The Surfer

Last ball heroics: 1993 Hero Cup semi-final vs SA (Nov 24): Sachin Tendulkar conceded only three runs in the final over against South Africa at Eden Gardens as India won by 2 runs and booked a berth in the final. It was skipper Mohammed Azharuddin's 90 that rescued India from a collapse.

During India’s disastrous tour of England in the summer, their ragged fielding was a barometer of their general state of mind. Nasser Hussain even sparked some over-the-top outrage by branding one or two of their fielders ‘donkeys’.

But, by backing a young side, India have turned things round: Suresh Raina, Kohli and Jadeja have all been electric. England have just been shoddy. And that has had other repercussions: when Bresnan dived over the ball in Mohali, Dernbach blew a gasket, prompting Dhoni to point out the benefits of being nice to each other.

"It was frustrating and disappointing that we couldn't finish the game but it really angered me that Flintoff took his t-shirt off and burst into wild celebrations. It was nice to see that Sourav gave it back to them very soon after that. I was glad to see that Sourav took it emotionally and let his feelings flow when the team came from behind to register a famous victory at Lord's ...," says Badani.

Being the man he is, Cook will turn this to advantage. The way he has learned the craft of batting is perfectly indicative. By adapting and adjusting, he has found a way of rectifying limitations when the gifts he has been handed might seem to preclude a way being found. He is a stubbornly determined beggar. The refurbishments as a Test batsman and reconstructions as one-day player have not been pretty but they have been effective, illustrating an admirable strength.

Both were respected captains, Jayawardene intuitive, Sangakkara calculating. And it is their voices, articulate and reasoned, that are always sought out from the country.

But the real question, as far as Tests are concerned, is whether a swing bowler of Praveen’s ilk, who only occasionally grazes the 132 mark, never mind the 140s, can bowl as part of a two man seam attack in India or prosper on hard Australian wickets? These are questions hanging in the air ahead of the home Tests against the West Indies and the trip Down Under immediately after that.

Responsibility can make or break a sportsman. By the look of things, Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli are ready to meet the challenge. Rahane averages 69 in first class cricket, an exceptional return indicating he is a run-maker not a mere flash in the pan. Kohli has been around so long it's easy to forget he is only 22, and can be forgiven the errors of youth. Anyhow youngsters need a bit of pickle in them.

Worryingly, however – on England's part anyway – it appears to be a reflection on the sort of behaviour that is now standard in the domestic game on which the England team, most of them, cut their cricket teeth and which one very senior umpire described last summer as a disgrace. County captains and coaches have something to answer in that regard, while match referees need determination and strong backing if they are to police it properly.

Menon speaks movingly of Bedi’s generosity to young cricketers. The former India captain regularly takes youngsters on educative tours of England, raising funds and arranging matches for them himself. Each time Menon himself visited his subject, he met cricketers from the mofussil staying at Bedi’s home. This nobility of spirit manifested itself early. An old teacher of Bedi’s told Menon that as a schoolboy he was often seen wheeling around a disabled classmate. “Former players have reduced ‘giving back to the game’ to a cliché,” writes Menon, “Bedi has rescued the cliché and restored it to its original import.”

After devastating India at Lord's a few months ago, Stuart Broad credited his having been left out of England's one-day squad and allowed to play a county match for Nottingham-shire, where the red ball had encouraged him to pitch the ball up and regain his swing. In other words, whoever designed CA's schedule did not have the priorities of fast bowlers in mind.

Whose priorities were served? It's obvious when you peruse the Bash fixtures: the states. There are fixtures at the SCG while the MCG Test is in progress and vice versa; Bashes on 11 Test match evenings, the final coinciding with the Perth Test's scheduled last day.