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. 

Johnson Retires from International cricket

Mitchell Guy Johnson retires from international cricket. My hero, one of my favorite bowlers of all time calls it a day. The bowler, who brought back the fear of lethal bouncers. The one, who was unstoppable when in rhythm. Everyone saw what he did to Barmy Army in 2013-14. He ripped apart English batting single-handedly. Once described by Australian great Dennis Lilee as once is a generation cricketer, Mitchell presence with the ball in hand was enough to terrorize the batsmen. At his best, he used to break the

Judging by the numbers alone, he stands among one of the best fast bowlers to have ever played the game. 313 test wickets in 73 matches, 239 ODI wickets in 153 matches and 38 T20 International wickets in 30 matches. Among the Australian fast bowlers, his strike rate of 51.1 is the best in tests among those who have taken minimum of 150 test wickets. But, Johnson was beyond these numbers. What he brought with him on the field cannot be described by these stats. He was like a hurricane. A mayhem. A volcano ready to erupt. The english batsmen who had played the ashes of 2103-14 must be celebrating on the mere thought of not having to face him in future. I still remember the smile on England batsmen's faces, when they lost the Ashes 5-0 in Sydney. At least, it was over. The butchery. The humiliation etc. Those who played him at his best often didn't remain the same mentally. After all, how much a batsman can do? They already worry a lot about his wicket. Now, worry about health too?

He was a crowd-puller. People used to come to watch him bowl those fierce, hostile spells. When he used to run, spectators used to clap in tandem. No batsman used to be sure what missile was coming at him. Around the wicket, his action caused him to be even more lethal. Because of him, often tailenders used to choose a short quick innings instead of hanging around. He won the ICC cricketer of the year two times in 2009 and 2014 as well winning the test cricketer of the year in 2014. Who will forget that spell of 61-8 at WACA when he destroyed South Africa with pace, bounce and terror. He was one of the bowlers, batsmen used to run away from.

Johnson career was full of ups and downs. The intensity which he brought to the game often came at a price. He often struggled with injuries, rhythm. He was almost at his breaking point in 2009 before coming back with a bang rediscovering his love for cricket and annihilating South Africa. The death of Philip Hughes took a toil of him mentally. He was never the same after that. He tried to emulate his past successes, but it was merely a shadow of him at his best. Also, after the retirement of Ryan Harris, he was missing a doublet to bowl with. He used to work best with him. Also, the missing juice in the recently prepared tracks at Gabba and WACA against India and New Zealand took everything out of him. He sensed that there won't be a better moment to retire than with the decline of the WACA ground as he had so many fond memories of that place.

Apart from this, an amazing human being and always played to win. His intensity was contagious. He will retire as all time great cricketers. Personally, He was my favorite and I am going to miss him. He has left a lot of nice memories for all of us. #ThankYouMitch

Watching My First Test Match

It was November 14, 2015 when I finally got a chance to witness test cricket within 100 meters of distance. There was no barrier of satellite, camera etc. this time. It was me watching cricket, pure cricket. Test cricket. Test match number : 2188. India Vs South Africa. M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the same place from where legends like Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge started their test careers. After watching test cricket on television for 15 years, here came a moment of redemption for me. I was going to watch a test match.

Let me tell you the tale of whole day. Firstly, I was getting goosebumps with the thought of watching my heroes in the whites for the first time. I got up early and went for walk, did some stretching as if I were going to play the match. I was thinking about the test match whole time. When I saw the ticket once again in my hand, It felt priceless. I was not going to exchange it for anything.

I took a cab to go to stadium. The driver didn't know hindi. Only Kannada or little English. But, It was easy to tell him the destination. Whole journey, He kept playing Kannada songs and I actually enjoyed it without comprehending a single word. It was magical. The game was to start at 09:30 IST. I reached 10 minutes late, courtesy to confusion in Gate number. When I reached there, players were already out in the middle. The stadium was half filled. The stadium was filled with very dim morning sunlight. Ishant Sharma was bowling. He was back in the playing XI after one match ban. South Africa were 9 without loss. I took my seat.

After 7 overs, South Africa were 14/0. Ashwin was handed over the ball. He didn't take much long to strike. Twin wickets in that over. India were on top. The crowd was on its feet. I was loving it. Ashwin-Ashwin was all I could hear that time. After second wicket fell, they were chanting ABD-ABD. But, to their disappointment, Amla came. He was looking comfortable before his off stump went for a walk on Varun Aaron's delivery. Now, here he was. The crowd's favorite. The best batsman in the world playing his 100th test match. He came to the middle. Kohli shook hands with him. South Africa were in trouble by now. 45/3. ABD did what he does best. Accessed the situation. Started slowly. No risks taken. Safely negotiated till lunch. Still the session belonged to India. 78/3. I didn't leave my seat for whole 40 minutes.

Session 2 started. Jadeja started the proceedings. Elgar was betrayed by the ball and its spin. Tried to sweep. Bowled. He kept looking at the ball. He didn't want to go. He stayed there as if he felt sorry of breaking the promise he made to ABD while walking to the ground. Keep it safe, wait for loose balls, blah blah. I felt sorry for him for few seconds before everyone moved on. Duminy came now. Although, he is a nice player, his test stats are way below impressive. Batting avg. of 35 in test cricket. Soon, Ashwin got him. Caught Rahane in the slips. I have watched million similar dismissals on television. Nothing new here to write. South Africa was struggling now. Five down. Dan Vilas(WK) came. His test stats were horrible. 2 matches, 8 runs. Highest score 7. When he hit his first boundary, I was actually wondering about Maybe he has sent the ball first time outside ropes in his test career. Jadeja took over now. He first got Vilas and then at the stroke of tea, got ABD with a beauty. Saha did the rest. He played beautifully and made as smooth 85 as you will ever see. He was gutted while walking back. No 100 in first innings in 100th test for him. But, I felt his innings was a true epitome of his character. He is miles ahead of other batsmen when it comes to anything. Even in a mighty team like South Africa, there is none close to him. South Africa were 177/7 at tea.

Cricket is a funny yet romantic game. When the batman is in flow, everything looks so easy and it is hard to imagine how someone ever gets out. But, when the chips are down, you cannot imagine a more difficult job in the world than to bat. It is as if the whole pitch is a giant ocean and batman has to sail across it in a very small boat. One tsunami and it is all  over. I pictured ABD as a giant titanic which took a big iceberg of Jadeja to sink while others were small boats getting knocked over by small currents.

I went for little snacks and came back to watch the third session. All front line batsmen had departed. It was just a matter of time before India would wrap up the tail. Although, Morkel and Abbott frustated India for a while and took South Africa over 200. Last two wicket fell in two balls. India managed to restrict Proteas to a paltry 214. There was no demon in the track. Just wrong shot selection by batters. Now, they were expecting something extraordinary from the bowlers to get back into this. Innings break now. The same routine stuff. Rolling the pitch, cleaning with broom, Line markers deepened etc.

It was Dhawan and Vijay. Dhawan had made a pair at Mohali. So, I wished him good luck. I wanted him to carry on. They played solid. Dhawan was outstandingly good today. He was timing with ease and leaving balls well. I have hardly seen him so disciplined in test cricket. India were off to a flying start. Dropping a dolly at square leg by Tahir didn't help South Africa's causes. I almost felt sorry for him. Faces of all South African players were so gloomy. They had created an opportunity at last and they blew it. All their bowlers: Rabada, Morkel, Abbott, Tahir felt helpless. Indians were too good today. When the play was about to be over with one over remaining, Amla brought back Rabada for one final venom of spell. Nothing happened. Safely negotiated. See you tomorrow. India were 80 without loss. I don't remember India being 80 without loss in test cricket against a major team for a long time. All three sessions belonged to India today. My mission almost accomplished.

For me, It all fell into place today. Went to watch test cricket for first time. Toss: won by India. One-nil. Got to watch best batsman of current generation : ABD compiling a well made 85 and yet not letting him run away with game. Two-nil. India starting solidly and Dhawan playing well after Mohali horrow. Three-nil. Finally, It was time to leave. I came outside. Everything looked so boring. I was still mentally inside the stadium. I gathered myself and came back. During whole journey, I kept thinking about tomorrow's day play. I also had to catch up the second test going on between Australia and New Zealand at WACA. Overall, It was an incredible day for me. Something I will remember for a very long time.

We shall Miss You Sehwag

Sehwag departs. This is certainly one of the worst news I have ever heard. He was one of a kind. Never changed himself as long as he played. Carefree. Just see the ball,  hit it. No issues at all. If it works, then okay. If not, so what? He was one of those players who made cricket memorable and more enjoyable.

The first time I witnessed him was in ICC Champions Trophy 2002 against England, when he came out to open with Sourav Ganguly. The target was 269 under lights. Mind you. It was 2002, not 2015. The target of 269 was supposed to be tough against well disciplined English attack. Not for Sehwag. He dismantled whole english bowling single-handedly. Sourav joined too. India won within 40 overs chasing 270. Ridiculous. Welcome to Sehwagology. Another fan of Sehwag was born. Since then, I have always enjoyed watching him bat. 

He was always considered a limited over player with the kind of dashing style he had. Although, I didn't see his debut test match live, I noticed that when he came out to bat in his debut game, India were 68 for 4 and struggling. He once again took South African attack single-handedly and scored a ton on debut. He ripped apart Pollock, Kallis, Ntini and scored a ton with a strike rate better than 60 in South African conditions.

He was always like that. When he hit the ball, fielders didn't have time to think, forget about stopping. Whether he cut the ball or drove the ball, the speed of the ball remained the same. Extraordinary hand-eye co-ordination and immense will-power. Be it Akram, Akhtar, McGrath, Warne, Bond, Wanderers, Perth, last day of the ball, first ball of the innings, he had one rule: Just hit the ball, damn other things. A few of those rare human beings, who scored two triple tons. A country from where none has ever scored a triple ton, he reached there in style: with a six. That was the fearlessness of Sehwag. He made another against South Africa at better than run a ball. I still savor the day when he scored 195 against the best pace attack in the world in the deadliest of conditions. When he was in the zone, he was unstoppable. Bowlers used to tremble as any ball could go outside the fence.

When he came out to bat, There was a disarray in opposition camp. Any plan you may have made, it all depended upon Sehwag getting out cheaply. He could change the whole game in just one hour of batting. As long as he was on the crease, bowlers couldn't catch a break. He used to score 200+ in the team score of 330. :P He was the reason India believed that they could chase 387: only the fourth highest chase in test cricket in 200 years. Dont' forget who scored second double century in ODI cricket after Sachin Tendulkar.

He was one of childhood heroes of mine and will always be. I consider myself extremely lucky to watch him come and go. He had immense mental strength to do what he wanted to do. He was there to express himself. Others have stopped, slowed, changed, restricted, just to survive, to thrive, to score all that they could score. Not him. Maybe he just couldn't slow down, couldn't hold back. What a legend!!!

Play your shots, forget your mistakes, forget your success, keep playing your shots. Believe.
We shall miss you always.

-- A fan.