IS NEW ZEALAND THE WORST TOURING TEST SIDE CURRENTLY?

 New Zealand the champions of the inaugural season of World Test Championship or rather I would term them as fluke champions. Do they really deserve that Test Mace? Mediocre performance in every away test series they play, It's not like they have problem playing only in sub-continent but also they have struggled to win a single match in Australia and England. Many Cricketing experts are against India for taking home advantage to win but India do win their away test matches too. India is currently the best touring test team in the world. And please, it's not about the captaincy even Williamson was losing away matches when he was the captain.

Now, some of their main players aren't even in the central contract. Currently, I feel only India and Australia are owning Test Cricket. England tried to revive their test Cricket by Bazball, but they could manage to win against small teams only. I mean they won against everyone except India and Australia. I am more excited for the India vs England test series next year as compared to BGT. I am eager to see if India manages to win against England, in their own deck with Bazball approach. 

Approach! What is approach? Approach, Intent, we are listening these words quite often now but what exactly they mean? Approach is a way of dealing with something. England has a mindset that we will play aggressive Cricket even if we fail. They do tasted success with this approach, but still is this the right or I must say is this the only right way to go forward? See, I am not against Bazball or aggressive brand of Cricket, but Cricket is a game where you should play according to the situation. For example, a team is down with 30 for 4 or something and you guys are like no we will still hit the ball out of the park. Just take some time, hang around on the crease a bit, make bowler desperate or tired and just wait for the ball to be within your arc, that's what test Cricket is all about. I have seen Pujara, The main man who help us win in Australia 2 times was Pujara. Ask any Australian bowlers currently and they will say that they are more than happy to see Pujara out off Indian team. 

I started by talking about New Zealand cricket and then shared my thoughts on England cricket, but both points are connected. I'm not getting off topic. England is responsible for ruining test Cricket, I mean every country is trying to adapt this style. Do you think in this era of Cricket there will be batters like Steve Smith, Pujara, Labushagne, Root, Rahane, etc. Even Root is playing lap shots and all, I know he is in red hot form but the way he is playing Cricket soon he will start miss judging the ball. It's not only about the team, it's also about the fans who give positive feedback. 

Atleast England has some way and does perform against many oppositions, but New Zealand? They lost the the test series against Sri Lanka (2-0). 2nd match was complete humiliation. Sri Lanka scored 602/5d in the 1st innings and got rid of New Zealand batters at just 88 runs, also enforcing follow-on. Eventually, New Zealand lost the match by an innings and 154 runs. New Zealand remains the only team in the WTC history to not win an away test.(1,886 days since WTC started)

Now, the only team apart from India and Australia who is in the race of WTC final is Sri Lanka. Yes, with this series win Sri Lanka climbed up to the 3rd spot just below India and Australia in WTC ranking. Their next series is against South Africa in South Africa, so it is almost impossible for them to win a test match in South Africa. The updated WTC table is:

THANK YOU,

ADVAIT KADAM

(SPORTS MANAGEMENT STUDENT)

BIGGEST WIN FOR INDIA AGAINST BANGLADESH (IN TERMS OF RUNS)

 INDIA WON THE 1ST TEST MATCH AGAINST BANGLADESH CONVINCINGLY

India started the long test season with an win over Bangladesh by 280 runs. All the players contributed equally and were looking good through out the match. Selectors got answers to the questions they had and they can now think clearly. Some of the players confirmed their place in the 11, while some of the big names weren't up to their best. Quite a lot positives for team India from the 1st match of the test season. 

Let's start with important things that happened before the start of the match. The match was played in MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai. Chepauk is a typical spin track and mostly made up of black soil. But 4-5 days before the match there were some reports that India will be making red soil pitch instead of typical black soil. 

Now you guys must be thinking why does the color of soil even matters? It does matter! The cricket pitch is made up of combination of clay, salt composition, slit and fine sand, with a composition of about 50%, 5%, 20%, and 20%, respectively. A black soil wicket is made up of higher clay content, which helps the pitch to absorb more water, and the pitch usually remains intact for a longer time. This leads to elasticity on the wicket, which produces an uneven bounce which is why a batter is advised to take his time to settle in and adapt to the surface, particularly on used wickets. Once a batter gets familiar with the surface, it is generally easy for them to pile on big runs. They also generally don't have a lot of wear and tear and stay consistent through the games. These pitches hold up well and pitches are less susceptible to breaking up easily. However, this also means that the ball will grip on the surface and can turn right from the first few overs of the match. On the other hand, the red soil wicket has a low clay content which results in low water absorption capacity in the pitch and less elasticity. A red soil wicket, due to low water absorption capacity dries sooner and is prone to crumble and break up early on in the games. They also produce good bounce. With more wear and tear, they keep both the batters and bowlers in contention for the match, in different phases. The soil is likely to depart off the pitch as dust, which is usually evident when a bowler bowls on about the third day of the Test. The earlier the soil comes off, the earlier it begins to aid turn and assist the spinners. While the batters will enjoy a relatively flat surface at the start, spinners will begin dominating on the wicket once the cracks begin to appear on the pitch.

Hence, you must have observed that the ball was getting bounce even on the 4th day. Pacers got some help from the pitch during initial days. Pacers took 20 wickets in this match with 21.55 bowling average. Bumrah from India and Hassan Mahmud from Bangladesh were the stand out pacers. Akash deep was very good, and most probably he is in the top contenders list going to Australia later in this year. 

WHY DID INDIA MADE THIS TYPE OF PITCH IN CHENNAI?

There's no doubt, India is getting their pacers ready for the BGT. India is trying to create pitches which will create extra bounce just like the pitches in Australia. India's bowling attack is looking good with 4 main pacers in considerations are Bumrah, Shami, Siraj and Akash Deep. 

MATCH REPORT:

Some so called cricket experts started trolling Bangladesh for choosing Bowling first in Indian conditions, but it was correct decision to bowl first and Rohit as well said so. Dinesh Karthik gave top notch pitch report, " Speaking about the pitch, it's a red soil pitch. It means that there will be some bounce and spin. The groundsmen have left some residual moisture underneath. The pacers will have a say in the early phase."

India's first innings started with a collapse, Rohit (6), Virat (6), Gill (0) and Rahul (0) failing to score runs and Hassan Mahmud took five wicket haul. Jaiswal played a solid knock of 56 runs off 118 balls, Pant was looking good but got out by scoring 39 runs off 52 balls. But the main savior were Jadeja and Ashwin, the duo made in heaven. They made an partnership of 199 and saved Indian team from getting all out early. Ashwin scored a well made hundred and Jadeja scored 86 runs. India's first innings total was 376.

In the 2nd innings, India got first Bangladeshi batter in the 1st over and who else will get it, none other than Bumrah. India kept on taking wickets at regularly and no Bangladeshi batter scored even 35 runs (Shakib was highest run scorer with 32 runs). Bumrah took total of 4 Bangladeshi batters and he was accompanied by Siraj, Akashdeep and Jadeja (2 wickets each). 

India had an option to impose follow on but they instead choose to bat again. We saw Gill's redemption, he along with Rishabh scored 100. Rohit and India declared the innings on 287/4, giving a whopping target of 515 to Bangladesh. Rahul looked good while batting before the declaration. I personally feel Rahul should bat 1 down and Gill at no. 5 this will be a good batting line-up. 

Bangla batters tried their very best and had some partnerships in between but the target was nearly impossible to reach on the pitch like this. Bangladesh Captain Najmul Hussain Shanto scored 82 runs off 127 balls. India's spin duo were amazing in the fourth innings both taking 9 wickets combined. Ashwin took another fifer and received a well deserved man of the match for scoring century and fifer in the match. In the end India cleaned up Bangladesh batters for just 234 runs and won the test match by 280 runs.

CONCLUSION:

India had a great test match and youngsters are playing some good cricket. The senior players should be the standout players in the 2nd test match. Rahul will probably has the last chance to fix his place in the team. I hope he performs because there is no way we are going with Sarfaraz against Australia. Hoping for a great 2nd match and expecting similar kind of fight back from Bangladesh. 

THANK YOU

ADVAIT KADAM 

(Sports Management Student)

INDIA VS BANGLADESH TEST SERIES 1ST MATCH SQUAD ANNOUNCED

 Squad Overview:

1. Rohit Sharma (C)
2. Yashasvi Jaiswal
3. Shubman Gill
4. Virat Kohli
5. KL Rahul
6. Sarfaraz Khan
7. Rishabh Pant (wk)
8. Dhruv Jurel (wk)
9. R. Ashwin
10. Axar Patel
11. Ravindra Jadeja
12. Kuldeep Yadav
13. Jasprit Bumrah
14. Mohammed Siraj
15. Akash Deep
16. Yash Dayal

Probable XI:

1. Rohit Sharma (C)
2. Yashasvi Jaiswal
3. Shubman Gill
4. Virat Kohli
5. KL Rahul
6. Rishabh Pant (wk)
7. Axar Patel
8. R. Ashwin
9. Kuldeep Yadav
10. Jasprit Bumrah
11. Mohammed Siraj

Analysis:

This is a solid squad, and it’s great to see that India has strong pacers in reserve. It's likely that either Ravindra Jadeja or Kuldeep Yadav will miss out, as Axar Patel and R. Ashwin are almost certain to play. Bumrah is expected to be rested after the first Test, which could give Akash Deep a chance to play. Yash Dayal, however, might not get an opportunity in this series.

Duleep Trophy Performers:

Before analyzing the squad in detail, let's review some standout performers from the first match of the Duleep Trophy. These matches provided an excellent platform for young talents to showcase their skills.

Akash Deep: After his outstanding performance against England in the home series, Akash Deep has continued his impressive form in the Duleep Trophy. He is a genuine Test match bowler, consistently hitting the right lengths and taking crucial wickets. In his match against India B, he took 9 wickets with an astounding average of 12.89. Such a brilliant spell in Indian conditions is noteworthy, and it's almost certain that he’ll be part of the squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). His performance was top-notch, leaving everyone speechless.

Musheer Khan: Don’t be surprised if Musheer Khan gets a maiden Test call-up soon. He possesses remarkable talent, playing both swing and spin with great technique. Given India's need for a reliable No. 3 batter, especially after moving on from Pujara, Musheer could be a strong contender. Shubman Gill has struggled in the Test format, and India might soon start looking for new talent. Musheer also bowls off-spin, adding value as a part-time bowler. He scored 181 runs in 2 innings at an average of 90.5.

KL Rahul: KL Rahul often faces criticism, but he is quite solid in the Test format. He could be a great option to bat at No. 3 instead of Gill. Though his first match wasn’t spectacular, scoring 94 runs at an average of 47 in challenging conditions secures his place in the team as a pure batter, especially now that Rishabh Pant is back. According to some sources, he is expected to start in the XI, which likely means Sarfaraz Khan will miss out.

Dhruv Jurel: Although Dhruv Jurel didn’t perform well with the bat in the first match, his wicketkeeping was exceptional. This makes him a valuable asset to the Indian team as a wicketkeeper-batter. He had a strong home series against England, contributing significantly to India’s victories. While he may not start in the XI, he is likely to be the backup keeper for a considerable period.

Other Players: Yash Dayal, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Axar Patel, Navdeep Saini, and Riyan Parag Played brilliantly. These matches serve as an important test for young talent in red-ball cricket. The selectors are closely monitoring performances, and these players could influence the squad selection for the BGT.

Conclusion: The squad selected is arguably the best India can field at the moment, with no major omissions. These matches will serve as a crucial exam for young players. Players like Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill will be tested, especially against spinners. Gill has struggled with inswingers, a flaw exposed by bowlers like James Anderson in the past, Navdeep Saini recently trapped him for incoming deliveries. While playing against new ball, one need to keep his head in direction of the front foot. In the video mentioned below, you can see Gill's head was not in a great position, hence he misjudged the incoming delivery and got bowled. Virat Kohli, too, needs to refine his technique against spin. A century from him in the upcoming series against Bangladesh would be highly encouraging.

Thank you,
Advait Kadam
(Sports Management Student)

PAKISTAN LOST 2-0 AGAINST BANGLADESH IN THEIR OWN DECK

 Bangladesh played amazing game of Cricket in the 2 matches they played. Every player gave their 100% and helped the team to win historical series on Pakistan soil. Some stand out players for Bangladesh were Liton Das - 194 runs in 2 innings at an average of 97 and best score of 138 runs, Mushfiqur Rahim - 216 runs in 3 innings at an average of 108 and best score of 191, Nahid Rana - 6 wickets in 4 innings at an average of 39.5. Stats seems to be poor but the impact he had in the 2nd test helped the team win. And finally the player of the series Mehidy Hasan Miraz - in batting: 155 runs in 2 innings at an average of 77.5, in bowling: 10 wickets in 4 innings at an average of 18.6, which is extraordinary. 

For Pakistan this series was a nightmare and they need to improve a lot in terms of their brand of cricket overall. Even though, they lost the series but they had some players who played well like Mohammad Rizwan - 294 runs in 4 innings with an average of 98 and best score of 171, Saud Shakeel - 159 runs in 4 innings at an average of 39.75. He only had one good inning of 141 runs and Khurram Shehzad - 9 wickets in 3 innings with an average of 24.44. He was the only successful bowler for Pakistan. 

A very poor performance by Pakistan but it was not only because of the players the internal team environment is not so good and politics is ruining them.

WHAT WENT WRONG FOR PAKISTAN?

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed 5 mentors. Instead of wasting money on mentors, Wouldn't they be better off investing in a top level analytics department Instead?

Around 3-4 days before I saw Dan Weston's post on LinkedIn, Misbah Ul-Haq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Malik being appointed PCB ‘Mentors’.

According to Cricinfo, “The mentor roles have come under scrutiny not least for the salaries involved. Each of the five is believed to be on three-year contracts, earning in the range of PKR 5 million (approx. USD 18,000) per month. Those salaries have raised eyebrows because they are higher than what is paid to all but the most elite Pakistani cricketers - the category A players, Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan, in the central contracts pool.”

“For perspective, just the mentor salaries will total about half the PCB's entire broadcast deal for bilateral international cricket at home over the next 30 months. From August 2024 to December 2026, the PCB's broadcast deal is worth between USD 6 to 6.5 million. Salaries for the five mentors in that time will amount to approximately USD 2.7 million.”

“The roles are separate from coaching - each side will have a separate yet-to-be-announced coaching set-up - and do not require coaching qualifications. Three of the five mentors have served as Pakistan's head coach in the recent past and the PCB has not made public what metrics the mentors will be evaluated by, or why they believe the outlay will offer a return on investment.”

Considering this, around $2.7m will be spent on contracts for the mentors, with there being little clarity given on accountability. Plus, mentors is a vague term in cricket - I’m still not sure what they do, or are supposed to do.

This is a high cost investment from the PCB which is far from guaranteed to yield any dividends. Instead of $2.7 on these five mentors, they could spend 20% on establishing the best analytical department in international cricket and save over $2m in the process - a move which would be highly likely to have a higher expected win % than hiring these mentors.

There is definitely something political involvement in PCB, and I really don't know from where they are getting funds for this. 

To conclude, Bangladesh will now tour India from 19th September and we can expect them to give a tough fight to us as they will have a lot of confidence inside them. It will be a great series to watch out. India on the other will have to find solutions to tackle Bangladeshi spinners on Chennai pitch. Comment your predictions for India vs Bangladesh Test Series.

THANK YOU, 

ADVAIT KADAM

(Sports Management Student)