Bobji, Author at Cricket Critique

The expected Adelaide debacle 2

Posted on 20 December 202420 December 2024 by Bobji

Shubman Gill is another who continues to frustrate. In close to 40 Tests, his average is less than 40. This is not the hallmark of a batsman who is touted as Kohli’s replacement. At Adelaide, he looked good but once again, he could not make either of the innings count. Australia where he announced his arrival as an international batsman of repute, is expected once again to launch Gill. Like Rohit, he is pleasing to the eye but what use it is does not translate into runs?

One man attack

If the state of the batsmen has been abysmal, the bowlers are not far off either. The bowling has become a one-man show. Bumrah needs to pick up wickets. Bumrah needs to stem the flow of runs and Bumrah needs to scare the opposition. What are the other bowlers doing? It was because of Bumrah, India won at Perth. He broke the top and middle order and the other bowlers mopped up the rest. Australia are extremely scared of Bumrah and that much is evident. They also know that if Bumrah is watchfully, kept out, the rest of the Indian bowling is harmless. This gives them tremendous confidence. Siraj and Harshit Rana are not only incapable of building on the gains but they are prolific too. It makes the job of Bumrah that much more harder.

The average speed of Harshit Rana is in the early 130s. If it is not combined with sufficient movement and seam, international batsmen will not be worried. Scott Boland bowls at this speed but his height and subtle movements is what makes him dangerous on Australian pitches. If Rana lacks these, why is he on the tour? He is young and built pretty well. He can learn on the job but on an important tour, when you have just three seamers with only one expected to take wickets, it is a luxury India cannot afford.

Siraj and his conduct

With Shami injured, the selectors may argue that they do not have much choice but whose fault was it to not groom a seamer, be it Rana or someone else? Rana must consider himself blessed to make his debut on those hard and bouncy Australian pitches. If he fails to make use of this opportunity, he can only blame himself.

To make matters worse, Siraj has been fined for his poor conduct. As Gavaskar rightly mentiond, Siraj’s outburst against Head was completely insane. Here was a batsman who had just scored 140 bludgeoning runs against whom you did not have any answer, you send him off with an expletive? By the time Head was dismissed Australia was in a commanding position. It is not new. Siraj has been doing this for a very longtime despite his dreadful record which makes him look all the more foolish. Perhaps, Siraj finally feels the heat upon himself but this is not the way to release the pressure. He must let his bowling answer the critics. Get wickets, run through sides, complement Bumrah.

Without any of these, the more he indulges in such behaviour, the more he looks ridiculous. He needs to learn from Bumrah who despite his phenomenal performances, goes about the business of making the batsmen uncomfortable without indulging in any histrionics. Yes, Bumrah does scream after he picks up a wicket but it is never directed at the batsman. Siraj does not differ from offering an advise or two even if he as much as beats the bat. Siraj averages below 3 wickets per Test which is unpardonable even for someone from Asia.

Head the tormentor

In this day and age, where every aspect of a cricketer is available for analysis, it is baffling to see that India have not been able to dislodge Head. He has hurt them in multiple formats. The hundred in the WTC Finals followed by the hundred in the ODI World Cup.

Yet, he continues to plunder runs against us. Head is a suspect against the short-ball but that aspect of his batting has not been consistently examined. If India entertain any thought of surprising Australia in this series, they will have to find a way to see the back of Head sooner rather than later. Any significant length of time he bats, he would have already batted Australia into a position of strength. One of Siraj or Rana or if included, Krishna or Akash Deep will have to become the Neil Wagner of this team. Consistently and predominantly bowl at the head of Head.

Wrapping up the expected Adelaide debacle 2

The series itself is being fought by two mediocre teams. Make no mistake about that. Both India and Australia lack quality in their ranks. The batsmen struggle on pitches that aid seamers and the bowlers, with the exception of Bumrah, struggle when there isn’t much assistance. It is confounding to learn that these are the top two teams in the world. It goes onto show how much the standards have fallen in international cricket. An overwhelming majority of the Indian supporters expected a 0-5 result. Having won at Perth, one can say that they have already exceeded expectations. However, looking at Australia, winning the series must be considered par for the course.

The expected Adelaide debacle 1

Posted on 20 December 202420 December 2024 by Bobji

The Adelaide debacle was more or less expected. It is tough to bat against the pink-ball which swings a touch more than the red-ball. The mission is extremely challenging if the batsmen attempt to do it without proper practice. Just 50 overs of practice session with the Australian Prime Minister’s XI will not prepare any team for bigger challenges ahead. Having said that, the Indian team, particularly the batsmen, cannot escape blame. Agreed that they have not practiced much with the pink-ball. Infact, they would not even have seen the pink-ball until they landed in Australia. However, the lack of backbone shown by the batsmen is what is worrying for every Indian fan. The expected Adelaide debacle continues a chastening trend of batsmen failing when the conditions are tough.

Ideally, the Adelaide Test must have been the first of the series. Prior to that, India must have played atleast a couple of practice games with the pink-ball. It would have meant that the team was not only prepared against the pink-ball but is also prepared for the whole tour ahead. The BCCI as is their wont, does not really care about Indian cricket or the reputation of the team.

They are intend on making money in every possible way that they do not mind scheduling games right until the night the team is supposed to depart. The BCCI must also remember that every board and every cricket team, wants to see the Indian team defeated because they are unable to challenge the might of the BCCI. Hence, they satisfy their ego by defeating the Indian team.

The players too, have increasingly become averse to playing preparatory games ahead of such important tours. They indulge themselves in what they call, selective preparation. It involves preparing the pitches that resemble the actual Test pitches. It can never replace the traditional practice games even if the pitche seldom resemble the actual Test pitches.

Deteriorating batting performance

None of these absolves the players from their own failure. In the 3 Tests against New Zealand and in the 2 Test against Australia, the batting has completely floundered. Except for a couple of innings in 10, the batsmen have failed to go past 250. You do not get to win games by scoring less than 250 unless you have Marshall, Holding, Garner and Roberts in the bowling attack. Even among the two, one innings must be discounted because it was predominantly a two-men show. Pant and Sarfaraz made full use of a docile Bangalore pitch when the conditions were bright and ideal for batting. It was only in the 2^nd innings at Perth, the batsmen as a whole, contributed.

Otherwise, it has been a dismal couple of months for the batsmen. The only exception is Jaiswal who could be excused for his lack of experience and having contributed enough runs since his debut. It does not mean that he can afford a miserable series in Australia.

Where is the middle order?

What is frustrating is that the chances of a couple of wickets going down early on pitches that aid fast bowling, is part and parcel of the game against the shiny red cherry. However, the middle and lower order is expected to arrest the slide and post a total for the bowlers to defend. In the 2^nd Test against New Zealand, Harry Brook and Joe Root pulled England towards dominance from a precarious position. Nowadays, it is safe to assume that if India is 20/3, they will be invariably bowled out for less than 100. The middle order has become lacklustre. Kohli is the big elephant in the room. No one wants to state the obvious. Rohit will not because his own spot is under threat.

Gambhir must show the mirror to Kohli and tell him, you carried the team for 5 years and the rest have carried you for 5 years. Enough is enough. Your spot will be under consideration. Lack of runs at Brisbane, you can consider yourself dropped for the reminder of the series. The problem with that is the fact that Gambhir and Kohli have a history of animosity towards each other. If Kohli is dropped purely based on cricketing reasons, there will be section who will assign ulterior motives to the move.

Rohit’s comments

Rohit said, “We were 30-40 runs short with the bat in the first innings. And then there were opportunities when Australia was batting and we failed to take those chances [Travis Head was dropped on 78; he made 140]. And obviously when you miss those chances, it is never easy and it’s not going to be easy. The opposition will always make you pay for it and that’s what happened. And then in the second innings as well, we thought the conditions were better. Again, we were not good enough with the bat.”

It is all well and good to say that we were not good enough but when will the tide be arrested and when will it be reversed? This has gone on for too long. Against England, in March 2024, the batting wasn’t that spectacular either. It was adequate. Jaiwal alone towered above the rest with Rohit and Gill chipping in a couple of times. Otherwise, the batting wasn’t solid against an England team that lacked decent spinners.

An alarming statistic is that there has been just one score of above 100 in the first innings this season by an individual batsman. It wasn’t by a batsman but by Ashwin. More tellingly, 16 ducks in the first innings. Teams cannot hope to post any threat with such batting performances. Unfortunately, Rohit does not consider this statistic frightening and that defeat in seven sessions of cricket, terrifying.

Wrapping up the expected Adelaide debacle 1

Rohit himself lacks serious consistency. It is tough to score runs in Australia for any Asian batsman. More so for a batsman who missed the first Test, to bat against the pink-ball under lights. It is not Rohit has lost form but it is much more serious than that. At 37, with slowing reflex and skill, he has reached the end of his career. A top score of only 62 in Australia, despite multiple tours will only make the Australians wait with glee for they know that it is just a matter of few deliveries. Rohit is not in a position to suddenly reverse his fortune in Australia and score lots of runs in the remaining games.

His batting maybe pleasing to the eye but is of no value if the same pleasing batting does not result in runs. His captaincy was also extremely poor. Rohit has been an overrated batsman in Test cricket right from the time he made his debut. He had a stellar 3 years in the middle but apart from that, his returns have been mediocre at the best. It really is a wonder how much fame he has gained over the years despite the poor returns. Perhaps, it is purely because of his exploits in white-ball cricket.

BGT 2024

Ashwin and his early games

Posted on 20 December 202420 December 2024 by Bobji

Ashwin’s parents insists on good academics to make up for failure to achieve anything substantial in cricket. His mother wanted him to take medicine whereas he wanted to pursue Commerce so that he can concentrate on cricket. His father was on the fence. As a compromise, he chose engineering, cleared the entrace exam and got a seat in Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College though his scores were less. Marks were awarded if you are an outstanding in sports. Having played for Indian U-17, he got some merit points which helped his case. Ashwin had a tough time managing studies and cricket. He then goes onto describe how he and his friends prepared for the exam.

Ashwin then reminisces about a young Tamil Nadu who went by the name of Dinesh Karthik. I have always said that Karthik had all the ability and the skill to flourish at the highest level. He never really had any weakness. For the talent that he possessed, he must have been a permanent picture in the Indian team. Unfortunately, Karthik never achieved the heights that his talent demanded. Here, Ashwin describes how he used to visit the games where Karthik played because of the sheer pleasure of watching him bat. He was fascinated so much by Karthik that he had dedicated a couple of pages to him. Just goes to show how much of a talent Karthik was.

Initial games

By 2006, Ashwin was expecting to be selected in the Ranji Trophy squad for Tamil Nadu. He gets into the probables camp but was not selected in the squad. The spot goes to Ashish Kapoor. Tamil Nadu lose the first couple of games and Ashwin was called up to make his debut during the 3^rd game. He picks up 5 wickets in the game but TN still lose the game. At the end of the season,TN did very badly but Ashwin’s performance was encouraging with 31 wickets at 16.93. He goes onto describe one particular session against UP with UP needing just 129 to win.

Raina and Kaif opened the innings and reached a healthy 67 for 1. Ashwin asked the captain Badrinath to give him the ball and asked for a field that was predominantly off-side oriented. He kept bowling well wide of the offstump. The UP batsmen did not have space to score and hence, tried to hit on the leg. In doing so, he kept losing wickets and were 89 for 7 at one stage but held onto a draw. From a definite loss to draw for TN because of Ashwin’s thinking.

Another incident, this time, he bowled to the international players from India and the West Indies at the Chepauk nets. He was perplexed because none of them acknowledged his bowling, be it when he got them out or when he beat their bats repeatedly. Ashwin was annoyed and informed the groundsman that he will not be going to the nets from the next day onwards. He vowed not to be a nets bowler only ever again.

The Carrom ball

Ashwin goes to Sri Lanka to play in the MJ Gopalan Trophy, which was played between TN and Sri Lanka but has since been stopped. There he find Rangana Herath bowl with a peculiar grip. It is called the Sodukku ball in Madras street cricket parlance. However, to do the same with a leather ball is difficult. Ashwin decides to practice it when he gets back home. In the Tamil Nadu nets, he tries this but it mostly fell short. Vijay get annoyed and starts to hit with one hand. Badri was annoyed too but didn’t reveal anything.

Ashwin protests that why should the batsmen always be the one to dominate? The bowler too has an equal say. The bowler can bowl without the batsman but the batsman cannot bat without a bowler. Ashwin was only trying to improve. He also wonders why should the bowler apologise to the batsman for a bad delivery whereas the batsman does not when plays a fault shot?

Raman and his contribution

WV Raman, the Tamil Nadu coach gives him a separate net to practice his new delivery so that he does not disturb the nets session. With every game, his relationship with Raman increases and they became good friends. Raman teaches him about alignment and angular run-up.

Raman helps Ashwin in establishing control. He says for a spinner, length, line and revolutions are the key. Revolutions are involuntary. If the line is correct, length can wary. Raman tells Ashwin that the second season of Ranji will decide whether Ashwin can go onto become an Indian cricketer. Raman sometimes tells Ashwin to run a bit slower and some other times, a bit faster. Ashwin follows those instructions and to his amazement, saw how the ball behaved everytime.

While playing in the Duleep Trophy, BCCI launches the IPL. Franchise owners were announced and they start picking players. CSK owned by Indian Cements picks Muralitharan but Ashwin wasn’t. He calls other teams but to of no avail. Finally, it happened while he turned up for Jolly Rovers against Vijay Cricket Club in the final of the first division. It is a team owned by Srinivasan.

Ashwin picks up 5 and was awarded the man of the match. Srikkanth who presides the presentation says loudly that he is looking for to work with Ashwin within the CSK setup without realising that he wasn’t picked. The next day, Ashwin receives a call from VB Chandrasekhar to meet him and sign the contract.

Other blogs in the Ashwin series

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

The Adelaide Test

Posted on 6 December 20246 December 2024 by Bobji

India goes into the Adelaide Test chasing one more history. Australia have never lost a day-night game at The Adelaide. The only day-night Test that they lost to the West Indies, was at the Gabba. At Adelaide, however, they have been nearly unbeatable. Many a teams, including India, have found Adelaide tough to crack. Adelaide used to be a batting track where the games would last all the 5 days but eversince the introduction of the pink-ball and day-night cricket, it has been anything but. Tests have finished inside 4 days and in the last series, India was bowled out for a paltry 36 which saw the game complete in 3 days. The task for India is quite straightforward. They will be chasing one more history.

A couple of weeks ago, India overcame poor confidence, loss of form and humiliation to create history at Perth, becoming the first team to defeat Australia at The Optus stadium. Back in 2021, the team created another history by becoming the first team to defeat Australia at The Gabba in 36 years and thereby win the series. It was followed by a history making win at The Centurion. Does this Indian team have it in them to create one more history?

With the arrival of Rohit Sharma and the recovery of Shubman Gill, India will be bolstered in their batting. Both of them will replace Padikkal and Jurel in the squad. Jurel is unfortunate because he was the one batsman who looked solid against Australia A but Rohti being the captain, cannot be made to sit out. Especially, after Jurel’s twin low scores at Perth. Nonetheless, he does have a bright future. Perhaps, he could be the captain after Rohit retires?

Who starts as the favourite?

Just based on their record, Australia starts this game as the favourites. Whenever talk of Adelaide and day-night Test is in the air, Australia always show up for the contest. The Australian bowlers gain an extra step of potency at Adelaide and they are full of confidence. There are reports of nervousness within the Australian camp but be that as it may, they are at their best when such things are in the dressing room. Shane Warne and Steve Waugh, Shane Warne and Gilchrist. That never stopped them from giving more than 100% on the field. This Australian outfit is not different. Moreover, a wounded Australian side is even more dangerous.

Hazlewood is out with an injury but that does not make their attack less potent. Scott Boland will bolster the attack and he has a stellar record at Adelaide. India will do well to consider him as dangerous as Hazlewood. Just beause Hazlewood is not part of the game, they cannot afford to take the Test less lightly. Boland is equally if not more, dangerous. Having said that, India must not be too much perturbed with Boland’s record. Records are meant to be broken. Let him do his best, Indian batsmen must show that they are up for the task.

Apart from this change, I don’t see Australia making any other change. There are clouds over Mitchell Marsh’s fitness and the debut of McSweeney. Reports have emerged that Marsh will be bowling a lot more than he did at Perth. With the next Test at the Gabba starting within 4 days, his adaptability and perseverance will be severely tested.

The Indian composition

Rohit Sharma will probably drop down to the middle order. Though he batted at number 4 in the pink ball practice game, Kohli is unlikely to be shifted from his position. Ideally, with his experience of handling the new ball, Rohit will be better suited to bat at number 6 after Pant. He will be in a position to handle the second new ball but India will hope that Rohit is not at the wicket at the introduction of the second new ball and that he is yet to come in. If that is the case, it only means that India are in a decent position.

With Rohit down the order, it leaves the opening pair of Jaiswal and Rahul undisturbed. It will also give the Indians a psychological edge because Australia will be wary of the opening pair, particularly, Jaiswal. He showed his calibre in the first Test. He definitely would want to continue with that. If he could negotiate the first 10-15 overs, it will be his day. Rahul on the otherhand, adjusted pretty well to the demands of Australian conditions. It makes sense to keep them opening.

The spinner

I think the only point of contention will be the role of the spinner. Will it be Ashwin or will it be Jadeja? Or will the Indian team management be happy to continue with Sundar? Nitish Reddy and Harshit Rana have secured their spots. I do not think that Prasidh Krishna or Akash Deep are in contention. As for the spinner, I would like to reiterate that Sundar is a batsman who can bowl if required. Jadeja’s meagre returns with the bat over the last year goes against him and Ashwin reliability as a batsman is to be questioned because of his inconsistency. I am sure post retirement, Ashwin will ponder the missed opportunity as a batsman. How much he could have contributed with the bat. That is a story for another day.

India will be advised to continue with Sundar because he is a better batsman than Jadeja and Ashwin and he could also pick up some wickets. The only reason for Ashwin to play is because the last time around, he bowled beautifully at Adelaide. Perhaps, the best he has bowled in Australia. However, given his inconsistency with the bat, India cannot afford a pure bowler at number 7 or 8.

Wrapping up the Adelaide Test

A win at Adelaide will increase the confidence of the Indians manifold that they can dream of a series win. Something that seemed impossible 4 weeks ago. They must ensure that Australians are not given any sort of confidence.

BGT blogs

Some interesting pointers

Posted on 6 December 20246 December 2024 by Bobji

The pink ball practise game against the Australian Prime Minister’s XI, is not something that needs to be seriously looked at. The first day was washed out and the next day was treated an an exhibition game. Both the teams were allowed to play 14 members with any set of 11 players while batting or bowling. Something Indian team is notorious during most of the tours. India does not take these games seriously. Sarfaraz Khan was the wicket keeper, an indication how serious or the lack thereof was the team towards the game. If not for the fact that the Adelaide Test will be with the pink ball, I am more than certain that the team would not have approved even this game. Nevertheless, some interesting pointers were there during the game. Let me discuss about those here.

Rohit’s position

Rohit Sharma, the captain, missed the first Test because of the birth of his 2^nd child. He is widely expected to take his spot at the top of the order. There is a school of thought that after the success of Rahul at the top at Perth, it will be insane to break that partnership and implant Rohit at the top. Agreed that Rohit has been the designated opener but it will not be wise to break the Jaiswal / Rahul pairing at the moment when they are on a high. Rohit himself seems to have reconciled to the fact and he batted in the middle order during the game.

It is a clear indication that Rohit will be batting in the middle order at Adelaide. As to where, we still do not know. Now, Kohli did not play in the game, will Rohit replace Pant at number 5 or will he be graceful enough to bat at number 6?

Now, I am not going to say that how Rohit unselfishly demoted himself to the middle order. His performance in Australia is pretty bad. An average of just 22 is not something an opener would like to have on a tough tour of Australia. Morever, Rohit of late, has been playing one shot too many. Perhaps, he does not feel that his defensive game is good enough for the conditions. It is better for someone who is low in confidence to bat in the middle.

Shubman Gill is fit

Just like Rohit, Gill too missed the first Test at Perth because of a fractured finger. Gill has a game that will suit the bounce of Australia. His inconsistency is what worries most of us the supporters of the Indian cricket team. He batted fluently for a 50 of just 62 deliveries. If there are any doubts about his availability for Adelaide, he still have 5 more days to get himself perfectly ready. Even his spot has been decided in the game. He will replace Devdutt Padikkal at number 3.

That is all well and good but Gill’s biggest enemy is Gill himself. He has more often than not, belied expectations. It was during the last tour of Australia, Gill made a decent debut. He followed it with a brilliant 91 at The Gabba to enable India to not only win the Test but the series with it. India need the best of Gill over the next 4 Tests. Number 3 is a pivotal position. Is Gill good enough to make the spot his own?

Ashwin will have to wait

Ashwin will probably have to wait till Sydney to make any contribution in the series. Both Sundar and Jadeja bowled and batted whereas Ashwin alongwith Kohli and Bumrah, did not have anything to do with the game. It really is a pity because after a couple of tours, Ashwin finally understood the line and length to bowl on Australian surfaces. The 2020 tour of Australia was the best he has ever bowled outside of India, Sri Lanka and West Indies. However, his batting goes against him. With Sundar’s decent runs at Perth and Jadeja waiting, Ashwin will be lucky to find atleast one game on this tour.

Boland was wicketless

Let us not read too much into it. Boland’s record in pink-ball Tests is amazing. He averages 13.71 though it is a very small sample. A game that was not taken seriously by anyone, Boland would not have given his everything. He is expected to replace Hazlewood at Adelaide. However, Jaiswal, Rahul and Gill played him quite well as per reports. This is a good news for us the Indian supporters. If Boland is nullified and Lyon negotiated, the enormous load that will leave on the shoulders of Starc and Cummins will most probably reduce their energy for the rest of the series. This is where India must have to make it count.

As for Australia, with McSweeney’s struggle at Adelaide, it has opened to doors to open the batting with Khwaja. Konstas’s hundred could not have come at a better time. He may not open at Adelaide but if Australia sees themselves behind once again at the end of Adelaide, Konstas can come into the picture at The Gabba.

Wrapping up some interesting pointers

I wish that India takes such games seriously. It will only help in their preparation. There is no point in worrying about injuries all the time.

What happened at Kingsmeade?

Posted on 29 November 202429 November 2024 by Bobji

Sri Lanka were just bowled out for 42. What happened at Kingsmeade? For a very longtime, South African pitches overly favour the fast bowlers. A year ago, when India toured South Africa for a couple of Tests, the 2^nd Test was completed in just 2 days. Now, at Kingsmeade, the Test may not finish in 2 days but it will definitely finish on the 3^rd day. South Africa have a genuine chance of qualifying for the WTC finals in 2025. Including the one at Durban, they need to win 3 of the 4 Tests against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. This is pretty easy because neither Sri Lanka nor Pakistan will offer any resistance on those pitches that have extreme pace. Pitches with normal bounce would have sufficed but South Africa have taken it to the extreme and have prepared a pitch with excessive pace.

There is nothing wrong in doing so. Every team tries to maximise home advantage. Asian teams prepare pitches with lots of turn whereas England and New Zealand leave enough grass for their swing bowlers to extract the most out of the surface. With WTC points at stake and in the aim of winning games at home, the host nation prepare pitches that may not suit them but that definitely does not suit the touring sides. The ICC pitches committee will have a long and hard look at the pitch unless the game goes onto atleast the 4^th day.

Anyway, South Africa definitely starts as the favourites against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Sri Lanka does not have fast bowlers of repute and as such, they are unlikely to post any threat to South Africa. Pakistan, though they have fast bowlers, their bowlers have not performed at the highest level.

Not pushing for green top

Firdose Monda, the celebrated and brilliant South African writer, wrote an article on ESPNCRICINFO.COM that South Africa are not pushing for greentops for the home season. Temba Bavuma, the captain said, “We’re not at liberty to instruct the groundsmen to prepare what we’d like. We just try to play on whatever has been prepared,” Temba Bavuma, South Africa’s captain said in Pretoria. The coach echoed the same. “We just want good cricketing wickets,” he said. “That’s all I can ask for.”

However, judging by the scoreline, it seems that the pitch has a high bounce to trouble any batsman. It is possible that Sri Lanka was bowled out for a low score because of their inability to handle pace and bounce. They can also be blamed for jumping straight into a Test match without any practise, afterall, they just travelled from the low bouncing pitches of Sri Lanka to the bouncy South African wickets. However, what can explain South Africa’s abject surrender in the first innings if not for the pitch having excessive bounce?

Sri Lankan series

Ironically, Sri Lanka is the only Asian nation to have won a series in South Africa. They won at Durban and Gqeberha in 2019 though they lost the very next series without any win. South Africa will be stupid to handover any advantage in terms of pitch to the visiting team. They have never qualified for the WTC finals. This year offers a golden opportunity to do that. Win all the 4, they are guaranteed a spot in the final. Win 3, they can still qualify but hope that other results go their way.

South Africa have always prepared pitches with excessive bounce for Asian teams. In 2017, against India, it was taken to the extreme by the then coach, Otis Gibson. He wanted pitches with lots of bounce so that the likes of Steyn, Rabadda, Philander and Morkel could take advantage of. It is another matter that they still ended up losing one.

However, Sri Lanka is not as strong as India or as versatile as India. Hence, they are bound to struggle in this series irrespective of the fact that they are the only Asian nation so far to win a series there.

Onto the Pakistan series

Pakistan possess bowlers who could bowl at 145KMPH. They always had the reputation of possessing fast bowlers that can make the opposition shiver. The reputation of their fast bowlers, right from the days of Imran Khan through Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis to the current lot of Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah far exceeded their capacity to delivery. How else can we say? Pakistan never managed to win a series in the West Indies until they became so poor that anyone had a chance. They never could defeat Australia in Australia. South Africa is no different.

Anyway, in South Africa, their batsmen must be capable of handling Rabadda and the others. That will be their main challenge. South African pitches will help fast bowlers quite a lot that mediocre bowlers can come good. If the batsmen are unable to adjust to the pace and bounce, things could get really tough.

South Africa with their superior bowlers will certainly fancy their chances winning both the Tests.

Wrapping up what happened at Kingsmeade?

Sri Lanka bowled out for 42, which is not completely unexpected. South African pitches with their pace and bounce is tough to handle for Asian teams with the honourable exception of the Indians. Both Sri Lanka and Pakistan have unhill task on their hands.

England in New Zealand

Posted on 29 November 202429 November 2024 by Bobji

Two teams that are in different confidence levels are up against each other in the southern most part of the world. England and New Zealand are two contrasting teams with one of them still has an outside chance of making it to the WTC finals in June. New Zealand are really buoyant after their historic and significant whitewash of India in India whereas England, after an impressive win in the first Test against Pakistan, was disillusioned by two chastening defeats against the same opposition. However, the conditions in New Zealand is not that different from England and so, England must feel at home. England in New Zealand offers a chance for both set of cricketers to show the world that they are among the good teams around.

The last time these teams met in New Zealand, England, on the back of impressive Bazball cricket, were extremely ebullient and cheerful that they were expected to win the series quite easily. The New Zealand that reached the final of the inaugural WTC, was far removed from the New Zealand that fronted up against England. If not for a shocking and mind-numbing declaration on the part of Stokes, England would have won that series rather comfortably. The current series, I expect England to prevail. More onto that later.

The presence of Ben Stokes

From a fabulous first year as captain, Stokes has hit a road-block. Under his captaincy, England were unable to win the two important series. Against Australia at home, they were only able to draw the series. If Nathan Lyon had not hobbled off after the 2^nd Test, Australia may have even won the series. The only saving grace of that series was the fact that England came back from a 0-2 deficit to draw the series. What followed in India was even worse, with the series lost 1-4. England went to Pakistan hoping that they could repeat the result of the previous tour. Until the first Test, it appeared so and then Pakistan found the secret to defeat England.

In Pakistan, Stokes wasn’t really present. He missed the Sri Lankan series because of a hamstring tear. He went to Pakistan with the same injury and missed the first Test. Though he returned for the last two, his conduct was anything but professional with drop catches. misfields and a lacklustre captaincy. It later emerged that his home was burgled in England with the inmates present. Hence, his lack of leadership was quite understandable. Based on reports, he has since then, apologised to the England team for his poor conduct on the tour.

“It was one of my hardest trips,” said Stokes. “But also one that I’ve hugely benefited from. That definitely has an impact on, not only the players around me, but also the group and the management around you as well. Because everyone’s walking on eggshells around you, because they can sense it. But it wasn’t till I got home that I realised that then, obviously, with the robbery happening, that made more of everything for me out there.”

England need a rejuvenated Stokes.

How the teams stack up?

On paper, both the teams looks equal. I think that it is the attitude of the Englishmen that will determine who wins the series. England are yet to register a series win in 4 attempts. Bazball has done wonders for England except in Asia. They followed the same approach last time around in New Zealand and they were better off for it if not for that ridiculous decision to declare. Rachin Ravindra, a fabulous and talented New Zealand batsman will be key. He has all the bases covered and it not perturbed by pace, swing or spin. England know what to expect of Williamson but Ravindra is new to them. On the tour of India, Ravindra showed that he can adapt to the dramatically different conditions. At home, he will be a handful. He is pleasing to watch and is patience personified at the wicket.

England has taken tall fast bowlers in a bid to prepare them for the next year’s Ashes in Australia. Guy Atkinson, Oliver Stone and Brydon Carse are tall with pace to boot. The pitches in New Zealand is unlikely to help their style of bowling but the experience will be vital. Oliver Stone, who is back after a prolonged injury, he will be able to understand whether his body can withstand the rigours of Test cricket.

New Zealand do not possess a strong bowling attack. Matt Henry, Tim Southee and William O’Rourke, these bowlers are not someone England have not seen in County Cricket. For Southee, this is his final series and he would like to retire on a high note. It will all boil down to how New Zealand batsmen are able to mitigate the England bowlers.

Wrapping up England in New Zealand

I will sign off with the thoughts of Tom Latham, “New conditions, new team – for us, it’s about trying to take as much confidence as we can from that series. The way we played, the approach we tried to take into that series in conditions that were tough. Knowing that we can do it all around the world is the confidence we need to take into here. And obviously, nice coming home to familiar conditions.”

The Australian team is in disarray

Posted on 29 November 202429 November 2024 by Bobji

Australia who was expected to steamroll India at Perth, found themselves at the receiving end. The defeat was comprehensive. Indians played a brand of cricket that Australians themselves will be proud of. The Australian bowlers did not have an answer for the batting of Jaiswal, Rahul and Kohli. Nitish Reddy took full advantage of the lacklustre bowling and helped himself to an unbeaten score. The Australian batsmen were thoroughly outplayed by Bumrah and company. Now, there is speculation that the Australian team is in disarray. It is hard to believe because Aussies are usually extremely tough. They are not that easily perturbed by defeat. They will ensure that they fight harder but what caused this speculation? It is nothing but a harmless comment from Josh Hazlewood.

When asked how the Australian batsman plan to salvage the series opener, Hazlewood said,

“You’ll have to ask the batters that question, I’m sort of relaxing and getting a bit of physio treatment and probably looking mostly to the next Test and what plans we can do against these batters,” he said.

Adam Gilchrist responded that it speaks about a divided changeroom. Michael Vaughan, “I must admit I’m staggered by that. Publicly I’ve never heard an Australian come out and divide the camp into batters and bowlers.

Now, I do not want to read too much into what Hazlewood meant. He was frustrated because of the lack of rest between the innings and was made to toil for over 130 overs. These things happen in a team environment where not everyone necessarily gets alongwith everyone else. Australians themselves are a great example of that. Gilchrist and Warne did not get along and neither did Warne and Steve Waugh.

Don’t read too much into it, India

Be that as it may, India just cannot read too much into the purported differences. Differences are not, Australia will definitely fight harder than they have done. They are a wounded tiger ready to pounce on any slackness. This is where India must be careful. They have had a fantastic start to the series. Much against expectation. The series is a very long one. There are 4 more Tests to be played with three of them on pitches that usually favours fast bowling. The next game is at Adelaide where Australia have never lost a game in over a decade eversince the introduction of day-night Test.

Ravi Shastri said as much

“What the Indian dressing room will be thinking when they hear something like that, we know there are cracks on the pitch but I feel there are some mental cracks as well at this moment in time in the opposition,” he said.

“Having come to Australia for 30-40 years, I think this is the first time an Indian team is feeling that ‘You know what, we are better than the opposition in their backyard’.”

It is better if India does not read these statements. They must stay away from the media, both print and social until the end of this series. This Australian team may not be as great as the ones under Taylor, Waugh and Ponting but they are a steely bunch. Infact, it is statements like these that gets their energy flowing.

It has been more than 8 months since Australia played red-ball cricket. They were undercooked but now, having tasted defeat will be raring to go at Adelaide. They have history on their side at the moment. Agreed, they had history on their side at Perth too but at Adelaide, it is a different ball-game altogether. It is pink ball. Indians are not that much exposed to the pink ball. They will be playing the Prime Minister’s eleven with the pink ball but a 2-day game is not enough for a Test.

Adelaide usually leaves a lot of live grass to enable the shine on the pink-ball to be retained over a longer period. It helps in the night when the ball starts to swing. The Indians do not possess any swing bowler. All of them are seamers, the hit the deck variety.

Wrapping up the Australian team is in disarray

The point is, any game of cricket, until it is done, it is not done. At the moment, India must not think of qualifying for the WTC Finals and must concentrate on the task on hand. The talk of groupism within the Australian team is not for India to feel happy about. It does not even matter in the grander scheme of things.

There is also talk about Marnus Labuschagne’s place being in doubt. The Australian public is angry and they want Labuschagne to be dropped. Some have even called for Smith to be dropped alongwith Labuschagne. Usually, when the Australian public is angry, they show their frustration at the opposition. Indians will be bullied on the ground where they practise. Perhaps, the closed-door session that I ridiculed will once again help. Nevertheless, preparation for Adelaide must be taken with earnest and every Australian cricketer, including the ones who may or may not replace the existing players, must be analysed thoroughly. Whether the Australian team is in disarray or otherwise, it is their problem.

A thorough display

Posted on 29 November 202429 November 2024 by Bobji

The Perth Test will be remembered by every Indian fan for a very longtime. Like the Gabba win in 2020, this will also be discussed in the same wavelength. It was a fabulous win and make no mistake about it. It was so heartening to see the Indian team put up a display that defied their current mental-state and their confidence. This is what Indian teams must be doing all over the world. There are far too many cricketers on this land not to dominate the sport. Afterall, cricket is the only game this country loves and it is incumbent on the board to ensure that the Indian team dominates wherever they go. It was a thorough display at Perth.

Having scored just 150, there was a sigh around the country, here we go again. Everyone expected the worst but it turned out to be bittersweet a couple of days later. This victory will do a world of good to the Indian team that was low on confidence having endured the worst defeat against New Zealand. A couple of inspiring selections and a brave call, were in hindsight, key contributions. The Perth pitch was tricky. Even the likes of Ricky Ponting or Steve Waugh or Adam Gilchrist would have struggled on a pitch that offered extravagant seam movement. Hence, it was no surprise that the Indian batsmen too struggled. For awhile, it looked like 36 all over again, a famlliar sense of dread swept through the supporters but the first burst from Bumrah overthrew all conventions and gave the millions some hope.

Yashasvi Jaiswal and the stupendous effort

During the 70s and 80s, scoring runs in the West Indies was considered as the epitome of batting. Australia was no different but West Indies had that edge because of their superior bowling. All of that changed in the 90s when the West Indies declined as a force and Australia grew gigantically under Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Ponting. Once in generation batsmen and bowlers were part of that team. Asian batsmen, including Gavaskar, struggled in Australia. The country was unforgiving for non-Australians. If anyone has scored runs in Australia, especially when they were the absolute undisputed champion side, that player has arrived on the international stage.

The current Australian team may not be as good as the earlier ones but they still possess a potent bowling attack. Even now, runs in Australia is considered a virtue. Here was Jaiswal, on his first trip to Australia, Prior to the tour, Nathan Lyon revealed that he spoke to the English offspinner, Todd Murphy to understand about Jaiswal. Having got out before scoring in the first innings, he set-off to make amends and wasn’t it amazing the way he went about his job? The captain, Jasprit Bumrah, spoke in glowing terms about Jaiswal.

Bumrah about Jaiswal

“Out of all these innings, he [Jaiswal] had a great start to his career,” Bumrah told the host broadcaster. “But the way he played in the last innings was probably his best Test innings so far because he left the ball. He has an attacking nature, but he left the ball well and played long. That really helped us.”

The challenge for Jaiswal will be, how to take this form forward and maintain it throughout the series. It is a long series and focus is bound to slacken but he will have to ensure that his focus and determination never wavers and when he is batting, he is completely tuned to the task on hand. Scoring a hundred in Australia has eluded so many good batsmen, Joe Root being the prime example. Jaiswal got one in the first Test itself. It is a huge tick against his ability as a batsman.

The debutants

Both Nitish Reddy and Harshit Rana proved that their selection wasn’t a mistake. Harshit has height and looks quite strong. However, he lacks pace to hustle batsmen on batting pitches. When the pitch did not have much assistance in the 2^nd innings, he was easily dispatched for runs. He is young and will probably be able to improve his pace but he will have to do that rather quickly lest others will overtake him in the pecking order. Harshit will certainly remember his first wicket forever just for the beauty of the delivery. It showed his ability but with lack of pace, his impact will be limited to pitches that has some help for the bowlers.

As for Nitish, he had a dream debut. Important runs in both the innings topped with his first Test wicket. Just like Harshit, these are early days for Nitish. The Australians would have no idea what to expect from him. Now that they have seen him, he will have to be much more prepared and ready for Australia. He is sure to play at Adelaide where the pitch will help his bowling.

The old guards

Kohli and Rahul, it is soothing to see both of them among the runs. If not for Bumrah’s brilliance, my man of the match will be Rahul. It was his twin innings and the way he guided Jaiswal that was a catalyst in the win. This was an important Test for Rahul. I have always said that he has the talent and the ability but has muddled thinking. If only he could think clearly, he still could be the batsman that he threatened for so long.

Wrapping up a thorough display

I did not write much about Bumrah because everyone knows about his brilliance. However, I would like to say that he must become the captain because he has earned it. Bumrah himself admitted that he would like to continue on the job though he will also be happy to continue as Rohit’s deputy. It will be harsh to remove Rohit Sharma from the captaincy. It will look like he is being punished for being with his wife during the birth of the child though removing from captaincy is purely based on cricketing reasons. Nevertheless, it will be better if Rohit Sharma himself comes forward and relinquishes captaincy.

Other blogs about the series

Why protect Kohli?

Posted on 22 November 202422 November 2024 by Bobji

Every former cricketer or every pundit worth their salt, whenever they pick their choice for the playing eleven, has always put Virat Kohli at number 4. The latest is Wasim Jaffer who wants Padikkal to bat at number 3. It essentially means that he does not want to disturb Kohli from his usual spot. My question is why protect Kohli? It is onething to stick to one’s position when the going is good but it is completely another to stick to the same position when the going is pretty difficult. All these former cricketers do not seem to understand the needs of the team and the importance of experience. In my opinion, Kohli must not be protected. What did Wasim Jaffer say about the possible playing eleven for the first Test at Perth?

“I believe Padikkal should be played at No. 3, he has played Tests for India before and is familiar with that number. He has scored runs there and is also a left-handed batsman, so he deserves to play at No. 3,” Jaffer told ESPNCricinfo.

First of all, he is wrong at the very outset. Padikkal has played only one Test for India and that as a middle-order batsman. He batted at number 4 against England and held himself well. Even for his state team, he does not bat at number 3. He is a middle order batsman. That is where he batted even for India A in Australia. So, Jaffer’s comment that Padikkal is familiar with number 3, is plain wrong. I do not mind Padikkal in the eleven, afterall, in a side where no one can be trusted to score runs on this trip, what is wrong with one more youngster? However, I will have him in the lower middle-order rather than in the top 3.

Why protect Kohli?

Kohli is the most experienced in the current lot. He has toured Australia multiple occasions and he batted exceptionally down under. Even In the absence or the presence of Rohit Sharma, he is the most capped Indian cricketer in the current lot. The rest, Gill, Jaiswal, Sarfaraz, Sundar, Padikkal do not have that much experience at the highest level with the exception of Gill. On a pitch that is expected to bounce, if India were to bat first, they will need all the experience that they can find to dodge the first and second sessions. The Australian bowlers are fresh after a prolonged rest and they are all raring to bowl at their best.

Usually, at Perth, they are at their confident best. It is a ground where Starc has done pretty well and so has Lyon. Cummins, we do not even have to ask because of his supreme skills. How are youngsters like Padikkal or Sarfaraz expected to lead the resistance against them? This is where every former cricketer and the so-called pundits get it wrong. If Pujara is in Australia, that is a different story altogether. Number 3 was reserved for him. The situation is completely different now. There is no Pujara and there is severe lack of experience of playing in Australia. This is where Kohli must make himself accountable.

Kohli must volunteer himself to bat at number 3. India need all the experience at the top. Especially following a disastrous New Zealand series where the batting failed miserably, it is time the batsmen made amends. For that, Kohli’s experience and skill is vital. Among the current lot, it is Kohli who has the ability to confront the likes of the Australian seamers. With the bounce on offer, his skill is important.

The infatuation must stop

Why is that in India, the premier batsman must bat only at number 4? What is this infatuation? The former cricketers must not support this but they are they ones who advocate for the premier batsman to bat at that position. Ricky Ponting, who was Australia’s best batsman of his era, played at number 3. So did Jacques Kallis until the advent of one Hashim Amla, who made the position his own. There are so many examples of the best batsman of the team, batting at number 3. It is only in India or Asia, that this is not the case.

Take the case of one Sachin Tendulkar. He was one batsman who refused to be removed from his ivory tower. For him, his position was number 4 and no one can move him anywhere else. Others, including Dravid, Laxman and Ganguly where shuffled around him. Sehwag even opened the innings but Tendulkar would not move. The hue and cry when he was made to bat in the middle-order in ODIs made every Indian fan frustrated.

The same is happening with Kohli. Others can be shuffled around. A youngster on his first visit to Australia, a land where visiting teams have found the going to be tough, can bat at that position but not Kohli. The reasoning, if an early wicket falls, Kohli will not be exposed. Kohli must be exposed exactly for that purpose. He is the one with the technique and expertise to succeed against the new-ball. If he is afraid to front up, what is the point of having him in the team? If he could score runs from that position, imagine the confidence that it will give to the youngsters who will follow. How Kohli would have eased the situation for the batsmen to follow?

Wrapping up why protect Kohli?

I think for the sheer experience he possess and the experience of batting in Australia, it is Kohli who must bat at number 3. No need to protect him from anyone. He has already played enough for every bowler to know his strength and weakness. Let your premier batsman take charge from number 3 and see the progress of the series.

Other BGT blogs