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.