I watched both of today’s matches in a mood of mild protest, over Kamran Khan’s action being described as suspect. He is a slinger, and for heaven’s sake, you cannot straighten out an arm in the middle of a slinging motion. I have been watching replays, and the lad does seem to be double-jointed – the same condition that ensures three of today’s top international bowlers don’t get reported!
Wasn’t the first match supposed to be one-sided? Warne and his men certainly did not think so as the RR pulled off the unimaginable.
When the DC batted, the absence of Kamran Khan, out with an ankle injury did not show. Pathan’s good overs at the top were in stark contrast to those of Munaf Patel, before Jadeja and Harwood started pushing down the middle pedal.
For the DC, Rohit Sharma and Tirumal Suman played good knocks to push their team up to 141. But Azhar Bilakhia at three surprised me. He can bat, but I personally thought that Sharma in his place would have allowed the latter to build an innings better.
Anyway, the start of the RR innings started off like a pie-throwing sequence in a comedy film. Rhyme, reason and anything resembling grey cells seemed to have been left behind as Warne’s team quickly reduced itself to 3 for 3. But a truly lovely knock from Lee Carseldine put them back on rails.
Carseldine showed beautiful touch as he in the company of Jadeja first and then Warne took them closer and closer to the target. Abhishek Raut came in, settled in and kept one end ticking over busily, as Pathan , dropped down the order, came in and launched a few here and there to get the RR to within kissing distance.
This sudden turnaround by the RR is rather reminiscent of their performance last year, when they came out of nowhere.
The second match of the evening was a cruel one – between two of the teams I support.
I thought the CSK got off pretty well. Murali Vijay was a bit slow, but I thought he got off to a fair start before attempting the ‘sabko mitadoonga’ swipe. Hayden pummeled briefly, but all too quickly, the CSK were 2 for 46.
Raina and Badrinath got together and tried to get things going again. Raina is in the middle of a truly brilliant phase. He never seems to slog, and doesn’t really have a big wind up. He just seems to be there when the ball arrives. Rare talent.
Badrinath at the other end was his typical self, running the singles hard and looking for scoring opportunities. He broke the 11th over jinx with an amazing series of hits that gave the CSK team momentum, which quickly disappeared when Raina got out. DD played Rajat Bhatia, a cricketer who is vastly under-rated. He thinks his way through, whether batting or bowling and that makes him a good man to have in a team. Bhatia bowled a few good overs, getting rid of Badrinath.
After that, all the big-built men with the big reputations flopped and the CSK innings listed and floundered its way to 163.
Not a tough target, given DD’s batting quality and depth. Warner, in for Sehwag, and Gambhir looked quite comfortable till Raina pulled off a blinder to send back Gambhir who was looking good finally. But it was the next ball from Tyagi that seemed to torpedo the DD innings. It cleaned up de Villiers off his pads, first ball.
Dilshan left shortly afterwards, totally undone by Jakati, who bowled two good arm balls to him before turning the third past Dilshan’s bat.
Warner, beginning to reel off some crisp shots set about re-building the chase with Karthik, but fell victim to Jakati after a well-made fifty. Manhas played a terrible shot and got out and was quickly followed by Karthik, who I thought should have stuck around.
Once Karthik left, it all suddenly became academic and what could have been a thrilling finish ended in a one-sided way.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
The IPL Athletic Supporter's Note - X
Both the May Day matches were opportunities for redemption. One team tried and failed, while the other succeeded.
The KKR – Mumbai Indians encounter was expected to be a one-sided affair, though I was secretly hoping that the Kolkata team would pull off a miracle. I am neither a Bong nor a fan of the KKR team-owner, but I definitely like my Ganguly, quirks and all.
As it happened, KKR bowled quite well to hold the Mumbai team down to 148. Almost every bowler did his job and while the fielding was not up there, one could see a team wanting to fight. I quite liked Murali Kartik’s send-off to Harbhajan. Just for the fact that it’s time the offie got some of his own medicine forced down his throat.
Duminy again batted beautifully. The funny thing is that as a viewer, one doesn’t notice him. No fanfare, no massive hits. Just a series of crisp, cricketing shots and he is suddenly on fifty.
Why Rahane was sent so low down is something that I will never understand. The lad is a destructive player and a real talent. Agarkar got Tendulkar with a full toss. One marvels at the talent of Agarkar, who manages to get a wicket with almost any kind of delivery. This time, instead of the longhop, it was a full toss.
The KKR reply started off in ominous fashion with Ganguly getting a first-baller – dragging a wide delivery on to his stumps. Zaheer Khan cleaned up Gayle, and all of us watching started exchanging ‘How d’you solve a problem like KKR?’ expressions.
But we were led to hope. By a gritty partnership between Hodge and van Wyk, before the old ending was added to this new plot. Why is Saha being played so low down? He can open, which gives KKR the option of sending Ganguly in at three. But then, Hungry Bread always has other ideas.
KKR lost, but I sincerely hope they bounce back. Locking the coach and his theories up in a bathroom two days before the match is a good idea. When every brilliant theory has failed, what’s the harm in eleven players going out and just trying to … err, play cricket?
The second match saw Kumble taking over from KP, the sex symbol. And with it must have come a different work ethic. None of it was in evidence when the RC batted, losing Ryder, Goswami and Bishnoi in reasonably quick succession.
A line about Bishnoi. Back in the glory days of Nebuchadnezzar, when I played most of my cricket, we had a term to describe this kind of player – Oom-faa. ‘Oom’ referred to the wind-up and ‘faa’ to the swing of the bat. Back to the game.
Kallis, Uthappa and van der Merwe all chipped in, but the thunder was stolen by Yuvraj Singh, who in the course of three successive balls took a hat-trick and brought his own brand of mayhem to approved celebration styles.
145 seemed a gettable target as long as Yuvraj was there for the Kings XI. The team has a big problem in the fact that Jayawardene is just not firing, given the fact that he is a genuine class act. Some good bowling by the spin trio of Kumble, van der Merwe and Appanna dried up the runs for the Kings XI.
The KKR – Mumbai Indians encounter was expected to be a one-sided affair, though I was secretly hoping that the Kolkata team would pull off a miracle. I am neither a Bong nor a fan of the KKR team-owner, but I definitely like my Ganguly, quirks and all.
As it happened, KKR bowled quite well to hold the Mumbai team down to 148. Almost every bowler did his job and while the fielding was not up there, one could see a team wanting to fight. I quite liked Murali Kartik’s send-off to Harbhajan. Just for the fact that it’s time the offie got some of his own medicine forced down his throat.
Duminy again batted beautifully. The funny thing is that as a viewer, one doesn’t notice him. No fanfare, no massive hits. Just a series of crisp, cricketing shots and he is suddenly on fifty.
Why Rahane was sent so low down is something that I will never understand. The lad is a destructive player and a real talent. Agarkar got Tendulkar with a full toss. One marvels at the talent of Agarkar, who manages to get a wicket with almost any kind of delivery. This time, instead of the longhop, it was a full toss.
The KKR reply started off in ominous fashion with Ganguly getting a first-baller – dragging a wide delivery on to his stumps. Zaheer Khan cleaned up Gayle, and all of us watching started exchanging ‘How d’you solve a problem like KKR?’ expressions.
But we were led to hope. By a gritty partnership between Hodge and van Wyk, before the old ending was added to this new plot. Why is Saha being played so low down? He can open, which gives KKR the option of sending Ganguly in at three. But then, Hungry Bread always has other ideas.
KKR lost, but I sincerely hope they bounce back. Locking the coach and his theories up in a bathroom two days before the match is a good idea. When every brilliant theory has failed, what’s the harm in eleven players going out and just trying to … err, play cricket?
The second match saw Kumble taking over from KP, the sex symbol. And with it must have come a different work ethic. None of it was in evidence when the RC batted, losing Ryder, Goswami and Bishnoi in reasonably quick succession.
A line about Bishnoi. Back in the glory days of Nebuchadnezzar, when I played most of my cricket, we had a term to describe this kind of player – Oom-faa. ‘Oom’ referred to the wind-up and ‘faa’ to the swing of the bat. Back to the game.
Kallis, Uthappa and van der Merwe all chipped in, but the thunder was stolen by Yuvraj Singh, who in the course of three successive balls took a hat-trick and brought his own brand of mayhem to approved celebration styles.
145 seemed a gettable target as long as Yuvraj was there for the Kings XI. The team has a big problem in the fact that Jayawardene is just not firing, given the fact that he is a genuine class act. Some good bowling by the spin trio of Kumble, van der Merwe and Appanna dried up the runs for the Kings XI.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
The IPL Athletic Supporter's Note - IX
When you have a team that can afford to let Glenn McGrath take it easy and still win, you are probably looking at one of the finalists for this year's edition of IPL.
I was stuck in a meeting for the entire DC innings and for some part of the DD reply. But speaking to people who were watching, it was apparent that the DD attack isn't just about choking off runs, but pretty incisive, even without the Surgeon of Seam, McGrath.
I picked up the match when Dilshan and Karthik were together. It was a surprise to see Karthik play with his head, using his natural aggression to play the boundary shots. Dilshan was in another gear altogether. There seems to be a sense of calm in his aggression, which is always dangerous, as Fidel Edwards found out towards the end. He took DD ashore safely, in the company of Manhas.
The interest factor here is whether DC will be able to bounce back, now that they are an Edwards short. Do they have anyone as incisive as him? Will RP sSingh step up as he did when Zaheer Khan broke down in Australia? Should be fun to watch.
The second match was always going to be loaded against the RR. CSK supporter that I am, I always support RR when they play.
True to form, RR put the feline amongst the birds, removing Patel (which I must confess can also be done by Pitambar Garg, part-time cricketer playing with the Patel Nagar Cricket Club) and Hayden.
Thankfully, Dhoni sent in Badrinath to stay with Raina as the latter hammered the CSK innings to recovery.
Raina never gets written about for anything other than cricket, and therefore is not a real favourite of our news channels, but this lad is a curious combination of big-hitting and run-scrounging. There were many big hits from Raina, but none of them were brutal slogs.
Each one of his shots was a cricket shot, with just that little bit of extra bottom-hand to get elevation and distance. It was an awesome innings. Time Raina got a place in the Test squad. He is a genuinely good player, and please let him not be pigeon-holed into a limiting role.
A little gloat here. Badrinath played exactly as I had predicted he would, working the ball around, and putting the loose ball away. But again, the 'Rhythm Break' struck, removing Badrinath, and for a couple of overs, putting Raina out of groove.
In the end, Dhoni and Raina pushed up the scoring to reach 160+, which was always going to be a tough ask for RR.
And when Smith went early, I was still hopeful that Quiney would play an innings of sorts. But he seems to stay on the back foot a bit too much. The rest of the RR innings desperately looked for inspiration which sadly was not there.
Balaji got in with a good spell and picked up wickets and that was that.
I was stuck in a meeting for the entire DC innings and for some part of the DD reply. But speaking to people who were watching, it was apparent that the DD attack isn't just about choking off runs, but pretty incisive, even without the Surgeon of Seam, McGrath.
I picked up the match when Dilshan and Karthik were together. It was a surprise to see Karthik play with his head, using his natural aggression to play the boundary shots. Dilshan was in another gear altogether. There seems to be a sense of calm in his aggression, which is always dangerous, as Fidel Edwards found out towards the end. He took DD ashore safely, in the company of Manhas.
The interest factor here is whether DC will be able to bounce back, now that they are an Edwards short. Do they have anyone as incisive as him? Will RP sSingh step up as he did when Zaheer Khan broke down in Australia? Should be fun to watch.
The second match was always going to be loaded against the RR. CSK supporter that I am, I always support RR when they play.
True to form, RR put the feline amongst the birds, removing Patel (which I must confess can also be done by Pitambar Garg, part-time cricketer playing with the Patel Nagar Cricket Club) and Hayden.
Thankfully, Dhoni sent in Badrinath to stay with Raina as the latter hammered the CSK innings to recovery.
Raina never gets written about for anything other than cricket, and therefore is not a real favourite of our news channels, but this lad is a curious combination of big-hitting and run-scrounging. There were many big hits from Raina, but none of them were brutal slogs.
Each one of his shots was a cricket shot, with just that little bit of extra bottom-hand to get elevation and distance. It was an awesome innings. Time Raina got a place in the Test squad. He is a genuinely good player, and please let him not be pigeon-holed into a limiting role.
A little gloat here. Badrinath played exactly as I had predicted he would, working the ball around, and putting the loose ball away. But again, the 'Rhythm Break' struck, removing Badrinath, and for a couple of overs, putting Raina out of groove.
In the end, Dhoni and Raina pushed up the scoring to reach 160+, which was always going to be a tough ask for RR.
And when Smith went early, I was still hopeful that Quiney would play an innings of sorts. But he seems to stay on the back foot a bit too much. The rest of the RR innings desperately looked for inspiration which sadly was not there.
Balaji got in with a good spell and picked up wickets and that was that.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The IPL Athletic Supporter's Note - VIII
Sometimes, winning isn't about often-used expressions like 'maximising your potential', or 'raising the bar' and the like. It could be as simple (or as difficult) a matter of deciding to conquer one's internal demons and succeeding.
To me, both of last night's matches were about wanting to conquer the nasty beasties inside. The first match had me secretly hoping that KKR would pull off a win.
As it turned out, the team that wanted to win, won. KKR (I hope I am wrong) is a team that is rapidly disintegrating. Till those fielding mishaps under pressure, they had the upper hand. One gets the feeling that the mood in the KKR camp is that nothing can help them now. And more importantly, they don't seem to be owning the problem. A classic symptom of a team being controlled too rigidly.
Wriddiman Saha finally got a game, and made his presence felt. More importantly, he brought a sense of urgency. In my book, selecting a playing XI isn't just about a player's past record or his talent. It's got something to do with spotting the hunger and the potential in him.
And in the KKR ranks, they have one person who has done this sort of player-spotting for India in the recent past. The question is, is Ganguly a KKR think-tank member with a casting vote? Or is he there just as a mark of respect to his past exploits?
McCullum is a brilliant cricketer. But he seems desperately lost as a captain.On the other side, the RC team seem to have come into this match sensing a win. And they were not going to let go. Shreevats Goswami finally got a look in. And cashed in, setting the platform for the RC chase. KP? I for one am happy that he part of the England squad. Captaincy demands responsibility. And watching KP, one gets the feeling that he is playing here just to keep himself amused.
In the end, Virat Kohli and Mark Boucher, those two 'worker ants' got RC through. Is it any coincidence that RC are playing more as a team after Boucher has come in? IMHO, he should start leading them now.
As for KKR, I am more or less convinced that the only option left is for Buchanan to do a very 'Indian culture' thing - fall at Ganguly's feet and beg him to lead. It is a small physical feat of going from vertical to horizontal, but it might take KKR's performance from horizontal to vertical. For what Ganguly brings by way of emotion and motivation to the job of captaincy is worth its weight in gold.
The second match almost forced me to switch off the TV at the end of the Kings XI innings. I kept it on only for Tendulkar. But this was a different Kings XI that played last night. I, in my ignorance have always marked them down as a 'flow' team. Last night, we all saw what a bunch of streetfighters they are. Sangakkara played one of the grittiest innings that IPL has seen, scrounging his way to a respectable total for his team.
Mumbai, one supposes, must have been shattered when Tendulkar got out. The fragility of their middle order was exposed, though Duminy played a beautifully-paced innings and almost got them home.
Personally, I was happy to see Kings XI play the way they did. But Tendulkar did not fire, and that always brings a glum expression to the face.
To me, both of last night's matches were about wanting to conquer the nasty beasties inside. The first match had me secretly hoping that KKR would pull off a win.
As it turned out, the team that wanted to win, won. KKR (I hope I am wrong) is a team that is rapidly disintegrating. Till those fielding mishaps under pressure, they had the upper hand. One gets the feeling that the mood in the KKR camp is that nothing can help them now. And more importantly, they don't seem to be owning the problem. A classic symptom of a team being controlled too rigidly.
Wriddiman Saha finally got a game, and made his presence felt. More importantly, he brought a sense of urgency. In my book, selecting a playing XI isn't just about a player's past record or his talent. It's got something to do with spotting the hunger and the potential in him.
And in the KKR ranks, they have one person who has done this sort of player-spotting for India in the recent past. The question is, is Ganguly a KKR think-tank member with a casting vote? Or is he there just as a mark of respect to his past exploits?
McCullum is a brilliant cricketer. But he seems desperately lost as a captain.On the other side, the RC team seem to have come into this match sensing a win. And they were not going to let go. Shreevats Goswami finally got a look in. And cashed in, setting the platform for the RC chase. KP? I for one am happy that he part of the England squad. Captaincy demands responsibility. And watching KP, one gets the feeling that he is playing here just to keep himself amused.
In the end, Virat Kohli and Mark Boucher, those two 'worker ants' got RC through. Is it any coincidence that RC are playing more as a team after Boucher has come in? IMHO, he should start leading them now.
As for KKR, I am more or less convinced that the only option left is for Buchanan to do a very 'Indian culture' thing - fall at Ganguly's feet and beg him to lead. It is a small physical feat of going from vertical to horizontal, but it might take KKR's performance from horizontal to vertical. For what Ganguly brings by way of emotion and motivation to the job of captaincy is worth its weight in gold.
The second match almost forced me to switch off the TV at the end of the Kings XI innings. I kept it on only for Tendulkar. But this was a different Kings XI that played last night. I, in my ignorance have always marked them down as a 'flow' team. Last night, we all saw what a bunch of streetfighters they are. Sangakkara played one of the grittiest innings that IPL has seen, scrounging his way to a respectable total for his team.
Mumbai, one supposes, must have been shattered when Tendulkar got out. The fragility of their middle order was exposed, though Duminy played a beautifully-paced innings and almost got them home.
Personally, I was happy to see Kings XI play the way they did. But Tendulkar did not fire, and that always brings a glum expression to the face.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The IPL Athletic Supporter's Note - VII
There are many greats who have written many perspectives on leadership. One of the oldest is that of defining roles clearly to team members and leading by example. And that is what Warne did last night.
On paper, it was an unequal contest. And me, being a Daredevils supporter, was hoping that they would not get carried away. The one thing that has been worrying me is how Gambhir and Sehwag have been going after the ball without take a few minutes to settle their nerves.
Gambhir stuck his bat out at one, and Warne picked the resulting edge out of thin air. He may be past his prime and overweight, but he is a man who has played the game hard at the highest level, and that can occasionally make the mind transcend the mortal frame.
When the skipper leads by example, the team that looks up to him and adores him will follow suit. Asnodkar took a beauty to get rid of Sehwag. He had to run back, but covered ground so well that he ended up making the catch look easy.
I know everyone says that this is the way Sehwag plays. And in all probability, he will play exactly like this in the next match and get a big one. But it might soothe a few supporters' nerves if he just tempers things a little bit.
Dilshan left, trying a big hit and Warne made a total schoolboy out of Karthik. De Villiers and Vettori played intelligent and aggressive cricket. Manhas, for the second time running, played a lovely cameo, but in the end, the Royals were happy that they had choked the Daredevils to 143.
Chasing the Daredevils target was always going to be a bit of a toughie, considering the Delhi team's potent bowling attack and the fragility of the Royals' batting.
Quiney is a far better player than his continuing horror story in the IPL suggests. He went early. And for a brief while, I thought Asnodkar would pick the right balls to hit. He did, but he also chose the wrong single to take. Paul Valthaty seemed to be on edge and left to a good, old-fashioned leg break from Mishra who bowled superbly.
It seemed as if Warne had told Smith to just play through the innings. And in the end, it proved to be a bit of a calming influence on Yusuf Pathan, who between grim nods and muttered advice from Smith, played a blinder that took the Royals home.
This loss will not hurt the Daredevils. But what the win will do for the Royals might be interesting to watch. Because this is exactly what happened last year. After a series of losses, they suddenly started winning.
IPL 2 may not have classic Indian crowds and big rashes of sixes, but it definitely has its own flavour.
PS: A few days ago, a girl asked me the meaning of the repetitive title to these posts. I also assured her that I was no longer athletic. Which confused her even further. So I abruptly ended the conversation by asking her to find out what 'Omtex' was.
On paper, it was an unequal contest. And me, being a Daredevils supporter, was hoping that they would not get carried away. The one thing that has been worrying me is how Gambhir and Sehwag have been going after the ball without take a few minutes to settle their nerves.
Gambhir stuck his bat out at one, and Warne picked the resulting edge out of thin air. He may be past his prime and overweight, but he is a man who has played the game hard at the highest level, and that can occasionally make the mind transcend the mortal frame.
When the skipper leads by example, the team that looks up to him and adores him will follow suit. Asnodkar took a beauty to get rid of Sehwag. He had to run back, but covered ground so well that he ended up making the catch look easy.
I know everyone says that this is the way Sehwag plays. And in all probability, he will play exactly like this in the next match and get a big one. But it might soothe a few supporters' nerves if he just tempers things a little bit.
Dilshan left, trying a big hit and Warne made a total schoolboy out of Karthik. De Villiers and Vettori played intelligent and aggressive cricket. Manhas, for the second time running, played a lovely cameo, but in the end, the Royals were happy that they had choked the Daredevils to 143.
Chasing the Daredevils target was always going to be a bit of a toughie, considering the Delhi team's potent bowling attack and the fragility of the Royals' batting.
Quiney is a far better player than his continuing horror story in the IPL suggests. He went early. And for a brief while, I thought Asnodkar would pick the right balls to hit. He did, but he also chose the wrong single to take. Paul Valthaty seemed to be on edge and left to a good, old-fashioned leg break from Mishra who bowled superbly.
It seemed as if Warne had told Smith to just play through the innings. And in the end, it proved to be a bit of a calming influence on Yusuf Pathan, who between grim nods and muttered advice from Smith, played a blinder that took the Royals home.
This loss will not hurt the Daredevils. But what the win will do for the Royals might be interesting to watch. Because this is exactly what happened last year. After a series of losses, they suddenly started winning.
IPL 2 may not have classic Indian crowds and big rashes of sixes, but it definitely has its own flavour.
PS: A few days ago, a girl asked me the meaning of the repetitive title to these posts. I also assured her that I was no longer athletic. Which confused her even further. So I abruptly ended the conversation by asking her to find out what 'Omtex' was.
Monday, April 27, 2009
The IPL Athletic Supporter's Note - VI
It was a tale of captains. The first one missed a few tricks and ended up losing. And the second watched helplessly as the team he led last year went to pieces once again.
The Super Kings outfit is still very strong. But the brand of canny leadership that Dhoni has come to personify is missing.
CSK's batting was again proof of certain set patterns which have almost sent this team out of the reckoning. Parthiv Patel is not firing. Another opener (Murali Vijay?) might be a better pick. And Badrinath is not of much use coming in where he does. I have said this before - Badrinath should come in higher, He rotates the strike and keeps one end going. But then, some decisions are inexplicable.
160 plus was never going to be enough against the most destructive opening pair in the IPL. Messrs. Gilchrist and Gibbs proved that with some truly breathtaking hitting. No manufactured shots. No ugly heaves. Just aggressive batsmanship at its volatile best.
I for one thought that someone as good a captain as Dhoni would have spotted how Ojha and Rohit Sharma slowed things down and made run-getting difficult when CSK batted. Might have been a better idea if Dhoni had opened with Murali. It would not have allowed Gilchrist to use the pace of the new ball. And it might have opened up options against Gibbs.
But that did not happen. Am not complaining, as I was busy applauding Gilchrist's assault which more or less decided the match. That the Deccan Chargers did not get a move on and finish things off earlier is surprising. CSK need to go back and see what worked for them last year.But even so, it might be too late.
The second match was something else. I for one have not seen Tendulkar bat like this in a long time. He was like a mischievous kid in an amusement park. Will not spoil things by describing each shot. But one slap pull off Ishant Sharma over wide mid-on stands out for sheer arrogance. Jayasuriya was his usual mixture of bludgeon and caress.
KKR came back briefly after the break to tighten things up a little, but it was too late by then. As for the KKR batting, they looked like a side that had resigned itself to its fate. Ganguly sparkled briefly, almost as if to once again stick a Post-It on Buchanan's board, but it didn't really matter in the end.
Ganguly as KKR captain may not be in Buchanan's ppt on ideal captaincy. But motivation, cunning and sheer stature are sadly missing from the KKR leadership. Maybe it's time for Buchanana to announce that the multi-captain theory is still very much there and get Ganguly back at the helm. But then, will Ganguly accept the captaincy now?
BTW, I have found the perfect descriptor for the strategy break. It should be rechristened 'Rhythm Break', for that is what it does.
The Super Kings outfit is still very strong. But the brand of canny leadership that Dhoni has come to personify is missing.
CSK's batting was again proof of certain set patterns which have almost sent this team out of the reckoning. Parthiv Patel is not firing. Another opener (Murali Vijay?) might be a better pick. And Badrinath is not of much use coming in where he does. I have said this before - Badrinath should come in higher, He rotates the strike and keeps one end going. But then, some decisions are inexplicable.
160 plus was never going to be enough against the most destructive opening pair in the IPL. Messrs. Gilchrist and Gibbs proved that with some truly breathtaking hitting. No manufactured shots. No ugly heaves. Just aggressive batsmanship at its volatile best.
I for one thought that someone as good a captain as Dhoni would have spotted how Ojha and Rohit Sharma slowed things down and made run-getting difficult when CSK batted. Might have been a better idea if Dhoni had opened with Murali. It would not have allowed Gilchrist to use the pace of the new ball. And it might have opened up options against Gibbs.
But that did not happen. Am not complaining, as I was busy applauding Gilchrist's assault which more or less decided the match. That the Deccan Chargers did not get a move on and finish things off earlier is surprising. CSK need to go back and see what worked for them last year.But even so, it might be too late.
The second match was something else. I for one have not seen Tendulkar bat like this in a long time. He was like a mischievous kid in an amusement park. Will not spoil things by describing each shot. But one slap pull off Ishant Sharma over wide mid-on stands out for sheer arrogance. Jayasuriya was his usual mixture of bludgeon and caress.
KKR came back briefly after the break to tighten things up a little, but it was too late by then. As for the KKR batting, they looked like a side that had resigned itself to its fate. Ganguly sparkled briefly, almost as if to once again stick a Post-It on Buchanan's board, but it didn't really matter in the end.
Ganguly as KKR captain may not be in Buchanan's ppt on ideal captaincy. But motivation, cunning and sheer stature are sadly missing from the KKR leadership. Maybe it's time for Buchanana to announce that the multi-captain theory is still very much there and get Ganguly back at the helm. But then, will Ganguly accept the captaincy now?
BTW, I have found the perfect descriptor for the strategy break. It should be rechristened 'Rhythm Break', for that is what it does.
The IPL Athletic Supporter's Note - V
Two matches that could have been so much more. And in the end...
Putting forward a little theory here. It's purely my own, based on what I have observed.
There seem to be two kind of players. And I am not talking about how much a player has cost his team owner.It's more about that player's mind-set. About how he approaches his role in the team, and therefore about how he plays the game for his adopted team.This individual could be an international big name, or he could be a young Indian player.
We shall call this species of player 'worker ant'. In other words, this is a player who freely gives of his talent, his experience, his enthusiasm and his thinking, without expecting anything in return. And the teams that are doing well are those who have more of this species.
For the first time, the Bangalore Royal Challengers appeared to play as a unit. The induction of Mark Boucher may have contributed hugely to that.The South African gloveman, in partnership with Virat Kohli, gave RC a decent total to defend after Pietersen and Taylor had stiched together a superb recovery stand. Pietersen however, played a genuinely stupid shot to get out.
IMO, the decision to open with Kallis was something always fraught with risk. Strokeplayers are not good ball-leavers. And when they are put into a situation that demands a different approach, they tend to over-correct. Which is what Kallis did first ball.But the way Uthappa threw his wicket away was inexcusable. Why is he still in the XI? He is out of form, and shows no burning desire to do things differently when he bats.
When the DD batted, fter Sehwag and Gambhir got out early, the RC team seemed to come back, riding the wave of a superb tight spell of eight overs from Kumble and Appanna, the left-arm spinner. Appanna somehow reminds me of Iqbal, the leftie who plays for Mumbai. Young, not a big turner, and a bowlerwho seems to land on the same spot, a la Nilesh Kulkarni.
Anyway, RC seemed to have the DD boys on the ropes. Karthik got out trying to get a big hit in which would correct the run-ball equation in DD's favour. In walked Mithun Manhas, a talented, hard-working cricketer who is worth much more. Manhas started off with a few big hits and pushed Dilshan into moving up a gear too, which the Sri Lankan found without much trouble. Manhas is a much-ignored batsman who should be in the Indian ODI and T20 squads. He has sound technique, can hit the ball, and is electric in the field.
Uthappa, one of the glamour boys in the RC outfit muffed up what could only be described as a straightforward chance. And the match was lost.
The second match brought into focus two things. The first is something I had ventured by way of an opinion in my last IPL post. That the Kings XI would feed hugely off their last win, in terms of teamwork and confidence. Which they did.
And the second is the fact that the Rajasthan Royals do not seem to have a batting plan. Asnodkar should be tempered a bit. This year, he seems to be swinging madly at everything. Wickets lost at the top put so much pressure on the shot-players who come in later. Despite that, Warne and Ravi Jadeja (IMO, a genuine all-rounder) almost pulled it off. Dimi Mascarenhas has struggled right through the IPL. Maybe get in an extra bat for the next match, Warnah?
Putting forward a little theory here. It's purely my own, based on what I have observed.
There seem to be two kind of players. And I am not talking about how much a player has cost his team owner.It's more about that player's mind-set. About how he approaches his role in the team, and therefore about how he plays the game for his adopted team.This individual could be an international big name, or he could be a young Indian player.
We shall call this species of player 'worker ant'. In other words, this is a player who freely gives of his talent, his experience, his enthusiasm and his thinking, without expecting anything in return. And the teams that are doing well are those who have more of this species.
For the first time, the Bangalore Royal Challengers appeared to play as a unit. The induction of Mark Boucher may have contributed hugely to that.The South African gloveman, in partnership with Virat Kohli, gave RC a decent total to defend after Pietersen and Taylor had stiched together a superb recovery stand. Pietersen however, played a genuinely stupid shot to get out.
IMO, the decision to open with Kallis was something always fraught with risk. Strokeplayers are not good ball-leavers. And when they are put into a situation that demands a different approach, they tend to over-correct. Which is what Kallis did first ball.But the way Uthappa threw his wicket away was inexcusable. Why is he still in the XI? He is out of form, and shows no burning desire to do things differently when he bats.
When the DD batted, fter Sehwag and Gambhir got out early, the RC team seemed to come back, riding the wave of a superb tight spell of eight overs from Kumble and Appanna, the left-arm spinner. Appanna somehow reminds me of Iqbal, the leftie who plays for Mumbai. Young, not a big turner, and a bowlerwho seems to land on the same spot, a la Nilesh Kulkarni.
Anyway, RC seemed to have the DD boys on the ropes. Karthik got out trying to get a big hit in which would correct the run-ball equation in DD's favour. In walked Mithun Manhas, a talented, hard-working cricketer who is worth much more. Manhas started off with a few big hits and pushed Dilshan into moving up a gear too, which the Sri Lankan found without much trouble. Manhas is a much-ignored batsman who should be in the Indian ODI and T20 squads. He has sound technique, can hit the ball, and is electric in the field.
Uthappa, one of the glamour boys in the RC outfit muffed up what could only be described as a straightforward chance. And the match was lost.
The second match brought into focus two things. The first is something I had ventured by way of an opinion in my last IPL post. That the Kings XI would feed hugely off their last win, in terms of teamwork and confidence. Which they did.
And the second is the fact that the Rajasthan Royals do not seem to have a batting plan. Asnodkar should be tempered a bit. This year, he seems to be swinging madly at everything. Wickets lost at the top put so much pressure on the shot-players who come in later. Despite that, Warne and Ravi Jadeja (IMO, a genuine all-rounder) almost pulled it off. Dimi Mascarenhas has struggled right through the IPL. Maybe get in an extra bat for the next match, Warnah?
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