The Dirty Picture

Hmm.....Undoubtedly,Vidya Balan's histrionics haved wow-ed the audiences all over, the same isn't true for the bleaguered Indian cricket team. The team has performed horribly, and MSD's men are down and out. It's the same Indian team which had shot to No 1 slot in Test rankings sometime back. With the current series lost tamely, the team still edges out Oz side, just on paper. If records are anything to go by, Sachin, Dravid and VVS should have made the current OZ team, bite the dust. All seems to be going down the drain and it wouldn't be surprising if the result of series is 4-0. Australian side is oozing with confidence, are full of momentum. A couple of quick breaks in Indian top order in the 4th test, would certainly be a nail in the coffin. Alas, the tour could just have been a lot better for the Indian side.

It's very very difficult to say what's going wrong with the Indian side. To me, it just looks like a rough patch at the wrong time. VVS, Dravid, Sachin have been true champions of Test cricket. Their records speak for themselves and they have all proved time and again, just for current and the last English series. With the openers not able to perform well, it has just added to the woes. Probably, India's batting was being considered as the true strength and that has proved to be the Achilles' heel.

Australian's, on the other hand, have bowled a superb line and length. Irrespective of their batting, it's the bowling which has outclassed the Indian side. They have toppled the Indian side in all the 3 test matches and the same should hold true in Adelaide as well. Couple of quick fires from Warner, Clarke and Ponting have just been right in time for the Oz team.

With the triangular one-day series up next, it looks as though this just would be a forgettable tour of Australia. I don't see any miracles from the Indian side, even in one-days. They just might get over Sri Lankans, who are struggling again in South Africa.

Wish it was much brighter and sunnier for VVS, Dravid and Tendulkar. For sure, these three won't be touring Aus next time.

Time for a few members a.k.a. 'seniors' to go under the knife

Curtains. The Dirty Picture.

Down @ Down Under

Difficult for me to start this one. It's been a heart-breaking series so far. Much hyped, much frenzied...how can it go all wrong for the star-studded Indian team. Losing 2 matches on the trot, and within 4 days...all seems like a nightmare.

Millions of indian cricket fans...had expected this to be a lot better....infact this was THE mouth-watering, tantalizing series (post the English debacle). There were quite a lot of excuses for the England's tour, fitness and injuries being the major one (post the victorious World Cup). This tour should have been a lot different with Sehwag, Gambhir, Zaheer all fit and relaxed.

I strongly feel that this should be the last of Australia for the greats aka Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman. And the entire team should have put in their best so as to wish the above-mentioned a most rememberable farewell. Alas, the tour is proving to be a forgettable experience so far.

My analysis for the tour so far

1. Need other bowlers to support ZAK. He has been India's mainstay bowler for a long time. Someone has to fill-in his shoes. Youngster like Umesh Yadav looked very promising in the 1st test, but others need to take wickets as well. Australians managed to take 20 wickets in both the tests, all their bowlers performed quite well (same did hold true for the English team when they beat India 4-0). Australian bowling was being termed as weak and bleak, though Siddle, Pattison and Hilfenhaus have all done their job. Indians, on the other hand, have had bowlers Ishant, Ashwin, who toiled and still looked clueless.

2. A great team is infact a team. If couple of big guns don't fire, it really shouldn't matter. The rest of the team should stand up to the task. Indian batting have so much relied on Dravid, Tendulkar, VVS. They have put up a show, but mostly in patches. These guns need to score and score big. But most importantly, the rest including Sehwag, Gambhir, Kohli, MSD, need to perform.

If MCG and SCG were won within 4 days, WACA can assure the result in 3 days. The way Australians are bowling and the way Indian team is showing up with the bat, the result can be expected within 3 days, for sure. The chances look very very bleak for Indian team to make a comeback in the next 2 tests. It looks all over as of now.

Australian team should be oozing with confidence. For Michael Clarke, this is the best opportunity to seal the series and establish himself as a great captain for the next couple of years. Underfire Pointing, has for sure retained his place, with great performance in SCG.

Alarm bells for a couple of Indian players (Gambhir, Kohli, Ashwin, Laxman (though Oz has been his favorite hunting ground, until the last tour). If it's a whitewash, few of these mentioned players, can cool-off their heels for atleast a year or so.

As a true and ardent fan of Indian cricket, I still hold the faith of a strong comeback. Though, it looks Michael Clarke all the way.

Good luck, MSD.

Played with the game

Unbelievable, yet true that cricket’s image was tarnished beyond imagination with the sentence being handed out to Pakistan trio, Butt, Asif and Amir along with the bookie Majeed. It would have been a rude shock for millions of ardent fans of cricket to see cricketers being put behind bars, for the first time, ever. It’s been a great loss to the whole cricket fraternity, who can just pray that the ghost of match-fixing never ever returns. Kudos to Scotland Yard for carrying out the investigation and thereby living upto it’s own reputation. ICC, on it’s part had done well by suspending the trio even before the investigation was started and thus saving the game.

However, few questions remain un-answered
1. Will this sentence mean that the match-fixing/ spot fixing has been laid to rest ?
2. Is the sentence good enough to deter the cricketers from getting lured into fixing ? Whatwould be the stance of cricket boards/ ICC and the respective governments to further curb match-fixing ?
3. Will the bookies cease to exist. If yes, what would be their next job ?

And the BIG one,
Is cricket now really a gentleman’s game ?

First and foremost, I strongly believe that match-fixing is here to stay. It has become very much part of the system and will continue to exist , just the form may change. The game took a beating almost a decade back when the monster named match-fixing had surfaced, putting some of the greats of that time, under intense scrutiny. Few of those under question were convicted and banned, few had walked away scot-free. Hansie Cronje, the MAN who had the courage to accept being unfair to the game and to his country, was killed in a plane crash, as a part of plot (this may invite a lot of arguments which may not be defendable, but I still believe that Cronje’s death was planned and plotted). A decade later, the fixing stays and comes back with a bang. Food for thought : if a bookie is not doing match-fixing, then what else is his job. The bookies have thrived and just won’t be wiped out. They are like the reptiles who will hibernate during unfavorable conditions and will surface whenever the time is ripe.

The sentence handed out to the tainted trio may well be a deterrent to the new breed of cricketers. However, there have to be much more stringent laws to make players realize that they are playing at the supreme level and hence any devious maneuvers will invite strictest of punishment . Let me analyze this a bit further . Why do cricketers do match-fixing
a. Money
b. Money
c. Money

That’s the root cause. Cricketers who have learnt to play the game in the dusty by-lanes of the sub-continent, get bamboozled when they see the quantum of money, swankiest cars, awesome girls. Pretty sure that a few cricket boards, do pay their cricketers well. But it’s time to pay them even better. A quenched person would be pretty relaxed and would be less likely lured by any form of juices offered. It would be very difficult to pay equivalent to what a bookie can pay. Still, if efforts can be made to pay the cricketers better, probably, lesser would be the fixing. Sentences, are good enough to set an example. However, bans have been there in the past, but that hasn’t been a stronger deterrent for the players. My argument is, even if a players is sentenced or banned, he has made the buck, to be enjoyed later or by his family and generation. Just that the player has to be shameless when put behind bars a.k.a. Mohammed Azharuddin (as I write this post, Azharuddin, is Member of Parliament, India; one of the highest designation held by a citizen).

For the cricket boards, ICC and the governments of cricket-playing nations, it is imperative to address the issue at the earliest. A few suggestions
a. Make very stringent laws with no scope for neo-nepotism and punish the guilty
b. Educate the youngsters. Show them the right way at the very first instance.
c. Inculcate the best-practices to say NO to any form of fixing right at the cricket academy level.

The bookies will NOT cease to exist, infact they will continue to prosper. As the game becomes more rich, it’s reach expands to more nations, brings in unprecedented MOOLAH in the form of T20 leagues a.k.a IPL, bookies will continue to rule the roost. As match-fixing can never be fool-proof, there would always be some window for a bookie to sneak in and do the job. My argument is, if a bookie will not fix the matches, what will he do ? The only answer I can fathom is he can stop match-fixing. Probably, ICC can do a Catch-me-if-you-can. Yeah, let ICC hire the culprit Majeed and he can not only open Pandora’s box, but also can be very helpful to plug the loopholes in the system, which may help to make the system near foolproof.

Lastly, is the game really for a gentleman now ? NAY. The game had started in England, in the purest of it’s form. It was played, practiced and enjoyed by a race which has been fair-minded for ages and ages. They had the true love and devotion for the game. For English, yes this was a religion. Indian sub-continent has been a land of crooks. I think the British made some gargantuan efforts to improve the shady nerds, but just couldn’t. The result speaks the volumes : Maximum number of players involved in fixing were and will always be from the sub-continent. And so would be the bookies. The English can just pity themselves for the game to be harassed and raped right in front of them. Wish they could have kept cricket just a gentleman’s game.

Phew...Dhoni!!!

Huh...I get back to writing my heart out after almost 2 years...has been quite sometime....and yes I have forgotten and forgiven my stupid manager...

Coming back to my heart-touching topic...Cricket...what a year this has been for India. Winning the World Cup, that too in the Home country. MSD. The man with Midas touch. Probably, the greatest Indian captain ever. Captain cool, calm, focussed, strategic, team-man, winner. Over the past few months MSD has clearly become the messiah for thores of Indian fans. T20, World Cup, IPL, Championship Trophy, and the list can go on and on. Not just Dhoni, but the Indian fan can just pinch themselves if all this glory is for real. Congrats Man, many milestones achieved.

Enter post IPL. Half of the Indian team is either injured or is rugged-out due to over-exhaustive schedule. Indian team for Windies tour is picked sans MSD, Tendulkar, Sehwag, Zak, Gambhir, Yuvraj et al. Suresh Raina, leads the pack of young legs on the field and wins the One-day series 3-2, just keep the reputation of India as World Champions. Tests, MSD takes the charge again and delivers 1-0 in a 3 test series. Kudos. Ishant Sharma deserves a mention, for his comeback to the Indian side, with an outstanding performance.

England tour beckons. Lots of hype. Lots of credibility, reputation at stake. Can India sustain No 1 ranking. Probably, the best possible squad with Tendulkar, VVS, Dravid, MSD, Zak is selected to give jitters to the English camp. The first 3-day game against Somerset and there comes the cat out of the bag. Oh dear, is something amiss. What happened to the sharpened Indian pace attack. Where are the batsmen. A young rookie pacemen makes Indian team bite the dust.

Lords Test : This was sure to set the tone for the rest of the tour. India just didn't have the right record at this Mecca, and they kept that reputation. Injury to Zak was enough to leave the Indian pace attack in tatters. Though PK, Ishant did their bit, but they never enjoyed the support from the other end. Fabulous 200 by KP, quick-fire century by Prior made the Indian team go down tamely. Never like a roaring TIGER, never like a Dhoni. Phew Dhoni :( Harbhajan, very honestly, you disappointed. Special ovation to the WALL a.k.a Rahul Dravid,for being the centurion and a true Test player.

Nottimgham Test : India miss Gambhir, Zak. Come back very strong at England on Day 1. Broad saved the day for England, making it past 200. Poor start to Indian innings, Mukund out on the very 1st ball. Dravid and VVS, look really special, giving there-after a decent start to the Indian innings. Couple of wickets fall, though India edge past English total. Dravid, the man again, scores the century. Broad, the man for England, takes the hat-trick and phew again. Ishant, Sree and PK who had looked lethal in the first innings, don't give a flyer to India. English batsmen, make India toil. Century by Bell, quick-fire runs by Bresnan, Morgan were the highlight. India were set a mamoth total for evening the series. And phew again. What a show. What a side this has been. I had the feeling, that India will make England take the ground on Day 5. Very honestly, I had pinned the hopes, though absolutely unrealistic, that India would win the Test. Phew, do I need to mention the scores.

Alas, like any ardent fan of Indian cricket, it was a heart-breaking day. The strategist MSD failed, all tricks gone and a lot is at stake now.

The English side would win the series for sure. Anderson, Broad are in top form. KP, Prior, Trott, Bell have done very well with the bat to boost their confidence. They all are playing like a cohesive unit, exploiting the conditions very well and should do very well in the coming tests. Return of Sehwag does give some potency to the Indian squad, but please note that Sehwag is returning from a long injury. He would take some time to get used to the conditions and that makes his form a bit questionable. Harbhajan is out of the squad now and that may make place for Mishra to step in. The issue that seems is that the pitches aren't too supportive for spinners. Probably, that is the reason why offie Swann has done comparative well in the first two tests. So not sure how much Mishra can have his chance.

Though MSD has vowed for a comeback into the series, it all looks iffy. England have the best chance of getting to No 1 position and they would leave no room for complacency. It's probably a gargantuan task for MSD to wow the Indian fans. If and only if, Indian team, can level series, which looks highly unlikely, then as a fan of MSD, it would be a big salute to this iron-strong man.

My 2 cents, the series belongs to England 3-0.

Congrats, England, you are No 1.

Phew...Dhoni !!!

Why-my-manager-is-always-stupid

I am quite sure that this post will certainly draw some interest, unlike my previous posts. My apologies to all THE MANAGERS, who would find the title of this post a bit insulting. However, if you have spare 10-15 minutes, please read on and I request you to please share your comments as well. For all those who are reporting to their respective managers, the topic would be of great interest, but there lies a flip side to all your thoughts and actions towards the manager. I just hope that irrespective of your role you enjoy this post.

It turns out to be the easiest and meatiest of topics for me to pen and pin down the insane, wily, scornful, dumb creature. Thousands of thoughts (though definitely de-meaning to my manager) come rushing to my mind. Alas, I am a human being and have the canny trait of cursing, criticizing and looking down-upon anything or anybody which does not suit my taste, my style, my thought-process and many-a-times my existence itself. Always and always my SIXTH SENSE points to something sinister about this UGLY MONSTER who is incapable, inefficient, dumbest of all but is smart enough to tame MEEEE, and scornfully. DISGUSTING. At the very beginning of the day (mind you, not at the end), I hate him to the core, want every bit of him to be decimated and finally unshackle myself from all his beliefs and perceptions that he has towards ME. Gosh, I feel like getting out of this stinking place which seems to be doomed just by the presence of this heartless and brainless human being. I pray earnestly every day, every hour and every minute "Oh Lord, please forgive me of all the sins which I did (intentionally) in my previous life and provide me with some succour from this bull-shit piece of flesh. All of a sudden I find my prayers are answered and dream comes true. Does that sound like GREAT ESCAPE. Momentarily yes. BUT HEY. I am trapped again. I find myself under a similar boss (in my new job) who unfortunately possesses more or less the same qualities as described above.

Ok...enough of being a true critic. It's time to do a bit of dissection and analysis as to why this situation always arises. Why does a team member many-a-times feels insulted and tormented. The equation between the manager and the team does infact gets worse over the time. Team wants to quit and sometimes so wants the manager. So what is the basic underlying which governs all this and leads to an embarrassing situation at least for one party (the team-member). Probably it's about the three letter word (hey, you dirty mind, it's not that), EGO. Yes, this little word makes all the difference. It's difficult for a boss to really digest that "ye kal ke launde (kind of new born babies)" are un-willing to accept his instructions (rational or irrational), are ready to confront him with any damn situation and also do question his existence all-together. At the same time, the team member questions the mundane, irrational tasks, yes they seem to be just the last thing on earth and many-a-times questions the rationale of questions posted by the BOSS. So this logic, illogic, rational, irrational keeps on going with great amount of energy (obviously not positive) from both the parties, until a day when of them decides to opt for some other avenues (and it's always the pathetic team member) and probably break this vicious-cycle forever. But alas, somehow or the other, this Pandora’s Box opens up again in the new job.

Let me attempt a kind of volte-face here. Why shouldn’t a manager be stupid. He is stupid because his boss is stupid and the boss is stupid because the boss’s boss is stupid. Probably, the top management of the company is stupid. And the stupidest of all of them is the CEO of the company. Gosh, it’s a mad-mad world. But, why this stupidity altogether. Why can’t it be just a plain simple company with simple thinking, simple vision, simple values and with NO ABSOLUTE STUPIDITY. Huh. Does it really require a few Einstein’s to be put together to really a rational answer as to why this STUPIDITY altogether. Nope, not all. The answer is pretty simple, infact. We are all human beings, who were barbaric till just a few thousand years back. We claim to have improved over the ages in a lot many areas (physically, mentally etc etc) yet, we continue to be irrational and insatiable species. We want MORE, and MORE, and MORE…probably try and defy all possible gravities on this planet. Hell, who wants to stick to a company which does not show double-digit compounded profits every quarter. Who wants to have a management of the company which “simply” says that exorbitant growth and results are not sustainable? Who wants to have a team which is complacent enough to sit and relax and not make things happen. NOBODY. So what does an individual (atleast a shareholder) want from the company. I guess STUPIDITY. Let me try an explain this. The top boss has to be stupid or unreasonable in order to make the company thrive, irrespective of conditions, challenges or whatever. The management of the company has to turn threats or risks into opportunities. And this cannot be achieved by having an attitude which is reasonable, relaxed and easy-going. Mind you, for every success there is a price to be paid, and it can be an individual or a team or a company as a whole which will ultimately pay the price for being successful. There are times and situations which really demand individuals or teams to leap out of their respective comfort zones and stretch themselves beyond limits so as to deliver the results. Every organization has a mix of people wherein there are out performers, mediocre and laggards. Typically, laggards who cannot cope up with the challenges and with the pressure and really the complainant lot. They can just crib and brag for any damn reason and curse their manager. A true champion in the team will not just outperform but will also attempt to lead the team and deliver the results, come what may. And these out performers will continue to be the cynosure of all eyes.

All in all, a manager will continue to be STUPID in order to deliver the results and make the ends meet. For a team member, getting frustrated and just cursing the manager will be of no possible help as this frustration will lead to further dis-alignment from the manager’s objectives. In this new age economy, where there are abundant companies and opportunities (surely, not at the moment), switchover is another proposition which is being regularly exercised. There are pros and cons of a switchover (I’ll not discuss them here). But my dear team-member, aren’t you going to report to a manager again in your new job. And where lies the credence that the next manager is not going to be STUPID anymore. I strongly feel that till the individual is enjoying the growth, there are no reasons to complain. Even tolerating and getting along with a STUPID boss can give some lessons which are worth to be referred to in future.

So all my fellow team-members (I am not a manager yet), let’s get serious, serious about our growth and value-addition which will be the only thing to boast about in future. After all, aren’t you smart enough to separate wheat from hay (and leave out hay). You have the only option to say “YES” to life. Just FORGET and FORGIVE the STUPID MANAGER.

Indian Cricket...Jai Ho

After a fair amount of procrastination and deliberation, I finally make up my mind to comment on the Indian Cricket Team (yes there are many other issues in India to commented on….but I will come to those issues only after a bit of procrastination :D). I remember as a teenager, India always proved to be minnows when it came to overseas tours (Aus, WI, SA, NZ…). All wishes and prayers used to go in vain (sometimes it was Lord Indra who used to pay heed and rescue the India team from another crushing defeat). But yes times have changed. And fortunately for Indian cricket. The previous generations of Indian cricketers tried their best to bring the glory to Indian cricket (except for Kapil Dev and his men by making a cut in 1983 World Cup) but just failed to do so. So what was missing? Passion, Experience, Cricketing Basics. Naah...this all was there. Perhaps, what was missing was the TEAM, the SPIRIT, and the COMPETETIVENESS.

The English defined Cricket as a gentleman’s game and that was all. As elsewhere, this attracted the elite Indian class. Hardly there were players from second rung Indian cities till late 90s. Few of the players in the team took it for granted which was like a termite slowly ruining the Indian cricket. These players enjoyed the support from some quarter or the other (selectors, politico-honchos, sometimes even that of the captain). This probably did cost the Indian Cricket the COMPETETIVENESS. It is always imperative of the captain to make the right choices, leave the un-deserved ones and thus keep the morale and motivation high. This seemed to be a distant thought in that era when sometimes the captain was given under-par players like Ankola, Dodda Ganesh, Vikram Rathore, Deep Dasgupta. Enter Saurav Ganguly. A lot of credit should be given to Dada for re-defining captaincy in Indian Cricket. He proved to be a man of steel and had nerves. All the while he could take some tough decisions when it came to the selection of team players. The situation seems to have got a lot better now. With captain at the helm of affairs (as rightly he should be), being given a free hand atleast to choose the best X1 from the best available.

As I have highlighted in one of my previous blogs, ICL and IPL have added a new dimension to Indian cricket. Such has been the aura of IPL that it has become the most televised event in Indian history. It has proven to be a new lease of life for the few deserving yet sidelined cricketers who were just getting rotten playing for their state teams. The money, the concept, the power, the thrill it’s all there. It’s been a roller-coaster ride so far and hopefully it will continue to emphatically well in future. Who should be Gung-ho about this latest frenzy. The few deserving players, who can rub their shoulders with the national and international players and prove their worth, or, the cricket fan who sometimes feels the chill in his spine with the nail-biting finish (remember the last IPL season finale, which seemed to have been tailored for a perfect finish), or is it the Franchisees, the KKRs, the Mumbai Indians et al raking in the moolah like never before. My guess is that this event should have brought a million-dollar smile to MSD. It’s like warriors slugging it out and winners not only get a bounty but also fair amount of chance to make it to the national squad (Yusuf Pathan, I couldn’t quote a better example). These kind of leagues are for sure going to produce some "BETTER THAN THE BEST" and the national sides will keep on harvesting.

One of India's key challeges in 90's had been consistency. They manage to put up good show sometimes but it was never a routine affair. I guess this was also a reason for a captain to remain constantly under pressure. Tendulkar, THE CLASS, does not enjoy a good captaincy record (Tests : 25P-4W-9L-12D; ODI : 73P-23W-43L-1T-6NR). These statistics can't somehow just match his personal records. Overseas tours always proved to be just too difficult for the best batsmen to score in front of even the mediocore bowlers. Pitches, it seemed, never ever "pitched in" for the Indian team. With a whole lot of fanfare attached to the overseas tours, it proved to be nothing but a damp squib. Teams like Aus and SA did prove a mockery of Indian Cricket on atleast a few occasions. Welcome MSD.

The cricketer who can take the team to new highs, is willing to take risks and back his men, ALWAYS. Undoubtedly, he has always seemed to have a cool head, remains poised and FOCUSSED. Debut in Dec 2004 and crowned the Indian captain in 2007. Indian Team wins the first T20 World, wins series in Australia, Sri Lanka, NZ. Credit should be given to Mahi for nurturing the team and transforming the players into greats (Gambhir and Ishant seem like a good example). His strategy to beat the opponent team at their own game seems to be working very well. He remains the coolest chap around but is aggressive enough to get the best out of his men. "Make winning a habit" seems to be his mantra, but he needs to carry the team much further. Looking at other great captains of modern times like Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Mahi still needs to go a long way by winning further tournaments both domestic and overseas.

Last few years have augured very well for Indian Cricket. As an avid and sometimes arrogant fan, all I can pray is majestic times and new highs for Indian Cricket. Hopefully, Lord Indra, won't be bugged by the Indian Cricket fans atleast in near future. Unfold your magic MEN IN BLUE. Jai Ho.

Power Shift

All is well if it ends well. Sometimes, all is not well if it does not end well. Ricky "Punter" Ponting would have watched in disbelief Hashim Amla scoring the winning run and handing over Australia some of the worst defeats in past few decades. “Punter” can undoubtedly be heralded as one of the finest players modern times has ever seen. Records as a captain and as a player all have been awesome. Leading a country to two consectutive World Cup wins is a feat what others just can't dream of. But tides do turn and sometimes they turn ruthlessly.

Let's refer to the two decades which saw not only the dominance of one team but also the emergence of cricket as a major sport. Circa 1970s-80s. West Indies team emerged as almost the "INVINCIBLES" during these times. This team had some of the legends like Sir Gary Sobers, Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Malcolm Marshall, Viv Richards just to name a few. The team had a fantastic run in 70s with two World Cup wins and an awesome 80s period wherein they emerged as the best side in Test Cricket under the leadership of Viv Richards. However, WI have struggled since 1990s with only a few good performances to recount for. Some of the factors which might have dethroned them from their reign could be
a. Retirement of the greats
b. India's historic win in 1983 World Cup (I guess this sparked off a fad in every Indian youngster to emulate Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar)
c. Emergence of few other strong sides like Australia
d. Lack of funds with the West Indies Cricket Board

Comparing this with the current state of Aussies, does it mean that Australia is set for decline. I guess YES they are. Oz have also had a dream run since 1999, winning 3 World Cup tournaments in a row. They have had an impeccable Test record. They have given the Test Cricket some of the best memoirs. To me, the side under Steve Waugh has been the BEST EVER with McGrath, Warne, Gilly, Punter, Hayden et al. They gave a new dimension to Tests by scoring at an average of 4 (or more) per over. Oz have been one of the toughest side to beat in the past decade. Teams all across found it difficult to match the ferocity at which Oz played. Most of the other sides proved to be minnows when battling the Aussies. Couple of reasons which may justify the end of Oz era, could be
a. Retirement of greats
b. Emergence of India
Australia may not die the death as did West Indian cricket for the reasons like they have high benchmarks, league cricket which churns out good cricketers, good infrastructure and possibly good money as well. However, they will struggle to regain their glory of being the champions over and over again.

Credit goes to India
It all started with the Twenty-20 World Cup last year. India beat Oz in the Semis and went on to win the first Twenty-20 World Cup. Dhoni and his boyz started as underdogs in the event and surprised one and all with this win. The world-cup victory probably must have given a lot of BOOST to Dhoni's confidence with also a cue that Oz are not invincible. India's tour to Australia in Dec 07 - Mar 08 was another defining moment. The tour will be remembered for some of the obvious reasons, Monkeygate. Test Series went in Aussies favor with 2-1 but it exposed some chinks in Oz armour. Retirement of some of the greats (Gilly, McGrath, Langer) was definitely a blow which has left a void and Aussies are finding it difficult to fill the same. India winning the One-day series in Australia and Test series (in India) is another testament to it.

I guess Dhoni and his men were the first to do the initial damage followed by Graeme Smith’s platoon. Aussies loss in the home ground to SA (2-0) must have surely given shivers and jitters to the Punter. He has received flak from many corners and a loss to SA in the 3rd test in Sydney will definitely have his obituary ready.


What Next ? India Shining

I would like to explain my opinion on why I strongly feel India could have a phenomenal run in Cricket in the next few years.
a. Leadership : One of the factors which have always troubled the Indian Cricket is good leadership. Dhoni, so far, has proved a point to every Indian cricket fan. He has won a World Cup, couple of series (Tests and One-day both) to bring cheer to this cricket-frenzy nation. He looks focussed, poised balanced (unlike Dada, who used to lose his temper and thus balance quite often). So far so good, but loads of challenges ahead for Dhoni and I wish him luck.
b. IPL and ICL : These two leagues have re-defined not just Cricket but also entertainment. Many deserving youngsters have got a platform to showcase their talent and also rub their shoulders with the international players. This kind of experience will certainly make the Indian bench strength much stronger (though ICL players are yet banned, but who knows in future...). Also, with the kind of money pouring in these leagues, some would-be players from second-rung towns and cities will definitely be vying for their pie. So the net result is STRONG BENCH STRENGTH for India. I feel that retirement of Ganguly, Dravid, Kumble, and probably that of Tendulkar, VVS in few years will surely be a loss but it will be re-couped in almost no time with new young blood.

My sincere hope is that Indian cricket has buried some of the ghosts of match-fixing, petty politics, nepotism. It has come to a level where performance speaks for itself. Let’s all have faith in MEN IN BLUE, for the time has arrived for them to rule the world. Dhoni and his boyz can begin unfolding the magic.