India-NZL draw first test

After beating Australia yet again, India had yet again reinforced their No.1 ranking. And so, when they were to face the 8th ranked team, it was expected to be a cake-walk. Interestingly, none of the big players were rested.

The 1st day was much like how everyone expected it to pan out. Sehwag and Dravid piled on the runs as India posted 329/3 at the end of days play. The next morning started on a similar note until Jeetan Patel picked up two quick wickets and soon India were 392/6. But, unlike before, the Indian tail added a few runs again. Harbhajan Singh scored 69 of 97 with 3 sixes and 5 fours. India were bowled for 487 runs with skipper Vettori picking up four and Jeetan Patel picking up 3 wickets.

The NewZealand Innings was jolted with two early breakthroughs as McIntosh and Watling got out late on day two. But, Ross Tayor and Brendon McCullum steadied the ship and saw the Kiwis till stumps. The batsmen weren't troubled by India's new ball pairing of Sreesanth and Zak as there wasn't much in the pitch for the bowlers.

Taylor and McCullum raced away on the third morning as the Indian attack looked toothless. But, just as the were looking great, the Indian spinners struck. Harbhajan got Taylor caught at short Mid-on and Ojha had McCullum stumped. Those two reckless shots put New Zealand under pressure at 137/4. There wasn't much hope with Jesse Ryder and debutant Kane Williamson at the crease. But, against all expectations, the pair added 194 runs for the fifth wicket. Despite the lifeless wicket, it was a commendable job to keep the Indian spinners at bay. The conditions didn't support reverse swing much and the Indian pacers were also unsuccessful in getting a breakthrough. The partnership ended on the last ball of the day as Ryder fell to Sreesanth just after reaching his century. At 331/5 the match look well poised for a great game.

The next morning, the Kiwis continued from where the left, as they got closer and closer to India's total of 487. At 417, New Zealand lost both their batsmen at the crease. Williamson got out after scoring a well deserved ton and Vettori followed suit. The lower order were dismissed for cheap as India managed to hold a slender lead of 28 runs.

As if their batting performance wasn't enough New Zealand managed to shock everyone with an impressive bowling performance as India were left reeling at 15/5. Fast bowler Chris Martin did what no bowler managed to do for the previous three days. With Sehwag, Sachin, Dravid, Raina, Dhoni and Gambhir all back in the hut, it was again down to Laxman to play the rescuer and yet again he lived up to his expectations as he saw off the onslaught with Harbhajan Singh. At the end of days play, India were looking to avoid an embarrassing defeat at 82/6.

Laxman and Harbhajan continued to score runs and the turbanator got the Indian fans cheering again as he reached his maiden test century, avoiding defeat in the process. The match was drawn as New Zealand were posted a target of 294 to win.

This game could be a timely wake-up call for the Indians, as they look to prepare for their tour of South Africa in the winter. It was also a great confidence booster for the Kiwis who found the going tough in the preceding tour of Bangladesh.

   

Nehra ready to play Tests again

Ashish Nehra has been one of the best fast bowlers produced by our country. In my opinion, the Nehra's performance in the 2003 World Cup(excluding the Final) was one of the best by an Indian fast bowler. He is also probably the only Indian fastbowler to have clocked 150kph.

His career was bogged down by injuries, quite like his compatriot Zaheer Khan. But, he has made a strong and steady comeback to the international setup against all odds. He is an example for our younger fastbowlers as he hasn't missed a single game due to fitness issues.

However, it will be interesting whether the selectors will consider him or not. On the basis of his performances in the past two years, Nehra has now become an important cog in the National limited overs squad. Also, younger bowlers like Sreesanth and Ishant have gone for a lot of runs in the limited overs but have supported Zaheer khan well in the test matches. So, one wonders if BCCI would be ready to risk Nehra's involvement in the World Cup.
But, having him fit for the South Africa series is good news for Team India as the South African pitches support fast bowlers. Nehra has bowled really well previously in South Africa and if he can replicate those performances India will have a great chance to win the series.

Truly the Best Test Team Currently

There hasn't been a more disputed No.1 team in Test cricket than Team India. Experts have always questioned the ability of Team India to take 20 wickets. But, yet again, India have silenced their critics with a clinical performance on the last day. The test hung critically in balance on the start of the last day. But, the Indian pace bowlers did well to bowl the tale out quickly. It was a good performance by the seamers as the Australian tale is probably one of the most meanest tales in world cricket.

Chasing a total of 207 on the last day wasn't an easy task as the pitch was deteriorating. But, the Indian batsmen didn't leave any work for the tale to do this time. Sending Cheteshwar Pujara at No.3 was a great tactical move by Dhoni. It gave the youngster to make up for his unfortunate dismissal in the first innings. He  played with a clear and uncluttered mind and kept the Australians at bay as India chipped away to victory. This innings will give Pujara lot of confidence.

India also has found a solution to the spot for the second spinner. Pragyan Ojha has been one of the most impressive bowlers in this series. He has a great control over his line and length. His discipline and perseverance made it difficult for the Australians to score runs quickly. It was also good for Team India to have their leading bowlers back in action. It is a wise move to rest them for the ODI series as there is a lot of cricket coming up this season which will be followed by the Cricket World Cup.

The Ashes - England Squad

Over the past few years, India-Australia series have provided a lot of excitement. But, well, there is nothing as exciting as the mother of all battles, The Ashes. No matter how good England have been over the years, there is nothing as great as beating the poms for the Aussies.

So, lets have a look at the England Squad:

Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior, Steve Davies, Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Chris Tremlett, Monty Panesar

Currently, the England and Australian squads are equally good with England having a better spin department. England batting line-up has greater stability than before. They have a bunch battle-hardened fellows in their squads who won't be picked apart by the Aussies like how the likes of Bopara and Ian Bell have got previously.

In Collingwood and Trot,t they have two very good grafters who will provide the strength in their bating line-up. Also, the form of Kevin Pietersen will be the key if England are to win the Ashes.

England's bowling department looks wewll balanced. James Anderson will be facing the test of his life. He has bowled amazingly well in English conditions. But, now as the leader of the pace attack he has to prove that he can bowl equally well outside England too. Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann have been great contributors to England's recent success. While, Broad has matured well into a consistent fast bowler capable of picking crucial wickets, Graeme Swann is arguably one the best finger spinners in world cricket. He spins the ball a long way and has been a great wicket-taker. England have backed up themselves well with Steven Finn, Tim Bresnan, Chris Tremlett and Monty Panesar.

It will be interesting to note who gets picked as the third fast bowler. Young English bowlers have had the tendency to wilt under the Ashes pressure. Will England stick with Steven Finn or pick some one more experienced like Tim Bresnan.?   

India's Poor 1st Test Records

The past 10 years has been one of a transition for Team India. Under Ganguly, we notched up several away test wins and have become better travellers. Under Dhoni, we finally became the World No.1. But, we are still slow starters and our performances in the first test of every series have been under par over the years.

Here are some stats:

In the last ten years, India has played 30 test series home and away(excluding Bangladesh and Zimbabwe). We have won 13, lost 11 and drawn 6.

In those 30 test series India has managed to win 7, lose 10 and draw 13 first test matches. This clearly shows that Team India takes time to adapt to the opposition, the conditions etc.

Another interesting stat is that India has managed to win a series after winning the first test 6 out of 7 times. India has managed to comeback and win a series after losing the first test only once- against Australia in India (2001).

So, if we go by these stats, the chances of India leveling the series against South Africa seem to be low.

Stats- Best Fast Bowling Performances in India

Like how great batsmen are remembered for their innings in tough conditions(Example: Sachin Tendulkar-Chennai Test 1999), great bowlers are those who get the bowling moving around on dead pitches. Dale Steyn's 10/108 against India was one of the best demonstration of conventional and reverse swing. I believe he is one of the most complete bowlers of all times.

Rarely, do you get to see a bowler who has aggression and consistency in equal measures. Despite his swing, consistency and pace, I believe Steyn's greatest strength is his aggression which makes batsmen play poor shots.

In his four matches against India in India, he has averaged 16.14 with two 5-wicket hauls in an innings.

For long, Indian pitches have been labelled as "Fast Bowlers Graveyard". So, fast bowlers all over the world covet their performances in India. Some of the greatest bowlers like McGrath, Pollock, Ambrose and Donald haven't managed to get 5-wicket hauls in India.

Here are the some other great fast bowling performances in India by foreign players in the past 20 years:

Lance Klusener 8/64

Dale Steyn 7/51

Dion Nash 6/27

Mathew Hoggard 6/57

Courtney Walsh 6/79

Ball Tampering - Let's give the bowlers a chance

The modern game is no longer a fair battle between the bat and the ball. In a game which tries to preach equality, its very basic rules donot help the case.

Bowlers in the modern game are allowed only two bouncers per over, why so when batsmen today wear every sort of protective equipment? Powerplays and free-hits give bowlers no room for error whatsoever. To add to their misery, officials ask for flatter pitches in order to bring more crowds to see the sixes raining, not knowing this act of theirs is turning cricket from a game to a circus where the ringmaster (the batsman) whiplashes the elephants (the bowlers). Even those elephants have organizations ( like PETA) to lookafter them, but the Bowlers?..they are still being abused.

Although I don't support Shahid Afridi's recent ball tampering act, but I believe its time that we legalise it. Ball tampering is a unique and common part of Pakistani Cricket, like how sledging is for the Australians and choking is for the Saffers(:P).

If any one of you feel that reversing a tampered ball is easy, then your are grossly mistaken. To get the perfect reverse swing, one needs pace and accuracy coupled with a good angle and wrist position. It isn't something meant for the layman but only a select few can get to reverse the ball at their mercy. So, tampering the ball is just one of the aspects of good ball-keeping that can aid reverse swing. But, reverse-swing isn't all about ball tampering solely. So, why not give the bowler a certain degree of freedom if it is going to just make the game a bit more entertaining and bit more gamely. Every ardent cricket lover, who loves to watch a batsman hoicking one over the stands, loves to watch fast bowlers let it rip in equal measure. Its time that the ICC legalize ball tampering.

Masterclass from Jacques Kallis

Jacques Kallis couldnt have equalled the record of Gavaskar and Lara with a better innings than the one today against India. South Africa came into the Test with a new coach and were soon 6/2. In came their most experienced player and did what he does best.

Kallis weathered the early storm by patiently building and not giving India any further wickets. In support, Hashim Amla did a great job by giving the strike to Kallis initially and then eventually taking the charge in the final session. Kallis played the Indian spinners with caution but never missed out on scoring oppurtunities, as he punished Mishra severely whenever the latter dropped short.

He exploited the inexperience of Mishra, who was consistently looking for the one unplayable delivery rather than working the batsmen out. There was turn for the leggie but he was trying too hard and ended up bowling a few down the leg-side. It was a battle of attrition which the experienced Kallis won comfortably.

Kallis also didnt allow Harbhajan Singh to settle down. He moved across the stumps to make Harbhajan bowl closer to his body. When he pitched it too close and too full, Kallis swept him with glee.

Zaheer Khan, who started the day with a spell of 6-4-4-2, also couldnt remove Kallis. He tried coming round the wicket to him but Kallis waited for the odd delivery which was too straight and played them past the fine-leg boundary.

To sum up, this innings from Kallis is turning out to be an epitome for mental strength and tactical shrewdness. It will be great to see him score the elusive double hundred tomorrow.

Ojha vs. Mishra

Since Anil Kumble retired from Test Cricket back in 2008, Pragyan Ojha and Amit Mishra have been fighting for the spot of the second-spinner. In the subcontinent, India generally plays with 2 spinners. So now, who is the better of the two?? Let us analyse their performances.

Amit Mishra

Amit Mishra started his test career brightly with a 5-wicket haul against the Aussies at Mohali. At that point he seemed to be Kumble's successor. But, an average of 40.38 in the next 6 tests suggests that he hasn't been as promising since. Being a legspinner, he struggles to keep things tight and hence leaks runs. Legspinners are always susceptible to giving away runs because of lesser control (unless you are talking about Warne or Kumble). But Mishra hasn't bagged many wickets either.

With Harbhajan Singh being the spearhead of the attack, the second spinner's job is to keep things tight at his end by not giving away runs and piling on the pressure. This is what dampens Mishra's case.

Pragyan Ojha

Pragyan Ojha came to the fore for his performances for Deccan Charges in IPL 2008. For long he was touted as a bowler for the shorter versions of the game. He first got his call-up for India in ODI's in 2008 and his ODI average is a healthy 28 in 9 games at just 4.8 rpo. He finally played his first Test in the last home series against Sri Lanka. In the three matches he has played till now, he has managed to tie down his end, allowing Harbhajan and the other strike bowlers to work the batsman out. Moreover playing him gives us a right-left combination and hence covers all angles. Plus, Ojha is a young player and playing him helps to build our Test Side for the future.

My Verdict: Ojha plays, Mishra out.

Lax Attitude

Test matches against Bangladesh aren't probably where Indian Test Players' performance can be gauged. But, it is where you can regain some form for some important forthcoming games. Yuvraj had the perfect oppurtunity to do so on the 1st morning of the Mirpur Test. With the Bangladeshis pumped by Sehwag's remarks, they had India in a spot of bother at 107/4. Stepped in the Prince of Indian Cricket with a chance to play a knock that could change things around quickly. He stayed at the crease for 40 balls, with Shakib-Al Hasan doing a good job in keeping things tight. Then came a shot that was hit in the air with no conviction whatsoever and it was a straight dolly at mid-on. Even if Yuvraj Singh was trying to give some catch practice, he should have hit it harder to give Rubel Hossain a challenge. This was as easy it could get for Bangladesh.

I firmly believe that great Test sides have a really solid lower middle-order. With the likes of Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman batting ahead of him, Yuvraj is seldom going to get a chance to play match defining knocks on flat tracks for India. The aforementined players are too good to all let go the oppurtunity at once. Yuvraj's oppurtunities will come when the conditions are going to be really tough to bat on. His only match-winning performance for the Test Side in the recent times has been the Chennai chase of 387. Even the greatest fans of Yuvraj Singh will agree that he isn't the most consistent, hard-working and dedicated cricketer. His temperament has been exposed on numerous occasions at the Test Level.

The West Indies had the likes of Alvin Kallicharan, Clive Lloyd and the Aussies had Steve Waugh and the likes at the No.5. &No.6. Yuvraj doesnt look even a part of the above mentioned greats. And with Murali Vijay performing well, he'd better get his act right or get dropped.