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| SPORTS TRIBUNE |
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Bowled over by Balaji
Missed at Madrid Skiing to the top |
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Secret of Sehwag’s success WHAT sets Virender Sehwag, a class above the rest is his unflappable cool and focused mind. These traits have made Sehwag a much-feared batsman in international cricket. Ever since he made a 69-ball century, his first in international cricket, in the Coca Cola Cup in Colombo against New Zealand in 2001, Sehwag has been a nightmare for the bowlers the world over. If he has been able of make mincemeat of rival bowling attacks with the minimum of fuss, it has a lot to with his cool demeanour and cavalier manner when he is at the crease. He is not the kind to dwell on the previous dismissals. More often than not, Sehwag falls victim to his own impetuosity rather than the bowler plotting his dismissal. Sehwag, having been dropped twice in the same over off Shabbir Ahmed when he was about to overtake VVS Laxman as the highest Test scorer for India in the Multan Test, clobbered Saqlain Mushtaq for a huge six to reach his maiden triple century. There are not too many batsmen in international cricket who would opt for the aerial route when close to as precious a milestone as a triple century. Nor would many think of completing a double century with successive sixes. On both occasions, Sehwag was playing on foreign soil and was up against formidable bowling attacks. Inimitable Sehwag went for the extravagant stroke and missed his maiden double century in Melbourne by a whisker, while he completed his triple century with elan. "If the ball is there to be hit, I will hit, irrespective of the situation," Sehwag later said without remorse about the missed double century. All talk of Sehwag having no footwork or improper foot position while playing those rasping strokes has not only been rendered irrelevant, but also made to look preposterous. Sehwag's is a classic case of abundantly talent blessed with perfect temperament. "I think not about the bowler, but the ball while batting," is the theory he believes in! Sehwag's impeccable temperament was much in evidence in Australia when the swashbuckling batsman took many body blows facing Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie but refused to be cowed down. It was Sehwag's glorious batting and Akash Chopra's doggedness against the most formidable attack in the world on bouncy tracks that went a long way in blunting not only the Australian attack, but their pride too. "Part Houdini, part Superman." said ace cricket columnist Peter Roebuck after Sehwag's 233-ball 195 in Melbourne. |
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Bowled over by Balaji
IF Laxmipathi Balaji’s bowling warmed the hearts of cricket enthusiasts during the series Down Under, it was his batting in the one-day series against the arch-rivals Pakistan which left them delirious. After getting a beating of his life as a bowler by the rampaging West Indies batsman on debut last year, the genial seamer might have been forgiven the thinking that his international career was over. As luck would have it, the wiry Tamil Nadu seamer got a break in the Australian series, as frontline pace bowlers were injured. Hard-working Balaji strove manfully served the team well during the arduous tour. The recent one-day series against Pakistan, which India won 3-2, saw Balaji excelling in his new “avatar”. Pyrotechniques the 24-year-old Balaji resorted to against the Pakistan fast bowlers in the series have caused consternation among one and all. He surprised all as they No 10, has never known to be a batsman, least of all a hard and clean hitter of the ball. Even for Tamil Nadu, the state for which he plays in domestic cricket, Balaji has never indulged in such adventurism. It is hard to recall No 10 Indian batsman ever do what Balaji did against such a formidable bowling attack. Express fast bowlers, when wayward, are normally expensive. They are taken for runs by rampaging batsmen as the slightest edges off the blade result in the ball racing to the fence. Fans went into a tizzy when Sachin Tendulkar heaved Shoaib over the point boundary over for a six in his first over during the World Cup match. Tendulkar hit a six off Shoaib, when his hook shot landed in the stands during a recent one-day match. Flamboyant batsman Yuvraj Singh just helped a Shoaib delivery way outside the leg stump as it sailed over the fine leg fence for a six. Virender Sehwag completed his century in first Test in Multan with a typical upper-cut over third man off Shoaib for a six. These were the shots where batsman used the pace of the bowler to get a six. But what Balaji did was stunning during Balaji whacked a Shoaib delivery over his head in the last one-dayer in Lahore with the ball landing near the sight-screen behind the bowler. The courageous stroke displayed not only the skill and the confidence of the batsman, but the never-say-die spirit which pervades the Indian squad at present. Balaji had earlier give one the same treatment to Sami, clobbering his delivery over the mid-on fence for a huge six, when he notched up a whirlwind 12-ball 21 in the third match in Peshawar. The drive which rocketed to the mid-on fence in the same over would have made accomplished batsman proud. When an incensed Sami retaliated with a bouncer Balaji, with the minimum of fuss, hooked, the ball landing first inches inside the square-leg fence. Balaji first displayed his value as a batsman in the second match in Rawalpindi, where his bold hitting along with debutant Ramesh Powar brought the team on the doorstep of victory. An error in judgement while stealing a single which resulted in Balaji being run out brought relief to the Pakistan camp. After three games that Balaji got to play as a batsman, Balaji’s strike rate was well over a whopping 150! “After 1983, it is for the first time I have felt that our tailenders have the ability to score runs for us. Normally, we rely on the first six or seven batsmen to put runs on the board, but our three fast bowlers showed us some fabulous shots,” Kapil Dev wrote in his column. If the lower-order batsmen like Balaji continue to display similar guts and gumption, India team’s rating as one of the most combative squads in the world is bound to grow further. —
G.S. |
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Chokers no more FOR far too long have India carried the tag of chokers in international cricket. But no more. Their win at Lahore, in the last of the five-match one-day series against Pakistan, dubbed as historic, path-breaking, trailblasing depending on which dictionary you are looking into, has probably helped Sourav Ganguly and his men erase their chokers’ tag. India had put up a spirited fight in the fourth match of the series. They knew it was a do-or-die situation after having lost to Pakistan at Peshawar after winning at Karachi. In the last 10 one-day finals, India (and for all practical purposes the second match at Lahore was yet another final) were able to pull of a win only in the Nat West Trophy in July 2002 where they beat hosts England by two wickets in the game where batting held the key. Except for the shared title with Sri Lanka in the ICC Champions Trophy in the island nation in September 2002 India had gone down in every other final they figured in. In October 2000, India lost to Sri Lanka by a massive margin of 245 runs in the Sharjah Champions Trophy. The following year, in July, in the Coca-Cola Cup in Zimbabwe India lost to the West Indies by 16 runs after posting easy wins in the league stage of the tournament. And the story of losses went on. Very recently, as every follower of the game remembers, India lost badly to Australia in both in the TVS Cup at home and the VB series in Australia. Therefore, the lurking fear of choking yet again at Lahore was very much there. It goes to the credit of the Men in Blue that they were not only able to put it across Pakistan but also beat the ‘unknown enemy” they feared most. That the Indian batsmen would do well was known even before the first ball had been bowled in the first match at Karachi. Their performance in Australia had put Pakistan on full alert. The hosts knew that it would be difficult to contain Indians who had put the Australian bowling to the sword time and again. Pakistan were hoping that their strong bowling attack of Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami and Abdul Razzaq would be able to contain the Indian batsmen. They failed to do (except at Peshawar where the condition were somewhat helpful to the bowlers) and the Indians were able to dictate terms. Moreover, Pakistan bowlers were wayward and adding to the woes of the hosts no Pakistani batsman except their captain could perform consistently. Inzamam in five innings made 348 at an average of 68, with a strike rate of 97, the best by any batsman on either side. But he did not get the support of other batsmen, thereby making India’s task all that easier. On the other hand Indian attack, without key bowlers like Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, displayed much better skills. The series heralded the arrival of Irfan Pathan, who could get a look-in only after Ashish Nehra got injured in the second match at Rawalpindi. In the last three matches Pathan took eight wickets at an average of 17.87 and a strike rate of 22.50. Other bowlers did well to bowl within themselves, thereby making the task of the batsmen easier. One factor which probably swung the series India’s way was their skipper Sourav Ganguly. Even when Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee,
was speaking of winning hearts and making friends before the tour the Indian captain made his intentious clear of playing for a win. His body language, his belligerence and his handling of the immense pressure which the series produced and his leadership on the ground were factors which helped the Indian players to produce their best.
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Missed at Madrid THE Indian hockey team’s performance in the Olympic qualifier in Madrid is bound to be debated at length a usual exercise after a team has not performed up to expectations. The team had left the shores for a major competition without its most dominant player for a decade, Dhanraj Pillay. It is his brilliance the flamboyancy and the aura he creates on the field, that Dhanraj Pillay has become synonymous with hockey. No other player since Dhyan Chand has had the same effect on fans. Even at 36 he is considered a must for a game which requires tremendous strength, speed and stamina. People associate India’s Asian Games title at Bangkok with Dhanraj who was the team’s captain. But ironically, more than the win, it was the adverse publicity following the return of the team that marked him out. He and five others were deemed to be out of favour with the IHF. It was made clear that these players would not play for the country again. Easier said than done. Dhanraj was back along with most others and his contribution to the team was such that it became impossible for anyone to think of an Indian team without him. Pillay has been a part of the Indian team from the Asian Games in Beijing (1990), the year he also represented India in the World Cup at Lahore. Since then he has gone to become India’s, in fact the world’s highest capped player, with four Asian Games, four Olympics, if selected for Athens, plus other internationals. In addition he has led India in the Asian Games and the World Cup. He has achieved what few others in Indian sport have. He is the recipient of the Arjuna Award (1995), the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (1999) and the Padma Shri (2001). To say that Dhanraj Pillay is a great player is an understatement. He would have made quite a difference in the tournament held in Madrid. More than one report from Madrid lamented his absence. But Dhanraj will be the first one to admit that he will have to do more than play well if he has to be accepted in the team. There are rumours that a certain section of the team does not get along with him. A player and a captain’s duty is to ensure that he carries the full team with him. But than all brilliant people have some flaws. Dhanraj Pillay is human. His passion for hockey remains unabated. That neutralises all other aspects of his personality.
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Skiing to the top WHEN Shwetanshu Sharman accompanied his father Sanjeev Sharman at the age of eight, to the Solang ski slopes near Manali, he dreamt about reaching the top. Today, reality is catching up with the dream. The young skier was among three who represented India in the 13th Asian Junior Skiing-championship at Dizim Iran from March 11 to March 13. Ehsaan and Imtiaz from Jammu and Kashmir were other members of the team Shwetanshu finished 34th among 44 participants. This despite the fact that he had never skied on such slopes. Everyday the young skier spends hours on the slopes, striving for perfection. He did basic and intermediate ski courses at the mountaineering institute, Manali. He could not go for the advance course in June. Shwetanshu Sharman has come back with bittersweet experiences from Iran. He skied on icy slopes for the first time but was embarrassed by the ract that the Indian team didn’t have standard equipment for an international event. ‘We are far behind in training, infrastructure and government support’, he says. “Our slopes are for beginners and not for professional. Here at Solang, we don’t have ski lifts and snow beating machines, what to talk of sprinkling water in the evenings to make the slopes ‘‘icy’’. The icy slopes in Iran were tough, hard and steep. Slopes at Solang and Auli are soft snow slopes.” Shwetanshu feels that our trainers should also be sent to Japan, Korea and Iran so that the standards of training become ‘‘world class’’. Shwetanshu belongs to Vashisht village near Manali, where sulphur hot water springs, are a special attraction for the tourists. He is one of the many talented youngsters in adventure sports in this district who start skiing on simple wooden planks and dream of making big in this neglected sport.
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Goodwill series Apropos of the report 'Dravid, Kaif conquer
Lahore' (March 22) the two cricketers richly deserve accolades for their performance. The one-day international between India and Pakistan at Lahore was different from the previous engagements. In earlier matches, hostility used to be the main theme. All our actions should be aimed at spreading goodwill across the border. Lt Col (Retd) Dalip Singh,
Ayali Kalan
Pak debacle Pakistan failed to cash in on the early breakthrough in the fourth ODI at Lahore. Four top batsman were back in the pavilion with the total reading 94. I agree with Imran Khan that the Pakistant team had no game plan to face the situation. Thirtyseven wide and no balls by the pace men were also responsible for the debacle. On the other hand, Indian batsmen Dravid and Mohammed Kaif played superb innings. G.S. Banga,
Chandigarh
Team spirit Kudos to the Indian cricket team for their stupendous victory over Pakistan in fourth one-dayer at Lahore. It was a triumph of team spirit. Rahul Dravid and Kaif turned the tables on the hosts. Dravid, Kaif and Yuvraj who were the heroes of the incredible Indian victory. Anjiv Jaswal,
Chandigarh
Nehra's blunder In international cricket, there is no room for a blind shot. Ashish Nehra committed a blunder and India lost the second one-dayer by 12 runs with 12 balls to spare. Had the last pair played the remaining balls, the result could have been different. It indicates that most of the Indian players are still lacking the professional touch and throw away their wickets in anxiety. This tendency needs to be curbed. Nirmal Kumar,
Panchkula |
THE Indian hockey team’s performance in the Olympic qualifier in Madrid is bound to be debated at length a usual exercise after a team has not performed up to expectations. The team had left the shores for a major competition without its most dominant player for a decade, Dhanraj Pillay.
It is his brilliance the flamboyancy and the aura he creates on the
field, that Dhanraj Pillay has become synonymous with hockey.
WHEN Shwetanshu Sharman accompanied his father Sanjeev Sharman at the age of eight, to the Solang ski slopes near Manali, he dreamt about reaching the top. Today, reality is catching up with the dream.
The young skier was among three who represented India in the 13th Asian Junior Skiing-championship at Dizim Iran from March 11 to March 13. Ehsaan and Imtiaz from Jammu and Kashmir were other members of the team Shwetanshu finished 34th among 44 participants.
