The Indian Squad for the Champions Trophy: Reflections

Sidharth Monga, courtesy of ESPNcricinfo, 8 May 2017, where the title runs “Selectors bank on experience over glamour quotient”

Manpreet Gony. Karn Sharma. Jasprit Bumrah. Hardik Pandya. Axar Patel. Sanju Samson. Some success stories, some not. They all first played for India based on their IPL performances. Many a comeback has been made based on IPL. Some have flourished, some have not. However, this selection for the Champions Trophy, the first time since 2013 that the IPL is being followed immediately by a big one-day tournament, has shown clear signs that the Twenty20 performances are not going to sway the selectors. The clear message from MSK Prasad’s team of selectors is that the unglamorous domestic cricket holds more importance than the IPL, at least when it comes to selections for formats longer than just 20 overs. 

India’s Rise to Heavyweight Status in Cricket, 1970s-2010s

Ian Chappell, courtesy of ESPNcricinfo, 16 April 2017, where the title is “How India became a cricketing heavyweight”

India’s Umesh Yadav, left, Karun Nair, second from left, celebrate with teammates the dismissal of Australia’s Matt Renshaw during the third day of their fourth test cricket match in Dharmsala, India, Monday, March 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Tsering Topgyal)

Watching India defeat Australia in a highly entertaining series reconfirmed how far the home side has progressed as a cricket nation in the years since I played against Tiger Pataudi‘s men in 1967-68. Pataudi led a side that had two fine spinners, Erapalli Prasanna and Bhagwath Chandrasekhar (much like the current Indian team does), and they soon added a third in Bishan Bedi. The one advantage Pataudi’s team had over Virat Kohli‘s group was close catching; no one could match the bravery and skill of Eknath Solkar. He used to field so close at leg slip, you felt like telling him, “Ekky get out of my back pocket.”

Cricket Riveting Cricket!! Valentine and Ramadhin Rise Again at Pune

Gideon Haigh, in The Australian, 27 February 2017, where his chosen title is “Pune shock a victory for the true believers”

This was one for the true believers, and it’s fair to say that these were heavily outnumbered in the vicinity of MCA Stadium last week, especially once the pitch, as dry and scarred as the lunar surface, was rolled out. When Steve Smith spoke warmly ahead of the first Test of “the great challenge” of playing in India, and of the future possibility of team members looking back on a series win as “the best time of our lives”, he was indulged, but sceptically. Young captains must say such things, mustn’t they? The forebodings of a chorus of greats resonated more loudly.

Australia’s captain Steve Smith bats during Third day of the first cricket test match against India in Pune, India, Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)

But when Smith opined of his tough summer’s cricket that “you probably learn more from losing games than you do from winning”, it turns out he was not kidding. In Pune, he and his team evinced a quality in which Australian cricket has not always abounded: humility.

Australia’s Lock and Laker decimate India’s Batting

Steven O’Keefe and Nathan Lyon reversed the famous Laker-Lock roles in skittling the renowned Indian batting line up at Pune in ways that recall the manner in which Laker and Lock undermined the Aussies during the famous 1956 Ashes series in 1956 .. in the era before wickets were covered.

O’Keefe celbrates wkt–-Pic by Reuters& Danish-Siddiqui

INNINGS ONE
	SNJ O’Keefe	13.1	2	35	6	2.65	55	2	1
	NM Lyon	11	2	21	1	1.90	52	2	0

INNINGS TWO

NM Lyon	14.5	2	53	4	3.57	59	5	0
	SNJ O’Keefe	15	4	35	6	2.33	71	4	0

Indian Cricketers bemused by the DRS

Item in The Australian, 27 February 2017, where the title is “Border-Gavaskar series: India’s DRS ‘shocker’

India’s new-found resolve to use the Decision Review System backfired spectacularly in Pune. There were a range of different factors that led to Australia recording their first Test win in India since 2004. The tourists were much better in the field, while they outperformed the top-ranked Test side with bat and ball. One of the most stark differences between the two teams was their use of DRS.

Recognising Michael Tissera in the Tale of Sri Lankan Cricket

Abhishek Mukherjee, 25 March  2016, courtesy of http://www.cricketcountry.com/articles/michael-tissera-the-man-who-gave-his-name-to-west-indies-sri-lanka-test-series-340992

Michael Tissera shares a trophy name with Garry Sobers. Till date, he also remains the only Sri Lankan captain to win a Test on Indian soil, albeit unofficial.

Michael Tissera © Getty Images

 Michael Hugh Tissera, born March 23, 1939, was one of the architects of Sri Lankan cricket in 1960s and 1970s. Unfortunately, his international career started late, for Sri Lanka did not get a chance to lock horns with the big guns in official matches till World Cup 1975. His leadership qualities and all-round skills on the field made him stand out among Sri Lankan cricketers of his era. To honour him, the West Indies-Sri Lanka Test series were named Sobers-Tissera Trophy after him and Sir Garry. Abhishek Mukherjee remembers a forgotten man of Sri Lankan cricket.

 

Dhoni the Captain: Cool. Thinking, Daring

Sidharth Monga, in ESPNcricinfo.com where the title is “A reputation staked on bold decisions, Dhoni makes one more”

There is a great little story, almost confirmed, but better off without a final confirmation, about India’s – perhaps the world’s – best limited-overs captain. In the 2007 World T20 final, when MS Dhoni asked Joginder Sharma to bowl the final over ahead of Harbhajan Singh, he told this domestic workhorse something. It was either at the start of the over, when Pakistan needed 13 to win, or after the six by Misbah-Ul-Haq, which left them needing six runs off four balls.

In the high-pressure final, against the great rivals Pakistan, having given up a winning position in a match India originally had no business winning, amid blaring music, this man, in his first tournament as an international captain, told Joginder, two years younger to him: “You have bowled so many overs in domestic cricket with so much dedication, when no one is watching. Don’t worry, cricket won’t let you down now.”Dhoni’s last-over call to have Joginder Sharma bowl to Misbah-Ul-Haq with a World T20 title on the line is one of many calculated risks that paid off during his captaincy reign © Getty Images