IPL, Fixing, and Gangster!

Napkin, wrist band, forehead band, caps, and golden locket were once considered as on field cricketing gears for controlling the sweat, and the fashion icons respectively. Recently, it came to light that these are being used to earn the money between 20 to 80 lakhs. Courtesy, Sreesanth and company. Only thing you have to do is, keep it visible and give away only fourteen runs in an over, which is very much possible in the run-feast series, IPL T-20.

Honey.... it's a trap!!!

Just few days before the spot fixing episode took place, I had read a post on FB: "We are 100 percent confident match fixing does not exist in the IPL, it is a pure and very good entertaining soap." At that point I also agreed to it, because the way things were progressing and games were becoming exciting, there was very little doubt for the scrutiny to be put. Just three days later, the SCC group of three stooges (Sreesanth, Chandila, and Chavan) proved us wrong. Spot fixing, then over fixing, no ball fixing, match fixing, honey trap, mafia involvement, sex video, black money, all this valuable(!) information spilled out during the “AmrutManthan” of investigation.

Guess, what this signal means!!!

The IPL always remained a soft target for the tampering, the reasons: It had the mass appeal, over glamour by the association of bollywood ke sitare, undue number of matches, and lack of control as it is a domestic league. It was considered only as an entertainment tool; by that means we could call it as a three hours live crick-movie. The environment in the stadium was also decorated for the entertainment; in fact the terms were also being used as an IPL match than the cricket match. In future, it would not be surprising, if we saw a notice before the match “All the characters and incidents in this match are 'fix'itious and imaginary, resemblance to any live match is purely coincidental.”

That's called as fair play!!!

As always, BCCI took some time from its busy(?) schedule and conducted a long meeting, though the output of the meeting was futile. We can not control the bookies, a committee will be formed to investigate the episode, if the players found guilty, we would take stringent action on them, etc. The answers were hypothetical, similar to the last years; in that sense similar to the probe they had conducted during the year 2000, the Cronje episode. We all are aware, BCCI does not show any interest in the event from which there is no revenue. But if there were sponsors for the meeting, a short India- Pakistan series to reveal the action plan on how to control match fixing, a tri-series to inaugurate the annexure explaining the sentence for the guilty players involved in the match fixing, BCCI would definitely embrace these things.

The "New jersey"

This entire episode was more depressing, as the players who dared to manipulate their play were captained by the most gentleman player of the game, Dravid. Considering the way things are happening, the length and the depth of this iceberg has been getting broad, day by day. The issue having different names like spot fixing, match fixing, tampering, line and length fixing etc. etc. has been increasing the entropy of Cricket. One reference can be drawn from the movie OMG, where Mithun Chakroworthy delivered a beautiful dialogue: “Ye aastha, shraddha afeem ki tarah hoti hai, ek baar lat lag jaaye na, toh woh aasanise nahi chhutati...” This fixing fiasco has been acting like afeem and the players are getting addicted to it, the means are either the mafia or the money.


Ritesh R. Kadam
9011020015

Merry IPL festival...!

India is no short of festivals, events, melas, and carnivals. We need a reason to engage ourselves, we need a reason to express ourselves, we need a reason to hedonism, and we need a reason to speak and write about. In the month of August, there is Dahi-Handi, September brings Ganpati, October is devoted to Navratra, November shines with Diwali, December provides X-Mas, New Year, Janaury sweetens us with Sankrant, February loves us with lovely Valentine, March baths us with Holi.

But, what about April and May? A notable festival was missing. What to do in these two months with vacation on?

Thanks to God (and BCCI), the biggest festival got introduced in the months of scorching heat - April and May..... yes, The IPL Festival! It has colours of Holi, fireworks of Diwali, Jagran of Navratra (day-night matches), worship of idols, "Merry" of Christmas (I hope you understood what "Merry" stands for), and party of Valentines. It filled the void of our appetite for the festival. Such is this festival, we don’t even realiase that the heat is on. Like other festivals, Government should include the IPL in official holiday calendar and on the IPL final, there should be public holiday.

No one can claim that it is a festival of Hindu, Muslim or Isaai. Whole cricketing world including players, audience, spectators participate in and cherish this festival. In that sense it is a secular event.  Here, there is no me or you, mine or yours, people say it is ours. Genuine cricket lovers, seasonal cricket lovers, filmstars, politicians, everyone loves this festival for their "own" reasons.

Those who are devoted, enjoy this festival on the festival ground, the likes of us belonging to poor class participate in the event through TV sets.

Some social workers, activists, and matured politicians are questioning about the wastage of water and electricity. It is part of their professional life, but these people too check the status of this festival on their android cells. Like Shri Shri Ravi Shankar says "Life is a festival, enjoy every bit of it". Similarly, IPL is a festival, enjoy every match of it.

So, Merry IPL to all…





Ritesh Kadam
09011020015

The Nightmare v/s The Dream

Some news, events, results give us joy. What if petrol prices slashed to Rs.50 per litre, company declared 40% salary increment, share market index crossed 25,000 mark... Don’t know whether it would happen or not, but one thing has really taken place - India conquered Australia in the Test series by 4-0. Most important feature of this victory was “an innings in need, is an innings indeed”. In all three matches, two to three players contributed collectively, either with the Willow or with the Leather. In the first Test with Australia scoring 380 runs and India struggling under predicament situation, Sachin and Kohli played the required solid innings and Dhoni stretched it from nowhere to winning position. In second Test match, the youngsters Pujara and Vijay paved the way for victory, scoring “the Tendulkar” (I had read a post on Facebook that '100' has been replaced by 'Tendulkar' in the mathematics term...).

“You have been suspended for one Test match for not preparing presentation on how to improve the performance.” No, this so called disciplinary action had not been sentenced by any match referee, but the coach Mickey Arthur. There is a phrase in Hindi “Apne Pairon Pe Kulhadi Maar Lena”. It implies, asking for trouble by self. So despite of rain and scoring over 400 runs, Australia could not avoid the defeat in the series-decider third test. The debutant Dhavan took full advantage and scored a fluent century (...his innings reminded of the 100 scored by Warner in the Perth Test against India). In all three matches, our spin charmers attacked Australian 'fresh' blood which looked destitute to handle the turning leather, and put them on the descent (...even Sir Jadeja got more than the required wickets.)

If this series is to be named, it would be “The Nightmare v/s The Dream Series”. Looking at the way this series had routed, white-wash looked expected, if not inevitable. Winning array of four test matches always gives a satisfaction and it’s also a healthy sign for the required balanced team. Australia, a prominent force in the world cricket, can not be termed as a mediocre team looking at its current performance. But it is imperative for them to reinforce its fragmented strength to show the sign of resurgence. On the other hand, though India has won this series convincingly, it has to look ahead for strengthening the fast bowling department. The grit and Virat compressive strength in the batting, much required in the test cricket, looked strong in this series. To cement it properly, it needs the water of consistency. The incumbent Dhoni should now more focus on the rational thinking than the favouritism, especially for building the Test team. Winning all the time is not what all the cricket lovers expect, but we do expect consistency and vigilance in the performance, and approach to make cricket a joy to watch and satisfaction to enjoy...

Ritesh R Kadam
09011020015

Australia " The stubborn Test"

No, till time Dhoni has not demanded for special requirements like “I want rank turner pitch, don’t want Sehwag, Piyush Chawla should be included.” “ Two different pitches for India’s batting & Australia’s batting.” At least he has not cried it before media.

New rejuvenated Australia with some exciting players has arrived.  On target missiles in the form of Pattinson, Starc, Siddle with experienced AK-47 Mitchell Johnson combined with guns like Lyon,  Doharty, and new  billion baby Maxwell are eager to target Indian batsmen. On the other hand, commander Michael Clarke with loads of success in the recent past in association with his other soldiers Warner, Watson, Cowen, and Hughes is ready to confront with his counterpart & enigmatic Mr. Dhoni. (No intention to grovel Dhoni but his recent behavior & tactics on the ground especially in the Test matches has earned him the title “enigmatic”.)

War of words, specific strategy, ground tactics to pinch the opposition players; Australian players learn these things before acquiring the batting & bowling skill. Be it batting or bowling only way Australia know is attack. They uses the strategy of  “resource versus output.” When they are bowling, they focus on depleting the resources than the output. They know if the resources are depleted,output can be controlled automatically.  Here resource stands for batsmen & output stands for runs. And when they are batting it is optimum utilization of available resources. Even their last two three batsmen scores 50 to 60 to stretch the run lead.

Under the current lot of Indian batting Sehwag, Pujara, M. Vijay, Kohli have the caliber of scoring big runs but lacks the ability of taking the advantage of their good start & get out at the critical juncture in maniac fashion. At this phase of their career they need to understand not to throw it against the feisty opposition like Australia. ( The legend Dravid retired by showing the path how to play & stay on the wicket.). “Tendulkar” the emotional factor of all Indian cricket lovers. Considering his last series against the loveable opposition Australia he would be eager to make a big impact. If Dhoni focus on his batting than the pitch it would give some support to the scorecard. (Thank god, IPL auction has already completed.)

    

Our fast bowling department has been discrete in this last year. Right now, it looks decent for the Australia series. Hope  the temperamental Shreeshant, new swing sensation slim trim Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, hard working Ishant & Donald admired Dinda would handle the red cherry to good effect. Our traditional strength spin department has the upper hand compared to Australia. Australia’s beloved friend (!) Harbhajan, Dhoni’s team mate Ashwin, and Ojha has the capacity to trap the batsmen in the so called spin web, if they spun it strongly.

We do like to watch the tussle of India and Australia, be it one day or five day Test. And this time also, it would be hotter and hotter as the series progresses. Let’s see how our Special-11 fare against the Aussies.

Ritesh R. Kadam,

Cell:- 09011020015.

ऑस्ट्रेलिया... "आत्ता खरी टेस्ट!"

चला, अजूनपर्यंत तरी “मला टर्निंग पिच पाहिजे, फ्लॅट पिच हवं, सेहवाग नको, पियुष चावला पाहिजे, ऑस्ट्रेलियाच्या बॅटिन्गसाठी वेगळं पिच, इंडियाच्या बॅटिन्गसाठी वेगळं पिच” असा बालहट्ट धोनीनं धरला नाही. नाही, तसं मिडियासमोर तरी हे रडगाणं धोनीनं बोलून दाखवलेलं नाही.

नव्या दमाचा ऑस्ट्रेलियन संघ आला आहे. सिडल, पॅटिन्सन, स्टार्क या तोफा घेऊन, जोडीला जोन्सन नावाची अनुभवी एके-47 आहेच, सोबत दिमतीला लायन, दोहार्ती, मॅक्सवेल या नवख्या गन्सही आहेत. स्वतः शस्त्रसज्ज होऊन मागील काही मॅचेसमध्ये भीम-पराक्रम गाजवून क्लार्क आपल्या पराक्रमी सैन्यासोबत टेस्ट क्रिकेटचं युद्ध खेळण्यासाठी संपूर्ण रणनीतीने सज्ज आहे. आता बाकीच्या गोष्टी म्हणाल, जसं की शब्दांची कूटनीती, वाक्बाणांच्या चाली, मैदानाची रणनीती, या गोष्टी तर ऑस्ट्रेलियावाले क्रिकेट खेळण्याआधीपासूनच शिकलेले आहेत.

बॅटिन्ग असू  दे नाहीतर बॉलिन्ग, आक्रमण करत राहणे हे ऑस्ट्रेलियाच्या रक्तातच आहे. बॉलिन्ग करताना त्यांचा एक फंडा असतो - "रिसोर्स विरुद्ध आउटपुट". ते आउटपुटवर जास्त लक्ष देत नाहीत, तर रिसोर्स कमी करण्याकडं जास्त लक्ष देतात. म्हणजे, आउटपुट आपोआपच कमी  होतं. (इथं आउटपुट म्हणजे रन्स आणि रिसोर्स म्हणजे बॅट्समन!) हाच फंडा बॅटिन्गसाठी - आहे त्या रिसोर्सेसचा जास्तीत जास्त उपयोग करून जास्तीत जास्त आउटपुट काढतात. अगदी शेवटचे दोन-तीन गडीसुद्धा नाही म्हणत म्हणत पन्नास-साठ रन्स जोडतातच.

इकडं आपले गडी सेहवाग, रायडू, पुजारा, कोहली आहेत दमदार, पण चांगलं खेळत असताना मधेच काहीतरी उरफाटा शॉट खेळायची हुक्की येते त्यांना आणि नको त्या वेळी विकेट देऊन बसतात. निदान ऑस्ट्रेलियासारख्या संघाविरुद्ध तरी त्यांनी थोडं शांतचित्तानं खेळावं. (द्रविड बिचारा विकेट टिकवायचे धडे घालून गेला, थोडंफार तरी शिकावं की...) तेंडूलकर! जिव्हाळ्याचा विषय. आपली ताकद आणि अनुभव या सिरीजमध्ये त्याच्या कट्टर संघाविरुद्ध तो दाखवेल याविषयी मला आशाच नाही तर खात्री आहे. (कदाचित ही त्याची शेवटची सिरीज असेल...) धोनीसाहेबांनी थोडं आपलं लक्ष पिचपेक्षा बॅटिन्गकडं दिलं तर टीमला तेवढाच हातभार लागेल. (बाकी 'आयपीएल'ची बोली आधीच झाली आहे, हे नशीब!)

आपली फास्ट बॉलिन्ग इंग्लंड सिरीजपेक्षा थोडी ठीक वाटते. (आपल्या स्वभावामुळे!!) मैदान गाजवणारा श्रीशांत, नवीन, हातभर बॉल स्विंग करणारा स्लीम-ट्रिम भुवनेश्वर कुमार, जीव तोडून बॉलिन्ग करणारा आमचा इशांत आणि उंच उडी मारून बॉल टाकणारा दिंडा, सुरुवातीला 'रेड चेरी' (इथं मला नवा करकरीत लाल चेंडू म्हणायचंय) सांभाळतील असं वाटतंय. तसं आपलं वंशपरंपरागत स्पिन डिपार्टमेन्ट जरा वरचढ वाटतं. त्यामध्ये ऑस्ट्रेलियाचा जिवलग मित्र(!) हरभजन, धोनीचा खास मित्र आश्विन, आणि ओझाभाऊ स्पिनचं जाळं का काय म्हणतात ते टाकून कांगारूंना जाळ्यात ओढतील अशी अपेक्षा आहे…

पण काहीही असलं तरी, ऑस्ट्रेलियाविरुद्ध क्रिकेटचं द्वंद्व पाहण्याची वेगळीच मजा येते...

आता प्रत्यक्ष मैदानावर आपले स्पेशल-11 काय करतात ते पाहूच...!

तमाम क्रिकेटप्रेमींसाठी एक छोटासा लेख,

रितेश कदम

९०११०२००१५

Writing about Punter

140, 110,230, 220 memorable scores in the WC finals and in the back to back Test matches against India. Yes, that’s out the famous gesture during the Sydney Test 2008. Blood flow from the face in the 2005 Ashes series. Dissent, and heated argument with Aleem Dar when he realized that the match & the Ashes is flying away, the2010 Ashe.His reserved spats with Harbhajan & Zaheer.  Why I don’t’ know but all these events comes in mind when I think about Ricky Ponting. If there is any player who performed brilliantly through out his career but still remembered for all the wrong reasons that had to be Ricky Ponting.

But  despite all these odds Ricky Ponting was a batsman of his own class. Most of his innings contributed towards the team’s success. Under the reach talent & lethal performers he prevailed as a leader & carried the onus of staying at the top from where Steve Waugh had handed over him the throne. Member of three WC winning team out of which he captained in the two. Lost three Ashes series but succeeded the most difficult task of winning the Test-series in India. That brutal innings in the WC finals 2003 against India, match saving innings of 150 + runs in the third Ashes Test 2005.

His batting was characterized by the cover drive on the front foot (even on the delivery short of a good length) & the hook with complementary pull as strong as the Australian beer. His stance in the crease & approach at the time of bowler’s delivery was like a Scorpio ready for the sting. Most of his hundreds in the Test matches were above 130 . Like most of the other Australians he was unaware (!) of the spirit of the game with the perception that Cricket is a “Punterman’s game.”  

Through out his career he played more controversy than his favourite hook & pull shots, broke more glasses of dressing room than the records, hated Harbhajan more than his enemy. His aggressive approach & behavior against India & England gave tasteful topics to media… A real “Bad-Man” of cricketing field decided to go off line. I thought he would play a good innings on Perth against S. Africa in his last stay on the 22- yard strip, but… it didn’t happen. Don’t’ know about the others but India would be more relived to see that Punter is retired.  

Be prepared for every TEST!

My Boss always says, "If you want to solve a chronic problem, attack on the root cause." He provides us with required training and with that enthusiasm, we take up a project for solving a problem. As the project progresses, we come to know that there are lot of constraints for it and our other work is getting halted by this project. As a temporary measure, we end up with some sort of patch-up action plan for resolving it. But that patch-up doesn’t work for a long and the issue remains as it is.

Similar kind of theory implies to the current situation of Indian cricket. Since we started playing cricket, facing fast bowling has always remained a psychological fear factor in our mind and that “chronic issue” is still haunting us. Every time we do analysis, we find these root causes - “We don’t have fast wickets”, “We don’t  have conditions suitable for fast bowling”, etc. Based on these causes, we suggest the implementation of action plan like prepare fast wickets, nurture the fast bowling talent, etc… Action takes place but lacks consistency and control. We are so afraid of losing the matches that after some time again we come to the starting point and prefer to have slow, lifeless wickets on which our bowlers would get advantage. We win the series and get the satisfaction of All-is-well, but while on a tour abroad, we succumb again to bowler-friendly wickets.
 
Nowadays, our batting line-up has become fragile in Tests. Playing through the line of the ball has become habit due to luxury of comfortable wickets. A small deviation or a little bounce makes it difficult to adjust. Our DTL unit (Dravid, Tendulkar, and Laxman) has taught us how to play on different wickets, but they have finished their work, and it is up to the new Spartans to carry the journey ahead. This new generation is fearless but need to be groomed on a fast wicket battlefield to survive, sustain, and perform on consistent basis. 

Cricket lovers like to watch the battle of interesting Test Cricket. That interest can be aroused if there is equal contest between the bat and the ball, the ball bouncing on the batsman, swinging deliveries from fast bowlers, play and a miss of the batsman, edges caught by slip fielders by diving, batsmen using their feet to spinners, spinners trying to deceive the batsmen. For the sake of maintaining high standard of Test cricket, I think bowler-friendly pitches are a must thing.
 
For the upcoming England series, we are continuing with the patch-up action plan again with Dhoni asking for spin-friendly wickets. Mr. Dhoni, the spi(nner)dermen would be able to do the job for you to spin the web around the Englishmen; but that won’t be a long-term strategy. To stay as a competitive team at higher level, Dhoni should focus on tapping the shortcomings and lacuna in the team, and be prepared for every "Test". Under current scenario, let's see how well D-company tests the Cook...

Ritesh R Kadam
rityakadam@rediffmail.com
090110020015