Divided Colors of Blue !

Though the camaraderie on display on camera between Dhoni and Sehwag looked good; every Indian Cricket supporter knows, the split is out there gaping in open. And it isn't 'Bleeding Blue' any more. The team has hemorrhaged to near death. How could a Team that scaled the pinnacle of World Cup in April 2011 be so pathetically down in the dumps in February 2012 ?

Divided We Stand !

The Viru - Mahi war was always on. If not for Anil Kumble's insistence during the tour down under in 2007, Sehwag the Superstar would have been history. Dhoni would not have touched him with a barge pole if not for the match saving century at Adelaide 4 years ago.

Dhoni has shown clear preference to anyone other than Sehwag in the ODI scheme of things and he can't be faulted for that. Viru's records in ODI Cricket are just a little better than mediocre. During 2007 - 08, Sehwag was also a member of a team that was up and coming. In 2012, he is 'The Sehwag' who is back to playing the ball rather than the bowlers.

Is this divide in the team a new phenomenon triggered by a successive defeats ? Will it be fine once the team gets back to winning ways ? Far from it, the split was always there right from 2010 March and perhaps even before.

Let us go back to the Bangladesh series in March 2010 when Sehwag called Bangladesh an ordinary test team before the series. Sehwag captained India in the absence of Dhoni in the first test at Chittagong and played Amit Mishra ahead of Pragyan Ojha. Mishra went on to claim 7 wickets in the match and also scored a 50 as night watchman in Indian second innings.

This performance should have ensured a place for Mishra in the second test. It wasn't as if Pragyan Ojha was a Zaheer Khan or a Harbhajan Singh to walk into the team. But alas, Dhoni preferred to play Ojha instead. From that day, the Dhoni - Sehwag cold war has been on; like it or not.

India's subsequent performances through most of 2010 to the 2011 World Cup campaign were driven by an aim of winning the world cup. Sehwag had come across as someone not interested in Captaincy when he relinquished the Delhi Ranji Team and the Delhi Daredevils Captaincy in favor of Gambhir. Who refueled his Captaincy ambitions is unknown. But after the World Cup, he has time and again shown more than eagerness to lead India.

Dhoni hasn't covered himself in glory too. Right from dropping a Mishra to time and again undermining both the Pathans, he has played his role in demolishing the team spirit. His ad campaign mocking Harbhajan Singh was definitely the beginning of the end of Men in Blue as a team. Team India until then was all about United Colors of Blue in spite of minor skirmishes involving Sreesanth and Bhajji and such trivialities.

The fissure that erupted with this has left Bhajji out of favor, Viru out of flavor, Dhoni the martyr and Sachin Tendulkar eternally short of 100 ! That Tendulkar who was proud to be part of a team that carried him on shoulders on 2 April 2011 must be asking himself, "Mai Kaun hoon Mai Kahaan hoon !"

So who are the culprits ? 

Answer: All parties involved. 

The CB series was going fairly fine till Dhoni's bizarre tactics while chasing lead to enormous heart burns in the dressing room. Gambhir is right in his view but wrong in expressing it openly. Declaring Dhoni the Man of the Match in the tied game was like adding insult to injury. He ran out Gambhir, then Pathan and then ended up squaring a match India should have won comfortably. Did the adjudicators give him the MOM just to create further dissension in the team ? We will never know.

India didn't just lose 2 points with that tie. The damage was much more than that. It would have been India 4 vs 0 for Sri Lanka. Instead, it was 2-2 and that means 0-0. So how many points did India lose ?  The answer is 4 and that is why India are out of the tournament today ! Sri Lanka derived enormous mileage from that tie and India lost the initial advantage. They haven't won anything since then and are unlikely to win anything again.

Sehwag's refusal to learn or perhaps deliberate callousness is glaring. Gambhir went way beyond his jurisdiction when he unleashed his injudicious diction in a press meet. Tendulkar could have played peace-maker but he seems to be preoccupied with the 100. 

The youngsters had their opportunities to stake stronger claim. But Raina and Rohit have time and again thrown away starts with stupid batting. Bowlers have often been all over the park and 2 of the highest scores in the series were scored against India, naturally.

Overall, the Men in Blue are going through blues and have been beaten black and blue on this tour down under. They deserve this hammering and all the criticism. If the divide is not attended and the BCCI and Selectors decide on this continued Ostrich like approach, it will be doomsday soon.

So what is the solution ? Let Sehwag, Dhoni, Sachin, Gambhir and everyone know 'Nobody is indispensable, NOBODY'. Send a completely new junior team to the Asia Cup. If full strength team with all seniors can lose like this, the Team India fans can derive some solace if the juniors lose too. They have nothing to lose. And who knows ? We might again see a new dawn like the 2007 T-20 World Cup win. 

Even if that doesn't happen, we would still be better off teaching our next generation that even Sehwag, Gambhir and Dhoni were not spared ! Until and unless the feuding Stalwarts sort out the problems between them, keep them out. We have over half a year before we play another test.

Unless the runs flow, no Superstar can forever be so !

SPun Doctor Also blogs @ http://diehardcricketfans.org/category/contributed/govind-raj-shenoy/

BCCI Agenda for Resurrection of Cricket !

Team India Down Under, Down Under: How to lift them up ?

Team  India's worst tour of Australia is on and things are getting worse by the day. Let us look at the pre-tour hype and the situation that prevailed and then how things have unfolded since the fall of Tendulkar at the fag end of day-2 at Melbourne. From 214/2, India have just withered away and wilted.

Australia were in dire straits. They were beaten by New Zealand and were bowled out for 48 by South Africa very recently. Ponting and Hussey have been out of form for longer than anyone could care to remember. They were going to miss the Iconic All-rounder Shane Watson and Pat Cummins from the beginning. Harris and Marsh missed half of the test and then James Pattinson got injured. Thus good number of cream of the present Aussie team have missed the major part of Cricket that has been played so far.

India on the other hand were in full strength with the exception of Praveen Kumar. So this was touted as India's best chance to win a test series down under. But what has happened how ? First test was lost on day 5, second on day 4 and third within minutes of lunch break on day 3. At this rate, the Adelaide test might get over on day-2. Srikkanth is totally devastated and Dhoni has declared himself to be the main culprit. The BCCI believes the performance has not been up to the mark.

Hence a very high level meeting of the BCCI, Selectors and former players was held. Since it was to be a high level and top secret meeting, it was held at Siachen Glacier. Whatever happened in the meeting has been recorded in the minutes. But all that can't be divulged. BCCI has come out with an agenda for the resurrection of Team India and the fortunes of Indian Cricket. And the document has been forwarded to ICC.

The 10 point agenda the BCCI has approved for the rejuvenation of Cricket.

01] Ghaas Poos is serious health hazard: The main problem seems to be Indians are allergic to grass and that hampers their performance seriously. Hence no grass should be allowed to exist on any pitch where India have to play. Even Ivan Lendle had declared, "Grass is for cows". Indian players are not cows, they are Tigers. Tigers at home to be precise. So henceforth ICC should make sure that a herd of cows is deployed at all venues where Team India are to play test matches. The grazing cows will ensure the pitch will be devoid of grass. And all the hoof marks will makes sure our spinners can get purchase from day one. 

02] Speed Breakers: We all know speed thrills but it also kills. All the speed bowling in England and India has almost killed Indian Cricket. ICC 'must' realize almost two thirds of revenue filling the ICC coffers comes from Indian Cricket, if not three fourths. If Indian supporters stop watching Cricket, ICC can shut shop. So all fast bowlers operating against India 'must' be fitted with speed-breakers with immediate effect. None should bowl faster that 125kmph or whatever is the average speed at which Vinay Kumar bowled in the previous match; whichever is slower. 

03] Three day Tests: When India travel abroad, all tests should be restricted to just 3 days and not 5 days. We first have to give them a realistic chance to draw a test before we can think of winning again. And during these 3 days, lunch break should be extended to 90 minutes and tea break to 30 minutes. The breaks happen to be the best part of tests played by India these days, because no wickets fall during these period. This also ensures a lot more scope for advertizements and that means more money for ICC. 

04] No Slip ups please: "Indian batsmen are like faithful husbands, they perform only at home", tweeted Poonam Pandey. But an insider from Team India camp on conditions of anonymity has declared, "Indian players are disappointed that Poonam has not kept her word of stripping if India won the World Cup. Hence they are disappointed". The faithful husbands that they are, they hate all the gossiping by the Aussie wicket-keeper and slip fielders. Hence no slip fielders should be allowed to stand within the 30 yard circle when Indian 'Top Order Batsmen' bat. 

05] Field restrictions: It has been noticed by BCCI that too many fielders are seen in the field blocking his shots when Rahul Dravid is batting. Though that is distracting him, the gentleman has never complained. But it is distracting him and he is falling over his own feet to be bowled again and again and then again. So he should be allowed to make 3 changes in the field when he bats. He is the first and only Indian to support the lie-detector test suggested by ICC. Hence he should get this privilege to place 3 fielders of his choice anywhere he wants to. That could even be the dressing room. 

06] Save Tigers Campaign: Tigers and Indian batsmen have many things in common. The main thing in common is both are endangered species. Whole world is campaigning to save tigers. We advocate with equal fervor for a campaign to save our 'Tigers at home'. Henceforth, Team India should be allowed to play all away tests in India. To differentiate home and away tests, ESPN-Star Sports will telecast 'away series' and any channel chosen by BCCI will telecast home matches. This is more than enough for people to differentiate a home and away series. 

07] The Demons to be exorcised: Some channels believe there are demons in the mind of Sachin Tendulkar that are preventing him from scoring the hundredth ton. Those demons seem to be affecting the entire team too. Whatever has to be done to exorcise the demons must be done and an away series against Bangladesh followed by one against Zimbabwe should be arranged; both to be played in India. Once he gets his century of century, all the pressure will be off and Indians can get back to the business of playing Cricket. 

08] Benefits of IPL not being utilized: IPL is a magnificent event with a lots of glamor, lights, action, champagne, cheer girls, beer girls and Vijay Mallya. But what is the use ? Many of these selfish English and Australian Cricketers avoid IPL and concentrate only on their national teams. This is making Test Cricket a lopsided contest. Poor selfless Indians are toiling to play IPL, CL-T20, ODIs, Tests and if they get spare time, they also play Cricket with kids and Moms in the rain. They do all this even at the cost of West Indies tour. These selfish guys like Clarke and Cook should be immediately made to sign up for IPL. If they don't relent, they should be barred from playing international Cricket. We believe in providing everyone with a level playing field with lots of cracks in the pitches and no grass as mentioned earlier. 

09] Word Cricket means India: Today, World Cricket and even the 'Word' Cricket means India. We don't have to elaborate on this. If India go on getting humiliated like this on every tour and end up at the bottom of the table, people of India will give up on Cricket as Rahul Dravid rightly suspects. That means Cricket will be dead. Hence we must ensure Team India get enough chances to win and our Tigers get to feast on runs. Hence not only Zimbabwe and Kenya but UAE, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Scotland, Greenland and every land possible should be given Test status immediately so that there are enough teams to be beaten by India. We suspect Ireland might turn out to be dangerous, hence it is better to avoid them. 

10] Final nail: DRS, Hawk eye, Eagle eye, Umpires, Third Umpires and Match Referees; all these entities have conspired to undermine Indian Cricket over the years. Hence in the larger interest of saving Cricket, the entire responsibility of running Cricket administration should be immediately handed over to an able body with 'rich' experience. Since we see nobody 'richer' than the BCCI, we deem it fit that the ICC must be immediately handed over to IPL Governing body to 'enrich' Cricket !

We believe all these measures will help in reaping short term as well as long term benefits for the financial security of Cricket. Hence ICC should follow these guidelines with immediate effect.


Signed/-


BCCI
IPL Governing body
Indias Selectors
Former Players
Team India [Signed from Go karting club in Perth]


Copy to all Cricket fans.




SPun Doctor
Also blogs @ http://diehardcricketfans.org/category/contributed/govind-raj-shenoy/

Pakistan Favorites !

Cricket needs Pakistan and that is a Cricketing Gospel. They did all they could to create some drama in the match. They were brilliant and then pathetic. There were stupid run outs, dropped catches, missed stumping and 29 extras. All typically Pakistan; but win they did finally. And once again they have kept a World Cup record intact. Sri Lanka have never beaten Pakistan at the Cup.

All the feelings behind the drama were expressed in one moment of sheer fun when Umar Gul put his tongue out even as he was heaving a sigh of relief when Kulasekara hit a full-toss straight to Umar Akmal at long on. The ball well went... Umar se Umar tak !

Gul had a bad match, but Afridi trusted him to bowl the last over and he did well. Kakmal was good, bad and ugly in the same match, many times over. Still, this team seems to be bonding well. Yunis Khan is playing the pivotal role and he looks rock solid. And Shoaib Aqthar has never looked better.

Misbah-ul-haq and Yunis Khan are forging a formidable middle order. With Umar Akmal, Afridi and Razzack to follow, they can be a handful. That Ukmal guy has some cheek. After completing the Kulasekara catch, he actually walked very close to the boundary rope, as if to taunt the vociferous Sri Lankan crowd. And Afridi mock-slapped him.

Coming to Sri Lanka, why are they hiding Malinga ? They seem to stagnate once into middle order. Chamara Silva top-scored, but was perhaps the reason for the stagnation.

This World Cup promises to be the Cup of the Leg Spinners and I am not complaining. It was another Pakistani in South Africa colors who has made life worth living and Cricket worth watching. Is Dhoni watching ?

Afridi has now proved he can do wonders when entrusted with responsibility. First it was the T-20 Win in England and now he seems to be gearing up for the World Cup. He delivered every time they needed a wicket, including the wicket of his counterpart Sanga. And let us not forget he can bat a bit.

Pakistan are warming up and they can still improve and that is worrying for the opponents. But can they maintain the tempo till the end ? I hope not, because I want India to win.

But if India don't win, I would prefer Pakistan to win ! Now I am prepared to be roasted by Indian friends for this comment ! Pakistan is my second favorite team and they always will remain, in spite of fixers. We can't let the talent they manufacture there to go waste.



S-Pun Doctor

Do Dhoni Chaar and other World Cup Resolutions !

After my mind spoke, here I am letting my heart to walk the talk. Walking is good for the Heart !

Like every Indian, I want India to Win the Cricket World Cup 2011. Let it be for anybody; Kapil's Devils, Sachin Tendulkar, Gary Kirsten, Golandaaz or anyone including my patients.

But there is that proverbial thin line between the Cup and the Slip. Can India give the slip a slip and bring home the Cup ? I hope they can on 2 April 2011. But for that to happen, some sacrifices have to be made and some resolutions. So here we go...

Gary Kirsten: Should tell his boys, "I ain't going nowhere". Gauty will be relieved.

Sachin Tendulkar: Can do a huge favor to entire nation by declaring on National and International media, "I am not retiring before 2015 World Cup". This will unburden Viru, Bhajji and all of Men in Blue.

Virendar Sehwag: Every time he bats long, he should get out in the 48th over. This will inspire him to bat all fifty overs at least once in his life. Imagine the quantum of effect this is going to create.

Gautam Gambhir: Should remind Viru of the 'humiliating losses' India have suffered to each of our opponents so that every match will be converted into 'Revenge Match' ! And by chance if we haven't lost to any team, remind him of 'Anticipatory Revenge'.

Virat Kohli: He is looking quite resolute now. Any more resolution may end up in dilution of the perfect picture.

Yuveraj Singh: Should take Yusuf Pathan's promotion as a personal slight and prove again, "Yuvi is the Biggest Dick of them all".

Mahendra Dhoni: Must stop snubbing Sreesanth in public and start flying the 'Helicopter' instead. He also should remember "Do Dhoni Chaar" is possible when it comes to pace - spin combination [2+2] > [3+1].

Suresh Raina: Should bide his time and pounce on an opportunity if it comes.

Yusuf Pathan: Should concentrate on trimming the beard whenever he gets an urge to talk big. Winning from any position will take care of itself.

Harbhajan Singh: Should leave restricting job to Munaf and Yuvi and go for the wickets in the middle overs. 10-0-52-3 is much better than 10-1-39-0.

Zaheer Khan: Recollect first season, wicket of Steve Waugh and bring back the Yorkers.

Munaf Patel: Should try his best not to convert ones into twos and twos into threes; for the opponents.

Sreesanth: Pray to Guruvayoorappan and St. Antony of Kaloor everyday to save career from going the Agarkar way.

Ashish Nehra: Keep people in the dark about injuries. It will force Dhoni to play [2 + 2].

Piyush Chawla: Should look at Tahir Imran. If a Pakistani leg spinner can win matches for Saffers in India, an Indian leg spinner should do better playing for India in India.

Ravichandran Ashwin: Take inspiration from Sunil Valsan. This will be his Cup without breaking sweat !

Indian Fans: Should remember this Cup isn't about Sachin Tendulkar. This perhaps is India's best chance to overcome a lot of jinxes. So chill out and enjoy Cricket without hyping. But knowing India's fallibility in the Finals, be prepared to be fooled the day after 'All Fool's Day' !






S-Pun Doctor

Appam, Guruvayoorappan and Sree's anth

Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, Indian Dressing room. 3:00 PM, 23 February 2011. Closed door meeting of Team India with Gary Kirsten and his support staff.

The ICC Anti-Corruption Unit has installed secret spy cameras in all the dressing rooms. We have managed to watch this sensational video, thanks to our contacts with some bookies who have grabbed the contracts to install these cameras.

We sincerely regret our inability to provide the actual video due to copyright issues. Before anyone posts the video on Youtube and the BCCI deletes it, here it is; the commentary of the entire meeting "deferred live".

Gary, Dhoni, Sachin, Viru, Gauty, Bhajji, Zaheer and Yuvi sitting on comfortable chairs at the center of the room arranged like a thirty yard circle. Raina, Virat, Munaf, Chawla, Yusuf and Gary's support staff can be seen gracing an outer circle of chairs, like the boundary ropes.

Ashwin is loitering around outside the outer circle without knowing where he was supposed to sit. He has a cup of piping hot coffee in his left hand. He is all ears and hence the coffee is still waiting. Are we missing someone ?

Gary: Okay, everyone on board. Everyone can express opinions here. All of you are opinionators. But nothing goes outside. So let us start. We can't take England batting lightly. They chased down 293 in spite of opener KP never opening up.

Bhajji: Gary Paji, honestly none of us have expressed any opinions on Bored or anywhere else. All that is totally fabricated by some strange guys called Vibheeshan and Golden Jazz. Looking at these names, they are likely to be Sri Lankans who want to divide our united unity.  I have asked Sachin Paji to talk to Malinga about this. If I come across these guys, I will cut those hands off.

Gary: Alright Bhajji, we all know you are such a team man and you will never write a report like that.

Yuveraj: What report ? Bhajji can't even SMS properly. Saala report kya likhega ?

Gary: Enough is enough, everyone falls in line...

Munaf Patel suddenly wakes up from his slumber and asks, "Gary, did you say Munaf is Munaf ? But I maintained good line and length"

Dhoni: Exactly, we have to maintain line and length and keep them below 234 odd if they bat first. And Sreesanth should keep quite. As long as he is not messing up with certain things, it is fine.

At this juncture, Ashish Nehra limps in with a toothy grin and joins the outer circle. He declares, "I am fit for England, I want to screw them again. This time not 6, I want 7"

Sachin, asserting that he too is fit again, "What do you think is a good score if we are batting first ?"

Viru: 175...

Gauty: Abe team ka total pooch raha hai, tera nahin...

Zaheer: It looks like a turning track. 250 - 260 kaafi hoga. Chawla bhi toh hoga !

Viru: Theek hai, theek hai. Sreesanth nahin hoga toh theek hai. Waise baaki ke 75 - 85 kaun banaayega ?

Virat: Viru Bhai, you can't score 175 in every game...

Viru: Why not ? I want to play 50 overs. Last time out hogaya, toh iss baar poore pachaas hazaar, I mean poore pachaas overs khelna hai...

Gary: [Cutting short Viru] It isn't important who scores how many, we need a team effort...

Pathan suddenly stands up and yells, "What team ? I can win any match from any position..."

Yuveraj: Saala 2 century kya lagaya aur lambi lambi baat karta hai... Ek over me 6 sixer lagaake dikha. And then turns to Dhoni and asks, "Mahi, woh Broad ka bachcha Broad khel raha hai kya ?"

Dhoni: Yuvi, your role in the team has been redefined. You have to do a little bit of everything, batting, bowling and fielding.

Yuveraj: What do you think I am doing now ? I am bowling more than bit, I am batting very little, and fielding a little too.

Raina: What fielding ? I can do much better. The last time you dived in to the swimming pool, all the water splashed out. You can't dive now...

Gary: No fighting please...

Dhoni: Exactly, it is alright to pick up small issues with opponents till a certain level. But you should not create problems for team mates. Sreesanth should maintain discipline, as long as he is not crossing certain lines, it is alright. I am missing Street smart Obama, I mean Pehelwan PK. What we have got instead is an over-smart Appam. What can we do ? Injuries are part and parcel of the game...

All this while feeling like an orphan, Sreesanth is sitting at a corner and watching again and again his 5-0-53-0 spell against Bangladesh.

He grunts, kisses his lockets with all those religious symbols, draws an imaginary cross over his chest and then swears to himself, "Oh Guruvayoorappa, I too want a revenge match. Please let Bangladesh qualify for Semi-Final and I want to beat them and break that Kayes' head"

Meanwhile Yuvi wants to prove a point to Raina and dives right over Raina's head and lands heavily on Sreesanth. Sree in turn goes cartwheeling and bangs his head to the LCD television monitor and is knocked out cold. A part of the LCD monitor goes black.

There is utter chaos and someone shouts, "Pour some water on his face". In the pandemonium, Chawla does what he thinks is best suited [to himself]. He snatches the cup from Ashwin and pours all the hot coffee on Sree's face and trips Nehra with his legs and Nehra too lands with a thud and has injured his hamstrings again.

Dhoni: See, I had just warned him and here he is. Kabhie nahin sudhrega. He has damaged the LCD monitor and now Nehra is injured and will not be able to take 7 wickets against England. I think we have to report this to the Match Referee. Australia and Ponting can do whatever they like, but we are not like them.

Sreesanth is recovering from daze. Wiping off the coffee from his face and neck, Sree grumbles, "But Dhoni Bhai, what did I do ? I don't even know what hit me. Was it an Earthquake or did the roof collapse ? And why am I smelling like Indian Coffee House waiter ?"

Yuveraj takes offense and yells, "Look Appam C, I am not that heavy as you are insinuating", turns to Dhoni and moans, "See, how derogatory he is talking about me..."

Sreesanth: Wait, wait Yuvi Paaji wait, I didn't...

Yuveraj: Dekho dekho, baar baar mere weight ke baare me bol raha hai...

Dhoni: Yes, yes... It is very difficult to control Sreesanth. We have tried our best to reform him. But how he has smashed the LCD monitor, broken Nehra's long leg and hurt Yuvi's senti mentals. We can't tolerate this anymore. Sreesanth has crossed all the certain lines and now he has to be punished. I am going to call a press meet at 7:30 PM !

Sreesanth: Ende Guruvayoorappa rakshikkane ... !




S-Pun Doctor

World Cup Early Favorites : Mind Speaks !

I am not at all happy writing this post. But when I feel like this, I have to.

Will India triumph on 2 April 2011 ?

My Heart wants to say "Yes", but the mind screams "NO" and silences the heart !

Why ? Let me give my reasons why other teams stand better chances.

This World Cup is like a Marathon Race. It is quite long, as long as some of my posts. The last team standing on the podium will be the one with the maximum endurance. And India don't look like they possess it.

Let me explain why I rate the chances of India lower than other teams.

1] South Africa: For me, they are the favorites this time. They have played good amount of Cricket and almost all are fit. Their Batting might is perhaps second only to India. But they have the best bowling army with enough ammunition to exploit any conditions. Bowling and quality of fielding will make the difference on Subcontinental pitches. So they start as favorites.
Key Players: Kallis, who else ? Steyn and Amla.

2] England: Forget Ryan ten Doeschate. Forget 6-1. That was a team drained after the monumental Ashes win. England will be a different team at the WC-11. They too have a fabulous batting line up, perhaps third strongest. But it is the bowling and the Swann factor that will make the difference. They seem to find ready replacements for any injured bowler. So, they are my second finalists.
Key Players: This could be ODI Swann song for Peitersen and Paul Collingwood !

3] Sri Lanka: Their middle order is nowhere near that of India or South Africa. But the 'Big Two' seem to deliver most of the times when it comes to ICC World Cup. But what makes them hot is the sheer quality and variety of their bowling attack. No team can boast of having every type of bowler except the Lions. How the middle order fairs will decide their fate in the knock out stages.
Key Players: Malinga and Murali.

4] Australia: Forget ThrAshes. Forget practice matches. Aussies are a different team in ODI Cricket. Absence of Mussey will hurt them. Else I would have put them at No. 2. They have two vital players, Watson and Lee and they will leave a big impact on WC-11. And never discount Ponting. Bowling is much better than India and that gives them the edge.
Key Players: Shane Watson and Brett Lee.

5] Pakistan: Cornered from all sides thanks to match and spot-fixing and players not mixing; Pakistan nevertheless is a team on the accent. They play their best when they are pressed hard. Bowling looks impressive even though a tad erratic. But if they can bowl out teams after conceding 25 wides, who cares ? Yunis Khan will be the fulcrum of this low on experience but high on Adrenaline Team.
Key Players: Any one from the 11 !

6] India: Batting card looks like a dream. But bowling causes nightmares. Sreesanth can win and lose matches single-handed. More often he manages the second. Ashish Nehra does not inspire enough confidence either. Munaf had a decent outing against Bangladesh. But can he bowl as well defending 270 ?

Bhajji doesn't really know his role in the team. Is he supposed to control runs or take wickets ? Zaheer can be fit and unfit even before you can pronounce the name Isha Sharvani. And then the Yuveraj Singh issue, is he a batsman who can bowl a bit or a bowler who can bat a bit ?

It is 'All is well' for Men in Blue when at least 2 of the top 4 score big. But that doesn't happen everyday. And there lies the problem. When the Top order falters, India lose the plot. So, for the miracle to happen, Sachin, Viru, Gauty and Virat should fire in every single match. Will that happen ?

If India have to win in spite of all these short-comings, Zaheer and Bhajji will have to deliver consistently and big time apart from the Top order !






S-Pun Doctor

Ponting is Right !

In spite of his great batting deeds, in spite of his 3 successive World Cup wins and in spite of his place in the pantheons of the 'All Time Greats' of Cricket; I have never really liked Ponting.

Well, almost all Indians have reasons not to like him. The caning suffered in the 2003 World Cup Final being just one of them !

Most of the times, I have scoffed at Ponting and his rantings. But not this time.
What he said is absolutely true.

Minnows have no place at the World Cup !

The ICC should seriously think in this direction and thankfully they already have if the reports are to be believed. But I am against having even 10 teams. There should be only 8 teams, just 8 and no more.

But isn't this injustice to the associate members ? This could sound so on face value, but it is not. There is a way out. This is how we go about it...

The Main Event should have only 8 teams as it was till 1987.

Each Team will play another team once and the Top 4 will qualify for the Semi-Finals.

The Final should be a best of 3 affair to test the endurance and the ability to bounce back.

Top 6 Teams qualify to play main event based on overall ODI rankings 12 months prior to the main event.

There should be a First round of qualifying tourney involving teams ranked 7 to 20 in the format that is being played now at this Cup.

Let this be held in different countries and the ICC should support the event. This tourney can also be called Plate Division World Cup or something like that.

Both the finalists will get to play the main event.

This will mean the minnows will get to play more matches between themselves and also get to play 2 - 3 teams from the Test playing group. The competition will certainly improve.

Fear of relegation can lead to an improvement in the Test Playing Nations Group too.

Imagine India, England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, South Africa or even Australia being relegated to the qualifying tourney. That will hurt the egos and can inspire stiffer competition.

A Test playing nation missing out on main event is a possibility. When that happens, it will act as a wake up call to that team and an incentive to the one that pipped them.

What happened yesterday [20 February 2011] was just not Cricket.
It was massacre, slaughter, annihilation, decimation, humiliation and anything you like !
Let us not suffer more of those insufferably lopsided Sundays.
Who will watch them ? Just who will pay to watch Canada playing Kenya in India ?



S-Pun Doctor

Team India: Dhaka Dhamaka !

Revenge of the Blue Brigade; Well done with some minor hiccups !

Sehwag: Has never minced words. From Ordinary Test side to Revenge match, he talks like he bats and bats like he talks. Absolute Sehwagging ! Looks and sounds great when it works. Now he wants to bat longer and perhaps through the innings. Some serious stuff but augurs well for Team India.

Sachin: What was he thinking when he started that run ? He was shaping up better than Viru at that stage. Well, little big man, save your best for the big matches.

Gambhir: Looked good till he was undone by one that kept a shade lower. He will have to bat longer when the big two have an off day.

Virat: Century on World Cup Debut was waiting to happen for the most competent batsman to arrive since Dravid. Amidst all the Sehwagging, Virat completed a century in lesser balls than Sehwag.

Pathan: Had very little scope to go ballistic. Fielded as if this was the final. Got rid of Bangladesh Captain when he was going great guns.

Yuveraj: Pulled off a brilliant catch to dismiss Tamim and kept the bowling tight. Is he going the 'Up the Anti [e] - Ravi Shastri' way ? Shastri arrived as a bowler but retired as a tired and rusted Opener. Yuveraj arrived as a batsmen second only to Sachin in talent and will probably retire as a tired and frustrated left arm pie chucker.

Dhoni: The way he slaughtered New Zealand bowling must have given Sehwag the kick. Viru must have thought, "WTF, even Dhoni is hitting like this, so why not me ?". Kept his tryst with toss. We wouldn't mind a bit if he loses 9 out of 9 as long as India win matches.

Bhajji: He was by far the best bowler tonight. Don't look at the score card. He kept things water tight after the Sreesanth nightmare.

Zaheer: Yellow hair and some flair. Even when his partner was getting caned, the Khan kept things under check. Experience helps. Remember it was his first over that sunk India in 2003.

Munaf: Munaf is Enough. I eat my words. He was really good, damn good. If he keeps things like this most of the times, I am ready to suffer his fielding and all else.

Sreesanth: The eternal bad boy was chosen ahead of Ashish because of his speed. Faster he bowled, faster he was thumped to boundaries. Let us not be too critical. He was swinging the ball well. It just wasn't his day perhaps. But it is almost certain that Dhoni will go back to his trusted Nehra and I wouldn't fault him if he does so.




S-Pun Doctor

5 Greatest Events in Indian Cricket : My Take !

"Winning the World Cup in 1983, against heavy odds, was a huge achievement; perhaps the greatest in the history of Indian Cricket"

 Sachin Tendulkar - 17 February 2011.

5:27 Moment in this video changed everything for Indian Cricket and forever so. Still one month short of attaining teenage; I woke up on 26 June 1983 with sweets being distributed and a festive mood all over.

I faintly remember how it all went then. It was good, the sweets too were. All the talk and back slapping of the elders was fun. But today I am quite sure of what it must have been. Nothing before and nothing since-forth can lay claim to the title 'Greatest Moment in Indian Cricket'. Never !

Cricket was just a game in this country till then. When we look back, Cricket as a religion was born on 25 June 1983. It found 'The God' about six years later on 16 November 1989. No other individual has ever fired the imagination of a nation and I don't know if anyone ever can do it again. Not likely in my life time.

As we wait for the the tenth ODI Cricket World Cup to begin tomorrow, here is a look at some of the momentous moments in Indian Cricket. This strictly is my view and is open for dissection. First and second moments, I already have mentioned. So let me start from No. 3.

3] The Benson and Hedges World Championship in 1985: For want of Youtube videos of the Final, I have provided this link of the all important Semi-final, famous for the Kapil Dev - Vengsarkar partnership that lifted India from the grave. This win was special for the way it was achieved.

India were clinically efficient and maintained a clean slate as they bowled out every opponent on the way to final. This was also special because the then Gen-next of Indian Cricket; Shastri, Srikkanth, Azhar, Siva and S. Vishwa gelled well with Gavaskar, Mohindar, Kapil, Madan, Binny and Vengsarkar. It was special also for the way Sunny managed to lift a divided and demoralized team to glory.

4] T-20 World Cup in 2007: Dhoni and his boys were never expected to win. Like Kapil's Devils, they too were underdogs. But the spirit shown by this virtually second string team lead them to a memorable win. It perhaps began 'Here'.

There are so many wins; Some Memorable, Some Special and Some Sensational. But for me, something that happened away from the playing field qualifies for a slot over here. We all know the Internet has taken over the Planet Earth. So many Cricket blogs have spawned the Internet including this one.

We do have some extremely good individual or team blogs. Greyblazer, Shridhar, Som, Vidooshak and Golandaaz Opinionators, Strawberry Fields and many more. I enjoy all these wonderful blogs. But Cricket is a Team Game and when a Team has a collection of the best of the talent, that naturally becomes the finest !

5] For the quality of the stuff exhibited, the clarity of some of those elegant strokes, and for all those illustrations; there is but 'ONE' Cricket Blog that has enthused me the most.

Just look at the Team...

Like IPL, they might play for other teams too, but they are 'Here' and that counts !

1] Straight Points.
2] Naked Cricket.
3] AweSome Doosra.
4] Homer.
5] The Achettup.
6] A Bisht.
7] Cricket minded Poorna.
8] Mahek.
9] Ankit and Ankit !
10] The Half and Half, Mister and Missus Cricket Couch.
11] John
And the OTHER team members !

They have given us 'Che' and KhufiaBaaz.
We also got the first native born Comic Strip Hero, the Jatman !
With all this, you simply can't be bored on the Bored ! 

BCC! is 'One of the finest things' to have happened to Indian Cricket since 25-6-1983 !
I rest my case.

PS:
Hope Team India manage to make it a 'Sixer' the day next to All Fools Day this year !




S-Pun Doctor

Maheadlines in the times of World Cup !

Weird things do happen in Cricket. They just keep happening. More so during the World Cup.

He wasn't even thought of as a WC probable before the South Africa ODI Series.

4 wickets on an apology of a track and Dhoni has warmed up to Piyush Chawla.

In a batting card that reads: Sachin, Sehwag, Gambhir, Kohli, Yuveraj, Pathan, Dhoni, Bhajji and Zaheer Khan...

"This is what we hear": Chawla needs to contribute with bat too: Dhoni

What about Yuveraj, Raina and Dhoni himself ?

Dhoni aka Mahi is the Head of Team India. Hence whatever he utters becomes Maheadlines !

We are living in weird yet exciting times.

We can expect more and more Maheadlines...

Yuveraj needs to take 5 wickets more often

Sachin needs to score more ODI centuries than anyone

Pathan needs to win more matches from any position

Sehwag has to improve his strike rate while batting 50 overs

Ashwin is too tall for a spinner, he needs to get shorter

Munaf has to cut down on speed while bowling and running

Zaheer has to lead from the front and then back too

Sreesanth shouldn't open his mouth to appeal or even to eat Appam

Gambhir needs to bowl his leg-spin more regularly

Virat should improve his wicket-keeping skills

Nehra's teeth need to visit a Dentist before the Final

Raina needs to change his gear [Does it mean the CSK gear ?] 

Bhajji should remember he hasn't scored an ODI Century

And...

I think I must give more tips to my team-mates





S-Pun Doctor

Cold facts from the Warm-up game !

*

Some interesting and random sub-plots from the warm up game.

What looked like a cake walk turned into choke walk for the Aussies.

The match looked all but over at Australia 118 / 1 in the 22 over.

But as was quoted by Yogi Berra, "It ain't over until it is over !".

13 people played for India on Sunday the 13th February.

One bad-boy [Sreesanth] welcomed another bad boy [Ponting] in a manner that suited both.

Australia couldn't warm up enough in the cold wintry Bangalore evening and collapsed like Pakistan. The Pakistani Umpire must have felt at home.

Krejza continues to pick the wicket of Sehwag when he least looks like doing anything on field.

Raina and Yuvi continue to compete with each other and we still don't know who is behind.

Chawla has at least for the time being, proved me wrong and put Yuvi and Raina in serious trouble.

If pitches continue to behave this way throughout the Cup, it might be 2 + 2 + part-timers for India. Nehra and Sree will have to fill in the second seamer's slot.

Yusuf Pathan will retire with more sixes than fours, singles or twos at the end of his career.

It looked as if Johnson had started the walk back even before Bhajji bowled the ball. He was very close to the boundary line when Dhoni removed the bails.

Ponting's slog sweep was neither a slog nor a sweep. It almost looked like a swog sleep or whatever.

Michael Clarke makes a better Captain than a batsman if that is any consolation.

Virat Kohli is good. But he still isn't Dravid or Laxman. Neither in the slips nor with the clips [of the hips].

Munaf Patel did a huge favor to us. We knew he'd be cannon-fodder on Indian pitches. Thankfully he proved that well before the curtain-raiser.

Mitchell Johnson again bowled twice as many wides as all the Indian bowlers together.

Australia bowled more than 4 additional overs thanks to wides.

In fact not only Johnson but Hastings, Lee and Dussey out-wide-balled India.

And to think I was one of the very few Indians who didn't get to bowl today because Aussies folded up in 38 overs.

Ashwin and Nehra won the match for India. The 44 runs the No. 10 / 11 scored was the difference.

Australia's part-time spinners appear to be better than the main spinner.

India's lower order looks better than the middle order [which is still in South Africa].

And finally, a sensational scoop, breaking news and revelation all put together...

Sachin and Zaheer are India's secret weapons being hidden from the opponents.



S-Pun Doctor

Blah Blah Black Sheep !

2005-06: Virendar Sehwag wanted to score the first double century in ODI Cricket. He hasn't gone past 150 ever since. Even when he was on the verge of a 100, Randiv or Sehwag himself have denied him the coveted mark.

If not for Anil Kumble's insistence he would not even have played down under in 2008 and a great talent would have ended up in oblivion.

In the meanwhile, another man reached the summit without making any noise.

2011, after just 3 knocks worth remembering in international Cricket , Yusuf Pathan has done This !

"I can win matches from any position"

Confidence is when your actions speak for yourself. Arrogance is when words overtake your actions !

Blah blah Black sheep,
Can you play ball ?
Yes Sir, Yes Sir,
Better than them all !
One for the Leader,
One for the name,
And one for the big boy
Who lives high on fame !

I don't know if Yusuf Pathan really did all this blah blah. It is perfectly possible the wily interviewer has put those words into the mouth of Pathan. Not as proficient in English as his better equipped half brother, Yusuf has been given leading questions to do all this talk.

Rediff and many others in the E-media have always done this hyping that has only harmed Indian Cricket and nothing more. The question is, why do they do this ? Is someone really paying them to do this ?

I have read somewhere that Yusuf doesn't listen to many people and goes by his own judgment. He is believed to be close to a few people and will trust and do only according to what his core group thinks. That is fine. But if this ill-conceived sham of an interview was in accordance with his confidantes, then he should change his think tank for better.

Yusuf had told somewhere else that "I hit only those balls that are in my area". Well, most of the 'balls' in this piece of stinking journalism were basically way outside his area. He should have left them alone. Some of them were so wide and now he has been caught on the third-man boundary.

When arrogance shouts, performance is bound to go mute. Yusuf should shut up and let his bat do the talking. He still is one bad shot away from being dropped. Dhoni had kept him out favoring Vijay and Nohit Sharma soon after that epochal hundred against Kiwis. Dhoni can do it again to keep Raina and Yuvi in.

Hope our big man from humble origins doesn't get carried away by this big hype. This isn't the time to lose who could really be our triumph-card. He can indeed win matches from very difficult situations. But it looks better on field than on some hits-hungry portal.

Hope the Electronic Media leaves our Cricketers alone to play Cricket !

S-Pun Doctor

Sree No Evil, Here No Evil !

Sreesanth: Bridle Him but Don't Smother Him

The so called Enfant Terrible of Indian Cricket is back. Back through the back door. I am not complaining.

But am I happy ? I am, I am. Not because Sree is from my adopted town Kochi. Not because I like Sree. But because, this World Cup needs Characters.

We will miss Symonds. Hayden, McGrath and Nel too will be missed. Dada has retired. We don't know when Show Pony Shoaib Aqthar will break down. Ponting isn't sure either. Asif and Amer stand no-balled. The lacuna created by the retirement of Warne is tough to be filled.

I just don't see any characters. Same Dhoni, Strauss, Tendulkar, Dan, Sanga and Binga; all talking goody goody nothings. How boring it all could have been ? It just isn't fair to expect Bhajji and less than a handful of people to entertain us when the going gets too serious.

So welcome Sree, we are happy for you. I feel bad for 'Pahelwan' Praveen. He definitely is our best new ball bowler. But Sree isn't far behind when the seam is in line and his head too is fine.

I hear a lot of noise about his temperament and tantrums. But I really feel all this is a little too overblown. Andre Nel, Glenn McGrath, Javd Miandad, Allen Donald and many others including our own Bhajji have behaved much worse on field. But only Sree gets all the bad press and negative vibes even from his own Captain.

When he was slapped by Bhajji during IPL-1, Bhajji got the suspension but Sree got all the bad publicity. Some people even went to the extent of rejoicing the episode. Ishant Sharma has been much more expensive but only Sreesanth's economy rate becomes an issue of prime time debate. Totally unfair.

Never consider me a supporter of bad behavior. But a little bit of aggression on field by an Indian bowler goes a long way in restoring the balance. The balance in favor of our beleaguered batsmen, who have been accused 'Flat Track Bullies'.

I have always believed Indian batsmen are exploited with 'short pitched barrage' by opponents mainly because our own bowlers don't give it back as well as they get. Just see the result when Sree bounced out Kallis with a beast at Durban. That aggression is what we need.

Aggression he indeed brings in tonnes. Dhoni reprimanded him when any other Captain would have patted him. Sree got the goat of Smith and then his wicket. He demolished the myth that only Indian batsmen were weak against bouncers. And what he got in return ? A public admonition from his Captain.

Hope Dhoni will be smarter this time. Sree is a passionate Cricketer who wants to take wickets and win matches for his country. He has done well in recent times in all forms of Cricket. He needs the support of his Captain and his Country. Bridle him for sure. Rein him in to certain extent, fine. But please don't smother him.

Allow him to breathe and he could be breathing fire. We need the fire and the passion !




S-Pun Doctor

Beyond the Deadlines : Vasachari's Mantap !

There was this famous incident that became a local legend in our small town of Karkala decades ago. It remains a point of reference even today.

A rich man's daughter was getting married. The Bridegroom and his party were to arrive from a nearby village in the morning on wedding day. The small community didn't want to compromise on quality and status. It was a matter of prestige. So the preparations were going on with a lot of  fanfare.

The bride's family wanted the 'Mandap' or 'Pandal' to be erected by none other than the expert carpenter of town, 'Vasachari'. He consented and started work the previous day. He had assured the completion of work in time. Next morning, he was still fixing a rod here and driving a nail there even as the groom's party arrived.

In the din of receiving guests and honoring them, the brides family altogether forgot the 'Work in progress'. But our man was dedicated to the core. His work went on and on and on even as the marriage ceremony began and was duly solemnized after prolonged rituals lasting over 6 hours.

Later in the evening, at the time of 'Bidai' or 'Farewell' ceremony of the bride; people noticed Vasachari and his disciple still working on the Mandap. He was just about giving finishing touches to his master-piece. When told that the function was long over; he reacted, "Well, my work too is over".

After this incident, if the preparations for any event got delayed; people started telling, "Oh yet another Vasachari's Mandap in the making !"

First we had CWG fiasco and now the Eden tragedy. The media would like us to believe India always manage to get into the hall of shame. But is this really so humiliating as is made out to be ?

I would say no, a Big NO !

This simply is a trait for us. Like it or leave it, this is what we are. The problem with us is that we hate to reach anywhere ahead of schedule. For the rich and the famous, that is below dignity. For small people like me, it is a way of life. Just like guzzling beer for the Aussies and worrying about the human rights of terrorists for Arundhati Roy.

But why ? Why do we hate to be early ? We all know the big people will be late. So we have to wait and wait really long. We also get caught in traffic. And never discount problems like the premature delivery of a she-buffalo in the neighborhood.

In spite of all the hurdles and hiccups, CWG went according to schedule and was a success. So it would have been with Eden if only the ICC had shown some patience. Alas, ICC is not IOC and Shashank Manohar isn't Kalmadi. Neither is he Lalit Modi, and that is unfortunate.

I cannot but suspect some politics in this. Is it to spite the Dalmiya group that the Pawar-powered ICC disqualified Kolkotta ? We still have to recover from the Dada snub by IPL. Anything is possible !

But coming back to our culture and nature, working till the last moment and even beyond is indeed our style. Starting from a simple annual day function at a Primary School to the AICC meeting at Delhi and the CWG, the preparations have to go on till the curtains go up.

What worth is any event that is not botched up in the beginning but ends up "All is Well" ? We love to overcome problems, hurdles and mutinies. If there aren't any, we love to create them and then triumph over them. Like Vasachari, we believe in working irrespective of deadlines.

Will Eden get a chance ?




S-Pun Doctor

Before the Cup; My Gifts to Team India !

The Cricket World Cup is around. The excitement is building up. I can never support any other team but Team India till they are knocked out. Right now I am optimistic in spite of all the negative talk and Piyush Chawla.

If they win, Team India will face a deluge of awards. If they lose, some of them might have to apply for Police protection to their person and properties. Cricket Crazy Indians, we all are !

But even if they don't win, I adore Team India including Piyush Chawla. Hope they win and win a lot of awards, prizes and contracts.

I am a middle class blogger and can't afford to reward them big. But I would like to give one gift each to every member of Team India. Howsoever trivial they might appear, I love to give them even before they play their first match at Mirpur against their 2007 nemesis.

So here are my gifts to Team India... 

1] Sachin Tendulkar: Kapil Dev said Sachin will not retire without a World Cup. If this one eludes him, it is unlikely that he can win in 2015. So I very humbly would like to gift him a miniature World Cup trophy. If India win, great. If they don't, let him keep it as a consolation prize. 

2] Virendar Sehwag: A sustained release icepack fitted into the helmet. He will need it to keep his cool. Viru is vital for India's fortunes. If Sehwagging continues throughout the tourney, the Cup cometh home. 

3] Gautam Gambhir: A tongue depressor; used in the Doctor's clinic to keep the tongue down. Gauty's bat starts to falter when his tongue takes over. He has already put an enormous burden on the team by saying this is our best chance. I remember 1987. 

4] Yuveraj Singh: No, not Revital. He is already on that. A DVD of his altercation with Andrew Flintoff and the aftermath is what he needs. The difference between the Cup and the Slip for India will be, the form of Yuvi; literally and figuratively ! 

5] Virat Kohli: Tee-shirt with "Attitude, wear it on your gloves". He might be benched initially, but should not be disappointed. The Dude with attitude needs to keep his head during the Cup. 

6] Mahendra Singh Dhoni: A miniature Helicopter. He needs to be reminded of the 'shot'. Not only in Pepsi ads, he needs to play them on the field. 

7] Yusuf Pathan: A complete Gillette Mach-3 shaving system with accessories. He needs to be told it isn't the beard that is responsible for his runs. Clean shaven guys and even his former Rajastan Royals buddy Shane Watson are scoring runs; without a beard. If the beard were to bring luck, all the Mullahs would have won the Cup for Afghanistan. 

8] Suresh Raina: The CSK jersey. He somehow becomes a transformed man in that outfit. Send him in Indian colors with CSK jersey underneath. He will have added protection against the 'short ball'. 

9] Harbhajan Singh: A wrist band with 'No. 1' inscribed. Forget 'Doosra'. Bhajji needs to get is 'Pehla' going on Indian pitches. How else can we stem the runs in the middle overs. He will have to bowl on those 'national highways'.

10] Zaheer Khan: A "Taweez' to keep him free of injuries during the whole tourney. Though I don't believe in them, I've heard Cricketers are a superstitious lot. It might just keep him happy. If any bowler can win it for India, Khan can.

11] Ashish Nehra: An old fashioned foot-role. He needs to keep them straight and not on the leg-stump.

12] Munaf Patel: A Roller-skates set. He needs to run on the field, not walk in the park. 

13] Ravichandran Ashwin: A Bench. He will have to warm it all through the Cup, unless Bhajji gets injured or badly mauled in initial stages. 

14] Praveen Kumar: A mechanical Swing. He needs to do just that with the new ball and with the old ball. Lest him go the Ajit Agarkar way. 

15] Piyush Chawla: He already has got one in the form of a berth in the squad. Anymore pampering will be injustice to Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha.

And finally... 

Gary Kirsten: Not me, only Team India can give him a parting gift. The Prize will be the only befitting gift to his Priceless contribution to Team India. Hope they do it for the First and the Last man in my list; they deserve it !






S-Pun Doctor

Neighbor's Envy, Owner's Pride ?

*

Neighbor's Envy ? Yes

Owner's Pride ? Unfortunately Not !

India's World Cup Team has been announced. Some surprises never manage to surprise us. We know there will be surprises. We just have get ready to be surprised. Remember Sunil Valsan ? He has a distinction which even Sachin Tendulkar doesn't have. He was part of a World Cup winning team.

On every tour, we should carry a reservation candidate. Right now, Saha is the one in South Africa. Piyush Chawla it will be, for the WC-11. The OBC perhaps. How did he manage to get in there is a question only Srikkanth and Co will be able to answer.

Why does Sreesanth find himself out of favor and perpetually unfit and of late profligate Nehra retain his place is a big surprise too. No one grudges Munaf Patel's selection, but this team has at least 5 men in the 'wounded soldiers' list. Sachin, Sehwag, Gambhir, Praveen and Zaheer are the names. Do we have worthy replacements ? What will happen if 3 or 4 or all of them fail to recover ?

With Dhoni having more faith in any Tom, Dick and Harry compared to Pathan, it won't be a surprise if they go for 5 bowlers scheme of things. That should give some hope for Chawla. Else, he will not be playing a single match during the Cup.

As I was wondering over the selection issues, I was tickled by THIS ! Howsoever stupid might be their Head Butt; Pakistan Cricket is a marvel to be marveled about. They have demolished New Zealand in New Zealand, within a month of the Kiwis' tour of India where the fancied Indians were made to sweat and grind on home soil.

This is practically Half-B Team of Pakistan. Yunis Khan, Misbah ul Haq and Umar Gul are the only players from the possible best Pakistan -11 playing here. In spite of that, they have crushed the Kiwis in the first test and done so quite handsomely. Coming to second test, Pakistan are on the verge of a series win; their first since 2006.

We are talking about Australia missing their greats and how they are suffering. We also see how South Africa miss Kallis and India miss their 'Stars' every time they lose. Murali-less Sri Lanka become tooth-less Tigers. Pakistan are playing without almost entire team thanks to several problems and Ejaz Butt. But they still can win.

I salute the 'Spirit of Pakistan Cricket' ! And also the ever enthusing talent pool ! If only they had a proper system, they would have been the team to beat. Why doesn't someone bump off the Butt and some more of those Mismanagers of PCB ? They have so much talent at their disposal even for this job ! After all Butt is a Blasphemy on Cricket !

Still, in spite of all their problems; for me, Pakistan will be the dark-horses for WC-2011 !




S-Pun Doctor

Square and Fair : InSaf Well and Truly Done !

Square and Fair : InSaf Well and Truly Done !

A Progress Report of India - South Africa Series

South Africa -1 India - 1 in 3 Test Series. Twice in less than a year ! Home and Away for both teams. 

InSaf well and truly done ! 

Finally if we look at the whole series...

South Africa scored 1669 runs losing 44 wickets with an average of 37.93

India scored 1558 runs losing 53 wickets with an average of 29.40

South Africa scored quicker, bigger and won their win by an Innings at Centurion.
Team India scored slower, smaller and managed to Square at Durban by 87 runs.

So why do I say InSaf was done ?
Let us take a look at Player Report cards.

Team India Report Card

Zaheer: He is India's Champion bowler and did 'InSaf' to his billing and the faith his team had in him. Never forget the Durban second innings partnership with VVS.
Rating: 8.5 / 10

Sachin: India's best player in the series contributed very little when they won. Still played a major role and continues to rule.
Rating: 8.5 / 10 

Laxman: Whenever India win, this Man has to be around. Centurion was a disaster. But I will remember his knock on final day at Capetown because only 'He' played Cricket. All others batted to kill 'Test Cricket'.
Rating: 7.5 / 10 

Gambhir: Proved me wrong. Has stronger character than his more famous partner in crime. Overcame his 'Short-coming' with real guts. Forget averages, he was one of the main reasons the series ended 1-1.
Rating: 7.5 / 10 

Bhajji: Return of the prodigal. For all the panning, he has bounced back as a bowler in this series. Batted well when mattered.
Rating: 7 / 10

Dhoni: Another feather in the crown for Captain Cool who has not yet lost a Test Series. Batted perhaps his best in a long time; especially the first 50 runs at Centurion is why Dhoni is Dhoni.
Rating: 6.5 / 10 

Sreesanth: Lackluster at Centurion, he was real hot after that. Deserves all accolades for the Smith and Kallis dismissals at Durban. Make no mistakes, curb his aggression and you lose a wicket taking bowler.
Rating: 6 / 10 

Pujara: Again forget runs and averages. Che is much better than his returns. Persist with him. And when was the last time we saw a run-out like that of Tsostobe at Durban ?
Rating: 4.5 / 10

Ishant: Was steady after Centurion debacle. But could have been better.
Rating: 4 / 10

Vijay: Got to play in the most difficult match. Deserves better for his grit. Better than Raina on any day in Test Cricket.
Rating: 3.5 / 10

Sehwag: Disappointing. Threw his wicket away almost all the time. Centurion would have been different if he had not played 2 out of 2 bad shots. His cameo at Durban second innings was worth much more than those runs. But playing like Dravid at Capetown was unpardonable.
Rating: 2 / 10 

Dravid: Collingwood gone. Did he talk to RD before that ? For me, Dravid is a stumbling block for Team India. Sorry Great Man, but your time is long over.
Rating: 2 / 10

Raina: Save the future India Captain. Tigers can wait. He needs a break and a shoulder and some gumption. If Gambhir can, so can Raina.
Rating: 1 / 10

South Africa Report Card

1] Kallis: He was all over the place except when Sreesanth bounced him with a beast. The Player of the series deserving.
Rating: 9 / 10 

2] Steyn: Easily the best bowler in the world today. Couldn't have bowled more or better without risking breakdown. Practically it was series between Steyn and India.
Rating: 9 / 10

3] Boucher: Turned the Capetown test around with his aggression in second innings. He is a top performer in tough situations.
Rating: 6 / 10

4] Amla: The hometown jinx continues to haunt. Made merry at Centurion, but was just okay after that. Still the man in form. But failed at crucial times.
Rating: 5 / 10

5] de Villiers: Future Saf Captain dominated when his team was on top. Bad decisions included, he could not raise the bar when India started bowling better.
Rating: 4.5 / 10

6] Tsotsobe: Troubled Tendulkar. Was unlucky often. Took a stunning catch and was mostly ordinary.
Rating: 3.5 / 10

7] Smith: With or without Zaheer, India mostly have got better of Saf Captain. Except for the first test, he was ordinary, and just better than Sehwag. Lost out to Sreesanth and then went wimp.
Rating: 3 / 10

8] Morkel: Bowling in really helpful and familiar conditions, he was not very impressive except for the fag end. Anyone would've picked up wickets at Centurion day-1. Ishant was better.
Rating: 3 / 10

9] Prince: Was patchy, but better than Petersen. More a Pauper than a Prince. Would find it tough to make it into a decent batting line up except Saf.
Rating: 3 / 10

10] Petersen: Was worse than his partner after the Centurion. The Saf openers were the reason for India's come back. Thanks both you guys !
Rating: 2.5 / 10

11] Harris: Was ordinary but for some good balls. India perhaps have exorcised the left arm spin ghost.
Rating: 2.5 / 10

Look at the individual ratings.
India had more players performing above 5 / 10 than South Africa.
For Saffers, it was all about Kallis and Steyn with all others making special appearances Post-Centurion.
For India, Zaheer, Sachin, Laxman, Sreesanth, Bhajji, Dhoni and Gambhir did the Star Turn at different stages.

Average rating point for India: 5.27
Average rating point for Saf: 4.63

The final result was Square and Fair !

S-Pun Doctor

A Special dedication to Aussies !

The Ashes going on down under is coming to a climax on Friday 7 January 2011. England have retained the urn. But will they do it in style by 'Thrashes" ? One man holds the key.

Whole of this series, the Aussies have been hearing and seeing just one thing, rather one man ! And he seldom talks  !

The baby faced Alistair has Cooked the Aussie goose true and proper. He was expected to score just 280 runs in the whole series. He did more than that in the first test itself. And now he seems to be in a mood to repeat the feat in the last test too.

So here is a 'Special dedication' to Ricky Ponting and his Team in true Indian and true Subhash Ghai style !

Listen to the Chorus Girls ! They seem to taunt the Aussies...

Cook Cook Cook Cook Cook Cook !




S-Pun Doctor

Golden Hundred: A Tribute to the Greatest Ever Cricketer !

When an institution completes 50 years, the landmark is called Golden Jubilee. An institution called Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar has reached a landmark today ! 50 Test Hundreds in his 175th Test. The man simply continues to get better ! There is only one way we can describe this Century at Centurion; "Golden Hundred" !

Golden Hundred it indeed is ! At 277 / 6 with Raina departing for yet another Catch Practice shots, India had the last recognized batting pair at the crease with over 50 overs to survive the day-4. Thanks to the refreshing attitude of Dhoni to play attacking game and the Mastery of the Master; India now stand a chance of saving the first test if the nature continues to favor them on the last day !

This isn't a wish for a rain to save India. They had the worst of the batting conditions and Saffers had the best of both bowling and batting conditions. So some help from the nature shouldn't hurt India. Even if they go on to lose this test, we can be sure of a fight back. Day-1 was just an aberration, not a rule. That is for sure.

Whatever happens from here, this series will be remembered for the one and only thing and that is Sachin's feat ! He faced chin music and survived. There were a barrage of short stuff. A lot of sledging was going on too. But in the end, he stood tall to see another day !

Here is a 'Salute' to the Man who has warmed the cockles of so many millions over the years !

Cricket was just a game before You arrived !

It became a Religion for this Country since You !

It will never be the same once You decide to call it a day !

Cricket Calenders will thenceforth be marked BT and AT
[Before Tendulkar and After Tendulkar] !

The middle period of 'During Tendulkar' will be known as the Golden Period !

Dedicated to the Greatest Ever to Play the Game of Cricket !



S-Pun Doctor

Super Sub to be Back ?

BCCI have requested the ICC to bring back the Super-Sub into ODI Cricket with immediate effect. It is believed the ICC too is keen on this. Here are the reasons for this sudden decision...

Look at the embarrassing situation the 'Poor Indian Selectors' are facing while they sit to select the Indian 11 for any of the World Cup Matches !

1] Sachin Tendulkar - My God ! He IS there !
2] Virendar Sehwag - Naam toh t-suna-mi hoga !
3] Gautam Gambhir - He is Seriously there - No Choice !
4] Virat Kohli - How can India afford to drop their Top Scorer of 2010 ?
5] Yuveraj Singh - Even a half fit Yuvi is better than many fully fit players !
6] Suresh Raina - Fielding and his floating nature make him inevitable !
7] Mahendra Dhoni - Captain and Wicket-Keeper can't drop him !
8] Harbhajan Singh - How can they drop a Bowling All-rounder ?
9] Zaheer Khan - He is India's Premier Bowler and Can bat a bit too !
10] Praveen Kumar - The Street Smart Pahelwan will be an asset once match-fit !
11] Sreesanth - We all know he is a wicket taking bowler !
12] Ashish Nehra - Has done enough to merit a place here !

Vijay, Parthiv Patel, Munaf Patel, Rohit Sharma, Saurabh Tiwari, Che Pujara, Robin Uthappa, Ishant Sharma, Jadeja, Ojha and many more are in contention too. Unfortunately they can't play Two Indian Teams !

So where does this leave our You-super Pathan ?
Imagine the Crowd support he can bring in after what he has done tonight !
Can they afford to miss out on one of the Biggest Potential Match Winner and Crowd Puller ?

NO...

So what is the solution ?

The Top half can win us 'Won' matches; I mean the well played matches !
Yusuf can win us the 'Lost' matches; those are the not so well played matches !
Bring in Yusuf Pathan for whoever is having an 'Off-Day' !
Even better, we can bring in any one for anyone not doing well on that day.
Make You-super Sub Pathan our Match Winner !





S-Pun Doctor