Highlights of the day...

• BCCI seems to be pressing the panic button after the humiliating defeat to the team in the first Test match. They have asked the Eden Gardens' pitch curator to make a spin friendly track, which was dismissed at the first place.
  The Indian Board is trying to salvage the No 1 spot, got after the consistent performance by the team. But, it was terrifying experience for the side to face Steyn and co. in Nagpur.
  If the Indian batsmen could not play Steyn in their backyard, then how would they cope up with his pace and bounce when they travel to SA at the end of this year?


• So, who could be the possible spoilsport mentioned by Pakistan skipper, Mohammad Yousuf? Even the team management was aware of this from the New Zealand tour. And that is the reason why he was dropped from some of the matches on the tour down under. Shoaib Malik, show some results in the two upcoming T-20 games against England, otherwise, find your own exit.

Australia’s act is commendable

Australia declared their first innings of the first Test match against Pakistan on 454 for five on Sunday. Who could have thought that a side got a chance to make merry on a ‘batting paradise’ infront of a record home crowd at MCG would do that? When they declared, Michael Clarke was batting on 28 while Marcus North and Bradd Hadding- their two proper batsmen were still to come. They could have easily crossed 600 at the end of the day.
When the day finished, Pakistan were tottering at 109 for the loss of four wickets. They lost the priced wicket of their captain, Mohammad Yousuf, in the second last ball of the day. Australia, took the gamble and like most often, it paid. If they win this match then it would be another big step in the direction of reviving the Test cricket, which is loosing its sheen ( that is what few people think, otherwise, the last few Test matches at different parts of the World were nail-biting!) after the onslaught of Twenty20.
Aussies believe in setting trends. They did exactly the same a decade or so ago when they started scoring runs at a run rate of around three or more. Its impact was huge. It brought more results for them as well as other teams had also started replicating that. Now, most of the teams do not believe in playing the old fashioned Test cricket where a side could score only a handful of runs in the entire day of play. They try to score fast inorder to get a result.
Australia are the only side who could take such a big gamble. It is their mental strength that helps them in taking such audacious decisions. And someone has rightly said, "Fortune favours the brave". It might take Test match cricket to a new level, where it could not only survive but compete with the other formats as well.

A ‘date’ with history

The upcoming three test match series between Australia and Pakistan could be the best possible chance for the sub-continent side to beat the Aussies in their own den. Pakistan have so far struggled to adjust with the bouncing ball, just like other teams from the same region. But they also know the fact that if it is possible anytime, it is now.
Ozs headache

Australia are still trying to fill the gap left by the exit of Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Mathew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist. The ever-increasing injury list of their players is also a worrying factor for team chief selector Andrew Hilditch.
But the best thing with Australia is their domestic cricket. It is very strong and competitive. So, any player coming in the side does not take long before going out. The reserved players also know that it could be the only chance they would get in the years to come. So they try to make full use of the opportunity presented to them.
Australian squad

The selectors have included Phillip Hughes as a cover for Ricky Ponting in the squad of thirteen for the first test match. Ponting got injured by a rising delivery from Kemar Roach during the first innings of the third test match against West Indies. Though, it looks improbable that Punter would miss the Boxing Day encounter as he would not like to give the opponents any chance to do something they haven't done till date.
Except Ponting, the rest of the batting line-up— Shane Watson, Simon Katich, Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Marcus North, wicket-keeper batsman Brad Haddin — is expected to remain same.
Peter Siddle has also returned after the injury. It seems that Australia's pace attack will be led by Doug Bollinger, who impressed one and all by his spirited show against the Caribbean side lately. Mitchell Johnson too looked sharp with his pace at times, but still he is nowhere close to his heroics of the last season when he took 60 wickets in 12 tests. Siddle may replace Clint McKay, who made his debut in the third match against West Indies. Nathan Hauritz will once again fill the spinner's gap.
Inexperience in Pak batting
Pakistan on the other hand, had a good tour of New Zealand lately. They lost the nail-biter first test match which they could have also won, came back strongly in the second with their bowling prowess and managed to draw the last match.
They also had a good tour match against Tasmania. It gave their players the only chance to acclimatize with the pace and bounce of the Australian wickets.
Their batting is mainly dependent on the shoulders of their captain Mohammad Yousuf. Though, Salman Butt has also hit a big century at Hobart and also had a ton to his name when the side toured Australia last time, his skills to play the ball outside the off stump is his weak point.
Imran Farhat does not have the concentration level to play a long inning. Shoaib Malik is still finding out what he is good at — batting or bowling — or may be none. Misbah-ul-Haq has played loads of domestic cricket and this might be the reason he does not know how to replicate that success at a bigger level.
Akmal brothers are the only glimmer of hope in the Pakistan batting line-up other than Yousuf. Umar Akamal has had a terrific time with the bat since he had made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in August. He has already scored a century and three fifties in his first three test matches. His older brother Kamran is also amongst the runs in the last few series. They, together with their skipper will share the bulk of the responsibility when it comes to taking their side to a respectable total.
Bowling in full-flow
They seem to have a good combination of fast and spin bowlers. Their pace attack has been strengthened by the return of Mohammad Asif, who was phenomenal with his line and length against the Kiwis. Mohammad Aamer was nothing short of a revelation in the last few months. He is accurate as well as fast. Umar Gul has imporved as a bowler, though, he still needs to prove his worth in the longer version of the game on a consistent basis. The surprise inclusion of Mohammad Sami is a big gamble by the team selectors. He will return after a gap of two years after delinking his ties with the now defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL).
Saeed Ajmal’s form is proving decisive for the side. Most of the teams are finding it hard to cope with 'doosra' of this off spinner. He is more of the mould of champion spinner Saqlain Mushtaq.
So, things seem to look balanced for both the sides. But if Pakistan play with spirit, courage and patience, then this team would book their place in the record books.

Numero Uno At Last

It is a satisfying victory against the Sri Lankans, who were completely outplayed by the men-in-blue. By this victory team-India also secured the much awaited no. 1 spot in the ICC Test Rankings.
The numero uno position is the result of the consistent performance of the Indian team in the last few years, especially under the reigns of Sourav Ganguly and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. They both gave the side the much important ‘belief’ that they could also reach at the top.
India played 49 games under the leadership of Ganguly and the win-loss ratio was 21:13. MSD’s record as a skipper has been superb till now. Out of the 10 games under his captaincy, the side has won seven.
The comeback by the Indian side after their misadventure in the first innings of the first test match against Sri Lanka was stupendous. After that, they did not give any chance to their opponents to search their luck back in the series.
The most satisfying thing in this period of wins was the ‘attitude’ of the side. They might have failed in one innings or a test, but they always returned with a bang in the next one.
Batting Brilliance
After a longtime, India have got a good opening pair of Gautam Gambhir and Virendra Sehwag. The way these two Delhiites complement each other is laudable. Sehwag would always give the side a brisk start and nice platform for the batsmen to follow him. Meanwhile, Gambhir would do his job of supporting him and if given an opportunity, he would strike few from the middle of his bat.
Rahul Dravid, ‘the wall’, would face any bowling attack in all conditions with complete ease. We all know the class of master blaster Sachin Tendulkar. VVS (very very special) Laxman would always silence his critics with a fine performance. He is one such batsman in the side who always found his place under the scanner, irrespective of the commitment and brilliance he always shows on the field. These three have given the much-needed support to the Indian middle order.
Though, Yuvraj Singh is still finding his feet in the Test side, he always ensured the team finishes their innings well, together with skipper MS Dhoni, who could shift his gears according to the situation of the game.
Indian tailenders have surely improved their batting skills. Habhajan Singh, along with Zaheer Khan, and others have shown the grit to stay at the wicket.

Bowling Performance
After Javagal Srinath, the Indian team has found Zaheer Khan to lead the pace attack. He has been supported well by Ajit Agarkar (till he was there in the side), Ashish Nehra, S Sreesanth, Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma and others.
Zaheer’s exit from the side when Greg Chappell was at the helm of, proved decisive for this Mumbai bowler. He toiled hard in the domestic circuit and made full use of the opportunity he got in the county arena. He returned as a ‘thinking’ bowler.
Harbhajan, first with spin great Anil Kumble, till he hung his boots, and later on with Piyush Chawla, Amit Mishra and now Pragyan Ojha, has led the spin department of the side. I have always felt that Harbhajan is a better Test match bowler than an ODI. He, more or less, does the job of containing the batsmen in the fifty over format. But his ability to take wickets in the longest format of the game helped the side to reach this historic landmark.
The leader
Indian team has got the real leader in the form of MSD. His ability to remain calm even in the most extreme situations and capability to lead from the front whenever the team-members find themselves in dire straits, have already made him one of the successful captains that ever led India.
The sensible coach
Gary Kirsten proved more than a help for MSD since he has taken over from Anil Kumble. He understands his role in the side well and does not interfere unnecessarily in the team’s proceedings. The South African has also maintained a fair distance from the media, which was not the case with his predecessor, Greg Chappell. He guides the side and counsels the players more than coaching them. Just what John Wright did in his term with the side.
The no. 1 position may not stay for a long time as India will play only two Test matches in the next 11 months. But by reaching the acme for the first time, the blue brigade has shown what they are capable of when they play as a unit.
I think if they replicate this performance in the other forms of the game as well till the time they get their next chance in the longest form, then they will return here sooner rather than later. Because they know what it feels like being at no. 1.

Will it be easy for Reds to hold Torres back?

Rafael Benitez said in an interview to Times yesterday, that if a situation came when the team will have to sell Torres, then he would also quit. Is it that easy to retain a player like Torres for long? I think a player of Spaniard’s quality or to say any big player, looks for two things before thinking about switching the club.

First are the monetary gains that he is going to get in his next club. The performance of the club is the second thing that a quality player ponders on before switching. If a club does not do well for a season or two, then the priority of the player also start shifting as it directly affects the opportunity on the field plus his brand image.

A team unable to finish in the top four of the domestic league table means no Champion's League for it that season. Participating in a major competition is directly proportional to the brand value of the club and the player. The performance of Liverpool is below par this season. They have already lost five of the 12 games they have played so far and are at the seventh place in overall ratings.

They are also on the fringe of getting knocked out of the UEFA Champions League. Torres is the lone quality striker in the side. So most of the times, the club depends on him to produce results. And he does not disappoint them often.

But it also puts huge pressure on him to perform. I do not think the substandard performance of the club this season will force Torres to leave Anfield. But if it remains the same the next season, then he would surely give it a thought.

According to reports in Spanish and English dailies, the agent of this former Atletico Madrid player is already in talks with Barcelona to materialize a deal with the Reds. And if Barca ready to shower huge money, then it would be difficult for Benitez to keep his prized possession back at Merseyside (although he says even 100m pound cannot take Torres away from him).

There are also reports that Real Madrid is vying for Benitez in place of under-performer Manuel Pelligrini. Will both Manager and his disciple head home together next season? It is just a speculation but nothing can be ruled out in this world of agents and transfers. But if it happens, then it would be a big disappointment for the Anfield fans and the fans around the globe.

Sachin the ‘living legend’

When I thought of writing something about Sachin, I did not know where to begin. It is not about the number of innings, but rather, my memory of the game begins with Sachin Tendulkar.
I could not watch the Pakistan series where the little maestro debuted. My connection with the legend started only during the 1992 World Cup, when I used to watch matches with my mama and first felt and understood the game called Cricket. Then, the now men-in-blue were men-in-navy blue (the colour that suited the Indian team the most).
I first saw Sachin batting when he opened the innings with the stylish batsman Krishnamachari Srikkanth. It was style along with balance that attracted me towards his play. Determination and focus would always be as visible on his face like sweat drops tricking down on a hot day in the field. The sweat drops are still visible after 20 years!
There are innumerable innings of the master that I like, but the innings he played twice at Sharjah against the Steve Waugh-led side in the midst of sand storm were a real treat to watch. And how anyone can forget his comeback innings against Kenya in the 1999 World Cup just few days after he lost his father? That was appreciated by one and all.
How a man who is barely five feet four inches tall bear the hopes of over a billion Indians, and that too for twenty years? He has done that outstandingly. I remember people switching off their television sets after the master got out. For them, Sachin’s wicket is the key. His staying at the wicket means the team could win and come out of any situation. I think, it’s that unquestionable faith and love of people that helped him to overcome any difficulty in his long career. I still remember a line from his Adidas ad when he says, ‘‘Whatever level you reach, getting better never stops’’.
And who could forget his stint as a captain? Even though it was a complete disaster. There was already too much pressure on him, and giving him an extra responsibility to lead the side proved too much for the little man. That brief spell as a skipper also made it clear that he could be a very good mentor but leading the side is not his cup of tea.
Every shot he plays brings an exclamation of wow on everyone’s face. It is very difficult or I should say impossible to pick one particular shot he plays the best. He also invented and added new strokes like paddle sweep and the shot over third man in his armour. And his six over the point region off Shoaib Akhtar in 2003 World Cup, goes down in history.
Sachin, with most of the records to his name is going strong even now. He is surely the most worshiped and trusted sports icon of the country. I wish he just carries on playing for India forever as I cannot see an Indian side without the man whom I call a living legend or to be precise ‘god’.