Author: Bobji

What is ailing English cricket?

Posted on by Bobji

11 days. It took just 11 days to decide the winner of 2021-22 Ashes. That is quicker than any that could be imagined. After over 2 years of extreme hype, with England planning for this very tour, things derailed rather quickly. The English media and the public have lambasted their team and rightly so. They did not show any spine and rolled over easily. The two and the quarter game was the absolute nadir. Can things get any worse than what they are now? Are England that bad a side that they are made out to be? What is ailing English cricket?

Fingers pointed at the county championship

Various commentators across the entire spectrum of English media pointed out that the reason for this debacle is because the county championship is played during May and the latter part of the season. Bowlers as such were never required to learn any skill to pick up wickets. All they have to do is put the ball in the right area and wicket is there for the taking. Batsmen are never really settled and as such they find the going tough because the ball swings throughout the day. Batsmen never really learn the patience and the temperament that is required to build a long innings.

It is a fact that a few years ago, the English Cricket Board decided to give lot of importance to the white ball game at the expense of first class cricket. There are multiple reasons for this.

Possible reasons for white ball being given preference

First, England at that point had never won a ODI World Cup. They were just sent packing by Bangladesh in the 2015 World Cup in Australia. They had the ignominy of losing to Ireland and less known nations. The ECB seems to have had enough and set about revamping the entire white ball scenario. This resulted in the spectacular revival of English cricket. They redefined the way white ball cricket must be played. So much so that, in any tournament in any part of the world, it is England who are among the favourites. All of these culminated nicely in the 2019 World Cup triumph at home.

Second, the ECB wanted to wheel away their international players from playing at the IPL. How can they do this? They cannot tell the players not to play in IPL. This was tried before and it resulted in upheaval among the squad with Kevin Pietersen battling for IPL quite vehemently. The ECB had only one way and that was to introduce their own IPL in the form of The Hundred. This tournament was marketed and promoted so widely that it was a grand success. It is here to stay and the slot, middle of the summer is where it will be forever.

Third, the biggest motivator. Money. It was clear that first class competition wasn’t earning that much from the way of sponsorship. It is only the short formats that earns revenue. Hence, it must be given prime importance. Without the revenue, English cricket will be hard pressed to pay the salaries of the players, officials and every other individual connected with the game.  

The English weather

The biggest problem with English cricket is not that county cricket is being played when the conditions are more in favour of the bowler. It is the English weather. England is not blessed with unlimited sunshine throughout the year. Only the Asian nations, South Africa, West Indies and Australia are blessed with that. As such, they have only a limited window in which they need to get through with their entire games. The Hundred, County Championship, 40-overs competition and one other. Something had to give and it is County Championship.

Experts must give probable solutions

It is all well and good for the experts to advise the ECB and ask them to give priority to County Championship and bring it back to the prime slot during the peak of the summer. However, what they failed to understand is that first class competition is not fetching the revenue that the ECB so desperately needs. It is really a catch-22 situation. There is absolutely no easy way out of it. Having said that, is England really that bad a team? I do not think so.

They still remain one of the three teams to have won atleast one test series in all the countries where they have played over their entire cricketing history. They recently won a series in South Africa 3-1 and have won 5 consecutive tests in Sri Lanka and they managed to win one test in India too. The players more or less remain the same as they ones that are involved in the Ashes. It is that when they fail, they fail spectacularly as what happened at Melbourne.

Ashes given too much importance

Ask any English or Australian fan what would he or she want their team to do? Prompt will be reply. Never lose to each other. Such is the obsession of the Ashes amongst the fans of both the teams and more precisely, the English supporters. For them, nothing in cricket exists but the Ashes. This was clear in how the Indian and New Zealand tests were treated during the summer. Far too many players were given breaks when they should not have been and that too when the Ashes was safely 3 months away. Yet, Silverwood thought that the players needed rotation. I had met an England fan back in Europe. He never cared about England playing any other nation. He said he will not watch those games. For him and for a lot of England supporters, winning the Ashes is of paramount importance.

This sort of pressure is tough to bear for any side and as a result, they are unable to face that pressure.

Conclusion to what is ailing English cricket?

There is definitely not a foolproof plan to resurrect England. I do not see any of the white ball games moved around to accommodate county championship. Mind you, playing on flat wickets in the middle of the summer is not a guarantee to Ashes success in Australia. The ball bounces a lot there and England will not be able to reproduce that in England. The one thing that ECB can do is to get rid of the Duke’s ball. It is not used by any other team anywhere. Let the bowlers learn to use Kookkabura which is what is used across most of the nations.

The other thing that they can try is to play half of the county championship in a country like UAE. If marketed properly, the expenses can be recouped. Let us remember that just because they lose to Australia in Australia, they are not that bad a side. However, success in Australia is what counts for majority of their supporters and hence, there is no easy way.

Adelaide review one and two

England’s last chance to keep Ashes alive

Posted on by Bobji

England have one last chance to keep the Ashes alive. It is pressure enough. Come Boxing Day, the magnificent Melbourne Cricket Ground will host more than 70,000 spectators. England can be rest assured that more than 90% of them will be vociferous supporters of Australia. Beers will keep flowing throughout the game and Australians are known to turn to abusive behaviour towards the opponents. Not to mention talks about 0-5 even from their own supporters. If England feels that they are under siege, they will not be mistaken. Under such intense pressure is England’s last chance to keep Ashes alive.

Frank discussion

At the end of the Adelaide test, the England team seems to have had brutal and harsh discussion about their performance. Joe Root had criticised and correctly so, the tactics of the bowlers. It was much needed afterall England opened the bowling with a couple of their most experienced bowlers. Broad and Anderson are touring Australia for the 4th time and they must know what length to bowl in each ground by now. They must have nurtured the other bowlers to bowl the right length. It was not really a surprise that Root lost his cool in the meeting. Mark Wood, who must have played at Adelaide but didn’t said,

‘We probably needed it, a brutally honest discussion at the end of the game in the dressing room,’ said Wood. ‘Chris Silverwood spoke and put some footage up. Stokesy and Rooty spoke honestly to the group about things we felt weren’t going well and what we’d do better. It was a conversation that isn’t usual for us.”

Wood continues,

‘It was a kick up the bum to say, look, we are 2–0 down now, and the same mistakes keep on happening. It was a good discussion.’

Changes to the playing eleven

England do not have a choice but to change their team combination. It is the least they are expected to do. Far too many have misfired. Someone like Haseeb Hameed will have lost all the confidence. It is better to remove such players from the firing line. Unfortunately for England, the players in the reserve have not had any sort of match practice over the last few months. On a pitch that is expected to provide plenty of pace and bounce, it will be difficult for the reserve players to come in and start to perform immediately.

Rory Burns must also feel the heat. He struggled to 32 at Adelaide but remains a suspect against Starc. I still stick to opening with Buttler for the test and handover the keeping gloves to Bairstow. Buttler cannot be in the team as a batsman who can keep. It is clear that keeping is not his forte. It is time he surrender the keeping gloves to Bairstow in this series. If he does not have the technique to open the innings, he should not play any further part in the series. He has had his chances and he hasn’t really made them count.

Ollie Pope must be retained

I will leave Ollie Pope at this position. He is young and talented with loads of potential. He is very much the future of English cricket and needs the backing of the team management. The struggle of Pope reminds me about the struggle of Kohli against the same opponent in 2011. Kohli struggled through the first three games and there was a clamour for him to be left out of the 4th test. However, Dhoni wisely did not drop him and Kohli scored a hundred and a fifty in the last test. Since then, Kohli has gone from strength to strength to become one of the best batsmen in the world. Pope needs the same kind of confidence instilled in him. I will have Buttler open with Crawley. I will bat Pope at number 5 instead of Stokes.

The bowling combination

It was a poor decision to drop Wood at Adelaide. He must be playing in all the games. Anderson will be the other new ball bowler. Robinson is not fit enough to play back to back games and must be replaced with Dom Bess. Bess may not be accurate but he does bowl wicket taking deliveries. It is downright pathetic to see Root become a full-time bowler.

Let us talk about Australia

The Australian camp is really a happy one. Not just the wins but the margin of the wins have made the Australians invincible. It is a nice place to be. They believe that they can seal the Ashes at Melbourne. They will be strengthened by the return of Cummins, the world’s best bowler. The fact that England didn’t offer a semblance of resemblance, the late rearguard by Buttler notwithstanding, must have given great deal of confidence to Australia. Smith hasn’t scored a hundred yet in the series. This is unheard of. He must be raring to make a big one at Melbourne.

The only worry for Australia is the form of Harris. With Warner, Marnus, Head and Smith scoring runs and the Australian bowlers not giving away anything to the English batsmen, he will probably play in all the games and even if he does not score runs, it may not have much impact on the series.

Conclusion to England’s last chance to keep Ashes alive

I will still stick to what I had written before the series. England are so far behind that it is difficult to see them comeback into the series. With the return of Cummins, Australia will be much stronger and the pace and bounce of the Melbourne strip is clearly, advantage Australia.  

Will India create history in South Africa?

Posted on by Bobji

Yes, will India create history in South Africa this time? The previous series between India and South Africa started off in a dramatic fashion. On a seaming pitch, South Africa were reduced to 12 for 3 in the space of just 6 overs. It was B Kumar who was behind that extraordinary start for the team. South Africa was the first port of call before England and then Australia. It was thought that India will finally be able to create history and be the first ever Asian team to win in South Africa. Alas, it wasn’t to be. South Africa eventually won that series 1-2 but everyone who saw that series were of the opinion that with a bit of preparation, India could have easily won that series. It was clear that they were the better team.

Four years on, things have changed drastically. South Africa are not the same potent force any longer and India are on the back of a successful series win in Australia and are leading against England.

India will start as favourites

The confidence of the Indian team is at its all-time high and at the sametime, the confidence of South Africa is severely dented. Perhaps for the first time between these two teams, South Africa do not start the series as firm favourites in their own country. It is impossible to believe that this is true. The most experienced player is the South African captain Dean Elgar. Quinton is unlikely to play in a couple of tests because of the birth of his child. This makes the team even leaner in terms of experience.

The batting order is far from settled because most of the batsmen are still trying to establish themselves. The middle order revolves around the not so successful Temba Bavuma. He has played in 40-odd tests and has only one century to show for. However, the South African selectors have reimposed their faith on Bavuma and it remains to be seen whether he will be able to repay their trust.

Aiden Markram is another who is talented. There is no question on that front. Has he really be able to convert that talent into performance? Yes and no. Yes because he has scored a couple of centuries against a good Australian attack and no because his record against India is not that impressive. With the South African team short of experience and quality in the middle and lower order, a lot depends on the start Markram and Elgar is able to give the team.

South African cricket in crisis

South African cricket is in the middle of a crisis. The Social Justice and Nation Building committee have submitted their report. Graeme Smith, Mark Boucher and A B de Villiers have all been indicted because they were deemed to have been involved in conduct that was prejudicial and discriminatory on the basis of race. Cricket South Africa will launch a formal enquiry  against both Smith and Boucher. This inquiry will be initiated during the series against India. Graeme Smith is the director of Cricket South Africa and Mark Boucher is the head coach of the South African national team.

“The Board has decided to institute formal enquiries into CSA employees, suppliers or contractors who are implicated by the SJN report,” a CSA statement, issued on Monday morning, read. “The Board has done so mindful of its duty to treat allegations of racism or discrimination with the utmost seriousness and in a manner that ensures fairness and due process in terms of South Africa’s labour legislation and the Constitution.”

This is bound to have an effect not just on those two in management but the whole team itself. Boucher being the head coach will find it hard to concentrate on his role with a knife hanging over his head.

Excellent bowling attack

However, it is not all doom and gloom for South Africa. They do have a potent bowling attack. The absence of Nortje is a blow but they have enough firepower within their ranks. Rabadda, Ngidi, Olivier and the uncapped but exceptionally quick Jansen will be a nightmare for any opposition. South Africa have had a mixed year in terms of test cricket and these bowlers must be itching to put that record straight.

What about India?

As for India, though it is the best chance to win the first series in South Africa, they have their own problems. Rohit Sharma, the standout batsman over the last couple of years, will miss the test series because of an injury. He had been really solid at the top of the order. His absence will certainly give the South African bowlers an opening at the top of the order. Rahul and his likely partner, Mayank Agarwal have a lot to prove. Especially Rahul, who after so many years at the highest level is yet to establish himself. It shows how he has underperformed. I have often said that Rahul is not test material and I still hold onto that.

Despite that, I cannot understand how has he been made vice-captain? The poor form of Rahane and the unavailability of Rohit has catapulted him into that position. It is understood that as soon as Rohit is back, he will become the vice-captain but I just feel that Rahul is being groomed as Kohli’s successor. If that is so, it is really sad. Ideally, Ashwin should have been the vice-captain in Rohit’s absence. Yes, he didn’t play a single test in England and is always not a sure starter outside of India. However, in this series, he is certain to play in all the games and moreover Rohit is expected to be back for the next series. Hence, this arranged is only for this series alone.

The problematic middle order

Another major problem for the team is the form of their middle order. Pujara, Kohli and Rahane have all become a liability with just one century among them in 2 years. With the vulnerability at the top and the vulnerability in the middle, India cannot confidently say that their batting order is settled. Pujara and Kohli will have to score and score huge runs because I do not trust Rahane.

Ashwin, will he standup?

Ashwin, after quite sometime, gets a chance to impress the team management that consider him as the first choice spinner outside of India. He will perhaps play in all the 3 tests. Ofcourse, he has the twin tasks of being able to contribute meaningful runs as well as pick up wickets. He may not get such an opportunity in the near future. For all the things that he claims he has gone through, this is his one chance that he must make it count.

The Indian bowling

Bumrah, Shami and if the team opts for 5-5-1 combination, Shardul are certain starters. The last spot will be a direct competition between Siraj and Ishant. For all of Ishant’s experience, I just think that this is Siraj’s time and he must be preferred. The incredible spell of fast bowling against New Zealand on a flat Kanpur track showcased his potential.

Conclusion to Will India create history in South Africa?

I am certain that India will create history and will end up winning the series. I will not however comment on the margin.

Review of Australia after Adelaide

Posted on by Bobji

Before you get on with the review of Australia after Adelaide, please feel free to read about my review about England.

Australia must be thrilled. Hardly 2 tests into the series and they are already one test win away from winning and retaining the Ashes. Remember, last time, in England, Australia drew the series to retain the Ashes. This time, in all likelihood, they will win the series. It may happen even before the clock turns to 00:00 on 31st December or 1st Jan. The odds are completely stacked in favour of Australia. England’s display has been so pathetic that it will be a miracle for them to even save the Boxing Day test.

Good fast bowling reserves

Australia must be thrilled that they have proved to be too good for England despite missing their star bowler and captain alongwith another fine performer, they were able to defeat England comprehensively. Richardson and Neser though may not be like for like replacement, were good enough for England. The fact that Richardson managed a 5-fer in the second innings has catapulted him into the prime position if some of the other bowlers needs to be rested.

Relatively modest scores from Smith

Australia must be thrilled that despite the relatively modest scores from the blade of Steve Smith, they are already 2-0 up. Thanks mainly to the form of Marnus Labuschagne and David Warner. These two have combined twice now over the last couple of tests to put the team in ascendancy. Marnus especially has gone from strength to strength. He has remained patient, blunt the early attack and has gone onto make the English bowlers pay for their mistakes. Buttler’s misses notwithstanding. Warner on the otherhand, is showing a new facet of his game in that he has taken more time than he usually does to get settled.

Harris’s poor form

Australia must be thrilled that despite failing to get solid starts because of Harris’s poor form, they are still confident to give him the entire series to justify his selection. England were never able to take advantage of the early wicket and as a result, they have struggled to restrict the Australians. Head took advantage of England’s slackness and have helped himself to a blistering 100 and an equally blistering 50.

The Tim Paine saga

Australia must be thrilled that despite the upheaval before the start of the series when Tim Paine confessed his escapades and his removal from captaincy and ultimately from the team itself, they are still tough enough and resilient enough to be ahead of England all the time. It will not be an understatement to state that Australia have actually decimated England. Perhaps, the Paine episode has brought the team together. Ofcourse, they do not need any higher motivation than the Ashes itself.

Smith as the captain

Australia must be thrilled that Smith’s reinstatement as captain, albeit just for Adelaide, has not been met with any ill-feeling towards him or the team. Instead, there was a huge cheer when Smith came out to bat. The crowd has given him all the support he needed. Even Shane Warne didn’t find it important to criticise the decision. All seems to have been forgiven and everyone has moved on. It was a nice gesture on the part of Smith to have worn Cummins’s jacket while going out for the toss. He has clearly signalled that it is Cummins who is the captain and he is just there to support him.

‘It’s been an enjoyable week leading this team in Pat’s absence and carrying on what we started last week at The Gabba,’ he said.

‘I didn’t have a lot of notice, I only found out that first morning when I had two missed calls from Pat and a message from JL (head coach Justin Langer). I thought ‘gee, something is going on here’.

‘It brought back some old memories in a way and I had fun out there, but it’s Patty’s team.

‘I’m the vice-captain and I will help him any way I can. That’s my job. Hopefully we can keep the momentum going into what should be an amazing Boxing Day Test.’

Huge difference in class

Australia must be thrilled that the gap between the teams is as wide and as deep as the Mariana Trench. England have been sucked into it and it is difficult if not impossible to see them bounce back in the series. The entire Australian ecosystem is not even required to do their bit to unnerve England. Precisely because they have done that to themselves.

Australia must be thrilled that they will perhaps not be required to increase their game to higher level. They just continue with what they have done over the last couple of tests, they will easily win the Ashes. It is really very sad to think about it.

Australia must be thrilled, above all, that they have to chance to whitewash England. England are down and are ripe for the taking. Australia have their legs on England’s throat. Now, all they have to do is ensure that they remain there. The whitewash is something rare at the international level over the course of 5 games though not unheard of. Cummins will certainly want to join the likes of Ponting and Clarke who had whitewashed England all those years ago.

Conclusion to Review of Australia after Adelaide

With the imminent return of Cummins and the form of Warner, Marnus, Starc and Lyon, Australia are firmly on the driver’s seat. Even a miracle is unlikely to save England. By the end of the year, the Ashes is likely to be retained by Australia. What a shame that the Ashes will be decided in about 13 – 14 days.

Saurav Ganguly and Kohli controversy

Posted on by Bobji

Over the last few days, the war of words between the BCCI president Saurav Ganguly and the Indian test captain, Virat Kohli have really intensified. The problem is that they are fighting in the media rather than in a meeting. Both are equally combative and one will not withdraw himself in favour of the other. Moreover, Ganguly seems to be having an opinion of everything. I have never seen or heard a board president talk this frequently. It is time Ganguly tones down his interaction with the media. Let me try to analyse in Saurav Ganguly and Kohli controversy.

Ever since Rohit Sharma replaced Kohli as the white ball captain, things are not under control. Controversy seems to erupt every now and then. Ganguly says onething to the press and Kohli contradicts that later.

BCCI is not known for the best of communication with the players. This is not new. This has happened in the past. A lot of captains and a lot of players have always suffered at the hands of the BCCI. This will continue to happen in the future too. The hope was that with a former player as the president, who himself had suffered, things will improve and the communication between the BCCI, the selectors and the team will be smooth but it is not to be. It is ultimately the Indian cricket fans who are left to be highly depressed with the entire scenario.

Ganguly did not ask Kohli to continue

First, you have Ganguly who informed the press that as soon as Kohli informed the board of his decision to leave the T20 captaincy, he called Kohli and requested him to continue to which Kohli did not agree. Now, Kohli has revealed that he was never requested to continue and then when he informed his decision it was welcomed as progressive.

“When I decided to leave the T20I captaincy and approached the BCCI about my decision, it was received well – there was no offence or hesitation, I wasn’t told to reconsider it”

Kohli not informed about ODI captaincy

Second, Kohli says that he was never informed of the board’s decision before he was replaced as the ODI skipper. Agreed that Kohli has never won an ICC tournament but he has done enough to be afforded this courtesy. He was informed but as an afterthought by the chief selector Chetan Sharma. Certainly, Kohli or for that matter, every captain deserves more. I am not for one moment advocating Kohli to be reinstated. Far from it. He has had his chances and it is time to move on but Kohli must have been informed before taking the decision. It wasn’t even necessary to consult with him. Just information.

“I was contacted one-and-a-half hours before the selection meeting on December 8 for the Test series,” Kohli said of the communication (or lack of it) with the BCCI on the ODI captaincy. “There was no prior communication to me at all from when I announced the T20I captaincy decision until the eighth (of December) where, as I said, I got a call one-and-a-half hours before the selection meeting.

Kohli never asked for time off

Third, the controversy over Kohli’s unavailability for the South African ODIs. Kohli has now said that he never asked for a break. It does make sense because he had just taken a break albeit for about 2 weeks during the New Zealand series. I don’t think he would have wanted one more break. Especially now that the captaincy has been changed. Kohli has since then clarified that nothing can derail him from playing for the country.

All of these points to gross mismanagement on the part of the board. This will have to stop somewhere. The board president who is in the news all the time will have to answer questions related to the board. Why are the stadiums so shabby? What about the plight of the paying spectators that is so horrible? Why are the players made play until their body is broken? What is the point of all the meaningless games that are scheduled? Why aren’t the players getting enough time to rest, recuperate and practice on their shortcomings? However, Ganguly will have none of it. He talks to the media which is not really in his purview.

The innumerable and needless Ganguly statements

Just before the T20 World Cup, he said that India will make it 13-0 at the World Cups. What happened after that we all know. Previously, he had said that Indian players are much hardened than the English or Australians and they are not really bothered about the bio-bubble. However, the fact of the matter is that the Indian players do feel the pressure of the bubble but they are now showing it because of the obvious fear for the all powerful board. Then the Virat Kohli controversy where he said that he requested Kohli not to resign the T20 captaincy but he didn’t oblige. Now the latest where he has said that Kohli fights a lot. This is an unwarranted comment. You are rubbishing the national captain to the media.

Ganguly has also revealed that Laxman courted the Indian team coaching role that eventually went to Dravid. Ofcourse, Laxman is well within his rights to ask for it but it is not correct for the board president to reveal the same.

Ganguly must learn the art of discretion. He has a long way to travel on that front. He must leave matters of cricket to the selectors and to the team. Ganguly has a bigger role in Indian cricket that of being the board president. It will be better if he concentrates on his duties rather than poking his nose on everything.

Kapil Dev is spot on

“It is not good to point fingers on anybody at this point in time. The South Africa tour is coming and please pay attention to the tour,”

Conclusion to Saurav Ganguly and Kohli controversy

Hopefully, this mudslinging in public will not have adverse effect on Kohli, Rohit and the team during the South African tour. A bigger price awaits the Indian team on that tour. Focus must be on that and nothing else. Ganguly will do well to keep quiet.

Review of England after Adelaide

Posted on by Bobji

It is really hard to believe that England have been planning for the 2021 Ashes series for 2 years. Yes, that is what is everyone made to believe. The rest and rotation policy that was followed in Sri Lanka and against India, both at home and away, points in this direction. As was the selection and discarding of certain players who were thought to be the main players during the Ashes. Yet, none of them is having an effect. England have descended from bad to worse. One shudders to think what is left in the remaining 3 games. Let me analyse in the review of England after Adelaide.

How on earth can England drop Wood?

For starters, it was baffling to find Mark Wood, out of the playing eleven. In came Broad and Anderson whose combined wicket taking ability in Australia is open to question. Chris Silverwood, the England coach wanted to base an attack on tall fast bowlers. He had the perfect group in Archer, Stone and Wood. Unfortunately, Archer and Stone have been sidelined due to injuries but Wood is in Australia. He is fit and he is fast. What was the point in resting him? Wasn’t he supposed to be part of a group of fast bowlers who can all bowl at 145KMPH and above throughout the day? Wasn’t it the plan afterall?

However, for some strange reason, Root and Silverwood thought it fit to drop Wood on an Adelaide deck that was as placid as it can get. England’s group of seamers will never really have an effect on such a pitch. Yet, England went in with not one not two but five of them. Five kiss the turf bowlers who can all bowl at the same pace.

Yes England picked the wrong bowling unit in both the games. The Adelaide pitch called for pace and Wood was the only option they had and yet they chose to drop him. Yes Wood is injury prone and all that but being down by one game and faced with a must win game, wouldn’t it have been better to play your fastest bowler? What was the guarantee that by the time the Boxing Day test arrives, the series will be one apiece? Wouldn’t it make sense to go with the best bowling combination atleast until the Ashes is decided? If this is what 2 years plan can do, I would rather not have one.

and Root has just become a specialist spinner

Then they missed a spinner. So much so that Robinson ended up bowling off-spin. It was a ghastly sight to see a gangly medium pacer bowling off-spin. Root bowled as many as the main bowlers. Mind you he is the only batsman in the team and yet, it was thought that he will carry on with the spinner’s duties. Whoever on earth makes such decisions in the English management must be punished. If Root had injured himself while bowling, England would have lost their only player who can score.  

It is not always correct to blame the bowlers alone when the batsmen is taking turns to run to the loo. Joe Root said so himself.

“We could have bowled a lot fuller on the first day as in the second innings as soon as we got the ball up there we created all sorts of problems and chances. “We needed to make Australia play more and we weren’t brave enough at times to get the ball up there and create those chances.

“With the bat, we need to be better, need to make bigger scores. Guys need to apply themselves better. Look at the second innings. That’s the desire, the attitude, the way we need to go.

What about the English batsmen?

England have only one batsman who averages more than 45 and Stokes returns in the last couple of years is good enough for him to be considered as a batsman though his current average does not justify that. Otherwise, the rest average less than 40. Couple of openers who average less than 30. It is impossible for any team to start their innings with such batsmen. That too in Australia. Remember, Hameed wasn’t even part of the plan until 5 months ago.

Hameed has been thrust into the limelight on the basis of a couple of decent innings against India in the summer. He has now been found wanting in the toughest series of his career so far. Rory Burns failed to do what he usually does. Play out time. His technique or rather the lack of it has been brutally exposed by Starc. It is difficult to either Hameed or Burns playing any more test.

Malan has equipped himself pretty well. Perhaps after the series is over, Malan will probably be the only find for England with the rest in shambles. Ollie Pope and Stokes seems to look like ghosts of themselves. Neither is having a clue as to what is happening in the middle. Perhaps, too much emphasis has been made on Stokes and he is beginning to feel the pressure. He has just come back from mental health problem and it takes time for such an individual to be himself.

Batting bowlers

England always have this habit of picking batsmen who can bowl. Woakes, Moeen Ali, Rashid, Overton, Robinson and quite a few others belong to this category. The ECB and the English selectors are not looking at bowlers who can get wickets irrespective of whether they can bat with the sole exception of Anderson. Dom Bess and quite a few other spinners were picked not for their bowling but what can they contribute with the bat alongwith their bowling.

Root captaincy

It is difficult to see Root retaining the captaincy after this series. He may himself want to resign. If he fails to he will have to be made to resign. England have wasted precious years of Root by burdening him with captaincy. Mind you, he is yet to score a hundred in Australia. It must weigh on his mind because otherwise, his legacy will not be complete. An hundred in Australia is mandatory for any great batsman.

Ian Chappell has summed up pretty well about Root and his captaincy

‘Root is an excellent batter but a poor captain. it would not be unfair to describe him as an ordinary and unlucky captain.

‘Rarely do you find a long-term captain who is lacking in imagination but is also lucky. A fortunate captain is usually lucky because the players believe he is some kind of miracle-worker and things tend to work out because of the team’s belief.

‘It showed again at Adelaide Oval that misfortune follows Root’s team around. The England bowlers beat the bat regularly but had little to show for their honest toil.

Conclusion to review of England after Adelaide

England aren’t that bad a team as they are made out to be. They still remain one of the 3 teams to have won atleast one series in all the countries. The fact is that, whenever they come up against Australia in Australia, they lack belief. They believe that they do not have the resources to defeat Australia and therein lies the problem.

First test review

Rohit Sharma and Kohli absence

Posted on by Bobji

The Indian tour of South Africa will commence in about 10 days and already both the teams have been dealt huge blows. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will not be available for tests and ODIs respectively whereas for South Africa, Quinton de Kock is likely to miss a couple of tests. This is something that could very well decide the series itself. The impact these players have on the games is enormous. Let me try to analyse Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli absence alongwith Quinton’s.

India’s most consistent batsman

Over the last couple of years, Rohit Sharma has been the most consistent of all the Indian batsmen. Not only has he been consistent but he has also been solid at the top of the order. Especially, outside India. It is something India have missed in a very long time. A player at the top of the order who blunts the new ball, absorbs the pressure and scores runs at the same time. Sometimes even daddy hundreds. Rohit has been that sort of a batsman. He played a major part in the success in England, though the series is yet to be decided. The hundred at The Oval played no small part in that win. It was a masterful knock. 

Rohit will miss the series because with an injury to his left hamstring. This is the second major tour over the last 12 months he will not be part of though he played in a couple of games in Australia.  

Chance for the rest to stake a claim

The void that Rohit has left behind is hard to fill. Mayank Agarwal and Rahul will be the first choice openers with Gill as backup. Gill has had a decent start to his international career but his inability to convert 50s into 100s is something he will have to work on. An opener who gets starts must convert some of them to big hundreds but Gill so far hasn’t done that. He still has age on his side and will learn. However, I do think that Mayank and Rahul will start as openers in the first test. Mayank is coming off of a brilliant match and series winnings innings against New Zealand though in India. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to cope up with the pace of Rabadda and Nortje. His last test innings outside of India wasn’t something that will be remembered.

Rahul on the otherhand, did reasonably well in England but I still am not certain that he is test material. What the absence of Rohit means is that Rahane will certainly be in the playing eleven in all the 3 games. Rohit’s experience is something that cannot be replicated with any of the available reserve. Rahane will get that many more chances to redeem his career but it is unlikely he will make use of it.

Quinton will not be available

South Africa will probably be without their most experienced cricketer for the second and third tests. Quinton’s wife is expected give birth in January and he will have to be with his wife. It is unlikely that he can return to the side considering the bio-security protocols. His absence is an even bigger blow. Quinton has the ability to change the game quickly and his wicket keeping is equally good. South Africa may need 2 players to replace Quinton which may affect the balance of the side.

Kohli’s absence

Kohli’s absence for the ODI leg is unlikely to have any major impact because the quality within the ODI team is pretty good. Moreover, South Africa aren’t a major force any longer in the short format. They do possess quality but are not the same dominating force at the world stage. India have sufficient replacements for Kohli though not to the same level. If Kohli had been available, it would have given him a wonderful chance to get back into his usual self.

Cricket South Africa is taking all precautions

South African board in the meanwhile, is not leaving any stone unturned to ensure a smooth and successful series. A lot rides on the success of this series. South African board will earn a major revenue from this tour and will have to ensure a trouble-free series.

“Considering that all those within the ecosystem will be vaccinated, the positive case will isolate within the hotel room if clinically stable,” CSA’s chief medical officer Shuaib Manjra told ESPNcricinfo. “Contacts will continue playing and training with non-medical interventions strictly observed, and tested daily.”

CSA wanted a much more relaxed bio-bubble but the quick surge of the virus have left them with no choice other than to modify their original plan.

“Whilst at the end of the third wave we considered moving from a strict BSE to a managed environment, the Omicron variant and high levels of community transmission have forced a strict BSE,” Manjra stated.

Conclusion to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli absence

South Africa remain the only nation where India have not won a test series yet. Rohit’s absence for such an important series is a big blow. Perhaps Rohit may never be able to experience a win in South Africa because by the time the next tour comes along in 3-4 years, Rohit may have very well retired. Having said that, his unavailability leaves room for Mayank, Rahul and Gill to stake their claim to be the first choice opener even when Rohit is available. Rohit cannot be dropped but these 3 can make that that much harder.

The Adelaide Test Preview

Posted on by Bobji

The first test of the Ashes done and dusted, the teams have moved onto the day-night game at Adelaide. This is a unique series in that it has got 2 day-night games instead of the usual one. The first of which will start on the 16th at Adelaide. England who are in a spot of bother will have to win or atleast draw at Adelaide. A loss will definitely mean the Ashes is surrendered because I do not see England winning 3 tests in a row. England have been handed certain advantages just before the start. Let me analyse in the Adelaide test preview.

Warner may not play the next

The first stroke of luck for England is the likelyhood of Warner’s absence. He may not play at Adelaide because of an injury that he suffered during the first test. That was the reason he didn’t come out to bat in the second innings. In one of my previous blog, I had identified Warner and Smith as the destructive batsmen and Warner more so. It was Warner who got Australia off to a rollicking start. By doing so, Australia not only were able to overhaul England’s meagre target but Australia thoroughly flattened the spirits of the English.

Labuschagne at the other end, took advantage of Warner’s mere presence and scored briskly. I really wonder whether Labuschagne has the capability to score rapidly without one of Warner or Smith to support him. He is young and he will learn but I don’t think he can do that now. It was Warner who completely destroyed Leach. Leach’s confidence must be severely dented. It will not be surprise if Leach himself do not want any part anymore in the series.

With Warner likely to miss the Adelaide game, there will not be anyone to force the pace at the top. This is the chance England must utilise to their fullest extent. Get Smith and Labuschagne when the ball is new and things will be interesting. Usman Khawaja may get the nod to replace Warner at the top if he is ruled out. Khawaja is returning after a longtime and to be able to fill the boots of Warner will be difficult. Harris on the other end lacks confidence. This is exactly what England need when they are trying to crawl back into the series. They must make use of this opening.

Hazlewood absence

Another stroke of luck is the absence of Hazlewood. In his absence, Jhye Richardson is likely to come in. Jhye is young and he must be raring to have a go at the Englishmen. Shane Warne has been a big advocate for Richardson. He even wanted Starc to be dropped for Richardson. Hazlewood has been miserly and has picked up wickets right at the start. On the otherhand, Richardson will know that once Hazlewood returns, he will have to make way. He may bowl fast and pick up loads of wickets thinking that this will be his only test and thereby make the task of the selectors difficult or he may feel the pressure to keep his place and may prove to be erratic. England will hope for the latter.  

Buttler must be asked to open

England must think of something drastic. They must ask Jos Buttler to open. Yes, it is an outlandish suggestion but it is a chance England must take. Who knows, opening the innings may actually unravel the real Buttler. Granted he does not have the technique to open the innings. Neither did Sehwag or for that matter Warner. They both have proved quite successful. On the swinging English conditions this may not be an option but in Australia, this must be tried. Far too much time was spent on Buttler to be let go to waste. Down the order, he has hardly done anything of note except for one match winning innings against Pakistan.

Adelaide has the best batting pitch in Australia. The ball will not swing here except under lights. The pitch will give Buttler his best chance to succeed. Afterall, he is not going to bat any poorly than Hameed or Burns. If he succeeds, that will give a massive boost to England and they would have found their equivalent of Warner. Knowing England and their conservative approach, I doubt this will happen.

Going in with all seamers

Anderson and Broad did not play at the Gabba but they may very well return at Adelaide. If not Broad, Anderson must because he is their highest wicket ticker and a bowler that Australia respect. England must not make the mistake of picking all 4 seamers. Leach was humiliated at the Gabba but Adelaide is known to be much more responsive to spinners. I doubt whether Australia will go after Leach again in the same fashion. If not Leach, Bess must be included, if not for anything, atleast to maintain their overrate for which they have already been penalised. Anderson and Broad will have to replace Woakes and Robinson. Robinson’s pace tailed off towards the end of the Australian innings and with Adelaide expected to full of runs, Robinson will be jaded before the 3rd test.

What about Australia?

The non-availability of Warner and Hazlewood is a serious blow. Especially Warner. The ruthlessness that Warner showcases at the top cannot be matched by anyone else. Neither Harris nor Khawaja will be able to replicate that. Having said that, Australia have most of their bases covered and are back in a ground where they have won most of the games after day-night cricket started. Lyon’s effectiveness on this ground will be enhanced even further. Smith will want to stamp his authority on the series and will want to score a big daddy hundred. Head’s hundred was timely and it must have given him immense confidence.

Conclusion to the Adelaide test preview

All in all, Australia are threatening to runaway with the game and the series right at Adelaide. They will want to win the Ashes before the New Year and they do seem to have the personnel for achieve that ambition.

The first Ashes test at Gabba

Posted on by Bobji

So, the first Ashes test at Gabba has resulted in a resounding victory for Australia. The defeat was so chastening that it is difficult to see England emerge from this rubble but emerge they must. Not just for their sake but for the sake of the cricket watching global fans. We just do not want to see another lop-sided Ashes like the one in 2017 and the one before. Every cricket fan wants to see England fight, fight till the very end. Having said that, it was a devastating defeat but it is not something that cannot be overturned. England will only have to rewind to their past performance, albeit in a different country, for inspiration. Let me review the first Ashes test at Gabba.

Were there any positives for England?

I am afraid there were none. Yes, absolutely none. Even the fight shown by Root and Malan weren’t the positives. The pitch has sufficiently flattened and you would expect a batsman of the calibre of Root to score runs. The fact that he wasn’t able to convert that innings into a major daddy hundred will continue to haunt him and by extension, England. Root despite so many tests in Australia, is yet to score a hundred in that country. It is hard to believe but this is true. Root who had mastered every other country, is finding Australia hard to crack. Being the captain and primary batsman, this has now snowballed into a major deficiency on his resume. If Root fails to score atleast one hundred in this series, I am afraid he will perhaps not get one more chance.

Apart from the partnership between Root and Malan, not much to write about England. Rory Burns was a disaster. He missed a straight delivery in the first innings, dropped a catch that may have reduced the lead and failed again in the second innings. He will be hard pressed to hold onto his spot. The talisman, Ben Stokes, did not have any impact in the game. Neither with the ball nor with the bat. It will be an understatement to say that a lot rests on Stokes’s shoulders.

No practice games arranged

England is one team that always plans meticulously before every series. They always insist on playing atleast a couple of first class games before the first test. However, for some strange reason, they have not had even a single practice game. How did the ECB miss that is strange. Agreed that there is the Covid protocol and that England will have to be under the bubble and couple of practice games will mean England must be in Australia a month earlier than they were which would have meant an additional month inside the bubble. I would have thought that to win an Ashes series in Australia, this is what it takes. It is so surprising to think that England have not had a single practice game.

What do England miss the most?

Belief. Yes, England’s major issue in this series will be belief. They do not believe that they can defeat Australia in Australia. They do not believe that they have the bowlers who are capable of taking Australian wickets and the batsmen who can withstand and prevail whatever Australians throw at them. England firmly believe that in the absence of Archer and Stone, they do not have the personnel for the series. Former England players with their comments before the series did not help matters either. David Lloyd predicted Australia to win 5-0. Ofcourse, he later reversed that to 4-0 for England but the damage was already done. If England were being pessimistic, no one can blame them.

England must be inspired

How will England motivate themselves? From where will they get inspiration? It is not hard to see. All that Root and his team must do is to look at their own performance in South Africa. England lost the first test in that series too but came back strongly and finished that series as 3-1 winners. This must be their inspiration and for further motivation, they can always go through the reels of the India series last year. India came back from an even more horrible situation than what England find themselves under. India won with just a couple of their first choice team whereas England have all of their first choice members.

Also, the fact that they got Smith for a low score. This does not happen everyday. England must keep up with that and must remove Smith for a low score or relatively low score in every innings. They would have won half the battle if they can do that.

What about positives for Australia?

Oh there were so many but for me the biggest positive was the rapid hundred by Travis Head. He was under enormous pressure and justify his place. He was picked ahead of Khawaja. Head has had a difficult career so far but this innings, an Ashes hundred and a rapid one at that must have given him enormous confidence. He must be raring for another opportunity at Adelaide.

Apart from that, the bowling of Cummins. He is proving in each game why he is rated as the best in the world. 7 for the match including a 5-fer, captaining for the first time and that too in Ashes, Cummins have given every reason for Australia to remain positive for the short period atleast.  

David Warner getting into the stride immediately and Labuschagne’s continuing maturity. Australia will also be pleased by the 4 wickets that Lyon got. He will be a key player in the remaining games at Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Hobart which will have help for the spinners at some stage. Now that 400 is out of the way, Lyon must be refreshed and rejuvenated which will mean more trouble for England who have traditionally struggled against Lyon. Smith didn’t trouble the scoreboard too much but we all know what he is capable of.

Conclusion to the first Ashes test Gabba

England must believe that they have the players to defeat the Aussies in their country. It is easier said than done but they must have had this belief a couple of months before they left their shores. It is not too late. They can at the least try.

Other Ashes related blogs can be read here and here.

The Indian team for South Africa

Posted on by Bobji

Good news is that the South African series will be underway in about a couple of weeks from now. The Indian team for South Africa was announced a few days ago and it does not really contain any surprise. However, they have managed to shock the entire nation by changing the white ball captain.

The Indian test squad

Jadeja, Gill are nursing injuries. Hence, they are left out of the squad. Unfortunately, Rahane still finds a spot and it can very well be understood that he will be part of the eleven in the first test. Whether he remains beyond that is left to how well is he able to bat. With Vihari, Mayank & Shreyas in the squad, Mayank coming off a match winning innings, Rahane must make use of this opportunity. If Rahane again fails to deliver, I could see that this series will be his last. Enough opportunities have been given to him already and he will not have any basis to complain. However, I do hope that Kohli and Dravid will take a plunge with either Iyer or Mayank in the first test and leave out Rahane and have Mayank open with Rohit Sharma.

South Africa still remains the only nation India is yet to win

South Africa remains the only nation where India have not won a series. Asian teams have always found South Africa must more difficult than England or Australia. Sri Lanka became the first Asian team to break that hoodoo and won a series in 2019. This is India’s best chance. Most of the South African players are either inexperienced or do not possess the same quality as the past South African players. Their bowling is still strong but batting is weak. India must take advantage of that. India’s recent performances in Australia and England must have cast doubts in the minds of the South African players. They must feel the pressure already and perhaps they are thinking that this Indian outfit is far too tough for them to defeat.

Tired Indian players but one huge effort is required

I know that the Indian players are all massively tired after more than 10 months of constant travel, play, hotel, play inside the bubble. Some were given a small respite recently. Now is the time the players will have to realise that they are about to make history and everyone will want to be part of that. Tired bodies, minds must be put aside for 3-4 weeks and one huge charge towards a series win is what is required from the players.

The batsmen, especially the middle order must raise upto the occasion and ensure they score enough for the bowlers to defend. With Jadeja out, Ashwin will play all the 3 tests. This is likely to be his final chance to prove that he is a force to reckon with even outside of India. Kohli must not make the mistake of going in with 4 number 11s. Shardul is essential to the lower order. The 2 tests India won in England, Shardul played a vital part.

Captaincy change

The BCCI sprang a huge surprise when they named Rohit Sharma as the white ball captain in both the formats. This is a welcome move. Rohit will now have one year before the next World T20 and 2 years before the next ODI World Cup to ensure that he has the team for those two marquee tournaments. It is good to note that Rohit Sharma himself is concentrating on winning the world tournaments.

“When you play the sport, you want to achieve the best. The best is to win the championship. You will score many hundreds but winning that championship always stays with you because that is a collective effort from the team. At the end of the day, we play a team sport. What you achieve as a team is very important to me.”

Apparently, Kohli was given the option of stepping down from ODI captaincy as well but he refused to do so. Ever since he lost the T20 world cup, the writing was on the wall. Kohli must have realised that and he must have resigned from both T20 and ODI captaincy right after India lost of New Zealand at the T20 world cup but he didn’t. Now, the BCCI have taken it upon themselves to remove Kohli and appoint Rohit. No doubt Kohli has had enormous success in both T20 and ODIs but the lack of ICC tournaments win in 4 attempts will certainly be counted against him. Ideally, Kohli must have given up the short ball captaincy right after the England series. Nonetheless, Kohli has had a successful run notwithstanding tournament wins but every captain has a shelf-life. It will always end and Kohli’s did now.

BCCI never has the mindset to change

The only thing BCCI could have done better was to have informed Kohli in advance that he is being removed from the captaincy. The BCCI always has this habit of not informing the incumbent. Many a captain have learned of their sacking from press reports or from journalists. This is absolutely wrong on the part of BCCI. Kohli had been the captain for more than 5 years. Basic courtesy is to inform him before he was sacked. No matter who is the president, the BCCI never seems to change their ways. This despite the fact that Ganguly, the current president himself wasn’t treated well during his last years as captain.

Dravid’s predicament

Rahul Dravid’s coaching stint starts now. He now has his hands full. On the onehand, he has Kohli who has been dumped unceremoniously and on the other, he has Rohit under whom Kohli will be playing in the white ball games. This is not something that is even worth to write about because this has happened across the world. South Africa once had 3 captains for the 3 formats with all of them playing under each of them in the 3 formats. However, in India these things seems to matter. Dravid will have to make Kohli feel wanted but must not go overboard in trying to appease him. Kohli the batsman has enormous contributions still. You never know. The real Kohli may arise from now on. If that happens, Rohit, Dravid and the entire nation will be pleased.