How Rahane’s silence shut the Aussies up.

In a series of twists and turns, it was the unlikely leadership of Kohli’s deputy that outthought the opposition.

28^th March was meant to be the penultimate day of the Dharamsala Test, we were already lost in the deep woods of cricketing wonder, drawn in by battle, lured by unpredictability, biting at the carrot of thrills.

After one long adventure of Test cricket that started in September, now deep into March, we’re breathless, panting, flattened out, happy to close our eyes, and soak it all in. Did this all happen? Where we there? Did cricket romance us, day after day, from one adversary to another, hurling our fists in the stands, at the TVs, at our faces, looking just as charged as our captain.

The Dharamsala Test could have gone either way, a tie would’ve just about topped the madness of the series, that it didn’t though, only added a little something to India’s much waning love for Test cricket. In this long, often meandering home season, only three have played all 13 Tests: Ashwin, Jadeja and Pujara.

By the end of this season, each had to dig deeper, wrapping the season up with one last solid effort. While Ashwin and Jadeja chipped in with four wickets each, Pujara constructed another half century in close to 200 minutes.

Yet beyond the toil of these three, it was Umesh Yadav, with an ease of action that was reminiscent of Kapil Dev’s, that made it uncertain for Australia. By breaking Australia’s top order with pace and bite, he had Warner twice in two overs. Forcing Steve Smith to overhaul Australia’s arrears in one over off Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Two fours off consecutive balls, Smith self-destructed going for a third. 499 runs later, the Steve Smith batting renaissance in the series was finally over. Australia, significantly, still one run shy of India, but in reality, adrift by way too many. Without adding a run, Australia’s other mainstay, Renshaw too fell. 31 for 3. Australia needed a toilet-break. Umesh Yadav was zipping it past like a morning net for the wicketkeeper. Umesh had two, Saha had two, Australia was in what-to-do mode?

A target of 106, in a series such as this, could be bloated as way more. If only it wasn’t the last day of the series, if only Australia wasn’t on the field for all four days, if only Pat Cummins hadn’t already given it his all, and was going to be drawing on reserves. Finally, Cummins bowled 38 overs in this match. Of which 30 in the first innings, 20 on the second day – only Nathan Lyon with 34 overs bowled more than him in the innings. He baited KL Rahul on 60, and bullied Jadeja and Saha after a 96 run partnership within six balls of each other. That was in his 27^th and 28^th over. Compared to Cummins, Umesh bowled 15 overs, Bhuvi just 12.

If the mountains were the perfect stage, Cummins was fast bowling drama at its fierce yet tragic best. There was no other way it was going to end. In the dying minutes of the third day, Rahul snatched three fours off Cummins’ first over. On the first ball off Cummins’ first over on the fourth day, Australia failed to appeal for a Vijay caught-behind. Cummins had fallen in his follow through, Australia had failed to follow through after him. It was always going to be up to Cummins. Within six deliveries, he had Vijay again. Almost a reaction to Cummins’ torpedoes, Pujara ran himself out within five deliveries of that over. India from 46/0 to 46/1 to 46/2, all in the space of one Cummins’ over.

In the post-match conference, stand in skipper, Ajinkya Rahane harked back to the Galle Test in August, 2015, when India needed 176 to win. That day, India slid from 30/1 to 67/7 to 112 all out. Rahane had top scored with 36, and was the ninth wicket to fall. That team had Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. This team only had Karun Nair after Rahane. That day, left arm spinner, Herath took a 7-for. On the third and fourth days, left arm spinner, O’Keefe, bowled before Nathan Lyon.

When Rahane came in to bat, he shared his intent to attack, both with partner, Rahul and bowler, Cummins. The counter was on in earnest, two fours of his first two balls off Cummins. Rahane bookended Cummins’ spell for the match and the series with two consecutive sixes of his seventh over. Cummins was done. Both India and the mountains were sitting pretty in Dharamsala.

It wasn't always like this and thank god for that. It was an ugly, in your face, on your shoulder, bite you behind your back, and below the belt kind of series. Players could rarely lower their guards and when they did, they paid dearly. Both captains had brain fades, both admitted to, both swore, allegiance and abuse, one scored runs, the other got injured. 

But finally, it was Ajinkya Rahane who found his mojo in the slips and at the crease, who only spoke when Shastri asked him a question, who won the match. On such stoic silences did Rahane's India have the last word. 

Ajinkya Rahane 38* (27), 4 4s, 2 6s. With 3 4s, 2 6s off Pat Cummins. Y’kno what they say about letting your bat do the talking? Ask Ajinkya that and chances are he’ll just nod with a weak grin.  

First published here

Read more...

Return

Virat Kohli's go to guys and is Dhoni a gone-guy?

South Africa's long and winding road trip began in end-September. Since then formats have changed, results have changed, and captains have changed. And while the Twenty20 series seem an eternity away, it is worth a recall that India lost both matches rather convincingly. The ODIs were more closely fought but India lost that series too, 2-3. Over to the one-sided Test series, and India won it 3-0, with rain saving the Proteas in Bangalore, as it saved India in the third T20 in Kolkata.

The most glaring difference is the captaincy. A bearded Virat Kohli for a stubbled MS Dhoni. Facial hair aside, it's the apparent difference between new beginnings and tired endings. Dhoni's defeat in the ODI series in Bangladesh was followed by a long break from international cricket. Meanwhile, India under Kohli beat Sri Lanka in a Test series after god knows how many years.

India was playing Test cricket after six months and Kohli continued his century-making romp Down Under with a yet another tonne at Galle. His centuries stood at 11; his grasp of form, his grip on the team, his embrace with team director Ravi Shastri tighter than ever. And even though the Indians lost the first Test at Galle, they bounced back, winning the series 2-1. R Ashwin was Man of the series.

Ashwin was largely unavailable for the ODI series against South Africa bowling just 4.4 overs in the first match. An Ashwin-less India saw left-handed South African opener, Quinton de Kock, cracking two hundreds, the second in the decisive fifth ODI. Ashwin returned for the Test series, with his side strain sorted. Thirty-one wickets later, he was the Man of the series again.

Then there are the travails of Umesh Yadav, played two ODIs under Dhoni, and was bashed for runs in both. In the first Test against South Africa in Mohali, Yadav had little to do, bowling just nine overs in the entire match. He only returned for the fourth Test in Delhi, bowling as if he had been possessed by Kohli and Shastri's new found belief in him.

Forget spraying the ball down leg and bowling boundary balls every over, this avatar of Yadav was clocking maidens like Mr Modi clocks flying miles. Suspect in that one spell he put down more maidens than he had in his entire Test career – out of 21 overs, this thrifty new Yadav bowled 16 maidens. His wicket of Dane Vilas was followed with two more, breaking a stump and the Proteas' resistance.

Yadav was an unlikely inclusion, picked instead of third spinner, Amit Mishra, and after this Test, one hopes he will be as much his own man as he has now shown himself to be Kohli's go-to man.

Ravindra Jadeja did not make the T20s and ODIs under Dhoni. Harbhajan Singh, Axar Patel and Amit Mishra, however, did. Jadeja returned to the Indian squad in the Tests under Kohli. Eight wickets in the first Test (as many as Ashwin) a vital 38 runs, and suddenly, Jadeja was booked for the rest of the series.

He emerged as Ashwin's chief accomplice, and had accounted for players like Hashim Amla, de Villiers and Faf du Plessis. On the last morning of a long, unending block by Amla, one that threatened to draw the Test, it was Jadeja's dip and drift that whisked past the bat and cannoned into off stump. The seemingly immovable Amla was felled 289 minutes and 244 balls later.

It's hard to quantify the timing of Jadeja's wickets, they came when you least expected them; they brought with them dread, both of the pitch and of the bowler. This was as much his series as Ashwin's, and the man of the series could well have been given to Ravichandran Ravindra.

Jadeja was Kohli's go-to man.

As was Ajinkya Rahane. Two centuries were scored in 14 innings and one man got them both in one Test. That man, more than any perhaps, is and will be Kohli's go-to guy. Both overseas and at home. Even more so because he isn't Dhoni's guy at all.

As for Dhoni, it's a time for reflection. The World T20 is round the corner. Eight years back, this tournament made Dhoni. What he does in the next few months could define him in our memories. It is never too late for one last gamble, Mahi. Make it a big one, like you did on that magical night on September, 24, 2007. You still have two players from that night. An opener, Rohit Sharma, and a finisher, yourself. It's not over...

First published here

Read more...

Return

Yusuf Pathan is to Gambhir what Jadeja is to Dhoni.

The Kolkata Knight Riders have more baggage than Louis Vuitton. Most of the Final XI are no longer part of their national squads. Skipper Gambhir has a team of amazing has-beens. The very reason for this team is the nostalgia they serve at the post match party. The memory chest overruns with Gambhir on top. Manish Pandey was the first Indian to score an IPL 100. Uthappa hasn't done much since he doffed his imaginary hat against Pakistan in 2007. Yusuf Pathan. Where do you start with Yusuf? You could ask his dad? Or Irfan? Or speak to his chewing gum. They all will have a tale to tell. And if this wasn't enough, there's the blast-from-the-past, Piyush Chawla. If only these guys could play in sepia. But play they will, for Gambhir must prove them wrong every season. The Avengers come to mind. But there is thought to this team, and it challenges Gambhir, Yusuf, Uthappa, Chawla - to start thinking, from has-beens to wannabes to will-bees, to who knows, maybe even a Beatle. Chawla would be Ringo. Gambhir, Lennon. Uthappa, Paul. And Yusuf, George. Surya Kumar Yadav could be the fifth Beatle.

But what will Umesh Yadav be? From being India's go-to bowler, he was either injured or benched, before doing his thing in Australia this World Cup. But those were ODIs; Yadav has played only one T20 international. His IPL numbers aren't that hot either but against his old team, the Daredevils, he was man of the match for his 2/18. A second, third, fourth coming? Gambhir has enough patience to pull him through bad days.

Firangs have their own baggage: Shakib Al Hasan, KKR barely played him, not foreign enough for them? Then when they wanted to, the Bangladesh Cricket Board didn't let him. And just when he started this season, Pakistan came along.

Andre Russell inhabited the DD bench more than Manoj Tiwary, India's. And when Russell did play, he bowled that one over that invariably was his last. Under Gambhir's watchful eye, life has been more play and less bench - just the other day a match winning 66, and before that a naughty 41*. Suddenly everyone's talking a lot less about Andre Russell's hair.

Morne Morkel was dropped by DD for a qualifier/semi-final/eliminator when he was their top bowler. And he's seen some bad days in the IPL; bowls length, almost as readily as Ishant. Gets hammered, like Ishant. But can run through the batting, unlike Ishant. But if you watched him slide and sort-of-field, your heart will bleed for the turf and his limbs in equal measure. So far he's been picking wickets every match.

It took a while for KKR and Gambhir to figure out that Ryan ten Doeschate must play - and pronouncing his name right should have nothing to do with it. Has an ice cool head, can close games in case Russell and Pathan don't, and even bat up the order - has two T20 centuries. That he played for the Netherlands can no longer be held against him.

And then there's Sunil Narine, who doesn't quite fit into this team but won them the tournament, outsourcing it's called. This year though, Narine has had more than his share of baggage - his action was called and he missed the World Cup. Seems largely unaffected by everything but it could be just be that blank look he wears.

After KKR's victory against the Daredevils, Gambhir took backing Yusuf Pathan to a lofty new level - "I have always had a lot of faith in him. Faith and trust is one thing that does not go very quickly. So I always feel he is the game-changer for us and the way he has batted in this tournament till now, I think he is just going to be our biggest game-changer." Going by the last few IPLs, it's tough to tell what the basis for this faith and trust is - but it appears to be paying some dividends now. Gambhir's approach to team selection isn't too dissimilar to Dhoni's - back your boys, then back them some more, and if that isn't paying off, back them some more still.

Yusuf Pathan is to Gambhir as Jadeja is to Dhoni. #DDvsKKR
— Gaurav Sethi (@BoredCricket) April 20, 2015

KKR should make the playoffs. Let's see how far can one man's belief in his jaded army push them?

First published here

Read more...

Return

The Curious Case of Umesh Yadav

The last time India won a Test match against a ‘good opposition’ was back in November 2012.

To clear all doubts let me define a “good opposition” first. It depends on various factors like the quality of the Indian team, conditions they play in and the quality of the opposition amongst other things. 

For example when India played New Zealand in New Zealand earlier this year it was against a good opposition, but New Zealand weren’t a good opposition when they played in India a couple of years ago.

To give another example of ‘good opposition’: The Australian team which toured India in 2010 was a good opposition but the one which toured in 2013 was definitely not one.

The match India won in question is the Test against England in Ahmedabad  Umesh Yadav was very effective in that match and got Ian Bell and Samit Patel in successive deliveries to ensure England couldn’t built on a decent platform laid by their top order. Throughout the Test he was effective and got the ball to reverse as well. After that he missed out on the remaining tests in the series as well as on Australia’s tour to India owing to a back injury.

Prior to this series he had an OK series vs New Zealand at home, picking up 5 wickets in a series where 31 out of the 39 wickets to fall were taken by Ashwin & Ojha. He was one of the few positives on that disastrous tour of Australia, picking up a 5 for and taking 15 wickets at a strike rate of 50.5 while Ishant Sharma took 4 wickets at a Strike rate of 150.6.

All in all he played 9 Tests (5 of them on non responsive pitches in India) and took 32 wickets at a good average of 32.5 while touching 140 kmph regularly. You would think he could walk into the Indian team given the lack of genuinely quick bowlers India produce.

After recovering from his back injury, he was promptly called back into the Test Squad for Sachin’s Farewell Series in which he warmed the benches with Ishant Sharma. Picked for the South Africa tour, he again warmed  benches and saw Zaheer, Ishant and Shami play ahead of him in tests. Rinse repeat for New Zealand Tour where got a solitary chance in the warm up game, returned with figures of 18-4-70-1  and then warmed the benches for the tests - Zaheer, Ishant and Shami played both the games ahead of him.

The selectors kept picking him in the squad but MS Dhoni & Fletcher didn’t pick him in the playing XI. The selectors picked a pace heavy squad for the England tour, even dropping Zaheer Khan in a sign that they were looking towards the future and investing in younger bowlers. You would assume that they would pick Umesh Yadav in the squad for England as well. But they picked Varun Aaron ( has played 1 test till now. Gets injured often , whether he lasts 5 tests is a big question ), Pankaj Singh ( He deserved his chances 2-3 years ago when he was doing extremely well for Rajasthan, now it seems like a Token Pick to show that BCCI isn't against Rajasthan players even after Lalit Modi  is RCA President ), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishwar Pandey ( Hasn't made his Test Debut yet ), Mohd. Shami and Ishant Sharma ("Leader" of the attack ). That’s 6 specialist pace bowlers and no Umesh Yadav. Is Umesh Yadav not even in the top 6 pace bowlers in India ?

Joe Dawes has been Team India's bowling coach from February 2012, it seems as if he is on Auto-Pilot. You don't see innovative measures from India's fast bowlers. Its highly likely that his views were considered selectors before they decided to pick the 6 pace bowlers, which is very inexperienced ( Excluding Ishant, the other 5 have played 13 tests in total and only Mohd. Shami has played a test outside India ). Umesh Yadav has played in Australia and has played 9 tests as well.

I can see 2 reasons why Umesh Yadav wasn’t picked for the England tour.

• Indian Team think tank ( MS Dhoni, Duncan Fletcher and Joe Dawes) have communicated to the selectors that they don’t see Umesh in their scheme of things.

                                                                              or

• Selectors realized that in spite of picking Umesh Yadav time and again in the test squads he isn’t getting a game (3 test series and 6 tests) and hence decided to give Indian Team think tank newer options to chose from.

It is really disappointing to see Umesh Yadav missing out. He could have learned a lot on the long tour of England. Indian Team think tank , haven’t handled Umesh Yadav well at all. He is a rare Indian quick bowler, he surely deserved better treatment from the team management. It must be tough for Umesh Yadav to watch the team playing in England from his home. Hopefully that inspires him to do well in the domestic season ahead and he makes a comeback to the Test team for the Australia Tour later this year.

Read more...

Return