One debate settled for now

The astonishing collapse of the Lankans thanks to some extremely disciplined and intelligent bowing by Praveen Kumar may have settled one debate at least, if India (and they must) make it to the final today itself.

The Indians will surely be going in with five bowlers for the best of three-tussle, unless they suffer an unexpected batting collapse today and reach the finals only courtesy an Australian win over Lanka.

That is perfectly logical too. Going by the way this series has gone, low scores have dominated the scoresheets of all the three sides, with just two 270+ scores possible in the series so far.

So it makes sense to continue with five-bowler policy to ensure that the Australians are not allowed to get away with their free-flowing ways. If they make runs, they are virtually impossible to chase.

And how an effective fifth bowler (Praveen Kumar today) can change the complexion of a game! At 72 for one after 14 overs, Lankans looked unstoppable. And at 93 for seven after 26 overs, the same side was looking so miserable.

The only debate now will be the batting composition. Sehwag may not have delivered in the ODI series, but so have some other senior batsmen. Tendulkar has so far failed to reach a fifty while Yuvraj managed just one, though a match-clincher against Sri Lanka.

The pressure is going to be far less today and with Sri Lanka not likely to go much above 100, the do-or-die battle may have fizzled out, providing an opportunity, at least to Tendulkar, to get back to his Test Series’ form. A fifty from him today will make India feel little more secure going into the business end of the CB series, a tourney they have never won.

We did not go for big bucks in the IPL, but we can play!

Can’t reproduce the exact words but it was a very interesting observation made by Ravi Shastri just after Australia had crossed 100 at a terrific rate of 7.7, with the loss of just one wicket.

The former Indian skipper could not have been more on target. Gilchrist may have failed to live up to the early promise, but Ponting and Hayden ensured that his good work (initial blitzkrieg) was not wasted, as they launched into a breathtaking assault on the Indians.

From such position, Australia seldom lose their way. That is the hallmark of champions. But that precisely will be India’s challenge. To first restrict them to a chasable score (something under 300), and then go for it. After all, they look to be the only real challengers to Australian supremacy as of now. It will also be a big chance for Sehwag to prove that he is a must-in for the rest of the matches.

Meanwhile, if one recalls, Dhoni had said after India’s loss against Australia last week that the best thing about Munaf was that he did not think much and, so, bowled according to the field!

If one did not realize the significance of the statement then, the message must have been loud and clear today. Aggression in ODIs is 'bowling good line and length with reasonable speed'. Going wayward is a sure shot recipe for disaster.

As of now, the way the Australians have batted it seems they had a point to prove. One fears that by the end of the day, they will have proved it.

Commodification is complete!

It was unnerving, almost frightening, and at the same time amusing to see the pricing war going on (courtesy various channels). Kaun Banega crorepati contest of different nature was on, and, as widely anticipated, all the big stars had turned crorepatis by the end of the first few rounds of the contest. Shah Rukh was just one of the anchors in an event, unprecedented in India in terms of scale and novelty. However, some of the crorepatis may still not be smiling, as, without cap, they are perceived to be much more.

Coming back to the auction. Mercifully, only the names were auctioned and stars were not there in person. Else it would have been like the dark medieval ages, when the man in charge of auction will describe the various features of a product, and then allow the moneyed ones to take charge.

Though the players (already millionaires) hardly fit the description of an ancient slave, but parallels are unmistakable.

Looks like, the commodification of our star-studded, cricket system is complete. The ones we always applauded for their commitment to the country, will become rich man’s toy. When Zee had come in with ICL, one did hear money versus country! Did not we?

Meanwhile, one saw an angry Modi on stage (beamed live/deferred live), constantly feeling disturbed by cell phone wielding journos trying to give feedback to their offices. But that is a momentary feeling. He has done a job. One may not agree with the moral aspects of bidding in this gentleman’s game, but in commercial terms, he has turned out to be a genius.

Personally, I am not sure if the move is going to succeed in the long run. Some amounts could drastically come down in the coming years. The fun of seeing some greats in action is nothing compared to the patriotism, which even a contest between India and Zimbabwe generates.

Probably the better thing would have been to assign money for each star, and design a system of lots to ensure a fair distribution of teams.

Too late now. Describing this milestone event, Bindra called it 'exciting and wonderful drama' on telly. That sums it up.

There is a limit to human need, but not to human greed

Mahatma Gandhi once said somewhat similar words, when talking about the virtue of satisfaction.

And that is precisely one has come to realize when one hears about players' opinion (real or imaginary) on the money on offer (after bidding) in IPL.

That is why, reading Anand Vasu’s story in HT was such an eye opener. He calculated that some players could still be getting close to Rs 10 lakh per game, or an almost 500 per cent increase from what they are paid to play for India in an ODI (2.2 lakh)!

Imagine ten lakh per 150 minute of cricket! At least three of these players will be the ones who had no role to play in Indian’s twenty20 triumph, but will benefit from their iconic status (Icons certainly they are, but not of twenty20 version) .

Still there were calls to have no cap on bidding amount! Predictably, big groups which stand to gain most, are behind such campaign. And why not? If they have made such big bids, they would like their teams to be packed with all superstars, leaving crumbs for the smaller franchises. They do not like to get beaten. Never in business, and cricket is big business.

Mercifully, they have not succeeded as it could have killed the league in its very first year. After all, nothing is more injurious to the health of the game than seeing one or two teams winning almost all their games.

By putting cap, it has been ensured that some sanity has been restored to the proceedings. Hopefully, this arrangement will not be tampered with for next few years.

By investing more in their teams' training, and getting best possible support staff, the serious ones (read big corporates) can still call the shots. What IPL needs is big time cricketing investment, and not just investment in cricketers. They will be serving cricket more by seeing that.

To round it off, in a country where 1/5th of the rural population still survives on Rs 12 a day, some people getting 83333 times more (at Rs 10 lakh per game. Even one lakh per game will make it 8333 times more!), and still hoping for more can be quite sickening.

Today's result was a writer's delight

First of all, a miracle happened. Another match became a possibility in this weather marred tournament! Things looked really bleak this morning and nothing could have been a bigger letdown than getting up at 4.30, and waiting endlessly, only to see the match going the same way as the first two matches of the series involving India.

Second, a virtual twenty20 encounter had its share of some excellent performances. It was a treat to watch Jayasuriya’s pyrotechnics, Rohit Sharma’s tremendous stroke-making abilities, and a superb knock from Dilshan to ensure that Sri Lanka finally earned some winnings points!

Third, the series is still alive and kicking. It would have possibily become a two horse race, had Sri Lanka failed to chase a reasonable India target, made modest by the weather thanks to further cut down in overs. Two consecutive defeats at the hands of Australia and India would have put some serious question marks over their ability to come back and hit the track again.

As for India, one can expect mild criticism from experts after this ‘let down’. Mild because Indians were the victims of weather to a large extent. Of course, another ‘failure’ for Yuvraj to ‘survive’ (though this time he was in a no-win situation) will renew the calls for bringing back the original replacement (Tiwary), or some fresh opportunity for Raina or Karthik.

The Indian bowling, after such a splendid show against Australia in both the matches (rain curtailed as well as the one which completed its full course), could come under some scrutiny for sure. And why not? That is editor's prerogative.

As for most of those who are compelled to watch a series just because it is part of their profession, it is always better to be watching something alive and kicking. Lankans ensure that today.

Their clinical show at Canberra has renewed the hope that this tournament has the potential to go down to the wire, before the final countdown begins. That certainly augurs well for the rest of the cricketing journey this season.

India must leave its obsession with World Cups

Peter Roebuck is to writing, what Ian Chappell is to commentary. No holds barred comments, and no taking sides (One could also include Sunny and Bishan here). They speak from the heart, without being too diplomatic, and at times get barrage of criticism from every quarter. The duo represent the ultimate in media, both in terms of integrity, and extremely valuable inputs.

Now, it was very interesting to read Roebuck’s views about 2011, which somehow escaped the attention of most of the media.

While commending India for being on the right track with its ODI side for the competition, he also said that ‘’Much has been made of the need to build a team for the 2011 World Cup. That is foolish. It is unwise to be thinking about an event so far away.’’

The comments could not have been more timely. If one just concentrate’s on winning matches consistently, it automatically improves one’s chances of winning such tournament. Basically, preparing for future is just a hogwash. It tends to become an alibi for failures. You select players, appoint coaches, with a view to win something good three years away!

Here Roebuck adds ‘’An awful lot can change in a week, with injuries, losses of form, new faces, ten-over cricket starting and so forth. Goodness knows how much might alter in three years!’’

In such a fast paced sporting world, three years is a lifetime indeed. One may not have Tendulkar and Sehwag to open, and one could well be grappling with newer combinations. Just compare the ODI side in early 2005 with the one we have playing today, and you will know.

But the most important thing Roebuck emphasizes is that ‘’It is foolish to place so much emphasis on a single tournament. The All Blacks tend to think only about the Rugby World Cup and as a result usually freeze when the time comes. Instead India must set out to win as many matches as possible.’’

Did not we see that in World Cup 2007! Frozen footwork and numb stroke play due to unreasonable expectations. So much of hype followed by muck on our idols after they crashed out. India could have done better without so much pressure.

So cricket administrators will do well to pay heed to what Roebuck has to say. Do not do so much of advance planning. Winning more and more matches is much more important, than a trophy, which is put on display just once in four years.

LIFE GOES ON (followed by all the links in Test Series Sydney Onwards)

‘’In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life. It goes on’’

Mercifully, I read this quote by Robert Frost in the Times of India only after the match had been called off yesterday. The whole tension was over and everyone was back to their life. Only life, and the way people went about doing their jobs, mattered and not cricket anymore.

The same must be true of the Indian Cricket Team as well. Anticipating massive criticism in the press and visual media for sending so many ‘’Debutants in ODIs in Australia/Debutants in Australian ODIs’’, they must have closed their eye and ear to any clamour of call back Sourav, call back Dravid. It was important for them not to listen to the pearls of wisdom if life were to, in Frost’s words, go on.

True, India will suffer immensely without these two. At times one has to stand and weather the body blows, which Dravid is eminently capable of. And at times, one has to show resolve and class needed to succeed at this level, and against this kind of foe, which Sourav has demonstrated time and again.

But then, one has to make do with whatever one has got. To be fair to ‘’batsmen debutants in ODIs in Australia’’, Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, and M S Dhoni did reasonably well before they got out.

Tiwary failed miserably but then when you are attempting to counter Brett Lee’s speed, any traces of Jet Lag can be lethal.

When even the most accomplished and experienced of Indian batsmen had failed in Melbourne Test, we had called it an inevitable result due to the failure to have a few quality matches before the Test Showdown. Then why not now. Forget the second innings of Sydney, but at Adelaide, all the experience could have come to naught but for Sehwag’s scintillating century.

Before commenting on the unseemly dismissal of Uthappa in the first ODI, one will also do well to recall his unbeaten 47 against England at Oval, and a similar score against Australia at Mumbai, which earned India unlikely wins, against all odds.

Give them some time. If it was unfair to leave Sourav out, it will be equally unfair to bombard the Indian team with such criticism after their first fifty50 encounter (Twenty20 was just a practice match considering race row had marred all preparation). We have never won a tri-series in Australia and the occasions we have won, can only be counted on fingers. With or without the experienced players!

below are LINKS to stories posted in January beginning Sydney Test.

Mr Fix It, and Roebuck's Rebuke
Losers in Race Abuse Fiasco
From Gallows to Glory
BE POSTIVE
Pressure is a Privilege
With so many left handers in the Australian side.....
One wishes to see a happy India, not unhappy one o...
What an Indian fan/writer wishes to see by the en...
India were bold, but not bold enough
Possible combinations if India play five bowlers
The timing could not have been worse!
I STILL DO NOT HAVE WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE WIN...
After Bucknor, Benson's experience...
Prey Turns Predator
As Australia begin their reply...
Sehwag's terrible miss on day of Irfan's hits
Do not get despondent, we still lead by a whopping...
India lead the series by eight to seven
India have Australia by the scruff of the neck
The best ever quote on Kumble
A sullen, forlorn Bhajji, whose bunny was stolen a...
How were you dismissed Dad!
As they go into day two, Points India must not los...
Muddai lakh bura chahe to kya hota hai!!!
WHAT I DID followed by WHAT NOT TO EXPECT FROM PER...
What not to expect from Perth's encounter
Kumble, and the essence of Indian spirit
They have come to watch my batting,not your umpiri...
'If India have to get in Sehwag, this is the time'...
India had to chose between dishonour and war
Time to Talk Cricket, and the opening combination
Wisdom prevails as Spirit of Cricket Wins -- ICC r...
Three ways to Save the Tour
Kumble is no angel, but.....
Unusual defence
See the link below on what we anticipated on Day ...
97 per cent in favour of tour being called off!
Were umpires acting under a brief
Bucknor is our man of the Match
The Wheel that squeaks!
What Bucknor Stands for!!!
Team for Perth should have Sehwag, Karthik, Pathan...
As anticipated, India grimly fight to 'live anothe...
India will fight to 'live another day' as Australi...
Yuvraj scoring with Deepika is BAD publicity!
Harbhajan has gone mad!
What did you do Bhajji!
Neutral umpires are fine but...
India leading by THREE HUNDRED RUNS at Sydney!
52 RUNS IN NINE INNINGS! ...
Tremendous run-rate, but honours even
The feminine side of Gilchrist!
Obeservations that VVS made
A hundred worth their weight in Gold
Rerouting Buch's advice.....
Tales of Blind men in Indian Print Media Today
Salim, Aur Tum kuch kar bhi kya sakte the! (Salim,...
Forget about an explosive start from india
A series that ended in five days thanks to outrage...
Sensational Daylight robbery at Sydney....
Aussie Grit; Deaf Bucknor
Prophetic Ponting!
Ridiculous decision on half use of Technology
This Sickening Cricket Addiction!!!!!!
Sehwag Left out of India Team?
Buch's free advice to struggling India
Sehwag-Dravid Combo finds one more supporter