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Sumit Chakraberty
Fri, July 19 2013
Ashes 2013: What took Michael Clarke so long to bring on Steven Smith?
The Australian captain and his team had a great start and an even better ending to the first day of the second Test at Lord's. In between, they dawdled and faltered, which probably let England off the hook again in this seesawing series.
Thu, July 18 2013
Ashes 2013: Darren Lehmann has got everything right so far, good riddance to Mickey Arthur
All of Darren Lehmann's selections for the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge were both brave and successful. He pulled 19-year-old left-arm spinner Ashton Agar out of the hat and threw him in, something that none of the pundits of Australian cricket had seen coming, as far as I know.
Tue, July 16 2013
DRS problem can’t be solved by leaving it to the umpires, we need more referrals
Ian Chappell's suggestion to leave the DRS to the umpires has a fundamental flaw, even if at first it seems like a reasonable solution to the problem of running out of referrals.
Mon, July 15 2013
MS Dhoni, Brad Haddin’s heroics ensure all formats of the game are alive and kicking
This week I saw two heroic wicket-keepers. One of them pulled off an astonishing win with 15 to get off the last over of an ODI, and the other one brought his team to within 15 runs of what would have been a fantastic victory on the fifth day of a Test match. Both had only No.11 for company.
Sun, July 14 2013
Stuart Broad’s incident highlights the fact that despite use of DRS cricket needs better management
Even before Stuart Broad was ruled not out after being caught at slip off Ashton Agar, he should have been out LBW to Agar when he padded up to a ball spinning into the wickets without offering a stroke. The old way of thinking is that the umpire gave him the benefit of the doubt, and so it was okay even if Hawkeye later showed the ball was hitting the inside of off-stump. Why should the batsman get any benefit when he has the option to challenge the decision? In fact, the DRS should free up the on field umpire to raise his finger even if it is a 60-40 call, especially on a deliberate padding.
Thu, July 11 2013
Day 1 of the Ashes was an indictment of today’s Test batting standards
It was a great ball from James Andersen no doubt, pitching at a full length on middle and off to hit Michael Clarke's off stump and leave him looking bemused. That would have probably got most current right-handed batsmen out too. But, why was Clarke playing that from the crease instead of being out on the front foot to cover the swing and movement off the seam? He was completely squared up too, instead of holding his side-on position in helpful conditions for seamers. And Clarke is considered one of the most technically adept batsmen of this era. This just goes to show how far batting standards have fallen since pitches began to get easier around the world.
Wed, July 10 2013
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar — The triumvirate to emerge from tri-series in West Indies
We will never know if Rohit Sharma would have curbed his tendency to throw it away with a loose shot after doing all the hard work, as he has done in earlier games of the tri-series as well as the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 in England. He did play one airy square cut off Lasith Malinga which should have ended his innings at 11. But apart from that, he again showed he had both the technique and temperament to buckle down in tough batting conditions for an opener.
Sat, July 06 2013
Virat Kohli proves that he is quick to learn from his mistakes
It was a battle between two new captains: Virat Kohli and Dwayne Bravo. Everything had gone right for the West Indies in the tri-series so far, and it all had gone wrong for India after their ICC Champions Trophy 2013 triumph.
Wed, July 03 2013
Virat Kohli’s body language, tactical blunders not helping Team India
A captain is only as good as his team, goes the old adage. But, in cricket especially, the reverse is often the case.
Mon, July 01 2013
Rohit Sharma would make a better captain than Virat Kohli
Mahendra Singh Dhoni would never have allowed the West Indies to win from 211 for eight. For no nine, 10 and Jack — Kemar Roach, Sunil Narine and Tino Best — to knock off the 19 runs required for victory was just not on. It was a sluggish Kingston Jamaica wicket where regular batsmen have struggled to get going in both the matches of the One-Day International (ODI) tri-series so far. There was appreciable turn on offer too, so the West Indies can count themselves lucky that their tailenders were not put under more pressure.