Cricket: Ashes still in balance

There are clichés in cricket none more apt for good or bad as Aussies are favourites to win. It is pretty much obvious, more so against England. But you must know that the Ashes is still is still in the balance and it might take some thing heroic, from Flintoff and a few others to guide it for England while the whole Aussie team, would be striving hard to win the Ashes, Ponting, George Bush of cricket would be trying is hardest.

Why English cricket is in dismay?

I know there is lot of pride the English have over traditions, everyone should, but ideals/principles have to be worked upon and then accepted, they can’t just be dreamt, you need grit to fight it out. I mean thinking of recalling Ramprakash was a horror, why not dig WG Graces, grave and ask him to bat again, there are a few ex-cricketers, Gower, Botham, Lloyd, Willis doing commentary who know how to do it, why not ask them? I have nothing against Ian Bell, but to simply say this he is the most incomplete batsman the history of cricket has ever seen. I don’t think any Aussie bowlers, even the ones playing county cricket, would love to bowl to a batsman who precedes Bell, its bowl one out get one for free. He scored runs today, yes he was the highest scorer for them today, but that not convincing, that score of 72 would take the team anywhere. The other equally unconvincing is Collingwood batting down the order. The last position he can bat is one down. It would give immense impetus to everyone in the team. He has done his job till know, otherwise for all to know, first test at Cardiff could have easily gone to the Aussies, and the Ashes would be pocketed by now.

I don’t think Cook is in the best of form, Strauss has done well with the bat, the only centurion for Poms. But considering is last 12-15 years the best batsmen have occupied the one down or the number three slot, Dravid, Ponting, Kallis, Mohammed Yousuf, being the point in case. I don’t think Bell is in the same class. Bell at 4 or 5 down may be just slightly ever so better than Bell at one down that all the concession that he would is I may. If Bell is worthy to be in that eleven then the Aussies deserve to win the Ashes. It is my firmly believe that if anyone wants to win against Aussies, you need to field your best eleven on the basis on class, form and fitness. I will place class first.

They might not is the Tsunami called Andrew Flintoff crashes the Aussie boat. He is standing tall between Aussies and the Ashes. Cricket is a team game and all that will go one. It is right that no one individual can dictate the game, but there will always be times when an individual influences and control the moment. It’s precisely that moment which defines the person. Flintoff has done it once can do it again. Flintoff is just 31; his worthiness is much more than three thousand odd runs and two hundred odd wickets. His brute pace and variety and control almost made him unplayable even today. On current form, not many top batsmen (including Bell) would queue to bat Flintoff. He did spend a lot of time on the injury list, but I won’t be surprised if he is recalled for the next Ashes, if Ramprakash’s name can pop up then, Flintoff too deserves a rethink.

Ponting wants to win

Ponting put the English attack to sword and thwarted any moves possible which would have allowed England to come back. The Poms surrendered with in three days ands the Ashes went back in the balance, locked at 1-1. On the first day England did make 307 for 8 at the end. It is tempting to say that Aussies are firm favourites. But there are a few againsts, standing in front of Ponting and Aussies. One of them being they have never come from a game down to win the series, then there is Flintoff. All it needs is one simple batting collapse and the English take a decent lead of say 50 to 60 runs. But it won’t be still enough, Poms would need t bat well again, something they haven’t done enough.

I still feel that if Ponting wins it he would thoroughly deserves the Ashes. But history counts for nothing. Ponting knows it. Aussies lost to Poms, first time in 75 years. My sense is, Poms would cave in this time, and I am expecting a classic, Test match in the making. The pitch is very interesting and Flintoff would not want any excuse. It is building to be Flintoff Ashes because of the precedent and the presence of the man.

Men other than Flintoff.

I don’t know what Warne thinks of only pace attack. England has Swann, who spins and seems to be a good traditional off spin bowler. Off spinners have traditionally done well against Aussies. But key members from this point of time seem to be the back up bowlers. Anderson has already delivered the goods, Harmison the hero of Poms last Ashes victory seem to be just there. He has to put his hand up. Collingwood should say to everyone I want to bat the Aussies out the second innings. If there is some positive out of the series, then it has to be the fact that English tailed has wagged and wagged more at least more effectively then the top order. Broad too doesn’t look all that sharp on form. Swann holds the key.

Cricket: Flintoff vs Aussies

The drama continues to unfold as Aussies and Poms lock horns for the third test over the series. It’s an observation of mine, that both Aussies and Poms have had similar nature of problems, similar nature of performances. The injuries to Lee and to Pietersen, the fragile top order, lack luster performance of frontline bowlers, Broad and Johnson, the performance of the offies, Haurtiz and Swann, the centuries by captains, Strauss and Ponting. But I think the Aussies have a better middle order. I think both teams reluctance to beef up bowling i.e. both Stuart Clark, and Harmisson are busy chit chatting on the sidelines. So if someone said it has been an even contest,then the preceding are some proof of that.

The only differentiating the two teams is the colossal persona of Andrew Flintoff who like Ursa Major seems to be guiding the English Ashes conquest.

I have been dearly following and blogging cricket for some amount of time, I haven’t seen too many ex-captains playing in an Aussie team. I mean Indian test team has Tendulkar and Dravid also when Ganguly was also playing, they were all their (and will be there for some time at least) in the playing eleven led by Dhoni, there is Lankan team right now (playing ODIs) where Jaywardene and Jayasuriya both ex-captains are currently playing in the eleven, take Pakis for example in they have had such similar teams. But not Aussies, they keep captains till they retire or get/ forced dropped. I don’t mean that Ponting should be dropped or ex communicated. He is a terrific player, but he is one of the generation kind of Aussie captain who regularly gets beaten in tactics and seems to have just one plan.

I mean Punter is Punk’d. Flintoff retirement was surprise for most, but Ponting is not good at trademark Aussie verbatim, the entire barrage you associate with Aussie cricket players. He is undermining his own case; I wonder if he (Ponting) surely understands the gravity of the situation of this series. Why do you want to incite someone like Flintoff for any reason? Flintoff has been on and off the field with injuries, but when he is on song, he is the best bowler in the two teams combines and looks very lethal on top of his bowling mark with the red cherry in his hand. He won the last test doing it a la Botham style, on the very day, Botham eclipsed Aussies at a test in Headingley (1981), Aussies enforced the follow on and went on to lose (they have been the only team to do so and lose), Botham smacking a century and Bob Willis scything the Aussies bats. The test is remembered as Botham's test and the series the Botham’s Series. The clock did finally turn after 27 years as Flintoff completed the turn by blasting through the Aussies batting on teh final day of the Lords test. Flintoff not only defeated the Aussies, but also history in some ways, as Poms posted there first victory over Aussies at Lords in over 75 years, the home of Cricket’s Holy Grail, The Ashes and also home of English Cricket.

Flintoff isn’t far off, I wonder if he would make a century in this series for the remainder of the three matches (this one included in three)

The series could be more riveting if both captains chose team on merit of abilities. Stuart Clarke and Watson are a must for this Aussie team. Watson seems to have funk you need in cricket, he get something extra to bring it on the table. Harmisson should be there his pace and bounce will upset the Aussies, and also will cut down on load from Flintoff, this making the Pom bowling attack shaper. Swann will play coz Aussies have been traditional very ordinary to off spin bowling, like the English have been to seam and spin bowling.

Let the Test begin and may best team win.

Second edit.

Cricket: Second Test Preview.

Never take victories into head and never take defeats to heart. I wish something were also said about drawn Test matches. It was that type of drawn test, in which both teams would love to take something out of the last game into this test match. Indians played to the gallery and had cats among pigeons. I think Indians would have never ever made it. It was too much of an ask and Flintoff could not comprehend the situation. There was unnecessary panic.
As from experiences, one should never ever write off Tendulkar. He might turn up on the pitch any day and haemorrhage runs. He has the most numbers of international runs. One thing we can write about Tendulkar, he may get out to a second string bowler. Monty Panesar would not have in his wildest dream ever thought of claiming Tendulkar’s wicket in his Test debut. Panesar bowled well in the conditions. Indians were also guilty of lack of imagination in bowling and batting. The fielding in second innings was a perfect example of how not to field in a test match.
The Second Test gets underway at P.C.A. Mohali, Chandigarh. It is perhaps the most scenic of all Indian grounds. When the last time these two teams met here, Harbhajan dented life out of England with five wickets in a green top. This time round it will be interesting to see if Harbhajan plays at all. Sree Santh is confirmed not to play. There is toss between Laxman and Kaif. I am not sure if I want to be in Dravid’s shoes.
It will be said to both players. The Indians will do good to win the toss and play first and hopefully make a good first innings score.
The English will do well to chuck out Ian Bell and get another batsman. Pietersen and Collingwood should look to come up with Jones and Flintoff covering up. Their bowlers might get a good purchase. Alistair Cook should be smart enough to play the way he knows best. Pietersen and Collingwood should be hell bent on staying in the middle for a very long time.
The final eleven will be interesting to see. This is a very crucial innings in context of the series.