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Showing posts with label Ajinkya Rahane. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ajinkya Rahane. Show all posts
Rahul-Mayank can be as potent as Sehwag-Gambhir
But in the absence of seniors, they need to do more than just mark their presence
In Virat Kohli’s absence, his deputy, KL Rahul became the Test captain. Far from a certainty in the team, till only a few Tests back, what catapulted Rahul into this leadership role? Last year’s 129 against England, at Lord’s, was followed by a string of low scores. But Ajinkya Rahane’s indifferent batting form, uncertainty over his Test spot, continuous non-selection for the white-ball format, made him lose his vice-captaincy.
Meanwhile, Rahul is more a less a certainty across the white-ball format. Four 50s in his last five T20I innings (vs Afghanistan, Namibia, Scotland in the T20 World Cup) and another against New Zealand at Ahmedabad. But even before this, he was the Punjab Kings’ skipper, and possibly one of India’s T20 batting mainstays. His ODI numbers are equally impressive.
Added to Kohli’s absence, was Rohit Sharma’s absence – perhaps the only other batting certainty across formats for India.
Yet, Punjab Kings under KL Rahul were far from impressive. Whether it is the squad or team selection, Punjab has been a largely rudderless IPL entity. Yet for a while, such has been the preoccupation with Kohli and Rohit, that Rahul the batsman, and not Rahul the leader was picked, first, for vice-captaincy, then almost by default, for the captaincy at the Wanderers.
India’s senior-most Test players, Cheteshwar Pujara (94 Tests) and Ravichandran Ashwin (83 Tests) much like Rahane (81 Tests) are not all-format players. KL Rahul is, by the look of it, being slated to be one. After his exceptional match-winning innings at Centurion, Rahul’s stock rose manifold.
Rahul of 42 Tests, batting average of 36, nowhere close to a Test mainstay, with 2 of his 7 Test centuries in his last two series (both overseas), was made captain. In addition to captaincy, Rahul opens the batting. In addition to negotiating the new ball, he also has to secure his spot in the team.
It’s out of such adversity that strong leaders are born. Yet as has been obvious in Rahul’s IPL captaincy, leading a weak batting lineup has thwarted his own batsmanship making him even opine that strike rate is over-rated. If Pujara said that, it would be understandable. But when someone with a strike-rate of 142 in T20Is says that, it calls for thought. Is Rahul thinking too much? How did David Warner lead an equally weak SRH batting line up, yet not compromise on his attacking play or leadership for years? Much like Rahul, Warner was captain, opener and batting mainstay of his IPL franchise. Rahul is not yet 30, Warner is 35, and perhaps there is still time for him to come into his own. Or is there? Is he too laidback, in his own shell, to lead and inspire a team that needs that extra push?
Perhaps the greatest disservice by making Rahul captain or even the deputy is that it could dilute the impact of the Rahul-Mayank opening, one that is even more critical overseas. If Mayank Agarwal were to play a winning hand in the last Test, would the selectors have the audacity to drop its interim Test captain when Rohit Sharma returns? Unlikely.
Although Mayank has played only 18 Tests (out of which 11 are overseas), he has a batting average of 45.38 (more than Rahul, Rahane and Pujara and only less than Kohli). In Rahul’s absence, Mayank could be the next Punjab Kings’ captain. He is yet to make his T20I debut, and has played only 5 ODIs, but in India’s batting merry go round, he could easily be the next flavour. Just as Unmukt Chand was, not too long ago.
Mayank is barely a year older than Rahul, both are good friends, with a batting understanding that goes back a long way. In the cryptic ways of Indian cricket, the continuous absences of Kohli and Rohit, Rahul and Mayank can forge a batting renaissance in Indian cricket. Even be the next Sehwag-Gambhir. Just as Sehwag-Gambhir were from Delhi, Rahul-Mayank are from Bangalore. Both are mates too. Both can be equally attacking on top, while Mayank's prowess against spin is no less than Gambhir’s in his heyday. Rahul can be just as destructive as Sehwag, scoring all-round the wicket. And much like Sehwag, Rahul hasn’t shown any leadership qualities at his IPL franchise. Both have Punjab Kings in common, moving from their city franchise to it.
If and when Rohit returns, how will they accommodate Mayank? Will selection be able to sever long, accomplished batting ties – will it be prepared to move on? Also, considering Rohit’s continuous fitness problems, he may even decide to ration his Test cricket. If not retire from it altogether and focus only on white-ball cricket.
Shikhar Dhawan last played a Test match in September, 2018. He was not part of India’s T20 World Cup squad last year. But he did lead India for the twin white-ball series in Sri Lanka. Over the years, he has been one of India’s leading ODI batsmen; as also one of Delhi Capitals’ highest scorers repeatedly. The leadership role eluded him at DC, and he wasn’t retained by the franchise. Dhawan is part of the ODI series in South Africa. Mayank is not.
However, it seems inevitable, that if India are to win their first Test series in South Africa, their openers will have to lead the way. A telling contribution from Mayank, could still force his late inclusion for the ODIs.
***
Even if Kohli returns to lead in Cape Town, if he continues to remain absent with the bat, the noises will only increase. It may not be too far-flung to even see him relinquish the Test captaincy too. And therein lies the opportunity for Rahul-Mayank to stamp their presence on this fading batting order.
First published here
Sleepless in South Africa.
Look who’s losing sleep over the latest developments in Indian cricket
Days after the dust appeared to have settled on Captaincygate, neighbours complained of Ravi Shastri speaking loudly in his sleep – “That’s bowled him right through the gate, they call it Captiancygate for a reason”
One neighbour who wished to bask in the limelight asked an interviewer, “Yes, I’ll tell you what I hear, but first can you ask me a question on what I think of Kohli as a limited overs’ captain? I have all the stats to back me”.
For weeks now, everyone has had an opinion on Kohli’s captaincy.
When contacted, Shastri said, he spent the last few months as coach, sleeping. “I was quick to adopt those shades…it doesn’t augur well when the Indian coach is sleeping on camera…and despite bloody good efforts, the cameramen refused to not pan their damn camera lenses on me…I was left with no other option. I now can only sleep with shades on. Even at night. It’s these shades which are making me talk in my sleep.”
Elsewhere, Kohli too has been faced with disrupted sleep: Dada appears in my dreams…he says in 45 minutes we will make a public announcement giving the Test captaincy to Rohit Sharma. In it, I’m bargaining for 90 minutes…I’m pleading with him, “Please Dada, please, before relieving me of the ODI captaincy, you gave me an hour and a half… why have you cut it by half…My better half is worried that I’m visiting the gym in the middle of the night but there’s no other way to shrug off these nightmares…er I mean, dreams…of course it’s always a dream come true to have Dada appear in my dreams.”
It has been confirmed that Kohli gyms at odd hours of the night. Not just that, he has also shifted his bedding to the bench press. “It’s quite convenient really, I sleep in gym wear…which is cool, this also coincided with an ad I was doing…Gymwear so comfortable…you’ll never get out of it…I thought that was a witty line but I can tell you, it was my idea...I shared it with the adwallahs but the concept is mine…all mine…and I can see the hard work is paying…it’s telling on the bottom line of the company and on my bottom line too.”
Sourav Ganguly said, “I like Kohli’s attitude but he gyms too much. When I played cricket I only visited the gym to cross over to the café…and sometimes not even that. I think skill and not fitness is the reason for success in cricket. Of the current cricketers, I believe only Ashwin understands that. I’m hoping we can rope in Virender Sehwag to be the fitness trainer of this current lot, they need to enjoy the good things in life rather than worry about fitness. I can see Amit Mishra making an able deputy to Viru…”
Meanwhile Kohli refused to comment on this latest Dada-byte but did 500 sit-ups to ease his nerves. At dinner, he didn’t eat a morsel, explaining it was his fast.
***
Rahul Dravid explained his preparation to be the new Indian coach: The only reason I signed up to do that ad which went viral was to understand what it is to be a model cricketer. This is important for the current lot and I do not want to take this lightly. I may appear angry in the ad, brandishing a bat, but it has earned me a lot of respect within the current lot. They know I mean business – on and off the field.
Dravid said that he respects both “Sourav” and “Virat” as professionals. And being in South Africa, they were now thousands of miles away from it all.
***
Sachin Tendulkar refused to comment. Saying it was an internal matter of Indian cricket. He said he fondly remembered being carried by Kohli when India won the 2011 World Cup. Also adding that he had many fond memories of sharing partnerships both on the pitch and in restaurants with Ganguly – he loves his biryani and we have introduced each other to many a good place, be it in Mumbai, Kolkata or London.
When asked whether Rohit would make a better captain, tongue firmly in cheek, he said, Yes, definitely with Mumbai Indians. With the Indians, it remains to be seen.
***
Ajinkya Rahane said a good score was just around the corner – “Definitely, but for that I need to be in the XI” He also believes that another overseas’ series win was around the corner – “Definitely, but for that I need to be the captain”.
Asked how he felt after being relieved from the vice captaincy, he simply said, “definitely”.
It has been learnt that Rahane has been requesting some of the South African bowlers to dole out their short stuff to him in the nets at night – “Definitely, I have a simple explanation – as I may not play in the first Test match, I tell them, you have nothing to fear, you can bowl at me at night, this way, both of us will be in the dark”.
Seeing as no South African has taken up Rahane’s offer as yet, he has been spotted sleeping in his rucksack in the nets –“I’m looking to spend more time at the crease, definitely, this simulation will help me, Pujara seems to think so too, though he did not say so in so many words.”
***
KL Rahul, the new vice-captain, was spotted with Mayank Agarwal. Asked whether they were looking to extend their Punjab Kings’ opening; Rahul was deadpan when he said, “we are no longer at Punjab together so I won’t lose sleep over that.”
Realising he may not have been too tactful, he quickly added, “Yes, that will be the aim as we have had many memorable partnerships, not just at Punjab but at Karnataka too.”
***
“I have this repeated dream…more like a nightmare really, that I’m batting and there isn’t a single spectator there to watch me…in South Africa” said Kohli, somewhat wistfully. When informed that there will be no spectators in attendance for the series, he quickly countered, “Yes, I know, how else do you explain my dream”.
(However plausible this may sound, this is a work of fiction)
First published here
Batting order or anarchy?
We don’t have to get over the Virat Kohli question. Just as we couldn’t get over the Virat Kohli answer. Be it to bowlers, oppositions, interviewers, the world at large.
Both the Kohli question, as too the Kohli answer are deeply imbedded in Indian cricket, and will continue to, for years.
We can continue to ask them, but in the middle of a series they will not be answered: Kohli will continue as captain and player.
There are other solutions, but India’s win at Lord’s, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane’s contributions in that Test may have deferred them.
Both Pujara and Rahane are one format players for India. That comes with an added thrust of insecurity; one that hovers over the head – one that has over the years, compelled them to defy the white ball’s shrug.
This has been more marked in Rahane’s game even though Pujara continued to back himself as a white ball cricketer in the press.
For years, Pujara remained unsold in the IPL auctions. Then when CSK did come around, it met with an applause. As if CSK had indulged in some form of red ball charity. Pujara however, remained on the CSK bench.
In the 2020 season, Rahane played 9 matches for the Delhi Capitals, went largely unnoticed. The following season, just 2 matches. Rahane is an afterthought in his IPL team.
Rahane’s Test innings often appear to be an unacceptance of the white ball verdict: even before settling down, he looks to score. That loosely thrown around term, ‘busy cricketer’ seems to be him. His methods are high risk. Yet they come off at least once a series.
With so much uncertainty in his batting, it’s remarkable that he can make significant contributions, albeit the one-off knock per series.
Then there is that other well documented facet, Rahane the captain; the back from the dead turnaround series Down Under. Rahane’s century at Melbourne. There will always be Brisbane. That series victory is in Ajinkya Rahane’s credits. But with a Test average threatening to keel over into the 30s, Rahane is skidding fast on an already slippery slope.
Ajinkya Rahane highest score in the series so far is 61 with two single digit scores.
It’s one thing to defy the media with words, quite another to prep for each innings as your comeback knock.
***
Once upon a time, that was Rohit Sharma. Then something happened. Rohit decided he had more time on his hands than Pujara. He had nowhere to go, and he was going nowhere. He slid back in time to a space when he started batting for the first time in the nets – leave, block, leave, defend, leave. Isn’t that how it starts?
Rohit has always had a stillness to his batting. It’s just that the brain fade before breaks was never far. That continued to mess with his Test career. Yet the love for rekindling Rohit’s Test career was a lifelong obsession with Indian cricket.
Against South Africa at home, Rohit ran into three tons. In Australia, he had starts. Against England at home, Rohit was by far India’s best batsman.
In England this has meant starts in each outing, as also falling to the pull three times in five completed innings.
Rohit Sharma’s highest score so far in the series is 83, with no single digit score.
***
First, Rishabh Pant the batsman bailed out Rishabh Pant the wicketkeeper. Then Pant the batsman bailed out India.
Before that Pant in his short career was scrutinised like few before him. In Australia, he converted all those questions into answers with some of the most emphatic innings by an Indian batsman overseas.
Yet by the Leeds Test, Pant too had dispensed with his defence. Pant’s batting was precarious enough to be in the Rahane or Kohli ballpark.
Pant’s highest score in the series so far is 37, with two single digit scores.
***
Before Pujara’s second innings at Leeds, he laid the foundations for the Lord’s win with Rahane. His 45 (206) was his highest score in the series. Before his 91 at Leeds, he had three single digit sores.
As is often documented, Pujara seems to be the recipient of that cracker delivery. Yet after an indifferent home series against England, Pujara’s troubles outside the off-stump were starting to seem Kohliesque.
Then England bowled poorly to Pujara, allowing him to score rapidly, almost an oxymoron. Pujara’s 91 was as much a contradiction of his poor form, as of England’s bowling effort. A cut through point seemed like a throwaway to a different era.
On the last morning, Pujara’s inability to put away a half volley seemed more like it. The strokeless dismissal that followed seemed almost befitting.
***
Amongst India’s top six, KL Rahul has the lowest Test batting average, the only one in the 30s. He’s also the sole Indian batsman with a century in the series. Picked after Mayank Agarwal’s concussion, Rahul’s last three single digit scores have added to the team’s headache.
Yet Rahul has shown similar application as his opening partner. His 5(44) and 8(89) have amply demonstrated this. What is worrying is, will this be a repeat of Rahul’s earlier trends: 100 or bust?
KL Rahul’s highest score in the series so far is 129. Man of the match at Lord’s for his troubles. The 86 at Nottingham revealed a defence tight enough to belong to his namesake.
***
Virat Kohli alone has a 50 plus batting average. The cushion of captaincy, bygone runs separate Kohli from the rest.
Virat Kohli’s highest score in the series so far is 55, with two single digit scores. He has been dismissed five times. Edged and taken. Each time.
***
What the statistics fail to reveal are the bio-bubbles cricketers have inhabited over the last year. That centuries may not be as accessible as before. That there will be periods when more than half the batting won’t click. That in England, the 250-350 range plus/minus 50 could be more the norm. That even on a flatbed such as Leeds, under bright sunshine, the batting could go missing. That this is James Anderson’s backyard. And he owns the few feet outside your off stump.
If years of facing James Anderson in English conditions have taught India’s top order little, what hope is there for new recruits? But then again, didn’t the summer of 1996 unfurl the careers of Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly. Back then too, Dravid and Ganguly had two Tests in England– two centuries, a ninety and an eighty later, Indian cricket was redrawn for good.
Unlikely India will change the batting personnel at the Oval. Come Manchester though, it might get personal. And with this Indian bunch, you never know what that means – it could be with the opposition on the field, or leaks in the media. And we all know how that pans out.
The batting needs to breathe, just as it needs to be guarded.
Manish Pandey, Rahane and other ODI bats in the IPL.
Kane Williamson’s World: What if India had dared to embrace it themselves
What’s left to write? Is there anything unsaid? Kane Williamson is on
his way to cricketing sainthood. People who don’t know him want to buy him a
beer. Does he drink beer? Won’t he be happier with some oriental herbal tea
concoction of his own?
As all three, Williamson, teacup and saucer levitate on some higher
plain.
As he strokes his beard a tad, contemplating the slowest, most precise
way to partake of the tea. Waiting for it to cool down to an accessible warmth,
wherein a sip is followed by yet another sip and still another sip – not too
dissimilar to all those dots he played out at the beginning of his innings.
Waiting for the ball to cool down. For his bat to warm up. For bat and ball to
be paired at an equitable temperature. For singles to follow dots, for twos to
follow singles and so on.
The coolness of Williamson moulds with his warmth. There is neither
searing heat nor icy cold. It’s a balance that sinks itself in the journey; a
journey that lasts 100 overs – or if need be, 102 overs.
Uncertainty and an early wicket embrace the preparation. That it’s time
to embark on that arduous uphill trek with a millstone to boot. There would be
something lacking if it weren’t so.
So 29/1 in 6.1 overs builds almost lackadaisically to 102 in the 23rd
over. Williamson falls for 30. After the semifinals, another innings built on
denial. Against India, Williamson started his climb at 1/1 in the fourth over.
Sometimes, the burden is more, sometimes less, sometimes it may appear
to be missing; but it’s Williamson’s acceptance of this burden that makes it so
much less cumbersome. Almost Cumberbatch cool on the contrary.
With paltry strike rates of 70 and 56, Williamson led an ascent in the
two knockouts. Scores of 67 and 30, at three, in a team score of 241 and 239 –
with those boulders of patience, Williamson won the world, nearly the World
Cup.
His opposing No 3s wangled 9(22) and 1(6) in the knockouts.
Somewhere in his preparation, was a prior understanding and acceptance,
a nullifying of greed, that contrarian scores will be enough.
Last year, I attended a presentation by journalist Paul Salopek on his multiyear, 21,000-mile walk across
the world in the footsteps of our forebears. He was still standing, walking and
talking after all those miles; with more to go.
In focus was Slow journalism an offshoot of the
Slow Movement. Carl Honroé, a commentator on the “Slow Movement,”
writes that, “Today we are addicted to speed, to cramming more and more into
every minute. Every moment of the day feels like a race against the clock, a
dash to a finish line that we never seem to reach.”
It appears
that somewhere down the line, Kane Williamson and a few others have not just
rediscovered Slow Cricket but given weight to its importance in the shorter
formats of cricket.
Kane Williamson, man of the series in the 2019 edition of the World Cup
with a tournament strike rate of 75.
And by the look of it, he still had some time on his hands. There was no
finish line he had to catch.
Before the tournament, it often struck me that in its quest for one-day
and T20 top order batsmen, India was missing a trick to play a Test mainstay.
India’s first match was on June 5, still early in the English summer.
As the injuries struck, and the No 4 position remained largely
unresolved, I still had hope that they may look the other way.
With two wicketkeepers and two leggies in the playing eleven, none of
who were gun fielders, would India dare to accommodate a specialist top order
Test batsman even though fielding wasn’t his strong suit?
What if he was one of the best leavers of the cricket ball? What if his
edges hid from the seeking, moving ball?
In hindsight, it’s those leaves that were not to be that ate India in
the semifinals. Rohit edged, Rahul edged, Kohli nearly edged. India edged out
of the contest at 24/4.
Cheteshwar Pujara has played 5 ODIs in all, from August 2013 to June
2014. The numbers are not flattering.
He was the man of the series in India’s maiden Test series win in
Australia.
Pujara’s Test numbers are not too dissimilar to those of Williamson’s –
he’s played 68 to the Kiwi’s 72 Tests; his batting average is 51 to Williamson’s
53; and a strike rate of 46 to Kane’s 51.
Dinesh Karthik and Kedar Jadhav may not play for India again. At best,
they were lower middle order. Unlikely Vijay Shankar will turn up either.
Wasn’t he lower middle order himself?
Before this World Cup, like Pujara, Rishabh Pant had also played just 5
ODIs. He was more a lower middle order batsman who was being shoehorned as
India’s No. 4. A book called Great Expectations could be written on what India
expected of Pant and Pant alone. But that’s another story.
The story here is that most likely Rohit Sharma will make the playing XI
in the first Test vs West Indies on 3rd August. A Test career with
enough stops and starts to make a rainy World Cup day in England proud, Rohit’s
ODI form translates into Test picks.
Nearly six years since his debut for those 27 Tests. (with a lion’s
share of the innings at No. 6 and 5)
What if the selectors had shown the same belief in a top order Test
batsman who’s accustomed to playing the moving ball?
Guess we’ll never know.
Then again, a journalist asked Kane Williamson if he would play MS Dhoni
in his XI for the World Cup semis. Would’ve been interesting to have heard his
reply for Cheteshwar Pujara in his XI?
Or for that matter, Ajinkya Rahane?
But then that would’ve been plain, old fashioned. And Indian cricket
doesn’t have the time for that kind of thing.
First published here
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