Is watching India play akin to self-flagellation?
Crazy, but nowadays your misery isn’t related to the result alone. Regardless of whether India wins or loses, as long as they turn up, watching them is punishing beyond words, especially in one-day cricket.
For a while now, it’s been too easy to sink your canines into Indian cricket. Point is, you don’t have to. Indian cricket is bleeding badly, and there’s no clot in sight.
India has just gone down 3-1 in the ODI series. But that’s not a cardinal sin. Nor will losing the series 4-3, 5-2 or even 6-1. Why not 7-0 is beyond me, but that equation no longer exists.
With Indian cricket today, the result is inconsequential. To be honest, there should only be one result in one-dayers: defeat. That would only quicken any “process” that can emerge from these failures. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, a much-scorned phrase - a Greg Chappellism to boot; but “The Process” is pulp in Indian cricket. Worse still, it’s been pulp for ages, and India has been winning in spite of that.
Now, India may still pull off an unlikely 4-3 series win over England. For, often when Indian cricket touches rock bottom, it bounces back unexpectedly. India threatened to do so at Old Trafford after a second spineless defeat. Though they scored a measly 212, they had England reeling at 114 for 7. And then true to type, the two babes of English cricket added nearly 100 for the 8th wicket.
But all this pales in comparison to India in the field. In a familiar parody of earlier games, Indian fielders evaded the cricket ball and vice versa. Look, the ball’s gone through him, past him, over him, under him - basically, the ball was beyond him. And he was beyond any kind of effort. If he tried, it might hurt. And he may break. Professional sport can be so tiring sometimes.
The Indian fielders had maxed out. They had nothing more to give. It was incredible that they were standing, bowling; even the occasional clap of hands would have been a strain.
Had it been a very long English summer? Was the ODI series a thankless load after a hard-fought test series win? Does India need specific players for each form of the game?
Taking a look at team compositions, India’s included six new players for the one-day series ( Powar, Chawla, Agarkar, Gambhir, Yuvraj and Munaf Patel.), and England’s fielded five new players (Flintoff, Broad, Bhopara, Mascharenis and Owais Shah). While the English are electric, some of India’s young bunch looks weary, almost on their last legs.
Interestingly, except for Dravid, Tendulkar and Ganguly, most Indian players are sill in their 20s; and the average age of the Indian and English one-day teams is nearly the same. Which pretty much quashes the new-blood for old-legs argument. If anything, the new lot is just as impotent on the field.
These days, the popular refrain on commentary is that India concedes 20-30 runs in the field, and England saves that many. The mind’s numbed by these constant reminders but there is no escaping them. They continue to haunt you - 20-30 runs, 20-30 runs…
So, when you watch India play this season, it’ll be a remote in one hand, a prayer wheel in the other. And that Allman Brother’s song on your lips – “Sometimes I feel, like I been tied to the whipping post”
Whipping Post
By Allman Brother's Band
I been run down, I been lied to,I don't know why I let that mean woman make me a fool.She took all my money, wrecked my new car.Now she's with one of my goodtime buddies,They're drinkin' in some crosstown bar.Sometimes I feel, sometimes I feel,Like I been tied to the whipping post,Tied to the whipping post,Tied to the whipping post,Good lord, I feel like I'm dyin'.My friends tell me, that I've been such a fool,And I have to stand by and take it baby, all for lovin' you.Drown myself in sorrow, and I look at what you've done.But nothin' seems to change, the bad times and the shame,And I can't run.Sometimes I feel, sometimes I feel,Like I been tied to the whipping postTied to the whipping post,Tied to the whipping post,Good lord, I feel like I'm dyin'.Sometimes I feel, sometimes I feel,Like I been tied to the whipping postTied to the whipping post,Tied to the whipping post,Good lord, I feel like I'm dyin'.
August 31, 2007
August 22, 2007
7 One-Days or 7 Wonders?
Even though one-day cricket is a different kettle of fish, lessons can be learnt from India’s recent test series win. None more important than making the English-weather work for you, as in the rain-saved Lord’s test match. The weather is still dodgy, obvious from the washed-out England Lions’ game. And though it’s late August, the weather can still be like early April sometimes.
India must factor in the rains, possibility of truncated matches, Duckworth Lewis, and then arrive at team selection and toss decisions. The Fab Four may not play the Twenty20 World Cup, but who knows what this series will fling at them.
Another lesson from the tests is how Kevin Pietersen can change a game in less than a session or the blink of an eye (whichever is shorter). Of course, when KP bats nobody blinks. With two smashing test hundreds, KP not only set-up the series for England, he counter-attacked when they were down and out. India must realise that for England to win big, KP has to fire. Team India must decode the KP enigma – and have at least 3-4 plans in place for him. For that’s where the game could be won or lost – more so in ODIs than in the test matches.
Both Bell and Collingwood wangled some batting form by their final Oval test innings. India cannot ignore their impact for long, especially the new Captain Collingwood. England will be bolstered by the inclusion of Andrew Flintoff, ODI specialists Ravi Bopara and Owais Shah. Flintoff’s batting form’s been on the wane, but he is an impact player who can win matches single-handedly, with either bat, ball or just by twiddling his thumbs on the field. In a way, he’s like Tendulkar -they both look great on a cricket field, often inspiring others to play out of their skins.
Seeing it’s a seven match series, India will have to use its resources shrewdly – and play the best team according to the conditions, and not because of reputations or rotational policy. Only once the series is secured, can India think of a liberal rotational policy.
If there are seaming, overcast conditions, should India play a specialist spinner at all? Will India dare to leave out both Piyush Chawla and Ramesh Powar? In a recent ODI v/s South Africa in Belfast’s seaming conditions, Chawla’s services were grossly underutilized. But then, the same Chawla rarely goes wicketless. However, if India plays four specialist seamers, there’s always Yuvraj and Tendulkar for the slower stuff; plus Ganguly who can swing it 1920s style in seaming conditions.
On the contrary, if it’s a bright, sunny, un-English day with a belter of a pitch to boot, will India play its best four bowlers – and if that means playing both Powar and Chawla, so be it. As it’s a long series spread across nearly three weeks, resources will have to be used wisely.
India will have to be perceptive about the opening partnership – Ganguly-Tendulkar may have huge reputations as one-day openers, but what good are Gambhir and Uthappa at No. 3? Especially as both players are more at-home opening. Will either Ganguly or Tendulkar agree to play lower down the order, so one of the young guns can open? By the way, Dinesh Karthik has also come off as an opener, albeit in tests.
It will be vital to balance the surfeit of right-handed batsmen (Tendulkar, Dravid, Karthik, Dhoni, Uthappa) with the left-handers (Ganguly, Yuvraj, Gambhir). In fact, the batting card must ensure righthand-lefthand partnerships run through the innings. Recently lefthanders Ganguly, Yuvraj and even Irfan Pathan have been silky smooth, while the righthanders have scrapped away. Also, when zeroing in on the seamers, can India overlook Munaf Patel’s lacks in the field? More importantly, is the big fellah fully fit?
Leaving the tests behind, we now move on to the board exams - because nothing makes or breaks cricket-careers like one-day cricket; at least in India. Credence to this is how the famous 2002 Natwest Trophy triumph kept Yuvraj’s and Kaif’s reputations as big match finishers afloat for years. And how the World Cup debacles dented reputations made over decades. This series will be no different. If the one-day series is won, the test victory will pale in comparison. And the seven one-dayers will transform into India’s seven wonders.
Even though one-day cricket is a different kettle of fish, lessons can be learnt from India’s recent test series win. None more important than making the English-weather work for you, as in the rain-saved Lord’s test match. The weather is still dodgy, obvious from the washed-out England Lions’ game. And though it’s late August, the weather can still be like early April sometimes.
India must factor in the rains, possibility of truncated matches, Duckworth Lewis, and then arrive at team selection and toss decisions. The Fab Four may not play the Twenty20 World Cup, but who knows what this series will fling at them.
Another lesson from the tests is how Kevin Pietersen can change a game in less than a session or the blink of an eye (whichever is shorter). Of course, when KP bats nobody blinks. With two smashing test hundreds, KP not only set-up the series for England, he counter-attacked when they were down and out. India must realise that for England to win big, KP has to fire. Team India must decode the KP enigma – and have at least 3-4 plans in place for him. For that’s where the game could be won or lost – more so in ODIs than in the test matches.
Both Bell and Collingwood wangled some batting form by their final Oval test innings. India cannot ignore their impact for long, especially the new Captain Collingwood. England will be bolstered by the inclusion of Andrew Flintoff, ODI specialists Ravi Bopara and Owais Shah. Flintoff’s batting form’s been on the wane, but he is an impact player who can win matches single-handedly, with either bat, ball or just by twiddling his thumbs on the field. In a way, he’s like Tendulkar -they both look great on a cricket field, often inspiring others to play out of their skins.
Seeing it’s a seven match series, India will have to use its resources shrewdly – and play the best team according to the conditions, and not because of reputations or rotational policy. Only once the series is secured, can India think of a liberal rotational policy.
If there are seaming, overcast conditions, should India play a specialist spinner at all? Will India dare to leave out both Piyush Chawla and Ramesh Powar? In a recent ODI v/s South Africa in Belfast’s seaming conditions, Chawla’s services were grossly underutilized. But then, the same Chawla rarely goes wicketless. However, if India plays four specialist seamers, there’s always Yuvraj and Tendulkar for the slower stuff; plus Ganguly who can swing it 1920s style in seaming conditions.
On the contrary, if it’s a bright, sunny, un-English day with a belter of a pitch to boot, will India play its best four bowlers – and if that means playing both Powar and Chawla, so be it. As it’s a long series spread across nearly three weeks, resources will have to be used wisely.
India will have to be perceptive about the opening partnership – Ganguly-Tendulkar may have huge reputations as one-day openers, but what good are Gambhir and Uthappa at No. 3? Especially as both players are more at-home opening. Will either Ganguly or Tendulkar agree to play lower down the order, so one of the young guns can open? By the way, Dinesh Karthik has also come off as an opener, albeit in tests.
It will be vital to balance the surfeit of right-handed batsmen (Tendulkar, Dravid, Karthik, Dhoni, Uthappa) with the left-handers (Ganguly, Yuvraj, Gambhir). In fact, the batting card must ensure righthand-lefthand partnerships run through the innings. Recently lefthanders Ganguly, Yuvraj and even Irfan Pathan have been silky smooth, while the righthanders have scrapped away. Also, when zeroing in on the seamers, can India overlook Munaf Patel’s lacks in the field? More importantly, is the big fellah fully fit?
Leaving the tests behind, we now move on to the board exams - because nothing makes or breaks cricket-careers like one-day cricket; at least in India. Credence to this is how the famous 2002 Natwest Trophy triumph kept Yuvraj’s and Kaif’s reputations as big match finishers afloat for years. And how the World Cup debacles dented reputations made over decades. This series will be no different. If the one-day series is won, the test victory will pale in comparison. And the seven one-dayers will transform into India’s seven wonders.
August 06, 2007
Plan A, B & C for the Oval
Appeared in The Hindustan Times on 8th August, 2007.
What India must do to win the test series in England?
Plan A
Throughout the Oval test, India must play for a win and at no point give England the impression that they are content with a draw. That is bound to backfire.
Indian batsmen must play their “new” natural game without being over-attacking. At Trent Bridge, in spite of India’s modest run-rates (compared to England) and restrained top order, the final result was a win. There is no need to change tactics now. Continue to make the English come at you, rather than the other way round. This is in-sync with India’s new thinking which appears to be “Win Ugly rather than Lose Pretty”. So, even if you miss out on some flashy Tendulkar trademarks and VVS specials, there are always the Sports’ archives.
Do not target Kevin Pietersen with banter - he is at his most vicious then. It’s common knowledge that KP is his own worst enemy and often self-destructs. Stick to a conservative plan - do not set over-attacking fields, nor get too defensive too early. But always have a few players in the midfield for that mistimed heave. Sree Santh should stay out of KP’s way; it can cost India dearly.
Target Michael Vaughan. After KP, the English captain is the team’s strongest link. Looking back at the Trent Bridge test, Vaughan was even more stirred after Sree Santh’s beamer to Pietersen. With his reputation of not losing a home-series under siege, Vaughan does not appear his usual cool self. Someone should get under the English skipper’s skin – it may not be a bad idea to have Zaheer Khan or one of the youngsters assigned this job.
Target Monty Panesar. After the new ball, Monty is England’s biggest weapon. Though Tendulkar and co came down the track at Trent Bridge, at no point did they hit him out of the attack. If Panesar is ripped into, Vaughan will be forced to over-bowl the three seamers or even bowl part-timers Collingwood and himself. That’s when it can all go terribly awry for Vaughan. Also, India could even promote Dhoni to target Panesar. The game can be won and lost depending on how the Indians handle Panesar.
Do not ignore strategy on key players like Collingwood, Strauss, Cook, Bell or even Prior. Even though these players haven’t had a remarkable series yet, they are capable of big scores, and have done so in the past. Collingwood’s stature in English cricket is on the rise – a street fighter to the core, he can counter attack, and win a match on his own. Be it with bat, ball or in the field with that match defining catch. India should be weary of him. He has an intensity that makes him ideal for pressure cooker situations. He is also England’s new ODI captain, and could be the next test captain. After KP and Vaughan, he is the wall to breach.
Lastly, India must have a Plan B. And that doesn’t mean Brad Pitt’s film production company.
Plan B
If Kevin Pietesen gets away, India should not hesitate to pull off a Naseer Hussain or Ashley Giles on him – that is, have Anil Kumble or another part-time spinner bowl a negative leg stump line to him. The English have in the past tried it with a more prolific Tendulkar. It often frustrates attacking players and causes them to alter their game. It is no use attacking KP for long periods, watching him zip from 50 to 100 to his favourite score of 158. The Aussies will vouch for that.
Dravid should be alive to key periods in the game – when the balance is shifting towards England. That’s the time for him to refrain from overzealous 7-2 fields and realize that Zaks is no Pigeon. Or for that matter, Jumbo is no Warnie.
Also, India must have a Plan C.
Plan C
On the fifth day, if it appears England is closing in on a win, India must not hesitate to do all it can to secure a draw. And if that means playing downright dirty, so be it. It’s worth remembering, the Australians did not become the world’s best test team by playing pretty.
What India must do to win the test series in England?
Plan A
Throughout the Oval test, India must play for a win and at no point give England the impression that they are content with a draw. That is bound to backfire.
Indian batsmen must play their “new” natural game without being over-attacking. At Trent Bridge, in spite of India’s modest run-rates (compared to England) and restrained top order, the final result was a win. There is no need to change tactics now. Continue to make the English come at you, rather than the other way round. This is in-sync with India’s new thinking which appears to be “Win Ugly rather than Lose Pretty”. So, even if you miss out on some flashy Tendulkar trademarks and VVS specials, there are always the Sports’ archives.
Do not target Kevin Pietersen with banter - he is at his most vicious then. It’s common knowledge that KP is his own worst enemy and often self-destructs. Stick to a conservative plan - do not set over-attacking fields, nor get too defensive too early. But always have a few players in the midfield for that mistimed heave. Sree Santh should stay out of KP’s way; it can cost India dearly.
Target Michael Vaughan. After KP, the English captain is the team’s strongest link. Looking back at the Trent Bridge test, Vaughan was even more stirred after Sree Santh’s beamer to Pietersen. With his reputation of not losing a home-series under siege, Vaughan does not appear his usual cool self. Someone should get under the English skipper’s skin – it may not be a bad idea to have Zaheer Khan or one of the youngsters assigned this job.
Target Monty Panesar. After the new ball, Monty is England’s biggest weapon. Though Tendulkar and co came down the track at Trent Bridge, at no point did they hit him out of the attack. If Panesar is ripped into, Vaughan will be forced to over-bowl the three seamers or even bowl part-timers Collingwood and himself. That’s when it can all go terribly awry for Vaughan. Also, India could even promote Dhoni to target Panesar. The game can be won and lost depending on how the Indians handle Panesar.
Do not ignore strategy on key players like Collingwood, Strauss, Cook, Bell or even Prior. Even though these players haven’t had a remarkable series yet, they are capable of big scores, and have done so in the past. Collingwood’s stature in English cricket is on the rise – a street fighter to the core, he can counter attack, and win a match on his own. Be it with bat, ball or in the field with that match defining catch. India should be weary of him. He has an intensity that makes him ideal for pressure cooker situations. He is also England’s new ODI captain, and could be the next test captain. After KP and Vaughan, he is the wall to breach.
Lastly, India must have a Plan B. And that doesn’t mean Brad Pitt’s film production company.
Plan B
If Kevin Pietesen gets away, India should not hesitate to pull off a Naseer Hussain or Ashley Giles on him – that is, have Anil Kumble or another part-time spinner bowl a negative leg stump line to him. The English have in the past tried it with a more prolific Tendulkar. It often frustrates attacking players and causes them to alter their game. It is no use attacking KP for long periods, watching him zip from 50 to 100 to his favourite score of 158. The Aussies will vouch for that.
Dravid should be alive to key periods in the game – when the balance is shifting towards England. That’s the time for him to refrain from overzealous 7-2 fields and realize that Zaks is no Pigeon. Or for that matter, Jumbo is no Warnie.
Also, India must have a Plan C.
Plan C
On the fifth day, if it appears England is closing in on a win, India must not hesitate to do all it can to secure a draw. And if that means playing downright dirty, so be it. It’s worth remembering, the Australians did not become the world’s best test team by playing pretty.
August 01, 2007
Ugly Winners or Pretty Losers?
The high point of the second test at Trent Bridge was not when India consummated victory on the fifth morning. It was when they wooed her after tea on the fourth. The second new ball had just been taken. Zaheer Khan struck twice within two balls; first centurion Vaughan and then Bell for a blob. The match was won. At least it felt like that.
But this was not the first flash of victory. That was when R.P. Singh mesmerized Kevin Pietersen with a ripping in-swinger – a la Sandhu’s ball that flummoxed Greenidge in the 1983 Prudential World Cup.
It was even sweeter as it came after Michael Vaughan first lost it. Sreesanth had just bowled a beamer that nearly cleaned Pietresen up. However, this enraged Vaughan more than the flattened K.P. In spite of Sreesanth’s prompt apology, the English captain rambled on unabated. Something had to give – and it took two balls to get England’s premier batsman out twice. The second time KP nearly walked. A few hours later, India was on the brink of their first victory at Trent Bridge.
However, from England’s approach on the fifth morning, it was obvious that they were out to score some points, if not a win. The intent was to not allow India a huge margin of victory – like an outright ten wicket win. That anyway, is only reserved for the Aussies.
Also, something of England’s attitude reeked of the Aussie way of playing no-nonsense cricket. In the process, England scalped India’s openers and highest scorer of the first innings. And though India’s seven-wicket win is laudable, the last half hour took some of the sheen of it. It wasn’t as if India’s batsmen had walked all over England – on the contrary, the 15 extras made the win less tedious. That India got the winning runs via four byes summed up proceedings.
So, proceeding to the last test at the Oval, who has the upper hand? And had you asked this same question after the drawn Lord’s test what would have been the answer? In this often too-tight-to-call series, talk of upper hands amounts to nothing. Who would have expected India to draw the first test? And after that close shave, who would have predicted an Indian win at Trent Bridge?
So, to say that India has the upper hand for the last test is pointless. It’s worth taking stock - India won this test in spite of Kumble and Sreesanth. Kumble may have cleaned the tail twice, but he was mostly wayward. As for Sreesanth, it appeared, he was there for comic relief.
India won the match due to Zaheer Khan’s relentless spells and the opening partnership between two unsung heroes, Wasim Jaffer and Dinesh Karthik. After which India’s much touted middle order came to the party.
Still, at no point did India’s batting completely dominate – they laboured on, scoring at barely 3 runs per over in both innings, while England scored at 3.41 in the second innings – that without Kevin Pietersen coming for second helpings.
Guess that’s the deal with “winning ugly” – it’s not about how you get there, as long as you get there in the end. It’s not about how many flowing cover drives or cracking pulls you play – it could be a prod here, a prod there. Finally, that all adds up to 481. And a winning lead of 283.
But this was not the first flash of victory. That was when R.P. Singh mesmerized Kevin Pietersen with a ripping in-swinger – a la Sandhu’s ball that flummoxed Greenidge in the 1983 Prudential World Cup.
It was even sweeter as it came after Michael Vaughan first lost it. Sreesanth had just bowled a beamer that nearly cleaned Pietresen up. However, this enraged Vaughan more than the flattened K.P. In spite of Sreesanth’s prompt apology, the English captain rambled on unabated. Something had to give – and it took two balls to get England’s premier batsman out twice. The second time KP nearly walked. A few hours later, India was on the brink of their first victory at Trent Bridge.
However, from England’s approach on the fifth morning, it was obvious that they were out to score some points, if not a win. The intent was to not allow India a huge margin of victory – like an outright ten wicket win. That anyway, is only reserved for the Aussies.
Also, something of England’s attitude reeked of the Aussie way of playing no-nonsense cricket. In the process, England scalped India’s openers and highest scorer of the first innings. And though India’s seven-wicket win is laudable, the last half hour took some of the sheen of it. It wasn’t as if India’s batsmen had walked all over England – on the contrary, the 15 extras made the win less tedious. That India got the winning runs via four byes summed up proceedings.
So, proceeding to the last test at the Oval, who has the upper hand? And had you asked this same question after the drawn Lord’s test what would have been the answer? In this often too-tight-to-call series, talk of upper hands amounts to nothing. Who would have expected India to draw the first test? And after that close shave, who would have predicted an Indian win at Trent Bridge?
So, to say that India has the upper hand for the last test is pointless. It’s worth taking stock - India won this test in spite of Kumble and Sreesanth. Kumble may have cleaned the tail twice, but he was mostly wayward. As for Sreesanth, it appeared, he was there for comic relief.
India won the match due to Zaheer Khan’s relentless spells and the opening partnership between two unsung heroes, Wasim Jaffer and Dinesh Karthik. After which India’s much touted middle order came to the party.
Still, at no point did India’s batting completely dominate – they laboured on, scoring at barely 3 runs per over in both innings, while England scored at 3.41 in the second innings – that without Kevin Pietersen coming for second helpings.
Guess that’s the deal with “winning ugly” – it’s not about how you get there, as long as you get there in the end. It’s not about how many flowing cover drives or cracking pulls you play – it could be a prod here, a prod there. Finally, that all adds up to 481. And a winning lead of 283.
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