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

From Gallows to Glory

For a person with just casual acquaintance with cricket, the recent test series against Australia can broadly be divided into four phases

Australian dominance
In the first test at Melbourne, the Australians were all over us and the way they had fielded and bowled, it looked the end of the world for India.

Though former Australian skipper Ian chappell praised the Indians for not allowing the Australians run up to really huge totals in excess of 500, India batsmen let down their bowlers by failing to cross even 200 in any of its innings . The massive 337 run defeat thanks to inept batting in both the innings was something India could have done without. The challengers looked just another of those hopeless pretenders to the Australian crown.

Indian fight back strangulated by Umpires
Bucknor justifiably got the axe after Sydney but the damage had been done with Australia 2-0 up. India could at best draw the series now.

Contrast this with day one when Australia were reeling at 134 for six. It was a glorious opportunity indeed, but Bucknor saw no edge, heard no edge. And when Indians batted in their second innings, again he saw what he wanted to see. Not to mention that he had an ably ally in Benson.

After Sydney collapse, everything looked doomed. Glenn McGrath even predicted a 0-4 whitewash, and for once no one really disagreed with the Australian great. The Indians looked too demoralized despite winning the battle for removal of Bucknor, and a suspended sentence on Harbhajan. They were, after all, headed for Perth, where no visiting team had won in last ten years. To fans, Indian team heading back home after racism controversy was not such a bad idea after all.

Inspired selections help India claw back
The entry of Sehwag, Irfan, and Kumble winning the toss turned the form book upside down at Perth. Sehwag ensured a solid start, Irfan delivered with both bat and ball, and Indian fielding looked like coming to terms with the vastness of the Australian fields. Hunters, for once, looked hunted as unthinkable happened at Perth. For a moment, it looked even better than Kolkatta 2001, even though both are incomparable, landmark wins.

Honours even
India may have lost 1-2 after drawing at Adelaide, but the honours can only be said to be even at the end of such a grueling campaign. They made Australia crawl and suffer on the first three days, so much so that their scoring rate became a matter of fun for Sehwag. And then he rubbed it in with an excellent, match saving knock of 150 plus.

Considering the arena, the circumstances, and some shoddy umpiring, the Indians can celebrate tonight as if they have won a series. After all, it could also have been 0-4!

What an Indian fan/writer wishes to see by the end of Day Two

India sitting pretty on a 400+ score. If India can manage that, it will surely have quite a few Australians anxious, and thinking. Shall we then call it Perth scare revisited?

A double century for Tendulkar will be a fitting tribute to his exploits on the Australian soil for last one and a half decade. He is still a long way away. But even if the great man does not achieve that, just by reaching closer he will have done the Indian cause a great deal of good.

The Indian tail to wag a little, just as they had done in the crucial second innings at Perth, and the 1st innings of Sydney. Nothing bothers a batting side more than a stubborn tail wagging.

Five bowlers to work their magic like five Pandavas. The whole press in India has gone berserk advocating for more ammunition to make it 2-2. Now their job is to get cracking when they get their chance sometime tomorrow.

Nothing will give India more satisfaction than the Australians looking at their watches and praying for the day to end. They are undoubtedly a champion side, but right now the momentum is well and truly with the Indians.

Obeservations that VVS made

In a TV interview today, there were two important observations that VVS Laxman made about the track, and the situation at Sydney.

First, he felt that the pitch will have lots of spin on fourth and fifth days and, so, India will have to ensure a big score in their first innings. Already in Australia's first innings, Kumble and Harbhajan got lot many balls to turn and even Hogg turned quite a few, he said.

Second, unlike the pitch at Melbourne, the bounce at Sydney was relatively even because of which he (Laxman) was able to play pull shot so freely. So it should not be too difficult for the Indian batsmen, including Tendulkar and Ganguly – the seasoned batsmen on the crease.

Meanwhile, Australia coach Tim Nielson believes that the match is evenly poised and as the new ball is due after 18 overs on Friday, the first session will be extremely critical for both the teams.

Of course, it will be worth getting up seven hours from now, (Five AM IST) to watch how the 1st session unfolds.

Even if they are unable to take the lead, India will need at least 200 runs more in the 1st innings to put Australia under pressure on a spinning track and hope for the repeat of Adelaide four years ago. In that match, Australia had collapsed in the second innings after taking a small first innings lead of 33, leaving India with a target of 230, which they achieved with four wickets to spare.

With 270 overs still to go, it is anybody’s game. Unless, of course, there is an inspirational spell by someone from the Australian side tomorrow morning, resulting in over 100 lead for the Aussie. That could be a decisive lead on this track for a team batting third.

Four other Links
-- 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,...

A hundred worth their weight in Gold

(Story has been taken till his 101 runs)

Tremendous Century by VVS Laxman under pressure!

First, there was a breathtaking assault for his first fifty runs, which came off just 43 balls at a strike-rate of 116. They ensured that Ricky Ponting, on offence throughout the early part of his partnership with Dravid, withdrew a little into his shell.

And the next 50, against a relatively more conservative field placement, were compiled little cautiously, coming off 84 balls at a strike-rate of 61.

Laxman’s ability to find boundaries at will as he made another of his century in crisis, was evident in the fact that he got as many as 17 boundries in reaching the landmark. So one boundary for each of his six runs, which was exceptional by any standards!

There were some authentic strokes, evident in as many as six boundaries coming from the cover region.

Meanwhile, the Australian attack, facing unexpected resistance, also started bowling loose on the onside, giving him seven boundaries between the midwicket and the fine-leg regions.

Laxman treated each Australian bowler on merit, taking at least six runs out of the every ten balls bowled by them. However, he was particularly severe on Johnson, milking him at run-a-ball.

Whatever happens from now on, Laxman’s innings and another great partnership with Rahul Dravid should help India believe that they can take on this Australian attack really well. Even as they needed some dose of luck to achieve that.

Sehwag-Dravid Combo finds one more supporter

With India gearing up for a do-or-die battle at Sydney which begins less than 24 hours from now, the call to have Sehwag partnering Dravid is gaining momentum.

After Steve Waugh (http://atulsondhi.blogspot.com/2007/12/steves-team-will-have-sehwag-partnering.html), Javagal Srinath has asked the team management to let Sehwag partner Dravid at the top in a match, which India simply can’t afford to lose.

‘’Given the nature of the surface at the SCG, Sehwag and Rahul should be opening the innings. Sehwag was not only a great hit with the bat on the last tour, but can be very handy with the ball, on a turner like SCG,’’ writes Srinath in his column by Hawkeye/Chivach Sports.

Srinath is convinced that ‘’At present, Rahul needs an aggressive opening partner to complement his style of batting.’’

Sehwag should be happy indeed. If he gets in and scores, there won’t be a better new year gift for him and the Indian Contingent. His selection in that case will turn out to be as inspirational as Ganguly’s inclusion in the Test team for South Africa at the fag end of 2006.

In between, there were two adverse developments for the Indian squad, gearing up to take on Australia.

India’s best batsman in the 1st Test, Ganguly is down with fever though the team management believes that he will be fit in time for the second test. One does recall seeing Ganguly in discomfort during India’s second innings. Hopefully, he will have recovered sufficiently to bat for long if India are to bat first tomorrow. They simply can’t afford to lose a batsman in form.

The second bad piece of news has been the nature of the pitch. In a story titled ‘’Pacy strip confuses India,’’ the Times of India says ‘’the virgin wicket at the SCG is not quite a spinners’ paradise, but has a bit of grass no it and the ball will carry nicely to the wicketkeeper,’’

However, the nature of the pitch should concern only the Indians who are banking heavily on their best attack, which comprises two spinners. The Australians will hardly be bothered, as they have form as well momentum going on their side.

India look set for long day in the field

For Indian viewers, who got up at five am to watch the first session of the most anticipated clash in recent cricket history today, it turned out to be a big letdown. It is not that India were not up to the task in first session of the test series at Melbourne. The pacers, after Australia opted to bat, did everything right in the initial few overs but that critical first wicket eluded them. They pitched it up, moved it beautifully, but missed the edge of the blade. (The details you will get in few of the sites on this blog just below the profile on the right).

And then the Australians took over. A score of 111 for none at lunch means Indians are well and truly on the backfoot and if Australia's recent performance is anything to go by, they are unlikely to let any side off from such situation. Commenting on pre-lunch play, Wasim Akram did feel that the Indians should have used the crease little more effectively. He also predicted a very tough post-lunch session for India.

The most interesting coincidence, as pointed out by Ravi Shastri when the match took off, was that left-handers were doing everything in the initial stages. The Australian batting was opened by lefties (Hayden and Jaques), the Indian opening bowling attack had Zaheer and RP, and the second commentator to describe the initial overs alongside Ravi, was Akram!

Indian batting dilemma is over, Australia's on bowling attack persists

(Media Watch One for Dec 24, More to follow above this post)

With India finally deciding that Dravid will open (Dravid to ‘crack’ open puzzle in IE and in most news channels yesterday), it is clear that Sehwag will have to wait for his chance from the bench on a ground where he was so lethal with that 195 four years ago.

But one thing good about the decision is that it has been made three days before the test, rather than a day before or in the morning. It will help Dravid get into the opening ‘mindset’ sooner than later. Since now Yuvraj too knows he is in, there is going to be more intensity about his preparations. Sehwag can feel he was unlucky, but he will surely have his chance in January-Feb 2008.

However, the Australians may still not have decided on whether to include Chinaman Hogg, or go with all pace attack at the Melbourne Test. It will be wise for Australia to include a man about whom Muralitharan says that ‘’the World’s top batsmen can’t pick his wrong ones.’’ Indian batsmen are capable of clobbering a unidimensional pace attack at will on a benign pitch. Australia will certainly need some variety.

If one goes by what the curator has to say, it is not going to be a green top and even he has asked Australia to include a spinner.

And if it is not a green top, then even India must go in with their best attack. That is, two spinners and two seamers.