Wait for the 'Tendulkar' ton continues

Ojha will fancy his chances in Australia

Pragyan Ojha will fancy winning his captain's trust and playing his part in the Test series against Australia at Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide. The 25-year-old who bowls conventional left-arm spin was in excellent form in the Test series against the West Indies recently.

In the first Test at Kotla and on the last day of the third Test at the Wankhede he turned out to be the star taking six for 72 in 34.2 overs and six for 47 in 27 overs respectively. Off-spinner R. Ashwin was showered with accolades for his 22 wickets at 22.90 and a century, but Ojha's effort — 20 wickets at 22.50 — was equally admirable.

With 62 wickets in 14 Tests he has played in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, Ojha has proved that he can be a difficult customer to deal with in favourable conditions that assist turn and offer bounce. He has plied his trade for almost eight years in first class cricket, sufficient enough to understand the significance of line, length, flight and spin and has taken 254 wickets.

Not in the scheme of things since the home series against New Zealand in late 2010, Ojha has grabbed opportunities that came in his way, especially when the national selection committee was seriously looking to deploy someone other than Harbhajan Singh as the leading spinner.

Both Ashwin and Ojha may not have faced searching examination in the short series, but they delivered with equanimity. Incidentally, Ojha has put an end to suggestions to Ravindra Jadeja's induction into Test cricket. Ojha's first litmus test in Australia will determine whether he has the potential to establish permanency in the traditional format of the game. He should consider himself lucky that he has been selected for the Test series in Australia where Indian left-arm spinners, with the notable exception of Bishan Singh Bedi (two tours between 1967-68 and 1978) and to some extent Ravi Shastri, have hardly made an impact.

But in the last two decades (after the 1992 series when Shastri and Venkatapathy Raju together accounted for 14 wickets) it's been a virtual blank for India's left-arm spinners in Australia. Four years ago (2007-08 series) Yuvraj Singh played at Melbourne and Sydney and bowled just two overs for 11 runs in the second innings at Sydney and seven years ago (2003-04) Murali Kartik played at Sydney and ended up with figures of 0 for 122 and one for 89. India did not have a left-arm spinner in 1999-2000.

Dismal picture

Facts and figures present a most discouraging picture for any serious practitioner of orthodox left-arm spin — whose stock delivery is the one that leaves the right-hander and for surprise variation, the arm ball that travels straight on in the direction of the arm — wanting to excel in Australia.

Except for Daniel Vettori (35 wickets in 11 Tests at 39.97) in recent times, no left-arm spinner after England's Derek Underwood (50 wickets in 14 Tests at 31.48 and between 1970 and 1980) has had a profitable outing in Australia.

Ojha has got the big break, a chance to face new challenges and pick up wickets in an environment that would be a far cry from the familiar sub-continent conditions.

Ashwin becomes only third Indian to achieve rare double

Off—spinner Ravichandran Ashwin achieved a rare feat, becoming only the third Indian cricketer to score a century and take five wickets in an innings in a Test match.

The other two were Vinoo Mankad and Polly Umrigar who achieved the commendable feat against England and West Indies respectively.

Ashwin had taken five for 156, his second five—for in Tests, before scoring his maiden century against West Indies on the fourth day of the third and final cricket Test on Friday.

Ashwin achieved the milestone by cutting pacer Ravi Rampaul for a boundary.

In fact, it’s after 49 years that an Indian cricketer has achieved the feat in a Test match.

Umrigar scored 172 and took five for 107 against West Indies at Port of Spain back in April, 1962, while Mankad scored a magnificent 184 and also scalped five for 196 against England at Lord’s way back in 1952. Mankad also scored 72 in the first innings.

No Test championship until 2017

International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat, on Monday, ruled out the possibility of holding an ICC World Test championship until 2017.

The game's governing body considered the Test championship between the top four teams in 2013 instead of the 50-over ICC Champions Trophy, which is scheduled for England, but Lorgat said the event is not possible until 2017.

“I am afraid that's no longer going to happen in 2013,” Lorgat told the media on the sidelines of the second day-night International between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Dubai.

“At the last board meeting, we decided that the first opportunity that we can play the World Test Championship is 2017. So I am disappointed that it is not going to take place sooner.”

Prior commitments

Lorgat said the delay was due to prior ICC commitments.

“It is a reality of the commitments that we have got already through to 2015,” he explained.

Lorgat said a Test championship would ensure the status of the longer version of the game, widely regarded as under threat from 50-over matches and now from more popular Twenty20 cricket.

“We attempted to form the World Test Championship, which I think would have been a very good context to ensuring the primacy of Test match cricket. But again, we will have to wait for 2017 to see that as a reality,” he added.

Strong in criticism but generous in praise, and always a delight to read

Does he watch the first ball?”

Only if he did would a young cricket scribe have attracted Peter Roebuck's attention. “You have to watch the first ball!” was his unfailing advice to any aspiring cricket writer.

Strong in his criticism but generous in his praise, Roebuck's suicide should shock the legions who relished his insightful despatches on the game.

Roebuck was a captain at Somerset, which had among its ranks the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Viv Richards, Ian Botham and Joel Garner. It is another matter that he fell out with most of them; sad, but then, Roebuck was one of a kind — unpretentious and unsparing.

And, that was how he wrote too. He liked his cricketers brave. He pushed for cricketers who took the initiative — not the ones who played to the gallery, but the ones who battled for the team.

Naturally, he was a much sought-after columnist. And he was also the least demanding.

“How much can they afford?” was all he would ask, when requested for a commissioned piece. “What length? And, by what time, please?” He knew his job well.

Needless to say, he was a delight to read. His analysis was an impeccable commentary on the state of the game. Performance of this duty was a natural act for he believed in conveying what he saw.

“To the best of my abilities,” he would insist. “I am committed to my reader,” he would say.

I once asked him if he had ever missed a deadline.

“Was never late for the toss, mate,” he replied with a smile, crisp and precise, as always.

Traditionalist

Roebuck was a traditionalist and an unwavering loyalist when it came to the longer version of the game. He appreciated the three-slip and two-gully, white-flannel version of the game.

Not for him the slam-bang stuff. Not for him the frivolous ways of modern cricket.

Even the tour games, he maintained, were far more meaningful than some contest decided in the span of 40 overs.

He never deviated from his role as an unambiguous critic. Particularly memorable for his Indian readers would be the way he was uncompromising in his criticism of Australia, his adopted country, during India's eventful tour in 2008.

When talking cricket, Roebuck disliked frivolous discussion.

It is difficult to imagine him applauding a shot, even from a Rahul Dravid or a V.V.S. Laxman — incidentally, his favourite cricketers — if the ball did not travel to the intended destination.

Yet, he would rave about the artist in Laxman and the architect in Dravid. They too cherished his writing.

Learning process

Discussing and understanding the nuances of cricket with Roebuck, the analyst and raconteur, was an essential part of a cricket scribe's learning process.

He was passionate about what he knew and more about what he wanted to learn.

Always keen to gather information on promising talent, Roebuck never hid his obsession for correctness.

If you told him a good youngster had arrived on the cricket circuit, his response would be a cool, “How good is his defence?”

The incisive style that marked his observations put Roebuck in a rare class of writers.

Never one to run his colleagues down, even in what can be a fiercely competitive profession, he stood out for his reading of the game.

Alas, cricket writing will never be the same. Nobody wrote on cricket like Peter Roebuck did.

Present Indian team best ever, says Kapil Dev

Legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev considers the current set of Indian cricketers to be the best to have played for the country.

“Without any doubt, I would say that this is the best Indian team ever,” said the 1983 World Cup winning captain, the striking backdrop of Kwazulu Natal's untamed bush framing his broad shoulders.

Kapil, along with a bunch of India and South Africa greats, is in the Rainbow Nation pushing for a novel enterprise ‘World Cricket Legends in the Wild', a one-match double-wicket event organised by Beyond Boundaries in the middle of the Phinda forest reserve, 200 kilometres from Durban.

Continuing on India's current set of heroes, Kapil said, “When they have so many records, so much experience and have done so well, you can't question their achievements. But it would be unfair to compare because one can never compare players across generations. The next generation has always been and will be better than the previous one. If it is not then the world would not be moving forward.”

Overkill

In times that were largely conducive for the broadening of cricket's base, overkill, Kapil said, was something that could put the viewer off the game. “You cannot have so much cricket that people stop coming for even ODIs. It was sad to see that against a team like England we did not have 20,000 people turning up. This is what happens when you give the crowd too much cricket.”

Kapil did not consider the advent of Twenty20s to be detrimental to the sport, but had his reservations on how the format would stand up in the years to come. “People now are getting a thrill out of T20. But Test cricket is the real cricket. T20 is good but give it 10 years and then you would know where it stands. Eventually you might find a different audience for all the three formats,” he said.

On Sachin Tendulkar's slippery 100th international century, Kapil felt that the weight of expectation might actually spur the little master on rather than drag him down. “When has Tendulkar not been under pressure? Since he was 16, we have been putting pressure on him. He is always under stress to deliver and I think he can only play under pressure.

Good part

“The good part is that he is on 99 not out, that he is still playing,” he said.

There is no pressure anymore, however, on Kapil and his motley crew — Sandeep Patil, Anshuman Gaekwad, Dilip Vengsarkar, Roger Binny and Ajay Jadeja — as they take on the likes of Lance Klusener, Mike Procter and Graeme Pollock on Tuesday on a clearing in the forest.

“This is not a competition. It's more like an exhibition of the sport. It is a great thing to merge sport and culture like this and promote a country. Such events should be organised in India too so we can take our rich and ancient culture to the world,” he concluded.

Rahul Dravid's prolific run continues

Rahul Dravid kept his date with great venues yet again this year. The allure of hundreds at Sabina Park and Lord's are still intact and Dravid added one more to that list with his 119 at the Eden Gardens here on Monday.

In a prolific year during which he currently tops the run-getters' list at 952, Dravid's 36th ton, his fifth in the last six months, helped India finish with 346 for five on the opening day of the second Test against the West Indies.

It was a knock (207b, 9x4, 2x6) that had all the primary Dravid ingredients of assurance and stability and he spiced it up with a touch of flourish through two sixes during his 295-minute vigil.

This was his maiden instance of clouting two high into the skies during a single innings in a Test.

Off to a flier

Dravid walked in after India got off to a flier thanks to Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, who shared 66 runs off 73 deliveries.

Being the master at stitching alliances, Dravid combined with Gambhir in an 83-run second-wicket partnership and then he and V.V.S. Laxman (73 batting), his alter-ego at Eden Gardens, added 140 for the fourth wicket.

There was also the interlude of Sachin Tendulkar's 38, a knock that spelt ease despite two close calls on 25 and 36, but was undone by a pull off Devendra Bishoo.

Tendulkar essayed the shot, not factoring in the slow pace off the pitch and the ball did not bounce as much as he expected. The resultant catch was taken at mid-wicket.

Different response

A similar short, sluggish delivery a few minutes earlier elicited a different response from Dravid and it showed his form.

The wrists were flexed at the last sub-second and the bat-swing was sliced in an arc that slammed the ball into the turf.

In the beginning, Dravid found easy appetisers in the deliveries that homed in to his legs.

Darren Sammy tried to pin Dravid down with the angled-in delivery and strayed.

The West Indies skipper then kept four men under Dravid's gaze on the off-side but the veteran punctured the cordon.

Bishoo's tendency to drop it short was also capitalised upon with the rasping cut and Dravid was up and away.

Steady trot

In the afternoon session that witnessed the downfall of both Gambhir and Tendulkar, Dravid got his runs at a steady trot, though during a phase of 101 deliveries he did not clip anything past the ropes.

And when he exhaled with aggression, the result was a six over long-off off Bishoo. Later he pummelled Marlon Samuels over long-on.

At the other end, Laxman etched fours that seemed like gentle whispers to flummoxed fielders before the ball, bolstered by sheer timing, sped to the boundary.

It may not have been March 2001 and the rivals were not Australians but Laxman and Dravid ensured that India enjoyed its most dominating batting display this year.

Lone sour note

Later, Dravid fumed with his lone sour note when he chopped Kraigg Brathwaite onto the stumps and became the part-timer's maiden Test wicket. Ishant Sharma fell to the new-ball and once bad light forced the draw of stumps, Laxman offered hope.

In the morning, M.S. Dhoni opted to bat and found approval from Sehwag and Gambhir (65). Sammy, who spoke about playing Shane Shillingford, sprung a surprise and pencilled in Kemar Roach.

No impact

The change had no impact as Gambhir pierced twice past point once Roach came on as first-change, but it was Sehwag who inflicted maximum damage with his cameo.

Both Sehwag and Gambhir were dismissed against the run of play and Adrian Barath, who replaced Kieran Powell, snapped up two catches.

That and Tendulkar's dismissal were the only pleasures for Sammy's men.

Scoreboard

India: G. Gambhir c Barath b Edwards 65 (103b, 8x4), V. Sehwag c Barath b Sammy 38 (33b, 8x4), R. Dravid b Brathwaite 119 (207b, 9x4, 2x6), S. Tendulkar c Samuels b Bishoo 38 (71b, 5x4), V.V.S. Laxman (batting) 73 (116b, 5x4), Ishant c Baugh b Roach 0 (1b); Extras (lb-5, w-2, nb-6): 13; Total (for five wkts., in 87.3 overs): 346.

Fall of wickets: 1-66 (Sehwag), 2-149 (Gambhir), 3-205 (Tendulkar), 4-345 (Dravid), 5-346 (Ishant).

West Indies bowling: Edwards 13-0-45-1, Sammy 14-0-78-1, Roach 15.3-1-57-1, Samuels 16-0-65-0, Bishoo 27-1-87-1, Brathwaite 2-0-9-1.

India off to a brisk start against West Indies

Opener Gautam Gambhir hit an unbeaten half-century to guide India to 132-1 at lunch on Monday’s first day of the second Test against the West Indies.

Gambhir was batting on 57 and Rahul Dravid on 33 at the break, with the only dismissal being that of big-hitting opener Virender Sehwag for a brisk 38 after India elected to bat at Eden Gardens.

Sehwag, who clobbered West Indies captain Darren Sammy for six of his eight fours during a 33-ball knock, fell to the same bowler when he was caught by Adrian Barath at short mid-wicket.

India is looking for a series-clinching victory after winning the opening Test in New Delhi by five wickets.

Spin could be the key as second Test begins today

The scenes around the Eden Gardens are a throw-back to a distant past. A tram glides across, yellow Ambassadors screech around and a few statues of heroes long gone fringe the adjoining roads.

History is always at a touching distance in Kolkata and when India clashes with the West Indies in the second Test starting here on Monday, the whispers of the past and the need to etch fresh milestones will jostle for space in the hosts' dressing room, besides the primary quest for an unassailable 2-0 lead.

Ten years ago, V.V.S. Laxman (281) and Rahul Dravid (180) built a 376-run partnership here that knocked out Steve Waugh's men. The memories of those days reverberate even now as was evident in the profuse claps that greeted Laxman, as he walked back after practice. Add to it the air of expectation that swirls around Sachin Tendulkar's 100th international hundred and you get a fair idea of the backdrop.

The reality, though, is low-key as the sale of tickets remained muted and, going by the nature of the practice wickets, the pitch could be another sluggish track while curator Prabir Mukherjee has promised a surface with good bounce. During nets on Sunday morning, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron found the turf muffling their pace.

It is a cue-card that, perhaps, goaded Darren Sammy to mull about fielding an extra spinner. The West Indies skipper said that he might consider Shane Shillingford ahead of Ravi Rampaul.

The off-spinner, who has slowly emerged after a dark cloud passed over his action, bowled extensively ahead of the game.

Good news for the host

The prospect of spin weaving doubts and extracting wickets will keep the Indians in high spirits especially after R. Ashwin (nine for 126) and Pragyan Ojha (seven for 109) shared 16 scalps between them in the first Test at Delhi.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Kraigg Brathwaite, with their contrasting styles, showed that the Indian spinners can be countered but the rest displayed slow feet and stiff hands.

Sammy believes that positive batting and two spinners can help his team bridge the obvious gap with the Indian squad. But his counterpart M.S. Dhoni has seen enough hints about India's return to its dominant ways in home conditions.

In Delhi, all of the batsmen got runs except for Yuvraj Singh, who frittered away his starts. And among the bowlers, seamers Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav had their moments of belief while Ashwin and Ojha led the way.

The last time the teams clashed here in 2002, the match ground to a draw under a pile of runs, with Tendulkar, Laxman, Chanderpaul, Marlon Samuels and Wavell Hinds slamming tons.

Four centurions from that match are present for this game but the pitch has slowed down since, and the visuals of Winston Davis getting one to rear and break the then Indian skipper Dilip Vengsarkar's arm in 1987, remains a distant memory.

Now, spin could well be the key and it is a weapon that suits India best.

The match, meanwhile, will commence at 9.05 a.m. as the sun sets early in the eastern part of India.

The teams (from): India: M.S. Dhoni (captain & wicket-keeper), Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, R. Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Virat Kohli, Varun Aaron, Ajinkya Rahane and Rahul Sharma.

West Indies: Darren Sammy (captain), Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh (wicket-keeper), Devendra Bishoo, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Kirk Edwards, Kieran Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels and Shane Shillingford.

Umpires: Rod Tucker and Bruce Oxenford; Third umpire: S. Ravi; Match referee: Jeff Crowe.

Hours of play: 9.05 a.m. to 11.05 a.m.; 11.45 a.m. to 1.45 p.m.; 2.05 p.m. to close.

Fallout with Tendulkar my biggest regret: Chappell

India’s controversial former cricket coach Greg Chappell claims the biggest regret of his tumultuous three-year stint there was the fallout with senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar with whom he simply failed to “communicate” properly.

Mr. Chappell, who served as India’s coach from 2005 to 2007, admitted in his new autobiography Fierce Foucsthat he tried to push hurried improvements in the team which led to his downfall, especially after his relations with senior players such as Tendulkar soured.

“My biggest regret was falling out with Sachin over him batting at number four in the one-day team. It was a shame because he and I had some intense and beneficial talks together prior to that. My impatience to see improvement across the board was my undoing in the end,” writes the former Australian captain.

“The mistakes I made were not particularly ‘western’ but the same kind of mistakes I’d made as a captain in my playing days. I didn’t communicate my plans well enough to the senior players. I should have let guys like Tendulkar, (VVS) Laxman and (Virender) Sehwag know that although I was an agent of change, they were still part of our Test future”.

“When I did communicate with them, I was sometimes too abrupt. Once in South Africa, I called in Sachin and Sehwag to ask more of them, I could tell by the look on their faces that they were affronted,” he recalled.

“Later (Rahul) Dravid, who was in the room, said ‘Greg, they’ve never been spoken to like that before’,” he wrote.

Mr. Chappell dubbed his stay in India as ‘tenuous’ alleging that the BCCI tried to make his stint uncomfortable, delaying paying his bills and wages.

HI hopeful of resolving de-recognition threat

Hockey India has been asked to explain its position with regard to several issues at an Executive  Board meeting of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Saturday.

Faced with a de-recognition notice from the FIH over its association with the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), HI is ready to forget its uneasy, short-lived alliance with the IHF and move on as an independent entity administering hockey in the country.

“We cannot go with the IHF from now on,” said HI Secretary-General Narinder Batra on Thursday as he got ready to leave for Lausanne to face the FIH Executive.

Batra said he was hopeful of sorting things out at the Lausanne meeting. However, he was quick to point out that India's chances of hosting the Olympic qualifiers here in February next would be decided only after the FIH decided on the de-recognition issue.

Batra said he would make all efforts to ensure that the qualifiers were held in India once the de-recognition issue was settled. He said a host city contract was signed and sent to the FIH a few days ago fulfilling the conditions for hosting the qualifiers.

He said the FIH had issued the de-recognition notice to HI following the agreement HI had reached with the IHF last July at the initiative of the Union Sports Ministry.

Since then the truce had broken down and the rival bodies have stuck to the stand that each other needed to make concessions in order to go forward towards the formation of a unified body.

Batra said the FIH had its main objection to HI's association with IHF, a body de-recognised by the FIH some years ago. Apart from that the international federation also objected to India hosting an unsanctioned event in WSH, a project got up by the IHF.

The FIH had argued, according to Batra, that recognition of a body within a country was its responsibility and HI had no business to resurrect a body that had been de-recognised by the international federation.

It was also peeved that this was done at a time when the IHF had filed a petition with the FIH Judicial Commission against its de-recognition.

The FIH had moved the Champions Trophy out of India and had threatened to take out the Olympic qualifiers also in case the administrative structure in the country was not straightened out soon.

Batra said according to his information no further headway had been made in the discussions the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had on the hockey issue. The IHF was to have submitted a fresh proposal to the IOA by November 3 and that too had apparently not materialised, he said.

Boucher reaches another milestone

South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher has become the first player to take 500 catches in Test cricket.

Boucher achieved the feat during the first Test against Australia in Cape Town on Wednesday.

His 500th dismissal was that of Australian opening batsman Phillip Hughes who was caught behind off fast bowler Vernon Philander.

Boucher, who made his debut in 1997, has played 140 Tests.

Ashwin can excel in all formats

The drum beats began in England. While India slumped from one defeat to another and the tale got worse in the One Day Internationals too, R. Ashwin was asked two standard questions in a press conference — when will you play Tests?, how will you find a place when Harbhajan Singh is still there?

The queries reflected twin aspects — the hungry journalist's need for a headline-grabbing quote and it also reiterated the fact that Ashwin is part of the great Indian spin legacy with his immediate predecessor being Harbhajan though the senior off-spinner still remains in contention.

Ashwin, much like the manner in which he has bowled through his first-class career and in his latest success — the first Test against the West Indies at the Ferozeshah Kotla Ground, handled the inquisition with ease.

He spoke about his exposure to first-class cricket and also mentioned that usually two off-spinners were not fielded in a Test.

Ashwin's nine for 128 here should have effectively silenced those peering backwards but the ‘mighty Harbhajan' bogey was raised in the post-match press conference and again Ashwin stuck to the right path and said: “When I am given my duties I need to live up to my conscience.”

The pitch at the Ferozeshah Kotla Ground evoked varying reactions but there was unanimity in the view that ‘it had nothing for the bowlers and the batsmen.' And to excel on such a track and prise out nine batsmen, including that incisive six for 47 in the second innings, reveals a man, who has the skill to excel in all formats of the game, cutting across different surfaces.

Ashwin is known to assess the conditions quickly and align his radar accordingly.

He tried to do that in England where he said that the ‘ball hangs a bit in the air' and out here where the pace off the pitch remained sluggish, he worked on increasing his ‘air-speed.'

IPL exploits

The 25-year old with 35 first-class matches and 143 wickets under his belt, has often hogged the limelight because of his exploits for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.

The tight line, the wickets and the refusal to blink against big-hitters like Chris Gayle has given Ashwin the needed ‘top-of-mind' recall but it has also bred the unfortunate stereotype of him only being creator of batting pauses in a frenzied Twenty20 world.

Yes, he is also part of a land that has produced men, who invest magic into a spinning ball and the comparison with past masters has been a millstone that trailed Anil Kumble and even Harbhajan for a while as old-timers reverted to their famous quartet led by Bishan Singh Bedi.

A member of that quartet and a legend in his own right, E.A.S. Prasanna praised the latest off-spinner who has lit up Indian cricket.

“I am impressed with the way Ashwin bowled in the first Test. His line and length was impeccable, his basics were right and with his extra height, he is able to bowl that carrom ball at a particular length,” Prasanna said.

Positive attitude

W.V. Raman, former Tamil Nadu coach and now guiding the Bengal squad, has had a tremendous influence on Ashwin's formative years and he believes that the youngster has the ability to perform at the highest level.

“His has been the story of progressive growth. He is very positive in his attitude and he has already shown that he can adapt to high-pressure situations like he did in the IPL.

“In the first Test, there was a touch of nerves initially which is understandable and he settled down to bowl well.

He also worked on his length because in the shorter format, line is mandatory and in Tests, the length is mandatory and the line comes next,” Raman said.

These are still early days but Ashwin needs to breathe free and so far he has shown the remarkable ability to cut through the fluff.

Hopefully he will add an eminently readable chapter to India's tale of spin.

Dhoni credits bowlers for win

M.S. Dhoni said that the first Test, despite finishing in four days, was a difficult game.

“There was nothing much for the bowlers in the pitch and there was nothing for the batsmen.

“If you see the runs scored, the batsmen have played a lot more deliveries to get their runs.

“If you see the scorecard, you might think ‘the match got over in four days', but it was a difficult game,” the Indian skipper said.

The captain was happy with the way his young bowling attack shaped up through the contest. “Pragyan Ojha bowled well in the first innings. In the second innings, R. Ashwin did well. He did not get a lot out of the wicket, but it was his variations that helped him. He was flighting the ball nicely and then he has the carrom-ball and the top-spinner.

“Umesh Yadav kept improving through the match. Of course, he bowls a fraction short, but that will get better as he plays more and more Tests,” Dhoni said.

The Indian skipper felt that conceding the first innings lead indicated a few short-comings. “If we had got the first innings lead, then I would have thought it was a perfect way to start the series. We lacked a few things when we batted first, but there was nothing really that we can pin-point about,” Dhoni said, while admitting it was not an easy pitch to bat on and added that his middle-order played well in the second innings.

Dhoni's counterpart Darren Sammy said his team dished out a good display though its second innings batting marred the overall performance.

“We knew how difficult it is to beat India at home, but we believed in ourselves and played some good cricket.

“If we had scored more in the second innings, then it would have been a different ball game. V.V.S. Laxman batted well with Sachin Tendulkar and took the game away from us,” the West Indies captain said.

Speaking about Tendulkar's dismissal, Sammy said, “When he turned down the single off Devendra Bishoo, I told the bowler ‘let's try to go round the wicket and force him to sweep off the rough.'

“But Bishoo said ‘give him two more balls (from over the wicket)' and he got him out!

“The way they were batting, Sachin really wanted to get the hundred. I would love him to get 100 hundreds, but I prefer to watch India against Australia, sitting on my couch and cheering for Sachin.”

Keywords: West Indies tour of India, M.S. Dhoni

India wins with a day to spare, goes 1-0 up

The march towards victory had an inevitable air and for a brief while the attention was riveted on whether Sachin Tendulkar would reach his 100th international hundred.

India defeated the West Indies by five wickets in the first Test that concluded with a day to spare here at the Ferozeshah Kotla Ground while Tendulkar will have to wait for his historical century.

However, Tendulkar through his 76 (148b, 10x4), had done enough to ensure that M.S. Dhoni's men had no need to chew nails while chasing the victory target.

The fourth-innings man

And finally V.V.S. Laxman (58 n.o., 105b, 6x4), who revels with a monk's equanimity in the fourth innings of a match, was at the crease when India scored 276 for five to seal the match, 32 minutes after lunch on the fourth day.

Wednesday dawned with hope resting on the shoulders of Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid while India resumed at 152 for two and needing another 124 runs to secure a 1-0 lead.

The West Indies skipper Darren Sammy and Fidel Edwards shared the initial morning spells and Tendulkar was positive right through.

Superb delivery

Sammy was clipped off the toes in the very first over but Edwards bowled a stunner to Dravid.

The ball swung away, pitched and then darted in sharply to clean up the stumps while Dravid reached out to whip it through the on-side.

With India's sheet-anchor gone, Laxman walked in at 162 for three and the wristy artist found a warm welcome as Edwards drifted towards his pads. The dainty flick was essayed and soon Laxman and Tendulkar settled into a steady rhythm as the runs came at 4.41 an over in their 71-run fourth-wicket partnership.

Laxman kept threading fours as the West Indies seamers in a bid to pin him to the crease, strayed down the leg-side. Laxman's fluidity and Tendulkar's finesse set a breathless tandem and the usual nerves seen while pursuing small targets, never surfaced.

Leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo too never troubled the pair and when Ravi Rampaul came on, Tendulkar glanced one fine and drove another past cover. Suddenly the sub-text of the 100th international hundred began to shimmer.

The sparse crowd spread across the venue, sensed the occasion and the murmurs and claps began.

Sadly some irate fans tracking the game on websites pushed hero-worship to the limit and made snide remarks about the need for Laxman to slow down as the maestro needed his runs!

Steady trot

Out on the pitch, the middle-order veterans went at a steady trot with an Indian triumph being the primary benchmark.

There were a few blips too as once Laxman set off for a single and quickly turned back but a scrambling Tendulkar rapidly retraced his steps.

The duo met up, explanations were swapped and much later there was a sedentary moment as Tendulkar refused a leg-bye while Bishoo and Sammy, who fielded the ball racing towards short fine-leg, seemed bemused.

Trapped in front

In retrospect the leg-bye could have been taken because in the same over, Tendulkar tried to pull, missed the line and was trapped right in front.

Laxman and Yuvraj Singh then anchored India to a lunch score of 254 for four and on resumption, kept the scoreboard ticking.

A real turnaround

The match's drama was not finished yet and when the scores were tied, Sammy crashed one through Yuvraj's stumps.

The southpaw squatted on the turf but the ball was not as low as Yuvraj indicated. Dhoni immediately walked in and watched Laxman tap Kraigg Brathwaite past square-leg for the winning run and truly it was a turnaround for a team that had suffered a 95-run first innings deficit.

More than that, the triumph, coming as it did after the 0-4 loss in Tests against England, was most welcome and the hope for glad tidings lingered as debutant R. Ashwin won the ‘Man-of-the-Match' award.

It was perhaps a fine gift to the off-spinner ahead of his wedding on Sunday.

Keywords: West Indies tour of India, Sachin Tendulkar

Media is putting pressure on Tendulkar: Dhoni

New Delhi, Nov 9 (IANS) India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni Wednesday requested the media not to put pressure on Sachin Tendulkar for scoring his 100th international century and said the milestone was round the corner.
Tendulkar fell 24 short of his 100th international century but his fine 76 gave India a five-wicket win over the West Indies in the first cricket Test at the Ferozeshah Kotla here.

'We are not under pressure as a team. The media is putting pressure on him. Let him score his hundred and he will do that at some point of time. He is pretty good at doing that (scoring centuries). Let him score the hundred without pressure,' Dhoni told reporters at the post-match press conference.

Dhoni said expectations from Tendulkar are as high as 'Everest' and that the batting maestro was very much aware of it.

'If you are talking about the gentleman, expectations from him by the people have been as high as (Mount) Everest. Since his second year in international cricket he has been the star. When he scores 50, people say he had not scored runs and it has been like that each and every match,' Dhoni said.

'What we have seen is that any individual, when he reaches a milestone, he may take a little bit longer time than usual. But I think it's around the corner. We have to wait and see,' he added.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy said he would be happy to see Tendulkar achieving the milestone during next month's tour to Australia but not against his side.

'As I have said, we admire Tendulkar, he is a great cricketer. But I would want Tendulkar to score his hundred against Australia. I would want to watch it and enjoy and not when playing against him,' he said.

Ashwin bowled very well, says Gibson

West Indies coach Ottis Gibson said his team needed some early wickets on Wednesday morning to stay in the first Test.

“276 is a good target. A lot of things have happened in the morning session and, hopefully, we can get a few wickets and put India under pressure. Ashwin bowled very well and put it in the right areas and that is something we haven't done very well. Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir got off to a flier but they still need 120-odd,” Gibson said. The coach wished his batsmen had performed better in the second innings.

“They could have been positive (like Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Darren Sammy) without being reckless.

“Somebody like Sehwag stays positive irrespective of the surface but he has 10 years of international experience and has been exposed to various situations.

“That is something our younger players need to learn as well,” Gibson said.

I have never got wickets on such a pitch: Ashwin

There were no nerves and no fumbles in R. Ashwin's approach as he squared up to the media after setting up India well in the first Test against the West Indies. The replies were sharp and focused while the off-spinner discussed his craft and the angst of a Test debutant, which he denied.

Excerpts:

The approach

“I didn't expect any wickets or so many of them, but before the Test match I was hoping to get a five-wicket haul and probably some more runs as well.

“Unfortunately the second part did not happen.”

Wickets that mattered

“Marlon Samuels was probably playing for the turn and he seemed worried about the bat-pad to short-leg but probably if you have played in Delhi and the Kotla, you do know that it won't go to short-leg.

“Unfortunately he did not know that and he was looking for the spin and it went straight on.

For Chanderpaul, I was bowling around the wicket in the first innings, so here I came over the wicket and was just trying a different angle. Fortunately it worked.”

The Harbhajan shadow

“I am a youngster and he is a senior professional and he has done his job and probably when I am given my duties I need to live up to my conscience and do my job.”

Pitch and other turns

“Honestly speaking I have never got wickets on such a pitch. It is not my bread and butter as I need spin and bounce. There was nothing for the batsmen or the bowlers. If the batsman is not patient enough you can get a wicket.

“Today I tried to bowl a wee bit quicker and on to the stumps and it paid off.”

“I didn't feel any nerves but yes the body wasn't moving the way I wanted it to in the first few overs. I didn't know whether my hip was turning, whether the release was perfect.

“All I was doing was concentrating because I have never seen a wicket that is so less receptive to so many revolutions on the ball.

“All these things were weighing on my mind before I went in for the lunch break (on the first day) but as time went on, I just had to handle myself.

“I don't think I was that nervous.

“To play alongside Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid is a blessing.”

Ashwin turns it India's way with a brilliant spell

India's most experienced pair now has the task of finishing an assignment set in motion by a debutant. Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, with their latest combined tally of 27,864 runs, were at the crease as the third day of the first Test wound to a close here at the Ferozeshah Kotla Ground.

India scored 152 for two in its second innings, still needing 124 to get past the West Indies and secure a 1-0 series lead.

The path ahead could be tricky, but India's blue-chip batting order has another opportunity to reiterate its credentials that were dented in England. But before the oscillation between past defeats and the promise of a better tomorrow, it has to be acknowledged that India's current winning position is a direct result of R. Ashwin's match-haul of nine for 128, inclusive of an incisive second innings effort — six for 47.

The off-spinner's performance on debut is second only to Narendra Hirwani's 16 for 136 against the West Indies at Chennai (then Madras) in 1988. And Ashwin became the seventh Indian to claim a five-for on debut, though it is the eighth instance as Hirwani bagged eight wickets in each innings at Chennai.

On a day that largely cruised on the contrasting wheels of rapid wickets and steady runs thanks to the West Indies second innings halting at 180, India was set a target of 276. It was a truly challenging signpost, but the pressure of the chase was reduced at the start with Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag latching onto Fidel Edwards's errant length.

Sehwag (55, 5x4, 2x6) enjoyed a reprieve too, on 12, as Ravi Rampaul failed to hold on to a catch on his follow-through and the openers put on 51 runs. Unfortunately, just like in the first innings, the duo failed to build on it.

Gambhir might consider himself unlucky to be adjudged leg before wicket to Marlon Samuels in an over that saw Sehwag strike a six.

Sehwag dished out similar treatment to Devendra Bishoo before chopping Darren Sammy onto his stumps. Dravid and Tendulkar then set forth on their unfinished 57-run third-wicket partnership.

Dravid initially charted risky angles past short cover and short mid-wicket and then settled down. A close run-out appeal in the final few minutes tested his nerves though.

Tendulkar, meanwhile, was strong in defence and ever alert to opportunities. His class was obvious in the manner in which he turned the bat face at the last second to guide Edwards for four.

Tendulkar, with a single off Bishoo, became the first man to post 15,000 Test runs (182nd Test, 300th innings) and indulged in his signature style of glancing at the skies and waving the bat towards the dressing room and crowd, while Dravid and Sammy's men trooped in to shake hands.

India's chances of winning the game, bright at the moment, will depend on Dravid and Tendulkar, either together or as lone rangers, continuing their vigil.

In the morning, the West Indies slumped, though Shivnarine Chanderpaul (47) again tested the Indian bowlers. The slide began when Fidel Edwards edged one behind to Dhoni off Ishant Sharma. The other Edwards — Kirk — inexplicably shouldered arms to an Umesh Yadav delivery that was unerring in its pursuit of the stumps.

Ashwin, who bowled well, stepped in and rapped Darren Bravo on the pads and later, his carrom-ball left Samuels and Sammy with broken stumps. The West Indies, however, found valuable runs through Chanderpaul, who started with two fours off Yadav.

The southpaw and Sammy added 40 runs for the eighth wicket. Ashwin again helped India breathe easy as he trapped Chanderpaul, but Sammy (42) continued to play fearless cricket, as promised in press conferences, until he lost his timber. Ashwin also nipped Ravi Rampaul's cameo and India now awaits victory on Wednesday.

Tendulkar keeps scaling new heights

Sachin Tendulkar's footprints are getting bigger and better on batting's Mount Everest. He has etched a series of incredible numbers that broaden his halo.

On a Tuesday that veered towards an Indian chase at the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium, Tendulkar was at the crease and as usual he was the carrier of a billion hopes with another man of impeccable batting credentials giving him company.

Along with Rahul Dravid, Tendulkar has the onerous task of playing a vital part in the final stretch of the first Test but before that he can have a quiet moment in the confines of his hotel room, thinking about the 15,000 Test runs, 15,005 to be exact, he has notched in an illustrious career that has spanned from 1989 across 182 Tests and 300 innings.

In his debut Test at Karachi, Tendulkar scored 15 before Waqar Younis castled the emerging genius.

The aberration was forgotten as Tendulkar kept scaling new statistical heights that rode on luminous talent, enormous hard work and an outstanding work ethic while a batting god took shape for his ardent devotees cutting across nations.

A single past cover off Devendra Bishoo helped Tendulkar become the first batsman to reach 15,000 Test runs and as he thanked his late father by looking up at the skies, the sheer goodwill that he owns was evident all over as the entire West Indies team applauded and most of them lined up to congratulate him while Dravid hugged him.

The 100th international hundred is yet to be registered but that will happen too in due course as the 38-year-old man has lost none of the enthusiasm that mirrored his distant debut as a 16-year-old.

Keywords: West Indies tour of India, Sachin Tendulkar

Rajasthan, Karnataka have different targets

It is interesting to know the different targets of Rajasthan and Karnataka as they gear up for their opening Ranji Trophy Super League Group ‘A' match at the Field Club ground here from Thursday.

Rajasthan knows its strengths and weaknesses well. So, the tag of the defending champion does not bring any additional pressure on it. The meteoric rise of the team — from Plate Division to Super League stage to beating strong sides like Mumbai, Tamil Nadu and Baroda on the way to win the title — was the result of a collective effort.

“It was a dream come true. The challenge now is to play consistently well for a few years,” said home team captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar on Wednesday.

Rajasthan suffered in its pre-season game against Rest of India and Kanitkar said the absence of a couple of key bowlers, including strike bowler Pankaj Singh, was a major reason. “Initially, we lost our grip over the match and the Rest batsmen batted well. But now we hope to start well tomorrow.”

The return of a fit Pankaj and the form of another pacer, Aniket Choudhary, who made a mark in his first class debut in the Irani Trophy, would definitely boost the confidence of the host.

Karnataka has a well-balanced team and its main objective is to “win the cup.” The target looks all the more achievable despite the side's failure in the final and semifinals in 2009-10 and 2010-11 respectively.

“We have got a better side and we are ready to deliver the results,” said Karnataka skipper R. Vinay Kumar.

He considered the track to be good for batting and expected some initial help for the pacemen. Spinners might play a part later as the pitch dries out.

The teams (from): Rajasthan: Hrishikesh Kanitkar (capt.), Aakash Chopra, R.R. Parida, Ashok Menaria, Vineet Saxena, Robin Bisht, Pankaj Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shamsher Singh, Sumit Mathur, Vaibhav Deshpande, Dishant Yagnik, Rohit Jhalani (wk), Aniket Choudhary and Madhur Khatri.

Karnataka: R. Vinay Kumar (capt.), Robin Uthappa, K.B. Pawan, Ganesh Satish, Bharath Chipli, Manish Pandey, Amit Verma, C.M. Gautham (wk), Stuart Binny, Abhimanyu Mithun, S. Arvind, K.P. Apanna, Sunil Raju, K. Gowtham, S.K. Moinuddin, S.L. Akshay.

Keywords: Ranji Trophy Super League

Ranji Trophy needs to get the importance it richly deserves

The Hindu V. V. S. Laxman has often taken pride inn turining out for Ranji Trophy matches. File Photo

It is Ranji Trophy time again. Once the most-awaited domestic competition that provided the stage for the accomplished and the aspiring to display their prowess, sadly lacks the appeal and importance it enjoyed.

With the plethora of international matches on offer for the cricket fans each season, Ranji Trophy's charm is clearly lost. Matches are played to empty galleries.

Barring the players, officials and a few from the staging association who have no choice but to stay around, cricket lovers are hard to find for these games at most urban venues.

For those who are not tired of repeating the worn-out cliché “Cricket is a religion in India,” should come to any of the domestic cricket matches and try counting its devotees.

The infrastructure is for sure improving in every state but the quality of pitches, rather the lack of it, often proves a dampener.

Bowlers toil on lifeless wickets and batsmen's run-making ability stands magnified on flat pitches. All it takes is one tour of England, South Africa or Australia for things to fall in perspective.

Financial bonanza

It is indeed a financial bonanza for the lesser mortals to be part of first class cricket. Driven by commerce, the international calendar ensures that India's regulars are seldom available for Ranji Trophy. Harbhajan Singh has played just two matches in nine years for Punjab.

After being on National duty for long, most cricketers are obviously happy to gain an exemption from turning up for Ranji Trophy matches.

There was a time when Sachin Tendulkar would not miss a single opportunity to be available for Mumbai. Sunil Gavaskar has headed straight from the airport to the stadium to be part of Mumbai's campaign.

In recent times, too, there have been exceptions. Rahul Dravid takes pride in turning out for Karnataka whenever possible, as does V.V S. Laxman for Hyderabad.

Virender Sehwag played crucial roles in key encounters, once each in away games against Railways and Haryana in the chances he got to play for Delhi in past few seasons. Sourav Ganguly has come out of retirement to play for Bengal. Suresh Raina will assist Uttar Pradesh. But glaringly absent is the commitment of most players.

Fatigue is an understandable reason for the leading names to give Ranji Trophy matches a miss. Ever heard of players skipping an IPL season or even a game due to fatigue?

Since the players in the National team these days come from more states than ever before, their non-availability impacts quite a few teams. There were seasons when Mumbai contributed its cream to the National team but still managed to be better than the opposition.

These days, when its players are on National duty, Delhi, Mumbai, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and to an extent Uttar Pradesh feel the pinch, in varying degrees.

In the past decade, it is creditable that without the services of Tendulkar and its pace spearheads in most matches, Mumbai has won the Ranji Trophy five times!

In fact, between 2002 and 2005, a starless Railways claimed the title twice. On the flip side, Railways also became the first defending champion to be relegated to the Plate division.

In contrast, Rajasthan battled it out from the Plate division this year to become National champion!

Rajasthan's triumph proved that reputations do take a serious beating and the underdogs sometimes nose ahead of the favourite.

Baroda's remarkable consistency also reinforces the point. No doubt, the non-availability of stars brings down the difference in strengths between a reputed and a lesser team. It does make things more competitive but only at the cost of quality.

For India's overseas record in Tests to improve, the Board needs to give importance to the quality of pitches and competition in Ranji Trophy. It is time to give the National championship the importance it so richly deserves.