Yorked!!! – by Chetan Narula.

The worst day in Indian cricket.

Shock, awe, terror, trepidation, despair, misery, gloom, anguish, dejection, despondency, indignation, resentment, antipathy. All these together do not reflect my mood. I am still at a loss for words. Exactly what an average Indian cricket fan must be feeling because his favourite team in the world just lost to Bangladesh, a minnow given the gigantic proportions of the cup.

Unbelievable as it may sound, but it is true. Indians did wake up on Sunday hoping that the previous night had been a nightmare. But once the television sets were switched on again, the dreaded truth lay bare in front of them. We had just lost to our neighbours, who are quite young in international cricket, given the amount of cricket Sachin Tendulkar alone has played. But it all went waste. It all went waste.

As much as I would like to harp about Bangladesh being fabulous in every department, for once I cannot control my emotions as a fan and thus will leave that analysis to a more neutral person. For the record, however, Bangladesh restricted India to a paltry 191. The ferocious Indian batting line up could not handle the pace of Mashrafe Mortaza, and the best players of spin could not handle three left arm slow bowlers. And then three under-21 players came out and stroked their way to 50s as if to mock the Indian bowlers, while they easily chased down the target. It cannot get worse than this.

What we will do is take a look one by one at the Indian players who played their part in arguably the worst defeat for Indian cricket ever. Worst, because this is the world cup. It is one thing losing to them otherwise, but in the big tournament, it is a different matter.

Greg Chappell for one has to understand that. We are not some guinea pigs sir, that you keep on experimenting with us till your last breath as Indian coach. I mean come on now, what was Robin Uthappa doing at no.3. Either you play an opener in the opener’s slot or you play a middle order batsman Dinesh Karthick there. Even sehwag and ganguly could have come at no.3 because they have quite a bit of experience and have done well at the top in the middle.

Rahul Dravid: Only God knows when an Indian captain will learn to choose the correct option after winning the toss. Sourav did it in 2003, and now this. I mean they were here last year weren’t they? Don’t they know the ball swings early on in the Carribean? And with Zaheer, Munaf and Agarkar in the side, did he really want to bowl when the wicket had eased out for batting, especially when we were playing just one specialist spinner? Answer up Dravid.

Virender Sehwag: What do you say to this man, who has defied all previous history, in taking if not his place in the team, then atleast his wicket for granted. I mean, you may be a triple tonner in tests sir, but the shot you got out to, is worthy only of gully cricket. No place for that sort of stuff in the international arena. I don’t see a place for him in the team altogether, but it is Dravid who has to open his eyes. But I am quite sure that on his bowling prowess he will make the cut against Bermuda. Talk about blasphemy.

Sachin tendulkar: You are the best batsman in the world. The one with the best technique to attack or defend as you please. You are the Bradman of this era. But there is another thing that you are. The inventor of new ways to get out. Driving on a ball that turns in, get an inside edge, ball hits the pad, and keeper messes up before finally catching it. We have seen it all Sachin. The question is, are we ever going to see you lift a world cup?

MS Dhoni, Harbhajan: Ducks? That’s what they score when the previous day, all the news channels carried out news how the Indian lower order was practicing power hitting. A bit more introspection required especially from Dhoni. Karthik is waiting in the wings and we know that the think tank likes to experiment.

Zaheer, Munaf, Agarkar: Not much fault with them except that they were bowling too much on the batsmen’s legs or too short of length. But then again, the way the Bangladeshis batted, clearly they disturbed their line and length. Bowling on a placid track, didn’t help either.

Ganguly, Yuvraj: Nothing much they did wrong or nothing else they could have done. Except that Ganguly ought to have shown some urgency early on in his innings. Plus one can’t also really blame Uthappa for what happened. He is meant to play attacking shots. We will also take into account his inexperience.

Why we lost was because these highly experienced and talented men just could not get their act right. The powerplays brought runs in a trickle, so much so only 24 runs were scored in the first 10 overs. Ganguly took 120 balls to score his fifty. Yes he was the lone man standing but a bit more urgency than the safety first approach could have been beneficial. Plus what is it with Sachin and left arm bowlers? Add Abdur Razzak to the list of Giles, Jayasuriya and Raymond price. And last but not the least, 5 wickets for 2 runs is the stuff dreams are made of. Bangladeshi ones I am sure. My memory betrays me if I try to even recall a similar streak of Indian dismissals.

All is not lost yet unlike in Pakistan’s case. We can still qualify but it is not in our hands alone. Sri Lanka’s run rate is too high and Bangladesh will play Bermuda last. Not only we have to win the last two matches comfortably but also pray that Sri Lanka beat the living daylights out of Bangladesh, so much so that their run rate becomes irreparable against Bermuda. Our fate is no more in our hands.

The thought of India out of the world cup in the first round, is an edgy one. Ask the advertisers if the fans’ condition is not enough proof. But it is not an improbable one. If that happens, it will surely surpass this as the worst day in our cricketing history. As a fan, I am mentally scarred by this loss forever. Not ready for the next one just yet. Not yet.

Yorked!!! – By Chetan Narula.

West Indies draw First Blood.

Brian Lara calls it overcoming stage fright or calming the big match nerves. Call it whatever you may, it is a fact that the hosts have gotten off to the best possible start in the tournament, more so after the practice match disaster against India. Ladies and gentlemen, the world cup is alive and kicking.

It was the most important match of their group, given that the rest of the two teams, Ireland and Zimbabawe are minnows and they are not expected to make the cut for the super 8. So the opening day of the world cup carnival saw a battle for the precious points which will be carried over to the next round. Inzamam called the toss correctly and chose to field. And this is when things started to go wrong for the Pakistanis.

Pakistan have to know their strengths and weaknesses. Their bowling is weak, they simply have to accept that. So batting first might not have been a bad idea. See out the new ball carefully, and then allow the likes of Youhana and Inzy to take charge. Plus the team selection wasn’t upto the mark either. With the likes of Lara, Samuels and Bravo in the side, how could they even think of playing Kaneria, a leg spinner? Especially when, some one as experienced as Azhar Mahmood was cooling his heels in the pavilion.

But Pakistan is, well, Pakistan. They don’t believe in anything anybody says. Just do what they do. And so began Umar Gul with his good line and length and Rana Hasan with a mix of quick and slow deliveries. Gayle’s innings ended rather quickly and brought out Sarwan, who himself looked like he wanted to go back quickly. He managed to survive a dropped chance on his first ball, then played some horrendous shots and luckily managed to stabilize the innings with Chanderpaul. The latter was quite slow off the blocks and maintained that turtle pace throughout his innings, scoring 19 of 63 balls. Once Sarwan was snapped up for 49, Younis Khan latching on this time, it was all still to be done for the Windies.

In walked Lara and Samuels, their 91 run partnership taking the Windies to a platform to launch the final assault. But just as they were beginning to cut lose, Lara edged it and Samuels skied one. The last heroic of the day were still left to come and thanks to Dwayne Smith, they managed to reach a comfortable 241. A 15 ball 32 runs innings well supported by the lower order.

Smith’s heroics didn’t stop there. Pakistan were too dependent on their top order to fire. But that didn’t materialize. The West Indian opening bowlers, Powell, Colleymore and Taylor set them up with some tight stuff, bowling a nagging line and length. And when Smith and Bravo mixed it up cleverly with their military medium stuff, Pakistan just had no answers. He scalped Youhana, Inzamam and Kamran Akmal, three important cogs of their middle order wheel. Quite clearly, a man-of-the-match performance from the youngster.

In a match where all of Lara’s prayers were answered, his call to the youngsters of the team to stand up and deliver answered, Inzamam discovered that he still has plenty on his plate. The only bright spark of the match for them was the way Umar Gul shouldered the responsibility of leading the attack, the tight line bowled by Iftikhar Anjum in the middle overs and the defiant innings played by Shoaib Malik. They need some answers quick. With Afridi still out for the match against Ireland, they could try out Shoaib at the top, to stabilize things, which will also allow them to play Azhar Mahmood. The all rounder needs to warm up since it is more or less guaranteed that his services will be called for in the super 8. And by all means, they have to shed their unpredictability, and win against the minnows of their group. An upset there would not even allow them to return home.

The West Indies too can’t rest on their laurels from this game. Much is still to be done. They should try out some other combinations in the coming matches and have options in hand for the sterner tests ahead.

The calypso carnival has begun and it could not have had a better start.

Yorked!!! – By Chetan Narula.

Onto the World Stage: South Africa – My Favourites.

The very fact that South Africa are the team billed to win the World Cup 2007 goes to show how open this year’s tournament is. The biggest chokers in the game are the number one team in the world and given their reputation in the previous editions, all other teams can rub their hands in glee that they are going to have more than a decent shot at cricket’s ultimate prize.

Let us take a look at the team representing South Africa in the world cup: Graeme Smith (capt), Loots Bosman, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis, Justin Kemp, Charl Langeveldt, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Robin Peterson, Shaun Pollock, Ashwell Prince, Roger Telemachus. Yes this is the team which has displaced the Aussies from their perch for the first time ever since the ICC rankings were conceived. It is not only because Australia have fumbled in the recent past. No sir, because to even match the Aussies you have to play out of your skins. To beat them, you have to better even that effort.

It is actually a wonder, how the rise and fall of these two teams is totally co-related. We move back to the Hansie Cronje era for some flashback. They did very well in the group stages in 1996 while Australia were struggling. But as the knock out stage arrived, it was the Africans who were on the early flight back home. The Aussies reached the finals only to be denied by the Lankans. In 1999, their contrasting luck could not have treaded a more convergent path. Doing well again in the group stages, they were really upstaged by the Aussies, first in the super six (ask Gibbs) and then in the semi final (ask Klusener). The figure of Hansie Cronje staring out of the pavilion windows can still be seen at Edgebaston, some say. Coming back to the point, the Aussies had struggled in the group stages of that tournament too.

If there is something called luck in cricket (I believe there is), then the equation between South Africa and Australia started turning round in 2003. The Aussies did well throughout the tournament and lifted the crown once again, where as the Proteas could not even manage a super six place. But the real turn around came in what is termed as the best ODI ever. The one in which Australia scored 434 and lost. It is on that day, I believe, that the South Africans lost the “chokers” tag. Steve Waugh, you heard me right.

No team has had such an ideal run through to the world cup in terms of good performances and building players’ confidence. Defeating India and Pakistan back to back in ODIs could not have provided a better background. All their major players are in great form, have enjoyed a good hit in the middle and the bowlers have done well in the field. Herschelle gibbs is one of their most important players and his flexible performances all over the batting order can only boost the morale of the team. We all know that Kallis, Prince, de Villiers can bat. Add to that the fire power of Justin Kemp & Mark Boucher and a pretty decent batting line up is what you get.

The bowling has come into its own too. Shaun Pollock looks like ready to make amends for 2003. Ntini and Nel are bowling with venom and Charles Langeveldt can be a handful any day. Ask Australia. It is funny how I keep referring to them again and again. More so to the greatest ODI ever. Simply put, two individuals came to the fore that day. And may have removed South Africa’s scars forever. And maybe given the Kangaroos some.

I have already mentioned Gibbs. His coming of age was in this match. After coming in at one down, the way he waded into the opposition was simply mind blowing. But it was one other individual who made the difference. Who will make the difference in the West Indies too. Who like captains before him, will not allow them to choke. Graeme Smith is a boon to this team. His batting skills coupled with his sharp tactical acumen have brought those sunshine days back to the South Africans, along time after Cronje has been gone. However it is his never say die attitude that was so aptly highlighted in the match against Australia that lifted the team like no other occasion. It is that day, that performance, that win which will go a long way in determining this year’s winner.

They are not without weaknesses though. The one major point being that all their major successes have come on fast bouncy pitches at home. On slow tracks in India, in the Champions trophy, they were still struggling. Since the pitches will most probably be the same, they better adapt fast. And this is where players like Kallis and Prince will be the most handy as they are the best players of spin in their team. The other problem is that they have Australia in their group. Which makes that clash all the more interesting because of the rule of carrying points forward.

They are the team to beat in this tournament. But unlike the tournaments before this, they have it in them to finally lift the cricket world cup for the first time in their history.

My verdict: My money is on them. Don’t prove me wrong Smith & company.