Take it from Pathan and Sreesanth

By John Cheeran
India could not have wished for a better outcome before the Test series than the 96-run win recorded over the Rest of South Africa side in Potchefstroom.
The fundamental flaws in batting and bowling remain but Sourav Ganguly’s first innings heroics and VVS Laxman’s gritty approach to batting during both innings should offer skipper Rahul Dravid some solace.
The biggest plus point, however, is the evolution of Irfan Pathan as a genuine all rounder. Yes, his bowling has lost its sting but I’m sure this willing learner will soon be back among the wickets. Pathan’s gutsy batting in the last one-dayer and two unbeaten innings of 111 and 40 at Potchefstroom should inspire those experienced players in the Indian top order to snap their shameful string of poor scores.
It is true that Pathan did not come into bat when rival bowlers where using the favourable conditions to their advantage, but this 21-year-old has showed the batting nous not only to survive at the crease but to come up with an imposing knock; the first century of the tour for Indians.
And the fact that Pathan scored his first century in first class cricket by cracking a sixer off Duminy over long on should not be easily forgotten. That’s what youth can do at times of crises.
Pathan has added another dimension to his set of bowling skills and sheer pluck to succeed has helped him in his cause. It was heartening to see another rookie fast bowler Sreesanth playing more than 40 balls in the Indian second innings to frustrate Hayward and Morkel. In fact apart from VVS Laxman and Irfan Pathan, it was Sreesanth who played the maximum number of balls in the Indian second innings. That’s the right attitude the beleaguered Indian side should take into the Test series. Hang in at the crease no matter what your batting averages are. Battle it out rather than go for some suicidal lunges at the ball.
Pathan and Sreesanth have proved that it is not the burden of the experience that lets you score runs or even stay the these bouncy wickets. It is the lightness of youthful zest that helps you soar over mediocrity that threatens to engulf you.
Chairman of selectors Dilip Vengsarkar is all for experience but why is he silent on the wretched form of Virender Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer and Sachin Tendulkar, his chosen ones. These are the experienced lot who should have given India a head start in the series but they have failed even to justify their stay in the team whereas youngsters such as Pathan and Sreesanth are gritting it out ball by ball.
If Pathan and Sreesanth can succeed with bat, the failure of Sehwag and Tendulkar amount to criminal acts.
I wish Tendulkar, Sehwag and Jaffer would take batting tips from Pathan and Sreesanth and do themselves a huge favour by scoring in the Test series. We shall wait and watch.

India beat Rest of South Africa by 96 runs

Frrom Potchefstroom, South Africa
Fast bowler Zaheer Khan took three wickets to power India to a highly welcome 96-run victory against a Rest of South Africa XI in a four-day warm-up match on Saturday.
Chasing a 321-run for a victory, the hosts were bundled out for 224 with more than a day to spare.
A century partnership between Vaughn van Jaarsveld and Justin Kemp delayed the inevitable. Once Van Jaarsveld was run out, the South Africans fell apart.
All rounder and man of the match Irfan Pathan again proved to be a saviour with the bat adding an unbeaten 40 to his first innings 111 not out to push the target beyond 300 and out of the opposition's reach.
Seamer Alfonso Thomas picked up two more wickets on Saturday to finish with 7-56 in the second innings, with India bowled out for just 142.
Apart from Pathan, captain VVS Laxman (31) was the only other Indian batsman to score more than 20. Wasim Jaffer, former captain Saurav Ganguly, who scored 83 in the first innings, and Harbhajan Singh were all dismissed without scoring in the second innings. For Jaffer, it was his second successive duck in the match.
Zaheer put India ahead by bowling the Rest XI skipper, Jacques Rudolph, with a superb inswinger first ball of the innings and added the scalps of internationals J-P Duminy and Justin Kemp to finish with 3-36 from 12 overs.
VRV Singh claimed two victims to add to his first innings trio to finish the match with 5-76 and a good chance of earning a starting berth at the traditionally seamer-friendly Wanderers.
A fifth wicket stand of exactly 100 between Kemp (53) and Van Jaarsveld (66) briefly threatened to take the game away from India but van Jaarsveld's optimistic call for a single ended the stand.
Off spinner Harbhajan took three wickets for 39.

The hour strikes; Ganguly turns a moon walker!

By John Cheeran
As the midnight hour struck in the Cinderella story, the pumpkin coach became once again a pumpkin.
As Indians started the second innings in Potchefstroom, South Africa, Sourav Ganguly became what he actually is; a moon walker on bouncy wickets.
In just two balls, Rest of South Africa fast bowler Mornantu Hayward brought Ganguly down to earth from the hills of 83. Where is the steel to re-build the Indian innings?
The crisis in Indian second innings was much deeper than the first time. The ball was old only 16 overs and overcast conditions would have tested any batsman.
Those who were celebrating and proclaiming the resurrection of Ganguly after his first innings 83 should pause now if they know their cricket.
Ganguly’s second innings lasted just two balls.
There was no run off the first ball. The next ball found Ganguly getting a fine edge and van
Jaarsveld, standing in as wicket-keeper for van Wyk, taking the catch at a comfortable height.
It was then left to skipper VVS Laxman to hold the Indian innings together. No flashy strokes, sheer grit and the willingness to battle it out when conditions get tougher helped the Hyderabad batsman to take on the South Africans. Yes, Laxman could make only 31, but this innings was noteworthy for its bloody mindedness.
Laxman stayed at the crease to play 103 balls, gaining in confidence after he was dropped when he was only on two.
Laxman was eventually out trying to drive Thomas on the up, but he got a thick edge and Duminy diving forward at point took a great catch.
If anyone thinks that Ganguly has returned to the Indian dressing room with a magic wand from Kolkata, they are mistaken. Ganguly’s experience counted for little in the second innings when faced with eager and fresher bowlers.
In Test cricket what matters is the ability to stay the course and VVS Laxman, though he missed out on sensational scores (23 off 61 balls in the first innings; 31 off 103 balls in the second innings) on both innings, has the character to play himself in when things get difficult. In both innings Laxman has virtually opened the Indian innings with Wasim Jaffer falling too early.
Tough task awaits Indian batsmen, be it Rahul Dravid or Ganguly or Tendulkar in the Test series. It would take a phenomenal innings from India’s best to turn the tide in tourists’ favour.
Whatever happens in sideshows such as this four-day match count for little when the fun starts in Johannesburg on December 15.

Martyn walks away: It happens only Down Under!

By John Cheeran
It happens only in Australia.
Australian middle order batsman Damien Martyn has set an admirable example by leaving the game and catching everyone by surprise.
True, Martyn's place was under heavy scrutiny after the second Test in Adelaide, but he chose to go with his pride intact. Much more important than the many glorious innings he has played, Martyn's parting words should be an excellent reminder for any cricketer, for that matter any sportsman.
The 35-year-old said Australia and Ricky Ponting need people who are more than 100 per cent committed. Let me quote Martyn.
"I'm aware of the tremendous challenges facing Australian cricket including this current Ashes series. Such challenges require people who are more than 100 per cent committed, dedicated, disciplined and passionate about the game. I feel, therefore, it's time for me to move aside."
Yes, it is important to repeat what Martyn has said.
Australia require people who are more than 100 per cent committed.
Can you expect any Indian cricketer to come out with such a statement and bow out of the cricket ground?
I can't think of Sourav Ganguly doing that.
I can't think of Sachin Tendulkar doing that.
I can't think of Virender Sehwag doing that even on his wretched current form.
May be Greg Chappell should use his Aussie connections to persuade Martyn to play for India. I'm sure Martyn will find his groove playing for India and considering the side's batting wounds, skipper Rahul Dravid shoud welcome him.
BCCI, flexing their financial muscle, should put pressure on the ICC to get Martyn play for India. May be that is a good solution. We now have an Aussie coach and support staff. Now BCCI should replace our desi players with Australian rejects. Then we will have a winning chance.
Despite his recent travails with scores of 29, 11 and 5, Martyn is a much better player than the above mentioned three Indian batsmen. But while Martyn has decided to quit, the Indians plod on till they come upon an opposition that is magnanimous enough to let them score tons and extend their lifelines.
It is to be noted that Martyn's his decision was greeted with surprise, given Australia's 2-0 dominance of the five-match Ashes series so far, the fact that Martyn dominated the recent Champions Trophy win and with the World Cup looming next year.
"It is definitely a surprise to me," former Australian captain Ian Chappell said in Perth. " The fact that he has got a home Test (in Perth) coming up, that Australia is probably going to win the Ashes back -- all those reasons make it tougher and all the more reason to admire him for it."
Chappell said Martyn was possibly pre-empting a decision to drop him from the team. "You don't have to be Einstein to know that the Australian selectors are going to want to make the side younger pretty soon and he probably felt he was going to be near the top of the list of guys to go," Chappell said. "I admire him for getting out before they gave him the chop." Martyn played 67 Tests, beginning in 1992, scoring 4406 runs at 46.37. He endured a seven-year lock-out from theAustralian team after he was blamed for a loss in the 1993-1994 series against South Africa when he played a loose shot in Sydney which resulted in the fall of his wicket, triggering a five-run defeat.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting said the team would miss Martyn."Damien is one of the world's most unsung players in both forms of the game and I don't think it is really understood how good a player he actually is," he said.
Martyn, who also played 208 one-day international matches, said he had enjoyed everything the game had given him. "I have gained from it more then I could have ever imagined. I have made, in the playing of cricket, lifelong friends," he said.

Ganguly will get more attention in Johannesburg

By John Cheeran
The temptation to read too much into Sourav Ganguly's 83 against the Rest of South Africa on Thursday is irresistible.
Here is the man with the steel to rebuild the Indian middle order, you might as well say.
I'm hardly a Ganguly sympathiser but I'm impressed at the way he seized the first chance that came his way to salvage his foundering career.
Ganguly was under pressure to perform without wasting his time on the tour. And he has just done that with a gritty innings. For that alone Ganguly deserves immense credit.
Ganguly, however, was fortunate that he came into bat as No.5. Yes, he walked into a crisis with the departure of Wasim Jaffer, Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar , he had a better chance to build an innings against a visibly tiring Morne Morkel and Hayward.
And you should not forget that it was not just Ganguly who scored runs for India.
The 21-year-old fast bowler Irafn Pathan has cracked an unbeaten century, the first century of the tour by an Indian batsman. Even Harbhajan Singh threw his bat around to get closer to a half-century.
I wish those who are going ga ga over Ganguly could find space for such thoughts.
It is one thing to score when everything goes in your favour in a tour game, quite another to come out with flying colours in a Test of technique and nerves.
Ganguly, I'm sure, will get more attention in Johannesburg.

Desperate Ganguly seizes his chance

From Potchefstroom, South Africa
Sourav Ganguly made a gritty 83 on his return to the Indian team on Thursday when he and Irfan Pathan shored up their innings against the Rest of South Africa team.
Ganguly made 83 and left-hander Pathan went on to smash an unbeaten 111 as the Indians regrouped from 69 for five to score 316 for seven at the end of the first day of a four-day match.
Ganguly, 34, who had not played for India since a series against Pakistan in February, came in at 37 for three while fast bowler Morne Morkel was causing havoc among the Indian batsmen.
Morkel, who finished the day with four for 74, took all his wickets before lunch after the Indians were sent in to bat by the Rest's captain, Jacques Rudolph.
Indians looked headed for a collapse in their only warm-up match ahead of the first Test starting in Johannesburg next Friday.
Openers Wasim Jaffer and Virender Sehwag were both out for zero with the match only seven balls old. Jaffer was leg before to Mornantau Hayward in the first over and Morkel yorked Sehwag with his first ball of the match.
Morkel followed up with the key wicket of Sachin Tendulkar, who was caught at second slip, and Ganguly then watched from the other end while Morkel had VVS Laxman also caught at second slip and Mahendra Singh Dhoni caught behind.
Laxman was captaining the side in place of the injured Rahul Dravid.
Ganguly had to survive some aggressive bowling. He was struck on the helmet by a bouncer from Hayward and gave a sharp chance to gully off Morkel soon after lunch as he and Pathan rebuilt the innings.
The two left-handers put on 139 for the sixth wicket as the pitch eased under a hot sun. Ganguly was eventually caught behind off Friedel de Wet, one of two late replacements in the Rest team. De Wet and Alfonso Thomas played in place of Vernon Philander and Garnett Kruger, who were injured.
Ganguly faced 141 balls and hit 13 fours in his innings.
Pathan and the hard-hitting Harbhajan Singh, who made 47 off 67 balls, added 79 for the seventh wicket to enable the tourists to finish the day in a reasonably strong position.
Pathan, who reached his century off 161 balls, had faced 176 balls at stumps. He hit 15 fours and a six.
Morkel, 22, has been tipped by legendary South African fast bowler Allan Donald as a Test prospect and he underlined his potential during his opening spell. Hayward also bowled with pace and aggression but unorthodox left-arm spinner Paul Adams, named in South Africa's squad for the first Test, conceded 54 runs off nine overs.

Election lilas in Thiruvambadi: Marxists’ Delight

By John Cheeran
The Left Front’s political managers in Kerala can be proud that they retained the Thiruvambadi Assembly seat though by a slender margin of 246 votes.
As much as in cricket matches, wicket matters a lot in election results. The by-election was necessitated by the death of the sitting Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA Mathai Chacko. In that respect, LDF has only retained the seat they had won six months ago. Not just that, their margin of victory has alarmingly come down from 5000 to 240s. These two factors should be cause for joy for the defeated party Muslim League and the Congress-led United Democratic Front.
But now consider the wicket. Thiruvamabadi constituency has a majority of the minorities, Christians and Muslims taken together. Traditionally it has been a stronghold of Muslim League and Congress. That UDF castle was stormed only in the last Assembly election with the redoubtable Mathai Chacko in the vanguard.
The LDF’s and Mathai Chacko’s earlier win was an aberration not a tradition. CPI (M) would like to treat Geroge Thomas’s victory by a slender margin as a beginning of a Left-leaning tradition in Thiruvambadi.
To be honest, I was expecting a verdict in favour of Muslim League and Congress. That would have been a warning for Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan who is known for his cussedness than leadership qualities.
Whatever LDF cronies would like to say, it is no secret that a large segment of Christians are displeased with the government’s new education policy. At the core at the disenchantment has been the definition of minority status in Kerala. The church establishment may have its own reasons to be apprehensive. The point is that such thoughts get reflected in election arena. And it was a golden opportunity for a shaken and stirred Muslim League to tell the allies in the UDF and Muslim community in Kerala that they are still the voice of Muslims in the state.
The phenomenal 84 per cent voting witnessed in Thiruvambadi shows how vigorous the campaign conducted both by the CPI (M) and Muslim League has been.
CPI (M), taking a leaf out of a legendary character created by Vaikom Mohammad Bashir, who switches his religious leanings depending on his prospective victims’ preferences, has used the identities of Saddam Hussain and George Thomas to woo Muslims and Christians, respectively.
It is a pity that Marxists again teamed up with not just K. Karunakaran and his son, but continued their illicit love affair with such fundamentalist outfits as Jamaat Islami and PDP.
Whose victory the denizens of Thiruvambadi are celebrating at this hour?
A victory for Saddam?
A victory for Marx and Lenin?
Or a victory of people?

England hit by collective Stresscothick

By John Cheeran
If you feel Indians are the worst offenders on cricket field, just think of what Andrew Flintoff and company did in Adelaide on Tuesday.
After declaring their first innings at 551 for six, England lost the second Test of the Ashes series in Adeliade by six wickets. With India in South Africa there was no hope in the one-day series. The fact that England lost their heads and the test, after dominating for long stretches, is simply flabbergasting.
Certainly, the day was hotter than the first four and the pitch was more mischievous.
But none expected England to collapse they way did.
I, however, forgive Flintoff and his army.
But how could I forgive The Daily Telegraph’s celebrated writer Martin Johnson?
For Johnson had written on Monday’s paper that “In a week when an 83-year old has just been breathalysed and suspended for two years as part of a crusade to stamp out drinking in lawn bowling competitions, it may not be long before Pietersen v McGrath or Warne is officially declared illegal after violent demonstrations from members of the League Against Cruel Sports.”
On Tuesday, at Adelaide, it was the ageing Aussie legends Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath that hammered the nails on England’s coffin. And England, hit by a collective Stresscothick, now needs the help Sigmund Freud’s help to fix them for Perth.
Cricket can make asses of all of us.

Pakistan's anti-doping stunt exposed!

By John Cheeran
Pakistan has proved again that it is cloud cuckoo land.
The wonderful thing in Pakistan and the justice system (ah, inspired by Islam only) that country follows, however heinous a crime you commit, you can be pardoned by the victim or victims relatives.
Pakistan Cricket Board, which put up a stunt to get the applause of the global cricket watchers by banning their fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Asif Mohammad after they failed the dope tests prior to the Champions Trophy held in India, has revoked their decision one month later.
The reason for the PCB’s latest gyration?
Pakistan board says Akhtar and Asif had not taken the banned substance Nandrolone intentionally and were not aware that supplements they were using could be contaminated.
Ah, poor children. Poor Pakistani children.
They are so illiterate they don’t know what they are consuming. May be they knowingly eat only batsmen!
May be some envious djinns might have put the Nandrolone into the system of Pakistani fast bowlers while they were fast asleep.
It is time the International Cricket Council rapped on Pakistan’s knuckles. Pakistan Cricket Board has led from the front to make a mockery of the anti-doping measures set in place by WADA.
This is just not cricket.
But it is another proof of that rogue nation’s rogue methods.

Kissa kiss ka: Aishwarya and Hrithik in Dhoom 2

By John Cheeran
Is Aishwarya Rai a role model for Indian youth? Is Hrithik Roshan a role model for Indian youth?
Pretty, pretty Ash and well taut Hrithik are heartthrobs, no doubt about that.
But should we decide as movie watchers should Ash kiss or not on screen? The success of the liplock in Dhoom 2 has triggered a controversy most uncalled for.
The conscientious objectors point out that being a role model that Aishwarya is, she should have stayed away from kissing on screen.
May be, Aishwarya is damn tired of being a role model for you and me. She just wants to be a model.
Granted that Aishwarya is a role model, then, do you want to judge her what she does on the screen or do you want to judge her for what she does on real life?
Aishwarya has been kissed and caressed in real life by more than one man. Is that fitting in with Indian traditions? If you are happy with Indian screen’s most gorgeous woman switching partners as she liked --- Salman Khan, Vivek Oberoi and Abhishek Bachchan and not to forget her boyfriend before she entered Bollywood—what’s the big deal if she locked her lips on screen with her co-star?
Well, that’s Aishwarya’s own life and we should stay away from commenting on her virtue. And we should be happy that Ash has crossed the Rubicon on the screen before she becomes the Bachchan Bahu.

Amitab Bachchan is no actor!

By John Cheeran
Here is something about Amitab Bachchan. Many consider Bollywood is the be and all of Indian cinema and Amitab the finest actor that India has produced.
Dissenting voices are very few.
During the just concluded Goa Film Festival the veteran moviemaker M.S. Sathyu made his observation about Bachchan. Sathyu bluntly says that Bachchan is no actor, an opinion that I fully endorse. “He is no actor. He is just a personality. The only movie worth mentioning about him is the Black. That little girl (Ayesha Kapur)gave a superb performance in Black. Bachchan has tried to act for the first time him in his movie career in Black. May be he is inspired by that little girl.”
Well said, Sathyu. Sathyu, apparently, can see much beyond the Bollywood and I’m not surprised that he has little time for Bachchan and his cronies in Mumbai.
In case anyone doubts whom did Sathyu tell about Bachchan, it was on the national channel, Doordarshan, a channel we prefer not to watch.

Rich paupers: Indians in South Africa

By John Cheeran
The limitations of schooling was very much evident in India’s humiliation against South Africa in the one-day series. Coach Greg Chappell must have realized that how his contribution can be nullified if players do not live up to their job descriptions.
Players deserve to take credit when they do well; in defeat they need the support of the game’s followers. But players need to convince us that they belong where they are, that is, in Indian dressing room.
One-day series has exposed India’s weakness in both bowling and batting. In both departments we don’t have cricketers who can impose their will on the opposition.
We, unfortunately, do not have cricketers who can overcome the adverse playing conditions and snatch victories.
Where are our Justine Kemps? Where are our Andre Nels? The ferocity that a Nel brings to the wicket and mere enthusiasm that a Sreesanth can summon up are two different things.
It is not easy to surmount genetic imbalances. Post-partition India has always struggled to unleash tear away fast bowlers. We are a violent nation despite Buddha and Gandhi.
The violence that India, the nation, witnesses in its every day life is without any borders, without any rules.
To exhibit such violence when the rules come into operation is beyond Indians. Or else where are our fast bowlers who can cow down the opposition when they murmur about a mutiny.
Our bowlers can take wickets only when elements favour. They depend on wind, moisture and earthquakes that prise open the batting crease to take wickets. Our batsmen need the right level of bounce to play their shots. Our batsmen hate grass on the crease for they do not want to trample upon it. They abhor violence and are pleased only when spinners trundle in.
It is time we should invest in R and D to process a magic wand where by we can recreate dusty bowls wherever India plays.
22 yards of precious Indian earth so that Indian players never miss home.

For the record: South Africa white wash India

From Centurion, South Africa
Opener AB de Villiers (92 not out) and captain Graeme Smith (79) guided South Africa to a nine-wicket win over India in the fifth and final one-day international on Sunday.
South Africa had 18.4 overs left after the two men shared an opening partnership of 173.
India, put in to bat, could make only 200 for nine. South Africa replied with 201 for one to clinch a 4-0 series win. The first match was washed out.
Smith, who hit seven fours and three sixes, ended a run of poor form in which he scored just one run in his previous three innings. De Villiers faced 98 balls and hit 12 fours and a six in his career-best one-day score.
The openers were finally separated in the 29th over when Smith's lofted drive to off spinner Harbhajan Singh was caught by Dinesh Karthick at long on but Shaun Pollock smashed 16 off 10 balls to finish the job.
Sachin Tendulkar's 55, his first half-century since he scored 65 against West Indies on September 20 was India's top score.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni made a quickfire 44 while Dinesh Mongia compiled a patient 41.
The first Test between South Africa and India begins in Johannesburg on December 15.
Acting Indian skipper Virender Sehwag said:"Test cricket is a different game and we're working on our basics to try and make sure we do better."
South African skipper Smith commented: "Our bowlers were fantastic and our fielding was superb. That set the tone for the batsmen and I'm very happy with the way the guys have performed."

Dhoni hits experience for a sixer

By John Cheeran
From 91 all out India have progressed to 200 by the time they finished their one-day series against South Africa. Chastened by the early meltdowns, India on Sunday clung on to tradition, conserving their wickets for the early part of their innings.
Well nothing can make a difference to Virender Sehwag, captaincy or no captaincy, and no rules apply to this naturalist. Sehwag continued his carefree stroke play but Shaun Pollock and company were hardly convinced by his jumpy stay at the wicket.
Sachin Tendulkar played a subdued innings, fit for the circumstances and compiled his first half-century (55 off 97 balls, in this one-day series. Tendulkar batted with responsibility in the absence of Rahul Dravid and Laxman’s first ball tragedy and though his innings will not rewrite India’s fate line in the series, it has avoided what might have been another embarrassing collapse.
Tendulkar was a shadow of his illustrious past, but even such shadows could be only solace for this battered side, bereft of bold performers.
Surprisingly (not to mine, however) at a time when everyone, led by none other than chairman of national selectors Dilip Vengsarkar and of course, Sourav Chandi Das Ganguly, bemoans the lack of experience in Indian batting, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has emerged as India’s best batsman in the current one-day series in South Africa. Through edges, nudges and electric blows Dhoni has provided the impetus to Indian innings again in Centurion. MSD’s 44 off 49 balls ( 2 sixes and 2 fours) was a tribute to the virtues of the youth in sport.
It is not experience that helps you connect the bat with the ball, it is keen vision at the crease and unflinching attitude to overcome the heavy odds.
Dhoni, who has not stopped learning since he first played for India, stood up to the South African challenge. This village boy could not deliver India victory on a platter but he has kept the wolves of experience away from the Indian dressing room in his own no-nonsense manner.
I look forward to Dhoni’s evolution as a complete batsman, not just a slam-banger in the Test series that follows.

Very, very special zero in Centurion

By John Cheeran
It was a very, very special zero from Indian vice-captain VVS Laxman.
Laxman’s class, craft and experience were all brought to naught by that ball sent down by a wily Shaun Pollock in Centurion, in the immediate aftermath of the wild and wanton Virender Sehwag’s dismissal.
Laxman could not resist the temptation of poking his bat out side the off-stump and South African skipper Graeme Smith accepted the Dakshina (offering) from the Indian.
The man who was brought in to lend his backbone to Indian batting had to beat a hasty retreat.
Laxman represents the school of experience in the ongoing battle between Experience and Youth. In the whole one-day series against South Africa in 2006, no Indian batsman, not even Suresh Raina was out for the first ball.
Compared to the conditions in Durban and Cape Town, on Sunday at Centurion, the picture was perfect for batting. The fact that India, for the first time in the series, managed to last full fifty overs and touched the 200 mark in itself shows the gradual change in the conditions.
I’m immensely saddened by Laxman’s failure to last more than a ball; but that should also bring in some perspective to vendors of the theory of experience.
It is a test of class and craft out there.

Indian cricketers worse than buffaloes, says Bal Thackeray

By John Cheeran
May be Brinda Karat and Sitaram Yechuri dislike Indian cricket team’s videshi coach Greg Chapell but the man who matters in Mumbai has given his vote of confidence to the Aussie.
Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray says it is pointless to blame Chapell as Indian players show poor skills on the field. “Indian cricketers are an unreliable lot. They play all over the world and are at most times defeated. How can Chappell extract a good performance from such players?” asks Thackeray.
“The latest criticism of Chapell is unwarranted and uncalled for.”
Thackeray refers to the legend that tells the tale of Maharashtra’s sain-poet Jnan-eshwar cajoling a buffalo into reciting Vedas. Thackeray says: “The saint’s feat could well be repeated today. But making our cricketers play a good game of cricket is a tough task. There is no use pointing an accusing finger at Chappell.”
Reports say that Thackeray refers to Chappell as ‘guruji.’
Thackeray adds:” They (Indian cricketers care very little for cricket as they get a guaranteed revenue – hafta—from a slew of ad campaigns and this has led them to be complacent.”
May be Thackeray has got it right this time.

Very very special opportunity for Laxman

By John Cheeran
Ah, finally India have reached Centurion to play their last one-day match of the South African tour. Though South Africa have won the series 3-0, for Indians this is an opportunity to redeem their pride as cricketers.
For the likes of stand-in captain Virender Sehwag, this match should be a stroll in the park. For long, Sehwag has assumed he is God’s gift to Indian cricket and has no need to play for the team.
Being the natural talent that he is, normal rules do not apply to Sehwag. Sehwag has converted the natural talent into a license to play wanton strokes.
And seniors like Sachin Tendulkar has tasted the bitter taste of the bouncy wickets and ruthless approach of South African bowlers. After such knowledge who cares?
For Sehwag and Tendulkar, their reputation is more than enough to carry them till World Cup since the Indian selection committee, under the astute leadership of Dilip Vengsarkar, has become suckers for experience.
For guys such as Mohammad Kaif and Suresh Raina there is nothing to lose, everything to gain if they are picked for this match, since a return to the Indian XI now looks a hard climb indeed.
Among the 11 Indian cricketers that line up at Centurion on Sunday, it is going to be a very big match only for VVS Laxman.
This is an opportunity that Laxman should grab with both hands for he was ignored for the recent one-dayers and for the last World Cup. If Laxman could handle the South African attack with a degree of comfort that should bring glad tidings to skipper Rahul Dravid as he reworks the strategy for the forthcoming Test series.
Laxman has to succeed in this game so that India’s batting recovers some of its lost composure. But let me remind you this. If he makes runs that will not be the triumph of experience but of his sheer class and commitment to the Indian cause.

Kapil looks for an aggressive Dravid

By John Cheeran
India’s legendary all rounder Kapil Dev is not impressed with Rahul Dravid’s captaincy.
Kapil, who broke down on live television while combating Inderjit Singh Bindra’s views on match-fixing, knows a thing or two about striking a chord with a live TV audience.
Global cricket is, after all, a television spectacle.
Kapil says the Dravid he watches on TV screen gives the impression that Indian skipper is not doing enough to convince a former captain like him that he is in charge.
Kapil, however, is charitable enough to point out that there is no lack of thought in skipper Dravid. Kapil rates Dravid as one of the best batsmen in contemporary cricket.
Kapil’s grouse is that Dravid comes through the television images as a captain from the 50s and 70s. Dravid is not aggressive enough, that is what the point Kapil is making.
May be a gentleman skipper among a bunch of bloated egos?
Kapil Dev’s viewpoints should not be a surprise in an India where theatrics is accepted as the real thing. In India, cricket pundits consider stripping shirt as the high point of leading from the front.
Such thinking minds would even advise that if Ganguly removes all his clothes, not just his shirt, on the batting crease, the South African fast bowlers would run away.
Dear Kapil, let Rahul Dravid be Rahul Dravid.

Indians enjoy their first taste of Bikini Cricket

By John Cheeran
Twenty20 has turned out to be the perfect vision for the Indian cricket team groping in the South African darkness.
India’s six-wicket win is important because it will inject a heavy does of self-confidence to the side. Watching Indian batsmen’s struggles at the crease I had even suggested that the limited overs game should be further cut to fit Indian size, which has shrunk in a big way recently.
Indians have struggled to bat through their quota of 50 overs in the first three one-dayers in South Africa.
Though South Africa did not field their frontline pace bowlers such as Shaun Pollock, Mkhaya Ntini and Andre Nel for this game, skipper Graeme Smith was keen to maintain the side’s dominance over Indian batsmen.
For that matter, India too was without skipper Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh and VVS Laxman, the batting trio, who could have made a difference.
Going by the performance at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Friday, Virender Sehwag is the future captain of India in Twenty20s. He has an enviable record now; he is India’s first captain in Twenty 20 cricket.
In fact if his recent displays are any indication, India’s lone triple centurion in Tests, has redesigned his stroke play for the bikini cricket.
For Dravid, the biggest plus point should be the form and fortitude of a young Dinesh Karthick who handled the chase of 126 with a cool head. Karthick’s unbeaten 31 off 28 balls won him the Master Blaster award. Karthick hit a six off the first ball of the final over bowled by Robin Peterson to make victory a reality.
Even in the earlier one-dayers against South Africa Karthick has showed his willingness to go for bold strokes. The Tamil Nadu youngster is getting used to the bounce of the tracks and should be a leading contender for a middle order slot in the Test series.
In fact there could be a direct tussle between Karthick, who is now taming the bounce of these bumpy tracks, and Indian cricket’s biggest come back hope, Sourav Ganguly. Ganguly has not yet reached South Africa and has a well documented and exploited frailty against fast bowling. And Ganguly’s aversion to mundane chores such as fielding is well known.
It is quite significant that team management has told Karthick to pay more attention to his fielding since he has been a wicketkeeper. "I really worked hard on my fielding and the results were there. I don't want to be a liability on the field. I want to make sure that I'm one of the top three fielders in India. Even if I play as a batsman, I can stop runs in the field,” says the youngster.
Karthick said the last over sixer was part of the plan, with nine needed from six balls. "I was confident that I could pull off a big shot," he said. "I had it all worked out in my mind. I knew there were a couple of areas where to hit."
Karthick felt India was always in control of the chase. "It was important that someone put up their hand and did well," he said. "Viru gave us a good start and Dinesh [Mongia] played very well and consolidated. It was important to get off to a good start and from there on, we did pretty well."
Indians have more strenuous work ahead of them in the final one-dayer to be played on Sunday in Johannesburg and the much sterner Test series to follow.
For Greg Chappell and Dravid, the architects of youth policy, Karthick’s progress and the promise he holds out should be welcome straws to clutch at.

Turning point: India whip South Africa

From Johannesburg
Gritty batting by Dinesh Mongia and Dinesh Karthik steered India to a six-wicket win over South Africa in their inaugural Twenty20 game on Friday.
India limited South Africa to 126 for nine and replied with 127 for four to win with a ball to spare.
Mongia hit four fours and a six in his 38, and Karthik scored his 31 not out off 28 balls.
Karthik and Mongia shared 37 runs for the fourth wicket, but Mongia's dismissal left India needing 19 runs off the last 15 balls of the game.
Karthik struck a crucial blow when he swept the first ball of the final over, bowled by left-arm spinner Robin Peterson, over mid-wicket for six.
Indian fast bowlers Zaheer Khan and Ajit Agarkar earlier took two wickets apiece to limit South Africa to their modest total in helpful bowling conditions.
The South Africans struggled to settle at the crease with Albie Morkel top scoring with 27, which included three sixes.
Morkel's innings helped South Africa recover after they had slumped to 64 for five in the 12th over.