India’s first Test victory in New Zealand after 33 years

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The Indian cricketers played to their potential in the first Test of the ongoing series in New Zealand and finally they were able to accomplish something their predecessors had somehow failed to do.

Yes it has taken India 33 more than years to defeat New Zealand in a Test match on their soil. It’s a generation gap. I was 12 years old, studying in Class VIII at Cadet College Petaro, when India had overpowered New Zealand by eight wickets in the first Test at the Eden Park, Auckland, in January 1976.

Now my eldest daughter, Javeria, having celebrated her 12th birthday just a couple of months ago, is preparing to move to Class VIII, when India has again beaten New Zealand in the first Test at the Seddon Park, Hamilton, in March 2009.

It’s not that India didn’t visit New Zealand often in the 33-year period. There were regular tours after the 1975-76 series but for some reason or the other India could not put their acts together to win a Test match there for over three decades.

Acting skipper Sunil Gavaskar and debutant left-hander Surinder Amarnath were India’s batting heroes in the Auckland Test of the 1975-76 in which their famed spin trio of Eripalli Prasanna, Bhagwat Chadrasekhar and Srinavas Ventakraghawan had bowled superbly to engineer the famous win.

They could not have even imagined that it would remain their only Test win in New Zealand for 33 as many as years. How could have they known that India would be returning empty handed from New Zealand even while having far too stronger outfits.

India toured New Zealand again in 1980-81 and looked set to start the Test series on a winning note when they routed the hosts for 100 in their second innings. With two days play to go all they needed was to get 253 on a pretty nice surface of the Basin Reserve in Wellington.

Having given a very impressive account of themselves in earlier series in Australia, the Indians, captained by Sunil Gavaskar, appeared the firm favourites to win the Wellington Test while chasing the modest target. But they made a heavy weather of it and crashed to a disappointing 190 all out to lose the game by 62 runs instead. With the home umpires refusing to raise their fingers, India could not square the series.

India was humbled again in the first Test on their next tour of New Zealand in 1989-90 under newly installed skipper Mohammad Azharduddin. All their efforts of leveling the series were foiled once again.

India failed to drive home the advantage in the only Test during their tour in 1993-94 while their first Test of the 1998-99 tour was abandoned without a ball being bowled. They were narrowly beaten in the second Test and the third and final game was drawn.

India’s tour to New Zealand in 2002-03 was so horrible from their point of view that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) didn’t risk send their team again in 2006-07 on the eve of another World Cup. The Indians had their moments in both the Test matches but they couldn’t force the result in their favour on either them and for the first India they lost more one Test in a series in New Zealand.

Here is the opportunity to set the record straight. After having won the first Test so comprehensively, India should be aiming to close the series in the very next game. Although the history is not on their Indian side, the present lot has the depth and the character to rewrite it.

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Tendulkar produces yet another classic knock

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Sachin Tendulkar’s century number 42 in Test cricket on March 20 was yet another masterly knock from the Grand Master. Even though it was scored against an opposition not having big guns the conditions were quite difficult for batting and it was his sheer class that saw him dominate the bowling for the better part of his stay at the crease.

Tendulkar was unconquered on 70 when the stumps were drawn on the second evening, a few overs before the scheduled close of play due to the fading light, in the first Test against New Zealand at the Seddon Park in Hamilton.

Although the number of spectators at the ground was not all that high from the sub-continent standards when the play started on the third morning it’s believed that the majority of the one billion people back home in India are believed to have set an early morning alarm in anticipation of another Tendulkar hundred.

The occasion was worth compromising the sound sleep. The manner in which Tendulkar resumed his innings gave an indication that he was aware of the fact that his every movement was being followed at home.

What a cracking start he had to the day. The backfoot punches were a treat to watch as were the classic cover drives. He penetrated the field without taking risk and the score kept ticking over at a brisk pace.

He had moved from 70 to 99 in no time but there was a pause when he was just a single away from the landmark. In fact he was rather unlucky not to have completed his hundred with the cover drive that fetched him three runs instead of a boundary as Daniel Vettori made a spectacular save.

There were anxious moments with a few maiden overs on a trot. Tendulkar’s problems were compounded by the lack of support from the other end as skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was struggling to rotate the strike.

Since he has been dismissed so many times in the 90s during the past few years, it always is a relief whenever he reaches the magical three-figure mark. He was mighty pleased when he got the single to his 42nd hundred in Test matches.

He needed only 168 balls to reach his century as he had remained positive from the moment he set his feet in the ground a day earlier. He was in complete control of the situation and he was not in any mood to give it away.

His stroke-play continued even after he had brought up his hundred as he kept punishing the loose balls at will. He was equal to the task while defending the good balls, hardly giving the bowlers any chance.

He completed his 150 in the afternoon session but he didn’t last long after that. Iain O’ Brien, looking the most threatening of the New Zealand bowlers, ended the majestic innings by having the master batsman caught in the slips by Ross Taylor for 160.

Tendulkar occupied the crease for exactly 400 minutes on a pitch that always kept the bowlers interested. The overcast conditions encouraged the seam bowlers but he dominated them in a fashion only he could have done.

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Postponement of Bangladesh tour to hurt Pakistan cricket

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Yes the Pakistan cricket has come to a stage where even the postponement of the tour to Bangladesh is hurting. In normal circumstances it wouldn’t have mattered much but as things stand today it means more agony.

Pakistan have played so little international cricket of late that the upcoming tour of Bangladesh was being regarded as quite an event. It had assumed even greater significance after the home series against Sri Lanka had to be called off in tragic circumstances.

But as it turned out the cricket authorities in Bangladesh have expressed their inability to host the series against Pakistan in immediate future due to the security concerns in their country.

Pakistan were originally scheduled to play two Twenty20 internationals and five ODIs between March 10 and March 22. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had initially desired postponing the event for a few weeks but they finally made the announcement on March 17 ruling out the series indefinitely.

Although officially the tour has been postponed not cancelled and hints have been dropped by the BCB officials for the series to take place but Pakistan have reasons to feel disappointed because they desperately needed the Bangladesh series at this point of time.

Pakistan would not have netted any astronomical profits from the tour of Bangladesh. Neither would have their rankings improved much even if they had whitewashed the hosts. It was more about taking the field.

Pakistan are short of international cricket. They are desirous of play matches to keep the cricketers engaged in competitive games. The people in general in Pakistan are crazy about cricket that has more entertainment value than any other thing.

Obviously people in Pakistan have been saddened by the events that took place in the Sri Lankan series. The attack on the visiting cricketers was the last thing the Pakistanis wanted to see. Unfortunately the Sri Lankan cricketers came under fire and everybody forgot about the game for the time being.

The tour to Bangladesh would have been helpful in reviving the Pakistan cricket. Skipper Younis Khan has not minced words in stating that the indefinite postponement of the tour to Bangladesh will harm his team's growth in general and affect preparations for the ODI series against Australia next month in particular. 

"The decision has deprived us of some valuable cricket once again. It is a great setback especially when we needed practice for the Australia series. We had some newcomers in the team for Bangladesh whom we wanted to try out before that but now that the tour is off we have lost that opportunity and it is demoralising for a captain. Our team is unfortunately very short on cricket and if mishaps like this happen, our performance will decline in important series," Younis Khan was quoted as saying.

"We have suffered a lot from tour cancellations, mainly the India and Australia series, so we badly need cricket. I hope we get some good cricket later in the year," he hoped. 

Pakistan’s next assignment is to take on Australia in five ODIs and one Twenty20 International in Dubai and Abu Dhabi between April 22 and May 7. Then they have to undertake a tour of England to participate in the Twenty20 World Cup during the month of June. 

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Time difference could limit viewership of New Zealand-India Test series

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The time difference between New Zealand and India is such that the matches starting at the standard local time of 11 am in New Zealand means a 3.30 am start in India. 

The timings of the Twenty20 Internationals suited the Indian viewers and even the One-day Internationals were day-night affairs that allowed the cricket followers in India to watch them after having completed sound sleep overnight.

The situation is different for the Test series and the broadcasters, more than anyone else, are concerned about it. If the broadcasters had a say in these matters, they could have prompted day-night sessions of the Test matches too. 

Test cricket has its traditions and they are being followed even today. May be in future even the Test matches might start late in the afternoon and include a dinner break instead of the conventional lunch interval.

With nearly every major international venue having the facility of floodlights the possibilities of day-night Test matches in future could not be ruled out.

But for the time being there is an issue and the New Zealand board has reportedly declined an Indian broadcaster's request to start the Test in Hamilton at noon instead of the traditional 11 am.

According to the reports the Sony Entertainment Television, with the blessings of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), had approached the New Zealand Cricket with the request to alter the playing hours in order to maximise its viewership in India. 

The New Zealand Cricket had accommodated the request of the same broadcasters earlier this summer during the two-Test series against the West Indies that had started at the unusual time of midday.

But that was the peak of the summer and the days were longer in that part of the world. Now the natural light could fade in the closing session if the Test matches against India also start at midday.

The light has held well until 7 pm over the past couple of days in Hamilton but the weather forecast during the first couple of days indicated a cloud cover that could be one factor the New Zealand cricket authorities were not willing to take a chance.

The Seddon Park in Hamilton and the McLean Park in Napier, where the first and second Tests are to be held, are equipped with floodlights but there is no such facility available at the venue of the third and final Test to be held at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.

The timings for the second and third Tests have not been announced yet but it’s going to be quite a tricky decision. If they are unwilling to incorporate changes in the playing hours of the first Test, it’s very unlikely that they would be in a position to do it later with the days becoming shorter.

It’s understandably a very difficult situation. Besides providing financial benefit to the broadcasters, the cricket lovers in the sub-continent will have the chance of watching more action live if the Test matches started an hour later than originally scheduled.

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India hold advantage over New Zealand going into Test series

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

After having come up with below-par performance in the preceding series of Twenty20 Internationals and One-day Internationals, will India continue obliging the New Zealanders in the Tests as well starting from March 18?

The Indians were the overwhelming favorites to dominate all the three versions of the game but their inability or to some extent unwillingness to complete the rout has kept their supporters guessing.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni appeared a bit apologetic to the fans having come from all parts of Auckland to the Eden Park to watch their icons in motion. But what they got in return was a shameful performance from the bunch of cricketers who have loads of talent and who are better than the best.

Looking at the two outfits for the Test series, there is hardly any comparison. While the Indians are on a high having performed exceptionally well, despite the odd below-par showing, of late the hosts have generally struggled.

Let me start with the batting department. Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir are considered to be the best opening pair in all forms of the game. Both of them like to attack but they are adequately skilled to make big hundreds.

The Indian middle-order is second to none in terms of experience and class. In Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Yuvraj Singh they have the depth and character. Add skipper Dhoni to this list and you have a group of seven batsmen all of whom can win the match on their own.

The New Zealanders have just too many newcomers in their folds who must be having the talents but lack in experience. Test cricket is one area where the bits and pieces cricketers are often exposed. It remains to be seen if the hosts do have some potentially fine Test batsmen.

Turning towards the area of bowling, for the first time in many years, India are in a possession of a new-ball attack that has been acclaimed as the best in the business. In Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan they have most potent fast bowlers who have been successful even on the flattest of tracks.

India may not have a world-class first change bowler in the present squad, as the selectors didn’t deem it to proper to pick Sreesanth or R P Singh for this particular tour, but they are well served in the spin department in the presence of Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra.

New Zealand can only match the tourists in the spin department because their skipper Daniel Vettori, a champion left-arm spinner, has had success against all teams particularly India.

It will be interesting to find out what kind of pitches would be there for the three-Test series. The New Zealanders may opt for green tops to unsettle India’s formidable batting line-up but they could land themselves land in greater trouble because the visitors are much more resourceful in the pace bowling department than before.

India would be the favorites on all kind of surfaces going into the Test series against this New Zealand side. That the Indians would like to dictate terms for considerable time or will they go about the business as softly as they did in both the T20Is and the fifth and final ODI remains to be seen.

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India’s typical self destruction at Auckland lifts New Zealand

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

India did exactly what was being feared. They surrendered in the fifth and final One-day International at the Eden Park, Auckland, almost in the same fashion as their predecessors used to do when least expected to be at the receiving end.

New Zealand, besides other less fancied oppositions, have been the beneficiaries whenever the Indians have opted to be in this mode and they benefited once more when Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men decided to emulate their predecessors.

India’s shocking display, after having dominated the earlier four ODIs, must have broken the hearts of the large number of their supporters who had gathered at the Eden Park in anticipation of another cracking performance from them.

The Eden Park in Auckland was presenting the look of Little India as there were more Indian supporters at the ground than the local ones. They had braved the weather for quite sometime and they were delighted when the match finally got underway.

But their happiness didn’t last long. Virender Sehwag treated them with a few of his trademark shots but all others, with the sole exception of Rohit Sharma, failed to deliver against a bowling attack that was short of confidence after the hammering it was subjected to in the earlier games.

The Indians have had the habit of obliging the non-entities and this time Jesse Ryder of all people was allowed to become the bowling hero for New Zealand. It must have stunned the followers of the game generally but there was hardly any element of surprise for those who have been familiar with the Indian cricket.

There was nothing in the pitch to cause an alarm for the champion Indian batsmen. The ball was doing a bit but that is quite usual on the New Zealand pitches. The form in which the Indian batsmen were in, all they needed was to get their eyes in and resume business.

 
It has been a common sight in Indian cricket over the years. They have passed the impression of throwing away matches against weaker oppositions. They have done it once more.

Even Dhoni’s men who are being compared with the great West Indian team of the 1980s for possessing enormous depth in every department of the game have failed to immunize themselves from this disease. They have been doing it less frequently than what one had seen in the past but they need to do away with this practice if they have to accomplish the goal of becoming the number one team in the world.

The movers and shakers of the Indian cricket, it seems, don’t feel hurt or concerned by the shocking results. By the look of things they don’t mind their team losing a few games once in a while.

What they fail to take into the account is the fact that the Indian cricket team has the biggest fan following in the world who feel down and shaken by the heartbreaking performance of their stars.

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Former world champion Yousuf not to feature in Snooker Nationals 2009

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
Mohammad Yousuf, a former world champion, will not be taking part in the NJI 34th National Snooker Championship 2009, to be held at the historic Karachi Gymkhana from March 16 to 21.

The President of the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA), Alamgir Anwar Shaikh, has confirmed that Yousuf was not considered for a wild card entry because he didn’t submit any such request in writing to take part in the upcoming National Championship.

“Yousuf was not an automatic qualifier for this year’s Nationals since he had lost his place in the top 16 last year. He could have re-entered the national circuit by playing the provincial cup that he didn’t do. We would have certainly considered his request for a wild card entry if he had approached us,” the PBSA President said.

“We have awarded wild card entries in the national ranking tournaments in the past as well to the leading cueists like Saleh Mohammad, Naveen Perwani and Farhan Mirza,” he added.

Alamgir Shaikh, having taken over the leadership of the PBSA only last year, clarified that the Association did not hold any grudge against Yousuf or any other cueist. 

Having won the national snooker title on the highest number of occasions, Yousuf will be missing the National Championship only for the second time in his long career.

The only Pakistani to have won the World Championship as well as the Asian Championship, Yousuf, acclaimed as a master craftsman, had last absented in 1999 when he had been banned for the whole year by the PBSA on disciplinary grounds. 

It was the same year when Saleh Mohammad had completed a grand slam by winning all the four national ranking tournaments.

Yousuf had bounced back in style and regained the national title after the layoff. He then went on to annex World Seniors Snooker title. It remains to be seen if he will make another comeback. 

Meanwhile the winner of the NJI 34th National Snooker Championship 2009 will be collecting a handsome purse of Rs 90,000 alongwith a glittering trophy. The details about the six-day event, being sponsored by the New Jubilee Insurance (NJI) having become the major sponsors for snooker events, were unveiled in a media briefing here at the Karachi Gymkhana on March 12.

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Younis optimistic about early return of international cricket in Pakistan

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The Pakistan captain Younis Khan remains convinced that the international cricket will be returning to the country in not too distant future while urging all the stakeholders to play their part in a proactive manner.

“At the moment the foreign teams appear hesitant to play in Pakistan. Even the governing body of the game, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has some reservations on this issue. But this perception can change quickly and we could be having more action than before,” the skipper said in a one-to-one chat with this scribe just before leaving for Faisalabad to lead his employers Habib Bank Limited (HBL) in the One-day National Tournament.

“To make things happen we need a collective effort at all fronts. Our former cricket greats should visit the various Test playing nations to convince their movers and shakers to come to Pakistan where cricket is the passion of the masses,” he suggested.

 “We have to convince the international community that the attack on the visiting Sri Lanka cricket team in Lahore was an odd incident and our nation was peaceful and cricket loving by nature. Our great cricketers and diplomats should join hands in lobbying for Pakistan at all fronts,” Younis, having moved to the top slot in the ICC Test rankings after his triple century in the recent home series against Sri Lanka, added.

He believed that the ICC has a positive outlook and their officials could be helpful in reviving international cricket in Pakistan.

“In every ICC meeting we are advised not to do anything that would send a negative image to the youngsters in particular. In the same spirit the ICC should be considerate towards Pakistan’s case as cricket is the passion of the youngsters in Pakistan who may take up other habits if they are not encouraged to pick up their bats and balls,” Younis pointed out. 

“The ICC should also take into account the fact that cricket is the unifying force and it’s a more than useful tool in promoting peace and harmony. The ICC should play its role in persuading its member countries to tour Pakistan,” he urged.

“If international cricket is not played in Pakistan for sometime it might have very negative affects on the youth of the country. The ICC and its member countries must help in saving our youth from going into unhealthy activities,” Younis said.  

“Pakistan has been one of the most active members of the ICC for a number of years. Our cricketers enjoy iconic status in many countries of the world. A friend in need is a friend indeed. It’s the time for the ICC to come to Pakistan’s rescue,” he pleaded. 

He did not mince words in stating that the attack on the Sri Lanka team on March 3 while proceeding to Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore, was a very unfortunate one.
“It was indeed the saddest day of our sports history. But things have to move forward and the show has to go on. The international cricket must return to Pakistan the sooner the better,” Younis concluded.

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