India has just scored an emphatic 2-0 victory over Bangladesh. Barring the opening day of the two-Test series that witnessed a middle-order collapse, India were pretty much on top for most of the series.

      Nonetheless, the series also exposed certain chinks in our armour. We need to work on them as sterner test awaits us against South Africa beginning with the first Test on February 6. After all, the series is being billed as the battle for the champion Test team in the world.

      1. Middle-order batting:  Due to injuries, our middle order is suddenly looking brittle. Ok, we have Tendulkar in great nick. But Dravid, Laxman and Yuvraj are likely to miss the first Test. Indications are Yuvraj will miss the entire Test series. So what do we do?

      I think India has adequate bench strength. The question is whether the selectors will go for the real guys or opt for their favourites. If the selectors think that Dinesh Karthik, that little darling of the five wise men, will shore up the middle order, then God help India.

      Sure, we need experience. But I am not saying, call back Ganguly. Or even Mohammed Kaif.

      I have four fresh names: Cheteshwar Pujara, S Badrinath, Manish Pandey and Manoj Tiwary. The last three are among the finest fielders in India.

      Pujara and Badrinath are the two unluckiest cricketers in India today. Each of them has scored centuries by dozens. Badrinath, especially, has also proved his worth during India A tours abroad. Obviously either the selectors don't like his face or they know about a major chink in his batting that nobody else can find on television. I know he is 29 but so what? Even Mr Cricket, Michael Hussey made his Test debut at 30.

      Both Badrinath and Pujara are tailor-made for Test cricket. They have solid defence, decent footwork and play the ball on merit. They can graft and build a long, patient innings. Surely, both deserve a chance.

      Pandey and Tiwary are two of a kind. Both have the game to succeed on the big stage. After his recent stunning ton in the Ranji Trophy, Pandey is high on confidence too. Tiwary has fallen off the mindmap. But his 102 off 123 balls for East Zone against Central Zone, shows Read more...

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Dreamy eyes combined with a mischievous look give his face a value which can become a household brand one day.

He has the talent to become the next superstar of Indian cricket.

In Virat Kohli, has India discovered an explosive batsman who can lend India’s middle-order the solidity and spine which will make it an even harder team to beat?

In the era of instant stardom, it is easy to catapult any young man into a league which should be the preserve of a few who have proved their merit over a long period.

And it is easier to swiftly condemn, if success is followed by a few failures.

Where is Robin Uthappa today? There he was, smashing the fastest bowler over his head into the stands and grinding the ball to pulp.

A few failures later, suddenly the world discovered a brash temperament and a back-foot shuffle which was no good at the international level. The superstar in the making vanished from our imagination as swiftly as he had arrived on the horizon.

Suresh Raina was to be our next Tendulkar. Sharp reflexes, swift movement in the outfield combined with a superb timing with the bat, made him a likely contender. Till the world discovered his inability to handle the short ball.

Even on flat surfaces, Raina struggles the moment the ball jumps above waist. He is battling on, bullying the bowlers on placid tracks but no longer being talked about as the chosen one.

Raina’s energetic presence in the field is infectious and lifts the team’s fielding and there is time for him to work on his dislike for the bouncing ball. Unlike Uthappa, he is making his presence count and could still become a permanent part of Dhoni’s team.

That brings me back to Kohli. He has been there for long enough for people to make some sort of judgment. He does appear to have sound technique and nimble footwork which should Read more…

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India’s young cricketers have come under fire for their lavish lifestyles, but hairstyles don’t get in the way of centuries

After the Thrilla in Manila, Muhammad Ali was to say: “Joe Frazier, I’ll tell the world right now, brings out the best in me.” The cricketers of India and Australia appear to operate on the same principle. India, such a disappointment at the Champions Trophy in South Africa, have rediscovered their spirit. Australia, with an injury list that makes Rafael Benítez’s woes at Liverpool look trivial, have shown the same fortitude that Frazier did on that long-ago night when he was reduced to fighting from memory.

After falling four runs short in Vadodara, India were markedly superior in both Nagpur and Delhi. When they then produced their best fielding and bowling display of the series – four run-outs included – to restrict Australia to 250 on a beautiful batting pitch in Mohali, it seemed as though the series tide was about to turn decisively their way.

They hadn’t reckoned, though, with the laidback New South Wales player who has the champagne surname. Some will point to the fact that Doug Bollinger resembles Chucky from Child’s Play, and he certainly haunted the Indians on a night when everything that could possibly go wrong did. Virender Sehwag cracked seven fours in a 19-ball 30 before lofting one to mid-off. It was the fourth time in the series he had got to double-figures, and not gone on to make a game-changing contribution. “He plays like he’s opening for the Nicky Oppenheimer XI against a visiting side,” said one former Mumbai pro, clearly ticked off by the insouciant approach. “It’s 20 minutes in the sun and then off for a glass of champagne.”

Sehwag’s series tally of 94 is a poor return for someone who appears to have the measure of every bowler he’s faced. But by bringing in Bollinger for the injured Brett Lee, Ricky Ponting took a clever step towards neutralising the Sehwag factor. If there’s one type of bowling that he doesn’t really relish, it’s left-arm seam-and-swing. Chaminda Vaas got him six times and Nathan Bracken, another absentee, on five occasions (from just 10 games). There were also failures against Ian Bradshaw and Syed Rasel. Bollinger is considerably quicker than those four, all of Read more…

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If there’s anything like a perfect day, the Men in Blue enjoyed it at Nagpur on Wednesday.  A 99 run win is pretty comprehensive, though, like most Indians, I would have preferred the margin to be 100 or above. With the series tied at 1-1, one can expect a lip-smacking feast in the remaining five games. I have a feeling the series will be decided only in the last game.
 
Ricky Ponting erred badly in electing to field after winning the toss. The defensive ploy came unstuck on a batting paradise. The Indian bowlers looked good in defending 354. But let us not start singing praises till they defend a smaller total or restrict the Aussies to less than 270 when bowling first.
 
My observations on Team India after watching the first two games of the series:
 
1. Earlier this month, the BCCI sacked Robin Singh, India’s fielding coach. On Wednesday, Dhoni’s men showed why we badly needed a new one. The team has too many laggards in the field. The ground fielding is abysmal. Whatever the distance, the throws seldom hit the stumps. And if you are Ishant Sharma, you can even miss from a yard. There are several other below-par fielders in the side. On a good day, Nehra will get 3 out of 10. On one occasion today, Praveen Kumar first missed the ball, then kicked it away. On another occasion he stupidly stepped onto the rope as he caught the ball. Barring Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and Virat Kohli, we don’t have any quality fielders in the squad. If we want to mount a serious challenge for the 2011 ODI World Cup, we must improve in this aspect.
 
2. Harbhajan Singh needs to be told that his batting cannot cover up for his ineffective, defensive bowling. He needs to get more wickets. The offie bowls like a fifth bowler who thinks that 10-0-50-1 or so is great work. Even Nathan Hauritz and Ravindra Jadeja flight the ball more. Solution: Drop him for a couple of games. Pressure works. See how all the “drop talk” has improved Ishant’s game. Give Pragyan Ojha or Amit Mishra a chance. See if they perform any better. Read more...

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Overview

With the Champions Trophy out the way, many sides can now switch their focus to building toward the 2011 World Cup.

This series will give Australia and India the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Of course, there’s a trophy and bragging rights at stake so it’s unlikely that there will be too much experimenting for either side.

The hosts’ form in limited-overs competition has been extremely patchy in recent months. They struggled to stamp their authority against the West Indies in the Caribbean, were offered hit-and-miss cricket across the Compaq Cup in Sri Lanka and then flopped in the Champions Trophy in South Africa.

On paper they remain one of the strongest outfits in world cricket and the selectors have one of - if not - the biggest player pool to draw from, but unfortunately they just cannot get the combinations right. Rahul Dravid, Abhishek Nayar, Rudra Pratap Singh, Dinesh Karthik and Yusuf Pathan have all come and gone in recent tournaments.

The constant chopping and changing has not helped the core of the team and captain Mahendra Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar and Ishant Sharma have all had one good game followed by a poor one. It’s about time they each string together a good run of form and with seven matches lined up, they won’t get a better opportunity to do so.

On the up side for India, Virender Sehwag, Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh have all recovered from injury and will strengthen the batting line-up considerably. Bowling-wise, despite Zaheer Khan’s absence through injury, Ashish Nehra, Sharma and Praveen Kumar will be favourites for the fast-bowling slots. Throw in spinners Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra and you’re met Read more…

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The India squad selected on Thursday for the first two ODIs against Australia is balanced but not without anomalies. Spotted a contradiction? You won’t if you are familiar with the way Indian cricket runs.

About the good things first. Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh are back. With a certain Gautam Gambhir in the mix to go with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, that comprises a formidable batting line-up.

Problem is, even taking into consideration the batting abilities of allrounder Ravinder Jadeja, in terms of back-up there is just Virat Kohli. Will that be enough?

And why drop Rahul Dravid after digging him out of nowhere? The BCCI isn’t exactly forthcoming with answers.

Another question is why have five medium-pacers in the XV. By naming Sudeep Tyagi in the squad, the quintet of selectors have unfurled a surprise that might catch the Australians unawares as well.

The other and more significant question is about Ishant Sharma. Last year, when Australia came over for a four-Test series, his presence was a major factor behind India’s success. The same can’t be said now because the 21-year-old has been overused since. Couldn’t he be rested?

Here’s hoping Ishant won’t become the beast of burden from a promising, young bowler, contradicting the concept of preserving the ones of his kind. He has lost pace, everybody knows. Why risk losing more of his other qualities? The poser may have been dealt with but the answer certainly hasn’t been made public.

There is also the curious case of Dravid. His exclusion is probably with an eye on the future. So why was such a retrograde step was taken in the first place.

Why was Dravid chosen for the trips to Sri Lanka and South Africa?

That said and done, this isn’t a bad squad. All those who could have been Read more…

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An early exit in the recent Champions Trophy has opened a can of worms in Indian cricket. At a time when the raging debate is about the future of the 50-over cricket, India’s failure to go beyond the league stage has raised a lot of questions, mainly in the bowling department.

In this backdrop, the Challenger Series for the NKP Salve Trophy among the best available India players, including M. S. Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Abhishek Nayar, Yusuf Pathan, Ishant Sharma and Suresh Raina who returned from South Africa, will acquire much significance.

Otherwise, the tournament, at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium here from Thursday — that coincides with the richest cricketing event, the Champions League — would have been reduced to just another in the BCCI calendar.

Eight of the India players involved in the Champions Trophy — Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik, Ashish Nehra, Amit Sharma, R.P. Singh, Rahul Dravid, Praveen Kumar and Virat Kohli — will be turning out for their respective franchisees in the T20 competition, giving more players, some hardly known outside their states, a chance to rub shoulders with the likes of Harbhajan and Dhoni.

Dhiraj Goswami from Assam, Jalaj Saxena from Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand’s Ishank Jaggi and Maharashtra’s Ameya Shrikhande are a few of the little-known players who would be keen to make an impression.

Performances in the Challengers have often been considered for India selection. Though major changes in the Indian squad are not expected as Dhoni’s men look to bury the forgettable Champions Trophy and take on the winners Australia in a seven-match ODI series starting in Baroda on October 25, the selectors also do not want to send wrong signals by Read more…

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When India went into the Champions Trophy, we all knew they wouldn’t be the same side as they were for the 18 months, as there was no Zaheer Khan or Virender Sehwag, and injury to Yuvraj Singh worsened the matter.

But absence of these big players, gave youngsters a golden opportunity to put their hands up and shine on the international platform like these absent biggies did a few years back (Yuvraj and Zaheer made international debut during 2000 Champions Trophy in Nairobi), but they failed to grab the attention. Only Virat Kohli managed to make an impression, and that too in the last match when the Champions Trophy campaign was all over for India.

It is obvious that when these players come back into the side, India can again boast of being a tougher and a more competitive team.

But the question is, do we really have the bench-strength to make the Indian team consistently a top side? Are we really grooming talents for the international arena?

Yusuf Pathan has shown his prowess and potential in the IPL but has failed to carry it to the international level. Suresh Raina has come off good and looks promising for the future. Virat and Rohit Sharma are the other two batsmen who have everything needed for becoming successful at the international level but the duo lacks consistency.

Some time back India had a sweet dilemma of picking two or three pacers from the bunch that had RP Singh, Sreesanth, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Ishant Sharma with Zaheer Khan Read more…

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It’s an indication of how well matched the teams at the Champions Trophy are, or the result of some capricious pitches, that three of the fancied teams are on their way home well before the end of the tournament. Early season tracks were always expected to be unpredictable, especially after a very dry winter here, but this has had a touch of Russian roulette to it. Teams like to know what conditions are likely to be but it is also a measure of skill when you have to adapt quickly to something unexpected. From that point of view, the cricket has been good.

India didn’t adapt well enough. The bowlers conceded too many against Pakistan and, to be completely honest, were in the process of allowing Australia to put up a match-winning score when the rain arrived. The bowling was the real issue here, not the absence of key players. True, you cannot substitute a Yuvraj or a Zaheer easily, or in this kind of form a Sehwag, but that is the reality of all sport. Teams that rely on specific individuals will always be vulnerable. India need 15 or 16 players playing at a certain level and currently while that could be true of the batting, it isn’t of the bowling.

It might have been a throwaway line from Dhoni when he said that at times he felt he was three bowlers short. In fact in the game against Pakistan, at the 38 over mark, he could have looked around the ground and not found one player he could confidently throw the ball to. Harbhajan Singh, his most experienced bowler, and the bowler who really should have been his bank, his go-to bowler, had an average tournament. But most dramatic, and disappointing for Indian cricket, was the decline of Ishant Sharma and RP Singh. Coming on the heels of similar problems with Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel and Sreesanth, it is a question that requires a very serious assessement. Good bowlers bowl well for ten years with the occasional bad period in between, not for two years or a season here and a season there. Could it be too much cricket? Could it too much in the mind? Could it be too little in it?

Inevitably then, the question will be what next? India cannot afford to lose Ishant and RP Singh but for the moment, a period of contemplation might be right. I wonder if players Read more…

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Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said after losing to Pakistan that India were three bowlers short. This was true, after a fashion. Harbhajan Singh had an off day, and so did the rest with the exception of Ashish Nehra. But what the skipper didn’t say was that India had eliminated one of the modes of dismissal. Except when they batted. The run out was not a part of the Indian planning when Pakistan were batting, but played a major role in dismissing the top two Indian batsmen, Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid.

Most international teams take the field knowing there is nothing like an early run out to scatter the enemy. It peps up the fielding side, and causes corrosive introspection in the batting side. The batsman at fault, if he lives on, carries with him the guilt of survival. It is not an accident that the word associated with a run out most often is ‘suicidal’. A run out implies waste, pointlessness, futility. Top fielding sides know they have an extra wicket-taker in their armoury when they have an outstanding fielder at cover point or within the 30-yard circle who can cut short an innings in its prime.

No Indian fielder is guaranteed to hit the stumps even when he deigns to attempt to do so. Fielding coach Robin Singh was a superb all-round fielder in his playing days, taking blinders close-in or athletically chasing down everything and throwing in flat from the deep. But, Suresh Raina and possibly Virat Kohli apart, and they too not consistently, the Indian fielders neither attack the ball nor threaten any time.

To add to this lethargy is the attitude of the wicketkeeper or the fielder receiving the throw when there is a chance of a run out. Dhoni usually receives standing between the fielder and the stumps, which means he needs to have eyes at the back of his head and take an extra swing of the arm. What happened to the classic method of standing behind the stumps so no time is wasted? The difference between a wicket and a safe run is just a split second, and Dhoni’s reluctance to follow the basics is appalling. If a schoolboy wicketkeeper received Read more…

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