Author: Bobji

The ridiculous timing of IPL

Posted on by Bobji

IPL games start at 7:30 PM Indian Time which is alright but they invariably finish between 11:30 PM and 11:45 PM Indian Time which is certainly not acceptable. That is a ridiculous 4 – 4:15 hours. T20 games when they were started were promoted as 3-hour games. It was the reason this format was promoted to be included in the Olympics because let us face it,  Test cricket and ODI cricket will never be included in the Olympics because of the duration. However, what is happening at the IPL, not just this year, but over the last several years is simply unacceptable. There are multiple reasons for this. Let me offer my two cents about the ridiculous timing of IPL.

IPL is for the Indian spectators and by the Indian spectators. Australian cricket supporters or English cricket supporters or any of the other cricket supporters will not be queuing up to watch IPL for it is not their tournament and only a handful of their own cricketers participate. They will probably be interested in the scores but never more than that. It is similar to English County Championship where foreign players are involved but Indians or Sri Lankans or the Aussies do not follow the games. At the most, we will all restrict ourselves to how players from our nations have performed. Whether they have justified the money that they were paid.

Just a couple of examples. RCB took 122 minutes to complete their quota against Mumbai Indians against the IPL stipulated time of 90 minutes. Gujarat Titans took 120 minutes against CSK. 30 minutes above the expected time of completion is mindboggling. The IPL management and the Indian board must take immediate steps to speed up the game. By several notches.

What is the impact of a late finish?

“Let’s speed up the pace of play,” Buttler tweeted, along with a folded hands emoji and the IPL hashtag.

It is extremely difficult for Indian fans to watch a game till its end. In 2018, Indian Express reported that viewership for any game began to dip beyond 10:45 PM. The scenario was dire beyond 11:00 PM when the viewership dropped drastically. Except for the die-hard fans of a particular city, the rest will go to bed irrespective of who is batting or bowling at that point. The children will have to go to school. The adults will have to go to work. Everyone needs time to rest. Already, the 11PM timeslot is too late, especially after a busy day at work or in school. The body needs energy for the next day and a good night’s sleep is essential for that.

It is time the IPL management wakes up to the reality and quicken the game. When someone like Jos Buttler, who himself is in the middle, tweets for the game to be moved along, you know that the IPL needs to change.

What can be done?

First, advance the start time to 7 PM. I know the time has already been advanced from 8:00 PM to 7:30 PM but the games must start 30 minutes earlier.

Second, the advertisement breaks for 2:30 minutes in 2 segments in both the innings must be done away with. Yeah I know it is called Strategic Break but we all know the reason. It was created right from IPL’s initiation solely for the purpose of advertisements thereby earning more money for the board. They are already rolling in billions. How much more money do they need? The greed of the BCCI does not have any boundaries.

Third, it is insane to allow the 3rd umpire to rule wide and no-ball. The game as it is, is quite lengthy. Why add time on top of that? Do away with that one and return the decision to the on-field umpire.

Four, the opponent team must be given 15 additional runs for every over bowled beyond the stipulated time on top of the runs that they score. The same rule applies to the team bowling second. The moment the time is crossed, 15 runs get added which will bring down the runs required drastically or could even mean they have lost.

Wrapping up the ridiculous timing of IPL

Already, the IPL is a lengthy tournament. 2.5 months of the same, boring, cliched game. It must not test our patience even further. There will usually be a lot of viewers during the early stage. Interest will wane during the middle phase and will pick up during the playoffs. IPL will run the risk of losing a lot of viewers if it doe not change its ways.

Other article about IPL

Gill and Gaikwad

The dream partnership of G & G

Posted on by Bobji

Ruturaj Gaikwad, the Chennai Super Kings opener, has had a good start during the current IPL. An almost hundred in the opening game and an explosive start against Lucknow Super Giants must have made the selectors take note of his performance in a World Cup year with the next installment of T20 World Cup not being far away. His earlier stint in the national colours wasn’t that impressive with meagre returns but he must have matured in one year out of the Indian side. His first stint would have instilled in him what is missing. Perhaps, his next stint will be more productive. Alongwith Shubman Gill, the Indian opening combination is beginning to shape up. Atleast in white-ball cricket.

While Gill has established himself as the Indian opener in all the formats, by the way, I think he will be better suited in the middle order, Gaikwad will have to perform at a level that overshadows every other competitor. There is Prithvi Shaw who despite his indifferent form, is constantly being talked about. He already has a Test hundred to his name and thereby is a front runner. Then there is Rahul. He is very much in the squad and still remains the first choice opener to partner Rohit in T20 atleast.

Stiff competition for the opening slot

The competition for Gaikwad is cut-throat. The belligerent 92 of just 50 balls was brilliant to watch for as long as it lasted. The heart warming aspect of that innings was the fact that he didn’t try to get to his hundred and instead looked to score as many runs as possible. The astounding aspect of Gaikwad’s batting was that he picked the lengths rather quickly and went on the backfoot or the frontfoot accordingly.

Credit must be given where it is due. The CSK management. They kept their faith in Gaikwad despite his scores of 0, 5 and 0 in 2020. Soon after, he was down with Covid and if he had thought that his chances have come and gone, he wouldn’t have been wrong. However, that is not how CSK works. They invited him back into the team and reposed faith in him. This sort of galvanised Gaikwad and has since then become an important member of the CSK squad.

Dhoni’s appreciation

Dhoni was quite appreciative of his efforts

“Ruturaj, when he gets going, he’s a pleasure to watch,” Dhoni said. “Because he times the ball really well, uses the pace of the bowler and makes the right decisions. Under pressure, it’s all about making the right decisions. Over the years, the way he has groomed himself and the way he picks his options, especially when he gets going, he’s very pleasing on the eye.”

Gill in the same game, was like a supercar running at full speed and so smoothly that anyone sitting inside, will not feel that the car is actually moving. Such was the style and grace that Gill exhibited. The silken drives of the front foot and the strong backfoot play were all on full display. He is in good form with centuries across all the formats and is high in confidence. Runs at the highest level of the game will infuse in any batsman the sort of adrenaline rush that is hard to describe.

The partnership of Gill and Gaikwad

Will it be in the mould of the two Ws? Wasim and Waqar. Likewise, will it be a song of Gill and Gaikwad for India? Gill has already shown how good is he against the best of attacks. Now, it is time for Gaikwad to replicate his form. He is in the appropriate age category with the right blend of experience and skills. Both can be an asset to the Indian white-ball squad. When both are amongst the runs, it will be a nightmare for the opposition bowling. They are capable of getting the team off to a strong start without taking undue risks. Something that is missing from the current Indian limited over teams.

Gill as I had already mentioned is already there but Gaikwad will have to set up to partner him. Rohit will not be around for too long. With his low levels of fitness, it will be a stretch to see Rohit play white-ball cricket beyond the ODI World Cup. It essentially means that Gaikwad is finding form and scoring at the right time when the entire Indian board is watching. Hardik Pandya, the soon-to-be a longterm Indian white-ball captain believes that Gaikwad has the game to do wonders for the nation. He was in attendance and at the receiving end during the game and probably has seen something in Gaikwad to comment on those lines.

Wrapping up the dream partnership of G & G

Signs are good and Gaikwad has ticked all the boxes so far in 2 games. If he could have a strong season, he can push Rahul for a spot in the ODI squad. A bit further, he can certainly replace him in the T20 squad.

Other articles about Gill can be read here, here, here, here and here

RCB the eternal bridesmaid

Posted on by Bobji

RCB is among the 3 teams that have never won the IPL in 16 years of its history. The others are Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings who have changed their names but the management has remained the same. Yet, they are not talked about not winning a single competition the same way as RCB. This is probably because of the fact that RCB is served by one of the greatest T20 cricketers in Virat Kohli and for a considerable period, the destructive Chris Gayle was also part of RCB. It is only of late, Gayle hasn’t found favour with the RCB management because of his advancing age and meagre returns with the bat. Will this year be the catalyst or will RCB be the eternal bridesmaid?

Ever since the inception of IPL, RCB had got an eye for talent. They picked Kohli when he had barely played for India and that proved to be a masterstroke. Kohli himself had revealed how grateful he is for RCB because no one gave him a chance during the earlier part of his career. Kohli repaid the trust by performing for several years. Some of those years beggars belief. Yet, RCB has not managed to win the title. Kohli captained the team for a number of years and even that did change their fortune.

Kohli had enough and relinquished the captaincy and Faf Plessis became the captain in 2022. He helped RCB finish 4th last time around which was creditable considering that Kohli on whom much was depending upon, was badly out of form and they hardly had good hitters.

Availability of key players

RCB was dealt a serious blow when it was revealed that both Josh Hazlewood and Rajat Patidar, their standout players from last season, will not be available for the 1st half of the season. That is basically half the total number of games. Glenn Maxwell, another decent performer from last year will also be unavailable for the initial games. Key players missing 7 games out of a maximum of 14 will be tough on any team. How is RCB going to overcome this loss remains to be seen. Basically, by the end of the 1st half, there is a real possibility that RCB may not even be in contention for the playoffs.

Hazlewood has commented,

“Everything is ticking along according to plan, so I’ll be heading over on the 14th (of April) depending on how the next two weeks go,” Hazlewood was quoted as saying by The Age. “I probably won’t be quite ready to go right then, but (after) another week in India to touch things up skills wise I should be ready to go hopefully.”

He is very much in Australia and he will consult with Cricket Australia’s medical staff about his participation. Now, his importance for The Ashes cannot be overstated. Cricket Australia will take that into consideration.

Patidar on the otherhand was a key performer in the middle order and now, he is down with a heel injury. With Patidar out of the action, Kohli who was slated to open the innings will again go back to the top order. The hundred in last year’s eliminator was a treat to watch. His is a serious loss for RCB.

The good news

RCB has signed Reece Topley and India’s Avinash Singh to cover for Hazlewood. Topley was successful in the ODI series against India last year. He will probably prove to be a good selection. As for Avinash Singh, more than RCB, it is India that will await his debut with excitement. He is a tearaway fast bowler on the lines of Umran Malik. Two bowlers bowling at 150KMPH speed opening for India, it will be a day every Indian supporter hoped will be able to see in their lifetime.

Another piece of good news is the form of Kohli. RCB’s dependence on Kohli is quite high. With him being in form, after 5 centuries between the last IPL and this one, including his maiden century for India in T20, RCB could not have asked for better timing. The question remains where must he bat? Should he open the innings and leave the middle order slightly inexperienced? Should he continue in his usual position? Finally, should he come down the order to finish the innings in the company of Karthik? This will remain an open question until their first game.

Bowling worry

With Hazlewood unavailable, the other worry is the form of Siraj and Harshal Patel. It has been awhile since anyone has heard about Harshal. Ever since his injury and omission from the Indian squad, has he been playing to keep himself fit? Siraj is not that good a T20 bowler. He is likely to leak runs but on his day, is capable of devastating swing.

Wrapping up RCB the eternal bridesmaid

Far too long, have the fans of RCB been denied their moment in the sun. The current squad does not inspire too much confidence and injuries to important personnel are likely to set them back by some length. Kohli’s form can turn things around until the entire squad is fit to play. Though Kohli has scored centuries, he hasn’t shown the consistency for which he is known. Unlike the previous seasons, where RCB despite having their full squad, struggled, this year, in the absence of crucial players, it will take a miracle for them to even qualify for the playoffs.

Other IPL articles

Delhi Capitals

Will Pant’s absence affect Delhi Capitals?

Posted on by Bobji

The importance of Rishabh Pant to the Indian Test team can never be underestimated. Some of his innings at the highest level are legendary. They were scarcely believable. Indians forever will be indebted to him for that astonishing 89 at The Gabba to not only win the Test but also the series. A feat that has eluded so many past Indian teams. However, can the same be said about Pant the T20 cricketer? Will Pant’s absence affect Delhi Capitals?

For all his exploits at the Test level, Pant’s white-ball cricket hasn’t been that great. It is an irony that he came into reckoning because of his daring play in T20 cricket. However, he has certainly regressed ever since he became a dominant batsman in Tests. So much so that he was for a short period, dropped from the T20 side. Now, that he has been rendered unavailable for the entire IPL season, what will be the impact on Delhi Capitals?

Decent top order hitters

David Warner has been named the captain in the absence of Pant. Warner himself is under tremendous pressure after the disastrous series in India. There are talks of the WTC finals being his final game for Australia, sort of a swansong for him. The Australian selectors are looking away from Warner for The Ashes. He will be raring to prove his detractors wrong though this is only T20 format and that too in India. Nevertheless, being the captain will help in his quest to regain form.

Apart from Warner, Delhi Capitals has excellent firepower with the bat in Prithvi Shaw, Mitchell Marsh & Powell. Marsh especially, is in excellent form having done his bit in the series win against India. He will be at the top of the order and thereby will have a decent number of overs to establish himself. The top 4 of Delhi Capitals are quite explosive. On their day, they can destroy any attack. Warner also has a good captaincy record in the IPL. He has a favourable win/loss record. Hyderabad won their only title under him.

The curious case of Prithvi Shaw

However, it is Prithvi Shaw who will have to standup to be counted. He has got an explosive style of batting. It is not afraid to hit through the line or go over the top. One cannot deny the fact that he is a precious talent though his technique for Tests leaves a lot to be desired. Having said that, he is quite at home in white-ball cricket and particularly in T20. Pitches around the world encourage batsmen to play their shots. This is the format that is ideally suited for Shaw. Ricky Ponting, the DC coach believes everyone can witness the real Prithvi Shaw.

“He’s trained harder and better than I’ve ever seen. I’m pretty sure leading into an IPL, he is in better physical shape than I’ve ever seen him before,” Ponting told reporters in Delhi on Friday. “And I spoke to him the other day about his attitude and the way that he’s working and how things are going. I honestly feel that this is going to be his biggest season ever in the IPL.”

The emergence of Gill

One is forced to ask Ponting whether he has worked with Shaw to solve his technical problem of which Ponting himself spoke on-air during the 2020 Australian tour. One biggest problem with Shaw is his lack of fitness. For a 23 years old, he definitely looks overweight. For someone who was expected to break into the Indian white-ball squad more than a year ago, he is not even on the radar now. It shows the depths Shaw has fallen. Time is running out for Shaw. His compatriot in the U-19 World Cup squad, Shubman Gill has established himself in all the 3 formats and is even being touted as the future Indian captain. Shaw will have to look at himself in the mirror and ask some tough questions. Does he want to be remembered as an Indian cricketer or just one among the many Ranji cricketers?

Come to the bowling & wicket keeping

Here is their real firepower. Rabadda and Ngidi will unleash their pace on the hapless batsmen. Both will miss the first game but will be battle-hardened from the next one. It depends on Ponting and Warner to motivate these genuine quicks to ensure that Delhi wins their first title atleast this year.

However, wicket keeper is the real problem. They do not have a solid wicket keeper. Manish Pandey, Phil Salt and Sarfaraz Khan names are being flouted around but none of them is regular wicket keepers. This is where Delhi will miss the services of Pant and certainly not his batting.

Wrapping up will Pant’s absence affect Delhi Capitals?

Delhi Capitals will begin their campaign on 1st April against Lucknow Super Giants. They finished 5th the last time around. It was the first time they failed to go beyond the first round since 2018. This time, they will not only want to proceed to the playoffs but win the title that has eluded Delhi for 15 years. They have deceived for far too long. Pant’s absence will not be felt with the bat. They have enough firepower to play with. Infact, Pant who usually promotes himself to number 4, irrespective of how good he is, that issue will not arise any longer.

Other related blogs can be read here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here

English supporters concerned about Stokes

Posted on by Bobji

England is quite jittery because of the IPL. Why? Ben Stokes. Yes, Stokes’s participation in the IPL has created a flutter among the English supporters and the ECB. Australia will land in England in June for the next bout of Ashes. Stokes being the English and the man alongwith McCullum responsible for introducing Bazball, is a key figure. Not just for his batting and bowling but also for his captaincy. He infused in the England side an aggressive mindset and not to be afraid of anything. Eoin Morgan did that some years ago for the English white-ball teams but to effect, something similar in Tests calls for a lot of courage. Test wins are not that easy. Let me elaborate on the English supporters concerned about Stokes.

Stokes had been out of action for close to a year when he complained about being mentally sick. He was also involved in a brawl fight and as such, he was under tremendous pressure. In the documentary, Ben Stokes on Netflix, he reveals his state of mind at that point. He even contemplated leaving the game. Better sense prevailed later. A knee injury set him further back and as a result, he stopped bowling a lot of overs. There was a period when it was simply impossible to take the ball away from Stokes. Against Australia in 2019, he bowled a marathon spell of 15 overs at a good pace that kept England in the game.

The importance of Stokes

In an Ashes year, the presence of Stokes will create an electrical effect on the entire England squad but the ECB is worried that excessive cricket and excessive bowling during the IPL may result in an injury that will rule Stokes out of The Ashes. If it happens, it will be a massive blow for England. They do not have an obvious replacement for being the captain and will be forced to go back to Root. Broad or Anderson are not the answers because both of them are likely to miss certain Tests. They may even go back to the conservative way of playing the game. These are legitimate fears.

Stokes is the fulcrum around whom the entire England side revolves. He can bat with great aggression when it is required and can bat for time when the going is tough. Ofcourse, nowadays, playing for time is not an option any longer under Bazball but his importance can never be overstated. His mere presence will have a terrific impact on the rest. There is always this expectation that Stokes will do something magical.

Brendan McCullum has played down such fears of Stokes being injured and being unavailable against Australia. He insisted that, “The Ashes is the script the skipper is waiting to write.” McCullum also said, “I don’t think he’s jeopardising it. The Chennai set-up is excellent in looking after their players and they’ve a very good medical team and he will be well looked after. Stokes himself is frustrated that the injury prevented him from contributing fully during the thrilling one run defeat against New Zealand.

The ball is in CSK’s court

What will CSK do? How will they help Stokes maintain his fitness? This will be followed quite keenly by ECB and England. Stokes, who is the most expensive cricketer signed by CSK arrived in the country and has been practising with the players. It has since been confirmed that Stokes will not bowl in the initial games and that he will play only as a batsman. McCullum has indeed publicly placed his faith in the CSK set-up and he has also said that he will talk to the CSK coach Stephen Fleming. Hussey, the batting coach for his part, wants to see the best of Stokes in The Ashes.

“I want a fit Ben Stokes playing his best cricket at the Ashes. This franchise is very professional, works very closely with all the national boards, and I know our physio has already been working with the ECB physios. I want to see his best cricket at the Ashes; I want both teams at their best, going hard at it and I think it will be an unbelievable series to watch.”

Personally, I can only pity the CSK administrators. They have afterall pumped in 16.25 Crores on one player and would they be willing to see that player perform only half of his duties? CSK never had an allrounder of the calibre of Stokes. Jadeja is there but he is a spinner and on batting pitches, his bowling will be a liability. Stokes is capable of being the 3rd seamer thereby freeing a spot for another batsman or a bowler or an allrounder.

Wrapping up English supporters concerned about Stokes

A fully fit and motivated Stokes is a treat to watch. Afterall, The Ashes will be his first as captain of England. The last series in Australia will be fresh on his mind. The manner of the defeat, without a semblance of a fight including the 2.5-day game at Melbourne and his own lack of runs or wickets, will all rankle for. He will want to set the record straight. Australia has held onto the Ashes since 2017. If not for Stokes’s own extraordinary innings at Headingley, Australia would have won the last time around in England. Stokes will want to clear all that and win The Ashes outright. For that, he himself must be fit. For that, CSK will have to chip in.

Other Stokes’s articles can be read here, here, here, here

The Indian contracted cricketers

Posted on by Bobji

The BCCI announced the new contracts for the Indian players. It runs from October 2022 till September 2023. There were quite a few changes. Some of them were deserved whereas others have raised some eyebrows for sure. An A+ contract is worth INR 7 crore, A is INR 5 crore, B is INR 3 crore, and C is INR 1 crore. This is my take on the Indian contracted cricketers.

First, let me write an overview of the various contracts.

Ravindra Jadeja has moved up a grade to A+ and joins Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah. Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya have been promoted to Grade A, from B and C respectively, while KL Rahul has dropped from A to B. Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav have moved upto Grade B from C.

Shardul Thakur has dropped from Grade B to C, while Kuldeep Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, and KS Bharat are all newly-contracted players in Grade C. Washington Sundar retains his spot in Grade C.

Another important aspect is that Rahane, Ishant Sharma, Vihari, Saha were dropped from the contracted players altogether.

This is the essence of the latest BCCI contract. It raises a few questions certainly.

Question one

First, how was Virat Kohli and Bumrah retained in A+ for so long? Everyone is aware of the struggle that Kohli went through over 3 years without a single hundred and just a handful of 50s. Ofcourse, it made sense to keep him in the team despite his low returns because of his outrageous form for several years alongwith his match-winning innings in various white ball games. However, that should not have kept him in A+ for so long. It must be one or the other. Either you be in the squad and in a category that is below A+, which usually means elite or you are out of the team which anyway implies that he will be downgraded.

Question 2

Second, Jasprit Bumrah. Here is a cricketer who hasn’t played for the country for quite sometime and who is unlikely to play for a further 6 months, retained in A+ category. This simply does not make much sense. Jasprit Bumrah has been treated with kids gloves for way too long. He seldom plays in harsh Asian conditions and throughout most of his career, has played only on pitches that help the faster bowlers. Whereas someone like Umesh Yadav, who toils on the Indian pitches that do not have anything for him, is repeatedly dropped from the team.

Ofcourse, I am not going to find fault with that. Bumrah in his career, hasn’t won games against the major nations. The defeats in South Africa, New Zealand and the WTC final of 2021 are all cases in point. It is not like the bygone years when a player depends on the money from the BCCI but not any longer. Bumrah has played for Mumbai Indians for 10 years and as such his financial situation is stable. Playing for the nation must be seen as for the elite.

Observation

Rohit Sharma deserves A+ only because of the fact that he is the captain across all the formats.

KL Rahul has been demoted and rightly so. His performances have not been upto the mark. I have said this often. In white ball cricket, he is a middle-order batsman rather than an opener. He could flourish if he himself informs the management that he prefers to bat in the middle in both ODI and T20. Test cricket is not his forte. It is good to see that Sundar has retained his contract despite not at all being in the limelight. He surely is a batsman with the future in mind. It is also good to see new faces in the contract list like Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Bharat and a few others.

The biggest talking point

For me, the biggest anomaly is the sudden elevation of Hardik Pandya by 2 categories. Yes, he is marked as a future captain. He is likely to lead India in the 2024 T20 World Cup. He has also captained the ODI squad in Rohit’s absence. However, he has hardly played 10 games as the captain. Is the sample enough to elevate him by 2 levels? Certainly not. Hardik does not play Test cricket. He is unlikely to play Tests in the near future. Shouldn’t the criteria for an A grade be capable of playing in 2 formats plus closer to Tests?

Take the case of Shubman Gill. With Rahul dropped from the Test team and Gill scoring a century at Ahmedabad, it is more or less certain that Gill will be part of all the 3 formats. He has replaced Dhawan in ODI and is likely to accompany Rohit in T20s too. He has just scored hundreds in all the formats and has become one of the handful of cricketers to do so. Now, why was he moved up just one grade? Shouldn’t he be in A grade too? If Hardik could move up by 2 grades, Shubman based on his performance alone commands a similar move.

Wrong not to retain some players

From the rejected list, it is really unfair to drop Vihari completely. Not long ago, he was involved in a partnership with Ashwin at Sydney which paved the way for Pant’s heroics for India to win the series. He has hardly been given a consistent run in the team and now finds himself out of contract. In 2022, he averaged 35.83. Not bad when compared to Rahul. He must find a spot atleast in grade C.

Rahane and Ishant may not play for the country again but it does not make sense to drop them just one year after they found themselves out of the team. It is not that they depend on the pay packet of the BCCI but it would have given the out of favour players some signal that they are valued. I would suggest that contracts must be retained for 3 years after the players were dropped.

Wrapping up the Indian contracted cricketers

Before the millennium, Indian cricketers were clamouring for some form of financial support from the BCCI. These contracts would have helped them in a big way. The current cricketers are being paid way more than they deserve. It is time to retrospect.

Other related blogs can be read here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here

The Indian cricket pitches

Posted on by Bobji

Whenever, a side from one of England, Australia, New Zealand comes to India, the one talking point is about the pitches. There will be lot of editorials on their newspapers stating that a minefield is awaiting their teams during their visit. Every pitch in any Test series will be doctored to suit the Indian spinners or to stump the visitors because of their lack of ability against spin. However, none of them thinks about the poor technique displayed by the visitors against spin. Not the perfect one but a better technique would have ensured that they prevail. Having said that, the Indian cricket pitches will probably have to change.

Defeating India in India is one of the most toughest in the cricketing world. Defeating Australia and defeating South Africa are the other tough propositions. I have not included England or New Zealand because both the teams have lost rather a few games more than expected. Over the last 23 years, India have lost less than 10 Tests at home with only 2 series losses. That is an incredible record to boast about. The sheer dominance at home is something no other team could achieve.

Accusation against the team

Despite that, the talk invariably turns to the pitches. There were a lot of accusations on the Indian team that they will not be able to win so many games if the pitches weren’t so spin friendly. A few years ago, in 2015, against South Africa, both the teams, India and South Africa were unable to cross 300 once because the pitches turned square from ball one. The Nagpur pitch for the 3rd Test was rated poor. It left Kohli fuming.

“Well, there have been three scores of under 50 runs in South Africa but I haven’t seen any sort of articles on that. Teams have been bundled out under 100 for about six times in South Africa,” he said. “The situation in our country is highlighted a bit too much and that’s a fact. Because the only thing we talk about is the pitch and when we were in South Africa, the only thing we talked about was how badly we played. We are criticised for our techniques but when visitors don’t play well, it’s always the wicket.”

It is true what Kohli had said. There are lot of games in Australia and South Africa that have not exceeded 3 days. Especially, in South Africa, the pitches are overly favourable to the fast bowlers. Since South Africa can churn out them by the dozen, they have always prepared pitches that has incredible pace and bounce. They have always maximised the home advantage and particularly against the Asian nations.

WTC Points system is another reason

Likewise, India is also justified in preparing pitches that does not suit the opposing batsmen. Here I say the opponent’s batsmen is because even the Indians are not that good against spinners any longer. Just look at the number of games the Indians were tied down by spinners. Mainly, in white ball cricket that has prevented them from scoring huge runs or chase down one. The situation is not that better in Tests either. Nowadays, spinning pitches are prepared not because it is comfortable for India but because it is uncomfortable for the opponents.

One other factor that warrants results oriented pitches is the WTC points system. It awards 12 points for a win and only 4 for a draw. It places great importance in playing attacking aggressive brand of cricket. WTC points is a significant motivator. Teams need wins to be in contention to play the final. Where does the chances for winning most of the games lie? It is at home where you know the conditions and you know how the pitches will behave. Hence, the need to prepare pitches where you give your team the maximum chance to win.

“There is a huge premium on results,” Dravid said before the fourth Test. “You draw a game like Kanpur against New Zealand, where you take nine wickets in the second innings, you draw that game and that sets you back, in a home game.

“Every team is getting results at home or are putting in really good performances at home, so there is a premium on results. You get four points for a draw and you get 12 for a win, so there is a premium on that, there’s no question about it.”

It is time to return

The downside of all this is that the averages and the performances of the batsmen have dropped drastically and the spinners are having inflated strike rates and averages. One will only have to compare the statistics of both Ashwin and Jadeja with their away record. It will clearly establish the fact that these two spinners, ofcourse they are good, are not as great as they are made out to be.

Perhaps, the time has come to return to the more batting pitches that helped the Indian batsmen outscore their opponents. The spinners will have to really use their guile and intelligence to pick up wickets rather than just drop the ball and leave the rest to the pitches. There was a period, against England in 2017, where both the teams amassed runs and yet, India won handsomely 4-0. Ashwin & Jadeja still emerged as the highest wicket takers but they had to move out of their comfort zone. The Indian fast bowlers too had long bowling sessions. This was in stark contrast to how Bumrah asked to be left out of the squad in 2020 against England because he hardly had to bowl.

Wrapping up the Indian cricket pitches

The problem is not the turn but the dust that comes out of the pitch everytime there is an activity. Sri Lankan pitches have also turned but the soil does not come out. India have had similar pitches and it is time to return to that. 2 and 3 day games will kill the game. Let the batsmen be able to bat confidently. For inspiration, India will only have to think about the pitches against England in 2017.

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Has the Indian selectors blundered?

Posted on by Bobji

Well, looking at the current Indian teams across the formats, one is forced to think that the Indian selectors have indeed blundered. The Indian cricket team is beset with problems but there does not seem to be any solution. Either the selectors themselves were unwilling to effect changes for the betterment of the team or they are clueless. Either way, it is Indian cricket that is at a loss. Let me elaborate on has the Indian selectors blundered?

There is growing concern among the Indian fans that the entire team is ageing together and that the performances have gone down by several notches. However, the selectors doesn’t seem to have thought about replacing these players thereby keeping the future secured. Several years ago, in the 1980s, Australia, with the retirements of most of the great cricketers, suffered enormously and because of that, lost games frequently. It took them more than 6 years to become the Australia that they eventually turned out to be. Similar fate awaits India if the selectors refuse to act soon.

Over the hill batsmen

It is quite clear for everyone watching the game that both Pujara and Rahane were over the hill sometime ago. Their performances consistently degraded over several years. Unfortunately, Kohli too was in the same rut when both Pujara and Rahane were undergoing slump in form. Added to that, Rahul’s poor run during the same period meant that India more often than not, posted scores that were not that competitive. If not for Pant to a large extent and Rohit and Jadeja to a lesser extent, India would have fallen short of the required runs repeatedly. Despite that, India still won a couple of series in Australia and drew one in England.

Yet, at the sametime, we lost multiple series in South Africa and New Zealand. Winning anywhere else does not really count nowadays because India is expected to win in all those countries.

Winning in the SENA countries is what makes every Indian fan happy and satisfied. Thankfully, the bowlers were good during this lean period and that was the reason for India winning some games.

Does India have the batsmen for the WTC Finals?

Now, to comeback to the original problem. What was the reason the Indian selectors did not think of replacing Pujara or Rahane or Rahul during their poor run of form? I can only think that by giving them an extended run, they will eventually find form. This logic sounds alright when one or at the most a couple of batsmen struggle but for 4 batsmen to struggle at the sametime, changes must have been made. The selectors must have atleast replaced Rahane and Rahul much earlier with Kohli and Pujara given an extended run.

With the WTC just a couple of months away, the Indian Test team looks brittle. Shubman Gill has not been given a consistent run and Shreyas with his poor technique against the bouncers has been persisted with, though he is alright in India. It looks like the selectors were more than happy to rotate few batsmen by playing them at different positions. No effort has been taken to prepare a couple of solid middle order batsmen who can learn from Kohli and takeover even when he is still playing.

What about the bowlers?

Who after Ashwin and Jadeja? Some might say Axar Patel but is he really that good a bowler to be able to pick up wickets everywhere? He was hardly among the wickets in the recently concluded series against Australia. Just 3 wickets in 4 Tests on spinning pitches. He cannot be the replacement for either Ashwin or Jadeja.

What about the fast bowlers? Siraj has emerged but what about Umesh Yadav who despite playing for more than 10 years, is still unable to find a permanent spot in the team. What is the need to persist with him? It is commendable of the selectors to have dropped Ishant Sharma who learned the game at the highest level but where are the replacements? Every team, it is the usual bowlers. Shami, Siraj, Umesh & Bumrah. Does it mean that India suffers from lack of good quality fast bowlers who can replace some of them?

The over dependence on Bumrah is likely to bite the team on the back. Without him, the Indian fast bowling attack looks barren. Ofcourse, Rahane produced a miracle with bowlers who made their debut in that series but Rohit is not that inspiring as captain.

White ball cricket

The situation is not that different in white ball cricket either. IPL commenced in 2007 and yet, India is still playing the game in the 1990s mould. Every team tries to maximise the scoring during the field restriction in the initial overs but India consolidates during that period. No effort has been taken to introduce batsmen who will not be afraid to play his shots right at the outset. Ofcourse, I cannot blame the selectors alone for this because the team management is equally responsible. T20 cricket just cannot be played in that fashion. Every time before a new series gets underway, the team management talks about new wave of batting but in the end, it is the same old story.

Wrapping up has the Indian selectors blundered?

The Indian selection committee must have a vision. A vision that must keep players ready for any eventuality. If not, they are not fit to be selectors. At the moment, they have fallen well short. The WTC finals will be upon us in 2 months and the ODI World Cup in another 6 months. The Indian team for both the tournaments are one, way short of confidence. Two, is exceptionally brittle. Three, far too circumspect.

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Should and can ODI cricket survive?

Posted on by Bobji

With Tests being the pinnacle of the game and T20 being the latest to capture the imagination of the spectators, where does that leave ODI cricket? There are growing chorus for ODI cricket to be scrapped altogether and keep it as a World Cup only event. Various cricketers have given lots of suggestions to change the way ODI is played. All of these stemmed from the success of T20 cricket and the blossoming of franchise cricket the worldover. There are also suggestions to quietly bid goodbye to the format that has kept the coffers of every board full. Let me try to analyse in should and can ODI survive?

ODI cricket came into the cricketing calendar through an accident. In 1971, the Ashes Test between England and Australia was constantly hampered because of rain. Most of the days were either completely washed out or little play was possible. The weather cleared on the final day and as a result, both the teams decided to play 40-overs-a-side game. A draw was out of the context because the side batting second must go past the first innings score. Australia won that game but little would the players and the spectators thought that they were part of something historical.

History of the format

A format that was born under such circumstances, eventually overtook its much fancied parent, Test Cricket. The World Cup followed 4 years later and has been repeated every 4 years over the last 50 years. Back in the day, when Test cricket was ruling the roost, ODI was more of an afterthought. There were hardly handful of nations to play the sport. It is still the same but the Australian business tycoon, Kerry Packer, changed the way the game is played and watched. The introduction of colour clothing, white ball, cricket under the lights, field restrictions took the game by storm and from then on, ODI marched from strength to strength.

If Kerry Packer’s was the second revolution in the game, India’s unbelievable and unexpected 1983 World Cup win boosted the game beyond anyone’s imagination. Cricket which was widely followed by the Indians even at the point, went up by several notches and it consumed the time of the Indians in particular. That was followed by the first ever ODI World Cup to be held outside of England in 1987.

ODI became a cash cow for all the boards in the world. More and more games were scheduled. There was an insane period once satellite television transmitted every game played everywhere directly into the living rooms of Indians, there was inevitably 3-4 tournaments held every year. Sharjah, with its benevolent purse, jumped into the bandwagon by organising atleast a couple of tournaments in the desert with India vs Pakistan being the main attraction.

Madness of meaningless tournaments

Not to be left behind, Indian board organised a whole host of meaningless 3-nations, 4-nations tournament. It became so bad that the Indians seamlessly blended from one tournament to another. Things came to such a pass that the ICC had to put its foot down and restricted such tournaments. Nevertheless, all these games helped every board in every possible to way. If not all, atleast some of the boards were able to pay their players exorbitant match fees and contracts. One will have to look at the Indian television to understand the enormous money that poured into the board.

Advertisement at the end of every over, sometimes, even before the last delivery of the over was bowled. There were lots and lots of adverts throughout a 7-hour period. This is something neither T20 nor Test cricket will ever be able to reproduce. T20 because of the length of the game being too short for the board’s liking and Test cricket because of the lack of patronage for the format.

ODIs started to lose their lustre

However, despite these, ODIs became stale as years rolled by. The format became predictable. There was and is an absolute lack of interest during the middle stage of the game where teams are happy to push for singles and bowlers happy to restrict the scoring. No effort was made to play aggressive cricket, either with the bat or with the ball. Growing number of players have opted to retire from ODI to concentrate on Tests and T20. There were lot of suggestions to improve the format. Former players advocated for a reduction from 50 to 40 overs.

Ravi Shastri opined, “For One Day cricket to survive, I think it should be reduced to forty over game in future and the reason I say this is because when we won the World cup in 1983, it was a 60 over game. Then the attention span of the people diminished and it became a fifty over game. I think the time has come for it to become now a 40 over game. Evolve with the times. Reduce the format.”

Finch, Khawaja and Zampa are all of the same opinion. Tendulkar, however, went one step further and wanted ODI to be treated like 2 innings of 25 overs each thereby blending both Tests and T20 in one. None of them found any traction and I am afraid, the ICC will not take a stance on this.

Wrapping up should and can ODI cricket survive?

However, despite all these, the fact remains that ODI is the format on which every board thrives. The revenue from an important ODI can easily surpass that of a T20 or Test cricket. The advent of T20 took the focus away mainly from Test cricket but everyone likes to believe that it is ODI that is at a loss. Tests being the pinnacle of the game, administrators will ensure its survival and players will want to test themselves at the highest form of the game. There is no problem in that but 3 formats cannot survive. It is overkill for both the players and the spectators.

The time has come to take a decision. Should ODI cricket be allowed to survive? The answer is, maybe. There are far too many instances when teams from Australia or New Zealand have travelled to England or Asia to play a series of white-ball games which has no bearing on anything and vice versa. The game must come back to the 2 format playbook. Tests and T20 or Tests and ODI with T20 strictly restricted to franchise cricket. International T20 will not be allowed as well as World T20. ICC will incur a loss but if a part of the revenue from all the leagues are given to the ICC, the resultant loss from a lack of World T20 can be offset.

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India can win the WTC provided 2

Posted on by Bobji

Before you proceed, part one of India can win the WTC provided can be read here.

Get the team combination perfect

This is imperative. In 2021, the team combination was flawed. On a seaming pitch under overcast conditions, India went in with two spinning all-rounders. Neither of them was required to bowl a lot of overs and as such, Kohli was limited to just 3 medium pace bowlers. How he would have loved to have a 4th seamer who could have kept the pressure on from one end?

The pitch at The Oval is likely to be similar to the Rose Bowl. The curator is likely to leave a lot of grass on the pitch. I am thinking along these lines because being an ICC event, it is they who will have a say on the pitch preparation. Neither India nor Australia or not even England will have any role to play. If the past events are anything to go by, ICC has tended to prepare a pitch that will help the bowlers.

Also, being early June, rain cannot be ruled out and hence overhead conditions will enable the ball to move. It will not be a typical Oval pitch where the batsmen prevail and the bowlers struggle.

I do not think that there is a need for a 5th bowler. Ofcourse, there is the possibility of one of the bowlers getting injured leaving Rohit with just 3 bowlers. Despite this, I would still want Rohit to take just 4 bowlers and pack the team with 6 batsmen. 6-1-4 must be the ideal combination. The game is unlikely to last beyond lunch on the 5th day because of the bowler friendly conditions that are likely to be found.

The openers, middle and lower order

Rohit and Gill are likely to open the innings unless the management plumps for experience and pick Rahul instead of Gill. Rohit has shown great ability as an opener but he will still start from zero. Gill on the otherhand, did not cover himself with glory in 2021 either. The Australian attack will pose much more questions than New Zealand did.

Pujara who is clearly past his prime will perhaps slot-in at number 3 followed by Kohli and Iyer. Now, the form of all the 3 is suspect though Kohli has just scored a mammoth 186. Shreyas Iyer is susceptible to the short-ball and is not likely to have improved on that front before June. Also, Shreyas’s back injury may flare up anytime and India cannot afford to take any risk. India must adopt the horses for courses theory and replace Shreyas. It will hurt the player’s ego but that is how it should be. This means that a couple of middle order slots are open.

It will be worth trying Surya in one of that slots but a good number 5 must be found quickly. The selectors must resist the urge to go back to Rahane who will be playing English County cricket irrespective of his performance. We have seen with Pujara that exceptional performance in County cricket will not necessarily translate into good Test match batting.

Bharat or Ishan? That is an interesting topic. With 6 batsmen, it will be prudent to select Ishan ahead of Bharat. He will be playing his shots which will be very much essential in a team that is almost full of blockers. 3 fast bowlers and Jadeja taking the lone spinner’s spot.

Rest the non-important players

Every Indian cricketer will be involved in the IPL. The load on the players will be enormous and it is likely that they will be tired heading into the finals. India just cannot afford that to happen. It has been 10 years since we won an ICC Trophy. We have already failed once in 2021 and must make this one count. Australia is tough but not unbeatable. Any cricketer who is unlikely to be part of the knock-outs, must be rested by the respective franchise. The board must make this mandatory and will have to inform the owners. It will enable the players to be fit and fresh both physically and mentally.

There are media reports that some players will leave for England earlier than planned. Leaving for England is onething but playing there is what will have an impact. Counties can be requested to accommodate some of the players though it may not be possible. Unless a Rohit or a Kohli turns up for a County, which will bring the Indian crowd into the stadium, they are unlikely to acquiesce.

Mental aspect

From time immemorial, whenever India travels abroad, the instinct is to bowl first if they win the toss. It is to discourage the opponent from taking advantage of the friendly bowling conditions. This shows a lack of confidence in the batsmen. Recently, this attitude has shifted ever so slightly. Unless and until the overhead conditions are likely to be advantageous to the bowlers to a great degree, India must resist the urge to bowl first. There is always something about runs on the board.

History has shown us that in India if their batsmen post a low score, the bowlers will fight like tigers and more often than not, have managed to restrict the opponents within manageable proportions. It is another matter that the batsmen have often squandered the brilliant efforts of the bowlers but batting first will remove a critical facet of the game where the pressure is the maximum. Chasing a competitive total in the 4th innings.

The mental aspect needs challenges. The Indian batsmen must believe that it does not really matter who the opponents are and what the conditions are like, they will bat first and post a decent enough score to be able to win the game.

Wrapping up India can win the WTC provided,

All said and done, the Indians must believe that they have it in them to win an ICC Trophy. Years of falling short just before the last hurdle must have affected the confidence of everyone involved in the team but by the looks of it, atleast for a few cricketers, Rohit, Kohli, Pujara, Shami, Jadeja, this final and the ODI World Cup this year will be their final chances to win that elusive trophy. They must leave no stone unturned to achieve victory in the WTC finals.

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