Author Archives: smangalam

Several things have happened during the last few days that have kept me thinking that the BCCI with all its wealth to bloody well starting dictating terms in a more direct way. Enough of this nonsense. Here are some examples of what has got me going:

1. The Indians led by Tendulkar have constantly expressed reservations about the DRS. Instead of establishing and demonstrating the credibility of the system, the rest of world has only been critical of India’s antics. The englishmen do not agree with a review based decision on VVS Laxman and all hell breaks loose. Now the hot spot has to undergo testing. So, it takes an anglo-saxon team to complain to establish proof of performance?
2. Hotspot fails to detect an edge of VVS Laxman’s bat (which never happened). The english fielders behind the stumps mistook Matt Prior’s release from his rear as the edge and they all question the hotspot. Michael Vaughan contributes further to Prior’s rear emissions by claiming VVS to be a cheat. Stuart Broad licks VVS’s bat hoping to get high and finds nothing…And we are supposed to take all this and stay silent?
3. Ian Bell gets run out because he is high on Prior’s release, Strauss goes demands extra gaaji for Bell and we are supposed to give in?
4. Swann kicks the stumps thinking he is playing for Nottingham Forest, apologizes and gets an award for sportsmanship and we are supposed to sponsor the prize?
5. Nasser Hussain is unable to explain to his two sons why Harbhajan Singh was given out lbw even though there was a big inside edge and blames India for being a disgrace not accepting the DRS. (I suggest he is better off spending his time trying to explain why the Brits went to war in Iraq or why he continues to work for a company owned by Rupert Murdoch to his sons, that will be a true lesson in life!!!). And we are supposed to pay his salary?

All of this gets me going and am out of control till I read Dravid’s interview at the end of the day. I read about how the team discussed the Bell event and related it to what happened to Laxman in West Indies. Who can also forget the ugly incident involving Sachin Tendulkar and Shoaib Akhtar in Kolkata. Where was Wasim Akram then? And I say to myself, I would rather hold my head high and say that I support a team that has Dravid, Tendulkar, and Laxman three of the greatest ambassadors of the game there has ever been than fall for the bait. And I hope that India will pull out of this challenge much like what happened in Australia a few years back. This is a team that is unparalleled in its ability to bounce back from the most difficult of situations and this series could very well be another one of those.

Hoping for the best.

- Srikanth

The daggers are out, the rifles are loaded, they are going for the kill. Most Indian media, a largely irrational fan base, highly insecure former cricketers of the successful and unsuccessful kind and many more have more or less dismissed this Indian team. The Lords mishap has become a catastrophic failure. Irrelevant statistics are being produced and reproduced to prove how the defeat was as predictable as anything could possibly be. All recent successes going back to as far as 2007 are forgotten memories, mere outliers.

Given a choice this could have all been avoided. India could have won Lords and subsequently the series (it is irrelevant what happens in the next 3 tests)if only:

1. India refused to play the first test. Hereafter India should only begin a series with a 2nd test.
2. Extended the IPL till such time that Sehwag was fit and arrive late in England.
3. Ensure that Zaheer Khan played at least two tests even if it was for some other country so that he was match fit.
4. Avoid getting Tendulkar to field on a cold day before he bats so that he doesn’t pick up a viral infection. Dhoni should have consulted the team doctor before fielding first.
5. Make sure Ishant Sharma doesn’t get to eat lunch when bowling. Starvation is better for a bowler than indigestion. Again, Dhoni should have consulted the team doctor at lunch before offering food to Ishant Sharma on the fourth day.
6. Ensure that Harbhajan Singh gets the first wicket of the innings even if it means manipulating the scoreboard. He needs to be in the mood to bowl well.
7. Dhoni should have kept a mobile device with him to continually monitor Sanjay Manjrekar’s tweets, Sunil Gavaskar’s tips on positioning slip cordons, Kapil Dev’s tips on bowling changes, Ravi Shastri’s cliches, Harsha Bhogle’s tongue in Geoffrey’s Boycott’s cheeks, David Lloyd’s wicket keeping tips, and Peter Roebuck’s axioms. The result would have been different.
8. Tendulkar should have asked James Anderson to bowl to him at the nets instead of his unknown marathi friend or Monty Panesar, that way, he would been better prepared to play swing bowling.
9. Tendulkar should have bought his property far away from Lords. That way, he wouldnt have takenthe pitch for granted. He should cut out strokes outside the off stump, towards mid wicket, square of the wicket, pull stroke, down the ground and attempt to play naturally. Anyways, statistics tell us that Tendulkar doesn’t score well in the second innings, doesn’t save games for india, doesnt win games for India, doesn’t bat till the end…
10. BCCI should have used its powers to ensure that Strauss did not get to play for Somerset. He found india out before the series began.

Now that Sanjay Manjrekar has decided to go England after all, Dhoni has apologized to Kapil Dev for making a mockery of test cricket, Sunil Gavaskar has confirmed that Ishant Sharma is a quick learner because he said “sorry” on TV and UB has withdrawn it’s ad ridiculing Harbhajan, India may very well take the series.

- Srikanth

They are almost there. The glorious men in blue, this special Indian team is one game away from repeating history. And that they will do, mark my words! Dhoni and his men are special; they are talented, ambitious, inspiring, strong mentally and physically, and above all driven to succeed. They showed it all at Mohali. Yes, Tendulkar had survived 7 times, but survive he did and scored the most precious runs of the game. Even the real God (if there is one) wasn’t willing to let him out of sight. Sehwag blunted Umar Gul’s pre-match rhetoric in no time. Gambhir, Kohli and Dhoni contributed valuable runs while occupying the crease. Suresh Raina topped it off with a special innings.

I had tweeted early on in the game that 275 was going to be a winning total. While I felt India were about 20 runs short, I also knew that Pakistan had a fairly ordinary batting lineup and 260 was absolutely defendable. And defend they did. Dhoni made a controversial call at the start of the game, leaving Ashwin out for the out-of-form Nehra. That turned out to be brilliant move. Nehra bowled outstandingly well, fielding sincerely, and helped Raina add a few at the end of the innings. The Indians have fielded out of their skins in the last couple of games and what a refreshing sight that has been!

The Pakistanis bowled superbly as expected. Their fielding was a mockery and going back to the basics would be an understatement. Their batting, I have always felt, was mediocre. While I am a big fan of Younus Khan, his days in one dayers have long been over. Misbah Ul Haq is as mysterious as previous namesake captain. The Akmals are never known to carry their innings long enough to finish off. Afridi is a pale shadow of his past. Any total above 230 was going to be tough ask. Here is a team that was bowled out in the 180s by an associate nation consisting of part time cricketers (sorry Canadians!).

This world cup could not have been scripted better than what it is. It has been a dream journey. Sachin Tendulkar will grace Wankhade in the finals and win it for India. I also predict that, if this happens, God will announce his retirement from one day internationals. Strong statement that, but as Ravi Shastri would say, I have a feeling!

Game on!

- Srikanth

I watch this world cup unfold and cannot but ignore the strange things happening on and off the field. Mohan’s tweets (Mohan, I am not sure I have become savvy enough to link your tweets on this blog, so I will let you figure it out!) have wonderfully captured the humor around the various situations that have occurred during the tournament. It will be worth getting a compilation of his tweets and possibly auctioning them off for a good cause. An introductory training course on wicketkeeping for Kamran Akmal, perhaps!! Anyway, I have attempted in my mediocre way of compiling some of my thoughtless observations. Here goes..

The one on top of the list is the Indian team composition. I suggest hiring a highly qualified investigator/analyst to try and figure out the strategy of selecting the final x1. It may be worthwhile hiring a linguistic expert to try and figure out what comes out of Dhoni’s mouth when he is asked to explain the strategy. It seems that the best position to be in for a good player is not in the playing X1. If you have had disturbed childhood, suicidal tendencies, parental abuse, girlfriend problems, weight issues, or any such factors that have made you visit a psychiatrist weekly, you are guaranteed to play in the final X1.

A close second is the team composition of the Pakistani team. Even betting as a strategy may not succeed. I mean, imagine, somebody trying to bet on Kamran Akmal dropping a catch! Abdul Razzaq reminds me of Ravindra Jadeja in the recent times or Ajay Jadeja of the past. More than likely, he is going to score when Pakistan is destined to lose. I have lost track of their batting lineup. Is Saeed Anwar still in the side? If not, maybe he should!!! I thought Younis Khan was a safe catcher. Or was it Mohammed Yusuf?  Irregardless, Pakistan is able to creep into the next stage of every world cup with any lineup that they gather!!! So much for strategy…

If any Pakistani fails to make it to the lineup, he has two choices. He should talk to the News of the World, or better, immigrate to South Africa. That way, they can atleast attempt to spin a web around others’ throats and avoid choking themselves. The one thing that I am certain about, South Africa will not win this world cup, possibly not the next or the one after…. The most effectiveness sledge word on the field would be “choke” when they play. South Africa  in a world cup remind me of Ivan Lendl at Wimbledon. They will successfully retain the “choke” title and Lance Klusener will be there to comment on it!

Ravi Bopara scores and is rewarded by being dumped for Collingwood. Collingwood has more or less “limited” his options to T20 will his limited perfomances. Pietersen gets hernia and Bopara’s hopes are raised only to be dashed by the arrival of Eoin Morgan. If Bopara does not play any more games, he might as well consider using the race card!!! Or consider immigrating to South Africa. They are open for business!!

Doug Bollinger decides to train to handle harsh Chennai weathers in April and gets replaced by Michael Hussey. Hussey has apparently developed an unplayable inswinging yorker in the last month or so!!! For someone who was dropped, insulted, and abandoned, the Aussies seem to be placing all their World Cup hopes on Hussey. I guess he bats, fields, and apparently bowls better than anyone else on the team. And he is also mentally stronger!!! R. Ashwin, you might want to consider immigrating to Australia!!

If I have advocated India to playing only three frontline bowlers (if Piyush Chawla is good enough, they might as well replace him with Suresh Raina and it wouldn’t make a difference!!), the Sri Lankans may simply leave the bowling responsibilities with Malinga and Muralitharan. That way they can bat all the way till no:10, and they might need that…. If Malinga gets injured, there is a probabilistic chance that the game may get rained out. That way, they at least gain a point!

On a serious note, I am actually intrigued by the West Indies team. I haven’t seen this lineup much but am looking forward to watching the likes of Darren Bravo, Kemar Roach, and Suleiman Benn against the Indians even if it comes at the cost of tolerating the old guard, Chanderpaul and Sarwan…

If there are other teams playing in the World Cup, nobody told me about it!!!

- Srikanth

Sanjay Manjrekar’s tweet on Rohit Sharma, “For a man in “poor” form, he plays like a “rich” man”, prompted to come up with a possible X1 players that India has tried and persisted with in the recent past and who can give Rohit Sharma good company. Here goes in batting order..

1. Dinesh Karthik

Apart from a few die-hard Mylaporites who might oppose, he is a unanimous choice for wicketkeeper, opener

2. Robin Uthappa

For someone who has had the opportunity to open with Tendulkar, he has blown the chances that have come his way.

3. Yuvraj Singh (captain)

No one has been pampered more than this “maharaja” of spoilt brats who has played 265 one day games and continues to provide hope to a few.

4. Rohit Sharma

I have been a fan of his till this series, but have crossed the floor to join those who want him to focus on other things than cricket.

5. Suresh Raina

This was a hard decision but his best and only place is with the CSK. He doesn’t have what it takes like Virat Kohli.

6. Y. Venugopala Rao

I had to complete the middle order and looked through the stats of recent cricketers and he has played sufficient games to join the list. Any favorite of Greg Chappell will find a place on this side.

7. Irfan Pathan

While the rest of the country is hoping that he turns up in India colors, he is busy “nowhere”. What a talent gone wasted…

8. Ravindra Jadeja

Unless the entire BCCI, selection committee, Dhoni and all owe him or his family a lot of money, I am not sure why his name even comes up for the Saurashtra team.

9. Piyush Chawla

A leg spinner wannabe somehow finds his way ahead of bowlers like Ashwin or Ojha who actually take wickets. I guess a stint in the counties would help anyone get into the side.

10. R. P Singh

He thought he could get away with a smile, and he actually did!

11. Ishant Sharma

This is probably the most controversial selection from my standpoint. Barring a few spells in test cricket, he looked very ordinary even on favorable South African pitches.

These guys must make decent players like Wasim Jaffer, S. Badrinath, Cheteswar Pujara wonder if the world can ever be fair.

It is a relief that the top three in the batting lineup would be quite different for the World Cup.

- Srikanth

When the current series in South Africa winds down, all the attention will be focused on the upcoming World Cup and subsequently on the IPL. It is, however, interesting to note that, as per Future Tours Program posted on Cricinfo, India will be playing 4 tests in the West Indies in June/July, 4 tests in England in July/September, host the Windies for three tests in November/December and end the year in Australia in a 4 test series. That is 15 tests in a span of approximately 6 months. Three of these series are away and the games in England and Australia are certainly worth looking forward to. Does India have a strategy to tackle these series? Let’s examine some of the concerns.

The uncertainty around Gary Kirsten’s continuation as the coach seems to be a major concern. The Indians have felt that Kirsten’s presence has been the best thing that has happened to Indian cricket in a long time. Kirsten has indicated that, due to family reasons, he would like to relinquish his job. Senior Indian players have requested that he atleast stay on as a coach for tests. Kirsten has given any indications of changing his plans. The Indians would have to go back to the drawing board in determining suitable candidates for what is turning out to be a crucial position for Indian cricket.

The most important question on everyone’s mind is the future of the Fabulous three. Though M.S. Dhoni and co. have attributed a major portion of the success in tests to the bowling department and rightly so, it is the fab three along with Sehwag who have provided the comfort base for the bowlers to perform well. The three masters will do great service to the nation if they can assist in grooming their replacements sooner than later. India should not end in a situation that Australia currently is in. I would expect Rahul Dravid to possibly till the end of the England series and finish his career where he started. VVS Laxman and Tendulkar could go on to Australia and consider their futures subsequently. For them to do so, they have to remain fit and choose their games intelligently. It would probably be a good idea for them to alternatively skip the West Indies series (home and away). Their roles should become clearer in the next few months.

India has a lot to think about regarding replacements for the fab three. Pujara seems to be more or less certain to stay the course. A good home series should help his cause immensely. Pujara should possibly consider taking on the No:3 position. India will have to give S. Badrinath another chance to prove his mettle. He has had a stunning domestic season and has atleast another 4-5 years of cricket left. He looks fit and is hungry for runs. Yuvraj Singh may just sense an opening with Suresh Raina’s terrible outings in South Africa. I am not convinced that it would be a good move. However, India would do well with a left hander in the middle order much like the role that Saurav Ganguly played. The opening slot seems reasonably stable for atleast another couple of years with Sehwag and Gambhir. Vijay and Abhinav Mukund might well be the back up choices. Interesting to note that the two Delhi openers may be followed by the two openers from Tamilnadu.

India’s bowling department continues to be a revolving door. Barring a fit Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh, all slots are available for grabs. Not much to write home about on that front as yet.

It will be interesting to see how India handles its busiest year in a while especially when it comes to test cricket. It will be a repeat of the 2007/2008 and 2008 series in Australia and England respectively.

- Srikanth

Sachin Tendulkar was 30 odd not out at the first drinks break on the 4th day of the 1st test against Australia at Chennai in 1998. My Director, Mr. T.T. Srinivasaraghavan suggested that I use his pavilion pass to witness something special that day. It was a working day but he knew my passion for cricket and my almost God like worship of “God” was quite obvious. He had a hunch and there I was witnessing sheer magic. Mozart’s melody,  Beethoven’s drama, Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s majesty, everything and more was at display.

A year or so later, I was present again at Chepauk to witness an innings of a entirely different kind. Saqlain Mushtaq was turning the ball square. There were rumors that, then famous captain of India was busy arranging to have the game settled differently. Tendulkar had developed back spasms. He played like a superhuman and almost pulled the impossible.

Eleven years later, as I sat down to watch his innings today, I realized nothing had really changed. The hunger was still there, the belief to do the impossible still strong, and the shots all simply showing up at will. The near trivialization of the bowling at times, surprising but deserved respect to Paul Harris’s floaters, and taking on body blows, he played like a champion. Just around the same time, the King of Carnatic Music was delivering his majestic thodi I was told, God was busy turning fantasy into reality.

We bow to thee!!!!

- Srikanth

If your resume states that you have spun a top atleast three times in your life, you would certainly qualify to play for Australia in the Ashes series. There has not been a better time for anyone on the streets of Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and other cities to play for the Australian cricket team. I personally am enjoying the complete disintegration of this team. Ricky Ponting is probably the worst captain of all test playing nations today. Even Darren Sammy managed to lead the West Indies team to a drawn series in Sri Lanka. Michael Clarke, the next possible alternative, drops sitters at slip, plays the odd big innings and in most circumstances looks lost in the middle. Marcus North was rumored as the next captaincy option. He does not even hold a place in the side. Australia is ready to move into the bottom half of all test playing nations and they seem to have absolutely no plans to change things around. While I am not necessarily a big fan of the English side, I have to admit that they are thoroughly destroying the Aussies physically, mentally, and emotionally. I have no sympathies for the Australian team and management at all. They chose to go this path and have suffered the consequences. Ricky Ponting has played one series too many. Andrew Hilditch makes Mohsin Khan and his team look good. Mitchell Johnson reminds me of his namesake, David Johnson, who played one test for India. To David’s credit, he did end Michael Slater’s career with a ball that was aimed at the fifth slip’s crotch.  This is so much fun.

On the other hand, Team India is peaking at the right team. There is absolutely nothing wrong that Indians can do at this point. India can put together three teams today and be prepared to take on the world. Despite previous criticisms from me, I have to concede that Krish Srikkanth and team have done a wonderful job. A contingent of 30 odd players currently playing for India are enjoying themselves, playing with surety and professionalism that we have never witnessed before. The clinical demolition of the New Zealand team was just as much as fun to watch as beating the Australians. It would indeed be a surprise if India does not make it all the way in the next World Cup. The series against South Africa has been billed as the final frontier and rightfully so. Once we conquer, and that we will, India would have achieved something that only the Aussies have been able to do so since Clive Lloyd’s team. The irony of it all!

Bring it on, South Africa!!

- Srikanth

We have been witness to two separate events within the realms of cricket in the last week. One was labelled as a test match between India and New Zealand. The game ended in a draw thanks to superlative batting performance by a gentleman who was supposed to win us the game by bowling off spin. To me, the Indians gave the impression that they were reluctantly involved in this competition. Sehwag blasted his way to 170 in the first innings and got out playing “french” cricket. And he walked off like a man who lost his wicket to his best friend’s kid in a club game between Greater Kailash and Janakpuri.

And then everyone went to sleep for three days only to be woken up by Chris Martin’s incisive spell. India ended the 4th day at 82 for 6. Despite this precarious position, Pragyan Ojha was confident that he and his colleagues would save the game. While I did not get to see the final day, all reports suggest that India saved the game without much sweat. Blame it on the pitch, the quality of the opposition, umpiring, scheduling etc. etc. Whatever be the reason, what struck me the most was the India was not present on a major part of the 5 days. They seemed to go through the motions from Day 1, and yes, Sehwag can score hundreds even when he is going through the motions. I would rather play a second rung Indian team than watch this lineup treat this like a club game. This New Zealand team is only slightly better than a club side. Don’t believe anyone who thinks otherwise. I do hope that Hyderabad is a different story and the Motera farce can become a thing of the past.

Not far away, the South Africans are involved in a series against a Pakistani team that provides more drama and entertainment than most Bollywood offerings. Wine, women, heroes, villians, crime, cheating, kidnapping, disappearances, gang wars, jealousy, back stabbing, exciting chases, they seem to have it all. It’s just the credibility of the games are taking a beating. I simply cannot watch a Pakistani game without thinking about the possibility that game is fixed. That thought is even more pronounced when it happens at the Mecca of match fixing. The country, the team, and the players ultimately seem to seek refuge at the Mecca of the game. The irony of it all. I think it may not be a bad idea to keep Pakistan out of international cricket till their Board gets its act together. There is a lot of talent in that team that is getting wasted resulting from the actions of a irresponsible Board.

- Srikanth

Within a year of our prediction, Abhinav Mukund has made it to India side. Replacing injured Gautam Gambhir, Abhinav Mukund has overtaken other possible contenders including Ajinkya Rahane, Shikar Dhawan or other makeshift openers like Dinesh Karthik as the best option for an Indian opening slot. Having said that, it is more than likely that M. Vijay will open the innings with Viru Sehwag in Bangalore. The status on VVS Laxman is unclear. Even if VVS is unfit, Cheteswar Pujara might take his place. In any case, it is a wonderful achievement for Mukund. This is a proud moment for him and all his supporters including some of us at i3j3 are extremely excited about this well deserved promotion. Our best wishes to him and hoping to see him don India colours soon.

- Srikanth