This question that what is ailing the current Indian team cannot be answered in a single statement. There are many reasons to it and some of them may actually look absurd. One of them would be the lack of characters in the team who on their day could single handedly take the game away from the opposition. Secondly this over emphasis on preparing sporting tracks to equip our batsmen against the fast bowling has cost India its spin bowling resources. If a recent article from Aakash Chopra has to be believed, the India currently has no spinner of global pedigree. Thus the current crops of Indian domestic players are all good at handling military medium pacers, but fumble against quality spin. Hence a spinning track, which would
Over the past two away series’, a lot has been said about Ishant Sharma. From being the spearhead of the Indian attack to a pedestrian fast bowler who just doesn’t know how to take wickets on helpful conditions. A lot has been speculated about his bowling and the reasons as to why he cannot hit that green corridor of uncertainty without compromising on pace, but a proper solution to the problem is not in sight.
To look into the reasons lets just look at what Ishant Sharma really is as a fast bowler. A 6'4"-tall fast bowler, having a rhythmic, high-arm action, which allows him to bowl at around 140 kph and higher. His balling chiefly resides in having a rhythmic run up and a smooth release, with a stable follow-through.
All said the setback in England was rather an unusual anomaly and should not happen in Australia. There was a feeling that, with true and predictable bounce and very little sideways movement, the Indian batsmen wouldn't be troubled as much as they were in England. Also for the fact that a full strength Indian team would be playing, everybody thought this was India's best chance to win a series in Australia, bury the demons of England and march back again to the top of the rankings.
Two test matches into the series the result has been rather disappointing than surprising. India has been outplayed and rather out-thought in all the departments and Dhoni's 'I will attack if you allow me' tactics have backfired big time. The
So we won the world cup, ok fine… !! we were the best Test team in the world for a while, ok fine… !! So we have almost all batting records with a handful of Indian batsmen, ok fine… !! So we have the most feared bowler in Zaheer Khan and we are a Juggernaut when it comes to playing at home, ok fine… !!
So what next… ?? Next is England, then West Indies, Then Australia, Then Pakistan, Then world T20, then again England, in between Sri Lanka, an IPL season and an Asia cup… !! We have still not reached November 2012… !! Now lets take a flash back… October 2010, Australia comes for 2 tests and ODI series, November 2010, New Zealand comes for a full tour, Then India tours South Africa followed by the World Cup,
Now this question may look like a naïve attempt at literature, especially when India’s place at the top is in danger and the English are looking a more complete lot than ever. Let’s just say, I would be considered less patriotic if I am English and I feel that England cannot overcome the world no. 1 team in the remaining three tests. They are good side, they are young and very well organized. Whats more, they are fresh after trashing the kangaroos in their own backyard, and handling the Srilankan in the best of the ways, very well done indeed.
But if you all turn back into time, say some 3 years back and reflect on the series that happened in India, you will find that only 4-5 names are missing in the entire list of
And so the month of May comes to an end. Its time to go home early from work as tomorrow morning the mobile phones all over the country would ring in the news of the debited salary. Work reports would be asked for and the next one week would go after that. Housewives would collar up their husbands to shell out cash so that household groceries could be purchased from super markets and kids would collar their dads for school and tuition fees.
So work reports, groceries, and tuition fees… what’s common in them? All the three come every month and cause week-long headaches as has been pointed out above. But I guess there is a new entrant in this group and that unfortunately happens to be cricket. Just like the immortal
So now it’s time for Test cricket and Sehwag is not playing. If the news flashing around certain channels are to be believed then Gambhir isn’t playing either. If you ask me, this is an ideal time to rest Sachin, Dhoni, Zak and Harbhajan as well.
So then… no seniors at all !! One thing is for sure… ICC won’t be happy, so would be one Mr. Hilaire. But then again the people who actually brought the cup home would be very happy, and I guess the BCCI also won’t be complaining too much… !
Sounds very tempting… a much needed rest for these people who have been in our TV sets for the past innumerable days… day in and day out… ! It would be a welcome break for people like us who are now preferring Ekta
This series has been a test for volatility. Both sides boast of potential match winners on paper but it’s the temperament and application that is lacking. Both sides have been equally plagued by board politics and the off-field distractions have for long been the centre of attraction. The last test was just one of those test matches where an entire test was almost over without anybody hitting a half century till Misbah-ul-Haq registered one to his name. With this fact, one must also concede that the bowling battery of each of these sides is world class.
In Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor, West Indies have a bench that is enviable and lightning fast. Before this series took off there were talks of seeing the two add up
So finally after 28 years of wait, sweat and anxiety, the blues finally have the gold. And then, Sachin cried, Yuvraj was candid and Dhoni let the shouting boys take the podium with the cup. India are now the undisputed world champions and what has been touched by Dhoni has turned into gold so far, and finally Sachin has his resume completed.
So what lies ahead for Dhoni and his team ?
For the starters, he needs to lead a Chennai outfit in the impending IPL, and then he needs to carry team India on a world tour for the next one year with matches to be played in the West Indies, England and Australia. Poor being won’t even have the luxury of taking the cup to his house and engrave it.
Surprised??? If you ask me I would say it’s definitely possible if we think logically.
Ireland surprised the cricketing world with their vigour and a rare sense of cricketing maturity, which could be said about the other test playing nations. Something, which even Zimbabwe has not displayed. Zimbabwe will return to test cricket this August though. This brings us to the question: Are Ireland ready to be awarded the test status?? And if so what does the future look like for them and what can the superpowers do to mark Ireland as a cricketing powerhouse?
Now if we reflect back to 1983, India were novices in cricket and yet they slayed the goliath at the home of cricket to ignite that passion which would eventually see the
Now a lot has been described about that final over Nehra bowled to Peterson, mostly in a negative and often in an overtly critical manner. Things might have been different had Harbhajan Singh got to bowl the final over to a lower order left hander, but I guess it just didn’t happen. In some weird news channel we could even listen to some former players asking for a shot gun and a noose to hang Dhoni for the crime he had just committed.
Now lets just cool down for a moment and think, are we justified in crucifying the captain? For that matter of fact, say if we even loose in the quarterfinals or the semifinals, would we look to chop Dhoni’s head and seek for his replacement? Have his decisions always been rash and
If a good team hasn’t performed well, then the either the team is not good or the team hasn’t been challenged enough. India have yawned to the top of the table and so far it has been a boring affair. After all India are playing in their backyard, their top order is in form, and they get enough runs so that the fast bowlers are not being risked and the spinners get to mask their mistakes. The likes of Sreesanth and other anger-mongers are also not playing. Its just plain, clap-cricket people used to do back in England in the early part of 20th century. “Oh that’s a beautiful shot!, Oh he is batting beautifully!, Oh that one just missed the edge” Clap-Clap-Clap!! Do I need to say anymore?
There are three people I want to talk about this evening. The first person would be relieved and happy, the second would be smiling big time and the third one would be grumbling. Let me have the honour of introducing these three people. Meet Ross Taylor, Shilpa Shetty and Vijay Mallya in order of their above-mentioned emotions.
Now that sounds a little above the roof, doesn’t it? Let me justify. Dr. Mallya, the proud owner of RCB, went around the country promoting Ross Taylor as a darling star, as someone who is well and all, a star, the RCB line-up just cannot miss. Bangalore just loved watching him bat and he was beginning to be seen at par with someone like Kallis and Dravid. Even players like Cameron White and Kevin
Lets face it; the Indian bowlers haven’t been up to mark in their previous two outings. If the first game had Sreesanth spraying all around the second game had Zaheer and the spinners getting it wrong. In the end Zaheer did bring in all his experience to fetch a tie but that did deny India any comforts for the remaining games.
After a stupendous performance against the Poms, Ireland would definitely be on a high. Unlike the other teams in the tournament, they do not have players carrying niggles and injuries and hence are immensely focussed. The slow medium pace bowlers have effectively compensated for the lack of quality spinners in the side.
India would not be overtly worried about the Irish bowling and one should
