Asia Cup Cricket: Pakistan-Bangladesh Final Tomorrow!

Even the historic feat of Sachin Tendulkar failed to inspire the Indian cricket team. Instead of celebrating the glorious moment with a win Team India gave away the match to Bangladesh after posting an imposing total of 289. Aiming for the perfect yorkers Indian bowlers were only raining full tosses which helped Bangladesh tremendously in the death overs. This loss became India's costliest mistake finally leading to the team’s ouster from Asia Cup-2012. In fact losing to Bangladesh, still termed as ‘minnows’, has a legacy. In World Cup Cricket-2007 India lost to them in a group match which led eventually to India’s elimination from the Super Eight stage.

Virat Kohli’s heroics add to the ironies. He played like someone possessed on two occasions. First in the CB Series played recently in Australia when faced with a do or die situation Team India had to win against Sri Lanka with a bonus point which they did thanks to Virat Kohli, Gambhir and Raina. Same situation arose in Asia Cup when Team India had to win against Pakistan to stay alive in the competition which they did thanks to Virat Kohli, Tendulkar, Sharma and Raina. On the first occasion India hoped Australia would beat Sri Lanka and on the second India hoped Sri Lanka would beat Bangladesh. In both cased the desired did not happen and India got ousted. Such ironies happen when a team is not playing with consistency and dedication.

Bangladesh is going to figure in an Asia Cup Final for the first time ever or so to say in any kind of major tournament finals. Normally they are prone to causing upsets in the preliminary stage and then surrendering meekly in the higher stage—like in World Cup Cricket-2007 they lost all their Super matches by convincing margins. But in this Asia Cup-2012 Bangladesh has been the most consistent and resurgent team beating giants India and Sri Lanka and nearly beating Pakistan. Tomorrow they must capitalize on this huge opportunity at home environs and try to shake off the ‘minnows’ tag forever.

Pakistan would also like to capitalize on India’s absence and play freely and positively to win the Asia Cup which they have won only once so far. And, this is the first time Sri Lanka will not be featuring in the Asia Cup finals and also the first time they have lost all their league games.

While defending Asia Cup Champions Team India must try to learn from their mistakes we should hope for a good contest tomorrow though Indian cricket fans will sorely miss the most sought after India-Pakistan final.

Australia Winners of CB Tri-Series ODI Cricket!

Australia emerged winners of the Commonwealth Bank Tri-Series ODI cricket defeating Sri Lanka by 16 runs in another low-scoring thriller today at the Adelaide Oval. Australia won the best-of-three finals 2-1.

Sri Lanka missed a tremendous opportunity today. They bowled out the mighty Australians for just 231 and the total could have been less than 200 if Sri Lanka capitalized on the chances given on the field. Their fielding was not at all the quality they are used to normally and they also missed a few crucial catches. Strike bowler Lasith Malinga was more of a liability today giving away too many runs without taking a single wicket. Maybe he has been still reeling under the hammering given by India in their last league match which Sri Lanka lost after amassing 321 runs. Even then, the target of 232 was a modest one, but the pressure of a big final was always there. It has been observed in the last few matches of the CB Series that teams found huge totals harder to defend and low ones easier to defend!

Except for a roaring opening partnership Australian batsmen did miserably losing 5 wickets from the score of 115 to 151. At 151/6 a total of even 200 seemed remote. But pacers Brett Lee (32) and Clint McKay (28) added precious runs helping the team take the score to a somewhat respectable 231. There was not a single half-century in the entire innings, the highest score being 49 by Wade. 

Disciplined bowling and tight fielding made the Sri Lankans falter after a rousing start. They were reduced to a precarious 53/4 in the tenth over and then 142/6 in the 36^th thanks to some great bowling by Brett Lee and McKay. Kulasekara, the hero of the first final, raised some hope of a comeback with Lee bowling two expensive overs in his second spell. But Lee managed to take the prized catch of Kulasekara amidst the run-deluge and McKay did the rest capturing 5 wicket for just 36 runs. Stand-in skipper Shane Watson though failing with the bat did some good captaincy with a tight first spell of 5 overs for only 8 runs and 1 wicket. It was perplexing why he came almost too late for his second spell, but when he came in again he took a wicket immediately slowing down the flow of runs too. For Sri Lanka only Tharanga could go past the half-century mark scoring a patient 71, but he could not carry on till the end. Man of the Series for his three brilliant centuries, Dilshan fell today cheaply to Lee though he chipped in well again with bowling. Clint McKay won the Player of the Match award for his all-round performance.

Finally, the better team of the day won. In a big final you cannot afford to have your top-order misfire and your middle-order suffocated for runs.

CB Tri-Series: Sri Lanka Takes It To The Final of Finals!

Sri Lankan top order fired yesterday and fired brilliantly to thump Australia by 8 wickets with 34 balls to spare at the second final of the Commonwealth Band Tri-Series one-day international played in the Adelaide Oval. Thus the never-say-die tigers take the fight into the last of the best of three finals to be played in the same venue tomorrow.

Skipper Jayewardene led from the front not allowing Australia to run away to a 300 plus total as in the first final by shrewd fielding placements and bowling options. This was despite two centuries scored by Australia who batted first after winning the toss. He opened his bowling attack with a surprise option of Dilshan—a move that paid great dividends as Dilshan captured one wicket yielding only 40 runs in his 10 overs. Then Jaywardene starred in a match-winning opening partnership of 179 runs with Dilshan who went on to score his second century of the series and earned the Player of the Match award. Sangakkara and Chandimal chipped in nicely seeing the team through.

Sri Lanka overcame a challenging target of 272 runs set by Australia in fifty overs losing six wickets. This became their second highest successful chase ever against Australia. Now the last final is set up for an exciting finish.

CB Series Cricket Finals: Australia Win A Humdinger!

Sri Lankan lower order turned the match on its head and nearly won it for their country. They were chasing a mammoth target of 322 runs set by Australia in the first of the best-of-three Commonwealth Bank Series finals played in Brisbane today.

Sri Lanka started on a brisk note scoring the first fifty 

in the seventh over as if trying to emulate Team India’s momentous chase against them on February 28, but down to the seventh batsmen nobody seemed to be as inspired as Virat Kohli on that day. In a huge chase like this somebody had to score a scorching century, but there was not even a fifty from either the top or the middle order. Mr. consistent Chandimal failed too. At 144 for 6 in the 31^st over the match looked as good as over.

But Sri Lankan pacer Kulasekara had very different ideas. He set the stadium of fire scoring 73 runs in just 43 balls laced with seven fours and three huge sixes. He found an able partner in Tharanga and between them added 104 runs in 11 overs. When Kulasekara was the seventh out at the team’s score of 248 in the 42^nd over the match still could go either way. Tharanga who made 60 and Prasad who remained not out at 31 took the score to 280 for 7 in 45 overs when rains came down and the complex Duckworth-Lewis method came into consideration. As the drizzle became heavier Sri Lanka needed 290 runs by the end of 46 overs. Maybe to achieve that Tharanga got out at that stage try hitting the ball out of the stadium. Ironically, the drizzle did not interrupt play till the end.

Finally, Sri Lanka lost by 15 runs and Australia went 1-0 up in the finals. DA Warner who had been the mainstay of the Australian innings with a brilliant knock of 163 off 157 balls won the Player of the Match award. The finalists meet again on March 6and if Sri Lanka lose again the third final on March 8 will not be played.

Kudos to the Sri Lankan tail-enders! But if Sri Lanka aim to win the CB Series cricket cup their top order must fire immediately.

Team India: Balanced Team or Balanced Selection?

The Indian cricket team for Asia Cup one-day international tournament starting in Bangladesh from March 11, 2012 had been selected yesterday. Considering the dismal phase the team had been going through overseas combined with the dissent and ego-clash within it the job of selection seemed to be a tough proposition. But the cash-rich Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) along with its ‘seasoned’ selectors always managed to find an easy way out. Instead of ensuring a balanced team they saw to it that the selection was perfectly balanced.

Something had to be done about the alleged division within the team. So, vice-captain of the team, Virender Sehwag who was in the forefront showing his dissent and disagreement with skipper Dhoni, came under the axe. ‘Senior’ Gautam Gambhir was not chosen for the vacant vice-captain post, but the hero of the miracle match Virat Kohli got appointed. This served a double purpose—first Gautam was also to some extent vocal about the team’s tension and second ‘youngster interest’ was served by making Kohli the future leader of Team India.

The miracle match made a huge impact for the ‘youngsters’ as all of them who figured in  the Australian tour were retained. When Irfan Pathan comes back, how can his brother be left behind! So huge-hitter Yusuf Pathan is back in the team despite having a disastrous World Cup performance. Good pace prospect Ashok Dinda was one more new face and that was all for ushering in young blood. Dhoni seemed to be very busy preparing for the World Cup-2015 with his ‘rotation’ policy in the Australian tour, but the wise BCCI put its sight correctly the on short-term goals with its trump-cricket IPL following close behind!

Past records and legendary work are never ignored in this grateful country. So Sachin Tendulkar got another chance to achieve his hundredth hundred. To the little maestro’s true defense we can add two factors though—the rotation policy disturbed his performance and he played masterfully in the miracle match. The hugely balancing subcontinent pitch-factor comes in here gloriously. Seniors and youngsters are both suspects in bouncy pitches overseas, but they are terrific prospects in subcontinent conditions and dry-flat pitches. Thus it justifies all the retained subcontinent superstars including addition of Yusuf Pathan, and of course, Tendulkar who has now a tremendous opportunity to accomplish his feat.

The crux of the balancing act came with chief selector Kris Srikkanth’s magnanimous submission that nobody was axed, but only rested due to medical advice and conditions! That included Sehwag too who reportedly retorted the submission saying he was perfectly fit and fighting and that he would prove it from here onwards. Well, how can the BCCI afford to offend either its superstars or the cricket-crazy public at a time when the biggest ‘cricket’ extravaganza is just round the corner!

The miracle match already provided a huge boost to the IPL stakes. If Australia help India enter the finals tomorrow IPL would fully cease to be BCCI’s worry as far as the big potential revenues are concerned!

Tri-Series Cricket: India Do The Improbable! Now Wait, Watch and Pray!

A divided, devastated and demoralized team accomplished the impossible today at Hobart in the 11^th ODI of the Commonwealth Bank Cricket Tri-Series in Australia. It was an improbable technicality, but finally it became a roaring reality.

Miserable Team India had been losing the tosses too apart from the games, but today they won the toss and skipper Dhoni elected to field first without any hesitation as India wanted the exact target before them and needed to chase it down within forty overs to win the bonus which could alone keep them alive in the tournament.

The story was no different with listless bowling and fielding by the Indians and Sri Lanka making merry from the very start. Dilshan and Sangakkara had their centuries in quick time and a total in excess of 300 runs looked possible. Sri Lanka amassed a huge 320 runs for 4 wickets in allotted fifty overs. Facing a target of 321 runs to chase down within forty overs and an asking rate of 8 runs per over India seemed ready to be kicked out of the tournament.

From hereon the story was different and it was a story you had never witnessed in this tournament. Team India put up a fight. For the first time the openers Tendulkar and Sehwag gave the team a fiery start scoring the first 50 runs in just 33 balls. At the personal score of 30 Sehwag got out, but the dream chase continued. Next to go was Tendulkar at 39 with the run-rate nearly 10 per over.

Then evolved the partnership of the day between Gambhir and Virat Kohli yielding 115 precious runs and most importantly the momentum was kept going. Never for a moment had they lost track of the target irrespective of how impossible it could have sounded at the start. ‘Youngster’ Virat Kohli finally delivered the innings of his life playing an incredible knock of 133 runs not out off just 86 balls. After Gambhir’s run-out for 63 Raina joined in and with Kohli they robbed 24 runs in the 35^th over bowled by no other than the feared Malinga. And, the miracle win was achieved in 36.4 overs. India won by 7 wickets with a bonus point. This was the fourth highest run-chase ever by India and could very well be the fastest run-chase above 300 runs in one-day cricket history. Skipper Dhoni gave full credit to his ‘seniors’ for giving a quickfire start that made the run-chase possible. Kohli was the unanimous choice for the Player of the Match award. Scorecard.

Now it’s going to wait, watch and pray till the last league match between Australia and Sri Lanka on 2^nd March. If Aus beat SL India will be in the finals. What about the mind games involved here! Sri Lanka must find themselves a bit unnerved today getting beaten after scoring the highest total of the tournament. Australia on the other hand would consider Team India a better opponent in the finals for its known obliging nature and for its glorious ability to capitulate anytime. But Aus and SL are teams that always aim to win and never give in to external pressure. You can get ready for a treat of a charged semi-final.

India never deserved to be in the finals. But today they have demonstrated a kind of a resurgence sorely missed all these days. Maybe if they get into the finals they can be a changed team altogether.

Meantime the Indian cricket selectors have their job cut out to announce the one-day team tomorrow for the forthcoming Asia Cup in Bangladesh.  On whom should the axe fall—the ‘seniors’ or some of the ‘youngsters’ or the captain or the vice-captain? And from where at all they are going to find the replacements?

Cricket and Hockey: A Mixed Sunday For India!

India fielded a full-strength team today against Australia in its do or die match in Sydney. But, when you concentrate on rotation-experimentation instead of trying to win matches, when your ego-play gets prominence over cricket and when you mess up things unnecessarily even God does not help you when you finally wake up to reality. Team India exemplified that fully today in the tenth match of the CB Series one-day cricket played in Australia.

They wanted Zaheer Khan desperately today, but he was declared unfit. When he was fit you did not consider taking him! Even then, the Indian bowlers did a decent job getting Aus restricted to 252/9 in allotted fifty overs—a total that was very gettable. This time captain handed over the ball too to the vice captain Sehwag who obliged him with three wickets bowling the last over of the Aussie innings too. For the first time the Indian captain placed his full faith in the big three of top order. But it came too late.

Sehwag failed again with the bat getting out to the Demolition Man Hilfenhaus. Tendulkars’s run-out was the most tragic incident of the match. After that failure after failure including both seniors and youngsters with bowler Ashwin getting the highest individual score of 26! God thought you just did not deserve to go any further in the tournament.

And yes! India is out of the CB Series except for an improbable technicality of winning their last match against Sri Lanka with a bonus point and hoping that Aus beat SL in the last league match of the tournament.

Team India must learn its bitter lessons from this devastating Australian tour. It’s now or never for them if they really mean to improve their performance overseas.

Meantime great news from Indian hockey—the national sports of India! Indian Hockey Team qualified for playing in the London Olympics thumping France 8-1 in the Olympic Qualifier final today evening in New Delhi. Yes, the past king of hockey now has to qualify now-a-days for the Olympics by playing a tournament involving six teams! They won all their matches in the tournament and now are set to figure in London Olympic 2012 Hockey. Yesterday, the dream of playing in the London Olympics was cruelly broken for Indian Women’s Hockey Team when they lost against South Africa.

Hurray for the National Sport of India! And, shame for the cricket billionaires who care the least for their country India!

Tri-Series Cricket: Sri Lanka Beat Australia Again! Do or Die For India!

After winning the toss and electing to bat first Australia did post a challenging total of 280 runs for 6 wickets in allotted fifty overs at the ninth match of the Commonwealth Bank Cricket Tri-series yesterday played at Hobart in Australia.  Dashing new-comer Forrest scored a brilliant century with masterly support from skipper Clarke who scored 72.

But the total did not prove to be enough with the Sri Lankans going great guns while chasing. Skipper Jaywardene led from the front making a quick-fire 85 opening the innings. Chandimal proved his consistency by making a superlative 80 that almost saw Sri Lanka through. Sri Lanka achieved 200 runs as early as in the 37^th over and seemed to be coasting to an easy and emphatic victory. But after his dismissal in the 45^th over Australia made a temporary comeback with wickets falling and the asking rate rising. Spirited Sri Lankans overcame that and achieved an exciting victory by 7 wickets with just 4 balls to spare.

Now, Sri Lanka is almost through to the finals with 15 points followed by Australia with 14 and India in the bottom with 10 points. Every team has two matches each at this stage and rotating-experimenting-ego clashing-divided Team India must win their remaining two matches to entertain the thought of figuring in the finals. If they lose tomorrow’s match against Australia both Sri Lanka and Aus will be in finals. If they win tomorrow but lose the second match against Sri Lanka, Aus will have to figure it out in their last match helped by a very healthy net run-rate. India might still harbor some hope of reaching the finals losing one, but winning the other with a bonus point plus drastic improvement in net run-rate. In the unlikely case of India winning both their matches they will be straight into the finals and the last match of the tournament between SL and Aus will be the huge virtual semi-final for the other finalist.

What are India’s options? Hardly encouraging at the moment. They may consider stopping rotation or experimentation, but this could come as too late now. Top order batsmen are yet to settle down in some sort of a form or consistency and the youngsters are not at all predictable. The young pace bowlers are bound to get affected by their recent experiences with Zaheer Khan hopefully making a comeback. Irfan Pathan, if persisted with, will be another crucial factor. They must in any case regroup well and fast and give an all-round robust performance as a national team playing for their country’s pride. Unfortunately, this looks a doubtful proposition at the current state of affairs with the team.

The insensitive Indian cricket Board denied the very existence of any rift or any problems within Team India. You must understand! The Board has been terribly busy preparing and  raising money for the forthcoming IPL-Season Five and for making it a grand success. For their gratification all star players to figure in IPL-5  now playing  the Tri-Series had had good practice except perhaps for Manoj Tiwary. If club cricket brings in more bucks for the Board why bother about national team’s performance and so-called national pride! Finally it’s money that counts!

For the time being it’s over to Sidney for Sunday’s match between Australia and India.

Tri-Series Cricket: Team India Demolished!

Team India has gone down to the last position from the top of the table in the Commonwealth Bank Tri-Series one-day cricket being played in Australia. In today’s match at the Gabba, Brisbane Sri Lanka thoroughly demolished Team India though not being able to earn the bonus point thanks to some resistance displayed by the ‘youngsters’. And breaking news! Rohit Sharma was finally dropped or rotated or rested. Scorecard

The buzz is that the ‘senior’ players have let the team down. Yes, they did let down the team in the Test series earlier and you did not consider rotating or resting or dropping them then. Now in the one-day tournament you have hardly allowed them to play! They never know when they are going to figure in the team and when not. Sehwag came in as the skipper in today’s match and captained the team where he does not even find a place most of the time. The rotation policy had been consistently followed, but even then Gambhir or Tendulkar played when they were not due to be in as per the same policy. Zaheer Khan just does not know what he is doing—helping the team win or helping the policy become unwritten law. There was no method in the madness.

Hailed as the most positive Indian captain ever, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been busy dividing the team and putting in a lot of negative spirit. Like the tactics adopted by an Indian politician along caste lines Dhoni had divided team India into ‘seniors’ and ‘youngsters’ clearly favoring the latter. He did not allow the ‘seniors’ to settle down with the justification that these seniors tend to cost the team 20 extra runs due to poor fielding in Aus outfield. To our cricketing experience Tendulkar had always been praised as a committed batsman, bowler and fielder on the field. The other two—Sehwag and Gambhir—had never been termed slow or slothful either. All three figured and contributed positively in the best World Cup-2011 Team India that won the cup.  Dhoni must blame himself for giving away at least fifty runs extra in most of the matches and his ’20 run justification’ stands nowhere. If you are not fielding the best team possible you have no business to talk about winning. Dhoni’s negativity has been so overfilling that he took resort to slow overrate in the last match for which he penalized and could not play today’s match.

When seniors fail to deliver consistently they do need to be dropped or they should indeed seriously consider retiring. Rickey Ponting was dropped from the Aussie team and he retired from one-day cricket today. But he was not harassed by some weird policy and was given lots of opportunities before the inevitable decision. In fact, he captained in his last match coasting his team to a huge victory over India. All is not at all well in Team India.

From hereon Team India’s journey looks  set to go further downhill Down Under!

Cricket Tri-Series: India Restore Australian Pride!

Australia had been in bit of a spot after its last-ball loss to India in the fourth match and the thrashing in the hands of Sri Lanka conceding a bonus point too in the sixth match of the cricket Tri-Series played in Australia. But when there is Team India, there is always a way! ‘Hum hain na!’(We are there, not to worry!). And, they have risen to the occasion at the Gabba, Brisbane for the seventh one-day international of the Commonwealth Bank Tri-series today in all glory!

Australia won the toss and elected to bat. India started in their generosity mission by dropping catches. Thanks to rotation Zaheer Khan came in, but out went R Ashwin who had been consistently bowling well and also providing good and crucial batting knocks too. Because Irfan Pathan, the weakest link, needed to be kept in the team maybe to prepare well for the IPL-5 that is round the corner. In the earlier match the last ten overs gave Australia only 57 runs. Nothing doing, Team India vowed. So, 110 runs were given away this time helping Australia to get to a mammoth 288/5 in fifty overs.

Indian batting started disastrously. Gautam Gambhir was supposed to be rotated out, but due to some injury or whatever Virender Sehwag was rested and Gambhir continued to be in the team. But since he was almost resigned to his fate Gambhir could not adjust to the sudden responsibility imposed upon him and got out cheaply. Besides, you cannot go on depending on just one batsman to keep you winning or tying. Tendulkar gave a catch in the third man area and it was dropped. No problems! He gave another one in the same area in the next ball and it was taken gratefully. Kohli, Sharma, Raina, and Jadeja came and went as usual. They can never be dropped or rotated because they have the impregnable virtue of being ‘bright’ youngsters. Maybe they too desperately need some good practice for the IPL-5. Dhoni got to a half century again, but this time amidst the ruins of exemplary generosity. India lost exactly by 110 runs. ‘Hum hain na!’ worked wonders and restored Australian supremacy in full measure helping Ricky Ponting whose place in the team has been under question mark register a big win with a bonus point too as stand-in Aussie skipper.

To talk some genuine cricketing sense, the Gabba had a bit of a bounce that seemed to overpower India like in the Test series. The main Aussie demolition man for India, Ben Hilfenhaus, staged a come-back in this match and justified his selection fully by capturing five hapless Indian wickets for 33 runs becoming the player of the match. Well, it was just a one-sided match that you tend to get sometimes. And of course, Australia roared back into the series by superlative batting, bowling and fielding performances.

There was some more humor in the match. Mike Hussey was given out stumped by the third umpire at Australia 119/3. But as Hussey started walking the two field umpires raced towards him and brought him back. Well, it transpired that the third umpire pressed the wrong button—‘out’ when it should have been ‘not out’! Cricket experts commented, ‘How ridiculous! He is paid to sit there whole day just to select one of the two buttons only! How could he go wrong in that?’ Captain cool Dhoni must have lost his cool, just once!

For Team India, the questions remain. When would they revoke rotation and stick to a winning combination? Do they seriously want to reach the finals or win matches? Is just IPL-5 the overriding perception for the ‘star’-ridden team?

Cricket Tri-Series: Rotate, Experiment And…Tie!

 Winning the toss and electing to bat first Sri Lanka made 236 for the loss of 9 wickets in allotted fifty overs. India replied making 236 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in allotted fifty overs. So, it was India’s first tied one-day international (ODI) cricket match against Sri Lanka and total six against other teams. It was also the first ever tied ODI at the Adelaide oval in Australia. Both the teams earned two points each at the fifth Commonwealth Bank Tri-Series played today.

It was the perfect thriller swinging either way all the time down the wire. On a flat and slow wicket Sri Lanka made a modest 236 despite cruising at one stage with Chandimal and Jaywardene in full swing. Indian pacer Vinay Kumar again did an excellent job by capturing 3 wickets and the Indian fielding effort was also commendable. So far in the series, Sri Lanka has not been able to put its batting in top gear as evident in the earlier two matches it played and lost.

Midway in the Indian innings if you put Gambhir out the batting was just dismal with three top batsmen Tendulkar, Kohli and Rohit getting out at the seemingly obsessed score of 15 each. Raina and Jadeja failed too. Captain cool Mahendra Singh Dhoni, like in the earlier match against Australia, played the sheet anchor’s role keeping one end going till the end.

India seemed to be cruising to victory at 178 for 4 in the 41^st over and at 91 Gambhir seemed to be heading towards his well-deserved century that he missed in the last match. But at that very moment Gambhir got run out due to a horrible call by Dhoni for a non-existent single. Gambhir could not regain his crease and the ball broke the stumps at the non-striker’s end breaking his and so many Indian hearts. After the match Dhoni acknowledged it as his fateful decision that cost India the match.

Sri Lanka, flooring a few crucial catches, came back roaring into the match and started pouncing on the ball making run-making most difficult. The asking rate kept around at the manageable level of under six an over kept on rising—to 7, 8, 9 and nearing 10. Wickets kept on falling too at regular intervals. Nine runs were needed in the last over and four off the last ball. Dhoni managed three and there was a historic tie.

Meantime rotation continued and this time it combined with even experimentation. As feared, Tendulkar came back in Sehwag’s place and Irfan Pathan was inducted for the first time inexplicably in place of in-form Zaheer Khan. Due to this weird rotation top three batsmen are not being able to get used to playing and so failing consistently. Gambhir capitalized on his two consecutive chances playing pivotal innings on both occasions and maybe he will be out next time—against Australia! And, Team India is yet to ensure its place in the finals!

For a cricket team in its worst ever overseas performance phase winning should have been the only priority and for that you must always put in your best possible team. For what reason? Only for playing Rohit Sharma persistently, consistently and insistently in al the matches till he makes a substantive score? I have been saying this again and again and maybe almost earning the tag of an India cricket fanatic!

No! You may be going great-guns for being able to watch a classic and historic tied thriller! But winning is always the best result. Particularly for India--at this stage or any stage. And, India have in them to win, but not allowed to do so. For some obscure reasons that only Indian cricket is capable of concocting. 

Cricket: India Beat Australia! Headline Most Wanted!

India almost fielded the best possible team today and pulled off a dramatic nail-biting victory against Australia in the fourth Commonwealth Bank Cricket Tri-series in Adelaide. Gambhir came in as Tendulkar was rested as a continuation of the weird rotation policy. Now, Tendulkar had not been a regular in India's one-day team except for the World Cup-2011 and so this time the weird policy did not affect the team much. As the take-it-rough policy continues we have to keep our fingers crossed for next time! If Tendulkar comes back it should never be at the cost of either Sehwag or Gambhir.
Australia made a challenging 269/8 thanks to India's tight bowling in the last ten overs of the innings that yielded only 57 runs. But the target of 270 was the biggest target for India to chase successfully against any team in Australia. The big game was set up perfectly.
The opening pair of Sehwag-Gambhir started well both looking to be in good nick. But as usual in this tour Segwag fell again cheaply for 20 runs. Getting on Gambhir laid the foundation of the win with an excellent 92 off 111 balls finally perishing to a doubtful LBW decision.
The suspense started building up at India 178/4 in 35 overs and skipper Dhoni laid anchors with Raina playing a cameo. The asking rate hovered around 7 and started climbing when Raina got out.
At 239/5 40 runs needed off last five overs. 19 needed off last two. Doherty gives only 4 in penultimate over and thus 13 required for win in 6 balls!
Dhoni-the slow but sound anchor-hits a huge six and India finally romped home by four wickets and two balls to spare.
For Australia David Hussey top scored with 72 and debutante Forrest made 66.
Australia looked invincible after their five run victory over Sri Lanka. Now India stops them and the Tri-series opens up tantalisingly.

Cricket: India Beat Sri Lanka in Perth One-Dayer! Rotation Continues!

Virender Sehwag came back into the team, but Gautam Gambhir was out! It was some weird kind of a rotation policy that drops one established or maybe a ‘senior’ player and takes in one youngster that is to say Rohit Sharma—to be more specific. He was kept out of the Test series consistently and now somebody is trying to make amends! The pertinent question is why rotation? For a team that almost forgot the winning habit overseas winning must be the main objective and for that you have to put in the best team possible. That India managed to win against Sri Lanka by four wickets in the second match of the triangular series in Australia was not a masterful statement of authority, the team with rotation in full swing is still suspect against Australia or maybe even Sri Lanka in matches to follow.

Zaheer Khan came back too into the team and kept the Sri Lankans at bay by capturing two wickets. With disciplined bowling and R Ashwin’s great bowling of 3 for 32 restricted Sri Lanka to 233 for 8 in the allotted fifty overs. The target of 234 for a win was not a stiff one and Sri Lanka definitely fell short of at least 20 runs for a challenging total.

Except for good batting by Virat Kohli (77) and Sachin Tendulkar (48) the Indian reply was almost the predictable one with all top batsmen back in the pavilion at the score of 181 for 6. That was the moment when Sri Lanka could have stormed back and won the match. But all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and spinner with some batting ability R Ashwin batted sensibly and had an unbeaten partnership of 53 runs seeing India through with 20 balls to spare. They in fact showed the right way to the genuine batsmen how to play for win when the asking rate was not all the concern. R Ashwin deservedly won the man of the match award.

The ill-advised rotation policy must end if India fancy chances of going into the final of the series and even winning it. Just thinking if Yuvraj was also fit and playing what the rotation policy would have been like! Anyway, it was refreshing to see World Champions overcoming their World Cup final opponents yet again after about ten months.

Nurturing youngsters for Test matches, particularly overseas, remains a huge problem that needs lot of introspection by the people who matter. The lifeless and slow Indian pitches are no answer to this problem whatever form of cricket you play thereon, T20, one-dayer, tests or Ranji matches. 

Cricket Australia: Contradictions Galore For Team India!

Just when Indian dashing opener Virender Sehwag was needed most he was dropped or rested or whatever! In the first one day international cricket match between India and Australia in Melbourne on February 5^th Indian top order failed again and Team India had a disastrous start in the triangular one-day series too. 

  

The argument was that youngsters needed to be encouraged. Where were these youngsters when the ‘seniors’ failed and failed and failed in the Test series? During that time Sehwag and others were not considered as ‘seniors’! We have always maintained here that young Indian cricketers should be trained and prepared for test cricket—the real format of the game. If you have no faith in them for the real cricket then your encouragement is immensely ‘short’ sighted! Sehwag has proved his worth in the shorter format more effectively than in the real one and just one explosive innings from him can turn a match on its head.

Then again, on Australian bouncy wickets you go for two spinners which is a rare tactic even in ODIs played on flat Indian wickets. Pravin Kumar and Vinay Kumar gave India a terrific start in that match, but the two spinners neutralized it completely and helplessly saw Australia taking absolute command of the game. And by the way, what’s Zaheer Khan doing nowadays? Is he another ‘senior’ fit only for test cricket? 

And not the least, in place of ‘senior’ opener Sehwag only Sachin Tendulkar came in to open for India! What is his status—senior, junior, youngster or what? Or is it only because he has to accomplish the hundredth hundred feat? It is getting very ominous—the more the delay in achieving this record the more will be the sufferings and humiliations for Indian cricket.  Sachin’s ‘century of centuries’ dangler is almost creating the dilemma of the ‘millennium’ for Indian cricket! Back home, you have lost the biggest sponsor too. 

For the time being, end the contradictions so that the one-day series does not become another disaster. Tomorrow’s match against Sri Lanka is the immediate challenge. 

Meanwhile, medical experts have confirmed that Yuvraj Singh has no lung cancer, but a tumor or a rare form of seminoma in between his lungs just above the heart. Yuvraj is responding  to treatment very well and with his positive energy he will indeed be back into the cricket field in May, the doctors add confidently.