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Sehwag at the crossroads
For Sehwag, losing the vice-captaincy can be seen as either a slap on the wrist or a gauntlet hurled down, write Anand Vasu and Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
Nishi Narayanan
25-Feb-2013
Lost amid the din over Sourav Ganguly's return to the Indian team was the removal of Virender Sehwag from the vice-captain's post. Yet it's a decision with greater long-term implications, involving as it does a player who should be in the prime of his career and who has the potential to be peerless in his time, but who is instead in a deep slump in form.
There are, as always, two sides to the story but the story itself is a depressingly familiar one of miscommunication and mistrust. The case against Sehwag is of indiscipline, his defence is a deep-rooted sense of hurt and a bruised ego. Falling between the two are missed runs for the player and missed opportunities for his team.
On the face of it this is a slap on the wrist for Sehwag. Rumours about an attitude problem - specifically that he did not stick to dietary and training prescriptions when away from the side - have been doing the rounds for a while. Indeed, his falling out with his coach Greg Chappell dates back to the latter's early days, and the sacking of Ganguly - whom Sehwag was relatively close to - as India captain.
Full postCricket-style entertainment at The Rose Bowl
John Stern worries about the growing number of Test grounds in England why they are now called resorts...
Nishi Narayanan
25-Feb-2013
John Stern
Cricket's bulging lexicon welcomed a new phrase this week. For those deluded souls who believe that when they attend a match they are visiting a 'cricket ground' have been put firmly in their outmoded place.
No, the future of international cricket in England is at a 'sports and entertainment resort' according to Rod 'Loadsamoney' Bransgrove, the chairman of Hampshire whose ambitious Rose Bowl venue was awarded provisional Test status this week.
Full postHard work and a hunger for runs
Bob Woolmer on how Mohammad Yousuf has managed to pile on the runs and break Viv Richards's record
Nishi Narayanan
25-Feb-2013
Bob Woolmer
When I started my stint with Pakistan Mohammad Yousuf was Yousuf Youhana, a very fine player whom I admired, who timed the ball well and was an obvious choice for the Pakistan team - though judging from the feedback on my website not everyone agreed. He was, in fact, the first player I bumped into as he religiously (excuse me) came to the gym at the academy where I was and still am billeted.
Yousuf is a quiet man, a dedicated professional when it comes to batting and training. I always begin discussions with batsmen by asking questions to find out their likes and dislikes, what they consider important. When I threw those questions at him he was immediately receptive and willing to discuss his technique.
Full postOld man in the fast lane
McGrath's practice of focusing on precision over pace means he has more fuel in his tank today than faster bowlers writes Michael Holding
Nishi Narayanan
25-Feb-2013
Michael Holding
Fast bowling is a young man's job with all the effort and stress that the body goes through to propel that ball down to the other end. But there are exceptions to every rule and in recent times two gentlemen have gone a long way towards proving that point; Courtney Walsh successfully stretched his career into the late 30s and now Glenn McGrath is seeking to do the same.
Most fast bowlers have already started to lose a fair amount of pace as they approach their mid-thirties, and their existence in the team has begun to depend more on guile than speed through the air, but even the most gifted find it difficult to exist past the age of 35 or so.
Full postWhen <i>Chhotu</i> & Polly drew the crowds one last time
Anand Vasu attends the funeral and remembrance service of Hanumant Singh, the former Indian batsman
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
The difference between cold news and hard reality was brought home like a slap in the face at 4.30pm in Chandanwadi, Mumbai where Hanumant Singh was cremated. Until then he had been merely a former Indian cricketer who had featured in 14 Tests and then faded away in debatable circumstances, through injury. At the crematorium, however, with Mumbai's cricket fraternity coming together to pay their last respects, Hanumant Singh became Chhotu, as even those much younger to him referred to him.
It was a chance for captains of the team then known as Bombay, who had played against Hanumant in as many as seven Ranji finals, to show the respect they had for their Chhotu. Madhav Apte, Ajit Wadekar and Bapu Nadkarni were all right at the forefront, consoling Sangram Singh, Hanumant's son and himself a cricketer, and it was ironic that the one captain who had played against Hanumant who was missing - Polly Umrigar, had died earlier this month.
Full postFatal flaws at the death
India's bowlers have often been expensive at the slog and they have neither a good yorker or a slower ball to control the run-rate
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
by Dileep Premachandran
For more than half the innings, it was a near-impeccable bowling display. Zaheer Khan provided the incisions at the top of the order and Anil Kumble tightened the noose with his legspin. But in the final 10 overs, near-perfect became perfectly abysmal as Justin Kemp and Andrew Hall ravaged the bowling for 113 runs. Kemp smashed seven sixes, and Zaheer's last two overs went for 31 in an unforgettable display of power-hitting.
Full postMore than a replacement
Sambit Bal
Kanishkaa Balachandran
25-Feb-2013
Sambit Bal
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The most unfortunate of events has led to one wrong being righted. India have lost their captain and best batsman to a finger injury, and Rahul Dravid is quite irreplaceable at the moment. But the tragedy has opened a door for VVS Laxman, who should have been on the flight to South Africa on November 12 in the first place.
There were several plausible reasons to keep Laxman out of the one-day team. One, he can bat only at number three; he is too reliant on subtlety and touch to be able to summon the violence required in the later overs. And for the top three slots, he has been competing with Sachin Tendulkar, Dravid and Virender Sehwag. Unlike the last World Cup, it was never a case of Laxman v Dinesh Mongia. Mongia was picked this time for a specific role: to bowl five overs of flat and stump-to-stump left-arm spin, the kind of which can be handy on slow and low West Indian pitches, and bat at No 7.
Full postAustralia confirm their hunger
Ricky Ponting and his mates had England for breakfast, lunch and dinner on the second day at Brisbane, writes Peter English
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
25-Feb-2013
Peter English
Australia have treated England like peas on a dinner plate. In the field they were pushed around, squeezed and skewered before Ricky Ponting eventually decided to end his batsmen's meal. Then it was Glenn McGrath who picked up the fork.
Once again only Andrew Flintoff managed not to burst. The series is young but he is already in danger of carrying as much weight as Andy Flower when he was dragging Zimbabwe. The burden is a worry for his left ankle, which is still being strengthened after surgery.
Full postGolden boy grows up
Michael Clarke is ready to seize his chance, writes Peter English
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
by Peter English
In the winter Michael Clarke added a smart tattoo to his left forearm. Don't be concerned, he's not going through a mid-life crisis. There's no new fast car or a plan to copy Michael Slater's reckless batting. The message Carpe Diem, scrawled thickly but neatly on his skin, is not to show his love of Latin but acts instead as an unwashable reminder. All he needs now is an Ashes day to seize.
Full postHead to head: The key Ashes battles
Andrew Miller takes a look at seven of the most important match-ups of the 2006-07 Ashes
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
by Andrew Miller
As both captains have said, it's time for the talking to stop. Tomorrow's eagerly anticipated first Test contains a number of head-to-heads that could prove pivotal in the destination of the Ashes. Here, Cricinfo takes a look at seven of the most important match-ups
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