After two of the four Tests in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023 in India, the hosts have taken an unassailable lead. Having been winners from the previous edition, Team India will retain the trophy even if the Aussies manage to draw the series by winning the next two matches.

But even that looks a distant dream as of now and the most immediate priority for them, even if it might seem only theoretical, is to avoid losing a place in the WTC Final. If Pat Cummins and his men get whitewashed AND if (okay, even if it's a biiig IF..) ..if Sri Lanka can blank out New Zealand on their home turf 2-0, it could well be an India Sri Lanka final. But realistically, the odds of that happening are nearly as much as those of having no rains for a whole week in England.

Nevertheless, the Australians take a lot of pride in their Baggy Green and must be hurting after their disappointing outings in the first couple of matches. Especially in Delhi, where they ceded ground rather abjectly from a position of strength on two key occasions - first, while bowling when they couldn't break through Ashwin and Axar's partnership and only just got a lead by the most slender margin possible. And then, after still ending that day with a wonderful start to their second innings, they frittered away another commanding position by committing harakiri and collapsing within a session the next morning, most dramatically and mindlessly.

Don't go by the scoreline, the series has had riveting moments of quality cricket and intense competition. It's just that these moments have not been enough for any cricket fan's liking and have often been punctuated by poor cricket by the Aussies.

As the caravan heads to Indore, let's hope for some tough cricket and an even better contest in the next two Tests, as a dress rehearsal (albeit in vastly different conditions) for the WTC final at Lord's. Coming soon, this June. Jai Ho!

IndiaA, IndiaA!!! IndiaA, IndiaA!!!

It's a new year and after what was pretty much a calamitous 2020 for the entire world, at least when it comes to Indian cricket, we couldn't have had a more resounding start to the new year!!

Actually, things began taking a turn for the better right after Christmas 2020, with the Boxing Day Test itself where we registered a historic win, which was followed by an unforgettable heist to achieve a draw at Sydney in the first week of the new year by our bravehearts, culminating in a crescendo of indescribable proportions with the unbridled joy on conquering what used to be called - attention all Aussies, especially Tim Paine: past tense now - what used to be called - a fortress for Australia, the Gabbatoir.

There are so many things one feels as a cricket lover and as an Indian team fan, yet there's precious little that I have which can be explained in words.

Some of my friends have pointed to certain sections in the cricketing world (you can guess and even expect the geo-coordinates of such people! It must also be mentioned though, that in all fairness, not everyone from such locations is bereft of objectivity and fairmindedness. So we are talking of only some/most (but not all) Burnol-worthy, jealousy-driven zealots from certain locations in Asia). They deserve to only be ignored and prayed for. Nothing less, nothing more.

You don't even need to be an Indian fan, not even a Test match specialist. All you need to be is to not be a bigoted, blinded supporter who would hate to see India win anywhere against anyone.

In any case, if you cannot appreciate this from India, there's nary a chance you ever will.

So let that be as it may, one can only pity those who understand cricket and even know the importance and magnitude of such a series win, but fall short of duly accepting or acknowledging it. Such achievements, are anyway not dependent on anyone's certificate or the lack of it.

Sample this: the last time we won in Australia two years ago, in 2018-19, there was a lot of talk about Smith and Warner being away from the squad and hence, it was seen as a win that wasn't against their best team - as if we had kept the two out, instead of it being the result of their own shenanigans.

Despite that, 2 years later, when we toured again, we already landed with a depleted squad. 

Ishant was ruled out of the entire tour right from the IPL. Rohit did not reach Australia till the second Test and so he could play only two (half of the) Test matches and Virat had to return back on paternity leave right after the first Test.

It was pretty much an India A team that we had fielded. Even with that team, people began getting injured, hit and replaced. Hanuma Vihari, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul, R Ashwin, Navdeep Saini (soon into the fourth Test).

If this is not backs to the wall stuff, what else is?

From losing the first test after getting dismissed for 36 on Dec 19 to becoming 2-1 winners in the same series exactly a month later on Jan 19 with pretty much an India A squad (or even lesser), it could not have got better than this. Fairy tales might look more realistic in comparison.

And yet, we did it!

We did what no team has done. With not just two players out, but almost the entire first-choice team being out injured or unavailable. We did it despite a historic loss and humiliation. We did it, despite every kind of targeted, hostile bowling and equally targeted, equally hostile behavior by the haughty Aussie team.

We marched on and achieved the unthinkable. To beat the Aussies in their own. Correction: We beat the full-strength Aussie team with our second-string Indian team in their own den. Even at their so-called fortress. Even when we did not have to or need to win the match to win the trophy. We would have won the trophy even.after just drawing the final Test.

But this is why is the new Team India.

This is why champions are made of sterner stuff.

This is why we won, even when we did not have our best personnel.

We won it when Pujara hobbled and winced in pain after taking body blows but did not cower and did not leave until getting out and ensuring we were not going to lose the match.

We won it when Vihari and Ashwin braved every bruise, every hamstring, every back pain, every ounce of their patience and ability to see through the Aussie battery in Sydney.

We won it when Rahane, Gill, Jadeja, Pant, Saini, Sundar, Thakur, Bumrah, Siraj, Rohit and Saini kept punching above their weight ball after ball, game after game. 

We would have won it even if all our players were asked to bat on one leg.

We won because everyone in that team had self-belief and a never-say-die attitude. Combined with dignified aggression. All these are qualities which only one team had in the series. And it wasn't Australia.

Thank you Team India, for providing such a spectacle, such  joy, such a series. Truly the best win till date and one to savor for the ages!!

It was a privilege to watch this team do the unthinkable and in such grand style, despite such adverse circumstances - beating Australia in Australia two times in a row!! Too good, keep it up!!

Jai Ho!!

Hello Aausstraallyya!

No no no, I haven't moved to Australia, this heading is all about our upcoming tour Down Under that begins this Friday - the first taste of proper, marquee international cricket in a long time this year.

Of course, while we've had the IPL,if there's one thing even the best T20 league in the world misses is the fervor and passion of nations rivaling each other. One franchise versus another (howsoever pedigreed or star-studded) does not quite have the same ring to it as one nation versus another. Imagine your country playing any other country and you would always feel that much more involved, that much more passionate in rooting for your home team (country) than for any T20, even if it's IPL's!

So it's quite refreshing to see that we have the teams in readiness for the T20 and ODI leg of the tour soon, to be followed by the real deal: Test Cricket (next month onwards)!

There are some who think the rivalry might lose its intensity or even sheen with the absence of some big guns from the Indian camp - with Rohit and Ishant unlikely to make it even for the Test series as per reports today, and Virat Kohli unavailable after the first Test.

Be that as it may, I suspect that even then, there is enough quality in this lineup across each format to not only challenge the Aussies in their den but also vanquish them. I'm sure the players would be only too eager to dispel the prediction of people like Michael Clarke who think that this is just a one-man army and have predicted that the absence of some of our stalwarts will mean that the Test result would be a 4-0 for the Aussies.

Sure, the absence of Virat (after the first Test) and the Sharmas (Rohit and Ishant - due to longer match-fit recoveries - worsened further by COVID/quarantine-enforced settings will mean that we will lose a lot of experience that these three cricketers bring. But despite that, there is no reason why our youngsters cannot step up, raise their hand and be counted.

Don't forget, it was a similar situation in Adelaide in 2012, when a yet-to-be-established Test player called Virat Kohli barely escaped being dropped from the XI, got his chance and made the opportunity count with a memorable hundred. The rest, as they say, is history.

So let's hope this tour gives us another memorable team performance, another reason to smile, and hopefully some new star(s) too!

So hello Australia, brace up, as we come Down Under, ready to steal your thunder! 

Jai Ho!

Happy New Era!!

Beating Australia in a Test Series in Australia!!

25,915 days.

853 months.

71 years.

Yes, that is how long it took for India - or, for that matter, any Asian team - to register their first-ever
Test series win on Australian soil.

Being perhaps as coveted as a World Cup win, our triumph on Australian soil indeed took a long time coming. Generation after entire generation has been fed on Aussie-accented Yayyss and Woohoohoos at the fall of every Indian wicket (leading to eventual defeat) through our tours of the ‘90s, 2000’s, although 2003 was a glorious exception.

We all wondered whether we would ever – in our lifetime – get to see an Indian captain holding the BG trophy solely in his hands, on Aussie soil.

And then, the day came.

True, it was not an attack that comprised Messrs McGrath, Lee, Warne and Gillespie. Not even Ponting, Hayden, Glichrist and Clarke. Heck, not even Smith and Warner. But none of these is our fault, nor did this mean that the inclusion of the last two gentlemen would have made too much of a difference. Only that we might have chased more or that they would have folded up for more and/or later.

THE BEST Part
The best part of our win is the fact that our team looks such a complete unit. Not just from the fact that we have all the bases covered but also by the fact that we outplayed the Aussies on not just batting, bowling, fielding, but even on the basis of bench strength!

Can you imagine we had Bhuvi, Umesh Yadav, Hardik Pandya (and one of Ashwin/Kuldeep) unused always in each of the Tests?

And, I haven’t even mentioned as yet the fact that one of our biggest upcoming stars, Prithvi Shaw, had to miss out at the very beginning of the tour, due to injury.

See, this is exactly my point: Forget the 11 guys we put out on the park in these Tests. A lot (and most deservedly so) has already been written about Pujara, Kohli, Bumrah, Ishant, Shami, Agarwal, Vihari, Pant, Rahane, Kuldeep, et al.

Just look at the support/bench cast: Bhuvi, Umesh, Hardik, Ashwin/Kuldeep, Shaw.

These 5 people on the bench!!

5 people who would walk into any other international team today on any given day.

This bench strength, along with the average age of our team (long-term and one for the future) is the biggest plus for us.

One always hopes sincerely but along with the sincerity, because of these factors, now one can hope with practical expectation and almost assuredness that this team will usher in a great new year and also a great new era in Indian cricket.

This landmark win should now be only the precursor and a catalyst to many more memorable conquests both at home and abroad.
Amen to that, and enjoy the cricket!! Happy new year, and happy new era!!😊

Chucking Feats!!

Well, as they say, he who laughs last, laughs best.

Even after we were trailing behind Australia, there was always this sneaking feeling that India will hit back and hit hard.

In my last post - AahUsTrailYeah (penned right after we lost the first Test), I had written about how we have all that it takes to bounce back and win:

"Eventual Result and Scoreline
Despite the loss, I still see India bouncing back, leveling scores, and eventually clinching the series.
So much for Us-Trail?Yeah!"

Just so happy to see that the Indian team turned the corner and actualized this prophecy!
Coming back, rebuilding from tough situations too, multiple people shining across each department of the game and the team displaying its mettle - truly befitting a No.1 side :)

There's another pleasing stat going around of us having beaten every Test team in our last/latest series against each of them.

Well, so much for Steve Smith abusing and discrediting Indians (Vijay), when a much more credible Australian by the name of Ian Chappell himself defended Murali Vijay's belief of having taken the catch!

Not to forget, the brazen hypocrisy of calling Vijay a cheat (that too, wrongly) for a subjective call (as proven by Chappell's stand himself), whereas labeling his clear transgression of cricketing rectitude by making DRS a DressingRoom Review System, as just a 'brain fade'!

Ever believed in things called Consistency and same rules for everyone, Mr. Smith?

Well, to him and others of his ilk, we need not bother or even respond, when our results and feats can do all the talking :)
The word isn't Fucking Cheats, Ms. Smith.

We'd rather say Chucking Feats - enjoying chuckling over feats in front of you, after having beaten you, fair and square!!

So here's to even more chuckling, Team India - both at home and overseas :)
As I said, he who chuckles (laughs) last, chuckles (laughs) best :)

Jai Ho, Team India - truly World Number 1 and here to stay :)

AahUsTrailYeah!

That's right, mate!
Believe it or not, we have received a shellacking from the Austraalllyans in Pune.

As we head onto Bangalore for the next match trailing 0-1 in the four-match Test series, the writing on the wall is amply clear: Good (Rude) morning Team India - Wake up call!!

Time we pulled our socks up and correct the blunders we committed in the last match.

Here's what I believe:

Pitch
While there is no denying that the Aussies completely outbatted us in Pune, it is equally true that the kind of pitch we saw there, would not be the same across other venues.
Yes, Virat Kohli did not blame anyone but the batting for the inept performance.
But as much as he was honest in introspecting, he might also have been brave in discounting the impact that it had on the game.

Couple this with the fact that we dropped so many catches and lost a very good toss to win, and you know, the tables could well have turned had we batted first (and well) on the same pitch.

My expectation: I think the pitches in the remainder of the series will still be turning pitches but without the amount of turn or bounce that Pune offered, from Day One.

What that would do, is to make it a typical Indian wicket, best for batting on the first 2 days, kind of progressively getting tougher from Day 3, to then start breaking more, taking turn, and also generate uneven bounce, on Days 4 and 5.

Playing Eleven
I think Kohli will need to make sure that he puts out the best Playing XI, most suited and most equipped in form as well as temperament, to suit the surface and dent the opposition as much as possible.

Karun Nair might make his way into the eleven at the expense of a bowler (Jayant?) and there is also the possibility of Ishant being sacrificed for Bhuvi.

Eventual Result and Scoreline
Despite the loss, I still see India bouncing back, leveling scores, and eventually clinching the series.
So much for Us-Trail?Yeah!

Here's hoping each wish comes true :)
Go for it, Team IndiYeaah!!
Jai Ho!!

It's elementary, Watson!

One of the better examples of an inspiring and rousing speech in a Hindi movie is the one where Abhishek Bachchan (as Gurubhai) exhorts the audience at his company's Annual General Meeting with a now-famous 'Banna chahte ho duniya ki sabse badi company?!!' speech.

It is hard to resist a chuckle imagining Mickey Arthur exhibiting the same expressions, tone and tenor while issuing directives to the Aussie squad. However, what happened to the delinquent members of that meeting, has shown that Messrs Arthur and Clarke certainly meant business.
They might not have had the same intonation as a movie star, but the intent (and intensity) was pretty much the same.
While Watson (and any of the others) might or might not have found the Axe Effect to his liking, what is worth admiring is the seriousness and no-nonsense approach taken by the touring team.

It's a divided house when it comes to public perception about the decision, but full marks to the touring party for not brooking any high-handedness from the star cricketers. It's a lesson for us forever star-struck, star-worshipping people.

While it's a good time to celebrate our dominance over the Aussies (at least on home ground), it would also be nice if we can pick a thing or two in terms of taking a fair, dispassionate stand when required, even if it comes at the cost of having to be ruthless or unpopular.

And if we need to learn about accepting one's mistake gracefully and positively, sample this from James Pattinson:
"People talk about it as a harsh punishment but looking deeply into it you realise probably it's not. If you want to be part of the Australian cricket team you have to do everything right. It's not acceptable. I believe it's the right punishment."


A real lesson on not being diffident or reluctant when confronted with a mistake - as with any other mistake, the first step towards correcting it lies in first acknowledging it.

I know there will be enough conspiracy theorists reading too much into this axing.
However, I'd still like to believe that there is only sincerity and professionalism behind this.

So credit where due - well done, Aussie team management - for your professional attitude in creating an example where most would have shied away from it. As well as to players like James Pattinson, for understanding their mistake and taking it so positively and constructively.

It's a good stepping stone and an already-exhibited show of intent, for sure, for Mickey Arthur and Michael Clarke to now start their next team meeting with 'Banna chahte ho duniya ki best .team?!'

Let the games begin!

Welcome to the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk, ladies and gentlemen!
It's a new series, a new test, and a new round of engrossing duels between two good teams.

In what has been an appalling year and a half for the Indian cricket fan, right since August 2011, one hopes that the Indian team will turn the corner and come up trumps, against an Aussie side that is short on match experience in Indian conditions.

A tough test beckons the Aussies against an embattled Indian side, whose batsmen have been found wanting in the recent past.
The good thing for the Indians, though, is that the Aussie spin attack does not look anywhere near as formidable as the English one, which had Panesar and Swann.
The pace quartet of Pattinson, Starc, Henriques, and Siddle would still be a handful, even on Indian dustbowls.

I am glad that the Indians have made the right selections, with the long-due Gautam Gambhir being told to get back in form if intends to don national colors again.
Virender Sehwag must also have been sounded out, and one hopes it is not only his lenses which have been corrected this time, but also his attitude, which can be less cavalier, at least in the initial part of his innings.
India needs such outstanding talent to stay longer in the middle, and shine brighter instead of just glittering for a few moments before fading into oblivion and mediocrity.

Harbhajan Singh is another cricketer to watch out for, coming as he is on a second wind. There's much to look out for, as Chennai beckons us in the curtain raiser to a potentially exciting and well-contested series.

In the interest of Indian cricket, hopefully we are in for a good time...let the games begin!!

The verdict is crystal clear

Right from the time the Hero Honda 7-match marathon began, it was billed as THE series that'd decide the numero uno team of international ODI cricket.
And for good reason too, since an Indian victory in this series would've seen them pip Australia to the altar of the ICC ODI rankings.

However, even before the final match of the series, the verdict has been made crystal clear. It's time to acknowledge that we still have a long way to go before claiming the #1 spot for good.
And I say this, not just because a statistic says 4-2 before the last match. I say this because this statistic has been made possible, not only inspite of new full-strength Indian team (playing in home conditions), but also inspite of an almost completely second-string Aussie line-up.

Here are some clear pointers to this:

1. We harped a lot on missing Yuvi, Zak, and Viru during the Champions Trophy. While there is no questioning the sheer talent and value of these cricketers, I hope we remember just how many first-choice players did not make it to the Australian line-up to even start with, and how many left midway through the tour. If Brad Haddin had been consistently impressive as a wk and batter, Time Paine did nothing wrong to harm his credentials when he got the opportunity with this tour. But if you thought Paine in pain was too much even for the Aussie bench strength, you got Graham Manou! Another reminder about the sheer depth and quality of Australian cricket.

2. With the exception of Australia, India is unarguably the toughest place to tour for any team. Well, it came true to every word - yes, the only exception is Australia, and in 'any team', let's include India itself! Coz our team found it too tough to play well enough against the Aussies even in home conditions! Mohali and Guwahati seemed alien to them and one got the feeling that we were not sure of how to pace our innings and understand our conditions on home territory. On the other hand, Australia capitalised on whatever was thrown at them, and almost fashioned a win at the dustbowl known as Kotla, but for Yuvi and MSD.

3. It was a 7-match series: This series win is not a short series. A marathon winner is held in higher esteem than a 100-m dasher, just as a Test century is dearer than a quickfire ODI century/T20 knock. Similarly, there cannot be a more telling indicator than the fact that this was a 7-match series win against a nearly full-strength Indian team, in India, by a consistently depleted, injury-ridden visiting team.

So hold your horses for the moment, fellow Indian team fans - we cannot claim ourselves to be better than all - not just yet. Amidst our disappointment and frustration, let's pause and give credit where it's due - to an amazing Australian outfit that has won a tough series against a tough team in alien conditions before going into the last match. Well done guys, and you deserve the first rank - well, for now, that is!

Moral of the story: It's a long way to go, Team India - atleast till the time we can beat Australia in Australia despite missing player after player from the original squad.

Team India: Jaago re, jaago re, jaago....re!!!