The Ahmedabad Issue (Part 2)

It would be optimistic even childish to expect Pakistan to agree to play in Ahmedabad, more so without making a fuss of it. Clearly, the political reasons exist and there is definitely some degree of truth in security fears as well - but most important is the fact that we did not play a Test Match at Karachi last year. Clearly, we faced a similar situation for all that my friends would argue of Ahmedabad being safer than Karachi - in the eyes of the Pakistanis it will definitely not be. Hypothetically, if it was, I think they are still justified in following a tit-for-tat policy. They have already suggested playing an ODI in Mumbai - yes, we did play one in Karachi - what is it if not tft ??

I think I am with the PCB on this one - yes, Chennai would be a much better option - for me - the best part is Chennai is 100 times more likely to give a result than Ahmedabad !!!

Narhari Amin - stop crying.

Finally ...

MS Dhoni has done something to justify the hype surrounding him. After a rather poor series in Bangladesh, he scored a destructive 100 yesterday against India B to take the Senior Team home. Some of his shots were quite awesome as this report indicates - well, if he does turn out to be even half of what Gilchrist is (let me correct myself - 1/4 th of what Gilchrist is it would be great for India). I think he has done enough to continue his selection in the ODI side although I'd stick with Karthik for the Tests for right now.

Shikhar Dhawan and Ambati Rayudu - very good - it seems Indian batting is in safe hands for a few more years to come when the Fab 4 eventually hang up their boots - keep those scores coming guys !! And some day you will constitute the formidable lineup that India boasts. Also great to see Laxman strike some form - he needs to find his touch quickly after a poor year in Tests.

It is painful to see the bowling in such poor shape. Is Harbhajan playing in this series ?? I didn't notice his name anywhere in the scorecards - maybe I missed it - anyway Pathan's injury is a cause for concern. We have got to have Zaheer and Pathan fit and firing against Pakistan !!!

England face a crucial test against South Africa at Durban - if they lose this match, not only will it be thier 3rd consecutive loss but it will also mean they cannot win this series from here on. I urge Michael Vaughan and his men to lift their game again as they did so often in the Test series when in mattered (although ODIs are not that important anyway)

A Symbiosis ??

Mohammad Ashraful will lead Bangladesh in the Duleep Trophy. This should be a great experience for the young Bangla side who are on the up. This has been one of the better decisions made by the BCCI - to invite international A teams to participate in the Duleep Trophy. (although the purists might have some valid objections to it).

Last year England A added great value to the tournament while also deriving several benefits. They produced some tough cricket before they bowed out to South Zone courtesy a mammoth run-chase and an innings from young Y Venugopal Rao that helped him make his mark. Rngland also benefitted - Pietersen developed in leaps and bounds as a player and Simon Jones got just the tonic needed to recover from injury.

I hope Ashraful and his team reap benefits from this and in the process play some attractive cricket.

The Ahmedabad Issue

The issue over the suitability of Ahmedabad as a venue for the Test series against Pakistan looks like being a controversial one. I have several thoughts on this but due to lack of time I will put them in a later post - just 1 quick point - from a purely cricketing point of view the Ahmedabad wicket sucks, so I would be happy if it is moved to Chennai

Yuvraj shines but Dravid takes India A home

Yuvraj Singh scored a magnificent century to reassert his form - but in the end the ever-reliable pair of Dravid and Kaif took India A home. The youngsters Venugopal Rao and Shikhar Dhawan did well too but there is as of now no place in the Test side for them.

Yuvraj has once again proved that he should remain the next-in-line in case any one is injured - which means if Tendulkar is unfit Yuvraj should find a place in the Test squad.

Zaheer Khan's performance should be extremely encouraging and Sourav Ganguly's pretty depressing.

My Mistake

In an earlier post I had talked about how the Australian Cricketer Awards have so much credibility and authenticity attached to them unlike those in India - well, maybe I was wrong. This article in The Age points out several defects in the award system - not least of which is the bias towards batsmen.

Another case in point where go all out to praise others while belittling our own like fools.

A Comeback for James Anderson ??

With Steve Harmisson going public about his lack of interest in being in South Africa and his figures in the last match backing his words, England face a serious selection problem before the fifth ODI. Matthew Hoggard is understandably exhausted after a gruelling Test series and his performances also proved that in the last game he played.

So England might need to go back to the enigmatic, mercurial, talented but out-of-form James Anderson and hope he finds form in comditions similar to where he bowled so devastatingly in the World Cup almost 2 years ago. Although I suppose Alex Wharf is also an option - why didn't he start in any of the matches so far ??

I always thought it was not a smart move to send Simon Jones home - his type of bowling could have been useful here particularly given that Harmisson was never likely to be a big threat this series.

The Corridor Of McGrath

I find this piece on Cricinfo terrific (and a little terrifying too). It describes how 2 deliveries bowled by Glenn McGrath pitched within a few mm. of each other, moved just a wee bit and induced 2 edges. Such accuracy is indeed frightening and more intimidating than marathon-length run-ups and speed-of-light bowling. Less than a year ago, there was a general feeling that McGrath was over - here he is bowling as well as if not better than - ever.

The Aussie performance on the whole not entirely impressive - still Champion stuff but looking less unbeatble by the day. New Zealand should stand a chance of pulling off an upset - they are after all the #2 team in the World - should be a cracking series.

I think the Aussies need to unearth another young batsman like Michael Clarke - the top order is in patchy form and of course ageing, to say the least. I don't see Darren Lehmann being part of this line-up for much longer. Any names my Aussies friends would like to suggest ???

An Indo-Lankan Union

"He's a chucker". "He's one of the World's greatest bowlers." "He's a cheat." "He's a victim". "He's a villain." "He's a hero." Love him, hate him - you can't ignore him. Besides being so many different things to so many different people (a few listed above), Muttaiah Muralitharan is a wonderful human being - his broad smile always flashing come sun or rain or Tsunami. And now he has decided to make an Indian girl - Madhimalar Ramamurthy - from Tamil Nadu his bride. I hope that even his worst critics (and there are quite a few out there) would join me in congratulating him and wishing the couple all the best.

Graeme Smith - The Class Finally Shines Through

Graeme Smith scored hsi first ever ODI hundred and passed 50 for the first time in almost a year to lead SA to a 3-wicket victory over England. That Smith had the ability to win matches was never in question - the question was would he be able to do it while leading the side. Finally he has - this is a significant victory for SA. Ever since, Stephen Fleming lashed him a year ago Smith's SA had managed to win just 1 ODI - against Bangladesh - and this could just be a turning point.

Of course, SA need to consider seriously if Smith at such a young age can perform the 2 functions effectively. He is too good a batsman - matchwinner - to lose to the pressures of captaincy. I do believe that Smith, Kallis, Gibbs really need to start pulling their weight in this SA side if it has to achive its old glory days.

Bring Back Jadeja !!!!

Remember him ??? The ever-reliable #5 who would come in the most difficult situation, take a look and provide a thunderous blast to get India out of trouble ? He - of the famous Allan Border catch of the 1992 World Cup, he - of the famous assault on Waqar Younis in the 1996 World Cup, he - of an unbeaten courageous 100 against Australia when the top 4 had scored nothing in the 1999 World Cup ???

He who was convicted of match-fixing, He who did not give up even in the face of greatest adversity, He who has had a superb year for Delhi and North Zone - he who still might be one of the top fielders in India - BRING HIM BACK !!!!

The ban on Ajay Jadeja (and there is no reason now to go into the debate over the ban was legitimate) has been legally overruled by the Courts and his performances deserve reward with a recall to the ODI side. The selectors have been extremely unfair in "not considering" him for the Challenger Trophy. The Indian ODI team is in desperate need of a batsman coming down the order who can play a dual role - moving the scoreboard along and providing a blast - and Jadeja fits the bill perfectly. India cannot afford the luxury of ignoring him. Ajay Jadeja - great fielder, match-winner, intelligent cricketer - we want you back.

The Same Old Story ...

For a fair while Pakistan kept up the fight ... but in the end ... need I say more ???

Good Job !!

The Indian selectors have done well in the selection of the sides for the Challenger Trophy. Not only have they distributed the players reasonably equitably, the choice of captains too makes sense - Dravid, the second-in-charge and the man most likely to take over in case something extraordinary happens leads India A while Sehwag who amongst the current crop looks the most likely long-term prospect leads India B. Series will be important for a lot of players - in particular 1 Laxmipathy Balaji making a comeback.

It has happened ...

What was mere speculation yesterday has turned into reality today - Matthew Hayden has been dropped despite support from captain and coach. A brief break that would do him good - or the end of his ODI career ??? Hard to say. Although Clarke has failed this morning.

Chokers Unlimited

South Africa have choked not for the first time to squander a winning position in the second ODI vs England at Bloomfontein. The memories just come flooding back - the 1999 WC semifinal at Birmingham against Australia with Allan Donald stranded, the Titan Cup Final 1996 when it seemed victory was inevitable, the tearful exit at the 2003 World Cup as well as the surrender to Brian Lara in 1996 - amazingly 2 of the above mentioned matches have also been ties !!

Coming to the game, I think almost all of the blame can be laid to the inane cricket played in the last over - Ashwell Prince !!! - what the hell is he doing in this team ?? Sending Gibbs down the order was a good idea altho Id prefer if Smith came down and Gibbs continued to open. It would be real unfair to blame Kallis again. All in all, South Africa just weren't good enough and failed to draw level. They have not beaten any side other than Bangladesh in the last 14 matches !!!

Hayden Out ??

Matthew Hayden has a serious chance of being axed from Australia's one-day lineup. The wonder-boy Michael Clarke is likely to take his place for the VB Series final and perhaps beyond. Hayden has been absolutely magnificent for the last 4 years but a poor run has meant that by Australian standards and rules he has to vacate his place - a bit harsh perhaps but that's the Aussie way and it has always worked for the team.

It's A Tie !!

The England-South Africa ODI at Bloomfontein has ended in a dramatic tie !!! My detailed analysis later ...

Pakistan - Do You Have It In You ?

S. Jagadish rather cynically (but perhaps with good reason) writes here that Pakistan have earned the right to be walloped 2-0 by Australia, by defeating the West Indies last night. I would have to agree that Australia are overwhelming favourites but would hope that Pakistan believe they stand a chance. After all, this Pakistani Team is playing really well - much like the Pakistan of the middle-to-late nineties with a lot of flair coming from the likes of Inzy, Youhana and Afridi and some superb performances by a born-again Razzaq.

If Pakistan manage to beat Australia in the finals of the VB Series it would be a great tonic to the dying game of One Day Cricket. Yesterday's match against the West Indies was a really good win - made all the more enjoyable because it followed the old-fashioned pattern - slow and steady start, gradual shift of momentum and explosion at the end. The chase was also maintained for a reasonable period to sustain interest. I'd rather have these matches with slow starts and a push in the middle overs than the modern day style that involves a dreadful 15-40 over period.

Again, I am in a dilemma who to support here - so I just call on for good hard old-fashioned cricket - and may the better team on the day win.

Can Improve And Will Need To ...

Coach Bennett King's first stint with the West Indies cricket team cannot be classified as a success 1 victory, 4 defeats and a washout (albeit a cruel one). There were encouraging signs however of a good team coming into shape with some of the pieces of the jigsaw falling into place. The middle-order looks settled (as it has for some time now) but what is encouraging is that Wavell Hinds down the order can play a crucial role in the company of Bravo and Browne. Of great encouragement is also the fact, that the opening bowling looks settled - Collins and Bradshaw did very well - and given some time Reon King can take on the 3rd seamer's spot as well. The big concern is however the 4th and 5th bowler - Gayle's injury aggravated issues but you cannot afford to have a keeper batting at 8 in today's age - he has got to be 7 - I can see Bravo more as #5 bowler than a #4 - what the West Indies sorely need is 1 more good bowler - preferrably a spinner but for the moment a fit and rejuvenated Tino Best would do (or Lawson or Edwards - God where are all these people ???)

Ryan Patrick more or less agrees with my sentiments - and he is willing to give Bennett King more chances before judging him.