The resurgence of Australia and sinking of Pakistani ship

It is second last day of 2016. Australian team is in huddle at MCG, Nathan Lyon is singing the Australian victory song. Pakistani faces are forlorn. They just can't believe what they witnessed. They managed to lose the unlosable. Australia were only 22 ahead in first innings going into the fifth day. "Surely, we can't mess this up. This one, we got under control."

But, it wasn't.

Pakistan imploded to give Australia the series. This is their 11th consecutive loss against Australia in Australia. This is their 5th consecutive loss against any team. They are in complete disarray. A dream of becoming number one test side seems like a generation ago. They don't look anywhere close to it. At least, not today.

I saw Post-match presentation. Misbah is distraught. He is just playing with his beard while answering the questions. Such a calm person he is. The best captain, Pakistan has ever produced. He looks torn, defeated, tired. This series loss might mean that we have already seen the last of him. He managed to lift a homeless side to number one test rankings. Hell, yeah. However short it was, it was the most beautiful moment in their cricket history. Thank you, Misbah for that.

Today, He seemed completely broken. Is it time for him to go? I don't know. Only he can answer that. The magnitude of services he has provided to Pakistan surely can't be measured through these last five matches. He is the messiah of Pakistan cricket. He taught Pakistan to dream big. I believe, there is some unfinished business left of him and he can still carry this Pakistani team. But, this is strictly my personal view. (Though statisticians, logistics and most of the experts will disagree with me here).

Au contraire, Australia are flying at this moment. There couldn't have been a better ending to their year. They were sinking, having lost the test series against Sri Lanka and South Africa, they were on the verge of firing everyone. Today, they look as fresh and potent as ever. They look unstoppable. I would like to add here that "Even after so much speculations about Australian cricket in October-November period, they have won 10 of their last 17 matches". If that is bad, I will be damned.

Steve Smith had a terrific year as batter, captain. Second time in his career, he managed to push his test average to over 60. He has made run-scoring ridiculously easy. He absolutely loves batting at MCG. He averages 127 in tests there. He has not been dismissed for last 397 runs at MCG. He has already made 17 test centuries in only 49 tests. His captaincy has been spot on. I just love watching him captain this Australian side.

Overall, it was an amazing test match. I am looking forward to dead rubber at SCG in the new year. Pakistan would like to do a fresh beginning in 2017 and forget about this nightmare. They surely have it in them. They just need to believe.

2016 was one of those years, where everlasting cricket memories were made. Many teams had their swing of luck and cricketing momentum had its last say.

This is my last blog entry in 2016. See you all in 2017. For now, let's congratulate Australia, who deserve the central stage.

An Ashwin Nightmare

This is what England were dreading for. Getting spanked and outclassed completely and not being able to compete against India. Finally, the inevitable and inescapable arrived. Probably a little later than most thought, but it came nonetheless.

The signs were clear from The oval test itself where England failed to win the series against Pakistan after being 2-1 up. The problems stayed hidden as they kept on avoiding losing series one after another. First against Pakistan, then against Bangladesh. Though, a drawn series in India would have meant heaven for Cook and co., it was difficult beyond wildest imagination. I still feel, they should have won by 2-1 or 3-1 against Pakistan and 2-0 against Bangladesh. Failures to do so meant only one thing: Getting drubbed against India.

They did get drubbed against India.

The final punch came at Wankhede just within half an hour of play on 5th day. Ashwin completing the formalities and sparing England more pain of watching the limping batting performance. He finished with a match figures of 12 wickets and the best by an indian spinner at Wankhede.

The series didn't start as badly as many expected. They were able to put India under tremendous pressure at Rajkot and It was India who had to save the game there. But, as the series moved on, the fight eroded and slowly became non-existent.

Let us talk about England. There are just too many problems to be written here. Batting, bowling, catching, strange team selections, everything else. Hardly, anything seems right. Talk about batting. If not for lower middle order, they have made a habit of losing half their side on sub-100 scores over last couple of years only to see themselves being dragged to a respectable total by the lower order. Just because you were able to swim to an island after crashing your ship regularly in the middle of an ocean, will you consider yourself a good sailor? Just because you are able to avoid death after frequent car accidents, will you brag about your driving skills? A question, which England batters need to ask themselves.

Bowling wise, they are unsure of their combination. To play third spinner or not, they keep on experimenting and failing. Though to be fair, they have dearth of quality spinners and neither Batty nor Ansari seemed to take wickets or control the flow of runs in the chances they were given. They were completely outplayed in terms of skills by their counterparts Ashwin, Jadeja and Jayant. Neither Anderson, nor Woakes could make any inroads throughout this tour. Indian batters kept on piling huge scores and England just were not able to match that. Dropped catches didn't help the cause either. If you drop Kohli, like they did on several occasions in this series, you will have to pay a heavy price.

They did pay heavy price for that. They dropped Kohli at Vizag, Mohali and at Mumbai and got punished heavily.

India on the other hand are flying. They are deservedly number one test side in the world. Everything seems to be working for them. Kohli in the form of his life, Ashwin: no words to describe with. With useful and significant contributions from Vijay, Pujara, Jadeja, Jayant they look like the most dangerous side in the world right now. It will be very very difficult for any opposition to topple them in their conditions. They have just too many match-winners at this stage. Have a look at the following stats: They have gone 17 Consecutive Tests unbeaten, which equals their record when did the same between September 1985 and March 1987; they have also won 5 Successive series, which also equals their record. These numbers clearly indicate why India has become such a great test team. They may become all-time greatest test XI if they continue what they are doing. They have an inspirational captain in the form of Virat Kohli whose never-say-die attitude has rubbed off on the shoulders of others and the team really looks hungry for success.

Coming to the title of this blog: Ashwin. Whatever I will say in his praise won't even scratch the surface of what he has done for India in last 15 months. There is a famous quote: "You can argue against stats, but you won't win". Look at following: Ashwin after 43 test matches at this stage already has 7 ten-wicket hauls, only one behind Anil Kumble, 24 Five-wicket hauls for Ashwin, which is on third place in India's all-time list, after Kumble (35) and Harbhajan Singh (25). 12/167 Ashwin's match haul in this match, the best for India at the Wankhede. He has taken 15 Five-fors in Tests for Ashwin in the last two years, which the highest for any bowler in two successive calendar years. Muralitharan took 14 on two occasions - in 2000-01 and 2006-07. Talk about consistency. Here it is. He has become a real nightmare for opposition batsmen.

After this series, both teams will be exactly on the opposite side of the spectrum. While India are getting better and better, crushing opposition after opposition, England on the other hand are always finding a way to attract troubles. Nothing seems to be working for them. England's potential is huge, but the rewards remain unseen. The team is really struggling right now. But, rather than disappointment and frustration, it is time for reflection for them. They need to take a few hard decisions and there is no reason why they can't rise again.

Next series for India is against Australia at home. Beware Aussies, An Ashwin nightmare awaits for you too.

Batting collapses and fading Australian legacy

Today morning, I woke up momentarily at 05:00 AM to check out the score at Bellerive Oval, Hobart. I had put the computer to sleep last night for precisely the same reason. I watched the score. It was 135/4. Khawaja and Voges were the batsmen dismissed today. I said to myself, "They will be okay. Smithy is still there. Let us sleep for now, and watch the game in the last session after waking up." I dozed off to sleep again. While going to sleep, I was thinking, "Can Australia do it? Can they save this one? Can they get away with being blown away for 85? Will rain save them this time? Can they give Proteas a challenging total?". Then I answered myself cautiously, "Of course, they can. Because that's what they do." They are supposed to take away the happiness of opposition and they are known as "The Invincibles" for no other reason.

Except there was no last session. I woke up again at 08:00 AM. Even the post-match presentation was over. Abbott and Rabada scythed through the Australian middle order. I watched the scoreboard. It was all over a long back. Australia had last last 8 wickets for 32 runs. Another batting collapse. These batting collapses are becoming more common in Australian cricket than the lurking seagulls. 16 Australian batsmen were dismissed in single digit score in this match. Last time it happened was against England at the Oval in 1912. So long for more than 100 year record. Australian faces were forlorn, while South African dressing room was effervescent and they were chuffed. Now-a-days, the whole Australian batting lasts shorter than the length of a T20 game. They are struggling against pace, spin, swing and what-nots. The defensive technique of a lot of Australian batsmen is questionable. They seem to find more demons in the pitch than a horror movie.

They have now lost 5 tests in a row. They got whitewashed against Sri Lanka 3-0. Then, the response which from the Australian dressing room was "poor technique against spin". Now, they have lost in their own den against Rabada and co. It was certainly not a minefield. De Kock and Bavuma showed how to bat on the very same track one day ago. Had rain not intervened, Australia would have lost the test in 2.5 days. (Knowing this fact would send a shiver down the spine of Australian dressing room).

They surely passed (or call it Anti-surpass, to be fair) a lot of records in this humiliating loss. This was their first loss by innings at home since 2010-11. (That was against England in Ashes). They made sub-100 score in the first innings. This had not happened since 1984. (Breaking a 32 year old barricade). They have now lost three consecutive home series against South Africa. This was the first innings win by South Africa against Australia in Australia. They lasted a total of 558 balls during this entire test match, which is their second least in a test at home in last 100 years. Losing 8 wicket for 32 runs in their joint worst collapse in history. Total runs scored by Australia was 246 in this Test match, which is their sixth lowest at home in tests.

Before this series began, there was a lot of talk about the ability of South Africa to challenge Australia on their own turf without their star batsman AB Devilliers and star bowler Dale Steyn. South Africa have shut every one up by blowing Australia away even without them. They seem to have found their test match rhythm and look like a serious force to reckon with. They seem to have left behind the absence of legends like Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher etc. They don't even seem to be missing AB and Dale at this moment. Everything seems to be working for them. First white-washing Australia 5-0 in ODI series at home and then clinching the test series without breaking much sweat in Australia.

I have grown up watching Australian Cricket as relentless hounds, who give you nightmares if you ever come in their way. They used to have so many match-winners. The pride of Baggy Green was enormous. I secretly wished I had one "Baggy Green" under my pillow while sleeping. I have never seen a Australian Cricket team in so much turmoil and self-doubt. It seems as if they have forgotten how to win games of cricket. The legacy of great "Australian Cricket" is fading, that is for sure. A cancer seems to be have spread in it. It remains to be seen how long it lasts. They seem to be trying everything within their power to turn it around. It just isn't working. World cricket needs a strong Australian side. They have set the standard so high for the beautiful game we love. Their dominance during 1990s and 2000s was one of the breakthrough period for any team in any kind of sports. Gone are those days.

Fun Fact: One biggest anomaly in world of cricket is Australia have not beaten South Africa in Australia since 2005, while South Africa have not beaten Australia in South Africa since 1970. These are the things, which make cricket the most romantic game in the whole world and bring smile to my face.

Hobart is empty now. Spectators have gone while talking about the batting collapse of Australia on their way home. Australian dressing room is silent. They are wandering around in the dressing room wondering what went wrong. Whole social media is buzzing with explanations of defeat and blaming selectors, coaches, staffs, captain and players. Not much need to mark this moment as these are the sights becoming increasingly common in Australian cricket.

A special day for Bangladesh, A horrible day for England

The day was October 30, 2016. England's last wicket, Steven Finn fell and they embraced a defeat of 108 runs against the 9th rank team in the world. There were smiles, handshakes and selfies being taken in Bangladesh's dressing room. It was Bangladesh's bowling coach Courtney Walsh's birthday. Bangladesh chose to give him the best gift he could have asked for. A test win against one of the top test teams in the world at the moment: England. On the other hand, England's dressing room was calm and everyone was looking at sky or ground or their shoes wondering what the hell exactly happened. Everyone was looking at life in retrospect. Such was the severity of the defeat. Losing 10 wickets in 22.2 overs in a single session against Bangladesh: That is what had unfolded in Mirpur.

There was a time not so long ago, that people used to shrug their shoulders when any team used to do well against Bangladesh and used to say, "But, it is only Bangladesh!!!". Gone are those days now. Bangladesh have developed into a potent team at their home. Yeah, they will struggle in alien conditions and it will take quite some time and a lot of wins away from home when everyone considers them a serious test team. But, in their own backyard, they have undoubtedly reached that stage. It was their first test win against any team other than eroded Zimbabwe and heavily under-strength West Indies. They easily could have won this series 2-0, had their not been a divine interaction in the form of Ben Stokes at Chittagong.

When England won at Chittagong, it was so easy to dismiss the idea that it was a fluke that Bangladesh even came so close to team like England, but those who follow test cricket closely knew otherwise in their hearts. Bangladesh were almost as good as England in Chittagong, but just failed to cross the line. At Mirpur, they completely outplayed England in all three departments. As an England cricket fan, The worst part of this defeat was knowing the plain, ugly truth that "At the end of the day, better team won". It was almost unimaginable and unbearable.

Bangladesh look like a very formidable opponent at their home. In the likes of Tamim, Kayes, Mushfiqur, Shakib, Mustafizur and Mehedi, they already have got the core of a very competent test side. They looked comfortable against the English spinners. They scored at a rapid rate against the new ball. The only worry which was ostensibly visible was their inexperience against the reverse swing with the old-ball. They look to counter that very soon. With a little bit of work, they can challenge test teams on a regular basis. They deserve full credit for that. Their fans needed this win. This was a special moment in the cricket-crazy country.

Coming back to England, it was an absolute disgrace. Many will say, "Yeah, well. It was a good day for test cricket." World cricket needs a strong Bangladesh, blah, blah, blah. But, World cricket needs a strong England side too. England probably spends more money on their cricket budget in one week than Bangladesh does in one whole year. England sends their teams to Asia on Lions and A-teams tour. There is absolutely no excuse for this defeat. Granted that they got undone by a young debutant Mehedi Hasan, but he was nothing England were not prepared for. He doesn't have variations of Ajmal or Ashwin. He undoubtedly bowled well throughout the series, but against England he was made to look like an absolute genius. England played him as if they are playing off-spin for the first time. On the other hand, England's spinners were nowhere near world-class and gave too many release balls. They were never able to quite build up the pressure.

Batting-wise, their team selection was terrible. Perhaps they do not know, who their best 7 batters are. Giving Gary Ballance so many opportunities in spite of the fact that he doesn't belong there at this moment is completely outrageous. Ben Duckett looked fine, but his catching was school-grade. It is just too much to ask Stokes to do everything. Root had a bad series, so did Cook. But other batters just couldn't step up on the occasion and this scenario is becoming increasingly familiar in English cricket. They are always left to wonder about "Only if" of the moments they could have seized. England do have some of the best stuffs in the test cricket world. Their reverse-swinging skills with the old-ball, the depths in their bowling and batting are outstanding. They have a stock of all-rounders at test cricket level in the form of Woakes, Stokes and Ali. Unfortunately, these disasters keep on happening with them more than any other team in the world.

No doubt, there are so many low-points in England cricket file. Jamaica (2009), Lord's (against Netherlands in 2009), Bangalore (against Ireland in 2011), the UAE (against Pakistan in 2012), Chittagong (against Netherlands again in 2014), First round elimination in 2015 world cup, Whitewashes in 2006-07 and 2013-14 Ashes. This name of Dhaka on October 30, 2016 must be added to that list, that is for sure. It was indescribably poor. Personally, It often frustrates me watching England lose like this. But, they keep on doing that. I am actually dreading to know that if Bangladesh was a trailer of this horror show, what is going to happen to them when they visit India in 2 weeks? It could be a very very long series for them. India are undeniably the best team in their home conditions. I am expecting a nice competent series, most of them will depend on how much they learnt from Dhaka.

Ben Stokes : England have got a new Botham

Ben stokes, the fire starter. Ben Stokes, the game-changer. Ben Stokes, the star of the future. Yes. England have got someone from Durham who they can count on to win games of cricket. At the time of writing this, Ben Stokes is certainly proving to be one of the faces and gems of so called "New England". Yesterday, he took 26 for 4 in 10 overs in city of Chittagong. Where none of the pacers were able to hold their line and length, Stokes displayed extra-ordinary skills, causing the old ball to reverse it both ways and then later on the day, when England were in tatters at 62-5, made brilliant 85 to save the day. He certainly could be the best all-rounder England ever produced.

I first noticed him in WACA test 2013-14. If memory serves me right, It was perhaps only his second test. England were battling hard to save the match and the series. Cooky had got out on first ball duck. The defeat was almost inevitable. There were large cracks on the pitch. Lyon's deliveries pitching on middle stump were going to the leg slip. Stokesy produced a remarkable 120 there. It was a special knock from a special emerging player. Though England lost the series 5-0, they had got a superstar in the form of Ben.

Born in Canterbury, New Zealand, His father, Ged Stokes, was a rugby league player and coach. Ben could have been an All-Black easily, but he chose to come to England to pursue his cricket career. It certainly has not been an easy ride for him. In the beginning, he was termed as the problem child of England's cricket. He was the kid who was sent home from Lions tour, he was the kid who managed to miss the world T20 after smashing his hands on on locker, he was the kid who was dropped just before the 2015 Cricket world cup because of poor form with bat and ball. An England run of 43 runs in 12 innings in all formats, with six ducks, at an average of 3.60 in the beginning of his career raised so many eye-brows. He managed to get out in most spectacular of fashions and in Abu Dhabi, it was his wicket which led England to slow down in the pursuit of victory. But, past is past. He now seems to have matured drastically well. He has shown promises to be of someone in the leagues of Botham, Kallis, Freddie. He might become the best all rounder of his time. Stokes is a cricketer who, with bat, ball and in the field, is capable of altering games in circumstances where few can. Each of his test centuries have come at times, when England needed them deseperately.

He has grown into a solid test batsman who can bat in top 6 and a genuine third seamer. He plays like a test batsman. In the starting days, he used to have doubt about this defensive technique and often used to self-destruct. But, now he is becoming a solid and reliable player very rapidly. Capetown, 2016. England were in trouble with 167-4. He came and smashed the second fastest double ton in the history of the game and the fastest by an Englishman by an astronomical distance. He ripped apart the South African attack in their own backyard. Lords 2015. England vs New Zealand first test. England were in huge trouble with 30-4. Led by McCullum, New Zealand were all over England. He came and made a brilliant counter attacking 92 in the first innings before smashing the fastest hundred at the Mecca of cricket in the second innings.

Bowling wise, he is still evolving. But, he has already produced a lot of match-winning spells for England in test cricket. Trent Bridge 2015, Fourth Ashes test. He showed immense display of skills and took a 6-36 to hand England an unassailable 3-1 lead. He has often worked as a partnership breaker and has contained the batsmen in a lot of spells so as to give a breathing space for Jimmy and Broady. With his reverse swinging skills as a bowler, he has become a huge asset in the bowling. As a fielder, he is as good as it gets. Remember catching AB on the boundary to win an ODI game for England, that catch at Trent Bridge in 2015, which caused "Awe" of Stuart Broad in the mind-blowing spell.

His test averages are far from amazing. A test batting average of 33 and bowling average of over 35 might look like very ordinary, but these numbers will never tell you the full story and the impact he creates by being in the field in an England's shirt. Although he remains a work-in-progress, there is no denying from the fact that the work is a very impressive one.

Ben Stokes is an equally capable limited over cricketer. Apart from the disaster of 2016 T20 world cup finals, he has been very consistent in the death overs for England throughout. He is a genuinine wicket-taker and he was the Man of the Series in the recently concluded ODI series win of England over Bangladesh. He produced his maiden ODI hundred in the toughest of asian conditions and his six-hitting abilities are as good as any. He is a leader on-and-off the field and "his presence in the England dressing room causes a lot of energy" as described by England's assitant coach Paul Farbrace. He is proper team-man and he is well on the way of becoming the best all-rounder since Sir Ian Botham.

This is just the beginning of Ben Stokes miracles. He is the all-rounder England needed and like they say, "An all-rounder's work is never done." Way to go Stokesy.

India 3, New Zealand 0

India completed their whitewash of New Zealand yesterday. It was supposed to happen. It happened. It was as if it was inevitable. New Zealand are one of the most improved sides in the world in last 2-3 years. Everyone believed that they can threaten India in India. But, they couldn't. It was not meant to be.

All three games almost followed a set pattern. India winning all three tosses, opting to bat first in all of them. In Kanpur(which is my current hometown), India won the toss and made an okay looking 318. It was not supposed to be enough. New Zealand were 255-5 at one stage and they collapsed to 262. To me, that was the series defining moment. New Zealand could never really recover from that trauma over next two matches. They just went straight downhill from there. India simply crushed them in second innings by setting a target of 434 runs. Defeat was inevitable. 1-0 up. It was India's 500th test match. Way to make a history.

In Kolkata, things were expected to change. But, they didn't. India again won the toss and made 316. The only other time they made 316 in Kolkata, they had lost to England in 2012. This time, they were around 100 above par. England were a storm that time with KP and cooky on absolute fire. New Zealand are a struggling team at the moment. They collapsed to 204 and that was the game. They did come back with the ball in second innings and had India at 43 for 4 at one stage and then once again let India get away with it. Saha completely changed his status from a wicket-keeper to a solid no. 7 batsman in this match. India can count on him it seems, when it comes down to batting with the tail. This win was more important as the final script was written by Indian fast bowlers rather than duo of Ashwin-Jadeja. India showed quality of fast bowling and their seamers destroyed kiwis this time. 2-0 up. Series done and dusted.

In Indore, India completed the annihilation of kiwis. They lost just 8 wickets in the match and beat New Zealand by 321 runs, their second biggest win in terms of number of runs. Kohli and Rahane batted them out of the game in the first innings itself. From there on, it was just matter of time. Kohli got his second double century as captain. He is really having an outstanding time as test team captain. Rahane, simply brilliant. Gambhir's comeback was quite nice too. He did contribute with quick-fire 50 in second innings, which set the tone of the declaration. Pujara finally getting a ton after getting out between 50-100 so many times. Then, Ashwin doing the rest of the ceremony. Ashwin picked up 13 for 140 in the match, his best figures in a test ever. He finished with 27 wickets in 3 matches, which is second only to Harbhajan singh's 32 wickets in 3 match series (against Australia in a memorable series in 2001). He picked up his 21st five-wicket haul, his sixth ten-wicket match haul, his seventh Player of the Match award and seventh Player of the Series award - fourth in a row - as well. There probably isn't a more influential cricketer anywhere in the world today. Certainly no one has played a bigger part in India securing the No. 1 Test ranking. He is just having an amazing period and India are flourishing because of it. It is such a great period in Indian test cricket history.

Let us all be clear. New Zealand didn't lose the test series, because they lost all three tosses. They didn't lose because Williamson was not available in the second test at Kolkata. They didn't lose because they are without McCullum. They lost simply against a better team. India are a master of their home conditions and it would have taken a miracle from their batters to avoid this whitewash. Although, poor forms of Guptill, Williamson, Taylor and Watling didn't help the cause. Watling is under radar now. He hasn't scored as many runs as he would have liked to for a while now. Taylor too. For Williamson, it was a rare failure. Guptill showed glimpses of his form at Indore. Sadly, glimpses don't win you games. Hundreds and five-fors do. New Zealand lacked both of them.

Coming to New Zealand's spin trio of Jeetan Patel, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi (Craig was injured), they are simply too inexperienced in Indian conditions. Santner is young and this tour will be one hell of a boost for him as a learning experience. Neesham deserves to be given a long run in the side for that all-rounder slot. He looked okay while batting in first innings in Indore. All-in-all, New Zealand have got a lot on their plate right now, and Mike Hesson needs to address these issues quickly. I believe they will provide a better challenge in five match ODI series which is going to start from 16th October, 2016. They have got some quality players of limited over cricket and it is going to be an exciting series.

So, New Zealand white-washed. England is next. Can't wait for that series to start.

An Apology Letter to AB

Dear AB

The whole purpose of writing this letter is to formally apologize to you for not considering you as the best batsman in the world. Throughout last years, I failed to see your greatness over and over again. I was perhaps blinded, I was under illusion, I was envious, I was irrationally wrong.

I know there has always been a personal battle of me with myself every time I doubted your abilities to turn the game on your own. I exaggerated the times you failed and skimmed over the times you were exceptional. Numerous times, I have been arguing with anyone I could find to tell that you aren't the best. I am so so sorry. Today, I fully commit to the fact that you are the best batsman the world has produced and it will remain so.

It all started perhaps in 2007 world cup in West Indies. You got 4 ducks in the world cup ( A world record). I seemed to remember those ducks and forgot the fact that you still managed a batting average of more than 40 in that world cup. You used to hurt India and England a lot, which I despised so much. It all began there. Every time, I used to admire some team, you used to destroy them. It all compounded slowly and I kept on getting farther and farther from you. I hardly liked any team you used to play for. South Africa, they come so low down in my priority list. Delhi Daredevils: They were okay, but I never quite loved them. Royal Challengers Bangalore: I don't like them at all. CPL: It started recently only and I had already developed so much envy for you. I never really connected myself to you at any level and I always used to pray for your failures. I loved Tendulkar, Sehwag, Ponting, Pietersen, McCullum, Sangakkara, Kallis, Dravid, Cook, Clarke etc. and just the mere thought that some youngster from a rural town of Pretoria can match these legends was so scary to me. I was obsessed with those players so much that I couldn't see the light inside you for so many years. I wanted you to fail so that those players remain superstars to me. I was wrong. Greatness can be achieved by anyone, who believes. You proved it to me. Despite hating you so much for so many years, there always has been an idea at the back of my mind that you have pushed Cricket to an entirely different level. I secretly admired your greatness although never showed it to anyone. I believe that If anyone wants to see the future of cricket, they don't have to look anyone beyond you.

I have been watching this most beautiful game of all: Cricket for last 16 years of my life. Never saw anything like you, and it is very less likely that I will see anything like you in future. When I watch you doing miracles with such ease, all other players look so silly. It is ridiculous to even think about the fact that they all are paid to do the same which you do remarkably easily. You are undoubtedly the greatest batsman of our times. Never seen anyone as inspirational as you. I had a dream once that there were interplanetary cricket matches going on and you went to represent earth.

I used to hate the way you used to lift the bat in hockey style. "Someone who lifts bat like that. Nah. They must fail. This ain't hockey, mate. That is not proper batsman-ship.", this is the conversation I used to have with myself. Very recently, I came to know that it came from you playing hockey in school tournaments. I always used to find faults in your technique. He can't do this, He can't do that, he can't play quality spin, he can't play reverse swing, he can't open etc. As mentioned, I have never been more wrong in my life. You are an epitome of greatness. You have extra-ordinary self-belief. I used to get mad when you scored runs. But, truth be told, I used to be angry at myself for not believing in you. It was as if I was at a crossroads. I just couldn't accept the truth that you are better than the rest. I used to hate a version of you before 2008 and kept on hating that person until recently. I have spent so many nights thinking "Where exactly is his weak zone? Why are bowlers so dumb now-a-days? Why can't they figure out a way to get him out?" As it turns out, there is hardly any weak zone and bowlers are certainly good. It is just the plain, uncomplicated truth that they are up against the invincible. They have no way out.

In Cricket, numbers will tell the story. Almost always. 2008, it was. It was a year of self-discovery for you. Till 2008, you had a test batting average of 36 in 33 test matches with 3 centuries. Since 2008, you have averaged 58 in further 73 test matches with additional 18 test centuries. In Odis, you were averaging 36 in 59 One day internationals with 3 centuries till 2008. After 2008, you have averaged 63 in a further 141 Odis with additional 21 centuries.  In cricket, stats are all right, but they never tell the full story. These numbers will never capture precisely your heroics at Wanderers on Jan 18, 2015. They can't tell the brutality of 162 Not Out in world cup 2015. You became South Africa's highest individual scorer for 2 years when you made 278* against Pakistan in their own home. Adelaide Heroics to save the game. Since 2008, none comes close to being a complete batsman as you have been. Both in Tests and Odis combined.

The goal of this letter is to confess my illogical hatred for you throughout these years. I had no idea what you went through. I just thought of you as another brash, arrogant youngster who just smacks the ball mindlessly. I want to say sorry for every single individual time I prayed for your failures. You are truly an inspiration to me and to so many people all across the world. While batting, You can be an artist and a butcher at the same time. You destroy the bowling attack in a few minutes. I have often felt like bowlers don't mind going out of the park if it comes from you. It gives a sense of co-operation. It is ridiculous. But, it is the truth. You are as close to cricketing greatness as it gets. Your batting is so crisp, so pure. It is so hard not to get mesmerized by it. Despite your immense cricketing abilities, hardly I have seen someone so humble as you have been. You are a great batsman and an even better human being. You have always worn your heart on your sleeves. A proud South-African.

When you come out to bat, it opens up the world of possibilities. Every eye watching cricket just lits up. The world starts to wait for the next delivery. The ball can go in any direction for a six. All 360 degrees possible. There is no minus point in your batting. You can bend the laws of nature, of physics, of time. I have a feeling that you can bat and make hundreds at Moon, Mars or anywhere else where mankind can imagine to go.

Coming back to present, I have been blessed to have watched you bat in your 100th test at Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore. Today, I feel sad that you couldn't get a 100 there despite coming so close. I was a little worried at that time that you will bat India out of the game. Sorry. On the other hand, I feel so lucky to have spent 2 years of my life in Bangalore. A city, which loves you so so much. It is your home far away from home and watching you bat has certainly been one of the highlights of my cricketing life.

I have a request to make AB: Please continue playing cricket as long as you can. You were born for it. I have the same dream as you that you will run out the last batsman while fielding at covers in an ICC world cup finale to give Proteas their first world cup ever. I hope it happens. I will be so glad for you. I will cheer for you. I will have tears of happiness for you. Some day. Yeah, One day AB.

--From a true Fan
Pawan.

What is Australia's problem?

 Another defeat for Australia on Asian soil. Now it looks like just another day at office. Last seven times they have played here, they have been on losing side on all occasions. 0-4 against India, 0-2 against Pakistan and now 0-1 against modest Sri Lankan side.

  Australian cricket has been working so hard to earn wins on Asian soils. They send their players to India, they send them to other parts of the world where the ball turns, they played Australia A series in India last year. They have been trying to conquer this summit for so long and yet they seem so far away from it. Losing to India in their home is not a news to any cricket nation. After all, India were having MS Dhoni, a fully charged Ashwin, and a superstar in making Virat Kohli. Same goes for Pakistan. They ran into the red hot form of two veterans Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq who brutally shut them out. But, this loss in Sri Lanka is going to haunt them for a while. This was against a team, who have not played good test cricket in last 6-8 months. Sri Lanka have been beaten by Pakistan, England and India quite comprehensively. They are a team in making. Mighty Australia got run over by a 21 year old Mendis and a debutant this time. This is different.

  Sri Lanka and Australia started playing test cricket against each other in 1983. Sri Lanka never tasted a single win against them until 1999. It took 16 years for Sri Lanka to win against them for the first time. Since then, it was only the second time Sri Lanka managed to win against Australia. They are yet to beat them in Australia.
 
  It is a famous quote in Sports, "Defeat always hurts. The intensity of the pain is directly proportional to the manner in which it is achieved". The game started in which everyone anticipated. Bowling Sri Lanka out for 117. After all, It is Australia. It is what they do. Beating teams. Then, they lost the advantage by gaining a moderate lead of 86 runs, which should have been enough considering the fragile and inexperienced batting lineup of Sri Lanka. They were expecting a moderate target of 100 runs around in fourth innings. That is where things went all wrong. Kusal Mendis arguably played the best test innings of the year. On a pitch, where hardly anyone got a 50, he made a daddy ton. Sri Lanka needed it more than ever. He was the difference between the sides.

Australia have got a lot of work to do. David Warner can be excused for his 0 and 1 due to lack of match practice. Mitchell Marsh showed glimpse of future before making silly errors both times. Steve Smith was solid in second innings. Voges has hardly fired when the team needs from him. First poor Ashes and now two moderate innings in Asia. Though he murdered West Indies and New Zealand, but these are the conditions in which Australia need him most. Khawaja and Burns were outstanding in last 6-7 test matches. Australia also need to figure out their bowling combinations better. When the ball doesn't swing much, their attack lacks bite and penetration. Lyon has been excellent for a while now, but he needs more support from other side. Nevill and SOK almost saved the game from them. But, Australia can't rely on lower order to take them out of trouble. It was third innings which cost them the game.
 
  Sri Lanka celebrated like home-coming warriors. They had earned it. "How the hell did that happen?" This was the question Steve Smith must be asking himself. This is going to take a while to answer. For now, we are ready for Candy.

My Dream Test Teams of England, Australia and India (Period Considered is 2000 - 2016)

Here it is. My dream test XI of Australis, England and India. Let the controversy begin.

My Dream Test Australian XI:

1. Matthew Hayden
2. David Warner
3. Ricky Ponting (c)
4. Steve Smith
5. Michael Clarke
6. Adam Gilchrist (wk)
7. Shane Warne
8. Mitchell Johnson
9. Ryan Harris
10. Jason Gillespie
11. Glenn McGrath
12th Man : Damien Martyn

My Dream Test England XI:

1. Marcus Trescothick
2. Alaistair Cook
3. Joe Root
4. Kevin Pietersen
5. Ian Bell
6. Paul Collingwood (c)
7. Alec Stewart (wk)
8. Andrew Flintoff
9. Greame Swann
10. Stuart Broad
11. James Anderson
12th Man : Jonathan Trott

My Dream Test India XI:

1. Virender Sehwag
2. Gautam Gambhir
3. Rahul Dravid
4. Sachin Tendulkar
5. VVS Laxman
6. Sourav Ganguly (c)
7. MS Dhoni (wk)
8. Anil Kumble
9. Harbhajan Singh
10. Zaheer Khan
11. Ishant Sharma
12th Man : Virat Kohli

I know a lot of you will not agree with some of the players I have included here. For example, Leaving Michael Hussey, Brett Lee, Justin Langer, Michael Bevan, Stuart Macgill, Andrew Symonds etc. from Australian team or Leaving Andrew Strauss, Ashley Giles, Ben Stokes etc. from England team or Leaving Cheteswar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin etc. from Indian team. But, at the point of writing this, I genuinely believe that this is the best team to represent their respective countries. Comments are most welcome if you find some swap of players or their positions in batting order etc.
Thank you. 

World T20 : A quick post mortem

Ahhh. The world cup is over. It came and went too quickly drenching us with moments of joy and sorrow. It enforced the unpredictability of cricket. Again. In one game, 2 runs could not be scored in 3 balls, whereas in other 19 could not be defended in 4 balls. The world cup pushed the whole game further to the zenith of skills, temperament and playing under pressure.

To me, there were six tiers of teams in this world cup. Lowermost tier consisted of Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Although, Afghanistan managed to beat the ultimate winners, West Indies. Still, it will be fair to say that they are still learning about the crafts of T20 against the bigger teams. Bangladesh didn't do much wrong, except they were in group of some serious T20 teams. The only match they could have caused upset was against tournament favorites India which they have not thought before the game began anyway. They surely have come a long way in last couple of years. In Asian conditions, they are as dangerous as anyone. They proved this in Asia cup by defeating Pakistan and Sri Lanka to qualify for the finals.

The next tier of teams consist of Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In their respective groups, they managed to beat the weakest teams and lost against others. Pakistan seemed lost in T20 format since they got whitewashed by England in UAE. They have not looked the same afterwards. Defeat against Bangladesh in Asia cup should have rung the bell of warning. But it was already too late till then for them. To be fair, they had to beat two of teams like Australia, New Zealand and India. Against India, they panicked. Playing very slow and to make up for that Afridi coming ahead of in-form Hafeez. The gamble didn't pay off and they managed way below par score. Against Australia, the bowlers capitulated. It was sheer dumb luck that they were in group in which one team was red hot New Zealand. They have a lot to ponder about. Sri Lanka on the other hand have lost its way after winning the 2014 world cup. They have the least number of wins in T20 internationals in top 8 teams after that. They have not responded well after the retirements of some great players. With Malinga gone, they seem to be a team in state of free fall to me. I won't be surprised if teams like Bangladesh and Afghanistan beat them on consistent basis from now on.

Coming to our next tier of teams, I will place Australia and South Africa on the next level. Their teams have been good. Not great. For most of their T20 history. Both have players who can change the course of a game in the blink of an eye. But, in T20 world cups they have paltry record and have almost nothing to show for. South Africa were disappointing. Leaving Morne Morkel out was a big tactical blunder as per me. He bowled superbly against India in test series here and the valuable experience could have helped South Africa miles in this world event. Poor form of Steyn didn't help. Instead, they burdened young Rabada with too much which he couldn't. It was their bowling which cost them the exit from this world cup. Failure to defend 230 is a crime in T20 cricket. They just managed to defeat Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, none of which are great T20 sides. West Indies blew them away. ABD for all his name was extremely disappointing, which hurt them even more. Coming back to Australia, They are a team of four openers and four all-rounders. Their balance was always going to be an issue. It certainly proved when they were using Warner first at number 4, then at number 3. In greed to use Khawaja at the top of order, they had to sacrifice the brutal power hitting of David Warner. Finch, the world number one T20 international batsman was warming the benches because they hoped that Mitchell Marsh can do some damage control. Australia were all over the place from the beginning. In spite of all these drawbacks, they did quite okay though. They managed an ugly win against Bangladesh. Defeating Pakistan was never going to be issue for them. Against India, it became battle between Kohli and whole Australian team. I also believed that they didn't pick their best XV for the event. Still, sooner or later they will manage to put this behind and emerge out as a good T20 side.

Next level consists of India and New Zealand. Though, New Zealand were better than India in all departments. Only things which helped India to go to top four was brain freeze of Bangladesh batsmen, Sheer brilliance of Dhoni and Kohli. Apart from that, their batsmen struggled almost always. Managing a score of 79 at home is nowhere close to acceptable. India were very rusty throughout their whole campaign. They could never bring out their A game against any of the teams. They were relying on couple of flukes in knockout stages to win the title as they had been poor in group stages. West Indies showed them the exit and rightly so. New Zealand were brilliant I must say. They had one day off which you certainly can't afford at this stage. England outplayed them in the semis. Other than that, they were the team to beat throughout the competition. Defeating India, Australia, Pakistan and Bangladesh in a row is no mean feat for a team outside the subcontinent. They exited the world cup proudly. Usually, they are known to be a side hitting boundaries like West Indies. But, in this world cup. they showed us their other shades. Defending totals and magical spin bowling. In last two world cups, they have only lost two matches which show how far they have come.

Coming to top two levels, the top level is certainly West Indies team. The second best : England. There was not much separating these two other than Braithwhite in one game and Gayle in other. In their first meet, Gayle storm blew the poms away, whereas in the finals, Braithwhite had the best day of his life. In spite of this, England played some superb cricket and were considerably ahead of other teams other than West Indies. Their brand of aggressive cricket caused havoc in opponents. Their batting and bowling both looked equally well. Their death bowling was exceptional on most occasions and they Favorited themselves to chase almost anything thrown to them. This "New England" has a lot of glory moments ahead and they look like a team which is united and have amazing skills and courage. Coming second best will definitely haunt them for a while, but they can be extremely proud to be where they are right now compared to first round exit in last year world cup. They were truly sensational.

West Indies. It looks like they are made for T20 cricket. Their players have loads of experience playing league T20 cricket and it certainly showed in the tournament. They were rusty chasing small totals at times. But when it came to chasing monster totals, they expressed themselves better. They got the better of all teams other than Afghanistan, which they lost making no sense at all. They galloped all targets with their boundary hitting abilities. They certainly make up for dot balls with huge sixes. Their formula is two dot balls and a six is a strike rate of 200. They believe in it. They believe in raw power, not running. Against them, even 19 off 6 was not safe. A team who was on their own with respect to cricket board showed immense character and became the world champions. They truly deserved it and hopefully this title win will give them confidence in longer formats of the game.

The tournament lasted around 3 weeks and it certainly pushed cricket a step further. It was certainly enjoyable and considering that the next one won't be happening for four years, now is the time to look back on this wonderful competition and savor it.

Thanks. 

Please Don't Go Baz

Baz goes. Surprising as it may sound, but he chose to call it a day. There is only one word to describe it : Selflessness. I mean come on. He is a gifted player. No human being on this planet will question his place or his captaincy in coming world cup. Yet, he decided to leave. What else can you call it?

The whole world was lit up by the brand of cricket McCullum led blackcaps played. He demonstrated that aggressive cricket can perfectly co-exist in harmony with the spirit of the game. What Brendon did with New Zealand cricket over the past few years was truly exceptional. He is leaving behind a legacy which has made New Zealand one of the best on cricket field.

As a batsman, he was amazing. When he hit the ball, the ball used to exist at the bat and boundary at the same time. When the bowler was on his mark to bowl to McCullum, you don't want to miss that moment. He was an irresistible force of nature. He forces you to watch cricket. When he is at the crease, anything is possible. Anything. Bowlers have no idea where they are going to be hit next ball. It may be over the point, may be over his head or it may well be going over mid-wicket region. A career spanning 14 years, he gave us some beautiful memories. How can we forget how he completed those tight finishes to clean sweep Australia in 2007 Chappell-Hadlee series. He is the only man on this planet to score two T20 international centuries. He was the first kiwi player to score a triple hundred. He scored more than 300 runs in the recently concluded world cup at a strike rate of 188!!! His 26 ball 59 was the reason South Africa were derailed while defending in the semi finals. He could scoop 155 KPH balls of shaun tait over fine leg, while at the same time he played almost 2 days to save the game from the jaws of defeat.

As a captain, he was right at top. His brand of cricket was infectious. Only England will know how much playing Blackcaps just before Ashes helped them. He took blackcaps to their most amazing ride in their cricket history. World cup finals. Under him, New Zealand were a force to reckon with. Everyone was looking forward to him. Whatever he touched turned to gold.

As a sportsman, he was incomparable. To me, the moment when he went to shake hands with Michael Clarke after he got out when his team has lost the world cup summed it all. Transforming the game while staying humble was McCullum's greatest quality... catching the eye, so was their equal humility in victory and defeat. He always had the right and kind words for the opposition. Even after he hit 25 ball 77 against England in world cup 2015 match, he bode good luck to his dear friend Eoin Morgan.

Why retire? Why at the point when things are going on so well? As Baz said "I think there's something pretty romantic about finishing playing cricket in front of New Zealand crowds and in New Zealand's grounds". McCullum's last international game will be the second test against Australia in Christchurch - the city in which he and his family now live. McCullum has played through back problems for a long time now, but the prospect of spending more time with family was a huge factor in his retirement.

People come and go. But not like him. He is a timeless recipe. Once in a generation. He has made whole New Zealand "Dream Big". I am going to miss him a lot. #Legend

Broad Resurgence

Disclaimer: This conversation is fictitious.

Yesterday, I was talking to a friend, who shares some of my enthusiasm of cricket. I told him that
Broad destroyed the opposition in the series decider. He was unsurprised. All he could say was, "Again???". I couldn't stop my laughter. What does he mean by "Again"? He was right. It is getting repeated too often.

It is obvious that Broad licks his lips by seeing the opposition no more than when it is a series decider, or say If England can win the series by winning that game. He does not win you games in sessions, he wins it within an hour. Want to put that statement to test? Remember, Oval 2009. The series was level by 1-1. England needed to win to regain the Ashes. Broad took 37-5 to help clinch the series. Another one in Chester-le-Street 2013. England were 2 - 0 up in Ashes. They needed one more win to win the ashes. Broad took 71 - 5 and 50 - 6 and destroyed Australia within 2 hours. Trent Bridge 2015. James Anderson was ruled out because of injury. England were 2 - 1 up. One bad game and suddenly momentum would have been with Australia going into the final test. Broad was more lethal beyond my wildest imagination. He was extraordinary, undecipherable. He took one of the best bowling figures in the history. Australia won the toss and chose to bat. At lunch on day 1, England were batting. Ashes done and dusted within 18 overs. The latest instance came at Wanderers. England were 1 - 0 up going in the third test. After first innings, the match was in balance or say skewed in Proteas' favor as England had to bat last on a pitch which had formidable assistance for the fast bowlers.

England had made 323 in reply of South Africa 313. At lunch on day 3, South Africa were 16 - 0 lead by 6 runs. I switched off the television to go and have some snacks. I returned after an hour. I switched on. South Africa were 47 - 7. Defeat was inevitable and inescapable now. Series decided again in one hour. I instantly knew it will be Broad. In the spell after lunch he had taken 5 wickets in 31 balls giving one run (that too came due to the courtesy of dropped catch in slips). He finished on 17-6. South Africa were stunned in the bullring. They are known to create miracle in Wanderers. Not this time. This was a spell from hell.

Next day, Broad was number 1 test bowler in test cricket. I was unsurprised. He was second highest wicket taker in 2015 standing just behind Ashwin. After 2011, he is among top 5 in grabbing the highest number of test wickets. When he is on the song, You cannot escape. He averages 17 against the best batsman in the world (ABD). He has dismissed him on 9 occasions. (Next highest to dismiss him is Peter Siddle(Aus) 6 times). The only batsman he has dismissed was Michael Clarke (11 times), who was also among one of all time greats. He has dismissed the highest scorer in the opposition a record of 44 times. He is on third among highest wicket takers for England, behind Botham and Anderson. Given he is only 29 and the rate at which he is taking his scalps, He may even get past the great Glenn McGrath. McGrath took more than 300 test wickets after he passed 30. Broad trails him only by 233 now. He has won more man of the match awards than anyone (9 times) in whole England camp. (To put that in Perspective, Next highest are Pietersen and Anderson 6 times each). Like Mark Butcher said after the test was over, Is there a better match winner that Stuart Broad?

It is not the case that Broad became a match winner from ordinary bowler overnight. He has been under the scrunity more often than other England players. Everyone doubted his place in playing XI. After all, he was nothing but a support to Jimmy. He always remained in his shadow for far too many years. He averaged over 30 with the ball and around 25 with the bat. What was so special in it? He used to struggle outside England. It was not until 2011 in Nottingham when he achieved another level. England were all out for 221. India were eyeing a big lead at 267- 4. He came and destroyed the Indian batting line up with a hat-trick. His figures read 46 - 6. India were hammered 4 - 0 after that.

There is no doubt that there is still 5-6 years of cricket left under him. There was a fear among England cricket fans regarding the pace bowling after Anderson retires. Broad has ended it. The future of England fast bowling looks bright under him. We have to wait and see. Don't forget to enjoy.