The Reverse Sweep

4th Test: Australia vs India - India marks out of 10

Gautam Gambhir - 3: Surprised by the extra bounce generated by Siddle after getting a start in the 1st innings and then fell early to his usual failing outside off-stump second time around. Has now gone 39 Test innings without a hundred and averaged just 20 in the series in England and Australia. Brilliant piece of quick thinking to run out Hussey from silly point. 

Virender Sehwag - 4: The captaincy failed to inspire him out of his form slump although his 2nd innings 62 was ferocious entertainment not least for its ending, which could yet go down in the annals of Test cricket as the most irresponsible dismissal ever from a captain. Like Gambhir, averaged just 20 in England and Australia and his run without a Test hundred has now extended to 26 innings.

Rahul Dravid - 2: Had his stumps rearranged for the sixth time in this series and then fell to a poor shot in the 2nd innings. Did a wonderful job of manning a burning bridge in England last summer but couldn't repeat it here. Will we see him again in Test cricket?

Sachin Tendulkar - 2: His form of the early part of the series deserted him and one wonders how much the interminable wait for the 100th hundred is weighing him down. Will get another chance in the ODI series but the torture and tedious hype has now lasted for 25 innings.

VVS Laxman - 3: Got a start in each innings but fell to atrocious shots both times - a probable sad end to a fabulous career. The purists won't be happy, but there is the bearded Laxman - Hashim Amla - to salivate over. The original has gone with a whimper averaging just 21 in England and Australia. 

Virat Kohli - 8: We saw the good, the bad and the ugly from India's leading run scorer in the series. The good was a splendid maiden Test hundred, the bad his foul-mouthed reaction to reaching this milestone and the ugly his brainless and grotesque run out in the 2nd innings. Is a wonderful talent, but could do with growing up a bit. 

Wriddiman Saha - 6: Was far more proficient and eager than the usual incumbent behind the stumps - he even dived for the ball on occasion. Batted well in unison with Kohli in the 1st innings and can be pleased with his contribution.

Ravichandran Ashwin - 4: Brought into the attack early in the 1st innings, handed the new ball second time around and did well troubling both openers each time. Needs to be more consistent but can be relatively pleased with his first overseas tour. 

Zaheer Khan - 5: Whilst India's whitewash will pain this passionate cricketer there will be some consolation that he has managed to get through the whole series. Considering the chasm between the sides, his 15 wickets in the series at 32 is a pretty good return.

Ishant Sharma - 3: Is he unlucky? Well, he does seem to go past the outside edge more than most, but perhaps his return of just five wickets for the series is more telling. Could do with a private session with Craig McDermott given how he has rejuvenated the Australian bowling attack.

Umesh Yadav - 2: He is young, so will learn from this chastening experience, but he has been far too expensive in this series - none more so than on the first day here in Adelaide. Definitely one to persevere with though.

Where next?

4th Test: Australia vs India - Australia marks out of 10

Virat Kohli points the way forward for India

3rd Test marks out of 10: Australia and India

2nd Test marks out of 10: Australia and India

1st Test marks out of 10: Australia and India

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Virat Kohli points the way forward for India

There was some rare good news for the bedraggled Indian cricket team today. One of their batsmen finally managed to reach three figures in what has turned out to be the most one-sided Test series since India last played a Test series outside the subcontinent.

The even better news was that the identity of the century maker wasn’t one of their veterans rolling back the years for a final hurrah (or even a long awaited 100th international hundred). Nor was it one of the misfiring opening batsmen whose individual run without a Test hundred now extends to 38 innings for Gautam Gambhir and 25 for Virender Sehwag.

Today saw the maiden Test hundred for Virat Kohli and it was a good one too even if it probably won’t avert yet another heavy defeat for his side.

We’ve been quite impressed with Kohli for some time and his success could (and should) herald a radical new selection policy for India. One that should see long-service awards and pats on the back for VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and dare I say it the Little Master himself and their replacement in the side with Kohli's fellow new breeders namely Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara.

As it has with Kohli it may take some time for the new boys to assimilate to Test cricket, but let’s be frank they cannot do much worse than the incumbents have fared in England and Australia. As an example prior to the Adelaide Test, Gambhir averaged 23.00 in the England and Australia series, Laxman 20.28 and Sehwag 16.09.

It’s time for Indian cricket to move on and Kohli’s hundred may well have pointed the way.

Where next?

Rohit Sharma: The Artist formerly known as Nohit

India: Tigers at home; pussies away

India's batting line-up and Goebbels's big lie

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3rd Test: Australia vs India - India marks out of 10

Gautam Gambhir - 3: Got out to a nothing shot having done all the hard work on the first morning and then got a snorter from Starc second time around. Run without a Test hundred now extends to 2 years, 19 Tests and 37 innings.

Virender Sehwag - 1: Upstaged comprehensively by his likely successor as cricket's master blaster batsman. In 11 Tests since the start of the tour to South Africa in December 2010 averages just 26 with a top score of 67. His record in this series is even worse: 118 runs at 19.66. 

Rahul Dravid - 5: Is unlikely to have played and missed more times in a single innings than he did second time around here, but typically he stuck at it in his usual dogged style. Hearing the death rattle five times out of six in this series is a real cause for concern.

Sachin Tendulkar - 2: After scores of 73 and 80 at Melbourne and Sydney there was to be no near-misses of that elusive 100th ton in Perth as the Little Master fell cheaply both times playing across the line. The hype and the wait has now reached 23 international innings.

VVS Laxman - 3: Like Gambhir did all the hard work in the 1st innings before giving it away with a dismal poke outside off-stump before registering a duck second time around. The batsman who has proved Australia's nemesis in the past now has just 102 runs at 17 in the series. Will it be au revoir VVS?

Virat Kohli - 7: This Test could well prove the making of Kohli as amidst the numerous plays and misses he exhibited some of his wonderful shot making. Threw it away in the 1st innings when well set and needs to control his emotions better but definitely worth persevering with.

MS Dhoni - 1: Another horror show on a horrific tour for the skipper. Fell cheaply to poor shots in both innings and if that wasn't bad enough is now banned from the Adelaide Test due to a poor over-rate. 

Vinay Kumar - 1: Makes his namesake Praveen look lightning quick in comparison and seems set to join the one Test cap club. Smashed for six from his fourth ball in Test cricket and had many wondering if their televisions were showing everything in slow motion when he was bowling.

Zaheer Khan - 4: Taken to the cleaners by Warner just like everyone else but at least got the upper hand over Haddin by dismissing him for a third ball duck.

Ishant Sharma - 2: Should be smarting after a hiding from Warner and being handed the ball AFTER Vinay Kumar. His figures for the summer tour to England and x-rated: 15 wickets at 64 with a strike rate of 104 - maybe Vinay may get another Test after all.

Umesh Yadav - 7: Bounced back impressively after Warner's initial pillaging to spark a brief Indian fightback and was rewarded with his first five wicket Test haul. Also took a difficult catch to finally rid India of Warner.

Where next?

3rd Test: Australia vs India - Australia marks out of 10

2nd Test marks out of 10: Australia and India

1st Test marks out of 10: Australia and India

David Warner blasts a 69-ball hundred as euthanasia becomes a serious option for India

India: Tigers at home; pussies away

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India: Tigers at home; pussies away

Whilst Brad Haddin would do well to look at his own form before casting aspersions on the fragility or otherwise of India he may have a point - albeit a crass and clumsily made one. Just by crunching a few numbers it is plain to see that whilst India have been the fiercest of tigers in the subcontinent over the past couple of years they are the meekest and most submissive of pussy cats when they play overseas.

 

When India ascended to the number one spot in the Test rankings many said that the tours to South Africa, England and Australia would tell us whether that lofty status was justified. Whilst they emerged with a creditable draw against the Proteas they have lost six out of six thus far in England and Australia. Here are a few numbers that illustrate why:

 

263

India's average total in their last 21 completed or declared innings in overseas Tests taking in tours to South Africa, West Indies, England and now Australia. During this time they have only reached 400 twice - in the second innings at Centurion and Sydney - and both ultimately proved futile as India still lost by an innings each time. Their overall record in these 12 Tests is won two, lost seven (including four by an innings) and drawn three and they have lost the last six by heavy margins. 

 

461

By contrast, India's average total in their last 19 completed or declared innings on the subcontinent taking in home series against Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand and West Indies plus trips to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka is almost 200 runs higher. They topped 700 twice (both against Sri Lanka) and fared much better in these 16 Tests with 11 wins, 1 defeat and 4 draws. 

 

30.23

Combined batting average of India's top seven in the last four overseas series (see full list). The tale of woe is stark with Gambhir (average 32), Laxman (31), Dhoni (29), Raina (23), Sehwag (21) and Kohli (13) all failing to justify their talent and high billing. Only Tendulkar (52) and Dravid (45) can hold their heads high and these two are also the only centurions with Dravid hitting four and Tendulkar two. The other batsmen who have filled the top seven positions for India on these four tours have failed to record even one century in their combined 122 visits to the crease.

 

40.58

The combined bowling average for the aformentioned four tours with only Zaheer Khan (23) and Praveen Kumar (26) registering averages below 36. The rest of the bowlers have been practically rendered impotent with Ishant Sharma (37 - despite a successful tour of the Caribbean), Harbhajan (36), Sreesanth (51), Amit Mishra (62), Umesh Yadav (43) and Ravichandran Ashwin (75) all registering averages that their batting colleagues would yearn for. The collective strike rate is even more staggeringly bad with each wicket coming at a crippling 72 deliveries. Opposing batsmen have feasted on pickings this easy with Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell and Jacques Kallis all registering double hundreds and in Michael Clarke's case a triple hundred.

 

33

The number of Test innings since an Indian opener other than Dravid (who scored tons at Trent Bridge and The Oval as an emergency opener) last scored a hundred. You have to go all the way back to the 1st Test at Ahmedabad at the start of November 2010 when Sehwag struck a characteristically brutal 173 off 199 balls against New Zealand. Since then Sehwag has gone 22 Test innings without reaching three figures whilst regular partner Gambhir's famine is a positively biblical 35 innings.

 

0

The number of Test series India has won In Australia, a statistic that will remain unchanged for at least another four years following defeats in Melbourne and Sydney. 

 

As such it would be hardly surprising if confidence is not high in the Indian camp ahead of the 3rd Test on a fast and bouncy WACA track tomorrow.

Where next?

Annus mirabilis: The best Test XI of 2011

Annus horribilis: The Worst Test XI of 2011

2nd Test: Australia vs India - India marks out of 10

2nd Test: Australia vs India - Australia marks out of 10

Read our Cricket Review of 2011

India's batting line-up and Goebbels's big lie

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Annus horribilis: the worst Test XI of 2011

We've already selected our best Test XI of 2011, but perhaps this collection of cricketers who suffered an annus horribilis in the ultimate form of the game in 2011 should provoke much more hilarity:

Phil Hughes (404 runs at 26.93): Despite a hundred against Sri Lanka and an attractive 80 odd in Johannesburg, 2011 was a horrendous year for Australia’s erstwhile Test opener. His year went from bad to worse with the four out of four caught Guptill bowled Martin dismissals in the series with New Zealand likely to prove his international cricket epitaph. Some get sent to Switzerland when their condition is terminal, Hughes has been sent to Worcestershire instead to convalesce.

Gautam Gambhir (470 runs at 31.33): We could just as easily have picked Virender Sehwag who actually had a lower average than his opening partner in 2011 and only had a top Test score of 67, but that seemed to border on the sacrilegious so Gambhir it is. No Test hundreds and a year sprinkled with injury, injudicious shots, a growing tentativeness outside off-stump and a lack of weddings to attend. The ghastliness of his year was summed up when he suffered concussion when failing to catch Kevin Pietersen. In truth, Gambhir looked concussed most times he came to the crease in Tests in 2011.

Ramnaresh Sarwan (83 runs at 10.37): A traumatic year for the experienced Sarwan with a top score of 23 and just 83 runs from his eight visits to the crease preceding his inevitable axing. With tyros such as Darren Bravo and Kirk Edwards shining it seems unlikely that the cultured Sarwan will be sighted in the maroon West Indian cap again.  

Mahela Jayawardene (517 runs at 24.61): It may have been the year of his 10,000th Test run and a sparkling century in the World Cup Final, but in terms of Test cricket it was an annus horribilis for the silky smooth Jayawardene with just one hundred in ten Tests mirroring his country’s slide down the rankings. Have the eyes gone?

Jesse Ryder (97 runs at 12.12): Three ducks and just 97 runs in eight innings meant that 2011 was a year when the larger than life Kiwi ate more pies, sunk more tinnies and wore more inches around his generous waist than he scored Test runs.

Suresh Raina (337 runs at 25.92): Rarely has an international cricketer looked more uncomfortable against the short ball than Raina did in England last summer. So much so that by the end of the series, England barely bothered celebrating his inevitably quick demise each time he strode to the wicket.

Brad Haddin (335 runs at 20.93): A year in which the iron-gloved keeper was for once better behind the stumps than he was in front of them – not that there was any discernible improvement in his shoddy keeping. With the bat there were several reckless and irresponsible dismissals none more so than in the ignominious 2nd innings collapses in Cape Town and Hobart. A nation prays that Tim Paine’s hands make the swiftest of recoveries.

Harbhajan Singh (20 wickets at 38.05): He may have been part of the World Cup winning side, but 2011 saw his decline as a Test match bowler accelerate until injury and the emergence of Ashwin consigned him to the sidelines. Having his car robbed in December just about summed up a dismal year for the supposed Turbanator.

Mitchell Johnson (13 wickets at 56.61): Johnson is not a figure of ridicule for nothing – just look at that bowling average, which is even worse when his strike rate in 2011 of a wicket every 92 deliveries is taken into account. Outbowled by an 18 year old debutant with just a handful of first-class appearances in Johannesburg, injury and the emergence of James Pattinson, the aforementioned Patrick Cummins and a rejuvenated Ben Hilfenhaus means that Johnson should have plenty of time to rest that injured foot.

Sreesanth (13 wickets at 52.76): Speaking of figures of ridicule, Sreesanth was the least impressive of an impotent Indian bowling line-up in England over the summer. Doesn’t take many wickets, leaks runs at over four runs an over and seems to have lost any semblance of pace. Likely to join his best pal Harbhajan on the sidelines for some time and perhaps forever.

Kemar Roach (7 wickets at 55.14): If you thought Johnson’s strike rate of 92 was bad try Roach’s performance of a wicket every 99 deliveries in 2011. Whilst there’s no doubting his talent, the suggestions of some that he should replace captain Darren Sammy in the West Indian Test XI seem at best misplaced and at worst downright foolish.

Finally, a special mention to our 12th man - RP Singh who was called up from the beach to replace the injured Zaheer Khan in England and subsequently looked a shadow (albeit twice the side and half the speed) of the bowler who performed so well four years earlier when he played in the final match of the series at The Oval and took 0/134.

Where next?

The worst Test XI of 2010

The best Test XI of 2011

The best Test XI of 2010

Read our Cricket Review of 2011

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

Check out some of our other Cricket XIs: They also played cricket, Rugger Buggers, Cricketing Criminals , A team of cricketers that died young, The Worst Australia Ashes XI of the last 30 years, The Worst England Ashes XI of the last 30 years  

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2nd Test: Australia vs India - India marks out of 10

Gautam Gambhir - 6: Predictably tentative dismissal to the third ball of the match before finally looking like the batsman that once scored 8 hundreds in 10 Tests in the second. Run without a Test hundred now extended to 35 innings.

Virender Sehwag - 4: Looked edgy in the first innings and fell to a stunning catch by Warner second time around. Now without a hundred in 22 Test innings and hasn't reached three figures in a Test outside the sub-contintent since June 2006.

Rahul Dravid - 3: A disappointing match for the leading run-scorer in Tests in 2011. Fell to a poor shot in the 1st innings before being bowled through the gate in the second just when his side needed one of his trademark rearguard knocks. 

Sachin Tendulkar - 7: Looked well set on both visits to the crease but that hundredth hundred continues to elude the Little Master. The manner of his dismissal in the 2nd innings may leave him wondering whether he will ever get off 99. Average at the SCG still a monumental 157.

VVS Laxman - 5: Finally got his first boundary of the series after 61 balls in his fourth innings and then proceeded to a typically stylish 66 before being beaten by a gem of a ball from Hilfenhaus. Has now passed fifty 73 times in Tests, which makes his tally of 17 hundreds a tad disappointing. 

Virat Kohli - 3: There's no doubting Kohli's talent as the two boundaries he hit in the 2nd innings ably demonstrated. But in six Tests he only averages 21, which with Rohit Sharma breathing down his neck could mean an early curtain call for the series.

MS Dhoni - 5: Brave but foolhardy decision to bat after winning the toss and was then let down by both his batsmen and bowlers. At least Dhoni showed what could be done on this wicket with his defiant fifty on the first day.

Ravichandran Ashwin - 5: No wickets but after his first five Tests averages 38 with the bat and 31 with the ball. Bowled better than his 0/157 suggested and has scored more runs in the series than any Indian bar Tendulkar.

Zaheer Khan - 6: Bowled wonderfully well to reduce Australia to 37/3, but lack of game time probably told as his menace faded after that. Entertaining knock in the 2nd innings.

Ishant Sharma - 3: Looks a pale imitation of the bowler who impressed so much on his trip to Australia four years ago. A case of too much, too young?

Umesh Yadav - 3: A chastening experience for the youngster after his impressive performance at Melbourne. At over five runs per over he was more expensive than Prada, but this should be a character forming experience for one with his talent.

Where next?

2nd Test: Australia vs India - Australia marks out of 10

The best Test XI of 2011

The redemption of Michael Clarke

Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting hundreds just a sideshow for Channel 9

India's batting line-up and Goebbels's big lie

Read our Cricket Review of 2011

1st Test: Australia vs India - Australia marks out of 10

1st Test: Australia vs India - India marks out of 10

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

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India's batting line-up and Goebbels's big lie

It was that arch-propagandist Joesph Goebbels himself whose mantra was that if you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.

We're not sure that the Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda had cricket in mind when he devised his theory but it could arguably be applied to the hitherto considered stellar Indian batting line-up.

Following their meek submission for just 191 in Sydney today after MS Dhoni opted to bat after winning the toss, India have now failed to pass 400 in their last 18 completed overseas Test innings.

For the record and in reverse order the sorry tale of inepitude against Australia, England, West Indies and South Africa reads: 191, 169, 282, 283, 300, 244, 224, 158, 288, 261, 286, 347, 201, 252, 246, 364, 228 and 205.

The last time India passed 400 overseas was when they totalled 459 in the 2nd innings of the Centurion Test in December 2010, but given they faced a 1st innings deficit of 484 after being shot out for a dismal 136 in the 1st innings there wasn't much to crow about. 

During this sorry run these are the averages of India's top seven: Gambhir 25.00, Sehwag 20.54, Dravid 47.66, Tendulkar 42.71, Laxman 32.15, Dhoni 27.00, Raina 25.92 and Kohli 13.75.

That is underperformance on a massive scale with only Dravid and Tendulkar having creditable returns - all those averages are significantly below their career Test figures.

Of course Sehwag, Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman are all great batsmen and have proved themselves time and time again over a long period.

Or is Goebbel's adage of the big lie true in this case after all?

Where next?

The best Test XI of 2011

Read our Cricket Review of 2011

1st Test: Australia vs India - Australia marks out of 10

1st Test: Australia vs India - India marks out of 10

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

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1st Test: Australia vs India - India marks out of 10

Gautam Gambhir - 2: Looks completely out of sorts, which is maybe not a surprise given he has now gone 17 Tests and 31 innings without a Test hundred - he had hit eight tons in his 10 Tests before that. He averages just 29 during this barren run and it was easy to see why with his angled bat and problems outside off stump condemning him in both innings. May need to find another wedding to attend as he clearly needs a break.  

Virender Sehwag - 6: Looked somewhere close to his best in the 1st innings where another hour at the crease could have seen him take the game away from Australia. That made his soft dismissal all the more galling. 2011 has not been a vintage year for Sehwag as far as Tests go: 384 runs at just 29.5.

Rahul Dravid - 7: Whilst the focus was on Sehwag and then Tendulkar at the other end, The Wall did what he does best at the other and skilfully accumulated yet another Test fifty. Was unfortunate to be undone by absolute jaffas in each innings. The leading scorer in Tests in 2011 where Dravid dazzled at and away from the crease.

Sachin Tendulkar - 7: The quest for that elusive 100th international hundred now stretches to 19innings, but it cannot be long in coming if the Little Master continues his scintillating form from this Test. He looked at his majestic best before Siddle got one through first time around. Onto Sydney.

VVS Laxman - 2: His inexplicably dismal record at Melbourne worsened (it is now 114 runs from eight innings at just 14.25) with just three scratchy runs from 36 balls faced. Will hope for better at Sydney where he has three hundreds in five innings at 96.

Virat Kohli - 2: Undone by the movement of Hilfenhaus in each innings and as talented as he is, Kohli will need to do better with Rohit Sharma breathing down his neck. India's problems at number six continue.

MS Dhoni - 3: Woefully poor dismissal in the 1st innings, but at least showed some application second time around. Uninspiring defensive captaincy when trying to dismiss the Australian tail in each innings. Form with the bat in Test cricket is a concern with an average of just 29.6 from his last 22 Tests. Is the responsibility of captaincy affecting his batting?

R Ashwin - 7: Hugely impressive with bat and ball. Picked up four wickets and bowled economically on a pitch that didn't aid his off-spin and reached 30 in both innings. Harbhajan who?

Zaheer Khan - 8: India's attack looked far better from having its most potent force back at the helm. The full box of tricks was on display and seven wickets was the least he deserved. The ball to finally snare Hussey was magnificent. 

Ishant Sharma -6: No seamer has taken more than his 43 Test wickets in 2011, but an average of 37 and strike rate of 68 is probably a more accurate reflection of his inconsistency. Actually bowled well in the 1st innings without reward and the ball to dismiss Clarke was arguably the ball of the match.

Umesh Yadav - 8: Was more expensive than Prada in the 1st innings but crucially also bowled several superlative wicket-taking balls. Proved to be a quick learner in the 2nd innings when he was handed the new ball and took the first three wickets to fall. Took seven wickets in all in his first Test in Australia and was genuinely quick throughout. An immensely promising cricketer.

Where next?

1st Test: Australia marks out of 10

Cricket memories of 2011: MS Dhoni wins the World Cup with a six

Michael Hussey is not dead

Ed Cowan makes Geoffrey Boycott happy (probably)

Australia v India - Who will win?

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England v India: India series marks out of 10

Gautam Gambhir – 2 (102 runs at 17.00): Missed Trent Bridge because of injury and suffered concussion when making a complete mess of holding on to a skier from KP at The Oval. In between his batting against the short ball bordered on the shambolic making a mockery of a Test average of over 50.

Virender Sehwag – 2 (41 runs at 10.25): Was rushed back from his shoulder operation prematurely and bagged a king pair at Edgbaston. His brief second innings cameo at The Oval couldn’t hide the fact that he looked unfit and completely disinterested. 

Abinhav Mukund – 3 (64 runs at 16.00): Stood in for Sehwag in the first two Tests and looked a decent prospect when compiling 49 at Lord’s. Needs to work on his technique against the short ball and would be well advised to book into a masterclass from Dravid.

Rahul Dravid – 9 (461 runs at 76.83): Magnificent. Foisted into an openers role he despises from where he scored two brilliant hundreds – including becoming only the third Indian to carry his bat in the first innings at The Oval. Added a third hundred from his customary role as first drop at Lord’s and scored 23% of India’s runs in the series – it would have been even more but for a couple of dodgy umpiring decisions. Looked a better keeper than his captain when Dhoni had a bowl at Lord’s.

Sachin Tendulkar – 6 (273 runs at 34.12): Has the Little Master ever looked so uncomfortable on a cricket field? England’s pacemen bowled brilliantly to him and it wasn’t until the final day of the series that we saw close to the real Tendulkar. That 100th hundred eluded him, but don’t be surprised to see the milestone reached in the forthcoming ODI series.

VVS Laxman – 4 (182 runs at 22.75): A huge disappointment. Got a few starts and reached 50 twice but was unable to go on each time. Threw his wicket away a couple of times after he’d played himself in (most shockingly in the first innings at Edgbaston) and was castled twice by a couple of Anderson jaffas.

Suresh Raina – 2 (105 runs at 13.12, 4 wickets at 62.75): Apart from a battling 78 at Lord’s, Raina scored just 27 runs in his other seven innings and concluded the series with a tortuous pair at The Oval that spanned 42 excruciating balls. Everyone knew before the series that he would struggle against the short ball, but the reality was even worse. At least looked like he was trying in the field.

Yuvraj Singh – 4 (70 runs at 35.00, 1 wicket at 52.00): Played just the one match at Trent Bridge and rode some early good fortune to hit an impressive 62 in the first innings before becoming another victim of the short ball in the second. Injury ruled him out of the rest of the series thereafter.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni – 3 (220 runs at 31.42, 13 catches): His previously impressive record of not losing a series as captain was shattered. Disappointed with the bat – two defiant fifties at Edgbaston apart, looked like an amateur with the gloves and made several strange bowling changes and field placings.

Harbhajan Singh – 1 (2 wickets at 143.50, 58 runs at 14.50): Disastrous. Took only two wickets in the series and went at over four runs per over and was then promptly injured at Trent Bridge.

Amit Mishra – 4 (3 wickets at 106.66, 153 runs at 38.25): Looked more of a batsman than a bowler especially at The Oval where he featured in India’s highest partnership of the series with Tendulkar. His bowling lacked variety and thought, and like Harbhajan went at around four runs per over.

Praveen Kumar – 7 (15 wickets at 29.53, 110 runs at 18.33): Consistently impressed with the ball, threw himself around in the field and enjoyed himself with the bat – he hit the most sixes on either side. The only Indian bowler who can hold his head up high – what he lacks in pace he more than makes up for with know-how.

Ishant Sharma – 4 (11 wickets at 58.18, 24 runs at 4.00): Frustratingly inconsistent with the ball – his spell on the fourth morning at Lord’s was sensational and nearly turned the match India’s way. But a series bowling average approaching 60 and a strike rate of a wicket every 95 balls tells a pretty woeful story.

Sreesanth – 3 (8 wickets at 61.62, 18 runs at 4.50): Mr four ball disappointed after bursting into the series on the first day at Trent Bridge where he helped reduce England to 124 for eight. Down on pace and lacking the fire of the 2007 model.

Zaheer Khan – 4 (2 wickets at 9.00): For half of the first day at the series it looked like Zaheer was set to repeat his decisive role from 2007 snaring both openers and causing Trott and Pietersen no end of problems. Then after 13.3 overs it was all over and so as it turned out were India’s hopes.

RP Singh – 1 (0 wickets for 118 runs, 25 runs at 12.50): Atrocious. Came in for the injured Kumar at The Oval and extended his run without a Test wicket to 71 overs and 367 runs, put in a comical display in the field and left a bemused Munaf Patel (who unlike Singh had been named in the original squad) looking on from the sidelines wondering what he had done wrong.

Where next?

England v India: England series marks out of 10

4th Test: The Oval - England marks out of 10

3rd Test: Edgbaston - India marks out of 10

3rd Test: Edgbaston - England marks out of 10

2nd Test: Trent Bridge - India marks out of 10

2nd Test: Trent Bridge - England marks out of 10

1st Test: Lord's - England marks out of 10

1st Test: Lord's - India marks out of 10

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4th Test: The Oval - India marks out of 10

Virender Sehwag – 4: So disinterested in proceedings that he left the field due to a headache, but at least lasted past the first over when he batted a second time - unfurling some of his trademark explosive strokes before being suckered by Swann.

Gautam Gambhir – 2: Made such a hash of attempting to catch a Pietersen skier that he suffered concussion in the process and had to bat down the order in both innings. Perhaps that is why he more closely resembled a fearful tailender than an opening batsman with an average over 50.

Rahul Dravid – 9: Became only the third Indian batsman to carry his bat as he was forced into the emergency opener role once again. Put the rest of the Indian batsmen to shame with his application, determination and fight. The only way England could get him out was through an umpiring error and the third umpire duly obliged with a bizarre decision.

Sachin Tendulkar – 7: Given a going over once again by England’s pacemen in the first innings where Broad had the temerity to hit the Little Master on the helmet. Had more lives than a particularly fortunate cat in the second until his luck ran out with a dubious leg before just nine runs short of that magical 100th hundred.

VVS Laxman – 4: Elevated again to his favoured number three position but failed both times. A great batsman but one that struggles to produce his best on England’s bouncier and seam-friendly Test wickets.

Suresh Raina – 2: No marks for his batting after a tortuously long drawn out pair covering 29 balls in the first innings and 13 second time around. After a torrid time against England’s fast men it was Swann that got him in both innings this time – even if the second of those was clearly not out. Took a smart caught and bowled to remove KP and at least showed some desire in the field.

MS Dhoni – 2: His work with the gloves was once again abysmal although captaining this attack must be a traumatic distraction. Disappointing with the bat this time with his wild drive in the second innings being horribly irresponsible.

Amit Mishra – 6: A better batsman than bowler on this showing after he followed up an ineffectual nought for 170 with two defiant knocks of 43 and 84 putting most of his top order batting colleagues to shame.

Ishant Sharma – 5: Mr Inconsistency once again after he faded badly after good opening spells on the first and second days. Failed in his nightwatchman duties.

RP Singh – 1: Now has nought for 367 from his last 71 overs in Tests and looked a shadow (albeit a more portly one) of the bowler who impressed so much in 2007. His fielding was even worse and ranked in the downright embarrassing category. Gets one mark for his breezy 25 in the first innings.

Sreesanth – 4: Must have earned the sobriquet of Mr Four Ball by now given that he bowls so many of them. At least he got three wickets though after another liquorice allsorts display with the ball.

Where next?

4th Test: The Oval - England marks out of 10

3rd Test: Edgbaston - India marks out of 10

3rd Test: Edgbaston - England marks out of 10

2nd Test: Trent Bridge - India marks out of 10

2nd Test: Trent Bridge - England marks out of 10

1st Test: Lord's - England marks out of 10

1st Test: Lord's - India marks out of 10

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3rd Test: Edgbaston - India marks out of 10

Gautam Gambhir – 4: Started well on the first morning before somewhat unluckily playing on to Bresnan. Outdone by the superlative Anderson second time around.

Virender Sehwag – 0: A King Pair means the great one fails to trouble the scorers here too. Lackadaisical performance in the field epitomised India’s malaise. It was a huge gamble to pick him and it failed badly, but at 2-0 down did India have any other choice?

Rahul Dravid – 5: No hundred this time, but it took the ball of the match from Bresnan to get through The Wall in the first innings. Failure to refer his second innings dismissal confirmed the state of India’s shellshock.

Sachin Tendulkar – 5: Tentative in the first innings when he was tormented by a tremendous over from Anderson. On the receiving end of the unluckiest dismissal in cricket when in full flow second time around just as that elusive 100th hundred looked a distinct possibility.

VVS Laxman – 4: Terrible shot to be dismissed when well set on day one before enduring a torrid time at the hands of Anderson when India batted a second time.

Suresh Raina – 2: He clearly has talent but his Test career will be brief unless he learns to play the short ball. Looked mentally shot after being dismissed by Swann in the 2nd innings.

MS Dhoni – 6: Sloppy with the gloves again and some of his captaincy decisions were frankly baffling, but at least found some belated form with the bat in the shape of two defiant fifties.

Amit Mishra – 5: Bowled tidily enough and got plenty of turn, but lacked the guile, nous and variation necessary to trouble the England batsmen. Where was the googly? An improvement on the Harbhajan Singh of Lord’s and Trent Bridge though.

Praveen Kumar – 7: Bowled his heart out and kept throwing himself around in the field. Put the top order batsmen to shame with two entertaining innings. The only one who can hold his head up high after this performance. If only India had eleven Kumar’s…

Ishant Sharma – 3: Like Raina, Ishant clearly has talent – his pre-lunch spell at Lord’s on day four provided ample evidence of that. However, here it looked like he was simply going through the motions and bowling on a different surface to England’s impressive pace trio.

Sreesanth – 2: If the eccentric Sreesanth is a Test quality bowler than I am the King of England. Lacks pace, control and brains even if his effort cannot be faulted.

Where next?

2nd Test: Trent Bridge - India marks out of 10

2nd Test: Trent Bridge - England marks out of 10

1st Test: Lord's - England marks out of 10

1st Test: Lord's - India marks out of 10

The rehabilitation of Stuart Broad

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1st Test: Lord's - India marks out of 10

Abinhav Mukund – 5: Looked a decent prospect in compiling 49 in the 1st innings even if he was visibly uncomfortable against Tremlett’s extra bounce. Castled twice by Broad off inside edges.

Gautum Gambhir – 4: His recent struggles at Test level continued – he has now gone 20 innings without recording a hundred. Another of India’s walking wounded.

Rahul Dravid – 9: Immaculate exhibition of technical excellence to hold India’s 1st innings together, record his 33rd Test hundred and go past Ponting to become the second highest run scorer in Tests. Looked as good, if not better, than his skipper behind the stumps.

Sachin Tendulkar – 5: Failed in his final attempt to get on the Lord’s honours board thanks to some excellent England bowling that first becalmed him in each innings and then stole his wicket.

VVS Laxman – 5: Gifted his wicket in the 1st innings and then struck an attractive fifty on the final day before again giving it away with a lazy pull.

Suresh Raina – 6: Bounced back well from a 1st innings duck to compile a brave 78 second time around to justify his inclusion ahead of Yuvraj.

MS Dhoni – 4: Fell both times to Tremlett with the second new ball – the first dismissal was tentative and the second was shocking given his side were fighting to save the game. Not at his best behind the stumps and even gave himself 10 overs with the ball. Rumours that he also makes the tea in the dressing room are so far unfounded.

Harbhajan Singh – 3: A game to forget for Bhaji. Went at more than four runs an over in the 1st innings, only took one wicket in the match and scored 0 and 12.

Praveen Kumar – 8: He may not be the quickest, but Kumar showed his mastery of swing with a five wicket haul in the 1st innings. His performance was all the more impressive given Zaheer’s injury. He may find conditions at Trent Bridge to his liking.

Zaheer Khan – 5: Won his first duel with the England openers and had both Trott and KP in real trouble before departing with a hamstring injury. India’s chances of fighting back in the series probably depend on the timing of his return.

Ishant Sharma – 6: Innocuous in the 1st innings, but absolutely brilliant in his pre-lunch spell on Sunday when he brought India roaring back into the game. 

Where next?

1st Test: Lord's - England marks out of 10

The rehabilitation of Stuart Broad

Kevin Pietersen, Wally Hammond, Len Hutton and Test double hundreds

Zaheer Khan: He came, he saw, he conquered....he got injured

Cricket heroes: Henry Blofeld

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World Cup Team Previews: India - Glory or Burning Effigies?

 
Up until the start of the World Cup on Saturday, we’ll be posting our preview of each of the participants.

We start today with the favourites and joint-hosts India, for whom Sachin Tendulkar could crown a quite remarkable career by scoring his 100th international hundred (he starts the tournament with 97) in the final in his hometown of Mumbai to hand India its second World Cup – 28 years after they stunned West Indies at Lord’s. Well, that’s what the Holly/Bollywood scriptwriters want anyway.

Strengths

Where do you start? A batting line-up that starts with Tendulkar and Sehwag and has the likes of Gambhir, Kohli, Yuvraj and Dhoni to follow is arguably the strongest in the competition on paper. The cherry on the top is the monstrous hitting of Yusuf Pathan who could prove to be one of the stars of the tournament. Chuck in home advantage, Dhoni’s shrewd captaincy, the cunning brilliance of Zaheer Khan and a plethora of bowlers who can take the pace off the ball, then it is hard to argue against India lifting the World Cup come 2nd April.

Weaknesses

To say the expectations of Indian supporters are high would be a colossal understatement and a fickle media will soon start getting on the team’s back if there are any stumbles. If things go wrong, expect plenty of burning effigies.

Main man

You can’t look past Sachin Tendulkar, although we’re expecting big things from Kohli, Pathan and Zaheer too.

Look out for...

The earthquake caused by a billion souls should Sachin indeed reach 100 international centuries.

The Reverse Sweep's Prediction

Having said that you’d have to be a fool to bet against India that is exactly what we’re going to do. We predict a serene progress to the final before they are be shocked by... (you’ll have to wait for later in the week when we reveal our tip for the cup).

Where next?

Our XI to shine at the World Cup

Yusuf Pathan goes from zero to nine on the Richter Scale

Graduates from the Sehwag School for Batting announced

Heroes: Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Sachin Tendulkar's Annus Mirabilis

Check out all our other Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes featuring amongst others Yuvraj Singh, Graham Gooch, Kamran Akmal and Imran Khan

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

India vs New Zealand: 2nd Test: India marks out of 10

 
Yet again India's lack of punch with the ball prevented them from overcoming New Zealand after Harbhajan's second successive hundred had given his side a 122 run lead. With their main strike bowler Zaheer Khan lame, India were more or less impotent, although credit must be given to Brendon McCullum for his double hundred and the likes of Kane Williamson for the sterling support they offered (see New Zealand marks out of 10 here)

India now go into the final test at Nagpur on Saturday under some pressure to record the victory that will give them the series. Here's how they rated at Hyderabad.

Gautam Gambhir - 6: Will have been relieved to have got his first fifty for six tests but will have been furious with himself for the leg side dismissal that wrecked all his hard work.

Virender Sehwag - 8: Missed a hundred in the first innings after an injudicious slog sweep against Vettori led to nothing but the dreaded death rattle. But two fifties in the match is not exactly a poor return.

Rahul Dravid - 6: Outdone by Southee after a typically dogged knock - it's not often you see The Wall missing a straight one.

Sachin Tendulkar - 4: A very strange innings indeed from the Little Master and a dismissal most unbecoming of him. If his poor series continues at Nagpur, expect Vettori's phone to be ringing from all the other international captains on the circuit.

VVS Laxman - 7: A combination of finally playing a Test on his home ground and some tight New Zealand bowling meant that this was one of Laxman's more circumspect innings. Will have been disappointed not to turn his patient 75 into a hundred in front of his adoring public.

Suresh Raina - 3: A dreadful dismissal suggests Raina has a lot of work to do before he can justifiably call himself a test batsman. Chipped in with a couple of wickets in the second innings.

MS Dhoni - 3: Dismissed after being beaten in the flight by Vettori to continue his recent struggles with the bat. Not his most inspiring performance as captain either.

Harbhajan Singh - 9: At this rate they'll be calling him an all-rounder after his second successive hundred made it 295 runs in the series. Bowled excellently in the first innings but his poor recent form returned in the second. Now has 31 wickets at 44.7 from his last nine Tests and he's needed more than 97 balls for each of those wickets. That's not good enough for a bowler of Harbhajan's ability.

Zaheer Khan - 7: Is out of Nagpur with a dodgy groin and without him India were devoid of ideas. Bowled well in the first innings and now has 41 test wickets at 22.92 this year - that is close to superhuman given all of his efforts have been on subcontinental wickets.

Pragyan Ojha - 5: Three wickets in 74 overs tells you everything you need to know. Now has 28 wickets at 46.96 from eight games in 2010 with a woeful strike rate of 100.3. How India miss Kumble. Maybe it is time for Mishra or Ashwin to be given a chance?

Sreesanth - 6: Batted well to help his old sparring partner Harbhajan to his hundred and gave everything with the ball. Is probably already dreaming of bowling on the more receptive South African pitches in a few weeks.

Where next?

1st Test ratings: New Zealand and India

Sachin Tendulkar's Annus Mirabilis

Heroes: VVS Laxman

India vs New Zealand: 1st Test: India marks out of 10

 
We were wrong. We fully expected this series to be utterly one-sided with India winning every game at a canter. But New Zealand regained the powers to punch above their weight, which had been as absent as Zulqarnain Haider in the recent 4-0 ODI reverse in Bangladesh.

For India, there will be disappointment and even some embarrassment at slipping to 15 for five in their second innings, but also pride in their fightback on the last day through the wonderful partnership between Harbhajan and that master of second innings knocks VVS Laxman.

Gautam Gambhir - 3: Missed a straight one from Ryder in the first innings and then got a duck in the second. Has now scored only 86 runs in his last nine test innings and must be close to getting the axe in favour of Murali Vijay.

Virender Sehwag - 8: A typical blazing hundred in the first innings and a failure in the second courtesy of a crazy run out to continue his poor record in the second innings.

Rahul Dravid - 7: Probably cemented his place for South Africa with a first innings hundred, but then ran out Sehwag in the second innings before tamely departing himself.

Sachin Tendulkar - 6: So the man is mortal after all. Will have been disappointed to fall to the innocuous Patel when well set in the first innings and can judge himself a bit unlucky to have played on to Martin in the second. We wouldn't be surprised to see normal service resumed with a big Tendulkar hundred in the second test at Hyderabad.

VVS Laxman - 9: For the third test in a row, Laxman produced a second innings masterpiece with India in trouble. It took a shocking umpiring decision to prevent the silky one from registering a hundred but Laxman can console himself with the fact that he had shepherded India to safety by then. Gets extra marks for getting the runs when they really count.

Suresh Raina - 2: A Test to forget for Raina with scores of 3 and 0 and the manner of his dismissals suggest that he has much work to do on his game if he is to succeed away from the subcontinent.

MS Dhoni - 5: Occupied the crease in the second innings after coming in at 15 for five, but looks to be struggling a bit with his batting at the moment. Brilliant stumping of McCullum was one of the highlights of the match.

Harbhajan Singh - 9: Fantastic performance with the bat to score 69 in the first innings and then his maiden test and first-class hundred in the second to suggest that he could be an all-rounder in the making. Will be disappointed with his bowling however and he must be concerned that in his last 11 Tests he has averaged 44.25 with the ball at a strike rate of 90.5. But those worries can wait for another day for the hero of the hour.

Zaheer Khan - 6: The pitch didn't offer much assistance to India's premier strike bowler and nor could he find the devastating reverse swing that so unsettled Australia. But he bowled tidily and showed enough to demonstrate that New Zealand's batsmen will find him hard to handle on a more helpful pitch.

Pragyan Ojha - 6: Ojha may have taken four wickets in the match, but one can't help but feel that he is a pale imitation of former great Indian spinners. His test bowling average of 40 would seem to confirm this observation.

Sreesanth - 5: Gave his all as usual but the pitch didn't help him but one wonders if he has the quality needed to be a top test fast bowler.

Where next?

Sachin Tendulkar's Annus Mirabilis

Is India's batting future post Sachin, VVS and Dravid brighter than expected?

Heroes: VVS Laxman

India vs Australia: 1st Test: India marks out of 10

 
The debate over whether India are deserving of their status as the number one test side in the World will likely roll on until we see how they fare on forthcoming tours of South Africa and England. But one thing is for sure - they don't seem to know when they are beaten, which is surely a trait of all the best teams in any sport.

In what was one of the most memorable finishes to a test match in an eon, VVS Laxman again showed that he is the man to see his side over the line in a run chase and Ishant Sharma deserves equal credit for the sterling support he provided in their match-winning ninth wicket partnership.

But how did they and the other Indian players rate over the five days in Mohali?

Gautam Gambhir - 4: Once again failed to impress against top-level fast bowling as he did in the mini-series against South Africa. That said, he did get an absolutely shocking decision in the second innings.

Virender Sehwag - 6: Typical run-a-ball fifty in the first innings before he paid the price for being too circumspect in the second, guiding a ball to gully that he would have normally brutally upper cut for four.

Rahul Dravid - 7: Seemed set for a big score in the first innings before losing concentration and then made another mistake in the second. Are there a few missing bricks from 'The Wall'?

Sachin Tendulkar - 8: Looked to be in complete control before inexplicably losing his wicket to North to continue the strange pattern throughout his career of getting out to second rate spinners. Poor shot to lose his wicket at a crucial time on the final morning.

Suresh Raina - 7: Rode his luck in the first innings and only just missed out on his second hundred in only his third test. Then his old demons against the short ball returned in the second indicating that he could be set to struggle in tests outside the subcontinent.

VVS Laxman - 9: Showed nerves of steel for the second test in succession to see India over the line and to continue his impressive record against Australia. His bad back didn't seem to hinder him on the final day. Marvellous performance and a marvellous batsman.

MS Dhoni - 5: His ridiculous run out looked to have sounded the death knell for India's run chase, so will be indebted to Laxman and Sharma. Continues to show good leadership though as India's great resilience suggests.

Harbhajan Singh - 7: - Another five wickets against his favourite opponents and he was certainly miserly throughout. Disappointing with the bat.

Zaheer Khan - 9: Eight wickets and thoroughly deserved for a consistently threatening and fiery performance with the ball. Found impressive reverse swing and troubled all of the Australian batsmen. Gets an extra mark for winding up Punter.

Ishant Sharma - 7: A real liquorice allsorts of a performance from Ishant. Woeful with the ball in the first innings, he turned the match for the first time with his three quick wickets in the second to precipitate Australia's collapse. Then he turned the game along with Laxman for a second decisive time with his brave test best knock in the run chase.

Pragyan Ojha - 6: Bowled tidily enough, but three wickets from 68 overs in the match is not a great return. Showed bottle to see India over the line.   

Who will be the Lovers & the Shaggers of the World T20?

Last week we introduced you to two categories of T20 batsmen - the Lovers and the Shaggers. 

The warm-up matches and the opening match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka has taught us that the pitches in Guyana, Barbados and St Lucia are slower than an arthritic tortoise who has had a particularly heavy night on the sauce. This means that the shaggers may not be as prevalent as they were in the IPL where Robin Uthappa, Yusuf Pathan and Kieron Pollard in particular shagged themselves silly around India for six weeks.

I always had Tillakaratne Dilshan down as a shagger; and an unconventional one at that, but to see him struggle today to score only three off 19 balls suggests that he won't put as many notches on his belt as he did in England in last year's World T20.

So predicting the Lovers that will aim to provide pleasure all night, be chivalrous with their foreplay and then maintain a steady and patient momentum with the occasional shout out loud moment. Similarly, trying to fathom who will be the Shaggers that are too selfish for foreplay and start banging away from day one looks like it is going to be more difficult than we thought. But, to the hell with it and here goes.

The Lovers - Looking to give some lurve will be the following: Jacques Kallis, Mahela Jayawardene, Paul Collingwood, Michael Clarke (if anyone can manage to stay awake), Gautam Gambhir and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

The Shaggers - Warming up with Robin Uthappa's medicine ball will be: David Warner, Bangladesh (yep, the whole team are testosterone fuelled sex maniacs), Eoin Morgan, Murali Vijay, Shahid Afridi (who is probably a bit kinky), Albie Morkel, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Elton Chigumbura.  

  

The A-Z of IPL3 - Part 2 of 3

Just as a quick recap, with the regular season ended and only the semi-finals and final to go, now seemed an apt time to summarise our thoughts on our first experience of the IPL. We haven’t watched every game. In fact we haven’t even watched half of them, but we have seen enough to present our take on IPL3 in the form of an A-Z, with A-I yesterday, J-Q today and then R-Z tomorrow.

So without further ado...

Jacques

As in Kallis. He may not be everyone's cup of tea, but other than you know who Kallis is the highest run scorer in IPL3. Whilst kamikaze batsmen like Robin Uthappa or Yusuf Pathan grab the headlines, Kallis just goes quietly about his business of piling up the runs. At the end of the regular season, Kallis had scored 542 runs at 54.20 and a strike rate of 119.64. This included an incredible start to the competition when he hit 264 runs in his first four innings without getting out. Although, he couldn't maintain this incredible start, he is arguably the main reason why Bangalore are in the semi-finals. Kallis has provided irrefutable proof that he is just as good at T20 as he is at ODI and test cricket - truly a man for all formats.

 

Kochigate

When Kochi was announced as one of the two new IPL franchises on March 21 no-one could have predicted the hailstorm that would follow. But then a chain of events began when Lalit Modi questioned the shareholders behind the Kochi IPL franchise on his Twitter account and revealed ownership details. Since then the situation has spiralled with taxmen visiting the IPL offices in Mumbai and India's junior foreign minister Shashi Tharoor resigning over allegations of a conflict of interest in his mentoring the consortium behind the Kochi bid. Kochigate could lead to the unthinkable - the removal of Lalit Modi as IPL commissioner. Just like the blanket advertising, it is sad that this controversy is increasingly overshadowing the cricket.

 

Lalit

Which leads nicely on to Lalit Modi himself. His IPL3 began with a rather drab opening ceremony where he reinforced his aims of world domination by stating that he saw "the IPL becoming bigger than the NFL, the NBA, the English Premier League." The swagger and smugness remained as the season unfurled and whenever the cameras panned to Modi he wore a self-satisfied smile not seen since the Duke of Wellington left Waterloo for the last time. Much of the success of the IPL and the Champions League is down to Modi, but it seems his arrogance may have got the better of him with Kochigate threatening to bring him down or at the very least curtail his powers. I wonder how omnipresent he will be in IPL4?

 

Money

From our perspective, the IPL is as much about money and power as it is about cricket. Indeed, the bidding war for the two new franchises, which eventually went to Kochi and Pune for a combined value in excess of $700m, was more than the original eight franchises combined. The players are paid astronomical salaries for up to six weeks work and with a new player auction due before IPL4, these sums could soon surpass their football counterparts. As an example of the vast sums on offer, Damien Martyn was paid $100,000 for his one match for Rajasthan, which amounted to only 24 balls and 19 runs.

 

Never-ending

Or so it seemed. Up until the final match of the regular season between Kolkata and Mumbai on Monday, there was at least one match per day since the tournament kicked off on 12 March. The matches seemed to blend into one at certain points and our enthusiasm certainly started to wane after a few weeks. Next year it could be even worse as there will be ten teams instead of eight and assuming the same format that means 94 matches instead of 60. That seems too many to us.

 

Orwell

Once again Lalit Modi makes an appearance. This time for the bizarre reprimand handed out to Gautam Gambhir. Following his side's facile 67 run victory over Rajasthan, Gambhir described his victims as ordinary, which was refreshingly honest given the usual mundane nature of post match interviews. For some reason, Modi took offence to this and and reported Gambhir, with the Delhi skipper ending up pleading guilty to a level one offence. Sinister and Orwellian.

 

Pakistan

Pakistan was the country that dare not speakth its name in IPL3. For reasons that appeared to be entirely political, the Pakistani players included in the auction prior to the season attracted no bids and as such, no Pakistan players participated in IPL3. Even if Pakistan cricket is in the doldrums at the moment, the likes of Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, Umar Akmal and the Mohammads Amir and Aamer deserved to display their wares on the big stage. Here's hoping that the situation is resolved in time for IPL4.

 

Queer

Ok we were struggling to find something for Q, so we have to opt for the queer antics of the madman Sreesanth. If he wasn't being carted for runs at nearly ten an over, or benchwarming for the worst team in the competition, he was and not for the first time getting into trouble with umpires. Sarcastically clapping umpires and batsmen is not clever and Sreesanth may find himself without a franchise next season.

 

Tune in tomorrow for the final instalment, as we go from R-Z.

   

  

 

Denial of freedom of speech, Lalit Modi & a tale about pigs

Can you spot what is wrong with the following as opined by Gautam Gambhir, the Delhi Daredevils captain following his side's facile 67 run win over Rajasthan Royals the other night?

"I think Rajasthan was never a threat. Except for Yusuf Pathan, the other guys were pretty ordinary. We weren't really worried about anyone else."

No, nor can I. Maybe it is the sort of comment that could come back and bite you on the bum; especially given that Delhi still have to play Rajasthan at least once this season. But otherwise it is a refreshingly honest comment given the usual blandness of post-match interviews (and pre-match for that matter).

Unfortunately, Lalit Modi did take offence and reported Gambhir, with the Delhi skipper ending up pleading guilty to a level one offence, although escaping a fine.

This all seems rather sinister to me. Most IPL watchers would probably describe Rajasthan as ordinary - they are. And surely we don't want draconian sanctions handed out to players for just saying what they think.

Some would suggest Modi's "reporting" of Gambhir to be very 1984 or Brave New World, and it is. But it is another George Orwell book that should be looked at to provide an apt comparison with Modi. Napoleon from Animal Farm, anyone? Well he was a fat, greedy pig.

And certainly judging from the exclusive picture of the last IPL executive meeting, the similarity is becoming spooky - Modi is in the middle.

 

 

Delhi Daredevils revival continues thanks to Karthik

Just as they had done on Monday against Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Daredevils recovered from the loss of three early wickets to post a decent total and then rolled over the Rajasthan Royals to ease to another IPL victory.

In the win over Kolkata, it was David Warner with support from Paul Collingwood who led the recovery. This time it was Dinesh Karthik's with support from captain Gautam Gambhir. Karthik's 69 off 38 balls was a well timed innings that exploded towards the end.

Things seem to turnaround quickly in the IPL. Last week, Bangalore looked the pick of the pops, but have now lost their last two games. Delhi and Rajasthan meanwhile had looked also-rans before sudden improvement has put them both in the mix for the top four.

Yusuf Pathan is Rajasthan's not-so secret weapon and he was held back until the Delhi spinners entered the fray when his side had already slipped 32/4. Pat Man was unable to eat all the bowling monsters this time though and when he departed for 24 off 14 balls, Rajasthan subsided to a 67 run defeat. Amit Mishra shone again as he took three wickets.

So my adopted side Delhi are now second behind the standout Mumbai Indians and with Virender Sehwag hopefully still to fire and Dirk Nannes to come back from injury, I am confident that they will now make the final four.

Perennial underachievers? Huh! Let's hope they don't do a Liverpool and flatter to deceive from here on.