No more gentleman's game!

Hi…….Just concluded clash between India and Australia at SCGwas the record breaking 17 straight consecutive win for Australia, breaking the record of Steve Waugh of consecutive 16 wins. But, I real doubt that it would be remembered for the same reason. Because it was the test which has witnessed number of umpiring blunders and the most unsporting behavior of the host team in recent times. Just take a look of some of those………

Symond was out for atleast three times but he was not given out even once. He made a not out century (162). Give three lives to Kumble even he can score a century. But , why to blame Symonds, because it was Ponting who was leading them from the front. He want to win this match so much that, he downgraded himself and his team to play some cheap cricket. Even Gavaskar can’t resist himself. Let’s see what he has said about Ponting ……….

It was not the first time happening with Australia. Remember underarm delivery. They are the most talented team, but I am sorry to say they are the most unsporting and arrongant as well.

Are we competitive enough?

Sooooooo………after a long time this is my new posting, I was kind of busy these days.
Well …… India has done well to beat Pakistan in ODI as well as Test series. I have written my views for the one day series. For test series I like to make some points……….
First, is that our new test captain has done an excellent job…….really he has. At the mature age of 38 he was enthusiastic, motivated and energetic. The most important thing was that he has the belief that he gonaa win.
Again Ganguly has shown to the world that he still has fire in his belly. May be technically his batting is not as sound as Sachin or Dravid. But, he is passionate for his game and that is what matters. Others Batters has done reasonably well. Bowling was also not especially. We need to find out some who fits in the Kumble’s shoes.
Now, coming to the first test of Australian. What to say all things has been said by our captain himself . Our batting was nothing but PATHETIC. Indians were over defensive. Actually the situation was like that, result was bound to come. But our famed Indian batting line up didn’t realize that. The way they were playing, I got the feeling that they want to save the match. How can one save the match by playing DEFENSIVELY for two days. One has to play their natural game. Where was the commitment they showed in famed Eden Garden win, where India won the match instead of subjected to follow on in the first innings. I was not expecting Miracles, what I was expecting was little bit fight. But our famed batting line up surrendered meekly.
Last time when India visited Australia they managed to draw the series. Because that time our batting was superb. But this time the way things are going, its seems to be complete white wash. Now, I think only Miracle can save INDIA.

Series win for INDIA but....

Well, India won the series, that to after 24 years on the Indian soil against Pakistan………
Sounds strange, right? India could done it this time because, this team of Pakistan seems to be little be weak. But they managed to win two matches of the series. Actually both the teams were quite competitive.
From the Pakistan side there middle order paid for them, Shoiab was also excellent through out the series so is Umar Gul. At the top Salman Butt gave the good opening in most of the matches, which help Pakistan to post hugh scores. Pakistan captain done well to win the last match, in that match he scores some good runs too. He is new to this job, with time he will definitely mature. Last match win sure gonna help Pakistan in test matches. There key players Yousuf and Younis are in good form, bowlers to are bowling well. They are really ready for the test series.
As far the India is concern…India should have the last match of the ODI series. That match was more important from psychological point of view. As Pakistan has won that match momentum is with them for the test matches. India do have some positives from the one day series. Sachin is in ominous form so is Yuvraj. Dhoni has also played some good knocks. But there is quite a few changes in the Indian test sides. India is also playing under new captain. Also India has got three spinners in the test squad, that is something unusual.
So, it gonna be really interesting encounter. What I can say is that India has the edge over Pakistan but you never know ……………

IND-PAk: 2nd ODI

Hi……………
I guess I need to rethink on my prediction , what I made, on my previous post. In last ODI ,that was one of the fantastic chase I have ever seen. Most striking feature of that chase was the pace of the innings. It seems to be very plan innings of Pakistan. They started very cautiosly, kept wicket in hand, and in the end overs went for a kill. That was old classic chase. All credit goes to the Pakistani batsmen, especially Younis Kahn. ………I was hearing on the commentary, that Younis is no good in chasing big total (he is able to score at the brisk pace). But I guess he proved everybody wrong……..
Actually India also faced similar situation in the Nagpur one day against Australia, in the recently concluded series. Ganguly was doing all well, but the problem was he couldn’t pace his inning properly and at the end run rate was to high for our lower level batsmen.So, there is somtheing to learn from Younis innings.
Well India responsible for its own loss. India was poised to score somewhere around 350-360. That would have been literally impossible target to chase. But the comeback spells from Umar Gul and Shoib broke the back of Indian middle order. 321 is also good enough total to defend on any kind of wicket. If the team is losing after posing such a big total then there is something serious to think about.
Wicket was turning when harbhajan was bowling. If Murali Karthik could have played the game, then he could had major impact on the game. He bowled very well in the Guwahati game. Left arm spinner is always difficult to handle than right arm spinner. So , dropping Murali doesn’t make any sense. Well I think that ploy was adopted to give chance to Sehwag, who once again failed. India should understand that winning matches should be given the top priority. Chances can be given to players when the series is sealed.
Now a days shuffling of batting order has become very regular. No one knows who is coming next. Why Dhoni is kept changing his position in batting order??? He should realise that he is more effective up the order than lower down the order. It is difficult even for Dhoni, to start hitting from the word go. He does take some time to settle down and after that he is very much capable of playing long innings. So why he is still playing down the order. He is capable of hitting centuries, then why he going there to make 30-40 runs? I don’t have any clue.
Now , coming to test captaincy.It really hurts to see some one like Kumble, who is one of the finest and senior most player in the team has to wait so long to become captain. We were trying to convince Sachin who has miserable record as a test captain, and we are giving captainship to Kumble when we are out of choice…….pathetic. In my view Kumble has won more test matches than any other player in India. He should have given this honour long before. Making him captain when he is about to retire doesn’t make any sense.
Well coming back to IND-PAK series. I guess India must have learnt some lessons from the last match. I guess they will be well prepared this time. India should remember what happen last time when Pakistan visited India, India won first 2 matches, then Pakistan went to win 4 matches ………..winning the series.

Ind-Pak 1st ODI

Hi…… so India Pakistan series started with a thriller. Well it was not actually thriller but an easy win for India . Thanks to some brilliant bowling by Harbhajan and Murali Karthik in the first innings and brilliant batting by the batters in the second innings.

Dhoni……..he is a real hero. He lead from the front. He went up the order and finished the job by himself. ……I always advocate for Dhoni playing up the order. He can play control as well as attacking innings. He can be devasting on the flat Indian pitches. He has great scores to his credit at no. 3 position. Then there is no reason, why he shouldn’t play up the order.

Yuvraj is now developing as most important batsman in the line-up. I guess he is the most feared batsman in the Indian line –up. Gambhir is cementing position in the team. He was unfortunate in the past as he didn’t get the opportunities as Sehwag got. No problem with opening pair……….they are best in the world.

Many people must be thinking that Dravid has got unfair deal. But I think leaving Dravid out of one day squad is right decision taken by the selectors. Dravid is no doubt is a great player, he has played 10 long years. Now many young talents is coming up. Its time to move on for senior players and give more opportunities to younger player. …………Ian Healy, former Australian wicket keeper was a great player, but if would have not moved on, then we would have not seen Gilchrist. Dravid was always a better test player than the one day player. Now he should concentrate more on test than one day. He can always come back when replacement players is doing well.

Well coming back to India-Pakistan series, I guess Indian are favorite to win the series. With absence of Inzamam in the middle order, Pakistan batting line up seems to be too weak. And with the absence of Asif bowling is ordinary. Shoaib has to carry the entire bowling department on his shoulder. With India winning first match, I think India will win the series by 4-1.

Time to take tough decisions

Hi ,
India once again proved that they are the world champions of T20 cricket. It was really smooth riding for Indians. Bowlers done their job perfectly well, specially spinners. Irfan also has improved a lot after making his comeback in the team. Batting also clicked, apart from Sehwag all enjoyed their batting. The way Gambhir and Uthappa batted, they had made strong statement for their permanent seat in the team.
I thought Indian team management can lesson or two from T20 victory. Though its another version of game and some what different from ODI, we can carry on some positives from that match.
We are doing consistently well with our young guns. They bring positive energy to the team. Though our senior players are doing well, its time that they should concentrate more on Test cricket and leave ODI and T20 for our young guns. I am not saying that they should be totally phase out. But young new players should get adequate opportunity, specially when they are doing well.
Pakistan is due to come and then Indians will be visiting Australia, so some tough competition is ahead. India need to do some tough decisions.

Consolation win

Hi ………At last India was able to achieve a consolation victory. The last time India successfully chased a target against Australia was way back in 1998, in Sharjah. Since then, India have attempted the task, 18 times, and failed on 15 occasions, with three matches, including the first game of this series in Bangalore, having no result. So it was really a great victory in that sense.
In Nagpur, India was to close to the victory. But India lost its way in the middle of the innings. After losing the wicket of Sachin and Saurav, (and then Pathan), downfall starts. With required runrate more than 7 runs per over Yuvraj and Dravid was not able to rotate the strike. In the process they lost their wickets and when Dhoni and Uthappa came the target was really out of reach…………….So, where the things went wrong. Though Ganguly was brilliant with bat, his strike rate suggest that India was chasing somewhere 275 not 318. India was 3-203 in 36 overs, requiring 115 more runs to win in 14 overs with 7 wickets in hand. Why, didn’t India start onslaught from that very moment, why they let pressure to build on them selves?
We had their time in each match. All through this series, India have had Australia in some trouble early on. In the first game Australia went from 90 for 4 to 307. In the second they turned 66 for 3 into 306 and, in the third, 135 for 3 became 290. In the sixth game, Australia went from 129 for 4 to 317.
Mumbai match was just a consolation win. Hats off to Murali Kathik and Zaheer Khan, both were brilliant with bat and ball. Apart from that their was really nothing to mention in Indian credit. Well 4-2 lost looks much better than 5-1 lost.
Now India has to do some serious thinking regarding……. role of the seniors in the team (specially Dravid), batting order and fielding. Or else its really gonna be tough…….