Tag: #Cricket

Story to the Play-Offs in the Tata IPL 2022

For the first time in the history of IPL MI and CSK were not a part of the play-offs. MI had an awful season which was full of downs only whereas CSK had a terrible season where at the final junction they made a captaincy change and handed over the reins back to their Thala Dhoni. Due to such poor decisions and captaincy this time we have new entrants in the form of Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans.

The likes of KKR, DC, and PBKS had a solid chance but failed to make a mark. SRH in particular had the game in their bag but lost 4-5 consecutive matches and handed the momentum to the other teams like RCB and RR. They had the speedster Umran Malik who used to cut the opponent in half and a talented Natarajan who is known for his witty variations.

PBKS now have made a habit of finishing at 6th position as this is their record 3rd Year where they have finished at No.6 position. It’s high time that PBKS look into a new Coaching Staff as Head Coach Anil Kumble isn’t showing productive results.

KKR had a good start but they succumbed to pressure in the middle of the tournament. The new Skipper Shreyas found it tough going on since scoring wasn’t easy as he didn’t get any support from the rest of the batters. The likes of Narine and Russell showed a lot of promise but weren’t able to take the team over the finish line which was badly needed. The Senior Batter Nitish Rana too had a forgettable season according to his credentials as it was expected that he will take responsibility for scoring the bulk of the runs. A piece of news came in that McCullum has been the Head Coach of England which now means that KKR will have to find a New Head Coach for the upcoming season. All in all, KKR made a mistake by dropping and not retaining Eoin Morgan, they forgot that he was the only man who took KKR from tatters to a Finals in the 2021 Season in the second leg of IPL in UAE.

LSG and GT had Indian Captains who were inexperienced in the form of KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya; KL Rahul has had the experience of captaining Punjab Kings for 4 years where as Hardik Pandya was completely new to the role for Gujarat Titans.

The Coaches of  LSG and GT Gary Kirsten and Andy Flower who have experience in coaching national as well as franchise cricket were entrusted with these young blokes.

We will analyze how these four teams have reached this junction where there are chances that we may have a new winner either in the form of RCB, LSG or GT as Rajasthan Royals earlier had won the title in 2008.

  • GT

CVC Capitals owners of Gujarat Titans so far have had a dream season as they were the first time to qualify and at the same moment, they want 10 matches out of 14. They were on the worse of breaking the meaning of most matches in IPL as till now only 11 matches have been won by a team in league stages.

Head Coach Gary Kirsten has done a fabulous job as he has mental the out of form Hardik Pandya and made sure that Hardik finds his group once again because earlier in the 2021 T20 World Cup he had a horrible T20 World Cup where he not only scored runs but damage team India’s reputation at the World Stage. It was the first time that Hardik Pandya was captaining an IPL team so he had extra responsibility on his shoulders. Gary Kirsten has rejuvenated Pandya and now once again he has made a comeback to the National Cricket Team.

Throughout the season Gujarat Titans have been very good chasers where they chased down 12 runs in two balls against Punjab Kings and scored 21 runs in the last over against SRH. At the same moment, Mumbai Indian’s fast bowler Daniel Sams had defended 9 runs of the last over when the likes of David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, and Rashid Khan three finishers were present at the crease. In that match, Daniel Sams used pace variation and bolt of cutters and wide of stump your curse which meant that scoring was difficult. However, it also means that Gujarat items aren’t 100% sure shot while chasing a target as changing 9 runs requires one boundary and at the end of that match they lose by more than four runs.

The likes of Shubhman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha have been fabulous with the bad especially Saha who has re-invented himself after his fallout with Journalist Boria Mazumdar. Shah nose that it’s unlikely that he will play for India again as he doesn’t have age on his side and India has a lot of wicketkeepers better present in the form of Rishabh pant Ishan Kishan and now Dinesh Kartik has also received a call-up and there is KL Rahul also. All in all Gujarat Titans looks decent and a formidable team that can and has spoiled a lot of teams’ parties till now and it won’t be a surprise if they win the title this year.

  • Strengths of GT

Day has a never to say die attitude as in the match against Lucknow super giants they defended below the part total of fewer than 140 runs which speaks a lot about their team’s culture. They have got excellent fast bowlers present in the form of Mohammed Shami and Lockie Ferguson which means that 8 overs are going to be tough.

  • Weakness of GT

The Skipper Hardik Pandya is not scoring runs which is the big worry because every time the likes of India Miller and Rashid Khan are not going to take the team out of the muddle. It’s high time now that the likes of Shubhman Gill have to play a match-winning knock and improve his strike rate as scoring a half century in 40 balls is not going to do the team a great favor.

  • Strategies to succeed

Gujarat Titans better need to make sure that there are scoring at least 18200 runs while batting first at Kolkata Eden Gardens. Gujarat Titans have a very good bowling line up but defending 140-150 runs won’t be easy at Eden gardens where the pitch is a run fest. The openers Gill and Saha who have earlier played in Kolkata know that a score of 200 also isn’t safe. It means that if Gujarat Titans are asked to be bad first then need to put the accelerator on the very first ball itself as Rajasthan Royals have a very good bowling line a present in the form of Chahal and Ashwin.

GT can’t just relax as Rajasthan Royals have got battles present in 7 to 8 position like Ravichandran Ashwin’s score of 50 and 40 runs cameo which means that they bat very deep. They should avoid taking the match to the 20th over and instead play the match of a 19 over. There are chances that the team that balls first will win the match but it doesn’t mean that defending will be heard as there would be a swing for Shami and. Ferguson. The role of Rashid becomes an extremely important year as his four hours will decide the outcome of the match.

In the last recent matches, GT had used Wade at Number 3 position, and if he is being used he needs to bat at the top order because weird hasn’t batted in the middle order or at least in the number three position in his entire career. All in all Gujarat Titans would be very of Rajasthan Royals thread factor because there every bowler has the caliber of taking 5 wickets which can decimate the opponent team.

  • Rajasthan Royals (RR)

Rajasthan Royals had a wonderful start to the tournament as Jos Buttler was in sublime form. He has scored three centuries still now and has code 600 odd runs in 14 matches. Cricket experts have started to compare and were the quite sure shot that he will break the record of Virat Kohli’s 973 runs which he had scored in the 2016 edition. But later in the second half of the tournament, his form was very much poor which man that Rajasthan Royals started losing their matches as RR was completely a one-man show/army.

The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Paddikal, and Sanju Samson took the responsibility on their shoulders and scored runs in BITS and pieces like the 30s and 40s and made sure that Rajasthan Royals are posting challenging totals on the board. They used Ravichandran Ashwin in very scored a half century against Delhi Capitals; that match was a crunch match. That match was an interesting one as the winner would have taken one step closer to making it to the playoffs. The entire tournament for Rajasthan Royals was a Topsy turvy at the found momentum in every crucial phase as winning 9 matches out of 14 doesn’t happen overnight.

The dream combo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Chahal prove to be too hot as their 8 overs yielded 3 to 4 wickets which changed the dynamics of the game. The presence of Trent boult and Prasidh Krishna meant that Rajasthan Royal’s fast bowlers are bowling immaculate and impeccable liner lengths. The bowling attack of the Rajasthan Royals was superb; Chahal had taken a hattrick against KKR in a very tight match.

  • Strengths of RR

For the first time in the history of the Rajasthan Royals, they have everything in their hand. They have got good strikers finishers present in the form of Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag and good dashing openers. The entire Rajasthan Royals fans community would be happy because this time it looks like they will end the wait of more than a decade of winning an IPL as they were the first time to win the IPL in 2008.

  • Weakness of RR

Rajasthan Royal’s main weakness is that they can fall like a pack of cards when the top order has not scored runs. The likes of Parag and Shimron Hetmyer need to be careful as Gujarat Titans have got a very good bowling line-up that can rip off their batting line-up. All in all, the initial stage is going to be pivotal and crucial for Rajasthan Royals’ innings and if they can get away without losing 3 to 4 wickets in the first 10 overs then the game is theirs.

  • Strategies to Succeed

Rajasthan Royals management should not use Ashwin as a number free better because he Skoda half century that’s no doubt about it but he consumed 40 deliveries in doing that. The likes of Paddikal and Samson should bat at Number 3 or number four position and use Ashwin as a finisher at the number 7 or number 8 position. In a current match like this that would be an instance where Ashwin consumers 30 balls and scores 20 all runs which will harm RR.

Sanju Samson should use Trent Boult carefully as bowling out his three overs before 10 overs which means that the death overs are a concern. RR should use at least 2 hours of Ashwin in the powerplay overs as the pitch of Kolkata offers a lot of turn for the spin bowlers. Ashwin has the experience of not only taking wickets but containing the batters which are utmost required in the T20 format.

The role of Shimron Hetmyer becomes extremely critical here as his job is just to go bang bang from ball number 1. If he scores a cameo of 30 order runs in 10 balls just like Tim David then the game is done for Rajasthan Royals. All in all, RR has got everything to succeed and till now and everything depends on the match day and execution.

  • LSG

Mr. Sanjeev Goenka Owner of LSG once again was powerful in the league phase. They won 9 matches out of 14 and missed out on a whisker on the top two finish. The top two teams get two chances at the final which is quite priceless. Their matches would be at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad which means that a new venue and new dimensions of the field will make life harder for the team.

Just like Rajasthan Royals, LSG was a one-man show as they were dependent on KL Rahul. He amassed more than 500 runs and made a statement to the National Cricket Team and selectors that he cannot be ignored and neglected for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia this October November 2022. Due to the Reliance on KL Rahul, the rest of the betters were that much more consistent. In the second stage of the tournament legs, middle order batteries like Kunal Pandya, Deepak Hooda, and the rest of the batters showed a lot of fight in some form, and recently against KKR Quinton scored 140 runs in 70 balls.

In the bowling department, the rise of Mohsin Khan has been tremendous as the laptop fast bowler has been using all the tricks in the book to fox the batter. The likes of Avesh Khan and Chameera are bowling spellbound spells. All in all, LSG is a team that can create havoc in the playoffs.

  • Strengths of LSG

The experience of the head coach and the flower is proving to be invaluable as he has been in this coaching arena for a decade. The Duo of KL Rahul and Andy Flower have been in touch for the last 3 to 4 years where both have a good bonding and no what a team requires to do. To add to that coaching staff Gautam Gambhir has been doing an excellent job being the Mentor.

  • Weakness of LSG

LSG bowlers have defended a small target of around 130- 140 runs which can be a concern as the pitches of Ahmedabad can be uneven as well as a run fest too. The likes of Krunal Pandya and Deepak Hooda have to make sure that they’re sticking to the crease which is not an easy job. All in all, LSG is going to play a knockout match against RCB and a loss would end their journey which was so much good and proper.

  • Strategies to Succeed

LSG’s top order is very threatening as they have got De Kock, Rahul, and Marcus Stoinis. They should use Stoinis s at Number 3 or number for position as in the BBL he opens the batting for his franchise BBL team. If he is batting at Number 6 or 7 position or below that then he is not able to get enough balls and request at least 4 to 5 balls before going bang bang. LSG knows that the match against RCB is a knockout one so they have to make sure that Stoinis and Holder are not batting at No.7 or 8

The mentor Gautam Gambhir is roll has been very much critical as he has been seen doing a lot of prep talk and he knows how to win an IPL tournament like he won IPL Tournament in 2012 and 2014. It would be interesting to see how things unfold as they have got the batters and bowlers present who can create some sort of magic on the given day. The role of Avesh Khan becomes very important here as his yorkers and cunning deliveries can bamboozle the opponent

LSG need to make sure that they don’t get complacent here as a couple of bad overs can change the match for them. The use of Krunal Pandya is also important because his 4 overs can be very damaging as he is not a spinner who is termed the ball he balls according to the line and length. He has the knack of picking up crucial wickets and bowling like he will bowl  2 to 3 runs over which will change the momentum of the match. LIC will only be concerned that they don’t get a bad start if they lose 2 to 3 wickets in the power play overs then it becomes very much difficult for the lower order batters to put a good score on the board

  • RCB

The entire RCB community was dependent on MI vs DC clash where MI had to win for RCB to qualify for the players. MI fulfilled the wish of RCB fans. RCB’s new Skipper Faf had a terrific season with the bat as he was on the list of most runs scored this season.

Everyone neglected the rise of Faf who currently doesn’t play for the national team in South Africa as the attention was on Virat Kohli’s poor form very scored only two half centuries and three ducks. RCB founder new finisher in the form of Dinesh Kartik who made a statement that he still has the passion and vigor to play for the National Cricket Team. He currently has got a call up to the national team for the upcoming T20 International series against South Africa.

For the first time in this season, the likes of Rajat Patidar Shahbaz Ahmed and Dinesh Karthik all scored runs in the absence of Virat Kohli’s form. It made a statement that RCB is no longer dependent on Virat Kohli’s performance. Against such, they got bundle loud for 60 odd runs and it looks like the wake-up call is near the corner. Faf was marshaling his troops to his best and made sure that the likes of Siraj and his Hazlewood are used in crunch situations of the match.

  • Strengths of RCB

They have got good fast bowlers present in the form of Harshal Patel, Hazelwood, and Siraj which means that unlike previous seasons this time their bowling has been their arsenal. Against CSK their bowling line-up defended 65 runs in 6 hours whereas CSK ‘s finishers were present at the dugout. This is a clear indication that RCB is no longer a powerful batting team that works for them as their Weakness has become their strength.

  • Weakness of RCB

RCB’s weakness is Virat Kohli though he may have found his form still there are concerns. They are due to face LSG in Ahmedabad where that match is a knockout punch where RCB can’t afford any hiccups. The entire cricket fraternity nose that Virat Kohli has gone through a lot of rough patches which means that he wants to prove himself and make a resounding comeback by scoring a daddy hundred.

  • Strategies to Succeed

RCB knows that Virat is back into the form and would hope that he sticks to the grace and scores around 50 to 60 runs while opening the innings. Faf needs to anchor the innings and bat as much as deep he can because he has the X factor of changing the match in a couple of overs. Rajat Patidar should continue to place a natural game of attacking the battles irrespective of how good the bowler is.

The likes of Hazlewood and Siraj have to make sure that they are not licking runs in the power play overs as Siraj has the habit of going a bit wayward. Hazelwood has been awesome with the ball in hand as he has single-handedly won the match for RCB in tough situations. Reports are stating that Harshal Patel could be a permanent member of team India in the upcoming T20 world cup in Australia as his cutters and lake cutters are proving to be too hard for the batters. He knows that last year KKR had deep thrown RCB out of the tournament and he would like to win the tournament for RCB this year.

The role of Shahbaz Ahmed and Hasaranga is vital because Hasaranga is an allrounder who can bat at number 7 or number it positions comes me off from 20 to 30 runs can be crucial. RCB need to make sure that they are not chasing a big target of around 18200 runs as one collapse of on 2 to 3 wickets is enough to drag them down. All in all RCB steam looks slightly better than the last year and now they have got an experienced campaigner present in the form of Faf who has the experience of taking the team over the finish line.

  • Predicted Winner

Rajasthan Royals look all-set to be crowned the Champions of Tata IPL 2022 under the leadership of Samson and Sangakkara. They would most likely face GT and there would be an epic encounter on hands. It would be interesting who wins Qualifier 1 as that winner will have an extra advantage. In the end, everything depends on Match Day.

The Reason behind MI’s Failure in Tata IPL 2022

Mumbai Indians, the 5-time IPL Winners had a terrible season. During the Mega Auction 2022; they invested in young blood in the form of Dewald Brevis of South Africa, Tim David of Singapore-Australia, etc. But they failed to invest in Indian players. Earlier MI had the pedigree of Indian players present in the form of Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya.

Surprisingly, they didn’t retain nor went to buy Krunal who has a history of being a consistent performer for MI over the last 3-5 years. Hardik had a horrendous Vivo IPL 2021 so it was obvious that MI Owners and Management weren’t interested in him. The absence of the Pandya brothers meant that Kieron Pollard had more responsibility on his shoulders.

There are a lot of factors that made this Season of 2022 a forgettable one which are as follows:

  • Failure of Opening Duo Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma

The million-dollar baby of Tata IPL 2022 (*approximately 15 Crores) didn’t perform according to his credentials. There were high expectations from him to give MI a dashing start but he succumbed to the pressure. Captain Rohit Sharma has a history of taking time before giving berserk and the poor form of Ishan meant that MI was in tatters. The scorecard of both the players in matches was as 3 runs scored in 15 balls which is not acceptable at this level where you cannot afford any hiccups.

Kishan scored 418 runs in 14 matches which included 3 half-centuries but his form returned at the back end where MI’s journey was done and dusted. It looked like Rohit was a bit overcooked from responsibilities as he is the only skipper who has won 5 titles and a sudden revamp didn’t go well as expected. Rohit has said a lot of times in interviews, that he requires time before going bang-bang. Earlier Rohit and Ishan had formed a commendable partnership and did a formidable job and had won Dream 11 IPL 2020. A Champion team must have a good opening partnership of at-least 30 runs which was seen missing for the majority of the tournament.

  • Over-reliance on Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav tried his best to take the team out of the muddle. He didn’t get ample support from the rest of the batters like the newbies’ Tilak who had a decent outing with the bat. There were high expectations from the SKY, but that didn’t mean that he has to do the bulk of the scoring.

Surya Kumar Yadav is a vital cog for MI as well as for Indian National Cricket Team. There were many instances in which MI required 60 odd runs in 6 overs, yet they failed to score the runs. At the back end of the tournament SuryaKumar got injured and then all of a sudden there was a big hole in the middle order for MI. All in all, the right-handed batter didn’t get the ample support from the rest of the betters otherwise Mumbai Indians would have at least finished their leg stage at Number 6 or number 7 position

  • Out of Form Kieron Pollard

West Indian destructive batter Kieron Pollard had one of the worst seasons with the bat. There was always going to be added responsibility on his shoulders in the absence of Krunal and Hardik. In the middle of the tournament, he all of a sudden announced his retirement from International Cricket. In all this Chaos, his weakness against spin was exposed as literally a spinner was introduced by the Captain and Pollard wasn’t able to get off the strike and was playing a lot of dot balls.

He managed to score 144 runs with an average of 14.40. The situation got so much worse than MI management had to drop him. He was bowling and all over for MI and was taking wickets which was the reason why MI backed him for so much longer period. Before taking any bold decisions, MI should not forget that he has played match-winning Knocks in 2013, 2015, and in the 2019 IPL Finals. All in all, Cricket Expert Ian Bishop has mentioned that Pollard has to reinvent his game and bat according to the situation rather than playing defensively.

  • Under-utilization of Tim David

The Singapore Australian better played only a couple of matches at the start of the tournament and then later am I management dropped him without stating the actual reason. At the second half stage of the tournament, MI gave him another chance and he was brilliant at the death overs where he smashed Mohammed Shami and all-star bowlers. He smashed 4 sixes against Natarajan and made a statement that he is too good a player to be sitting on the bench.

In the recently concluded match of Mi vs DC once again he showcases his credentials by playing a match-winning cameo of 34 runs in 11 balls. Dropping Tim David proved to be too costly, as who knows MI would have made it to the play-offs or would have shown a better fight. By dropping him, MI sabotaged their campaign and faced one of the Worst Seasons in their Proud History.

He is the find of the Franchise cricket where he plays in leagues like PSL, Hundred, CPL, BBL, etc. Some cricket experts have already started to comment that the team divide is ready for an Australian call-up for the upcoming T20 World Cup. All in all, Cricket Australia would have an eye on him as no team until now has defended its title in ICC T20 World Cup.

  • Over Confidence Attitude from MI

History is evident that MI are slow starters they lose 2 to 3 Matches and then make a comeback. This year the attitude was such that like Rohit Sharma said in a post-match presentation that they can still make it to the playoffs after losing 6 matches on the trot. No doubt you should have a never to say Die attitude but that doesn’t mean that you neglect the bad performances and hope that everything would be right.

There is no doubt that whenever MI loses 4-5 matches then it’s alarming signs that they may clinch the title as it has happened in 2015 when they flabbergasted everyone. That season was under the Head Coach Ricky Ponting where MI fired all the cylinders.

  • Lack of Indian bowlers

Jasprit Bumrah was bowling out of his heart and making sure that he is at least picking 2 to 3 wickets in every match. On the other side, the rest of the bowling lineup was getting thrashed as the bowlers present were Daniel Sams and Mills who weren’t that effective at the level of IPL.

In the Mega Auction, they made a huge blunder by buying Jofra Archer which everyone knew that he won’t be able to take part in the full tournament nor the half. Recently England Cricket Board released a statement that Jofra won’t be able to play in the entire summer of 2022 which means that his return to International Cricket once again got prolonged.

Mayank Markande should have been given more chances when had made his debut in 2018 against their arch-rivals CSK. It’s high time that MI Owners change their Coaching Setup as Mahela, Shane Bond, and a lot of members are associated with the team for more than 5 years; due to which the players chillax and have a comfortable environment. The last two years haven’t been productive for MI Franchise where they haven’t made it to the playoffs.

MI owners and management should focus and emphasize Indian talent rather than buying overseas players. The likes of Unadkat who is highly experienced weren’t able to win the matches for MI in crunch situations. All in all, better planning and execution are required on and off the field from MI owners in the next season as there would be another mini auction that can change the fortunes of one of the most successful teams (*5 Time Winners).

Joe Root hammers West Indies bowlers and scores his 25th Test Hundred

Joe Root has achieved another feat by scoring 25 Test Hundreds in 115 Test Matches. Root has had a dream run in Test Cricket since 2021 where he scored centuries against subcontinental teams like Sri Lanka and I ndia. He literally loves toying with the bowlers as his attacking instincts are a treat to watch for the bowler too. He has been a prolific batter for quite some time now as he knows that the team is vulnerable to collapses. He has been doing his best by scoring tons of runs but in doing so he isn’t doing shrewd Captaincy which is badly needed as England are at the bottom of World Test Championship.

Root had come into bat when the team was on the verge of another collapse as the score was 80-2. The pitch was a minefield as the bowlers were having an amazing time where the odd ball was also keeping low which made the contest more enthralling. His most of the runs came towards by playing a flick shot and towards covers region. He was quite clever in his approach as he made the most of bad balls as he made the likes of Roach and Holder grind a lot.

Daniel Lawrence was the other batter present at the non-strike. He proved to be a keen observer and quick learner as he too got a great start. He made the most of out and now it looks he has sealed his place in the team as a proper middle orde batter. In the ultimate over of the Day 1 he got a bit greedy by playing a cover shot that too when he already had scored 8 runs off 4 deliveries; the trap was a brilliant as Holder had bowled enticing deliveries and then just bowled a back of length delivery and Lawrence was caught in Covers region; Lawrence would rue a lot for his shot selection, his score at that time was 91 runs, he was on the verge of a well deserved Century, Holder showed that his experience can change the momentum of the match.

England’s score is 244-3 runs with Root not out on 119 balls. England’s batters bat very deep and we can sense a 1st innings total in excess of 450 runs. Stokes and Bairstow are great at changing gears which will make life difficult for West Indies batters in the 1st innings. The new ball for West Indies has given them a huge scalp in the form of Lawrence, if they can take a leaf out of 1st Test Match where England were 268-6, they were looking set for a total around 400; but the Caribbean bowlers bundled out England for 312 Runs.

West Indies have the power to create a havoc as the 1st over holds the key here. If England manages to get away with it then we are in for a high scoring match; for West Indies they need to play witty cricket here as England’s batters would be in an attacking mindset as Root had made his intentions very much clear. Holder needs to lead the attack while the duo of Alzarri Joseph and Kemar Roach should be used; Joseph because he has raw pace which can perturb the batter whereas Roach is impeccable with his line and length. All in all, we are in for a spectacular 1st session where either we will witness a collapse or gritty defence as Stokes is sturdy in defense.

SNAPSHOT: At the end of Day 1’s Play Joe Root waiving his bat to the Crowd after smashing his 25th Test Hundred.

Headlines for 16th March 2022


(1) Pat Cummins rues missed chances in the 2nd Test Match, which went down to the wire but couldn’t produce a result. Aussie bowlers bowled more than 170 overs in the 2nd innings as of now the Pacers would be exhausted, next Test Match is scheduled on 20th March 2022.

(2) Joe Root makes a resounding comeback as he hammered Caribbean bowlers and scored an unbeaten 119 runs. He along with Daniel Lawrence were involved in a huge 166 runs.

(3) Babar Azam misses out on an incredible double century by 4 runs, in his innings he had consumed more than four hundred deliveries and made sure that Pakistan aren’t losing the match. Rizwan played a crucial role in drawing the match by notching up a Century where the pitch was doing a lot of talking.

Cricket Stories for 12th March 2022

(1) Australia

Pat Cummins confirms the debut of leg spinner Mitchell Swepson for Karachi Test Match. Aussies surprisingly would go with 2 spinners which no doubt can be risky as Swepson could be targeted.

(2) England

England’s batters made sure that they aren’t losing nor winning the 1st Test Match on Day 4. Zak Crawley and Joe Root made sure to fret and annoy Caribbean bowlers by rotating the strike and knocking an odd boundary, The batters are well set to score daddy hundreds and would hope that the bowling line up of England creates a magic on Day 5 by bowling them out in a span of 50-70 overs, the fate of the Test Match has changed drastically and is looking for a Draw which isn’t good for Test Cricket.

(3) Pakistan

Babar Azam makes a bold statement by stating that his team dominated Rawalpindi Test Match. Former Head Coach Misbah ul Haq lambasted Aussies and said that Australia don’t ask Pakistan while creating pitches.

Zak Crawley and Joe Root Pile on the Pain for Caribbean

**Zak Crawley Makes A Strong Case as an Opener by Notching up a Brilliant Century*

Day 4 was a crucial one for England as the deficit was a tiny one yet dangerous. Kemar Roach got rid of the debutant Alex Lees quickly and gave Vibes of the 1st innings where he was instrumental in breaking the back of England’s batting line up. Zak Crawley took time to get his eye in, then he went into attacking mode as the old Zak was on fire. He stitched an invaluable partnership with the Captain Joe Root and both the batters were quite spot on with their shot selection. Zak was literally attacking each and every bowler, especially Roach and Holder who were getting movement. His knock has now made sure that he not only has sealed his place at the top but found his old touch. He batted exactly the same way of the Season 2018 where he had smashed a double century against Pakistan in England. ECB would be relieved as finally an opener got to 3 figures mark. Although he needs to start afresh as in the Caribbean the ball does a lot of talking. Nevertheless the batter would hope that he isn’t dropped from here onwards just like old times, it looks as if he has hit his purple patch as most of the times he was seen using his feet which made the bowler change his line and length.

*Joe Root gets back to form after a Lean Patch

Joe Root the Captain would be happy that he is back into the form. He had a forgettable Ashes 2021-22 with the bat, from then onwards there were talks going on of his credibility as a batter. ECB should not forget that Joe Root is on the brink of 10,000 Test Runs which doesn’t happen in an overnight. The batter was quite relaxed at the crease as Zak took the pressure off h by smashing the bowlers all-around the park. Root got to play his natural game and once he was set, he too didn’t shy from taking the fast bowlers down. This Series is Vital for Joe Root Skipper and Joe Root batter as their fate would be decided, Richards-Botham Trophy’s inauguration is a perfect opportunity for Joe Root to reset his Captaincy Career as he hasn’t been outstanding in the role; in World Test Championship 2021-23 England are placed at bottom which doesn’t sound good when you started playing the Game. Root’s speciality was that he didn’t allow the Pacers to dominate him, he had made sure that he rotated the strike on a Consistent basis which eventually perturbed Caribbean bowlers. The Captain would be aiming to get to a big score and give England’s bowlers a chance of winning Test Chance which is distant yet attainable as we all know Cricket is a Game of Uncertainties.

*Ineffective Spells from Caribbean Bowlers*

In the Morning Session, Roach had got rid off the debutant Alex Lees and sensed that once again he can be the wrecker-in-chief. Zak’s attacking instincts and bold nature was unexpected, the pitch was docile yet an odd ball was doing the talking; the dashing batter didn’t hesitate to take on the left arm off spinner Permaul. The Bowlers got a brutal hammering as they conceded runs in excess of 3 runs per over. Captain Kraigg Braithwaite was undone by aggressive brand of Cricket which was blatantly out of the blue. England’s batters have made sure that now West Indies won’t be winning the Test Match, the lead has gone past 150 runs and only a miracle can save the Test Match from Draw. Caribbean Fast Bowlers should not get disheartened as 2 more Test Matches are still remaining to decide the winner of the inaugural Richards-Botham Trophy 2022.

*What lies ahead on Day 5 for England and West Indies*

England would be hoping to have a speedy Morning Session where they score 120-150 runs, most importantly go past 300 runs mark which would give them a psychological advantage of defending the target. West Indies on the other hand, would pray that Rain Gods interrupt atleast 1 Session as batting on Day 5 won’t be easy, if they get early 3-4 wickets then they would be knocking the door of victory in the 1st Test Match; for that to happen Roach, Holder and Joseph will have to bowl out of the skin to generate reverse swing as the red ball is more than 60 overs old.

*Fate of Richards-Botham Trophy 2022*

Before the inauguration of Richards-Botham Trophy 2022, West Indies and England’s Test Series was named as Wisden Trophy. The Last Test Series between these two nations was played in July 2020 England where England had won by 2-1. They were the Holder of the Wisden Trophy, there are umpteen chances that the 1st Test Match would be a Draw; in that scenario West Indies has to make sure that they either win the Series by 1-0 or 2-0 to win the inaugural trophy, England on the other side would be aiming to either draw remaining 2 Test Matches, win one of them or win the Series by 2-0. England and West Indies are in the same place right now, both teams are going through a transition and in doing so both team’s Boards have started a Cleaning Procedure by removing Cricketers who had poor form.

SNAPSHOT: Joe Root seen playing a cover drive shot against West Indies bowler.
SNAPSHOT: Zak Crawley pumped up after Scoring a Century against West Indies at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

Nkrumah Bonner makes sure that Caribbean don’t lose the plot

Post lunch session was pivotal, especially the first hour. Jack Leach, the left arm off spinner got rid of well set Joshua Da Silva. His departure made the Session spicy as later Alzarri Joseph too was dismissed. English bowlers were roaring as they got back into the groove.

Bonner, then went into ultra defensive mode as it was the need of the hour. He was making sure that he doesn’t get enticed by flighted deliveries of the left arm spinner. Root used short ball rampage to irk him but Bonner didn’t lose his cool. Craig Overton and Mark Wood tried everything to see Bonner’s back, but they were unsuccessful.

After a testing half an hour, Bonner stitched a small partnership with the lethal pacer Kemar Roach. England’s Captain was a bit impatient as he didn’t want West Indies to get a lead. Bonner is on the verge of a hard fought century whereas he knows that the longer he stays at the crease, the higher are the chances of West Indies getting a disturbing lead for England.

The phase after post drinks break could be pivotal. The deficit is in 20s and West Indies still have 3 wickets in tank. West Indies management are wary of the fact that batting 4th won’t be at all easy, they should try to put the leg on the accelerator and score runs as the pitch has started to misbehave and deteriorate. On the other side would England knows that their top order is vulnerable to the new ball and they know how Roach, Holder and Joseph created a havoc in 1st innings. All in all, this Test Match has been topsy-turvy for both the teams, England’s players are already in the field for more than 100+ overs, they would be tired and as of now the shoulders are dropping off; if West Indies play out another session then they would be literally bossing the game.

SNAPSHOT: Nkrumah Bonner holds the Fort of West Indies after an early collapse on Day 3 Afternoon Session

Nkrumah Bonner and Joshua Da Silva stitch an Invaluable Partnership

The dismissal of Holder in Morning Session had given Britishers a chance to make a comeback in the Test Match. The onus was on Stokes to rip off the line up of Caribbean batters. Although, he didn’t got any ample support from the likes of Wood and Woakes. Both the batters present at the crease were calm and made sure that they don’t let the game slip off.

SNAPSHOT: Bonner and Joshua irking England team and snatching the Test Match from Joe Root’s England



Bonner was literally rock while doing defence. Joshua followed the trend and he at the times was a bit scratchy too. He survived a lbw decision too which he later got it overturned. The wicket keeper batter’s strokeplay was a treat to watch. He not only took the pressure of Bonner, but made sure that the scoreboard was ticking regularly.

The Captain Joe Root’s nemesis of Captaincy continue as he isn’t getting productive results neither from the Pacers nor from Jack Leach. Root knows that he is playing with fire, his captaincy is on a thin edge. He has been given a Second Life that too a short one of 3 Test Series. If he doesn’t make it count, then ECB will have to make tough calls, which they have already have started.

The Afternoon Session of Day 3 would decide the fate of the Test Match and eventually of the Test Series. Root needs to pull a rabbit out of the hat quickly, otherwise 2019 tour would be repeated. On the other side West Indies would hope that the two batters continue the good work and get a threatening lead of 100 runs. If Caribbean batters and tail enders would fret Joe Root and Co, then West Indies would be in the Driver’s Seat.

Ben Stokes works out a Magic to fox Jason Holder

The Morning Session of Day 3 was expected to be a critical one. Holder was all set, so was Bonner. The Captain Joe Root gave the ball to Ben Stokes.

Stokes was trying his best to reverse the ball as the red ball was more than 70 overs old. Holder initially was solid in his defence. He was gritty and showcased a lot of determination to see of 1st hour.



71st over it was, Stokes was bowling his heart out. He was in his 2nd over of the day. Stokes angled the ball away from Holder and he as usual was letting the ball go. On the brink of 72nd over, Holder got a bit carried away and nicked the ball to the keeper Ben Foakes.

Stokes has made a resounding statement that Holder may be one of the Best All-rounder, but he is an All-time Great. This dismissal has just opened the Test Match for England. The deficit though remains a problem, but Holder could have inflicted a lot of damage. In 2019 Test Series, 1st Test Match it was; he was well set and then smashed a Gigantic double century. The road for England may look a bit easy now but they have a long rally ahead.

SNAPSHOT: Ben Stokes Elated and Jubilant after getting rid of the Dangerous Jason Holder

Debutant Alex Lees and Wicket-Keeper Batter Ben Foakes brought in as Replacements for West Indies Tour

ECB is in a lot of crisis. Currently they are placed at bottom in the World Test Championship Cycle 2021-23. They got humiliated by the Champion Aussies by 4-0 in the Ashes 2021-22. In that Series, a lot of batters performance was below par. The likes of Root, Stokes and Buttler found new ways to get out. The Iconic bowling pair of Anderson-Broad weren’t given enough runs to bowl at which made sure that Aussies pile on a lot of runs.

The Captaincy of Joe Root was questionable as he was seen saying that bowlers need to bowl a bit fuller to make things happen. Australia’s and one of the Greatest Test Captains of all Time Ricky Ponting lambasted Root by saying that what are you doing in that post, if bowlers aren’t listening to you. The entire Ashes Series was no less than a cry for Britishers.

ECB’s main motto as of now is to reset Red Ball Cricket and in doing so they have dropped Rory Burns & Jos Buttler and the Legendary Pair of James Anderson- Stuart Broad. Although Andrew Strauss made it clear that this is not the end of the road for Anderson and Broad. By dropping Rory Burns, England have named Alex Lees in the squad and recalled Ben Foakes for Wicket-keeper.

Alex Lees inclusion at the top means ECB have not ignored their right hand-left hand strategy. The other opener is the dashing Zak Crawley. The left-handed batter has played for a lot of counties in England like Durham and Yorkshire. Going by the stats which are displayed below, it is crystal clear that he has grinded a lot. Amassing 7,000 runs in domestic circuit is not that easy which looks.

SNAPSHOT: Alex Lees playing a shot for his county team.

The batter has a steep road ahead as succeeding in Caribbean conditions is tough. ECB knows that they haven’t won a Test Series in West Indies since ages. Last tour of 2019 was a horrible as England throwed the towel by losing first 2 Test Matches. Since that tour England are finding an ideal opener. They have tried numerous openers, yet they haven’t performed according to the expectations.

It is often said that opener has to lay the foundation for the other batters to stamp their authority. The way England’s batters have performed over the last year states that there is a lack of intent of scoring quick runs. Having a strike rate of 40-50 is better than getting out on single digit scores. ECB have started the process of getting in right batters for conditions, though they have to give time.

Stats

BattingMatInnsNORunsHSAveBallsSR100504s6sCtSt
First-class127217147078275*34.861504947.03173588532890
List A one-day635862095126*40.28267778.2641620021220
List A Twenty2056536135077*28.721114121.180813423200

Ben Foakes has been recalled to the Test Side. He has been in and out of the time. He had made his debut in 2018 against Sri Lanka in Alien Conditions. He too was a part of 2019 Caribbean tour where he had a forgettable outing. He is famous for his supreme and acrobatic glove-work. He was a part of England’s tour to India in 2021 where he thrilled everyone by doing amazing wicket-keeping.

SNAPSHOT: Ben Foakes doing an excellent glove work against India in 2021 Test Series.

Foakes major test of character would be to score handful runs. He just can’t be praised for wicket-keeping. England already have the services of Jonny Bairstow who can take up gloves if needed. Ben Foakes record as a batter isn’t that great, although these are his early days. He has been in and out of the team which too has to be seen by ECB. Foakes alike other can be the missing spark for England.

The wicket-keeper batter’s main prowess is to play attacking cricket. He just can’t let the opponent bowlers dominate the phase. His role would be pivotal as playing around tail-enders can be the deciding factor. If he can manage to stick to the crease and contribute 50-70 odd runs with the bowlers then the scenario would change drastically. ECB would hope that they get a keeper like Matt Prior.

Stats

BattingMatInnsNORunsHSAveBallsSR100504s6sCtSt
Test816341010731.5387746.7511345145
One-day international1116161*7680.26013121
Twenty20 international1000––000010
First-class123194326214141*38.351218151.0111347752525429
List A one-day73631119419237.32224486.50018163188611
List A Twenty2077521285675*21.40690124.060472143810
Youth Test230764625.3320836.54009020
Youth ODI2221385411147.44102683.24248510233

Ben Foakes and Alex Lees can prove to be the game-changers. West Indies Coach Phil Simmons and Captain Kraigg Braithwaite would be wary of the factor that their team is mercurial. England on the other side too have been erratic. Both the nations know that they have started a new chapter in their rivalry which should not be taken lightly as we all know that spectators don’t like Test Cricket.

West Indies arsenal and weapon is their pace bowling. They have got the likes of Roach, Holder and Alzarri who are too hot to handle. All these trio were a part of the successful triumph. The ex-skipper Jason Holder now is playing as an all-rounder which undoubtedly a bit sad as he is one of the most senior statesmen. Nevertheless, he can be lethal as of now there is no added responsibility of the team.