Awful Australia

Australia have lost the Ashes 1-3 after 24 years in their backyard and this is the most shameful defeat they have suffered in years. They used to lose to India before but not after giving a fight or a tussle. This Australian team had no bones for fights, they didnt anchor and they just crumbled in every aspect. They could not bat for long partnerships, could not take early wickets or break long partnerships, their batting collapsed in heap in almost every Test.

The openers, middle order, lower order of batting just did not have any courage to dig anchor and just hang in there. The bowlers bowled a lot of lose balls, they were not consistent throughout. If they had England on mat for first 3 days of the series, they thereafter allowed an easy route to success by folding out for 98 in the must win test in MCG.

Hughes tried to be Sehwag but could not even score a 50 in 3 tests he got to play in. Watson continued to make 50s which were of no use to anyone. Ponting was horrible in batting, Clarke was useless and Hussey, Haddin were only shining spots of the bleak summer. Even they folde out after holding the fort for the first 3 tests.  If one test Johnson was a world beater he was hit mercilessly in 2nd. Bollinger never threatened, spinners were least talked the better. Hauritz was discarded for Beer and Doherty, who not only floundered but also failed to take wickets.

All in all a very disappointing summer for Australia. The only chance of redemption in the future is the world cup in India. If they are able to win it, the chances of which appear very less, they would do a huge boost to themselves.

Else the future is bleak for immediate times. Their next Test assignment is against marathon batters Sri Lanka in August in SL. Till then if they find the personnel and right attitude to win it would be good for them, else the horrible 80s are due to return for them.

Vaughan joins Gough in coughing shit!!!

England are obsessed with India being the number 1 test side in the world. I think the englishmen aint able to digest this fact. 

After Gough gobbled yesterday, today its chance of Michael Vaughan to poke some shit on how India is an ageing side. 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/Vaughan-tips-England-to-replace-ageing-India-as-Tests-best/articleshow/7197298.cms

Read more on this link.

What Englishmen think about us, it hardly matters to us. We have been the top ranked side for over a year now and if it was fluke, they would have been displaced within a few series. 

England retained the Ashes, fine. Speak good about them, we wont complaint and wont care. But why drag the Indian side in this. 

Gough dont cough shit!!!

"For me, we're the best team in the world at this moment. I've watched the South Africa-India series and I see nothing to worry about. India are fantastic in their own country and have some great individuals but I'd fancy this England side to beat them every day of the week,"

This words of wisdom are from a man who missed more Tests than he played. From a man who chickened out of the Ashes 2002 and was never successful abroad or home. So poor was the standard of the team during his playing days that he was considered their best bowler and probably he still holds the most ODI wickets for England. 

He is talking probably nosense shit out of sheer chivalry ignoring the facts, figures and history. If England were to  beat India every day of the week, then what stopped them from beating India in a TEST series home and away for good 14 years.  14 years is a goddamn long period. It took 14 years for India to shed off the Durban monkey off its back, but probably it would take more 14 years for England to beat India in a TEST series. 

Now almost everybody of this playing 11 were part of the Chennai Test in 2008 which England lost despite setting a formidable target of 387.  Swann debuted in that series, they had almost same batting unit -- Strauss, Cook, Pietersen, Bell, Collingwood, Prior and of course no Gough.

Gough dont cough!!!

England have just retained the Ashes in Australia, they have not won the series in Australia. England conquered Australia when the later was at its weakest in last 17 odd years. India gave hard fight to Australia in Australia in 2003 and 2007 when they were at their peak of the powers and had their greats playing. India was at almost even with Australia when it came to battling out the tests. 

On the other hand before 2005 Ashes which England won cos there was no McGrath in the tests which they won, they were pathetic travellers. Long back in 2000s start they were labelled worst Test playing nation just for their spectacular collapses in the tests home and away.  They were whitewashed 0-5 in last Ashes campaign. 

They have lost to India, South Africa at home in last 3 years. Wins only against pathetic Test playing teams like West Indies, Pakistan and of course Bangladesh but not before Tamim Iqbal did kam tamam in 2 consecutive Tests...

What shit Gough is talking about? Perhaps he needs to go back to school to learn the history and mathematics. Or perhaps he needs to have his vision checked to get rid of colonial hangover.

Ashes update

Run fest continues on Adelaide Oval in the Ashes and Australia continue to plunder low depths in the batting and bowling departments. 

Kevin Pietersen ended his 19 month wait for a Test century and what a way to bring it with a double 100. He is playing on 213 on day 3 end of the play and if England continue to bat on day 4 for say session and half, he would be good for a triple 100, first one after Gooch's 333 for England.

The pitch is spectacularly flat and if it does not crack up or deteriorate on day 4, Australia would feel good to bat out and earn a safe draw. They have men except North to do it and English attack would be fatal only if the ball would swing. Ball swung on day 1 and Jimmy Anderson reduced Australia to 3/2.  Once Aussies were bowled out, the pitch went from Australian to Sri Lankan second test in a row.

Australia have to sort out the batting woes of Clarke, Ponting and Katich to pose some formidable score and sort out their bowling combination -- especially spin department to stand a chance to win at least one test.

Its sad to see Australia in such a situation but then this is cricket and the Aussies are now on the receiving end of what they did to the other teams in their era of domination.

England not faves for Adelaide

Everybody is talking about how England have the advantage over Aussies going to the 2nd test on back of the Sri Lankan scoreline of 1/517 in 2nd innings of Gaba Test, but why do they forget that same English team were bowled out for 260 in the first innings. 

If a clear and fair picture has to be drawn, then the first innings has to be taken into consideration.

English bowling is not much better than Australia's. If Australia conceeded 517 runs in 2nd innings, English leaked 484 in their first innings. So that gives a very hazy picture on who is leading and who is traling.

The scoreline is 0-0 and the 2nd Test would be played on yet another flat surface which would be just like Kandy or Premdasa or SSC.....Hudddddddddddddd

Ashes ke Bahane

Its all set for the Ashes. Gaba awaits the action on Thanks Giving day. The closest fought Ashes would begin that day when Ponting's hurt men would take on Strauss's roaring soldiers.

Everywhere its being said that the roles are reversed, the Aussies are new Poms and Poms are new Aussies.  In the fact that the Aussies are yet to win a Test after they sent Afridi to retirment, they are going in Ashes test on the back of 3 back to back defeats. Some thing which none of this players have witnessed before.

As for England, they have improved a lot since the dark days of 90s and early 2000s when they were the worst team playing test cricket. Collapses, ego and paper tigers in Atherton and company made them a natural loser in every Ashes series they played. Since Vaughan took over, the tides have changed. They have won 2 Ashes series post 2004 and lost one 0-5. They drew in South Africa, lost in West Indies, India.

They have a lot of batsmen who are in good form. But its the bowlers who are in better shape than the batsmen.. The batters still have Cook, Pieterson, Trott, Collingwood who have had horrid times off late in Tests, so its the bowling attack that gives England the competitiveness that was lacking in them all this years.

Swann, Finn, Anderson and Cribber Broad make the attack for England.

Johnson, Siddel, Hilfy and Doherty form the attack for Australia. Nowhere in comparison with the great attacks that have taken the field in the past, but the guys are honest triers and work hard. Esp Hilfenhaus, he is the most improved bowler in the tests around.

I would still bet Australia to win this Ashes. 5-0 is a dream, but a 2-1 or 3-1 victory would not be ruled out.  Gabba and MCG are sureshot Australian wins, while Perth may be English win. Draws  could be the results on Adelaide and SCG. But we never know.

The next 3 months are very exciting for Test cricket, for its great Lanka taking on rejuvenated Windies and bottom rung of teams India taking on South Africa and England taking on Australia.

Ashes Noise

The 2 old worn out super powers of Cricket -- England and Australia are busy planning mind games and tactics for Ashes something which has lost relevance in last decade.  England are no 4 in the test rankings and Australia are no longer the dominating ones. Yet the media and cricket pundits from this 2 countries make us believe that the Ashes is the cricket series which would save the cricket world from the evil clutches of Asian cricketing bloc.

No wonder the English authors call Australian preparation to the Ashes as bulls hit as they have been playing 2 Tests and 3 ODIs in India and 3 ODIs home vs SL.  No first class games as they say for preparing for the Ashes. Few players are playing but then English media wont look at them.

What ideal preparation does England have? They won 3-1 in a series with Pak which nobody knows if all Tests were rigged or fixed or how many of them were clean and how many of them were not.

Then they went for a boot camp in Germany only to return with injured James Anderson, their best bowler in swinging conditions. Australia does not have swinging conditions like SA and England.

KP is in the worst form of his life and he is doing everything except what he should do -- make runs.

So is that an idealistic build up to the Ashes?

There are many in England team who believe they have best chance to win in Australia in 24 years.  They have been making tall claims on the back of batting prowess of Strauss, Cook, Trott, KP, Collingwood, Morgan, Bell.  Except Strauss and Trott none of this batsmen are in any kind of form. They just managed to get through the Pakistanis because the latter were busy rigging the game.

And do not forget they did not win a single Test on the last tour to Australia.

Johnson, Bollinger, Siddle, Hilfy should be handful for Australia to run through the feeble English batting lineup 2 times every Test. And the batting of Katich, Watson, Ponting, Hussey,Clarke, North and Haddin / Paine may not be like the Hayden, Langer, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey, Martyn, Gilchrist of 2006, yet this line up is strong enough to post a total of 400 plus and leave England reeling with the walking wickets like Cook, KP, Collingwood and Bell / Morgan.

In short, the Ashes would not be that important a cricket series as it used to be may be in 1980s or earlier. Its the contest of Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka thats more important for the life of Test Cricket to be longer. 

Why England cannot win Ashes

A team suffering with frequent collapses cannot expect to win Ashes. A team that has its skipper without a 100 for 22 innings and its best batsman without a 100 for close to 2 years and 26 innings cannot expect to win Ashes. A team which has a frequent violator of thin line between aggression and arrogance cannot expect to win Ashes.

When a new kid on the horizon skittles out a team proposing itself to be # 1 despite 5th on rankings, that team cannot expect to win Ashes.

Playing in a country when they last lost a series 0-5, they cannot expect to win Ashes.

In short, England cannot win Ashes at this point of time. Or in MoYo style for now.

By the way can we lure Mohd Aamer to play for India rather than play for Pakistan ? In India he would have a calmer dressing room and good IPL money would beckon.

Worth a thought ? Super bowler.

England are not Ashes favorites. YET!!

Aussies have lost 3 ODIs on the trot to England side without Jonathan Trott and the English media are gung-ho about the Ashes rematch later this year. I am not sure how an ODI series win would impact Ashes result when the players on both teams change and the conditions of play change (Australia host this year Ashes).

I should say I m not sure how winning an ODI series would make England favorites for Ashes. They have not displayed anything spectacular in Tests this year to be called favorites. They have won T20 tournament and surprisingly have won 8 or 9 ODIs on the trot without Jonathan Trot, so that wont have any bearing over Tests. They have won 4 Tests against Bangladesh and there is no novelty in there. Everybody except West Indies wins against them home and away. So whats so special about England winning 4 Tests against them?

Australia are 3^rd and England are 5^th (or 4^th) in the Test rankings. And Aussies have had a lossless summer last year thanks to the quality of teams touring last summer (WI and minnow Pakistan).

Here is an excerpt from Graham Thorpe on England’s Ashes chances:

England have a real opportunity to whitewash the tourists and continue the kind of winning mentality that should hold them in very good stead in the lead up to the Ashes. You can run through almost every department and find that England have the upper hand, which tells you a lot about the dominance the side currently have.

Strauss is leading the side from the top of the order with authority and conviction; Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan are class acts in the middle order; James Anderson and Stuart Broad look by far the most threatening pacemen; and Graeme Swann and Michael Yardy have the upper hand in the spin department.

Eoin Morgan wont be a sure starter in the Test team when Trott, Collingwood and Cook return (may be one of this 3 could fail against Pakistan and Morgan could hold his place), Yardy does not play Tests (or he is not a Test standard). 

Anything England wins for a while makes its writers believe they are the best in the world. They said the same thing for football despite having club stars who failed as a team in the World Cup Football. They suffered 1-4 defeat to Germans despite all fire and flame on the disallowed Lampard goal.

Predicting an Ashes result is too early right now. England and Australia both would play 4 Tests minimum and the end of English summer and Indian summer (Australia play 2 Tests in India) would give a picture on starting XI of both teams to take field on GABA.

Australia wins

In awesome style. Twenty three runs in five balls with three sixes to ajmal busted pakistan dream of third final backdoor. Best team won and in wat sstyle. They deserve to be finalists and my prediction of ashes t20 final comes true. I blog sitting in bus journey from Mumbai to Middletown.

Harmison hammered!!

Steve Harmison has his career almost over after he was ignored for the SA tour. To me there are 3 memories of him :

• Forgotten debut against a team which had just started to see its best opener in years. First test as opener for that man and first test for Harmi as a England player. Harmi got hammered and that player scored 110 odd runs.
• 7/12 against West Indies.
• Cheek breaker delivery that set the tone for epic 2005 Ashes win. The batsman on receiving end was Ricky Ponting.

He was one good bowler who was let down by his own inconsistencies and his own homesickness.

England have now lost all 5 of the bowling attack that won them Ashes 2005. Hoggard , Giles, Jones, Freddie and now Harmison. Add Vaughan and Tresco to that.

Last time England toured SA, they won tests 2-1 and a new star was born in the ODI series loss. KP.

The coming 3 months are key for 4 teams. The number 1 team plays number 5 in the rankings. And no 2 (they should not be) play the no 3 (they should be 2) in no 3 country where no 2 country have not won even a single Test.

And then no 1 would then play no 3 in no 3. Before that no 3 would tour no 9 for 2 Tests.

Figure out the numbers................

Is Ponting era bygone ?

Ricky Ponting played 5 Tests in England. Lost 2, won 1 and gave away 1.

He doesnt play ODIs. Clark(e) wins 3 out of 3. So is Ponting misfit in the captaincy plans for Australia ?

He has already quit T20s. That means he wont return for IPL. Would he ?

Australia are no more a force in ODIs now. This is a separate story that they are 3-0 up against England, who are anyways crap in ODIs.

So whats the future for Ponting, the batsman and the captain ? He has easy meat in Tests down under this summer -- West Indies and Pakistan. Australia would brush this two teams up. Pakistan havent won a test against Australia in 15 years and WI havent won a test in Australia in 13 years.

So this 2 series wont be a true measure of his captaincy. Besides Australia would need to take a call on the likes of Mike Hussey and Ponting himself in the Tests. Ponting besides a 100 wasnt very successful in Tests.

The Ashes is over and till 2010-11 they have no bigger assignment coming up their way. So would Ponting be continued or sacked ?

Future of ODIs

Is the future for Tests really in danger ?

I dont think so.

Consider this :

Shane Warne is critical of ODIs.

Last month BCCI dropped domestic Deodhar trophy out of 2009-10 schedule for a corporate T20 tourney. However it rollbacked.

ECB dumped 40/50 over format from the county season 2010.

And now SA have ended the domestic 45 over game next season.

ODIs are in danger, not the Tests.

England were never good in ODIs or T20s. They have got they always wanted. The Ashes. South Africa are # 1 in ODIs. India are the best ODI team in last year and half.

So why are this countries trying to scrap the domestic tourneys for ODIs ?

And then there is lot of drama from Ijaz Butt on ODI World Cup 2011.

Post Ashes scenario

Congratulations England.

Well done Aussies.

A series well decided in the decider.

Batting collapses cost Australia dear. So Pakistan now have company. They aint alone on Collapsistan. Aussies have joined them.

England were old inhabitants of that planet. They did that many times in 90s. They holded on to their nerve this Ashes. Especially in Cardiff which would rankle Aussies for long.

Indians joined Collapsistan in 90s too when they toured SA. SA were part of the Collapsistan too when they played any big ICC event. They still make their occasional trips there. India too made a recent trip there in England T20 WC.

So aussies would now undergo sea change. Change of captain may be. Ponting cant decide to be captain or not. He has lost 2 consecutive Ashes in England. England and India have been a bumpy ride for Punter. In this 2 countries he has never won a series as captain.

Let alone a series in India, he has not even won a Test as a captain in India.

So what India started late last year, England finished it off. South Africa did it too. Result they are on top.

SL are 2. Yeah yeah I know. I know.

India are 3. England remain 5 and Aussies drop to 4. Pakistan are just touch above NZ and WI. 80s.

The order should be :

SA
Ind
Aus
Eng
SL
.........

But then this is ICC. It has special romance for SL. I too.

Heads would roll. Hussey would go. Ponting as captain would go. There would be end of illusion that Watson is a Test player. Search for a decent spinner would be on in Australia. Though they dont have a big series coming up this year, but they would be eyeing a 5-0 whitewash again next Ashes.

Pakistan and West Indies would be swept apart later this year. That would mark the rebuilding process of the Australian team. Its imminent that Ponting should go. He hasnt done any worthwhile when his star players retired. He is no Border. He has now become a whinner. He couldnt even play a 156 in Oval like he did in Old Trafford 2005.

Bret Lee would be back. Johnson would go out for a while. Hughes would be back and Hussey would end up his career.

England would now aim to beat SA in SA, which they could. Last tour they did it. 2004. Pietersen rose in that tour. SA were poor in Tests those times and today they are 1 not by effort but by luck partly.

England won their first home series against serious opposition in 4 years. Ironically their last significant win was against the same team. Since then they won against BD, WI, NZ and Pak, but these teams aint serious Test teams. They lost to India, SA and drew with SL. Yeah they couldnt get past SL in their home conditions.

Test cricket got a boost with this result. The battle for top spot has opened up. I dont bother about ICC rankings. For me India and SA remain the top 2 test teams. And the battle early next year in India would be a decider who is the best. Before that India would edge past SL in India. Not to forget that the Lankan spinners never have had good times in India. And those flat track bullies too.

Freddie wont play Test cricket longer. I doubt if ever he would play any cricket any more. He is injured again. Thats not a news anymore.

Winners :

Strauss
Swann
Trott
Broad

Losers

Flintoff
Bell
Collingwood

Winners (A)

North
Hilfenhaus
Siddle
Watson

Losers

Ponting
Hussey
Clark(M)
Haddin
Mitch

One more test in the Lanka land and the ODIs take over the limelight starting with a tri-series in Lanka land and 7 ODI series in England followed by CT.

Why should the tri-series even be played. India are going to win it anyway.

Pro India whinning. Yup. If people whine for Mumbai, England and Australia, I proudly whine it for India. India India India. And I am not shameful for it. Hate me or shun me. Pro India whinning shall go on.

Inch closer to # 2.

One step to # 2 achieved. Just need to win one more against hapless featherless Kiwis and there we go. # 2 in the world.

Yippieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

England have their nose ahead

England are going gaga. They feel they are going to win the Ashes. They are sensing the euphoria of 2005 once again. They feel the Aussies would falter in the chase of 466 runs in 2 days and finally they would regain the Ashes 2-1 and then lose it again 0-5 next year.

Right now they have nose a bit ahead, but then Ponting and co cannot be discounted. The 2nd day madness would be very tough to set in again.

Trott is the new star. Wonder who would go out in SA when KP returns ? Collingwood or Bell ?

Australia have made a good start in the pursuit of 546. The positive intent is there. So anything can happen.

All eyes would be on day 4. Make or break day for Aussies ashes bid. if they lose, SA become 1, SL become 2. No.....

Go Aussies!!!!!!!

Good start for Aussies, Drug Peddler returns and NZ struggle

So finally Australia bundled out England for less than 340 score and are on a solid start just about at lunch when rain intervened are 0/61 after surviving a hostile bowling spell from outgoing hero Freddie.

On the other hand NZ are struggling but they would be able to save it. Rains. Rains would help them. 1/30 in pursuit of 413. Only Thushara and Murali threat. Mendis is negated and dusted. He is zeroed now. No more splendid, no more mystery. 26 in 3 and then 17 in next 7. Flattened.

In another development Spinnach is left out of teh Pakistan team and drug peddler comes in. Wow. Pakistan doesnt find anybody beyond drug-addicts, rebels, selfish players. Keep going guys. Tight slap to ICC and WADA. And they cry foul on BCCI that they compromise against the spirits of the game.

Here is PCB openly playing a player who has been caught with drugs not once but 2 good times. What precedent he would set on the youngsters like Fawad Alam and Amer is all for a guess.

Oval Test, Day 1

England are 8/307 at the end of 1st day of overhyped Ashes finale. Flintoff has one more Test inning to go and he just made 7 on the most hyped final test of any player in recent memory. For that matter Ganguly and Kumble were far ahead than Freddie in greatness, but they dint have that hyped farewell. Ditto for McGrath, Gilchrist and Langer. All big and great than Freddie.

None from England managed to stick to the wicket and play a long innings to bat Australia out of the game. Bell was at 3, Trott was at 5. Finally after lot of mulling and thought process hardly any change was made in the England team. Much ado about anything. Thats like khoda pahad nikla chuha.

Siddle has been an unsung hero for australia and his 4 wkts got Australia back into the contest at 2/176.

The Ashes has been low on quality, more on the hype. Both sides have failed to create the spark of 2005, or even 2006 - 07.

In the end I shall stick to my scoreline of 2-1 for Australia. 340 would be the par score for Australia to bundle out England and then bat the way they have done in the past to get an edge over England for rest of the series.

2001 and 2007 Australia - India series were far better than this contest.....

Ponting humbled by defeat ?

Surprised to see Aussies not making meat out of the umpiring decisions and Ponting being very quiet right now. Perhaps defeat and being the 1st Aussie skipper of modern age to lost at Lords has made him being humble.

No lectures, no whinning but just a small note that they would bounce back...

What India began in October, SOuth Africa continued and now England is building up on that. Australian defeats werent so common few years back as they are now. And perhaps here the worth of Ponting's captaincy would be evaluated.

He is no Border n no Waugh, forget being a Taylor. He got great teams in legacy so as long as those players were around he won. As they left and the new players have come in, he has faltered in captaincy and as well his batting. Perhaps he would like to learn a lot from Allan Border who transformed ordinary team to a world beating unit in few years time. It is being too early the transformation has begun for Australia, but then the results or the signs for new dawn in Australian cricket aint visible as of now. Its just 2 Tests and who knows Aussies would still bounce back to win it 2-1, but the typical Australian authority and stamp would always be missing....

Ump errors

If Australia lose, perhaps they would feel the pinch India felt in Sydney 2008. That would be a karmic retribution. Perhaps then Rick would understand carrying away in euphoria of possible victory is different and playing the game within spirits of the cricket is different.

Cricket is a great leveller and it doesnt consider if its India or England. Some Aussie blogs have mentioned that had Ponting taken the Strauss catch of may be Hussey then his effigies would have been burnt in India. Well may be yes, but then they should have known the anger and the pain when you are resigned to loss for not the game you play, but owing to over appealing and claiming catches when they are not...

English reaction to this catches and umpire reactions have nothing but idiotic. Something they would have learnt while watching Sydney 2008.

And not everybody is like Anil Kumble and his Indian lads who wont sulk. Not everybody takes this incidents in good taste. It would be interesting to see Ponting's reaction on result today if they lose or even if they win......Lets see how the hunters feel when they are preyed down by their own medicine.....