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The Historic First Cricket Test played between India and England, during December 11 and 15
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The first cricket test played between India and England, during December 11 and 15 in the Chepauk Cricket Ground, Chennai, was unique and historic in many respects. It restored the pride and interest in the sagging test cricket as evidenced by the large turnout of 30,000 people on the fifth day of the test.
The test was unique and historic because India won the test by unbelievably chasing a fourth innings target of 387 runs by losing only four wickets in the process and won the first test by six wickets. Only the day before yesterday, the Australian sports columnist Peter Roebuck wrote in his article, published in Hindu, that M. S. Dhoni's Indian team has the right balance to claim the number one spot in the world. Within hours after the publication of the article Indian cricket team has made history by winning the first test against England.
The test was dominated by England for the first three days and India snatched the victory from the jaws of defeat in the last two days. England made a reasonably good total of 316 runs in the first innings helped by the 13 th test century by the England opener Andrew Straus. In reply India managed to score only 241 runs, the main contributors being the skipper M. S. Dhoni with 52 runs and Harbajan Singh, the ace offspinner with 40 runs. It is needless to say that both openers Sehwag and Gambhir, the great wall Dravid, the little master from Mumbai, very very special Laxman all failed to score in the first innings. Then England played its second innings and declared it at 311/9, with fine contributions from Andrew Straus and Paul Collingwood , each scoring 108 runs. Thanks to a fine bowling performance of Zakir Khan and Ishant Sharma, who scalped 6 wickets among them and restricted England to 311 for 9.
England having already gained a first innings lead of 75 runs over India, set an improbable target of 387 runs for India to chase in the second innings. It was a wearing pitch with bowlers getting occasional bounce and England spinners Swan and Monte Panesar were on song and appeared to dominate and threaten in the last day. Media had already written off the first test in favour of England as if they had strongly been in the driver's seat and poised to win the test.
It was the fourth day of the test. England skipper Kevin Peterson declared the England second innings at 311 for 9, setting a target of 387. The Indian openers came to play. It all started when the swashbuckling Indian opener Virendar Sehwag set the tone and momentum of chase by scoring a quickfire 83 runs of 68 balls with 11 fours and 4 sixes. His innings instilled the requisite enthusiasm and confidence among the Indian players and made them believe that they could make the run chase and the target was achievable. Viru's opening partner Gambhir continued the momentum and scored a decent 66. Then came the historical run chase and entertaining partnership between the little master Sachin Tendulkar and the Yuvaraj Singh, while the former scoring his skillful 41 century (103 not out) and the latter scoring a brisk 85 by giving an able and adequate support to Sachin.
By chasing 387 runs in the fourth innings, India won the first test by six wickets and is one up in the two test series. The run chase was made possible when the Indian players believed in themselves. It was Virendar Sehwag who won the man of the match award for his quickfire 83 but the credit of making a successful run chase should go to all Indian players like Sehwag, Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvaraj Singh. It was a fantastic team effort!
1. The Hindu (daily)
2. The Deccan Chronicle (daily)
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rama_Lingam
The first cricket test played between India and England, during December 11 and 15 in the Chepauk Cricket Ground, Chennai, was unique and historic in many respects. It restored the pride and interest in the sagging test cricket as evidenced by the large turnout of 30,000 people on the fifth day of the test.
The test was unique and historic because India won the test by unbelievably chasing a fourth innings target of 387 runs by losing only four wickets in the process and won the first test by six wickets. Only the day before yesterday, the Australian sports columnist Peter Roebuck wrote in his article, published in Hindu, that M. S. Dhoni's Indian team has the right balance to claim the number one spot in the world. Within hours after the publication of the article Indian cricket team has made history by winning the first test against England.
The test was dominated by England for the first three days and India snatched the victory from the jaws of defeat in the last two days. England made a reasonably good total of 316 runs in the first innings helped by the 13 th test century by the England opener Andrew Straus. In reply India managed to score only 241 runs, the main contributors being the skipper M. S. Dhoni with 52 runs and Harbajan Singh, the ace offspinner with 40 runs. It is needless to say that both openers Sehwag and Gambhir, the great wall Dravid, the little master from Mumbai, very very special Laxman all failed to score in the first innings. Then England played its second innings and declared it at 311/9, with fine contributions from Andrew Straus and Paul Collingwood , each scoring 108 runs. Thanks to a fine bowling performance of Zakir Khan and Ishant Sharma, who scalped 6 wickets among them and restricted England to 311 for 9.
England having already gained a first innings lead of 75 runs over India, set an improbable target of 387 runs for India to chase in the second innings. It was a wearing pitch with bowlers getting occasional bounce and England spinners Swan and Monte Panesar were on song and appeared to dominate and threaten in the last day. Media had already written off the first test in favour of England as if they had strongly been in the driver's seat and poised to win the test.
It was the fourth day of the test. England skipper Kevin Peterson declared the England second innings at 311 for 9, setting a target of 387. The Indian openers came to play. It all started when the swashbuckling Indian opener Virendar Sehwag set the tone and momentum of chase by scoring a quickfire 83 runs of 68 balls with 11 fours and 4 sixes. His innings instilled the requisite enthusiasm and confidence among the Indian players and made them believe that they could make the run chase and the target was achievable. Viru's opening partner Gambhir continued the momentum and scored a decent 66. Then came the historical run chase and entertaining partnership between the little master Sachin Tendulkar and the Yuvaraj Singh, while the former scoring his skillful 41 century (103 not out) and the latter scoring a brisk 85 by giving an able and adequate support to Sachin.
By chasing 387 runs in the fourth innings, India won the first test by six wickets and is one up in the two test series. The run chase was made possible when the Indian players believed in themselves. It was Virendar Sehwag who won the man of the match award for his quickfire 83 but the credit of making a successful run chase should go to all Indian players like Sehwag, Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvaraj Singh. It was a fantastic team effort!
1. The Hindu (daily)
2. The Deccan Chronicle (daily)
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rama_Lingam
Thursday, November 13, 2008
How to save Test Cricket
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The four test cricket match series currently played between India and Australia reveals a stark reality. Though Australia and India are the top teams in the cricket world, now holding the No.1 and 2 ranks in the ICC test cricket ratings respectively, the popular attendance for the four test series in Bengaluru, Mohali, Delhi and in Nagpur has been very poor. Cricket circles especially the ICC and the BCCI are worried over it.
Cricket has become a religion in India. BCCI is the richest cricket controlling body in the world to the envy of all other cricket playing countries. Many cricket stars and world record holders in cricket like Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni,latest bowling sensation Ishant Sharma are playing in the Indian cricket team. Australian cricket team has cricket giants like Ricky Ponting, Mathew Hayden and rising stars like Mike Hussey and Michale Clarke and speedster Bret Lee. Despite of all these plus points in favor of current test cricket series, still all the above mentioned test cricket venues have attracted very little crowd.
When we proceed to analyse the reasons for the poor turn out for the current cricket series being played between India and Australia, we arrive at the following conclusions:-
1)Shorter version of the cricket like ODI and Twenty Twenty matches have gained popularity and they attract more crowd.The IPL and ICL series are partly to blame.
2)ODI and Twenty Twenty games are result oriented and being played on a single day with 50 overs and 20 overs respectively. Whereas the test cricket match is being played for five days continuously and there is no guarantee and you cannot remain rest assured that a team will win. For example, in the current India -Australia test series, India having already won the Mohali test and one up in the test series, is playing with a negative approach and mindset aiming for a draw and a series win, so as to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy from Australia.
3)When a test match is meandering for a draw, it is dull and prosaic. But people who come to witness a match all the way from different parts of a country spending money and time are not prepared to witness a dull event that too for a period of five days.
4)Getting leave or permission for a single day to witness a cricket match is comparatively easy than obtaining leave or permission for five days. Finding accommodation for a single day is comparatively easy and cheaper than seeking accommodation for five days.
5)When a test match is played in a flat pitch,it becomes the batsman paradise and a bowlers' dilemma.Records may tumble but it is very difficult to get a result and the teams may struggle to dismiss a team twice in a match.
6)Live telecast of the cricket match is the another reason that leads to poor turn out.
Though one can not deny the fact that test cricket has got its own drawbacks as mentioned above, still it is the real cricket to test ones' cricketing talent and character to assess how one performs in a crunch situation.
Recently while commenting upon the cricket test match in Nagpur during the fourth test match being played between India and Australia, former Indian cricket player Ravi Sasthri has spelled out some concrete proposals to revamp the test cricket so as to make it more result oriented, interesting and to attract crowds. His proposals are really interesting, meaningful and noteworthy and merits consideration both by the ICC and the BCCI.
Ravi Sasthri suggests for the restriction of overs per innings, say 100 overs per innings in a test match, which is bound to produce a result in a test match which is otherwise dull.He also suggests for the preparation of bouncy pitches for the test matches which are bound to test the real character of a cricket player as a batsman besides assisting the bowler.
Revamping of test cricket on the above lines is the urgent need of the hour.Otherwise, it may go into oblivion in the near future.
Let us hope that test cricket will regain its preeminence very soon and provides a real entertainment to the people.
1.The Hindu (daily)
2.Deccan Chronicle (daily)
Article Source: http://EzineArticles
The four test cricket match series currently played between India and Australia reveals a stark reality. Though Australia and India are the top teams in the cricket world, now holding the No.1 and 2 ranks in the ICC test cricket ratings respectively, the popular attendance for the four test series in Bengaluru, Mohali, Delhi and in Nagpur has been very poor. Cricket circles especially the ICC and the BCCI are worried over it.
Cricket has become a religion in India. BCCI is the richest cricket controlling body in the world to the envy of all other cricket playing countries. Many cricket stars and world record holders in cricket like Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni,latest bowling sensation Ishant Sharma are playing in the Indian cricket team. Australian cricket team has cricket giants like Ricky Ponting, Mathew Hayden and rising stars like Mike Hussey and Michale Clarke and speedster Bret Lee. Despite of all these plus points in favor of current test cricket series, still all the above mentioned test cricket venues have attracted very little crowd.
When we proceed to analyse the reasons for the poor turn out for the current cricket series being played between India and Australia, we arrive at the following conclusions:-
1)Shorter version of the cricket like ODI and Twenty Twenty matches have gained popularity and they attract more crowd.The IPL and ICL series are partly to blame.
2)ODI and Twenty Twenty games are result oriented and being played on a single day with 50 overs and 20 overs respectively. Whereas the test cricket match is being played for five days continuously and there is no guarantee and you cannot remain rest assured that a team will win. For example, in the current India -Australia test series, India having already won the Mohali test and one up in the test series, is playing with a negative approach and mindset aiming for a draw and a series win, so as to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy from Australia.
3)When a test match is meandering for a draw, it is dull and prosaic. But people who come to witness a match all the way from different parts of a country spending money and time are not prepared to witness a dull event that too for a period of five days.
4)Getting leave or permission for a single day to witness a cricket match is comparatively easy than obtaining leave or permission for five days. Finding accommodation for a single day is comparatively easy and cheaper than seeking accommodation for five days.
5)When a test match is played in a flat pitch,it becomes the batsman paradise and a bowlers' dilemma.Records may tumble but it is very difficult to get a result and the teams may struggle to dismiss a team twice in a match.
6)Live telecast of the cricket match is the another reason that leads to poor turn out.
Though one can not deny the fact that test cricket has got its own drawbacks as mentioned above, still it is the real cricket to test ones' cricketing talent and character to assess how one performs in a crunch situation.
Recently while commenting upon the cricket test match in Nagpur during the fourth test match being played between India and Australia, former Indian cricket player Ravi Sasthri has spelled out some concrete proposals to revamp the test cricket so as to make it more result oriented, interesting and to attract crowds. His proposals are really interesting, meaningful and noteworthy and merits consideration both by the ICC and the BCCI.
Ravi Sasthri suggests for the restriction of overs per innings, say 100 overs per innings in a test match, which is bound to produce a result in a test match which is otherwise dull.He also suggests for the preparation of bouncy pitches for the test matches which are bound to test the real character of a cricket player as a batsman besides assisting the bowler.
Revamping of test cricket on the above lines is the urgent need of the hour.Otherwise, it may go into oblivion in the near future.
Let us hope that test cricket will regain its preeminence very soon and provides a real entertainment to the people.
1.The Hindu (daily)
2.Deccan Chronicle (daily)
Article Source: http://EzineArticles
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