Cricket season again..

Well, you may like it or not.. but the Cricket season is back.. and its BIG as ever..
Champions Trophy' 06 began the day before, though for now the Minnows (SHOCK: WI and SL are in the contenders as well!!!) are battling it out for 2 seats in the main league.


But Set MAX, who are airing it in India promise to make it more than just cricket. They are the ones who fused cricket with babes.. when they got the aweful Ruby Bhatia and then less aweful Mandira Bedi to eat away airtime. They now want to expand the scope of the 'extras' until you wont notice it was cricket in the first place that you switched onto. Well, guess it serves well, when the cricket, atleast the Indian effort is not going to bring in any joy. Atleast you have noodle straps and pouting babes to make up for it... or can they?


Indian team, unsurprisingly is back to where they belong. Erratic and Unpredictable. Just before they play the Second biggest tourney (as per ICC folks) in cricket, they arent sure of a lot of things. I think I could have collated a nice compiled list of 11 points of Indian team's concerns, but then who really cares and maybe I might have struggled to fit them all in 11.

So, not going that route.. and continuing with the present form of brain-dump.. let me write about the biggest of our concerns. .. and its not Greg Chappell.

Over the last couple of seasons, a lot of youngsters have got a chance to play in the 11. And interestingly and luckily for India a lot of them converted their chances to be among contenders for a 'permanent' seat (yup, we have permanent seats in Indian CT.. ask Sachin). So we have Sehwag (ok, he has been there for more than a couple of seasons), Dhoni, Raina all fulltime on the payrolls. But unluckily, all these players are in essence slashers or some species close to that. All, love the flat turfs of subcontinent, smashing the opposition until they bleed, and as soon as the ball smells of swing, they are only wielding an array of edges. They are all exciting prospects and good finds for India, no doubts about that. But when successive seasons throw players of the same variety.. then as you might expect, we will see-saw through amazing and aweful performaces, which has exactly been the case.

So, now apart from DeWall Dravid and Manager Sachin, we have a team of slashers : Sehwag, Yuvraj, Dhoni, Raina.. with ironically Irfan Pathan sent as a pinch-hitter above our slashers for some strange reasons. So when we have played on placid and true wickets, all these boys fire and rip up the bowling.. They spare no one.. And, when playing on wickets that dont let you slog in peace.. they again spare no one.. Sehwag will be out playing his natural game, bowled of a swinging yorker, Yuvi would be spun-off, Dhoni caught of a mistimed pull and Raina, still new would explore a new way.

After a record breaking run against Lanka and South Africa, where they unbelievably won batting second, they have found ways to lose matches in WI in astonishing manners.
So, though they are back to staid and placid wickets at home, their confidence is in doldrums. Worst of all, Pathan is lacking in confidence, who in my opinion is the best Indian Cricketer. Unless, he gets back to his swinging ways, we are going to remain in trouble.

Interestingly, Dinesh Mongia is back. He who made us cry in the last world cup. Though, I feel its the right thing to have happened. He had an amazing record in the Counties last 2 years. Nt only did he score with the bat, he was outstanding with his bowling. If that didnt warrant a recall, nothing will. But, his first knock after being back put him back where he was. He 'seemed' to have top scored with a 50 odd, eventually running out of partners. But the truth is he still doesnt understand that Cricket isnt just about throwing a ball and hitting it around. There is this match situtation to contend with too. He just stood there as an idiot, giving tailenders the strike when all India needed was 20 odd of like 50 balls. As ever, the match score sheet lied at the end of the match. Not that the selectors will ever know.

So, now lets wait and watch, what Chappell and Sons have in store for us in the coming days. Will Pathan get back to his lethal ways? Will Sehwag slaughter away like a madhouse? Will Dhoni make bowlers repent on their career choice? Or will India invent newer ways to lose matches from unlosable situations?