Sandy Storm blows Viru away

As a batsman, Sandeep Patil has a modest test record - an average in the mid thirties from 29 tests - and  two remarkable innings... one in his debut series in Australia where he smashed Lilee & Co. for a blistering 174 and another two years later in England - where he smashed 24 runs of a Bob Willis over. He was a member of the squad that won the World Cup in 1983.  Patil has been the manager for the Indian team, a rebel ICL team and the Director at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.  And then six months ago, he was made Chairman of Selectors - the wise men who pick the squad, on whose shoulders rest the hopes of a billion people.

Today he's done something that I wouldn't normally associate with him,  or for that matter  any Indian selector. He's dropped Virender Sehwag. There I said it... DROPPED Virender Sehwag!

This comes after the exit of Gautam Gambhir - who was dropped at the start of this series. So India will search for opening 'nirvana' in  the next two tests  (and may be a few after that) with untested batsmen - Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane.

Gambhir and Sehwag are the only Indians to aggregate more than 4000 partnership runs in Tests - and that at average of over 52 in the last 8 years. They have gone where even the exhalted Mr Gavaskar hadn't ventured (Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan -3010 runs at 53.75) - becoming one of just five pairs in test cricket to achieve this feat.

Admittedly, there was a huge gap between  their exploits home and away but consider these staggerring stats... In Viru,  we have a batsmen who holds the record for the top three test scores by an Indian - a man with 8500 test runs at an average that had fallen in a past 12 months just a tad under 50. A man who has played over 100 tests and has 23 centuries including two triple tons. Of the 26 batsmen to debut for India in the past 12 years, he just one of the two to have  scored a century on debut - and that was against South Africa, in South Africa. 

His partner, the dour Gauti, has played 54 tests for his 4000 runs, making 9 centuries on the way.

And we've just put them back on the drawing board -- consigned them to play Ranji Trophy for Delhi -- ostensibly in a bid to regain some form.  (Note to self: Must go to Kotla if  they're playing for Delhi)

It is a brave new world that Indian cricket must venture into when the team travels to South Africa later this year. So let me throw in my two bits for anyone who's listening -  bring back  Wasim Jaffer. The Mumbai run machine has had a phenomenal domestic season - his team Mumbai won everything in sight... And he has played 20 of his 31 tests abroad - for 5 centuries and almost 2000 runs at an average of 34 is better that most Indian batsmen overseas.

And they all fall down...

I must confess. I love watching test matches. India winning just makes the experience a whole lot better, but I'd watch a test match anyway. 

And on an Australia tour, for an Indian TV spectator, the Perth Test is most comfortable. And an 8 am start makes it the perfect accompaniment to a morning cup of coffee, in the cold Delhi morning.  But that's me.

For Indian batsmen, it’s a whole different ball game - they go waca, waca with the extra pace and bounce of the wicket. But this series was different. For once there  wasn't a perceptible difference between how Dhoni & Co played in Sydney and the way it’s been so far in Perth. And maybe as an upside, for once I can't decide whether our bowling is worse than our batting or is it the other way around.

Cricinfo's Coverdale says 'Maidens Choke India' - well, I'd have been glad if they just got two an over but hung around. The problem with the current Indian line up seems to be that they are unable  of sticking around and batting four-five sessions. In  the last four innings India has played, they've been out  for a team total of under-200 three times, and this when the hallowed batting line up has a top order with nearly 60,000 test runs between them! For Sachin, Dravid and Laxman, this was supposed to be their swansong down under. But that ain't happening - no wonder it’s called a 'fairy tale' ending... and this is after all test cricket, not a KJo bollywood special.

After the England whitewash last year, I wondered if things could get worse. The Windies provided some relief at home but then came the big boxing day loss and the massive mauling in Sydney. And still the the question persisted - Can the losses get any bigger? Well, Team India is on track - shot out for 161, and then pulverized by a David Warner blitzkrieg. And to think, this was the Team No 1 just six months ago. Gautam Gambhir keeps asking (on a commercial) - Have I made it large? Will someone please tell him - yes, you have and so have the others... Large hearts are, after all, what must keep them going in the face of such enormous losses.

Maybe, I should just blame it on Friday the 13th bringing bad luck... Yes, that's just what it was. Tomorrow is another day. I  solemnly resolve to wake up to see the Australian openers walk out and pray... uh oh!...  my agnosticism won't do any good... Hmmm, perhaps I'll wake the missus up, she'd pray... She feels bad for all the 40-year-olds  going down under...

CRICKET from a Couch: Knock yourself out on India

India has made it to the quarterfinals of the World Cup… One Hindi TV channel sports anchor could barely remain in his char – the expert rambled on about how this was a great achievement, and I sat there baffled.

Baffled -  because I was at my in-laws in Lucknow, a city where Holi seems to have combined with cricket to make for a very heady mix… bat-shaped pichkaris,  gulaal packets branded ‘Howzat’ (presumably,  the this colour intended to shock and ask questions of people playing with it!)… I understand all the gimmicks work if India keep winning – so it makes for good business, but this general euphoria about India in the knock out stages is inexplicable… The last edition where India were sent home early couldn’t have scarred the nation so, could it?

Baffled – because had anyone in their wildest dreams imagined India not making it to the knock out stages.  In one breath Dhoni and his men are talked about the favourites to win the cup (apart from patriotism, I’d like to know the cricketing sense behind that rating) – and the next moment such joy because they’ve made it to the quarter finals.

Nevertheless, India has made it to the quarterfinals and now plays Australia… so what next?

Borrowing a tentacle from the great oracle of Octopus Paul fame, I hereby predict an exit… I’d love to be proved wrong, but I just feel that Ponting’s Punters aren’t going to lose twice in a row… Pakistan beat them comfortably, the first time an Australian side has lost in a World Cup match in 12 years, but that’s all there is to it. The men from down under are a fine one-day side, and though they may not be as dominant as the side 7-8 years ago, they are still are force to reckon with especially in the limited overs game.


If the men bleed blue (Sachin seems ready to bleed anything, as long as the cup is his) and get past Australia, then Pakistan may be the team next in line…  There’s been little international cricket played across the LoC, but their ‘Love of Cricket’ is undiminished. So is the erratic- yet-brilliant nature of the team. I must confess I am thoroughly enjoying watching them – especially their bowling – with Afridi and Umar Gul in fine form…   India has never lost to Pakistan in the World Cup – but I have a feeling, they just might start this time…


So why am I so skeptical about our chances? And before questions are raised about my patriotism, may I just  reiterate that I’d love to be proved wrong just this once and see India raise the cup.  But here are 5 reasons why I think India hasn’t got what it takes to win the cup….

1.     Inconsistent Batting – India hasn’t chased at all in this World Cup barring a match or two against minor teams. And when it has the famed batting line-up has struggled… Batting first India has set up decent totals, but not huge ones. England got to 325-odd to tie the match, South Africa chased down almost 300. Remember,  in the match against south Africa, after the start India got, there was talk of a 400-plus score but from about 260 -1 , the batsmen collapsed.

2.    Sachin, Sehwag and then? – Only the openers seem to be clicking for India in this World Cup… Gambhir has played well in streaks and so has Yuvraj with two 50s. But the rationale for dropping Virat Kohli to number 4, or sometimes even 5 is something beyond me… It is like tampering with the only player in the batting line-up who has performed consistently well in that spot over the last 12 months.

3.    Yusuf Pathan – Clearing the boundary on large South African grounds seems to have created an impression in the minds of people and selectors alike – this man is a match-winner… On his day, so is may be the young rookie , who has one or two 1st class matches under his belt, but that is not the point. Is Pathan a consistent performer, and the answer, as statistics would bear it, is NO . Strike rates are a good thing – you cannot  win matches on strike rates alone , you  need to bother the scorer ever so often and put runs on the board.  And Pathan bowls a bit – ‘a bit’ being the operative phrase here… in 5 matches he has just 1 wicket, an average of about 150 and an economy that around 5 runs an over… The batting fairy seems to have deserted his and taken her little glass-bat – Pathan the Mighty now has a very mortal 63 runs from his 5 innings,  some of them batting at number 4…

4.    Bowlers required, please apply to Team India – So you put up a score of 300 you need bowlers to defend it… you also need bowlers to restrict other teams to manageable par-scores should you be chasing… Even Bangladesh got over 280 against our bowling attack – so what can we defend? Let’s face it, apart from Zaheer, we haven’t got a glass act. Munaf tries, Nehra (especially after South Africa) is a No-No, Sreesanth , just scary… In the twist-and-turns department, Harbhajan is the only act that seems to be on the stage, Chawla hit out of the park,  and fill-ins like Yuvraj getting some stick and some laughs… And when it comes to getting 13-14 runs of the last over, teams have started fancying themselves against India – we have no bowler who knows how to keep it tight at ‘ the death’.

5.    Batting power plays – There is something about power plays that gets India all tied  up in knots. Our team doesn’t bleed blue – it just bleeds and gives us the blues – wickets tumble in a heap, everyone scramble for the pavilion – and the commentators and experts, for cover, revising their analysis ball-by-ball… In the match against South Africa, India lost 4 wickets in the crucial power play for just 30 runs… starting a collapse in which 9 wickets fell for just 29 runs- and India couldn’t even bat out its full quota of overs… Perhaps team India is too predictable in its use of the power play – why can’t we take it  in, may be,  the 25th over and ask a few questions of the opposition skipper which force him to make strategy changes. Taking it anywhere after 38 is expected- between 40 and 45 is anticipated and therefore bowling combinations, etc are worked out far-far in advance… I am willing to concede that the batting Powerplay has proved a puzzle for most teams, not knowing whether to take it when the going is good or when they need to find a way out of a mess. But at least teams from outside the subcontinent seem to be experimenting with the mix…


So feast your eyes on India and knock yourself out, before Dhoni and his boys manage to knock themselves out…