Bobji, Author at Cricket Critique

A ghost laid to rest

Posted on 17 November 202317 November 2023 by Bobji

India laid a ghost to rest. It has been awhile since they defeated New Zealand in an ICC knockout. Most of us were worried when New Zealand qualified but that ghost now lies buried. However, was it a game to be remembered? I am afraid the answer is no. Was it a complete entertainment? Ofcourse, it was. Was it a good advertisement for the game? It was but it wasn’t. Let me elaborate on a ghost laid to rest.

India so far in this tournament has been nothing short of brilliant. They have most of the bases covered with good aggressive batting, excellent and incisive seam bowling and a good pair of spinners. Almost everyone has chipped in with vital contributions throughout the tournament so far. A final beckons and it calls for one last excellent performance to lift the cup that has eluded the team for so long.

Poor advertisement for the game

All said and done, yesterday’s game at The Wankhede wasn’t a good advertisement for the game. For the layman, who enjoys the batsmen hitting 4s and 6s, it was a good game to watch but for real cricket lovers, it wasn’t a game to be remembered. This has gone on for far too long. Nowadays, in white ball cricket, be it ODI or T20, the bowlers are treated as an afterthought. All they have to do is run along and hurl the ball only for the batsmen to drill it down to any part of the ground. With the pitches having absolutely no assistance for the bowlers, they are at the mercy of the batsmen to make a mistake to pick up wickets. This must never be the case.

Bowlers are very much part of the game. It is they who make the game riveting to watch. No one is asking for any exaggerated movement off the surface or excessive turn but a little bit of assistance that will keep the bowler interested. It could be bounce or it could be turn. Either way, the bowler must feel that he is in the game. Did the bowlers feel that at The Wankhede? Certainly not. The only point of contention would have been how to restrict the batsmen from scoring more than 350. The pitch was absolutely flat. The batsmen need not worry about movement, bounce or turn. None of those essences of bowling were given even an iota of a chance.

It was really sad to see good bowlers plonked to all parts of the ground. Ideally, games with scores in the range of 250-275 are thrilling games. Anything in excess of 300, the fielders will be chasing leather.

Small ground and short boundaries

Another point of contention is the fact that the Wankhede is among the smallest cricket grounds. Does it really qualify to host international games and that too, a World Cup semi-final? I do not think so. It is time the ICC puts their foot down and lays certain guidelines for every ground around the world. The minimum boundary length must be 80MTS on all sides. The length can vary around the ground but it must not be below the minimum stipulated length. The batsmen must be made to work for their runs.

With short boundaries and powerful bats, even a slight top edge sails over the boundary. There is no problem if good and powerful hits sail over the boundary and a properly timed shot goes along the ground to the boundary. This will be the case even on larger grounds. On such grounds as Wankhede, you don’t really need to time the shot. Brute power is enough to take the ball over. This must change and change immediately.

Complaints about the pitch

Prior to the start of the game, there were complaints about the pitch being doctored to India’s advantage. There were media reports that stated that the BCCI went over the ICC and changed the pitch at the last minute which was supposed to turn to help the Indian spinners. However, nothing of that sort happened. Neither Kuldeep nor Jadeja were more effective than Santner and Philipps. The pitch did not help any team except for the batsmen from both sides. Close to 750 runs were scored which would not have been possible if the pitch had assisted the Indian spinners. Such talks must stop.

It would still have been alright if the pitch had assisted the spinners. Atleast, there would have been a balance between bat and ball. Instead of such a high-scoring nonsense, it would have resulted in a low-scoring thriller.

Choice of the man of the match

The one good thing I can say about the game was the choice of the man of the match. It was rightly awarded to Shami despite a record-breaking hundred by Kohli, a blistering hundred by Shreyas Iyer and an equally excellent 100 from Daryl Mitchell. It is hard to believe that Mitchell went unsold in last year’s IPL auction. Things will surely change this year and all the franchises must be having their eyes on him. Be that as it may, usually,

MOM is given to the highest run scorer. In this case, especially when Kohli scored the 50^th hundred and a couple of other 100s, it is admirable for a bowler to have been given the MOM. If New Zealand had won, the man of the match could have been Mitchell Santer because just 51 runs in 10 overs on the flattest pitch and in one of the shortest grounds, it was an awesome effort.

Wrapping up a ghost laid to rest

The bottomline is that only when bowlers are given assistance, will games be interesting.

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Tournament is at the business end

Posted on 17 November 202317 November 2023 by Bobji

The ODI World Cup is at the business end of the tournament. More than a month of league games are finally done and dusted and the 4 semi-finalists were decided during the last week of the tournament. Two of them, India and Australia have reached the final-4 stage as predicted by every expert, whereas New Zealand, who have always been a dark horse, has also made it to the final 4 though the manner of how they reached their will not satisfy them. After a fabulous start, they lost their way and found themselves jostling with Pakistan and Afghanistan for the final spot. Nevertheless, they have reached the target.

The 4^th semifinalist proved to be someone who was expected to reach there. South Africa. They played a brand of cricket that was not seen from them. Temba Bavuma continues to be a problem at the top of the order and so is their fallibility while chasing. Quinton, Van der Dussen and Klaasen are doing most of the damage with the bat with Jansen chipping in often. Nonetheless, they have proved that they deserve to be in the semi-finals by virtue of their display against top nations.

Let me analyse the group stage

I will start with my country, India. We Indians could not believe the top 4. It is not that India is in the top 4 but the manner of how the team reached there is unbelievable. We are not used to India reaching the knockouts of any tournament at the first opportunity. There will always be hiccups and in most of the tournaments, we depend on the performance of other teams to lose badly for us to proceed. Social media is awash with India losing atleast one league game so that the jinx will be removed before the final rounds. We do not consider the fact that Australia for two and a half World Cups, remained undefeated because this is India and we have to lose some game. We have been tuned into that mindset.

However, this time, things changed drastically. Not only did India reach the knockout at the first given opportunity but we have done so without losing a single game. The fact that the tournament is being held in India is an advantage but even so, to win 9 games on the trot is a feat no many teams can boast about.

Australia and South Africa

Things fell in place for Australia the moment David Warner started to score runs. He not only gave the team a flying start but he ensured that he stayed at the wicket for a longtime. On the otherhand, Smith’s and Labuschagne’s continued lack of success, though Smith has scored a couple of 50s, may haunt them in the knockouts. Australia will bank on the fact that South Africa traditionally have been if not scared, atleast indecisive against them.

After being defeated by India and South Africa, they won 7 games on the trot including a breathtaking Maxwell assault against Afghanistan. It means that they have come back to their winning ways which will surely improve their confidence. A confident Australia is a dangerous opponent.

As for South Africa, as I have written above, they have played a brand of cricket not seen from them. Under Bavuma, they have reached their first goal but to proceed from here will take a lot of doing. This is Quinton’s final tournament and he will be itching to make a big contribution. Bavuma is a weak link from which South Africa will not be able to extricate themselves unless he is injured. They did have some nervy moments including that famous boundary by Keshav Maharaj against Pakistan. It all depends on how they are able to handle their nerve against Australia. Yes, they did defeat them in the league phase but they know that Australia in the semis is a different beast.

Afghanistan, Pakistan and England

Easily the most disappointing side and the most exciting side finished in the middle. Afghanistan will rue the loss, of all teams, against Bangladesh. If they had won that, knowing that a win would allow them to the next round, could have won against Australia too. It was a performance that was nothing short of impressive. Afghanistan has the talent and the potential despite the meagre opportunities that they get. With a lot more exposure, they can easily become the 2^nd best side in the sub-continent, easily defeating the likes of Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh and giving a close fight to Pakistan. What they need is more games and a proper first-class structure. Knowing the situation in their country, it would be miracle but if India could arrange for the Afghans to play in the Indian first-class system or organise Afghanistan’s first-class structure, that would help them immensely.

England was the most disappointing side. Not only did they failed to make it to the semi-finals but until the last game, they were in danger of being disqualified from next year’s Champions Trophy. Their batting failed, bowling failed and the entire team ran like headless chickens. Root and Bairstow did not perform in a single game that mattered. They actually went back to the England of 2014 and before.

It was strange that Pakistan despite their 4 losses, remained in contention almost till the end. Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi were treated with disdain by every opponent.

The bottom teams

Bangladesh, Netherlands and Sri Lanka provided the occasional thrill but nothing beyond that. Bangladesh, despite being awarded Test status almost 30 years ago, has not done anything of note. Their game has actually gone backwards. It is time to send them back to associate nation status. The same opportunities if given to Afghanistan, by now, they would have been among the 4 semi-finalists.

Wrapping up tournament is at the business end

Let’s see what the semi-finals throw up.

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The indomitable Australian spirit

Posted on 17 November 202317 November 2023 by Bobji

The indomitable Australian spirit was on display in all its glory at The Wankhede on 7^th of November against Afghanistan. It was led by the likes of Maxwell and the captain Pat Cummins. Not for nothing have Australia won so many world titles in all the 3 formats of the game. There is a saying in Australia that nothing is lost until it is lost. They fight right till the end and Australians in general are not known to throw the towel in. Maxwell played a blinder of an innings. It certainly is among the great innings played in the history of ODI cricket. Whether it is the greatest innings in the history of ODI cricket, it is debatable. There were so many innings which was on par with the innings of Maxwell.

Also, it is another matter that if only Najeeb had held onto a dolly, Afghanistan would have made history at the same venue. However, it was not to be. He also survived an umpire decision that was overturned by the 3^rd umpire. It was his day and he wasn’t going to miss it. He made the most out of it the twin reprieve and ensured that he took his team over the line. Cramps or otherwise. Maxwell we all are aware is capable of playing such blinding innings once in awhile but what stood out was the composure shown by the captain, Pat Cummins.

“It’s so fresh at the moment I’m a bit numb to it,” Maxwell told reporters. “It was great fun. It just felt like it was me and Patty [Cummins] having fun out there. I’ll probably reflect a bit more over the next few days and hopefully recover and get some movement back in my hamstring and calves. It’s pretty raw at the moment.”

The support act of Cummins

More than Maxwell it was Cummins who showcased the Australian spirit in all its splendour. When Cummins came in, he witnessed the dismissal of Mitchell Starc who was given out despite the fact that the ball never touched the bat on the way to the keeper, it just brushed the stump.

The Australians were so dumbfounded until that point that Starc did not even think of reviewing the decision because he himself wasn’t sure. The batsmen will usually know when they hit the cover of the ball. Nonetheless, Starc didn’t because in his mind, he believed that he was out. Perhaps, he felt that the appeal was so convincing that he definitely edged the ball. The Aussies were mesmerised by the quality of the Afghanistan attack. It was Cummins who not only provided the much needed support for Maxwell but showed the resilience that the Aussies are famous for.

Cummins did not even try to score singles. He was content to play out the deliveries rather than be involved in some fancy shots that would have brought about his downfall. It must be remembered that after Cummins, both Zampa and Hazlewood were more or less cheap dismissals. Cummins knew that he needed to survive as long as he can. He must have had immense faith in the ability of Maxwell, if not to pull off the impossible but at the least, reduce the margin so that the NRR will not be affected drastically. It will be suffice to say that Cummins played a captain’s innings. He was unflustered throughout his innings. Suddenly, the bowling became much more easier.

Aussies are known for such resilience

This is not something new for Australia. They have done this multiple times in the past. Who can forget the epic1999 World Cup semi-finals between Australia and South Africa? Who would have expected Australia to defend just above 200? It was Shane Warne who provoked a top-order slump and from then on, Australia were all over South Africa. They didn’t panic even when Klusener stroked a couple of boundaries in the final over with just 10 required. Anyone who witnessed that game, will never ever forget it in a hurry except ofcourse, he or she is a South African.

It usually takes something special to pull one over Australia. The brilliance of Laxman in India and Laxman and Dravid in Australia or the fabulous innings of Ben Stokes at Headingley will always be remembered because of the audacity of those knocks.

Ofcourse, the current Australian team is just a patch on the all-conquering Australian team of the 1990s and early 2000 but they still will not give up that easily.

Australia won the T20 World Cup a couple of years ago in Dubai against every odd. No one expected them to win but they did. Mathew Wade on that occasion proved to be their hero with an awesome counter-attacking knock against the pace of Afridi and Harris Rauf.

Wrapping up the indomitable Australian spirit

Australia maybe down but they are never out. The message to every opposition is clear. Do not count your chickens until they hatch.

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The World Cup is at the halfway stage 2

Posted on 4 November 20234 November 2023 by Bobji

Before you begin to read The World Cup is at the halfway stage 2, please read The World Cup is at the halfway stage.

In this blog, I will analyse about how the rest of the teams have fared so far and where are they headed.

I will begin with New Zealand

At the moment, New Zealand is fancied to be the 4^th team to reach the semis. I should say that it has really been a steep fall for them because at the end of the first couple of weeks, they could do no wrong. They disposed off the defending champion with considerable ease and reeled off 4 consecutive wins. From a dark horse, they catapulted themselves in the eyes of the experts to one of the favourites. They met a strong Indian side and from then on, it has been downhill for New Zealand. Not to mention the multiple injuries through the side, it will not be a shock if they are bumped off before the final 4. For a team that began so brightly, this must rankle them for the foreseeable future if they are unable to reach the semi.

New Zealand still has a couple of games. Against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Pakistan have always been a thorn in the flesh of New Zealand. Even during their famous run in 1992, they lost 2 games and both of them were to Pakistan. The same happened in 2019 when they lost to Pakistan but prevailed against most of the top teams. Now, Pakistan is against standing in the middle of their way to the semis, though they are expected to defeat Sri Lanka and thereby reach atleast 10 points.

Nevertheless, New Zealand will be thrilled at the emergence of Rachin Ravindra. For a 22 year old, he has shown remarkable composure and good presence of mind in all the games he has played. The small matter of twin hundreds is a testimony to the fact that he is a serious cricketer and that every opponent will have to take note of him.

The mid-table

Not much was expected of Pakistan but they are always known to spring surprises. They have shot themselves in the foot by not just losing 4 consecutive games but the margin of the defeat was too heavy. The defeat against Afghanistan did not help. They only comfort for Pakistan is that they are up against a couple of opponents against whom they will fancy their chances. New Zealand has never been that competitive against them and England, who is not just short of confidence but short of personnel and short of quality, Pakistan will be thrilled if they can win both games.

Afghanistan has become the darling of the masses. 3 wins including a couple against much fancied rivals means that they are in the reckoning to go to the next round. Their next opponent, The Netherlands may not pose much of a threat to Afghanistan and at the end of their 7^th game, they will probably be having 4 wins, one more than Pakistan. At the beginning of the tournament, they will be thrilled to have known that at the halfway stage, they will be among the top 5. The batting has really come of age as showcased by the beautifully placed chase against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan has the talent and the ability to become a force in Asia provided they get consistent opportunities. At the current stage, they are easily better than Sri Lanka and Afghanistan albeit in white-ball cricket.

Sri Lanka, nothing much can be said about them. Ever since the retirement of Sangakkara, Murali and to a certain extent, Jayawardene, they have ceased to be a force in world cricket. A win against Sri Lanka in their own country does not count for much.

The bottom three

One team in the bottom three is a major disappointment. England. What happened to them, no one has an answer for that. They were destroyed by New Zealand in the very first game and from then on, they were sort of confused about what went wrong and what needs to be done. Moreover, England placed a lot of faith in Ben Stokes whose eventual return will even things and that he will wield his usual magic. By the time, Stokes came into the picture, England had one foot on the exit door. Even Stokes couldn’t do much to help the team out of trouble.

Then Moeen Ali made an outrageous comment on going out with a bang. It was appalling because he is the vice-captain.

“There’s no point playing the way we’re playing and then [we will] go out and go home and have regrets. I’ve always believed – and I believe still – that if we play how we play and we know we can play, most teams, we’ll beat… let’s at least go out with a bang, if we’re going to go out. And be entertaining. That’s really important, because that’s something we haven’t been at all.”

It clearly showed that England did not think that they could defend the title.

The Netherlands and Bangladesh

The Netherlands atleast was able to spring a surprise by defeating South Africa but Bangladesh has not progressed at all. It has been close to 30 years since they were granted Test status despite not showing enough consistency. These last 25 years have only shown what a ridiculous decision that was. It is not that they didn’t get opportunities to improve. 75 years ago, these many games were unthinkable but now, Bangladesh play a minimum of 20 games every year. Yet, the return has been few and far.

Wrapping up the World Cup is at the halfway stage 2

Well, that is then. I think I have been fair in analysing all the teams.

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The World Cup is at the halfway stage

Posted on 4 November 20234 November 2023 by Bobji

The cricket World Cup is at the halfway stage. All the teams have completed 6 games with some of them sitting comfortably, while the others are a bit nervous. The defeats inflicted by the likes of Afghanistan and The Netherlands have actually kept the gates for certain teams open. There has been some brutal hitting from the likes of Australia and South Africa. The host, India, has been doing well. The spinners have been mostly effective and that helped Afghanistan because they are a spin heavy side. There has been a huge furore over the empty seats where India is not involved. England’s abject surrender in most of the games was shocking. The World Cup is at the halfway stage.

The top two sides

India and South Africa. India has done exceptionally well so far. The fact that the games are all played at home has helped India immensely. The one factor that is both a joy and a concern for the Indian team is the fact that they chased in 5 out of the 6 games. In the one game where we batted first, our batsmen didn’t cover themselves with glory. The opponents in the Semi-Finals and Finals, likely to be Australia and South Africa, have amassed runs to the tune of close to 400 though South Africa has found themselves in a spot of bother in 2 games while chasing. A substantial score, in excess of 350 in one of the remaining games will make the batsmen feel much more confident going into the final rounds.

The major highlight for India is the bowling in the middle overs. The bowlers have regularly picked up wickets thereby restricting the scoring. Against Pakistan and against New Zealand, when there was a partnership building along, the bowlers, especially, Kuldeep and Bumrah stopped the opponents in their tracks by getting rid of key wickets. Shami has been effective in the 2 games he has played thereby all but driving out Siraj from the team if the need arises to strengthen the lower-order batting. Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer continue to be the bottleneck for batting. Their lack of runs is piling on some pressure on Rohit, Kohli and Rahul.

Gill cannot claim that he is back from a bout of dengue and that he is tired. If that is the case, he must not be playing at all. Shreyas’s short-ball woes continue to trouble him with poor choice of shots.

South Africa

What can one say about the batting brilliance of the Proteas? Quinton at the top has been exceptional with 3 hundreds so far. He is supported superbly by the likes of Van der Dussen and Markaram with some late-order hitting from Klaasen and Miller. Marco Jansen’s all-round capability has provided the edge to them. If not with the bat, he consistently chips in with wickets at crucial stages. He may have even upstaged Rabadda which is a huge compliment. India struggled against the pace and bounce of Jansen in South Africa about 18 months ago and will hope that they do not have to play against him in the knockouts.

South Africa is the only team that has posted scores in excess of 350 on more than 3 occasions. Few of them have come against England and New Zealand. If the ground was smaller or if the pitch was placid, it didn’t matter to their bowlers who skittled those teams for paltry scores. The only sore note for South Africa is the captain. Temba Bavuma is not an international cricketer, let alone a captain. If not for the racial quota, he would not been on the side. He drags the team down with his batting. With a punishing top order, dashing middle order and probing bowlers, South Africa is on a mission.

India and South Africa are expected to qualify for the semis quite easily. Their opponents aren’t that strong with one game against each other. That promises to be the clash for the top of the table. The winner will top the table.

The next couple of teams

Australia and New Zealand. Both the teams had contrasting starts to their campaign. Australia lost both their opening games whereas New Zealand won 4 games in a row until they hit the wall against India. New Zealand will be the much-worried team at the moment. The defeat against South Africa was devastating. It will take a lot of effort from them to come out of that annihilation. They lost the game by close to 200 hundreds which in an ODI is nothing short of catastrophic. New Zealand is further hampered because of the injuries to their key personnel.

Matt Henry and James Neesham have joined a growing list of injured players. Williamson is already ruled out of the tournament and Ferguson is also nurturing an injury. New Zealand traditionally struggles against Pakistan. This time, with so many injured players, it is difficult to see them pass the Pakistan hurdle. They will require a super-human effort to do so. New Zealand is known for their tenacity and they will need that in abundance against its perennial foes. Having lost to South Africa and that too so miserably, they must win their remaining games. One of them is against Pakistan.

Australia

World Cup and Australia cannot be separated. Not for nothing are they rated among the favourites in every World Cup. They raise their game and themselves when it comes to World Cup or Ashes. The addition of Travis Head at the top has given them in general and Warner in particular, the much-needed freedom to bat positively. Warner has responded with 2 energy sapping hundreds and Head looked like he was never injured. Mitchell Marsh is supporting them quite nicely but the main problem is the twins. Smith and Labuschagne. Neither of them is able to force the pace and has been found surplus to requirement. It is obvious that only one, if at all, can play.

Bowling is another worry for Australia. None of Starc, Cummins or Hazlewood is able to prevent the opposition from scoring quickly. This will play in the minds of the batsmen who will be forced to take additional risks in trying to boost the score.

Wrapping up the World Cup is at the halfway stage

In all likelihood, these 4 teams will be the final 4 unless Afghanistan or Pakistan can spring a surprise or two.

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The tale of two close games

Posted on 4 November 20234 November 2023 by Bobji

This World Cup has finally got it. Close games. That too, a couple of games in quick succession. The first half of the World Cup has more or less been one-sided. South Africa and Australia piled on the runs. South Africa even annihilated England to the tune of 399, and Australia was no different. They virtually out-batted their opponents. Hence, the tournament itself was longing for a close game and we got two. South Africa against Pakistan and Australia against New Zealand. Both the games went down right till the end. One in terms of wickets and the other in terms of balls left. Though both of them were close, one made for gripping viewing and the other rather boring viewing. This is the tale of two close games.

Close games are really fun. It keeps everyone on the edge of their seats. More so, if it happens to be one’s own team. As for the neutral, it makes for a good viewing. For the neutral, it does not really matter who wins as long as he or she gets the worth of their money. Whereas some close games are what cricket needs, there are some that the sport can do without.

Survival of ODI cricket

The South African vs Pakistan game had everything in it. It had excellent bowling performances and it also had the thrill and the nail-biting finish at the end. This is exactly what the game, especially, ODI cricket needs. Already, ODIs are in danger of being completely excluded from the cricketing calendar. There are calls for ODIs to be made a World Cup only event with Tests and franchise cricket taking priority. In a way, it makes sense because ODIs have become quite stale. Its very survival is being threatened now and one-sided games do not really promote interest in the format. It is for precisely this reason that the South Africa / Pakistan game was good for the format.

The result was unknown right till the last South African wicket with a handful of balls to be delivered. South Africa at one stage was actually pretty well placed to make this another one-sided event but some determined bowling from Pakistan, circumspect batting by the South Africans and a bit of nerve, combined to make it an enthralling contest.

The beautiful pitch at Chennai

The pitch that was laid out for the game was a real beauty. It has sufficient pace on it that makes the balls reach the bat just in time for the batsmen to play their shots. The pace wasn’t over-friendly towards the bowler nor was the turn completely supportive of the spinners. Hence, the batsmen were unable to plonk their foot down the pitch and hoick the bowlers to all parts of the ground. This is pretty much expected of a sporting pitch. It does not have to support the bowlers overwhelmingly nor does it have to become a flat track for the batsmen the make merry. It had everything on it for a proper cricket game.

The contrasting game at Dharmshala

This was another close game but only on paper. Yes, Australia in the end won by just 5 runs and the game went right till the last over. New Zealand chased brilliantly. They almost crossed the line when Australia were able to scuttle them at the end. 100 overs were played and the result was achieved in the last over.

Was it really a close game? Was it exciting to watch? If you just go by the result, yes, it was exciting but if you had seen the game, it was anything but. Let me look at it. It was a game where 400 chased 400. For a team to score 400, one, the pitch must be extremely flat and two, it must be a small ground. Dharmshala, we all know is a small ground. There is hardly any difference between the 30 yards circle and the boundary line. If you can beat the circle, it is a boundary. Hitting a six is extremely easy on that ground. Such is the state of the ground.

Do we really want to see the bowlers getting hit to the tune of 800 runs? The game had some good bowlers in Starc, Cummins, Hazlewood and Boult. Yet, all of them were powerless to prevent the batsmen from just going on the front foot and hitting through the line. The bowlers were made redundant.

Redundant bowlers

It would have been better if the bowlers were told that on such grounds, the game does not need you. We will play with bowling machines. What is the point in having such grounds and that too in the World Cup? Such grounds must never be allowed to host any game. If they had to, they must be told that the pitch must ensure either bounce or spin. The bowlers must have a say in the outcome of the game. They must be provided an opportunity to restrict and take wickets. What we witnessed on the night at Dharamshala was a farce and nothing else.

Wrapping up the tale of two close games

Of late, ODIs have become a lottery. It is not much different from T20 in terms of helping the batsmen. There were talks of some team breaching the 500-run mark. Inorder to do that, the pitch must be as flat as it is possible which makes the bowlers redundant. The game will become a shootout between the powerful set of batsmen. T20 can survive this because it is more or less accepted that it is a format only for the batsmen but ODI cannot. The sooner pitches all over the world are made to assist the bowlers, the better it is for the sport itself. Otherwise, in the distant future, I can see the game losing its appeal.

The best example is the ground in Pune where the straight boundary is just 58 metres. It effectively means that the full length of the ground is not even twice that of the 30 yard circle.

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England has given up their hope

Posted on 28 October 202328 October 2023 by Bobji

Yes, England has given up their hope. This is by the likes of none other than their vice-captain Moeen Ali. One wonders whether they had given up even before the tournament began or just before the Sri Lanka game? As I write this, England just lost the game to Sri Lanka rather miserably. They are effectively knocked out of the World Cup. The defending champion is unable to proceed to the final 4 and goes out at the first opportunity. This is part and parcel of the game but what was appalling was the comment made by their vice-captain, Moeen Ali. It was outrageous to say the least.

Moeen’s comments

First of all, I just cannot fathom how someone like Moeen Ali can be made the vice-captain? He has never been a performer to be considered a certainty in the first eleven. His best performances have come few and far between. On what basis was he made the vice-captain? I cannot think of anything else but his seniority. It is startling to find that England does not have anyone else who could have been the VC.

The same Moeen did not even find a spot in the eleven after the first game against South Africa. He was dropped for 4 consecutive games. On his return to the team against Sri Lanka, he did not perform any better. This time, he had a lot of time to build a proper innings because by the time he was in, England had lost half the side with more than 30 remaining. In the company of Ben Stokes, he could have built a decent total for him and his bowlers to defend but he didn’t.

“When Jos asks me what I think for the side and I don’t put myself in, or if I put myself in, that’s the hardest bit,” he said. “You try and do what’s best for the team as much as you can.”

A player who himself is not sure whether he is part of the best playing eleven, how can he be the VC? Imagine the helplessness of the captain, Jos Buttler. He is given the task of informing the VC that he is not part of the best playing eleven.

Go out with a bang

What makes the situation alarming is the fact that Moeen and the England squad, before the Sri Lanka game had already decided that if England did go out, they would like to go out with a bang. England still had an outside chance of qualifying. All they had to do was to play proper, consistent and fearless cricket that they have been known for over the last several years. Did that transpire on the pitch? Not really. England was confused and short on confidence. It clearly showed that even in the dressing room, England did not believe that they could reach the semi and that they have the personnel for such a late charge.

England was one of the favourites to not just reach the final 4 but to win the title itself. They have earned that right by their extraordinary performances over the last several years. Every cricket analyst would have had England among the top 3 who could win the World Cup.

Wrapping up England has given up their hope

Never in my wildest dream did I imagine England to go out so early in the tournament. Surely, Buttler’s captaincy tenure has ended. Unlike Morgan, Buttler hasn’t been that inspirational. Perhaps, England need McCullum for white-ball cricket too because Ashley Giles has fallen way too short.

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Afghanistan and South Africa’s efficiency

Posted on 28 October 20231 January 2024 by Bobji

Last week saw some dominant displays from Afghanistan and South Africa. South Africa was absolutely brutal in disposing of their opponents except for The Netherlands, whereas Afghanistan, was at their clinical best against Pakistan. The domination of South Africa and the display of Afghanistan were not expected. Afghanistan have almost put their southern neighbour on the brink. This World Cup is producing results that were not expected before the start of the tournament. First, the Netherlands shock and now, Afghanistan. I believe that Afghanistan is not finished in this tournament. They will fancy their chances against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. This blog is about Afghanistan and South Africa’s efficiency.

South Africa would not have figured in anyone’s final 4 list. The usual suspects, India, England, Australia and Pakistan / New Zealand would have been the choice for most of the cricket experts. I wasn’t different either though I do not qualify as a cricketing expert. South Africa has so far shown that they are here in India on a mission and that they must not be taken lightly by any team. The 200-odd runs annihilation of England must serve as a wake up call for any team that did not take South Africa seriously. Quinton Kock is in the form of his life. This is his last ODI World Cup and he is very much determined to make it count. 3 hundreds in 5 games is Bradmanesque consistency.

The batsmen having merry

Klaasen down the order relishes in taking apart opposition bowling. The sheer brutality of his runs must demoralise any team before they begin their innings. 3 of the top 5 scores in this World Cup belong to South Africa. The leading run scorer so far is a South African and they have blitzed their way to the first 400+ total. By the looks of it, there is more to come. However, one glaring factor is that they have pulverized attacks while batting first but came a cropper while chasing against the Netherlands. What happened that night? Were they unable to pace the chase? Were they not sure whether to go on the attack or bat in the traditional way? Unwittingly, they may have shown the way for the opponents to defeat them. That is for the latter part of the tournament.

For now, South Africa, except for that odd glitch is looking pretty hungry. They have never won the World Cup despite being among the favourites multiple times. This time around, they were not among the favourites and that perhaps, is aiding them. There is much less pressure and as a result, they are able to express themselves which has created havoc in a lot of venues. They took Bazball to the pioneers of that game and destroyed them with a mountain of runs.

Quinton sets the pace

Quinton at the top is looking to make his final appearance count. It can be seen from his hunger to keep scoring runs. Whereas earlier, he used to get out for a middling score, now he looks to stay right till the end and take the team to an unassailable position.

“We all know Quinny to be a free-spirited guy he is but he has a really good cricket brain,” Aiden Markram, South Africa’s stand-in captain, said afterwards. “He assesses conditions well and communicates that to us even before we get out onto the field. You never want to clip his wings, you just want to let him fly.”

One of the major reasons for South Africa’s ascent is their batting during the death overs. With the exception of Australia, they were able to score more than 100 runs in the last 10 overs. They have an average run rate of 12.28 during the last 10 overs. The second-placed New Zealand is way behind at 8.16. The credit for this must go to Quinton who ensured that he was batting during the 35^th over mark thereby paving the way for power hitters to take over.

The Afghanistan moment

In the previous 7 games between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Afghanistan ended up on the wrong side. The statistics read 7-0 in favour of Pakistan. If Pakistan expected to secure 2 points, they could not be faulted. However, what transpired at Chennai was something completely devoid of logic. Pakistan lost, yes, but how did they lose? They were outplayed. It cannot be said about their previous 7 meetings. The chase was nothing but clinical.

Long after the match was done and dusted, the Afghan supporters stood around the stadium cheering their team. The players promptly acknowledged the support that they received by taking a lap of honour. It was a wonderful moment. Never once during the game did Afghanistan show that they were the underdogs. They were unfazed by the number 2 ranked team in ODIs. What stood out during the chase was the brilliant running between the wickets. Every batsmen ran as quickly as he could so that singles can be converted into doubles incase of a misfield of which there were many. This victory will rank higher than the one against England.

“Unbelievable! This is bigger than a World Cup for the Afghans. (It’s) simply our biggest victory in history yet,” said Norman Mirza, a cricket analyst from Afghanistan. “Congratulations on your big and historic victory. Long live Afghanistan,” said Ashraf Ghani, the country’s president in exile.

Wrapping up Afghanistan and South Africa’s efficiency

Afghanistan may spring a surprise or two more. They will fancy their chances against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Onething is for sure. Afghanistan cricket, especially in white-ball, is set to rise. If they are given proper exposure, they will be a force to reckon with, atleast in Asia, in the next 10 years. The spin bowling talent in that country is mindboggling and batsmen like Gurbaz and Zadran are a treat to watch. As for South Africa, they will hope that this successful run continues. India is on their way and so is Australia.

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What have you done Kohli?

Posted on 22 October 202322 October 2023 by Bobji

Helmet off, hands held aloft with the bat in one hand and the helmet in the other, beaming with a huge smile was Kohli who had just scored his 78^th international hundred. India won the game against Bangladesh with a good 10 overs to go thereby maintaining their superior NRR. Till he reached his hundred, Kohli was in his usual best but the events that led to his hundred showed him in a poor light. Never before have I seen Kohli being so short of confidence in his ability. The Indian supporters in general were displeased at the farce that they witnessed. I for one would have been happy if Kohli had remained not out in the 90s or even if he was out in the 90s but this came as a rude shock. What have you done Kohli?

The farce that played out itself in the last few overs of the game was hard to digest. Rahul and Kohli were at the crease with Kohli needing the same number of runs that was required to win the game. It would have been alright if Kohli had moved onto his hundred with a couple of big hits. He tried a few heaves but was unable to connect. The ball kept going to the outfield but the pair did not run. On the whole, the pair denied 5 singles which if they had been taken, would have meant India would have won an over earlier but Kohli may not have completed his hundred.

Even the umpire fell into this trap when he chose to ignore a delivery well down the leg. To make matters worse, the umpire was even caught smirking. It was clear from his expression that he was not amused by Kohli’s antics.

Rahul took the blame upon himself

“He [Kohli] was confused, he said it will not look too nice, not to take the single, it’s still a World Cup, and it’s still a big stage. ‘I don’t want to look like I am just trying to get the milestone’,” Rahul told Star Sports. “But I said, I mean it is not won but still I think we’ll win quite easily, so if you can get to the milestone why not, you must try. And he did that in the end. I wasn’t going to run the singles anyway.”

It hardly matters who denied the singles. The fact is that it was ugly to watch on the screen. Rahul may well have taken the blame on himself but what stopped Kohli from putting his foot down and telling Rahul that this was a serious international game and a World Cup at that. Let us not fool around and be done with the game. A hundred really does not matter in the bigger scheme of things. I mean, how hard can it be? Agreed, that there were another 10 overs to be bowled and a further 7 wickets remained but does it mean that a player’s individual milestone must take precedence over the bigger prize of winning a game? Certainly not. What transpired on the evening of 19^th October was abysmal.

The younger generation

I am worried about the children who watched the game last night. They will think that it is alright to play for personal records rather than for the team. India for long has been besotted with this problem. Players playing for records rather than for the greater cause. It all started with Gavaskar when he broke Garry Sobers’s record for the most international Test hundreds, continued with Kapil Dev’s highest number of wickets and reached a crescendo when Tendulkar started to break records regularly. As a result, Indians are much more worried about their favourites scoring hundreds rather than the result of the game itself.

How can anyone forget Tendulkar’s hundredth 100? He took his own sweet time to get to the landmark that India fell way short of the par score. The small matter of India losing that game did not register with the Indians. This is the problem with us. It is time we come out of this web of individual milestones and records and concentrate on team records.

I can only hope that Dravid, the man famous for declaring the innings when Tendulkar was batting on 194, will not take kindly to what he witnessed. Hopefully, he would be strong with the likes of Kohli and Rahul for such poor ethics.

Wrapping up what have you done Kohli?

I just wish for the days of Virender Sehwag who never ever cared about any personal milestone. I can still remember him going for a 6 while he was batting on 294. He would have become the first batsman to score 3 triple hundreds in the modern era. What did he do? He did not bat with circumspection. For him, if a ball is there to be hit, he will hit. It does not matter whether he was in the 90s or 190s or 290s or even 390s. Such batsmen are so rare to find. It really is a shame he didn’t end his career with an average in excess of 50 because that was how good he was.

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Their captain is the problem

Posted on 22 October 202322 October 2023 by Bobji

After it was Afghanistan, now it is the turn of the Netherlands to provide the next shock in the ODI World Cup. This time, it was South Africa who suffered the shock defeat. Twice in two World Cups, including T20, the Netherlands has toppled South Africa though, this time, they have not sent them out of the World Cup itself but have delivered a crucial blow that will awake the South African team. This World Cup is turning out to be a good tournament in that most of the pitches have not been belters and there is something for the spinners atleast. More than anyone, England and Australia will be thrilled at this result because it opens the tournament for them. More so for England who must be smarting after their shock defeat to Afghanistan. Let me analyse their captain is the problem.

The small matter of a paper

From pictures of the game, it seems that the Dutch relied on a piece of paper that they pulled out everytime a South African batsman walked to the wicket. It seems that they have a plan and a strategy for every batsman and want to follow that plan. Hence, they revisited the paper just to ensure that they implemented the preconceived plan.

“We do a fair bit of research,” said Edwards, the Dutch skipper who claimed player of the match honours.

“We come up with a few match-ups. Some days it works and some days it doesn’t.”

This goes to show that the Dutch are serious about the game. They are not here to just fill the numbers. They mean business. Whether they will be able to reach the final 4, well, that is not possible but this small matter clearly shows that they make up with strategy for what they lack in terms of skill and exposure. If they keep at this, they can become a decent cricketing nation, in another 15 years provided they are given constant exposure.

About the game itself

At one stage, it looked like South Africa would wrap up the game quickly and would be at their hotel for a proper dinner. At 82 for 5, the Netherlands were nothing but struggling. It would have been a miracle for them to post even 150. It seemed a long way away. Scott Edwards happened for the Dutch. The counterattacking 78 not only propelled them to a respectable score but it gave them the hope that if they could pick up quite a few wickets, they could give the Proteas a run for their money. It transpired exactly as they hoped it would. Credit must also be given to the an ex-South African, Roelof van der Merwe for the impetus with which Edwards grew wings to fly away.

“Proud of the group. Putting in that performance and being able to play my part is nice,” said Edwards, who was named player of the match. “In the last couple of games, our issue has been too many of our middle order being out before the end of the game. So I wanted to take it deep and hope a couple of guys around me would chip in.”

When Quinton was out for 20, shoulders were shrugged. This is part and parcel of the game. Afterall, you don’t get to score 100 in every game but quick wickets with the space of 40 runs pushed South Africa on the backfoot and as a result, they forgot that scoring runs are important to win the game. They actually froze and played dot ball after dot balls with the score moving nowhere. If not for Keshav Maharaj’s last ditch effort, the margin of defeat would have been even worse that the NRR would have been below 1.

Temba Bavuma, the captain

The issue with South Africa starts right at the top. Their captain Temba Bavuma. I wonder on what basis has Cricket South Africa appointed him as the captain? His record is below average. He does not belong at the highest level. After years of not performing in Test cricket, he was dropped from the squad and for some reason, he was brought back into the team. He scored only the 2^nd hundred in Test cricket after the selection. Anyone, who has played close to 50 Tests, is bound to score atleast a couple of hundreds. It is he who is the problem.

Other than the fact that he is a black cricketer, he does not have any other quality to be playing at the highest level. If he had been an Indian cricketer, he would have been playing for a team in the Chennai first division league. For someone like Bavuma to captain the South African team, defies logic.

He is also too slow while batting. As a result, he puts enormous pressure on Quinton and the rest of the batsmen to score quickly. It might work in a few games but will falter in crucial games. If I am the opposition captain, I will make sure that Bavuma bats the majority of the overs. He may score a hundred but he would have taken more than 30 overs to do so. The result, I would have restricted South Africa to less than 250.

Wrapping up their captain is the problem

It is not curtains for South Africa. It is a mere blip. They have enough number of games against weaker opposition to be able to proceed to the next round. However, their captain is the problem.

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