Australia at one stage were tottering at 4/95 in their second innings, while chasing a target of 336. But Neil Harvey, the usually flamboyant, but that day a picture of patience and doggedness, partnered with two lower order batsmen to take the Ozzies to a memorable victory by 5 wickets, with only half-an hour to…
Category: Cricket
SPIN DOCTORS AT WORK – How to Steal Some Credit for Shaz & Kohli?
ACT ONE The gang of four is up at one in the night of the Adelaidebacle. The fielding coach, Shridhar, is shocked to receive a message from Kohli at this ungodly hour, because the captain had not touched alcohol in seven years, and goes to bed early after face-chatting with his wife. Shridhar- The skip…
Cricket in New India : An Absconder for the Captain & His Loyal Dog as the Coach
Eleven players get selected to play in a cricket match. One of them leads the side. The order of these two statements is never reversed. A captain is not given a commission to raise a standing army. There are no stand-in captains, only captains. The former is just a management ploy which utilises feudal practices…
Imagined Reactions of Past Indian Captains on being Forced to Lead Depleted Bowling Attacks
Four tests as the skipper so far, thrice victorious, still unbeaten. Surely those three wins were delivered by bowling predators. It becomes a habit, captaining the side boasting of a vicious attack. Today morning, at Woolloongabba, Ajinkya Rahane found himself leading a pack of fit herbivores in cricketing terms, bowlers without much bounce, swing, speed,…
SYDNEY: A Test of Character
Confirmed modern greatness is mean and self-centred. Since Steve Smith cannot now afford to openly rub sandpaper on the ball, he has taken to rubbing his spikes on the crease. Wiping away a newbie’s guard marks, and creating roughs on the pitch for spinners in full visibility of the TV cameras must also define the…
How has the Indian Team Responded After their Lowest Test Innings Totals?
36 runs was the lowest that the BCCI XI had ever fallen for. But considering that this had happened in the first test itself of a four-match series in Australia, coupled with the fact that the best batsman and the captain of the side was proceeding on Paternity Leave, the Adelaide humiliation notwithstanding, apprehensions of…
King Kohli : Whither the Conversion Rate in ODIs?
Virat Kohli is never out of form, be it in any format of the game. Not only is he a consistent run-getter, he is also a past master at converting his minor successes into major ones, It is this trick, this sense of responsibility, of not throwing his wicket away once he is set, that…
NO EXHIBITION OF INTENT – SUSPICIOUS SCORING PATTERNS IN ODI CRICKET
When Nayan Mongia and Manoj Prabhakar showed their middle fingers to the cricket establishment by playing much too slowly in the final overs of the Kanpur ODI in 1994, the match referee Subba Rao penalized India by subtracting two points from their tri-series tally (decision later reversed by ICC on technical grounds). Unhappy BCCI…
THE FALL AT BARBADOS – TENDULKAR LEFT HEARTBROKEN
Although the target set was a paltry 120, the signs from previous day were ominous. West Indies had skittled out for 140 in their second innings- their lowest ever score versus India. The bowl was flying thick and fast. There was noticeable movement in the air, on and off the pitch. There were still patches…
Say Sorry to Sammy, but Tell Him This
“Why is Radha so fair, why was I born dark?”,lamented Krishna. Or did he? Perhaps he was just play-acting, or better enough, complaining to Yashoda, his mother, about being taunted at by his friends and gopis. (Radha kyun gori,mein kyun kala) Indians think nothing about teasing even their most loved God with jibes over colour!…
Aye ,Aye Captain; Bye,Bye Captain
Balakot was a debacle, Yet no one was blamed, Kashmir ,a catastrophe, No scapegoat got claimed. (4) Global waters are choppy , Mr. Handsome gets retained, Pakistan sensed some change, Poor Saifi has been framed.(8) Not after the World Cup, Where the team was tamed, Just Ahead of Mullah’s march, New captains have…
36 Not Out : Sunny’s Satyagraha on a Sunny Day over Reasons Vague and Unknown
Satyagraha reveals curious aspects of its practitioners’ personalities. It can result into mashing and mixing of one’s personal whims with political aims, and vice versa. Gandhi experimented with abstinence in a bid to become worthy of political freedom. He pushed Indians to face lathis to melt rigid British hearts. Abrupt withdrawal of the Non-cooperation…