Cricket Bytes | E R Ramachandran
"The dressing room has become noisier with Jamaican pop and rap singer Sean Paul replacing Kishore Kumar." So divulged MS Dhoni to reporters in Australia ahead of the limited-overs fixtures as sprightliness replaced weary legs after a forgettable Test series.
This, in essence, describes the three formats of cricket. One is akin to Lake Superior, meandering through crevices and taking in more than two hundred rivers flowing serenely like eternity. The other two are more like Victoria Falls, a single, vertical, boisterous fall which throws a large quantity of water at an uproarious speed with gay abandon. Continue reading below
Within a week after the fourth Test loss in Adelaide it was down to the business end of cricket in India - the IPL auction time. The IPL stands for intrigue, a poker-like stance that comes into play when franchises play their cards close to their chests in an attempt to outplay the rivals. The IPL means a sudden international camaraderie among past and present cricketers who after years of glaring at each other are now backslapping chums planning the downfall of a common enemy. The IPL also signals the time for a bit of 'cloak and dagger' among bigwigs.
Much as purists hate the Twenty20 format, its Indian avatar - the IPL - is the Indian curry few can pass at the dining table. It is that one economic mantra that brings in the big bucks to the players, associations, the BCCI and a host of assorted international has-been cricketers who are now directors, coaches for batting, bowling fielding, managers, physios, motivators and God-knows-what-else. Not to forget the advertisers and sponsors who laughed all the way to thee bank and are still parked there. And, finally, the paying public who has enjoyed it most even if at times they felt jaded. Thanks to the cheer girls, perhaps, they keep coming back.
In this scenario, what are India's best options? It is good to see Pakistan whitewashing England 3-0 even before they had time to enjoy their No. 1 status after beating India 4-0 last summer. The throne will always have a few hidden thorns. A combination of both pace and spin did them in whereas India couldn't handle pace and swing. This also shows how apt our home-grown adage, 'hamara kutta hamare galli mein sher hain' ('We are heroes at home and zeroes away from home') is.
If India ever hopes to regain the No. 1 position in different formats, it will have to start at the right earnest. It will have to recognise that apart from the format, the requirement for both longer and shorter versions are totally different, sometimes even opposite. While bowlers have to take 20 wickets to win a Test match, in shorter versions it is their ability to restrict the opponents scores which becomes paramount, especially at the death. In this, there is the danger of a strike bowler losing venom and becoming a defensive bowler, as happened to Harbhajan Singh.
In Tests, a batsman's ability to string in partnerships at various stages of the innings will count whereas superior strike rate can influence a game in shorter version and so on. Batsmen who score heavily on placid pitches in the subcontinent better watch out, for their distaste for fast bowling has spread like wildfire.
Fast bowlers share little secrets with each other and the direct result of this are the poor scores of batsmen like Yusuf Pathan, Suresh Raina and even Gautam Gambhir. If top-order batsmen cannot face short-pitched balls on a regular basis and lower-order batsmen like Ravindra Jadaja and R Ashwin negotiate such stuff comfortably to take their side to victory through no-nonsense batting, it's a double embarrassment for sure.
One common failing in Indian cricket is fielding, especially ground fielding and running between wickets. This is primarily because fielding is not given its due importance and too much fuss is made on individual scores over the team's performance. Fielding will have to be uniformly good, because carrying 'passengers' will hurt the team's interest in any format.
For the Tests, the feeding points have to be from Ranji-Duleep Trophy network, which will have to be sufficiently revamped in terms of number of participating teams, pitches, points etc. At least 60 percent of Test players should come from the Ranji Trophy with suitable temperament for five-day cricket, an ability to face pace, swing and short-pitched balls on hostile and lively pitches and a penchant to build an innings.
The teams for IPL should come from domestic tournaments in various countries in the shorter version of the game. Big hitters, mean run-givers and livewires are the ones franchises scout for.
The BCCI will have to make sure it builds enough bench strength so that active and fit players are available at short notice to fill in to replace the injured. This opens tremendous possibilities for young hopefuls who have done well in domestic tournaments.
Finally , it's time to remember the driving force which catalyzed the team, pumped up the adrenalin, beguiled with ball, smote sixes with raw power and threw itself on the field to marshal the return of the World Cup to India after what seemed an eternity. That champion, Yuvraj Singh, is now battling cancer. Get back he will, after conquering one more hurdle to serve Indian cricket. Let's wish him God's blessings and the courage to fight.
