Cricket Thriller

There is no thrill in a finals match, unless the teams are evenly matched in all departments. Certainly this applies to cricket – it is better to witness a thrilling cricket match, rather than a pre-ordained one with hardly any adrenaline flowing.

The Sunday (27th May) finals of the IPL (Indian Premier League) Competition which was held in Chennai between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) teams was one such thriller. KKR was already in the finals, and CSK fought its way into the finals by winning the play-offs against two other teams (the Mumbai Indians team and the Delhi Dare Devils team). It was anyway expected to be a good finals match, but the odds were heavily in favour of the CSK team winning the finals.

So, when the CSK team batted first and set a high target of 191 runs for the KKR team to beat, there was jubilation amongst the Chennai fans – as expected, the stadium was full of CSK supporters, being the home base of the CSK team. Hence the moral and physical show of support was just phenomenal for the CSK team, and obviously they were very much encouraged. Had they won this finals, it would have been a neat hat-trick for CSK, having won the previous two titles in two previous years at the IPL finals.

But then, such fine teams are made up of fine players, and it was to be expected that there would be a tough fight – only that hardly anyone expected KKR to put up a valiant fight, rightfully so after the KKR team lost their Captain Gambhir in the first over of the match itself – they had hardly started batting. So, the whole stadium was expecting a total rout of the KKR team by the CSK bowlers and its well-oiled fielding formation.

However, that was not to be. Maninder Bisla of the KKR team played an outstanding game with a score of 89 runs – many of them fours and sixes. He was totally unfazed with the fact that KKR’s captain had just fallen and the figure to beat looked unachievable, atleast initially. But bat he did, without batting an eyelid. And Jacques Kallis, that most experienced all-rounder of the KKR team ably supported Bisla, allowing Bisla the space needed for quick run scoring.

Overall, this was a turnaround story crafted by these two fine players, and even though wickets fell at a faster clip thereafter, it was only a question of some firmness on the part of couple of latter KKR players, especially Tiwari, who could swing the bat effectively for couple of fours which sealed KKR’s win ultimately.

But what I did not like seeing was the lack of “captaincy” by Gautam Gambhir (Captain of KKR team), demonstrating that he is still far too young to lead a major team. Yes, KKR did win the IPL Finals and Gambhir was their Captain, no doubt. But, many a time when the camera focused on Gambhir, he could be seen sulking and brooding, and looking down on the floor, and it appeared that he could not accept his own dismal performance, and more so, he could not handle the stress which comes as part of such very competitive matches. He appeared to have given up hopes for a win, and that in itself, was bad. There was no sense of direction in him apparently, and he was not seen discussing strategy or providing guidance (unlike MS Dhoni, Captain of the CSK team who constantly engaged with his team working on alternative strategies for winning the match). Energy levels are critical in competition and as Captain, the least which Gambhir should have shown is his own energy level, pushing, goading and advising his team rather than sitting there in the pavilion with zero energy.

Well, well, that was the match of the year – KKR taking away the IPL Finals Trophy away from CSK to their home base of Kolkata. Very well done, indeed.

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan

28th May 2012

Mumbai

Amazing Win !

Last evening (Sunday 6th May), I went to see the IPL (Indian Premier League) Cricket Match between the teams of Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Both my son and myself were mighty thrilled to be able to first get couple of tickets to the event and then make it to the Stadium well in advance of the huge crowds thronging the place.

Disclosure: My son is a supporter of CSK (Chennai Super Kings) team and I am a supporter of MI (Mumbai Indians) team !!

Going to the Stadium, identifying which gate to enter, and finding a parking space nearby – all was adventure for us. It took one hour and 10 minutes for us to drive from the Western suburb of Andheri West to the Churchgate station in South Mumbai, via the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (which is incidentally a pleasure to drive across). It took us some time to identify the Gate assigned on our ticket on the side of the Churchgate station, and then once we did that, we found a parking slot right across from the Gate in a quiet leafy road (one had to pay of course, as almost all South Mumbai roads seem to have a parking attendant who materializes suddenly when either you are trying to park the car, or when you are trying to leave the place !).

The thrill of actually going to the match (rather than just watching it even on a big TV screen) is just great – the crowds, the shouting, the cheering, the flag-waving, etc., etc., We thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of being part of the whole scene. The security was very tight – I was surprised when they told us to throw the granola bars we had or eat the same right then and there, as food articles were not allowed. No water bottles, and no cameras……..thorough frisking first when you go to the staircase leading up to the stadium, followed by metal detector stations…….and then at every turn, they kept checking our tickets. I was wondering – what happens if the usual railway track crossers jump into the Stadium: Mumbai, as you might know, have scores of these people crossing rail tracks rather than climbing up the bridge to the other side. But I did not see anyone like that !

It was scorching hot inside the stadium – may be around 34 or 35 deg C. But since it was the first time we went for such a match at the Wankhede Stadium (earlier we had gone to the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai a couple of years ago), we reached much earlier than the start time of the match.

It was an amazingly thrilling match yesterday. Without going through a commentary, I want to say that when the match reached its last couple of overs, my son was almost celebrating – the CSK team was on the verge of winning the match. When the last over arrived, the MI team had to get 15 runs to win the match, and with tail enders batting, the Stadium was eerily silent. Of course, it was Mumbai and 90% of the crowd was from Mumbai and heavy supporters of the MI team.

But then, no body anticipated that Dwayne Smith would hit such wonderful knocks – he hit a six and a four, followed by another four. The other batsman had taken a single, so Mumbai Indians so unexpectedly won the match yesterday. It was such a thrilling close to a hard fought match, that was the reason why most of the cricket lovers love this game……..the feeling is simply to be felt to be described.

Finally, there was a feeling of deja vu…………both sides were highly capable with excellent batsmen. They must have been thinking – Oh, what a match it was, always to be remembered !

So, that’s how I saw my first cricket match at the Wankhede Stadium at Mumbai !

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan

6th May 2012

Mumbai

Cricket Shame

It was another shameful display of lousy cricket at its nadir by India at the Perth Test Match against Australia. India lost by more than an innings. Having lost the Melbourne and Sydney Tests, India has lost the series 0-3. It is more or less clear that Australia will decimate India in the last Test at Adelaide.

India has come out as a cropper in this Series against Australia. Before the Series started it was the Australian Team which was in a disarray, and was expected not to do well even by Australians. But look at what they have achieved. Huge hits against the Indians.

It was funny that at my gym, no one was interested to see the Star Cricket Channel which was showing the match live. Everyone in India seems to have correctly guessed that India was going to be thrashed. And it was thrashed.

What happened to the Indian Captain’s famed leadership skills ? What happened to the formidable batting lineup that the Australians were worried about ? What happened to the fabulous skills of the Team Selectors who seem to have gone into the cold ? What happened to the famous coach of the Indian Cricket Team ?

To add insult to the injury, the Indian Captain MS Dhoni was fined for slow delivery of overs by the International Cricket Council. What a shame ?!

It is time to replace the aging batsman irrespective of any national or international record requirements. What is needed is a fresh lineup, dominated by strong batsmen, and development of pace bowlers. We need a young team, a team which would fight aggressively and vigorously for Indian success.

We don’t have that spirit in the current Team, notwithstanding their past successes. True success becomes enduring and sustainable in the longer term if the team is constantly assessed and rejuvenated without fear or favour. The only thing that should matter is India’s success and ascendancy to the top of the world cricketing league.

The current team cannot deliver and should be dismissed (selectively). Only the right guys should be retained and put through a rigorous training programme. It is not necessary to drive the team constantly through non-stop matches.

Let money not be the motivator of the Indian Cricket Team or the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) any longer.

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
15th January 2012
Mumbai

Formula 1 Grand Prix

India recently concluded the Formula 1 Grand Prix successfully at Noida near Delhi. It was a grand success and went without a hitch. The racing circuit was endorsed by the key global racers as one of the best in the world.

While there are debates raging between the opposing camps – one which says it is a gross misuse of funds with no clear return on investment, and the other which says that India has truly arrived in the world’s premier sporting event – it is very evident from the success that private entrepreneurship is far better than government execution.

That statement is mostly true around the world. One reason which comes up clearly on the surface is that any government is not really geared towards running a business, or a sporting event for that matter. Governments around the world have mostly withdrawn from owning direct responsibility of running a business enterprise, though many might still have a controlling interest in several large enterprises. How can we expect to run a manufacturing industry, or a business using the services of government bureaucrats. I believe even public sector enterprises in India (majority-owned by Government of India through one of its ministries) should have at least a 50% representation by independent directors on their boards of directors. In some cases, it is not even 20%. We can all see the mess in Air India (now called “Indian”) – the flagship airlines of India owned by the government. Examples abound. Even in the sports arena, the world saw the Common Wealth Games (CWG) scandals in India last year: though the event itself happened without much of a problem, the corruption scandals tarnished the image of the Indian Government and the CWG institution.

In the case of Formula 1, the entire execution was by a private sector company, which obtained the license to run the Grand Prix from the Formula 1 Organizers, and the much-needed land from the Uttar Pradesh State Government (Noida is part of the state). There are several arguments in the Indian media that the company will not be able to recover the investment even after many years, and given the poor mindset on maintenance, the circuit would be wasted away in due course of time. What is the point in building such an expensive circuit, when it is going to be used just for a few days in a year ? Etc., etc.,

But the key point, Indians need to be proud, and there are very few things today that they can be proud of. When such a small city state as Singapore can host the Night Grand Prix so successfully for the past few years in the middle of its dense city, can India, a country of such vast proportions stand up and execute an ambitious project without corruption and with such perfection ? Yes, it can do so, if the executors are left to use their business sense and capabilities without unnecessary bureaucratic intervention.

Well, we can also argue till the cows come home, whether it was worthwhile to spend so much on an “elite” sport which very few people in the country understand or want to be involved in. Good question. Yes, most of even middle class must have come to know about the fact that a Grand Prix Formula 1 race is being held in India, only a few days before the event actually took place. One can also say that only the rich and famous, and the Bollywood celebrities were involved, and they were the only faces focused upon in the extensive media coverage last weekend. Yes, agreed on all the above counts. But all these observations do not detract from the excellent execution of a world-class project by private enterprise in India, and the Government of India would do well to learn from this experience and institute more public-private partnership events and enterprises to enhance the competitiveness of India on the global scene.

That would be a show-stopper, sorry, ground-breaking development in the long socialistic history of Independent India. It is not socialism, it is not capitalism, but it is “economic” partnership for ensuring the future of India.

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
6th November 2011
Mumbai

Downfall of Test Cricket

India’s performance at the ongoing England Test Series has been nothing short of pathetic. The downfall of the world’s top team at the hands of the English Cricket Team, not one of the best in the world, has been dramatic to say the least.

I have been noticing that there has not been much talk around on cricket anymore. Not that I live in the midst of a cricket-mad crowd, but there will always be someone around who would normally say something on cricket. Not anymore. May be it is the “Anna Hazare” effect ! May be not !!

May be “test cricket” is out of fashion in India. We love only the ODIs (One Day Internationals) and the T20 format of cricket. Don’t know !

The downfall of Dhoni’s men (the reference is to Captain MS Dhoni of the Indian Test Cricket Team) has been rather predictable, but no commentator would take a risk in predicting the downfall. That is not strange since commentators have rarely been neutral and analytical, when they are paid in the millions by the cricket boards of respective countries. Cricket is a game of money.

The issue with the Indian Cricket Team is one of complacency, lack of strategy and lack of teamwork. One cannot put the blame on the lack of key bowlers in the team, that has been a known fact for quite some time. What does a Captain, a Coach and the Cricket Board do in preparation for a match series against England ? They seemed to have basked in past glory, though the past has not been long – just 21 months during which period Indian Cricket has ruled the roost, perched at the top of World Cricket. Such a lackadaisical approach to an important event shows that India does not have the grit to get to the top and then keep it. It is important and critical to keep the top slot forever, that is the show of true leadership.

Does the Indian Team have the grit and determination to keep the top slot forever, based on a strategy, an attitude, a well-formulated approach, and a fighting spirit based on strong team work ? It does not, the writing has been clear on the wall for some time.

I am not making a doomsday prediction here, but the Cricket Board (BCCI – Board of Control for Cricket in India) has to make independent, fact-based decisions based on technical and strategic advice – some players have to be retired and more new talent has to be groomed, especially as bowlers.

Well, I am not a cricketer, so I am not willing to be blamed by specialists of the game. The fact of the decline of the Indian Cricket cannot be denied, though. 591 runs for 6 ? That was England’s total – and India ? Struggling to avoid a follow-on for which they need an additional 289 runs over their overnight score of 103 for 5 wickets !

Welcome to the era of the non-India domination of world cricket !!

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
21st August 2011
Mumbai

The IPL Cricket Madness

The Indian Premier League (IPL) Cricket Series is on for the past couple of weeks and will go on for the next few weeks.

Nothing dominates the social and family conversation as much as cricket these days. Apart from its entertainment value, I detect that one reason could be that parents are finding cricket could be a career for their children ! The money being made by Indian Cricketers is unbelievable, running into crores of rupees almost every years – and if one is decently good and manages to participate in the IPL and other Test Series, he can reasonably expect to make at least an average of USD 300K per annum for a minimum of 10 to 15 years. This does not include any advertisements and endorsements and other potential benefits, which could easily amount to an average of USD 200K per annum.

It does appear to be a career, right ?

Of course, Cricket is riddled with politics and scandals and board room intrigue. We have seen that over the past couple of years. The mastermind of IPL, Mr Lalit Modi, is a fugitive from Indian Law, hiding in London, despite having created a money machine and a marketing marvel. He is aggressively being pursued by Indian Law Enforcement Agencies and Court of Law. The formation of legal entities to bid for the IPL Series has been riddled with intrigue rivalling any movie plot. And, so it goes on and on.

So, any good cricketer should also be a good networker and a polished diplomat to survive the minefield of politics in Indian Cricket.

Nevertheless, the returns appear to be appealing and enticing to youngsters, apart from the thrill of playing cricket with all the adulation it derives from a doting public which runs into millions of fans around the country. Plus, the fame and image on live TV all around.

No wonder parents are buying cricket bats and cricket gear aggressively, often yielding to the demands of their budding cricketeer-kids, and investing in coaching classes, et al. The objective is of course to develop a world-class batsman or bowler who can make tons of money, isn’t it ? In the olden days, there was no money motive or incentive, but now clearly money and image and fame are strong motivators for cricketers in India.

The U.S. people think cricket is an obscure game (as reported by The New York Times when it covered India’s win at the World Cup Series on 2nd April), but the rest of the world thinks baseball is an obscure game, ain’t they ? In terms of riches, Cricket in India is becoming comparable to Baseball and Basket Ball in the U.S.

Welcome to another Asian success mantra !

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
24th April 2011
Mumbai

India’s Delectable Win

Well, we all oscillated last evening.

Who will win the 2011 Cricket World Cup ? That was the question in most peoples’ minds yesterday and in the days preceding the World Cup Finals Match at Mumbai. It was a difficult guess by any means, though almost all Indians wanted India to win the Cup after 28 long years of wait.

But could we have just written off the formidable Sri Lankan Cricket Team ? Not by any chance. They played well yesterday, having chosen to bat first after winning the toss. Initially they had a very bad run rate, but they gathered speed midstream, with the excellent batting of Jayawardene. When they hit 63 runs in the last 5 overs, there was silence in the Wankhede Stadium at Mumbai. Sri Lanka was smiling to itself – they achieved what looked like an impossible figure of 274 runs. And, the Indian self-doubt came into play in most Indians’ minds. Almost all cricket fans know the deadly pair of bowlers that Sri Lanka has in its arsenal – Malinga and Muralidharan. They could have devastated India’s batting.

India was also doing not that well at the beginning, having lost the precious wickets of Sehwag and Tendulkar very early in the match. There was again silence in the Stadium, though the crowd cheered when Tendulkar walked back to the stands.

So, one started ruminating seriously – will India make it ? I had serious doubt myself. We have seen the Indian middle order batsmen failing seriously and falling like a pack of cards in earlier matches. So, I was not sure at all.

Then came Gambhir and Kohli, who steadied the Indian innings and brought discipline into the act of batting. They held up very well, and Gambhir went on to score a 97, and all of us wished that he could have hit a century so easily. That was the steady recovery phase of the Indian batting.

Then came the Captain MS Dhoni. Like many folks, I was having serious doubts on his capabilities because he had not been in form for a series of matches, his wicket-keeping had been found wanting, his selection of bowlers was questionable, and his leadership competency was found to be lacking. With all that, I was thinking last evening that he might not even last beyond a couple of overs of Malinga.

But he did. And, he did that wonderfully well, going on to hit 91 runs and a final sixer clincher which sealed India’s position in the annals of cricketing history as only the third country which has won the Cricket World Cup for a second time.

Great victory for India, but a word of caution while everybody parties around. This win should not go to our head. Yes, we are the best team in cricket today, but that does not mean that the other highly capable teams such as Sri Lanka, Pakistan or Australia will be keeping quiet. They will go into serious introspection and devise a strategy to beat India in the next game.

It is never ending, and that is the thrill of cricket. Let us sharpen our strategy, further enhance our confidence (bolstered by this outstanding win), and constantly improve the skills by training.

India should strive to keep its position as the numero uno cricketing star of the world.

All the very best, India

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
3rd April 2011
Mumbai

Let the Best Team win

The Cricket World Cup is currently going on in Mumbai, and the atmosphere is electric. You have to be here to feel it in the air and in the environment. People talk about cricket all day, not just on TV Channels, but in the lifts and over the phone. People keep talking all through the day. The theme is India’s anticipated win.

But I think most people underestimate the Sri Lanka Team. We are so focused on Pakistan and Australia, that we have forgotten that there is a superbly competent team just south of the India border.

My view at this point in time is that “let the best team win”. We have to take a win or a defeat on a positive note, and we should not use the occasion after a potential win to over-hype our team which surely will go to their head. Similarly, a defeat tonight does not mean we have a lousy cricket team. We do have a great team, which has defeated the Australians and the Pakistanis to reach the finals of the Cricket World Cup. It is no mean feat.

Let us take things with equanimity rather than with passion.

Let the best team tonight win the World Cup.

Filed from home, in front of the Star Cricket TV Channel Live……….

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
2nd April 2011
Mumbai

World Cup Final Today

It looks like the entire world is holding its breath !

India is on a standstill ! There is hardly any traffic outside, and looks like everyone and his mother is gearing up for the upcoming action starting in the next 30 minutes or so. Big action can indeed be expected on the pitch today.

This is a fight between two geographical neighbours – India and Sri Lanka. In my opinion, the Indian batting skills are going to be pitted against the formidable bowling skills of the Sri Lankans. It would be an interesting match, no doubt.

You can see how the world is converging on Mumbai – just tune to any of the TV Channels, and nothing else but cricket is going on. This is a cricket-crazy nation, and it is home ground, so all the more excited about the match. Further, it is now 28 years since India won the World Cup in 1983. So, it is assuming even more relevance, India needs to win this match. May be this is Sachin Tendulkar’s last World Cup Match, and so he will be under pressure to perform and deliver hopefully a high score to help India win. And he will be facing Murali whose bowling prowess is well established and this is also his last World Cup Match.

So, on the whole we can expect a wholesome entertainment this afternoon from 2:15 PM to almost 11:00 PM. Millions are going to watch the match on TV and huge screens being set up at various facilities around the country. Some lucky few thousands are going to watch at the Wankhede Stadium at South Mumbai. This match promises to be a crowd puller, the best one so far in terms of money being spent, how it is spent, and excitement.

Let us hope India wins this match. It is difficult to predict the outcome. We all make intelligent guesses and there are many who are planning to make money by betting against Sri Lanka. Everything apparently depends on who gets to bat first. Let us see.

All the Very Best, INDIA.

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
2nd April 2011
Mumbai

Hero Worship

It is an established fact that people in general always look up towards an icon or a figure which/who is associated with success – either spiritual or material. It kind of soothes them and for some, it provides a target to aspire to, in their lives. Keeps them moving and going, so to say. Nothing unusual about it. Such goals are refreshed every now and then as people progress in their lives and make new discoveries and achieve new milestones.

The business icons are listed out in the Forbes and Fortune magazines in various annual listings of the wealthiest people in the world, so it is easy to see the statistics of how the wealth grows in the business world. And it is only but natural that youngsters look up to the business icons in their quest to replace them in future.

But that is not akin to hero worship. In business, one learns from others’ successes and more from others’ failures. One imbibes the best practices and the likely hurdles that one has to face in overcoming challenges.

However, when it comes to sports and bollywood, somehow these thoughts do not apply. People call Sachin Tendulkar a god, or a Salman Khan as a prince, to be aped and admired and worshipped. In what way is this a reasonable practice in real life or in reel life ? People excel in their chosen line of job, and they need to be encouraged and appreciated, rather than worshipped as god. It is not as if entire India is dependent on one cricket batsman or one bollywood actor for its future. If that were the case, then a Tendulkar would not have followed a Gavaskar. I recently read a cricket commentary which eulogizes Sachin Tendulkar (no problem here, as he deserves all praise), but went on to conclude that without his godly intervention, there is no success for India. That was a ridiculous conclusion from a reputed cricket commentator, and borders on positioning Sachin almost as a god. The fundamental issue is our cosmic dependency on Swamis or Sadhus in the past and even today, bringing a human face into the equation between god and man, since man always wants an intermediary in the process of communication. So, was it a surprise to read such commentaries ? Absolutely not, that is the way most of us are made – believe in foolish hero worship.

It is a sad state of affairs that teamwork, consistency in performance, and passion are not as well counted and admired as is hero worship, which is typically centred on one or two batsmen in the case of cricket. Whether India wins or loses the Cricket World Cup, it is irrelevant at the end of the day. We cannot be partisan in our approach – the stadiums are half-empty when India is not playing, and if there is a great shot or a fantastic catch by another team then we do not clap and cheer on. It is the spirit of the team and the sport that should be the determining characteristic of a great cricket-playing nation.

Are we one ?

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
27th March 2011
Mumbai