Bobji, Author at Cricket Critique

Series between unequal

Posted on 15 November 202415 November 2024 by Bobji

Over the last 20 years, since the Ganguly-led Indian team started to win outside of Asia, somehow, somewhere, the India vs Australia series became quite competitive and a lot of times, closely fought. Suddenly, Australia talked about the series being on par with the Ashes. During the Waugh and Ponting era, when Australia won everything under the sun, India proved difficult for them to crack. England, Pakistan, West Indies and NewZealand were simply rolled over. South Africa was tough but they could not land the final punch. It was India, right from 1996 with the exception of the 1999 Australian tour, not only matched Australia but more often than not, bettered them. India are yet to lose a series to Australia in 10 years. This is not something any team with the exception of the erstwhile West Indies can claim. Yet, this series threatens to be a series between unequal.

The form of the Indian batsmen is not only worrying but a majority of the Indian fans have already written off the team. India need to win 4-0 to qualify for next year’s WTC final. None of the supporters are expecting that. All of us will be pretty pleased if this series does not turn into a one-sided affair. Back in 1999, Jayant Lele, I think he was the secretary at BCCI, famously remarked after the squad for the tour was selected, that India will lose 0-3. The mood is quite despondent after the hammering received from New Zealand. Most of the supporters will never be able to come out of such a humiliation.

Spin trouble

The way every batsman approached the spinning pitches and the lone pitch with little bounce has made everyone think what will happen in Australia. Just before the series against New Zealand, there were a lot of expectations. Speculation ranged from India winning the series for the 3^rd successive time and thereby equalling the record of South Africa to Australia winning the series narrowly. Now, the tide has turned completely. The speculation is for a clean sweep by Australia. If that happens, several careers will be at stake.

Evidence points to Australia

Australia under Cummins have formed a steel that was missing under Tim Paine and Steven Smith. Cummins is an exceptional bowler but has been a revelation as a captain. He is just like Ashwin who keeps on thinking. Australia who lost the services of Shane Warne the captain, made the right choice after the Tim Paine saga. The record under Cummins is enviable. WTC winners, ODI World Cup winners, series win in Pakistan and a drawn series in Sri Lanka. A wonderful Ashes draw against a rampaging England team away from home. Definitely, the Test side is proving to be tough nut to crack.

Added to that is the fact that the first, second and third Tests will be played on pitches that has traditionally favoured the Australian bowlers. Perth, has promised to produce the fastest pitch. Adelaide, being a day-night affair, where Australia have never lost a Test follows Perth. Brisbane Gabba for the 3^rd Test will be another pacy pitch. Ofcourse, in 2020, it was at The Gabba where India created history but that was then. This is now. Most likely, the series will be done and dusted by the time the 3^rd Test is finished.

Not just the current form of the Indian batsmen but the mindset itself is severely affected. They lost the fortress to an unfancied New Zealand. A defeat of that nature is bound to affect everyone involved. If another series against a less fancied side had taken place before the BGT, chances are that India could have won that series and improved the confidence. Now, to jump straight onto a pitch that promises to be quick, hard and bouncy, the Indians can only hope that they are not injured in anyway that will put their participation in next year’s IPL in jeopardy.

Bowlers vs Bowlers

Just a cursory glance at the bowling line-up between the teams gives a stark picture. Bumrah and Cummins cancels each other. Both of them are highly skilled with good enough pace. However, the rest of the Australian bowlers are all better than India’s. There is simply no comparison between Mitchell Starc and Mohammed Siraj. One is a bonafide great bowler of his era whereas the other has taken less than 3 wickets per Test. Siraj is blessed that he is born in India where there is dearth of fast bowlers. Otherwise, he will not even be considered. Hazlewood against Akash Deep or Prasidh Krishna. Where is Hazlewood and where is Akash Deep? This is Akash’s first tour to Australia. He has a longway to go before he could even be considered as a permanent in the Indian team. Prasidh Krishna used to bowl with high pace but not anymore.

When it comes to spin, Nathan Lyon is leaps ahead of both Ashwin and Jadeja. Outside of Asia, Jadeja is considered for his ability as a batsman rather than as a spinner. Ashwin is not even considered because of his inferior batting ability. Lyon has had ample amount of time to study every Indian batsman and bowl accordingly. Much depends on how India bats against Lyon. He is a specialist Test bowler in an era where everyone wants to play in any lucrative T20 leagues.

Wrapping up series between unequal

Batting-wise, it is almost similar except for two facts. One, Australia are playing at home and know the conditions pretty well. Hence, they will prevail easily. Two, Travis Head, who has taken a liking towards the Indian bowlers. I think that this series depends on the ability of the bowlers to restrict the scoring.

Australia clearly is the favourite

Posted on 15 November 202415 November 2024 by Bobji

The Indian team, after the surrender to New Zealand at home, is now in Australia for The Border Gavaskar Trophy. It is worth mentioning that India has somehow, won the trophy 4 consecutive times, including, twice in Australia. Looking back and looking at the batting, it is nothing short of a miracle. Anyway, the next edition is upon us and the Indian team has already landed at Perth, the venue of the first Test. Australia clearly is the favourite. There is no doubt about that. They won the most recent Test among the teams when they hammered India during the WTC finals at Lord’s. Yes, Australia did lose the ODI series, of all teams, to Pakistan but we all know that that is a different ball game altogether.

Australians, especially, Pat Cummins is determined enough to win the series. He is on record stating that this is the only trophy that he hasn’t won yet and would love to dearly. Almost all the Australian players, barring a few white-ball games, are well rested and is looking forward to the series. India on the otherhand, is knackered, defeated and humiliated and have silently moved into Australia. If reports are to be believed, only a handful of fans greeted them off the team bus. Perhaps, the Indian fans in Australia are not expecting anything substantial from the dad’s army, as are the fans in the country.

Lack of practice games

In the previous tour, India did play a couple of proper first class games to get used to the conditions. The Chinese Virus helped in that they were required travel to Australia, 6 weeks in advance which more or less, forced the Indians to play those games. However, the fact is that those games really helped in India winning the series though they were shot out for 36 in the first Test. This time, however, for some inexplicable reason, the team management has decided not to play a single practice game before the first Test. The stupidity of the Indian team, whenever they travel to any of the SENA countries, know no bounds. Here is a set of batsmen, who have become absolute mugs with the bat, having failed in familiar environs, travels to unfriendly condition and decides against a practice game. This is the height of ridiculousness.

The Indian team seems to turn themselves into a comedy circus. They have opted for “secret training”, whatever that means. Spectators are not allowed inside the ground to watch the Indians train. Not that it matters because there is nothing to watch. Everyone knows everything about the Indian cricketers. The huge tarps are erected to obscure the viewing public. However, it didn’t help because people brought ladders and drones to look at the training. Rather puzzlingly, on Tuesday, Bumrah, Kohli, Jadeja and Ashwin, chose to skip nets. None of them did anything against New Zealand and why would they be excused from training? The Indians stumble onto one stupidity to the other. Especially Kohli, who did not spend any significant amount of time on the field to be tired. This tour is extremely vital for Kohli. Failure here, chorus around demanding him to be dropped will only intensify.

Pacy Perth expected

India were just bowled out for 46 at Bangalore on a pitch that do not remotely resemble the pace and bounce of Perth. Now, reports have emerged that Perth will be at its fast and bouncy best.

“This is Australia, this is Perth… I’m setting ourselves up for really good pace, really good bounce and really good carry,” WA Cricket head curator Isaac McDonald told ESPNcricinfo. “In a perfect world, I want to emulate last year.”

This news is certainly not a welcome one for a team whose confidence is at its lowest ebb. Quite a few juniors, Jaiswal, Sarfaraz for whom this is their first tour to Australia, they would have heard about the bounce of Australian surfaces but now the thought of fronting on such a pitch, either their dream will come true or they will be shivering with fear. Last year, the bounce on the pitch between Australia and Pakistan was tough to bat that Pakistan wilted for 89.

The absence of Rohit Sharma will usually raise an alarm but now, it does not even matter. His presence as a batsman or as a captain is immaterial. His captaincy is not inspiring and his batting, particularly in Australia, is even less so. Average in Australia is less than that of Ashwin. Yet, he is the captain and Ashwin may not even feature in any of the Tests. Reports have emerged that Rohit will not be available for the first and second Test because of the birth of his second child. These guys, earlier this year, Kohli and now Rohit, time the delivery so perfectly that it does not disrupt their IPL participation. As Gavaskar pointed out, it will be better if he participates only as a batsman and not as the captain. Will the BCCI listen?

Wrapping up Australia clearly is the favourite

It promises to be an extremely difficult tour for India. On the oneside, Australia are raring to avenge successive series defeat and on the otherhand, India is ripe for the taking.

Other blogs about the BGT

https://icricketcritique.com/gautham-gambhir-the-new-coach/
https://icricketcritique.com/gautham-gambhir-must-reduce-talking/

Gautham Gambhir must reduce talking

Posted on 15 November 202415 November 2024 by Bobji

Gautham Gambhir, the Indian cricket coach, is known for his feisty and combative nature. He played the game tough and was never afraid of a challenge. He gave his best when it came to India. This was the player Gambhir. However, the coach Gambhir needs to show some maturity and Gautham Gambhir must reduce talking. Why am I saying this? This is because of his various recent comments. India was just humiliated at home by New Zealand. A series score of 0-3 is shameful. It happened under the watchful eyes of Gambhir. Just a previous month, India lost another series, this time to Sri Lanka in ODIs. Gambhir beginning as the coach is eventful. No Indian coach in the recent past have had so many losses right at the outset.

Before he tookover as the coach, Gambhir demanded and got the people of his choice. Ten Doeschate, Abhishek Nayar and Morne Morkel were all handpicked by Gambhir for various positions. When someone gets what he wants, he is expected to deliver. Agreed that these are early days but one cannot ask for a better initiation than a series in Sri Lanka and a home series in India. Yet, somehow, with the choice of staff that he demanded, Gambhir still managed to lose both the series. Anyone in his place, will want to look inward and analyse what went wrong. This is not say that he didn’t introspect but he must be seen to be doing so.

Gambhir’s reply to Ponting

Oneway, is to reduce needless comments. What has he commented? There have been several. Ricky Ponting, a batsman who averaged more than 50 throughout his career spoke about Kohli. What he said made sense. Ponting did not say anything that controversial either. All he said was that someone who has got only a couple of 100s in the last 5 years, is lucky to be in the team. I agree with Ponting. Kohli has performed extraordinarily upto 2019. Especially, in white-ball cricket where his performances were nothing short of legendary. The rot set-in somewhere in 2020 and he is unable to come out of it. He is extremely lucky to still be in the team and his inclusion is not even questioned.

Yes, he had a fabulous 2023 ODI World Cup but apart from that, he does not have any other performance to show for which is extremely disappointing for a batsman of his ability. Every Indian cricket supporter, want him to score and score tons and tons of runs but it just is not coming off. Considering his form over 5 years, what Ponting said was perfectly alright. However, Gambhir is angry towards Ponting.

Ponting and Gambhir

What has Ponting got to do with Indian cricket? He should think about Australian cricket,” said Gautam Gambhir.

Ponting is not the coach of the Australian team. He is just a commentator and as such, he can talk about any player. Moreover, what Ponting said made complete sense. One may call it mindgames before the important series but it was an dispassionate observation.

If Ponting had to think about Australian cricket, why did Gambhir himself, poke the Australian team before the 2023 ODI World Cup?

“I think Pat Cummins doesn’t deserve to compete for Australia in ODIs.” These words were spoken by none other than Gambhir.

Gambhir had egg on his face at the end of the tournament because Australia walked away with the World Cup and Cummins was the captain.

Supporting his players

He has every right, infact, he must support his players but it must be backed up with data. Where is the data that shows both Rohit and especially, Kohli have achieved a lot?

“We have no concerns about Virat and Rohit. I think they’re incredibly tough men, they’ve achieved a lot for Indian cricket and they will continue to achieve a lot in the future as well,” head coach said.

“I think the most important thing for me is they still work very hard, they’re still passionate and they still want to achieve a lot more. The hunger in the dressing room is incredibly important for me and for the entire group of people, especially what has happened in the last series,” Gautam Gambhir added.

Ready for any pitches

Just about a couple of weeks ago, his team was hammered on pitches that were tailor-made for them. Yet, Gambhir has gone on and said that we are ready for any kind of pitches.

“We don’t control the wickets, we are ready for any kind of wicket. It’s their wish whatever they want to give. We are ready for any kind of condition and our bases are covered.”

What bases is he talking about? The premier batsmen are hopeless. Backup opener gets out in mysterious ways. Youngsters on their first tour. Save for Bumrah, the rest are more of journeyman bowlers and at the age of 31, with hardly 3-4 years of high quality bowling is left in him, the team management always is ready to rest him from games for the nation but not the IPL. What is covered?

Wrapping up Gautham Gambhir must reduce talking

This fellow must be told to stop his rubbish comments and concentrate on how to make the batsmen score runs and the bowlers take wickets and the fielders field well. Let him show some results and then, he is free to talk. Already, there is speculation that the Australian series will be his last if India fails to perform even decently. Let him be mindful of that.

What happened to England?

Posted on 8 November 20248 November 2024 by Bobji

England, the team that redefined how white-ball cricket must be played, is now struggling in the same format. A team that once talked about scoring 500 runs in ODI, is now unable to even win consistently. There has been changes in personnel, drastically at that, but fortunes have not changed. Eversince the retirement of Eoin Morgan, who was the architect of the flamboyance that is usually associated with the England teams post 2015, the captains who succeeded him, were unable to measure upto expectations. What happened to England? It is a question even the ECB is asking themselves. There does not seem to be light at the end of the tunnel.

England will have to reinvent themselves in the short format. The banishment of Johnny Bairstow, Jason Roy and the retirement of Ben Stokes from ODI cricket, is finally having an effect on the team. Bairstow and Roy were the opening combination that more often than not, provided a blistering start. The rest of the batsmen, just carried on from there. Their replacements, Phil Salt or Dan Lawrence is unable to carry forward the torch. They have lost 13 games out of the last 20. It includes three consecutive series defeats. The latest one being against the West Indies.

The ignominy of the 2015 ODI World Cup, propelled them to completely alter the way they approached the format. Eoin Morgan called for brave cricket and the players responded spectacularly. Scores of 350 and 400 suddenly became the norm. The teams batting first, never were sure of a score England could not chase. In trying to score those extra runs, they fell short by a few. The fear of the English batsmen, drove teams to nuts. The situation is completely the opposite now.

Uninspiring leader and an extended lean trot

Jos Buttler, who tookover from Morgan, proved to be an uninspiring leader. He chose to open the innings when usually, he bats in the middle order. Though his batting did not suffer a great deal, he just could not stem the tide. Yes, England did win the 2021 T20 World Cup but that was largely due to a tenacious innings by Stokes. Apart from that one triumph, they were insipid. The early ouster from the 2024 T20 World Cup and more importantly, the disastrous campaign during the 2023 ODI World Cup, foretold something brooding. In the ODI World Cup, they just could not come to terms with the Indian pitch conditions and as a result, a team that was touted as one among the favourites, lost games against low ranked teams and finished at the bottom.

This was further exacerbated by the early exit in the league stage at the T20 World Cup. England just did not know how to change their fortune.

Less experience

The current English ODI players are short of experience. Not a lot of ODI games are being played. It appears that since the first edition of The Hundred, the players who made their debut for England, ODI cricket occupies only 41% of their overall games. Dan Mousley, when he made his debut, told Sam Curran that he really didn’t know what he was doing.

“He almost admitted himself he hadn’t actually played loads of 50-over cricket,” Curran said

Phil Salt, another of the mainstay in England’s ODI setup commented, “I don’t think there’s many players in this team that you could go through and go ‘oh they’re doing a great job right now’,” said Phil Salt ahead of the third ODI, where he made 74. “That’s the reality of it because we’ve not played a lot of 50-over cricket. I’d love something like a domestic 50-over competition. I’d love the opportunity to play in that so you can get the rhythm and it’s not always stop-start.”

Wrapping up what happened to England?

England do have a local ODI tournament but that space is now taken over by The Hundred and the tournament is now towards the end of the season. It is undesirable to lose a series to a team that did not even qualify for the Champions Trophy. Some like Joe Root and Ben Stokes, do not need a lot of internal ODI games to perform at the highest level. They are cricketers who are born to play the game but proper ODI preparation is required for the mortals.

In the crowded schedule that teams from India, Australia and England find themselves in, something will have to give in. For long, there have been talks about scrapping ODI cricket altogether. There is merit in it. The players are only humans and there is a limit to their fitness and energy. If the ICC and the respective boards insist on playing more and more games, the diminishing ability of the players in one format or all the formats, is a given.

Other blogs about England

The Border Gavaskar series

Posted on 8 November 20248 November 2024 by Bobji

Within days after a disastrous and humiliating series against New Zealand in India, India will head-off to Australia for the next edition of the Border Gavaskar series. The first Test at Perth, starts on 22 November and the team will leave India on November 10. They have enough time to play atleast one warm-up game but as always, the team chose not to. Even an game against India A who are already in Australia, has been cancelled. This Indian team despite such humiliation and shame, just thinks that all that they have to do is turn up on any given day and the rest will take care of itself. This arrogance and a sense of superiority has been the bane of Indian cricket. This is the same attitude that prevents every Indian cricket to turn their backs against Ranji Trophy and other first-class games.

It had to show up somewhere and it did spectacularly in a series whitewash. Yet, the players are haughty enough to cancel practice games that if not make them win at Perth, will atleast prepare them for what lies ahead. The obscene money that splurged on the players, constant games throughout the year and the adulation throughout the nation has made them numb to every loss. Now, they are travelling to Australia with not much of hope but silent prayers that they must not be embarrassed again and the series must not be disgraceful.

Mumbaikars are angry with Mumbaikars, so strange

Sanjay Manjrekar who does not easily criticise anyone from Mumbai has tweeted, “The big learning for the selectors from this home season is that do not rest the already well rested players because of their stature,” said Manjrekar in a post on X.

Gavaskar the otherday, was pretty angry with Rohit Sharma. When Mumbaikars oppose Mumbaikars, there is definitely something wrong.

The only problem with Manjrekar’s words of wisdom is that both Rohit and Kohli is unlikely to be around during the next Ranji season. They will retire or they will be dropped unless they have an extraordinary tour of Australia and England. In the unlikely event of it happening, we can safely assume that if they are dropped, they will not want to stage a comeback.

Gavaskar was cheeky in an interview with Rajdeep Sardesai

“Gautam Gambhir has made more runs than both Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate in Test cricket, so only Gautam Gambhir will have to tell the players about how to bat in Australia and what should be the batting approach, maybe then we come up with a good performance.”

I for once, agree with Gavaskar. Ryan Doeschate has not played any Test cricket and so has Abhishek Nayar, leave alone in Australia. On what basis did Gambhir asked for those two, only Gambhir can answer. Having said that, it is only Gambhir who has played Test cricket in Australia. So, he must have an idea of what to expect. This is where he needs to bring in his experience into play. Ofcourse, Rohit, Kohli, Ashwin, Jadeja and Bumrah have all played in Australia and they can also be of help but they themselves are low in confidence after the shellacking and in the case of Kohli, under-performance for over 5 years.

The only problem with that is the fact that Gambhir himself was a failure in Australia. In 4 Tests, he has scored 181 runs at an average of 22.62. Australia is also the country from where Gambhir made his famous comment of preparing rank turners for non-Asian team when they tour India.

India is in serious trouble. The coach was a failure in Australia. The assistant coaches have not played Test cricket, the premier batsmen are not contributing anything and the youngsters are on their first trip. Clearly, this team is heading for disaster.

No wonder, Ricky Ponting is not giving an iota of a chance to India

“I think India will win a Test match somewhere through the five Test matches. But I still think now, Australia probably look a bit more settled, a bit more experienced and we know that they’re a very hard team to beat at home. So I’ll stick with the 3-1,” Ponting said on ICC Review.

Wrapping up the Border Gavaskar series

I will write a preview of the series in a few days. This is just a teaser before the main event.

Continuing of pouring my frustration

Posted on 8 November 20248 November 2024 by Bobji

In continuation of pouring my frustration at the performance of the Indian team, first of which ashamed humiliated and dejected, no amount of words on a paper or in a blog, will be satisfaction, there are still a lot to be said.

The captaincy must be decided immediately. Rohit has proven to be an uninspiring leader. He undertook a successful team after the duo of Kohli and Shastri left their positions and has turned the team into a bunch of nincompoops. Under his charge, India lost the first ODI series against Sri Lanka in 27 years. Lost a first series against New Zealand and were finally, white-washed for the first time. Rohit Sharma has already lost 5 Tests at home in just 16 Tests. Kohli lost just 2 in 7 years whereas Azharuddin and Kapil Dev 4 each. This is a record he will never be able to erase. Rohit himself admitted that he wasn’t upto the mark tactically.

I fully take the responsibility for that as a captain and as a leader as well. I have not been at the best of my abilities right from the start of the series. And yeah, with the bat as well, I’ve not been good enough. And certain tactical errors also, which didn’t go my way. You obviously take chances with those decisions. Sometimes it comes off. Sometimes it doesn’t. And this time around, it didn’t come off, the certain decisions that I took. So, yeah, I was not at my best of my leadership. And probably cost us the series as well.”

Rohit just another player

Be that as it may, it is time to revisit the captaincy rightaway. Rohit is unavailable for the first Test at Perth and he may not play the next one either, due to personal reasons. After this debacle, it is strange that he even wants to take time off. Nevertheless, since he is anyway unavailable for half of the series, by which time the series would have already taken a decisive direction, there is no point in bringing him from the middle of the series. Let Bumrah be appointed as the captain for the full series though, personally, I prefer Ashwin. As Gavaskar pointed out correctly, Rohit can at the most be included as a player and not more than that.

Some obvious horrible decisions

We all know what happened at Bangalore. On a pitch with extra bounce, under cloudy sky, with rain expected throughout the 5 days thereby rendering spin impotent, Rohit chose to drop a seamer and accommodate a spinner. It backfired spectacularly as India were bowled out for a paltry 46. It defies conventional logic. How could someone select a spinner when rain is expected to play a major part during the Test? It either showed arrogance on the part of Rohit who must have thought that he could easily win against a weak New Zealand or it was pure carelessness. Though Rohit himself admitted the blunder, that must not absolve him.

He followed that with another mindblowing decision by sending Siraj as the nightwatchman. It is onething to send a nightwatchman on a placid pitch but to send a rabit with the bat on a pitch that was turning, what chances did Siraj have to survive even a ball? He was dismissed of the very first ball. Nowadays, Kohli himself has become a nightwatchman. Why not send him? What was the need to protect a specialist batsman on a pitch that was turning? If he cannot survive, how can a bonafie number 11 survive?

These decisions are enough to grab captaincy from Rohit and hand it over to someone. These were stupidly amazing decisions.

Action against the board

Alright but who will take the action? I don’t know. The board must be punished for their intent to concentrate only on money. The off-season, which was used as a period during which a player would be able work on their shortcomings, is now occupied by the IPL. The reason India lost both the WTC finals, first against New Zealand and next against Australia is because the players are all extremely tired after a gruelling IPL. At the end, they do not have any energy to look forward to another game. They turn up just for the sake of it. Why doesn’t the board allow those Test players a break from IPL for 6 weeks to travel to England and prepare? Is IPL much more important than the nation?

There is a small matter of nonstop cricket. The players virtually live on a suitcase. Where is the time to rest and rehabilitate? Where is the incentive for them to look forward to winning games when some game is scheduled throughout the year?

Gambhir in a spot of bother

Gambhir was appointed as the coach with a lot of fanfare. He was expected to leapfrog the Indian team into an unbeatable force. His success at the IPL fuelled a lot of speculation. Everything came to a nought last week. This is his second or third unwanted record. Lost against Sri Lanka after 27 years, first series loss to New Zealand and a whitewash. His time is quickly running out. A loss at the BGT, which is very much likely, must surely see the exit of Gambhir. For all his tall words, what he has achieved on the field is miniscule. His tweet of 6 years ago, where he laid at Shastri for being a failure, Gambhir has failed spectacularly.

Wrapping up

I believe that Ashwin can be an excellent captain. His thinking is way beyond his bowling skills. Just like how Australia lost Shane Warne who could have become the greatest Aussie captain, India too will miss out of Ashwin. He must be the captain right from the first Test at Perth. Some might say that he wasn’t selected in the playing eleven for away games. I say that he plays ahead of Jadeja if it means 5 bowlers or play with an additional batsman. Anyway, India needs not one but two additional batsmen given the way their batsmen have been performing.

Other blogs about the series

https://icricketcritique.com/from-euphoria-to-misery/
https://icricketcritique.com/46-was-a-gigantic-hole/
https://icricketcritique.com/the-first-test-debacle/
https://icricketcritique.com/a-proud-record-crashed/
https://icricketcritique.com/a-proud-record-crashed-2/
https://icricketcritique.com/ashamed-humiliated-and-dejected/

Ashamed humiliated and dejected

Posted on 8 November 20248 November 2024 by Bobji

We the supporters of Indian cricket, demand action be taken against the players and also against the board itself. Losing a home Test series 0-3 is a shame. This is not something that can be erased from the minds of all those supporters who oversaw the happenings at Bangalore, Pune and Mumbai. It is a tough pill to swallow. This must not go unpunished. We want to see action taken that must have great ramifications across the entire spectrum of the game in the nation. It has been a couple of days since the humiliation but it just refuses to go away. We the supporters are ashamed humiliated and dejected. Ofcourse, it is only we who feel this way. For the players, they do not care. They have their IPL contracts that runs into multi-million and are happy to represent their respective franchises.

Everyone’s future is secured and playing for the nation is just a distraction. Given an option, they will all be happy to just play for 3 months in the IPL and then wait for the next season. Also, go around the world like a bunch of mercenaries and play in all the leagues across the world. Why do even play for the nation and betray the trust of over a billion by playing atrocious cricket?

This Indian team is an embarrassment. They do not have any shame of losing. Afterall, the captain himself said that it is alright to lose one series in 12 years. When the captain has this attitude, what impression has he sent to the team? Do not worry over a loss, however humiliating it could be. This is just a game and there is always another game waiting. If not that one, the next one until IPL is upon us.

The stupidity of the BCCI

What was the hurry in announcing the squad to tour Australia? The Indian team have just surrendered a series after 12 years. There were multiple non-performers. Some of them have been failing for an eternity. Yet, the BCCI went ahead and announced almost the same set of players for the tour of Australia. What was the tearing hurry? Couldn’t it have waited until the series was finished? Or, did the board not cared about who performed or who didn’t in the series? BCCI is never known for announcing anything well in advance. Usually, we will not come to know the dates and the venues of the games until a month to go. Why rush now? The selectors and the entire BCCI, were they supposed to go on vacation that the squad must be announced?

Even if they have announced that the squad will be known on a particular date, what stopped them from postponing it? They were aware that the team was performing miserably on the field. Some of the skills and techniques were clearly exposed by the New Zealand bowlers. Shouldn’t they have waited for the series to be finished and take necessary action against the non-performing players? If the same funds and resources were in the hands of Australia or England or South Africa or New Zealand boards, their team would be the best in all the formats forever. It is only because of the board that the Indian team is not considered.

The mega failure of Kohli

Having announced the squad, the BCCI says that it will take strict action against the senior players who underperformed. It seems that the future of Rohit, Kohli, Jadeja and Ashwin will be decided after the Border Gavaskar trophy. Why? It is because the squad has been announced already. This is just a bilateral series. There is no rule that states that squad once announced for a bi-lateral series, cannot be changed. It is only for ICC tournaments where once the squad is announced, barring any injury or personal reason, a player cannot be withdrawn.

I demand both Kohli and Rohit be withdrawn from the squad to Australia and replaced with Pujara. Kohli, especially, has been living off of his brilliant batting till 2019. How long will that credit last? For 5 years, his contribution can be ignored because it is not significant. This is in terms of Test cricket. Numbers do not lie. Over the last 5 years, his average is less than 30. There was a time when it touched 56 but now, the average is in danger of falling below 40. He has become a sitting duck against spin. This flaw has been in his batting for a very longtime. Yet, he hasn’t addressed it properly. Probably, he has become so arrogant that he thinks his batting is perfect when it is not.

It has been 12 years since he played in Ranji Trophy. He started disrespecting the game and the game has come back to bite him in the back. It is too late now. He is already 35 with not much cricket left in him.

The careless Rohit

Rohit’s shot in the second innings at Mumbai, showed how little he cared about winning. A careless hit against Matt Henry that landed safely in the palm of a fielder gave a much needed filip to the New Zealand team who were trying to make early inroads. Just 91 runs in 6 innings, more often than not, playing lethargically, I mean, if he is not interested, why waste his time and our time? He could very well retire from the game and play in the IPL for his beloved Mumbai.

On a pitch where the bounce cannot be trusted, what sorts of shots did he play in all the Tests? It clearly shows that he is not equipped for this level. Sometime ago, I wrote how much he has improved in Test cricket but now, he has gone back to the old Rohit who was always lucky to be in the team.

When Pujara and Rahane could be dropped and rightly so, why can’t Rohit and Kohli? What is the obsession over these that they are treated so kindly? India as a team will not progress unless this infatuation with stars diminishes.

Wrapping up ashamed humiliated and dejected

I will continue with my whining in the next blog.

Other blogs about the series

Bazballers were found wanting

Posted on 2 November 20242 November 2024 by Bobji

It took Pakistan 4 consecutive and heavy defeats for them to realise that on flat pitches, the rechristened England is not only tough to contain but is almost impossible to defeat them. Once, they turned to spin as their main choice of attack, England, the Bazballers were found wanting. On every previous occasion, Pakistan have always resorted to spin and were able to overcome England, though a much subdued team than the correct one, rather comfortably. Why did the choose to play on flat pitches is beyond anyone. Perhaps, to bolster the figures of a certain Babar Azam. Nevertheless, it is England that must be worried about their performance rather than Pakistan.

The signs are indeed worrying for England. Until the start of this year, they had a fabulous record in Asia. Consecutive series wins in Sri Lanka and a series sweep in Pakistan. Sri Lanka were very weak to begin with and Pakistan laid out pitches that satisfied the urge of England. Once they arrived in India, save for a freakish Pope innings, they could have easily lost 0-5. The point is that their inability on spinning pitches is in stark contrast to their mastery of placid tracks. England does not seem to have an alternate method for such pitches. Bazball does not mean that you play the same way as you have always done. If that is the case, it is ridiculous.

Batsmen all at sea

The technique of a majority of their batsmen is open for question. Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Ben Stokes and Harry Brook, all of them do not possess the technique for such pitches. Root is the only exception but the problem is that, Root, who is otherwise known for tall scores, though he possesses the necessary technique, is not prepared to stay at the wicket for long or is incapable of staying at the wicket. Perhaps, that is because of Bazball which promotes aggressive batting but which at the sametime, confuses the mind into playing shots were there was none to play. Infact, Harry Brook did not look resemble even an iota of the batsman who had reeled off 4 consecutive hundreds in Pakistan including a triple.

Geoffrey Boycott, the much respected batsman and a much more admired commentator, laid into the England batsmen.

“If you want to be rated a great batsman, you must have a rounded game, and score runs on all types of pitches,” the Yorkshireman said.

“They are entertaining and fantastic to watch because you never know what they are going to do next, good or bad, but Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum want their team to be the best. Unfortunately they are wasting their opportunity and risk being remembered as flat-track bullies unless they adjust for conditions.”

The Stokes McCullum legacy

I am afraid that the legacy of Stokes and McCullum and that of Bazball has been tarnished by yet another series defeat when challenged. The incredible pace of scoring runs and the several unconventional shots are all beautiful to watch in the familiar environs of England but when the same proves to be their downfall, England will have to change their approach to more traditional forms of the game. The inability to adapt their game to the conditions is proving to be their biggest stumbling block. As soon as they are confronted with such pitches, they are mentally defeated. They are unsure of how to approach the innings. When a team is mentally defeated, it sure is a recipe for disaster.

Asian teams are often accused of being strong at home but hopeless outside of Asia. Much the same can be said about every team with the exception of Australia, who usually transcends conditions. They possess the necessary skills to survive.

Now, it must be noted that none of these pitches, either in India or Pakistan were rank turners. They were all traditional Asian pitches that are slow and low with liberal help for the spinners. England did not learn any lesson from their loss in India. It was hardly 6 months ago and yet, they approached these games with the same mindset. See the ball, hit the ball. It worked in the first Test at Multan but from the moment Pakistan realised their folly, things came unstuck for England. There is no point in complaining about pitches because every side does that. Even the pitches in the SENA countries, help their method of bowling.

Wrapping up Bazballers were found wanting

It is all well and good for Stokes and McCullum to dream about becoming the best team in the world. They must remember to change their approach based upon the conditions. They can continue with their Bazball approach on placid tracks which it must be admitted, offers them an unique advantage because they are able to give their bowlers much more time. On the otherhand, If there is bounce or spin on the pitch, it is better to put the Bazball cricket on the backburner and follow traditional method.

A proud record crashed 2

Posted on 2 November 20242 November 2024 by Bobji

In continuation of the previous a proud record crashed, I want to analyse or rather pour my frustration on the blog because I just like several others, am still not able to come to terms with how such a proud record was lost because of some of the most atrocious batting that has been witnessed on the field. This time, let me look at the individual players and their lack of contribution. Anything and everything that could go wrong went wrong for India. It was a chastening defeat with a cleap sweep staring in the face. If it happens, this ignominy will never be erased.

I have already written in the previous blog about Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The Australian tour later this year, must be their final swansong if they fail to perform. Even a middling series must not save their spots. Either they must retire from Test cricket or must be dropped on form. I know that with the England series looming, India cannot go with an inexperienced squad but change must be effected. Rohit Sharma in the likelihood of not retaining the Border Gavaskar trophy, must be relinquished of his captaincy atleast if he is selected for future tours.

Jaiswal, Gill and Sarfaraz

All of them are young and in the early stage of their career. They will go through ups and downs but do they have the skillsl to become a better batsmen? On the short evidence so far, they have a very long way to go. Jaiswal, during his first visit to South Africa where he came against some of the treacherous pitches for batsmen, did not cover himself with glory. He couldn’t keep with the pace and bounce of those surfaces, not that anyone else did but Jaiswal did not offer much hope. It was his first series in South Africa and on pitches that were against the batsmen. I will not read too much into it.

As for Gill, he is proving to be a confusing batsmen. His inconsistencies, despite multiple opportunities is baffling. He is called the next big thing in Indian cricket but his scores aren’t that great. He could also be one of those batsmen who in the interest of becoming a power-hitter in T20 cricket, lost his touch game for which he is suited. Gill must understand that T20 is not his format and will have to modify his batting to suit Test and ODI cricket. The sooner he does it, the better it will be for him and for the Indian team.

Sarfaraz is just a few Tests old. A lot was expected from him and true to the expectations, he has played quite a few swashbuckling knocks. The 150 at Bangalore against all odds was brilliant but the moment the new-ball was taken, he was all at sea. How could a batsman at 150, suddenly play like that?

The point is, the jury is still out about these youngsters. Will they be able to transcend and achieve greatness remains to be seen.

Ashwin & Jadeja

More than anything, it was the utter failure of the spin-twins at Pune, the main reason for the devastating loss. They did not have any role to play in Bangalore because the pitch did not offer anything to the spinners but Pune was made for them. These are sort of pitches where they usually run through sides. Mitchell Santner showed how to bowl on that surface. Keep the ball on a line and the pitch will do the rest. This is what both Jadeja and Ashwin failed to do. In trying to bowl magical deliveries as soon as they saw a helping pitch, they were allover the wicket. Both of them were regularly cut and pulled. On a pitch where New Zealand should not have scored more than 150, they were allowed to score more than 200 in both the innings.

As if their bowling was bad, both of them weren’t that good with the bat either. In a team with 5 bowlers, 3 of them absolute mug with the bat, it is mandatory for one of the allrounder to score substantially. Otherwise, the pressure on the regular batsmen increases manifold. Both of them will not get more than 2 out of 10.

The rest of the bowlers

Mohammed Siraj must understand that it is time he step up the ladder to support Bumrah. 80 wickets in 30 Tests is literally nothing. He is lucky that he is in India. If he had been in Australia or England or South Africa, he would have been shown the door a longtime ago. Nothing to write about Kuldeep Yadav.

Wrapping up a proud record crashed 2

If it requires Sundar, who wasn’t even part of the original squad to pick up wickets, the team is in serious trouble.

A proud record crashed

Posted on 2 November 20242 November 2024 by Bobji

In the end, it came in a whimper. The record of not losing a single Test series in 12 years, which should have been protected and fought tooth and nail, if it needed to be broken, was squandered rather easily. The captain even had the audacity of saying that one series loss in 12 years is alright. For the millions of fans throughout the land, it came as a rude shock because no one expected India to lose even a single Test against New Zealand, leave alone the series. The manner of losing the series was even more hard to swallow. A proud record crashed in the turf of first, Bangalore and then, in Kanpur. The entire batting left a lot to be desired. The loss is so staggering that it is still taking time to get used to.

Here is a team, who has just lost a series in Sri Lanka 0-2 and who was beaten, of all teams, by Bangladesh in their own country not long ago, who were clearly the underdog and ready to the slaughter, made mincemeat of a team that did not have an answer to both the seamers and the spinners. The Indian display at Bangalore and at Kanpur was diabolical to say the least.

The erstwhile off-season

There was a time when Indians were regarded as the best players of spin bowling. From the days of Gavaskar, Vengsarkar, Mohinder through Azharuddin and to Sehwag, Dravid, Tendulkar & Laxman, they were all masters of playing spin. It is not the case any longer. Ever since, the Indian batsmen stopped playing Ranji Trophy, the rot clearly set in.

This was towards the latter stages of the Tendulkar generation. The social media is full of Tendulkar playing the Ranji Trophy even when he was at the age of 40 when the fact of the matter is that, he played just that Ranji game at 40 but wasn’t involved with Mumbai in anyway, whatsoever. As the number of games increased, the involvement in the Ranji Trophy reduced. They were all given a lot of leeway to skip Ranji but they were able to get through because of the superior skills against the spinners.

The BCCI must also be blamed for the series loss. They kept on scheduling games which had absolutely no context. Take the case of the 4 T20s in South Africa next month. Why would you send a team that far just for a handful of games? The insanity of the BCCI does not have a limit. A very longtime ago, there was an off-season. The players not only used that time to rest and relax but to work on their shortcomings. It proved crucial to the development of their game.

Nowadays, the off-season is taken over by the IPL which has occupied the centrestage. The youngsters, want to do is get some kind of an IPL contract and their life is settled. This is the mindset. Hence, none of the players is able to work on their game. As such, the faultline lived longer and grew deeper.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

The seniors who needed to show the way to youngsters on turning pitches, were themselves found wanting. Kohli’s rut has set in well and truly. He just is incapable of scoring runs anymore. It is us the fans of the Indian team, who will have to adjust to the new reality. Gone are the days Kohli scored those big daddy hundreds. We must be happy with the 20s and 30s and the occasional 50s but 100s are long gone. His lean run has continued unabated for 5 years. Just a couple of hundreds, one on an absolute horrid track at Ahmedabad and one against the West Indies.

Hardly noteworthy performances from a premier batsman. He seemed not to respect the game any longer as can be seen in his reluctance to play in Duleep Trophy before the season. This is not to say that if he had played, he would have negotiated spin well but atleast, he would have been in better frame of mind. Afterall, playing spin does not come in a game or two. It takes sustained exposure to such bowling on such pitches.

It really is a miracle, Kohli still commands a place in the squad. Just the two hundreds and a handful of 50s over 5 years is simply unforgivable. Pujara and Rahane, both of them averaged better than Kohli during the same period but are now out of favour. Their cricketing career is over. Whereas Kohli, despite his underachievement, he continued to be counted among the regulars.

As for Rohit Sharma, eversince he wanted to bat aggressively, seems to have only one way to bat. He plays a few eye-catching shots and is on the way to the pavilion. His twin hundreds against England in March has given him some breathing space

The stupidity of BCCI

The board in their own wisdom, decided to name the squad for Australia even before the current series is complete. Both Rohit and Kohli are in the squad and it will not make any sense to drop either of them from the final Test. Kohli, if he has some sense of shame, for having underperformed for such a longtime, will have to voluntarily sit out the game. He has become a walking wicket. The sight of Kohli used to send shivers down the spine of the opponents. Now, the sight of Kohli send shivers down the spine of the Indians.

Wrapping up a proud record crashed

No sooner the series was lost, media started the news about IPL. Who is retained by which franchise etc. No wonder, Indian cricket is digressing. As long as IPL is given way too much importance, Indian cricket will only go down further. One good thing about the series loss is that it is impossible for India to qualify for the WTC finals. They need 4 wins in 6 games which is, frankly, not going to happen. The players can happily play in the IPL and be done with it. The non-qualification will also deprive India of much needed game time before the England series.

Other blogs

https://icricketcritique.com/from-euphoria-to-misery/
https://icricketcritique.com/46-was-a-gigantic-hole/
https://icricketcritique.com/the-first-test-debacle/”