AN ENDURING (EXCITING?) FIFTEEN MONTHS ON THE CARDS

After 38455 matches at home spanning 29877 days, India is going to play a test match away from home. Of course, I was just blabbering some figures about the days and matches. But when you have a team which is as strong and ruthless at home as India is, the away tour of West Indies in July-August 2016 and Sri Lanka earlier this year in August, are just some blurred lines in between 20 test matches at home in between November 2015 and December 2017. 

So, the squad to South Africa was announced yesterday and I was surprised by the selection of Jasprit Bumrah and Parthiv Patel. I did not doubt Bumrah's abilities. Once Harsha Bhogle had made one of his many video blogs for cricbuzz, wishing Bumrah that he played test cricket for India, I immediately checked Jasprit Bumrah's stats in first-class cricket. He has taken 89 wickets in 26 matches (42 innings) at an average of 25.33, striking once every 10 overs. The surprise was because of the fact that India will anyway be going in four fast bowlers and one of them will definitely sit out. Additionally, they have Hardik Pandya as the fourth seam bowling option and there is always a chance that Rohit Sharma can play at No. 6 (even more so when Rahane is in bad form). So what would be the need of picking him? But logistics is not an issue these days, especially with the BCCI. So, sending an additional bowler shouldn't be an issue. Parthiv Patel's choice was more surprising. When I saw his name in the squad, I thought it had to do with the fact that Saha is not as prolific with the bast as you would expect him to be. But MSK Prasad, at the press conference yesterday, talked about Patel purely from a wicket-keeping standpoint. Nevertheless, having him in the squad means you are assured of some runs and a proper keeper in the XI in case your prime keeper doesn't score. Some runs from either Saha or Patel would mean that you can easily play Pandya and have that fifth wicket-taking option A final word must be said about Kuldeep Yadav. Today, on air, Matthew Hayden, Murali Kartik and Harsha Bhogle were talking about how useful it would have been for him to have a feel for bowling with the Kookabura ball considering, as mentioned above, that BCCI will not have any issues with sending another player. Also, to clarify, yes I was watching the India-Sri Lanka test for sometime when the highly competitive, evenly balanced and hence a more exciting Ashes test was happening. But can you blame me for changing feed when there was a dinner break in Adelaide? Coming back to the squad, India, however, is not missing anyone in the squad. It is a well-balanced squad.

But then is that enough? In one of my many discussions with my friend (who calls me the analyst, when clearly he is the stats guy and I don't care much about the numbers), it was concluded that India tend to underperform whenever they go abroad. The test series down under in 2003-04 was a prime example when Australia was without McGrath and Warne and Lee came back only for the third test at the MCG. India could've won the fourth test in Sydney had they declared earlier, but that is highly debatable. Fast-forward four years and India lost yet another series abroad 1-2, this time thanks to the lowest standard of umpiring by Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson. Clearly, India played better in Sydney, should've bowled out Australia cheaply in the first innings, scored heavily anyway in the first innings and we could've seen an under pressure Australia having a mountain to climb in the second innings. But it looked like even if India wanted to win, it was not possible. I seriously doubt whether we would've played so well in Perth, if the Sydney test match had not unfolded the way it did. At Adelaide, it was an even contest that ended in a draw. So, it would've been difficult to predict. But considering that we had beaten England 6 months earlier, you never know. The tests in New Zealand in 2014 were just two in number and India should've won the series 2-0. They lost by just 40 runs in the first test and had to blame their first innings collapse that saw only Rohit Sharma score a 72. In the second test match, the fielders dropped the test match time and again (Virat Kohli and Ishant Sharma the culprits). Brendon McCullum accepted the invite and scored a triple-century denying India. A year later, India saved the boxing day and new year's test match to lose 0-2 to Australia. However, both the losses were very close and Shastri had rightly said, with a little bit of luck, the series would've been a 1-1 draw. As much as Murali Vijay and Virat Kohli played admirably on the final day in Adelaide, it still turned out to be a loss. Similarly, although the team lost in Brisbane, a further 50-60 runs could've seen the match go either way. My friend, as greedy as ever, still maintains that India could've won this match as well and won the series 2-0 although I wouldn't want to be greedy and just want the result in the Adelaide match to have gone our way.

This time around we are playing 15 test matches in South Africa, England, Australia and New Zealand in a span of 15 months (or that's what the FTP says), very similar to how we hosted them. The test series in England would be the ultimate test of character for this Indian test team. As Kamal Hassan says in Bigg Boss "Odavum mudiyathu! Oliyavum mudiyathu!" (Neither can you run; nor can you hide). I would be happy if India can win one test match in England. One win and two draws is a good series. Two wins is an excellent series. I wouldn't mind Indian not winning the England series as the task looks daunting. But if India can put up a fight and make the series look similar to the 2005 Ashes, I would be proud. Nevertheless, I wouldn't write off India's chances of winning the series, however improbable they are. It all depends on how we begin. Winning the 5-match test series would be the epitome of the modern test history of India The child inside me wants both Australia and India to take turns and ensure that Cook and Anderson retire by the end of our test series in England. But they wouldn't be the legends they are if they didn't perform even when they are under fire (especially Cook because Jimmy just took his maiden 5-wicket haul in Australia although he would have to return to the red cherry at the WACA). Let's not, however, get too much ahead of ourselves. The South Africa series is the first test and we are going in with a momentum of excellent results. I would also like to discuss about how India played a redundant home series against Sri Lanka but there are other aspects like the FTP to be considered. Also, I can rant for a whole article about how we could be gaining valuable practice in SA and play a 4-match series against them to test our skills but that would just be trying to move a wall. An advantage is that the SA series is short (same situation with the NZ series) and that could be as advantageous as it could be disadvantageous. Additionally, de Villiers and Steyn are returning to test cricket after a long time, they have some newer players as well and maybe this could be the beginning of the end for some of their stalwarts and we must not miss an opportunity to pounce on them. An advantage we have with the New Zealand series is that except for Williamson, Boult and Southee they don't have any huge impact players that can trouble us, like Steve Smith did 3 Australian summers ago (Ross Taylor is highly inconsistent). Tom Latham is coming up the ranks and we need to watch out for him. In 2013-14, the two test series against SA and NZ were too short. This time around, we are playing enough matches to assess the quality of our players and also how the opposition players fare against us. The last time we went down under, we played well. India should have the best chance to win an away series there. I expect that series to be highly verbal as well. The Ashes result will have an impact on not only how England and Australia will prepare for their against us but also on how we should prepare for a tour to their respective countries.

We do have the players who can win us matches. We do have a pool of combinations to choose from. I don't want to write about team combinations as Kohli and Shastri can do it better than me although I would like to mention that I want Kohli to take that leap of faith by playing Pandya and back Rahane to come good at the venues where his average is pushing 50. This is the best chance for us to win another away series in the countries that matter. We will know in another 15 months, won't we?

COP 22: OF AFRICA AND DONALD TRUMP

This article first appeared in the second edition of the Delft Sustainable Energy Association magazine 'SET MATCH' in December 2016. The original article can be found here: http://delftsea.nl/setmatch.html

Three days before the COP22 at Marrakesh began, the Paris agreement came into force with over 100 countries having ratified it already. This provided the perfect backdrop for the convention. While Paris was about creating a framework for climate action, Marrakesh was about the action itself. Rules were set in position to ensure that the goals of the Paris climate agreement are achieved.

The COP22 was touted as the COP of Africa and the conference lived up to this tag. The organizing committee invited proposals for holding climate related side events as a part of the African Pavilion. Perhaps the most important issue for Africa is Water and the Morocco pavilion hosted a side event Climate Change and Water that highlighted the exacerbation of water scarcity due to climate change.

The climate conference started off with many opening discussions and programme launches that stressed the role of businesses in achieving a low-carbon economy. An important event was the launch of The Global Climate Action Agenda. It aims to build a new process in parallel to the main discussions, allowing non-state actors to work closer with state negotiators. Cities were at the centre of climate change. The World Bank estimates that adapting to climate change could cost $80 to $100 billion every year, 80% of which needs to be invested in cities as they are responsible for 70% of world’s energy-related Greenhouse Gas emissions.

In the early hours of the 9th of November, the election of Donald Trump as the next president of the United States of America sent ripples across the COP. He had claimed that climate change was a hoax created by the Chinese during his campaign. Additionally, he appointed Myron Ebell, a climate skeptic, as the head of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). With reports emerging that Trump’s policies may make it harder for developing countries to obtain funds to fight climate change, the road ahead looks really rough.

The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2017 was released in line with the COP22. The Index points towards an improvement in energy efficiency and encouraging signs for renewable energy on a global scale. However, it also suggests a decline in the commitment from the EU members. Wendel Trio, Director of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe was quoted, “This year’s CCPI confirms that many EU countries, including the UK, Sweden, Denmark and Germany risk losing their leading role in renewable energy development. Several EU Member States cut back on investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency, questioned agreed longterm mitigation targets or failed to set the necessary policy frame work to deliver on their short-term goals. It will only be a matter of time before they lose the leading positions in the CCPI.” 

Sources:

• http://www.cop22-morocco.com/news/5-key-things-to-expect-at-the-climate-conference-cop22-in-marrakech-91.html
• http://www.edie.net/news/9/COP22-climate-change-conference-in-Marrakesh-day-one-day-two-review?utm_content=bufferc0a79&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
• http://www.cop22-morocco.com/news/cities-at-the-center-of-global-climate-change-101.html
• http://www.climdev-africa.org/cop21/cop22-africa-pavilion-call-proposals
• http://www.cop22-morocco.com/news/morocco-pavilion-at-cop22-opens-with-a-side-event-on-climate-change-and-water-93.html
• http://www.cop22-morocco.com/news/trump-win-threatens-climate-funds-for-poor-a-key-to-paris-accord-105.html
• http://www.cop22-morocco.com/news/climate-change-performance-index-2017-122.html

CURTAINS!!!

SPOILER ALERT: The following is an article on the How I Met Your Mother series finale. Those who have not watched the series are warned that they are reading this at their own risk and are asked to read this after watching the series irrespective of whether they are victims of the spoiler or not. Further they are encouraged to watch the entire series before returning here.

Point 4 stated below was borrowed from quora.

As the scene of Ted standing in front of Robin’s house, holding the blue French horn, subsided and the words How I Met Your Mother came up, I was on the verge of tears. The one-hour long epic finale had taken me to the edge of break point. Now at this point if someone had even patted me, I would have broken down. This was despite the fact that the finale was already spoilt for me thanks to my friend. Luckily, it had reduced the impact of the entire series by only 15% and that of the finale by only 5%. Had the finale not been spoilt for me, I would have cried like a baby whose toy was forcibly taken away from it and would not have made it to my GATE examination the following morning. Such was the state I was in that my mind had accepted what I had just seen but my heart lay there lifeless, repeatedly stabbed throughout the entire finale. That night I could not sleep. My heart forced my mind to think of all the good times Ted and Tracy could have had before her premature death due to illness. My heart would not just accept the fact that she had died. My heart wanted the happily ever after for Ted because Ted had suffered a lot in all the eight years shown in the series. He was rejected many times, left at the altar, saw his true love marry his best friend where he was the best man. That episode where Robin and Ted talk at the beach was heavy. I could see the pain in Ted’s eyes. I sympathized with him during the episode that was set against a cold evening in April 2013, 45 days before he met Tracy, "The Time Travelers". He deserved something really good, something that was worth the pain he had endured in the 8 years before that. He got that. He got a woman who had shared all his interests, who laughed at his jokes but only for 11 years. Add to that the mother was shown only in the eighth season finale. She was beautiful and had become a member of the gang only in the finale. Also at the halfway stage of the episode we see Robin and Lily having a conversation where Robin, teary-eyed, tells the gang it’s no longer as it used to be and explaining her feelings. The episode also fast forwarded 17 years of the gang members’ lives. I wanted to see some more of them. My heart could not process them in its ailing condition. The following day I joined quora and wikia for the sole purpose of reading people’s opinion. Some had even posted alternate endings on wikia that would make them cheerful. Later I talked to my best friend who had watched the series already and he told me the same. He wanted Tracy to be alive and a happily ever after. He told me of Team Tracy and Team Robin and the fact that the crew was ready to shoot a different ending following fan outburst. He lived his sophomore and junior years of engineering in his apartment alone. He said that during the times he watched the series, his entire house would echo with the voices of the gang. Added to this he had a close friends circle that had three boys and two girls. He was also aware of the spoiler before beginning to watch the series. He too felt gloomy but he did not cry. If I had been in his situation I would have roamed in the streets crying. At this point, my heart was bleeding, unstoppable. It was as if I would sink into a state of mental breakdown. Someone had to step in.

ENTER MY MIND

My mind could take it no longer. All the way it had been cheering up my heart in the hope that it would digest the truth, but in vain. My mind gave excellent reasons why I must return to normal.

1. First and foremost it is fiction. NO WAY!!! The gang is an integral part of my life. How dare you speak like that you son of a beech!!!

2. Second life is cruel. If sickness takes away your spouse’s life there is nothing much you can do. There will be something a lot worse. You have got to accept it. There is no way out.

3. It is a creation of the writers Craig Thomas and Carter Bays. Their script! Their rules! If you watched eight seasons without ever raising an eyebrow then learn to accept the finale as well. This is what makes a script Legen-wait for it-dary!!! Legendary!!! Also the writers knew that the mother was dead right from the pilot episode. Take it as a consolation if you want. Else drop it.

4. The title is How I Met Your Mother not How I lived Happily Ever After with your Mother. They met. She died. Move on!

5.  As for seeing some more of the gang, they themselves had decided to meet on all important occasions. Ted and Tracy’s lives are not more important to show than the gang itself. Thus they showed only the moments the gang had met.

6. This was the best of all the reasons given by my mind. Remember the episode “How your mother met me”. We saw how Tracy discovered her lover Max died and could not date for some time later. We even see that she misses him 8 years after his death when she talks to him looking at the sky just before Robin and Barney’s wedding. Even though she mouthed I am moving on, she rejected Louis. Max was Tracy’s first love (or that is what we can interpret from the series). Similarly Ted’s first true love (again from limited information available in the series) is Robin. Its time to reunite the pairs. The writers had two simple steps to accomplish it:

a. Let Robin and Barney get divorced citing incompatibility issues.

b. Kill the mother quoting illness.

Tracy and Max reunited in heaven. Ted and Robin start dating again. Genius!!! All the four are happy. If they are happy, so should you be!!!

Not Good Enough!!!

The next I know I am writing a blog post which will be read in the future by you. I figured out it would be best to pour out my heart so that the burden can lessen.

It has not yet unburdened. However hard I try, I am reminded of this by my ringtone, the title song, which I had thought was cool (and still is) during the fourth season. This is beginning to haunt me instead.

EUREKA!!!

As Ted says, in the episode Happily Ever After of season 4, rather than swallowing your anger or throwing it in someone’s face, the best idea is to simply let it go, so you can move on. I am going to do the same. The next semester starts tomorrow. I have to finish this final semester to complete the eight-semester marathon I am pursuing: Engineering. I have also taken up a novel. Hopefully it works as it did for him, only to see his wife die…..CUT THE CRAP!!! LET IT GO!!!

TRADITION FOR THE WIN!!!

Come the 29^th of June, the most prestigious grand slam will get underway. It’ll probably be the last stretch of a very short (extended this season) grass season. And I’ll breathe a sigh of relief as the strict adherence to tradition will be a number one priority. I was so pissed off at the “sexist” dress worn by the ball girls and the dirt and the wind blowing close to 50kph at the French open and most of these if not all will not be here to piss me off. My eyes will be happy to know that it will no longer have to bear the sight of all these. And all the people who know me and the player I support don’t start your theories. I have got two words for you BITCH PLEASE!!! It will be nice to see traditional values given importance and discipline being imposed. Bow before the Royals; White rules the roost. Restrictions on other colours are available. Dress code for every member of the support staff is available- from linesmen to the ball boys and girls (BBG). Also the Wimbledon’s strict enforcement of the rule that ladies must wear white bra and underwear last year (rule made in 2013) meant that the concentration will or rather should be on the game rather than the players. Of course players claimed that there were checks to oversee it and also the fact that they had to compromise on their dignity to follow the latest addition to the set of rules. I hope such issues get sorted out. And last but not the least it’s time for strawberries and cream.

A lady in action with white underwear. The organizers in fact had a reserve bunch of under wears for those who didn't follow the dress code. Below is a group of pictures showing the traditions being followed.

Now coming to the gentlemen’s draw, Djokovic is in Federer’s Roland Garros shoes- isolated from the other members of the big 3 and the prospect of having to face Wawrinka before facing anyone of the others-  probably for the good. I believe that Djokovic will get the measure of Wawrinka this time around (should they face each other). Though there may be players (not giant killers) who CAN try and stop the Djoker, I believe it won’t be possible this time around and he should be able to reach the finals. With Federer the next possible contender (I will give him a slight edge over a younger Murray just because it is GRASS) will have to face off Berdych and Murray to reach a second consecutive and tenth summit clash at SW19 should he progress that far. Federer has said that this year has been his best preparation for the tournament. It should be interesting to see how he fares. This year may well be his last proper chance to add another crown from here. I believe the Olympic Singles’ Gold is motivating him though I may be and most probably am wrong as I have been in the past. 2016 probably may be the last we may see of him (hopefully not). 

Federer will hope to win the trophy ONE more time and surpass Sampras as the most successful player in terms of Wimbledon titles.

With Murray it is time that he stepped up and won another slam because among the big four the player with the next highest number of slams is Djokvic with 8. He has to be more consistent. But as McEnroe said he is 15-20% better than what he was about a fortnight ago and at this level it is really really good. As far as Rafa is concerned, it is an Everest to win The Championships this year. Of course one of the all-time greats of the game already he does not have the need to prove anything to anybody. Anybody except himself. If he believes he still has it in him to win a grand slam and stay competitive, he has to do it for himself. But a Rafael Nadal who has not won a single title this clay season cannot be tipped to be the one to hold the trophy a fortnight later. Lleyton Hewitt’s last Wimbledon campaign will be followed very closely. Ferrer has pulled out with an elbow injury. As far as the rest of the pack is concerned I would watch out for Wawrinka, Nishikori and Raonic. I have aged waiting for this bunch of youngsters to win a grand slam (Wawrinka excluded; Dimitrov and Kyrgios (to some extent) included) as I have by waiting for del Potro to make a proper full-fledged comeback. Cilic will be a popular answer. But after last September, I couldn’t see him. It was very disheartening to see del potro’s recent tweet about another surgery. I gave up waiting for him the moment I finished reading it. An excellent talent who could’ve joined “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” has gone by. Mind you he won a grand slam before Murray did. Coming back to the so called Gen-X, Federer was right when pointed out that himself and Nadal had already won a slam when they were in the same phase of their respective careers. So if one of the three wins let us hope it will bring an end to the dominance by the Big Four and make it as interesting as the WTA tours used to be. Which brings me to the Ladies’ section.

The ladies’ section was very interesting, producing surprise winners until Serena started to win AGAIN. She is miles and miles ahead of her fellow players. Even Sharapova who had played a decade ago couldn’t defeat her in those years. Williams is the RED-HOT favourite to make a “Serena Slam”. It is difficult to win a calendar slam (not Serena slam which in itself is an achievement) given the degree of competition and the level of the game played. But if anyone among the set has an opportunity to do it, it is Serena. 

A Serena Slam in the making???

As far as the rest of the pack is concerned the ever-screaming and inconsistent Sharapova, the equally loud Azarenka, the improvised Ivanovic, the gorgeous Aga, defending champion Kvitova, Halep, Caro, Safarova,  a young Bencic are among the long list of 127 who will fight among themselves to play Williams in the final. If one of them defeats Williams, make no doubt we’ll have another open tournament after almost a year. I hope we get a new champion because I loved women’s tennis because of the fact that the winner would be unpredictable (and of course they are women!!!). This was until Williams took over. And suddenly the draws didn’t seem to interest me. Let us hope for the greater good that someone other than the World No.1 wins the title.

P.S.: Watch as many matches you can in the doubles and mixed doubles section as all of them are interesting.

INDIA’S NEXT TOURS

Now that IPL is over, the country will unite to support the men in blue as the international season begins with a short visit to Bangladesh. This will be followed by a two-week stint in Zimbabwe and a three-test away series in Sri Lanka. This will last till August (if not earlier). Now I am writing this post to just point out what team India can do for these three-month long short visits.

First Bangladesh. Now touring Bangladesh is no longer a honeymoon. The team is strong, plays good cricket especially in its own backyard. They blanked Pakistan in the ODI series. Of course they have a long way to go as test nation, but the first test against Pakistan was a glimpse of what they can do. Bangladesh knocked India and England out of the World Cup in 2007 and 2015 respectively. Now Bangladesh has been alleging foul play in their Quarter-Final defeat to India in the WC match at Melbourne. We all saw what AHM Mustafa Kamal had to say and what Mashrafe Mortaza had to say. It was really dirty. They put forward many instances where they were on the receiving end of poor umpiring but in real the only bad decision was Rohit Sharma being given a reprieve when on 90 from where he went on to score 47 more runs in no time to virtually seal Bangladesh’s fate. Of course Bangladesh would be slightly relieved that India lost in its very next encounter to the eventual champions. But that doesn’t take away what Bangladeshi players and their ICC representative had blurted out. This resulted in the ICC chairman (our own Srini mama) presenting the trophy to Michael Clarke amid the much expected booing instead of the ICC president Mustafa Kamal. Now coming to the point while Bangladeshi fans will bring back all those memories of bad umpiring – both real and that imagined by them- this series has become more of the fans and that of the players. Obviously the fans want their respective teams to win both the series. I would like to put out an interesting perspective of why India sent a full strength squad to their improving neighbours. On the outset the reasons would be that Bangladesh is a better side than they were last year (where India sent a second string squad and still swept the series) and that India under Virat Kohli (current test and future ODI captain) would want to play ruthless cricket whoever be the opposition. But in hindsight this is an opportunity for India to bulldoze Bangladesh and silence their fans. Whatever was said in the heat of their Quarter-final loss was unwarranted and it is time that India cut the vocal chords of those still claiming it was Bangladesh’s match and show who is the boss. Yes Virat Kohli did say that both teams are past the controversy and are professional. But have no doubt this is not another series. But let us not convert an international series into a personal war between the fans of both nations and let us enjoy the cricket played between both of the teams. I expect India to blank Bangladesh.

Second Zimbabwe for a 3-match ODI and 2-match T20 series. Zimbabwe is a team now on the upward path a parabola. Yes the team has lost its stalwart Brendan Taylor to county cricket. But after watching them in action against Pakistan I felt that they were the real winners. Under Dav Whatmore the team is expected to rise above all expectations and I wish them the best. But if India sends its first rung squad there as well we can expect another clean sweep. If India sends a second string squad then the hosts have an excellent chance to win both series’. For Zimbabwe to start winning those crucial matches Sean Williams must transform into a better all-rounder. He has to pick important wickets. His batting is alright; he is their best batsman. Their batting is strong. Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Hamilton Masakadza, Elton Chigumbura, Craig Ervine are all good batsman. Their bowling doesn’t have the sting to bundle out oppositions. If their bowling improves then they will surely go places. But for now the squad India announces for that tour is what will decide the competitiveness of the series. Yes Zimbabwe was this close to hand out India its first defeat in the World Cup but it is this distance that they have to cover to beat top-ranked opponents.

Finally a three-test match series against Sri Lanka. Wait! Another series against Sri Lanka??? Oh no!!! But wait tests? Okay slightly better!!! Whew!!! It’s been a long time since these two nations have played a test series. In that sense it is a relief as India and Sri Lanka play a series as often as a film is released in India!!! Now here I would like to voice my views on both the one-off test against Bangladesh and the series against Sri Lanka. I am a passionate fan of test cricket and want India under Virat to regain the No. 1 ranking in test cricket. I want this new side to perform really well in all tests- especially those abroad. Easier said than done!!! What we observed from one year of away test matches in South Africa, New Zealand, England and Australia is that Murali Vijay, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane have emerged as excellent test batsmen for India and have certainly cemented their places in the test playing XI and the Indian batting will revolve around these three. While Saha will replace Dhoni as the keeper-batsman I expect Virat to give him a longer rope to cement his place. Now here comes the problem. The other three spots are vacant and the contenders are Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Lokesh Rahul. Though Rahul scored a century in Australia thanks to injury he will have wait again for his turn in the case the opener’s slot is still open. I expect him to come back for the Sri Lanka series. Now I want Virat to field the same playing XI of the Sydney test in Bangladesh and in Sri Lanka (depending on how the series proceeds). Of course Rahul out, I want Pujara to be experimented as an opener. A player playing at No.3 can also open – as shown by none other than the great wall of India in England, 2011. Dhawan did not perform well in 6 tests in England and Australia (only 1 fifty that too playing virtually at 6 at the Gabba) means that he had an extended long run. Rohit Sharma at No.3 has not been experimented enough. Yes it took him a millennium to cement his place in the limited overs and the point that how long you will keep on giving him chances will surely come up once a discussion on him starts. But in his defense he was not fielded continuously in England (played only in the third test and that too an unnecessary move to break a winning combination and field him) and in Australia missed the third and brought back for the fourth as a No.3. It was here where he played well- 53 and a decent 39 on a tough fifth day track. A humble suggestion would be that Rohit score his runs at quick pace. It is not necessary that in a test the runs should come at a snail’s pace so I would want him to play from Bangladesh and going by Virat’s recent praise about him I can 99% say that he is going to play in both the one-off test in Bangladesh and for the first test against Sri Lanka. But from there on his performance will decide his place in the playing XI. Or in Vadivel’s words (Winner) “ADHU ODI, NAA SOLLARADHU TEST”. It will be interesting to see whether Rohit will play at No.3 or No.6. As for Suresh Raina one test is not enough especially when you have made a comeback to the test set-up. Yes it was a pair in Sydney but give him more chances. I would say that he must play all the 4 tests only then would it be fair to contemplate a replacement in case of a failure. Also the fact that the competition is packed only at the top order- 4 players for 2 slots should the experiment of playing Rohit at No.3 continue- must be a slight relief and should give him an opportunity to play with freedom. If Raina can bring his natural game to the fore and score quick runs then he will serve as an excellent choice for the team.

THE COMPETITION IN THE TEST XI

Opener slot 2: Dhawan/Rahul

No.3: Pujara/Rohit

No.6: Raina/Rohit (if Rohit doesn’t play at No.3)

Lokesh Rahul is also a keeper so competition for Saha. But I’m sure Saha will be given a long rope to settle in.

So for tomorrow’s match four batsmen (Dhawan, Pujara, Rohit, Raina) are competing for three slots. If Kohli shows an intent to play 5 bowlers, then I guess two not one will miss out the match.

As far as bowling is concerned Harbhajan is a sure shot in the XI. Otherwise it will become meaningless to have picked him in the first place. Kohli can make a daring move by playing Karn instead of Ashwin again or both if there are 5 bowlers. I expect Ishant and Yadav to complete the bowling lineup. If Kohli wants swing its Bhuvneshwar he has to go with. I don’t see Yadav being left out in any case.

Coming back to Sri Lanka, it will be a tightly fought series. But in the absence of Jayawardene will hurt them. But the fact that it may be Sangakkara's last test series will surely motivate the Lankans to win the series for him. So too tight to call even though India may begin with a slight advantage.

APOLOGIES…APOLOGIES…APOLOGIES...

Ladies and Gentlemen, the topic is my content. Two posts ago I had promised you that I will take you through a ten part analysis of the teams participating in this World Cup. Unfortunately I have broken the promise. Apart from the regular tests conducted by college, three other friends called upon me and told me “We will not give you time to update your blog.” They remained true to their words and prevented me from keeping my word. I really would have loved to do this, which of all things is closest to my heart. But now I am left, for want of time. So I apologize to all of you for misleading you towards nothing. One of the positive feed backs I received from a reader was that my post was very exhaustive and he also suggested to me that I reduce the content because people may not read such long posts. But that is the way I like doing my work: very meticulously. I owe you guys another apology. I knew already that I would not be able to do the remaining nine parts (almost 14 days ago). I am late in confessing this as well. I apologize again. I hope that I don’t make these promises that I cannot fulfill in future.  Of course it hurt when I wrote the previous line. But reality is harsh. It has not pitied me. Next time, hopefully, I don’t disappoint you. Until then sincerely….

A poorly planned blog-writer!!!

THE MEN WHO MATTER 

PART 1/10: THE GRACIOUS HOST

There may be few teams in fray for the favorites spot(s) but if you had to pick only one team the answer is very simple. Playing in their own backyard, there is absolutely no question about what they can do. From blanking their arch rivals in the most prestigious series in test cricket to ODI series victories over the same opposition and South Africa show that the Australians are ruthless especially in front of their home crowd. They surely will be pumped up after a satisfying victory over India recently in whites and will look to carry on the momentum into colored clothing under the lights. The squad selected last Sunday was not a surprise except for the selection of the central figure. Yes there were doubts about Michael Clarke’s fitness and with the World Cup being both long and crucial many were on the edge of their seats for the selection of this particular spot and Cricket Australia has made a wise decision. There is no substitute to his batting and captaincy. By also setting a deadline for him to prove his fitness Australia have made it clear that they won’t waste a spot in the dressing room just because he is the skipper. So Clarke faces a daunting task ahead. Other than that the justifiable selection of Xavier Doherty ahead of an in form Nathan Lyon raised a few eyebrows but then the line and length required of the bowlers in the limited overs format is different from that required in test matches let alone a high pressure tournament like the World Cup. I was personally disappointed with the exclusion of Matthew Wade at the expense of an out of form Haddin. With Wade doing a good job in the bilateral series against South Africa, and Haddin’s poor run against India Wade must have walked in. But it’s the selectors’ decision and must keep their fingers crossed.

THE SQUAD:

Michael Clarke(c), George Bailey(v-c, captain if Clarke declared unfit), David Warner, Aaron Finch, Steve Smith, Brad Haddin(wk), Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, James Faulkner, Mitchell Marsh, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Patrick Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Xavier Doherty. COACH: Darren Lehmann

Members of the Australian squad in their World cup outfit. From Left to Right: Pat Cummins, David Warner, Josh Hazlewood, Michael Clarke and Mitchell Starc

POSSIBLE PLAYING XI:

They have the problem of plenty. All are top-class players and leaving anyone out can only be done with a heavy heart. My team:

1.Warner 2.Finch 3.Watson 4.Clarke 5.Bailey 6.Smith 7.Haddin 8.Faulkner 9.Johnson 10.Cummins 11.Doherty.

Leaving out Maxwell will look like stupidity but if you think calmly there is surely justification. Faulkner and Watson are the all-rounders in the team. If Watson does not perform up to the expectations of the team there is surely Marsh. I am confident that Faulkner will be consistent and hopefully my concerns about Watson are quashed with superb performances. With Faulkner a sure shot selection into the playing XI, one left arm bowler and one right hand bowler will be the tactical selection. Hence Johnson. Cummins has been on the ODI circuit recently and I prefer him over Hazlewood with very less ODI experience. But if performance is the key Australia will end up with four left arm bowlers- three fast (Starc the third) and the lone spinner. But since there is Watson who can complete 10 overs I think Australia will go in with Starc over Cummins. It’s not that Cummins is not as good as Starc. Cummins along with Starc and Pattinson were the three exciting prospects in Australian bowling three years ago. Since Cummins was very injury-prone Starc got more opportunities and has a proven track record over the years. Cummins has lesser experience and it will take him sometime before being a regular in the playing XI. Should Clarke not meet the deadline, Maxwell will walk in.

X-FACTOR:

The X-Factor

Undoubtedly it is Glenn Maxwell. I have just got three letters I-P-L. Maxi can effortlessly clear the fence. He can play anywhere in the batting order and can deliver what exactly is required of him. He can change the complexion of a game in 5 overs. But then with such abilities also comes the added disadvantage of losing a wicket literally the moment he reaches the crease. He is going through such a patch currently. Just one or two quick fires and he will be away. If he concentrates harder he can play ten or more overs and literally snatch away the game from the opposition. Add to that a few overs and excellent fielding, you have got our X-factor.

STRENGTH:

A Formidable Unit

The entire team is a performing unit and that is their strength. Playing at home is an added advantage which they will take. Their recent form speaks for itself. David Warner and Steve Smith are in good nick. Smith especially batted on a different planet throughout the series. Also in good limited overs form are Bailey and Finch. An excellent pace attack led by Johnson can rattle out any opposition cheaply on their day. They can play both the waiting game and can also take the opposition to the cleaners any time.

CHALLENGES:

Racing against time to prove his fitness is skipper Michael Clarke.

Michael Clarke will be the biggest cause of worry. His failure to prove his fitness will be a mental setback for Australia. Bailey is a good leader but there is no substitute for Clarke. Watson’s place will be in danger as well. There was once a time when he was in contention with Jacques Kallis for the top all-rounder spot. But there has been a drop in his performance over the last few years. He is not the same all-rounder he used to be but still has a few tricks up his sleeve. Time is indeed running out for him. Mitchell Marsh is knocking on the door strongly. I feel that this team has not faced enough pressure tests. There is a certain small imperfection/discontinuity which when hit may crack open the unit wide. I strongly feel that they will face a fate similar to what Brazil encountered at FIFA WC 2014 and that too exactly in the semis. Their conqueror will lift the championship.

SUNDRIES:

An unprecedented fifth title will put them way ahead of the pack. After over eight years of complete domination including three consecutive World Cup titles, Australia lost their stronghold over other nations partly due to the retirement of McGrath, Warne, Gilchrist and Hayden and partly due to incomplete building of a world-class team. In the previous edition they lost to eventual winners India. Since then Clarke worked day in and day out to rebuild the team from scratch. It should only be fair that Clarke plays an instrumental role in Australia’s prospects.

STATS:

From Left to Right- Ponting, Gilchrist, McGrath and  Hayden

Highest Run-scorer - Ricky Ponting - 1743 runs from 46 matches at 45.86

Highest Run-scorer in a single edition - Matthew Hayden - 659 runs from 11 matches at 73.22 - West Indies 2007

Highest team total - 6/377 (50) - v South Africa - 2007

Highest individual score - Matthew Hayden - 158(143) - v West Indies - 2007

Highest Wicket taker -  Glenn McGrath - 71 wickets from 39 matches at 19.21

Highest Wicket taker in a singe edition - Glenn McGrath - 26 wickets from 11 matches

Best Bowling Performance - Glenn McGrath - 7/15(7) - v Namibia - 2003

Most dismissals - Adam Gilchrist - 52 (45 catches and 7 stumpings) - 31 matches

Most dismissals in a single edition - 21 - 11 matches

BOTTOM LINE:

Anything short of the title is disappointment.

MY PREDICTION (I AM NO FORTUNE TELLER!):

Semi-Finals