Goal Post!!! – By Chetan Narula.

Its all about winning now……

Man U boss Sir Alex Ferguson and his Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho had a 200 pounds bottle of wine after the 1-1 draw at old Trafford this Sunday. Irony is that only one of them will be opening champagne bottles at the end of the season.

Why will it again be Chelsea? Because simply put Man U blew their best chance of the season to gain a 6 point advantage over the defending champions. You are 1-0 up on your turf and letting that slip away was the big mistake. But was it really a mistake or it just had to happen. After all its only Chelsea that can go down by a goal and come back in the second half and swamp the midfield. So much so that the Blues’ possession in the second half was a staggering 70 percent which contributed to an overall 61% match possession. Yes only Chelsea is capable of such a thing in world football at the moment.

Why it won’t be Manchester United? Simply because they have to play away at Arsenal, Liverpool, and of course Chelsea. Arsenal might be a dicey game to predict, because that is what the Gunners have become ever since they left Highbury. Unpredictable on even their home turf. Liverpool is another sad story at the moment. True they can’t seem to win away from Anfield but against United and at home would be a different story altogether. Plus their home form has been not that bad. Last but the most important is the trip to Chelsea. The mere fact that they haven’t lost at Stamford Bridge in the premier league under Mourinho is scary enough if you are a Reds’ fan but add to it the pressure of season ending games and one will understand why Sir Alex’s young team is going to struggle.

So what many may say? That’s just three matches, nine points. But one can be forgiven to think so. These are nine big points. Who can today bet that Man U will get nine out of nine, or six out of nine or even three out of these nine at stake. And that’s what puts the title race in to perspective this year. The Christmas period is right on the doorstep and this is un-chartered territory for this Chelsea side which has never trailed before. Sort of a challenge for Jose one would say and believe me they will go all out.

Chelsea has had their share of bad luck this season. One of their key strikers is not firing, there is even talk of sending Shevchenko back to Italy. Ballack hasn’t settled down either and only God knows when Cech is going to return to the Chelsea defense. Plus they have already lost two games this season and I am pretty sure this number will not rise again.

Manchester United has just lost the one game against Arsenal at home and frankly speaking this is what worries me. Imagine a Tottenham or Bolton side going ahead against them and then just laying down their lives to defend it. These sort of games happen in the league almost every year and there is no telling when it might not be your day. Plus their defense is as solid as only Van de Saar, with no knowing when Ferdinand and others might just fowl up. And they have been known to foul up, especially Ferdinand.

Of course the scenario could happen to Chelsea too but I think it has already happened to them twice this season. The chances of lightning striking a third time at the same place are quite rare as compared to say, striking down United for the first time. Plus how many times do Terry, Carvalho and co. leak goals as compared to the United defense and you will get your answer. Compare the attacking options, and Chelsea is ahead still. Ferguson may go gaga over Saha and co. but deep inside he knows his only reliable bet is Rooney. With Chelsea goals have come from Geremi, Terry and Carvalho. Add Drogba who simply can’t stop scoring plus Joe Cole, Robben and Lampard with a touch more form. Scary isn’t it and I haven’t even mentioned, what if Shevchenko finds his touch.

All is not lost though. The best part is that they still lead Chelsea by three points and with the transfer window opening up soon, Manchester united can reinforce their squad by adding Fernando Torres and Owen Hargreaves, although these might just end up as rumours.

But one thing is for sure. By drawing that game, Jose has played his move and is setting up Ferguson for a check mate. The onus, nay pressure, to respond and prevent it, is on Manchester United.

Yorked!!! – By Chetan Narula.

Get your battle fatigues on.…..

Before you read this article I must warn you that you should not expect any comments regarding the 91 run rout at Durban or the mauling in Cape Town. No I haven t got any words for those two matches in my dictionary. It’s the next two I am bothered about.

India is in their favourite position once again. And yes I expect some great things from them in the next two ODIs. You must be thinking that I am talking through my hat. But no. You see the Indian cricket team is cornered again and this is the exact frame of mind they work best in. It has happened before when they were routed on the tour to New Zealand and came out with flying colors in the world cup. So it is actually good Chappell sir that the politicians are talking as they somehow manage to inspire your boys to deliver their best, which you have somehow failed to do in the current series.

Talking about the resources available to the team at the moment and Zimbabwe looks a much better squad in comparison. Dravid’s injury could not have come at a worse moment and it is up to Sehwag and Sachin now to resurrect the sagging Indian fortunes. But the big question is how long can you rely on Sehwag, if at all. Somebody who has been hiding his poor form under the cover of his “natural game” now finds the reins of the team in his hands. An out of form captain and a team reeling under tremendous pressure reminds us of a year back when Ganguly was forced to relinquish his throne. So again I ask, should Sehwag be the one leading the team at the moment?

Returning to the resources part, VVS Laxman has been sent to reinforce the team in the absence of Dravid and again one can question that logic. Somebody deemed unfit for ODIs is again picked to act as a saviour, and again you could question Greg’s team selection policy during the past year. My sympathies go out to the poor Hyderabadi batsman. In no certain terms am I saying that he should be in the ODI squad (he cant field anywhere except the slips, for god’s sake), my point being that if he is drafted in to the squad and if we lose again which we will, its his head which will roll and that is very unfair to him as a player. But who says Indian cricket is fair? Ask Sourav or even Kumble.

Mention Kumble and we come to bowling department, which surprisingly has done much better than the famed batting line up. Sure the fast bowlers have only fired in spells but they have been good spells. Zaheer is back to his best and Kumble is giving him good support in the middle overs. What they need is for some one else to stand up and be counted. Pathan for example, it has been a long time since he bowled a good spell or two. Harbhajan has looked below par so far but the pitch at Port Elizabeth is drier than even the Cape Town strip so you may never know. Grapevine is that Sreesanth may get a look in which might not be a bad move given that Munaf is injured and Agarkar is back to his getting spanked ways.

Much is not expected from Mongia and Raina even if they play, but Jaffer might get a look in again if the team decides to drop Tendulkar to number 4. This is one move which might just lend the batting the teeth it has been missing so far. All in all here’s hoping for a face saving win. Is that too much to ask? Ok, I will rephrase, guys give us a respectable defeat.

Yorked!!! – By Chetan Narula.

Prelude to the Ashes……

I have been watching cricket since 1991, and the only major achievement of the English cricket team all this while has been, well the Ashes series they won last year. So much so that many English dailies called it the biggest prize in world cricket, ironically overlooking the World Cup, a tournament they started and have never won. You might argue that they had an amazing run of “achievements” when they beat both Pakistan and Sri Lanka in their own dens, but almost the whole of Britain would agree that they were mere blotches.

So now let us get realistic as to how much chance do they have of taking back the prized urn. None if you are an Australian but luckily for the English, not every one in world cricket is. The romantic cricket fan would really love to see them give it back to the Aussies like they did last year, but then a realistic fan would grimace at the difference b/w the English side this time and the Ashes winner last year.

Much has changed since then. The Ashes winning side of last year had just come back from a successful tour of the Caribbean. The players were all fit, in-form and geared up for the battles ahead. Plus they had already stuck it up to the Aussies in the pre-test ODI series. This time though, it is different. Half the side has changed, due to injuries (Michael Vaughan, Simon Jones), poor form or breaking down due to excessive cricket (Trescothick). The three names I have mentioned here will be the most missed by the English fans as the tour goes on. Their absence means that Strauss, Pieterson, Flintoff and Harmison will have to be the beasts of burden and that puts additional pressure on Flintoff as captain.

But the major disadvantage this time will be the run in they have had before the tour down under. They were bruised and battered not only in India, but also humiliated at home against both Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Only their test performances at home would give them a splinter of hope. But the early form in the practice matches in Australia suggests that they are ready to be blown away both by the bat and the ball.

Much has changed in the Australian camp too, since then. Albeit only minor changes, but significant changes. The Aussies last year were all conquering and needed a jolt of some sort as many would argue that a bit of complacency was creeping in. Plus they had lost Mcgrath and the batsmen’s form mid-series and nobody stood up to support Warne’s efforts. This time though, it is different. All their players are in form thanks to good outings in both Kuala Lampur and the Champions trophy in India. The team is again a heady mix of youth and experience and the old guns, Mcgrath, Gilchrist and Warne are charged up because this might be their last chance at redemption. Add to that the revenge of Ponting’s bat, the zing of Symmonds, Clarke and Martyn, or the nip of Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson, and I bet if anybody would want to be a part of the touring English party.

The English team has arrived for the Ashes at a really horrible time given their resources, mental strength or form, or should I say the lack of them. The point is if they do consider the Ashes a greater prize than the World Cup itself, it would be really hard for them to give it up.

Yorked!!! – By Chetan Narula.

Hope the omens are wrong…..

You don’t need to be an alchemist to understand the omens if you are an Indian cricket fan. You can just take a look at the state of affairs and contemplate what the result might be at the end of a particular tour. Something of this sort happened to me this Sunday when rain washed away the first ODI of the series b/w India and South Africa.

It reminds me of the team of the mid-90s, first under Azharuddin and then under Sachin. Capitulation without a fight or at the first sight of a green wicket was a major identity of the then Indian team. But all that had changed albeit for a short time. Sourav Ganguly and John Wright had forged a mentally strong unit which had put even the Aussies to shame in their own den. However much has gone wrong since then.

A certain Greg Chappell has come along and Dravid has been made captain. The point here is not what they achieved last year in the form of some really sweet victories. It is what the team has become of late that must be bothering the average Indian fan, especially with the World Cup almost in sight. Reeling under the “experimentation” and “process more important than result” theories, the famed and once feared Indian batting line up has again become prey to the terror of uncertainty and green tops.

But that was revealed only when the team reached South Africa and lost to not the South African A team, but a young fast bowler who didn’t believe the new notion that Indians do not fear green tops. And now the whole world knows again.

The seeds of a “forthcoming disastrous” tour were sown much before the team even left the Indian shores. No official team kit was made available and that is an apathy given the multi million dollar contracts we have with Nike and Pantaloons. Furthermore, Zaheer Khan and Ajit Agarkar were reprimanded for missing the team meetings & official photograph before the team departure. And then as we saw the famed batting line up fail, only Rahul Dravid stood up with a gritty half century. Bad omens did I hear some one say?

One would argue that not even one match has been played as yet on this tour and I am labeling it a failure. You see I have history as reference and that is the long sad history of disastrous Indian foreign tours, and three of them to South Africa. So its no wonder the way Indians smiled when rains arrived at Johannesburg, gives me a feeling of déjà vu.

All is not lost though. This is but a mere figment of imagination that India will again return empty handed from their sojourn. This is a mere peep into the future. It is still very much in the hands of the team to return as champions from this tour. The bowling will have additional zip with the return of Kumble and Zaheer. The batting given more time in the middle will find its lost nip, I am sure. The only point is their time starts now. The think tank has to make the right decisions in the absence of Yuvraj, regarding the batting order and of course, the batting position of Irfan Pathan. You can’t be serious about your World Cup prospects if he still comes out at no.3 even in South Africa. Much is in the hands of Sachin, Sehwag and Dravid with the middle order in the hands of Dhoni and Kaif.

Yes the tour is actually yet to start. But since it might not rain every time, this could soon become a very hard and long tour for our beloved cricket team.

Goal Post!!! – By Chetan Narula.

Chelsea-Man U on collision course…..

The fact that Sir Alex Ferguson is celebrating his twentieth year at the helm of Manchester United’s affairs can only re-affirm his resolution to bring down Chelsea this season. And for that he is certainly on the right path. Come November 26th, when Chelsea visit Old Trafford, the premier league will come to a standstill as the two top teams will go at it hammer and tongs, to take pole position in the premiership, going into the busy and tougher Christmas season.

Chelsea has steam rolled the competition in the last two years of their domination of the English league. However, some sports enthusiasts might say that the red devils did run Jose’s team till the end last season, but I would say Sir Alex was living a dream. Chasing a Chelsea side, which loses as much as it snows in the gulf, the red devils conceded defeat by a good nine points.

However much has changed since the first two years. The element of surprise which Jose Mourinho brought to the league in the first year and the resolve which saw them winning consecutive titles, both of them are a thing of the past. The fact that Chelsea in spite of Abramovich’s millions has not been able to win the champions league, has stung Mourinho a lot and the way he has built his team this season, his prime motive seems to be capturing the champions league crown.

And Manchester United are not complaining. Sir Alex’s only wants reclaim what many would say is rightfully his, the premiership crown. However there is pressure to better their previous year’s Champions league efforts too. That is altogether a different point that no one is betting on them to win it. So all Manchester united need to do is concentrate on their premiership run and the Champions league will take care of itself. This might sound as paradoxical to many, but that’s the way it is. Ferguson cannot afford another season without a big win, certainly not without a premier league win.

And for this they needed the right start to their season. For many past years we have seen Man Utd come from behind to claim the title, after getting their act together in the Christmas period. Since they are habitual of doing so in the winter period, they needed to raise their pre-Christmas game. And that’s exactly what they have done.

Without Nistelrooy it was always going to be difficult. But a re-molded midfield with Carrick as the central man and Solskajaer supporting Saha, the jigsaw seems to be finally fitting. Add to that the recent run in form of Rooney and we know why Man Utd is the team to beat. This stupendous team work has seen them gain not only their best start to a season under Sir Alex, but also a crucial 3 point lead going into this Sunday’s clash.

No doubt a lot is at stake for Chelsea. They have already lost two matches this season and a third loss so soon would only severely dent their chances of regaining a third consecutive title. The road ahead for both the teams is only going to be tougher as we enter the crucial Christmas period and without any disdain, I can say that Man Utd with a lead going into December is as good as handing them the premier league trophy on a platter.

This Chelsea side is under pressure, like it has never been before.

Yorked!!! – By Chetan Narula.

So, who actually won (from) the Champions Trophy?

The Champions trophy or the mini World Cup (who ever coined this term was right, given its existing format) is finally over. And the beneficiaries are not many. Actually it’s the number of casualties that bothers me. And cricket, my dear game, was the biggest loser.

For sheer destruction of a game that it looks after, the ICC wins the Oscar hands down from among the rest of the in-charge organizations. If ever the Champions trophy was to be the second jewel among cricket events after the world cup, that logic has gone straight out of the window. For one the scheduling of the tournament was horrific, given that the home team played its first two matches at a gap of eleven days and Sri Lanka played all its matches before even the last two games of its group were up.

And that brings us to the groups. The first two editions of the Champions trophy were actually examples of what the ICC should do,i.e follow a successful knockout format. But the fact that they keep changing it, again re-iterates my point that they should be officially recognized as the worst organization ever.

This actually brings us to the other organization involved, the BCCI. They exactly didn’t perform miracles, but seldom can you do anything about anything when the big bosses are twisting your arm. We are talking about the ticket prices, over which we had the Speed v/s Modi wars. When you yourself drive away the spectators from the ground by pricing the tickets sky high, how can we take the game forward among the masses? Plus this being an ICC tournament, the BCCI will also get only a piece of the huge TV rights owned by the world body.

The one place where the BCCI could have avoided any malice was the pitches. For long the Indian pitches have been talked about, being too spinner friendly, favoring only one side. They could have done well to make good competitive tracks, helpful to all, batsmen, spinners, fast bowlers, et all. But no, it takes two to tango.

The complete sufferer in this melee, were the spectators. You could not go to watch inconsequential matches at the grounds for that would burn a hole in your pocket, and thus the attendance was low. So much so that only the home team matches had full houses. Even the final could not muster a crowd worthy of the second biggest tournament in cricket. Add to that, the dubious nature of the wickets. True the grounds men did not have enough time to prepare the wickets fully. But doesn’t that challenge the schedule and the timing of the tournament again?

After every major tournament, we have the teams in transition. Players who have failed are discarded and new ones tried out. The ones who were successful are given fresh challenges. In these terms too, the tournament failed to excite anybody. Only odd individual performances by Chris Gayle, Farveez Maharoof and Jerome Taylor ignited your imagination. So much so that even the Aussies lacked their natural swagger.

The hosts could have triggered at least the home crowds to frenzy but their early exit dealt away any of those theories. England suffered another ODI debacle and their Ashes challenge is now under question. Sri Lanka lost out due to some poor scheduling even though they played the second highest number of matches after the West Indies, who by the way are now a team revived, proving that their wins back home and in Kuala Lampur were no flukes. South Africa and New Zealand made it to the semi finals but would they term this as a success? I doubt. The biggest losers were the Pakistanis. Their cricket is currently in stormy seas and thus the banning of their premier fast bowlers comes as only yet another chapter to this sorry saga. To them, though, it means that their world cup hopes are severely dented. Lastly it is not even worth mentioning Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.

Before I end, lets talk abut the Aussies. The kangaroos have finally got the monkey of Champions trophy off their back and look fully prepared for an all out Ashes assault. So all in all, there was actually only one winner in this edition of the mini world cup. Australia. Not surprising, as they usually win everything cricket has to offer.

Yorked!!! – By Chetan Narula.

Mr. Chappell, stop experimenting…….

The time to honour the Indians as world cup contenders is over, and with the tournament just four months away, a big reality check is needed. The match against Australia clearly proved that the think tank is clearly short of ideas and is finding solace only in experimentation. Yes, experimentation lost us the match and the chance to reclaim the Champions trophy.

Clearly the decision to send Mongia to bat at number 3 was a blunder. When Tendulkar departed, the Indians were scoring at 5 an over and against teams like Australia you need to maintain that to post a good total. The momentum was all theirs to lose. And lose they did. Why send in a batsman, who you can’t say is in great form, who would surely feel the big match pressure, especially when you have arguably the world’s best bat at no.3, Dravid and also another run grafter in Kaif in the side, both capable of scoring at a run a ball. Mongia groped away for runs and the kangaroos were able to get their bowling back into rhythm and strangle the Indians beyond recovery.

True you had to play Mongia when Yuvraj was out and playing him also meant that we played a spin bowling batsman, in place of Romesh Powar. I am not getting into the selection issues, because I sincerely think that they got this one right, but, and that’s a big but, time has passed rather too quickly for Greg sir.

It has been more than a year that Chappell took over the reins of the side against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka last year, and since then the experimentation hasn’t stopped. True, two years before the world cup, you should begin to identify players who are going to try and win the cup for you, and test them at various positions. It seems more and more to me that the Indian think tank is applying Liverpool’s manager Rafael Benitez’s approach of changing and chopping the side every game. For your information, Rafael hasn’t started with the same team in 99 consecutive matches.

Voices were already raised when the team didn’t win in the Windies this year, that the players were quite insecure that no fixed position has been given to them. And believe me its true. Just by saying the role of each player is clearly defined and communicated by the evening before the match is just not enough. It may be so for the Australians but Greg has to realize that he is coaching India.

Comparisons are imminent, so let me make one too. Its not that John Wright and Sourav Ganguly didn’t gamble at all, but they did stop it right before the world cup and the players were quite settled into their roles during the tournament. Dravid and guru Greg have just carried things too far.

Sure the team is plagued by other worries as well, bowling, fielding et all. But concentrating on our so called strength would make it possible to set up totals & defend them, plus give the confidence to chase the targets. I am sure the selectors have identified the core which will be going to the world cup, its time their roles were made more clear and please oh please stop this experimentation.

With 15 ODIs against South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies in the run up to the world cup, there is still cause for hope. After all, with regards to cricket, isn’t that what we do?