The real tournament begins

Random thoughts after watching parts of the two encounters yesterday

+ Umar Akmal is a class act. Glimpses were evident during the Australian summer. The best thing about him seems to be an air of calm in everything he does - batting, body language, outfielding and catching. There is none of the 'nervous energy' or 'passion' or 'excitement' which one associates with the quintessential Pakistani 'teenaged' cricketer from Aquib Javed to Afridi. All that remains to be done by the strongmen at PCB is to fast track him to captaincy and finish him.

+ Afridi tried to be proper batsman - play the first ball straight, run the singles, stay there and the runs will come and all that jazz. Only problem was they forgot to tell Luke Wright.

+ Kamran Akmal needs to play as a specialist batsman e or Pak need to field with a long stop.

+ England might have reached adulthood, but KP has some way to go before mastering batting in LOIs. Case point over no 19 of England innings.

• 8 off 12 required. KP plays it to Salman Butt and point and sets of for a suicidal run. Luckily for the non striker Wright, Kamran is the keeper.
• 2 off 9 required. KP chases a certain wide and smashes it straight to cover.
• 2 off 7 required. The earlier ball was a short one. This one is short too. KP tries to smash it into Carlisle Bay when all he needed to do was drop it down at his feet and take the single which will ensure a tie in the very least. Now 2 off 6 needed and new man on strike to Ajmal, the best bowler on view.

I cannot imagine MSD or Yuvraj or Raina or even DK doing any of the above mistakes. They would calmly play out the dot ball and proceed to hit the next one out of the ground.

+ AB faced 39 balls out of which he managed 3 boundary hits and scored 47. Albie Morkel faced 18 balls, cleared the ground five times and scored 40. 65 runs between overs 15 and 19. Lesson for the Proteas.

+ What is Gareth Hopkins doing in the NZ T20 team? Is Brendon McCullum so very overworked? I suppose that is one way of saying 'We are short of real talent'.

+ This may be Barbados but good spinners would still be useful. Daniel Vettori is an all season man, but look at Johan Botha. He struck twice in the only phase when NZ appeared to be in the hunt.

When will they learn?

India

21/1(4)

43/2(8)

89/2(12)

126/3(16)

189/5(20)

South Africa

17/0(4)

45/1(8)

76/1(12)

126/2(16)

172/5(20)

Smith and Kallis looked at the comparative scores after 8 overs and said "Ja. We are on track"

Kallis and AB looked up again after 16 overs to reconfirm. Someone forgot to tell them Saffers you cant save your wickets for the Super 8s.

Salute Raina for putting mind over matter. This is a player who thrives on responsibility and feeds off his own confidence. A team man who lifts others around him (ask Vijay and others in CSK) as opposed to the more talented but moody Rohit (who regularly BC ed his mates in Deccan this year). Hope this is an indicator of bigger things to come.

ICC World T20 Preview

The third ICC event in less than a year is upon us and a fourth one waiting to happen in , guess what, less than a year again.

All talks of acclimatisation and fatigue will crop up, once the men in blue slip up. Till then the media and 'experts' would have us believe, that the boys only have to turn up to bring the cup home. I am not so sure. Endless IPLs have ensured that whatever surprise element they had is now lost and there are teams more desperate than ours. Hence India to me, seem rank outsiders. Needless to say, I will be more than happy to be proved wrong.

That said, here is a look at the teams. Call them by any name - associates, minnows, whatever - I don't see Afghanistan, Ireland, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh making it to the last 8.

Bangladesh will play Australia, after Australia play Pakistan. Meaning - if Pakistan beat Australia (they have done it in T20WC2007) Bangladesh can expect a fearful thrashing.

Ireland are a handy side and appear the most accomplished of the four and in a group with England and West Indies, it could become interesting. But I think both England and the Windies carry enough ammo this time around. The same goes for Zimbabwe too.

Afghanistan will take on India to ensure that India 'eases' into the competition and the sponsors are kept interested till the last 8. Expect some mushy romanticism from Harsha B and others - stuff like Khyber Pass, British Raj, Durand Line, guns being replaced by cricket bats, and shells by balls - all that hogwash. South Africa will suffer from none of this and as is their wont, give the minnows a hiding in the group stage and move on before their eventual (and imminent) choke.

Right then, so it will be Pakistan, NZ,SA and England in Group E and Australia, Sri Lanka, India and West Indies in Group F with two from each group onto the semis.

Group E

It has been Pakistan's good fortune and NZ's ill fortune that the two run into each other often at ICC multinationals. When the tournament is being held in the Caribbean - people will rush to say - ' slow & low' and point to Daniel Vettori. Let me then point to Saeed Ajmal and his madcap captain, both of whom are backed by a vastly better pace attack than NZ can put up. In any case Vettori and Bond can bowl only 8 overs max. The rest will be cannon fodder. Especially for a line up such as SA. Batting will rise and fall with McCullum. Talented as Ross Taylor and Ryder may be I don't see the spunk or big match temperament in either of them. Will be lucky to get past the Super 8s.

Pakistan have had little cricket, several problems, enough distraction - all the right ingredients for a soaring comeback or a depressing exit. Don't rule out a humiliating loss to Bangladesh in the Group Stage, before they do their 'cornered tigers' routine. They will brush aside NZ and England and therefore their result against South Africa would be somewhat irrelevant. Once they get into the last 4, they would become very strong contenders.

A middle order with AB, Duminy, A Morkel and Boucher leaves SA enough firepower, but is there the will to use it and the daring to take their chances? That could well decide their fate. Last time around, they were content 'to stay in the hunt' and eventually missed out by 7 runs. I mentioned last year they had missed out on promoting Albie Morkel and giving him a chance to take them home. This time, Van Der Merwe could get the nod ahead of Johan Botha for his batting skills, which means they have adequate depth (not always used in this format) but handy when needed to scatter the bowling. Will they break the mould is the big question. Until they do, World Cups will remain a dream.

What about England - a line up with Collingwood, KP, Bopara, Luke Wright, Morgan looks strong on paper, but their general indifference to all things that aren't Ashes and the thin bowling resources will haunt them. While a win against NZ in the Super 8 is not beyond them, getting past Pakistan and South Africa would be close to impossible. The former possess all the flair and the latter are better at the percentages game.

So it is Pak and SA from Group E - with E1 and E2 being dictated by who wins in their encounter.

Group F

Group F is arguably the tougher group and the progress to the semis is not as clear cut.

The humiliation of being seeded below Bangladesh (whom they will overcome to become A2), the fact that this prize is missing from their collection and the injury to Brett Lee (which means their weakest link in T20 is now missing) will make them top contenders in a Tournament where their best result till date is a Semifinal loss. Powerhitters Warner, White and David Hussey , backed by Michael Hussey and Watson can put the fear of god in any bowling. Nannes, Johnson, Harris, Watson and Tait are as good as any. The key to beating them (as always) in any format is early and sustained aggression. Such a task may be beyond India without Sehwag, SL with an indifferent Dilshan. WI have done it last year and therefore all stars and planets need to be properly aligned if they are to do a repeat act. Australia will progress, in all possibility as F1.

F2 is where the tournament opens up - if we can call it that.

SL have played India enough times in the recent past and their brains trust have seen enough of the IPL to know the Indians inside out - and vice versa. Expect a tight match between them.

Hence, the key to this group lies with the West Indies, or rather which among India and SL beat the Windies. With Kulasekara supporting the 4 Ms - Murali, Mendis, Malinga and Mathews and India's recent lousy record at multilaterals, I would put SL as favourites. Recent form of Jayawardene is encouraging and has ensured he would pair with Dilshan at the top. SL would do well to get Jayasuriya in at No3. This would serve two purposes and balance the line up. A) It would give the old timer freedom to play his game - he clearly does not relish the middle order, although he started at No7. B) It would free up Sanga to guide the lower middle order - where they have traditionally lacked the firepower of say, the Aussies or India. Mathews , Perera to support Sanga rounding off the innings would be right for them.

The hosts have a line up that reads Gayle, Bravo, Chanderpaul, Sarwan and Pollard. Enough said. Ian Chappel does not see them progressing to the next round. That may or may not happen. But with a tired Zaheer, now on now off Nehra and Grumbler(Jr) Praveen forming the bowling 'attack' one can foresee a brutal hammering if Gayle wakes up from his stupor.

Media men and sundry pundits will say 'spin attack' when they talk up India. Where is this spin attack? Viru is out with injury. Raina is a part timer, so is Yu Pa. Jadeja is a better bowler, but it is a toss up between him and Yu Pa.

Last year, I called him a 'game-breaker' and argued for him to be given some space. Whatever little I have seen of him in the interim does not suggest he has improved, but in fact regressed. So what does Yu Pa bring to the table - at best 15 runs in 4 balls in 1 out of 4 innings. Nought in the other 3 digs. RJ can do 15 runs from 10-12 balls every time. Yu Pa bowls with an offspinner's action - no turn, between 96 and 102 kph, aims for the batsmans legs and would finish with 4-0-30-1. Oh wait, we have got Durby. He can do the same, plus he can run to the outfield after taking that one wicket and spew filth at everyone around. No competition here. It will be Jadeja, Durby, Zak, Nehra and PK. So where is this 'spin attack'? Surely not with the Men in Blue.

Batting is the stronger suit,which in itself is no cause for optimism. After the disaster last year, they may not open with Rohit - although it was not Rohit's fault alone. MV and GG pick themselves which leaves Raina, Yuvi and MSD in the middle. Indian totals might depend upon how well Raina leaves the bouncer alone.

Nehra for Ishant and Vijay for Viru. The rest of the squad is the same - which failed to do us proud last time around. Hence, any optimism from Indian supporters is misplaced.

The selectors have been criticised for leaving out Uthappa - and it is fair criticism. Uthappa should have made it - not for Vijay but for DK or even Yu Pa. DK won DDD a game or two in the IPL with his batting but he tapered off. If DDD failed to make the last 4, DK was as culpable as Viru and GG. DK is a spunky and spirited cricketer and RU is a similar character with big match temperament, plus RU is also a keeper these days. Almost invariably he walked into a situation and came out swinging like a prize-fighter- Lee, Durby, Albie Morkel, Appam C, Balaji, Mendis - all suffered at his hands. In leaving him out, India have missed a trick it seems.

To make it past this tough group and face off against Pak and S.Af, India would have to bowl out of their skins and I do not see the drive and desire in this bunch.

So F2 would likely be Sri Lanka or West Indies depending on who wins more. If Windies make it and face off against Pakistan there is the likelyhood of the hosts even making it to the final and then who knows. However, if the opponents are S.Af, then it could be end of the road for them.

Favourites - Australia, Pakistan. Dark Horses - WI and SL.

Off with their heads...

How dare the domestic One Day Tournament - Deodhar Trophy jeopardise that all important event - IPL conditioning camps.

Off with their heads. Here's a blueprint on how to do it.

Icon

The scene: a gynaecologist's waiting room in a hospital pouplar with Indian expats.

A young couple waiting for the doctor along with another girl who appeared to be the husband's sister .

Some pensiveness, nervous smiles and intermittent chatter amongst the three.

At one point the faces of the trio lit up with pure joy and all traces of their earlier restlessness vanish for the next couple of minutes.The wall mounted TV was on 'mute' but there it was the story of the Double Hundred.

Such has been your effect on Indians no matter time and place.

We are fortunate to have you on our side and we ask for nothing more.

The Statesman

One one side there is the current crop of Indian cricketers - cliche spouting robots, whose responses are a hash of "obviously", "of course", "bowl in right areas" & "played my natural game".

On the other side of the spectrum, you have the unique Virender Sehwag, who talks the way he bats.

There are two other gentlemen, whose remarks need careful introspection and repeated reading. Aakash Chopra is one. The statesman is the other. Read, listen and enjoy.

What I liked about it

Having watched one of the more gripping Day5s in recent times, here are some thoughts.

What I liked:

1. The fact that the win was achieved with 3 bowlers and Viru was biggest takeout for me. What they can do with three, they ought to do with four. The five bowler theory can be buried till Irfan is back in the thick of things.

2. Harbhajan bowling like the ought to do. No, I am not talking about the five-fer. The lines he bowled and the willingness to give the ball air (no doubt taking courage from a 350 run cushion) have redeemed him - partially - for now.

3. Mishra's response to criticism. No chest thumping. No targeted abuse at media men on anyone. Just the wickets of Smith, Kallis and AB. Thank you very much. He had to run to and hug MSD after those wickets, dint he ;-) The confidence MSD seemed to have in him (or was it compulsion) rubbed off on Mishra. The googly came out well on occasions as compared to Nagpur where it went into cold storage.

4. Usual suspects - Viru, SRT and VVS delivering when it mattered. The first two named gents perhaps feeding of the presence of the third. Viru's hundred was initial offensive. Sachin's was an "another day at office" kind of knock. VVS and MSD stuck the knife in when it mattered. While Sachin has the Damocles sword of ODI world cup which he needs to tick off from his list, VVS has no such agenda. He plays for the sheer pleasure. Count the number of 60s and 70s on his stats page and we will know that here is another who could have finished with 25 Test Hundreds today instead of 15.

5. Ishant repaying the faith kept by his captain. It is not to say that he has recovered his bowling mojo. Why, that spell of short pitched stuff to Amla (on which the momentum turned) was grossly overdone with all the menace of my neighbour's cat. But, boy, did he run in and give it everything, like he always did. While Sreesanth may have possibly given more wickets, there is no guarantee that he would have kept his head on such a day. Hence, despite his awful control and the pace that is now in the low - mid 130's , I would say Ishant grew up today and became a man.

6. Lance Klusener and Venkatesh Prasad. There was no jingoism or malice. Just thoughtful comments and good grace. Venky seemed to get over his awe of Sunny Bhai with passage of time. Zulu had a shy smile when he talked up South Africa's chances. Now, if only they could stop saying "We".

What I hated:

1. Harbhajan's horrendous celebratory run and the obnoxious post match comments. Enough has been said and written about this over-rated bowler. He shot off his mouth yet again with a rant that was as tasteless as it was opportunistic. Similarly, the fact that he is playing to the galleries should not distract attention from the fact that he turns in this kind of performances once in a blue moon.

2. The dissing of Mishra in some quarters - stuff like "big boots to fill" and "he will never run through a side". Give him the confidence and the chances. A leg spinner is rare in cricket and we have two guys in Mishra and that young bulldog Piyush Chawla who have shown calibre. And like good Indians and we are too eager to brand and consign them to the dustbin. Ask South Africa how difficult it is to get a classy spinner. Ask Sri Lanka if Mendis Season 2 was as effective. Ask England what a difference Graeme Swann has made. Why are we so bent on self flagellation? Stick with him. He will deliver.

3. Many people pronouncing Badrinath as "not good enough". I know the guy's body language sucks and is a wallflower for most part, but give him the Sri Lanka series and let us see. For all we know, if the nightwatchman had gone ahead of him on Day 2, it could have been his day along with VVS. Did we not see in Nagpur that he has the mettle? Patience, people - he may not make than 15 ball 35 in an IPL quickie, but what little I saw suggests that he is Test class. The fab four did not happen in one day.

4. The obsession with Ranking. Let us see the Ranking for what it is. A status based on the points system that reflects current position. The channels, the commentators and everyone else seemed to go on and on about it.

5. The fact that one person who needed to make the biggest impression in this series made if for the wrong reason - dropping Hashim Amla. Murali Vijay was incessantly talked up by people. He seems 'to belong' unlike Badri, but did not have the bloodymindedness to make it count. He and not Badri was the replacement for RD and it is for that reason that he will rue this series as a missed opportunity.

Sad home truths

This post started off as a congratulatory post for the Indian team for a professional display in Kolkata. As I was reviewing some past results, I thought of doing an exercise, just of the heck of it.

A venue-wise list of Tests, ODIs and T20s staged at some major venues in India from 2007 till date.

Mohali

Test - Australia 2008

Test - England 2008

ODI - Australia 2009

T20 - Sri Lanka 2009

Chennai

Test - South Africa 2008

Test - England 2008 (Originally Mumbai)

ODI- West Indies 2007

T20 - Yet to host one

Kolkata

Test - Pakistan 2007

Test - South Africa 2010

ODI- Sri Lanka 2007

ODI- Sri Lanka 2009

T20 - Yet to host one

Bengalooru

Test - Pakistan 2007

Test - Australia 2008

ODI - Australia 2007

ODI - England 2008

T20 - Yet to host one

Mumbai

Test - Sri Lanka 2009 (Brabourne)

Test - England 2006 (Wankhede)

ODI - 2006 ICC Champions Trophy (Brabourne) One among 3 venues with 5 ODIs

ODI - Australia 2007 (Wankhede)

T20 - Australia 2007

Delhi

Test - Pakistan 2007

Test - Australia 2008

ODI - Australia 2009

ODI - Sri Lanka 2009

T20 - Yet to host one

OK OK Delhi is not a 'Major' venue in that sense. But that is the fault of the DDCA and not the paying public

Alright, what does the above show us that we already do not know.

The good lawyer, who until 2007 did not even have a passport, became the BCCI President in 2008. And then....

Nagpur

Test - Australia 2008 (Jamtha)

Test - South Africa 2010 (Jamtha)

ODI - West Indies 2007 (VCA)

ODI - Australia 2007 (VCA)

ODI - Australia 2009 (Jamtha)

ODI - Sri Lanka 2009 (Jamtha)

T20 - Sri Lanka 2009 (Jamtha)

I long for the good old '90s when the ODIs went to the Rajkot/Guwahati/Jamshedpur and the three tests were played at Eden, Chepauk and Wankhede.

We knew it all along Mickey

It is known to all that Mickey Arthur is no longer the South African coach. So, when he bags a player in the Indian line up, it is not likely to be 'psychological warfare' but an honest opinion from a man who was till now an opponent.

Anyway, what Arthur says here and here is public knowledge. Just that the men who matter - Srikkanth, Dhoni, Sachin and Gary Kirsten - choose to play ostrich. Arthur goes on to talk about the need to be honest. Pigs may well be flying.

PS: The Turbanator strikes back , not at Arthur but at the doubting Thomases like me. After all, he is India's No 1 spinner.

PS 2: Ram Mahesh of 'The Hindu' gets him here. I hope this is an indicator of things to come and Bhajji is deservedly kicked out of the team for good

PS 3: The TOI is on it as well. There is some momentum now

No pain no gain

An innings defeat in this context is not as bad a result as it looks.

While it is true that the selection was questionable on many fronts, it would be unfair to blame the selectors alone for the result.

Three reasons for that:

0. Perhaps THE best spell of fast bowling seen in recent times. Dale Steyn , in days to come would rank alongside Allan Donald for the sheer intensity and impact. He will have ordinary days too, but every now and then he will produce such a series deciding spell. RD and VVS may have been around and the result may still have been no different. No shame in that. With Morkel and Parnell looking the part, South Africa look set to dominate.

1. Although the selection of fringe men lacked the totality that ought to be in a team - Mithun and Tyagi in the squad with neither realistically with a chance of being in the playing XI - the core team (under circumstances) still picked itself and they have played against RSA before. Saha was a questionable selection and the next time we may see him on NEO as a "former test cricketer" but the kid did himself no disgrace in the second innings and can walk with his head held high. Not his fault that he finds himself in the playing XI. Anyway that's what he is supposed to aim at. I can't fool myself that Rohit would have lasted as long as Saha did. In that sense, a major cause for defeat failing of the 2 of 3 main batsmen, Sachin and Gambhir, (As far as I am concerned, the jury is out on Dhoni as a test batsman) when they were needed to dig in.

Similarly, no matter who the fringe picks may have been, the 4 bowlers in the starting XI would have been no different - we have seen enough of MSD to come to that conclusion - save the Mishra - Ojha musical chairs game. It is Ishant and Durby who let the team down after Zak's twin strike. ( Let us cut some slack for Mishra who I must say has been shabbily treated in Dhoni's tenure ). And neither Ishant nor Durby is a fringe-man.

And how are India going to beat their nemesis at home when both the main batsmen and bowlers go AWOL?

2. Poor tactics

There would have been several key phases over 4 days and three innings but I must say here that India played some poor cricket in key moments.

Day 2, Kallis batted himself into a rut allright, but India would have realised the pressure on him. I could not see a concerted attack on him - like Durby to Ponting in the second innings in Bangalore 08. True that Kallis still managed to get himself out and true also that Ponting got away on that occasion, but by and large, Kallis was allowed to play his own game. There were not enough men crowding the bat and talking about Jason Gillespie.

Much has been said about Sehwag's brain fade in both the innings. The first innings was, naturally, more crucial. Another 50 runs between him and Badri and South Africa would have been on the run. Contrary to what Shastri and others may say, Viru is truly a thinking cricketer and is not credited enough for his smarts. Hence, his modes of dismissal are galling.

Another point which is being made in the popular sphere is about the lines Paul Harris bowled and how it tied down the batsmen. I beg to differ.

Such lines can be combated. Sehwag showed how to play Ashley Giles and VVS showed how to deal with Shane Warne (Warne is 10 times the Giles and Harris put together. Why I include him in the comparison is essentially because he too bowled into the leg stump rough and turned the ball across the right handers).

Seasoned batsmen would do well to draw on their experience. Remember Cape Town 2007 - Paul Harris - Lord Harris, AFTER Wasim Jaffer got a first innings 100 and India had posted 400 and there was talks of an "Indian type wicket" for the decider. This is not new. Many left arm spinners - from Don Anurasri to Ashley Giles - have tried this with varying effectiveness . Long story short - I found the approach of Sachin and Vijay perplexing on Day 3.

True, India had lost their IInd innings star Gambhir and Sehwag who strikes fear in all bowlers no matter the match situation. But Murali Vijay was judging the line well and looked comfortable and had raced to 22 off 21 balls faced. Heck, he even drew VVS comparisons from Danny Morrison. India's score at that point was 52/2 off 10 with 13 overs to go with Vijay on 22(24) and Sachin 7 (14). 3 an over from there on (which is a given for Tests) would have taken them close to 100 and assuming no wickets fell, they would have been better off. No one knows what the morrow would bring, but at least, they could go in with the feeling that they had made a fist of it. But, hey wait, we are trying to save a test match. India contrived to end with 66/2 off 23 at stumps Day 3 - Vijay 27(68) and Sachin 15(48). Harris was bowling in the rough, but 12 runs in 7 overs were flattering figures. What it meant was Graeme Smith was not made to think and was allowed to dictate terms. After the drinks break, Vijay had made 5(44) and Sachin 8 (34). I do not know if Harris and Jaques Kallis were as threatening. It was 'deja vu all over again' since they did not take the chance of converting a key moment to their advantage.

Pundits will point out that this is a Test match we are trying to save. Pundits will also point out that in a test match of multiple sessions, this may not have saved India in the final analysis. Agreed on both counts, but it is never a good idea to dig oneself into a hole. By padding and rumping deliveries when singles could have been attempted at the very least, India lost the momentum they had going for them, despite South Africa's vice-like grip on the test. And this was the only session apart from the middle session during the Viru-Badri partnership when Indian batsmen had something going for them.

Sachin, despite the even 100 must take some of the blame. He must have been the one to take the initiative in that session. The Master can change gears at will and get out of the hole, but not the guy at the other end. In that sense, I was disappointed with Vijay for squandering the start he got after the first innings failure. Here is a batsman who looks the part, exudes a certain calm about himself (tangentially I like the look of little Umar Akmal - he too projects an air of calm, in the midst of madness) . He seems to have the ingredients to develop into a class player but at the moment seems to lack a certain bloody-mindedness that should come when competing to get into the Indian side.

He must get a 100 soon, or he will be quickly forgotten and the next 19 year old in the line will leapfrog over him. And its a matter of time before he would be branded and shelved, a move which noted writer Suresh Menon called a "classic Indian gambit" . Ask Jaffer, Aakash Chopra, Hemang Badani and Kaif why they are not in the reckoning. Why, ask VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid why they are not in the ODI scheme of things. Ask Badri why despite being India material he never is spoken about as a possible ODI middle order bat. To the wise men, it is the 100's that count. Even if they come against Hong Kong in an ODI in Karachi. That, to their infinite wisdom, would indicate a thoroughbred. Vijay had everything going for him. He failed in the first innings in which just about everyone else did. He got a fluent start in the second innings which no one else did. Yet, he made a mess of it. He must buck up for his own sake and for the sake Indian cricket. Vijay must also take the blame for dropping Amla and thereby the Test. For, by now we all have been told what a different bowler Durby would have been after a wicket early in his spell.

I do not see how India can level the series unless they win the toss and bat and make a huge score and manage to get Smith and Kallis early both times. That seems too much of an ask. But don't get me wrong, this is the way forward. This pain in a series or two could be the right way forward provided the wise do not miss the wood for the trees. What the wise men did not dare to do in Bangladesh, providence did here and for two newcomers, the intense scrutiny may yet do a world of good, if they take the right steps hereon.

Amit Mishra - It is tough to perform and maintain a stoic calm when you know you are not wanted by the skipper although the first choice spinner is a proven non-performer. But Mishra would do well to pick up the 'soft' skills. Strong body language, for one. Get rid of the hangdog look. (Popular blogger Straight Point makes a very straight point here) One thing Durby does is that he gives the impression that he is doing more than he actually is. MSD also does this in a subtle way. At the crease, he gives the impression of control even when things are not in control. No point in losing the battle before you actually lose it. Two - make it count with the bat. Again look at Durby and Zak. We know Steyn is an exceptional bowler, but surrendering your wicket and getting a pair in the process will certainly harm your chances of making the starting XI. We are not talking about his core skills - legspin. With more experience, he will have the confidence for variations and also to control the turn. No point beating the bat by a foot. Beating it by an inch is better.

After years and years of being in the periphery, Badri finally got a chance in the format of the game that was said to be his stronger suit (I for one believe he can be an excellent ODI/T20 player as well). Nerves and anxiety notwithstanding he gave a good account of himself in the first innings. Like Vijay, however, he shot himself in the foot in the nothing to lose 2nd innings. A fighting 60 or 70 may have strengthened his claims when UV eventually returns. As things stand, if he makes the starting XI in Kolkatta, that may well be his lifeline for after this match the calendar says IPL, ICCT20, WC 2011 and nothing else. Given his pedigree,I back him to give a decent account yet again, however I can also see UV sauntering in as Badri fades silently into obscurity.

The Expert

More than the Indian bowling, more than the lopsided team selection which left the captain hamstrung on the morning of the Test, I was appalled something that I saw on NEO TV.

This something was about 5'2" tall and churlish and totally devoid of cricketing common sense.

RK of NEO TV may not be Harsha Bhogle, the darling of cricketers and ex-cricketers, but when he wishes you a good morning and addresses you by the accepted honorific "Sunny Bhai", the least you can do, Mr Gavaskar, is respond in kind. Mr Gavaskar deigned not to greet the presenter, nor Venkatesh Prasad.

Now Venkatesh Prasad may not be from Mumbai, or scored 10,000 Test runs. I doubt if he has scored even a 100th of that, but on the first morning of a Test, you could have put up the facade of the gentleman that you never were, Mr Gavaskar.

Contrast this with Daryll Cullinan's warm " Good morning Zulu. Great to hear your voice."

End of day's play. During the cursory summing up of the day's events. Prasad throws this to both Mr Gavaskar and Cullinan - "What do you think the Indian bowlers could have done differently?" . Mr Gavaskar looks at Cullinan and says "How many test wickets have you got?" Some humour that!

The point is Mr Gavaskar did not have an answer, when he is paid to be the expert. He came out with "India started the post lunch session with Sehwag but should have done so with Zaheer." While it is a valid point, Prasad's question was more on tactical lines than pointed at a specific instance. Like for example, the spinners could have made Kallis drive on the offside than allowing him to tuck them off his legs all day. Something to that effect, but Mr Gavaskar having played cricket (and politics) for donkeys years is not a bowler, although he was a Test captain. So he would not know.

And on team selection, he came up with this absolute gem.

"India went with a bowler short in this match." Ladies and gentlemen, India is playing without both RD and VVS for the first time in a decade and some and Mr Gavaskar would have cut down the batting even shorter, against the worlds best pace attack. And who would he have included? "Someone like Yuvraj" who is a good enough bowler. Indeed, Yuvraj was unfit and you have Badri in his place. So how could you include Yuvraj? And pray throw some more light Mr Gavaskar, who is this "someone like Yuvraj?"Bring him to Dhoni tomorrow morning.

This answer is wrong on two counts. One, obviously there is no one who fits the bill in the immediate reckoning who would take his place. Two, India have traditionally played the 7+ 4 formula. So how can Mr Gavaskar expect them to go one batsman short in this instance of all occasions.

Anil Kumble and Aakash Chopra talk a lot of sense. Perhaps it is time to replace some who have been living on past reputation.

No Bhajji, I am not talking about you here.

On being No 1

Neo Cricket's RK called him "an architect" of India's No 1 Test Team status.

RK later went on to ask something like, Brabourne Stadium, historic venue, historic moment, etc how did you feel? Duh!!!

He likes Gary Kirsten because he never shouted at the boys.

RK asks him whether you pick on opponent batsmen ala McGrath. He talks about 2001 series and says Steve Waugh. What about recent series ? Rubel Hossain perhaps.

Whoever made this joker the mascot of Indian cricket.

A hearty laugh to begin my Saturday...

A brief interlude

After King Khan, P Chidambaram, Dr MMS, Bal T and the PCB providing comic relief, the serious business is about to begin. A real Test series. Never mind even if it is a two match shoot-out, we will take whatever scraps Emperor Modi deigns to bestow us with.

While injuries to Dravid and Yuvraj have added the extra dimension to the contest, there is still time to go before that.

To me, the tour match - SA vs BPXI is of much interest. The squad picked is a decidedly young one and there are a few interesting names.

If Yuvraj, Vijay and Badri are ahead of him in the Test scheme of things, Ajinkya Rahane need not fret. He is young and has ample time on his side. Unlike Raina/Rohit/Kohli he is unlikely to be rushed into the LOI teams and then consigned to the scrap heap and that is not a bad thing in itself. Ask Rohit. This outing against the best bowling attack in the world will show where Rahane stands as a prospect when the greats leave.

Touted by Ian Chappel as the next best thing in the Indian middle order, the captain for this game, Rohit Sharma, impressed many (including this sometimes blogger) with his effortless strokeplay. Two years since, he has hit a roadblock and has only himself to blame. The ability is still there, a triple in the domestic circuit is but an indicator. However, the ODI route seems shut for now with Virat Kohli stealing a march and Dhoni seeming to favour Raina, with some merit, over him. Gilchrist gushed about his leadership in the IPL. That is another aspect which will come under scrutiny.

Parthiv Patel has been making big runs under the radar recently although it is his keeping that has let him down in the past. While Wridhhiman Saha's selection was a surprise, in the absence of Dhoni it will always be DK and then PP. Why DK missed the bus this time nobody knows, but PP gets another go.

Eight 100s and four 50s in 39 innings are an indicator of Abhinav Mukund's potential. Remains to be seen who makes the final XI with Shikar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara apart from Rahane and PP in the squad. Like Rahane, he has time on his side and is an opener. A long term prospect and worth watching.

For me the most interesting player to watch would be Manish Pandey, still fresh from his heroics at Mysore and good support hand at Indore. The class is evident. This encounter will test his temperament. I back him to come good.

Another youngster who has impressed most people is R Ashwin. After turning a Duleep Trophy semifinal around, this break comes just at the right time for him. No secret that Bhajji is given the long rope thanks to MSD. Soon enough Bhajji will use the rope to hang himself and when he does that, Ashwin's time will come. It would be after WC2011. Till then he would do well to stay motivated.

This brief couple of weeks, sandwiched between Bangladesh and mindless IPL games could be a pointer to things to come for Indian cricket.

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