Archive for the ‘Test Cricket’ Category
Away Test victories record
SL 13 wins out of 40 Tests in this decade.
6 out of which are in BD and SL. Out of remaining 7 , 4 in Pakistan, 1 in NZ, 1 in England and 1 in WI. No win in Australia, South Africa and India.
South Africa 21 wins out of 54 and 18 losses.
2 wins in Australia, 3 in India. Their impressive record has been in last 3 years when they have won series in England and Australia. Drew in India. They havent won a series in India in 9 years now. Chance to set that right later this year.
And in 16 years in SL.
England 16 wins out of 57 abroad. 22 losses.
No series wins in India and Australia. Not won a series in Australia in 2 decades, 2 decades in India. Solitary wins in Australia and India in 10 and 9 tests resp. On contrary not so bad record in Lanka when they have won 2 and lost 3.
Pakistan 15 out of 47.
Major blot : 0 in 6 in Australia. In fact its 15 years they won last against Australia. One in India out of 6. One in SA out of 6. They have toured India 2 times this decade (05 and 07, first time ). Just 1 win in 6 in England. Major wins in Zim, BD, WI and NZ. And yes SL too 
Australia
34 wins in 56. The best. Only unfavorable record in India. 3 wins and 5 losses. And just about favorable in England. 6-5. No win in Pakistan cos no test played in 11 years.
India is the pain in Australia’s ass.
And finally India :
Even stevens.
19 wins and 19 losses in 56. Most number of Tests after England.
2 wins in Australia. Should have been 4. 2 wins in England with just one loss. 2-2 in WI. 2-2 in Pak. Major blot — SL and SA.
Records all for saying who is the best and who gets the backdoor entry on rankings.
Tests would just survive
Sachin wants kids to get a free entry to the Tests over the weekend help the little ones develop penchant for longest n oldest form of cricket.
ICC wants 4 day Tests.
Ponting wants to return to England in 2013.
India has a realistic chance to be top team in Tests by beating the Lankans (3-0) and SA (2-1) later this year.
Who said Tests are dying ?
Not everybody is a Flintoff. A few exceptions like Afridi, Freddie and few more could go the T20 way, but the game wont be poor without them.
We do have lot of characters and entertainers in addition to purists in the longest form of the game. To add more we have flat track bullies, we have few who cherish batting on minefields and through injuries — Dravid, Smith. We have had players who have bowled with a broken jaw and we have had a few who have chickened out of Tests owing to some freak knee injury and returned to play ODIs days after Tests got over.
When we have all this kinda varied characters who would want the Tests to fizz out.
Imagine the intensity of the contest between South Africa and India. Or Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh. And to top it all India vs Pakistan.
A T20 wont provide the long lasting excitement of the above contests. Not even IPL.
Post Ashes scenario
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.
WADA Aaj Kal
Do we need Tests ? yes pretty much.
MS Gill says his two cents (or dimes) on WADA issue and since it involves cricket, he takes “panga” with BCCI. Quite expected. There is a lobby in India comprising of other sports who are against cricket. And it leaves no stone unturned to pass gibes (or jibes or fibes) on cricket.
Not that we do bother…..
I again reiterate its double standards of WADA. A proved drug addict (nashedi) in Asif and Akhtar finds way to cricket every time they are found positive. And a guy called Tendulkar along with Sehwag, Dhoni, Yuvraj are framed in IRTP or whatever list for random off season testing.
Is there even a comparison ? If WADA is so concerned on the doping free world or say doping free cricket, then pester Butt’s ass to hand over a life ban to Asif and not play him the CT.
Just that the Indian players had the guts to come out in open and other players of other countries meekly surrendered. But i guess other players esp from Australia and England should follow the suit and trash WADA from cricket.
India’s Kirris Gayle
And next to follow the suite could be:
-
Sreesanth
-
Irfan Pathan
-
RP Singh
And Pragyan Ojha could never debut in Tests, not that he would not be selected. Just that he might not find 5 days in the field too interesting and economically viable.
I dont say this on any facts or basis of analysis. But on the hunch and a pattern that goes into this lads way of cricket.
Test cricket wont die so soon!!
When there are so intense battles like
India vs Australia
Test cricket isnt weak that it would die on some pretty stupid comments from an irresponsible West Indies skipper. When Test cricket survived Bodyline series, match fixing, ball tampering rows of past, then there is no reason why Test cricket wont survive T20 revolution.
IMHO Gayle’s comments are pretty insignificant. We wont be saddened if Gayle retires prematurely from Test cricket, Not even a bit. Thats about it. I dont care much about him. Not at all.
IPL and Boycott issue.
Travor Baliyss
Murali
Vaas
Chris Broad
Simon Davis
Go boycott and get all this individuals banned PCB. They have said something or the other against the Pakistan cricket. So its against the interests of Pakistan cricket, even if it means some truth and has some value to it. After all the question comes, who all is Pakistan Board going to get banned ? Rather than this boycott / ban activities, the PCB should apologize to SL and the world cricket community for the unfortunate incident in Lahore and tender an apology to India for forming an image in the world that India too is unsafe for cricket. That’s not true. Cricket is safe in India. Until of course……
And those guys who are having apprehensions about playing IPL or international cricket in India should back out. They should not go ahead and place wrong facts in the media about the unfortunate bomb blasts that happened in Jaipur last year during IPL. If this individuals think that security is an issue, it’s better for them to return the money to the franchises and back out. Likes of Pieterson, Stephen Fleming, Duncan Fletcher and now Martin Crowe. Yes Jacob Oram too. Guys, do what your erstwhile generation did. Guys like Ian Botham, David Gower and Richard Hadlee hardly toured India in their playing days. Its other thing that first 2 travel for media commentary purposes now. Stephen Fleming has got a lucrative coach cum player contract with Chennai Super Kings. Yet he holds opinion that Indian leagues hamper the Kiwi cricket. Nobody forced the likes of Lou Vincent, Hamish Marshall , Daryl Tuffey and of course Shane Bond followed by retired stars like Harris and Cairns to go to ICL. They went on their own. And current Kiwi players have got lucrative representation. Dan Vettori is with Delhi, Ross Taylor is with Bangalore, Oram is with Chennai, Mcullum is with Kolkata and of course Fleming with Chennai.
And if biggies fail or don’t come to IPL, its not that the IPL would loose its sheen. Even if there was no foreign representation in IPL, the crowds would have come in. For that matter, the fiercest rivals the country has are not coming due to their own imaginary security problems. Which Pakistani player has ever been attacked in India ? On the contrary the victorious team in Chennai’ 09 got a standing ovation when they won by 12 runs despite Tendulkar classic of 136. So IPl has been a victim of inter country politics and also the victim of nonsense Indian politics where the home minister questioned the schedule and then the ruling UPA states ruled out the security to IPL in public. On the same hand Mr Modi, the Gujrat CM promised the security and may be that’s the reason, the city of Ahmedabad is hosting the IPL games. Well the Ahmedabad is Karachi of India or SSC of India where the wicket is damn flat and the most scorching draws have been earned there in this country barring the SA loss.
So the stern message is if you want to play in IPL in India for all its glitz, glamour and cash, come be part of it and win the hearts. We would give you all the adulation, love and shower flowers. But don’t speak a bit on the security issue on India cos its not an issue. 11/26 wasn’t an internal thingie, it was done by outside elements. So that doesn’t make India an unsafe country to play in. And if you don’t want to play in India for IPL, then just return the cash you got and shut your mouth off. Security situation in Pakistan or Bangladesh or Sri Lanka or for that matter USA is not related to India.
No Indian cricketer has ever said about the mugging events that happen in South Africa. Johannesburg and CapeTown are murder capitals of the world, yet Indians mingle with the migrant population whenever they tour the country. No Indian cricketer complained about the ethnic violence that happens in Sri Lanka. Their job is to go and play the cricket. Either they are in, or they are not in. We haven’t heard of security comments in public in full media glare from the Indian cricketers. IPL doesn’t need foreign cricketers. It’s the foreign cricketers who need IPL. So when they want to enjoy the booty, they should do it with their mouth shut. Else we will be forced to ask Ijaj Butt and Javed Miandad to go and file complaints against them in ICC and BCC!.
I would bat long long long very long long long…
Whats the best way to win a test when you cant win on the basis of strength of bat or bowl ? When you have so called world class spinners looking club class whiskey pullers. Bat long and long and on and on and on and on and on and on. Never stop. Pile 600, 700, 952 and still not stop. Play a timeless test. Focus on positives and say the boys are building up in character. Hit a double and then say I quit. Kill the test cricket and win spirits of cricket award. Get thumped in ODIs and take out the frustration in Tests. Kill the viewer, kill the spectator with the torture. Bat on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on. Win the toss, elect to field. Gift the initiative to the opposition camp when you have 5 debutants and a bowling attack with 2 bowlers and 2 pedestals. You don’t have to be top test team. Get batting records, get winning records, lie low at ranking table. Win at home, get thumped abroad. Else don’t play Test cricket for 14 months. Play BD and Zim. Win. Sack the coach. Play WI. Play SL, lose. Sack the captain. Get new one. Get a triple. What about team spirits when selfish motives rule the roost ? Heck with them J
Another world record on ?
. Test cricket at its best.Australia has upper hand
Australia lost a bit of their intensity this morning with madness setting in their camp. Much of that credit to Kallis the bowler and the fielder. 75 runs in to the first session and 8 wkts lost. Thanks to Haddin and Hughes, they still sit 420 runs ahead than Saffers. Yet they won’t feel secure given the ease with which Saffers chased down 415 in Perth. Amazing is the history. It gives jitters not to the team but to the supporters. SA would bat in the 4th innings and Graeme Smith is the undisputed king of 4th innings 100s. So he would still like to back himself up for the heroic innings. Few more runs from the last pair on the wicket would be a bonus and would mean more pressure on the Saffers. They would have max 4.5 – 5 sessions to save / win / lose the game. Not long back India defeated them in Jo’burg by 278 runs, now its turn of Aussies to beat them and go 1-0 up.
Aussies were touted to be the underdogs and weaker links amidst the 2 teams. Though their batting worries haven’t been resolved, the bowling attack gives them a hope. Lee and Clark would be back by Ashes. And till then if Siddle and Hilfenhaus make steady progress, the Aussies would look good for another Ashes triumph. Mitch Johnson is touted to be the next Aussie great alrounder, though that’s a bit of far stretched imagination. Alright, he is having good times. But still he needs to do that consistently. This has been a riveting test match, much to the hype and hoopla created before. However I still don’t feel that SA are deservers to upstage Aussies from # 1 throne. Its still India who deserve more than the Saffers just cos they were able to beat Australia when the later had its strengths at peak and had the best of talent which is now retired. Saffers in that era failed to win a single test match home and away, let alone win a series. India in that duration won 2, lost 2 and drew 1. No other team came close to that record. I am a chauvinistic, but then there are facts to prove. I would always rant for the support of Indian test team which for now doesn’t have the young buggers in. I don’t know how it would be when the Raina would be # 3, Sharma (if) would be # 4 and some other dude would be # 5. Yuvraj has seen it all, so its very unlikely that he would like to lose the focus and so his test spot. The young buggers who have all seen is nothing but easy money and fame would falter away when they would be put under pressure of 5 days. I don’t think so the likes of Raina and Sharma are Test class.
Meanwhile the action resumes in Jo’burg. Go Aussies.
