 (Bravo, 49.1 ov)

--
ODI no. 2381

Fall of wickets1-13 (Sehwag, 3.4 ov), 2-28 (Raina, 9.1 ov), 3-47 (Dravid, 15.3 ov), 4-127 (Yuvraj Singh, 31.5 ov), 5-188 (Kaif, 46.3 ov), 6-206 (Pathan, 48.2 ov), 7-206 (Agarkar, 48.6 ov)

Fall of wickets1-28 (Samuels, 4.4 ov), 2-49 (Sarwan, 8.2 ov), 3-91 (Gayle, 22.3 ov), 4-182 (Lara, 39.2 ov)

--
ODI no. 2382

Fall of wickets1-8 (Chattergoon, 1.1 ov), 2-90 (Gayle, 19.4 ov), 3-137 (Sarwan, 34.1 ov), 4-165 (Lara, 38.1 ov), 5-243 (Hinds, 48.3 ov), 6-251 (Smith, 49.3 ov)

Fall of wickets1-0 (Uthappa, 0.3 ov), 2-26 (Dhoni, 6.1 ov), 3-73 (Dravid, 12.5 ov), 4-130 (Yuvraj Singh, 22.6 ov), 5-170 (Kaif, 31.2 ov), 6-180 (Raina, 35.3 ov), 7-189 (Sehwag, 37.2 ov), 8-230 (Harbhajan Singh, 46.3 ov), 9-231 (Patel, 46.5 ov), 10-236 (Agarkar, 47.6 ov)

--
ODI no. 2421

Fall of wickets1-36 (Katich, 8.2 ov), 2-49 (Ponting, 11.1 ov), 3-87 (Hayden, 21.2 ov), 4-97 (Martyn, 24.2 ov), 5-97 (Symonds, 24.3 ov), 6-117 (Hussey, 31.3 ov), 7-194 (Haddin, 44.4 ov), 8-208 (Hogg, 46.6 ov), 9-213 (Clark, 47.5 ov), 10-213 (Lee, 48.1 ov)

Fall of wickets1-7 (Tendulkar, 2.2 ov), 2-20 (Sehwag, 4.4 ov), 3-47 (Kaif, 12.5 ov), 4-50 (Dravid, 12.6 ov), 5-96 (Raina, 24.5 ov), 6-158 (Dhoni, 36.2 ov), 7-185 (Agarkar, 39.5 ov), 8-186 (Harbhajan Singh, 40.2 ov), 9-193 (Singh, 43.1 ov), 10-195 (Patel, 43.5 ov)

--
ODI no. 2437

Fall of wickets1-22 (Sehwag, 4.3 ov), 2-27 (Pathan, 5.6 ov), 3-69 (Tendulkar, 16.5 ov), 4-130 (Yuvraj Singh, 30.1 ov), 5-131 (Dravid, 30.6 ov), 6-164 (Raina, 41.6 ov), 7-213 (Harbhajan Singh, 48.3 ov), 8-223 (Dhoni, 49.5 ov), 9-223 (Agarkar, 49.6 ov)

Fall of wickets1-43 (Gayle, 9.3 ov), 2-100 (Bravo, 21.6 ov), 3-120 (Chanderpaul, 26.6 ov), 4-212 (Morton, 47.5 ov), 5-218 (Lara, 48.4 ov), 6-219 (Sarwan, 48.6 ov), 7-219 (Smith, 49.1 ov)

--
ODI no. 2440

Fall of wickets1-46 (Tendulkar, 9.5 ov), 2-89 (Mongia, 19.4 ov), 3-126 (Sehwag, 28.2 ov), 4-186 (Dravid, 40.2 ov), 5-197 (Kaif, 42.1 ov), 6-224 (Raina, 47.1 ov), 7-239 (Pathan, 48.6 ov), 8-249 (Dhoni, 49.6 ov)

Fall of wickets1-61 (Gilchrist, 8.5 ov), 2-111 (Watson, 15.5 ov), 3-185 (Ponting, 33.5 ov), 4-230 (Symonds, 42.6 ov)

--
ODI no. 2458

Fall of wickets1-18 (Sehwag, 6.5 ov), 2-18 (Laxman, 6.6 ov), 3-103 (Tendulkar, 31.4 ov), 4-127 (Mongia, 37.6 ov), 5-154 (Karthik, 42.4 ov), 6-173 (Pathan, 45.6 ov), 7-183 (Harbhajan Singh, 47.3 ov), 8-183 (Dhoni, 47.5 ov), 9-200 (Kumble, 49.6 ov)

Fall of wickets1-173 (Smith, 28.1 ov)
--

Only 5 out of the 16 times ( I apologize for the mis-count in my previous post) India has lost when either setting setting or chasing scores in the range of 176-250 have the Indian bowlers not been able to get early wickets.

I have included ODI 2440 in the above count because, despite getting an early wicket, the Indian bowlers had gone for a few runs.

As will be evident from the fall of wickets list, the plot has been lost more often than not in the opposition middle overs or because the batsmen made a hash of it.

Update:- It gets more interesting - the last match India won over seas when setting a target in the range 176-250 or chasing was ODI # 2274 against Zimbabwe.

?

Shoaib and Asif out of the World Cup

"We have received their medical assessments and the players are physically unfit. Therefore we felt we shouldn't take them for such a big tournament," PJ Mir, the team spokesman told Cricinfo. "Their injuries will take time to heal so after selectors consulted Inzamam-ul-Haq the decision has been taken to not take them."

ICC hold out for evidence of injury to Pakistan pair

The International Cricket Council is insisting on its right to see medical evidence of injuries to Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif before it will allow Pakistan to call up replacements for the World Cup.

Let me understand this - is the PCB stalling or is the ICC flexing its muscles?

Trend-spotting

Omar did it.Kartikeya does it all the time. So I decided to chime in with my two cents worth on India's ODI record and such like

( All numbers are collated for the Time period Mar 01, 2005 thru Mar 01, 2007)
(P= played
W= won
L = lost
T=tie
NR = no result)

India's Win- Loss ODI record away from Home

P	W	L	T	NR
31	12	17	0	2

Break up of the above against individual countries (away)

	P	W	L	T	NR
v Australia	2	0	1	0	1
v New Zealand	3	1	2	0	0
v Pakistan	7	5	2	0	0
v South Africa	4	0	4	0	0
v Sri Lanka	4	0	3	0	1
v West Indies	9	4	5	0	0
v Zimbabwe	2	2	0	0	0

As can be seen from the above two tables - India has a losing record away from home for the last two years
Also, except Pakistan and Zimbabwe, India has a losing record against all other countries.
( India has not played England outside of India).

Here is the break up of all of India's wins both home and away

	Defending		Chasing
1-150			3
151-175	1		1
176-200	1		2
201-225	1		2
226-250	1		4
251-275	2		4
276-300	2		5
301-325
326-350	3
351-400	1

Defending - score set by India

Chasing - Score set by opposition

Here is the breakup of India's wins away

	Defending		Chasing
1-150
151-175	1		1
176-200			1
201-225
226-250	1		2
251-275	2		1
276-300			3
301-325
326-350
351-400

Here is the break up of all of India's losses both home and away

	Defending	Chasing
1-150
151-175
176-200	3	2
201-225	5	1
226-250	4	2
251-275	1	3
276-300	2	1
301-325	2	2
326-350	1

Here is the break up of all of India's losses away

	Defending	Chasing
1-150
151-175
176-200	2	1
201-225	3	2
226-250	1	2
251-275		2
276-300	1	1
301-325	1
326-350	1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• India has won 33.34% of its games ( both home and away) when setting/chasing a score in the range of 176-250. Significantly India has the same % ( 33.34) while setting/chasing a score in excess of 275.

• India has won 33.34% of its games ( away) when setting/chasing a score in the range of 176-250.

• India has lost 58.62% of its games ( both home and away) when setting/ chasing a score in the range of 176-250.

• India has lost 64.7% of its games (away) when setting/ chasing a score in the range of 176-250.

• Of the 29 matches India lost between 2005 and 2007 they were unable to complete their innings 14 times.
• In the range 176-250, of the 15 matches played away from home, India has lost 11 times.
• In the range 176-250,of the 28 matches played ( both home and away), India has lost 17 times.
  

The reason the range from 176-250 is highlighted is because - according to every expert there is, matches played in the West Indies will not be high scoring ones.

Yesterday ... and a bit of Today :)

Peter Roebuck on - Shoaib Akhtar and South Africa

Border chimes in on the Akhtar-Asif issue.

Rohit Brijnath on John Buchanan

Nandita Sridhar on those playing their final WC

Chappell .... again.

LP Sahi on Destiny.. specifically Saurav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh's destiny.

Vijay Lokpally on Himachal Pradesh's ascension to the Elite group.

Heh!!

WC tickets available - what?