I had talked about my first ever cricket match, played about 16 years ago and about my exploits on the cricket pitch on saturdays with a few colleagues and friends. I want to trace my steps back to when it all began.
It started in 1984. I was staying in one of the old localities of the then "Quiet" and "Pensioners' Paradise" Bangalore, called Srirampuram. On sundays, me and my father used to go early in the morning (~ 6am) to a local school which happened to have a decent ground in front of the school building (not big enough to play a match, but of the size of maybe a volleyball pitch).
The school used to be closed, but we used to somehow get inside the compound :). Once inside, my father made me practice some running and warming up exercises before we started cricket practice (that seemingly meaningless warming up used to kill me because i could not wait to start playing).
When we finally started, the routine was mostly the same. I used to practice batting. For all his exploits on the cricket pitch during his college days in Mysore, my father's only contribution to my cricketing skills were only 2 in number
- The forward defense
- The television @ home
I can still recollect the words - "Foot to the pitch of the ball, bat and pad (in your case leg) close to each other and play the ball down to the ground". Amazingly, i did not realize the boredom in playing that shot about 50 times every sunday morning (without ever being able to play it again during the street cricket for the fear of being beaten up by fellow cricketers for wasting deliveries in a limited overs game).
After the exercise, we used to go home and eat a boiled egg (prepared by dad, using a vessel that was considered as an outcaste by mom and kept far away from the other vessels in the house) :)
This practice lasted for an hour and a half and for close to 2 years. Looking back, i guess i have no option but to recognize the importance of those practice sessions.
Years later, when our school decided to take part in competitive inter-school cricket tournaments, it started the process of forming a team. All interested boys from class 8 - 10 were asked to attend the practice sessions taking place in the ground adjacent to the school, from 4 to 5pm. It was my first tryst with the leather ball. I only ever remember playing one stroke - The forward defense. I guess the bowlers were enthusiastic about showing how fast they could bowl and would pitch the ball upto the batsman and i was lucky it was ideal for the forward defense. Any ball slightly wide of the stumps, and i would let it go because i did not have a stroke for that. I came to know later on that the coach and the captain thought that i was a very good judge of which balls to play and which to leave and had a good technique :) (another example of communication gap). I remember playing the pull shot only 2 or 3 times and on each occassion, the ball was really short and without too much pace - making it all too easy to play the pull shot). On the day when the team was announced, after about 3 weeks of practice, i did not bother going to check on it, since there were many seniors in school and i was sure that they were going to be picked ahead of me. So, it came as an unexpected (albeit welcome) shock when me and my good friend from my class got picked.
After 10 years, one would imagine the lessons learnt during those sunday morning sessions will be lost. However, i still remember that forward defense lesson as though it was taught yesterday.
The other contribution made by my dad, like i mentioned above, was the television @ home. I only have 2 noteworthy recollections from my childhood days
- 6th Feb 1987 - I came home early from school, feigning illness (the school authorities arranged for an autorickshaw to drop me off @ my grandma's house), to witness a century scored by Srikanth in Chennai against Pakistan (I was studying in kindergarten but still remember that day vividly)
- The 1992 world cup - The matches usually started off at 5 in the morning and dad had told me that i was not supposed to wake up so early just to watch cricket, although he did exactly that. I used to open the door ever so slightly and watch the matches from the room without getting caught.
May 31, 2010
May 30, 2010
The curse of the blog
My friend had provided an interesting write up on the events that occurred on a saturday morning 4 weeks ago. I would like to dwell upon the considerable impact some of the events that took place have had on cricket since.
Mr. Y, whose infamous selection policy was much talked about, has (including that day), has endured a 6 match winless streak since. Here's a summary of the 4 matches played since that famous tied match
Match#1: Y and his bunch of bowlers went about dismantling the opposition with considerable ease and dismissed them for 35. Target - 36 in 10 overs - Result - Loss by 5 runs
Match#2: Y's team scored a competitive 47 in 10 overs - Result - Target chased in the last over (the winning run being an extra resulting from a wide delivery) . The team chasing 47 needed 21 off the last 23 deliveries with only one wicket in hand. MKB, who took the stunning catch resulting in the tied match in the above mentioned blog, dropped a catch with the equation reading 23 needed off 21 :)
Match#3: Y's team all out for 32. Opposition scored 33 with a couple of overs and plenty of wickets to spare. (Y played close to 20 deliveries and scored ~5 runs)
Match#4: Y's team was chasing 73. Going into the final over, the equation was - 6 balls, 14 runs to win with arguably the best batsmen of the team playing in the middle.
- 2 wide balls to start off. - 12 needed from 6
- A boundary - 8 needed from 5
- A single and a double of the next 2 deliveries - 5 needed off 3
- A triple - 2 off 2
- An uppish drive is easily caught, but the batsmen cross over before the catch is taken - 2 needed off the last ball
- The other well-set batsman swings and misses in an attempt to get 2 runs for the win instead of a quick single and a tied match. - The result - a loss
I have been fortunate enough to have been on the unbeaten team in each of the 6 matches mentioned in these 2 blogs.
@Y: The curse of the blog has lasted a month (counting the 1 weekend where we did not play). Hopefully this blog releases the curse and you can taste victory again :)
Mr. Y, whose infamous selection policy was much talked about, has (including that day), has endured a 6 match winless streak since. Here's a summary of the 4 matches played since that famous tied match
Match#1: Y and his bunch of bowlers went about dismantling the opposition with considerable ease and dismissed them for 35. Target - 36 in 10 overs - Result - Loss by 5 runs
Match#2: Y's team scored a competitive 47 in 10 overs - Result - Target chased in the last over (the winning run being an extra resulting from a wide delivery) . The team chasing 47 needed 21 off the last 23 deliveries with only one wicket in hand. MKB, who took the stunning catch resulting in the tied match in the above mentioned blog, dropped a catch with the equation reading 23 needed off 21 :)
Match#3: Y's team all out for 32. Opposition scored 33 with a couple of overs and plenty of wickets to spare. (Y played close to 20 deliveries and scored ~5 runs)
Match#4: Y's team was chasing 73. Going into the final over, the equation was - 6 balls, 14 runs to win with arguably the best batsmen of the team playing in the middle.
- 2 wide balls to start off. - 12 needed from 6
- A boundary - 8 needed from 5
- A single and a double of the next 2 deliveries - 5 needed off 3
- A triple - 2 off 2
- An uppish drive is easily caught, but the batsmen cross over before the catch is taken - 2 needed off the last ball
- The other well-set batsman swings and misses in an attempt to get 2 runs for the win instead of a quick single and a tied match. - The result - a loss
I have been fortunate enough to have been on the unbeaten team in each of the 6 matches mentioned in these 2 blogs.
@Y: The curse of the blog has lasted a month (counting the 1 weekend where we did not play). Hopefully this blog releases the curse and you can taste victory again :)
May 26, 2010
A start before you know you have OR One that you cant wait enough for??
I wondered if players remember their debut matches. I decided to take the example of 2 completely different debuts.
For cricketers, the path to international cricket (be it test match or ODI or T20) starts off from the small stage strings of memorable performances in the first class arena.
Sometimes, its also a question of necessity. The players are skilled and performing very well. However, there is no requirement in the national squad and so they have no option but to wait for their chance.
An apt example would be today's Mr. Cricket - Mike Hussey. When he was plundering all those runs at the domestic front, there was no requirement in the Aussie middle order. Hussey had 3 consecutive seasons when we scored more than 1000 runs in the English domestic season
- 2055 runs @ 79.03 in 2001
- 1442 runs @ 68.66 in 2002
- 1697 runs @ 89.31 in 2003
These might sound like a superman effort, enough to get you into any test playing side in the world. Any test playing side, except for one that is continuing to play without losing a single test series and has a middle order of
- Ponting, arguably the second greatest number 3 batsman in the world alongside Dravid (behind the Don)
- The Waugh Brothers - One of them a very gifted and attacking batsman - elegant to watch and quite consistent and the other a great finisher of innings apart from a superb captain
- Martyn - 2001 was Martyn's golden patch - He thought he had messed up his debut very badly with one rash shot in the summer of '94. He had been lucky enough to have been handed out a second chance, ala Mathew Hayden. He grabbed that chance with both hands and started the second innings of his test career very well.
But, fortunately, the international cricket lovers were not robbed of the chance to watch this totally dedicated and brilliantly skilled cricketer shine on the international scene. The Aussies did not just give a chance to their brightest young prospect (Pup, who is also widely recognized as the next captain), but also rewarded years of hard work by giving Hussey his break and how he took it :).
Hussey started his career playing out of position, at the opener's slot, in Justin Langer's absence. However, he did make 2 hundreds in his first 3 test matches. (and he got his favored middle order slot by his 3 test match at the expense of Simon Katich).
Some cricketers are skilled (and more importantly, lucky) enough to be picked early on in their career because their talents are noticed by the right people at the right moment.
Moving on, we look at another example of a start, albeit a different one. We are talking about, ofcourse Yasir Ali - who is the only cricketer in the last 100 years to have made a first class debut in a test match while playing for a team that was not near the bottom of the test rankings (unlike Bangladesh and Zimbabwe). Yasir Ali is a fast bowler whose furiously paced path to international cricket started off with performances in the state under 19 side. Next came the academy and one good tour with the academy was considered good enough for a test cap!!!
The debut against Bangladesh wasn't spectacular by any stretch of imagination. 1 wicket in each innings and 1 ball faced while batting (not out). He is now trying to get a second chance by the traditional way of playing first class cricket.
Nevertheless, they are 2 completely different examples of debuts. At the end of the day, i guess, as a cricketer, you wish that you dont get noticed too early on and make a debut when you are not physically or mentally (or both) prepared for the demands of the international game and get caught out. Second chances are hard to come by and players should wish they are prepared best when they get their break.
Moving on to a story of another debut - One that did not find its way to any newspaper or blog (so far :))
It was a bright and sunny morning in the August of 1994 and the match was being played at the railway grounds in Bangalore (behind the old railway station in the majestic area). It was the first match of the inter-school tournament. One of the schools was making its debut in the world of competitive cricket. The team making its debut fielded first and, after 3 hours, was left with the daunting task of chasing 233. One member of the opposition scored 80 odd runs, having been given a life when on 10 when a simple chance at backward point was spooned. Opening the batting were the youngest members of the squad (the only ones from class 8). They might have looked a little nervous (according to the coach) walking up to bat at around 1pm chasing a total of 233 in 40 overs. But they were a lot more nervous than they appeared to be :(. I know this so sure because i was one of them and my best friend was the other guy. I had already received a fair share of brickbats during the innings break because it was me that dropped that chance at backward point. After all the abuse, i was told - "Go there and survive the first few overs. We dont want to lose early wickets" My friend walked straight up to the non-striker's end and he was a few paces ahead of me. I had no option but to take first strike. I thank God that i was not dismissed off the first ball, one that i confidently guided to the fine leg fielder to get off the dreaded duck. That is, unfortunately, as far as i got as far as run making was concerned.
I was also blessed to have been the recipient of a nasty bouncer which evaded the helmet grill and stuck my ear (and caused a ringing sensation for the next 2 minutes). After a break of 5 minutes for a check by our coach to determine if i was doing fine, I composed myself and got down to facing the next delivery with (hopefully) the same confidence as my first delivery. The result was not what i expected. A fraction of a second after the ball was delivered, i looked back to see the furniture badly disturbed :(. Although it was not a memorable debut, i am surprised that i remember the turn of events of that day (till the point that i was dismissed) even now.
For cricketers, the path to international cricket (be it test match or ODI or T20) starts off from the small stage strings of memorable performances in the first class arena.
Sometimes, its also a question of necessity. The players are skilled and performing very well. However, there is no requirement in the national squad and so they have no option but to wait for their chance.
An apt example would be today's Mr. Cricket - Mike Hussey. When he was plundering all those runs at the domestic front, there was no requirement in the Aussie middle order. Hussey had 3 consecutive seasons when we scored more than 1000 runs in the English domestic season
- 2055 runs @ 79.03 in 2001
- 1442 runs @ 68.66 in 2002
- 1697 runs @ 89.31 in 2003
These might sound like a superman effort, enough to get you into any test playing side in the world. Any test playing side, except for one that is continuing to play without losing a single test series and has a middle order of
- Ponting, arguably the second greatest number 3 batsman in the world alongside Dravid (behind the Don)
- The Waugh Brothers - One of them a very gifted and attacking batsman - elegant to watch and quite consistent and the other a great finisher of innings apart from a superb captain
- Martyn - 2001 was Martyn's golden patch - He thought he had messed up his debut very badly with one rash shot in the summer of '94. He had been lucky enough to have been handed out a second chance, ala Mathew Hayden. He grabbed that chance with both hands and started the second innings of his test career very well.
But, fortunately, the international cricket lovers were not robbed of the chance to watch this totally dedicated and brilliantly skilled cricketer shine on the international scene. The Aussies did not just give a chance to their brightest young prospect (Pup, who is also widely recognized as the next captain), but also rewarded years of hard work by giving Hussey his break and how he took it :).
Hussey started his career playing out of position, at the opener's slot, in Justin Langer's absence. However, he did make 2 hundreds in his first 3 test matches. (and he got his favored middle order slot by his 3 test match at the expense of Simon Katich).
Some cricketers are skilled (and more importantly, lucky) enough to be picked early on in their career because their talents are noticed by the right people at the right moment.
Moving on, we look at another example of a start, albeit a different one. We are talking about, ofcourse Yasir Ali - who is the only cricketer in the last 100 years to have made a first class debut in a test match while playing for a team that was not near the bottom of the test rankings (unlike Bangladesh and Zimbabwe). Yasir Ali is a fast bowler whose furiously paced path to international cricket started off with performances in the state under 19 side. Next came the academy and one good tour with the academy was considered good enough for a test cap!!!
The debut against Bangladesh wasn't spectacular by any stretch of imagination. 1 wicket in each innings and 1 ball faced while batting (not out). He is now trying to get a second chance by the traditional way of playing first class cricket.
Nevertheless, they are 2 completely different examples of debuts. At the end of the day, i guess, as a cricketer, you wish that you dont get noticed too early on and make a debut when you are not physically or mentally (or both) prepared for the demands of the international game and get caught out. Second chances are hard to come by and players should wish they are prepared best when they get their break.
Moving on to a story of another debut - One that did not find its way to any newspaper or blog (so far :))
It was a bright and sunny morning in the August of 1994 and the match was being played at the railway grounds in Bangalore (behind the old railway station in the majestic area). It was the first match of the inter-school tournament. One of the schools was making its debut in the world of competitive cricket. The team making its debut fielded first and, after 3 hours, was left with the daunting task of chasing 233. One member of the opposition scored 80 odd runs, having been given a life when on 10 when a simple chance at backward point was spooned. Opening the batting were the youngest members of the squad (the only ones from class 8). They might have looked a little nervous (according to the coach) walking up to bat at around 1pm chasing a total of 233 in 40 overs. But they were a lot more nervous than they appeared to be :(. I know this so sure because i was one of them and my best friend was the other guy. I had already received a fair share of brickbats during the innings break because it was me that dropped that chance at backward point. After all the abuse, i was told - "Go there and survive the first few overs. We dont want to lose early wickets" My friend walked straight up to the non-striker's end and he was a few paces ahead of me. I had no option but to take first strike. I thank God that i was not dismissed off the first ball, one that i confidently guided to the fine leg fielder to get off the dreaded duck. That is, unfortunately, as far as i got as far as run making was concerned.
I was also blessed to have been the recipient of a nasty bouncer which evaded the helmet grill and stuck my ear (and caused a ringing sensation for the next 2 minutes). After a break of 5 minutes for a check by our coach to determine if i was doing fine, I composed myself and got down to facing the next delivery with (hopefully) the same confidence as my first delivery. The result was not what i expected. A fraction of a second after the ball was delivered, i looked back to see the furniture badly disturbed :(. Although it was not a memorable debut, i am surprised that i remember the turn of events of that day (till the point that i was dismissed) even now.
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