Category Archives: cricket in India

February 27, 2017 · 10:29 am

Cricket Riveting Cricket!! Valentine and Ramadhin Rise Again at Pune

Gideon Haigh, in The Australian, 27 February 2017, where his chosen title is “Pune shock a victory for the true believers”

This was one for the true believers, and it’s fair to say that these were heavily outnumbered in the vicinity of MCA Stadium last week, especially once the pitch, as dry and scarred as the lunar surface, was rolled out. When Steve Smith spoke warmly ahead of the first Test of “the great challenge” of playing in India, and of the future possibility of team members looking back on a series win as “the best time of our lives”, he was indulged, but sceptically. Young captains must say such things, mustn’t they? The forebodings of a chorus of greats resonated more loudly.

Australia’s captain Steve Smith bats during Third day of the first cricket test match against India in Pune, India, Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)

But when Smith opined of his tough summer’s cricket that “you probably learn more from losing games than you do from winning”, it turns out he was not kidding. In Pune, he and his team evinced a quality in which Australian cricket has not always abounded: humility. Continue reading →

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Filed under Australian cricket, cricket and life, cricket in India, Indian cricket, performance, shane warne, tower of strength

February 27, 2017 · 10:17 am

Australia’s Lock and Laker decimate India’s Batting

Steven O’Keefe and Nathan Lyon reversed the famous Laker-Lock roles in skittling the renowned Indian batting line up at Pune in ways that recall the manner in which Laker and Lock undermined the Aussies during the famous 1956 Ashes series in 1956 .. in the era before wickets were covered.

O’Keefe celbrates wkt–-Pic by Reuters& Danish-Siddiqui

INNINGS ONE
	SNJ O’Keefe	13.1	2	35	6	2.65	55	2	1

	NM Lyon	11	2	21	1	1.90	52	2	0

INNINGS TWO

NM Lyon	14.5	2	53	4	3.57	59	5	0
	SNJ O’Keefe	15	4	35	6	2.33	71	4	0

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Filed under Australian cricket, cricket and life, cricket in India, cricketing icons, Indian cricket, performance, unusual statistics

January 30, 2017 · 11:47 pm

Recognising Michael Tissera in the Tale of Sri Lankan Cricket

Abhishek Mukherjee, 25 March 2016, courtesy of http://www.cricketcountry.com/articles/michael-tissera-the-man-who-gave-his-name-to-west-indies-sri-lanka-test-series-340992

Michael Tissera shares a trophy name with Garry Sobers. Till date, he also remains the only Sri Lankan captain to win a Test on Indian soil, albeit unofficial.

Michael Tissera © Getty Images

Michael Hugh Tissera, born March 23, 1939, was one of the architects of Sri Lankan cricket in 1960s and 1970s. Unfortunately, his international career started late, for Sri Lanka did not get a chance to lock horns with the big guns in official matches till World Cup 1975. His leadership qualities and all-round skills on the field made him stand out among Sri Lankan cricketers of his era. To honour him, the West Indies-Sri Lanka Test series were named Sobers-Tissera Trophy after him and Sir Garry. Abhishek Mukherjee remembers a forgotten man of Sri Lankan cricket.

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Filed under cricket and life, cricket in India, cricketing icons, cricketing records, Indian cricket, performance, player selections, sportsmanship, Sri Lanka Cricket, tower of strength, unusual statistics

January 5, 2017 · 2:35 pm

Dhoni the Captain: Cool. Thinking, Daring

Sidharth Monga, in ESPNcricinfo.com where the title is “A reputation staked on bold decisions, Dhoni makes one more”

There is a great little story, almost confirmed, but better off without a final confirmation, about India’s – perhaps the world’s – best limited-overs captain. In the 2007 World T20 final, when MS Dhoni asked Joginder Sharma to bowl the final over ahead of Harbhajan Singh, he told this domestic workhorse something. It was either at the start of the over, when Pakistan needed 13 to win, or after the six by Misbah-Ul-Haq, which left them needing six runs off four balls.

In the high-pressure final, against the great rivals Pakistan, having given up a winning position in a match India originally had no business winning, amid blaring music, this man, in his first tournament as an international captain, told Joginder, two years younger to him: “You have bowled so many overs in domestic cricket with so much dedication, when no one is watching. Don’t worry, cricket won’t let you down now.”Dhoni’s last-over call to have Joginder Sharma bowl to Misbah-Ul-Haq with a World T20 title on the line is one of many calculated risks that paid off during his captaincy reign © Getty Images Continue reading →

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Filed under cricket and life, cricket in India, cricketing icons, Indian cricket, performance, player selections

December 30, 2016 · 1:34 pm

Sri Lanka’s Golden Oldies of the 1970s

Sankaran Krishna, in ESPNcricinfo, December 2016 where the title is “Sri Lanka’s pre-Test glory days”

Of late, it seems India play Sri Lanka in some form of cricket just about every other month. These matches, especially one-dayers, have little charm and no one really remembers anything much about them. Sri Lankan cricketers have suffered from over-exposure in India, which is such a pity when you think of the soft caress of Mahela Jayawardene’s strokeplay or the elegance of Kumar Sangakkara, to mention just two of their finest.

Sunil Wettimuny bats against Australia in the 1975 World Cup, before he was forced to retire hurt, courtesy Thommo © Getty Images

There was a time, back in the 1970s, when cricketers from Sri Lanka were exotic and rare creatures, who created quite an impact on schoolboys like me in Madras. We caught a glimpse of them during the annual MJ Gopalan Trophy (thankfully now revived after a long hiatus), which pitted the Sri Lankans against the Tamil Nadu state team. The matches were three-day affairs and often keenly contested. And there was the unofficial two-Test series between a near-full-strength Indian team in its pomp and the Sri Lankans in early 1974. Though India won 1-0, the home team more than held their own.

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Filed under Australian cricket, child of empire, confrontations on field, cricket and life, cricket governance, cricket in India, Indian cricket, International Cricket Council, performance, Sangakkara, Sri Lanka Cricket

August 17, 2016 · 2:58 pm

Brettig’s Brilliant Deciphering of Test Disasters in Lanka

Daniel Brettig, courtesy of ESPNcricinfo, 17 August 2016, where the title is “Clueless Australia need a cultural shift”

In 1969, when choosing the Australian touring team for India, the selectors omitted a young Greg Chappell to the surprise of many. When pressed for a reason why, the selection chairman Sir Donald Bradman is said to have replied: “We don’t want him going to India and getting sick.” Though Bill Lawry’s team went on to win a fractious and tightly contested series, Bradman’s comment endured as a summation of Australian attitudes to Asia for years afterwards. It was the place you went to to get sick, to have your batting average halved by wily spinners and trigger-happy umpires, and to have your back broken by pitches designed to break fast bowlers’ hearts. Tim May, the former Test spin bowler, penned a satirical book called Mayhem, that focused on digestive misadventures as the hallmark of trips to the subcontinent.

Hero Herath celebrates —Pic AFP

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Filed under Angelo Mathews, Australian cricket, child of empire, cricket and life, cricket in India, Daniel Brettig, performance, player selections, Sri Lanka Cricket, unusual people

August 8, 2016 · 4:11 pm

Stephen Smith amongst the Driftwood of Australian Wreckage

Geoff Lemon in ABC 7 August 2016, in where the title is “Sri Lanka v Australia: Surveying the wreckage, all Steve Smith knows is that Steve Smith knows nothing”

Sri Lanka's wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal celebrating and cheering the dismissal of Australian captain Steven Smith.

PHOTO: Australia’s batsmen, including Smith (L), were no match for Sri Lanka’s spinners. (AFP: Ishara Kodikara)

If you get a moment, it is worth watching some video of Steve Smith’s press conference after Australia lost at Galle. Continue reading →

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Filed under Australian cricket, child of empire, cricket in India, cricketing icons, performance, player selections, Sri Lanka Cricket

March 26, 2016 · 2:11 pm

Ceylon’s Cinderella Fate in Cricket during the 1960s-to-1980s

Sankaran Krishna, in ESPNcricinfo, 26 March 2016, where the title is “The Sri Lanka I grew up on”

Sunil Wettimuny square cuts an Aussie–Getty

There was a time, back in the 1970s, when cricketers from Sri Lanka were exotic and rare creatures, who created quite an impact on schoolboys like me in Madras. We caught a glimpse of them during the annual MJ Gopalan Trophy (thankfully now revived after a long hiatus), which pitted the Sri Lankans against the Tamil Nadu state team. The matches were three-day affairs and often keenly contested. And there was the unofficial two-Test series between a near-full-strength Indian team in its pomp and the Sri Lankans in early 1974. Though India won 1-0, the visitors more than held their own. Continue reading →

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Filed under cricket and life, cricket in India, cricketing icons, performance, politics and cricket, Sri Lanka Cricket

March 13, 2016 · 1:04 am

Australia’s Plans for World T20 in India

From the Weekend Australian, 12/13 March 2016

Lehmann-tribune.com.pk Warner-Pic fr. lokmarg.com

Coach Darren Lehmann has no doubt what it will take for Australia to claim a maiden World Twenty20 title and much of it comes down to composure. “The team that comes out on top in India is going to be the one that makes the least mistakes and is most confident in those high-pressure situations in tight games,” Lehmann says. The tournament may lack the prestige of its 50-over counterpart but few cricket competitions are quite as abruptly punishing. The abridged nature of T20 means there is a greater chance that a single error will decide a match. And the structure of the tournament, being hosted by India this month, means one loss could be enough to crush a side’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals. Continue reading →

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Filed under Australian cricket, cricket in India, cricketing icons, performance, T20 Cricket

February 11, 2016 · 1:07 am

Andrew Fernando’s Readings of the T20 at Pune

Andrew Fidel Fernando

I. “Sri Lanka’s pole-thin co-operative,” ESPNcricinfo, February 2016

The pole-thin co-operative: Sri Lanka unearthed a skinny quick with serious potential in Dushmantha Chameera last year. In this match, Chameera may have played a role in finding another just like him. The second ball of Kasun Rajitha‘s career stopped slightly on Rohit Sharma, who spooned the ball just wide of the bowler. Chameera made quick ground moving to his right from mid-off, and dove athletically, both feet off the ground, to secure the catch. That first wicket sent Rajitha into raptures, and he would go on to set the tone for the innings with four more excellent balls in that over.