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.

CRICKET from the Couch: Seeking - 5 true, blue bowlers

It’s evident, isn’t it – bowling isn’t India’s strong suit… and  yes I have heard all this talk about playing to your strengths, but in a limited over game,  if 6 batsmen don’t work, then 7 wouldn’t…  But batting later -  first, my common sense gyan about India’s bowling woes.

India has so far played 2 spinners Chawla and Harbhajan , and Zaheer and Munaf as the new ball options. Interestingly, while other teams like South Africa have tossed the new ball to a spinner, India has preferred to stick to medium- fast bowlers (make that more medium than fast – either seldom bowls over 135 kmph at their fastest).

As I watched India bowl at Ireland today, something that was almost self-evident struck me hard. Sure, Ireland got just 207, but both our spinners had been far from impressive.

Against Ireland, Bhajji bowled his 9 overs for 29 but got just the 1 wicket. Chawla bowled his 8 overs for 56 runs and went wicketless.  17 overs -75 runs and 1 wicket from 2 of India’s main bowlers. Compare this to the two people who in Dhoni’s lineup make up the 5th bowler – Yuvraj Singh and Yusuf Pathan. Today Yuvi was on song – got 5 wickets – but between the two of them they also got 17 overs in. 17 overs -63 runs and 5 wickets.  And if that made you say ‘Whoa!’, hold that  - there’s more…

Harbhajan’s 2 wickets in 3 matches have cost him 64 runs a piece – that when 2 of the matches were against so-called ‘minnows’ – Bangladesh and Ireland. Chawla has played 2 matches – and his 2 wickets – both in the England game has cost him about the same. Compare the runs per over – and Bhajji has had a better time – conceding just four-and-a-half, Chawla has been taken to the cleaners – the English and Irish  managed over 7 runs from each Chawla over. Compare that to Zaheer’s 8 wickets at 16 a  piece, or Munaf’s 7 at 20, and you’d know why I said the bowling woes were self evident…

Before I move on to my prescription – here’s the curious case of Mr Yusuf Pathan. He biffs the ball a long way and turns his arm over – a sort of a half bowler who makes up number 5.  And here’s where it gets curiouser – Mr Pathan has in the 2 matches before the Ireland game scored just 22 runs in the tournament – and when it comes to bowling he’s bowled 18 overs – picking up just the 1 wicket  and giving away almost 6 runs an over. Yet the wise  men of cricket ( and skipper Dhoni , et al) consider him a critical part of team . So am I the one missing something – or is it just the case of people’s vision being coloured by a couple of biffy innings in South Africa – and some lusty blows against the Irish? Perhaps the team management feels its necessary to have someone who gives the crowd its money’s worth… then have the courage to drop one of your specialist batsmen – a Gambhir maybe – and let Pathan cliam his place in the side. Currently, it seems to be in place of a bowler, and his bowling isn’t upto scratch.

So I don my ‘Dhoni’ cap – and muster the courage to say the unspeakable in the Indian cricket… play 5 bowlers, it may be important, not just to contain sides but also to defend totals… totals that have tended to be northwards of 300 this World Cup.


Drop Chawla – More than anything, his confidence seems to have taken a beating – and bring in Ashwin.

Ravichandran Ashwin is a better bat, and definitely a more restrictive spinner. He isn’t a tourist on the squad, is he… and he would complement Harbhajan quite well. Besides, if we must give him match practice, then the knockout stage isn’t really the right place to start.

Should courage find its way to the captain, then here’s the second bitter pill for Dhoni – drop Pathan and get in Ashish Nehra. The team could do with 5 bowlers – then between Yusuf and Yuvi, whatever they bowl is a bonus. Look at it another way, it covers for someone having a bad-bad night. Again, if Nehra is indeed match fit, no better way of testing it, is there…

Besides, Nehra has picked up 154 ODI wickets at an average of 31, and does exceedingly well in the World Cup where he averages 19. So, if he is fit, and given the stage, the man does have a habit of picking up wickets.

In Ashwin’s case, when he played for the Chennai Super Kings, he was Dhoni’s go to man. Besides, in the 7 one-dayers he has played, Ashwin has picked up 14 wickets at an average of 23, conceding under 5 runs an over.

So while regular cricketing wisdom suggest that 2 off-spinners and 2 left arm seamers may not be great – and 5 bowlers is a no-no, Mr Dhoni please think out-of-the-box. After all, there’s a World Cup out there to be won, so put your best foot forward, or in this case, your best arm over… After all, if runs win matches, so do wickets…

CRICKET from the couch: Why India should play a second spinner

I saw India beat the living hell out of a Kiwi team that hadn’t a clue what hit them. Sure, it was a practice match and there wasn’t much at stake – but Dhoni’s men in blue served notice again – this World Cup could well be India’s. It is in the sub-continent, India has the hopes of a billion people riding on their shoulders, the team has struck form in the last year or so and most batsmen in the team seem to have hit a purple patch.

India has an embarrassment of riches in the batting department. Sehwag and Sachin are any one-day side’s dream opening combination – between the two of them, they have over 70 one-day centuries and over 25 thousand runs.  Then at number 3, there is Gautam Gambhir – who has been batting well, can open and seems to have a wise head on young shoulder. He served notice by a run-a ball 89 at Chepauk’s warm up game, consolidating when needed and accelerating at the right time.

Let’s not forget, the top contender for the number 3 spot is Virat Kohli. He’s  also from Delhi and  has had  a year to kill for – almost 1400 runs since January 2009, at a 50-esque average and a strike rate touching 90. He has scored 4 centuries and has made the crucial No 3 spot his own with some sensible, yet scintillating batting. So clearly then this is a toss-up… not just for who gets into the final playing eleven, but also for who bats where.

The other big face-off for a slot is between Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina – both are southpaws, bowl a bit of spin and are certified partnership wreckers. So who gets in? Raina has had a disastrous series in South Africa… true he did get to fifty in just 25 balls against the Kiwis, but is that good enough for him to be picked over Yuvi? Solely on recent form, I’d pick Yuvi any day of the week and twice on Sundays. There is little to choose from between Raina and Yuvraj as batsmen. Yuvraj is also a useful left-arm spinner and has played more-than-double the number of matches  (265 to Raina’s 111). Add to that his previous experience in the World cup and he is your go-to-guy in that ‘hallowed’ middle order.

Captain MS Dhoni picks himself – after all he’s also the wicket keeper of the team – so barring any mishaps he slots in at No 5 or 6. With an unbeaten 62-ball century  in the warm up against New Zealand , Dhoni looks like he could lead the team by example with the bat – in the middle overs and at the death. And after his marauding performance against South Africa in the ODIs there, I’d say Yusuf Pathan is also a shoo-in.

So in the batting department, India has a problem of plenty – that’s both good and bad… Good - because bench strength is required to get through long tournaments and some amount of healthy competition within the team helps raise the bar. Bad – because it makes selecting the playing-eleven difficult.

And with such names in your side, there is a great urge to play all of them – so you could end up with a team that has 7 batsmen then Yusuf Pathan as an all rounder and just 3 specialist bowlers. The other day, I heard, Sunny Gavaskar say India should play 7 batsmen – pitches in the subcontinent are batsmen-friendly and the team must put up 300-plus scores or chase them down.

I read an op-ed which suggested Dhoni should come in at number 7 – and Yusuf Pathan should follow at 8. I have one question – if 6 batsmen can’t score, what makes you think the 7th or 8th can? Also on Indian pitches, having scored 350, you’d still need to defend it or if the opposition bats first, you need a bowling line-up which can give your batsmen a shot at a ‘chase-able’ total – whatever that may be.

So, with my cricket-fan common sense and perspective from the couch, here’s what the Indian playing 11 should look like.

Gambhir and Sehwag open and set it up with a right-left combination. Virat Kohli follows at number 3 – a spot that he’s made his own. Sachin, the man with the 51 centuries and nearly 450 ODIs, should come in at number 4 – good if we lose a few quick wickets and he needs to bat with the lower order, almost an anchor for the side.

Follow that up with a Raina or Yuvi (yeah, one of them should be 12th man) at 5, the skipper MSD at 6 and a Yusuf Pathan at 7. If you need quick runs, promote Pathan up the order – he’ll hit irrespective of his place in the batting line-up.

And then the bowlers, Bhajji – he’s no mug with the bat and can slog a few, a Piyush Chawla or a Ravichandran Ashwin, both handy with the bat and then Zaheer with either Nehra or Sreesanth.

What this would allow India to have is 4 specialist bowlers – who’d in an ideal world (and I know there are aberrations) will bowl 40 overs. Then Dhoni would need to rely on Yusuf Pathan, Sehwag and Yuvraj or Raina for just 10 overs. Of one of the bowlers has an off-day, use your part-timers for more. Under the lights on low, slow tracks, an Ashwin will be extremely restrictive and a Piyush Chawla wicket-taking as the warm-up match against Australia proved.

But this is what I want – what are the odds of it happening?

Well, there are indications that Raina may have to sit out and wait for Yuvi to goof–up, so that’s one on the checklist. Ashwin getting the nod is a long shot – conventional wisom suggests that with Bhajji in they won’t play another off-spinner. Of course, proponents say the part-time bowlers Sehwag and Yusuf also bowl off-spin, so there are enough options. I’d like to see Ashwin play because he’s a very different kind of bowler – flat and straight – ideal for keeping runs down. Piyush Chawla  is one googly even the team management may be foxed about. Chawla  has clearly proven his wicket-taking abilities, but a leg-spinner in a one-dayer is always a bit of a risk, especially when the bowler has the tendency to bowl a 4-ball each over…

India’s first match against Bangladesh may give some indications, but I think the final shape of the playing (and, I hope, winning) eleven, will be seen in the match against England on the 27th – India will be keen to pull out all stops to win against one of the strongest sides in their group.