Luck of the Draw.
It’s not often team India gets out of jail – that too with Indra’s assistance. On Monday, 23rd July, much to everyone’s surprise, India wangled a draw. Now, India is no stranger to the No. 23 – during the ill-fated Caribbean cruise, the Indian team watched the psychological thriller, “the number 23” – all about the voodoo of the number 23. On April 23rd, some days later India’s World Cup ran into a Blue Line bus.
When India went into the 5th morn of the Lord’s test on July 23rd, it appeared the number 23 would hunt them down yet again. But most Blue lines were still off the roads. And much like Jim Carrey does in his feel good films (No. 23 aside), the team must be laughing their heads and God knows what else off.
Is that a good thing? Did India deserve the draw? Will it hurl us into the same old feel good inertia? Or has team India had their share of bad runs? Has their luck turned a corner? What does this draw mean, if anything?
In hindsight, India’s batting was complete crap in the first innings. No test team, barring Australia, can play nearly 80 overs, and score just 201, at barely 2.5 runs per over, and still expect to get back into the game, leave alone hope for a draw. That after the rookies restricted England to 298 (@ 3.26 r.p.o). After conceding a lead of 97 runs, the rookies yet again, thank you very much, restricted England to under 300 – 282 (@ 3.59 r.p.o). And if not for Kevin Pitersen’s single hand, England may have been in big trouble.
But that was to be India’s predicament - left with a day ‘n’ a half ‘n’ a prayer. Somehow the prayer worked and India smuggled a draw. But not before sticking it out for 96 overs – and though India scored at a shade under 3 r.p.o, there was more intent in the second innings. But like the first innings, players got starts, spent time and then got out – Saurav Ganguly remains a 30s and 40s man. Jaffer, Karthik, Tendulkar, Laxman all got in – but failed to soldier on. Is this what happens when Rahul Dravid fails to score? And what if Dravid has a horror run through the series –will Laxman and Tendulkar not find someone to shepherd them to greater glory? Clearly, without Dravid’s long vigil at the wicket, the balance of the Indian innings is shaken.
But because of this drawn test, chances are the Indian team composition will not be shaken. For, too many players have similar non-descript contributions. It’s like the whole team has contributed to this stalemate. 30s, 40s, the odd 50, 60 and loads of single digit scores. Who do you target? It’s either nobody did their job, or everybody chipped in with their pennies.
And though, the chat before the Lord’s test was of a toss up between VVS Laxman, Yuvraj and Dhoni, VVS was special as he killed precious time at the crease - like only he or Dravid can nowadays. And while Dhoni was the No. 1 fall guy after his first innings’ shot, he and the elements finally saved India.
As for Sachin Tendulkar, how does one describe his fevicol-fix to the crease? And though Tendulkar has been stumped very rarely in his career, it’s baffling to see his lack of intent against Monty Panesar? If Warnie could be decoded and destroyed, then pray, what is Monty? Or for that matter, what is Sachin? Now, that is?
Ian Chappell’s comment that Monty Panesar is up there with Warnie and Murali may be a tad premature, but do the Indians already believe in him? If not, why does Sachin Tendulkar continue to play him from the crease?
For India to succeed, it’s imperative that Panesar be bullied in his first spell in the first innings, no matter what. Dinesh Karthik, Saurav Ganguly and M.S. Dhoni can look to get after him, while the other batsman should look to rotate the strike and refrain from blocking. Caution bordering on paranoia against spin will only lead to India’s doom in this series. After the seaming ball, all you need is a sikh spinner dancing the Bhangara on your head – to make it worse, he’s not even in your team.
Dancing aside, Tendulkar and Laxman need to introspect deeply, and adopt a less passive approach. Dravid can even drop down to no. 4 - hope to get the bad decision monkey off his back. Worth exploring VVS at no. 3, as he’s scored heavily at that position –notably against Australia. Jaffer should avoid going into his shell and then playing shots - that can only leave one shell-shocked.
As for the implications of this drawn test, come Friday, 28th July, and we’ll get a sniff. Till then, maybe we should enjoy, a rare glimpse of lady luck dropping our way.
July 24, 2007
July 12, 2007
Icons to Incas?
What made the Big Three sit out of the Twenty20 World Cup - the threat of extinction or a future vision?
Most Cricket Boards have announced their probables for the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa. It’s fascinating how all these initial lists comprise 30 players that will be later squeezed down to nearly half. So, a la “Indian Idol” all 30 will have a shot in the dark at fame.
But why 30, when finally only about 15 players will have a serious shot at making the final eleven? And what, if anything, can the hopefuls achieve in a month that will undermine the reputations of years of international cricket? But who are we fooling, for once India’s team selection is wide open – specially after three reputations chose to sit it out.
Interestingly, in most teams there is no dearth of senior pros. Pakistan has short-listed the two Ys, Yohanna and Younis. But then, had the two Ws been around, they could have made it too. Sri Lanka has Sanath Jayasuriya - who is possibly the best-suited Sri Lankan batsman for this form of frenzy. And much to everyone’s surprise, England hopes to revive Marcus Trescothick. Meanwhile India has not included Dravid, Tendulkar and Ganguly. Apparently because the three believe it’s a youngster’s game, and requested to be exempt from the taxes of Twenty20.
On the face of it, Twenty20 appears a lot less taxing than a one-day international or a five-day test match. For one, it’s shorter by a mile – 40 overs versus 100 overs verus 450 overs. Also, innings are time bound and must be completed in an hour and a half. Compare that to ODIs that drag with the whims of fielding captains, and can stretch up to 8 hours. Flip side is on a dismissal the next batsman has to gallop to the wicket within seconds, or else he will be given out – but that’s a small price for playing party cricket!
If anything, Twenty20 appears geared to some of the older players who still have the big shots in them. And with many teams playing up to 40 ODIs a year, slam-bang cricket is second nature to most players. Given the money to be earned, only an Englishman (like Harmison) will hang his boots from one-day or Twenty20 cricket. But then, only an Englishman will step out in the blazing afternoon Delhi heat.
As it is, there are too many unanswered questions with the voluntary exclusion of the three senior players. And unlike Brian Lara’s hurried retirement, there are not too many clues as to the future intent of these players – for, in Lara’s case one knew he wanted to tour England for the test series, but after the West Indian-World Cup debacle, he was forced to retire from all forms of cricket. In this case however, we are left to our own conclusions. By the way, Brian Lara is now hinting at a comeback.
Back in India though, the World Cup is far from forgotten. And from Icons to Incas – the threat of extinction is too real for India’s senior players. Can these players risk another early World Cup exit – that too barely four months after the first one? And no matter how many runs are scored against Bangladesh, Ireland, South Africa, England or even Down Under, the equity of these players has dramatically dropped. And don’t they know it?
Put on the telly, how many ads of our heroes? Talk about cricket, if you can muster the courage, any takers? If any, chances are they will be baiters. And they love to drill it in – that the Big Three are done and dusted. This anyway, is the common voice of India, and not necessarily an oracle on what lies ahead. It’s a selfish sentiment that lacks empathy with the vagaries of life and sport. But it isn’t completely dishonest.
Over the last few seasons, Rahul Dravid has been striking closer to a run-a-ball - that from a strike rate of a shade under 70. At times playing lower down the order, Dravid has looked more than accomplished at upping the rate. It started with a surprise, going down the wicket six of Alan Donald, and since then, Dravid has shifted gears.
Dravid’s decision to opt out seems to be weighed with the expectations of the tough season ahead – a test and triangular ODI series in Australia, one where India will be up against the top bowlers in the world. For someone of Dravid’s temperament, the Twenty20 World Cup would have been a needless distraction, what with stern critics waiting to wield sharp pens back home. In better times though, it would have been a good break from the rigours of competitive cricket.
In Dravid’s absence though, India will miss a player who can bide his time if wickets fall in a heap – though a team being bowled out in 20 overs seems absurd, stranger stuff is known to happen in cricket. And what with inexperienced batsman on bouncy wickets, without a mentor at the other end – will the big three make a return to Twenty20 like they did to one-day cricket after the unimpressive show in Bangladesh?
Saurav Ganguly's game isn’t too dissimilar from what it was before – only one-day cricket isn’t what it used to be. Dada takes his time initially and then looks to step it up. His game seems out of place in the new format - as up the order, there are no slow bowlers for the slaughter. But Dhoni and Sehwag aside, he's the biggest bully of slow bowlers in the team. And slow bowlers have to bowl somewhere – unless you are South Africa and play only quicks.
As for Sachin Tendulkar, after his recent high scores versus South Africa, his was the surprise exclusion. Which brings to play the nature of the collective decision – three seniors, supposedly in two camps – how did they finally see eye-to eye? And that too on the hyper-sensitive issue of not playing in a World Cup – that too a novel concept waiting to be cashed in by the world’s advertisers.
Has reality finally hit home? Have India’s three senior most players finally seen the virtues of mortality? And in doing so, will they ensure their immortality?
List of 30 probables:
Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, Mohammad Kaif, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Sreesanth, Manoj Tiwary, Ajit Agarkar, Karan Goel, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Ishant Sharma, Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rajesh Pawar, Piyush Chawla, Harbhajan Singh, Joginder Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir, Munaf Patel, Niranjan Behara, Praveen Kumar, Anirudha Srikkanth, Ramesh Powar, Robin Uthappa, Niraj Patel
What made the Big Three sit out of the Twenty20 World Cup - the threat of extinction or a future vision?
Most Cricket Boards have announced their probables for the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa. It’s fascinating how all these initial lists comprise 30 players that will be later squeezed down to nearly half. So, a la “Indian Idol” all 30 will have a shot in the dark at fame.
But why 30, when finally only about 15 players will have a serious shot at making the final eleven? And what, if anything, can the hopefuls achieve in a month that will undermine the reputations of years of international cricket? But who are we fooling, for once India’s team selection is wide open – specially after three reputations chose to sit it out.
Interestingly, in most teams there is no dearth of senior pros. Pakistan has short-listed the two Ys, Yohanna and Younis. But then, had the two Ws been around, they could have made it too. Sri Lanka has Sanath Jayasuriya - who is possibly the best-suited Sri Lankan batsman for this form of frenzy. And much to everyone’s surprise, England hopes to revive Marcus Trescothick. Meanwhile India has not included Dravid, Tendulkar and Ganguly. Apparently because the three believe it’s a youngster’s game, and requested to be exempt from the taxes of Twenty20.
On the face of it, Twenty20 appears a lot less taxing than a one-day international or a five-day test match. For one, it’s shorter by a mile – 40 overs versus 100 overs verus 450 overs. Also, innings are time bound and must be completed in an hour and a half. Compare that to ODIs that drag with the whims of fielding captains, and can stretch up to 8 hours. Flip side is on a dismissal the next batsman has to gallop to the wicket within seconds, or else he will be given out – but that’s a small price for playing party cricket!
If anything, Twenty20 appears geared to some of the older players who still have the big shots in them. And with many teams playing up to 40 ODIs a year, slam-bang cricket is second nature to most players. Given the money to be earned, only an Englishman (like Harmison) will hang his boots from one-day or Twenty20 cricket. But then, only an Englishman will step out in the blazing afternoon Delhi heat.
As it is, there are too many unanswered questions with the voluntary exclusion of the three senior players. And unlike Brian Lara’s hurried retirement, there are not too many clues as to the future intent of these players – for, in Lara’s case one knew he wanted to tour England for the test series, but after the West Indian-World Cup debacle, he was forced to retire from all forms of cricket. In this case however, we are left to our own conclusions. By the way, Brian Lara is now hinting at a comeback.
Back in India though, the World Cup is far from forgotten. And from Icons to Incas – the threat of extinction is too real for India’s senior players. Can these players risk another early World Cup exit – that too barely four months after the first one? And no matter how many runs are scored against Bangladesh, Ireland, South Africa, England or even Down Under, the equity of these players has dramatically dropped. And don’t they know it?
Put on the telly, how many ads of our heroes? Talk about cricket, if you can muster the courage, any takers? If any, chances are they will be baiters. And they love to drill it in – that the Big Three are done and dusted. This anyway, is the common voice of India, and not necessarily an oracle on what lies ahead. It’s a selfish sentiment that lacks empathy with the vagaries of life and sport. But it isn’t completely dishonest.
Over the last few seasons, Rahul Dravid has been striking closer to a run-a-ball - that from a strike rate of a shade under 70. At times playing lower down the order, Dravid has looked more than accomplished at upping the rate. It started with a surprise, going down the wicket six of Alan Donald, and since then, Dravid has shifted gears.
Dravid’s decision to opt out seems to be weighed with the expectations of the tough season ahead – a test and triangular ODI series in Australia, one where India will be up against the top bowlers in the world. For someone of Dravid’s temperament, the Twenty20 World Cup would have been a needless distraction, what with stern critics waiting to wield sharp pens back home. In better times though, it would have been a good break from the rigours of competitive cricket.
In Dravid’s absence though, India will miss a player who can bide his time if wickets fall in a heap – though a team being bowled out in 20 overs seems absurd, stranger stuff is known to happen in cricket. And what with inexperienced batsman on bouncy wickets, without a mentor at the other end – will the big three make a return to Twenty20 like they did to one-day cricket after the unimpressive show in Bangladesh?
Saurav Ganguly's game isn’t too dissimilar from what it was before – only one-day cricket isn’t what it used to be. Dada takes his time initially and then looks to step it up. His game seems out of place in the new format - as up the order, there are no slow bowlers for the slaughter. But Dhoni and Sehwag aside, he's the biggest bully of slow bowlers in the team. And slow bowlers have to bowl somewhere – unless you are South Africa and play only quicks.
As for Sachin Tendulkar, after his recent high scores versus South Africa, his was the surprise exclusion. Which brings to play the nature of the collective decision – three seniors, supposedly in two camps – how did they finally see eye-to eye? And that too on the hyper-sensitive issue of not playing in a World Cup – that too a novel concept waiting to be cashed in by the world’s advertisers.
Has reality finally hit home? Have India’s three senior most players finally seen the virtues of mortality? And in doing so, will they ensure their immortality?
List of 30 probables:
Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, Mohammad Kaif, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Sreesanth, Manoj Tiwary, Ajit Agarkar, Karan Goel, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Ishant Sharma, Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rajesh Pawar, Piyush Chawla, Harbhajan Singh, Joginder Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir, Munaf Patel, Niranjan Behara, Praveen Kumar, Anirudha Srikkanth, Ramesh Powar, Robin Uthappa, Niraj Patel
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