Indian Oil Cup - Ind vs. WI

West Indies win the toss and elect to bat. Still no place for Anil Kumble in the side. I thought this is a little bit surprising considering they were a bowler short in the previous match and West Indies should be a team India should approach with a little more confidence.

Ind Innings

Ind win by 6 wickets
36 overs 180/4 - Sorry about the lack of updates for the Indian innings. Dozed off for a while and then it got pretty interesting in the middle. Thought it might be a routine run-chase, but it got a little hairy for the top order partly due to the WI opening bowlers. Both Powell and Lawson got pace and bounce off the wicket and Sehwag disappeared off the second ball of the innings. Raina was dropped twice and swayed out of the way of some well-directed bouncers. But the enthusiasm also produced some wayward deliveries and dropped catches. Raina particularily showed some attacking instincts. Good to see the young batsman get some runs after his first ball dismissal yesterday. Tino Best also bowled some pacy deliveries and troubled Yuvraj Singh in particular. It was good to see Yuvraj spend some time in the middle. But he again got out after playing himself in. In the end it was the cool head of Dravid again that saw India through with plenty to spare and a bonus point in the kitty. Dravid has looked really good in the two matches so far both with his captaincy and his batting. It was a good move to give Kaif a chance at the top of the order to run into some form. The Indian batting still looks rusty, but the bowling has been consistent. It might be interesting to see how Dravid reacts to a rampaging Jayasuriya or a Sangakkara. West Indies came out and fought well, but there is too much inexperience and poor technique at the top of the order. They show spirit but just end up doing a few daft things in the field that keeps costing them the match. A little bit of experience and they might turn into a really good team. But with their current form and ability, I don't see them winning a game in this tournament.

WI Innings

47.3 overs 178 all out - Well! Disappointing cricket all around. Dropped catches, misfields and some senseless batting from WI ensures that India has a fairly comfortable chase in the end. Sehwag redeemed himself somewhat by getting the Windies top scorer Deonarine LBW for 41. But Best came in and smashed a few around. The wicketkeeper Ramadhin looks like a good test batsman, but just struggled to get the ball of the square. Nehra then got 2 in two balls when Ramadhin went for a wild swipe and missed and Darren Powell got an inside edge to his stumps. When we all expected Best to sheperd the strike to ensure WI plays the 50 overs, he tried to smash one out of the ground off Zaheer and got caught at long on for 24.

This has not been a terribly impressive display by India in the field. They just went off the boil a little bit and made a few basic mistakes. And Greg Chappell, who has emphasized so much on getting the basics right will not be impressed with a few balls going through flapping legs and awkward fielding efforts. The bowling was tight from the regular bowlers without being extraordinary. India should do this easily. Apparently, Kaif will be opening with Sehwag, and Raina will be coming in at number 3.

33.2 overs 109-6 - Dwayne Smith smashed 20 runs from 7 balls off Sehwag and Raina and is caught behind by an absolutely beautiful doosra from Harbhajan. The wicketkeeper Ramadhin is in and he played well in the test series. He is back in a familiar dismal situation. It's interesting to see Dravid's attitude towards his part-timers. Ganguly tended to mix his part-timers around and was a little more adventurous with his bowling changes. Dravid immediately reverts back to his regular bowlers once the part-timers start leaking a few runs. Not sure how to read this, but this strategy could backfire if one of the regular bowlers has a bad day and India persists with its 4 bowler approach.

31.1 overs 84-5 - Powell bowled by Sehwag through the gate. Should have waited a couple of minutes before writing all that I wrote below about Powell. Dwayne Smith is in and has smashed his first two balls for 4 and 6.

30.3 overs 84-4 - Raina gets Chanderpaul plumb in front, his first international wicket. Chanderpaul had a 52 run partnership with Deonarine. Deonarine cracked Sehwag for a huge six and there seemed to be an up in the tempo with Raina and Sehwag bowling in tandem. Raina isn't turning the ball at all and it was strange to see Chanderpaul trying to sweep an absolute straight ball. Ricardo Powell in and this is interesting. Cast your mind back to Coca Cola cup 1999 and Powell hammered the Indians, scored 100 odd in 80 balls.

Dog interruption on the field. Wait a minute, two dogs out there.

25 overs 57-3 - A painful grind this for WI. Chanderpaul got a huge let off when Sehwag put down a sitter at 2nd slip. Sehwag's looked off color on the field even in the first match. But the batsmen have simply not put the bowlers under any pressure. Nehra has gotten away with about 4 half-volleys on leg stump. Drinks have been called and Srinath gives his analysis for the first half of the WI innings...groan! Sehwag is in now, and hopefully Chanderpaul and Deonarine can push the scoring along.

13.3 overs 32-3 - Harbhajan gets Marshall off the 3rd ball of his spell. Big off-spinner first ball, Doosra second ball and the straight arm ball to get him caught in the slips. All the variations in the first 3 balls. Marshall scored 26 of the 32 runs so far. Chanderpaul in and obviously he is the key batsman for WI. Good captaincy by Dravid, slip and silly point for both batsmen for Harbhajan.

Rain interruption again!

9.1 overs 23-2 - If there was ever evidence needed of inexperience, this is it. Absolutely silly attempt of a second run with the ball inside the circle and Raina's getting a little bit of a reputation here. Joseph is gone and to make matters worse, their first run wasn't counted because Marshall grounded his bat well short of the crease while turning back for the second. Deonarine in and that's weird because Chanderpaul was slotted to come in. He's probably holding himself back for a more desperate situation. It might come very soon. Good to have Tony Cozier in the commentary box. Hearing him after a long time.

2.4 overs 1/1 - Pathan gets Morton LBW. Pathan has had a beautiful shape on the ball so far and has rapped the pads about 4 times already. This time he gets the perfect inswinger and Morton just doesn't have the technique to counter it. Sylvester Joseph the new batsman in.

Covers off - Xavier Marshall and Runako Morton opening the batting. Marshall had a bad time against Chaminda Vass's inswing in the test matches. Will keep Pathan interested.

Update - Rain has delayed the start of the match. Kinda disappointing. Apparently the Sri Lankan groundsmen are the best when it comes to predicting rain. No weather forecasts needed, just a look up to the sky and they are in with the covers even before the rain comes down.

Indian Oil Cup - Ind vs. SL

Final thoughts on the match
There was never any doubt who were favorites going into this match. And in the end, it was experience that won the match for SL. Jayasuriya's injury was a blessing in disguise as he guided his younger players with him till the end. And that's where India came unstuck having Rao and Raina in the middle order. Rao played well and showed good signs, but perhaps just needed a stronger batsman at the other end. Dravid's captaincy was agressive and proactive and his batting was measured and calm. But he and Greg Chappell would do well to reconsider India's age old tactics of 7 batsmen and 4 bowlers. The situation after the 40th over in the SL innings just needed the mean accuracy of Kumble to squeeze some pressure on the batsmen. Tommorow should see India post their first victory of the tournament over West Indies, but they need to win comfortably to get some confidence for the tournament ahead. As for SL, their top order still looks out of sorts and they almost lost it in the end. Jayawardane is a real worry for them, he just seems to mentally switch off at times and throw his wicket away. Jayasuriya was declared MOM, though I felt they could have given it to the debutant Lokuhettige for his excellent bowling and quickfire 21 when runs were hard to come by.

SL innings

Atapattu and Sangakkara opening for SL. No word on Jayasuriya yet. Pathan bowling first up. On a side note, Javagal Srinath is a commentator here. I don't have any special regards for his writing skills but his commentating is pathetic. Lot of personal rants against batsmen being captains and not understanding bowlers' needs...Yawn!

SL win by 3 wickets - Maharoof played a good little cameo and most importantly stayed with Jayasuriya till the end. The difference in the end in a low scoring match ended up being Sehwag's bowling figures. What match to start of the tournament!

40.3 overs 172/7 - Zaheer gets Chandana caught behind trying to tickle it down to thirdman. This had been an attacking partnership and Jayasuriya's batting beautifully. Good to get into the tail and now put some real pressure on Jayasuriya. Interesting to note Jayasuriya slapping his bat on the ground after that daft shot from Chandana. Don't usually see him too animated while batting. Dravid's doing this well, setting attacking fields pretty much throughout the innings.

32.2 overs 140/6 - Pathan gets Lokuhettige bowled off an inside edge. Well! Dravid's bowling changes seem to be working well here. This should definitely get Chandana in. Boy! What a game this is turning out to be.

32 overs 139/5 - Well! Now it makes sense why they sent Lokuhettige. He's on 20 of 13 balls including a huge six off Sehwag. Jayasuriya is batting well, taking a single and getting the strike to the youngster. It's drinks now and Srinath is back going yada-yada over India not going in with a fifth bowler. I think he makes a good point. Just wish he didn't make it sound so personal.

29.4 overs 112/5 - Arnold gone and Harbhajan's got two. That was awesome, bowled off spinners throughout and then slipped in the straight fast one right through Arnold's gate. Arnold had no clue at all. This is going down to the wire. Suprising that Lokuhettige is coming in. Thought Chandana should be coming in.

27 overs 104/4 - Perfect timing! Harbhajan gets Dilshan LBW. Dilshan going for a sweep and is caught plumb in front. As I write this, I hear a huge roar and it can only mean Jayasuriya is in. This looks like it's going to be a close one.

26 overs 102/3 - Good strong partnership between Arnold and Dilshan here. Jayasuriya seems to have got some repair work done to his shoulder. He might be the next man in. The match is still a little tight. A wicket here and it's Chandana, an injured Jayasuriya and the tail. Dilshan encountered a torrid time with his first run coming off his 21st delivery. But he's looked pretty good from there. And it's about time Dravid has to get his fifth bowler. This might be the crucial time in this innings. A wicket here and India could get it back all even. At this moment, it looks to be SL's game.

15.3 overs 60/3 - Jayawardane gone! Absolute beauty from Zaheer, a little bit of swing into the batsman and through the gate to rattle the stumps. And I was just wondering if Zaheer should be taken off. The problem Dravid has is the 10 overs from Sehwag and Yuvraj. Arnold in and game definitely on.

13.1 overs 55/2 - Brilliant piece of fielding from Raina. Direct hit with one stump to aim at and Atapattu's gone. This has been a match of strange captaincy. Dravid has Pathan and Zaheer still going despite a few errors in line and length from both bowlers. I would have thought he might have bought Nehra or Harbhajan in at some point. Dilshan in to bat. Still no Jayasuriya.

4.3 overs 19/1 - Pathan gets Sangakkara LBW with a beauty. Swings in the air and catches him right in front of middle. Big big wicket. Sangakkara was looking in brilliant form smashing Zaheer for 10 off his second over. Gets Jayawardane to the crease. Zaheer Khan looks out of sorts but Pathan seems to have a good rythmn going.

Indian innings

50 overs 205/9 - Murali spun his web around the Indian lower-order and it was pretty desperate stuff at one stage at 159-8 in the 43rd over. Pathan and Rao batted well but slowly to stitch together a 37 run partnership. But Murali got Pathan caught in the deep and Rao caught behind off his 5th and 6th delivery of his 9th over. And then Atapattu did the inexplicable and got Fernando and Arnold bowling. Why would you deny a man on a hat-trick an over with two tail-enders out there with no chance of picking his deliveries? Fernando got belted by Harbhajan and Zaheer and ended up conceding 61 off his 10. It might prove to be crucial given the only two teams have ever chased more than 200 on this ground before.

And to add to the drama, when Murali eventually came back, Harbhajan reverse-swept him on his hat-trick ball. Harbhajan and Zaheer added 43 off 33 balls and got the Indians past the psychological 200 mark. With speculation on whether Jayasuriya might bat, these extra runs might be crucial. I think Atapattu missed a trick here. He had India on the mat but bowled his part-timers for too long instead of going for the kill. I also think the Indian think tank made an error by sending in two debutants at 5 and 6. Venugopal Rao looks an accomplished batsman but not one to hit a few out of the ground. He was clearly not comfortable trying to force the pace. Might make sense in the next match to have either Kaif or Yuvraj bat there and give maybe Rao a chance higher up. I say Rao because, given his first ball dismissal, Raina might have to make way for Laxman in the next match.

A total of 205 gives Pathan and co. a reasonable target to defend and the history of the ground suggests that the ball tends to zip around in the evening session. A few early wickets and this might be a cracker of a match. Stay tuned!

32.5 overs 122/6 - Dravid goes, bowled around his legs by Chandana for 54. This is a huge wicket for the Sri Lankans. Dravid just looked to up the tempo with Murali off the attack. This brings us to the tail. Pathan is in.

30 overs 108/5 - This has been a good fightback from the Indians. Rao did ride his luck with a few lucky edges. Dravid is batting solid on 43. The plan is to keep Murali out and then get a few off the other bowlers. Chandana doesn't look as threatening. If the Indians can keep this going for another 10 overs, then they should be well set up to get as close to the 220 that looks like a good score for this pitch. It's a little two-paced and should give Harbhajan Singh a good chance on this pitch.

19.1 overs 63/5 - India in dire straits now. Kaif got one that stopped on him and he had to check his drive at the last minute. Couldn't keep it down and Murali takes a good one. And then Murali gets Suresh Raina first ball with a peach of a doosra. Raina had no idea at all. This brings in the next debutant Venugopal Rao. Another interesting update is that Jayasuriya has dislocated his shoulder due to a painful spill on the field. Might be interesting to see if he comes out to bat.

14 overs, 44/3 - Sorry about the delay guys. Couldn't access blogger.com for a while. But the story so far, Dravid won the toss and elected to bat. Laxman withdrew at the start of the match with back spasms. So two debutants for India, Venugopal Rao and Suresh Raina. But have been watching the match through this time. Strange happenings, Sehwag hammered for a while, Dhoni swished and Yuvraj Singh played a dreadful pull shot. The wicket looks painfully slow and the Sri Lankan bowlers are doing the basics right. Maharoof and the new guy Loukahettige are just putting it on a length and keeping it tight. So far looking par for about 220-240.

The Indian Oil Cup - Uhh..what now?

The good part about the Indian Oil Cup is that it comes at a time when the focus of the cricketing fraternity is on the big battle up north between the old foes. This gives the teams some breathing space in terms of performance and also some time to iron out some deficiencies before the long season ahead. The outcome of this tournament is not really important to the three teams as much as identifying a core group of players who can take them to the 2007 World cup. The sad part about this triangular is that this could have been a cracking contest had the contracts dispute in the Windies been resolved and the likes of Lara, Gayle and Sarwan been there. Now its just a tournament where the teams appearing in the final is a foregone conclusion and Windies play the role Bangladesh played in the Natwest series, hoping for an upset here and a bit of international exposure for some of the kids in the team.

Of the three teams Sri Lanka seem to easily be the favorites to take the cup. They have a more settled look to their side with the old guns Atapattu and Jayasuriya in there. Jayawardane didn't exactly rattle the cages in the test series but is a class player and Sangakkara is in brilliant form, making his omission from the World XI for the super-series puzzling. The bowling attack has been similar for a while and their tactics have remained the same at home; choke the runs with a bunch of slow bowlers and let the opposition try their luck with that man, Murali. A more important concern for the team would be to find a reliable opening partner for Jayasuriya. India on the other hand is here without Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly, something that has not happened for a while. And even though Ganguly's ban has been reduced, it will be interesting to see if he is drafted into the team, especially if one of the younger players (Suresh Raina most probably) fires in the opening matches. Also interesting for India will be the captaincy of Rahul Dravid. He is leading this team for a full series for the first time, and his methods might be food for thought for the selectors who have subtly indicated that Ganguly's days might be numbered if his poor form continues. As for West Indies, they have nothing to lose and are probably in the best position to show some spirit in the field. They did show some fight in the two test matches which indicates they have some talent. The one-dayers might give them a chance to spring a surprise or two. The series also marks the ODI debut for Tom Moody and overall debut for Greg Chappell as international coaches. Even though it would be too early to judge their methods, it might provide an insight into their vision for the teams.

I've bought the live streaming webcast package for the first two India matches over the weekend and the finals next weekend. I'll be trying my hand at live blogging for these two games ah la Will & Avinash. Hope it's as much fun as it looks on the blog. If not, I'll just go back to writing reviews at the end of the match. Much easier and you can read everybody else's opinion before forming yours :-).

Elsewhere New Zealand leave for their Zimbabwe tour...ho hum.

Coverage of the Indian Oil Cup at Cricinfo.

This is why we need a six :-)

A wonderful read from Anecdotage...

"If you think it is mathematically or athletically impossible to concede more than 36 runs in an over, think again. The Times Diary notes the unusual performance of one 'Cogg,' whose first name was not preserved in the annals of cricket history. "It happened in Western Australia in 1894 and legend has it that Cogg approached the visiting batsman in a slow, loping jog. He sent off a ball which filled the batsman with no fear whatsoever, as this gentleman dispatched it with such force that it cleared the boundary still sufficiently airborne to land in a nearby tree. There it was caught very firmly and held in the fork between three branches. "The umpire, being a man who knew his rules and who was obviously blessed with better eyesight than some of his modern-day contemporaries, noted that the ball was still visible and had not reached the ground. Therefore, he ruled, the batsmen should carry on running. "Two fielders attempted to retrieve the ball by climbing the tree, but the lower branches could not handle their weight and collapsed. As staring at the ball did not help, a team decision was taken to chop the tree down. This resulted in a lengthy search for an axe, complicated by the nervous tension caused by seeing the other team's batsmen still running, albeit now at a more leisurely pace. "Eventually concensus was reached that the search for an axe was as fruitless as staring or swearing at the ball. The quest for an axe was not entirely in vain, however, as it did produce a rifle. This being the best available instrument of retrieval, the afternoon calm was disturbed by the angry sound of rifle shots as the fielding team attempted to shoot the ball down. "They finally gave up when they realised the visitors had declared after completing 286 runs. The two batsmen were no longer running and the entire team had retired to the stands, from where they were showing their appreciation for the extravagant fielding of the home side."

Ashes 3rd & 4th day review - The Return of the Kings

"At 100 for 3 in their second innings we had an opportunity to take the game by the scruff of the neck, but we didn't and that became the story of the game."

-Michael Vaughan (Cricinfo)

From an opening day that conjured dreams of a changing of guard to a shambolic collapse that saw the last 4 batsmen out for nought, England have risen and fallen like many among the tribe of Atherton and Hussain. Like India discovered last year after being beaten at home, this Australian team only gives you a few bites at the cherry and if you don't take them, you might as well consign yourselves to starving. And to know that the old tormentors, Mcgrath and Warne did it again so easily for the Aussies must not only be worrying for England, but must be a huge moral dampener for Harmy and co. who bowled their hearts out to make a match out of this.

The third day started with the Aussies on 279/7 with an overall lead of 314. It was generally agreed that anything under 400 would keep England interested and the Aussies a little wary with Flintoff and Pieterson in the ranks. But Simon Katich, who has easily been the best Aussie batsman on view in the first test, batted beautifully and coaxed another 105 runs out of the last 3. It's a tribute to the Aussie spirit that even Mcgrath (Avg. 7.12) scored a vital 20 to contribute with the bat. England started well enough to see off Mcgrath and Lee and finally post a fighting opening stand. But as soon as Warne came on, the complexion of the match changed. Both Trescothick and Strauss looked visibly uncomfortable and Tresco decided that an all out attack would serve him well. But that didn't last long and after Strauss played a strange shot and was brilliantly caught by Lee, a procession of out of form batsmen followed. Only Pieterson redeemed himself with a typically attacking innings of 64, but that couldn't make up for his match turning dropped catch of Clarke. And the tail was not as much blown away as it was scornfully thrown away by Mcgrath like a kid tired of his new toy. 239 runs is a huge margin of defeat and Vaughan and Fletcher have plenty to think about.

But it's not all rosy for the Aussies. Hayden and Ponting are still struggling with their game, Gillespie sleep walked through this test match and Lee looks a much better bowler but still lacks the all important ingredient of a great bowler; the ability to run through a side. Take Mcgrath and Warne out of this attack and the cupboard looks bare for the Aussies. But while these two bowlers are around, as much as we would like to see them show their age, let's celebrate them for their incredible achievements and their absolute genius with a ball in hand. The game is richer for that. Final shot...

"I wouldn't say we've destroyed their confidence, but we've gone some way towards doing that."

-Ricky Ponting (Cricinfo)

Battle of the tail-enders

The top order's been breaking, there just ain't no glue...

It required a strong tail, to get 'em outta the blue...

So I have this poll through the Ashes, which one will get his due?

I choose Warney, what about you?

Ashes Day 2 Review - The day of the debutants

And what of Kevin Pietersen's dropped catch, when Clarke had only made 21? "Yeah, I think I owe Kevin a beer or two ..."
-I owe Kevin a beer or two (Cricinfo)

Today was the day where two players playing their first Ashes test stamped their mark for rivalries in years to come. There is a lot in common about the entry of Clarke and Pieterson into cricket. Both these players made an astonishing mark in the one-day game before they entered the Test arena. And both these players forced two ageing but brilliant cricketers out of the test side, though Lehmann didn't play as many tests as Thorpe did.

The morning marked Pieterson's counter-attack against the man unplayable on the first day. It must have been a bit of a shock for Mcgrath to see 3 balls disappear for 4,6,4 as Pieterson raced to his half-century. Harmy and Jones slogged as best as they knew and coaxed the total to 155; within striking distance of the Aussies. When the Aussies came out a second time, Langer got run out from another piece of brilliance from KP. When Hayden and Ponting disappeared, things looked a bit wobbly at 100/3. But a sedate start and the company of a solid Damien Martyn ensured that Clarke first played himself him and then unfurled some gorgeous shots. When he eventually got out owing to frustration and some good captaincy, he had spanked 91 of 106 balls with 15 boundaries finally laying to rest the debate about any demons in the pitch. The last 9 overs of the day produced 24 runs and 4 wickets, and at 279/7, the game is brilliantly poised for an absorbing day tommorow. If England can blow away the tail like they did in the first innings, they have 2 days and a bit to get about 350. At this stage, Australia still ahead but only by an inch. Final shot...

Pietersen's debut was hyped like no-one's since Graeme Hick for England, and he admitted to a few nerves before he finally went in to bat yesterday. "There was a lot of talk about how I'd bat if England were 50 for 3 or 60 for 3 or whatever. And, whew, we were 20 for 5, weren't we?! But I enjoyed it this morning, having the freedom to smack a few."

-I owe Kevin a beer or two (Cricinfo)

Blower's quote of the day,

"Rudi Coertzen shakes his head firmly as a rather disgruntled pigeon flies across the ground. Probably lost its way and saw Martyn and Clarke again and decided it's going in circles"

-after the umpire turned down an LBW appeal from Simon Jones.

Ashes Day 1 Review - Up yours Hoggy!

"Hoggard, 28, challenged McGrath to make it to the end of the five-Test series in September. "It's going to be tough on the body, it'll be interesting to see if he is the world-class bowler he was..."
-Aussie age a target (Cricinfo)

Well Hoggy! Your top order didn't see enough of him today did they? What an incredible day of test cricket. Most news headlines today would say "Day 1 belongs to Australia" like they have for the past decade (barring another astonishing day in Edbagston '97). But this time it was different. Sometime after Harmison clanged Langer, Hayden and Ponting, it was pretty evident that this was the start of a refreshing change. The memorable opening overs in past Ashes have been the maulings Defraites and Gough got in '94 and '01. It is a little weird why the Aussies didn't buckle down for a bit after they lost their top 5. Giles didn't even get a bowl in the Aussie innings. Gilly played in the way he knows best and Warne flayed it around a bit. But they were never going to last long. Katich looked the most accomplished of batsmen on either side.

If Harmy bounced his way past the Aussies, Mcgrath homed in on his favorite line and length and let the pitch and the batsmen do the rest. It was good to see the two Ashes debutants, Jones and Pieterson make a superb fightback. KP finally proved that he belongs among the big boys in tests too, and Thorpe might book that ticket to NSW a little early. So was the pitch a nightmare? Mcgrath reckoned it was an ordinary first-day pitch but Harmy thought it wasn't bad enough for 17 wickets. The worry for the Aussies; Gillespie's continued lacklustre bowling. Final shot...

"Someone asked whether McGrath had seen all the pre-match hype about how the Australian fast bowlers were over the hill and ready for a pasting. He smiled. "Yeah, I had a bit of a laugh when I read it."

I'm following the match on BBC radio with Jonathan Agnew, Henry Blofeld, Mike Gatting and...hold yer breath lads...Merv Hughes!! Here are a couple of priceless moments.

Merv: "Aww c'mon! He was only a bit over..."

Aggers (in mild irritation): "He only needs to be a bit over, Merv."

-after Brett Lee had Giles caught off a no-ball

Blowers: "This is an excellent fightback by Vaughan...oh dear! Vaughan's not out there now, is he?"

-after Jones smacked Gillespie for another boundary, Blowers probably woke up for the first time after tea.

Bring on the gladiators!

Two days to go before the most awaited and hyped series in recent times commences. Even Glenn Mcgrath, the king of opposition belittling has shown a soft and wary side to him. First he paid Harmison a compliment and then just about admitted that Pieterson's first class record indicated that he might be ready for the step up. Of course, mean ol' thing that he is, he promised a rough welcome to all the Ashes debutants while planning his 500th Test wicket.

For the first time since the India series, the Aussies are playing with a point to prove. Mcgrath wants his 500 and show the world that he still has the legs to last until the 2007 world cup. Warne wants to put his personal afflictions on the back burner and go past 600. Lee is coming in after 18 months. Kasper and Gillespie want to put their horrendous one-day maulings behind them. Michael Clarke has hardly scored a run and has Katich and Hussey breathing down his back. Hayden and Ponting want to get back among the top tier of batsmen in the world. And add to that the fact that this might be the last Ashes for a number of them...it's been a long time since we saw so many Aussies having a personal worry or two. And that's where opinion gets divided. While this gives England their best chance in years, it also makes this Aussie team hungrier than ever.

Off all things Ashes, I am interested in watching how the careers of Gillespie, Kasprowicz and Giles change after this. Dizzy and Kasper are pretty much consigned to fighting for the third seamer's spot for a while unless Lee does something horribly wrong or Mcgrath gets injured/decides to retire. Giles is holding on to his spot on the strength of his improved batting and lack of spinning options for the hosts. He did have a phenomenal 2004 capped by his being named Wisden Cricketer of the Year. But a bad series with bat and ball will definitely bring out the old critics calling for his neck.

And finally the two captains, who not only need to get it right on the field but desperately need a good series with the bat as they are vital cogs at number 3. Both Vaughan and Ponting have shown themselves to be decent leaders, but this will be the iron test which could decide the future of their captaincy.

So my take on this, if Australia win comfortably at Lords, the Ashes is over. If England win, series on! Final score, Aussies win 3-1, with one test being washed out ;-). Enough with the previews, let's get on with the show.

EA Sports - Cricket 2005 anyone?

Let's face it. The only people picking up a cricket game are the hardcore cricket fans. It's easily the hardest game to pull off for the PC or the console. There are just too many individual styles to model if you have to impress the hardcore fan. And when you see Glenn Mcgrath and Mashrafe Mortaza ("Who" you ask? C'mon guys, the Bangladesh opening bowler) bowling with the same action and speed, it kinda puts you off. Thus goes the story of EA Sports' Cricket series. I've played the 97, 2000, 2002 and the 2004 versions of this game. The game engine and the graphics have improved considerably over time. Unfortunately the gameplay hasn't. Especially when it comes to bowling. And this is the only time that Richie Benaud will really grate your nerves. I haven't played Brian Lara cricket, and that's generally been a better rated game.


And now Cricket 2005 is out and the consensus ain't that good. Check out the reviews here. Going by looks, this doesn't look all that different from 2004. Check out the screenshot above of 2004 and the one on the left of 2005. Anybody try this game? I have played only the PC versions. Is it a little better on PS2/XBox?


If you are interested in the game you can get it here. I wonder why they put Daniel Vettori on the cover.

A word about the London blasts

My deepest condolences go out to all those affected by these acts of barbarism. Though it is wierd why the MCC and ECB would allow the games to continue. Life must go on but sufficient time must also be given to recover from a tragedy. A massive amount of security and medical resources are being used for two meaningless one-day games when they could be required elsewhere.

Also puts into perspective, ECB's refusal to play in Karachi...

Just more, not merrier!

So the first one dayer with the new rules ended with England winning and the Aussies groaning about when they can just get on with the main course. The two supersubs didn't do much in the game, though Hogg took the only English wicket to fall. The new rules really didn't make much of an impact and time will tell how much of a success they will be. And this begs the question, is cricket in its current state good enough to warrant expansion in other countries?

Cricket, unlike other sports, has held on to its somewhat elitist and aloof nature. The game for too long had been nurtured and protected by the old-school romantics. That's why the ICC trophy is a noble effort to promote the game in newer countries and give them a chance to compete in the World Cup. But even with the beaten-to-death phrase of "cricket's glorius uncertainties", its difficult to imagine these countries being able to sustain the level of competition. It's a tough call to be able to give them exposure and at the same time prevent too many one-sided games. And that has been one-day cricket's inherent problem in the last 6 years (let's leave test cricket aside). The high proportion of unimportant, one-sided matches. The last world cup saw Namibia, Netherlands and Canada in the fray with the big boys. And despite John Davison's brilliant century against the Windies, how many matches from the last World cup can you actually remember? The final obviously, which in its total one-sidedness could almost rival the mauling Pakistan got in the 1999 edition. SAF-Windies, Eng-Aus and the Ind-Pak encounters are all I can recall. There were talks among journalists and cricketers about the length of the tournament and the tiring schedule. And thats the other problem, the schedule. Add Bermuda, Ireland, Kenya and say Scotland into the picture and there is no off season for the players. The injuries would never heal, the importance of bench strength becomes bigger and careers would be shortened given the workload. Not to mention the cheap runs and wickets that can be collected against these minnows. That would also lessen the number of test matches that are played, and being somewhat of a romantic myself, I'd hate to see that.

Commercially speaking, cricket promises huge potential for sponsors. Which other sport allows you to show commercials every two minutes in the game? And this even after you've decorated the ground and the players with your logo. But when you look at the largest untapped market, the US, how do you sell a game that needs 5 days to come to a decision (or maybe not) or an 8 hour affair in a single day to people who are bred on the more fast-paced fare of football, basketball or Nascar? This is the fine balance the ICC and other countries have to strike; to create an entertaining medium without diluting the history and spirit of the game. Twenty-Twenty promises much but needs a whole sea change in the attitude of the players before they, including the Aussies, stop laughing it off. Sure! We'd love more teams and more action on the field. But we don't want to effectively end the terms "grafter", "anchor" and "flight and loop" in cricket. After all, didn't we all love watching Dravid or Thorpe fight to save a match or Warne's leg-break drift in to leg and hit off?

The power of hope...

Hope is a beautiful thing in sport. It's the light at the end of a long and despairing tunnel. It's the reason Tatenda Taibu dons his Zimbabwe colors despite yet another politician crying out for his country's ban. It's the reason Dav Whatmore gets up in the morning and goes to work despite yet another walloping. It's the reason Saurav Ganguly fights for yet another youngster despite his own place in the team being doubtful...and its the reason why the cricket fan in Trinidad pays his hard-earned cash and dances to yet another calypso rythm while he watches a game Brian Lara decided not to play because WICB and Digicel hurt his ego.

As WICB, WIPA, Digicel and Cable & Wireless square up for their latest showdown, you wonder if they actually care about the cricketers who sacrifice education, time with their loved ones and strive hard to become one of the best 11 in their country. You wonder if they actually care about cricket fans who bring their kids who might one day become cricketers. When the future of a game hangs by the decision on a disputed contract clause, it becomes a situation worse than fixing the outcome of a match. Fazeer Mohammed in an excellent article on Cricinfo outlines the state of bemusement and chaos that exists in the Windies right now. Here is an excerpt from that article.

"(Roger) Brathwaite maintains that the Board can afford no more, particularly with a tour of Australia still to come in November. It seems to be a reasonable, bottom-line-based position, given that by September, the WICB is forecasting an overall debt position in excess of US$14 million..."

If that is the case why would the board not be more open and forthright in their stand? And why would they resort to such underhanded techniques like trying to recruit the 'A' team players while negotiationg with the WIPA? Here's another excerpt,

"And what of WIPA? Hasn't the same public clamoured for their heroes to stand up to the Board and tell them where to get off, to demand what is rightfully theirs as the true flag-bearers of West Indies Cricket? That is precisely what Dinanath Ramnarine is trying to do. Maybe he is indulging too much in the telling off department and not stressing the rightfully theirs bit enough..."

Player representation is now pretty common in most cricket playing countries. But in these countries their primary goal is to create (or attempt to create) a good working relationship between the players and the board. Isn't that how a good organization works? It is hard to believe that Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle who have potentially more than a decade of cricket left in them, would never regret skipping the flight to Sri Lanka. A professional thrives on challenges, and performing against a team thas has hardly lost anything at home would be a true test of their skills. And what would it do to players like Xavier Marshall, Ryan Ramdass and Narasingh Deonarine when they are discarded when Lara and co. do decide to return? Doesn't WIPA represent the interests of these players too?

So, do I think West Indies can win a match in Sri Lanka? Well, the Natwest series proved that strange things can happen. Do I think they can win the series? Hell no! Do I think that there is an end to this mess?...well, hope is a beautiful thing.

The gloating poms

You know, England might win the Ashes and everybody could be vindicated but here's a collection of articles I call "The Gloating Poms". I'll keep this post updated over the summer.

Snicker, snicker, Mike Atherton's choking over ways to describe the Aussie "downfall"
http://www.sport.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2005/06/26/scathe26.xml&sSheet=/sport/2005/06/26/ixcrick.html
http://www.sport.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2005/06/19/scathe19.xml&sSheet=/sport/2005/06/19/ixcrick.html

and they call the Aussies too old to hold on to their mantle...ouch!
http://sport.guardian.co.uk/ashes2005/story/0,15993,1510411,00.html

...and of course the Aussie pride is hurt.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/cricket/englands-cricket-quality-133-in-commentary-box/2005/06/24/1119321908818.html?oneclick=true
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/sport/story/0,6903,1509990,00.html

John Buchanan's had enough :-D
http://content.cricinfo.com/australia/content/story/212656.html

The psychological edge?

I’m stuck on level 8 of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. So I quit and got to reading a bunch of articles about the Ashes and a strange phenomenon being exchanged so often. So what’s the big deal about a psychological edge? The Aussies have had the psychological edge over the Poms for 18 years. But after losses to Bangladesh, England and sharing the Natwest trophy which they should have won, the long-suffering Englishmen finally have the psychological edge over them. But Strauss and Trescothick have gone out cheap against McGrath and Lee. So maybe these two bowlers have the psychological edge. But wait a minute, apparently Simon Jones has a psychological edge over Hayden, again apparently, after their spat in the previous game. Hmmm…

So what is this thing and how could you lose/gain it in a few weeks what you haven’t/have had for a long time? So like any research-oriented goal-driven person who really wants to know…I googled it. And you expect probably a psychology site or even better, a shrink who explains it. Uh-uh. Pages 1, 2, and 3 of google search return mostly cricket, soccer and some rugby related articles. I think to myself, how could an individual oriented sport like tennis not be there. Didn’t Roger Federer just blast Hewitt and Roddick into despair? Finally I got through to an article from a sports psychologist. Here’s an extract,

“To give a person a psychological edge is to give them the mental strength and motivation to believe in their own skills and hence the ability to exploit the flaws of the opposing player”

Let’s take that definition and apply it to a team sport. For a team to have a psychological edge over another team would involve having them collectively have no doubts in their own ability and be able to consistently exploit the opposing team’s flaws. Hmm…that’s weird because the Natwest series for the teams in question had one win apiece, a washed out game and a tie. And to believe that Trescothick, Strauss, Ponting and Gillespie have no doubts going into the series is kinda hard. The way I see it, we finally have an Ashes contest where we don’t need to put contest in quotation marks anymore.

So anyway back to the psychological edge. Maybe it’s a thing commentators and cricket writers cook up to play up a series more than its worth. Maybe cricketers laugh about it in the confines of their dressing rooms. Maybe it’s something the bookies need to fix the odds of a cricket game…I don’t know. I do know that the only edge Mcgrath is looking for is the edge of an Englishman’s bat. Even better with three slips and a gully. You know what? I’ll give level 8 another shot. Those damn AI driven, computer animated gunmen have such a psychological edge over me.

Confessions of a great cricketer

Hi I’m Sachin Tendulkar. I’m 32 years old and I’m happily married with two beautiful kids. I am a cricketer by profession and have been for the past 16 years. I am extremely fortunate to do something that I love for a living and have earned more than I ever imagined. Of course, it takes a lot out of me and my family that I’m away from them so much. But when you play a sport and represent your country…that takes precedent over anything else right? I have scored almost 24,000 international runs which is more than any other player by a distance. I have scored 72 international centuries and that’s light years more than any other batsman who’s ever played the game. I’m respected by everyone and still rank among the top 10 batsmen bowlers most fear…

I don’t mean to brag about my achievements. These are things I tell myself every time another journalist, ex-cricketer, actor, the paan-bedi shop owner at the corner, or the postman who delivers my mail thinks I should retire or go back to doing what I did at age 24. At age 24, I didn’t have a broken toe, a bad back or an elbow suffering from wear and tear. At age 24 I didn’t have a young family which needed my attention when I was not playing cricket. At age 24, I didn’t have a Sehwag, Dravid or a Ganguly who don’t panic when I’m walking back to the pavilion. I usually had Azharuddin and Jadeja whose commitment to the team ultimately proved to be dubious. People say I don’t win enough matches on my own, like Brian Lara does. With all due respect to Brian Lara, hopefully I won’t end up being on a losing side as much as him. I’ve never had a problem with motivation playing for my country and I’ve never let money get to my head. So why do I always end up on the losing side of an argument about my value to the team?

I usually keep my emotions to myself. I hardly talk to the press and I’m intensely private about my life. But the glare, the criticisms and the unsolicited and useless advice sometimes gets to me. If you’re not a doctor or a physiotherapist, and your name is not Greg Chappell or Saurav Ganguly, please don’t tell me what bat I should use to help my back and elbow, what position I should bat in, how I should be contributing to the team or why my Ferrari and my endorsements should not be distracting me. I love the adulation, respect and awe but 16 years is a long time being in the public eye and the polite façade I put up just slips from time to time. I have 3, maybe 4 years in the game considering the way my body is breaking down. I know my best days are behind me…I’ve accepted it and moved on. Please move on with me…

P.S: I'm not really Sachin Tendulkar.

P.P.S: I'm not a doctor, a physiotherapist and my name is not Greg Chappel or Saurav Gaunguly.

P.P.P.S: I don't give a rat's behind about Sachin's bat, his batting position or his endorsements. I do like his Ferrari though :-).