Cricket Tournaments

Chennai Super Kings

The finale battle was always going to be one between a supremely balanced outfit and a challenging but not dominant opposition. Having said that, the scales can easily tilt in any one direction in a 20-20 battle.

That wasn’t to be though as favourites and IPL champions Chennai Super Kings crushed the Warriors to deservingly lift the Champions League T20 trophy. While the Warriors can be proud of themselves for having surprised many and coming thus far, the lack of depth in their batting and inadequate support for spinner Johan Botha did them in at the final hurdle.

Conversely, Chennai had the ammunition to recover even after getting off to a poor start and once on top ensured they stayed there till the end, like champion teams do.

For Warriors to have a fair chance of winning, they needed their skipper Davy Jacobs to be in top form yet again. And the way things began would have made the home team rather optimistic. The dashing opener plundered quite a few boundaries to give his side the early advantage.

However, the challenge did not last long enough to trouble Chennai. As on so many previous occasions, it was the off-spin of the lanky Ravichandran Ashwin that did the trick. Once Jacobs failed to connect a reverse sweep off Ashwin, it all went downhill for Warriors.

The middle-order batting was always a worry for Warriors, and it was mainly due to Jacobs that they managed to get this far despite the batting failures. And although his contribution in the final can by no means be considered a failure, he was bound a get a lower score.

Unfortunate for the skipper and his team that it had to come on the big day. It was also sad to see that Craig Thyssen apart, no one made a decent contribution with the bat after the departure of their inspirational skipper. The batting woes of Warriors all but set up a disappointing one-sided final. Surely the Chennai Super Kings couldn’t flounder considering the kind of form they were in and the commanding batting line-up they possessed.

Like with their batting, a similar tale was retold with the Warriors’ bowling. Johan Botha held one up end and did not allow the runs to leak. But, they was little support from the others. The early breakthrough never came and, as a result, the Super Kings did not have to take any sort of risk when Botha came into the attack. He was seen off watchfully.

A couple of wickets were claimed, but that was hardly some consolation. The writing was on the wall much before then. Chennai openers Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay had yet another match-winning partnership to offer. The left-hand right hand combination have complemented each other perfectly in the series and the final was no different.

While Vijay went for the big strokes, Hussey was content playing the anchor even whilst scoring at a brisk pace. Such was the magnitude of their opening stand that the services of semi-final hero were hardly needed, and he ended up with a failure he wouldn’t bother about.

Even though the Chennai openers set up the victory charge perfectly for their side, it was undoubtedly the spinners who put them on the road for victory. While Ashwin made the crucial strike, it was Muralitharan who ensured the advantage was completely capitalised, destroying the middle-order and nullifying Warriors’ advantage of winning the toss.

The others just had to do the support role as Chennai marched to their second consecutive T20 title, adding to the IPL glory. It was another feather in M S Dhoni’s cap and should silence doubts over his captaincy credentials, if there still are any.

Shane Watson

The three-day practice game for Australia against the Board President’s XI, ahead of the first Test at Mohali, was a mixed bag for the visitors. Shane Watson emerged as a visible hero, with attacking tons in both the innings. There were other positives as well. Watson’s opening partner Simon Katich as well as Marcus North also registering hundreds in the first innings. However, the prime concern for them will remain the performance of their spinners as they head into the major battle.

Nathan Hauritz picked up a solitary wicket going for close to hundred runs – both innings combined. Even more worrying was the fact that Piyush Chawla, who can bat a bit but is a bowler by profession, took him to the cleaners with ease. He charged down the pitch and dealt with the tweaker with minimum ill-ease. Then, when BP XI batted for a second time, Ajinkya Rahane was all at ease against him as he raced to a quickfire century.

The only consolation for Hauritz can be the fact that Jason Krejza was treated with similar disrespect two years back in the practice game, but got his act right when it mattered, claiming eight wickets on Test debut. Meanwhile, it was a similar story for Hauritz’s leg-spinning partner Steven Smith, who was treated with even more utter disdain. Chawla was especially severe on him and the leggie ended up conceded nearly six runs per over. Also, when BP XI batted a second time round, the Aussie bowlers were far from effective. Both Rahane and opening partner Cheteshwar Pujara, who is part of the Test squad, helped themselves to some substantial batting practice as they ended the game on a unexpected high, after being pulverized on day one.

The picture wasn’t completely gloomy for Australia though. Before Chawla’s heroics, their bowling was top class. Ben Hilfenhaus, in particular, was exceptionally good while Mitchell Johnson impressed as well. The Aussies would also have been heartened to see Peter George bowl well and claim a couple of scalps. That said, they would have been delighted had they put a better performance with both the ball and the willow in their second essay.

Apart from practice, the match also gave both sides injury scares. Gautam Gambhir took a blow on his right hand from Bill Hilfenhaus while batting and rightly preferred to stay away from the field of play on the final day. India will desperately need his services alongside Virender Sehwag for the Tests and one-dayers. For Australia, Katich, who hurt his thumb, did not bat in his team’s second innings while North, who had a back problem also did the same. Both teams would hope that there is nothing serious, and that they can resume their duties starting October 1.

While on the Test series, India would go in with a slight advantage considering the wealth in their batting strength. However, even a weakened Australian side cannot be underestimated. Expect them to make up for their lack of firepower with that much added determination. One only hopes the series can live up to the billing, unlike the damp squib of 2008.

Monty Panesar

The selection of paceman Chris Tremlett and Monty Panesar for the upcoming Ashes series in Australia may surprise a few, but it must be viewed as a fair reward for consistent performances at the domestic level by both. Tremlett had a wonderful time with Surrey this season, capturing 48 wickets at just a tad over 20.18. On the other hand, Panesar scalped 52 wickets for Sussex at an impressive average of just over 25. Also, both have achieved success at the international level previously, which would stand them in good stead in such a big series, which England are expected to win for a change. True it can be said that Ajmal Shahzad and Adil Rashid were unfortunate to miss out to the two. However, the decisions seem to be in the best interest of the team.

Tremlett’s inclusion must have been made easier considering the fact that with his height and pace he could trouble the Australian batsman in seaming conditions. Of course, that is only if he gets a chance. The starting spots are already reserved for James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan and Steven Finn. There might have been question marks over Bresnan’s place. However, his all-round prowess means, he retains his place. Also, it would be interesting to see how far the predictions on Finn’s success down under prove to be correct.

Apart from the abovementioned couple of surprises, there were not too many other revelations. The rest of the players pretty much pick themselves. It is good to see Steve Davies retained in the squad as the reserve wicket-keeper. He has done well enough to warrant that spot and could be utilized to give some well-deserved rest to Matt Prior, who has truly come of age lately. Amongst the others, Kevin Pietersen has retained his place despite his wretched form in the last year. The swashbuckling batsman needs to get his bearings right very soon, and what better setting that the Ashes where he announced himself on the big stage with a series-winning hundred during the historic summer of 2005.

Skipper Andrew Strauss also has fond memories of the Ashes, having played a major hand in both of England’s triumphs in the last five years. However, it has to be remembered that both the wins came at home, and that in between they were blanked 5-0 under the raw leadership of Andrew Flintoff. This series is expected to be a lot more closely fought and rightly so since England have a genuinely strong side.

In Strauss, they have a no-nonsense leader, who has handled the team professionally in a crisis situation on more than one occasion, the series against Pakistan being the latest. Then, there are likes of Jonathan Trott and Eoin Morgan, who have come up exceedingly well under pressure in the last year. A lot would be expected of the inspiring duo during this Ashes. Former captain Paul Collingwood has been having a rough time of it with the bat. Even so, one can be assured of his tenacity every time he goes out to bat. And finally, as has been the norm in English cricket in the last year, how Graeme Swann performs will go a long way in determining the result of the Ashes.

All said and done, a fascinating contest is on the cards since Australia are still among the best, if not the best.

Chennai Super Kings vs Royal challengers Bangalore

It will be great from India’s point of view that at least one of the IPL teams will make it to the summit clash of the Champions League T20. That might be either the Chennai Super Kings or the Bangalore Royal Challengers, depending on who gets the better of the other in the first semi-final at Durban. Both teams are equally matched and well-balanced, a fact their head-to-head record demonstrates – Bangalore have won four and Chennai three. And so, another tight contest can be expected on the big Friday.

Interestingly, both teams have charted a similar path enroute to get to the last four. It was only a victory in their final league game that got them through. However, the mistakes can’t be repeated now as the tournament heads into the knockout stage. It would be difficult to say who holds the advantage since both Bangalore and Chennai have varied strengths.

While Bangalore have a solid pace attack backed by the experienced hand of their leading spinner and skipper Anil Kumble, Chennai rely heaving on spin, with both R Ashwin and Muralitharan tasting a good amount of success. Even though the Durban pitch is expected to favour the faster men more than the slower bowlers, Ashwin and Murali are good enough to trouble the best, irrespective of the surface. And so, it might all boil down to the batting of the two sides, which boasts of rather impressive names.

There is the rock solid Rahul Dravid at the top of the order along with the rollicking Manish Pandey, who have been giving Bangalore worthy starts. And then, there is Virat Kohli, who has been scintillating down the order, notwithstanding the mixed results. The problem for Bangalore lies in between. Ross Taylor hasn’t lived up to the expectations yet. But, he is experienced enough to come good on the big day. Also, Robin Uthappa and Cameron White will get another chance to enhance their big-hitting reputation. On their day, they can be the most destructive.

If Bangalore’s batting line is imposing, Chennai need now worry. They have their own arms of giants. The experiment of Michael Hussey at the top of the order with Murali Vijay has worked nicely thus far and should continue. Another good opening stand would mean the big hitters like Raina, Dhoni and Anirudha can free their arms from the word go. And if any from the trio gets going, Bangalore’s bowlers, especially the ones short on pace like Vinay Kumar and Praveen Kumar, can be taken to the cleaners.

As if to set up everything evenly, both sides also have a South African injury problem and that too with their chief all-rounder. However, while Jacques Kallis has been ruled out of the tournament with a neck injury, Albie Morkel can still make it to Chennai’s XI provided he has recovered from his illness. In that case, it would be advantage Chennai, since Morkel will give his side better balance as compared to Bangalore.

Having weighed all permutations and combinations, a close contest seems imminent. Over to the teams to live up to the bidding.

Virat Kohli

Even as the Bangalore Royal Challengers became the first IPL team to make it to the semi-finals of the Champions League T20, one man would have been mightily relieved. Virat Kohli did not manage to take Bangalore past the finish line against the Mumbai Indians, but did well enough to knock Sachin Tendulkar’s team out and keep his side in the hunt. And against the Lions, he went one step ahead, leading the team to victory, as Bangalore marched their way into the final four.

For Kohli, it was a matter of turning from culprit to hero. He nearly messed things up for Bangalore during their chase of 160, before brining them right back on track.

Kohli first ran out key man Robin Uthappa in the 15th over of the innings, and then failed to make much contact with the ball in the next over. For some inexplicable reason, Bangalore had not gone for the kill from the word go and they seemed in eminent danger of being knocked out. However, this was when Kohli made amends, and in the best way possible. Over 40 were required from the last four overs when Kohli smashed Ethan O’Reilly for two sixes and a four. Bangalore’s chase was back on track with those three big hits as they cantered home.

The win also meant that Kohli had put behind the past and conquered the present. The image of him on his haunches, being consoled by Rahul Dravid, who himself must have been heartbroken having batted through the innings in the defeat, will be looked upon as a poignant moment of this tournament. But with having managed to pull Bangalore out of the hole, and more importantly guide them in to the semi-finals, Kohli would now have some happy memories going into the final four. Also, the close win would mean Bangalore would be better prepared for the bigger challenges ahead, even as the loss of Jacques Kallis would be a major setback.

Another key component in Bangalore’s win was the performance of their skipper Anil Kumble. His magical spell of 1/13 from his four overs meant Lions were restricted to just a respectable total. Bringing all his experience into play, the former Indian skipper did not give any room to the batsmen and ensured they were strangled for runs. Like Kohli, he also was looking for redemption, having dropped Dwayne Bravo in the previous game, which allowed Mumbai to come back into the match, and go on to win it. Here, he was on top of the game with both ball and as skipper.

Kumble’s introduction of Kohli in the bowling attack managed to stem the flow of runs from both ends, following the unlucky run out of Vaughan van Jaarsveld, who slipped while trying to make his ground. As the pressure mounted, Kumble sent back top-scorer Alviro Petersen, who missed a slog sweep.

The two Ks continued to choke Neil McKenzie, who was making a comeback. Even though the former South African opener managed to score at just over a run a ball, it wasn’t enough to help Lions maintain the momentum. In the end, it needed a rollicking Robert Frylinck to take them to a decent score. However, they couldn’t keep down an inspired Bangalore, despite a spirited challenge in the field as well.

Yuvraj Singh

After being axed yet again, for the Test series against Australia, Yuvraj Singh might be beginning to wonder what the future holds for him, at least as far as his Test career is concerned. Injury, fitness and poor form, the former Kings XI Punjab skipper has seen it all in what has been a forgettable year for him. However, the lanky and now extremely experienced left-handed batsman must not feel completely disheartened.

Every one goes through bad times. However, he must remember that tough times don’t last, but tough people do. This is the time for introspection for Yuvraj, with five months left to go for the World Cup. His Test cricket career can take a backseat for the moment. As of now, he needs to concentrate on getting himself fit for the big test in one-dayers. But obviously, he will be in the scheme of things for next year’s cricketing bonanza. But, for that, he needs to bring himself to prime form.

Yuvraj cannot be blamed for everything that has gone wrong with him in the last year. At the same time, he cannot be absolved of his wrongdoings. It has been a bit of both bad luck and lack of professionalism that has contributed to Yuvraj’s latest downfall. Nothing much can be done about the luck factor, but considering the amount of experience behind him, he must surely have found out what else went wrong with him. And so, this isn’t a bad time for Yuvraj to pick up the pieces. After all, he is still 29, an age when most batsmen are at their peak.

Yuvraj Singh

He needs to start from scratch though, and must have the tenacity to go back to a lower grade of cricket and get his act right. It won’t be easy especially after ten years at the top. But then, the best in Indian cricket, from Sourav Ganguly to VVS Laxman, have done it and come back as better players. So also, Yuvraj has the capability to make a strong comeback. He has done it before and there is no reason why he can’t do it again. After all, he is more mature now compared to the last time he was dropped.

Apart from the batting aspect, he needs to work his way back on his fielding skills as well. And for that staying fit is of utmost importance. It is not easy considering the kind of lavish lifestyle the ‘prince’ enjoys and also the added distractions named IPL and T20 cricket, apart from fashion shows and TV appearances. And thus, this is where the real test will come for Yuvraj. Does he have the inspiration to battle his way back, or is he satisfied with what he has achieved so far, which isn’t unimpressive by any stretch of the imagination, but borders on the line of expected considering his humungous talent.

How Yuvraj shapes up in the next couple of months, will go a long way in determining how far his international career stretches from this point. Further, there will be two major challenges in front of Yuvraj in the times to come. One is to get his Test career back on track and the other will be to re-establish his one-day supremacy. If he fails in either, he will not have done absolute justice to his potential.

Pakistan Cricket Team

Amidst the entire hullabaloo over the spot-fixing episodes, and allegations and counter-allegations flying left, right and centre, the ODI series between the tainted Pakistan and England seems like a completely futile experiment. And, and if to add to the woes, the ODIs itself are being investigated by the ICC. To make matters worse, Ijaz Butt has come out with unproven allegations against the England team, plus there has been a spat between Wahab Riaz and Jonathan Trott.

Every that could have possibly gone wrong has taken place in the last few weeks between England and Pakistan. Yet, the series has continued for some inexplicable reasons, even after the players themselves have publicly acknowledged that they would be relieved once the series gets over. And when the result of a tournament doesn’t matter, there’s something horribly wrong which has to be set correct.

Also, this isn’t the time to malign the already under-fire game. The media, the ICC as well as the players, past and present, must not come out with ‘sensational’ revelations just to be in the news or settle personal scores. For true lovers of the sport, this is the time to come out and support the game, i.e. if they believe that only a handful of them are among the culprits.

The timing of the controversy is ironically not ‘spot on’, what with just under 150 days left for the World Cup to get underway. But then, it must be seen as a bit of good that this happened before the mega tournament and not too close to it. What the ICC anti-corruption unit as well as the PCB should do now is to swing into action and work at a rather rapid pace. They do not have much time on hand to reduce the damage done to cricket. And since this is not the first time that match-fixing has reared its ugly head, the punishment for the guilty should be stringent.

One might say that if some like Mohammad Amir is found guilty, he should be let off with a severe warning considering he is still in his impressionable years. However, that might set a wrong precedent for the coming generations and so be it Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif or Amir or anyone else from any other country proved culpable of the crime has to be shown the door; this needs to be done to reduce the damage done to the name of the game. It might still not be enough though, and a lot more efforts are needed to get the game back on track.

First things first, the boards of each respective teams need to make sure that the player representing the country has a clean chit as far as such illegal acts are concerned. Also, they must be sure that he is worthy of playing for the country and also that his chances of getting involved in filthy deeds are minimal. Sounds irrational. However considering the current scenario, it is important that players are given some sort of a ‘character certificate’ before donning national colours.

There is not much the ICC can do except trying their best to curb corruption. After all, the betting mafia is so widespread. The problem thus needs to be dealt with at the grassroot levels.

Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina and Murli Vijay combined forces in a brutal manner to help Chennai Super Kings maul a miserable Wayamba by a massive margin of 97 runs. The left-right hand duo of Raina and Vijay smashed 137 runs in their match-winning partnership as Chennai posted exactly 200 for the loss of three wickets.

In reply, even the entire Wayamba side could not the partnership as they succumbed to 103 all out. None of the batsmen from the Lankan side could make any sort of an impact on a pitch that had nothing extraordinary for the bowlers. Still, the pressure of runs was just too much for them to handle. It has to be said though that it was poor bowling from Wayamba that let them down.

The bowling was totally wayward – short, full or on an easily driving length. And to their credit, Raina and Vijay took the best possible advantage for it. On this day, everything went Vijay’s way. And so, he brought out those delectable flicks, soothing drives and controlled pulls with utmost success. At the other end, the veteran Australian Matthew Hayden was struggling to time the ball. But Vijay ensured that the scoring rate wasn’t affected drastically. And once Hayden fell, Raina and Vijay launched their gregarious assault.

The mediocrity of the Wayamba attack enabled Vijay to move around in the crease and picks the gaps at ease and, at other times, clear the field. twenty three runs were leaked in the fifth over, bowled by Chanaka Welegedara. And the smashing paid did not look back after that. Every time it looked that one was dominating the bowling attack, the other would could come out with something equally impressive, or even better. And the Wayamba bowlers had no clue at all how to stop the rut.

Some of Raina’s memorable strokes included an inside-out hit six off Thisara Perera to start off with. As spin and medium pace was introduced, he swept, drove and lofted them with consummate ease. Once India’s biggest nemesis, Ajantha Mendis was hoicked for four biggies in the same direction even though the lengths of all the deliveries were different. The crowds were enjoying the barrage, while, at the same time, searching for cover. Wayamba pulled things back to an extent when Vijay and Raina fell off consecutive deliveries and a possible score of 220 was kept down to 200. Still, it was going to be a hugely challenging chase.

As it turned out, the Wayamba batsmen had nothing to offer in the form of resistance. For them to have a chance, Mahela Jayawardene needed to come up with a chanceless knock. Unfortunately for the Lankan side, he perished as early as the fourth over, cutting Doug Bollinger to Muttiah Muralitharan. The rest followed suit, as if the perfect example had been set.

The Chennai bowlers helped themselves to some impressive figures – off spinner R Ashwin grabbing four wickets and deserving each one of them as well. Home boy Albie Morkel also made his presence felt. While he did not have much to do with the bat thanks to Raina and Vijay, he chipped in with three wickets, to break the back of Wayamba’s chase. It was just all too easy for the IPL champions.