Test championship deserves another shot

Test championship deserves another shot

The cricket world speaks highly about Test cricket and its benefits. It is one format which is kept above the other two (ODIs and T20s) but has lost its sheen in the last one decade. Test cricket should be preserved at any cost. If we leave Ashes out, there is hardly any series across the globe which could be termed as priceless.

The contest between Australia and England is taken hand to hand by viewers of the cricket loving nations but rest of the contest are played just to fulfill the commitments.

Test cricket is in dire straits and is in need of some meaningful context and a reason to breathe in this competitive world. I still remember that demand for World Test Championship gained momentum few years back with backing from the current and former players. Proposed as an annual event, it was little overloaded and therefore unworkable keeping in mind the importance of television rights, other big international series and T20 leagues. But the pouring of support forced ICC to think about it and the governing body decided to give it a go in 2013. However, the numerous hurdles, made life difficult for the event and it was shifted to 2017. The same story was repeated again and this idea was buried even before it saw the daylight.

The recent turn of events in Test cricket is enough to prove that scarping Test championship was a suicidal mistake. England couldn't stand in front of Australia in the last edition of the Ashes while they were also trounced by Sri Lanka. The English team was at its clinical best against India while their neighboring team Pakistan defeated Australia in UAE. Teams have found life difficult in the sub-continent and the same could be said about the contingents from this part of the world when they play outside their comfort zone. However, there have been instances where a visiting team has gone on to register an emphatic win.

The will to live and perform in the alien conditions has made Test matches interesting. Introduce a system wherein the top two teams in the rankings meet each other to decided a World Test Champion. The response will be completely different if this thought is put into practice. There should be a formula to stimulate Test cricket and hand someone a trophy after every two or three years. The governing body of international cricket will have to ensure that each and every top team play a Test series of minimum three-Test ( home and away) during the cycle. With every match counting and more points on offer for a away win, the teams will go all-out against each other. Australia and England should be allowed to play Ashes and accumulate points on the basis of their performance.

The ICC should start the championship with top eight Test playing nations and if it works, it can be expanded to include Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. The success of this idea could also bring semifinals under consideration after the first edition. Apart from this, a team which finishes at the top of the points table should be allowed to stage a mega final in its own backyard at the first go. It would be great for the sponsors and the spectators to watch a game where a winner takes all the pride and big chuck of money. The match referee should work closely with the pitch curator in order to produce an even pitch for the batsmen and bowlers. The toss shouldn't play an important role in deciding the outcome of this match.

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Why do girls like Virat Kohli?

Why do girls like Virat Kohli?

Among the current set of Indian players, Virat Kohli is miles ahead when it comes to his attraction among the opposite sex. The Indian vice captain has achieved a lot on the 22 yards but what makes him more famous to the majority of the female population? Kohli, the right hand batsman, ticks all the boxes when it comes to X factor.  He carries his heart on his sleeves, which connects him with beautiful faces. Apart from this, Virat Kohli has got an aggressive attitude and doesn't mind in using it. He has the looks which fires up females even from the thousand kilometers. He has been often termed as arrogant, brash and bad boy by the media but this is what girls are interested in these days. They don't want a guy to be simple and reserved but instead are ready to fall for someone, who shows his nature and character in front of the whole world.

The man under the scanner has got intense eyes, which speaks a lot. He has built strong biceps by working in the gym while his ever changing hair styles suits his personality. Neither too lean and neither too heavy, Virat Kohli has the perfect physique. He looks stunning in whatever he wears and mind you, he could kill many if shirt or jersey is off from his body. Virat Kohli has got three tattoos inked on his body. One being on his upper right arm showing his own Zodiac Sign Scorpio, the second being a little lower on the same arm and the last one is a Japanese samurai warrior with a raised sword.

The Japanese tattoo shows his confidence level both in his personal and professional life. The ancient image of the samurai warrior reflects interesting and brilliant personality of an individual. If this is not enough for the females, he has keen interest in shopping as well. This is one area which is very close to girls and they like guys, who spend their money in making their wardrobe attractive.

The shades which he wears during the course of international games and even outside the stadiums are trendy. Not just with his dressing sense, he is so comfortable in front of the camera as well. Virat Kohlilooks confident sharing space with B-town divas in the TV commercials and certainly adds value to the brands he endorses. Unlike the former stars, Virat is from a league of cricketers, who likes to work hard and party even harder. Earlier, the cricketers from this Asian country were only interested in cricket and devoted their spare time with families or at hotels. However, Virat is different in this case. He loves to party and is often seen at famous pubs in his free time. The dashing Indian cricketer is one of the richest cricketers around and likes to spend it too on cool and pricey accessories.

The height of his fame was witnessed by the world when one of the female English cricketers proposed him. English woman cricketer Danielle Wyatt may not have dazzled fans with her on-field antics, but she definitely set the micro-blogging site Twitter abuzz when she proposed marriage to India`s top batsman She also met him when Team India was on a tour of England in the ongoing year. He is currently dating Bollywood beauty Anushka Sharma. I know the chances of a common girl becoming the love interest of Virat is minimum but strange things have happened in the past.

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David Warner: A dependable & matured batsman

David Warner: A dependable & matured batsman

David Warner started his career as a T20 specialist but has gone on to establish himself in other formats as well. The left-hand batsman is in great touch off late as he continues to score heavily against the best in the business.  But, this was not the case in 2013. He was looked upon as someone, who was born to create problems for himself and his team mates.  The Australia batsmen David Warner was fined A$5,570 (£3,600) for his Twitter outburst against two cricket writers after being found guilty of breaching Cricket Australia's code of behavior. Warner had used Twitter to launch an often expletive-filled attack on the News Limited journalists Robert Craddock and Malcolm Conn after taking exception to an article critical of the IPL.

The Australian Cricket Board thought that this was enough to keep him under control and he won't be a part of problems in the near future.  It soon became the biggest mistake to let him off the hook so easily as he was involved in something big again. The 26-year-old punched Joe Root after an incident regarding fancy dress. He was suspended and was shown the exit door for the rest of the Champions Trophy and Australia's two Ashes warm-up matches, along with being handed a fine of £7,000. This was the time, when Warner was heading towards an end as a cricketer as Australia was not ready to carry his burden.  The sudden shift of gears forced Warner to think about his behavioral issues and he has not looked back since then.  He scored an emphatic century ( 124 runs) in the second innings of the first Ashes Test against England in Australia ( 2013) and has not failed since that match. His last 10 Test matches have brought him 1305 runs at an average of more than 68.

The team from Down Under was whitewashed by Pakistan in the two match Test series but they have achieved a lot in the last one year.

David Warner is one of the main reasons behind Australia's stability and success in Test cricket. His aggressive style of batting has hit oppositions hard. His performance in South Africa was of top class. He dented the confidence of Proteas pace bowling spearheads Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. The versatile batsman scored twin hundreds in the deciding and the third Test match of the series.  It was instrumental in Australia's memorable series victory against the much stronger  African side. In both innings, he came out all guns blazing which pushed Graeme Smith and company on the backfoot.

David Warner recently scored his third century in as many Test innings, to make him just the seventh Australian batsmen to achieve this incredible feat.  The Australian opener, having scored 135 and 145 against South Africa earlier this year, helped himself to 133 against Pakistan ( first Test match) on a pitch where his teammates struggled to adapt to. There are two reason behind Warner's top show with the bat. He has finally realized that performance is the only parameter which is important to keep him alive in international cricket. Earlier, he was more interested in all sort of stupid things but this has changed in the last one year. He has learned the value of his wicket and has played with the straight bat. The other reason is the maturity level , which has transformed him from a brash lad to a responsible player.  Let's hope, he continues to defy odds in the most challenging format of the game as it is pleasing to watch him when in full flow.

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Should bowlers be allowed to experiment?

Should bowlers be allowed to experiment?

The availability of less time has given birth to T20 cricket where batsmen go after the bowlers in order to please their masters and spectators. We have seen in lot of matches where a team requires six or seven of the last over and the batsman on strike changes his stance (switch hit) and hits the bowler for a six. The former cricketers have raised their concerns on such innovations. According to many of them, if a batsman can change his natural batting stance why can't bowlers? The bowlers are being scrutinized and controlled by a rule book while batsmen are like free birds these days.

A batsman is allowed to innovate and attack the bowlers while bowlers are made to follow strict guidelines. Dilscoop by Tillakaratne Dilshan, the helicopter shot by MS Dhoni and switch-hit by Kevin Pietersen and David Warner are the new modes of scoring runs in international cricket. If batsmen are changing because of the new format then why should bowlers be made to sit behind and go for runs? They shouldn't be bound to bowl in a particular action and within a limit of 15 degrees. Let's take a look at few ways which could put bowlers in good position against the batsmen.   

Innovative shots vs. Bowling Arm 

The bowlers of this generation have become too predictable. The batsman knows all about their bowling arm, action and the delivery which they  are going to bowl.

But a bowler can only imagine about the kind of shot a batsman will play on his delivery. The batsman can come down the track or hit in any odd fashion. He can apply switch hit or reverse sweep to up the tempo but there is no room for experiment as far as bowlers are concerned. If the batsman can change his stance, a bowler should be allowed to change his bowling arm. Let a batsman be in some sort of confusion while facing any bowler  and apply his brain power to score runs. If ICC allow bowlers to change their bowling hands, the game will certainly become more exciting. 

The challenge of bowling angles 

A ball has to travel 22 yards after being released from the bowlers hand only to behit in any fashion from a batsman. A bowler should be allowed to bend his arm in any fashion before his delivery stride. The shortest format of the game has taken the cruelty level on the bowlers to new heights and they have no choice apart from bowling their regular stuff over after over. If the game is changing keeping in mind the demands of the consumers, why can't this apply for bowlers? The old rules are brought into notice whenever a bowler tries to do something different while there is nothing of this sort in case of batters.    

Quota of bowlers

A batsman comes to bat at the start of an inning and has the option of staying till the end but the bowlers are bound to bowl only limited amount of bowlers in the shorter formats of the game. They can't exceed more than four in T20s while the number goes up to ten in the limited over internationals. When a batsman can take high percentage of overs to score runs why can't a bowler bowl more overs to take wickets and restrict teams from scoring? The top bowlers of any team is often hampered by limited opportunity of overs but if this is removed, we would see more fierce bowling from them. 

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Phillip Hughes: A hero who left too early

Phillip Hughes: A hero who left too early

The humans have made several innovations and discovery but their life still remains in the hands of almighty. No matter what science says about the world, the god is the ultimate decider. Phillip Hughes, the supremely talented cricketer from Australia, had to bid adieu to his life after being struck on his neck by a bouncer from Sean Abbott.  The left hand batsman was batting on 63 when this unfortunate incident took place on 25th November. He was admitted to one of the hospitals in Sydney but doctors couldn't save him as he lost his battle on 27th November.  The sudden demise of a 25 year old has left the whole world in shock including his family, friends and Australian team-mates.  

The Aussie cricket team is finding hard to deal with this occurrence. The players are shattered and broken  and the first Test match with the Indian team could be cancelled or shift forward. From David Warner to captain Michael Clarke, there is hardly anyone in Australia who has not cried since Phillip Hughes left the world. He was a brilliant cricketer in all formats of the game. 

After scorings runs in the domestic cricket, he was called up to replace Mathew Hayden on Australia's tour of South Africa in 2009. He was dismissed for a duck in his first Test innings off Dale Steyn's bowling but went on to scored 75 in the second one. This young man scored his maiden Test hundred in the first innings of the second Test match against the same team. He was not finished with this as he accumulated another ton in the second innings thus becoming the youngest player from any country to score a century in both innings of a Test match. However, he couldn't built on such fabulous start and was in and out of the team on account of poor form. He was part of 26 Test matches for the Aussie team, scoring 1535 runs with the help of three centuries and seven half centuries.  

Hughes also played in 25 ODIs where he added 826 runs to his name.  He scored two centuries and five half-centuries in this version of the game as well. It will be wise to say that his best was about to come as he was showing promising signs in the domestic circuit but god was not willing him to carry on in the worldly life so he took him away from all of us. I don't have words to describe the feeling right now as his death has led to one of the saddest day in the history of cricket. 

The world is busy in paying tribute to him but this won't bring him back. The bats have been placed outside the cricket grounds while cricketers from every region are wearing black armbands to be a part of this loss but the damage has been done. Let's pray for him and his family, who have lost their young warrior. Rest in peace Phillip Hughes.

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Home Advantage: A distinct dream in World Cups

Home Advantage: A distinct dream in World Cups

The 2015 Cricket World Cup will be played in Australia and New Zealand. I know the event is far but the cricket fanatics have already started talking about the contenders. Team Australia and their fans have already tipped the host nation as the ultimate winner. According to many cricket experts, Australia have got players, who can rule the event. David Warner, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson, James Faulkner, Steven Smith, Mitchell Johnson and Glenn Maxwell are the leading players in the ODI format of the game . 

When MS Dhoni, the Indian captain, hit the six to win the World Cup at the Wankhede stadium in 2011, it was the first time in the history of this sport that a winning side was playing in front of its own crowd. Home advantage is a well discussed and pretty old formula in cricket . But, this is not true when it comes to World Cups. Apart from India that too in 2011, we haven’t seen even a single host nation, who has lifted the prestigious trophy in their own backyard. Let’s talk about basic numbers first. 

In the 10 World Cups so far, there have been two incidents where home teams have played in front of their crowd.

Apart from this, the home teams have failed to pass group stage on three instances (Australia 1992, England in 1999 and South Africa 2003). England have hosted 4 World Cups in the fifty over format so far but they haven’t won once yet.  West Indies played the first three finals, winning in '75 and '79 while they lost to India in 83. 

Australia, the team from down under, had a run of playing five finals out of six, from 1987 to 2007, winning four trophies, including a hat-trick. Moreover, the two most dominating sides in World Cricket never got a chance to host the event in their prime. Australians were the host country in 1992 and were still building a side which went on to rule the game for years later on. 

West Indies hosted the World Cup 24 years after they had last made it to a World Cup final.  The most important reason behind the visiting team’s domination in the mega event could be the knowledge of playing conditions.  I know cricket has varied playing conditions but the teams and their players’ ends up playing in all of them very often which makes the margin of an error minimum. 

The fifty over game is such that teams are provided with an easy wicket to equal the playing level field and moreover the participating players have knowledge of what to do in a certain country. The other intruding factors could be pressure and expectations. The most famous example of this trend is South Africa. They had a team which was full of champions in 2003 but were not able to cross the first hurdle. 

The most unpredictable format of the game that is T20 has had five world events till date with Sri Lanka being the only team to make it to the finale in 2012. This shows that cricket is a pressure game, which can even break the strongest of the personalities. We won’t see either Australia or New Zealand as the world champ if this trend continues in the upcoming event. However, records and trends are made to be change in the future and who knows 2015 could once again be a new trend setter.

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Bowling variations: A lost cause

Bowling variations: A lost cause

Bowlers are treated like Aliens as far as rules and regulations in cricket are concerned. The playing field has been molded in favor of the batters in such a way that bowlers are being taken for plenty. Apart from this, the common notion with the bowlers is try to use as many variations as they can to limit the flow of runs. However, this is wrong. I still remembered one of the matches in the last edition of the T20 World Cup, which was held in Bangladesh. Australia was up against the formidable West Indies side with latter needing 12 runs of the last over. 

The Caribbean captain Darren Sammy had the task of seeing his side through against James Faulkner. The Aussie bowler was exceptional in his previous three overs and a lot was expected out of him. He bowled the first ball full on leg stump and Sammy was surprised by it. The second one was a Yorker, which again resulted in a dot ball. However, the idea of trying too many variations proved fatal for the bowler. Sammy was able to launch the next ball, which was a full toss, into the stands. Faulkner once again went for something different and bowled too full which was once again carved for a six.  He conceded no runs on the first two balls but things turned bad when Faulkner tried to vary things. This is just one of the examples where an idea of variations backfired in a big way. With the evolution in the game, variations have become a fashion for the bowlers. It has become mandatory for a bowler to atleast try four different deliveries every over. 

The slower ones, leg cutters, slow Yorkers and few more have become the need of the hour for the bowlers. However, the example which I quoted above is enough to show that using numerous variations in bowling is not a great idea these days. The modern day batsmen have mastered the art of handling variations and they know what would be bowled to them on the next one. It’s time for the bowlers especially pacers to rethink on their strategy when it comes to variations. The different type of deliveries came into existence to surprise the batsman in the shorter formats of the game but extensive use has defused their effectiveness. 

The surprise element that came from variations is now non-existence for the batters. Spinners have the tendency to bowl the same ball even if they have been hit for a four or a six on the previous one. This surprises the batsman who is expecting some kind of a different treatment from a bowler. Karan Sharma, Akshar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal are young and new to the game but bowled well in the last season of the cash rich league.  They were among the wicket takers on consistent basis and foxed the batsman with their smart bowling. Let me make one thing very clear over here that I am not against variations in the shorter formats of the game but as a bowler one should have the knowledge of using them at a proper or required time. Moreover, a bowler should develop supreme control over one or two variations first before unleashing them at the batsman. It is next to impossible to bowl different balls one after the other with perfection. 

The best thing is to focus on one or two balls and getting them right in the course of a game. The role of a bowling coach has become preciously important for the bowlers in modern times. Life has become hard for the seam bowlers in international cricket so bowling according to a planned way is the mantra of success.

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