|
|
| (15 intermediate revisions by one user not shown) |
| Line 10: |
Line 10: |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| − | =New Zealand vs. India= | + | =The year in a nutshell= |
| − | ==ODIs==
| + | [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/news/2023-a-year-of-what-could-have-been-for-indian-cricket/articleshow/106429565.cms Nitin Naik, January 1, 2024: ''The Times of India''] |
| − | === Hyderabad: India wins===
| + | |
| − | [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/new-zealand-in-india/shubman-gills-double-flavour-of-indias-win/articleshow/97109087.cms Solomon S Kumar, January 19, 2023: ''The Times of India''] | + | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| − | HYDERABAD: After scripting a fairytale-like series win in Pakistan recently, New Zealand seem to have carried the luck with them across the Wagah Border as they nearly pulled off an improbable victory in the first ODI of the three-match series against India.
| + | ''' 2023: A YEAR OF WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN ''' |
| | | | |
| − | Chasing 350 for victory, the Kiwis fell 13 short as they finished at 337 with Michael Bracewell scaring the Indians with his 140 in 78 balls (4x12, 6x10).
| + | ’’ Despite Numerous Statistical Highs, Including Being Ranked No.1 In All Formats, The Big Prize In Men’s Cricket Eluded The Indian Team '' |
| | | | |
| − | While Shubman Gill blazed a double century under the afternoon sun, Bracewell took the fight to the opposition in the night, striking his second ODI century. The first one an unbeaten 127 against Ireland was in a successful 300 plus chase. Australian Glenn Maxwell is the only other batter at No. 7-11 to score a century in a 300-plus successful chase in ODIs. With Mitchell Santner in tow, Bracewell caught the Indians unaware after being reduced to 131 for six in the 29th over. The Kiwis needed 219 off 21 overs with four wickets in hand and no one gave them a chance, but the duo launched into the Indian attack and runs began to flow at a steady pace. At the end of the 45th over, New Zealand were 291 for six and needed 59 off 30 balls.
| + | How would you sum up 2023 if you were an Indian cricket fan? Two words would do justice. “What if?.” 2023 was a year where the Indian men’s cricket team had two cracks at ending a 10-year wait for an ICC Trophy, but it came up short on both occasions in the WTC final at The Oval and the ODI World Cup final at Ahmedabad. And both times, it got outskilled by a familiar adversary. Australia. |
| | | | |
| − | Rohit Sharma threw the ball to Mohd Siraj, who had just one over left, and the Hyderabadi had Santner (57) caught by Suryakumar Yadav off the fourth ball to end a defiant 162-run stand. Siraj followed it up by castling Henry Shipley (0). Siraj ended with his second consecutive four-wicket haul (4/46). This is the best bowling figure on this ground, erasing Umesh Yadav’s four for 53 against Sri Lanka in 2014.
| + |
What if India had picked Ashwin at the Oval in the WTC final? What if India had tried to bounce out Travis Head earlier? What if Head had nicked one of the many balls he played and missed in the first ten overs of that chase in Ahmedabad? |
| | | | |
| − | Hardik Pandya conceded just four in the 49th over and Shardul Thakur trapped Michael leg before off the second ball of the last over with the visitors needing 13 for victory.
| + |
The loss on November 19 in Motera would scar the souls and puncture the spirits of those in the changing room more because India had played a flawless tournament till the semifinal, crushing opponents systematically, but cruelly had an off day in the game that mattered on a curiously prepared pitch that was slow and dry to start with and then changed dramatically when Australia started their chase of 240. |
| | | | |
| − | Earlier, it was 23-year-old Gill who stole the limelight from his more illustrious teammates like Rohit and Virat Kohli. Riding on Gill’s 149-ball 208 (4x19, 6x9), India coasted to a huge 349 for eight. In the process, Gill not only cemented his position at the top of the order but also assured himself of a place in the World Cup squad later in the year. Gill took his time to settle down even as Rohit did the scoring in their 60-run first wicket partnership but as the sun set, Gill exploded. He struck six sixes in the 48th and 49th overs to take India to an impregnable position. Incidentally, Gill got his half-century with a six, reached 99 with his second six and moved from 147 to 153 with the third one. Then he moved from 182 to 200 with sixes off three consecutive balls.
| + |
But to not celebrate the performances of the team, especially in the white-ball format, would be ungrateful.
|
| | | | |
| − | Rohit (34; 38b, 4x,4, 6x2) didn’t last long as his attempt to hit a Blair Tickner delivery over his head, resulted in a mishit that was gobbled up by Daryl Mitchell at mid-on. Santner, who was brought on in the ninth over, sent back Kohli (8) in the 16th over to leave India at 88 for two. Ishan Kishan (5) too fell cheaply but Gill and Suryakumar Yadav steadied the innings. Gill made the most of the reprieve he got from Tom Latham off Bracewell when he was on 45. He moved from 46 to 52 with his first six and there was no turning back thereafter. Gill kept pace with SKY as the duo added 65 for the fourth wicket before the latter fell for 31. Gill then struck his second six and stole a single to reach the coveted three-figure mark.
| + | The men’s team played fifty-eight white-ball games (35 ODIs and 23 T20Is) this year and ended up winning forty-two out of them (27 in ODIS and fifteen in T20Is).
|
| | | | |
| − | ===Raipur, 2nd ODI: India won===
| + | ODIs, a format that is losing relevance, was given a lifeline by the men in blue, especially during a feverish World Cup campaign where captain Rohit Sharma’s thrilling assault on bowlers in the powerplay, captivated fans as it was both effective and selfless.
|
| − | [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/article-share?article=22_01_2023_023_005_cap_TOI Gaurav Gupta, January 22, 2023: ''The Times of India'']
| + | |
| | | | |
| − | Raipur : Skipper Rohit Sharma’s pause at the toss seems to have been the only time India slowed down in this game!
| + | The skipper was unfairly criticized for his stroke in the final off Glenn Maxwell, which was pouched miraculously by Travis Head, but his 47 (31 balls) was exactly how he had batted right through the tournament, in fact right through the year. |
| − |
Inspired by their old warhorses Mohammed Shami (3-18 in 6 overs) and Rohit himself (51; 50b, 7x4, 2x6), India crushed a disappointing New Zealand by eight wickets in the second ODI at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, which was staging its maiden international game.
India thus wrapped up the ODI series 2-0 in convincing fashion, with the final game on Tuesday in Indore now j ust a formality. This is India’s seventh ODI series win at home in a row overall, and their seventh straight ODI series win against New Zealand on home soil. It was the sort of sizzling performance which augurs well for Rohit and Co. in an ODI World Cup year.
| + | |
| − |
India completely outplayed New Zealand on a pacer-friendly pitch. After India elected to bowl first on a surface which was aiding generous lateral movement, their pacers, led by Shami, fired on all cylinders to shoot out a listless New Zealand, who recorded their third-lowest ODI score against India.
| + | |
| − |
The whole Kiwi innings was over by 4:07 pm, and the match was done and dusted by 6:25 pm, advancing the timing of a post-match laser show!
Chasing 109, Rohit and Shubman Gill (40*, 53b; 6x4), fresh off his double hundred in the first ODI, rubbed salt into the Kiwi wounds, adding 72 in 84 balls for the first wicket. When Gilldanced down the track to loft Mitchell Santner over mid-on, India sealed the game with as many as 179 balls to spare. It was their third biggest win in ODIs in terms of balls to spare.
| + | |
| − |
While Virat Kohli (11) was scalped by Santner again, Rohit’s terrific half-century, his 48th in ODIs, will give India plenty to cheer about. Apart from a few delightful drives, the two sixes that he hit, a ferocious, trademark pull off Lockie Ferguson and then a superb shot over extra cover off Blair Tickner, delighted the 60,000-strong crowd.
| + | |
| − |
It was amusing to watch the Kiwi batters, who were way too tentative. The game seemed to be done and dusted when India’s four-pronged pace attack of Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur and Hardik Pandya destroyed theKiwi top order. New Zealand had collapsed to 15/5 by the 11th over and were, at one point, in danger of being skittled out for their lowest ODI score of 64.
| + | |
| − |
Somehow, the efforts of Glenn Philips (36; 52b, 5x4), Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell averted that embarrassment for the Kiwis, taking them past 100, but then they lost their last four wickets for five runs in 26 balls.
| + | |
| − |
It was Shami who began India’s relentless assault with the ball. Following up four consecutive outswingers with a ball that swung in beautifully, he castled Kiwi opener Finn Allen. Next to go was Henry Nicholls, who edged an away-going delivery by Siraj to Gill at slip. Things became worse for the Kiwis when Daryll Mitchell spooned a catch back to Shami.
| + | |
| | | | |
| | + |
With the heartbreak of the T20 World Cup semifinal vs England in Adelaide still fresh in his mind, the skipper had made up his mind that he was willing to buy the idea of India getting outclassed, but would not buy it if India ended up second best for want of intent. And he took it upon himself to not just stat pad but focus on giving the middle-order a cushion of runs so that they can bat deep without feeling the pressure of accelerating.
|
| | | | |
| | + | It was a template that worked perfectly in the marquee tournament. Virat Kohli played the ideal foil for Rohit’s daredevilry, anchoring chases or giving the strokeplayers around him like KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer the freedom to go big without the worries of the team suffering a blowout. He logged six ODI hundreds in 2023 with three of them coming in the World Cup, none more important than the one he scored in the semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium against perennial nemesis New Zealand which made him the lone man to get to 50 ODI tons and surpass the record held by the great Sachin Tendulkar. It was a pity that his 765 runs in 11 matches did not result in a trophy more significant than the player of the tournament prize. |
| | | | |
| − | ====Details====
| + |
The same can be said about the skipper. Rohit was one of four Indian batters to log over 1000 ODI runs along with Shubman Gill (1584), Kohli (1377) and Rahul (1060) and his approach can best be established by the fact that he hit 67 of India’s 250 ODI maximums in 2023 with 31 of them coming in the World Cup, a majority of those hits coming against top bowlers in the powerplay. |
| − | [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/article-share?article=22_01_2023_023_012_cap_TOI Gaurav Gupta, January 22, 2023: ''The Times of India'']
| + | |
| | | | |
| − | [[File: Scoreboard, 2nd ODI- New Zealand vs. India, Raipur, 2023.jpg| Scoreboard, 2nd ODI- New Zealand vs. India, Raipur, 2023 <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/article-share?article=22_01_2023_023_012_cap_TOI Gaurav Gupta, January 22, 2023: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
| + |
How you wish you had an intent meter sometimes. India’s bowlers were not too bad either. How’s this for a factoid? Arshdeep Singh’s 5-37 at Johannesburg against South Africa last month was the eighth instance of an Indian bowler picking a five-wicket haul in 2023. Mohammed Shami, who had a dream World Cup campaign (24 wickets) produced three of them in the tournament. He also bagged one in Mohali vs Australia just before the World Cup started. Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja were the others to make that distinguished list. |
| | | | |
| − | Raipur : At a time when Jasprit Bumrah has been unavailable, the reassuring presence of Mohammed Shami is extremely vital in India’s ODI set-up.
| + |
Siraj produced a spell for the ages in the Asia Cup final vs Sri Lanka in Colombo with his 6-21 including a four-wicket over, a first by an Indian in ODIs. He was also lethal in the World Cup with the new ball, invariably producing an early breakthrough. What if India had not changed their plan and gave him the new ball in the final too instead of bringing him on in the17th over? |
| | | | |
| − |
Shami proved his worth yet again, destroying the opposition’s top-order. Swinging the ball like a banana while slipping in the odd bouncer, he could have added to his tally, and perhaps bagged a fifer too, but the Kiwis folded up way too early.
| + |
It was a story of What if for the women too. They choked like they did in the Commonwealth Games final against who else, but Australia in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup at Newlands when skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was run out with her bat getting stuck in the turf. India needed forty off thirty-two balls with six wickets in hand and fell short by five runs.
|
| − |
| + | |
| − | There was some help for the Indian seamers on a pitch which was still a bit damp, but Shami and Co. still deserve credit for bowling a nagging line and length. “The conditions were notas good as it seemed. They got out early, but conditions were not overtly bowler friendly. We dismissed them cheaply by bowling a testing length,” Shami said.
On being quizzed about his role in the team now, Shami said: “My role hasn’t changed since I have come into the team. The only thing is to keep working on the fitness and diet. We have got big events coming up, so the aim is to contribute in every game. ”
| + | |
| | | | |
| − |
There’s a bit of Zaheer Khan in Shami. Apart from swinging the ball to all corners, Shami, like ‘Zak,’ loves to play as many matches as possible. Match practice, he believes, is the key to finding the right rhythm. Askedabout how he would manage his workload in a year which will soon see a four-Test series against Australia, a possible WTC final and the ODI World Cup, Shami said, “I always prefer playing matches over practice. It is always better to play maximum numbers of games to get ready for a big event. The workload is being managed properly. I just hope the main players stay in a good zone ahead of the World Cup. ”
| + | What if Kaur had managed to ground her bat? But Kaur did find some well-deserved cheer later in the year as her team in the inaugural WPL, Mumbai Indians, went on to clinch the trophy. She also captained India to memorable Test triumphs over England and Australia in Mumbai late in the year. While big trophies in white-ball cricket eludes the ladies, they tasted success in the Asian Games, winning the gold medal and the under-19 team led by Shafali Verma clinched the World Cup.
|
| | | | |
| − |
Like most seniors, Shami seems to have been eased out of India’s T20 side. In the other two formats, though, he still remains India’s go-to bowler and has plenty left in the tank. If he keeps firing like he did on Saturday, India will have plenty to cheer about.
| + | May be the continued growth and success of the WPL, will see more talented players coming through the system. |
| | | | |
| − | ==T20Is==
| + |
''' INDIAN MEN’S TEAM’S SCHEDULE IN 2024 '''
|
| − | ===Ranchi: New Zealand wins===
| + | |
| − | [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/article-share?article=28_01_2023_027_014_cap_TOI Sourav M, January 28, 2023: ''The Times of India'']
| + | |
| | | | |
| − | [[File: Scoreboard, India vs New Zealand, T20Is- Ranchi, 2023.jpg| Scoreboard, India vs New Zealand, T20Is- Ranchi, 2023 <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/article-share?article=28_01_2023_027_014_cap_TOI Sourav M, January 28, 2023: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
| + | TESTS: 1 vs SA in SA; 5 vs Eng in Ind; 2 vs Bangladesh in Ind 3 vs NZ in Ind; 4 vs Aus in Aus |
| | | | |
| − | Ranchi : Mahendra Singh Dhoni was at the stadium. One wishes the former India skipper – one of the finest cricketing brains and probably the best finisher in his prime – was on the field instead on a tricky, spin-friendly track at the JSCA International Cricket Stadium.
| + |
T20IS: 3 vs Afg in Ind; 3 vs SL in SL; T20 WC in USA and WI
|
| | | | |
| − |
Skipper Hardik Pandya had said on the eve of the match that he had “squeezed a lot of knowledge out of him (MSD), there’s not much left now”, but there appeared to be moments in Friday’s game when Pandya could have done with Dhoni’s advice.
| + | ODIS: 3 vs SL in SL |
| | | | |
| − |
With his spinners (10-0-56-3) returning far better figures than the pacers (10-0-119-3) combined, Pandya paid the price for not completing Deepak Hooda’s quota after the off-spinning allrounder gave only 14 runs from his two overs.
| |
| − |
| |
| − |
Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh’s 27-run last over, with Daryl Mitchell swinging his bat around, and the skipper’s 16-run 17th over proved too costly in the end as India succumbed to a 21-run defeat in the first T20I to hand the Kiwis a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, and their first win on this tour.
| |
| − |
| |
| − |
However, the captain is not theonly one to blame as his batters, especially the top order, failed spectacularly, and the 177-run target proved a tall ask in the end.
| |
| − |
| |
| − |
India were down to 15/3 in 3. 1 overs. Suryakumar Yadav and Pandya arrested the slide and then tried to build a partnership, but SKY’s untimely dismissal in the 12th over meant another setback. The pair’s 68-run stand off 51 balls for the fourth wicket did raise the hopes of a jampacked stadium but Surya miscued a googly off Ish Sodhi to wide long-on to dampen the mood.
| |
| − |
| |
| − |
The captain departed next over, top-edging a straighter delivery from off-spinner Michael Bracewell. No. 6 Washington Sundar then waged a lone battle for a 28-ball 50 but that was not enough to see India home.
| |
| − |
| |
| − |
Earlier, the Kiwis started on the fast lane, racing to 37 for no loss in the first four overs. Then spinners Sundar, Hooda and Kuldeep Yadav did an excellent job in the middle overs to peg back the visitors, who were only 123/3 after the end of the 16th over.
| |
| − |
| |
| − |
But the two big overs in the end swung the deal. Half-centuries by opener Devon Conway (52 off 35 balls, 7x4, 2x6) and Daryl Mitchell (59*off 30b, 3x4, 5x6) were the highlights.
| |
| − |
| |
| − |
| |
| − | ===Lucknow: India wins===
| |
| − | [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/article-share?article=30_01_2023_016_008_cap_TOI January 30, 2023: ''The Times of India'']
| |
| − |
| |
| − | [[File: Scoreboard, T20I, India vs New Zealand- Lucknow, 2023- India wins.jpg|Scoreboard, T20I, India vs New Zealand- Lucknow, 2023- India wins <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/article-share?article=30_01_2023_016_008_cap_TOI January 30, 2023: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
| |
| − | [[File: T20Is- Some facts.jpg|T20Is- Some facts <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/article-share?article=30_01_2023_016_008_cap_TOI January 30, 2023: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
| |
| − |
| |
| − | Lucknow : Indian spinners revelled on a turning track before the batters made heavy weather of a small target to register a scrappy series levelling win over New Zealand in the second T20 International.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | The trio of Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav impressed on a helping surface to limit a self-destructing New Zealand to 99 for eight, their lowest total against India in the shortest format.
| |
| − |
| |
| − |
It should have been a straight-forward run chase but the top-order comprising Ishan Kishan (19 off 32), Shubman Gill (11 off 9) and Rahul Tripathi (13 off 18) had a tough time again in spin-friendly conditions. In the end, Hardik Pandya (15 not out off 20) and Suryakumar Yadav (26 not out off 31) took the team over the line with a ball to spare and six wickets in hand.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | The series decider will be played in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
| |
| − |
| |
| − |
With the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli not playing T20s since the World Cup last year, opportunities have been presented to the younger players who are yet to make them count. Kishanhas gone off the boil since his double hundred in Bangladesh while Gill has not been able to carry on his scintillating ODI form into T20s. The stylish right-hander fell while trying to pull a spinner for the second game in a row but was surprised by the amount of turn.
| |
| − |
| |
| − |
Tripathi, who is getting to play at number three in Kohli’s absence, was unable to take the attack to the New Zealand spinners. The Indians felt the pressure and that was evident with the run out of Washington Sundar, who sacrificed his wicket to ensure Surya’s stay in the middle.
| |
| − |
| |
| − |
Since the asking rate was never an issue, India could afford to stutter in the chase. A four after 45 balls, coming from Hardik’s bat in the 19th over, released a lot of pressure before the skipper completed the job alongside Surya who hit the winning four.
| |
| − |
| |
| − |
Earlier, Hardik decided to employ spinners from both ends in the powerplay after opening the bowling himself.
| |
| − |
| |
| − |
Wrist spinners Kuldeep (1/17) and Chahal (1/4) extracted a lot out of the Lucknow surface while finger spinner Washington (1/17) produced anothertidy spell. Chahal was left licking his lips after the first ball of his opening spell. It was a ripper that pitched on leg stump before beating the outside edge of Finn Allen’s bat.
PTI
| |
| − |
| |
| − |
| |
| − | ===India wins Ahmedabad match and series 2- 1===
| |
| − | [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/article-share?article=02_02_2023_025_012_cap_TOI Gaurav Gupta, February 2, 2023: ''The Times of India'']
| |
| − |
| |
| − | [[File: Scoreboard, India vs. New Zealand, Ahmedabad, T20Is, 2023.jpg|Scoreboard, India vs. New Zealand, Ahmedabad, T20Is, 2023 <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/article-share?article=02_02_2023_025_012_cap_TOI Gaurav Gupta, February 2, 2023: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
| |
| − |
| |
| − | Ahmedabad : This is a mauling the Kiwis won’t forget for a long time.
| |
| − |
| |
| − |
Relishing the best batting wicket by far of this T20I series, Gill unleashing a flurry of sublime strokes on both sides of the wicket tore into the hapless New Zealanders once again, cracking a magnificent, unconquered 126, which took him just 63 balls, and contained 12 eye-catching fours and seven big sixes on Wednesday night in the third and deciding T20I at a throbbing Narendra Modi Stadium.
| |
| − |
| |
| − |
Powered by Gill’s maiden T20I hundred, India marched to 234 for 4 in 20 overs – their biggest total against New Zealand in T20Is, and fifth-biggest overall, after choosing to bat first. Fittingly, the young turk’s first century in T20Is came on his IPL home ground, where he plays for the Gujarat Titans.
| |
| − |
| |
| − |
Hit by ‘Gill storm,’ the clearly shell-shocked Kiwis, looking in a hurry to catch the return flightback home, then folded up for a sorry-looking 66 in 12. 1 overs-their third-lowest score in T20Is. Led by skipper Hardik Pandya (4-16), A rshdeep Singh (2-16), Umran Malik (2-9) and Shivam Mavi (2-12), India came out all guns blazing, blasting New Zealand off the park in no time. Not to be forgotten were a couple of bli nders by Suryakumar Yadav at first slip.
| |
| − |
| |
| − |
Putting out a clinical, dominating show which saw them clinch the T20I series against the Black Caps 2-1, India raced away to a mind-boggling 168-r un win on the nightthe biggest victory margin in T20Is between two full member teams.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | ''' Gill’s ‘Masterclass’ '''
| |
| − |
| |
| − |
There’s a lovely ‘ritual’ that Gill, the new superstar of Indian batting, follows every time he hits a hundred. He takes off his helmet, swings it with his hand, and lets out a roar which r everberates through the stadium, perhaps even touching the roof of the biggest stand. The wild celebration, the spreading of the hands like an eagle, is concluded with a respectful bow towards all, just like an artist would acknowledge the applause to his latest masterpiece!
| |
| − |
| |
| − |
While Gill was the ‘superhero’ of India’s batting, Rahul Tripathi (44, 22b, 4x4, 3x6), Suryakumar Yadav (24, 13b, 1x4, 2x6) and then skipper Hardik Pandya (30, 17b, 4x4, 1x6) all played the support act in perfect fashion.
| |
| − |
Gill’s sublime, breathtaking strokes left close to a lakh spectators at this stadium spell bound. Gill played regal drives through the covers and ferocious pulls and pick up shots to mid-wicket and lofted drives down the ground.
| |
| | | | |
| | =World Test Championship= | | =World Test Championship= |
| | ==2023== | | ==2023== |
| − | ===Australia beats India=== | + | ===The road to the final=== |
| − | [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/article-share?article=12_06_2023_019_010_cap_TOI Nitin Naik, May 12, 2023: ''The Times of India'']
| + | [[File: The road to the WTC final, for India and for Australia, 2023.jpg|The road to the WTC final, for India and for Australia, 2023 <br/> From: [From the archives, June 6, 2023: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]] |
| − | | + | |
| − | [[File: Scoreboard, Australia beat India, World Test Championship, 2023.jpg| Scoreboard, Australia beat India, World Test Championship, 2023 <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/article-share?article=12_06_2023_019_010_cap_TOI Nitin Naik, May 12, 2023: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]] | + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | A day that began with great hope for millions of Indian cricket lovers ended in despair as India lost seven wickets for 70 runs to cap another big-stage failure and Australia underlined their domination of world cricket to win the World Test Championship (WTC) final at the Oval by 209 runs.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − |
Their triumph, achieved after just 23. 3 overs of relentless bowling on Day 5, makes them the first team to win the full set of Men’s ICC titles, having won the ODI World Cup five times (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015), the Champions Trophy twice (2006, 2009) and the T20 World Cup once (2021).
For India, it’s time to not just lick their wounds, but also accept responsibility for a period of sustained failures on the big occasion. For starters, they can stop hiding behind platitudes like “40 minutes of bad cricket”, “bad two hours”, “same players have performed well overseas”.
| + | |
| − |
When Virat Kohli a nd Ajinkya Rahane resumed their innings with the score at 164 for 3 on Sunday and India still were 280 runs away from an improbable win, there was apprehension, but also a desire to see theteam scrap. What one saw was a king-size implosion.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − |
And the Achilles heel, once again, was the batting, as it has been for the last 18 months. India’s top five averages an underwhelming 33. 4 since January 2022, the lowest among the top six teams. Kohli, India’ s star player, last scored a Test ton outside Asia in 2018 in Perth.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − |
Cheteshwar Pujara averages 29 across all Tests since 2020.
Time and again, especi ally outside Asia, India have been saved by their bowlers and the lower order. Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah have played saviours. R Ashwin and Axar Patel did that in India and Bangladesh. Is it time for a transition a nd a phasing out of some senior batters as the next WTC cycle begins for India from the West Indies tour in July and August? Or will a thrashing of the West Indies in West Indies and increased focus on white-ball games, considering this is the year of the ODI World Cup, sweep this defeat under the carpet?
| + | |
| | | | |
| − |
A few questions wi ll need to be asked about the support staff too. When Rahul Dravid was appointed coach in November 2021, it wasdone so with a lot of fanfare and with the hope that he will deliver trophies on the big stage and build on the good results achieved under Ravi Shastri. A lot of credit for India’s success Down Under in 2020-2021 was credited to his work at the NCA and his work with the India A team.
| + | '''See graphic''': |
| | | | |
| − |
However, with the senior group, he hasn’t been able to improve the technical flaws of the batters, nor take the hard calls involving struggling players. India have let go of good positions in South Africa, England and now in the WTC final to be upstaged and sometimes, embarrassed. Dravid as a captain, vice-captain and senior player was involved in decisions like batting first at Leeds (2002), Perth (2008), Johannesburg (2006) in tough conditions, getting the runs on the board and putting the rivals under scoreboard pressure. As a coach, in the WTC final, he was involved in the ti mid decision to bowl first on a good pitch. Was it to protect some of the team’s batters, who appear past their sell-by-date?
Over to the BCCI, who could start by appointing a chief selector for the national team.
| + | '' The road to the WTC final, for India and for Australia, 2023 '' |
| | | | |
| − | [[Category:India| CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023) | + | [[Category:India| CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRIC |
| − | CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)]] | + | ]] |
| − | [[Category:Pages with broken file links|CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023) | + | [[Category:Pages with broken file links|CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICK |
| − | CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)]] | + | ]] |
| − | [[Category:Politics| CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023) | + | [[Category:Politics| CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)CRIC |
| − | CRICKET, INDIA: A HISTORY (2023)]] | + | ]] |
’’ Despite Numerous Statistical Highs, Including Being Ranked No.1 In All Formats, The Big Prize In Men’s Cricket Eluded The Indian Team
How would you sum up 2023 if you were an Indian cricket fan? Two words would do justice. “What if?.” 2023 was a year where the Indian men’s cricket team had two cracks at ending a 10-year wait for an ICC Trophy, but it came up short on both occasions in the WTC final at The Oval and the ODI World Cup final at Ahmedabad. And both times, it got outskilled by a familiar adversary. Australia.
What if India had picked Ashwin at the Oval in the WTC final? What if India had tried to bounce out Travis Head earlier? What if Head had nicked one of the many balls he played and missed in the first ten overs of that chase in Ahmedabad?
The loss on November 19 in Motera would scar the souls and puncture the spirits of those in the changing room more because India had played a flawless tournament till the semifinal, crushing opponents systematically, but cruelly had an off day in the game that mattered on a curiously prepared pitch that was slow and dry to start with and then changed dramatically when Australia started their chase of 240.
But to not celebrate the performances of the team, especially in the white-ball format, would be ungrateful.
The men’s team played fifty-eight white-ball games (35 ODIs and 23 T20Is) this year and ended up winning forty-two out of them (27 in ODIS and fifteen in T20Is).
ODIs, a format that is losing relevance, was given a lifeline by the men in blue, especially during a feverish World Cup campaign where captain Rohit Sharma’s thrilling assault on bowlers in the powerplay, captivated fans as it was both effective and selfless.
The skipper was unfairly criticized for his stroke in the final off Glenn Maxwell, which was pouched miraculously by Travis Head, but his 47 (31 balls) was exactly how he had batted right through the tournament, in fact right through the year.
With the heartbreak of the T20 World Cup semifinal vs England in Adelaide still fresh in his mind, the skipper had made up his mind that he was willing to buy the idea of India getting outclassed, but would not buy it if India ended up second best for want of intent. And he took it upon himself to not just stat pad but focus on giving the middle-order a cushion of runs so that they can bat deep without feeling the pressure of accelerating.
It was a template that worked perfectly in the marquee tournament. Virat Kohli played the ideal foil for Rohit’s daredevilry, anchoring chases or giving the strokeplayers around him like KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer the freedom to go big without the worries of the team suffering a blowout. He logged six ODI hundreds in 2023 with three of them coming in the World Cup, none more important than the one he scored in the semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium against perennial nemesis New Zealand which made him the lone man to get to 50 ODI tons and surpass the record held by the great Sachin Tendulkar. It was a pity that his 765 runs in 11 matches did not result in a trophy more significant than the player of the tournament prize.
The same can be said about the skipper. Rohit was one of four Indian batters to log over 1000 ODI runs along with Shubman Gill (1584), Kohli (1377) and Rahul (1060) and his approach can best be established by the fact that he hit 67 of India’s 250 ODI maximums in 2023 with 31 of them coming in the World Cup, a majority of those hits coming against top bowlers in the powerplay.
How you wish you had an intent meter sometimes. India’s bowlers were not too bad either. How’s this for a factoid? Arshdeep Singh’s 5-37 at Johannesburg against South Africa last month was the eighth instance of an Indian bowler picking a five-wicket haul in 2023. Mohammed Shami, who had a dream World Cup campaign (24 wickets) produced three of them in the tournament. He also bagged one in Mohali vs Australia just before the World Cup started. Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja were the others to make that distinguished list.
Siraj produced a spell for the ages in the Asia Cup final vs Sri Lanka in Colombo with his 6-21 including a four-wicket over, a first by an Indian in ODIs. He was also lethal in the World Cup with the new ball, invariably producing an early breakthrough. What if India had not changed their plan and gave him the new ball in the final too instead of bringing him on in the17th over?
It was a story of What if for the women too. They choked like they did in the Commonwealth Games final against who else, but Australia in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup at Newlands when skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was run out with her bat getting stuck in the turf. India needed forty off thirty-two balls with six wickets in hand and fell short by five runs.
What if Kaur had managed to ground her bat? But Kaur did find some well-deserved cheer later in the year as her team in the inaugural WPL, Mumbai Indians, went on to clinch the trophy. She also captained India to memorable Test triumphs over England and Australia in Mumbai late in the year. While big trophies in white-ball cricket eludes the ladies, they tasted success in the Asian Games, winning the gold medal and the under-19 team led by Shafali Verma clinched the World Cup.
May be the continued growth and success of the WPL, will see more talented players coming through the system.
TESTS: 1 vs SA in SA; 5 vs Eng in Ind; 2 vs Bangladesh in Ind 3 vs NZ in Ind; 4 vs Aus in Aus
