Fearless Cricket won the World Cup

“A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance..... We end today a period of ill fortune, and India discovers herself again”

Yes I will take help of the same words which were spoken 60 years ago when India got its independence!!! Yes this has been one of those rare occasions in history when we have stepped from the old (era dominated by Sachin, Saurav and Rahul) to the new (Era which promises a lot with Dhoni, Yuvi, RP, Irfan, Rohit). The Cricketing soul of this nation was suppressed since 1983 and yes it has now found a new utterance. 24th September 2007 is a day when we end a period of ill fortune and I am sure Indian Cricket will discover itself again!!!!

I must confess, I began the tournament with a mild sense of cynicism, which was due to my reservations about Twenty20 as a form of cricket. Growing up watching cricket, I understood that Cricket, especially batting, is a combination of 3 Ts viz. Talent, Temperament and Technique. The shorter the game gets, the balance shifts from Temperament and technique towards Talent. While some amount of Temperament and techniques is required in One Day Format, T20 Cricket is a showcase of talent. And to add to it… it is fast, exciting and is more often than not competitive. This format is one of those things which act as a dessert when you consider the big picture of Cricket.

The finalist in the tournament were unarguably the teams full of natural talent and hence it shouldn’t have been a surprise. I heard a lot of people not giving both India and Pakistan any chance to reach the final. But my theory explains it all!!! To be honest one could hardly choose between the two arch rivals. I personally thought that Pakistan was the best team among the 12 teams on board and it would be only fair to say that they lost the cup not due to talent and lack of ability but unfortunately they couldn’t play that “fearless Cricket” for the last 20 overs of the tournament, which was the hallmark of the two finalist of the tournament. I wont emphasis on the final which, I must confess was tough on the nerves and the hearts of the millions but I will concentrate on the big picture.

The big picture that emerged from the tournament was what I call as “Fearless Cricket Theory”. The young teams of India and Pakistan exhibited some of the most amazing fearless Cricket that I have seen for 24 years now. They say experience dilutes a person. Well I am sure they are right. These new guys did not know, and thank god they did not know, things that can go wrong. The examples of this can be seen in Rohit Sharma’s Debut knock of 50 in the semis and that 1st over aggression from Yusuf Pathan in the final. Yes in case of Rohit Sharma it clicked and in case of Yusuf it didn’t. But these guys played this fearless cricket thoughout.

Pakistan must consider itself unlucky to have not won the tournament. Their bowling of Asif, Tanveer, Gul, Afridi was a treat to watch. It was their batting that had let them down more than once in the tournament and I guess that’s the reason they paid the price.

India on the other hand, build momentum gradually as they went into the tournament. The inspiration came from Yuvraj as he hit 6 Sixes of the 19th Over of Chris Broad as Indians defeated the experienced England. Rohit Sharma then proved in the next match against South Africa that, this team does not rely on one individual and all of them can chip in as Indians defeated the South African and cleared their road to the semis. They faced their toughest opponent in Australia in the semis. Here the most striking thing about the India Performance was the clear headedness. Indians Cautiously started with their innings only to hide their cards in the final few overs where even the mighty Australians had no answer to the talent of Dhoni and Yuvraj.

However the test of character was the finals where one must admit that, toss played a crucial role. One is asking for a bit too much if one expects the Run chase in the final of a tournament against the arch rivals to be easy. One had to play “fearless cricket” in that final session of cricket and only Mishab, Tanveer and Imran Nazir could play it from Pakistan and it was all over for them.

This vistory proves that a lot has changed in Indian cricket in the last two decades when we last won the world cup. The fact is that the social geography of the game has changed dramatically: the 1983 winning eleven had four players from Delhi, two from Mumbai, two from Bangalore, one from Chennai. It was the quintessential big city team, mostly comprising of upper-middle class men. The 2007 team, by contrast, is very much a Tier 2 and 3 town team, unburdened by metropolitan consciousness. The winning eleven against Pakistan had only one player from Delhi, one from Mumbai and just one from Bangalore. The rest were from towns like Rae Bareli, Rohtak and Kochi, places with no cricketing history. Many of them come from lower middle class families, having lived in one and two room tenements for much of their lives. A majority of them defy the stereotype. This makes the win all the more INDIAN

Well one hopes these moments shall no longer be rare in Indian Cricket

Here is Vikas Gupta Signing off from city of head quarters of International Cricket Council, Dubai.

T20 Cricket: Whose game is it anyway?

Twenty20 World Cup is only a week old but it already seems to have started a long time ago. It seems ages since Shane Bond took a wicket with his first ball. Last seen, he was disappearing into the stands against Sri Lanka. Or was it against England? Was it yesterday or the day before? As matches blur into one another, the memory gets hazy and scrambled. You are left with a lot of moments, but can you place them? Can you find context?

You see, I am trying to like Twenty20. I really am. I know it's here to stay, and as long as I choose to be a cricket fan, it's an obligation to watch the game and write about it. I really don't want to sound either like an old bore or a cricket snob. Give the damn thing time, I tell myself; it might grow on you.

There have been two enthralling matches in the tournament so far - which is admittedly twice as many as the first phase of the 50-over World Cup had. Zimbabwe's win over Australia, because of its unlikeliness and because everyone loves the underdog; and the tie between India and Pakistan.

I wouldn't call that match a win for India. The bowl-out ruined it for me. A thoroughly thrilling game reduced to a farce by five minutes of meaninglessness. Even in a penalty shootout, which many football fans deride as a lottery, there are basic football skills on display. In the senseless adaptation of the concept to cricket, part-time bowlers have a much better chance of success than regulars. And honestly, what's wrong with a tie? It's rare and precious. Why must cricket copy football thoughtlessly?

The best way to enjoy this game, perhaps, is to enjoy the moments. That will take some reorientation because it is not the way we grew up watching cricket. Yes, cricket is finally all about the moments, but there's always the larger plot to consider; a lot more goes into making those moments. In Twenty20, the moments are the plot. Games can often be decided by one innings, one spell, one over: it is cricket without pauses. You flow with the tide, soak in the atmosphere, and come back for more the next day - or the next hour. It's not cricket as art but cricket concentrated into an adrenalin shot; it's designed to give you a kick but not to linger.

An over can produce two sixes and two wickets. A top-order collapse could mean absolutely nothing. And the finest strokes could be followed by the ugliest hoicks.
Of course it's a far better game to watch at the stadium than on TV, but how much of the fun at the ground is real? The DJ gets into action at every over-break. Every boundary and every wicket is a cue for the dancers to go into overdrive. Some of them don't even know the game. It all feels a bit contrived and lacking in understanding. Edges are cheered as lustily as sublime strokes.

Yet it's easy to see why Twenty20 has a future. It is far less demanding on the spectator: it requires much less patience, engagement, and understanding of the nuances. And it has no history or tradition to intimidate new audiences. Most of all, it is short and something is happening all the time. If you are not burdened with cricket's past and the knowledge of its finer, complex aspects, Twenty20 is pretty good entertainment. It has revived domestic cricket in England, and in South Africa where audience figures for Test cricket have fallen hopelessly.

My friends, who have dumped cricket as it was supposed to be boring, loved the bowl-out. One of my friend, was so excited about the "shootout" that he started text-messaging me at 1:30am from India when I was in Frankfurt Airport. As he cheered and exulted at every hit by the Indians, I was left with conflicting emotions. It felt like both victory and defeat. I was delighted by his sudden involvement with my game, but was it really my game?

Sport is about skills and possibilities. Tests provide the best platform for a full exhibition of cricket skills. Twenty20 shrinks that range. But spectator sports are also about enjoyment. People having a good time can't be such a bad thing after all.

Chuk De India (CDI) : A Winner all the Way !!!!

When the film was about to release though I was very happy about the subject on which the film was made, but I was not sure how the film had shaped up.

Well all those apprehensions went out of the window no sooner India witnessed its first truely hollywood style movie. The shear brilliance of the film cannot be comprehended yet let me try it here. This movie was absolutely great and it had many dimensions to it and I shall put them across one by one

Choice of Subject: Actually story of the underdogs is a safe bet in all parts of the world. But both SRK and the director must be complimented to choose Hockey (a underprivileged Brother of Cricket) as a subject, And Women's Hockey!!!! Can any one name of one Women hockey player. I my self claim to be a sports fanatic but I simply have no answer to it. This was the subject these guys choose and hats off to them .... They Pulled it off

India: India was the most stressed word in the film. I wont go into why it is important to be proud to be an Indian because it has been dealt in the film.

Team Work: I have always urged to all the parents of young children to make their children play on the grounds rather than on Play Stations. Wasn’t the field Goal where the Haryana Girl, Chautala, passes the ball to Preeti Sabarwal a perfect example of how team comes first and then the individual glory. I have seen MNCs spending millions to teach the same by some or the other out bound programme. But nothing is as effective as sports. So please ….. please … play some sports and make the younger generation play too.

Under Current of Religion Bias: Mohd. Azharuddin was once called a “Perfect Modern Muslim” when he and India were doing well under him by “Hindu Samrat” Shri Balasaheb Thackrey. Post Cronje revelations…. He is a traitor… “Inki Toh Jaat Hi aaisi hai”, These guys should have been thrown off the country during partition itself. You know I feel ashamed. I feel ashamed of the fact that we “Hindus” have still not accepted Muslims as our countrymen after 60 years of Independence. Come on. There are good and bad people every where. Wasn’t Ajay Jadeja also named with Azhar. So why target his religion. We claim many times of equality when it is bought to our notice that we had Muslim Presidents, SRK and many other famous personalities are Muslims and we have given them equal treatment. Yes all this is true. But when it gets down to crunch situations, we target them first. As I said I am ashamed and I apologize to all my Muslim friends jinko aaj tak yeh maa apna beta nahi maan saki.

The point was subtly raised in the film. But the best part is no melodrama involved.

Film Making: The director of the film Shimit Amin might even not know what he has pulled off. I have seen a lot of Indian Films and I must say that only Ram Gopal Verma came close with Company and Sarkar to the Hollywood standard of films. But here Shimit has not only touched those standards but at places he has gone beyond any typical Hollywood sports movie. The best part to me of the film was not what he showed but the fact that he didn’t show many things. Many things that would have turned this feast into a nightmare. He didn’t show Kabir Khan’s 7 year struggle. He didn’t show the frustration of a Muslim in India, he didn’t actually show the man giving speeches when India won the World Cup. Any Indian film would not have missed the opportunity to show that. But Shimit did miss it and thankfully so. He knows, that a man does not necessarily cry when he is sad. Those emotions can come by showing a rock hard face. He did that!!!!

Performances : All the gals were brilliant but to be honest I cant take off “Preeti Sabarwal” of my head.

But one man…. Who carried the film …. All Alone…. Was …. Kabir Khan …. Or was it SRK…. Well if he was SRK, he never looked like one. I guess I have said it and u understood it. I guess I took a leaf of Shamit’s book. Lesser is better. But anyways hats off to SRK. Performance of a life time.

SRK: People usually compare SRK and Amitabh. Well I need to illustrate my experience here. Of Late I have been traveling to Europe and when I tell people I am from India. The next question they ask me is are u from the land of SRK. Well I wont comment on who is better but SRK is a Perfect Modern “INDIAN”. Aggressive, extremely hard working, talented, religious, one who has those Indian values and a family man. He has it all. It shouldn’t be a surprise that he emerges as a Brand Ambassador of India

Well all in all the movie was a experience of a life time. I hope people take something of it.

Jai Hind

Vikas Gupta

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India Glorious!!! Chak De as they say it

The most delightful sight moments after India pulled off the historic draw at The Oval was the one of Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar locked in ecstatic embrace. On a patch of turf where India had pulled off their maiden Test victory in England, the trio, a holy trinity in India's batting echelonshistory, were toasting a glorious series win, one built on the bedrock of team unity, partnerships and swing-bowling combinations. No one team member could lay claim to this series being theirs, it belonged to everyone.

Here was a captain supposed to be under scrutiny. Surrounding him were a couple of fading stars who ought to be riding into the sunset. Instead a team without a coach had found pockets of leadership in them. It was long felt Dravid suffered from not having a supportive vice-captain, but here he was being propped up by a couple of shrewd warhorses. India's series win was as much a tribute to the collective brains trust as it was to efforts with bat and ball. What this team lacked in modern coaching technique, it made up for in common sense.

None of India's batsmen made a big statement in the middle, yet everyone came with his own little jewels.

Dinesh Karthik isn't a classical opener - most expected him to fail - yet he showed how confidence could help overcome conditions. The hard work at the nets would have helped; the time spent sharing dinners with team-mates, especially those with a vast wealth of experience, were crucial

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a young man with a cowboy's reputation. But his clear-headedness and ability to adapt have played a part. He had a torrid time behind the stumps, he had edgy phases with the bat yet, when he needed to adapt, he stood up. Watching him assault Monty Panesar at The Oval was special, seeing him knuckle down and craft an ugly 76 at Lord's more so. Memorably he smiled his way through it all.

It's been a series for fun. India took their cricket seriously, yet made sure they had their fun. Here was a bunch of senior pros mingling with young boys, a get together of uncles and high-schoolers. On the first day at Lord's, India's frontline bowlers are flayed to different corners. In walks Ganguly and strikes first. When India batted, RP Singh stuck it out as a nightwatchman. Anil Kumble's maiden Test hundred was simply the icing on the cake. Bits and pieces don't get better.

At Nottingham Zaheer Khan ran in as if his life depended on it. Jelly beans were only part of the story. Here was a fast bowler desperate to win India a Test. RP Singh didn't merely land up at Lord's, he went all the way to the honours board. Yes, the same lanky, nonchalant Rudra Pratap who usually picked up the second fiddle. Even on the last day of the series he was bouncing Kevin Pietersen, forcing him to weave out of the way. Is that you, RP?

Lost amid the intrigue surrounding India's coach, both the previous one and the unknown newcomer, buried under the wretched disappointment over the World Cup, is the gradual re-evolution of India's Test side.

As of now its the time for champagne!!!

It takes two to Tango

Story of the Day after Day two of 3rd Test at Oval, London

• The story of the day was Anil Kumble's unbeaten 110.




• India's total of 664 is their highest against England, and their fourth-highest against all teams.




• Eight 50-plus stands, which is a record in Test cricket. There are 25 instances of six 50-plus stands, but no team had managed seven in a single innings.

In some of their warm-up games on this tour, India have used the 'retired out' option. Batsmen crossing fifty have trooped back voluntarily to the pavilion to give their team-mates more batting time. The tradition seems to have spilt over to the Test match arena, although with a slight modification. The first part, 'retired', has been forgotten - possibly because India's oldies are fed up with all this farewell tour talk - and replaced simply by 'out'.

India's plan, throughout this series, has been outstanding: reach a half-century, look good for a hundred, walk back, and watch the next person do exactly the same. No big gulps from anyone, just small bites from all. You get your fifty, I get mine. Liberty, equality. Anil Kumble was obviously dead against this policy of equality, carving out a most memorable maiden century, but the rest have stuck firm.

Four years ago India's batsmen shone so bright in Australia that experts compared them to England's Bodyline-winning batch of 1932. In four Tests Sourav Ganguly's men ransacked six sparkling hundreds, all of which were over 140. Batting feasts rarely come tastier.

This has been a series for hard-nosed cameos. Since they landed in Ireland, India have played ten matches, both first-class and international. It's produced 31 half-centuries and just two hundreds - Sachin Tendulkar's 171 at Chelmsford and Kumble's 110 here.

There's been lazy elegance (Wasim Jaffer's 62 at Nottingham and VVS Laxman's 51 in the 3rd Test at Oval) and youthful exuberance (Dinesh Karthik's three fifties); controlled assertion (Dravid's 55 in 3rd Test at Oval, Ganguly's 79 at Nottingham) and single-minded accumulation (Tendulkar's 91 at Nottingham and his 82 in Oval); guarded run-gathering (Jaffer's 53 at Lord's, Laxman's 54 at Nottingham); uncharacteristic stodginess (Mahendra Singh Dhoni's fifty at Lord's) and clinical destruction (Dhoni's 92 today at Oval).

Partnerships have been crucial. Batsmen have clung on to each other dearly with a staggering 16 50-plus stands. Unlike in Australia, where they rattled off one masterpiece after another, none of these innings will be termed 'great'. Yet they've made a collective statement. Like a swarm of bees, they've combined to make life hell for the opposition.

Jaffer and Karthik have gelled well at the top, both compact and fluent; Tendulkar and Ganguly have been like soul-mates out in the middle, chattering incessantly; Ganguly and Laxman have had to get through some crucial final sessions; Laxman and Tendulkar brought back memories of Sydney 2004 this morning - where the first brushed and the second sculpted; Dhoni and Kumble have gallantly shepherded the tail; the rest have chipped in at various points.

Ganguly has been crucial. He's been the most composed of the lot but, more importantly, he's the only left-hander in the line-up. Partnerships involving him read: 28, 21, 59, 96, 67, 11* and 77. Batting at No.5, he's split the right-handers perfectly. It's put the bowlers off rhythm. His own scores haven't been outstanding (thanks to two poor umpiring horrors) but his presence invaluable.

India's lower-order didn't promise much before the series but Kumble has led a resurgence. RP Singh slugged it out as a nightwatchman at Lord's. Zaheer Khan took his batting so seriously that external objects on the pitch fired him up for a matchwinning spell. Watching Sreesanth three successive fours off James Anderson was like watching a batsman in his prime. And Kumble's strung together vital partnerships: 17 and 16 at Lord's (the second helped India save the match), 50 and 9 at Nottingham (the first made a difference in the eventual result) and four special ones today: 91, 62, 21, 73.

India have long relied on individual brilliance, this one came with awesome synchrony. In batches of two they Conquered, when one left the other took over. Four years ago, in a series decider, India amassed 705 for 7 declared at Sydney on the back of Tendulkar's towering 240 and Laxman's magical 178. Here they almost matched that, with a partnership bombardment like few others.

Somebody should suggest a motto for the series: 'It takes two to Tango'.

CDI : Jagoo India : Its Hi time

An interesting thing about 15th August and 26th January these days is releases of some interesting films in India.Swades and Rang De jump to your mind instantly.

This time again Yash Raj banner put their head together with SRK to tell us a story. A story that almost everyone of us have heard before..... but unfortunately very few have lived. I know a very few people who can claim that at any point of time of the lived their sport........ even for a month. Only a previllaged few amongst us can boast of understanding the real dynamics of a team and what real winning is all about. Yes I am talking about the not so well hyped release Chuk De India (CDI).

Its a story of an underdog who wants to win the ultimate prize.... the Women's Hockey World Cup!!!! .... After all as they say Winning is the only thing that matters.

Anyways why am I putting this across? Nopes I havent joined the Yash Raj Marketing and promotion team.

Well actually for someone who has spent his time more on Cricket and Football grounds than in the class rooms, for some one who learn manmanagement by sweating it out and not inside AC class rooms of MBA, for some one who learnt team dynamics, trust, sacrifices by falling and then getting up on the "maidans", this film makes people like me extremely excited and happy.

Any effort, to promote sports culture in India always is always a welcome and hence I don't even care how good/ bad the film is. As long as it makes people talk and do something about sports in India.... The film would have done its job. Indian and Indian Companies needs to realise that instead of spending thousands of Crores of Rupees in Team Building exercises and out bound programme, if we in India play our Sports while growing up, you wont require those bull shit things. Its only on a Football/ hockey groundthat u learn to pass the ball at the last moment to your team mate because he is in a better position to put in the ball into the net. What else can teach you not to worry about personal glory ahead of team glory.

I sincerely hope that this movie isn't a disaster and it serves it purpose of awaking the dead of the country.

SRK says "I hope after the film is released there are five-six people who say 'oh, I haven't played hockey for a long time man!' Or a father or a mother picks up a hockey stick and tells their children go play the game. So, if people in India start doing that then it is good enough for me. "

I guess that will be good enough for me too!!!

Jai Hind !!!

Test Cricket Reinvented

The 2nd test match at Trent Bridge between India and England was a great test. The iwas a under statement. The margin, would suggest one-sidedness, but this has been a cracking match featuring some of the old-fashioned skills that so endears Test cricket to its loyal supporters.

The Australians have redrawn the definition of attractiveness in Test cricket by spectacular batting based on unrelenting aggression. To this end they have been helped by the general feebleness of bowlers around the world and the fashion of flat pitches. The role of television cannot be understated: stroke-making makes good viewing and batting pitches ensure matches last the distance. The standard definition of a good pitch has come to be one that is suitable for batting.

Not surprisingly, the great pace bowlers of this era have been shaped by their circumstances. Glenn McGrath and Shaun Pollock are masters of minimalism, bowlers who have relied on their command of line and length and prey on the patience and the character of batsmen rather than tempting them to indiscretion. Mohammed Asif, the next potentially great bowler, belongs to their type.

This summer, though, in cloudy and heavy conditions, the art of swing bowling has come to the fore. Ryan Sidebottom has been England's best bowler of the summer, including periods when Steve Harmison was available. And it's been traditional new-ball swing and not the reverse swing Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones deployed to bring the Australians to their knees in 2005. Late into the summer, the ball hasn't stopped swinging.

It has made for fascinating cricket. It has encouraged bowlers to pitch the ball up, and it has forced batsmen to reassess their options. Driving on the up hasn't been easy, batsmen have had to play late, adjust their strokes and be vigilant at all times. Runs have had to be earned, and so been far more valuable. More than anything else, it's been a contest.

Apart from the first two sessions at Lord's, the Indian bowlers - barring the hot and cold Sreesanth - have been exceptional. Zaheer has used his experience and the knowledge of English conditions to perfection. In the first innings at Trent Bridge, he relied on the conditions, overhead clouds and moisture on the pitch. On the fourth day, greater skill and variety was demanded. While the pitch had eased up, however, swing was still available and he used the angles left-handers alone can manage with the canniness that has been a refreshing addition to his bowling. And when the release was right even RP Singh, playing only because Munaf Patel stayed home injured, produced some great balls.

Years later, when fans look at the bowling card, they might not be able to appreciate the quality of Vaughan's innings. But it must surely count as one of his best. He made batting look easy when the pressure was immense and the conditions were demanding. It is the nature of cricket, and no one will know this better than Sachin Tendulkar, that hundreds in lost causes are not often accorded the status they may merit if skill was the only criteria. If a comparison was to made, however, this was a superior performance to his 197 against India at the same ground five years ago. That was a more flowing innings featuring more gorgeous strokes. This one tested him far more. And the moment he was out, batting seemed a far more hazardous task for his colleagues. And while there was incredulity when Kevin Pietersen described his hundred at Lord's as his best ever, it wasn't just a case of Pietersen's trying to hype up his latest performance. Batsmen know when they have been put through the grind.

Seen in isolation, the fourth day's play at Trent Bridge would count among the best days of Test cricket in recent times. The conditions were roughly even: batting was challenging, not impossible, and the bowler had to do more than just put the ball in the right spot to get wickets. Both runs and wickets had to be earned and Vaughan and Zaheer provided two masterclasses.

India dominated the Test on all five days but it was never easy. That they scored 481 without a century would point to an all-round performance. Even though it was founded on an opening partnership of 147, the middle order had to scrap for every run and Tendulkar's battle against Sidebottom on the third morning will soon be the stuff of folklore. Had Tendulkar perished then, it was conceivable that India would have collapsed.

While the Indian team and their fans savour another victory away from home, which mercifully for them is much more frequent now, here's the occasion to celebrate the return of Test cricket as we once knew it.