Rohit Sharma gets the easy runs

Monday, May 31, 2010 , , , , No Comments

That's right, I'm not going to throw in the superlatives and praise his superb batsmanship like he's the next Sachin. He may have made back-to-back centuries, both times when India was in a spot of bother, but let's face it - the tracks have been flat, and the opposition bowling on both occasions was ordinary.

The good - he examined the situation. and paced his innings quite well both times.

The bad - better sides will not allow him so much breathing space, will probably not release the pressure on him to such a great extent.

The ugly - evil monkey from Family Guy.

I'm not saying this is bad, of course - the runs were there for the taking, and he's done just that. This is a stepping stone for him. He's got two international hundreds now (full of great strokes), he knows the feeling, and hopefully this has ignited a hunger for many more, because he's certainly capable.

Get fit, Rohit Sharma, and keep scoring.

The loss doesn't matter

Friday, May 28, 2010 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , No Comments

India's loss to Zimbabwe in the first ODI of the tri-series doesn't matter too much. It is definitely a step backwards for us, but not because we lost.

It's pretty clear that the whole point of this series, from the selectors' point of view, is to try out new players - especially uncapped fast bowlers. And going by that, it was a disappointing game.

Vinay Kumar, Ashok Dinda and Umesh Yadav were all playing their first ODI, and barring certain moments, they looked mostly toothless. To be fair, it was a flat pitch and none of them are exactly express. Vinay Kumar picked up a couple of wickets but went for runs at the death. Umesh Yadav didn't bowl a consistent length, but managed to get a few deliveries to rear up. Always a good sign. Ashok Dinda just isn't good enough for international cricket - he had a few good spells in the IPL but he will struggle in different conditions. Bowling-wise, this game showed us again that spin is our strength. Playing Pragyan Ojha would definitely have won us the game, but then we wouldn't have seen much of one of the pacers.

The batting wasn't too great - it was a 350+ pitch and we struggled for the most part, only picking up the pace in the last 10-15 overs when Rohit Sharma went crazy and Jadeja supported him well. Dinesh Karthik and Murali Vijay played out too many dot balls, did the hard work of playing out the new ball while making Mpofu look threatening, and then got themselves in a spot by running poorly. Raina looked comfortable while Sharma was riding his luck. One of the two openers needs to be more aggressive, and I would definitely consider sending in Yusuf at one down - he has played long innings in domestic cricket and an opportunity wouldn't hurt.

Okay, enough rambling about nothing.

Three of Zimbabwe's five biggest chases have been against India.

India v Zimbabwe and other stuff that doesn't matter

Thursday, May 27, 2010 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , No Comments

India play Zimbabwe tomorrow in the first match of a tri-series. There are so many reasons not to bother with this series.

For one, it involves Zimbabwe, which is still a long way from a quality side. And there's Sri Lanka. Again. Between all the tests, ODI's, T20I's and the IPL, our players and their players are either sick of each of other or really good buddies. I suspect the former.

I also don't care much for ODI's. It's sort of a confused format - we know that tests are long and batsmen are all blocky, and we know that T20's are slambangy and really short. I don't know why, but for some reason I can watch five whole days of test cricket, and still am unable to sit through 100 overs of an ODI.

But I will be watching this tri-series, or at least India's games. One obvious reason is that India's playing. Another is that this mass resting of players actually has me intrigued - I don't think I've ever seen an Indian side devoid of its stars. The fact that Suresh Raina - who has only recently cemented his spot in ODI's - is the skipper, will go some way in showing us what we can expect from the future.

Sri Lanka hasn't rested as many players as India, and we can be sure that the 'bounce us out' strategy will be employed at some point by them as well as Zimbabwe. ODI's may be less manic than T20's, but this is a superb test of temperament for the likes of Raina, Kohli, Karthik and Rohit Sharma. Yusuf Pathan has a good chance of doing well this series, but he's still rubbish. Kieron Pollard has a similar reputation as a slogger and is doing a far better job than Yusuf. Naman Ojha is not ready for this level, and Jadeja lacks confidence as well as any sort of definition of his role.

The quicks will be observed closely, none more so than Umesh Yadav, seemingly the only bowler in India who bowls 140+ right now. Vinay Kumar is an old-school Indian medium pacer whose strength lies in accuracy, while I see limited opportunities for Pankaj Singh and Ashok Dinda.


PS. Also, this blog has been added to http://cricket.superblogroll.com, the blogroll for Cricket Blogs.

England win a World Cup and Billy returns

Monday, May 17, 2010 , , , , , , , , , , , , , No Comments

Australia's super run was finally broken, and what a time for it to happen - at the final hurdle. England did everything right - they got the early wickets, and Clarke's edginess didn't help Australia one bit. Once he was gone, their three best batsmen - Cam White and the Husseys - hit some quick runs to add some respectability to the score.

This wasn't enough, of course - England's batsmen have been on song, and despite Lumb going early, the chase proved facile enough. Kieswetter finally converted his starts into a bigger innings, full of eye-catching strokes, while Pieterson smashed a commanding 47 and was deservingly named the Player of the Tournament.

That's England's first major ICC tournament win, and this side certainly has the talent to add to that. The 50-over World Cup starts in half a year, yay.

And on that note ("yay"), it's time to throw down a new Billy strip. This one's a tad shorter than all my other ones, but hey, it's a comeback issue, I was rusty, and it's tough (for amateurs) to make these.

As always, clicking on it makes it bigger. Technology.

Preview: England v Australia (kinda)

Sunday, May 16, 2010 , , , , , No Comments

At last, this the match we've been waiting for.

Not because it is the final of a world cup.

Not because it is England versus Australia and has some (but no) semblance to the Ashes.

Okay, it is for those reasons and more, but for me, it is because it's the last high-profile T20 match for a while. The next test match (WI v RSA) begins on June 10th, and I will be watching. You know, except when Kallis and Chanderpaul are batting or when Harris is bowling.

So here's hoping that today's final lives up to the billing. Maybe we'll see something special, like the Aussie Men and Aussie Women play each others' match to see if they can win by as high a margin.

I may be a neutral, but that's no way to enjoy, so I'll be rooting for England, the underdogs. Which means I think Australia should wrap up their World Cup collection.

I will be getting my commentary from Test Match Sofa, and there's a live chat at The Baggy Green, if you want to be in a room full of Aussie supporters.

Hmm, yeah, that's it.

Michael Hussey reaches the finals

Saturday, May 15, 2010 , , , , , , , , No Comments

At 105/5 in the 13th over, chasing 191, one Hussey replaced another.

At this point, with 87 required in 45 balls, it seemed that Pakistan had one foot in the final.

Cam White departed four overs and only 34 runs later, leaving 53 to get in 21 balls.

And with 34 needed in two overs, you could sense that Pakistan were now sitting on the final and dangling both feet in it, while talking about how lovely the weather was.

At around this point of time Mike Hussey started to creep up behind them with a taser. And eleven balls later, he dragged them away, kicking and screaming, and took their place.

By the way, Ajmal is still an awesome spinner, though his T20I economy rate just went up from an amazing 5.96 to a little less amazing but still great 6.24.

Preview: Australia v Pakistan

Friday, May 14, 2010 , , , , , , , , , , , , No Comments

England have now qualified for the final, having thrashed the Lankans soundly. Australia are almost certain to join them, unless Pakistan decide they want to be in their third successive final and step it up massively. It won't be easy, the Aussie pace attack has breathed fire all tournament with no signs of letting up. All the batsmen (even Clarke) have played their parts perfectly to boot. What could happen is that Australia peaked early and Pakistan are peaking at the right time, but I wouldn't really call their current form 'peaking' at all.

Pakistan's fortunes lie with the Akmals, each of whom will need to provide firepower at separate ends of the innings. Salman Bottom has been the best batsman for them, while Afridi, as always, will be a double threat - with ball and mouth. Had to take that shot, I'm still a little peeved.

Aamer has been consistent, and his five-wicket maiden will not be forgotten by Australia. Ajmal has also been terrific, he's just so hard to get away! None of Pakistan's other batsmen or bowlers (besides the mentioned ones, duh) have shown decent form and Abdul Razzaq needs to backed, he can never be discounted.

Having said all that, this shouldn't be too hard for Australia. I'm rooting for a classic final.

Preview: T20 World Cup 2010 Semifinal 1

Thursday, May 13, 2010 , , , , , , , , , , , , , No Comments

After that disappointing end to India's World Cup, we now move on to the semis. Two unbeaten in-form teams are taking on two teams that haven't looked their best, but have managed to win at the right times to progress.

England take on Sri Lanka today in what should be an enthralling clash. England's batting unit looks in top shape - power hitters at the top (Lumb, Kieswetter, Pieterson), followed by Collingwood and Morgan, two batsmen who can consolidate as well as turn it on later in the innings. Then come the hard-hitting all-rounders starting with Luke Wright and followed by Bresnan, Yardy and Swann. The pace attack of Broad and Sidebottom is also solid, while Yardy has been an exceptional second spinner, overshadowing Swann for once.

The problem for England will be the slowness of the pitch, something that will certainly favor the Lankans. Suraj Randiv has been great but he is no Murali, and Mendis may be brought in to assist him. Jayasuriya may be retained for his bowling though he could shift back down the order. He seems to be ending his career the same way it began, in the lower order, doing more bowling than batting. Let go, dude.

Sri Lanka may have started the tournament being kept afloat by Jayawardene, but gradually the top order has looked in form. Dilshan and Sangakarra are scoring again, and Mathews and Kapugedera have been handy finishers. Malinga and Welegedara are leaking runs though, that will worry them, and the latter may lose his place if Perera is to play.

This looks like an evenly matched game, but I'm going to go with England on this, if only to see a team that isn't afraid of the pace play Australia in the final.

Raina as captain?

Monday, May 10, 2010 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , No Comments

So the squad to tour Zimbabwe has been announced, and it is definitely a second-string side. Or as the selectors would call it, "a look into the future".

Squad: M Vijay, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Suresh Raina (capt), Virat Kohli (vice-capt), Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Vinay Kumar, Ashok Dinda, Pankaj Singh, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Naman Ojha Note: Piyush Chawla will join the squad for the Twenty20s. 

Call me a pessimist, but I sense an upset win for Zimbabwe sometime on this tour. They haven't been all bad, and I think this series will be decided on the basis of which spinners bowl best.

Suresh Raina gets his first captaincy opportunity for India, while Virat Kohli will be the vice-captain. This makes sense, as these are the only two players in the squad who have somewhat cemented their places in the one-day side.

And it wouldn't be wise to ignore the series, it could certainly lead to the discovery of potential stars. Mega-money players, players who will earn bigger IPL contracts, do lots of ads, put in some performances for the country, earn some more money, and then ultimately disappoint everyone by getting out to a short balls or losing their pace and/or swing/spin.


Anyway, the players to look out for are Umesh Yadav, Pankaj Singh and Ashok Dinda. Pacers are in short supply for India at the moment, and while Yadav is the only one with the pace, bowlers with brains are needed too. Haven't seen too much of Pankaj, but Dinda seems the type who can keep it together in a T20, not much more. I hope Yadav plays every match, I'd love to see him do well.

The spin department apart from Bhaj is still a game of musical chairs. Ojha, Mishra and new contender Ashwin will continue their tango. I say why bother with quicks, just get Yadav to bowl a couple of quick overs and use all the spinners. But that's just me.

As for the batting, I have no doubt that Raina and Kohli deserve to be there, but Rohit Sharma, Vijay, Karthik and Yusuf will feast on the medium pace offerings and the spinners. What exactly has Yuvraj done to deserve a rest from this? Blah.

About the T20 World Cup... nothing.

Stuff that's happened

Friday, May 07, 2010 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , No Comments

The T20 World Cup has gone exactly as expected, no surprises have been sprung. The big 'uns have all progressed to the next round. The minnows showed some fight and, being minnows, were overpowered before bowing out. The Afghans were spirited in the field, and despite their pre-tournament fearlessness at facing Steyn, were butchered by the Saffa pace attack before Graeme allowed them a go at Albie. Also, this would have been the perfect time for Dean Jones to be back in the commentary box, but apparently no one saw the opportunity but me. Why am I not an ICC official?

Suresh Raina and Mahela Jayawardene showed us that the IPL is good for something, as both smashed hundreds for India and Sri Lanka respectively.

Sachin Tendulkar joined twitter, and verified his account by posting some geeky pictures of himself to prove that he's human (he's tricking us, don't believe a word of it!). He also already has more than 178,000 followers, and is literally gaining more than one follower every second. Keep refreshing his twitter page to see for yourself. (I am also on twitter)

India and Australia play today in what has the potential to be the biggest game of the tournament so far, though we will be missing Sreesanth, Hayden and Symonds. Harby alone just isn't enough drama. Hopefully Gambhir's stomach isn't runny anymore, so we don't have to open with Karthik again. Seriously, Rohit Sharma is a better option!

The other match is between Sri Lanka and the Windies. It may or may not be a close match, but it'll definitely be boring if Gayle and Dilshan don't score some runs.

I'm also brainstorming for more usage of Billy. Not much else.

T20 World Cup Preview - Group D (slightly more brief) (OK, very short)

Saturday, May 01, 2010 , , , , No Comments

It seems a bit redundant to do a Group D preview, since one match within it has already taken place - between the Windies and Ireland. And Ireland have been virtually knocked out, and their only chance lies in England losing both their games by huge margins. England are in good form, as seen in their warm-up victory over the Saffers, so this is quite unlikely. Oh wait, Ireland have something else up their sleeve - < insert leprechaun / pot o' gold joke here >.

So the Windies are currently top of the group, their star player so far being Darren Sammy, who top-scored, top-bowled and top-caught in that match.
The Windies' key players are Gaylestorm, Bravo and Big Benn, while you should continue watching out for Sammy. No one else. And I predict a semi-final spot for them. NOT. Second round it is.

If England play to their potential, they'll be utter failures. They need to play out of their skins to be able to win the Cup, and their key players will be KP, Morgan and Swansong. Watch closely the progress of new imports Lumb and Kieswetter. Yardy is turning out to be very useful, so England may be with two spinners. Yardy is also more than handy with the bat. Dangerous England can definitely make the semis.

Ireland, like I mentioned earlier, are mostly out, but anyway, their key players (or just names that I've been hearing for a while now) are the hard-hitting Kevin O' Brien, the skipper William Porterfield and Trent Johnston. And obviously you should be watching out for 17 year-old lefty spinner George Dockrell, Man, I hate it when kids younger than me do well for their clubs/countries and earn a lot. Last year Ireland fielded a schoolteacher (Kyle McCallan) and this year a high school kid. I'm not really making a point here.

That's it, then. Onwards. India beat the Afghans comfortably, Pakistan survived a Bangla scare, and the Kiwis relied on a McCullum for victory. Snooze. India v South Africa and Australia v Pakistan is where it's at.