22 YARDS, 24 HOURS

Awesome Twosome, but who after?

2011-12-14T19:42:00.000-08:00

Scene 1 – Lord’s, 2002. ODI - India were struggling chasing a record 300 plus target. A great English player of the past who was commenting then said – ‘If I had to pick two batsmen in the world who can do this, it would be these two and no one else’.

Scene 2 – Lord’s, 2011, Test – India were struggling again under overcast swinging conditions, arguably facing the most potent bowling attack. Same two at the crease, and a famous site quoted – ‘This is what cricket is all about, folks’. How true?

On both these occasions, these two have only provided glimpses of their true might, but on most occasions, there was no one else that India could look up to. I write this, days after these two have become the most successful batting partnerships in test match history passing the great West Indian pair of Greenidge and Haynes. They already hold the record for the most hundred partnerships by a pair in test cricket. Some numbers for the statistics lovers – these two have contributed close to 57000 of their country’s international run count in the last 20 odd years. And, a staggering 10600 runs have come while batting with each other.

No points for guessing, Rahul Sharad Dravid, and Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar are easily the best batting partnerships of the past 15-20 years. Some of the few pairs who come very close are - Mahela and Sanga, Hayden and Ponting, Inzamam and Yousuf, Hayden and Langer, and Dravid again with Laxman. But Sachin and Rahul have done it all. They have held their own against the best of the attacks – Wasim and Waqar, McGrath and Warne, Murali and Vaas, Pollock and Donald and to some extent, Ambrose and Walsh. For most part of their careers, they have played under enormous scoreboard pressure (India two down for nothing, after the opposition amassing a huge score). And these two complement their games enormously well even though the foundation for both is solid technique.

One cannot imagine an Indian batting line-up without these two. No one would have proven the old cliché ‘Form is temporary but class is permanent’ more than these two gentlemen. Dravid’s glorious revival has meant that true batting lovers will have at least a year more to watch these two together in whites.

But, the burning question is - Who after? Not just in Indian cricket, but also in the international arena. Sadly, there is not much on the canvas. In this era of T20 free-lancers, who can showcase true batting for years to come? Very few current pairs come to mind – Bell and Trott for England, de Villiers and Amla for SA, and Sehwag and Gambhir for India to name a few. And especially in case of India, it would be foolish to expect someone to replace the golden era, but I firmly believe two of Pujara, Rahane and Kohli would keep the Indian batting flag flying high. As for other nations, Shaun Marsh and Usman Khawaja can go long for the Aussies.

Flatter pitches, weaker bowling attacks and lesser test cricket would do no good to offer quality batting. To sum it up, if someone questions my era, I would say I grew up watching cricket in the Sachin-Rahul era, but I wonder what the younger lot has to say.

Test Team of the decade

2009-12-31T05:46:00.000-08:00

Oh well, my turn to pick my best test eleven of this decade.

Openers:

Contenders: Hayden, Smith, Sehwag.

Haydos is an automatic choice, but difficult to choose between Viru and Smith. Viru scored 6248 runs @ 52.50 and Smith 6451 runs @ 49.62. But Viru’s ability to turn a match on its head(his strike rate is 80.44) gets him my vote.

Picks: Hayden & Sehwag.

Middle-order: (3, 4 and 5)

Contenders: Ponting, Dravid, Tendulkar, Lara, Jayawardene and Yousuf.

Number 4 is an automatic choice. Sachin takes it.

Now, the all important 3, and it is between Dravid and Ponting. Dravid scored 8558 runs @ 55, and Ponting 9458 @ 58. But, Dravid averages 56.03 abroad, compared to Ponting’s 49.77. And, Ponting had the luxury of a great opening pair, whereas Dravid was in at India 1 down for nothing (for most part of the decade). So, I would go in with Dravid at 3. Perfect player to follow Haydos/Viru.

Ah, the tough bit now. Number 5. For me, Mahela and Yousuf never proved their worth outside the sub-continent. That leaves with Lara. Lara scored an impressive 6380 runs this decade. But he retired in 2006. Lara would surely make it to my all-time test eleven, but this decade, it is really hard to ignore Ponting. For my convenience, I will play Punter at 5.

Picks: Dravid, Tendulkar and Ponting.

All-rounder: (6)

Contenders: Flintoff, Kallis and Pollock.

Both Flintoff and Pollock are less reliable as batsmen for number 6. In fact, Pollock’s batting blossomed only towards the end of his career. Flintoff has the charisma, but amazing consistency (and thereby his unbelievable stats of 8630 runs and 205 wickets) of Kallis gives him the all-rounder spot.

Pick: Kallis

Wicket-keeper Batsman: (7)

Contenders: Gilchrist and Sangakkara.

Sanga has an astonishing 7549 runs @ 55.10, and Gilly 5130 runs @ 46.63. But, Sangakkara for me is in the Dravid-Kallis mould and this team doesn’t need a third batsman in the same type. Even though Sanga is a better keeper against spinners, Gilly was rarely at fault for most part of his keeping career. So, Gilly is my pick.

Pick: Gilchrist

Bowlers: (8, 9, 10 and 11)

Contenders: McGrath, Muralitharan, Warney, Ntini, Pollock, Lee, Pollock and Kumble.

Well, Warney and Murali for sure. Now, for the two pacers. McGrath has 2197 at a superb average of 20.53 (best of the decade). Surely he would be part of my team. Tempted to have a real speedster in Lee, but Pollock’s consistency would make him my number 8.

Yes, there is a disappointment in having no real fast bowler, but Pidge, Polly, Warney and Murali (with Kallis to support) is not a bad bet to get 20 wickets.

Picks: Pollock, Warne, McGrath and Murali.

Final Eleven:

Hayden, Sehwag, Dravid, Tendulkar, Ponting, Kallis, Gilchrist, Pollock, Warne, Muralitharan and McGrath.

Captain: Oh well, Warney? I wish. But, his lack of experience as an international captain, and lack of no other real contender, I will choose Ponting.

The Curious case of Mahendra Singh Dhoni

2009-10-29T23:08:00.000-07:00

How good is Dhoni as an ODI batsman? ICC say he is the world's best currently. And, Gavaskar has gone a step ahead in saying he is on his way to become an all-time great in ODIs (on one of the reputed national news channels in India). What more, he compared Dhoni's latest innings of 124 in Nagpur to Kapil Dev's 175 not out against Zimbabwe in the famous 1983 World Cup(http://www.cricinfo.com/wc1983/engine/match/65083.html). Wow, that is something! This is what ONE innings can do in Indian cricket. For someone of Sunny's stature, the comparison is appalling to say the least. This is a normal money spinning bi-lateral series, and that, a World Cup on a big stage. India were a disastrous 17/5 then on a typical English wicket, and here a slightly dicey 97/3 on a batting beauty in Nagpur. Putting aside the meaningless comparison, the word "great" is so easily used in Indian sport. Every channel now discusses whether Dhoni is already a great or not. Ridiculous! Even Ricky Ponting's 140 in the 2003 World Cup final against a decent, in-form Indian bowling attack wouldn't have created this hoopla in Australia. Come on, give our players a break. Lot of hype ruins one's career. I think Rohit Sharma is already a victim of this, and we have seen many players fade away. Having said this, there is no question that Dhoni played a fantastic innings, and I can say this was his best ODI knock in more than a year. But, a great? Please, judge him towards the end of his career.

Now, coming to ICC rankings. Rankings and Statistics tell you a lot, but not everything. No ranking is perfect, and the best way to look at them is, say a top 20 in general, but not in any particular order. At the moment, Hussey is above Ponting, Chanderpaul is above Gayle. Any day, any moment, Ponting and Gayle are better ODI batsmen. Similarly, Dhoni is above Sachin, Sehwag and Yuvraj, and by a large margin, but it is obvious who the best batsmen are. Lot of things do matter here. Players missing out matches, players not having enough unbeaten innings, players not getting enough chances up the order, and what not.

The stats, the undisputable in this case. Averaging 50+ over a span of 5 seasons, in about 150 matches, at a strike rate of 90 is just phenomenal. How does/did he manage that? I say "manage" because players like this(at least my first impression of him was a destructive batsman) do not usually have this kind of stats. Be it Gilchrist(although I hate to compare Dhoni with Gilly, like many others), who at a similar stage in his career averaged about 35 which is also his career average. Or even a Sehwag, for that matter who averages mid thirties. Dhoni is not the same as he was under Ganguly or Dravid. Now, he tends to play the nudger more often than the destroyer (last innings being an exception where he paced his innings beautifully). At many times, be it 90/4 or 190/2, he still preferred a grafty innings over a destructive one, strangely. Honestly, we do not need that. We have enough "proper" batsmen who can play responsibly and bat through. Again, I say "proper" because Dhoni is not of the conventional mould. Neither he has class nor does he have flair. But, he has been damn effective, so far.

He is one of a kind. I doubt if Dhoni's knocks would be part of great batting archives for purists. And, you would also not see a coach teaching a youngster the helicopter shot (a forehand wristy flick to a ball in yorker length) that MSD plays.

But, at the end of the day what matters is his overall impact on Indian cricket (captaincy being Dhoni's biggest asset) which is immense.

In a 'Royal' Mess

2009-04-25T03:16:00.000-07:00

I am not talking about Big Sister's Rajasthan Royals, but the other royale team from down south. Yeah, it is a team which has played 4 matches already(a match every alternate day), as their owner(the 'King' fisher boss) wanted to play as many matches as possible before their charismatic(?) leader leaves. Well, now he might very well hope that this man who was appalling both as a leader and a batsman leaves as soon as possible. The other big English guy is already on the flight back. No, not to play the first test at Lord's, but to undergo 'yet' another surgery. This year IPL's two big auctions who are paid a bomb have contributed nothing to their teams. Oh no, in fact they have contributed, to their defeats that is.

After watching yesterday's defeat of Bangalore to Punjab, I was so disappointed(No, I am not a Bangalorean). But, I will continue to support this lackluster outfit for another 3 or 4 matches for just one man, the great Rahul Dravid. He has been outstanding so far, and looked by far their best player.

I see a lot of problems with this side even this year despite a good first match. Firstly, the ownership. It is inevitable to compare with EPL here. How many know Manchester United as Malcom Glazer's team? Not many, Manchester United is known more for its players and manager rather than the owner. Vijay Mallya needs to learn from his other owners in IPL, who are more than happy to be out of the limelight, and be patient owners. Classic example would be Deccan owners who never out spoke in the public, and let the results speak this year. Secondly, Kevin Pietersen. In the match against Punjab, during toss, he had no idea what his team was. That is unpardonable. It shows lack of interest, lack of commitment on his part, and his only motto seems to milk his owner as much as possible before he leaves. Look at Warney, look at Gilly. They have been marvellous leaders so far. No wonder, England got rid of him from the captaincy. He seemed to have no clue about Indian players in the team. Why was Vinay Kumar taken out after bowling just one over? He persisted with the poor Kallis who has given 51 in this 4, while Vinay Kumar has given just 4 runs in his over. He should have learnt a lesson or two from his Hampshire captain who inspired a 18 year old unknown like Kamran Khan to bowl as well as he did against the likes of Gayle and Ganguly. Thirdly, the think-tank. It is so disappointing to see no Indians at the helm of affairs in this team. After all, it is the Bangalore team, and you have KP, Kallis, Ray Jennings and other unknown foreigners leading the way. Ridiculous. Not once in the field I saw KP or Kallis consulting either Dravid or Kumble. It is these two who have handed their only win so far .Lastly, the spirit in the team. No one including some of our big players did not look motivated and spirited while defending a decent 168 against Punjab.

They need some immediate changes. Otherwise, they might very well set a IPL record of losing 13 games in a row. They need to pull up their socks big time to avoid yet another embarassment. If I was part of the think-tank, some changes I would like to see 1 ) Kohli to open with Ryder, and Uthappa warming the bench. 2) Have Steyn play all matches. 3) Play Shreevats Goswami as the Keeper. 4) Kallis bowl as less as he can. 5) Rotate Roelof van der Merwe/Taylor/White.

Who's Next?

2008-11-03T07:27:00.000-08:00

Captain of India in its worst ever World Cup performance, controversy leading to his resignation as captain(after leading India to its first series win on English soil after more than 25 years), flak for being the leader of a non-performing city based 20-20 side(despite being the only performer), struggling for his best form in Test matches, then made to open in Australia when he is desperately out of form to accommodate Yuvraj(when the ideal thing would have been to allow him to bat at 6), an average of about 25 in SL series, just 2 hundreds in over 2 years(one against a lowly Bangladesh) , averaging 32 in last 2 years, career batting average dropping from a bradmanesque 59.38 (best in the world then) two years back to a mere 53.3 now, an average of 23 in the ongoing series, and now being out of Top 20 test batsmen for the first time in 11 years, Can anything go this disastrously wrong for any player? Well, it can, as it is proven here. And so who’s next to quit? Rather, who next for the media to target? Well, this is not even a 1 dollar question and the answer is obvious.

“The Wall cracking brick by brick”, “The Wall crumbling”,”He feeling the pinch”, “He is the only one of fab 4 who has not fired” and so on. Lot is written about him, lot is being discussed about him, and I am pretty sure LOT is going through that man. Otherwise, you don’t see him miss a straight ball and get castled (2nd innings, Delhi). And as experts say, it is tough to score when not in a relaxed frame of mind. So, will he be back in runs in a new stadium, a new pitch, and significantly in his wife’s city where he averages 65+? I don’t know. But, all I can say is he is one big innings away from finding his touch. When I say big, I mean a 100+ score.

The upcoming Nagpur test will be remembered for events like Dada’s last test, Laxman’s 100th test, Dhoni’s first as official captain, India regaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Harbhajan’s 300th test wicket(on 299 now), Fab four playing together for one last time and Kumble being with the team for the last time(may be to lift the trophy). But, this could also be a last for the man I am talking about it. Will he call it quits if he fails twice in the next test? Should he? Does he still have something to offer for Indian cricket? Here is what I feel. He himself knows the best when to call it a day, and I would be glad if he takes the decision rather being forced by external entities.

But, here is what I think should happen. If he fails in the Nagpur test, OR if he performs well in Nagpur but fails again against England, he should call it quits after the 2-test England series.

This was posted in cricinfo blogs.
http://blogs.cricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2008/11/whos_next.php
Very interesting comments there...

Time to go, Jumbo.

2008-10-12T05:44:00.000-07:00

I was skeptical about MSD taking over India in tests.But from what I saw today(4th day, first 30 odd overs of Aussie 2nd innings), I feel it is time for him. I have to say Kumble's captaincy was uninspiring and bowling lackluster(It has been for quite some time now).From the moment he stepped on to the field today, there was a drop in pressure, and from the moment he took over the ball, there was a rise in the scoring rate too. India, who fought back splendidly through Zaheer,Bhajji and Ishant were sorely let down by Kumble.All the bowlers looked pumped up when MSD was in-charge, and they gave that extra 10%. Frankly, I am not a big fan of MSD, but I have to accept this guy has some charm, and has the ability to spur people(Perhaps, a true leader?).

Kumble, sometime back said he is targeting 700 test wickets, and with his current form/fitness, he would need to play 2 more years to achieve this target.If I were to advise him, I would say " Jumbo, You have done a lot to indian cricket and you are arguably India's best test match-winner and this is the time to say adieu".

Changes I would like to see for the Mohali test.
-> MSD taking over from Kumble
-> Munaf/RP in the 11 as the 3rd seamer(Mohali, early in the season assists seamers, and I prefer Munaf over RP)

A sad decline

2008-08-08T05:41:00.000-07:00

"Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman have all enjoyed purple patches of late, and the real reason for India's batting being so rudderless in this series can be found in the decline of Dravid. Once as dependable as an Audi, he hasn't found the high gears for nearly two years now, with match-turning efforts like the 92 in Perth becoming the exception rather than the rule. The more he struggles, the more you wonder whether the old solidity will ever come back." aptly says Dileep Premachandran of Cricinfo

My Dream Test Eleven

2008-07-09T21:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I was asked by a colleague of mine to put forward my dream test team over the past 10-15 years(say everyone who played after 1995-96).It is also assumed that every player is at their peak(a peak for a good/great player lasts for atleast 2-3 years I believe). So, here is my eleven.

1.Matthew Hayden
2.Virender Sehwag
3.Rahul Dravid
4.Sachin Tendulkar
5.Brian Lara
6.Jacques Kallis
7.Adam Gilchrist(Wicket-Keeper)
8.Shane Warne (Captain)
9.Wasim Akram
10.Muralitharan
11.Glenn McGrath

12th Man: Ricky Ponting

If I were to name a squad of 14, the other two who would make it are Steve Waugh and Curtly Ambrose(the 3rd pacer).Some players who just about miss out are Flintoff,Vettori,and Shaun Pollock.

It is strange that world cricket has not seen many top openers over the past 10-15 years. Langer, Jayasuriya, Graeme Smith, Gibbs, Saeed Anwar come close but Sehwag just makes it because of his outstanding record/attacking capability.

I pondered over a lot on my all-rounder with Pollock,Flintoff and Kallis being the contenders. But, I had to go for Kallis for his solidity in the batting. With all stroke-makers around, Kallis would nicely fit in between Lara and Gilly. Its basically a trade-off between batting all-rounder and a bowling one.

Let me know your thoughts on this team of mine.

10K to the unsung hero

2008-03-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

Some of his top records:

10000 test runs in the shortest time span

Best average among players with 10k+ runs

Highest run-getter at No.3 in tests

Most 100-run stands in tests(72)

Best average in 4th innings in team wins/draws

Second best away average with players of 4000+ runs, first being Wally Hammond

The best of all...

Third best average in team wins/draws(72.41), first two being Don Bradman and Gary Sobers respectively

These stats show he is one of India's best match-winners in tests. But, did he get his fair share of credit? May be NO. For me, he along with Anil Kumble are the unsung heroes of Indian cricket. Ironically, these two have won the most number of test matches for India in the past decade.

Sehwag's 319 is making the headlines everywhere(aptly so), but Dravid's 10K achievement deserves a bit more than what is seen. Even the cricket plaudits seem to be carried away with this Sehwag masterclass. Well, it would have been a surprise if something like this did not happen(Dravid being overshadowed).

RD has atleast couple of years left in him,and hope he wins more matches for India. Cheers!

India v South Africa, who is bothered?

2008-03-27T10:26:00.000-07:00

The lack of interest shown by the public, the media, and even the players (looking at the standard of fielding in the ongoing test at Chennai) in the ongoing Ind-SA series is unbelievable, to say the least.But whats more baffling is sports minister terming this series as of "no national importance". So, India playing Sri Lanka in an utterly inconsequential one day match somewhere in Australia is more important for the nation than a series between the world's best ODI side and the second best test side. Wow!! what a statement Mr.Minister!! As a matter of fact, if India do badly in this series, India can fall to as low as No.5 in the official test rankings.Making matters worse are the pitches in India.Bhajji himself called this pitch(chennai) a super-flat one and I see no team taking 20 wickets unless something miraculous happens. I simply dont understand why BCCI is so least bothered about the state of pitches.
More to come...

Take a bow Polly and Gilly

2008-02-03T10:14:00.000-08:00

Today(3rd Feb, 2008), I witnessed two great moments on the cricketing field. One, Gilchrist walking off even when umpire shook his head saying notout and Two, Shaun Pollock(in tears) bidding farewell to international cricket. True legends and genuine all-rounders of the modern game.

Shaun Pollock has played his last international match and Gilchrist will soon play his last.They are undoubtedly the greats of the game, superbly skillful but most importantly, true gentlemen the game has ever seen.Have you ever seen any controversy surrounding either of them? Polly and Gilly have won so many matches for their team, done everything a cricketer would imagine with utmost respect. I have never seen Pollock or Gilchrist crossing their line on the field. Their famed colleagues should learn a lesson or two from these two illustrious sportsmen.The only other current Australian player who comes close to Gilly in attitude,spirit or character is Brett Lee, and there are not any SA players who can come close to Polly.

No words are enough to describe these two greats. As a cricket lover, I will truly miss Polly and Gilly!

IPL: Where will all the crores go?

2008-01-24T20:14:00.000-08:00

The world's richest cricket body helped itself to some more money courtesy the IPL. Actually, the league structure in cricket should have come in earlier as it is been existing in other sports(all the European football leagues,NBA,and so on) for quite a long time.Anyway,it is a really good idea and it will make for good viewing.

But, What will BCCI, which calls itself a non-profit organization do with the 7000 crores? It should do the following:

1. Improve and revamp all the pitches in the country.
2. Pour money into Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy and bring back their glory.
3. Make sure every cricket stadium has excellent facilities, better than the best grounds. Instead of looking to pack people into cement rows without roofs, it should have fixed chairs and proper shelter.
4. Use some part of the money to develop other games as well.
5. Make sure all domestic players are paid handsomely.
6. More importantly, set up a world class cricket academy.

FANTASTIC VICTORY...

2008-01-19T06:25:00.000-08:00

What a moment this..the FAB FOUR cherish it..

This is my fav pic from the perth test!

Playing XI for the boxing day test

2007-12-13T10:10:00.000-08:00

Players who are certain in the eleven:

Jaffer,Dravid,Sachin,Ganguly,Laxman,Dhoni,Kumble,RP Singh,Zaheer

Remaining Spots: 2 (a batsman and a bowler)

Contenders:

Yuvraj,Sehwag,Karthik,Pathan,Ishant (Harbhajan and Pankaj Singh will definitely warm the bench)

Options:

1. Dravid to open, Yuvraj in the middle-order;either of Pathan/Ishant

2. Pathan to open & Yuvraj in the middle-order

3. Leave out Yuvraj, Open with Sehwag;either of Pathan/Ishant

4. Leave out Yuvraj, Open with Karthik;either of Pathan/Ishant

So,Whats your take? What do you think is the best playing 11?
I guess selectors will go with Option 1 with Ishant being the 3rd seamer.
Personally though, I dont want to see Dravid open. I will go with Option 3 with Ishant being the seamer.I know it is a big gamble but I dont want to tinker with the positions of Big Four just to accomodate Yuvraj.

Ban Test Matches in India!!

2007-12-10T21:11:00.000-08:00

One team scores 600+, other team 500+, a dull draw..watching test matches in India is now A BIG BORE. India never had pitches that assisted pacers, but now the sad part is that pitches are not even assisting spinners.Even an average batsman is made to look like a great one here.Look at Misbah, media are already quoting him as a "SENSATION","ANOTHER INZI" etc etc just after one series on dead,placid,lifeless,useless,DAMN INDIAN PITCHES! As Wasim Akram said, Is this the way to prepare for OZ tour???? Unless there is a drastic change in the nature of pitches, there should be no tests played here. Bob Simpson recently quoted "cricket standards are at the worst in 50 years"..and he is right!! Come on BCCI, dont blame it on the clay content, dont blame it on the weather, blame yourself!!!

Is Dada advising Dravid?????

2007-11-29T05:30:00.000-08:00

Considering records of Dada and Dravid at the Eden, I guess it should be the other way round...(dada averages 24 and dravid 64)

[ Edit on Dec12: I was proved wrong, Dada in the form of his life ]

Sachin or Lara?

2007-11-12T20:51:00.000-08:00

The Wall is only resting....

2007-11-04T07:27:00.000-08:00

And by no means crumbling!!

I am totally for dropping non-performing players including RD,ST and SG. RD has failed in a series and so he has been dropped. Fair enough! But I have a few questions to Vengy here.

1. Is the same yardstick being applied to all the players?
2. Why replace a middle-order batsmen with an opener/all-rounder? How can one explain a squad containing five openers? Is this a balanced-side?
3. Drop RD , but replace him with worthy performing middle-order players like Manoj Tiwary, Suresh Raina, Badrinath but not with a player who was considered unfit only few months back and has done nothing to prove he is back.

India might very well win the series, but questions remain. Are we moving ahead? or as Jadeja puts it " we are going round and round and round".

Here are some of the expert reactions to dravid ouster:

"If and when India falter at 15 for 2 with nothing to lean back on, Pakistan will be happiest to not see Rahul Dravid walking out" said Osman Samiuddin of Cricinfo here

"Dravid is a great player and his axing was baffling" said Inzamam here

"Dravid has been the most selfless Indian cricketer that I have seen for the last ten years.If anybody deserved a life jacket in troubled waters it was Dravid" -Sanjay Manjrekar here

"And sooner or later he will be back, not because he is a saint, because he is that even rarer thing in Indian sport: a champion" said Rahul Bhattacharya of Hindustan Times here

"It will be very difficult for anyone to justify dropping Rahul Dravid" said Dungarpurhere

"Now I can understand why Rahul appeared so different during the series against Australia. He was under tremendous pressure and I suspect he is a victim of a conspiracy." said Sandeep Patil here

How can you drop a great player like Rahul Dravid? And when you have got tough series, you have to go to Australia. And my god, you need Rahul Dravid there said Atul Wassanhere

"As a batsman you need confidence because it is a mental game and with two major series coming up, one against Pakistan and the other against Australia, not to mention South Africa and for that you need your best batsmen to be in the right frame of mind. And if this is the way Vengsarkar wants to shoot up his confidence, then the whole world knows what he is talking about" said Vedam Jaishankarhere

Indian Cricket League can make it big!

2007-08-01T04:46:00.000-07:00

Glenn McGrath to bowl to Brian Lara...We thought its over..rite? No, says Zee's Subhash Chandra who bravely started ICL.Can he make it a success? Yes and No, A commercial success is for sure, but I doubt if ICL can identify talent in India. For me, the plan of targeting players who recently retired, who are on the verge of retirement, who are not a certainty in their respective national side is a very good idea.Six teams with four overseas players each is the idea and signing 24 overseas players should not be tough.Atleast, I feel so.

Just look at the list of overseas players who can be on ICL's radar.Apart from Lara,Warne,Mcgrath,Stephen Fleming,Inzamam,Arnold, ICL can target Chris Cairns,Nathan Astle,Michael Bevan,Jhonty Rhodes,Graham Thorpe,Atapattu,Heath Streak.

As far as Indians are concerned, players like Dinesh Mongia, Hemang Badani, Bahutule, Sridharan Sriram or even Jadeja can be easy targets since they do not have a chance of making it to the National side again.

The only concern for me is - Will youngsters dare to go against BCCI and join ICL? I dont think so. ICL's main objective(as they say) is to identify young talent in India and I very much doubt whether ICL will succeed in this area.With or without youngsters, ICL can still get players who make up 6 teams.

Finding stadiums is not that tough for ICL.A ground like Lal Bahadur Shastri stadium in Hyderabad which is a government property and no longer under HCA or BCCI can be a target. I am sure ICL can find such grounds that are not under BCCI's control.

So,players are ready, stadiums are ready, broadcasters will queue up, What else is required? I am a firm supporter of ICL and hope it rocks big time! A true cricket lover would never want to miss watching Warne or Lara in live action again, be it any form of cricket. What say?

Dont write off RD, the kaptan!

2007-08-01T02:12:00.001-07:00

Rahul Dravid may be not be an aggressive captain, may not be an innovative captain, may not be an expressive captain but he has achieved good results. The win at Trentbridge is India's 5th overseas win under Rahul Dravid, and thats not a bad achievement by any means.I have heard people say RD is not half as good as Ganguly as captain.Hmm..that for me is not a fair comment, very harsh I should say! Ganguly is a more natural leader than RD and that made job easy for him. RD, I should say is not a born leader and he is learning the tricks of the trade, slowly but surely.The win at Trentbridge, where India were without a head coach proved this.

Overseas wins under RD (excluding Zimbabwe and Bangladesh)

1. Pakistan, in Multan
2. WI, in Kingston
3. SA, in Johannesburg
4. England, in Nottingham

Overseas wins under SG (excluding Zimbabwe and Bangladesh)

1. SL, in Kandy
2. WI, in Port of Spain
3. England, in Leeds
4. Australia, in Adeilade
5. Pakistan, in Rawalpindi

RD, with 8 test wins under his belt(Dada has 21 wins..brilliant) has still a long way to go before being labeled as a successful Indian captain but he has every chance of becoming one.

I AM BACK.. but not with a BANG!!

2007-04-03T03:23:00.000-07:00

Here I am after a month's trip to Amsterdam where I could not find time to update my blog nor I could find time to follow or watch Cricket.
So, lot of burning issues rite now..'Turmoil in Indian Cricket','Crisis/Disaster in Pakistani Cricket','Sad death of Woolmer','Bad World Cup Format','Failure of the WorldCup','Poor Crowd Turnouts','Anti-Lara-ism in the Caribbean','Downfall of Tendulkar'...and so on..

Will be posting regularly from now on..with focus on the above mentioned issues..

World Cup Series....BEST OPENERS

2007-02-01T01:01:00.000-08:00

In the biggest cricket tournament,the men who take guard first up with the willow hold the key for success.A terrific start, a great foundation, pressure straight away on the opposition is what every captain would look for.Most of the top teams have their opening combination more or less fixed and its up to others to come to a decision sooner than later.Among the top 8 test teams(no Zimbabwe and Bangladesh), here is the Top 8.

1. AUSTRALIA ( Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden)

86 times they opened the batting (till date), 4149 runs at an average of 49.39 with 13 hundred partnerships and 20 fifty partnerships.Gilly without doubt is the all-time best wicketkeeper batsman and will make it any all-time ODI squad. With Haydos finding some form of late, the Kangaroos as usual have the best pair.

2. WEST INDIES (Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Chris Gayle)

37 times they opened with 1813 runs at an average of 53.32 with 5 hundred partnerships and 10 fifty partnerships.In their own backyard, the carribean pair are all set to fire.Beware Pakistan!(WI face Pakistan in the opening match of WC 2007).

3. SRI LANKA ( Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga)

22 times with 1227 runs at an average of 55.77 with 4 hundred and 3 fifty partnerships.Australia and WI have just one dasher but SL in Sanath and Upul have two blazing batsmen. Very much the form partnership.

4. INDIA (Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag/Robin Uthappa)

Ganguly and Sehwag opened 40 times with 1593 runs at 40.84 with 5 hundred and 6 fifty partnerships.Still not certain who will take guard in the first WC match. Either way, very formidable since Uthappa is in the best form of his life.

5. SOUTH AFRICA (Graeme Smith and AB deVilliers/ H Gibbs)

Smith and Gibbs opened 52 times with 1913 runs at 37.50 with 5 hundred and 9 fifty partnerships.Smith and Gibbs on their day are the most destructive pair. On flat wickets and small grounds, this pair can rip apart the best attacks.If SA prefer deVilliers, he is not too bad either.

6. NEW ZEALAND (Stephen Fleming and Lou Vincent)

A very new opening partnership but finding some decent form of late. Fleming is a proven customer and Vincent is having a good run in Australia now.

7. PAKISTAN (Mohammed Hafeez and Shoaib Malik/Imran Farhat)

Very raw opening pair, very unpredictable though! Predicting Tsunami is way easier than predicting how a Pakistani opening pair would perform.

8. ENGLAND (Andrew Strauss and Loye/Joyce/Bell)

Some may say Ouma/Obuya (Kenya) or Nafees/Aftab Ahmed (Bangladesh) are better. England i must say are rock-bottom and i dont see them recovering in time.

Australia, for me hold the edge in the opening category.
Next up in my series, the middle-order(3,4 and 5)!!! Australia might not the hold top position here.Will update in few days!!!!!

Best 11 for India in WC!

2007-01-21T23:35:00.000-08:00

There are less than 50 days now for the World Cup and India is still uncertain on deciding its final 15,leave the final eleven.But, I am pretty much certain of the eleven which has the potential of reaching the finals again..Here it goes..

Sourav Ganguly
Virender Sehwag**
Sachin Tendulkar
Yuvraj Singh
Rahul Dravid
M S Dhoni
Irfan Pathan**
Ramesh Powar
Harbhajan Singh
Zaheer Khan
S.SreeSanth

12th Man: Dinesh Karthik (backup middle-order player)

Other three in the squad: Agarkar (backup for SreeSanth),Kumble (backup for Harbhajan or Powar),Gambhir/Uthappa (backup opener)

** I feel India needs Sehwag and Pathan at their best to get the team balance right! Sehwag or Sachin cannot be used as specialist 5th bowlers.Only if one or two main bowlers have an off day, they should be used! Pathan should not be promoted up the order under any circumstances.Dhoni and Pathan are best at No 6 and No 7.

There are couple of reasons for picking Powar:
1. The wickets are generally low and slow. He will be useful with his subtle variations.
2. Historically, left-handers do well against India and Powar-Bhajju combo can tackle the likes of Gilly,Hussey,Jayasuriya,Gayle etc well.
3. Powar is a pretty useful batsmen down the order and can hit the ball big.

If the big guns play to their potential, I see no reason why India cant perform well in WC 2007.

Sachin as VC makes no sense!!

2007-01-16T06:20:00.000-08:00

The decision to appoint Sachin Tendulkar as Dravid's deputy for the WI series is baffling.What more, rumours are floating that Sachin would replace Dravid after WC if Dravid fails and this simply makes no sense.If the selection committee feels this would put Rahul on his toes, they are mistaken.Making this move just 8 games prior to WC simply puts extra pressure on Rahul.Sachin doesn't need a VC tag to help Dravid.I feel senior players like Sachin,Sourav and Kumble should be always there to help Rahul make decisions.Making a player who is at the fag end of his career as VC and that too with the intention of making him a captain in future is insensible to say the least.In first place, Why appoint a VC? Are there ICC rules which state every team needs to have a VC? It should be decided among the senior members who will take charge if Dravid is off the field for some reasons (like in football where the captain passes the captain's armband). Thats it!! Its sad that BCCI selection committee comes up with some strange decisions at crucial moments. I hope this does not affect Rahul as a captain and a player.

Going on,on and on..but for how long??

2007-01-12T05:43:00.000-08:00

Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath have called it a day on a real high, both in terms of form and fitness.But, somehow same doesn't seem to apply to the sub-continental players.Here is a list of the 'Asian Oldies'....

Age as on 12th Jan, 2007

Sanath Jayasuriya   37 years, 196 days
Inzamam-ul-Haq     36 years, 315 days
Anil Kumble               36 years, 87 days
Marvan Atapattu    36 years, 51 days
Sourav Ganguly      34 years, 188 days
Rahul Dravid          34 years, 1 day
Sachin Tendulkar 33 years, 263 days
Chaminda Vaas      32 years, 350 days
Mohd Yousuf        32 years, 138 days
VVS Laxman         32 years, 72 days

Lot of things need to be considered by the player before they call it quits and I wonder whether some of these players consider all.Not all players are lucky enough to retire on a high.Generally, players who tend to hang on for long do not get a chance to retire with their heads held high.So, its better to call it quits when the fans still love you and respect you.Its strange that its the sub-continental players who tend to drag their careers.Does this mean they are fitter than the rest?? NO WAY!!! Sadly, these guys put their personal records ahead of team's future.Hope we get to see the next generation jayasuriyas,tendulkars,inzamams and kumbles soon.

Three promising Sharmas in WC probables

2007-01-12T00:51:00.000-08:00

Well, I have given my 30 yesterday, and today its the turn of the men who matter to give their 30. The players whom I ignored were Joginder Sharma,C Pujara, Ishant Sharma adn Rajesh Pawar.Well, I preferred the experienced bunch of Nehra,Balaji,Murali Karthik and Venugopala Rao instead.Here is what I know about these youngsters.
Joginder Sharma - a promising 23 year old all-rounder from Haryana.Some crazy people have already compared him to Kapil Dev.
Ishant Sharma - a tall quickie, consistent 135kph bowler,thats fast in India ha ha
Rohit Sharma - very very talented batsman, had success both at u-19 and ranji level
I havent heard much of Pujara and Pawar.

What should be the World Cup 30 for India???

2007-01-11T04:14:00.000-08:00

After the SA debacle, the focus now shifts on to World Cup in the WI. India are yet to pick their 30 probables, a fairly easy job picking 30 and here goes my probables.

Better Batters (14): Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammed Kaif, VVS Laxman, Suresh Raina, Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Mongia, Robin Uthappa, Rohit Sharma, Y Venugopala Rao, S Badrinath

Better Quick Bowlers (9): Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan, SreeSanth, Ajit Agarkar, Munaf Patel, VRV Singh, RP Singh, L Balaji, A Nehra

Better Slow Bowlers (4): Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh,Ramesh Powar, Murali Karthik

Better Keepers (3): MS Dhoni, D Karthik, Parthiv Patel

According to me, India has no all-rounders, that is the reason why I mentioned only batters,bowlers and keepers.

Heavy dose cricketing action for India in 2007

2007-01-04T23:01:00.000-08:00

Rahul Dravid and company have their task cut out in 2007 with very important and tough assignments for them.

Jan : Test, Away, South Africa, ( Jan 2-6)
ODIs(4), Home, West Indies (Jan 21,24,27,30)

Feb : ODIs(4), Home, Sri Lanka (Feb 8,11,14,17 )

Mar : WORLD CUP, Away, In WestIndies
Mar 17 -Bangladesh, 19- Bermuda , 23- Sri Lanka
Super Eight Match(es) (if India go thru)

Apr : WORLD CUP, Away, In WestIndies
Super Eight Match(es),SemiFinal and Final (Again If India go thru)

May : Tests,ODIs, Away, Bangladesh

Jun : ODIs, Away, Afro-Asian Cup (details not known)

Jul : Tests(2), Away, England (Jul 19-23, Jul 27-31)

Aug : Test (1), Away, England ( Aug 9-13)
ODIs (4), Away, England (Aug 21,24,27,30)
ODI (1), Away, Scotland

Sep : ODIs (3), Away, England (Sep 2,5,8)
20-20 World Championship, Away,In SouthAfrica

Nov : ODIs, Home, Australia

Dec : ODIs/Tests , Away, Pakistan
Tests, Away, Australia

The name's Warne..Shane Warne 700

2006-12-25T20:35:00.000-08:00

What a moment!! What an occasion!! What a player!! 700 wickets!!!! Shane Warne has just done it at the MCG in front of around 90000 people, on his home turf.But, If you are a cricket lover, this is the worst day to be at office working..I am unfortunately one of them and I envy all those who are in front of their television sets sipping hot coffee and enjoying watching one of all the greats in action.Boxing Day has kicked off with the 20-20 action between SL and NZ(NZ has won it comfortably), the Ashes 4th Test is going on, and in few hours, India will take on SA at Kingsmead,Durban. Ahh!!! Its really sickening to be at office, sitting in front of the computer and working.
One last word, On this second anniversary of the dreadful Tsunami, I pray for all the victims and their families.

Super Shots Series (The Square Cut )

2006-12-19T22:08:00.000-08:00

In my second of the super shots series, I focus on the square cutters..

Here are the Top 5 (based on average runs on the shot since Sep 2001)

1. Adam Gilchrist (283 runs)

2. Michael Vaughan (166 runs)

3. Mahela Jayawardene (150 runs)

4. R Sarwan ( 124 runs)

5. Sachin Tendulkar (117 runs)

Coming up next in this series....Who has the best defense??? Watch out folks!!

Stats Courtesy: http://www.cricinfo.com

RD is an aggressive captain..no doubt!!

2006-12-18T06:13:00.000-08:00

"A defensive captain", "dominated by Greg Chappell", "captain of the 70s", were some of the statements made by former players and media on Rahul Dravid.According to me,these comments are 'utter rubbish'. Does stripping shirt off and waving in the pavilion means aggression? Does fighting with the umpire and getting a ban means aggression? Does being very expressive means aggression? Absolutely NO.Setting aggressive fields,taking bold decisions,trusting the players to the fullest are some of the qualities of a true aggressive captain. Rahul Dravid has shown all these qualities in the Joburg match, won the toss and chose to bat which is very brave and as Ganguly mentioned, field-settings were superb and aggressive.And whats wrong if Greg dominates things off the field?? Rahul Dravid is the boss on the field, it is his team.This victory is a great answer to all the critics including Mr Kapil Dev.He might be a great player but his comments on Dravid and Chappell duo were not great,in fact very disappointing.

Some facts :

India's first series victory in WI was under Rahul Dravid
India's first test win in PAK was under Rahul Dravid
India's first test win in SA was under Rahul Dravid

I hope India registers its first series win in SA under RD too.
Keep going RD!!!

History about to be made...

2006-12-17T20:38:00.000-08:00

In all probability, India should register their first test win in SA today i.e 18th Dec,2006. Truly, it would be a great moment for Indian cricket.

Here is a list of first victories on foreign soils:

1. Against New Zealand in Feb,1968 in Dunedin under Nawab of Pataudi Jr

2. Against West Indies in March, 1971, Trinidad under Ajit Wadekar

3. Against England in August, 1971 in Oval,London under Ajit Wadekar

4. Against Australia in 1977/78 in Melbourne under Bishan Singh Bedi

5. Against Sri Lanka in Jul,1993 in Colombo under Mohammed Azharuddin

6. Against Bangladesh in November,2000 in Dhaka under Sourav Ganguly

7. Against Zimbabwe in 2001 in Bulawayo under Sourav Ganguly

8. Against Pakistan in 2003/04 in Multan under Rahul Dravid

In a few hours from now, i would like to add

9. Against South Africa in Dec 2006 in Johannesburg under Rahul Dravid

So, lets wait for the moment...

Super Shots Series ( The Cover Drive )

2006-12-13T04:14:00.000-08:00

In this series, I will be posting images of various shots played by various batsmen. I will start with 'The Cover Drive'.So, Who are the best in the business???

Here goes the Top Five
(based on the runs scored on the shot since Sep 2001)

1. Lara (652 runs)

2. Kallis (335 runs)

3. Dravid (306 runs)

4. Kirsten (207 runs)

5. Trescothick ( 203 runs )

Watch out for more shots...coming soon!!!

Stats Courtesy: http://www.cricinfo.com

Selection Problems for India

2006-12-11T01:43:00.000-08:00

In 4 days time, first test between India and SA starts and India are no way close to finalising on the playing eleven.With Rahul Dravid now certain for the first test, who will give way to him is a big question.

The Certainities...

RS Dravid (reasons not needed)
SC Ganguly (looked close to his best in the tour game, made a great comeback and looks determined)
Zaheer Khan (been India's best bowler throughout the tour)
MS Dhoni (first choice keeper, if he fails Karthik should be given a chance in 2nd Test)
VVS Laxman (the vice-captain, looked quite good in the 1st inngs and fought it out in the 2nd)
SR Tendulkar (terribly out of sorts, but who will make the bold decision of dropping the legend? )
V Sehwag (his test record helps him hang on to his place, only just though)
A Kumble ( will be picked ahead of Harbhajan i guess, after all he is India's leading wicket-taker)

Now then, 3 more places...

The Contenders..

Irfan Pathan (batted beautifully but his bowling was below par)
Sreesanth (bowled very well)
VRV Singh (impressed one and all)
W Jaffer (totally out of form, nothing to show)

So, based on form, W Jaffer should be dropped. But, who will open the innings with Sehwag? Its highly unlikely that Gambhir who is short of match practice will get the nod.Will one of Sreesanth and VRV Singh be dropped for Pathan? Will they drop Jaffer and go in for a non-regular opener?
So, Which three of the above four will be picked?
Lot of problems....poor Dravid..

5-0 ??

2006-12-05T05:25:00.000-08:00

Glenn McGrath's predicitions may have gone totally wrong in Ashes 2005 but things look good this time. Looking at the way Aussies are playing and more than that, the mistakes England are committing, 5-0 whitewash looks very much possible.
For me, the first person (and the only person? ) to blame for England's Adelaide debacle is their coach Duncan Fletcher.Selection of Giles, opting for Geraint Jones instead of Chris Read are the two main reasons.Here is a list of reasons..

1) Selecting Giles because of his great batting skills at No.8 is truly inexplicable. For me, Giles did nothing to justify his selection.Not Boycott's mom, even my mom would smash Giles all over the park.

2) Any match, Any team, Any pitch, I will play Monty Panesar. He is a genuine attacking leftarm spinner who always looks for wickets.

3) I am a great Ian Chappell fan and I totally agree with his views. In todays commentary he doubted Geraint Jones' temperament and he is absolutely right.Chris Read should have been picked instead of Jones.

4) Why James Anderson??? Sajid Mahmood or Jon Lewis would have been a better choice.

I dont see England retaining the Ashes.
Ashes 2006 would be a very one-sided affair.

Fantastic Victory for the Aussies..

2006-12-04T22:54:00.000-08:00

Who after Sachin and Lara???

2006-12-03T01:38:00.000-08:00

'TEST CRICKET'

We are unfortunately close to the end of the great Sachin-Lara era, and its time to look forward to the next contemporary great. And, there are quite a few contenders too although they might not match up to the greatness of Lara and Tendulkar.

The race...(Upto Aus-Eng 2nd Test, End of Day 3)

TOP 5 (Runs)

	Matches	Runs	Average	Tons
R Ponting	107*	9190	58.96	33
R Dravid	104	9049	58.75	23
Inzamam-ul-Haq	116	8615	50.38	25
J Kallis	102	8033	55.78	24
J Langer	102*	7579	54.07	23

TOP 5 (Average)

	Matches	Runs	Average	Tons
R Ponting	107*	9190	58.96	33
R Dravid	104	9049	58.75	23
M Yousuf	73	6402	56.65	19
J Kallis	102	8033	55.78	24
M Hayden	86*	7396	52.45	26

So, from the above stats, its pretty obvious that R Ponting is winning the race.
In todays morning commentary, I heard them(Channel 9 commentary team) calling Ponting the 'Bradman of the Modern Era'..I am not pretty sure of that!

India appointing Bowling Coach??

2006-12-01T05:02:00.001-08:00

With Indian Chief Selector Dileep Vengsarkar stating that India needs a bowling coach, let me chalk out who could be the possible candidates.

1) Fanie de Villiers : Openly expressed his interest to coach India

2) Bruce Reid : Helped out Indian bowlers in the last tour to Australia. With India having left-armers Zaheer and Irfan, could be an option.

3) Venkatesh Prasad : Expressed his interest and also has undergone many Coaching classes. But, how good can he be??

Disclaimer: All these views are my original and not copied from any other Website. In fact, published well before other sites.

20-20 debut for India or not??

2006-11-30T23:30:00.000-08:00

Finally India are gonna play their first 20-20 international today IF WEATHER PERMITS.
Can India register their first win of the tour??? My answer would be YES.
No doubt, the man to watch out for India is MS Dhoni.The way he has shaped up so far in the tour makes me believe he will do it for India today.
SA's big guns will be missing but the younger lot are not bad either. It would be tough for the visitors but they have a fair chance.

Lets hope the rains stay away so that one could witness a cracking encounter.

No place for Monty, yet again...

2006-11-30T20:53:00.000-08:00

How cum there is no place for Monty Panesar in the England team playing in Adelaide??According to me, this is a big selection blunder from Duncan Fletcher. With these sort of selection blunders, England cannot retain the Ashes.Monty Panesar has started his career with the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, and then went on to become their best bowler in summer against Sri Lanka and Pakistan (two teams who play spin well).What else can a bowler do to get a place in the eleven? Its for all to know that Giles is Duncan's favourite but Monty is a much much better bowler than Giles.England may win this test, but still not playing Monty is a big mistake.

Yousuf breaks Viv's record but....

2006-11-30T05:42:00.000-08:00

He is still a few steps away from greatness. No doubt, he is a player of great quality, elegance, substance but he is yet to prove himself totally. Against Australia in Australia, he averages about 33 and in SA against SA just about 16.He has let the team down many times abroad, especially in the above mentioned countries.I agree, 2006 has been great for him but most of the time, he played against moderate attacks or in very good batting conditions.
So, once he does well Overseas( especially in Aus and SA), helps his team win more consistently and be more reliable, I put him in the class of Ponting,Dravid and Kallis.

Indian Team Selected...New Vice Kaptan..

2006-11-29T23:35:00.000-08:00

Surpise Surpise....VVS Laxman appointed Vice-Captain for the Indian Test Team..

According to me, its a very very good decision for many reasons.
a) Laxman has always been captaincy material, captained Hyderabad, South Zone, India A and so on.
b) Its like informing Sehwag that 'U r no longer a permanent member, u dont pick for yourself, u need to perform'.
c) Thrusting responsibility on Laxman will make him even better player.
d) Lastly, Dravid and Laxman have great understanding (played together a lot, u-19,zone etc).

Well Done Mr.Vengsarkar!!

Ganguly's 3rd innings...Coming Soon

2006-11-29T02:49:00.000-08:00

Hold on..I have not gone mad..It would , infact be his 3rd innings.

Ganguly was a part of the Indian squad that toured Australia in 1991/92 although he could not make his Test Debut.
He played some tour games but failed to create any sort of Impression. He made his debut in ODIs though, against the West Indies but failed.
Subsequently , he was dropped and it was the end of his first innings.

June 2006: Ganguly debuted in Tests and all of us know what happened since then. If the 1st innings lasted for mere months, 2nd innings lasted for about 10 years.If I were to name a player who has seen it all, it would be Sourav Chandidas Ganguly.Loss of form, spat with Chappell, change in Board leadership, one thought have put an end to Dada's 2nd innings, or should i say Career.

Breaking News: Ganguly likely for Test Callup
This is one news that all Indian National news channels have been beaming since last night(28th Nov).

Now, its all but confirmed that SC Ganguly will be part of the Test Squad which is going to be announced on 30th November.

So, Get ready for the 3rd innings...