Insight: Is India truly No.1 test side ?

Champion yet?

The ICC test Rankings must have started to gather some grime and dust as it has remained unchanged at the top spot for a year now. India has held to its numero uno rank despite some close test series. On paper  India is still ahead of England and South Africa by a good 7-point margin as of now. But considering the top clashes scheduled this year, the pecking order might shuffle dramatically. By the end of 2013, the table might favour the side who plays out a good season here.This is a positive sign for International Cricket with Australian invincibility being overthrown by other sides after a long era of predictability at the top. But looking at that Australian squad under Steve Waugh and then Ricky Ponting, one would not hesitate to call them a true world champion side. They not only ruled on paper  but created a 'fear' in minds of opposition. Beating that Aussie line-up was as rare as Sidhu's not laughing on a joke!! Here in this post I will compare that Australian team with current Indian line-up and find out where India needs to plug the gap to become a true no. ONE!!

1. Good core batting line-up: This is indubitably India's forte . A good batting order rarely crumbles and even if it does, it always finds atleast one soldier to rescue the side. In last decade, India have had different heroes who have stood up at different moments. The absence of one player doesn't make the batting helpless. With batters like Sachin, Dravid,Laxman, Sehwag and Gambhir- I would rate this line-up even better than the Aussie line-up of Hayden, Gilly, Ponting, Hussey and  Martin /Clarke.As far as bench strength is concerned, Indian bench of Kohli, Raina and pujara too seems better than North, Hughes and others. Although nobody can fill the shoes of current Indian legends but situation is quite healthy here.All in all, this aspect is well covered.

2. Pace line-up: Although Indian pacers manage to get wickets under the Zaheer spearheaded attack but they are nowhere near the dangerous troika of McGrath, Lee and Gillespee-who made the batsman dance to their tunes. A good bowling unit never lets the pressure off, always making the batter work for his runs. India hasn't found tag teams of bowlers who could bowl in tandem. Getting 20 wickets on flat pitches is a big ask for the side. Moreover,  Aussie bench strength of pacers is more sharp than the injury-prone medium pace attack of India. This is easily India's achilles' heel. After Zaheer's retirement, things seem even more bleak! Wonder what academies at domestic level are doing!

3. Captaincy: A captain is an anchor of the ship-guiding through treachorous waters. Steve Waugh ,as a captain, enthralled me. There was a non-chalance about his ways.Field placements, pressure handling, leading from the front, batting with tailenders- Oh! he was a leader . Dhoni seems to match him in captaincy skills with the calmness but nowhere in batting skills! Ponting ,on the other hand, never was a good captain-I believe. As far as Dhoni remains captain, future is shining for India!

4.Spin Quotient : Champion test teams always have a champion spinner. Australia had it in Warne. Nobody has stepped up after Warne quit the game. Although Stuart McGill showed some glimpses in twilight of his career. India has been a traditional spin warehouse. They may have lost a champion sportsperson in Kumble but Harbhajan has been a reliable option.  Still I think Bhajji hasn't stepped up that much. He seems flat when doesn't toss it up. Otherwise, he's a quality offie who can contain runs .Of late- Mishra, Ashwin, Ojha and Chawla have done their bits in ODIs. But something is still missing in the jigsaw .India needs their own Warne here.Where are the magicmen?!!

5. Pressure of playing away: With Australia , this was never a worry. they seemed to be equally ept on all turfs and in all climates-winning series all over the planet. Not only winning-whitewashing all over the earth. India started improving their dismal away record under the leadership of Ganguly and have gone a notch better under Dhoni. This aspect is not looking a worry anymore for Team India. Good going!

6.Showing aggression : A champion side sees oppurtunity in darkest of situations. Australia never gave up just like that. They came back and won from bad situations. India has become bolder but sometimes the team becomes ultra-defensive like that in last test match in West indies where they could have gone for a win. Under Dhoni, aggression will come natural to the team.

In a  nutshell, India is not yet fiery invincibles but they are a formidable side to beat. They might not yet threaten the oppositions but they are better than 1930 Bradman sena on their day! The coming series against England and Australia will clear the doubts whether their  test top ranking is here to stay or not. I should better stop speaking and let the team 's actions speak for themselves!

CHAMPIONS AREN'T BORN . THEY ARE MADE.

The wall that inspires

Determined as ever!

It has been around 12 years since I've been following cricket.In this considerably long duration I have always admired test cricket more than its baby versions just because of the sheer test of patience and determination it entails.It's even better when legendary players battle it out in adverse conditions-Swinging ball on a windy day with fierce pace on display.Such adversities separate the wheat from the chaff.The run-pelters without any inkling of technique fizzle out and the best in the business show their class.That innings of theirs ,with jaw dropping drives -that seem majestic and breath-taking square cuts, is something that forms an indelible part of my memory.I remember many such innings and without much surprise-most of these belong to the bat of the wall-Rahul Dravid.

There's something about Rahul Dravid that I've liked even more than the sacred maestro Sachin Tendulkar.Generally when he walks in, India's score reads 30/1 or 40/1 or even more pathetic and he has a job to do like all the No.3 ilk.You can tell from the way he focusses on the next ball, taps the bat , takes his stance , watches the ball being delivered , plays it at the very last moment with the softest of the touches- that he means business out here. Rarely will you see a loose shot from him.It's like watching the perfect defensive technique being replayed on a video again and again.Not just that defense,  his drives, pull, square cut , all seem like a flowing brook-smooth and flawless.At the best of the form in 2003-04 he seemed impenetrable.All his double hundreds( Oh that sacred Adelaide hundred)  came that season against Aussies in their backyard and against Pakistan.That period was apparently the peak of his beautiful career in service of Indian cricket.He has always been a team man-no doubt. Opening the innings in tests when needed and donning the gloves when India had no decent gloves man in entire country.Mr.Dependable has always had a promise in his way of batting on which the team banked in crisis.One more peculiar aspect of his batting has been the profuse sweating of his. Even in an hour of batting, his face perspires profusely.Dripped in sweat and defending like a wall-he seems the perfect example of determination on display.

Such an awesome career unfortunately has also had its share of criticisms.One being the World Cup 2007 fiasco in which the team had an early exit under his leadership. Other being his dip in form in last two years. Some pundits have predicted that he has lost his sheen and must have hung his boots by now.But I believe there's plenty more left in him and he must carry on till he enjoys playing his game.His recent century at Sabina park is a point in case. It was a meticulous effort  adorned by few classy drives in adverse conditions.When all other batters gave in to the bouncy and uneven pitch, he seemed to be in his own world. That itself accentuates his greatness.For me, he has always been a source of inspiration for the concentration and perseverance he puts to the task with not a wee bit of brag in his demeanor. When he'll hang hid bat, Indian cricket will lose a loyal servant, a cricketing legend, a modest human, a gentleman. Perhaps the void he'll bequeath will be too large for any shoes too fill in.

Rahul Dravids after all aren't born everyday.What a player!

The Man and his moment

Photo courtesy:Cricinfo

21 years at the helm of International cricket and counting (comprehensive 9 months lead over my age). This is the span for which SACHIN RAMESH TENDULKAR has been playing international cricket, with not only ‘longevity’ being the amazing part but the ‘quality’ of his cricket and the determination in his face that continues to attract my attention.

The face might have started to crumple with wrinkles; the gray hair might have found their way in black sea of hair but the passion and focus remains the same. They say – Statistics don’t lie. The man owns almost every single batting record. 200 in ODI, most centuries, most runs-you name it, he has it! Still there’s a humble look in the man’s face that says I am not done. The hunger to perform never satiates. There is a sense of perfection in the shots that leave his bat, as if a magician is weaving his magic and all you got to do is watch and admire!

Yet in his cupboard, what eluded for all these years was a coveted trophy that INDIA bagged yester night. Like a  fairytale, the scene  setup in the background of that historic win was Wankhede in Mumbai. Mumbai, was the very same place when an ‘out of form’ Sachin was booed at his home ground after a series of flop scores. In 2007, Greg Chappell had asked Sachin to step down. Cricket experts had predicted the end of his career. He was scathingly criticized of having lost all his ‘steam’. But every time the fingers have been raised, he has silenced the critics with his majestic innings. At an age of 38, he is the most consistent Indian batsmen in last two years. He might have lost the aggressive young flair of 1996 but he’s still the linchpin of whole Indian batting line-up. Time and again, he has implemented the old cliché of ‘Actions speak louder than words’. On 2nd April 2011, when he laid his hands on the trophy-HE DIDN’T PROVE A POINT BECAUSE HE DIDN’T NEED TO. Even if he had failed in the world cup, that would have needed no justification. But being the champion player he is, he rose to the occasion!

In the coming time, Sachin might hang his boots. The meticulous duty he has done for Indian cricket will always be remembered by people all over the world. The word SACHIN will always remain associated with the word CRICKET. But the void that he’ll leave in international cricket will be never filled...

Hats off to the man who’s made INDIA proud.

PS: Proud to have watched him play once!

Problem of Plenty

Yes, the biggest cricketing event is round the corner and 40 days down the line, teams will battle for supremacy in Indian backyard..It's about time when times are pruning their list of 30 probables to final 15...
For a exuberant India, there's a different problem-THE PLAYING ELEVEN
let's analyze::1,2,3 are secured for Sachin, Sehwag and Gambhir...Yuvraj and Dhoni too select themselves....as per bowling is concerned Zaheer and Bhajji fill two spots down the order....That makes SEVEN secured spots...the fight is therefore for four spots...

Time for some combinations and permutations...Number 4,5 is an open oppurtunity for likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit  Sharma, Suresh Raina and Yousuf Pathan...whoever is in prime form...Not to count out in-form Saurabh Tiwary too having an outside chance!!
The ongoing SA ODi series will be last chance for the contenders to impress...but given the recent form, The Delhi batter Kohli stands a more higher chance than fellow batters.Besides the crowded middle order, same problem awaits India in bowling department. The two spots are up in contention...The recent trends favour Praveen Kumar and Nehra fighting for second seamer spot....while Ashwin and Ojha compete for playing second fiddle to Bhajji. Sreesanth and Ishant might just miss the bus when it comes to final 11.Interestingly, there's Piyush Chawla, Vinay Kumar who could surprise us ....

With such cushion of backup players available, India can breathe easily now. The squad is more tested and composed than the 2007 ' Experienced' squad.......and if the fitness issues allow, 1983 might revisit this year
GO INDIA GO:):)

Cape Town Test

The stage for an exciting third test match of Castle India-SA series was already set when India came from behind to equalize series 1-1 at Durban. The deciding fate was hinging on the third and final match now-men who were in prime form: Tendulkar, Kallis, Amla, Laxman had expectations on shoulders; and those who weren't : Gambhir, Smith,Dravid had a point to prove. The 25000 capacity Newlands stadium in Cape Town was the battleground for the new year encounter between No.1 and 2 ranked teams-the battle of supremacy in a game that is known for separating men from boys, separating wheat from chaff!!

The day arrived. A slight drizzle marked Day 1 morning but went away quickly. India won the toss and decided to field. "It was a good toss to lose, I was undecided about what to do", came the Smith reaction. Minutes later, the match began.Both openers removed within first 15 overs. The Africans were in trouble -with Smith again falling to a Zaheer delievery. Amla and Kallis dug deep and looked ominous to run away until Amla was shown the pavillion by Sreesanth . The score read 106 for 3. DeVillers showed gritty resistance but  he couldn't build upon his gritty 26. Kallis, meanwhile, was in his own league. After the fourth wicket, he and Prince ensured the day ended with no further damage. Day 2 saw Prince departing in 1st session. Boucher followed on the next-Sreesanth was on fire bringing back memories of last SA tour.  Kallis batted with the tail and scored his 39th test century. His was the last wicket to fall when African score read a huge 362 and his own 161.

The Indian batting line-up looked good on paper especially after Durban but the ghosts of first test could have returned. A lot was depending on the openers-will they deliever?Sehwag begin with usual flair but perished to a greedy drive that ended up in Smith's hand.Dravid failed once again and the impending disaster could be whiffed. But the Gambhir-Sachin duo stabled the innings to ensure India didn't lose any more wickets and ended the day at 140 odd for two. Came third day, perhaps the most crucial day for the series.The real match began then....

DAY 3: INCREDIBLE CRICKET
First over by Steyn to Tendulakar . Ball 1 beats Tendulkar, ball 2 shout for keeper catch but denied, Ball 3-a perfect outswinger, ball4-a beauty left Sachin wondering, Ball5-Sachin gets to the pitch of the ball and thrashes the outswinger for four towards extra cover, ball 6-comes in and hits the pads. An exciting start giving signs of things to come...Morkel from other end too bowls good length delieveries ...the first session of play being witness to some quality pace delieveries-leaving off, straightening, teasing batters, some excellent defence shots, some brilliant leaves, and some textbook drives. Gambhir looked at his resistant best-Sachin in his concentration zone-Steyn and Morkel looked ominous with ball. Soon, Harris and Tsotsobe were introduced and till Lunch, Both Gambhir and then Laxman were sent back to reduce India to 236/4. This session was however a great video session for emerging young talents and the Steyn-Tendulkar battle reflected the fact why test cricket is still young and kicking!!

Then came the first over after lunch...
Let Cricinfo illustrate what exactly happened in this over:

Sachin Tendulkar hasn't looked as edgy as he did in that morning session, in a very long time. Gautam Gambhir was not at his most fluent either. Yet, they survived the best fast-bowling pair in the world and South Africa resorted to waiting for the second new ball. And then, Paul Harris bowler a ripper to send Gambhir on his way. And then VVS Laxman was run out in bizarre circumstances. And then, Pujara, who must have been looking forward to a calm lunch, was out there and facing the new ball from Steyn. He survived two overs, Sachin's still there and classic Test action is upon us again.
82.1	Steyn to Pujara, no run, 129.2 kph, Steyn begins with the kind of ball he's bowled umpteen times today. A snake that seems to be going towards the stumps before rearing its head away from Pujara who thinks of playing it and then allows better sense to prevail
82.2	Steyn to Pujara, no run, 130.7 kph, another one seams away at will. More assured leave from Pujara this time
82.3	Steyn to Pujara, no run, 130.0 kph, back of a length this time, again gets that ominous shape away, this time Pujara covers the deviation and defends
82.4	Steyn to Pujara, no run, 137.5 kph, that one kept slightly low. Barely rose from back of a length, but Pujara was good enough to get behind the line and defend to the off side
Kunal: "I feel pujara is most suited at no.3.He has scored triple hundreds at will in domestic cricket, but at no.6 it is too late to score big runs." This is an argument that will crop up several times in the near future, given Dravid's poor form and the glut of Test action ahead of India.
82.5	Steyn to Pujara, no run, 135.0 kph, another one seams away as if it were destined to. Pujara lets it go.
82.6	Steyn to Pujara, OUT, 133.6 kph, That's Shane Warne at 134 kph! That's the end of Pujara. You need a huge dose of luck if you want to survive these. Pujara didn't have it. Steyn gets the away movement going again, this time from leg stump. It landed on a length and opened Pujara up as he desperately tried to cover the line. It defeated his prod and thudded into the back pad in front of middle. What. A. Ball.
	CA Pujara lbw b Steyn 2 (17m 14b 0x4 0x6) SR: 14.28

After this beautiful over, India managed to reach 364 thanks to  SAchin's century...South Africa's Kallis yet again scored hundred in second innings to take the game away from India. A gritty half-century from Gambhir on final day ensured the test match ended in a draw...an optimal result for an even match and series!!!
Long Live Test Cricket:):)