Lifeless Pitches...

I have been thinking of writing this blog for a long time now but never got the time. So if you have watched the test series between India and Pakistan there was one glaring malady which pervaded itself throughout the series. The quality of the pitches. To say that it was appalling would be an understatement. I have always been a great fan of test match cricket but the matches were off putting even for a fanatic like me. To see a side struggling to castle 10 wickets in over 3 days is really depressing. A sporting wicket is one which provides ample opportunities for both the batsmen and bowlers.In this series it seemed as if the breed of bowlers never existed. What can one expect a bowler to do when there is no bounce, pace, spin, swing etc..
The pitches in the subcontinent have never been conducive to the faster bowlers but what can one call a pitch in which even Anil Kumble is struggling. Kumble has been very successful in subcontinent but to see him struggling is really depressing.The fact that the matches were boring was best exemplified by the attendance in the grounds. India is reputed to have a great cricket following and test matches do arouse considerable interest. But to see empty stands and people sleeping in the grounds was baffling.
So what have India done themselves by preparing such sub standard pitches.They are shooting themselves in their own leg. India are heading to Australia next and they will be greeted with pitches that offer the faster bowlers a lot pace and bounce. As i am writing this blog i get to know that India's only practice match in Australia has been rained off with only 48 overs of play being possible. The schedule being cramped and the only practice game being rendered ineffective the signs are looking ominous.Indians need to play out of their skins to halt the Aussie juggernaut. It will be a stern test for the newcomers and it will be interesting to see how they cope up with the challenge.
Irrespective of the team's performance down under,preparing better pitches remains the need of the hour and the lets hope that the numerous committees appointed by the BCCI do their job and make test matches as exhilarating as they are supposed to be.

The Team For Australian Tour...

Cricket being one of my passions its pertinent that i write something on it. So i then decided to blog about the team selected for the all important tour of Australia. The controversies between the board and the chairman could have easily mired the selection process had not been for the timely intervention of Mr. Sharad Powar. It was a pity that the team couldn't be announced earlier because of the injuries to our pacers.
Its quite apparent that more than half the team selected itself. There were very few places up for grabs. One was the openers' slot and the other was that of the second wicketkeeper.Dinesh karthik put to rest the hopes of Parthiv Patel by managing to notch up a fifty in the second innings and thereby restoring the selectors' confidence. Having been the leading run getter in the England series it would have been a gaffe' to have dropped him on the basis of just one bad series. Gautam Gambir would have boarded the flight but for sore shoulder.This has paved the way for the surprise inclusion of Shewag. Its apparent that he has been selected on the basis of his performance in the last tour down under as his name never featured even in the list of probables. Further he doesn't even have the backing of a strong domestic season to push for his selection. However the selectors seem to have trusted his ability to play the cut and the pull shots.Where else can one would get to showcase it to its fullest than in Australia. The sight of Bret Lee being clouted over point for six is something every is Indian longing to see. However it would be interesting to see if viru would be able to script a comeback on the heels of Sourav Ganguly.
The pace bowling department is the one that poses the great concern. Injuries haven't helped the cause and the attack does looks thin. It would interesting to see if this attack can conjure up something special against the formidable Aussie batting lineup. Whether this attack his capable of collating 20 Australian wickets is a million dollar question. But the selectors should be exalted for picking up youngsters who have done well in domestic circuit and have not gone back to somebody like Agarkar, though he did remarkably well during the last series down under. This would definitely send the right vibes.Munaf Patel has again been left out because of his fitness concerns. His reputation of breaking down very frequently has not made him stand in good stead. The Spinners select themselves and Murali Karthik would be disgruntled on being omitted.Given that the team is not wielding the option of playing 3 spinners even in Indian conditions its very unlikely that 3 spinners will take the field down under as Australia is not a place which is conducive to spin bowling.
It would be exhilarating to see how our much fabled batting lineup copes up with the hostile Australian attack. What India need is a concerted effort with contributions from all. I still feel this is India's best chance to win a series down under.Whether we can make it or not only time will tell.