TWENTY 20, CRICKET AND INDIAN CRICKET
Yesterday, the first one dayer between India and Australia was washed out in Bangalore. The Australians have made an ominous beginning to the Future Cup. After being 90 for 4, they ended up with 307/ 7 in 50 overs. The "pup" Michael Clarke made 131 off 130 balls. Romesh Powar's bowling was rusty : he gifted full tosses as the first ball in the first couple of overs of his second spell. The well-settled Clarke and Brad Haddin needed no second invitation and duly clouted the balls for sixes. R. P. Singh also erred in line, bowling to the leg stump of the right handers. Again this was capitalized by the Australians. This was a match that we would have lost 8 times out of 10.
Before the match, there was the usual war of words and Andrew Symonds was quoted as saying that he was amazed by the (over?) rection in the Indian media to India's Twenty 20 World Cup triumph. He needs to understand India better if he has to get past his amazement :-)) It seems that religious rituals, movies and cricket are the HUGE unifying forces for the country.
Of these forces, even religious rituals and movies are parochial to some extent. Diwali is one festival that has a pan-Indian appeal. Otherwise, festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra and Onam in Keralia, it is Holi in UP and Bihar are celebrated with fervor only in those respective regions. Similarly, even regional movies have their own icons : Rajnikanth in Tamil Nadu, Dr. Rajkumar in Karnataka and even a Bhojpuri superstar ! To some extent, Amitabh has a national appeal, but his popularity is limited in the southern states. It seems that the north east is marginalized when it comes to such national appeals. I could be wrong, though : maybe I simply don't know the appeal of Amitabh ! Is it any surprise that Prakash Tamang, the latest Indian Idol and Amit Paul have become such symbolic icons for the North East ?
As discussed, movies and rituals strike a chord with all Indians, but their local manifestations have a limited appeal. On the other hand, a cricket match is something that all Indians can comment on ! Every six, every missed catch and every wicket can be discussed by anybody in India. In fact, if one doesn't have an opinion on cricket, it could be said that one isn't part of the national mainstream !! When cricket is played in Guwahati, the crowds are as excited as the crowds in Mumbai or New Delhi. Sreesanth is feted by the Kerala for his performance in the Twenty20 tournament and to the West Bengal cricket fan, I am sure there is no better captain than "Dada" Sourav Ganguly !
Considering that India last won a World Cup in cricket 24 years ago, it is no surprise that the public has gone overboard over their celebrations after the Twenty20 World Cup triumph. I liked the Pepsi ad that came after the Cup triumph : the copy of the ad said "Brett uncle, Adam uncle, Shahid uncle .... zara side do, World Cup laana hai" .... or words to that effect :-) It has saluted the spirit of youth in the Indian Twenty20 team superbly ! Just why is cricket so popular in India ?
In '83, colour TV had just become popular as the Asian Games in New Delhi had been held in '82 and the government pulled out all stops to make the event a public success. Televisions were available more commonly. In this scenario, the Prudential World Cup triumph in London was the first cricket triumph that was largely available on television. It was a catalyst that popularized the game of cricket so that it became the "religion" that it is now considered to be in India. The failures were glossed over, as India lost a one day series to West Indies at home 5-0 ! Instead, the triumphs continue to endure, including the World Championship win in Australia, which is telecast even now in sports channels ! Cricket has gained in popularity since then, overshadowing all other sports, like a huge tree stunting the growth of other trees nearby.
Since then, there have been quite a few stellar performances from the Indian cricket team, but no World Cup win though ! Entering the Twenty20 tournament, Dravid had announced his decision to step down as captain. The Big 3 were not in the side and a young captain from Jharkhand was leading the side. There was not much expected and that was the blessing in disguise for the youngsters who were also looking to make a mark in the Indian side. The element of surprise was on our side. Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan and R. P. Singh all joined the party and in a cliffhanger of a final, we did pip the Pakistani side for a historic win ! http://worldtwenty20.yahoo.com/cricgraphix/cricgraphix.html?inpk2409 has the details.
So : is this the new beginning for Indian cricket ? Is Twenty20 the new mantra for cricket itself ? To both questions, the answer is no. I will take up the latter question first.
I am sure Twenty20 will be an accepted format for the future. Just like the one day international became the crowd puller instead of five day tests, Twenty20 is quite likely to steal the thunder from one day cricket itself. The shorter duration of the match and the stroke play in Twenty20 would entice the crowds to the stadiums. However, for complete cricketing skill it will continue to be the five day test match that will win the player's vote for most preferred contest. Again, just like one day internationals also influenced test cricket, Twenty20 will also have its influence. The fielding will further improve, batsmen will be stronger, fitter and will take more risks in their shots and bowlers will develop more variations in their game. This will enrich test cricket, but the crowds will continue to dwindle ! In today's world, reserving five days for a game is too much to be expected ! However, teams will be more aggressive.
One alarming factor is the decreasing importance of bowling. One day internationals saw the rise of the "utility player". This is a player, typically an all rounder who can bowl tight overs in the middle of the innings, field well and also play the role of the "finisher" while batting. Examples of such players are Robin Singh, Michael Bevan, etc. Such players usually are found mostly in one day international teams and, in fact, are considered as one day international specialists. They play few tests. In a one day international, since the focus from the bowler is also on restricting runs, such players are an asset.
However, in tests, where the onus is on the bowler to dismiss batsmen, such players are found wanting. Their bowling is not good enough for them to be considered as all rounders and neither is their batting suited for the longer version of the game. In the Twenty20 context, this has become more extreme. If a bowler can bowl a few dot balls and go for less than 6 runs per over, he is considered to be good. In the one day international context, a bowler is expensive if he goes for 6 runs per over ! From a purely wicket taking role in tests to a restrictive role in one dayers to bowling dot balls consistently in Twenty20 matches, the role of the bowler is being diluted. This is an unhealthy trend. Sure, there are also innovations in bowling in Twenty20 as well. However, the broad role of the bowler is getting diminished. The main role of the bowler is to take wickets and that is losing its importance gradually.
Even in such a context, a player who knows his basics well is bound to prosper. The bowler who can take wickets is welcome in any form of the game. Similarly, a batsman who knows how to adapt and make runs will make runs irrespective of the situation he is placed in. This is why I feel Dravid can leave his mark in Twenty20 as well ! He is a class act, just like Muthaiah Muralidharan ! Both of them will have a learning curve : Dravid takes his time to settle down, even in one day internationals and that is not possible in Twenty20. Still, he has played a few "blinders" of innings and I am sure he will adapt. Similarly, Muralidharan will need to settle down into a rythm immediately and again, I do believe that he can do it.
Now for the first question : is this a new beginning for Indian cricket ? It's an easier question to answer ! The answer is : NO ! The big advantage we had when we were playing the Twenty20 World Cup was that we had a young side eager to prove itself. The media reaction and the reaction of our public after the win seems to indicate that the pinnacle has been reached. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. India has to show that it can churn out wins irrespective of where the match is played, whether it is chasing or batting first and also be consistent about winning matches. After seeing the way we bowled yesterday against Australia, it is clear to me that we are a long way off.
Also, we still lack genuine all rounders. This has been a complaint of mine for some time now ! Players like Kapil and Ravi Shastri gave our team a balance earlier that we lack now. I would like to see Irfan Pathan, his brother Yousuf or Joginder Sharma being groomed to be players who can bat as well as they can bowl and ensure that they can get into the side on the strength of either their batting or bowling !
What would be the dream Indian team be like ? To me, it would be : Uthappa, Dinesh Karthick, Dravid, Tendulkar, Yuvraj, Dhoni, Joginder Sharma, Irfan , Romesh, Piyush Chawla and Zaheer. Rohit Sharma, R. P. Singh, Yousuf Pathan, Abhishek Nayar, Gautam Gambhir and Munaf Patel would be my bench strength.
Meanwhile, it is time to savour an unexpected World Cup triumph. I hope the spirit from the triumph continues and that we win the Future Cup as well ! That will be a promising start to the renaissance of Indian cricket !
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
NOTE:
I had originally written this blog in another site. Since that site is no longer accessible, I am uploading it in this blog at http://fewidlethoughts.blogspot.in/ using the same date as the original blog dates.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
===== COMMON TEXT FOR ALL BLOGS =====
++++++ BEGINS ++++++
When I created my first blog, I thought I was
being clever by being "anonymous" and let my
opinions speak for themselves (see the archive !)
Imagine my embarrassment when I saw my name
displayed ! So now, while I still retain the blog
name as "Anonymous Expressions", I will only
request you to ignore my name and concentrate on
my opinions instead !
ALL COPYRIGHTS AND TRADEMARKS ARE ACKNOWLEDGED
AS THE PROPERTIES OF THEIR OWNERS.
The opinions expressed in the Weblogs are my
personal opinions. Please tell me if you spot any
factual mistakes or don't like the way I have
expressed a view. If I can see your point, I will
correct the mistake. You can email me at
kiran.suma@gmail.com.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Yesterday, the first one dayer between India and Australia was washed out in Bangalore. The Australians have made an ominous beginning to the Future Cup. After being 90 for 4, they ended up with 307/ 7 in 50 overs. The "pup" Michael Clarke made 131 off 130 balls. Romesh Powar's bowling was rusty : he gifted full tosses as the first ball in the first couple of overs of his second spell. The well-settled Clarke and Brad Haddin needed no second invitation and duly clouted the balls for sixes. R. P. Singh also erred in line, bowling to the leg stump of the right handers. Again this was capitalized by the Australians. This was a match that we would have lost 8 times out of 10.
Before the match, there was the usual war of words and Andrew Symonds was quoted as saying that he was amazed by the (over?) rection in the Indian media to India's Twenty 20 World Cup triumph. He needs to understand India better if he has to get past his amazement :-)) It seems that religious rituals, movies and cricket are the HUGE unifying forces for the country.
Of these forces, even religious rituals and movies are parochial to some extent. Diwali is one festival that has a pan-Indian appeal. Otherwise, festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra and Onam in Keralia, it is Holi in UP and Bihar are celebrated with fervor only in those respective regions. Similarly, even regional movies have their own icons : Rajnikanth in Tamil Nadu, Dr. Rajkumar in Karnataka and even a Bhojpuri superstar ! To some extent, Amitabh has a national appeal, but his popularity is limited in the southern states. It seems that the north east is marginalized when it comes to such national appeals. I could be wrong, though : maybe I simply don't know the appeal of Amitabh ! Is it any surprise that Prakash Tamang, the latest Indian Idol and Amit Paul have become such symbolic icons for the North East ?
As discussed, movies and rituals strike a chord with all Indians, but their local manifestations have a limited appeal. On the other hand, a cricket match is something that all Indians can comment on ! Every six, every missed catch and every wicket can be discussed by anybody in India. In fact, if one doesn't have an opinion on cricket, it could be said that one isn't part of the national mainstream !! When cricket is played in Guwahati, the crowds are as excited as the crowds in Mumbai or New Delhi. Sreesanth is feted by the Kerala for his performance in the Twenty20 tournament and to the West Bengal cricket fan, I am sure there is no better captain than "Dada" Sourav Ganguly !
Considering that India last won a World Cup in cricket 24 years ago, it is no surprise that the public has gone overboard over their celebrations after the Twenty20 World Cup triumph. I liked the Pepsi ad that came after the Cup triumph : the copy of the ad said "Brett uncle, Adam uncle, Shahid uncle .... zara side do, World Cup laana hai" .... or words to that effect :-) It has saluted the spirit of youth in the Indian Twenty20 team superbly ! Just why is cricket so popular in India ?
In '83, colour TV had just become popular as the Asian Games in New Delhi had been held in '82 and the government pulled out all stops to make the event a public success. Televisions were available more commonly. In this scenario, the Prudential World Cup triumph in London was the first cricket triumph that was largely available on television. It was a catalyst that popularized the game of cricket so that it became the "religion" that it is now considered to be in India. The failures were glossed over, as India lost a one day series to West Indies at home 5-0 ! Instead, the triumphs continue to endure, including the World Championship win in Australia, which is telecast even now in sports channels ! Cricket has gained in popularity since then, overshadowing all other sports, like a huge tree stunting the growth of other trees nearby.
Since then, there have been quite a few stellar performances from the Indian cricket team, but no World Cup win though ! Entering the Twenty20 tournament, Dravid had announced his decision to step down as captain. The Big 3 were not in the side and a young captain from Jharkhand was leading the side. There was not much expected and that was the blessing in disguise for the youngsters who were also looking to make a mark in the Indian side. The element of surprise was on our side. Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan and R. P. Singh all joined the party and in a cliffhanger of a final, we did pip the Pakistani side for a historic win ! http://worldtwenty20.yahoo.com/cricgraphix/cricgraphix.html?inpk2409 has the details.
So : is this the new beginning for Indian cricket ? Is Twenty20 the new mantra for cricket itself ? To both questions, the answer is no. I will take up the latter question first.
I am sure Twenty20 will be an accepted format for the future. Just like the one day international became the crowd puller instead of five day tests, Twenty20 is quite likely to steal the thunder from one day cricket itself. The shorter duration of the match and the stroke play in Twenty20 would entice the crowds to the stadiums. However, for complete cricketing skill it will continue to be the five day test match that will win the player's vote for most preferred contest. Again, just like one day internationals also influenced test cricket, Twenty20 will also have its influence. The fielding will further improve, batsmen will be stronger, fitter and will take more risks in their shots and bowlers will develop more variations in their game. This will enrich test cricket, but the crowds will continue to dwindle ! In today's world, reserving five days for a game is too much to be expected ! However, teams will be more aggressive.
One alarming factor is the decreasing importance of bowling. One day internationals saw the rise of the "utility player". This is a player, typically an all rounder who can bowl tight overs in the middle of the innings, field well and also play the role of the "finisher" while batting. Examples of such players are Robin Singh, Michael Bevan, etc. Such players usually are found mostly in one day international teams and, in fact, are considered as one day international specialists. They play few tests. In a one day international, since the focus from the bowler is also on restricting runs, such players are an asset.
However, in tests, where the onus is on the bowler to dismiss batsmen, such players are found wanting. Their bowling is not good enough for them to be considered as all rounders and neither is their batting suited for the longer version of the game. In the Twenty20 context, this has become more extreme. If a bowler can bowl a few dot balls and go for less than 6 runs per over, he is considered to be good. In the one day international context, a bowler is expensive if he goes for 6 runs per over ! From a purely wicket taking role in tests to a restrictive role in one dayers to bowling dot balls consistently in Twenty20 matches, the role of the bowler is being diluted. This is an unhealthy trend. Sure, there are also innovations in bowling in Twenty20 as well. However, the broad role of the bowler is getting diminished. The main role of the bowler is to take wickets and that is losing its importance gradually.
Even in such a context, a player who knows his basics well is bound to prosper. The bowler who can take wickets is welcome in any form of the game. Similarly, a batsman who knows how to adapt and make runs will make runs irrespective of the situation he is placed in. This is why I feel Dravid can leave his mark in Twenty20 as well ! He is a class act, just like Muthaiah Muralidharan ! Both of them will have a learning curve : Dravid takes his time to settle down, even in one day internationals and that is not possible in Twenty20. Still, he has played a few "blinders" of innings and I am sure he will adapt. Similarly, Muralidharan will need to settle down into a rythm immediately and again, I do believe that he can do it.
Now for the first question : is this a new beginning for Indian cricket ? It's an easier question to answer ! The answer is : NO ! The big advantage we had when we were playing the Twenty20 World Cup was that we had a young side eager to prove itself. The media reaction and the reaction of our public after the win seems to indicate that the pinnacle has been reached. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. India has to show that it can churn out wins irrespective of where the match is played, whether it is chasing or batting first and also be consistent about winning matches. After seeing the way we bowled yesterday against Australia, it is clear to me that we are a long way off.
Also, we still lack genuine all rounders. This has been a complaint of mine for some time now ! Players like Kapil and Ravi Shastri gave our team a balance earlier that we lack now. I would like to see Irfan Pathan, his brother Yousuf or Joginder Sharma being groomed to be players who can bat as well as they can bowl and ensure that they can get into the side on the strength of either their batting or bowling !
What would be the dream Indian team be like ? To me, it would be : Uthappa, Dinesh Karthick, Dravid, Tendulkar, Yuvraj, Dhoni, Joginder Sharma, Irfan , Romesh, Piyush Chawla and Zaheer. Rohit Sharma, R. P. Singh, Yousuf Pathan, Abhishek Nayar, Gautam Gambhir and Munaf Patel would be my bench strength.
Meanwhile, it is time to savour an unexpected World Cup triumph. I hope the spirit from the triumph continues and that we win the Future Cup as well ! That will be a promising start to the renaissance of Indian cricket !
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
NOTE:
I had originally written this blog in another site. Since that site is no longer accessible, I am uploading it in this blog at http://fewidlethoughts.blogspot.in/ using the same date as the original blog dates.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
===== COMMON TEXT FOR ALL BLOGS =====
++++++ BEGINS ++++++
When I created my first blog, I thought I was
being clever by being "anonymous" and let my
opinions speak for themselves (see the archive !)
Imagine my embarrassment when I saw my name
displayed ! So now, while I still retain the blog
name as "Anonymous Expressions", I will only
request you to ignore my name and concentrate on
my opinions instead !
ALL COPYRIGHTS AND TRADEMARKS ARE ACKNOWLEDGED
AS THE PROPERTIES OF THEIR OWNERS.
The opinions expressed in the Weblogs are my
personal opinions. Please tell me if you spot any
factual mistakes or don't like the way I have
expressed a view. If I can see your point, I will
correct the mistake. You can email me at
kiran.suma@gmail.com.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Comments
Post a Comment