Towards total cricket

It’s that era in sport in which teams covet multi-skilled players. Be it in football or cricket.

A multi-skilled genius is often a mystical figure. That’s why a Sir Garfield Sobers or a Jacques Kallis or an Adam Gilchrist is once-in-a-generation. So are Johan Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer, who are pioneers of Total Football.

But, in sport, no tendency is as strong as the desire to win and this is what drives every team’s quest to locate that final piece to complete the jigsaw. Two by-products of this process are the wicketkeeper-batsman and the bits-and-pieces cricketer.

“We have been trying to find a regular wicketkeeper who will contribute with the bat,” said the then India captain Sourav Ganguly in 2004. “It is for that reason Dravid was made to keep wickets and if you have a look at our one-day performances (since the Natwest Trophy in 2002), a number of games have been won by batsmen batting at number seven.”

In large measure, the roots to this strain of thought can be traced to the legendary Australian Gilchrist. For long, a wicketkeeper’s identity was independent of his batting skills. The runs that came from his willow were always considered a bonus, even as late as the 1990s.

But, with Gilchrist doing what he did — destroying attacks at will — Australia had a merry run in 1999, 2003 and 2007. Every team wanted someone who could do the same.

The limited-over format’s increasing appeal influenced this drive to make the team as a whole seem greater than the sum of its parts. So much so that even Test selections were made on these considerations. The best example was the selection of Geraint Jones for the 2005 Ashes, ahead of Chris Read, who was widely considered the best gloveman at that time.

In the time before Gilchrist made his debut, the ’keeper-batsmen had an overall aggregate of 25,124 runs in 1130 matches at 20.09, with a strike rate of 69.31. In the days since then, a total of 1,09,457 runs have been scored in 2462 matches at 30.34, with a strike rate of 78.37.

The re-defining of the role of a wicketkeeper is also backed by statistics: in the ’70s, wicketkeepers scored at an average of 18.17 and a strike rate of 61.37. In the ’80s, it rose slightly to 18.62 and 67.77. An increase to 23.70 and 72.64 was seen in the next decade. In the first 10 years of the millennium, it was 29.53 and 77.42 and since 2010, it has gone up to 34.47 and 82.38.

It is no coincidence that a major part of the careers of some of the best wicketkeeper-batsmen stretch over the last 15 years, the period in which one can notice a significant explosion in the averages and strike rates.

Of the seven designated wicketkeepers with a minimum of 4000 runs, five have their careers dating to this period: K. Sangakkara (2000-2015; 353 matches, 12800 runs, 42.66 average, 79.34 strike rate), Adam Gilchrist (1996-2008; 282, 9410, 35.64, 96.94), M.S. Dhoni (2004-2015; 253, 8245, 52.51, 88.97), Mark Boucher (1998-2011, 294, 4680, 28.71, 84.93), and Brendon McCullum (2002-2013, 184, 4057, 30.73, 90.37).

Each of these wicketkeeper-batsmen can hold his place in the team, either as a wicketkeeper, or a batsman alone. But, with not every country as blessed, there is now a disturbing trend to look for a batsman-wicketkeeper instead.

The bits-and-pieces cricketer is no different. A thin line separates him from a genuine all-rounder, and in most cases, the former is expected to mould into the latter over time. But, evidence shows that many start as a jack of all trades and end up as masters of none.

England is still looking for its next Ian Botham — with due apologies to Andrew Flintoff — and India for its next Kapil Dev.

http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/world-cup/towards-total-cricket/article6840193.ece

Nowhere to hide

Michael Lewis’s best-seller, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, published in 2003, had as its premise how long held conventional wisdom wasn’t always the ticket to success. The protagonist was Billy Beane, manager of the Major League Baseball team Oakland A. With a budget less than most other teams’, he had to win the League.

Conventional wisdom would have told him to rely on pitchers with powerful arms. Instead, he chose ones who got a lot of ground outs (getting to the ball and throwing it before a batter reaches the base).

A parallel can be drawn to cricket here. For long, batting and bowling were considered the only arts which separated teams. But, over time, as the teams’ talent quotient converged, newer ways had to be discovered to stay ahead of the curve. So, the need for entrepreneurial skills became important even in sports. And this manifested itself in better fielding techniques and improved running between the wickets.

“If each guy saves me one run, it gives me 10 runs,” said Jonty Rhodes, the man, who, with his incredible stops and amazing catches, revolutionised fielding in the early 1990s, in an interview to Sportstar. “Margins in many games come down to that.”

For long, a talented bowler or batsman could get into the team on the basis of his major strength. But now, the ones lumbering along on the field are sure to be found out. These days, quality fielding is more a norm than an exception.

“The limited-over set-up has had an effect,” said Rhodes. “You used to have four or five really slow guys. Nowadays, with shots like the Dil Scoop and reverse sweep, you really can’t hide such fielders.”

What this has done is to increase the requirement for one to be an all-round fielder. Being a specialist in one position is no longer enough. As much as fielding at slip and cover are important, so are boundary-line catching and fielding.

“With T20 cricket and better bats, the batsmen take on the fielders,” said Rhodes. “So defending your boundary has become very important. Kieron Pollard fields in the ring in the initial overs and moves to the boundary later on.

“In my days the best fielders used to field at positions like the backward point. People like me and Herschelle Gibbs were good in the ring, but not as good at the boundary. Now you see them at mid-on, long-on, long-off, or wherever the ball goes. From David Warner and Suresh Raina to A.B. de Villiers, when he is not keeping...”

Another of the fielding innovations has been the relay throw, where the lack of a bullet-arm forces two players to team up and get the ball back. On the big grounds of Australia, it’s a much quicker way to return the ball from the boundary.

But, it was New Zealand, in the 2003 World Cup, who first used it as a deliberate ploy to get a batsman out. The first victim was none other than Brian Lara.

“That was our first fish,” said the then captain Stephen Fleming. “And it’s a pretty big fish to fry. It [relay throw] creates confusion. Today, it won us the match.”

Even in running between the wickets, it takes two to tango. In the early days of one-day cricket, taking quick singles and twos was just an afterthought for many top-order batsmen. Not until a Dean Jones or a Michael Bevan came along did one realise the importance of it.

Writing in ESPNCricinfo, former India opener Aakash Chopra had this to say about Jones’s running: “He would hold the bat high on the handle so as to use its length to the optimum, and while turning, he would stay low and stretch fully. While staying low helped him generate the necessary thrust to turn quickly and gain momentum again, stretching the arms and the body allowed him to run at least one step fewer.”

Not so long ago, a player was never termed bankable based only on his fielding, or running between the wickets. These days team selections hinge on them. That’s how much the game has evolved.

http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/world-cup/nowhere-to-hide/article6831917.ece

World Cup venues: Eden Park, The Gabba

AUCKLAND

Auckland is the economic capital of New Zelaand

Situated in the North Island, Auckland is New Zealand’s largest and most populous city. Known for its pristine beaches, hiking trails, volcano cones and fine wine, it's the most cosmopolitan of all cities in the country, which also boasts of a sizable Asian population.

With its mild climate, excellent educational and job opportunities and plenty of leisure activities, it is often rated as one of the best cities in the world to live. No wonder the indigenous Maori people call it ‘Tamaki Makaurau’ -- a maiden desired by a hundred lovers.

EDEN PARK

Capacity: 50,000

Playing Area: NA

Highest Total: 340/5 (NZ vs. Aus, 2007)

Lowest Total:73 (NZ vs. SL, 2007)

Highest Score: 140 (Glenn Turner)

Best Bowling:6/30 (Waqar Younis)

Home to New Zealand’s first Test victory in 1955-56 against the West Indies, Eden Park has witnessed matches since 1929. It plays host not just to cricket but also rugby (Auckland Blues' home ground) and holds the distinction of becoming the first stadium in the world to have held two rugby World Cup finals -- 1987 and 2011. But it was also here that the Black Caps collapsed for 26 against England in 1955, its lowest-ever Test total.

The ground resembles a baseball diamond and in the early 1900s was used only for cricket. Later on, an agreement with the rugby administrators allowed for its further development into the largest stadium in New Zealand. It now sports two giant modern-day grandstands with a contrastingly old pavilion. A $256 million redevelopment programme was completed in 2010.

BRISBANE

The city is named after the Brisbane River on which it is located.

The river, in turn, got its name from Scotsman Sir Thomas Brisbane, the Governor of New South Wales from 1821 to 1825.

Capital of the state of Queensland, it’s Australia’s third most populous city and showcases the best of the country’s flora and fauna. The natural beauty of the Botanic Gardens, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Kangaroo Point Cliffs for rock climbing and the Australia Zoo, made famous by Steve Irwin all stand testimony to this.

Did you know: The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, established in 1927, was the world’s first for Koalas.

THE GABBA

It was first set aside for cricket in 1895 and interestingly the first-ever match played in 1896 was between the Parliament and the Press. After that, it hosted its first Test match in 1931, played between Australia and South Africa. Since then it has seen sports as diverse as Australian Rules Football (home to the Brisbane Lions), cycling, rugby, baseball and greyhound races.

Situated in the suburb of Woolloongabba, the Brisbane Cricket Ground, popularly called the Gabba, is one of the best modern-day stadiums. It once boasted of grassy banks and dogtrack, which have now been replaced by concrete structures. Though it has lost some of its old-world charm, Gabba has the perfect blend of tradition and modernity.

The greatest moment in the stadium’s history is the tied Test between Australia and the West Indies in 1960-61.

Capacity: 40,000

Playing Area: 170.6m long, 149.9 m wide

Highest Total: 324/7 (Aus vs. WI, 2010)

Lowest Total: 71 (Pak vs. WI, 1993)

Highest Score: 163 (David Warner)

Best Bowling: 6/45 (Chris Woakes)

http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/world-cup/world-cup-venues-eden-park-the-gabba/article6825702.ece

Players who will have their swansong in 2015

Not many are blessed with a chance to bow out in style. Even the best of them all, Sir Donald Bradman, needing four runs in his last innings to finish with a perfect average of 100, fell for nought.

But as time flows, this adds to their everlasting appeal.

So it does for the few who actually go out in style. As far as World Cup swansongs are concerned, no one could have had it better than Imran Khan and Sachin Tendulkar. The former, at the grand old age of 39, and the latter, barely a month shy of the same age, won their first and only winner's medals in 1992 and 2011.

The 2015 event in Australia-New Zealand will also have its share of players dreaming to finish on a high. A look at some of them:

Kumar Sangakkara & Mahela Jayawardene (both 37): Gentleman’s Game, cricket might no longer be, but if it has to associate that with some of the ilk it will most definitely be the legendary Sri Lankan duo. The two have lived through four World Cup final defeats – 2007 and 2011 in ODIs, and the 2009 and 2012 in T20s. They finally got hold of the 2014 World T20 trophy. Does the ODI crown beckon this time around?

Shahid Afridi (34) & Misbah-ul-Haq (40): Common wisdom suggests that one should never see the words - Afridi and retirement - in the same breath. But the man has said, at least for now, that his fifth appearance in the quadrennial extravaganza will be his last. So has Misbah, who, though, can be expected to keep his word. As captain, he is only a year older than when Imran won in 1992!.

Dale Steyn (31): “We are just trying to be a part of that puzzle, that when it's finished, it has a big W on it. If I can win that World Cup without taking one wicket, I can still have a winner's medal around my neck,” ESPNCricinfo quoted Steyn as saying. That’s how desperate he is to win the ultimate prize. It may be his last chance, but with a team as well-rounded as the one South Africa possesses, his best.

Brendon McCullum (33): Few men can hurt a bowling attack like the Kiwi. The most recent example was the blistering 134-ball 195 against Sri Lanka in Christchurch. If the last year is anything to go by, he, as an astute captain, has turned the New Zealand side into the most-improved lot, and with that has come the tag of 'dark horse.'

Younis Khan (37), Chris Gayle (35), and Daniel Vettori (35) are the others who will be keen to bow out with a bang.

http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/world-cup/last-chance-saloon-players-who-will-have-their-swansong-in-2015/article6821556.ece

Swiss roll

At 29, Stan Wawrinka is in an interesting phase. Among the ‘Big Four’, only Roger Federer is older than he is. However, it does not earn him a tag worthy enough to sit alongside the very best.

“No, I am not,” said Wawrinka when asked if he is among the best. “They have been winning for ten years, but I have only had one amazing year.”

However, Wawrinka is not a novice either, having been on the tour for over a decade, to be clubbed along with the next set of emerging youngsters.

So what does a breakout year at 29 do? It does two things: for the pack behind him, he is an agent of hope, and for the one in front, a source of threat. In addition, it lends an air of uncertainty — which is so essential in sport — to a men’s section devoid of the flux that characterises women’s tennis.

After the Aircel Chennai Open-Australian Open double in 2014, he has now added more meat to the storyline by capturing his third title in Chennai and arriving in Melbourne in the best possible shape to defend his crown.

There was much at stake for Wawrinka at the start of the season. Because for all the highs that he reached last year, he didn’t seem entirely at home in the company of the elite. A consistent streak to add to his titles in the early part of the year was missing. The Swiss’ form waxed and waned. A first Grand Slam, a first Masters title and a first Davis Cup came alongside early losses in Miami, Indian Wells and Roland Garros.

Still, by the end of the year, he reached a career high No. 4, continuing his trend of consistent upward mobility of the last few years: No. 21, No. 17, No. 17 and No. 8.

So the goal for 2015 would have been to offset the mid-season slump and maintain a steady level for the whole season. For this, a start as good as last year was necessary. What he delivered in Chennai was even better. He did not lose a set — like last year — but played at a level much higher than before.

Borna Coric, 18, a rising youngster from Croatia, was brought down to earth. David Goffin, a promising Belgian, was stopped in his tracks. And finalist Aljaz Bedene, a qualifier, but one with top-50 potential, was shown his place.

All of this was achieved with a high-percentage single-handed backhand — which is everybody’s envy — ably assisted by his much improved serve and return game.

“A perfect week for me,” was how he described it after the final. “Really happy with my level (of play). It’s tough to win an ATP title. The last one I won was in April last year. So it feels great.”

Nonetheless, there is no escaping the pressure that comes with defending a Grand Slam title. Especially for first-timers, it can be an unnerving experience.

“I’m not putting my goal to win a Grand Slam. I know I can do it, that’s not the question,” he said in his pre-tournament press conference in Australia. “But it’s a long way for that. For me most important is to be ready for the first match. I know how it is. I’ve been playing so many years to know the deal. You have to be ready, take match after match, and see where you can go.”

At the start of the 2015 season, it seems there’s no place to hide in men’s tennis.

Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray seem at full strength. Rafael Nadal is back on court and is injury-free. Milos Raonic and Kei Nishikori are no longer surprise packages. Even Juan Martin del Potro looked set to join the party before pulling out of the Australian Open to rest his battered wrist.

It is beating this field that poses Wawrinka his biggest test yet. If in 2014 he raised expectations, in 2015 it will be his challenge to live up to them.

http://www.sportstaronnet.com/tss3805/stories/20150131507205400.htm

Wawrinka’s reign continues

The top-4 in world tennis is a tough place to break into. If you do, it’s an even tougher to stay there; more so when you are not Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray.

After finishing at No.4 last year, it was important for Stan Wawrinka to not start this season on the wrong foot. A backslide into the path of a bunch of emerging youngsters would hardly be an auspicious beginning, especially after a breakout 2014.

However, by winning his third Aircel Chennai Open title following a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Slovene Aljaz Bedene on Sunday, Wawrinka ensured that the year started on the best possible note.

“A perfect week for me,” was how he described it after the final. “Really happy with my level [of play]. It’s tough to win an ATP title. The last one I won was in April last year. So it feels great.”

For all that Wawrinka did last year, not much suggested that he was comfortable in the company of the elite. There was a constant search for consistency but without too much success, after the early part of the season.

But, based on the past week’s performance here, one can safely say that he has hit a patch which is a notch above his 2014 form. Like last year, he romped home without conceding a set, but without any of the jitters and nerves.

One of the noteworthy things about Sunday’s final was how he played the big points. In each of his five service games in the first set, Bedene had him at 30-30. But every time he came up with a big serve.

So high was his confidence that — unlike Bedene’s earlier opponents who had relentlessly attacked his backhand — Wawrinka routinely hit to the Slovene’s forehand.

But such was the precision, depth and work on the ball that it was almost always a yard away from Bedene’s strike zone.

Wawrinka needed just two breaks of serve, one in the sixth game of the first set and the other in the seventh game of the second. Bedene didn’t earn a single break-point.

“He was really good,” said Bedene. “Unfortunately I was a bit tired. I didn’t hit the ball clean as well.”

“But I am satisfied with my performance over this week. I was really excited as it was my first final. I couldn’t sleep yesterday. But I think ill get used to it,” he said with a laugh.

When Wawrinka won in 2014, the narrative was about novelty. But with time and performance grow expectations, and he will undoubtedly feel the pressure as the defending Australian Open champion.

How the Swiss handles it will be known over the next few weeks, but he has certainly got the start he would have desired.

Later, Leander Paes lost his first Chennai Open final in seven appearances in the title round, as he and Raven Klaasen went down 6-3, 7-6(4) to Jonathan Marray and Yen-Hsun Lu. 

“It was great week for me,” Paes said. “We’ve played good matches, and it’s good for our new partnership.”

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-sports/wawrinkas-reign-continues/article6778960.ece

Bedene storms into the final

There is something cavalier about Aljaz Bedene’s persona. In the way he approaches the game on court and in the manner he speaks off it. It often borders on nonchalance. It can well be misconstrued for arrogance, but on the day, when it comes off, there is no better sight.

Saturday was one such day. After two hours and 42 minutes of marvellous tennis, and four match points saved, he became the first qualifier to reach the final of the Aircel Chennai Open, beating Spanish third seed Roberto Bautista Agut. 

He will meet defending champion Stan Wawrinka in Sunday’s final. The top seed came through 7-5, 6-3 against Belgian fourth seed David Goffin in a tight affair. “I am not someone who waits for the opponent’s mistakes,” Bedene said after the 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(8) win. “And, it has worked. So far, so good.”

In Bautista Agut, he had an opponent in the typical Spanish grinder’s mould, whose game gives an impression of an iterative method to solve mathematical problems, where one obtains successive approximations to the solution itself.

This was evident in the way Agut pinned Bedene to his backhand through monotonous crosscourt exchanges, shifted position with each shot until Bedene was almost beyond the tramlines and was forced into an error.

While the match saw much action, often going back and forth, this was essentially the contest — of Agut trying to exploit Bedene’s backhand and the Slovenian finding a way out of it.

The start of the match was erratic. There were five breaks of serve in the first six games. But Agut’s three holds came at a loss of just two points and won him the first set 6-3.

In the second, Bedene recovered. He went 3-1 up by playing first-strike tennis, changing direction frequently and pulling the trigger with his inside-out forehand. The two then traded breaks before Bedene’s final two holds — both tight two-deuce affairs — gave him the set and squared the match.

In the third, it was Agut’s turn to march ahead 3-1. But a Bedene comeback always loomed and true to the pattern in the previous sets, the set was soon levelled at 3-3. 

From thereon, it should have ideally been Bedene’s home stretch. He twice had Agut at 0-30 on the latter’s serve — at 3-3 and 4-4. But he fluffed both chances. Then, in the tie-break, at 5-4, he had the match on his racquet. This was spurned too. 

He had to wait for his second match point at 9-8 to take the contest, not before Agut had four shots at the match — twice on Bedene’s serve at 4-5 and twice in the tie-break.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-sports/bedene-storms-into-the-final/article6776288.ece