Wednesday, September 24th, 2008
The most awaited Indian domestic game finally started yesterday - The game that used to be the Indian season opener until India started playing all the year. Now India’s home season opener is a more correct description. Two weeks to the first test against the Aussies, so this game is supposed to provide glimpses of who is in form and who is not.
What have we got so far on the first day? Two players from main team not playing - Ganguly not included in the team and Tendulkar opted out due to fitness. The ROI team chose to bat - which was good if we wanted to see the batsmen’s form or rather get them into runs on a flat pitch. But the real test openers are likely to come from Delhi. So ROI sending in makeshift openers is fine, but in that process Dravid got dragged to the opening slot while he is working to regain his form and confidence. Wasim Jaffer doesn’t have much chance of getting selected at least against the Aussies and Dravid will probably play at his usual no 3. That is unless the team management wants him to open. So it’s the makeshift openers. Unfortunately yesterday between the two the one who has less chance of making it into the team played better. Now what do we do?
Then came the what could be the new middle order - Dravid already didn’t do much as an opener, Laxman made only 17. “Drop them, bring in the new guys”, you would have shouted. The only problem being, even Kaif (29) and Badrinath (16) didn’t do much. So at least in the first innings no new generation storming into the test side displacing any aging seniors. They will probably get another chance for them unless Sehwag decides to break Lara’s record and then play some more time.
Even for Delhi, they started with Chopra and Gambhir, of which only Gambhir is likely to make it into the test side. The one who will surely make is Sehwag but he is playing at no 3. So this seems to be a “hide your openers” ploy from both sides. May be Delhi is providing a chance to Chopra, who for some reason doesn’t get selected these days.
Posted in cricket, Australia, India, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid, Lara, BCCI, Sehwag, Kumble | No Comments »
Monday, September 8th, 2008
This title should have said “Big 5 review: Saurav Ganguly”. But in came the news that he has been dropped from the team that will represent the Rest of India in the Irani cup match. Obviously there are questions whether this is the end of his career. People are even picking out statistics in such a way to make the point - 2 fifties in last 15 innings? Why 15 innings? Because it may prove the conclusion wrong if you include a little more than that. But that aside, the question remains whether he will still be selected in the team against the Aussies later. This may be despite how Kaif does in the match as they both can be there in the team.
Just eight months ago they were talking about his fairytale comeback. He was the highest scorer in South Africa, second highest in England and again the highest against Pakistan, scoring 534. After he wasn’t exactly a failure in Australia (235 runs, two 50s in four tests) and then at home against South Africa he played one match-winning innings. Then he failed in Lanka just like most others and it’s him who has to go?
I think except Sachin who was good for almost a year until the Lanka tour and was even better against the Aussies, amongst Laxman, Dravid and Ganguly it’s Ganguly who has been batting better. Laxman did much well against the Aussies but otherwise it was Ganguly who played more innings with influence, the last two being two scores of 87, one of which was a match-winning and series-leveling effort against South Africa.
Looking further back a little over the previous year there are many matches where Ganguly played significant role - 51* on his return on the toughest test for Indian batsmen, 66 and 46 in the third test when nobody else showed any intent, a home century against Pak followed by a career first 200 (239 and 91) at Bangalore, twin fifties with that appalling decision at Sydney.
That is why I think it might be the sluggishness in his fielding that’s making him picked first of the four. I haven’t seen how they all field recently but based on what I have read Ganguly’s fielding could be the main cause. If it’s only about failing in Lanka as a batsman there could still be hope for Ganguly as he was written off much more strongly when Chappell dropped him in 2005. Not only did he come back after that but for a while was the most comfortable of Indian batsmen against the South African and then English attack.
Posted in cricket, Australia, India, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid, Chappell, Dhoni, England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, BCCI, Kumble | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008
Kirsten hasn’t yet learned to provide comments that are Indian-media-proof, it seems. Just yesterday he has given some that could be twisted whichever way a particular newspaper or channel prefers - any of the following lines can be used as a title to claim “Kirsten said that”
Dhoni is ready (that’s what this one says)
There is no need to rush Dhoni to test captaincy
Kumble is doing a great job
Kumble too old for captaincy (”other side of physical…”)
We want captains that can perform
It’s funny how a bunch of words are carved out of an interview to suggest the guy “said that” and also how the general public forms an overall impression of the guy based on such a title. “Kirsten wants to kick Kumble” I am sure many are already thinking.
The one thing he didn’t mention is Dhoni needs to find time to play test cricket to be able to lead the team there.
Posted in cricket, India, Chappell, Dhoni, South Africa, BCCI, Kumble | No Comments »