INDIAN TEST TEAM OF 2009-2015

From Mid 70s to the late 80s, there were no ICC team ranking, but then no one ever argued that West Indies team then was the best Test team of that era. Similarly the cricket of the 90s and a good part of the 2000s was dominated by Australia. It has been 1 year since India has become no.1 team as per the ICC test rankings and yet people don’t think it deserves to be there. As a fan of test cricket I agree. India has not done enough to prove its outright superiority over others.

“Test” of the Indian Test team starts from 15^th Dec 2010, when India takes on the no. 2 test team South Africa in 3 test. Indian team will then be distracted by the world cup but after that we go to West Indies for 3 tests in May to July 2011. India then head to England from July to Sept 2011 for 4 tests. Later in October India host West Indies for 3 more tests. Finally in End 2011,India tours down under to meet the Oz in 3 tests. These 16 tests will determine how great Indian test team is.

There are two main questions that need to be addressed if we are to ensure, test team is at No. 1 position.

We all know that tests are won by bowlers. While the batsmen can ensure that they make enough runs and save the test, one has to take 20 wickets in each test so as to win it. Our bowling department is spearheaded by Harbhajan Singh. Now Bhajji has scored two back to back 100s against the Kiwis and thats what is worrying me. Harbhajan will need to guard against believing that taking two wickets and scoring 45 is good enough. Taking five wickets and scoring 15 would be a more valuable contribution most times. This is not to suggest that he ignore his batting. Merely that he needs to regard himself as a bowling match-winner first. Harbhajan is now 12 years old in the test arena and now  your tricks become familiar, your metaphors tired, your slower balls predictable. But it is also a phase that separates the best from the very good. It is a phase that Harbhajan is going through. In the last two Test matches there has been a hint of a new dawn, but South Africa will be the challenge. Harbhajan’s revival as a test bowler will determine India’s success in next year. I am more assured of our fast bowling spearhead Zaheer. Zaheer now has a correct mind on his shoulders and hence, one can rely on him. The only concern will be his body. Hope he is not over burnt.

The “Test” lies beyond these two as well. India does not have a defined No. 3 and No. 4 bowlers. Munaf, Sree, Ishant, Ohja, Nehra and Ashwin are the alternatives we have. On the test level, not very good alternatives to have. Ishant and Nehra have struggled to come back and swing the ball, the trait which separated them from the rest. Munaf on the other hand is not consistent enough in his performances and also he has lost that zip of the surface. Ashwin is too flat to be a test bowler at this time and as it is with Bhajji in the team, it is very unlikely that India will ever opt for 2 right arm offies in their team.

In short India’s no. 1 worry is its bowling department and its depth.  I will put my neck out here. Groom Deepak Chahar, from the looks of him, seems to be a bowler hungry for wicket and I have heard hi is nippy as well.

While the amplitude of the team will be decided in the next 12 months, the duration of time at which India can remain No. 1 test team will also be interesting. In all probability, the big batting guns of Indian cricket should play in the next 12 months. What happens after that will determine the depth of India. We need an answer to fill in slots of Sachin, Rahul and VVS and trust me its a daunting task for even reputed international stars to fill in their slots. But then the show must go on even when they leave. A disclaimer that I would like to put here is that I am going to suggest a shape of Indian team after these greats have left, but we should not get in to the trap of comparing the young players to the greats. One can never fill in shoes of Dravid, leave aside Sachin and VVS.

Shewag and Ghabhir are most likely here to stay for 3-4 years. Rahul- the wall isn’t getting any younger and its time that Chitteshwar Pujara is groomed for the no. 3 spot. Similarly, Rohit needs to get his act together to play at no. 4, a place which Sachin has made of his own. Virat Kohli and Raina should look themselves to be at 5 and 6 with Dhoni at 7 and Bhajji at 8.

While the above line up isn’t as impressive as that we have now, but then I don’t think we will ever have a time to have a line up which is any where close to what we have now.

The greatness of this team shall lie on the shoulders of the bowlers. While the void created when Sachin, Rahul and VVS leave can never be filled, bowlers will determine our Ranking in 2015.

T20 WHOSE GAME IS IT ANYWAYS (REVISITED)

Today, to be able to say you are a Test match fan requires the kind of courage that was needed a decade ago to articulate an alternate sexual preference.But then when a purist like me who derives his spirituality from cricket, from Test Cricket, there is very little you get following T20 cricket. 3 years back I wrote a blog with the same title. At that time I was new to T20 Cricket. But 3 years down the line I have seen enough T20 cricket and here are the reasons I do not like about T20 Cricket.


Uneven Contests between Bat and Ball
A batsman is considered as great when he scores his runs in tough conditions against good bowling attack. Why is Sir Don Bradman considered to be arguably the best batsman world has seen. He scored his runs in the worst of conditions- pitches were uncovered then. He had to face bodyline attack. He stood there where others would have left. Ask Sachin about his favorite 100 in any form of Cricket and he will tell you that he rates his 100 against Australia at Perth in 1992 as his favorite. Why? Setting: Perth,'92… World’s fastest and most bouncy track of the world .. Craig McDermott, Merv Hughes, Mike Whitney and Paul Reiffel formed the attack. Sachin scored 114. Aussies bowed to the master and his craftsmanship.


T20 Cricket is all about bat. In a country like India, we believe that if the majority likes it, it should be right. No wonder we have leaders like Mayawati and leagues like the IPL. Mindless hitting though and across the line makes people happy. Its like tying a tiger and then throwing pebbles at it. Cricket is at its best when both the bat and the ball have equal chance to win. T20 Cricket fails to provide that.


Character of the player is never tested in T20 Cricket
A character of a player is tested over a period of time when he is down. The T20 game gets over in a little more than 3 hours. How can it “test” the character of a player. 3 years of T20 Cricket and do u remember even one inning that you remember that a player’s character was revealed.

Game of Chance and not of ability
Lets see this Statistics. Bangladesh won 3 tests so far out of 66 tests. One against Zimbabwe and the other two against depleted West Indies team when they had no international player. Compare it with their T20 record where they have won 3 of the 14 T20 matches they have played. A 20% record in the T20 against a 4% record in tests. Clearly you can be lucky on the day and win T20 matches. Tests are won by ability and not chance. While T20 is like gambling, Test Cricket is a real Sport.

Docile Pitches
One of the great adventures of cricket was the test of a player in varied conditions. In India ball would turn, in Sri Lanka it would come slow, English pitches assisted Swing where as Aussie pitches were fast. Sachin Tendulkar, Virendra Shewag, Ricky Ponting, Brain Lara, Muralitharan, Shane Warne became greats not batting and bowling on docile batsmen friendly pitches. T20 pitches are prepared in such a way that it hardly matters where you are playing, its almost the same thing. Adaptability of a player, his ability is hardly getting tested in T20 Cricket.

No 2nd Chances
You can be unlucky once, so tests gives you two chances. In 1999, Chennai, India V/s Pakistan Test, Sachin got out of duck in the 1st innings. Like life, Cricket gives you a 2nd chance. Sachin made 136 in the 2nd innings and yet to be defeated by 17 runs. Tests gives you that 2nd chance. To take it or not is in your hands. T20 is far from all this.

Heros are made and forgotten in a Day
Lets remember those moments etched in our memory about test Cricket

• India Beat invincible Aussies in 2003 where they were on a 17 test win rolling streak
• Laxman’s 281 and Rahul’s 181 and Harbhajan’s Hatrick in the same match
• Shewag’s Triple Ton at Multan
• Sachin’s 114 at Perth
• Kumble’s perfect 10 at Kotla


Well I can go on and on. How many such incidents do you remember of T20 cricket. The only one that comes to my mind is Yuvi’s 6 Sixers in an over. Heros are made of people making a quick 20s/30s. Fortunately they are forgotten the next day. People cannot and do not forget the above achievements of tests


Boundaries and Good Shorts do not mean anything
A Cover drive of a short of a length ball with 3 slips and 2 gullies on is such a great short in Test Cricket. Does a Dilliscoop any match to the same.


Intolerable Language
T20 has commercialized the game so much that even the literature of the game has been adversely affected. “Citi moment of Success”, “Karbon Kamaal Catch”, MRF Blimp is what I get to hear when I watch T20. I miss the days when commentators described Saurav’s off side play as “on the off side, 1st there is God and then Ganguly.”Where are those days

However I also know that as long as I choose to be a cricket fan, I got to make peace with T20 cricket. But then the administrators of Cricket throughout the world need to remember that no business that takes its core customers for granted can survive long. If Tests go, cricket dies.

Why an NRI?

Why did I leave my country? Why does any one leave his country? The possible answeres I could look were

1. Better opportunities for quality of life.
2. Better Job opportunities.
3. Better health care facilities.
4. Cheaper living conditions.
5. Moving next to / with a person you care about (family, friend, lover).

Stupid!!!! Wasn’t I when I left India. None of these reasons applied to me. I left India because I was bored.

Bored !!!!…… Bored of what? Of being at a place where I grew. Where I learnt what it is like to work and earn your bread. I wanted to explore. Test my knowledge and skills. Challenge is what I was looking at.

What I forgot was I am a man of few needs and desires. I never wanted hundreds of horse powers taking me to office. Nor did I ever wish for a palace to live in. No, I do not have an ambition to leave my GenNext with a sliver spoon.

I came to Dubai in 2007 with no major dreams. Just wanted to work and collect my self. Before long I realized, I couldn’t bear my loneliness. I always thought I could. Trust me an alien land makes you more lonely than a single man could be. Got married. Earlier I had one lonely soul to tackle. Now I have two. Like me, my better half isn’t a big fan of ultra modern life style.

Why am I here? When I am not learning anything anymore. When I am not growing as a person. When the roads don’t own me. When the people don’t seem mine. When my parents are not with me. When they are growing old and sick and I cannot take care of them my self. Am I selfish? No I am not. I am giving them everything that money could buy. But they do not need money. They need me. But then, they might live with some shortcomings.

Money has its own attraction. I wont be earning even half of what I do here. I have everything in abundance now. Hence I may overlook power of money. Tomorrow, I might not have the strength or adaptive nature to go to a new land to earn. I need money for the future. For myself. For my next generation. For my parents. They deserve the best. I might slog but they need to be cozy. They need to be protected.

I shall continue to slog. To live in an alien land. To survive unpleasant climate. As they say “ Apno Ke Liye…. Apno se Door”

From An NRI

INDIA FAULTERED, PAKISTAN FOULED : CRICKET HAS BECOME POLITICAL

What happened today in Mumbai was shameful and every Indian must be ashamed to the treatment given by the IPL franchises to the 11 Pakistani Players on Auction. Pakistan is not slated to play any international Cricket in the IPL 3 slot and hence the excuse that availability of Pakistani players was an issue is totally false. The decision by the franchises is not only incorrect cricketing wise but has insulted Pakistan as a nation.

Why were the Pakistani Players asked to get NOCs from the Pakistani Cricket Board, why were they are to get their VISAs sorted out, why all the drama over the deadlines when you knew that the franchises would not be able to pick the Pakistani players under Government pressure.

India accuses of Pakistan of 26/11 but then we cannot be at war with our neighbours indefinitely. It is so easy in India to create an Anti Pakistan Environment. Activist television channels package anger. Many seek hot pursuits of terrorists and the destruction of terror camps across the border, the government finds itself besieged. Sending troops across the border is, of course, not an option, but the popular mood usually demands a demonstration of action, and it was very easy for our politicians to use cricket as a tool of appeasement. Today the franchises took an easy option ….. an option to please the people and the government.

In the end, I must say Cricket will be a causality. Make no mistake, Pakistan is World Cup T20 champions and they were runner up in the 1^st edition. No one knows to play T20 better than the Pakistanis. We have been stolen with an opportunity to see the best in action.

Pakistani Players and nation as a whole would be upset with the way they were treated by Indians. I, as an Indian apologise. Initiatives like Aman Ki Asha need to reach more people than they are doing right now. I hope common sense will prevail and we get to see people to people contact between the two nations.