An ode to the greatest draw and to the romance of test cricket

Dedicated to : 

The lovers of Test Cricket.

Preface: 

This is 'heavily inspired' by several poems written earlier on cricket. (and by 'heavily inspired' - You should have got the message.. :P ). Also, Kindly apologize me for my basic English errors and also for putting something as an ode without using rhyming words.(Frankly, I did not get many).

An ode to the greatest draw and to the romance of test cricket  

  

There was a breathless hush in the Close tonight –

Sixteen to make and the match to win –

A bumping pitch and a blinding light,

3 overs to play and the bowlers in.

The wild bowler thought he must bowl short,

The batsman thought he must not be bowled,

They knew that, if they both fail,

Their team shall perish unconsoled.

They all would have  mourned if the game had a different result,

The batsman and the bat, the bowler and the ball, the umpire, the pavilion clock, 

The roller, pitch, and stumps, and all.

And hence the result in the end was fair.. But before that we did see..

The joy that reigned in the Pavilion,

And gladness amongst their clan

While thousands breathed good wishes round the bull ring;

Admirers dubbed the youngsters

As respective go to men;

In ABD's, Pujara's and Kohli's play they saw the genuine ring.

It was well worth spending time to see

Illustrious Zak's smile,

Also when Ishant, Shami and Vernon

zipped the ball with style .

Block, block, block

At the foot of thy wicket, O Faf Du!

And I would not let my tongue utter the word

boredom. You were in the Zone!

Greatest Draw ??

So hopeless the bowlers became, my boy,

With each ball the way you play!

Oh, nice for yourself, I suppose,

That you stick at the wicket all day!

And the clock's slow hands go on,

And you still keep up ye sticks;

Block, block, block,

At the foot of thy wicket, Of Faf Du!

Just 10 more minutes in the middle of Bull Ring! 

You would have been a bigger Superstar!

               

 Not surprising that one of ye coaching staff is a master in getting run-out!

 They still taunt him at the bar, They still shout.. " Run Allan Run", 

 Was tempted did I like others today to call out.. " Run Vernon Run". 

Sadly, the decision had already been made :( 

                         

 But oh! did we see a lift of a smiting hand ?  And the sound of a swipe for six ?

 The answer is we did from Dale,

 But as Jackman put it.. they were timid during the end,

 It was a far too late and it ended up as a drawn tale !!!

 What a match.. We must celebrate this great game..

 and Play up ! play up ! and play the game !

P.S. - In my humble opinion, this SA vs India test match at the bull ring was one of the best test matches I have ever seen and without doubt the best drawn game I have seen. It was not great just because it ended up being very close contest but because of many other reasons including the fact this match was played with very good spirit (unlike a series that's been happening down under) but fiercely competitive. I think that the cricket that we saw was of the highest quality and both teams raised their level and tried out-thinking the other team every over, every ball. This will go down in history as one of the greatest games ever played. A great advertisement for the game. The real game. Love you Test Cricket. 

Turn to Chapter 1 , Page 4 , Para 3...

I am made to seriously lament my lack of decent articulation skills for two consecutive posts now. This is because when I want to write about The Rahul Dravid , my vocabulary seems to be very limited and I have a fear that I may end up not expressing who HE was and what HE truly epitomizes. More so because , every time during this past month when I sit down to write about him , I would stumble upon truck load of 'tributes' written by journalists , commentators , fellow players etc.(I read all of them and I found Rohit Brijnath's and Vijetha's tribute to be the best).

I can probably understand why there was/is an overdose of Dravid during the past month.I think, when Dravid's retirement came, people suddenly felt guilty that somewhere down the line they have failed to recognize his contribution.In a way, people redeemed their guiltiness by being part of Dravid's farewell through media/FB/twitter.(This yours truly post is also an attempt to wipe off some guiltiness).But hey.. quite frankly , the man deserves this overdose and I certainly dont mind it.

That trademark forward defense that is etched in the minds of cricket lovers.... 

There were two ominous signs in 2011 before the Australian Tour that said to a lot of us that Dravid's end is nearer.One,he was dropping a lot more than he held.(As Vijetha pointed out,he himself hated it). Dravid takes his catching seriously and has set high standards.The reflex you associate with him began to fade.(As a kid , I used to imitate his famous reflex swivel at silly point to avoid a cut shot being hit at him.)

Second is that he began to show something that we would not normally associate with him.For the first time we could see Dravid's ego coming to the forefront. It happened right throughout the press conferences at England when he scored those centuries. There was a certain high headedness and a tone of arrogance and anger (which I admit is totally normal and understandable but could have been avoided). Sadly that continued in his Bradman oration too. Quotes like "He (BRADMAN)was, primarily, like me, a No.3 batsman. It is a tough, tough job. We're the ones who make life easier for the kings (Read SACHIN) of batting, the middle order that follows us.".Very true but this also could have been avoided. However that should not take away the quality of that speech. The way he subtly took a dig at all the critics of BCCI and IPL should be appreciated... Many felt until that Bradman oration, his bat did the talking...

The most painful sight in cricket is to watch a legend struggle. He was the best 'leaver' of the ball I know. He was always sure of his off stump...He could always read the swing on the ball.. But.. everything just vanished from him one australian summer morning.. And then the inevitable came.. his decision to retire and many of us felt that the timing of that to be perfect. The Australian tour has been inexplicable for many reasons and Dravid and Laxman’s failure is surely surprising.

Frankly many of us (I certainly) hated him simply because he was text book. He was conventional. One look at Rahul Dravid , and you know whatever field he entered, he would have been amongst the best.. If he had been into medicine , he would have been among the best doctors in this country.. If he had been into other sports , he would have equally achieved greatness. If you had asked him to do CA, he would have cleared it with a Rank. And that's precisely why we hate him. He was the 'samathu payan' we all don’t want to be.(And I am particularly very averse to samathu payans). We cannot imagine him being a sport. He would not have played pranks on anyone in his early days. Yes... And At school, He would have been his teacher's favorite student..(In my opinion, to be a teacher's favorite student is the worst attribute one can have). And to add to all that , this guy was the smartest around.(Certain kind of jealousy creeps in). If only he was a bit of the explosive type he would have upstaged Sachin Tendulkar as the poster boy of Indian Cricket overnight.I remember me and my friends discussing the James Anderson Vs Rahul Dravid spells on FB.(Personally I felt their duel last summer was the best test cricket I had seen for a long time. Both were playing chess against each other.) That was when a non male member of the human species entered the discussion and the topic eventually digressed to their looks.I admit both Dravid and Anderson give doubts to even men on their straightness but what is important is we must all ensure that they both are remembered only for cricketing reasons.

I explained why I hated him. Let me tell you why I loved him.He was one cricketer who maximized his skills to the most.As Laloo Prasad Yadav once put it , he did not milk the cow but cowed the milk.He was completely aware of his strengths. His patience was his strength. He could wait for an hour for that one loose ball to be put away.I remember an ODI against Kenya during 1997 when he struggled to get off.All his shots found the fielders. He just could not accelerate nor could he get out... And after that match he was dropped from the ODI team. He went back to chinnaswamy... He worked on his placement.. He worked on his strike rate..He put in the effort.. He worked for hours...He came back to the ODI side.. He played the 1999 World Cup.. He just did not play.. He was the highest run getter in 1999 World Cup. That says about the man..This friends,is purely the triumph of human will power.

He has played some fantastic ODI innings.One of my favorite amongst those was the innings he played at Bristol in 2007 Vs England. The track was a belter. Sachin scored 99 and had left. Dravid was there with Dhoni for the last 10 overs. A player of the classical mode and as someone who was accused of wasting balls in his early days, he proved all critics wrong as he kept square driving the bowlers(particularly Broad) through point and one particular square drive(of anderson)actually went for a six over point. That was the first and last time I saw someone scoring a six with a square drive!.During the press conference, he humbly said 'it was one of those days'. He still holds the record(along with Agarkar)for the fastest fifty by an Indian(21 balls).We could clearly see the effort he had put in.

So.. what was Dravid's greatest test innings ?

I would certainly rate his 3 centuries now at England among the best I have seen. His 180 with Laxman changed Indian Cricket forever.His innings at leeds in 2002 along with Sanjay Bangar is one of the best test match batting partnerships I have seen.(That without doubt would certainly be Sanjay Bangar's best).His double century at pakistan in 2004 has special historical significance.His 2 fifty's at Jamaica are rated amongst the best innings that were not converted into centuries.I was too young to remember his first century at SA.People rate it high.(Infact I dont remember that innings).His exploits at adelaide in early 2003 is test batting at its best. It was near miracle innings. My favorite would be that.

The problem with Rahul Dravid's innings is that the highlights package wont show you his class. That is because watching Sachin attack gives us Joy.., Watching Laxman's wrists gives us Goosebumps.., Watching Dravid leave the ball gave us assurance , Watching him defend , gave us reassurance... Sadly his 'defence' and 'leaves' will not be part of any highlights package. As Anil Kumble put it , he gave such an assurance that the batsman at the other end would take that extra risk.Since Dravid was at the other end, a Tendulkar or Ganguly would play/ are allowed to play that one indiscrete shot (and this would be part of the highlights package).That for me is working as a team.. For him the team came to the forefront.He declared when Sachin was on 194..(That is also probably the only controversy in his entire career.). He kept and opened even though he did not like it.

We will miss you champ.. We have all been watching and enjoying the way you check your shoulder...Your stance.. Your sweat…Your straight elbow..The way you would hunch on your front foot and then the how your body would bounce as if it had hit a trampoline and the way you would quickly balance of your back foot which would make way for your bat to create an arc for that beautiful square cut of yours...

It is important that India stops searching for next Rahul Dravid.That would be very unfair on the person who is going to occupy no.3. For Dravid will be the greatest No.3 in my books. Next person will simply be the next person.It is important for the Kohli's and Rahane's to understand that they cannot and should not replicate Dravid's style. They have to be themselves...

It wouldn't be a surprise if Dravid releases an autobiography. Can't be sure whether it would be sans controversy, but I am sure among other things it will have its share of good humour. From his columns and prepared speeches , we now know Dravid is a good writer.Probably good is an understatement...

I will be there on April 21 at MAC just for you... Here's hoping that part of your swansong lasts a little longer that evening...

Chennai 600005. - A Love Story.

"The whole thing was played on a low, turning pitch,
Pocked with crescendos rabid and rich....
Wild exultations and then groans of despair,
Appeals to the umpire cutting the air....
When day’s play was over..it wasn’t for me,
The music bowled on and was served up for tea...

Ceaseless discussions on technique and form,
Re-hashes, re-caps and replays were the norm...
Then out to the yard with caps, ball and bat,
And as darkness descended the cries of “howzat”..
Echoed down 'gullies', cleared birds from the thickets,
The volume as loud as in match-winning wickets.." - JAMES MORGAN(modified)


In the usually hot march of 1998 , there was this 10 year old boy ,who bunked school on a friday and went to see a India Vs Australia Test Match at Chepauk along with his uncle.There began his tryst with MAC(Destiny??).

A View of Chennai 600005 (CHEPAUK) from a plane-(Click on the photo to expand)

The excitement had started a week before. 5 days before the test match, I went to the stadium to buy the tickets. I bought two tickets.It was Rs.400 per person for all the 5 days (Expensive those days)in the Essar Stand A of the old MAC. I came back home and gave it to my mom and asked her to keep it very very safe. So.. Where did she keep ?.. She took them and kept it in the drawing room table draw !. Apart from the tickets , the draw contained hairband with some hair , medical bills , tablets , doctor prescription , loose change , provison store list ,EB card etc. It was clumsy to say the least. At School , I would all day think about the safety of the ticket.A lot of things would run in my mind. What if my mother disposes it unknowingly ? What if the someone flicks it ? What if my father accidentally loses it .? What if the ticket was fake.?.. For four days that week , I would rush back home from school and head straight to the draw. I would breathe easily only after seeing it. I would then take the ticket in my hand , go to the window (for sunlight) and look at the hologram of the TNCA affixed from different angles and would satisfy myself that the ticket isn't fake.During nights , I would wake up and on the pretext of going to the bathroom would go the draw and look at the tickets and ensure myself that it is safe. Yes.. It meant so much to me.

A view from Pavilion Terrace - Year 1998

Now , the D DAY arrived. I woke up very very early and was vomiting with excitement all morning. Now my uncle had to accompany me. I spoke to him the previous night and asked him to come early .Now these uncles are always known to disrespect punctuality.He was no different. I was getting restless. He finally came around 8 30 and we both then went to Hotel Sukha Nivas (Right opposite to the apartment that I lived in LUZ) and parcelled Idly's for our lunch. That walk from Sukha Nivas(Luz) to Tirumailai (probably 50 Metres) seemed eternity. When we were waiting for the train to start , people in the train informed us that Azharuddin had won the toss and India would be batting .The train started and finally I reached the stadium at around 10 am. We entered the gates and I was greeted with huge deafening cheer and sounds from loud paper trumpets.It was electric. There were no security checks then as it is nowadays. The ticket checking lady inquired me why I was late. I pointed my fingers at my uncle.She laughed and let us in. We proceeded towards the stairs and the moment for which I was waiting arrived. The first bit of International cricket that I saw was Navjot Singh Sidhu edging a ball from Paul Reiffel between the slips and the echo of the ball crashing into the advertisement boards.Few hours later came a man for whom the entire stadium was waiting. The second wicket had fallen. People were cheering for Sidhu's dismissal !. From a corner I could see... Yes.. There he was... Sachin Tendulkar was making his way in from the Anna Pavillion... This was my first glimpse of God.

At the Victoria Hostel Road Entrance to the Stadium - Anna Pavilion

This series was built as the 'Sachin Vs Warne' series. (That was how it turned out to be in the end.) Sachin Tendulkar came to the crease and he had to face Warne.

Ball 1 -> Sachin stepped out and Cover drove for a Boundary.There was a huge roar. The very first ball that Sachin faced was sent to the boundary.
Ball 2- -> Defence
Ball 3---> Defence
Ball 4---> Defence
Ball 5---> Sachin went for another extravagant cover drive , the ball took the edge and Mark Taylor at the slips catched it at around shoulder height. There was stunned silence. I could actually hear Ian Healy scream with happiness.Sachin was out for 4 from 5 Balls.. !

But that was not the story of this match....

As Murphy would have it,SACHIN hit 155* on the fourth day(Monday) and I was ORDERED to go to school.That 155* was the innings in which he tore Shane Warne apart by slog sweeping him from the rough(footmarks) outside his leg stump.(Practice given by L Sivaramakrishnan).That was the innings in which he first employed his now trademarked paddle sweep to counter the turn from the rough.Ian Chappel regards this innings as the best he has seen from the master.India won the test comfortably , largely due to Sachin.

People trying to see the action through a Vantage Point at Chepauk Railway Station

My Intention through this post is not to revel on the history of the game at Chepauk. That is a job best left to Mohandas Menon's of the game. No one can deny Chepauks significant share in history of the game. People can never forget the Tied test , Dean Jones's near death double century , Saeed Anwar's 194(which has now been broken thrice , Sehwag's 300 on a placid pitch(which I witnessed bunking college)and many more. But according to me , the story of Chepauk is all about three great test matches. One was the test match that I referred above. Second is the test match between India and Pakistan played in 1999. Third is the very famous 2001 Australia Test Match.

The actual View from the Vantage Point - World cup 2011 Eng vs SA

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The second incredible story of MAC happened in the year 1999. This was when Pakistan and India met in bilateral series after a hiatus of 12 years. The atmosphere was tense as these matches were played in the background of Kargil War. This test was completely worth of all the hype surrounding its start. Pakistan team was filled with great bowlers and incredible batting line up and India prior to this series were unbeatable at home. The battle of Sachin with Waqar, Wasim and Saqlain was much talked about prior to the series. The game began and both teams were neck and neck after the first innings. India gained a slender lead of 16 after the first innings.

Pakistan began their second innings on a positive note and in spite of losing wickets at regular intervals, it seemed like they would set India a huge total to chase. Afridi hit a great hundred. Ijaz and Inzamam also chipped in. Pakistan was well on course for a huge total. At 275/4, already leading by 259 India’s chances seemed glum when Venkatesh Prasad probably bowled one of the best spells of his career. He took 6/33 as Pakistan collapsed to 286 as their last 6 wickets fell for just 11 runs. India began their second innings needing 271 to win with more than 2 days to go.

Indian second innings did not get to an ideal start as Waqar dismissed both the Indian openers with just 6 runs on the board as Sachin Tendulkar joined Rahul Dravid in the middle. Both these players took India to safety without further loss and it was all set for a brilliant 4th day.

Sachin backed himself up against his longtime nemesis Waqar & Wasim. Sachin's determination was more fierce than Chennai's heat. The wicket turned out to be a two-paced one. When the fast bowlers bowled it was reverse swinging and when the spinners bowled the ball turned square.

I did not go to this match.I was watching it on TV. Wasim Akram’s peach on the fourth morning went through the wall’s defenses (A Video of this dismissal is put in one of my previous blog posts) as India was in early trouble at 50/3. Azhar and Ganguly (one pitch catch it was) got out to poor decisions to leave India tottering at 82/5 when Nayan Mongia walked out to join Sachin Tendulkar.

Both these players saw India through to lunch and in a sedate partnership took India to tea with 5 wickets still in hand.After tea,the mood changed, Sachin and Mongia had decided to attack and the runs flowed quickly and India were racing towards the target. It was exhilarating to watch the proceedings as the bowling attack of Pakistan was brilliant and the world’s best player was involved in a fierce battle to win the game for his country. Those who witnessed this innings must consider themselves privileged . Sachin was counter attacking Saqlain on a wicket which was turning square. He was battling back spasm too in the middle of all this which made this innings even greater.

Sachin during his 'backbone' innings against Pakistan - 1999

India was 218/5 with just 53 to get and we could see Pakistan losing hope. They had taken the new ball to no avail as Mongia and Sachin were scoring runs at a fair clip. This is when Mongia decided to display one of the biggest brain freezes of his career. Trying to loft Wasim over the top, got himself caught at mid-off leaving a struggling Sachin to take India to victory along with the tail. Anshuman Gaekwad, the then coach in an interview later said that if he was in charge of selection , he would have dropped Nayan Mongia straight away. Sachin got out to Saqlain trying finishing the game with only 13 needed and the Indian tail collapsed in a hurry as India fell short of the Pakistan total.It was Hari (My Neighbour) , a class XII Vidya Mandir student then , who explained to me what Saqlain was planning. He said he expected Sachin to go over long on/mid wicket area as the long on was removed and brought in. He also said Saqlain would lure him with flight and he said he expected a leading edge if Saqlain bowled a doosra . And that exactly happened.!(What a cricketing acumen he had.! I realised it was not cricket I was watching , but Chess.)The criticism that Sachin is incapable of finishing matches started from here. And the now famous 'Sachin century adicha thotruvom' began from here. After battling for close to 7 hours , the Great Man had to depart, reason - one bad shot. After a display of divine batsmanship, a needless shot ended it all. Truly it was a heartbreaking loss and a very hard one to take as if you are an Indian fan. It was so near yet so far for the Indian team.However, The story of this match does not end here too.

When the game was over unlike all the other grounds in India, in spite of an Indian loss the crowd stuck around. The Chennai crowd rose in appreciation of the Pakistan team as the victorious neighbors took a victory lap in India. Who would have thought that it was even possible? It was a brilliant moment as the fans clapped till the end and it was a victory for the game. Sharayaar Khan , the manager of the Pakistan team then , now a diplomat wrote in his the following "Before the 1999 series it was winning that mattered and not the skill and art of cricket. Post-1999 (Chennai Standing Ovation)things changed and perhaps for the first time the attitude of fans and players of the two countries underwent a sea change.The reaction of the Pakistanis to the behaviour of the Chennai crowd after Pakistan won the Test match in cricket was one of awe." Cricket is a sport and it’s beyond borders and the crowd that day proved the same.

The very famous Standing Ovation given by Chennai crowd to Pakistani players during their victory lap - Something that was unimaginable in the background of 'Kargil' episode.

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Dravid unleashing champagne after winning the 2001 Border Gavaskar Trophy - Anna Pavilion

The third incredible story of Chepauk to me is the third test of the 2001 Border Gavaskar Trophy. I desperately wanted to watch this.(After what happened in Kolkotta, who would not desire?).I still remember myself and Kedharnath literally begging for tickets from my class teacher (Kalyani Srinivasan Ma'm). She had once hinted , someone close to her was a TNCA member.But she disappointed saying there was too much demand and it was impossible.

Sachin with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2001.

However, a guy named Deepak Kochar who was in C section in school , gave me the ticket for the second day. And so I went. The things that I saw that day I cannot forget. The first day was a boring day with only 3 wickets falling and Australia slamming 330 odd runs. During the second day , all the Australians were all out before lunch with Harbhajan and Sachin taking the remaining 7 wickets.

Steve Waugh and his team mates appreciating the crowd after they lose a thriller

The most famous dismissal was of Steve Waugh's who was given out 'Handling the ball'. Remember , there were no screens in the stadiums those days and I thought it was LBW only to be corrected by a fellow spectator who had radio with him.

Steve Waugh Dismissed -Handling the Ball

I could not watch Sachin's batting (who once again scored a Century) as Shiv Sundar Das and Rahul Dravid saw the day through. What happened the rest of the test match , I need not say. Its embedded in our veins. So.India won by 2 wickets and quite fittingly Harbhajan hit the winning runs.

Bhajji hitting the winning runs - Scenes etched in memory (2001)

It was the series that changed Indian Cricket forever..


There are other matches at Chepauk that are worth talking about too.There was this ODI against England that I went when I was in Class 9. Myself , Mithran and Kedhar went to that match. I still remember Mr. Neelakantan (Then Principal), granting me holiday for stating the truth that I was indeed going for the match.This was the match in which the big screen(showing replays) was first installed for a match in India. TNCA had brought this from MCG and it replaced the traditional old scoreboard near the D stand.

Also , I have witnessed 2nd Day of the test match between India and Australia in 2004(Courtesy: Kamesh who gave the tickets). This was the famous series where Aussies finally conquered the 'final frontier'.This test match was a shame since , the last day was washed out with rain and India needed 200 odd runs with all 10 wickets intact. I have witnessed Lara batting here and hitting a 50. This happened when I was in college. It was an ODI match in 2007.What an experience that was.


Also , can we forget the chase of 387 against England in 2008(the test match which was shifted to Chennai after Mumbai Blasts) where Sachin and Yuvraj took India home after Sehwag's blitzkrieg 80 odd.Not surprisingly, this is a test match that I missed.It was like Sachin answering the demons of 1999 from the very place where he could not finish it off.

Sachin , Yuvraj and the Scoreboard - Says it all

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I am not dwelling on the IPL. Afterall its a domestic competition.We are happy that Chennai's Super Kings are the Manchester United of IPL.Ask Michael Hussey or Doug Bollinger , they will confirm that they are loved here more than they can even imagine in Australia.The only IPL match that I saw was CSK vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala.(That was the last match that a franchise called Kochi Tuskers played.)

The IPL Fever - Sea of Yellow

And as we all now know , the stadium is renovated and its looking good.Previously it was a concrete jungle. Now better. Much better.Great stands , full seating (unlike squatting). However the G , H and I stands (empty yellow chairs that you often witness ) are not allowed to be occupied and we hear that this is because CMDA approval were not obtained for erecting those stands.

View from 'A' Stand during Ranji match(TN vs Haryana)

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There is however a thing about this beautiful Chepauk (apart from the stinking Buckhingam Canal that runs closeby)that irks me. Yes.. from the year 1996 to 2011 ,the MLA of Chepauk constituency was this person named M.Karunanidhi. Enough said I guess. Ha ha...

Now each one of us have got their own story about the magic we experience at Chepauk , dont we ?.. Hoping the Chepauk Magic Continues.

During the India Vs WI ODI on Dec 11th 2011 - View from 'D' Upper

Cricket lovely Cricket,
At MAC where I first saw it;
Cricket lovely Cricket,
At MAC where I first saw it;
Warne tried his best
But Sachin won the Test.
They gave the crowd plenty fun;
It was the 'First Test' and India Won.

If 'UPA - 2' was the Indian Cricket Team that lost at England 0-4.

The loss (Complete Rout) to England earlier this year at England in the test series was unacceptable to lot of Indian Cricket Fans. It made England the No.1 Test team(deserving I would say) and India slipped to third place (this also deserving I would say). Rahul Dravid said something at the end of that series that I was impressed with. He said "We expected England to be good but we expected ourselves to be better. Unfortunately we were not".

I was upset but there were more depressing things happening at home with the functioning of UPA - 2. As Azim Premji had said , the Government lost its credibility. They simply fretted at crisis situations and indecisiveness at the top struck them hard.The statements that they were making everyday were humorous to say the least.So how would have this UPA 2 reacted to this loss suffered and what would have been their statements if they were not politicians but cricketers instead..?? What would have these people said about the humiliating loss when asked about by reporters.??
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1) P Chidambaram

Q)Sir.. What were the reasons for such a humiliating loss.?
A)Let us first understand that this loss cannot be termed as 'Intelligence Failure'. I had already shared 'intelligence' that the ball would seam around viciously in England to the other team members.So,please don't attribute the loss to 'intelligence' failure.

Q)If then what else sir ?
A)I had asked the team members to stop playing cricket since I knew the ball would seam around. We were infact even ready to sit and talk with the English Team members. But we did not because they were not ready to cease violence.

Q)Sir , you are not answering the question.
A)See.. I can tell you the reason. The reason for the failure was because of the presence of 'Saffron Terror'.

Q)Can you please explain further.
A)The English bowlers were 'terrorising' the batsmen of our team with vicious swing. The English bowlers turned the ball into saffron colour from red by applying some substance.

Q)Now that you have lost, what is the future course of action
A)I have asked to setup NSG commandos base at all metros. They will be alerted to deal with the situation as and when they arise appropriately.

Q)It seems Pranabh had sent a note during the series saying that you could have averted loss.
A)If Pranabh has sent a note , ask him to respond.I have no comments to make.
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2)Manish Tewari

Q)Sir.. What were the reasons for such a humiliating loss.?
A) I have no time for responding to Press. All I can say is England were corrupt from 'Head to Toe.'

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This statement of Manish Tewari was met with widespread criticism.Therefore two days later came Rashid Alvi to offer apology for the statement made by Manish Tewari and offer the correct explanations.

3)Rashid Alvi

Q)Can you specify the reasons for this failure.?
A)I will tell you the reason.But first let me offer apologies on behalf of Mr.Manish Tewari.He had made such a statement with anger. Everyone makes mistakes.Its important we forgive the statment made by Mr.Manish Tewari.Also his statements were taken out of context. You see , he is so upset that he is even refusing to be the spokesperson of the team herein afterwards. The reason for the defeat you see is nothing but the presence of 'Foreign forces'. We suspect the motive of 'United States of America' behind it.Its all part of a conspiracy.

Q)You are blaming the U.S.A,but they don't play cricket, then how could it be their motive?
A)This is all part of a big conspiracy thing that you people won't understand. I know its been happening.
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4)Pranabh Mukherjee

Q)Can you specify the reasons for this failure.?
A)You people have to understand that loss in cricket games is 'decontrolled'.It cannot be controlled by us.

Q)Is it not a irresponsible statement to make?
A)See.. We have already appealed against the use of some substance (Saffron in colour) by English bowlers to swing the ball.Since the matter is 'Sub-Judice' , I would not like to comment further.

Q)Is it true that you sent a note to Chidambaram saying that the loss could be averted?
A) It was sent by someone under me , but not me. They are not my views.In any case they are intra team notes and I don't understand why the general public is bothering about it.But I deny that the our team performance was 'unacceptable'.

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LATER they gave a joint press meet stating that the note had been written by someone else and Mr.Chidambaram had quoted "I am happy(!??) with the statement made by Pranabh. The matter is closed."

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5)Digvijay Singh

Q)Sir.. What were the reasons for such a humiliating loss.?
A)This is not the time to speculate, as all branded balls, including the 'ISI' marked ones, are affected with some saffron substance.It seems English bowlers purchased it from RSS & BJP and hence the ball swung viciously which could not be handled by our team members.

Q)How could English bowlers lay hands on these balls?
A) I have evidence that the RSS and the BJP has been supplying these balls to England team members. I will show the proof tomorrow.In any case, our performance has not been as bad as the 'Karnataka' Ranji Team. First let them perform. Then we can perform well.

Q)Then what is the solution?
I think the best way to tackle this is to appoint Rahul Gandhi as the Captain of the Indian Cricket team. Also, the RSS members are not allowing the team to perform. They are conspiring against the minorities. It is their plan A , B and C.

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6)Kapil Sibal

Q)What would you attribute this humiliating loss to ?
A)You must be Joking.There was NO LOSS. Infact there was 'Zero Loss'. The Media has hyped it up.

Q)Sir, it is you who are joking. How could you say there was no loss ?
A)I had eliminated board exams and similarly I had also eliminated victory or defeat in a bilateral series. The cricket was the winner. No one lost.(??!!)

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7)Manmohan Singh

There has been no official word from him.Apparently he is attending G8 countries meeting.But he is to meet Select group of Television News Editors next week.

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P.S.

Since UPA is in deep crisis in its second innings , they tried inducting VVS Laxman into the Cabinet.However even VVS Laxman failed to perform on hearing this news.

Artistic Terrorists or Terrific Artists ?!!

I must say I was disappointed to read a news item in TOI during the IPL 4. It was Ishant Sharma's interview after taking a fifer in one of the matches.. It seems Dale Steyn advised him to concentrate on bowling fast and not try to swing the Ball..!

Well we all know what he did to Ricky Ponting in Perth by just swinging the ball...I have always been in awe with pure swing bowlers.. I get disappointed when bowlers compromise swing for speed. I prefer the vice versa.. In my opinion I find players at the International level often undermine the Art of Swing bowling and not much effort is put in learning it.. The world seems to suggest that bowling fast and being a tearaway quick is the only way to pick wickets.. But most batsmen at the International circuit can handle quick bowlers... Only tailenders are troubled by quick bowlers...None can handle genuine swing both ways....It is swing that will trouble the batsmen and get you the wickets... India won the 1983 world cup simply because we swung the ball.. and West Indies bowled Fast.. (Remember Balwinder Singh Sandhu's Inswinger to Gordon Greenidge...?).. James Anderson won the Ashes 2011 for England simply by swinging the ball.. Zaheer Khan's reverse swing won us the World cup.. Ashes 2005 was won only by Reverse Swing ( I will come to Ashes 2005 later).

I like Swing bowlers.. I simply love seeing the shape of the ball bamboozle the batsmen.. My favorite mode of dismissal of a batsman is an outswinger taking the edge of a forward defense / cover drive and caught at second slip..(Yes..Something about second slip..) My favorite swing bowler from India was Irfan Pathan(I hope he comes back well..).. He had the ability to do magic with the new ball..He was never express (much like what Praveen Kumar does now)..The amount of swing he could generate surprised me.. No Indian bowler had swung the ball like that before... I have heard people say of Manoj Prabhakar but I have never seen much of his bowling.. Irfan Pathan was special.. Even in non helpful conditions , he would curve the new ball.. You could be sure he would pick up two or three wickets upfront with the new ball.. He was the sole reason for India's victory against Pakistan in that historic series in 2004/05.

Here take a look at the Hat-trick he picked up at Karachi.. Just look at the beautiful swing..



Swing bowling is an art and also a science.. The ball swings more if there is dampness in the pitch.. It seams around more if the conditions are overcast.. There is work that is to be done on the ball.. The essence of swing bowling is to get the cricket ball to deviate sideways as it moves through the air towards or away from the batsman.Batsmen are used to facing orthodox swing - which happens when the ball is still relatively hard and new in the first 10 to 15 overs.
However, now fast bowlers have developed a new method of making the ball move in the air with the older ball called 'reverse swing' which is very potent.

But to obtain any sort of movement, there are a number of factors to consider.

--> The seam position of the cricket ball
--> The wear and tear on the ball
--> The polishing liquid (most often Saliva and Vaseline) used on the ball
--> The speed of the delivery
--> The bowler's action
--> The Weather Conditions

We often see fielders constantly shining one side of a ball by rubbing it on their trousers.The rubbing helps to maintain a smooth, shiny side while the opposite is left to deteriorate through normal wear and tear.Normally in any cricket team ,there is a 'specialist' ball polisher.. For eg: England's ball polisher is Alastair Cook.

The asymmetry of the ball is encouraged by the constant polishing of one side of the ball by members of the fielding team, while allowing the opposite side to deteriorate through wear and tear. Over time, this produces a marked difference in the aerodynamic properties of the two sides.To move the ball in an orthodox fashion away from a right-handed batsman, the rough side of the ball will be on the left side with the seam angling towards second slip. And it is the other way round for inswing - the rough side is on the right with the seam pointing towards an imaginary leg slip. Both deliveries also require a subtle change in seam grip too.This generally happens when the ball is relatively new but tends to stop after the ball has lost its shine and hardness.

Lets look at what James Anderson (My favourite Bowler in the world currently who can swing the ball both ways) is capable of doing with the New Ball.. Here is his spell that he bowled against India.. Take a look at the first three wickets.. (other two are short balls which Indians are generally not comfortable).My view is that Anderson and Praveen Kumar should stop playing ODI's to preserve themselves for the longer version of the game.



I am not sure whether Swann will cause lot of problems when India tour there this English Summer..Mark my words.. Whether India wins the Test Series will depend on how our batsmen play James Anderson..

In my opinon one of the most overrated bowler is Morne Morkel. Even I would not bother facing him.He does not swing.He does not cut. He bowls on a length. He does not even bowl in the corridor of uncertainty.(Bowlers at the backyard cricket where I play on Sunday's move the ball better..).. Then how come a bowler like Glenn Mcgrath with no swing or cutters succeed...? He kept the game simple. He always targeted the top of off stump and there were no loose balls. Out of frustration , eventually the batsmen would nick one and Mark Waugh was always there at the slips. Even his bouncers were well targeted. Not even one of his bouncers would go wasted (i.e above the keeper for four). Good batsmen have told in interviews that if Mcgrath was knocked of his length early , he was ordinary.

REVERSE SWING..

Once the ball becomes older and more worn, it will begin to move in the opposite direction to where it would usually swing with no great change in the bowling grip. For example, an outswinger's grip will move towards the batsman in the air while an inswinger will move away from the bat.People say the grip is all important bowling reverse swing . All this tends to happen very late on in the delivery, making it difficult for the batsman to pick up the changes in the air. Former Pakistan international Sarfraz Nawaz was the founder of reverse swing during the late 1970s, and he passed his knowledge on to former team-mate Imran Khan.

It was Imran who schooled bowlers Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, who brought the art to the cricket world's attention during the late 1980s and 1990s.The dynamic duo managed to make the old ball swing a considerable distance at pace in both directions, a skill few bowlers can master. Wasim Akram was the greatest exponent of reverse swing.He would set up a batsmen with few inswingers and with the same seam position would make it hold its line. Look at this video were he sets up Dravid with inswingers and then bowls a outswinger to break his defense.



As my friend said recently , Dravid must be proud to get out to a ball like this.

Perhaps the series that revived Test Cricket was the Ashes 2005.My opinion is , it was fully won on Reverse Swing.It was reported that Flintoff could reverse the ball in 15 overs..!! How he did it no one knows.. He along with Simon Jones reversed the ball wonderfully well and that made Australian batsmen piss in their pants. You see a batsmen leaving a ball , hoping that it goes away , but as Reverse Swing would have it , they were bowled by leaving the balls.. Just take a look at this.. You will be stunned.



A Swinging ball is a poetry in motion.And those who swing it are Artists who terrorise batsmen. Long Live the art of swing.

Out of My Comfort Zone - By Stephen Rodger Waugh ( the Autobiography).

This has been the book that I wanted to lay hands on for a long long time and finally did so last month. Wow!.. This 'Never Keep Down' book told me so many intricacies about the game itself and gave an insight into the life of cricketers on and off the field.

It is common known knowledge that Steve Waugh was not one of the 'great talents' on the field but known as the one who maximized his minute talent to the fullest. He is not known for his talent but more for his grit and determination. However this man does not agree!!. One line in his book states 'I was the most talented Batsman in New South Wales.' Does that mean he is more talented than Mark Waugh?? I do not think so.
Here I come across his personality as some one who is an extremely confused and agitated from within constantly trying to prove to himself that being a player of limited abilities , he has made it. However to the outside world , he fakes himself to be extremely talented.

The Most irritating thing in the book is the fact that everything that sounds good is the Australian way and everything else is bad.He claims Aussies lost games only because of bad scheduling , flight delays, poor hotels,lack of facilities for pre-match practice,Curators,hotels situated far away from grounds,Bad umpiring,extreme weather conditions etc etc and NOT BECAUSE THEY PLAYED POOR CRICKET!!

May be Steve needs to understand that all teams face such hardships and Aussies were no exception.The acceptance that they lost because they played bad cricket is never reflected anywhere in this 800 page book.!!On the contrary , he claims that every game that Aussies won was because of the fact that they played extremely good cricket and opponents were no match to them.How silly!!

He has not given great credit to too many opposition players.Often praise comes with an unusual dose of slack!(which I think is due to the jealous of not able to possess the talent of that opposition player and sometimes within his team!).

One of the cheap things he has said is with reference to the famous 2001 Kolkatta test."We were undone by bad umpiring. Venkatesh Prasad , the No 11 Batsman was plumb out but not given. Due to this VVS Laxman who was 35 then , scored a Half century and was able to carry on this form when he came back to bat at No 3 and scored 281". He neither accepts the fact that they were unable to get his wicket nor showers great praise on that flawless innings Laxman played.

Believe me , This is the tone that he takes throughout this book and that is truly irritating.

Some things such as the ACB-ACA duel in this book is boring to the core.However , he makes his point very clear that whatever happened , he stood by his players. One of the revelations that he makes is the relationship with his brother which he claims is not too smooth and I am surprised that there are not too many references to his 'Brother Mark'(copyright Vadivelu) in this book.

I was a great fan of Steve Waugh for his ability to bat with the tailenders and get the best out of them. He says ' Even the bowlers have some talent with the bat .The only thing that makes them to be wary is the number they bat.No Bowler wants to get out cheaply. I understood this and I was successful.'Indeed the best way to get them bat is to give them confidence that they can and allow them to play majority of balls of strike bowlers . By not doing so, they are never going to contribute.


It is surprising that all was not well even within this Aussie team as he openly speaks about his tiff with Michael Slater. Slater gets slack from him on one more occasion for his behaviour on the Dravid catch issue with Umpire Venkat (who is also damaged). Ego issues between Australian players come up in a subtle way very nicely which just goes to show that all is not great in the Aussie team as its made out to be. Waugh’s widening differences with the selectors as he approached the twilight of his career is extremely well written as is his reaction to his sacking from the ODI squad in early 2002 as captain and player.I think his best mate was Ian Healy. He recalls how painful it was for him to announce personally as the captain to Ian that he was being dropped from the ODI squad.

His Views on Captaincy is the one thing in this in this book which I subscribe to. He says -- ’’Captaincy is about empowerment,about making players responsible for their actions and ,in turn,accountable.It’s about treating everyone equally but differently by recognising there are varied characters and personalities who need to express their individual flair and instincts inside the ultimate team vision.It’s about setting an example and not expecting anything of your players that you aren’t willing to do yourself.It’s about mentoring and at times protecting individuals,and taking on their problems so that the team will benefit.You must swallow your pride in order to move on.Crucially,it’s about seeing the good in people and focusing on the positives and the things you can control.It’s making sure your time management is spot on and that you continue to earn your place in the side.At times for me it was being an advisor,psychologist,mate,mentor,mediator,selector,mouthpiece and politician.Above all,it was about being me and doing it my way.’’

Other Highlights of this book:-
a) Foreword by Rahul Dravid.
b) The Photographs.( Truly Photographs are great!)
c) His views on Match fixing.
d) His praising of Little known Sameer Dighe ( for his heroics on the last day of 2001 Chennai test)
e) His tips on how to face a ball. His mode of on and off concentration technique with his favorite 'NOW' word.
f) His duels with Curlty Ambrose ,Allan Donald etc etc.
g) The Famous Gibbs Dropcatch. (It is surprising to know that it was actually advised in their team meeting by Shane Warne not to hurry if gibbs takes a catch because he has that 'throwing away' tendency)
h) His 'Udayan' Work.
i) Fielding skills of another little known Roger Harper.
i) The Rapport with his wife - Lynette.(Who has written the last chapter in this book)
j) His on field Sledges (Paarthiv Patel's is the best)
k) Dressing room habits
and many more....

Truly the book is exceptional.However Stephen Rodger Waugh is unfortunately an Aussie & therefore exaggerates way too much( like saying chennai is 50*c) and also is Very arrogant ( says MA Chidambaram Stadium is a poor man's MCG)and Cocky (although he may not accept ).



A must read... A cricket lover's dream book.

Mr Peter Roebuck ?? Sudden transformation...???

Statement 1 :- "Beyond comparison it was the ugliest performance put up by an Australian side for 20 years. The only surprising part of it is that the Indians have not packed their bags and gone home. There is no justice for them in this country, nor any manners."

Statement 2 :- "INDIA'S performance in chartering a plane to take the players back home in the event of an independent judge finding against them in the Harbhajan Singh case counted amongst the most nakedly aggressive actions taken in the history of a notoriously fractious game. If this is the way the Indian board intends to conduct its affairs hereafter, then God help cricket."

So... Why this contradiction in 2 weeks..???
I do not understand why Mr Peter Roebuck has contradicted himself... Its pity to see that this is the standard of newspaper columns and the persons who write it..

ICC’s NEW RULES FOR TEAMS “VISITING AUSTRALIA”

ICC’s NEW RULES FOR TEAMS “VISITING AUSTRALIA”

After the Sydney test match, new rules need to be incorporated by ICC to give the other teams a perfect clarification..

(1) Ricky Ponting – (THE TRULY GENUINE CRICKETER OF THE CRICKET ERA AND WHOSE INTEGRITY SHOULD NOT BE DOUBTED ) should be considered as the FOURTH UMPIRE. As per the new rules, FOURTH UMPIRE decision is final and will over ride any decisions taken by any other umpires. ON-FIELD umpires can seek the assistance of RICKY PONTING even if he is not on the field. This rule is to be made, so that every team should understand the importance of the FOURTH UMPIRE .

(2) While AUSTRALIAN TEAM is bowling, If the ball flies anywhere close to any AUSTRALIAN FIELDER(WITHIN 5 metre distance), the batsman is to be considered OUT irrelevant of whether the catch was taken cleanly or grassed. Any decision for further clarification should be seeked from the FOURTH UMPIRE . This is made to ensure that the cricket is played with SPORTIVE SPIRIT by all the teams.

(3) While BATTING, AUSTRALIAN players will wait for the ON-FIELD UMPIRE decisions only (even if the catch goes to the FIFTH SLIP as the ball might not have touched the bat). Each AUSTRALIAN batsman has to be out FOUR TIMES (minimum) before he can return to the pavilion. In case of THE CRICKETER WITH INTEGRITY, this can be higher.

(4) UMPIRES recieve a huge bonus if an AUSTRALIAN player scores a century. Any wrong decisions can be ignored as they will be paid huge bonus and will receive the backing of the AUSTRALIAN team and board.

(5) All AUSTRALIAN players are eligible to keep commenting about all players on the field and the OPPONENT TEAM should never comment as they will be spoiling the spirit of the AUSTRALIAN team. Any comments made in any other language are to be considered as RACISM only.

(6) MATCH REFREE decisions will be taken purely on the AUSTRALIAN TEAM advice only. Player views from the other teams decisions will not be considered for hearing. MATCH REFREES are to be given huge bonus if this rule is implemented.

(7) NO VISITING TEAM should plan to win in AUSTRALIA. This is to ensure that the sportive spirit of CRICKET is maintained.

(8) THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE : If any bowler gets RICKY PONTING - “THE UNDISPUTED CRICKETER WITH INTEGRITY IN THE GAME OF CRICKET” more than twice in a series, he will be banned for the REST OF THE SERIES. This is to ensure that the best batsman/Captain will play to break records and create history in the game of CRICKET.

These rules are for all the teams VISITING AUSTRALIA. There will be many more that will be added over the years as with the Australian cricket team, rules are dynamic.

Are you guys Gentlemen ?. NO

The wait is over: Australia win the Champions Trophy for the first time.
They are easily the best cricket team in the world simply because they perform when it matters the most!


I however found the on field behaviour of this team irritating. It reached its maximum during the presentation ceremony.Mr Ramiz raja, the person incharge of announcing the presentations 'forgot' to announce that the TROPHY would be presented to Ricky Ponting by the President of BCCI,Mr Sharad Pawar and concluded the presentation ceremony abtruptly.

What happened next was actrocious. Ricky ponting pointed his finger at the trophy and and pulled it from Sharad Pawar with such arrogance that he was standing perplexed there and then obivously took time to move of the stage due to his age factor.Then couple of Aussie players pushed him outside the stage !.I cant understand why the players could not ask him move politely.

I just imagined that if something like this happened to the president of 'Cricket Australia', it would have become an big issue. I want the ICC to look into this matter very seriously , but i know this would never happen.

The Aussies are true champions but I doubt whether they are Gentlemen !

A Nice Trend ....!

I am happy with this.

Yeah , the bowlers are calling the shots atleast for the first few matches of the ICC Champions Trophy.Its a nice trend since 300 plus scores has become almost inevitable during ODI matches and like many others I felt that the fair contest between the bat and the ball was missing.

I am very critical of the people who say that these kind of pitches are substandard.I beg to differ simply because a good pitch must provide something for both the batsmen & the bowlers and these pitches are doing the same unlike others.

In my opinion, the tracks which provide 300 plus scores easily are the culprits for spoiling the game and is guilty of taking away the charm from an cricket match.These are the pitches that must be termed as substandard.

The Batsmen who licked their lips coming to India cannot tolerate this disappointment because their batting techniques would come under the scanner.
We would come to know the difference between 'boys' and 'men' during this tournament because of the fact that those players whom we think are great may not be so and viceversa.

The bowlers are back in action in an ODI game and such pitches would surely inspire some of them to actually perform to their best .I hope this trend will continue and I am only to say 'Touchwood'.


P.s. This is for all those who said that a blog for sport was missing.