The Root Romance, Moeen Masterclass and the Chepauk Crowd !..

           It was nearing lunch of Day One at MA Chidambaram stadium by the time me and my friend reached there. We were late as we were coming after work in night shift. The score card was reading England - 68/2 as we entered the arena through Gate 5 in Victoria Hostel Road. A partnership was under construction by Joe Root and Moeen Ali with the bat and Ash and Jaddu with the ball.

          Joe Root, like always was at his fluent best with his drives, cuts, sweeps. Though there were some odd pokes outside off here and there against Umesh as the ball was reversing, he never looked like he was at sea against the spin trio. Amit Mishra was scarcely used in the first half of the day and Root was driving and sweeping the other two with ease. There was no audacity, rush or power. It was pure romance between the bat and the ball.

         With Root scoring at a brisk rate, Kohli had no choice but to have an in-out field. This made life easier for the batsmen as Moeen got settled, happily playing the second fiddle to the star at the other end. Root was facing the spinners with huge forward stride and pushing it to point and taking singles. As a result of which, Kohli in the 36th over removed short mid wicket fielder and placed him at point. As if expecting this to happen, Root swept Jadeja in front of mid wicket for a boundary to bring up his half century.

        As England was marching towards tea without losing any wicket in the second session, the sweep shot which was his prime weapon against the spinners became too much for Root. Having ruled Not Out by the on field umpire, Kohli reviewed the decision to overturn it with the snickometer showing small bottom edge to the keeper. Root missed out on a well deserved century. But it was pure romance for a cricket fan until it lasted.

      It almost looked like the game plan for England as Moeen stood at one end and the others were taking the attack to the bowlers. Bairstow came in as Root got out and right from the start he was showing positive intent and sending both Ashwin and Jadeja over the fence. As he was nearing his half century it got too much for him as Jaddu was accurate and he wasn't able to rotate. He went for a booming cover drive but a tad early. He chipped it to extra cover and was livid with himself for throwing it away.

     Moeen Ali on the other end was playing patient test match cricket. Though there were some lofted shots down the track to the spinners, he was happy rotating the strike and putting the odd bad ball away. By the fag end of the day, he got to his century and it was a batting masterclass from him.

     He was playing the spinners with the spin. May be he was helped by the nature of the pitch as the bounce was true despite all the storm and rain. And there was consistent turn for the spinners of the pitch which is why he was able to leave alone a lot of balls from Jadeja and Ashwin. 

  As the day's play got over, we were able to see Virat with changed clothing being padded up and going to the practice pitches with Sanjay Bangar, followed by K L Rahul and Anil Kumble. Hope it was one off day for R Ashwin as he will be keen to make this match a memorable one for his home crowd.

    Now coming to the crowd, there were a reasonable amount of crowd for the start of a test match on a week day. Chennai crowd was never known to be vocal. There were occasional "ooooohhh"s and "ahhhhh"s as Moeen left a few balls from Jadeja and Ashwin beat them with the turn. And huge eruption every time a wicket fell or a review was taken. But what stood out was that every time England team or any English player reached a land mark, the entire stadium was standing up and applauding the effort. There was huge eruption in the stands for a minute as Root and Bairstow got out. But as they walked off, the entire stadium stood up and applauded. 

   Having been deprived of international matches in the recent past for some reason or the other, Chennai fans were keen to come to their own Chepauk to see their national stars and more importantly to enjoy the sport. Chepauk crowd showed why players love playing here and why we have the reputation of being called " The Knowledgable Crowd". With the next two days being holidays, I am pretty sure that there is going to be a lot more of noise and applause at the Chepauk.

  It was my first ever international match at the ground as a spectator. I am sure there is a lot to follow in future. But at this moment I am keenly looking forward to see how this match turns out as it will always remain as my debut test match.

   
          
    

The day Wankhede got Kohlified !!!

       Just as when people start losing words to describe the kind of form Virat Kohli is in, I find myself in a position relating the way Wankhede went berserk when he got out. Like Mr. Kaushik R wrote in Wisden India, this was the first ever test match for team India in the history of the city in which no mumbaikar was featuring in the playing eleven.
   

       The last time when a test match was played there, it was the farewell match of Sachin Tendulkar. When the little master got out for one last time, the entire stadium was rhyming "Sachiinn Sachinn". Similar was the applause when Virat Kohli got out on 235 this Sunday. I just had the feel that the baton has been passed on and the circle is complete.

       The Wankhede crowd have some history with the Non-Mumbai players and Virat is no exception. He do have some history here and it wasn't a sweet one. People booed at him and called him cheat for appealing a run out. Kohli was furious like always, mentioning that the IPL wasn't the end of the world.

Read:Virat criticizing Mumbai crowd

        But on Sunday it wasn't the case. It was a side without any mumbaikar and 20,000 people were cheering for their new hero who is growing by stature every single day. Such was the prowess shown by him with the bat in this innings. In 2016 he has hit more than 1000 runs in Test matches and it includes only 2 sixes in it. This is a supreme example of his adaptability between formats.

      
      As soon as he got past the 200 run mark, he cut loose. The six he hit of Woakes, he could have hit any good length ball like that. But respecting the occasion and playing the situation is something he has improved over the years. He keeps performing because of his hunger to improve every single day. And that is why he is racing ahead of many towards greatness. 

       It's quite interesting when a player at his prime form can make us feel that he is a great player or even the best ever. But greatness is not something that happens overnight. Greatness is a progress  and it can be defined as longevity with consistency. Virat Kohli is ticking all boxes and marking his way towards it.

       He is already giving us the " I was there when he did those things on the cricket field" kind of feel very often. Playing in the zone is something that must happen and it can't be forced. And it comes with the hard work you put and more importantly with the state of mind you are in.

      For a batsman, one shot from the middle of the blade will trigger the entire system working automatically thereafter. At this moment, Virat is such kind of zone where his system is working to the fullest. And the longer it does, the more is the joy for fanatics likes us and more and more of "Viraattt Virattt" will be reverberated from the stands.

From "Sachinnn ... Sachinn.... " to " Kohliii... Kohhlliiii..." ! Only the rhyme differs ! Happy Birthday Virat Kohli !!!

     

     It's not that I always loved cricket like I do now. Somewhere around the year 2000, I used to be a kid who fights to watch cartoon network when the whole family watch cricket. I got addicted to it so much that my dad had to cut the cable connection. Now, I don't have a choice but to watch Doordarshan. I was 8 and I was watching a young man who was just around 28, yet was being called as the GOD of the sport. Dad made me watch cricket and Sachin Tendulkar made me a devotee of the religion he portrayed. 

       

     There were millions of young kids who had the same effect as mine and we all wanted to be like him. I ended up being a fan who knows how to play. But, there was another kid who is 5 years older than me and he idolized the God like we all did. He didn't stop just being a fan. He started playing cricket and give it all he had for the sport. As the kid turn 28 today, I can't help myself but to think that life is always a cycle and it has come one full circle. 

     Virat Kohli. Like Sachin, he has achieved so much that thinking of what more he could do fascinates me. I can hear you murmur. England. Lord's. Another two years and then we will have the answer. I believe unlike Sachin, "Virat Kohli" will be engraved on that board for sure. A T20 world cup may be. He came close twice to glory, but it has evaded him for now. Above all, what we can be sure of is that he is going to give the purest form of joy for the fascinating fan. 

     If you fast forward/play every six months or so from the day he made his debut, the improvement rate will be visible for you. And the good thing that happened to him was that he didn't break into the international arena as a superstar. Not many said "THE STAR HAS ARRIVED" like they did for Rohit, Unmukt and many others. He gradually made his mark by winning games, which was his ultimate motto for playing the sport. For me, 2012 Hobart was the arrival of Virat Kohli- The Star. From then on, there was no looking back!

    When we see aggressive young players, we often dismiss them from the group of humble, hardworking people. If you see the way he behaves or talks about the seniors or the legends of the sport, you will know the respect he has for those who deserve it. Our coach used to tell us " You have to respect the sport, ground and the people. Ground is the purest place and if you give everything out there, it will definitely give you back more than what you put in". The success he is achieving amazes me about the amount of hard work he is putting in. He is setting the benchmark for the kids in the nations.

     He is not Sachin Tendulkar. But the stature he has now, is no less to what Sachin had then. But then, may be certain things are destined. For this generation of kids Virat Kohli would be the best example to look up to for his attitude and hard work. He can influence a lot of kids. And who knows, twenty years from now, there might be a kid about whom, we will be writing in association with Virat Kohli.

    Not everybody likes Virat Kohli. And it is not necessary too. Respect is the most important thing. And you have to admit that no matter whether you love him or hate him, you have to respect him. Because he has earned it. Happy Birthday Virat Kohli!  

      

When the crowd went "Damukutla Dumukutla" !...

           As the inaugural edition of Tamil Nadu Premier League  reaches the knockout stages, it feels like my debut match was almost destined to be in this tournament at my home town. Previously me with my cricket following friends had few opportunities to go for matches at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore. For one reason or the other it just didn't happen. Be it the T20 worldcup or the IPL, we just couldn't.

         This month, I had to make an unexpected visit to home which happened to be a brief stay. The first thing I read on Newspaper is the buzz in the town about the TNPL match which is being held in a ground which has a state history before being left on it's own. This time I didn't want any reason to come as I was keen to live the moment of visiting for a match in my home town which is on world feed. It was a rare opportunity for a town from down south of the state which is left undisturbed by all the globalization and industrialization yet had its own resources. And guess what, I somehow managed to get a complimentary ticket as the tickets were already sold out. My experience could never be expressed as the match went down to super over. What else I could have asked for?!
                 

           
         There were around 4000 people in stadium which was more than its capacity. And the crowd was going nuts every time they get a glimpse of Mathew Hayden. He was travelling all through the state doing all the promotion,wearing ethnic dresses walking along the boundary and shaking hands with crowd. As much as I feel he is doing his job for the money he is getting from the broadcaster, I must admit that there must be a bit of CSK affection left in him.

         Mr. N Srinivasan  must be credited to a greater extent for what the tournament is now. It's just a start of something big and as years pass by if he manages to pull the same amount of attention from media for the tournament, I seriously believe the quality of the tournament could go a notch higher. Because, the inaugural league will always have it's attention for the veterans in the fraternity. As the seasons pass by, the significance will shift towards the contest between the teams and the franchises will try to unearth new talents for all the money they have invested. This will have a greater say in the quality of the tournament. After all, sports thrive on contests.

      Though there was a lot of talk about taking the sport to the smaller towns, we must admit to some extent this was about showing his power an prowess, considering his current situation in the cricketing fraternity. If that is not the case, TNPL could well have started earlier considering the affection and success CSK got from the people of the state. Karnataka premier league was started as early as 2009 and has been conducted consecutively from 2011. But what Mr. Srinivasan has managed to do is to get the attention of cricketing world by collaborating with Star Sports.

   

       Being an ardent fan of the game who would wake at 4 am in the morning to watch a test match between England and Australia, I feel the crowd wouldn't have rush in to the grounds if there was no live media coverage. Myself being played district league matches for my college know that the spectators would never show up for some district matches.

     There may be a lot of known and unknown reasons for the initiative. But hopefully, if the tournament goes on for the next few years, those players who have to fight their way not just with their game but also the non cricketing reasons in the state as they say, will be hugely benefited. This will give them a platform, get them a glimpse or one desperate chance which they are starving for years. Once their performance is live for the cricketing fraternity life might just become a bit easier. So this tournament after all, is not that bad for a start.

Cricket - An Individual game?! Nah !!!

     

   My boss often used to ask us, "Which is your favorite sport?" and he would expect "Football" as an answer. He would give a reason saying  "In cricket you can easily say that just because Dhoni or Virat didn't play well we lost. But that is not the case with football. Because, it is a team game". Myself, being a guy in love with the sport he is accusing, would be furious. But his thought made me think why people are hesitant in recognizing cricket as a sport which teaches team values which are as good as in any other sport?!!!

   
        This made me ask  the same question to few people who love sports and follow them for the joy of it. "Which is your favorite team sport and why do you think so?" was my question. As expected, Football was the majority answer. But there were a few interesting answers like Volleyball, Kabaddi, Basketball and even a 4x100m relay. As they give their reasons for that, I wanted to know whether that aspect was really missing in cricket. In other words, I wanted to prove that it is just their perception and none the less.
 
         Most of them justified their answer as their answer was a team game and it can't be won by an individual like in cricket. I would dare to say that a cricket game can never be won by an individual. To score a hundred and win a game, a non-striker is required who gets no credit for running all those runs for his partner. Nobody in the world is going to say "Oh, how well has Raina run, so that Virat gets a hundred!!". Same is the case for the bowlers without those fielders for all those runs they save and catches they take. Cricket is a game in which by default we have to do things for which we will never be accounted for, so that our partner and team can achieve glory. Now that teaches a huge team value according to me.

         Cricket is the most weirdest and toughest game of all. I gave a lot of thought before saying that. But, yes it is. This is the only sport where you can be out of the contest for the first two days of the test and over the course of next three days you may even win. It is the most toughest battle of all as it is more in the mind than on the field. And this is where team spirit will be taught as the same eleven has to be played over the course of five days. Unlike other sports, where substitutes can be changed as and when required depending upon their performances. Which means, unless until those eleven stick together and thrive on each other's success, victory is not gonna happen.

         In other aspect, cricket is the most cruel game of all. It is the only game in which you will be forced to do things that are not in your specialized area. A fast bowler like Ishant Sharma has to hone his batting skills just to hang in there with Virat Kohli or Ajinkya Rahane to save the match for the country. He has to contribute with the ball by taking wickets. Now that is not enough. He has to remain not out at one end so that a better batsman can score the runs for the team at the other. There are times where a  batsman or a bowler just have to field and do it to the fullest of their ability without getting to bowl and bat throughout the match. These are excellent circumstances where an individual contributing for the team without taking any statistical credit.
 
         A few people told attentiveness and co ordination is required throughout the game time in sports like football and basketball. Those sports lasts for hardly ninety minutes. To have the same attentiveness and co ordination over the course of days where you wait for an outside edge which can happen anytime in those eight hours of play. One drop catch/run out and most times the course of the match has changed. Now having the same level of concentration an co ordination over a period of five days, how tough is that?

       According to me every sport has its's own uniqueness in nurturing team spirit. With all due respect to other sports, cricket is a game in which we have to do things for the team which will never be statistically accounted. Volleyball, Football, Basketball, Kabaddi etc. are excellent team sports. Like all these sports, cricket has it's own way of teaching team spirit, which I believe is very tough and no less to any other.

Players should be recognized by what they have done, not by what they have not!!!!!

   
       What if I say Ishant Sharma is no less than Zaheer Khan and he may even end up as a fast bowling legend from the country?
   
       For a moment, I myself wouldn't agree on that, for the number of matches Zak has won for the country. Goodness me, how can one compare Zak with Ishant Sharma? But when I started looking at the numbers, it told me an entirely different story. Zaheer has played 92 test matches out of which we will consider his first 68 to compare with the number of matches Ishant has played.
     
      When we look at the overall record there doesn't seem to be  much of a difference, but we got to admit that Zaheer's record is marginally better than that of Ishant.
   
Career stats         Mat    Inn     Overs    Mdns     Wkts      Runs     Avg      Eco
I Sharma              69     121     2260.3  438         202       7464     36.95   3.30
Z Khan                68     124     2264.2   458        220        7472     33.96   3.29

     The record at home is also very much similar and Ishant might just have got the better of Zak. His average and economy are marginally better.
   
At home              Mat    Inn     Overs    Mdns     Wkts      Runs     Avg      Eco
I Sharma              25      45       748.1    168         63        2190    34.72     2.92
Z Khan                27       51       867       180         71        2692     37.91    3.10

     Their numbers during the away matches prove that Zaheer was far better. But we should also consider that Ishant has been a part of few tours where the batting unit just didn't click. The away tours of 2011-2012 to England and Australia and the same in 2014-2015. The 2015 tour of Australia was on much flatter wickets where both the teams plundered runs. It was one of the high scoring series that has ever happened in Australia.

Away matches    Mat    Inn     Overs    Mdns     Wkts      Runs     Avg      Eco
I Sharma              43      74      1488     261         138        5277     37.87    3.51
Z Khan                41       73      1397     278         149        4780     32.08    3.42
   
       The most surprising of all stats is that the their numbers in won matches doesn't have much of a difference. Considering this, it is possible to say that Ishant Sharma is as good a match winner as Zaheer Khan.

Won matches     Mat    Inn     Overs    Mdns     Wkts      Runs     Avg      Eco
I Sharma              27      54       806       178      91          2451     26.93    3.03
Z Khan                 26       51      774        177      95          2405    25.31    3.0
   
     This comparison was not to prove that Ishant is equal to or better than Zak. With all due to respect to both the professionals, this is just an illustration to those people, who I feel is more critical on Ishant than what he actually deserve.

     Coming from a country like India where batsmen are idolized most of the time, becoming a fast bowler itself is an uphill task. When we see an young fast bowler running in like Ishant did in 2007, we expect them to become like a Dale Steyn or Jimmy Anderson of India. But what do we provide them when our fast bowlers play at home? Dust bowls, track which turn square on day one. Most occasions, our fast bowlers end up doing "holding the one end" job at home.

     Our strength lies in our batting and it is something we have to admit. In the past twenty years whenever our batsmen have done well on tough pitches, we have won those games. Headingly in 2002, Perth 2007, Lord's 2014 etc.

    Our bowlers have always got better with experience. And that is how it works for us. Kapil Dev is the leading wicket taker for India as a fast bowler. And below him are Zaheer Khan, Javagal Srinath followed by Ishant Sharma. Both Kapil Dev and Srinath played in an era where the pitches where more bowler friendly than it is now. With all due respect to them, it would be fair only if the current generation Indian fast bowlers are left alone and not compared to the legends from past.

    It is actually more disheartening to see Ishant Sharma being made fun of, even when he takes wickets. To be a fast bowler and representing India for 8 longs years is something not many have done. We have seen a bunch of fast bowlers coming in and vanishing as a flash in the pan. We have to respect players for what they have done and leave alone the things that they have not. It is up to the players to do something about what they have not done. After all, that is what they play for !!!

MS Dhoni - The man who is much more than what the world sees !

                 In the late 90s when I started watching cricket, India struggled to chase big totals. Those were the days when Sachin got out; the match was more or less over for the Indian fans. India lacked a finisher who can take the team across the line. It wasn’t until Dravid took the extra responsibility of keeping wickets so that an extra batsman can be accommodated, India started chasing well. 2002 was the year that marked the arrival of Yuvraj and Kaif. Yuvi at point and Kaif at cover were electrifying on the field. They won a lot of matches for India. Still not quite there; still Dravid had to keep wickets.
               
                 By the end of 2004 a wicket keeper batsman with long hair from Jharkhand made his debut. He was an unknown commodity. All people knew was that he can hit big sixes. He was promoted up the order at No. 3. The way he took on the opposition without any respect gave us joy. The way he scored in his 183 against Srilanka was monumental. Then the controversies occurred and Dravid became captain. It was he who made Dhoni bat at 6 with Yuvi at 5. This pair bonded really well and finished matches with ease. India won 16 successive matches while chasing down totals.

                Dhoni was always a quick learner. He read the people’s mind really well like he read the match situations. Maybe 2007 world cup tragedy would have taught him that. I still remember what he told after winning the T20 world cup. “One thing is for sure. This format is going to be an instant hit in our country”. And it did.
             
                Similarly, after winning the 2011 worldcup he said, “Whatever happened has happened. Now what we have to do is to build a new team and it’s a process that we have to concentrate on, irrespective of the results”. This was the process he was talking about in every single press conference during those loses. And he did build a new team for the 2015 world cup which did reasonably well for not to be blamed.
             
                It’s strange why Dhoni has so many haters in his own country. Looking deeper into it gave me a clearer picture. It wasn’t the case before the start of IPL. May be every single fan wanted him to play for their favorite franchise. The fact that the people of Tamilnadu accepted him as their own and praised him as if everything is because of him must have created hatred among fans. Those so called haters of Dhoni are the T20 generation who wants only entertainment. But a fan who knows a bit about the game and love the game for the joy it gives, wouldn’t hate him. There are so many instances where his actions proved that he played the game in the right spirit.
             
                Be it any format of the game. The legacy of Dhoni will be taking the responsibility for loses and giving credit to individuals during victories. You can see him in the corner of each group picture after winning a tournament. It’s heartening to see that Virat does similar things.

                Like he mentioned in the new IPL team jersey launch, he was never politically correct. Not just OFF the field but ON the field as well. He is neither a textbook batsman nor an orthodox captain. Perhaps he just had his own way of scoring runs and winning matches. On field, the game and the country came first for him. He gave everything he can on the field. Off the field he took everything that the game gave for him. Be it the advertisements or the contracts, he has got everything from the game.
             
                But that doesn’t mean that he has taken the game for granted. His passion for the game is immensely high. I have read that during his teenage he used to run in the ground with a football during rain. He said that it strengthened his lungs and thighs. His reflexes during stumping and returning back from halfway when an extra run is not available are unique. This is where his football skills make him untouchable on certain aspects of the game.

               From a ticket collector to the captain of the world cup winning team in eight years time is no mere joke. What Dhoni has done is that he has opened the gateway for every small town kid. By instilling belief in them that anything can be achieved if the person has the will power to take the toll. He is a living example by himself.

         Mahendra Singh Dhoni really is a superstar of the game. But above all his legacy is and should be that “It’s not where you come from, it’s what you do that defines you”. And certainly MSD has defined himself better than many other players. Not by his words, but by his actions. That’s why these kind of people are called legends. MS Dhoni is definitely an absolute legend of the game. Happy Birthday MS !  

Pink ball cricket and Private leagues may become the way forward for sports in India.

              18th June 2016 is going to be a significant date in the history of Indian cricket. This is something which not many will remember, except for those fans who follow the sport and feel for it's development and take joy from it.

Read: India's pink ball debut

               Cricket Association of Bengal has taken the initiative to set an example and show the world that the majestic EDEN Gardens and Indian cricket is ready for pink ball cricket. Sourav Ganguly who I believe is doing a great job as an administrator. One match is very difficult to judge the consequences and the effectiveness of pink ball in the subcontinental conditions. But it was just the beginning.

               We Indian have always been slow starters in the past as far as cricket is concerned. We always waited for victory or a massive achievement to make us fall in love with it and embrace it. ODIs became popular in India only after the world cup victory in 1983. I am not sure whether IPL would have been popular or even started in the first place if we hadn't not won the inaugural championship. But that's in the past.

               The world has understood that pink ball cricket is the way forward for test cricket. When this proposal came for the first time, I was not sure about it. I felt TEST cricket should be left unaltered. But after looking at the Adelaide test attendance and the empty stadiums for the recently concluded test series which was famously named as "The Freedom series", I felt something needs to be changed..

               Sport will flourish as a profession only if the spectators embrace it. To bring the audience to grounds, the game has to evolve without any hindrance to it's basics. On that perspective, D/N test matches are worth a try. I am not sure that this will be the future of the game. But over the past century, cricket has evolved and re evolved to it's best possible form. So it is something that we will know only if we try it.

               Now that BCCI wants to take an initiative by conducting Duleep trophy under lights, it will give us an idea what are the issues we will be facing and what needs to be done to counter that. BCCI is not under Indian government which I believe is a blessing in disguise as it has helped the sport. But I believe it should be answerable to supreme court so that some kind of accountability will be there. It will be reflected in the faith of the people towards the organisation.

             Other sports also have started to develop faster in our country in the last decade. We have champions in each sport to idolize for kids growing up. But considering the thought process and the nature of ourselves, I believe privatization of sports will do a greater good over a period of years. There are private leagues and championships for almost all sports like Hockey, Football, Badminton, Kabbadi etc. which are being promoted to nook and corner of the country. There is a lot of money involved in it, which is undeniable. But since there is so much money involved, people who have invested will definitely do whatever is necessary to make those leagues successful. Which I believe will make the franchises look for new unearthed talents in the country. For example ISL for football has just gone through two years. If this league happens successfully over a period of say 25 years, I believe we will definitely be in a better position in football than what we are now.

               Though BCCI has it's own controversies and internal politics like other organisations do, they have managed to promote the sport and take good care of the retired champions whom the current generation will be looking up to. Of course it is not fair to compare other Govt. aided organisations with one of the most wealthiest cricketing board in the world. But Indian cricket was lucky that the rise of Indian economy and Sachin Tendulkar coincided. Sachin was the reason why most of the current generation cricketers wanted to become what they are now.

     I have never been a fan of privatization irrespective of the area of implementation. But considering the current system we have, I am afraid to believe that privatization is the way forward for other sports to develop as good as cricket has become in India. When other sports develop, cricket has its own challenge of sustaining and holding on to the audience it has, which is one aspect as a cricket fan I am worried about. And that is why I believe pink ball cricket is worth a try.

No better time for MS Dhoni to enjoy as a player !

        Be it any sport, there is no better sight or sense of excitement for the veterans of sport than seeing a young player taking the center stage and proving everyone that he belong at this level. This is why I believe there is no better time for MS Dhoni to relax and enjoy his game and take pleasure from the young players who he is going to lead in this Zimbabwe tour. 

        There are a few interesting prospects in this squad. Yuzvendra Chahal is one among them. Being from Haryana, he has always been in the shadow of Amit Mishra. IPL has brought him to lime light. In the last couple of seasons despite of being from a batting powerhouse like RCB and playing in a batting paradise like Bengaluru he has done exceptionally well and it is high time he gets his chance, especially in the limited overs side. Spin being his armor, it will be interesting to see how MS uses him. 

      Barinder Sran was an unknown entity when he got his call up for the national squad. It's hard to judge any player from one series. But looking at him in the IPL, his attitude is something that has impressed. He is always ON in the field, trying to contribute with his fielding efforts which is always going to be an added value for the captain. Hope he gets his chance, becomes smarter with the ball  and doesn't fade away with time. 

       Lokesh Rahul and Karun Nair have been incredible for their state team over the past three years. Lokesh especially has started his test career and done reasonably well in List A games and IPL as well. Obviously he has to improve alot as far as his keeping is concerned. Being with a keeper like Dhoni, he can definitely learn and improve himself. Karun has become a vital middle order batsman in IPL. It's time for them to live the moment and grab the opportunity with both hands.

        Manish Pandey is coming back to the Indian team after the match winning century in Sydney. The finisher in MS Dhoni is definitely not the same with his age. I believe Manish can be groomed into a good finisher who bats at No. 5. But only time will tell us provided how the captain uses him and whether he gets a long tenure at the same slot.

           There is one thing I wish, which is very less likely to happen. I wish Dhoni gives up his gloves and let either Lokesh or Kedar to keep wickets so that they can learn and get groomed in his presence, as there is no replacement for MS at the moment and they can get better only by doing it. 

   With the kind of players in the team, I believe this is the time for Dhoni to not to worry too much about the results and let the younger generation take center stage and enjoy the show. It is time for him to express himself as a batsman and a captain and groom the players for the future which I believe he will, before calling it a day.   

A Battle of Champions who have embraced themselves with the attitude that defines them !

              Here we are on the eve of the grand finale of IPL-9 looking at two similar individuals who have taken the center stage. Virat Kohli and David Warner. Two individuals who are said to be being fearless and arrogant at times, swear out to the whole world , wear their heart on their sleeves but above all there is one thing that defines them; they both hate to lose.

              Virat Kohli has been a sensation in this season. People are losing adjectives to describe his performance. His consistency level and Bradmanic performance is becoming dangerously scary for other players to cope up with him. It's unbelievable that he has scored almost 1000 runs in 15 T20 innings.

               On the other side there is David Warner who too has lead from the front. He is the second leading run scorer of the tournament next to Kohli. Sun risers have been a bit over dependent on him in this season. It is only in the later part of the season where other players have taken the responsibility as well.

               Royal Challengers Bangalore started the season well, but lost the track in between with consecutive loses. At a moment their were almost out of the tournament and they had to win four out of four matches. These are the kind of situations on which Virat Kohli thrives on. They struggled to get the balance right without Starc. Watson is the player who brought the balance to the side with his canny bowling and meaty blows.

              Still their bowlers were struggling to bowl at the death . Then came in Chris Jordan who struggled in initial couple of matches after which he has been their key bowler at the death.  As expected RCB have thrived on their batting powerhouse only. Virat Kohli in almost every match and AB De villiers were scoring the bulk of runs with cameos from KL Rahul in some matches.  As they entered the later stages, Gayle coming to his own was a big plus for them. Getting inspired from their batsman, bowlers also started performing  well. Coming into the tournament they have gained great momentum which plays a key role in T20s. They had a close match with Gujarat where ABD held his nerve to take the team to the final.

           Sunrisers have thrived mostly on the brilliance of their bowlers like Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Mustafizur, Henriques and relied heavily on Warner in the batting. In the later part of the tournament Dhawan, Yuvraj performing well has helped them. After taking captaincy he has improved alot in the last two seasons. Even in the last season they lost the place in the last over brilliance from Virat Kohli.

             Even today they will be heavily relying on Warner and Bhuvi in their respective departments. But who knows, they do have big match players like Yuvi and Shikhar who may just show up and take the game from the opposition.

           Both Virat and Warner who have been known for their banter and arrogance on the field in the past. But they have shown that if you could control the character that defines you, the same will take you to great heights. They didn't have to lose or change their attitude. They just had to control it and it has done wonders to them. These two players will be the key for their team's success today; Warner more for SRH than Virat for RCB.

            IPL has never been so much competitive and interesting. We are going to have a new champion this time. RCB has edge with home advantage and the momentum they are in. But cricket is such a crazy game that anything can happen. SRH just have to show up and play out of their skins to cross line. For me it's a battle between two individual champions who have mastered their attitude to their advantage. Irrespective of who's gonna win, it is going to be real fun for the fans who embrace the joy the game gives.  

Virat Kohli - The Virus Indian cricket is blessed with !

    After that carnage at Bengaluru there'll be a lot of posts coming about Virat and AB De villiers. This one is not about them, but it is definitely about one among them. The man is Virat Kohli.

    Having following him from his debut, he has always been a player who keeps improving. He was an Orthodox player, didn't have any outrageous skills to smash the ball everywhere, doesn't slog, never even had a pull shot when he made debut.

    But what he had was outrageous hunger for victory, eagerness to improve and an unbelievable work ethic. The way improve his skills in every match he plays is unbelievable. The rate at which he does that is dangerously scary for the other players who could never keep up with him.
 
   To start of, he was a predominantly leg side player who had a cover drive. Rahul Dravid said once that when he first met Virat at RCB he couldn't take on the short ball. After six months, in a camp he saw Virat playing it with ease. That is the thing about him. He keeps improving as a player every single day.

    Back in 2011, he had a torrid IPL season. He said that he was looking at the mirror and telling himself that if he is gonna remain the same he is not going to sustain at this level. That is when he took his fitness seriously and after that the stats are there to see.
 
      After that unforgettable summer in England, when everybody was resting he went to his idol for improving his game. After that he entirely changed his game. His stance became a bit wider. His drives became punches. It changed so much that his flicks which used to go through square and fine leg were going in front of square now. It did him a lot of good that he score a bulk of runs.

     He has scored so much of runs, but I rarely see him slogging. There was always a method in his shots. I used to say my brother that Rohit can hit big sixes because he can slog through the line. But with Virat even a knee high full toss will be dealt with a cricketing shot. In all those sixes he has hit, there'll be an essence of cricketing method. But well, who am I to say that. He changed that too. In  the match yesterday probably for the first time I saw him clear his front leg and thump Pravin Tambe over long on for six.

     Me and my brother used to discuss about the bottom hand of MSD. The way he used to send a wide yorker over long off in those prime days. This man Virat has quite a bottom hand too. The way he plays the spinners, especially the way he swipes it through mid wicket is amazing. There was one shot against Faulkner in the world T20. He dances down the track tapped the ball of chest height over long off for six. It was like a table tennis tap of the bottom hand. I keep playing that video again and again and just wonder how did he do that !!...

     In the IND vs PAK  match in the T20 world cup, the first shot by Virat was a square drive of the back foot. That moment I was like "Jeez!!! This man is amazing. I have never seen him play this shot in all those years. How does he keep on improving every single game and increasing his range of shots!". It is not possible unless he have an extremely good work ethic and hunger for victory.

     After the loss against Mumbai, he says that he loves the situation where they have to win three out of three. I am not saying he will do it. But his attitude towards the challenges is too good. That is one thing I admire about him. That is the quality he wants to plant in his team.
 
     He has become a virus today. We can clearly see his influence in players like KL Rahul. Provided that India is going to play a lot of test matches in the coming season, if his attitude spreads through the team then that will definitely take this team to greater victories. If this man infects the team with his attitude and work ethic it will definitely do a greater good for Indian cricket.

Sachinnnn Sachinnn !.. Sachinnnn Sachinnnn !.. Sachinnnn Sachinnnn !..

"Sachinnnn  Sachinnnn” “Sachinnnn  Sachinnnn” “Sachinnnn  Sachinnnn” !!! This is the most iterated rhyme of a 90s Indian kid which includes myself. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

   For a kid born in early 90s like me, cricket was nothing but SACHIN TENDULKAR. We grew up along with Sachin's career, watching him becoming the best in the business, becoming the GOD of the game we loved. We watched cricket just to watch him bat. Every time he went out to bat, we wanted him to score a century and win it all by himself for the country. That mattered to us the most, than anything else. He made our childhood to be precise.

But as I grew up, I started understanding the game more. I understood Sachin more. But one thing never changed. Sachin’s batting gave us joy. Throughout those 24 years, in all those 664 international appearances he made, we wanted him to bat for as long as possible.

When we look back at Sachin’s journey, there are a lot of untold stories. What everyone knows is that Sachin was a childhood prodigy who took the world by storm and scripted an unimaginable story in the history of the game. But what most people didn’t know is that Sachin was the most blessed child of his generation. Like Rahul Dravid mentioned recently in the MAK Pataudi lecture, Sachin got the best support system possible, for a kid who possessed unimaginable talent and immense hard work.

Sachin was so blessed to get a brother like Ajit, a mentor like Ramakant Acherekar. It’s so interesting that the career of Sachin coincides with the most important phase of Indian economy. In 1991 Sachin had just started to take the centre stage of the sport. It was in the same year Economic liberalisation was brought into act by then Indian Government. Sponsors flew in towards the wonder kid of the second most populated country. Cable TVs, Colour televisions entered the lives of the middle-class people. Sachin was now visually available at almost every single home in India.

Every single house/family owned him, as if he was their own. To be honest, that’s a curse as much as it’s a blessing. 1997-2003 was the span in which Sachin was at his peak. It’s amazing that he was in form for almost six long years. He was the nightmare for every single opposition. Most teams believed that if they got Sachin, they’ve won the match. Irony is that, almost every Indian thought so. Most of them switched off the TV as soon as Sachin got out.

Luckily my home wasn’t in that list. The love for the game I had is in my gene. At least I believe so. The interest towards cricket at home goes long back into the days of radio commentary, when there were no televisions in the native village were my Dad grew up. It was he, who made me realise that cricket is not just about Sachin. It’s a team game. And more importantly, anything is possible in cricket.

It’s not that people at home didn’t like Sachin. We adored him as much as anybody else in the country. But they just know that the game is bigger than any individual. This is something that even Sachin has said himself.

On field Sachin as an individual, was a Genius. He worked hard as much as a person could at his game. Technique wise he‘s a freak. Every time he went out to bat, he wanted to dominate the bowler, whoever he may be. His hunger and appetite for runs is unimaginable.

The way he handled himself on the field made everyone love him. There were a billion people who wanted to make his dream of winning a world cup come true. When he finally lifted it after 22 long years, most people cried in joy for him winning the world cup than the country winning it.  

Once he retired, the book of Sachin got released. The title of the book “Playing it my way” suited him the most. True, Sachin played the game in his own way, which was unimaginable for anybody else. That is the reason why the whole world is in awe of him even now. But in the book, more than joy which he gave on the field, a fine line of rage was clearly visible at many places. I would have preferred the dressing room things remain within, than exposing it to the world. I wouldn’t complain though, as he was honest.

Even now whilst writing this, two years after his retirement there is only one thing I remember when I think about him. Thinking about Sachin’s batting gives me only Happiness. I am always grateful to him for making my childhood with awesome memories. Don’t think me as if I didn’t love him as much as the country did. I am one of those billion fans who cried on 16-Nov-2013. Believe me, I did. Happy birthday Sachin !

The story will not be the same without a genuine story teller !...

            People play sport for different reasons. Some play it for their physical fitness, some as hobby and some for the joy it gives. But none will take it as a profession if there are no spectators. The sponsors come in and players get paid only because of the spectators. People may disagree that they play for pride. Yes, players indeed should take pride in representing their country. But none will do it for free. And I don't ask them to do as well. What I am trying to say is that sport will not flourish as a profession if there are no spectators.

           Cricket comes under this as well. We watch the game for the joy it gives us. The joy can be increased or decreased by the story teller, i.e. commentators.They narrate the untold stories of the game to a common fan. They even help a lot of people improve their language and communication skills unknowingly. I honestly believe that the very little amount of English I know, is learnt purely by listening to commentators like Mark Nicholas, Alan Wilkins, Michael Slater, Mike Atherton, Harsha Bhogle and a few others. Being an Indian, Harsha Bhogle has been an inspiration to me. His perspective towards the game has always amazed me.

           If we look at the past twenty five years, there isn't a better commentator from India. A lot of cricketing legends has taken commentating as their second profession. But only a very few are genuinely good at commentating, like they were at playing. It is always great to hear from the legends and knowing their point of view about the game. But, to be a professional commentator certain skills are required and I believe only a few have it. Rahul Dravid could have become a commentator as good as Harsha. But there are bigger things he is capable of doing. And very rightly, he went to do that.
       
           Now that Harsha Bhogle's term as commentator in IPL has been terminated without any notice, I would like to look at the possible reasons for it. Either it might have been the argument with organizer in Nagpur or the comment on the pitches during India -South Africa test series or that tweet and explanation regarding Ind-Ban match. Or all these might just have piled up. If there is a genuine reason, then that could have been explained.

            Either he was so wrong that it wasn't explainable or it may be the fact that he was so good at telling the actual story which couldn't be bared. But I just hope like he himself has said, it's not because of the comments from the players. Because I believe he isn't one of those commentators who praises like god on a good day and ditches like the reverse of it on a bad one. Being a professional commentator he has always stuck to the story and told it as it is. He do praise on a good day but mentioning the past as well. Which means he clearly knows that one good or one bad day is not going to define a player. And there isn't a better commentator who criticizes in a gentler manner. In other words a very professional manner. And being professional is the only thing that he has always loved to be referred with.
           
          But this is not just about him. When these petty politics happen to affect the sport it is definitely not good. More than on field which everyone knows, when it is affecting the small off field external things like these, it will not have a good impact on the spectators. It is really heart warming to see the spectators speak up in favor of a commentator in common, irrespective of the their favorite player/team.

     
         It is for those spectators these tournaments are being held. Without spectators the game isn't going to flourish. I just hope the  cricketing board thinks about it and I believe it is only for the IPL and not for the internationals. Like Harsha famously quoted regarding Sachin's name not in the Lord's Honours board, it's the loss for the tournament and the spectators for they cannot hear from a genuinely good story teller. And hopefully it doesn't last long.

It all comes down to this!

       It all comes down to this at the Eden Gardens. One is a team which looks as if they own the format and the other one is a team which has completely transformed their perspective towards the format.

    As far as T20 is concerned, WI have always looked like a champion side. When all their stars come to their own aiming for a single trophy, they'll be nearly unstoppable.

   They have stuck to their game plan. Their dot ball percent is too high. But so is their boundary percent. That's the reason why they struggled on a slow turning track against Afghanistan. But with the inclusion of Simmons and the innings he played against India they should be able to play much better than the other night. He is one of those who can rotate the strike really well.

   Though they have won four games so far, West indies are yet to set a target for the opposition in the tournament. They have chased in all five matches. We will have to wait and watch whether they can ignore the big occasion and chase again.

   England on the other hand has played some really good cricket. They are bowling well. Their batsmen are attacking from the word go. They are playing similar to the way they played in 2010. Root is doing the job that Pietersen did in 2010. With a lot of match winners like butler, stokes in the side, they should be backing themselves to cross the line for the second time.
  Recently I read Michael Atherton saying that England has benefited alot because of it's association with BCCI in this tournament as for as pitches and travel schedules are concerned. But I don't buy that thought too much because, unlike England, Australia who is one among the BIG THREE have played on tough conditions.

    The reason for England's redemption in shorter format is their world cup exit last year and their decision to persist with Morgan. That exit made them rethink their approach and the pitches used for the format. I have always wondered since 2012 why Alex hales then no. 1 T20 batsman was not picked for the ODIs. The series after the world cup against NZ saw some flat pitches and really high scoring games. Ever since England have played similar kind of cricket. They have got the perfect team balance.

 England also have rided so far on chasing. That is why I believe there's a lot riding on the way the pitch is gonna behave. If the ball turns square like it did in IND - PAK game, it's going to be a difficult game to predict. That's when the toss matters alot. But if it is similar to those these two teams have played so far, both the teams would prefer chasing because the PAR SCORE is becoming difficult to predict these days.
   Purely for their attitude and the joy they bring on, heart goes with the Windies. But somewhere deep inside I feel that England have a better chance for a second time glory. We just have to wait and watch.