Author: Bobji

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

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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

Posted on by Bobji

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.

https://icricketcritique.com/ricky-ponting-will-have-a-hard-discussion-with-ashwin-about-mankading/
https://icricketcritique.com/of-karthiks-resignation-and-pontings-2005-ashes-revelation/
https://icricketcritique.com/pontings-shaw-weakness-and-pujaras-slowness/
https://icricketcritique.com/ponting-about-sky-and-a-good-article-in-wisden/

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

https://icricketcritique.com/england-vs-pakistan-series-to-forget/
https://icricketcritique.com/pakistan-lost-because-of-their-own-stupidity/

The heartbreak and the elation

Posted on by Bobji

The news of Ashwin’s disc slip on the hip brought the world of the family crashing down. Ashwin’s father, consulted another doctor who said that two surgeries would be required, one to open the hip and the other to open the back. Screws will not be required if Ashwin goes ahead with these surgeries. His parents prepared to spend a lot on the surgery. However, the family wasn’t ready for a surprise. His mother was asked by her boss why she looked so worried while she was at work. She described the entire events. Immediately, her boss arranged for an appointment with Dr. Gopalakrishnan, the chief surgeon at Apollo Hospitals. The doctor told them that no need for any surgery and that it would be alright with adequate rest. The downside was, he wasn’t allowed to move from his bed for 6 weeks. The hearbreak and the elation.

He gets out of the bed and to school in 6 weeks. However, he wasn’t allowed any strenuous activities. Running and cricket are out of the way. He volunteers himself to become the scorer in one of the games in which Abhinav Mukund scored a hundred. Ashwin just could not stop thinking about the game. He imagined a lot of scenarios of playing Test cricket. His parents were resigned to the fact that they lived with a cricket maniac.

Ashwin again talks about his father gloriously. It was he who convinced Ashwin not to let the batsman get away with when he leaves the crease too early. Now, we all know from where he got this idea. Remember Jos Buttler incident? It was correct what Ashwin did on that day. Further, Ashwin describes liking a girl at the age of 14. I am not going to go into the details here.

Back on the field

Ashwin is back on the cricket field but is not allowed to bowl. He can bat. He narrates a beautiful incident of how he took to off-spin. His mother watches one of the game and wonders why was he in the field all day doing nothing. Ashwin explains that he cannot bowl and hence, he was just fielding. His mother wasn’t convinced and wanted him to do something to be engaged in the game. Leg-spin or off-spin. That was how he started to bowl off-spin. However, because of his layoff, he gained 20 KGS. This made him very slow on the field. He wasn’t picked in various representative sides because of the slowness on the field. Ashwin tried everything like running long distances, running quickly but he couldn’t lose weight. That was when he met a fitness coach who taught him how to lose weight and build muscles.

Ashwin then writes about some of the gully cricket games that he played mostly with the tennis ball. They used to play bet matches. Anyone in India will know what a bet-match is. It was during one of these games, he saw someone with an off-spinner’s action turn the ball the other way. He followed him wherever he went and learned how to bowl that delivery. Ofcourse, it is difficult to bowl that delivery with a red ball.

Ashwin practices at the St. Bede’s cricket where former Tamil Nadu cricketer, S. Sharath also comes for practice. Ashwin felt that Sharath was unfairly kept out of the Indian team despite scoring mountains for runs. The rest of the chapter is about how Ashwin enjoyed his street cricket and how he and his friends befriended a soup stall owner named Muthu.

The U17 cricket

Ashwin travels to Bombay for the India U-17 selection trials. He shared a room with Aniruddha Srikkanth. There he also hears about Rohit Sharma and Pujara in that camp. There were players to make up 2 teams. They played among themselves with Ashwin ended up batting pretty well when the pitch was at its best for bowling. He gets selected for the India U-17 team. Rohit was also in the team but Pujara wasn’t. During the tournament itself, Ashwin got to play only one game, against Nepal. He being a opening batsman, was sent in at number 6 by Venkatesh Prasad, the coach. Prasad even asked him to focus on his off-spin rather than batting. However, Ashwin felt the odd man out in a team that only spoke in Hindi. No one even bothered to talk in English.

Ashwin being from Tamil Nadu, did not understand Hindi. The other players made fun of him in Hindi which he wasn’t able to understand. He felt humiliated and insulted and vowed never to play again for the nation. Back home, he felt comfortable among his friends who noticed how his game improved after the U17 tournament. They all felt that Ashwin would be an international player. What did he do? He enrolled himself for Hindi tuition.

First trial with spin

Ashwin played in age-group cricket in Tamil Nadu where his captain was Aniruddha. It was he who encouraged Ashwin’s spin capabilities. He would always bring him to bowl pretty soon during the games and Ashwin repaid the favour with wickets. A little later, he was selected for the U-19 Indian camp at Bangalore where he was put through strenuous fitness regime. Needless to say, Ashwin did not score high on the fitness charts. He works exceptionally hard during the camp and improves his levels tremendously. Towards the end of the camp, Dilip Vengsarkar tells him that he may get selected as a middle order batsman who can also contribute with the ball during the U19 World Cup.

Ashwin became too good for the lower division league teams when D. Vasu, former Tamil Nadu player spots him and asks him to play for Chemplast. At the sametime, Bharath Reddy also wants him to play for Jolly Rovers. Inbetween, Indian Bank too wants him to play for them in the first division league. Ashwin choses Chemplast. He does well in the games leading upto the South Zone team selection but wasn’t picked. This left him completely dejected and returned to Chemplast where he learned quite a lot under the guidance of Vasu. He teaches him how to set fields, when to move fielders back or when to bring them forward, how to think a batsman out and various other aspects of the game.

Previous chapters

https://icricketcritique.com/ashwin-and-the-opening/
https://icricketcritique.com/it-was-all-on-the-streets/

It was all on the streets

Posted on by Bobji

Ashwin’s competitive instinct that we all are bearing witness to, is with him right from his childhood. He wanted everyone to play the game seriously. Anyone who does not, was not welcome to the game. Ashwin goes onto describe the street cricket that he played with his friends and also his cousins. He was the youngest of them. Straight behind the bowler, were glass windows, which essentially means that hitting straight was not an option. They had to improvise and score square of the wicket. Pull became the main scoring shot. If the ball goes over the boundary and into the nearby temple or the homes, the batsman was out. If a batsman gets hit three times on the leg, he was out. They played competitive Test cricket. The games were often spilled over to the next day. It was all on the streets.

Whenever, a window was broken, the boys will run and was nowhere to be seen for fear of the neighbourhood uncles and aunties scolding. Ashwin was the likeliest culprit. Also, because his competitive streak would often want to prove a point. After the games, they all kept discussing about international games and about players. These games laid the foundation for their friendship. All of these remind me of my childhood because we did all these things too.

Watching the game from the stadium

Around that time, his mother’s company become the sponsor for the India vs Australia series in 1998. Tendulkar prepares for Warne by asking L Siva to bowl on the rough outside the leg-stump. Ashwin pesters his mother for complimentary tickets from her company. He makes plans as to how to watch the game from the stadium and what food to carry. Those days, food and water were allowed inside the stadium unlike now where everything is banned. The d-day arrived and Ashwin was off with his father to the stadium to watch the game. Needless to say that he had a good time. 10 months later, it was India vs Pakistan, a game that will forever be etched in the minds of every Indian supporter.

Ashwin’s father being an employee of railways, getting train tickets was easy. Believe me, it was and is tough to get train tickets in this nation. He alongwith his father, will go to Bangalore and Bombay to watch games. It must be said that his father was extremey supportive of him, either watching the game or playing the game. So much so that, he even build an indoor nets to help Ashwin improve his batting.

First competitive cricket

At 12, Ashwin plays his first league cricket in the Madras league for Egmore Excelsiors. In the 2nd season, he scores a hundred. His job was to score runs and run around the ground because he was young whereas the others were old. He became quite good and was more than a match in the 5th division. His father sensing something in him, enrolled him in Bharath Reddy’s coaching academy. His father also wanted Ashwin to be tested against the better bowlers. L. Balaji, the former Indian bowlers was at that academy but Bharath Reddy warned that for a 13 year old to bat against Balaji was death wish.

In the other academy, run the Shri. Dharmalingam, the man who Kapil Dev credited with teaching him how to take catches running back and over the shoulder. The most famous one being the 1983 Vivian Richards catch. Dharamalingam allows Ashwin to bat against the better bowlers. First ball, he was hit on the chest and was taken away. For 2 months, he father was next to him to ensure everything was alright.

Chance goes abegging and wrapping up it was all on the streets

At 14, his wheezing attacks stopped. He represented Madras against a combined Tamil Nadu district team in Thirunelveli, a district in Tamil Nadu, India. After that, he was picked for the Tamil Nadu U-14 team with a chance to represent the South Zone U14 team if he did well. Needless to say, he came a cropper in the 2nd game having missed the 1st one, dismissed for zero in both the innings. He was told by the team management not to bother to return for the 3rd game.

All this while he had a back injury which was diagnosed as disc slip on the hip. The doctor informed the family that it needs to be surgically removed. He also said that the bone will grow in a couple of years which must be removed by another surgery. The family’s finances were not that great. They had spent everything on Ashwin’s cricket. This news brought their world crashing down.

Previous chapter

Good job BCCI

Posted on by Bobji

Good job BCCI. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has officially opened the new National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. Well, it is not exactly in Bangalore but a few kilometres away from the city. Ofcourse, due to lack of space, that is the only option. It has been rechristened as Centre of Excellence, a name based on the Australian model. Apparently, it has got all sorts of state-of-the-art facilities which is aimed towards developing the next generation and the generations further, cricketers. It also aims to promote sports science across India. The facility is equipped with 3 grounds with 86 pitches. It has got soil from Odisha, Mumbai and Bangalore.

It also offers indoor and outdoor training options. The drainage is also designed to be the best. What makes this facility brilliant is the fact that it is open not just for cricketers but for top sportspersons in the country from any sport. They are allowed to use the facility to its fullest capacity. This is what makes the gesture of the BCCI so heartwarming. The board which has always prided itself that it is a private body and is not answerable to the government has taken upon itself to provide the best training facilities for other sports too.

I wonder whether it has badminton, tennis, swimming and other facilities so that the athletes can apart from fitness, will also be able to practice in the same facility. Training facilities for shooting or archery or any other sport is not that great in the country. There could be a few but those are far away and the athletes as such, finds difficult to access. Ofcourse, this CoE is also well away from Bangalore but this is intended to be a finishing school which means that the athletes will have to stay there to training.

Nevertheless, the facility provides for the best of services which the Olympic bound Indian athletes will be able to take advantage of.

I am a harsh critic of BCCI but this gesture of them has blown me away. The previous boards would not even have thought about other sports but the current board has even gone to the extent of allowing the Olympic bound athletes to make use of the services. It is commendable and BCCI deserves to be appreciated. Having said that, all my earlier criticisms of the board still stands. I do not think that I will be able to fully appreciate the board because the bad far outweighs the good.