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In a cricketing world given over to the sensational and the glamorous, and a Caribbean environment fixated with style and machismo as much as substance, Chanderpaul is almost always judged very harshly

Fazeer Mohammed10-Sep-2008

Surely they can’t bypass Shiv this time.Not that he needs any formal acknowledgement to validate another prolific 12 months, but there can really be no other option for International Cricket Council “Cricketer of the Year” than Shivnarine Chanderpaul.Amid the darkest period in the history of the West Indian game, Chanderpaul has emerged from the considerable shadow of Brian Lara to confirm to everyone what most discerning observers already knew: that he is one of the premier batsmen of our time and, at the age of 34 and with 8,001 runs in Tests and 7,573 in one-day internationals to his name, must be ranked among the very best Caribbean batsmen of all time.Of course, in a cricketing world given over to the sensational and the glamorous, and a Caribbean environment fixated with style and machismo as much as substance, Chanderpaul is almost always judged very harshly.Few would pay money just to watch him and his crab-like shuffle across the crease. There are suggestions of selfishness and an unhealthy preoccupation with the asterisk (in other words, not to get out) that jeopardises opportunities to win or at least save matches. And on top of all of that, he isn’t a personality, a media-savvy character who can sell the game and sell himself.But, and this is the critical point, he scores runs, plenty of them and in all forms of the game. So, when comparing him with the other contenders for the major prize at today’s ICC awards function in Dubai, Chanderpaul seems to be doing a Richard Thompson in holding off the rest of the field, although he doesn’t have to worry about the equivalent of a Usain Bolt well clear of the chasing pack and already celebrating victory.Let’s look at the numbers, shall we?For the period under review – August 9, 2007 to August 12, 2008 – Chanderpaul has compiled 819 runs in eight Tests at an average of 91 with three hundreds and six fifties. In ODIs, he has tallied 598 runs in 13 matches at an average of 74.75 and a strike-rate of 74.19 with one hundred and five fifties.The stats on the other contenders for “Cricketer of the Year” are as follows:

• Mahela Jayawardene: Tests – 10 matches, 1127 runs (ave 75.13), five hundreds, three fifties; ODIs – 22 matches, 504 runs (ave 26.52), five fifties.
• Graeme Smith: Tests – 16 matches, 1476 runs (ave 56.76), five hundreds, four fifties; ODIs – 21 matches, 920 runs (ave 48.42), one hundred, nine fifties.
• Dale Steyn: Tests – 14 matches, 86 wickets (ave 18.10), six 5WI, two 10WM; ODIs – seven matches, nine wickets (ave 37.00), economy rate 5.13 per over.

Chanderpaul, Jayawardene and Smith are also in the running for the “Test Cricketer of the Year” award along with Jacques Kallis, whose numbers for the review period are: 16 matches, 1331 runs (ave 57.86), six hundreds, four fifties; 27 wickets (ave 27.37), one 5WI.Of course, this isn’t just a numbers game. But, even in the case of context, Chanderpaul still compares very favourably with the Sri Lankan captain and the trio of South Africans. His hundred in Port Elizabeth laid the foundation for a historic first Test victory in South Africa, while centuries against Australia at Sabina Park and the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium reflected the courage and determination that are his trademarks. An unbeaten 86 perfectly complemented Ramnaresh Sarwan’s hundred in guiding West Indies to a deceptively easy series-levelling victory over Sri Lanka in Port of Spain.In one-dayers, who could ever forget those final two deliveries of the match at the Queen’s Park Oval when, with ten runs needed to win, he drove Chaminda Vaas straight for four and then hoisted a low full-toss for six over Jayawardene’s disbelieving head on the midwicket boundary?

More than these considerations, however, is the burdensome reality, as Lara experienced before him, that in such a desperately weak West Indies side, the pressure is almost always on Chanderpaul to deliver whenever he walks out to the middle.Yet such has been the effectiveness with which he has first blunted and then prospered off the very best attacks, sometimes it almost appears that the opposition, recognising him as a virtual immovable object, concentrate their firepower on the man at the other end.This is not meant to minimise the stellar 12 months that Jayawardene, Smith and Steyn have enjoyed, but their efforts are considerably enhanced as key members of much stronger and more successful teams, where responsibility is not resting so disproportionately heavy on their shoulders.Jayawardene plundered big hundreds off England in consecutive Tests and followed that up with another century in the first-ever Test at Providence in Guyana. Apart from his batting prowess, Smith’s maturity as a leader was reflected in notable series triumphs in Pakistan and England.Steyn, for his part, continues to reap handsome rewards with his pace and accuracy. Just being in such an elite shortlist is an achievement in itself. But having delivered with the bat in previous years and then missing out on international recognition in highly questionable circumstances, Chanderpaul is truly deserving of this highest accolade, firstly on merit, and secondly on sentiment.It’s not his fault that the West Indies are in such a mess, and while his lack of articulation and unassuming manner rule him out as an ICC poster boy; it is his constant flow of runs and not intermittent dribble of words that makes him worthy of being its “Cricketer of the Year”.

Most captains in the second edition of the IPL have quickly agreed on one thing: if you are well set as a batsman, whatever you do, do not get out to a spinner

Victor Brown02-May-2009Rules of thumb usually take time to evolve, but most captains in the second edition of the IPL have quickly agreed on one thing: if you are well set as a batsman, whatever you do, do not get out to a spinner. The thinking is that the next man in, invariably needing to maintain a run-rate of eight or nine an over, will struggle more with his timing against the slower bowlers than the quicker ones. It has become a rule of thumb for a good reason. Just ask Delhi Daredevils.Tonight at the Wanderers they were going very nicely, thank you, on 127 for 3 after 15.4 overs and needed a further 37 off 26 balls with David Warner and Dinesh Karthik both entrenched. Teams win Twenty20 matches more often than not from such positions, but MS Dhoni, the Chennai Super Kings captain, knew what he was doing. And what he was doing was bowling his spinners.Warner, who was beginning to flag after earlier hitting Albie Morkel for 15 in four balls, had a huge swing at the slow left-armer Shadab Jakati, missed, and was smartly stumped by Dhoni for a 40-ball 51. Still, a target of 37 off four overs was gettable. Except now Dhoni brought back Muttiah Muralitharan in place of L Balaji. Mithun Manhas, presumably knowing who he would rather have faced, failed to score off his first three balls then heaved at his fourth and was bowled. The over cost a single: 36 needed off three.Jakati continued. Karthik reached fifty by lifting him over long-off, where S Badrinath should have been flush up against the boundary, but then slogged Jakati’s next ball to a jubilant Murali at deep midwicket. Three balls later Pradeep Sangwan was bowled by Jakati aiming a mow. In 14 deliveries against the spinners, Delhi had lost 4 for 6. The rest was a formality.When county cricketers worked out about two years into the Twenty20 Cup that spin bowlers were the not-especially-secret weapons of the 20-over game, the feeling was that their potency was based on their ability to take the pace off the ball. Now they are being used to make incoming batsmen feel claustrophobic by challenging them to work the ones and twos and biff the boundaries from the word go. Bowlers who wouldn’t get a look-in in first-class cricket are suddenly being asked to do a job.Batsmen, by contrast, have to strike an increasingly fine line between keeping up with the asking rate and not losing the wicket that could bring the house down – as happened tonight. “Any new batsman is going to find it difficult with Murali in the attack,” said Gautam Gambhir, Delhi’s stand-in captain. “The over he bowled which cost one run was the turning-point in the game.”But that downplayed the role of Jakati. Dhoni felt Chennai were chasing the game until his left-arm spinner came on to bowl, and praised him because he “mixes his pace well and isn’t afraid to flight the ball. The wickets here are quite worn because it’s the end of the season, so the spinners are getting more purchase as games progress. Also, batsmen feel they should be going after the slow bowlers from the start. Spinners have a big role to play in this year’s IPL.”Delhi, still joint-top of the table with Deccan Chargers, who also lost today, learned that lesson the hard way today. Expect Daniel Vettori to return to the side any time soon.

Somerset’s wicketkeeper is a South African import who Marcus Trescothick thinks is the real deal

Jeremy James20-Sep-2009Selecting a wicketkeeper was once a straightforward affair. The best technician was chosen, regardless of whether or not he could score runs, for cricket was an art for individuals of specialist talents. It has metamorphosed, partly as a result of the amount of one-day competitions and fewer overs bowled by spinners, into a game in which run-making is seen as of equal importance. The very role, then, for Craig Kieswetter.Kieswetter, the son of an Afrikaner father and Scottish mother, qualifies to play for England next February. There is little doubting that he will do so – and soon. Marcus Trescothick, who will be his captain next year and who is not a man given to superlatives, compares his batting to that of Kevin Pietersen for strokeplay born of hard pitches in the southern hemisphere, and there can be no higher praise.James Whitaker, an England selector, watched Kieswetter at Taunton earlier this month. There is work to be done on his wicketkeeping, which is why Somerset are planning to ask Alec Stewart, essentially another batsman-keeper, to give him some tuition. And James Foster was generous with his time earlier this summer.To score 1000 runs for the first time, as Kieswetter has done at the age of 21 this season, is a laudable achievement and to have dropped a straightforward chance given by Daryl Mitchell, who had made 28 at the time, in the last first-class match of the season at Taunton, could be put down to tiredness. Or, then again, to not being ready to play international cricket. When he was eventually out, Mitchell had made 298.What happens if South Africa seek him as the successor to Mark Boucher? “I have no interest in that,” said Kieswetter. “For the first 18 years of my life I was chosen by my folks to live in South Africa and when I turned 18 I decided I wanted to live here and make my career here – just for the opportunity and fairness of opportunity compared to what is happening in South Africa. I love living in Somerset and playing for them. I hope I can be selected for England somewhere along the line.”Kieswetter does possess that ideal qualification for a Somerset cricketer in that he was educated at Millfield. Only for a year, but the headmaster and Richard Ellison, the former England allrounder and master at the school, chose wisely in bringing him over from South Africa. County cricket was a seamless progression and his coach, Andy Hurry, is but one close observer who thinks international selection will shortly follow.In fact Hurry puts this at a year “at a conservative estimate”. Boys growing up in South Africa often possess a maturity and self-confidence beyond that of their English contemporaries and Kieswetter is as ambitious to make a name for himself in his adopted country as, well, Pietersen was. There is a difference, he stresses, between his position and that of Kolpak players from the Republic, some of whom, he says, come for the money. “I realise my accent does not qualify me to play for England, but I feel English and England offered the fairest opportunity.

“I am not angry about the system there, but I was disappointed at the way I was handled. Western Province, for whom I played at junior levels from 13 to 18, did not tell me why they felt I should go and play club cricket and come back to them two or three years later”

“South Africans say they want players to stay in the country and fight for their places. I am not angry about the system there, but I was disappointed at the way I was handled. Western Province, for whom I played at junior levels from 13 to 18, did not tell me why they felt I should go and play club cricket and come back to them two or three years later. It could have been because they preferred to give opportunities to players of colour. I did not tell them I was going to leave but said I was going to England for my education.Keeping is not a role that has come easy to him. “Wicketkeepers are all nuts with smelly kit. Who wants to stand behind the stumps all day and catch 1000 throws and talk and run around?” he asks. “I was never big on shouting and making a lot of noise but Justin Langer, my captain, and Andy Hurry want me to keep the momentum and the over-rate going. I am slowly learning what my game is and I’m looking to try various things to see what makes me a better player. Justin has suggested kick-boxing and martial arts and I am seeking advice from dieticians and am keen to go to the spin clinic in India to further my performances.”Hurry emphasises the importance of working on his fitness. “The ECB is very keen on that now. As a wicketkeeper, he is catching the ball better and more cleanly. He needs to make sure he is technically so sound that he scores runs consistently. Craig is very South African in that he likes to hit the ball behind square and we worked on him punching the ball back down the ground and on his pulling. He needs to score lots of big hundreds so the selectors can’t ignore him.”Nor will they, according to Trescothick. “I spoke to Duncan Fletcher when Somerset played Hampshire, and he was really impressed with how he batted and reined himself in when we lost an early wicket. Batting-wise he is fantastic. I see little things that I see in KP. The odd time he flicks the ball or picks it up over the leg side, or the way he can smack it out of the park. Not many of us can hit it like KP, and he breaks a lot of bats, like him. He just has a natural talent with fast hands and fast wrists.”

The first woman to score a century in Twenty20s, talks about her batting style, unplayable balls, how other teams should be wary of her, and more

Cricinfo staff09-May-2010You came in to bat at No. 6 in the tenth over, and still went on to get a century. Do you prefer batting in your original opening slot, or are you also generally comfortable dropping down?
It doesn’t really matter where I play. I am comfortable at any position.How did you get into cricket, and how did you get noticed?
I started playing when I was 14 for my school and then my country. Then I got the opportunity to play for West Indies.What did you have for breakfast that day before scoring that century?
Umm… a cup of apple juice and some croissants.What’s your next personal ambition?
I want to go for the record again.What was your going through your mind during the innings?
I was just thinking that the century looked possible and aimed at that.How scared should the other teams be of you now?
Very!You raced to a half-century in 22 balls against Australia in last year’s Twenty20. How did you develop this attacking style?
I have always played this way.What’s your favourite shot?
Straight over the bowler’s head.Do you prefer batting against spinners or quicks?
It doesn’t matter who the bowler is. I just play the way I always do.Which do you favour – finding the gaps or chipping over the in-field?
I prefer finding the gaps or hitting over the bowler’s head.Favourite ground to bat on?
I don’t have a favourite ground as such, but I’d like to play at the Kensington Oval in the final.What’s an unplayable ball according to you?
For me, it would the ones I miss!You now hold the record for the fastest century in both men’s and women’s cricket. Any tips for the men on how to break your record?
No, I don’t. I think they know how to get there.If not cricket, what would you be doing today?
I’d be in athlectics.The power game is something that is not often associated with women’s cricket. Your second fifty in yesterday’s game came off just 13 balls. Do you think Twenty20 can lead to bigger scores and quicker rates of scoring in women’s ODIs?
Yes it will definitely help increase one-day scores.”I don’t have a favourite ground as such, but I’d like to play at the Kensington Oval in the final”•Getty ImagesWest Indies were the dominant force in the 1980s and the early 90s in the men’s game. Why is it that women’s cricket in the region has taken such a long time to take off?
It’s just that the structure for women’s cricket has only developed now. So it will take a while before we can be at the level as the top four.West Indies women have had some impressive performances in the last year, including an ODI series win against World Champions England in November. What has been the trigger in bringing about this turnaround?
We don’t always play together since we are from different countries. But when we get together, we concentrate on working hard and gelling as a side.What did the coach tell you after you came off the field? How did you celebrate?
I got a big hug and then my family called to speak to me.

Plays of the day from game three of the Asia Cup, between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in Dambulla

Siddarth Ravindran in Dambulla18-Jun-2010Quick off the blocks
Sri Lanka signalled their intentions early in the match: Upul Tharanga caressed the first ball through extra cover for three, and Tillakaratne Dilshan followed that up with a crash to the extra cover boundary. Bangladesh’s openers did one better as they set about chasing down the biggest total made in Dambulla – Tamim Iqbal sent the first three deliveries to the boundary. Sri Lanka’s men at the top carried on for far longer, Bangladesh’s were separated in the third over.Some more cheer power
As if the enthusiastic and tireless trumpet-and-drum combos scattered across the stands weren’t providing enough support, the organisers hired two sets of cheerleaders as well. These weren’t the imported pom-pom waving, go-go boots wearing American stereotype of a cheerleader so common at the IPL, but traditionally-attired Kandyan dancers, who added a touch of local flavour to the proceedings. By the end of the match, Sri Lanka’s most famous cheerleader, the 68-year-old Percy Abeysekera, joined them for a jig as well.Beware the part-time offspinner
In their first game of the tournament, Bangladesh were cleaned up by the gentle offbreaks of Virender Sehwag, who finished with career-best figures. Today, it was the turn of another dashing opener who moonlights as an offspinner to cause havoc. It wasn’t even the tail that folded up against Dilshan, three top-order batsmen being undone by him.Different strokes

When you are in one of the deepest troughs of your international career, with your place in the side in jeopardy, you would be well-advised to give up high-risk shots that have previously got you in trouble. Tell that to Mohammad Ashraful, who after a painfully slow innings in which he showed few signs of attacking intent, decided to bring out the reverse-sweep, only to miss and be struck dead in front.Malinga’s special delivery
Lasith Malinga is one of the most popular cricketers around. Every time he runs in he is accompanied by an ominous howl from the crowd, increasing in volume as he approaches the stumps. His fans were disappointed after the Bangladesh top-order managed to deny him a wicket but Lasith’s legion had their moment when he delivered one of his special, pinpoint yorkers that homed in on Naeem Islam’s boot. Naeem tried to get his toes out of the way but the ball swung in so viciously that he fell over after being hit in front.

What makes the IPL v country debate more confusing in the case of Indian players is that both are managed by the same entity: the BCCI

Sharda Ugra27-May-2011On Thursday morning, Cricket Australia sent out a media advisory: it was an injury update on seven Australian cricketers, in alphabetical order, beginning with Brad Haddin and concluding with Steven Smith. The email wouldn’t have been noticed had it not happened amid the tumult of the Gautam Gambhir IPL saga, a Twitter version of which would read: GG aggravates injrd shoulder in IPL, 4-6 wks rest reqd, Windies tour in doubt; GG didn’t know injury that serious, KKR hassld, BCCI angry.Australia’s next tour is in August but clearly someone in CA is keeping an eye on its contracted lot. India set off for the West Indies on the night of May 31 and they play their first match on June 4. Their stand-in captain’s injury has come as a shock to the BCCI.Or perhaps it hasn’t. Did the BCCI not know how all its players were doing before it selected the team for the one-dayers in the West Indies? Even if there was no post-World Cup check-up, was there no pre-event fitness report citing every cricketer’s every niggle? Or did no one read it?The injury report of Andrew Leipus, Kolkata Knight Riders’ physiotherapist, states that Gambhir had taken cortisone injections in his shoulder for the past few years, so it’s not as if the shoulder tore itself during the World Cup final. Was no one paying attention? Had the IPL distracted them all?Through the saga of Gambhir – and, before him, the similar case of Virender Sehwag – the simplest question is this: which of the three parties in this case could have made the most-objective decision? The player, for whom the financial benefit – his contract with Kolkata Knight Riders was worth $2.4 million a season – of playing 64 hours of cricket over six weeks is far too lucrative to ignore? The franchise, whose most expensive auction pick was turning out to be its most valuable one? Or the BCCI, the IPL’s owners, whose essential job is to ensure the health and welfare of that entity called “Indian cricket?”On paper, the BCCI surely should have been the ones on top of the situation. In reality? Never mind. When formulating its framework, the IPL has not only chosen to ignore precedents from other sport, but in the Gambhir case, its own paperwork too.In football, where the club v country debate is much older and deeper, there is a clear understanding that players must be freed for international duty during major events – even if it is mid-season and for up to a month, as with the biennial African Cup of Nations. For less important events like friendlies, club and national coaches engage in constant discussion about how to use the stars wisely.In the IPL, every overseas player’s contract contains an indemnification clause covering injury: should a franchise or a player fail to disclose an injury that affects a player’s participation in national colours, the franchise can financially be penalised by the player’s home board. For Indian players this happens to be the BCCI, the owner of the IPL. No one is clear whether it exists or not on the Indian player contracts.The IPL’s enormous economic success has ensured that neither the event nor its contradiction are going to vanish; what the IPL will continue to do is to churn up issues like the one involving Gambhir. Until now, the matter of players compromising national duty for IPL riches have mostly centred around those from other nations, with the varied case studies of Chris Gayle, Jerome Taylor, Ravi Bopara and Eoin Morgan. With Sehwag and Gambhir, the questions are at India’s door. And they will keep coming.The BCCI’s answer in the club v country debate is well-known. It revealed its stand by resting three senior players – MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan – for the limited-overs part of the West Indies tour.Every IPL v India episode proves why the BCCI actually needs to be overseeing the event, not participating in it. The West Indies saga – the players rested and injured – also indicates why “conflict of interest” is not just a collection of words. Consider this: were the Gambhir matter to be brought to a meeting between a single representative each from the BCCI, the IPL governing council and the franchises, N Srinivasan could possibly sit alone in a room and talk to himself. He is the BCCI secretary and its president-elect, a member of the IPL Governing Council and the owner of Chennai Super Kings.The BCCI secretary would have known that Dhoni could do with a break after the World Cup but the franchise owner and IPL governor in him would have wanted his Chennai captain up and running. When a solution was found for Dhoni, why should Tendulkar or Zaheer be denied? Were India to tour England ahead of the West Indies would Dhoni, Tendulkar and Zaheer still have been rested? Who was sitting in during the Indian team selection for the limited overs section of the West Indies tour? Chairman of selectors K Srikkanth or Chennai Super Kings brand ambassador K Srikkanth?In professional sport, most athletes will make careful financial choices and push their bodies as far as they possibly can, which is what Gambhir was doing. It is time to really worry when the players’ own governors, its Board, believes it is no big deal if India go to England without their best opening combination of the decade.The BCCI may be celebrating the conclusion of another financially successful IPL season but the time for chest-thumping is over. As other boards juggle FTP plans with the terms of player associations, the BCCI needs to visualise what is the best IPL window for Indian cricket in 2015, when the next World Cup comes around. The event has enough cheerleaders; the IPL now needs detached minders and independent watchdogs to ensure that its own appetite doesn’t cannibalise Indian cricket.

On the day of every match, for countrymen on either side, along with the cricketers, history, culture, war, and geopolitics also walk out to the middle. It is a completely unfair notion but has stoked a six-decade rivalry

Sharda Ugra in Mohali29-Mar-2011There was thunder and lightning in Mohali. The night before a game of cricket, the clouds were rumbling, the winds were howling and the skies were streaked with flashes of heated silver. The advent of summer in this part of the Punjab isn’t usually marked by loud messages from the Himalayas like these. It is not hard to imagine why it was different on Tuesday night. The subcontinent’s fractious, umbilically-bound neighbours have opened their windows and let in a World Cup semi-final.India and Pakistan co-exist in general grumpiness, rubbing shoulders like two men diving into a phone booth at the same time or jostling for elbow room when sitting next to each other in a darkened cinema.India versus Pakistan is a bit different.When that happens, the cricket suddenly morphs into a new life form. On the day of every match, for countrymen on either side, along with thirteen cricketers, history, culture, war, and geopolitics also walk out to the middle. It is a completely unfair notion, particularly for the teams involved. But the idea has stoked a rivalry for over six decades and ensures that reality and reason leave the stadium and millions of living rooms at the same time. India versus Pakistan brings the two nations to a standstill and – and this should come as a public advisory below the live feed of every India v Pakistan match – makes television executives go ga-ga.When India versus Pakistan happens in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday it is two teams of players who will be required to be the sober professionals because most of the subcontinent will by then have been drugged by jingoism and chauvinism. Once the handshaking is done, the teams must forget that their two prime ministers are watching them from the stands and have only decided to start talking after several years it would seem because this match turned up.All of that that must somehow be rendered unimportant – because when the two nations play, the abnormality of all around them is what is normal. In this scenario, both the Indian and Pakistani cricketers are well-trained. This extreme is their everyday.India have spent the World Cup living in their bullet-proof bubble so far, progressing at an unhurried pace which can be seem unnerving to watch. Yet, after a straggly start, it was only in their last match, after seven attempts, that India went from being the Cup’s slightly underdone hosts to genuine contenders.In Ahmedabad, they lost the toss, fielded in the heat with a standard that suddenly went from grandfatherly to athletic middle age, before chasing against three-time world champions Australia and showing their steel.In Mohali, they have to be sharp and shiny, too because between the two teams, it is India’s margins that are far more narrow. To not progress to the final of a World Cup where everything has been laid out to take them to the trophy would be seen as a crushing let down by MS Dhoni’s men. The scale of this match against Pakistan can only be understood by two things: the security personnel involved, who teem through Mohali in scores, and the fact that the semi-final has even diminished the attention around Sachin Tendulkar’s 100 international 100s. The man appears to have streaked his hair in what looks like red. When he first arrived on the ground in Mohali on Sunday he began knocking with a set of new bats and shouted across to his mates who had begun their football, “Call me if your are in trouble, I will be there.” Against Pakistan, India will want Tendulkar around, minus trouble.In the midst of the mayhem, if there is one constant at work for the Indians during this World Cup – which Zaheer Khan described the day before the game – it is its “nice and calm dressing room”. India’s has been a slow journey in the tournament, as if the gas in the tank was far too low and could only be used sparingly. It all goes well until Pakistan turns up because trying to cling to ideas of calm at that point is like trying to meditate in an Aerosmith concert. It is not impossible but requires very high skill to achieve. If slow turn at most of the other venues – and Yuvraj Singh – is what has helped them against other teams so far, in Mohali, India will want the sheer weight of runs to wear out the Pakistan bowlers.Pakistan are happy to embrace whatever is being thrown at them. Be it questions about the spot-fixing crisis, the statements from their Interior Minister talking about tapping their phones, the entire Shoaib Akhtar drama or people back home demanding victories. If Shahid Afridi’s media conference is to be believed, getting to the World Cup semi-final and being in Mohali, represents everything: team unity, Indo-Pak relations, the overall Pakistani strike-rate with the bat, issues of the average age of his team and future relations and cricket itineraries between the two nations.India are playing a most un-Indian percentage game and Pakistan are Pakistan and now playing without fear. The size of the ground, the pace off the wicket and the enormity of the occasion may force teams to even throw the last dice of their World Cup in here on Wednesday. So it could be Shoaib Akhtar turning up for one last tilt at Tendulkar. And Yusuf Pathan turning up to match Afridi and Razzak, brutish blow for brutish blow.In a match of this magnitude, India will be secure in the knowledge, like Yuvraj said after the quarter-final, that they know how to handle high pressure situations during difficult passages of play. Afridi’s “emotional” captaincy has brought Pakistan this far, yet in a this game, where emotions have boiled over before a ball has been bowled, it is the lack of it that may just work better. Reason and reality may have left the stadium and both their countries, but the men that can hang on to it on the field will take their team to the World Cup final.In the midst of all this, there will be talks between prime ministers, paperwork between bureaucrats and dinners of vital importance laid out in stadium dining halls with many backs no doubt turned away from the cricket.Given the importance both governments have placed on this single cricket match, perhaps an equal regard should be extended to those involved in it. Maybe Afridi and Dhoni’s crisis management capabilities should be recognised by inviting them sit in during one of those Indo-Pak ‘summit meetings.’ Between them, the captains of India and Pakistan can cover the entire spectrum of responses that work in conflict resolution. Or at the very least they certainly know how to deal with a larger audience outside that just wants a result.

Shaun Marsh appeared to be the only man in Australia’s top five to have an appropriate grasp of the demands of Test match batting

Daniel Brettig in Colombo16-Sep-2011It is one thing to bat at No.3 for Australia in a Test match. Quite another to have Ricky Ponting moved down the order to let you do so. This was the weighty reality that Shaun Marsh took to the batting crease on day one of the third Test in Colombo, having swiped first drop from Ponting in the wake of his impressive 141 on debut in Pallekele.Marsh’s response, a fiercely determined 81 as the rest fell around him, painted him as a man for the occasion as well as the position. He appeared to be the only batsman in Australia’s top five to have an appropriate grasp of the demands of Test-match batting and put the rest of the top order, Ponting and Michael Clarke especially, to considerable shame.The post-Ponting commission could have intimidated Marsh, for it represents the most significant change to Australia’s batting order in years. Across 113 Tests, and 9904 runs, Ponting had dictated the terms of the innings, setting a powerful agenda for all to follow. As well as he played in the second Test, Marsh had only accomplished this task once, and against an attack of only moderate quality.But let the past fade away and a rather different scenario slides into view. Marsh’s retention in the top order was as much an allowance for the senior men’s failings as it was a reward for the centurion. It did not take long on the first morning at the SSC to see that Marsh, at 28, looks the more natural top order batsman than Ponting at 36, or Clarke at any age.The weight of recent data was mounting that not only Ponting, but also the captain Clarke, could no longer justify their claims to the No.3 and No.4 spots. Entering the Colombo Test neither had made a Test century for 22 innings. For any batsman, such figures would be unfortunate, if not terminal. But for those entrusted with the two most important batting positions outside of the opening pair, they represent a fundamental breakdown in the ability to accomplish the most key of tasks. In a word, inexcusable.So the arrival of Marsh at the wicket to replace Phil Hughes – who may be opening another door for Usman Khawaja with what is now an extended run of slim scores – had plenty of sound logic behind it. At No.4 Ponting is a little less exposed to the new ball while at No.5 Clarke returns to the spot from which he has made the most, and most assured, of his Test runs. Hussey’s demotion to No.6 makes a little less sense, for he has been Australia’s best Test batsman for the past 12 months, but he possesses both the team-oriented character and the versatile game to make it work.More striking than the logic was the subsequent evidence of the eyes. On a tacky pitch in heavy air Marsh again showed many of the qualities that Ponting seems to have misplaced and that Clarke has struggled to find. Early on, Marsh was far more comfortable leaving the ball as Sri Lanka’s bowlers directed a surfeit of deliveries wide of the stumps. Both Ponting and Clarke made the obligatory exaggerated bat-raise to let numerous early ones pass, but neither has ever looked entirely comfortable doing so. They like the sensation of bat on ball, the strike rotated, the field pushed. Against some bowling, like England’s last Ashes summer, such initiative is hasty, even self-destructive.Marsh’s defence, and his scoring avenues, also seemed more naturally suited to the demands of a new ball and a fresh pitch. As in Pallekele, he drove only sparingly, waited for straighter deliveries to deflect and shorter ones to pull and cut. His bat came down in a commendably vertical arc, contrasting with the rest of the top five bar Shane Watson, who was defeated more by impetuosity than technical inattention. Most crucially, Marsh seemed entirely uninterested in gifting the hosts his wicket, a commitment that neither Ponting nor Clarke could sustain.In a two-part episode disheartening for its repetitive script, Ponting then Clarke succumbed to wild drives at wide balls. On each occasion there was movement away, but on each occasion the ball had started so wide that it asked to be ignored. That Ponting would still be dismissed in such a manner, having given up the mental strain of captaincy, was an ill sign, though his recent return to Sri Lanka from a visit home for the birth of his second child provided some mitigation. In Clarke’s case, it was the second such dismissal in as many innings in circumstances that placed Australia’s pursuit of a series victory in some peril.Neither man was happy about his dismissal, but then neither could have any cause for complaint. The fault in each case lay with the batsman himself, in the space between his brain and his technique. Before the Test, Clarke had agreed that Marsh had set a marker down for other batsmen to follow: “I guess it shows all of us how you have to bat sometimes in Test cricket. That’s the ultimate innings. You’ve got to bat for a long time to score big runs in Test cricket. Every single one of us can learn from that innings.”Having both been dismissed in circumstances they would regret, Ponting and Clarke had nothing better to do than watch Marsh, their junior in years but not method or focus, keep right on batting. At the start of the day Marsh had been cast in the role following Ponting. By the end it had to be concluded that Ponting now has no choice but to follow Marsh.

Rajasthan ran into Bombay seven times in the Ranji Trophy final, and the title continued to elude them

Abhishek Purohit22-Jan-2012When Rajasthan took the first-innings lead against Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy final in Chennai, they were just a day away from achieving twice in consecutive years what their predecessors of the 1960s could not do in several attempts. Laying their hands on the Ranji Trophy, the pinnacle of achievement in Indian domestic cricket. Seven times in 10 years, Rajasthan made the Ranji final in the ’60s. Seven times in ten years, they came second to a formidable Bombay side, who were then in the midst of an incredible 15-year title-winning streak.Salim Durani, the former India allrounder, was part of that Rajasthan team and more than four decades later, still rues missing out on the title that repeatedly eluded his side. ” [Thousands of desires, each worth dying for … many of them I have realized, yet I yearn for more]”, Durani said, quoting the opening lines of an Urdu poem by Mirza Ghalib.Rajasthan tried everything to win. They packed their side with experienced players from outside the state. They roped in ex-Bombay players like Vijay Manjrekar, the former India batsman. They brought in other Test players such as Vinoo Mankad, Rusi Surti, Durani and Subhash Gupte. They had princely patronage from Maharana Bhagwat Singh Mewar of Udaipur and the backing of the Rungtas, a prominent business family of Jaipur.”The Maharana had a keen interest in sports,” Durani said. “He wanted Rajasthan to do well in the Ranji Trophy. So he brought in the big players from various parts of the country. They used to come two months before the start of the season to Udaipur and also used to play in the state inter-district tournament.”With so much encouragement, Rajasthan became one of the best teams in the country, but facing Bombay in a Ranji final was like running into Rafael Nadal in a French Open final. “No doubt they [Rajasthan] were a very good side, having made the final so many times,” Ajit Wadekar, the former India captain who was part of that near-invincible Bombay team, said. “But back then, you had no choice if you wanted to win the Ranji Trophy. You to beat Bombay in the final. Because Bombay was always in the final.”Not being able to win the Ranji Trophy was one of the biggest regrets of the late Raj Singh Dungarpur, the former BCCI president who was Rajasthan captain in three of those defeats against Bombay. “Raj wanted to win by hook or crook,” Wadekar said. “There was a person from the Cricket Club of India who we used to consider as [bringing bad luck]. Raj had that man travel all the way from Bombay to Udaipur for one of the Ranji finals we played against Rajasthan. And sure enough, on our way to the ground from the hotel, the tyre of our bus got punctured. It was all good-natured fun though.”To say that the all the seven finals were one-sided contests would be an understatement. Thrice, Rajasthan were hammered by an innings. They lost three more finals by seven, eight and nine wickets. Only one final, in 1966-67, was decided on the basis of the first-innings lead. Rajasthan made 284. Bombay declared on 586 for 7.It wasn’t that Rajasthan did not try. In the first final between the two sides in 1960-61, Durani claimed 8 for 99, his best first-class figures. He may as well have dismissed an India Test side, for his dismissals included Bapu Nadkarni, Polly Umrigar, Gulabrai Ramchand, Dilip Sardesai, Madhav Apte and Manohar Hardikar. But “our batting failed in that game,” Durani recalled wistfully.The inevitability of their plight did not dry out the humour in the Rajasthan camp though. In the 1961-62 final, Wadekar, on his way to a match-winning 235, was approached by Mankad when he was on 150-odd. “Vinoo came up to me and said, ‘listen, why don’t you just stop batting? There is no way we are going to get all these runs.” Mankad was right. Rajasthan crumbled to 157 and 95 in response to Bombay’s 539.Such big reversals at the final barrier made victory all the more sweet for Durani when Rajasthan finally won their maiden Ranji title last year. “The boys did what we could not,” Durani said. “It is a very good team, with so much local talent along with the three experienced professional batsmen. [Hrishikesh] Kanitkar is doing a fine job as captain.”

In an extremely slow-scoring series, Australia’s all-round strength and fighting ability proved crucial to the series outcome

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan29-Apr-2012Given the extent to which Australia have dominated West Indies in recent years, the three Tests turned out to be more closely fought than expected. West Indies tried hard but were never quite able to sustain their intensity long enough in any of the matches. Both teams struggled to raise the tempo on pitches that provided assistance to spinners and it was only Michael Clarke’s enterprising declaration that provided a chance of a result in the first Test in Barbados. West Indies, who had shown some form in the ODI series, were unable to match up to it in the Tests and ended up losing their sixth consecutive series against Australia. In Barbados, which was once their stronghold (no defeat for 59 years), they have now failed to win a single Test against top-Test teams for almost seven years. Meanwhile, Australia, who were not quite at their dominant best, won their third series since the Ashes defeat in early 2011. In the same period, they have compiled an excellent 9-2 win-loss record including series wins against Sri Lanka and India.Australia were the team who ended West Indies’ extraordinary run of 22 straight years without a home series defeat when they won 2-1 in 1995. Since then, they have completely turned the tables on West Indies and won seven out of eight series. The only series West Indies avoided defeat in was the 1999 home series when Brian Lara’s batting exploits ensured a 2-2 draw. Since 2000, Australia have won 17 Tests against West Indies, the most they have against any opposition team in the same period. While their overall numbers against West Indies (win-loss ratio 1.65) are very good, it is their recent record that tilts the balance in their favour. In the period between 1970-1999, West Indies had a 25-20 record but that has fallen away sharply to 1-17 since 2000 with their solitary win coming in Antigua in 2003 when they chased down a record 418.

The teams have played six series since the start of 2000 and Australia have emerged victorious in all of them. Between 2000 and 2005, Australia boasted a top-class team and West Indies hardly stood a chance. In the drubbing in Australia in 2000 when they lost 5-0, Australia averaged 40.53 with the bat while the corresponding number for West Indies was just 20.05. In the 2003 series in West Indies, not only was Australia’s average high (56.66), their run-rate through the series was almost close to four runs per over. In contrast, West Indies were way behind and the average difference (difference between Australia’s batting average and West Indies’ batting average) was 22.89. The average and run-rate difference (difference in run-rates of Australia and West Indies) were even higher in the 2005 series in Australia. However, since the retirement of their top players, Australia were not quite able to dominate West Indies similarly. Although they won 2-0 in both 2008 and 2009, the average difference and run-rate difference were greatly reduced. In the 2012 series, Australia’s batting was highly inconsistent and they averaged under 40 against West Indies for the first time since 2000. West Indies, however, did even poorer averaging just 27.82. Another stand-out aspect of the series is the run-rates of both teams. For the first time, both teams scored at lower than three runs per over and the series was the slowest-scoring one between the teams since 1990.

In a series where batsmen struggled to counter the bowling on slow pitches, batsmen from both sides were unable to capitalise on starts. Except for Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who had scores of 103, 94, 68 and 69 in the three Tests, no other batsman was able to display any consistency. The top-three batsmen for Australia averaged under 30 and managed four half-centuries but could not carry on to post a single century. West Indies’ top three were very ordinary with Kraigg Brathwaite in particular having a woeful run (three consecutive ducks). Brathwaite and Adrian Barath were often in trouble at the start, especially against Ben Hilfenhaus who dismissed them three times each.The openers managed just two fifties and had a strike rate below 40. West Indies’ middle-order (4-7) batsmen did much better than their Australia counterparts primarily because of the remarkable efforts of Chanderpaul, who became the tenth batsman to reach the 10000-run mark. West Indies’ middle-order batsmen finished with a better average and a higher number of fifty-plus scores. Australia’s lower-order batsmen averaged higher than those of West Indies, and demonstrated grit and patience in all three matches to frustrate the hosts’ bowlers.

The series turned out to be one of the lowest scoring ones in the West Indies in recent years. It was no surprise then, that the teams found it extremely hard to stitch together useful partnerships consistently. Although Australia’s opening pair averaged under 30 (two fifty stands), West Indies did not even manage to aggregate fifty runs in the six innings. Their partnership average of 7.83 is the second-lowest for a West Indies opening pair (minimum six partnerships in a series) since 1990. West Indies did slightly better than Australia for the second wicket, sharing a century and fifty partnership while Australia managed only two fifty stands. Australia did better for the third wicket but were well behind West Indies on the fourth and fifth-wicket partnership stats. Chanderpaul, who gave West Indies some hope in all matches, was crucial to their middle-order success. Matthew Wade, Australia’s only century scorer, featured in a couple of vital stands in the lower order and this was a major reason why their lower-order partnership average was better than the hosts’.

For years, spinners had found it almost impossible to have an impact in West Indies as most venues were extremely conducive to pace bowling. However, in recent years, that has changed drastically. When Pakistan toured West Indies after the World Cup last year, Saeed Ajmal performed superbly. In this series as well, not only did Nathan Lyon and Shane Shillingford trouble the batsmen, even Clarke was able to extract sufficient turn and bounce in the final Test in Dominica. Clarke picked up only his second five-wicket haul in Tests to give Australia a 75-run win in a match where 26 wickets fell to spinners (average 21.73). In contrast, pace bowlers managed only 12 wickets at an average of 41.00. Barbados, however, continued to favour pace, as fast bowlers picked up 25 wickets at 29.00 while spinners managed only eight wickets while averaging 52.75. In Trinidad, where Kemar Roach picked up a ten-wicket match haul, pace bowlers were slightly more successful than spinners. Overall, in the series, the fast bowlers picked up more wickets (54) than spinners (47) but had a slightly higher average (30.16) than the slow bowlers (28.21).