Author: Bobji

Ganguly dropping Kumble vs Waugh dropping Warne

Posted on by Bobji

What is common between Kumble and Warne? They both are great spin bowlers. They were considered among the best of their era. In the case of Warne, perhaps, one of the best ever. In the case of Kumble, perhaps, India’s greatest match winner. Overtaking the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid, Kohli & Harbhajan. What is common between Ganguly and Waugh? Both were captains who took the courageous decision of dropping their match winner in Test cricket. Both of them must be lauded for taking a decision in the best interests of the team. Whereas one behaved in a dignified manner, the other did not. This thread is about Ganguly dropping Kumble vs Waugh dropping Warne.

Kumble finished his career with more than 600 wickets. Till now, he is the leading wicket taker for India. He is unlikely to be surpassed anytime soon. His nearest competition is Ashwin who still has more than 150 wickets to equal Kumble. The downside for him is his age. He is 36 and is unlikely to play for more than 2 years. During this period, India may not play more than 20 tests and considering the number of wickets required, it is safe to assume that Kumble’s record will remain intact.

A bonafide match winner

Kumble has won a lot of games for India. Though most of them were in India, he was the reason India became a dominant force in the country. The primary reason why Steve Waugh called India the final frontier was because of the fact that Kumble in favourable conditions was simply unstoppable. Teams after teams came and went back with their tails between their legs. The Indian crowd who were otherwise subjected to lot of pain and subjugation until then, thoroughly enjoyed the annihilation of the visiting teams. So long as Kumble is in the team, the team would win from any position.

Now, the same Kumble, found the going pretty tough outside the country. He wasn’t the same match winner there or worse, he wasn’t even that threatening outside of the country. Nevertheless, India persisted with him because of his exploits in the country or for want of better options. The emergence of Harbhajan Singh in 2001 provided India that opportunity. Harbhajan will forever be remembered for the stellar role he played in the marquee series in 2001 against Australia in the absence of Kumble. To Kumble’s credit, he did not mind a youngster winning games for the nation during his absence and went out of the way to help him in the nets. He was all praise for Kumble.

Harbhajan is all praise for his compatriot

“He’s probably the greatest match-winner India has ever produced. People used to say he didn’t spin the ball, but he showed that if you had the heart, you could get batsmen out regardless of whether the ball spun or not.”

“If anyone has half the competitiveness Anil bhai had, he would become a champion. I’m lucky to have played with him for so many years. He was an unbelievably committed player,” he said.

The same Kumble was dropped by Ganguly for the ODI World Cup finals in 2003. Ofcourse, Kumble was crestfallen. It was dream of every cricketer to play in a World Cup final.

“Leaving out Kumble from the first eleven (has to be the toughest decision). He was such a great player and such a great performer, so to take the decision of leaving him out was the toughest decision,” Ganguly tells Sportstar.

It wasn’t just the World Cup final. He was dropped from the Test playing eleven too and Harbhajan was preferred for the first test at The Gabba in 2003.

Anil was magnanimous

Anil however, did not take it personally. He did not develop a lifelong grudge against Ganguly

Instead, he did what he has always done. Support the players. Kumble did not whine and used this opportunity to come back as a better bowler and he did come back as a better bowler. He showed that with his performance in the same series. He played the last 3 Tests and eventually became the highest wicket taker for India in that series. 24 wickets. It showed how Kumble instead of brooding over his exclusion, actually was inspired by that and returned a better bowler.

Warne reacted differently

Now, let us contrast that with Shane Warne’s reaction after he was dropped by Steve Waugh

Warne, immediately after he returned from his shoulder injury was ineffective. Stuart MacGill had meanwhile established himself as the first choice spinner. Australia went to the West Indies under Steve Waugh. It was Waugh’s first tour as captain. Warne proved unproductive. MacGill didn’t perform outstandingly either but picked up more wickets than Warne. Australia were 1-2 down and had to win the final game to retain the Frank Worrell Trophy. It was under such background that Steve Waugh took the most courageous decision of his career. He acted with the pure intention of winning the Test and squaring the series.

“It’s the hardest decision I’ve been involved with,” said the former Australia captain. “I almost felt sick walking out of that selection meeting knowing you’re dropping an absolute legend of the game and a spinner that’s got over 300 Test wickets. It’s just a rare occurrence. The heart said leave him in there, give him another go, but the head said the other leg-spinner is bowling better at this moment in time and we just had to make the tough decision.” said Steve Waugh.

Warne should have been generous

It takes lot of nerve to drop a legend and the vice-captain of the side. How did Warne take the demotion? Not so well as he himself admitted. He has written in his autobiography that after he was dropped, he did not cover himself with glory. He did not support the teammates well enough as he should have and he went on a tirade against the elder Waugh.

Disappointed is not a strong enough word. When the crunch came Tugga [Steve Waugh] didn’t support me, and I felt so totally let down by someone who I had supported big time and was also a good friend.” 

He didn’t stop there. He went onto label Waugh as the most selfish cricketer he has ever played with.

Wrapping up Ganguly dropping Kumble vs Waugh dropping Warne

Just because someone had dropped him on cricketing grounds, it was wrong on the part of Warne to have behaved the way he did.

Other blogs about Warne and Kumble can be read here, here and here.

Bumrah is ruled out of another important tournament again

Posted on by Bobji

Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the T20 World Cup because of a back injury. It surely is a big setback for the Indian team who are struggling with their bowling. His action is such that this is bound to happen now or in the future. It has happened now. Back injury is quite serious. For now, BCCI has said that he needs 6 weeks of rest but it is almost certain that he needs surgery. It can be postponed but it cannot be avoided. Be that as it may, I am pleased that he is out of the World Cup. Let me explain in Bumrah is ruled out of another important tournament again.

Ever since Bumrah made his debut for the country, he has been treated gently. He was given frequent breaks and for quite a longtime, he didn’t play a single Test in India. Precisely because of the fact that spin will be the preferred mode of attack on Indian soil and as such it is not worth playing Bumrah. On such surfaces he will be required to bend his back. Poor Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma toiled hard on these wickets but were overlooked on wickets that suited the faster bowlers. Not that I am complaining. They didn’t utilise their chances but it shows how Bumrah was wrapped in cotton wool throughout his career.

He is always wrapped in cotton wool

The selectors, BCCI and the team management did not wanted to exert Bumrah way too much so that his career can be prolonged. It was a noble thought but it has its own drawbacks. Bumrah’s action is such that he is likely to be injured. That is the reason he was treated so warmly by everyone concerned. It was the reason he was allowed to skip games for India as and when he wishes. During the England tour of India in the early half of 2021, Bumrah bowled just 2 overs in the game at Ahmedabad. He promptly asked to be rested for the 4th test. The team management obliged. Would he have done the same while playing for Mumbai Indians in the IPL? That is the whole bloody point.

Rohit is as much a culprit as Bumrah is

A Bumrah whose action is thought to be problematic and whose action is likely to lead to injuries and who for that precise reason was rested from half of Indian games, is allowed to play in every IPL game regardless of it being an inconsequential game or a live one. Ironically, it is the current Indian captain who made Bumrah play in every game. Far too long, there is always this suspicion of Mumbai players not playing upto their capacity while playing for the country but are always over eager when they play for Mumbai. This was even confirmed by Sanjay Manjrekar in his autobiography. As if to prove Manjrekar correct, Rohit Sharma is at it again. Ofcourse, Bumrah is not from Maharashtra but he has spent most of his career playing in the IPL for Mumbai.

“Honestly, coming back after a couple of months, a back injury can be tricky,” Rohit said at the post-match presentation on September 23. “So, we just have to give him more time. I am not going to analyse too much about how he bowled – it was good to see him on the park … Slowly and steadily he is coming back to his rhythm, that’s what he’s been talking about when he is bowling in the nets as well. So it was good to see him on the park, bowling full throttle.”

It was the same Rohit who a few years ago when he replied to a reporter’s question of whether he will rest Bumrah during the IPL before an important series, Rohit said that there was no way he will rest Bumrah.

My response to Vijayakumar Alagappan

This is what I responded to Vijayakumar the owner of the website 12thkhiladi where he suggested on Twitter that no tournament is worth sacrificing Bumrah

A world cup is a trophy worth sacrificing anyone. How come despite playing in only half the games for India, he is injured? On the otherhand, he ends up playing all the games in IPL for 10 years? Why is he being treated as a special player despite failing to bowl India to victory while defending targets in the 4th innings? He got 5 opportunities in 2 years and utterly failed in all of them. I am pleased that he is out of the World Cup. He is overrated. Let him retire and play IPL forever.

Wrapping up Bumrah is ruled out of another important tournament again

It really is a shame that the Indian cricketers and a lot of the supporters have got the their priorities wrong. Playing for the nation must be given top priority. For someone like Bumrah who is likely to be laid low because of injury, he must be prevented from playing in inconsequential IPL games or better still, he must be barred from playing in IPL from time to time.

Bumrah has tweeted that he is gutted for missing out of the squad for the World Cup. When I read that, I can only chuckle within myself. This guy didn’t really mean it. Has Bumrah really repaid the faith of the Indian selectors and the team management when it comes to crunch situations? I am afraid the answer is a big fat No.

I have said this before. Bumrah’s days a fast running out. He is yet to play a meaningful role in Indian series wins. He has already lost 5 opportunities of winning Test and series outside India. Twice in South Africa, one in New Zealand, the WTC finals of 2021 and the 5th Test against England at Edgbaston. He runs the risk of becoming a tragic hero. Is Bumrah willing to listen? Does he have the yearning to go down in history as India’s best match winner or does he want to go down as an also-ran? It is something only he can decide.

Did India gain out of the twin series?

Posted on by Bobji

Two T20 series against good teams. Australia and South Africa. In quick succession and just before the World Cup. Was there any point of such a series? Afterall, the World Cup will be held in Australia where the conditions will be vastly different from what prevails in India? Was it really necessary after so many months of cricket? Did India gain out of the twin series?

The team took a collective decision after the World T20 debacle in 2021 that they will change the way they bat. Rohit Sharma was at the forefront of that change. It is ironical that Rohit will have to bring about this change. Rohit almost always plays out a maiden over of the very first over and the same Rohit is now talking about change. Better late than never because the world has moved on from the 1980s and 1990s brand of cricket in the short formats.

“It is something that all of us came together and we said, you know, this is what we want to do as a team,” Rohit said during the post-match presentation, when asked about India’s batting approach. “Sometimes it has come off; there will be times where it doesn’t come off, but we want to stick to it. We felt that this is the method of moving forward, it has given us results, and we will continue to take that approach.”

Was there a need for this series?

India have just gotten off from a tough and competitive Asia Cup where they were knocked out before the finals. Prior to that, they had that lengthy IPL and a few T20 games before that. Not to mention the World T20 just about a year ago. All sorts of combinations were tried during these past few months right from asking Pant to open till making Kumar and Arshdeep bowl the final overs. Rohit Sharma says “we are learning”. What the hell is he learning is something that is confusing. Almost all of the Indian players are quite experienced in this format. You do not learn with experienced hands, rather, you will want to turn that learning in to results with experienced cricketers.

I for one think that the players would have been much better with a break. Indian cricketers are overworked. They need breaks so that they can rejuvenate and work on their weakness. However, the BCCI will have none of that. For them, money is the one and only criteria. Hence, they stage lots and lots of meaningless games in the garb of preparing for the World Cup. Just how have the players prepared for an event to be held in Australia by playing in India is something even BCCI will not be able to explain.

Nevertheless, let us talk about gains for India

One, they have continued with the aggressive approach. This augurs well for the World Cup where the pitches eventhough they will bounce a bit more, are expected to be full of runs. High scores while batting first and the ability to chase such scores is of paramount importance. Utilising the powerplay is essential for that. The bigger surprise was how Rahul has shed his inhibitions. When he plays this aggressively, he makes batting look so easy. Will the pressure of the World Cup change his approach? I very much think so. I do not expect him to open up until India is either knocked out or have already qualified.

Kohli has continued with his good form. He has been consistently scoring and at a good enough strike rate. Kohli’s form is not only important for the World Cup but for India to qualify for the WTC finals. With 4 Tests lined up against Australia, Kohli’s runs will be vital.

Surya Yadav is the man in form. His 360 degree shots are a treat to watch. Few overs of Surya at the crease can destroy the opposition. At number 4, he is the most important wicket for the opposition. The kind of form he is in, he must be given the maximum number of overs to bat. if that means moving Kohli down to number 4, so be it. The only problem with that is that Kohli will not be able to play his natural game and that will be a liability. Perhaps, it is better to leave the line up as it is.

Wicket keeper and bowlers

The team management have done well to impose trust upon Dinesh Karthik. Rishabh Pant hasn’t quite convinced in the shortest format. He is not as effective in the T20 side as he is in the Test side. I can only hope that Dravid and Rohit continues to trust Karthik even if he fails in a couple of games because Karthik has taken up a role that will be unforgiving. He has taken an extreme risk in projecting himself as finisher only. Nevertheless, if he can create an impact game after game, he will propel India to that elusive title.

Deepak Chahar has made an impressive comeback in the series against South Africa. The trouble is that both him and Kumar cannot play in the same game. They both are new ball bowlers at best. Kumar as we have seen from the last few games, struggles during the final overs. Chahar will not be any different. Only one can play in the eleven. If current form is anything to go by, I will pick Chahar over Kumar.

Wrapping up did India gain out of the twin series?

The problem that still prevails is Rohit’s inability to go on and score substantially. The quick 20s and 30s will not be that effective in T20 where the incoming batsman will not have anytime to settle down. Except for Surya and Karthik, none in the current team is capable of hitting from the first delivery. Another problem is the bowling. It is pretty weak. Perhaps the weakest among the bigger nations. Chahal and Harshal are simply ineffective at the highest level. Harshal’s slower ones will not have the same bite in Australia. Kumar, Chahar, Harshal, Arshdeep, Chahal, Ashwin make for a pretty ordinary attack. The batsmen will be forced to score that extra 30 runs to cover for poor bowling.

As of now, India are not among the favourites. Especially considering the bowling.

Steve Waugh the epitome of Aussie spirit 2

Posted on by Bobji

Before you go onto read Steve Waugh the epitome of Aussie spirit 2, please read part 1 here.

Waugh gumption to drop Warne

Waugh and Warne were good friends during the initial stage of their respective careers. After one famous incident, they drifted apart. In this I must commend the decision making of Waugh. Shane Warne had just returned from a surgery. He was out of action for more than a year and during this time, Stuart MacGill had established himself as a worthy replacement for Warne. He took wickets with his huge turning leg-breaks. After Warne returned, being the great bowler that he was and being the senior, he had to be accommodated. During the tour of the West Indies Warne was clearly struggling to pick up wickets whereas MacGill was slightly better than Warne.

Moreover, Australia were 1-2 down needing to win the final test to retain the Frank Worrell trophy. It was under such circumstances, Waugh took the momentous decision. It calls for great courage and bravery to drop one of the greats of the game. That single decision showed the real competitive Steve Waugh. He wasn’t afraid to take the huge and tough decisions. For him, all that mattered was winning. He will go to great lengths to achieve that. Needless to say, Australia went onto win that Test.

Waugh explains

“It was my first tour as captain to West Indies. As a captain, you are expected to make difficult decisions. That’s why you are given the job. You are not there to please everyone. I always wanted to be loyal to be my players to a certain point, but at the end of the day, you gotta be loyal to the team and their performance,” Waugh said

“Warnie had just come back from a shoulder surgery. I think he was put back into the team too quickly. We had both Stuart Macgill and him in the previous Test, turning the ball the same way. Lara, and all the left-handers were hitting with the spin, and I just thought it was the right decision,” he added. 

“I didn’t consult too many players. I think, when you are consult too many people, as a captain, you get confused. At the end of the day, you are there to make the decision, it was a tough one, of course,” said the man under whom Warne played a lot of Test matches after that rare snub. 

This one decision irrevocably fractured the relationship between Warne and Waugh.

Steve Waugh’s autobiography

It is a lengthy book and quite heavy too. 800 pages. Probably, the longest book a cricketer has ever written. You just cannot hold onto the book for too long on your hands. It must be rested on a table. However, it is a wonderfully written and articulated book. It is simply irresistible. One can learn about the Steve Waugh right from his childhood. It is clear that Waugh placed tremendous importance and poured lot of energy in writing the book. It is unlike the book that was written by Sachin Tendulkar or Saurav Ganguly which was more of an espncricinfo.com match report. All you have to do is go to that website, search for the matches Tendulkar or Ganguly are involved in and read the report whereas Waugh’s is a magnum opus.

I have read it twice and it is a keeper. Even if the book is tattered, I will not hesitate to buy another one.

Waugh has covered all the important passages of his career. The match fixing controversy involving his brother, the World Cup wins, the Ashes success and most importantly, the decision to drop Warne. He talks about his initial failure when after getting a lot of chances, he just simply wasn’t able to pull it off. He was neither scoring runs nor was his picking up wickets.

 “For me,” he explains, “the hardest part about not doing well was that I began to think I was a failure not just as a player but as a person too.”

There are so many other details in this book that I will need to write a separate blog about his autobiography.

Complete eradication of the last Test loss

Under Allan Border, Australia rose from the ashes. Under Mark Taylor, they established themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Australia were winning Tests and series regularly wherever they went. They made a mincemeat of England whenever they met. South Africa competed but they were never able to overcome Australia. The rest, were mostly non-existent. Nevertheless, Australia found ways to lose the last Test of any series. Either because of homesick or because having been contented that they have already won the series or whatever, they lost a lot of inconsequential games. It was Steve Waugh who set off to rectify this mistake. He hated losing.

Under him, Australia became even more tougher team. They planned to win every cricket game. It does not matter whether the series was won already. Ruthlessness was what Waugh required. He did not want his team members to become complacent or satisfied with series wins. In John Buchanan, he had an ideal foil as the coach. Together, they changed the face of Australian cricket itself. Now, every game was treated important. Final test or not, it must be won. It was this attitude that paved the way for some record winning streaks.

16 consecutive Test wins. Twice. Once under Steve and another under Ponting. Australia did not lose a single game in two consecutive World Cups. 2003 and 2017. That winning streak extended for more than 30 games. It is a record that will probably never be erased. I do not see any team winning this many games consecutively.

Steve Waugh’s brand of sledging

Was Steve Waugh faultless? Certainly not. Was he guilty of sugar coating sledging? Absolutely yes. Mental disintegration. This was the coinage Waugh gave for sledging. I can never agree with abusive behaviour on the field of play. The Australians always talk about never crossing the line. They hide behind that line. What is that line? Where is that line? Who had drawn that line? The Aussies always keep extending the line when it suits them. Waugh was at the forefront of that. He institutionalised sledging. The behaviour of the Australians under Waugh was outrageous. They found pleasure in constantly abusing the opponents. It is a shame that Waugh never realised that throughout his career.

Other blogs about Australia

Winning in Australia 1 & 2

About Langer

2001 series 1, 2, 3

Aussies being critical

Part 2 of Steve Waugh

Steve Waugh the epitome of Aussie spirit

Posted on by Bobji

If there is a cricketer who epitomised the way the Australians played the game, it is none other than Steve Waugh. With him in the crease or yet to come, the game is never lost. The World Cup game against South Africa is an excellent example of the competitive nature of Steve Waugh. Poor Gibbs, he will never forget the lost opportunity in his life. For someone who started as an allrounder who can hit the ball a long way and bowl less than medium pace, the evolution of Steve Waugh into one of the wonderful batsman of his era, speaks volumes about his tenacity and strength of mind. Waugh retired in 2004. A full 18 years ago. Yet, I thought of writing a tribute to one of the best of my days as a child. Steve Waugh the epitome of Aussie spirit.

Rahul Dravid, in his foreword for Waugh’s autobiography “Out of My Comfort Zone“, wrote: “I will remember the pain of not beating him in that last Test of his, in Sydney in 2004, but also recall fondly his final innings in cricket against us, for it was a typical Steve Waugh innings: mind over matter, a man not in form but soldiering on, taking his team to safety.”

These beautiful words from one master about another shows everything in a nutshell about the cricketer that Waugh was. Waugh could not have received a better tribute than this.

Here, I would like to write a few lines about his autobiography. It is a well written book unlike the ones written by Tendulkar and Ganguly which was more of match report.

Waugh obsession with the baggy green

Most Aussie sports fans will agree that the baggy green is the more sacred than all their prized possessions. In about 140 years of the game, just over 450 Australians were awarded the Baggy Green.

Steve Waugh is famed for promoting the baggy green and wearing it in most of the games. He placed a lot of importance on the cap. His strong belief was that the baggy green must be earned by anyone who represents Australia. He or she must be worthy of it. Disregarding the cap is like blasphemy for him. There is a picture of him walking onto the ground after his final innings in Sydney with the Baggy Green on. After so many years, his cap was tattered and worn out but he still retained the very first cap he received. He is a strong proponent of wearing the Baggy Green during important times on the field. Be it winning a series or the Ashes or the World Cup.

His infatuation with the cap was so great that he took that to the extreme. Once during the Ashes tour of England, Australia happened to visit Wimbledon to support a fellow Aussie. He ordered everyone to wear the Baggy Green to the stadium. Everyone who went with him obliged. Everyone except for one. The one and only Shane Warne. There is this famous picture of Waugh and McGrath with their cap watching the action with Shane wearing a normal sports cap.

The innings that will be remembered for a long time

The first one that I remember quite fondly was the one during the famous Border-Gavaskar series in 2001. Shortly, the Laxman series. Prior to Laxman’s heroics, it was Australia all the way. The team under Waugh had come to India with the sole purpose of winning. They were ono a roll having won 16consecutive Tests. They were held in awe and were an unstoppable force. The batsmen were belligerent and the bowlers were menacing. Waugh even provided a fillip to the series by terming it as the Last Frontier. This single term aroused passion among the Indians who now wanted nothing but to win the series.

Australia won the first test at Bombay rather easily. They annihilated India and it was a severe mauling. It was only a matter of time before Australia wraps up the series in Calcutta and breach the final frontier. However, against the odds, India began to shape up. First through a mesmerising bowling by Harbhajan Singh. He picked up a hattrick and Australia were struggling with  7 down for just over 250. If at all there is someone who can take charge at that stage was there, it was Steve Waugh and he was at the wicket, determined to wrest the initiative back from the Indians.

In the company of Gillespie, Waugh set about to repair the innings. One ball at a time. He dragged Australia to well over 400 which if not for a freakish partnership, could have well won the series. It was an innings of sheer grit and determination. A determination that personified the epitome of Australian cricket. An attitude that always thought of winning.

The Gibbs game

Waugh’s hundreds against the arch-rival, England, are legendary. He always reserved his best for the old enemy. However, the one innings that will be talked about forever was that World Cup one.

His innings is as much famous for his legendary banter to Gibbs. There are different versions so to what exactly transpired but Waugh himself has written that all he said was, “how does it feel to drop the World Cup, Herschelle”. Nonetheless, to even utter such a line speaks volumes about his confidence in winning the game.

The special innings

West Indies were the giants during Waugh’s era. Defeating them and that too in their own islands, was next to impossible. Not for nothing were they the unofficial champion cricket team. For more than 15 years, they did not lose a single test series. If not for one Steve Waugh, they may not have lost a series for another couple of years. He withstood the genius of Curtly Ambrose, the guile of Courtney Walsh and the genuine pace of the Benjamin’s, Winston and Kenny. His innings firmly established Australia as the pre-eminent nation who went onto rule the cricketing world for another 15 years.

Other blogs about Australia

Winning in Australia 1 & 2

About Langer

2001 series 1, 2, 3

Aussies being critical

Part 2 of Steve Waugh

Sledging has indeed gone too far

Posted on by Bobji

Yes, sledging has indeed gone too far. Why am I raising this now? It is because of an interesting development in the Duleep Trophy finals in India. Ajinkya Rahane, the West Zone captain, directed his team member, Jaisval to leave the field because of constant sledge. Whether this will create a ripple effect, it is far too early to say but I would like to appreciate what Rahane did. He is someone who has seen it all at the highest level. The fact that he directed a young and upcoming cricketer to rein himself in must have taught him an invaluable lesson.

“You have to follow rules and respect the game, your opponents and the umpires. That’s the way I have always played my cricket and I will continue to do so. There are certain things you must follow on the field, if you don’t, you get off the field. This is my mantra,” Rahane said.

Sledging is a curse. There are far too many players who hide behind the flimsy argument that they did not cross the line. This is utter nonsense. What is the line? Where is the line? Who has drawn the line? Every team without exception draws their own line. They all have their own justification. It is time this is stopped.

These are underhand tactics

I just cannot understand why the players would want to resort to such underhand behaviour on the field. Cricket is known as the game for gentlemen. It is not the case any longer. This sort of rotten behaviour has spread right down to age group cricket. Youngsters are watching their stars abuse one another for they ape that.  I have seen school kids abuse each other on the field. They are barely 9 or 10 years old. How did it come to that? They see the cricket stars on TV and assume that that is how the game must be played. At an age when the kids must be learning about discipline, they are taught abuse by the players. The society becomes rotten because of such behaviour.

The great West Indian sides never resorted to such language because they had the greatest bowling attack and never had to indulge in such cheap tactics. Players who are involved in such acts belong to those teams that they know is not capable enough to win the game on merit.

The man responsible for abusive behaviour

Steve Waugh was the one who coined the term “mental disintegration”. This was the phrase he had given for plain and pure sledging. Not for nothing were the Australians called as ugly Aussies. This is not to say that other teams are saint. What the Aussies started, this was prevalent even during the days of Steve Waugh, percolated at all levels and now every country is guilty. The Indians, who were not known of such rudeness during the Gavaskar, Kapil Dev era, are now masters of sledging. The abuse and expletives that Kohli hurls at the opposition is a case in point. A few years ago, Vijay and Pujara happily talked about how they sledged the opponents. It shows that things have gone too far.

Pujara during a chat session with Rahane said, “I do make a lot of noise while playing FIFA. And these days you see I am making a lot of noise on the field. I am learning the tricks of sledging. If you need to sledge a particular batsman, you need to sledge. It helps the bowlers,” Pujara said while interactive session with Ajinkya Rahane for bcci.tv.

Gavaskar goes onto say,

“I would say the Australians have perhaps been more known for it (sledging), not that the other teams are not doing it. Maybe not Bangladesh, maybe not Sri Lanka. But even India — sadly — has resorted to personal abuse”.

Only change from what Gavaskar said some years ago is that even Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are not saints any longer. Especially Bangladesh. They abuse every other team left, right and centre. This despite their atrocious on-field behaviour. They have been granted full member status for the last 25 years and are still struggling and they have the gumption to abuse the opposition.

Tougher action is needed against sledging

Gavaskar has called for strict action against sledging. He is alright with banter.

“There is more money in other sports such as golf and tennis but, thanks to tough laws, one does not find misbehaviour or bad language there,” he said. “The old adage ‘it’s not cricket’, which applied to just about everything in life, is no longer valid – and that’s a real pity. In the modern world of commercialisation of the game and the advent of satellite television and the motto of winning at all costs, sportsmanship has gone for six.

“Now I have heard it being said that whenever there’s been needle in a match, words have been exchanged. That may be true, but what was banter in days gone by – and was enjoyed by everyone, including the recipient – today has degenerated to downright personal abuse.”

Wrapping up sledging has indeed gone too far

I do not know about other sports but cricket must be relieved of this evil. Perhaps, the authorities will not act until something really untoward happens on the field. I am not happy with banter either. It is something that will easily turn into abuse. Well done Rahane. I do have a different opinion about Rahane that batsman but as the captain of West Zone, he has hit the bull’s eye. He has clearly shown the way. It is for the rest to take it forward.

Other blogs about sledging can be read here

Shubnam Gill

Tim Paine and Smith

Shaming cricket’s elite

Indian women are on the rise

Posted on by Bobji

The Indian women have made everyone in the country proud with their superlative performance on the tour of England. They have won the ODI series with a game to spare which is quite admirable. This coming on the back of a good Commonwealth Games where they won the silver medal. If only they had applied a bit better or if they had not felt nervous, they could have won the gold easily. Nonetheless, it was an excellent performance. For quite sometime now, the Indian women are punching above their weight. I mean no disrespect but in a country where education is given lot of importance, it is tough for a male child to pursue a career in sports. On that scale, it is even tougher for a woman child to become a professional sportswoman. Indian women are on the rise.

The batting in the 2nd ODI was simply brilliant. The captain Harmanpreet Kaur led from the front. She absolutely waded into the English bowling attack and tormented them with a flurry of cuts, pulls and slices over the off side. The English bowlers did not know where to bowl to her. Such was her masterclass.

“I just wanted to spend some time on the wicket because today’s wicket was not easy to bat on in the first innings,” she said after the match. “I wanted to keep watching the ball and play accordingly.” She continued, “I didn’t try too many shots [early on]. It is important to read the wicket and be there. Being there is more important because I know if I take more balls initially I can easily cover up in the end.” said Harmanpreet

The future of batting is quite safe

Without her belligerent hundred, India would have struggled to post a competitive score. Instead, she put the game beyond the reach of England. 333 for 5 is something unheard of from an Indian women team against a much fancied England. This was the 2nd total of over 300 in 2022 with the first one coming against West Indies. Smriti Mandhana is another batter who is quite flamboyant. Not to mention Shefali Verma who everyone agrees has an incredible future in the game. Her skills is right on par with the best in the business. She is not afraid to take chances early on and believes in the Sehwag school of batting. Harmanpreet, Smrith & Shefali are the fulcrum of the Indian batting around whom the team will evolve.

India, today is among the top 3 in the world and they deserve to be there after a string of impressive performances. Remember, last year, they stopped the Australian juggernaut by winning the final ODI. The team has both youth and experience in it. Shefali Verma is 18 years old and Jhulan Goswami, for whom the Lord’s ODI will be the last one in her career, approaching 40. Recently, perhaps the greatest Indian woman batter, Mithali Raj, bid adieu to the game but she has really built a team that has gone on from strength to strength.

Nerves the reason for not winning a world title

It really is a shame that the team is yet to win a world title. The came close twice. Once during the 2018 World Cup and next during the Commonwealth Games. In both the finals, they faltered at the final hurdle because of nerves. The Indian team is not mentally strong. When the team close enough to win both the tournaments, they failed to believe in themselves. Probably they were overwhelmed by how close they were to a major milestone. Instead of However, they will be wise for the experience.  

The best chance for the squad to set the record straight will be at the Asia Cup that starts in a couple of weeks from now.

A wonderful career comes to an end

Now, the Lord’s game will be an emotional game for all the players. It will be even more emotional for a few like the captain herself. Jhulan Goswami, who has been a valiant warrior for several years, will follow in the footsteps of Mithali Raj and will bow out of the game forever. She is the greatest Indian bowler and one of the greatest to have played the game in the world. Her performances speaks for itself. She would like to leave the game on a high. It really is unfortunate that such a glittering career is not marked by a beautiful trophy. The agony of the 2017 World Cup will be with her forever but that in no way diminishes who she had been and her exploits. Espncricinfo has paid her lovely compliment.

“The Lord’s game is very special for us because it’s Jhulan’s retirement and we wanted to enjoy that game without any pressure and I’m really happy that we were able to win today and now we can just have fun in that game,” Harmanpreet said. “It’s very important because that will be her last game. It will be a very emotional moment for all of us and we definitely want to win that game,” she added

Wrapping up Indian women are on the rise

I cannot help but compare the women to their male counterpart. Given the limitations, it is admirable what they have achieved but the same cannot be said about the men. If an IPL for women does go ahead, it is likely to bring in riches that the women were never accustomed to. It may revolutionise the game in the country and that is likely to bring in lot more talents. The day is not far off when the women will be able to lift that World Cup.

Other blogs about Indian women cricket team can be read here, here and here.

Indian bowling is in serious trouble

Posted on by Bobji

4 overs remain and required runs is 54, 42 and 41. This was the equation in three of the last 4 games that Indian bowlers were supposed to defend. The opposition were Australia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. All the games were lost well before the final ball was bowled. India must have won all of those games, especially in Dubai where the batsmen batted extremely well to post high enough totals for the bowlers to defend but the bowlers came a cropper. Just before the T20 World Cup and for the future too, Indian bowling is in serious trouble.

Supporters will point to the fact that Bumrah did not play any part in any of those games. The point is that if it the case that the absence of one bowler will affect the entire bowling unit, than that team is in real trouble. Moreover, none of the so-called fast bowlers, Bumrah included are capable of bowling at 145KMPH. Leave alone 145, except for Bumrah, the rest operate in the 135KMPH bracket. Not enough to threaten the power hitters of the opposition.

The Mohali pitch is the only pitch in India that can simulate the pitches that the Indians will find in Australia. Good enough bounce without any movement. If the last night’s game is anything to go by, the bowlers are likely to leak runs by the dozen. It actually puts enormous amount of pressure on the batsmen. They know that whatever runs that they score, the bowlers are likely to give away a run more. It will make them take much more risks that necessary and in trying to score an enormous amount of runs, they will falter easily. This was the case in ODIs during the first half of the millennium when the Indian batsmen tried to compensate for the lack of penetrative bowling.

The bowlers

Harshal Patel is quite good in the IPL. The pitches are slow and low on which his slower deliveries carried lot of bite but on truer pitches like Mohali, he was found wanting. He will surely encounter more of the same in Australia. What is he going to do and how is he going to adapt is something I am looking forward to? If he is unable to find a way, that will be a serious concern.

Chahal is another who is struggling. The bigger grounds of Australia may encourage him to flight the ball, not that he is not doing it already, but it may not be possible to clobber him though I expect shorter boundaries during the World Cup. The Indian selectors made a blunder by not including Bishnoi who can contain better than Chahal.

Kumar, what can one say about him. He has become untrustworthy when it comes to death bowling.

“I don’t think we bowled well,” Rohit said on the official broadcast after the match. “Two hundred is a good score to defend, and we didn’t take our chances in the field. It was a great effort from our batters, but bowlers were not quite there.”You can’t score 200 everyday, you need to bat well. Hardik [Pandya] batted really well to get us there. We need to look at our bowling before the next game.”

Wrapping up Indian bowling is in serious trouble

Even though Bumrah and Arshdeep may come in, the lack of pace among any of the Indian bowlers is a serious concern. We can all kiss a goodbye to the World Cup already.

Boycott is not happy with the pitches and Rahul’s whining

Posted on by Bobji

England have just had a fabulous summer. They won 6 out of the 7 tests with the sole loss coming against South Africa. They decimated both New Zealand and South Africa and annihilated India in a mammoth chase. Yet, the former English captain and one of the greatest commentator this game has ever seen is not really happy with the wins. Elsewhere, Rahul is clearly feeling the pressure. This blog is about Boycott is not happy with the pitches and Rahul’s whining.

Boycott’s comments

Geoffrey Boycott says that the pitches during the English summer as being bowler friendly.

“Too many matches this summer have been three-day Tests,” he said. “This has been two days. That is not ideal for Test cricket. Counties lose a lot of revenue and spinners become superfluous. On these pitches it is impossible for batsmen to get used to playing for long periods and making centuries.

“Many of the balls bowled in this Test, and most of the others, would give any batsmen nightmares. All they are trying to do is stay in. I don’t care how good a batsman’s technique is, bowlers make batting treacherous on these surfaces. You require lots of luck: win the toss, bowl first, wins the game. How can that make for a fair contest?”

I will have to agree with Boycott here when he says that the counties lose lot of revenue. Cricket in England us unlike here in India. In India, the state associations are paid by the BCCI whereas in the UK, the counties generate the income that is needed to run the game. Gate receipts are an important part of that. If a game doesn’t last the full distance, they stand to lose a lot of money. The very survival of the game itself is threatened.

Test cricket is a dying form of the game and such short games will not help improve the finances. Moreover, the stands in the UK are pretty small. The capacity is hardly around 25K mark. Not a lot by any standards. Even the Indian grounds accommodate more than that. Australian grounds, you don’t even want to ask.

There is the small matter of winning

Though I can sympathise with the counties and can understand Boycott’s views, there is the question of the country winning. England are not the same gracious hosts of the past. Up until the new millennium, any tour of England will be a long one. There used to be long delays between Tests. The visiting team is usually treated to a lot of games against various counties. Both before the test series and during the test series. As a result, the opponents were able to adjust to the conditions and the pitches a lot better.

Towards the beginning of the century, there were lot of discussion in the English media about how their team are not given the same amount of games while touring abroad and why should they be such gracious hosts? Hence, the ECB removed all the practise games between the Tests. Anyway, these games were unobtrusive. Bereft of practise games, the adversary was slightly undercooked during the Tests. It is directly led to them not performing in the games which has resulted in shorter games. England put winning above the benefit of the counties. Never in history have England been so dominant in their own country. Nowadays, winning in England is among the hardest. On par with Australia, India and South Africa.

Boycott talks about the pitches

He further writes that the pitches are not of good quality and that it does not give the batsmen any chance to score runs. Inorder to survive on such pitches, the batsmen will have to be technically sound. A Dravid or Tendulkar or some of the past Australian greats will be able to survive on such pitches. The pitches are akin to the spinning tracks of the sub-continent where only the batsman with good technique can thrive. On pitches with pace and bounce, alongwith technique, the batsmen will also have to be brave.

Rahul’s whining

“No one is perfect. No one in that dressing room is perfect. Everyone is working towards something. Everyone has a certain role to do. Obviously, strike rates are taken at an overall basis. You never see when that batsman has played at a certain strike rate, whether it was important for him to play at 200 strike rate or if the team could have still won playing at 100-120 strike rate. So these are the things that not everybody analyses. Or if you look at it, it looks slow.

“Yes, it is something that I am working at. Obviously, the roles that have been defined to each player in the last 10-12 months have been very clear. And the player understands what is expected of him, and the player is working towards it. Obviously, I am just working towards how I can better myself as an opening batter, and see how I can have the most impact for my team whenever I go out to play in the middle.”

He is clearly feeling the pressure of performing as an opener. He is hiding behind the assumption that it is not always necessary to be scoring at 200 strike rate because of his own incapability to do so. The point is that Rahul is someone who is capable of scoring at a high strike rate but is unwilling to do so. He says that he is practising to score at a higher rate but how long will he take to learn? More than 10 seasons of IPL and a lot of T20 games for India and yet, he says he is still working at it. He needs help and soon.

Wrapping up Boycott is not happy with the pitches and Rahul’s whining

Boycott is correct to worry about the counties. Afterall, it is they who pay the players and not the ECB and as such, they will need all the revenue that they can get.

Other blogs about England

Redefined Test Cricket

Extraordinary Chase

McCullum

England’s depth

England in 2021

Is Shubnam Gill only good for ODI?

Posted on by Bobji

I came across a couple of articles in www.wisden.com that got me thinking. One is about the latest Indian talent, Shubnam Gill where the author writes that Gill’s best format is ODI and the other is not about someone but from a former English opener and an extraordinary commentator, Sir Geoffrey Boycott. I would like to offer my two cents on both those articles because I feel that atleast one of them is half true. In this blog, I will address the article about Gill only.

Let me start with Shubnam Gill with a little background of him

India had gotten off to the worst possible start on the Australian tour. 36 all-out. His predecessor and slight more experienced opener, Prithvi Shaw, was all at sea against the Australian attack. Gill made his debut under such circumstances and immediately foundhimself at ease.  Though he didn’t go onto achieve huge scores, the shots that he played, showed everyone that they were witnessing a rare talent. The author has correctly recognised this. He has also highlighted the fact that if not for Gill’s innings at the Gabba, perhaps, Pant would not have won that game because the Gill made India believe that a win was afterall, possible. The pace of Gill’s run-scoring ensured that India had enough overs to win.

“He instantly looked the part during that Border-Gavaskar series, producing a string of impressive knocks. His most important innings came at the Gabba as India defied the odds to register an unprecedented triumph. Rishabh Pant, quite understandably, hogged the headlines but Gill was just as much an architect of that win as the wicketkeeper. Not only did his 91-run knock come at a pace which kept India in the hunt, it changed the tone of the occasion; Gill made India believe that victory was possible.”

I have to agree that Gill hasn’t utilised his opportunities

He further writes that Gill’s test fortunes plummeted after that tour of Australia. I do agree with that assessment. Yes, Gill did not make use of the multiple opportunities that came his way. It was Gill’s injury that paved the way for Rahul to come into contention in England. Initially, Rahul was not even considered to open the innings. The same Gill, when given a chance to open the innings in Rahul’s absence at Edgbaston in 2022, was unable to make much inroads and as a result, he has already given back the position to Rahul or whomever replaces him. If only he had scored a hundred or atleast above 80, he may have helped India win the series and thereby made himself irreplaceable or at the least, provided the selectors and the team management with a headache.

This is the biggest disappointment of Gill’s career so far. Lack of compelling innings after the Gabba brilliance. I must also mention that in the 15 innings that he has played since then, around 7 were played on tracks that were impossible to survive even for an experienced batsman let alone a rookie during England’s tour of India. Nonetheless, having played on tracks closely resembling those pitches, he must have scored few runs. He cannot escape blame in the 3rd test at Ahmedabad where Rohit scored a sublime hundred when the pitch was at its best.

Gill not good for T20

I do agree with the author on one point. He is ill-equipped for T20. His game does not suit the demands of the shortest format where a batsman, that too an opener will have to start scoring right from the beginning. The powerplay is 6 overs only and an opener will not have the time to play himself in. Gill is somewhat handicapped on that front. He needs time to get going which is not possible in T20. If he stops playing IPL, it will really be wonderful but I do not think that that decision rests with him.

Where do I differ from the writer?

The author further talks about technical shortcomings in Gill’s game. He leaves a huge gap between the bat and the pad while pursuing balls outside the off-stump. This glaring problem was exploited well by Anderson and Jamieson. This the author writes is the reason he is not a natural Test player and that he is more suited for ODI cricket. Maybe he is maybe he is not. This is where I differ greatly from the author. Gill has age and time on his side. Yes, he has technical issues but it is something that can be corrected. He is not like Shreyas with serious problem against a particular delivery. Most of the batsmen have technical issues.

Kane Williamson, considered a modern day great, has serious problems facing English bowlers in England. His record against spin in the subcontinent is not that great either. For that matter, Kohli had a poor tour of England but was brilliant the next time around. Rohit Sharma, who took a very longtime to learn the game, has finally come good.

The point is, Gill is a seriously talented cricketer. He has got all the shots in the book and is good against both spin and pace. He is strong off the front foot and the backfoot. It is too early to mark him as someone who will not be good in Test cricket. Afterall, I have never seen an Indian batsman, making his debut in Australia, play such confident strokes. Gill showcased serious ability with the bat on that tour.

From what I have seen, he will be successful in Tests. There is a team management with a specialist batting coach and there is also the so-called NCA. If such a talent is let go off, it is a failure of the Indian board.

Wrapping up is Gill only good for ODIs?

A batsman with Gill’s brilliance must be wasted. He is a precious jewel who if trained properly, will return the efforts with loads of runs. Perhaps, a stint in the middle order will do him good. Afterall, India are searching for good and solid middle order batsmen after the sacking of Rahane and Pujara. Gill might just fit that bill.

Other blogs

Other Asia Cup blogs

About SKY

About Rahul

First game

About India