In this corporate world, a manager should not treat his/her employees like slaves. The manager has no idea how lethal & cruel a particular employee would be.
When the boss makes it personal, then either Vivacious either will ignore or make such a staggering comeback that the manager would be buried alive, not physically but mentally because the manager shouldn’t have crossed the limits.
Vivacious is not a human being, he is a Zeitgeist and can rattle any human being on the planet. Nevertheless, Vivacious now has established a name in the industry and is unstoppable.
England are facing one of the worst times as surprisingly they relinquished ‘The Urn’ inside 12 days. Aussies are 3-0 up with 2 more Test Matches remaining. Before the start of the Series there were a lot of negotiations done as ECB (England Cricket Board) demanded resort type of quarantine for players & their families. CA (Cricket Australia) fulfilled every requirement as the entire process was a helluva.
SNAPSHOT: Joe Root looks distraught after Josh Hazlewood ekes out the BIG FISH.
In the 3 Test Matches England’s Cricketers showed lack of intent. England’s batters succumbed to pressure so easily that Aussie bowlers weren’t required to toil significantly. In 6 innings England did not cross 300 runs mark for a single time nor any reputed/designated/novice batsmen struck a Century.
The experienced troika of Ben Stokes, Johnny Bairstow & Jos Buttler got into ultra-pro-defensive mode. This hampered England’s batting as all of these are expected to up the ante. Particularly Ben Stokes flabbergasted everyone by displaying defensive tactics.
Dawid Malan who was a part of 2017-18 Ashes made the most of his experience, as he struck 2 half-centuries. Once again, the burden was on the shoulders of Skipper Joe Root. Root got the starts & converted too but didn’t capitalize on it. He scored 3 half-centuries in 6 innings. Joe Root’s century jinx in Australia continues as this is his 3rd tour Down Under (*2013-14, 2017-18 & 2021-22).
SNAPSHOT: Joe Root & Dawid Malan carrying the burden & responsibility of England.
Joe Root now has become the only 3rd batter in TEST Cricket to amass more than 1,700 runs in a calendar year. The list is as follows:
Batsmen
Runs
Year
Mohammad Yousuf (Pakistan)
1788
2006
Vivian Richards (West Indies)
1710
1976
Joe Root (England)
1708
2021
England would be disheartened as they have lost 8 Test Matches in 2021:
3 Away Test Matches against India, January-February 2021
1 Home Test Match against New Zealand, June 2021
2 Home Test Matches against India, August-September 2021
3 Away Test Matches against Australia, December 2021
Jos Buttler the swashbuckling wicket-keeper batter literally dropped dollies. He jumbled regulation catches, missed easiest of stumpings & looked in a disarray. At the same time Jos was taking absolutely stunning catches. It has been a mixed bag of wicket-keeping for Buttler in Ashes as most of the times he has been under the pump. It is often said ‘Wicket-keeper is the Heart of the team’, a single error is enough to drag the team down.
SNAPSHOT: Jos Buttler frustrated after dropping simple catches
The Stalwarts: James Anderson & Stuart Broad were off-color & looked like out of the gas. The Speedsters Mark Wood & Ollie Robinson weren’t able to wrap up the innings which is ultimate. England’s spear-headed fast bowling line up astonished the pundits as none of them bagged a 5 wicket-haul. Ollie Robinson was the pick of the bowlers as he took 9 wickets in 3 matches.
There was a lot of confusion & miscommunication as Root was seen saying that the bowlers need to bowl full length deliveries. Legendary Captain Ricky Ponting lambasted Root by saying that if the bowlers are not listening to you then what are you doing in that post?
SNAPSHOT: Joe Root looks furious as the bowlers are not yielding productive outcomes.
Ways for England to bounce back:
Joe Root knows that most probably his Captaincy would be snatched away at the end of Ashes Series. Joe & ECB should keep one thing in their mind that WTC (World Test Championship) points are at stake too. Currently England are placed at 7th Place with 6 Points as they played 8 Test Matches.
Before the commencement of 2021 home season ECB sacked Selection Panel which was more than 140 years old & gave complete authority to the Head Coach Chris Silverwood. It resulted in monarchy as Silverwood was the whole & soul of selecting a squad. ECB should bring back the old traditional system as Coach’s responsibility is to train the players.
ECB received a lot of flak when ‘Hundred’ (22nd July-21st August) was given priority over Red Ball Cricket (Couty Cricket). ICC WTC 2021-23 cycle was about to kick-start as India was scheduled to play 5 Test Match Series. England who are the founder of Game of Gentlemen are seen ignoring TEST Cricket. There is no doubt that England are a force to reckon with in white ball format. If England believe that TEST Cricket is their pinnacle then they should keep a separate pool of 30 Cricketers who are ready for any uphill task. Playing multiple-formats with same bunch of players back-to-back doesn’t look quite fruitful.
ECB should take a leaf out of CA (Cricket Australia) performance. In 2nd Test Match Australia were without Josh Hazlewood (due to injury) & Pat Cummins (close contact of Covid-19), that didn’t stop them from winning as the tyro Jhye Richardson & Michael Neser filled their shoes. Australia’s bowling is blatantly dependent on their trio of Starc, Hazlewood & Cummins, yet they found a replacement on the 11th hour.
The time has come now for ECB to have talks with the iconic ‘James Anderson’ & ‘Stuart Broad’ as investing in youth looks a formidable option. Broad & Anderson’s pair is the lethal bowling attack & would be remembered for ages as taking 1,165 wickets (amongst themselves) is beyond imagination. On any given day Broad & Anderson would rip off a powerful batting line up, but in doing so they are not giving ample chances to a 20–24-year-old fast bowler.
Australia had never retained/won Ashes in England before 2001. CA used Dukes Ball in Sheffield Shield 2019 season as Dukes Ball swings wildly. Ashes 2019 proved to be a nail-biting contest where Aussies retained ‘Urn’ (2-2). Aussies main motto was to win an Ashes Series, but they broke the jinx of 18 years. It is often said home-work is crucial to excel, ECB have got the players, coaches & staff but they were somewhat bogged down.
ECB should give a last rope to the entire squad. Giving a chance would mean that ECB is trusting the system. Regardless of the result players need to show some fight & grind the opposition as Test Cricket is the “TEST of Character”. Getting bundled out for 68 runs & losing by an innings is an embarrassing act (3rd Test Match, 2nd innings).
Chopping & changing would sound the need of the hour, but the batters in the top-order (Zak Crawley, Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed & Dawid Malan) are too scared due to such treatment.
After these 2 Test Matches England are slated to tour West Indies in March for a full-fledged tour. Richards-Botham Trophy (*Test Series) would be inaugurated when West Indies & England clash.
SNAPSHOT: Ian Botham & Viv Richards are set to reignite one of the greatest Rivalry.
West Indies may look an easy opponent as compared to the Dominant Australia & Puissant India, yet they have the caliber to give sleepless nights to England. In 2019 Test Series West Indies had defeated England by 2-1, these are alarming signs as ECB can’t take the opponent lightly. ECB have a long road ahead & for that they need to take pragmatic approach.
SNAPSHOT: Jason Holder delighted after winning the Wisden Trophy in West Indies by 2-1.
Australia handed a massive defeat to Sri Lanka by clinching the match by 7 wickets with 3 overs remaining as the target was of 155 runs ; match was played at Dubai on the 28th October. Australia who came into this tournament as a dark horse are showing & playing like the “AUSTRALIA” of 1990s & 2000s as it is often said Aussies know how to win ICC Tournaments (* Australia have never ever won a ICC World T20 World Cup). Closing the match has given a boost of NRR to Australia which is +0.727.
SNAPSHOT: Aaron Finch & David Warner guided the run chase..
Australia had won the toss & put Sri Lanka to bat. While chasing the target of 155 runs Aaron Finch & David Warner toyed with Sri Lanka’s bowlers; especially in the 4th over when Lahiru Kumara came into the attack as both of them whacked him all around the park & scored 20 runs off his over. At the end of 4 overs Australia scored 43 runs & just when opportunity knocked the door for Sri Lanka; Kusal Perera the wicket-keeper dropped a dolly on the bowling off Dushmantha Chameera which was the 5th over & gave a life to Warner who was on 18 runs. At the end of the power-play overs Australia cruised to 63 runs unscathed.
Wanindu Hasaranga struck two quick wickets which were of Finch & Glenn Maxwell as Australia surprisingly promoted him to No.3. Finch made the most of his form & momentum as he played a dashing knock of 37 runs in 23 balls. At the time of Maxwell’s dismissal Australia required 77 runs in 69 balls as Sri Lanka sensed that they can perturb Australia but Warner along with the unorthodox Steven Smith decided their roles.
SNAPSHOT: Wanindu Hasaranga celebrating after taking a wicket
Warner silenced all the white noise & criticism regarding his form by scoring 65 runs in 42 balls which included 10 fours as Warner played maturely as in his batting there were Shades of the old Warner of Red Ball & White Ball player/batter. Smith played a calm & composed inning of 28 runs in 26 balls as he gave appropriate respect to each & every ball. The finishing duties were completed by the flamboyant all-rounder Marcus Stoinis who played a quick cameo of 16 runs in 7 balls. Wanindu Hasaranga was the only pick of the bowlers who took wickets as well as controlled the flow of runs as he gave away 22 runs.
SNAPSHOT: David Warner raising his bat after scoring a half-century
Asked to bat first Sri Lanka were off to a rollicking start as they scored 53 runs in the power-play overs for the loss of 1 wicket which was of Pathum Nissanka. Kusal Perera & Charith Aslanka were audacious as they didn’t feared to take on the likes of Starc, Hazlewood & Cummins. Before the drinks break Adam Zampa broke the partnership of Aslanka & Perera as he prised out Asalanka for 35 runs. After the drinks break (10th over) Mitchell Starc bowled a fiery yorker to Kusal Perera to castle his off stump as before that delivery Perera had hit him for a gigantic six at long on; Starc may have taken that six on his ego & made sure that Australia see the back of Kusal Perera. Kusal Perera scored 35 runs in 25 balls & he was looking ominous . Sri Lanka were 86 runs for 3 wickets in 10.3 overs & after that Australia reduced Sri Lanka to 95 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 13 overs.
Aaron Finch played a master-stroke by giving 2 overs to Starc in the middle phase which resulted in the scalps of Kusal & Hasranaga. Bhanuka Rajapakse & skipper Dasun Shanaka tried to avoid a collapse but in doing so Shanaka ated a lot of balls as he scored 12 runs in 19 balls whereas Rajapakse scored 33 runs in 26 balls & took Sri Lanka’s total to 154 runs for the loss of 6 wickets. Adam Zampa is proving to be the lethal weapon as he not only took 2 wickets but gave away only 17 runs in his 4 overs.
SNAPSHOT: Adam Zampa in the centre (without cap) congratulated for bowling economical & productive spell
Sri Lanka should not put the entire blame on the dropped catch by Kusal Perera as it is a part & parcel of the game. Sri Lanka errored by picking up only 2 frontline spinners giving the vulnerability of Australian batters. Sri Lanka should not weep about this loss as they still can make it Semis given the nature of the wickets. Sri Lanka’s next match is scheduled against South Africa on 30th October where both the teams have won & lost 1. Recently both Sri Lanka & South Africa played a bilateral 3 T20I Match Series in September 2021 in Sri Lanka in which South Africa had white-washed them; since then a lot has changed given the form of Sri Lanka now has where they defeated Namibia, Ireland Netherlands’ as they were the table-toppers of Qualifiers & they also tasted success against Bangladesh in Group Stage.
Australia would be enthralled by such a puissant performance where there were instances of panicking but they didn’t let the situation take a hold on them. Australia’s next match is against England on 30th October as both the teams are yet to be defeated. England vs Australia Match winner will most probably & definitely book a Semi- Final berth. Australia would be wary of the the style of Cricket which England plays as both Australia & England can take this match as a dress-rehearsal for the finale.
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