Is Ireland Cricket fighting a lost cause?

On  July 9^th 2013, Ireland became the first Associate nation to qualify for the 2015 World Cup. However there are good chances that most of the cricketing world would have missed the high intensity drama that day in Amstelveen as Ireland pulled off a thrilling last-ball tie against their Dutch hosts.IRELAND CRICKET

For long, Ireland has been at the forefront of rising standards and profile of Associate and Affiliate cricket around the world. The World Cup 2015 will be Ireland's sixth global event, with the side having already competed in the 2007 and 2011 editions, as well as the ICC World Cup Twenty20 in 2009, 2010 and 2012.

During the 2007 event in the Caribbean, the Irish broke many hearts when their motley bunch of amateurs-including a postman, a farmhand, a school teacher and an electrician-defeated Pakistan. Four years hence, Kevin O' Brien smashed the fastest century in World Cup history as Ireland defeated England in extraordinary fashion.

If Irish player expectations have soared, then so too have those of supporters and administrators. In the last three years, Ireland have been defeated just four times in 42 ODI's by their fellow Associates and Affiliates, clearly establishing their kingpin status in the Associate world.

With seemingly no more lands to conquer, Cricket Ireland recently announced that it will apply for full membership of ICC, with ambitions for Test status by 2020. But without a clear roadmap  for graduating to the next level and reluctance on the part of ICC to define , let alone create one after the premature and hurried elevation of Bangladesh - Irish players seem to have become flustered. In a sport like cricket, careers are finite and the lure of better opportunities (read Test Cricket) has proved overpowering for some.

From the likes of Ed Joyce who once went astray only to find out that he was not in England's scheme of things for Test Cricket to limited overs giant Eoin Morgan-who has slipped down England's pecking order in the longer version of the game, Cricket Ireland has been rendered helpless in preventing its players from representing England. Another Irish star, fast bowler Boyd Rankin has just recently become a part of England setup and it won't be long before the talented 21-year old left-arm spinner George Dockrell is lapped up by them.

It's clear that the quality of cricketers being produced by the emerald isle is not a problem. One argument against Ireland's elevation is lack of stadia. Ireland currently host their home matches at Stormont in Belfast and Clontarf in Dublin, each having a capacity of over 5,000 spectators for internationals. But with the under construction stadia in Malahide, planned to have a capacity of over  10,000 to be completed in the next two months, Ireland will be able to spread its fixtures between three top quality venues.

Another argument puts forth the fact that Ireland has no domestic first-class structure in place. Ireland's chief executive, Warren Deutrom has outlined a plan to establish a provincial first-class structure, although the plans are still in a nascent stage. It is important to note that Bangladesh received their Test status before their first-class competition could be properly established. Only in the season following their  first Test match, did the National Cricket League become a first-class competition.  

With seemingly all the bases covered, where is Ireland cricket heading?  Test Nations continue to ignore their improving one-day results since it doesn't make financial sense to play them. The ICC, despite its rhetoric about globalising the game, doesn't act to stem the talent drain.

With a number of Irish players playing in the highly-competitive County circuit, Ireland should be better prepared for Tests than say, players from Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Moreover providing Test status would help them retain quality players and feature in more top-level competitions. At least their ODI record shows they are good enough. For the moment though, it remains an agonizing wait for Irish cricket fans and its cricketers, for whom, Test status still seems a distant dream.

MAGGI MAN's Rise Shows Why Opening No Longer a Specialist's Job

It is often said in cricket that opening the innings is a job best left to specialists. After all, a specialist opener must possess the rare combination of a different technique and a different mindset to achieve success at the top of the order. 

But the history of one-day cricket is replete with examples of players who have made successful transition from middle-order to opening, thereby quashing the notion that it is a specialised position.

Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly,  Sanath Jayasuriya, Mark Waugh, Adam Gilchrist and many more set new benchmarks in ODI cricket with their explosive and flamboyant batting, ably showcasing their batting prowess with consistency hitherto unseen in the game.

While it is true that all these greats came into their respective teams primarily as middle-order batsman, in most cases circumstances forced them to get converted to openers-possibly as a last resort to save their promising careers.

A case in point is Rohit Sharma. His recent success , albeit as an opener in ODI's has once again shown how someone with a sound technique and temperament can resurrect his career by switching atop the order.

Thrust into the opener's role, he was instrumental in helping the team win the Champions Trophy and the tri-series in the West Indies. He was the second highest run-getter for India in the ICC event with 177 runs at 35.40 and the top scorer in the West Indies with 217 runs at 54.25.

When Sharma burst on to the international scene as a member of M S Dhoni's Twenty-20  World Cup winning squad back in 2007, critics quickly labelled him as the potential successor to Rahul Dravid. Things, however did not unfold that way.

Despite being one of India's most talented cricketers, the Mumbaikar soon became an epitome of inconsistency. So frequent were his flashes of brilliance combined with a flatter-to-deceive-act, that he allowed some of his contemporaries to steal a march on him as he continued to struggle for a spot in the Indian team.

Although being given a long rope, Sharma had made just 1949 runs in 83 matches at a disappointing average of just a shade over 30, prior to his stint as an opener.

It was only in January 2013, when the team management frustrated with his inconsistencies decided to gamble with him at the top of the order, providing possibly the last ray of hope to revive his largely unfulfilled career.

And, he grabbed it with both hands, scoring a stroke-filled  83 off only 93 balls to set up a series-clinching victory for the Men-in-Blue.

Sharma's track record as an opener speaks volume of his talent and he has been quoted as saying "From the point of view of consistency, this has certainly been the best phase as an international cricketer. I am enjoying my new role as an opener. That I have been successful and my contribution has helped the team's cause makes it even more satisfying. I am hoping to keep up the good work."

While Sharma has a lot to prove before being considered in the same breath as his more illustrious predecessors who had successfully converted as openers, 2013 might well be his year. Rohit Sharma may just have woken up from his slumber to play a long innings. After all, he is too good a player to not come good for India.

Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara - Now or Never !!

Post the victorious limited overs campaigns in England and West Indies, India are all set to embark on a tour to Zimbabwe with a relatively young and inexperienced side. While such a tour demands justification considering that the national team plays virtually non-stop throughout the year, it presents a one-of-a kind opportunity for fringe players looking to cement a place in the senior India squad and subsequently be in the scheme of things for 2015 World Cup. 

Looking back at the team selected for the five-match series, there are two players who will be viewing this tour as a make or break case. The quality of the opposition notwithstanding, an impressive performance here will undoubtedly force the selectors to have a harder look at the current batting order of the senior team, however failure could well see them lose their place forever. Yes, we are talking about Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara.

The importance of performing in the international arena cannot be better understood than by a certain Ajinkya Rahane. Before his debut in the Delhi Test in the 2013 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Rahane had been a part of the Indian squad for an astonishing five consecutive series, dating back to November 2011 against West Indies - without getting a look in.

During that period, India had won three series and lost two, including at home against England. As many as seven players made their debut during this period even as Rahane started being labelled as the "permanent drinks-fetcher and substitute fielder" by the media.

Before this however, Rahane had forced his way into the Indian ODI team on the back of a stupendous record in domestic cricket, but failed to cash in on the opportunities he got at the international level courtesy a generous captain. 

Rahane played 16 ODIs since making his debut against England in 2011, amassing 404 runs, at a disappointing average of 25.

He started off on a good note, scoring 40 and 54 in his first two ODIs in England, but thereafter found it difficult to score on a consistent basis. He slammed 91 against England at Mohali in October 2011, but since then accumulated a mere 126 runs in eight innings before finally getting the axe.

And in an irony of sorts, his spot has since been taken over by a former middle-order batsman and his Mumbai teammate Rohit Sharma. While Rahane gets his opportunity this time albeit as a middle-order batsman, he will do well to fathom that seizing this golden opportunity will only happen if he performs on a consistent basis and scores big, even if against the lowly attack of Zimbabwe.

Another player who will look to stake a claim in the first choice ODI team is Cheteshwar Pujara. The tour to Zimbabwe finally allows the Saurashtra run machine to make his ODI debut for India. Despite being amongst the best batting talents to have emerged from the slippery rungs of India's domestic cricket ladder in recent times, it is highly unfortunate that Pujara has been labelled as a proverbial 'Test Match' specialist. His good showing in the Tests coupled with his ability to play marathon innings in the longer version of the game have gone against him when it comes to the limited overs format of the game.

But Pujara has time and again dispelled the notion of being a slowcoach by scoring runs at a brisk pace. During the Test series against Australia, Pujara hammered 419 runs at an average of 83, with an equally impressive strike rate of 62. He further plundered the Australian attack in the second innings of the fourth Test in Delhi by scoring 82 from 92 balls, thereby putting to rest his inability to score quick runs when needed.

It is no secret that flamboyance in the current batting order has paid rich dividends for the men in blue. On slow wickets (uncharacteristic English wickets included), the team can get away with a line-up full of stroke players; but in conditions akin to Australia and New Zealand (slated to jointly co-host the 2015 World Cup) which are known for their fast and bouncy wickets, Pujara's role will be as important as Rahul Dravid's was in the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

The upcoming tour therefore gives him the ideal platform to impress upon the selectors that his batsmanship is not restricted to any particular format. Pujara in all probability is expected to bat at No. 4, serving the role of sheet-anchor and technical fulcrum around which the batting will revolve.

With Dinesh Karthik failing to nail down his place in a full-strength middle order, the game of cat and mouse has begun for a couple of positions in the batting order. Those who rise to the occasion are sure to reap rich dividends in the future.

From biting cold to tropical heat, is Indian cricket truly moving in one direction?

With India's tough selection policies producing instantaneous result, Dhoni's young brigade have earned the right to cherish the moment and celebrate the occasion. After all, winning the Champions Trophy is no mean feat considering that it includes only the top eight ranked teams. The win becomes that much more sweeter when one takes into account that only four players from the 2011 World Cup team were part of the winning campaign in England.

The panel led by Sandeep Patil has clearly shown the gumption to drop senior pros in Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, a quality visibly lacking in the previous panel headed by Kris Srikkanth. The system of rewarding fine performances in domestic cricket and IPL has brought rich dividends with the results for all to see.

Look at the replacements. M Vijay has scored more Test centuries in one series than Sehwag did in two years. Shikhar Dhawan's performances in the last four months have clearly overshadowed Gambhir's achievements over the last three years. Debatably Yuvraj's ODI place went to Ravindra Jadeja and the south paw has just gone from strength to strength. All along Bhuvneshwar Kumar has ensured that the team has not missed the presence of the once dependable Zaheer Khan.

While all players and pundits alike applaud Team India, it is quintessential for the men in blue to start winning abroad on a consistent basis. That is the true test of strength, that is one mountain that needs to be climbed at a steady pace.

The sub-continent like conditions in England worked brilliantly in India's favour as it ensured that the batsman consistently raked up totals in excess of 300, with the pitch assisting spin bowling later on in the innings, aiding the team's unbeaten run at the tournament.

However, it is rightly said that when a team enjoys a string of victories , its negatives are quickly placed in the back burner. India will do well to address the key issues that need to be sorted out if they have to start winning abroad regularly.   

Despite the ominuous form shown by both the openers, Rohit Sharma's inability to capitalise on the start is definitely a cause for concern for the team management. While he has done enough to merit his place in the side albeit as a make-shift opener, having specialist openers in Vijay and Rahane waiting in the wings, Sharma's inability to make a big score at the top won't be tolerated for long.

Bowling in slog overs has been a perennial problem for Team India. With Yadav, Ishant and Kumar unable to make much use of the two bouncer rule, India's bowling inadequacies in the end overs have been exposed time and again. Even in the Champions Trophy final against England, with the match reduced to a T-20 encounter, Dhoni opted to go for Jadeja and Ashwin for over number 19th and 20th respectively, clearly showing the level of confidence or the lack of it he had in his faster men. 

Having  a strong, fit and in-form bench strength is the hallmark of a successful team. Murali Vijay, Amit Mishra and Vinay Kumar who didn't get a single game in the recently concluded Champions Trophy, will be hoping to play a decisive role in the Caribbean tri-series involving Sri Lanka and West Indies.

In cricket, defeat is a habit and so is winning. Hopefully, India will now travel better and not be pushed onto the back foot in foreign conditions. They must enjoy this and they will, but the ultimate test awaits when they begin touring away for Tests, at the end of this year. That will be the key indicator to judge what the real progress has been.

Why England is poised to win the Ashes for third straight time?

With the recent shambolic  turn of events notwithstanding, cricket fans worldwide finally have a reason to cheer. A riveting contest is on the cards involving two bitter rivals pitted against each other in the oldest format of the game in a historical series whose origins can be traced way back to 1882.      

Yes, the 'ASHES' are back and this time it is going to be played in England.

While this celebrated rivalry involving England and Australia has always evoked strong responses from  cricketers - both past and present, with the usual series predictions, verbal confrontations; in cricketing parlance known as the 'normal Ashes banter' et al, what makes this Ashes series particularly interesting is the fact that both the teams are enjoying absolutely contrasting forms.

From the humiliating 4-0 whitewash against India to their winless Champions Trophy campaign, Australian Cricket seems to be at its lowest ebb. Add to it the in-house drama, with the Warner scandal and the abrupt sacking of Mickey Arthur, it won't be wrong to say that Australian Cricket is in tatters. The Poms on the other hand seem to be going from strength to strength. Having completed a series whitewash against the hapless Kiwis, they were the runners-up in the tensely fought final in the just concluded Champions Trophy.

Putting the contrasting form of the teams in the back burner, here is an in-depth analysis of the personnel in both the teams :  for ASHES

The captains

Here are two phenomenal players who seem to have been inspired to new heights by the captaincy and increased their potency since rising to high office. While both the players are enjoying a rich vein of form at the moment, it is rather their leadership style that is getting much highlighted. 

As a leader, Clarke, a disciple of Shane Warne, is more proactive and more inclined to do unusual things, like getting keeper Matthew Wade to have a bowl in Hobart when he was struggling for wickets. 

Cook is like Andrew Strauss in style but it was seen in India that he is not afraid to quickly change things if they are not going right, like replacing Joe Root at silly point with Ian Bell in the final Test at Nagpur to immediate productive effect as well as leaving out a senior bowler like Stuart Broad after the Mumbai Test.

The bowlers

On paper Australia have an excellent attack full of potential but the challenge for them will be keeping their bowlers fit because they have had one injury after another. The bowling attack made up of Starc, Siddle, Pattinson, Harris, Bird and Lyon is quite well-suited to exploit English conditions -with the only question mark being over a backup for Lyon. With Ashton Agar and Fawad Ahmed still in selectors thoughts, pending his eligibility to represent Australia , it would not be surprising to see late changes to the spinners spot during the Ashes.

England, in contrast, have strength in depth and are raring to go. They have been able to rest and look after their bowlers - with the fast-medium bowler Tim Bresnan and the No. 1 spinner Graeme Swann, both coming back successfully from elbow injuries. In James Anderson who is arguably the best swing bowler and Stuart Broad who can tear any team apart, along with the likes of Steven Finn, Graham Onions and Monty Panesar, it is beyond a reasonable doubt that England hold the bowling edge.

The batsmen

It is especially in this department that Poms hold the aces. The red hot form of Joe Root who has replaced a seething Nick Compton following a solitary poor series, England’s batters just seem more ready for Test cricket in recent times than Australia’s when they are introduced. With experienced stalwarts in Cook, Trott along with the maverick Pietersen, this batting unit definitely knows how to perform in their own conditions.

While for the Aussies, it's a more of a case of less said, the better. Barring Clarke who has had a Bradmanesque  year, all other batsmen in the team have failed miserably. The recall of Chris Rogers-who last played in a solitary match against India in 2008 has been surprising to say the least and clearly shows the panic in the ranks, the hard hitters in the side viz. Shane Watson and David Warner have on most occasions flattered to deceive. With the highly regarded Phil Hughes and Ed Cowan failing to make much of an impression in the Test arena, it wouldn't be wrong to say that the Aussie batting at the moment is in a state of complete disarray.

The keepers

In Matt Prior, England have the best wicketkeeper-batsman in the world. Prior who was declared as England's Player of the Year for 2012-13 is really the finished product. While Brad Haddin has come into the side primarily due to Matthew Wade’s below par performances with both bat and gloves , Haddin's batsmanship will provide the much needed impetus to a middle-order that has been woefully devoid of runs in recent Tests.

It seems it's not too difficult to find out why England are primed to record their first hat-trick of Ashes triumphs since 'Botham's Ashes' in 1981. Having said that, the Aussies are a fiercely competitive side and their never-say-die attitude has bailed them out on quite a few occasions. But will it be enough ? Going by the betting odds, it doesn't seem so.

India vs England: Top 5 key moments which added to the excitement

With persistent rain in Birmingham reducing the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 to a Twenty20 contest amidst umpteenth stoppages, the men in blue pulled off a stunning win to beat the hosts by five runs in a tense thriller. Here is a quick look at the top 5 game changing moments from the match.

1) Crucial toss won by England - With Dhoni himself conceding that the toss held the key in the all important final, it was no surprise when England won the toss and opted to field as  the pitch had been under covers for some time following overcast conditions. While the match was reduced to a T20 affair soon after, it was advantage England even before the match could start.

2) Bopara's triple strikes - Ravi Bopara's introduction in the eighth over was instrumental in derailing the momentum of the Indian innings. Shikhar Dhawan until that point was in a rampaging mood slamming 31 in just 24 balls, before Bopara's length delivery outside off was played uppishly towards cover by Dhawan in a rather soft dismissal. In his brilliant third over, Bopara got the prized scalps of both Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni resulting in not only  a double-wicket maiden, but also a game changing over.

3) Jadeja's late assault - Coming into bat in the 13^th over of the innings, Jadeja had the unenviable job of not only stabilising the innings, but scoring runs at a fair clip in order to ensure that the team posts a competitive score. Jadeja along with Kohli who top-scored with 43 runs revived the Indian innings as the duo blazed to 47 runs in 33 balls in a partnership that wrested back the initiative from England. Jadeja's unbeaten knock of 33 came off just 25 balls, powered with two hits to the fence and two over it, helping India post a challenging 129 for 7 in the final.

4) Early pressure from Indian bowlers - Taking early wickets was the only way India could have made a match out of this and the bowlers happily obliged. Having the presence of Cook, Bell and Trott in the England top-order, it didn't take long for India to tie the batsman down as the hosts kept losing wickets at regular intervals. The introduction of spinners kept the English batsman on a tight leash as they stifled the scoring rate resulting in a rare top-order collapse.

5) Ishant's double blows - Requiring 20 runs off 16 balls from an unbroken 5^th wicket partnership of 54 runs between Morgan and Bopara , it seemed all but over for India. But there was a twist in the tale as Ishant managed to get rid of both the batsman in consecutive balls of the 18^th over resulting in England needing 19 off the last two overs. With India holding their nerves till the very end, the tournament favorites beat England by five runs in a tense finish to clinch the last edition of the Champions Trophy in Twenty20 style.

Top 5 factors which helped India whip Sri Lanka

With both teams vying to play England in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013, the second semi final between India and Sri Lanka proved to be a rather lopsided affair. In a surprisingly  lackadaisical performance by the men from the Island nation, India proved yet again why they are heralded as tournament favorites as they marched to an 8 wicket victory. Here is a quick look at the top 5 game changing moments from the match.

1) Dilshan retired hurt - Sri Lanka were dealt a body blow right at the start of their innings, when their opening batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan was forced to retire hurt in the fifth over. Dilshan was batting fluently till he hurt his right leg, running for two after working the ball off his pads through mid-wicket. After several minutes of on-field treatment, he managed an over and a half but was forced off the field on 12.

He came back to resume his innings in the 48^th over, eventually scoring an unbeaten 18 off 21 balls. While he was unable to take the field for the remainder of the match, his invaluable off-spin was sorely missed on a track that aided spin bowling.

2) Slip catching by Raina - In a position hitherto unseen for arguably India's best fielder, Suresh Raina was a revelation at second slip, holding three catches one after another. The Indian pace bowlers zipped the ball both ways off a full length as Perera (4) and Thirimanne (7) quickly fell to smart catches at second slip by Raina. He snaffled a third when Sangakkara (17) fended a nasty delivery low to his right, thereby reducing Sri Lanka to 41 for three after 18 overs.

3) Abysmal batting performance by Sri Lanka - Despite being asked to bat in conditions heavily weighted in favour of seam bowling, much was expected out of the batting unit comprising of Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Dilshan. For the second straight match, Sri Lanka went to bat first and struggled. In an inspired bowling performance by the three Indian quicks upfront, the Lions were unable to force the issue as the scoring rate was kept under a tight leash throughout the innings. Kusal Perera's miserable run with the bat continued as he was caught by Raina in the third over for 4. With the inform Dilshan having to retire hurt in the fifth over of the innings, Sri Lanka's misery was further compounded when they slumped to 41 for three after both Thirimanne and Sangakkara fell to well-taken slip catches by Raina off Ishant Sharma. 

Such was the confidence in the Indian camp, that Dhoni himself came on to bowl in the 24^th over, nearly getting the prized scalp of Mahela Jayawardene, as he bowled four impressive overs conceding 17 runs. The captain Angelo Mathews battled hard for his top score of 51 in an innings where no other batsman made more than Jayawardene's 38. But the fact that Mathews took 89 balls for his runs, including just one six and one four, was testament to the grip India's bowlers exerted, with the final score reading 181 for eight. 

4) Solid partnership by Indian openers - Taking early wickets was the only way Sri Lanka could have made a match out of this, but the ominous form of both the Indian openers prevented that as they raced to 77 in 17 overs, thereby giving the side a solid start and ensuring that the team chased the target of 182 comfortably.

5) Half-centuries by Dhawan and Kohli - Making most of the three dropped catches, Shikhar Dhawan continued his purple patch, as the stylish southpaw scored his second ODI half-century in a stroke filled innings of 68. With Virat Kohli finally among the runs and scoring an unbeaten 58 en route to his 23^rd ODI half-century, Team India cantered into the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 dismissing Sri Lanka by 8 wickets.