Chika Talk
Kris Srikkanth
Ganguly's appetite for runs is growing
December 09, 2007
How often do we see such a dominant show from a batsman fighting for his place in the side? The innings compiled by Yuvraj Singh on Saturday signified the man in every aspect. Supremely confident and in total control he did not allow the opposition to nail home the advantage that was created by some creative bowling and thoughtless batting before lunch on Day One.
I have always stressed the importance of batsmen remaining positive and playing their natural game. Once Yuvraj saw off the first 20 minutes there were no worries for him and he treated the ball on merit rather than play to the situation.
Many players would have gone on to graft in that position but not Yuvraj who has time and again proved what an asset he could be in the middle order. The pace at which he scored has set the game up nicely for India.
Sourav Ganguly, on the other hand, guided Yuvraj well and his crucial contribution to the team cause was the acceptance of the second fiddle role. When your partner is scoring at such pace all you need to do is rotate the strike and Sourav did it brilliantly.
He is leaning much more when he plays the ball off his front foot and he is also more certain about his footwork. He gets either fully forward or back. This also helped greatly in timing the ball. His appetite for runs has grown ever since he made his comeback into the side and he is turning out to be a real asset in the top-order.
India have this knack of stringing big totals in succession. It has happened many times in the past and it is good for the side that it has its tail up before embarking on a tougher assignment. Dinesh Karthik and Irfan Pathan were studies in contrast.
The 'keeper is trying too hard sometimes. What can eventually happen is going after a delivery that is not loose enough. It has happened to him twice in a row. He threw it away after getting his eye in.
Irfan Pathan was cool, calm and collected. A brilliant striker of the ball, he thrives on playing straight. His technique is not watertight but he has the ability to shut out mistakes once he settles.
The Pakistan attack deprived of Shoaib Akthar was very ordinary and it was only natural for a player like Pathan to take full toll.
I am really unable to understand the reason behind Akthar's inclusion in the playing XI. If a player is not fit he has no business to be in the starting line-up. Pakistan took a chance and have already paid dearly for it.
I have never seen such a weak Pakistan attack. Their bench strength seems to have vanished and their strike bowlers are always under an injury cloud. It will be impossible for them to grab 20 wickets with this attack.
Danish Kaneria, of whom much was expected, has not been able to deliver in the first innings. He becomes a better bowler when the wicket wears a bit but as the spearhead of the attack he should have contributed more on the opening day. He gets faster through the air if wickets don't come his way. And I also felt he over used the googly especially to Sourav who read him well both off the hand and the wicket.
India would have done well with one more wicket but what was more important was they bowled well. It was nice to see Pathan hit his straps well and work up a decent pace. Anil Kumble will be a dangerous customer with the ball keeping increasingly low. If Harbhajan Singh can support his captain, it will be a tough ask for Pakistan to avoid the follow on.
The catching near the bat should live up to the task and not let the team down as it did in the previous Test.
Republished with permission from The Asian Age
I have always stressed the importance of batsmen remaining positive and playing their natural game. Once Yuvraj saw off the first 20 minutes there were no worries for him and he treated the ball on merit rather than play to the situation.
Many players would have gone on to graft in that position but not Yuvraj who has time and again proved what an asset he could be in the middle order. The pace at which he scored has set the game up nicely for India.
Sourav Ganguly, on the other hand, guided Yuvraj well and his crucial contribution to the team cause was the acceptance of the second fiddle role. When your partner is scoring at such pace all you need to do is rotate the strike and Sourav did it brilliantly.
He is leaning much more when he plays the ball off his front foot and he is also more certain about his footwork. He gets either fully forward or back. This also helped greatly in timing the ball. His appetite for runs has grown ever since he made his comeback into the side and he is turning out to be a real asset in the top-order.
India have this knack of stringing big totals in succession. It has happened many times in the past and it is good for the side that it has its tail up before embarking on a tougher assignment. Dinesh Karthik and Irfan Pathan were studies in contrast.
The 'keeper is trying too hard sometimes. What can eventually happen is going after a delivery that is not loose enough. It has happened to him twice in a row. He threw it away after getting his eye in.
Irfan Pathan was cool, calm and collected. A brilliant striker of the ball, he thrives on playing straight. His technique is not watertight but he has the ability to shut out mistakes once he settles.
The Pakistan attack deprived of Shoaib Akthar was very ordinary and it was only natural for a player like Pathan to take full toll.
I am really unable to understand the reason behind Akthar's inclusion in the playing XI. If a player is not fit he has no business to be in the starting line-up. Pakistan took a chance and have already paid dearly for it.
I have never seen such a weak Pakistan attack. Their bench strength seems to have vanished and their strike bowlers are always under an injury cloud. It will be impossible for them to grab 20 wickets with this attack.
Danish Kaneria, of whom much was expected, has not been able to deliver in the first innings. He becomes a better bowler when the wicket wears a bit but as the spearhead of the attack he should have contributed more on the opening day. He gets faster through the air if wickets don't come his way. And I also felt he over used the googly especially to Sourav who read him well both off the hand and the wicket.
India would have done well with one more wicket but what was more important was they bowled well. It was nice to see Pathan hit his straps well and work up a decent pace. Anil Kumble will be a dangerous customer with the ball keeping increasingly low. If Harbhajan Singh can support his captain, it will be a tough ask for Pakistan to avoid the follow on.
The catching near the bat should live up to the task and not let the team down as it did in the previous Test.
Republished with permission from The Asian Age
