Raj reflects

Raj Reflects Has a New Home

2009-02-27T17:13:00.000-08:00

Welcome back.
Rajreflects now has a new home on the web. Am sure you will like it. :)
Cheers
Raj

Worst fears, nagging rival trap Australia

2008-10-21T03:40:00.000-07:00

For well over a decade, Australian teams led by Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting have been helped in some measure by fear in the opposition hearts. For the first time, the shoe appears to be on the other foot. In the wake of its sixth defeat by India this decade, we are watching Australia scratch its head like never before, unsure of how to stop the home side.
Not even during the 2005 Ashes series which England won 2-1 did Australia look so out of depth. It simply had no gameplan – barring defensive field placements masquerading as innovative settings – to check the Indian strokeplayers or to respond to the searching questions that the Indian bowlers consistently asked of its own batsmen.
Matthew Hayden is searching for form. And the other batsmen appear to be stressing themselves by expecting to be harassed by reverse swing or spin – and, despite that, not being ready enough to answer the challenges. Its bowlers seem so eager to generate reverse swing that their quest has been fruitless. The fear of failure has made the team look quite non-competitive in Mohali.
Australia has a lot of work ahead in the run up to the third Test, mending bridges within the team and looking for solutions to its myriad other problems – especially at the top of the batting order and with the new ball. Much as Ponting may claim that the problem is not skill-related, there is no doubt that one of Australia’s biggest concern areas is the lack of reverse swing for its bowlers.
It will have to learn from the lengths that Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma have bowled and will have to find the reverse swing magic that works for the Indian bowlers. It is not as if visiting fast bowlers have not had success in India. Australia will not have to look too far behind for inspiration than 2004 when Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillspie and Michael Kasprowicz shone.
Its batsmen will have to clear their pre-conceived notions about Indian pitches and learn to play the ball on merit. Michael Hussey and Shane Watson as well Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin showed in either innings that staying at the wicket was not all that tall an order as some of their team-mates made out to be.
Of course, India’s bowlers were far from monotonous and pretty creative. Yet, there has to be some reason for the manner in which Matthew Hayden, Simon Katich and Michael Hussey threw their bats around at just about everything that came their way on Monday afternoon. Australia will have to put its finger on that reason and strive to eliminate that from the mind set.
As for India, when it does recover from the party mode, the team will do well not to be lulled into complacency by the enormous victory. There is much cricket left in the series and any Australian side can be expected to come back strongly. The big challenge before India will be to stay focused and sustain the momentum, sparked by Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan’s reargaurd action in the first innings of the Bangalore Test.
Just a couple of months ago, the Indian Test team returned from Sri Lanka after a 1-2 defeat, its middle-order batsmen bamboozled by the ‘mystery spinner’ Ajantha Mendis and frittering away the solid starts afforded by Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag. But now the batsmen have regained their touch and their ability to pace their innings.
Sourav Ganguly has batted with refreshing freedom. Sachin Tendulkar has been most competitive. Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman have not joined the party significantly yet but Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s return has provided the team the kind of muscle and impetus that it sorely lacked in the Tests in Sri Lanka.
With the third Test more than a week away, India deserves to celebrate a famous win while the Australians lick their wounds, thinking of how to get out of the situation they find themselves in. They could start with a simple exercise: kick themselves for not adapting to the conditions in Mohali and for believing that they could actually chase 516 runs to win the Test match!
The Australians have had such a strong sense of history that it came as a surprise that its thinktank seemed unaware of how Abdul Razzaq and Kamran Akmal held on to a draw at the venue in 2005. Indeed, India was helped considerably by Australia’s own fears and disappointment at being unable to control the ebb and flow of the Test in Mohali.

Aussies and mid-afternoon madness

2008-10-20T05:03:00.000-07:00

Being brave is one thing but bravado is altogether another. By the close on the fourth day of the second Test against India at the PCA Stadium in Mohali, Australia looks like it is set to pay a price for the bravado of its top-order batsmen. It was a cruel mid-afternoon madness that struck Australia, leaving its latter half the challenge of batting out close to four sessions to defy India.
As we settled down to watch Australia’s response to the tasks of either chasing 516 runs to claim an improbable victory or batting through four and a half sessions to escape with a draw, it seemed as if Australia was intent on defying history. But the attack that Matthew Hayden and Simon Katich launched on the new ball was a bluff and was not destined to last long.
Surprisingly, the Australian thinktank was not ready to borrow a leaf or two from the Indian book. The home team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had shown on the second day that counter-attack was not just about throwing the bat at everything. Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag reinforced this line of thinking with their massive opening partnership in India’s second innings.
In both instances, the Indian batsmen accorded the bowlers respect when they deserved but punished them for errors of line and length. It was not as if the Indians were driving at the same pace all along, shifting gears as and when necessary. This seemed to be lost on the Australian openers when they walked in to bat in the fourth innings, facing a target of 516 runs.
Hayden and Katich plundered the new ball attack but showed no willingness to wait to dominate off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. Had they succeeded in working on his patience, Australia may have been in a more comfortable position than the 141 for five that it finds itself in at the close of play on Monday.
Hayden and Hussey, two of Australia’s best batsmen against spin bowling, were guilty of attempting rash, cross-batted strokes to just the second and fourth deliveries respectively that they faced from Harbhajan Singh. They perished to leg before decisions to the off-spinner, delivering from round the wicket and holding the cricket ball back teasingly.
Katich, whose defence is well-organised, was also consumed by a desire to not let the off-spinner drop into a length and was taken brilliantly by Sachin Tendulkar at short point when he attempted an ill-advised cut. Harbahajan Singh had amazing figures of 1.3-0-3-3 and Australia staring down the barrel of a gun.
The Australian batsmen obviously learn their lessons in attack, counterattack and defence elsewhere but they did not seem open to adapting to the conditions and the circumstances. Of course, Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin embraced a balance between attack and defence to survive enormous pressure in putting up a battling 83-run partnership for the sixth wicket.
The Clarke and Haddin’s stand has stretched the match into the fifth day and showed that there was precious little in the track to be afraid of. The moot question is: Has the realisation come slightly late in the day to stop India from securing a 1-0 lead on a flat track in Mohali?
It is not as if it was only the Australian batters who were not ready to learn lessons by watching India’s performers at work. Their fastmedim bowlers did not land the ball in the right areas, firing it in too short. That ploy worked against night-watchman Ishant Sharma and Sourav Ganguly in the first half-hour on the second day but Dhoni dispelled notions that the Indian batsmen could be driven to submission.
Zaheer Khan did not have too many wickets to show but he managed to swing the cricket ball consistently in the first innings while Ishant Sharma hit the right length, getting it to jag back off the seam significantly. None of the Australian pacemen, not even Mitchell Johnson who took three wickets in the first innings, can look back at this Test match with any amount of pride.
Australia could have done with Steve Waugh’s dogged sensibilities to hold fort in Mohali but his kind of batting seemed alien to this bunch. Australia will realise that batting in Tests is not always about attempting to take the bowlers to the cleaners or drawing the shutters. A balance has to be found as Test cricket unerringly punishes teams struck by mid-afternoon madness.

Mishra makes magic

2008-10-19T04:37:00.000-07:00

It is a good wager that Ravi Shastri and Narendra Hirwani drowned themselves in nostalgia at least for a short while on the third day of the second Test between India and Australia at the PCA Stadium in Mohali. Close to 21 years ago, they teamed up as stand-in captain and debutant leg-spinner respectively to humble the rampaging West Indies in a Test match in Madras.
Shastri – who never led India in another Test match – and Hirwani, the last Indian bowler to claim a five-for on Test debut would have been pleased as punch to see Mahendra Singh Dhoni, standing in for Anil Kumble as captain, and rookie leg-spinner Amit Mishra send them down memory lane with an stunning show against Australia over this weekend.
At 25, Mishra is such a good practitioner of his art but needed to carry confidence into the Indian dressing room to gain acceptance of everyone there. Kumble’s absence from the side owing to tendonitis in his bowling shoulder afforded Mishra the chance to make his debut, despite some talk that he was too slow off the pitch.
It can be believed that selectors Yashpal Sharma and Narendra Hirwani played key roles in picking Mishra ahead of contenders like Pragyan Ojya, Piyush Chawla and Murali Kartik. Yashpal Sharma has worked with Mishra when he was India A coach some years ago while Hirwani would have seen a lot of himself in the younger spinner.
Truth to tell, Hirwani himself had been dismissed as slow off the pitch and was condemned to play first-class cricket where he has a haul of 732 wickets. Mishra now has over 300 wickets in first-class cricket but he would cherish the five he picked up against Australia in Mohali the most. As someone who has lived in Delhi all his life but played nearly all his cricket for Haryana, the classical leg-spinner has a humble earthiness to his persona.
Wreaking havoc with his control and variety on a flat track, Mishra gave fans of spin bowling reason to celebrate his third coming into the Indian dressing room. Six years ago, he was chosen as the third spinner behind Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh in the Indian squad for the first two Tests against the West Indies. He did not get a look in and went back to the wilderness.
He bobbed up one more time when he was chosen to play a one-day series in Bangladesh, only to be consigned to being a journeyman in first-class cricket again. He was languishing in the Plate Division of Ranji Trophy, playing for Haryana and surfacing in the Duleep Trophy in three seasons, and nobody seemed to have any time for him or his craft. He would have ended up as one of Indian cricket's forgotten men but for that maverick product that we so love to hate – IPL.
He made the most of the time with Delhi Daredevils' premier spinner Daniel Vettori. The New Zealand captain is acknowledged as the finest modern spin bowling brain, and did not hesitate in sharing some of his wisdom with the leg-spinner but Mishra had to endure a seven-match wait before he could get to play his first game.
Shahid Afridi backed off, making room, in an attempt to send the leg-spinner's first delivery over the bowler's head. The ball kept following the Pakistani dasher who only managed to slice the ball over point for AB de Villiers to take a catch. And in the next over, Herschelle Gibbs charged down the track only to be foxed by a googly that slipped in and hit middle-stump.
Mishra came back in a tense finish to claim a hat-trick in the final over to secure a 12-run victory for his team and get its campaign to make the semifinals back on track. More than that, he stormed into the collective consciousness of the nation's cricket crazy fans as an old-fashioned leg-spinner who was not afraid to flight the ball, even in the shortest format of the game.
The manner in which he used his variety in the T20 format showcased his self-confidence. Off a short run-up, he bowled the leg-break, the googly and the top-spinner with amazing control – even being able to drop the ball short or wide when he saw the batsman make a pre-meditated charge down the track.
Former India wicket-keeper Vijay Dahiya, who is now Delhi's coach, has been one of Mishra's staunchest advocates. "Nobody comes close to him on the domestic scene. He works on his craft and has a keen cricket brain. He has been unlucky not to have been given more opportunities," he said – long before the new set of selectors chose him in the Test squad.
A bit over 20 years after Hirwani became the fifth Indian bowler to claim a five-for on Test debut, another leg-spinner announced his arrival on the big scene. It can only be hoped that unlike Hirwani – and another leg-spinner VV Kumar who had achieved a similar feat in 1961 – Mishra would be around long enough to claim a bagful of wickets.

Dhoni impresses with inspiring captaincy

2008-10-19T03:50:00.000-07:00

We saw him stand in as skipper for Anil Kumble and lead the team to a Test victory against South Africa on a wicked turner in Kanpur earlier this year. But the PCA Stadium in Mohali offered him the chance to acquaint himself with the task of leadership on a flat track. And, over the last three days, the adventurous Mahendra Singh Dhoni has not missed a trick.
The focus on each of the three days of the second Test against Australia has been more on his team-mates – Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and debutant leg-spinner Amit Mishra but Dhoni has done enough and more to reveal why coach Gary Kirsten – among others – believes that he is ready to assume captaincy in all forms of the game.
He did not have much to do on the opening day besides spin the coin until late in the evening when he decided to send in Ishant Sharma to face the second new ball at the fall of Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket. It was a decision that nearly mocked at Australia and paid dividends on the second day when Dhoni made a sparkling 92 to drive his team to a handsome total.
He capped a good day’s work by getting Mishra to bowl round the wicket to Michael Clarke and was delighted when the leg-spinner earned a leg before wicket verdict and ended a partnership featuring Michael Hussey. Even then, Dhoni would have known that there was much hard – and creative – work ahead of his bowlers on Sunday.
He communicated constantly with his bowlers, even as he let them have their space. He comes across as a hands-on captain, not allowing the situation to drift. Not even when a partnership was assuming significant proportions. The lack of emotion on his visage made it appear like he was playing a game of chess with the opposition.
He encouraged the gangling paceman Ishant Sharma to go full tilt and picked up the dangeros Hussey’s wicket. He roped in Harbahajan Singh to fox Brad Haddin with a well-flighted off-break that bent the off-stump back and recalled Mishra to the attack to see Cameron White’s back with a googly that turned just enough to find the gap.
For all that, the counter-attacking partnership that Shane Watson and Brett Lee strung together from 167 for seven was a testing time for the captain. And despite an underlying eagerness to complete the task, Dhoni stayed patient with his bowlers – rotating them only when he believed they had bowled long enough and the batsmen had to be challenged with some variety.
He claimed the new ball almost as soon as it became due but when neither Zaheer Khan nor Ishant Sharma made a telling impact on the eighth-wicket pair, Dhoni did not hesitate to give his
spinners the chance to bowl with the hard cricket ball. And he got rewarded when Harbahajan Singh lured Lee forward in defence and found the edge to slip.
Above all, Dhoni can take credit for the fact that he did not let his fielders slacken and kept the pressure on Australia. Come to think of it, even in the Bangalore Test, the energy level that the team showed on the field when he was in charge early in Australia’s second innings was palpably high.
Indeed, it may not be long before the selectors – even the new lot – are convinced that Dhoni can be handed over the reins of the Test team. However, that can wait. For, Dhoni’s immediate test will be to motivate the batting order to fire quickly enough to be able to put Australia under pressure in the fourth innings.
Of course, with the track slowing down and remaining flat, he will need to ensure that his bowlers have the time to tie the visiting team down in knots and perhaps clinch a victory that seemed remote when India slipped to 163 for four on the opening day and another middle-order collapse loomed over the team.

Dhoni leaves impact on Mohali Test

2008-10-18T05:42:00.000-07:00

He was a bit of a disappointment in the first Test in Bangalore where he made just nine runs in a 51-ball stay. It was obvious that he was not at ease on a track where low bounce was the order of the day. It was almost as if Mahendra Singh Dhoni was waiting for a pitch that afforded more bounce to be able to play his 'characteristic' innings.
He found that in Mohali and with a sparkling knock, all but overshadowed Sourav Ganguly's determined grind to the milestone of his 16th century. Saturday's show was not about power as about not letting scoring opportunities go. At a time when Ganguly was engaged in a battle of wits with Brett Lee, Dhoni played the big hand in steering India beyond the 450-run mark.
To be sure, just as India gets a good platform when Virender Sehwag plays his natural innings at the start, the team is cruising to a healthy score when Mahendra Singh Dhoni frees his arms and plays with candour. These could be the men that take over from the golden quartet as the bulwarks of Indian batting in the years ahead.
You may classify Sehwag and Dhoni as attacking batsmen but they play different roles for the team and the wicket-keeper is often called to tailor his approach according to the situation. And in Mohali, despite a breezy start and the fightback engineered by Sachin Tendulkar and Ganguly, India had a lot of work to do to stop Australia from keeping India in check.
The idea of sending in Ishant Sharma as night-watchman on Friday served the purpose. Not only did Ishant bat through the opening day's tense final moments – against the second new ball that had just claimed Sachin Tendulkar after the master had got to within 12 runs of another century – but also the success of India's stand-in captain on Saturday justified the decision.
He was welcomed to the crease with a first ball snorted by Lee and Dhoni pulled it to the square-leg fence as if he had been batting for hours. And the superbly hooked six off Peter Siddle in the next over was proof of his intent. No bowler was spared for errors of line or length and the Indian captain offered the spectators immense value for money.
From a team's perspective, it was a knock that pegged the Australians back, even breaking their resolve and draining them so much that his bowlers could pile on the pressure from the moment they walked on to the field. It was the kind of innings that shone bright for some clean strokeplay and for the impact it had on his own team as well as on the opposition.
Ironically, for someone who put in some thought not just by sending Ishant in to bat on Friday night but also by batting sensibly, he learnt that it may not help to back instinct always. He may have got to his second Test century had he not rushed Zaheer Khan to take a sharp single. After all, Zaheer is coming off a gutsy half-century in Bangalore.
Of course, the good thing is that the 27-year-old can only get better. Viewed from a larger perspective, Dhoni's ability to change pace makes him the ideal candidate to take over the middle-order slot that Sourav Ganguly could be vacating at the end of the series. He could well move up to No. 6, if not higher, almost as early as in the Tests against England in December.
In batting alongside the man who was reported to have made uncomplimentary comments about younger players changing hairstyles and in making a 92 that complemented Ganguly's century, Dhoni was making a quiet statement that the selectors did not have to look too far for an immediate replacement.

Sachin Tendulkar and unadulterated joy

2008-10-18T05:41:00.000-07:00

In the beginning there was just an intense dream. And, of course, there was faith that the dream could be realised. Back in 1989, when he made his Test debut against Pakistan, he was a wiry lad, eminently gifted and confident. The 35-year-old now sits on top of Test cricket's charts as the greatest run-scorer in its history. He has lived the dream every moment. Along the way, he spawned, fuelled, stoked, encouraged and inspired others to dream as well.
What a journey and what a man!
On Friday, even when Sachin Tendulkar turned Peter Siddle to third man for three runs and ventured into unchartered terrain, he was showcasing a remarkable intensity, a quality he has not allowed to flag even one bit. When his partner in a stirring fightback, Sourav Ganguly turned down a plea for a third run, there was an intensity in his "C'mon yaar" reaction.
He has remained intense while adjusting to changing environs of the dressing room with great comfort. There have been many who came to the Test side after him and have faded away. From being a little teenager to being the senior statesman in the squad, he has accepted the changing roles and evolved. He has stayed intense when, despite the growing years, he is thinking a step ahead of the bowlers. Of course, all batsmen make mental preparation. But when you can read the bowlers as well as Tendulkar does, you can find fruit over a number of years.
Till the time his body started complaining, Tendulkar radiated an unadulterated joy with his Viv Richardsesque approach to batsmanship. The first signs of trouble came during the knock of 136 against Pakistan in Chennai in 1999 when his back caused him trouble. A defensive and watchful approach seemed to take over his mindset and accumulating runs was paramount.
I have often said that Tendulkar has shifted gear – deliberately, it would appear – to be an accumulator rather than aggressor that he was in the first decade of his wonderful career. With a set of wonderful batsmen around him like Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Ganguly, he has had the chance to determine his own role.
But none of that has diminished the intensity he brings to the table.
My favourite Tendulkar story – and I will never tire of relating this – is more than a decade old. I was interviewing him for the first time during a match at the Lal Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad and I remember asking him what was uppermost in his mind when he scored a century – happiness or satisfaction. He took his time and told me that the two things were different states of mind.
"I am allowed to be happy when I score a century because it is a milestone but if I allow myself to be satisfied, I am denying the facts that I may have edged a few deliveries or may have been beaten or mistimed a few shots in the innings," he said. "Satisfaction is like engaging the handbrake in a car and hoping the vehicle would move forward."
He could not have given a better expression to his hunger for excellence. It was a great lesson in living. He has given Indians – and everyone else – many wonderful moments. Not only to celebrate them but also to ruminate on some of those in our moments of solitude and reflection.
On Friday, as the helmet came off and he looked heavenwards, it was clear that he was having a private moment with his late father, Prof Ramesh Tendulkar. Each time he does this, he reminds me of the first time. There was a lump in the throat as one saw him make his way to the crease at the fall of a wicket in Bristol in May 1999.
He had returned to bat for India from Prof Ramesh Tendulkar's funeral. His innings against Kenya under grief and stress was reminiscent of Raj Kapoor's wonderful performance in the lead role in Mera Naam Joker. Aware of his mother's death, the protagonist in the movie wears a pair of dark glasses to hide his tears from the world as he entertains the audience under the big tent.
Tendulkar could not even shed tears in public. And, when he reached the century, he gave one of my most poignant moments in many years of watching cricket. It seemed like he was locked in a brief and private conversation with his baba, his dear baba. "This one is for you, baba," he seemed to say as he looked up heavenwards.
Indeed, no one cricketer has given so many people around the world such unadulterated joy as he has, taking them along on a remarkable journey. No one batsman has caused such jaw-dropping awe among rival bowlers as the little big man. No one causes the air to be filled with so much electricity that can bathe more than a whole stadium in glorious light as consistently at the little big man. Sachin Tendulkar.

Think Mohali, think seam?

2008-10-16T05:43:00.000-07:00

Think Mohali, think seam?

The temptation to brand the PCA Stadium pitch seamer-friendly is great if you recall how the fearsome Kenny Benjamin and Courtney Walsh’s bowling was, the sight of blood from Manoj Prabhakar’s broken nose sent the Indian camp in a tizzy and dovetailing to a dismal defeat in the inaugural Test at the venue in chilly December 1994.

Or, even if you have memories of New Zealand seamer Dion Nash claiming six wickets and reducing the Indian batting to rubble. Not to speak of Indian paceman Javagal Srinath’s response to Nash’s performance with a six-wicket haul himself.

Think Mohali, think seam?

Not if images of Pakistan wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq defying the Indian attack with a 184-run stand on the final day of the 2005 Test also come flooding to the mind. Or if visions of Sri Lankan Aravinda de Silva’s century on the final day of the 1997 Test match are strong. These came on a tracks that were flatter than tennis courts.

Think Mohali, think seam?

Wait a moment. A quick history lesson: Three of the seven Test matches played at the PCA Stadium in Mohali have ended in victories and defeats, with the home side losing the inaugural Test against the West Indies but winning twice against England – and on both occasions a gentleman answering to the name of Anil Kumble has been in the forefront.

Harbhajan Singh had five-for on the first day in 2001 but Kumble finished the game with eight wickets, including six in the second innings. Two years ago, he finished the match with nine wickets, including a five-for in the first innings of the game. And, with 36 wickets from the seven Tests here. Kumble has been more successful than even any two bowlers together.

A look at the scores in the drawn Tests will also suggest that the batsmen have not had a harrowing time at the venue. Even when India was bowled out for 83 by New Zealand, it made 505 for three declared in the second innings. Some years later, another New Zealand team ran up a score of 630 for six declared in the first innings of a Test.

If any pitch in acquired the reputation for being a fast and bouncy track on the basis of one Test, it has to be the PCA Stadium in Mohali. In fact, the loss of nine wickets in the morning session of the final day saw the ground acquire an aura of its own. And even the fact that Kumble has been the most successful bowler on this pitch hasn’t diminished that aura.

Curiously, there has been some talk of how rain has affected the preparation of the track, with the Australian captain Ricky Ponting joining those who believe that India would be keen to play three seamers and therefore would be under pressure to drop Kumble. Let us leave this one aside as Australia’s fond wish and not pay much attention.

I am hoping the Kumble would be fit and regain form in Mohali, featuring in a third win for the Indian team at one of India’s best cricket facilities. If anything, India must consider finding room for a third specialist spinner, too, not just as a cover for Kumble but also to be able to exploit Australia’s weakness against a sustained spin attack. For the track can be quite undercooked.

If Kumble’s fitness comes up short, then India must play Mishra rather than a third seamer. And it is in making such a critical decision that the Indian thinktank has to spend considerable time and thought. There may be a bit more carry than was on evidence in Bangalore but that can only help India’s spinners who love additional bounce off the pitch.

Tough conditions made Dravid's knock vital

2008-10-13T07:17:00.000-07:00

You may like to remember Harbhajan Singh’s cameo and Zaheer Khan’s resolve in stretching India’s first innings to within 70 runs of Australia’s total of 430 but it cannot escape your notice that India’s Golden Quartet showed heart in scripting one innings each in a fascinating first Test against Australia in Bangalore.

Sachin Tendulkar’s three-hour essay in concentration on the final day demands attention. It was an effort that went a long way in helping India secure a draw. Coming after a dismal series in Sri Lanka, he was under quite some pressure, more so because he had not played any cricket after the last Test in Colombo. But he was a study in concentration until he drove a catch to cover.

You could pick Sourav Ganguly’s innings on the third day for the adversity that it was made against. Before the Test, he announced that this would be his last series. Then, a Bengali newspaper published an interview with him and he could hear its echo even as he walked in to bat in a crisis. That he spent nearly three and a quarter hours at the crease was significant indeed.

If you are a follower of the graceful school of batting, you would choose VVS Laxman’s 142-ball knock in the second innings. Together with Tendulkar and Ganguly, he occupied the crease and did not expose the lower order batsmen to the pressures that Australia can bring to bear on them as we saw when India’s lower order failed to hold on for a draw in Sydney early this year.

For all that, I would like to believe that Rahul Dravid played the key innings of the four, holding up an end through the most difficult period in the first innings and preventing a repeat of the batting collapse that we saw so often in Sri Lanka. The casual fan may wonder what was so good about Dravid’s half-century.

It was not just as if he was in charge after the openers Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag had fallen in the space of 23 deliveries but also a time when the pitch could have been drying. At the end of a gripping Test, it is easy to forget that there had been a drizzle late on the second day and it could well have been a drying track.

There had been bright sunshine when it started raining on the second evening and play had continued for a good part of five minutes before the covers came on. I reckon the moisture made things different the next morning and what we saw was not the benign pitch that had made things so difficult for India’s most experienced bowlers.

On the third morning, there was dual bounce that had been conspicuous by its absence when Anil Kumble sent down 43 overs without much luck on the first two days. And to have negotiated that first session called for immense skills of concentration and technique that Dravid combined in superb measure to set the stage for the lower order batsmen to celebrate on.

India’s tail wagged when the pitch returned to its placid nature and when Mitchell Johnson was unable to make as serious an impact with his creativity. Sadly, some of my ilk suggested that the Golden Quartet should take a leaf from Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan’s book and learn to bat.

I wonder what would have happened if Dravid had not got himself stuck in for so long on the third morning. Batsmanship in Test cricket is not always about the number of runs scored but the kind of contribution made to a team’s cause under the circumstances. And I think that Dravid bore the brunt of the conditions when they were at their worst.

Come to think of it, they might all be ageing – and at least one is left with just three more Tests before he walks away from the big stage for the one last time – but each one showed that their places in the squad were not so freely available. More than that, each one will have convinced himself that his skills have not waned as much as the clamoring lot would like to believe.

The art of being comfortable in one’s own skin

2008-10-12T05:22:00.000-07:00

He had batted superbly through 190 minutes, ignoring humid conditions and soaking in the pressure of a gripping contest, but the question uppermost in the minds of many was whether would find the motivation to be at his creative best with the cricket ball when he returned to the field 10 minutes later on the fourth morning of the first Test against Australia on Sunday.

The answer did not take long coming: Zaheer Khan took the new ball and posed questions to Matthew Hayden and Simon Katich in a lively spell. But just when it was beginning to appear that his efforts on a lifeless track would not bear fruit, he produced a piece of beauty. No subtle change of pace to deceive the batsman – just old fashioned swing bowling.

He generated late swing and trapped Hayden in front. With Katich embracing a defensive role, Australia’s chances of pressing for a win hinged a great deal on Hayden. At the start of the year in Sydney, with Australia trailing India by 79 runs, he braved a thigh injury and made a battling century that gave his side the chance to win the contentious Test match.

On the opening day in Bangalore, there was considerable doubt if Hayden had actually nicked a Zaheer delivery to Mahendra Singh Dhoni but there was no such question in the second innings. The Indian had summoned the reserves of his energy [and that speaks for his fitness] in his eight-over spell with the new ball and stopped Australia from getting away to a flying start.

The Test match has had many wonderful performers but none has made his presence felt on each of the four days as Zaheer Khan has. On the opening day, he picked up a wicket in the first and last overs. He seemed to be flagging on the second afternoon but dug into his reserves to end a fighting stand between Michael Hussey and Brett Lee, sweeping the last three wickets.

Then, coming in to bat with India delicately poised at 232 for seven on Saturday afternoon, he partnered Harbhajan Singh in an 80-run stand that exposed Australia’s concerns with the new ball. He continued the good work with the bat on Sunday, defying Ricky Ponting and his bowlers for a good part of an hour and a half before he ran out of partners.

And in claiming Hayden’s scalp for the sixth time in his career, Zaheer had shown that he was prepared to step forward in showcasing India’s intensity and desire to make a match of it. But he will be aware that he has more work to do on the final day of the Test if his team is to get away unpunished for letting Ponting and Michael Hussey pick up maiden Test centuries in India.

He has already been an inspiration for the bowling attack – Ishant Sharma and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh responded magnificently after he retired to the outfield. With Australia at 128 for five, India could even scent a remarkable victory but the interesting partnership between Shane Watson and Brad Haddin seems to have swung the game away from India one more time.

And many years later, Zaheer can look back at the Bangalore experience and think of how well he tried to help India claw its way out of trouble. Since the time he returned to the Indian team on the tour of South Africa two years ago, he has claimed 63 wickets in 15 Tests at an average of 28.26 runs each.

The striking part is his being comfortable in his own skin, raising the bar for himself – and those who bowl in tandem with him. Now, as he steps assuredly into his 31st year, Zaheer knows that a few younger bowlers will keep snapping at his heels but he has shown that while he is ready to share his wisdom and experience, they will have to work very hard to displace him from the pedestal as India’s premier fastmedium bowler.

“I help them channel their energies in the right way,” he told an interviewer recently. “Like, if anyone has any questions about getting the areas right or how to go about training. I've been telling all the youngsters to develop a routine that will help them through the season. This I've learned through experience.”

Thus far, the Banglaore Test has been some experience in itself for Zaheer Khan.

Kumble's lack of bite is showing

2008-10-10T23:03:00.000-07:00

After years of leading the Indian attack with dignity and competence, causing his compatriots to rejoice in victory, opponents to admire his skills and fans to empathise with his single-minded pursuit of excellence, he may finally be forcing them all to look at him differently. His team-mates could be desperately hoping for another revival and rival batsmen appear relieved that he is no longer the same venomous bowler while fans are getting ready to replace empathy with sympathy.

Sigh! This is not an easy task, sitting down to paint a gloomy picture. Least of all when it involves a master called Anil Kumble. Some have done this before and have been admonished soon enough by a creative display from the champion. I remember the Bangalore Test featuring Pakistan less than a year ago. He had figures of one for 115 from in the first innings and picked up five wickets in the second – bowling mediumpace rather than the characteristic wrist spin.

Less than 10 months later, he has gone wicketless in the first innings of the series against Australia. Of course, it is not the first time he has gone wicketless in a Test innings. One of my friends who is more into numbers than I tells me that the Bangalore Test against Australia threw up the 25th such instance. And that, he has bowled more overs in an innings than the 43 on Thursday and Friday and gone without taking at least one wicket three times.

More than the numbers, I was convinced by the manner in which Brett Lee reached out and played him comfortably. Tail-enders have rarely stood any chance against Kumble's wiles but Lee offered a telling comment on the Kumble scenario. It is clear that of all the Indian bowlers, the captain now needs some life in the track for him to be able to make a difference.

On tracks that are as flat as the one we are getting to see in Bangalore, it may make sense for him to go into a Test match with five bowlers. A Munaf Patel or even leg-spinner Amit Mishra will have been a handy bowler to have around on such a heartless pitch. Perhaps the time is not far when the selectors and coach insist that the captain field five bowlers.

For some reason – and I am hoping I am wrong – Kumble also appeared quite reluctant to shed his primary thinking of wanting a wicket off every delivery and settle down in a more defensive role to support Harbhajan Singh in the time that they spent bowling in tandem. And in any case, with his bowling lacking the zing, it increased the pressure on the other three specialists.

But it is not as if one is looking at just this one innings in isolation and making that tough assessment. It looked like the series in Australia where he had claimed 20 wickets and managed the flock in adverse circumstances, the first two home Tests on flat tracks against South Africa had drained him out to such an extent that he struggled to make an impact on the Sri Lankan batsmen in the three Test series in the island.

Indeed, writing this piece has not been easy. Not just because Kumble's been on of Indian cricket's less sung heroes. But also because I have admired him for his diligence, uprightness and uncomplaining nature. But the fact is that as he appears closer to his 38th birthday, Kumble looks jaded – something that was never part of his countenance.

He seemed prepared for everything. He coped with indifferent treatment at the start of his career and taunts that he did not spin the ball. He came back from shoulder injury twice, ignored the lack of recognition of his achievements and with a sudden elevation to captaincy. But it does come across as if he is not quite ready for the ravages of time to take a toll of his bowling.

It is not easy to forget how Kapil Dev, the man Kumble displaced as India's most successful bowler, had to be nursed in the side in the final months as an international cricketer in 1994. He pulled up with a hamstring injury during a one-day international against Faridabad and was never seen on the big stage again. All of his fans kept wishing that his farewell would be in keeping with his stature but that was not to be.

Will Kumble keep reminding his own fans of Kapil Dev's final days? Or will he defy such thoughts and find that high note to bow out on? After the wonderful emotions he has sparked in millions of Indian hearts, it would be apt if he does not add sympathy to that list.

Wishful thinking defined

2008-10-09T05:10:00.000-07:00

Wishful thinking. I had little idea why this phrase kept bobbing up in my mind as I watched the Indian attack overcome the challenges of a flat track at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium and keep Australia down to 254 for four on the opening day of the first Test.
Was it because we expected India to run through the Australian batting after Zaheer Khan – with some help from umpire Asad Rauf – saw the back of the dangerous Matthew Hayden before the fans had settled down in their seats? Or, was it because we expected Ishant Sharma and Harbhajan Singh to stop Ricky Ponting?
I had been hoping that there would be some juice in the pitch for the Indian bowlers. For, they have found it hard to negotiate flat pitches. In the past year, they have had their teeth drawn on docile tracks against Pakistan in Kolkata and Bangalore and against South Africa in Chennai and Ahmedabad (where the pitch was lively over one session when India was bowled out).
Thursday was only the opening day of the Test match and, given that they tried hard through the day to make an impression on the batsmen, it would be unfair to crucify the home bowlers. Through the day, they strove manfully to keep the scoring in check and draw from the reserves of their patience and skills.
It can, however, be said that Harbhajan Singh could have done a shade better in his first two spells when it appeared that he was trying too hard to get a grip on the batsmen. India skipper Anil Kumble did the smart thing, bringing Harbhajan on fairly early so that he could challenge Ponting. But left-handed Simon Katich did well to play the first two and a half overs from the off-spinner, letting his captain watch his bogey man from the safety of the non-striker's end.
When the defining moment came, Harbhajan blinked, delivering a flat, short ball that Ponting was able to turn it away on the leg-side for a boundary that would have relieved some pressure of him. More than his five fours off his Nemesis, it was manner in which the Australian captain faced him that was an expression of his determination.
Harbhajan tried all he could in terms of variation of pace and flight but, on Thursday, Ponting had a ready answer. By the time Harbhajan Singh had his man, trapping him leg before with one that was looped and kept low, beating Ponting's attempted sweep, the Australian captain had got the monkey off his back (pun unintended).
Kumble has always loved to bowl on pitches from which he can generate extra, if not variable, bounce. But with neither quality available to him, he was left to try the subtle variations in angles, flight and pace to try and secure a wicket. He may come into the frame yet in the second innings if there is sufficient wear and tear on the pitch.
In the event, it was left to the new ball bowlers Zaheer and Ishant to try and pick up some wickets. On a fairly hot day, they toiled bravely – against the determined duo of Ponting and Katich – but, with there being so little seam movement or bounce, they were unable to change the script a great deal.
There was not much evidence of reverse swing till late in the day. And Zaheer, who was lucky to get the umpire's nod and see Hayden's back with just the third delivery of the day, did ask some telling questions with the old ball before Kumble had to take him off the attack rather than bowl him to the ground.
Just as Zaheer returned to trap Michael Clarke leg before wicket in the last over, the coin dropped and I realised why a phrase would not go off my mind all day. After all, curator Narayan Raju had been quoted as saying that the Test would be played on a green top that would have pace and bounce. If you needed to define wishful thinking, this was it.

Mishra can pose questions to Aussies

2008-10-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

The atmosphere at the Feroz Shah Kotla was simply electrifying. More than 40,000 fans – including many new converts to the game of cricket – were drawn to the edges of their seats. They did not seem to notice the high level of humidity that night as heady entertainment was on offer, batsmen celebrating the flat track in the IPL contest.
Shahid Afridi and Herschelle Gibbs were going ballistic and Deccan Chargers was finally looking like the team everyone had expected it to be. Chasing 195 to win, the team from Hyderabad had knocked off 71 runs in six overs when Delhi Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag threw the ball to Amit Mishra.
Afridi backed off, making room, in an attempt to send the leg-spinner's first delivery over the bowler's head. The ball kept following the Pakistani dasher who only managed to slice the ball over point for AB de Villiers to take a catch. And in the next over, Gibbs charged down the track only to be foxed by a googly that slipped in and hit middle-stump.
Mishra came back in a tense finish to claim a hat-trick in the final over to secure a 12-run victory for his team and get its campaign to make the semifinals back on track. More than that, he stormed into the collective consciousness of the nation's cricket crazy fans as an old-fashioned leg-spinner who was not afraid to flight the ball, even in the shortest format of the game.
Cut to a time six years ago, when he was chosen as the third spinner behind Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh in the Indian squad for the first two Tests against the West Indies. He did not get a look in and quickly went back to the wilderness of domestic cricket. He bobbed up one more time when he was chosen to play a one-day series in Bangladesh, only to be consigned to be a journeyman in first class cricket again.
He was languishing in the Plate Division of Ranji Trophy, playing for Haryana and surfacing in the Duleep Trophy in three seasons, and nobody seemed to have any time for him or his craft. He would have ended up as one of Indian cricket's forgotten men but for the maverick that we so love to hate – IPL.
He made the most of the time with Delhi Daredevils' premier spinner Daniel Vettori. The New Zealand captain is acknowledged as the finest modern spin bowling brain, and did not hesitate in sharing some of his wisdom with the leg-spinner but Mishra had to endure a seven-match wait before he could get to play his first game.
He brought in his immense variety into play in the T20 format, showcasing his confidence. Off a short run up, he bowled the leg-break, the googly and the top-spinner with amazing control – even being able to drop the ball short or wide when he saw the batsman make a pre-meditated charge down the track.
Former India wicket-keeper Vijay Dahiya, who is now Delhi's coach, has been one of Mishra's staunchest advocates. "Nobody comes close to him on the domestic scene. He works on his craft and has a keen cricket brain. He has been unlucky not to have been given more opportunities," he said – long before the new set of selectors chose him in the Test squad.
At 25, Mishra is such a good practitioner of his art but needs to carry that confidence into the Indian dressing room to gain acceptance of everyone there. And he has no reason not to be assured of himself. As someone who has lived in Delhi all his life but played nearly all his cricket for Haryana, he has a humble earthiness to his persona.
It can be believed that selectors Yashpal Sharma and Narendra Hirwani have played key roles in picking Mishra ahead of contenders like Pragyan Ojya, Piyush Chawla and Murali Kartik. Yashpal Sharma has worked with Mishra when he was India A coach some years ago while Hirwani would see a bit of himself in the younger spinner.
And if – as some of us are hoping – the M Chinnaswamy Stadium track rolls out to be turner, Mishra can wreak havoc in the Australian ranks. We may then have more reason to celebrate the third coming of Amit Mishra into the Indian dressing room.

Indian sportspersons as brands: Dream or reality?

2008-09-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed how the heroes for the young Indian sports fan, besides some cricket stars, are actually F1 drivers, European and Latin American soccer players who feature in the European leagues, NBA stars, tennis aces like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and champion golfers like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson?

Indeed, one of the strongest spin-offs of the strong presence of cable and satellite TV is that competition for most Indian sport comes not so much from its international cricket calendar but from all sport that we get to watch from the comfort of our homes. Nothing wrong with that per se but it has left so little room for Indian stars to be in the collective consciousness of a nation for sustained spells.

Given this scenario, are practitioners of other sport helpless in becoming brands in their own right? Far from it. They are tremendous brands themselves but remain unexploited by the Indian market. I reckon even the Indian cricketer would have remained in the same league but for it recognising opportunity and seizing it.

Some years ago, around the time cable and satellite TV came in to India, Jagmohan Dalmiya and Inderjit Singh Bindra realised that tennis and golf were popular because they were played round the year – and, what's more, broadcast live on TV. It did not take them much to chalk out a calendar that would ensure cricket on TV nearly all the time.

Over the last two years, the Indian cricket team has been seen playing on as many as 208 days of international cricket – Tests, ODIs and T20 games. And there was 45 days of madness that went by the branding of IPL.

Contrast that with Olympic Games gold medal winner Abhinav Bindra's schedule. He competed in 10 international events in two years, each lasting but a maximum of an hour and a half. And, we do not know when his next event will be. In fact, he has told reporters to call him up after five months to know if he would shoot again.

Take the Indian hockey team, it played but 36 matches since the dawn of 2007. And the national football team 20 matches in the same time frame, winning the Nehru Gold Cup and the AFC Challenge Cup in the process. It just reinforces my belief that if other sportsperson to become brands, they need to be seen performing very often on TV.

Their federations and they themselves need to shed traditional thinking and come up with solutions that are in keeping with the evolving, TV-driven scenario. For far too long, they have not embraced change and have stuck to doing things in a way that pre-dates the onset of TV.

I heard a former marksman lament the other day that shooting is a non-spectator sport. Can nothing really be done about finding ways to make it a spectator sport? Here's one way – and let me warn you that is not an original idea and is borrowed from golf. How about replicating the Pro-Am event from golf in shooting? This could allow the formation of teams that include competitive shooters, recreational shooters and even first timers.

Some other reasons for failure

Let us try and look at why I-League football, PHL and the tennis circuit haven't developed as brands.

I-League, which will start in just a few days, is not quite a pan-India event. Of the 12 teams that will feature in the second edition, four teams each are based in Kolkata and Goa, three in Mumbai, leaving JCT (Phagwara) as the sole representative from outside these three States.

Quite inevitably, football fans from States like Manipur, Kerala and Tamil Nadu would prefer idolising players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen, Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack.

PHL made some fundamental errors, creating city-based teams but not as franchises. The Indian Hockey Federation retained the selection and running of the teams in its own control. And, in hosting the event in one or two venues, it lost out on the opportunity to cultivate loyalties in the teams' home cities.

Tennis has an international circuit with as many as 19 events – four ATP Challengers and six ITF Futures for men and nine ITF Women's tournaments – and some of these events are telecast indeed. But, the quality of the telecast is such that it can drive the viewer to reach for the remote control.

The lesson to be drawn is there for all to see: Merely placing a sport on TV alone is not enough. The quality of coverage is important too. The All Indian Tennis Association can help the TV channel in question find quality producers so that images beamed are watched by sports fans and not a wasted exercise.

The stakeholders' challenges

The challenge before sports federations is simple: innovate, draw up a calendar that is not sporadic and will attract TV and other partners. Keep your sport in the limelight (and not for the wrong reasons) so that fans can follow it with passion. The focus of the officials must be on creating and sustaining a good series of events rather than seats of power in international federations.

The challenge for the champions of all sport is to be proactive with their own federations and help design innovative events that will draw people to watch – and hopefully participate; to state things in a positive manner and not just be critical of the system. I believe they must realise they have a responsibility towards their sport in making them more popular.

Viewed from a different perspective, brand managers need to take up seemingly tough asks and make brands of champions of sport that are not so popular on TV. It is time they go beyond riding piggyback only on cricket (and Bollywood) and start looking at developing other champions as brands.

And, the media? Well, news channels, radio stations, newspapers and magazines must revert to covering Indian sport and not stop with just reacting to what the sports channels offer from overseas. There is a role for the media to play in encouraging youngsters to take to sport and then to sustain their interest.

Meeting Tom and delving into his passion for sport

2008-09-17T23:45:00.000-07:00

There were two reasons I gave up the chance last Friday to listen to British climber Mick Fowler speak about four spectacular climbs in Tibet – Siguniang, Grosvenor, Kajaqiao, and Manamcho. First, my friend Tuhin Sinha was launching his book 22 Yards. And, I was keen to meet actor Tom Alter, who was to be the special guest at the Oxford Book store in busy Connaught Place.
I was exposed to Tuhin's enthusiasm for the game around this time last year. We met in Mumbai and he told me he was writing a fictional account around cricket. We downed some cups of coffee and chatted about shared passion for cricket. And it was pleasing to hear from him about the launch that his publishers, Westland, had put together for him.
By the time my friend NP Singh and I reached Oxford Book Store, the book had been launched, Tom and Tuhin were winding up the conversation that had been having about the game, its players and the book itself. It made sense to buy our copies of the book and wait for the formal interaction to be completed.
Tuhin got busy talking to some mediapersons, his friend and well-wishers, signing autographs in the copies of the book that people had bought. There were a number of people wanting Tom’s autograph as well. The veteran answered questions from them patiently, never more when someone shuffled up to him and rifled dozens of questions.
As the man shot of question after question, it was clear that he did not know who Tom was or what he did for a living. Not for the first time in his life, Tom was being mistaken for an American who developed a passion for cricket – and life at large. The fact that the actor did not mind it all and answered all questions was a veritable lesson in humility.
It was amusing – and wonderful – to see him grill a TV reporter about the event Abhinav Bindra won the Olympic Games gold medal in. And about how wrestler Sushil Kumar was given a second chance to win an Olympic bronze. I can promise you it was not a very nice sight to see the reporter squirm and then try to hold his own against the seasoned Tom.
When you hear him speak about how Suresh Kalmadi had achieved precious little in his time as top honcho of Amateur Athletics Federation of India, you realise it is not the lament of the armchair critic who has picked up some wisdom by watching TV channels or reading newspapers reports. Indeed, his own novel, The Longest Race, has some criticism of the system in India.
When he speaks of badminton player Saina Nehwal's emergence as the brightest star on the Indian women's sports firmament, you know it is not an off the cuff remark by an arm-chair critic. “She has that something special,” he says, a few days before the Haryanvi-Hyderabadi girl went on to win her second Grand Prix title.
There was a twinkle in Tom's eyes when NP spoke to him about some pieces that he had written in the weekly magazine Sportsweek all those years ago. "You remember those?" he said, in amazement. In the silence that enveloped the group for a few moments, you could see that he was dipping in nostalgia. "None of the 12 pieces was on a cricketer. Of the 12 sportspeople I had interviewed – actually spent several days with each one of them – just swimmer Anita Sood paid tributes to her coach, Sandeep Divgikar," he said.
He recalled that middle-distance ace Bahadur Prasad allowed Gulab Chand to win a race in the inter-Railway championship just because it would help the younger runner to secure a promotion. And he also told us that he had named the central character in The Longest Race Bahadur in honour of the ace.
How could a conversation with Tom at a cricket book launch not focus on cricket?
He regards Sachin Tendulkar at his peak as the brightest Indian batsman of them all ahead of Sunil Gavaskar, Gundappa Viswanath, Dilip Vengsarkar, Rahul Dravid and all else. But the stress was on the words at his peak. “He was God then, Tom says.
And when he spoke of the change in Tendulkar's approach to batsmanship, he recalled Steve Waugh comments that he saw fear in Tendulkar's eyes for the first time on India's tour of Australia in 1999-2000 and that the little big man was now playing the cricket ball off the pitch rather than off the bowler's hand.
There was a lost look in his eyes when I raked up the issue of match fixing – some if it figures in 22 Yards. “I wrote then that the lights at the Wankhede Stadium were not only switched off but seemed to be hanging their heads in shame. It hasn’t been the same for me since then,” he says.
The other aspect of modern cricket that anguishes his soul is clearly IPL. “I didn’t watch a single IPL game. It was conceived on the twin tenets of greed and revenge and anything that is resting on such pillars cannot be good,” Tom says, making it apparent that, like some of us, he remains a stickler for Test cricket and its romance.
That is the reason he is hurt by India's ODI captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to not play the recent Test series in Sri Lanka. "Had Dhoni gone, we would not have lost the Test series," he said. "See how well he played both Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan in the one-day games. He may have looked a bit ungainly in the process but he delivered results, did he not?"
Evening stretched into night. Cha Bar closed and its staff made their way home, leaving some of us parched when we looked for some tea. Happily, the book store staff waited patiently for us to leave, never even suggesting that we rise from the table that had become a vast canvas of our thoughts.

Resuming life in the akhara... by choice

2008-09-12T17:31:00.000-07:00

He has such a busy schedule, meeting dozens of dignitaries, attending functions and answering many media requests that it is with trepidation that we drive to our rendezvous – the Sat Pal Akhara in the Chhatrasal Stadium in Delhi's Model Town. Would Olympic Games bronze medalist Sushil Kumar be there so early in the day? We are in for a pleasant surprise. Sushil Kumar, mud all over his sculptured frame and oil greasing his hair, was about to complete his training for the day.

The 25-year-old breaks into a warm half-smile when we approach him in the akhara and quickly explains the role of the akhara. "We mix turmeric power, mustard oil and many other things in the soil. These work as tonics and antiseptics," he says, not so much to tell us why he was covered with mud all over but to introduce us to some nuances of wrestling. "I would train in the akhara once a week but I would not change the style, using the same techniques as on the mat – and that helped me improve my speed."

Dressed in but traditional training gear – a brief, he was ready for us, with the Olympic Games bronze medal within reach so that he could pose for Outlook's Photo Editor T Narayan. I squatted barefoot beside him, not wanting to sit in a chair while the champion was in the akhara – and walked him through many moments in his life. And after a good hour and more, I come away convinced that he is humility personified.

The 66kg wrestler has come back to a resounding reception and yet he does not hesitate to return to the monastic life that he embraced more than a decade ago when he sought guru Sat Pal – after listening in to a programme on All India Radio – and submitted himself to the rigours of training. Many years later, after he won the bronze medal in Beijing, he could have chosen to sit back in his parental home in Baprola village in Najafgarh on the outskirts of Delhi but he was back where his heart was – in the akhara.

"I have done that too," he says, pointing to a young aspirant dragging a heavy block of wood by ropes to level an area. "That block is called a fatta. This exercise provides an excellent workout for the shoulders and thighs." And he has climbed the rope that dangles from a tall tree – and that has helped him develop upper body strength. And I cannot remember how many of those push ups I have done," he says, pointing to some younger wrestlers perform on the little gallery nearby. Some of these lads nurse dreams of going on to do well for India. For other, learning the craft will allow them to earn some cash for themselves and their families by fighting in the dangals.

Sushil smiles a knowing smile when I suggested that he and his fellow-wrestlers defied the lazy stereotype that legend heartlessly builds up around rural natives of these parts. "We may be lazy in many walks of life but one can't be lazy about something that is a passion," he says. "The balance of a bout can change in a matter of seconds and there cannot be any room for laziness in my life. We train to develop attributes like thinking, speed, power, stamina, flexibility and durability."

His guru Sat Pal, himself a Padma Shri award winner after his Asian Games gold in 1982, walks by and pauses to join the conversation. "When Sushil came to me first, he was 11 or 12 and weighed about 35kg. We trained him and as he first won the Delhi schools championship, we knew he had a strong character that is rare even for wrestlers," he says. "He would follow all that we would tell him, uncomplainingly. If I told him he had to do 500 push ups, he would go way beyond that. If we told him to complete 20 sprint repeats, he would do 30. Only such a player can become a champion. There is a great joy in shaping such a diamond – and words can never do justice to that process."

My mind goes back to a conversation I had some days earlier with Roshan Lal Sethi, who has been watching dangals (wrestling competitions) since the 60s, and he tells you believes there are about 200 akharas, big and small, reputed and fledgling, in Delhi. "They are spread all over Delhi, including in the rural belt, and are as far flung as Yamuna bank and Mehrauli, North Delhi and Najafgarh. Why, even now, the dangal every Sunday near Jama Masjid is popular. You must see it to believe it. In fact, Sushil had fought in those dangals before he came under Sat Pal's tutelage."

But before I could ask him that, the guru went his way to others needing his attention. And to some new kids who have turned up at the Chhatrashal Stadium in the hope of joining his akhara. Clearly, we know Sushil Kumar has won more than an Olympic medal. He has won a huge battle for his sport, wresting media's focus on to wrestling.

Cut to August 20, China Agiculture University Gymnasium in Beijing.

Having got a bye in the first round, he was not prepared for defeat by Ukraine's Andriy Stadnik in the quarterfinal. He spent the next hour and a half alternately agonizing and praying for Stadnik to make it to the final.

"When I lost to him – and I was not able to do anything right in my bout – I stayed in the stadium, rested and was only watching him, hoping that he went into the final," recalls Sushil. "I had my heart in my mouth and a prayer on my lips when he was fighting the Kazakh in the semifinal. It was a close contest. There were four or five pehlwans of more or less equal calibre and could win against one another. I did not want to return the Games Village."

Prodded to linger just that bit longer on that memorable day, Sushil says he thanked God – Hanuman, to be precise – and told himself not to make any more mistakes and give the bronze medal his best shot. "I was perhaps more fit in 2004 and would have brought home a medal from the Athens Games but repechage had not been introduced then. I had to fight three bouts in the span of 75 minutes and I was glad we had trained for such a schedule.

Lingering is something that Sushil normally does not like to do. "The bronze medal is done and behind me," he says. It is clear that this is not false modesty but a philosophy of life that is ingrained in true gladiators. "I have to focus on the present and the future." I ask him if it is easy. For, we don't let him forget that in a hurry, inviting him to a series of functions or asking him to fulfill media commitments. "Look, we are sitting and talking about it. So, it's okay to relive some of those moments for you. But I cannot let it overtake me or my character that is rooted in the present. Wrestling as a sport demands continuity. If you give up training for a day, you are set back by three or four days – and I cannot afford that."

Ask him about the time he was kept out of the Indian team for the Commonwealth Games despite his defeating Shokinder Singh, and you get a simple response that packs much erudition. "I believe in looking ahead. I can't be lingering on any thing. On a defeat, on non-selection or even on an Olympic medal," he says, ending my search for disappointment or frustration beneath his calm countenance.

But if you thought that he does not have much to say, you have another thought coming. He minces no words on some issues. For example, ask him about the Baghpat based Shokinder's decision to auction his international medals in an ostensible bid to raise funds for a good akhara in his home town. "Such acts do not benefit any one. He has a job in the Railways and has got promoted twice. Such behaviour can only harm wrestling as a sport, leaving a poor imprint in the minds of the young wrestlers."

Indeed, Sushil does mind speaking his heart out against the system that allows one wrestler to choose the grip that he would employ at the start of the bout. They should go back to the spin of the coin. "I had to think on my feet and find a way to turn the tables on my opponent in the bronze medal match. I used the kachchi daav (a special move) and was able to clinch the win," he says of the biggest bout of his life.

He speaks candidly about his win-some-lose-some attitude when I ask him if he missed a normal life outside the akhara. "We have to make sacrifices in some areas of life to be able to achieve in our chosen areas," he says. "The othe day I met someone who studies for 16-17 hours a day. He is probably missing out on the joy of playing sport, isn't he? But he may not view it that way. I don't think I have been wrong in choosing to be a wrestler."

There are more honest words that surface from his heart. "We love the attention the sport is getting but honestly, we would feel more encouraged if the dignitaries met us even before we set out for competitions," he says. "I believe all our athletes will deliver better results if they know that the country cares for them." For all that, he hasn't yet been able to meet Minster for Railways Lalu Prasad Yadav, given that the latter had trained his focus on the floods ravaging north Bihar. "He was ecstatic when he called me in Beijing after I won the bronze medal bout but I was unable to take his call then," he says.

Take his attention away to Khali – the heavy weight 'wrestler' who had a whole nation eating out of his hands on his return from the US after a spell in WWE – and Sushil gets as candid as he can ever be. "Khali's is a different kind of wrestling. In fact, it is not wrestling but a form of entertainment," he says, quite dismissively. Sushil has a very strong opinion on doping as well. "First, let me tell you that you will not find a wrestler because of the akhara system in India," he says. "The thought of taking recourse to such aids never crossed my mind. It is wrong to indulge in doping. A player's life gets spoilt by such a thing. In fact, our coaches and senior pehelwans and my guru Sat Pal will never allow such things to happen." Mention of Sat Pal brings a twinkle to his eyes. "I share an indescribable relationship with my guru."

Almost as if on cue, having completed another round of his akhara, encouraging, chiding, cajoling and scolding his trainees, Sat Pal returns. "He had all but lost his bronze medal bout to semifinalist Leonid Spiridonov of Kazakhastan in Beijing. Our eyes met and I urged him to give it all he had and with speed," recalls Sat Pal. "He had lost the first round bout to Andriy Stadnik of Ukraine in similar circumstances. I am so glad he understood what I was telling him." It was just as well that Sat Pal ended his self-imposed exile from international competitions after he retired in 1984. "I went on my own and I would like to believe that my presence helped him."

"When he lost his first bout, we were quite flabbergasted and didn't know what had struck us. He was not able to fight as well as he could. He seemed too keen and under pressure to win. We then stayed on in the Stadium, praying for Stadnik to keep winning his way to the final so that Sushil would get a chance to make amends. I told him to be himself and to shed the fear of failure. Then he beat the Amercian Doug Schwab (world No 3), Belerus' Albert Batyrov and the Kazakhstan's Leonid Spiridonov (world no 4). He is sharp kid and fought each of his bouts intelligently to find Olympic success."

There has been talk about living conditions and some unromantic stories about the wrestlers being packed in rooms. But the truth is that these lads no other way. "I could have brought a flat with the money I got from the Arjuna Award and other winnings but I would not have been able to discipline myself," he says.

I ask him about the new motorcycle gifted to him by a TV channel. "It is a lovely piece of machinery but I don't know how to ride it. Praveen knows a thing or two about such bikes and I will be his pillion," says Sushil, getting up to leave because he has an appointment to keep. He heads to the shower, washes off the mud, towels himself dry and walks back into the room that has been his home away from the Baprola home for a good part of the last decade. "My childhood has been spent here. I was in the sixth or seventh class when I came here. Nothing has changed for me."

Yes, at this point of time, he knows not what life beyond guru Sat Pal's akhara.

(This piece first appeared in Outlook Citylimits and the photo is courtesy my friend and its Photo Editor T Narayan)

Time may be up for King of comebacks

2008-09-08T07:02:00.001-07:00

This time around, even the king of comebacks may find it hard to make a return to the international stage. He has bounced back quite often so well in the past that obituary writers will be very careful. But the wise Sourav Ganguly, all of 36 years, will realise that the odds are severely stacked against staging another comeback.
It is hard to pick one comeback over the other because each is made of scintillating stuff. Back in 1996, he played his way into India’s cricket consciousness with two hundreds at Lord’s and Trent Bridge – four years after he was branded a lazy young man and on being branded a quota candidate on his inclusion on the team’s tour of England.
After scaling amazing heights as Team India captain on taking over at the peak of match-fixing controversy that shook cricket’s foundations, he got into an infamous scrap with coach Greg Chappell and ended up losing his place in the side, with unexpected time to introspect on his own batsmanship.
Gangly returned after nine months in the wilderness and infused a new vigour in Team India in South Africa with a knock of 83 in the practice game in Potchefstroom. And this after being hit by a bouncer. He followed it up with an unbeaten 51 in the first innings of the opening Test that India went on to win.
Then again, from that time he made that comeback, Ganguly will have known that his Test career was dangling on a slender thread. And that had he had to keep performing all the time in a game that could be called ‘living by the day’. And that the thread finally gave away after a series of scores that read 23, 4, 0, 16, 35 and 18 for a total of 96 runs in the last series in Sri Lanka.
And that string of failures against Muttiah Muralitharan is the most recent memory that selectors chose to remember. They seem to have forgotten that Ganguly had two ruddy good knocks of 87 each in the Ahmedabad and Kanpur Tests against South Africa earlier this year? And that second knock helped India set up a series-levelling victory on the dustbowl at Green Park Stadium.
You can argue that selectors have been unfair in choosing Ganguly as the only middle-order batsman to pay for India’s collective failures in Sri Lanka. Was he the only one who appeared to be slow on his feet, his eye-hand co-ordination letting him down? But it does appear that the present lot of selectors has made up its collective mind against keeping faith in him.
I wish the selectors have the decency to call him up and have a quiet word with him. But such niceties are not part of Indian cricket and it would be futile to expect the Chairman of Selectors Dilip Vengsarkar to ring him up to tell him that he was unlikely to add to his 109 Test caps and 6888 runs.
Ganguly romantics will have to concede – however reluctantly – that with the likes of Yuvraj Singh (who may perhaps be kicking himself for having missed out), Mohammed Kaif, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma and S Badrinath waiting in the wings to take over from him, we may have seen the last of the king of comebacks in India colours.
Then again, will he finally throw in the towel? Or will he continue to battle on in a bid to stage another of those comebacks? Whatever his decision, you cannot take away from the fact that Ganguly has been easily the most colourful of the Golden Quartet of middle-order batsmen. What a fascinating tale his journey in Tests has been! Is there another unlikely chapter?

Rooted in humility, keeping feet on earth

2008-09-03T04:27:00.000-07:00

He may regret being unable to complete formal education but as he is enlightening himself on one of the finest – and inarguably toughest – platforms there can be, you can be sure that B-school students across the country may benefit from Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s experiences of leading, cajoling, motivating diverse personalities in that entity called Team India.
Yet, to my mind, quite apart from the growing maturity that is in evidence in his leadership and batting, the most remarkable feature of his evolution is the fact that he has not forgotten his humble roots and remained rooted in his humility. Those who have known him over some years will vouch that his character hasn’t changed a bit.
There is a readiness to learn from mistakes. He was at the receiving end of criticism for standing too far back to the faster bowlers in Australia, leading the slip cordon to be farther than necessary in the first two Tests. After India’s memorable victory in Perth, he did admit that he had not adjusted himself well to the bounce, expecting the ball to have more carry than it did.
As captain, there can be no better example of his willingness to admit a costly error than when he won the toss against Sri Lanka in the opening game at Dambulla recently and opted to bat on a track that was expected to help the bowlers in the first hour. India lost the game by an eight-wicket margin and he said he would have loved to have bowled first on the pitch.
Viewed from a larger perspective, for someone who defied the stereotype by saying he had not aspired for India captaincy, Dhoni has shown wonderful leadership skills. The immediate challenge that he faced on being named captain of the T20 side ahead of Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh was to win them over – and he did that will so little fuss.
Critics constantly were snapping at his heels when the thinktank looked ahead and picked successive ODI teams without Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid. But he was relentless in his vision for the team, basing it in on athleticism of the younger men like Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Robin Uthappa.
He has remained steadfast in his support of the younger players even in the face of what seemed like a crisis. Unruffled by the absence of batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar and Sehwag, he banked on Virat Kohli. The other day after shepherding the team to another win over Sri Lanka, he suggested, half in jest, that he would have a heart attack on the field.
We saw early evidence of his being such a staunch believer in himself and his team when he ticked Ravi Shastri off during the presentations after the ICC World T20 victory over Australia. “Before I start I should say I read an article by you on cricinfo. You'd said Australia were the favourites. Today I think me and the boys, we proved you wrong,” he said.
The manner in which he convinced Sehwag to be of greater value to the team did both of them a world of good, adding layers to his own personality. There has been no hint of arrogance, just ample evidence of quiet confidence as he has gone about his job. And the wonderful thing is that there has been no change in his demeanour – after all, he remains the lad from Ranchi.
I cannot ever tire of narrating my own experience with him. Having flown with him to Ranchi to interview him in May 2006, I was on tenterhooks as my text messages to him remained undelivered. The cellphone network in Jharkhand’s capital was obviously so busy that attempts to reach him on his mobile were futile. It made sense to set off from the hotel to his home.
He wasn’t home, either and I waited for a good hour and a half and got ready to believe that he had given me the royal slip. I was delighted when a powerful motorbike wheeled in and I was able to complete my interview to my satisfaction. When I got back to my hotel, the receptionist handed me a small hand-written note.
Inked in all-capitals, it was clear and concise and had ample traces of an SMS addict:
HI HOW R U. WAS HERE BUT BELIEVE U HAD LEFT. WLD CATCH UP WITH U AFTER 10-30. TAKE CARE. BYE.
MAHI
To this day, despite growing in the cricket firmament as a thought leader and despite thriving in the business of proving people wrong, you can be sure he has kept his head on his shoulders and his feet firmly planted on terra firma.

Talk of Windies revival stokes anticipation

2008-09-01T06:27:00.000-07:00

We hated them for dominating world cricket so much and yet we loved the way they played their cricket. We despised the seemingly arrogant gait that some of them had and yet we would not think twice about imitating them. We envied the enormous talent they had at their beck and call – Garfield Sobers and Rohan Kanhai, Wesley Hall and Charlie Griffith, Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, Clive Lloyd and Alvin Kallicharran, Viv Richards and Brian Lara, Michael Holding and Andy Roberts, Joel Garner and Malcolm Marshall, Colin Croft and Wayne Daniel!
And yet, we took recourse to the fact that Sir Donald Bradman never played in India and readily thought of Sobers as the greatest cricketer that we saw play the game. We detested the pace bowling quartet that Clive Lloyd strung together and mercilessly unleashed on world cricket – especially in Sabina Park against Bishan Bedi’s team in 1976 – that we had no qualms about endlessly celebrating beating the West Indies twice in the 1983 World Cup, most memorably in the final at Lord’s on June 25. It remains one of Indian cricket’s best days.
We made no attempt to hide or anger when others rated Lara ahead of our own little champion Sachin Tendulkar but we would not hesitate too much when conceding that the left-hander was perhaps a tad more graceful. That is how successful the West Indies was in evoking powerful emotions in us. There are no two ways about West Indies cricket coming to occupy a place in not just our minds but also hearts.
And then the degeneration of the team in the 90s after Vivian Richards faded from the scene left us disillusioned, making us look at the Sri Lankans under Arjuna Ranatunga as the premier entertainers in world cricket. Even then we kept waiting for good news from South America. But all we heard was lament about how the young were hardly enthused by cricket and preferred to pay attention to basketball, athletics and football. For far too long, cricket officials in the region have only paid lip service to improving the standard of the game in the West Indies.
Finally, now, noises emerging from the Caribbean have been the most positive we have heard in a long time. West Indies Cricket Board Chief Executive Donald Peters has talked of plans to restructure its cricket so as to become a competitive unit in less than two years. From extending the domestic season to providing contracts to all first-class players, from reviving the West Indies A team to involving all the stakeholders in the regions cricket, the West Indies wants to leave no stone unturned in its bid to enjoy the journey back to being among the cricket’s elite.
Cricket romantics round the world will hope and pray that West Indies cricket does recover from the morass that it finds itself in now. The Caribbean flavour has been missing from world cricket for far too long and there can be no more exciting news for world cricket that word that work is afoot to ensure that it could be back on the world firmament sooner than later. It can only be hoped that West Indies Cricket Board will back its plans with some solid action for this dream to fructify.
If indeed this happens, a whole new generation of cricket fans around the world will have the chance to experience the gamut of emotions -- anger, jealousy, hate, delight, pride, joy and much more – that some of us felt when we were growing up in the 70s and started writing about the game in the 80s. And that will be something that is worth looking forward to.

Did India lose more than just a match on Friday?

2008-08-29T18:50:00.000-07:00

Win toss, win match.

That this formula works in Sri Lanka was reaffirmed yet again on Friday night when India was unable to replicate its feat from the CB series in Australia where it beat the home side both when setting a target in the first final and when chasing one in the second final.

The 113-run defeat in the fifth game of the Idea Cup will take some of the sheen away from what has been a fascinating and successful bid by Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his team to win a one-day international series in the Emerald Isle. But India may have lost more than just the final game – it could well see its star Yuvraj Singh lose himself in a web of self-doubt, no thanks to a certain Ajantha Mendis.

I believed that India could chase a target of 228 quite successfully but the team had to bat with immense discipline. Barring Virat Kohli at the top of the order, there was not much evidence of either discipline or determination as Nuwan Kulasekara blew aside the Indian challenge with a haul of four wickets.

We saw only a slight hint of these traits in Yuvraj Singh against the faster bowlers until he came face to face with Mendis for the first time in three matches in Colombo. Promoted to bat at No. 3 in the third and fourth games, he did not last long enough to bat against his Nemesis.

On Friday evening, after he looked keen to play a long knock, there was no escaping Mendis and he lost to his wicket yet again, dragging the first delivery to the stumps. It meant that the Indian left-hander has now been bowled three times and trapped in front once in the span of 16 deliveries by Mendis.

Till now, only Australian left-arm spinner Brad Hogg could claim to cause Yuvraj some nightmares. Hogg bagged his wicket four times in 16 matches but the manner in which Mendis has wreaked havoc has no parallel in the Indian batsman's 217-match career. Classy and gifted, Yuvraj will have to work very hard to overcome the Mendis memories.

For all that, India can count on a few gains in the series, most notably Suresh Raina's growth as a hungry and consistent one-day batsman, Kohli's emergence as a talent that can be groomed to serve the team for many years, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh's willingness to shoulder the task of leading the Indian attack and Munaf Patels re-emergence as a bowler of considerable skill.

Of course, skipper Dhoni's mature batsmanship and his calm leadership under pressure (not to speak of his luck with the toss in three big games) also stood the team under good stead. He continues to fascinate the connoisseur who understands the captain's evolution and baffle the average fan who would rather have him bat aggressively.

Happy birthday, Wizard Dhyan Chand

2008-08-28T22:51:00.000-07:00

India's greatest sportsman Dhyan Chand would have turned 103 today. Any attempt to evaluate his contribution to Indian sport -- and not just hockey -- would be a futile exercise. Suffice to say that Dhyan Chand was one of a kind.

Even if we were not to fortunate to watch him unfurl his magic that led him and his team to get three gold medals for India in the Olympic Games in 1928, 1932 and 1936, his legacy lives on in the hearts of anyone who is passionate about Indian sport.

Image courtesy: www.bharatiyahockey.org

Bhajji delivery to Jayasuriya will linger in minds for long

2008-08-28T20:22:00.000-07:00

Its alluring loop, slanting across the left-handed batsman's body and dropping at a juicy length, tempting him to go for an expansive off-drive; unfortunately for the marauding Sanath Jayasuriya, Harbhajan Singh had conjured a lethal delivery too – it had pace, turn and bounce and kissed the outside edge of his swishing blade and flew to the left of slip for Suresh Raina to take a fine one-handed catch.

As defining moments go, this one in the fourth one-day international featuring India and Sri Lanka in the Idea Cup series at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, took the cake ahead of Mahendra Singh Dhoni calling the coin right for the fourth time in-a-row and even his 143-run stand for the fourth wicket with Suresh Raina.

For the first time in the series, Jayasuriya was taking the Indian attack by storm and had raced to 60 when Dhoni turned to his most experienced bowler. There were four overs left in third power play and it was almost like the captain was throwing his last dice against Jayasuriya, without making it look like it was a gamble.

In the afternoon, Sri Lanka's spinners Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan were not as effective against the Indian batsmen and it did look like India's off-spinner has a huge challenge before him. And the enormity of the task grew manifold with Jayasuriya wishing the fast medium deliveries away.

In a spell of eight overs, the 28-year-old Harbhajan also dismissed Tillekeratne Dilshan to throttle Sri Lanka's hopes of a revival. He came back to bamboozle Nuwan Kulasekara with a doosra and set up an easy stumping by Dhoni. The Indian off-spinner was the easily pick of the slow bowlers on view.

On Wednesday evening, he played the double role to perfection – attacking and taking wickets besides stemming the flow of runs. On a track that did offer him some encouragement, his control over his craft was so good that he allowed just one boundary hit off his bowling.

During India's superb run of three victories starting in Dambulla, he has shouldered the responsibility of leading the attack along with left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan with a great deal of panache. He may have just six wickets in the four games in Sri Lanka but his contribution in the middle overs cannot ever be downplayed.

It does come across as if he realises the need to keep reinventing himself so that he is step ahead of the batsmen. It is something that he has seen his Test captain Anil Kumble do constantly. Harbhajan Singh continues to beguile and exasperate batsmen, ask questions of umpires but as long as he lends his shoulder to the Indian bowling wheel, his captains, team-mates and fans will be delighted with his continued evolution.

As India prepares to go into the final game on Friday, wanting to win the series 4-1 rather than 3-2, memories of that one ball he sent down to Jayasuriya will linger in the minds of many but the team itself will have to move on and start from the scratch. That is the beauty and, at once, cruelty of modern day cricket. It allows little time for anyone to sit back and cherish fine moments.

Dhoni shoulders more and more responsibility

2008-08-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

His critics keep asking why he is shy of batting higher up the order – as if he were afraid of taking up responsibility. And each time he hears such a refrain, Team India's captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni keeps offering them many reasons, the most important of which happens to be taking up greater responsibility.

On Sunday at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, by holding himself back until the fall of the fourth wicket, Dhoni showed yet again that he is ready to bear the cross of marshalling the resources in the latter half of the innings. And he came up with another fine exhibition of his mature approach to keeping India's innings together.

There have been many suggestions that Dhoni should bat at No. 3 ahead of Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh and Rohit Sharma. And because he is captain, he can choose to secure more opportunities to improve his aggregate and average by batting higher up the order but he has been steadfast and has not gone higher than No. 4 in the 34 matches as captain.

The manner in which he guided India from choppy waters to safer environs reminded me of a day in February this year when he made an unbeaten half-century in Adelaid without hitting a boundary. He had come in to bat in a similar situation, with India being less than 100 for four and needing to make close to 240 to secure an important win over Sri Lanka.

On Sunday, Dhoni was involved in two ruddy good partnerships under pressure – first adding 54 runs in 12 overs with Suresh Raina and then with 67 in 11 overs with Rohit Sharma. There was not the slightest hint of stress during his stay at the crease as India progressed from 91 for four in the 23rd over to 229 for eight in the penultimate over.

He is constantly changing the batting order – it was something that Greg Chappell had inculcated in the Indian thinking but got flak because everyone thought the team was experimenting too much – and it helps him that he has immense faith in himself and his team-mates. Nothing seems to shake his self-belief and that is the best thing about him.

Why, when Virender Sehwag became unavailable before the first game in Dambulla and it became know that he would play no part in the series, even I had suggested that the selectors send Sourav Ganguly as a replacement so that there would be some experience at the top of the order.

But then on Sunday, Dhoni responded by not dropping the young Virat Kohli and assigning a more defensive role to Gautam Gambhir and getting Yuvraj Singh to bat at No. 3 to not only ensure that there would experience at the top of the order but also give his senior batsman the chance to find himself among runs.

And as India completed another fine victory to take a 2-1 lead over Sri Lanka, Dhoni and his band made those who doubted the Indian team's ability and willingness to rise to the challenge of winning in Sri Lanka think again.

Dhoni will have to make right choices to win again

2008-08-23T09:39:00.001-07:00

Two key questions will engage India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's attention in the run up to the third one-day international against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Sunday – and, wait, the questions do not respond to the calls of Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan. The questions relate to the composition of the Indian XI for the crucial game.
A fit Gautam Gambhir will reclaim his place at the top of the order but his return will make Dhoni wonder who to leave out. And the fact that the game will played on what can be a placid track at the Premadasa Stadium will mean that the Indian captain will have to consider recalling left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha to the bowling attack as the second spinner.
Fortunately for India, Gambhir will be raring to have a go at the Sri Lankan attack after his second-delivery dismissal in the first game and a stiff neck kept him out of the second. The left-handed opener finds himself in the role of the senior opening batsman since Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag are both out with injury.
Gambhir's return can well mean that India goes in with a third combination at the start of the order in as many matches. For, it seems unlikely that the team management will persist with the teenaged Virat Kohli as opener. It will be a tad unfair to the young man if he does not get to bat on what may be a flatter pitch than Dambulla.
It also presents Dhoni and the think-tank the task of having to decide which of the fast medium bowlers to exclude to be able to include the left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha on a Premadasa Stadium track that is not know to assist the quicker bowlers. Given that his bowling does not have the bite when he is not bowling with the new ball Irfan Pathan seems the obvious choice.
Then again, the team management can leave Munaf Patel out to be able to bolster the batting with Pathan's presence either at the start of the innings or in the lower-order. That is a tough choice for Dhoni to make – does he strengthen the batting by including Pathan or does he go in with five bowlers who are in good nick?
S Badrinath's calm and composed stint at the crease in the second game in Dambulla will help him claim a batting spot ahead of Kohli and it is possible that India will present him in the role of an opening batsman. That move may allow Dhoni the space to make the two changes – Gambhir and Ojha for Kohli and Pathan.
There has been some talk of how Sri Lanka's settled combination at the top, with Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, allows the home team to hold the upper-hand. And that is exactly why Zaheer Khan's sustained aggression becomes necessary for India if it is to emerge winner of the series.
At a ground where a score of 260-2775 can be potentially match winning – and batting first can be crucial to the fortunes of the teams – it becomes necessary that India's bowlers embrace discipline and not gift away free runs to the home batsmen. And it is for this reason alone that picking Patel ahead of Pathan may become necessary.
It is in grappling with such questions – and coming up with the best possible solutions – that Dhoni will give himself and his team the chance to secure more wins in Sri Lanka.

India can do with Zaq attack more often

2008-08-21T04:25:00.001-07:00

For someone who stormed to the international stage at the ICC knockout tournament in Nairobi in the year 2000, Zaheer Khan has been very under-stated throughout his career as India's new ball bowler. But as he picked up what was only his fifth man of the match award in 146 ODI games, the thought crossed the mind: Is he ready to go full tilt again?

You would have expected Zaheer Khan to deliver more for India – he has a splendid haul of 205 wickets in the one-day games. The fact that he has three wickets or more in just 25 of those matches perhaps is an indication of a slight confusion about his role: should he attack upfront or bowl a more defensive line?

It is no coincidence that India emerged on top in seven of the eight games in which Zaheer has taken four or five wickets – the only aberration came back in March 2002 when Douglas Marillier helped Zimbabwe pinch a one-wicket win with two deliveries to spare.

On the basis of what we saw in Dambulla on Monday (when he had no wickets to show for his efforts) and Wednesday, India will hope that any resident confusion in Zaheer Khan's mind and that of the thinktank will have cleared and that the 29-year-old will attack the best he can and peg the opposition on the backfoot everytime.

Quite obviously, one of the biggest keys to bowling with the new ball in ODIs is subtle change of pace and Zaheer Khan has done well to showcase that his armoury. He does have the ability to swing the cricket ball both ways, constantly probing the batsmen, but even he will admit he can improve his consistency as far as bowling a steady line goes.

His most impressive strides have been on the maturity front where he has evolved a great deal from the hot-headed youngster. Time was when he would react angrily to criticism but he has acquired a calm demeanour now. Time was when his attitude to bowling quick came under the scanner, much to his dismay.

Of course, he spent a while in the wilderness and it was only a good stint with Worcestershire in 2006 that saw him return to the Indian side, even if only as Sreesanth's new ball partner. Then again, he worked his way back to the top as the leader of the fast bowling unit, sharing his knowledge with his comrades-in-arms.

But all that has changed now, perhaps due to a growing awareness that at the end of the performance – rather than just potential – would contribute to an extended stay in the Indian team. His elevation to senior fast bowler status, caused by the presence of younger fast bowlers and the departure of Javagal Srinath

The arrival of a set of younger fast medium bowlers seems to have spurred him to get better. And each time he gets the better of a class batsman – say, a Kumar Sangakkara – the joy radiating from his face is a sight to behold, not the least for his team's captain and his team-mates.

Since Srinath's retirement, Zaheer Khan has been India's pace bowling spearhead but has, sometimes, wrestled with fitness issues. He has learnt that it is important to step into a game being 100 per cent fit. And there can be nothing more heartening that the sight of a fit Zaheer Khan charging in to bowl.

It was in Dambulla some years ago that former Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin spotted Zaheer Khan's lack of fitness during the Asia Cup. On Wedneday, as he was steaming in to cause the Sri Lankan batting to be in disarray, he looked at the peak of his fitness and skills.

Dambulla win: Key moment for captain Dhoni

2008-08-20T09:13:00.000-07:00

When he is done with captaincy (hopefully sometime in the distant future), Mahendra Singh Dhoni can look back at Wednesday's game in Dambulla with satisfaction as a key point in his career as a leader of men. He may or may not have been aware that back home in India, question were already being asked about his skills – he had chosen to sit out of the Tests against Sri Lanka and his team had lost by a huge margin in the opening game.
Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag were out with injuries even before a ball was bowled in the series and India's top-order looked weak. There were questions about his 'reluctance' to bat higher in the order. "He is not leading from the front. Why is he pushing the youngsters ahead of him?" asked the critics, upset after the eight-wicket loss.
Then again, leading from the front does not necessarily mean batting at No. 3. Suresh Raina had a fair amount of success batting at that spot in the Asia Cup in Pakistan, when he scored two half-centuries in three innings. There really was no need to move the left-hander down the order after his failure to build on a decent start in Dambulla on Monday.
Of course, Dhoni had the option of batting at the top of the order – and, as some insist, leading from the front – but I reckon he was holding himself back to face the larger threat of Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan. Fortunately for him, he found an able ally in S Badrinath, whose calm approach to the task on hand during the 60-run stand, endeared him to many.
Dhoni walked in with the score at 52 for three, with India still 91 runs away from victory. And when Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma fell in the 20th over with the score at 75, the pressure on him grew manifold. Debutant Badrinath and he batted as if they were playing a Test match and their partnership
Wednesday was a day on which Dhoni could do little wrong.
Unlike on Monday, he made the right decision on winning the toss and his new ball bowlers responded magnificently in pushing Sri Lanka on the back foot. In fact, even before the game, Dhoni and the think-tank chose to field Praveen Kumar for left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha and induct Badrinath in place of a less than fit Gautam Gambhir.
Both Praveen and Badrinath contributed to India's victory, one that allowed the team to head to Colombo for three day-night games at the Premadasa Stadium next week level with Sri Lanka. If the home side took a 2-0 lead in Dambulla, India would have been hard pressed to stage a comeback in the series.
Praveen Kumar teamed up with India's frontline left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan for the first time and by the time he was through with his first spell, Sri Lanka was 24 for four in 12 overs. He returned in the middle overs to see the backs of the home side's most successful pair of Thilan Thushara and Nuwan Kulasekara.
Badrinath, with oodles of experience in first class cricket, played a composed hand during the critical partnership with the captain. His quiet knock added strength to the view that he has the class and the temperament to play at the highest level but none would have been more pleased with his contribution than Dhoni himself.
The good thing about Dhoni is that he does not get flustered by defeat – just as he does not get too expressive about victory. He quite readily accepted his mistake in batting first in the opening game and got on with the task of marshalling his troops to a victory over Sri Lanka, preventing Mahela Jayawardene's team from completing a hat-trick of wins.

Dhoni's mistake cost India dear

2008-08-18T22:39:00.000-07:00

The focus on Sri Lanka's mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis has been so sharp and the fact that he won the man of the match award for his three wickets in India's opening ODI at Dambulla has made nearly everyone miss the key point – Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni erred in opting to take first strike.

It is not as if one is getting wise after the event. I was on All India Radio when Dhoni won the toss and my jaws dropped when he said India would bat first. I had just finished saying that if he called the spin of coin correctly, he should choose to field first and allow India to chase a target.

I had reasoned that the first hour would be critical and since the team could not afford to lose early wickets if it was to take on the M and M challenge, the sensible thing would be to have a bowl. As Mendis had hassled India in the Asia Cup final – and in the Test series – India needed to get off to a flyer before he bowled his first ball.

Unmindful of the state of the pitch or other conditions, why would a team want to bat first when it has just lost its opening pair to injuries and goes in with a teenaged debutant at the top of the order? And why would a team with three fast medium bowlers in its ranks not want to give them the advantage of using a fresh track?

Then again, Dhoni may have backed his team's strength – batting – in making the decision. I hoped that the captain would have read the conditions better than someone sitting in far away Delhi. But then deep down I knew he had made a mistake and began hoping that the team would prove me wrong. That was not to be.

When Kulasekara generated healthy bounce – and we are not even discussing the movement in the air and off the pitch – we were left wondering how much Munaf Patel and Zaheer Khan would have loved to have a crack at the Sri Lankan batsmen at the start of the game.

With Chaminda Vaas and Thilan Thushara causing damage as well, India was always going to be on the backfoot even before the onset of M and M duo. Yuvraj Singh and Dhoni's fall to Mendis did not help the team's cause either. And only the 59 runs that the last three wickets put on saw India post what looked like a respectable score.

It cannot be refuted that significant damage was inflicted well before Sri Lanka's spin twins came on the scene and a major chunk of that was due to the fact that the track was at its liveliest at the start of the match. And that happened only because the Indian thinktank did not dwell enough on the risk of batting first.

It can only be hoped that Team India will bounce back from the eight-wicket defeat on Monday. There is no doubting its abilities but it is important that the Indian batsmen themselves do not begin get caught in a web of self-doubt because of the Mendis factor.

Bring Ganguly's experience back to fill gap

2008-08-18T10:40:00.000-07:00

It is time to recall Sourav Ganguly – even if for a short while – to India's one-day squad. That was the first thought that sprang to mind when I heard that Virender Sehwag would not recover from his ankle injury quickly enough and would miss the whole of the one-day series in the Emerald Isle.

I am well aware that Ganguly is 36 years old now and is not a lasting solution to India's current opening problems. And I also know it has been more than five years and 83 matches since Ganguly scored a century in a one-day international. And I haven't forgotten that he made it against Kenya in the ICC World Cup 2003.

And yes, I was among those who saw logic when the selectors and the captain's decided to keep Ganguly out of the Indian squad after a dismal run of scores that read 39, 6, 39, 5 against Pakistan at home in November last year. Then again, I also remember Chairman of Selectors Dilip Vengsarkar telling us that Ganguly would be used in rotation.

Of course, the future has to be kept in mind when a replacement for Sehwag is sent to Sri Lanka. I believe that Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir will form the partnership that will serve India for some time to come in much the same manner as the Tendulkar-Ganguly, Tendulkar-Sehwag and Ganguly-Sehwag combinations.

Yet, I also believe that Ganguly is the short-term and, perhaps, readymade answer to India's search to fill the breach caused by Tendulkar and Sehwag's absence from the starting line-up. I will not waste my breath or your time by citing his record in Sri Lanka but I would like the selectors to give him the responsibility of guiding the top-order.

Let me try and present some reasons: India is going to need some experience at the top of the order – there is none more experienced and available than Ganguly; Gambhir has played but 57 games, opening in just 37 of them. India needs a stable and brisk start to ensure that the middle-order is not exposed to Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan.

We saw that at the start of the series in Dambulla on Monday when Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara rattled the Indian top-order by claiming four of the first five wickets. And let me assure you that this is not a knee-jerk reaction of the batting failure in Dambulla but a considered thought at filling a critical gap.

It is important for the team's collective confidence to try and win games – rather than face one-sided defeats – even as a young Team India readies itself for ICC World Cup 2011. And Ganguly can be inducted as the senior statesman in the side, with the selectors making his role on return to the squad amply clear to him.

It will allow the selectors and Indian cricket the chance to let Ganguly bid farewell to ODI cricket. To say the least, one of India's finest captains and one-day batsmen deserves that chance.

India will be better prepared for Mendis

2008-08-17T00:27:00.000-07:00

It’s stick-neck-out time and make a prediction again: India will win the one-day series against Sri Lanka 3-2. Do I see you grin or even hear you laugh your guts off at my ‘cheek’ to make such a prediction?

Especially when mystery bowler Ajantha Mendis seems to be running rings around Indian batsmen – a task he started in the Asia Cup final in Karachi last month? And when he combines with Muttiah Muralithran, he makes life more difficult for them?

Okay, let me preen a bit. After India lost the opening Test of the recent series against Sri Lanka at the SSC ground in Colombo by an innings and plenty, I told a colleague that Sri Lanka would win the Test series 2-1. Few had given India any chance of winning a Test match in Sri Lanka after that nightmare defeat.

I believe that the Indian batsmen – especially the middle order bunch of Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rohit Sharma – will have had a good look at his bowling during the Tests and will be in a better position to take him on. Besides, they will have got inputs from those who strove against Mendis in the Test series and have returned home.

Let me reproduce the gist of an SMS chat I recently had with one of the cricketers who has returned – and I shall not name him because I hadn’t told him I would share the exchange in public. I do this mainly to show that the brotherhood of Indian batsmanship is alive and kicking and such exchanges with those who have travelled to Sri Lanka now will have enhanced their preparation.

“It took us a bit long to figure out the two guys out,” the cricketer said, indicating that some batsmen did manage a few runs by staying at the crease long enough but admitting that it was too little.

So was Mendis so tough to pick?

“No, not too tough to pick but he had good control. It became easier as it went on and you figured out the shots you could use to score,” he wrote back. “They bowled well in tandem, bringing in variation and sustaining pressure from both ends but (I must admit) we also didn’t bat well.”

Few have been as candid in admitting batting failures.

The 20 overs that Mendis and Muralitharan will send down in the ODIs can be quite critical and it is important that India does not lose wickets against the new ball, leaving the middle-order batsmen having the dual task of defending the citadel and scoring quickly against the spin twins. That is not an impossible to achieve but India would be better off without having to face that challenge.

Sachin Tendulkar’s injury and consequent pull out from the one-day team will mean that the combination of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir can continue to open the innings for India in the one-day format. They have had five partnerships of 50-plus, including two century stands, in the eight innings since they got back together in Dhaka.

The lesson from the Asia Cup final in Karachi is there for all to see. The openers had put on 36 runs in five overs when Gambhir fell to Chaminda Vaas. And when Sehwag gave Mendis the charge to what the spinner’s second delivery, he has opened the floodgates for the 23-year-old spinner from Moratuwa.

This is the biggest things that India needs to guard against when it competes against Sri Lanka in the five-match series. Of course, one cannot forget that the bowlers will have to deliver as well, given that Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene’s experience will be backed up by young and exciting strokemakers.

I am sure that Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his young Indian team will be eager to put the Kitply Cup and Asia Cup finals behind and get on with the task of evolving to be one of the best sides in the world at the 2011 World Cup. It has taken rapid strides towards that goal in the past year and will continue to do so, occasionally facing a stumbling block.

Akhil Kumar's self-confidence takes him places

2008-08-15T08:27:00.000-07:00

The heart thumps with a heady mixture of delight, pride and anticipation as I sit down to write this note on Independence day. Mahesh Bhupathi and Leadner Paes’ dream of winning hardware in Beijing went bust and that quite depressing news but boxer Akhil Kumar’s dramatic entry into the bantamweight quarterfinal dispelled some of that gloom.

I have not known too many Indian sportspersons, especially in physical contact sport, exude such confidence as Akhil Kumar does. I met him just a few days before he flew to Beijing for the Olympic Games and during the course of a very casual chat, I spoke of how the luck of the draw is an integral part of a boxer’s fortunes and he perked up.

His eyebrows rose – and because he had shaved his head, that action of his seemed more pronounced. “I don’t think so. It does not matter to me what kind of draw I face, I know I have win a few bouts to stand up and be counted,” he said. “If one keeps lamenting or worrying about the draw, one cannot focus on winning.”

That would have been a vain boast had he lost his way on Friday when the 27-year-old Akhil was up against the World champion Sergey Vodapyanov. The Russian is a good six years younger and an inch taller than our man from Bhiwani. He used his extra reach to score quickly in the first two round and open up a 6-4 lead but Akhil’s cerebral approach came in handy and he drew level in the final moments of the humdinger.

Back home in Delhi, an excited former colleague called me up and we delightedly exchanged notes about our meetings with this bundle of confidence. “Akhil told me in Delhi that if he went into the final round of a bout on level terms with his rival, he was sure he would win the bout. ‘I am the king of the last round’, he told me,” my friend said.

That tied in with what happened in the pre-qurterfinal in Beijing. A friend who had a ringside view told me how Akhil was impressive in the final round. “He got the Russian to back-pedal all the time and won not just because he managed to score a point more than Vodapyanov but also because he threw more punches,” he told me.

And what’s more, he had even predicted that he would give India a wonderful gift on Independence Day – a win against the world champion. It does remind me of the greatest boxer of them all, Muhammad Ali whose habit of predicting the round in which he would win each of his prizefights is stuff that legends are made of.

If Akhil goes on to win a couple of rounds – first he has to beat Veaceslav Gojan of Moldova – and makes it to the final, you can be sure the country (at least those whose hearts beats for Indian sport) will erupt in delight. He has set his eyes on the gold medal, no less, and you can expect him to give it his best shot.

India needs more than Bindra's gold: A change of attitude

2008-08-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

The strains of the National Anthem from an Olympic arena; the sight of the Tricolour being flanked by two other flags and a calm, composed Abhinav Bindra on the podium, wearing an Olympic Games gold medal around his neck. All this served a perfect cocktail for a whole nation to go berserk in celebration.

What does Bindra's gold mean for India? Will it herald the dawn of a golden era when India becomes more sports conscious than it has been all these years? Will it spawn a million Olympic dreams? Will our officials start administering sport in a more professional – and accountable – manner than they have thus far?

I wish the answer to all such questions is an optimistic affirmative but given our record as a nation that is dominated by either people who are apathetic to sport or couch critics, I am not sure even the gold medal will herald a revolution. At best, Bindra's gold winning feat can be a catalyst.

Nothing would delight me more than when I am proven wrong.

I know I run the risk of being branded a pessimist – and let me assure you there is no diehard optimist than I – but there is a logical reason for me to stick my neck out. Just look at our recent history and you will know why I think we need more than an Olympic gold medal for India to be shaken from its stupour.

Look at how many opportunities we have let go: The 1982 Asian Games was a great chance for India to awaken its collective sports consciousness but we allowed it to come and go. The 1998 Asian Games gold medal show by the hockey team was a God-sent but we behaved like we didn't care.

It is little more than a romantic notion that the previous Olympic medals have caused India – as a nation – to change its outlook to sport. Leander Paes' bronze in Atlanta (1996), K Malleswari's weightlifting bronze in Sydney four years later and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore's silver in Athens did not make us a better sporting nation.

Come to think of it, what percentage of India allows, let alone encourages, its children to go out and take part in recreation sport? We crib about lack of facilities around our societies but my own belief is that we do not make the optimum use of what is existing and functional.

Bindra's success has shown that public-private partnership is the way forward. His parents' sacrifices have been well documented to bear repetition here but it is also a fact that the Ministry of Sports and Sports Authority of India have contributed in some measure but, more importantly, his association with Mittals Champion Trust has been immensely beneficial.

Unless more and more Indians start thinking differently about sport, the revolution that we dream of will remain just that – a dream. Yes, the one thing that can happen is nobody can now say "A billion Indians and yet not even one Olympic gold medal…" That statement has been buried once and, I hope, for all.

How then does Bindra remain in the public eye for longer than just a few weeks? His ilk and he need to be seen competing more often – and on TV, if they are to become heores who stay in the public eye for any length of time. It is a pity that the sport is not usually spectator friendly and the premier events are not even telecast.

Why am I making such a fuss about Bindra remaining on TV? Well, it is about reinforcing the image that he is the best in the world. Unless this happens, the conditions are ideal for people to push his achievement to the recesses of their memory. The young want to keep watching their heroes strive to excel all the time.

Have we not watched European football with relish in our drawing rooms and made heroes out of the Ronaldos of the world? Have we not idolised NBA stars like Kobe Bryant and Lebron James? Don't Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have a larger than life image in India? Isn't Lewis Hamilton, only in his second F1 season, a huge star in India?

The challenge before India is to keep Abhinav Bindra – and all those who achieve success at the Olympic Games – in the limelight. And that can happen only if these stars keep performing well in events that are telecast frequently. And that is possible if the officials running these sports organise high quality contests often.

That calls for change in attitude at so many levels and sounds Utopian, doesn't it?

Only the eye of the fish

2008-08-05T07:42:00.000-07:00

So are you ready to soak in the reflected glory of supreme effort by the world's best athletes, a rich tapestry of human emotion dominating our TV sets as four years and more of intense preparation is tested on the greatest stage – the Olympic Games in Beijing. Dreams will be realised and shattered in the matter of a few moments.

And, back home in India, we will wonder why some of the hardware is not coming our way. One more time, we will hear the refrain: "A billion and more Indians and yet…" It makes us ask the question: are Indians merely bringing up the numbers? Time was when our athletes would satisfy themselves by qualifying for the Games but there has been a change in attitude after Leander Paes broke a 44-year-old jinx at Atlanta in 1996 when he won a bronze. Four years later, weightlifter Karnam Malleswari brought home a bronze from Sydney and double trap shooter Rajyavardhan Rathore gunned down a silver in Athens in 2004.

For the first time, there is a realistic chance that India returns from an Olympic Games with more than one medal. And this has happened not merely because of the enormous Government support but also some quiet private effort. India's Olympic medal aspirations have been fuelled by Mittal Champions Trust that has supported 13 sportspersons in their journey to Beijing while ace shooter Gagan Narang has been helped by the Olympic Gold Quest, promoted by sporting legends Prakash Padukone and Geet Sethi.

Narang has been in good form, setting a new world record a few weeks ago in Hannover; pugilist Vijender Kumar stunned the boxing world with an upset victory over Athens Olympic Games best boxer Bakhtiyar Artayev (Kazakhstan) in the 75kg category at the AIBA Presidents Cup tournament in Taipei; the women's archers have raised visions with fine performances while Mahesh Bhupathi, with Leander Paes and Sania Mirza for company, will remain sentimental favourite to produce a rabbit or two out of the hat.

"Every one of us who has qualified will be going there with the hope of bagging a medal," says 23-year-old Gagan Narang. "But it all comes down to the day of the competition and whoever strikes the right chord, walks into the range in a perfect mental and physical state, will walk away with laurels." While there would be as many as nine Indians shooters at the Olympic Games, Narang is the only one of that bunch to win a medal on the world stage this year, claiming bronze in a World Cup in Beijing. But his world record 704.3 point effort in Hannover early in July points to his fine preparation. "By any standard this is a wonderful performance and it is above the world record score. I feel it might take a lot of time before anyone can break this record," says National shooting coach Sunny Thomas. "I am extremely happy he is training and shaping up very well for the Olympics. However, there is a lot of difference between shooting a high score in a training session than in a competition, that too along with some of the best shooters in the world. I am very sure this will boost his confidence."

Narang himself says that the score of 599 in the qualification round at Hannover gave him a lot of confidence. "Shooting 599 at any competition is immensely satisfying and it is an indicator of current form. My aim is to shoot consistent scores and if I am able to achieve that, the rest will follow," he says. His colleague and 10m air rifle rival Abhinav Bindra has not had much to show for after the World Championship in 2006 but can be expected to make that big push on the Olympic stage.

Four of India's five boxers who will be at the Games are from Bhiwani Boxing Club in Haryana. If the draw does not pit them against tough opponents in the early rounds, Vijender and Akhil Kumar are among those who can make their way to the medals. "What else do I want? I am the happiest person on earth and am waiting for them to win the country's first Olympic boxing medals," says their club coach Jagdish Singh.

Truth to tell, he is not the only one who is waiting. The ageing tennis maestros Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi will remain India's sentimental favourite to get a gold, not withstanding the fact that they have been squabbling off the court. Their fans will hope that Lee and Hesh will rediscover their on-court chemistry that made them household names in India in 1999. Of course, when they finally came together for some pre-Olympic competition, they did reach the final of the Ordina Open.

It was a matter of shame and shock that the men's team did not qualify for the archery competition. It was left to Mangal Singh Champia to qualify for the Games when he got silver in the Asian Championship. He can mount a challenge but India will have to bank on the women archers to deliver the goods. National champion Laishram Bombayla Devi, Dola Banerjee and Vardeneni Pranitha can power India to the final of the team event.

So the next time you hear someone say "A billion Indians and yet…", stop him or her to ask what her or she is doing about it besides merely lament. And better still, do something yourself – play sport and encourage people to leave drawing rooms and take to participatory sport so that India can have a few Olympic medals instead of seeking one or two every time.

The Viru-Gauti show: destined for greatness

2008-08-04T12:36:00.000-07:00

Virender Sehwag’s individual brilliance may have caused many to overlook the sterling contribution by his opening partner Gautam Gambhir – and that of the pair itself. They have reminded me of the days when Roy Fredericks and Gordon Greendige opened the innings for the mighty West Indies.

I know that Greenidge and Desmond Haynes were more successful as a pair but, in my books, Fredericks and Greenidge were the most devastating partnership. In the more recent years, Australia’s Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer have frustrated bowlers from round the world and made opposing captains scratch their heads in a strange blend of dismay and awe. Not too long ago, all of India was envious of Saeed Anwar and Aamir Sohail forging a fine partnership for Pakistan.

Back home, we have read quite a bit about Vijay Merchant and Mushtaq Ali's dashing skills as opening batsmen – they averaged 83.42 runs an innings – but the truth is that they played in just four Tests and opened in seven innings and totalled 584 runs. Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan may have clocked 3010 runs together at 53.57 runs per innings but the fact is that they were, at best, solid – and not attacking – opening batsmen.

If you thought that the mercurial K Srikkanth and Navjot Singh Sidhu, both quite capable strokeplayers, would have given Mushtaq Ali and Merchant a run for their money, you are in for a surprise. They walked out to bat together in just 11 innings with a highest stand of 82 runs.

Without meaning any disrespect to Wasim Jaffer and Aakash Chopra who have been part of fairly successful partnerships with Sehwag, I think none of Sehwag’s partners has actually been as comfortable batting with him as Gambhir has. And, no, it's not because I live in Delhi that I reckon the Viru-Gauti show will rock like no other pair of opening batsmen has.

So, let's take a good look at the traits of this partnership that make me project it as having the potential to be the most exciting, if not finish as the greatest, pair that India has had. Individually and together, they convey the impression that they are in control from the very first ball, sighting and judging the line and length pretty quickly and dealing with that effectively with perfect timing and placement. They are now establishing themselves as a pair to be feared – and admired, too.

For a nation that grew up believing that primary and sole function of the opening pair is to see off the new ball without any damage, both Sehwag and Gambhir bat with almost Caribbean disdain. They do not just confine themselves to just playing the new ball but make oodles of runs against it.

During the recently-concluded Galle Test, they exhibited a composure and temperament against all kinds of bowlers – fastmedium and the two mystery spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis – that made everyone move to the edge of the seats. It was very clear that they were enjoying themselves hugely.

The left-hand-right-hand combination helps them affect the rhythm of the bowlers and when they get going, they cause a demoralising effect in the opposition ranks. Their ability to complement one another stems from the fact that they play for ONGC in club cricket, Delhi Daredevils in IPL, Delhi in the Ranji Trophy and North Zone in Duleep and Deodhar Trophy besides India in all three formats of the game – T20, ODI and now Tests.

There is an implicit faith that is at the root of their communication with one another, showcasing it in their running between the wickets. There is a selflessness in their responses to one another’s calls for sharp runs that helps rotate the strike and upsets the the bowler and fielders alike.

What then are the hurdles that can stop Sehwag and Gambhir from finishing the game as the greatest pair of opening batsmen that India has ever had? Besides obvious factors like injury and loss of form or the left-hander’s inconsistency, the biggest threat to this combination comes from either batsman having to bat at No. 3 or lower.

That could be a distinct possibility when some of the majestic middle-order quartet of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman fade away from the Test team. One of the openers may have to become a part of the shadow quartet that comprises Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rohit Sharma unless Suresh Raina, S Badrinath or Mohammed Kaif steps up the plate.

That, of course, is still some distance away and I am sure the Viru-Gauti opening pair will entertain fans and offer India more than a few superb starts for many more Tests, establishing itself as a wonderful team within Team India. It has already added 1320 runs at 60 per innings and promises to overtake the Gavaskar-Chauhan combination’s aggregate in quick time. It is destined for greatness, isn't it?

Harbhajan adds new dimension to his bowling

2008-08-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

It does not need a cliché to remind you that one swallow does not ever make a summer but on the basis of what we saw in Sri Lanka’s southernmost cricket center, Galle, I would like to believe that 28-year-old Harbhajan Singh has well and truly begun a new, delightful phase of his cricket career and will add substantially to his 283 wickets.

I reckon the Galle Test match could well become the defining game in this phase of Harbhajan Singh’s career. At a time when skipper Anil Kumble’s bowling seemed to lack the zing of the past, Bhajji showed that he is ready to emerge from the champion wrist’ spinner’s enormous shadow.

Let’s consider some numbers first: Bhajji’s strike rate when playing alongside Kumble is 68.6 deliveries per wicket. And in the senior spinner’s absence, it comes down to 55.9 deliveries per wicket. Similarly, each of Bhajji’s wickets costs him an average of 32.50 runs when Kumble is around but comes down to 26.91 in his absence.

Let me bring up some more numbers to bolster the case. Kumble’s strike rate and average drop from 69.2 deliveries per wicket and 30.62 runs each when Bhajji’s missing from the other end to 60.4 deliveries per wicket and 27.58 runs each when the off-spinner has lent support in 52 Tests.

In Galle, Bhajji was at his attacking best, flighting the ball more than he has been wont to, getting it to bounce so that the bat-pad fielders came into play. He was also not afraid of using the width of the crease, even going round the wicket, to vary the angles. He got the ball to straighten a bit now and then, causing confusion in the minds of most batsmen.

And it is this quality that made him a different proposition in the Galle Test when compared with the previous Test at the SSC in Colombo. When he succeeds in getting a batsman in two minds – unsure of whether to dance down the track or play him from the safety of the crease – Bhajji is a difficult bowler to contend with.

He also appears a more mellow fellow post Slapgate – as the infamous incident at the end of an IPL match in Mohali where he slapped S Sreesanth and served a ban. Of course, we get to see him celebrate delightedly each time he has picked up a scalp. And that means the core of his character remains in tact. If anything, he appears a more thinking cricketer.

Dhoni's evolution makes fascinating watching

2008-06-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

You would have missed it had you blinked. Quite predictably, nearly all cameras at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai focussed on the celebrations that erupted when Rajasthan Royals capped its remarkable run in the DLF Indian Premier League with a heart-stopping final delivery victory over Chennai Super Kings.

The TV producer had the good sense to let pictures from one camera focussing on the bunch of men wearing canary yellow outfits go on air. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was holding a quick conference, seemingly telling the team how proud he was that it was able to show intensity till the very last delivery of the final. And perhaps asking his team-mates to join the party in the hotel!

It was apparent that Dhoni had a business-like countenance as he addressed Chennai Super Kings for the final time in public this season. Through the tournament, he had shown that he could be calmness personified even in the most stressful of moments. He would never associate himself with berating a bowler or a fielder in public.

The manner in which he put a friendly, reassuring arm around Parthiv Patel's shoulder after the wicket-keeper missed collecting a wide and allowed Shane Warne and Sohail Tanvir to steal a bye in the tense final over was a superb example of Dhoni's motivation skills. If proof were needed of his continued evolution as a leader, this was it.

It is not as if he doesn't feel the pressure. He believes that if wants something done from a bowler, it doesn't help for the player to see a tense captain. "There is always pressure but, at times, it becomes important to hide it," Dhoni says, revealing his skills as an actor on field – and using that experience to good effect in some TV commercials.

One of best examples of his man-management skills was getting Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan to bowl the opening over of the semifinal against Kings XI Punjab. It is a well-documented fact that Murali does not like to open the attack. But in that key game, Murali's presence at the start instilled doubts in the minds of the Punjab batsmen.

Of course, it took him a while to come to terms with the departure of performers like Matthew Hayden, Mike Hussey and Jacob Oram after four straight wins. The team suffered three successive defeats, including one at the hands of Deccan Chargers before it got back to winning ways with victories over Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab.

Yet, when Chennai Super Kings lost three of its next four games, questions were asked about Dhoni's captaincy. I was not surprised that these doubts were being raised by people who had forgotten his leadership not only in the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa but also in the CB Series in Australia.

He bore the burden of being the highest paid cricketer in IPL effortlessly, focussing on his own cricket – and on encouraging his team-mates to match their potential and performance. Manpreet Singh Gony and Palani Amarnath, who evolved as bowlers of quality, spring to mind as top-rate examples.

I would like to believe that Dhoni is ready to take on the responsibility of being India's Test captain whenever Anil Kumble hangs up his boots or chooses to give up captaincy. He has already led India in a tricky Test match at Kanpur where Kumble was sitting out with an injury.

Speaking of the larger stage, it takes a man with a courage of conviction to convince the selectors that they would be better off investing in younger players rather than stick to cricketers who have done splendid service for the Indian team for years but are unlikely to feature in the 2011 ICC World Cup in the sub-continent. Such skills can come only if these decisions are made with no prejudices at all.

There have been some whispers that Dhoni backs a new core group within India's ODI team – Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan and Robin Uthappa featuring prominently there – at the risk of upsetting some others. But from what I can see, Dhoni is his own man, seeking a variety of views but backing his instinct in running the team.

I have no doubts that he has the trappings of a great leader of men. At the batting crease, he has already learnt to play with a mature approach but during the IPL he reinforced his image of being a sensible captain. His evolution as a fascinating cricketer is worth keeping a close watch on.

Cricket without a boundary

2008-05-30T11:39:00.000-07:00

Like every kid, a cleaner on a bus ferrying passengers on overnight trips between Cuddapah and Hyderabad and a welder's son in Medak nursed dreams of playing cricket but they would not have reckoned with rubbing shoulders with, let alone spending seven weeks in the company of, legends like Adam Gilchrist and VVS Laxman.
Deccan Chargers' fast-medium bowlers Vijay Kumar and P Sarvesh Kumar are not the only ones who have been fast-tracked to realise some of their aspirations, learnt new tricks from the masters and stoked dreams. Chennai Super Kings' Manpreet Singh Gony, him who braved personal trauma tocricket some months ago, and Kolkata Knight Riders' Ashok Dinda are some other fast-medium bowlers whose names spring to mind in such a discussion.
With just three big games left for the curtains to come down on the inaugural edition of Indian Premier League tournament, the most striking images from the experimental event for me are not the fours and sixes or even the sight of wickets exploding as if someone set off a detonator beneath the stumps but of some splendid bonding that has happened in IPL – cricket without a boundary.
I get goose pimples when I see Pakistani cricketers celebrating success with their Indian counterparts. Why, wasn't it delightful to see Eden Gardens go wild with joy, cheering Umar Gul hit those sixes in the climactic moments of Kolkata Knight Riders' charge for victory over Kings XI Punjab? Australian captain Ricky Ponting's praise Dinda for his heart-warming efforts with the cricket ball was very memorable.
One of the most beautiful things to emerge from the event is the opportunity for cricketers with a variety of experience to bond with others. Whether one likes it or not, IPL has removed some barriers and has shown that it has the potential to reform the very fabric of the game at various levels.
Come to think of it, it is not just that players from the lowers rungs of domestic cricket have got to brush shoulders with those better than them. The story has been replicated at the highest levels too, with players from India and Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand have bonded with one another.
Nothing illustrates this better than the manner in which leg-spin bowling legend Shane Warne and South Africa captain Graeme Smith have come together for a common cause – make the world sit up and take note of Rajasthan Royals. As recently as two years ago, Warne and Smith were taking pot-shots at one another on the field.
Warne and Smith had a fair go at each other as opponents but jelled quickly. They knew that they were both competitors and always up for a scrap but realised playing in the same side could be fun as well. It was a challenge, made unique by the grand platform that IPL – and destiny – provided them. They were able to discover the human side of one another, even squeezing in a holiday in Goa in the middle of the tournament.
It has not all been hunky-dory, of course. There were some murmurs from Hyderabad about how the Deccan Chargers team management heard the overseas players more than it did home-bred players but the fact is that the likes of Sarvesh Kumar and Vijay Kumar have shared the dressing room with the likes of Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs, Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa, Shahid Afridi and Scott Styris, not to speak of Laxman and Rohit Sharma.
Hopefully, the lessons from such education will not be forgotten by those privileged to learn from the masters of the game. If these players do not evolve and list the quality of their own games when they turn out for their home states in the Ranji Trophy competition next season, IPL will have been a wasted exercise.
Surely, we can amaze at how Vijay Kumar, a daily wager earning Rs 30 a day not long ago, has now picked up around Rs 8 lakh for his efforts in IPL but the argument that IPL is but a crass commercial venture can end only if these players make the most of the bonding that the tournament encouraged so admirably.

Urge to make a point can be self-consuming

2008-05-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

Enigmas that are tough to explain – and perhaps that is why they are enigmas in the first place. And I have taken upon myself the task of unraveling the enigma that VVS Laxman's batting in over-limit cricket. His less than impressive record in one-day cricket – and now in T20 – is not very easily explained.
Let us do some number crunching to start with. The genial Hyderabadi has a batting average of 43.82 runs per innings in 93 Tests matches and 30.76 in 86 one-day internationals. His first class average is 51.29 and in all one-day cricket 34.58. The six IPL games have given him an average of 31 runs per innings.
So what is it that has made Laxman play fewer one-day internationals than Test matches? Indeed, what is it that has ensured Laxman's image as a Test cricketer is stronger than in the shorter forms of the game? He has been pigeonholed as an excellent Test batsman but less than adequate in over-limit cricket.
It would be the easiest of things to dismiss him as a batsman who hasn't adapted his game to the one-day format but that would be unfair. It is not true that his technique has let him down when it came to limited-over cricket. After all, no Indian batsman has made three one-day international centuries in the span of a week as Laxman did between January 18 and 24, 2004 in the VB Series Australia.
Can it be a mind-set and a refusal to change his game? "I think my natural game suits both one-day and Test cricket," he would anyone who asked him. "I have not done that badly in one-dayers. But, it could have been better. Being a stroke-player, my strike-rate is neither poor."
This may be seen as a mulish approach but he has adapted his batsmanship to the needs of the team in every format of the game. Anyone who can adapt his batting to different positions in the batting order in a Test match will be able to do that in one-day cricket as well. Of course, it is true that he needed to bat at No. 3 in one-dayers to make the tall scores.
Does it have to with a dip in confidence after being dropped from the World Cup sides each time in 1999, 2003 and 2007? I don't believe that is right since he made as many as five centuries in 2003-04. He had not seen such a purple patch as he did against Australia, Zimbabwe and Pakistan that season.
There was a time when the team management and selectors cited his fitness and fielding as not being up to scratch in the one-day format. Nobody knew this better than Laxman because he put in a lot of work on fitness and fielding. But he was always found short by the team management which started relying on Yuvraj Singh and Mohammed Kaif.
Perhaps, the biggest reason Laxman did not play enough one-day internationals is that fact that the squad often had room for either Dravid or him. It was when one of the more established one-day players became unavailable that both would play in the same one-day game. Of course, they played as many as 77 games together.
It is a fact that there have been just 33 instances when Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Dravid and Laxman figured in one-day games together. Dravid got his nose ahead by taking up the mantle of wicketkeeper while Laxman did not develop a second skill set that would be of use to the team.
He spent a great deal of time in trying to prove to those who kept him out in the first place that he could be good in the limited-over format. Now, when one is consumed by a desire to prove to others that one is good, one can lose track of the primary goal and stop enjoying oneself.
This happened with Laxman in one-day internationals, even after he struck the purple patch in Australia and Pakistan in 2003-04 on returning to the one-day squad. In fact, his successes in these nations fuelled his intense desire to keep proving points to those who had left him out of the squad. But, in the end, it did look like this became a self-consuming urge.

Few partnerships leave Deccan Charger gasping

2008-05-17T04:47:00.000-07:00

The image of a regal chariot was finally taking shape in my mind as Adam Gilchrist, Shahid Afridi and Herschelle Gibbs went after the Delhi Daredevils bowlers at the Ferozshah Kotla but disappeared quickly as Deccan Chargers' crashed to a 12-run defeat on Thursday.
With their wonderful hitting, the top three batsmen of Deccan Chargers reminded me of a chariot drawn by four thoroughbreds. Yet, as the side went down to its eighth defeat in 10 games, it was as if each horse had a mind of its own and did not work in tandem with the others. The chariot was never likely to move anywhere, least of all in the ideal direction.
A cursory glance at the table of batting averages will make people believe that the batsmen seem to have done their jobs well. As many as five have scored more than 150 runs, Rohit Sharma and Gilchrist going past the 300-run mark. And, four top batsmen boast of strike rates in excess of 140 when scoring these 150-plus runs.
These figures can, of course, be deceptive. Let us try and look at the real story behind these numbers.
In the 10 matches, Gilchrist has three 50-plus knocks including a magnificent century. Rohit Sharma is the only other batsman who has three half-centuries to show for his efforts. There have been just three other such scores, including a blazing 117 not out by Andrew Symonds and one each for VVS Laxman and Y Venugopala Rao.
Yet, what is quite significant is the fact that Deccan Chargers boasts of just two stands in excess of 100. Symonds and Rohit Sharma shared a partnership of 111 in the home game against Rajasthan Royals while Gilchrist and Laxman had that unforgettable 155 run stand for the opening wicket on Mumbai Indians' home ground.
And, what's more, there have been just four other stands worth 50 or more. To make it worse, each one of those has come in different games. Unless it has one massive stand – like the one between Gilchrist and Laxman in Mumbai – teams usually need at least two solid partnerships in an innings to be able to either raise or chase a big total.
The closest Deccan Chargers, for all it batting might, has gone to stringing together two substantial partnerships in one match was when the team successfully chased the target set by Chennai Super Kings. Scott Styris figured in successive stands of 54 with Gilchrist and 47 with Rohit Sharma.
You do not need to be a keen student of the game to recognise that cricket, even limited-over cricket, is all about partnerships. Hyderabad's prized team with a collection of heavyweight names has just not been able to actualise this important facet of the game. And a squad that is unable to get its basics right will have to settle for minor placings.
There are some things to be considered here. Gilchrist has opened the innings with Venugopala Rao twice, Laxman four times, Herschelle Gibbs three times and, finally on Thursday, Afridi. Clearly, Deccan Chargers spent time getting its act right at a time when it was imperative for all teams to hit the ground running

An old Hyderabad problem!

2008-05-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

The serene Charminar has stood for a good 417 years, silently witnessing the evolution of Hyderabad as a veritable melting pot of cultures. The beautiful monument came up in 1591 to mark the conquest of man over disease. The IPL franchise from Hyderabad does not looking like conquering much, leaving little scope for fans to build such wonders.

History, they say, repeats itself. Surely, a sense of déjà vu will envelop students of Hyderabad cricket history as they survey the ruins that Deccan Chargers finds itself in despite the rich talent at its disposal. They will find it easy to relate Deccan Chargers' current scenario with its Ranji Trophy team of the 70s when it had as many as six Test cricketers – skipper ML Jaisimha, India captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, openers Abbas Ali Baig and K Jayantilal, all-rounder Syed Abid Ali and wicket-keeper P Krishnamurthy – and yet did not win the crown.

Now, with hitters like Andrew Symonds (four games), Adam Gilchrist, Herschelle Gibbs, Shahid Afridi, Scott Styris and India's very own Rohit Sharma in its ranks, Deccan Chargers has found it hard to crack the IPL puzzle. Its latest defeat – sixth in eight games – has left it staring at the writing on the wall.

It is one thing to set up an expensive project but altogether another to maintain it. Nobody knows this better than the promoters of the Deccan Chargers, having experienced something similar in business many years ago.

Deccan Chargers, which started the IPL tournament among the favourites, has to get used to the idea of watching the semifinals and the final on TV. With just four points from eight games, it finds itself in an unenviable position of having to win all its remaining games to be even in the reckoning for a place in the top four.

One look at the table is enough to reveal that Rajasthan Royals, Kings XI Punjab, Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Daredevils have emerged front-runners for the four semifinal spots. Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians have stayed in the hunt while Deccan Chargers and Bangalore Royal Challengers seem to be exiting.

Shane Warne's team continues to surprise people and now has six wins from eight games. Of the six matches left, three at home where it has not been beaten at all. Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings have five wins each while Delhi Daredevils have four wins from seven games.

The Hyderabad team has to win most, if not all of its remaining six games but four of those will be at home. And it is significant that it has not yet tasted victory at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal. The Deccan Chargers squad has been unfamiliar with home advantage, being the only side that hasn't won at home yet.

Back in 1976, Hyderabad gained a first innings lead of 59 runs over Bombay in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals but when Ashok Mankad played a few attacking shots, Jaisimha kept the spinners out and employed his fast-medium bowlers with defensive fields. Mankad ended up with a hundred, leaving Hyderabad with the task of batting out three hours to win on first innings. But leg-spinner Rakesh Tandon and left-arm spinner Padmakar Shivalkar ran through the Hyderabad side and helped Bombay win by 70 runs.

Gilchrist, leading the side in Laxman's continued absence, did something similar by ignoring the lanky fastmedium bowler P Vijaykumar after he went for 10 runs in his opening over. The problem of not being able to manage resources optimally continues to plague Deccan Chargers.

The Gilchrist- and Rohit Sharma-reliance is a bit like the metro's water supply system – it works for two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening. With Deccan Chargers only bringing up numbers now, the wait for the end of the tournament can only be more agonising for its fans.

Hyderabad team needs attitudinal change

2008-05-06T05:27:00.001-07:00

The spoken language in Hyderabad has a distinct twang of its own. It is a curious mix of Urdu and Hindi and I call the dialect Deccani. Words like nakko and kaiku – no and why respectively – spice conversations featuring Hyderabadis. And, when tempers are frayed, you would also hear the greybeards say Jaando bhai (Jaane do or let go).
Yet, even the genial Hyderabadi cricket fan will find it hard to say Jaando bhai now, given the Deccan Chargers dismal run of five defeats in six games in the DLF IPL tournament. Hyderabad is not the sort of city that will forget that Hyderabad Heroes won the Edelweiss Challenge with a 2-0 win against Lahore Badshahs in the ICL tournament.
Deccan Chargers has the onerous responsibility of making a run from the bottom of the league to the middle so that it can at least gain a semifinal spot. Now, as it heads to the half-way stage in the tournament, the squad knows that it could well be left picking up crumbs unless it shows a dramatic change of attitude without losing much time.
Deccan Chargers' showing so far confirms that cricket is not about the coming together of wonderful individual talent but the blending of such talent into one unit. The one side that has surprised most with its string of superb wins, Rajasthan Royals, is a classic example of how this could be achieved.
Hyderabad may be engaged in a constant battle with Bangalore to become the premier IT hub in India but when the IPL teams from the two southern cities met last week-end, Royal Challengers showed that it could hold its nerve at a critical stage and pinch a victory from the jaws of defeat.
Rohit Sharma fell in the 17th over, leaving Deccan Chargers to get 30 runs in the final three overs but it crumbled on the home stretch. Of course, a couple of umpiring decisions went against the team from Hyderabad but the side should really have not made a hash of chasing 157 for victory.
I shall try and wear the Jaando bhai attitude when looking at the unhappy situation that Deccan Chargers finds itself in. Even a cursory look at the statistics will reveal that Deccan Chargers' real problem is the inability of its batting to come together. Two of the top 10 IPL bowlers so far are from the Deccan Chargers – RP Singh has eight wickets and Shahid Afridi six.
But only Rohit Sharma, with 235 runs, features in the top 10 batsmen. His runs have come at a strike rate of 153 runs per 100 balls while Gilchrist has scored 169 at a strike rate of 162.50. We shall leave Andrew Symonds, who has since returned to Australia, out of the scope of this discussion. VVS Laxman's 152 runs have come at a relative crawl (117.42). None of the other batsmen has had a good hit.
Enough and more has been said about Laxman's captaincy and I shall not focus on that aspect, even though I secretly hope that he would try sending Shahid Afridi in to open the innings with Adam Gilchrist – and that the two of them would consistently give the side explosive starts.
So what is the positives from the Hyderabad team's campaign so far? It has to be Gilchrist's presence in the dressing room. Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha will be a more mature lad once IPL has run its course this season, especially after he has had the chance to draw from Gilchrist's enormous experience.
In any case, the superstitious Hyderabadi cricket fan has begun to believe that the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal is jinxed. Rarely, if ever, has the home side done well at the ground. India has lost both its one-day internationals, South Zone lost the one Duleep Trophy game played here, Hyderabad has an average record on home ground in Ranji Trophy and Deccan Chargers is still looking for its first win on this ground.
So don't be surprised if the clarion call in the twin-cities veers around "Kaiku dekhinge? Achcha kheletoich dekhinge na (Why watch? We would watch only if they play well)."

Laxman can manage resources better

2008-05-06T05:26:00.000-07:00

The busy thoroughfare from Narayanguda in Hyderabad to Secunderabad railway station via Chikkadpally, RTC X Roads and Musheerabad springs to mind quickly when I sit down to reflect on the Deccan Chargers story in the DLF IPL cricket tournament so far. What does a snaking artery that connects the twin-cities has to do with cricket?
The road is as wide as it can be. Shops, Irani restaurants, cinema theatres, an assortment of other establishments and residential homes line the thoroughfare on either side. If you are using the road and are caught in slow moving traffic, you can do little about it, except be patient or find alternative routes featuring Lower Tank Bund or Gandhinagar or Vidyanagar.
T20 cricket is a bit like finding a solution to the traffic bottlenecks in Hyderabad. It is not only about planning and preparation but also about thinking on one's feet, about being a step ahead of the evolving situation. As Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Shane Warne have shown, it is critical for the team leader to stay calm and find real-time solutions.
I have had to pinch myself to believe that Deccan Chargers is actually bringing up the bottom of the table along with Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore and perhaps one of the reasons for Deccan Chargers finding itself in this unhappy position is its captain, VVS Laxman.
For a side that was feared as the strongest batting unit on paper, it has found it hard to actualise performances. Of course, Andrew Symonds came up with the first exhibition of big hitting when he made a hundred against Rajasthan Royals but it was not until it traveled to Mumbai that the side came up with a comprehensive and convincing show.
Of course, Hyderabad can take heart from a fine win in Mumbai the other night. Adam Gilchrist came into his own with a 42-ball century against Mumbai Indians, taking every one's breath away. Of course, there are some who believe that he should be doing this each time he walks in to bat – such are the expectations that he causes.
Laxman's real problem lay in managing the resources better.
Take, for instance, his use of Andrew Symonds' bowling skills in the first three games. The Australian bowled mediumpace on a wearing Eden Gardens track that was made for his brand of off-spin and David Hussey was able to take the match away from Deccan Chargers. Then, on a flat pitch in Hyderabad, Symonds bowled off-spin to Mohammed Kaif and Shane Warne who made the most of the opportunity with calculated assaults.
Having P Venugopala Rao and himself at No. 2 and No. 3 in the first two games against Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils did not work in the team's favour. And Laxman moved himself to the top of the order in what was a show of learning rather than an example of being creative thought.
Like all IPL captains, Laxman will have to optimise the talent he has at his disposal from overseas. Even if Symonds has bid farewell and returned to Australia, Deccan Chargers will have to constantly choose between Sri Lankan pace bowlers Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa as well as Pakistani Shahid Afridi and New Zealander Scott Styris while perhaps fielding Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs as his premier batsmen.
As he navigates Deccan Chargers through choppy waters, Laxman's biggest challenge will be to achieve clarity of thought in the thick of battle. That it is not beyond him was already in evidence when he led the team to a comprehensive win in Mumbai. Yet, for someone whose cricket intelligence has won him much praise, a great deal more is expected of his leadership skills.

Eden mayhem revives many memories

2008-05-06T05:25:00.000-07:00

For some reason, the mayhem in Eden Gardens on Sunday revived a lot of nightmare memories that had been consigned to the sub-conscious.
The 1996 World Cup semifinal that India lost to Sri Lanka on a dicey pitch came springing back when one saw the pathetic track that had been laid out for the IPL game between Kolkata Knight Riders and Deccan Chargers. And, freeze frames from the series of communal riots that rocked the twin-cities in the late 70s and early 80s also resurfaced.
The city, more than 400 years old, bounced back from those times and is now accepted as one of the most progressive, becoming a critical hub of the IT revolution in India. It has always been a truly cosmopolitan capital where Marathis, Kannadigas, Punjabis, Bengalis and the like live in harmony.
Let's stay away from cricket for a moment longer and look at how the twin-cities offer a charming mix of the traditional and the modern. You would get to see burqa-clad women – not just in the old city across the Musi – and you would bump into high-flying technology freaks reaching out to the world.
Hyderabad has room for the rich and famous – after being based in Chennai for years, Telugu film industry has grown at home – and for the not so affluent Hyderabadi. Similarly, the Deccan Chargers is a mix of the achievers and aspirants, the two ends of the spectrum being represented by Adam Gilchrist and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha.
Gilchrist, for example, has already hit it off with the Hyderabadis, telling Ojha that the most important thing about bowling in Twenty20 is to read the batsman before he reads the bowler. He has asked the left-arm spinner not to bowl at one pace all the time and to vary the length so that the batsman does not anticipate what he was going to bowl.
After losing in a nail-biting mayhem in Kolkata, the Deccan Chargers are expected to stage such a comeback on home turf against the high-flying Delhi Daredevils. Thanks to Laxman's magnanimous gesture in declining icon status in the team, the team has been able to string together an amazing side.
The game against Delhi Daredevils on Tuesday night will be the first big floodlit fixture in the fairly-recently built Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Uppal. And that will not be the only reason for the denizen of Hyderabad to look forward to the game.
The arrival of Pakistan star Shahid 'Boom Boom' Afridi will further strengthen the team, causing happy selection problems. Since only four overseas players can be fielded in the XI, Laxman may have to choose between Scott Styris and Afridi, given that Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds and Chaminda Vaas will be regulars.
For all that, Deccan Chargers are capable of facing up to the challenge of one of the best bowling attacks in IPL. Glenn McGrath, Farvez Mahroof, Daniel Vettori and possibly Pakistan fast bowler Mohammed Asif can form a handful along with Rajat Bhatia who had a good game against Rajasthan Royals.
Of course, Deccan Chargers' captain VVS Laxman needs to realise that he erred in not getting Andrew Symonds to bowl his off-spin rather than medium-pace in that opening game at the Eden Gardens. A little bird tells us that Symonds' respect for David Hussey's skills against spin made him bowl medium pace.
Then again, Laxman will have to be a tad more assertive if his attack has to keep the strokeplayers from Delhi quiet. The home-bred trio Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Shikar Dhawan is capable to posting a big score and the Hyderabad bowling will have to hit the right areas on what is expected to be a fair track.

Deccan Chargers can make people sit up and take note

2008-05-06T05:17:00.000-07:00

Kolkata Knight Riders' Brendon McCullum and Mike Hussey of Chennai Super Kings have ensured that the Indian Premier League has already sweeping the imagination of cricket fans across the nation but I get the sneaky feeling that when Deccan Chargers take the field for the first time, it can make everyone sit up and take note.
Deccan Chargers – as the Hyderabad team has been named – can be as spicy as Hyderabadi biryani. With a line up that can choose its overseas component from Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist, Herschelle Gibbs and Shahid Afridi, it has already got other teams to sit up and take note.
Talk of the recently retired Australian legend Gilchrist will grow in the coming days but it may be time to turn the pages of history and realise how he is surely not the first man named Gilchrist to turn out for Hyderabad. West Indian paceman Roy Gilchrist played a match under ML Jaisimha's captaincy back in 1962-63, thanks to a BCCI experiment that got in four quicks from the Caribbean to play in Duleep Trophy and a Ranji Trophy game each (The others were Charlie Stayers for Bombay, Chester Watson for Delhi and Lester King for Andhra).
On the contrary, mention of the Pakistan all-rounder Afridi reminds me of a certain A I Rizvi played four Ranji Trophy matches for Hyderabad in 1959 and 1960 as well as one game for South Zone at the beginning of 1961 before migrating to Pakistan. The man we all know as Asif Iqbal settled down in Karachi and played for Pakistan, leading the team in six Tests and as many one-day internationals.
Even if IPL has erased physical boundaries and allowed franchises to buy players from beyond their region, Rohit Sharma will not be the first Mumbaikar to play for a Hyderabad side. The CEO of the Deccan Chargers, Vijay Mohan Raj moved base from Bombay – as the western megapolis was then known – to the twin-cities.
Skipper VVS Laxman opted out of icon status in a smart move to allow the team to pick up three expensive players at the auction – Andrew Symonds ($1.35million), Adam Gilchrist ($700,000) and RP Singh ($875,000). Such selfless acts are, to say the least, rare in these days when cricket is accused of being caught in the throes of crass commercialisation. He has been known to be an innovative captain, quite natural given the strong influence Jaisimha – acknowledged as one of the finest cricket brains never to have led India – had on Laxman.

Thank you for what you wrote

2008-01-10T00:14:00.000-08:00

Thank you for returning to my blog. Never knew it would be such a busy place! Thank you indeed, if you have posted a comment on what you felt on my lil' run in with Ricky Ponting.

Ideally, I should be responding to each one of the comments but on such a happening tour, I am not going to have the time to write back to everyone personally. I hope to do that over a period of time.

If you have supported the fact that Ricky Ponting did ground the ball when completing the 'catch' off Dhoni, I will break into a smile. Just because the umpire ruled him not out does not mean that the appeal was justified. Not from someone who professes to the patron saint of sporting spirit.

And if you haven't felt that I did right by asking him a question (so that I would understand his psyche better), I will still smile. Not for a moment was I in doubt that I should not be asking him to explain his dual-approach to cricket.

I intend to keep this simmering not because I want to hear him express remorse for the manner in which he responded to my question. It doesn't make a difference to my life or to how I am going to practice my journalism. My idea is to keep a debate going on. I wonder if I should ask when is a catch complete or if the Indian team (or anyone else, for that matter) should trust Ponting's word anymore.

Not a few Indian cricketers liked the fact that one of us asked Ponting some questions and riled him enough. They asked me why I hadn't asked him to go watch replays. My response to that is simple: I was only doing a job and I had to ask without losing my cool or feeling offended. If I could ask Harbhajan Singh -- at a press conference -- if he had become a defensive bowler in the recent years, I could ask Ponting about his varied reactions in one game.

And if you who have been critical of me asking the question, all I have to say is that only two days earlier, I had asked Brett Lee to explain if there was a team philosophy about these things since Andrew Symonds hadn't walked when he had nicked RP Singh but Ponting had allowed Dravid to continue batting after taking a catch on the half-volley.

Even at the press conference, I started off by congratulating the Australian captain for his team's 16th Test win in-a-row. I then said I understand that various players have different approaches but I don't comprehend how one player could have two different philosophies in the span of one game.

All said and done, I feel humble that I have received such attention and support.

Losing respect and getting under Ponting's skin

2008-01-06T01:48:00.001-08:00

Before the Test series between India and Australia began, the captains arrived at an understanding that, in the event of a catch being taken, the fielder's word would be taken at face value. On the second day of the Sydney Test, Ponting himself showed what a sportsman he can be by pointing out that the catch he had taken off Rahul Dravid was actually taken on the half volley.

Then, on the final day, with Australia chasing a record 16th straight Test win, he backed a Michael Clarke claim that he had caught Sourav Ganguly. Worse, he himself appealed for a catch off Mahendra Singh Dhoni after 'completing' a diving catch -- in the process of which he grounded the ball.

So, at the press conference, I decided to ask him to explain the two faces of Ricky Ponting. "Sorry, I think you got something wrong there. There is no way I grounded the ball!" he said. "If you are actually questioning my integrity in the game, you should not even be standing...."

I would not let him complete that, would I? "So what is it about Ricky Ponting that makes him allow a batsman to continue in one innings and claim such a catch in the second? Did you really think you had taken it cleanly?"

Ponting's face was red by now. "What I did in the first innings, doesn't it explain the way I play the game?"

I said I had my doubts and hence was asking him.

"Okay, I would say that if I wasn't 100 per cent sure of having taken the catch, I would not have claimed it. In any case, the umpire ruled him not out, didn't he?"

The Australian team's media manager stepped in to prevent further inquisition and before long Ponting was taking another question. So much for sportsmanship!

Not surprisingly, it led India captain Anil Kumble to insist that only one team played in the spirit of the game.

A date with lionesses

2007-12-11T10:58:00.000-08:00

One of the first things that I get to hear when I introduce myself as an itinerant sports journalist is how enviable my job is. "Aw! You get to travel so much and see so many new places!" I then end up telling my new friends that typically I would only get to see airports, hotels and cricket grounds at each city that my travels would take me to. It is only in the past few years that one learn to pinch some time off work and catch up on some sights.
We started that with Pakistan in 2004 when we stopped over at Harappa to spend some time at one of the seats of the Indus Valley Civilisation and went up to the entrance of the famed Khyber Pass away from Peshawar. We stole away from our cricket writing commitments to take a tour of Amsterdam on a boat. Of course, we did not get to leave the capital and go looking for tulips and windmills! I will always cherish a ride on elephant back through a swamp in Habarana near Dambulla in Sri Lanka.
My last overseas trip was memorable for many reasons – it was my maiden visit to South Africa, in fact it was my first crossing of the equator and what's more India won the ICC World Twenty20 in dramatic fashion. But away from the cricket, a day long trip to the Pilanesburg National Park, just a couple of hours drive away from Johannesburg. I had flirted with the idea of joining Marathi journalist Sunandan Lele on his trip to the Kruger National Park but had to call it off when India made it to the final of the tournament.
Quite predictably, there was a call from the Outlook office in Delhi telling me that I would have to anchor the cover story for the magazine that week. The demand was for four four pieces and that meant a whole day on the lap-top computer, writing away and taking short breaks only to rest the eyes and catch up on some food or beverages. Once that was out of the way late on September 26, I decided to try and make a day-trip to Pilanesburg and Sun City.
A cloud cover followed us on our drive from Jo'burg to Pilanesburg and, before long, we were guests of the animals in their natural habitat. And as we drove into the park in our cab, a Mercedes Benz actually, we learnt that we would encounter different terrain in different areas of the complex that is actually the result of an extinct volcano. I was engrossed by the natural beauty of the place and spent a lot of time watching herds of giraffe and zebra and antelopes. But our aim was to spot the Big Five – rhinos (black and white), buffalo, elephants, leopards and lions. And we spent more time driving around relentlessly, with hope in our hearts until we realised that it was getting late and a long way from the gate.
We gave up hope of spotting either the elephants or the lions and set off to find an exit from the park so that we would get back to Jo'burg and have a good meal. And we content ourselves with having seen the hordes of giraffe, zebra, antelopes, a wild dog, hippopotamus and white rhinos in different terrain at the park. But as luck would have it, we were slowed down by sighting of fresh elephant droppings and footprints on the soil beside the road. We followed the prints, wondering if was a good idea to tracking a lonely elephant, and before we knew it, we had changed directions.
After a short drive, we found that the elephant had walked into the grassland and into the jungle and there was no way we could drive on that track. So, quite reluctantly and disappointedly, we decided to make our way back when we spotted a number of stationery cars in the distance. And to our utter delight, we saw a couple of big cats walking towards us. As they drew closer, we realised they were a pair of lionesses. We held our breath, lest we disturb their concentration, and were glad that we had digital cameras rather than those whose shutters make a whirring sound.
Their regal splendour was there for all to see as they walked in front of us, unmindful of the presence of many vehicles and humans, their concentration unruffled. As they drew closer, I realised they had collars that the park officials would have slipped around their necks so that they could track their movement within the reserve. They crossed the road, still ignoring the scent of humans, and walked into the grasslands. We could not take our eyes off them until they disappeared in the distance, becoming small specks. We imagined them crouching as if they were getting ready to pounce on some unsuspecting prey. We had been stuck to our positions in our car for more than 20 minutes and realised that twilight was approaching. There was no point in heading to Sun City and rushing off from there in a hurry. We realised that nothing could match the drama of watching a pair of lionesses strolling ahead of us.

Can can cricket

2007-10-08T20:13:00.000-07:00

The heart stills thumps with excitement and the mind lingers in magic. You continue to hear echoes of the roar that went up when S. Sreesanth made the final touch to the cricket ball, for the second time in two matches against Pakistan, in the ICC World Twenty20 tournament. In the earlier game he ran out Misbah-ul-Haq to help India tie the game, and win by 'bowl-out', a first in T20's short history. And in the final, he got under the lap shot that the plucky Misbah attempted and helped all the emotional floodgates come crumbling down.

The mind's eye replays some amazing pictures. Joginder Sharma lying prone, unable to resist the impact of the sudden pressure release at the fall of the last wicket. Others scrambling for souvenir stumps and bails before getting into a huddle. A distraught Misbah-ul-Haq going down on his haunches. Team India setting off on a victory lap of the majestic bull ring that is known as the Wanderers Cricket Stadium. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni putting his shirt on a boy who had come all the way from Botswana and bought a 2000 rand (about Rs 14,000) ticket.

Champagne awaited the Men in Blue in the dressing room. Perched on a cupboard, Dhoni uncorked the first bottle amidst loud cheering. And when the Board of Control for Cricket in India president Sharad Pawar walked in and declared a $2 million bonus for the team, the cheers became louder. The team had just won the top prize of $490,000 and the BCCI had announced a bonus that was four times larger.

Shahrukh Khan, cheering the team all along, was at hand to greet the players for their fantastic showing. And, late at night, the BCCI bosses hosted a party for the team at the Jacaranda Hall in the Sandton Sun. Apparently, the partying went on till 3 am, leaving the players drained. A few of them woke up so late that they had no time to even shower before heading to the airport.

Long before all this, India had discovered a new set of young heroes with steely hearts and calm minds. The class of 1983—Kapil's Devils—now has young company in Dhoni's Dynamos. So long as they can keep their heads on their shoulders and feet on the ground, names like Rohit Sharma and Joginder Sharma can do the rounds in the ODIs for some time. And with the right breaks, Rohit may even graduate to being a fine Test player. His success has sparked debates on whether India should now invest in the young and let the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid fade away from the one-day international scene. It may be a bit premature for that, but this team, led by the calm, collected and quick-witted Dhoni dished out memorable fare in the shortest form of the game at the international level—cricket on cocaine, if you like.

The side came in unannounced, with no pressure of expectations weighing it down. But the power of self-belief and teamwork created a momentum all its own. Yuvraj Singh led the batsmen with two blazing knocks against England and Australia. "He is in a great mindset obviously, he is confident, he is seeing the ball well, and he is just trusting himself," said Australian skipper Adam Gilchrist. "He hits a short ball for six, then you pitch up and he hits that for six as well, he is just in a confident frame of mind." Gautam Gambhir's three half-centuries lent a solidity at the start of the innings and allowed the later order batsmen the freedom to go after the bowling in the death. Skipper Dhoni did not get to face too many deliveries but chipped in with those useful scores.

The 20-year-old Rohit Sharma personified the gung-ho attitude that the team wore, scripting two superb and creative finishes against South Africa and Pakistan in the final. "When you win a match for your team, the outlook of your team-mates toward you changes," he said. "They start looking at you differently. That performance against South Africa was very important because they had never seen me bat before. After that knock, all the players were backing me, very happy with my performance. They were supporting me also because I had not played any match in England."

Even though bowlers like the comeback kid Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh had played T20 cricket in England and brought their experience to bear, bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad's inputs to the bowlers were critical. Rudra Pratap Singh and Pathan were India's bowlers of the tournament, allowing themselves not more than one below-average game. As Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik said after the final, R.P. Singh has developed enormously as a new ball bowler from the time he made his Test debut in Faisalabad early last year. "He has added a couple of yards of pace and bowls a very good line and length," Malik said. As for Irfan, he has come back from a spell in the wilderness, his technical niggles sorted out, hungry and eager. Pathan found that magic at a critical moment in the final. S. Sreesanth was all pent-up aggression in the semi-final against Australia and made the difference between the two sides, while Harbhajan Singh gladly took charge of bowling some pressure overs. And, coming in for a lacklustre Ajit Agarkar in the last four games, Joginder Sharma made an impact too, handling the task of bowling the last over in the semi-final and final. "I always believe when players have been selected, they have to be given an opportunity," cricket manager Lalchand Rajput said. "It is easy to label someone that he is not good enough but unless you go and see, you will not be able to find out. Give them big games and see if they can handle the pressure. Joginder handled that very well when he bowled the last over in our last two games," he says.

One of the good things about this side is that Dhoni did not have to hide any of his fielders. "When a team fields like we did consistently throughout the tournament, we tend to add to our total. If we make 150, we are actually challenging the opposition to make 165 to win. We have had a runout in nearly every game and that helped us," says Dhoni. Yuvraj Singh produced a direct hit against Pakistan in Durban to see Kamran Akmal's back, Rohit Sharma sprinted from cover and broke the stumps when he was in mid-air to send South Africa's danger man Justin Kemp back to the dugout, while Robin Uthappa produced the magic from extra cover to cut short Imran Nazir's blitz in the final game. And who can forget the catch that Dinesh Kaarthick took at second slip to dismiss South African captain Graeme Smith. Fielding coach Robin Singh could break into a smile at the manner in which the young team rallied to his demands.

Above all, the event discovered a new captain in Dhoni. He chose to downplay attempts to praise his leadership. "The captain hasn't done much," he said, with no false modesty. "The players who have been given responsibility have delivered. There was no [specialist] batsman who hasn't scored runs, the fielding had been very good overall.Yuvraj has been very good, while Harbhajan has made a very good comeback. This side is confident, enjoying one another's success and backing each other." Dhoni's brave captaincy came in for much praise. Former Australian captain Ian Chappell picked Dhoni's leadership as one of his favourite moments. Chappell referred to Dhoni's decision—prompted by Harbhajan Singh's suggestion—to bowl the off-spinner in the 18th over of the semi-final against Australia. In the final, he was brave enough to bring an extra man into the circle to save some singles and put that much more pressure on Pakistan.

And he backed all of that with an unwilting, hard-as-nails attitude, as India played an intense brand of cricket that its teams have often been capable of—but have only shown sporadically. Dhoni's side tackled pressure like it did not exist. Take a look at the matches that India played after rains forced it to share points with Scotland in the opening game. First up, it took on Pakistan and made just 141 for nine but fought back gallantly to tie the match and win through the bowl-out to make it to the Super Eights.

And he backed all of that with an unwilting, hard-as-nails attitude, as India played an intense brand of cricket that its teams have often been capable of—but have only shown sporadically. Dhoni's side tackled pressure like it did not exist. Take a look at the matches that India played after rains forced it to share points with Scotland in the opening game. First up, it took on Pakistan and made just 141 for nine but fought back gallantly to tie the match and win through the bowl-out to make it to the Super Eights.

So then, is this the new Team India? It would be tempting to see this squad take over and play the 50-over format as intensely but it would be foolish to write off the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid. For, they still bring much value to the table with their batsmanship. "This is the future and we have the bench strength," says Rajput. "If you have good bench strength, it means that the senior team remains strong, aware of the young guns breathing down their necks. There would be tough competition when the selectors sit down to pick 15. Of course, the big three have a long season ahead and I am sure they will all come back refreshed." The selectors have to empower the captain and the youngsters, back them to succeed in ODIs and eventually in Tests. Dhoni reiterated that the T20 squad and some players back home would form Indian cricket's bench strength. "Those playing in this tournament plus a few guys back home are our bench strength," Dhoni said.

But that is a pleasant headache that the national selectors will now face. The ODI series against Australia may have been scheduled to begin in Bangalore but it will take a bit of time for the euphoria caused by India's success in the form to evaporate. "Whatever match I play now will be challenging because everyone will be focusing on me, looking at my performance. I will enjoy that challenge," Rohit Sharma said. Of course, India will be watching, with bated breath.

Grace Endures

2007-10-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

Mahendra Singh Dhoni may have said he loves to live in the present but he has also seen the future. "T20 cricket will catch up in India," the Indian captain gushed after his team won the the ICC World Twenty20 crown. "People in India love sixes and fours...the excitement of it all. We did have a domestic T20 tournament but I think it will now catch up and people will turn up in good numbers. It is going to be huge in India."

It's not as if all agree with Dhoni. But even those who differ aren't categorical. Australian coach Tim Nielsen, for instance, hopes T20 doesn't become cricket's future—yet isn't averse to its existence altogether. "It is difficult to tell where Twenty20 will go. It will be interesting to see how one-off T20 games are delivered and how the players accept them," he notes. Nielsen may have a point there, what with the International Cricket Council placing an embargo on its members not playing more than three home matches and four away games a year. "We will play a lot of one-day cricket because of its (relatively longer) history. It would be hard for T20 to take over too quickly," Nielsen says, but doesn't show any alacrity to write it off altogether. "We have a real job to make sure that it maintains its vitality and vibrant quality among the cricketing public, and can drag in new people to the gates. If we can do that, I think T20 will slot well with one-day and Test cricket."

Such comments only go to show there is a certain degree of consensus that T20 cricket will bring new dynamics into the game. Australian wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist says T20 is a "positive" for the game. "On face value, I think it's going to improve one-day cricket, create more interest in the game," he maintains. "Only that we are still wondering how it will change each team's approach in the 50-over game." Gilchrist isn't sure T20 will do much to Test cricket—the ultimate format of the game every cricketer wants to play. About T20's own future, Gilchrist hedges his bets: "It will be interesting to see the one-off T20 games now, if there is nothing really up for grabs (no cup to take, nor a series to win)."

Indeed, traditionalists can start breathing easy: T20 is not about to corrupt cricket technique. If anything, it has placed a premium on those who have a sound grip on technique and are prepared to stick to the basics. It was interesting to watch how batsmen and bowlers alike had to draw from their skills to make an impact. We saw England's Kevin Pietersen employ the powerful reverse sweep—well, it is a left-hander's sweep that he played—but it's a stroke that has been around in ODIs for some years now, an accepted coinage. At the ICC World Cup 2007, we also watched Bangladesh's Mohammed Ashraful paddle the ball over the wicket-keeper—and very creatively at that, much to India's chagrin. Even so, orthodoxy continues to find its productive role. No batsman who was strolling all over the crease was able to connect the ball as sweetly as one who preferred being still and read the ball as it left the bowler's hands. As ex-cricketer Ajay Jadeja noted recently, teams are learning that T20 is not about blindly slogging as many runs as possible—you need to be brainy and adaptable too. In fact, copybook shots dominated the ICC World T20. Equally notable was that among bowlers, spinners like Shahid Afridi, Daniel Vettori and Harbhajan Singh more than held their own while the quicker bowlers made a huge impact with variations.

"T20 has proved to be not a young man's game but a good cricketer's game," says Sussex coach Mark Robinson in the official souvenir. "Of course, you have got to have the enthusiasm to throw yourself around but it's more than that. It's about players with highly developed multi-dimensional skills." This was the fact Dhoni cited to justify the exclusion of leg-spinner Piyush Chawla from the squad against New Zealand. "If Piyush plays, we are one batsman short, someone who can slog at the end," he said. "We are relying on batsmen or bowlers who can bat. Pathan, Harbhajan and Agarkar can contribute with the bat."

Arguably, T20 is a demanding game, offering little room for errors. It certainly isn't for those who are not thinking on their feet. That said, Gilchrist doesn't believe that captaining a side in T20 is more demanding than ODIs. "It all goes pretty quick," he says. "Three hours is only half-a-game that we are used to. I thought Dhoni captained beautifully against us, chose the right times to bowl those bowlers in the last three or four overs. It didn't look like he was finding it a strain. It moves quickly but you have to think on your feet. (Yet) it is not overly draining compared to the longer versions of the game."

Clearly, T20 is fated to be more than an occasional circus that rolls into town for the kids. But the challenge before administrators is to use T20 to improve the structure of the longer form of limited-overs and Test cricket. To its credit, the ICC is not rushing headlong into T20. For the moment, it is content with having claimed ownership of an exciting new product. Says its CEO Malcolm Speed: "We are keen that it is used by counties, provinces and states to draw people to domestic cricket. We will have the next ICC World Twenty20 event in England in '09. The executive board will then decide on how T20 would go forward. We are committed to the Champions Trophy in 2008 and '10."

He believes the ICC needs to blend the three to ensure the pie gets bigger and is divided among the three forms of the game. "Our priority will be to preserve Test cricket," says Speed. "We need to make sure that Test cricket remains the iconic form of the game. And 50-over cricket is the financial driver of the game. It's one of the challenges we face to make sure the three forms of the game remain vibrant. It's a terrific problem to have." The ICC, with a disastrous and boring World Cup 2007 behind it, is delighted beyond words at the quality of competition witnessed in T20. "We thought it would be well received in South Africa. But it has exceeded our expectations...the reception by the public, the media and the players," Speed says.

T20 also promises to bring in countries not known for their passion for the game. As Speed points out, "It has appealed to a larger fan-base and has been widely covered in China—and the US, where cricket is already a niche sport. T20 is the perfect vehicle for cricket to develop in new countries...to go after those markets. T20 is a great opportunity to do that."

As for the cheerleaders, opinions may vary. Pakistan great Imran Khan finds them a "distraction"—when the game "itself is good intoxication." Now, that's one more vote for T20.

India's band of merry men

2007-10-08T20:06:00.000-07:00

Mahendra Singh Dhoni: Led from the front with the composure of a seasoned skipper and the open-mindedness of a freshman. Played three solid innings, wisely focusing on preserving his wicket rather than play shockrooper. Thus, despite his timing deserting him, managed to help team skewer the Aussie bowling for 128 runs in the final 10 overs. Total runs: 154.
Yuvraj Singh: Continued his tremendous form throughout the event, except the final. A classical striker of the cricket ball, Yuvraj's six sixes off Stuart Broad galvanised the team and quite appropriately had a mythical ring about it. Before Yuvraj played it, such an innings existed only in schoolboy dreams. He finished with 148 runs, a dozen sixes and a strike rate of 194.73. Thank god for schoolboys.

Gautam Gambhir: The mainstay of the line-up, he scored three half-centuries, but became a hero by making nearly half the runs his team scored in the final. Performing consistently, he denied rival bowlers early wickets. After his controlled aggression at the top, he can lay claim to an opening slot in the ODI squad. Gambhir made 227 runs, and hit 27 fours and five sixes.

Virender Sehwag: Returning to the team and (quite visibly) leaner by 12 kg, Sehwag made his mark with blazing innings against New Zealand and England. His appetite for runs was apparent. A hamstring strain in the semis against Australia kept him out of the grand finale but make no mistake, a charged-up Viru will be back. He scored 133 runs.

Robin Uthappa: Typifying the youth brigade with his infectious verve, Uthappa became the first Indian to score a T20 fifty.A positive player, his bristling confidence makes him an asset. His direct hit that run out Imran Nazir in the final was termed the turning point by Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik.

Rohit Sharma: A callow lad to start with, but the find of the tournament for India. His unbeaten knocks of 50 against South Africa and 30 in the final are testimony to his unflappable temperament and tremendous talent. Those innings earned him the respect of his peers and endeared him to his seniors as someone who belonged to the elite few in India. A superb fielder to boot.

Irfan Pathan: Has come back very strongly. He was charged up and accurate—turning in great spells in the semi-final and the final. He handled the responsibility of bowling the middle overs skilfully, and his three for 16 against Pakistan earned him the man of the match prize and confirmed that he is well and truly on the comeback road. He finished the tournament with 10 wickets.

Joginder Sharma: This relative unknown emerged as a surprise weapon, taking over the role of the fifth bowler from an expensive Ajit Agarkar. He came back very strongly after being clobbered by Australia in his opening over. Joginder held his nerve and delivered a fine final over in that semi-final and was in charge of that now-classic last over—a cricketing photofinish—in the final as well.

Harbhajan Singh: Also on the comeback trail, Bhajji amazed everyone by bringing in Test match quality bowling to the T20 format. He kept Afridi quiet in the opener, put up his hand for the critical 18th over in the semis, conceding just three runs. He handled the pressure overs and delivered the goods.

S. Sreesanth: Mercurial, quirky but penetrative when it mattered. Notwithstanding steaming brows and flared nostrils at the end of each delivery, he bowled quick, with incisiveness and got wickets. His magical spell against Australia, when he bowled Hayden and Gilchrist, made the Aussies grudgingly concede his effectiveness. The date with match referee Chris Broad was forgiven.

Rudra Pratap Singh: He was India's champion bowler, delivering wickets upfront and coming back to bowl a tight over when his captain called upon him. His spell of four for 13 in the key game against South Africa sent the home team packing. He is growing in stature with every game and is for sure a long-term asset. Was India's leading bowler with 12 wickets.

Yusuf Pathan: He was waiting in the wings, and only a hamstring injury to Sehwag during the semifinal against Australia opened the door for him to make his international debut and play beside his more well-known brother. His first scoring shot was a straight six off Mohammed Asif and buoyed up India. He also showed that he could be a handy off-spinner.

Dinesh Kaarthick: The consummate team man, his chirpy nature is an antidote to apathy and tension. He did not get to do much with the bat, but his one-handed reflex catch at second slip to dismiss South African captain Graeme Smith was, indubitably, the best of the tournament.

Ajit Agarkar: Played the first three matches, but was unable to leave his miserable form behind in England.He gave away plenty of runs against Pakistan and New Zealand and made way for the younger Joginder Sharma in the last four games.

Piyush Chawla: The young leg-spinner who shone in the ODIs in England did not get to play a game. And to make things worse, he picked up an ankle injury as well. He kept his chin up and cheered his team-mates from the sidelines.

Keeper of hits: Dhoni

2007-10-08T20:02:00.000-07:00

Mohinder Amarnath and Anil Kumble, cricketing giants in their own right, have had the privilege of leading the Indian team in but one one-day international each. And the evidence is there for all to see that it's a job that does no good to your hairline. Yet there must be a million and more lads out there who will readily admit to dreaming of the glory of captaining Team India some day. "To be honest, it is every cricketer's dream to lead India," says Indian opener Gautam Gambhir.

Anointed captain of the Indian ODI squad for 12 matches after Rahul Dravid's unexpected resignation, Mahendra Singh Dhoni amazes everyone with his confession that he did not cherish great hopes of landing the top job in Indian sport.

Not even after he started playing for India just under three years ago. "I never expected to play for India. So I didn't expect captaincy either," he says. "It was not an issue for me at all. I just wanted to play cricket and enjoy it." Do not, even for a moment, let this have you believe
that the reins of India's ODI squad have changed hands from one reluctant customer to another.

At the ICC World Twenty20 tournament in South Africa—a format that places huge, almost killing demands on captains—Dhoni has shown his aptitude for the job and has proven to be a quick learner. With a bit of luck—and support from three men who have led India in nearly 300 matches—he may yet take after the earthy resourcefulness of one his predecessors, a certain Kapil Dev. In any case, he becomes only the second Indian ODI captain to reside in a non-metro city.

The selectors did not have too many options. They did not wish to go back to Sachin Tendulkar or Sourav Ganguly—that would have been considered a retrograde step. And the likes of Virender Sehwag, who has led India in five ODIs, and Yuvraj Singh were ruled out—the first because he has not been in the ODI side since returning from Bangladesh, and the latter because he appears to be serving some kind of parole with the selectors.

Dhoni realises that leading Team India is going to be one of the most challenging jobs in world cricket. "Yes, I think it is. It seriously is, I am telling you," he says. To be sure, along with startling reflexes and wrists of supple steel that defies coaching-book proprieties, the 26-year-old brings a native sense of humour that will help him in the teeth of the storms and the stresses that go with the job. "Hopefully I will have the smile (in the future as well). I don't know how I will react to it, though. If the team does well, nobody bothers you. So, the motto should be to do well in every match."

"It feels quite good," he continues. "I have been captain of the T20 side and now am captain of the ODI team for 12 matches. The seven-match series against Australia and the five-match series against Pakistan are critical for the team. We have been on a long tour of Ireland, England and South Africa and it will be nice to play in home conditions again. I realise it is vital for us to perform well in those matches."

Some of his joy will be tempered by having to lead a side that is defined as being talented but inconsistent, and by the presence of three big guns in the side—Sachin, Sourav and Dravid. "I haven't had the time to reflect on captaincy since I have been busy and focused on the T20 games against England and South Africa. That is crucial for us," he says. "There is a gap of three or four days after the T20 tournament and that is when I will think about it." The credo is simple: one thing at a time and do that well.

Dhoni is a people's person and can be won over by logic and reason. His maiden interaction with the media in Durban after he was named captain of the ODI squad on Tuesday almost did not take place because he wanted others in his T20 team be in the spotlight. "I don't want to expose myself to the media so much," he said, trying to explain his reluctance to talk to the press. After some journalists convinced him that it was incumbent on him to share his emotions with fans back home through the media, he took a few questions.

That is not the only trait that makes chairman of selectors Dilip Vengsarkar wax eloquent about Dhoni having all the qualities of a good captain. "This is the right time to groom him," Vengsarkar, himself an ex-India skipper, said when announcing the elevation of the vice-captain. He also indicated that the panel could be looking elsewhere for a Test captain. "It (Test captaincy) is a tougher proposition, so we will have to think of other options also."

One of the things that can go against Dhoni being named captain of the Test team is the fact that he is a wicket-keeper-batsman. "It's too difficult to be wicketkeeper and captain. A wicketkeeper on his own cannot be a good captain. It cannot work, it's just too difficult," says Ali Bacher, acknowledged as one of South Africa's finest skippers. "I did keep wickets in the early part of my career but gave it up when I became captain. It was too much. As a wicketkeeper you have to concentrate on every ball. Looking after 10 others on the field and strategising makes it tougher."

Perhaps it is such intense demands that made Dravid realise his shelf-life as captain of the Indian team had run out. Dravid, who has always believed in doing things right, did not want a press conference—he must have had enough of those over two years—since he believed in dealing just with board president Sharad Pawar. In what must have been one of Indian cricket's best kept secrets in a long time, Dravid's decision to relinquish the captaincy did not find its way to the public domain before it was officially announced.

In any case, in the time that remains till he hangs up his boots, Dravid can go back to being a commoner in the team—or rather, an elder statesman along with Tendulkar and Ganguly. And he will be hoping that his own batsmanship flowers into a final, late flourish like Ganguly's in the past year. Meanwhile, as a young man from Indian cricket's hinterland takes over the captaincy from a metro-based veteran, some contrasts are too patent. One has said he'd had enough of the captaincy, while the other says he hadn't expected it. He may not have dreamt about India captaincy until he was handed the job, but Dhoni may well end up nurturing the dream of millions of cricket lovers—presiding over an Indian team that performs consistently.

Cross bat capers: T20 arrives on world stage

2007-09-15T02:38:00.000-07:00

The clock has struck Twenty20—and yes, it did it twice. Just as fans primed their jaded nerves for the frothy pleasures on view in South Africa (where the first T20 World Cup kicked off midweek), the BCCI dramatically uncorked its own genie-in-a-bottle back in India. The Indian Premier League, the board's riposte to the rebel ICL, was announced on Thursday, with all the ceremony befitting an 'official' tourney. To wit, a global T20 league, with a stupendous prize fund of £2.5 million, and all of eight teams featuring players from over four nations. Top players from India will test their aptitude for this steroidal brand of cricket—virtually, pyjama on speed, with music and cheerleaders thrown in—against T20 champs from England, Australia and South Africa.

BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi, who will be the IPL convenor, read out details of the format, the structure of sponsorship et al—watched by the Indian triumvirate of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, plus Stephen Fleming and Glenn Mcgrath. Altogether, there was a ring of authority about it, and the England and Australian boards too have approved. The gauntlet thrown to ICL lies precisely in this 'legitimacy'.

Meanwhile, fireworks lit up the night sky over Johannesburg as the ICC World T20 tournament was inaugurated on September 11. As crowds filled the Wanderers, the eyes of ICC officials too lit up. It teed off too with an explosive match that saw South Africa chase 206 for a victory over the West Indies. Then, a fighting Zimbabwe pulled the rug from under a sluggish Australia's feet in Cape Town. Two fantastic games—testimony to the promise of 'instant instant cricket', a perfect drama in two short acts.

The inaugural tie saw a 50-ball century from the windmill figure of Chris Gayle, a T20 record, but hosts South Africa returned the compliment through Herschelle Gibbs and Justin Kemp, reaching the target with 14 balls to spare and bringing the roof down. The game saw 36 fours, 18 sixes and 413 runs being scored.

And in Durban, a two-hour drive from Jo'burg, New Zealand quickies Shane Bond and Mark Gillespie proved against Kenya that T20 need not be a hopeless proposition for bowlers who kept things simple. Mercurial Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi took to the format like a duck to water—as if he was waiting for someone to invent Twenty20 all these years!—making 21 off seven deliveries and then claiming four Scotland wickets. That night—in Cape Town, the other end of South Africa—Zimbabwe hit the ground running, thanks to juice in the pitch because of a sharp spell of rain, and shocked fancied Australia with a five-wicket win in a last-ball humdinger.

"There are not many moments when I've walked off the park feeling like this," said an embarrassed Ricky Ponting after the Zimbabwe upset. "If we don't learn from this, we are fools." It was an honest admission that even the Aussies needed to adapt to T20. The format can be unforgiving to the slightest of mistakes and allows no room for recovery. The Aussie batsmen made only 138, a fighting total at best. And Zimbabwe's wicket-keeper Brendan Taylor, fresh from a run-in with the cricket authorities at home, played a well-crafted knock to steer his team to an unbelievable triumph over a side that everyone thought till then had only to turn up to win in any genre of cricket.

The ICC, pining for a big money tourney after 2006's Champions Trophy in India, is happy with the roll of the dice so far. "This is the first of 18 ICC events spread over eight years all over the world that will provide players and fans with variety and entertainment," said ICC president Ray Mali. "The spread of events and the revenues will help to continue cricket's growth." One expectation, though, was belied in the first couple of days. T20 was often advertised as fulsome family entertainment, sort of a picnic, but there really was no sign of a new audience in games featuring teams other than the Proteas. It may be early days yet, but with such intense cricket on display, the bid to add colour around the ground with dancing girls seemed redundant. Fans may actually prefer the more cricket-related elements—a free hit to the batsman after no-balls, the frenetic pace with which a game is played start to finish, the rush.

"It would be wrong to dismiss this as Mickey Mouse cricket," said Australian great Steve Waugh on the tournament website. "It's only a matter of time before cricketers hone their skills to adapt to this innovation, just like when one-day cricket was introduced. The freshness of the concept and the lack of a text book to refer to makes a winner difficult to nominate, but my gut feel is it will still be the team with the right basics."

Captains have also realised they will come under the scanner if their teams do not meet their fans' expectations, but are relishing the challenge. Pakistan's Shoaib Malik spoke about how a leader has to be alive to the rapidly changing dynamics. "Every batsman is padded up and ready to go in. Depending on the situation, if we want someone to go in and rotate the strike, we'd ask someone particular." Sitting in the team dugout by the boundary line, Malik was able to change the batting order on the spur of the moment at the fall of the fourth wicket against Scotland. "We saw the spinners were in charge and Shoaib decided to send me in," revealed Afridi.

Ponting may have scored 98 in the first ever T20 international against New Zealand but wasn't convinced of the format until Wednesday's loss that served as a wake-up call. "I think it's a mental thing. We have got to start respecting Twenty20 now," he said. Even if the ICC has drawn lines to ensure that its traditional bases of Test cricket and ODIs—the cash cow—are protected, Australia's captain will not be alone in being a convert. The future has probably arrived.

Dravid charts his own course

2007-09-14T03:08:00.001-07:00

DURBAN – For the second day running, the ICC World Twenty20 moved to the penumbra with two other developments taking centrestage. Bangladesh beat the West Indies on Thursday and Sri Lanka made a whopping 260 in 20 overs against Kenya on Friday but the grand announcement of a Professional Cricket League and Rahul Dravid’s decision to quit as India captain overshadowed it all.
With rain washing out India’s maiden game at the ICC World Twenty20 against Scotland and threatening to dampen Friday’s big contest against Pakistan here, it was inevitable that people back home kept discussing these other developments rather than train their thoughts on the Twenty20 event.
Dravid has steered India through some difficult times, presiding over its fortunes – Test series wins in the West Indies and England being highlights. In the absence of a word from the man himself – he has switched his phone off – we will never know if indeed there was a greater provocation for his decision than the ostensible need to focus on his own batsmanship.
Dravid, more than anyone else, would have recognised that his batsmanship on the tour of England had not met his own standards. He scored just 126 runs in the three Tests, averaging 25.20 runs an innings, and 223 runs in the seven one-day internationals at an average of 37.16 runs per innings.
There has been a buzz that Chairman of Selectors Dilip Vengsarkar’s ‘criticism’ of some aspects of his leadership led him to quit but it may not be wise to heed that more so since BCCI President Sharad Pawar has indicated that Dravid had told him even in England that he was keen on stepping down.
Dravid will be remembered for making a gallant attempt to stamp his personality on the team after having taken over from someone like Sourav Ganguly, perceived as a players’ leader. The Bangalorean chose different methods to Ganguly, demanding performance from each of his players rather than backing them instinctively.
His thrust on performance was not the only reason why he reminded me of his very Australian approach to things cricket. In fact, he is the closest there is to an Australian in Indian cricket in that he believes there is a certain manner in which things have to be done. In letting the Board President be the first to know that he wanted to step down and focus on his batting, Dravid has followed a propriety that he expects to instill in Indian cricket.
So who will take over as captain?
The selectors have the option of recalling either Sachin Tendulkar or Sourav Ganguly to lead the team or of giving the reins to either Mahendra Singh Dhoni or Virender Sehwag. The last named may have been an automatic choice had he kept his place in the ODI team but long string of failures meant that the selectors chose to banish him to domestic cricket.
But what they do will make for another tale in the coming days. The selectors do not have too much time since the Australian team is due to land in India for a seven match one-day series before the end of this month.

Licking fingers in anticipation

2007-09-13T10:35:00.001-07:00

There is an indescribable joy that a sports writer experiences when watching the twists and turns of a cricket Test match and expressing them for the reader. The high-voltage drama of one-day internationals offers the sports writer a different test. And now Twenty20 has come to stay at the international level, bringing along a whole new challenge for the reporter and analyst alike.

How does one describe a match in which there are 18 sixes, 36 fours and 413 runs scored – and all this in less than 40 overs and inside three hours? Should a writer look at the finer aspects of any one person’s game or should the focus be on just the broader picture? I guess with a bit of time, writers will find a way to keep pace with the brief adaptation of a magnificent game.

One thing hasn’t changed, however. In the run-up to the maiden India and Pakistan match in Twenty20, a group D match at the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 tournament, the teams have been constantly reminded of the needle that usually comes along with bilateral contests. On the way to the stadium, scalpers have left their mobile phone numbers offering tickets for the game.

There is no question that talk of pressure is inevitable when the teams involved are India and Pakistan, no matter where they play one another. From the time India and Pakistan reached this eastern coastal city in Kwa-Zulu Natal, the players have been constantly reminded about the game on Friday.

“Of course, there is pressure,” said Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik. “Whenever we are playing India, there is added pressure since it is a huge game. We don’t want to lose any game, irrespective of who we are playing, be it India, Scotland or Australia. We just want to give off our 100 per cent and not lose any game in any format.

“We made some mistakes in the game against Scotland and we cannot afford to commit the same mistakes a second time,” Malik said. “I am satisfied with the way we bowled. We made some mistakes with our fielding but I must say we got lucky to make 171 against Scotland. We will sit together and evolve a good plan for the match against India.”

India’s young side does not have as much time to think about Friday’s match with Pakistan since it was slated to play Scotland on Thursday. “We will start looking at the game against Pakistan only after we complete the opening match with Scotland,” India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said. “It would be foolish to dismiss Scotland as a no-hoper. Every team has a chance in Twenty20.”

Dhoni and Malik have tried hard to explain to everyone that the World Cup disaster is water under the bridge. “We will all be better off if we forget what happened in the West Indies and focus on the game on hand,” Dhoni said, when he was asked if the game would make up for the missed match up between India and Pakistan at the ICC World Cup earlier this year.

Returning to the challenges that the young Indian cricket writers are facing, it is only fair to say that they are finding their way around. They are not only tested by the exciting, new format that has already thrown up three intense games in as many days but also by the stiff deadlines that are presented by the fact that India is due to play both its league games here at night.

“I prefer writing on Test cricket,” says a journalist from a national newspaper in India, just about taking her attention away from the preview she was writing on a ‘big’ game to be played on Friday before she could start focusing on India’s impending contest against Scotland. The inclement weather that delayed the start of that game added to the woes of her fraternity.

As for me, I am getting ready for a new experience in Durban on Friday – and not because I have travelled south of the Equator for the first time but more because India and Pakistan will come face to face in a new form of the game. It promises to the briefest of affairs but certainly will not be the most boring of matches between the two sides. I am licking my fingers in anticipation. Are you?

Meeting a mature lad

2007-09-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” Indian vice-captain Yuvraj Singh told me at the Durban hotel on Tuesday when some players were meeting the media in the run up to the ICC World Twenty20 being played in South Africa. I didn’t have the heart to tell Yuvraj that a fortnight ago, I didn’t expect to be here either, having been a vocal critic of the format.
Ah! To be a cricket ground and watching some international action! There has to be something alluring about it that even a traditionalist like me has got down to enjoying the action at the Twenty20. Truth to tell, I wanted to be able to network with some of the younger players in the Indian team and on Tuesday I could engage the emerging spin talent, Piyush Chawla in a chat.
It was lovely hearing the 18-year-old Chawla talk about the art of thinking a batsman out. “We get to watch a lot of videos these days about batsmen. But there is no better way than to study a batsman at the crease. One has to keep watching the kind of shots that a batsman employs and bowl accordingly.”
“Moving to the next step from any level is not easy. I have learnt a lot when playing the one-dayers outside India. The seniors have always given me confidence and motivated me,” he says. “Obviously my role in the side is to take wickets but if I can bowl economically – say one for 45 in 10 overs or even none for 40 in 10 – I think I have done well because the game has got so fast and the batsmen are always looking to do something all the time.”
“I don’t think I have succeeded yet,” he says. “I may be easier to break into the team but to stay there by performing well is the challenge. I don’t want to just play 25 or 30 one-dayers. I am thinking long-term and I don’t regard my bowling in England as the peak of success. For example, after I got Kevin Pietersen out a couple of times, he took no chances against me and made it tough for me to get his wicket. I will have to find a way past his defence.
“If a batsman like him tries to force his pace in Twenty20, I will be at an advantage. Batsmen usually find a tempo and when they come up against the slower deliveries and the game slows down a bit, they find it different. I think that in the Twenty20 format, the spinners can make their mark too,” he says with the confidence of much thought having gone behind that statement.
He is also aware that things may get tougher when videos of his own bowling become available to teams around the world and batsmen get to read him better. “I have had that experience even in first class cricket where my second season was not as good as the first. I don’t think things will be easy at the international level and I will keep trying to add new layers to my cricket.
“If now I deliver four good deliveries in an over, I am trying to get better and bowl all six good deliveries. I want to get more consistent,” he says. “I am focusing on consistency rather than adding new weapons yet. I believe I will be able to do that later.”
Chawla says he has drawn enormous inspiration from India’s most successful spinner Anil Kumble. “I have had the fortune of interacting with him at our camps. I absolutely adore his energy levels and his aggression,” he says. “I cherish the fact that he has encouraged me to continue working on my game. There is always room for improvement.
Irrespective of how the cricket goes at the ICC World Twenty20, I will be pleased that I could get beneath the mind of a young bowler who promises to be the standard bearer of leg-spin bowling in India when the master who answers to the name of Anil Kumble walks away from the game that he loves so much.

Reaction, anticipation hallmarks of champions

2007-09-09T05:57:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank Rajesh Lalwani for inspiring this piece

The Indian cricket team sent its die-hard fans on a roller-coaster ride in the first three one-day games against England while it looked being caught running on a treadmill towards the end of August. From a high of having won a Test series in England after 21 years, it seemed to have got stuck in a bit of a quagmire, what with its fielding standards hitting a low. But the crisis, if it can be called that, was relegated to the back-benches as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) faced a crisis with the Zee group's Indian Cricket League emerging as a challenge to its monopoly status.
Its attempt to ignore the evolution of ICL was reminiscent of the proverbial ostrich and no B-school may ever recommend BCCI's own peculiar standards and methods of crisis-management. B-schools may be focussing on the dilemma that brands like mobile phone giant Nokia and toy major Mattel faced around the same time as BCCI. Nokia recalled 46 million batteries worldwide while Mattel recalled 18 million toys from shelves in Asia. Ironically, both Mattel and China – which has some work to do to prevent the image of delivering low quality products in quest for cost control – should have known that the products didn't deserve to get to markets that can be very unforgiving.
Be that as it may, even a cursory study of some sporting champions may be a learning experience for the corporate world. For, words like reaction and anticipation spring to mind when one thinks of how the best sporting achievers handle challenging situations in their respective spheres. Most sportspersons train hard to be able to react to the challenges posed by opponents and, in ball sports, by the ball.
The champions look like they are gifted with more time as they are almost always in a better position to deal with a situation because they have spent time honing their anticipation, so that they can foresee the movements of their rivals. The hallmark of these champions is their ability to change their game-plan at the very last moment so that they are not caught on the wrong foot Indeed, anticipation helps them quickens their response time. That is what let a Muhammad Ali or a John McEnroe or a Mark Waugh or a Diego Maradona look like a genius in the past. Indeed, that is the quality that has set sportsmen like Roger Federer and an Adam Gilchrist and sports women like Maria Sharapova apart from their challengers.
Each of these stars and their like buys extra time with anticipation and do not lose any by automating their responses. Let me give you an example. When leg-spinner Shane Warne visited India in his prime, he was expected to lead the Australian attack but India's little big man Sachin Tendulkar had prepared his own repartee. Instead of waiting for Warne to start posing challenges in the 1997-98 series and then finding solutions to them, Tendulkar requisitioned the services of former India leg-spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan and a few other bowlers and got them to bowl on an artificially created rough patch before the series. When Warne was in with a chance of making his mark in the first Test, bowling from round the wicket and into the rough, Tendulkar launched a breathtaking assault. He deployed a unique slog sweep against the spin to help India build a match-winning lead. His assault caused the world's greatest leg-spinner to confess later that he often went to bed having nightmares of Tendulkar just running down the wicket and belting him back over the head for six.
And when you swing your thoughts back to Nokia and Mattel, you wonder if they could have done better by anticipating the crises rather than wait for them to brew before reacting.

Natural guts, raw and taut

2007-09-09T05:55:00.001-07:00

Anna Chakvetadze confessed to being sick of having to play Sania Mirza often but it is the Indian who is scratching her head in search of a route past the Russian. Her straight set loss in the third round of the US Open in New York – her fourth defeat in as many meetings with Chakvetadze this year – stopped Sania Mania from erupting as it did when she made it to the fourth round two years ago. With growing maturity, Sania is not thinking of the New York tournament as the end of the year in which she has done enough to climb to a career-high ranking of 27. She realises now more than ever that can not only break into the top 20 but also enjoy a lengthy stay. Aware that there are areas that she can turn in some work, the 20-year-old Hyderabadi is looking to stay fit and get better.
Sania and her father Imran Mirza believe that she would have broken into the top 30 at least four months earlier had it not been for the knee injury in March. “Any good fitness trainer could have helped her and [South African] Heath Matthews is a good trainer. But the big effort had to come from Sania and it’s remarkable that she was able to put in that focussed effort,” Imran says. “Fitness is definitely very important in helping Sania reach this new level. She has always been like that. Once she decides she wants something, she is willing to work her heart out to achieve that goal.” Sania reaped dividends in the hardcourt season for embracing a tough fitness regimen when recovering from the knee surgery.
Sania is also adding to her mental strength, especially when faced with tough situations. She turned the corner as it were with a victory over Akiko Morgiami in Stanford where she was down a set and a break down to be 1-4 and 3-5. “I am mentally tougher now than I ever was,” she says. “ I do not wait for my opponents to give me points by making errors. I would rather take them myself,” she says. The Hyderabadi also remembers taking on Israeli Shahar Peer in the opening round at San Diego last month. She took the court riding on confidence from her appearance in the final at Stanford the previous week. “She was a top 20 player but I didn't believe I was going to lose, even after losing the second set,” recalls Sania, promising to continue her aggressive apporach.
There is no doubt that doubles play has contributed to the improvement in her singles game as well. It has definitely helped her improve her volleys, given her confidence and try out things that she has been working on. She has obviously enhanced the backhand and overhead strokes that were perceived as weaknesses before. Those have helped her get a measure of top 20 players in as many as four of the five matches this year but she has not been able to win any of her six meetings with top 10 players. Imran Mirza, doubling up as her coach, believes Sania needs to overcome some more weaknesses in her game before she is ready to mount a stiffer challenge against the top 10 players. “A lot of effort has to be put in,” he says when asked if some attention is being paid to ensure a more consistent first service. “Of course, work continues on the serve but there is improvement on that front as well. But the serve is always the most difficult to correct after the player has crossed age 16.”
There are a number a people who suggest that Sania will develop her game further if she has a travelling coach to help her. The Mirzas have tried partnerships with coaches as diverse as John Farrington, Australian legend Tony Roche. But those relationships have all been short-lived since Sania tends to rely on her father. “He (her father) has always been around since I was a kid and I think he obviously understands me on a personal level. We get along great and he's very easy going. That helps because he is very relaxed before and after a match. He takes tennis only as a sport and I think that's important. I always say ‘Never fix what's not broken’. If and when I have a bad patch, maybe we can work on getting a coach.”
Of course, Spaniard Gabriel Urpi now coaches her but only on a part-time basis. He took up the consultant-coach’s role before the French Open this year and has spent enough time to be able to assess her game well. “I think Sania is someone who can improve a lot,” Urpi said. “When you look at some players, you you think ‘Okay I don't know how much better she can get’. But, if you look at Sania's game and age too, you realise that the margin to improve is very big. I think she has a great potential, quick acceleration and natural game is pretty good. She can improve in consistency, have better footwork and can do with a little more planning so that she can use her big weapons at the right time. Of course all this comes with hard work, and you are lucky with injuries and all other stuff. But working hard, is what makes you become a better player. And, above all, having fun is the best way to learn.”
Talking of learning, Sania has picked up lessons from the roller-coaster experience that saw her slip from being 31 in 2005 and rise this year to be ranked No. 27 now. “Ranking is only an indication of where you stand and is not foolproof data,” Imran says. “When she was 31 in 2005, I think she was lucky to be there, thanks to a couple of good runs and some luck of the draw. She was, in my opinion, playing top 70 tennis then. Today, she is playing top 30 tennis and is showing that she belongs there. However, tennis is a very competitive sport and if one follows all the top 100 players, one will realise that almost everyone – barring the top five – have ups and downs as far as ranking are concerned.”
The Chakvetadze conundrum may have left Sania scratching her head in search of an answer to getting past the Russian but the 20-year-old has her feet firmly planted on ground this time around. And, combined with her growing maturity, that will go a long way in ensuring that she enjoys her tennis over a longer stretch.

Nothing official about it!

2007-09-09T05:50:00.000-07:00

By G Rajaraman
The world’s watching, fascinated by the developments in India’s domestic cricket. Not because the Board of Control for Cricket in India, intent on selling international cricket, has come up with innovative ideas to revitalise the game at home so that Team India would get more competitive. But because Zee group’s Indian Cricket League (ICL) gathered steam and caused emotions to run high. And you can be sure that the cricket world will track the scenario with growing interest as BCCI’s archaic, lethargic and monopolistic methods of running cricket have been challenged as never before and a promise that Indian cricket’s face would change dramatically in time to come.
“Go to hell,” BCCI President Sharad Pawar told reporters angrily, when he was pressed for a reaction to the ICL announcement of a list of 51 players. Rusty despite nearly eight decades of existence, BCCI reacted predictably. Instead of either talking to ICL or ignoring it altogether, BCCI retorted by sacking ICL Executive Board Chairman Kapil Dev as National Cricket Academy boss and severing relations with all those who had signed up with ICL. That led the impulsive former India captain to threaten to go on a hunger strike in protest against BCCI’s injustice against the ‘brave’ young players.
Clearly, the days when ICL would drag its feet in positioning itself as an alternative to BCCI are coming to an end. Thus far, it has portrayed itself as an alternative assembly line for players who could go on to play for India. But with the BCCI adopting a hardline stance, ICL may up the ante now. “How far will we go? I believe we will go the whole hog. BCCI is pushing us toward that, isn’t it? It has only taken negative action and not wanted to even talk to ICL,” said Kapil Dev.
Zee group Executive Vice-President Ashish Kaul was more guarded in articulating it but echoed such thoughts. “We will offer an alternative to the system of cricket management in this country. Of course, you must remember that it is not going to happen overnight but only over a period of time. We are taking a holistic approach that will not only offer alternatives to talent and talent management methods but also to the environment in which cricket is played, not the last being the infrastructure. Above all, though, we will involve cricketers as our partners.”
There has been some buzz that the players paraded in Bombay have all sold themselves cheap. “I think that the modern players are mature and sensible enough to know that they should not sign contracts without reading it. But like in any venture, there will be teething troubles and we will rectify anything that even seems anti-player,” said Kapil Dev, when asked if there was some mention in the contract about players having to lose pay if they were injured. For all its ills, BCCI does tend to take care of players who suffer injuries when doing duty for India. Besides, BCCI also offers the players a share in its profits while ICL does not mention such a bonus for players. “We shall share profits only we make any money. Right now we are only in the investment stage,” said Kaul.
Indeed, not everyone is convinced that ICL has shaken the BCCI establishment. For someone who has interestedly watched the idea grow, former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja is not convinced that ICL has positioned itself well. “It is the best thing to have happened to Indian cricket but it seems to view its own cricket as an inferior product to BCCI’s. In a competitive market, you have to market a product that is superior to say even India-Pakistan matches. One of ICL’s USPs would be that it could be competitive cricket without regional boundaries like the English Premier League football or NBA basketball. I don’t think that ICL recognises that yet.”
Jadeja also did not see much sense in arguing that ICL would serve as a platform from which BCCI could choose players for its Test, one-day and Twenty20 teams. “How is that possible, given that the ICL expects to keep its players busy for eight and a half months? They would have precious little time to play Ranji Trophy or any of the BCCI tournaments and thus been unavailable for selection in any case. BCCI walked into the ICL trap by banning players and stopping financial benefits already earned by them.”
It is this aspect that ICL is feeding on at this moment. “A democratic body is behaving in a dictatorial fashion,” said Kapil Dev, the man voted as the nation’s greatest cricketer of the previous century. “With its mulish refusal to talk to ICL, BCCI has been helping us grow bigger. If it is controlling cricket in India, it must be talking to anyone who is working for the improvement of Indian cricket. I am not upset about being removed as National Cricket Academy Chairman but because the BCCI does not seem to have the courage and the confidence to even talk to ICL that was not as big when I joined it as Executive Board Chairman.” The irony would not have been lost on anyone who knows that BCCI did not encash a Rs 250-crore bank guarantee from the Zee group before the latter pulled out of a deal with the Board.
It may be early days yet but we have seen only a high emotional quotient and much sabre-rattling. ICL has not yet unveiled any specific plans to improve cricket in India. Many would have expected ICL to at least name the six teams for its maiden venture, their coaches and captains but that was not to be. The only thing sure is that the men chosen and paraded before the media in Bombay earlier this week would attend a camp in Madras from August 30. The big fish are some distance away from being signed by ICL but it does seem an idea with potential to change the face of Indian cricket over time. The world’s watching, getting ready to be fascinated by the unfolding developments, not the least being Kapil Dev’s passionate threat to go on a hunger strike if the BCCI went ahead and kept the ICL players away from its firmament.

Seems like a glad season

2007-08-18T03:08:00.001-07:00

Temptation can be quite overpowering, making us lose all sense of perspective. It’s not every day that an Indian cricket team secures a series win in England but had it not allowed the home side to battle hard and claim an honourable draw in the final Test, we may have been going overboard with wild celebrations of a 2-0 conquest over England. In the end, it was just as well that the celebrations were in keeping with the side’s success in winning the Pataudi Trophy on the basis of its triumph in the second Test. It had won Test series in the West Indies last year and Bangladesh a few months ago but few attached much credibility to either. The dismal form in the run up to and the first round exit from the ICC World Cup in the West Indies had not been of any help either in arresting the declining stock. Finally, after many seasons of winning sporadic Test matches overseas, a tough, competitive series was won abroad. "I am proud of this team. We have gone through a lot together and the series win is a tribute to each one of us," skipper Rahul Dravid said. "The seniors in the team have all taken on huge leadership roles in their performances and in their mentoring. Obviously we realised we have to work together. At various stages they gave me a lot of suggestions and ideas. Above all, I think it will help the younger players in the side that they have experienced a series win in England on their first tour." Sachin Tendulkar, the most experienced Indian cricket, could not wait to pop the champagne. "There is a fabulous atmosphere in the dressing room," he revealed, delighted at being a part of team that won away from the sub-continent. In his case, it was more inevitable as he had missed out on the West Indies last year with an injury. "This is very special, considering that we leveled the series here last time. I would place this ahead of everything else." What were the biggest reasons? From the Indian perspective, it was one of those series where the sum was greater than the parts. And Dravid was quick to acknowledge that. "We had a fantastic spirit and found the performers to seize the critical moments," he said. At Lord’s, when the chips were down, it was Rudra Pratap Singh whose five-for stopped with England running away to a tall score. VVS Laxman and Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s partnership was critical in helping India salvage a draw. Zaheer Khan came up with a dream spell at Trent Bridge to make the most of Dravid’s decision to make England bat first. Jaffer and Kaarthick then came up with the series-defining partnership of 147 runs, leaving the middle order a platform from which it built a huge lead. Zaheer Khan’s five-for in the second innings broke England’s resolve and spurred India to a seven-wicket victory. The team then followed it up with a spirited effort with the bat at the Oval where everyone contributed his mite to help India make 664 in the first innings. "Indian cricket needs contributions from everyone, we need different heroes. That's the great thing of this series." The numbers bore testimony. Dinesh Kaarthick led the run aggregates with 263, Sourav Ganguly was not far behind with 249, Tendulkar had 228, Mahendra Singh Dhoni 209 and VVS Laxman 205. Wasim Jaffer played a couple of gritty knocks to make 185 runs. Zaheer Khan led the bowling charts with 18 wickets, Anil Kumble finished with 14, RP Singh claimed 12 scalps and S Sreesanth showed improvement in the final Test to end up with nine wickets in the series. A steely determination bound the team together. You could see it when the Indian openers Wasim Jaffer and Dinesh Kaarthick dug themselves in and let the England new ball an early glimpse of the middle-order only twice. The fact that the Indian batting was exposed by the home bowlers in the first innings at Lord’s and in the final innings of the series at the Oval when the opening pair was separated early highlights its important contribution. You could see the determination when Dhoni stonewalled uncharacteristically at Lord’s as India batted through to a wet finish just as you could sense it in the manner in which Kumble knitted together a most popular maiden Test century. There was a resolve evident in the manner in which Ganguly strung scores of 34, 40, 79, 1 not out, 37 and 57. It was a pity that two of those innings were cut short by poor umpiring decisions. He look composed and in control of his batsmanship, at ease with his senior statesman’s role in the squad. Laxman, eternally under pressure, ran up decent scores after failing in the first innings of the series, culminating with a sequence that read 54, 51 and 46 not out. Above all, there was determination written all over Tendulkar’s visage as he compiled a couple of painstaking half-centuries Together with Dravid and Kumble, this trio may never play in a Test on English soil again. There has been so much talk of this bunch not playing a Test in England again that it begs the question: How close is India to grooming replacements for the quintet that has graced Team India for so long. It helps if someone is keeping them on the their toes and, at this point of time, it does look like Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh are the only credible options in the wings. Would it be right to say that the team played well without a coach? "We've not had a coach in the conventional sense," Dravid said, "but we have Venky [Prasad], Robin [Singh] and Greg King. Mr Borde too chipped in with advice. I think we have a great backroom staff, though we have not a head coach. They really worked hard to prepare us and in the end the result shown." It was the bowling coach’s inputs that made the two left-arm pacemen probe the home batsmen with unusual angles. Even if we should not let it take away the significance of a rare series win in Old Blighty, an England attack without Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard and Andrew Flintoff will have to be penned down as inexperienced, if not entirely depleted. "Our bowlers were up against some of the best batsmen to have played the game," said England captain Michael Vaughan. He did not offer that as an excuse for his first loss as captain in a home series. "Our young bowlers have been asked to bowl at some of the best batsmen in the world, and if you'd said Ganguly, Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman wouldn't get a hundred I'd probably have ripped your hand off," he said. Yet, he is hoping to having the seasoned bowlers to call upon sooner than later. "I'd like to have all the senior bowlers back for selection. They have invaluable experience at this kind of level." The series win may have come after a Kumble century and nearly 20 overs from Tendulkar on the final day of a Test – the little big man said it was the effect of global warming. But it is time savour the taste of a series victory in England after 21 years. Fans can continue their love story with Team India. To read more into it and conclude that Indian cricket is on a roll now would be a risky proposition. It is best not to succumb to temptation.

Ganguly's regal batsmanship was a delight

2007-08-18T03:00:00.000-07:00

Damn! It is so, so silly! Trust them cricket administrators to not give us enough time to savour delightful moments from one cricket series before we plunge into another. India’s three Tests for the Pataudi Cup against England was such a keenly fought affair and it is a pity that the players have to concentrate their energies and the fans divert their attention on a one-day series.
India’s great escape at Lord’s – where just one wicket and rain separated England from victory – was riveting television as was Zaheer Khan’s spell-binding bowling at Trent Bridge that opened up a window of opportunity for Rahul Dravid and his team. At the Oval, it was India’s famed batting line up that came together like rarely ever before – as many as nine partnerships of over 50 runs dotted the first innings before England fought back to salvage a draw, thanks to Kevin Pietersen’s second century in the series.
I would have loved more time to play back several events from the series but none more than Sourav Ganguly’s final Test innings on English soil.
Dinesh Kaarthick may have aggregated a few runs more and batsmen like Anil Kumble, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and VVS Laxman may have slightly better averages than the regally magical Ganguly. But the left-hander from Bengal he was my batsman of the series. Look at the 35-year-old’s string of scores in the Tests in England –34 and 40 at Lord’s, 79 and 2 not out at Trent Bridge and 37 and 57 at the Oval – and you will know that he was not the one to give up his wicket easily.
It was a shame that he left with a wry smile on his face, when he had made 79 at Trent Bridge and then when he had made 37 in the first innings at the Oval, owing to poor decisions. It is just as well that he did not come across as a batsman playing from memory or was simply pottering around. On the contrary, his footwork was sound and shot selection so certain that he was a treat to watch each time he walked in to bat.
With the responsibilities of captaincy off his shoulders, he has been able to enjoy his batting so much more than in the final stages of his stint as skipper. From the time he returned to the Test side in South Africa, Ganguly has scored nearly 600 runs in eight Tests at an average of 42 runs per innings. More than the number of runs, the convincing manner in which he has scored them has sent the right signals.
Is this what the then coach Greg Chappell indicated to him during their infamous fall out in Zimbabwe? That he should think in terms of giving up captaincy so that he could extend his Test career as a batsman. Only Ganguly and Chappell will know the truth, even though some of us have heard a few things about the conversation that was held in the middle of a cricket ground in Bulwayao.
To revert to the recent Tests, the admirable ease with which he soaked in the mounting pressure in the final game. He stayed unruffled and was equal to the challenges that the England captain Michael Vaughan posed him through the new ball bowlers James Anderson and Chris Tremlett as well as by packing the off-side field. Ganguly was a joy to behold, more so considering that Rahul Dravid was playing excruciatingly.
Any Indian flirting with panic when the team was reduced to 11 for three would have calmed down at the sight of a confident Ganguly sending the ball racing through the off-side in that final innings of the series. By the time he fell to a catch at slips, Ganguly had single-handedly driven away tension from the ranks and the artificial pressure that had suddenly built up.
We will always remember his maiden Test tour for his centuries at Lord’s and Trent Bridge. I was among those who branded him a quota candidate before the tour but when Navjot Sidhu deserted the team and Sanjay Manjrekar was injured, he got his chance to make runs and make us eat our words. In the past few weeks, he unfurled a show of regal batsmanship to ensure that we won’t forget his farewell tour to England.

Chak de India - way to go!

2007-08-16T01:56:00.000-07:00

What does one say about Chak De India! now, what with critics and fans alike raving about it!

Let me try in any case. I loved the way CDI has used sport as a binding factor to examine and comment upon so many issues in our society. I have played basketball at the national level and have believed that India hasn't discovered the almost magical power of sport to take it forward by helping build the character of its young people. Of course, there are others who are better placed than I to wax eloquent about the charming manner in which issues like gender sensitivity, regionalism, fantacism etc and I shall focus on what I believe the film can do to sport.

My own belief is that CDI (SRK, the 16 girls, Shimit Amit and writer Jaideep) has done for Indian sports (and not just women's sports) much more to showcase sport in India than the Government and the National Sports Federations have done over the years. I am not saying that they have failed miserably. On the contrary, CDI has succeeded spectacularly. The film has given the sports fraternity a wonderful opportunity to capitalise and ensure that the number of people who care for AND PLAY sport grows in leaps and bounds.

Congratulations will be in place for Shimit and Jaideep for believing in the power of sport and for sharing that belief in such a lovely manner. I am hoping that the beauty of the film lingers for a long time in the psyche of the people so that at least some of them will let their children go out there and play some sport -- even if only for recreational purposes.

As for Shah Rukh Khan, I think he has signalled his arrival as a director's actor now... he was always a star but this film (and I should not forget Swades) shows that he has perhaps allowed the the story line, script and the director to rule the roost.

Hard to understand selectors' logic

2007-08-08T00:27:00.000-07:00

It is amazing, isn’t it, how the selectors can think cricketers like Virender Sehwag, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and left-arm swing bowler Irfan Pathan are good enough to play for India in the Twenty20 World Cup but not yet ready to play ODIs again. There really was no way we could find out the logic behind the dicotomy in the absence of a media briefing when the team was announced.

How can anyone explain Sehwag's continued exclusion from the one-day side? On the evidence of this team, it does look like the selectors have forgotten what Chairman of Selectors Dilip Vengsarkar had said when 'resting' former captains Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly for the series against Bangladesh earlier this season.

“India is playing 45 ODIs this year and it's not possible for the same team to play in every one of those games,” he had said, attempting to explain how the two former captains had not been dropped but only rested for the series. If they haven't forgotten that, the selectors appear to have forgone that noble stand when it suited them.

There is a similar absence of reason in the way Munaf Patel has made it back to the ODI team for the seven-match series in England. The Chairman of Selectors Dilip Vengsarkar claimed in London Patel is in good form since he is bowling in the KSCA tournament in Bangalore. Of course, if he can be available for each of the seven matches, Munaf's accuracy will be something that skipper Rahul Dravid would be quite pleased with.

You could have guessed that S Sreesanth would lose his place in the one-day squad but it would have taken some effort to imagine that the gangling Patel would be back in the national side so soon – without having his fitness tested in a more intense domestic tournament.

Hard as I tried, I have not understood the decision of the Board of Control of Cricket in India – or was it the selectors? – asking the top players to stand down from the Twenty20 squad. I believe that Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly would both have been wonderfully useful to the team in the World Cup, given that they could both bowl a few deceptive overs besides hit the ball powerfully.

Irfan Pathan, who has been out of favour with the selectors since the team returned from the World Cup, will return to play the all-rounder's role along with Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh. Pathan's bowling will be watched quite closely to see if there is any remaining evidence of the technical shortcomings that affected him in the past year. Apparently, India A coach Chandrakant Pandit has certified Pathan’s bowling as being efficient.

It will be interesting to see how Mahendra Singh Dhoni copes with the responsibility of captaincy, leading men like Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag who have been vice-captain of the Indian ODI team before him. The good thing about him is that he has his feet firmly on the ground and has endeared himself to everyone around, even when his wicket-keeping and batting form have come under a cloud.

Indian quartet must fire for team to be competitive

2007-07-27T00:04:00.000-07:00

The more one thinks about it, the more one is convinced that the middle-order failures hurt India more than the lack of discipline among the new ball bowlers on the opening day of the first Test match against England at Lord’s. The attack came back quite well and only Kevin Pietersen’s brilliance in the second innings stopped it from doing better.

You can keep pointing out that only skipper Rahul Dravid ‘failed’ with scores of 2 and 9 while Sachin Tendulkar made 37 and 16, Sourav Ganguly 34 and 40 and VVS Laxman 15 and 39. But the fact is that none of then got even a half-century. With the quartet which has scored around 30,000 runs, you would expect at least one of them to make a big score and two others to play supporting roles.

Dravid did not have the chance of getting into a meaningful partnership while Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman each had one partnership of some note in the two innings. If India is to be more competitive in the other two Tests, these senior batsmen must put their hands up and be counted.

Perhaps, Dravid should consider elevating Laxman in the order. The Hyderabadi was all at sea when faced with the task of having to hold the lower order together in the first innings. Dravid himself will get the time to focus on his own batsmanship and make a bigger contribution to the team’s cause.

It was quite sad to see the tail-enders come and perish in the second innings, attempting to play shots rather than fall back on defensive methods when it was clear that rain was on the way. Zaheer Khan was out, gloving a catch down the leg side when he sought to pull a short delivery from Chris Tremlett. RP Singh was a leg before victim to Monty Panesar’s guile, seeking a wild swipe against a tossed up delivery.

And if Steve Bucknor – God bless him – had ruled S Sreesanth out leg before to Panesar less than couple of overs before play was halted, India would well have conceded a 1-0 lead to England, leaving itself the task of finding a win at Trent Bridge or the Oval. And rain saved India from a certain defeat but not the blushes.
Of course, India was left clutching at some straws from the match. Let us take a look at these. The opening batsmen Wasim Jaffer and Dinesh Kaarthick managed a half-century each as did Mahender Singh Dhoni that not only helped him save his place in the side but also perhaps the Test match for India.

Zaheer Khan left behind a poor opening day to turn in a decent showing in the second innings but RP Singh’s bowling was a revelation, even though the young man had shown in the one-day series against South Africa in Ireland that he could be a handy bowler. He surprised Paul Collingwood in the second innings with a bouncer that the Indian batsmen are more accustomed to facing.

Above everything else, I liked the way Ganguly helped Kaarthick calm down when he nearly became a victim of gamesmanship. I reckon wicket-keeper Matt Prior kept needling the Indian opener by calling him Dhoni. It was a blatant attempt to get Kaarthick to lose his concentration. The little Indian ignored that for a long time but eventually, it got to him.

He pulled away a couple of times when Prior started chatting away. Fortunately for Kaarthick, Ganguly lost no time in walking down the track and tell Kaarthick to pay no attention to Prior's chatter. He did not delay the intervention and succeeded in getting the younger batsman to resume his single-minded focus to such an extent that, going into the final day of the Test, India could fancy its chances of making a match of it.

Ganguly seems to have settled down to the role of a senior pro in this team quite comfortably. If he has any aspirations for captaincy, he has buried them deep. But even he will be forced to agree that he was a part of quartet that all but let India down in the opening Test at Lord’s.

India must not err in search of balance

2007-07-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

The buzzword, even as India prepares to take on England in three Test matches, is balance. You don’t even have to strain your ears to hear skipper Rahul Dravid wax eloquent about balance. If in one breath, he speaks of how Andrew Flintoff’s absence will affect England, in another he talks about Matt Prior lends the home side a lot of balance.
And, it is inevitable that he uses the term when he discusses the Indian team itself, lamenting the absence of an all-rounder of quality. “We have struggled to find an all-rounder, so it's always a tricky balance,” he says, highlighting the fact that the search for that allrounder has been the story of Indian Test team since the time Kapil Dev faded away from the scene.
To digress just a bit, Manoj Prabhakar provided Mohammed Azharuddin's team a semblance of balance by opening the bowling and batting. More recently, Irfan Pathan went close to helping the team find the balance. Over the years, successive India captains have also forced middle-order batsmen open the innings to find the elusive balance. That tactic has only had mixed results.
In the absence of an all-rounder in the side, there is more than a fair chance that India will play just four bowlers in the three Tests that are coming up against England. In fact, Dravid has already indicated that he in inclined to play with four bowlers. “I'll probably go with four bowlers in these conditions and it's a tidy balance to find an all-rounder,” he said. “It's a question of finding that balance.”
You can see this as a defensive mindset but you will also realise that it is not a bad idea when you recall that it is combination that England used fairly successfully against the West Indies earlier this season. And it is a decent wager that Michael Vaughan will persist with the three fast bowlers and Monty Panesar combination in his bid to get the 20 Indian wickets in a Test match.
It may help India if it goes in with six batsmen, the explosive Mahendra Singh Dhoni and four bowlers. India's attack could well comprise Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, S Sreesanth and Anil Kumble unless Lord's rolls out a very dry track that will tempt Dravid to think of playing off-spinner Ramesh Powar instead of a third seamer. Ranadeb Bose and Ishant Sharma do not look like pushing any of the others for a place in the side.
The sixth batsman’s place could well boil down to a contest between VVS Laxman and Yuvraj Singh, with the Hyderabadi having got his nose ahead after the lung-opener against Sussex. Curiously, some fans of Indian cricket have interpreted Dravid's stress on finding the balance as an indication of his willingness to experiment with Dinesh Kaarthick as wicket-keeper and opening batsman, leave Dhoni out of the equation. I hope the Indian think tank does not make the mistake of dropping Dhoni to accommodate Yuvraj Singh as an additional left-handed batsman to counter Monty Panesar. It would be a mistake to consider Kaarthick an allrounder yet and make him keep wickets as well. India must count its blessings that he has shaped as a solid opening batsman and not burden him with the additional task of having to keep wickets.
There is no question that Kaarthick has surprised a lot of people not just with his willingness to take on a unfamiliar role but also with his penchant to deliver the goods. But I would not like him to be tested any further by having to open the innings after having kept wickets for 125 or 150 overs.
That is not the only reason why I hope India doesn’t go into a Test without Dhoni. He is an impact player and can wade into the England attack, especially if the middle-order has softened the home bowlers up. It is critical that the Indian team sees him as its stronger all-rounder and back him to make the difference in any situation.
Here is my choice of the XI for the Lord's Test: Jaffer, Kaarthick, Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman, Ganguly, Dhoni (wicket-keeper), Zaheer, Sreesanth, Kumble and RP Singh. What is yours?

How about some old-fashioned cricket?

2007-06-28T03:48:00.000-07:00

The sight of Sachin Tendulkar essaying an impeccable straight drive or a Rahul Dravid dropping a short pitched delivery dead at his feet by getting behind the line or a Sreesanth firing in a yorker that sends a stump cartwheeling or an Anil Kumble flipper trapping a batsman plump in front has sparked many a fantasy.
It is not just schoolboys, uninitiated in the art of daydreaming, that we are talking about here. I have known many grown-ups indulge in such wistful pre-occupation. And quite a few of them have rolled back the years to experience the joys of playing weekend cricket, less intense but just as earnest and competitive as in the flush of their youth.
To be sure, there is an impish delight in the manner in which these folk rediscover their whites and shoes at the start of a new season of weekend cricket. And an almost boyish enthusiasm comes in evidence as they try and get into shape, jogging a few laps around the housing society or in the nearest park and stretching the ageing limbs.
Yet, it can be quite stressful when you mark a longish run-up but soon realise you can no longer propel the cricket ball down 20 yards as quickly or with as much guile as you did in school and college. Or, for that matter, it can be a trifle distressing to hit the cricket ball straight to fielders rather than find the gaps.
Come to think of it, when you appear to only escort the ball to the boundary despite the spirit willing the body to move faster, it can be quite embarrassing. And if you have forgotten the rigours of spending time under the sun, chasing the red cricket ball or running hard between the wickets or sending down a few overs of gentle medium pace, the day after a hard, enjoyable game can be quite painful.
Never mind all that. A day out in the park with friends, away from the humdrum of work and business can help you unwind. Come to think of it, the bonding and camaraderie that you share with your team-mates on the cricket field – some of whom you would not normally meet at work – can sometimes go on to make the workplace a happy place.
There are many firms across the country that support staff in organising cricket teams and even encourage the sides to play inter-office tournaments. Yet, just in case your workplace does not have the staff strength to string together a decent cricket side, you can combine with some neighbouring units to form a squad to play some weekend cricket.
There are a number of professionals who will tell you which cricket grounds are free and also go to the extent of organising umpires, a scorer, new cricket balls and some water for your team. They even help you in finding a team to play against yours so that all you have to do is organise your own squad to be present at the ground in time, carry a kit and some refreshments.
The beauty of such cricket is that you get to play against a variety of opposition, letting you experience pain and pleasure in balance. There is no great need to maintain averages or other sundry forms of statistics nor is there a fervent desire to rush to the local newspaper office with copies of the score sheet and a passport-sized photograph on scoring a half-century or on capturing five wickets.
So, how about some good old-fashioned cricket over the coming weekends, with families in tow so that they can enjoy a good day out, too? So what if the straight drive cannot be as perfectly executed as a Tendulkar does or a yorker can’t be conjured at will to explode the wicket as if a little firecracker was set off under the stumps?

The importance of team-work

2007-06-28T03:03:00.000-07:00

Rahul Dravid had played an epochal knock of 270 in the final Test at Rawalpindi during India’s tour of Pakistan in 2004, starring in as many as three century partnerships with Parthiv Patel, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly and another stand worth 98 runs with Yuvraj Singh. His fitness played an important part in his epic innings in energy-sapping conditions and it needed coach John Wright to put things in perspective. He acknowledged the role of trainer Gregory Allen King and physiotherapist Andrew Leipus in getting the players into a splendid physical state. “Rahul is certainly one of the guys who has really worked hard on fitness. There's a lot of team effort behind it. We try and support each player and give him the best opportunity to go out there and do his best,” he said, highlighting how Team India had worked hard.

It is a bit of a pity that in a team sport, everyone all but overlooks the importance of team-work and pays much attention to impressive individual statistics and records tend to make everyone. The story is no different in Formula One racing where the media coverage has nearly always focused on personalities and skills of the drivers when the fact is that no one would win races, let alone become World Champion, without teamwork both behind the scenes and on the track.

To be sure, even in individual sport, there is a support team that is backing the performer. Tennis legend Rod Laver, the only man to win the Grand Slam twice, talked about the encouragement he got from team-mates Roy Emerson and Mel Anderson. “I worked well to encouragement and I responded well to the positive example,” he said. Modern champions, of course, have a small army of support staff working with them – coaches, trainers, physiotherapists, mind trainers and nutritionists to name a few.

Indeed, the importance of team-work in sport – or for that matter in life – can never be over-stated. Teams – and organisations – must ensure that their environments are not charged with too much negative energy, poor stress/recovery habits, work/life balance issues, confidence, burnout and subtle forms of self-sabotage. For all these can cause a person to under-perform on the job. This makes the difference between victory and defeat and costs organisations time, productivity and money.

There is no question that the organisational culture is a huge factor in the evolution of team-work. To cite an example, it is no secret that successive Indian cricket team leaders have had to work very hard to make the players come together as one.

So how do sports teams ensure that their environments are conducive to improve team-work? At the outset, the leader of the team clearly spells out the common goals and gets the team-mates to buy into that. Often, the leader decided on the kind of people taken on board the team and usually keeps the difficult elements out. Of course, there are also times when leaders retain such performers in the hope that their positives would outweigh the negatives and they would deliver.
Some of the factors that go towards ensuring a high level of team-work

Mutual respect for one another’s skills and roles within the team
Pride in one another’s performance and achievements
Clear and lucid communications within the group and outside on improving performance
Co-operation with those around by understanding why they do the things they do
Building relationships and creating a community with co-workers
Treating people the way they should be treated
Having a positive attitude
Bringing passion into play every day

It is not always possible to blend each of these elements within a team and there are some exceptions. It would help to recall one excellent example of team-work, even in the face of a poor relationship between colleagues. There was a time when Manchester United strikers Teddy Sheringham and Andy Cole fell out and did not speak with one another through two seasons. Despite a lack of communication, they formed a great partnership and ensured that the team won a unique treble the first season and in the next scored a record 97 goals between themselves.

But then, this is just a remarkable exception and most teams succeed when they score high in most of these factors. It may be of help to remember that in cricket a run is scored not only when the striker gets to the other end but also when the non-striker has done his bit and reached the safety of the crease.

Duck this bouncer

2007-06-28T02:53:00.000-07:00

Daily newspapers, television channels and bloggers have had a field day over the past few days, arguing for and against former India captains Bishen Singh Bedi and Sunil Gavaskar, after I took a close look at the latter's role in Indian cricket. Ever since Outlook hit the stands with its story Too Many Dot Balls, many have tried to reach a number of BCCI officials and former cricketers for their reactions, but—sure enough—mum's the word.

Strangest of all is the silence from Gavaskar himself.

Coming closest to being critical of Gavaskar for his role in the selection of the coach for Team India is Navjot Singh Sidhu. "There was barely a week left for the team to leave on the tour of Ireland and England, but they (BCCI) were still busy hunting for a coach. They got Chandu Borde in a hurry. And, who asked Gavaskar to propose John Emburey's name?" asks the outspoken ex-India batsman. "And there is bound to be some public scrutiny if anyone within the board has been seen as slack."

Not too many others are ready to go on record, though privately telling us that it was a story that should have been done some years ago. Chairman of Selectors Dilip Vengsarkar told a TV channel that he was ready to talk on the Indian team and Indian cricket, but did not want to answer any questions on Gavaskar's role in Indian cricket.

The silence of Board officials on this matter is indeed deafening. Then again, none of them has said anything in favour of Gavaskar's contribution.BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty said the Board preferred not to comment. But a BCCI vice-president, embracing anonymity, said that the piece had hit the nail on the head. "We are aware of the public response against Gavaskar in the wake of the piece," he said, pointing out how as many as 89 per cent of people polling in The Times of India concurred with the view that Gavaskar has been a negative influence on Indian cricket. "I am not sure how we would raise these issues within the board...but we can't ignore the popular view."

A former India fast bowler said ex-players should not get into positions of power within BCCI and "then allow its officials to say that these men haven't made the time or had suggestions that can make a difference to Indian cricket". He feared that Board officials would shift the blame on the inertia exhibited by former players in the various committees. Former India all-rounder Madan Lal echoed this. "The Board needs to find people of quality and those who are prepared to spend time for Indian cricket," he said. Bedi, whose comments were picked up by newspapers and TV channels and made to look like it was a personal attack that he had launched, said, "It is a given, the ultimate, that anyone serving a position within BCCI has to be accountable."

Gavaskar's ex-India opening partner Chetan Chauhan was among those who missed the woods for the trees."We can go on and on with these accusations and counter-accusations but it's not going to take the game forward," he was quoted as saying. "I would suggest they (Bedi and Gavaskar) resolve their differences and work together towards the common aim of improving our cricket. All this bad blood will not help."

Another ex-India batsman, Sandeep Patil, would not be drawn into looking at the larger question of accountability for former cricketers within the BCCI "They have both contributed much to Indian cricket.... I am too small to make a comment," he said on Star News. "Theirs is a 30-year-old rivalry but when they meet face to face, they have no problems. They are seniors and must work together for Indian cricket. This does look like a personal attack. Only time will tell if and how Gavaskar will respond."

Bedi, meanwhile, was surprised by how sections of the media shifted the focus from the issue of Indian cricket and portrayed it as a Bedi-vs-Gavaskar story. "It's unfortunate that it has been taken out of perspective and splashed as if it were a sensational story," he said. "I just responded to your questions. It was an innocuous and simple comment. I haven't liked it being portrayed as a Bishen-vs-Sunil story, but now I am wiser that the media is looking to sell. All this came to the fore because of the BCCI's ineptitude in finding a coach at the right time. It also shows how hollow the board really is. My comments meant to highlight the weaknesses in its functioning and the gaping holes in the system. I have had positive reactions from people. Many said this should have been said a lot earlier."

A former India batsman said that he was awaiting Sunny's "return shot", having "heard about the tizzy after your story". He isn't the only one. Talking of a response from Gavaskar, over the past week, I heard a couple of times from his Mumbai office. On June 15, after my first piece had gone to press with the last issue, they wanted to know if I was trying to get in touch with him. Of course I was. Then, on June 18, they sought to know the deadline for this week, conveying the impression that Gavaskar would respond to our questions. Now, I still don't know if Gavaskar would respond—or if he prefers to shoulder arms one more time. And that, in the hope that this too shall pass.

Too Many Dot Balls

2007-06-28T02:45:00.000-07:00

It may be an apocryphal story, but it has been said that Sunil Gavaskar's own shadow is now scared of him. The players who led the Indian team to swear during the 2003 World Cup that it would boycott Gavaskar (for his scathing comments after the league game defeat to Australia) don't want to revisit that incident. The whisper campaigners who let it out that he was enjoying a siesta defying dressing room norms when he was batting consultant in 2004-05 now clam up. Not a few BCCI officials worry about a possible backlash in case they speak up against the uncrowned emperor of Indian cricket.

Yet, when BCCI chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty let it be known that the former India captain had proposed John Emburey as a candidate for Indian team coach, there were more than a few sniggers. At least a few were asking later what exactly Sunil Gavaskar's role was in the grand scheme of Indian cricket. The echo found roots in a CNN-IBN poll too: as many as 85 per cent of respondents believed it is Gavaskar who is running Indian cricket. It isn't to his benefit-- among other things, Gavaskar is now being held responsible for erstwhile Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore's exit as a candidate for the job.

Former India batsman, selector and coach Ashok Malhotra says Gavaskar held up one mistake Whatmore made in the recent Test series to clip his case-- his not stopping Bangla captain Habibul Bashar from sending India in to bat in the second Test which they lost. "Gavaskar has the knack of doing the unexpected all the time," Malhotra said. "John Emburey for coach? Why, and how? Just to make life miserable for everyone around? A coach's role is in helping the team prepare, analysing the strengths and weaknesses of players and teams. Didn't he remember one Indian name?"

Gavaskar's bete noire Bishan Singh Bedi says the 58-year-old wants to be the ultimate god of Indian cricket, thinks of himself as bigger than the game. "Cricket circles had immense and blind respect for him (as a cricketer) and he successfully used this to ensure that board officials remained in awe of him," he says. "He wants the glamour, the position and if there are any financial gains so much the better...but he does not want any accountability. He's always liked power without accountability." Back in 1996-97, team manager Sunil Dev's report to the board after the tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe included a telling paragraph about Gavaskar's role in discussing changes in playing conditions. He's said to have not taken the team management into confidence in agreeing to South Africa's proposal to allow play in Test matches to continue under floodlights in the event of bad light.

"He has a huge ego," veteran columnist S.K.Sham says from Mumbai. "He quit the NCA in a huff when Raj Singh Dungarpur criticised him for a column he wrote against the NCA team being given a match against Zimbabwe. He was also upset with BCCI for not having invited him to be a part of the panel that interviewed John Wright, Greg Chappell and Geoff Marsh back in 2000. The board then had to set up a meeting for him with Wright on the eve of the New Zealander's maiden Test as Team India coach...and he didn't turn up for that."

Few have forgotten how, after having been part of the selection process that chose Greg Chappell in 2005, Gavaskar encouraged players to talk against the coach in Zimbabwe the same year. Earlier, when he was brought in as batting consultant at then skipper Sourav Ganguly's behest, he turned a blind eye to the differences between the players and coach John Wright. Instead, he chose to write about it in his column many months later, after Wright had indicated he would not be seeking an extension.

There's no doubt he's been caught between two stools many a time but it's only recently that people have started asking. Writer Mukul Kesavan raised it in a recent show on NDTV 24x7. "I wonder whether Gavaskar recognises that there's a conflict of interests given the various hats he wears: as media man and as member of the committee to pick the next coach," he said. CNN-IBN editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai concurs: "I don't think you can be a batting coach of a team and be a media person. I don't think you can head a technical committee and reveal details in your media columns.... He has to decide how he uses his wealth of experience�through his engaging media columns or channelise it into administration, which he was always a little reluctant to get involved in. In expecting him to wear these other hats, you are being unfair to him."

Bedi guffaws when you ask him how Gavaskar has contributed to Indian cricket. "I had a lot of time for his batting but never as a thought leader. You tell me what his contribution has been. He is destructive, there is nothing positive," Bedi says. "I remember the time I was called by the then NCA director Brijesh Patel, along with Erapalli Prasanna and V.V. Kumar, to train spinners there. We did not hear at all from NCA chairman Gavaskar before, during or after the camp. I also recall his presiding over a captains and coaches meeting where he gave me the impression that he was not even listening." Malhotra is another who believes the Little Master has done little. "Gavaskar, as well as the other two ex-captains on the panel that chose the coach, don't know Indian cricket...they know only the Indian team. He's so far removed from Indian cricket," he says.

Sardesai believes the problem lies in the fact that Gavaskar never saw his roles in cricket administration as a commitment. "Cricket administration hasn't been a full-time job for him and it is natural that he is not fully involved in the process. It has been more a distraction for him than a commitment and that is perhaps where the problem lies. He has not been able to devote the kind of time or show the sense of discipline and commitment that he shows for commentary and when he played the game. It's partly because the BCCI hasn't given him the kind of hands-on role that people expect him to have. He has got into these committees because of his stature and that is not enough. Cricket administration�whether you are a Pawar or a Gavaskar-- is a full-time responsibility now. Either you accept it as such, or stay away."

There have been suggestions that Gavaskar would have and delivered more to Indian cricket had he been compensated for his time. "I can't forget the time he once told a team meeting 'The day I stop thinking of money, I will stagnate'," recalls Bedi.Sham echoes that and says the seeds were sown many years ago when Gavaskar walked out of an advertisement deal with Boroline when he discovered Kapil Dev was being paid more. "Sharad Pawar is trying to humour him just as Dalmiya did before him," he says. "I blame the BCCI for giving him so much importance when there are so many others who have done something good for the game and have stayed in touch with grassroots cricket in India."

A Negative Influence On Indian Cricket?

Member, Coach Selection Committee

Encouraged players to vent grievances against coaches when on tour as a TV commentator
Was a constant critic of Greg Chappell after being party to his selection
Ensured Dav Whatmore would not even be a candidate, and
Suggested John Emburey's name at the Bangalore meeting

Chairman, Technical Committee

Has spent little time and thought on improving quality of first-class cricket
Far removed from grassroots cricket in India

Chairman, National Cricket Academy

Had little time for it, didn't attend many sessions
NCA still nowhere near being a cricket finishing school
Eventually quit, citing media commitments

Batting consultant, Indian Team, 2004-05

Reportedly napped in the dressing room, against team norms
Wrote about how John Wright was abused months later instead of ticking off players and reporting them to the board

Pad Up, Places To Go

2007-06-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

The ICC World Cup is but a bad dream now, and with status quo being being re-established vis-a-vis our Bangla neighbours, Team India has got back some of its spunk. At least enough to put its foot down on who should bear that gigantic cross, take on the mantle of Indian coach. As has been the case of late, the senior members of the team were all part of the intrigue. A core group of players—captain Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble and, interestingly, Sourav Ganguly—were set the task of convincing the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to go with their choice for coach.

As things turned out, they hardly gave the seven-member BCCI committee formed for the purpose half a chance to push its own ideas. The players even had ready-made definitions on what the coach's role was. Dravid was candid with me, "A coach's job is about the preparation of players for a game. His main job is before the game... the performance of the team, the onus and responsibility, is on the players themselves."

None of the other players I spoke with—seniors as well as juniors— was willing to come on record. But if the talk was any indication, there was no shortage of management insight into the qualities of a "good coach". "He must be a good man manager," one said. "He must have boundless energy and passion for the job," said another.

A young bowler identified organisational skills and ability to offer tactical inputs to players and captain as the key qualities. A senior batsman chose the coach's basic ability to create an atmosphere that players can succeed in as the most important aspect for a winning persona. "The players are the most vital cog, of course, but a coach who connects with his players can make the job easier," he said.

No coach may have all these qualities in abundance, but it did come across as if the players had identified ex-South African coach Graham Ford's credentials quite well.

Barring in-transit manager Ravi Shastri, the BCCI panelists did not appear to have invested even half the time the players had (networking with contemporaries) in the effort. So is this a sign that player power hasn't declined as perceptibly as was being speculated post India's first-round exit in the Caribbean?

It's too early to say, for this could just be a scenario where the BCCI came off second best only for lack of preparation. (To a lot of veteran reporters, it came as no surprise: the players had done the same back in 2000 when New Zealander John Wright was roped in as Team India's first overseas signing.)

Of course, key elements like Shastri were also rallied in the 'let's-call-up-Ford' cause. Incidentally, none of the panelists even established contact with John Emburey—the other contender—before the BCCI made the announcement that it would meet "Ford and another foreigner" on June 9. "Sounds familiar," an ex-India coach commented, when talk turned to how the players had not only scouted around for prospective coaches but also got Ford to write in to the BCCI stating his availability.

What is more surprising is how the players seem to have convinced the BCCI bigwigs on the importance of having an "overseas coach". This, when there were strident calls for a homegrown coach, led by redoubtable ex-India captains like Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev. As was made evident later, their concerns were quickly sidestepped.

So what happened to Australian Dav Whatmore, till yesterday the hot pick for the job? Apparently, his candidature was jettisoned very quickly after he was perceived to have canvassed too aggressively for the job. The majority of the panel felt he knew the system too well—he was already playing the game, hobnobbing with BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah.But to let the senior players know that they would not have their way without opposition, the committee finally decided to find a second candidate for the 'final' round of interviews.

And thus came up 53-year-old John Emburey's name. Nobody, however, is impressed by the choice and the former England offspinner may just be making up the numbers in Chennai. It's almost a replay of 2005 when Desmond Haynes came on a junket to Delhi even while it was evident to everyone that it would be a toss-up between Tom Moody and Greg Chappell, with Mohinder Amarnath being a distant third.

This time around, it's almost surely a two-horse race with Ford surfacing at the right time and emerging odds-on favourite. Ford, 46, said that if he were to land the assignment (provided the BCCI offered him the post after the Chennai meeting and the Kent ccc relieved him from his current position), he would play a support role to the players so that they could deliver their best.

"I hope to empower them, give them the confidence to perform," he said diplomatically. "I feel my coaching will be successful for its work ethic... and I do spend long hours with each individual. Anyway, it's a great honour to be shortlisted."

Now, Ford was sacked as South Africa coach in June 2002, several months ahead of the World Cup. But the decision had nothing to do with the match-fixing that ravaged cricket and the Proteas in 2000. "I'd like to think I stood firm for cricket," said Ford on Saturday. "If you don't stand up for what you believe, you just get knocked around. I'm not bitter but I made a few enemies along the way."

Now, Ford was sacked as South Africa coach in June 2002, several months ahead of the World Cup. But the decision had nothing to do with the match-fixing that ravaged cricket and the Proteas in 2000. "I'd like to think I stood firm for cricket," said Ford. "If you don't stand up for what you believe, you just get knocked around. I'm not bitter but I made a few enemies along the way."

What is expected to go in his favour is the fact that he has earned the loyalty of the players he has worked with—at Natal in South Africa or, more recently, at Kent. One of the rare times he has been part of an unhappy dressing room is when he was assisting Bob Woolmer during the 1999 World Cup—the team went out of the World Cup after a tied semi-final with Australia.

Then again, his June 2002 sacking came in the wake of the Proteas' poor showing against Australia, both at home and away. For all that, being coach of the Indian team could be an even more thankless, and unenviable, challenge. Ford, if he's the man, will find it all out very, very soon.

Creativity, another vital element for success

2007-06-04T03:09:00.001-07:00

The most noticeable facet of Australia’s relentless march towards a hat-trick of ICC World Cup titles in the West Indies last month was its seemingly mechanical approach to the task of playing cricket at the highest level. But was it just natural ability of the Australians to make runs, take wickets and field superbly that set them apart from those pursuing it? For a team that was seen as coldly clinical, it packed a lot of creativity that could be missed if you were not looking for it. Its field placements were innovative and bowling changes imaginative.

You could turn around and ask where is the need for teams, as a collective unit, to be creative. Surely, sports squads cannot afford to be arrogant even when they are resting on the top rung. Faced with choices, the human mind usually prefers shortcuts and rules of thumb which make decisions easier and faster. An idea that is a has-been and is still being used at a time when the requirements are different could be stale and counter-productive.

Team leaders sometimes get sucked into a mindset that puts doing things right ahead of doing the right things.
Yet, they also recognise that their teams have to keep reinventing themselves, come up with fresh ideas to prevent monotony from creeping in and becoming predictable. It would be insane to do the same things over and over again and hoping for different results. The truth is that, whether a team is flourishing or failing, it needs a leader who changes his stance to fit changing times. Nobody has greater need for the new ideas than the people at the top.

An environment that encourages creativity to flourish in a team situation is most important. The Australian team discusses issues such as tempo, the state of the opposition batsman’s mind, team-mates patterns and situations relevant to the whole game so that the leadership group is free to develop tactics with real time solutions within the basic strategic framework. This is in direct contrast to other teams who have become bound by rigid game strategies.

Team leaders – captains, coaches and managers – must not be blind to reality and resist an addiction to their own power. On the contrary, they must develop the ability to recognise and eliminate mistakes. This is more important in leadership than mere charisma. The thinking leaders usually spot the existence of possibilities and allow the generation of alternatives. Creativity, after all, happens when people do new things with old things, either bringing old ideas to new places or creating new combinations of old things.

There are other ways in which this is achieved. For instance, team leaders offer their team-mates scope to increase their motivation, work on their thinking habits and skills as well as develop lateral thinking technique. Back in ICC World Cup 1992, New Zealand captain Martin Crowe surprised many opponents by getting opening batsman Mark Greatbatch to use the aerial route and using off-spinner Dipak Patel to bowl with the new ball. Then in 1996, Sri Lanka skipper Arjuna Ranatunga turned the world upside down by getting Romesh Kaluwitharana and Sanath Jayasuriya to attack the new ball as if they were playing in the slog overs.

Leaders also change the way teams think as a unit and the way they perform, observe the world around them, ideate together, tweak the ideas and try them in competitive situations. In hockey, for instance, the creative variations that a team has as its disposal when taking penalty corners stands it in better stead than sides which are predictable. To take up another example, the victorious Italian football squad at the FIFA World Cup 2006 was thought of as a most defensive outfit but ended up having four strikers on the field in the semifinal against Germany.

So then, if creativity can help sports persons and teams stay ahead of competition, making the difference between winning and losing, between being good and great, it can surely make a difference to the lives of business executives and fortunes of corporate houses.

Confidence as a key to sporting success

2007-05-13T21:35:00.000-07:00

One of the wonderful things about watching televised sport - live or recorded - is not that you can enjoy scintillating performances from the world's best sporting achievers from the comfort of your drawing room but that you can learn from the countenance, approach, planning and execution of these champions.

Modern communication technology allows us to observe and learn from an array of stars like tennis genius Roger Federer, golf wizard Tiger Woods, football magicians Thierry Henry and Ruud van Nistelrooy, cricketers Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar, not to speak of the Australian cricket team as a whole.

We can, with some help from TV commentators, read the body language of the champions and even sense that confident athletes expect success. They rarely appear discouraged or threatened, not wanting to give their opponent's confidence levels a boost. And it will be a good wager that you will have admired, if not merely envied, how intense and confident each of these champions really is when he is showcasing his or her talent.

Let's spend some time now looking at the confidence that these achievers exude and reserve the study of intensity for a later date. For, besides their obvious gifts of speed, strength and stamina which add up to competence, they bring high levels of self-confidence to the table. The ability to feel confident that they could make the most of the chances they get and do things with ease and effectiveness is what separates those who consistently achieve things in life from those others.

The Australian cricket team is a good example. In the ICC Champions Trophy final in Mumbai, for instance, the team was at the receiving end of an aggressive West Indies team that had raced to 80 for two inside 10 overs. If Australia was worried about the emerging scene, it never let anyone on. It went on win what became a pretty one-sided contest in the end. If there was one quality that shone through that evening, it was confidence that just helped skill and experience to succeed, making everything go more smoothly and providing the decisive competitive edge.

If confidence can help these purveyors of sporting excellence remain on top of their game and the opposition, it can surely be of much help to us in our professional and personal lives. But only if we appreciate the fact that confidence is not a luxury reserved for the champions alone and that each of us can discover that it is just another tool for success.

Some of the ways these champions work on building confidence:
* Developing a consistent routine that is their own
* Writing down goals to objectify and specify them
* Expressing who they are by letting their inner selves out
* Visualising successful outcome
* Believing that things will work out and seeing themselves successfully completing
* Rehearsing the steps in their mind, so that they become proficient.
* Finding friends/mentors/coaches who will inspire them to victory
* Learning from mistakes
* Not blame anyone else for defeats because that would mean they are giving away their power
* Not letting anger control them and defeat them

It is amazing how confidence is something that others can often take away from you and no one can really hand it to you. The challenge - as the sporting achievers will tell you - is to generate confidence and keep it going. It just needs faith in yourself and a belief that if you work hard, remain persistent and stay positive, you will reap the rewards.

You have to be careful since extreme confidence could be so easily confused for arrogance and can have its own repercussions. Legendary heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali used to predict the round in which he would secure victory over his opponent. He worked had to ensure that these were not vain boasts.

Revenge is not a great emotion for Team India

2007-05-07T12:56:00.000-07:00

Revenge. A lot of fans of Indian cricket – and yes, there aren't many who have given up yet – are hoping that vengeance will be a key part of the national team's baggage to Bangladesh. I am not so sure that it is a great idea to use revenge as the prime driver on the tour.

Truth to tell, I am actually delighted that captain Rahul Dravid has clearly excluded the word from the team lexicon. “I don't really believe in revenge. There is no place for it in our book,” he said on arrival in Dhaka. I do not think I could not have heard better words at this point of time.

Firstly, as an emotion, revenge is a negative stimulus and can be quite self-destructive. I have not known too many sides that have succeeded when wanting to avenge something. The only team that comes to mind is the West Indies' class of 1983. Clive Lloyd and his band came to India, smarting from the loss of the World Cup final and won the one-day series 5-0 as well as the Test series 3-0.

The other team that springs to mind is Australia that beat England 5-0 in the Ashes series in 2006-07. The common thread that binds Lloyd's squad and Ricky Ponting's team is the awesome ammunition that the captains had at their disposal. And I reckon that neither side made vengeance a priority over the need to play to potential.

Then, it is important to remember that this Indian team is a new-look side with as many as six players who didn't play the World Cup. Left-handed opener Gautam Gambhir, rookie batsman Manoj Tiwary, Ramesh Powar, left-arm seamer RP Singh, leg-spinner Piyush Chawla and lef-handed allrounder Dinesh Mongia have all come in now

But, most importantly, what has been lost can never be redeemed. Even a 3-0 whitewash by India in the one-day series cannot be termed as adequate revenge. For, that does not equal the ignominy of the defeat in the World Cup. That is a wound that will take a long, long time to heal.

Given the shocking absence of a vice-captain in the squad, Dravid and cricket manager Ravi Shastri will have to give the players the vote of confidence so that each one of them re-discovers his self-belief. They will have to show the collective wisdom to pick the best XI for each of the three one-day matches and the two Tests.

So what does the Indian team carry on the field in Bangladesh if it is not a feeling of revenge? Simple: a hunger to deliver 100 per cent each time, individually and collectively. If they can enjoy themselves on the field, drawing pride in one another's performance

“What there is,” Dravid said in Dhaka, “is a place to show your potential and play really, very good cricket and I think that's what we are looking to do here.I am sure that we have got some very good players, very talented players and they are ready to do well. That's what we expect to show during the series.”

Inevitably, it's Australia

2007-04-28T22:39:00.000-07:00

Inevitable. The word kept springing up the mind through Saturday night when I was tracking the ICC World Cup 2007 final between Australia and Sri Lanka. It was one of those nights when I could never really stop a word from playing on my mind all the time. Come to think of it, it was one of those frequent days when Australia did what it pleased.

Australia had lost five games on the trot in the run up to the World Cup and everyone – I don’t think I am an exception – said that it would be the most competitive tournament in the history of the World Cup. In the end, the stiffest challenge before Ricky Ponting’s team came from itself – it had to keep raising the bar for itself.

Yet, as ironies go, this one takes the cake. We had a short game at the end of a long tournament. I know there are some who would have liked the game to use the reserve day so that a full match of 50 overs each could be played. But then to take the match into a second day would have diluted the very essence of one-day cricket.

I was quite comfortable with a truncated game and a 10-minute break between innings. In fact, I was getting ready for a 20-over-a-side slugfest – and I believe that would have given Sri Lanka a better tilt at the World Cup. The Australians are masters of the 50-over game and Sri Lanka could have fancied itself more with fewer overs.

In a typically Australian thing, the openers took Chaminda Vaas apart, striking him for five fours and a six. Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene did not seem to have another plan to stop Gilchrist and Hayden from running away with the match. He was forced to introduce Dilhara Fernando and Muttiah Muralitharan earlier than he would have liked

Indeed, there was an inevitability to the manner in which the man who won the final almost by himself. Adam Gilchrist played like other only dream of. But he had done it in 1999 and 2003, making half-centuries in both finals and, even if he was not among the runs like Matthew Hayden was, a big innings from him was on the cards.

There was also more than a hint of the expected when Glenn McGrath came onto bowl his final overs at the end of a distinguished career as Australian pace bowling spearhead. Expectedly, he was on the spot and even if he went for a few runs in one his seven overs, he can look back with pride over what he had achieved in the match, the tournament and in his career.

The end was quite farcical with much of the cricket being played in bad light. While I fought off sleep, I could not resist going back to 1991 when India lost a game to Pakistan in Sharjah in very poor light. The street lights were on then and the game forced ICC to take a hard look at drafting playing conditions that would be applicable to all games.

Did I hear you say that it was inevitable?

No stopping the Aussies

2007-04-26T03:30:00.000-07:00

We may hate the Australian cricket team for the arrogance it exudes on the field but we have to admire the manner in which it has gone about its task of reaching the final of the ICC World Cup 2007. Sri Lanka stands between Australia and a hat-trick of World Cup titles, having given itself the chance of trying to stop Australia from extending its reign as world champion.
Ask me what is likely to happen on Saturday and I will have to admit that Sri Lanka has an uphill task, considering that Australia lifts it game a couple of notches in the final. I remember Australian teams beating Pakistan by eight wickets and nearly 30 overs to spare in the 1999 final and India by 125 runs with more than 10 overs to spare in the 2003 final.
The point is that Australian sides seize the momentum early in the big games and crush the opposition quite ruthlessly. Indeed, if the Australians have to be stopped, it had to be done before the final. There was hope in some quarters that South Africa would manage that but the Proteas’ team left everyone disappointed with its inability to mount even a decent challenge.
Skipper Graeme Smith tried to charge Nathan Bracken and was done in by the slight movement off the pitch. Jacques Kallis danced down the track in a bit to hit Glenn McGrath out of the attack and ended up being beaten for pace. South Africa did not have a plan B and continued to attack Australia in an apparent bit to put the opposition under pressure.
Of course, the only way to defeat Australia is to bring the team under pressure but when the plan was failing so apparently, South Africa needed someone to bat through the 50 overs. None of the South African batsmen wanted to play like Mahela Jayawardene did a day earlier to retrieve Sri Lanka. After that, the only way South Africa could get into the final was for Australia to beat itself. And that wasn’t about to happen on Wednesday.
So how does anyone stop Australia from gaining advantage? Skipper Arjuna Ranatunga and coach Dav Whatmore hatched a plan that worked really well for Sri Lanka back in the 1996 final in Lahore. They used seamers Pramodaya Wickramasinghe and Chaminda Vaas for just 13 overs and challenged Australia with a full quiver of spinners.
More interestingly, Ranatunga started working on the minds of the Australians a day before the game, calling Shane Warne an over-rated bowler and pointing out that a majority of the leg-spinner’s victims were the later-order batsmen. He rubbed the point in by saying that most batsmen didn’t punish Warne for errors in line and length. And then, Sri Lanka went on to prove that its captain wasn’t making an idle boast.
Jayawardene is a smart captain but he realises he is no Ranatunga and has refrained from getting into mind games with the Australians. His team will need to make that one huge concerted effort to challenge Ricky Ponting and his band of merry men.
Chaminda Vaas and Lasith Malinga have enjoyed a fantastic tournament and will need to be at their best to stop Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting from running away with the match. If they can see two of the three men in the hut early, off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan can then work his magic on the rest of the order when bowling in tandem with Sanath Jayasuriya.

Do Selectors have long-term vision?

2007-04-20T23:10:00.001-07:00

Some years after he gave up playing cricket and jumped on to the media band wagon,.Ravi Shastri expressed a desire to be commentating on a live telecast of the national selection committee meeting After Friday afternoon’s experience when he attended a longish selection meeting as India’s Cricket Manager, his dormant desire may well have been stoked all over again.

If Shastri ever tells us the story of the meeting, we may have a clearer picture of what really transpires in the confines of the committee. He may or may not tell us if there is cricket intelligence on show there or if there any trades-off happen between selectors from different zones. Then again, he may not want the Board of Control for Cricket in India to regret its decision to let a leading media personality to join the discussions of an important selection meeting.

For all that, even a cursory look at the teams picked for the tour of Bangladesh and the press conference that followed is enough proof that the selectors have clearly missed an opportunity to convey the message that they have a long-term vision for the one-day team. They have chosen a decent side to tour next month but haven’t been able to spell out their plans for the team in the year ahead. Perhaps we must conclude that they do not really have a vision.

Chairman of Selectors Dilip Vengsarkar used a euphemism on Friday to explain the omission of former captains Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly from the one-day squad while speaking quite ‘bravely’ that Harbahajan Singh, Ajit Agarkar and Irfan Pathan have been dropped from both the one-day and the Test sides.

When will our selectors ever have the courage to tell the world that players – unmindful of stature – have been dropped for poor performance (and we are not talking merely runs and averages here)? Or, is it that they have been reluctant to drop Ganguly and Tendulkar but have been forced by the mandarins in the Board of Control for Cricket in India to take such a step in the wake of public criticism after the dismal showing in the World Cup?

You may think logic and selectors are divorced from one another. Come to think of it, they may never have been married in the first place. How else can one explain the fact that three bowlers have been dropped and no batsman has been given the treatment post the World Cup. After all, it was a collective batting failure in the West Indies, wasn’t it?

How come Irfan Pathan was picked for the World Cup, not played in any of the games there and yet dropped in favour of Rudra Pratap Singh? How come Dinesh Mongia appears to be caught in a revolving door that leads him in and out of the Indian team with amazing frequency?

How else can you explain their decision to drop Virender Sehwag from the Test squad and play wicket-keeper Dinesh Kaarthick as opening batsman? It must go down as a short-term and short-sighted plan. If the idea was to shock Sehwag, vice-captain of the team not to long ago, they could have picked Gautam Gambhir as a specialist opener, To go on a Test tour with just one specialist opening batsman is incredible, even if the tour happens to be to Bangladesh.

I wonder who has a chip on his shoulder against Mohammed Kaif, someone on whom Indian cricket had invested so much time on in the past six year. Kaif is a thinking cricketer and would be an asset on the field. I recall one conversation with the Chairman of Selectors earlier this season and remember that he was quite unaware of what Kaif had achieved in the West Indies last year.

Of a match-up gone sour and one that makes up last four

2007-04-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

Listen to the stony silence around you and it tells a story of its own.
We would have all been busily talking about an India-Pakistan match up on April 15 had not Bangladesh and Ireland delivered stunning coups on March 17. Those results led to a Bangladesh-Ireland contest being served up while we are left wondering what a Super Sunday it could really have been.
Then again, it is not all that silent, is it?
There is so much happening in Indian cricket since the team returned early from he West Indies that it is almost easy to forget that there is an interesting World Cup happening in the Caribbean. Australia, Sri Lanka and New Zealand have made it to the semifinals but there has been more attention to selection matters and on Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh’s responses to the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s notices.
We shall, however, take our minds off the happenings in Indian cricket and focus on the World Cup. Well, we can try. Tuesday’s match between South Africa and England will determine the fourth semifinalist – and, in all probability, the team that will take on Australia in the semifinal on April 25. South Africa has played the better cricket than England and may seem to be in a better position to take that fourth berth.
Jacques Kallis (463 runs), skipper Graeme Smith (353) and Hershchelle Gibbs (303) have all had four innings of 50-plus in the eight matches that South Africa has played. AB de Villiers is another who has made more than 300 runs and that gives the Proteas’ batting a very healthy look.
But then it will be aware that all it takes for the team to be homeward bound before the semifinal is an inspired England side. After all, Michael Vaughan has the squad that can deliver that one telling performance. Kevin Pietersen has 341 runs against his name but the others need to lift themselves up for England to squeeze into the semifinal.

Pucca for Dhaka?

2007-04-13T01:14:00.001-07:00

The pragmatic, if boring, Rahul Dravid always kept telling anyone who cared to listen how the ICC World Cup 2007 would not be an end in itself but only a milestone on a fascinating journey for Team India. Yet, even he would not have reckoned that it would become a sore landmark in the history of Indian cricket – and perhaps in the careers of some Indian cricketers.
Some Board of Control for Cricket in India big guns met in Bombay on Thursday to draw up a road map for the immediate future and few firm details emerged from the meeting, except the fact that the selectors would meet in Bombay on April 20. You can ready yourself for bouts of speculation about the kind of team that will be picked for the tour of Bangladesh. Due to play three ODIs (May 10, 12 and 15) and two Tests (starting May 18 and 25), the team will assemble in Kolkata for a camp from May 1 to 7.
“We haven’t been told anything yet and I don’t think it is fair to assume anything,” a national selector told me. “Come to think of it, we are never told what to do and are usually driven by the captain and coach’s inputs. Of course, we are aware that the BCCI Working Committee has directed us to send a young team to Bangladesh under an experienced captain.
“We have already appointed Rahul Dravid as captain for India's tour to Bangladesh, Ireland and England. We cannot, however, get emotional and pick a raw team to Bangladesh. We will have to think this through. For, we did try out a number of youngsters in the last two years or so when Greg Chappell was coach and some of these players did not grab the opportunities we gave them.
“You have to concede that there was a sincere attempt to build a bunch of players who would replace the established players when they fade away from the international scene,” the selector said. “I don’t think we will try wholesale changes in the line-up, surely not with Bangladesh proving to be a very competitive outfit. At the end of the day, it really depends on the vision that the captain and coach have for the team. We shall have to consider short term and long term implications when picking the side.”
Of course, since the Board itself hasn’t got a long term vision for the Indian team, Dravid’s inputs will be critical. You can be sure that the selectors will keep reminding him that they backed his decision to let Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh stay in the team for the World Cup.
For all this, the Board mandarins are not in a mood to show such considerations for any of the players. Some of them did play no mean role in helping Sourav Ganguly’s return to the team earlier this season. But they are not inclined to come up with similar support for a bunch of lads who did not perform to expectation and crashed out of the first round at the ICC World Cup 2007 in the West Indies.
The only player who has been spared of stringent criticism is Sachin Tendulkar, despite his scores of 7 and 0 in India’s defeats by Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at the World Cup. A senior Board official explained the rationale. “He has had a glittering career and we believe that in the autumn of a glittering career, Tendulkar should be spared the experience of being dropped – or, for that matter, even rested.
The likes of Ganguly, Harbhajan Singh, even Yuvraj Singh and perhaps Sehwag may not get as lucky as Indian cricket takes its first steps towards a new beginning. .

BCCI decisions aimed to quell criticism

2007-04-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

The Board of Control for Cricket in India made whole lot of decisions at the working committee meeting on April 7. A vast majority of people have been led to believe that the Board has come down heavily on Team India. I am not sure I can even begin to subscribe to such theories since I think much of what has been said is to quell the criticism.
An attempt has been made to tell us that the failure in the World Cup was because India does not have fast and lively pitches. The twin batting failures came on sluggish tracks in Port of Spain and had nothing to do with the fact that India does not have too many strips that can be branded lively, let alone fast.
There are some other decisions made in the meeting in Mumbai that defy comprehension and come across as hurried and not well thought out. For instance, the Working Committee has accepted that a change in the manner in which the selection commission is formed and the need to pay the selectors for their efforts.
Of course, this has been a long standing demand but to time it with the World Cup debacle is to cast aspersions on the selectors who did a good job of picking the best possible side (Ramesh Powar, Mohammed Kaif and VVS Laxman would only have been warming the benches, you see).
This is also a clear attempt by the BCCI mandarins at populism. There has been so much talk about how the players have focused on making money that the Board has felt the need to hurt players’ incomes. There has been a section in the Board which has sought to cut the players to size, by tightening the purse strings.
It should not be long before some player – or even a sponsor – takes BCCI to court. At this point of time, players may be too shell shocked to even react to the diktat that players cannot enter endorsement deals with more than three corporates at a time. Or, to the directive that more than two players cannot endorse a product.
I am disappointed that the selection committee was rushed into naming Rahul Dravid as captain for the series in Bangladesh. There has been no analysis of his less than imaginative captaincy in the World Cup. On a pitch on which Bangladesh used three left-arm spinners to stifle India, Dravid’s handling of the bowling left a lot to be desired.
His reluctance to use Virender Sehwag’s off-spin until Bangladesh needed just 32 runs was as striking as his decision to employ Sachin Tendulkar in a seam-up rather than spin bowling mode. And in the game against Sri Lanka, Sehwag was not pressed into service at all, shocking when you consider how the island team stacks left-handers in its line up.
Obviously, with coach Greg Chappell having indicated his desire not to seek extension of his stint with the Indian team, the Board did not want to rock the unsteady boat too much more. But if cricketing decisions were made with a bit more thought rather than as knee-jerk reactions, the Indian team may have emerged from the depths it has sunk to.
There has to be a deeper reason – and it has to do with lack of application and a mental strength. These are issues relating to player insecurities that need to be dealt with. There must be some thought into how players have apparently worked against coaches like John Wright and Chappell
Above all, I see no bid to ensure that the team concept is ingrained in the minds of India’s cricketers from the junior level. Often we see players place themselves and their ambitions ahead of team needs, however subtly. There is an urgent need to ensure that all players, big and small, understand that team has to come before self.
If this is not implanted in young minds, there is no chance that it can be achieved when players make it to Team India and establish themselves as individual stars.

Greg Chappell: Victim or villian?

2007-04-07T04:30:00.000-07:00

Team India may have made a fast-track exit from World Cup 2007, but domestic fans and even hacks trooping from island to sleepy island in the Windies had their binocs glued onto a sordid cliffhanger unravelling in the subcontinent last week. Each day brought a new death over—full of twists and high drama centred around a clutch of compelling characters. On the last ball, coach Greg Chappell decided to "make himself unavailable for an extension". He cited personal reasons, but who would buy that line?
Mental disintegration. After a welter of charges and countercharges drew blood all around, the fabled Aussie technique of playing hard—playing to win—had rebounded. As Chappell and the senior players resorted to slight and innuendo, the BCCI, true to its nature, merely stood by. In fact, the coach saved India's cricket officialdom more heartburn by informing board president Sharad Pawar that he was opting out ahead of their meeting. One of Chappell's final lines as he prepared to end his 22-month stint was, "coaching the Indian team is one of the most challenging assignments in cricket". An understatement if ever there was one.
So, now the post-mortem and the inevitable questions. Has Indian cricket hit its nadir? Are the senior players guilty of making their juniors feel unwelcome? Ideally, Chappell's departure should provoke some soul-searching within the BCCI portals. And there are signs that some senior officials want to crack the whip.Sources say these figures have encouraged team manager Sanjay Jagdale to present an independent, honest account of the happenings on tour during the World Cup.
Ostensibly, Chappell stood by the team and its players in public but that attitude contrasted sharply with the thoughts he shared in private communication with some members of the media from time to time. As some of this leaked out to the public domain, naturally, it led to the players questioning his motives and even wondering if he was playing Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, out to bamboozle them and create insecurities? Sample his recent words:
It's a collective responsibility. We didn't play well enough and it's a disappointment that everyone has to share," he said on the day India lost to Sri Lanka and went out of the Cup. "Obviously, I have to take some responsibility and I am quite happy to do that, I'm the coach. But I don't think the coaching staff alone must be blamed for what has happened here. Apportioning blame is not going to change what has happened."
A day later, it was collective failure again. "Casting aspersions and putting blame on this area, that area, this individual, that individual is not going to change the scene," he said in Port of Spain while all of India waited for Bermuda to miraculously lift India into the Super Eights with a win over Bangladesh. "It needs a thorough investigation into all aspects of what has led to this happening...and if we can do that, we can move forward."
A TV report last Monday, citing sources close to Chappell, said the coach had concluded senior players were ganging up and behaving like a mafia to "hammer and abuse" juniors in the side. It was the proverbial last straw, prompting vice-captain Sachin Tendulkar into a rare public testimony. He called a freelance journalist in Nagpur and gave him the story of a lifetime—a scathing criticism of all those who questioned the attitude of players in the wake of the World Cup defeats.
The media, in fact, played a crucial interloper in the whole drama. Throughout his stint, Chappell consistently made mistakes in not being able to decide which journalist to trust. Early on itself, he was mailing a few cricket writers on how some players were like cancer in the team. It ended like that too—the wheel was set in motion after a newspaper report raked up a text message the coach had sent a senior journalist a fortnight before the team left for the Windies. Apparently, the cricket writer was aghast at the tide against Chappell and wanted to put some perspective into what he himself was writing on the senior-junior divide in the Indian team.
"It's this aspect we just don't understand," a senior batsman said. "We were fine as long as he was talking to us—either about our cricket or our personal development, and we respected his views enormously. But why go to the media with comments that came back to us. It was obvious...we could sense that he did not want us around, preferring the younger players because they could be moulded easily."
Another team senior was as forthright: "Remember how he worked to keep Ganguly out of the squad for so long. When Dada came back, he took the credit, saying he brought 'the hunger' back. Now he's again blaming Sourav for slow-scoring and causing pressure on the lower-order batsmen in the two defeats. It's just not done."
By now, Chappell himself was back to his won't-tell-the-media-anything self. "I am strong. I know what I have to do and will make my presentation on Friday. What happens after that depends on their will...and politics, of course," he told me, a day before he made up his mind not to seek an extension on his contract.The 58-year-old Australian believes there could be no better time than now for Indian cricket to reform its thinking "for the sake of world cricket as much as Indian cricket". By the weekend, Chappell will have sought closure to an emotional assignment—and he'll also know whether Dravid and Jagdale had the courage to say what should be said. Better late than never, the groundwork must be laid for a side that values the concept of team-before-self.
By the end, one could sense that Chappell realised that the war in the media was futile and all it did was cloud the main issues. "It would be nice if someone could keep to the issues instead of personalities," he said. "TV is good at emotion and more emotion and sensationalism." He will go away from India with images of these emotions that myriad TV channels have burnt into millions of fans. He was quite stunned that a TV news channel could run a story, cite sources, and have no one going on record.
There is no question that players have used the latest round of leaks from Chappell and his camp to try and deflect the attention of the public—and the board—from their own failures. It rankles fans, critics and even a fair number of respected ex-cricketers when a Tendulkar says the team realises it played badly and takes full responsibility—but spins it around with a quote about being most hurt with the coach for questioning their attitude.
The coach is said to have kept drubbing in the point at team meetings that Tendulkar—and the seniors—needed to put their hands up in the big games. "It's important that the more experienced batsmen and bowlers take it upon themselves to see the team through, particularly in the key matches," he reportedly told the team, alluding in particular to Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh. Tendulkar has averaged 12 against Australia in the last five matches against the world's best team, less than 25 in the last five matches against South Africa and 19 in the last five matches against Sri Lanka.
Harbhajan Singh is another player who has come under a cloud after returning from the World Cup without a wicket against his name in the two matches where he was preferred ahead of the more seasoned Anil Kumble. Worse, the fact that he had just 10 wickets in the last 15 matches and only 19 in his last 25 games has come under scrutiny, as has Ganguly's inability to force the pace in the key contests against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
"I am not saying his attitude can be questioned but Tendulkar should be talking about his declining ability to make runs when the team needs it the most," says former India wicketkeeper Surinder Khanna, mirroring what Sanjay Manjrekar had bravely pointed out some time back. These are but voices in the wilderness, drowned in the cacophony against Chappell.
The Australian coach is by now perceived as a villain in most quarters and a victim in some. Yet, if by mincing no words he sets the BCCI thinking and starts a process that sees at least elements of an attitudinal change sweep across Indian cricket, it really won't matter whether he is victim or villain—his Indian summers will have been meaningful.

A 22-yard gash and the road ahead

2007-03-31T07:32:00.000-07:00

Team India slipped back home in the dark of Wednesday night, jetlagged and emotionally dead on arrival. But edgy. They can’t have not been aware of the tide of anger and dismay their first-round exit has sparked across the country. From enraged TV experts to railway minister Laloo Prasad Yadav, a variety of top hats were even claiming they would have batted better than those Men in Blue. And in keeping with the times, SMS jokes and mocking chain e-mails were jamming the servers.

BCCI president Sharad Pawar and his band of merry men wisely joined the cacophony in threatening harsh action. "Our team has disappointed me and the nation. The BCCI provides maximum facilities to the players and expectations from the team were quite high," Pawar said with a grim face. Curiously, a couple of days later, he was less strident but he’d already worked on the minds of a volatile constituency baying for the players’ and coach’s heads.

By that time, at least three ex-India captains had called board officials, warning them against inciting passions. In fact, Ajit Wadekar, Bishan Singh Bedi and Kapil Dev were the few voices of reason, calling for Pawar and co to resign even as they asked fans to show restraint in the face of Team India’s ignominious exit from the Cup.

Kapil even reproached board officials for their indiscretion. "The question is: should we sack the players without even talking to them? Or should we first get their side of the story? If that is the case, we should perhaps ask the board president and secretary to resign first," he wrote, defending the team. Bedi too demanded accountability from the board members. "Everywhere else in the world, they are all accountable—from the scoreboard operators to the chairman of the board. What is the contribution of these officials baying for the players’ blood? They forget they are in their posts only because of the players. The players aren’t there because of them. We must know how to accept defeat just as we must know how to celebrate success. It’s a sad day when board officials join the bandwagon in driving the people against the players."

Then again, Pawar lost no time in reminding us that such niceties are not known in Indian cricket. "Has anyone in the BCCI stepped down since the 1983 win...during which time Cup teams have faced many a debacle? Then why should we?" Pawar asked indignantly. To be fair, he did go on to say that the time had come to sit, discuss and decide a future course of action. "Let us concentrate from today on World Cup 2011 and start encouraging the younger players. The board has to give serious thought about player performances and how to take the game forward." He’s now called for a meeting of six former captains to discuss the Cup fallout.

Wadekar feels it’s a good idea calling the captains but is wary that anything positive that comes out could go into "cold storage". Leaving the cynicism behind, let’s see what could emerge from this meeting of our top cricketing brains.

Change the system, embrace professionalism: "How can an amateur system breed professionals?" asks Bedi, demanding that the administration be entrusted to professional hands. "The whole business of honorary officials must change." There are some players involved in running state associations but few have played at the highest level. They don’t understand some of the intricacies, warns Wadekar. "Some former players have to be nominated to run cricket because they cannot be contesting elections," he says. "The system needs to be changed but in a democracy like ours, it’s quite difficult, isn’t it?"

Make domestic cricket more competitive: The clamour for restructuring domestic cricket so that it delivers quality rather than quantity is growing."The numbers playing first-class cricket is huge...it should be designed to throw up players with qualities needed in international cricket. It’s time we looked at an improved Duleep Trophy as the only first-class tournament. All players must compete in this event," Bedi says. Wadekar agrees. "It’s a good idea but it must be mandatory for all to be playing domestic cricket," he says. "We learnt from playing in the Times Shield against players like Umrigar, Vijay Manjrekar. Going forward, we must get all players—big and small—to play domestic cricket."

Improve the quality of grounds: In Australia, South Africa and England, the grounds are lush green and smooth as a billiards table. Even schoolboys don’t hesitate to slide and dive to stop the ball. And that’s the biggest reason why fielding is our weakest link. And it will remain that way, Wadekar points out, if India doesn’t improve the quality of its cricket grounds even at the junior level.

Work on the cricket nurseries: "Why do we have only such a small lot to choose from? Who will replace Sourav, Rahul or Sachin?" asks Wadekar. And answers the question himself. "Basically, we must start from the school, maidan and club levels. It’s only at the time of elections to state associations that people visit the maidans. We must also revive collegiate and university cricket. The jump from under-19 to first class or even the India team denies players the chance to arm themselves with the knowledge that can stand them in good stead when they play cricket."

Coaching at the grassroots levels: In the match against Sri Lanka, it became apparent the islanders had outrun the Indians—first with their running between the wickets and then with the fielding. "There should be a proper machinery to check what these coaches at that (junior) level are doing. Are they instilling the right values, techniques among the young?" asks Wadekar, pointing out that these skills must be taught right in the early years itself.

Meanwhile, in the immediate future... "The board must hear out the captain, players and coach before it makes any decision on who to retain or not," says Kapil Dev. Careful discussions must precede any judgements passed on Dravid or coach Greg Chappell. The same applies to any player being eased out of Team India. It’s time to draw up a roadmap that will make India a top cricket playing nation rather than one that invests emotions and oodles of cash in supporting world cricket with little benefit to itself.