Why India Why?

Dear India, Stop Being So Outrageous!

Given the fervor surrounding the current edition of CWC15 which lasted as far as semis for the Indian team, there's a whole lot of content being generated around it every passing second. Some have termed it as a brilliant World Cup campaign, which marked a spectacular turn-around after that winless tri-series. Others see it as a disastrous campaign claiming that the team has fallen apart at the first real challenge of the cup. Then, we have the brightest human beings to have ever taken birth on this planet, they have certainly left everyone else bewildered with their unreasonably sick reactions. Yes, by now you have guessed who they are. They have been going all guns blazing not only at the team, but have also targeted a Bollywood actress. Interesting, isn't it?

Now let's do a small practical analysis of Team India:

1. ODIs in 2015: How did Team India do so far (including the warm-up games)? 

• Matches: 14
• Won: 8
• Lost: 5
• No Result: 1
• Win %: 57.14

2. Against whom?

• Australia: Played 4, Lost 3, No Result 1
• England: Played 2, Lost 2
• Afghanistan: Played 1, Won 1
• Pakistan: Played 1, Won 1
• South Africa: Played 1, Won 1
• UAE: Played 1, Won 1
• West Indies: Played 1, Won 1
• Ireland: Played 1, Won 1
• Zimbabwe: Played 1, Won 1
• Bangladesh: Played 1, Won 1

3. After losing all the completed matches in the Tri-Series, not much was expected out of this team. Only expectation that the large number of fans had, was 'A win against arch-rivals Pakistan'. Do that, and we don't even need the cup anymore. 

Here we stand: 

A team with no expectations or rather just one expectation goes into the tournament & fulfills that expectation quite comfortably. Therefore, they have already brought success by delivering the expected. Then what's the reason behind such an outrage after losing the semi-final match to Australia, the team that has just clinched their 5th World Cup Trophy in a one-sided game against the in-form Black Caps, the team that has comprehensively beaten the Indian team thrice this year, losing none.

So what's the problem?

It may not take a genius to point out that social media has given people a power, some use it to express their opinions, whereas a lot of idiots use it to abuse 'anyone' & 'everyone'. They are the ones who feed themselves on hate, on disappointments of their own & on multiple failures in life. Social Media has given them courage, the kind of courage which brings nothing but shame. They, at the ease of their couches, office chairs, restaurants, toilet seats, no matter from where, they always find time to lash out at someone & spread the negative vibes. This is dangerous, because we all can observe that these idiots have no guilt whatsoever. They have found a way to satisfy their evil souls at the press of few buttons. Latest example being, 'Anushka Sharma', an actress, girlfriend of Virat Kohli, a sister to someone, a daughter of proud parents, and on top of all, an independent woman being targeted for no reason whatsoever. Never in her wildest dreams she would have thought that watching a cricket match at the stadium, cheering for her man & her country would put her in the spotlight of those idiots, who have always been hunting for someone to unleash their frustrations upon. 

The internet, the smart phones, everything was flooded with hate messages blaming Anushka Sharma for the loss in the semi-finals. These were not just hate messages, but so derogatory that it could bring any human to shame. For anyone, who has even little respect for women, would have definitely disliked what is happening & must have been surprised that even such thing could ever happen. What had happened was shameful. Some idiots targeted a woman, and millions enjoyed this scene lending out their support through re-tweets, forwarding those insults & status messages making a joke or two about her. If anyone of you reading this did that, I just wan't to ask you one question, 'Would you still do that if she was your family member?'

If I were to feature those negative comments and react on every one of them, it would probably take years. Neither are the comments worth the attention, nor are those people worth featuring who lack respect towards women. 

Take a look at few comments below, which come as a respite amidst all the negativity.

Like the 3 of above, there have been millions of those, who have stood up and raised their opinion. Trust me, I salute all of you, as its always easy to go with the flow, but it takes real courage to decide that you are not going to be one of those idiots, who go around disrespecting women at their will. You might have got laughed off for being different than them, yet you have fought for what you felt right. Keep doing it, we all need many more of us & less of them. Let's talk about cricket now, where we are not supposed to lose a single game. 

How big a crime is it to lose 1 match out of 8, that too against the best team in the World?

Crime worth pelting stones at the homes of the players?, Crime worth disrespecting them with verbal assault?. Going back to the simple stats we looked at the start, we lost a game to a superior team & on top of that, we didn't play to the best of our abilities. Yes, there's always an excuse saying, 'I am passionate about the game. If they win, I praise them, therefore I have every right to abuse them'. Well, let me correct you here. The right is to criticize, not to abuse. Be vocal with 'Logical' or "Factual' criticism, not by using foul language. Such people are not always expressing their inner voice, but they are usually influenced by the opinion of others, including those of media. 

A leading news-channel 'Times Now' hosts a debate with a clueless panel and an absurd headline, #ShameInSydney which, for a change leads to a strong unity of millions who fight back against the channel by trending #ShameOnTimesNow at the top spot. This should come in as a reality check for the host & Editor-in-chief of the channel, Mr. Arnab Goswami, who during Newshour debate looked 'as clueless as that guy who points a TV remote at the microwave'. Sir, #NationWantsYouToKnow that it's not a shame to lose a game against a team like Australia. I repeat, it's not a shame to lose a game against a team like Australia. You guys put up the worst show anyone would've ever seen. We suspect, those old/unusable television sets from the 90's which were thrashed by some unknown people were also funded by you. The hunger for TRPs led you to many awkward situations during the post match telecast of your show, where the anchor told everyone that the crowd at the SCG is angry, only to be shown on your channel that they were supporting the team. How ironical. I wonder if you would also consider #ShameOnTimesNow as your achievement.

All I have to say to those disrespectful folks & irresponsible journalists is, 'If you ever come up with anything like this, #WeWillGiveItBack at you!'.

P.S.: This blog had the intentions to talk more about cricket & less about the controversies that followed after India's exit from the World Cup. The title of the blog was changed 3 times, as the content kept swaying due to the sensitivity of those nonsensical incidents which were pinching me from quite some time. I wan't you all to let me know you opinions or reactions to what all you went through after the bizarre behavior of some of those so called cricket fans.

India vs The World? This World Cup, what are India's chances at defending the title?

From 'Let's Do It For Sachin' to 'We Won't Give It Back', - in a span of four years a lot has happened to the Indian Cricket Team. Whether it be the retirement of one of the greatest icon of the game, Sachin Tendulkar or constant embarrassments on away tours, the controversies pertaining to fixing or selection of the WC squad, the team has seen some serious ups and downs. This brings us to CWC 2015, hosted on the bouncy & pacey pitches of Australia and New Zealand.

'#WeWontGiveItBack' is how the broadcasters projected India's title defence, and launched quirky 'Mauka Mauka' advertisements which kept unfolding stories game after game to show that this time, it's India vs The World. Now having won the Quarter Finals today, let's have a statistical analysis of India's journey at this World Cup so far:

Matches: 7
Wins: 7
300+ Scores: 3
Wickets taken: 70

Shikhar Dhawan (367) is the only Indian batsman in top 10 run scorers list in the tournament so far, while Virat Kohli (304), Rohit Sharma (296) & Suresh Raina (277) are placed at 11, 15 & 17 respectively. Whereas, Md. Shami surprisingly tops the chart of the leading wicket takers with 17 scalps to his name, while Umesh Yahan (14), R. Ashwin (12), Mohit Sharma (11) are placed at 7, 12 & 14 respectively.

The batting stats do tell us a compelling story: The runs are well distributed amongst the batsmen. From top of the order to the lower order, except R. Jadeja, every other batsman has delivered on at least one occasion in the tournament. The team hasn't had to rely on any particular batsman for the runs. Therefore, going into the semis, Team India will be feeling very confident about their strong batting line-up.

If we look at the bowling stats, we would probably have to look again to believe that the same bowling line-up that was quashed in the test series as well as in the tri-series has been heckling every single batting unit, game after game. Taking 70 wickets out of 70 was probably the last thing even the captain of this side would have ever thought in his wildest of dreams. This performance from India's bowling line-up has to be the best thing that has happened to them throughout this tournament, along with their sharp fielding.

Analysing the overall performance of the team, we can surely say that the wins over arch rivals Pakistan & the mighty Proteas helped restore the confidence of every Indian fan & from thereon, the team has just been in a phenomenal form downing opponents with sheer confidence, game after game. The team got tested only on two occasions, against West Indies & Zimbabwe, that too was surpassed with ease. What lies ahead is a short journey of mere 2 games, i.e., Semi-Finals clash against the winner of Australia vs Pakistan game & a win there would put them into the Finals against the winner of South Africa vs New Zealand / West Indies game.

Australia have been the prime favorites right from the start of this tournament. Whether it be, the pacey swinging yorkers of Mitchell Stark or aggressive batting from the start of the innings or the world class fielding. They have been near perfect in all aspects of the game and present a huge challenge ahead of Pakistan in their Quarter Final Clash. On the other hand, New Zealand have emerged as the group leaders, winning all 6 games of the group stages, which includes a nail-biting finish again the mighty Aussies. Their Quarter Final clash against the inconsistent West Indies outfit is also seen as a one sided clash which would certainly swing towards the Kiwis. This  makes it clear for India, defeat Australia in Australia, then New Zealand in the finals & wear the world champions crown for the second consecutive time.

The strong batting line-up, the young and charged up bowling brigade, the enthusiasm in the field, hunger to win & a strong leader at helm makes India a very strong contender to lift CWC 15. Given the form & changed pitch conditions in Australia, where the pitches are more favorable towards batting compared to the hostile conditions they offered during the Tri-Series, India have one of their best chance to do the unthinkable, to do what would be one of their greatest triumphs in history of Indian Cricket, to win a World Cup in Australia. They certainly look in no mood, 'To Give It Back'.

United by “Cricket”; Divided by “IPL” …?

In a country which calls cricket as their religion & Sachin as their God, there’s absolutely no denying that for years in counting, Cricket has always been one such thing, which has united one-and-all in this diverse nation. We always like to unite with our friends, colleagues, family & even the unknown folks at the stadium or at the sports bar to cheer along with the same heart every single time, the mighty men in blues take on the cricket field. Such is the passion of the game that we call it a “Religion” and this “Religion” unites us all. 

Year 2008, 18^th April the “Indian Premier League” came into existence with a bang and changed the way cricket was played across the world. It marked a new beginning for cricket to venture into franchise cricket, which gave amazing opportunities to the local talent, whereas, it showered the never seen before money on cricketers across all nations, which wooed the who’s who of the cricketing fraternity. The players, match officials, ex-cricketers as analysts, commentators, this cash rich league benefitted one and all. But... What about the spectators? What’s in there for them? 

Well, the answer is pretty simple. Entertainment and Experience which is abundant enough to drive this cricket frenzy nation into madness. Entertainment is not to be searched for, when you have star-studded franchises battling hard for the coveted trophy. Telecast across little less than 200 countries, IPL has a wide reach, stars from almost all top cricket playing nations, T20 - the shortest format of cricket occupying lesser time unlike the 50-over format, the cheerful cheerleader as eye candy, and last but not the least, the presence of Bollywood stars. IPL is a near-perfect recipe of an average Indian would seek.  Experience of watching these games in a stadium, watching the players you adore right up from a close distance is an astonishing factor for any cricket fan. Such is the rage of this league that almost every other game is witnessed by near-packed stadiums where the ticket bookings are done weeks before the event. But, somewhere down the line, the thought erupts in our minds, “Is IPL dividing us?”  

“Delhi Kabhi, Toh Chennai Kabhi… Par Pepsi, Oh Yes Abhi!” -  Does that ring a bell? 

Oh Yes! That’s what the marketers have been up to. Trying hard to come up with ‘one-liners’, ‘tvcs’, ‘print media’, and anything and everything that manages to influence the psychology of cricket fans to start dividing themselves, so a strong fan-base can be created for the respective franchises. To some extent, they’ve managed to do it successfully. 

The recent booing of Virat Kohli at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai is just a glimpse of what lies ahead in the years to come. Where some International rivalries like “Bhajji-Symonds”, “Bhajji-Ponting” are buried, many new rivalries among the local players seem to be on rise. The “slap-gate” is still very fresh in our mind, whereas, the recent “Kohli-Gambhir” spat has fueled the arguments over IPL dividing the fans. What went behind that spat remains best known to the players, but for us, the fans, this certainly doesn’t give a good feeling. But, that’s what has been the aim of the marketers. Is the plan any good? 

When it comes to my understanding of marketing, and from what I have been reading recently, I am pretty sure that the marketers have got it wrong. Their sponsors might be gaining unbelievable heights with their campaigns, but, is that benefiting the IPL?

Well, it's certain that the marketing of IPL is being postitioned as Club vs Club quite similar to BPL (Barclays  Premier League) & the main objective seems to be creating a bigger fan-base for the franchises. But, as it had rightly mentioned in one of the articles that I had read at espncricinfo.com that such kind of pitching has certainly not gone down too well with the cricket fans. Reason is simple, "We wear our blues for near 10 months in year and get together to cheer for Team India. Suddenly, we are asked to choose one of the local teams, instead of choosing our stars together. This creates a dilemma in the fans mind, for e.g. Sitting inside Eden Gardens, you cheer for KKR and not Dhoni, because now, Dhoni plays for your rival franchise. Yes, when it comes to a legend like Sachin, the dilemma stays at bay, as one and all irrespective of their franchises get together and create the loudest & most loved cheer, "Saaacchhin Sacccchiiin". But certainly, asking fans to change their loyalty for 2 months is not an easy ask. The BPL goes on for a major part of the year, whereas, the International matches are very few. Hence, the same strategy cannot be applied when it comes to IPL. And the results are quite evident, we are seeing lesser crowds turning out at most of the stadiums. So, how could the positioning been better?

One of the better ways to position the league would have been to promote it by using the fan-base for the individuals, rather than a team. An IPL match in Pune against Mumbai draws more spectators because of Sachin Tendulkar, rather than the home team, which is a big blow to the strategists. Our loyalties still lie with the Sachins, Dhonis, etc. Therefore, asking a fan to visit the stadium to see their favorite stars, rather than coming to cheer for the local teams would make more sense and create a better connect among them. We still very much love Indian cricket above club cricket, and it appears like it would remain the same for many more years. Therefore, marketers need to accept the fact that IPL can survive on its own without tampering the fan loyalties of cricket maniacs in this country. So, finally, are we divided by IPL?

Well, i will leave it upto you all to make your own opinions on this. My answer would be, "After being to the Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium last night for PWI vs CSK game & having witnessed few fans getting into a physical tussle, I can say, yes to a certain extent, IPL has created the hatred amongst some of the fans, but majority of us still hold strong and cheer for the ones we love. For us, IPL brings just another wonderful opportunity to see our favorite stars in action".

* Introduction of IPL & history
* Advertising, Sponsorship, Marketing Strategies & Rise of Social Media
* Format - need of reducing the matches
* Social Responsibilities
* Foreign Captains A Liability?
* Rise & Fall of local talent
* Connect with local fans
*  Long-term sustainability

Faltering Even Before Beginning ...

How long can you go, when you keep 'Faltering Even Before Beginning'...?

Well, that's the question which has been cropping up my mind since a long time now. But, from the time Sachin Tendulkar announced his retirement from ODIs in an bizarre manner, things look even more obscure. Lets have a look at few statistics before we dig deeper in the issues...

Pakistan in India ODI Series

• 1st ODI : 1-17 (Sehwag), 2-17 (Gambhir)
• 2nd ODI : 1-42 (Gambhir), 3-59 (Sehwag)
• 3rd ODI : 1-19 (Rahane), 2-29 (Gambhir)

England in India ODI Series

• 1st ODI : 1-96 (Rahane), 2-102 (Gambhir)
• 2nd ODI : 1-18 (Gambhir), 2-18 (Rahane)
• 3rd ODI : 1-11 (Rahane), 2-78 (Gambhir)

The above statistics indicate how tentative our opening stands have been. Whether it be Sehwag & Gambhir or Gambhir & Rahane, they have been quite inconsistent. Lets not be too judgmental about Rahane yet, as the young lad is still quite new to the arena, but Gambhir & Sehwag have continuously failed to deliver. Be it in the test matches or in ODIs, they've just failed to deliver. So, how much has this affected our Team's performance?

In two words, "A lot". Yes, a team which has been banking quite heavily on it's batting arsenal has been put into a catch 22 quite often. Ironically, the openers have been consistently inconsistent and the middle order has been put under extreme pressure situations, game after game.

Lets look at how our openers have fared in last 8 Test matches. (4 home & 4 away)

Last 8 Test Matches: 

England in India Test Series

1st Test : 1-134 (Gambhir), 2-224 (Sehwag) / 1-57 (Sehwag) (Gambhir did not bat in the 2nd innings)

2nd Test : 1-4 (Gambhir), 2-52 (Sehwag) / 1-30 (Sehwag), 10-142 (Gambhir)

3rd Test : 1-47 (Sehwag), 3-117 (Gambhir) / 1-86 (Sehwag), 3-103 (Gambhir)

4th Test : 1-1 (Sehwag), 4-71 (Gambhir) / Did not bat in the 2nd innings

India in Australia Test Series

1st Test : 1-22 (Sehwag), 2-97 (Gambhir) / 1-17 (Sehwag), 2-39 (Gambhir)

2nd Test : 1-0 (Gambhir), 3-55 (Sehwag) / 1-18 (Sehwag), 3-168 (Gambhir)

3rd Test : 1-4 (Sehwag), 4-63 (Gambhir) / 1-24 (Gambhir), 2-25 (Sehwag)

4th Test : 1-26 (Sehwag), 4-87 (Gambhir) / 1-14 (Gambhir), 2-80 (Sehwag)

The above statistics talk about two things, i) The openers have hardly managed to give the team a solid platform & ii) Neither of those openers have managed to bat long enough. Therefore, the failure isn't limited to their partnerships, but also accounts as an individual failure. This ain't no rocket-science. Every cricket fanatic in this country would give you a piece of advice on this. But, are our selectors made of some different soil..?

Things are pretty clear, 'Our team ain't doing any good since we lifted that WC in '11. Kohli has been the promising young go-getter, but off late he's been going through a not-so-fruitful patch.Gambhir, not performing. Sehwag, failing time and again. MSD, been doing good in ODIs, but miserable in Test Matches. Raina, Yuvraj have not been so impressive as well. Jadeja is something, nobody has understood yet, so is the case of Rohit Sharma. Rahane & Manoj Tiwary have not got enough chances. Sachin Tendulkar, well, what wrong did this poor guy did to go through such an unfair treatment. His last 2 ODIs have yielded 166 runs, with one century & a half-century. He has been one of the most fittest, passionate & prolific cricketer the game has ever seen. So why the hell could someone think of pushing him for retirement? What possible reasons?

1) "On the basis of *Form*?" - If so, then at least half-a-dozen deserve to hang-up their boots.

2) "On the basis of *Giving chance to youngster*?" - Which youngster?

3) "On the basis of *WC preparations*?" - Really?

4) "On the basis of *Age*?" - How does it really matter, if he is still fitter than many of the players we have?

The man we miss watching in the blues.

I simply fail to understand the logic of Indian Selectors & the case of Sachin's retirement. At a time when we are struggling, our openers are not delivering, we needed someone of the caliber of Sachin Tendulkar to stand up and show us the way, rather than pushing him to the wall. This was the time to stand united & back our team. We required logical decisions, rather than getting bullied by the pressure put by media or some of the ex-cricketers.

On one end, we drop Sehwag & on other end, we keep playing Gambhir, Sharma. Every decision from the selection committee is bewildering each of us. We need to find a solid opening batting pair now. If the current ones are failing to accumulate runs of flats decks under home conditions, then what should be expected from them on seaming wickets outside the sub-continent. Even the thought scares me. This Indian cricket team needs a long-term solution, not a quick-fix. And the work should begin, right away.

Currently positioned at No.1 in ODIs, we have two simple choices, either we enjoy our short-term numero uno status or we just get into the roots of the problems, and work towards a team which plays like number one. I can continue dwelling upon many more issues, maybe, some other day.

Hoping & wishing the very best to our Indian Cricket Team.

An Anatomical Eye On The Top Four!

2nd October 2012, Sri Lanka - The ICC World Twenty20 Cup made every cricket fan get into a statistical mode, as all the four teams in Group-II had eyes over the spot in semis. In the turn of events, Australia lost to Pakistan & qualified, India won against the Proteas & still didn't qualify. Let's give a critic's eye to the teams who are just two steps away from Glory.

Australia the most comfortably positioned team amongst others in the group, wouldn't even have thought in their wildest dreams of getting into a situation where they had to fight for qualification. Pakistan not only won their do-or-die game, but they did it in style by overpowering the in-form Aussies.

The game against Pakistan has exposed the cracks in the Australian batting and their vulnerability against spin will make Narine's 4 overs in the semi-final the 'game changer'. Shane Watson has been the most prolific player of the tournament so far, being the leading run scorer with 242 runs in 5 games, and leading the wickets tally with 11 scalps to his name. This clearly indicates how heavily Australians bank on Watson. Together, Watson, Hussey & Warner have scored 83% of the runs Australian Team got so far in the tournament. Watson & Warner scored a total of mere 16 runs against Pakistan and Australia failed to get even 120. After knowing these facts, you actually don't have to be a cricketing genius to understand what needs to be done in the semis by the West Indies. So, lets shift focus to SL vs Pak game.

Sri Lanka on the home turf have been favorites even before the start of the tournament & their qualification in semis wouldn't have raised a single eyebrow. But, the 'captain-switch' in the last game has certainly raised a lot of questions on their integrity. As far as my opinion goes, I don't advocate such moves. Agreed that there was nothing illegal in the move & Team Manager Charith Senanayake did his research pretty well to take advantage of the loop holes in the ICC's Rules Book. For an instance, if Dhoni wouldn't have called back Ian Bell after his bizarre run-out dismissal at Trent Bridge, then even that wouldn't have been illegal. But, somewhere down the line, MS Dhoni took a call in good spirit of the game & was much appreciated by majority of cricket fraternity and the fans. So, I believe that, what Sri Lanka did was not wrong, but certainly it was not in the spirit of the game.

Coming back to their upcoming match against Pakistan, the contest seems to be even. Pakistan's bowling attack has been boosted by the 20-year old left-arm spinner Raza Hasan, who has been one of the brightest upcoming talent in the cup. Hafeez, Afridi & Ajmal complete the quad of spinners who strangled the mighty Australians in the previous game. Add Umar Gul to that & Pakistan have a good bowling attack. Speaking about their batting, the batting order is what their management needs to re-think. Players like Shoaib Malik & Umar Akmal definitely need to bat at number 4 & 5. That would not only strengthen the middle order, but would give a license to go all guns blazing to the players like Kamran, Afridi & Razzak.

Sri Lanka has a bit similar bowling attack. Mendis being the trump card on the slow wickets, Dananjaya, Jeevan Mendis complete the spin-trio, whereas, Dilshan can contribute as well. Mathews, Perera & Kulasekara take care of the pace department, along with 'The Slinga Malinga Phenomenon", who gives the Lankan bowling attack an edge over Pakistan. The Sri Lankan batting has had it woes, due to the continued dependence on the Top-3. But with Mathews, J Mendis, Thirimanne & Perera chipping in with few runs in the last game, surely gave some relief to the Sri Lankan management ahead of the big game. Still, their lower middle order is vulnerable to a collapse.

As the semi-finals approach, the curiosity goes skywards. How would Australian middle order respond if the top-3 fail?, Who would rise, if Gayle falls?, Will Pakistan show consistency or will Sri Lanka utilize the home advantage? ... The questions will be answered in coming 2 days. Regardless of who makes it to the final, the cricket lovers are surely in for a treat.

Looking forward to your thoughts. Cheers!