CricDigs Blogs

Traditionally it has been said that the Indian Cricket Team is a poor traveler. Is that true anymore? In the last 5 years alone, Indians have drawn (and almost won) a Test series in Australia (which no other team has done in recent past), pushed South Africa in their home to eventually lose the series 2-1, Won a Test and ODI Series in Pakistan, Won a Test Series in the Caribbeans, Won a Test Series in England. Isn’t that an impressive record?

At home on the other hand, India only managed to draw a Test series against a lowly English team, drew a Test series against Pakistan and lost the ODI one. Also, one of the stats that was mentioned after India’s win yesterday after chasing 203 runs was that this was only the second time India has successfully chase a total in excess of 200 at home. I was personally very surprised.

If we look at India’s performance at World Cups, the only time they have either reached the final or won it was when they were playing away from home. Even the T20 WC was won while playing away. The best WC performance in the sub-continent has been a semi-final loss to Sri Lanka.

So, I would venture to say that the Indian team in fact is a very good traveler as well as very good host (for the visiting team).

What do you all think?

As much as I like Sachin, I hate to see him get out in this manner - especially when he is set (or so we think!). How can a batsman of his caliber get out - CLEAN BOWLED - on a googly? What is happening here? I know coach Buchanan is saying his feet are lazy at the beginning of the inning these days so they want to use short pitched balls in upcoming tour of ‘down under’. But on 82 we would think he is set (for a century?) and sees ball the size of a football and reading bowling arm like back of his palm.

Unfortunately by His standards anything short of a century is a failure. So I am just wondering what is wrong … (what is lazy rather) … feet / eyes / brain?

Over the past few months there has been enough false alarms regarding the India’s coach assignment to have a doubt about this appointment getting confirmed. But if you ignore that then from all the reports I have read so far, Gary Kirsten would be India’s next head coach.

Kirsten’s career as a South African opening batsman has been quite a successful one, both in Tests and ODIs. He is also considered a clutch players, handling pressure of the situation quite well. There is a good chance that this quality might rub on some veteran as well as upcoming players and being a South African player he is bound to focus on improving Indian team’s fielding situation.

So, assuming he accepts the job and all formalities go through this time around, let’s wish him all the luck and success.

Cricket is considered a batsman’s game. A batsman has only one chance (ok, two in case of a Test match) to make a difference. On the other hand a bowler can get hammered for a bunch of fours in an over and still can get better of the batsman if he gets his wicket in the next.

Ok, now let’s compare today’s veteran star bowler to a star batsman. For the sake of example, take Tendulkar and Muralitharan. Last week Murali finished a very mediocre tour of Australia taking just 4 wickets in 2 tests. Have you heard anyone asking for he getting sacked? No way. Everyone would be saying that the Australian pitches are not suitable for spin etc. etc. Also, it is quite likely that Murali would shine in favorable conditions (home) against a weaker opposition (England), thereby completely wiping any memories of a terrible series. He would also surely break Shane Warne’s record of 708 wickets to get back on top of the world. This within the span of a month.

Consider on the hand, if Sachin happens to fail in Australia, they would be all gunning for him (figuratively speaking of course). No one would say that he failed because conditions there are favorable to seam bowling and umpiring always gives the benefit of the doubt to the bowler when it comes to Sachin etc. etc. It would be all be about Sachin getting old and not what he used to be, he should retire and so on and so forth.

The equation is even more lob-sided for a spin bowler. He is not even physically pushing himself or hurting. He is just gently coming over (or round) and try to give it a rip. The fast bowler is at least exerting in order to make things happen.

So quite frankly though it is not easy being a Murali, I think the whole situation is very much in favor of the bowler, more so the spinner. Do you agree?

Sachin overtook Alan Border today to become #2 on the all-time Test runs aggregate list. Brian Lara is 1st on that list. It is quite likely that by the time he is done, Sachin would own most of the batting records, except may be the highest Test Average ever (99+ by Sir Don Bradman)

What is most impressive thing about this playing legend is his passion for the game. Despite playing for close to 2 decades at international level, Sachin’s attitude is still as fresh as a newcomer with skills and execution of a veteran.

I would be personally very happy if Sachin remains not out until India reaches its target of 203 to win the 1st Test at Delhi.

I have heard this soooo many times from a certain group of people, including sports critics. I would like to put that to rest once and for all.

What is the logic behind this? Let me put forth a few possible scenarios to consider in order to validate this claim by Sachin’s critics.
——————————————————————
Myth #1:
Sachin’s average when India loses is very high compared to his career average.
Fact #1:
Career Average: 44.23
Average when India Loses: 32.92 With 11 Centuries and 35 Half-Centuries

Myth #2: Sachin’s average when India wins is very low compared to his career average.

Fact #2:
Career Average: 44.23
Average when India Wins:56.68 With 29 Centuries and 50 Half-Centuries

Myth #3: Sachin was responsible for India not winning the 2003 WC.

Fact #3: Sachin was Man Of The World Cup in 2003 scoring highest runs ever in a single world cup (673). In comparison, our then captain Ganguly scored 465 runs, including a “duck” in an all important against Pakistan.

Very straight forward right?

If that was not enough these people also claim that India wins when Sehwag plays or Ganguly plays. Well that is when it all becomes crystal clear. Here is how.

India’s winning percentage (low) matches with percentage of times these players play well (few). That creates an illusion that somehow they are in sync with India’s success. How else will you not blame Ganguly for getting out on 9 or Sehwag for not capitalizing on the great start, for India’s loss in the Mohali ODI , but blame Sachin for scoring 99 of 91 balls.

Or may be I am totally missing something.

“If Cricket Is A Religion Then Sachin Is Our Ultimate God”

VVS Laxman and M.S.Dhoni have once again proven that they are among the few real ‘fighters’ in this team along with Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble. The rest of the players are usually ‘fighting’ for their places!!!

Cometh the hour , cometh the man. VVS has done it time and again , rescue this Indian team from hopeless situations. Anil Kumble has till now done all the right things in this test match. Hope he does one more thing, send VVS ahead of Ganguly in the second innings.

Well, to be completely accurate, the second Test between Sri Lanka and Australia is not over yet, but barring an absolutely miracle, SL is going to lose that one big time as well. The first Test was a total destruction also. That is the story in the Australian Continent.

In Africa on the other hand, South Africa has already handed the second consecutive Innings defeat to their visitors from the Australian Continent (NZ).

Surprised with the one-sidedness of both these series? I am sure a lot of people were expecting a closely fought Aus-SL and definitely did not expect SA to dominate NZ to this extent. Especially the way first SA vs NZ Test started. It did look as if SA would be in trouble (being bowled out for low 200s.) But those were the only good sessions NZ had in either of the two tests.

Sri Lanka’s story is slightly different. I don’t think they even had one session when they showed any sign of domination. There were a few fighting knocks but it was always just a matter of time. The debutant Jaques scored centuries in both the tests to justify his selection and Bret Lee spear-headed the bowling attack with ample support from other seamers as well as Stuart McGill. So finally the Aussies have succeeded in spoiling Murali’s dream of becoming the highest wicket taker in Tests by overtaking Warne in Australia.

As I write this, Australia has already captured the first SL wicket in the second Innings. So, it is just a matter of time before the second test would end with another Australian victory.

So though these series are played in different Continents, they have both gone in favor of the home teams in a big way.

He is a Destroyer!! On his day He can tear apart any bowling attack in the world!! He is a match-winner!! and so on….

Believe it or not, these adjectives are showered on none other than Virendra Sehwag. The only thing I remember he destroying recently is India’s hopes of winning a match. Nothing else. Makes you wonder what process is followed in selecting/dropping/re-selecting players and how fair it is.

Take an example of 5th ODI between India and Pakistan. India had won the series, so were giving opportunity to players who had not gotten a chance in the earlier matches. They again played with 4 full-time bowlers with part-timers bearing the responsibility of filling in the GAP.

Here is my analysis of the match.

-Pakistan managed to score 306 partly because they “destroyed” the part-time pair of Sehwag and Yuvraj.

-Newcomer Pravin Kumar bowled quite well for his figures of 10 for 50.

-India were playing additional batsman in Sehwag, so the chase should have been relatively easy, but it was not to be. Sehwag got out cheaply again and in a fashion that has become his trademark, flashing outside the off-stump without moving his feet.

-Gautam Gambhir failed again in ODIs.

-Rohit Sharma batted very well for his 52 in 61 balls.

-Pathan provided a lower order fightback.

So looking at all the above, the team selection decision should be very straight forward, right? Here is what needs to happen.

-Sehwag must be sent back until he does something that warrants his comeback. Just the mythical statements I have presented at the top of the blog are not enought, because there is not current evidence that we are talking about the same player and please note, a four or a six every now and then is not enough. He has been given ample opportunities to earn his place in the team, but at least to my eye, he has shown no sincerity, application or focus telling me that he knows what’s on the line. Sehwag has to go and for a while!!

-Gambhir still needs to stay on the bench, most of the time.

-Ganguly would continue to open with Sachin.

-Dravid needs to be brought back in the squad.

-If Pathan is in the team then India should/can play with 5 bowlers.

-Rohit Sharma needs to get more opportunities to play.

-The possible team composition could be

Sachin, Ganguly, Dravid, Yuvraj, Dhoni, Uthappa, Pathan, RP Singh, Zaheer, Bhajji, Sreesanth, Rohit Sharma, Murali Karthik, Dinesh Karthik, Gautam Sambhir.

Makes sense?

How often do you hear a commentator from the opposing team admiring a player whole-heartedly? That too a Pakistan commentator glorifying an Indian player. That is what Rameez Raja was doing all day today. He used superlatives such as “Words are not enough to describe the experience of watching Sachin play” or “We are grateful to Sachin for giving us such a gem”.

Well he was neither sarcastic nor was he exaggerating. Sachin is such a phenomenon that transcends nationalities. Like Lara had said before India’s tour of the Caribbeans that Indian people might have doubts about Sachin but not us. It was Sir Don Bradman, the best batsman ever to have played cricket who told his wife that watching Sachin bat reminded him of himself. What a player!!

And it is not only his shot making that makes Sachin The “God” for fans like us. It is his total commitment to the game. You could see a number of times today that in both of his partnerships (with Gambhir and Sehwag) he was the one who was pushing for that extra run. Still arguable the best runner between the wickets. He never bothers to give any looks to the bowler and always lets his bat alone do the talking. Truly, words alone are not enough to describe this phenomenal player. One staggering statistics that was talked about today was that, if Sachin had scored Century every time he reached the score of 90+ in both forms of Cricket, by today he would have scored 100 Centuries. What do you say to that?

Of course, it won’t be long before the Indian critics would be criticizing him for not scoring even one ODI century in 2007 (though there is still time left) and how he is not the player he used to be. What is most interesting is that over the past few months I have heard the commentators say so many times that “Today Sachin looks in sublime form” or “He is batting like the old Sachin” or “This is how he used to bat at his peak”. Well, then why do these critics are gunning for his resignation? Why do they glorify a 43 by Sehwag as vintage Sehwag but discount Sachin’s continuing form as a thing of the past?

Well I guess it is all part of the package. So even players like Sachin have to pay this price simply because they are simply too good for us mortals to appreciate.

Go Sachin!!