Tuesday’s game was one of those rare occasions in sport when you lose and the dominating emotion isn’t disappointment. At one level you’re just happy to have been part of something that doesn’t happen every day in the game. Oddly enough, I thought we bowled pretty well for the best part. It’s just that the conditions — flat track, fast outfield, small ground — made for perfect hitting conditions and the Indians did very well to capitalise.

Looking back, I wouldn’t say it was a mistake to put India in. After all, the wicket didn’t deteriorate at all, so there was nothing wrong in batting second. The only chance of taking wickets in a heap was early on when there was some moisture in the surface and swing in the air. We were prepared to chase a sizeable total, even something in the range of 350, but India did better and you’re always going to be up against it when chasing something like 414. That said, the Rajkot ODI showed just how quickly the game can change, and how little the margin for error is when chasing a big score. We had a great opening stand with Dilshan and Upul giving us the platform we needed. Just as Dilshan tired after his century, Kumar took over, completely changing the rhythm of the chase.

Ever since he regained form at the Brabourne Stadium Kumar has made it count, using the freedom of batting at No. 3 in the T20 to express himself fully. If we had won he would have probably been the Man of the Match, such was the impact of his knock. What probably happened towards the end, was that we lost too many wickets with about 12 overs remaining. Thanks to the top three we were in a strong position, with wickets in hand. If anything we might have made the mistake of thinking we had too many wickets in hand.

The reason we weren’t disappointed was that the game showed the Indians we won’t Read more…

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There is something nostalgic about playing at the Cricket Club of India (CCI). No member from either side has played a Test here but the Indians will be a lot more kicked at the opportunity to do so as they would have heard a lot about the history of the CCI. A Test was to be played here last year against England but 26/11 put a halt to that.

The Test at Brabourne will be a fitting tribute to Raj Singh Dungarpur. He finally gets his wish although he will not be around to watch. Raj bhai’s connection with Indian cricket, the various roles he played, his rapport with the players is widely known as was his love for the CCI, a venue he nurtured with great care.

The pitch at the CCI has always been an interesting one. Having played a few ODIs as well practiced there a few times, I am sure there will be decent carry early on, with the surface slowing down gradually. Not just the pacers, the spinners too can look forward to bowling here more than they would have at either Ahmedabad or Kanpur. There will probably be a bit more spin as the game progresses. Either way, we can expect a good cricket wicket, which is what everyone wants.

The Sri Lankans seem undecided about what to do in their quest to get 20 wickets, which is a must if they are to have a chance of leveling the series. They will possibly go back to the three seamers and two spinners combination, which means one of the three spinners will have to make way.

After picking up five wickets at Kanpur, Rangana Herath will be a definite starter, leaving Kumar Sangakkara with the tricky decision of having to choose between Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis.

Murali’s pedigree certainly influenced Sangakkara’s decision and he will look to Murali to lead the attack once again. The spinner, for his part, will be keen to finish off what will be his last Test on Indian soil on a high. Murali has been ineffective so far, with the pitches and the aging Read more…

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Indian pitches are difficult to predict. Even Gods refrain from doing so simply because you never know how they will behave on D-day. Analysts and observers have made their points about the centre wicket at the historical Brabourne Stadium, but no one knows what the 22-yard strip — for the third and last Test between India and Sri Lanka beginning here on Wednesday — actually has on offer.

As usual, the curators promised ’sporting tracks’ for the first and second Tests at Ahmedabad and Kanpur respectively. The phrase has been used and abused to no end and well, neither of the wickets was even close to ’sporting’.

For the third Test match, experts have come out with different opinions. Some predict that it is going to be ’sporting’ (again!) wicket, some say it will be unpredictable and a few believe it is going to favour the likes of Muttiah Muralitharan and Harbhajan Singh.

Test cricket has returned to the picturesque venue after more than three decades and hence, it won’t be easy to predict the nature of a pitch which has been rarely used. The local or domestic matches here are played on the side pitches. During the 2006 Champions Trophy, the wickets here faced a lot of wrath for their slowness.

However, Milind Rege, CCI’s cricket-in charge, promises a sporting track calling it a “true Test wicket.”

“There will be bounce and pace at the start and as the game progresses, the spinners will get some help. Batsmen will also enjoy batting here as it is a true wicket,” the former Mumbai skipper added.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had nothing extraordinary to say on match-eve. “It looks like a normal Mumbai track with the same soil, of course. There will be a bit of bounce for the fast bowlers and as the game progresses, you will see the spinners coming into action. They Read more…

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