Test cricket still very much exists but priorities have changed. This has mostly got to do with the hectic lifestyles that we all follow. In this day and age of rat race, hardly does anyone have the time to sit back leisurely and enjoy five days of Test cricket. Although the longest version of the game is still the purest, T20 cricket has taken precedence in recent times. This is since people can come back home from a hard day’s work and enjoy some slam bang stuff. Although purists may find it difficult to digest, the commercial viability of the version means that it would be preferred by the organizers over Tests and even the 50 over version in the not so distant future.

The rise of T20 and domestic tournaments like IPL does have its flip side, just like everything else in the universe has pros and cons. The quality of cricket goes down drastically in T20s and most of the bowlers are reduced to mere guinea pigs. Also, in tournaments like the IPL, one cannot connect as passionately with a team as one does with the national one. Here, it can be debated that football fans do exceptionally well to back their favorite teams keeping aside national bias while following the EPL and like tournaments. Having said that, there is a major difference in the basic conception of the two sports. While soccer was developed as a fast-paced sport, cricket is more about testing the aptitude and attitude of a player. This crucial aspect of the game has taken a backseat with T20 taking antecedence over Tests.

Cricket administrators the world over are not the ones to be blamed over here though. It is just the necessity of changing times. Fans have deserted Test cricket in most parts of the world. They have been forced to in a way due to time constraints in daily life, and the various other entertainment options available. The players too have begun picking and choosing the formats, with the younger guys preferring the shorter version over Test cricket. Accordingly, the loyalties of fans have also changed. Someone like a Lasith Malinga or a Chris Gayle has been mostly seen only in the shorter formats of late, with the Lankan retiring from Tests to prolong his career.

All said and done, it is a fact that cricket has changed tremendously over the years — part of it necessitated and a bit of it forced. For the nascent cricket fan, the sport is a good pastime, which he can enjoy akin to a three-hour flick from the comfort of his drawing room. Not everyone would be pleased with the sea change in the way the game is being perceived in the modern era. But the reality is that times have changed, and so has the gentleman’s game.

By: The Pinch Hitter

The problem for the England opener is that this not the first time he has hit a prolonged slump. Just a few years after his rollicking debut, Strauss was axed from the England squad over the lack of runs over a period of time. He returned stronger though and, not long after, was even handed over the leadership of the team. Things are drastically different this time though. Strauss is now 35 and not getting any younger. He averages just 28 in his last 17 months of Test cricket he has featured in.

Yes, England have become number one under him. However, like India, that achievement was a more a result of the flawed FTP, which saw them playing most of their Tests at home or similar conditions for a prolonged period. They did beat India convincingly at home, but as soon as they stepped outside familiar environs, into the subcontinent, their troubles reemerged. All their form batsmen were found out against spin in the UAE against Pakistan, and they fared only slightly better against Sri Lanka. The problem area with Strauss is that he has performed neither in wins nor in defeats.

With the 2013 Ashes coming up, Strauss will have a take a decision on himself soon, else the selectors should take a harsh call if his poor form continues. The series against West Indies will give us a hint as to whether he has something left as a batsman to offer to English cricket. Meanwhile, he can take inspiration from the examples of unselfishness by some ex-England leaders. His predecessor Michael Vaughan, under whom England regained the Ashes after ages, left the role for good in 2008. Vaughan was only 33 then but knew his time was up.

There are a few more illustrations. Naseer Hussain had stepped down at the same age. Significantly, he also retired, stating he did not want to block a blossoming talent like Strauss, who had a flourishing start to his international career. The current England skipper can set a similar example. If nothing, he can take solace from the fact that Michael Atherton left captaincy aged 29 and retired at 33. Strauss has outdone all of them but the question is does he have anything more to offer.

Also, it isn’t as if England don’t have a replacement for Strauss. Jonathan Trott has been around for a few seasons and has been performing consistently all through. Importantly, he has a calm, assured presence at the crease, which will aid him in becoming a good leader. It’s time Strauss takes a call, or at least the selectors start looking ahead.

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.

As aptly pointed out by experts, batting could be the biggest differentiating factors between the two sides. While West Indies have a great like Shivnarine Chanderpaul amidst themselves, they are too heavily dependent on him to succeed. This was evident in the series against Australia as well, where the left-hander was their most successful batsmen, but the rest floundered against a quality pace attack. The likes of Kirk Edwards, Adrian Barath and Darren Bravo are talented, but their technique and temperament will be tested to the hilt against another quality pace attack.

Although West Indies are not the force they used to be till the early 90s, under the steady leadership of Darren Sammy they are playing some decent cricket. It hasn’t been easy for Sammy leading the side, for when he was handed over the responsibility, Sammy himself wasn’t a certainty in the side. Credit to the man though as, under him, not only have West Indies improved as a side, but Sammy’s personal performance with bat and ball as well as in the field have gone up notches. But naturally, Sammy would have also had to deal with internal rivalry in the squad, which Caribbean outfits of late have been infamous for. Sammy, like a true leader, has taken everything under his stride. Windies cricket should move in a positive direction under the guidance of Sammy.

If Windies batsmen manage to support Chanderpaul and put up some challenging scores on board, the visitors could be in with a chance of competing. As the Aussies found out, they have a rather potent bowling attack. The pace trio of Kemar Roach, Fidel Edwards and Ravi Rampaul possess some genuine quality even as Sammy himself has the ability to break crucial partnerships. Off-spinner Shane Shillingford also impressed in impressed in his comeback series, picking up a 10-wicket haul in his home town of Dominica in the third Test against Australia. He should be a good spinning option in England.

West Indies may also be at advantage since their coach Ottis Gibson has previous knowledge of the conditions as well as the opposition. He was England’s bowling coach when they claimed the Ashes in 2009. However, the minuses outweigh the positives. One of the biggest disadvantages for West Indies remain that they are without premier batsman Chris Gayle. Although the 32-year-old left hander has been away from national duty for a while, his absence is being felt for sure. Windies would be eager to have him back as early as possible.

All said and done, a tough task ahead for Windies, but not an impossible one if they stick to their basics and each player contributes to their best of his ability.

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.

Inconsistency has been the bane of Chennai this season. But for the game against Bangalore, which they won chasing 200 plus, they haven’t looked like a champion side. Not surprisingly then, they find themselves in a spot of bother. The troubles for Chennai began right at the start of the tournament, and at the top of the order. Murali Vijay failed to live up his reputation in the earlier games. As a result, Chennai never got off to a good start when he opened the batting. Faf du Plessis has been in excellent form, but needed more support from Vijay. Things have improved for Chennai even since S Badrinath begun partnering du Plessis. And now, with the arrival of Mike Hussey, at least Chennai’s opening woes should be sorted out.

There are still plenty of other sore areas for Chennai. One of the biggest disappointments for the team this season has been the performance of their number one player Suresh Raina. The left-hander began the tournament as the most successful IPL player, but has been a pale shadow of his real self. He showed glimpses of form against Kolkata in Chennai’s last game, but it wasn’t enough to help them win. A bigger letdown has been the man named Ravindra Jadeja. The most expensive buy at this year’s auction has come up with a match-winning performance in only a couple of games, not enough for a player of his ‘worth’. Dhoni, himself, hasn’t had a great run. He has got some runs, but has been far from swift to be effective.

Chennai were unlucky to lose the services of Albie Morkel only a few games into the event. They have him back now, and must utilize his abilities to the hilt. Another all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has done better than the rest of his team-mates with both bat and ball With Raina out of touch, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to send Bravo further up the order. How Dhoni and co handle Bravo and Morkel could play a significant hand in deciding Chennai’s fortunes in the tournament.

While Chennai’s batsmen have been under par, their bowling has been equally unimpressive. R Ashwin, who has been their leading bowler in preceding IPLs, has struggled for rhythm and, as a result, hasn’t been among the wickets. His spin partner Shadab Jakati has done a reasonable job whenever given an opportunity, but hasn’t made any significant impact as such. Among the other Albie has been steady though nowhere near as lethal as Morne. The arrival of Doug Bollinger should boost their bowling for sure.

Team changes won’t guarantee success though. They need to have a clear rethink of strategy.

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.

As a standalone player, Chris Gayle should be the first choice selection for the national team. His record speaks for itself – over 6000 runs in 91 Tests at an average of 41, which includes a record two triple tons. In ODIs as well, he has amassed over 8000 runs at a strike rate of 84 and average of 39. T20s is but obviously his forte, in which he has slammed runs at a strike rate of 145. However, all these matter for nothing much as of now if he is unwilling to compromise on his present stance to get into the Windies side. Chris Gayle needs West Indies as much as the Caribbean team needs him. This is because although Gayle may be making a lot of name by playing as a T20 specialist around the world, players are remembered only for what they did for their country once they have retired.

At 32, Gayle still has age on his side, but he must work harder towards trying to get back into the national side. Being a senior pro, he has a big responsibility of guiding the future generation of West Indies batsmen. Unfortunately for the Windies, Shivnarine Chanderpaul has been single-handedly performing that duty in Gayle’s absence. Ever since being away from international cricket, Gayle has been traveling the world over, playing T20 cricket for various leagues that have popped up post the IPL. He has tasted immense success in most and has thoroughly entertained crowds everywhere he has gone. The question then is — why are the Windies supporters not getting the opportunity to enjoy Gayle exploits?

Gayle doesn’t have to prove anything to get back into the Windies side. He has a great record in all forms, and the fact that he has continued playing competitive cricket all the while demonstrates his match fitness. What is needed now is for him and the WICB to have a heart to heart talk in the best interest of West Indies cricket. Both parties should be winning to stand upon a common ground if they genuinely want the good of West Indies cricket. For both Gayle as well as West Indies, the sooner it happens the better.

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 37-year-old warrior gathered 346 runs in the three Tests against Australia, ending up as the leading run-getter even as the hosts lost the series 2-0. Chanderpaul averaged a highly impressive 86, aided by a ton at Barbados in the opening Test. He missed out on one narrowly in the second one at Trinidad before registering two doughty half-centuries in another losing cause at Dominica. Thanks to his efforts, the veteran jumped two placed from number three to number one for the first time in three years – leaving behind the South African duo of AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis. What is highly striking about the performance is that Chanderpaul has achieved the feat at the fag end of his career. He lost a bit of his touch a couple of seasons back, but has fought back as only a fighter can and has, in the process, touched the peak game again. That fact that he has done so with an under-performing team must serve as an inspiration to youngsters.

Among the others who featured in the Australia-West Indies series, left-handed batsman Darren Bravo dropped from 19^th to 20th place following a disappointing series while Narsingh Deonarine in spite of some impressive efforts, lost eight places to go down to 67^th place. Captain Darren Sammy’s fighting qualities reflected in his ranking as well, which rose from 83^rd to 73rd position. The failure of the Windies openers also resulted in a drop in their respective rankings. Adrian Barath and Kraigg Brathwaite both fell below to 81st and 94th place respectively.

There were some good performances from West Indies bowlers, which helped them rise in the rankings. Kemar Roach, who picked up 19 wickets in the series, started the series at number 37 and ended at number 14. Comeback man Shane Shillingford’s 10-wicket haul at Dominica enabled him to claim spot number 46.

As for Australia, both openers improved on their rankings thanks to half-centuries in the final Test. David Warner moved from 45^th to 43rd spot while Ed Cowan climbed six places to reach position number 60. Also, debutant wicket-keeper Matthew Wade’s maiden ton saw him rise 46 places to claim the 69th rank. Following his five-wicket haul, Australia skipper Michael Clarke has moved to spot number 75 among the bowlers while Nathan Lyon’s seven-wicket match burst gave him a career-best ranking of 36. The Aussies though are way behind the leaders headed South Africa’s Dale Steyn, followed by Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal and England’s James Anderson.

The series in West Indies also forced a change in the team rankings. India, who were steamrolled in England and Australia, fell behind to number four – Australia taking over the number three spot from them. England with 116 points remain the number one side in spite of the reverses in UAE. South Africa are also equal on points, but with a few fractions separating the teams, they are placed at number two. Future results of games featuring the top four could further change the equation.

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 mighty West Indians

When we talk of bowling, especially fast bowling, West Indians have to come first. Although they do not have any bowler of note today, they were once the most featured bowling outfit. In Joel Garner, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts and Malcolm Marshall, they had bowlers with raw pace, who could destroy any opposition single-handedly on their day. They key to their success was the ability to refrain from bowling loose balls, thus keeping the batsmen under pressure eternally. Their short balls were on target and extremely lethal, unlike today’s ragged offerings. In the post Holding-Marshall era, Courtney Walsh and Curtley Ambrose continued to terrorize batsmen. How world cricket wishes those days come back, for cricket is poorer without Calypso’s chin music.

Swinging Pakistanis

If Windies troubled batsmen with raw pace, bowlers from Pakistan made them dance to their swinging tunes. Imran Khan perfected the art of reverse swing with lethal effect. Batsmen world over struggled to figure out which side the ball was moving, and frustrated opponents termed it as ball tampering. Significantly, the former captain passed on the expertise to his protégés – Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. In the late 80s, until the mid 90s, batsmen the world over had few answers to swinging questions posed by the two Ws. Unfortunately, with time, while Wasim matured into a great, Waqar fell by the wayside owing to injury and loss of form. For a brief period, Shoaib Akhtar promised to carry on the legacy, but his passion for the long run-up killed his career.

Sp-India!

When it comes to spin, the focus naturally shifts to India. With no genuine fast bowler in the squad, the famed quartet of Bedi, Chandrashekhar, Prasanna and Venkataraghavan combined to spin India to many a victory both at home and away in the 70s. The speciality of this gang was the variety in their respective trades. While left-arm spinner Bedi beat most batsmen in flight, Chandrashekhar’s fascistic leg spins fooled many great players. Prasanna, on the other hand, was accuracy-personified and worked on the patience of the batsmen. With the handsome threesome doing exceptionally well, Venkataraghavan’s career was limited. Whenever given the opportunity though, he rarely failed. The spin legacy was carried forward by Anil Kumble, but with Harbhajan Singh struggling in recent years, they have had to depend more on paceman Zaheer Khan.

The pace aces

Australia, South Africa and New Zealand have traditionally produced pacemen, owing to the swinging and seaming conditions they have been exposed to at home. Shane Warne, Pat Symcox and Daniel Vettori remain exceptions to country’s pace-dominated history. While Australia produced genuine fast bowling gems in Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee, they have been successful with the theory of playing bowlers who were accurate and moved the ball enough in recent years. Glenn McGrath is the best example of the same and the likes of Craig McDermott and Jason Gillepsie typified this approach. Brett Lee began as a runaway fast bowler, but he too has settled for accuracy in recent years.

Since their return to international cricket, South Africa have been blessed to have the likes of Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock and more recently Dale Steyn. The trio, in different phases of South African cricket, have led the team to memorable victories, destroying opponents with their varied bowling styles. As for New Zealand, they were lucky to have the services of swing legend Richard Hadlee, who single-handedly bowled the Kiwis to some memorable wins.

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.

In hindsight, the day they lost to India in the 1983 World Cup final proved to be the turning point in their cricketing fortunes. Although Windies remained a strong outfit for another decade, they never quite managed to replicate their earlier feats, notably they never made it to the final of the World Cup following the ‘83 defeat. On that day of June 25, 1983, West Indies should have steam-rolled India chasing a miniscule 184 for victory. However, their no holds barred batting approach, which had been central to their success until then, let them down on that day. As the popular, cliché goes, you live by the sword and die by it. That day Windies were only defeated in a battle, but as the years went by, the war was also lost.

Another significant factor that contributed to the downfall of Caribbean cricket was the retirement of their big names one after the other. In Joel Garner, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts and Malcolm Marshall, they once possessed the most lethal bowling quartet in world cricket. Even though Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh kept performing admirably in the ensuing decade, they found little support in the form of back-up bowling. This resulted in most of the heroics from the two Cs going in vain. Something similar transpired in the batting department as well. Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Clive Lloyd, Alvin Kallicharan, Vivian Richards and the like could never be replaced. Even ages after their retirement, Windies are struggling with their batting. Brian Lara was a genuine genius, but he could not do everything single-handedly. On most occasions, he found an able ally in Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and a few times in the form of talented maverick Carl Hooper. Thanks to the trio, Windies managed to pull off some memorable victories. Sadly, as with Walsh and Ambrose, most of their magnificent efforts went down the drain owing to lack of support.

The West Indian cricketing system is also to be blamed for the plummeting of the country’s fortunes. While it has to be admitted that the likes of Richards, Holding, Garner, Lara, etc., are once in a generation cricketers, the fact is that West Indies haven’t produced even as half as good cricketers in the last two decades. This definitely has to do with the failing of the system in place. The talent-hunting groups haven’t been able to identify and nurture promising careers. The WICB, on the other hand, have been involved in too many fights with the players, which has kept someone like Chris Gayle out of the national side for more than a year. With some many issues ailing Windies cricket, Sammy has done a reasonable job to keep the side afloat. However, a lot more needs to be done to save West Indies cricket from plunging to new lows.

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.

With the non-stop amount of cricket being played these days, players hardly get time to spend with their families. They are on the road 11 out of the 12 months. Also, with the inclusion of IPL and CLT20 in the schedule, things have only got worse. In such a scenario, where cricketers hardly get time to rest, how will it be practically possible for Tendulkar to attend the proceedings in the Parliament, leave alone performing his duties? This is something which should have been given a hard thought at by the authorities who finalized his name for the same.

Of course, it was least surprising that Tendulkar accepted the nomination, since it is a big honour for anyone to be recommended to Parliament. Even so, Indian celebrities especially from the sporting and entertainment field have a history of not performing their duties well in this aspect. Bollywood personalities like Hema Malini and Govinda have failed miserably while ex-cricketers like Mohammad Azharuddin and Navjot Sidhu have only fared slightly better. These people actually had more free time in comparison to Tendulkar, and yet could not make an impact.

True, it would be unfair to make comments on Tendulkar the politician even before the legendary cricketer enters the Parliament. But, the fact is that it wouldn’t be practically possible at all for Tendulkar to make his presence left, akin to what he does on the cricket field. The tough task for him would be to balance his cricketing assignments with those of his political duties. Yes, where there is a will, there is a way. And Tendulkar does have an option in front of him – retirement.

No, he doesn’t need to hang his boots from all forms of the game. He anyways isn’t playing T20 cricket for India, but there has been little sense in him continuing playing ODIs even after winning the World Cup last year. At the risk of making him sound selfish, it has to be said that Tendulkar’s rigidity in not quitting one-dayers is blocking the path of a youngster in the playing eleven.

Now that he has decided to enter Rajya Sabha, it is the perfect opportunity for him to announce retirement from ODIs. This will give him a better chance to balance his schedule, and devote time to both cricket and politics. As it is, India hardly plays 10 Tests in a year on an average, which would ensure Tendulkar does justice to both the tasks he has on hand. Over to Tendulkar then.

Will he, won’t he?

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.

Top 5 batsmen

There a few surprises here for sure. Ajinkya Rahane of Rajasthan Royals leads the pack with 332 runs. He has been in sublime form, notching up the first ton of the season, and also possesses a healthy strike rate of 140 apart from an impressive average of over 47. Rahane’s success demonstrates that brute force does not dominate T20. Right behind Rahane is Faf du Plessis, who has registered 302 runs for Chennai. du Plessis is one of the key reasons why Chennai have managed to recover from their early setbacks. With three half-centuries at a strike rate of 138 and average of 43, du Plessis is sure to give Rahane a run for the money for the orange cap.

At number three is another surprise entry, Owais Shah, also from Rajasthan. Shah never quite made an impact playing for England, but his big hitting here has been unadulterated. With 278 runs at a strike rate of 147 and average of 46, Shah surely has staked a claim for a spot in England squad for the T20 World Cup. The next two names in the list are the expected ones. Chris Gayle has resurrected Bangalore by amassing 250 runs at a strike rate of 152 in seven games. Robin Uthappa has also scored the same number of runs, but he has played one more match and his strike rate is much inferior at 119.

Top 5 bowlers

Morne Morkel has been sensational for Delhi with the ball. His 16 wickets in 7 games have come at a miserly average of 12.25. At times, he has been unplayable. Three of the next four names in the list are complete surprise packets, but reiterate that T20 is a rather unpredictable proposition. Kieron Pollard, with his inviting medium pacers is second, with 11 wickets at an average of 15.45.

Two more West Indies are close on Pollard’s heels. Sunil Narine has stumped many batsmen with his off-breaks, scalping 10 wickets at an average of 12 while Kevon Cooper has also picked up the same number of wickets with his medium pacers, averaging 15.50. The latter’s accuracy has been his strength. Munaf Patel has also performed decently to pick up 10 wickets averaging 17.10. However, he would do well not to distract himself by getting involved in verbal volleys and lose his focus.

Three best partnerships

When it comes to partnerships, the best one of the league so far has come in a losing cause. Manish Pandey and Robin Uthappa added an unbeaten 145 for Pune after losing their openers with one run on the board. However, a blazing Virender Sehwag undid all the good work.

Bangalore were luckier in that aspect. Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers added 131 for the fourth wicket against Punjab last week, and it resulted in an easy win for Daniel Vettori’s men. de Villiers featured in another match-winning partnership of 122*, this time with Tillakaratne Dilshan against Rajasthan a few days back. It was enough for Bangalore to seal a comprehensive victory.

Best fielder and wicket-keeper

Mayank Agarwal of Bangalore may not have done much with the bat, but he has been a key man in the field, pouching the most number of catches – seven in as many games so far. Rahane has also taken an equal number of catches having played one additional game, making him an ever more valuable player.

Kolkata have a reason to cheer as well since their wicket-kepeer has effected the most number of dismissals. Manvinder Bisla has taken six catches and stumped one batsman in five games to go with the quick cameos he has scored at the top of the order.