Archive for the ‘India in England 2011’ Category

Day Four: Ishant and Prior Dazzle

Posted: July 25, 2011 by The CouchExpert in Cricket, India in England 2011
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2

 Goutham Chakravarthi

With time, details fade and only memories remain – the sweetest and darkest. Day 4 of the 2000th Test will be remembered for an outstanding spell of 3 for 1 by Ishant Sharma. Sure, Stuart Broad and Chris Tremlett later conducted an interrogation of India’s top order, but Ishant, in a spell articulating perfect rhythm, when body and mind danced to the heartbeat, composed a telling tune that exposed the English middle order of holes it didn’t know existed.

Ishant looked nothing like the highest wicket taker in tests in 2011 in the first innings. He lacked the rhythm and confidence he exhibited in the Caribbean only a month ago. His rhythm was cranky and Kevin Pietersen bullied him. But, today, Ishant, in a magical spell of fast bowling, his long locks billowing in fresh summer air, his run-up so smooth it was a glide, he unleashed magical, unplayable deliveries. He was in such a trance that the batsmen can be forgiven for being unaware of the ambuscades about him. Whilst it lasted, each ball was poetry that warmed the hearts over and again.

Ishant Sharma produced a memorable spell of fast bowling before lunch

Even cruelly, I thought Zaheer’s absence was a useful expedient to get Ishant to a new level. Ishant had left England in tatters as lunch was taken. Former cricketers of India and England paraded the hallowed turf celebrating the 100th contest between the two countries, while the crowd feasted on the cake and the ale, and the prospect of a potentially cracking test in the making loomed deliciously upon us. But only till India came back on to the park and Raina was introduced to up the over rate!

What followed was a session of some very poorly constructed cricket by the visitors. With only three fit bowlers, the hard yards of the first innings had taken its toll and a determined Prior and Broad ran them ragged. From the Himalayan heights of titanic struggle between bat and ball, it turned to a contest of India doing the last stage of Tour de France by foot and England by motorcade. England ran the fielders and captain ragged and when the bowlers returned with fresh legs, they had already been lapped twice over by the English. Prior will get his opportunity at 6 should England struggle to bowl India out on day 5 and feel the need to go with five bowlers. His century was well constructed with almost a Usain Bolt sprint to the finish line.

Injury and illness to Gambhir and Tendulkar meant Indian had to go in with a re-jigged batting order. Facing a rampant trio of English quicks who fancied their chances against a tired batting side, they bent and bounced the ball in rapid cadence. Old hands Dravid and Laxman, architects of some of the stoutest batting accomplishments, battled and survived. It was exhilarating cricket. The old firm of Dravid and Laxman held fort for India to fight another day. Their methods so precise and contrasting, but complement each other.

Sophistication is easy to be associated with Dravid – who combines the technical mastery of his art to suit the wicket and the opposition, the situation of a drying wicket and the waning strengths of opposition trundlers. He plays the attrition game as well as anyone to have walked a cricket pitch and his powers of concentration are of a Grand Master. On the other hand, Laxman, India’s best 3rd and 4th Innings man is as intense but with a game so pleasing, it makes you wonder if batting was ever so pretty anywhere else. He can look clumsy in his set-up and dodgy wafting without much feet movement early, but he can hardly ever made an ugly run. It is almost fitting that he produces his best when his team needs it the most.

Anderson, Tremlett, Broad and Swan will believe that there is enough in the wicket to produce nine mistakes on day 5, but India will be confident that they can survive the overs. It quite resembles the Lord’s test from 2007 and it promises to be as tight this time too. England have dominated this test, but India have shown tremendous determination to be not blown away. They will hope the D/L (Dravid/Laxman) method saves this test for them.

Bring on day 5.

Day Three: Gritty Dravid’s 33rd Ton Helps India Save Follow-On

Posted: July 24, 2011 by thecognitivenomad in Cricket, India in England 2011
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Chandrasekhar Jayarama Krishnan

Head of Cricket, CouchExpert

24 July 2011


Some of the most gripping Indian batting performances remind you of a Rube Goldberg device: a deliberately over-prepared unit that makes simple survival seem like siege warfare – more so because of self-inflicted errors.

On a ground where run-scoring, when the conditions suit, can appear to be a child’s play, the script called for the middle order crumble to leave a battling Dravid, as witnessed on many an occasion before, fight using every drop of his blood. The script might also contain a valiant fourth innings heroic from Laxman, if the stars take the same respective positions in the skies as they have on those memorable games in the past.

It could have gotten worse had Strauss and Swann, both excellent slip fielders, held on to their chances during the second session. Stuart Broad, who was busy corroborating the selectors’ decision to play him in the XI, had caused the damage by then.

After getting rid of the openers, he removed the man all eyes were on, and ensured that the 38 year old will continue to carry a highest score of 37 at the home of cricket, at least until the next, and possibly his last, innings at the Lord’s. But he wouldn’t have been too pleased with the chances the slip cordon put down, chances that hardly seemed presumptive of innocence.

Rahul Dravid's innings was the lone bright spark in an otherwise disappointing batting display by India

But what Broad did was keep his lengths constantly full – a ploy that yielded him three crucial wickets. His self-proclaimed role as an enforcer, all these days, seemed uncalled for. With Gambhir being beaten by swing, Mukund playing on and Tendulkar reaching out to a delivery outside off stump to give Swann another catch to his name at second slip, Broad put an end to the debate over his place in the playing XI in style, along with the Great Indian Dream.

Earlier, Tendulkar’s entry, after the dismissal of a promising Mukund – who’d played so well for his 49, had the crowd (and possibly even the English camp) lingering in perpetuity. His counter-attack after the commencement of Session Two could so easily have unravelled those strings of nervousness tied across the moment that was built by the diffusion of millions of hopes focusing around a single thought. The thought wasn’t so much about victory or loss as it was about that 100th ton.

For once, as elusive as it has always been for him across these years, the focus shifted to Dravid, who quietly surpassed Ricky Ponting to become Test Cricket’s second highest run getter of all time, second only to the man who has often overshadowed him during his illustrious, but unglamorous career.  The flick past mid-wicket off Swann’s bowling to reach this milestone will certainly be etched in the memories of those who’ve embraced a larger outlook on the sport.

The Lord’s – what a befitting venue for this unassuming cricketer to cross a very memorable milestone! This isn’t a moment millions might have prayed for, for the majority would have hardly envisioned this statistic.

With very little support received from the rest of the batsmen, Dravid witnessed wickets tumbling at the other end as Broad went on to add another to his scalps to make his tally four after he got rid of Praveen Kumar. Tremlett had removed the Indian skipper and Harbhajan prior to this, thereby landing the Indians in deep waters.

At a stage of his career where he is closer to 39 than 38, Dravid plethora of 33 tons may seem worth a lot more than their weight in gold considering that his record overseas has always been superior to his statistics at home, a trait unheard of among Indian batsmen.

A man who has always stood up for the needs of the team, often involving himself moving out of his comfort zone – right from opening the innings in an Australian tour to keeping wickets at the Lord’s to allow MSD to have a crack at the English batting – the Wall has stood tall and stamped his authority over all these years in proving his worth as a team player, and still boasting the second greatest record in test cricket.

Meanwhile, England will look to capitalize on India’s meagre first innings total, against a toothless Indian attack lacking Zaheer Khan. There’s plenty of cricket to be played and contrary to the thought presumed earlier, this Lord’s test could well have a result up its sleeve.

It is going to be a cracker of a 4th day.

Day Two: Irresistible KP Puts England In Charge

Posted: July 23, 2011 by The CouchExpert in Cricket, India in England 2011
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 Goutham Chakravarthi

 23 July 2011

 

Kevin Pietersen is either a genius or he is not. I know not which one. He may have looked out of his depth as a captain when he came to India – both with England and as captain of Royal Challengers in the IPL. But he always seems to have a sense of big occasion whilst batting. He has made many left-arm spinners look like Bedi, but also has dominated the better bowling of his time like few others have.

It is difficult to pin his success to one thing. Most keen observers think it is his desire in wanting to be the best as the reason. Even as early as 2002, when he was still two years away from being eligible to represent England, he spent the winter in Sydney playing grade cricket. Why? Because he wanted to learn more about off-spin and Sydney University had Greg Mathews in its ranks. He has had this immense desire in wanting to associate himself with champions all through his career so that he could be one himself. Of him wanting to be the best, he has never doubted.

Kevin Pietersen was scintillating on day two of the Lord’s test

His early years are quite revealing. He went to Maritzburg College, and reckons he never missed school on Tuesdays as it was cricket day. Even more telling is the culture that was built there to win and KP can’t remember losing more than two games in six years of cricket for the school. Almost as a rule, Kevin could never settle for ordinary. His early years never had many people marking him out for outright greatness. If anything his off-spin got him into the Natal team only for him to lose it to a coloured spinner from Guateng as the quota went up to three from two. He picked a fight with Dr. Ali Bacher on this matter and then decided to consider a future elsewhere. Clive Rice from Trent Bridge offered him a future there, Bacher advised against it, but Peter Pollock told him to go for it. The rest is well documented.

Coming in to this test there was the story of Kevin Pietersen saying he was a “South African” and he only “worked in England”. Although Kevin Pietersen has publicly pledged his allegiance to his adopted country, it has been quite a debated topic. Kevin’s professionalism can never be in doubt as he never leaves anything to chance. His methods have never been the most traditional and his penchant to impose himself on the game and the opposition has often been his way. But he bided his time battling tough conditions and the swing of Zaheer and Praveen on Thursday and cashed in on the start all through Friday. His discipline to the innings showed his remarkable ability to seize the moment. Not having to face Zaheer would have been an obvious plus, but to have resisted going after the bowling knowing its limitations showed his match awareness. Strauss got out after doing the difficult bit; he wasn’t going to give away a good start.

He constantly shuffled across to the seamers and his battle with the cagey Praveen Kumar was worthy of a chess match with two Grand Masters plotting moves to check-mate the other. Praveen Kumar would perhaps have benefited had Ishant found his rhythm and gave him better support. Nonetheless, a swinger of gentle speed but with skills of a trapeze artist against the most gifted English batsman of his generation was engrossing. Praveen bent the ball both ways from over and around the sticks. Pietersen shuffled to the off-side, chipped down the wicket to upset the bowler. Praveen Kumar, every now-and-then tried bowling Pietersen around his legs and tried trapping him in front. Suffice to say it was the battle of the day and quite an enjoyable one between the two heroes of the day. Pietersen survived a few close calls, but emerged victorious in the end.

Kevin Pietersen’s last fifty was a breeze. He had spent enough time at the crease to do as he wished and Ishant looked short of ideas bowling to him. He composed an array of audacious flicks and drives and got to his double ton so quick he gave England a chance to bowl at the Indian openers for 30 minutes.

The wicket still has a lot on offer for good bowling and as Kevin Pietersen has shown, batting isn’t impossible either. India, hamstrung with Zaheer’s absence, will hope to bat long and well in the first Innings so as to take this test to safety from their view point. England will want to bowl out India cheaply and consider batting for a bit to tire the three-man bowling attack further with the second Test starting just three days post this test.

Lot to look forward to on day three. Day two belonged to Kevin Pietersen.

Day One: Jonathon Trots his way to 50 as India struggle

Posted: July 22, 2011 by thecognitivenomad in Cricket, India in England 2011
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Chandrasekhar Jayarama Krishnan

Head of Cricket, CouchExpert

22 July 2011


The occasion could have so easily gotten on to you! A series, unheard of in Mathematics, constantly buzzed through the minds of ardent cricket lovers yesterday: 2000, 100, 100, 100, and 100? The statisticians have clearly had a ball of a time during the build up to this series: 2000th Test Match in the history of the game, 100th test match contesting India and England – the earliest of which was played in the Pre World War II era – back in 1932, Duncan Fletcher – former coach of England and current coach of the Indian team – approaching his 100th test match as coach, the batting trio of Tendulkar, Dravid & Laxman approaching a grand total of 100 test centuries between them, and finally, to the common spectator and billions of Indians from around the world, Tendulkar – approaching his 100th international ton in a career that has spanned over 22 years.

And the drama was to take place at Lords – a befitting venue for an occasion of such titanic magnitude!

And all this before a wet outfield delayed the start of the game, much to the agony of a packed Lords. The conditions, gloomy and overcast, didn’t require too much thought over what the teams would favor to choose on winning the toss. MSD’s call at the spin of the coin was probably one of the few calls that went India’s way yesterday.

After an alarming batting performance against Somerset, it probably wouldn’t have been the greatest start to the series to have the top order up against the world’s leading swing bowler in overcast conditions.

But having said that, the Indian bowlers never really came across as attempting to use the conditions – especially through the tricky first one hour of play – to their favor. The lengths weren’t full enough, the pace was a few yards short, and the lines never really made the batsman play.

The best of the Indian bowlers, Zaheer Khan, who hasn’t played first class cricket in a long time, seemed like the only one who could trouble the openers, both left-handed and within Zaheer’s zone of predatory instincts. The English openers were happy to graft and leave during the first hour of play. It took a ball that zipped on to Cook’s pads, after he moved considerably across his stumps, to create India’s first breakthrough of the day in the 11th over. Getting rid of the dangerous Cook, for a few paltry runs, was pretty much about the only positives of the day for the Indians.

Zaheer's hamstring pull was the last thing MSD would've envisioned

Zaheer’s bunny Strauss stayed in, after getting through the difficult initial session before his attempt to pull a ball wide outside off-stump was top-edged to safely land in to the hands of Ishant Sharma at fine leg, who barely had to move. The English skipper would definitely look back at that shot with disgust, especially after having got through the tricky passages of play during session one.

What surprised me, and many to my knowledge, is the positioning of Dravid at first slip all day. There was a belief that he was standing too deep, a thought that was reflected during the Caribbean tour by many. This theory was justified when Trott was dropped twice – both difficult chances. The first was off the bowling of Harbhajan Singh, when an outside edge died down on its path to first slip. Maybe if Dravid was closer, he would have clung on to it – nobody can doubt his test catching record! He is the best in the business.

The second chance was probably more Dhoni’s than it was Dravid’s. Zaheer’s around the wicket approach to Trott, a tactic that worked so well with right handed batsmen during India’s previous tour to England back in 2007, enticed the number three batsman to have a poke at a ball that was moving away from him. The outside edge flew between Dhoni and Dravid, who once again might have clung on to it had Dhoni not initially appeared to go for the catch, which in all common logic, he should have. It was quite evident once again that first slip was positioned a touch too deep as the ball died down on its way.

Whether India will live to regret dropping Trott twice will be evident soon after he battled his way to a half century. Trott, England’s most consistent batsman over the last 18 months, proved his worth once again by neutralizing England’s early setback of losing both their openers with a gritty knock. Trott has always looked calm and assured at the crease, and he did leave Dhoni plenty to think about. Trott’s strengths on the leg-side invoke most captains into setting a stronger leg side field for him, which would mean that the slip cordon would be trimmed by one. The frustration on Ishant’s face was vivid when Trott edged one down to the third man boundary, a trajectory that 3rd slip would have happily settled for any day.

Unglamorous, but effective - Jonathon Trott

It is still early days in this test match, and MSD will surely look back at this day as one where many an opportunity was buried. Kevin Pietersen looked vulnerable on the front foot, and had it not been for Zaheer’s injury, India might have scalped another couple of wickets before play was called off due to bad light.

In hindsight, the first day of play didn’t quite live up to the build up to this test match. With the weather forecast not looking too promising over the next few days, this test match could well be about the battle of morale. With Zaheer’s absence inevitable, the Indian think-tank has plenty to ponder over.

It should be an interesting second day.

India Tour of England: Perspective Visiting Camp

Posted: July 20, 2011 by The CouchExpert in Cricket, India in England 2011
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4

 Goutham Chakravarthi

 2o July 2011 

Bangalore

2011 was always going to be an important year in the annals of Indian test cricket. With tours to South Africa, England and Australia, this year was going to be the judging yardstick for this MS Dhoni’s team. The British media has already billed the summer to be its best cricket-wise since the Ashes summer of 2005. Dhoni’s men recognize this and more. They will look to keep their reputation and ranking intact come 13th of August – and also of not having lost a series to England since 1996.

Zaheer and Ishanth have a huge part to play for India to win

The media hype surrounding the Lord’s test is nothing short of that around the last Harry Potter movie world-wide premier earlier this month. With all the frenzy around Tendulkar’s imminent 100th hundred, India quietly will be confident of doing well. We hear the same stories of Indians struggling with pace and bounce, but this team for all its Asian inadequacies has won tests in Perth, Durban, Johannesburg, Trent Bridge, Kingston and Hamilton in the last five years. If anything, they have proved to be a better batting side than most give them credit for. They weren’t given much chance in South Africa earlier this year but came within a Kallis masterpiece of winning the series there. Also that they have been a settled unit for a number of years means that they have toured a lot and are not alien to English conditions as some would like us to believe. They will know what to expect when Strauss flips the coin on Thursday morning.

Englandhave had a great run under Flower. So have India under Dhoni so much so his win-record at this stage of his career puts him among the game’s elite. Englandwith its seemingly endless pool of fast-bowling riches and a very strong top 7 will test the Indians all round. But it takes only one strong batting performance for theories to be questioned and doubts to creep in. India has a history of batting for long time when they go well which will seriously test England’s four bowler theory at some point or the other over the next four Tests.

Which brings us to pitches. Pitches with life can make this a memorable series. Two strong batting sides playing high-scoring dull draws on flat tracks will be a terrible waste of the skill on display. Anderson and Tremlett will want to put their skills to test with a bit of help from the wicket against the seemingly impenetrable batting techniques of Dravid and Tendulkar. Laxman has had a remarkable last couple of years and will want to leave a mark on this series. He is the man India turns to, to get difficult runs and he seems to relish scoring them when most needed. And on the most difficult of wickets.

The bowling team would also prefer result oriented wickets as it will bring all its bowlers into equation which is largely Zaheer Khan dependent otherwise. It will be series where Ishanth Sharma is expected lend solid support to Zaheer with the new ball following a renaissance of sorts in the Caribbean. The third seamer, like withEngland, is a hard nut to crack. While Munaf would be ideal to follow behind Zaheer and Ishanth with his steady guile, Sreeshanth and Praveen Kumar offer wicket taking options. Indiawill do well not to forget Sreeshanth bowling them to victories in Johannesburg and Durban. And Harbhajan will want to out do Swann.

Even with all the experience India are often caught cold in the first test of a series –Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa in the last few years. They were found wanting in the first Test at Jamaica last month only to be saved the embarrassment by Harbhajan and Rain. Almost tellingly, Charl Willoughby caught them cold at Taunton in the practice game last week. How India fares in the first Test will perhaps play a huge part in the overall outcome of the series.

While cricket will celebrate a huge landmark by turning 2000 test matches old, it is apt that the various skills that make it remarkable will be on display – Rahul Dravid, Trott and Cook with patience; Tendulkar and Pietersen with aggression; Laxman and Bell with grace and flair; Strauss and Gambhir with grit; Dhoni and Morgan with raw power; Anderson and Zaheer with craft and bend, Tremlett and Ishanth with steep bounce; Swann and Harbhajan with loop, guile and deceit. These people have shown that you can be a world beater by doing your deed your own way which is a credit to game of test cricket itself.

Romance of the occasion aside, I pick India to pip England2-1.

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