Kenya were not probably prepared for what came their way today at the M A Chidambaram stadium in Chennai in their opening Group A match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 against New Zealand. Their performance showed the gap between the regular ICC members and the Associate teams and would have lent credence to ICC Chief Haroon Lorgat’s assertion that Associate teams should not be a part of the World Cup in 2015.
Jimmy Kamande, the Kenyan captain, won the toss this morning and elected to bat first on a pitch that was expected to play slower in the afternoon. Their openers – Alex Obanda and Seren Waters began as if they were playing a test match. It was true that the Kiwis bowled accurately but there was no effort from these two to break the shackles.
The batsmen were undone by some good bowling by the Kiwi seamers – Tim Southee, Hamish Bennett and Jacob Oram. Bennett was particularly impressive getting four wickets giving away only 16 runs. He landed the balls on a full length attacking the stumps which the Kenyan batsmen were unable to cope with. Tim Southee and Jacob Oram picked three wickets each as Kenya got bowled out for only 69 in 23.5 overs.
The Kenyan bowling also said a sorry tale – they bowled too short and wide enabling the Kiwi batsmen to go through with their shots comfortably. Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum – the Kiwi openers – did not waste any time in chasing down the target – they got to it in only 8 overs thereby ensuring a very big net run rate which could come in handy later on in the tournament.
The Canadians also did not do much for the Associates’ cause. They capitulated against an incisive Sri Lankan bowling attack in their Group A match at the picturesque Hambantota. Thisara Perera was the most impressive bowler on view. He took the wicket of John Davison off his very first ball in a World Cup and followed that up with two more wickets. He proved last year that his bowling is lethal and should now edge out Mathews at No. 7 in the remaining games for Sri Lanka.
The only resistance for Canada came from Rizwan Cheema who made every effort to take the bowling apart. There were a couple of sixes from him that pushed the team past the 100 run mark. But the rest of the batting looked pedestrian and they were never really in the chase after the Davison wicket.
Kumar Sangakkara had earlier won the toss and had no hesitation in deciding to bat. Lasith Malinga was left out thereby giving a chance to both Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera to prove their worth. Sri Lanka got off to a slow start against some disciplined bowling by Canada. Their bowlers did not give much width to the batsmen and Dilshan and Tharanga had to work for their runs. Eventually, Tharanga was run out in the 12th over after seeing Dilshan not responding to his call for a single in a dismissal that was reminiscent of Sachin Tendulkar’s dismissal yesterday.
Sangakkara was dropped at short third man by the substitute teenager Nitish Kumar off the bowling of Rizwan Cheema in the 18th over. This turned out to be a very costly lapse for Canada as he and Mahela Jayawardene rebuilt the innings after being in some trouble at 88/2 in the 20th over. The pair was brought together when Dilshan, immediately after reaching his fifty, threw his wicket away holing out to deep point off Cheema.
The pair initially nudged the balls around for ones and twos before opening up against an inexperienced attack. Jayawardene’s runs mostly came on the leg side as he swept efficiently against the spinners. Sangakkara, after the initial edginess, started finding his groove and the partnership grew to threatening proportions. The captain had not scored an ODI hundred for close to three years and was looking good to get it this time but returned an airy drive straight to bowler John Davison.
Jayawardene registered the fastest 100 by a Sri Lankan in a World Cup soon after. His hundred came off only 80 balls. Immediately he swept to short fine leg where Balaji Rao made no mistake. Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera and Thilan Samaraweera then swung their bats at everything possible and got Sri Lanka to 332/7 in 50 overs which turned out to be far beyond Canada's reach tonight.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
India prevail over disappointing Bangladesh
When Shakib Al Hasan dived to stop Sachin Tendulkar’s drive and then threw the ball back to the keeper to run him out the crowd at the Sher e Bangla stadium in Mirpur erupted in joy. That was the only joy they would derive on a disappointing night for their team.
Chasing an imposing 371 to win the opening Group B match of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup against co-hosts India, their innings never took off after the electrifying start provided by Imrul Kayes and Tamim Iqbal. The pair put on 50 in only 4.5 overs, 24 of these coming from one Sreesanth over. Once Kayes played away from his body and dragged a Munaf Patel delivery to his stumps, the scoring rate dropped and Bangladesh never looked like achieving the target.
A strangely subdued Tamim and Junaid Siddique put on a partnership of 73 but it consumed a lot of deliveries that the asking rate climbed to unattainable heights. Siddique had a life when Yusuf Pathan dropped him in the 13th over off the bowling of Munaf Patel. However, he couldn’t capitalize on this and was dismissed by a beauty from Harbhajan Singh. The off-spinner drew the batsmen a shade forward but the ball turned just enough for it to beat the bat and Dhoni effected a very smart stumping.
Only after reaching his fifty did Tamim show signs of opening up. But his dismissal in the 33rd over – he chipped a ball to Yuvraj Singh who took an easy catch at midwicket – made the task all the more difficult as the pitch was playing slower and slower. Skipper Shakib Al Hasan played very well for his fifty but did not have any support to carry the fight to the Indian camp. He ended up slog sweeping Yusuf Pathan to Harbhajan Singh at deep midwicket in a desperate attempt to force the pace. The rest of the batting caved in to the impressive Munaf Patel and Zaheer Khan.
Earlier, Shakib al Hasan won the toss and put India in to bat on a strangely colored pitch. Frayed nerves were evident in the Bangladesh bowlers as Virender Sehwag opened the World Cup with a boundary. The over from the poor Shafiul Islam cost 12 runs and that set the tempo for the innings. Sehwag and Tendulkar put on a fifty partnership before the needless run-out of Tendulkar. Gambhir didn’t look very convincing in his stay at the crease but was quick to punish the bowlers whenever they erred in length. He was bowled off a ball that straightened after pitching. The lucky bowler was Mahmudullah.
That brought the in-form Virat Kohli to the crease. Sehwag and Kohli put on a big, sensible partnership that took Bangladesh out of the game. The way Sehwag paced his innings was remarkable. He started off aggressively against Shafiul and Rubel Hossain but was tied down for sometime by Abdur Razzaq. He got to his fifty with a six in the 15th over and then picked the singles and twos. He got to his hundred in the 32nd over of 94 balls and soon after opened up by playing a flurry of strokes. The next 75 of his runs came off just 46 balls.
Sehwag’s innings was not without chances, though. Shakib missed a chance to run him out in the 2nd over, then he played early at a ball and almost returned a catch to Razzaq. The last chance was a chip that just eluded the hands of midwicket. It was Sehwag’s day today and no one but himself could stop him. He ended up dragging a wide ball from Shakib on to his stumps in the 48th over. By then India had scored 355 runs.
Virat Kohli played a gem of an innings and justified his position in the team ahead of Suresh Raina. He did not try anything fancy but picked the runs at a very good strike rate. Some of his cover drives were a treat to the eye. The way he leans on the ball to caress it through covers is impressive. He got to a well deserved hundred off just 83 balls on his World Cup debut in the final over of the Indian innings. The last 10 overs gave India 94 runs and it was evident that they would record their first win of the tournament, which they duly did three hours later, by 87 runs.
The only worry for India in the match was the performance of Sreesanth. He was wayward, listless and sprayed the ball all around for the Bangladesh openers. He will need a miracle to play for India again in this World Cup. That is because Munaf Patel has laid strong credentials for the spot of the third seamer once Nehra is back picking up 4 wickets for only 48 runs. The good thing about Munaf is that he is a line and length bowler and this has paid rich dividends for him. It is another matter whether India needs to play three seamers and a spinner in the upcoming matches or play an extra specialist spinner instead of a third seamer.
Bangladesh would take their batting display as a positive and they probably lost the match because of two factors – Tamim Iqbal did not take the attack to the bowling after Kayes’ dismissal and they failed to take the batting Powerplay soon after the ball was changed in the 34th over. This combined with a little more disciplined approach from their fast bowlers early on in the innings would have seen them in a better light at the end of the evening.
Chasing an imposing 371 to win the opening Group B match of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup against co-hosts India, their innings never took off after the electrifying start provided by Imrul Kayes and Tamim Iqbal. The pair put on 50 in only 4.5 overs, 24 of these coming from one Sreesanth over. Once Kayes played away from his body and dragged a Munaf Patel delivery to his stumps, the scoring rate dropped and Bangladesh never looked like achieving the target.
A strangely subdued Tamim and Junaid Siddique put on a partnership of 73 but it consumed a lot of deliveries that the asking rate climbed to unattainable heights. Siddique had a life when Yusuf Pathan dropped him in the 13th over off the bowling of Munaf Patel. However, he couldn’t capitalize on this and was dismissed by a beauty from Harbhajan Singh. The off-spinner drew the batsmen a shade forward but the ball turned just enough for it to beat the bat and Dhoni effected a very smart stumping.
Only after reaching his fifty did Tamim show signs of opening up. But his dismissal in the 33rd over – he chipped a ball to Yuvraj Singh who took an easy catch at midwicket – made the task all the more difficult as the pitch was playing slower and slower. Skipper Shakib Al Hasan played very well for his fifty but did not have any support to carry the fight to the Indian camp. He ended up slog sweeping Yusuf Pathan to Harbhajan Singh at deep midwicket in a desperate attempt to force the pace. The rest of the batting caved in to the impressive Munaf Patel and Zaheer Khan.
Earlier, Shakib al Hasan won the toss and put India in to bat on a strangely colored pitch. Frayed nerves were evident in the Bangladesh bowlers as Virender Sehwag opened the World Cup with a boundary. The over from the poor Shafiul Islam cost 12 runs and that set the tempo for the innings. Sehwag and Tendulkar put on a fifty partnership before the needless run-out of Tendulkar. Gambhir didn’t look very convincing in his stay at the crease but was quick to punish the bowlers whenever they erred in length. He was bowled off a ball that straightened after pitching. The lucky bowler was Mahmudullah.
That brought the in-form Virat Kohli to the crease. Sehwag and Kohli put on a big, sensible partnership that took Bangladesh out of the game. The way Sehwag paced his innings was remarkable. He started off aggressively against Shafiul and Rubel Hossain but was tied down for sometime by Abdur Razzaq. He got to his fifty with a six in the 15th over and then picked the singles and twos. He got to his hundred in the 32nd over of 94 balls and soon after opened up by playing a flurry of strokes. The next 75 of his runs came off just 46 balls.
Sehwag’s innings was not without chances, though. Shakib missed a chance to run him out in the 2nd over, then he played early at a ball and almost returned a catch to Razzaq. The last chance was a chip that just eluded the hands of midwicket. It was Sehwag’s day today and no one but himself could stop him. He ended up dragging a wide ball from Shakib on to his stumps in the 48th over. By then India had scored 355 runs.
Virat Kohli played a gem of an innings and justified his position in the team ahead of Suresh Raina. He did not try anything fancy but picked the runs at a very good strike rate. Some of his cover drives were a treat to the eye. The way he leans on the ball to caress it through covers is impressive. He got to a well deserved hundred off just 83 balls on his World Cup debut in the final over of the Indian innings. The last 10 overs gave India 94 runs and it was evident that they would record their first win of the tournament, which they duly did three hours later, by 87 runs.
The only worry for India in the match was the performance of Sreesanth. He was wayward, listless and sprayed the ball all around for the Bangladesh openers. He will need a miracle to play for India again in this World Cup. That is because Munaf Patel has laid strong credentials for the spot of the third seamer once Nehra is back picking up 4 wickets for only 48 runs. The good thing about Munaf is that he is a line and length bowler and this has paid rich dividends for him. It is another matter whether India needs to play three seamers and a spinner in the upcoming matches or play an extra specialist spinner instead of a third seamer.
Bangladesh would take their batting display as a positive and they probably lost the match because of two factors – Tamim Iqbal did not take the attack to the bowling after Kayes’ dismissal and they failed to take the batting Powerplay soon after the ball was changed in the 34th over. This combined with a little more disciplined approach from their fast bowlers early on in the innings would have seen them in a better light at the end of the evening.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Can India repeat 1983?
Indian cricket fans look forward to the performance of the Indian team in the World Cup with hope. Nothing short of a repeat of the title triumph in 1983 will satiate their hearts. Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his bunch of talented men in blue will have an enviable task on their hands. Not only have they to handle the pressure of match situations, but also the pressure that comes with huge expectations on their shoulders.
There is no doubt the team is balanced and has players who can excel in any conditions and against any opponent. But like Pakistan, Indian cricket teams have a tendency to commit hara-kiri. Dhoni’s first task is to ensure the right combination gets into the playing eleven. It is no easy task but man-management skills is an area Dhoni has to improve and he would do well to take some advice from former captain Sourav Ganguly.
First and foremost will be the decision on how many bastmen India need to play. Should we play seven batsmen and four bowlers or six batsmen and five bowlers? If they decide to play only six batsmen then invariably it has to be to accommodate an extra spinner. However, one cannot ignore Yusuf Pathan who is a genuine match winner at No.7. To accommodate Pathan they will have to sacrifice a genuine batsman which is not a good tendency either. The ideal solution will be to go in with seven batsmen – Tendulkar, Sehwag, Gambhir, Kohli, Yuvraj, Dhoni and Pathan and four bowlers – Zaheer, Nehra, Harbhajan and Piyush Chawla and hope that this would be a winning combination. Pathan can don the role of the third spinner.
The batting order is another area that Dhoni needs to address – Gambhir or Kohli at No.3? Kohli has been impressive at this position in the chances that he has been given. Gambhir is a natural opening batsman and batting at No. 4 can hinder his game. Ideally, Gambhir should be at No.3 and Kohli at No.4. If the openers fall cheaply, Gambhir and Kohli will have to rebuild the innings together and these two are good candidates for this.
With Yuvraj Singh a pale shadow of his former self, the lower middle order looks a little brittle. One hopes that Yuvraj, Dhoni and Pathan do not fail together which would be disastrous. It would not be a bad idea to promote Pathan up the order for some quick runs when the team needs it. Yuvraj, Dhoni and Pathan are the finishers and they need to do their job well.
The bowlers will have their tasks cut out. Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra should share the new ball and will have to be very miserly at the death overs. Nehra has been found wanting in this respect in a few games and India cannot afford both their frontline seamers leaking runs at the end overs. Munaf Patel ensures a far more disciplined approach at the end overs than Nehra and could be tested for a couple of games. Sreesanth is likely to get a chance only in the event of either of the frontline bowlers sustaining an injury.
The spinners will have to take wickets, not just restrict the flow of runs. Harbhajan Singh and Piyush Chawla are the first choice spinners with R Ashwin getting an odd game or two. Chawla was particularly impressive in the warm up game against Australia. He got the ball to turn and spin and flummoxed the batsmen with his guile. There are plenty of options for Dhoni in terms of part-time spinners – Yuvraj, Pathan and Sehwag can bowl but it remains to be seen whether Sehwag will actually bowl considering his shoulder.
The team opens its campaign against Bangladesh to whom it lost in the 2007 edition. Bangladesh are a very good team and should not be taken lightly. The fact that the match will be played in Bangladesh will add pressure on the Indians. India’s second game will be against the highly rated and confident England. A loss in the first two matches and India will not only struggle to make the cut for the quarter finals but also run the risk of meeting strong teams there. It is therefore imperative that the team puts its best foot forward in the opening matches.
Two relatively easy games against Ireland and Netherlands follow the first two games. Ireland impressed one and all in their warm up games should pose a bigger challenge for India than the Netherlands. These will be followed by two more games – against South Africa and West Indies.
The Indians should make the quarter-finals but will be lucky if they get to play the quarter-final match in India as 3 out of the 4 quarter-final games are scheduled in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The prospect of meeting Pakistan in the quarter-finals cannot be ruled out.
The team carries with it the prayers and hopes of a billion people. If Dhoni is able to emulate what Kapil Dev did in 1983, he will be adored by the public. If the team loses its way, then we can very well search for a new captain, for nothing short of his head will satisfy the public. The weight of expectations alone could bring India down but their performances over the last year and a half lend belief to the fact that this team is capable of making us Indians proud at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on the 2nd of April. The team would do well to win it for their talismanic performer over the last 21 years – Sachin Tendulkar - at his home ground. What can better winning a World Cup in your own backyard?
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Sri Lanka, England, Pakistan and Bangladesh also fancy their chances
Let us now look into the chances of four teams whose fortunes depend a lot on some key players. Sri Lanka, England, Pakistan and Bangladesh would fancy their chances in the tournament simply because they have the players who can deliver the results.
Sri Lanka is undoubtedly the strongest of these four. The team looks very formidable and they have very little worries. Muthiah Muralitharan would be hoping for an ideal parting gift in the form of one more World Cup. It will be up to skipper Kumar Sangakkara and his men to perform for Murali who has been the mainstay of their bowling for a very long time. Their openers wear a settled look – Upul Tharanga and Tilakaratne Dilshan can provide the solid starts. The middle order looks very strong with two experienced campaigners in Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
The only spot in the team which would be debatable would be their choice of a No. 7 batsman – Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera can equally lay credentials to the spot. Thisara Perera would be the better choice because of his bowling which is at a better level than Mathews’. The first choice bowlers would be Malinga, Kulasekara, Muralitharan and Mendis.
Sri Lanka should progress very far into the tournament with the kind of team they have. This is their best chance to regain the cup that they first won in 1996 in the Subcontinent.
England would be hoping their frontline batsmen learn from the mistakes they made in Australia during the one-day leg of their grueling tour. If at all there is anything that England need to fix, it is their batting. Barring the exception of Jonathan Trott at No. 3, all of their other batsmen are in need of big runs. Andrew Strauss and Matt prior are expected to open the batting with Trott, the charismatic Kevin Pietersen and the ever reliable Ian Bell to follow.
The bowlers pick themselves – James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Ajmal Shahzad and Graeme Swann should be the ideal choice for skipper Andrew Strauss. In the event they decide to play two spinners, then Michael Yardy could come in for Shahzad. That leaves one position open – the choice would be between Paul Collingwood who has not been in the best of form these days but is very experienced and Luke Wright who can be very handy with the bat as well as ball. I believe Strauss will opt for the experience of Collingwood.
England can progress far if their batsman get into run scoring mode early on in the tournament. Kevin Pietersen needs to show them the way by playing as long as possible with minimum risks. He needs to cut out the kind of bizarre shots that he attempted in Australia.
Pakistan is a team in turmoil but their cricket is a way for them to forget the past. They have very explosive players and I will not be surprised if they make it to the finals. Like past Pakistan teams, bowling is their strength and they need to play to their full potential as far as bowling is concerned. Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar and Abdul Razzaq are world class. The spin department could be led by Abdur Rehman following his good showing in New Zealand. Captain Shahid Afridi and opening batsman Mohammad Hafeez can chip in for some spin to support Rehman.
Ahmed Shehzad can provide the pyrotechnics at the top of the order with the experienced Younis Khan, and vice-captain Misbah-ul-Haq leading the middle order supported by the wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal. Umar Akmal, Kamran’s younger brother, has lost his way after a promising start to his career and needs to make way for Asad Shafiq who has impressed in the limited opportunities that he has been given. Afridi and Razzaq can provide the fireworks at the end overs.
The team has a tendency to self destruct. If they can curb this and stay together as a team, they can progress very far in the tournament. A World Cup win will provide redemption to a team that has been plagued by scandals.
Bangladesh have come a long way in terms of how they play their cricket. There used to be a time when they were regarded as minnows and could be easily passed over. That is not the case now. Their confidence is high following series win over New Zealand and Zimbabwe. They have some key players whose performance will be crucial.
The finest player to have played for Bangladesh, captain Shakib al Hasan leads by example. His consistency in both bowling and batting over the last couple of years has been remarkable. He will be the fulcrum around which their batting and bowling revolve. Bangladesh’s top order looks strong with the Sehwag like demolisher Tamim Iqbal leading from the front supported by Junaid Siddique and Imrul Kayes.
It is their middle and lower order that is a cause for worry. Aside of Shakib, there is no one who can take the mantle of guiding them through the middle and end overs. If Mohammad Ashraful returns to form which has been long due, then half of their worries on this front would be solved. Wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim picks himself in the side.
Spin remains Bangladesh’s potent bowling weapon. Abdul Razzaq and Shakib al Hasan will be supported by Mahmudullah and Suhrawadi Shuvo. Shafiul Islam and Rubel Hossain should lead the pace attack.
Making the quarter finals should be the first aim for Bangladesh and from then on they should take it match by match. If they can get their act together in all the three departments, they can give any team a run for its money. They can make history on April 2 and what a history would that be.
Sri Lanka is undoubtedly the strongest of these four. The team looks very formidable and they have very little worries. Muthiah Muralitharan would be hoping for an ideal parting gift in the form of one more World Cup. It will be up to skipper Kumar Sangakkara and his men to perform for Murali who has been the mainstay of their bowling for a very long time. Their openers wear a settled look – Upul Tharanga and Tilakaratne Dilshan can provide the solid starts. The middle order looks very strong with two experienced campaigners in Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
The only spot in the team which would be debatable would be their choice of a No. 7 batsman – Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera can equally lay credentials to the spot. Thisara Perera would be the better choice because of his bowling which is at a better level than Mathews’. The first choice bowlers would be Malinga, Kulasekara, Muralitharan and Mendis.
Sri Lanka should progress very far into the tournament with the kind of team they have. This is their best chance to regain the cup that they first won in 1996 in the Subcontinent.
England would be hoping their frontline batsmen learn from the mistakes they made in Australia during the one-day leg of their grueling tour. If at all there is anything that England need to fix, it is their batting. Barring the exception of Jonathan Trott at No. 3, all of their other batsmen are in need of big runs. Andrew Strauss and Matt prior are expected to open the batting with Trott, the charismatic Kevin Pietersen and the ever reliable Ian Bell to follow.
The bowlers pick themselves – James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Ajmal Shahzad and Graeme Swann should be the ideal choice for skipper Andrew Strauss. In the event they decide to play two spinners, then Michael Yardy could come in for Shahzad. That leaves one position open – the choice would be between Paul Collingwood who has not been in the best of form these days but is very experienced and Luke Wright who can be very handy with the bat as well as ball. I believe Strauss will opt for the experience of Collingwood.
England can progress far if their batsman get into run scoring mode early on in the tournament. Kevin Pietersen needs to show them the way by playing as long as possible with minimum risks. He needs to cut out the kind of bizarre shots that he attempted in Australia.
Pakistan is a team in turmoil but their cricket is a way for them to forget the past. They have very explosive players and I will not be surprised if they make it to the finals. Like past Pakistan teams, bowling is their strength and they need to play to their full potential as far as bowling is concerned. Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar and Abdul Razzaq are world class. The spin department could be led by Abdur Rehman following his good showing in New Zealand. Captain Shahid Afridi and opening batsman Mohammad Hafeez can chip in for some spin to support Rehman.
Ahmed Shehzad can provide the pyrotechnics at the top of the order with the experienced Younis Khan, and vice-captain Misbah-ul-Haq leading the middle order supported by the wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal. Umar Akmal, Kamran’s younger brother, has lost his way after a promising start to his career and needs to make way for Asad Shafiq who has impressed in the limited opportunities that he has been given. Afridi and Razzaq can provide the fireworks at the end overs.
The team has a tendency to self destruct. If they can curb this and stay together as a team, they can progress very far in the tournament. A World Cup win will provide redemption to a team that has been plagued by scandals.
Bangladesh have come a long way in terms of how they play their cricket. There used to be a time when they were regarded as minnows and could be easily passed over. That is not the case now. Their confidence is high following series win over New Zealand and Zimbabwe. They have some key players whose performance will be crucial.
The finest player to have played for Bangladesh, captain Shakib al Hasan leads by example. His consistency in both bowling and batting over the last couple of years has been remarkable. He will be the fulcrum around which their batting and bowling revolve. Bangladesh’s top order looks strong with the Sehwag like demolisher Tamim Iqbal leading from the front supported by Junaid Siddique and Imrul Kayes.
It is their middle and lower order that is a cause for worry. Aside of Shakib, there is no one who can take the mantle of guiding them through the middle and end overs. If Mohammad Ashraful returns to form which has been long due, then half of their worries on this front would be solved. Wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim picks himself in the side.
Spin remains Bangladesh’s potent bowling weapon. Abdul Razzaq and Shakib al Hasan will be supported by Mahmudullah and Suhrawadi Shuvo. Shafiul Islam and Rubel Hossain should lead the pace attack.
Making the quarter finals should be the first aim for Bangladesh and from then on they should take it match by match. If they can get their act together in all the three departments, they can give any team a run for its money. They can make history on April 2 and what a history would that be.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Australia look balanced but South Africa need to work hard
Defending champions Australia will enter the tournament looking for their fourth successive triumph. However, this time the aura of invincibility around them will be missing. Their confidence was at an all-time low following the ignominious defeat in the Ashes series against England. However, the way they bounced back and trounced England in the one-day series proves that they can and never should be under-estimated.
Michael Clarke will be the key to Australia’s batting fortunes. He seems to have rediscovered his touch during the fag end of the one-day series against England with two match winning efforts. His ability to play the spinners well will hold him in good stead to score runs in the tournament. He is Australia’s best bet at No.4 and will look to consolidate the position if the openers and skipper Ricky Ponting lay a good foundation.
Talking of the openers, Shane Watson and Brad Haddin have a good understanding and rapport. Watson is in the form of his life and Haddin can back himself to score some quick runs. The pitches should help their cause well. Ponting at No. 3 comes back from a finger injury and should be looking to regain the form that has eluded him over the last 12 months. Clarke, Cameron White and David Hussey can provide the acceleration in the end overs.
The bowling will be led by the effervescent Brett Lee. It was a pleasure to watch him bowl in the one-day series against England and the fact that he was among the wickets should bode well for Australia. The pace of Shaun Tait will assist Lee in a big way and if Mitchell Johnson is able to find his mojo in the subcontinent conditions, then it will be very hard to stop the Aussies. The spin department will be handled by Jason Krejza with the young Steve Smith and the part-timer David Hussey to back them up.
Australia has a balanced team and it is no fluke that they are the No. 1 one-day team in the world right now. If they get their act right in the beginning of the tournament and play the basics well, they will find a place in the finals on April 2.
South Africa is the other team that can be talked of in the same breath as Australia. They have come determined this time to shed the chokers tag associated with them. They have often been undone by lady luck and would wish for her to smile on them this time around.
Bowling is South Africa’s main weapon. Dale Steyn can take wickets in absolutely any conditions and needs to be supported well by Morne Morkel. Morkel relies more on bounce to get his wickets and should be disappointed by the bounce that the pitches in the subcontinent offers. However, if he is willing to bend his back he is sure to get among the wickets. Lonwabo Tsotsobe has been a revelation over the last 6 months and should be an ideal third seamer ahead of Wayne Parnell who tends to be expensive. The unknown but highly rated Imran Tahir is expected to be the spin trump card with Johan Botha and Robin Peterson donning the support roles. They could count on part timers in JP Duminy and the captain Graeme Smith as well.
If the South Africans do not progress far in the tournament, it will be because of their batting. Jacques Kallis at No. 3 lends solidity but he is coming back from an injury and it remains to be seen whether he gets into form straightaway. His performance against Zimbabwe in the warm-up match has been encouraging. Hashim Amla is in great form but the same cannot be said of his captain and ally at the top of the order – Graeme Smith. The middle order will have an uphill task if the top three fail. AB De Villiers will have the enviable task of guiding the middle order batsmen.
It cannot be said that South Africa are a balanced side. Their bowling outweighs batting and they would do well to remember this. Batting second can be tricky for the side especially if they are chasing a tall score. Smith would be better off is their side decides to bat first if he wins the toss as it will always be easier to defend a total with the kind of bowling they have. It is not very lethal but their bowlers are efficient and can be counted on to pick wickets. Their batsmen will have to do the hard work, though.
South Africa can make the quarter –finals but from then on it will get difficult for them especially if their batting does not click. Again, they need to have plenty of luck on their side which eluded them in 1992, 1999 and 2003.
Michael Clarke will be the key to Australia’s batting fortunes. He seems to have rediscovered his touch during the fag end of the one-day series against England with two match winning efforts. His ability to play the spinners well will hold him in good stead to score runs in the tournament. He is Australia’s best bet at No.4 and will look to consolidate the position if the openers and skipper Ricky Ponting lay a good foundation.
Talking of the openers, Shane Watson and Brad Haddin have a good understanding and rapport. Watson is in the form of his life and Haddin can back himself to score some quick runs. The pitches should help their cause well. Ponting at No. 3 comes back from a finger injury and should be looking to regain the form that has eluded him over the last 12 months. Clarke, Cameron White and David Hussey can provide the acceleration in the end overs.
The bowling will be led by the effervescent Brett Lee. It was a pleasure to watch him bowl in the one-day series against England and the fact that he was among the wickets should bode well for Australia. The pace of Shaun Tait will assist Lee in a big way and if Mitchell Johnson is able to find his mojo in the subcontinent conditions, then it will be very hard to stop the Aussies. The spin department will be handled by Jason Krejza with the young Steve Smith and the part-timer David Hussey to back them up.
Australia has a balanced team and it is no fluke that they are the No. 1 one-day team in the world right now. If they get their act right in the beginning of the tournament and play the basics well, they will find a place in the finals on April 2.
South Africa is the other team that can be talked of in the same breath as Australia. They have come determined this time to shed the chokers tag associated with them. They have often been undone by lady luck and would wish for her to smile on them this time around.
Bowling is South Africa’s main weapon. Dale Steyn can take wickets in absolutely any conditions and needs to be supported well by Morne Morkel. Morkel relies more on bounce to get his wickets and should be disappointed by the bounce that the pitches in the subcontinent offers. However, if he is willing to bend his back he is sure to get among the wickets. Lonwabo Tsotsobe has been a revelation over the last 6 months and should be an ideal third seamer ahead of Wayne Parnell who tends to be expensive. The unknown but highly rated Imran Tahir is expected to be the spin trump card with Johan Botha and Robin Peterson donning the support roles. They could count on part timers in JP Duminy and the captain Graeme Smith as well.
If the South Africans do not progress far in the tournament, it will be because of their batting. Jacques Kallis at No. 3 lends solidity but he is coming back from an injury and it remains to be seen whether he gets into form straightaway. His performance against Zimbabwe in the warm-up match has been encouraging. Hashim Amla is in great form but the same cannot be said of his captain and ally at the top of the order – Graeme Smith. The middle order will have an uphill task if the top three fail. AB De Villiers will have the enviable task of guiding the middle order batsmen.
It cannot be said that South Africa are a balanced side. Their bowling outweighs batting and they would do well to remember this. Batting second can be tricky for the side especially if they are chasing a tall score. Smith would be better off is their side decides to bat first if he wins the toss as it will always be easier to defend a total with the kind of bowling they have. It is not very lethal but their bowlers are efficient and can be counted on to pick wickets. Their batsmen will have to do the hard work, though.
South Africa can make the quarter –finals but from then on it will get difficult for them especially if their batting does not click. Again, they need to have plenty of luck on their side which eluded them in 1992, 1999 and 2003.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
The Coveted Cup
There is only a week to go for the month and a half extravaganza – the One-day international Cricket World Cup. The excitement is slowly building up among the people. Conversations vary from favorites to win the cup to who would be the dark horses this time around. Undoubtedly, this will be the biggest ever World Cup.
The last two times a World Cup was held in the Indian subcontinent, unlikely champions have emerged. While in 1987, nobody gave Australia a chance, Allan Border’s young team surprised England in the finals at Eden Gardens, Kolkata in what was perhaps the closest match ever played in a World Cup final. Sirca 1996, a war-ravaged nation – Sri Lanka – gave its citizens a lot to cheer by beating Australia in the final at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Who will it be this time? We’ll know on April 2 in what is perhaps the most open World Cup ever – each of the top 6 teams have a chance of winning. Having said that, cricket is a funny game and one cannot rule out the possibility of a surprise winner this time as well.
The event lasts for a month and a half – this could be the biggest challenge for the teams. They’ll need to ensure that their big guns stay in form throughout and are fresh for the big matches. An event of this magnitude can be energy draining and teams would do well to have adequate back-up plans. It is late winter in the subcontinent, so the heat factor is unlikely to affect the teams much than if the tournament was held in April – May.
The pitches could be batsmen’s paradises, so the bowlers will have to come up with exceptional performances. Captains who can be innovative with field placements and judicious choice of the bowling Powerplay overs could be the clinchers. The ideal mix of fast bowlers and spinners would be very crucial.
A large majority of matches are day/night encounters which bring into the equation the question of fairness. Teams bowling second will face the difficulty of the dew affecting the ball after a period of time. It will be very imperative for those teams to take early wickets and take the initiative. Reverse swing might also be a big factor but it remains to be seen how effective it would be since the ball has to be changed after 34 overs.
As with any sporting event, there is a huge weight of expectations around the host teams – India and Sri Lanka in particular. They have been very consistent in their performances over the last year and a half. They will have the better knowledge of the conditions and massive crowd support but these always add extra pressure. How they handle this would also very critical in determining how far they go in the tournament.
Indians will especially hope that Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men emulate what Kapil Dev’s team did way back in 1983. The team looks balanced and has the potential to go till the very end. A win would be the ideal icing in the cake for Sachin Tendulkar’s career.
Next Saturday at Mirpur, the opening salvo will be fired. Bangladesh takes on India in what promises to be a cracker of a match. Teams will go through rigorous routines in a bid to covet the Holy Grail of one-day international cricket. At the end of it all, one team’s ecstasy will be the other’s agony – but that is the beauty of any sport. The winner will cherish the achievement for a long time to come.
Watch out for more in this space for an extensive coverage of the event – we will analyze the teams during the course of the next week and then analyze the games through the tournament.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
WHERE’S THE NEXT TORCH BEARER?
From Kapil Dev to Javagal Srinath to Zaheer Khan has been an endearing journey. Indian fast bowling rarely had men who hunted in pairs. India almost always had only a one man show as far as fast bowling was concerned. Kapil Dev was exemplary while Srinath was under-utilised. Since he burst on to the scene in the year 2000, Zaheer has been the torch bearer for fast bowling for India both in test matches and one day internationals. He has been excellent, to say the least, over the last couple of years.
As he is 32, it’s time to find and groom the next person to whom the baton can be passed. Sadly, one cannot find a promising youngster who could emulate Zaheer. Ishant Sharma is too inconsistent, Sreesanth is wayward, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar and Ashish Nehra have chinks in their armour which they need to iron out.
It’s high time the BCCI, the national selection committee and the Indian team management did something about this. With Zaheer’s injury history, no one can vouch for how long more he could play for the country. Moreover, the pitches continue to be benign; the NCA is not producing quality fast bowlers.
The cricket administration in India should seriously think of conducting a fast bowling talent hunt to find a genuine quick who can be of valuable service to the country. In the next ten years, India will struggle to retain their No. 1 test ranking without quality fast bowlers. Bowling looks to be India’s bane in the future.
The lack of vision on the BCCI’s part is disheartening. So much of money is being earned but nothing is spent on making the pitches more lively or trying to find bowling talent. They need to prioritize what’s important and by the looks of what we see that is not happening.
Let’s hope that better sense prevails and we do soon have a serious fast bowler who can take up the mantle of leading India’s new ball attack after Zaheer Khan. Otherwise, it’s going to be a long and arduous journey to sustain what India has achieved in the last couple of years. We could very well say goodbye to the No. 1 test ranking.
As he is 32, it’s time to find and groom the next person to whom the baton can be passed. Sadly, one cannot find a promising youngster who could emulate Zaheer. Ishant Sharma is too inconsistent, Sreesanth is wayward, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar and Ashish Nehra have chinks in their armour which they need to iron out.
It’s high time the BCCI, the national selection committee and the Indian team management did something about this. With Zaheer’s injury history, no one can vouch for how long more he could play for the country. Moreover, the pitches continue to be benign; the NCA is not producing quality fast bowlers.
The cricket administration in India should seriously think of conducting a fast bowling talent hunt to find a genuine quick who can be of valuable service to the country. In the next ten years, India will struggle to retain their No. 1 test ranking without quality fast bowlers. Bowling looks to be India’s bane in the future.
The lack of vision on the BCCI’s part is disheartening. So much of money is being earned but nothing is spent on making the pitches more lively or trying to find bowling talent. They need to prioritize what’s important and by the looks of what we see that is not happening.
Let’s hope that better sense prevails and we do soon have a serious fast bowler who can take up the mantle of leading India’s new ball attack after Zaheer Khan. Otherwise, it’s going to be a long and arduous journey to sustain what India has achieved in the last couple of years. We could very well say goodbye to the No. 1 test ranking.
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