Frustrating England, but they will bounce back because they can!

“England Test team had been blunted in 2021 and this is very alarming for the longer format. England should not fall for the crazy-money-making models; rather make a model of their own that would help them grow organically and fly the flag of Test cricket with pride”

54 ducks in a Test calendar year!

The most Test defeats in a calendar equaling one of the worst Test teams in the history of Test cricket – Bangladesh!

An average of 24.13 runs per wicket is the lowest for England in any year when they have played at least 10 Tests, and the second-lowest with an eight-Test cut-off. Not only has 2021 been a terrible year for England's batters, but it has also been tough for batters in general: the average runs per wicket are the second-lowest, it has been in the last 40 years.

The top 3 of England batting lineup had averaged 21.33 this year in Test cricket, with just one century from 87 innings – Rory Burns' 132 against New Zealand at Lord's. The average of 21.33 is easily the lowest among all teams in 2021, and England's lowest in a year since 1989 when they averaged 18.21 in 33 innings.

The brittle top three meant that when Root came in to bat at number 4 - which he did in 28 out of 29 innings this year - the average score was 35 for 2. (The average at the fall of the second wicket was 35.21.) That is the lowest average score at two down for any team in a year when they have played at least 10 Tests; the next-lowest is 42.15, by West Indies, also in 2021.

In 15 out of 28 innings when he batted at No. 4, England had lost their second wicket before the score had reached 20. In those 15 innings, he averaged 48.13, with two big hundreds against Sri Lanka in Galle - 228, after he came in at 17 for 2, and 186 (5 for 2). When he came in later, his average was over 70, which suggests he would have been even more prolific had England's top three been more solid.

Gosh, how poor England have been this year and when they were complaining about the pitches back in India, it would have been better if they had accepted, their batting lacked technical and temperamental efficiencies.

Back in 2012, when England landed on the Indian soil as the underdogs, they did not complain but focused on the basics more - something, which paid rich dividends as Alastair Cook and his men left the Indian shores victorious.

Resolve was the motto of success for Alastair Cook in 2012 and the mantra was the same back in that historic Ashes win in 2010-11. When you start planning your batting by trusting the defence and patience – the rest follows automatically. The perfect example is dashing batter Rohit Sharma, who has been prolific in white clothes this year courtesy of trusting the defence, leaving the ball and patience.

England know such basics better than anyone, but surprisingly, they have failed to execute them throughout the year.

After being shot out for 68on Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) – the bubble finally busted and the top and middle order of the English batting lineup – except Root faced the heat of critics and fans.

Something is not right with England and maybe the whole system needs an overhaul modification.

“If your system is strong and competitive, all the talk about coaching is somewhat peripheral. You'll have a Darwinian system where the best players come to the top of the pile and I don't think it's strong and competitive enough right now. An 18-county system with four competitions is basically too much to fit into too short a space of time,” said Michael Atherton to Sky Sports.

“A shorter, more condensed higher-quality first-class competition would, in the end, allow the best players to come through and they should be able to make the step up to Test cricket.”

“How you get there is not simple, but the fundamentals for Australia came from the fact they have a better first-class system and that's it really - you can over-complicate things.”

“A lot of the summer is given to white-ball cricket, but there's still a majority in England who like Test cricket and Ashes cricket above all. There's anger and frustration that they feel England's Test team has been marginalized and the County Championship has been hollowed out.”

This is the era of white-ball cricket and people love it – but there always has to have a balance between red and white-ball cricket. Perhaps, England lost the focus on five-day cricket – which is highly regarded as the ultimate accolade back in England, New Zealand and Australia - still today.

For commercial and entertainment interest – emphasizing on white-ball cricket is understandable but for that burying red-ball cricket to rest does not suit nations who have given cricket so much and people look up to them when greatness and tradition are concerned.

The batting woes for England in 2021clearly hint to the point of how badly England’s think tank had taken County Cricket less seriously - There has to be planning and some sacrifices along the way to try and help players groom for the long run – for Test cricket.

Although the County Championship program has been reduced from 16 to 14 games in recent years, the bulk of fixtures takes place at either end of the summer, when conditions make it harder for batters to thrive.

By contrast, Australia's domestic Sheffield Shield - contested by six states - comprises 10 matches apiece and a final.

The success of New Zealand in test cricket has been the same when they decided to change the first-class cricket and make it more competitive.

Naseer Hussain said, “These are professional cricketers. It is your game, take ownership of your game. I never walked off, when I was having problems against Courtney Walsh or whoever and said 'you know what, that was my coach's fault'.

“I don't mind you having all these techniques but it is about getting runs. If you've got a problem with pitches go and speak to [ECB managing director of men's cricket] Ashley Giles and tell him the pitches in domestic cricket are not good enough.”

“Look at what New Zealand did, they were going through a similar thing and the one big change they made was in their domestic cricket.”

“They played on better pitches, not flatter pitches, and you can see the results.”

England Test team had been blunted in 2021 and this is very alarming for the longer format. England should not fall for the crazy-money-making models; rather make a model of their own that would help them grow organically and fly the flag of Test cricket with pride.

England had been frustrating…too frustrating – but they will bounce back because they can!

Note: Statistical information taken from ESPNcricinfo

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer on 31/12/2021 Frustrating England, but they will bounce back because they can!

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Ross Taylor: The modern day great

Heroes come from unlikely sources at times. At the start, they remain unknown to many, ignored, criticized and left in the cold; but in the end, such heroes prove their worth and stamp their authority in the hearts and minds of the people.

One might call them the unsung heroes and put them in the category of the underrated ones.

Still, their impact factor speaks loud and clear to their support so much that it is hard to ignore them from the category of the modern-day greats.

Ross Taylor is one of the modern-day greats by all means.

At Johannesburg, back in 2007, South Africa simply mauled New Zealand courtesy of a fast bowler named Dale Steyn, who was at the height of his powers. The New Zealand batting order had the experience of Stephen Flemming and Scott Styris, while the rest of the batters failed to cut a satisfactory figure.

New Zealand presented the Test cap to batsman from Samoan descent since Murphy Su’a because his mother was from the Samoa village of Saoluafata, and also has family connections to Fasito'o-Uta – Ross Taylor. Taylor watched how South Africa devastated the Kiwis and realized how badly he needs to improve his game – the young lad just managed to fetch 15 and 4 runs from both innings.

He made his international debut a year back against the West Indies unit and in the same year, Taylor scored his maiden one day century in front of a delighted crowd in Napier, playing against Sri Lanka. The innings included 12 fours and 6 sixes. He hit 84 against Australia in their opening game in the Common Wealth Bank Series in 2006-07.

Taylor scored his second century in his ODI career in 2007 against Australia.

He scored 117, the 2nd highest score by a New Zealander against Australia at that time, and later on he was included in the Cricket World Cup squad where New Zealand were one of the favourites. It was not a memorable tournament for Taloy because he could manage only 107 runs from six matches whereas, New Zealand crashed out of the event after losing to Sri Lanka in the semifinals.

He could strike the ball cleanly with perfect timing and was very strong on the onside.

But, Test cricket was a different ball game that required more.

After 2007, players like Flemming, Styris and Craig McMillan left the scene and New Zealand were going through a transition period – they required the young guns to step up and take the responsibility.

Taylor had the swagger and shots under his belt, but he just did not know how to flourish in white clothes.

Leanne McGoldrick, the manager back then, convinced Martin Crowe, who dismissed Taylor as a dirty slogger, to help Taylor.

“I had just played for New Zealand and Martin was around as a commentator. My manager had a good relationship with him, and she said, ‘Martin's always willing to help. Why don't you give him a call?’ So I called him, and at that time I'd just made my ODI debut and hadn't played Test cricket. Tests were something I wanted to get good at,” Taylor said in an interview with Andrew Fidel Fernando.

“I flew up to Auckland and stayed with Martin. We both loved red wine. We talked 50% about cricket and 50% about wine. That was a good starting point. The relationship grew from there. When you have a batting coach in the team, they have to look at 15 other players. It was nice to have Martin give you his honest appraisal and not have any emotional bias. He'd look at me from a mental and technical point of view. That was invaluable to my career. I just wanted to play Test cricket back then. Here I am, having played 90-odd Test matches. I've been helped out by a lot of people, but definitely, Martin had a big influence.”

“The ball was going all over the place at Eden Park Outer Oval [first class match]. I saw him walking into the ground and around the boundary as I was batting and I thought, 'Geez, there's Martin Crowe.' Tama Canning and Kyle Mills were making me look silly. At that stage, I didn't really trust my defence. My best form of defence was attack... probably not what was required on the first morning of a first-class game,” Taylor in an interview with Dylan Cleaver.

“I was waiting [after being dismissed for 10 off 14 balls] to hear back from Leanne, but I don't think she had the heart to tell me. Eventually, I found out Martin had told her I was nothing but a dirty slogger.”

Crowe, nicknamed Hogan, would come around and forge a wonderful friendship with Taylor with the intention to help him grow.

“Talking to Hogan over time, things he said to me when I was 24 didn't resonate with the same effect as they did as I matured and my game matured. They certainly resonated further down the track.”

Taylor, being an attacking batter, more often, undermined his defensive abilities, which is very important to survive in Test cricket.

Crowe helped Taylor tighten up his defence.

“When there's a rained-out game and an old game will come on the telly, I'll watch myself, thinking, 'Oh geez, how did I bat like that?' You always tinker with your game anyway, but when you're younger and going through a lean patch, you tend to try to find quick fixes. Now I have learned to trust my game more.”

On the impact of Crowe, Taylor explained on the innings of 290 against Australia at Perth:

“I'd just recovered from the operation after an incident in Zimbabwe where I got hit on the box in the nets… actually it missed the box completely. To go over to Australia following that was tricky. I was underdone. I got a duck in the first innings at the Gabba and came out swinging in the second with no success. I was really out of sorts, but it shows how you can change yourself so quickly.”

“I got a nice email from Martin before the Test. If I ever write a book, it will have the email he wrote in full. It was a nice little reminder of where I was and where he was in his life at that point. He wrote the email from hospice. That put things in perspective.”

His technique could resemble a child playing in the gardens during leisure time, but that was what Taylor adapted well – his bat might not have come down straight in the earlier part of his career, though later on things started to change – less straight at the crease, but his backlift became straighter with the trigger movement being the initial forward press. At times, his footwork was questioned, and he worked on that as well to counter the spinners – even with limited footwork he was found competent and shifting of weight on the back foot improved his back foot play – the executions on the offside gradually improved.

Then came the temperament to bloom in Test cricket.

The perfect example was his classic 154 against England at Manchester in 2008, where the world witnessed an improved Taylor and what to come in the next decade and so on.

Taylor had laid all the insecurities to rest and set about proving that he's more than just a limited-overs player.

His mighty hitting was there to see when the delivery merited the shot, but for the most part, he played straight and late, and made crease occupation his primary concern.

It was an eye-opening performance from a man who'd been under-estimated after failing in his first two Tests.

Taylor said to Dylan, “The reason I hold [the Manchester innings] in such high regard was becaue, the conditions were tough and I was all over the place leading into that game. I got 19 and 20 at Lord's, and the way Hogan always talked about Lord's, it was the pinnacle for him. Whether that rubbed off on me and I put extra pressure on myself, I'm not sure, but I was all over the place and in a really bad headspace. To turn that around, to score 150, will go down as one of my best knocks.”

“To be consistent, the first thing you need to do is to survive your first 20 to 30 balls. To do that you need to trust your defence. More often than not, if you get through those first 30 balls, batting becomes easier regardless of whether it's a flat wicket, spinning wicket or if it is seaming around. Some days that might happen earlier, other days it stretches out to 40 balls.”

“The more you play the more accustomed you get to different conditions and environments… [but] no day is the same. You can be in good nick and have a bad night's sleep and suddenly you're struggling. You can be in good form and wait six hours to bat and by the time you get to bat, you're spent. You can be out of nick, squirt a couple through the gully for four, and all of a sudden something clicks.”

That knock gave Taylor a lifter – sadly, New Zealand cricket was going through a tough period.

The defeats were more in numbers than the victories – Taylor’s bat was not on song as well, but he always tried to be steady.

In 2012, he was made the skipper of the Test side and that elevated his game.

He averaged 54.60 with the bat that year and scored 142 runs that helped New Zealand win a Test in Colombo and ultimately, they came out as the series winners.

“I think at one point we lost ten or 11 ODIs in a row. And we also lost 4-0 in a series in Bangladesh. We were getting ourselves into good positions but we weren't able to capitalize on them. It seems like a long time ago, those games. But sometimes you've got to hit rock bottom to get to the top,” said Taylor to Fernando.

But, after that series win, Brendon McCullum had been appointed New Zealand's captain in all three formats after Ross Taylor declined an offer to stay on as leader of the Test side in a split-captaincy scenario.

Still, he put all the differences aside and shone with the bat in 2013 averaging 72.17!

“I think it showed you what you can do with a bit of resilience. I went two weeks without sleep. I was having probably two hours of sleep each night. But I was still able to score a 140-odd and back it up with a 70. It's amazing how resilient I felt I was back then. Things happen in life that are out of your control. It is what it is.”

Runs continued to flow from his bat in Test and limited-overs formats.

Day by day, Traylor had become the lynchpin for the New Zealand batting order alongside the great Kane Williamson and in the mid and later stages of the last decade, Taylor would witness the rise of Black Caps in Test cricket, where once upon a time, none would ever even thought such an improvement.

When Taylor clubbed a four through the leg side to win the World Test Championship final against India in the final, he ended 21 years of heartache for the Kiwis. It was the first time New Zealand were winning a major ICC title since the 2000 ICC Knockout Trophy when Stephen Fleming had led them to their only world title.

After the historic win against India, Taylor would experience a Test series win in England since 1999.

There have been 432 Tests played in Australia and Ross Taylor has the highest Test score in Australia by a visiting player. He scored 290 at Perth in 2015. He has scored the most number of hundreds in Tests and ODIs for the Kiwis. He has so far taken 346 catches in international cricket, which is the most grabbed by a Kiwi in international cricket.

Taylor has played 100 Tests for Black Caps. He is one of only four New Zealanders to play 100 Tests. Others are Daniel Vettori (112), Stephen Fleming (111), and Brendon McCullum (101). He has played 100 matches minimum in each of the three formats and is the first player from any country to achieve this milestone.

Taylor has scored 7584 runs in Test cricket till ow, which is the most by any New Zealand batter in this format.

Taylor had started from the scraps, and worked harder to improve and elevate his game to the next level. He would blaze under the shadow of Williamson, but his achievements could neither be overshadowed nor undermined because Taylor is undoubtedly one of the modern-day greats.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

A Tale of Collapse: Bangladesh’s Humbling Defeat Against Pakistan

Test cricket, often celebrated as a contest of patience and resilience, witnessed an anomaly at Mirpur when Bangladesh capitulated to Pakistan in a fashion that was as swift as it was disheartening. Despite three days of weather interruptions that had nearly ensured a stalemate, Bangladesh contrived to lose the second Test within the remaining two days. This debacle, even by Bangladesh’s checkered Test history, stands out as a low point—a stark reminder of the gaps in temperament, technique, and tactical acumen. 

Day 1: A Battle of Attrition

After winning the toss, Pakistan elected to bat, navigating a tricky session to end a rain-curtailed opening day in a commanding position at 161/2. Babar Azam, the epitome of fluency, and Azhar Ali, the embodiment of grit, stabilized the innings after Taijul Islam's early strikes. Babar’s elegant half-century was a stark contrast to Azhar’s dogged 36 off 112 balls, yet both served the same purpose—laying a foundation for a big total. 

The fading light may have halted play, but Pakistan’s intent was clear: bat Bangladesh out of the game. 

Day 2: A Tease of Play

Rain dictated terms on the second day, allowing only 6.2 overs of play. Azhar Ali reached his 34th Test half-century, while Babar continued to anchor the innings with grace. Pakistan moved to 188/2, and though the weather was the chief antagonist, it foreshadowed the lack of resistance Bangladesh would soon display. 

Day 3: A Washout and a Wake-Up Call

Persistent rain washed out the third day entirely, setting the stage for what should have been a mundane finish. With two days remaining, a draw seemed inevitable, but Test cricket’s unpredictability had other plans. 

Day 4: Pakistan's Precision, Bangladesh's Implosion

Pakistan resumed with purpose, declaring at 300/4 after fifties from Fawad Alam and Mohammad Rizwan. The total, though not mammoth, was more than sufficient given the conditions and Bangladesh’s fragile batting. 

Sajid Khan, Pakistan’s unheralded off-spinner, then stole the spotlight. Operating under gloomy skies, he exploited the conditions to perfection, dismantling Bangladesh’s batting lineup with guile and precision. 

Mahmudul Hasan Joy’s technical frailty was exposed as he edged to slip. Shadman Islam’s dismissal, courtesy of Hasan Ali’s brilliance at point, was followed by Mominul Haque’s careless run-out—a moment emblematic of Bangladesh’s lack of discipline. 

The experienced Mushfiqur Rahim fell to a reckless shot, while Liton Das, promoted ahead of Shakib Al Hasan, returned a simple catch to Sajid. Najmul Hossain Shanto, despite being dropped twice, failed to capitalize, and by the time bad light intervened, Bangladesh were reeling at 76/7. Sajid’s six-wicket haul had left the hosts in tatters. 

Day 5: The Final Surrender

Bangladesh resumed on the final day with faint hopes of salvaging a draw. Sajid completed his eight-wicket haul, bundling out the hosts for a paltry 87, and Babar Azam promptly enforced the follow-on. 

The second innings began disastrously. Hasan Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi were relentless, dismantling the top order with a combination of swing and pace. Joy, Shadman, and Mominul fell cheaply, while Najmul Hossain Shanto succumbed to a brutal short ball.  

Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das provided a semblance of resistance, stitching together a 73-run partnership that briefly rekindled hope. Liton, in particular, played with assurance, but the lack of support at the other end proved costly. 

Shakib Al Hasan, ever the fighter, crafted a valiant 63, but his dismissal signalled the end of Bangladesh’s resistance. Babar Azam, turning his arm over in desperation, claimed his maiden international wicket by trapping Mehidy Hasan Miraz. 

With the light fading and the target of 213 to avoid an innings defeat tantalizingly close, Bangladesh’s lower order crumbled under pressure. Sajid fittingly delivered the final blow, trapping Taijul Islam in front to seal a famous victory for Pakistan. 

The Aftermath: A Sobering Reality

This defeat was not just about the loss of a Test match; it was a damning indictment of Bangladesh’s inability to adapt to the demands of the longest format. While Pakistan’s bowlers, particularly Sajid Khan, showcased discipline and skill, Bangladesh’s batting lacked application and temperament. 

The question now looms large: how does Bangladesh rebuild from here? The Mirpur debacle is a stark reminder that talent alone is insufficient; Test cricket demands mental fortitude, technical soundness, and tactical awareness—qualities Bangladesh must urgently cultivate if they are to avoid such humiliations in the future. 

For Pakistan, this victory reaffirms their growing prowess under Babar Azam’s leadership. For Bangladesh, it’s a lesson painfully learned—a lesson that must not be ignored. 

 Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Ajaz Patel: The Ten-Wicket Maestro and the Poetry of Persistence

In the grand theatre of cricket, some moments transcend numbers, etching themselves into the annals of history as testaments to perseverance, skill, and serendipity. December 4, 2021, at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, was one such moment. Ajaz Yunus Patel, the unassuming left-arm spinner born in the bustling city of Mumbai and raised amidst the serenity of New Zealand, delivered a spellbinding performance that elevated him to the pantheon of cricketing immortals. 

Patel's ten-wicket haul in a single innings against India—a feat achieved only twice before in the history of Test cricket—was more than just a statistical marvel. It was the culmination of years of toil, adaptation, and an unwavering belief in the craft of spin bowling. The historic feat placed him alongside Jim Laker and Anil Kumble, two legends of the game, and crowned him as the first New Zealander to achieve such a milestone in international cricket. 

From Seam to Spin: A Journey of Reinvention 

Ajaz Patel’s story is one of transformation and resilience. Born in Mumbai, Patel migrated to New Zealand as an eight-year-old with dreams as vast as the skies above him. Cricket was not merely a passion; it was a lifeline that connected him to his roots and offered a sense of belonging in a foreign land. 

Initially, Patel aspired to emulate the likes of Wasim Akram, charging in with the new ball as a left-arm seamer. However, reality struck when he realized that his 5'6" frame would be a limitation at higher levels. It was then, under the guidance of former New Zealand spinner Dipak Patel, that Ajaz found his true calling in spin bowling. The transition was neither swift nor easy. Hours of practice, rebuilding his action from scratch, and enduring the grind of domestic cricket honed his craft. 

Patel’s rise was not meteoric but methodical. Toiling in the domestic circuit, he emerged as a consistent wicket-taker for Central Districts, leading the Plunket Shield charts for consecutive seasons. His persistence earned him a Test debut at the age of 30—a testament to the adage that it’s never too late to chase greatness. 

The Mumbai Miracle: A Tale of Ten 

The Wankhede Test was a poetic homecoming for Patel. Nostalgia intertwined with destiny as he stepped onto the ground where he had once watched IPL games and dreamed of cricketing glory. What unfolded over two days was nothing short of a fairytale. 

Patel’s spell was a masterclass in flight, drift, and guile. His deliveries were not just balls hurled down a 22-yard pitch; they were expressions of artistry, each one crafted to deceive, bamboozle, and conquer. From luring Shubman Gill into a false stroke to producing a peach that breached Cheteshwar Pujara’s defence, Patel orchestrated a symphony of spin that left India’s formidable batting lineup in tatters. 

The final wicket—Mohammed Siraj’s miscued slog that soared into the hands of Rachin Ravindra—was a moment suspended in time. As the ball hung in the air, so did the collective breath of the cricketing world. When it finally nestled into Ravindra’s safe hands, history exhaled, and Ajaz Patel’s name was etched in golden letters. 

A Career Forged in Adversity 

Patel’s journey to this pinnacle was anything but straightforward. Excluded from New Zealand’s Under-19 setup, he faced setbacks that might have deterred lesser souls. Yet, he soldiered on, motivated by an unyielding love for the game. His time in England, playing club cricket, was instrumental in refining his skills. There, he bowled countless overs, learning the nuances of dismissing batsmen and developing the patience that is the hallmark of great spinners. 

Even after breaking into the New Zealand Test side, Patel had to contend with limited opportunities. In a country where seamers dominate, a spinner’s role often becomes peripheral. Yet, Patel embraced this reality with pragmatism, focusing on making the most of every chance. His match-winning five-wicket haul on debut against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi was a harbinger of the impact he could have in the longest format. 

The Paradox of Glory 

While Patel’s ten-wicket haul was a personal triumph, it was juxtaposed against the collective failure of his team. New Zealand’s dismal first-innings total of 62 underscored the challenges they faced in subcontinental conditions. Patel’s heroics stood as a lone beacon of brilliance on a day when the World Test Champions faltered. 

Yet, this paradox only adds to the poignancy of Patel’s achievement. It serves as a reminder that cricket, like life, is a tapestry of contrasts—individual brilliance often coexists with collective struggles. 

Legacy and the Road Ahead 

Ajaz Patel’s story is far from over. As a late bloomer, he represents the virtues of patience and perseverance in an era dominated by instant gratification. His Mumbai miracle will inspire generations of cricketers to dream big, work hard, and embrace the unpredictability of their journeys. 

For Patel, the challenge now is to build on this historic performance and cement his place in a competitive New Zealand side. With his skill, determination, and humility that has endeared him to teammates and fans alike, there is little doubt that he will continue to script memorable chapters in the story of cricket. 

In the words of Ajaz himself, “Faith is a big factor for me, which allows me to stay grounded and back my abilities.” As the cricketing world celebrates his ten-wicket masterpiece, one thing is certain: Ajaz Patel’s faith in his craft has not only grounded him but also elevated him to the stars. 

 Thank You

Faisal Caesar