Cricforu

The head sat perfectly inside the blue helmet as the Little Master walked serenely to the centre to take guard in pursuit of what was to be his 100th international hundred. For Sachin, it was not just those 30 odd runs that had to knocked off, but the fact that this century had to be off his back before the treacherous tour of Australia comes up in a couple of weeks.
From the receptionist at the hotel where the Indian team is housed in Mumbai, to the person who would be serving him lunch or dinner or breakfast, everyone would have given Sachin enough hints on the task that awaited him in the coming days and weeks.
It is often said that in India, there are a billion coaches, each having their own method of reaching landmarks and crossing milestones. To live amongst such a partisan crowd and to keep performing the way Sachin has done for the last 22 years is an achievement in itself. No amount of awards or adulations can match the pressure that is handled by Sachin.
Whenever Sachin is off the field, he is seen wearing those gigantic headphones to keep his attention away from the common man who wants a hundred everytime he walks to the centre.
For a champion who has scripted past the 100th run in international cricket 99 times before, Sachin does know how to get past that mark.
Yes, the wait for the millions will be painful and interminable. Those rasping drives and upper cuts kept the sell-out crowd at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday on their feet, only for him to depart, six short of what would have yet another classic century.
For the media barons, the pages that were cast, statistics that were kept ready for the occasion, designers who had to step in early to the office to churn out the ‘Sachin Special’ page, will have an anxious wait. Just a little more, perhaps.
Even as he sits in the dressing room pondering over his dismissal, it will be important for Sachin and for the Indian team to realise that the topic of his 100th ton will be brought up again and again and….again. Better for the Little Master to get the thing done in the upcoming ODIs against the West Indies.
But, do you really think the analysts will breathe easy? Nay!
If Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar hits a century in the ODIs, it will be his 49th in that format. Did I hear someone say that we should then channelise our thought processes towards his 50th ODI ton?
OMG! Can we leave Sachin alone, please?

He first started with a mere brick and as he grew in size, stature and experience, Rahul Dravid, over the years weaved not just magic with the willow, but also gave the purists and his fans the joy of watching batting in its purest form.

In his decade-and-half innings with international cricket, not for once has the former Indian captain given anything but 100 per cent. Interestingly, Dravid always finished second. How? Right from his debut Test at Lord’s in 1996 where he fell agonisingly short of a well-deserved century, his compatriot, Sourav Ganguly stole the limelight with a debut ton. If that was not enough, his debut hundred at Chepauk in May 1997 was overshadowed by Saeed Anwar’s brilliant 194.

His chanceless 145 at the LB Stadium in Hyderabad was yet again overshadowed by Sachin Tendulkar‘s 189.

Unlike some of his other teammates, Dravid’s life or what he wears off the field has never been a subject of intense scrutiny or debate. But once he gets the bat in his hand, he is the master of his own destiny. Those rasping cover-drives and flicks towards mid-wicket boundary are shots that are constantly written and embedded as part of India’s cricketing folklore. Dravid’s knocks — both in Tests and ODIs — are lessons for youngsters on how to consolidate and rebuild the innings when your side is in a spot of bother. It may have lacked the finesses of a certain VVS Laxman or the frenzied pace of Virender Sehwag, but Dravid ensured that he did hardwork to take the team out of the glut.

The turn of the millennnium saw Dravid bat in a variety of positions in ODIs and sometimes in Tests too. He would bat. He would keep wickets, he would be asked to take strike when the chips were down. And, he would do it all with aplomb. Not surprisingly, Dravid has not missed a game because of injury, spasms etc. which showcases his levels of fitness and the way he has been in shape.

It would be fair to say that durability is the other name for Dravid. As he hit his 36^th Test century on Monday, I had the good fortune to watch it on screen and admire the man who continues to do his job —-score runs, and, by truckloads!

At 36, former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting is not getting any younger. Worse still, he will turn 37 in December and with scores 8 and 0 at the atrocious Newlands Test; pressure on Punter is getting too suffocating.

Ever since he lost the Ashes to England earlier this year, critics have been baying for the legendary right-hander’s blood to not just give the captaincy away, but also hang up his boots. The final straw came in the form of the quarterfinal loss to India in the World Cup which was Ponting’s last as Australian skipper. With his form not getting any better, Ponting’s place in the side has come under heavy cloud.

The last 14 innings have fetched just a measly 245 runs from Ponting’s willow and that’s not good enough. What has been even shocking has been the manner in which the Ponting got dismissed in the first Test at Cape Town. Ponting shuffled across and was adjudged leg-before, a sign of a player who is low on confidence.

He looked anxious at the start and his feet failed to move, a contrast to the Ponting of old, who would judge the length of the ball right from the beginning. But he has looked a pale shadow of himself and from frying pan; Ponting’s batting seems to be headed straight into fire.

There are others too in the side who have not contributed significantly. Names such as Phil Hughes, Brad Haddin does crop up but Ponting does belong to a different breed of batters. The world has not seen many pull the cricket ball better than Ponting.

However, the last one year has been barren for Ponting. He did show glimpses of his brilliance in that hundred against India in the World Cup, but with just one international century in the last 55 innings, Ponting, according to many, is fighting a losing cause.

Watching Ponting’s chanceless 196 against England at the Gabba, Brisbane, in 2006-07 Ashes series, it is hard to imagine that he would even have to see this day when ex-Australian cricketers question his very presence in the side. How long he would play will depend on how much he scores in the coming games. But one can surely say that Ponting will just not walk away without a fight. Naysayers, watch out for the famous Aussie fight. All it requires is one big innings and the smiles will be back on Punter’s face. J

Even if the coaching manual says that things need to be kept simple in cricket, there are 99 per cent of players, coaches, support staff and many others associated with the sport who are hell-bent on complicating simple techniques, in the process forget that it’s after all just a game. But not Virender Sehwag.

For a batsman who had to constantly face flak for his technique (or the lack of it), Sehwag, the Delhi dasher has accrued 7845 runs at an more-than-impressive 52.30 in 90 Tests. But aren’t there many who boast of such or better still, better averages? Yes! But here is the catch? How many batsmen in world cricket will boast of a strike-rate of 81.98 in the oldest form of the game? Perhaps, just one. Viru himself.

Asked how he keeps himself so relaxed and so uncluttered, Viru, during a chat some years back, mentioned his belief in Shirdi Sai and the power of music. “I keep humming songs in the middle and whenever I cross a milestone, I say a small prayer to Shirdi Sai Baba and the show goes on,” Viru had said. In the company of Gautam Gambhir, Viru has forged many memorable partnerships.

“I sing Sai Baba bhajans, Kishore Kumar numbers especially the ones that were picturised on Amitabh Bachchan before the bowler is about the deliver. To me, it is all about keeping the mind free from the pressure. An uncluttered mind is all that I ask for,” Viru said. Like many others of his generation, the lad from Najafgarh grew up watching cricket and wanting to emulate the feats of the one and only — Sachin Tendulkar. When Viru burst into the scene a decade ago, he went on to script a sensational hundred on Test debut at Bloemfontein in South Africa against the likes of Shaun Pollock & Co.

Despite the mountain of expectations, Viru continues to bat the way he always has. Despite the situation his team is in, Viru continues with his relentless pursuit of finding the gaps and hitting those boundaries with ridiculous ease. His if-the-ball-is-there-to-be-hit-hit-it approach may not always bear results, but on the day it does, Viru makes it count. If you thought there is no method to Viru’s madness, then you are definitely wrong. He analyses the opposition’s weaknesses and exploits them mercilessly.

Be it his triple-hundred in Multan in 2004, or that fantastic 80-odd on Day Four of the Chennai Test against England in 2008, Sehwag has been at it all the time. What appears to risky for many has over the years become a scoring opportunity for Sehwag. “You still need to hit the ball in the air for it to clear the stands, so there is an element of risk in every shot you play. That risk has to be taken,” Viru counters.

Even as Viru has hit the best in the business beyond the boundary, the right-hander has had a few cheap dismissals against a few ordinary bowlers. Interestingly, Sehwag never looks at the pitch before any match. He maintains that it is the ball that needs to the meat of the blade and not anything else. Such clarity in thought and focus on hitting the ball is what makes Viru make a name for himself in the game. It is also one of the reasons why the right-hander continues to hit those shots beyond the boundary.

A few years ago, I was having a chat with V.V.S. Laxman’s coach John Manoj at the sidelines of a match and he made a fascinating point. “Laxman was so talented and had such great hand-eye coordination that we asked him to continue what he was doing. He could easily show the ball the direction from way outside off-stump to somewhere down mid-wicket. It was an art, which can’t be thought in a coaching class,” he had mentioned.

When a purist would watch the West Indies batting mainstay take guard, he would be baffled. Chanderpaul’s stance is surely one of the most bizarre ones in world cricket. In technical terms, Chanders as he fondly called has a two-eyed stance. What does it mean? In lame man’s terms, Chanders is seeking a two-eyed view of the bowler. As he walked into bat at No.5 on Sunday against India, the dressing room of the Windies would have heaved a sigh of relief as their best bet was in the middle. His unique batting style coupled with endless energy to withstand pressure and come out trumps is what has made him a legend in his own right. At stumps on Day One, Chanders had yet again taken his side to safety while scoring an unbeaten 111.

His anti-glare strips in black might cause a giggle in the rival’s camp as he strides to the centre, but once his bat starts to talk, the others can well shut up. Chanders is the last of the lot to have played alongside the likes of legends such as Brian Charles Lara, Richie Richardson, Courtney Walsh and Curtley Ambrose, but is happy to rally around the young guns who have been fed by a dose of shorter formats of the game and fail to apply themselves for longer periods.

In his very first Test outing in Georgetown, Guyana against the Englishmen in 1994, Chanders hit a patient 62 off 135, showing glimpses of patient mixed with grit, a hallmark of all great players who have excelled in Test cricket.

With just over 500 runs required to join the elite band of players to have hit 10,000 runs in Tests, rest assured, Chanders will be the last one to have a look at that statistic. He may not look pleasing to the eye on the field, but possesses a technique that has worked for him. He gets into a position of comfort, and one more occasions than one outsmarts the bowler and loots runs. For a player who has been the saviour of the West Indies cricket for about 17 years now, Chanders keeps things ridiculously simple. Just bat boy! Just keep batting.

He showed no trouble with the quicks in operation, nor did he do anything untoward when the spinners come along. With Chanders in such ominous tough right from the first day of the series, Indians can expect to be chasing leather in the coming days.

There is a lot of ambiguity in the way the smaller teams prepare for their game. Not many speak about their team’s strengths and weaknesses as many won’t even know who are in the playing XI. Zimbabwe was in falling into same category UNTIL Saturday.

The final day of the first and only Test against New Zealand marked a renaissance of fortunes for a side that has been sidelined due to political catharsis for years, but the last few months have seen a turnaround in the script.  First it was a series win against Bangladesh that brought a lot of interest in this team and on Sunday, they narrowly missed out on chasing down an impossible total of 347 on the final day of the Test that would have etched their name in the record books.

It was result that would have shattered the morale of Zimbabwe who went for the kill in a scenario where most of the so-called ‘big sides’ would have gone into a play-safe mode. Brendan Taylor hit a mesmerizing 117 to give his side more than a ray of hope. The hosts went to tea needed 101 off the last 29 overs before collapsing dramatically. From being placed comfortably at 265 for 3, the Zimbabweans finished at 331, just 34 short of what would have been a fitting reply to all the nay-sayers.

In all this, the visitors —- New Zealand kept their hopes by getting wickets at regular intervals, a trick that eventually saw them return to the pavilion as victors. For the Black Caps, debutant Doug Bracewell took 5 for 85.

Zimbabwe certainly would be cursing for having missed out on being part of history, but they more or less justified the fact that they are given the status of playing the highest level of the game, and rightfully so!

My first memories of watching the West Indies play was way back in 1989 when the grand-old Doordarshan used to air half-an-hour highlights of India’s tour to the Caribbean. The series began with the five-match ODIs, the first being at Bridgetown, Barbados and rightfully so, the hosts romped home with 50 runs. Desmond Haynes opened with an unbeaten 117 that set the tone for the match and the series and West Indies showcased the gulf between the two sides. There was panache, poise and purpose with the way that team steam-rolled its opposition. The ODIs saw Haynes amassing 337 runs from five games. For India, Dilip Vengsarkar scored 178 from his five outings at a modest average of 35.60.

What was more important was the dominance not just on paper, but on performance too. Led ably by unarguably one of the masters of the game —- Sir Vivian Richards —- West Indies were just too good for India. The ODI rout was followed by the Test series whitewash where Windies showcased the harsh fact that the bridge between the two sides was too wide. If Richie Richardson accrued 619 runs from four Tests, the highest amount of runs his Indian counterpart managed was Sanjay Manjrekar, who scored 200 runs in total in the series. While Kapil Dev did roll his arm over, taking 18 wickets in the Test series, the damage was done.

While the West Indies will sport no flair, no big names as they lock horns with the Indians in the first Test at the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium, it will be interesting to see the approach they employ against a side studded with superstars.The return of Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar to the line-up not just add names, but tons and tons of experience along with run-making ability that was severely missed during their washout in England.

Once again the talk of the impending 100^th ton from the bat of Sachin will be raised and that little man will have to be on his toes as always. More importantly, he will want to get the monkey off his back in his own backyard before the tough tour to Australia begins in Decamber. Mahi’s men hit the nets on Friday with the session lasting for about two-and-half hours. The Delhi lads—Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag hit top gear, sending a few soaring from the meat of their blade.

The bowlers were not far behind with the likes of Ishant Sharma Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron sending down a few quick ones, before the spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha and Rahul Sharma too over.

The talk of comparing this West Indies to the team that toured India in the 80s will be sacrilege. But if this side can put up even 10 per cent of what the once-upon-a-great-side did, then their fans back home will be more than pleased.

P.S: this article is written with good humour and must be taken in good spirit!

It is going to be a terrible Thursday for Pakistan skipper Salman Butt who has been found guilty of cheating at the trial in a London court. Butt is likely to get a custodial sentence of about seven years. His partner-in-crime too faces severe charges for the same.

Butt has also rubbed the fashion police in a wrong way. Many fail to understand why the former Pakistan captain wore a velvet jacket to the court. “But, it was one of my favourite ones,” peeved Butt, even as he was taken away by the cops.

Former Pakistan players felt that Butt should have toned it down when it came to appearance on court. “He is a Pakistan cricketer and they have always been impeccably dressed. I am very ashamed at the way he has dressed and attended the court hearing. Butt necessarily needs to be put in jail for his atrocious fashion sense,” a former Pakistan cricketer on condition of anonymity said.

Former players seem to be happy with the way Asif turned up for the hearings. “Butt must learn from Asif. He looked dapper in a black suit, while Butt walked in as if he had come on a date,” said former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas.

Sources have revealed that the velvet jacket that Butt had worn was bought from a London outlet, allegedly owned by an Indian retail chain.

Former Pakistan pacer Sarfaraz Nawaz slammed the way Asif and Butt conducted themselves at the court premises. “They should have gone to a famous designer and got themselves good pair of jackets. They did not even feel it necessary to wear shades. Cricketers the world over appear on their shades even during evenings when there is no need for it. And these two failed to understand the fashion sense,” Nawaz said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan High Commission in London has sought to investigate the exact details of where both Asif and Butt purchased their clothing from. “It is important for us to know the details as the people of not just Pakistan, but the entire world are watching. It is very important for us to give a good image of our cricketers,” said a top-level source.

P.S: this article is written with good humour and must be taken in good spirit!

Ah, so the wise men think they can smile because they picked Harbhajan Singh as the fall guy for the debacle in England a month ago? Sorry folks, there are tons of options ahead of the sardar from Jalandhar.

In an age where writing books, featuring in reality shows, seen in party circuits is as important as putting up a good show on the field, Bhajji seems to be making his presence felt. He watched the Formula 1 Grand Prix of India at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida and even caught up with his ‘former’ teammates Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and best buddy Yuvraj Singh.

That’s not all. Bhajji walked in with none other than Bollywood starlet Geeta Basra (did you know she was spotted in two Hindi movies till date!?!). Bhajji’s relationship with Geeta has hit the troughs and crests, much like his career on a cricket ground. On the plans of tying the knot with Geeta, Bhajji had once said, “Haven’t made it large yet, so let’s see. When it happens, I will let you know.” Now, one does necessarily know in what context ‘making it large’ was uttered by Bhajji. The Punjab da puttar has always been known as an impulsive personality. For further details, contact a certain S. Sreesanth.

Meanwhile, in an interview to a leading news channel, Bhajji’s mother has warned not to write off her son. A day later, Bhajji announced that he would be coming up with what will be known the world over as the ‘Teesra’. Now, the question really is, will he able to deliver it in an international match, considering that his place has been taken by a Chennai based offie. “I made Doosra popular after which Muttiah Muralitharan, R. Ashwin have taken it up. Teesra will be bigger and definitely better,” Bhajji revealed.

Jokes apart, Bhajji, during the recenty-concluded Champions League Twenty20, has had extensive discussions from his close friend and mentor Andrew Symonds. The burly Aussie, his teammate at the Mumbai Indians, advised him to concentrate on the shortest format of the game. “Legends like me, Andrew Flintoff, Herschelle Gibbs, and Kieron Pollard are all busy playing Twenty20s across the world. Look, if you have to earn more, then you would have to play Twenty20 cricket. Remember, it is always about ‘club’bing things together,” Symmo seems to have told Bhajji.

That piece of advice from his ‘dear friend’ was enough for the fiesty offie to lead the side to its maiden trophy win. Even as Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s boys take the field against the West Indies next week, all eyes will be on Bhajji who gets ready to chalk out plans for Mumbai Indians’ in the upcoming IPL season. “Yes, the talks have been good with the owners. IPL-5 is just a few months away and I want my team to be in the best shape. Nita bhabhi has always been very supportive of the side and has always encouraged the youngsters. With the focus on the young brigade, Sachin Tendulkar has been asked to take over coaching as his son Arjun will be signed on soon,” Bhajji remarked.

Asked if there was ever any pressure on him, the offie gave a tongue-in-cheek answer, “What pressure? The only pressure that I know of occurs when I visit the loo in the mornings.”

That’s not all; Bhajji has been in talks with N. Srinivasan and the BCCI bigwigs for opening an academy that will train cheerleaders in any cricketing event. “I have always been fascinated by cheerleaders. When I walked into the Buddh International Circuit, this idea suddenly stuck me. I had a word with Viru and Sachin paaji too. They both jumped with joy at the idea and Yuvi too realised the potential on having cheerleaders even at the Ranji Trophy clashes. It is a win-win situation for everyone. It keeps the players interested and brings in more people to the stadium. For starters, the company which I would form for training cheergirls could gear up for IPL-5,” bhajji beamed.

A leading publishing house and a television channel too want a pie of Bhajji. The publishing house is paying an undisclosed amount for Bhajji to write a book on his life, while the television channel wants a show on the lines of ‘Bhajji ka swayamwar’. In all these endeavours, the million dollar question remains—- has Bhajji made it large? Well, your guess is as good as mine.

Boldness has never been a virtue associated with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The time selectors have often been accused of choosing players from ‘their own region’ and have faced the ire of the paying public and pundits. Not anymore!

When the big bosses picked the Indian squad for the five-match ODI series against England, it was considered a intrepid move to have given the out-of-form Harbhajan Singh the stick. For over a decade now, Bhajji has been an integral member in the Indian line-up, and to have overlooked the offie was a signal that there was a shift in the way selectors viewed situation. Interestingly, the richest board in the world did not press the panic button after India’s poor outing in England. Instead, they banked themselves on a side that had untested players such as Ajinkya Rahane, Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav. While the trio impressed in patches during the ODI series against England, their show was good enough for them to find a place in the squad for the first Test against West Indies which starts in New Delhi from November 6.

The big guns — Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh are back in the ring, while Bhajji continued to be on the ignored list.
The selectors need to be commended for having chosen Ravichandran Ashwin in the 15-member squad along with left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, while leggie Amit Mishra missed out. The pacers pack will see the return of Ishant Sharma, who will lead the attack in Zaheer Khan’s absence.
The likes of Rahane, Virat Kohli were surprisingly preferred over the likes of Chennai lads — Murali Vijay and Abhinav Mukund — again, an important change that needs to be noted.

The faith in young brigade is good but the top-most agenda in BCCI’s radar should be to strike the elusive balance between too much cricket and too little of it. This would invariably require the board to maintain a close-watch on the number of matches played by every player in the national side. It is futile to lay the blame for too much cricket on tournaments such as the IPL or domestic commitments. The below-par attendance even during international fixtures should be taken up seriously by the men who matter.

Ultimately, it is a game which is played for the public who pay for it. If you keep dishing out matches and tournaments at the drop of the hat, the viewer is bound to lose interest. So what can a fan do? Simple, he will not watch you play. We all know what an effect it can cause to the player’s psyche and for board’s coffers.

Player management needs to be utmost priority by the board. Pacers need to be handled with care. The likes of Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav need to be nurtured. This Test series is a good testing ground for the young guns before they leave for the all-important tour Down Under. The likes of Virat Kohli and Rahane need to be given a longer run in Tests. The series against the West Indies is a good exam for them. Agreed, the Windies is not the strongest of oppositions, but they still can test the youngsters with regards to skill and temperament.

Is this the end of the road for Bhajji? Certainly not, he is a proven performer and will definitely make a comeback. By dropping Bhajji, BCCI has certainly sent a strong message that NO ONE can take his place for granted. The India cap is not a sole property of anyone and one needs to EARN it.

Squad for the first Test vs West Indies: M.SDhoni (capt & wk), Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, R Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Virat Kohli, Varun Aaron, Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Sharma