Bowling will determine our Test future, says Dravid

Four years ago, Rahul Dravid created history as he led India to twin Test series triumphs, against the West Indies and England respectively.

While the 1-0 victory against West Indies came after a long wait of 35 years, India's victory against England also came after a long wait of 21 years.

But this time, the Indian team is embarking on both the tours as the world's number one team, while Dravid, no longer the captain, will be looking to make major contributions with the bat.

It has been 15 years since Dravid made his Test debut, with a solid innings of 95 at Lord's and he is hoping to get a hundred this time and etch his name on the Honours Boards at the famed cricket stadium, also known as the Home of Cricket.

Dravid, 38, has been an integral part of the Indian Test batting line-up, regarded one of the best in contemporary cricket. He is the third highest scorer in Test cricket with more than 12,000 runs to his credit and has held the most number of catches (200), but the veteran is not satisfied yet and wants to keep going and improving everyday.

The Indian batting legend discusses India's rise to number one in Tests and why he believes bowling will hold the key to India's Test future in an in-depth interview with Senior Associate Editor Harish Kotian.

You must be having happy memories of West Indies, having led India to a Test series victory, for the first time in 35 years in 2006?

Obviously, I have some very fond memories of the last tour. We played some very good cricket right through the tour and then to win in the end was really good. 

Also, West Indies is a lovely place to play cricket and the people there are fantastic. There is a great vibe around the ground so it is a lovely place to tour and a lovely place to play cricket.

Read more »

Tremlett slams BCCI for UDRS refusal

England pacer Chris Tremlett on Tuesday slammed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for its continuous refusal of using the controversial Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS).

India will tour England next month to play four Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twent20 match. And just like the ongoing series against the West Indies, there will be no UDRS.

The UDRS is a system where teams are allowed two correct referrals per innings to the TV umpire and ICC has been promoting it constantly for the improvement of the game.

However, opposition from BCCI and many senior players including Indian skipper MS Dhoni goes against the wishes of the ICC.

Tremlett admitted that he is baffled by India's refusal to accept the review system.

"I am a fan of the system. If the technology is there it should be used," said Tremlett.

He added: "Who knows why India is against it. There have been a few decisions that have been rightly overturned and as a bowler you want those decisions given out. It's a fair way of doing things. I'm fully in agreement with it."

BCCI has always opposed the system saying they are not satisfied with its accuracy.

"The hot spot has shown that it works. In Australia we had a few decisions correctly overturned,'' countered Tremlett.

"It is very accurate. Sometimes there is a lot of noise around a Test match and an umpire might not hear a fine nick so it's an important thing to have."

"Hawkeye is fair too so it'll be a shame. It has been a successful thing over the last six months."

The last and the only time, Indian team used UDRS was way back in 2008 on Sri Lanka tour.

The system proved to be a disadvantage for the visitors as 11 decisions went against them compared to one against Sri Lanka.

Read more »

Betting Cricket: India will be without injured duo

Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan, injured seamers, will not be able to play in India’s upcoming Test series taking place against West Indies, and many of the players’ fans that enjoy betting cricket wonder how the team will do without these players, and hope that they recover as quickly as possible.

 

Zaheer, left-armer, has a problem with his right ankle while his team-mate Sreesanth has an injury with his right elbow, and both of them will need to take time off in order to go through rehabilitation. Fans everywhere that enjoy betting cricket hope that they regain their proper fitness so they can return to action as soon as possible.

The Indian Cricket Board made an announcement that Praveen Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun were called up as replacements, and many of India’s fans that enjoy betting cricket are confident that these players will be good replacements and make a very good performance when the play the Windies.

UK cricket betting services saw that Mithun played three Tests for his country, all of them last year against Sri Lanka, while Kumar still has to make his debut in the game’s longer form, even though he was a regular in limited-overs cricket.

For the three-match series in the Caribbean, the tourists were already without a number of players.

Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag, openers, are both sidelined with injuries to the shoulder, while Yuvraj Singh has been ruled out because of a lung infection. UK cricket betting services are thinking about what impact this can have on the game, and many India fans hope that all goes well.

In the meantime, Sachin Tendulkar, veteran batsman, decided to not play in the Tests so he can spend time with his family.

The first Test will begin at Kingston, Jamaica, on June 20, and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports 1. Fans everywhere that enjoy betting cricket can’t wait for this to happen, as many would like to see how India will do without these players. .

Read more »

Jolted India look to end ODI series on a high

Jolted by the massive loss in the fourth ODI, India would aim to get the crucial psychological edge over the West Indies before the Test series when they take on the hosts in the fifth and final one-dayer, here on Thursday.

The ODI series is already in their pocket as the Indians have taken a 3-1 lead but they would try and ensure that the scoreline suggests domination by signing off 4-1.

Berths in the eleven for the first Test match, scheduled to start next Monday, are up for grabs and those certain would aim to fall in a groove while those still on the edge would look to leave a definite impression on the team management.

There are at least two batsmen and the fast-bowling combination which needs to be sorted out ahead of the Test series.

Read more »

Roberts saddened by current scenario in West Indies

This was an immortal duel under the sun; the searing intensity of a fast bowler in his prime against a wristy little Indian batsman at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.

With his speed, bounce and movement, Andy Roberts had ripped through the Indian line-up on the first day of the fourth India-West Indies Test of 1975. 

Standing firm amidst the ruins was a little man with a touch of class. Gundappa Viswanath conjured the innings of his life on a lively pitch where batting demanded heart and skill.

“Vishy was different from a lot of Indian batsmen. He played the short ball well. He would not hook but would just rise on his toes and turn the delivery off his chest with his wrists,” remembers Roberts.

It indeed was a face-off that will not be clouded by the mists of time. Roberts, fast and furious, finished with seven for 64. And Viswanath remained unbeaten with 97 glorious runs in a total of just 190.

Lillee's compliment

Pace legend Dennis Lillee calls Roberts the complete fast bowler and that is some compliment. Says Lillee, “He was the best fast bowler I ever saw.”

Roberts claimed 202 wickets in 47 Tests at 25.61. His Test career of miles and milestones stretched from 1974 to '83. 

The great conqueror from Antigua is, however, depressed by the current scenario in the West Indies cricket. “There is no commitment in West Indies cricket, no pride. The cricketers play for money, not for the game or the team. The West Indies cricket has declined, not just the fast bowling.”

Roberts, now 60, formed a fearsome pace quartet in the second half of the 70s and early 80s that changed the face of the game. Roberts, Holding, Marshall and Garner, the names just roll off the tongue. 

Holding remains his great friend. “You know, he was the 12th man for Jamaica and I was the 12th man for Antigua. The friendship began there.”

He recalls, “We were all different, had different styles, different temperament. Holding was quick through the air, Garner had the height and bounce, Marshall was fast and skiddy.

“And there were others too like Croft, whose angle was very hard to deal with for the batsmen.”

Reverse swing

Roberts maintains that reverse swing was a factor even during his time. “I remember a series in '77, I tried to bowl the out-swinger and the ball came in. It was there.”

Those magnificent speed merchants from the Caribbean destroyed batting line-ups but cut into each other when it came to the tally of wickets.

Roberts was distinctly dangerous. He bowled two different bouncers with apparently no change in his action. 

One would target the batsman's head and shoulder while the other would soar over. “Yes, I could do that. But that's a secret,” he smiles.

The Antiguan disagrees that present-day pacemen are burdened with too much workload. “Most of the time, they bowl 10 (in the ODIs) and four overs (in the Twenty20 games). We played a lot more first class games and Test matches. You can check.”

And Roberts reveals he never went to a gym. “I did training that was cricket specific. I would run in the sand and up the hills. That's where I got my strength from.”

A hard job

He elaborates, “Fast bowling is a hard job. You need to be as quick at five in the evening as you were at 10 in the morning. I could bowl as fast as anybody but I also varied my pace.”

Ask him about the hardest batsman he bowled at and Roberts is quick with his response. “It is Vivian Richards. I bowled against him in some first class games in England. He was explosive. In international cricket, Sunil Gavaskar and Ian Chappell were exceptional batsmen with different games. Gavaskar made his runs against the fastest of bowlers, in different conditions.”

When queried about a few fast bowlers quitting Test cricket to focus on the abbreviated form of the game, he answers, “They are getting paid more for bowling four overs than long, hard spells in Tests.”

Probed about Indian pacemen, he says, “Munaf Patel was much quicker when he came here last time. 

“Now he has slowed down considerably. Ishant Sharma with his height and action was very promising when he began, but now he seems to have lost steam.”

Among the Indian pacemen, Roberts says Javagal Srinath was the only one who came closest to being called a genuine fast bowler.

Read more »

Raina blames it on poor shot selection

West Indies bowled a fair deal of short-pitched deliveries but bowling coach Eric Simons, wasn’t ready to concede that it had softened up his batsmen.

“I don’t think short-pitched bowling is any issue with this team. It’s not as if we lost only because we were softened up (by them),” he said.

“Sometimes when a series is lost and there is not much to play for, a team is more relaxed and they tend to do well which is exactly what West Indies did.”

“That could be one of the reasons that they played with greater freedom… They did well on Tuesday,” Simons explained.

He added: “We have done really well in this series, and our clinching this series is a reflection of that. Whenever we play for the country, there is a lot to play for and these players have responded well,” Simons said, counting on the positives. 

Simons also mentioned how the policy of this team has been to play to its strength, especially when it comes to bowling.

“We play with a plan which suits our bowlers. There is no point in trying to be someone else. We play to our strength; try to put pressure from both ends and develop a momentum for the side.”

Simons defended Ishant Sharma who proved expensive on Monday. “He has been bowling in the right areas and has been focussed at the nets. He has come following a strong IPL showing. I thought he bowled well.” 

Incidentally, the 103-run win is West Indies’ third-highest margin of victory over India in ODIs. The highest is the 135-run win in Vijayawada in 2002.

Read more »

Spin-attack: India crafting the changing face of World Cricket

India’s greatest strength over the last two years in International cricket has been what has been our traditional weapon, spin. There are two main reasons for that, one that India has played a lot of cricket in the sub-continent and now on the slow turning pitches in the West Indies. The second reason is that spin has risen enormously in stature in general over the last couple of years. This might be because of the coming of T-20 and teams realizing the economical role that spinners can play. Spinners have been used as death bowlers, as opening bowlers and as wicket takers. They have assumed and fulfilled every role to perfection.

Traditionally teams like the West Indies, England and New Zealand did not have quality spinners and it was very rare that they played more than one spinner. In fact some-times part time bowlers used to fulfill that role in the team but now things have changed. England have been playing two spinners in test cricket and in their one-day team recently and Graeme Swann is arguable considered the best off-spinner in the world. No-one can forget the rage that Monty Panesar was in England but for his poor fielding. South Africa have been blessed by a bowler of as high quality as Johan Botha is, an excellent exponent of spin in the T-20 format especially.

This change has however not gone down very well with cricket lovers and fast bowlers. It is highly enjoyable to watch a quality spinner like Anil Kumble, Shane Warne or Muttiah Muralitharan bowl although it is an infinitely good experience to watch a steaming pace bowler run in with a bouncer. The latter image has been diminishing from world cricket. That is not all. Even the spin department has suffered in terms of match winning wicket takers – the mind-set that has come into play is that spinners look to contain in limited overs cricket and not attack. This might also be the reason of alarming extinction of quality leg-spin bowling in cricket.

There is a further cause to these changes that are not necessarily good for the game. With the limited over formats dominating the game of cricket, pitches are being prepared customized for batsmen who like to play free flowing shots. These pitches are spinner friendly but only to the extent that they turn. Bounce and pace of the wicket have almost disappeared thus the lack of wickets. Consider the example of Harbhajan SIngh, who has been showing tremendous economy in his bowling but he goes wicket-less or with a rare wicket in ODI’s.

It is not to be argued that India have the greatest spin arsenal in the world at the moment with the likes of Amit Mishra, R.Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh. They are also by a good fortune the world champions which is not a mere coincidence. There is another reason that i may devilishly trace in this context. The increasing dominance of India in world cricket and the centre shifting from England-Australia to the sub-continent and rivalries like India-Pakistan is another reason for the diminishing fast bowlers in world cricket. The pitches in the sub-continent are tailored to the choice of batsmen-heavy sub-continent sides and thus support spin as well. Mr. Tony Greig asserted in meaning, that India is a super-power to say so in world cricket now and the board of Cricket Control in India the monitoring body than the International Council. These may seem pretty exaggerated but the shift is truly marked.

The consequences of such a change are not just negative but grey. India enjoys the love of 120 crore cricket crazy fans and the commercial nature of sport has forced the transformation. From TV viewership rights, to pitches, to the selection of a side – everything affects the game in a certain way. Whether we like it or not, we will see an increasingly morbid phase in cricket if spinners become ‘economists’ and fast bowlers keep wrapping their fingers around the bowl now and then. The ICC must alert itself of these embryonic demons and get rid of such partial pitches. The upcoming series between India and England in England will be a throwback to the bygone ages as their will be a contest between spin and quality pace. That is one series cricket fans should not miss a ball of.

Read more »

India look to win series today

India will target to defeat West Indies in the third One Day International (ODI) match today and also ensure to win the series.

Today India set to meet West Indies in the third match of the five match ODI series with the young brigade defeating their opponents in the earlier two encounters quite easily.

Meanwhile India's stand in captain Suresh Raina Raina has demanded more respect for the West Indies team who have under performed in this series.

"Earlier you termed us a young (second-string) side. Now you are terming the opposition too weak. The fact is that we all have played too well. Someone or other has put his hand up and we have prevailed," Raina was quoted as saying.

"These guys are players. They are not machines. There would be one or two slip-ups," he said.

Raina was supported by Indian coach D Fletcher who also commented that the West Indies team is not a 'bad' side.

"I don't think it (the West Indies) is a bad side. It's an international side. It has players who have performed well in the past," Fletcher was quoted as saying.

Speaking on the performance of the young Indian team that is touring West Indies, Fletcher said,"It's a reflection on the pool of talent India currently have. It's a reflection on India's standard of cricket. IPL must have done some good. This pool of talent is a massive advantage to the Indians."

The key players for India today will be V. Kohli, Raina and Badrinath. 

 Match is set to start by 18.30 IST. Watch Live Action on Ten Cricket And DD.

Read more »

Virat Kohli gets his priorities right

Royal Challengers Bangalore owner Vijay Mallya loves to put his money on a winning horse. If he thought 22-year-old Virat Kohli was the only cricketer his franchise should have retained ahead of Indian Premier League 4 and spent $1.8m to ensure Kohli stays put, he must have certainly seen something special in the cricketer.

A closer look at Kohli now gives you glimpses of what Mallya might have seen. A confident young man who doesn't swear by his talent as much as he swears by what he has learnt from his mistakes; a hard-working cricketer who is turning out to be a winning bet for Indian cricket; an extraordinary individual.

Five years ago, when the batsman returned to finish off a Ranji Trophy game for his team Delhi on the morning his father passed away, people saw a young boy with immense composure, a batsman determined not to let the huge loss get in the way of a job he knew his father would have wanted him to finish. Kohli scored 90 runs in that game and was marked for the future right then.

However, in between that 90 he scored then and the match-winning 81 he scored against the West Indies at the Queen's Park Oval here on Wednesday, much has happened in young Kohli's life.

He achieved a lot of success in the domestic circuit, led the India Under-19 team to a World Cup victory in Kuala Lumpur in 2007, was a member of the historic World Cup winning team that defeated Sri Lanka in the final at Wankhede in April this year and all through he played some fine knocks to cement his place in the Indian team.

While he did so and earned accolades, a few brickbats too came his way. Some called him arrogant while others called him rude. When performances took a dip, his lifestyle came into question.

Being a young man, he became popular in the Page Three circles as much as his cricket. Many thought he was racing into a vaccum where his talent as a cricketer would find no breathing space.

Kohli now admits as much that he felt breathless indeed. He had to wriggle out and find his way.

"I have answered that question many times," he says, laughing but not the kind of laugh that would in any way suggest he felt very good about what he did. "I realized I had to change and was determined to transform myself.

"I was getting carried away off the field, which was not good. But then everyone around you lets you know about your ways. The word spreads, and you realise you got to change. I had to decide myself.

Read more »

UDRS: the time has come

While the Indian Cricket board's rejection of the Decision Review System for the series in England isn't really a surprise, its timing is rather intriguing. The series doesn't start till the third week of July. And at the end of June, an ICC chief executives meeting in Hong Kong will consider the recommendations of its cricket committee that asked for Umpire referrals to be made mandatory for all Test cricket. 

The cricket committee is no ordinary body. On it sit some of the game's most iconic figures and vibrant minds. Its chairman is twice world cup winning captain Clive Lloyd. Astute men like Mark Taylor, Ian Bishop, Gary Kirsten, Kumar Sangakkara, Ranjan Madugalle and Ravi Shastri are also members. At its last meeting in May the committee 'unanimously' asked for UDRS to be used in all Test matches. Dave Richardson, the ICC's General Manager (Cricket) says, 'We've done a lot of work on the accuracy of the ball-tracking and our hope is the Indian board will take account of that and realise it does work. We are confident that people will see its benefit.'  

The BCCI though has just told Mr Richardson and the rest of the cricket committee not to bother. So convinced are the BCCI that UDRS is flawed that they won't even wait till the end of June. Where at this meeting they will be presented evidence and data on how the technology has improved. Data that will reveal how the percentage of correct decisions has gone up. Evidence that will show how the technology has advanced. But nothing it seems will convince the Indian Cricket Board, who have already decided to reject the system for a series that is meant to be played after this meeting. 

Its also curious that Ravi Shastri, who was party to that 'unanimous' decision by the cricket committee has adopted a stoic silence. Does he disagree with his BCCI bosses' view on UDRS? And if agrees with them did he voice his dissent at the ICC meeting? Perhaps in one of his columns or TV appearances Mr Shastri can elaborate. It was amusing to see newly appointed coach Duncan Fletcher being cut short at his first media interaction in Chennai by the incoming BCCI president, a known opponent of UDRS. "Mr Fletcher is unaware of the BCCI's position" was the logic offered. Right, so Mr Fletcher may have his own view but must now cast that aside and become a UDRS critic! Bizarre! 

So for all practical purposes, once again it really is us (Indian Cricket) vs them (everyone else in Cricket). Watching the England-Sri Lanka series you can't help but appreciate the value UDRS brings. Kevin Pietersen's dismissal in Cardiff to Rangana Herath was a case in point. Only a mili-second before it struck the bat, the ball kissed Pietersen's pad. Technology established just that and Pietersen was given out after the umpire had initially turned the appeal down. And he was OUT. Kumar Sangakkara too was given out off the faintest possible edge that the umpire did not hear. But technology established he was out and the correct decision was made.  None of this of-course registers with the BCCI.

A guiding principle in cricket is that the benefit of any doubt goes to the batsman. UDRS provides cricket a tool to reduce the quantum of doubt if not eliminate it altogether. So it actually upholds the basic premise of the game. It aids an umpire, as umpires concede themselves, and doesn't undermine them. The umpire was spot on when giving Pietersen not out, it was humanly impossible to tell whether the ball hit pad or bat first. However, once that doubt was cleared up, Pietersen had no business batting on. I dare say if his pie chucking off-breaks had resulted in a similar appeal he too would have asked for a referral. While first introducing UDRS the ICC made the argument that it was a 'leap of faith'. But since then technology has progressed and the BCCI's insistence on using the same argument to dig its heels in is downright arrogant. 

Its ironic but even among senior Indian players there are vehement supporters of UDRS. Virender Sehwag is one and his logic is compelling. I asked him after the world cup if his support for UDRS had dwindled since both in the semi-final and final he referred his LBW decisions, and was proven wrong both times! Sehwag answered that on the contrary he was an even bigger supporter because at-least 'he got a chance' to question the decision. I asked him if Sachin Tendulkar was a convert after he escaped what appeared to be a plumb LBW to Ajmal in the semi-final. And he cheekily answered, 'You will have to ask Tendulkar'!

A large majority of players support UDRS because it doesn't leave them to the mercy of cricket's 'glorious uncertainty'. Umpiring errors cause much heartburn and by having the opportunity to contest decisions, players feel a greater sense of empowerment. When technology exposes errors, it undeservedly puts a hapless umpire in the firing line. As the quality of TV coverage improves it only makes sense to embrace it in the running of the game. Surely it is no one's case that hot spot, hawk eye and snicko must be banished from the game altogether?

By burying its head in the sand, the BCCI has yet again opened itself up to ridicule. It is saying to the engineers and developers who work on the technology, the large majority of players who support it, the administrators who have devoted time, energy and intellect to improve it, that they are fools. That we, the Indian Board decide what works and what doesn't. M S Dhoni's logic of not buying a life-jacket unless there is a "100% warranty" is amusing. If a ship is sinking and there is only 99% chance that one would survive, I would take my chances. Surely, its not the Indian skipper's case that one must sink along with the ship because there's a 1% chance the life-jacket won't work!

Cricket can take pride in the leadership it has shown in embracing technology in comparison to any other sport in the world. The third umpire made the game fairer and more equitable. And now with UDRS an even greater leap can be made in that direction. This nonsense of both boards involved in a series agreeing on whether UDRS is to be used or not has to end. By the same token, perhaps boards can then choose whether or not to permit LBWs or run outs in a series! If the BCCI refuse to concede, they must be told to. The regulations governing cricket must be standard and mandatory. Why must we wait for consensus, a majority is enough. Governments around the world work to that principle, surely cricket can too.

Read more »

India aim to strengthen hold, WI aim revival

It was not the most comprehensive of wins but having taken a morale-boosting 1-0 lead in the series, India would look to press home the advantage against a nervy West Indies in the second one-dayer, on Wednesday.

The four-wicket win in the first one-dayer came after a wobbly start and the second-string Indian team would be aiming to plug the loopholes as the series progresses.

Missing key players Sachin Tendulkar and regular captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the young team led by Suresh Raina benefited from the West Indians' follies in the lung-opener.

The Caribbeans, on the other hand, would hope to tilt the scale in their favour by picking up on the few positives they gained from the four-wicket loss at the Queen's Park Oval here on Monday night.

The hosts might have lost the first game by four wickets but they were probably 30 runs and a wicket away from walking away as winners.

Even though the pitch was sluggish, West Indies could have tested India with a score of 250-plus. That score was a possibility till key men Ramnaresh Sarwan (56) and Marlon Samuels (55), after an 82-run fourth wicket stand, departed in the final overs.

And when the Indians batted, another wicket around the midway stage with the visitors struggling at 104 for 4, could have brought them to their knees.

None of it happened and West Indies went down with five overs to spare.

Encouragingly for the hosts though, experienced batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan showed signs of returning to his best and there was much heart to be drawn in the performance of young spinners Devendra Bishoo and Anthony Martin.

West Indies could do with a little more firepower at their command in the second match and it wouldn't be a surprise if Kieron Pollard figures in the starting XI.

The all-rounder, without a fail, is an asset on the field and on his day, can win a game for the side with either bat or ball.

Pollard was left out of the game probably as a slap on his wrist for not preferring regional competition over the Indian Premier League (IPL). Now that the point has been made, he could be asked to bolster the side.

West Indies would also be encouraged by the lack of firepower at the Indians' command.

Even though the visiting spinners are difficult to get away, they are more economical than destructive in their spells.

Only if West Indies could rotate the strike - they played no less than 29.2 overs as dot balls on Monday - they could yet push Indians into disarray.

For Indians, the worry is the apparent lack of class among openers. Parthiv Patel and Shikhar Dhawan have been pitch-forked to fill in for the injured duo of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir and their start was not too impressive.

But India's strength lies in its middle-order which has a talented bunch of batsmen including Rohit Sharma and Shikar Dhawan. In fact, both of them came good in the opening match with half-centuries.

Only if West Indies could get into India's middle order quickly and strike one or two fortuitous blows, they could still get the Indians in a spot.

Even though spinners are a strength for the Indians and the hosts are playing into their hands, the visitors would be happy if openers could inspire faith and there is more firepower in their bowling attack.

Leg-spinner Amit Mishra, preferred ahead of R Ashwin, was impressive and so was Harbhajan Singh but there was little to suggest the visitors have the necessary edge to their attack.

The pace department is missing Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel would have to produce a special effort to prove himself a worthy replacement.

But given that the West Indians are desperately missing a certain Chris Gayle, the odds still favour the Suresh Raina and his men.

West Indies: Darren Sammy (Captain), Lendl Simmons, Kirk Edwards, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Carlton Baugh (wk), Andre Russell, Anthony Martin, Devendra Bishoo, Ravi Rampaul.

India: Suresh Raina (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Parthiv Patel, Virat Kohli, Subramaniam Badrinath, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Ramachandran Ashwin, Munaf Patel, Praveen Kumar and Ishant Sharma.

Read more »

‘Dhoni is amazing’

Sourav Ganguly heaped praise on the India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni at a promotional, here on Thursday. The former India captain felt that Dhoni’s ability to absorb pressure makes him a mentally strong captain. 

 

“He is a brilliant captain. He has a great ability to absorb pressure. Winning the World Cup and then leading the Chennai Super Kings to their second consecutive title is no mean task. The way he has sustained his hunger for success is amazing. He is now the main man in Indian cricket...” said Sourav. 

Sourav believes, although many senior players are being rested, the Indian team has the talent to win the series in West Indies. “We will win in the West Indies. The team is young, but confident and good. They will be hungry for success and would look at the tour as an opportunity to seal their berths in the Indian team,” said Sourav.

The West Indies tour will be the first assignment for India’s newly-appointed coach, Duncan Fletcher. “The Indian cricket has improved by leaps and bounds in the last 11-12 years. I think Duncan would be benefited by the talent at his disposal. He is getting in a position where the guys are confident and have some outstanding achievements in recent times,” said Sourav. 

On Manoj Tiwary and Wriddhiman Saha, he said: “Manoj should do well in the series. I hope Wriddhi gets a chance and he grabs the opportunity with both hands. He will face a tough competition from Parthiv (Patel).” 

The former captain, who played “his best innings in his debut Test in England”, said that Indian team’s character will be tested in their away series against England, which starts from July 21.

“England, especially their Test team, have been performing pretty well in the last two years. The Indian team will have their task cut out.”

Sourav also said KKR still remain a big team, irrespective of his absence. The former KKR captain said he has a very cvordial relationship with Shah Rukh Khan. “Shah Rukh is a very dear person. Many players have shifted bases. So it is not a big issue at all.” 

Is the IPL taking a toll on cricketers? “Among the three formats, T20 is the least taxing,” he said.

Read more »

Ganguly disagrees with Ranatunga, bats for IPL

Refuting former Sri Lankan skipper Arjuna Ranatunga's comment that the Indian Premier League (IPL) was a "monster", former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly Thursday said T20 league was an apt platform for players to shape up their careers.

"I don't think it's a monster. It has made careers of many players. Only a few can play for the national team while there are heaps of players who are talented but never get a chance. The IPL has given a platform to many such players. It not only is a platform to play for the country but also provides players with financial security, which is important," Ganguly told reporters on the sidelines of an event to promote a Bangla TV quiz show.

"I don't know why it's a monster. I know there are players who chose IPL over country but that has to be controlled by the countries' boards," said Ganguly, when asked to react to Ranatunga's statement.

Earlier, Ranatunga in a scathing attack on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said the Indian board's financial might has turned the International Cricket Council (ICC) into a "toothless tiger" and called the IPL a "monster" that would destroy the international cricket.

On the club versus country debate, Ganguly said: "It's a big debate. How can you ignore IPL? The IPL wouldn't be successful without names like Tendulkar, Sehwag, Dravid etc. You cannot take away the big names from the IPL. But at the same time they have to play for India, it's a difficult balance.

"But at the end of the day the players need rest. Some tours will be missed. BCCI knows that players will have to be given rest. Even though both IPL and country are important but anytime country comes first. No doubt about it.

Read more »