Spinners - ready to rule the roost in IPL

In a format that sounded the death knell for spinners, isn't it ironic that it is in fact the spinners who have held their own, so much so that they hold the trump card for most teams in the cash rich Indian Premier League (IPL).

With boundaries getting shorter, bats bigger and pitches flatter, spinners have had to constantly reinvent themselves more than their other illustrious counterpart. Fast bowlers can bowl faster deliveries or radically reduce speed and thus create deception. Spinners on the other hand have had to keep trying new things all the time in order to be counted. From the 'Doosra' to the 'Carrom ball' to going around the wicket to make sure the batsman has less room available to free his arms, it is the spinners who have continued to evolve and be effective and mystifying while fighting a battle for survival.

From Kolkata's Sunil Narine to Hyderabad's Amit Mishra to Punjab's Piyush Chawla et al, spinners have influenced the outcome of topsy-turvy Twenty20 matches that have invariably gone into the last over without an assured victor.

A glance at the overall economy rates for spinners vis-a-vis the faster men in each season indicates how well they have adapted to the requirements of this format.

Pace and spin in each IPL season so far
Season		Spin-balls		Wickets		Average		Econ. rate		Pace-balls		Wickets		Average		Econ. rate
2008		2981		134		30.38		8.19		9886		467		28.42		8.05
2009		4963		226		24.77		6.76		7978		388		26.25		7.65
2010		4943		210		28.80		7.34		8656		405		29.64		8.32
2011		6235		268		27.60		7.11		10166		470		28.12		7.80
2012		6118		241		31.35		7.41		11090		531		27.19		7.81

 

Barring the inaugural season of the IPL, the spinners have consistently had a much lower economy rate than the pacers in all of the other editions.

From being cannon fodder as previously thought, they are bowling in the Power Plays, which shows the extent to which a spinners' role has progressed. While in the first IPL, spinners bowled all of 30 overs during the Powerplays over the entire tournament, it is pertinent to note that in the 2012 edition, spinners bowled 211 overs during the same period, a seven-fold increase over 2008.

At the same time, of the 11 Hat-Tricks that have taken place in the IPL so far, 8 have been taken by the spinners (a record 3 times by Amit Mishra, brace by Yuvraj Singh, 1 each by Sunil Narine, Ajit Chandila and Rohit Sharma) while only 3 have been taken by the seamers.

It is clear that the notion of spinners being easy meat and finished article in T-20 has in fact been emphatically put to rest. What is unclear though is the impact twenty20 cricket is having on potential young spinners throughout the cricketing world. Well that is a different story altogether. For the time being, it is time to rejoice in the role and importance that spinners have been accorded in the IPL.

Rajasthan Royals : Proverbial Underdogs ready to bite in IPL 6

Who doesn't like the underdogs ? And when it happens to be Rajasthan Royals (RR), the likeability factor increases that much more. Easily the most frugal amongst all the teams in IPL, their modus operandi for all these years has been rather simple - Gamble with youngsters (in what they consider as potential match-winners) picked up rather cheap and hope they will fire.  Add a couple of elder statesman of the game  who are past their sell by date in the international arena and dare I add unwanted in any other franchise, buy unheralded foreign players (mostly Australian) who are not even established T-20 stars and retain someone, may I add just one, whom they consider their lynchpin in Shane Watson.  And of course make one amongst the grey haired players as the captain. And RR is all set to fight it out in the IPL edition.

While the unheralded and surreal success in the first edition of the IPL, under the astute leadership of Shane Warne made the whole cricket community stand up and take notice of the team, their performance in the years gone by (Rajasthan have failed to finish higher than sixth in the last four editions) has all but ensured  that memories of that triumph have become foggy; a distant achievement that seems more like a dream. Since then, Shane Warne has passed on the captaincy baton to another veteran in Rahul Dravid.

While it is true that being thrifty has been the norm of the franchise, their tactical blunder of letting go of their star all-rounders in Yusuf Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja has hit them badly. Also their reluctance in picking T-20 specialists has made Rajasthan Royals, for the past couple of seasons, look like a team content in making up the numbers.

However, all that is set to change in the ongoing edition of the IPL. For starters, their ever dependable all-rounder Shane Watson is available for the entirety of the IPL season, unlike ever before. Trinidadian Kevin Cooper, for whom the last IPL edition was nothing less than a fairytale has successfully recovered from his knee fracture and is available for selection. The acquisition of James Faulkner who has lately been in sensational form, helping Tasmania to the Sheffield Shield title is undoubtedly going to add more teeth to their fragile bowling attack. In Shaun Tait, Samuel Badree and Siddharth Trivedi  along with Indian cricket's enfant terrible S. Sreesanth also in the mix, Rajasthan Royals' bowling arsenal looks as good as any team this time around.

Ajinkya Rahane and skipper Rahul Dravid again hold the aces when it comes to their batting. They emerged as a magnificent opening pair and provided them solid starts in most of the matches, in the last edition. While Dravid's achievements in IPL 5 were noteworthy, Rahane is their best bet after Shane Watson provided he gets his mojo back quickly. In Brad Hodge and Owais Shah they have two veteran Twenty20 batsman who can absorb pressure and accelerate the innings.

With the inclusion of some fine domestic talent in Sanju Samson, Rahul Shukla, Sachin Baby and Harmeet Singh, the team is already starting to show that it has buried the ghosts of the past editions.

Having already fashioned convincing victories (three victories in four matches) against more fancied oppositions, Rajastan Royals couldn't have hoped for a much better start in IPL 6. With the momentum clearly with the Men in Blue so early in the tournament, one is compelled to say that though history has an uncanny habit of repeating itself, will it be this time for Rajasthan Royals. Only time will tell..

All things CSK

So, the IPL mania is back again. With the sixth edition of the much revered and equally detested premier domestic cricket tournament about to commence amidst  seemingly unending controversies and a new title sponsor, this showpiece event sure promises a lot of action on-field besides its off-field theatrics.

Thus, it's naturally pertinent to focus on a team that has been the most consistent amongst all the franchises. And no marks for guessing, it is the yellow brigade-CHENNAI SUPER KINGS (CSK). Having  made it to the finals thrice in the last three editions and been crowned champions twice, it's the only IPL team to hold this coveted honor.

So what is it that makes CSK the powerhouse, that it is ?? For the critiques of the league and CSK in particular, it has a lot to do with some key personnel at the top. CSK is owned by India cements, whose Vice-Chairman and Managing Director is Mr. N Srinivasan.  For those living under a rock, and I doubt especially in India (how ironic is that !!), he is the President of the BCCI.  Having the captain of the Indian cricket team, heading CSK pretty much works as a combination destined for unmatched success or so they say..

But is it really that easy as it is made out to be? A closer look at how things work at CSK, might give us a better understanding of the whole issue.

Captain M S Dhoni and Coach Stephen Fleming have consistently maintained  the core team of CSK throughout the IPL editions. Retaining their key players who consciously make an attempt to do well for their team has emerged as a pivotal reason for their unprecedented success. Also it's noteworthy to note that CSK has made it to the semifinals in each edition of the tournament not because they have the best players with them but because they have most of the bases covered in the team. With a clear objective of making  the optimum utilization of the players, every player in the team has a clear description of his role and that makes decision making easier. Their batting revolves around Michael Hussey, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, who have been dependable and consistent in the past. In Bravo, Sir( Ravindra Jadeja, who else!!) and Morkel they have three all-rounders who can provide the balance for the team coupled with some of the best fielders in the game in Suresh Raina, Sir again, Badrinath, Michael Hussey and many more. However, it's the bowling that is the weak link, and at the risk of sounding cocky, it is arguably the reason why they have been able to win only two editions.

Having said that, success brings its own windfalls. The CSK players will be only too happy to shed light on this. Players who have played  for this particular franchise – the likes of Suresh Raina, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, besides skipper Dhoni, and to a lesser extent Murali Vijay and Subramaniam Badrinath – have had a clear edge over others in the race to make it to the folds of Team India.

Add to it the likes of players who managed to represent the national team from obscurity - Sudeep Tyagi, Gony, Joginder Sharma, Wridhiman Saha, Parthiv Patel and one would be tempted to wonder if being a part of CSK is the ultimate ticket for donning the Indian colours.

That said, CSK have bolstered their weakish bowling attack by bringing in Dirk Nannes (Aus), Ben Laughlin (Aus),  Akila Dananjaya (SL), Jason Holder (WI) and Christopher Morris (SA) as their foreign recruits along with signing a string of unheralded Indian bowlers ahead of the sixth edition of IPL.

With seemingly all of their bases covered, CSK undoubtedly is the team to beat in IPL-6.

How about some ambush marketing !!

While Ambush Marketing in cricket has largely been reserved for the World cups,  the BCCI with its unflinching appetite for money ; apologies Massive Money, may just have stirred up a hornet's nest.

It's no secret that the Indian Premier League has consistently had various national and international brands as its official partners for various seasons, the 2013 edition offers something that is sure to stump the official broadcaster of IPL - Multi Screen Media (which owns the Sony Entertainment Network).

Star India has come on board, signing a deal worth  INR 60 crore, as the ‘On-ground Associate Sponsor’. Through this mode of sponsorship, Star India plans to promote its flagship channel Star Plus extensively via a post event award ceremony called as ‘Nayi Soch Awards’. With prizes on offer for every special achievement by a player on the field being awarded by leading characters of famous shows on Star Plus, this marketing tactic is sure to ruffle up the feathers of Sony.

Multi Screen Media (MSM) holds the Indian Premier League broadcast rights for ten years, which it bought for around INR 6,000 crore. With 9 teams playing a total of 75 matches in the current edition, it appears to be a smart and calculated move which may just end up giving rich dividends to the Star Group.

For the record, there is a certain rivalry attached to the biggest television networks in India. Last year, Sony and Star TV were amongst the bidders vying for the broadcast, internet and mobile rights for cricket in India. But, it was Star TV which bagged a six-year deal worth INR 3,850 crore, with the BCCI, narrowly pipping Sony, allowing it to telecast 96 international matches to be played in India till March 2018.

Anyhow, since all of this appears well within the guidelines put forth by the BCCI, it will be interesting to see the reaction and approach of MSM on this whole issue.

Mickey & Pup - A combination destined to fail !!

So, the test series has finally come to a humiliating yet expected end for the once-upon-a-time invincible Aussies. Many experts claim that with the unofficial revenge series now in the bag (and how), India is on the right track to reclaim its number one Test Ranking. While this is highly debatable, the picture will become more clearer once India tours South Africa , New Zealand and England between 2013-2014.

While it's obvious that a 4-0 margin has clearly exposed the inadequacies the Australian team faces on several fronts, it also gives a subtle reflection of what the current team lacks in abundance vis-a-vis the past dominating Aussie teams - and here we are not talking about the talent or experience or key personnel, we are talking about 'INTIMIDATION' and 'AGGRESION'. Past Australian teams have always been associated with these two key aspects-facets that have come to be known as a part of the Aussie culture. It had played a crucial role in their era of dominance, but unfortunately these are glaringly missing from the current lot. And no marks for guessing, who are responsible for this, of course the captain and the coach.

Talking about Michael Clarke aka pup, while he has had the best twelve months with the willow in hand, his leadership qualities especially on the field have often been much revered. Coach Mickey Arthur himself has been a highly successful South African coach having orchestrated the rise of the team to number one in one day international rankings. While the credentials of the two look most impressive and seem a match made in heaven, apparently their combination is proving to be otherwise. Their insistence on having a very specific team culture, coupled with dire consequences for those not adhering to their diktats has made the team not only more disjointed but also robbed the essential qualities of a typical Aussie player.

A perfect example could be seen in the recent test match played in Delhi, where Shane Watson was captaining the side in place of Clarke. Day two of the match saw some high voltage action, with the Aussies finally displaying raw emotions while being on the field. Australia managed to get under the Indian skins after Warner had a heated verbal altercation with Jadeja, igniting tensions in the final session of the game, after which Jadeja approached the umpires who then summoned Watson to pacify the feisty opener.

During the post match conference, Nathan Lyon dropped a hint of what he felt was sorely missing in the side and stated that the brief moment of tension may have built pressure on Dhoni and could have been one of the factors that led to the dismissal of the Indian captain. In stating so, he also added that they should have tried to unsettle the home side well before they crashed to a 3-0 deficit.

Aggression is one of the ways by which this team plays its best cricket as they put the contest to the opposition and history has shown that no matter whoever the opposing team is, this method has always worked well for Australia. And this is primarily the reason why, day two of the test match belonged to them. While it's obvious that Watson and Arthur don't share the kind of relation, Clarke and Arthur share, what was stand out was the marked difference in the approach undertaken by the team when it had a change in personnel at the top. While Watson is more free spirited and more of a person who hates to be governed by rules, Clarke is in fact the exact opposite.

As a cricket aficionado, I strongly feel that until and unless the famed Aussie culture of yesteryears is not brought back immediately into the fold, this Australian team will keep scaling down one summit after the other (especially with the forthcoming back-to-back Ashes looming large ). That is why it is important for the betterment of the team and cricket in general that the team management allows the players to freely express themselves on the field rather than making them puppets at the hands of those in power.

Nothing Unusual About It !!! - First day of Mohali Test

Sacking or no sacking, it turned out to be a typical first day for the Aussies (never mind the washed out first day). Much was expected from the 'Men Down Under' after the recent episode especially  when Mickey Arthur's 'Line in the sand' phrase had been googled an unprecedented number of times.

So, the toss was won by Michael Clarke for a third straight time and he had no hesitation in batting first. A rousing start from the openers - a 139 run stand had in fact started to make me feel that a certain Mr. Mickey Arthur was the next biggest Management Guru to have been unearthed from the Indian shores after the self proclaimed and immensely popular (well! I have no reasons to believe otherwise) Mr. Arindam Chaudhuri.

But alas that was not to be. A good start was frittered away and how. 273 for 7 may not look that bad at the end of the day but when one takes into account the docile pitch (surprising for a Mohali wicket) coupled with an excellent start that was provided, it well gives an uncanny resemblance to everything that has seen been seen on this tour - on the field that is !!

Clarke had declared before the start of this test match that he'd had enough and would bat at one drop to lend more solidity to the team. And so he did, but stepping out first ball especially  to a bowler who had castled him twice in the previous test, didn't  prove a very smart move for the skipper. A golden first ball duck and suddenly the writing was on the wall for the visitors.

Ravindra Jadeja - the favourite whipping boy of Indian Cricket for reasons unknown has suddenly found a very distinguished bunny for himself in Michael Clarke. Another torturous period awaited Phillip Hughes and he gladly obliged. For someone who seemed the only benefactor in the shocking events gone by, it was sad to see the young batsman play. 2 runs in 31 balls is just not what is expected from a front line Aussie batsman. Anyhow Steven Smith, another bits and pieces player was positive right from the word go. Display of nerves even if they were present were nowhere to be seen. Having the same batting coach as Michael Clarke, Smith made excellent use of the depth of the crease and looked every bit assured against the spinners. In the team primarily for his batting skills, he impressed with his stroke play and range of shots.

Brad Haddin in place of Matthew Wade, was his customary aggressive self right from the start and provided an entertaining  46 run stand for the fifth wicket. The star of the first test Moises Henriques went for a first ball duck to a peach of a delivery from Ishant Sharma. Peter Siddle was quickly wrapped up by Jadeja and it again seemed a situation where Clarke might just think of declaring the innings  today itself. But, Mitchell Starc in company with the promising Smith stitched together an unbroken partnership of 22 runs for the 8th wicket to finish the day at 273 for 7.

For the Indian bowlers, it was a mixed day. After looking clueless during the initial phase of the game, the bowlers came back strongly to finish the day on a convincing note. Barring Bhuvneshwar Kumar who was guilty of leaking runs, all others looked the part with Jadeja again upstaging the other specialist spinners.

All in all, it was a good game of cricket. The Indians will look to wrap up the Aussie innings for less than 300, until we are made to witness a Smith special. Shikhar Dhawan is making his debut in this test match. It would be exciting to watch him open the batting and face the red cherry along with Vijay, sometime tomorrow.