Sri Lanka v India, 3rd Test, Day 4 - Tough task ahead for Sri Lanka

The last time an Indian team won a Test series in Sri Lanka was twenty two years back. After so many years, the opportunity for India to break the jinx is just seven wickets away. The body language of the Sri Lankans say that they lack the fighting spirit and they are a tired unit. It is expected that the Indians will wrap up the match quickly in the final day. The good thing is that the possibility of a result in this Test match is maximum until and unless rain shows up again to spoil the party. But, the Lankans will not mind at all if the rain does show up tomorrow.

The fans of Rohit Sharma are happy as because his bat smiled in a very crucial juncture of the match. It was a counterattacking knock which gave the Indian innings momentum after being reduced to 7 for 3 at one stage. People say that Rohit is extremely talented, but what is the use of that talent if it does not dazzle consistently? Personally, I admire the consistent performers more than those talents who dishes out a fine knock once-in-a-blue-moon. I still believe that the Indian Test team needs Pujara more than Rohit.

Can Sri Lanka maintain their impressive home record against India? Can Sri Lanka deny India from a victory? The Lankans have a task ahead tomorrow.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Indian top order's technical insufficiencies exposed by the Sri Lankan pacers

The Sri Lankan pacers  have been an absolute nightmare for the Indian top order batsmen in the ongoing Test series, especially the openers. Dhammika Prasad’s extravagant movement which either comes back in or leave away from the batsmen and Nuwan Pradeep’s deceptive pace and incoming deliveries have made life tough for the Indian top order.

No doubt, Prasad has been one of the most outstanding performers throughout this Test series, but with due respect to the other Sri Lankan pacers as well, the technical insufficiencies of the Indian top-order batsmen have played a big role in their dismissals.

In the first Test at Galle, during India’s first innings, Dhammika dished out a delivery which moved back to trap KL Rahul who had moved forward plumb in front. Umpire Bruce Oxenford raised his finger after a vociferous appeal from the hosts. Murali Vijay succumbed in a similar manner in the second Test after Vijay, like Rahul, came forward too quickly and tried to counter the movement on the front foot.

 

In the third Test, Nuwan Pradeep banged in a fuller delivery targeting the middle and leg stump and Rahane, rather than going back, tried to counter the movement with his front foot but was trapped leg before as the ball hit his back leg.

The above-mentioned dismissals show that the Indian batsmen are not well-equipped against the incoming deliveries. The Indian opening and top order batsmen tried to play the moving ball, especially those which nipped back in, on the front foot, whereas they should have negotiated those on the back foot allowing themselves more time to play the ball late.

Dhammika Prasad has been effulgent and smart enough as well in exploiting the weakness of the Indian batters. More assurance on the back foot would have helped the Indian top order in handling the movement quite well.  

The reasons for the unwanted tendency of playing the ball regularly on the front foot

Whenever a batsman goes on the back foot, a plethora of strokes crops up and aids him to exhibit the shots in the most authoritative manner. By playing the moving ball on the front foot always invites fatal outcomes and the Indian batsmen are experiencing this quite well.

Such a technical insufficiency is not only seen among the Indian or subcontinental batsmen alone but the majority of the modern day batsmen who tend to have such a glitch in their technique. In the recently concluded Ashes series, the Australian top order was at bay when the English pacers moved the ball at will. Even the World’s No 1 Test batsman, Steve Smith, was seen like a novice against the moving ball.

In the good old days, openers like Sunil Gavaskar or Graham Gooch were seen to open their account by getting on the back foot against the incoming deliveries with confidence and glancing the ball towards the fine leg region. At present, there is more tendency to play any sort of deliveries on the front foot.

One of the most important reasons for the above might be the overdose of Twenty20 cricket which puts the emphasis on trying to score off every ball. Secondly, the lack of sporting tracks in domestic cricket. By playing on placid tracks, a batsman can never develop the habit of using his back foot appropriately.

And finally, there is no use of the ‘dukes’ ball in domestic cricket. In the subcontinent, Kookaburra and SG balls are used more which at one stage becomes more useful for the spinners. The ‘dukes’ ball aids more swing and facing such deliveries regularly will strengthen the batsman’s technique against swing bowling as well.  

Note: This article has been published in Sportskeeda on 31/08/2015 Indian top order's technical insufficiencies exposed by the Sri Lankan pacers

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Sri Lanka v India, 3rd Test, Day 3 - It was frenetic day

What a frenetic day it was in Colombo! 15 wickets fell in a single day. India added a few more runs to their yesterday’s total and when Sri Lanka came out to bat in their first innings, the Indian bowlers created a havoc and reduced Sri Lanka to 47 for 6. The Lankans can blame luck and the absence of DRS as because, “Upul Tharanga was given out off a no-ball even though the TV umpire had a look at the replays, Dinesh Chandimal - counterattacking his way to 23 off 27 - was given out lbw to a ball that hit him bail high and was on its way up, and Tharindu Kaushal was given out lbw off an inside edge” (cricinfo).

Gallant contributions from Kusal Perera, Dhammika Prasad and Rangana Herath restored pride for Sri Lanka and when India came out to bat in their second innings, they found themselves reeling at 7 for 3! Rain resulted in a premature end to the day, but India will not mind at all as they are leading by 132 runs and any score above 200 runs will be tough to chase on this track in the fourth innings.

So far, the battle between the bat and ball has been very attractive. Gone are the days when Sri Lanka used to produce the sleeping beauties in the past which only ensured dull draws. Nowadays, they are preparing sporting tracks which are offering fascinating contests. In fact, the nature of tracks across the globe is changing. Modern day tracks are prepared to ensure some assistance for the bowlers and I welcome such initiatives as because, when the ball has the upper hand, the contest is always simmering.  

Thank you

Faisal Caesar  

Sri Lanka v India, 3rd Test, Day 2 - The day belongs to Cheteshwar Pujara

Are you sure that Cheteshwar Pujara will feature in the upcoming heavyweight series against South Africa? Will the obsession regarding an overrated Sharma come to an end? In the subcontinent, obsession bears more weight than a classic performer. Isn’t it?

As, for example, in Bangladesh, a section of people are still obsessed with the men of yesterday – Mohammad Ashraful, Naim Islam and Abdur Razzak and they even want them in the team at the cost of Mominul Haque, Mahmudullah Riyad and Liton Kumar Das. Obsession is a very dangerous psychiatric disorder by which most of the so called subcontinental cricket experts and high officials are affected and among the Bangladeshi so-called experts there are plenty of patients of obsessive compulsive disorder.

Today, Pujara has been a delight for those who actually understands the true meaning of ideal batsmanship. Batsmen like Pujara reminds us that a relationship between a husband and wife can last for eternity while the likes of Rohit Sharma or any other bloody Twenty20 star batsman only reminds us about one night stay in the hotel. Test cricket, the ultimate format of the game, is not for the street Romeos of Twenty20 taamasha. But, it’s for the toughest characters who have the technique and temperament to face the challenge. Pujara is a tough guy. Pujara is the batsman to watch.

The situation was not rosy at Colombo. The track was not a friendly one. But, when someone has the best technique under his belt, then what is the issue? While the other rockstars of the Indian team struggled, Pujara maintained his composure to notch-up one of the finest hundreds of the year 2015. Certainly, we have witnessed some memorable knocks in 2015 so far and Pujara’s knock deserved to be right up there among the top five best knocks of this year. Well, his knock was not all about scoring a hundred, but pulling the Indian team out of the mud was another act which he did masterfully today. His partnership with Amit Mishra reminded us about Laxman marshalling the tail. Am I wrong? No, I am not wrong at all.  

What does Pujara need to claim a permanent place in the Indian team? I don’t wish to think about the betterment of a team, but I am more interested about the betterment of Test cricket and for the betterment of Test cricket, Pujara is needed. The Indian hierarchy must not ignore him from the Test XI.

Thank You
Faisal Caesar

BCB's proposal to cut a Test against Zimbabwe is unacceptable

Zimbabwe will tour Bangladesh on January 2016 when the visitors are supposed to play a three-match Test series, five-match ODI series and three Twenty20 internationals. But the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is in discussion with Zimbabwe Cricket to omit one Test from the bilateral series.

Bangladesh ended the year 2014 on a high by completely outclassing one of their favorite oppositions Zimbabwe in Tests and ODIs, also the series which aided the Tigers to get back on the winning track. Bangladesh had a nightmarish journey in the major part of 2014 and it was that series against Zimbabwe which restored Bangladesh’s lost confidence, and still that resultant self-belief has not ebbed away, it is getting stronger day by day.

BCB cricket operations committee’s chairman Naimur Rahman told reporters on August 24, 2015 that the proposal to scrap the Test was made by keeping in mind the preparations for the Asia Cup T20 and World T20 following the series against Zimbabwe.

“We are still in talks with Zimbabwe. We have proposed to reduce one Test. They said they will let us know after discussing among themselves. We have to consider the cricketers' rest and recovery, at the same time we are committed to playing ODIs and T20s after the Tests. So we have to prepare accordingly. That's why we are reducing the number of Tests so that we can prepare for T20s."

Naimur Rahman said that the BCB is still waiting for the decision of Zimbabwe Cricket regarding the decision.

The importance of Test cricket to Bangladesh

Faring well in Test cricket is the ultimate accolade. The Sri Lankans became one of the top teams of the world only when they started to fare well in Test matches; despite their overwhelming success in limited-overs cricket during the mid 90s, critics rated them as just mere entertainers.

The fantastic victory against England at the Oval in 1998 made everyone believe that the Lankans are one of the top teams in the cricketing globe. Even after lifting the World Cup in 1996, the Lankan skipper Arjuna Ranatunga strongly stated that his main priority is to make Sri Lanka a better Test team. Sri Lanka never gave Test cricket less importance and such a school of thought paid them rich dividends.

So far, Bangladesh’s love for Test cricket has always been scanty. They were mad about gaining the Test status 15 years back, but when the matter of exhibiting a passion for Test cricket came, the fans, media, local commentators, cricket pundits and hierarchy have always been short-sighted and more often devalued the traditional format of the game.

They always loved improving in that sector which has already been more comfortable for them – Bangladesh's success in limited-overs cricket and poor results in Test cricket says it all.

Rain stealing Bangladesh’s chances to realise their Test worth

Such a proposal from BCB has been quite unexpected. It is quite saddening to see that the hierarchy of Bangladesh cricket still has not realized the importance of playing Test cricket. To stamp an authority on world cricket, Bangladesh need to fare well in five-day matches. Striking gold only in the limited-over versions, especially in Twenty20 cricket, can never be the ultimate goal for the Tigers.

They will trigger short-term euphorias, but they will melt like an ice sculpture in the Sahara desert if the performance in Test cricket is not sound.

Bangladesh were deprived of playing Test matches against teams like India and South Africa due to the intervention of inclement weather and it had deprived them from realizing their true worth in five-day matches. Surely, playing full matches against India and South Africa would have been extremely beneficial for Bangladesh.

Even if the memories of the first Test against Pakistan at Khulna are sweet, but those memories turned into a nightmare in Mirpur where Bangladesh’s meek surrender indicated how badly the Tigers need to play Test matches more and more.

The problems and the possible solution

Naimur Rahman did insist that Test cricket remains the most important for Bangladesh as he said, “Because Tests are important, we are using tournaments like BCL and NCL to prepare players for the longer version.”

Yes, longer version matches in domestic cricket do help in preparing for playing Test cricket, but how can one know how good they are if they don’t play enough Test matches? Then Naimur cited the fitness of some of Bangladesh’s front line pacers and the impact of the busy schedule which might hamper the fitness of the cricketers.

Well, if fitness and a hectic schedule are the issues, then why not surface young bloods; and against Zimbabwe it would be a great opportunity to try and test the promising players. There are quite a few good performers in the domestic circuit who are qualified enough to claim a place in the Test team.

Bangladesh still don’t have many friends in world cricket and their opportunities are quite less in quantity than the likes of England, South Africa or Australia. They play lesser amount of Tests than the big guns and for which, whatever opportunities come, they must take them emphatically.

Note: This article has been published in Sportskeeda on 25/08/2015 BCB's proposal to cut a Test against Zimbabwe is unacceptable

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

Sri Lanka v India, 2nd Test, Day 5 - It's 1-1

At last a Test win for Virat Kohli as captain and it was just a matter of time. I kind of a have immense faith in this man’s ability since I saw him, made his debut in international cricket. Sadly, Kumar Sangakkara’s farewell Test match has not been a memorable one. The Indians have spoiled Sanga’s farewell and they deserved to win the second Test.

Yes, batting on this track was never going to be easy, but was it such difficult that the Lankans would succumb in such a pathetic fashion? It was a meek surrender and I expected them to fight and make the contest a fascinating one. Ravi Ashwin has been the wrecker in chief again. He is enjoying a rich vein of form and one change I have been noticing in his bowling since the Bangladesh series is his line of attack and the nag to hit the good length consistently. His line is more attacking than before and this is helping him to fetch wickets consistently in my opinion.

India have leveled the series and I am expecting a gripping contest in the third Test.

Thank You
Faisal Caesar 

England v Australia, 5th Test, Day 4 - Australia thrash England, but Cook and his men celebrate

So, Australia have won a Test match at the Oval at last. The last time I saw an Australian team to conquer Oval was way back in 2001 which hit the headlines due to a brave hundred from Steve Waugh. This year’s Oval Test hit the headlines because of Michael Clarke’s retirement. Yes, Pup has finished his Test career with a victory, but it would have been sweeter if he could lift the urn on English soil. Moreover, he might not have decided to retire had he won the Ashes.

But from today, the cricketing world will not witness more of Michael Clarke. It’s pretty hard to digest the retirement of two legends of the game at the same time. How quickly time flies away! 2000 and 2004 still seems yesterday. It seems that just yesterday a doe-eyed youngster from Sri Lanka and a cute-faced Australian youngster made their debuts in international cricket. Only a cricket fan who has been watching cricket for a brief period (I have started following since 1988)can understand the depth of my sadness.

But life moves on. 

Anyhow, England’s defeat was just a matter of time. Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad and tried to frustrate the Australian bowlers but it was not possible to prolong the resistance. The newly energized Peter Siddle dismissed Moeen Ali and Australia scripted victory by an innings and 46 runs. But such a defeat didn’t bother England at all. Alastair Cook and his men ere delirious while celebrating with the urn.
 
Lastly, the quality of cricket in this year’s Ashes has been poor. England did well in exploiting Australia’s pathetic display with the bat and that’s all. England do have chinks in their armory and, I think, against Pakistan and South Africa they might be found wanting. Whereas, it’s rebuilding time for Australia. The new captain Steve Smith needs to be like Allan Border and of course, he needs to be an attacking captain. The Bangladesh tour will be a stifling one. A challenging journey awaiting for Smith.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Sri Lanka v India, 2nd Test, Day 4 - India set Sri Lanka a stiff total to chase

Yet another legend has left the scene after glorifying the world cricket. He had been one of the finest cricketers ever to reign in the history of cricket. How poorer cricket will be without Kumar Sangakkara remains a moot question. The replacements of Viv, Imran, Kapil or Border have been perfect, but I don’t see any perfect replacements of Sachin, Lara, Kallis, Steve Waugh, Wasim or Sangakkara.

Thank You Kumar Sangakkara for everything.

The Indians enjoyed a productive day on the field. Rahane notched up another Test hundred and this guy is ready to deliver for India when it matters the most. The target of 413 will be tougher to chase on this track tomorrow. The Sri Lankans need to show enough character to save this Test match on day 4.

Thank You
Faisal Caesar 

England v Australia, 5th Test, Day 3 - England fight back, but Australia dominant

Moeen Ali and Stuart Broad stitched a 57-run partnership for the ninth wicket to frustrate the Australian bowlers, but it was not a legendary hang around as the Australians bowled out England for 149 runs. Michael Clarke went for the follow-on option and this is the first time that an Australian captain had opted to follow-on since 2001.

England’s reply in the second innings was not sound – the wickets kept on falling at regular intervals like the first innings, but Alastair Cook dished out a stubborn resistance to restore pride. Michael Clarke engaged Steve Smith for a breakthrough and his move struck gold – Cook had to walk for the pavilion at the fag end of the day. Cook’s knock was a useful one as it helped England to take the game to fourth day.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar     

Sri Lanka v India, 2nd Test, Day 3 - India take a lead

The Indian bowlers  were needed to exhibit more persistence and patience on the third day if they wanted to fetch the Lankan scalps. The first session went wicketless as Angelow Mathews and Thirimanne made the Indian bowlers to work hard. In the post-lunch session, the patience and persistence of the Indian bowlers paid off: Ishant Sharma rediscovered his rhythm and gave India the much needed breakthrough by dismissing Thirimanne and then quickly removed the danger man Dinesh Chandimal and suddenly the Sri Lankans were on the back foot.

Angelo Mathews kept on fighting hard, but he lacked the ideal support from the other end as wickets kept on tumbling at regular intervals – seven wickets fell for just 65 runs.  Amit Mishra, who bowled very well yesterday, plucked four wickets and Mathews’ rock solid presence was brought to an end by Stuart Binny.  

I don’t understand why this guy has been made a laughing stock? He might not be highly talented, but he’s a hard worker and yesterday, he bowled brilliantly from one end and never released the pressure. He was accurate with his line-and-length and at times did pose a threat. You need to learn to praise that person who works hard.

India have taken a lead of 157 runs and it is supposed to swell more on day 4. The Lankan batters have a tough task ahead as chasing in the fourth innings will not be easier.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar        

England v Australia, 5th Test, Day 2 - A nightmarish day for England

The tracks were helpful for pace bowling in Trent Bridge and Edgbaston, but the Australian pacers could not create the kind of havoc either like Lord’s or Oval. The track at Lord’s was flat while the grassier tinge of the Oval track totally vanished as the day progressed. What makes the Australian pacers click well on flat tracks and not the bowling friendly ones remains a moot question. Bangladesh should keep this in their mind as our tracks will be placid as well.

Australia played the way which their fans are habituated to watch – ruthless display of cricket. Peter Siddle and Mitchell Marsh bowled with spartan line-and-length, which proved too good for the English batters as they lost seven wickets in the final session. England’s day was nightmarish as Australia  walked back to the dressing room with smiles on their faces.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Sri Lanka v India, 2nd Test, Day 2 - The attritional day was enjoyable

For the modern day cricket lovers, the second day at Colombo will not be an enjoyable one. There were no exhibitions of audacious stroke-play or volatile display of pace bowling or spin bowling, but both the teams proved to be pertinacious which scripted an attritional day.

While the Sri Lankan bowlers were on top in the morning, the Indian didn’t jolt, but ground out 77 runs and while the Indian bowlers were asking questions, the Sri Lankan batsmen’s answered them with sheer grit and patience.

I repeat, Test cricket is not just all about hitting big boundaries and sixes, but defending those deliveries, which suddenly jumps from a length and leaving those balls which pose threats outside the corridor of uncertainty  or ducking against those deceptive short-pitch stuffs can be an enthralling battle and neither, is Test cricket all about rattling the timber or plumbing the batsmen in front, but strangling hold the batsmen by delivering the ball in the right areas or dishing out a lively spell pace bowling or teasing the batter with some wizardry stuffs can be a treat to watch. If you can’t enjoy these things, then, I am sorry, Test cricket is not for you.

Both Sri Lanka and India didn’t enjoy enough luck, but that’s part of the game. I enjoyed the battle between bat and ball. It was a test of patience and skill at Colombo on day 2.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar       

England v Australia, 5th Test, Day 1 - Good day for Australia

Overcast conditions, a greenish tinge on the track and Alastair Cook won the toss and put Australia in to bat without a hesitation. But Cook’s optimism regarding the track was proved wrong – Australia ended the first session without losing a wicket. Yes, both Chris Rogers and David Warner were more patient and cautious, but in my opinion, the English pace bowlers wasted the conditions by not bowling enough full-and-straight.

England got their breakthroughs, but they didn’t trigger a collapse which has been the feature of this Ashes series regarding the Australian batting line-up. The guard of honour for Michael Clarke was an emotional one and his stay was not brief. He made just 15.

Rogers failed to score a fifty while Warner failed to notch up a hundred, but Steve Smith survived the early scares and regained his rhythm to remain not out on 78. A straight drive off Steve Finn which whistled past mid off and it was that particular stroke which  instilled confidence in him and it persisted throughout the day. 

Smith has brought up 3000 runs in Test cricket and his average in the first innings of a Test match is staggering. But, to claim a place among the greats, he needs to score runs in the fourth innings as well and in when it matters the most.

Thank You
Faisal Caesar

Kumar Sangakkara's retirement will take the sheen off from world cricket

“We remember not the scores and the results in after years; it is the men who remain in our minds, in our imagination”.

-Sir Neville Cardus

In the southeast part of the Indian subcontinent, there was an island named Ceylon which was a British colony from 1802 to 1948 and at first it did not include the Kingdom of Kandy but from 1817, the British possessions included the whole island of Ceylon. Ceylon gained independence on February 4, 1948, and in 1972 it was renamed as Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is a beautiful country with full of natural beauties. Sri Lanka’s golden beaches, green forests, waterfalls and the waves of the blue ocean are matter of great interest for the tourists and their cricket and cricketers have always been a subject of joy for the cricketing World. Like Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, the Sri Lankans are passionate for cricket. World cricket has been glorified more often by some of the finest cricketers from Sri Lanka.

The first recorded cricket match in Sri Lanka was way back in 1832 and in 1905 they started playing first class cricket. The Australian and English teams used Sri Lanka as a stopover during their long and strenuous voyages and during their short stay, they used to play cricket matches over there and thus, Sri Lanka’s first-class cricket was limited to games against the touring side. Perhaps, the tours of teams like Australia and England during those days had helped in developing a strong cricket culture in the island. Occasionally, teams representative of the then Ceylon played matches in abroad, especially in India.

Sri Lanka’s cricket culture is very well-founded. Alongside passion, there always existed the eagerness to learn the game and this accounted for creating a generation of cricketers who would make a mark in the cricketing fraternity not only by their cricketing abilities but from an intellectual perspective as well. Sri Lanka has gifted the world some of the most exciting, non-conventional and finest brains of the game.

Sidath Wetimunny, Duleep Mendis, Roy Dias, Aravinda de Silva, Arjuna Ranatunga, Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas and Sanath Jayasuriya instilled a culture which proved instrumental in creating a legacy which has been carried on by the likes of Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Rangana Herath and the next generation of cricketers.

Man of the Moment - Kumar Sangakkara

Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara is one of the finest products of embellished Sri Lankan cricket culture and can be described as the symbol of precision and artistry of modern day cricket. Like his stroke-play, his vision towards life and its perspectives and opinions about cricket’s various issues is spick-and-span. Since he made his debut in 2000, his achievements only swelled by leaps and bounds. His impact on and off the field has been prodigious, which made him a valuable ornament in World cricket. But, more than his humungous amount of international runs, staggering batting average in Test cricket, leadership qualities, effective social works and MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture in 2011; his style of batting will always be a matter of great interest for the fans, especially the cricket romantics.

The story of Sri Lankan left-handed willow-wielders have always been either about brute force or sheer grit rather than elegance. In the history of cricket, the majority of the left-handed batsmen has been all about sumptuousness. Whenever the topic about a left-handed batsman crops up, delicacy, elegance and art are the words which automatically come into our mind. The common myth is, the left-handed batters themselves are made for artistry. But Sri Lanka didn’t fit well in this category until Sangakkara arrived on the scene.

Sangakkara was cut from the curvaceous cloth. Being a gifted back foot player, the back foot stroke-play came naturally to him and gradually, he became astute on the front foot as well. His drive through the covers and extra-cover by getting down on his knee is a rapturous sight for the cricket romantics. Sangakkara’s cover drives are not just mere drives, but they are cricket’s most ravishing spectacles. Like the golden beaches of Sri Lanka, the tall palm trees which stand like a saint beside the beaches and the musical waves of the blue ocean, it ebbs away all the stresses of life.

And what about his back foot punches through the off side? At times, they were more attractive than his cover drives. They seemed to be like the lush green forests of Sri Lanka while the hook and pull shots were like the gushing waterfalls. His batting display has always been like a lost paradise – a paradise of tranquility and musical charm.

 How enticing it would have been, had Sir Neville Cardus, who first placed the left-handers in a different aesthetic category, witnessed Sanga’s artistic batting. He would have gone on to write this about Sangakkara which he once wrote about Frank Wolley, “ His cricket is compounded of soft airs and fresh flavours. The bloom of the year is on it, making for sweetness. And the very brevity of summer is in it too, making for loveliness”. And his delightful heart would have written more lines like these, “His immense power is lightened by a rhythm which has in it as little obvious propulsion as a movement of music by Mozart”.

As the era of Brian Lara and Saeed Anwar came to an end, the cricketing World started to get crowded by the power-hitters. Left-handers like Mathew Hayden or Chris Gayle were murderers of the cricket ball while Graeme Smith was a prolific run scorer with less grace and elegance. Words like elegant cut, lazy elegance or graceful drive by the left-handers  were almost getting lost from cricket. But thankfully, Kumar Sangakkara didn’t let grace and elegance vanish completely from cricket. With the bat, he always used to orchestrate a tender kiss between the bat and ball rather than a slap. The story of his batting has been all about the exotic love with the ball.

Sangakkara will retire after playing the second Test against India in Colombo. There is an ongoing debate about his greatness, statistical comparisons along with the little master Sachin Tendulkar, crunching numbers about his batting feats and gosh, the statistical analysis just don’t stop. But, for a single moment has anyone thought about the emptiness Sangakkara’s retirement will create? Are there any left-handed batsmen left in the cricketing World to carry on his legacy? Soumya Sarkar looks promising, but how far will he go in Test cricket remains a moot question.

In fact, there aren’t any worthy successors of Sangakkara at present. People will talk about his hundreds, batting records and so on in years to come, but none will talk about the joy of watching his batting. It’s a practical world devoid of romantic hearts. Sometimes, the eyes can’t fathom what the heart can see. The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. A cricket romantic feels the actual charm and romance behind the exhibition of a cricketer's skill.

Kumar Sangakkara the batsman is not only about statistics, but about sheer artistry and delight for the cricket romantics.

“Be an artist, in whatever little faculty possible. For the Earth, without ‘Art’ is just ‘Eh”

-Jasleen Kaur Gumber

Note: This article has been published in Sportskeeda on 20/08/2015 Kumar Sangakkara's retirement will take the sheen off from world cricket

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Sri Lanka v India, 2nd Test, Day 1 - It was a fluctuating day

Batting was not an easy task in the early morning. Dhamika Prasad’s seam-movement struck gold for Sri Lanka. The opening spell of Dhamika Prasad and Angelo Mathews strangled hold Kohli and Rahul. But, gradually both of them started to gain the momentum, or I guess, I should say, they were allowed to gain the momentum. In my opinion, Dushmanta Chameera, who came to bowl as the first change, eased the pressure and allowed the Virat-Rahul pair to gain confidence.

In cricket, such small-moments matter a lot. When the pressure has been created, it must not be allowed to ebb away. I think that the Mathews and Prasad pair should have bowled 12 overs in trot with the new ball. Chameera did create a chance in the third ball of his first over – Rahul dropped at gully, but after that he bowled ordinarily – more half-volleys than goodish or back-of-length balls.  Such sort of bowling allows the opposition to get back into the game.

KL Rahul and Virat Kohli scripted a 164-run partnership for the third wicket and laid the foundation for a good total. Rahul stitched a 55-run partnership with Rohit Sharma for the fifth wicket and as soon as he was dismissed after scoring his second Test hundred, Sri Lanka threatened to trigger a collapse, but Rohit – the target of harsh criticism after the first Test – proved a point this time around by arresting the collapse by stitching a 52-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Saha.  The dismissal of Rohit in the last ball of the first day might ignite his harsh critics in the social media, but his knock of 79 runs deserves to be praised.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Where are the Chinaman bowlers?

Chinaman or left-arm wrist spin bowling is one of cricket’s most enthralling stuff. Charlie “Buck” Lelewellyn, a South African allrounder is thought to be the inventor  of Chinaman delivery, but this term is believed to have originated with the former West Indian spinner Ellis “Puss” Achong, the first Test cricketer  of Chinese origin who bowled an unexpected left-arm wrist spin which spun from leg to off in the Test match against England in Manchester in 1933.

It effected in the stumping of English batsman Walter Robins. "Fancy being done by a bloody Chinaman" were the words which Robins uttered while walking towards the pavilion. The story of Chinaman had  started since then.

The collection of Chinaman bowlers is not rich like left-arm orthodox spin. Chuck Fleet-Wood Smith, Gary Sobers (Occasionally, Michael Bevan, Brad Hogg, Paul Adams and at present Dave Mohammad are some of the prominent names who used to bowl the Chinaman. Last year, a 19-year old from India named Kuldeep Yadav showed enough promise with his left-arm wrist spin in the Under-19 World Cup.    

The number of Chinaman bowlers are pretty scanty in modern day cricket. But why? In my opinion, it is quite tough to master the Chinaman bowling than the  left-arm orthodox spin. When you bowl relying on your left-wrist, it’s always become very difficult to control the flight and generate spin and moreover, the left-arm wrist spinner’s most  lethal weapon, the googly which comes into the left-ander (and leaves the right-hander) loses its effectiveness more often. The left-arm leggies tend to leak more runs than a right-arm leggie and in the era of heavy bats, they seem not to be the ideal option.

This might be one of the reasons for the  lack of interest in taking left-arm wrist spin seriously. While, another important reason might be the lack of brands in Chinaman bowling. Yes, there are no Bedis or Underwoods or Shakibs in this sector to inspire the future generation.

But, I think, this art must not ebb away. Like Kapil Pandey, Kuldeep Yadav’s coach, the coaches who are engaged with nurturing young talents, should use their hawk-eyes to spot  the right talent ideal for Chinaman bowling.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Bangladesh sports: The impact of Begum Khaleda Zia

The name of Begum Khaleda Zia conjures up a vision of one of the finest in the history subcontinent’s politics. But who could ever think that Begum Zia, who was a shy housewife when the late President Ziaur Rahman, Bir Uttam, was in charge of galvanizing Bangladesh, would rise above the rest to become an inspiring politician?

After the tragic death of Ziaur Rahman, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was going through fiery circumstances and many felt that BNP may not survive the test of time. At such a critical juncture, Begum Zia stood up to face the challenge of walking through the rough roads of Bangladeshi politics.

The counterparts of the BNP always portrayed Begum Zia as a non-entity in the political fraternity. But Begum Zia responded to the critics with deeds — she was not a shy housewife anymore — rather became the symbol of courage and hope during the dark days of dictator Ershad era.

Begum Zia’s uncompromising approach and determination spread like wildfire in the minds and hearts of millions of Bangladeshis who got involved in her fight and finally victory was achieved in December 1990.

A year later, Begum Zia’s victory in the general election was the icing on the cake — she would become the first-ever female Prime Minister in the history of Bangladesh.

From the very first day in the office, Begum Zia created a road map that would make a positive impact in each and every sector of Bangladesh. Uplifting the health and education of Bangladesh were her topmost priorities, which actually paved the way for the development of other important sectors.

If a nation is healthy and educated then automatically the rest of the developments would follow and Begum Zia worked accordingly.

The impact of Begum Zia on the sports of Bangladesh is not talked of more often whereas; she has a huge contribution to Bangladesh’s sports sector.

Begum Zia can be credited with taking Bangladesh Cricket to the next level.

Begum Zia noticed the rise in the popularity of cricket in Bangladesh.

In 1992, she took the initiative to arrange the inaugural South Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) cricket tournament, where the A teams from India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka came to participate in a 4-nation tournament in Bangladesh. Bangladesh, who was not a Test-playing nation back then, played with their main team and such an event was ideal for them to showcase their ability with the bat and ball and passion for the game among the people to the international audience.

Abu Saleh Mohammad Mustafizur Rahman, who was the President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board and also the Chairman of the National Sports Control Board — followed Begum Zia’s passion for sports and acted accordingly to arrange the tournament. Sadly, the tournament had to be cancelled due to unavoidable circumstances, but two years later, in 1994, the festival of cricket in the form of the SAARC Cricket Tournament was arranged in Bangladesh again.

It was one of the most iconic cricket tournaments in the history of Bangladesh cricket. Not a single match went spectator-less, but till the final match, the Dhaka National Stadium was jam-packed and the passion for cricket among the Bangladeshi fans was noticed by distinguished personalities like the late Jagmohan Dalmiya and Zaheer Abbas, who were astonished by the massive turnouts in every game.

In one of the group-stage matches –Bangladesh beat India by just a solitary run and triggered euphoria across the country. That victory earned Bangladesh a place in the final against India. In the final Bangladesh was beaten but they had sent a clear message to the world that they are prepared to take themselves to the next level in the international circuit.

Again, Bangladesh came close to beating the Pakistan A team led by Rameez Raja during the group stage matches and then beat Sri Lanka A led by the current coach of Bangladesh — Chandika Hathurusingha.

In between 1992 and 1994 SAARC tournaments — Begum Zia invested in arranging friendly tours of international teams in Bangladesh.

In 1993 — the Zimbabwean National Team of Andy Flower and Grant Flower visited Bangladesh for two 50-over matches. In both matches, the stadium was filled with vociferous cricket fans from Bangladesh. Bangladesh fought well against that strong Zimbabwe side and in January 1994 — defending world champions Pakistan led by Saleem Malik played two 50-over matches in Bangladesh.

In the first One-day International, Athar Ali Khan’s attacking intent against the number one fast bowler in the world at that time Waqar Younis which included a couple of scorching boundaries in one over, left the crowd ecstatic. Bangladesh lost but those two tours had helped Bangladesh develop more technically and temperamentally and the result was witnessed at the SAARC Tournament in 1994.

Since starting her journey as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh — Begum Zia’s initiatives have led to the sky-high popularity of cricket in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh Television there was even a program where a cricket coach was seen teaching cricket to youngsters, which inspired many youngsters to play cricket.

Cricket was played in the open fields in the afternoon and evening time by youngsters. Cricket Academies started to grow slowly but steadily and school cricket became a big hit during that time. Most importantly, the decentralization of cricket started during Begum Zia’s era –cricket spread countrywide.

In her next term as the Prime Minister — new international cricket, stadiums were built at Bogura, Khulna, and Fatullah.

Begum Zia’s younger son Arafat Rahman Koko brought fresh ideas in 2003.

After the disastrous ICC Cricket World Cup, 2003 campaign in South Africa, Arafat Rahman decided to appoint Dav Whatmore as the national team’s coach and Richard McInnes as the coach of the High Performance Unit.

Such moves brought a world of change.

Whatmore had changed Bangladesh technically and temperamentally as the Tigers won their first-ever Test and ODI series in 2005, beat Australia at Cardiff during the tri-nation tournament in England the same year, beat a strong Sri Lanka in an ODI in 2006, beat India in 2004, brushed away Kenya and Zimbabwe at home in 2006, fought neck-to-neck against Pakistan in the three-match Test series in 2003 and almost shell-shocked the defending champions Australia in the one-off Test against Australia in 2006.

Young guns like Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Enamul Haque Junior, Rajin Saleh, Syed Rasel, Aftab Ahmed, Shahadat Hossain, Shahriar Nafeez were emerging courtesy of McInnes, mentorship at the High-Performance Unit and Whatmore’s brilliant eyes to pick and nurture them.

Cricket started its journey in the newly independent Bangladesh in 1976–77 through late President Ziaur Rahman, Bir Uttam, and Begum Zia carried on the legacy in the early 90s and 2000s to build a strong foundation at the domestic level that reaped a rich harvest later on.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh, football has had its own fan base for a long time.

Begum Zia, herself, is an avid follower of football. Being a supporter of Brazil in the international circuit and Mohammedan Sporting Club at the domestic level — football kept on flourishing, but the desired results at the top were not coming. The emphasis on youth took over rather than relying too much on those who lost their sting and this policy was paid back in 2003 when Bangladesh won the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship in 2003.

A year ago — on January 11, 2002, FIFA imposed a ban on Bangladesh Football Federation “due to the government violating the FIFA and AFC law that only recognizes a democratically elected committee to run a country’s football federation.”

The ban was short-lived, after the BNP government reinstated the elected committee of the Bangladesh Football Federation, FIFA lifted the ban, on February 11, 2002.

That ban motivated Bangladesh to exhibit its credibility in the international arena during the 2003 SAFF Championships and in 2005 they ended as the runner-up.

The Dhaka National Stadium was given full access to football and nurturing young bloods became a priority.

In the Under-20 Asian Football Tournament in Pakistan in 2002, Bangladesh topped the group.

The Dhaka National Stadium regularly arranged club matches and also, and football was maintaining its pace with the rising popularity of cricket at the grassroots level outside Dhaka.

Begum Zia’s influence was not limited to just football and cricket, but it was evident in other sports as well.

Late President Ziaur Rahman Bir Uttam kicked off the Bangladesh Games in 1979 and it used to take place regularly.

After the second edition of the Bangladesh Games in 1980 — it was decided that the event would be arranged biennially. The event took place regularly until the seventh edition in 2000 which was not held but took place in 2002.

After 2002, the event in 2006 could not be staged due to political circumstances.

In 1993, Bangladesh hosted the South Asian Games successfully, and thus in the games’ history, Dhaka became the first city to host the event for the second time.

Bangladesh bagged 11 gold, 19 silver, and 32 bronze medals in the 1993 event and had been impressive in 1995 as well. They bagged gold medals in the 2004 and 2006 editions of the South Asian Games as well.

The popularity of chess was ensured. Ziaur Rahman earned the title of Grand Master while people like Niaz Morshed and Rani Hamid stepped forward to work on chess. In 2002, Rifat Bin Sattar earned the title of Grand Master in an international chess tournament.

Necessary steps were taken to improve one of the popular sports in the world — Hockey and the Bangladesh Army won the Chairman Cup of the Olympic Committee Hockey tournament in 2002.

An appropriate measure was taken for the Bangladesh Shooting Federation so that better outcomes happen and in 2002 Asif Hossain Khan won the gold medal in 10-meter Air Rifles in the Common Wealth Games by beating India’s Avinab Bindra. In 2004, Asif won the gold medal in the South Asian Games.

Bangladesh experienced the positive growth of all the major sports during Begum Zia’s regime and whatever the rich harvest Bangladesh is reaping today in sports, the initiatives of Begum Zia deserve its due credit.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Sri Lanka v India, 1st Test, Day 4 - Time has come for BCCI to accept DRS

Over 26.4, Day 3, Sri Lanka’s second innings: Dinesh Chandimal attempted a sweep shot against Ravichandran Ashwin but the ball had taken the toe end of the bat before clipping the helmet to be caught by the backward short leg fielder. Single-angle-replay showed that the ball had indeed taken some bat on its away, but the umpire was unmoved. Chandimal was batting on 5 and had DRS was available the story might have been different.

Over 27.3, Day 3, Sri Lanka’s second innings: Thirimanne was beaten by Amit Mishra’s fast legbreak and the ball popped up to the fielder at silly point off the front foot. The Indians made a loud appeal, but it was turned down by umpire Nigel Llong. The replays gave the evidence of a thick inside edge. The presence of DRS would have been beneficial.

Over 29.3, Day 3, Sri Lanka’s second innings: Dinesh Chandimal attempted a drive against Amit Mishra, but the ball popped off the boot of the silly point fielder to be caught by the bowler.   The third umpire was called for and despite no evidence that the ball had touched the ground, he ruled in favour of the batsmen. The existence of DRS would have been effective here.

According to cricinfo,  “The umpires in the Galle Test made at least six decisions that would have been overturned by DRS; four of these decisions would not have needed the ball-tracker projection, which is the major bone of contention for the BCCI". 

The decisions made by the umpires on day 3 had cost India badly. India’s advancement in technology has been staggering. Their talents are ruling the rooster in Microsoft and Google, but it is sad to witness the reluctant attitude of BCCI regarding DRS. The time has come for BCCI to accept the use of DRS as soon as possible. They should not shun technology by any means.

Thank You
Faisal Caesar 

Sri Lanka v India, 1st Test, Day 4 - Sri Lanka's next generation scripts a memorable victory at Galle

What an extraordinary Test match it had been at Galle! Sri Lanka’s next generation has turned the world upside down by scripting one of the most memorable comebacks ever in the history of Test cricket. Until Dinesh Chandimal decided to unleash his let’s-go-for-it-like-knock, this Test match was supposed to be a cakewalk for the visitors. But, how uncertain this glorious game can be! Sri Lanka notched up a thrilling 63-run victory on day 4.

On the fourth day  Herath Mudiyanselage Rangana Keerthi Bandara Herath, yes, I am talking about Rangana Herath, recovered from his lean patch to exploit the conditions well to fetch seven India scalps and he was well aided and supported from the other end by the young Tharindu Kaushal.

Akash Chopra  stated regarding Herath’s rediscovered form and according to him, Hertah had changed his action a bit while bowling in the second innings. His non-bowling arm was not visible in the second innings and used the cracks extremely well to test the Indian batting line-up. And in my opinion, to an extent, the Indians allowed Herath to claw back into his menacing best.

I don’t support the idea of sending Ishant Sharma as the nightwatchman. When you have players like Harbhajan Singh and Ravi Ashwin around then why Ishant? Ishant has never been trustworthy with the bat and as soon as Herath dismissed him, Rangana was unstoppable – he found back his mojo no time. Ishant’s dismissal in the early morning disturbed the rhythm of the Indian batting.

Virat Kohli is a very good captain, but he can’t be the best if he persists with players whose performance are not up to the mark. How on earth a well-proven-failure like Rohit Sharma was preferred instead of Cheteshwar Pujara? You can’t be the best or aggressive captain by building a team on the basis of your personal favorites.

While the Indians will be pondering about what went wrong, the Sri Lankans  be rejoicing and cherishing each and every moment. The next generation of Sri Lanka has gifted Kumar Sangakkara a wonderful gift.    

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Sri Lanka v India, 3rd Test, Day 3 - Brilliant Dinesh Chandimal

Sri Lanka discovered themselves at 5 for 3 at the start of the third day and when Dinesh Chandimal came at the crease, the Lankans were still trailing by 100 runs. He witnessed the departure of skipper Angelo Mathews and at 95 for 5, a dismal end to this Test match was on the cards.

Dinesh Chandimal rose to the occasion to restore Sri Lanka’s pride. He essayed the breathtaking knock of 2015. He received some valuable support from Thirimanne and Jehan Mubarak and yes, Chandimal was lucky enough to survive some close calls, but fortune always favors the brave.

Chandimal went for a counterattack and it paid off big time. Moreover, the way he shepherded the tail was quite special. The guy can attack and as well as exhibit responsibility when needed. His knock of 162 not out is one of the finest I have seen in 2015.

Morning always doesn’t show the day.

This Test match has come to life from nowhere. It deserves to be a memorable one for Kumar Sangakkara.

Thank You
Faisal Caesar

Sri Lanka v India, 1st Test, Day 2 - Sri Lanka continue to struggle

Tharindu Kaushal picked up five wickets but there was never a threat posed by him whereas Rangana Herath went wicketless. Both Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan scored hundreds while wicketkeeper Saha notched up sixty runs and helped India to take a big lead.

Sri Lanka’s reply in the second innings was shaky. Virat knew well about the condition of the track and thus, opened the bowling with Ashwin and Mishra. They didn’t let Virat’s move go in vain – both the openers were removed cheaply and it seems that the Test match might end on day 3 if the Lankans dish out a similar batting display like yesterday.....

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Sri Lanka v India, 1st Test, Day 1 - India are in a commanding position

The Galle track is not an easy one for the batsmen. From the first session, it offered turn and bounce for the spinners and it reminded me of the Bangalore track which was used in the Test match between India and Pakistan in 1987. The Indian spinner Ravi Ashwin made full use of the track to take all the ten wickets of Sri Lanka on day 1.

Sri Lanka’s paltry total of 183 would have been looked a dependable one if the Lankan spinners were able to utilize the track well. Both Rangana Herath and Tharindu Kaushal looked off-colored: short-of-a-length, lack of pace, wide-of-off and no-variation-in-flight will never be able to test the Indian batting line-up.

The Indians are in a commanding position on day one and should capitalize on this big time.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar     

Why Bangladesh should use the Dukes ball against Australia

In the ongoing Ashes series, Australia’s performance has been nightmarish so far. At Cardiff, Edgbaston and Trent Bridge, they were crushed by a formidable English attack. The Australian batsmen were dumbfounded against the moving ball and thus, messed up with their antipodean technique and then their minds. The Dukes ball, which the English pacers are using in this year’s Ashes series proved to be the wrecker-in-chief.

After witnessing Australia’s horrendous display, former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting said, “One thing I am going to recommend as soon as I get home is that we actually change the balls we use in Australia. I think we should be using Dukes balls in Australia now. I think it's been highlighted enough times that we struggle when the ball swings and seams. You go back two, three years ago when I was playing Shield cricket, Hobart got heavily criticized for doing too much, but I batted there, but you could still make runs”.

Australia will tour Bangladesh in October this year. At present, Bangladesh can’t be taken lightly and they are a unit which plays to win. The current Bangladeshi bowling attack, be it in One-day internationals or Tests, is not dependent on the spinners anymore. Promising youngsters like Mustafizur Rahman, a rejuvenated Rubel Hossain, energetic Taskin Ahmed, and work-horse Mohammad Shahid have added enough vim to the Bangladeshi attack. Gone are the days when a pace bowler would come and bowl with the new ball only to fulfill the formalities and as soon as the shine goes away, the stage was dominated by the left-arm spinners. In the course of time, the Bangladeshi pace bowlers have become potent enough. 

As Bangladesh have the pacers to hit the jackpot then why not use the Dukes ball against Australia?

In the Bangladeshi domestic arena, the Kookaburra and SG balls are used more keeping in mind the conditions and the presence of spin bowlers more than the pacers. Moreover, it has become an unofficial rule in Bangladesh cricket that, whenever a team tours here, either the Kookaburra or SG ball is used. If the visitors are from the subcontinent, then the Kookaburra ball is chosen while the SG balls are used against the non-subcontinental teams. 

Moreover, there is a school of thought that, the Dukes ball is not effective in dry conditions and placid or hard tracks. Thus, it is less effective in the subcontinent, Australia, South Africa and West Indies. But in the recently concluded series against England, Curtly Ambrose, the Caribbean bowling coach, has shown how the Dukes ball can be effective in dry conditions and flat tracks. The Caribbean pacers were highly benefited by the Dukes ball.

The Dukes brand, owned by an Indian Dilip Jajodia, produces thousands of hand-stitched balls every year, which are used in England at Test and domestic level. It is also supplied in the West Indies. The Dukes ball is hand-stitched. According to Jajodia, a hand-stitched ball has six rows of stitching. But instead of the outer two seams being purely decorative as, on a machine stitched ball, all six rows hold the cork ball together, creating a tension so that when the ball hits the deck it moves more and holds its shape better. The Dukes brand produces two varieties of balls, one variety of Dukes ball is manufactured for the swinging and seaming English conditions while the other variety is for dry and abrasive wickets.

The Dukes ball doesn’t swing from the start, but as soon as the lacquer used on the ball wears off, it starts to swing conventionally. In the swifter conditions, it moves prodigiously and the larger seams are needed for the slower conditions. The Dukes ball is a highly productive in generating reverse swing. The Kookaburra ball generates swing when it’s new, but after 35-40 overs, it loses its shine, becomes softer and more helpful for the batsmen. Whereas, the SG balls hardly swing and aids the spinners a lot. SG ball is quite batting friendly as well.

Bangladesh might opt for the SG ball against Australia, but they must not forget of how their pacers struck gold against India and South Africa and keeping in mind the benefits of the pacers and the weakness of Australia, Bangladesh should start thinking about using the Dukes ball. The kind of pace bowlers Bangladesh have, the use of the Dukes ball might prove handy against Australia. The hierarchy of Bangladesh cricket should think about this matter.

Note: This article has been published in Sportskeeda on 11/08/2015 Why Bangladesh should use the Dukes ball against Australia

Thank You

Faisal Caesar