When Eoin Morgan went wonky with his reverse sweeps, Paul Collingwood got all giggly ‘n’ girlie. It was funny alright. I have never seen Collingwood look amused. That he doesn’t have a sense of humour is obvious. But in spite of that he can giggle. For me that was the high point of the game.
Morgan has this effect on people. Though I wasn’t sitting in a dugout, I did look sideways, and smile. I am convinced, one day, soon, Morgan will manipulate the rules, uproot a stump and hit the ball for six. He will start a new cult, and though it should be called Nagrom Nioe (Eoin Morgan spelt in reverse), he won’t have it any other way – that Modi guy, he’ll uproot the idea and call it something far more accessible – Second-Base Ball. The commentators will crack jokes on the lines of, hey, are you on second base, already? Ready to play ball? But that is Modi’s mantra, and not Morgan’s.
Coming back to Morgan, Colly, and how good it looked at 191. This is why they should have stump mikes in the dugout, so we could have heard Colly get all smug.
And then capture the scene after Duckworth-Lewis pissed on their parade. It would’ve made excellent cinema, the classic before-after ad. Colly glad man, Colly mad man.
Look at the bright side, thanks to the damn D/L method, at least we have something to talk about in this highly intellectual ICC World Twenty20. Can’t they have a rule where the players wear specks and look all geeky – that way we’ll know it’s serious sport.
As for D/L, you guys actually get paid for this?
* If you’re wondering why the headline’s in a foreign language, don’t – it’s just that D/L method
On Bored: Duckworth Lewis + The Mahi-meter
Showing posts with label T20 World Cup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label T20 World Cup. Show all posts
May 04, 2010
June 21, 2009
HARDCORE
It's been a while since I read SledgeHammer's post, 'Redemption and Defiance' at Bored Cricket Crazy Indians, and if you haven't already, go get it. A life comes with it. And you realise, yet again, there is something about cricket, and India and Pakistan and Sri Lanka and the times we live in. And I don't know what it is. And that's what makes it. Some feelings are just not worth spelling out.
June 17, 2009
Bastard son of the sport
There’s silence enough for you to spare a thought
To think about why you didn’t give it all you got
That and this and why some stuff happens
Why you stop playing the game
Why you stop living the game
Why you stop
Now the kits are packed
And only a stray bat lies on the side
And it belongs to a guy you never played
Who flew all the way, but you never played
Once upon a time, it was about signs
And not even you knew what would be next
That was the instinct to win
That was the instinct to win
It just crept up on you
And you got the credit
You was gifted
Like some son of the sport
Like some son of the sport
But you never knew how it came
Came to you in a flash
You were honest to the Gods
You were honest to the Gods
Your ads were funny
Your hair was cool
You were on a motorcycle
And you went back in school
But it all changes fast
Like Cat Stevens to Yusuf Islam
People find a new belief
You are no longer the chosen one
You are no longer the chosen one
Your ads are not that funny
You sell too much airtime
You hair is short
You’re on a motorcycle
But you’ve taken us for a ride
How did it go away
Go away in a flash
You're not that gifted anymore
You’re like some bastard son of the sport
You’re like some bastard son of the sport
To think about why you didn’t give it all you got
That and this and why some stuff happens
Why you stop playing the game
Why you stop living the game
Why you stop
Now the kits are packed
And only a stray bat lies on the side
And it belongs to a guy you never played
Who flew all the way, but you never played
Once upon a time, it was about signs
And not even you knew what would be next
That was the instinct to win
That was the instinct to win
It just crept up on you
And you got the credit
You was gifted
Like some son of the sport
Like some son of the sport
But you never knew how it came
Came to you in a flash
You were honest to the Gods
You were honest to the Gods
Your ads were funny
Your hair was cool
You were on a motorcycle
And you went back in school
But it all changes fast
Like Cat Stevens to Yusuf Islam
People find a new belief
You are no longer the chosen one
You are no longer the chosen one
Your ads are not that funny
You sell too much airtime
You hair is short
You’re on a motorcycle
But you’ve taken us for a ride
How did it go away
Go away in a flash
You're not that gifted anymore
You’re like some bastard son of the sport
You’re like some bastard son of the sport
June 16, 2009
Look at the bright side, boys
In spite of being Englanded, India hasn’t done half as bad as you think. For matters as trivial as these here’s a quick check-list
1) India will play only two less games than the Champions, and one less than the semi-finalists
2) By losing in the Super-8s, you, an irrational fan do not suffer the heartache of losing in the semis or the finals
3) Finally Kirsten and his wards earn that much needed rest after the IPL
4) As MS Dhoni said, it’s not as bad as the 2007 World Cup defeat or something to that effect
5) Gives India enough time to plot its revenge on the West Indies, that too, in the Windies
6) This revenge will be sweeter, they are one-dayers – so for every win we will inflict more than twice the pain – 50 overs X 2 as opposed to the pain of a 20 overs X 2 defeat
7) Sachin Tendulkar will be back for mid-wicket discussions, and at times, even mid-pitch discussions. If India needs a player to deliver, Sachin can play mid-wife
8) Didn’t you hear me, Sachin Tendulkar will be back, what else do you want, moron?
9) And yes, India play for pride against South Africa
10) India in such do-or-don’t-do games remind you of how good they really are, and you will forget just how bad they are in do-or-die games.
11) They did win 2007, and you are more than 2 years’ old, you have a memory of that match, right – we did beat Pakistan then, right?
12) We beat Pakistan in the mother and father of all warm-up matches. Frankly nothing matches up after that
13) India extracted revenge, first for itself, then for Pakitsan, by beating both Bangladesh and Ireland in one single swoop. Appears they beat Holland, Surinam and other minnows too, but they had to disappear
Now you can say Bye Bye to India here!
1) India will play only two less games than the Champions, and one less than the semi-finalists
2) By losing in the Super-8s, you, an irrational fan do not suffer the heartache of losing in the semis or the finals
3) Finally Kirsten and his wards earn that much needed rest after the IPL
4) As MS Dhoni said, it’s not as bad as the 2007 World Cup defeat or something to that effect
5) Gives India enough time to plot its revenge on the West Indies, that too, in the Windies
6) This revenge will be sweeter, they are one-dayers – so for every win we will inflict more than twice the pain – 50 overs X 2 as opposed to the pain of a 20 overs X 2 defeat
7) Sachin Tendulkar will be back for mid-wicket discussions, and at times, even mid-pitch discussions. If India needs a player to deliver, Sachin can play mid-wife
8) Didn’t you hear me, Sachin Tendulkar will be back, what else do you want, moron?
9) And yes, India play for pride against South Africa
10) India in such do-or-don’t-do games remind you of how good they really are, and you will forget just how bad they are in do-or-die games.
11) They did win 2007, and you are more than 2 years’ old, you have a memory of that match, right – we did beat Pakistan then, right?
12) We beat Pakistan in the mother and father of all warm-up matches. Frankly nothing matches up after that
13) India extracted revenge, first for itself, then for Pakitsan, by beating both Bangladesh and Ireland in one single swoop. Appears they beat Holland, Surinam and other minnows too, but they had to disappear
Now you can say Bye Bye to India here!
June 15, 2009
Men in Blue Chip
What Do You Get From Investing In Indian Cricket?
Laughing Stock Options.
Enjoy the Bye Bye T20 WC series at Bored Cricket Crazy Indians. Because it's worth it.
Laughing Stock Options.
Enjoy the Bye Bye T20 WC series at Bored Cricket Crazy Indians. Because it's worth it.
Headless, headless, headless.
This was a poor game for India. Not because they lost, but because they refused to win. From MSD’s wait until dark captaincy, to the exclusion of Ojha, and not least, expecting new kid, Ravindra Jadeja to win the game. While the Gods of Indian cricket, MSD and Yuvraj waited to score the winning runs. If twenty overs is too much time to play, how will the super stars pass their time in a one-dayer or for that matter, those stinking test matches?
India lost the game many times over, here’s how
1. Drop your main striker Ojha against a team that needs a spin doctor
2. Retain Ishant Sharma, who brings with him KKR’s losing ways
3. Exclude one of your few thinking bowlers, Praveen Kumar
4. Underbowl your best bowler RP Singh (3-0-13-1)
5. Underbowl your bowling captain Zaheer Khan (3-0-26-1)
6. Underbowl Yusuf Pathan (0-0-0-0) Move away from the only attacking move you’ve learnt in a long time, MSD, and not bring on spin in the power play overs. Did Warne advise you against it? Did KP tell Warne to
7. Overbowl Ishant Sharma (4-0-36-0)
8. Overbowl Yuvraj Singh (2-0-20-0)
9. Send Jadeja in at 4 – MSD, it was your call, don’t pass the buck with "too many wickets fell.." Finally, India lost 5 to England's 7
10. Scrambled eggs for thinking tank
11. England bowled short
12. India waited too long
(The Neil Young song, Helpless ringing in my ear, but it sounds like Headless)
Enjoy the Bye Bye T20WC series at Bored Cricket Crazy Indians!
India lost the game many times over, here’s how
1. Drop your main striker Ojha against a team that needs a spin doctor
2. Retain Ishant Sharma, who brings with him KKR’s losing ways
3. Exclude one of your few thinking bowlers, Praveen Kumar
4. Underbowl your best bowler RP Singh (3-0-13-1)
5. Underbowl your bowling captain Zaheer Khan (3-0-26-1)
6. Underbowl Yusuf Pathan (0-0-0-0) Move away from the only attacking move you’ve learnt in a long time, MSD, and not bring on spin in the power play overs. Did Warne advise you against it? Did KP tell Warne to
7. Overbowl Ishant Sharma (4-0-36-0)
8. Overbowl Yuvraj Singh (2-0-20-0)
9. Send Jadeja in at 4 – MSD, it was your call, don’t pass the buck with "too many wickets fell.." Finally, India lost 5 to England's 7
10. Scrambled eggs for thinking tank
11. England bowled short
12. India waited too long
(The Neil Young song, Helpless ringing in my ear, but it sounds like Headless)
Enjoy the Bye Bye T20WC series at Bored Cricket Crazy Indians!
June 13, 2009
Who do you play for Dwayne Bravo
Were you handpicked by Sachin Tendulkar’s eye
To play for the Mumbai Indians, sigh!
Were you handpicked by Brian Lara’s eye
To play for the West Indies, sigh!
There are no heroes, there are no heroes left
Where you come from, where you come from, bereft
You can either be in or you can be out
But you know kid, what it is
What it is to hit inside out
Who do you play for
Who do you play for Dwayne Bravo
Do you play for yourself
Do you play for victory
Do you play for yourself
Do you play for the zone
The highlight zone
It’ll take more than a Twenty20 innings
To gather enough drive for long term winnings
You guys, you don’t matter,
Not as a cricketing nation
Not even as a half way filling station
Who do you play for
Trinidad or Tobago?
Who do you play for
Mumbai or the Indians?
Who do you play for?
West or the Indies?
Who do you play for
The ball or the bat
Who do you play for
Dwayne Bravo
Also read What were you thinking Bravo?
To play for the Mumbai Indians, sigh!
Were you handpicked by Brian Lara’s eye
To play for the West Indies, sigh!
There are no heroes, there are no heroes left
Where you come from, where you come from, bereft
You can either be in or you can be out
But you know kid, what it is
What it is to hit inside out
Who do you play for
Who do you play for Dwayne Bravo
Do you play for yourself
Do you play for victory
Do you play for yourself
Do you play for the zone
The highlight zone
It’ll take more than a Twenty20 innings
To gather enough drive for long term winnings
You guys, you don’t matter,
Not as a cricketing nation
Not even as a half way filling station
Who do you play for
Trinidad or Tobago?
Who do you play for
Mumbai or the Indians?
Who do you play for?
West or the Indies?
Who do you play for
The ball or the bat
Who do you play for
Dwayne Bravo
Also read What were you thinking Bravo?
June 12, 2009
June 03, 2009
A bored outlook of the Indo-Pak match
There’s a strong chance that neither team will turn up for the match. That is, they will in the flesh, but the spirit may not be willing. Even if that were to happen, we’ll be there. Here.
And say, if only one of the two teams turn up, and say it isn’t India, we’ll still be there. Here.
And what if both teams turn up, but you don’t, we’ll still be there.
Go India! And Pak, think you can turn up for a change?
And if India were to lose, just remember, it's just a warm-up game.
And if Pak loses, just remember, there is no such thing as a warm-up game, not between India and Pakistan.
It's just blow hot, blow cold.
And say, if only one of the two teams turn up, and say it isn’t India, we’ll still be there. Here.
And what if both teams turn up, but you don’t, we’ll still be there.
Go India! And Pak, think you can turn up for a change?
And if India were to lose, just remember, it's just a warm-up game.
And if Pak loses, just remember, there is no such thing as a warm-up game, not between India and Pakistan.
It's just blow hot, blow cold.
June 01, 2009
A bit of Deccan in Australia's charge
It's only a T20 warmup, and it's only Bangladesh they're playing, but what use are calls if they're not made early.
March 17, 2008
Mad Angles.
Mad Angles.
Appeared in the Hindustan Times on 25th March, 2008
Whilst shaving sharply, Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street, can appear within: look your mirror-eye in the eye, slide that razor down in a single clean swoop, and you can be Sweeneyed too. It’s that look: Take no prisoners. Give no quarter. Whatever will be, will be…
The demon barber, often no different from the unrepentant twenty20 bully – be he from the ICL, IPL, English leagues or from 20,000 leagues under the sea. A Killer Whale of a time anyone?
They are at heart all the same: heartless. They will plunder bowlers as if they were wealthy Indian provinces from the medieval ages. Paradoxically, a T20 player’s innings is fleeting, almost butterfly-like, but far from pretty.
Most shots are on, barring the scoop over short fine leg. That comes with a lifetime of Misbah-ul-Haq’s baggage. But lighten up, it’s T20 - anything goes, and everything has to go. Even Misbah says so, for he’s had other baggage these days, from not being picked first shot at the T20 auctions to that “look, I can ballet” run-out versus India in a test. $125,000 later, is Misbah happy? Or do MBAs have their own twenty20 standards?
But what about cricket’s brand names: too standard? Why twenty20? Why not Six and out? Or Kamikaze. Or even Quickie. Take test cricket. Ok, don’t. Consider one-day cricket. Better than Fifty50? However, T20 sure has a ring to it - almost like T2 –terminator II, the avenging angel.
A vendetta ridden warrior prince, is that the prerequisite for a past master T20 player? Yuvraj Singh hurled Chris Broad abroad for 6X6, after Mascarenhas took him for 5X6. Result: Even better than any 4X4.
Yuvraj is by far, the world’s premier T20 player today. He’s also a very emotionally charged battery. A Duracel bunny, if you please–best left unplugged. Last thing the opposition needs is to get under his collar. Leave that to the lasses. In his neck of the woods, men are Mafiosi movie stars: with v for vendetta vitriol in their veins. They ride Bullets. Mess with them and you mess with the family.
But does every player need a little tickle that fires the imagination – and then backfires, smack into the tickler’s face? Try calling Sachin, elephant - in the wild or in a room. He’ll go smash two ODI finals into oblivion. More than twice the wash-load of a T20 game but very much the desired impact: Dho dala, or taken to the cleaners. A provocation has the desired effect in any language. So, don’t mind your language.
And still they’re talking about putting a lid on sledging, on the field, in the press. What will cricket’s song be- “when the saints go marching in” Err? Not quite human, is it?
In a way, T20 cricket has masala, solid Indian spice to it. Came from England, but so did chicken tikka masala - and you know what inspired that. T20 too, is inspired by the Indian landscape, of Bollywood’s tried, tested, and often testing revenge and relief theme. Yet it works. And almost always plays to packed houses spilleth over. Took Gavaskar to say that, “Hindi films are made by asses for masses”
T20, bees saal baad (20 years too late?), but in time to sign up at R.K. Studios. Another Karz? Om Shanti Om? It’s the remix. DJ is in the dugout. Item girls in the open.
Now, if T20 can somehow capture the energy of an edgy test, then we’re on to something. And though there are just too many nationalities adrift in both the Indian leagues – you’d be mistaken to think, it’s the United Nations; hope they don’t get as diplomatic.
Instead, get in the face, in the farce. Think WWF, hopefully without “the con of man”. Think “The Da Vinci Code” sans the Latin. Think that in spite of critical reviews, hits happen.
E&OE
November 03, 2007
Six and in.
Appeared in the Hindustan Times on 12th November, 2007.
My six-year old friend, Vasudev has taken to cricket. Not in an air-fairy way, but in a possessed by the will of the cricket Gods kinda way. He was not always like this. Earlier, cricket was faddy, almost like something he took to perforce, because among the birthday gifts came a bat and a ball. And like the bicycle, scooter and drums, the seasons changed and so did his curious little interests.
Meanwhile, on my jaunts to his room, I used to request him for the cricket channel. He would almost always comply, but somewhat grudgingly shift from POGO. I would invariably feel the guilt of denying Vasu his daily dose of toons and make a hasty retreat, handing him the baton, the remote control.
Still I felt there was a hidden, almost waiting to be tapped love for the game. On the few occasions that we knocked around in the basement, and the street, he showed enough guile to take the ball on the half volley and smash it past my whirling waiting hands. Yeah, that’s the way you do it. Smash. Boom. Bang. Take no prisoners, kid.
When he was just a kid, (and that is a very small ballpark in kid years nowadays), little man Vasu floored me with his wide, unconventional batsman’s stance. Also did I mention, he was that rare breed – a Left Handed Batsman. Just like his grandpa, who had long given up on cricket’s avarice. However, when I did mention Vasu’s Gangulyesque style, he repeated, not for the first time, that he too was a Left Handed Batsman, and a wicketkeeper too. But that was it. Anyway, that was possibly the longest cricket chat we’d had in a while.
Next came the summer holidays, and Vasu was flung into a cricket camp. And I thought only Sehwag was batty enough to play through the Delhi summer. Evidently not. Yet the fervour was missing – possibly in both Sehwag and Vasu. Summer camp didn’t quite take off. And it looked as if Vasu’s waning interest in the great game was just another fling. You know how kids love to fling things around?
But then came the Twenty20. From no hopers and non-watchers, an entire nation embraced this new idiosyncratic form of cricket. I was glad to observe that Vasu and grandpa were both showing signs of growing up too – they were the new converts, diligently watching matches, lock stock and two smoking barrels.
And by the time India had smoked both Australia and Pakistan out, and won the T20 World Cup, both Vasu and his grandpa were yapping more cricket than me. Almost like Mr. Manmohan Singh reciting more poetry than Vajpayeeji. Hoola! Alaap?
The times are a changing. Vasu now fixates on even re-runs of antiquated games. We sit and watch no-brainers like India Blue vs. India Red. We chat up on Uthappa, MSD, Yuvi and Irfan. I sense the pulse and impatience of young Indian fans. If a savvy six year old city kid (already a captive market for advertisers) has forgotten about Sachin and Saurav, what will happen in a few years? How many heroes can the Indian cricket assembly line produce? Boy, it’s going to be tough capturing the ever-changing imagination.
Meanwhile, a minor setback. Vasu has not made his cricket team – he informs me cheerfully, as if he’s on the T20 victory parade to Wankhede. At first I don’t get it. Shouldn’t he be upset? And then I think about Uthappa and Gambhir – who in spite of their setbacks have only came back stronger. I smile. And ask him my pet cricket question, “ Who is your favourite cricketer today, Vachi?” Won’t you just love to know what he says?
Also in the same series: Cricket Santa!
My six-year old friend, Vasudev has taken to cricket. Not in an air-fairy way, but in a possessed by the will of the cricket Gods kinda way. He was not always like this. Earlier, cricket was faddy, almost like something he took to perforce, because among the birthday gifts came a bat and a ball. And like the bicycle, scooter and drums, the seasons changed and so did his curious little interests.
Meanwhile, on my jaunts to his room, I used to request him for the cricket channel. He would almost always comply, but somewhat grudgingly shift from POGO. I would invariably feel the guilt of denying Vasu his daily dose of toons and make a hasty retreat, handing him the baton, the remote control.
Still I felt there was a hidden, almost waiting to be tapped love for the game. On the few occasions that we knocked around in the basement, and the street, he showed enough guile to take the ball on the half volley and smash it past my whirling waiting hands. Yeah, that’s the way you do it. Smash. Boom. Bang. Take no prisoners, kid.
When he was just a kid, (and that is a very small ballpark in kid years nowadays), little man Vasu floored me with his wide, unconventional batsman’s stance. Also did I mention, he was that rare breed – a Left Handed Batsman. Just like his grandpa, who had long given up on cricket’s avarice. However, when I did mention Vasu’s Gangulyesque style, he repeated, not for the first time, that he too was a Left Handed Batsman, and a wicketkeeper too. But that was it. Anyway, that was possibly the longest cricket chat we’d had in a while.
Next came the summer holidays, and Vasu was flung into a cricket camp. And I thought only Sehwag was batty enough to play through the Delhi summer. Evidently not. Yet the fervour was missing – possibly in both Sehwag and Vasu. Summer camp didn’t quite take off. And it looked as if Vasu’s waning interest in the great game was just another fling. You know how kids love to fling things around?
But then came the Twenty20. From no hopers and non-watchers, an entire nation embraced this new idiosyncratic form of cricket. I was glad to observe that Vasu and grandpa were both showing signs of growing up too – they were the new converts, diligently watching matches, lock stock and two smoking barrels.
And by the time India had smoked both Australia and Pakistan out, and won the T20 World Cup, both Vasu and his grandpa were yapping more cricket than me. Almost like Mr. Manmohan Singh reciting more poetry than Vajpayeeji. Hoola! Alaap?
The times are a changing. Vasu now fixates on even re-runs of antiquated games. We sit and watch no-brainers like India Blue vs. India Red. We chat up on Uthappa, MSD, Yuvi and Irfan. I sense the pulse and impatience of young Indian fans. If a savvy six year old city kid (already a captive market for advertisers) has forgotten about Sachin and Saurav, what will happen in a few years? How many heroes can the Indian cricket assembly line produce? Boy, it’s going to be tough capturing the ever-changing imagination.
Meanwhile, a minor setback. Vasu has not made his cricket team – he informs me cheerfully, as if he’s on the T20 victory parade to Wankhede. At first I don’t get it. Shouldn’t he be upset? And then I think about Uthappa and Gambhir – who in spite of their setbacks have only came back stronger. I smile. And ask him my pet cricket question, “ Who is your favourite cricketer today, Vachi?” Won’t you just love to know what he says?
Also in the same series: Cricket Santa!
September 29, 2007
What the flux!
By Gaurav Sethi
Contrary to what everyone and their cricket punditjee may say, Indian cricket is in a heightened state of flux. And regardless of the India-Australia series’ result, flux is here to stay. It started unassumingly with senior players dropping out of the T20 tournament - gained momentum with each subsequent win - and became super-flux with the T20 championship victory.
Flux in Indian cricket is not a bad thing by any means. But it happened, as often does here, by default - with Rahul Dravid’s announcement that he, Tendulkar and Ganguly will not play in the Twenty20 World Cup. One thing led to another, and before we knew, flux had taken over the reigns of Indian cricket. And this is how it unfolded:
1) No captain, M.S. Dhoni takes over.
2) No deputy, Yuvraj Singh takes over.
3) No openers - Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag take over.
4) No Sehwag in finals - debutant Yusuf Pathan takes over.
5) No Gambhir at no.3 - Robin Uthappa takes over.
6) No Ramesh Powar - Harbhajan Singh takes over
7) No Zaheer Khan as spearhead - RP Singh and Irfan Pathan take over
8) No Yuvraj – Rohit Sharma takes over
9) No Ajit Agarkar – Sree Santh and Joginder Sharma take over.
10) No M.S. Dhoni as wicket keeper – Dinesh Karthik takes over
11) No lucky mascot – Piyush Chawla takes over
By the end of the tournament, nobody in the Indian team was indispensable. When did that last happen? For years, Tendulkar’s dismissal made fans dismiss their T.V. sets. Then, when Tendulkar’s star was on the wane, Sehwag was the chosen one. And after Sehwag, Dhoni now threatens to become the man upstairs. Meanwhile, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Saurav Ganguly worked their wonders behind the scenes.
The difference between the first and second lot is overall impact in all forms of cricket along with public and media perception: Tendulkar and Sehwag were impact players in both tests and one-dayers – also, they were perceived as big match winners in both forms. While Dravid’s and VVS Laxman’s impact in test cricket was unquestionable, their reputations as one-day players was never in the same hallowed ballpark. And while Ganguly was a top ODI player, his success in tests wasn’t quite the same. But these lacks were nearly compensated by his captaincy.
Today, M.S. Dhoni is young in both test and ODI years. Yet he threatens to reach cricket’s Everest, where Tendulkar and Sehwag once camped, almost unaccompanied. Two crucial test innings in England plus many more in ODIs and T20 plus a short albeit highly regarded stint as captain. However M.S.D. will do well to take a leaf out of Ganguly’s career book - as they say, the same thing that makes you live can kill you in the end.
Meanwhile, Yuvraj nearly usurped Dhoni’s exalted position in the T20 World Cup. But as in the case of Dravid, Laxman, Ganguly, this was only one form of the game – and though Yuvraj gets top billing in T20 and ODIs, he is no cowboy in test cricket.
Ever wonder, why no one speaks of Michael Bevan and Mark Waugh in the same breath? While the short ball kept Bevan out of the longer version, Yuvraj needs to exorcise his spin demons. No accident that the Paki spinners bowled during Yuvraj’s T20 innings in the final.
Even though it is premature to gauge many of the T20 players just yet, by creating a larger pool of 33 players across 4 grades, there will clearly be no one Team India. Especially with the bizarre cricket calendar - an ODI vs. Australia just four days after a World Cup final – two days after returning home - with one day for pre-match conditioning; it’s now realistic to have two-three different teams.
While this could mean the end of the demigod cricketer, it might well ensure that players do not break down mid tournament or in between a series – or an ill-timed T20 World Cup doesn’t short circuit key test players. What if Australia was here for a test series (instead of the seven ODIs) with both Ponting and Hussey injured? If anything, players will have to be smarter about when they play and when they abstain.
Recently, when Sachin Tendulkar cramped in an ODI, barely half way through the innings, it was a strong pointer that enough is enough. According to Tendulkar then, two days recovery time between games wasn’t nearly enough. Even though Sachin spoke of himself and his adding cricket years, even a teenager will burn out at this frantic pace. In cricket, nobody is eighteen till they die. Not when the itineraries are on cocaine.
The India-Australia series has the same punishing schedule as the ODI games in England (with barely two days break between games), yet hopefully, better sense will prevail now. So if in one game Ganguly-Tendulkar open, in the next, Gambhir-Uthappa can kick off. This same logic could have Zaheer Khan make way for Sree Santh and Powar for Harbhajan.
As it was in the T20 World Cup, another player can always take over. Worst case, you lose without a key player. But then, you can also lose with that key player. And it’s better to lose the odd game, then a key player to the odd injury.
The key is not to panic when India loses with new blood. Better to write it off as an investment in future successes. Better to embrace flux today, rather than badly injure Indian cricket tomorrow.
By Gaurav Sethi
Contrary to what everyone and their cricket punditjee may say, Indian cricket is in a heightened state of flux. And regardless of the India-Australia series’ result, flux is here to stay. It started unassumingly with senior players dropping out of the T20 tournament - gained momentum with each subsequent win - and became super-flux with the T20 championship victory.
Flux in Indian cricket is not a bad thing by any means. But it happened, as often does here, by default - with Rahul Dravid’s announcement that he, Tendulkar and Ganguly will not play in the Twenty20 World Cup. One thing led to another, and before we knew, flux had taken over the reigns of Indian cricket. And this is how it unfolded:
1) No captain, M.S. Dhoni takes over.
2) No deputy, Yuvraj Singh takes over.
3) No openers - Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag take over.
4) No Sehwag in finals - debutant Yusuf Pathan takes over.
5) No Gambhir at no.3 - Robin Uthappa takes over.
6) No Ramesh Powar - Harbhajan Singh takes over
7) No Zaheer Khan as spearhead - RP Singh and Irfan Pathan take over
8) No Yuvraj – Rohit Sharma takes over
9) No Ajit Agarkar – Sree Santh and Joginder Sharma take over.
10) No M.S. Dhoni as wicket keeper – Dinesh Karthik takes over
11) No lucky mascot – Piyush Chawla takes over
By the end of the tournament, nobody in the Indian team was indispensable. When did that last happen? For years, Tendulkar’s dismissal made fans dismiss their T.V. sets. Then, when Tendulkar’s star was on the wane, Sehwag was the chosen one. And after Sehwag, Dhoni now threatens to become the man upstairs. Meanwhile, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Saurav Ganguly worked their wonders behind the scenes.
The difference between the first and second lot is overall impact in all forms of cricket along with public and media perception: Tendulkar and Sehwag were impact players in both tests and one-dayers – also, they were perceived as big match winners in both forms. While Dravid’s and VVS Laxman’s impact in test cricket was unquestionable, their reputations as one-day players was never in the same hallowed ballpark. And while Ganguly was a top ODI player, his success in tests wasn’t quite the same. But these lacks were nearly compensated by his captaincy.
Today, M.S. Dhoni is young in both test and ODI years. Yet he threatens to reach cricket’s Everest, where Tendulkar and Sehwag once camped, almost unaccompanied. Two crucial test innings in England plus many more in ODIs and T20 plus a short albeit highly regarded stint as captain. However M.S.D. will do well to take a leaf out of Ganguly’s career book - as they say, the same thing that makes you live can kill you in the end.
Meanwhile, Yuvraj nearly usurped Dhoni’s exalted position in the T20 World Cup. But as in the case of Dravid, Laxman, Ganguly, this was only one form of the game – and though Yuvraj gets top billing in T20 and ODIs, he is no cowboy in test cricket.
Ever wonder, why no one speaks of Michael Bevan and Mark Waugh in the same breath? While the short ball kept Bevan out of the longer version, Yuvraj needs to exorcise his spin demons. No accident that the Paki spinners bowled during Yuvraj’s T20 innings in the final.
Even though it is premature to gauge many of the T20 players just yet, by creating a larger pool of 33 players across 4 grades, there will clearly be no one Team India. Especially with the bizarre cricket calendar - an ODI vs. Australia just four days after a World Cup final – two days after returning home - with one day for pre-match conditioning; it’s now realistic to have two-three different teams.
While this could mean the end of the demigod cricketer, it might well ensure that players do not break down mid tournament or in between a series – or an ill-timed T20 World Cup doesn’t short circuit key test players. What if Australia was here for a test series (instead of the seven ODIs) with both Ponting and Hussey injured? If anything, players will have to be smarter about when they play and when they abstain.
Recently, when Sachin Tendulkar cramped in an ODI, barely half way through the innings, it was a strong pointer that enough is enough. According to Tendulkar then, two days recovery time between games wasn’t nearly enough. Even though Sachin spoke of himself and his adding cricket years, even a teenager will burn out at this frantic pace. In cricket, nobody is eighteen till they die. Not when the itineraries are on cocaine.
The India-Australia series has the same punishing schedule as the ODI games in England (with barely two days break between games), yet hopefully, better sense will prevail now. So if in one game Ganguly-Tendulkar open, in the next, Gambhir-Uthappa can kick off. This same logic could have Zaheer Khan make way for Sree Santh and Powar for Harbhajan.
As it was in the T20 World Cup, another player can always take over. Worst case, you lose without a key player. But then, you can also lose with that key player. And it’s better to lose the odd game, then a key player to the odd injury.
The key is not to panic when India loses with new blood. Better to write it off as an investment in future successes. Better to embrace flux today, rather than badly injure Indian cricket tomorrow.
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