A Positive Move By The Australian Selectors

Finally, the frontier falls. A news broke out that Australian opener Matthew Hayden has been dropped from the one day squad that will be facing South Africa on 11th of January for a T20 game to begin with. A decision that the Australian selectors' panel should have taken some six months ago has been taken now. Good that the selectors have put their foot forward regarding the regaining the lost glory of Australian cricket by dropping a player who has been out of form since a year or so. This is what each and every selection panel would be found doing, in case a team's performance is not satisfactory. And Australia is no different. Instead, for a decade or so, the world has been doing what the ACB does.

Even the Pakistan team, way back in 2003, had dropped 8 of its players after they failed to make it to the second stage of the same. And Pakistan bounced back, beating teams like Sri Lanka and New Zealand the same year. And team India, which now stands tall in all three forms of the game couldn't even make it to the super eights of the world cup in 2007. A strict action of their respective cricket boards saw one team lift the inaugural T20 world cup, while the other team ended as the runners up. So, such harsh actions by the cricket boards at times are welcome.

Else, each team would be a replica of the present West Indies or an England team. It is a fact that the selectors did a Ganguly on Matthew Hayden, but, as all of us aware of, team interests overcome personal ones. Forget it! And even now if the Australian selectors do not take chances, they will be responsible for Australia in becoming another West Indies. No doubt that the decision on Hayden was harsh, but, Hayden did deserve it. Not only Hayden, but, even Ricky Ponting should be stripped of his captaincy for a certain period of time. Making Clarke the skipper would be a good option. And so should be Brett Lee from the bowling department.

Probably. like Shaun Tait, even Matthew Hayden should have taken off from the squad, without giving the selectors a tough time. This would have even inspired a lot of youngsters to accept their weaknesses and move ahead, hoping with a better come back. Unfortunately, Hayden's thinking was otherwise. And reminding you guys, Australia is no short of any decent bench strength. There are likes of James Hopes, Shaun Marsh, Hussey brothers-David & Mike and Warner-who is considered to be a replacement for Hayden. Now, all eyes would be on hayden, when he makes a good comeback, for, the game of cricket cannot afford to miss someone like Matthew Hayden whatsoever.

Indian Ghost Continues To Haunt The Aussies

Atlast, the inevitable happens.Australia lose the Border-Gavaskar trophy 2-0,thanks to an under par Australian team that toured India this time and some luck whenever Mahendra Singh Dhoni takes on the Indian cap.After a long time,India have won a series 2-0 compared to 1-0 series victories against teams viz Pakistan (late last year) and England (in mid 2007).A delight being that Australia won the Nagpur test in 2004 to regain the Border Gavaskar trophy,a win on Indian soil after 34 years,only to lose the same at the same venue,4 years later.The man who lost the Ashes after 19 years in 2005,now can boast of having done the same in the Border-Gavaskar trophy as well.

I bet that there is some ghost that haunts the Australian cricket team everytime whenever they play India.For,even a batsman like Virender Sehwag comes up with a 5 wicket haul and bowlers like Irfan Pathan,Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan of late have proved something with the bat as well.Rarely does things like this happens.With someone like V V S Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar always being there when it comes to the big stage,this time for a change,instead of Rahul Dravid,there is Gautam Gambhir who unexpectedly became the top scorer of the series,including a double hundred at his home ground at Firoz Shah Kotla in Delhi.A series that would have been 2-1 favoring India ended at 2-0.

Despite a 70 run lead in the first innings at Bangalore,the Aussies made a mess of their own game by allowing Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh,after batting for nearly three days to post a so called respectable total.It looks like the Aussies are now feeling the pinch of losing star cricketers like McGrath,Damien Martyn,Langer and others at a stretch.I never expected someone like Mike Hussey to be a part of a test team,who can belt the ball like a T20 game.And KUDOS to Matt for atlast putting up a big score of 77 after a lot of over aggresive knocks.I feel it was primarily because of Matt that the ussies have had to face such a humiliation and second comes Ricky Ponting,followed by Brett Lee.

All that the Aussies could take from this series was a man of the match that was awarded to Kreza in the Nagpur encounter,despite losing the match and with it the series.A little planning would have seen the Aussies settle for a level.With 382 runs needed to win and a win being a compulsion,the Aussies just went after each and every ball.Someone like a Shahid Afridi would be seen doing.None of the Australian players, be it bowling or in the batting department have taken this series as a challenge,like it was taken by India four years back.Some fightback by the Australian team would have made the series an interesting one with both the teams not willing to give up.This was last seen only in the Border-Gavaskar series 2003 when India toured Australia.

Referral System-The Need Of The Hour

Well the umpire referral system which was put into trial in the recently concluded India-Sri Lanka series was thought to bring about some relief to cricket fans, players and also prove a more accurate means of providing justice to the teams and the game of cricket.But,its really sad that the system never got scaled up to a bigger level despite some ugly decisions, especially the one in the Sydney test between India and Australia that is still afresh in people's minds.Its really confusing to guess as to what the ICC is upto.What does the ICC want?When things like a super sup were in place for almost a year or so,and the rule of an extended power play , a free hit that was derived from the T20 cricket and the match being reduced to 20 over to declare a team as a winner (previously 25 overs) which was not a necessity is still ruling cricket.

Are the umpires the heart and soul of a cricket match?Aren't umpires bound to make any mistakes in decisions?The ICC bought some smiles on the faces of the players atleast after so much fuss that went on for decades altogether,that the ICC introduced the referral system.But,god knows what on earth stopped them from continuing the same.If not all,atleast some decisions like the caught behind, lbw and run outs could have been given a second chance.For these decisions are more likely to be misread by umpires.I wish theses referral system had been introduced long back by taking umpires to be humans and not gods altogether.

The very first test series involving India and Australia-the Border Gavaskar Trophy has seen as many as four wrong decisions.A caught and bowled off Kumble to Ponting,a leg before turned down by Pakistani umpire A M Saheba, the leg before of Ponting that was found missing the leg stumps and Matthew Hayden's caught behind.Does the ICC consider even these many decisions that took place in a single day as a human error?

With all these happening in the very first day of play, it would be fantastic to watch out for what all miracles would happen in the remaining four days.An amazing feat being that these things happen mostly in an Australia-India series, and most in test matches involving Australia.If the referral system is not re-introduced into test matches (not to forget the other forms of cricket also), the game of cricket will not be between 22 players divided between two teams,but between only two umpires.Then, would be similar to boxing or any other 1:1 game.Ha ha ha..

Trains Are Always Late In India....

Well with all of us cricket fans and bloggers in particular having a bad day infact a bad minth to be precise,finally there is some cheer for all of us cricket bloggers as the first test between India and Australia of the Border-Gavaskar trophy has already started and day 1 has left us with a lot of issues to move our hands on the keyboard.The recent test match in the Irany trophy was all but boring.However,its not justice for there was a month and a half without any test,one day or a T20 game.So bad?A little bit of concern and thinking would have brought smiles on the faces of cricket fans that even the ICC Champions Trophy wouldn't have.

Another episode of the IPL would not have been a bad idea with all of the world's players on a halt.Had this been the case,the series would have been even more thrilling compared to the first edition,wherein,players like Symonds,Hayden, McCullum etc were forced to opt out owing to their national commitments.This time had it been,there would have not been any such problems as most of them were just putting on some weight. But,thanks to Lalith Modi and BCCI for lack of thinking.

This reminds me of the trains in India,which are late on most occasions.But,this train was so late that the journey had to be absolutely cancelled.Though the ICC Champions Trophy was cancelled on 24th August 2008,there was all possibilities to conduct another mega event.But...?Alas!Almost a month and a half was just wasted for nothing which would have been made a lot spectacular.Is the BCCI listning?

After A Series Of Wins,It Is A Series Of Losses For The Chennai Super Kings

Well when the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League started,the teams like Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings started it all with a huge bang by registering three consecutive wins and the Chennai Super Kings extending it to four.And much frustration as the Chennai Super Kings were found to do the good work they were found doing in the match against weakly rated Deccan Chargers.This would off course put the audience in a guess as to what would happen to the finals or as to who would emerge the winners of the IPL and walk away with a whooping Rs 12 crore?

Off course that would by no means go into the hands of the Royal Challengers Bangalore.And not even Deccan Chargers.And with the Chennai Super Kings making a mess of their game after the famous New Zealander-Jacob Oram and the Aussies Matthew Hayden and Mike Hussey had to return back home to fulfill their national commitments.Even two lives given to Parthiv Patel was not made use of fully by this child when he threw away a running catch to R P Singh in the sixth ball after he had two lives -one in the first ball and the next in the fourth.

And for a change,this time there were some fireworks from Shahid Afridi who was for most part of the tournament found to score only in the dressing room and only on paper.But,a strike rate of 333 means that this would be the beginning of another Afridi era and a treat for the fans out there in the upcoming matches.A lower order batsman in Albie Morkel was the first one to slog the ball over the ropes.As against Adam Gilchrist who saw to it that the scoreboard kept on jumping with hefty blows all over the ground.

It would be nice for the fans if V V S Laxman is out of the tournament if the Deccan Chargers have got to prove something.

Sehwag:The Only One Icon Player?

Well the definition of icon player seemed to be redefined by Virender Sehwag for,he is the only one so called icon player to have proved to be worth his status.Unlike other so called icon players like Sachin Tendulkar-who is yet to make a mark in the tournament,Rahul Dravid-who can just defend the ball rather than see it clear the ropes,Sourav Ganguly who is only a step agead of Rahul Dravid when it comes to big hitting and last but not the least we have Anil Kumble,whose name has hardly been heard by the fans over.Guess this is why a thinking player like V V S Laxman chaose not to be one of those icon players citing the team's budget as the reasons to opt not to be one.Some intelligence to be observed.Ha ha ha..

The man for the second time was found to fire with the bat.The first against Deccan Chargers-wherein he scored a quickfire 91 off just 42 deliveries and this time against the Chennal Super Kings-who have until now been unbeaten.But,Sehwag took the initiative to see to that this dominance continues no more.There was nothing to complain from the side of M S Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings if not for Virender Sehwag.And also not to forget his wicket of Parthiv Patel to give initial breakthrough to his team.

Well Dhoni had set each and everything right for his team by putting on 169 runs which was rather the most a decent total.But,Sehwag had different plans.And that too without the likes of Matthew Hayden,Mike Hussey and Jacob Oram,who have been the right hand in posting three consecutive wins for their side.It looks like after this game against the Delhi Daredevils,the life span of the Chennai Super Kings has been numbered.Really??

Dhoni & Hayden Style..

Its nothing new regarding the way batsman like M.S.Dhoni, Virender Sehwag..like to finish off the match or be it getting into the landmark they were fast approaching.And Dhoni last night against Kolkata knight Riders did just that.A formal if not massive six to put an end to Kolkata Knight Riders' fate and also to seal Chennai Super Kings' fortunes.

On the other hand even Hayden was not ready to compromise either.One straight drive for six by this Australian lad took almost everything from me.I intend in giving a million pounds to that shot of his.Just kidding!!The most perfect shot I've ever come across,with his foot perfectly balanced,catching up with the length followed by perfect timing.The 13 sixes hit by Brendon McCullum in the first encounter against Royal Challengers had not even one such shot,with all those being just a slog,and not to forget the poor bowling off Dravid's party.

And Jacob Oram showed hos New Zealand team mate that Chennai Super Kings aren't Royal Challengers to have only test players like Sunil Joshi and Rahul Dravid to name a few.3/32 from 4 overs was all the most economical when it came to the T20 format.Coool Super Kings...

Commonwealth Bank Series 2008-The Ugliest in History?

Last Tuesday saw the commonwealth Bank series coming to an end,with India clinching the trophy after winning the first two of the three finals.This was the end of the most ugliest series ever seen in international cricket.Even the games played between arch rivals for example Australia vs England,India vs Pakistan hadn't seen as much bad blood as seen in this series.

First of them being the bad umpiring decisions from fellow umpires-Mark Benson & Steve Bucknor,followed by some unnecessary appealing from the Australians-especially from Ricky Ponting for the catch of Sourav Ganguly.Next comes the uttering of the "M-word" from Harbhajan Singh to Andrew Symonds in the very same Sydney test.The episode posed a threat of India withdrawing from the tour,untill Harbhajan's punishment was reduced to a petty fine.

Finally there was some relief for the Indians after they won the Perth Test.Once again in the fourth test at Adelaide,the Indians showed that they are no less compared to the Aussies when it comes to make an issue,for they were found to settle with a draw by batting the entire fifth day and not allowing the Australian batsmen to take to the crease.

Then came the Commonwealth bank series which also feature Sri Lanka.Even the Sri Lankans were not spared.An incident of throwing eggs at Muttiah Muralitharan just showed that the Aussies are just untolerable!

Then comes the situation where Symonds appeals for a grounded catch of Chamara Silva in the third ODI.Then the Ishanth sharma showing Symonds the way to the pevilion.Shortly there was Matthew Hayden who called Harbhajan Singh "An Obnoxious weed" in a radio interview.

All these episodes could be forgiven,but for this ugly one.A man getting naked and entering into the ground in not one,but in both the final games between India and Australia-wherein the security men had to get a towel.

Even is this also a trick by the Australian fans to get the attention off from the onfield action?Hmm..it can never get worse than this I believe...With Australia looking anxious about their security concerns during their tour of Pakistan shortly,the entire world has seen the security given to sub continent teams-India & Sri lanka.

Putting the past behind us,lets all hope that these ugly incidents never occur in future cricket tournaments.Else,the cricket stadium can rather be called a kindergarten- where little children quarrel over petty issues.

The Return Of Hayden

After the 3rd day's play at Adelaide between India and Australia,things are pretty clear as to how India could manage a win against the mighty Aussies-that too at a time when they were hungry for their 17th consecutive win.The reason is "Matthew Hayden".Yes..he is the culprit.

The man who scored hundreds against India in the first two tests was forced out of the team owing to a hamstring injury.Indians welcomed this with full hands to restrict their success streak to 16 once again.The WACA ground was something more special for this gentleman,because this was the ground where he scored 380 against Zimbabwe to break Brian Lara's 375 to become the highest individual test scorer-way back in 2003.

The 36yr old from Queensland recorded scores of (124 & 47 at Melbourne),(13&123 at Sydney) and (103 at Adelaide).A whooping tally of 410 runs at an average of 82.0.A much better contender for the man of the series than Brett Lee(in my opinion).Even last time when India put Aussies under pressure in 2003-04,it was not under the likes of Glenn McGrath,Brett Lee.

Adding to the debate,when Australia were beaten by England surprisingly in the 2005 ashes,the matches which England had a last gasp win were without the likes of Glenn McGrath in the 2nd test at Edgbaston and the 4th test at Trent Bridge.In the drawn 3rd and 5th tests,McGrath managed figures of 5/115 at Manchester and (2/72 and 3/85) in The Oval test.

After going through this,it would not be wrong to say that India have at most of the times been lucky than other teams whenever they face Australia.Anyway-the fact is that "if's" and "but's" do not form a part of cricket."JO JEETHA WOHI SIKANDAR"