Author: Bobji

Winning in Australia is so bloody tough 2

Posted on by Bobji

Before you go onto read Winning in Australia is so bloody tough 2, please read part 1 here

Not just the players but the spectators and the press will be involved

The Australians hunt as a pack. From the time the visitors are in Australia, they are constantly reminded of how poor they are. The morning papers will ensure that the challengers are upto no good. They have merely turned up in Australia only to be smothered and humbled by the home team. Pages upon pages will be written by both the former players and the cricket correspondents showcasing how great the Australian team is and how soft the visitors are. This is unlike in England or India where the newspapers usually prop the visiting team. They derive pleasure in downplaying the home team. Not in Australia though.

Once at the ground, every Aussie supporter will take lot of pleasure to abuse the visitors constantly. It is another story that they do not mind abusing their own Aussies but the adversary will cope a lot more. Just ask the Englishmen. They know because they have been at the receiving end for far too longer than anyone else. Once the spectators gets involved in the proceedings, it becomes doubly difficult for the adversary to concentrate and as a result, they will lose focus. The spectators usually make things a bit more easier for the Aussie bowlers.

Sheer quality of the players

Consider the following list of cricketers. Greg Blewett, Darren Lehmann, Tom Moody, Damien Martyn, Stuart Law, Ryan Harris, Michael Bevan, Stuart Clark. These are a set of players who did not get to play for Australia as many games as their talent commanded. Except for Martyn, who had a late career bloom, the rest did not get to play consistently. Grey Blewett had a fabulous initiation to Test Cricket but a few failures, he found himself out of the team and never got back. The rest, after a couple of games, they found themselves out of the team for no fault of theirs. These are cricketers who if they had qualified to play for any other country, would have enjoyed a long and prosperous career.

Harris in a short career, bowled so outstandingly that the prime reason for Australia whitewashing England in 2013 was him though Johnson went away with all the credit. The following series in South Africa, Harris was outstanding again. If he had bowled alongwith McGrath, Australia would have not have lost even the meagre number of games that they did. It was a shame that the depth in Australian talent, did not allow a player of Harris’s ability to play lot more.

Asia teams find it the most toughest

It is the Asian countries consisting of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and recently Afghanistan that find winning in Australia the toughest of their assignments. Not until recently, in 2018, has an Asian team gone on and won a series in Australia. That it took a weakened Australia and a good Indian team to win speaks volumes about the ability of Australia.  Considering that India got Test status in 1932 and almost 100 years later, there have been just a couple of series wins by an Asian team. Both were achieved by India. It clearly shows how all the Asian teams never really liked touring Australia. Jayant Lele, the former Indian board selector, once said that India will lose all the tests during their 1999 tour which they promptly did but his comments conveyed the impression that it is not really worth to select a team for Australia.

Absolutely no ground in Asia carry any pace and bounce. Leave alone equivalent to Australian grounds. Except for Pakistan, none of the other teams are blessed with pace bowlers. That is another handicap. You just cannot compete in Australia with slow bowlers and spinners. This is what the rest of the countries possess. The batsmen are not exposed to good fast bowlers and that is a major handicap. As a result, all the Asian batsmen without exception, find facing the Australian bowlers difficult. The height of the Aussie bowlers too play a crucial role because the point of delivery is quite high.

Body language of the Aussies

The moment Australians step onto the field, they exude confidence. Even the most uncompetitive Australian team have proven resilient against their adversary. The post ball-tampering team is an example. They were expected to lose the series to India in 2018 which they did but not before they won one at Perth.

Sports is ingrained in the Aussie system

Sports is something that is ingrained in the Aussie system. Rod Laver remains the only Tennis player who has won all the 4 Grand Slams in the same year, twice. Until recently, Ian Thorpe has won the most number of medals in Olympics. Daniel Riccardio & Mark Webber are a creditable Formula One drivers. Evonne Goolagong, the world’s first mother to win a Wimbledon title. At present, Nick Kyrgios is among the top players in the world. The point is, the Australian men and women take sports seriously in much the same way the Indians take education seriously.

Wrapping up winning in Australia is so bloody tough

Australia still remains a bloody tough country to win. There is no doubt about that. The recent Ashes series, in 2020, where they just blew away England being a case in point. Joe Root, one of the excellent modern day batsman, is yet to score a hundred in Australia. He has scored runs everywhere else. Only the toughest can survive in Australia and it is not a country for the faint-hearted.

Other Australia related blogs

Adelaide Test Review

Critical Australian Public

Shane Warne 1 & 2

Adam Gilchrist

About Ashes 2021

Winning in Australia is so bloody tough

Posted on by Bobji

Australia has been the one country for every cricketing nation, where winning is tough. For quite a few countries, it is almost impossible. Over the last 30 years, Australia have lost 6 series, twice to India, thrice to South Africa and once to England. There will be counter argument stating that to win in India is much more tougher than Australia because during the same period, India have lost fewer series than Australia. The point here is that to win in India is tough only over the last 25 years whereas to win in Australia, it has been tough right from when the game started. Let me elaborate in winning in Australia is so bloody tough. I do not intend to make this a statistical blog. I just want to express my opinion about winning in Australia.

Just look at the table. They have been utterly dominant in their country. Only the mighty West Indies were able to defeat them in a couple of series. Let us also remember that Australia were the only nation to have had a positive win / loss record against the great West Indian sides. What makes winning in Australia that tough?

The pace and bounce

First, the pitches carry more pace and bounce. Australia have two of the fastest wickets in the cricketing world. The Gabba and the WACA. Both of them have lost some of that pace but still remain among the fastest. There is no dearth of fast bowlers in Australia. The supply chain never stopped. Most of them are tall and as such are designed to hurl the ball quickly. Afterall, they have grown up watching the likes of Ray Lindwall, O’Reilly in the earlier days to Cummins, Starc & Hazlewood now. Lillee and Thomson terrorised the batsmen when they tour Australia. There was a saying in Australia that if Lillee does not get you, Thomson will.

During the same period, there was another fast bowler, Len Pascoe who specialised in targeting the heads of the batsmen if they fail to wear a helmet. That fast bowling tradition was nicely carried forward by McDermott and Hughes in the 80s and then emerged the modern great bowlers in McGrath, Johnson, Harris, Starc, Cummins and various other bowlers.

Until the advent of the genius, Shane Warne, every child when he picks up the ball, will want to bowl as fast as he can. Warne’s genius may have slowed down the fast bowling tap a little bit but it never went dry. It showed the greatness of Shane Warne but that is another topic of which this blog is not worried about.

All these bowlers are well versed in their own conditions and they know pretty well what length and what line to bowl in various grounds around Australia. There was a period when Australia were severely depleted in the batting department but their bowling was still a potent force.

The fortress is where everything starts

Two, Australia always make it a point to start any series at The Gabba. It is a fortress for them that was breached just once over the last 40 years. The Aussie batsmen are well tuned to the bounce of Gabba whereas the opponents are not. They intend to catch the opposition off-guard. Visiting teams as soon as they step into The Gabba are clearly intimidated. The stand is pretty huge with more than 50K spectators baying for blood. 4 slips, couple of gullies and a short-leg waiting for that edge from ball one. Huge anticipation builds around the stadium. The atmosphere before the first ball is bowled develops into a crescendo.

The game is lost even before a ball is bowled. By the time the Test is finished, the visiting team is completely demoralised and humiliated. The series moves onto The WACA. The paciest pitch until recently. The wounds of Gabba would not have subsided when a set of fresh wounds will appear at the WACA. If any team has a semblance of fight left in them after Gabba, that will be thoroughly nullified at the WACA. Adelaide, which is usually a good batting pitch which the visiting team can capitalise on but nowadays, day-night cricket has completely loaded it in favour of Australia. The series ends right there.

If not….

Only a few extraordinarily resilient sides manage to stay alive beyond this point. If they do so, Australia will ensure that it is nipped in the very next test because Australia will not be pleased with such an effort. They will want to further humiliate their opponent at Melbourne and Sydney. If at all the touring team conjures vision of a win, it will be possible only at Sydney. The visitors because of a combination of various factors, including a jaded Australia, final test of the series, opposition being better players of spin, will be able to snip one for the series and thereby take a consolation price.

Less number of grounds enables batsmen and bowlers to tune their game

Australia, unlike say India or even England, have less number of international venues. This means that they are usually accustomed to those pitches. Australian pitches tend to vary a great deal. From the bounce of Gabba to the turn of Sydney, they have all kinds of surfaces. However, because the players have often played in those venues throughout their career, including their formative years, they know what to expect and adjust accordingly which the visiting teams will naturally not be in a position to do so. Yes, few other teams too play on the same grounds throughout but except for South Africa, none of the grounds in other countries carry the same pace and bounce and hence, they are handicapped. Familiarity breeds contempt but in the case of the Australians, familiarity breeds confidence.

Other Australia related blogs

Adelaide Test Review

Critical Australian Public

Shane Warne 1 & 2

Adam Gilchrist

About Ashes 2021

Please read part 2 of this blog which describes in even more detail as to how winning in Australia is tough.

The Asia Cup from India’s perspective

Posted on by Bobji

The ground is the same, the settings are similar, the players are almost the same and India’s first opponent in the next edition of Asia Cup is the same. Pakistan. It was barely a year ago against the same opposition in the T20 World Cup in Dubai, Pakistan finally laid to rest the ghosts of not winning a World Cup game against India. Now, we return to the same ground because of the political situation in Sri Lanka. The Asia Cup from India’s perspective.

The tournament consists of 6 teams with Hong Kong joining the established Test playing nations. The format of the tournament is quite strange. A qualifier just to identify the 6th team was complete on 24th August and Hong Kong have emerged as the winners. It really is a surprise to know that Hong Kong does play cricket. Anyway, there is also a super-4 and then the final. In a tournament of just 6 teams, super-4 does not really make sense. India and Pakistan will qualify but the other group might be a bit tricky with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan all being equal.

Nonetheless, I expect Sri Lanka and Afghanistan to qualify for the next round. However, in all likelihood, it will be an India vs Pakistan finals. India is easily the best side in the entire continent and Pakistan in this format is certainly better than the rest. It is likely that India and Pakistan will face-off as many as 3 times during the tournament including the finals.

If at all I have to pick any team who might threaten this order, it will have to be Afghanistan. With the pitches being slow, Afghanistan’s spinners will be much bigger threat for the likes of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and perhaps even Pakistan.

From an Indian’s perspective

This is actually a chance for India to show how much have they developed over the last one year. Against the same opposition, around a year ago, the batsmen did not inspire any confidence at all. At the time, all the Indian cricketers were quite jaded after a gruelling tour of England followed by hit and giggle IPL. They were so tired that it must have been very hard for them to turn up for such an important game for the entire country. Now, things are a bit different. Though an overwhelming number of players were involved in constant cricket, it is not like last year. It has been a much more relaxed number of games against easy opposition in West Indies and Zimbabwe.

It was after that tournament, did India decide to change their approach towards batting in T20. Until that point, they were content on playing the first few overs safely and thereby preserving wickets. Things have changed now. The Indian batsmen are going for shots right from the beginning. This is a welcome change because the world had moved on long ago. In 2022 so far, India have gotten off the blocks quickly and they have scored at more than 8.5 an over with Rohit Sharma leading the way. It is a far cry from the meagre runs before. India now have firepower at the top of the order. Pant, Surya Yadav and Deepak Hooda are all capable of scoring at a high rate. They have the game to not only unsettle the opposition but to completely demoralise them.

The Indian batting

With Pant being a certainty in the team, I will open with Pant and Rohit rather than Rahul. Rahul as I have often said, is not an opener. His best position is at the lower middle order from where he can unleash his wide array of shots. Ideally, Surya Yadav could open but his dynamism with the bat is very much required for the spinners of Pakistan and Afghanistan. He will be able to not just control them but will make the opponents to think and not bowl the defensive line that they are used too like Imad Wasim.

I hope the top 5 will be Rohit, Pant, Kohli, Surya & Rahul.

The middle order is likely to be manned by the two allrounders in Pandya and Jadeja. Both of them are good hitters and for them to walk in at around the 16th over mark will send shivers down the opposition. They have the ability to propel the score from the good to the solid. Moreover, they can easily send down 8 overs among them.

The Indian bowling in the absence of Bumrah

The loss of Bumrah is quite severe but that will be offset by the loss of Afridi for Pakistan. On paper, India looks much more balanced and a much better side. They bat deep enough and have enough bowler to cover for. The loss of Harshal Patel, who is a good T20 bowler is also a blow. Kumar is the only bowler who has got experience. The likes of Arshdeep, Avesh Khan and Bishnoi are too inexperienced for a tournament of this magnitude. That is the only serious concern for the team. Chahal is back in the squad. He will be able to control the middle overs which was sorely missed in the T20 World Cup.

If India want a bowler who can bat, Ashwin is likely to be drafted because none of the bowlers can bat. The bowling combination is going to be tricky. Do they want pure bowlers in Chahal / Bishnoi, Avesh and Arshdeep or go in with an extra batsman in Karthik because of the bowling abilities of Hardik and Jadeja? This is something that will most likely be decided based on the conditions.

The team is likely to be Rohit, Pant, Kohli, Surya, Rahul, Hardik, Jadeja, Kumar, Avesh and two of Ashwin/Deepak/Arshdeep/Karthik.

Wrapping up the Asia Cup from India’s perspective

With the Asia Cup reverting to T20 format, presumably to give all the teams sort of a preparation time for the World Cup in Australia, it is just a question of which team plays well over 3 hours. India is the firm favourites though.

Evaluation of India after the Zimbabwe tour

Posted on by Bobji

India just finished a short tour of Zimbabwe. Oh believe me. It happened. India did tour Zimbabwe for a short ODI series. I know some would have missed the series because it is hardly worth a mention because of the non-stop cricket being played everywhere. Be that as it may, India won the series quite convincingly with their second string team. This is an evaluation of India after the Zimbabwe tour.

I am supporter of this second string team touring countries like Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, West Indies, Ireland and Netherlands. I do believe that this must happen quite frequently. Infact, a parallel team will do the main team more good than harm. It not only gives the fringe players must needed exposure and keeps them match-fit but they can be called at anytime whenever a vacancy arises in the primary team and they will be able to make an impact straightaway.

Having said that, let me look at some of the positives for India during the series.

Yes, the series was against Zimbabwe who are the bottom most ranked team but nevertheless, runs, wickets, catches do count. Any performance against an international team is bound to increase the confidence of the players involved.

One such player is Shubnam Gill

He is an exceptionally talented cricketer and that everyone knows. The second innings 91 at the Gabba that eventually helped India to win the series will be etched on the minds of every Indian fan forever. For some reason, he didn’t go onto achieve many more laurels as was expected. He kept faltering along the wayside. His first international hundred took forever. He remained not out 2 runs short of his hundred against West Indies. All of that evaporated in the final game where his innings did not mirror the struggle of the rest of the batsmen. He propelled the Indian total towards 300 which if not for his contribution would have been around 240.

It is clear that Gill is here to stay as not only a backup opener but a genuine middle order batsman. In ODIs, the top 4 is already taken but the number 5 position can come down to a tussle between Gill and Rahul. Ofcourse, Rahul will edge him on the basis of experience and on the basis of being the defacto captain but India will have an excellent reserve batsman. If he keeps up with this consistency, he will definitely be among the squad during the ODI World Cup next year.

What is Shikhar Dhawan doing?

Rohit & Dravid are on record stating that they want to change the way the Indians approach batting at the top of the order. They want to be aggressive and make the most out of the powerplay. Unlike the recent past when they used to bat in the 90s mode, things were finally beginning to get better. However, Dhawan would have none of it. In the series against West Indies and here against Zimbabwe, he prodded along at a strike rate less than 90. This is a far cry from the way the team management’s approach.

He is already 36. Though he average over the last couple of years and his career average in ODIs remain solid, it is his strike rate that is a cause for concern. The ODI World Cup will be played in India where the pitches are expected to be full or runs. Dhawan who is expected to start the World Cup, will have to change his attitude towards scoring runs quickly. With Gill waiting, Dhawan’s task is cut-out. He must score quickly to remain in the squad.

Rahul is struggling and it is as clear as day

Agreed that Rahul is back in the team after an injury forced layoff but it is not now that he is finding it difficult to score while opening. This has happened in the past too. I have often said that his place is not at the top of the order. At number 5 or even 6, he can unleash the beast within but at the top, he becomes a pussy cat. Added to that, his captaincy too did not inspire any confidence whatsoever. Some of his bowling changes were puzzling. He is lucky that the opponents was only Zimbabwe. With 4 consecutive defeats against South Africa last year, he is not the captain that India will want in the future. It is time the selectors looks elsewhere in the absence of Rohit.

The disappointing Prasidh Krishna

He is tall and he has got good pace and bounce. However, he goes for too many runs. When Bumrah & Shami returns, it is certain that Prasidh will not find a place in the team. The worry however is that, he is not making the job of the selectors or the team management tough. It is time he starts to make use of the opportunities that he is given.

Deepak Chahar fails to effect Mankad

Recently, the MCC normalised the Mankad law. It is now moved to the run-out section. This dismissal has always been frowned upon but has always been a legitimate mode of dismissal. I simply cannot understand why it must be frowned upon.

There have been controversies, quite famously the Ashwin – Buttler incident at the IPL but this sort of dismissal must become mainline. I believe that Chahar must have gone ahead and appealed. Batsmen all over the world are taking unfair advantage of the largesse of the bowlers. It is time this is changed. The game will be better off with less cheating. Just like a bowler scratches the ball to help reverse swing, a batsman takes a few paces to steal a run. Both are cheating.

Wrapping up evaluation of India after the Zimbabwe tour

Yes it was only Zimbabwe but any experience against an international team is a welcome. More so for the fringe players. One can only hope that the BCCI keeps up these tours and send the fringe players on atleast a couple of tours every year. It will allow many more players to achieve their dream of playing for the country.

Other topics related to BCCI

BCCI is mad

Good job by BCCI

Genuine model

BCCI Hundred

A joke called BCCI Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Volume 4

Surprising South African win at Lord’s

Posted on by Bobji

It was completely unexpected. I had predicted for England to win the series 3-0 because of past history between the teams that includes 2 series wins for England in South Africa. However, South Africa have left me with egg all over my face. Their performance was incredible. Worthy of them being the top ranked team in the current WTC cycle. The surprising South African win at Lord’s is somewhat unexpected but will they be able to sustain this? It remains to be seen.

What went wrong for England?

After the impressive 4 wins on the trot, including 3 brilliant run chases, it was only expected that England will stream roll South Africa but what transpired on the field was the exact opposite. Right from the beginning, South Africa bowled to a plan. They were very well aware of the Bazball theory that England have employed successfully over the last couple of months. Countering that is important to keep England’s score to manageable proportions. This the South African bowlers did with aplomb. Having 4 fast bowlers really helped. Rabadda was at his usual best.

England were caught with no plan to counter the South African quicks. The pitch helped the bowlers and hence, it called for sensible batting and not for Bazball. Instead, there was Joe Root of all the players attempting a reverse scoop on the 2nd ball he faced. Playing aggressive cricket is onething but playing rubbish cricket is stupid. England must have respected the conditions and the opponent bowlers. They failed in the first innings and must have corrected their mistakes second time around.

Instead, the English batsmen continued to play the same way. Ofcourse, they found success playing this way in not one or two games but in four successive games and were unlikely to jettison it but the conditions, the opposition and the deficit called for cricket of attrition. That England failed to find a secondary method must worry them. Last year, they were way too circumspect and this year, they are way too flamboyant. There is a middle path that they must tread when the situation calls for.  

“We’re heading into mixed messages if I say anything different. Everyone’s so aligned in the dressing-room, from the management to the players, about how we operate.” Said Stokes.

Ben Stokes’s madness

Everyone is aware of the talent Stokes possess. With the bat and with the ball. With the pressure of captaincy, if he has decided to bowl less, so be it. However, it is with the bat that he is so disappointing. Not for the first time this summer has he been playing recklessly. Nowadays, when he bats, it looks like he left his brain in the dressing room itself. He tries to hit every delivery to the boundary. Stokes repeatedly went down the wicket to the pace and bounce of Jansen and was found wanting. Just because he as the captain has come up with a plan to bat in a certain way, it does not mean he can play stupid cricket. There is a fine difference between madness and aggression. The sooner he realises that the better it will be for England and for him personally.

The absence of Zak Crawley

I don’t know what do the English selectors see in Crawley? Multiple low scores and an inability to last more than a session, for an opener, these are damning statistics. England have another inexperienced opener at the other end whom they are willing to support for awhile. For them to have an opener who will not last more than a session at one end, it will be disastrous. Root and Bairstow bailed them over the summer but once they fail, the results are clear as crystal. Perhaps, the time has come for Crawley to be put out of his misery.

South Africans must be thrilled

Just over a year ago, South Africa was ranked as the 7th team in the ICC rankings when they went to West Indies. I for one thought that they will lose the series in West Indies but to their credit, they came away unscathed. Now, they are leading the current WTC cycle with series wins over India at home and a creditable drawn series away to New Zealand. They have topped that with a win against England who were until now, played unbelievable cricket.

Only three from the current squad had played in England. It means that they are severely short of experience and also of quality batsmen whom the opposition fears. During the days of Amla, Kallis, Smith and de Villiers, all they had to do was turn up on the day of the game and runs are there for the taking. The current South African team does not have anyone of that pedigree. Yet, they believe in collective effort. If not for the runs from Keshav, Nortje and Jansen, this game would have been a lot closer.

The impact of Nortje

I had pointed out before the series that Nortje’s pace will the chief weapon that can unsettle Root and Bairstow. Nortje proved how important he is to the bowling attack. He rattled Bairstow’s stumps in the first innings through sheer pace and picked him in the second dig as well. Though he was expensive, the wickets that he took were of top and middle order batsmen. Dean Elgar will not mind the runs he gives away if he can consistently pick up Bairstow and Root cheaply during the series.

“My job is to try and bowl quick, to try to bring energy and momentum for the team. It is generally later on in the day when it happens.”

The utilisation of Keshav Maharaj

Keshav Maharaj’s contribution in this game was incredible. Gone are the days when a Paul Harris or Nicky Boje or Pat Symcox were only required to bowl flat and keep one end tight so that the faster bowlers can be given rest. Also, ofcourse, to speed up the overrate. Keshav is not in the same league. He is a genuinely good spinner. His record speaks for himself. Close to 4 wickets per test after playing on spin unfriendly pitches most of his career. Here he was bowling only the 8th over of the 2nd innings with fielders around the bat. He created an immediate impact and literally dashed England’s hopes.

To end with surprising South African win at Lord’s

Though South Africa have won the first game, I still think that England remain the favourites to win the series. The next couple of tests may not help the bowlers which will help the England batsmen in their aggressive approach.

I leave with the words of Dean Elgar “What we’ve laid down over the last year has been pretty solid,” he said. “It hasn’t been fake, it’s been unique. It’s been real. It hasn’t been far-fetched. These are our team goals that I have with the coaches. It’s not unrealistic. It’s pretty achievable. As a player group, we are a special bunch and we play bloody good cricket when we are doing well.”

Other blogs about England and South Africa

Indomitable SA

Importance of SA

England and Test cricket

England’s chase

McCullum as the English coach

14 years of Virat Kohli

Posted on by Bobji

It is really hard to believe that it has been 14 years since Kohli made his debut. I can still remember his debut against Sri Lanka in one of the ODI where he was asked to open the innings. He did reasonably well in that series. I believed that he will be a good batsman but I never imagined the heights that he will eventually attain. In 14 years, Kohli has seen quite a few highs and quite a few lows. Now, in the twilight of his career, he is struggling for form but still remains a vital cog in the wheel. 14 years of Virat Kohli.

Achievements as a batsman

Right after that debut against Sri Lanka, he was dropped from the squad. This despite the fact that India at that point, were searching for good quality batsman. India were finding it tough against Mendis but Kohli was not flustered by him. Still, he was dropped after that series but returned just a year later and made his Test debut in 2011. He had a fairly difficult time in Australia but announced himself in the last test at Perth with a 75 and a hundred. As the saying goes, he never turned back and marched from thereon.

The true Kohli-era started began on the tour of South Africa towards the end of 2013. A brilliant hundred in the first innings and an equally good 96 in the second innings, that is when Kohli announced himself that he has arrived. It was those innings that must have infused tremendous amount of confidence in Kohli that he can play the best of bowler in the most difficult of conditions. The twin hundreds in New Zealand meant that he can play the swinging ball.

Kohli carried Pujara, Rahane and even Rohit

He had a purple patch for about 4 years between 2016 and 2019. The real highlight of that period was that extraordinary series in Australia. 4 hundreds in 4 Tests was unprecendented in the annals of Indian cricket. Gavaskar, Dravid and Tendulkar never managed more than 2 in a series in Australia. If not for the disastrous England tour in 2014, he would have had a fabulous year too. There in lies his greatness as a batsman. He knew pretty well that England was his Achilles heel. His repeated dismissals to Anderson being a case in point.

Before the next tour in 2018, he did all the homework and was now ready. That preparation showed in the very first test where he was the lone Indian batsman to score more than 50. Infact, he ended up with a brilliant 153. Batting with the Indian tail, which everyone knows is exceptionally brittle, he scored more than 90 runs against the likes of his nemesis, Anderson. He treated the English bowlers with utter disdain. Throughout the series, he was the only Indian batsman who showed any amount of gumption against the attack led by Anderson and Broad.

It was around this time, he carried the Indian batting on his shoulders. Rahane and Pujara were found wanting except for an odd knock here and there but Kohli gave the team and the nation hope. He more or less shielded every other batsman in the squad.

Achievements as captain

Kohli wasn’t afraid to take tough decisions.

Kohli risked everything in pursuit of test wins. That single quality defined his entire captaincy career. He wasn’t afraid to drop players like Ashwin or Pujara or Rahane though the same decision came back to bite him towards the end. His very first test as captain, albeit as a stand-in for the injured Dhoni at Adelaide where he motivated his side to win the game chasing a very stiff target. He himself played an innings that unfortunately did not result in an Indian win.

Kohli has always advocated for Test cricket to be given its prime importance. India is notorious for not playing too many Tests but it all changed under Kohli. Test cricket became the focus for both the board and the team. This is not to say that ODI and T20 did not find space but Test cricket was given priority. Players were given breaks from limited overs but against tough opponents, only the first choice players played in tests.

Two of his biggest contribution

Kohli’s two biggest contributions as captain was the importance given to fitness culture and the choice of attack. I can still remember the earlier Indian teams. In India, spinners bowled more than 70% of the overs and the batsmen were able to pile on runs that gave the bowlers ample amount of rest. However, the same wasn’t the case when India toured outside the sub-continent. The purpose of the spinner was to hold one end and help the fast bowlers being rotated. The seamers of that era were hardly able bowl more than one spell at full tilt. The depressing and disheartening tours to England and Australia are still vivid in memory. Bell, KP, Strauss and even Bresnan toyed with the Indian bowlers.

Hundreds and double hundreds were scored with elan. The Indian bowlers were hardly effective and the batsmen, after days in the field, folded quickly. The series in Australia towards the end of that year was even more humiliating. Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey, who were towards the end of their career and hardly able to buy a run for a couple of seasons were suddenly scoring hundreds. As an Indian fan, we never wanted tours anywhere to the SENA countries. We were happy with teams visiting India were the Indians can spin a web around their batsmen.

The Yo-Yo test

Kohli changed that and out went laziness and sluggishness and in came the yo-yo test. Ambati Rayudu and a few others were not considered because they failed the test. It will not be an understatement to state that the fitness of the bowlers was the main reason Indians proved competitive and were able to achieve some memorable wins. Now, Indian bowlers were able to come back for 3rd, 4th spells and bowl with the same intensity. The opponents were always under pressure. Though the batsmen failed to post big totals, that is mainly to do with the non-performance of certain players, the bowlers more or less compensated for the inability of the batsmen.

Culminating 14 years of Virat Kohli

There is no doubt that Kohli is one of the best batsman India has ever produced. I for one will place him below Gavaskar but certainly above Dravid and Tendulkar. He is going through a phase and he needs the support of everyone to come out of that phase. He is too good a player not to finish with an average in excess of 50.

Other Kohli blogs

Should he have toured Zimbabwe?

Shastri’s advise to Kohli

Kohli’s form

Ponting about SKY and a good article in Wisden

Posted on by Bobji

Ricky Ponting, the incredible former Australian captain and a champion batsman has heaped praise on none other than Surya Kumar Yadav. Infact, he has compared him to another great A B De Villiers. It really is high praise from a great batsman about a rookie who has played only a handful of limited over games and who is yet to play a single test, to be compared with another great cricketer. If SKY turns out to be India’s Michael Hussey, he would have done exceptionally well when he retires. Also, I read a good article in Wisden.com about Rahul. Let me offer my two cents in this blog. Ponting about SKY and a good article in Wisden.

Ponting’s comments about Surya

“Surya (Yadav) scores 360 degrees around the ground, a bit like an AB de Villiers did when he was in his actual prime. The lap shots, the late cuts, you know, the ramps over the keeper’s head. He can hit down the ground,” Ponting said on the latest episode of The ICC Review. I think you’d find him in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup, not just their squad. And if he’s in that team, then I think all the fans in Australia are going to see a very, very good player. It’s got to be in the top four”

Among the current lot, it is Surya who is in good form. Rohit hasn’t had a decent run off late and Kohli is still trying to rediscover his form. Pant down the order is not a good T20 player as he is a Test player. With Rahul, who is expected to open in T20 a suspect at that spot, Surya with his range of shots is an excellent addition to the squad.

Ponting has seen Surya from close quarters during his stint as the coach of Mumbai Indians. He knows a thing or two about the batting of Surya. Nasser Hussain reckons that Ponting is the best cricketing mind around. When such a cricketer says something about a current player, it means only onething, that Surya is good and he deserves his spot in the team.

Where does he slot in?

As Ponting says, Surya must be in that top 4. If the Indian management does finally accept that Rahul is not a top-order batsman and that he will be better suited in the lower middle-order, it will be better to open with Pant and leave Surya alone in the middle. The number 4 slot is his and his own. Pant can take advantage of the field restrictions whereas Surya will able to control the middle and end overs. Especially, during the Asia Cup, India need Surya against the likes of Harris Rauf and the Pakistani spinners. His strike rate is 258 in the final overs. He has scored 88 runs in 34 deliveries. It is an incredible strike rate and the Indian management must be wise to leave him to do his job. He will not disappoint.

Ofcourse, Surya can open the innings instead of Pant but being the best batsman on current form, does it really makes sense to expose him to the new-ball? Someone who has never opened for his state or zone or in IPL? Rohit and Dravid must fully utilise the services of Surya.

About Rahul in Wisden

Abhishek Mukherjee, in Wisden has written a piece about Rahul. I have often said this. Rahul is not an opener. It could be Test cricket or white ball cricket. He just doesn’t like opening. His struggles at the top of the order are a clear proof. In the short formats, his role is in the lower middle order. Preferably number 5 or even 6. That is where he will be able to show is entire repertoire of strokes. For some reason, whenever he opens the innings, he shelves his strokes and goes in the defensive. It is painful to watch.

Rahul does not have multiple gears in his game. He either blocks and bores the pants off everyone or is extremely aggressive. The first part is while opening and the second part is while in the middle order. In T20 cricket, India need the second part rather than the first one.

I have a problem with the author quoting his IPL success quite often. It clearly shows the paucity of runs from the blade of Rahul. In IPL, you hardly get one good new ball bowler coupled with the fact that the games are more or less played on iron boards. All the batsmen will have to do is swing hard at the ball.

I am of the firm opinion that IPL success must never be considered as a yardstick. Even during the last IPL, fans of Lucknow Super Giants were displeased with Rahul because of his go slow attitude at the top. Rahul himself will have to inform the team management that he prefers middle order but it will take a lot of effort on his part to convince them because of his long stint as an opener in IPL and various other T20 cricket.

Career at crossroads

Rahul’s T20 career is at the crossroads at the moment. He is the vice-captain and de-facto captain but his returns are not satisfactory. There are other batsmen like Prithvi Shaw, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Ishan Kishan and the rest who are waiting in the wings. Rahul can neither afford to fail nor can afford to bat slow. However, the same Rahul can have a really good T20 career if he bats in the middle order.

Wrapping up Ponting about SKY and a good article in Wisden

To be appreciated by Ponting, you cannot ask for more. It clearly shows Surya has a future whereas Rahul’s time may not run out for now unless and until he can completely transform his batting and play a refreshing brand of cricket. The Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup will perhaps be his final games if he fails to reform.

Other India blogs

Edgbaston Test 1

Edgbaston Test 2

Edgbaston Test 3

The ICC FTP cycle between 2023-2027

Posted on by Bobji

777 games. It simply is mindboggling. This is the total number of games that the ICC expects all the nations to play between 2023 – 2027. It is about 1 game every third day. At a time when players are close to revolting because of the sheer volume of games, the ICC has gone ahead and scheduled 83 more games than the previous cycle. What madness has gone into the committee that schedules these games is unfathomable. The ICC FTP cycle between 2023-2027 is one gigantic mess towards the end of which the exodus of players will become real.

I will not go into the details of the schedule as everything is given in this link.

I will stick to the Indian schedule during this cycle.

India are set to play 141 games over the 4 year period. Only behind Bangladesh, West Indies and England. These are international games. With an expanded IPL during the same period and with every Indian expected to play for some franchise, this number will balloon over 300 games. If this is not overkill, I do not know what is.

I have said this often that Indian players are overworked. The continuation of which will have no motivation to win games because they always know that there is another game in a couple of days. Ofcourse, some of these international games can be covered with the second-string team but from a spectator’s perspective, these are still Indian teams. Nothing more nothing less.

Indian board is least bothered

The Indian board as well know is too arrogant and they do not really care about the players nor the spectators. They seem to think that the more games the team plays, the more will be their income. The day when the board will realise that this is flawed thinking is not far off. Already, I do not see that much interest in the games against West Indies and Zimbabwe. Nevertheless, if BCCI needs to be made to see reason, they will have to experience a drastic fall.

What are the key points for India?

India for the first time in 30 years, will play Australia twice over 5 Tests and the same against England. Outside of Ashes, the India against England and India against Australia games are the marquee events in the international calendar. I cannot comment about India against England but except for one series win apiece over the last 20 years, neither of them have been competitive in the other country. However, when it comes to Australia, it is bit different with India winning the last 2 series in Australia and Australia have not been a pushover in India.

The bottomline however is that, India’s path to the WTC finals in the next couple of cycles is not an easy one. In the third cycle, India will play South Africa and Australia away and in the fourth cycle, it will be England and New Zealand. Having lost the last test series in South Africa, India will get a chance to make amends next year end. It has been awhile since they were competitive in New Zealand.

The one good thing about this schedule is ODIs are given less priority. With just 41 games scheduled, it ranks behind Tests & T20. It clearly shows where the Indian board’s priority lies. They are not likely to promote ODI any longer and rightly so. One of the format needs to go or atleast toned down. Fortunately or unfortunately, ODI is that format that must go. Test cricket I do not think will survive for too long unless it rejuvenates itself. Bazball is one way.

Cricket is in a flux. That is for certain. The length of the game does not allow to many games to be played in a short span. The sooner the authorities understands this the better it will be for all of us.

Wrapping up the ICC FTP cycle between 2023-2027

Cricket’s sustainability is seriously questioned and the ICC goes ahead and organises this many games. If they can organise so many games with just 12 full members, imagine the volume if more than 20 full members are signed up?

The not so much anticipated series

Posted on by Bobji

England vs South Africa has always been a series that is much anticipated. The games were contested keenly with both the teams emerging triumphant in the opponent’s country quite regularly. However, this series, by the looks of it, may not be that much close. It probably is not the much anticipated series. South Africa are not the same all-conquering side anymore and England under the guidance of Stokes and McCullum are on a roll. I am afraid that this series may be one-sided.

The timeframe is troubling

The first surprising fact is that the test series will get underway at Lord’s in the 3rd week of August. Usually, in England, August is the timeframe when series are expected to be in the middle or towards the end what with autumn expected to start in a few weeks and making the conditions not so conducive for cricket. Times have changed and so have the priority for English Cricket Board. English cricket’s newest showpiece event is at the centrestage now. Few years ago, County Championship was relegated to the fringes of the season and now it is the turn of Test Cricket.

Cricket is facing an all-out war from the likes of various franchise leagues around the world. IPL which has got its own window now, BBL, South African version of the IPL, the UAE league and other versions are squeezing every ounce out of every player. We may even end up in a scenario where players are engaged for 12 months but in various leagues.

New ideas needed to rejuvenate Test Cricket

ODI cricket will certainly suffer but in the long run, without proper backing, Test Cricket will cease to exist. It will have to rejuvenate itself and it requires the support of the players and the respective boards. Test cricket needs to be reduced and it must be entertaining. Enter Bazball.

It is so refreshing that England who had been a traditional side for so long that they are now being trolled for being refreshingly aggressive. English crowds are waiting for their players to wear the white dress instead of the dark blue ones. However, the South African captain, Dean Elgar will have none of it.

“The new England style is quite interesting,” said the South African captain. “But I don’t see that there’s longevity in brave cricket because I see things evening out over time in Test cricket. There was often parity between England and New Zealand [in the recent Test series] and had New Zealand taken their opportunities and their catches then things could have been very different. England would have come away with egg on their faces.”

Strong words from a skipper whose side lost the last exchange between the 2 teams in their own country 1-3. They lost to a team that was led by Joe Root. The same Root who found the going quite tough against New Zealand, India, Australia and even the West Indies. Not to forget the hammering against England Lions just a week ago.

South Africa’s good run but tougher test is awaiting

South Africa are coming off of a successful 8 months. They won a hard fought series against India, albeit at home and a creditable drawn series in New Zealand. For some reason, they have always found something to pull one over New Zealand. They are also the leading team in the current World Test Championship cycle. Against an equally in-form England, with their new found attitude, South Africa will find the going really tough. They do have the firepower in Rabadda, Ntini & Nortje and the guile of Maharaj. This is an attack that will surely send shivers down the throats of any team but with the blazing Sun and temperature in excess of 40, the pitches for the series is unlikely to have any purchase for the faster bowlers and thereby negating the threat of South Africa’s weapons.

Players to watch out for England

James Anderson. If the ball starts to swing, look no further than Anderson. All the South Africans except Elgar are inexperienced against the moving ball. They are not exposed to the swinging ball and they are not in the same class as a Smith or Amla or Kallis or de Villiers. The most talented batsman, de Kock has retired and that will have a profound effect in this series. Anderson against rookies will be fun to watch. Atleast from a England supporter’s point of view but from a South African’s, they will dread the match-up.

Root has continued with his stupendous 2021 form though the twin failures in Australia & West Indies will rankle him. Unburdened without the captaincy, he may just go onto become the batsman that everyone thought he will be. He undoubtedly is the best English batsman over the last 30 years but with such success he may go onto become the best ever English batsman.

Bairstow on the otherhand is in a hurry to reclaim lost time. Brilliant match-winning innings over the last 4 tests and with the confidence to play aggressive cricket, he is on a roll. Perhaps, he will never want to return to keeping now that his place is secured for the foreseeable future. Ben Stokes has brought into the Bazball theory but he is quite reckless in his method whereas Root and Bairstow are quite measured. With Stokes, you pretty well know that a wicket his around the corner with his hard hitting.

Players to watch out for South Africa

Keegan Petersen

He is a class act. He has got all the strokes and is a treat to watch. On his first tour of England, he will be willing to make an impact. He is the best equipped to deal with Anderson and Potts. If he has a successful series, South Africa will be in the game but if he doesn’t, they will be stream rolled by England.

Anrich Nortje

This fellow is genuinely quick. He bowls in excess of 150 KMPH regularly. With the hot weather, pitches will not help him but he is capable of circumventing the pitches with his pace. More than Rabadda, it is Nortje who is capable of stopping the Root-Bairstow juggernaut. He is stuck by injuries of late. Probably because of the stress his pace puts on his body. If he can remain injury-free and bowl at a high pace, the series will be interesting to watch.

Wrapping up the not so much anticipated series

Ever since South Africa’s readmission, England have not held sway over them like the last 3 series. Each of them won by England quite convincingly. This time, I do not see anything different. I will be bold in predicting that if the rain doesn’t play its part, England will win 3-0.

Other blogs about England & South Africa

England redefined cricket

England’s chase

McCullum and England coaching

The South African spirit

Importance of South Africa

Manjrekar on Kohli and Chopra on Shreyas

Posted on by Bobji

Sanjay Manjrekar, the former Indian batsman, has credited Kohli for embracing the new Indian batting approach whereas, Aakash Chopra has said that the road for Shreyas is not completely closed. He will still come back into the team. Let me write a short blog about Manjrekar on Kohli and Chopra on Shreyas.

“They should celebrate because class is back. Virat Kohli has had some first-hand experience of this new approach of India in T20 cricket in England. So he has embraced that, not with great success, but he has embraced that. You have got to give credit to Virat Kohli.”

“He didn’t care about whether he was getting runs or whether he was getting out because he desperately needed runs in England and he is looking for international runs but he still sort of backed up the Indian team’s new philosophy. He was trying to hit boundaries from ball number one.”

These are Manjrekar’s words. I do not one bit subscribe to his views. Let me explain. Yes, Kohli has been an exceptional batsman for India for well over 10 years. Some of his contributions, especially in the short format is legendary. It is also true that he is currently struggling for form. The Indian team under Rohit and Dravid is looking to play white ball cricket in a certain way. Ofcourse, they are too late already because all the top teams are already playing that way for a few years now.

To say that Kohli has embraced the new approach is completely wrong. It is not for Kohli to decide. He is not the captain. It is the management team of which I am sure Kohli is also part of, that decides the batting method. It is insulting to Kohli to say that he has embraced the new approach.

Kohli the ultimate team man

If at all there is one thing that Kohli can never be accused of, it is playing for the team and by that extension the nation. Let us remember that it was Kohli who brought about the fast bowling revolution in the country. He backed fast bowlers and that is showing in terms of the volume of bowlers who are now India-ready. He is also the one who brought the 5 bowlers theory into practise.

The point I am trying to make is that Kohli is never averse to change. Manjrekar seems to portray that Kohli is a reluctant to change. Not only that, Kohli has the game to not only embrace the new approach but completely runaway with it.

Chopra on Shreyas

Shreyas Iyer’s international numbers from the last World Cup are outstanding. His name is not here (Asia Cup) but he has a very strong case. He has played 17 matches after the T20 World Cup, 479 runs at an average of nearly 40 and a strike rate of 140. In my understanding, he is not completely out of the race.”

Shreyas has been found out at the highest level. That is the plain fact. I remember quite vividly, the batting of Vinod Kambli. When he made his debut, he scored bucketful of runs. Consecutive double hundreds and a couple of hundreds. There was a point during which his average will not come down to below 100. Everyone thought that he was a better batsman than Sachin Tendulkar.

Come the West Indies tour and Courtney Walsh, Kambli, the roaring tiger, became a pussy cat. He was ill-equipped against the short ball that during the entire tour, he became a laughing stock. He lost his spot and was never seen again in the Indian Test team.

Much the same is true of Shreyas as well. He is a sitting duck against the bouncer. He is incapable of hooking and is incapable of getting out of the line. It really is a shame that the Indian Ranji bowlers never tested this weakness of Shreyas. How was he allowed to score all those runs for Mumbai is beyond me?

He is ungainly even on the flat pitches of India. What is he going to do when the ball bouncer more? India just cannot afford to have someone who is a suspect against bouncers on the tour of Australia.

Wrapping up Manjrekar on Kohli and Chopra on Shreyas

Kohli does not need any motivation to play the game in a certain way. He is completely capable of doing that by himself. Whereas Shreyas, I am afraid he will go the Kambli way.