Gautam Gambhir Elbowed.........

Ban on Gautam Gambhir is ridiculous and with Watson escaping with 10% of match fees just indicates that match refrees are biased. Bloody ridiculous........I think this event should spur up Indians and go all out on the Aussies.

Mohali Test Day 2

The test match at Kotla stands at interesting stage. If Australia continue their confident start tomorrow morning, we might see a draw unless some quick wkts from India doesnt peg them back. The pitch seems dry and is expected to turn from day 3 ownwards....So fingers crossed....

Special kudos to VVS and Gautam Gambhir for their wonderful 200's and one spank for the media and the critics. Tendulkar, Ganguly and now Laxman have proved that they are not dead ducks and they hold their vintage value still. Dravid and Kumble got to prove it and Insha Allah they would do so soon.....

And is it a fact that MSD doesnt play well when he is not the captain ? Just a thought....He didnt play good in Bangalore and now today in Delhi test when he is playing under AK ? Is he selfish ?

VVS continues his love affair with Aussies and GG his terrific form in the series....Now he is well settled in 3 forms of the game and should now have a long fruitful career......An interesting test ahead :)

Who is next Media Bunny ?

Ganguly was forced to retire, Kumble is being relentlessly pressurised now...Who is next ? Laxman ? He has not been amongst runs this series. Dravid ? He has looked rock solid and agrressive, but runs on board dont show the form ? Who is in line ?

Diwali wishes!!

Wishing the readers of this blog a very happy and prosperous Diwali......

21 years back to the Diwali day on this Kotla ground india beat Australia in last league match of Reliance World Cup to enter the semis. Lets hope that tomorrow India beats the Aussies once again to take the series 2-0 and take one more step to a 3-0 whitewash of the Aussies........

Inviting applications for coaching Pakistan

Here is inviting applications for applying as coach to Pakistan national cricket team. Yes national cricket team. They play Test cricket occasionally, internal politics moreso. Here are the necessary and minimum requirements for the job :

1. You should have minimal knowledge of Cricket game. No certification in coaching would be acceptable. Level 1 or Level n, nothing would suffice.
2. You should be ready to suffer the heartbreaks and barbs from the respected PCB officials who have high understanding of the game of cricket, no matter they havent lifted a cricket bat beyond bylanes of Karachi or Lahore.
3. You should be good in playing politics and thou shall not have your own opinions about the selection issues, fitness of players or touring assignments.
4. You would have to take care of your own accomodation, if you are not able to do that, living in refugee camps would be provided free of cost.
5. You wont have a say in selecting captain and you wont have any power in the board and team politics.
6. You shall stay away from team dressing room and you wont interfere in selection of players.
7. You should be ready to get sacked anytime and without any notice. You wont have power to go to court to challenge PCB.
8. You shall not be a whistle blower on match-fixing and dope scandals.
9. You shall not kick the butt of chairman Ijaz Butt.

Any one game ? I am ready to do this all with just one pre-requisite. I should be able to coach them offshore. No touring Pakistan. I am Indian national. Coaching them in India should be acceptable.

Honest opionions sought on Arm Ball

Do I write horrible or do I write cliched ? Am I biased ? Like most I do have opinions. So is that makes people visitt and not drop comments on my blog ? Or is it that people are driven by opinion of a blogger who feels that I attack him despite my assurances that I dont and he is having more popular blog than mine ? Is that the reason ? Or the quality is just not here ? Let me know guys ?

Is it that I hold strict opionions about few issues. I am not getting a clue out of it. Same issue when written by other bloggers gets lot of comments. I am not sucker for comments, i dont write for them. But when people drop, I do expect that they write something.

Honest opinions invited.

Lawson Butted.....

Geoff Lawson has been removed as Pakistan coach, just days after it was announced that he would see out the rest of his contract, ending in August 2009. The announcement came shortly after a meeting he had with PCB chief Ijaz Butt - responsible for recent the public flip-flops on the coach's future - at which Lawson was told a decision would be conveyed to him by Saturday, following discussions within the board.

So Butsy shows off his rants to real actions . He matches his words with actions, no matter how much they sound bitter or unethical.But then who bothers ? And why was coach sacked ? Just for personal dislike ? Was he given time to show his calibre ? 1 year and 3 months, with 9 months out of them no Test cricket and serious cricket for the team. Change of administration, removal of officials and players sacking. Captain insecure and ridiculous no cricket. What would poor Lawson do ?

One coach died, the other one was removed. And with it perhaps ends the era of foreign coaches in Pakistan. They better get a home grown coach and who better than revamped Salim Malik.....

Protea excitement over Aussie loss

It’s just the kind of opportunity I can see them passing up if they’re not careful. If the team can retain its unity, if it can stay calm, ease off on the histrionics and if the players can remember that it’s not an individual’s game, then they might just do it.

In the long term, it brings the South African tour of Oz later in the year into sharp focus. South Africa’s recent one-day flailings might make it easy to forget what a formidable Test unit the team has become under Graeme Smith.

Lest we forget, South Africa have recently prevailed in three of four of the toughest cricketing destinations on earth. They won in Pakistan. They would have won in India were it not for some cowardly pitch preparation and the choice of Kanpur as the venue for the final Test. They had to settle for a draw. And they won convincingly in England too.

All that remains is Australia, and on this showing Smith and his men, if they can find the form and the fitness, will fancy their chances.

Suddenly one almost starts to feel for the Aussies. When they’re done with South Africa, they’re off to England for an Ashes series, and England look like they’re really up for it.

When the empire sneezes, the dogs bark and the cats scowl. What more you can term the excerpts below from Alex Parker in SA daily over the Mohali loss of Australia. He seems to suggest that SA would be in a good chance to get better of Aussies later this year in home and away series. One Test loss doesn’t make Australia a bad team or a series win in England don’t make SA the world champs. And they should not forget the last 4 scorelines vs Aus for them read 0-3, 1-2 (2001-02) , 0-3, 0-3 (2005-06)..A single win in12 games for SA vs what was considered the unofficial world Test championships…..

I must really applaud the quick urge of the media pundits to write off champions after just one failure. We face that daily in India when our 5 greats are put on sword every day. It began in Australia. England are learning to get past the Ashes winning captain Michael Vaughan and now South Africans join the baton with writing off Australia and trying to suggest that the series draw in India was due to a cowardly pitch preparation…..They have failed to win last 2 series in India since 2000. They have lost 2, won 1 and drew 1 in India in 4 series they have played since 1992. But they have been 2 three test series and 2 two test series. Not good enough to earn a 4 test series as Aussies earn against India….

South Africa still don’t appeal as a quality Test side as they were sometime in late 90s with Donald and Pollock in pomp alongside huge McMillan and batting prowess of Kirsten, Cronje, Cullinan and Gibbs. They have Kallis, Smith as premier Test batsmen and Steyn as world class bowler, but yet they lack the appeal or the attraction that say an Indian or Australian or even an English side has. England has all the flair owed up to KP and Freddie along with the romantic appeal of Monty Panesar. India has the star batsmen, we all know of and Aussies have been tight snoozes to be beaten.

Pakistan and Windies don’t offer the same level of excitement as they did in 90s or 80s. Pakistan and West Indies were the kind of rivalry that India and Australia have today. West Indies could rarely win or lose a series to Pak, but the later could always give them a hard fight and draw the series. BD and Zim are minnows. New Zealend are depleted side. And SL are plain boring with dusty turners on flat wickets.

For sure Aussies would make a harder comeback, still I would fancy 2-1 win for India. A 5-1 or 5-0 Vs SA, a 2-0 sweep vs NZ and 3-1 vs England for Australia….

Butt bat tracks and Imran as PCB chief!!

And now Butt eats back his own words on Lawson……..

As the PCB chairman, I am duty-bound to fully back Lawson and to take care of all his liabilities," Butt told Dawn. "What I said in the press conference was my personal opinion which I had also given to the then chairman Nasim Ashraf…..

I swear this old man is providing a super comedy strip every day. Sways like pendulmn in opinions. Is that what PCB needs ? Got to think seriously on this. Personal opinions aint meant to be said in public Sir. They got to be kept personal, as the word suggests….

Wouldn’t Imran Khan make a good PCB chief than Butt ? I mean IK has that disciplined attitude and the aura. And everybody in Pakistan except Miandad would listen to what IK would say. He has single handedly picked up many talented players for Pakistan in 70s and 80s from the bylanes and streets with no prior experience of 1^st class cricket and that hasn’t been any hurdle in shining on the international level. Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Aaqib Javed, Shoaib Mohammed (opener), Manjoor Ilahi, Salim Jaffer (the man Walsh refused to run out in 87 world cup which finally ousted them from WC) and many more such players are testimony to this….And moreover his political career is going nowhere. He should be a good man to cleanup the PCB which has been in ruts since long time…But the 100 million dollar question is will he accept it and would somebody think about it ? In one word Imran Khan was inspirational. A father figure to the Pakistan players who in 80s and 90s had some aggression and were joy to watch. Today ‘s team has nobody of that quality and talent except for Younis, Yousuf and ……..(nobody)..

Sharjah used to be a waterloo for India in 80s and 90s. Today we can easily thump the Pakistan team as the aggression is missing from their ranks. The team lacks a Wasim Akram or Inzamam if not Imran…. Can India vs Pakistan rivalry regain its lost sheen ? That for some another day though……..

Meanwhile some hope of 1^st Test match for Pakistan this year with Windies proposing Abu Dhabi Tests!! Some light of hopes for Pakistan cricket and this is a good sign unless somebody from PCB goofs it up……

Button it butt-ology

Even Kamran Abassi concurs to my views on Butt….

Right below :

The chairmanship of the Pakistan Cricket Board holds a mesmeric attraction for glory seekers. Each time a new head is appointed, the great unwashed hope that a man with wisdom, ideas, integrity, and discretion is chosen. Invariably, we are disappointed.

PCB facts....

Q says I am biased. Not because I wrote something fiery, but I laughed off Butt(whatever that means)’s comments in the media since he took over. Now which board chief in his first conference would have the guts to call the chief coach of the national Team as useless and of no utility. This kind of comments are either given to the incumbent in a one on one session or in a private feedback through mail or phone. But to say it openly is ludicrous. Wont it affect the morale of the already beleaguered Pakistan team ? If the captaincy issue and lack of cricket were not enough, now they have one more issue to deal with – Butt-ology.

Don’t know what hit Q, but isn’t Pakistan cricket on its deathbed ? Nothing seems to be going their way. They haven’t played a test match this year. Played a host to BD and Zim and won 11 ODIs on trot. Record is a record, no doubt even if it is against minnows. Pakistan and SL are the teams that love minnow hunting. Isnt it ? Muralitharan loves to get heapful of wickets against BD and not surprisingly, the next Test series they play is against BD. They don’t want to play against England to prefer IPL, but they want for sure to play against BD. Reason : easy victories, more batting and bowling records. And more rants from MJ.

Coming back to Pakistan, the ex-players have already opened a slew of charges against the coach and its all selfish interests that drives this criticism. Miandad who has had failed as a coach not once, but 3 times, wants to be the coach once again. Aamir Sohail is being tipped to be the next selector in charge. Salahuddin whoever has resigned as chief selector because Butt(again with a pinch of salt) modified his team without notifying chief selector and later got a dent in his ego. PCB has failed to convince white (not black or brown) Test playing nations to tour Pakistan amidst growing fear of terror attacks. Champions trophy was snatched from Pakistan and then PCB cried like a sissy baby who looses his chocolate to a bully. They threatened to sue CA for refusal to tour Pak but tour India on grounds of security. They even compared Delhi blasts to the situation in Pakistan of course before the Marriott bombings. And then the security talks vanished. Pak happily moved its home series to Dubai. And now Buttsab says ECB is ready to offer its venues for Pak cricket. Laughable isn’t it.

Q then says Pakistan has 2-2 record against India, so if Pakistan is a minnow then what is India. If he says India is a minnow, then I should very well give away cricket blogging. Just 24 hours ago India beat Australia by 320 runs and for 6^th time in this decade, something which other test team can just dream of. When did Pakistan last beat Australia in a Test ? Good 14 years back in a home series, thanks to some shoddy wicket keeping by Healy and helpful home umpires. Since then they have lost 10 Tests in row to Australia both neutral and away. When did they last beat a significant Test country ? England in 2006. They lost 0-3 to England in England, even SL beat them in Pakistan. Since then Pakistan has just plunged to crisis. Dope crisis, indiscipline, death of its coach in the world cup. Yup the world cup debacle was there when they lost to an associate country and then they had Inzy as the skipper.

If this facts are biased, then well let me accept I am biased. Dude, can you change this facts ? Can you give me one reason why a cricket observer wont give any chance to Pakistan in the next Test series they play? So far they haven’t faced any whitewash from India, but they would soon. 3 more months. Unless Pakistan doesn’t take some steps to revive its team, a 3-0 result is in offing. And certainly Butt’s comments as good as Amar Singh or Lalu Prasad Yadav wont help boosting the morale of the people whose performance on the field matters.

Spank on the Butt (Ijaz)

Have a look at below quotes from the new PCB chairman which would put even Amar Singh to shame....Wisdom of a 70 year old man or a good for nothing rants which shakes no butt!!!

On PCB budget :

Since assuming charge, I have gone through the PCB's budget but could only find that there is no income and only expenditures, The PCB could receive only 5% of the revenues it had estimated in the annual budget. However, it has spent out more than 90% of the estimated expenditures account...

On the agreement to move Pak domestic cricket to Dubai :

"I met the authorities in Dubai and they reminded me about the contract signed by the previous management. But when I asked them to show me the written agreement they could not and it was, apparently, done verbally which is no good. The PCB and the BCCI have also agreed to ask the Sports City authorities in Dubai to double the amount if India and Pakistan feature in the contest in any of three years."

On the ICC Champions trophy cancellation :

"It was a big surprise to me when Sri Lanka and Bangladesh didn't speak a word when the issue was discussed during the meeting,I was not expecting this from those two countries. After the meeting was over, officials from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh came to me and said 'We are with you', but I told them 'You didn't say this during the meeting.'"

And now a bombshell in England as offshore venue for Pakistan :

"I had some positive discussions with Giles Clarke during the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in Dubai last week. And he said when we can play our matches offshore why not in England? They are offering us good terms and conditions. They are willing to share 50% of revenues from ticket sales and media sales."

On ICL sueing ICC :

We [ICC] are considering their application because the ICC lawyers feel that they have a very strong case and if they sue us we may find ourselves in trouble. The BCCI has been given 21 days to discuss this matter and come back to the ICC for consideration

On Inzamam bhaijan asking him to resolve ICL ban :

"You people have your views, my predecessors have their views, I have my views. I don't know which one is correct is about the ICL, When I reached Dubai I got a phone call from Inzamam-ul-Haq who said he wanted to meet me along with Subhash Chandra [chairman of Essel, the owners of the ICL]. I told him it's no use coming right now because by the time you reach here this is one of the major matters to be discussed.

I said I have my views and I have discussed my views with India and I don't know what your views are. He told me about his stance and I said to a certain extent we have an interest and will definitely support it. But I don't know what is the view of the other people."

On ICL-IPL merger :

They [ICC] have small subcommittees who decide...the likelihood from what I discussed unofficially with Mr. Modi and Mr. Shashank [Manohar] I believe that a merger might happen.

"Our interest, which is my view also, is that we have to consider the youngsters who are playing in the ICL. While you are saying one can play and the other cannot for us they are just two leagues. Either ban both but why is it that you are banning the ICL and not the other?"

And finally on Geoff Lawson :

"The day his contract expires he will be no more with the Pakistan team. we have no utility for Lawson. will suffer a huge financial loss if we terminate his contract now. Since we cannot afford a heavy loss, we will continue with him.

Look at Australia and South Africa, they have relatively young captains despite some seniors in their squads, but they are doing well. For me there's no senior or junior, it's the performance that counts....

Since when Ricky Ponting was young at 34 ? And Graeme Smith at 28 ?

This are statements from a chairman of a board whose cricket is on deathbed, a country whose team was once maverick is as good as a minnow with no real talent on anvil, a country termed as haven for terrorists and countries fear touring the land , a country which didnt play a single test in 2008 and boasts highly of 11 wins on trot against BD and Zim....

Long live PCB, long live Pakistan cricket, for we need another whitewash in Pakistan early next year....Do we hope to play a minnow after playing against Australia and England ? Or rather should we play a minnow as good as its former eastern brothers in BD ?

India and Australian perspectives out of Mohali Test

News of spats between Bret Lee and Ricky Ponting, urgent SOS to happily retired Shane Warne are the 2 of the immediate fallouts of the huge defeat Australia suffered in 17 years to India. That’s what a defeat does to a team. A team which was rarely outplayed and comprehensively beaten by a team which is its bitter rival. Defeat is something which has hardly been noted by this generation of Australian players. Many players came and went by, but were never a part of a series losing team. Adam Gilchrist was part of just 2 teams which lost a series in his entire 96 test career of 9 years (2001-02 in India, 2005 Ashes). If you check for records for max wins, this Australian team and the one which had retired players like Langer, Pidge, Warney and Gilly would always figure on top.

I am not sure if the spats news between Lee and Ponting are true, as they come from ever unreliable media. But something was terribly missing from this Australian team. The killer instinct or the belief that takes them home even in despair (example when Langer and Gilly chased 369 in Hobart Test, 1999 vs. Pakistan) was clearly lacking. Emotions gripped the brutal ruthless Aussies which was evident in the Hayden’s approach to Zaheer in 2^nd innings. Yes he wanted to overcome the daemon of Zaheer, but then in the process he fell to the obnoxious weed Harbhajan Singh. The fire was needed but with caution. Till date 516 runs have never been chased successfully and perhaps might not be in the future. The batsmen made mistakes, India’s bowlers kept the formidable line-up (yes it still is ) in check even without their captain and greatest wicket taker in the match.

The bowling lacked imagination for Australia in the 1^st innings when Tendulkar and Ganguly stole the thunder back from Australia when they were reduced to 4/153. Perhaps after that Australia couldn’t crawl back to the game. A lot has been said on lack of quality spinner in the side and nothing optimistic picture looms on the horizon. Without a quality spinner Australia are always going to struggle in the sub continental conditions. The fast bowling wasn’t up to their reputation with Lee being conspicuously absent from the attack on day 4 morning session. After 201 runs behind, only way for Australia to crawl back was to dismiss India under 150 and have a go at target less than 350.

It’s still not lost for the Aussies. They can still win the next 2 tests and retain the trophy, it would be uphill task. Next they enter to Delhi which is India’s fortress and Kumble ‘s adopted home ground. 8 days break should be enough for them to introspect and ease out the gaps between their actual standard of the game and the one they put up in Mohali. Mohali has shrugged off its batting friendly draw wicket image and India have now beaten England and Australia in Mohali after losing to the Windies in 1994 to level the series.

320 run victory is India’s biggest in terms of runs and it definitely sends up positive signs for the future. MSD is ready for test captaincy as well. Captaincy brings out best in MSD and he sparkles in his batting, not to say his tactics. But only after Kumble retires which could be at the end of the season (NZ tour). He was a difference between the 2 sides. If Ponting was scoffing at Lee and pointing to walk to Sehwag, then MSD was up to the task and was quick to grab the initiative whenever presented. 2^nd day morning session could have been anybody s game until he stepped in and made 92 forging partnerships with Saurav. Innings of 92 and 68 should eliminate doubts regarding Dhoni’s Test capabilities. We often tend to forget in the euphoria that he has quite often played substantial innings in Tests too. A match saving 70s in Lord’s test, a 50 in Delhi test in 2007 vs. Pakistan which won India the match after Shoaib blast, the 37 in Sydney test alongside Kumble and then a quick fire 68 in 3^rd test of Windies which actually set up a target of 300+ for WI. He is not only having the best average amongst Indian wicketkeepers, but also the best strike rates amongst contemporary Test batsmen.

India had lots of positives coming out of the game. The opening partnership looks settled for now and long time to come meaning curtains for Chopra and Jaffer. The middle order isn’t a problem. Sachin Tendulkar is back in love books with the media and the fans alike. Rahul Dravid looked fluent in the 1^st innings before he chopped one onto his stump, his fielding was superb. Ganguly showed he is not yet finished and he forced few people to request him to take back the retirement. How rubbish. Laxman is the one who now needs a go and well Delhi Test could provide that.

Bowling attack looks settled for most part. Mishra’s debut augurs well for us and though he might have to wait for few more games to be a permanent fixture in the side, he is a very good find of the series. Alright, one bad Test doesn’t make AK a bad bowler and then he is the captain. Let’s not forget that. Zaheer and Ishant were awesome. The way Ishant has scored points over Ponting says about his class and belongingness to the highest level. He is for sure the next Indian superstar in bowling unless he doesn’t fade away to success and glory. Very rarely it happens that we encounter fast bowlers outplaying spinners in home series. For sure this is a good sign to come.

This was a team effort with everybody contributing to the cause with the exception of Laxman. The next test is 8 days away and for sure its going to be another gripping affair. Hometown for Sehwag, Gambhir, Sharma, Mishra and Kumble. The same ground where Tendulkar made his debut as Indian captain against the same team and won. The same ground where Tendulkar broke Gavaskar ’s record of most Test hundreds and besides its also the same ground where Anil Kumble took 10 wkts in an innings. India have won last 7 tests played out here and it would be 8 in a row now.

On a parting note for the Mohali Test, Ponting sounds miffed with Indian chatting and banter in the game. Isn’t it double standards ? Didn’t Aussies do the same in Sydney and moreover we won within the spirits of the game unlike Aussies who broke every available courtesy and decency in that eventful Sydney test. If Aussies receive few sledges and banters in return, they appear defensive and naggers, but when they do it then its alright with them. It doesn’t work this way Ponting.

“Bit of chit-chat is something okay with all and it's only when you overstep the line that the umpires intervene. And umpires intervened a couple of times, like the one involving Zaheer Khan yesterday”.

All in all the better of the 2 teams won and it should be good enough to the obsessive media to highlight the positive part of it and not crib on impending retirement of the senior players. Of course some point of time they would go and we won’t be lucky enough to get superbly and immensely talented players like the Big Five playing together in a Test match, the crux of the players which changed the way country played Test cricket home and away.

ICL - IPL merger ?

Is PCB chairman Ijaz Butt joking ? Look below :

“They [ICC] have small subcommittees who decide...the likelihood from what I discussed unofficially with Mr. Modi and Mr. Shashank [Manohar] I believe that a merger might happen. Our interest, which is my view also, is that we have to consider the youngsters who are playing in the ICL. While you are saying one can play and the other cannot for us they are just two leagues. Either ban both but why is it that you are banning the ICL and not the other?"

 

Red letter day for Aussies

Well well, I dont believe this is an Australian team that can slump from 0/50 to 5/59 in space of 5 overs. Thats England's copyright to slump ridiculously. Like a house on cards and of cards, as Siddhu once said. If Clarke and Haddin (he is no Gilly) forge a partnership in 2 sessions, they can go away with a draw, but thats unlikely to happen unlike India - Pak test of 2005 here. 515 runs is a huge target and I wonder if this is the highest ever target set by India for anybody.

Just imagine if Aussies fold up soon tomorrow then it would be their worst defeat in years. never mind we hold the record for Post War heaviest defeat to Aussies (1998 Kolkata Test, Azhar classic). I was amazed to see how Aussies folded up without a fight. Are they Aussie clones or some duplicates ? Tough to imagine Aussies in this situation. They began the run chase in super style with Hayden attacking Zaheer with a positive intent. 42 in 6 overs was a bit of alarm that may be they could give a scare to us, but then Ravan Bhajji did the trick very well supported by Ishant Sharma (getting bunny Ponting again)

Earlier in the day MSD, Sehwag and Gautam did a stupendous job in setting up the target and they came out with a positive intent right from the word go. Ponting was defensive, spread out fields and no Lee till lunch :). Sehwag got a 90 on his 30th dubbay and Gambhir got a well deserved 100. Must rank amongst his best innings on highest level. Dhoni too played a typical ODI innings with singles and boundaries...Aussies were sedate in the field and missed the experience in bowling attack. They have to get one quality spinner sooner than later...

India couldnt get a wkt in last 90 mins of play and thats where they missed their captain. One wicketless test doesnt make him a bad bowler and no doubt he would be back for Delhi Test. Mishra is a good replacement for AK and for now sure he got to wait not more than few months to be stepping to huge shoes of AK. 4th Delhiite to play in team after IS, VS and GG. No wonder Delhi are Ranji champs much to the dismay of Mumbai, who now boast of a single and greatest selection in team.

Tomorrow could be a red letter day for Test cricket with a possibility of heaviest Australian defeat in ages and that could begin slump for Aussies after 13 years on top....Amen!!!

Live blogging, Mohali Test, Day 3, Session 1, Hour 1

Thanks to Soulberry for the cricketnirvaana link :). Here is a go at live blogging watching 1st session live on webcast......

• Its great to see quality commentators in the test series with the likes of Sunny Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, easily India's best , Ian Chappell and Mark Nicholas along with Allan Border. Still pity to see likes of Shivramkrishnan out there in the middle with ever boring Arun Lal.
• Ishant Sharma is a delight to watch, he is superb in run action. Thumps in, the ball zooms inside the batsman and he gotta be careful to make sure that he doesnt get LBW!! Good 2nd over of the day by Sharma....
• Surprisingly its Mishy continuing in place of Zaheer and he is looping the ball well.
• During India s tour of Australia earlier this year, Australia had Symmo at 6 and Gilly at 7. Now they have Watson at 6 and Haddin at 7....Huge quality gap isnt it. Would Australia gamble for Symmo as jacques replacement ? They should.
• Play held up for sight screen problem.....
• We need a wkt now..And who better than Hussey...Ishant Sharma still able to extract bounce out of a 3rd day pitch....
• Zaheer comes back. It would be great if he could do a Hayden to Hussey. You see H.....:)
• NZ are in shambles. Dumped and bumped for 171.....Ridiculous!!
• Harbhajan is missing from overall picture. Hasnt having a great of series though...
• Hussey gets another 50.....Whata player....
• And he is out...........huge wicket.............Hussey c Dhoni b Sharma........Aussie in troubles!!!
• In comes Haddin and mind you he is not Gilchrist. A max good for 40. Not more than that...A follow-on looms large.....
• Aussies still need 140 to save follow-on. They missing the experience of Symmo and Gilly....Whats more imp ? Personal ego battles or team victory ? So Symmo should be rushed in....
• Wonder what happened to Sreesanth ? Lost to stardom ? He is not even in challengers team :)

End of first hour....36 runs and 1 wicket with Sharma being the star......

Bunnies, replacements, excellence

Hayden is a

for Zaheer....3 of 3....Is that going to be Hayden's sommersault ? He wont even be given a VRS scheme.....

Meanwhile Ponting gets a new



in form of Ishant Sharma. 3 out of 5 times in last 3 Tests.....And Ponting back to his usual scoring patterns in India barring Bangalore 1st test.....

Hussey the key man today on 3rd day. If he is nailed earlier, a bright chance for India. And a good debut for Mishra, good signs for Kumble's replacement (not yet though)...The way he got Pup round the wkt was super....

Hats off to Dhoni, Sachin and of course Saurav for bonderful contributions and apologies to the bloggie buddies if my criticism for critics was a bit too harsh and if they took it to themselves (I know they didnt, but still).

Tounge in cheek!!

They said he cant bat, they said he cannot ball, they said he is not fit and he should be dropped. He is on VRS, he is on selectors' mercy. He cannot make runs, he is X, Y and Z.

There you go again. Critics once more red faced. Saurav Ganguly hits a ton to put India firmly in the driver's seat....

Tounge in cheek guys ?

Hail Saurav!!!

Where are the critics ?

I want to see the burnt black face in shame for the critics of Sachin Tendulkar who said he is well past his prime and should retire.  Really I want to see their face. Have they got the audacity to say some sh**t again for the GOD ?  And now  the media would show its other side in hailing Tendulkar as “GREATEST EVER”.  Cmon guys, speak up your farce.  Cricketkeeper, say it. Cmon say it.

Mind games On!!

Ponting gets on with mind games that would hardly bother India’s plans or affect his team’s defensive strategy.

 

They're in a bit of a predicament I think with Anil being their captain. If you had to look at someone who was going to go out to make way for a quick, it would probably have to be him.

 

Barring a 100 in Bangalore Test, his record in India is pathetic to say the least. His team doesn’t boast of a quality spinner who can run through the batting lineup. Neither his team has bowlers capable of taking 20 Indian wickets. So this kind of talks actually don’t suit him.

 

Harbhajan [Singh] has a great record against Australia and is probably bowling better than Kumble at the moment so that's where the difficulty comes. If they happen to drop Kumble it would probably be a long way back for him so it will be interesting to see what they do.

 

Did Ponting forget that Kumble has 108 wkts against them in 19 Tests ?  Most by any bowler in contemporary era ? Suggest he check the stats book before saying wrong facts.

 

He's just happened to have a good game as well, which is pretty unusual for him.  He's had a good game. It's up to him to back it up again. I think a lot of his comments might have been to try and get us to play a different style and different brand of cricket.

 

Yeah definitely, Aussies for sure have been rattled by the master stroke from Zaheer and the frustration and desperation is coming out of the words of Ponting. May be this comments act as “Jelly Beans” and with Mohali track supposed to assist seamers, Hayden and co would find Zaheer hard to tackle.  And then another defensive run scoring spree. A run rate of 2.84 in 1^st innings and 3.12 in 2^nd innings isn’t quite an Australian way mate ? Is it ?

collective cynicism with multiple obsession for crucification

Indian media is suffering from what I call collective cynicism with multiple obsession for crucification!!!

Colonial English!!

"This morning, despite not having score a Test hundred for 20 innings, Ganguly prepares to take his place against Australia alongside Dravid, Tendulkar and VVS
Laxman in a middle order that has remained unchanged for a decade"

Michael Atherton squibs at Ganguly. The favorite whipping boy in international cricket. Isnt it ? Anybody likes of Athers who was a big bore to watch and was a bunny for McGrath, Walsh and Ambrose debates Ganguly's place in Indian middle order -- the only middle order which hasnt changed this decade.

And it baffles me to read the repeated use of "wealthy" , "icons", "greats" used by English authors while talking of Indian batsmen. Jealousy ? England for sure are obsessed with India and a bit pissed to have lost the power of cricket to the country they ruled once.....Colonial mentality has still to be evaporated from English minds. Did they forget that its been 12 years since England last won a Test series against India home and away ?

And doesnt KP and freddie wish to play in IPL which ECB scoffs @ ?

I am back!!

Sorry guys, I was unable to login to the Armball blog due to some reasons and I had to contend with the posts through email from my official ID. So i couldnt comment on each of your blogs and as a result rare visits on my blog even became rarer!! Phew!!

With a draw in Bangalore Test, my blogging was saved. If India had lost, i would have given up blogging on cricket for sure. I hope I am still existing on blogrolls of few good men and they would still like to read my views on the game which are not biased for seniors but they are to the point.

This days watching cricket in news channels or even reading print media is boring as there are similar flavored articles with senior bashing and ridiculous statements from ex-players. Like Aaj Tak forgot the importance of Tendulkar's 49 yesterday and harped more about his miss of the record......

I hope I am back for good here.....

Draw seems logical result now

India are 3/130 at the tea. One more session and 169 runs to get. Most unlikely given the rate at which India has batted so far. Had Sehwag got a flying start, India was in with a chance and with quick dismissal of Dravid, it seems India would be more happy to get a draw here and go to Mohali with more confidence given the bowling it has happened in the Test match with some doubts over form and fitness of Anil Kumble.

Tendulkar needs 17 more runs to get the world record on his name. It doesn’t matter as long as he lasts on the crease and guides India to safety. Australia are for sure lacking a quality spinner now. Clark and White don’t make up for even McGill, let alone Warney.

An intriguing final session of play in the order.

Chance to win ?

Ishant Sharma gets Watson and now the Australians are 6 down for 203. Ahead by 273. If India could now polish up the tail within 300(lead), then do we need to go for a win ? Yes we should. Opening partnership could be the key and if Sehwag and Gambhir give us a good start followed by some sensible positive batting by middle order, we could see a chance of probable win. Against the odds.

Whats up Ausssis ?

By being slow are Aussies trying to be defensive ? This is one aspect of their cricket this test match that has been baffling. 2.84 runs per over in 1st inns and now 2 runs per over. What are they upto ?

Laudable effort from tail

Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan have given an outside chance to India to save the game. Laudable efforts. First a 5-for and now a 50. Truely Zaheer has come of age :)

Missed Live Blogging.....

I was all set to do the live blogging for Day 1 of the First Test at Bangalore but lack of TV coverage did me in. Neo Sports isn’t available on Dish TV. And DD1 bothered more to rant over some needless program but to telecast the mother of all series in Test cricket. So the idea had to be dropped. I set up my wireless router and got the cable long enough for me to take my laptop in front of the TV and write up live as it happened.

I also checked for the streaming version on the Internet, but didn’t find any. Does anybody know the URLs of the sites that offer the live cricket on the net ? During the tour down under I watched Perth and Adelaide Test live on net while being in US. Not sure if its possible in India.

If anybody knows, please share with me. Cannot help myself being starved off the live action.

Australians prove a point

Australia proved a point on day 1 when it comes to Test cricket. They had not very good outings in the RCA game and the tour game in Hyd, but when it comes to the real cricket, it’s the business. Simple mean business without getting fuzzy about it. They got off to a bad start losing Hayden in 1^st over of the day, but then Katich – Aussie version of Laxman (in terms of always being on edge and fringe) and Ponting doing the scoring in the 1^st and 2^nd session of the day.

India ‘s late bursts in 3^rd session made it an even-steven day but at the end Indian camp would be rightly thinking not to take Aussies lightly despite whatever weaknesses this side has as being portrayed by the media and ass ex-cricketers. This is Australia, the world champions. Period. Batting is formidable. Bowling is formidable too. Lee, Johnson, Clarke. Top class fast bowlers.

But then don’t we have Sehwag, Gambhir and Dhoni as stalwarts of the game in the country ? Fascinating battle continued on day 1 and for sure it would go on to the day 2 as well.

Bangalore Test - Day 1

254 for 4 seems to be a decent score on end of day 1. Ponting proved a point he wanted to. Yet he fell to Harbhajan. Today was day 1 and it was a batting wicket. So the runs were expected. Getting 2 wkts in last session was fruitful for us and we would have our nose ahead on day 2. I know there would be talks on Kumble in media, but then its just day 1. Yet Hayden and Clark were bundled out cheaply. Good signs for us.

4 years back Australia ended with a similar scoreline. With Clark ending on a 100* he forged up partnership and then Glen McGrath did the rest. The ball that got Dravid nailed India 's fortune in that series. I hope we dont see that happening tomorrow which would be very crucial for the outcome of the series.

Australia 2 India 1 -- session scoreline.

Bangalore Test - Day 1, session 1

So that is lunch on day one of this Test series. It will go Australia's way because Ponting and Katich have smoothed over the loss of Hayden (who has incorrectly given out) for a duck rather well. It has not always been pretty, but it has been a crucial partnership. Ponting has moved along to 41, his second highest score in India, and Katich has offered solid support with 28. This is a batting pitch, make no mistake. Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma bowled well with the new ball but there has been little on offer for India's spinners. Not a lot of runs in the first session, but a good one to watch.

Incorrectly given out ? How many times has that been said for an Indian batsmen dismissed due to umpire mistake. Countless times we suffered, be it Australia or the SL series where refferals mostly went Lankans way.....Grow up cricinfo, stop being biased...

A session to Australia, but a mental block scored over Hayden by Zaheer Khan who continues his supremacy over lefties...A couple of wkts should do the trick for India. And full marks to Ponting, he is really determined to make amends to his patchy record in India...

Australia 1 India 0. Pressure mounts on Kumble :))))))))))))))))))))))))

Ponting infuriated at One tip Catch claim by Veeru !!

Veeru unbiased straight to the task :

 

“We'd have won the Sydney Test match if they hadn't claimed catches taken off half-volleys in that game” (Sydney 2008)

Ponting infuriated as if somebody has hit his weak nerve….

That's fairly insulting. In the first innings [at the SCG] I didn't claim a catch because I wasn't 100% sure. “

"It's amazing how they've picked out a lot of negatives from that game and don't seem to be speaking about the Perth Test [the third match of that series, which Australia lost], where we probably had the same things happen to us. Not one member of the Australian team has spoken about it. We go about our cricket in different ways. I'm not sure what they are trying to achieve. It was a Test we won, a crucial Test for the overall series. As I said at the time, it was one of the best moments I've had on a cricket field. To win the way we did was an outstanding effort by the team.”

Perhaps Ponting thought that the one tip catch is permissible in international cricket as well . Ricky dude, that’s Indian patent for street and backdoor cricket. Dint know that you guys would rob it out of us to win the Test by hook or crook. Anyways we for 2^nd time broke your 16 win streak and no doubt we would gobble you up 3-1 (as per Sehwag) or 4-0 (as per Bhajji).

Shocked!!

This was one of the worst days in history of Indian cricket where the greatest captain of the country has decided to quit international cricket if the news of his retirement are true.  I am numb and my hands are literally trembling with loss of words. Eyes wide open with shock that I wont be able to see my idol, my hero, my role model Saurav Ganguly on the field after the Australia series. Right now I cannot say anything more.

 

You would terribly be missed Saurav. Hugely at the top of order, at the # 5 and in your captaincy. 

 

Love you Saurav…..(Gesturing you in the same way as you do after congratulating a player on scoring 100 from dressing room.

Winning scoreline for India..

That’s an opening salvo from Virender Sehwag

 

“If we are playing on spin-friendly tracks, the series might be in our favor 3-1”

 

And then Bhajji sets the spin rolling down the Aussie camp

 

We will beat them 4-0 by the blessings of Goddess.

 

Voila, the mind games were never this luring from India’s side. And boy aint they very aggressive and a touch too optimistic. Alright we want to win the series after 7 years, but then 2-1 seems to be the better and agreeable scoreline right.

Foolish to write off Auzzies!!

I don’t understand the buzz in the media which pips India as favorites against Australia in the Test series on basis of one tour game.  Aussies are the world champs and yes they can have the bad day or an off session on a given day, but discounting them and equating them to any other visiting team is rubbish.  The batting lineup still reads Hayden, Katich/Jacques, Ponting, Clark, Hussey, Watson and Haddin . Alright Haddin is no Gilchrist, yet he is a handy batsman.  Bowlers might not have played a test in India, but then does it matter ?  Lee, Johnson, Clarke are world class bowlers and they did trouble India in MCG, SCG late last year. Didn’t they ? Yeah the spin attack is thin or non-existent, but it would still take a blind vision to write off Australian chances or Indian chances.

 

A fair prediction for the series could be labeled as another closely fought epical Test series in row with neither of the team giving an inch of advantage to the other, but then somebody got to get on the top and seize the initiative. The one who does on consistent basis, wins.

Tears of Heaven

Jason Kreza cracked.............

1st innings :

20 1 123 0 6.15 (2nb)

2nd innings :

11 1 76 0 6.90

May be ask Warne to come back or replace Krejza with somebody known as spinner :)

Shoaib Malik Bowled Sayali Bhagat

You read the title right. Its a Shoaib but not Akhtar but Malik and not Anu. Its Malik -- Shoaib Malik. He has not hit a 100 or won Pak a game, but he has lost his heart to the Indian siren :

Malik said he is thinking about accepting the offer since his role in the film is of a cricketer and not hero.

"It is a meaty role and the offer they have made is very handsome, so I am giving it a serious thought. But, obviously, lot of things remain to be sorted before I sign the contract," Malik said.

Malik, however, dispelled the impression that because of his friendship with Sayali he is concentrating more on a career in Bollywood than cricket.

"Cricket is my bread and butter and passion. I am totally focused on cricket and want to taste more success," he said.

The film, to be directed by Wilson Louis, is a love story between a cricketer and a model, and will have both Malik and Sayali playing themselves. Media reports suggest that Malik and Sayali have been romantically linked for quite some time.

However, Malik made it clear that while he had been seeing Sayali for the last six months they are just good friends and not involved with each other romantically.

Silly Billy Geofrey

One of them is injured forever , makes appearences every now and then, then breaks down, then an operation, then talks of comeback, comeback, again a breakdown to injury.

The other one is a nervous traveller. When he steps in to Heathrow to board the flight out of England, he feels goosebumps in his tummy, misses his family and kids (4) and fades out soon, bowls the first ball in much anticipated Ashes as wide wide outside off stump much in contrast to the short ball he did in home Ashes...With time he fades, retires, is dropped from the team, comes back rejuvenated in ONE DEAD RUBBER TEST which his team wins under a new captain and the usual rants of "WE ARE THE BEST" goes high.....and then for the shining dollars(Stanford t20) comes out of retirement of ODIs...

Guys the 1st one is Freddie Flintoff -- the weak knee man and the first England captain to have suffered whitewash in ages....

Second one is Steve Harmison -- the one time # 1 bowler in world and now nobody.

This are the guys Geofrrey Boycott banks to fear Indian fading greats in the upcoming England series.

"The pace of Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison will be England’s biggest weapon, because the senior batsmen should all be vulnerable early on to quality fast bowling. OK, the pitches won’t give you much, so you have to be precise and accurate. But the way England have been playing since Pietersen became captain, they’ve got to think positive and believe that they can bowl India out"

Silly words. Utter silly. Laugh it out guys. I m. Please you guys too. Did i forget that you sent spectators sleeping with boredom playin helluva slow innings of 242 in 2 days and then you were dropped the next test match ? And then were you not thrown out of the team for 3 years ?

It amazes me that how England get euphoric on basis of just 1 test win against SA in a dead rubber. They wish tht they can take on Australia next summer Ashes and beat them. A series win over them in 20 years on basis of cheating and Murray Mints isnt a worthy record to be proud of. But yes 4 back to back epic series --2001, 2003, 2004 and 2008 are smthin to be really proud of. Yes WE the INDIANS proudly solemnize that we have kicked England's ass to replace them as Australia's worthy rivals and form the greatest test rivalry of the modern day cricket. Move away Brits, its INDIA show.

Lets see if England can win even a session in the upcoming Test series in India. I bet for 2-0 scoreline for India in Tests and a 5-2 or 6-1 in ODIs. Grow up sir Geoffrey. Set your inhouse cricket right and leave our seniors to us. We would take care of that. Have good sleep sir, you need that. If you get that you wont puke venom and rubbish which would make us laugh at you in your face. Alright Sir, get well soon :)

BPXI Vs Aus, Day 2

Ok fair job by BPXI in rooting 4 Aussie batsmen cheaply on day 2 of the tour game, but i would choose not to get carried away with it. Hayden, Katick, Pup and Ponting didnt get the headstart they wished to, but then they are the best team in the world. They would come to the Test series with altogether a different approach.

One thing for sure we can expect to happen out of this game is Aussies might not field any specialist spinner for the first test. Relying more on pace and occasional spin of Clark and Katich. McGain is flying out and Krejza was ripped apart. So Aussies look poor on spin front, but then they are Auzzies and they can win a Test out of nothing.

Day 3, BPXI should look forward to try and impose follow-on in the first innings as last recognized pair of Hussey and Haddin is in the middle. Haddin is no Gilchrist :)

Media trail over Ganguly's selection

Ganguly s selection has been a national debate and every Tom, Dick, Harry has chipped in with his version of views and expressions on the elegant southpaw’s continued career. Media has virtually being running a electoral campaign to chip him out of the reckoning citing various reasons such as :

1. An under the table deal which allows him to play for 2 Tests and then hang his boots.

2. VRS Scheme, which cricketing world has never heard of

3. Horses for courses which is Indian parliament’s patent and super specialty.

4. The usual theory that team management doesn’t need him in the team.

Goddamn, give me a break man. Here is what few other print media publications got to say about the most successful Indian captain ever on his selection in the team :

Deccan Herald quotes the need for grooming the youngsters at a relaxed pace and with a “definite plan” :

“Over the next few months, the decision to blood younger batsmen must be implemented. It has to be a gradual process, for the less experienced ones will need the comforting presence of long-standing bulwarks to break themselves in at the Test match level. It will be in the best interests of Indian cricket if the seniors are taken into confidence and thanked for their contributions while politely being told of the need to start the rebuilding process so that Indian cricket doesn’t flounder when these men of substance call it quits of their own volition.”

The subtle and balanced S Dinkar in The Hindu quotes that Ganguly has lived on further and elongated his engrossed career by at least 2 Test matches. He also reproduces the stats in last 2 years which put Ganguly on top of the Test table followed by Tendulkar.

“In all fairness to Ganguly, he played a series-leveling knock, a priceless 87, on a turning track at Kanpur against the South Africans this year. That, incidentally, was India’s last home Test. Subsequently, he failed against a potent spin combination in Sri Lanka. So did the others. There was a distinct belief that Ganguly was being singled out. Reflexes don’t dull overnight. In a startling piece of statistics, Ganguly has scored more runs than any other Indian batsman since his famous comeback at the Wanderers against South Africa in the 2006-07 season. During the period, Ganguly has made 1667 runs in 21 Tests at 45.05. The next highest is Sachin Tendulkar with 1408 runs.

Ganguly has scored runs at home, coped well with the bounce and seam movement in South Africa, and the swing in England. He was comparatively less successful in Australia, yet there were combative half-centuries from his blade in Sydney and Melbourne. Apart from his ability in the middle-order as a strokeful left-handed batsman who can disrupt the rhythm of an attack, Ganguly brings with him aggression and combative instinct. The Aussies know him well. He has worked on his stance that is more upright and balanced and has, consequently, tightened his game against the pacemen. “

Ganguly returns to Bangalore where he scored 239 and 91 against Pakistan late last year. Didn’t he ?

Ayaz Menon welcomes this decision as logical one but yet as confusing. He doesn’t welcome Ganguly in same tone as he did for Dravid.

What would be the usefulness of such a deal if, say, Ganguly were to score 600 runs in the four Tests? Would he still be asked to quit? And what if he scores a pair in the first Test? Would he be still be played in the second? It is not bad thinking to give somebody a ceremonious send-off when he has planned his departure, but when the player himself seems convinced that he has enough cricket left in him for a few years more, this becomes downright demeaning. He should then be treated on form, like everybody else. Of course, it is also true that there are no clear claimants to Ganguly’s place. The proper recourse would be to phase out the seniors rather than lose all of them at the same time. This would leave a gaping hole in the team as happened when Lillee, Marsh and Chappell quit the Australian team in 1984 and when Greenidge, Haynes, Garner and Richards left in quick succession sending the West Indies into quick decline. But the fact remains that there have been no middle order batsmen since Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman and Ganguly to have performed with the consistency which earns automatic favor from the selectors. This is a reflection on the impoverishment of the cash-rich Indian cricket. If only the establishment could understand this irony.

He is correct.

Known to be a staunch Ganguly critic Jayaditya Gupta in cricinfo quotes this :

“It is also a mixed message on the overall selection policy. Is it targeted towards youth, as the previous panel indicated? An open, transparent media interaction with Srikanth could also have helped dispel the growing speculation that Ganguly's inclusion was part of a "deal", an exit package. A Test series is not the place to make "VRS deals". You do not compromise the selection process, and thereby the most important series for India, because you want someone to "retire gracefully". Of the so-called Fab Four middle-order batsmen, Ganguly's case is the weakest. In the last Test series, against Sri Lanka, VVS Laxman scored the most runs among the four, followed by Rahul Dravid and Ganguly. The three rank in the same order on runs scored in Tests played since January 1.

The difference is accentuated by the add-ons. Ganguly is not a close-in fielder; he has to be hidden on the field and can be an embarrassment in the outfield. Dravid and Laxman are both excellent slip catchers; the first is statistically India's finest slip fielder ever (and closing in on the world record), the second has been in exceptional form of late. He has not threatened, since that epochal double-century in Bangalore last year, to build on the starts; rarely did those half-centuries, except a gem on a Kanpur minefield, look like they were centuries nipped in the bud. He has looked like a player running on his reserves, not one for the future. Was there no one in better form, or with better confidence, greater promise for the future, to walk out at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on October 9?”

So called Fab four batsmen ? Whats that supposed to mean ?

If you ask me, I am sick of this daily dose of phase out the seniors calls from media. Get over it guys. Let’s focus on the series coming ahead. If they lead this kind of campaign against government to act tough against terror trail, it would do a hell of good for the battered fortunes of the country.

Day 1, tour game BPXI vs Australia

Yuvraj and Badrinath disappoint. Yuvraj is rightly seated at the place where he deserves. He wanted to show his place where he belongs and he has rightly showed it. So dude back to your photo shoots and ad campaigns once your BPXI game is done.


Kohli rocks. As usual, he is next Dravid or # 3 for me.

Sharma shows some signs of promise which he showed in initial part of his career and was touted as next Tendulkar. Hope he shows consistency in few games to come n should crawl back to the TEst reserves replacing overhyped good for nothing Badrinath.

Credible show against the possible Test XI in Bangalore and this should give a huge boost to the India as the bowling attack of opposition team has been milked for 371 runs with 251 runs being added for last 2 wkts.

Great show guys. Crezjha for 123 runs and M Clarke for 45 runs with no wkts given speaks the depletion australia suffers in spin department. Plus McGain is injured. Not good omen for Aussies.

Fair Selection

So the selection debate ends with the “incumbent batsmen” keeping up their places and the “next generation” players getting a peep-in into the final 15. I feel so sad for the critics of Saurav Ganguly who had wrote him off and declared him a thing of past. He is back again and I can’t hide my happiness. I don’t care if I am being termed as cynical or whatever, but the fact is I have always liked the fighting qualities of the man and he in a way has inspired me in more ways than one. I cannot help but to back him to max, though it doesn’t matter a heck in the end. It anyways won’t change his fortunes, but would give me a satisfaction. A player who cut through the system out of various charges of quota selection, being duped as a LORD SNOOTY or MAHARAJ or a disturbing effect on the team by Greg Chappell, the man transformed the Indian team from a meek outfit to the current outfit who has conquered all but New Zealand.

He transformed the attitude of the players, rubbed off the north-south divide, backed few players he thought were good and today the world knows them by the names of Sehwag, Bhajji, Zaheer, Dhoni, Yuvraj etc etc. Not to mention that he resurrected the career of Dravid in ODIs and Kumble in Tests once he was termed as past force after the NZ tour of 2003. HE fought an eye to eye with the best and led the team to some memorable triumphs home and away. I am too small an entity to write anything about the great man. But my heartfelt wishes to the man from Kolkata to come good and shut his critics off.

Besides the team is on the expected lines. Selection of Amit Mishra can be debatable though it’s very little chance that he might play. What wrong did Ojha do to be ousted without a game ? That’s what you call selection inconsistency which Nasser Hussein very well summarizes it. Badrinath gets a look-in as well, but again he won’t be playing. I cannot understand a reason why he is being so rated hugely. He was okish in the SL ODI series and doesn’t look to be a very attractive or solid prospect. Yeah making noises can be attributed to him, but then making runs concerned, I won’t bet a penny on this man from TN (is he in cos the Chief selector hails from TN J).

Munaf Patel won’t be playing and so would be RP Singh. RP Singh has drastically fallen apart since the Asia Cup in June this year. Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma look the starters in the XI along with the captain and Harbhajan Singh as spinners.

All in all it’s a fair team selection IMHO, though the critics of the Fab four would be fairly miffed looking that none of the incumbent chickens were rolled off. Alright, the stage is set, the team is in like it or not. Now we all the bloggers got to rally behind this team to support it during this epic series and ensure that we give a tough fight to Aussies once again and we get to see another high voltage series as India – Australia have always been. 8 days to go.