Category: Cricket

India vs England 4th T20i review

FINALLY! A close game in this series! And what a game it was! The two best white ball teams heading into the decider on the back of a close game just makes the decider that much more exciting of a prospect! I think the biggest takeaway from the game, for both sides, will be that- it is possible to win batting first! Batting first and winning is special. But with the conditions (the dew) and the team selection (going in with just the 5 bowlers), this win seems even more impressive!

India being put into bat would have led many to believe that the series was a wrap. Who can blame them? This series until now has been a case of “win the toss, win the match”. It was important that the pattern was broken.

First innings: The openers were off to a disappointing start. But I get the feeling that this is the pair that India will stick with for the final T20i too, given how much faith they put into K.L. Rahul and Rohit Sharma. And I really don’t see a need to change it right now. Every player is susceptible to a bad run of form. It happens. Suryakumar Yadav (SKY) made his “debut” (yes, I know it’s his second game, but he didn’t get to bat at all in his first, so just allow me). And what a wonderful first outing as a batsman for India. Looked calm and played in a carefree manner. And what about that shot to get off the mark! Kohli unfortunately had a disappointing game with the bat. He got done in stumped by one of the world’s best with the white ball in Adil Rashid (how this man doesn’t have an IPL contract I don’t know). Pant came in next and looked to steady the ship (understandable, he walked in at 70-3). But it was Shreyas Iyer who came in with a blazing 18 ball 37 that swung the momentum back towards India. He’s often seen as an anchor, but his 200+ strike rate innings was much needed today for India! 185 seemed like an above par score here, so it was a good effort in the end.

England, I thought, bowled ok. Definitely not as consistent and sharp as they have been bowling in the first 3 games. But they didn’t bowl too terribly. SKY and Iyer just seemed to be on top of them in the game.

Second innings: Different story with the English openers. Jason Roy continuing with his trend of setting himself up but failing to convert it into a big one. Nevertheless, he has been very good this series! Buttler fell early to Bhuvi, who seems to be getting back to form. He will probably be one of the strike bowlers for India come the T20 World Cup. Malan came in at 3 for England and did a K.L. Rahul! He hasn’t had the best of times this series (the dismissal this game really summarized his series. Good work by Chahar). But just like India, England are blessed with a number of top top quality white ball players. And also, just like India, I do believe that Morgan and co will stick with Malan long term. Too good of a player to be judged on the back of one series. The English run chase was a strange one. They were about 70 odd for 3 at the end of 11 overs. And the next 5 overs of spin yielded them around 50 runs! This was because of the Bairstow-Stokes partnership. Personally, I feel like the time at which Stokes came in to bat was perfect for him. Gave himself time to get in before launching. He just missed out on his maiden T20i fifty! Bairstow was Chahar’s second scalp for the day and the dangerous partnership was broken at last. And things got better for India as Shardul Thakur got two in two balls in the 17th! The slow balls and the off cutters were working a treat. And with the right hander’s angle going away from Stokes and Morgan, the off cutter did the trick! Sam Curran got cleaned up by Hardik Pandya in the next over. Hardik has been a very very good and reliable player with the ball, in the series and not just this game. Him being in the team as an all-rounder just brings so much more balance to the Indian side. Shardul picked up Chris Jordan in the final over of the match. The 8 run win score line doesn’t really paint the whole picture. And India will be happy considering that they haven’t got their premier bowler in Bumrah available, and still managed to defend a total.

This puts us nicely onto the series decider. I think most people would have predicted a 3-2 result (either way) going into the series, and that’s how it’s been 3 games where both the teams were completely dominant and the one game that was a nail biter. Hopefully we have another in the final game. Should be a good ‘un!

India vs England 3rd Test Preview

Who would’ve thought so? Going into the series, the general consensus was that if England were to win a test, the pink ball test would provide them with their best shot at doing so. This is because nobody really has any idea as to how the ball will behave. How it will change as day turns to night. And nobody knows how the pitch is going to behave. India is the one place where a green top could offer turn from the first day. Bottom line, nobody knows.

That unpredictability is a big reason for the 3rd test being England’s best chance at a win.  But the fact that they are coming into this test at 1-1, means that they can really look to take charge of this series and have a real go at playing in the first ever World Test Championship Final at Lord’s. And despite the absolute thumping at the hands of India in the second test, they will be feeling pretty good going into this one because of the unpredictability of where they’re playing. It’s like a classic shoot-out on a rank turner, only this time there could be a possibility that the conditions favour the visitors, for a while at least.

India meanwhile will be brimming with confidence after the brilliant comeback performance in the second test. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli with some runs under their belt. Ashwin and Axar Patel with loads of wickets between them. Rishabh Pant with arguably his best display behind the stumps. The side, not at full strength yet, seems to be getting stronger. Even the players who didn’t perform all that well, are either just starting out in their test careers, or have been there long enough that people really shouldn’t worry about or doubt them anymore.

This should be a gripping contest. I don’t see it going the 5 days, but I do think it will be a very closely fought, and intense battle, for however many days it does last.

My England XI for the 3rd test: Zak Crawley, Dom Sibley, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root (C), Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes (WK), Dom Bess, Jofra Archer, Jack Leach and James Anderson

My India XI for the 3rd test: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravi Ashwin, Axar Patel, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah

What if the IPL teams were NBA teams? Who’d they be?

Mumbai Indians (MI)- Los Angeles Lakers (LAL)

The defending champions. They play at the Wankhede Stadium. One of the more iconic and atmospheric stadiums in the IPL. Mumbai- The land of Bollywood. LA- The land of Hollywood. Both sides are star studded and have an incredibly successful history. Mumbai Indians are in fact the most successful side in the IPL, having won 4 titles (2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019). The sides have another thing in common, not only do they both have a rich and winning history, some of their respective sports greatest ever players have played for them. Kobe, Shaq, Wilt and now LeBron don the famous Purple and Gold. Similarly, the very best of Cricket have donned the Blue and Gold of Mumbai. The likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Lasith Malinga, Ricky Ponting, Sanath Jayasurya and now they’ve got the stars of present-day Cricket in skipper Rohit Sharma, Bumrah, the Pandya brothers and the staple in the MI side, Trinidadian Keiron Pollard. They will be looking to become only the second side in the IPL to successfully defend their title in 2020.

Rivals: Chennai Super Kings-CSK (Basically the Lakers-Celtics of the IPL). Delhi Capitals-DC (Derby between the two biggest cities of India. Like an NYC vs LA game). Rajasthan Royals-RR (Intense games in the past)

Chennai Super Kings (CSK)- Boston Celtics (BOS)

The 2019 finalists, and the second most successful side in the IPL. They won in 2010, 2011 and 2018. They have made it to the final a staggering 8 times! That’s 8 out of a possible 12 times. Their lowest position and worst performances resulted in them finishing in 3rd place in 2009 and 2014. CSK in the IPL is a synonym for consistency. CSK play at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, or Chepauk as it is known. The sea of yellow with the stands filled with the Whistle Podu army is quite a sight to behold.  Just like the Celtics, the Super Kings expect nothing but the title. Success, and continued success is what both teams strive for. The Celtics are often praised for their ability to do things in a calm and cool manner. Not going about things with a ton of fanfare and gala. Chennai are very much built in the same mould. From the ownership, to the coach, to the captain- MS Dhoni, calmness, experience and a great attitude is for all to see. This is why they’re so successful. Because after a certain point, they just figured out a way to be successful. They knew how to win. The 2018 side was dubbed “The Dad’s Army” owing to the aging CSK squad. Nobody gave them a chance. But just like with Boston, Chennai had one thing that you only have if you’re successful for a long period of time- experience and know-how. When the going got tough, CSK just knew exactly what needed to be done, to get over the hump. With news of MS Dhoni’s and Suresh Raina’s (one of CSK’s greatest ever players) international retirements, they’re going to go all in on the IPL and be a force to be reckoned with once again in 2020.

Rivals: Mumbai Indians-MI (Basically the Lakers-Celtics of the IPL). Royal Challengers Bangalore-RCB (South Indian derby- Chennai vs Bangalore. Dhoni vs Kohli aka Old head skipper vs Current skipper aka LeBron James vs Luka Doncic). SunRisers Hyderabad-SRH (South Indian derby).

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)- Houston Rockets (HOU)

Winners in 2012 and 2014. Barring last season, where they just missed the playoffs, KKR have made it to the final 4 for 3 consecutive years (2016, 2017, and 2018). Last year was a transitional year and the side looks raring to go for the 2020 season. KKR play at the Eden Gardens. A truly global and iconic venue in the sport of Cricket. The Knight Riders, interestingly enough don the Purple and Gold, just like the Lakers. Although that’s about where the comparisons end. The Houston Rockets and the Kolkata Knight Riders can in certain place come across as the spitting image of the other. They’re both based in cities of rich culture and heritage. They both won under their most magnetic and mercurial personalities, and leaders- Hakeem with Houston and Gautam Gambhir with Kolkata. They’ve both got ownership who are big time and keep a close eye on things (Timlan Fertitta and Shah Rukh Khan). And, in recent years, both of them have brilliant players on their squads who are primed and ready to win, only to fall short and come up against truly great teams. Both presently are heavily dependent on their star player to essentially carry them to wins. The players are the system, in James Harden for Houston, and Andre Russell from Jamaica for Kolkata. After a disappointing season last year, they have strengthened their squad, with the most notable addition being Australian spearhead Pat Cummins. And, they look hungry once again, to give it another go in 2020.

Rivals: SunRisers Hyderabad-SRH (Many a playoff battle in the past). Kings XI Punjab- KXIP (Intense games in the past. Both have had ex players perform well against each other). Royal Challenger Bangalore-RCB  (Intense games in the past. Both have had ex-players perform well against each other).

SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH)- San Antonio Spurs (SAS)

The SunRisers Hyderabad (formerly Deccan Chargers 2008-2012) are one of the most consistent sides in the IPL. Only one of two IPL sides to have a non-Indian player as captain with Australian David Warner, who led the side to the 2016 title (the other being Steve Smith for Rajasthan Royals). They have won the title in 2009 (as Deccan Chargers) and in 2016 (as SunRisers). They’ve been finalists in 2018 and have been in the final 4 in 2010, 2013, 2017, and 2019. SRH play at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, in Hyderabad. The boisterous Orange Army always turn up, and a stadium full of orange flags and twinkling lights (from the flashlights of the mobile phones of the fans in attendance) makes for a terrific atmosphere. Just like the Spurs, the biggest asset of the SunRisers is their terrific coaching staff, the brilliant work culture and the emphasis on good leadership leading to great results. The Spurs, the Patriots and the SunRisers have all found success on the back of brilliant leadership, rather than just pure talent. And just like the Spurs, SRH have never defended their title, but are always a legitimate threat. They’re both dynasties in their own right. Coach Pop always puts tactics and defense on top. It’s what wins you championships. SRH were the same under Darren Lehman (Deccan Chargers) and Tom Moody (SunRisers). Tactical astuteness and great defense (in this case, SRH are generally considered to have the best bowling attack in the IPL year after year. No total is too little to defend). For the 2020 season, SRH have made a significant change. The ownership had decided that the team had come the furthest it could under Moody, and a fresh face was required. They went and hired the hottest ticket in town, by getting 2019 England World Cup winning coach- Trevor Bayliss. It was under Bayliss that KKR had won their two IPL titles. This appointment is a clear statement of intent by the SRH ownership that the team has to now go from consistent final 4 performances, to consistently winning the title and making final appearances. A new era beckons for the Orange Army in 2020.

Rivals: Chennai Super Kings-CSK (South Indian derby). Royal Challengers Bangalore-RCB (South Indian derby). Kolkata Knight Riders-KKR  (Many a playoff battle in the past)

Rajasthan Royals (RR)- New York Knicks (NYK)

The Royals were the first ever winners of the IPL, way back in 2008. Led by the great Shane Warne, that side was known for their grit and toughness. You never had an easy game, and you knew there were going to be some bumps and bruises in a battle against the Royals. Rajasthan Royals play at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. The land of the Kings. Unfortunately, after the high of the 2008 triumph, the Royals have gone from sitting at the throne, to just being a spectator, as they’ve watched team after team win and wear the crown. One they thought was theirs. Just like how Ewing was the talisman for the Knicks, Warne was the undoubted X-factor for the Royals. But once their era had gone by, it was just never the same. RR have struggled massively post 2008. They did get 3rd place in 2013 (coincidentally, the very year the Knicks made their last playoffs appearance), but they usually find themselves near the bottom of the table. They barely made the playoffs in 2015 and again in 2018, but just never looked like getting anywhere. They finished 7th out of 8 teams last year. Things are looking promising for the years to come, however. The Royals have steadily and gradually been working to put together a solid (with potential to become formidable) side. A very English core with Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, and being led by Australian stalwart Steve Smith. Things look to be coming together nicely for the Royals, but it’s yet to be seen whether all this talent translates to success in terms of being legitimate contenders for the title.

Rival: Mumbai Indians-MI (Intense games in the past)

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)- Brooklyn Nets (BKN)

RCB are an enigma. The best of the best have played for them. They play at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, arguably the best atmosphere in the IPL. They’re both based in cultural and sports centered cities. They have had some of the sports very best batsmen in a format that could not favour the batsmen more. Yet the IPL title has remained elusive. The most obvious comparison between the Nets and RCB are who they are led by. Kevin Durant and Kyrie for Brooklyn and Virat Kohli and AB De Villiers for RCB. Nobody questions the ability, skill and talent that these great players possess. Nobody questions their track record too. But questions do pop up now to see whether they can win. Yeah, they have won before, but that was under other great leadership- KD with Steph, Klay, Draymond and Kerr at Golden State, and Kyrie with LeBron in Cleveland. Similarly, AB De Villiers back home in South Africa, and Virat Kohli for India under MS Dhoni. RCB have come close on a few occasions. Runners-up in 2009 against Deccan Chargers (now SunRisers Hyderabad), runners-up in 2011 against Chennai Super Kings, and runners-up in 2016 against SunRisers Hyderabad. They also finished 3rd place in 2010 and in 2015. But the rest of the campaigns have been quite underwhelming, to say the least (they have finished bottom or near the bottom the past 3 seasons). There is no way a side with this much star power should still be looking to find that final piece of the puzzle, when those around are already looking to take the next step of not just winning, but repeatedly winning. As is the case at the start of every season, there are a lot of mixed emotions going into this season too. They’ve still got an immensely talented squad, a new coaching staff, a new position in the Director of Cricket Operations and the mercurial duo of Kohli and De Villiers. But it’s to be seen whether they will finally convert all of this into silverware at the end of the season.

Rivals: Rivals: Chennai Super Kings-CSK ( South Indian derby- Chennai vs Bangalore. Dhoni vs Kohli aka Old head skipper vs Current skipper aka LeBron James vs Luka Doncic). SunRisers Hyderabad-SRH (South Indian derby). Kolkata Knight Riders-KKR  (Intense games in the past. Both have had ex-players perform well against each other).

Kings XI Punjab (KXIP)- Phoenix Suns (PHX)

KXIP play at the very scenic IS Bindra Stadium. KXIP are usually one of the league’s more entertaining sides to watch. High octane Cricket, flashy moves, flamboyant players make for great sporting entertainment. But it hasn’t resulted in an IPL title. Just like the iconic Suns’ 7 seconds or less offense, KXIP had an ultra-aggressive system and approach at one point, with every batsman sent out to the middle having just one goal- hit the ball as far as you can, as often as you can. Throughout the IPL’s history, KXIP have been blessed with some wonderfully gifted players (*cough* Nash-Suns *cough*) both, at different times in their history, and together as a collection of top talent. But their good periods always seemed to come when some of the other sides had their greatest teams assembled. KXIP would blitz teams at the start of each campaign, only to then fizzle out towards the business end of the tournament. Their best finishes are in 2008 (3rd place) and as runners-up in 2014. Even in those two seasons, they absolutely stormed into the playoffs and played some of the most exciting and “gets your heart racing” form of Cricket we’ve ever seen. But when push comes to shove, the team that plays calm, collected and a winning brand of Cricket ultimately triumphed over a brand of Cricket that was exhilarating to watch, but wasn’t a winning one. For the 2020 season, their golden boy Glen Maxwell from Australia has returned, rising star and skipper KL Rahul and, the “Universe Boss” Chris Gayle from Jamaica who looks to continue from where they left off the past couple of seasons. It looks to be an exciting season for them in 2020.

Rivals: Delhi Capitals-DC (North Indian derby). Kolkata Knight Riders-KKR (Intense games in the past. Both have had ex-players perform well against each other)

Delhi Capitals (DC)- Washington Wizards (WAS)

Delhi play at the Feroz Shah Kotla Ground. Delhi Capitals (formerly Delhi Daredevils) and Washington Wizards, both representing the capitals of their respective countries. Both, perennial underachievers. Both have got young, exciting squads. But at the end of the day, you know that they’re not really a threat. Delhi had a promising start to their IPL journey. In the first 5 years of the tournament, they finished 3rd a couple of times (2009 and 2012) and 4th once (2008). But from 2013 to 2018, Delhi being at or near the bottom of the table wasn’t even worth betting on. They went from having a squad comprising of some of the World’s very best (AB De Villiers, Vettori, Dilshan, Gambhir, Sehwag, Kevin Pieterson and so many more) on their squad in the first 5 years, to becoming bottom feeders till 2018. Had they shown a little more patience with that initial group of players, they very well might have won a title. It’s no secret that the DC ownership and patience do not go together. That resulted in year after year of getting new players and coaches, not giving them enough time, and then starting over again. This was a big reason for them having extremely poor seasons year after year. They kept spending big on big names. Delhi were the perfect example of a team being more than the sum of its parts. It looked like the downward spiral would just never end. Until 2018 that is. Something happened. The ownership had decided to go easy on the hire and fire policy of theirs. They brought in Australian legend Ricky Ponting as the head coach. Shreyas Iyer, the young Indian, had taken over the captaincy duties. And the two of them set about building a side that best reflected both of them, and the city of Delhi. A young and aggressive side that just wasn’t willing to back down. A very Aussie and Delhi “over my dead body” attitude was being instilled in the team. The team finished bottom of the table that year in 2018. But everybody could see that DC were just a couple of adjustments away from rubbing shoulders with the big boys. Even in that season where they finished bottom, they never really got taken apart by opposition, and they had a few wins of their own. The most notable being their win over CSK in a pretty comprehensive manner. The youth and aggression filled side of Delhi was just finding its feet. And in the very next season (last season-2019), they finished in an impressive 3rd place. They have rather quickly become one of the more exciting sides to watch. The question now is, whether they are able to get in a sense of calm and know-how into their game, or will they be another young, exciting, sometimes threatening side who, in the moments it really counts are unable to step up. A question whose answer we shall hopefully learn a little more about in the upcoming 2020 season.

Rivals: Mumbai Indians-MI (derby between the two biggest cities of India. Like an NYC vs LA game). Kings XI Punjab-KXIP (North Indian derby).

The Evolution of the IPL: From Carnival to Cardinal

When the IPL first came on to the scene in 2008 nobody knew what to expect. Which is partly why it has become so huge over the years. The unknown quantity always produces the most excitement.

The IPL was known for its massive crowds, after parties and a place where Bollywood and Cricket combine among other things. But as the years have passed, this still young tournament has started to show signs of maturity. Games have started to mean more. Players don’t go straight to pubs after to celebrate. You see many on field spats and instances of flaring tempers.

All this is great! Because it means that the IPL just isn’t a 2-month window to make some good money and chill out. It shows that the players, coaches, staff and the owners care more and are a lot more invested in the results and performance of their sides. The Ashwin-Butler Mankad incident in the first week of the 2019 edition showcases the change in mentality and approach. A few years ago, we might not have had such an incident. But now, the stakes are higher, and the players are using this tournament to show the World what they can do. Ashwin desperate to prove that he is a top captain. Steve Smith and David Warner desperate to prove that Australia needs their services to go for the World Cup. Guys like Shaw, Pant, Yuvraj and Gayle desperate to show that age is just a number. The word desperate pops up again and again. Ravi Ashwin, desperate to win his side the game against the Rajasthan Royals.

The IPL has become a lot more serious over the years. The number of members in the support staff of a franchise has increased. Rather than just have a coach and a few on the support staff, there are now mentors, guys for analytics, guys who only focus on the auction process and so on. It has also become a platform where the coaches, not just the players, can show their worth. Darren Lehman, Fleming examples of successful IPL coaches who have worked/linked with massive international jobs. It also works the other way round where top drawer international coaches and ex-players want to work in the IPL. Mike Hesson, Gary Kirsten, Ricky Ponting, Mahela Jayawardene to name a few.

The BCCI and the IPL are also actively looking to make the tournament a more serious and competitive one. Every team had the same amount to spend in the auction. This means that there is not one side that you look at and go “they’re gonna run away with it this year”. This is what the BCCI wanted from the start. A tournament where any side can beat any other side. The results of the first week of the 2019 edition show the same. Of the 10 games so far, 5 of them have been extremely nail-biting games (i.e., games won with less than 8 balls to spare or games won by less than 8 runs). It’s been one week, and we’ve already had a super over game!

All this is great in terms of crowd pulling. And the highly competitive cricket on display only ensures that the crowd remain glued to the game. There are a lot of debates about cricket losing its charm and values. About not enough people watching games live. But tournaments like the IPL are proving those claims wrong. Sure, it may not be what the cricket purists want to watch (in terms of the format of the game i.e., T20), but it is quite clearly what the people consuming the sport want to see. So, rather than looking at the IPL as a 2-months carnival (which is what it first was) the international cricket community needs to look at the IPL, and tournament like it around the world, as a great tool to keep the sport of cricket exciting, fresh and attractive to make sure this great sport keeps evolving