And the Sojourn Continues...

Well, maybe it is a little late to be talking about this topic, as enough has been written as well as said about this one. Nonetheless, it never gets old.

A fresh breath of life

It was a refreshing Test season. Sure, it was quite a bit long. But, it was still one of the most scintillating seasons of cricket, particularly Test cricket, in recent years. Even for a team like India, which has absolutely dominated its opponents in its own backyard, it was an engaging experience. And much more importantly, this grand home season of Test cricket breathed a fresh ease of life into the beleaguered format that Test cricket had become, facing dwindling interest and low attendance. This season also hoisted India to the top of the Test rankings, and with a long limited-overs season ahead, this mace is set to remain with the land of Hanuman for a long time to come.

India vs. New Zealand

First up was New Zealand. A strong team, but one that tends to lose momentum at crucial intervals. This series was a crucial one for newly-appointed captain Virat Kohli, to justify his claim as an inspirational leader. And that he did. India romped to a series whitewash, with their captain in red-hot form. There was a short pause to the Test cricket, because of an ODI series, after which action resumed against England.

India vs. England

This series was a special one for me, as it was my first experience inside that little world that goes by the name of the Wankhede stadium. Team India, as well as its captain, were on song, resulting in drawn first Test and a 4-0 whitewash. The spin twins, Ashwin and Jadeja, were spot-on, as they were in the previous series. The consequent limited-overs series resulted in the only series loss for India this entire season. But what it also witnessed was the emergence of young man named Kedar Jadhav; and the resurgence of an old faithful, Yuvraj Singh. It also has to be noted that the Test series produced India's second triple-centurion, Karun Nair, the first, of course being the great Virendra Sehwag.

India vs. Bangladesh

There was the one-off Test against Bangladesh.This match was historic in its own right, as it was the first India-Bangladesh Test carried out on Indian soil. The result, however, wasn't as historic; India trounced Bangladesh by 208 runs.

India vs. Australia

Then came the cherry on top of the cake. The Border-Gavaskar trophy. This climax to the Test season was the most engaging of all. Two firsts happened here which hadn't happened in the season gone by: India lost a Test match; and Virat Kohli did not score a double hundred in this series. Both the teams swung back and forth, both by sessions and words, but it was India who had the last laugh, at least where it was important:on the field. This series was a standout because of a fact which was quite unprecedented in India: In this series, the Indian pacers came to the fore, specially Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma, also Bhuvaneshwar Kumar in the last match. This series also brought India's first male chinaman bowler to the limelight - Kuldeep Yadav. This was probably the best Test series played on Indian soil in the past 7-8 years. With the conclusion of this series, India extended its unbeaten run at home.

Something to look forward to...

The differences that were created during this intensely-fought series have since ceased to exist, as the IPL goes beyond geographical barriers of the nations.
This season, particularly this series, has fed an elixir of life to the ailing old man that Test cricket has now become, prolonging its life even further.

Glory at the Orange City

This Test was a historic one. Many records were broken in this match. The most significant record was the one which broke South Africa’s 9-year unbeaten streak on away tours, the highest after Australia’s 15-year streak. This test got over in just three days, which meant low-scoring encounters.

First off, it was a dismal performance on the part of South Africa. They registered on of their lowest scores ever when Ashwin and Co. bowled them out for 79. What an extra-ordinary Test this was! The first innings of the Indians who batted first ended at 215. Then, at stumps, South Africa was 11/2. On the second day, South Africa was bowled out for 79. Thereafter, India’s second innings ended at 173 on the same day. Then, at stumps, South Africa was at 29/2 with a target of 310 and three days of play left.

South Africa, though avoided further damage and humiliation by putting up some resistance. But, alas, they were bowled out for 185 and India comfortably won the match as well as the series.

Coming to India’s performance, I was disappointed bigtime by the Indian batting. Though their batting was far better than that of the South Africans and the highest individual score of the match, a knock of 40 came from India in the form of Murali Vijay. But, they more than made  up for it by restricting the Proteas to negligible scores. Ashwin was the chief perpetrator on an assistive wicket, capturing 12 wickets to take his tally of this series to 24. Ashwin could break his personal tally from a four match- Test match series; the best being 29 during India’s 4-0 thrashing of Australia at home in 2013. And going by the way Ashwin is bowling right now combined with the mighty unpredictable pitch at the Ferozshah Kotla, a fifer shouldn’t be a problem.

I think what Indian captain Virat Kohli said about the third day sums up the match perfectly. He said that on the third day, there was a team which was trying to stay alive in the match while the other was trying to win it.

This Test was special for me in a different way as it was played at my home town and it was the first time in the last three encounters at Nagpur against South Africa that India has won a match.      

I hope that India wins the fourth Test too and manages a whitewash of the Proteas. This would also mean a change in the ICC rankings. So, hope for the best and play on!!

India’s second Test win against the Aussies

In my last blog I had written about India’s formidable win against the Aussies but this one takes the cake. India won this match comfortably by an innings and 135 runs. India was never in a state of intense trouble except for the partnership between Michael Clarke and Matthew Wade. Now let’s start.

Australia won the toss and brought in their openers Ed Cowan and David Warner to start. As for the changes, India maintained the winning team of the first Test with no changes, whereas Australia dropped pacer Mitchell Starc and spinner Nathan Lyon to give a debut to Xavier Doherty and IPL’s million dollar baby Glenn Maxwell. As the spinners had dominated the last match, it was not so in this match.

Bhuvaneshwar Kumar proved that he is a guaranteed swinger by picking up the first three wickets of David Warner, Ed Cowan and Shane Watson in quick succession. In came skipper Michael Clarke and Phil Hughes. Like in the first match, Phil looked clueless against the spinners and especially against Ashwin. The young offie once again proved that he is India’s top spinner and has the ability to take wickets anywhere, everywhere, anytime and every time. He dismissed Hughes. Then came wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Wade. Both of them put on a solid partnership to get the Aussies some control of the match. Both went on to register their half-centuries. Then Wade got out after he gave Sehwag an easy catch at slip at a beauty bowled by Ashwin. The other batsmen did not persist much whereas Michael Clarke played the captain’s innings again by missing narrowly on century as he was bowled on a beauty by Jadeja. The Aussies, surprisingly declared their innings on 237/9. India had to chase 237 runs to get a lead.

India’s openers Virender Sehwag and Murali Vijay took guard. Sehwag got out early on 6 and came in the New Wall Cheteshwar Pujara. Vijay and Pujara started off slowly and built on steadily. Slowly they freed their arms and began to play the shots. It looked like a competition between Pujara and Vijay: Who will get to a century first? Finally it was Pujara who won the battle as he reached to his hundred much earlier than expected. There was no stopping him now. He wanted the next big milestone. Vijay had taken the defensive mode for his last 20 to10 runs before his hundred, so he was just rotating the strike. The boundaries kept coming in substantial measure for Vijay, but they were a regular in Pujara’s choice of shots. Pujara got out on a massive 204 while Vijay got out on a controlled 167. The pair put on a partnership of 370 runs, just 6 runs behind the highest partnership of 376 runs put on by Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. In that partnership, VVS was the dominator. In this Test, Pujara was the dominator. The rest of the Team barely had to do anything and they did mostly nothing to contribute to the score of 503/10 by India.

India hoped to finish the Test in Day 4 itself. And they really did. The Aussies were all out for 133 runs and India won the second Test match against Australia. Ashwin again took 5 wickets. He is turning out to be the best player in this Test Series. Cheteshwar Pujara won the prestigious Man of the Match award. India now lead the four Test-series by 2-0.

Source of Statistics: CricBuzz

India defeats the "Formidable" Aussies

India had a lot to celebrate as Dhoni and Co won the first Test match against Australia. This Series is the annually held Border- Gavaskar Trophy. It has a very rich history. One such historic moment is Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman’s magnificent partnership against Australia in their own backyard. But since this India’s first major Series without the magic of The Wall and Mr. Dependable, the media has given this series the tagline “Asli Test Baaki Hain” and they are indeed true. The new Team India has some very talented young batsmen like Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Suresh Raina and Ajinkya Rahane and bowlers like Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma. They also have all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja. Though they do not have much experience, they have pure talent. Australia also has an inexperienced team, with Captain Michael Clarke being the only experienced Test batsman.

Australia won the toss and chose to bat first. Many were surprised by this decision as the Chepauk pitch had a lot of vicious spin and was a rank turner. Dhoni also surprised everyone by bringing the spinners to bowl with the new ball, not the pacers. But it worked like a charm. Ashwin ran straight through the Australian batting order, picking up 7 wickets before Micheal Clarke and Test debutant Moises Henriques put on a good partnership. Clarke scored a controlled 130 while Henriques scored a patient 68 before Henriques succumbed to Ashwin’s and the Chepauk’s dangerous spin. After that Michael Clarke misjudged a short ball by Ashwin and got out Lbw. India wrapped up Australia for 380.

India’s openers Virendra Sehwag and Murali Vijay failed to make an impact. After them Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara put on a brief partnership before Pujara got out on 44. In came the Little Master. Sachin and Kohli weaved their magic together to create a good partnership before Sachin missed out on a 101th hundred when he got out bowled by Nathan Lyon on 81. In came Captain Cool MS Dhoni. Kohli and he put on a solid partnership. In this partnership, Dhoni and kohli kept the runs coming at regular intervals. Kohli registered his 5th Test century and his 2nd against Australia. Then Kohli got out. Ravindra Jadeja did not much an impact. Nor did Ravichandran Ashwin or Harbhajan Singh. Then entered Bhuvaneshwar Kumar. Dhoni kept the runs coming and Kumar ably supported him. They put on a 100-plus partnership. Ironically, Kumar scored around 15 runs while Dhoni did the rest. When Dhoni got out, he was on 224.
In Australia’s second innings, they barely managed to score 188 runs before Henriques and Lyon denied India an innings win. But both succumbed to the vicious spin of the Chepauk.

India needed just 50 runs to win. But again the openers failed. But the Little Master came in and smashed 2 sixes to hand India a comfortable win. Dhoni was adjudged ‘Man Of The Match’ because of his top-class innings and amazing captaincy.
Important Points the Match:
• A dangerously spinning track.
• Ashwin picks up 12 wickets.
• Tendulkar in splendid form, 81 in the 1st and sixes of first 2 balls in the second innings.
• Virat Kohli sizzles; scores 103 runs.
• Dhoni notches up high score and first double – hundred.
• One of the rare Indian matches where spinners have taken all the wickets.
• Michael Clarke’s century in vain as The Men In Blue defeat the “Formidable” Aussies.

The new Wall ?

Recently retired Rahul Dravid was nicknamed ‘The Wall’ because of his elegant stroke play and his ability to rise up to the team’s cause in high pressure situations. He played like a wall against the bowlers in home and away conditions.

When Rahul Dravid retired, he left behind a legacy. The selectors were in a real fix to find a replacement for him. Rahul Dravid played at No. 3. In ODIs, there was Virat Kohli, another talented batsman, who held the fort for the No. 3 slot. However, Indian Test cricket was a tough problem. Mr. Dependable - V.V.S Laxman – announced his retirement even before selectors could recover from the shock of Dravid’s retirement. It was a grave problem as there was this India- New Zealand series coming up in two months’ time, and something had to be done fast. Then the selectors’ committee, headed by Krishnamachari Srikkanth, introduced somebody known in domestic cricket but not even heard of in international cricket. His name was Chateshwar Pujara.

The expectations from Pujara were tall and it appears that he has surpassed those expectations quite well. He debuted in the India- New Zealand series and made a score of 161 in the first innings itself. In the recently concluded first Test match against England, which India won by 9 wickets, Pujara made 206* in the first and 41* in the second innings.

Pujara is indeed a very talented batsman. But it may be too early to judge him as the next ‘Wall’. Even the original Wall had to perform consistently for 50 matches to be called by that name.
Nobody knows who will be the next Wall and will there be another Wall at all. But, as of now, Chateshwar Pujara stands a good chance of becoming the next Wall of Indian Cricket.

Laxman's Retirement - A Huge Blow to Indian Test Cricket

When the name VVS Laxman came to your mind, you would think of a classy and wristy batsman who played Test cricket. Yes he was a distinguished batsman in this format but he was also an icon for all those upcoming stars in this kind of competitive cricket. He was known for his wristy curving of the ball but he had the most essential element of Test cricket i.e. patience. He had a lot of patience. And he was the one to back on in dire straits. That is why he was nicknamed “Mr. Dependable.”

He is considered one of the greatest and most dependable batsmen of all times, alongside stars like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. He is second on the list of Indian batsmen to have managed well on abroad pitches, Rahul Dravid being the first on the list.

He recently retired just before the recently held India- New Zealand two Test series. When asked why he took this decision so quickly, he told “I listened to my Inner voice which told me to retire”, he says. He also told that he wasn’t able to co- operate with Captain Cool MS Dhoni. With Laxman retired, the Indian team is facing two blows- one is the retirement of Dravid and the other one is Laxman’s retirement. They may have a replacement for him in the Indian team, but in real, there will not be any replacement for VVS Laxman ever.