Mohammed Ali, Pele, Michael Schumacher. All are legends of their respective sports, and all have retired. In each of their cases, their legacies to the sports they represented are secure. As will be the case for Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. The opening batsman, dubbed the 'Little Master', on account of his diminutive size, will go down in history as one of the greatest cricketers ever to have played the game. The holder of numerous records since the batsman made his Test debut in 1989, many of which I suspect will never be beaten. Even as a youngster, Tendulkar was a prodigious talent, but few would have expected him to be as dominant in the game as he has become. His announcement of retirement has come at the right time, as he was beginning to lose his powers, and had recently been going through a period of drought, in terms of both runs and form. After such a distinguished career,it would have been a great shame to see the 'Little Master' peter off into insignificance. As it is, he can hold his head high, after a fantastic career spanning almost quarter of a century, and remains arguably the greatest batsman of all time.
Tendulkar's early Test appearances illustrated exactly what he stood for. In his first Test series, against India's fierce rivals Pakistan in 1989, he may not have starred with the bat, but he certainly left his impression on the series, as his gritty determination to take delivery after delivery to his body was evident. In particular, in the 4th Test, he was on the receiving end of a Imran Khan bouncer, causing him to bleed profusely from the nose. Despite this, he showed his class, continuing whilst blood poured down his face. It did not take long for his talent with the bat to show. In a display England fans will remember, the young Tendulkar took apart the England bowling line-up making an impressive 119 not out at Old Trafford, before making a pair of centuries on the tour of Australia before the 1992 World Cup. His maturity at the crease was being illustrated from a very early age, and would only progress as he aged.
During the 1990's, the 'Little Master' grew in stature in the cricketing world, becoming the highest run scorer in the 1996 World Cup, sandwiched around excellent performances for the Test squad. Whilst not yet recognised as one of the best in the world, there were certainly people beginning to sit up and take notice of Sachin. His performances led him to become a folk hero in India, as he was seen as carrying the Indian batting lineup throughout most of the 90s. As cricket fans know, there are not many places more passionate about cricket than India, and when they worship someone, they really go for it. Tendulkar saw himself raised to hero status in the country, with people following his every movement, and his name on cricket shirts all over the country. This hero status would only escalate as Tendulkar was given the highest honour in Indian cricket: the captaincy.
Whilst his early career appeared to be a seamless and unstoppable rise, the middle part saw cracks begin to appear in the otherwise unimpeachable record of the 'Little Master'. Towards the end of the 90s, back problems began to plague the batsman, forcing him to miss several series. It would be a problem that haunted the opener for the rest of his career. Also, his time as captain of India was widely regarded as a failure. Despite all the hype after his appointment in 1996, he could not lead India to success, with the team instead producing abject performance after abject performance. Eventually, just one year later, he had to resign with the country on one of its worst runs in living memory. He was given a second opportunity in 1999, but injury, and poor performances, meant that his tenure was once again just one year. Overall, he has an extremely poor record if you look at the statistics. In 25 Tests, a Tendulkar led-India won only 4. losing 9 and drawing 12. His ODI record as captain is not much better. In 73 matches, he won 23, losing 43 and 7 no results. He accepted that leadership was not the role for him, leaving the position to Rahul Dravid and moved back to being simply the outstanding batsman that everyone knew he was.
He reclaimed that exceptional form in the proceeding years, breaking the great Donald Bradman's record of the highest amount of Test centuries (30) in 2002. It would be some time before he would score his last. However, this period seemed to be one of inconsistency, with every century followed with two ducks or single figure scores. Despite this, by 2006 he had added another 10 to his total of Test centuries and had made it to a similar total in ODI centuries. He was by far and away the pace-setter in terms of international centuries, raising questions over whether he should be considered one of the greats of the game, and even if he should be considered the greatest batsman ever to have played the game. As his form declined towards the mid-2000's, there were fears that he was becoming a shadow of his former self, and that he would never reclaim his top form. There were even calls for the 'Little Master' to retire, as he could not keep up with the form of Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting. However, there were more tricks in the locker of Tendulkar.
Despite the doubts, and the injuries that continued to plague the diminutive Indian, he continued to make runs, claiming another important record by 2008, when he surpassed the great Brian Lara's Test run record, beating 12,000 Test runs in the same year. More records fell, as Tendulkar became the first person to pass 17,000 ODI runs, and the first person in ODI history to make 200 in a single innings, in a 2010 match against South Africa. However, the record that he really craved was moving tantalisingly within reach. On 92 international centuries, there were many that believed that the century of centuries was there for the taking. Little did they know that the 8 centuries required from 2010 would present one of the largest challenges of Tendulkar's distinguished career.
A home World Cup win in India followed, with Sachin himself claiming it as one of his greatest moments. With this came another record, as Tendulkar became the first man to pass 15,000 Test runs, and moved to within 1 century of that elusive hundred. However, it seemingly took an age for that final one to come, with Tendulkar missing chances against England and South Africa to reach the milestone. After a year of trying, and just when it seemed that his best days were behind him, having retired from ODI cricket, he finally did it. Against Bangladesh in Mirpur, the 'Little Master' cemented his place in history, claiming his century of centuries, and ensuring that his name would be considered amongst the greatest ever to have played the game. After his feat, he retired from international cricket, to concentrate on captaining the IPL side, the Mumbai Indians. His powers eventually faded, and he was left to play a bit part of the side's inaugural success in 2013. Deciding to retire seemed like the right thing to do, as attempting to keep his place against far younger men seemed inadvisable, especially with his historical injury problems.
So is he the greatest batsman ever to play the game? Certainly, if we look at the statistics of what he has achieved over his career, and the records he holds. However, many complain that the likes of Don Bradman and Viv Richards were better batsmen, giving statistics of their average scores, which Tendulkar cannot come close to matching. However, I think this comparison is highly unfair for two reasons. One, Tendulkar played many more matches than the aforementioned pair. This has an advantage for the Indian and a disadvantage when considering statistics. It allowed him to score the astonishing amount of international centuries, whilst neither Bradman nor Richards really had the opportunity to match that. This seems to undermine the claim of Tendulkar as best. However, it also undermines the averages that Bradman and Richards boast, as Tendulkar would have had to make continuous centuries and half centuries over a longer period and through more matches. Bradman could simply turn up a couple of times a year and whack the ball out of the park. Finally, the second argument which questions their comparability is the idea that the standard of cricket around the world, and the teams assembled, are of a much higher standard today than they ever were. That is not to say that Bradman is any worse a player than Tendulkar, merely that his opposition was not as strong on a regular basis, allowing him to maintain his average. For these reasons, I think that any attempt at comparison of the batsmen is futile, as there is too much that has changed to accurately suggest which is the better player.
Nevertheless, one thing that is indisputable is that Tendulkar is one of the greatest batsmen ever, and his decision to retire has brought to an end one of the most decorated careers in sporting history. The holder of multiple records, adored the world over, he will never be forgotten in the sport. I suspect that he will remain close to the game, as I am certain that cricket runs through his veins and is ever close to his heart. His batting charisma and intelligence will be missed, but I think that now is the right time for the 'Little Master' to hang up his pads.
Analysis of sporting events, talking points and controversies.
Showing posts with label Cricket. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cricket. Show all posts
Friday, 11 October 2013
Monday, 26 August 2013
The Ashes 2013: 5th Test, The Oval: It Ends As It Began
Whilst this 5th Ashes Test had very little meaning in terms of the result of the series, it was at the very least a chance for the Australians to regain some pride after a summer of being dominated. This led to arguably the most interesting of all the Tests this series. It had everything that we had been so accustomed to seeing in an Ashes Test: great batting, fantastic bowling, batting collapses, DRS and umpire controversies and, of course, bad weather. All of this led to the manic finish that we saw yesterday, giving us an indication of what may happen in six months time, where the Australians will hope to reclaim to historic urn.
There were two big controversies that occurred before the test had even begun. The first involved Australia coach Darren Lehmann. In an interview conducted with Australian radio channel Triple M, he made the statement that English seamer Stuart Broad should be considered a 'blatant cheat', and that he hoped the Australian fans 'made him cry' in the return series down under this winter. This sparked a backlash from ex-professionals and commentators alike. Whilst some of Broad's conduct has been questionable during this series (e.g. the admission of guilt over 'Walkgate'), to use this 'eye for an eye' style morality is not in the spirit of the game, and will only be counter-productive. Also, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that the Australian people were going to give him a hard time anyway. If we look at the way that David Warner has been treated since his return in the 4th Test, I would expect to see more of the same down under. At least this will arguably be more appropriate, as the pantomime season will be in full swing, and the viewers will need a villain!
The second controversy involved the vast array of changes made to the England side, opting instead to play quite a few of the stars of the English Lions squad. Players like Simon Kerrigan and Chris Woakes were handed their debut Tests, leaving many English fans disillusioned. Their argument: why should we take our foot off the gas and play a weakened team, even when the series has been sewn up. Personally, I understand the frustration of the fans, especially those that had paid to see the first team perform. However, if England can give inexperienced players a chance to make a name for themselves, it may make all the difference when it comes to the return series. Look at the Root innings in the second Test if you want to see the value of trialling the younger players.
The first day began in beautiful sunshine, and having won the toss, Australia elected to bat, hoping to lead off in the same manner which saw them post a formidable total in the first innings at Durham. After Warner made a good start with the bat, he fell just a few overs in to James Anderson. At 11-1, Shane Watson came to the crease. The usual opener has struggled for consistent runs this series, failing to convert any of his innings into the century Australia have been needing. Today would be a different story. Whilst opener Chris Rogers took a fairly relaxed pace to proceedings, the big number 3 quickly pushed onto his half century before the lunch break. As soon as he managed that, he scored even faster, reaching a strike rate that would be impressive in the one-day forms of the game, never mind in a Test. After reaching his half century at just after 12:30, the big Australian had got to 80 by the time lunch was called half an hour later, with the new bowler Kerrigan taking most of the flack. If this formidable rate continued, England may have found themselves in a hole far deeper than even that in Durham.
After lunch, England desperately searched for that elusive second wicket. Though the bowlers did manage to calm the scoring rate of Watson, the number three remained firm at the crease. Instead, their attentions turned to Rogers, and after probing for an hour, Swann finally got the breakthrough. At 118-2, Clarke came to the crease, and threatened to form another game-changing partnership. After a couple of painful blows from Stuart Broad, Watson was on the verge of his first Test century in this series when his captain went. A stunning delivery from Anderson sent the stumps cartwheeling and sent Clarke back to the pavilion with only 7 to his name. This had the potential to unsettle Watson, especially given the magnitude of the knock. However, he dug deep to grind out that first century, and seemed to kick on once the nerves had settled. With Watson and new man Steve Smith settled at the crease, the Australians reached 181-3 at tea without much fuss. After tea, the assault did not relent, with the impressive Watson still knocking the spinners to all four corners to bring up his 150. By half past 5, Smith too had brought up his fifty, meaning that England were once again caught in the midst of a terrific middle order partnership. As the day drew to a close, it looked as though Australia were going to begin the second day in a tremendous position, suggesting that the squad changes were entirely the wrong decision. Then, a moment of brilliance in the field from Kevin Pietersen changed the complexion of the game. After hooking a Broad delivery, Watson could only watch as Pietersen sprung full length to take a magnificent diving catch, before walking to a standing ovation from all corners of the Oval. The new batsman Siddle barely had time to settle in before the close of play was announced, with Australia sitting pretty on 307-4.
As has so often been the case this series, when England have been struggling, they can count on the rain to bail them out. The 5th Test was no different, with bad weather delaying the start of play until 14:30. Once play did resume, England managed to get rid of Siddle very quickly, before turning their attention to the tail. However, Australia fought back, with Smith and Haddin going strongly. Smith in particular was impressive, moving past his Old Trafford total and into the 90s by 4:00. And just before tea, the all rounder brought up his maiden Test century, to the delight of the Australian balcony. No sooner had he done so as his foil Haddin relinquished his wicket to the bowling of Trott. Often the part-timers get the most difficult wickets, but it is always embarrasing as a batsman to go in that fashion. At 397-6 by tea, Australia knew that another 100 or so before the close would see them into a commanding position for the remaining three days. And once again they set off like a train, with new man Faulkner smashing fours all round the ground. However, his brief cameo came to an end on 19, when he attempted one shot too many, pulling Woakes into the hands of Trott at the boundary. This handed the newbie his first Test wicket, and after all the controversy, I believe he bowled well enough to justify his selection. Further cameos from Starc (11) and most notably Harris (33), meant that Australia were able to declare on 492-9, leaving Steve Smith unbeaten on 135, and still time to set about the English batsmen on day 2. Thankfully for the English, there was to be no late-night batting collapse, with the opening pair of Root and Cook able to see their team through to the close, finishing at 32-0.
Day 3 saw the pendulum swing once again, however. The Australians would have been wanting to take an early wicket, but the English openers foiled them, moving towards the hundred partnership by the drinks break. Immediately after that, the partnersip was broken, with Cook edging a delivery to Haddin for 25. Root and Trott then set about re-anchoring the innings, getting easily to lunch, with Root claiming his half-century. The partnership continued in a similar vein after the break, with both playing shots. Unfortunately for the youngster, he played one shot too many, hooking Nathan Lyon straight to Australian hero Watson for 68. Once again, stability was required, but this time it was Trott and Pietersen who needed to keep the innings going for the home side. That they did, managing to pass 175 before Trott was trapped lbw off the bowling of Starc after a successful review by the Australians. At tea, it was Pietersen and Bell at the crease, with England desperately needing their batsmen to do more than just get in and then out in quick succession. Unfortunately, that pattern continued after tea, with Pietersen, having just brought up his half century, perishing off the bowling of Starc. At 217-4, England were struggling to avoid the follow on, and needed their tail to wag to have any chance of competing in this match. Bell and Woakes managed to keep their wickets to the close, leaving England a full 245 behind, with a first innings total of 247-4.
With the Australians seemingly in complete control of the final Test, fate got in the way once more, again favouring the English. Day 4 was a complete washout, with the rain preventing any play and making a draw seem the most likely outcome. However, the events of Day 5 were arguably some of the most exciting of the series, bringing a remarkable finish. After a brief cameo at the start of day 5, Woakes fell with a whimper, with Bell going soon after. Stuart Broad also didn't last long, having his stumps rearranged by a cracker from Harris. A period of incredible attack from Prior and Swann followed, with a partnership totalling almost 50 runs from very few overs. Eventually, Prior had to go before reaching his personal half century, bringing the tail enders of firstly Anderson, and then Kerrigan to the crease. Neither of these had any real impact on the scoreline, leaving England still 115 runs in arrears by the time all of the wickets had fallen. Clarke, knowing that there were only 60 overs remaining in the Test match, opted to treat the game like a 20/20 one, sending his batsmen out with the motif of slog everything that moves. A high-risk strategy, and not one that paid off for the Aussies. Though Warner and Watson started well, reaching 30-0, Warner went to a brilliant c&b from Anderson. This precipitated the collapse of the Australian second innings. Watson went next, scoring 26, and leaving Australia on 44-2. Haddin, the next man in, was well and truly beaten by Broad, sending him back to the pavilion without scoring. After a good cameo, new boy Faulkner was next to perish, with Broad the tormentor in chief, forcing an edge. With the Australian lead only 183, a few more quick wickets could actually put England back in control of their own destiny this Test, and they could begin to think of winning it! Those two wickets did fall quickly, with firstly Smith, and then Harris both falling before reaching double figures, leaving Australia on 85-6, and leading by 201. By tea that lead had stretched to 226, at which point Clarke decided to have a go at bowling the English out. With only 44 overs in the day, that seemed quite a tall order. Amazingly, come the final session of a Test so affected by rain, all three results were still possible!
Australian hopes of victory were boosted by the quick dismissal of Joe Root. The young batsman, gone for 11, will be disappointed not to have taken advantage of the frantic situation. Unlike the Australian innings, this was not the catalyst for an English batting collapse, with Trott and Cook taking the home side to the drinks break at 85-1. With 27 overs remaining, the English side found themselves needing 142 to win. Anyone who has watched 20/20 cricket will tell you that that total is eminently gettable. However, their push to victory was instantly checked after the break, with the captain going to a fine delivery from Harris. Pietersen was the next batsman in, and he and Trott once again set about reducing the run rate, bringing the score to 139-2 by 18:30. Despite this being the normal close of play time, the rain had meant that another half hour or so would be allowed, giving England the chance to win the game. In that next half-hour, both Pietersen and Trott passed their half-centuries, taking the target down to just 68 from 11 overs. And still the two sides played on, with both Pietersen and then Trott falling in quick succession as England valiantly continued their chase. With just 5 overs left, England had just 33 runs to make, meaning an average of just over a run a ball. This was looking like being another tight finish. After a fantastic first 5 balls from an England point of view, adding 12 runs, Ian Bell was run out in the final ball of the over. However, if we thought that was the end of the drama and controversy, we were wrong. At the end of that over, with just 21 runs required from 24 balls, the umpires decided that the light was not sufficient to continue, meaning that the match was drawn. Cue angry responses from the English players, who believed that a 4-0 series win was within their grasp. Instead they had to settle for 3-0, their largest margin of victory since 1978.
Whilst there are those that complained, at both the ICC, and more bizarrely, Michael Clarke for the players being brought off, I think that they are being ungrateful. The Australians would have been well within their rights to bat through the whole day, boring the crowds and ensuring that the game resulted in a draw. Instead, they rolled the dice and caused the nerve-jangling final moments. The game was extended a full hour and a half over the usual closing time of 18:00 in order to try and find a conclusion. However, at the end of it all, we have no different result than that that was expected. We have only been treated to a far more exciting draw! Nevertheless, the series finished in exactly the same way to which it started: engulfed in controversy.
There were two big controversies that occurred before the test had even begun. The first involved Australia coach Darren Lehmann. In an interview conducted with Australian radio channel Triple M, he made the statement that English seamer Stuart Broad should be considered a 'blatant cheat', and that he hoped the Australian fans 'made him cry' in the return series down under this winter. This sparked a backlash from ex-professionals and commentators alike. Whilst some of Broad's conduct has been questionable during this series (e.g. the admission of guilt over 'Walkgate'), to use this 'eye for an eye' style morality is not in the spirit of the game, and will only be counter-productive. Also, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that the Australian people were going to give him a hard time anyway. If we look at the way that David Warner has been treated since his return in the 4th Test, I would expect to see more of the same down under. At least this will arguably be more appropriate, as the pantomime season will be in full swing, and the viewers will need a villain!
The second controversy involved the vast array of changes made to the England side, opting instead to play quite a few of the stars of the English Lions squad. Players like Simon Kerrigan and Chris Woakes were handed their debut Tests, leaving many English fans disillusioned. Their argument: why should we take our foot off the gas and play a weakened team, even when the series has been sewn up. Personally, I understand the frustration of the fans, especially those that had paid to see the first team perform. However, if England can give inexperienced players a chance to make a name for themselves, it may make all the difference when it comes to the return series. Look at the Root innings in the second Test if you want to see the value of trialling the younger players.
The first day began in beautiful sunshine, and having won the toss, Australia elected to bat, hoping to lead off in the same manner which saw them post a formidable total in the first innings at Durham. After Warner made a good start with the bat, he fell just a few overs in to James Anderson. At 11-1, Shane Watson came to the crease. The usual opener has struggled for consistent runs this series, failing to convert any of his innings into the century Australia have been needing. Today would be a different story. Whilst opener Chris Rogers took a fairly relaxed pace to proceedings, the big number 3 quickly pushed onto his half century before the lunch break. As soon as he managed that, he scored even faster, reaching a strike rate that would be impressive in the one-day forms of the game, never mind in a Test. After reaching his half century at just after 12:30, the big Australian had got to 80 by the time lunch was called half an hour later, with the new bowler Kerrigan taking most of the flack. If this formidable rate continued, England may have found themselves in a hole far deeper than even that in Durham.
After lunch, England desperately searched for that elusive second wicket. Though the bowlers did manage to calm the scoring rate of Watson, the number three remained firm at the crease. Instead, their attentions turned to Rogers, and after probing for an hour, Swann finally got the breakthrough. At 118-2, Clarke came to the crease, and threatened to form another game-changing partnership. After a couple of painful blows from Stuart Broad, Watson was on the verge of his first Test century in this series when his captain went. A stunning delivery from Anderson sent the stumps cartwheeling and sent Clarke back to the pavilion with only 7 to his name. This had the potential to unsettle Watson, especially given the magnitude of the knock. However, he dug deep to grind out that first century, and seemed to kick on once the nerves had settled. With Watson and new man Steve Smith settled at the crease, the Australians reached 181-3 at tea without much fuss. After tea, the assault did not relent, with the impressive Watson still knocking the spinners to all four corners to bring up his 150. By half past 5, Smith too had brought up his fifty, meaning that England were once again caught in the midst of a terrific middle order partnership. As the day drew to a close, it looked as though Australia were going to begin the second day in a tremendous position, suggesting that the squad changes were entirely the wrong decision. Then, a moment of brilliance in the field from Kevin Pietersen changed the complexion of the game. After hooking a Broad delivery, Watson could only watch as Pietersen sprung full length to take a magnificent diving catch, before walking to a standing ovation from all corners of the Oval. The new batsman Siddle barely had time to settle in before the close of play was announced, with Australia sitting pretty on 307-4.
As has so often been the case this series, when England have been struggling, they can count on the rain to bail them out. The 5th Test was no different, with bad weather delaying the start of play until 14:30. Once play did resume, England managed to get rid of Siddle very quickly, before turning their attention to the tail. However, Australia fought back, with Smith and Haddin going strongly. Smith in particular was impressive, moving past his Old Trafford total and into the 90s by 4:00. And just before tea, the all rounder brought up his maiden Test century, to the delight of the Australian balcony. No sooner had he done so as his foil Haddin relinquished his wicket to the bowling of Trott. Often the part-timers get the most difficult wickets, but it is always embarrasing as a batsman to go in that fashion. At 397-6 by tea, Australia knew that another 100 or so before the close would see them into a commanding position for the remaining three days. And once again they set off like a train, with new man Faulkner smashing fours all round the ground. However, his brief cameo came to an end on 19, when he attempted one shot too many, pulling Woakes into the hands of Trott at the boundary. This handed the newbie his first Test wicket, and after all the controversy, I believe he bowled well enough to justify his selection. Further cameos from Starc (11) and most notably Harris (33), meant that Australia were able to declare on 492-9, leaving Steve Smith unbeaten on 135, and still time to set about the English batsmen on day 2. Thankfully for the English, there was to be no late-night batting collapse, with the opening pair of Root and Cook able to see their team through to the close, finishing at 32-0.
Day 3 saw the pendulum swing once again, however. The Australians would have been wanting to take an early wicket, but the English openers foiled them, moving towards the hundred partnership by the drinks break. Immediately after that, the partnersip was broken, with Cook edging a delivery to Haddin for 25. Root and Trott then set about re-anchoring the innings, getting easily to lunch, with Root claiming his half-century. The partnership continued in a similar vein after the break, with both playing shots. Unfortunately for the youngster, he played one shot too many, hooking Nathan Lyon straight to Australian hero Watson for 68. Once again, stability was required, but this time it was Trott and Pietersen who needed to keep the innings going for the home side. That they did, managing to pass 175 before Trott was trapped lbw off the bowling of Starc after a successful review by the Australians. At tea, it was Pietersen and Bell at the crease, with England desperately needing their batsmen to do more than just get in and then out in quick succession. Unfortunately, that pattern continued after tea, with Pietersen, having just brought up his half century, perishing off the bowling of Starc. At 217-4, England were struggling to avoid the follow on, and needed their tail to wag to have any chance of competing in this match. Bell and Woakes managed to keep their wickets to the close, leaving England a full 245 behind, with a first innings total of 247-4.
With the Australians seemingly in complete control of the final Test, fate got in the way once more, again favouring the English. Day 4 was a complete washout, with the rain preventing any play and making a draw seem the most likely outcome. However, the events of Day 5 were arguably some of the most exciting of the series, bringing a remarkable finish. After a brief cameo at the start of day 5, Woakes fell with a whimper, with Bell going soon after. Stuart Broad also didn't last long, having his stumps rearranged by a cracker from Harris. A period of incredible attack from Prior and Swann followed, with a partnership totalling almost 50 runs from very few overs. Eventually, Prior had to go before reaching his personal half century, bringing the tail enders of firstly Anderson, and then Kerrigan to the crease. Neither of these had any real impact on the scoreline, leaving England still 115 runs in arrears by the time all of the wickets had fallen. Clarke, knowing that there were only 60 overs remaining in the Test match, opted to treat the game like a 20/20 one, sending his batsmen out with the motif of slog everything that moves. A high-risk strategy, and not one that paid off for the Aussies. Though Warner and Watson started well, reaching 30-0, Warner went to a brilliant c&b from Anderson. This precipitated the collapse of the Australian second innings. Watson went next, scoring 26, and leaving Australia on 44-2. Haddin, the next man in, was well and truly beaten by Broad, sending him back to the pavilion without scoring. After a good cameo, new boy Faulkner was next to perish, with Broad the tormentor in chief, forcing an edge. With the Australian lead only 183, a few more quick wickets could actually put England back in control of their own destiny this Test, and they could begin to think of winning it! Those two wickets did fall quickly, with firstly Smith, and then Harris both falling before reaching double figures, leaving Australia on 85-6, and leading by 201. By tea that lead had stretched to 226, at which point Clarke decided to have a go at bowling the English out. With only 44 overs in the day, that seemed quite a tall order. Amazingly, come the final session of a Test so affected by rain, all three results were still possible!
Australian hopes of victory were boosted by the quick dismissal of Joe Root. The young batsman, gone for 11, will be disappointed not to have taken advantage of the frantic situation. Unlike the Australian innings, this was not the catalyst for an English batting collapse, with Trott and Cook taking the home side to the drinks break at 85-1. With 27 overs remaining, the English side found themselves needing 142 to win. Anyone who has watched 20/20 cricket will tell you that that total is eminently gettable. However, their push to victory was instantly checked after the break, with the captain going to a fine delivery from Harris. Pietersen was the next batsman in, and he and Trott once again set about reducing the run rate, bringing the score to 139-2 by 18:30. Despite this being the normal close of play time, the rain had meant that another half hour or so would be allowed, giving England the chance to win the game. In that next half-hour, both Pietersen and Trott passed their half-centuries, taking the target down to just 68 from 11 overs. And still the two sides played on, with both Pietersen and then Trott falling in quick succession as England valiantly continued their chase. With just 5 overs left, England had just 33 runs to make, meaning an average of just over a run a ball. This was looking like being another tight finish. After a fantastic first 5 balls from an England point of view, adding 12 runs, Ian Bell was run out in the final ball of the over. However, if we thought that was the end of the drama and controversy, we were wrong. At the end of that over, with just 21 runs required from 24 balls, the umpires decided that the light was not sufficient to continue, meaning that the match was drawn. Cue angry responses from the English players, who believed that a 4-0 series win was within their grasp. Instead they had to settle for 3-0, their largest margin of victory since 1978.
Whilst there are those that complained, at both the ICC, and more bizarrely, Michael Clarke for the players being brought off, I think that they are being ungrateful. The Australians would have been well within their rights to bat through the whole day, boring the crowds and ensuring that the game resulted in a draw. Instead, they rolled the dice and caused the nerve-jangling final moments. The game was extended a full hour and a half over the usual closing time of 18:00 in order to try and find a conclusion. However, at the end of it all, we have no different result than that that was expected. We have only been treated to a far more exciting draw! Nevertheless, the series finished in exactly the same way to which it started: engulfed in controversy.
Tuesday, 13 August 2013
The Ashes 2013: 4th Test, Chester-le-Street: Aussies Broad-Sided By Stuart Demolition
Just four days had passed since the end of the 3rd Test at Old Trafford, and still there seemed ample time for bickering and controversy around this Ashes series. The major story broke on an Australian TV channel, which claimed that England batsman Kevin Pietersen was using some form of silicone tape to prevent the thermal imaging part of the Decision Review System (DRS) picking up nicks, thereby stopping Pietersen being given out caught behind. Understandably, the English batsman and his colleagues reacted angrily to these claims, as accusations of cheating are rarely taken in good spirits. Cue several character references from fellow team-mates, including his captain Alastair Cook, who claimed he 'would never do something like this'. This means little to me, as how many times have we heard glowing character references from fellow sportsmen, only to to discover that they were guilty as accused? The debacle involving the spot-fixing with the Pakistan cricket team is a good example of this, as all were defended vehemently, but still convicted. The argument that makes me certain the accusations were untrue, apart from the Australian team's clear lack of outrage, is that putting tape on his bat would not actually help him avoid getting out much. Whilst it would aid him avoiding the caught-behind claims, it would hinder the third umpire in cases of lbw, as the smallest nicks on the bat would should that the decision should be reversed. Unless Pietersen was certain that he was not going to be trapped lbw, which he could not have been, then to put tape on his bat would seem a ridiculous thing to do.
As per usual, not a week goes by where the DRS system isn't questioned or queried. This four day break is no exception. After the dismissal of Usman Khawaja in the first innings of the 3rd Test, where the ball was clearly shown not to have hit his bat, the Australian PM tweeted his disapproval of the decision. The lack of trust of the DRS system has become so bad amongst the players that they are even starting to walk instead of reviewing. A case in point would be Tim Bresnan, who was equally shown to not have hit the ball in replays. However, due to what can only be imagined as a lack of faith in DRS, and its ability to reverse the decision, he opted to walk instead. These incidents led ex-England captain Michael Vaughan to call for the immediate removal of the DRS system, a move supported by many ex-cricketers. I think that any technology in sport is a good thing. Notice that in cricket, the errors are not being made by the technology, they are being made by the human operating it. A more sophisticated, or trusted system is certainly needed to ensure that human error is reduced to a minumum.
Moving onto events in Durham, Day 1 began with England winning the toss and electing to bat. However, after five days of Australian dominance at Old Trafford without reward, the Aussies got off to a similar start in the north east. Joe Root, who has failed with the bat on all but one occasion this tour, fell for 16 as England toiled. Cook and Trott began to anchor the innings, taking them to 107-1 by 2:30. Then, just as it seemed that a half-century was on the horizon, Trott edged Nathan Lyon to Usman Khawaja. The Australian spinner would prove to be a thorn in England's side for the rest of the day. Cook and Pietersen then continued to pile the runs on, taking Cook past 50, only for Pietersen to get himself in and then out, for 26. With England on 149-3, in form Ian Bell came to the crease to partner Cook. At first glance, this appeared a partnership that would take England to a very respectable total. In reality, it last a matter of moments, as an lbw shout on Cook handed Jackson Bird his maiden Test wicket. Bell lasted little longer, chipping a simple delivery to Harris at long on, leaving England with the tail exposed at 155-5. Prior and Bairstow set about their recovery effort, with both needing to find some kind of form. Instead, Prior only managed 17 before perishing to Siddle, whilst Bairstow accrued 14, before an lbw to Lyon got rid of him. Broad went for a duck in the following over, and with England on 197-8, there was a real possibility that they wouldn't make it past 200. Tim Bresnan and Graham Swann began bringing the run rate up, pushing England past the 200 mark, before Swann eventually had to go for 13. The final pairing remained firm until the close, leaving England on a perilous 238-9. Not bad considering they had a middle order collapse, leaving them at 197-8.
England's batting order did not last long on Day 2, with the pair failing to add to their overnight score, and Anderson losing his wicket to Bird in the second over. Australia's response started badly, with David Warner gone early for just 3, before Usman Khawaja swiftly followed for a duck. That brought Michael Clarke to the crease. After a couple of shots to get himself set, it appeared as though England would be in for another tough afternoon. But then we witnessed something that rarely happens: an error from the Australian captain, gifting Broad his wicket for just 6. Australia were rocking at 49-3, but Chris Rogers's innings was the anchor for the Australian team. Gritty and, at times fortunate, the opener remained composed as others lost theirs. Steve Smith had the briefest of cameos before departing for 17, bringing former opener Shane Watson to the crease. This partnership proved to be crucial to the success of the Australian batsmen. As Rogers edged Broad repeatedly, he managed to scramble his half-century, with Watson keeping a positive strike-rate at the other end. At tea, Australia had dragged themselves to a respectable 148-4, and put themselves within striking distance of England's first innings total. The onslaught continued after the break, but both batsmen remained firm, with Watson eveuntually bringing himself to a half-century, and Rogers putting himself on the cusp of three figures. When Watson did go to the bowling of Broad for 68, Australia had managed to get themselves to within 35 of England's total, and with 5 first innings wickets still in hand, they looked well placed to give themselves a good lead. A nice moment followed, with all sides of the ground rising to salute Chris Rogers's maiden Test hundred. His tenacity and determination had prevented the seemingly inevitable collapse of the Australian batsmen, and had led his side to 222-5 at the close of play, just 16 runs behind.
Unfortunately for Australia, Day 3 is where the momentum shifted. Just as England lost a wicket in the second over of the second day, Haddin went to Swann in the second over of the 3rd. An even bigger wicket fell just moments later. With England still leading by 5, Chris Rogers nicked Swann to Matt Prior (after a neat bit of work from the keeper). After such a fantastic innings, it was a shame to see such a soft dismissal. Not that England cared. With the tail now exposed, Siddle, Lyon and Harris all went before lunch, finishing the Australian innings on 270 all out, with a lead of just 32. England's response was once again checked by terrific Australian bowling, with Ryan Harris the key man. After dispensing of Root for just 2 with a stunning delivery, the seamer then got rid of Cook and the dangerous Trott in quick succession. With England on 49-3, a partnership was desperately required if they were to stand any chance. Pietersen and Ian Bell were that partnership, securing the innings and taking England to tea on 123-3, with a lead of 91. The pair stayed firm after the interval, leading Bell to yet another half-century. Pietersen looked set to follow the Warwickshire man to 50, but a poorly played shot to a Lyon delivery left him nicking through to Haddin, bringing an end to the 106 run partnership. The out of sorts Bairstow was next in, and he got off to a positive start, making it to 18 before a bizarre decision. Despite the light looking perfectly fine, the umpires decided that it wouldn't be safe to continue, and took the players off for a farcical 7 minutes. After the restart, Bairstow managed to add a further 10 runs before he perished, but Bell, like Rogers the day before, had to wait until into the evening to secure another century in this Ashes series. This fantastic innings enabled England to get to 234-5, 202 runs ahead. This set the final two days up nicely to be a close contest.
Day 4 proved to be the pivotal one, and ensured that England would not just retain the Ashes, but win the series. It did not start all that well, with overnight hero Bell having to depart for 113, before Prior went the very next ball for a golden duck, leaving Harris on a hat-trick. After defending that delivery, Broad could only make 5, before Harris did for him. Tim Bresnan added valuable runs as England moved past 300, and closed in his own personal half-century. However, he eventually fell just 5 runs short c&b to Lyon, but left England handily placed. Swann added the final few runs before Anderson was bowled by Lyon, meaning that England's innings came to a close on 330, setting Australia a target of 299 to win the 4th Test. In response, Australia started well, with both Warner and Rogers passing 30 comfortably. At 100-0, Australia looked to be in pole position, with Warner past his half-century, and Rogers on the brink. However, on 49, Rogers clipped a Swann delivery off his legs and into the hands of Prior. At tea, Australia seemed firm on 115-1, however few could have predicted the collapse that was to unfold. Even immediately after tea, Australia were adding the necessary runs, getting to 147-1, nearly half-way to their target. Swann then took the wicket of Khawaja, before Bresnan took the big scalp of Warner for 71. This set about an incredible turn of events, with one particular man taking the fore.
That man was seamer Stuart Broad. After an impressive first innings 5-fer, the bowler continued his form into the second innings. He began with the biggest wicket of them all, with a stunning delivery getting rid of the pivotal wicket of Michael Clarke. Next over, Steve Smith pulled back onto his stumps from another outstanding Broad delivery. After Bresnan took the wicket of Watson, Broad polished off the tail with no mercy. After Haddin was trapped lbw for 4, Harris went for 11 for the same reason. At 199-8, it seemed only a matter of when and not if England would reclaim the Ashes, meaning that Broad could bring up an incredible 10 wicket haul. He even managed to better that, taking the wickets of both Lyon and Siddle, to finish off the Test with a career-best 11 wickets, and sending the Chester-le-Street crowd into delirium.
This Australian collapse will also worry coach Darren Lehmann, and the entirety of the population down under. With the return Ashes series just a matter of months away, there will be much work for the Aussie staff and players to do if they are to stand a chance of reclaiming the urn on home soil. For me, I think that the Australian years of dominance are emphatically over, and though I do not expect a 5-0 victory down under like many commentators, I full expect the England side to retain, at least, the Ashes when they make that long journey this winter.
As per usual, not a week goes by where the DRS system isn't questioned or queried. This four day break is no exception. After the dismissal of Usman Khawaja in the first innings of the 3rd Test, where the ball was clearly shown not to have hit his bat, the Australian PM tweeted his disapproval of the decision. The lack of trust of the DRS system has become so bad amongst the players that they are even starting to walk instead of reviewing. A case in point would be Tim Bresnan, who was equally shown to not have hit the ball in replays. However, due to what can only be imagined as a lack of faith in DRS, and its ability to reverse the decision, he opted to walk instead. These incidents led ex-England captain Michael Vaughan to call for the immediate removal of the DRS system, a move supported by many ex-cricketers. I think that any technology in sport is a good thing. Notice that in cricket, the errors are not being made by the technology, they are being made by the human operating it. A more sophisticated, or trusted system is certainly needed to ensure that human error is reduced to a minumum.
Moving onto events in Durham, Day 1 began with England winning the toss and electing to bat. However, after five days of Australian dominance at Old Trafford without reward, the Aussies got off to a similar start in the north east. Joe Root, who has failed with the bat on all but one occasion this tour, fell for 16 as England toiled. Cook and Trott began to anchor the innings, taking them to 107-1 by 2:30. Then, just as it seemed that a half-century was on the horizon, Trott edged Nathan Lyon to Usman Khawaja. The Australian spinner would prove to be a thorn in England's side for the rest of the day. Cook and Pietersen then continued to pile the runs on, taking Cook past 50, only for Pietersen to get himself in and then out, for 26. With England on 149-3, in form Ian Bell came to the crease to partner Cook. At first glance, this appeared a partnership that would take England to a very respectable total. In reality, it last a matter of moments, as an lbw shout on Cook handed Jackson Bird his maiden Test wicket. Bell lasted little longer, chipping a simple delivery to Harris at long on, leaving England with the tail exposed at 155-5. Prior and Bairstow set about their recovery effort, with both needing to find some kind of form. Instead, Prior only managed 17 before perishing to Siddle, whilst Bairstow accrued 14, before an lbw to Lyon got rid of him. Broad went for a duck in the following over, and with England on 197-8, there was a real possibility that they wouldn't make it past 200. Tim Bresnan and Graham Swann began bringing the run rate up, pushing England past the 200 mark, before Swann eventually had to go for 13. The final pairing remained firm until the close, leaving England on a perilous 238-9. Not bad considering they had a middle order collapse, leaving them at 197-8.
England's batting order did not last long on Day 2, with the pair failing to add to their overnight score, and Anderson losing his wicket to Bird in the second over. Australia's response started badly, with David Warner gone early for just 3, before Usman Khawaja swiftly followed for a duck. That brought Michael Clarke to the crease. After a couple of shots to get himself set, it appeared as though England would be in for another tough afternoon. But then we witnessed something that rarely happens: an error from the Australian captain, gifting Broad his wicket for just 6. Australia were rocking at 49-3, but Chris Rogers's innings was the anchor for the Australian team. Gritty and, at times fortunate, the opener remained composed as others lost theirs. Steve Smith had the briefest of cameos before departing for 17, bringing former opener Shane Watson to the crease. This partnership proved to be crucial to the success of the Australian batsmen. As Rogers edged Broad repeatedly, he managed to scramble his half-century, with Watson keeping a positive strike-rate at the other end. At tea, Australia had dragged themselves to a respectable 148-4, and put themselves within striking distance of England's first innings total. The onslaught continued after the break, but both batsmen remained firm, with Watson eveuntually bringing himself to a half-century, and Rogers putting himself on the cusp of three figures. When Watson did go to the bowling of Broad for 68, Australia had managed to get themselves to within 35 of England's total, and with 5 first innings wickets still in hand, they looked well placed to give themselves a good lead. A nice moment followed, with all sides of the ground rising to salute Chris Rogers's maiden Test hundred. His tenacity and determination had prevented the seemingly inevitable collapse of the Australian batsmen, and had led his side to 222-5 at the close of play, just 16 runs behind.
Unfortunately for Australia, Day 3 is where the momentum shifted. Just as England lost a wicket in the second over of the second day, Haddin went to Swann in the second over of the 3rd. An even bigger wicket fell just moments later. With England still leading by 5, Chris Rogers nicked Swann to Matt Prior (after a neat bit of work from the keeper). After such a fantastic innings, it was a shame to see such a soft dismissal. Not that England cared. With the tail now exposed, Siddle, Lyon and Harris all went before lunch, finishing the Australian innings on 270 all out, with a lead of just 32. England's response was once again checked by terrific Australian bowling, with Ryan Harris the key man. After dispensing of Root for just 2 with a stunning delivery, the seamer then got rid of Cook and the dangerous Trott in quick succession. With England on 49-3, a partnership was desperately required if they were to stand any chance. Pietersen and Ian Bell were that partnership, securing the innings and taking England to tea on 123-3, with a lead of 91. The pair stayed firm after the interval, leading Bell to yet another half-century. Pietersen looked set to follow the Warwickshire man to 50, but a poorly played shot to a Lyon delivery left him nicking through to Haddin, bringing an end to the 106 run partnership. The out of sorts Bairstow was next in, and he got off to a positive start, making it to 18 before a bizarre decision. Despite the light looking perfectly fine, the umpires decided that it wouldn't be safe to continue, and took the players off for a farcical 7 minutes. After the restart, Bairstow managed to add a further 10 runs before he perished, but Bell, like Rogers the day before, had to wait until into the evening to secure another century in this Ashes series. This fantastic innings enabled England to get to 234-5, 202 runs ahead. This set the final two days up nicely to be a close contest.
Day 4 proved to be the pivotal one, and ensured that England would not just retain the Ashes, but win the series. It did not start all that well, with overnight hero Bell having to depart for 113, before Prior went the very next ball for a golden duck, leaving Harris on a hat-trick. After defending that delivery, Broad could only make 5, before Harris did for him. Tim Bresnan added valuable runs as England moved past 300, and closed in his own personal half-century. However, he eventually fell just 5 runs short c&b to Lyon, but left England handily placed. Swann added the final few runs before Anderson was bowled by Lyon, meaning that England's innings came to a close on 330, setting Australia a target of 299 to win the 4th Test. In response, Australia started well, with both Warner and Rogers passing 30 comfortably. At 100-0, Australia looked to be in pole position, with Warner past his half-century, and Rogers on the brink. However, on 49, Rogers clipped a Swann delivery off his legs and into the hands of Prior. At tea, Australia seemed firm on 115-1, however few could have predicted the collapse that was to unfold. Even immediately after tea, Australia were adding the necessary runs, getting to 147-1, nearly half-way to their target. Swann then took the wicket of Khawaja, before Bresnan took the big scalp of Warner for 71. This set about an incredible turn of events, with one particular man taking the fore.
That man was seamer Stuart Broad. After an impressive first innings 5-fer, the bowler continued his form into the second innings. He began with the biggest wicket of them all, with a stunning delivery getting rid of the pivotal wicket of Michael Clarke. Next over, Steve Smith pulled back onto his stumps from another outstanding Broad delivery. After Bresnan took the wicket of Watson, Broad polished off the tail with no mercy. After Haddin was trapped lbw for 4, Harris went for 11 for the same reason. At 199-8, it seemed only a matter of when and not if England would reclaim the Ashes, meaning that Broad could bring up an incredible 10 wicket haul. He even managed to better that, taking the wickets of both Lyon and Siddle, to finish off the Test with a career-best 11 wickets, and sending the Chester-le-Street crowd into delirium.
This Australian collapse will also worry coach Darren Lehmann, and the entirety of the population down under. With the return Ashes series just a matter of months away, there will be much work for the Aussie staff and players to do if they are to stand a chance of reclaiming the urn on home soil. For me, I think that the Australian years of dominance are emphatically over, and though I do not expect a 5-0 victory down under like many commentators, I full expect the England side to retain, at least, the Ashes when they make that long journey this winter.
Monday, 22 July 2013
The Ashes 2013: 2nd Test, Lord's: Are The Predictions Really So Ridiculous?
In my 1st Test review, I stated that the events of the previous 5 days suggested that the predictions made by the likes of Sir Ian Botham (who made a seemingly outrageous 10-0 prediction over the next two Ashes series) were completely ridiculous, and bordering on disrespectful of the opponent. Predictions like that also tend to have the effect of underestimating their opponent, a fear that appeared realised as the Aussies moved within 15 runs of victory at Trent Bridge. However, the events of the previous four days at Lord's have shattered those illusions, and have forced me to question whether the predictions of Botham were actually so ridiculous in the first place. A complete decimation of the Australian batting, with the bowling often being treated with similar contempt, England have now moved within one Test victory of a series win, and still appear on course for a home whitewash.
The Lord's test started with England winning their second consecutive toss. With the wicket seeming dry and perfect for batting, the consensus was that this was a fantastic toss for Cook to have won. However, after a brief visit from the Queen, delaying the start (cue calls of 'reign stops play'), play began with a bang. England's top order were shattered by firstly Shane Watson, and then new-man Ryan Harris, leaving England without Root, Cook and Pietersen, and languishing on 28-3. Cue an inspirational fight-back from Trott and Bell, with the latter progressing to his third succesive century to put England in command of the Test by tea. Trott, who had reached his fifty in quick time, perished with a silly mistake, bringing the inexperienced Bairstow to the crease. He provided the perfect foil for Bell to add major runs, but should have gone on just 21, when the predatory Siddle ripped through the gate to send his off-stump cartwheeling. However, closer inspection revealed a no-ball, and the lucky Yorkshireman was called back. And he made the Aussies pay, reaching an impressive 50. With England rampant on 271-4, Aussie captain Michael Clarke will have been understandably worried. His solution: turn to the untested leg-spinner Steve Smith. Fortunately, the gamble paid off, as Smith took the wickets of Bell (109), Bairstow (69) and Prior (6) in quick succession, leaving the Aussies in higher spirits by the end of day 1, as England closed on 289-7.
Day 2 started with the Test still very much in the balance. With the average first-innings total at Lord's being closer to 400, England knew that the first session needed to be good to recover from the lapse in concentration at the end of the previous day. But their day got off to the worst possible start, as Bresnan went first ball to Harris. 289-8, and now England looked desperate. Anderson, after the briefest of responses, went to Harris. 312-9. With England seemingly on target for a below-average score, hopes rested on the partnership of Swann and Broad. Fortunately, they didn't disappoint, scoring at a tremendous rate, and moving England closer to that magic 400 mark. When Broad eventually perished, England sat on a much healthier 361, with a real target to now attack the Australians. Clearly frustrated, the Aussies lacked concentration in the early overs of their reply, with Watson narrowly avoiding an edge to Anderson first ball. Having briefly regathered his thoughts, the opener went for 30 to leave Australia on 42-1 at lunch, and missing a crucial batting cog. Things got much worse after lunch, as firstly Rodgers, then Hughes joined Watson in the pavilion in successive overs to leave Australia on 53-3. After debutant Khawaja briefly stabilised the innings, he too fell. 69-4. With Michael Clarke and Steve Smith the only registered batsmen left, an Ian Bell-esque recovery was needed. Clarke promised much, being the first man to reach 25 since Watson. But a disastrous couple of overs put the Aussies on the brink of collapse, as firstly Smith (2) and then Clarke (28) perished, leaving Australia on 91-6. The collapse was soon complete, as a shambolic run out gifted England the wicket of Agar, before Siddle, Haddin and Harris all fell before tea, finishing the innings on 128 all out. A dismal total. More bizarrely, however, England did not enforce the follow-on, electing instead to bat on themselves, presumably hoping to add further runs to the lead. The plan did not start well, with almost a carbon copy of the first innings. This time Cook (8), Trott (0) and Pietersen (5) all went cheaply, gifting Australia a way back in at 31-3 by the close.
Day 3 would seal the English victory, however. Starting the day on such a small total, the Aussies would have been confident of skittling the English batsmen and having a crack at a reasonable total to win. What they didn't account for was someone to have the game of their life. That someone was England's Joe Root. The young Yorkshireman started day 3 in confident fashion, himself and night-watchman Tim Bresnan picking up where they left off the previous night to pile 99 runs onto the total. With Root handily placed on 72, Bresnan lost his wicket on 38, after an excellent innings. After three successive centuries, the last person Australia would have wanted to have seen walking to the crease was Ian Bell. Himself and Root continued the onslaught of the Australian bowlers, helping Root to his maiden Test 100. There is certainly no better place to start than with an Ashes hundred at Lord's. A worrying sense of deja-vu set in as Bell cruised to his 50, and with England seeming invincible, it was surely only a matter of time until he reached three figures? Wrong. After another incredible innings, the usually calm Bell chipped a simple delivery down the throat of Chris Rodgers on 74. Despite this set back, Root remained collected, extending England's lead past the 500 mark, and bring up his 150 in fantastic fashion. At the close of play, England led by 566, and would pick up day 4 on 333-5, with Root on 178 not out.
What proved to be the final day began in dramatic fashion. In just the third over, Bairstow's quick innings came to an abrupt end, as he edged a Harris delivery through to Haddin. Just two overs later, Joe Root's dream of a Lord's double century went up in smoke. After such a composed innings, a horrible shot straight up into the air saw the young man perish. Immediately, England captain Cook signalled the declaration, leaving England on 349-7dec, and setting the Australians a seemingly insumountable target of 583 to win. More importantly, it gave England a whole day and a half to take the necessary 10 wickets. After starting nicely, the inconsistent Shane Watson was trapped lbw by Anderson for 20. Chris Rodgers soon followed for just 6, leaving the Aussies in real trouble of not making it to day 5, on just 32-2. The wickets continued to tumble, with Hughes gone soon after for just 1. 36-3. Michael Clarke and Usman Khawaja set about rebuilding the innings, with the pair making a good partnership. Not enough to worry England, but well built. Had the pair stuck around until the close, the nerves may have begun to settle in amongst the English players. However, both fell after making half-centuries. Joe Root, who seemingly walked on water for the last two days of the Test, was the catalyst behind both dismissals. Firstly, the captain Clarke, who clipped a simple delivery round the corner to his opposite number at slip for 51. He was swifly followed by Khawaja, who did something similar, picking out Anderson at gully for 54. Another collapse was threatened as Smith went for just 1 in the next over, but the Aussies stabilised.
With England requiring just 4 wickets, it was a touch ironic that the man they faced next was the very man they had tried, and failed to get out for so long at Trent Bridge: Ashton Agar. When he did eventually depart for 17, it wasn't without its share of controversy. Having been given not out on the field after a shout for a caught behind, England reviewed the decision to the third umpire. Needing to find 'conclusive evidence to overturn', Agar's cause was seemingly vindicated when no mark showed on HotSpot. However, much to the astonishment of the batsman, the decision was reversed, based solely on movement and a noise, rather than on the much more trusted thermal imaging. This certainly pours fuel on the already burning fire over DRS, with critics now suggesting that it doesn't actually work. Certainly, this decision appears to be unjust, and most DRS decisions this series have certainly benefitted the hosts. If this had been at Old Trafford (the football ground rather than the cricket one), we would be talking about 'Fergie-time' and bias and conspiracy theories. I am all for technology in sport, but when it is incorrectly used, there is no excuse. A swift apology may be required, as we saw in rugby league recently.
After Agar's dismissal, Australia attempted to get going, but every time they began to look comfortable, a wicket would fall. Next to go was Haddin, who was completely outfoxed by the bowling of Swann, to leave England needing just 2 wickets, and the Australians simply looking to draw the inevitable defeat out a little longer. The tail began to wag slightly, with Peter Siddle beginning to play some strokes. However, at 190-8, he too fell, leaving England just one wicket from victory. As 6 o'clock drew ever closer, new rules were consulted. As Australia were nine wickets down, an extra half an hour is allowed to be played, in order to try and finish the game then and there. Pattinson and Harris, having batted valiantly for the final wicket, now had to withstand another period of intense pressure. After holding England at bay for 10 minutes over the allotted time, Swann began the final over of the day. After defending the first ball, Pattinson was trapped lbw with the second to send the English crowd into delirium, and leave the English side needing just one more Test victory to secure the urn once more.
Having watched the Trent Bridge Test on the edge of my seat, I found myself becoming less and less interested during the Lord's one. As I have said previously, I would most enjoy a highly competitive set of Tests, with an English victory being the ultimate outcome. The 1st Test fulfilled all of my expectations, and more. However, this one left me feeling bored. Not at the way the English played, as it was at times exhilarating. I am becoming bored of the Australian batting order collapsing. Having discussed this with several people, the best piece of advice as to why I feel this way is undoubtedly that I 'haven't experienced the pain'. With my first memory of being interested in an Ashes Test series being in 2005, I have only experienced English home wins. I therefore was not watching when England were ripped apart for series after series in the 90s, and so cannot feel that delight at watching an old enemy suffer now. From my point of view, I hope the Test at Old Trafford is considerably closer than the one at Lord's, as I am looking for entertainment. I do now understand, but cannot feel, the point of view from every other cricket fan in the country: more of the same please!
The Lord's test started with England winning their second consecutive toss. With the wicket seeming dry and perfect for batting, the consensus was that this was a fantastic toss for Cook to have won. However, after a brief visit from the Queen, delaying the start (cue calls of 'reign stops play'), play began with a bang. England's top order were shattered by firstly Shane Watson, and then new-man Ryan Harris, leaving England without Root, Cook and Pietersen, and languishing on 28-3. Cue an inspirational fight-back from Trott and Bell, with the latter progressing to his third succesive century to put England in command of the Test by tea. Trott, who had reached his fifty in quick time, perished with a silly mistake, bringing the inexperienced Bairstow to the crease. He provided the perfect foil for Bell to add major runs, but should have gone on just 21, when the predatory Siddle ripped through the gate to send his off-stump cartwheeling. However, closer inspection revealed a no-ball, and the lucky Yorkshireman was called back. And he made the Aussies pay, reaching an impressive 50. With England rampant on 271-4, Aussie captain Michael Clarke will have been understandably worried. His solution: turn to the untested leg-spinner Steve Smith. Fortunately, the gamble paid off, as Smith took the wickets of Bell (109), Bairstow (69) and Prior (6) in quick succession, leaving the Aussies in higher spirits by the end of day 1, as England closed on 289-7.
Day 2 started with the Test still very much in the balance. With the average first-innings total at Lord's being closer to 400, England knew that the first session needed to be good to recover from the lapse in concentration at the end of the previous day. But their day got off to the worst possible start, as Bresnan went first ball to Harris. 289-8, and now England looked desperate. Anderson, after the briefest of responses, went to Harris. 312-9. With England seemingly on target for a below-average score, hopes rested on the partnership of Swann and Broad. Fortunately, they didn't disappoint, scoring at a tremendous rate, and moving England closer to that magic 400 mark. When Broad eventually perished, England sat on a much healthier 361, with a real target to now attack the Australians. Clearly frustrated, the Aussies lacked concentration in the early overs of their reply, with Watson narrowly avoiding an edge to Anderson first ball. Having briefly regathered his thoughts, the opener went for 30 to leave Australia on 42-1 at lunch, and missing a crucial batting cog. Things got much worse after lunch, as firstly Rodgers, then Hughes joined Watson in the pavilion in successive overs to leave Australia on 53-3. After debutant Khawaja briefly stabilised the innings, he too fell. 69-4. With Michael Clarke and Steve Smith the only registered batsmen left, an Ian Bell-esque recovery was needed. Clarke promised much, being the first man to reach 25 since Watson. But a disastrous couple of overs put the Aussies on the brink of collapse, as firstly Smith (2) and then Clarke (28) perished, leaving Australia on 91-6. The collapse was soon complete, as a shambolic run out gifted England the wicket of Agar, before Siddle, Haddin and Harris all fell before tea, finishing the innings on 128 all out. A dismal total. More bizarrely, however, England did not enforce the follow-on, electing instead to bat on themselves, presumably hoping to add further runs to the lead. The plan did not start well, with almost a carbon copy of the first innings. This time Cook (8), Trott (0) and Pietersen (5) all went cheaply, gifting Australia a way back in at 31-3 by the close.
Day 3 would seal the English victory, however. Starting the day on such a small total, the Aussies would have been confident of skittling the English batsmen and having a crack at a reasonable total to win. What they didn't account for was someone to have the game of their life. That someone was England's Joe Root. The young Yorkshireman started day 3 in confident fashion, himself and night-watchman Tim Bresnan picking up where they left off the previous night to pile 99 runs onto the total. With Root handily placed on 72, Bresnan lost his wicket on 38, after an excellent innings. After three successive centuries, the last person Australia would have wanted to have seen walking to the crease was Ian Bell. Himself and Root continued the onslaught of the Australian bowlers, helping Root to his maiden Test 100. There is certainly no better place to start than with an Ashes hundred at Lord's. A worrying sense of deja-vu set in as Bell cruised to his 50, and with England seeming invincible, it was surely only a matter of time until he reached three figures? Wrong. After another incredible innings, the usually calm Bell chipped a simple delivery down the throat of Chris Rodgers on 74. Despite this set back, Root remained collected, extending England's lead past the 500 mark, and bring up his 150 in fantastic fashion. At the close of play, England led by 566, and would pick up day 4 on 333-5, with Root on 178 not out.
What proved to be the final day began in dramatic fashion. In just the third over, Bairstow's quick innings came to an abrupt end, as he edged a Harris delivery through to Haddin. Just two overs later, Joe Root's dream of a Lord's double century went up in smoke. After such a composed innings, a horrible shot straight up into the air saw the young man perish. Immediately, England captain Cook signalled the declaration, leaving England on 349-7dec, and setting the Australians a seemingly insumountable target of 583 to win. More importantly, it gave England a whole day and a half to take the necessary 10 wickets. After starting nicely, the inconsistent Shane Watson was trapped lbw by Anderson for 20. Chris Rodgers soon followed for just 6, leaving the Aussies in real trouble of not making it to day 5, on just 32-2. The wickets continued to tumble, with Hughes gone soon after for just 1. 36-3. Michael Clarke and Usman Khawaja set about rebuilding the innings, with the pair making a good partnership. Not enough to worry England, but well built. Had the pair stuck around until the close, the nerves may have begun to settle in amongst the English players. However, both fell after making half-centuries. Joe Root, who seemingly walked on water for the last two days of the Test, was the catalyst behind both dismissals. Firstly, the captain Clarke, who clipped a simple delivery round the corner to his opposite number at slip for 51. He was swifly followed by Khawaja, who did something similar, picking out Anderson at gully for 54. Another collapse was threatened as Smith went for just 1 in the next over, but the Aussies stabilised.
With England requiring just 4 wickets, it was a touch ironic that the man they faced next was the very man they had tried, and failed to get out for so long at Trent Bridge: Ashton Agar. When he did eventually depart for 17, it wasn't without its share of controversy. Having been given not out on the field after a shout for a caught behind, England reviewed the decision to the third umpire. Needing to find 'conclusive evidence to overturn', Agar's cause was seemingly vindicated when no mark showed on HotSpot. However, much to the astonishment of the batsman, the decision was reversed, based solely on movement and a noise, rather than on the much more trusted thermal imaging. This certainly pours fuel on the already burning fire over DRS, with critics now suggesting that it doesn't actually work. Certainly, this decision appears to be unjust, and most DRS decisions this series have certainly benefitted the hosts. If this had been at Old Trafford (the football ground rather than the cricket one), we would be talking about 'Fergie-time' and bias and conspiracy theories. I am all for technology in sport, but when it is incorrectly used, there is no excuse. A swift apology may be required, as we saw in rugby league recently.
After Agar's dismissal, Australia attempted to get going, but every time they began to look comfortable, a wicket would fall. Next to go was Haddin, who was completely outfoxed by the bowling of Swann, to leave England needing just 2 wickets, and the Australians simply looking to draw the inevitable defeat out a little longer. The tail began to wag slightly, with Peter Siddle beginning to play some strokes. However, at 190-8, he too fell, leaving England just one wicket from victory. As 6 o'clock drew ever closer, new rules were consulted. As Australia were nine wickets down, an extra half an hour is allowed to be played, in order to try and finish the game then and there. Pattinson and Harris, having batted valiantly for the final wicket, now had to withstand another period of intense pressure. After holding England at bay for 10 minutes over the allotted time, Swann began the final over of the day. After defending the first ball, Pattinson was trapped lbw with the second to send the English crowd into delirium, and leave the English side needing just one more Test victory to secure the urn once more.
Having watched the Trent Bridge Test on the edge of my seat, I found myself becoming less and less interested during the Lord's one. As I have said previously, I would most enjoy a highly competitive set of Tests, with an English victory being the ultimate outcome. The 1st Test fulfilled all of my expectations, and more. However, this one left me feeling bored. Not at the way the English played, as it was at times exhilarating. I am becoming bored of the Australian batting order collapsing. Having discussed this with several people, the best piece of advice as to why I feel this way is undoubtedly that I 'haven't experienced the pain'. With my first memory of being interested in an Ashes Test series being in 2005, I have only experienced English home wins. I therefore was not watching when England were ripped apart for series after series in the 90s, and so cannot feel that delight at watching an old enemy suffer now. From my point of view, I hope the Test at Old Trafford is considerably closer than the one at Lord's, as I am looking for entertainment. I do now understand, but cannot feel, the point of view from every other cricket fan in the country: more of the same please!
Sunday, 26 May 2013
IPL 2013 Final: Who Chokes Best?
In a two part series on the IPL, I will be looking back at
my highlights from this season, as well as providing my Team of the Year. In
this post, I cover my personal highlights, and a brief review of the grand
finale today in Kolkata.
The
Indian Premier League: a competition where it is considered fashionable to wear
two baseball caps. Whilst this is only one of my many memories from the 6th
incarnation of the Sub-Saharan Twenty 20 Cricket tournament, it is one that
sticks in my memory. The Indian Premier League is perfect for the cricket fan
who watches the Test highlights on Channel 5, and doesn’t want to sit through
dot ball after dot ball. It is arguably also the same place where you would see
Sachin Tendulkar, Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga and Mitchell Johnson all in
the same team. Another intriguing few months of top quality cricket came to an
end today at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, but before I go into the final itself, I
will firstly go through a few more of my personal highlights.
Firstly,
this list could not be complete without a big West Indian having his say.
Fortunately, in this list we have two. The first to make this list is Royal
Challengers Bangalore opening batsman Chris Gayle. His innings against the Pune
Warriors was nothing short of spectacular, leaving pundits and commentators to
declare that ‘you will never see a better Twenty 20 innings’. Batting through
the entire 20 overs, a feat in itself, the big West Indian smacked the ball to
all corners, including the longest 6 of the tournament (119 metres), bringing
up the fastest 100 in Twenty 20 (and I suspect all forms of) cricket history.
Just 33 balls were taken to reach this milestone, putting his strike rate at
333.333, or 3.33 runs a ball to the layman. A simply phenomenal effort. And he
didn’t stop there. In his next 33 deliveries, he continued knocking the ball
about, reaching an incredible 175 off the 66 balls he faced. 175! Whole teams
struggle to make that score from 120 balls, never mind half that! This innings
was typical of the big man’s performance, and one that will go down in the
annuls of history.
The
second West Indian to make my list happens to be another big man. Mumbai
Indians’ Kieron Pollard’s performance in the crucial game against the Sunrisers
Hydrabad deserves to be in here, as with every ball he faced I found myself
getting more and more excited. In a spot of trouble mid-innings, and having
lost a few wickets in their chase, Mumbai called on Pollard to get them out of
their hole. And how the big man responded! A quick-fire 66 from 27 balls almost
single-handedly turned the game on its head, taking the required run rate from 15
to 9.5 a over. Smashing Thisana Pereira for 29 in one over set the tone for the
all-rounder, hitting 6 maximums in a sequence of 7 balls. Certainly you will
see no better example of a single-handed turnaround in this IPL season. Pollard
also has the benefit of being a tremendous fielder. Memorable catches against
Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings also propelled Pollard into our
attention this spring. A valuable player to have in your side, especially as
you get into the later overs.
My
third memory is a rather more nostalgic one. Adam Gilchrist, on his final performance
for the Kings XI Punjab, was given the final over to bowl. With his team
already having won the match against the Mumbai Indians, Gilly, normally a
wicket-keeper, was able to bowl his very first over in Twenty 20 cricket. Using
what can only be described as ‘weird spin’, I fully expected Harbhajan Singh to
smash the Aussie out of the ground multiple times. The last thing I expected
was for the off-spinner to mishit the ball out to long-on and lose his wicket!
As the Mumbai Indians were something for 9 at the time, the game was obviously
ended, and Gilchrist ended with figures of 0.1 overs bowled, 1 for 0 runs, and
a 100% strike rate! His celebrations after the wicket was taken were superb,
and illustrated the passion and flair that the sport will miss with his
retirement.
Despite
the loss of Gilchrist, celebrations are not something this competition will be
without next year. Four contenders for celebration of the season, with very
different dancing styles. Firstly, Dwayne Bravo’s hip-swinging when taking
either a wicket or catch caught the eye. Secondly, Darren Sammy’s wicket
celebration, putting a dummy in his mouth and ‘rocking the cradle’, signifying
the birth of his baby daughter. Unfortunately for Sammy, this came back to bite
him, when Brad Hodge hit the winning runs off Sammy’s bowling in the
Eliminator, he did the same cradle rocking moves we had become accustomed to
from the West Indian. Next, seeing a big man do the Gangnam Style is always
funny, and Chris Gayle is no exception. Even funnier, though, is seeing
Harbhajan Singh’s take on it. Rebranded the ‘Pangnam Style’, Bhaji’s moves were
certainly interesting, and I look forward to seeing more creations from the
players next year.
As for the final, in a match between the top
two teams in the regular season table, labelled as ‘Batting vs Bowling’, as
Chennai’s batting and Mumbai’s bowling attacks are considered to be the best,
round 1 went to the Super Kings. In the Qualifier, they comprehensively
outplayed the Mumbai side, winning by a massive 48 runs. This seemed to imply
that Batting is more important than bowling in Twenty 20 cricket. However,
after overcoming the Rajasthan Royals in the 2nd Qualifier, Mumbai
had the chance to get their own back on the grandest stage of them all.
Chennai, on the other hand, would want to avoid defeat in the final for the
second year running, having been beaten by Kolkata in last year’s showpiece.
With
Mumbai in to bat first, Chennai had the early chance to test the theory of
Mumbai as ‘chokers’. And choke they certainly seemed to, with an early batting
collapse, leaving them at 16-3. With Karthik and Rayudu at the crease, the
inning stabilised for a while. When Karthik went in the 10th over,
Mumbai looked in serious trouble. Kieron Pollard was the next man in, and he
kept his head, and kept Mumbai on the path to posting a competitive score.
Whilst wickets tumbled around him in the closing overs, he smashed two huge
sixes off the last 2 balls to ensure that Mumbai had a reasonable 148 total,
leaving Chennai chasing a eminently gettable 149. However, Chennai’s innings
got off to the worst possible start, with both the Orange cap-holding, usually
dependable, Mike Hussey and Suresh Raina out in the first Malinga over. 2-2.
Badrinath fell in the next to Johnson. 3-3. At this point it looked more like
Chennai were the chokers. And the wickets kept falling. After a short reposte,
Bravo went to Dhawan. 35-4. Jadeja then fell off the bowling of Pollard,
playing a ridiculous sweep stroke. 36-5. In came Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the
talisman and the glue of this Chennai side, and it was he that started the
recovery.
But all
too soon, he began to run out of partners. Vijay went next over to Johnson, at
39-6. Albie Morkel, after a brief cameo, was clean bowled by Ojha. All the
Mumbai bowlers were getting in on the act. Morris was next to go, caught off
Harbhajan. With Chennai languishing at 58-8, surely that was game over. But
still there was Dhoni, smashing maximums as though his life depended on it. And
try as they might, the Mumbai bowlers simply could not get him out. However,
after all of Dhoni’s fighting, Ravi Ashwin was caught playing a foolish shot
off Pollard at 99-9. After this, there was no going back. Dhoni again tried
valiantly to score runs, but time and balls ran out, leaving Chennai needing 42
off the last over. They ended up losing the match by 23 runs, which given their
predicament speaks volumes for Mahendra Singh Dhoni, but it handed Mumbai their
first IPL victory in 6 attempts.
A
brilliant season, culminating in a final that twisted and turned, producing pure
drama, and a shock as the favourites were beaten. As we have seen in other
sports, rarely does the favourites tag mean anything at all. Mumbai have shown
this once again, and will return to defend their title next year, when
hopefully, Sachin Tendulkar will be fit once more. Though viewing figures in
the UK may have declined, I will most certainly be tuning in next campaign.
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