Cricket Updates

England in India -2011 The revenge Series

Srinivasa — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 05:18:14 +0000

Though it has been termed as the revenge series the back to back series between India and England in India has seen a one sided winnning performance from the Indian team. England has not been able to dismantle India like it did in England a few months back. Due to the repated lossesd the wins over India a few months back can be construed as due to some favourable chance and not due to being a champion side. Virat Kohli has once again proved that he is the player to watch in the years to come. There have also been some impressive performances by MSD, Aswin and R.Jadega. India should bring back the likes of old time tested players such as Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan etc., There is no point in experimenting with new /fresh faces such as Vinay Kumar/A.Mithun ahead of Irfan Pathan. Irfan has proved his all rounder class and should be played ahead of Vinay Kumar /A.Mithun etc., These players have not been able to significantly play better than say a time tested player such as Irfan. As for England omitting Ian Bell seems to be a big mistake for he has proved himself many times here in India. A.Cook ,J.Trott and Pietersen once again showed that they are world class. The games were keenly contested and also attracted signficant public interest mainly from the point of view of Indias dismal showing in England. But the result has however proved that Englands win was just a matter of favourable chances dnd not because they are true world champions.

The Club Vs Country debate.

Srinivasa — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:13:52 +0000

Though the title may sound cliche and may be discussed everywhere within the cricketing fraternity these days, the topic is very relevant from the point of view of the champions league that is currently in progress. In my opinion private league cricket should not be practiced. Private sponsors do not pay attention to player welfare and pay attention only to earning revenues by winning matches in front of big crowds. Most of the issues related to player burn out and other injuries are caused due to over loaded schedules. Privately owned leagues should be played with reserve players. Such reserve players can be given opportunities to show case their talents. The players who play for their countries should not be disturbed. Instead the respective boards should offer these national cricketers as much money and prevent them from participating in private league cricket.

The damage that private cricket does is enormous. Firstly there is no other recogonition that a player can earn by performing well in private leagues. On the contrary if a player plays well for his country then he is rewarded with say the Padma Shri or the Arjuna award ( These two awards have been given to Indian cricketers by the Government of India). Money is not everything in the world. There is also “honour” and “pride” that one gets while playing for his or her nation.

Injury that forced Gambhir out of the Test Series.

It is very evident that injuries caused during unofficial games cannot be monitored by official cricketing bodies such as the BCCI. In my judgement playing for ones country argument wins by a majority voting in favour.

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India in England 2011 – India Lose the 3rd Test at Egbaston

Srinivasa — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 16:32:24 +0000

When a good team such as India lose thier games so badly time and again , it makes one wonder if they will ever even once on this tour ?. Honestly rather than feeling down and spiteful about the loss, I was really enjoying England play. Obviously this team is a great English side which has put together some really impressive performances.

Great Innings, still a long way to go he is just 27...

One cannot write of any player at the level of Test cricket. But when it comes to Cook, he is going to soon become the greatest batsman England has ever produced. He plays with an enormous amount of dedication and is good to see youngsters such as him trying to occupy the center stage of world cricket.

India succumbed without a fight. They haven’ t crossed 300 runs in the last 6 innings. This is shocking considering that they have players like Gambhir, Sehwag, Lakshman, Dravid and Tendulkar. Much cannot be read into Indias’ batting failures. It appears as though the English bowlers were bang on target.

Indias upsurge in the cricket economy was only due to the fact that the Industries and the citizens of India found a winning team in India. If India loses in this manner the team may as well lose the support of fans and other sponsors.

India were bundled out for a paltry 224 in the first innings. The fans may remember how the English fought back in the second test being in a similar position. After that it was left to Mr Cook who batted on and on until England reached 707 and was out just 6 runs short of a triple hundred. This young lad has so much promise and so much of potential that I pray to God to give him the strength to become the greatest batsman of all time.

Honestly ,Morgans’ innings was far from being impressive. There were many catches dropped by the Indians who just let him score a century when he did not deserve it. So many times in the past decade when India had to face a stiff target in the second innings a certain Sunil Gavaskar would fight and make sure that he took the fight to the opposition. There was nothing like that seen when India played the second innings. James Anderson was hostile and single handedly destroyed the Indian top order. Rahul Dravid walked off when the bat hit his shoe laces instead of the ball. He could have easily used the DRS and won the decision in his favour , but it gave me an impression that he simply gave up fighting looking at the enormity of saving the game. India were yet again bundled out below 250 losing by an Innings and 239 runs making it the third biggest loss ever suffered in the history of Indian test cricket.

Nothing much can be read into Indias defeats. When England toured India they also lost the ODI series 5-0. That time , the English team took all the critisism for losing so comprehensively. Now it appears as though the Media and the fans have seen a reason to take it out on India. India will certainly bounce back. Every team has its ups and downs. Fans who care about the Indian cricket team should stand by it during times of poor performances instead of making harsh and cruel statements. One thing the Indian team can learn ,is when the Aussies were no 1 they played hard and won the away series in South Africa (5-0) and England. India can reclaim its position at the top back, but all of know what is in store for them if they have to become world no 1 again.

India In England 2011 – Massacre at Trent Bridge

Srinivasa — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 09:51:47 +0000

IAN BELL STROKES HIS WAY TO A SUPERB 159

India lost another Test from a position where they could have played England out the match. England dominated the Test series yet again by putting up a very impressive second innings batting and bowling performance.

The first day of the Test started of on a positive note for the Indians with the skipper MSD winning the toss and putting England into bat. The Indian seam bowlers reduced England to 128 for 8. Barring Harbhajan all three seam bowlers bowled very well.

As he has done so many times in the recent past Stuart Broad rescued England by virtue of some determined stroke making. He and Graeme Swann registered a 73 run partnership of just 11.4 overs. Broad finally fell at the score of 221. If the Indians had an in form spinner or one more seam bowler they could have dismissed England for less than 150 runs.

During the 2007 series England were in a similar situation in the second test at Trent Bridge. They were out for only 198 ,the Indians batted beautifully afterwards and registered 481 without any player making a hundred.

The key point of the Indian reply this time was that there was no first wicket contribution at all as opposed to 147 runs put by D.Karthik and W.Jaffer during the 2007 series. The question still remains as to why Wasim Jaffer is not called into the team in the absense of Gambhir or Sehwag. It did not make any sense to blood an inexperienced player Abhinav Mukund in place of W.Jaffer who could have provided India a good start.

Also the captain played loose shots and gifted his wicket away to some ordinary bowling. It was very imperative for him to stay put on the wicket with Rahul Dravid. Dhoni has played many stellar knocks for India in the past and during occasions when a star such as him does not play well, it may be well worthwhile to consider alternatives such as getting Dravid to keep wickets for the next Test and play Sehwag, Gambhir and Yuvraj instead of persisting with his temporary failures

Rahul and VVS batted superbly once again showing how class matters in such closely contested games.There was also good batting display by Yuvraj. Going by this trend it seems that the Indians will drop Abhinav Mukund for the next game and retain Yuvraj.

The Indians fell from a very strong position 269 for 4 to 288 All out. Here is where MSD with his class could have contributed and added at least 100 more runs with Rahul and the Tail. India could have reached 400 with a healthy lead of 180 runs. This would have prolonged the innings time and also given India 360 runs to chase on day 5. From this situation it would have been easy for India to save the game.

As it can be easily seen a better game plan to occupy the crease and build small more effective partnerships and also good accurate bowling could have easily saved Indians both the Tests.

England retailiated with a huge second innings score of 544 what with Ian Bell, Broad, Matt Prior, Pieterson, Trott, Morgan all chipping in with useful contributions. The highlight of the second innings reply was an unusual run out that featured Ian Bell. Bell just walked of for tea thinking that the ball was dead. He had run for 3 runs and the wicket keeper promptly ran him out. Technically he was run out as he was out of his crease when the ball was not dead ( as it did not cross the ropes). India recalled him back as they had recalled wicket keeper Taylor 31 years ago during the 1980 England Vs India Centenary test in Mumbai. It was in good spirits though in my opinion the run out should have been exercised. The batsmen should not be careless and walk out of his crease for any reason whatsoever.

India was left with a daunting target of 478 to win in 1.5 days time. Had they done it it would have been the first instance of any team scoring that much in the fourth innings to win a game. India was bundled out with more than one day to spare.

When a Team that is ranked no 1 by the ICC loses in such a manner, it should serve as a vital point to correct ones’ mistakes. India could look at the other spinning option Amit Misra instead of the tired Harbajan for just one test. Maybe he can provide the much needed fourth bowling option that Harbhajan has not provided the team so far.

All said and done one should not take away credit from England, they have managed to upset the world no 1 two times in a row. It seems as though that the current England team is a very strong team that is capable of beating any other team in the world.

The question that the selectors should consider is the amount of tour practice that was provided to the players who came out of playing 3 Tests in the Carribean just a month ago. This shows the lack of preparation that is required before quality tours such as a “tour of England”. Also the selectors should not refrain from picking reserve players such as Amit Misra instead of big names such as Harbhajan Singh. They should also look at resting MSD for one game and playing with Dravid as the stand by wicket keeper so that regular batsmen such as Yuvraj, Sehwag, Gambhir and Raina play in the next Test. India is certainly missing the services of a quality all rounder. They must look at bringing back Irfan Pathan as he was emering as the quality all rounder. He could have done for India what Stuart Broad did for England.

The Indian players should realize how easily they could have saved both the Tests. One partnership by Dhoni this test in the first innings and another 100 run partnership during the second innings first test would have saved both the games.

India in England – 2011 – India Lose the first Test

Srinivasa — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 06:20:20 +0000

It appeared to be a swinging contest for most of the times. First ,Zaheers’ rocking spell that fetched India two quick wickets.
Next Pietersons’ double century that put England on track. India faltered in thier reply and despite resistance from “The Wall” they were bundled out for just 280 odd runs giving England a vital lead. The saving grace was that they avoided the follow on. Some wickets were gifted away to the bowlers by the Indian batsmen.

England started the second innings disasterously what with a fiery spell from Ishanth Sharma making them crash to 62 for 5. Stuart Broad and Matt Prior staged a vital recovery. Indias’ bowling otherwise looked ordinary and provided glimpses of what it is in stake for them during the reminder of the series as they are going to be up against quality batsmen.

Also the much “talked about” landmark of any mortal batsman making 100 international hundreds faded out as the Indian Star Sachin was out for below par scores in both the innings.

MSD should not be allowed to take his position for granted. Some of his decisions such as putting England into bat and also his short stays at the wicket in both the innings have to be put under scrutiny.

The absense of Sehwag is being dearly felt. The Indian openers have not been able to give the Indian team the starts they require. Also , Zaheer Khans’ Injury may be a cause for concern.

In the second innings, India was faced with the task of playing out 120 odd overs. In a Test series against New Zealand where India created History by winning a series for the first time in NZ, Gautam Gambhir played for nearly 11 hours and saved a Test. He remained unbeaten on 137.

This Test could have been easily saved by the Indian players. They lost with only about 30 overs to spare. This just means a 100 run partnership say by VVS Lakshman or SRT in any of the innings could have saved the game.

The learnings from this Test are.

1. Never put the opposition in unless you are sure about your bowling attack or unless the weather is in favor of the bowlers.
2. Have a quality game plan that can easily save such close games. For example , Ishant sharmas’ attack with the fiery short ball that fetched him 4 wickets. Such bowling feats can be planned and executed easily. There is little point in letting the opposition batsmen away and trail big scores.
3. Always plan for injuries to strike bowlers during the game etc.,

In synopsis, India could have easily saved this Test Match with a better game plan. Their skills are not in doubt they are the best team on paper and had England in trouble many times.
The game playing advantage was squandered away by the Indians. The captain has to be put under scrutiny for his repeated failures with the bat off late and also for making bad on field decisions. Also Hats of to England Pieterson, James Anderson , Matt Prior and Stuart Broad for getting them up
1-0.

India Vs England 2011 – The Final 11.

Srinivasa — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 04:20:19 +0000

The Indian Team line up for the first Test

1.Abhinav Mukund

2. Gambhir

3. Dravid

4. Tendulkar

5. Lakshman

6. Raina

7. MS.Dhoni

8. Harbhajan Singh

9. Praveen Kumar

10. Ishanth Sharma

11. Zaheer Khan

Suresh Raina has to play ahead of Yuvraj Singh as Raina is at his best form.

It would be disasterous not to play Raina. I have packed the team with 3 of the best seamers from the 4 on tour and also 1 better spinner. India can play an additonal seamer or spinner if the conditions are so suited.

I write this to emphasise that Suresh Raina must play ahead of Yuvraj singh in what is going to be a historical Test Match(2000th Test) that begins on the 21st of this month.

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India VS England 2011

Srinivasa — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 03:57:13 +0000

I write this article one day after the Indians were “bullied” by Somerset. The worst part of the whole event is that the Indians played with an almost full strength team. The absense of Sehwag is certainly going to be felt. Sehwag is a player who can play any kind of attack and under all conditions.

India were successful in the West Indies due to a weak West Indies team and it appears that their strengths were not tested in the recent tour. England on the other hand have emerged victorious by facing a strong team from Sri Lanka. England won both the ODI and the Test Series. There were impressive performances from A.N.Cook, Ian Bell, IJL Trott, Chris Tremlet, Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad.

The last time Indians played the English Zaheer Khans stellar bowling performances gave India vital break throughs’ as India emerged victorious in the Test Series. Going by the result in yesterdays tour game Zaheer Khan was no where near his best. It appeared as though India does not have the bowling strength to dismantle Trott , Cook and co. It also appears as though the Indian batsmen will face trouble against quality swing bowling.

Australia they won with ease every where when they were the world no 1, it appears as though Indias’ No 1 standing may be by virtue of some number crunching. It is for the Indians to prove that they deserve the No 1 accolade.

But I write as of now that it is advantage England.

India Vs West Indies – 2011

Srinivasa — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 17:59:17 +0000

India emerged the clear winner even though West Indies showed glimpses of class via sustained fight back during the later part of the ODI series and also during the 3rd Test. Rain played spoil sport for most part of the Test series. But for the rain, India could have easily won the Test series 3-0. A substantial period of time was lost during both the second and the final tests.

Ishant who was discarded for the previous tours showed every one what he is capable of by bagging the man of the series award. Rahul Dravid and VVS Lakshman showed their class once again by playing some important innings.

Abhinav excelled on two occassions in this series and going by the manner in which he has scored runs in the Indian domestic circuit , he must be given more chances.

There were some spirited batting and bowling performances by the West Indies as well. Special mention to Chanderpaul, Bravo and the debutant Kirk Edwards who scored a century.

The series was evenly contested even though India did not send a full strength team. The absence of Gambhir, Sehwag, Zaheer Khan , Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh did not deter a new inexperienced Indian team from finishing the tour as well deserved victors.

Some of the disappointments of the tour were Sarwans’and Murali Vijays’ repeated batting failures. The failures saw Sarwan being dropped from the team , but it was very surprising to see that neither Parthiv Patel or Badrinath were given a chance in place of Vijay and Kohli.

Mention must be made of Raina who played some short but very important innings. There were 3 centuries recorded and the whole series was a very low scoring affair. The cause of low scores need not be only attributed to the pitch. The low scores may have been caused because of the absense of batsmen such as Sehwag and Tendulkar who play well on any kind of pitch.

The series also saw Harbhajan Singh becoming only the 11th bowler to reach 400 wickets. According to the Spin king Murali, Harbhajan will probably go on to break his record of 800 wickets if he plays for another 60 tests. Devendra Bishoos bowling was superb and the manner in which the other bowlers Rampaul, Sammy and Edwards bowled showed how spirited and disciplined these bowlers are. These bowlers do not have any world records, but they do have a lot of class.

The late resurgance showed by the West Indies in the ODI series was in vain. They should have won the first few games. The ODI series was characterised by good batting from Rohit and Kohli. Kohli missed a chance of scoring his maiden ODI century on an overseas tour.

All in Well played to both the teams ..

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India need to go ahead with the UDRS

Srinivasa — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 04:36:03 +0000

India has to go ahead with the UDRS system. Even if it is my own country, I feel very strongly that for the sake 0f cricket the UDRS system must be put in place. The only reason India seems to be objecting to having the UDRS system is that they are getting scared that too many favourable decisions could go against them after the review. Also during the tied game against England in the Knockout phase of WC2011 Ian Bell was declared not out as he lunged 2.5 metres forward.

Now the question is why be influenced by the outcome of the match and the effect of the UDRS on Indias ratings in the ICC.

This certainly is in bad taste. As custodians of the game any policy improvement that has an efffect of improving the standard of umpiring decisions should be put in place. India should not as a matter of fact be concerned about losing favourable decisions.

Infact being a senior country India should go forward with the use of technology and the review system as it is bound to improve the game.

Will Alaistar Cook eclipse Sachin Tendulkar ?

Srinivasa — Sun, 29 May 2011 03:38:38 +0000

A.N.Cook is a player who has a penchant for scoring centuries. He has already scored 17 test centuries in 66 tests at an average of 1 century for every four tests. Sachin has scored 51 test centuries in 177 tests at an average of 2 centuris in every seven tests. Going by this ratio if A.N.Cook plays 177 games for England he will land up with aout 46 Test centuries, very close to Sachins record. But the point is that players do not survive that long. Only the best are given more games. Going by this yardstick A.N.Cook has to wade of competition from from A.Strauss , IJL Trott and any other player who may play exceptionally well for England. But one this is for sure A.N.Cook has a penchant for scoring centuries and double centuries and if he plays another 100 Tests without losing consistancy he may well eclipse Sachins record.

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