India-Zimbabwe series coming up

Another meaningless cricket series is round the corner. Two tests against a second string Zimbabwe side. I sincerely hopes the Indian selectors give our so-called celebrity cricket stars a rest and send in an entire team of newcomers. It would be painful to see the Ganguly, Sachin, Sehwag and Dravid pile up centuries against the second string Zimbabwe side. Another golden opportunity for India to try and expose some up and coming players to international cricket.

The elusive Indian all-rounder

The Indian cricket team has been struggling to find an all rounder ever since Kapil Dev’s departure. Forget about a star bowler like Kapil. India badly needs someone who can score 3-50 runs and be counted to bowl 10 consistent overs in every match.

The Indian team management strategy of unearthing this elusive player is completely baffling. India has played three matches and not once has anyone who fits that profile been given his quota of overs to bowl. Venugopal Rao never got to bowl in the two matches he played. Then he was dumped from the team. Raina seems to have developed into a run out specialist. He gets to bowl the last over to give away the winning runs. Kinda like giving the young boy a candy. JP Yadav is busy warming the benches while Ganguly and Sehwag get to cover for the 5th bowler! Firstly, how can you unearth an all rounder unless you experiment with those who fit the profile?

India went into this series knowing fully well that the fifth bowler-all rounder slot was crucial. Then, we select a few newbies and never try them out! Why were these guys selected if the captain does not have the confidence to try them out? What kind of message does it send to these newcomers? In my opinion the captain must select a couple of bowlers who he thinks are the going to be his 5th, 6th and 7th bowling options and then make sure they bowl in every single match. That’s the only way they can identify this key player.

To experiment or not to experiment?

Arjuna Ranatunga has criticised India’s strategy of experimenting with the batting order as having “pressed the panic button”. I completely disagree. In fact, I feel India is not experimenting enough, especially on the bowling front. To start with, India should have selected a new look team. An insignificant tournament with a third rate team like WI participating — can there be a better place to experiment?

India is a cricket crazy country with over a billion people. Unlike other fields of endeavor, cricket is an area where India has no shortage of funds. The BCCI has boat loads of money and sponsors from all over the world throw money at events and at the cricketers. Yet, India is third from the bottom in its ODI rankings. Clearly, there is something wrong.

The age old strategy of sticking to heroes of the yester years while young talent ages and withers away without ever landing on the international arena has gone on for too long. The only way that this can be can prevented from happening and ensuring that India becomes the best team in the world is by experimenting and unearthing talent. The only way we are going to be successful is by giving new-comers a shot at the international level.

I wish India had experimented more on Bangladesh tour. What is the point of sending an injured Tendulkar to Bangladesh to score a double hundred while the Srirams, Badanis, and Joginder Sharmas of the country languish on the bench? It doesn’t prove anything and doesn’t help prolong the career of the world #1 batsman? What is Kumble doing in a worthless tournament like this when he is barely assured of a place in the playing eleven! Why bother with VVS Laxman when we know his fielding sucks, he can’t bowl and his batting form has been pathetic.
Personally, I think the days when one can play at the international level of over 10 years are gone. Most players must consider themselves lucky to survive at the top for more than 5 years. For example, barring Michael Clarke most Aussie batsman and all rounders get a break at the international level only in their late 20s or early thirties.

Cricket has become too commercial a sport and the stakes are way too high for India to compromise on unearthing new talent. The only way to do that is by experimenting.

India vs Sri Lanka

India won thanks to Dravid (so what’s new about it!). No sign of trying Venugopal Rao as an all rounder. Can’t see the point of having a batsman coming so low down the order if you don’t plan to use him as a bowler. Sounds like Raina is a favorite of Chappell and Dravid. Hopefully, he’ll deliver consistently. If he does, he can certainly seal his slot for the next World Cup.

In any case at least Dravid is consistent about using Sehwag as a bowler unlike Ganguly who had the habit using Sachin, Sehwag, Yuvraj and himself very infrequently. For instance, you’ll find Sachin bowling 10 overs in one match and not bowl at all for the next 3-4 games. Likewise for the others. Unless they are used regularly as bowlers we can’t count on them to play the role of the backup bowlers. Sounds like Dravid has firmed up on Sehwag as one of his backup bowlers.

The next match should be interesting with Ganguly back in the side probably at the expense of Raina, Venu Yuvraj or Kaif. Both Kaif and Yuvraj blew a good opportunity to cement their spot in the team. The WI match is hardly a test. The true test is against SL and particularly Muralitharan.

Cricket: Indian Oil Cup Opener

India start off the season with a “lousy” performance. I don’t understand the logic of playing Venugopal Rao in the all rounder slot and not being tried as a bowler. I guess the target was too small for the new captain to experiment. Thankfully he scored some runs to hold his spot at least for next match. With Laxman likely to come in the next match and Ganguly to follow in the one after, two slots from this team are sure to open up.

Jayasurya with a broken shoulder is good enough to stand up to the Indian bowling and take SL to victory. That speaks volumes about how pathetic our bowling is. As for the batting, Muralitharan is still a mystery for most Indian batsman (barring Sachin, Ganguly and Dravid).

At least for now I don’t see much change in India’s performance. The team is performing exactly as it did after the tour to Pakistan last year (2004).

Google’s Add Content

Check out Google’s Add Content feature on the Google customizable home page. Pretty neat stuff. Slowly but surely Google’s customizable home page is heading towards becoming an improved more hip My Yahoo clone. Its funny how Google started of with search and is slowly incorporating all the generic portal features but with their own clever spin: free email, customizable home page, maps etc. etc.

The India ODI team: First Signs of Greg Chappel’s influence?

VVS opening in one day games. Suresh Raina, Venugopal Rao two definite World Cup 2007 prospects in the Indian team. JP Yadav for the all-rounder spot. The end of Agarkar? — Sounds like Chappel had something to do with these changes? I suspect that with VVS opening, Dhoni might be retained for the slog in the last 15 overs. Something India has always struggled with.

Badani and Sriram (in particular) must be wondering what more they need to do to return.

Top 10 signs you live in the Silicon Valley

10. At parties you no longer discuss startup ideas.
09. You are happy you have a job.
08. You can’t imagine life without a wireless LAN at home.
07. You already use Skype or have been planning to give it a try.
06. You are constantly debating about public vs private school for your kids.
05. You are forced to wonder what its like to live in Bangalore.
04. You are complaining about the hot weather even when you know that you enjoy the best possible weather on the planet.
03. Traffic is no longer one of your top complaints.
02. You got burnt (at least partly) in the dotcomm days.
01. Your worst nightmare — A real estate bubble!

BJP headed for a split?

The differences between the hardliners in the BJP and those in the Advani camp who aspire to embrace a more moderate veneer are increasing by the day. I think its only matter of time before the split in the party occurs. At the present time there is little sign of unity and no sign whatsoever of the next line of leadership emerging and gaining control of the party and crafting its future. As the Congress govt is cruising along in its second year in power, the BJP in its current form appears to be headed towards self-destruction.