What to expect from the India-Sri Lanka-West indies tri-series

The complex nature of the game substantiates the claim that ‘cricket is an unpredictable sport’. There are no permanent champions, and no team is truly invincible though they may appear so on the outset of a tournament. After a string of convincing victories, India stands tall and mighty, waiting to breathe fire down on any team that dares to challenge them.

But this is where the unpredictability quotient comes into play. Taking into account the rawness and the inexperience of the side, they cannot be claimed as the masters of the game, not even champions, though they were formally anointed thus only a couple of days back. You might call me a pessimist and a cynic, but I’m merely considering the stats and the fact that India are no more than rookies who have punched above their weight in the last few days.

This tri-series would have its punchline as – “Beat India, and exact your revenge!” for the kind of treatment both Sri Lanka and West Indies received at the hands of India at the recently concluded Champions trophy. That would be a near impossible task for both the teams despite India not being truly invincible. I might be contradicting my earlier statement, but as they stand, India is the team in great form and thus the team to beat. Therefore, Sri Lanka and West Indies would have a mighty task on their hands in this series.

This competition would derive fans’ interest from the fact that two of the teams are World cup finalists, and the home team is the current T20 World Cup champions. That lends a new dimension to the tournament as no team can be counted out till the last round-robin match is played.

Since the series is happening in West Indies, the teams could be called evenly balanced, for each team has the necessary variety of players suited for these conditions. In West Indies, one can expect pitches that assist spin bowling, and that is a factor that would draw added speculations about the team that would come out triumphs, since each team has a decent spinner among their ranks and a good day for them would mean the same for their respective teams.

The seamers are not far behind. In West Indies they say “for every ball you bend your back, you will get your reward!”, which should lift the hearts of the seamers who would have enjoyed bowling in England only a few days ago and would have been let down by the sudden change in the pitch and conditions there.

Every match may make for an interesting finish considering the evenly balanced squads.

 Even as they square up against each other, each team has different points to prove to their critics, tasks that they would have set for themselves. The obvious one would be to win the cup, but each team is fresh and raw and they have a lot of team building to do. On that regard, I am listing out the key expectations by a fan from each team:

West Indies (Pride): It is a pretty straightforward answer since they play at home. West Indian cricket has been dwindling since the late nineties with the lack of consistency plaguing them for quite some time now. There are a lot of changes in the team set up and the new skipper would be anxious to prove his mettle. West Indies have not won a series against a top team for quite some time, and this could be the right time to set the records straight. They have nothing to lose frankly and one can expect them to attack with their complete arsenal as they have nothing to fight for but pride.

Sri Lanka (Revenge): It was the year 2008. After successfully bagging the Test series, Sri Lanka was up against Dhoni’s young brigade in an ODI series. People expected Sri Lanka to win the series hands down as most of the seniors from the Indian contingent were either dropped or injured. But Dhoni had other ideas as he and a handful of youngsters emerged triumphed against the Lankan lions, bagging the series 3-2. From then onwards, India has never given breathing space for the Lankans when it comes to a fifty over game. Be it the spectacular World cup final or the recent humiliation in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy, Sri Lanka have had it rough against India.

Therefore, it is time they would have decided enough is enough and would want to beat India and prove that they are no pushovers. Both the teams would know each other in and out as they constantly compete with each other. Therefore, the cards are out in the open and Sri Lanka would want to exact revenge for the kind of treatment they have been receiving at the hands of India. For them revenge against India would mean more than the cup!

India (Glory): The Indian cricket team is on a roll. After a successful ODI series against England and the Test series white wash against Australia, India have continued the momentum by winning the coveted Champions Trophy. With the form that they are in, they would consider the tri-series to be like a walk on the park, yet they should be wary of the opponents and complete the tasks successfully so as to continue with the winning momentum. The likes of Dinesh Karthik and Suresh Raina would be eager to prove their mettle to fancy their chances on the tour to South Africa. Therefore, India would be aiming more glory as they take the field on Friday.

The teams are evenly set, and though India is in great form, it is tough to predict the definite winner of this series. But what one can definitely expect is the hard battles, tight finishes and the pleasant West Indies flavour in hot and sunny conditions!

Shikhar Dhawan - The Belligerent Southpaw

What do I call him? Classy? Elegant? Or simply a complete cricketer? Few months back, I was on the notion that there can never be a suitable replacement for the exuberant Virender Sehwag. I am pleasantly humbled today as I behold my new idol whose charm with the bat is never ending.

Some would say that it is too early to classify him as a good player. But as the saying goes, I believe ‘form is temporary, but class is permanent’, and he has displayed ample class that has been etched upon every innings of his very short international career. His journey to the top wasn’t out of a fairytale. It was fraught with numerous struggles of the heart and the body. It would be immensely surprising to know that Dhawan wanted to quit cricket at one point of his life.

“After being repeatedly ignored for Team India, southpaw was dejected!” Tarak Sinha, Dhawan’s coach

Cricket could do that to people! Like many fans choose to believe, the journey to reach cricket’s upper echelons is not a bed of roses, rather it is the path of thorns, of pain and sacrifices that lead them to ultimate glory. They say nothing in life is easy, and one could not choose a better example to portray this thought for, if a player of Dhawan’s calibre could imagine leaving cricket, then it puts the game into its gravest perspective.

He sat by watching as players younger than him were making a mark on the international scene, while he was left to garnish the domestic circuit. He was prolific but not exceptional- he admits and has tuned his batting with every passing year to obtain the final ticket to stardom.

Known fondly for his effervescent style and attitude, Dhawan was sidelined for the majority of his career. It must have been hurtful, for the wait seemed eternal.

To begin with, Shikhar Dhawan is a player with natural grace and stroke making abilities and was renowned for the same in the domestic circuit. He played for Delhi which has churned out good cricketers of late like Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir andVirat Kohli to name a few.

His Test debut was quite interesting to note. He was a replacement for his Delhi teammate Virender Sehwag as he paired up with another rookie in Murali Vijay. There weren’t quite a lot of expectations and people were basically furious for leaving out a deserving Wasim Jaffer. His praise was sung all over the cricketing arena, and people from all quarters wanted Jaffer in the team. Had Dhawan failed in that Test, the selectors would have had a tough time explaining his selection. But that is where Dhawan redefined his career along with the traditional belief that “India cannot survive without the heroics of Sehwag!”

He was the mirror-image of confidence of his statemate, as he butchered his way to a eye-catching debut hundred. He plundered the Aussie bowling and made a mince meat of them. It was not all. Records after records tumbled, as he marauded his way into the hapless Australian bowlers. It was a spectacle to behold, and even a die-hard Sehwag fan would admit that it was a knock worth of selection as one of the finest in recent history.

Even before this Test match, Dhawan was quite famous owing to his exploits in the IPL. Though he was not the best, he scored consistently for people to sit up and take notice. He was one of the successes in the 2012 edition, amassing 400-plus runs. His presence at the top was the only saving grace for the otherwise clueless Deccan Chargers.

Dhawan’s strength lies in the fact that he can time the ball to perfection. Though his batting might appear crude on the outset, you rarely witness a mistimed shot or a rash slog that is the general norm of this slam-bang era of cricket. Indian cricket has always been blessed with talent after talent in the batting department. Right from the class of Vijay Manjrekar to the ‘see-the-ball, hit-the-ball” impeccable timing of Sehwag, we have seen it all. But what set Dhawan apart from all these players, is the ability to wait and play the ball close to his body. Of all his dismissals in the recent past, there aren’t many occasions when he was out caught behind. He anticipates the ball like the tiger that is on the crouch to pounce on its prey, but is guarded enough to recognize the good ones. That is where he excels from the rest.

Apart from that, he has the ability to switch gears at will. Analysing all his innings in the Champions Trophy, his ability to adapt to the situation would be transparent as he can go after the bowling or can play the role of a sheet anchor to perfection. It is frankly a natural talent, one that could help him in the long run. Added to that, he has perfected all the shots in the playing manual that has helped him in being multi-dimensional.

His ability to play positive cricket has greatly influenced the team and the crowds as he demonstrated against the pace-filled South Africans in hostile conditions. He was not afraid to take them on and proved that one could score heavily with meticulous timing and proper cricketing shots. He followed it up with a mature century against West Indies and the manner in which he negated the effect of Sunil Narine, the number one bowler in the ODIs demonstrated his ability to bide his time for the right kind of deliveries to pick and score.

Dhawan might have had a fabulous start to his career, but to keep it going, a lot of focus is the key requirement. He ought to be circumspect and should not be carried away by the initial success. A lot of players have been blown away by the expectations from the fans. He should learn to treat both success and failure with equanimity.

“I would like to dedicate my performance (Golden Bat) to the people who have lost their lives back home due to the flood. My prayers are with them.” –Shikhar Dhawan

His generous gesture towards the flood victims has won a lot of hearts back home, especially since, not many cricketers mentioned about the floods in the recently concluded Champions Trophy. His attitude has matured and his game is on a different level altogether. If he keeps going about his job in the same way in the upcoming years, then like his fans, we could twirl our moustaches just the way he does and proudly acclaim that Shikhar Dhawan da jawab nahi!

The 1983 World Cup final : Where it all began for Indian Cricket

What a day it was! A revolution in Indian cricket, an unexpected change of tide, that took Indian cricket forward. The revolution that started thirty years ago has yielded abundant changes in the way we perceive cricket today. “Cricket is our religion” and this was the moment of divinity that rendered the necessary belief.

The day, 25th of June, 1983, would be etched on the minds of millions of fans, each moment of the game would have been devoured by the eyes of the Indian youngsters back in the day, when India, a seemingly low performing team, rose up magnificently to get the better of reigning world champions, West Indies.

That victory could be termed the best of our victories, even better than winning the ‘07 and ’11 World Cups since India was a relatively unknown team in cricket. One can go as far as to say that we were the punching bags, a source of easy victories for the other teams. The ’83 team did not possess the worldly luxuries that the current team enjoys. There were no extensive practice sessions, no analysis of opponents’ strength and weaknesses using the technology, no flashy equipment, no infrastructure and no finances that could be termed satisfying enough.

A dynamic skipper and a hungry team was all that we boasted off as we marched to face the might of West Indies. I could only wonder what would have happened had India lost this match. Would I revere the Indian cricket team like I do today? Would it have the same kind of mad following that it does? Well, maybe. We did discover the Little Master in the latter years and the kind of players we have now would have indeed drawn fans to this game, but it all started on this very same day thirty years ago.

The Big Finals: (a viewer’s account)

As a youngster, I was excited about the upcoming final. India, the underdogs, were up against the cricketing might of our time and I felt that India would be under immense pressure going into the match. Televisions weren’t a norm in every household and we had to gather at a friend’s place to catch the young brigade in action.

The West Indies skipper, Clive Lloyd, won the toss and put India into bat, after considering the strengths of bowlers who could blow away any kind of opposition with disdain. The bowling consisted of Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner and Michael Holding – names that are revered and considered as one of the best even today. The conditions were typically English and the home of cricket, Lord’s, was all set for the extravaganza.

India had a poor start to the match as they lost their best batsman, Sunil Gavaskar to the bowling of the fiery Andy Roberts, wicket-keeper Dujon taking the catch. It was an intense start from the West Indians and the wicket of Gavaskar meant that we were on the back foot right from the beginning. The West Indian bowlers were breathing fire and the batsmen were peppered with a variety of hostile deliveries.

Our hopes were diminished from that moment, before Kris Srikkanth and Mohinder Amarnath steadied the ship to an extent. We struggled till the end before the West Indians bowled us out for a paltry 183.

All hopes were lost and there were dejected faces looking back at us all around, as we knew that the might of the West Indian batting that included the likes of Richards, Greenidge, Haynes and the skipper Lloyd himself, would be too much for the brittle Indian bowling line up. Apart from Dev, we trusted no one and an ordinary day for him would mean that India would be defeated meekly.

Most of us wanted to quit the match as we realized that India would not be winning after the batting debacle. Few of our friends left the place and others were merely waiting for the formalities to end.

As a viewer who had seen both the ’83 and ’11 final, I rate the 1983 final as the better one, for it had all the ingredients for a perfect World Cup final. It was the story of David versus Goliath and till the final wicket fell, no one was sure of the outcome.

The West Indies batting suffered a jolt as an unlikely Sandhu broke the stumps of Gordon Greenidge, one of the batting greats of that time. But that would never be enough, even as our hopes lifted, albeit a little. But it did not last too long. Vivian Richards walked out at number three and made sure that our hopes were crushed. He unleashed a range of fiery strokes that made the best of our fielders run for cover.

At that moment, though West Indies lost the wicket of Haynes, we felt that victory for India was impossible. The furious hitting of Richards put our bowlers out of the equation. And that is when the miracle happened.

I would consider this moment as the turning point of the match. This was the moment that decided the fate of India and the outcome of the final. Viv Richards hit a shot off Madan Lal’s bowling that went past Kapil Dev at midwicket. He ran back chasing the ball and plucked the ball out of mid-air. The whole room went silent as we realized what Kapil Dev had done. The in-form Richards was back into the pavilion as we regained our composure after the wild celebrations.

That gave us a glimmer of hope. India was well and truly back in the match and the catch by Dev lifted the team’s morale quite visibly. From then on, we could call it “history”, as India won the match with more than seven overs to spare. The result seems unbelievable, even when I reminisce about the match today.

Mohinder Amarnath then made sure that there were no further hiccups as he picked three crucial wickets including that of wicket-keeper Dujon. His performance ensured that India won comfortably and he was rightly chosen as the man of the match for his all-round performance. He was hailed as the hero by the fans as his efforts were crucial to the Indian victory.

Remembering all about the match makes me nostalgic; the moment of victory when we jumped up and down in joy, running around the streets distributing sweets and bursting crackers; things that are pleasant memories today. The “oohs” and “aahs” are still audible to the ears as the ball whizzed past the bat on a number of occasions. Winning over a team like West Indies gave us immense satisfaction and belief in the team.

That was truly a clinical moment after which the craze for the game visibly increased among the fans. The cricketers became heroes and Indian cricket was looked at with respect and gravity. India went on to capture many laurels after that and for all that, I believe this was the start!

What a day it was!

Best eleven of Champions Trophy 2013

The recently concluded Champions Trophy had lots of excitement, especially for the Indian fans as they would be over the moon after successfully clinching the second consecutive major ICC title. England was no walk in the park and they made sure that India sweated it out to get past them.

The finals would be remembered for a long time by the Indian fans for the sheer grit and determination exhibited by the Indian youngsters. It was a slap on the face of the critics who wrote off India even before the tournament commenced.

Apart from the Indian youngsters, there were a few other players who played beautifully and they deserve a mention for carrying the team throughout the tournament. I am going to list out the best eleven that played in the tournament:

The Openers:

Shikhar Dhawan: The classy southpaw from Delhi was a revelation in this tournament. His consistence performances demonstrated that his whirlwind Test debut knock was no eyewash and that he truly belongs at this level. Playing instead of an experienced Virender Sehwag, Dhawan displayed a maturity at the top. His five innings comprised both aggression and caution as he was visibly hungry for runs. Being on the top of the run-getters table, he is an automatic choice for the opening slot.

Alastair Cook (C): The dynamic southpaw from England has led his side brilliantly to reach the finals of the last edition of the Champions trophy. He amassed two half centuries in the tournament with an average of 40 and has been a driving force in England’s success in the recent times.

The middle-order:

Jonathan Trott: The South African-born English middle order batsman is a definition for consistency. His lowest score in the last 12 ODI innings is 37 (not considering the final since it was a 20-over game) and that speaks volumes about his form and temperament. He has successfully guided England to the final of the tournament and his contribution was crucial in England’s journey to the top. He would be the perfect number three batsmen, especially if Dhawan falls early.

Kumar Sangakkara (Wk): The elegant left hander from Sri Lanka has been in fine touch in the tournament. He stroked a classy century against England in a must-win game. He has the ability to play long innings and his consistency is second to none. He is one of the few players who could be called a complete batsman since his record in both ODI’s and Tests are enviable. He is in the top five in the run getters list in Champions trophy and would be a worthy addition to the playing eleven.

George Bailey: The stand-in Australian skipper is the only bright spot in the otherwise gloomy Australian side that took defeat as it came. He was the only player who held the team together making two fifties in the process. Though his selection in the ODI’s was criticised in the beginning, he has been quite consistent and averages around forty in the tournament.

Misbah ul-Haq: The Pakistan skipper would be my only addition from Pakistan to this eleven as they fared poorly in the tournament. But that doesn’t take anything away from his two beautiful knocks, one each against West Indies and South Africa. In the match against South Africa, even though half of Pakistan’s side were back in the hut, South Africa couldn’t rest easy before the fall of Misbah. That is the kind of impact he had on the match and for that he would be in my playing eleven.

All-rounders:

Ravindra Jadeja:  The left hand batsman from Saurashtra has been making steady progress in the international arena and has been the go to man for the Indian skipper. His form in this year has been fantastic and he deserves praise for the way he has carried himself in the side. His performance in the Champions Trophy which includes a five-for and a 40+ score stresses the importance of an all-rounder in the side. With 12 wickets in five matches, Ravindra Jadeja is a natural choice for the number seven spot.

Ryan McLaren: Scored an unbeaten half-century and picked up three wickets in the opening game against India, following it up with a four-wicket haul against Pakistan. McLaren has been instrumental in South Africa’s entry into the knockouts. He picked eight wickets in four matches with an economy of less than six.

The bowlers:

Mitchell McClenaghan: The left arm seamer from New Zealand has made a rousing start to his career with some creditable performances with the ball. He took two four-wicket hauls to claim a place in this playing eleven. He has bowled well and with a little more support he could have taken New Zealand into the semi-finals.

R.Ashwin: The wily off spinner from Chennai has not been in great form in this tournament, yet he bowled economically to tie up one end with success. His bowling enabled the other bowlers to pick more wickets frequently. He picked eight wickets from five games with economy under five which is incredible in conditions that are not suited for spin bowling.

James Anderson: This seamer from Lancashire has been in eminent touch in the tournament bamboozling the best of batsmen with his pace and swing. He took eleven wickets at an average of 15 and has delivered whenever the skipper has turned to him for a wicket.

Notable Omissions: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, MS Dhoni, Hashim Amla, Mahela Jayawardene, Joe Root, Ravi Bopara, Ishant Sharma.

Sri Lanka and South Africa : The Tale of absurd 'Choking'

The island nation is considered to be one of the countries which have a rich cricketing heritage. Like India, cricket is revered and the players are considered something more than human. It is the sole reason why Sri Lankan cricket has prospered all through the years giving birth to some of the legends of the game.

Sri Lanka and South Africa : The emergence of Sri Lankan Cricket

Whenever you talk about Sri Lankan cricket, one cannot forget to remember their dramatic and unexpected world cup victory in the year 1996. Coming into the tournament with a relatively inexperienced team, Sri Lanka redefined the art of approaching a limited overs game. The skilful captaincy of Arjuna Ranatunga, the aggressive opening partnerships between Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwithrana who demonstrated the use of the initial overs to full extent, mixed with wily bowling of Vaas and Murali, Sri Lanka had the perfect mix to foil any team’s ambition in the tournament.

It was a dream, a revolution that took Sri Lankan cricket forward. It set the ball rolling for the youngsters to take the game seriously. Since then, Sri Lanka has been viewed upon as a serious contender just like Indian cricket dominance begun after the 1983 world cup triumph. Yet, they haven’t been as successful as they ought to be. They have struggled to make use of the talents they have possessed, ending up short of the line by quite a margin.

In the past seven years including the 2007 World cup, Sri Lanka have managed to reach the finals of four ICC events, ending up as semi-finalists in few others. Their consistency is mind blowing considering the fact that they are not the dominating force in cricket. They have quietly made progress and have used their limited resources to play good cricket.

Their strength lies on the fact that they jell as a unit, understanding their team’s strength and weakness and working inside their talent frame.  In spite of all their efforts, they haven’t won any major championship in the last few years. Does that mean they deserve the title of “Chokers” more than South Africa?

Sri Lanka and South Africa : South Africa Redefined Competitiveness in Cricket After their Resurgence

Talking about South Africa, their dominance in World Cricket reminds us of the West Indies of the 70’s and 80’s, though they cannot be termed invincible. Rejoining cricket in 1991 after the ban, South Africa has demonstrated what cricket had been missing in their absence. Their aggressive intent and the ability to produce world class cricketers like Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla speaks volumes of the cricketing genes in their country.

But having a strong team has not helped them in winning them a major trophy in world cricket, though they are technically the number one team in the world. They have won overseas series in almost all the countries and have been the only team who were able to take on the might of Australia in their prime.

The most famous episode in their colossal ‘choking’ ability would be the semi-finals of the 1999 world cup. They threw away a relatively easy match, though one could argue that it was luck which went against them. It might be a twist of fate, but then onwards they failed to gather momentum in knock out tournaments. They failed to capture a single major title barring the Champions trophy.

There is no fair argument to support this failure and even the people concerned are not able to come up with a feasible answer. Gary Kirsten himself rued the inability of his team for being unable to cross the finish line, though they boast of a formidable side.

The credibility of the team is put under the scanner and we can just stop and wonder why they are unable to get past the line, being so consistent and ruthless in their approach. South Africa, especially should be rueing their lost chances after their chain of achievements in world cricket. There should be a reason behind all this, though none could be defining. I have come up with my own analysis for their under par performance:

Sri Lanka and South Africa : Why do they choke?

The Analysis :

Normally, in a major championship tournament, there would be two stages: the round-robin stage and the knock-out stage. The teams that perform consistently in the round robin qualify to the next level and are pitted against strong contenders. The next level is an eliminator where the team that loses a single match gets disqualified.

I firmly believe that this is the area that both Sri Lanka and South Africa lack the necessary momentum. If we analyze the round robin games of both Sri Lanka and South Africa in the Champions Trophy, we could see that both the teams lost their first match before registering comprehensive victories in the next two games to qualify for the semi finals.

The defeat in the first match depicts their inability to settle down quickly though that cannot be termed as the only reason. Having played quality cricket for majority of the tournament, they are bogged down by the pressure to maintain the flow and hence they decimate in the knockouts.

Moreover both the teams are dependent on experienced players to take them through and the others contribute only occasionally. If you take the example of a resurgent India, it is easy to classify their performances since junior players have taken up the mantle and have performed to perfection whereas in case of South Africa and Sri Lanka, it is either a Jayawardene or Amla or Sangakkara or De Villiers whose performances lift the team. Others are merely a source of support and they lack confidence to lead the team with their performances.

Frankly, it has affected the results and it is one of the reasons for their current predicament. There is no shortcut in repairing the damage and the concerned boards should make sure that quality remains all over the team, not just in a handful of players.

Sri Lanka and South Africa : How to Come Out of Their “Chokingmania”

Other than that both are quality teams that boast of world class talents. Their presence makes us enjoy cricket even more. There are players like Kallis and Sangakkara whose class and credibility extends far beyond their countries’ boundaries as they belong to the elite league of cricketers who have achieved almost all there is to achieve in the game. But for both Sangakkara and Kallis, not winning a world cup would definitely be an ache in the heart when the look back at the game after they have retired and they would be itching to win the 2015 world cup and sign off in style. To do that, they need more than the usual efforts; not only they have to perform but have to carry the team through on their shoulders to achieve the ultimate glory. It is a task for the brave and only players like them can accomplish it.

Meanwhile, the onus is on the respective cricket boards to sort out the team and make sure that all the players take up responsibility and perform. There should be no place for average players and tough decisions should be made to drop the ‘experienced’ non-performers. That is the only way forward for both these sides

Ishant Sharma - Transition from inexperienced youngster to the leader of the pack?

He has one of the worst averages even after playing nearly fifty tests. He can’t bowl a Yorker when needed. He can’t bowl slower deliveries during the death. Frankly speaking, Ishant’s career is an enigma for a mundane fan!

Having made his debut at a tender age of 18, Ishant redefined the art of fast bowling in India through his raw pace and uncanny ability to obtain bounce from any type of surface. That talent could be attributed to his height and he set the bench mark for pacers by bowling constantly around the 145 kmph and sometimes a touch over 150. 

He was an instant success on the bouncy pitches of Australia, especially after his face off against Ricky Ponting. It was a sweet story that had Ricky’s cricketing brilliance in tatters after he fell to the lanky pacer for a record six times in six tests.

But that is where the saga ends. What followed was an eye-sore, an unexpected ending to a fairy tale that resulted in Ishant losing his pace and the attitude to bowl quick. Indian pacers tend to mellow down after their initial burst owing to various reasons with injury topping the list. Afraid of getting injured, they reduce their pace and eventually what got them into the team is forgotten from their repertoire, to hold on to their place in the side.

We have numerous examples to demonstrate the sad story of fast bowlers who have resorted to bowling “line and length” rather than building up on their original talent due to the fear of failure. The general perception is that once a bowler gets injured, he is replaced by another bowler and it is difficult for him to make a comeback; therefore, the bowler cuts down his pace to save his career which indirectly affects his career either way, for, a bowler who was an express quick would find it difficult to stick to line and length, thereby getting stuck in between speed and ‘line and length’ and ending up being an epic fail.

Having said that, Ishant has not been a complete failure. While analyzing his performances, one should take into account the pitch factors and could defend him by saying that he has bowled mostly on placid tracks without much help from the surroundings. That has affected his career to a great extent. Frankly, the management has not given much importance for genuine quickies and that has diminished the career of Sharma to a mere party starter in tests. He bowls without pace and panache and is deemed miserable to be bowling for one of the most influential and powerful country when it comes to cricket. Probably, the darkest patch of his career would be the Australian series in 2011-12. Bowling with pace and bounce, Ishant was relatively unsuccessful or rather unlucky to miss out on quite a few wickets. He lacked confidence back then and his approached portrayed that he wanted to hold on to his place in the team rather than being aggressive.

Though he isn’t as successful as we expected after his debut series, he has quietly been making some steady progress. Ishant’s bane has been his erring line and length. He bowls a tad too short than normal which does not trouble the batsmen. He refrains from bowling a fuller length for the fear of getting hit and that has prevented him from picking too many wickets. Probably he has been guided in the wrong direction and should take a leaf out of the books of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav and start bowling fuller.

At 23, he has a long career ahead of him, and he is making visible progress ever since bowling in tandem with Dale Steyn. Bowling with Dale Steyn has instilled confidence in approach as he looks to be more aggressive these days. Whenever he has turned up on the field wanting to be aggressive, the result has been evident by the amount of success that India had on that day. Rewind to the year 2010. It was the test series between India and South Africa. Having won the first test, South Africa was looking ominous in the second test as well. Hashim Amla was on a purple patch as he followed his double-century effort in the first test with a fluent century in the first innings of the second test.

Just after lunch, Ishant was handed the ball by the Indian skipper. And then the magic happened. Ishant bowled like a man on a mission, peppering Amla with short pitched deliveries. Amla was visibly uncomfortable as he was looking to play out a marauding Sharma. It unsettled him as he fell in the very same spell to Zaheer Khan. Another instance of Sharma being aggressive was in the month of December, 2012 when India faced Pakistan in a T20 match. Sharma was breathing fire as he bowled a variety of vicious deliveries and backed it up with some masterful sledging. It unsettled Kamran Akmal who was batting and Ishant ended up picking up a wicket in the very same over.

Now that is how we would like to see him bowl in the future. He has improved over the years and arming himself with variations would help his career as Wasim Akram rightly said that “One cannot survive in international cricket without knowing how to bowl a Yorker!”

Ishant has bowled well in the ongoing Champions trophy and it has yielded him with a man of the match trophy already. The secret was to bowl fuller as he made the visible transition from “hit-the-deck-hard” type to “bowl-full-to-obtain-swing” type. If the conditions suits him, he could be a lethal bowler and could come right at the batsman with pace and bounce.

Ishant should concentrate on his strengths and now that he has able backups in the form of Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant can bowl with lot more freedom and look to attack more often. In this era, it is tough finding a bowler who could extract bounce in any conditions and that is a quality that Ishant boasts of. He should be nurtured and guided along the right direction so that he could lead the pack of Indian seamers in the future.

ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY 2013 FINAL : INDIA vs ENGLAND : INDIA PREVIEW

“Unerring India romp into the finals!” would be  the headline across most dailies today. Frankly, India could do no wrong in this tournament after what has unraveled in the past two weeks. But things were not so rosy when the team for the Champions Trophy was announced. The selectors drew the ire of the fans as soon as they realized that their favourite stars were missing from the Champions Trophy line up. Nobody gave India a chance and it might just have been that freedom that allowed India to play fearless cricket.

The Final:

The squad for the final wont change in all likelihood as Dhoni believes in sticking with the ‘tested’ eleven. Therefore, barring injuries, India would be fielding the same line up for the final. They need to be wary of England as they have looked invulnerable at home. This could probably be termed as the toughest battle for India in the tournament. The battle would be fought till the last ball and England would leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of capturing their first major ODI title.

There are some interesting battles waiting to take place on Sunday. The teams are evenly matched and would be raring to go against each other, though experience-wise England have the upper hand. I am listing out few of the possible face-offs that are set to occur on the big day:

The Battle of Equals:

Shikhar Dhawan vs. James Anderson: The explosive south-paw from Delhi is having a dream run this tournament, having gotten the better of some good new ball bowlers in the earlier matches. But he will up against a wily bowler who has troubled the best in the business with his variation and vicious swing. Therefore, this would be a battle of form against experience, and Dhawan still has one more hurdle left to take his team through.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs. Alastair Cook: The right-arm swinger from Uttar Pradesh has got the better of many southpaws, but Cook has the perfect mix of poise and footwork to his batting that might unsettle Kumar’s line and length. Cook would be wary while playing against the new ball, and bowling to him would be tough for the relatively inexperienced bowler.

Ravindra Jadeja vs. Ravi Bopara: The hard-hitting batsman from Essex has provided the much-needed impetus to England’s score after their top-order batsmen have set the stage. But Bopara would be facing a problem or two when squaring up against Jadeja, since he sticks to a line and length that gives no room for the batsmen to free their arms.

Steve Finn vs. Suresh Raina: That Raina is uncomfortable while playing the short balls is no secret. Finn would be ready, therefore, to serve some short stuff to the southpaw and prise his wicket since England know the importance of Raina to the Indian side, as they found out earlier in January. Raina would be having a tough day while facing Finn and the only way to counter his bounce would be to attack!

The Pitch and the conditions:

The Edgbaston Cricket ground hosts the final between India and England. It is a perfect pitch, tailor-made for English conditions. The batsmen would have a tough time in the middle, but they could score runs if they are prudent in their approach. The pitch would definitely favour the seamers, but the spinners would have a vital role to play as demonstrated by Graeme Swann time and again in these conditions.

The conditions would be overcast as they were in the last match that was played here between India and Pakistan. Let’s hope that the rain doesn’t play spoil-sport come Sunday.

Possible Eleven: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(c & k), Ravindra Jadeja,Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav

Prediction:  Glory and revenge – these are the two things that are at stake for team India. They have one last shot at winning this trophy – the only piece of silverware that is missing from Dhoni’s trophy cabinet. As they square up on Sunday, none of this would bear consequence though, and only the performances will. I am willing to put all my money on my home team, irrespective of the result, as they are the ultimate champions of this Champions Trophy edition, winning a lot of hearts back home!

ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY 2013 : INDIA Vs SRILANKA : SEMI-FINAL 2 PREVIEW

India has finally gained the Midas touch under their skillful and effervescent skipper. They are in rollicking form and the pieces are finally falling into place. The batsmen are coming well together and apart from the odd blemishes, the bowling has been extremely pleasing. Having said that, the acid test lies ahead of India as too much of good form and good luck could get them into a false sense of confidence and complacency. Therefore, focus is the key for India as they romp into the semi-finals on an unbeaten streak.

Knowing Dhoni, he wouldn’t be too keen to experiment on the winning combination; therefore one can safely assume that the same eleven that played against Pakistan would be taking the field on Thursday.

The Rivalry:

Being our neighbours, Sri Lanka has played a vast number of matches against India, therefore our strengths and weakness lie out in the open for both the parties to see. It would only be the performance that would matter on the field.

The Conditions:

The Sophia Gardens cricket ground is renowned for its nativity as it bears the symbol of England’s cricketing excellence. It is a perfect example to demonstrate the love for cricket. The conditions, as usual, would be favouring the seamers. When it comes to India vs. Sri Lanka, the bowling department is matched equally, with Malinga and Yadav providing the necessary impetus for their respective sides, though Malinga could be termed experienced. Therefore it would be battle of equals, come Thursday.

The previous match between England and New Zealand was  almost washed out and one can expect chilly and cloudy conditions prevailing over the ground on the day of the match.

Key Players:

Shikhar Dhawan: The south paw from Delhi has hit a purple patch, that too at the most appropriate time. His form has been influential in India’s success in the tournaments as he smashed back-to-back hundreds to guide India home on both the occasions. He would be hungry for more and today would be the perfect day to bat without any sort of pressure. That could let him be even more aggressive and allow him to build on his confidence.

Ravindra Jadeja: “Sir” Ravindra Jadeja is finally earning a reputation for his title and if things continue to go his way, he might even be knighted within a few years. Jokes apart, his performances in the recent past have been brilliant to say the least. He is the perfect all-rounder that India require at the moment and his aggressive batting adds the right amount of impetus to India’s batting and provides a spot for another bowler/batsman, which is clearly a luxury.

Umesh Yadav: The Sri Lankan team would be filled with stroke makers in accordance with the conditions and our only trump card to counter their attack would be this man. Full of pace, he could be lethal if the conditions are suitable. He tries to bowl full and that is a wonderful sight for any fast bowler. He would be crucial in today’s match to provide India with the initial break through.

R. Ashwin: The wily off-spinner from Chennai has not managed to set the stage on fire in this competition and he would be looking to set the record straight come Saturday. His variations would come in handy while squaring up against a sub-continent team.

Today’s match would be anticipated for various reasons, ranging from rivalry to good action. The match tickets have been sold out and the expectations are high as the battle to gain a slot in the finals would pump both teams up, even more since this is the last edition.

India would want to put its best foot forward to wipe out all the disgrace caused due to the spot-fixing scandals. MS Dhoni is leading a good team but he shouldn’t take the Lankans for granted as they could be lethal on their day. They have some pretty good stroke makers in their line up and have variety in their bowling. It would be an acid test of sorts and there is no room for error.

All the best Team India!

Last Meeting:

India vs Sri Lanka (Practice Match, Champions Trophy) :

Result: India Won

Possible Eleven: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(c & k), Ravindra Jadeja,Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav

Prediction: Having gotten the better of much tougher opponents including Pakistan and South Africa, India should have this match in the bag, yet, it would definitely be a thriller, for Lankans are fighters!