Making IPL Relevant

IPL in it's sixth edition is doing pretty well for it's own good. All 9 teams, at the halfway stage, still have a chance to make it to the playoffs. Delhi Daredevils, one of the top four teams in the last editions languish in the 9th spot. Pune Warriors, team that made the 9th spot its own now is at no 8. Rajasthan, Punjab and Hyderabad teams have surprised a few with their strong shows. Not all would make it to the play offs though. Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai have looked strong, yet vulnerable in situations. Kolkata seems to still be finding its feet in this edition after the Championship win last year. Foreign players like Gayle, Narine, M Hussey, de Villiers, Watson, Dwayne Smith, Finch, Kallis, Steyn & Miller have done exceptionally well for their franchises. Whilst on the other hand only few Indians namely; Kohli, Dhoni, Mishra, Karthik, Gambhir, Vinay Kumar have shown any consistency with bat or ball.

The tournament every years starts with a bang and and ends with a relatively lesser enthusiasm yet still manages to get the buzz going. Its the middle stages that mostly disappoint. The better teams go about asserting their dominance and the weaker ones get into a rut of defeats. What's more? Indian Premier League is a platform to showcase talent. With the term Indian being prominent in it, it comes across as a platform to showcase Indian talent. Where's that?

Let's look at some areas that could be looked into that can increase the viewer's interest and more so relevance of the IPL to Indian and world cricket over all.

Captains

IPL, in the year 2008 started with most franchises being captained by Indians, most of them being termed 'marquee players'. Who are the marquee players now? Okay, that's not even the point. Ricky Ponting for Mumbai Indians, Sangakkara for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gilchrist for Kings XI Punjab, Jayawardena for Delhi Daredevils, Angelo Matthews for Pune Warriors, all first choice captains for their teams have mostly failed to get going, thus leaving their franchises short of a foreign talent in the XI. Ponting, Sanga, Matthews have gone a step ahead and have dropped themselves in the interest of the teams. Great sacrifice, but why even give way to that? Bring in young Indian talents to captains the sides. Rohit Sharma was made captain when Ponting's continued failures began to hurt the team. Virat Kohli being named captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore has got to be the best decision so far in this IPL. With the presence of the likes of Dilshan and Vettorri in the squad, it would've been easy for the management to name one of them. Kohli's elevation to captaincy will bode well for the franchise and for Kohli himself who can hone his captaincy skills which maybe required in the future for the national team when Dhoni is unavailable or sacked. Each franchise could take up the responsibility of naming a youngster as captain and have them trained by a senior.

Chennai Super Kings - Suresh Raina/Ravichandran Ashwin
Delhi Daredevils - Irfan Pathan
Kings XI Punjab - Piyush Chawla
Rajasthan Royals - Ajinkya Rahane
Kolkata Knight Riders - Gautam Gambhir (existing captain)
Royal Challengers Bangalore - Virat Kohli (existing captain)
Pune Warriors India - Yuvraj Singh
Mumbai Indians - Rohit Sharma (existing captain, replacing Ponting)
Sunrisers Hderabad - Shikhar Dhawan

The above list is just an example of what kind of players can be elevated to captaincy. Post the 2014 auction shuffle, some of these guys may not even be a part of their existing teams. But what this essentially does is encourage younger players, maintains team balance by allowing them four best performing foreign talents, hone captains who could lead the national team in the future if needed. If it's Indian Premier League, franchises must have Indian captains. To me, it was kinda strange to have Ponting lead Tendulkar. Unreal to see Jayawardena leading Sehwag in a Delhi franchise.

Indian Talent

Jalaj Saxena, Shami Ahmed, Parvez Rasool, Ishwar Pandey, Wriddhiman Saha are all good enough to be named amongst the probables for the Champions Trophy but are not good enough to represent their franchises in IPL? Cheteshwar Pujara just finished as India's best batsman in the recently concluded international season, yet can't find a place in the playing XI for his franchise. Abhimanyu Mithun, Abhinav Mukund after brief stints with the national side have gone off the radar so much, they can't get a game for their sides. Sreenath Aravind, in reckoning for the national side in 2011 hasn't played a game in IPL 2013. Where do these guys showcase their talents and come back into reckoning? They play their heart out in domestic games, but who watches them? Wasn't IPL supposed to be the platform where talents which don't get visibility have a chance to make it big? Strange, the franchises and the organising committee, in the bid to get more money out of the cash cow is forgetting the premise on which the tournament was founded. Rahul Sharma, Ashwin, Jadeja are example of talents that got recognition through IPL. Even this year the few new guys given the rare opportunities to have flourished. Mandeep Singh, Ajit Chandila, Jasprit Bumrah, Dhawal Kulkarni, Mohit Sharma, Karan Sharma to name a few.

Loan Players

What is Wriddhiman Saha, a top wicket keeper in the domestic circuit in the running for national selection doing in Chennai Super Kings, captained by Dhoni? Why can't he be loaned to Pune Warriors who are having to do with Robin Uthappa as a wicket keeper or even Kolkata Knight Riders who are putting up with very average Manvinder Bisla behind the stumps? Delhi Daredevils have been playing with poor spin attack and being forced to keep out Morne Morkel to play foreign spinners Botha, Jeevan Mendis or van der Merwe. They could easily exercise the loaning option to seek a unused spinner from one of the other franchises. Loaning of players should be introduced immediately to the IPL.

IPL 2014, with refreshed teams should also alter some rules to make the going ons more interesting for the viewers and followers. Brands have already been cashing in on the IPL and have been making the most of its popularity amongst the views. Be it contests giving away match tickets, meet and greet with players, IPL is a new boon to marketers and consumers both. But without innovations and tweaks it could fall into a rut and slowly rot. That's why its important there are dynamic changes made to the way things are.

This IPL could well be the last time we see the likes of Dravid, Tendulkar, Ponting, Muralitharan, Gilchrist play any kind of cricket on Indian soil. Big salute to the stars and hope they make the most before bid farewell. Cricket will be poorer by some of the greatest talents but the show will, as it always has, go on.

New Heroes Take Stride: India vs Australia Test Series Review

When Bhuvaneshwar Kumar bowled the first ball to David Warner on February 22nd in the first test in Chennai, nobody would've guessed what's to happen over the next 5 weeks. Four test matches over the next five weeks proved how both India and Australia have dominated at home and have been tamed in alien conditions. India could also validate that the home series defeat vs England a few months back was an aberration. Even my prediction of a 1-1 draw was thrown out of the window. After the 2nd session on 2nd day in the first test, Australia had to wait till the 2nd session on the 2nd day of the 4th test to have some iota of grip on the happenings. That's how badly were the Australians outplayed by a good Indian team. Indian team had its own concerns, which looked minute and trivial compared to Australia's.

Bigger Concerns
Australia seemed more affected by the retirement of Ponting and Mike Hussey than India was by Dravid & Laxman's. Australian batting seemed to lack depth when it came to playing spin. Micheal Clarke was the only batsmen who looked in any control while playing spin. Even though Warner & Cowan gave a few decent starts which were undone by some inexplicable shot making and pure lack of skill to play spin. Hughes & Watson looked the most at sea while playing spin. Australia pace battery of Pattinson, Starc, Siddle, Johnson couldn't extract what the likes of Anderson & Finn could for England. Lyon, Doherty & Maxwell weren't as good as Swann & Panesar. In all the 0-4 defeat for Australia against an almost fresh look Indian team raised huge concerns over how Australia will fare over the next 12-18 critical months where they are scheduled to play back to back Ashes.

Disciplinary Issues
Post the battering in the 2nd test in Hyderabad, experts called for wholesome changes in the Australian XI. Common sense would have dictated having Khawaja for Hughes & Johnson for Starc. Pattinson was Australia's most potent bowler in the first two tests. But few days before the 3rd test, Australian coach Mickey Arthur announced Pattinson, Watson, Khawaja & Johnson have been suspended for the 3rd test. This was attributed to non completion of a task given by the coach to list down three ways how each player can improve his performance to help Australia win. Watson reacted to the suspension by calling it "very harsh", and flew to Australia (also for the birth of his son). Pattinson also said the punishment was "too harsh" but later gave in that his act had "let the team down". Clarke stood by his coach and called for more discipline to be a part of the Australian national team. This further weakened the Australian side on a wicket that was best suited to them. I reckon it was silly to drop important players at a time when you need them most. This also to some extent showed how Australians were a little less bothered about the current task at hand and were focussing more on the upcoming Ashes.

Indian Batting
After watching the debacle vs England, Indian batting seemed to go down the similar road in the 1st innings in the first test where both Sehwag & Vijay were dismissed by a menacing Pattinson. Tendulkar & Pujara, later Kohli stemmed the fall of wickets and brought about a resurgence of sorts as Indian batting had failed to cross 400 after the 1st test ve England. Dhoni took over from Kohli, Tendulkar and scored one of the most brutal double hundreds in recent memory. Played the pacers on merit and took the odd risk but was very aggressive against the spinners. His attack would have dented Lyon confidence. If it was Dhoni's brute in the first test, it was Vijay & Pujara in the 2nd test in Hyderabad. Vijay, in the risk of losing his place after a poor show in Chennai made amends with a fantastic stand of 370 alongside double centurion Pujara. Pujara played like he was in a dream. Barely put a foot wrong. The partnership literally pushed Australia out of the match into an embarrassing innings defeat. Selectors decided they had had enough of waiting for Sehwag to fire and dropped him. Dhawan was the natural replacement for Sehwag. Dhawan had to show his mettle at the highest level after having waited for over 7 years. He did and how! He put on along wish Vijay a partnershi of 289 out of which he scored a staggering 187. He was unrelenting but not brutal. His shots oozed class. Only after getting close to his 100 did he step out to Doherty. By the time he was dismissed, he had shattered some records. His 187 became the highest score by an Indian debutant and also the best strike rate for any batsmen to score 150+ on debut. In the fourth test, on an incredibly difficult wicket Pujara played exceedingly well to notch two half centuries and also anchored India home in a tricky chase of 155. Vijay was the other half centurion for India in the Delhi test.

New Spin Twins
Who'd have thunk it'd be Ravindra Jadeja & Ravichandran Ashwin causing most damage to the Australian batting. Ashwin had a horror of a time against the visiting England. His bowling was easily milked and scored off by Pietersen, Trott & Cook. And now, he was the destructor in chief claiming 29 wickets in 4 matches (8 innings). And who partnered him? The million dollar boy and the cricketer every Indian cricket fan loves to hate, Ravindra Jadeja. The boy from Saurashtra made the most of his captain faith in his abilities. His claimed 24 wickets and made Micheal Clarke his series bunny, by dismissing him 5 times in 6 innings. Ashwin started off the series on the right note claiming 7 wickets in the first innings of the first test in Chennai. He had the upper hand over Warner, Cowan, Hughes & Wade through the series. His dismissal of Steven Smith and Mitchell Johnson in the fourth test in Delhi showed how much at sea the Australians were against spin and the wickets of Warner & Hughes in Hyderabad & Cowan in Delhi, bowled around their legs, showed how Ashwin was using his skill to think the batsmen out. Harbhajan was the surprise inclusion in the first two tests. He couldn't really spin a web around the batsmen as he did in his heydays. He got a few wickets but wasn't really penetrative. Ojha rightfully replaced him in the Mohali and Delhi tests and bowled his heart out in the opportunities he got. He got to a personal milestone of 100 wickets during the series.

Second Fiddles
Fast bowlers, (medium pacers in India's case) in this series were reduced to playing the second fiddle in most part of the series. Pattinson started the series with a burst to reduce the Indian opening to dust and went on to claim 5 in the innings. Starc was ineffective in the first and second tests. Siddle bowled well within himself, but couldnt penetrate the Indian batting. Indian pacers weren't of any use on the dusty Chennai wicket. Bhuvneshwar Kumar started the second test brightly dismissing Warner, Cowan & Watson in quick succession to hand India supremacy early on in the test. Bhuvneshwar went on to claim important wickets even in the 3rd test in Mohali in the Australian second innings to initiate their collapse. Ishant bowled well in patches but could never bowl effectively enough as the senior paceman in the side. Siddle & Starc found the Mohali wicket to their liking and quickened India's fall after the mammoth first wicket stand. Mitchell Johnson was mediocre in his only outing in Delhi.

Captains
There was a different Dhoni to be seen in this series. He was seen cheering his bowlers, egging them on and at times talking to his team, more than he ever did before. Clear indication of him understanding his role now as a leader of a younger team, having graduated from being just a captain to a team of experienced personnel. Dhoni's 224 in the first test in India set the tone for the Indians and also gave them self belief to knock out the Australians. Dhoni had a moderate series behind the stumps but a fabulous one as a captain. He really needed this win to reaffirm the belief in many a supporter that he still is the best guy around to lead this Indian side. Clarke on the other hand had a nightmarish series at the helm. Though he won the toss all three times (Watson lead in the 4th test) and elected to bat, Australia could never make it count as an advantage. His team struggled to cope with spin and were over reliant on him to play the anchor and the aggressor. He also had the "homework scandal" to handle. It surely isn't a series Clarke would want to remember 10 years down the lane. To add to all other woes, his back injury aggravated and couldnt play the 4th test in Delhi.

Failures
This series was, as fans publicized it, Sachin Tendulkar's last series in India. He could well play the test series in South Africa later this year, but it would be his last international experience at home. He started off the series with a sound 81 in the first innings in Chennai and followed it up with a quickfire innings (studded with two consecutive sixes off Lyon) to seal an India win. But in the next five innings, he couldnt manage another half century. Fans egged him for one final show in Hyderabad, Mohali & Delhi. It wasn't to be. He received heroic welcomes every time he walked in and a sad, dejected send off each time he was dismissed. For Australia, the biggest failure was Shane Watson. Much was expected off the vice captain who was in the side as a specialist batsman. He ended up averaging less than Nathan Lyon, the tailender.

Success Stories
While India found positives from the series in Vijay, Ashwin, Pujara, Dhawan, Jadeja & Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Australia debutants Henriques & Maxwell struggled to get going. Nathan Lyon though after getting dropped for the 2nd test, came back strongly in the 3rd and 4th tests. Lyon claimed 9 wickets in the 4th test in Delhi out of which 7/103 was in the first innings. He had Indians on a hot tin roof with his off spin.

All through the series while India was busy thrashing Australia, the experts and fans were trying to work out a combination for the South African tour later in the year. While the middle order looks settled, bowling and opening are two areas which are still dicey. While Vijay & Dhawan did wonders to their reputations in this series, playing Steyn, Morkel, Philander in South Africa will be a different ball game. How they mould themselves will be interesting to watch.

Australia on the other hand have a lot of 'homework' to do. They need to get their batting combination right. They need to decide if Watson deserves to be a part of the side as a specialist batsman. Siddle, Starc, Pattinson will be effective in English conditions but the batting can not rely so much on Clarke. They need guys like Warner, Cowan, Hughes to stand up and get counted. This series is gone and the Australia reputation has taking a major beating. Australia are not a side to sit back and relax, they will come back hard and just for that reason, the Ashes of 2013 will be a keenly contested one.