The Most Inexperienced Team India Blasts Away the English Bazball! India Beat England by 434 Runs!

Arguably the most inexperienced playing eleven India had ever fielded in the international Test playing arena, has blasted away the much-talked-about Bazball approach to cricket that England adopted under their aggressive coach Brendon McCullum and an equally aggressive captain Ben Stokes in 2022, beating the visitors by the biggest-ever margin in terms of runs (434) in the last session of the fourth day of the Third Test between India and England in Rajkot today with India leading the five-match Series 2-1 now. The Indian selectors had reportedly included two debutants in the top seven of the playing eleven as far back as in 1999, and in 2024 for the third test match they had to do so by including debutant Sarfaraz Khan as a batsman and Dhruv Jurel as wicket keeper-batsman and a rookie batsman Rajat Patidar, apart from the other youngsters of great promise like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal. This crucial decision had to be taken with the continuing absence of the two stalwarts Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, and the indifferent forms of Shreyas Iyer and the two wicket-keepers already tried in the first two tests. Therefore, fingers were crossed with the most inexperienced team in action and the traditionally tremendous batting depth of Team India slowly and almost inevitably remaining only on paper. On the other hand, even though the English bowling attack has not been much of a threat to India the Baz-positivity was ringing in the air and England must’ve definitely smelt the victory scent to go up in the Series. But what a match it turned out to be!

India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss which was always good in Indian pitches, and inevitably opted to bat first. Perhaps due to the overnight due the Rajkot pitch that looked perfect for batting had some moisture and taking full advantage of that Mark Wood proved nearly unplayable, capturing the dangerous Jaiswal and the sober Gill. Tom Hartley, the mainstay spinner of England in this tour of India, who was introduced early did further damage reducing India to 33/3. The inexperienced line-up was looming large and a collapse looked very much a possibility. However, Rohit (131) played like a captain this time and forged a huge partnership (204 runs) with the most experienced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (112) who was moved up the order— and India were ‘out of the Wood’.

With the fall of Rohit, fourth down, in came the first debutant Sarfaraz Khan. Having a tremendous record in domestic cricket the 26-year-old never looked nervous or tentative and played brilliantly with fours and sixes all around the park. Another big partnership was evolving much to the detriment of England, but as a lucky break for them Sarfaraz was run out in a horrible mix-up with the experienced Jadeja at 99 making the former the sacrificial goat. Out at 62, Sarfaraz departed dejectedly and cried in the pavilion even as Rohit made his anger known publicly. Jadeja then stole that single to make to his 4^th Test century. On the second day the second debutant Dhruv Jurel (46) started rebuilding the innings with solid support from the veteran spinner all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin (37). Thanks to a spirited cameo from the Indian strike pacer Jasprit Bumrah (26) India finished at 445, a much respectable total under any circumstances.

Very true to the result-oriented and positive Bazball philosophy the English openers scored fluently all around the park till Crawley (15) fell at the team total of 89; Ollie Pope (39) added to the batting mayhem; and of course, Ben Duckett raced to his century in just 88 balls and remained not out on 133 in the company of Joe Root at stumps on the second day with England at 207/2 in 35 overs—almost 6 runs an over which is unthinkable in a Test match. It proved again the fact that the pitch had no demons in it at all and that England were very much in with a chance to at least save the match if not win.

However, what transpired from the start of the third day was a lesson in tight and aggressive bowling, particularly by Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and Jadeja who all seemed to be bowling to an attacking plan masterminded by the captain. Except for Duckett who made 153 no other English batsmen could stick out for long and the whole team folded up for 319—losing 8 wickets for just 112 runs and conceding an unexpected bounty of 126-run lead for India.

The Indian second innings belonged to Yashasvi Jaiswal almost in entirety. He notched up his century in a dominant T-20 style, then retired hurt at the end of the third day, resumed today, the fourth day, and made it a double hundred—his second back-to-back double century in two Tests and thus becoming only the third Indian cricketer to do, after Vinod Kambli and Virat Kohli. Gill played a master innings of 91 runs and got run out unfortunately. An unbeaten partnership of nearly 200 runs evolved between Jaiswal (214 in 236 balls not out) and Sarfaraz Khan (68 runs in 72 balls). Suddenly, the pitch became a T-20 ground and the two mavericks defied all orthodoxy reserved for the classic Test format. Jaiswal’s 12 sixes matched the highest sixes in a Test innings held by Wasim Akram. The mayhem could’ve continued had Rohit not declared at 430/4 giving England the well-nigh impossible task of making 557 runs to win.

The England second innings was a horror story—the highest individual score being 33 made by Mark Wood. The run-out of Duckett which was extremely inexplicable started the rot and the mad rush toward defeat. The England innings folded up for a paltry 122 in just 39.4 overs, giving India the 434-run win and it was all over at the fag end of the fourth day today, contrary to all expectations. The weak and aimless English bowling attack was pathetically matched by a batting display that totally lacked in any kind of application. Veteran James Anderson being hit for consecutive sixes by a 22-year-old reminded me of the rampaging acts of a young Sachin Tendulkar in the early nineties. Alas Bazball! England needs much introspection to do before the fourth test begins from 23^rd February, 2024, in Ranchi. 

Amusing Superstitions in Watching Cricket!

When we were school students the Television was not there in our regions, and so, nothing about ‘watching’ cricket. Those days we caught up with the radio whenever India were playing, I remember lying awake the whole night till daylight, particularly when the matches were going on in the West Indies; and those were only the five-day Test matches as the shorter formats were also unknown except for our gully or home cricket being always limited-overs encounters. And we were free of any superstitious beliefs because listening didn’t necessarily involve them. It’s only when we started getting blessed with the live telecasts (early eighties in India) and began watching our favorite players in action that such superstitions began to emerge. Perhaps watching it live made the exchange of vibes or thoughts between us and the players possible with what you call the body language behaviors of both sides affecting the prospects, somewhat. And in came the superstitions, beliefs or say superstitious beliefs and biases/prejudices that mostly govern the rabid ‘home-side’ supporters. That day I was watching a Test match between India and England when all the memories regarding those rushed back, after a long time.

The first and foremost belief/superstition/prejudice was: based on circumstantial evidence we were of the firm opinion that when India were batting, the moment we got up from our seat and went out for some time or even went for a leak very much inside home one or two Indian wickets fell invariably—we cursing ourselves for the indiscretion while coming back to watch the horrid results. This ‘belief’ began to act so severely in our minds that we sat stuck to our seats till India finished their innings—in the process holding up biological needs, ignoring mother’s directives and other related issues that never failed to cause a lot of irritation around. However, we were sure that such ‘waves of irritation’, though essentially negative in nature, were not going to impact our batsmen adversely. And exactly the opposite was true, again based on ‘forensic’ evidence, when the opposition was batting—meaning if we sat stuck as in the Indian innings no wicket would ever fall and if we got up for a break one/two wickets fell invariably. So, during those periods we used to move around like free birds!

Although I don’t know much about astrology or astronomy and less about numerology, the numbers began to dominate our beliefs/superstitions/prejudices at a later stage, and unfortunately that streak still continues, at least in my personal case, notwithstanding the momentous fact that by now I am an ‘elderly, wise and experienced’ individual! How do we get the ‘concepts’ about all those special numbers? Well, maybe we’re influenced by some elaboration, talks, discussions or internet ‘insights’ over the years! For example, the number 13 is always beheld as the unluckiest number, even though numerology may say a lot of good things about it.

My ‘forensic’ evidence always shows that whenever an India batsman, particularly in case of the stalwarts like Virat or Rohit (not to speak of the greats of yore), reaches the individual score of 13 he succumbs to that piece of sheer bad luck, most often than not! It applies to the team score too, in fact, all other numbers that I’m going to talk about apply to both individual and team scores and that of the opposition players/teams as well. While I sit on as if thunderstruck when my favorite player fails to evade number 13, I sit up with delirious anticipation when players of the opposition do so! As per my ‘evidence’ the number 63 and 111 are even more dangerous and near-fatal! When a cricketer or his team reaches 63 some great tragedy is about to befall them, its effect being more ominous if he or the team stays on that score for one or two balls more or till the next over. Ditto for the number 111! And when both the episodes of 63 and 111 happen for a team, that team is bound to lose the match, as per my evidence again! And these are applicable for all playing teams.

You’d hardly believe me that once in a holy place I refused to take a very nice double-room offered by a good hotel, because the room bore the 111 number! And I caused undue hardship to my poor wife as she had to trudge along with me in search of a new hotel! But what to do? Maybe I thus prevented some absolutely hazardous bit of misfortune befalling us both if I had okayed the room. I know this much that astrology always suggest measures to get rid of probable misfortune and like the protective spirits/angels who are always with us to safeguard our journey of life as against the evil ones that want to harm us at every possible excuse. Such ‘Good Vs Evil’ battles are being constantly fought over every one of us like a balancing act, including the cricketers that some of them of their teams may be enabled to escape from the numbers as mentioned.

Although I cannot help but being number-conscious I don’t capsize to their hold of my mind, and I always hope for a clean way out. Now, number 4 is considered to be influenced by Rahu, number 7 by Ketu or number 8 is supposed to be governed by Saturn and the summation of numbers that result in these numbers; but they don’t always harm you, they may in fact do tremendous good to you if you happen to be looked upon favorably by the concerned planets. I don’t want to go for more explanations or justification or whatever. The moot point is that these number games or most of the superstitious beliefs we hold as far as cricket is concerned are always amusing and even humorous. Besides, who has the time nowadays to sit glued to TV sets (or even head-phoned mobiles for that matter)! Because you have to work, nah? Our cricketers earn millions of bucks all the time, and this obvious fact makes us lesser mortals work harder, right? So, as I mentioned I was amused that day by those memories. You should be too!

Social Media Visibility @ZERO!

Well! What the heck! Invisibility is infinite because our own God Himself is invisible! Some scientists say that even ZERO is a concept akin to being infinite! Therefore, both ways, it’s only great to be invisible! While God hides Himself behind whatever you don’t need to know, He has created the humans that are immensely visible; once you’re born as one you cannot hide anywhere in the universe until you drop dead in which case you’re either burnt to ashes or buried under, making you finally invisible as far as the ‘real you’ is concerned, because you continue to exist virtually in family albums and the social media, and if you happen to be a huge celebrity you continue to have an extremely dominant virtual existence till perhaps when earth itself gets obliterated. However, problems are more obnoxious when you and other ordinary mortals like us are kicking alive! Even if you wish to disappear instantly from all human views, like Sita in Ramayana did, you fail to accomplish that. In this digital world God has given us the great gift of the virtual existence like the one where He perhaps exists too, not for nothing. Here, you are empowered to do what you wish to do with your unwelcome physical appearance and other related attributes, not instantly, of course, but over a very short period of time. Yes! You can really make yourself disappear!

Now the question comes as to why you should want to disappear yourself from your very own fellow human beings! In mean virtually! Well, for that you’re quick to blame only them, because actually your fellow human beings is the primal cause. Moving on with the modern times and to keep yourself in circulation you do join the virtual world—the social media platforms you know. There you show your face, pen down your thoughts and tagging along other virtual creatures too. And most of you do quite well. But alas! Other fellas cannot tolerate your getting noticed and so, they turn themselves into fraudsters, hackers, cheats or whatever of that ilk to steal your profile from no one else than you only, steal everything possible of your enriching virtual existence and move on as perfect parasites, at times, achieving much more than the real you ever did! And then there come the dangers—looming insecurity for all your material wealth, for your pace of mind or for your possible loss of reputation, apart from the identity theft.

It is indeed hard to understand why God has gifted the Artificial Intelligence or AI tools to humankind at this vulnerable juncture, because, apparently, it immediately helps the fraudsters, cheats or whatever of that ilk to make your life worse! They can now be the real you, for all surreal and virtual purposes! Perhaps He wants to make your proposed ‘disappearance’ act fast-tracked. Obviously, the IT giants, the top CEOs or the industry tycoons would only sing hoarsely in praise of His gift! Why would they bother themselves for ordinary mortals like you? They wouldn’t stand to lose any of the customers either, because the real you will have to go on purchasing the essentials for your physical mortal cocktail existence! A bit complicated, you know!

Anyway, we can really fast-track ourselves too in the disappearance act thanks to all the gifts! Virtually, mind you! Maybe, God had sent the Pandemic to get us involved more intimately in the virtual world so that when the time comes we should be ready for the all-important act. Following your tragic example, this namesake writer has also decided to disappear himself from the virtual world—instantly from the main social media platforms and gradually from the other related terrains. Of course, he will always stick to his books or writings even if those are suffering from as much loss of visibility as his invisible self, and for that simple reason only he continues to write today here, particularly for you! The writer has still kept one platform, because there he has just a solitary follower there which fact would greatly discourage antagonistic-fellas from adopting, adapting, impersonating, taking over or whatever as well as safeguarding him from related dangers.

Let there be light, and there was light. Let them disappear, and they disappeared. God can be omniscient, omnipresent and so on, but He too has to adapt Himself to the changing times. Right?