Preview: India look to end the series with pride against Pakistan

Battered and bruised by yet another series defeat, India's struggling cricketers will seek to restore some pride when they go into the third and final one-dayer against arch-rivals Pakistan at Delhi on Sunday with the future of some of the under-performing stars at stake.
The collective failure of the top order batsmen even in home conditions has hurt the team badly in recent times and the hosts will need a huge spark of inspiration to prevent the spirited Pakistanis from achieving a 3-0 clean sweep.
Clearly, the pressure will be on the Indians who have been plagued by an inexplicable form slump of their star batsmen while the limited and inexperienced bowling resources have compounded the misery for the hosts who have now sunk to a new low with the recent debacles.
With the series already out of their grasp, the Indians may experiment by giving a chance to some of their bench players but whether they can change the team's sliding fortunes remains to be seen in a day-night game which will start at noon to neutralise the dew factor.
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, in good form with the bat, has been at a loss to explain the repeated failures and there have been suggestions that he should promote himself up the order considering the poor form of the top half.
The hosts lost the first game in Chennai by six wickets and the second in Kolkata by 85 runs to give their arch foes their first series win on Indian soil since 2004-05.
Unless the Indians put up a far better display, the Ferozeshah Kotla could be a witness another drubbing for Dhoni and his struggling men.
Ajinkya Rahane, who has surprisingly not played a single match despite his decent showing in the two T20 games prior to the ODI series, is almost certain to feature in the playing eleven tomorrow.

The two experienced openers -- Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir -- have invariably failed to give a good start and that has hurt the team badly. The Indians may contemplate benching either Sehwag or Gambhir and let Rahane open the innings.
The form of Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina has been patchy and none of them have shown consistency nor have they shouldered the responsibility.
In the absence of retired greats like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, the experienced players in the team have not shown the willingness to take the batting load.
Dhoni has acknowledged time and again that the batting has let the team down.
"Everybody knows it's disappointing. When you are going through transition, you want your senior players to perform and groom the juniors. Once two-three wickets start falling, you need someone to soak up the pressure and consolidate the innings", Dhoni said.
"But again our batting was disappointing. It's important to have wickets in hand in the end. If you have wickets in hand, it's possible to score 80-odd runs in the last 10 overs," Dhoni said.
India's bowling also does not have the bite to pose much problems for the strong Pakistani batting line-up which has been well-served by left-handed opener Nasir Jamshed who has cracked back-to-back centuries.
The trio of Ishant Sharma, Ashok Dinda and Bhuvneshwar Kumar neither have the pace nor the consistency to evoke any confidence while spinners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have also not been in the of best form.

The absence of a genuine all-rounder in the team has hurt the Indians, particularly with the new rules coming into play.
The new fielding rules, which allow only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle, have made it difficult for Dhoni to use his part-timers like Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina for their full quota of 10 overs.
That has really handicapped the Indians who have always preferred an additional batsman with the part-timers filling up the fifth bowler's slot.
The home team may toy with the idea of giving a chance to rookie paceman Mohammad Shami Ahmed and leg spinner Amit Mishra, both of whom have warmed the benches in the first two games.
While India's cup of woes has been brimming, it is a totally different story for the Pakistanis who have found everything going in their favour.
The batting has clicked with Jamshed in stunning form while the experienced Mohammad Hafeez and Younis Khan have also chipped in with useful contributions.
But it is their bowling which has really made the difference, particularly the potent pace trio of Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan and Umar Gul.
Junaid has shown an exceptional ability to swing the ball and used the damp conditions in Chennai to devastating effect by ripping through India's top order.
Junaid was impressive in Kolkata also where he got reverse swing going and the jittery Indians must find a way to tackle him.
Irfan, the towering 7 feet one inch speedster, has also proved to be quite a handful for the Indians, getting the ball to bounce disconcertingly while Gul has also been impressive.

In the spin department, Saeed Ajmal can prove to be a wily customer while Hafeez and Shoaib Malik are good at doing the containing job.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq could not have asked for a better show from his teammates who have outplayed the Indians in every department of the game.
"Indian batsmen are struggling for quite a long time. But I think our bowlers exploited the conditions better. Normally we get flat pitches here in India. But both the pitches -- in Chennai and Kolkata -- were challenging for batsmen," he said.
Misbah is now looking for a clean sweep and it should not be difficult.
The toss may play a big role given the dew factor and the chilly winter conditions. The team which wins the toss, may opt to bowl first as dew may hamper spinners later.
Though the match has been rendered inconsequential, a full house is expected at the Ferozeshah Kotla with tickets being sold out for the Sunday showdown.
Teams:
India: Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (c&wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ashok Dinda, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma.
Pakistan: Nasir Jamshed, Younis Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq (c), Kamran Akmal (wk), Azhar Ali, Shoaib Malik, Junaid Khan, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan
Time: 12:00 local time (12:00 IST)

-M R Mishra

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Sourav Ganguly as Team India's coach - the pros and cons

When Zimbabwean-born Duncan Fletcher was appointed as the coach of Team India on April 27, 2011, on a two-year contract, he had a reputation to live up to. In his eight-year stint as the coach of England team, Fletcher had helped the team scale quite a few peaks. From 1999 to 2007, under Fletcher’s able guidance, the English team achieved series wins away from home in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the West Indies, and South Africa. The English team also recorded, during this period, eight consecutive wins —  three of them coming against New Zealand, four against the West Indies, and one against South Africa. Fletcher’s crowning glory as the coach, however, was the 2005 Ashes win when England beat Australia 2-1 in the five-match Test series to lift the Ashes after an 18-year wait — an achievement that brought Fletcher an Order of the British Empire (OBE) and a speedy review and approval of his application for British citizenship by the British Home Secretary.

Besides Fletcher’s impressive work as the coach of England team, what may have helped him clinch the Team India contract was the outgoing coach Gary Kirsten’s word in Fletcher’s favour. When Kirsten ended his four-year stint as the coach of Team India, he was leaving behind a team that was in a better shape than it had been when he inherited it. Though India won, during Kirsten’s tenure, a home series against Australia, away series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand (which came after 40 years), and above all the 2011 World Cup, besides achieving No 1 ranking in Tests and No 2 in ODIs, Kirsten’s contribution as coach should not be measured just in terms of percentage of wins and losses. Kirsten was credited with moulding the team into a fighting unit and establishing camaraderie in the team, besides helping the Indian cricketers improve their technique and overall performance. A happy MS Dhoni would go on record then to tell that Kirsten was “the best thing to happen to Indian cricket.”

To cut a long story short, when Fletcher assumed charge as the coach of Team India, all that he had to do was to live up to his reputation as the successful coach of England and build on the good work that his predecessor Kirsten had done with Team India — an ideal setting for an ideal coach. But that was not to be.

Now, more than a year and a half into his tenure as coach of India, Fletcher does not have much to show in terms of achievements. Under his stewardship, India has till now played 20 Tests, won six, lost 10, and drawn four. Of the 37 ODIs and 17 T20s that the team played during the corresponding period, it won 21 and nine respectively. However, more than the results, it is the dismal state of affairs in the team during Fletcher’s tenure that has brought him much opprobrium. Fletcher is seen as too old (64 years) to inspire confidence and as lacking the confidence and goodwill enjoyed by Kirsten and John Wright before him.

To be fair to Fletcher, coaching Team India is not a cinch. The sheer load of the expectations and the diverse pressure would weigh down even the best in the business. Given the average Indian cricket fans’ predisposition to expect instant results and penchant for idolising players, and the Indian cricket board’s avariciousness and tendency to play to the gallery, a coach has to perform a trapeze act while taking enough care not to step on the over-sized toes. That the batting mainstays of India, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, retired during Fletcher’s tenure leaving a void in the batting lineup has not helped Fletcher’s case either.

However, the BCCI is not going to take such a pragmatic view of things when Fletcher’s contract comes up for renewal in about three months from now. In all likelihood, Fletcher will be made the scapegoat and shown the door, and when that happens, not many will shed tears for a coach who lay low in a high-profile job.

Fletcher’s potential successor

That brings us to the question as to who should be appointed as the next coach of Team India. Already names are being bandied about, the prominent one being that of a former India captain — Sourav Ganguly.

Ganguly was easily one of the most successful and respected cricket captains of India. He was made captain when Indian cricket had hit the rock bottom mired in match-fixing scandals, and he justified the faith that the board and the selectors had reposed in him. Ganguly’s reputation as a go-getter, his in-your-face aggression, and his ability to recognise and nurture talent and get the best out of his players easily make him best suited for the role of Team India coach.

While the man in question Ganguly himself was evasive in his reply to the question whether he wants to be made the coach (“I wouldn’t say that I would not want to coach the Indian team, but currently, I haven’t given it much thought. Also, I don’t believe in thinking too far ahead. Taking things as it comes is how I like to live my life. You never know what lies in store in the future, so why think so much?”), the fact remains that Ganguly is someone who relishes challenges and would not be averse to the idea of taking on the mantle.

However, even if Ganguly throws his hat in the ring, it is anybody’s guess whether the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) mandarins would be enthusiastic about the idea. While Ganguly as coach can certainly help Team India rediscover its form with his no-nonsense approach, what may go against him is his past reputation for speaking his mind. If anything, Ganguly’s penchant for confrontations, his eagerness to wear his aggression on his sleeves, and his competitiveness that borders on brinkmanship might not make him BCCI’s natural choice for the position of team coach.
(Venkatesan Iyengar was a speedster who could swing the ball both ways. He captained his school team at the zonal and district levels. His boyhood dream was to open the bowling for Team India in the august company of his idol Kapil Dev. Even today the sight of Kapil makes him nostalgic)

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India vs Pakistan 2012-13: Pakistan humiliate India by 85 runs to seal series

An insipid India slumped to yet another series defeat with a pathetic display as arch-rivals Pakistan thrashed the hosts by 85 runs in the second cricket one-day match to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series on Thursday.
Riding on opener Nasir Jamshed's second consecutive century, Pakistan posted 250 all out and then shot out the Indians for a paltry 165 to record a convincing victory with two overs to spare at the Eden Gardens in the east Indian city Kolkata.
It was yet another woeful display by the famed Indian batting line-up, which has been struggling for sometime now and has been largely responsible for the team's forgettable results in recent times.
The huge defeat to the arch-rivals will now raise questions on the future of some of India's under-performing batting stars, who have let the team down more often than not.
Jamshed (106) notched up his third ODI century, all three coming against India, but Pakistan suffered a dramatic collapse after being at a healthy 141 for no loss at the mid-way stage. Mohammed Hafeez was the other contributor with a rollicking 76 off 74 balls.
The floodgates opened up after the dismissal of Hafeez as none of the other batsmen could hang around for long on a slow Eden Garden track, which made stroke-making difficult after the ball became older.
The Indians needed a good start from their struggling openers -- Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag -- but it did not materialise yet again, putting pressure on the jittery middle-order.
Sehwag (31), Gambhir (11), Virat Kohli (6), Yuvraj Singh (9) and Suresh Raina (18) perished in quick succession to give the visitors the upper hand in what eventually turned out to be a lop-sided contest.
Skipper Dhoni, who scored a heroic unbeaten 113 in the first ODI in Chennai, again provided some resistance with a cautious and unbeaten 54 but wickets kept tumbling at the other end to nullify his efforts.
The series defeat against Pakistan marks another low for the struggling team which suffered an embarrassing Test series debacle against England at home and levelled a T20 series 1-1.
This defeat has also rendered the third and final ODI to be held at Ferozshah Kotla stadium in Delhi on Sunday inconsequential.
Brief Scores: Pakistan 250 all-out in 48.3 overs (Nasir Jamshed 103, Mohammad Hafeez 76; Ravindra Jadeja 3 for 41, Ishant Sharma 3 for 34) bt India 165 all-out in 48 overs (MS Dhoni 54* Virender Sehwag 31, Saeed Ajmal 3 for 20, Junaid Khan 3 for 39, Umar Gul 2 for 24) by 85 runs.
Man of the Match: Nasir Jamshed

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Steely Dhoni Proves His Mettle

Even though the last three of India’s T20s went down to the wire and landed in almost last-ball defeats for India, Sunday’s defeat in the first One-Day International (ODI) against Pakistan will not hurt the Indian fan that much. There was dignity in that defeat, inspite of an inexplicable top-order collapse.

All this because of a monstrous effort from captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was ably supported by Suresh Raina and Ravichandran Ashwin in the batting and later by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma and Ashok Dinda in the bowling. The determination and application that Dhoni and Raina showed when India was reeling at 29 for five after 10 overs and the intensity with which Dhoni crafted his entire innings made him the deserved Man of the Match, in spite of being on the losing side and Nasir Jamshed getting a century.  This is one award that Dhoni is going to cherish for a long time, simply because it brought the best out of him when he was under seige.

Conditions were not ideal for Dhoni when he arrived at the crease. Overcast conditions, a green pitch, moisture and the Indian batting’s poor technique had opened the floodgates for an inexperienced opening combo of Junaid Khan and Mohammad Irfan (who have played a combined 15 ODIs). They were hitting the timber as regularly as Pakistan is churning out fast bowlers. So, Dhoni had to stabilise the ship at first, take singles rather than counter attack. He scored his first 50 off 86 balls with just two hits to the fence – a very cautious approach indeed.

Humid conditions got the better of Dhoni physically and he was fighting cramps by taking lots of fluids and a breaks. Rarely does one see Dhoni gasping for breath and missing runs. However, Dhoni was mentally strong as steel. He was conserving his energy for the big shots. He knew he had to give his weak bowling attack a fighting total and boy did he show his class. Helicopter shots and brute power amidst sapping energy, a treat to watch; the next 63 came off just 39 balls.

Dhoni’s innings reminded one of a Spartan warrior. In 480 BC, 300 Spartans warriors fought the invading Persian Army led by King Xerxes in the Battle of Thermopylae. Vastly outnumbered, these Spartans, held back the enemy in one of the most famous last stands of history. Eventually all the 300 Spartans died fighting 100,000 strong army, but they held fort for three whole days. History only remembers the spirit and the tenacity of these 300 Spartans led by King Leonidas. Dhoni’s effort will be remembered likewise.

After such an intenese effort, one doesn’t feel bad when the team ends up on the losing side. There is a winner in every loser, for it is in losing that one learns to win. When intent is weak, we are always in our comfort zones. But when intent is strong we create an unbelievable mechanism. The intent and intensity of Dhoni was unmistakably very strong.

After the World Cup win, the Indian team has shown weak intent and little intensity, barring one or two players. How often has the opening pair of Sehwag and Gambhir walked the talk? How many chances does Rohit Sharma need to prove his outrageous talent? How long are the selectors going to confine deserving talent to the benches? Where is the new bowling talent - pace or spin? If bowling is the weak link, why do they still persist with seven batsmen? How often has the bowling been exposed? In fact, it suddenly seems almost impossible to win bowling second.

These are questions that the selectors will have to answer. You can’t blame the captain. A captain is only as good as his team. The pressure must be on the selectors. Spending sleepless nights finding the right answers, travelling far and wide all over the country searching for talent in a country that eats, sleeps and breathes cricket,taking bold steps and decisions, making current performance and not past records as the selection criteria,making players earn their spot in the team not take it for granted – that is their job.
You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality. We are already experiencing the consequences. If Indian cricket prospers, the Indian economy is on a high — it’s proven.

The Indian cricket fan is not going to sit quiet now. The Indian revolution has started whether - it’s Anna Hazare’s fight againt corruption or the Delhi gangrape victim’s lesson for safety of women. It’s time for Indian cricket to revolt as well, because it really hurts the fans to see India lose and lose without a fight. The media and the internet have been the biggest allies in this fight for right, so let’s take advantage of it.

The future depends on what we do today. With the dawn of 2013, let us Indian fans make the selectors accountable in 2013 and make some of the above-mentioned questions answerable. It’s only for the betterment of Indian cricket.

(Rajesh K Shah, an entrepreneur and a passionate marathoner, hails from a distinguished family of musicians; he is the son of Kalyanji of Kalyanji-Anandji fame. Cricket has been his abiding other passion since childhood)

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CRICKET - THINGS YOU CAN LEARN FROM THIS GAME

I am crazy about cricket just like any other cricket follower. In India Cricket is more than a sport and
Sachin, another name of God.

Is Cricket just a mode of entertainment ???

My Answer is No. It is more than just a game, and one can learn a lot from its Historical Events.

So you don't agree with me !! . Hmmmm.....Again I have to apply my writing skills to convince
you . But before I start my article I want to make 2 things clear :-

(1) This is totally my Idea (Jo mere Shaitani Dimaag ki Upaj Hai) and

(2) I equally respect each and every game and one can learnt from any sports.... Ok then Get Set and
GO

CRICKET - THINGS YOU CAN LEARN FROM THIS GAME

(1) COMMITMENT

Anil Kumble with a broken jaw and gets Brian Lara lbw -India vs WI 4th test Antigua
2002

This shows your Commitment towards your Profession. Choose the Career of your choice
and then give your 100% to it and you will get unbelievable results.

The sight of Anil Kumble emerging from the pavilion, ready to bowl, his face bandaged, in the Antigua
Test of 2002, is one of cricket's most inspiring.

He bowled 14 consecutive overs and finally dismissed Brian Lara while bowling with a broken jaw.
He was due to fly back to Bangalore the following day for surgery, and as he said, "At least I can now
go home with the thought that I tried my best.

"It was one of the bravest things I've seen on the field of play," said Sir Vivian Richards later.

Batting at No. 7 (Ajay Ratra at No. 8 made a century; Kumble was hit by Mervyn Dillon. He spat out
blood but batted on for another 20 minutes.

(2) CONCENTRATION, TEMPERAMENT AND MOTIVATION

SACHIN SCORING A CENTURY AFTER HIS FATHER'S DEATH, 29th May 1999 India vs
Kenya, Bristol:

Sachin Tendulkar's 140 not out in the match against Kenya said a lot about the temperament that the
little champion possesses. India was under pressure to win the match to stay in contention as they had
lost their previous two games to South Africa and Zimbabwe. Sachin had not taken part in the match
against Zimbabwe as he had to return to India because of the rather unfortunate death of his father.
However, he made it a point to return to England for the World Cup. His hundred against Kenya is
still talked about as one of the great knocks of all time simply because of all the pressures (most of
them non-cricketing) he was facing.

This shows that the biggest Motivator in this world is you. If you want to do something
then do it for yourself.

(3) LEADERSHIP - LEADING BY EXAMPLE

GREAME SMITH BATTING WITH BROKEN HAND - AUS V/s SA, 3rd test 5th
Day, Sydney, 7th Jan.2009

S.A. was struggling to save test match against Aussies, and with 9 wickets down and there was no way
that the South African captain Graeme Smith could come to bat in the last wicket, “Smith walked out
at No. 11, looking to survive 8.2 overs with a broken hand, his own blood recently injected into his
right elbow, and a desperate Australian attack”

It was a special moment in World Cricket to watch Smith come out from that dressing room to bat in
No. 11 with his broken hand and all the Australian crowd giving Graeme a standing ovation was really
inspiring.

There is a saying that a Leader s'd lead from the front by setting an example for others
and that's what we learn from this instance.

(4) NEVER SAY DIE ATTITUDE

MOHD. KAIF AND YUVRAJ PARTNERSHIP AT LORDS, NATWEST SERIES FINAL, IND
V/s ENG, 14TH JULY 2002

Chasing as mammoth a target of 325, India was struggling at 5-146 with all big guns back to the
pavilion. Two Youngsters Kaif and Yuvraj were on the crease, but no one was expecting miracles from
them.

However, Yuvraj and Kaif had different designs altogether. They played brilliantly, forged a fantastic
partnership at the crucial stage and saw India romp home. Y.Singh scored 69 and M.Kaif 87 notout to
bring one of the finest wins in the history of one-day cricket.

This shows that when no one believes you than it's good that you have no pressure to
preform and then you will give your best shot.

(5) NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE AS IMPOSSIBLE ITSELF SAYS I AM POSSIBLE

VVS LAXMAN 73* V/s AUSSIES WHILE BATTING WITH A RUNNER TO GUIDE INDIA
TO THRILLING ONE WICKET WIN, India 405 & 216-9, Australia 428 & 192., IND V/S
AUS 1ST TEST, MOHALI, OCT.2010

CHASING A TARGET OF 216, INDIA WAS STRUGGLING AT 124-8. FROM THERE VVS
LAXMAN striving with his back injury, batted with a runner and proved his talents once again by
scoring the winning run for India.

This shows that anything is possible, but you have to believe yourself and have
confidence in your ability.

So har khel kuch sikhaata hai...Khelo India Khelo !!

-Pulkit Gupta

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Kannur goes mad over Diego Maradona

Anyone who arrived in Kannur on Tuesday could have easily mistaken it for Buenos Aires or any other Argentinian city. Every vantage point in this northern district of Kerala had been taken over by one man, Diego Maradona.

Some of the cutouts on display were twice the size of the diminutive football great.

"For people of Malabar, football is a religion and Maradona is our god. Today our 'football god' has come to visit us. On Wednesday morning he will bless us," said Nizam AH as he was giving finishing touches to one of the cutouts outside the Kannur Municipal stadium, where Maradona will make his public appearance on Wednesday morning.

Maradona arrived in Kerala 12 hours ahead of schedule for Wednesday's private function. Fearing inclement weather in the evening, the organisers of the event requested the football legend to advance his visit and he duly obliged.

He arrived at the Cochin International Airport in the early Tuesday morning and headed straight to Kannur via a private chopper. He landed at the army helipad here and was quickly whisked away to the hotel by security staff.

At the hotel, Maradona spent most of the day trying to overcome jet lag. But he did take some time out to shoot for an advertisement.

"Since Maradona landed in Kannur earlier than expected, we decided to complete the shooting of our advertisement on Tuesday itself. But he spent most of the day sleeping. So we couldn't complete the shoot," said Shaji JS, advertising manager of Chemmanur group, which facilitated Maradona's trip to Kerala.

Maradona stepped out in the balcony of his hotel room in the evening and waved at his thousands of fans who had assembled near the hotel - waiting to get a glimpse of the superstar - since dawn.

Efforts are on to present Maradona in public in mundu, a traditional Kerala attire. An organiser told TOI that Maradona even tried wearing it on Tuesday.

"He tried to wear a mundu a couple of times, but on both occasions, he couldn't tie it properly. Hence, one isn't sure whether he will risk wearing it in public on Wednesday," said the organiser not willing to be named.

However, the football legend will begin his address in Malayalam before moving on to Spanish. He is expected to showcase some of his footballing skills too.

A crowd of over a lakh is expected to throng the stadium which has a capacity of 50,000. Security has been beefed up as Kannur gears up for its date with El Diego.

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Mumbai Indians prove that chasing 130-150 totals are always tricky

Mumbai Indians, the defending champions, Indians bowed out of the Champions League T20 2012 with an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Sydney Sixers. Having done well to restrict Sydney to 136, Mumbai were too slow to start with their run-chase and couldn’t make up for it as the overs went by. Such was the manner of the defeat that captain Harbhajan Singh didn’t hide his emotions at the post-match presentation and criticised the team. However, such an approach has been seen a number of times when teams are chasing those in-between totals in T20 cricket. Such instances do beg the question: How should a team approach such a run-chase?

 

Perhaps, the most relevant example of mismanaging such a run-chase is Sri Lanka’s pursuit during the ICC World T20 2012 final against the West Indies. Sri Lanka restricted an explosive West Indian batting order to only 137 – a score that seemed very gettable. At the mid-innings break, one would have backed Sri Lanka to get those runs – given the fact that they were playing at home with some vibrant support to back them. The early wicket of Tillakaratne Dilshan jolted them and the experienced firm of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara simply didn’t get going. They went about it so cautiously that the asking rate kept increasing and wickets-fell in a heap after Sangakkara’s dismissal.

 

When a team has to chase totals within the range of 130-150, the first thought that may come to their mind is, “Come on, we can knock them off pretty easily? It is T20 cricket after all!” However, somewhere at the back of their minds, there is a voice of cautioning which says, “Hang on; we don’t want to lose this one. It could be a major embarrassment.” 

The fall of an early wicket is what makes such a feeling stronger and may push the team into a shell. The other possibility is that the openers themselves get a bit too cautious. Thus, such scores are more a psychological battle when compared to some of the 170 or 180 plus totals we see.

 

On many an occasion, we see such low scores on surfaces that aid the bowlers. Such run-chases can be tricky, but the targets can be achieved with proper application. The wicket at Durban was helping the bowlers and we haven’t seen too many big scores there during the CLT20 2012. That too can be a psychological factor as the openers would be apprehensive early on and would want to see off the first few overs. However, that strategy can backfire – like it did for Mumbai.

 

Delhi Daredevils survived a few nervous moments against the Perth Scorchers and chased down 122 in the nick of time. The scoreboard may show otherwise, but one can say that they were in control for most parts of the innings. Virender Sehwag scripted an uncharacteristically sensible knock and that kept them in the hunt. He was positive and didn’t take his usual risks. A look at his score would reveal that he was measured yet up to the task – scoring 52 off 44 balls. In a way, that was an example of how one must approach such a run-chase.

 

While Sehwag may be a high-risk player, he still managed to score at a very good rate by curbing his natural instinct to a decent level. He didn’t get into a shell like some of the batsmen do and ensured the strike kept rotating and the occasional boundary was hit. It was only the regular fall of wickets that made the task difficult for Delhi and had one batsman held firm with him, they would have overhauled the challenge with a lot of deliveries to spare. Some of the batsmen can take a leaf out of his book and apply the said strategy.

 

Interestingly, the Auckland Aces have chased down such totals without any worry on three occasions at the CLT20 2012. A common feature in all those three victories was that their openers got them off to a flier – something that took the pressure off their middle order. Having set a base and by getting the run-rate under control, the other batsmen had no problems in getting into their stride. Batting sides can attempt such a practice if the conditions are good and the batsmen can play their strokes. In difficult conditions, it may be a gamble – which may or may not pay-off.

 

Ultimately, it seems to be a mind-game and it is all about handling the pressure and maintaining your cool. A team’s cricketing sense is tested in every way when faced with such challenges.

 

(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a correspondent with CricketCountry and an analyst for the site’s YouTube Channel. He shot to fame by spotting a wrong replay during IPL4 which resulted in Sachin Tendulkar's dismissal. His insights on the game have come in for high praise from cerebral former cricketers. He can be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/nishad_44)

 

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Pietersen's return has bolstered the English line-up awaiting searing examination against spin

England’s frailty against spin is well known, and when the initial squad to tour India was announced a few weeks ago, there was little doubt that the hosts would equip themselves meticulously to skittle out the visitors on rank turners. But Kevin Pietersen’s inclusion has changed the equation and has bolstered this English side. Nevertheless, spin will still be India’s primary weapon, and a lot will depend on the duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha if the Indian bowling department is to pick twenty wickets. Their recent performance at home speaks volumes of the destruction the two can cause, even against formidable sides.
 
Zaheer Khan has spearheaded the Indian attack since the last few years, and while he continues to play a pivotal role in the line-up, his decline during recent times has been ominous. Since the last one year, the seamers have contributed very little in India’s quest to maintain a winning momentum at home. Fortunately though, Ashwin and Ojha have been instrumental in getting the job done, and it can safely be said that they’ve made best use of the available conditions. It’s hard to imagine India’s plight, even at home, in the absence of the duo.
 
Indian bowlers at home since October 2011
 

Player	M	I	Wkts	Avge
Ravichandran Ashwin	5	10	40	18.50
Pragyan Ojha	5	10	33	20.90
Umesh Yadav	4	8	14	28.92
Ishant Sharma	3	6	5	67.40

   
Although it can be argued that Ashwin and Ojha get to bowl a lot more overs than the frontline seamers, the averages and strike-rates justify the efficiency of these two. While Ashwin has been Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s go-to man, Ojha is slowly but surely cementing his place in the Indian Test squad, at least at home. But it’s been a while since the two have come face to face with an intimidating batting unit, and the series against England will no doubt test their mettle.
 
On the other hand, it will be a litmus test for the English batsmen as well. Alistair Cook, Ian Bell, Jonathan Trott, Matt Prior, and of course Pietersen, have all been indomitable with the bat in the last few years. However, among current players, only Cook has an average of over 40 in Asia. That average stands at 54.83 if only the last three years are taken into account. Apart from Pietersen and Cook, the rest have a history of struggling against spinners. During their last few visits to Asia, the English batsmen have conceded a considerable number of wickets to the likes of Saeed Ajmal, Rangana Herath and Shakib Al Hasan. 
 
In the last five years, England has faced India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in Asian conditions, and it can safely be said that only Cook and Pietersen have looked formidable.
 
Statistics of English batsmen in Asia in the last five years
 

Player	M	Runs	Avge	100s
Alistair Cook	12	1057	48.04	3
Kevin Pietersen	12	818	40.90	2
Ian Bell	12	705	35.25	1
Matt Prior	12	531	35.40	0
Jonathan Trott	7	490	35.00	1

 

In the absence of Pietersen, and considering the fact that Cook has recently taken over the added responsibility of captaincy from Andrew Strauss, the stage was all set for Ashwin and Ojha to run through the English line-up. But with their best player back in the side, the contest appears to be much more even now. Although it’d be too naïve to term Pietersen as England’s messiah at this juncture, the fact remains that his inclusion has added enormous stability into the side. Like former English skipper Michael Vaughan rightly pointed out, England’s middle-order looked ‘green and vulnerable’ without Pietersen. Now though, a lot of options have opened up.
 
In a month’s time, the English and the Indian players will get back in the groove of Test cricket. It’d be interesting to see how smoothly Pietersen reintegrates into the side. On the other hand, Ashwin will have to switch gears from T20 – a format he’s consistently been a part of since the last few weeks. Ojha too will look to make a statement and get a feel of the big stage, as he prepares to play under stalwart VVS Laxman for Hyderabad against Punjab in the Ranji Trophy, a few days prior to the commencement of the first Test. All in all, the battle between the English batsmen and the Indian spinners is all set to begin.
 
(Karthik Parimal, a Correspondent with CricketCountry, is a cricket aficionado and a worshipper of the game. He idolises Steve Waugh and can give up anything, absolutely anything, just to watch a Kumar Sangakkara cover drive. He can be followed on Twitter at https://twitter.com/karthik_parimal)

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Sachin Tendulkar on the threshold of another monstrous record

 As Sachin Tendulkar makes a welcome return to Ranji Trophy, he stands on the threshold of yet another milestone – highest First-class hundreds by an Indian. Arunabha Sengupta analyses the numbers to discover the further facets of greatness in the master’s achievements. 
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It may sound positively monotonous after a 23 year journey littered with milestones, but Sachin Tendulkar is on the verge of yet another record. And this, yet again, has to do with centuries.
 
In international cricket Tendulkar is already far ahead of any other man in the history of the game in terms of centuries. He stands head and shoulders above the rest in Test cricket, and, at least waist above in One-Day Internationals. By a simple corollary, the total number of international hundreds also belongs to him – and this total reached a century of its own after a prolonged wait.
 
However, as the master batsman walks back into the long neglected arena of Ranji Trophy, he finds himself just three short of the national record for the highest number of First-class centuries. Sunil Gavaskar finished his illustrious career with 81 from 348 matches. Tendulkar’s tally currently reads 78 from 294 outings.
 
The English monopoly
 
The record for First-class cricket centuries has traditionally been an English monopoly. With the gamut of county cricket that used to be played, it is hardly surprising that most of the leaders on the all time list are from England.
 
Jack Hobbs heads the pack with a mindboggling 199 hundreds from as many 834 matches! WG Grace got 124 in 870.  The county season saw numerous teams take on each other more than once every year till not long back.

Hence, among the 25 batsmen who managed a century of First-class centuries, 21 are English. Of the four others, Viv Richards, Zaheer Abbas and Glenn Turner spent a large part of their careers in the county circuit, playing 507, 459 and 455 First-class matches in their respective careers.
 
Of course, the one remaining batsman in the list got there because of a rather incurable habit of scoring hundreds. The great Don Bradman managed 117 in his career, in just 295 matches.
 
The great Indian batting leaders
 
Among the Indians, who play distinctly less First-class cricket than those engaged in the county game, there are seven who have scored more than 50 hundreds.
 
Unsurprisingly, these seven names would be on most lists of great Indian batsmen.
 

Indian batsmen with more than 50 First-class centuries

 

Batsman	M	Inn	Runs	Ave	100s	50s	# Inn/FC 100s	# Inn/FC 50+ scores
SM Gavaskar	348	563	25834	51.46	81	105	6.95	3.03
SR Tendulkar	294	467	24452	58.35	78	111	5.99	2.47
RS Dravid	298	497	23794	55.33	68	117	7.31	2.69
VS Hazare	238	367	18740	58.38	60	73	6.12	2.76
DB Vengsarkar	260	390	17868	52.86	55	87	7.09	2.75
M Azharuddin	229	343	15855	51.98	54	74	6.35	2.68
VVS Laxman	265	433	19520	51.5	54	97	8.02	2.87

 

As mentioned, Tendulkar is just three away from Gavaskar’s record, and has played 54 matches less than the original Little Master.
 
A closer scrutiny of the numbers reveals further differentiators between him and the other men on the list.
 
In spite of spending most of his career away from the vastly easier arena of First-class cricket, more often engaged in battling the more lethal bowlers of Test cricket, Tendulkar is still ahead in a number of areas.
 
A monstrous 65.38% of his 78 First-class hundreds have come in Test matches.
 
And even though he has played far less non-Test First-class matches than the other Indian batsmen in the list, Tendulkar still ends up being way more frequent in scoring centuries (one in every 5.99 First-class innings) and fifties (one in every 2.47 First-class innings).
 
These are further signs of his unwavering quality and consistency at the highest level.
 

The leading Indian batsmen split into Tests and Non-Test First-class matches

 

Batsman	Tests	Non Test FC	Test 100s	Non-Test 100s	% 100 in Tests	# Inn/ Test 100	#Inn/ Non-Test FC 100	# Inn/ Test 50+	#Inn/ Non-Test FC 50+
SM Gavaskar	123	265	34	47	40.74	6.29	7.43	2.71	2.71
SR Tendulkar	190	104	51	27	65.38	6.16	5.67	2.71	2.10
RS Dravid	163	135	36	32	52.94	7.94	6.59	2.89	2.45
VS Hazare	30	178	7	53	11.67	7.43	5.94	3.25	2.69
DB Vengsarkar	117	143	17	38	30.91	10.88	5.39	3.56	2.28
M Azharuddin	99	130	22	32	40.74	6.68	6.13	3.42	2.31
VVS Laxman	433	54	17	37	31.48	13.24	5.62	3.08	2.67

 
(Arunabha Sengupta is a cricket historian and Chief Cricket Writer at CricketCountry. He writes about the history and the romance of the game, punctuated often by opinions about modern day cricket, while his post-graduate degree in statistics peeps through in occasional analytical pieces. The author of three novels, he can be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/senantix)

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