Best Series since Ashes 2005?

It all ended on March 28, 2017. India ended their home season with a thumping win at Dharamshala. It was a close one. Good one too. Probably the best one since Ashes' 05.

Remember in Ashes 05, when Ricky Ponting made a gritty hundred at Old Trafford to save the test for Australia. Australia were celebrating at the balcony. Michael Vaughan said to his team-mates, "Look at the mighty Australians. They are celebrating a draw for us. We have got them." It turned out to be a catalyst and England eventually managed to win the Ashes after 18 hard, long enduring years.

But, what was palpably visible in that series was that the pendulum of momentum swung between England and Australia a million times a day.

A little of that was true for India-Australia 2016-17 series too. Let's go through each of the tests one by one.

                                                                       * * *
 Test 1: Horror at Pune
 Arguably India's worst defeat at home. India conceded lead of 150+ on a pitch which got swelled by Smith, courtesy to dropped catches and poor use of DRS. Smith out-batted India alone. Smith had made 109. India made 107 in the second innings. India were belted. Quite comfortably. Young Australian team was on absolute fire. India were left looking puzzled.

 To me, the momentum shifted from India to Australia when Starc managed to lift the team from a dismal score of 205-9 to 260, a respectable score. From there on, it was all downhill. You don't drop Smith once and hope to win. India did it 5 times. India didn't win.

                                                                       * * *
 Test 2: Bangalore gives redemption
 Trust me, It could easily have been worse and India did an extraordinary comeback to win this one. Again, they had conceded a lead of 87 runs on a track, which was keeping low and giving variable bounce. It was Pujara's magic and Rahane's valiant defiance which gave India something to bowl to and Boy, oh boy. India did bowl well there. Causing Australia one of the biggest collapses from 104-4 to 112 all out. The test was done and dusted within 4 days. Series was level. 1-1. Bring it on, boys.

 Pune helped Pune's captain for this IPL, Steve Smith. Bangalore helped Bangalore's captain, Virat Kohli.

 What will happen in the lands of one of the finest captains ever? MS Dhoni. Let's find out.

                                                                      * * *
 There was a significant time gap between 2nd and 3rd test. Australian spear head, their X-factor, Mitchell Starc was out of the series. Though, he was horrendous with the ball in Bangalore, (except for a gem to get Nair cleaned up first ball), he was still scoring very useful runs for Australia. Losing him was a big blow on any tour. And this was Indian tour. The cauldron itself.

 Australia didn't panic. They called up someone similar to replace Starc. Replace pace with more pace. They called up Pat Cummins.

 I have always liked that bloke. Goes in, bowl fast, bowl accurate. Find edges, let fielders do the rest. He is quick. I mean, serious quick. If you don't value your life, try facing him without helmet. Yep. He will bowl like lightening. India pretended that they didn't care. Ranchi was ON.

                                                                      * * *
 Test 3: Ranchi gives Anti-climax
 One of the best things which happened to all the visiting teams like England and Australia this season that they managed to win more tosses than not and hence denying India much advantage. Smithy won the toss and tried the well-set Australian formula. Bat first. Bat big. Catch everything which comes your way. That is game over.

 They got first two things right.

 Then came Cheteswar Pujara. He played like he was trying to own that pitch on basis of occupancy thing. He played more than 500 balls. He played 215 balls by O'keefe alone. All I can remember from that test match is constant chirp by Mathew Wade, "Nice bowling, Gary.", "Nice Gazza.", "Well bowled Sokee boy.", "Good one Sangu.", "He is going to come down at you, it just brings another dismissal into play, mate", "Keep doing what you are doing, Gary", "He didn't get that one from the middle Gazza".

 I listened to him saying these things for around 2 days. Australia bowled more than 210 overs. With 4 bowlers. One of them being Pat Cummins. They toiled hard and hard. At one stage, It looked as if Pujara is planning to bore them out of the series. It often looked like even if a few of the Aussies players go for a quick nap, it won't matter. Pujara made them work harder and harder. He grind-ed them down. When he got out, the lead of India was already around 100. Saha and Jadeja did their part and left Australia around 100 overs to save the game.

Contrary to the experts' opinion, Australia managed to save the game. Handscomb proved his worth. Shane Warne claimed a few years ago with his time with Melbourne Stars that "Peter Handscomb is the best batsman of spin in Australia." Handscomb proved it right. They believed that they had won the mental battle. A lot of people disagreed. After day 1, India outplayed them and saving the game barely is not what you want from a game.

Good thing for Australia was that they had managed to keep the series alive and with a couple of good sessions in last test, they could do the unachievable. Beat India in India. It all came down to the final test in Himalayas. Dharamshala, making its test debut. Aussies wanted to conquer the Himalayas itself. Here we go.

                                                                      * * *
 Test 4: Dharamshala brought serenity and restored equilibrium in the universe

Virat Kohli was declared unfit before the match and India brought one mystery man, Kuldeep Yadav. People rubbed their eyes a few times to actually believe what they saw. India were already batting-light and they chose to go with 5 bowlers instead of 4? This is a disaster. They are driving the car straight into the cliff. No. Stop this madness. At least replace Kohli with someone who can bat.

The other problem before India was Dharamshala was actually the most Australian conditions you can ever give in India. Yep. There was bounce, there was carry, swing. Everything, which every Australian ever born loves. If there was one pitch they could have asked for, it was that one. It was more like India in Australia than otherwise.

And India lost the toss. Again.
At lunch on day 1, Australia were 136-1 going for more than 4 an over.

It all looked bleak. Australia were running away with the test match.

Then Kuldeep Yadav happened to Australia. He ripped apart Australian middle order. Before the sun set down in Dharamshala, India were batting. The advantage was lost. The beast of momentum was with India. They had managed to remove Australia from top and it was their turn to take the advantage. The plan was clear: Bat as much as you can. Let the pitch deteriorate and grind them down.

At the end of next day, India were 248-6. Still a reasonable deficit to have when you have Saha and Jadeja batting at stumps. Australia managed to keep the scoring down, but couldn't bowl India out. That was beginning of the horror.

By the end of third day, Hope will be sucked out. India deflated Australia both with the bat and ball. If the Australian spirit was bruised on day 4 in Rachi, it got buried on day 3 in Dharamshala. India destroyed them. First with the bat and then they showed remarkable piece of swing and swing bowling with new ball. India had a lead of 32.

Before this lead was wiped off, Top 3 Australian batters were in the dug-out, chipping the nails. One of them was someone who had got 499 runs and 3 hundreds. Australia were still behind. They tried, kept losing wickets. Tried more, and lost more wickets. Ultimately, they got bundled out for 137. Surprisingly, it was only their 2nd sub 150 score on the whole tour.

India had to hit 27 boundaries to regain the Border-Gavaskar series.

Rahul hit 3 in the first over. 24 more to go.
If everyone thought that there was going to be hiccups in the small chase. You know mate, it is bloody hard to beat Australia. Rahul responded with, "What hiccups?" He played with such an ease that It put all of the Australian batters' shot selection in question.

Australia were still thinking, "At least we didn't lose it 4-0". The whole world was laughing. Consoling yourself on a loss of 2-1 when you were supposed to lose 4-0 is the lamest excuse, I can think of.

India won 2-1. Hence, restored the equilibrium to the world. They showed that they are more than Virat Kohli and Ravi Ashwin in tests. They maintained Number 1 ranking. On the other hand, Australia played the best they have in Asia for last 5 tours. They managed to challenge India every single game. They just weren't good enough. They showed one hell of a fight and that is something they should be really proud of.

India managed to end their home season with another test series win. And it brought a lot of sweet memories to all of us. Now, they hold the test series trophies against all nations at the same time. That is something huge to celebrate. Cheers!

That beast called Momentum

Hang on. I am not here to tell the answer to life, universe or everything. (Douglas Adams has already that one figured it out: The answer is 42.) I rather would talk about something more mundane and more common occurring phenomenon. I am here to talk about the role of momentum and confidence in life and in sports.

Why do some teams keep winning games after games? Why is it so hard to lose once you are on a roll? Why does everything seem achievable when you are at top? This question has been around for many centuries. None knows the answer precisely. There is a vague cloud over the understanding of role of momentum among our species and as usual we always make up something for which we don't understand. I mean this: Come on! Why in the Merlin's beard winning should be easier when you have won your last game? The events are independent of each other. The molecules in the atmosphere have changed. So many cells inside your body and your opposition's body have died and reborn since you last played them. Why you should be having any advantage over them at all? Is it merely psychological? Does it exist? No real evidence.

No. Stats will silence you. Forget about stats. Even you must have noticed how easy things seem to be when last few things you have done were awesome and easily managed. Didn't you feel lighter and felt like you could do anything, achieve absolutely anything? Yeah. Me too. It happens. That is confidence and momentum right there. At work. Silently.

Gift of momentum: I don't want to even start over examples of momentum in sports. They are probably countably infinite. Okay. Let us take a few. Remember how England, in spite of being huge underdogs, were able to topple in-form favorites Australia in Ashes 2015. How everyone predicted that England are going to lose 5-nil, which will make it total of 10-nil over last two Ashes. Well, I wasn't very surprised when England actually managed the opposite and won the Ashes. That was actually win from New Zealand test series just carrying over. Baz and co. infected them with positive aggressive cricket and England just embraced it, went with the flow and crushed Australia with the gift of momentum. Don't believe it?

Let us take a few more. Examples of Mitchell Johnson and Steve Smith. Mitchell Johnson was probably at the final edge of his test career at Gabba 2011-12 Ashes. His figures read 111-0. Everyone wrote him off. His bowling average had increased to around 32, his career highest. He took a break from cricket, worked with his mentor Dennis Lilee, came back, destroyed England in 2013-14 Ashes with 37 wickets, murdered South Africa in their home, leading to retirement to legendary Greame Smith, won ICC cricketer of the year for the second time and he was able to bring his bowling average to 27. Almost 5 below to where he was a few years ago. Confidence and momentum at work. Simple as that.

Steve Smith is probably the latest example of how to ride momentum and make your life a fairy tale. His test career had a horrific start. After 11 tests, he was averaging 22 with the bat, batting at number 8 for Australia and had a highest score of 91. He got one hundred after that. Then came confidence along with it. He started his career as a leg break bowler. Today, he is the sixth best batsman ever in terms of test batting ratings point. Ricky Ponting has even used the phrase, "The greatest Australian Batsman Since Sir Don Bradman". How the hell did that happen? He wasn't meant to score runs. Wasn't he supposed to be a bowler?

Everyone was confused how Smithy was getting hundreds after 100s. Is he scoring hundreds because he is a great batsman or is he a great batsman because he is scoring hundreds? Which was true? Which came first? There was no answer. The secret was simple. Hundreds begat hundreds, which lead to more hundreds and so on. Once you are on that road, it is hard to look back and you will even occasionally wonder, "That wasn't so hard, was it? I could have done that over and over."

So, Why does it happen? Isn't it against the weak law of large numbers? Aren't you supposed to fail after a success? How come success embrace you daily on a regular basis when it eludes everyone else?

Well, It is counter-intuitive, but don't worry. We don't understand it either. None does. There is no logical explanation.

Coming out of the pit: So now what? I am in a bad patch. How do I overcome it? I have been failing for a number of times now. Is there no hope for me? How to come out of the pit of failures when success is mostly about confidence and momentum? Isn't it a chicken and egg problem? You need to succeed to gain confidence and you need confidence to succeed. This is so confusing. Ugh.

About that, Yes it is. It is just so hard to break the shackles first time. Once you are over that, then you are unstoppable. First step is always the toughest one. You must have heard the quote, "The hardest thing to do is to begin". Just try to win the first game and see the magic of momentum take you over. Of course you need to work harder and harder every time, but the effort gets reduced. It is like starting a rolling car on a surface, once you take over the static friction, Kinetic friction is always lower than that. Just have the self-belief that you can turn it around. It is never as bad as it looks. None is invincible. You just need to knock it harder and harder and someday you are going to cross the winning line.

Ride the wave of Goddess of momentum. Make the most of it. Enjoy it as much as you can. Never ever take it for granted. You never know when she will desert you. Even when she does, just remember that you are one good performance away. She has not left you forever. Just try harder next time. Win her back. Never let her go.

I am still trying to understand it at a spiritual level. I don't know why confidence and momentum works either. I guess I will never know. More in the next blog post.

Thanks.

Ashwin-Jadeja horror awaiting Australia

India-Australia series preview: India, unbeaten in last 19 test matches. 6 consecutive series wins (their best in cricket history), captain has scored a double hundred in last 4 series he has played, their main bowling weapon just became fastest human being to reach 250 test scalps.
Australia: Last 9 test matches in Asian conditions: LLLLLLLLL. (Remember no draws and 3 of these losses were against comparatively weak Sri-Lankan side), one series win in last 48 years in India, Young team (half of whom have never even played a test in India).

Does the gap between sides before any series get any wider than this?

Hardly.

So, does that mean we should stop bothering to watch coming four test matches being played against Australia? Does that mean that Aussies have not got a cat in a hell's chance to win here? Should we start to watch something else other than cricket  in next 6 weeks when we already know what is going to happen?

No. No and No. Admittedly, Australia start as massive underdogs in this series. But, after all they are Australia. They don't stop fighting. They are bloody hard to beat. Any day. Any time. You just can't cross your way with them without getting a good, real fight. If they go down, they will do that while fighting their way. They are a guarantee of entertainment. So, Yes. We must watch these four coming test matches.

Coming back to their strengths, they have rejuvenated themselves in last couple of months after the fiasco in Sri-Lanka and home series defeat by Proteas and they have energized the whole squad by changing the selection policies etc. It has worked. Peter Handscomb, Matt Renshaw both were brought in as replacements and have clicked. Both got massive hundreds against Pakistan and they have looked good. Steve Smith averages over 60 after playing 50 test matches. He is currently number 1 test batsman. David Warner remains as dangerous as ever. Along with Smithy, Peter Handscomb is excellent player of spin. Khawaja is another danger-man. Australia will take encouragement from Mitchell Starc's form in Sri-Lankan series, where he was one of few bright spots. Hazlewood's ability to gain conventional swing as well as reverse swing makes him a potent weapon in any conditions. Australia have got two quality spinners in O'keefe and Lyon. It is not completely dark after all. There is a huge potential in this side and they can definitely give a real challenge to India.

Sadly, on the other hand, they are up against arguably the best home team ever in the history of test cricket. When it comes down to Beating India in India, you have more chance of landing a truck on Mount Everest than accomplishing this feat. Very few teams have done this in past and worse, very few teams have even looked competitive against India in India. Most of them are white-washed, those who avoid it: they avoid it barely. Australia's last test tour of India was a complete disaster with Homework-gate incident and leading to suspension of a lot of players which ultimately lead to sack of their coach Mickey Arthur. Needless to say, the scoreline was 4-0. It was a forgettable tour for them.

If these facts were not scary enough, India are in sublime touch. They are crushing opposition after opposition. The ease with which they beat England will send some message to other teams. England, with all due respect have always been a good visitor to India. They were able to draw the series a couple of times before winning it on their last tour in 2012-13. This time, they were blown away 4-0. Virat Kohli is in the form of his life, along with Ashwin and Jadeja who will be licking their lips to go berserk on Australian batsman. Cricket in Indian condition will look like almost a different sport to Smith and Co. Only a miraculous performance can save them. Forget about the series win, even avoiding a whitewash will be a nice accomplishment.

All of Indian batters seem to be in good nick apart from KL Rahul, who has been very inconsistent on the top. With Ashwin's and Jadeja's ability to bat, it provides an amazing balance to the side. Indian pacers have often not been given credit for sneaking in with crucial wickets when needed. Shami, Umesh and Ishant have troubled the batsmen a lot in last couple of series. The focus on spinners is just so much that they often don't get noticed, but I have always felt that they have done their job beautifully in silence. Coping them won't be as easy as it seems for Australia.

So, all set for an extremely exciting series. I can't wait for TEST 1, DAY 1, SESSION 1. What about you?

Thanks Skip!

Change is the only constant in the world. Cooky steps down as captain of England test team. As much as I am hurt by this, I am equally excited to see England rejuvenating itself under a new captain (most likely to be Joe Root).

Alastair Cook: I have liked him since I first saw him in Nagpur test in 2006 making debut against India. He got a ton on debut. I grew fonder and fonder of him. He was everything I lacked in me. Patience, resilience, belief in your abilities, never-give-up attitude. I was in standard VIII when he made his debut. He inspired me in ways none ever did. He has been an epitome of hard-work and determination to me. Surely, there are other batsmen who have better natural flair and look more aesthetic while batting. We have AB who can destroy within minutes, we have Kohli who can bat in any circumstances, we have Gayle who can hit sixes which land in car-parking area and so on.

But, none of them will know as much about overcoming failures, adversity and and none will possess the grit Captain Cook has. He is neither a born batsman nor a born leader. Instead, he worked his way to it. He worked his way to the summit.

In beginning, when he came into England's test team, everyone just saw him as a pretty young lad from Essex county who "isn't so bad". He soon got dropped from the team and came back strongly. Once he is in "zone", it seems impossible that he will ever get out. None of the bowlers can cause a glint of trouble to him. There has been times, when everyone believed that "You miss one run-out chance of Cook, you will be punished with 100 extra runs". Such was the reputation he made for himself.

He took over the captaincy from Andrew Strauss in 2012. His first assignment was one of the toughest one anyone ever finds. Leading against India in India. Cook set up an extraordinary standards by making 3 centuries in 4 games resulting in a rare series win against India in India. Here we go.

Among highs of his captaincy careers, there have been some notable victories. He led England in 59 test matches, an England record. 24 wins as captain reflect how good a captain he was. He took the leadership in troubled times. England came close to number 1 ranking on a number of occasions during his tenure. In my judgment, The best moment of captain cook's career was his first assignment itself: Series win against India in India. He made 3 mammoth centuries and led from the front. 562 in four matches tell you how much impact he made in the series result. They came back from one match behind and won the next two in Kolkata and Mumbai. Cook also won his both home Ashes assignments as captain. First in 2013 by 3-0, then repeating the feat in 2015 by 3-2. Other highs of captaincy include beating a strong South African side 2-1 in South Africa. It was unbelievably hard. But, he led his troops superbly well and he backed some of England's future superstars like Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Johnny Bairstow. It was pleasant to watch.

As they say, the curse of captaincy is its longevity. Along with the highs, the lows will also appear everywhere. It is unavoidable. In Cook's case, there were a few lows like getting drubbed 5-0 against Australia in Australia, losing a home series on penultimate ball of the series against Sri Lanka, losing against Bangladesh, getting thrashed by India in India 4-0.

In my opinion, Cook has got the timing of "stepping down" absolutely spot on. There are 10 months before the next Tough Ashes assignment in Australia. Stepping down means the new captain will get accustomed to the job and England have a huge chance to retain the urn in Australia. Cooky is one of the most important asset to the team as an opening batsman and he has got a lot of cricket left in him. He would certainly want to enjoy the last phase of his cricket career without being burdened by captaincy. He may still improve to replicate his Ashes heroics of 2011-12 in Australia where he scored more than 766 runs in five matches. Probably the best series of his career so far along with against India in India in 2012-13.

I have followed Cooky's career for almost over 10 years now. Out of his extraordinary 11,000 test runs, more than 8,000 runs have been scored when I was reading commentary ball-by-ball or watching the game on my television. I have a huge amount of respect for him. He has extraordinary grit, resilience, patience and humbleness. He is an amazing human being and he is one of the most honest captains I have ever seen.

Cook doesn't sledge. Cook can bat for hours and hours without breaking a sweat. Cook is one of the greatest cricketers ever. Cook always remains so calm and composed throughout. That is captain "Cook" for you.

When Cook bats, the world watches.

Thanks skip. For everything.

Please don't go England

India vs England T20 series finished tonight. I was watching it with a cup of tea in hostel canteen.

India were cruising to a strong total. But, I was worried about something else entirely. I was just thinking, but they will be gone tonight. Oh no. This is the last game for them on this tour. I was just saying, "England! Can you please play at least one more game before catching that flight to London?" Please. It has been such a joy to watch them play against us. Can you stay for more? Please. Don't desert us.

I have always loved both these teams for as long as I can remember. Now, watching them come to India has always been moments of tranquility to me. Results are mostly irrelevant when both of them play against each other. I just sit back and enjoy the show, enjoy the phenomenon of cricket, of life. It gives me joy and it is closest thing to peace which I find. An absolute zen-like experience. This is serene. Free from madness of life into the exuberance and ecstasy. Nothing compares to that.

Now, they will be gone. I will be left to feel the ache of void left by them. I will just wander across my college campus and my room, my hostel and miss their presence. I will miss watching them play against us again (which won't happen at least until Champions Trophy later this year). I don't know what will I do without watching them play India. India and England, they make cricket complete to me. They should play more often than this. Both teams are just so brilliant, cricket of highest level, strategies and tactics of sky-high quality. They are equally and evenly matched. It doesn't get better than that (few combinations which come close are England-Australia, Australia-South Africa and India-Pakistan). Both teams have a lot of quality players and it makes spicy contests. I absolutely cherish and adore it.

Again, they are gone. Tonight. Just like that. They came here, won our hearts, (we won the series though) and now they are away. I am left to rue here. Next match India play is against Bangladesh. (Can you believe that? That is so ridiculous).

I just want to say, "England, please don't go." Stay for another week. Play against us. One more time.

Tears aside, All the three series were blockbusters. Players gave their everything and something special came out of it. Regardless of the result, they were one of the best series. India outplayed England in all the three formats. Though, ODIs and T20s were very close, India were clearly the better side. This series was also important for a lot of other reasons like watching Yuvraj Singh and Dhoni put on a mammoth partnership, evolution of Kedar Jadhav from "can-play-only-Zimbabwe" to some serious batter, Chahal magic, Bumrah and Nehra combo and so on.

Fun fact: England won the toss on total of 8 occasions out of 11 international games they played. This was their best chance to make an impact. Next time onward, they may not be so lucky and they will find it even harder to negotiate conditions against the toss. They just let it happen, let it slip. They should have won Kanpur T20, they could have stopped India to less than 381 after having them at 25-3 at Cuttack, they should have at least got a draw at Chennai after being asked to bat for 100 odd overs. There were just too many "should have, could have". At the end of the day, India were better side. Period.

Coming back again to the title of the blog, I feel sad. I want cricket between India and England to go on a little more. It shouldn't be this much short. Why and how did time fly by so fast? I wish I could soak it a little longer. I wish I could persuade them to stay a little longer (It can't happen though. Life doesn't work like that). I don't want to say bye. Not yet. Someone please stop them. Can someone please cancel all the flights departing from India just for a few days so as to hold them longer? I am still not ready to watch them go. Please. Can someone really do it?

Gone. Gone. Gone. Please don't go, England. Not yet.

From
A Fan.

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.