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…

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…