South Africans Lacked a Plan Against Clarke

The current Aussie captain, Michael Clarke, is doing exactly what his predecessors did so well, i.e. scoring runs by the gallon. However, I would like to point out that the double century by Michael Clarke in the 2nd test match against the South Africans also speaks a lot about the quality of bowling. Yes, most of you might be wondering how can a team that boasts of Morkel and Steyn be accused of poor bowling but the fact remains that as a bowling unit, the Proteas did not have a definite plan. This is shocking considering that Michael Clarke has already scored a double century against them as recent as last week. I was under the impression that the SA bowlers would test Michael Clarke with some sharp, short-pitched bowling. To my utter surprise and dismay, Steyn just kept on bowling length on a pitch that was barely green and Philander just never tried to hit the helmet Clarke was wearing. There are no guarantees in cricket, just like in life, but now we would never now if the results would have been different had the South Africans bowled with purpose rather than hope.

Ind-Eng 2nd Test at Mumbai: Pujara-Ashwin Stand Tall

This certainly does not look like the kind of pitch where any side is going to score in excess of 350 and the match will definitely go beyond the fourth day. Considering this and the fact that India had lost more than half their side for just about 160, the ongoing partnership between R Ashwin and C Pujara is of immense importance. In my opinion, this partnership will decide the course of the match. The two batsmen are batting sensibly with Pujara closing on his second century of the series. To surprise everybody, including me, Pujara has just completed his 2nd century against the visiting English side with an uncharacteristic pull shot. He had been tested with the short ball early in his innings and when batting on 99, most analysts would have bet their money on Pujara not playing this shot. However, Pujara played it perfectly and kept the ball down. India are now about 230-something and if Pujara and Ashwin can hold fort, reaching a potentially match-winning score of around 280 does not look impossible. 

Ojha & Ashwin: Not Contemporary Greats But Utterly Useful

This is a bowling partnership that the Indian team had been praying for some time now. Strangely, Kumble and Harbhajan never managed to create the kind of spin combo that the Indian team and fans had always hoped. This is despite Bhajji and Kumble having played together for nearly a decade. In stark contrast to this, Pragyan Ojha and Ashwin seem to be gelling rather well.

The Similarities: Both Ashwin & Ojha are traditional spinners. I am referring to the fact that they depend upon flighting and allowing the pitch to play its part. While Bhajji has always been too quick to be labeled a typical off-spinner, Kumble was a far cry from being your conventional leg spinner. Some cricketing experts have even labeled Kumble as being a skiddish seam bowler with a leg-spinners' action. Even more, both Ashwin & Ojha are equally poor fielders. Both of them are slow to move and even worse in anticipating where the ball is going is going in the outfield.

The Challenge: Ashwin & Ojha face the challenge of keeping their places cemented in the Test squad. This is not surprising since Dhoni and the selectors in general seem to have an inclination towards retaining Harbhajan Singh irrespective of the number of times the Turbanotor fails to deliver. Secondly, with more than 300 test wickets to his credit and a couple of test centuries coming in the recent past, Bhajji will always be preferred, i.e. the moment either Ojha or Ashwin err the slightest in their performance.

Conclusion: The left-arm and leg-spin combination is working fine for India at the moment but calling either Ashwin or Ojha "great" is premature and uncalled for. Nearly everybody would agree that both of them are essentially bowlers with limited talent but an appreciable talent. Both of them need to work upon their overall fitness and fielding to ensure that they can contribute beyond the bowling aspect only.

Nafees Shariar Fails the 'Tino Best' Test

This was a strange dismissal of sorts. Very old-world in its charm and represents the nuances of Test cricket in its purest forms and I enjoyed it in every, possible way. Nafees was batting with his team already having lost two wickets and as usual, Tino Best was gruning, howling and jumping, trying to scare the batsmen with short-pitched deliveries. To his credit, Nafees did not lose his focus and resisted the temptation of hooking. This was impressively done since the pitch was a typical, fifth-day patch and the bounce was highly unpredictable. Just when I was beginning to suppose that Nafees would continue to resist the bait, he was cajoled into trying to pull by some of the surrounding fielders. I cannot recall his name, but one West Indian player, even animated the pull shot to Nafees, egging on the Bangladeshi batsman to try and pull. For some inexplicable reason, the very next delivery, Nafees played into the oldest game of the cricketing book and tried pulling a Tino Best delivery that could have been easily avoided. Best caught the ball that had managed to sail a few feet in the air himself, completing a smart caught & bowled dismissal. Nafees would be cursing himself to have allowed the typical fielding sides' nonsense get to him. I haven't seen anything like this for at least three or four seasons and for a moment, it was humorous. Just loving this season of test cricket in the sub-continent. 

Ind vs Eng Day 1: Sehewag Special in the Making?

Virender Sehewag has just lofted Graeme Swann for a boundary and as I glance at the scorecard reading no wickets for nearly 116, it seems that Day 1 of the first test match between India and England well might turn into another Sehewag special. The way Sehewag is batting, Alistair Cook must be cursing his luck for having lost the toss. Even Gavaskar commented that this time around, Sehewag is looking rather determined. Early on, the Delhi Blaster was a cautious-something he has been guilty of not doing in the last ten innings or so. If he is ready to keep his head down and look upon this opportunity to register another double ton there is nothing that can possibly stop him, at least not the English bowling. Only Stuart Broad has shown some semblance of bowling a line that can contain or challenge the batsmen. Surprisingly, the English bowlers did not use the short bowl, even to Gambhir, despite being fully aware that he is a bit of compulsive puller on typically sub-continental conditions. I end this post, hoping that Sehewag redeems his recent failures by absolutely butchering the Englishmen.

Aus vs South Africa: Amla-Kallis, Last Men Standing

The ongoing test series between Australia and South Africa has confirmed my belief that the SA team has a major advantage over other test-playing nations in having Amla and Kallis in their top, middle order. For nearly a decade, Kallis was anchoring the SA innings alone, time after time, often being the last man standing. With the arrival of Amla, Kallis has found an equally dependable, if not talented, partner. It seems that the Kallis-Amla equation is going to bother test bowlers of all sorts, no matter what kind of pitch or conditions is thrown to these two batting stalwarts. There are a lot of similarities in Amla & Kallis

and the inexperienced Aussie bowling realized that on the first day of the test match. Both of them are ideal, number three batsmen, equipped with a fool-proof technique and the patience to score big. Even Siddle couldn't bounce out this formidable pair and the Aussies don't have a world-class spinner to challenge such batting prowess. The South African team came close to scoring 500 runs in their first innings despite Duminy being sidelined with an injury. This story could unfold a number times during this test match series with the Australians not having any specific strategy or bowler to ensure that Kallis or Amla are sent packing, early in their innings.  

Tendulkar on the Brink of Easing Out or Comeback to Greatness?

This question would be reigning supreme on the mind of devoted Tendulkar fans as the India-England test series 2012 gets underway. For many, this is perhaps the last time the maestro would be playing the Brits on home pitches and perhaps, his last attempt at redeeming himself. Yes, I realize that this might sound a bit too judgmental but the fact remains that the great Sachin has failed to deliver as a batsmen in the test arena for nearly two seasons now. His talents and records shouldn't be the parameter to judge his place in the team. Yes, some degree of preferential treatment is understandable since his talent is beyond human comparison and even the Gods dare not question his genius. However, I still maintain that current form should be the driving force for selection. Perhaps, the Great One should lead by example and judge his own form after the first two test matches. If he hasn't delivered in four innings, he could set a precedent by asking to be eased-out for the remaining matches. This could be the yardstick by which Indian teams are chosen in the future since expecting anything transparent or brave from the selectors is akin to waiting for the Titanic to resurrect itself. 

Panesar or Samit Patel: Eng Doesn't Have Much to Choose

This morning I read in the newspapers that the England team is contemplating two left-arm spinners in the opening test match against India. Supposedly, this view is fueled by the fact that some of the Indian middle-order batsmen have struggled to score freely against left-arm spinners. I understand this perspective considering that even Tendulkar has got out to Ashely Giles who could have been quite useful in the ongoing test series. However, Giles is out of international cricket and Panesar is out-of-form and out-of-favor. The responsibility now lies on the shoulders of Samit Patel who is an underrated spinner, especially by the Indian batsmen who might be hoping to hit him out of the attack. However, Patel could be a surprising proposition assuming he would be given leg-side field settings by Alistair Cook and would get a lot of rough outside the leg stump. However, I don't understand the Panesar vs Samit Patel question. Panesar has not done anything of note in the last three years or so while Samit has scored runs and taken wickets, even if not by the bunch, in T20s and one-day matches in the recent past.

Team New Zealand Seriously Needs an Injection of Talent

If the economic crisis bludgeoning the European economies had to be used as a parameter to find a parallel situation in the world of cricket, the New Zealand cricketing fraternity would be the most probable option for me. The reasons are not to hard to find for this rather pessimistic but real analysis. Performance of the Kiwi players has been on the decline for nearly four years. Apart from Vettori and a once-promising Ross Taylor, the team does not seem to have any other player who can engage respect or awe from the cricketing fans. To make matters worse, McCullum has turned into a specialist T20 players

which has turned the batting crisis into a nightmare for the Kiwis. There is no semblance of team balance or what sort of talent mix rolling out from New Zealand dressing room. Ask any cricketing fan to name at least five Kiwi cricketers and chances are that he or she will stare back at you, bemused. Nearly every match that features the New Zealanders has a similar pattern to it, i.e. the Kiwis are outplayed, outclassed, outwitted and outsmarted. Relegation to a non-Test playing status? Naah!! This won't happen since the ICC has always been a weak, gutless decision-making "authority".

Can We Look Beyond the Opener Obsession in India?

The selection of Indian players for the first two test matches against the visiting England team has been made. From what has been reported on TV channels and newspapers, the sports media at large seems obsessed with who is going to form the opening pair for India, who are the reserve openers and what could have been a better selection. To add more fuel to the opener conundrum, the chief selector, Mr. Sandeep Patil underlined that Rahane has been retained as a middle-order batsmen and not-an-opener. What surprises me is that nobody has bothered to question the form of the middle or the late order
that has been woefully short on runs in the last, two seasons. Yes, the Sehewag-Gambhir equation has not been delivering but neither is the Indian middle order. Perhaps, some wisdom will prevail and a journalistic/media resource will highlight the state of the entire batting line-up rather than obsessing about the openers. Just to end this discussion, what is the big fuss about selecting Murali Vijay over Mukund or not giving Rahane a chance to partner Gambhir? The seriousness with which these questions are being raised make it seem like Gambhir and Sehewag have outrun their shelf-life and the possible options are might talents...which is not the case!

Aus vs South Africa 2012: Tests that Promise "Green"

Australia are hosting the South Africans and there is little doubt regarding the kind of contest on offer. You can expect the pitches to be green as a school playground, the bounce to be terrorizing and essentially, it is going to be a battle between some very fast bowlers and batsmen ready to hook and pull without an invitation. It also seems that this test match series has a rather "green" aura to it. Not just the pitches, even the headgear of the Aussies and South Africans would be green,
the scoreboard background on Star Sports ESPN has also taken a green tinge in the recent past, the lusciously-green outfield found in Australian stadiums and hoards of green South African flags among the spectators are going to ensures that I am proven correct!

Yuvraj in Tests: A Worthy Selection or Survivor's Sympathy?

Before people start badmouthing me after reading the title to this discussion, let me declare that I am a big Yuvi fan. Yuvraj Singh is one of those rare cricketers who exude passion and panache in a perfectly-blended concoction to win a fan's heart. However, there are some facts that need to be addressed albeit without reading too much into what might happen or what occurred in the recent past. For starters, in the T20 World Cup, Yuvi's lack of fitness was clearly visible. Yes, he was hitting the ball hard but the paunch and the missing dexterity on the field were also visible. His bowling was the only
saving grace. Even now, as the Indian domestic cricket season motors along, Yuvraj Singh is being talked about as a serious prospect of filling the number 6 slot because of his batting and bowling, i.e. bowling being an equally important consideration. It would be presumptuous to say that since Yuvraj Singh has scored a double century recently, he will put the English bowling to sword. Test matches are different from one dayers and no one knows it better than Yuvi himself who has often been found handicapped in playing the longer version of the game. Let us not give-in to the survivor's magnificence that is being associated with Yuvraj at the moment. Let us not become biased towards his selection because he has emerged a winner from a traumatic situation. To be fair, there are more deserving batsmen waiting eagerly to get their due. The question remains, will we select a batsmen based purely upon cricketing parameters or be lured by the survivor's sympathy that is too obvious to ignore. 

Praven Kumar: The Winter Solution?

Everybody who is following the Indian domestic cricket season and awaiting the forthcoming tours by England and Australia realizes that bowling remains the biggest issue for the Indian team. Firstly, their bowling lacks the pace that can put some sort of scare into batsmen who are becoming more immune to the cricket ball with the T20 vaccine. Secondly, the spinner's lobby too is woefully short of displaying anything pleasing. Considering this scenario and the fact that these two tours will be held towards the end of 2012 and the early part of 2013, the Indian cricket selectors might want to consider Praveen Kumar. Let me explain
what I am trying to say here: during this time of the year, there is going to be a bit of nip in the air and off the wicket no matter how much the groundsmen manipulate them according to the liking of MS Dhoni and those in favor of preparing spin-prejudiced bowling strips. If these weather conditions are factored-in, and Praveen Kumar's ability to swing the ball both ways and bowl well with the old ball analyzed, the selectors might find themselves sitting on a solution that they haven't even considered. Please let us be honest with ourselves. Ishant Sharma is not going to bounce-off the Aussies or Brits on these wickets. Zaheer is as injury-prone he was two seasons ago and Umesh Yadav is still raw, no matter how fast he bowls.

Pankaj Sing: The Perpetual Outsider?

He is tall, has got the built for being a fast bowler, packs-in sufficient experience having toiled on the dusty pitches of India and is consistent beyond doubt: the man I am talking about is Pankaj Singh. For some strange reason that is beyond any realm of reasoning, one of the best-performing fast bowlers from the Indian domestic circuit has never been given his due. To his credit, Pankaj Singh has always bowled consistently and that is his prime forte. He is not as fast as Mornie Morkel and cannot hurry the batsmen like Dale Steyn. However, he has the gumption and the discipline that is needed to trouble batsmen in one-dayers and Test matches. Inexplicably, the Indian selection committee have exhibited a shocking case of myopia when considering Pankaj Singh despite
the fact that the likes of Zaheer and Irfan have not been performing up-to-the-mark and Umesh Yadav is still learning the ropes. What India missed during their drubbing in England and Australia was the presence of one, medium-fast consistent bowler who could keep the batsmen on the backfoot without  doing something too heroic. With the English and Aussies arriving, I hope the selectors will wake-up and realize that Pankaj Singh is perhaps the answer to the bowler's conundrum that continues to haunt the national cricket team.