Reboot, and Restart!

A zillion plus cricket fans in India hoped against the hope of Afghanistan defeating the Kiwis. But as it so happened, Kane & Co. rather comfortably, and much deservedly so, made it to the final four of the tournament bringing curtains down on India’s campaign, rendering its last match against Namibia inconsequential.

Looking back on the four matches played by the Indian team thus far in the tournament, they have no one else but themselves to blame for the early exit. They have failed to be consistent which ultimately resulted in them depending on other results in order for them to qualify. The losses in the opening games versus Pakistan and New Zealand hurt India’s chances tremendously, virtually knocking them out inside the first week unless some other results went in their favor. In this format of the game, there are no clear favorites as such, since any team on their day can beat the best team going around purely because you only have to be that much better for only that period of time. Having said that, there is no denying the fact that India made errors, both tactically and in terms of execution.

While it was refreshing to see India play the way they did against Afghanistan and Scotland, it was, one would feel, too little too late. The brand of cricket they played was particularly endearing where fans finally got to see potential translating into performance. I won’t be surprised if they play the same dominant form of cricket and steamroll past Namibia in their last match to end the tournament, ironically, on a ‘high’, so to speak.

As Indian cricket readies itself to turn a page to the next chapter, with Kohli giving up T20I captaincy and Shastri coming to the end of his tenure, there is this pressing need to ‘Reboot and Restart’. For starters, we need a settled eleven for T20 internationals with at least 22-23 overs being available at the captain’s disposal. Rohit, who, by all means, is the next in line to lead India in the limited-overs format, has his work cut out for himself since the next edition of the World T20 will be held in a year’s time from now. Here’s hoping the winds of change bring about a change in fortunes for the team in the shortest format as well.

Not the start India wanted, but the one it needed…

The most awaited T20 tournament in the world, arguably after IPL, is upon us and we have had quite a few moments already that would definitely go on to make the highlights package of the tournament. The debutants, Scotland and Namibia, stake a majority claim on those moments. Looking forward to seeing more of them during the course of the tournament and afterwards.

India played Pakistan in their opening match last night. After having cruised to victory in both their warm-up games, India started as favorites going into the match. Their arch-rivals, mercurial neighbors, Pakistan, have always been the underdogs, well, atleast since the turn of the century, but even more so in a World Cup match. Having said that, they have always had the knack of causing an upset, but it is never known which Pakistan would turn up on the day. And that makes watching them in action all the more worthwhile. Sadly, India found itself at the receiving end right from the word go, and always seemed to be playing the catch-up game thereafter.

Having won the toss, Babar put India in to bat first. Pakistan were brilliant with the new ball. Shaheen pitched it right up, hit the right areas and allowed the ball to swing, something which the Indian counterparts did not. Three quick wickets early in the game pushed India onto the backfoot, as a result of which they struggled to get any sort of momentum into their innings. Pant, being his maverick self, did bring out his one-handed swipes for sixes and accompanied Kohli to restore some stability. Despite the continuous loss of wickets from one end and an elongated tail, one would feel India did well to post 151 on the board. Pakistan were equally good in the field. Apart from ‘that-one-overthrow’, they were pretty disciplined otherwise.

Indian bowlers werent as effective with the new ball, largely owing to the line and length they bowled. The positive intent showed by the Pakistani openers didnt help their cause either. Rizwan and Babar dispatched the lose ones to the boundary and were able to rotate strike regularly, making sure the scoreboard always kept ticking. It was as clinical a run-chase as any could get, wherein they did not give a single chance to the opposition. The fact that they won by a 10 wicket margin is a testament to India being completely outplayed.

India have a week’s time to get past this and I am sure, they will put up a better performance when they turn up next on the field. They were beaten comprehensively by a team that played better cricket. On a lighter note, I feel we should be relieved that the ‘one-bad-game’ has been done away with early in the tournament rather than having it in the knockouts. And hence, the title of this piece. I know nothing is as good as ending up on the winning side, but as they say, ‘Failure will teach you more than success ever will.’

My World Cup Squad!

For the past couple of years now, every limited overs series which Team India has participated in, it has enabled itself to find the best combination possible going into the Cricket World Cup 2019. We are already a couple of months into 2019 and I am sure that barring a couple of spots, Team India has got all the bases covered. Touted as one of the favorites, if not the favorites, this time, to lift the trophy, I present to you my squad for Team India for the World Cup.

1) Rohit Sharma

The Hitman has been India’s mainstay at the top of the order since past few years and has been a match winner in the true sense in white-ball cricket. He grafts his innings wonderfully well and his ability to mix caution with aggression makes him a dangerous customer.

2) Shikhar Dhawan

Gabbar completes the other half of the most prolific opening pair of our times. They complement each other exceptionally well and for some inexplicable reason, Dhawan almost always performs in multi-nation big-ticket events which should settle a few nerves because even if he has not looked his best leading up to the tournament, we can rest assured that he will catch up.

3) Virat Kohli

Unarguably the best batsman in the world right now (across formats), Kohli is the fulcrum of the Indian batting line up. He has matured as a player and even more so as a person ever since taking over as the captain of the national team.

4) MS Dhoni

This could well turn out to be Thala’s last outing representing the nation. For me, its best suited for him as well as the team that he bats at number four and hence, in the team that I propose, he slots in right after Kohli. He may not be the finisher that he once was and might take a little longer to get going as well, but simply his presence in the team would do a world of good to Kohli and the bowlers, especially the slower ones.

5) Kedar Jadhav

He has proven himself to be an excellent utility player over a period of time and has made the most of opportunities on offer. He is a smart cricketer and his peculiar bowling action has been surprisingly effective which I believe goes a long way in furthering his case as far as his selection in the playing eleven is concerned.

6) Rishabh Pant

Yes, next up, ‘We’ve got Pant, Riiishaabhh Pant!’ He can make this side purely as a batsman and could well be a game changer at number 6. He can hit the ball long and far, apart from serving as a backup wicketkeeper. He is an exciting prospect and I am looking forward to seeing more of him in the upcoming games.

7) Hardik Pandya

Off late, he has been talked about a lot, largely for non-cricketing reasons but that is for another blog and would require a completely different vantage point. I do see him featuring in the World Cup squad hopefully having learned that talent and ability are not the ONLY boxes which need to be ticked. Having him the squad makes Kohli’s life much easier as it allows him to play the spin twins together. He is a ‘work-in-progress-fast-bowling-allrounder’. He is already showing signs of improvement and he is a much better player than what the numbers might suggest.

8) Bhuvneshwar Kumar

His strength has been his immaculate control over the new ball and old. He looks fitter than ever now and here’s hoping that injury concerns stay away from him at least till after the World Cup ends.

9) Kuldeep Yadav

The left-arm chinaman has carved a niche for himself in his short career already. He is Kohli’s go-to bowler every time he needs a breakthrough and he delivers! Batsmen just don’t seem to pick his deliveries at all. One of the best attributes of his bowling, I feel, is that he gets rid of the tail quickly. Sometimes when the tail sticks around for a bit, it can be agonizingly painful, but not when Kuldeep is around!

10) Yuzvendra Chahal

Wrist spinners, we know, are the hottest commodities going around these days. Having two of them means double the trouble for the opposition batsmen. Chahal can go for some runs but is he will always give you wickets. The two spin-twins bowl well together and control the middle overs very well with constant inputs coming from behind the stumps.

11) Jasprit Bumrah

Currently, he is worth his weight in gold. Like Kohli, he too has been exceptional across formats. He is an automatic selection into the playing eleven like a few others above.

12) Ambati Rayudu

He has done just enough to claim a spot for himself in the squad. I personally would see him as a backup to Kedar, replacing him if and when he does get injured. There are certain sections who do see him as a potential number four, but sadly he misses out being the first choice in my team.

13) Ravindra Jadeja

I have all the time in the world for Jaddu. He is the best fielder we have and can almost manufacture a wicket with his fielding alone. You can actually play three spinners as well if we get a surface that is dry and one that does grip a bit. He makes for excellent value addition in the team and would be interesting to see how Kohli uses him if he is in the squad that is.

14) Mohammed Shami

Lala can, in fact, make the first eleven as well going by his performances in the recently concluded limited overs series Down Under. He is fast, he is accurate and he is right on the money from the word go. Shami and Bumrah would make a lethal comb with the new ball and in the death overs as well.

15) Prithvi Shaw

He is my reserve opener for the tournament. From the little that we did see of him in whites, he seems ready enough to debut in colored clothing for the senior team, provided that he has recovered from the injury completely, which I am hoping he does in time to be available for selection.

Right then, this is my squad for the Cricket World Cup 2019.

This is the privilege we, as fans, enjoy. We can pick and choose our favorites, not necessarily the most deserving ones while building our squads.

Here’s wishing that everyone who boards the flight to England does his best and makes the nation proud.

Rewriting History, Down Under!

Well, the past couple of days have been the most gratifying for Indian fans and players alike. To put things into perspective, this Indian Team has achieved what no other team from the subcontinent before could manage. India came tantalizingly close to winning the series once, in 2003/04, but Steve Waugh’s stern resistance in his last test match at the SCG meant India would have to come back again and try their luck in another series. In all, 71 years and several disappointing tours later, Team India registers its first-ever series win against Australia in Australia.

For the first time in so many years, India went into a Test series in Australia as favorites and understandably so. This was touted as our best chance to win against Australia Down Under. If the previous two away tours were anything to go by, India looked well poised to at least put up a good fight and challenge the Aussies in their backyard. As it turned out, we outplayed them completely in all the three departments in three out of four test matches. That Australia was without two of their best batsmen and it made things easier for us is an argument Aussies would love to put out, but the fact that they could not find suitable replacements all throughout the year reflects poorly on their bench strength.

Everyone had their eyes set on Prithvi Shaw and Virat Kohli for this series. Prithvi, sadly, had to bow out before the first test, having twisted his ankle during the only warm-up game. Throughout the series, on almost all instances (barring the third one), the openers made way for Pujara pretty early into the innings. The Indian No. 3, then, steadied the ship and more often than naught made sure the team was out of danger, rather, in a position of strength. The discipline and determination with which he has batted could be a lesson for a lot of youngsters in the art of batsmanship in the longest format of the game. He scored over 500 runs and was rightly adjudged the Man of the series for his stupendous performance with the bat. Others, including Kohli and Rahane, batted around him and helped India post decent totals on the board. Mayank made his debut in whites in the second half of the series and to be honest, he looked like he belonged there. He had to wait to get his chance in the sun, but when he did get one, he made sure that he made it count. Pant got starts throughout the series and he ended the tour on a high as he scored a quick-fire century in the first innings of the last test match.

The bowlers have been simply magnificent, to say the least, on this tour. We have consistently managed to get 20 wickets and that has been one of the major reasons for our improved performance in Tests since past 12-15 months. Bumrah, Shami, and Ishant have been lethal with both, the new ball and old. Jaddu, Ash, and Kuldeep have had a part to play as well but the early breakthroughs with the new ball and the sustained pressure from the quicks have been instrumental in India gaining the upper hand. The bowlers made sure that we were always there or thereabouts and never let the game drift away from us. They have had a great impact, especially in low scoring games, like the first one in Adelaide.

Test cricket, dear readers, is well alive and kicking. Contests like these reinforce its importance as the mother of all formats. Sure, the skillsets required to succeed in Tests may not be the most sought after or fashionable in the modern day and age, but it in the process of attaining those, we discover our true self and therein lies the beauty of this game.

This series win is a memorable one and the whole country is proud of our boys. There have been several great players from the previous touring teams who couldn’t realize this dream, but Kohli & Co. have managed to do something incredible here and they deserve every bit of success which they have achieved.

Here’s to more success and dominance overseas.

The toughest goodbye…

This day that year (2013) is when The Master last walked onto the field to represent India and to bring curtains down on a career spanning 24 long years. India hosted the (then) West Indies at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai, for the last of the two-test ‘farewell’ series organized by the BCCI. Emotions were at an all-time high throughout the series. People had been speculating Sachin’s retirement for quite some time but when he finally announced his decision, it took a while for the fans and ‘devotees’ alike, to let that sink in.

To be honest, we did see it coming and it was doubly hard to come to terms with the fact that this series was going to be his last. For people like me, who literally grew up watching him, his retirement meant it was time for us as well turn a page in our lives, to move on, and that as we all know, is the hardest thing the human soul has ever known. For Sachin though, it must have been even tougher. To quit something which you have been doing regularly, day in and day out, almost as a ritual for most parts of your life must take a huge amount of courage and I am sure deep thought must have gone into arriving at that decision. And if not for anything else, just for its enormity, it must be respected.

It was because of players like him that our game became richer and more prosperous. And it’s not the monetary riches that’s been referred to here. It’s the unparalleled popularity and the acceptance in our country this great game has seen which makes it even more special. Sachin was not the regular sports personality who was famous for his on-field prowess. He was more of a household name and soon, would go on to become nation’s favorite son. In him, young children who wanted to take up this sport as a profession, found the perfect role model to look up to. The voice of Indian cricket, Harsha remarks that it is the extraordinary work ethic that makes the Sachin Tendulkar story extra special!

Since his retirement, Indian cricket has moved forward and built on the legacy left behind by The Master. He played the game with utmost integrity and more than anything else took great pride in representing the nation. On making the last walk back to the pavilion, he fought back tears and so did a billion others. He walked back up to the square a few moments later and bowed down to touch the pitch. Tears welled up out of the eyes of the fans as they saw their hero walk out for one last time. The chants of Sachin…Sachin… grew louder by the minute. Indian cricket and the fans will forever be grateful to you.

Thank you, Sachin!

India end English tour with a bagful of ‘If Only’s’

Right, so another overseas assignment has been done away with. And, much to our disappointment, the series scorecard is a pale reflection of everything that transpired during this English summer. Not that the Indian team played bad cricket and lost, it was competitive all the way; it was just that we could not capitalize on occasions which, in hindsight now, were match-defining moments.

In a way, this is a rather tricky piece for me to put together because unlike other away tours, we actually did pretty well. In most of the games, in the test series especially, barring the one at the Lords, India always looked to be in it with a chance. The beauty of Test match cricket was for all to see. There were runs for the batsmen and wickets for the bowlers. The Duke ball did what it does best, trouble the batsmen, ask questions of him, his technique, and reward the bowler for his consistency and immaculate line and length.

India, however, would return with an unsettled top order. The top order has struggled right throughout the series and except for a couple of occasions, they allowed the English bowlers to draw first blood pretty early into the innings. Vijay and Dhawan, I believe, have slim chances of playing in whites again. Rahul showed glimpses of what he is capable of as a player, and in the last match, played an innings that reaffirmed the faith shown in him by the team management. But consistency is the key when you bat at the top of the order and there is ample scope of improvement there. Pujara looked short on confidence, to begin with, but showed great maturity and character as the series progressed. Kohli, yet again, was the standout performer for India. He has made a habit out of it and here’s hoping he continues to do so. He amassed close to 600 runs as he shunned away all the ghosts of the ‘Christmas Past’.

The biggest takeaway from the 4-1 series loss is the heart with which India’s fast bowlers bowled. They ran in hard and bowled fast. Ishant, Bumrah, and Shami either kept us in the game or changed the course of the game, in our favor. The Indian quicks clocked better (read: higher) speeds than their English counterparts; a rare occurrence. Ishant looked dangerous after long and his stint there in county cricket has surely helped. English conditions rendered Ashwin ineffective for most parts of the tour. He could not contribute much with both, bat as well as the ball, and this could well open up a slot for another spinner in the side. With all due respect, Ash just wasn’t able to make the most of the conditions on offer. Moeen Ali has more wickets in the series, and he has played half the number of matches that Ashwin has. This should set the alarms off for him (Ashwin)!

This test series, like the one versus South Africa earlier this year, was high on promise, low on returns.

Statisticians would say, numbers don’t lie, but the final scoreline of 4-1, does (very) little justice to the level of competitiveness which this series was played in. Although there is a lot to ponder upon for Team India, this does not, at all, call for sweeping changes in the side. There is undeniable quality in our squad. If only they can match it with a right frame of mind and temperament required to succeed at the highest level. Here’s to better times ahead.

Let the good times roll!!

In just a few hours from now, we will witness the opening ceremony of, what can unarguably be called as the longest running festival in the Indian subcontinent. Yes, I call it a festival. Here, we celebrate cricket and the coming together of the world’s finest. The Indian Premier league has cashed in on the growing popularity of the shortest format of the game ever since the summer of 2008. The first installment of IPL has been a huge success and if it is anything to go by, the upcoming season promises to be all the more exciting.

I wouldn’t say it has revolutionized the game of cricket, but it surely been the catalyst that has brought a tremendous change in the way the players approach their game. Batsmen now have the license to go after the bowlers right from the word go, and see every ball as a run-scoring opportunity. Gone are the days when batsmen used to get their eye in, assess the conditions, the nature of the pitch etc. Bowlers too have become smarter and are using the variations to good effect.

The IPL has inspired a whole lot of young cricketers who dreamt of playing at the big stage. For those, who couldn’t make it to the national squad, it was a good platform to rub shoulders with the best in the game. It was also a great way for the legends to give something back to this sport. Shane Warne did exactly that. He inspired confidence in that young Rajasthan Royals team, who went on to win the inaugural edition. Gilly did the same with Deccan Chargers the following year. The big takeaway was that these two teams were underdogs at best but they were able to overcome all odds and get their hands on the trophy. It is this aspect of the IPL that has been the most endearing.

What IPL has done so successfully over the years, and by the way, this was the prime objective of having such a league in the first place, is that it has helped talent meet (the right) opportunity. With only four international players allowed in the playing eleven, it was imperative for the franchisees to make sure that they roped in the best of the domestic talent in their squad.

For the fans, it meant that they could relate to Pollard almost the same way as they could to Rohit or a Harbhajan for that matter. The franchisees were successful in cultivating a popular fan base and people could actually identify themselves as being part of the team, so much so, that they may even support an international player against an Indian player when the international player played for the franchise they were supporting! Deafening chants of MALINGA and ABD are a common sight.

IPL has also changed the whole dynamics of T20 cricket. Players now get found out pretty soon into their careers and with a lot of information being exchanged as a part of franchise cricket, players have to work hard on being up to the mark (always). While on national duty, players from different teams could almost second guess each other’s moves simply because of the fact they had spent so much of time training together in the IPL.

The team owners must also be thanked for actively participating and investing heavily in BCCI’s youngest child. Of course, cricket comes first, but the Indian in Indian Premier League is somewhat incomplete without the glamor and class of Bollywood and Corporates respectively. The way they have taken care of the players is commendable. Even with a lot riding on the team, they always make sure that it is the game that comes first and their commercial interest takes a back seat.

Cricket in India is more than just a sport, it’s an emotion, it’s a way of life, it’s a religion! The current crop of players is as good as any that there has been and the future too looks to be in safe hands. Here’s hoping the eleventh edition of the IPL lives up to its expectations and we get to witness magic on the cricket field for the next month and a half.

A Final to remember!!

He came. He smashed. He won us the game. That was Dinesh Karthik for you today, ladies and gentleman. Fizz had just bowled the over of the tournament, tormenting young Vijay Shankar who failed to put the bat on the ball and had the wicket of Manish Pandey, who was just about loosening up, on the very last ball of his spell. Many would have believed that Mustafizur had done India in and 34 off the last 12 seemed a rather improbable target to achieve given the batting to follow. Karthik, however, had different plans for tonight and rest, as they say, is history.

The Nidahas Trophy final was played between India and Bangladesh after the latter pulled off an amazing chase against the hosts in a do or die battle. The match was well poised at one stage and kept further going away from Bangladesh if it were not for Mahmudullah’s heroics, who played a couple of sensational shots in the final over to seal a spot in the finals. It was however marred by controversies and ugly scenes in the middle. I will stick just to the finals and will leave it for another post. There is something about India vs Bangladesh encounters going into the final over. India seems to have the upper hand at the moment and they have successfully stretched their unbeaten record against Bangladesh up to 8 games now.

Having won the toss, India invited Bangladesh to bat first and the bowlers got us off to a good start, sending back both the openers inside the powerplay. Wickets kept falling at regular intervals as the result of which, the run rate was always under control, except for the last four where the Bangladeshis were having a swing at everything. A brilliant innings from Sabbir propelled their score to 166, something the bowlers could defend. India started off strongly with Rohit taking Mehidy Hasan to cleaners in his very first over. The Indians showed positive intent throughout their innings until the middle overs arrived and soon boundaries dried up. The Hitman was holed out at long on trying to up the ante and Pandey was finding it difficult to get his timing right.

Vijay Shankar did not have a good night with the ball. He would have hoped to make up for it with the bat in hand though. He couldn’t manage to get going right from the word go and that over from Mustafizur made matters worse. The Fizz was difficult to put away and score off and he gave away just the one run and picked up Pandey’s wicket.

Out walked DK and it seemed as if he had been knocking a few from inside the dressing room. He smashed Rubel all around the park and in no time brought the target within reachable distance. The crowd had something to cheer about and they were rooting for India all the way. With 5 remaining to get off the final ball, the part-timer, Soumya, bowled it wide of off at length and Dinesh sent the ball sailing over the covers region for a maximum!!

That was a shot of a man in form, of a man high on confidence. He held the nerves when it mattered the most and provided the innings the final impetus that was required to get us over the line. He is in a very healthy frame of mind and would like to carry this into the IPL as well where he has been named the captain of the Knight Riders franchise for the upcoming season. Thank you, DK for giving us one hell of a final to remember.

‘Chase your dreams, they do come true!’

There is no one who has given the billion plus people of this nation as much joy and happiness as this man has. We as a nation were so fond of him that it became nothing short of an addiction of sorts, almost to a point where India slept well when he played well!! Yes, I am referring to none other than Sachin Tendulkar. The child prodigy, as he was once called, went on to become the God of Cricket in this part of the world.

Born in April of 1973, he was only 10 years old when he saw India lift the World Cup at Lords. Little did Kapil and his team knew then that they had inspired a whole new generation of kids back in India and among them was this young curly-haired boy who was probably too young to understand the magnitude of the win, but old enough to dream big. It was then that he took up this sport and pursued it relentlessly. He used to bat for long hours at the nets and almost had no energy left while having his meal at the dining table. Soon people started taking notice of some special talent in this young kid and it wasn’t late until national selectors got him on board. He was fast-tracked into the national side and there he was, making his debut for India in Tests against Pakistan at a tender age of 16!

In a couple of years time, he was a regular in the side and by the mid 90’s he was an established international player and was the go-to man when India was in trouble. It was a time when India was liberalizing its market and with Sachin too coming to his own, it was a marriage made in heaven for the Indian spectators. Sachin was promoted up the order to open the innings and was smashing bowlers all around the park. He impacted the game in more ways than one as he could do damage with the ball in hand as well. Be it leg-spin, off-spin, seam-up, he could bowl it all.

One of the earliest memories that I have of Sachin is during the 2003 World Cup. He owned that tournament. He almost single-handedly took India to the finals and was very close to realizing his childhood dream before it was shattered by a formidable Aussie side who made their Indian counterparts look pretty ordinary in the finals. The highlight of the tournament, however, was the onslaught against top Pakistani quicks. Wasim, Waqar, and Akhtar all were taken to the cleaners by Sachin and his then doppelganger, Sehwag.

India was dominating abroad and had just started winning overseas when the tennis elbow kicked in and he had to sit out the whole season. It was so worse he could not even lift the bat. Was it curtains then, on a prolific career? No. He battled his way out and struck a scintillating century on his return against the Windies. He remodeled his technique. He had to listen to his body and could no longer be the attacking batsman that he once was. He worked hard on his defense and started a new chapter in his career. India had a forgettable outing during the 2007 World Cup. Having being knocked out in the league stage itself, India had many questions to answer and some sweeping changes were in order.

The preparations for the 2011 World cup started way back in 2009 and rightly so. The management had identified certain players that were going to be an integral part of the team going into the 2011 CWC. It was important then for them to have enough matches under the belt so that when it came to performing in tough situations, they didn’t have nowhere to go to.

2011 World Cup was going to be Sachin’s last. He came agonizingly close to lifting the trophy twice (’96 and ’03), but as for many other things in life, some things are only supposed to happen when they are meant to happen. India began their campaign on a winning note and looked set to bring home the cup this time around. There were emotions attached to this tournament and players too were determined to do it for Sachin. India’s road to the finals was not a smooth one either. The QF vs Aus, SF vs arch rivals Pak were as competitive as any could get, both for different reasons though. The final was to be played in Mumbai and it seemed as if puri kaaynaat ne saazish ki hai aur har zarre ne Sachin ko World Cup se milane ki koshish ki hai!! Dhoni hit the winning shot and with that, he brought all Indians out on the streets. Entire Indian dressing room rushed out and there we saw players hugging each other and crying tears of joy.

Finally, their dream had come true. Sachin’s dream had come true. After long, the people of the nation had something to cheer about. Sachin, again, was in the center of it all.

The Team to beat!!

To term this ODI series win as an emphatic one would be an understatement. India has demolished South Africa 5-1. It took its own sweet time coming (25 years) but finally, India did manage to seal a bilateral ODI series victory against the Proteas in their own backyard. It is not just this opening of an account of sorts that is fulfilling, but it is the way in which we have done it that makes it even more special. After suffering humiliating losses in the first couple of Tests, it has been a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for Team India. They have gone from strength to strength from thereon. They justified the numero-uno tag and put up a performance worthy of it.

Our bowlers have had a great run and they have massively contributed to the series win. The young spin twins seemed to enjoy themselves while making a mockery of the South African batting line up. Together, they accounted for 33 wickets in the series. Like in batting, partnership in bowling is equally effective in denting the opposition’s spirits. Both, Kuldeep and Chahal have announced their arrival onto the scene and the team management too sees them as a potent force going into the 2019 World Cup. The captain has got their back and that was evident in the way they bowled. They were fearless, tossing it up to them, inviting the batsman, who failed to read them, to go big and were always attacking. Bumrah was impressive and he provided crucial breakthrough’s with the new ball, making up for Bhuvi’s okayish performance in the colored clothing. Hardik failed with the bat but played the role of the 5^th bowler quite well, chipping in with some wickets here and there, and of course, he almost manufactures a wicket with his athleticism on the field, be it taking blinders or effecting run-outs.

The batting unit looks solid and the top order is having a dream run. Dhawan was fluent, Rohit looked good in patches before coming to his own in the penultimate ODI and Kohli has been his usual self. He did what he does best in the limited overs format. He comes, scores hundreds for fun, breaks records, chases targets and sets higher standards in batting. In years to come, he could well go on to own every batting record there is. Speaking of records, Dhoni is set to reach 10,000 runs in ODI’s. Quite a milestone for someone who has batted lower down for a major part of his career. He has been simply outstanding with the bat and behind the stumps, no one comes close to matching his skills, however unorthodox they might be. The hand-eye coordination while stumping is peculiar to him. He has this amazing sense of timing while whipping the bails off.

In shorter formats, ours is the team to beat. This team is destined for greatness. We have a pool of 25-30 odd players who can play at the highest level and the quality of benched players is what sets us apart. The bowlers have been brilliant in this series and that is why I talk of them before the batters. To have potential is one thing, to cash in on that is another. The current team is not only rated high on potential but is paying equally rich dividends (with performances on the field) as well. And it is the skipper who is leading the way. Be it fitness, commitment towards the game, and passion, he is inspiring everyone, young and old alike. The support staff also deserves a special mention. They do all the work behind the curtains and it is easy to skip them while rolling out credits for the win. Here’s wishing the team more success in the forthcoming tournaments.