overthewicket-blog

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> Their play has been patchy but were the seeds of this torrid summer sown earlier in the year by the retention and auction strategy adopted by the franchise? You don't say

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So how does this matrix - population, wealth, experience and knowledge networks - apply to cricket?

Ed Smith of Cricinfo feels India has a competitive advantage due to these factors favoring India and equates that to India's recent success in limited overs competitions.

What India lacks is administration/leadership which can make full use of these factors and take the team to where it needs to be. You can say that for the entire country.

ESPNCricinfo

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In the IPL, MI continue to reserve Pollard for the last few overs and as usual he isn't able to make any impact. At 41/2 in 8 overs with Rayudu already on 13, and the required rate at 10.25 you would think that would be the right time for a stroke player like Pollard to come in. But instead he comes in the 16th over with MI still needing 60 odd runs. Middle overs are also the overs when the opposition typically will try to get through some overs from their part timers.

The debutants Hussey and Anderson for MI had a pretty poor game. Hussey never got a start, while Anderson was poor with the ball conceding too many runs at the death. MI depend on both these players otherwise their batting looks pretty weak and they will have a tough time reaching the semis.

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"When it comes to the talent part, we definitely have bowlers who can bowl well," Dhoni said. "But at the same time they will have to start using their brains more and improvise themselves what needs to be done. This is one area where we lack when it comes to the fast-bowling department.

Very likely that both Zaheer and Yuvraj will be in the squad for the next World Cup.

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When he came on to bowl, India's openers had put on 45 in seven overs. Bennett's first over went for 10. Facing him in his second was ODI batting machine Kohli, who had made 123 and 78 in Napier and Hamilton. But Bennett put to rest the frustration of years past with a quick, disciplined burst which nailed one of the best batsmen in the world.

Always good to hear about a fast bowler who returns from injury and does well. India were sailing smoothly before the bowling partnership of Bennett and Anderson came along. They maintained tight lines with the occasional short ball to keep the batsman guessing. Unfortunately the introduction of part timer Williamson thereafter reduced some of that pressure and helped Dhoni and Raina to build a partnership. Later on some late order hitting from Aswin and Jadeja turned the game around in India's favor and the game ended in a tie.

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Doolan, 28, is the only uncapped player in the squad and will be battling with Marsh for a place in the top six for the opening Test in Cenutrion. Doolan had a breakout Sheffield Shield season last summer but this year has managed 391 runs at 39.10. However, his Shield form has been superior to that of Marsh, who this season sits 34th on the Shield run tally with 248 runs at 31.00, including only one fifty-plus score - it was a century - from his nine innings.

Ten days ago, Marsh described his Shield form as "really inconsistent this year" and declared that there were "a lot of guys ahead of me" in the Test queue, but the selectors seem to have disagreed.

They are winning in spite of what the selectors are doing. No backup for Lyon, so finally the spinner is fixed.

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Mitch loving it up with the urn. @getty

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Shane Warne : Don’t underestimate the job Johnson has done. That sheer pace - England did not expect that. They will say they did not underestimate Australia but I think that is absolute rubbish. They underestimated Australia.

Who didn't?

Simon Hughes, Shane Warne & Derek Pringle discuss the Ashes and England

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That is the stats out of the way. What is interesting to evaluate is the why and why not. When Ian Bell went on his three-ton spree on sporting pitches in the first, second and fourth Tests in England, he set up crucial victories. He was the difference. In the third and fifth Tests, Bell wasn't required to score crucial runs as the pitches were friendlier, and two draws resulted. After that, in Australia, as his runs dried up completely, so too did England.

Throughout both series, England's senior men, Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen and Matt Prior, have not been factors of any note, never able to score those crucial runs. Therefore England, without Bell scoring a hundred, have been utterly ineffective. Nothing came from their senior leadership group, excluding Bell. Nothing over six months. Why? There are two reasons, I believe.

With all the attention going to Aussie bowlers, Martin Crowe has a look at the batsmen from both sides.

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Rarely has an innings of such grievous bowling harm come from a New Zealand bat. The first of the modern genre was Lance Cairns' six sixes at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in February 1983, which included pasting Dennis Lillee one-handed over deep square leg. Another was Nathan Astle's 222, the fastest Test double-century, during a defeat to England in Christchurch in 2002. Brendon McCullum's 158 not out off 73 balls for Kolkata against Bangalore in the first IPL match, in 2008, also cemented his reputation as a power-hitter.

If last year's IPL auction is a gauge, relatively unknown players outside their country of origin - like Australians Glenn Maxwell and Kane Richardson and South African Chris Morris - can earn lucrative sums. Add in Anderson breaking Shahid Afridi's 17-year ODI century record and he should come to the bidding armed with a suitcase. He may thank Queenstown's inclement New Year's Day weather for the rest of his life.

Reminds me of Richard Levi from South Africa. Playing in New Zealand around Feb 2012, he went on to smash 16 sixes before reaching the fastest hundred in T20 off 45 balls. Was signed up by Mumbai Indians for IPL and opened with Tendulkar at the top of the order. In the IPL his inability to play spin meant he struggled to achieve those heights and in general hasn't been able to perform in the same vein again.

Not that Corey Anderson will go the same way, but better scouting does help.

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Rarely have we seen turnaround like the one Australia have just effected, but the gulf between the two teams is not as vast as the scoreline might suggest

This is true for both the Ashes series. England have been playing in second gear throughout, this didn't matter in the first series as Australia were struggling with all the off field controversies. But this time around they have been more prepared and have been able to raise their game. It's unlikely that England will turn this around so soon with inexperienced players being added to the squad for players who have left the tour midway. Accepting 5-0 result is tough, but it's time to go back to the drawing room and rebuild the squad.

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South Africa and India play an intense one-Test series, although the BCCI is obliged to cancel the last three days to fit in an ODI tournament.

LOL

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Late to the International arena he still managed to make most of the five years there.

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Graeme Swann has announced his retirement from all international and first-class cricket

Big blow for England and to International cricket in general. A good quality spin bowler is a rare breed these days and it leaves a huge gaping hole to fill. Timing of his decision has come to question but he has struggled to get wickets this series and is finding it harder to complete a five day game. No point in playing the remaining two tests just for the sake of it. By giving way, he has given an opportunity to the next in line to get some much needed experience and for the selectors and captain to get a good look at him.

This couldn't have come at a better time for Monty. He has been in the news for all the wrong reasons and there couldn't be a better feeling than being called upon as the lead spinner for the remaining two tests.

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The subject of Barmy Army taunts in previous Ashes campaigns, Johnson had always struggled to live up to expectations against England, remembered more for his wayward spells than his challenging ones. But at 32, now a husband and father with a greater perspective on life and cricket, Johnson entered this series in a different state of mind. He has been, without question, Australia's most influential player in the series.

What a comeback. Kudos to Johnson!

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Mitchell Johnson leaps in joy as he rips through England’s batting line-up on day 02.

Getty

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I believe a more important ingredient for success is self-esteem. This remains pretty much the same, whether the athlete succeeds or fails. An athlete with high self-esteem will not rely on results to look good, and will not fear failure or be too concerned about looking bad. They thus will not be pressurised by low form nor become over-confident with a run of good form.

"An athlete with low self-esteem relies on good results to feel good, and fears poor results and the accompanying not looking/feeling good. This person will struggle to come back from low form, and may lose good form early due to over-confidence," Upton said. "Viru does not need to continue playing international cricket - he has left his legacy already - but he may want to continue."

Paddy Upton, India's former mental conditioning coach, says the solution is up to Sehwag

True