India v New Zealand, 2nd test, Kolkata, Day 1 - India's batting display was not up to the mark

There was grass on the track and inconsistent bounce on the track at Eden Gardens. At first sight, one would feel the match was played at Eden Park rather than the city of joy. To survive on such tracks, you need application rather than exhibiting adventure as this is Test cricket and not Twenty20 League.

I could not understand, why a batsman like Virat Kohli played the shot with an angled bat. Boult’s delivery was slightly on a half-volley length and was outside off, at which Kohli executed the shot with an angled bat on a track which encouraged movement. Virat fell cheaply and if Kohli wishes to be regarded as one of the all-time bests, he needs to be a consistent performer in Test cricket.

Scoring huge runs in Twenty20 or 50-over format may earn you plenty of endorsements, but not greatness.

Chetehswar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane’s composure arrested a collapse, but as soon as they were dismissed, India’s batting struggled again. A Wriddhiman Saha and Ravindra Jadeja might come good, but their success are not a hundred percent guarantee.

Again, Pujara failed to make it big. Suddenly, he gets out of the zone when it seems he will reach triple figures.

The top order needs adjustment and the deserving boys need to be included rather than wasting time on players who are certified failures in Test cricket. Eg. Rohit Sharma.

I enjoyed Matt Henry’s back-of-a-length bowling. Trent Boult nipped back in and swung away while Neil Wagner’s round the wicket rib cage deliveries did create pressure.  They need to strike early and restrict India below 300 on day 2.

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Faisal Caesar  

Bangladesh v Afghanistan, 2nd ODI, Mirpur - Afghanistan win a thriller

One minute silence for those who didn’t follow this match. It had been a great advertisement for 50-over format. When the bowling dominates, the contest becomes simmering. At one point Afghanistan were all set to bag the match easily, but yet again, the Tigers bounced back to set jitters in the Afghanistan batting line up and took the match down the wire. In the end, Afghanistan won the match with two balls to spare.

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Faisal Caesar 

Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund, UEFA Champions League 2016-17 - The Los Blancos missed Casemiro a lot

While Casemiro was playing, Real Madrid won 18 of their 20 matches in all competitions - a ratio of 90 per cent. Without the Brazilian, however, Madrid have claimed only seven victories from 12 matches, losing one and drawing four.

Last night he was missed. Real Madrid failed to break the Borussia jinx and hung on to a 2-2 draw. James Rodriguez, Luka Mordic and Toni Kroos are brilliant midfielders, but when it matter is about stabilization, they just couldn't do that as because, neither of them are defensive midfielders.

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Faisal Caesar 

The tale of Mashrafe Bin Mortaza's brilliant captaincy in the first ODI against Afghanistan

Taskin Ahmed’s last ball was a full toss on middle at which Dawlat Zardan attacked, but holed out to long off. For the first time in the history of One-Day international cricket, the innings of both teams ended in the last ball and with that dismissal, the crowd at Mirpur breathed a sigh of relief. They were kept quiet for a brief period by some inspiring batting display by the Afghanistan batsmen, but all of a sudden, the atmosphere at the stadium changed – it became noisy and the festive mood returned.

It was an absolute nerve-jangler at Mirpur. The Tigers survived an Afghanistan scare. At one stage, it seemed, the Afghans would take the match away from Bangladesh, but the Tigers bounced back well to snatch a thrilling victory by a narrow margin.

Rahmat Shah and Hashmathullah Shahidi’s stubborn third-wicket partnership dropped the shoulders of Bangladeshi players. Both of them applied themselves superbly at the crease and, it seemed, Shah and Shahidi played plenty of test matches and are well aware of the value of spending time at the crease and rotation of strike. As time progressed, the match was going out of Bangladesh’s grip and hiccup was on the cards.

But one man didn’t lose his patience and kept on trying as he believed, a comeback was still possible. That man was the captain of Bangladesh Mashrafe Bin Mortaza.

As a captain, Mash was at his tactical best last night.

Firstly, he didn’t step back and switch to a defensive mode, but attacked when the Shah and Shahidi partnership was well poised. He brought the third man up and placed a wide slip or maneuvered the gully, kept mid off inside the circle and instead of a deep midwicket, engaged a short midwicket and leg slip and advised the likes of Rubel and Taskin to bang it short.

Mash maneuvered his field and stuck to it. He didn’t panic and his perseverance fetched results when an ambitious Rahmat Shah came down the wicket against Shakib Al Hasan in the 41st over. In fact, he was made to do such as Mash set the field in such a manner, it lured Rahmat to attempt an ambitious stroke. Shakib’s flight flummoxed Rahmat and Bangladesh got the most important breakthrough.

Taking up the mantle in bowling

Secondly, Mashrafe’s courage to take the responsibility on his own shoulders when his two strike bowlers were found wanting. He brought himself into the attack when Mohammad Nabi and Najibullah Zardan were all set to unleash another dangerous partnership. He looked tired, but not short of spirits.

A back of a length off-cutter from Mashrafe shortened Zardan’s stay at the crease and enlightened Bangladesh’s chances.

One must not forget Mash’s response to Mohammad Shahzad’s humungous six in the seventh over. Shahzad clobbered a huge six in the fifth ball, but it didn’t deter Mash from dishing out a slow-in-cutter to end up the ghost of Shahzad. It was Bangladesh’s first breakthrough and an important one to dent Afghanistan’s aggressive intent.   

This is what captaincy is all about. Even when the chips are down, an aggressive captain doesn’t hide but steps up to inspire his teammates.

Thirdly, Mash’s faith in Taskin Ahmed and Rubel Hossain was praiseworthy. Taskin and Rubel were mediocre with the ball in the major part of the match. While Rubel struggled to manage his short-pitched stuff, Taskin’s struggle with his rectified action was evident. But Mash, didn’t lose faith and persisted with them.

Mash’s immense faith in his players pays off

Taskin delivered a slower delivery in the 48th over – a slowish legspinner which came from the back of the hand and Nabi failed to timed it perfectly and holed out to the fielder at long off. That wicket was the major turning point of the match as because, if Nabi was not dismissed, the story might have been different.

Nabi is a dangerous player and surely, a captain would not take the risk of engaging those bowlers who had been pale in his previous overs. But, Mash invested faith in Taskin to outsmart Nabi and it paid rich dividends.

That wicket ignited Taskin and he ended up taking four wickets. Meanwhile, to introduce Rubel in the 49th over was another risky decision. But Rubel didn’t let Mash down and ended up taking Afghanistan’s eighth wicket to take Bangladesh closer to a stunning victory.

Lastly, Mash rotated his bowling options intelligently. Especially, his utilisation of Shakib was brilliant. Shakib’s impeccable line and length were tough to counter and it not only helped in building pressure but fetching important wickets as well. With Rubel and Taskin leaking runs thick and fast, Mash realized the value of using Shakib in the right moments rather than bowling out his overs.

When Mash struck first in the first ten overs, he introduced Shakib immediately to utilise the momentum.  Shakib grabbed a wicket. Then, when it was needed to disturb the rhythm of Afghanistan, Shakib was brought on to bowl to trigger a breakthrough in the 41st over and when it was needed to make Afghanistan’s task difficult in the slog overs, Mashrafe engaged Shakib in the 47th over where he leaked just one run and kept Bangladesh’ chances alive. 

One thing can be expected, Bangladesh will get better and better after this match. Yes, there were gray areas in the batting and fielding, but I am sure Mash and Chandika Hathurusingha will rectify those as early as possible.  

Note: This article has been published at Sportskeeda on 26/09/2016 The tale of Mashrafe Bin Mortaza's brilliant captaincy in the first ODI against Afghanistan

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Faisal Caesar  

India v New Zealand, 1st Test, Kanpur, Day 5 - A thumping win for India

New Zealand’s stubborn resistance on day 2, gave me the impression that they mean business at Kanpur. But as soon as Kane Williamson was dismissed and they collapsed with immediate effect, the fighting spirits were down as well and never popped up. Ravi Ashwin’s fantastic form with the ball and some silly cricket by the Kiwi top order batsmen, transformed the Test match into a one sided affair.  

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Faisal Caesar 

Bangladesh v Afghanistan, 1st ODI, Mirpur - Bangladesh survive the Afghanistan scare

I decided to post videos rather than Facebook status during the ongoing three-match ODI series between Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Well, just thought about it and did it. Positive feedbacks will be appreciated.  

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Faisal Caesar 

India v New Zealand, 1st Test, Kanpur, Day 4 - New Zealand are left reeling

I wanted Cheteshwar Pujara to score a hundred. He looked to be in the zone for a big score, but on day 4, he frustrated me by getting out early. He can trap himself into the zone – a mental state of the batsmen where he can bat on, on and on. Why he suddenly gets out of that zone, I cannot understand. But the Indian scoring rate didn’t halt as Ravindra Jadeja and Rohit Sharma swelled the lead.

Virat would be happy by Rohit’s half century, but in my opinion, India should consider a genuine Test player rather than wasting time on him.

Ravi Ashwin removed the New Zealand openers early and when Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor were dismissed, chasing down 434 on day 5 has become an uphill task. The remaining batsmen need to put up a stubborn resistance. It is still a good track to occupy the crease. One needs to play the ball straight, close to the body and more on the back foot by getting behind the line of the ball. 

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Faisal Caesar 

India v New Zealand, 1st Test, Kanpur, Day 3 - India are on top

The kind of form Kane Williamson was, an extraordinary delivery was needed to shift the balance of the match towards India. In the ninth over of the day, Ashwin delivered the fourth ball of the over, a bit short and outside off, but it turned and castled Kane who was preparing to pivot on the back foot and counter it. Ashwin gave a bit of a rip on the ball which let it to nip-back-in after landing. A special delivery to dismiss a special player.

What a ball it was!

As soon as Williamson was dismissed, the New Zealand batting line-up collapsed. Let me say, Ravindra Jadeja was not unplayable and Ashwin bowled better than him. But the Kiwi batsmen failed to apply caution and appropriate technique against Jadeja. Eg. Ross Taylor’s dismissal doesn’t justify his his abilities at all. The front foot simply came to defend the ball instead of the bat. That was quite amateurish from a batsman who is regarded one of the stalwarts of this New Zealand batting line-up.  

After New Zealand’s meek surrender, their spinners dished out a feast of short balls and let India settle. But in the last hour of play, Cheteshwar Pujara and Murali Vijay didn’t take Is Sodhi and Mark Craig’s mediocre bowling granted. The scoring rate dropped a bit and caution took place so that no silly mistakes happen.

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Faisal Caesar 

India v New Zealand, 1st Test, Kanpur, Day 2 - Kane Williamson's brilliant abilities to counter the Indian spinners

Soft hands, decisive and distinct footwork – that’s what Kane Williamson’s batting was all about on day 2 at Kanpur. But in my opinion, it was more than that. Kane Williamson's authority over Ravi Ashwin and Jadeja had been due to 1. The ability to read the ball from the bowler's hand. 2. The ability to read the seam position as soon as the ball was released and 3. The shine of the ball.

Had Williamson not read the ball from the hand, he would not have been able to shift his balance on the back foot well and use his rubber-wrists to play the turning balls with authority and his ability to read the seam and shine of the ball helped to get an idea about which way the ball will turn and drift.

If a batsman wait for the ball to turn after landing on the track, it impedes the ability of the batsmen to adjust his balance and play the ball late.

Then there were those mind games.

I think, Virat Kohli over-maneuvered the field setting. There was no need to change the field in every three or four deliveries. If Kane attempted to play the paddle-sweep, there was no need to bring a leg slip in the next delivery. Kane won’t repeat the same shot. Meanwhile, if he plays through backward point, there is no need to engage a fielder in between the point and backward point at the expense of a cover. It confuses the fielding team and bowler and gives the advantage to the batsman who is technically and temperamentally very good.

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Faisal Caesar 

The Afghanistan series is more than about Cricket for Bangladesh

The heat of the day ebbs to a comforting warmth. Gradually, the sunshine loses its brightness and the color of Dhaka softens, but the noise remains the same. It’s time to return home after spending a hectic time at the office. While passing the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, one can feel that the atmosphere is different. The floodlights are shining brightly and puts the colour of the evening at shame.

The buzz outside the stadium overshadows the noise of busy Dhaka. Even last week, there was a certain silence, but now, the scene is different.

The gentle breeze blowing around the stadium area is filled with music. It’s the music of cricket which brings each and every Bangladeshi on the same platform. It’s the music which instills hope amid the day to day hassle and depression. The tragic incident at Gulshan on July 1, 2016, infused a sense of uncertainty among the Bangladeshis, but the days of doom and gloom will be forgotten as the whole Bangladesh will tune to the music of cricket.

The sun will sink lower in the sky, the light of the day will drain away and nightfall. But, the people of Bangladesh will neither hug the evening, nor night, but will be busy in celebrating life by cheering for the Tigers.

How doleful and disquieted the Bangladeshis were after the bloodshed at Gulshan on July 1 one cannot imagine. Yes, the nation bounced back and went back to their normal life, but the life was not as rhythmic as before. A certain apprehension gripped the whole nation. Life went on as usual, but it lacked the joy and inspiration to advance forward.

When the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced that the Tigers will play a three-match one-day series against Afghanistan, it elevated the mood of Bangladesh. Gradually the rhythm started to come back and as the day for the ODI series came closer, the Bangladeshis are rediscovering their lost rhythm.

At present, Afghanistan are one of the most dangerous sides in world cricket. In the limited-overs format, they are capable of posing a stifling challenge for the opposition and already, players like Asghar Stanikzai, Dawlat Zardan, Muhammad Nabi, Nawroz Mangal and Mohammad Shahzad are prominent names in world cricket and possess the qualities to change the course of the game at any moment.

And of course, Bangladesh have not forgotten how they defeated the Tigers two years ago in front of the home crowd. On paper, Bangladesh are the favourites, but it won’t be a wise act to take Afghanistan lightly.

 The upcoming series is very significant for Bangladesh

Firstly, this series will be the dress rehearsal of the security arrangements of Bangladesh. After the terrorist attack at Gulshan, the security status of Bangladesh came under the scanner and raised doubts. It proved that Australia’s decision to cancel the tour last year was apt and appropriate and in turn, dark clouds gathered over the possibilities of England tour.

Thankfully, England decided to tour Bangladesh, but still one cannot sit down and relax until and unless the ODI series against Afghanistan surpasses without any unwanted occurrences. Bangladesh needs to prove a point regarding their security arrangements and make others believe, the security arrangements in Bangladesh is well-equipped to ensure adequate safety.

Secondly, The crooked minds who orchestrate such heinous acts and create unrest, need a strong message through this series. The dark souls should bear in mind, no matter what acts they dish out to disrupt the synchronicity of this society, sports will always be there to restore courage and faith among the people.

There might be a bomb explosion in Paris or the savage acts at Gulshan, but a ball and bat will rise to the occasion to  frustrate the terrorists whose main aim is to instill apprehension in the minds of the common people.  

The ODI series against Afghanistan will be the perfect exhibition of courage by Bangladesh and the befitting answer to terrorism.  

Thirdly, in the recent times, quite a few exciting talents have emerged in Bangladesh. During the Under-19 World Cup, some of the young guns caught the attention of many and deserve a place in the national squad. The ODI series against Afghanistan would be the perfect platform to test those young guns.

Lastly, this series was much needed for the passionate fans of Bangladesh cricket and Tigers. Since the Asia Cup, hardly any international cricket has taken place in Bangladesh. Neither Bangladesh have played any international cricket since the World Twenty20. The ODI series against Afghanistan will be helpful in bringing the Tigers back in rhythm and shrug off their jet-lagged status and above all, it will help the Bangladeshis to regain their lost charm which was lost after the Gulshan attack.

It’s time to celebrate life and welcome international cricket in Bangladesh.

Note: This article has been published at Sportskeeda on 23/09/2016 The Afghanistan series is more than about Cricket for Bangladesh

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

India v New Zealand, 1st Test, Kanpur, Day 1 - Neil Wagner and Mitchell Santner's well-planned spell

The first session belonged to India and they were in a commendable position when Cheteshwar Pujara and Murali Vijay were batting together. Both of them were cautious and technically near perfect against the New Zealand bowlers. Kane Williamson badly needed a breakthrough to come back into the game.

Kane engaged Neil Wagner and Mitchell Santnerinto the attack from the 42 over.

Santner’s deliveries were not testing enough, while Wagner breathe hostility – reversed the ball and banged in short.

What Santner’s plan was to instill a pesudo-confidence in Pujara and Vijay by bowling some mediocre balls so that, the all-of-a-suddenly-bowled good balls can fetch wickets. It was not about drying up the runs, but creating a false sense of confidence to script a breakthrough.

From over 42 to 48, Pujara and Vijay hardly felt the heat and India’s train was traveling smoothly. In the third ball of the 49^th over, Pujara seemed to have fallen into the trap of Santner. In the last three overs, Santer’s line of attack was either wide-of-off or swaying down the leg. The Indian batsmen fetched runs, comfortably while the occasional good balls were countered with ease.

The first ball of the 49^th over was a mediocre one, while the second was a good one and the third another mediocre. The fourth one was pushed into middle-and-leg. You cannot use the bat straight in such cases, but use the wrist to send it to the onside and in fact, Pujara was doing such against Santner in the previous overs.

But, maneuvering the strike and scoring freely against Santner gave rise to pseudo-confidence and the bat came straight. New Zealand got the breakthrough.

Entered Virat. Santner delivered nothing special to Virat who cracked a boundary and took a single to face Wagner in the next over. Virat was confident and sent a Wagner short-pitched stuff to the boundary.

Immediately, Wagner had put the slip fielders wide and an orthodox gully and went over the wicket to bowl.

Surely, it was a trap. Wide slip and gully makes a batsman think, the pace bowler will deliver the ball outside off from back of a length, but Wagner delivered another shortish one, Virat pulled it straight into the throat of the long leg fielder.

Santner built the confidence in Virat, Wagner added more fuel to it and then made him think like Wagner by maneuvering the field. The plan worked.

Kane’s ploy to engage Santner and Wagner paid rich dividends. The Indian batting lost their rhythm and at the fag end of day 1, Trent Boult’s nippy-spell with the new ball set jitters in the lower order of Indian batting line-up.  

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Faisal Caesar 

India's 500th Test - My All-time Test XI

The first Test against New Zealand at Kanpur will be India’s 500th. It has been a long and adventurous journey for team India, who are responsible to make cricket a popular and professional sports in the subcontinent and popularize cricket in this part of the world. Especially, the six-foot tall doctor, Mehellasha Parvi, whose round-arm action and pace made him a prominent figure in the 1890s.  

Keeping in mind about the historic day, I pay my rich tribute to CK Nayudu, Vinoo Mankand, Lala Amarnath, Mohammad Nissar, Vijay Hazare, Pankaj Roy, Mustaque Ali and above all, the Parsee community who were instrumental in popularizing cricket in this part of the world. Especially, the six-foot tall doctor, Mehellasha Parvi, whose round-arm action and pace made him a prominent figure in the 1890s.

Without the above mentioned people, Indian cricket and cricket in the subcontinent would not have advanced that much.  

As  a cricket fan, I have many memories about the India cricket team since 1986. I was six years old in 1986 and I came to know about India during that eventful match at Sharjah when Javed Miandad hit that last ball for a six and turned the whole subcontinent upside down. I knew nothing about cricket back then, but all I could remember, the radio commentators to repeat the names of Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Dilip Vengsarkar, Chetan Sharma and Mohammad Azharuddin. Of course, the radio commentators repeated the names of Javed Miandad and Imran Khan billion times I guess.

In my school and college life, the Indian team was all about achieving individual landmarks rather than a major force in world cricket like West Indies, Pakistan, Australia or South Africa. A defeat against Pakistan was a regular event while they display away from home was always not up to the mark.In the 90s,  people talked more about Sachin Tendulkar than the performance of the team as a whole.

In the early part of 2000, Sourav Ganguly, a cricketer from Kolkata, became the captain and gradually, things started to change. India had not only registered staggering victories, but their record away from home started to improve. Dada’s men played with an aggressive intent, an ingredient which the other captains failed to instill among his men.

In cricket, captaincy is very important. You need a strong and intelligent captain to marshall your team and Ganguly as a captain and player pass on all accounts. For me, an all-time Indian Test XI is incomplete without Dada. If I have to make an all-time Indian Test XI, then, Dada will be my captain and one cannot deny his credibilities as a Test batsman as well. In white shirts, he played some brilliant knocks which still remained etched in memory.  

 Yes, one might make Kapil Dev or Sunil Gavaskar as the captain, but if anyone notice, as a captain, both of them failed to live up to the expectations. Yes, there was Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and Mohammad Azharuddin, but I have my doubts about Azhar while, MAK Pataudi just might not make it, as in my opinion, Ganguly’s impact was more than him.

Dada was the architect of new India. 

In my team, Sunil Gavaskar will be an automatic choice as the opener and Vinoo Mankand will be his partner instead of Virender Sehwag.

Stats are not in favour of Vinoo. The modern generation hardly knows about his courage and compactness as a batsman and bowler. He was not only an outstanding allrounder, but a symbol of boldness and technical solidity as well when it came to handling the ferocious pacers on testing conditions. 

The Indian hierarchy didn’t select  Vinoo for the first Test against England at Leeds in 1952 and the result was a shambolic one. Fred Trueman put the Indian batting line up into shame. The Indian think tank decided to recall Vinoo and before the start of the second Test at Lord’s, Vinoo invited Bengal cricketer P B Dutta for a beer in a restaurant. Vinoo boldly told him, “Dekh lena, Kaal saala Trueman ke baache ko hum bohut marega. Hum Lindwall, Nissar ko khela hain. Hum ko kaun fast bolwer darain ga”?

At Lords’ Vinoo came down the track and attacked Trueman, who was fast and furious at that time. Vinoo scored 72 and 184 and those knocks are a part of Indian cricket’s folklore.  His bat did the talkings many times when many of his partners failed to deliver. His technique and temperament were solid and with the ball, Vinoo’s left-arm orthodox was nagging and tough to score. Before Kapil arrived, Vinoo was the best allrounder for India.

Excluding Sehwag was a hard choice. But I want a five-man bowling attack where, a fifth bowler will be available to aid the ideal support to the four front line bowlers and I think, Vinoo is the perfect man to provide such. You cannot deny Vinoo’s abilities as an allround cricketer.

The middle-order will include: Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman.

Do I need to explain about the Fab Four?  

My wicketkeeper would be MS Dhoni and the bowlers will be: Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan.

Kumble is India’s best spinner and proved a point all over the world, while, I don’t need to describe how good Kapil was. Meanwhile, Srinath and Zaheer had been one of the pioneer pace bowlers since Kapil departed. India might be blessed with legendary batsmen and spinners, but sadly, champion pace bowlers hardly emerged. Yes, there were the likes of Amar Singh and Mohammad Nissar, but both of them had not played enough Test matches to prove a point.

The selection of MS Dhoni over Syed Kirmani, like Vinoo over Sehwag, might not satisfy many, but hey, this is my own team and in my opinion, Dhoni had been a fantastic wicketkeeper-batsman in Test cricket for India. Do I need to explain Dhoni’s capabilities? I don’t think so.

So my all-time Indian Test XI is: Sunil Gavaskar, Vinoo Mankand, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly (C), VVS Laxman, Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni (WK), Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan and Javagal Srinath.

That’s the way I see it. I didn’t pick the players on the basis of stats, but judged from what I have seen since 1986 and read from the books.

The opinions about this team will differ, but at the end of the day, this is my team and I know, it’s the best.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Sampdoria v AC Milan, Italian Serie A - Carlos Bacca saves the day for Rossoneri

AC Milan secured a valuable point last night by beating Sampdoria last night, but I think, the Rossoneri were just lucky to escape a defeat. Sampdoria had two goals disallowed – one for an offside which I think should have stayed while the other was due to handball. The home team pressed hard and kept Milan at bay.

Milan’s performance was as usual dull in my opinion and, it seemed, they didn’t learn from their below-par display against Udinese few days back. Milan should be grateful to Carlos Bacca, the Colombian who was dropped by the head coach Vincenzo Montella in favour of £7.3 million summer signing Gianluca Lapadula. Lapadula created no impact and wasted an opportunity by attempting a shot which sailed over the bar.

Bacca’s introduction in the 65^th minute infused a bit of life in Milan and he proved his worth by scoring the winner in the 85^th minute. The Rossoneri are placed in the eighth position in the points table. But with such dull displays, a Champions League berth will be just a distant dream.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Does India have the best bench strength in world cricket at the moment?

A match between Madras vs. Calcutta in 1864, perhaps, was the first ever match which led to the journey of First-class cricket in the Indian subcontinent. To be specific, First-class cricket began in 1892–93 season with two Europeans vs. Parsees matches, at Bombay and Poona. During the same season, an English team, led by Lord Hawke, played four First-class matches, including a game against "All India" on from January 26 to 28, 1893.

Gradually, the Indian domestic structure started to take a better and competitive shape and became one of the breeding grounds for producing legendary cricketers. Since their entrance into the world of Test cricket, India has presented some of the distinguished cricketers who gave the Indian cricket name, fame and a unique stature. From the likes of CK Nayudu to the present day master Virat Kohli, the majority of the legends are the products of a well-equipped first class structure of India.

When Sourav Ganguly’s men stunned England at Lord’s in front of a packed crowd at the Natwest tri-nation final, the face of Indian cricket started to change. Within two to three years, Ganguly’s men had become one of the feared customers in cricket and the Indians shrugged off their tag of “home track bullies” to champion performers all around the world.

Their urge and determination to become the best team knew no bounds and keeping in mind about this daring wish, the Indian domestic structure started to change as well.

In the past, the Indian First-class structure did produce legends, but it was more about individual charisma rather than the mentality to reach the top. What Ganguly’s success did, infused the urge to dream big and reach the top, no matter how tough the circumstances are! It propelled the process of building a strong bench strength, which never occurred in the past.

India, at present, are not a unit who will sit down and celebrate after beating any particular team, but their ambition is to become the best team in the world and if a team wishes to claim themselves as the best, surely, they need to have a strong bench strength as well.

The greatest teams in the history of Test cricket, West Indies and Australia, could rule the roost only because they were blessed with some outstanding players on the bench who could fill in the gaps of either a Viv Richards, Malcolm Marshall, Steve Waugh or Matthew Hayden.

A source from the BCCI said a few days back, “The idea is that our bench strength should be ready if and when there is an SOS call. India will be playing New Zealand, England, Bangladesh and Australia. It is a long season ahead and Kumble wants to identify players and to see which format they fit into, if not all. While the top players pick themselves, horses for courses will be his mantra when it comes to shuffling players around. It’s the roadmap for India during his tenure, and he’s very keen on taking this team forward.”

The source then added, “Kumble is sure that if the Indian team has to move forward, all stakeholders will have to work together. He can’t change things on his own. The Indian team has played good cricket at home, but he wants to get different views on what is needed for them to do well overseas, like probably having more exposure trips for our bench strength.”

The Indian think tank is working accordingly and one can say, India does have some competent performers waiting on the bench to deliver the goods whenever it is needed.

India have a competent bench strength

Nathu Singh is one of those promising prospects who is already creating a lot of buzz in the Indian cricket fraternity. He is tall and strongly built and his pace and discipline, not only has he tested the likes of Gautam Gambhir but also has earned praise from the legend Rahul Dravid.

Then there is that 24-year old Shardul Thakur whose appetite for wickets is huge and apart from performing consistently in the domestic cricket, he has been excellent for India A in Australia. Thakur’s bowling was a treat to watch in the second innings where he picked up three wickets and his ability to bounce the ball and shoot one of the fuller lengths at pace was staggering enough.

Saurashtra’s multi-dimensional Sheldon Jackson is another consistent performer and has always been regarded as the ideal replacement of MS Dhoni in Test cricket. With the bat, he averages 122 from three matches in the ongoing Duleep Trophy and his wicketkeeping and fielding abilities makes him a handy customer.

Meanwhile, Manish Pandey’s recent performance in Downunder with the Indian A team has given a strong message, he’s not a limited-overs performer but can strike gold in the game’s longer format as well.

21-year-old Kuldeep Yadav is a left-arm chinaman bowler and is blessed with the ability to pick wickets consistently. We don’t see left-arm chinamen in plenty these days and in that sense, Kuldeep is a rare case and is expected to give the Indian bowling attack a new dimension if given a chance. 17 scalps from three matches in the ongoing Duleep trophy at the strike rate and average of 42 and 27.88 indicate about his hunger for wickets.

Shreyas Gopal came into the Karnataka side as a middle-order batsman who could bowl leg spin, and ended up as the lead spinner's role. He took 22 wickets at an average of 18.22 in his first Ranji Trophy season, as Karnataka claimed the 2013-14 title, and followed it up with a hat-trick against the Rest of India in the Irani Cup. If Amit Mishra is unavailable, India can invest faith in him.

Sanju Samson burst into the scene through Indian Premier League, but he was not one of those players to sit down and enjoy the tag of being a limited-overs cricketer. He dreams big and thus, made him available in the longer formats of the domestic cricket and performed consistently in the last Ranji trophy.  The young wicketkeeper-batsman from Kerala was also appointed skipper of his side for the new season.

Shreyas Iyer is an attacking batsman and can mix caution with aggression very well. In the last Ranji Trophy, he scored plenty of runs, 1321 runs at an average of 73.38, including a century in the final, to help Mumbai storm to their 41st title. He is a great option for the Indian middle-order who often finds it tough when the likes of Rohit Sharma gets dismissed too early.

Again, one cannot deny the talent and abilities of Karun Nair, whose expertise with the willow in the last Ranji Trophy had been a big boost for his team while his solidity in technique aids him to stay at the crease against the very good bowling attacks.

Problems with the opening pair for India

India’s conundrum with the opening slot is a matter of debate. Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul have been tried and tested. Shikhar has not been able to live up to the expectations and thus, someone like Mayank Agarwal could be an ideal replacement. He is a prolific opening batsman and suits the style of modern day batsmanship. In the ongoing Duleep Trophy, he has fetched 420 runs at an average of 84 from three matches. His highest score 161 runs was an exhibition of technique and temperament.

Unmukt Chand caught the eye of the world during the Under-19 World Cup in 2012, but since then, he failed to justify his talent. He chose to polish his skill in the domestic circuit and struggled early on, but in the last season of the Ranji Trophy, he was found among the runs and knocked the doors of the selectors for a call in the national squad.

Ravi Ashwin is India’s one and only all-rounder in the Test squad. He is more of a bowling all-rounder rather than competent in both. Someone like Rishi Dhawan can fill the number six spot and give Virat Kohli a great option to build his around a genuine allrounder.

Even the old warhorses like Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik and Robin Uthappa have been prolific performers on the domestic circuit. A healthy competition between the old guns and young talents is benefiting the Indian cricket a lot. The scenario is almost like West Indies of the 80s and Australia of last decade where this competitiveness only enriched them.

So, the Indians have a very competent bench strength at the moment. But these promising youngsters must be utilised accordingly. The Indian selectors ignored some of the performers for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand and invested faith in those, who have ended up with wooden spoons.

To become the best team in the world, it is very important to maneuver the talents available and produce the best in the business by giving them adequate exposure in international cricket. Wasting time on someone like Rohit Sharma in Test cricket will not help team India reach the top. 

Note: This article has been published at Sportskeeda on 15/09/2016 Does India have the best bench strength in world cricket at the moment?

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Real Madrid v Sporting Lisbon, Group Match, UEFA Champions League 2016-17 - Zinedine Zidane deserves the credit for victory

Real Madrid survived a Lisbon scare last night. I think, last night’s winner was Zinedine Zidane. His substitution of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Toni Kross paid rich dividends for the Los Blancos. Zizou is never afraid to take bold steps when it matters the most. Be it as a player, or as a coach, you will always be amazed by his courage.

His substitues, Lucas Vasquez was threatening in the wing, James Rodrguez infused more agility in between the forward and midfield region while Alvaro Morata challenged Lisbon’s defence which boxed-up Cristiano last night.

I thought, the match would be a cake walk, but Lisbon showed enough determination and intent. They just lacked the finishing touches. 

That pass from James to Moarata let Madrid escape last night, but they need to fix their defence if they wish to win this year’s Champions League again. I think Zidane will fix things, he can lift his men.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

What warrants a Test match slot - Limited overs performance or performance in first class cricket

From Bob Woolmer’s famous book “Art and Science of Cricket” we come to know, in 1893, Rev. Holmes wrote, “We know as much as the history of cricket as we shall ever know now, and we have been told everything relating to the science of the game. There is no fresh ground to be explored”. 

Had Mr. Holmes been alive today, he would have to eat his own words.

No other sports have ever gone under so many major and minor changes over the last hundred years like cricket. It evolved, overcoming with reasoned thought and some luck to exist which was threatened by the occasional crisis. For the last fifty years, various revolutions stimulated this game to progress further. The introduction of limited-overs cricket in late 60s injected a new life, while in 2003, the emergence of  limited-overs cricket’s offspring Twenty20 cricket, turned the world upside down.

The popularity of cricket’s newest format is sky high and more than infusing various new concepts about the game, it has allowed the overflow of cash, a major reason for it’s love among the modern day cricketers.

Since the emergence of instant cricket, it has posed a challenge to the game’s most sacred format, Test cricket and the razzmatazz of Twenty20 Leagues, have dented the interest of focusing on longer formats, especially, First Class cricket. The habit of selecting a player in the Test team on the basis of his form in instant cricket has become a regularity. They might seem to be a correct move for a certain period, but in the long run, the theory hit the nails on the head. 

Alex Hales’ first class career started well, but his form in the limited-overs format overshadowed his zest for the first class matches. He used his height to a great extent in Twenty20 and one-day cricket and his ability to hit the ball hard, makes him a deadly customer in colour clothings. The hierarchy of English Cricket decided to include Hales on the basis of his excellent form in limited-overs cricket. Hales was given the task to partner Alastair Cook at the top of the order, but as soon as the colour of the clothes changed, Hales’ batting became pale.

He could fetch runs from those balls delivered in and around the off stump in a Twenty20 or 50-over cricket, but in test cricket, he was found wanting outside off. Neither he could guard his off stump well, nor his feet moved well enough to counter the moving ball. He struggled to get behind the line of the ball and thus, walked to the pavilion quite early.   

Then there is a player named Glenn Maxwell from Australia, who is an absolute murderer of the cricket ball when it comes to Twenty20 cricket, but whenever he comes out to bat in Test cricket, the runs dry up and technically he is found wanting.

Meanwhile, in Bangladesh, a bowler named Mohammad Shahid was included in the Test team one year back on the basis of his performance in First Class cricket. He is a medium-pacer, who can bowl in long spells and proved a point in the Test against South Africa where his ability to stranglehold the batsmen created an ideal platform for the strike bowlers to fetch wickets and thus, triggered a collapse in the first innings. Shahid bowled tirelessly, defying the heat and humidity and his nagging length and incisive line suffocated the top order batsmen. He earned such abilities via bowling on unhelpful conditions in the domestic circuit. His selection, ahead of some celebrated performers in the limited-overs format, earned criticisms, but in the end, they ended up in praises for the man.

Hales and Maxwell created an aura through their ballistic batsmanship in the limited-overs format which vanished in the twinkle of an eye while playing in white clothes. Whereas, Shahid’s workhorse like approach towards the game, didn’t create an aura, but it helped him to deliver the goods when it mattered the most in the best format of the game – Test cricket.

Players like Hales, Maxwell and Shahid always triggers the debate of whether a player should be selected in the Test team, depending on his performance in limited-overs cricket or first class cricket. 

Modern day cricket fans and a few of the critics and experts, wish to see a decent limited-overs performer in the Test squad with immediate effect. In the cricket talk shows on television, they argue and debate to back their thinking, but they always miss the most important point, to be a competent Test cricketer, one needs to be a very good performer and spend enough time in first class cricket.

What the first class cricket can teach a cricketer, the pomp and grandeur of Twnety20 and one-day cricket cannot teach at all.     

First class cricket has always served as the backbone of international cricket and the ideal place to develop cricketers into top class performers. The three or four-day matches are not just cricket matches, but a platform where a young cricketer learns the importance of being patient and disciplined enough when the going gets tough.

A batsman learns the art of occupying the crease, the importance of leaving the ball and learn to curb his aggressive intent, adjust his back, lift and foot work and guard his offstump against the moving ball by playing first class cricket. While a bowler learns to adjust his line and length according to the demand of the situation and how to inject variety in his bowling and use the popping crease when the wickets are not falling.

It also helps in maintaining the fitness and temperament which are highly essential to play cricket at the top level.  

Then there are those tiny details of the game which can only be mastered in the tough arena of first class cricket.

Either a batsman or a bowler can’t be judged through ballistic hitting or four or ten overs of bowling. In the limited overs format, even a poor stroke or bad ball can produce results, but in test cricket, they are equivalent to death.

The demands of Test cricket is always high. The slightest of chinks in the armory of a batsman or bowler can make his life difficult in Test cricket.  And for which, playing enough domestic cricket is a must.

Damien Martyn had been a limited-overs performer for Australia since his debut as a Test cricketer in 1992-93. For a brief period, his technical insufficiencies halted his entry in the Test team, but he didn’t wish to end up as a limited-overs performer, but worked hard in Shield cricket which transformed him into a very good batsman both technically and temperamentally.

Even the likes of Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer reached their peak of excellence only because of breaking down sweat in Shield cricket.

Imran Khan was an average bowler at the start of his career and ten years later, he was one of the ferocious bowlers in the world during the 80s. Imran’s development as a genuine fast bowler was due to bowling long spells in a hectic fashion in County Cricket and Shield Cricket. By bowling on variety on tough and challenging conditions, he learned the pros and cons of fast bowling and ended up as one of the legends of the game.

Meanwhile, one cannot earn the tag “The Wall” so easily until and unless he has polished his technique by playing first class cricket.  Ask Rahul Dravid about the secret of his astonishing success in test cricket, he will tell you about the value of first class cricket.

Obviously there are exceptions, but exceptions or extraordinary talents cannot be the yardstick.  

Colin Powell said, “If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude”. If a cricketer wish to become the ultimate legend of the game, he needs to develop the habit in little matters and he can only develop this by playing first class cricket.  

A cricketer should be judged on the basis of his performance in Test cricket while, he should not be selected in the Test team on the basis of his performance in limited-overs format.

This game of glorious uncertainty needs the ultimate legends and not bits-and-pieces cricketers.

Note: This article was published at Sportskeeda on 11/09/2016 What warrants a Test match slot - Limited overs performance or performance in first class cricket

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Manchester United v Manchester City, English Premier League 2016-17 - Brilliant City wins the Derby

I spent the evening watching the Manchester Derby and I watched a full match of English Premier League after almost ten years. The pace of EPL has not not changed and surely, Pep Guardiola’s men took it to a different level. Jose Mourinho’s plan to utilize the flanks via Marcus Rashford in the second half was dented by the skillful defenders of Manchester City and despite leading the game by 2-1, Pep didn’t  try to defend it, but came out in an all attacking mode to keep Manchester United at bay.

Kevin De Bruyne and Kelechi Promise Iheanacho have been brilliant in the first half. Manchester City dominated the pitch. A Claudio Bravo mistake gave Jose’s team to cut short the deficit, but the Red Devils were needed to elevate their game a lot more in the second half

Kevin De Bruyne had been just fantastic to watch. My main motto behind watching this match was how Pep will utilize Gabriel Jesus. Jesus enjoys the role of a striker in Brazil and interchange a lot with Neymar and Gabigol. Similarly, his partnership with Kevin will be a headache for others.

I think, in terms of tactics, Pep outsmart Jose in all accounts. Especially in the defensive area. The Manchester City defence was not only compact, but played a vital role in build-up-play. The partnership between John Stones and Bacary Sagna were instrumental in providing solidity to Man. City at the back.

Whereas, the Manchester United defence found it tough to stop Kevin. In the second half, up to 60 minutes, Manchester United looked very threatening, but as the game progressed, Pepe’ men took over and pressed hard at the other end. Ibrahimovich’s efforts went begging, while Man. City could not add more to the tally.

Both teams need a genuine number 9. Man. City will have Jesus, but whether Ibra would give the Red Devils the cutting edge remains a moot question.  

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Mohammad Ashraful, the 17-year old boy from Bangladesh who challenged the might of Muttiah Muralitharan

Wahidul Ghani played for Bangladesh in a one-day international match against Pakistan in the 1988 edition of Asia Cup at Chittagong. He was legspinner and got the opportunity to bowl six overs against Ramiz Raja, Salim Malik and Ijaz Ahmed, but was not successful enough.

Pakistan posted a mammoth total in 45 overs, but failed to skittle out the Tigers, who managed to end their innings at 111 for 6. It was a big win for Pakistan, but the Bangladeshis were happy that the strong bowling attack of Pakistan could not rattle them.

It was Wahidul Ghani’s one and only international match. He did feature in domestic cricket, but not with great distinction. After retiring from active cricket, he took the responsibility of grooming youngsters in his coaching school named “Ankur”.

For Ghani, cricket is like an oxygen and he is extremely passionate about the game. He wished to inject the same passion among the boys of Bangladesh at grass root level without fees – a rarity in Bangladesh and thus, kept on working with them.

For the young guns of his coaching school, he was the father figure and a symbol of hard work and discipline. Ghani’s honest and hard efforts reaped a rich harvest as one of his students hit the headlines on September 8, 2001.

It was one of the most memorable moments in the history of Bangladesh cricket. Bangladesh’s journey in Test cricket commenced, and surely, Ghani was one of those persons who witnessed the Test first day’s proceedings with misty eyes.

Like the passionate Bangladeshi sports lovers of the 80s and 90s, Ghani also firmly believed, one day Bangladesh will also feature in the Test arena along with the big boys and script historical moments. Ghani’s dream came true and the Test status of Bangladesh gave him a wonderful opportunity to showcase the talents from his school.

One of his boys didn’t disappoint at all.

The rise of Mohammad Ashraful

Mohammad Ashraful was just 11 years old when he was selected for Wahidul Ghani’s camp. Ghani’s cricketing eyes were sharp and at first sight, he could realize, Ashraful is a special talent and a bit more nurturing would galvanize him into a diamond.

Ashraful featured in the Under 19 World Cup held in January 2000 where he was mocked for his frail and childish physique and even the local experts did the same. But Ghani infused enough confidence in Ashraful and kept on backing him.

Bangladesh traveled to Sri Lanka in 2001 to play their second match of the Asian Test Championship. They were beaten comprehensively by Pakistan at Multan and the outing at Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo was widely predicted as a hopeless mismatch. The Tigers had to digest a lot of criticisms for their lack of ability to fight and for which, their Test status was questioned by many.

The critics became more vociferous when the Bangladeshi batting folded for just 90 on a bone dry track and they dragged their swords out to slice the team when the Sri Lankan batsmen made a joke of the innocuous Bangladeshi medium pacers. The Lankans posted 555 for 5 in 103.3 overs and declared the innings on day 2.

Bangladesh’s start of the second innings was as usual shaky. At stumps on day 2, they were 100 for 4 with Aminul Islam and Mohammad Ashraful at the crease.

Mohammad Ashraful struck a composed 26 in the first innings and with the bat, he looked more assured than most of his senior colleagues. A promising innings could not shape up into something big, but it hinted at bigger things to come.

Mohammad Ashraful was batting on 4 and started the day 3 with a single off Ravindra Pushpakumara. In Pushpakumara’s next over, he was watchful and didn’t take any runs. At the other end, the experienced Aminul Islam, weathered the storm of Chaminda Vaas and shielded Ashraful.

But when Ashraful’s turn came to face Vaas, he greeted the wily customer from Sri Lanka with a boundary.

For a 17-year old, it was easy to lose cool and play rash strokes, but Ashraful curbed his attacking instincts for a while and relied on strike rotation and occupying the crease. But then unleashed it against the best spinner in the world during that time, Muttiah Muralitharan.

In the first innings, Murali drowned the Bangladeshi batsmen at the Indian Ocean, but in the second innings, his might was challenged.

Ashraful came down the wicket and charged him bravely by using his feet with authority to essay crisp strokes. He could pick Murali’s doosra and orthodox deliveries very well and time the strokes better than most of the contemporary batsmen of the world during that time. His ability to play the ball late by pivoting on the back foot and execute the pull on the back and drive on the front foot at such a young age, astonished many.    

What was expected to be an early finish before lunch turned into a fascinating contest between the best spinner in the world and an unknown 16-year old boy from Bangladesh who was out there to salvage pride for his battered team.

If Murali planned to deliver a doosra, Ashraful would come down the ground and whack it over mid on. If Murali turned the ball from wide of off to middle and leg, Ashraful would pull-sweep it over midwicket and if the doosras cut middle and leg and moved towards off, Ashraful would execute the late and square cut.

But for a single moment, his composure was not hampered. The boy played the role of a sheet anchor to swell the Bangladeshi total and stitched productive partnerships with Aminul Islam and Naimur Rahman.

A boundary off Chaminda Vaas brought up his hundred and he became the youngest ever player to score a Test century on debut, beating a 30-year-old record, which had been set by Pakistan batsmen Mushtaq Mohammad (17 years 82 days) against India at Delhi in 1960/61.

A lapse of concentration led to Ashraful’s demise, but his four-hour 114 overshadowed Murali’s feats. Murali was adjudged man of the match, but he was so impressed with Ashraful’s batting that he generously donated his share of the cheque for the award to the wonder kid from Bangladesh.

Mohammad Ashraful had made Wahidul Ghani proud. His hard work had paid off. And above all, 15 years ago, Ashraful gave the Bangladeshis the option to dream again. The fans were disgusted by the spineless efforts in the last one year or so and that fighting knock from him, infused new hope to move forward.

Certainly, Bangladesh cricket has come a long way, but sadly, the story of Ashraful could not be as glorious as it was supposed to be.

Note: This article was published at Sportskeeda on 8/09/2016 Mohammad Ashraful, the 17-year old boy from Bangladesh who challenged the might of Muttiah Muralitharan

Thank You

Faisal Caesar