'R Ashwin's 'I Have the Streets': Not Your Usual Cricket Autobiography

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Recently, I read I Have the Streets by Ravichandran Ashwin, which is his autobiography (Co-authored by Sidharth Monga). Having read several sports and cricket autobiographies and biographies, I was a little unsure about this book. That is because, many a times, cricket biographies or autobiographies (lets broadly call them memoirs) are not much more than match-by-match or series-by-series narrations. In a cricket-obsessed country like India, where most readers already know what happened in those matches, such books often add very little incremental knowledge and, frankly, can get a tad boring. I Have the Streets does not have such issues. In fact, Ashwin has hardly talked about his performance in International matches.

Instead, the book focuses more on his journey, struggles, friends, the local and street tournaments, how he made it to the Indian team and the efforts and sacrifices of his parents. I particularly enjoyed reading about his parents; it once again reinforces how critical parental support is in shaping the journey and success of a cricketer or any sportsperson. It also shows how Indian parents parents help their children stay humble, disciplined, and connected to core values. Rather than focusing only on match statistics or celebrated victories, the book emphasizes Ashwin’s thought process, discipline, and continuous self-reinvention. 

I recall that when Ashwin started playing for India, several questions and doubts were raised. The general sentiment was that he had made it due to backing from certain people in the board, his association with CSK, and, of course, MS Dhoni’s support. The book quashes all those myths. 

His action was also quite different and attracted attention and debates. I remember a discussion with friends where I confidently pointed out that Ashwin had an “ugly” action compared to other off-spinners who supposedly had more “flowing” and “rhythmic” actions (whatever that actually means). I even cited Erapalli Prasanna as an example of a beautiful action. I remember the discussion and my arguments but honestly, I am not sure I had ever actually watched Prasanna bowl!! (Its okay, who has not made up stories to win arguments?!!) Ashwin’s tendency to tweak his action frequently and almost pause in his delivery stride made me think he was more of a 'containing' bowler, perhaps better suited for limited-overs cricket. 

Did my impression of Ashwin change later? Of course. 

While he was successful and miserly in limited overs, he turned out to be a completely different beast in red-ball cricket - not only as a bowler but also as a capable batter. Five Test centuries is no small achievement! 

Over the years, it also became evident that Ashwin is a thinking and 'street smart' cricketer: constantly analyzing his own strengths and weaknesses, studying the batsman, and adjusting accordingly. He would not shy from trying everything. He would modify his run-up, arm speed, release height, flight, length, and more. In order to stay ahead of the batsmen, he also added several variations to his arsenal - the sodakku ball (carrom ball), arm ball, top-spinner, even leg-spin. He had the ability to bowl six different but robust variations in an over. 

Ashwin also received considerable flak for 'Mankading', a controversial cricket dismissal where the bowler runs out the non-striker for leaving their crease early. The term itself annoys me, as it unfairly gives a negative connotation to a perfectly legal dismissal and, in the process, maligns a great Indian cricketer, Vinoo Mankad. I see absolutely no issue with this form of dismissal. A non-striker has no business leaving the crease early to gain an unfair advantage. All arguments about it being against the “Spirit of the Game” are, quite frankly, horseshit! I fully supported Ashwin during the controversy - after all, what is sport without the hunger to win - but the issue was that I supported him while sitting on a couch at my home and somehow he did not come to know about my complete, total, unwavering, and unequivocal support!!! 

I was so impressed by Ashwin skills and overall attitude that I often say that Ashwin is one of India's best test captains - that we never had. Once again, no one has ever heard that as I say that from the same couch!

Coming back to the book, I found the book extremely engaging, relatable and compelling. I am usually a slow and somewhat strange reader (as covered in a recent blog), but this book was genuinely hard to put down. I finished it quickly and enjoyed every bit of it. The book offers interesting personal insights and genuine stories rather than just a dry sporting memoir. 

It is also and an 'easy read' i.e., the author has not switched on the 'Shashi Tharoor mode' and the language is simple and effective. I would highly recommend this book to everyone, especially young and aspiring cricketers or sportspersons, and their parents.

Overall, I Have the Streets stands out as a thoughtful sports memoir. It is ultimately a story about perseverance, learning, and professional growth—making it relevant not only to cricket fans but also to readers interested in personal development and high-performance mindsets.

Finally, one aspect I particularly liked is that the book ends with India’s ICC World Cup victory in 2011. This leaves ample room for a 'sequel'. Ashwin achieved so much after 2011, right up to his retirement and he is still quite young. So a Part 2 (and even Part 3) of his story is plausible and if it happens, it will almost certainly be worth reading.

2 Amazing Matches....2 Winners and No Losers

Watched two amazing matches yesterday. 1. ICC Cricket World Cup Finals between hosts England and New Zealand and 2. Wimbledon Men's Singles Final between World #1 Novak Djokovic and the all time greatest - legendary Roger Federer.

Both matches involved edge of the seat action and in both it was difficult to differentiate between the two sides/men.

New Zealand scored 241 and then - thanks to a last over overthrow drama - England also ended up with 241. In the super over, England scored 15 and New Zealand also scored 15!!! Yet, England won because the hit more boundaries in the regular innings. That is a bizarre rule but it was decided before the World Cup. I think no one objected as no one could have imagined that the scenario would actually play out!!!

I believe New Zealand was unlucky. The overthrow punched holes in their plans and later the rule to decide the winner on the basis of boundaries also went against them. It is also being said that the overthrows should have costed them 5 runs instead of 6. Not sure about that but if it is true then they have another reason to feel bad.

In the other match, Federer clearly looked like the better player. Djokovic looked nervous and was not his usual self. Yet, he hung in there and won the important points. It was a matter of who keeps nerves in control and who is fit enough to win the longest Wimbledon Finals ever!!! 

I was cheering for Federer and New Zealand and I was tad unhappy after both matches. England and Djokovic are the winners but New Zealand and Federer are definitely not losers!!!

Squash Time

Unlucky Mr. Manish Pandey

These are the recent stats of Manish Pandey. He has been performing well since last few years. Based on his gopod performances in IPL and recent domestic T20 matches, he finally was selected for the National squad for a one-off T20 International against West Indies.

However, before he could make his debut, the West Indies cricket team decided to abandon the tour mid-way during the One-Day series.

The young cricketer would have been elated by the maiden call only to see his dreams getting shattered later on. This is not the first time that he would have considered himself unlucky. After becoming the first Indian centurion in IPL, he was banned for a few matches when he tried to negotiate a better contract. He was making a paltry 30 Lakhs a year in IPL. That time, since he had not played for India, his name was not eligible for the players' auction. That year, he made 30 lakhs and Saurabh Tiwary, after having played 1-2 matches for India, walked away with 9 crores and 30 lakhs!!! It was not fair.

He was given a chance to play for India A against the touring Srilankan side and made an unbeaten 135 in the match. Afterwards, he has been consistently coming up with good performances.

I hope the opportunity knocks at his door again...and soon.

We have been ROBBED!!!

Breaking News: India's boxer Sarita Devi gets a Bronze in the Asian Games.

That was the news that flashed on my phone yesterday. It made me curious because of the use of 'gets' instead of 'wins' or any other suitable word. I wondered if there is more to the story or is just a bad choice of word by ToI or NDTV (I do not really remember which among the two applications gave that Breaking News alert).

Soon, another notification followed which indicated that Sarita Devi's semifinal bout was marred by controversy. Her coach, the management as well as Indian spectators had protested the result, which had gone in favor of the Korean opponent (Note: Asian Games is currently going on in South Korea). India later made a formal appeal against the final decision but it was promptly turned down.

Honestly, the story did not evoke too many emotions except the minor disappointment over India missing out on a Silver or Gold medal. Minor because India did win a medal. In sports, such controversies are not uncommon. After all, no one likes to lose. I did not or rather failed to look at the human side of the story.

Today, the news alert flashed an interesting news. In the prize distribution ceremony, unlike the usual practice, Sarita Devi refused to wear the Bronze medal around her neck!!! Now, that demanded a google search.

I figured that she asked the official to just hand over the Bronze medal to her and she later handed it over to the Korean boxer, who had 'managed to' win Silver medal!!! Later, overtaken by emotions, Sarita Devi broke down on the podium.

That is when I started to see the human side of the story. Sportsmen put so much effort in order to get adequate chances and win glory for themselves and their country. Boxing is not a popular or lets say, financially attractive sport in India. And it is quite demanding as one has to put a lot of effort to improve the technique,  speed and strength. One has to follow a strict regimen and proper diet in order to perform well in this physically demanding sport. Boxers are definitely not among the rich or well-to-do sportsmen in India and they have to make a lot of sacrifices for the sport that they love. Only if they do well, they get a chance of bagging a sponsorship deal or of winning a sports award (e.g Arjuna award, Khel Ratna award etc.), which come with certain financial benefits. I am not suggesting that a boxer or any other sportsman wants to do well only to get the financial support and benefits but these are aspects that cannot be ignored. However, sportsman are primarily driven by their competitive spirit and a hunger to do well for the country. Sarita Devi, to a certain extent, was denied that. Of course she 'got' a bronze medal, which is no ordinary accomplishment, but you know what is better than winning a Bronze medal?....Winning a Silver or Gold medal!!!

She was denied a chance to fight for a Gold, which would have ensured that the National Anthem plays in the background during the prize distribution!!! She was denied that chance and hence, she took that bold step of not wearing the medal (which may attract a disciplinary action against her) and gave away the medal to her semifinals opponent. She took a stand and I completely agree with her. The entire nation should support her.

So, the story finally managed to evoke more emotions. I have been pissed for most part of the day. And, just a short while back, I watched the highlights of her semifinals bout. Saying that she has been denied anything would be a huge understatement. She dominated the fight all through. From the beginning, she was like Maggie Fitzgerald in Million Dollar Baby!!! She has been ROBBED....all of us have been robbed. This is disgraceful and sheer favoritism on the part of the judges. Moreover, it should not be good for the pride (hopefully) of the Korean boxer (Ji Na Park) as well.

I sincerely hope that the Indian government acknowledges the good performance of Sarita Devi. At 32, there may not be too much boxing left in her. She completely deserves award and recognition from the government and public. She has done us proud by putting up a good show and by taking a stand against the unfair result. Kudos to her!!!

Suspect Actions

Sunil Narine has been reported for suspect bowling action.

It is good that ICC is checking all suspect actions. Though I must say that Sunil's action looks much cleaner than the action of some of the others, who have recently been reported. India's Ravinchandran Ashwin bowls some deliveries with Sunil's action and those do not look clean at all. Ashwin's action should be scrutinized as well. 

And this 15 degree rule is absurd and should be removed. It is only encouraging bowlers to try something naughty.

Indian team is like a hooker that was screwed by everyone for days and was not even paid the promised sum!! It is like a sad ending of 'Lagaan'. Lost the match and now are paying 'Lagaan'!!!

Wrong Person to Ask

Me: England scored 569 and India is 52/1. India needs another 317 runs to avoid follow on

Me: Where do you think this game is headed?

Wife: India would follow on and will then lose!!!

Me: Tere munh mein dhool, tere munh mein keedey!!!

I always knew that one day....no matter how long the wait....but one day....Ishant Sharma would do something special!!! ;)

Need for Change

I was and still am extremely excited about the test match series between India and England. India has sent a young and good side. There are indeed certain debatable selections but more-or-less, it is there. Defeating England would be great but more than anything, the series is exciting as it would show what kind of arsenal we have in store for the coming few years. After all, Kohli, Pujara, Rahane etc are among the best that we have and are likely to regularly feature in Indian test side in the next few years.

The first test is already over and it was quite disappointing. England produced a dead, flat track. Yet, Indian batting struggled. They were rescued by a few individual performances. The match ended in a draw as the story was nothing different in the opposite camp. 

It seemed that India did make some mistakes in the first test. And they were in the team selection. I hoped that Indian team would tweak the composition slightly in order to do better in the second test (which is going on). I was wrong. India went in the second test with an unchanged side.

In the first test, India went in with three pace bowlers and one 'specialist' spinner (in Ravindra Jadeja). And they picked Stuart Binny as the fifth option. Jadeja was ineffective in the first test and Binny did not get to bowl much. Whatever chances he got to bowl, he did not look very effective. So, he came across as an ineffective bowler who did not have the trust of his captain (since he bowled so little). He did have a good outing with the bat in the second innings. But, is that enough. What are we looking from him? If we need a batsman, are there not better options available? If you do not trust 6 batsmen, play Rohit Sharma as well. If we are looking for a batsman who can bowl 'a little' in order to give rest to the specialist bowlers, why not play someone like Yuvraj Singh? Or Irrfan Pathan? Or give a chance to Abhishek Nayyar (he had a better outing as a batsman as well as bowler in the domestic season)? If we are looking for a good fifth bowler (which Binny is clearly not), why not include Aswin (who may be a better bat than Binny)? I think Dhoni does not want to include another seamer because he wants to maintain a decent over-rate. Fair enough. Play a good spinner then. The inclusion of Binny is clearly surprising.

And on the top, though I really like Shikhar Dhawan, there seems to be a need for a change. Dhawan has looked good in the little time that he has spent on the crease (in both tests) but is not putting a price on his wicket. We need a strong opening stand and may be, Gautam Gambhir would be a better option.

One more change that can be considered is someone in place of Shami. He has not bowled badly but has not been very effective as well. Probably, it is time to try out Ishwar Pandey. I am not too sure about Aaron as he does not seem to have much beyond pace. And I do not think that only pace would rattle the English batsmen. Plus, he may pick an injury during the test, which would be devastating. He comes across as a better option for ODIs and T-20s. 

I hope Dhawan, Binny and Shami prove me wrong in the last 3 days of the second test. However, if they do not, India should start thinking of the Plan B. 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar: The Current Indian Sultan of Swing

India has not produced too many great pace/medium pace bowlers. Kapil Dev is of course great due to his enormous success. My personal favorite has been Javagal Srinath. I do not think that anyone has been as effective on the dead and unfavorable pitches of India. Zaheer Khan has been quite effective as well. However, no other seamer has been remarkable.

Moreover, India has produced very few swing bowlers. The ones who did show up lacked consistency or fitness or commitment. Manoj Prabhakar was a very good swing bowler but he faded away due to multiple reasons. Irrfan Pathan 'was' an exception swing bowler. He truly looked like the best bowler around in his early days. Fitness, pace and consistency deserted him and now he is not even remotely as effective. Ajit Agarkar was really good as well but he too was marred by lack of pace and consistency. He had the problem of bowling too many boundary-balls. So, swing bowlers have come but they have failed to stay on and rule the scene.

Now, a new guy has arrived. Bhuvneshwar Kumar. In the batsman friendly sport that cricket is, now a days I switch on the television to see his bowl. He has great control over his line and length and has the ability to swing the ball both ways. These qualities are making him an effective as well as miserly customer. In spite of his lack of pace, he does not give away too many or easy runs. Plus, he comes across as a thinking bowler, who sets up the batsman. And that is really exciting to watch.

One area where he must improve is pace. He would be lot more effective if he improves his pace as history indicates that the best swing bowlers had swing as well as pace. And several promising swing bowlers went away with making a mark due to lack of pace. He is young and can (and should) add little bit more pace in his deliveries.

Having seen Irrfan Pathan and Ajit Agarkar show a lot of promise and yet losing out on a long and successful career, I am nervous about Bhuvneshwar Kumar's prospects. I hope he does not go away in similar manner. He looks extremely promising and I hope he is able to serve the country (as effectively) for a long...long time.

Will Nadal Win 18 Grand Slam Singles Events?

Read a news article on Rafael Nadal's amazing 9th triumph at the Roland Garros. The article also had comments from Nadal about what he feels about his future in the game. It threw a light on what the player honestly believes regarding where he is headed. His comments were disappointing for his fans.

Nadal has 14 majors in his kitty and is currently tied with 'Pistol Pete' (Pete Sampas). After so many majors and a career Grand Slam, he is already a legend. However, he is not the leading Grand Slam singles champion...yet. He is still three short of Roger Federer's mark, who is still playing but is way past his prime. As a hardcore Nadal supporter, I would like him to go past 17 Grand Slam victories. However, it is not going to be easy and now it is out that Nadal believes the same.

Nadal is already 28 and not many have won a Grand Slam singles event after crossing 30. Tennis is a physically draining sport and at this age, players start to slow down and thus, leave the door open for younger and fresher legs. 

If Nadal has to go past 17 Grand Slam wins, i.e., 4 more titles, he cannot rely only on wins at Roland Garros. That would require 4 perfect years and he would be 32 by then. Thus, he has to do better (than everyone) in other Grand Slam events as well. However, his Grand Slam victory record is skewed as he has won French Open more than any other event. He does have an all-round game but he is not as dominating on grass and hard courts.

Grand Slam Singles Victories of 3 Leading Grand Slam Winners

The above picture clearly shows that though Nadal is an all-time legend, he has not been as effective on other surfaces as he has been on clay courts. However, that is true for most other greats as well. Federer has been extremely effective on grass and hard courts (both acrylic and synthetic) but has largely struggled on clay courts. Pete Sampras never won a French Open and he was more effective on grass and acrylic hard courts (US Open).

So, the challenge in front of Nadal is that he needs to win few majors other than French Open. That is NOT going to be a cake walk. His style of play puts a lot of pressure on his knees and ankles. Moreover, he does not only have to worry about the challenge posed by Novak Djokovic as on other surfaces, there are few others who can give a serious fight. Andy Murray has been effective on grass as well as hard courts. Others like Stanislas Wawrinka and Juan Martin Del Potro are no pushovers as well. Wawrinka defeated Nadal in Australian Open final (though Nadal was struggling with a back trouble). Del Potro is indeed enigmatic and injury-prone but on his day, he can beat ANYONE. He possesses one of the strongest backhands in tennis and that negates Nadal's strength.

It is evident from his comments that he understands that he has tough times ahead. However, at the same time, it is clear that Nadal is planning to have a serious go. He was cramping in the French Open finals on Sunday but on Monday morning, he hit a grass court to kick-start his preparations for Wimbledon, It is an extremely positive sign and is encouraging for his supporters, including yours truly. 

If he wants a serious go at 17+ Grand Slam victories, he needs to probably reduce the number of events that he plays in. He should pick and choose the right events, which will (a) give him match practice against decent opposition and (b) help him in preparing for the majors. He needs fresh legs and a fit body to be able to climb the 'Mount 18 GS' summit, which is not going to be easy at his age and with his current workload.

So the answer to the question, 'Will Nadal Win 18 Grand Slam Singles Events?' is not clear yet. We do know that it is going to be a big challenge but we also know that the Champ is gearing for the final push. That is what all of us want, isn't it?

Note: The picture has been 'put together' by Animesh Kumar but it contains several pictures and icons, which have been taken from other websites. All pictures, trademarks, icons and logos are acknowledged as the properties of their owners. 

Awesome Run!! More to Come

All the best Manish Pandey

Times of India has published a nice article on Manish Pandey. I have always liked the young cricketer. He definitely has the technique for International cricket. However, he probably lacks the temperament and of course the experience. He should take a leaf from Robin Uthappa's book, who was on the same boat but have now become much more consistent. I hope Manish Pandey makes his debut in International cricket pretty soon.

Disappointing Selections

Indian selectors picked up the teams for the ODI series in Bangladesh as well as the 5 Test series in England. The team that has been picked for Bangladesh has several new faces and that is a good thing. It lacks experience but if the players play to their true potential, they should be able to overcome the challenge of a full-strength Bangladesh side. Uthappa makes a comback, after a splendid run in the IPL. Tiwary is back. Kedar Jadhav, a heavy scorer in the domestic circuit has been given a nod and that is a positive sign. 

There are indeed a few names that probably do not make that much sense and probably there were better alternatives available. However, at the end of the day, it is a series against Bangladesh. Who gives a damn!!!

The England-bound team, on the other hand, is extremely important. Firstly, it is a five match test series,  which is a rare event in case of India. There are three reasons that I can think of - (a) England has started to take Indian team seriously (b) ECB is interested in the monetary benefits. After all, matches with India means higher number of eyes watching the matches and (c) England wants to improve their test ranking. They beat us all ends up the last time. Whatever may be the reasons (or combination of reasons), it is a significant tour.

Selectors have done the right thing by selecting Gambhir for the tour, as the reserve opener. He may play a bigger role than a 'reserve' opener as Dhawan's technique would be tested in the swinging conditions that England presents.

The other thing that the selectors have done is that they have picked a 18 man (!!!) squad. Probably, the potential injuries to the players after the gruelling IPL tournament was the reason behind the thought process. The last time around, the injury list was pretty big.

Selectors have loaded the team with pace options. The usual suspects are there. Bhuvaneswar Kumar and Mohamad Shami have obviously been included. Ishant Sharma has been picked as well and it is a shame that we cannot see beyond him. For how long would the selectors go merely by potential? Performances need to be considered as well. Ishwar Pandey has been selected and he seems like an interesting and exciting prospect. Varun Aaron, for his extra pace, is an interesting selection. 

However, the last pace option is baffling. Why Pankaj Singh? Or probably, a better question is, who is Pankaj Singh? He may have had a good domestic season but is clearly not the kind of bowler who is likely to trouble English batsmen. Better options are available. Considering the swinging conditions, selectors could have gone with Dhawal Kulkarni, though he had a pretty average run in the IPL. However, performances in IPL (good or bad) should not be the yardstick for selection of a test side. Umesh Yadav is also a better choice than Pankaj Singh. Since  Praveen Kumar is now fit (and has served his informal ban on disciplinary grounds), he should have been considered. Afterall, he was by far our best bowler in the last tour to England.

The most 'surprising' selection is of course Stuart Binny. He has not even played a test match in India. In the limited chances that he has got in the ODI side, he has not done anything exceptional. His performance in the last domestic season was indeed good but there were better performances. Manish Pandey did well. If they were looking for an allrounder then Irrfan Pathan would have been a much better option. Another option was Abhishek Nayar. He had a decent run in the domestic season with the bat as well as ball. Moreover, he looks a better option for test cricket that Stuart Binny. Binny's military medium pace is not likely to be a very useful option in England. I guess his father's friendship the chairman of selection committee has played a role here.

Now when the teams have been selected, I hope everyone comes up with a great performance. This time around, we must give a better performance than the last tour to England (4-0 drubbing). 

The Real Veeru Paaji Finally Stood Up!!

I am glad that KXIP have got the momentum back. In the past few games, they did not look like the invincible side that they were in at least the first half of the tournament.  And super happy that Veeru Paaji came to the party like only he can. When he hits something (read Dhoni/CSK)....it stays hit!!!!

Need for Flexibility

Simon Doull made a valid point when he said that he was surprised by Indian team's reluctance to change things in the ongoing one day series with New Zealand. India lost the first two encounters and tied the third one, thanks to some unexpected heroics with the bat from Aswin and Jadeja. Then in the fourth match, India changed too many things suddenly. They decided to bat first, which they had not done throughout the series. They decided to bring in two players, including a debutante. And the best batsman in the line-up, who bats one down, opened the innings. Doull pointed that too many sudden changes seldom work. Of course he had the advantage of the hindsight but he does have a point. India lost the fourth match and the series.

Indian captain was furious. He played two good innings in the last two matches. Whenever he plays well and India loses, he usually is furious. Else, he puts a 'vague' blame on the batsmen. This time, he was furious with his pace bowlers. He even wentvon to say that the pace bowlers should learn to use their brains and that the spinners are more or less decided for the World Cup in 2015 but he is not sure which fast bowlers will make it.

I disagree on multiple levels. However, I would like to make it clear that I complete agree that the pacers did not bowl in the right areas and sprayed it all over the place. They were short and wide more often than not. Shami did take decent number of wickets but he was expensive as well. So am not trying to defend the performance of the pacers in this series.

My issue is the singling out of the pace bowlers. Of course, their performance was below par. However, the spinners did not fare any better. If a satisfactory performance from a spinner is taking 1 or at max 2 wickets and giving away 6 to 7 runs in an over, then I would be surprised if India would be able to retain its title in the World Cup next year. Indian captain has made it clear that he does not like 4 pacer strategy as it impacts the over-rate. Valid point. However, that empashises the need for quality spinners. Aswin and Jadeja may be the chosen ones but their performance was not great or even satisfactory either.

I believe Dhoni is more impressed with the batting abilities of both his spinners. That is again okay. Every captain is entitled to have his own strategy and gameplan. Dhoni clearly prefers to have more ammunition in his batting line-up. However, by being satisfied with below par bowling performance by his spinners, he puts unfair pressure on the pace bowlers.

The two spinners have done well in India. They restrict the opposition and take wickets. But so do Bhuvaneswar Kumar and Shami. Unfortunately, the World Cup would not be played in India or the subcontinent. India needs bowlers, who can take wickets in Australia and New Zealand - pacers as well spinners. 

Dhoni clearly prefers to have Aswin and Jadeja in his team - irrespective of the conditions. But if he wants to continue with this strategy, he needs another decent bowling option. Someone like an Irrfan Pathan (if he is fit, which he rarely is) would be handy. Or it could be any other medium pace bowler who is also good with the bat. If Irrfan is fit, it would be better to have him in the side. And I would go with Yuvraj over Raina any day. I believe Yuvraj would anyways be included but in place of Rahane, who is yet to pick full steam. I will not be too disappointed if that happens but there is a need for Raina to justify his existence.....and quickly.

Moreover, there is a need to try few other spinners. Mishra should definitely be tried. Am biased towards leggies :)

Overall, it is okay if India lost to New Zealand. They deserved to lose. However, it would be better if Indian team considers it as a learning experience and a preparatory camp and starts to unlearn and then learn a few things. Strangely, fielding is the only department where India did well. In every other department, there is work required to do. So it is unfair to single out the young and inexperienced pacers.

Stan won Aus Open, Rafa won hearts

Stanislas Wawrinka played great tennis in the last two weeks to win the Australian Open title. He is in great form; he also won the Chennai Open at the beginning of the year but that tournament is far less competitive than a grand slam like Australian Open. In the finals, he dominated and defeated Rafael Nadal. Rafa's game was affected by a back strain that he suffered in the second set but before that as well, Stan was dominating the court.

There are no two ways about the fact that Stan deserved to win. He played better and aggressive tennis. Rafa played short initially and was extremely slow later on, due to his injury. Stan produced some amazing forehand as well as backhand winners through out the match. 

However, the match left a bad taste in the mouth. Rafa took a medical break of 5 minutes that the players are entitled to but clearly, Stan as well as the crowd did not like it for some reason. Stan had an animated argument with the chair umpire and the officials. Later, the crowd booed Rafa when he returned to the court after the 5 minute break!!! That clearly had an affect on Rafa. He was already crumbling physically but the crowd behavior seemed to have affected him mentally as well. He was almost in tears after his return and physical pain did not seem like the only reason.

That crowd behavior was uncalled for. Indeed they had paid good money for the tickets and they wanted a full game but Rafa had more to lose than anyone else. Honestly, it did not seem like he would be able to continue and complete the match but he did. He did not play for the crowd, he did not play to complete the match and give a decent and deserving victory to Stan but he played as he had come over there to fight and to win. 

He pulled up his game in the third set and won it. That was completely unexpected. Probably the painkillers had started to take affect. He clearly was not at the top of his game but he was fighting. And that was so heartening to see. He played and fought like a champion. 

Eventually, Stan went past Rafa in the fourth set to win his first grand slam but that does not matter. There would be other days and more battles. What matters is that Rafa had the will to fight till the end. Most of his die-hard fans gave up after the second set and did not expect him to complete the match. But Rafa proved them (including me) wrong and demonstrated what fighters and champions are made of.

I never expected I would ever say this but one should give credit where it is due. So... WELL PLAYED JADEJA!!!!

Wish Viru was in form...these days he carries a commode instead of his cricket kit. He shits in every match!!!