Author: Bobji

I have been thinking for awhile about Jasprit Bumrah. He is the pre-eminent bowler in Indian cricket at the moment. His success is directly linked to the outcome of the game. India usually wins whenever Bumrah performs. However, the question is, has Bumrah been the bowler to whom the Indian captain goes to run through sides? Does Bumrah have the potential to pick up wickets by the bucketful? Is he wasting his talent and thereby dragging the team down? Whatever it is, time is running out for Bumrah.

Bumrah is 28 years old. He hardly has another 3-4 years of top flight cricket. Pace, energy & stamina will slowly go down beyond that. He is unlikely to be effective at that point. Hence, now is the time Bumrah will have to make the most of his abilities. Unfortunately, till date, Bumrah hasn’t performed at his optimum level. That is the plain truth. There is no two way to look at this. I will analyse only about his test credentials and for now, I am not willing to move into limited overs.

Lack of effectiveness defending a target

This was evident as recently as the test series in South Africa. In 2 consecutive tests, South Africa was set a target of above 200 and both the times, Bumrah failed to deliver in the last innings. To make matters worse, he was the most expensive bowler. It clearly shows that not only was he unable to pick up wickets, but he also wasn’t able to stem the flow of runs either. Bumrah gives the impression that he is satisfied in bowling the great spells that he is known for and account for a couple of batsmen and he feels content that he has played his part. For some reason, he is reluctant to take charge as the main weapon.

A similar lack of penetration happened in New Zealand a couple of years ago. Agreed that New Zealand were chasing a modest target of about 132 but the opening partnership was worth 91. It shows that Bumrah failed to give early wickets. It may not have changed the outcome of the game considering the target but atleast it may have scared the Kiwis. He again failed in the all important WTC final under extremely favourable conditions.

Conditions he may not get again

Bumrah must realise that these are conditions and situations which he may never get again in his career. He could have easily shown who the best bowler in the world is. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to. Indians who were waiting for a Bumrah special, were left with disappointment. In England during the WTC final and in South Africa.

Let us sample this.

In 27 tests, he has taken 7 5-fer and is yet to take a 10-fer though the average is damn good for an Indian bowler. 22.85. However, not a single 10 wicket haul in 27 games is hardly the stuff of a great bowler, leave alone a good one. Let us also remember the fact that he has played 21 tests in conditions favourable to the fast bowler. Not that many Indian bowlers have had this luxury in their careers.

Bumrah is protected and rightly so

The reason why Bumrah has only played 27 games is that he wasn’t preferred in India where Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav slogged. In other words, he was protected from burnout and rightly so. This is another good fortune that Bumrah has enjoyed. In other words, he has been taken care of by the board and the team management quite sufficiently. I am not for a second faulting that. He is a rare Indian fast bowler and every effort must be taken to preserve him. However, the reason he is preserved is that as and when the time comes for him to play a stellar role, he will be fit and raring to go. These are privileges that were never extended to any Indian bowler before.

Ofcourse, sports medicine has improved and there is a much better understanding of a bowler’s body but that does not mean that he can be content with what he has achieved so far. I am not for a minute suggesting that Bumrah is taking the game lightly. Far from it. Whenever, he is given the ball, he gives his 100%. There is no doubt about that. However, he must introspect where is he going wrong? Does he need a longer spell to make a real impact? Does he need to play more games so that the rhythm remains intact? These are questions only he can ponder and will have to find a solution.

Conclusion to time is running out of Bumrah

I do realise that taking a 10-fer is not that easy. Cummins for all his greatness and knowing inside out of the Australian wickets, still has only one 10-fer and he has played 10 more games than Bumrah. Boult & Southee, Bumrah’s contemporaries, haven’t taken only one each. Hazlewood hasn’t taken any in more than 60 games.

It goes onto show how difficult it is to take 10-fer in a test but that is also the benchmark for a truly great. Bumrah may just turnaround his fortunes and start the take wickets with alarming regularity. Having said that, if he is unable to amend his performance, he is likely to go down in history as one of those players who promised a lot but delivered just about average. Bumrah is too good a bowler to end up in this fashion. Hopefully, he introspects and realises that he needs to do more not just to earn his spot in history but to ensure more Indian wins.

He must also remember that whatever exploits he may have accomplished in IPL or even in the short formats, it is performance in test cricket that will ultimately, secure his legacy. Years from now, only his test achievements will be remembered and not the white ball ones unless it has come in ICC tournaments.

What do you think? Has Bumrah done enough that his talents warrant?

Prior to Rohit’s immediate tasks on hand in limited overs, I had written his top priorities in test cricket. Please go through that one too.

The main challenge is mental toughness

The Indian white ball cricket is not that settled. Make no mistake. They do have the personnel for the job on hand but for some reason, the team always falls short when it comes to the big games. So many knock-out games under Kohli comes to mind. Despite dominating the league phase, the batsmen get stuck in sand and the bowlers get their radar wrong in the semis and finals. This has cost the team multiple ICC tournaments. Tournaments that they were expected to win. Especially the 2021 T20 World Cup, 2015 Champions Trophy.

They came unstuck on the big day. This is the main challenge that Rohit is faced with. He himself contributed to those shockers. I am not really sure how are the team of Rohit and Dravid going to address this problem. Perhaps a reduction in too much discussion before the knock-out games will probably work. Over analysing the opponents instead of playing to the best of the team’s ability could be the reason.

Too many players at the top of the same mould

India and especially Rohit, Dhawan, Rahul and Kohli have been slow starters. They still seem to be in the 90s mode. Keep the wickets at the top, accumulate in the middle overs and tear the opposition apart in the last 10 overs. They do not seem to have realised that the game has changed is very complexion in 10 years. England who are the trendsetters in this format, are dreaming of score above 500 whereas India is happy with middling scores of 300 in ODIs and around 160 in T20s.

Bats have got heavier and batsmen have become adept at chasing that a runrate of 7 does not fluster them anymore. Rohit must transform the way India bat during the start of the innings. There are sufficient dashers in Rohit himself, Ishan and Dhawan followed by Pant, Surya, Shreyas, Kohli, Jadeja and the rest. This calls for a remarkable mindset transformation. Will Rohit be able to effect that change?

The dreaded middle order

Kohli and Shastri spent a very large part of the tenure in searching for the perfect number 4. Needless to say, the failed miserably in their quest. As luck would have it, Rohit now has a variety of middle order hitters in Shreyas, Rahul & Surya. All of them are capable of staying at the wicket and scoring runs at the sametime. It is for Rohit to choose the proper middle order. I would say Kohli, Surya and Rahul to be the ideal middle order with Shreyas as the backup.

The all-rounder role

Ever since the decline or the lack of interest on the part of Hardik, Indian cricket is struggling to find a late order dasher. Looks like with Venkatesh Iyer, Hooda, Deepak Chahar and Shardul, that problem is likely to be solved. How Rohit uses these players remains to be seen.

The problematic bowling

Bowling is likely to be Rohit’s biggest problem. Except for Bumrah, none of the rest is capable of picking up wickets as well as contain the flow of runs. As a result, the batsmen are always under pressure to score quickly because they do not know how many is too many. Jadeja for all his quick scoring abilities, is not a reliable bowler. If the pitch is flat, Jadeja is likely to go for plenty. Having said that, he walks in on the basis of his hitting capability and his supreme fielding. Kumar has suddenly lost a lot of potency. Perhaps lack of match practice has affected his bowling.

Remember, Ranji trophy wasn’t played last year and as such the fringe players lost out of some much needed game time. The BCCI will do well to send a second Indian team to tour countries like Sri Lanka, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Zimbabwe for series of ODIs and T20s. This must happen regularly. Last year, a second Indian team participated in a series in Sri Lanka. It proved to be a success. India won the ODI series and could have easily won the T20 series as well if not for mass Covid infection. It will ensure that the players are sufficiently match fit. They can come into the main team incase of an emergency and will be able to perform straightaway.

2022 T20 World Cup

Australian wickets in the T20 World Cup is likely to be flat. As such the bowlers are expected to go for plenty. It needs bowlers with the X factor. Kuldeep and Chahal who formed a potent attack till the 2019 World Cup as back in the squad. They have certainly lost their effectiveness over the last 2 years. When in form, they are a deadly pair. The Australian grounds a fairly huge and spinners will be helpful but they will have to be good. How Rohit is able to inspire the likes of Chahal or Kuldeep or Bishnoi will be interesting to watch.

Conclusion to Rohit’s immediate tasks on hand in limited overs

This country is longing for an ICC trophy over the last 11 years. The Indian fans have had multiple heartbreaks and have placed a lot of faith on the new captain. Primarily because he had won 2 tournaments leading a second string Indian team and has also won multiple IPL trophies. The Indians believe that Rohit has a magic wand. If he can deliver 2 World Cups in the next 2 years, his name will be etched in the annals of Indian cricket forever. Ofcourse, before that he has the all important final test against England. All in all, Rohit has a few golden opportunities to establish himself as the captain who won a series in England and who has won a couple of ICC tournaments.

What do you think are Rohit’s immediate tasks on hand? Do you think Rohit has the necessary tactical acumen to bring home certain ICC trophies?

Rohit Sharma, the new Indian captain, has his task cut-out. There are quite a few things that he must take care of that will perhaps define his captaincy. I feel that these are Rohit’s immediate tasks on hand. I will begin with tests and then will move onto white ball cricket in a different blog.

A reliable opening partner

There are multiple contenders to partner Rohit at the top. Mayank Agarwal, Rahul & Shubnam Gill. While choosing his partner, Rohit must ensure that he is someone who will be able to perform in all conditions. Mayank’s record in India is fabulous. It will be hard to look beyond him. However, his performances outside of India, especially in Australia & South Africa, is abysmal. He had a decent debut series in Australia but after that, he was found wanting. Repeatedly getting out for low scores. For an opener, to fall for low scores consistently, it puts lot of pressure on the middle order.

Rahul is someone who is not a natural opener. He struggles when he opens the innings. Yes, I do realise that he has opened for Karnataka for a longtime before making his debut. However, Ranji bowling attacks and international bowling attacks are completely different. For some reason, Rahul struggles whenever he opens for India. Be it tests or ODIs or even T20s. He becomes too defensive and forgets to score runs. A la Pujara.

He seems to forget that at the end, cricket is a simple game of runs and wickets. The same Rahul, when he is in the middle order is a different beast though his test credentials are yet to be tested. I do agree that in the recent past, he has scored 2 hundreds, in England and in South Africa. Apart from a couple of 50s, he does not have anything to show for. Rohit played beautifully that eased the pressure on Rahul in England. In the absence of Rohit in South Africa, Rahul too struggled. I certainly do not think that Rahul belongs at the top.

My vote goes to Shubnam Gill

That leaves us with Shubnam Gill. Prithvi Shaw has lost his way. He is struggling in Ranji as well. Gill seems to be a fine prospect. He is calm at the crease and has all the shots, both against pace and spin. Though his credentials is yet to be proven in the swinging conditions of England, Gill will hold himself well in other countries. He is easy on the eye. He had a wonderful start in Australia and with Pant, played a series winning innings at The Gabba. The one criticism on him is that he is unable to convert the starts into a big one. He is young and must be the one to open with Rohit. With Sri Lanka’s attack lacking quality, Gill will have all the time to score that elusive hundred. You never know, it might just be the boost hat Gill needs.

A good middle order

India is sure to go in with just 5 specialist batters. Rohit, another opener and Kohli are certainties. However, couple of replacements for Pujara and Rahane must be found. Shreyas Iyer, after his exploits against New Zealand walks in for Rahane. Vihari is the like for like replacement for Pujara. However, if Rohit and Dravid are tempted to play Rahul and Mayank, it is likely that Rahul will replace Pujara. It will be a hard blow for Vihari who has performed reasonably well in his career so far. If given proper backing, Vihari has all the capabilities of not only fulfilling Pujara’s position but to actually go beyond that. He has the technique to survive in all the conditions.

Rejuvenate Bumrah

For some reason, Bumrah seems to have lost his venom. His inability to win the games in South Africa, against a set of inexperienced batsmen and in helpful conditions will rankle Bumrah forever. India missed a golden opportunity to win their first series in South Africa for which Bumrah must share a greater part of the blame. Not just he didn’t pick up wickets, he went for more runs than ever. He has played 27 tests and is yet to take a 10-wicket haul. It clearly shows that Bumrah does not really run through sides. It is something great bowlers are often expected to do. He is happy with the odd breakthrough.

Bumrah is India’s trump card. With him being appointed the vice-captain, the chances are that he will not be able to skip games in India and as such, his workload is bound to increase. It is upto Rohit and Dravid to rejuvenate Bumrah and make him a potent force. Something he threatened when he made his debut.

Rohit is also the captain of Mumbai Indians of which Bumrah is a part. Now that Rohit is the captain, will he feel the need to protect Bumrah during IPL?

There is the other problem of the rest of the attack losing its potency if Bumrah is neutralised. In Asia, Ashwin and Jadeja will take care but it is outside of Asia that this becomes a problem. Ishant Sharma is a spent force. Umesh Yadav has been playing for so long and he is yet to turn potential into performance. He may go the way of Ishant. Perhaps a complete year in England will do him a world of good. Now that he is not part of any IPL team, 4 months of county cricket will make him realise his potential.

Conclusion to Rohit’s immediate tasks on hand

Rohit has got a few decisions to take. He must not only look at the short term but he must think long term. There is the small matter of winning the test series in England where the 5^th test will be played. England is expected to have the services of Stone and Archer and will be much more potent. India will not have any practice games. Rohit will be remembered in the history books if he manages to win the England series.

Wriddhiman Saha, the Indian wicket keeper is in the news. He was dropped from the Indian team for the Sri Lankan series. Saha is 37 years old with not much of cricket left in him. Rahul Dravid, the Indian coach and Chetan Sharma, the chief selector have asked him to retire. However, the mild mannered Saha, who has rarely spoken, did not find this amusing. Instead he has revealed what happened with him in South Africa and what the selectors told him. Let me offer my two cents in the Saha saga.

Conversation between Saha and Dravid

“Wriddhi, I don’t know how to say this, but for some time now the selectors and the team management have been wanting to look at a new face (as wicketkeeper). Because you are not our first-choice wicketkeeper, because you haven’t been playing for a while, we want to use this time to groom a younger wicketkeeper.” I said “okay, no issues”.

And he said, “Don’t be shocked if you are not selected for the Sri Lanka Tests. In the meantime, if you want to take some other decision, you can do that.” So I told him I was not thinking about retirement; not even close to doing so. I told him, “I started playing cricket because I liked playing it, and will continue till I like doing so. If you are not looking at me for the Indian team, that is your decision.”

Conversation between Chetan Sharma and Saha

Ten-twelve days later, I got a call from Chetan Sharma [chairman of selectors]. He asked me if I was playing Ranji Trophy. I said I hadn’t decided yet. Then he went on to tell me what Rahul bhai had said. So I asked him if this decision was for just this series or for the upcoming series against Australia and England too. Then he paused for a couple of seconds and said, “From now on, you will not be considered.”

Then I asked him why, is it because of my performance and fitness or is it because of my age? He said fitness and performance were not an issue. “We want to look at new faces and if we bring in a new face, we can’t drop him without playing him.” That’s why he said “from now on”.

Saha has been an excellent keeper

Saha has been an exceptional keeper. There was a time when he kept Pant out of the team whenever India plays at home just because of his keeping abilities. A few years ago, at Bangalore against Australia, he took a catch diving full length towards backward short leg to dismiss Wade. Anyone who had seen that catch, will forever remember that fondly. Bowlers, especially the spinners are lifted when they see that it is Saha behind the wicket. They are certain that whatever they bowl, Saha is there behind the stumps to collect the ball. The confidence that Saha gave the bowlers was immense.

However, it is hard to compete against a young and energetic Pant. Pant’s ability with the gloves is not as good as Saha but he more than makes it up with his flamboyant batting. Pant is the only Indian keeper who has scored centuries in England, Australia & South Africa. Leave alone Pant, not many keepers, with the honourable exception of Gilchrist, can lay claim to such a record. Ever since Pant played that brilliant and series winning 89 at The Gabba, he has been the de facto keeper. His keeping too improved perhaps because of his efforts with the bat. In such a scenario, it is hard to see Saha ever taking the place of Pant unless Pant is injured.

Saha is unlikely to improve

Saha is 37 and from hereon, his game is unlikely to improve. Hence, the selectors and Dravid have taken the correct decision of having a younger keeper to shadow Pant. If we think about it, it does make sense. Dravid must really be appreciated in such a situation of conveying this tough and delicate instruction to Saha directly. It takes a lot of courage to do so. Dravid could have taken a step back and he could have allowed the board and the selectors to convey the tough news to Saha but he did not do that. Instead, he informed Saha of his own because of the respect with which he treated Saha. It is not fair on the part of Saha to blame Dravid.

Dravid said. “I have a deep respect for Wriddhiman Saha and his achievements and contributions to Indian cricket. My conversation with him actually came from that place, from my respect for him. He deserved honesty and clarity. I didn’t want him to hear about it from the media.

“These are conversations I constantly have with players. I’m not hurt about it at all because I don’t expect players to always like all the messages or agree with everything I have to say about them. That’s not how it works. When you have difficult conversations with people – sometimes you have to have them with players – you don’t always expect them to agree with you or like you, but that doesn’t mean you brush it under the carpet and don’t have the conversations.”

Conclusion to the Saha saga

Ever since Pant established himself as the first choice keeper, Saha, with age not on his side, must have expected this day to arrive. He perhaps must have prepared himself better. Announcing retirement or otherwise is his choice. He can still play Ranji, in the IPL but his days as an international player was already numbered. I do feel sorry to see Saha dropped but that is how the world runs. There is no point in brooding over.

Dravid for his part did the right thing in inform the concerned player directly. It shows his honesty and the respect that he has not just for Saha but for every player. It is the hallmark of a coach to look the player in the eye and tell him the inevitable. Again I have to repeat, it takes a lot of courage to state the obvious.

The Indian team for the two tests series against Sri Lanka has been announced. As expected, there are some changes which were inevitable. However, the good news, the one that every Indian fan have been wanting to hear, is finally realised. Pujara and Rahane are dropped from the team. Finally. It is inevitable. On the whole, I feel good job by Indian selectors.

Vihari is likely to takeover

Most of the team members have selected themselves. The major talking point of the selection was the omission of Pujara, Rahane and to a lesser extent, Saha & Ishant. Now, I don’t think either Pujara or Rahane must consider themselves unlucky for being omitted. They had it coming. They had not been performing for a long time. In the case of Rahane, it extends to more than 5 years with occasional gusts of wind. In the case of Pujara, though he had some invaluable contributions, most notably in Australia where he helped India win the series, the fact that he wasn’t looking to score runs but rather is comfortable in occupying the crease must have gone against him.

Especially, considering the fact that the series against Sri Lanka will be held in India and this is the right time to promote someone to the crucial number 3 spot. It will most likely be Vihari. In the short career so far, he has shown Pujara like qualities to stay in the crease. It remains to be seen whether he will be as intent as Pujara in occupying the crease or will he also be aggressive enough to score runs. The series against Sri Lanka offers him an opportunity in which he will have to make that position his own atleast until the team starts to tour abroad.

Shreyas Iyer gets one more opportunity to consolidate

Shreyas Iyer will slot into the spot Rahane had occupied. After his impressive debut against New Zealand, Shreyas gets one more opportunity against relative lightweights to consolidate his position. He will not an easier start to his test series. In a way, it must have been a blessing for him not to have played a part in the test series in South Africa. If he had failed, it would have dented his confidence.

What about Ishant Sharma?

For quite sometime now, it is known that Ishant Sharma is in his last legs. Whether are not his bowling has deteriorated is not the point. It is just that there are now far better bowlers to choose from. Ishant had played long enough but has never been the strike bowler. Bumrah who made his debut a few years after Ishant, is now not only the strike bowler but has also been made the vice-captain, though, presumably in the absence of Rahul.

The other talking point was the axing of Saha, I will write that in a separate blog. It was really unfortunate but time and age was not on his side.

Rohit Sharma, the captain

Rohit has come a long way. From someone who was not even considered a good batsman at the test level, to now becoming the captain of the team, that is one huge turnaround. He has proved his batting credentials in England and a bit in Australia too. His absence in South Africa was a major blow which events subsequently proved. Maybe, Kohli was never destined to win challenging series. However, since turning into an opener, Rohit has done enough to be considered not only the mainstay in the batting lineup but a vital wicket for the opposition.

With Kohli’s continued lack of runs and the inability of the middle order, it has time and again fallen on the shoulders of Rohit to bail the team. The only worry now is the fitness of Rohit. Now that he is destined to play all the formats and being the captain, his fitness will come into play quite often. If he can remain injury free for a large part, he has the potential to serve the team and the country for 2-3 years. It is long enough for someone like Pant or Gill or Bumrah to mature and takeover from Rohit. I certainly do not want to see Rahul lead the side. His is not good enough to hold a spot in the team consistently leave alone lead a side.

The thing that remains to be seen is whether Rohit will go in with 3 fast bowlers or 3 spinners. With Bumrah being the vice-captain, he is a given. Whether it will be Shami and Siraj or Shami and Kuldeep or Siraj and Kuldeep, that is something Rohit by now would have already made up his mind.

Bumrah the vice-captain

Bumrah cannot expect any more rest during games in India. Being the vice-captain, he is expected to lead from the front. Gone are the day when he will skip test cricket in India. Only point of worry is whether the additional responsibility will hamper his ability. Cummins is the only current bowler who is the captain of an international team. These are early days for him. Bumrah’s ability with the ball has diminished slightly. He was unable to bowl the team to victory in 2 tests in South Africa despite having a reasonable score to defend. That must rankle him. If the additional responsibility inspires him to achieve his full potential, well done BCCI.

Conclusion to good job by Indian selectors

Overall, I think the selectors have done a good job. For once. I was afraid that with passage of time, the abject batting of Rahane and Pujara during the South African series and beyond will be forgiven and forgotten and that they will be given few more opportunities to perform. I am pretty happy to see that not even a hundred from Rahane, just the day before in the Ranji Trophy was enough to save his spot. As for Pujara, he didn’t do himself a favour by getting out of Zero in the same Ranji game. If both Vihari and Shreyas succeeds, this will be curtains for the senior players.

I would like to pen a sincere and honest appeal to BCCI. The Board of Control for Cricket in India. This appeal is regarding much needed rest for the Indian players. They have been on the road for more than 2 years inside the so-called bubble and on the road for more than 13 years since the start of the IPL. Ofcourse, BCCI or someone in the BCCI is not even going to read this blog but I would like to appeal to the board.

The current times are pretty difficult for everyone. More so for the cricketers. Covid has devastated the entire world and it is still going strong in a lot of countries. Cricket and other sports have resumed but under strict bio-secure bubble. We are know what the terms are under bio bubble. It takes a heavy load both mentally and physically. In countries like Australia and New Zealand, it is even more strict. Though it is slightly more relaxed in India, it is still there. Such oppressive conditions is not giving the players a decent enough break where they could spend time outside of cricket, outside of their cricketing family.

Of all the cricketers around the world, it is the Indians who are under the maximum stress because of the bubble. Let me explain.

Over the last couple of years

I will restrict myself to the last 2 years. Since the start of the virus. The pressure, the stress were all magnified manifold since the last 2 years. Though the workload in terms of number of games played has remained the same over the last 13 years, atleast the players were free to roam around, meeting family and friends, eat at a restaurant. It helped to relieve the stress and because of that the players were much more focussed. However, over the last 2 years, none of these were even remotely possible. It has taken a heavy toll on their performance and also on the players themselves. It will not be a wonder if in the future, players will want shorter careers and gravitate towards IPL and other leagues around the world.

The sheer schedule is tiring

Ever since Corona arrived, the Indian players were engaged in non-stop action. They had a good break just before the start of the 2020 IPL because the board did not know what to do. It was the ECB who showed the way to conduct international series inside the bubble. Once BCCI came to know how to get things done, they went in with complete disdain. The IPL 2020 was conducted under closed doors but the Indian players were required to be under the bubble for over a month before the IPL. The IPL itself went for 2 months and it was immediately followed by the Australia tour which took a further 3 months.

Upon return, India played a full blown test series against England for 2 months which led directly into IPL 2021. Luckily for the players, it was stopped midway and as a result the players got some rest but again had to spend close to 5 months in England which was immediately followed by the 2^nd leg of IPL 2021, then South Africa and now West Indies. On the whole, the Indian players have been on the road for close to 17 months. Remember all of these inside the bubble. It literally means that they were without any sort of social life for 17 months. Mental fatigue is bound to set-in if it already hasn’t.

What are the effects because of this?

Since the players are always involved in one game or the other, it affects their performance a great deal. The recent series against South Africa is a prime example. Here was a team ripe for the taking and for India to create history. Instead, India lost the series comprehensively. With proper rest and proper planning, this series could have been won perhaps even 3-0. The 2021 T20 World Cup, it was held in Asia and naturally, India were the firm favourites but just because they had flown into the tournament directly from the IPL and they were all quite jaded, they weren’t able to go beyond the first round. This is from the team’s perspective.

What about from the individual player’s perspective?

None of them are able to work on their skills away from the media glare and without the constant pull of games. Take the case of Pujara, Rahane and Kohli. All the 3 have been struggling for the better part of the last 3 years. In Rahane’s case, it extends to more than 5 years. Ofcourse, Rahana and Pujara do not have any recourse but they are not part of the limited overs squad. However, Kohli who is involved in all the formats, is now struggling to score runs. It has been 3 years since he has scored a hundred in any format.

If only he is given time, he can move away from the prying eyes of the media, work on his shortcomings and chinks in his armour. It will only help Indian cricket in the medium and long term because whenever Kohli scores, he deflates the opposition. A hungry Kohli is a dangerous Kohli for the opponents. What about the bowlers? Bowlers need hours and hours of bowling to not only perfect their art but to work on variations. They need time to plot against every opponent. The old cliché practice makes perfect cannot be understated.

What about the paying public?

Most of us are really jaded by the continuing onslaught of games everywhere. We too want a break. We cannot take it anymore. Take the case of the current series against West Indies. I do not see that much interest is there to watch the series. This is not because of the uncompetitive nature of West Indies cricket but it is too many games for our senses.

A sincere and honest appeal to BCCI final words

I know IPL cannot be cancelled. After the IPL is finished, please cancel every other series from May till August. This will give the Indian players to get back into the real world. They can work on their skills, spend time with family and friends and in general, can be relaxed.

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

Ajinkya Rahane, the man who is hanging by a small thread of hope to continue in the Indian team, has come up with some startling accusations against his team members and support staff. He has also claimed that he has performed enough and that he has got lot of cricket left in him. At the sametime, he is not ready to accept his faults and is rather intent on promoting himself. This is about Rahane and his rants.

Some of Rahane’s comments

Rahane believes that he is being unfairly targetted. It is an extraordinary claim considering his abject failure with the bat for more than 6 years. Rahane is certain that people who know the sport won’t talk like that and would rather talk sensibly. He also says that there is no need for him to justify his contribution to the team. At this point, we can only chuckle because we know what has been his contribution and what he is talking about. He further adds that he did not get the deserved recognition for the decisions that he says he took on that tour of Australia. When asked about his batting, Rahane says “Yes, I m confident about my own ability, I m batting really well and I still believe that I have good cricket left in me”.

This is where we need to ask him questions

The struggle that Rahane has gone through over the last 6 years is extraordinary. Everytime, when he is about to be dropped from the team, he comes up with a performance that is just enough to keep him in the team. On the basis of that solitary innings, he continues to be in the playing eleven and never really contributes until his place is threatened again. Fortunately for him and unfortunately for India, some of his innings did end up in India winning and that gave him the tag of a performer under pressure. The many innings where he failed and because of that India lost was either conveniently forgotten or is overlooked. This has practically kept him in the team all these while.

Bowlers were more in focus

The one reason his lack of contribution did not merit that much focus was because India were winning. At home, the Indian team is virtually invisible whereas for the first time in the history of Indian cricket, they were winning outside of home. This included multiple series wins in the West Indies and Sri Lanka though those teams are nowhere near international standards but for an Indian fan, who had lived through the embarrassment that extended till the early years of the new millennium, especially in the West Indies, this was unbelievable. It is still unbelievable that India have won 4 consecutive series in West Indies. Mind you, there are still teams like England and Pakistan who struggle in West Indies. This on top of absolute authority at home.

Wins outside the sub-continent helped

Moreover, since the turn of the millennium, the Indian team started to win in the SENA countries. The most sought after wins for any team from the sub-continent. Though the wins dried during the Dhoni era, under Kohli, India again started to win atleast one test every series and they were competitive for the most part. All of these contributed to shift the focus away from the batsmen and primarily the struggling ones. Instead the focus fell on the bowlers who were largely responsible for keeping the team in the game. Kohli and to a certain extent Pujara and Pant and lately, Rohit scored the bulk of the runs that helped to team to be competitive.

The struggle of the middle order

Thus, Rahane did not feel that much pressure. However, when Kohli’s runs dried and Pujara stopped scoring and with Kohli adamant in playing just the 5 batsmen, the focus has rightly fell on Rahane and his lack of contribution. Except for that one hundred in Melbourne, he was pretty lucky in that innings too, his lack of contribution came into sharp focus. That is when things started to get tougher for Rahane. People started to see that Rahane wasn’t contributing anything and is playing just on reputation. He string of low scores dotted by one crucial score had masked his struggle throughout his career. People started to realise that.

Now, the fans wants him replaced. Rahane is not happy about it because he feels that people who know the game will not question him. He must understand that it is people who know the game, who will be capable of talking based on statistics. Despite overwhelming evidence against him, it really is a shame that Rahane is not willing to accept his faults. I do not mind in him saying that he still have some cricket left in him but at the sametime, if only he had the courage to admit his failures and then say what he said, I will not blame him.

Rahane’s claim about bringing on Ashwin early

Now, moving onto his next claim that he didn’t claim credit for the decisions he took in Australia. Specifically, he says that it was he who brought Ashwin before the 10^th over at Melbourne. He says that it was a spark on his head. However, he has been left embarrassed by Ashwin’s revelation more than a year ago about how it was Ravi Shastri who planned for Ashwin to take the new ball and that Ravi had already informed Rahane about it. It is onething to demand for credit but it is quite another to lie about something he did not do.

Conclusion to Rahane and his rants

Enough is enough, Rahane. Your time is up. You must gracefully retire or must face the disgrace of being dropped. Better players like Sehwag endured that so why can’t Rahane? There are far too many batsmen waiting in the wings. It is time for BCCI to end Rahane’s nightmare and that of the team. With Kohli’s and Pujara’s continued struggle, India cannot afford one more passenger in Rahane. Now, Rahane is cosying upto Rohit. It is an utter disgrace. Hopefully, the Mumbai chum will not work.

Saurav Ganguly is rightly remembered as the finest Indian captain over the last 35 years. He helped build the team and instill the much needed courage. He ensured that winning outside of home is top priority and that he wanted India to be judged fairly because of their performance. However, the same cannot be said about Ganguly the BCCI president. This is because of his latest rants. Saurav Ganguly comes across as silly.

Ever since Ganguly became the president, he is not short of time for a quote or two to the media. Off late, there are reports that he is present even during the selection meeting. This is not part of his job description. Be that in predicting that India will win the 2021 T20 World Cup or that India will make history in South Africa, he always gets his fingers burned. Yet, that hasn’t stopped him from making public appearances. The latest in this list is that he has stated that Women’s IPL will become a reality once the number of women players in the country increases. This coming from the current board president is unacceptable. It is the BCCI who is responsible to both men’s and women’s cricket and hence, it is their responsibility to increase the player pool.

Admirable performance

Despite the severe shortcomings, the Indian women players have performed admirably well. They came within a whisker of winning the 2017 WC and last year, they played exceptionally well to draw the only test against England. Later, they stopped the Australia juggernaut and won a ODI. These are impressive performances. These are comparable to the men in the 1980s. Yet, BCCI does not have time for them. Let us also remember that BCCI was the last cricketing body to merge both men’s and women’s cricket. It is a mandate laid out by the IOC. Every other board did that early whereas BCCI waited till the very last few days. That shows the scant regard Ganguly and BCCI have for women in this country.

In a country of over a billion, it is quite easy to find a group of 250 players. Ganguly’s comment that there aren’t enough players does not merit. Shefali Vaidya, Kaur are some of the young women players who are making the world turns their heads in disbelief through their sheer talent.

Jemima Rodrigues pleads BCCI to have a WIPL without any coverage. It is almost like begging. She wants the board to run an IPL for women without it being televised at all if the BCCI thinks that the tournament will not find any sponsor. With the riches at the disposal of the board, they can easily afford to do this.  

WIPL is mandatory

There are so many women who would like to represent the country and as a way to thanking them, WIPL is mandatory. Let us also remember the fact that till a few decades ago, when it comes to sports and India winning medals at the international events, it has always been the women. PT Usha, Walasamma, Shiny Abraham, Sindhu, Saina and so many others. Back in the 1980s, if India wins 5 medals at the Asian Games, all the 5 medals were won by Usha. This in a country that still follow the patriarchy. It clearly shows that if given an option, India women can even outstrip their men counterparts by a mile.

Conclusion to Saurav Ganguly comes across as silly

Ganguly was asked during a Bengali talkshow how would he encourage his daughter if she aspired to play cricket for the country. Pat came Ganguly’s reply “I would ask her not to because she is a woman.”

What more needs to be said? Here is the board president who is least bothered about women’s game in the country. It is utter impossible to be more dismissive than this.