IPL Diaries
Taking in McLeodganj
Ben Rohrer clocks plenty of air miles, visits the Taj Mahal and McLeod Ganj and explains why Chennai is a shock to the system
Ben Rohrer
19-May-2013
After beating Kolkata Knight Riders to make it two from two in Raipur, I headed back to Sydney for a few days to get married. It took 32 hours' travel to get there, but the day itself went perfectly. The weather was good for our outdoor ceremony and then the reception was a great night of celebration with our closest friends and family.
There wasn't much time to spare, as the day after the wedding I was back at the airport and on a flight to Jaipur for our clash with Rajasthan Royals two days later. My wife Zoe came with me and we'd have a week together as the first part of our honeymoon - we will be heading to New York and Mexico in June for the rest. The match against Royals was another disappointing result: we were 20 short with the bat and outclassed by three very good batsmen in Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Dravid and Shane Watson. Personally, it was nice to get some runs and show what I can do.
It was back to Delhi for our last home game, against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Once again, we played well in patches, controlling the Royal Challengers batting line-up until the final four overs. In those overs Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers took 77 to post an imposing 183. In the chase, we had a lot of guys getting starts, but could not quite get over the line, losing another close one by four runs.
Full postLate-night table tennis, catch-ups, and a birthday
Chris Morris plays late-night table tennis, meets lots of South African team-mates, and celebrates his birthday
Chris Morris
15-May-2013
It has been a while since I last wrote, but in that time we've just done so much travelling that this is the first time I'm getting to stay in Chennai for a couple of days. It's quite nice to be in one place and I've really settled into the lifestyle we have here.
At first I thought it was odd when guys would stay up until 3 or 4am, then sleep until noon and get up to have a lunch that is actually a breakfast, but now I'm doing it too. We have table tennis tournaments and pool games that go on late into the evenings and my goal is to try and beat R Ashwin at table tennis at least once. He is just a machine and no one can get past him.
I think that's a small example of how much of a family set-up this CSK side is. I know it's a cliché but I really think that is one of the reasons we've done so well up to now. In fact, we saw Morne Morkel and Johan Botha last night when we played Delhi Daredevils and it's obvious their camp is going through some really dark days. It helps a lot to be winning.
Full postThe arms race between batsmen and bowlers
T20 cricket has encouraged an arms race of sorts between the batsmen and bowlers, in which one side try to one-up one another in a bid to dominate
Ryan ten Doeschate
05-May-2013
There has been an increasing number of close finishes in this year's IPL and despite the points table being slightly top heavy, it has been a very competitive tournament. Initially this format was thought to be all about the batsmen with the bowlers being ancillary components to feed the audience's lust for big hitting. Although batters win more Man-of-the-Match awards than bowlers, a skilful bowling unit is an absolute necessity to achieving consistency in results.
One of the notable evolutions of Twenty20 cricket has been the punching and counter-punching battle between bat and ball. It is a never ending fight to out think, out plan and then execute the skills that can place either discipline above the other. Hitting yorkers for boundaries is an essential skill for any middle-order batsmen and the reason that they are not as popular as many commentators wish is because batsmen have become incredibly adept at whacking them out the park. The lap sweep (and reverse if you fancy) are also regularly employed to combat a good yorker.
And so the bowling army looked to expand its artillery. The slower ball is the most basic of weapons that a seam bowler can have. It has been refined and many variations have been developed: off and leg cutter, split finger, single finger, and the latest being the slower ball bumper. It initially had batsmen perplexed in the final overs of an innings. It is still a very effective delivery, but in an attempt to get on top of it we see it getting dispatched over square leg and extra cover with increasing regularity. Batsmen have learned to anticipate it and sit deep in their crease.
Full postA legend, a turnaround, and some karaoke
Daredevils finally turn it around somewhat. The celebrations include singing along to the Backstreet Boys
Ben Rohrer
01-May-2013
When your team is losing, you're always looking for "how to turn things around". Are we preparing properly? Is there anything more we can do at training? Is the make-up of the team correct? What can we do to improve team morale? These are all questions that have been asked over the last few weeks at Delhi Daredevils.
Heading into our match against Chennai, we'd tried just about everything - meetings, different training sessions, different line-ups. Unfortunately, after playing in the previous game, I was left out of the side in favour of a sixth bowling option. It turned out to be our worst performance so far, with one of my idols, Mike Hussey, playing another great innings for CSK.
Following that result, Sir Viv Richards was brought in to give us advice and share his opinions on the game. The first impression I had of Sir Viv was that he carried himself with an air of confidence, a trademark of his playing days. He spoke at our team meeting before our game against Mumbai and we were hanging on to his every word. He talked a lot about being in the contest, and letting the opposition know that you are up for it. "Bring the mustard," was a phrase he used.
Full postUnravelling the unravelling
How to deal with the lows as a team
Ryan ten Doeschate
23-Apr-2013
Screaming fans, smiling faces, high fives, effective analysis, the regularity of clockwork - even if there is the occasional blip. This is what teams and players strive for, and ultimately what fans expect from the teams they support. Nobody said it was easy and if they did, they have probably never played sport, definitely not IPL cricket.
The variables of our great game stack the odds of success against the player. The importance of a toss, the nature of a pitch, the decision of an umpire, and the occasional ability of a ball to move or straighten can define what sort of a day a cricketer has. The best batsman in the world will have far more bad days than good, and the lot of a bowler is all too well known. Barring the elite few who have mastered this game, it's a constant struggle to come out on top. One thing that separates the good from the exceptional is their ability to handle these cycles, when the good days become as common as blue moons.
The team performance cycle is even trickier to deal with and a sterner test of character than a player's handling of his personal performances. With self-reflection and dealing with lapses in personal form (despite the variables mentioned), the subject remains constant and you manage to find a way of dealing with the highs and lows. Each guy is personally responsible and accountable for the choices he makes out there. Conversely, the team's performance is the sum of individual efforts, of which over 90% is beyond your personal control. It is the captain and the coach who are responsible for channeling and directing the group's effort, but within the group opinions on selection, batting orders, decisions and tactics may vary. When things are going well this responsibility unfolds without notice (and everyone's opinions are implicitly in sync with the decision makers); when things don't go well it has the potential to be a poison.
Full postThree shirts, eight sweat bands, and 4000 Twitter followers
It's hot, it's noisy, and there's plenty of travel involved, but Chris Morris is having the coolest time ever at the IPL
Chris Morris
21-Apr-2013
I'm writing this just before going to my first IPL after party, after beating Kolkata Knight Riders. I'm quite excited about that, especially after hearing some of the stories of Bollywood glamour. The whole experience of playing against Knight Riders was awesome and Eden Gardens was fantastically loud.
I can't believe I've already played five matches in the tournament. The last 11 days have been a bit of a blur and everything has happened so quickly. But let me take you back to the beginning, when I made my IPL debut against Kings XI Punjab.
My nerves took over when it was announced that I was in the starting XI. I thought I'd play it cool going to the ground only to leave my kit at the hotel. It was a very embarrassing moment but quite funny.
Full postLive from the Super Over
Six to win off the last ball of a tiebreaker? Been there
Ben Rohrer
17-Apr-2013
These are the moments you dream of: having to hit the last ball for six to win the game.
I'm in Bangalore, making my IPL debut, and we've reached the end of the Super Over after a tie. On strike for that final ball, I'm thinking: keep my shape, keep my head still. He's going full, and if he misses his length, I've got it. But he doesn't miss and I get cleaned up. Shattered.
The week hasn't exactly gone to plan. Being 0 in 3 in the tournament, we needed a win to change the momentum. The boys had prepared well and the addition of Virender Sehwag had given everyone a lift. Unfortunately the "cricketing gods" are not on our side at the moment, as we lost first to Sunrisers in the last over and then RCB in that Super Over. In both games we were probably 20 runs short of what we needed, but our fight and belief kept us in the contest. We know we are not far away, and we now have three home games to turn things around.
Full postA slow start, packed houses, and a Delhi tip
Daredevils have not got off the blocks in the best fashion but it's early days yet
Ben Rohrer
12-Apr-2013
As a latecomer to the Delhi Daredevils squad, I arrived from Australia on the morning of game two, against Rajasthan. After a couple of hours' sleep it was straight to theteam meeting to get acquainted with my new team-mates.
I felt like a kid on his first day at high school, and only knowing a few people, I stick to them like glue. I haven't seen Dave Warner for a few months, and he looks like he hasn't eaten in all of that time. He's lost 8kg on his carb-free diet, and "The Bull" is now looking more like "The Gazelle".
We controlled the run chase well against the Royals, needing just 23 off 18 balls. But a run-out and some very good deathbowling from Kevon Cooper saw us fall five runs short. A disappointing result, but a great learning curve for our young batsmen.
Full postKnight Riders' engine room
The people who keep Kolkata Knight Riders fit and ready
Ryan ten Doeschate
11-Apr-2013
"Be the first on the training ground and the last off it." I can't find the exact quote or its author, but this paraphrased line projects the Hollywood image of a hard-working, pro athlete walking off the field of a huge empty stadium long after the rest of the squad have showered up. It is an exaggerated and sensationalised picture, but this is what popped into my mind when thinking of a way to introduce our conditioning coach to you.
Bizarrely, this effort that I have described is just the work he does outside of his job description. Adrian le Roux is a tireless worker, helping out with fielding drills and throwing to the batters till the curator has to switch the lights off. Adrian was a trainer with the South African and Indian cricket teams and his main role at Knight Riders is managing workloads and monitoring fitness levels to ensure that the players can stay fresh to perform over the length of the competition. He does all our gym programmes and is in charge of recovery between games. The conditioning for batsmen and bowlers varies widely, as you can imagine, and even within these classes, one individual's needs may vary greatly from another.
This is the epitome of the 'support staff' member. It is a thing of the modern cricketing (and other pro-sports) era. I know it initially raised a few eyebrows, but in this day where sport has become so scientific and the marginal gains so small, it is essential to have specialists who work to bring out the best of the players when it comes to match time. These guys are essential to the performance of the players.
Full postSettling in with Chennai's Super Kings
Chris Morris gets his first taste of flying business-class, what it means to be a high-profile cricketer in India, and the IPL
Chris Morris
10-Apr-2013
After being part of the team that won the South African domestic 20-over tournament, Lions, things have gone really quickly for me and one of my opponents on the day of that final, Albie Morkel. We left Johannesburg on Monday afternoon, and flew via Addis Ababa and Delhi to Chandigarh, to meet up with Chennai Super Kings.
It was an unusual route but it ended up being the best way for us to travel. It was my first time flying business class and the best thing about it was being able to lie flat on a plane. Our first flight was five-and-a-half hours and we got to Addis in time for the Manchester derby. I'm a United supporter and when we had to board again the score was still 1-all, so I was in a pretty good mood - until I got to India and heard we had lost.
After another five-and-a-half hour flight, I was thankful the trip from Delhi to Chandigarh involved more time taxiing than in the air, and it was good to finally get there. One thing I realised on the way was how popular Albie is in India. He had a bottle of Jack Daniels in his bag, to take for one of the guys on our support staff, and there was a bit of a fuss of whether he was allowed to bring it on the flight. When the flight attendant saw it was Albie, he let it through.
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