Bleacher Report - Articles by Nikhil Nadipelli

ICL Dries. BCCI Offers a Ray Of Hope.Take a Bow.

Nikhil Nadipelli — Sat, 02 May 2009 08:04:14 -0400

Lehman Brothers is no more. So are many other big names in financial markets. Chrysler is the latest name added to the list of many such disastrous cases. Maybe not. But that is enough to show that world is cruel and no one has been spared or to put it in better words nothing has been spared. Not even sport.

World is cruel. Yes if you think it is. If those big players weren't as greedy as they were they would have ended up bankrupt. It was all in their hands.

ICL was affected immensely by the financial meltdown. Players who were attracted by the deep pockets of its owners are yet to be paid in full. Rather even half. World is cruel. If you think it is.

Then suddenly the big bully of world Cricket as they say provided some ray of hope. BCCI decided to offer amnesty to the cricketers who joined the rebel league if they resign from it before May 31.

The players who choose to return to the official fold will be eligible to play international cricket after a one-year 'cooling period' but can play domestic cricket from June 1, when the ICC's new rules on official and unofficial cricket come into force.

Following the BCCI many nations are also ready to offer the same. New Zealand is expected to right away allow their players to join the national team which suffered mainly due to talented players like Bond and Marshal have joined the ICL. Pakistan is another country which would gain the most with this deal with almost half of its national team earlier joining the ICL.

So its now up to the players to decide their own fate. We will now know whether the Indian players joined the league for money or desperation to get a place in the national squad keeping faith in Kapil Dev.

ICL had said initially when they were recruiting players that they would not come in the way of a player if he gets a chance to play for the country. This could now be the chance for many talented cricketers who have joined the rebel league due to many reasons including frustration and financial problems.

Now through IPL the chances for making it into the national team are significantly high and the selection is now more transparent. Even during the worst of the times the world offers hope. World is cruel. But there is a big "IF" and that if is in your hands.

ICL: Will the Dream Ever Come True?

Nikhil Nadipelli — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:11:56 -0500

Cricket is undoubtedly the most famous and loved game in the subcontinent. With each team allowed only eleven players, thousands of talented kids end up retiring as talented veterans. It happened to many in the past; it is bound to happen in the future.

For every talent recognized and groomed, the opportunity cost is a few hundred talented players.

A few of the former cricketers along with a few ambitious entrepreneurs decided to offer better opportunities to those deserving players. Obviously, though they wanted to make a lot of money, they also wanted to provide Indian selectors more options. Kapil Dev always gave his best to his country.

He wanted to do the same now, in a different way though, through the ICL (Indian Cricket League). But is the ICL ‘shaping’ or ‘killing’ the dreams of those talented players???

Kapil Dev is a name that commands respect from one and all. And with Kapil as its head, the players needed no more assurance to join the league. They were to get money, games and what more a shot for a place in the national cricket team. Many promising players like Ambati Tirupathi Rayudu, Rohan Gavaskar, Dinesh Mongia joined the league.

They got many opportunities to showcase their talent and got a chance to play with experienced players like Martyn, Harris, Inzamam. Razzak, Mustaq etc.

They got a lot of exposure which would have been impossible otherwise.

Many good players like Binny, Ibraheem Khaleel among others sprung up. They have performed. They have showed that they have a lot in them. They are still getting lots of money and will get a lot more opportunities. But opportunities for what??????

While all these seem like blessings for these cricketers, one factor that negates all these benefits is that the ICL has not been recognized by the country’s cricket board. And with that the dream to represent your country, it looks like, shall always remain a dream.

With all its money, the BCCI is buying the courts. What is the BCCI gaining by banning the ICL? Or what will it lose if the ICL is recognized?

But one thing is sure; it is cricket which is at a loss.

Guys, Roger Federer Is a Human After All

Nikhil Nadipelli — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 01:36:03 -0500

Last evening what we witnessed at the Rod Laver arena was something very extraordinary, something which will remain etched in the hearts of many tennis fans. It was the clash of the greatest player of all time and the greatest player of the moment. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Both played awesome tennis, the tennis only these could have played. Federer as usual was pushing Nadal to the corners and Nadal was simply not giving up. Both played some breath taking winners past the opponent, both played like true champions, both deserved the trophy, but there had to be only one winner.

After the fourth set it looked like FED was the man who would be called last on to the stage.He served solidly and broke Nadal with ease. But what followed was exactly the opposite. Nadal was supposed to be the man who was tired, but he was running through the fifth set. Nadal won the fifth set and with it the title.... Did I say Nadal won??? I was kidding.....federer lost the match, therefore Nadal won.

Federer made mistakes that a human was expected to make. He double faulted twice in the last set. He sprayed his forehand. His backhand often found the net. He screamed at the umpire when the umpire called right. Guys Federer is a human. And humans do make mistakes.

But what was the most touching scene was what happened at the presentation ceremony. Federer cried. Not because he lost to the indefatigable Nadal (fed knew Nadal played better). Not because he missed out on Pete's record. He cried because of the support he received and the love people had for him. He cried because he couldn't stand up to the expectations of the millions of fans who loved him and wanted him to win. He cried because they still loved him even after his loss. And they still want him to win.

Federer will surely come back with more determination when he faces Nadal the next time. Yes he will struggle to beat Nadal. But it's not impossible. It's not in the nature of humans to give up and surrender.

Guys, ROGER FEDERER is a human after all.

Cricket: Test Team Of The Year

Nikhil Nadipelli — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:35:20 -0500

We have witnessed amazing cricket last year with many players being very consistent all through. So I decided to come out with the test team of the year. A team consisting of the best players from all over the world.

Openers

Virender Sehwag
Greame Smith

Greame Smith and Sehwag have performed all through the year.The only player who give come close to taking their position would be Gambhir who had a very good run but is yet to prove abroad.

No. 3

Hashim Amla

The best of the lot. Though there are some really great players who play at this tough position like Ponting and Dravid, he played really awesome cricket to grab the spot.

No. 4

Sachin Tendulkar

Kevin Pietersen comes close. Both scored Breath taking centuries though in contrasting styles. Both of these players played beautiful match winning knocks ( kevin ended up losing though), both scored over1000 runs each and had a good average. But Tendulkar's presence in itself motivates the entire team and when he is in form, you should not think further. Its a pity Pietersen will be mising.

No. 5

Chanderpaul

No doubts.Eyes Closed. He has been having a dream run for the past two years, which also won him the ICC Player of the year award. Even if Mr. consistent Hussey had a good series against the South Africans he would not have come close. Probably Laxman played much better than Hussey but Chanderpaul is far ahead.

Wicket Keeper

Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Good Allround performance from this talented tough cricketer. Good keeping and solid batting at this tough position puts him miles ahead of other keepers. Sangakkara didnot keep all through the year and Boucher is not as consistent as Dhoni.

All Rounder

Monre Morkel

He bowled with great passion and was a contributed more than a bit with the bat. Flintoff didnot play enough to earn a place. Morkel shows signs of becoming a great allounder. He may as well take the place of the fourth seamer

Spinner

Muralitharan

Mendis...... many might be surprised to see his name missing from this list. Yes, Mendis has done very well but he is yet to play outside Lanka. Murali however looked as dangerous and has a lot more experience that puts him in any team , anytime. Experience counts.

Pacemen

Dale Steyn

Zaheer Khan

Ishanth Sharma

All the three were the best bowlers this year. DAle and Zaheer will share the new ball. The left right combination will trouble any batsman. Ishant was effective even with the semi-new ball. These bowlers are now in the best of the form and look dangerous. All of them are different and lethal in thier own way.Only Johnson could have taken Ishanth's place.

12th man

Ajantha Mendis

He may come in as a second spinner when required. Again he edges oyt Johnson and Harbhajan( as the second spinner). He deserved at least this for all that he achieved in his first year.

Now the Captain.

Smith Vs Dhoni

Smith

Smith and Dhoni are captains with contrasting styles. Smith is more authoritative and demanding captain. Dhoni is calm, composed and thinking captain. He always seems to have a plan B if the plan A fails.While both can claim the captaincy with very good win record, Smith takes over due to his experience and Dhoni will not lose anything by playing under Smith. Smith will be open to Dhoni's ideas. Not long ago Dhoni was playing under Kumble.

Conclusion

This team might not have the approval of all the members. These are the players I thought would make the best team. All suggestions are welcome. It is just a cricket fan’s humble attempt. Thank you.

ICC's All Time Greatest Cricketers : A Joke Or An Insult ?

Nikhil Nadipelli — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 01:56:48 -0500

High up in the heavens Sir Donald Bradman might be 'dying' with embarrassment. The ICC rated him as the world’s greatest test batsman ever. This was expected. But why embarrassed? The ICC however made a mockery of his opinion.

Not long before his demise, the Don said that one Mr. Sachin Tendulkar batted much the same way as him. He even included Sachin in his all time greatest eleven and rated him as the second best ever. The ICC thought otherwise.

Sachin Tendulkar by any standards would be the top five of any cricketer's list. Nothing less he deserves. Even a rating above 10 would be an insult. But the ICC dared to rate him 26. Many of his contemporaries including Pointing, Hayden, Chanderpaul, Hussey, are rated above him. Even they might be feeling stupid by the result. And Rahul 'the wall' Dravid is 30th.

Tendulkar is the highest run scorer in the test cricket with over 12000 runs and with most centuries at 41. It took him 19 yrs of cricket. If consistency and longevity are the criteria, it should be only TENDULKAR at No.2.

If the test ratings are baffling, the ODI ratings are no less mind boggling. Vivian Richards arguably the greatest ODI player, and he himself rates Sachin Tendulkar above him. 99.9 percent of the cricketers will, why anyone with something called brain in their heads would do so. The ICC thinks Sachin deserves nothing better than 12th. Does this mean ICC has no brains? No better proof I guess.

There is a problem with the ranking system. How can they measure commitment for the game and the pressure faced by the individual?

Commitment and dedication of any player cannot be questioned but the pressure on Sachin Tendulkar and his related performance should be placed right at the top. Pressure is a criterion which would place him beyond the great DON.

If 16400 runs (4000 runs more than the second best) and 42 centuries (double the second best) could not make him the best player, nothing ever will.

No matter what a group of dummies say, you will always have a special place in the hearts of the rest of the human community. For all that you have done and given to the cricketing fraternity, you will be placed right up there.

Cricket: Who Wears the Crown?

Nikhil Nadipelli — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:24:52 -0500

Cricket in 2008 was exciting, thrilling, and full of of surprises. Shocking defeats, filthy controversies, team crumbling retirements, we have seen it all. However the most fascinating thing was the fight for the top position in test cricket. Australia after along time seems to be losing grip over the No.1 position. India, South Africa and to an extent Sri Lanka are giving stiff competition. The ball was set rolling last year. 2009 promises much more. Which team has the edge and what gives them the edge are the questions at hand.

SRI LANKA:

The Lankan cricket team always only promised. It never delivered consistently. It always had strong batting lineup and a decent bowling lineup. Somehow the team faltered at crucial points. Lanka at home is still a force to reckon with but redoubtable abroad. Lanka beat India 2-1 at home last year and then went on to beat Bangladesh. But the most encouraging factor for the Lankans was the emergence of a world class spinner in Mendis , quality opener in Warnapura and a fast improving all rounder in Dilshan. These three will be the ones who along with other seniors will play a big role in determining its future.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Mendis, Warnapura, Dilshan

AREAS OF CONCERN: Mentally weak while playing away.

Lack of consistency.

AUSTRALIA:

Don’t go by the recent failures, Australia is a volcano waiting to erupt. For the last eight years Australia has been the best team. But then hiccups were bound to happen. The cream slipped off the cone , softening it as a result. Shane Warne , Mcgrath, Martyn, Langer, Gilchrist and Hogg created a big void in th team. Hayden’s poor form is only adding to its troubles. The pace bowling still looks very strong with Lee, Johnson, Siddle, Clark and Bracken forming a formidable attack. Katich fills in for Langer, Phil Jaques may take over from Hayden. Ponting still has a few years of good cricket left in him and long with Symonds, Hussey, haddin and Clarke make a strong middle order. What Australia now needs a quality spinner. Krejza is not dangerous. Hauritz has to be developed and encouraged. The problem with Australia is that, though they dominate most part of the match, one or two bad sessions lets the other team off the hook and their team down the drain. It happened against India and later against S.A. Other teams are now more confident against them. However, all is not lost. They have to recoup fast and tighten the grip.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Katich, Hussey, Siddle, Hauritz, Johnson

AREAS OF CONCERN Lack of a quality spinner.

A strong replacement for Hayden.

Watson’s fitness.

INDIA :

It all began last January. The Sydney test was filled with controversies, but it also was the mark of the emergence of a world beater. The same team team with a different attitude . it realized that it was not all about being the best only on paper. It had to deliver to be counted and it began to do just that. An attacking but composed opening pair, a strong middle order, an almost complete bowling lineup and a determined captain- the same characteristics that once made Australia the best in the world. The transition of the team was smoother than expected. Probably the series loss to Sri Lanka was just a hiccup. It was more due the poor form of the whole middle order. They however recovered well to beat Australia and England. Coming to the players, Ishant & Zaheer are right up there at the top. Harbhajan has to help Mishra and Chawla develop and mature. It also has the best bench strength in world cricket. The team is now depending lesser than it used to on Tendulkar and other seniors. But more than anything the team is a united and spirited bunch. This team will only improve.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Sehwag, Gambhir, Yuvraj, Dhoni, Mishra, Zaheer & Ishant

AREAS OF CONCERN: Well groomed replacements for the aging seniors.

Lousy fielding.

SOUTH AFRICA:

Looks the best of the four. It beat the current world no1 2-1 at their own backyard. It played impressive cricket all through the year losing just one match. The batting, bowling and fielding are one of the besting the world. Consistent openers, rock like middle order, a god spinner and terrorizing pace men is led by a courageous captain who is always by his players. Steyn surely is the best pacer at the moment and is getting more dangerous as time passes. It is a team that never backs down. Smith’s decision to bat with a broken hand will always be placed as one of the toughest and bravest decisions ever taken. It will only provide confidence to the team and convert them into a better side. It will face a stiff challenge from the Aussies when they come to S.A. They will have to prove their mettle and show the world that they have arrived……..

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Smith, Amla, Morkel, Steyn , Harris.

AREAS OF CONCERN:A backup for the captain,

‘The chockers’ tag

FINAL SUMMARY

Of the four, India and S.A seen the better equipped and more balanced side. Both these teams have solid openers, strong middle order, rocking pacers and young and courageous captains. However India’s bench strength and a much better spin attack. But whether they really have an edge over S.A will only be known when India play S.A.

This year we can expect the best of the cricket with Sri Lanka S.A. & India fighting for the No.1 spot while Australia will fight harder to hold on to their position.

All SAID, it is now left to the teams to DO.

Rahul Dravid: When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going

Nikhil Nadipelli — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:31:38 -0500

Rahul Sharad Dravid.

The name itself raises heads.

The man, however, raises the spirits.

The journey began in 1996. The debutante fell short of a well-deserved ton. It didn’t matter. Rahul Dravid had arrived.

Cricket is a tough game, but it can't get tougher than it had been for Dravid. For years, India had no consistent openers, and it would never be long before Dravid went in to steady the batting.

It was always tough, but Dravid was tougher. Challenges only made him stronger.

Year after year, Rahul Dravid scored runs when it mattered. And when does it not matter? He scored runs at every ground and against every bowler for neither the bowler nor the pitch mattered to him.

He was solid. Rock solid. Innings by innings he had built a wall for Indian cricket. If a team wanted to beat India, it had to beat the wall first.

He has been instrumental in helping India win many tests, abroad and at home. He is India’s highest run getter in victorious matches and also averages the highest.

In the ODIs, the story is different. At the beginning, he was considered a liability to the team due to his poor scoring rate. He was criticized and dropped.

He worked harder, changed his way of batting and made his way back to the team and became a key player. He played the anchor if wickets fell early and attacked when the asking rate was high.

No one expected him to reach the 10,000 figure in the ODIs. He proved to the world that a test player can fit into any format of the game.

He had always been a team man. All through his career he had been sacrificing a lot. To keep wickets was a tough ask—but Dravid gave it his all. Dravid’s decision to declare when Sachin was on 194 did not go well with many. But he was only putting the team ahead of individuals.

In the last season, Rahul Dravid was facing a tougher a tougher obstacle—lack of Form. He was struggling all through the year. Everyone was pressing for his removal. It was a tough situation.

Dravid replied with a solid hundred against the English. He didn’t answer all the questions. In fact, he was out for a duck in the very next innings.

But Rahul Dravid is tough.

It's only going to get tougher. And Rahul Dravid , I am sure, will get going.

India vs England: They Came, They Played, and They Conquered

Nikhil Nadipelli — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:38:46 -0500

Late in the 18th century, the British traders came to India and knew that they had to park right there. India was rich; India was diverse. The British used the "divide and rule" policy and conquered India.

Years have passed. India is in its 62nd year of independence. Every few years since then, the English still come to fight India but on a different battlefield—a cricket ground. India have always been strong at home. More or less the results were even.

As usual, a determined England team came back this year to conquer back the land they once ruled. They failed miserably in the ODIs. Then came the terror attacks. England were forced to leave India. The tests were uncertain and they were expected not to return. After all every human has the right to live.

India is a passionate land. Every team loved playing here. This time around, the ball was in the English court.

The England Cricket Board, along with its passionate captain took a brave decision. They decided to tour India—they were doing it for the love of the game, not money (why would they give half of their earnings for the terror victims, if they came for money).

The players took the braver decision. After all It was left to every individual’s choice. Pieterson was the influential man. He knew, to beat India he needed a full strength England team.

The England team came.

They played outstanding cricket for four full days. Well almost. Strauss silenced his critics with two well crafted hundreds; Collingwood found his touch; Swann got his prized wickets.

All in all England looked the better side for most of the test. But then, first Sehwag and later Tendulkar, in their own classic and contrasting styles, ensured that India won the test.

India chased a record total and showed the world that it truly is the emerging power. England didn’t play badly, its just that India played much better.

Before England lost the match, five days earlier, when Pieterson walked out to the centre for the toss, England had won the hearts of all the Indians. They had indeed conquered the land they once ruled.

Yes! “They came, they played, and they conquered.”

Terrorism: The Obstacle Between India And No.1 Glory

Nikhil Nadipelli — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 23:58:08 -0500

Not too long ago i wrote about the change that was all set to take place. That there will be change of guard at the helm in cricket. It all seems to be happening at least in the limited overs edition; Team India had emerged.

The English team knew they were facing a super power. They put up a brave face but it didn't matter. Match after match they were beaten and left clueless. Every member of Indian team performed. The score read 5-0. All that was expected was a 7-0 white wash.

Pieterson admitted his team would in no way find answers to India's questions, he even said that in no way India can be stopped.

Hey K.P, you are wrong! Change is the only thing that is constant. Terror strikes Mumbai. Oh there comes the change the last two ODIs are cancelled. The IPL champions league postponed, the test series in jeopardy; All of a sudden, ''the heaven looks like hell".

All those England cricketers, who were fighting with their board to let them play the IPL, suddenly and understandably do not want to return to India and the Australian media is calling India the same as Pakistan.

After 48 long hours, the terrorists were completely destroyed by the Indian Black cats. But the life is yet to get back to normalcy in Mumbai. Deep down, there is only one thing—FEAR. The damage had been done.

Mumbai will as well get used to all this, sooner or later, and life will go on as usual. But cricket in this part of the world may never be the same again.

Teams will fear to tour India. India will have to be satisfied with fewer number of games,if any. We should not complain. Cricket matters, but life matters a lot more to every human being.

Team India's pursuit of glory has slowed down, if not been completely hampered. Maybe much later they will succeed. But it is dependent on a lot more things. We have no control, all we can do is hope for the almighty to show some mercy on this talented side.

GOD SAVE INDIAN CRICKET!!!!!!!!!

Indian Cricket Killing Other Sports: A Brutal Misconception

Nikhil Nadipelli — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:51:43 -0500

The idea that Indian cricket is totally responsible for the non emergence of other sports is a brutal misconception.

Cricket, many believe, takes the limelight and is the reason why other sports such as hockey, football and basketball are not developing. It surely is beautiful topic to debate on.

But, is cricket really responsible?

Many factors seem to be responsible...

The Passion for Cricket.

Blame this beautiful sport.

Every night, millions of children sleep dreaming about this wonderful sport they will be playing when the dawn breaks.

Every day, millions of hearts of young mother’s pain as their children forgo lunch to imitate their idols on the cricket field.

Every evening, millions of soap loving wives quarrel with their husbands who come home and relax by watching cricket. In every house, you will find a cricket bat and if the parents cant afford it, they just have to paint "MRF" on a piece of wood and give them. I am not complaining, just blame the sport.

The Culture

Unlike in other countries, sport in India is just an extra-curricular activity. Every parent insists that their child studies and become an engineer or a doctor. Sports take a back seat when the child completes the ninthgrade with the focus shifting to studies and career. By nature, Indians like to be secured and do not take risk.

The Government

There is a sports Ministry in India, but only as an employment option for an MP (Member of Parliament).

They do nothing much to develop sport for they have time only for filling their bank accounts.

This leaves only the corporate world to sponsor and develop sports in India.

The Impact of the Corporate World

Every corporation’s final goal is to earn profits. And they venture only into profitable prospects.

In India, cricket seems to be the most profitable venture. We have no right to question their interests.

The Emergence of Talent in Cricket

Cricket officials did what no other sports committee did: They went into every corner of every village in India to find new talent, and they were quite successful.

The present Indian team mainly consists of players from small towns.

India had more stars in cricket than any other sport. This did not help those sports. Bhaichung Bhutia was good but he was no Ronaldinho. Bhupathi and Paes were talented but they were no Sampras and Federer. Sania is brave, but she is no Hingis.

Whereas Tendulkar and Dravid were great and had no equals.

The Press

The main sports page in Indian newspapers has but only Cricket news. Even the national football league has little coverage. Cricket is preferred to tennis and soccer. that’s what sells in India and therefore it's what the papers offer.

The Physique and Climate

This in an important factor. The Indians do not take to basketball because of height factor. It may not matter physically but it surely does psychologically.

In most parts of India, with the exception of north and northeast, the climate is very hot. Children are not allowed by their parents to run much in those trying conditions. Here again only one game fits. It's no small wonder that most footballers emerge only from northeast.

All the above factors play an important role in cricket overshadowing other sports.

But then sport has no barrier. Yes! Hidden somewhere in some orthodox Indian home, is a star sportsman (a la Ronaldinho or Federer or Kobe or Phelps) just waiting for an opening.

God save that star. God save Indian sport.

Is it a Change of Guard at the Helm in Cricket?

Nikhil Nadipelli — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 02:31:57 -0500

Change, it is said is the only thing that is constant.

Australian cricket 'seemed’ to defy it. From the time Steve Waugh took over from Taylor, there was but one team at the top.

In soccer it was the Brazilians before the Italians. In chess it was Kramnik before Anand.

In F1 it was Schumacher before Alonso, Kimi and Hamilton. In tennis it was Federer before Nadal...

In cricket however, it was always the mighty Australians all the way.

It all began in 1996 when Srilanka beat Australia to become the world champions. Australian cricket ‘changed’ the way cricket is played and began to conquer. Steve Waugh took over and formed a team that was strong in their game and mind.

Nation after nation , team after team everyone was humiliated, troubled and trampled

While it took the top spot in both forms of cricket.

The only few times it faltered in their 12 year long domination was against India in 2001 and 2003-04 and in The Ashes in 2005.

But then it came back to India in 2004 and broke the ‘final frontier’ and gave England a humiliating 5-0 whitewash in 2007.

In the limited overs format, Australia was the best when it came to big matches and big tournaments. When the whole world thought that the Aussies would struggle in the recent world cup, they only came back stronger and won all its matches enroute to becoming the world champions for the third consecutive time.

Australia seemed to be unbeatable.

Then came the retirement of the great Shane Warne, McGrath, Kasparovicz and Damien Martyn. This was the time the whole world was waiting for. At the same time transition was taking place in a sub-continent team. The selectors backed the youngsters, aimed for a stronger bench strength. They took bold decisions.

This Indian team went Down Under, ruffled the Australian’s feathers in the tests and beat them convincingly in the one-dayers. This wasn’t enough. Gilchrist then left Ausrtalia with a big void to be filled.

Doubts sprouted in everyone’s mind as the kangaroos toured India. They still backed themselves. And they were the better side in the first test.

Indian team tightened itself and won the next test more than convincingly.

Shane Warne and McGrath were remembered and missed as was Gilly. At the same time Anil Kumble and ganguly announced their retirements.

All the doubts only became clear when this confident Indian team beat the mighty Aussies the second time and won back the Border- Gavaskar trophy.

The Australian media and its former players are now doubting their team and captain calling for his sacking.

Meanwhile the transition period was successful for Team India. Rohit Sharma and Yuvraj will fill the voids along with Mishra and Piyush Chawla. The pacers are one of the best in the world with equally talented replacements. Sachin Tendulkar and Laxman will still be around to nurture the youngsters.

But the most important thing is that their captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a cool headed,

confident and dependable. Not to forget he was suggested by Tendulkar himself.

Everyone’s eyes are now on one team. Deservedly.

Change, it looks like, is about to happen.

Is it a Change of Guard?

Saluting The Old War Horse

Nikhil Nadipelli — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:16:17 -0500

Indian cricket will never be the same again.

As India goes into its next test match against Australia in Nagpur, it will be without its most committed and finest match winner, ANIL KUMBLE.

Every time India was in trouble it didn't look beyond Kumble. When the bowlers knew their efforts would bear no fruit, he wouldn't hesitate to bowl every alternate over. Commitment was his forte.

Who on earth would venture into catching a flyer, with eleven stitches on his hand? Incidentally and deservedly, that will be remembered as his last test wicket. That a broken jaw did not deter him from bowling against the West Indies, speaks volumes about his commitment.

His eventful career was filled with critical comments, injuries and of course, success. He bore it all and emerged victorious every time. But one terrible thing he has done to Indian cricket is that he left a huge void, which can never be filled.

He had been criticised as being a one-dimensional bowler; oh! a one-dimensional bowler who managed 619 wickets. Many believed that had he had half the talent as Shane Warne and with the same commitment he would have had more than a 1000 test wickets to his name.

His 10-wicket haul against Pakistan at Feroz Shah Kotla may well rank as one of the greatest achievement in the history of sport.

He is the only player with 500 or more wickets to score a test hundred, though it came at the end of his career.

He played 132 tests, second only to the great Sachin Tendulkar.

Anil Kumble will be remembered for all these achievements, but being a true gentleman he wishes to be remembered for his sincerity.

Let's salute the old war horse and wish him success in his every endeavours.

Whatever be it, Indian Cricket will never be the same again.

What's In a Name? In Cricket, There Is But One!

Nikhil Nadipelli — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:26:57 -0400

In this huge world you meet billions of people each with a different name. So what's in a name? It does matter at least in this case.

At an age when most children of his age were confused as to which candy or chewing gum to purchase, he was bravely facing the bazookas sent down from a mere 22 yards by Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, and Imran Khan.

A squashed nose did not scare him but only made him more determined. The discouraging crowd encouraged him.

As years passed, his popularity grew and with it the expectations. Sooner than later he became the darling of the nation. While many liked him for his ability to score, many loved him for the quality of his runs.

Quantity mattered, but quality mattered much more to them.

He makes batting look so easy that it wasn’t surprising to see my grandma pick my bat up and remark, "hey its so easy to bat."

Even the opposition admired his batting from the slips, certain that they would never get a catch off his bat. The bowlers bowled their heart out against him for they had nothing to lose.

He was considered the best in his field. Many things changed since then.

Saurav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid reached their prime and fell, Madras became Chennai, Mobiles and computers became a necessity, Sampras passed on the baton to Federer, Christiano Ronaldo took over from the older Ronaldo, Schumi retired, Armstrong left and returned, Lin Dan replaced Chen Hong, Euro replaced Dollar, Sensex (Bombay Stock Exchange Sensitive Index that reflects the Indian shares and stock quotes) boomed and went bust.

But one thing remained constant. One name.

Oh yes there's a lot in a name, especially if the name happens to be:

SACHIN RAMESH TENDULKAR!