It’s a tricky scenario. You can’t really bet your hard-earned money on one team when the two best Test sides lock horns. But if you simply cannot hold yourself back, the loopholes need to be analysed.

South Africa have more than proved themselves on the international arena with scintillating performances on a consistent basis while Team India is touted as the next big thing in the cricketing fraternity. So if nothing, the two Test series will at least decide the ruler of the ICC rankings, at least for now.

The South African team was initially scheduled to play five ODIs but an interference of the cricketing boards, in a bid to save the fading excitement and grace of Test cricket, saw the itinerary being altered to a couple of Tests followed by three 50-over deciders.

Whether or not the encounter between the two sides will live up to the label of the ‘Majestic Combat’ is to be seen. Now, that is because, both the teams are struggling on various fronts.

If there has ever been a team worthy of replacing the Aussies at the top of the pack, it has been South Africa, hands down. Similar to Roger Federer’s supremacy being challenged by Rafael Nadal time and again, it has been the Proteas that has given the Champion Aussie outfit a run for their money every time the two sides have met on a cricket field, at least in the recent past.

The famous Johannesburg ODI where Australia scored 434 runs only to be chased to death by the so called ‘Chokers’, is an example that supports my above statement very aptly.

Getting back to the loopholes of both the teams, South Africa, the second ranked Test team, have not been in the ‘Test-groove’ in the recent past. They played two Test series against Australia (at home and away), sharing a trophy each. The only other Test series they have played is the one against England that concluded recently. It was drawn 1-1.

Their pace attack comprises of only two big names - Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. The spin department is not worth the time and space in the blog. With India being among the best players of spin bowling, Paul Harris and Johan Botha will have to come up with something Read more…

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In the latest world rankings, released after the Joburg and Hobart Tests, England are without a single batsman in the top 20 for the first time, by my reckoning, since 2002.

Andrew Strauss has slipped seven places over the course of the series with South Africa to No 21 and Kevin Pietersen’s fall has been sharper: down from No 4 at the start of the year to No 26 now.

Pietersen has fallen behind Paul Collingwood (up to No 22 despite not scoring a hundred in his past 11 Tests) and he is only one bad innings away from falling to England’s fourth best batsman with Alastair Cook in 28th place.

Heck, by the end of the Bangladesh tour, Pietersen could even have slipped behind Ian Bell, who is at No 32 and rising.

Four, or even five, batsmen in the top 30 isn’t in itself a bad thing. We’ve had as few as three in recent memory - and no more than six. Sri Lanka and Australia have only four each at the moment. South Africa have five and India have six, but England have two more than New Zealand or Pakistan and one more than the Windies.

That reflects our overall world Test ranking of fifth. The problem is the lack of one or two superstars. Depth is one thing, class is another. There are six different nations represented in the present top ten and England’s finest is 11 places outside that list.

This may be only temporary - Strauss could slip back into the top 20 next week if VVS Laxman (No 17) pays for a poor match against Bangladesh - but it has been a long time since we were without any top 20 representative. Pietersen had been in the top 20 since 2006 and was as high as No 3; before him there was a Trescothick or a Vaughan to fly the flag and, apart from a slump in 2000 and a brief dip in 2002, Graham Thorpe was in the top 20 between 1995 and 2003.

Before him, Mike Atherton and Alec Stewart were regulars in the top ten - and briefly, in 1992, we even had the No 1 and 2 batsmen in the world, in Graham Gooch and Robin Smith. Read more…

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The Sri Lankan cricketers did well to beat India in the Idea Cup final by four wickets with nine deliveries to spare in Dhaka, Bangladesh on Wednesday.

On the whole the cricketers can feel proud that they downed the much stronger Indians after losing an earlier game to them. But while they are basking in the glory of this victory, they must remember that one swallow does not make a summer.

The selectors and Sri Lanka Cricket led by two former champion cricketers Ashantha de Mel and D. Somachandra de Silva too can blow their trumpets now that the cricketers have succeeded.

Like in life in sport too, team work is essential for success. The cricketers, selectors and SLC worked together in harmony and with the game at heart and the final product was success. GREAT.

No cricket till November
But sadly the cricketers will not have any cricket to give continuity and build on this success. The cricketers will not have any cricket until Chrys Gayle’s West Indians arrive here in November later this year.

Some of our star cricketers will have the opportunity of playing in the Indian Premier League and the counties, while the youngsters who showed great promise will be kicking their heels playing in the local scene.

Sri Lanka Cricket will do well to probe all avenues and try and get the youngsters to play some international cricket where ever possible. They must use their influence with their counterparts in other countries and get the youngsters playing.

Before going on to comment on the final that Sri Lanka won, we would like to tell those who matter that the Lankan cricketing cupboard is full of promising material and it is now Read more…

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The fifth and final ODI between India and Sri Lanka was called off earlier today as the under-prepared pitch was too dangerous to bat on. While there will be the normal post mortem and scapegoats would be found, those who run the show will do no more than pontificate and sound seriously intelligent on TV channels, pouting, doubting and shouting the others down. Sure, there will also be the normal shedding of tears over nation’s prestige being compromised et al.

Cricket, like other sports in India, is managed by those who can’t tell ‘round the wicket’ from ‘over the wicket’. It just so happens that there is so much money being poured into the game and spectator interest is so high that administrators normally try and do a better job, relatively speaking that is.

I heard some remarks soon after the match was called off that they always thought such things could only happen in smaller centers alone where there is lack of resources. Clearly, such people have no idea that Delhi is a microcosm of India. Just as the nation hurtles towards mediocrity, Delhi is no different. If anything, the national capital is the leader of the pack.

But let me stick to cricket alone for the time being. Cricket administration in Delhi is headed by a highly articulate, intelligent and bright lawyer cum politician who, it is well known, was till recently completely focused on somehow getting the leadership of his faction ridden political party, the BJP. I am sure we will see a lot of him on TV in the near future, offering credible sounding explanations why it happened and that he would pull up those responsible for the fiasco. Not for a moment would you hear him say that it was his own ineptitude that has led millions of fans down, who waited for months to enjoy a good game of cricket.

As is often said these days, this is nothing but symptomatic of the rot that is engulfing this nation rapidly. Lack of accountability in almost any sphere of governance, administration, even in the private sector, can be seen day in and day out. Given that, I am actually surprised that the shameful episode that played out in Delhi is still an exception and not a rule.

And this brings me, and I am sure every sports lover of the country, to the question of our ability to organize the Commonwealth games less than ten months away. I have written extensively on the subject and how we are courting disaster. After today’s episode, my worries Read more...

Rajesh Kalra IND vs SL Cricket, Cricket Blogs, Delhi, India, ODI, Sri Lanka

INAIA IS NOW the world’s top team in Test cricket. The move to ensure that india plays more Tests is a step in the right direction and can help this format regain its popularity

For cricket’s hardcore devotees, the purists who insist that Test cricket is the real form of the game, September 24, 2007, was no day for celebration.

It was the day Mahendra Singh Dhoni led a team short of full strength — a squad for which top batsmen such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly had made themselves unavailable — to victory in the ICC World Twenty20 in Johannesburg. The game that we knew, relatively gentle, moderately fashionable and acceptably paced, took on another dimension.

It was not as though fans suddenly woke up to the joys of big hitting to the detriment of all else —after all, the subcontinent has been serving up flat decks in one-day internationals (ODIs) for some time now. It was just that India’s administrators, who till then considered Twenty20 cricket a creation of marketing men in England, wholeheartedly adopted the shortest version.

If sociologist Ashish Nandy’s assertion that cricket was “an Indian game accidentally discovered by the British” was a bit of an exaggeration, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) strove to make this a reality with T20s. The hurried establishment of the Indian Premier League ushered in the era where T20 is king.

One-day cricket became popular in India after the country won the World Cup in 1983. T20 got wide acceptance in 2007. Now it is to be seen whether India rising to top position in Test cricket leads to revival in interest in this variety of the game.

When India beat Sri Lanka 2-0 to become the No. 1 Test team in the world, the men counting the coins in the BCCI’s vault discovered there were things that didn’t figure in a balance sheet but they mattered a lot to the game’s stakeholders.

Suddenly, being the best in the world, rather than briefly occupying top spot thanks to a quirk in the rankings system, became the goal. Reaching the top has forced the board to request the visiting South Africans to convert February’s five-ODI series into one comprising two Read more…

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Sri Lanka is ranked number seven in the ICC ODI rankings, and there is not a fan who disagrees with that ranking. We are ranked above West Indies, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Ireland, and Kenya.

If there is a reason why Sanath Jayasuriya has played beyond his 40th birthday, it’s because the 7th ranked team in the ICC ODI rankings needed him.

“All our guys accept the fact that you got to perform to stay in the side,” Kumar Sangakkara told the media when asked about leaving Jayasuriya out.

One then wonders why on earth Mahela Jayawardene is still playing! Sangakkara’s hypocrisy knows no bounds.

Fellow Island cricket blogger, Merlin, pointed out that Sanath has performed better in 2009 than Mahela. Albeit slightly better.

Following is a quote from Merlin’s post,

The only thing that keeps pushing Sanath Jayasuriya out of the Sri Lankan squad is the blatant age discrimination being displayed by both the former skipper Jayawardena and the current skipper Sangakkara.

In 2006, with the inclusion of Tom Moody as coach, Sri Lanka was on a drive to introduce “young blood” in to the squad and drive out the seniors. Jayawardena and Sangakakra both were mislead into thinking this is a progressive move which would set them apart from other Asian teams.

Unfortunately in both Marvan Atapattu’s case and now Jayasuriya’s, it is a case of ageism, also known as age discrimination.

Meanwhile, Trevor Chesterfield has written a hard hitting piece, after Sri Lanka’s dismal performance in the 3rd ODI, which really needs to be given a thorough look at.

Sri Lanka has one of the largest groups - if not the largest group - of support staff Read more…

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From Centurion to Perth, there was plenty to savour as the long version of the game produced some thoroughly absorbing play

Did you notice how many of the “100 Top Sporting Moments” related on these pages last week occurred in Test matches? Were you absorbed from a distance by the uncertain outcomes of the simultaneous Test matches in Centurion and the Waca ground in Perth? Crowds for both games were no more than satisfactory but much of the cricket was spell-binding, proof if it were needed that Test cricket will confound those sages who fear that it is an anachronism in an age of instant gratification.

Such gratification does not come much more quickly, even in Twenty20 cricket, than it did for Chris Gayle last Friday, or for those who watched him launching a series of his trademark straight sixes on his way to a Test hundred scored from 70 balls during the third of three increasingly hard-fought games between Australia and West Indies.

He was out too quickly afterwards and West Indies lost their last six first innings wickets for 27 but they bowled Australia out cheaply and finished only 35 runs short of victory early on the last day. Since their uneven performances against England earlier this year West Indies have found a convincing fast bowler in Kemar Roach, the Barbadian who was quick enough on the Perth pitch to rough up Ricky Ponting, and an opening batsman of equal youth and promise in Adrian Barath.

While conditions at the Waca, as always, encouraged quick bowlers and buccaneering batsmen, those at Centurion rewarded patience, craft and enterprise in equal measure. On the third day in Perth 16 wickets fell for 235 runs; on the same day in Centurion seven fell for 303. Such variety is what we want; plus a proper balance between batsman and bowler; and, not least, administrators ready to keep balanced programmes without overloading the best players.

Pitches and the attitude of the players have always been the keys to interesting cricket. In India this month Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team recovered from a turgid opening draw in Read more…

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Not even a surprising decision by a third umpire prepared to ignore the evidence provided by Hot Spot, and so the review system, could take the gloss off a superb chase by the West Indies or a deserved victory by Australia. The West Indians can be proud of their performance. In times past they were granted five-match series but their stocks have fallen and they stand near the bottom of the rankings.

On the face of it, a 2-0 defeat has not significantly improved their reputation but the result conceals a substantial improvement reflected in sharper fielding, improved running between wickets and more committed lower-order batting. Lazy habits had taken hold and the basics had been neglected. Now a healthier culture has developed. The players looked like cricketers and performed with their hearts and heads. As much could be told from Kemar Roach and Gavin Tonge’s audacious and ill-starred last-wicket thrust.

Twice in the series the touring team came back from cricketing death. Further humiliations were feared after their heavy defeat at the Gabba. Instead, the visitors stirred sufficiently to shake up the hosts in Adelaide.

Heavy defeat was likewise expected after the tourists fell 208 behind in the first innings in Perth. Instead, the West Indies skittled Australia for a paltry total and chased with such grit that at one stage their chances of taking the spoils were put at 3-1. In the end they fell short but they went down fighting.

Numerous members of a hitherto mostly anonymous outfit made their marks. Hardly any of them had previously toured Australia. Roach’s sizzling pace, Sulieman Benn’s stilted legs and climbing tweakers, Adrian Barath’s daring strokeplay and bright fielding, Dwayne Bravo’s skills and gusto, Narsingh Deonarine’s pluck, Travis Dowlin’s grit and Denesh Ramdin’s promise all attracted high praise. The West Indies can build around these players. Australia have lost some lustre but remain hard to conquer. These blokes had a good crack at it.

Chris Gayle deserves credit for the awakening of his side. Plain and simple, he saved the series. Beforehand his leadership had been questioned, not least hereabouts. The criticisms Read more…

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Many records were broken in the recent run feast in India. One record went unnoticed. Sri Lanka became the first Test squad to contain as many as 4 wicketkeepers - Prasanna Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, TM Dilshan and Kaushal Silva.

Actually, there was a 5th wicketkeeper. At 47, the manager Brendon Kuruppu is still trim. As the oldest member of the army of wicketkeepers, Kuruppu must have been disappointed that he was not called up.

Ironically, the first choice Prasanna Jayawardene kept poorly. He either dropped catches or obstructed the slips. Virender Sehwag, who is second only to Viv Richards as a merciless hitter, made merry.

In Kanpur and Mumbai, maiden overs were rare. Even dot balls were hard to come by.

In the ODIs, Sangakkara has been even worse than Jayawardene. On Friday, two easy chances were put down off the rampant Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the same over. Luckily, Dilshan’s assault and Matthews calmness took Sri Lanka across the line.

Sanga has often relied on his exceptional batting and speaking to cover up his faults on the field. He will be remembered as the finest speaker among the world’s top batsmen. The media has been carried away by his well-spoken manner. Cricketers should be judged on their performance on the pitch not on the mike.

Sanga cannot combine the responsibility of captaincy, wicketkeeper and the leading batsmen in any form of the game. One of the three must be discarded. He has lost the first virtue of any gloveman. He does not watch the ball on to his gloves. Instead, he grabs it.

Dhoni’s fortune as a captain and keeper cannot be the benchmark for Sangakkara. Dhoni does not bat in the top order. The Indian captain is not the sword of his team’s batting. He is just a bit player in a batting powerhouse. Instead of Sanga, Dilshan or Prasanna should Read more…

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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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