How Selecting Pragyan Ojha Will Save Cricket

One of the great moans of the summer, not just uttered by me, but by a lot of Indian fans as well, was how Ojha continuously managed to fly under the radar of the selectors. By now he has brought this art to perfection, spectacularly bowling his county side Surrey CCC back to Division One by taking 24 wickets at 12.96 in the four must-win Championship matches for which he was signed when Surrey’s promotion looked in danger (please scroll down for the match list), but I dare doubt once more that the gospel has reached Indian shores.

Surrey cricket manager Chris Adams joins the chorus:

“It’s not for me to comment on India’s selections but I’m amazed he’s not playing Test cricket,” Adams said. “I strongly believe he will play 100 Tests for India, from what I’ve seen. I may be hitting high, but he’s a wonderful bowler with wonderful skills. I expect him in the next six months to break into the India team and be a permanent fixture.”

Which takes us to my obvious yet probably initially incomprehensible wish for a strong Indian Test side. Wait, what? Yup. Let me explain it to you.

Why it is in everybody’s interest that India take a leading position in the longer formats:

In Germany we have a saying: “Viel Feind, viel Ehr’!” (‘many foes, much honour’); whenever in my short career as a cricket fan Australia managed to beat India, it was a great reason to celebrate, a triumph eliciting joy and happiness. Compare this to the hollow dissatisfaction felt by most of the hopeful curious onlookers during India’s English summer, and you will know what I mean.

Secondly, India is undoubtedly the largest cricket market in the world. If India are doing well at Test cricket and ODIs, the market will stay interested in the Indian Test and One Day side, and thus Test cricket and ODIs will keep enjoying a somewhat high priority not just within the ICC but in general; a necessary counterweight to the dominance of T20, which is sprawling rapidly throughout all levels of national, international and regional cricket and taking possession of the virgin, susceptible minds of young players. No, I have not given up the hope yet that somehow we can get our European 50-over league back, fool that I am 

Thirdly, happy Indian cricket fans are friendly Indian cricket fans. It is very good for everybody’s nerves.

Of course you might argue that deflated Indian cricket fans are silent Indian cricket fans, which is even better… 
I think that’s a matter of personal preference; as a hippie I would pick the jolly ones over the suiciders.
Therefore, select Ojha.

Quod erat demonstrandum 

Pragyan Ojha’s Championship matches for Surrey in 2011:
2/19, 2/29 v Leicestershire
1/40, 6/8 v Northampstonshire
1/83, 2/42 v Essex
4/48, 6/42 v Derbyshire

Contributed by Wes
Follow Wes on Twitter @WesPFCNFS

The Wall That Stood Tall – A tribute to Rahul Dravid

It was one of those days that have become all too common on this tour — intriguing, confounding, depressing all rolled in one. Before play began on the second morning of the friendly match against Northants came the news that Rahul Dravid had been reinstated in the one-day squad which play England after the Test. Why would a World Cup-winning team want to turn the clock back almost two years was the buzz in the morning. It goes without saying that Dravid’s inclusion is not bereft of good reason. On this tour yet, Dravid has looked the most secure batsman in the team. English conditions are also unlikely to allow flat track strikers to thrive, and a player who can hold the innings together is vital and who better than Dravid for that job. Today at Cardiff, Rahul Dravid will play his last one day international; one last time in blue jersey.

A man who first stepped into international cricket when unorthodoxy was at its peak with pinch-hitters scoring runs defying the standard shots of cricket; Dravid has been truly head and shoulders above everyone when it comes to technique and style. Every time India has been staring down the barrel, Dravid has stood out like a lotus in the muck or a solitaire among the brick bats. Undoubtedly, Dravid has been one of the main pillars of the Indian batting line up with his blend of right technique and stylish shots. April 3, 1996, India was up against Sri Lanka in Singapore and it was the second match of the ‘Singer cup’. With the opposition in driver’s seat and the scoreboard reading 58/2, Dravid made his way out to the middle with a willow in hand to try and manoeuvre the team’s ship out of choppy waters which years later was going to be bread and butter stuff for him. His debut innings wasn’t anything of note, falling to Muralitharan for a single digit score and it’s fair to say his first couple of years in ODI’s weren’t anything to write about. It was only after that epic partnership with Sourav Ganguly in the world cup match against Sri Lanka at Taunton that he made his mark in ODI arena.

Initially seen as a liability in the one-day arena, he retooled his game over the years to become an adept middle-order finisher. Yes, the swashbuckling strokes which are so synonymous with the shorter version of the game didn’t come to him naturally but he certainly had all the makings of a solid middle order batsman who could hold the innings together with utter ease. For a player whose affluent essay came out of perfection, temperament and technique, Rahul Dravid has been India’s go-to man in pressure situations and till date he has served the team’s cause with whole hearted devotion. He has been undoubtedly the best that India has ever produced–in terms of technique, skills, grit and above all dependability. The skills are as solid as they were 15 years ago, the style seems to have got better and better with each passing year but one thing never seems to change and that is his grit and concentration–Those have been rock solid as ever.

In a nation like ours which is so obsessed with the game of cricket, where cricketers are demi-gods and everyday a new controversy pops up, Dravid’s sheer down to earth nature and humble attitude has helped him stay away from controversies in-spite of so much media scrutiny. Rahul Dravid started off as a shaky batsman with an apt technique, then came a phase wherein he became the sheet anchor and others played around him scoring runs freely and now with the advent of t20, Dravid seems to have moulded himself into a new avatar–a player who now keeps pace with the innings, who not only smacks the bowlers out of the park (pretty unlike the real Dravid) but also possesses an attitude that would make him reach the skies. Dravid’s greatness however is not limited to the number of runs he scores on the field. We certainly need to let that number roll off our tongues a bit more often because it is a colossal figure. His greatness is a potpourri of character, hard work and a genuinely good heart. Talent and character join hands to make consummate greatness-Dravid is a glittering example of that. A deeper scrutiny of his character shows his commitment towards Indian cricket–A selfless soul who always has been a team-man and whose personal records have been overshadowed by team heroics.

When Dravid retires today, the country will lose the greatest no 3 batsman it ever had, fans will be robbed of the privilege of watching this artist at work, media will mourn that he never got his due but most importantly, his departure will take away with itself a bit of gentle-manliness that the game tries to still portray as its inseparable element. He is a legend no matter what critics say–He has been the man responsible for taking India to new heights of success. Pressure can make a batsman crumble or can make him doughty and more confident. Dravid has time and again shown us that he enjoys such challenges. Demanding situations have seen him rise to the occasion and perform even better. He is known as the WALL for reasons which are pretty much self-evident.

So for one last time, let us enjoy seeing those toes which rise sweetly in sync with the pace of the approaching ball, standing tall and majestic and in control before disdainfully whacking the ball through the backward point. Let us enjoy how he bats and bats and bats and saves the team from a moment of crisis. Let’s get awed by his mastery over something we will always run away from–STRUGGLE. He indeed is a true-blue hero.

Hats off Dravid!!

Avi for DieHard Cricket Fans
Follow Avi on Twitter @KnightsDen

Where Art Thy Bowler?

India and Sri Lanka. Two very similar sub-continental teams, both going through the same problems. If you look carefully, both these teams in the test arena especially were built around these key ingredients:

1. One quality spin doctor.

© Getty Images, AFP

2. One quality left arm quick.

© Getty Images, AFP

3. One seriously flat deck.

© Getty Images, AFP

The bowling recipe quite literally went as far as this save for a few dopey missed selections (Mendis, Zoysa, M.Kartik) and some early unwanted retirements (Malinga). Hampering the situation are those who didn’t retire when they should (Harbhajan), flash-in-the-pan players (Sreesanth,  Fernando) and an assortment of other rubbish (Agarkar). Inevitably, the whole job was left to the number one spin man and his able deputy. And so the game plan became quite literally:

• Post 500+
• Take the game to the fifth day.
• Toss the ball to the spinner.
• Bring out the champagne.

Of course this didn’t work very well overseas, but lately they at least manage to secure drawn results and push their way up the rankings.
But times have changed! Injuries to Zaheer, the retirements of Kumble and Murali, and the ignorance of Vaas have turned the tables. England and Australia have begun to expose this, showing us all that once the ageing batting machines misfire, there is almost nothing left to save the day. As I write, Sri Lanka are on the verge of a series loss to Australia at home, and India are going through a series in England without a single victory.
Why? Because these teams owed so much to the lion-hearted efforts of these four. Manfully they would toil away on dead pitches single handedly, without regret and often with less credit than they deserve. Especially Kumble, he was just as important as any Tendulkar or Dravid. And now that they are gone, the blind optimism that the backup bowlers could take over the mantle is being shown for the ridiculous notion it is. They have neither the mettle nor the skill.
To what do we owe this? The batting tracks don’t help for once, neither does the rise of Twenty 20 cricket and the IPL. Nobody seems to want to grow up and be a quality bowler from these two nations, and the results are beginning to show. Cricket is a simple game, there is a team consisting of batsmen, bowlers, and a wicket-keeper. If you go in with no bowlers, expect to lose.This is a salute to the heroes who didn’t get their due credit. At The Cricket Musings, you are gone but not forgotten, remember the only guarantees in life are death, taxes and a Chris Martin duck.

Contributed by : Varun Prasad
Original Post : The Cricket Musings

England vs India: Player Ratings for the series (Part 2)

England’s side of the ratings, which were a lot easier to do. If only I could rate them by the quality of their tweets.

9.5 – Stuart Broad (182 runs @60.66 and 25 wickets @13.84): Close to being dropped. Fuller lengths. Vital lower-order runs. Near-perfect series. Next Botham. Yawn, you know the whole story because everyone’s already harped about it. It’s a fairy tale all right, and Stuey is the princess.

"Did you take my glass slipper, mate?"

9.0 – Kevin Pietersen (533 runs @106.6): Found his best form almost immediately, capitalising on Zaheer’s absence in the first Test to score a double hundred. He was pretty much unstoppable from that point on, notching up another hundred and a couple more fifties.

"He attacked me, took his mojo back, and then took mine too.."

8.5 – Ian Bell (504 runs @84): Batted beautifully all series (even during his solitary duck), and looked more deserving of the Zaltzman-coined nickname “Sledgehammer of Eternal Justice” than “the Sherminator“. His best innings came at #3, but he’s no slouch at #5 either, and his Test average is now almost 50 (who’da thunk it). Points off for lack of brain cells – you know what I’m talking about.

8.5 – Tim Bresnan (154 runs @77 and 16 wickets @16.31): It took an injury to Chris Tremlett for him to even get into the side, and he grabbed the chance with the strength of a man who knows his way around a plate of fish and chips (what?). And why doesn’t he have an American Pie-inspired nickname like Belly does? It seems more appropriate.

8.5 – James Anderson (21 wickets @25.71): Bowled well enough to get other people to call him the best quick in the world, conveniently making them forget Dale Steyn in the process. The phrase “has the ball on a string” was used plenty of times, planting in my head images of him bowling with a yo-yo. Either way, he troubled every batsman except probably Praveen Kumar, who has no knowledge of the concept, or any concepts, when he bats.

The first search result for James Anderson in Google Images.

8.0 – Matt Prior (271 runs @67.75): Did almost nothing wrong in the series – great keeping, quick scoring (SR of 85), and is now regarded as the best keeper-batsman in the world. That is, in Tests – there are somewhere between 3 and 7.2 million keeper-batsmen in England’s limited-overs teams. They have come a long way since Geraint Jones and Chris Read.

6.5 – Chris Tremlett (4 wickets @31): Bowled well enough in his only game to take 4 wickets, but his injury was probably a good thing for England. It’s going to be tough for him to get back into the side, with his limited batting abilities.

5.0 – Graeme Swann (13 wickets @40.69): It was turning out to be a horrific series for him – the #1 spinner had been the weak link in England’s attack for the first three Tests. Even after his match-winning nine-wicket haul, those aren’t great numbers, which should give you a fair idea of how bad he was initially. If I was a bad comic, I’d even say that he was “the ugly duckling” for three games before he became Swann. Thankfully, I’m not.

5.0 – Alistair Cook (348 runs @58): Very ordinary series for Cook, especially after his Ashes purple patch. Praveen Kumar and Ishant had him hopping around for most of the series, with just the one monumental 294 to prop him up. Sort of like a kid who spends all his money on one eyeliner.

5.0 – Ravi Bopara (51 runs @51): Barely got a chance to show everyone what he’s all about. He could be getting Morgan’s spot soon, though.

4.5 – Eoin Morgan (194 runs @32.33): Just doesn’t look like a Test batsman. Managed a hundred and a fifty, to his credit, but better bowling attacks (and any other spinners, really) will have his number. But if Raina can play Tests, why not this guy?

4.0 – Andrew Strauss (229 runs @38.16): Waning powers and all. Looked willing (amidst great discomfort) to battle it out to stick around, but needed more runs, especially considering the firepower that lay in the middle order. When you’re in trouble against Sreesanth, you know you’re in a rut.

4.0 – Jonathan Trott (98 runs @24.5): Decent 70 to start off the series, followed by injury and withdrawal. Sometimes a summary of events is enough.

Contributed by DHCF Rishabh Bablani
Rishabh’s personal blog

No Need For Duck-Worth Lewis at the Rosebowl

Until around 18:00 on Tuesday 6th September at a sodden Rosebowl in Southampton, the highlight of my day was getting Sunil Gavaskar to hold my duck. Now this isn’t some crude or inappropriate euphemism, I’d probably better explain.

My best friends father Mike, who is sadly no longer with us, took a cuddly duck with him to Australia for the 2006 Ashes series. Quite apt given the way the Aussies ripped through England’s batting order that year.

Anyway the Duck became an icon, sharing photo opportunities with the likes of Sir Ian Botham, Mike Atherton, and Merv Hughes, and now we can add to that fine list one of India’s greats. Childish I know, but Gavaskar was a great sport for humouring me at least!

Tuesday was one of those days where grown men acted like children in the face of unavoidable, unrelenting boredom. Some Indian fans led a group containing 2 father Christmases around the ground singing and banging Tabla’s, whilst others played hand cricket with vaguely round objects.

At 16:00, around the time various forecasts had predicted a change in the weather, the heavens opened again and everyone ran for cover under the impressive new West Stand at the Rosebowl. At that stage, some people cut their losses and left. My dad was faltering but I encouraged him to stay just a little longer. The latest a match could start was 7pm, so we still had some time for a little cricket.

At 17:30 the unthinkable happened; the rain stopped, and for more than a few minutes this time too. The magnificent ground staff, who had worked hard all day, leapt back into action soaking up the rain and preparing the wicket for a match.

A chilly Rosebowl - Tuesday 6th September 2011

The umpires, captains and coaches then did a little inspection after which the officials finally declared a game of sorts was on. 23 overs-a-side (that idea might catch on you know?)

The two sides then came out for their warm-ups and I watched with interest recalling Andrew Flintoff’s comments earlier this summer. Flintoff described an amateurish approach by the Indian players and he had a point. England came out and did some well coordinated stretches and fielding drills while India’s bowlers threw a few pies leisurely down a practice strip before doing a little catching practice. All very improvised.

There was a stark difference in the intensity between the two sides if nothing else; real purpose and intent from England, whilst India looked like a team just going through the motions. No wonder England look so much fitter.

A lonely Nick Knight

All these drills were overseen by a lonely looking Nick Knight, Sky Sports junior cricket commentator. He was out in the middle for what seemed an age, desperately looking for someone to talk to. A cameraman or an official would have sufficed, but no one was interested. You could imagine Bumble and Atherton back in the Sky commentary box having a little chuckle at the ex-Warwickshire openers expense!
Finally the toss took place and Cook called correctly and put India in to bat. They did okay, scoring 187-7 from 23 overs, but it always seemed a little shy on a flat wicket and with a limited bowling attack at their disposal. The home side always looked in control and reached the target with 5 balls to spare. Cook deserved the man of the match award for an impressive 80 not out, leading his side to victory.

The crowd, and in particular the Indian contingent was superb. I have seen England versus Australia in ODI’s at the Rosebowl in the past and in many ways I preferred this game. There is such huge support for Indian cricket in this country that matches like this are always well attended and fiercely supported – I wish we played India more often to be honest. It keeps the interest up when other tours can sometimes peter out.

With the vociferous support at the Rosebowl came unfortunately the odd bigoted moron expressing xenophobic views. These clowns were completely in the minority though thankfully.

And so miraculously we had a decent game after all that wind, rain and coldness. India batted well but bowled averagely while England executed both disciplines with distinction. The good news is that with the likes of Parthiv Patel and Suresh Raina coming through India has some promise in the batting department. Their bowling unit however is a different story.

Still, at least India won’t return home with too many more ducks…

Tom Huelin for DieHard Cricket Fans
Follow Tom on Twitter @tomhue1

Sourav Ganguly – Master of the Art of Riposte

As England toppled India to become the numero uno in test match cricket, one man saw all the mayhem unfold in front of his own eyes albeit from the other side of the boundary line this time. He was the man who was once responsible for making this team what it is today—A team full of match winners, a team worthy of beating the best in their own backyard. As a captain, he was pivotal in setting the foundation for India’s resurgence as a top cricket team and now as a commentator, the passion in his presentation is visible and his technical view points on game situations leaves you wanting for more. He must have felt immense pain while watching India lose to England but this time, there was little that he could do. Yes, I am talking about the ‘’Prince of Kolkata’’– Sourav Ganguly. Ever since his retirement, India has well and truly struggled to find a player to fill in that no 6 spot. His absence was felt in this tour to say the least. So, today let us try and relive those golden memories of the past via this tribute to my role-model; Sourav Ganguly.

22nd June 1996, India was playing at Mecca of world cricket—The Lord’s against the English and it was the third day of the second test match in the test series. The scenic beauty of the Lord’s with the cool London breeze blowing around was there to be admired but what was more pleasant to the eyes was the presence of a slim, young and handsome player in the middle who was making his debut in international test cricket. He was driving the English bowlers all around the park with his classy off drives and soon got his name etched in the history books by scoring a magnificent hundred on debut. This man who with his extraordinary cricketing talent took the entire cricketing fraternity by storm was none other than our very own Sourav Chandidas Ganguly aka Dada.

Some felt he couldn’t play the bouncers, others swore that he was GOD on off-side, some laughed at his lack of athleticism, others took pride in the way he led his band of men to glory. Apart from Sachin Tendulkar, no other Indian batsman till date has inspired such amazing devotion. Sourav’s ability to polarize opinions led to the making of one of the most entertaining dramas in international cricket–An era which well and truly belonged to the man who took Indian cricket to new heights. It goes without saying that he was India’s most successful test captain–A captain who forged a winning side from a bunch of players who always had the talent but no one to channelize it. Sourav not only instilled that missing killer instinct in them but also taught them the ‘ART OF WINNING’–An art which was missing in Indian cricket for long. Inspite of being a batsman who made stroke making look utterly easy, his career came to a standstill in the early 1990s after it was revived courtesy a scintillating hundred against England at Lord’s. It was a path-breaking moment in his career as that innings opened the doors of team India for Sourav Ganguly. And then came the turning point in his career–a moment which was going to change Indian cricket and Sourav’s life forever. In the year 2000, Mohammad Azharuddin, the former Indian captain and one of the world’s finest batsman was banned for life from the sports owing to match fixing allegations.This incident took the entire cricketing fraternity by storm and suddenly team India found itself in a jeopardy–With no Azhar around, who will lead the team?

The answer was -Sourav Ganguly. In 2000, when he took over as the skipper, he inherited Indian cricket in the midst of confusion and crisis that was triggered by the match fixing controversy. There was no clarity of thought, no game plan, no strategies. In a nutshell India was going nowhere. It was time to bring about a change but it was certainly going to be a herculean task from every stretch of imagination. Come 2001, and Sourav played the role of a shrewd tactician to perfection and stopped the winning juggernaut of the Aussies in the Eden test at Kolkata which has got imprinted in the minds of millions and millions of die hard cricket fans. It was indeed a historic victory and gifted back team India it’s long lost self-belief. Personally for Sourav, it was a huge moment in his cricketing career. Rest as they say is history–Team India under Ganguly’s leadership soared to new heights –The team started winning away matches as well. The victories against Australia and Pakistan in their own backyard stand apart. In 2002, the bare-chested Ganguly stunt on the Lord’s balcony was to become the defining moment of his captaincy. There was no place for decorum and norms. It did not matter it was the Lord’s –-the holiest of cricketing hollies. It was India’s first one-day tournament victory after having lost nine in a row, six of them under Ganguly. India also made it to the finals of 2003 cricket world cup under Ganguly’s captaincy but unfortunately faltered in the final frontier. After having spent close to 5 years at the helm, it seemed as if he had cemented his place in the hearts of his hardcore fans and in the team as a skipper–But the phase after 2005 turned out to be a nightmare for the southpaw. He was not only axed as the skipper but was also shown the doors from the team. But those who say that Sourav is the “KING OF COME-BACKS” don’t say it without any reason. He justified this tag as he capped a fairytale comeback with the South Africa series and went on to put on some superlative displays in England and then in the home series against Pakistan. But the end seemed to be imminent. And finally after the Kanpur test against Australia in 2008, Sourav called it quits.This brought the end to an amazing career which spanned for more than a decade and it won’t be an exaggeration if one claims that it was a fitting end to a legendary player’s career. Sourav Ganguly always had the supreme gift of timing and his exit from the game was truly an endorsement of his magical sense of timing.

There is no denial to the fact that throughout his career, he has toyed with his fate, tempting it to turn its back on him so that once again he could surprise us with a stunning come-back. Something in him always rebelled against the mundane and orthodox styles of cricket. He has enjoyed life at the zenith of success and has smelled the barren soil as well. He fought fire with fire and taught the same to his team. He well and truly is one of the leading architects of this world champion team India.To end with, Ganguly is a born fighter–a man who fought against all odds, who stood by his team when it needed him the most and a great batsman who served Indian cricket with distinction and left when Indian cricket was in a much better state than he found it.

SOURAV GANGULY – The man who taught us to look in the eye of the enemy and not blink!

The man who injected steel, the man who galvanised the team.

We miss you DADA!!!

Avi for DieHard Cricket Fans
Follow Avi on Twitter @KnightsDen