Bedi Calls for Changes After Another Series Defeat

Former Test captain, Bishan Singh Bedi, has hit out at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after yet another away series defeat.

India suffered their fourth successive loss on tour when they were beaten in New Zealand. The fact it took a majestic, record-breaking triple century from Black Caps skipper, Brendon McCullum, in the drawn second Test in Wellington should not gloss over the fact that India have been poor once again away from home and they got what they deserved from the series - nothing.

The fact it followed on from a 4-0 drubbing for MS Dhoni's World Cup champions in the preceding one-dayers only adds to the sense of embarrassment and leaves India to reflect on a month without a single success against a country the cricket betting odds expected them to get the better of.

When Kiwi's Soared Above India

My initial prediction of 4-1 to New Zealand was met mostly with polite ridicule. Against the world number one ranked team? The World Cup and Champions Trophy holders no less? Blasphemous.

Courtesy of Sir Jadeja I narrowly missed out, 4-0 however at least landed in the right ball park!

But why would anybody have backed New Zealand?

The Hesson-McCullum partnership is really onto something, despite it starting off with theTaylorgate scandal. Since then Taylor is back and poking his tongue out more than ever and that's not all, New Zealand have constructed a team based on consistent selections, depth in all positions, and a splash of genuine pace along with the usual outstanding fielding and sportsmanship.

© Getty

In the bad old days they only had fielding and sportsmanship, but now this team is a threat in all three formats. With the World Cup around the corner and that too at home, everybody should be on their guard against this dark horse of cricket that might just steal the show.

World Cup 2015 and Team India

People and Cricket lovers in India tend to have very short memory, extremely short indeed.

2 away series with lukewarm performances and this absolutely inexperienced team is being riled and grilled with calls to bring back the seniors or bring in the fresh blood.

Let us take an impartial look...

1. Rohit Sharma: I never liked him getting millions of chances while never doubting his talent. He has played just 1 innings on any consequence ever since the ODI 200. But if he has been persisted with for so long, I think, some more persistence should not hurt. Remember he didn't do all that badly in England. The guy whom he has replaced, Sehwag has not scored even in domestic Cricket and his fielding is a joke. Unmukt Chand, Vijay Zol and co still have a lot to prove before they can stake claims.
2. Shikhar Dhawan: Well, he can't play the short ball. But so was the case with Gambhir and Ganguly before him. They survived after some adjustments. Gautham has looked extremely scratchy in Ranji Cricket this year. Shikhar deserves a decent run.
3. Virat Kohli: no questions about him.
4. Ajinkya Rahane: If he can hold his own against South Africa in tests, he can do well elsewhere in ODI Cricket. He deserves a fair chance. Don't decide after just one and a half series.

England Must Make One-Day Changes

Ahead of the World Cup in 2015, limited-overs coach, Ashley Giles, has pretty much admitted what everyone else already knew - England's one-day squad is in drastic need of major surgery if it is going to compete with the best teams on the planet.  Giles, speaking after the hugely-disappointing 4-1 ODI series defeat in Australia, has admitted he has some “tough decisions” to make as he bids to get England back on track. The way they threw away another winning position in Adelaide, to add to similar capitulations earlier on the tour, will have caused great alarm among the ECB hierarchy.

Thoughts of an Aussie Cricket Fan

I’m Aussie. And I’m a cricket fan. So yes, right now I’m pretty happy with our boys!



How long that happiness will last though, now that the team are winners, is a point of great doubt.

For me, the joy of the emphatic 5-0 success in the Ashes series comes mostly from knowing how low the team has been within the last twelve months. I became a more-than-casual cricket fan somewhere between the Aussie team being on the other end of an Indian Test series whitewash less than a year ago, and failing to regain the Ashes in July/August with England’s 3-0 victory on home soil.

Lyon Expected Unpredicted Aussie Response

Nathan Lyon has rubbed salt into England's wounds by declaring that there was never any doubt that Australia would bounce back in the return Ashes series.

The Aussies are on the verge of a wonderfully unexpected 5-0 whitewash against their old rivals after battering England in the four Tests in Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne to date.