Manvinder Bisla has changed several teams – in Ranji Trophy and IPL – in search of a big opportunity. Fate presented it to him on the night of the IPL final

Sidharth Monga28-May-2012Until May 27, Manvinder Bisla was best known for being a Tillakaratne Dilshan lookalike. He was also known as a man for whom a trap was allegedly set by undercover reporters from a news channel. Bisla was one injudicious shot from being suspended by the BCCI, like five other cricketers. Like the others, he was not a big name, and the BCCI wouldn’t have thought twice had Bisla been caught showing more than a passing interest in what the reporters were offering. Thankfully he left that sucker ball outside off, and on Sunday he reaped the maximum benefits of his judgement.Bisla was born in Hisar in Haryana, a town known for badminton player Saina Nehwal and the highway ideally suited for those driving to and from Delhi, in north-western India. He played for India Under-19, but didn’t waste much time in leaving Haryana to play Ranji Trophy for Himachal Pradesh. After impressing everyone there, Bisla got a better offer from Jammu & Kashmir, and made the move again. Only to return a season later.This kind of impatience is not appreciated in Indian cricket. Only those cricketers who missed the bus on India selection play for other states as professionals. Loyalty to your association is valued. Those associations are supposed to fight for your selection in return. Bisla, though, was ambitious, and perhaps more of a modern-day cricketer who didn’t have time for these niceties. Those reporters had nearly got it right.Himachal, though, saw the other side of Bisla too. For starters, the coach there, Rajdeep Kalsi, thought he might have a future India player at hand. Those were the days before MS Dhoni had said hello to Pakistan, and neither Ajay Ratra nor Parthiv Patel had done enough to make the India wicketkeeping slot his own. Bisla scored three centuries in 2004-05, and got those who mattered talking about him. John Wright, then the India coach, made a trip to watch him play for North Zone. Bisla was close to representing India through a route less taken.In three matches, though, Bisla managed just 39 runs, and Dhoni blasted a fifty against Bangladesh Cricket Board XI. There hasn’t been a chance since. The nearly man continued to have run-ins with fate. Himachal named him captain in 2006, but he tore a ligament in his knee. It was an identical injury to Yuvraj Singh’s, and the two went to the same doctor in Delhi. Bisla’s ambition, though, didn’t know bounds. He couldn’t reach a contractual agreement with Himachal and went without any first-class cricket this last season. Had he been able to do this without IPL is anybody’s guess.The absence of blind faith in one team didn’t stop him from being a team man, though. Kalsi, his coach at Himachal, swears by Bisla’s spirit. “As a cricketer he is very competitive,” Kalsi says. “That stood out when he played for us. Big heart.”More than that, as a human being, as a person, he brought great value to the dressing room. He wouldn’t think about just himself. Never sulked in a corner when he failed to make big runs. Thought about the whole team. Encouraged youngsters. Was wicketkeeper, would think nothing of running all the way up to the bowler, kept the team together through tough sessions.”Yet that early promise didn’t transform into much. The season with three hundreds was never replicated. An average of 29 for this medium-pacer-turned-wicketkeeper-batsman wasn’t breaking down doors. Dhoni, too, had destroyed all other wicketkeepers’ aspirations. Then, along came IPL, where in theory, one night could take you out of obscurity, unlike in Ranji Trophy.That night kept eluding Bisla, though. Even in the IPL, he couldn’t settle down with one team. Kolkata Knight Riders were his third side in four years. On that sting operation tape he wasn’t seen guaranteeing he wouldn’t get a fourth in its sixth year. The undercover reporters were seen offering him a place in Mumbai Indians, but he was seen saying he wasn’t interested because he wanted opportunities, something he wasn’t getting with Knight Riders even.A certain restlessness has been the consistent feature of Bisla’s career. He needed to settle down somewhere. He needed a May 27. May 27 wasn’t even supposed to happen. Then L Balaji injured himself. For the balance of the team, Knight Riders had to sit Brendon McCullum out, and play Bisla. For weeks he had not got an opportunity, and now this was the biggest opportunity he could get.May 27 was night, Bisla’s night. He backed himself, and pulled out an uninhibited innings of mostly clean hitting. The commentators began to now see a bit of Jacques Kallis in his shots. The team owner, a multi-millionaire and the most popular Bollywood actor of his time, couldn’t stop praising and thanking him. After about eight years of wandering and restlessness, Bisla might have finally found home on May 27. They won’t be approaching him for stings any time soon.

Mahela Jayawardene made sure he achieved that elusive Test series win for Sri Lanka, but critics will always argue that the hosts should have finished better

Kanishkaa Balachandran in Pallekele12-Jul-2012When Kumar Sangakkara and Misbah-ul-Haq shook hands with just under an hour left on the fifth day in Pallekele, the disbelief was palpable. Sri Lanka were sitting safe on a 1-0 series lead and needed 76 off a minimum of nine overs to make a mockery of Misbah’s declaration. It wasn’t unattainable by any means. The hosts had six wickets in hand, with a well-set Sangakkara on 74, and were batting on a track that had flattened out considerably after the first day. Then everyone, unexpectedly, had an early evening off. The finality to it all didn’t seem right. ESPNcricinfo’s commentary feedback was flooded with mails after the game, which questioned Sri Lanka’s reluctance to push for a win. Criticism might come in from all corners, but it can’t be denied that Sri Lanka attained what they set out to do at the start of the series. They were starved of a Test series win, home and away, with the last one coming in August 2009. The wait finally ended.There were murmurs, prior to this win, that the hangover of Muttiah Muralitharan’s retirement had not ended. The facts supported that. After Murali called it a day two years ago, Sri Lanka went winless over the next six Test series. In that period, the captaincy changed hands from Sangakkara, to Tillakaratne Dilshan and then to Mahela Jayawardene for a second stint. Sangakkara gave it up after the 2011 World Cup, Dilshan had to take over the leadership because, seemingly, nobody else wanted it. After he gave it up, Jayawardene was the only logical choice. Former captains and commentators rate him among the most astute captains in current cricket. Taking over after the South Africa tour last year, Jayawardene failed to register a win against England, Sri Lanka drawing the home series 1-1 in March. Now, he made sure he achieved that elusive win against Pakistan, but critics will always argue that his team should have finished better.Sri Lanka’s decision to not go after the win was similar to MS Dhoni’s perplexing move last year in the Dominica Test against West Indies, when play was called off with India needing 86 off 90 balls with seven wickets in hand to seal a 2-0 series win. That flat ending took the gloss away from India’s 1-0 win.That even Pakistan captain Misbah was caught off guard by early finish in this Test was telling. “Chasing 270 in 71 overs is not an easy task, but after the start [Sri Lanka got] and being 150 for 2, and when you need less than four an over, that was the time they could have taken the game away from us,” Misbah said. “I was really surprised they put the shutters down and never tried to go for the runs. I don’t know what happened … the way the wicket was behaving, scoring was really easy on it, they could have gone for the target.”Jayawardene, though, didn’t look back at the scoreline of 1-0 with any regrets. “I think it’s fair to say that the attitude was to win,” Jayawardene said. “I think we cruised until the last hour and half. But when I got out, we said ‘no, we’ll close shop’. We said that it’s probably not worth it, because they had a very negative field set, cramming our guys. [We said] let’s not take too many risks at the end because we’re one up in the series.”He said chasing 270 in 71 overs was always going to be tricky, even on a batting track. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t pick up early wickets this morning. It would have been much easier for us chasing 220; 270 is always going to be tough but I thought the boys batted really well,” he said. “They came on the fourth innings against a quality attack and they put us in a position to win a Test.”Not for the first time, Jayawardene brought up a question asked at the start of the tour, in May, about Sri Lanka going into the series as “underdogs”. “Even in the one-dayers, no one gave us a chance. I remember in the first press conference someone asked about a 4-1 win for Pakistan,” Jayawardene said. “But to come out winning the one-dayers and Test series, a lot of credit should go to the boys.”It may have felt good to put it across on the field, but Sri Lanka will know their biggest challenge ahead is maintaining a level of consistency at home. For now, they can savour this win against an opposition which, on the contrary, hadn’t experienced a Test series defeat in close to two years.

The World Twenty20 seems to have been the priority in New Zealand’s contracts list – never mind that there are 11 Tests in the next 12 months

Andrew Alderson22-Jun-2012It’s odd that in what will be New Zealand’s heaviest year (July 2012 to June 2013) of Test cricket, two players in the fringes of the squad have been left out of the contracts list.Mark Gillespie and Neil Wagner are close to being first-choice Test recruits, or at least putting pressure on Chris Martin and Doug Bracewell.Gillespie’s venom on recall last summer against South Africa was welcome. His form included innings hauls of 5 for 59 and 6 for 113 in the final two Tests.He is intimidating but injury-prone. His current ankle strain and the fact that he is closing in on 33 may have clouded the selectors’ thinking. However, that did not hinder the retention of 33-year-olds Jacob Oram and Kyle Mills. Both played their last Tests in 2009 and have also had well-documented injury problems.It is also a concern that when asked to reveal one thing fans don’t know about him, Oram, in an interview with ESPNcricinfo, said: “I’d probably rather be at home with my son, my family and my dog right now than touring the world playing cricket.”National selection manager Kim Littlejohn has proclaimed the mentoring ability of Mills and Oram to younger players, but whether this ranks as a selection clincher is debatable, with the likes of Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor already in the various set-ups. Players on the list are ranked one to 20 and paid annual retainers. The highest-ranked earns $181,000, plus match payments, while No. 20 gets $73,000.Wagner’s eligibility has been anticipated, having proven himself a penetrative wicket-taker for Otago. He topped the Plunket Shield table for the last two seasons, accumulating 51 and 46 first-class wickets respectively.Trent Boult also pipped Gillespie and Wagner to a contract, despite only being named in the Test squad for the West Indies. However, at 22, he has already taken eight wickets in his first three Tests. A good case can be made to keep him close to the five-day action. In contrast, Tim Southee hasn’t been included in the Test squad for the West Indies tour but has shown the potential at international level over the past five seasons to warrant a top 20 deal.The selectors’ emphasis on the World Twenty20 seems myopic, with the short-term glory it would bring, compared to an elevated Test status. Abridged-format allrounders James Franklin and Andrew Ellis make the contract cut, too, with Franklin allowed to skip the West Indies tour to concentrate on shorter-form matches with Essex. However, if New Zealand players do perform in that arena it could ease their entry into the IPL and guarantee further financial security.The last time New Zealand played more Tests in a calendar year, 12, was in 2001-02, when the players’ association was created and contracts became part of the cricketing landscape.

Neil McKenzie and Quinton de Kock strung together a perfectly-paced chase against Mumbai Indians, but the senior batsman was not constantly at his young partner’s ear; Lions are making sure they don’t smother de Kock in expectation

Firdose Moonda at the Wanderers15-Oct-2012The oldest and the youngest members of the Lions squad, who went to the same school – King Edward VII – combined to cap off South Africa’s successful weekend of Champions League fixtures.Neil McKenzie and Quinton de Kock both scored half-centuries as Lions paced their chase of 158 perfectly to record a second successive win over Mumbai Indians (albeit in the space of two years) and ensure both South African franchises won in their opening matches of the tournament.Matters did not ever get completely away from Lions, who reined in Mumbai Indians from 45 for 1 after five overs to a par score. Even though the required run-rate climbed for 14 overs of the Lions reply, they reached the target with seven balls to spare thanks to a delicate innings from McKenzie, who barely played a shot in anger and also ushered the 19-year-old de Kock through to the end.”We just batted according to plan,” McKenzie said. “We’ve all got our different roles in the side. Once we get to a certain number, we open up and go from there.” The freeing of the arms came after Malinga had bowled his third over, having conceded only eight runs in 18 deliveries, and with Lions needing to score almost 11 runs an over. McKenzie, who was on 26 at the time, hit Pollard for back to back fours and the pressure began easing.From that moment, Lions took control away from Mumbai Indians but it was the passages of play before then that had them battling for the upper hand. The Mumbai Indians spinners tied them down, sometimes for five consecutive balls, as Pragyan Ojha did in the eighth over, and each time Lions had to muscle their way out.The power-hitting came from de Kock, who secured relief at crucial times. “Just as we got bogged down a little, he would clear the rope,” McKenzie said. “At the Wanderers, you get value for shots. You just have to beat point or midwicket and it’s four.”While it looked as though McKenzie was the one issuing instructions to de Kock, he said it was a more case of them operating as a partnership. “He gave me a couple of balls to get in. I had 10 runs from nine balls before I really got going but we ran well between the wickets as well.”De Kock has already been spoken about as a future talent, especially since he is also a capable wicketkeeper, who could be a long-term successor to Mark Boucher. Lions are managing him carefully to ensure they continue to get the best out of him instead of smothering him in expectation. “I don’t mentor him; I just give him some advice but whether he takes it [or not], you will have to ask him,” McKenzie joked.It is Alviro Petersen, the captain, and Geoffrey Toyana, the coach, who guide de Kock, although even that is only a little. “We just want to let him be for now,” Petersen said. “In big games, it’s the senior players who must be counted. I don’t want to put pressure him at this stage.”Just as pressure will not be overloaded on de Kock, neither will praise, and Petersen was measured in his assessment of the innings. “He hasn’t been around for too long but he has got a good head on him and he had Neil there as well,” Petersen said. “There was no real slogging from Neil, even his boundaries were good cricket strokes.”He singled out another member of the squad though. Aaron Phangiso was responsible for the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar and for stemming the flow of runs in a miserly spell of 1 for 17 in four overs. “I was not happy with the way we bowled in the first five overs and then Aaron came on and just got us the momentum back. He never gets the credit he deserves, but he bowled exceptionally for us.”Mitchell Johnson was sent in at No. 4 by Mumbai Indians for the purpose of trying to take Phangiso on and he admitted it was a ploy that did not work: “I was looking to have a go at their spinner but I found it really difficult. I just couldn’t get bat on ball.”Johnson also had praise for McKenzie and de Kock’s 121-run stand. “Those two worked well together. Quinton would have worked off Neil, and he kept a cool head and played his own game. Neil knows this ground and he knew where to hit the ball. They batted really well and deserved the win.”

Plays of the Day for the Champions League match between Auckland Aces and Titans in Durban

Firdose Moonda17-Oct-2012Appreciation of the day
Jacques Rudolph is one of the batsmen who showed that playing proper cricket shots can be effective in 20-overs cricket with his unbeaten 83 in the opening match and he continued in that vein in Durban. He leaned into a drive off Michael Bates’ first over and caressed the ball through the covers with the gentleness of a summer’s breeze. Martin Guptill was on the microphone at the time and could only admire. “Oh, that’s just a good shot,” he said on air before encouraging the bowler to “keep going”.Athleticism of the day
Rudolph looked set to bat through the innings again, although he seemed to tire during the latter stages of his knock. He did not time his drive over extra cover and Andre Adams was on to it. He had to make ground from cover and leap at the right instant, but got there with enough time to go and with both hands although he was moving significantly to his left. He took the catch to end Rudolph’s knock and show that, even at 37, age really is nothing but a number.Experience of the day
They say you can’t buy it and, cheesy as it sounds, Alfonso Thomas is proof of it. Having played professional cricket for 15 summers, Thomas knows a thing or two about bowling, especially on South African pitches. Although he plays his cricket up country, Thomas spent two years at the Dolphins and would also be familiar with the Kingsmead pitch, where his seam movement could be shown off. His fourth delivery of the day straightened from a short of a length and Lou Vincent had a prod. That was all Thomas needed to take the wicket, showing that knowing what to do really does pay off.Luck of the day
Auckland had to have some and it came when Colin de Grandhomme tried to hit left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe through the offside. He backed away so far that he could not get back to counter the turn and ended up inside-edging almost onto his stumps. Fine leg was wide and de Grandhomme managed to survive and pick up four runs, although Auckland would have needed plenty more if they were to seriously challenge the Titans.Colour of the day
Already in this tournament both teams have worn the same shades; when Uva Next played Trinidad & Tobago, they were both kitted out in red. Today, both Auckland Aces and Titans were dressed in light blue shirts but at least this time there was something to separate them. Titans’ bottoms are the same shade as their tops, but Auckland have darker blue bottoms.

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the second day in Colombo

Andrew Fernando in Colombo26-Nov-2012Poor shot of the day
Martin Guptill missed a straight one that clattered into his stumps in Galle, and his misjudgement – which seems an embarrassing one for international cricketers to be making – appears to be contagious among the openers in this series. Tim Southee angled one in to Tillakaratne Dilshan in his second over, and Dilshan left a huge gap in between bat and pad as he played a leaden-footed defensive stroke, and the ball went on to hit middle and leg, despite not having moved in the air or off the seam.Suspicious batsman of the day
The practice of taking a fielder’s word on a contentious catch is now archaic, but batsmen do generally accept their dismissal when they have been bowled. But not, seemingly, Kruger van Wyk. Dilshan bowled one full and flat and van Wyk failed to get his bat down in time, and although the ball hit off stump almost dead on, removing the bail, van Wyk chose to stand his ground. The umpires asked for a video referral, which confirmed what the Sri Lanka team already knew, and only then was van Wyk content that he had been bowled.Fielding showcase of the day
Fielding coaches may want to get a replay of Kane Williamson’s second boundary of the day, as in one ball, it showcases fielding commitment at its best and its worst. Williamson pulled Nuwan Kulasekara behind square leg, and Suraj Randiv who was fielding at deep midwicket was after it in a flash. He had a lot of ground to make up and he put in a dive in an attempt to reach it, but the ball still evaded him by a good metre. Shaminda Eranga meanwhile, had a shorter distance to go from fine leg, and though he easily covered the ground, he attempted to stop the ball with his boot rather than bending down to pick it up, and ended up deflecting it onto the rope.Impression of the day
The back end of a New Zealand innings is far less rewarding for spectators when Chris Martin is not playing, but No. 11 Trent Boult produced a decent impression, when he became Rangana Herath’s sixth victim. Both Southee and Jeetan Patel had proved the pitch held no terrors when they survived 34 and 45 balls respectively but Boult decided to leave a length delivery that pitched in line with the stumps and straightened, and the ball predictably hit the top of middle and off. Batting incompetence even the Phantom might have cringed at.

Plays of the day from the second ODI between Bangladesh and West Indies in Khulna

Mohammad Isam in Khulna02-Dec-2012The statue
Darren Sammy stood motionless with his left hand out for about five seconds after dropping Mushfiqur Rahim off his own bowling, when the Bangladesh captain was on 8. The normally jovial Sammy was deadpan after his mistake.The battle
The duel between Chris Gayle and offspinner Sohag Gazi is one of the highlights of West Indies’ tour. And for the first time, Gayle resisted attacking the rookie bowler. He was on strike at the start of Gazi’s second over and he either defended or left deliveries alone to play out a maiden.The send-off
Gayle’s missile of a straight hit in the sixth over crashed into the ankle of the bowler, Mashrafe Mortaza. Four runs were saved but Mortaza needed treatment. In his next over, Mortaza had Gayle edging a slog to Mushfiqur, but the send-off was with a wince that was a reminder of the blow from the over before.The catch
In the 32nd over, Tamim completed Bangladesh’s victory with his second impressive catch in two games. As Sunil Narine tried to chip the ball over his head, Tamim jumped at cover, stretched out his hands, and the ball settled in his grab. In the previous game, he had back-pedalled to take a catch at long-on to remove Gayle.

Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq almost made the day Pakistan’s but a familiar weakness means they still have plenty of work to do

Firdose Moonda at Newlands14-Feb-2013At 33 for 4 in the morning session, Younis Khan’s only focus would have been the next ball. And the next one. And the next. Until he could steer Pakistan to safety.At 238 for 4 in the evening session, he would have had exactly the same thought. The next ball was the new one and so far in this series, that has been Pakistan’s undoing.Lack of footwork, uncertainty outside the off stump and a habit of fishing in waters they could not navigate resulted in their stumbles at the Wanderers. There was the complete collapse in the first innings and even though they negotiated the new ball slightly better at the start of their second innings, they could not see off the second one, losing six wickets in 20.4 overs to speed up South Africa’s victory march.Today was about not repeating that. It may sound simplistic to distil three sessions into ten overs of utmost significance but that was almost the case.Younis and Asad Shafiq did their job when they came in, with whispers about how many overs Pakistan would last. They managed to block those out. Importantly, they also knew which deliveries to treat in the same way. Both had a fair measure of when to leave, something that was a concern for Pakistan before this match.Occasionally, their frustration peeped through. Younis wanted to clobber one wide of cover and had an almighty swing but missed and could have taken the edge. Shafiq’s eyes grew wide when he saw a short ball from Dale Steyn and top-edged a hook but it went wide of Morne Morkel at fine leg.But the lapses in concentration were few and they were nullified by the growing confidence of the pair. Shafiq’s back-foot play was impressive, he was quick to take advantage of the short ball, whether with the pull shot or the cut. Younis’ driving was his hallmark and his footwork was a sign of his self-assurance. He moved to the ball better than any of the line-up has done so far.They also found a bowler to target, something that was absent in the first Test. Robin Peterson finally got the chance to contribute in a meaningful way but he did not take it. On this occasion, Peterson was required to do a holding job to help the seamers create pressure and force a breakthrough.Instead, his could not find his length and was guilty of offering too many deliveries that were too full or tossed up too generously and it allowed the pair to settle. Against two batsmen Vernon Philander called “very wristy, who played Robbie well” that was a mistake. Peterson, like Imran Tahir, has said he does not mind going for a few boundaries because it will create chances for him but on a day when the quicks were battling to do the same, it was not what was required of Peterson.Younis Khan on Pakistan’s approach

“We had a lot of meetings and chats about how we want to play Test cricket. And we knew it was all about the partnership. Today, it was tough again but you just fight for your country. We knew that over the last couple of years we’ve played good Test cricket so we wanted to do that again. We spoke about how to handle the areas that the South African new ball bowlers bowl, especially Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander. They bowl very well as a unit but this wicket is much better for batting. It was my plan to hang in there because they do not give any friendly balls. But my theory is very simple: if there is a ball you go can for, then you must. When a youngster like Asad Shafiq can also perform for the team that is a good sign. If we have one more good session, we could have a good score.”

The partnership became the biggest between two overseas batsmen in South Africa in seven years, since New Zealand’s Stephen Fleming and James Franklin posted 256 in April 2006 – a match also played at Newlands during the South African autumn. Opposition pairings have not been able to get close to that on pitches that are notoriously difficult for batsmen.The most telling challenge came with about 40 minutes left in the day and the second new ball looming. Younis and Shafiq had set themselves up well. They had both brought up centuries so the individual butterflies had been put to sleep for the night. Pakistan were in a position they would have been comfortable with and all that was left was to negotiate ten overs of Steyn and Vernon Philander at full throttle.They began nervously. Steyn had not cranked it up yet but he was getting movement and with his fourth ball had an appeal for lbw against Younis that was given out. He reviewed immediately and Hot Spot showed the edge but the nerves must have been tweaked. Younis ended the over with a four, whipped off his pads, to ease them.Philander did as Philander does and kept it in the channel outside off but Shafiq was happy to leave most of the over alone. Then Steyn again, no movement but he was bowling closer to the stumps and when Younis moved across to play at one, he almost got a leading edge. Steyn had words, Younis showed him his pearly whites. “This was my tactic, the bowlers were talking and I was just smiling,” he said afterwards.The opening pair soon found their rhythm and began what has become an almost ritual dance. Philander creates the uncertainty with repetition and subtle changes and Steyn kept probing. Shafiq got one away and Pakistan would have thought they might end the day without any further damage but then Philander struck.A beauty of a ball pitched on a good length and cut through Younis. At first glance it was maybe bat, maybe pad, it could have been caught behind, it could have been lbw. Either way, Philander wanted the review and, perhaps in desperation, Graeme Smith called for it.Hot Spot, operating to the level it should have been at the Wanderers, revealed the thinnest of edges, so faint that AB de Villiers himself wasn’t sure Younis had had a nibble. Younis seemed not to feel it either but the technology sent him on his way two overs before Pakistan could call day one theirs.Shafiq saw it out with Sarfraz Ahmed but the problem remains. Against the new ball, Pakistan are vulnerable. The current cherry is only ten overs old, which means that the pair of Shafiq and Sarfraz, who are also the last recognised batsmen, will have to see it off to ensure Pakistan can gain an advantage in the morning.Philander thinks 350 to 400 will be a good score, Younis isn’t sure but what is obvious is that Pakistan still have a way to go. If Shafiq can bat as he did in the afternoon and Sarfraz can support him, Pakistan have hopes of getting there and making Younis and Shafiq’s partnership really count.

From Hariharan Sriram, India
As he has done quite often in his career Kumble brought alive a boring final day in a Test match at Kotla today

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013Hariharan Sriram, India
As he has done quite often in his career Kumble brought alive a boring final day in a Test match at Kotla today. However unlike in the past, this did not cause discomfort and nervousness amongst the opposition batsmen.Many are the batsmen who have been at the receiving end of Jumbo’s super fast flippers and spitting leg breaks and though his form had dipped quite a bit of late, there will be lots of them who will be more than relieved to hear that the warrior had hung up his sword.Many are the special memories that he leaves us to cherish. The first of those came in the Hero Cup final when he picked up 6 for 12 against the Windies when a couple of wickets came thanks to yorkers which until then, even the Indian pacers couldn’t bowl accurately.It was yet again against the Windies that he would produce a sight never before seen and possibly never again seen scenes as he bounded in with his broken jaw to try and secure a wicket for India.His performance against in Australia was perhaps something which he enjoyed quite a bit himself. His celebration after taking out Ponting in Melbourne after he had worked him out is one of those rare occasions when he’s let his emotions be so visible on the cricket field.And so were his reactions after getting to his maiden century at the Oval. But perhaps the moments which defined all that Kumble stood for came during the course of that much discussed Sydney Test this year.Even as the rest of the Indian batsmen got out or gave their wickets away, he stood their at one end determined to fight it out till the end. With his limited technique he defied the Aussies, focussed on playing out every ball and taking India closer to safety. However as fate would have it, with just five minutes to go three wickets fell in one over leading to the defeat. How much it would have hurt the man is for anybody to guess.And then with the whole Indian and Australian press waiting for his sound bytes after the most controversial Test of our times, he kept his cool and came up with one single statement which said more than a five minute speech would have.Determination, commitment, composure and dignity are words which cannot be strung together to define any other sportsman better than him. Not many Indian cricketers have left the game on their own terms, but then the timing of Kumble’s departure has been spot on, much like his deliveries.Never once has he given less than 100% on the field and the moment he’s recognized that there were factors beyond his control which would not allow him to do so, he’s stepped down. Memory doesn’t serve up any names of Indians who have retired as captains and he definitely deserves to have done so.There are two kinds of great players. There are those whose very presence lights up the arena and then there are those whose absence speaks more about their contributions. India have been lucky enough to have one of each kind play in the same era.It is only fitting that he should have been carried on the shoulders of his team mates on his farewell lap, on the ground which has been lucky enough to witness the great man at his best, time and again. Goodbye Jumbo, and thanks for all the wickets.

Shifting him from the top of the order may not result in a directly proportional increase in his yield of runs

Mohan Cudali Shridhar25-Feb-2013Age inevitably slows down hand-eye co-ordination; high-risk batting and consistency are mutually exclusive on testing pitches; proactive decision making with the future kept in mind is the need of the hour. These are some of the many rather sound arguments being made in favour of Virender Sehwag dropping down the batting order in Test cricket. Pragmatic as it may sound, is it the most productive decision for the Indian team and for Sehwag himself? I’m not convinced it is. There are a few reasons why Sehwag partnering Gambhir at the top of the order remains the best option for India.Firstly, a move down the order is not directly proportional to a fertile yield of runs in Sehwag’s case. The swinging ball did trouble him in England but he did enter that series with one shoulder and one eye. Over the course of his career, Sehwag hasn’t displayed a significant vulnerability against the new swinging red ball. He either compensates for the swing with his superhuman hand-eye coordination or compels the bowlers to stray from the fourth stump line.As a matter of fact, he relishes the hard new ball coming on to his bat. Hence, protecting him from the swinging ball is not a dire necessity. In other words, if Sehwag bats at 4 or 5, it’d be unwise to expect his average to suddenly skyrocket.Secondly, it’s not very often that Sehwag gets dismissed for ducks or scores below 10 – 15. When he comes off, he has an impressive conversion rate. But, even when he doesn’t he often gets quickfire 30s and 40s. The value of these knocks is perennially downgraded and the thing most remembered in such innings is his atrocious modes of dismissals. But, the fact that he consistently propels his team to starts of 60/1 – 70/1 goes unheralded. Home and away, a decent platform for the No. 3 batsman to walk in will never be a meager contribution.The crucial aspect here is that he provides such starts in innings that are regarded as failures. How often do we get to see a batsman who makes a vital contribution to the team in failure? Conversely, a quickfire 30 from a No. 4 batsman fails to have nearly the same kind of effect as it does when it comes at the top. Assuming that Sehwag will bat at No.4 the same way he does at No.1, his bursts of strokeplay will cease to have the same value they currently possess.On a contemplative note, does Sehwag really intend to be a middle-order batsman? “It’s tough opening the innings after fielding for a day”. These were his words when once interviewed after a tiring day of Test cricket. Fitness has never been Sehwag’s forte. The generous waistline and leisurely running between the wickets indicate a general disregard to the importance of fitness. The question however is – Does Sehwag want to be a middle-order batsman because he believes he will find more success there or does he want to demote himself down the order because he thinks it’ll be more comfortable? I suspect that the latter is the answer and the latter is just not good enough a reason for the balance of the team to be altered.Finally, is there a better replacement available? Murali Vijay came, Murali Vijay went. Abhinav Mukund arrived, Abhinav Mukund faded away. Neither managed to leave a lasting impression. Ajinkya Rahane is waiting in the wings. To his credit, he does have an enviable domestic record to back him. But neither is he as battle hardened in the shorter formats as Virat Kohli nor has he grabbed international opportunities as desperately as Cheteshwar Pujara. Moreover, he’s been batting No. 3 for Mumbai in the previous few Ranji seasons. The current “wait and watch” approach the team management is using with Rahane seems appropriate, not unjust.Rahane aside, there is not a single opener knocking on the selector’s doors. So, is there really a better alternative? Be it the following eight Tests against England and Australia or be it South Africa 2013, Sehwag in my opinion should continue opening the innings for as long as he continues to play Test cricket.