Grassy bowler, what's that Mr. Boycott?

This is with reference to Anderson's five wicket-haul against the South Africans, to take this team 2 -1 in the ongoing ODI series. I read somewhere Geoffery Boycott explaining Anderson as a Grassy bowler meaning any pitch that has a bit of grass and some moisture, alike the English conditions, were suited best for James Anderson. Well, you couldn't agree more> take away these basic ingredients and Anderson turns into another routine, straight length bowler, incapable of moving the ball in any possible way. He does remind a bit of Caddick of England, who was brilliant against any type of batsmen, including the might Aussies, every time an Ashes test match was played on a typical English pitch. I recall having watched many televised commentaries by Wasim Akram who often regarded Caddick as one of the best exploiters of the swinging conditions that prevail in England but a bowler with limited means when it come down to testing your skills against the brownish, slow pitches of the sub-continent, which essentially means that Caddick was short on learnings skills that were beyond the obvious and I think, reverse swinging the ball and bowling yorkers is what Akram has been referring towards.

Hashim Amla, another quiet achiever in the Dravid mold

Hashim Amla has been an opening for SA in test and ODIs for quite some time now. However, it was only recently that I noticed his averages that were flashed on the TV screen and I was surprised to find out that he averages nearly 48 in his ODI career and his strike-rate too is pretty impressive. In the absence of a regular opener, with Gibbs not being able to sustain his form or fitness, Amla has been a great find for SA, particularly for the captain, Graeme Smith. I guess, most folks don't realize how integral he has become to the SA batting line-up, simply because his presence is without any kind of gimmick, leaving only his performance to speak on his behalf, and I guess, these days, being in this Dravid-like, saintly mold does deprive a deserving cricketer of some due attention. In my opinion, he does fill-in the solidity provided by Kallis whenever Kallis is not around due to his back that is now beginning to bother him on a sustained basis.

Rajat Bhatia keeps peforming, anyone even notices?

Most Indian cricket followers won't even know about Rajat Bhatia. He is one of the most capable, untried players from the Indian domestic scene. Further, he is best suited to fill-in the gap of the all-rounder that is still there in the Indian team. Despite not having much pace or swing in his bowling, this street-smart cricketer has been able to take bucket-full of wickets and further, his batting is a big advantage. So many times, Rajat has bailed out his side, coming down at number five, batting like a true champion > dogged, determined till the last ball is bowled. Some followers of the Delhi cricket scene often called him LMS> Last Man Standing, because despite what happens in a match Rajat Bhatia just doesn't quit and yet, his performance has gone largely unnoticed by the Indian selectors.

Where is the pace among these 'fast' bowlers?

Yes, it is good to see Zaheer and Nehra come back to the Indian squad. Finally, there is some teeth to the Indian bowling that has been under some serious hammering over the last few month. The whole nation is going ga-ga over Sreesanth's five-wicket haul. I don't want to sound too pessimistic, but it is a fact that apart from Nehra who does touch the 140 km/hr mark every now and then, none of the supposed 'fast' bowlers are actually bowling quick. Some folks might want to point-out the packed calendar for the burn-out of these bowlers but this really cannot be put forth as an excuse simply because this is a highly-competitive sport and each of these men are being paid loads of money> so how they maintain their fitness and what measures they take to withstand the international gruelling schedule is simply their headache. The team's followers only want performance being sustained by those who wear the national cap and perform up to the benchmarks that have been set for them. Praveen Kumar's name cannot be mentioned along with these guys, simply because he never promised to deliver pace along with seam> he is essentially a mover of the ball and that is exactly what he is doing at the moment though notching-up 130-135 km/hr more regularly won't hurt him either.

Aussie Bowling Riches are piling-up

The absence of a Warnie or a McGrath will always be felt, but just look at the kind of bowlers Ponting has at his disposal right now - the choice of lef-armers is seriously widespread with Bollinger, Johnson and Bracken ready to bend their backs and among the more conservative-type, line & length bowlers, Hillfenhaus is shaping-up real good and Stuart Clarke, despite his lack of pace, has the ability to come good when the going gets really tough. Add to this mix, the really fast bowlers like Brett Lee and Tait, and you have a pretty penetrative Aussie bowling attack. Yes, there are some vacancies in the spin department but Hauritz can keep-up one end really tight. I believe this pool of bowlers is good enough to win test matches on most pitches, and against every kind of opposition that is pitched against the Aussies. This makes them plenty of arsenal as they prepare for the 2011 World Cup. Further, their bowling powress should not be underestimated just because the World Cup is going to be played in the subcontinent. If you recall, some of the last few home series that India has hosted and those played in Sri Lanka, it seems that any side that has fast bowlers who can bend their backs and save about crucial runs by bowling hard into the ground, into the rib-cages of the batsmen, even in matches where 300+ is the average score are worth their weight in the team.

Looking good now, where are the replacements?

The Indian middle order looks pretty good right now with Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman still pretty capable of winning matches on their own, but just looking at the future, are there any replacements for these Big 3? I mean, Australia had a horrid year trying to recreate their batting order once some stalwarts retired and it seems that India could be headed for something similar. Apart from Badrinath and Pujara, there are no names in the domestic circuit that are supposed to combine technical batting good enough to play really fast bowlers with a huge appetite for runs and then again, Badri has not found favor with the selectors and Pujara is often regarded as a scorcher off spinners and slow bowlers and not-so-good when the quick bowlers are on.

Murali Vijay or Virat Kohli?

Gautam Gambhir has been declared unfit for the last test match between SL and India. It seems that the most probable selection would be Murali Vijay who is reputed to have a decent technique and is a full-time opener. However, it might be a wise idea to try-out Virat Kohli who has been piling on the runs in the domestic games. Yes, he did not do very well in the limited opportunities he got in the recent one-dayers, but he does look like a player who is meant to play international cricket. Just about a season back, he was asked to open in a series against the Lankans, and he adapted to the challenge. He has just scored another double century for Delhi and his current form should not be ignored. This way, the selectors would be preparing one player who could also open in the ODIs in case Sehewag, Sachin or Gambhir get injured.

Akmal brothers to decide Pakistan's fate

It seems that this series is going to be career maker for the younger of the Akmal brothers, as he and Kamran are now the last pair at the crease as they try to take their team past the line with just about 85 more runs needed. You would have to say that O'Brien's bowling has been pretty ordinary throughout the test match and with NZ having very few part-time bowlers who can keep the run-scoring under check, his inability to take wickets or keep-up one end tightly screwed for Vettori to work his stuff from the other end is becoming the weak-link as NZ try and stop Pakistan from running away with the first test match. It was nice to see Asif bowl a McGrath-like line, blowing away the NZ top-order.

The question of the Pathan brothers

It was ages ago that Irfan Pathan was opening the bowling for India, swinging every ball to such an extent that he was heralded as the next Akram. However, as things stand now, he has lost his pace, guile and the swing seems to have totally vanished. From being heralded as an all-rounder he has now been reduced to a bits-and-pieces whose performance even in the domestic circuit is nothing exemplary. It is a freefall as far as his career graph is concerned and similarly, his elder brother, Yusuf seems headed in the same direction. He was never a spinner to begin with, so his batting was supposed to be his USP but he seems like someone who is capable of delivering the goods only when the pitches are the kind wherein 350+ runs can be scored (ODIs) or for the T20 format and in that format too, he hasn't been outrightly impressive.

India Win Second Test Match vs SL 2009, Changes for 3rd Test?

India have finally managed to end their dry run over the last, few couple of months by defeating SL in the Kanpur test match. The team batted brilliantly and extracted the advantage by using the home conditions to perfection. Some real good things to come out of the test match is Sreesanth's return to form and the consistency shown by Pragyan Ojha. Seems like the same team would go ahead for the third and final test match, unless some injury issues crop-up at the last moment. The only question could be regarding the fitness of Zaheer - he is still bowling much below par, though he is getting to move the ball and keep the runs scored off his bowling, under control. Besides this, the team looks set to go unchanged and win the series 2-0.

Same old, Same old with the West Indies

The first test match between the WI and Australia is underway and it seems that the men from Caribbean still cannot get rid off their old habit of losing the initiative in the first test match itself. They have already lost 4 wickets for less than a 100 runs and their chances of a recovery are very slim. Their bowlers didn't bowl too badly but the batsment have once again proved a dissapointment, getting out to balls that were not necessarily great deliveries.

Why has Munaf Patel got a contract?

The latest contract grading for the Indian players has been released and once again, the no-good, absolutely impressionless, totally mediocre, Munaf Patel's name has been included in the list. This is despite the fact that his performance has been on the downslide for the last 18 months and he has done nothing much to augment his case as a medium fast bowler. For someone who was supposed to consistently bowl at around 85 miles per hour, now simply lumbers down the pitch at around 130 km/hr max, cannot field - even off his own bowling and has been a real dissapointment in every imagineable way. And yet he gets a contract without any riders on it? The BCCI could have at least issued him a warning saying that he is on the verge of being excluded.

Zaheer looks really out-of-shape

It is nice to see Zaheer back in the team but for the moment, he looks seriously out of shape with his belly showing clearing through his white outfit. He is down on pace and his jump at the time of delivery has almost vanished. I am no sports medicine/fitness expert but I guess, the lull that he had due to a shoulder injury could have been at least dedicated towards keeping his weight down with some basic cardio conditioning. I mean, he is a fast bowler and unlike batsmen, he just cannot affordt to pile upon the pounds the way he has and looks totally unfit to play. Sree on the other hand has just come back after 18 months from a county stint, looking agile and an improved bowler. Injuries are tough on bowlers but with the kind of facilities at the disposal of players today, is it so difficult just ensuring that you fit into your old clothes?

Muralitharan looks flat for a change

It doesn't usually happen to the best off-spinner in the game, but Murali has been looking out-of-sorts against the Indians. Some might argue that the dead pitches and the Indian batsmen ability to play spin are the main reasons but you would have to observe that he just isn't spinning the ball. Further, runs are being scored freely of his bowling and his doosra too is yet to account for any major dismissal. What mus be worrying Sangakarra is the fact that he cannot afford to replace a bowler like Murali or the entire nation (SL) might revolt against him. With SL almost set to lose the second test match, what should Sanga do to ensure that Murali is back to his normal self? or should he be brave enough to replace him, sighting an injury to the SL's most popular player.

Redemption Day for Three Bowlers

Three really good fast bowlers who had been out of test matches for quite some time due to reasons that were entirely their own doing have made very decent combeback. Sreesanth who has been ridiculed for his over-the-top antics made-up with a five-wicket haul yesterday. Similarly, Shane Bond who had changed his allegiance to the ICL made an impression with a handful of wickets and in the same test match, his leading counterpart - Mohammed Asif, has shown why he was initially rated as one of the best new ball bowlers with his immaculated line and length when he first appeared on the scene. What is most interesting is the fact that none of these bowlers were out due to loss of form or injury but due to reason that were their own doing.

Have u seen Junior Akmal?

I just saw some highlights from the ongoing test match series between Pakistan and NZ 2009, and it seems that Pakistan and have once again, found a raw, brash talent out of nowhere. The younger brother of Kamran Akmal - Umar Akmal is just 19 years old but he can give the ball a serious wallop. He scored his century in a manner that we have become accustomed to seeing from the likes of Sehewag or the recently-retired Hayden. I cannot recall the last time a cricketing pair of brothers bat so brilliantly together - despite all the mess that their nations is currently in, Pakistan still does seem to keep extracting talent...just think about the recent introductions like Aamer - the left arm seamer.

Daniel Vettori: Improving with every outing

If you talk about a player who is progressing with every outing he makes to the cricketing field, you just cannot help but mention the Kiwi captain - Vettori. His average as a batsmen, particularly in the more demanding form of the game - test cricket, has improved tremendously. At a time, when the team is so short on pure talent and there is little experience to fall back upon, his captaincy and his ability to bail out the team with the bat when the situations is really bad speaks a lot about his courage and his hunger to improve upon himself as a cricketer. He batted brilliantly but then got out on 99, which was purely unlucky but it seems that many more test centuries are sure to follow.

MSD: is he overworked

I keep having this feeling that MS Dhoni is being seriously stretched as a player and considering how important he has become to the team as a leader and as the keeper-batsman, any injury to him could seriously hamper the progress of our team. for starters, he should be relieved of wicket-keeping in at least some form of the game. I believe that we need to rear one more keeper batsman who can alterante with Dhoni. further, I remember that Dhoni has bowled a few, test match overs and it would be worth a try to let him try out a new role of coming up the order as a pure batsman and thenr rolling over his arm as a part timer, at least in the one-dayers... is Dinesh Karthick even in the frame of things?

Day 3: Was Sreesanth lucky?

I am not trying to take away anything from how Sreesanth bowled today and took five wickets on what was essentially a batting wicket, but it seemed that a lot of his wickets were the courtesy of some lose, uncharacteristic shots from the SL bastmen. Yes, it is good to have him back and we can only hope that this time, he can sustain his performances and concentrate more on the game rather than running around for hair gel creams and singing songs in some TV show. Here is wishing all the good luck to Sree...

Test matches 2009 - go into overdrive

After a rather long lull in test cricket, things are returning to normal with test matches being played across three continents. The NZ versus Pakistan series is bound to be interesting given that the Pakistani team can be always depended upon for doing something unusual ... similarly, the WI are coming back after a lot of internal turmoil and it would be interesting to see how the team gels together to stand-up against a resurgent Aussie side.

Dead pitches are hurting India badly

The ongoing test series between Sri Lanka and India is ample proof of how the game's administrators are slowly killing the game. Anyone who watched the first test match would say that the number of runs being scored are bordering on the excessvie and there needs to be some sort of answerability from the authorities who approve of such dud pitches. Just to add one thing, the last two test matches against the Lankans that yielded results and were partially reponsible for helping India scale the number one ranking in test cricket too weren't the best in terms of providing equaly opportunities to both sides. I feel that the Barbourne stadium was still pretty decent but apart from that the entire series has been a letdown in terms of providing little assistance to the bowlers. Lankans got out mainly due to the pressure of the massive totals that Indians piled on them rather than Bhajji turning the ball square or the pithc weathering on day four - five. There have been all sorts of suggestions by former cricketers who have been harping on the same issue of increasing the number of test matches played by teams like India and Sri Lanka, but there is a need to address the issue that only result-oriented test cricket needs to be promoted. If this means providing slightly under-prepared pitches where the top surface comes-off on the fourth day, then be it... at least, the spectators, both at home and in the stadium will have something to cheer for. Such pitches will make batting survival intersting for a change and even maidens bowled at attacking batsmen would become watchable. We all hear about former opening batsmen talking about pitches in the West Indies during the 80s, where it was sure that you would get hit in on the helment and every Caribbean tour was looked upon as a test of survival..yes, the Calypso bowlers were great too, but then their efficiency took upon scary proportions due to the nature of playing strip and that is what we need - to put some fear back into the batsmen.