West Indies v India, 2nd Test, Jamaica, Day 1 - Yet another frustrating display by the West Indies

I could not understand, why Jason Holder won the toss and elected to bat first. It was a damp track and offered help for the new ball bowlers. Batting was not an impossible task either at Sabina Park – give the first hour to the bowlers and the rest is yours. But, Test cricket is somewhat a negligible thing for this generation of West Indies cricketers. They came out to bat, threw their wickets away, played some flashy strokes and went to refresh themselves in the dressing room after being skittled out for 196.

Ravi Ashwin was the premium wicket taker on a pace-bowling friendly track. It was his 18^th five-wicket haul in 34 Test matches. As a matter of fact, the West Indian batsmen played Ashwin so reluctantly, it was a matter of irritation for the fans. At times, I felt, they didn’t even wish to play Ashwin from the half volley length.

Meanwhile, the exclusion of Carlos Brathwaite was not understandable. He averages 45 with the bat and offers able support with the ball as well. What’s the reason behind continuing with Roston Chase remains a moot question. I expected Alzzari Joseph in the team, but he was not considered.

Even if he was considered, would he be able to deliver the best? I am asking this question after watching some poor bowling display from the West Indian pacers – too short, too wide. Long hops and half volleys. Well, the track still had not lost its life and rather than exploiting it, the new ball bowlers and then, the leggie wasted the opportunities.

While Australia, England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are gifting us some high quality Test match cricket, West Indies and Zimbabwe have been utterly frustrating. At times, I feel,  the Two-tier system is needed to teach a lesson to those teams who are reluctant to play Test cricket.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar     

The unflappable adventure of Kusal Mendis at Pallekele

 

“Apart from that six to bring up his maiden Test hundred, there was hardly any sign of arrogance from Mendis. He was the symbol of hope at the crease and when he was dismissed on the fourth morning after scoring 176, he had already instilled the hope and courage among his teammates to push for a win”

The second and third day of the first Test between England and Sri Lanka at Leeds was nightmarish for the visitors. The conditions were cold and gloomy, which made the ball to move prodigiously. The Sri Lankans were following on after a dismal reply to England’s first innings total of 298 and in their second, their story was not satisfactory as well. James Anderson made full use of the bowling-friendly conditions and scripted a carnage which led to a victory within three days.

Sri Lanka, following a dismal 91 in the first, were bowled out for just 119 and apart from a 21-year-old right-handed batsman, none of the Sri Lankan batters were able to exhibit the guts and skill against the agility of the English pacers. Despite the damp and chilly conditions, Mendis’ presence at the crease was more assured than most of his colleagues. He was very strong on the onside – executed some beautifully timed strokes through mid-on, midwicket, and square leg. Stuart Broad ended Mendis’ stabilizing act and his attractive knock of 53 was the highest score of the innings.

Sri Lanka’s England tour ended in despair and mentally the whole team was heavily exhausted and short of confidence. It was evident during the first innings of the first Test against Australia at Pallekele. It seemed, the Lankan batting line-up had not yet recovered from the horrors of the England tour as they were bundled out for just 117.

It was a decent track where a batsman was needed to spend time at the crease to graft an innings rather than rely too much on stroke-making. But the Lankans showed little knack to occupy the crease as Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Steve O’Keefe and Nathan Lyon made short work of them and hinted of a foregone conclusion.

The Australian batsmen too did not exhibit the right temperament. Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, and O’Keefe fought hard to stretch the lead and when the Sri Lankan second innings started, it was all but the repetition of the first innings. Kusal Perera, Kaushal Silva, Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews departed quickly and yet another shoddy performance was on the cards.

For a fairytale to happen, it requires a young Prince to step up and face the stiffest of challenges to rescue his kingdom, pride, and princess. Even when the chances are less, the Prince remains unflappable and decisive. He emancipates his ravishments in the most unique manner to achieve victories from the jaws of defeat. His confidence and will power instill hope among others to dream big and chase the victory.

Kusal Mendis watched his fellow teammates walk to the pavilion and make the situation tough enough for the others to carry on. But the 21-year-old Mendis was unfazed by the quick fall of wickets and didn’t step back in playing his strokes. An attractive flick against Hazlewood in the third ball of the sixth over hinted of what was about to come.

All of a sudden, he was 34 off 34 balls but curbed his stroke-making instincts to a great extent when Kaushal Silva left the scene. In the 14th and 16th over, Starc tried to test him outside the off, but Mendis either left the ball or defended it and after ten dot balls, he scored another run. Resolve was needed to keep the fight going.

A superlative shot through the gully off Starc led Steve Smith to introduce spin.  A sweep shot against O’Keefe brought up his half-century and the team’s score was just 66. The departure of Mathews after a while brought Dinesh Chandimal at the crease who essayed a freakish knock one year back against India at Galle to register one of the greatest turnarounds in the history of Test cricket.

Was Mendis influenced by the presence of Chandimal?

One can guess so, but the nature of Mendis’ doesn’t say so. While Chandimal was aggressive and took risks, Mendis was more composed and organized while grafting his innings. Chandimal’s real contribution was his act as the sheet anchor to support Mendis and help him to galvanize his innings from a mere stroke-ful knock into an epic.

The beauty of Mendis’ knock was his timing and attitude. Each of the strokes was timed well and he displayed the ideal attitude. He showed no intention to take risks but used his strength as much as possible. He is very strong on the onside and thus, fetched enough boundaries through that region by dishing out a pull shot which was unconventional.

He executed the pull shot almost with a horizontal bat – he went behind the line of the ball quickly and opened the face of the bat, not fully but in a more angled fashion, to contact the ball from the middle part and the ball raced towards the boundary. It’s tough to play such shots, but if one gets behind the line and times the ball well, it’s a treat for the eyes.

Moreover, his ability to pivot on the back foot with authority and play the shot in depth-touches was another spectacle. Being an astute willow-wielder on the back foot and scripting off the back foot stroke-plays and pushes via depth-touches are a rarity in the subcontinent, but Mendis seemed to be one of those rare gems who is blessed with authority over his back foot – a uniqueness which is expected to mature with the passage of time.

Spending time at the crease was very important at Pallekele, and Mednis was quick to realize this fact. The track was not supporting boundary-based batting, therefore rotation of the strike is ideal here to stitch partnerships.  Mendis’ patience helped him to travel through the testing periods and stitch two vital partnerships which changed the course of this match.

Apart from that six to bring up his maiden Test hundred, there was hardly any sign of arrogance from Mendis. He was the symbol of hope at the crease and when he was dismissed on the fourth morning after scoring 176, he had already instilled the hope and courage among his teammates to push for a win.

Peter Nevill and O’Keefe’s 4-run partnership of 178 balls made the contest more dramatic, but it could not halt a Sri Lankan victory. Had this Test match saved by the defiant stand of Nevill and O’Keefe, it would have an injustice to the courage, patience and elegance of a 21-year-old Prince who fought a great battle to rescue his kingdom and pride.

Note: This article was published at Cricketsoccer on 30/07/2016 The unflappable adventure of Kusal Mendis at Pallekele 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Sri Lanka v Australia, 1st Test, Pallekele, Day 5 - A fairytale win for Sri Lanka

What a victory scripted by the Lankan Lions! It was supposed to be a forgone conclusion, but all of a sudden, Kusal Mendis essayed one of the finest knocks in the history of Sri Lankan cricket to instill the believe among his colleagues, this Test match can be won despite all the adversities. 

On the final day, the Lankan spinners spun the web of spin around the Australian batsmen and dished out a fairytale win. The young guns of Sri Lanka will unleash the hey days once again. Keep the faith in these young men.  

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Sri Lanka v Australia, 1st Test, Pallekele, day 4 - Rain and bad light spoil yet another day

Inclement weather has been a hurdle behind the unfolding of a fascinating contest. Australia were set a target of 268 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series. But the Aussie batsmen were dumbfounded against the Sri Lankan spinners. Rangana Herath and Sandakan were utilizing the pitch, which was favouring the spinners, well and made the ball to talk. Had Adam Voges’ lbw decision not withheld by the third umpire, I guess, an ugly collapse was just around the corner.

Sandakan tested Steve Smith and Adam Voges and beat the bat several times, while Herath was tricky and both were well aided by Perera. Survival at the crease was a more important factor rather than scoring runs. Had the game commenced after tea, it would have been a testing session for the Aussies, but sadly, rain and bad light spoiled yet another day of intriguing battle.   

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Sri Lanka v Australia, 1st Test, Pallekele, day 3 - What a show by Kusal Mendis!

Sri Lanka’s morning session started in a shoddy manner. The Australian new ball bowlers made short work of the Lankan top order and at 86 for 4, their innings was going nowhere. Someone has to step up and make everyone realize that the Pallekele track is not suitable for stroke-making, but favorable for those who wish to occupy the crease and rotate the strike more rather than prioritizing boundary-based batting.

Kusal Mendis raised to the occasion to arrest an ugly collapse and by tea, Sri Lanka were in a commendable position. He motored the innings well and dished out some eye-catching strokes through the offside and his strokes through the onside was unconventional. They were not orthodox pull shots, but exhibited with almost a horizontal bat. The timing is very important while executing such shots and how beautifully he timed those shots remain a matter of study for those who loves the technical aspects of the game.

Even, at one moment, Steve Smith set an innovative field – put four catches on the onside - one at square leg, two at mid wicket and one at mid on to dent Mendis’ such unconventional pull shot, but still Mendis could find the gap to exhibit those. The way he played it intelligently, helped Sri Lanka a lot and gave enough joy to the cricket fans.

All of a sudden, this Test match has come alive.

How beautiful Test cricket is!  

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

For God's sake, give Mustafizur Rahman a chance to rest

“A shoulder injury has ruled out Mustafizur Rahman from the remainder of Sussex's group phase matches in the Royal London One-Day Cup and Natwest T20 Blast”.

Courtesy: Cricinfo

For God's sake, give this young boy a chance to rest!!! This injury was coming. I was afraid of this and it did appear.

It is said, “there’s some extra fluid on his shoulder” and this indicate, his shoulder is inflamed and such conditions are known as bursitis which occurs due to:

- An injury, such as a fall.

-Bacterial infection.

- Overuse of the shoulder, such as when you paint or swim or bowling.

- Bony growths that rub against and irritate the bursa and tendons.

Mustafizur Rahman’s bursitis has occurred due to the extreme workload over the past few years. Let me tell you, Mustafiz’s body is still not prepared to take the overload of work. He is not a spinner, but a pace bowler and he is needed to be utilized cautiously.

Mustafiz was not needed to feature in the IPL and this crap Natwest T20 blast. Just imagine, what kind of workload we have gifted him since last year – it had been extreme. Those wrist, left-arm and shoulder needs rest dear experts and they are the assets of Bangladesh and not the tools to fill your pockets with cash, writing cheap articles and posting facebook posts filled with filthy jingoism.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Sri Lanka v Australia, 1st test, Pallekele, Day 2 - Herath and Sandakan shine, but Australia take a lead

I couldn’t understand Steve Smith’s attempt against Rangana Herath. It was a shot out of nowhere from a batsman who is rated highly by the critics at present. Perhaps, he wanted to dominate Herath from the word go, but it’s hard to fetch something productive by scripting such brain-freezed strokes. While the other Australian batsmen looked below-par against the Sri Lankan spin attack and some of them just threw their wickets away. Still, Australia managed to take the all important lead of 86 runs courtesy of an Adam Voges’ patient knock.

At this age, still, Herath is the most potent weapon for the Sri Lankans and the new guy Sandakan had impressed in his first ever outing. He could not impress in England while touring with the Sri Lanka A side, but Pallekele didn’t desert him. He generated enough drift with great authority and seems to have a great control over his wrong-un. He looked promising, but Sri Lanka need to bat very well in the second innings to make Herath and Sandakan heavily satisfied.    

I still believe, this track is not a volatile one, but if a batsman stays at the crease and rotates strike rather than attempting big strokes, he can fetch runs from here.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Sri Lanka v Australia, 1st Test, Pallekele, Day 1 - Sri Lanka wobble

No sooner one would have switched on the television to follow the Test match at Kandy, the story of the match from a Sri Lankan perspective was not good. Sri Lanka were wobbling and in no time, their innings folded for just 117 runs. The track at Pallekele had a bit for the bowlers. It had movement and bounce, but not such a terrible one to end the show in such a dismal fashion. The Sri Lankan young guns are certainly struggling.

The Lankan bowlers did strike hard, but Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja showed, the track can be utilize appropriately if a batsman plays the strokes according to the merit and spend enough time at the crease.   

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

England v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Manchester, day 4 - The Lord's euphoria is over

The euphoria of the Test victory at Lord’s is vanished in the twinkle of an eye. Pakistan have turned out to be the cornered chickens at Manchester and their batting display on a batting friendly track had been dismal. Neither they learned from the mistakes in the first innings, nor they showed the fighting spirit which helped them to win the first Test. From Misbah’s poor captaincy to poor fielding to poor batting, this Test match has brought the Pakistani team down from the sky.

Shan Masood is an overrated batsman and in my opinion, he lacks the technique and temperament to feature in a third division team let alone the national squad. Mohammad Hafeez is another overrated player who is lucky enough to play for Pakistan for such a brief period. You cannot prosper in Test cricket with such limited batting abilities.

Meanwhile, England have exposed Azhar Ali badly. The middle and leg stump line is Ali’s nemesis. If you bowl full enough on that line, Ali, due to his habit of shuffling too much across the line, becomes an easy victim. In the first Test, I tweeted about it and even the experts of Sky Sports highlighted it, but Azhar did not bother to rectify it. Top players learn and don’t over-celebrate.

Younis Khan looked settled after lunch, but he also threw his wicket away while attempting an unnecessary huge-swipe. The story of the rest of the batting line-up is the same – total lack of application on a track which was good for batting. England have leveled the series and I must say, they must be thankful to a very pathetic display by the Pakistani captain and batsmen. 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

West Indies v India, 1st Test, Antigua, Day 3 - India steamroll West Indies

Carlos Barthwaite and Bishoo fought a losing battle to prolong India's wait for an emphatic win. Such sort of fighting spirit was needed from the top order where there is quality, but not the right intent.

Yet another humiliating defeat for West Indies. Virat's men have started off in a ruthless fashion. When the opposition lacks the right intent, they deserve to get steamrolled.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

England v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Manchester, Day 3 - England take a massive lead

Had Alastair Cook not decided to bat in the second innings, Pakistan would have been wobbling by now. I think he should have enforced the follow on. The English bowlers had just bowled 63.4 overs and they were so pumped up that their hunger for wickets would have floored this inconsistent Pakistan batting line up.

England are leading by 489 runs and still two days remaining. I am not sure how long Cook will bat tomorrow, but I feel, the target might be somewhere around 600 runs. Cook is not an attacking captain and will only go for the jugular when safety is ensured. Even though, this Pakistani batting line up can’t even handle the pressure 300 runs let alone 600.

But you and I must not forget, cricket is a game of glorious uncertainty and Pakistan is such a team which loves to surprise us time and again. We still are not sure which Pakistan team might show up in the fourth innings.   

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

West Indies v India, 1st Test, Antigua, Day 3 - Pathetic batting display by the West Indies

If a batsman wish to occupy the crease with ease, the Antigua track is perfect for them. Until and unless, a batsman play rash shots, it will be quite hard for the bowlers to fetch wickets on the Antigua track. But we are talking about West Indies here, for whom, instilling frustration among their ardent followers have become a normality since the start of the last decade.

I agree, this is an inexperienced West Indies unit, but batsmen like Kraig Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels and Blackwood are good if not the best. You just need to be a good willow-wielder to cash in on such tracks by being patient enough. But, not surprisingly, the typical Calypso collapse showed up to kill the interest at a rapid pace. It was a poor batting display.

The West Indies don’t feel and respect the blessing of having fans like us who still root for them despite their continuous poor show.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

England v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Manchester, day 2 - England are flying high in Manchester

You can admire Misbah-ul-Haq for his man management and stabilizing-the-team abilities, but when it comes to innovative-and tactics-oriented-captaincy, Misbah is nowhere near even Aamer Sohail let alone Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Mushtaq Mohammad, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram.

Today, Misbah’s captaincy was at its worst state. The world witnessed how Yasir Shah delivered the ball on a fuller length in and around the offstump to entice the batsmen on the front foot for a drive and more often, he found the edge of the bat, but neither was he provided with a silly point nor short leg by Misbah. Younis Khan is not anymore the slip fielder of four or five years back, but has lost his reflexes a lot and someone like Azhar Ali or Shaan Masood would have been ideal in that place instead of Younis.

Wahab Riaz should have been used as a bowler to bowl in short bursts rather than a regular one. Wahab loves to bowl aggressively and he is at his menacing best when utilized in short spells. And even if you wish to utilize his vim, set an aggressive field for him. There should be at least two slips and short leg for Wahab to fetch wickets.

I am not sure why Azhar Ali was used against Ben Stokes, who just came to the crease and why the offside field was kept vacant when Stokes was not yet set at the crease. A fullish delivery from Yasir was cracked through the vacant space on the offside for four and Pakistan time and again failed to create pressure on England due to some mediocre captaincy from Misbah.

Rahat Ali wasted the new ball. He bowled in patches – good and bad and bad and good. The length was on the goodish side rather back of a length while Amir also struggled to pull back his length. I guess the push ups at Lord’s made the boys a bit tired.

England cashed in the way a professional team should do. They showed no mercy towards Pakistan and punished them heavily. Joe Root brought up his double hundred without any hassle and this guy is shaping up to be one of the best in the world while the rest of England batsmen made Misbah pay for his poor captaincy.

Pakistan’s reply was shocking. The top order just threw their wickets away. Mohammad Hafeez received a good delivery, but the rest of the batsmen exhibited madness – Azhar Ali committed to the shot too early and was in no position to play the stroke, Younis Khan’s jumping dance came to a bizarre end as he chased down a rank-wide delivery on the leg side while Rahat Ali, who is not even qualified enough to bat at number 10 position, displayed some circus show and departed soon. I don’t think it was necessary to send a nightwatchman.  

England are flying high in Manchester.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

West Indies v India, 1st Test, Antigua, day 2 - Pathetic bowling attack of West Indies

The West Indian bowling attack was pathetic. Neither I understood the head coach Phil Simmons’ nor bowling coach Roddy Estwick’s strategy and team selection. When you have promising pace bowlers like Alzarri Joseph and Miguel Cummings then I don’t think Estwick should mourn about the absence of Jerome Taylor and Kemar Roach. If the idea was to surface fresh blood, then, they should have selected Cummings and Joseph at first hand. Shannon Gabriel was the only strike bowler, but he lacked the ideal support and I blame the poor team selection for this.

Estwick statement about an inexperienced attack seemed lame to me. Why not invest faith in the best inexperienced customers rather than a bunch of mediocre mediocre stuffs? You can’t think about improvement if your strategies are full of stupidity.

Virat Kohli scripted his first double ton, Ravi Ashwin scored a hundred while the likes of Wridiman Saha, Amit Mishra and Mohammed Shami enjoyed hammering the spineless West Indian attack in front of an almost-empty stadium in Antigua.

To bring the crowd back to the stadium the West Indians must realize why they were famous for once upon a time. Preparing batting-friendly and slow tracks and selecting boring cricketers won’t help in injecting life in West Indies cricket.    

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

England v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Manchester, Day 1 - Alastair Cook and Joe Root dominate Pakistan

The Manchester track was suitable for batting and it took little time for the English batsmen to settle down. Alex Hales was an easy wicket as usual, but it didn’t shake the English batting line-up as Alastair Cook and Joe Root motored the innings with authority.

Cook was in great touch. It was not one of those days when he exhibited painstaking concentration to build his innings, but was fluent and dominating. He used the bat straight enough and guarded his offstump well to script his 29th Test hundred. His wonderful knock was cut short by an inswinger from Mohammad Amir at the stroke of tea and still England didn’t lose momentum.

Joe Root was at his pristine best. This time around, there was no sense of desperation in his batsmanship and handled the four-men bowling attack of Pakistan brilliantly. There were some eye-catching strokes through the offside and along the V which hinted about his class and when it was needed, he slowed down his tempo to prolong his stay at the crease.

The significant thing about Cook and Root had been their technique against Yasir Shah. Their bat came down straight enough and both of them used their feet productively when it was time to fetch runs – a cultured knock.

Pakistan felt the need of the fifth bowler. Any bowling attack, no matter how competent they are, need the support of a makeshift bowler to ensure some balance and rest as well. As the services of Mohammad Hafeez is not available, Pakistan could have used Azhar Ali as an opener instead of Shaan Masood and allocate the number six spot either to Hamamd Azam or Haris Sohail.

Again, the Pakistani bowlers didn’t bring the English batsmen on the front foot enough to make them drive the ball on the up and the line was more on the middle and leg in search for the late swing – Root’s runs off the flick shots indicates such. Meanwhile, Yasir should rethink about the pace with which he delivered the ball. I think, he needs to deliver a bit faster on day 2.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar  

West Indies v India, 1st Test, Antigua, 2016, Day 1 - Virat Kohli's bat shines

The first session of the Test match was an attritional one. The track was hinting about some life and Shannon Gabriel made the ball to bounce, which tested the Indian top order batsmen. Shannon was the only bowler who looked lively enough, while the others bowled as if their main goal is to contain the Indian batsmen. You can contain a batting team, but at the other end, you need to attack to pick up wickets. Only Bishoo is a wicket taker, but legspin won’t workout against Indian. I expected  fast bowler from the Under-19 squad, Joseph, to feature in the team. He would have given this Caribbean bowling attack some teeth.  

The Indian top order batsmen were cautious, but as soon as Virat Kohli entered into the scene, the scenario changed. Immediately, he set the tempo by unleashing well-timed drives and accelerated the run rate. Shikhar Dhawan, who shelved his intent to play the ball outside off and drive, started to use his feet and fetch boundaries after lunch along with Virat. The West Indian bowlers started to feel the heat.

The track started to slow down and run scoring needed patience. Virat witnessed the departure of Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane, but he was not bothered at all. He kept on scoring runs in patches – quiet periods followed by productive ones, and ultimately, at stumps, he was not out on 143. It was his twelfth Test hundred and many more to come.

Virat’s bat is on fire and it seems 2016 will be his year.   

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

West v India, Test series 2016 - Let the West Indies not give up easily, but exhibit fighting spirit

The glory days of West Indies have ended a long time ago and for the last twenty years, we, the Caribbean fans, are investing our faith in them only to earn enormous amount of frustrations. Both the WICB and the players have cut a sorry figure so many times that it has taken a toll on our patience.

But still, we don't get tired to invest our faith in them.

The Indians are the hot favourites against West Indies. They're a superb unit and I'm confident, Anil Kumble will build the Indian Test team into a special side and I want this to happen.

Being the leaders of world cricket's economy, it's very important for India to strike gold in Test cricket and shift the attention of their fans more towards Test cricket from the crap Twenty20.

Anyhow, the chances of a West Indies victory are less against this brilliant Indian team, but at least, I want this WI team to exhibit the fighting spirit rather than a meek-surrender. I shall be satisfied with that as a fan of Caribbean cricket.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

The four-men from Pakistan who made the English shrivel at Lord’s

A full, quick, and straight delivery from Mohammad Amir disturbed the woodwork of Jake Ball off the fifth ball of 75th over on day 4 and thus, triggered an amazing celebration among the Pakistani cricketers.

They cheered with joy, hugged each other, and paid rich tribute to their army by doing push-ups on the green canvas of Lord’s. Pakistan has reaped the rewards for which they have been waiting over the last six years.
 Pakistan had buried the ghosts of that nightmarish tour of England in 2010 took Pakistan cricket to the doldrums. Six years ago, the spot-fixing saga had put the existence of cricket in Pakistan under scrutiny and it took a while for them to turn the tables around.

Under the guidance of Misbah-ul-Haq, this Pakistan team has come a long way in Test cricket, while that young man Amir is a relieved man at the moment, as he finally has started to feel his existence in the international arena after years of absence from cricket. Amir has regained his lost pride at the same venue which saw his downfall in 2010.

The Pakistani fielding at Lord’s was scratchy while the batsmen performed in patches. But yet again, it was their bowling that propelled them to defeat England at Lord’s after twenty years. Pakistan has never been short of match-winning bowlers, but more often, their bowling display had been about individual charisma rather than a tight-knit-unit.

Either an Imran Khan or Wasim Akram would unleash a devastating spell to bring an end to the Test match in a ruthless manner and such a trend had somewhat become an issue taken for granted in Pakistan cricket culture.

But at Lord’s, in the first Test, the Pakistani bowling was not heavily dependent on the charisma of just one individual. The hype and buzz have been all about Mohammad Amir and it seemed that the contest would be between Amir and the rest of the English batting lineup. In reality, it turned out to be a different story.

The four-man Pakistan bowling attack hunted in packs and while bowling in tandem, they complemented each other brilliantly to stranglehold the English batting line-up.

In the second innings, Amir was struggling to pitch the ball on a back of a length and thus, looked less threatening, but he was never allowed to feel the pressure because, from the other end, either Rahat Ali or Wahab Riaz continued to dish out a staggering spell of high-quality pace bowling to baffle the English batters.

Rahat Ali was a revelation at Lord’s. Throughout the Test match, he was operating behind the smokescreen- publicity of Amir generated by the media. With the new-ball, Rahat was efficient with his impeccable line and length. He was running in with raw energy and pitched the ball in-and-around the off stump consistently at a sharp pace – a tough task to handle such deliveries.

Wahab Riaz’s volatility with the old ball was simply breathtaking. Especially, when he was operating from round the wicket and tried to make the ball leave the batsmen. Wahab was swinging the old cherry like a boomerang. When a left-arm fast bowler unleashes his repertoire of skillful bowling in Test matches, it becomes a spectacle for the cricket fans and during the stubborn resistance of Jonny Bairstow and Chris Woakes, the bowling display of the Pakistani pacers were nothing but a spectacle and one could spend the whole day watching such beautiful crafts in a spellbound fashion.

Then there was a leg spinner named Yasir Shah, whose job was to support the pace bowlers, but he ended up as the highest wicket-taking bowler for his team. He varied his pace smartly and impart enough turn and drift to remind everyone about the legendary Shane Warne. He has a dangerous flipper and googly under his armory and his wicket-taking abilities at such an astonishing rate have already made him the choice of the new generation.

Despite the struggle to rediscover his mojo in Test cricket, Amir played a key role in setting up the batsmen, while Wahab bamboozled with hostility and Rahat spooked, and finally, Yasir hustled. It was a destructive cocktail. Each of them never let the pressure release but continued to attack with intensity. It was a collective effort that paid rich dividends.

This collective effort will be the key for Pakistan in the upcoming Test matches. But, Pakistan has to maintain their consistency because, traditionally, they are always habituated to dish out sloppy performances after one brilliant show.

Note: This article has been published at Cricketsoccer on 20/07/2016 The four-men from Pakistan who made the English shrivel at Lord’s

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

England v Pakistan, 1st Test, Lord's, day 4 - What an engrossing Test match it was!!!

What an engrossing Test match it was!!! What a celebration by the Pakistan cricket team!!! That was just an icing on the cake.

Pakistan had the bowlers to defend 283 on this track, but they were tested by some stubborn resistance of the English batsmen. The defiant resistance of Jonny Bairstow and Chris Woakes made the contest a stifling and exciting one. Jonny Bairstow is not about flashing strokes only, but, he can change his style according to the demand of the situation. On the other hand, Chris Woakes showed his temperament as a Test match batsman and proved his worth as one of England’s finest prospects in recent times.

I must admit, Rahat Ali stole the show from Mohammad Amir. Rahat’s variation in line and length was impressive and he was the only pacer to pitch the ball on a back of a length which Amir and at times, Wahab Riaz failed to emulate. Rahat was tough to handle and some of those deliveries, leaving the bat at a sharp pace would have made Wasim Akram proud.

Yasir Shah has taken a 10-wicket haul and what a legspinner he has turned out to be for Pakistan! Pakistan’s world was doomed when Saeed Ajmal’s bowling was banned from international cricket. In comes an unknown youngster from nowhere to turn the world upside down – a classic Pakistani tradition which is still active despite all the major setbacks over the years.

In the fourth innings, the four-man Pakistan bowling attack hunted in packs. Either Wahab or Amir used to set the batsmen up or Yasir would tease or Rahat would test with his nagging line-and-incisive length to create a platform for each other where all could capitalize. Simply brilliant!!!  

Thank You

Faisal Caesar   

England v Pakistan, 1st Test, Lord's, Day 3 - I enjoyed watching Chris Woakes and Asad Shafiq

It had been a fabulous day of Test cricket. I was able to enjoy some superb pace bowling and temperamentally, some high quality batting as well. This Chris Woakes is not a fringe bowler anymore, but over the years he has developed into a versatile and skillful pace bowler. He generates sharp pace and his control is quite brilliant. Using the crease is a very important aspect of a Test bowler and Woakes has garnered that ability quite well. The ball with which he dismissed Asad Shafiq was the product of well-utilization of the bowling crease where he was able to create an angle to bring the ball back in and catsle Asad. He is a very fine prospect for England.

I loved the way Asad Shafiq fought. He reminds me of Steve Waugh as because, mentally this man is very strong. Technically, Asad is astute as well. In the last 21 innings, Asad averages 58.55 which indicates how productive he is as a batsman. The future of Pakistan batting will depend a lot on this man if he is treated in a sensible manner by the Pakistan hierarchy.

Pakistan have taken a healthy lead and I think, it’s enough to torment the English batsmen on this track which will suit Yasir Shah a lot in the fourth innings.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Viva Ganso!

Ganso will not play for Sao Paolo anymore, but he will start playing for Sevilla in the upcoming La Liga season. Now, this was much needed not only for Ganso himself, but for world football as well. Except the Brazilians and few die hard Selecao fans like us, hardly anyone have the idea about the skill and charisma of Ganso. I am so happy to know that finally, he is flying to Europe.

Ganso  is an absolute genius in the midfield blessed with an enormous amount of creativity and vision. He can create space and provide productive passes for the players up front like Didi, Gerson, Falcao and Socrates. Since 2013, we have been stating about him in the social media time and again, but surprisingly, the treatment  of the Brazilian coaches towards Ganso had been very sad and annoying. When Brazil needed creativity in the midfield badly, the renowned coaches crowded the midfield with more pragmatic players which gave Brazil nothing but miseries.

Whereas, the presence of Ganso would have helped Neymar a lot. Both Ganso and Neymar were club mates at Santos and complemented each other while playing. How productive it would have been for Brazil had Ganso and Neymar featured together!

Sampoli knows the value of gems and he made no delay in recruiting one of the finest gems of world football. I am confident, the world will be able to realize the flavour of Samba and enjoy the skill and brilliance of Ganso.


Thank You
Faisal Caesar 

England v Pakistan, 1st Test, Lord's, Day 2 - Brilliant Yasir Shah

20 years ago I watched Mushtaq Ahmed to fetch five wickets in the second innings against England at Lord’s and since then, no legspinner has achieved this feat at the Mecca of cricket. Not even the great Shane Warne was privileged enough to achieve this. Time moved on and Lord’s witnessed many bowlers to achieve five-wicket hauls, but a leggie was yet to register his name on the honours board.

I was a student of class ten and that victory boosted the morale of Pakistan team who finished the year 1996 on a high after a scratchy start. The brilliance of Inzamam-ul-Haq and Saeed Anwar with the bat, the hostility of Waqar Younis and the craft of Mustaq were a great experience for me as a cricket fan.

In those days I dreamed, one day Bangladesh would also play Test cricket at Lord’s and glorify the Mecca of cricket. 14 years later Tamim Iqbal did glorify the great ground, but the Tigers failed to win the Test match.

20 years later, I am privileged to witness another legspinner fetch five wickets at Lord’s and the way he changed the course of the game, simply is a legacy which this Pakistan team has been carrying on since their introduction to international cricket. No other team in world cricket changes its colour like Pakistan. No other team in world cricket will make cricket more uncertain than Pakistan.

The partnership between Alastair Cook and Joe Root was well set, while the Pakistan bowlers seemed to drop their shoulders a bit. Luck was favouring Alastair Cook as he cashed in on the luck and some poor bowling by the Pakistani pacers to race to a half century. But at the other end, Root was playing the role of a stabilizing agent. He looked more dangerous as a run-accumulator and his wicket was much needed to unsettle England as their middle-order was not solid.

Just when Root started to flourish more, he executed a lackadaisical stroke against Yasir Shah and immediately Pakistan were back on track. Yasir went on to bag four more wickets to register his name on the Lord’s honours board.

Yasir has been outstanding with the ball today. His control was too tough to handle while his drift, wrong-uns, flippers and faster-deliveries left England batsmen clueless. The focus was on Mohammad Amir so much that they all forgot, at the moment, Yasir is the go-to-man of this Pakistan team. Today’s feat is an indicator of how good this bowler is. You don’t earn praise from someone like Shane Warne so easily, do you?

Thank You

Faisal Caesar  

England v Pakistan, 1st Test, Lord's, day 1 - The day belongs to Misbah-ul-Haq

The Pakistan batting line-up always needed a leader at Lord’s to show them the way. In 1982 it was Mohsin Khan, Aamer Sohail in 1992, Inzamam-ul-Haq in 1996, Mohammad Yousuf in 2006 and in 2016 it was Misbah-ul-Haq. Misbah-ul-Haq has never played any Test matches in England until today and he made his first ever Test match in England and at the Mecca of cricket count by scoring a remarkable hundred and I must say, his celebration after scoring the hundred was one of the strangest and finest I have ever seen in my life as a cricket fan.

Misbah-ul-Haq is 42 years young and he gives me the hope and inspiration by conveying the message, still at the age of 36, my journey is not over as a medical postgraduate student and I can move on despite falling behind my batch mates and junior colleagues. You are never defeated until and unless you give up.

Today, Misbah has earned the respect of those people who are not his fan and that includes me as well. But, some people know how to respect and admire remarkable achievements and in that sense, hats off Misbah.

Asad Shafiq was another batsman who impressed me a lot. While most of the Pakistani batsmen, even Misbah, were found to fall across the line, but Asad was rock solid at the crease. He was always behind the ball, watching it closely and defending it like the way the coaching manuals tell you to do. I don’t understand why Asad is taking so long to flourish? He is one of the most competent batsmen among his teammates and has the ability to make a mark international cricket, but sadly, he has not lived up to the expectations. I hope he will bloom.

Since Mohammad Zahid left, Jake Ball has given me the impression of another bowler who uses his shoulder to generate pace. But, like Zahid he doesn’t use his shoulder too much. Ball is a good fast bowler and impressed everyone with his pace and accuracy. England’s bench strength is good.

I think England’s weakest link has been those vacant areas in the second and third slip. The Pakistani batsmen fetched plenty of runs in those areas. They were edgy and engaging two slips would have been productive for Alastair Cook.

Two late wickets made the first day a well balanced one and overall, it was a great day of Test cricket. 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Euro 2016 - Well done Portugal

When Cristiano Ronaldo left the stage, which meant so much for him, I felt sad. The electric environment at the Stade de France lost one of the greatest footballer of this era and somehow, it was a relief for the French players and fans as without Cristiano Ronaldo, this Portugal team’s confidence would be lessened by at least 70% and a French victory has been just a matter of time. Even if Cristiano Roanldo is not involved with the team so actively while playing, his presence is always a confidence-booster for his men.

But those who claim, CR7 is a selfish fellow and plays only for himself, they had ended up with eggs on their face last night. CR7 is a leader and he is capable of leading his side from the off the field as well. Some players can be from a different planet, but leaders are born on mother earth and neither on Mars nor in Neptune.   

Peter Stauton stated, “Ronaldo, one-legged, was directing his troops from the dugout, walking alongside his coach, trying to affect the play in any way he could. Before extra time and again at the switch over, Ronaldo was there with his men, talking to them and inspiring them. There was nothing he could contribute on the field following Dimitri Payet's awkward first-half challenge which brought him to tears. He was powerless”.

The tears of CR7 stimulated Portugal and they faced the challenge of overturning the history and stats which were against them from the start of the match. CR7 has proved, he is the definition of a champion and leader. The press always insults him to glorify a player from different planets, but one thing they forget, until and unless you deliver the best for your country, you are just the best of a generation, but not the all-time best footballer. Winning tournaments like the FIFA World Cup and Euro is the ultimate accolade. CR7 took his greatness to a new level after winning the Euro last night. 

France had a wonderful record against Portugal. Since 1976, Porugal have not fared well against them while they were blessed with home advantage and a competent squad, but I stated few days back, this French team was never tested by a solid defensive unit and lacks the cutting edge to dismantle any solid defensive units.

Portugal’s park-the-bus-style has been widely criticized and even, at times, I was annoyed by their defensive tactics. But I and others forget, if you are not blessed with a brilliant squad, then, there are no other options than to park-the-bus and then go for the counterattack. But above all, your defence should be a well-drilled one. Picking up rubbish products like Carlos Dunga won’t help you at all.

The French pushed forward and created opportunities, but still failed. They lost the match in the midfield where it was neutralized by the Portuguese midfielders who either shut it down or won the ball back whenever France tried to build up a play. Didier Deschamps must admit, his ploy to utilize Pogba as a deeplying playmaker was not the right move as it shifted him from those areas in which he is best at doing things.

The French were predictable and failed to deliver that ultimate vim which is much needed to lift a trophy.

The French were lucky, but why luck deserted them? Many of us fail to understand, in majority of the times, our luck is created by our own actions and Deschamps’ men failed to perform whereas, Portugal managed to grab the attention of lady luck as because, they never gave up even when the circumstances were against them. The substitutions of Fernando Santos tells you, how he was inspired by the proverb” No risk, no gain” and surfaced, those players whose abilities  were not well known by the opposition other than the coach himself. Last night, during the extra-time, with the French unit feeling the pressure, a perfect number 9 was needed for the cutting edge. Santos brought on Eder and the rest is history.

Lastly, Rui Patricio and Pepe deserve a lot of credit for their excellent display throughout the match last night and tournament

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Euro 2016 - France are the overwhelming favourites, but don't write off Portugal

The stats are not in favour of Portugal against France. The French beat them in a nerve-jangling  affair during the Euro of 1984 and 2000 and six years later, yet another Zinedine Zidane – who scored the golden goal from the penalty spot in the Euro 2000 semifinal - goal from the penalty spot dashed the dreams of the Portuguese. Meanwhile, in the last ten matches, Portugal have not been able to defeat France, while, at Stade de France,  the record of the hosts is brilliant.

France  have played 80 games at the Stade de France where they won 50 matches, drew 20 and lost just 10 including that eventful World Cup final in 1998. Stade de France is like a fort for the French and Portugal would have to defeat the history and statistical records to create history.

Again, Portugal’s record in a major tournament has hardly been satisfactory. Their golden generation in 1966, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006 failed to live up to the expectations and the memories of the final of Euro 2004 are still fresh in my mind where they were left stunned by Greece.

This Portugal team is nowhere near the teams of golden generation and their advancement so far has hit the nails on the heads of the experts who had written off Cistiano Ronaldo and his men at the start of the tournament. Even last month, none were ready to bet on Portugal, but at the end of the day, like the Italy of World Cup 1982, they were gearing up to play the finals of Euro 2016.

This time around, the pressure  of expectations will be on France being the host nation. And why not? They might not have the charisma and flair of Michel Platini and Zinezine Zidane’s France, but so far, they have been better than the four semifinalists. Be it on the defence or midfield or forward positions, the French are a complete package and surely, they are expected to lift the trophy and maintain their astonishing record against Portugal and in home tournaments.

But can we write off Portugal too early? I am not ready to write them off. Antoine Griezmann and co would have to counter a very ragged and organized Portuguese defence. There have been discussions about the young sensation Renato Sanches, the form of Nani and the ups-and-downs of CR7, but one cannot deny how solid Portugal have been at the back, which gave their midfielders and forwards to run for the counter attack whenever there is an opportunity.

Despite being forced into extra-time against both Croatia and Poland, Portugal have faced just eight shots in the knockout stages in 330 minutes of action – and they have conceded just once. Defenders like Pepe know very well how to shut down Griezmann and in the midfield an intriguing battle between Paul Pogba and Sanches is expected to take place tomorrow.

Portugal need to cut off the passes between Mataudi and Pogba and engage a ball winner rather than shutting down like a Zito or Dunga. A ball winner like Paulo Roberto Falcao keeps the momentum going towards you and initiate a counter attack. Portugal cannot afford to sit back deep all the time and thus, enough mobility is needed in the midfield and that’s I suggested of a ball-winner who can afford passes after winning the ball.

Above all, CR7 needs to play a vital role rather than getting vanished when his team needs him the most.

He needs to be at the top of his game to script a heart break for France.

It will be a tough task, but not impossible.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Euro 2016 - Bastian Schweinsteiger's stupidity proved handy for Germany

I could not trace France in the first half. It was the Germans who dominated the pitch and controlled the midfield and forward. Bastian Schweinsteiger was in total command in the midfield and  using the ball intelligently from his position just in front of the back four, as well as testing Hugo Lloris with a fine strike from outside of the area. Emre Can began to impose himself on the game after a nervy start and  set up a fine chance for Thomas Muller. The Germans were in no mood to let the hosts gab any single moment to gather the momentum.

As the half-time whistle was around the corner, a stupid and unnecessary handball by Schweinsteiger cost Germany dearly. There is a school of thought, the decision was a harsh one against Bastian and it was made to favour the host nation, but I found such allegations rubbish. Bastian has to take the blame for his stupidity.

Antoine Griezmann took the penalty in a brutal manner as if he was highly motivated by the memories of Seville 1982. Germany allowed France to come back into the game and in the second half, I could not trace the Germany of the first half.  Moreover, Jerome Boateng’s muscle injury weakened the Germans more as they struggled throughout the second half to rediscover their traditional fighting spirit. Another Griezmann strike buried the game for the Germans and the hopes for another final in a major tournament.

Griezmann was the French hero last night. But one must not forget the brilliant display of Samuel Umtiti at defence and Hugo Lloris in front of the goal. 

I must say, the Germans played poorly in the second half rather than saying the French played superbly. The performance of France was average and they need to lift themselves up against Portugal who are the masters in scripting the formula of finding the way to win a match. But at the end of the day, the French are an unbeatable force at home.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar