Author: Bobji

Bazballers were found wanting

Posted on 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 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 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/”

Navdeep Saini and pace

Posted on by Bobji

India is not a land for fast bowlers. If we go through history, all of the bowlers were medium pacers, with quite a few who can be termed in the local language as military medium. Prior to the introduction of Kapil Dev, India did not even have a single fast bowler worth the title. Gavaskar once said that whenever India was up against Pakistan, the Pakistan batsmen would never wear a helmet because the Indian bowlers lacked pace. It was only after Kapil Dev made his debut, did they wore a helmet. Such was the paucity of fast bowlers on this land. It is another story that Kapil Dev too, became a medium pacer probably to have a long career. He cannot be faulted because sportspeople do not know anything else apart from the game they are playing. Navdeep Saini and pace. Why am I saying this?

Saini belongs to the rare breed of an Indian fast bowler. High on pace and with the ability to hurry the batsmen. India desperately needs such bowlers against whom the opposition batsmen will be wary to come forward because they will know that Saini can bounce at a good pace. They are naturally, worried about getting hit. However, Saini has lacked line, length and direction. High pace is good but if it is not directed well, pace becomes the enemy. The ball comes off the bat quite quickly and it is usually tough for the fielders to stop the ball. When the batsman times it well, with pace for support, the ball is sure to reach the boundary.

Pace alone is not enough

Line and length have been Saini’s problem. Yes, it is tough for someone who bowls at 150KMPH to consistently bowl on the same line and length. Usually, when these types of bowlers get it right, it is a treat to watch. It will either result in a wicket or end up being a dot ball. However, when they get it wrong, they will dispatched to all parts of the ground. Let us remember the example of Shaun Tait. Tait is someone who relied purely on pace. He bowled at 155-160KMPH whenever he came onto bowl. Seldom has he got the line and length correct.

As a result, he was driven to all parts of the ground. Back in 2004, he was brought into the Australian side for a Test at Perth to threaten India with pace. Needless to say, India played him beautifully and Tait found himself out of the team forever.

The bottomline is that pace is great but it must be supported by good direction. This is the reason most of the pure fast bowlers reduce their pace to around the 140 mark, one, to extend their career and two, to ensure better direction, three, to ensure allow the ball to do just that much and four, they can remain relatively injury free.

Saini and pace

Why am I saying all this and what is the connection between bowler’s ling and length and Saini? Saini, who is playing for Delhi in the ongoing Ranji Trophy, has said that pace is his identify and he does not want to sacrifice any bit of it.

“I can’t reduce my pace, which is my strength. I don’t want to sacrifice any bit of it; pace, after all, is my identity and I have always played cricket the same way, and intend to continue playing like that. The competition is so tight these days that I will never want to reduce my pace, something which is unique to me. It is [up to] my quality if I can continuously bowl at that pace for four or five days in a row.”

Wrapping up Navdeep Saini and pace

I am with Saini. I am really happy that he does not want to reduce his pace. Pace in the Indian cricketing scenario, is quite rare. However, Saini must also ensure that his line and length is good enough at the highest level. He will have to retrospect the reason he was jettisoned from the team within a few games. How will he be able to comeback? What changes does he have to make in his bowling that will force the selectors to choose him? He will do well to ponder such questions. He got a wonderful opportunity in Australia that he was unable to make use of. At Sydney where he made his debut, it was uneventful though he returned with 4 wickets whereas at Brisbane, he went off with an injury.

“Bowling fast helps you create more opportunities to get a wicket,” he said. “That makes you put in a lot more effort on your body. That, in turn, makes you injury prone. So you never know how or when you can get injured while trying to bowl at such high pace.”

Saini must understand that he is nearing the end of his career. At 31, he has already wasted a significant part of his career. Competition is heating up for fast bowlers. If he does not want to miss, he will have to start introspection rightaway.

About Sundar

Washington Sundar the batsman

Posted on by Bobji

I am someone with a view that Washington Sundar must forget his bowling and concentrate on his batting. Eversince he made his debut in Australia, against all odds, he has shown that he has the necessary technique and the skill to be considered among the best batsman in the country. The fact that he has often opened the innings for Tamil Nadu, signifies his batting prowess. Having said that, he made his debut as a bowler who could be handy with the bat. He was primarily chosen as a replacement for Ashwin who was out of the team with an injury. Critics and pundits alike did not know what to expect of a youngster about whom not much was heard of. In the company of Shardul Thakur, he set onto resurrect an Indian innings that threatened to fall by the wayside. Washington Sundar the batsman has arrived.

Anyone who had the privilege of watching that innings of Sundar at The Gabba will vouch for his batting abilities. I am one among those. The nonchalant six over square leg off Pat Cummins, was so disdainful that for a casual onlooker, Sundar must have been someone who had immense experience under himself. Such was the authority over that shot. It was a pity that he couldn’t give Pant company till the end. Nevertheless, he showcased enough of his capabilities.

Shastri about Sundar

Sundar went one step further against England at home with a brilliant 96. Siraj wasn’t able to stay with him for a hundred. Ravi Shastri who witnessed that innings said,

“This guy is a serious cricketer. He is still very young, he has got to understand his own game, how good a player he is. Shot selection will come, especially for the white-ball format. [If he] works on his fitness so that he is not injury-prone, India have got a serious cricketer in him. Across all formats of the game. I think it is up to him really to do the hard yards on fitness. No excuse. He can’t depend on X, Y, Z. He has to look at himself in the mirror and say I want to work hard and I want to be the leading allrounder in Indian cricket over the next three years. And he can do it. Easy.”

I disagree

Where I disagree with anyone who has good words about Sundar is that they all see him as an off-spinning all-arounder. Ashwin is towards the end of his career and Sundar is being looked at as his appropriate replacement. For me, I find that outrageous. He is a proper batsman who if required, can bowl. This is my assessment of him. He has got all the shots in the book and is quite exceptional against both pace and spin.

The condition of the pitch or the reputation of the bowler does not seem to matter to him. Yes, he has some varieties with off-spin and could be handy but to treat him as an all-rounder is not the correct. Sundar is a proper middle order batsman. When Pujara and Rahane were around, I argued that Rahane be dropped to accommodate Sundar as one of the top 5 batsmen. The old team of Kohli and Shastri were unwilling to drop Rahane and take a chance with Sundar.

Downward spiral

Unfortunately, Sundar himself seems to have felt that he was is an off-spinner who could bat lower down the order. Things went south with a spat of injuries and loss of form. Sundar began to feel the pinch. He knew that he did not have the power game to succeed in T20 cricket. His returns for Sunrisers Hyderabad wasn’t that great. Coming in at number 7 or 8, with just a few deliveries left, he could not get the big boundaries that teams usually search for in those overs. That was because he is a touch player and not a power player in the mould of a Pant or Jadeja.

Anyway, the lack of impact must have had an effect on Sundar and he tried reestablish himself into a power hitting all-rounder. In other words, he tried to become someone his body did not allow him to become. His frail nature simply did not have the game that suited T20 cricket.

Better sense prevailed

Based on his latest comments, it seems that better sense has prevailed. Batting for Tamil Nadu against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy, Sundar was sent in at number 3. After having largely batted as a lower order batsman even for Tamil Nadu, sometimes as low as number 8, he was given an opportunity to showcase his wares. Needless to write, he did not disappoint. He scored a sublime 150 against a decent Delhi attack. What he said after this is what makes me think that he has finally realised the inner batsman in him.

“I definitely consider myself a top-order batter. I’m very happy with the kind of opportunity I got, to bat at No. 3. For me, one thing is very important – I need to be able to do whatever the team demands. It is a team game. That is what I always think about. Hopefully, I can deliver such knocks consistently.”

Wrapping up Washington Sundar the batsman

One can only hope that Sundar sticks to his newfound realisation. He must follow the footsteps of one, Laxman, who decided never to open the innings despite being pressured to do so. Something similar is needed from Sundar. All he need to do is pile runs upon runs in the Ranji Trophy as a middle-order batsman, he will get his chance. I am not asking him to completely forego his bowling but let that not define who he is.

The first Test debacle

Posted on by Bobji

I have already written one blog about the first Test debacle. This is a continuation of the same.

There are certain players in the team who have not been living upto expectations for a very longtime. Chief among them are Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul and to a certain extent, Ravindra Jadeja. Jadeja has been pretty much inconsistent whereas in the case of the other two, they are more or less a nervous wreck. Despite multiple opportunities, through the world, they have not been performing at the best of their abilities. I have written quite a few articles about Rahul, whether he is required for Tests or what is his problem. It is probably worth repeating it here.

Lokesh Rahul and multiple opportunities

I do not have any doubt about the ability or talent of Rahul but what is the use of such a talent if it is not put to optimum use? He really is an enigma. Rahul has got hundreds in England, Australia and South Africa. Infact, his first 100 in Test cricket, was against Australia in Australia. At that stage, when India were struggling to find proper openers, everyone thought that India has found an opener who could hold himself in all conditions. Expectations naturally increased but he himself seemed to have been surprised that he got a hundred in Australia. An average of 33 in 53 Tests. In 10 years, he hasn’t improved a wee bit. If Rahul’s Test career is terminated by the beginning of the 2nd Test, he can only blame himself.

He just does not have any means to complain that he wasn’t given enough opportunities. 53 Tests is a largesse by any measurement. There are so many cricketers in this nation who don’t even get half or even quarter of that many opportunities. Rahul was given because the selectors and the team management saw the potential in him. He has got all the shots on the book and is not weak against pace or spin. The hundreds in pace friendly countries are an example. What has prevented him from performing all these years, is not at all clear. Perhaps, it is in the mind.

Nevertheless, he must have sorted that part by now but apparently, he hasn’t. He must realise that there are lot of players who are eyeing his spot. Dhruv Jurel can play as a proper batsman or Padikkal is there. There certainly isn’t any dearth of options for the middle order spot.

Mohammed Siraj deception

I, for one am under the impression that Siraj has taken to Test cricket as a fish to the water. He was extremely impressive in that first Test tour to Australia. In just his 2nd Test, he became the leader of the pack. I thought that he is an ideal partner for Bumrah. Fast forward 4 years, Siraj hasn’t done much to be counted as an automatic in the team. Ofcourse, if Mohammed Shami was fit, he would have taken the 2nd seamer’s role. Having said that, Siraj has gained enough experience in the last 4 years.

He has played 30 Tests, though his average is quite decent, his strike rate is woeful. Just 80 wickets in 30 Tests is unacceptable. Siraj himself will admit that he has underachieved. One can say that he has bowled in unfriendly conditions. Agreed but even then, 19 wickets in 13 Tests in India is poor. That is just over one wicket per Test. Siraj is fast going the Umesh Yadav way. A bowler who has pace and decent control but nevertheless, the wicket columns remains weak. Siraj also must realise that there are quite a few bowlers who are ready to step-in. The emergence of Akash Deep, who in his short career, he picked up wickets with the new ball in India, is a threat for him. There are already rumours that Akash Deep will replace Siraj in the 2nd Test. That will be his first warning.

With Shami unlikely to be part of the squad to Australia, Siraj will be part of the bowling attack but it remains to be seen how effective will he be.

Ravindra Jadeja, is he over the hill?

Jadeja’s stocks have dropped drastically. For 4 years, from 2018, he was exceptionally good with the bat. His highest score was achieved during this period. He calm assurance in the crease, sort of rubbed on the others. However, after 2021, his performance with the bat, dipped and dipped alarmingly. What complicates matters is that, his white-ball batting hasn’t been great either. He is in the midst of a slump that no one seems to notice. Yes, he still picks up wickets, especially in India but he is in the team as a batting all-rounder. He is expected to score runs and score consistently because in a side that is determined to play 5 bowlers, one of the all-rounder must score runs. He being the better batsman when compared to Ashwin, expectations are higher on him.

I do not know whether his place is under threat but I certainly hope that he feels the pressure.

Kohli

I have written enough about him. Alongwith Jadeja, I hope Kohli feels the pressure too. It has been 5 years since he has been consistent. If his best days are over, it is better he is treated as a mortal and place comes under increased scrutiny. I do believe that the Australian tour will be his final series if his performance not only improve but improve to the level what he is capable of.

Wrapping up the first Test debacle

Yeah, we have lost the first Test. It has happened before. Nothing to be worried about but these players will have to pull up their sleeves and show what they are made of.

46 was a gigantic hole

Posted on by Bobji

It is impossible to get out of such massive depth because 46 was a gigantic hole that India found itself under. Nevertheless, they did try their best but it wasn’t good enough because with about 357 runs lead, it was always New Zealand’s game to lose. That at one point, it looked like India could set a target tall enough for New Zealand to struggle to overcome must be commended. Nonetheless, this loss was as unexpected as was unacceptable. Without meaning to offend New Zealand, I don’t think India must have lost to a team that reached these shores on the back of a washed out Test against Afghanistan and a 0-2 drubbing in Sri Lanka. Their confidence was low and coupled with India’s record at home, New Zealand would have been deflated. What transpired on the first day or rather the second day, was shocking to say the least.

The Indian teams this millennium have been good travellers. The team has won more number of Tests outside of India over the last 25 years than the last millennium put together. The reason I think is because every Indian team know what to expect outside of India, pace, bounce, swing and seam. The opposition will go to any length to prepare pitches that does not suit the Indian batsmen. Hence, they always know how to react and plan the innings.

Shocked and unable to respond

What transpired at Bangalore was the opposite. India was defeated in the mind. It wasn’t brilliant bowling and it wasn’t lack of skill. New Zealand’s bowling was steady and consistent but it definitely wasn’t spectacular. Indian team is used to expecting pitches without any bounce whatsoever at home. It has been true for the past several decades. Pitches that are good for batting on the first couple of days and as the game meanders, spin comes into the picture. On such pitches, they already have foolproof method that has served the team well over the last few decades. Rohit and the team expected the same to continue. When they got a pitch that bounced a lot more than usual, they were shocked and did not know how to respond.

Rohit and Sarfaraz thought that the best way was to attack but perished in trying to do so. Kohli’s wretched form continued. Once the scoreboard read 12/3, the rest panicked and saw demons on the pitch. No one was able to break the shackles. Pant tried his histrionics but with a lack of support at the other end, he couldn’t do much. He stood at one end and watched as others succumbed around him.

A test of character

This pitch was a good lesson for the team. They will now know that from time to time, Indian pitches will bounce, and they must get used to it. The relentless rain leading upto the Test meant that the pitch did not have the time to break. The intermittent rain during the Test was another that prevented the pitch from drying. Rohit Sharma, by admitting that he must have bowled after winning the toss, can be excused for the decision, but what inexplicable decision was it to leave the 3rd seamer out of the eleven?

Everyone was aware of the volume of rain that the city would receive during the course of the game. With the weather in Bangalore being as it is, it will not be possible for the pitch to break during the span of the game. Common sense dictated three seamers, but Rohit’s wisdom made him choose a 3rd spinner.

Need for partnerships

Having dug a hole for themselves, the team needed a couple of mega partnerships to dig themselves out. They got that, first in the form of Kohli and Sarfaraz and next in the form of Sarfaraz and Pant. All the three batsmen, wiped out 90% of the deficit. Pant was at his usual best. The shot of Southee that took the ball out of the stadium, will be etched in the minds of everyone who watched it. Just like Kohli’s straight hoick of Haris Rauf in the T20 group game in Sydney in 2021, the audacity of the shot was mesmerising. Ideally, the lower middle order must have contributed 150-175 runs. If only they had managed it, the target may still have not been enough but atleast it would have given a chance.

This is the problem when you play 5 bowlers. If even one of the all-rounders is not contributing with the bat, that leaves a huge hole which is not possible to overcome.

Wrapping up 46 was a gigantic hole

Kohli’s form is worrying. Has he past his best? Should we stop expected the daddy hundreds that he scored at will about 5 years ago? An average of 33 over the last 5 years with just 2 hundreds is unacceptable for a player like Kohli. It is time his place is brought into question.

As for Sarfaraz, I am reserving my judgement. Sure, he played brilliantly to get to his maiden hundred. Sure, he was instrumental in ensuring that the massive deficit was overcome without much of a problem. However, I am not able to pass a judgement that he is good because of his response to the second new ball. The moment the second new ball was taken, he became all jittery and the fluency with which he scored 150 was missing. There were far too many plays and misses. It is hard to imagine a batsman batting on 150, become so suspect against the new ball. Does he have it in him to succeed in Australia? Does he have it in him to succeed in England next year? These are questions that only time will answer.

I am also reserving my judgement about Jaiswal who too could not transcend the odds.

From euphoria to misery

Posted on by Bobji

About a couple of weeks ago, Indian cricket supporters were rejoicing over the fact that India was able to pull off an improbable win in just two days against Bangladesh. Praises were sung about the captain and the entire squad with a certain commentator, Sunil Gavaskar, even advocating for the win to be attributed to Rohit Sharma alone and it must be called as Gohit. I agree that it was a fabulous win but nonetheless, it was expected. It was expected that India would try to score at a brisk pace so that they can give themselves a chance to win. The opponent was only Bangladesh and because of that, the team will not be averse to taking risks knowing fully well that they cannot lose the game. From euphoria to misery.

Two weeks down the line, things have completely turned around. A paltry score of 46 against a disciplined but not spectacular New Zealand bowling is atrocious. What perplexed the average viewer was the fact that India chose to bat on an overcast morning against a team that has played in such conditions all along. Let us also remember that New Zealand’s confidence is quite low after a couple of successive reversals in Sri Lanka. Here was a chance to put them even more under the hammer by making them bat first. This is not to say that New Zealand would have crumbled just like India but bowling first under such conditions was the right way to go about.

What could have been the thinking?

Perhaps, the team thought that they will shortly be travelling to Australia where bowling friendly conditions on the first morning are pretty much expected. Hence, to prepare themselves for the series, they decided to take a chance and bat first. This could have been the thinking but risks should not have been taken in the very first Test of the series. It is impossible for India to comeback and draw this game, leave alone win it. It essentially will leave them to win the remaining Tests as well as a couple in Australia. A tall order.

If this was the intent, the execution was horrendous. Rohit Sharma started the decline with an outrageous swipe coming down the track to Southee. It looked like it wasn’t a planned attack but based on pure luck. Sarfaraz Khan was another who played an ugly looking drive on the up. In the short stay in the crease, Sarfaraz gave enough indication about his lack of skill of pitches even slightly challenging. He looked like he didn’t want to be out in the field. There was no intention to stay at the wicket and see off a couple of sessions. The Indian batsmen wanted to hit out of trouble.

More in the mind

The conditions were challenging, but it wasn’t unplayable. All that was needed was for a calm mind. India was defeated in the mind. The batsmen believed that they could not survive under such conditions. India batted almost out of muscle memory and hoped just to hit the bowlers off their length. It took 75 false shots for India to be bowled out. It was more of impulsive shots rather than a calculated assault on the bowling. The batsmen were too shocked to respond to a situation they were unaccustomed to at home. The entire team misjudged the pitch and the conditions to their detriment. Credit must also be given where it is due. New Zealand bowlers did not offers any balls to drive, they pitched in good length assisted by the extra bounce of Rourke.

Youngsters

What is more troubling for India is that inability of the youngsters to transcend the conditions. Shubman Gill was not in the playing eleven but Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan, couple of batsmen on whose shoulders the future of India rests, did not cover themselves with glory. Jaiswal stayed at the wicket for quite sometime but he wasn’t able to convert that to a substantial score. Sarfaraz as mentioned above, looked like he didn’t want to be on the pitch. He was nervous during his short stay. Cummins would have liked the sight of Sarfaraz struggling against the moving ball and he will be waiting for bated breath.

Siraj is another who is not delivering as expected. Though his average is good his strike rate leaves a lot to be desired. He is not even averaging 3 wickets per Test. It is the minimum expected of anyone who calls himself a specialist bowler. Perhaps, the time has come to look past Siraj.

The seniors

Virat Kohli’s continued poor form makes one think whether his best is behind him. Just two hundreds in 5 years in Test cricket is criminal. Neighbouring Pakistan dropped Babar Azam, their premier batsman but India is persisting with Kohli despite his never ending drought. There was a time when the sight of Kohli sent shivers down the spine of the bowlers but not anymore. Now, his arrival only makes bowlers queue up to bowl to him. Rohit is forever in T20 mode. He plays a few cameos and gets out at inopportune moments. As for Rahul, opinion is divided about him. There are those who wants to move past Rahul and there are those who wants him to open the innings.

Wrapping up from euphoria to misery

Michael Vaughan tweeted rather sarcastically, “look on the bright side Indian fans. Atleast you have got past 36.” This was scathing as it was sarcastic. Likewise there were many such trolls, most famously by Cricket Australia who tweeted whether 46 is the new 36. If these rejuvenates India into not just somehow managing to win this game but to win the series 3-0, that will be fantastic.

The Root Brook partnership

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One is an accomplished master whereas the other is an upcoming talent who has announced himself at the highest stage in a grand manner. One is already established his legacy whereas the other has taken little steps on the way to establishing his own legacy. The Joe Root and Harry Brook partnership at Multan is one for dreams. Both of them play for the same county, Yorkshire though they may not have played together too often. One has already become the highest scorer for England in Test cricket whereas the other may get there someday in the distant future. Overall, the batting on display was something that was tremendous to watch. Root goes about his batting in an unassumed manner without any of the extravagant shots though he has begun to play such shots eversince the initiation of Bazball. Brook is someone who is by nature an aggressive batsman.

Ofcourse, for a Pakistan fan, this was nothing short of humiliating. They can only blame their team and the PCB for producing a pitch that was full of runs. On such pitches, the current generation of English batsmen are not afraid to play their shots. They are not scared of getting out in the process. PCB must have prepared a pitch that is the anti-thesis of English batting. Spin. This blog is not about that ofcourse but is of the batting of Root and Brook.

Complimenting each other

Needless to say that it was the breathtaking partnership that resulted in the English victory. Without the pace and the deflating nature of those innings, the Test will end in a draw. Root treated the bowling with a little bit of respect but Brook on the otherhand, was completely and utterly ruthless. He did not spare any bowler and took a special liking to the Pakistan spinners. The flat nature of the pitch helped in a great deal. All he had to do was just plonk the foot down and go through the line of the shot. There wasn’t any bounce or movement of the air and hence, it was safe to play.

Having surpassed Alastair Cook to become England’s highest scorer in Test history, Root also went onto post his highest individual score of 262. He had a real opportunity to score his first triple hundred but perhaps, tiredness got the better of him. It is a record that will remain out of reach for the foreseeable future. It will not stand the test of time because eventually, someone will break the record. Root himself believes that Harry Brook who has got a complete game, will probably get there one day.

Comments about each other

“He’s got such a complete game. He can score all around the wicket, he plays seam well, spin well and high pace well, and that’s a pretty good recipe for scoring runs. I’m not surprised at all in him going on and doing something special like that, but I don’t think it’ll be the last time we see him with a monster score by his name.”

For his part, Brook also gave wholesome praise to his teammate at both Yorkshire and England.

“It makes you feel so comfortable when you’re watching him at the other end,” Brook said. “He makes the game look so easy when he’s playing the ball so late, and making the bowlers look so slow… We just tried to cash in on what was a good pitch.”

Brook’s 317 was only the 6th triple hundred by an English batsman. It was the first since Graham Gooch scored that mega 330 against India at Lord’s. It has taken more than 30 years for a English batsman to score a triple and it was influenced by the calming presence of Root at the other end as acknowledged by Brook.

Tremendous stamina and strength

Just about 6 months ago, when Brook was with his grandmother, he wanted to lose weight and get leaner and fitter. Hence, he ran and ran and ran to make himself super fit.

“That three-month period I had at the start of the year was massive for me,” Brook said. “I obviously lost a bit of weight, and tried to get as fit as possible by eating well, running and gymming.”

This showed in the number of non-boundary runs the pair scored. 199 singles, 55 twos and 11 threes. It required not just stamina and strength but great game awareness and single-minded focus. After lunch on the 4th day, he scored 99 of just 65 deliveries, especially, treating Salman Agha and Saim Ayub as club bowlers. They were dispatched to all part of the ground. Perhaps, 10 more overs, Brook could have broken England’s record for the highest scorer as well as the world record of Brian Lara.

Wrapping up the Root Brook partnership

Root has about a couple of years left in him during which time, Brook will do well to tap into his experience. For all that Brook and Root has done so far in Pakistan and in other parts of the world, they will be judged purely on the basis of their performance next year in Australia. Legacy is created and tarnished in Australia for England cricketers. Root despite multiple opportunities, is yet to score a hundred down under. Next year will be his final opportunity.

As for Brook, if he could carry on his form to Australia, not only would he have cemented himself into the next great Englsih batsman but would have helped England to regain the Ashes.

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Fashioning such a win

Posted on by Bobji

There was a time when England were always bothered against Pakistan. It could be in England or it could be in Pakistan. They had a mental block that just did not go away whenever they were up against Pakistan. Somehow, Pakistan managed to find that additional energy when it came to England. Things have, however, changed over the last 5 years. Not only England are not scared of Pakistan but they have begun to dominate them in a way only a few teams have done in the past. The Multan win was one such instance of England displaying their might. Fashioning such a win was something extraordinary. Though it was on the back of a couple of fabulous innings from Root and Brook, the bowlers too much be credited for the victory.

Pakistan did this the last time around. A couple of years ago, the pitches in all the 3 Tests between these two teams in Pakistan were plain batting tracks. Runs were there for the taking. The bowlers were never in the picture. All the batsmen had to do was just stay on the wicket, the runs will come. The Pakistan team, the board and the curators basically wanted Pakistan to draw the games for which such placid tracks will help. It would have been alright for the England of the past but the present England team, which specialises on Bazball, this is a wrong strategy.

Not looking to draw games

They do not play for draws anymore. They are intent on winning every game and are prepared to risk losing inorder to win. The attitude shift has been brought about by Ben Stokes and Brendan McCullum. It does not mean that the players were not to be credited but the fact that they brought into the scheme of things, meant that all of them could express themselves and would not be reprimanded for any fault. This is the attitude that the English players carried onto the field at Multan too and this was the trap that Pakistan fell into. They did not learn the lessons from the last series. Against the power hitters of England, preparing batting track is equal to suicide. Which insane fellow asked for such pitches is beyond me.

Did they want to help Babar Azam and the rest to score runs and thereby increase their averages? Did they want to help Babar Azam in particular so that he can be counted among the greats of the game? I do not know. What I know for sure is that on such pitches, against the poor quality of Pakistan’s bowlers, they were asking for trouble.

The sheer pace

The sheer pace of batting left the Pakistan team crumbled. They spent three days on the field running after the ball to all parts of the ground. England scored 478 runs from ones and twos. As a result, the players who batted in the 2nd innings were a bunch of tired legs.

Woakes said, “Here in the subcontinent, you can have three supposedly dull days and then the game can happen quickly. That was always the plan: once we were able to get ahead and run them ragged in the field, it was always going to be hard for them, even on that surface.”

If the opposition is not careful about the scoring rate, England will quickly runaway with the game. Especially, if the pitch does not crumble, their opposition will have serious problem because of the sheer scoring rate. Whether a pitch that helped the spinners would have paved a win for Pakistan is another question because I don’t think they have the quality of players to win against England but atleast it would have lessen the pain of such hammering.

Joe Root and the purple patch

Root went past Cook during the course of the innings and became the highest run scorer for England. This is hard to imagine until a few years ago. Towards the end of 2020, Root’s average was at an all-time low of 47. His average between 2018 and 2020 was less than 40. There were suggestions that he just did not belong to the level of Kohli, Smith and Williamson. More than 4000 runs since then including 18 hundreds has left Root as the most consistent batsman during this period. The next is Karunaratne with just over 2000 runs. Smith, Williamson and Kohli, who are his compatriots when it comes to the marketing gimmick of fab-4, are nowhere to be seen.

Having said that, has Root really cemented his legacy? Only time can answer. The next year’s Ashes in Australia, which will be his last in that country, will be his final opportunity to correct an anomaly. He hasn’t scored a single hundred in Australia. With the prospect of 10 innings, if he returns without a single hundred, his reputation will be tarnished forever. With captaincy of his chest and the confidence of runs behind him, the odds are for him to succeed finally.

Harry Brook is another batsman to watch out for. He has developed a liking for Pakistan. So much so that, 4 of his hundreds, including the mammoth triple, have come against them in that country.

Wrapping up fashioning such a win

England’s series results under McCullum have been a mixed bag. They have beaten teams they would expect to, drawn with Australia, and lost heavily in India earlier this year but it is their style and approach that has made them such a compelling team to watch. This display at Multan will only reemphasise their approach to Bazball cricket. It has worked like a charm against most of the teams.

Other blogs

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