Take the case of the series against West Indies both and home and away. The Indian batting collapsed on more than a few occasions, and they managed to get away only because the Windies weren’t capable of capitalizing on India’s failings. The chief reason for India’s batting failures can be attributed to the length of the T20 tournament. Most of the batsmen’s minds were so conditioned to playing shots that they couldn’t stick at the crease for even a reasonable amount of time. So worried were they of losing their wickets in a tizzy in West Indies, they shut down the chase in one of the Tests when they needed less than 100 in 15 overs with most of their wickets in hand. This was a precursor to what was to follow in England and Australia. Unfortunately, neither Team India nor the BCCI paid heed to any of the warning signals.

Another clear rationale behind India’s debacle in England was that a number of players were either unfit after the IPL or picked up injuries during it. The whole embarrassing situation played itself out in England. Zaheer Khan, who was India’s best bowler throughout the World Cup, struggled in the IPL. That’s not all, he even looked unfit during the tournament. However, instead of being rested he played throughout the event. As a result, he went to England without being 100 per cent fit, and pulled out of the England series on the very first day of the Test. The start couldn’t have been worse for India, and things did not improve as the days progressed on the tour.

All the players’ techniques were tested, but apart from Rahul Dravid no one could get out of the IPL rut. The BCCI did not help matters by sending in an unfit Virender Sehwag to try and work some miracles. The result was the exactly the opposite. Sehwag registered a couple ducks and, apart from the record 219 one-day score at home, has looked all at sea both in England and Australia. Suresh Raina, another played who is a superstar in the IPL, also failed miserably, putting his Test career on the backtrack for the moment. The problem with IPL is that even flukes can look like greats. Take the case of Swapnil Asnodkar and Paul Valthaty, both of whom briefly shone in the tournament, but have done precious little otherwise. Of course, there have been positives too to come out from the IPL – R. Ashwin being the noteworthy case. However, there is no second opinion about it that the harms have outdone the goods.

This is not to suggest that the club tournament must be scrapped altogether. It can exist with international cricket, albeit in a shorter duration format and the timings too shouldn’t clash with international matches. It was senseless to have an IPL tournament merely a week after India’s World Cup triumph. Fans had hardly celebrated the memorable win that the T20 tournament got underway. Also, the BCCI ought to take sterner measures if they want Indian cricket to do well in the future. Having sporting tracks at home, as suggested by some experts, is not a solution. That would actually mean that we play into the hands of the opposition by losing the home advantage. Restructuring the India A tours with more visits to England, Australia and South Africa is the way forward.

If the BCCI, instead, concentrates more on the IPL, it would end up becoming the monster that’s killing Indian cricket, as Arjuna Ranatunga famously pointed out sometime back.

By: The Pinch Hitter

Ever since The Pinch Hitter was introduced to cricket at the age of nine, he fell in love with the gentleman’s game. While his desire to take up the sport professionally remained unfulfilled, he substituted the bat with the pen. And since 2003, he has been commenting on the sport for various magazines, websites, enjoying every moment of it. With ‘Over the top’ he hopes to continue enlightening and enlivening ‘cricket companions’ the write way.

The above words spoken by the character of Bhuvan, in trying to spur on the rest of his villager teammates had the same intent and fire as those spoken by Strauss and Pietersen in that advertisement.

The battle is on no doubt; and its not only Strauss and Pietersen, but one just gets the feeling the entire English squad is charged up for the upcoming series. And why shouldn’t they be? They have won the last 5 test series they have played, and it’s a perfect opportunity for the in-form and balanced English team to show the No.1 Test side what they are capable of.

On the other hand, the Indians by no means will be any less eager to show the cricketing world that they deserve to be on the top of the ranking charts. With Sachin and Gambhir back to bolster the batting line up, and Zaheer adding muscle to the bowling department, the Indians will surely be looking forward to the battle! They too have an impressive recent test record, with not having lost a series in the their last 11! However they sure will be aware that this will be a different ball game altogether!

While the teams make their final preparations before they step foot onto the battleground, I can’t wait for series to begin. It undoubtedly is going to be a cracker of a series, and the things highlighted below explain just why!

Historic Occasion!
What better way to start such a highly anticipated series! When the two teams make their way down that famous slope at Lords, Test match cricket will be 2000 matches old; and it will also be the 100th Test between the two teams! Historic setting indeed!

A Century of Centuries!
A little genius by the name of Sachin Tendulkar has racked up 99 international centuries, and hence is one away from a truly monumental achievement.

If he reaches the landmark at Lords, it will be a bollywood-esque moment indeed. (My blog post on the ‘Magician approaching the Magical Landmark‘, delineates just why) But just the anticipation of him reaching that three-figure mark itself will have viewers watching the series with rapt attention!

Battle of the Quicks!
The combination of Chris Tremlett’s pace and bounce, and Anderson’s swing will be quite a challenge for the Indians. The result of this series, in my opinion, will depend to a large extent on how the Indian batsmen handle the combination of Anderson and Tremlett. But the Indians too have a decent pace bowling attack in their arsenal. With Zaheer’s experience and shrewdness, and Ishant bowling the best we’ve all seen of him so far, the battle between the quicks is a mouth-watering contest indeed!

Bhajji Vs Swanny!
Harbhajan must surely be buoyed after his 400th Test scalp, and it doesn’t take much to get him charged up, but there is little doubt that Swann has been the better bowler in the recent past. The two offies will surely want to prove a point to each other. While they try and do so, we, hopefully, will be treated to a fine display of spin bowling!

DRS under the radar!
There has been plenty of talk and controversy about India’s objection to the ball-tracking technology. Some of the English players have played their share of mind games by adding fuel to the DRS fire! But now will be the time when it’s put into action, and will surely be under the microscope. The question on everyone’s mind is: Will India’s decision backfire? The 4 test matches over the next month holds all the answers!

Raina Vs Yuvraj
A mini battle within a battle! It’s interesting to note that since Yuvraj made way for Raina in that 2nd Test against Sri Lanka in July 2010, Yuvi hasn’t got a game as a result of Raina grabbing his opportunities with aplomb! With the quick fire century in the practice game at Taunton, Raina has more or less booked his spot in the middle order for the first couple of games atleast. It’ll be interesting to see how this battle pans out over the next few weeks!

There’s plenty to look forward to no doubt; and as the series is about to get underway, its time to sit back and buckle up for a contest that I think will be worth all the hype. The Caribbean appetiser was quite bland no doubt, but the English meal looks rather sumptuous!

By: Rohan Rao

“The writer is a freelance cricket columnist who takes guard on leg stump! Currently based in the UK, he is pursuing his undergraduate degree in Management Studies at the University of Nottingham. Having captained his school team, represented clubs in Delhi & Shanghai, and currently playing for his University, Rohan pretty much breathes, eats and sleeps cricket! A die-hard enthusiast, Rohan finds his inner peace when ripping his leg-spinners past the batsman, apart from when seeing, his God, Sachin Tendulkar bat!”

21 years later, and 98 more such delightful hundreds later, the same boy, now 38, returns to England, standing on the threshold of an inconceivable landmark. Hundred Hundreds!

It is beyond our ability to fathom the true magnitude of this achievement. It’s almost ridiculous. Batsmen aren’t supposed to get hundred hundreds (The next in line, Ricky Ponting, is 30 behind at No. 69!). But then Sachin Tendulkar isn’t a ‘Muggle’ cricketer. He’s a magician! Him wielding his willow can even put Potter to shame…and indeed, over the past 22 years, this Magician from Mumbai has cast such a spell on cricket lovers across the globe, that they shall remain spell bound eternally!

If there can ever be a ‘perfect’ setting to achieve this monumental feat (apart from the missed opportunity at the World Cup Finals in Mumbai), then the first test match at Lords in a weeks time is just that, perhaps even bollywood-esque!

The venue needs no introduction to any Indian cricket lover. Some extremely special memories always come back, along with goosebumbs, when the thought of The Lords comes to mind. The footage of Kapil Dev lifting that trophy is shown to every Indian child. It was a watershed moment for Indian cricket as it got young boys to dream about wearing the Indian stripes. One such boy was Sachin Tendulkar; and the rest as they say, is history!

If that moment got us to DREAM, Ganguly swirling his shirt in the very same dressing room balcony post the Kaif-Yuvi show in the 2002 NatWest Series Finals got us to BELIEVE – that we are equals, and no mere pushovers. That change in attitude is a huge reason why we are Champions today!

But if there is something missing at the Lords, it is the name ‘Sachin Tendulkar’ on the Honours Board in the Pavilion. (The board has a list of all the batsmen who have scored a century, and bowlers who have taken a five-wicket haul, at Lords). In seven days time the ‘home of cricket’ will once again open its arms to one of the game’s favourite sons. If Tendulkar manages to reach that much-awaited triple figure, the echoes of the standing ovation he will receive from those present in the ground shall resound forever!

If the venue is perfect, the timing couldn’t be better. When the two teams make their way towards the centre next Thursday, the count of Test matches will move to number 2000! The hundredth hundred in the two thousandth test, apart from sounding like a tongue twister, is nothing short of being dreamlike! Champions have a knack of bringing their best at the biggest of stages. The stage will be set next Thursday at The Lords no doubt. It’s now up to the little master to light it up…with his willow…his wand!

While a billion plus people are awaiting the magical figure to be reached, Sachin, not surprisingly, has recently reemphasized in an interview to The Daily Telegraph: “It’s not about breaking records or creating new ones. It’s about adding value to my team…They’re not going to stay permanently; but the impression that I leave on people will last forever”.

While there is absolutely no doubt that the Little Master’s impression on the minds of those who have been fortunate to watch him play shall last a lifetime; but just like Bradman’s 99.94 average, this peak, almost certainly, will never again be scaled!

If I could get hold of Potter’s wand for a day, I would point it at my god, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, and scream…EXPECTO LEGENDARY!

By: Rohan Rao

“The writer is a freelance cricket columnist who takes guard on leg stump! Currently based in the UK, he is pursuing his undergraduate degree in Management Studies at the University of Nottingham. Having captained his school team, represented clubs in Delhi & Shanghai, and currently playing for his University, Rohan pretty much breathes, eats and sleeps cricket! A die-hard enthusiast, Rohan finds his inner peace when ripping his leg-spinners past the batsman, apart from when seeing, his God, Sachin Tendulkar bat!”

When the T20 format burst onto the scenes, it was received with a thunderous welcome, much like the Hindu deity Lord Rama’s reception when he returned victorious from the land of Lanka. There was plenty of colour and fireworks on the field; and it got members of the entire household to watch with rapt attention. Suddenly this ‘Diwali’ cricket was what lit up the households in the evening; and not the K-serials! But equally suddenly, the longevity of the longest form of the game was questioned; and many feared that the birth of this new energetic and enthusiastic kid in the cricket town would cause a slow and painful death of what the romantics would call ‘real’ cricket! But a number of gripping test series recently has forced those critics to put their swords back in their scabbard.

But what has come under a greater deal of scrutiny in recent times is the ODI format. Since the T20 form provides a fast-food-like experience; and the Test matches give the incomparable dal-chawal-like experience, the spectators are finding it difficult to digest a form that is neither here nor there. As a result, fans and experts have been coming up with their own variations on how to tweak the game to make it exciting once again. There was talk about the split-innings concept being introduced; there were suggestions of cutting down the game to 40 overs; and numerous such options were doing the rounds. But there was no official word from the ICC. Until a fortnight back!

In their recent meet, the committee seemed to be in a change-making mood, and though the possible suggestions mentioned above weren’t really the center of discussion, they have ratified a number of other interesting recommendations made by the ICC Chief Executive’s Committee. Three of these changes, in my view, might affect the game quite significantly; and hence have been highlighted below:

New Balls From Each End: From now on two new balls will be used from either end, instead of a single new ball that is used currently. It is an interesting suggestion, which I like the most, as it will surely help in sprucing up the ODI game. It will surely be welcomed by the seam bowlers, since the ball will stay harder and newer longer; hence breathing more life into the game, especially in the middle overs. However it will be interesting to see how the spinners take to it; since most of the spin bowlers tend to prefer a relatively older ball, as it helps them grip it better. The impact of this change on the game should be interesting, and it will surely help even out the contest between bat and ball; and hence one I am looking forward to being implemented

Abolition of Runners: No longer will one see a batsmen running for another. There has been recent controversy surrounding the need for runners, especially when the batsman is suffering from cramps. Hence ICC has taken a strict stance and abolished the use of runners. This new rule has caused a great divide of opinion among the so-called cricketing experts. I am myself confused regarding which side of the fence I stand, but at the same time, I don’t feel it will have a major impact on the game as such once implemented.

Power-plays between the 16th & 40th over: The ICC implemented the concept of Power-plays to liven up the middle overs of the game. Though in some instances it has managed to do that, in most occasions teams stick to taking the batting power-play towards the end of the innings; and the bowling power-play right after the first 10 over restrictions. Hence to counter such situations, it has now been made compulsory to take the respective power-plays between the 16th and 40th over. There is no doubt this rule will spice up the game quite a bit, but I don’t like the idea of tinkering the current rule to such an extent.

There is no doubt the ODI format needs some tinkering to ensure the stands aren’t as empty as they have been in the recent past. But at the same time, making numerous and drastic changes might confuse the fans even more, and as a result take them away from the game, instead of drawing them in. Too much spice is never good for health! The umpteen number of rule changes in F1 last year is a case in point. The sport surely lost a keen viewer in me, and I can only imagine how many more there would’ve been on that list. As a cricket fanatic, I hope the same doesn’t happen to this sport I love!

By Rohan Rao

“The writer is a freelance cricket columnist who takes guard on leg stump! Currently based in the UK, he is pursuing his undergraduate degree in Management Studies at the University of Nottingham. Having captained his school team, represented clubs in Delhi & Shanghai, and currently playing for his University, Rohan pretty much breathes, eats and sleeps cricket! A die-hard enthusiast, Rohan finds his inner peace when ripping his leg-spinners past the batsman, apart from when seeing, his God, Sachin Tendulkar bat!”

Some of the dismissals of some of the batsmen raised questions why they were picked in the first place for national duty. This tempted me to have a look at their current form in the domestic circuit. The most recent tournament played was Quaid – e – Azam Trophy 2009/10. The top performers in this tournament (playing 4 or more matches) are as under:

There are some familiar names here. The first one that strikes the chord is Misbah-ul-Haq. Apparently when Younis quit and Yousuf was made captain, he asked of the selectors to bring in the senior batsman but the selectors had some issues with it. I fail to understand what these issues were since he is topping the list and scored a double century (284) for his domestic side. Although they have sent him after the loss in the first test but one wonders why they had to wait as it clearly is a selection blunder that he is not part of this line up.

Then as we go down the table we see Fawad Alam and since the guy is compiling loads of runs in domestic, therefore, it’s fair enough he’s given a chance in the national team. Another familiar name is Khalid Latif, who was also part of the team for the ODIs against New Zealand. Khurram Manzoor was considered for the Tests before him because the selectors feel Khalid’s style of cricket suits ODIs more than Tests. Some would take this as an argument and some would say that if such was the case why India plays Sehwag in their test line up. However we can give the Pakistan selectors the benefit of the doubt here.

It’s important though, to look at the guys who were actually picked for the opening slot. Imran Farhat played 5 innings and scored at an average of 35.80 and Salman had the same number of innings and scored at an average of 52.25. Interestingly, Farhat was picked ahead of Salman for the first Test Match. Taufiq Umar, a fellow left handed opener, was not picked in the squad despite two centuries and an average of 51.66. Another person who was picked ahead of others in the list is Faisal Iqbal. Although he hasn’t played as yet, but his recent form in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy was poor managing to score just one fifty in 6 innings with an average of 28.8 runs. Shoaib Malik only played 2 tests and could manage an average of 22 which by the way is equal to the average Muhammad Aamer managed in the similar number of games.

I do understand selectors have their reasons for picking or not picking guys e.g. some of the guys who have 4 and 3 centuries to their names are either too inexperienced (Naved Yasin) or maybe their current form doesn’t prevail throughout their careers (Muhammad Ayub). Also if we simply pick players on averages then even Umar Akmal had an average of 32 and there are loads of batsmen with higher averages in this table. But at the same time if someone is picked there must be some logic behind the decision. Misbah not being picked is certainly a blunder. Trying Imran Farhat ahead of Khalid Latif, Salman Butt and Taufiq Umar is also something I can’t understand. Faisal Iqbal picked ahead of Hasan Raza and Misbah ul Haq in the middle order doesn’t make a lot of sense either.

The Pakistan team is going down and down in the Test Rankings. Although they may still be a brutal force in T20s and ODIs, the time has come that they seriously need to sit down and revive their Test cricket. Selection is an important part of this revival and the selectors have to do their job to the best of their potential and also by analyzing the current form data. It seems the current selection is merely a compilation of personal choices rather than a calculated effort to put up a good team.

There has never been any loud talk regarding standardization of pitches. We see all sorts of anomalies happening due to lack of this standardization. There have been experimental studies conducted by England and Wales’s cricket board and they conducted this way back in 2000. Since then the quality of pitches generally has improved. However, some of the other boards do not think that there is a need to involve science in these matters and they simply rely on the verdict of their groundsmen.

Consider India for instance. The recent series between India and Australia is a 7 match ODI series. If you look at the scorelines of the first two matches, it is round about the 320 mark. However, for the next two, the scores dramatically drop to around the 230 mark. The same team that put 354 runs on the board one day could not chase a total of 250 against a rather weakened bowling attack as compared to the one that they scored 354 against.

The 354 runs innings is, nevertheless, a commercial success with the number of boundaries being hit. However, for the viewer in the stands, and also the fans watching on television, a low scoring game isn’t always as exciting as the high scoring one. So there is definitely lack of standardization. It’s true if some people say that the better player has to perform on both the pitches – agreed. But what if the pitch helps the weaker side? Haven’t we seen cases where a toss simply changes the whole situation of the game? Just because the side gaining advantage from the pitch conditions. A cricket game should be judged on a player’s ability and the team’s tactics. External factors like the pitch condition should ideally have a minimal effect.

There is also a case of expectations management. Pakistan lost to Ireland and India lost to Bangladesh in the 2007 world cup in the first round. The pitches for both these matches weren’t what the players expected. Everyone knows Pakistan and India are a far better team as compared to Ireland and Bangladesh. Not taking anything away from Ireland and Bangladesh, however, the pitch and the toss had crucial effects on both these games. So there shouldn’t be a 360 degree difference in what the players are expecting and what the pitch actually turns out to be. Sometimes pitches does get into unpredictable proportions. All the commentators and analysts are proved wrong most of the time regarding the nature of pitches. Teams have lost 5 days matches due to misreading the pitch.

Reading the pitch is an art, not a science and it doesn’t come to everyone by default. This is what makes it a bit different from other sports. And sometimes this difference hurts. If a team is playing on a green pitch, they are generally expecting the ball to bounce and come quickly on to the bat. However there are all sorts of reasons that this might not actually happen. So why should there be so much confusion?

The pitches play so much of a role that recently there have been talks of changing the format of cricket itself, breaking the 2 innings in an ODI to 4, to minimize the effect of the pitch and the toss. This must be a one of a kind example since no other sports would attempt to change its basic rules just to adjust to the playing conditions. And apparently preparing a good track shouldn’t be such a difficult job in the modern era. Its just that the cricket boards and the organizers need to work on different formulas and then stick to the one that gives them a good cricket pitch.