An Indian on trial in Dhaka

By John Cheeran
Man is driven by ambition. To lead India is the ultimate honour an Indian cricketer can aspire for. Equally, it is a prize that once you get hold of, reluctant to let it go. You tend to dig in your heel, even when the tide is turning against you. Such are the corridors of history that creak and let a situation turn from an opportunity to crisis.
Virat Kohli is a young man, climbing towards the mountain of greatness. He is, however, at the base camp. He is leading India’s Asia Cup campaign in Bangladesh. He is more than a stand-in captain for an injured and tired and defeated Mahendra Singh Dhoni. At 25, Kohli is mastering the art of batting and learning the politics of leadership. He is the one man that Indian cricket should bet on. For that BCCI should take a bold and an honest call to declare its intent that Kohli is the man for the future. One can argue that there is still time to decide who should lead India in England during the five-match Test series (first time since 1959) and five match ODI series in July-September. But now is the time for BCCI to show faith in Kohli.
Asia Cup is important for India, a team that is on a losing streak, and it is more important for Kohli, who has more at stake than anyone else in the current squad.
Let’s be honest. Kohli wants to lead India. And if India does not win Asia Cup–against all familiar enemies--and goes down to Pakistan in the March 2 group encounter, he will lose chances of leading India in England. All that N Srinivasan needs to cement Dhoni’s place as Indian captain is a faltering step by the rival. Kohli is on trial in Dhaka.
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It’s time for Virat Kohli to take over from Dhoni

By John Cheeran
The captaincy question returns. It is time to lessen the burden of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Stepping down as captain would serve both Dhoni’s and Team India’s interests. He has had the longest run as India’s skipper in Tests – 53 matches.
New Zealand tour, simply put, has been a disaster. Dhoni’s men lost the five-match one-day series 0-4 and the Test series 0-1. It would have been catastrophic had India attempted to go for the victory target of 435 runs in Basin Reserve, Wellington, befitting the ‘super king’ status they claim. Indian openers Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan tried but Virat Kohli had other plans when he cracked a plucky century to keep the Kiwis at bay.
As captain Dhoni has been successful in the past. He inspired an average bunch of cricketers to win the World Cup in 2011. But since then it has been a downhill journey for the side as much as for Kapil’s Devils who, after stunning the cricket world in 1983, had a string of Test defeats against the West Indies and England.
As Test captain Dhoni has an abysmal record abroad. Since 2011 India has lost Test series in England (0-4), Australia (0-4), South Africa (0-1) and New Zealand (0-1). In the last three years India has not won a single Test abroad, out of the 14 it has played.
There can be arguments that clearly England, Australia and South Africa were far superior sides compared to India when Dhoni locked horns with them. But should world champions tremble in fear in New Zealand? Not a single Indian supporter would have thought the series would be so lop-sided.
At some stage, senior players should take responsibility. It is such a time for Dhoni. Dhoni knows he is on the back foot now and clearly, he has stopped blaming anyone, especially bowlers, for the disastrous consequences in Auckland and Wellington. Who is to be blamed for letting a side escape from 94/5 while staring at innings defeat and turn the tables on you? Dhoni the captain has been clearly too defensive in his approach in Tests.

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A Tattoo for Dhoni: Fail Again, Fail Better

By John Cheeran
That there was no doubt about the outcome of India’s fourth ODI against New Zealand, even Mahendra Singh Dhoni agrees. For, India on Tuesday was playing against itself, not against the Kiwis. And they did not do badly, either. They only lost one more ODI match, but Dhoni still have the satisfaction of calling the toss right for the fourth time on the trot. 
An ordinary but revealing moment in the final stage of the match said it all. With New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum charging into play his own part in an awesome series win against world champions, both Ravindra Jadeja and Ambadi Rayudu rushed to close in on a skier that was coming down. What could have been an easy dismissal turned out to be a dropped opportunity. But not costly, considering that India had given up the match many overs ago.

Earlier, Dhoni had dropped Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina from the XI, an example of trying too hard to turn the tide. But the changes did not yield the desired result with Virat Kohli failing in his opener’s role.  You cannot expect a cricketer to come good in every match. That, essentially, is the difference between sport and art. Only one guy came close to resemble Rajinikanth on cricket pitch. But even Sachin Tendulkar failed in such adventures.
It is important that Dhoni and, mostly, we, should get used to Kohli and his ilk failing more often. A team’s strength is in all its men, so it is heartening that Rohit Sharma, Dhoni and Jadea all got runs today. That it was not enough is quite another truth. 
Look at the Kiwis. They had a different hero for the day in Ross Taylor who slammed the door shut on India firmly with a coruscating century (112 from 127balls). Taylor and Kane Williamson did not give Indian bowlers any chance after New Zealand lost its openers in quick succession.
It was evident that India went into the match with its spirits drooping despite the exciting tie in Auckland. Losing two wickets early then made even Rohit Sharma sober---in the first 20 overs, India could log only 60 runs. The takeaway for India from Hamilton should be the unbeaten sixth wicket partnership for 127 runs between Dhoni and Jadeja. They are still at it.
May be Dhoni and rest of the Indian team should take a look at the tattoo the new Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka carries on his left forearm. The Samuel Beckett quotation reads “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” 
There cannot be a better read for a team that is on a losing streak. 

Dhoni stares at a four-gone conclusion

By John Cheeran

In case you have forgotten, India are still world champions. Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his merry band of men will continue to be champions till another team will be anointed on March 29, 2015. But for now, Indians have slid from the No.1 pedestal in ODI rankings with their fourth successive defeat (and all away from home) on Wednesday in Seddon Park in Hamilton.

The margin of defeat should not rankle us. But losing first to a formidable South African (in Johannesburg by 141 runs and in Durban by 134 runs) and now to an eighth ranked New Zealand in a row (24 runs in Napier and 15 runs in Hamilton) should irk us. Is there anything going wrong?

It was a match that India should have won, given how things panned out. As usual Virat Kohli (78 off 65 balls) was brilliant. And he was lucky too.  Rubbing shoulders with the Indians, the Kiwis let their fielding slip many notches down. First Kohli was dropped, then Dhoni was put down. Suresh Raina was let off to regain his crease. There were many such signs of the hosts wilting under the lights.

That India had to score an additional 26 runs for victory than the 271 posted by New Zealand once the Duckworth-Lewis rules applied cannot be bandied about as an excuse. In a small ground, big-hitting could always win the day. With five wickets in hand and 40 runs required from 18 balls a win was still possible. The reason, skipper Dhoni was still around, tacking his chances. But an unusually nervy Kiwis finally regrouped to dismiss Dhoni (56 off 44b) with Williamson completing the catch off Corey Anderson.

Dhoni in fact tried all that he could do. He juggled around his bowlers, bringing in seven of them to stem the run flow. But certain things you can’t budget for such as the innings by Corey Anderson when the youngster hammered five sixes to log 44 off 17 balls. It helped the Kiwi cause that Kane Williamson (77 off 87 balls) played the part of No.3 in a responsible manner.

With eight overs less to play in the rain-curtailed match, Dhoni did the right thing by promoting himself to take control of the innings (India 127/3 in 23.4 overs). With Virat and the skipper at the crease, the chase was on. But they could not make the difference to India’s task at hand. It was a collective failure. None of the Indian batsmen could act as a cornerstone to turn the match around. All of them tried, tried hard, including Suresh Raina but did not succeed. There lies the problem. And it is much bigger than losing the No.1 tag.

The art of cricket, when artist is Srinivasan

By John Cheeran

There is a certain kind of sporting fan in India who thrives on schadenfreude. Every time India suffers a defeat, his mood brightens up, as a vindication of his dystopian world view. He can't be blamed, for an average Indian sport fan is a cynic who envies the fortunes that successful sportsmen carry home. Oh, are you talking cricket?
Did anyone expect Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men to make South Africans grovel before them in South Africa? Did you bet on Indians to pick themselves up after the shellacking they got in the one-day series?
If ODI world champions could not match up to South Africans, what chance do they have in the longer format, the charm of which lies in its open ended nature? Very little. But in the end, that LITTLE meant a lot. Yes, India were outplayed in Durban and they lost the Test series. But the series was hardly a one-way street. This was a dignified burial for India’s hopes to be world-beaters away from home, as much as the apostle of reconciliation Nelson Mandela got in South Africa. 
So what are the year-end takeaways for Indian cricket? Cricket will continue to cocaine Indian fan despite the passing away of the age of Sachin Tendulkar. One has witnessed enough to be convinced about the grinding and gun-toting warfare of Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli. It is not just them. Ajinkya Rahane’s pluck is a lucky pointer for Indian batting. And occasionally, only occasionally, as was the case in the past, bowlers remind the opposition of their existence. In that nothing much has changed. India’s dismal record abroad remains a shabby piece of statistic. Under Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s leadership India has lost nine of the last 10 Tests.
For all that, for me, the biggest winner in Indian cricket last year has been none other than N Srinivasan. Despite the court martial by television anchors, you still have him in control as the New Year rolls in. Srinivasan, against great odds, stood his ground. He did not resign but only stepped aside when bouncers flew around him. One quality that Indian batsmen and bowlers could do with is his stubbornness, a quality once Indian cricket associated with the incomparable Sunil Gavaskar.
Even the Supreme Court did not stop Srinivasan from lording over Indian cricket. He continues to be the president of BCCI and critics have finally allowed him to ‘violate’ the game. 
And look at the way Srinivasan managed to send off Sachin Tendulkar, arranging an anodyne series against the West Indies. He forced Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief Haroon Lorgat to step aside when Indian team went on the South African tour. His ‘Chennai Super King’ continues to be Indian cricket team captain, despite losing both ODI and Test series. There is not even a murmur about unburdening Dhoni of leadership despite his atrocious away record. That’s the art of cricket, when artist is Srinivasan.

Look beyond scoreboard; trophies are not the truth

By John Cheeran
The scoreboard is important in cricket, but then you learn to look beyond the scoreboard when you regard sport as more than a pastime. The tragedy in Indian sport is that very few have the courage to look beyond the scoreboard.

That explains the glee that washed over the sport pages of newspapers, magazines and talk shows in myriad television channels after India creditably won the Champions Trophy in England, although contests were less than bloody battles, when you appreciated how famished the Australians and poor Pakistanis looked on the field. But, let us grant that a win is a win is a win.

Much pretty prose was thrown at the readers to yet again anoint Mahindra Singh Dhoni as India’s greatest captain, notwithstanding his gambler’s move to bring an expensive Ishant Sharma into the attack to break the burgeoning England partnership while the hosts were chasing India’s target.

Again, Dhoni succeeded, India succeeded. India have become champions. Yes, Dhoni deserves credit for handling his players well and scripting the tournament victory, away from home.

But victories on the field should not be a licence to fix deals off the field. You can get away with inexplicable decisions on the field, as long as you pull it off. But you cannot apply the same logic, or better still, tactic, off the field while making decisions.

That’s why despite being India’s ‘greatest ever captain’ Dhoni has to answer questions on what has been going on in the IPL, throughout all its six editions, and explain his conflict of interest by running a sport management firm that looks after the pecuniary interests of Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and Prgyan Ojha, three India players, while remaining as Team India captain.

These are irksome questions. But India needs answers for these questions from Dhoni. It is a pity that India’s feckless sport writers have yet again failed to raise these points while gaping in wonder at the scoreboard.

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Why cricketers never suffer from backbone injuries?

By John Cheeran

Have you ever wondered why cricketers never suffer from backbone injuries? Read Sachin Tendulkar’s statement to the media on Friday, and you will understand. The man who conquered the best of bowlers, slow and fast, is still uneasy about fielding questions. Hence a convenient, anodyne statement, that does not tell us anything, does not take a position on anything that is germane to the malaise that afflicts Indian cricket.

Let me quote the great batsman: “During this difficult phase, I join every cricketer, from the boys in the maidans across the country to those who represent clubs, states and the country, who trust the

authorities to take sincere steps to get to the root of the issue.”

So what’s the issue, Tendulkar?

It appears you are too terrified to utter the word ‘fixing’. And significantly, you still have trust in those who employ you, that is Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), when you say “you trust the authorities to take sincere steps.”

Ahem. This pearl of wisdom comes from the elder statesman of world cricket, who has played international cricket since 1989.

Is Tendulkar living in denial? Why? Does he think the BCCI has failed in keeping cricket clean and corruption-free in India? Does he think that the BCCI should subject itself to an overhaul? There are no answers.

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Mr Sachin Tendulkar, can you spell batting from betting?

By John Cheeran

Mahindra Singh Dhoni’s grin on Tuesday said a few things. It revealed Dhoni’s utter contempt for the ordinary cricket fan. Dhoni does not think it is important to allay fears of fans about the integrity of Indian cricketers, including himself. Also, something that I had pointed much earlier in Arrackistan, Dhoni is playing for a BCCI XI, not for India. He is the captain of BCCI XI, not the captain of India. This leaves me with one inference: cement has entered Indian cricket’s soul.

Dhoni’s kinship with BCCI president N Srinivasan is apparent. He is a vice-president with India Cements, where Srinivasan is the managing director. Dhoni also leads Chennai Super Kings, a team owned by India Cements, which is run by Srinivasan. Despite 0-4 defeats in England and Australia, Dhoni could cling on to captaincy thanks to the munificence of Srinivasan. And his wife Sakshi kept close company of disgraced bookie conduit, Vindu Dara Singh. Dhoni, by virtue of his role as Chennai Super Kings captain, had to spend time with a cricket enthusiast by the name, Gurunath Meiyappan. No, wonder, then, that Dhoni had a mouthful of cement when faced with irksome questions. Dhoni chose not to fall in line with BCCI diktat because that serves his own interests, not Indian cricket’s.

By speaking his mind, by speaking out against cricketers who are in collusion with bookmakers, and emphasising the need for the establishment to keep stricter vigil to steer clear of corrupting influences, Dhoni could have emerged as not just captain of Indian team, but a leader, this nation can look up to. Dhoni might have won the World Cup for India, but in this Test of character and leadership, this young man has failed in abject manner.

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India outclasses Sri Lanka as Dhoni leads the side to a rare series win

By John Cheeran
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has given Indian cricket what is needed at this juncture – a morale boosting series win.
Yes, the jagged edges in our cricket are still the same.
But after getting scared out of their wits against rookie but unconventional spinner Ajantha Mendis, and losing the Test series, this one-day series win, India’s first in Sri Lanka, should not be belittled.
As it has been observed earlier, this bunch of players will play an increasingly significant role in Indian cricket and that was evident on Wednesday as first Virat Kohli, and then Suresh Raina and captain Dhoni helped India to a decent total. The only disappointment was Yuvraj Singh. What Yuvraj needs is a dose of self-confidence, and in that, only he can help himself.
Again Indian bowlers upset the rhythm of Sri Lankan batting by striking early and thereafter taking wickets regularly.
Sanath Jayasuriya threatened to take the game away from India, but he could not sustain his aggression. With Kumar Sangakkara woefully out of form a big effort had to come from skipper Mahela Jayawardene. Indian bowlers, especially, Harbhajan Singh ensured that no batting revival took place.
It may be a bit hurting, but fact of the matter is that Sri Lanka, the World Cup runner up, has played far better cricket than India in the recent times. And that showed during the Test series. In that context, this series win scripted by Dhoni and his band of the willing, should be celebrated for that, for that feel good factor.

Dhoni upstages Jayawardene as India takes lead

By John Cheeran
So Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men displayed the verve and nerve to defeat the World Cup runners up for the second time in a row.
This is India’s team for the future, and it is heartening to note that Dhoni has some control over the proceedings with a firm grip on his bat.
Sunday’s result has given India the lead.
Its pacers are getting them early wickets and slowly Ajantha Mendis’s shock value is dissipating. In the last two matches, one might see an equal fight for supremacy between India and Sri Lanka.
But for all that, what has struck me during the game is that India does not have a classy batsman at the moment in the mould of Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene.
After losing six wickets for 59, Mahela did not lose faith in him, and in cricket’s potential to throw up intriguing results. Mahela carried on bravely, and might have almost pulled off a daring win, if did not get out in the final overs.
Now who does such a role for India in the current squad?
Yes, Dhoni and Suresh Raina stitched the holes in Indian innings rather quickly, but the composure during a chase when you are comforted by the wagging of a long tail is something that should be admired.
Everyone has commented about the sunset of Indian batting as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman watch their shadows lengthening.
They should go.
That is certain, and the coming series against Australia will be a test of their skills to rediscover themselves.
But the question remains -- are Badrinaths, Rohit Sharmas and Rainas up to the challenge of becoming the backbone of Indian batting?

India rely on Zaheer strikes to level the series

By John Cheeran
The one-day series has come alive with India upstaging Sri Lanka by three wickets in the second match on Wednesday.
India had a great start with pacer Zaheer Khan tearing apart the Lankan batting. The force was with India once Sri Lanka lost their rhythm and failed to post a teasing total other than 143.
Well, India again did struggle to reach the target.
But I’m quite happy that India won at all.
There may be a few positive pointers with S Badrinath showing the resolve to spend some time at the crease and score a few runs. Not the dream start, but a start nonetheless that contributed to morale-boosting victory. Equally significant was the 19-year-old Virat Kohli’s dour display as an opener. He has made it a crowded Delhi affair at the top of the order now.
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s ad-hoc methods again proved fruitful during the Indian innings but India should quickly build on this win and look like a winning unit in the remaining matches.

Indian cricket's misery continues in Sri Lanka

By John Cheeran
At some point in this five-match one-day series, I’m sure, India will find its way and overcome the Sri Lankan challenge. But to make a real fight of it, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men should win the second encounter slated for Wednesday.
It is not just the decline of Fabulous Four that plagues Indian batting. Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman are out of the one-day side. Now Virender Sehwag has twisted his ankle to add to India’s woes.
This should have been a wonderful opportunity for the Generation Next in Indian batting. But so far big knocks, innings that set the scoreboard burning, have not come from the bats of Rohit Sharmas, Virat Kohli and for that matter even from Suresh Raina, that young boy who has been scratching around the crease for quite a while.
None should blame the BCCI for not getting his chances. Yuvraj Singh is back. But he struggled as much as the Fab Four struggled against spinners Muttaiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis.
Dhoni is back from his luxurious break. He cannot now complain of the hectic schedule. There are no back-to-back matches in the current series against Sri Lanka. It’s time he put a stop to India’s slide against Lankans.
Well, one could take refuge in the fact that this series is just another string of one-dayers. More matches will come our way. But alarmingly the series – both Test and one-dayers -- have brought out the inadequacies of Indian cricket to the sunlight.
India needs performers, consistent performers to slay the opposition.

Dhoni Drop Out: Gavaskar forgets his own words

By John Cheeran
Sunil Gavaskar is a one-man circus show in cricket. Gavaskar’s adroitness to perform breathtaking u-turns and somersaults should give Nadia Comaneci blushes.
This morning I read Gavaskar’s column in Hindustan Times where he has dwelled on Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s decision to take a break from the international game. The Mumbai oracle finds Dhoni a brave man.
Let me quote Gavaskar from his column.
“The reaction to Dhoni's decision looks a lot more mature. They seem to have appreciated Dhoni's honesty in not playing on if he is mentally and physically tired.”
But what about SMG’s own reaction?
That is less forthcoming.
Gavaskar, however, dwells a great deal on what happened in 1978 when he was captain but is happy that the BCCI has accepted Dhoni’s decision to stay away from the action.
All that is fine.
But in his column Gavaskar does not refer to his own reaction two years ago, on April 18, 2006, on the same subject. When players all over the world complained there was too much cricket, as the head of the cricket committee of the ICC, Gavaskar fulminated against them.
Let me quote Gavaskar’s statement he made on April 17, 2006.
“I can't see the problem, these players are turning out for their countries, it's an honour to represent your country. I would be willing to sweat 365 days in a year for India. Those who can't stand the heat should stay out."
Yes. Dhoni has heeded Gavaskar’s words.
Now why has Gavaskar fallen silent on ‘honour and playing for his country’?
But rather tactfully Gavaskar has held back himself on the big questions – is there too much cricket?
Is the BCCI the villain by flogging its hired cricketers?
It was a delight to watch Gavaskar on back foot at the crease during his hey days.
But not now.

Why Yuvraj Singh is not getting tired?

By John Cheeran
One Indian cricketer who is not going to complain of getting tired, definitely, is Yuvraj Singh.
Yuvraj started staking his claim for a Test spot much earlier than many of the selectors’ chosen ones who have made into the Test squad for the Sri Lanka tour.
Look at the irony of it.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni cries that there is more than he can play. At the other end of the spectrum Yuvraj Singh curses his luck for again missing out on the real cricket. Yuvraj too cries.
It is no small thing to be at the right place at the right time. Dhoni walked into Indian cricket at the right juncture. Yuvraj came on the scene when four Indian batting greats – Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly – were making runs. And to India’s blessing, these Fab Four are still in the business.
There is no guarantee now even if one of them fades Yuvraj will be able to get into the Test bandwagon.
Already signals are there. Rohit Sharma has been rated quite high as a middle order batsman suited for the sterner Tests compared to the prince of Twenty20. Being schooled in Mumbai batting tradition will indeed help Sharma to get a look in, especially the way the power equations are drawn out in Indian cricket now.
May be Yuvraj should learn to enjoy his holidays.


Indian Test team for Sri Lanka tour: Anil Kumble (captain), Virender Sehwag (Vice-captain), Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Vangipurappu Laxman, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Zaheer Khan, Rudra Pratap Singh, Munaf Patel, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, Pragyan Ojha, Parthiv Patel.

The Tests will be played in Colombo (July 23-27), Galle (July 31-Aug 4) and Colombo (Aug 8-12).

BCCI's PR Coup: It's Dhoni's Choice to Stay Away

By John Cheeran
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), it seems, has dramatically improved its Public Relations (PR) and it showed when it handled the vacation for its one-day skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Before the selection committee got together to pick the side, Ratnakar Shetty, one of the BCCI officials, has said that Dhoni himself has pulled out of the Test series in Sri Lanka. That makes the life easier for chairman of selection committee while explaining his picks later in the day to the Indian media.
Whatever the spin, whether Dhoni pulls out of the race for runs and dollars, or the BCCI taking the youngster’s reasoning to its logical conclusion, the fact remains that the cricket showbiz will go on waiting for none in the process. Dhoni and Pepsi, his principal sponsors, will have to accept this and take it easy.
But sport, and cricket, is a strange beast, as much as life is. Some of the vacations of athletes are not a choice, but inevitable. Ask the soldiers of cricket, the fast bowlers. In professional sport, injuries can happen at any moment, and you cannot do anything about it.
There is always a life outside of cricket too.
Dhoni has a right to think beyond the boundaries but such a decision is always fraught with the danger of being ignored too soon by the madding crowd and the manipulators in the boardroom.
One should, however, note that Dhoni has contributed a great deal in writing a new chapter in Indian cricket history. It is for the first time a leading, unhurt Indian cricketer stays away from the circus, and if we can believe Dhoni, of his own choice.
Sourav Ganguly was dropped.
Rahul Dravid was dropped.
Even Kapil Dev and Lala Amarnath were dropped.
All of them were fit and eager to play when they were ignored by the Indian board.
I wish the luck stays on with Dhoni. May be like Samson, Dhoni should grow his hair back to recover his energy.
Mind it!

Dhoni made to pay for his grand stand against the BCCI

By John Cheeran
India’s one-day and Twenty20 skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is in a bind. Dhoni, in all likelihood, will be a given a short vacation by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) by leaving him out of the national team that will tour Sri Lanka for a three-Test series.
Dhoni cannot complain, if chairman of selectors Dilip Vengsarkar follows a plan charted out by the Indian board and picks the side. Dhoni himself is aware of what’s happening around him for he only set the ball rolling. Dhoni has been conveyed the message by the BCCI and the player has hinted that he may skip the Sri Lankan series. It was Dhoni who embarrassed the BCCI by venting his frustration on poor scheduling in Karachi during the recently concluded Asia Cup.
So despite Pepsi refreshing himself, Indian cricket and Youngistan, Dhoni is mighty tired. But Dhoni is a brave man. He spoke for himself and his team mates. Now he is made to pay for his bravery and grand standing.
You cannot ignore that Dhoni suddenly finds himself under tremendous pressure after losing three consecutive finals.
The IPL final, Kitply Cup and Asia Cup. It all adds up. Though Dhoni has an air conditioner inside his brain, he needs to refill the gas.
He needs a break to recharge himself.
But there are two questions that need to be answered by Dhoni. There were back-to-back matches in the Indian Premier League. Did he feel fatigue then? Or Money kept him refreshed?
And the second question. If he is really drained out after the Asia Cup, why was he wasting his time and energy by involving himself in a sponsor’s circus in Mumbai on Monday?
All this brouhaha over too much play and too much pay should make Pepsi executives really worried. Their biggest investment in future since Sachin Tendulkar, Dhoni, the zeitgeist of the Youngistan, is bloody tired. That’s after drinking Pepsi after Pepsi. How can they now tell the Youngistan that Pepsi refreshes Indian cricket in this searing summer?

Dhoni surrenders in another final. India has no strategy to counter Mendis

By John Cheeran
Mahendra Singh Dhoni won India the Twenty20 World Cup. But that was a long time ago.
Now what worries many is that Dhoni has lost three finals in a row as a captain. He first lost the Indian Premier League final while leading Chennai Super Kings to Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals.
Later, Dhoni’s India lost to Pakistan in the final of Kitply Cup in Mirpur, Bangladesh.
And yesterday, despite striving hard as a batsman, Dhoni lost another final as India surrendered to Sri Lanka in Asia Cup.
So with every ambush such as that happened in Karachi last night, we realize that nothing has changed in Indian cricket. Dhoni, coach Gary Kirsten and other seniors of the team failed to build a strategy for the Asia Cup final and there cannot be any excuses on that front.
It was pretty clear before the final that the contest will boil down to a battle of wits between the emerging Sri Lankan slow bowler Ajantha Mendis and Indian batsmen.
Were there any tactics to counter the carom-ball bowler?
None was evident. May be only plan was to get as many runs as possible before Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene introduced Mendis. Virender Sehwag, to his credit, did that hammering the Sri Lankan pacers to all corners of the field. But to lose two wickets in the space of first five balls sent down by Mendis shows how vulnerable the famed Indian batting line up against accurate bowling.
Skipper Dhoni said after the match that they had tried to figure out Mendis’ way of bowling watching a few video clips. But there was hardly any hint of sensible approach to read Mendis’s bowing. In fact the Sri Lankan reduced Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma and Robin Uthappa to the levels of school boy cricketers. May be worse than me!
The point is that Dhoni can trot out novelty as a factor for succumbing to the guile of Mendis. But can a professional side console themselves on such pathetic explanation?
Sri Lankan cricketers, including skipper Jayawardene and wicketkeeper Kumara Sangakkara, say that Mendis can bowl up to five different balls in an over and the way Mendis flicks the ball while delivering it, batsmen finds it impossible to handpick the bowler. The only way to read Mendis, is off-the pitch. But Indians failed in that task. It is not even certain whether they attempted any such thing while on the crease.
And it is quite interesting that suddenly a boring tournament came alive on the final day. Bowlers, Ishant Sharma for India, and Mendis for Sri Lanka, tested and teased batsmen. It seemed there was a new sky, and a new earth in Karachi.
May be we are mistaken.

Ajantha turn Indians into stones at Karachi: Sri Lanka thrash India by 100 runs to lift Asia Cup

By John Cheeran
India's famed batting lineup collapsed without figuring out a 23-year old Sri Lankan spinner in the final of Asia Cup in Karachi yesterday. Ajantha Mendis totally outwitted the Indians, who have a reputation of handling spinners, including the great Shane Warne, with disdain.
Pakistani spectators would have been happy at the defeat of its neighbours, who pushed the hosts out of the final, but for the Melody bomb blasts in Islamabad the same evening.
With Mendis taking six wickets for less than 10 runs in six overs, India, who had began its chase of 273 runs with a blitzkrieg from opener Virender Sehwag, lost its way. Even skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's doggedness at the crease was not enough to turn the things around.
Till the 10th over of the chase, things were going in India's way (76 for one). But Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene introduced the mystery man Mendis in the 10th over and with second ball of his over the spinner had Sehwag stumped. One ball later Mendis bowled Yuvraj Singh. The match by and large had been won and lost in that crucial over. India never recovered from that double blow. Soon Suresh Raina was deceived. In a blink five Indian wickets collapsed. And Muttaiah Muralitharan had not even started his bowling.
As Sri Lanka celebrates the Asia Cup triumph it would not go unnoticed that two outstanding contributions made the victory possible in a contrasting manner. Veteran batsman Sanath Jayasuriya lifted his side single handedly from the abyss that Indian pacer Ishant sharam had pushed them into with a innings that bore the hallmark of a untainted genius, after all these years. And later, a young Mendis made an improbable victory possible in a single over. One should say that not even Muralitharan in his pomp had troubled and hurt an Indian batting lineup the fashion in which Mendis did in Karachi.
Sri Lankan cricket has discovered a gem and I'm sure time will add more lustre and variety to Mendis's craft.

India has better chances to win Asia Cup

By John Cheeran
Sri Lanka is the stronger team, but I’m putting my money on India to win today’s Asia Cup final.
Why?
Well, it is a long time since India won the Asia Cup.
Last time India won the Asia Cup was in 1995 when it beat Sri Lanka in final.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s side has the batting resources to chase down a total, so that represents a bright chance for India to correct the record books.
Sri Lanka has two crafty bowlers in off spinners Muttaiah Muralitharan and the relative newcomer Ajantha Mendis. These two could trouble Indian big hitters.
But this India is capable of overcoming all odds, despite its apparent weakness in bowling.
And winning the Asia Cup when the nation is celebrating the silver jubilee of its 1983 World Cup will be a true tribute to Kapil’s Devils.
I may sound foolish, but folks put your money on India to lift Asia Cup.

Dhoni helps Indians take their seat in Asia Cup final

By John Cheeran
India is in the final of Asia Cup. A forced opportunity to chase the target, 309, a target which Pakistan overcome easily on Wednesday, gave India and Mahendra Singh Dhoni the ideal chance to move into the final and make amends for the defeat to Pakistan.
Skipper Dhoni deserves praise for his initiative, if not for tactics, while promoting himself in the batting order after the opening blitz provided by Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir came to an end. That's welcome sign from a leader of men.
Among the Sri Lankan bowlers only Muttaiah Muralitharan presented any danger for Indian batsmen, and the Indian victory was never in doubt after the atomic start in the first 10 overs.
Sunday's final will see the same rivals clashing again.
The thought itself brings yawns as I type this, and imagine the amount of boredom among the Indian cricketers, though they are after all are paid to suffer the slings and arrows of international schedule.