Nagpur Test: Random Thoughts II

1. The kind of day that has eliminated any thoughts of a New Zealand upset and set up an Indian win. And if that were not enough to draw in the crowd, the day has beautifully set up Sachin's push for the 50th. Why leave it for a different hemisphere when you can do it in the North.
2. Sehwag and Gambhir seem to have found their rhythm again. It is hard to imagine that a combination as recent as theirs is already challenging and in many cases surpassed more storied partnerships for India. The are hot on their heels to surpass the iconic VVS-Dravid partnership and they are already ahead of Gavaskar and Chauhan.
3. Tomorrow seems to be the kind of day that would make the New Zealanders  hesitate before they get out of their beds. Its like the script is finalized and they simply have to turn up and play the parts they dislike. Chris Martin with the new ball may come with a sequel of his own....who knows
4. Its hard to imagine that New Zealand think going into the match that the limping duo of Jesse Ryder and McCullum is better than a fully fit someone else and they are proven right

Nagpur Test: Random Thoughts I

1. So now McCullum not only wants to not keep and bat but also not keep, not field, not run and bat. And yet Harbhajan can't out him.
2. I am not buying this collapse. India can lose from here as well. Like we did against the same team a couple of decades ago. 
3. Unless of course we restrict New Zealand to below 200. In which case we are still in with a chance to lose.
4. But let's celebrate for now, the first real day of India's dominance in the series. It came on Day 11. I was planning on the entire series not lasting that long

Picking on Murali

I don't know why I am picking on Murali today. Perhaps, the trigger was the 2 posts, one @ Straight Points "Is Team India a One Man Army Again" and another @ Confessions of a Forced Spectator "Shut Up and Bowl". The former talked about Zaheer Khan and the later was unduly critical of Harbhajan Singh.

In any case, it got me thinking. Who is the bowler that has contributed most to his side's wins. That's when Murali entered my frame of argument. So here's the deal. When Murali made his debut in 1992, Sri Lanka had all but 2 wins in their name. Since he has retired they haven't won a game yet. During his entire career, he helped Sri Lanka win 54 games. During his career there were only 5 games that Sri Lanka won, in which he did not play. Murali took 438 of his 800 wickets in Sri Lanka's wins. That's a staggering 41% of the wickets. Assuming of course that almost all wins needs 20. How does this rate against the best bowlers of all time?

Well here goes...This is a list of Top 10 bowlers sorted on % of wickets in wins. I only chose those bowlers who have claimed 150 or more wickets in test matches they helped their countries win.

Top 10 bowlers instrumental in Test Wins of all Time

Number 11 on this list is Harbhajan Singh. Ahead of some all time greats like, Ian Botham, Wasim Akram, McGrath, Holding. No I am not making this a "in defense of Harbhajan" piece...may be some other day

The meanest strike rates of all time in Test wins

But sorting this list on strike rate, there are no spinners and Dale Steyn emerges from no where as the bowler with a killer strike rate. A wicket every 5th over! 155 of those over 22 test wins.

In any case, back to Murali. I believe his best contribution to cricket is the comments he evoked from Bedi. I am not saying he was a cheat, but he shouldn't have been allowed to bowl the way he was allowed to. To me Sir Richard Hadlee according to these 2 tables is the better bowler only because he had a legitimate action.

Rules were bent to allow Murali to play. The Asian Block choose the wrong issue to show their might and the authority of the on field umpire was compromised beyond repair all to allow this man, Murali to bowl. His numbers are awesome but...

India needs to bat like India @ Nagpur

A series win is no longer a guarantee. It is also clear that we need the pitch to come in play to get 20 New Zealand wickets. In fact on the flat pitches on offer, it was New Zealand that were able to get into positions from where a win was possible. It is thus logical to fear that any juice that is put into the wicket at Nagpur will benefit New Zealand more than India.

In my view then, New Zealand are now favorites to win the series. Then with 3 wins and a single loss to India since the beginning of this millennium, New Zealand will be to India what India is to Australia. Jesse Ryder will be the new VVS.

Zaheer's absence is a blow but we have won without him before so its not as devastating a blow. It is India's batsmen that have failed to put on enough runs on the board. The kind of runs whose magnitude literally causes the opposition to lose wickets simply by looking at the number. That is the Indian way to win matches. The middle order of Sachin, VVS, Raina and Dhoni have collectively not delivered. The kind of runs that Harbhajan can use to buy wickets. He is no longer a bowler to get us to a winning position but he is still good enough to deliver a win once the batsmen get us into a winning position. We saw that at the Eden Gardens, versus South Africa

There isn't much of an history at Nagpur that might serve as an indication. With one win and one loss in that order, we only know India is beatable at Nagpur. The batsmen need to stand up, put their heads down and put in the kind of runs that will be reported around the world as "obscene".

India can't risk a bowler friendly wicket. We need another flat one and ask our batters to forget that Harbhajan at number 8 can bail them out.

Not since Sydney 2008...

...Has India conceded 400+ in the 3rd innings

Amongst many other things; it was India's inability to restrict and bowl out Australia in Sydney 2008 in the 3rd innings that cost us a win. Almost 3 years later we repeat the feat. This time at home.

India accompany New Zealand and Sri Lanka as the teams that lack bite in the 3rd innings since 1990.

Its been the most disappointing of performances in the series thus far. Perhaps we still can't win without Sachin contributing. The void left by Kumble is too much for Harbhajan and Zaheer to fill.

Time for a designer pitch at Nagpur