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?

Suspense At Midnight!

The family of four had frayed nerves, flying tempers and irritability throughout that miserable Saturday. Everybody quarreled with everybody over petty domestic issues or watching TV. Nobody could pinpoint the exact reason why though!

They had a quiet dinner. When they assembled again in the sitting room for their drinks they just froze. Their attention got riveted on the dining table. Knives of varying sizes were arranged there delicately. Night light shone ominously on those.

Loy looked at his younger sister Zuma who gave back an intrigued stare. ‘What’s happening? An inside job to be executed?  Then who is against whom? Or an outside assignment? Even then, someone from inside has to be involved!’, thought Loy furiously. Zuma was getting frightened. There were recent reports of a serial killer at large in the city.

Pop Dinesh sized up his children staring furtively towards the kitchen door with fear written large on his face. His wife told him nothing about what to expect next as was the rule always!

Nobody could just speak it out. Who could be the predator and who the prey?

Mom Mridula came in with the tray of coffee cups and glasses of milk. Distributing the drinks she announced, ‘Get to bed immediately after, all of you. I have a very important assignment!’ All stared back at her from the knives.

Sitting down relaxed with her steaming cup of coffee Mridual continued, ‘Now you are staring at the knives! Do you understand how I suffered cooking for you, giving attention to your tastes and choices…and all that! …Don’t you see! Edges of the knives became useless long back.’ She took a sip and went on, ‘At last he is coming! You know, I’ve arranged! I am his first customer! At sharp 8 o’ clock tomorrow morning the knife-sharpener (dharwala) is coming with his machine!'