There was a time when I used to reflect on the composition of the Indian test team. There used to some basis for team selection then. The test squad chosen to face England is the latest in a series of many whimsical selections.

Picture some recent inconsistencies in selection -

Famously choosing Ganguly to play as an all rounder in the team.
Dropping/choosing him regardless of match performances.
The treatment of Yuvraj, Kaif. (In and out of the XI, team)
Choosing Parthiv Patel above Dinesh Karthik as reserve wicket keeper for tour of Pakistan. This despite Karthik not doing much wrong.

And we haven’t even gone to the bowlers yet.. The first two tests in Pakistan were on flat tracks. No bowler should be judged based on that. The third test at Karachi was a failure for Zaheer Khan. Ajit Agarkar wasn’t even included in the first XI for that test. Without given a proper run, the two players were dumped.

I am finally immune to the selection of the test team it seems, at least for the time being. The last straw was the exclusion of Gautam Gambhir. Gautam Gambhir hasn’t had an impressive test career so far if we exclude stats versus Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Despite this the selectors decided to back him for the tour of Pakistan. He didn’t get the opportunity to play even 1 test in Pakistan. So why should he have been unceremoniously dumped? Why should a player loose his test place because of failures in limited overs cricket in between two test series?

Also, why announce teams on Day 1 of tour games. Gambhir is batting at 33. Imagine how devastated he must be feeling at this juncture. This is a repeat of what happened recently. Ganguly was batting in the deciding third test versus Pakistan. The one day team was announced while the test was proceding and Ganguly was left out. Why not wait for a day so that the match at hand is over until absolutely unavoidable.

The issue is not about a specific player being included or excluded. It is the larger issue of inconstencies in selection which are being displayed.

Want to bring in young players? I am all for it. But chopping and changing with no method, no meaning is not the way to go about things. It is still highly unlikely that India will loose to England but it wouldn’t take away from the poor methods applied to achieve end results.

Barcelona-Chelsea champions league encounters last year were exciting, full of emotions and heart breaking for me as a staunch supporter of Barca. There has been the pitch controversy with Chelsea delaying re-laying the pitch. Obviously Barcelona players aren’t pleased. Silvinho said:

I cannot believe it. I have heard they are making the condition of their pitch worse. I’ve heard many complaints about the pitch.

Why should patches devoid of grass be left for such a crucial match?

The latest suggestion by Mourinho regarding inviting Barca to use their training base doesn’t serve much purpose. The crucial first leg will still be played on a poorer pitch than it should.

Well the conditions will be equal for both teams and whoever plays better in these circumstances will be the winner. The pressure is on Barca as they did loose to Chelsea last year, though by the thinnest of margins (goal difference) in the two leg encounter. History will not look at Barcelona going down two years in a row to Chelsea too kindly. It will mean that Barca will have a tougher challenge to be recognised as a great team in the future by many fans. It would be greatness denied. I hope I am smiling after the second leg is complete on March 7th.

Will has brought to focus an aspect of South African cricket I was unaware of.

The Sportstar magazine is bigger and cheaper. It has also cut the out of its name. The annual subscription costs as little as Rs. 5 an issue now. In the world of inflating prices, the magazine has managed to keep its price the same for more than 16 years. It now cuts down on the prices. In the price sensitive Indian market, this will surely increase sales.

It’s not the umpire’s fault that the technology is better than the past. Also they travel an extra ordinary amount of time which doesn’t make their task easier. Blame the ICC for not implementing technology where its conclusive and the ICC for not appointing at least a few more umpires than they do currently. The ICC panel of umpires has gone down to 7 from 12 when it started off if I am not mistaken.

Make the job more lucrative and make their schedules less hectic.

Both type of players have their utility in a team. So just because player X scores faster than player Y, it wouldnt put him ahead in a test match.

Its a 5 day match and a team game and to build a score, a sheet anchor, anattacking player - all are useful.

A common arguement which people give to rate Ponting ahead of Dravid - in a scenario where quick runs are needed Ponting will be more useful - he is a far more attacking batsman with a higher strike rate.

1) Even in that scenario a Dravid at an end could be useful for the attacking players to pile the runs from the other end having the assurance of one player keeping an end safe.

2) There are scenrios where you have to play a defensive role (when encountering difficult weather conditions for instance where there is excessive swing, unfavourable conditions to pile the runs) and Dravid would be more useful there. Playing a defensive role in an inning or 2 sessions can contribute as much to a winning cause as an attacking inning.

It is too close to call but I would have Dravid because he adds solidity.

Here is wishing all the visitors to my blog a merry christmas and a happy new year.

I have had a busy schedule with business which may partially explain me not posting regularly.

Thanks for stopping by in 2005 and hope you will do the same in 2006!

Its more than 24 hours and I am still devastated and do not know how to react to it. Latino Heat will live on forever.

The laws are quite clear on this. The umpires have the final say on the pitch. Also if the conditions or the pitch, ground etc are not dangerous it is playable.

In a test match in India vs England play was stopped and the match abandoned because the ball was bouncing so awkwardly that it could cause serious damage to the English batsmen. Hussain was right to protest and the umpires were right to stop play.

But if the pitch is not dangerous, and its within the laws So what is the issue why so many English fans are disgruntled with the pitches provided to them.

A great team wins even in the most adverse of conditions.

Lokendra Pratap Sahi puts all the blame on Chappell and gives a clean chit to Ganguly. Little surprise there. What is even less surprising is that he has raised no apparent objectivity of his on the out burst of Ganguly to the media.

On the from page of the same newspaper, By the same Mr. Sahi, Chappell is compared to Fergusson and it is stated that:

It’s a fight, essentially, to occupy the one Big Boss chair in the Team India dressing room.

Also Ganguly is painted as a rose boy waiting till meeting BCCI officials before telling all. Really again I ask, why did Ganguly open his mouth initially in Zimbabwe if he was so goody-goody.

The article goes on:

The e-mail was sent after the first Test (Bulawayo) which is why Chappell didn’t nail Sourav for lack of form. He scored a hundred there.

Frankly, the coach’s accusations don’t exactly add up.

Really Mr. Sahi, it would be better if you stuck to journalism rather than making speculations.