It was really painful and boring to watch Rahul Dravid's struggle to find form in the first innings of the Mohali Test Match. Though he scored 136, he consumed whopping 328 deliveries making it the most boring test match innings I have seen in recent times. If not for the quick runs that came in the form of edges when he was nearing hundred, it would have taken him another full day to get to the century. These edges and a few attempted shots towards the end of his innings ensured that he had a respectable strike rate of 41.26 by the time he finished his innings. The commentators were yelling that Rahul needs to spend lot of time at the crease. Yeah! he listened to their advice and followed it strictly and in the process forgot to score runs. I was lucky that our cable operator suddenly became generous to give us Star Cricket channel and I happily watched the Australia and South Africa battle. 

Rahul Dravid, no doubt, is a great cricketer. Perhaps better than Sachin Tendulkar in terms of scoring runs when it matters most. Technically correct and has perfect temperament to play at the highest level. But it is also important for him to assess his present form, his contribution to the team and the bench strength that India has. Anil Kumble knew that his fitness wouldn't allow him to play further and Saurav Ganguly was aware that he would always be under the scanner, especially after he relinquished captaincy. For them retiring when in decent form was the best possible option to avoid putting pressure on themselves and the young players.

One cannot compare Rahul Dravid with Sachin Tendular, who has the liberty to play matches that he wishes. While Tendulkar never has been in such a bad form even in the worst of his dreams, Rahul has been going through the roughest patch over the last one year, which may impact his career average.

Already, Rahul is sidelined from the one-day cricket team and hasn't been very effective in the glamorous T20 format. As said, there are a few events or incidents that signal the coming of  an end of something. And I think Rahul's form which has eluded him during the past one year is one such sign.

I might have been a bit harsh in my first para, but I don't want to see Rahul being forced to sit out of the team. Isn't it time to reconsider your decision to continue playing Rahul?

Crossing Lara's landmark was sure to happen. But the debate, as always, is Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar the best batsman ever to have played cricket?

One needs to take into account a hell lot of factors when comparing Sachin with yesteryear players or his contemporaries. Be it crowd's expectations or the game's popularity in this part of the world or his own standards, all weigh more on Sachin than his cricketing gear. I think it would be a sin to compare him with someone as Sachin has transcended a number of heroes of Indian cricket to achieve a demi-god status.

Personally, I believe, Sachin is the best one-day player far ahead of any of his coevals. But in test matches, I'm not sure whether he would make it to the top five.

I was short of adjectives to describe India's emphatic victory over the arrogant Aussies at Perth. The result was really a googly for Australia, their fans and the Australian media. While the Indians have a number of positives to carry from the
game, the Australians have a number of things to ponder.

From the Kangaroo's point of view, the absence of big man Matthew Hayden made a huge difference. Ponting got the bowling combination wrong and was perilously close to being suspended for a few matches for slow over rate. The much hyped Shaun Tait was expensive and went wicketless. He will be replaced by Brad Hogg in the all important
fourth test. Above all, the twenty two yards in the middle was misread by a lot of experts.

However, these factors should not take any credit away from the Indians. They have been far superior to the hosts right from day one of the second test at Sydney.

Though it is too early to say this, I reckon that end is near for the Australian dominance, which has bored all cricket lovers. With key players like Mc Grath, Warne, Langer and Martyn bidding adieu, Ricky Ponting will have tough time marshaling his troops, at least for the next couple of seasons.I wish Ponting & Co visits countries like Sri Lanka, India and South Africa which can give tough time and pose many questions to the Aussies, in the next few months.

Are we going to witness another great fall - a la West Indies?

This said, we are talking about the number one team which plays tough cricket and has the capacity to upset any predictions.

Finally, a section of Australia media is crying that India managed to keep Australian players tight lipped on the field by lobbying the ICC which resulted in the players discarding their aggressive nature and ultimately losing the match.

Huh!

I am eagerly waiting for the Ind-Aus Test series to start. Buried with office work for the last two weeks, I am dying for the first test to start. With series against Pakistan turning out to be a damp squib, it has been a long time since I saw quality cricket. Apart from cricket, it is the stadia, the crowds and the quality of transmission (courtesy Nine and ESPN STAR) and the commentary that entice me to watch the fixtures.

Though Australia has always been a tough nut to crack, I believe, India can give a run for their money this time. Remember, last time the Indians have come tantalizingly close to winning a test series.

The bowling department looks a bit weak and it is important that part time bowlers and batsmen make up for the lacuna.

This tour will also be the last one for about five members of the touring team and they would definitely love to leave a mark.

Wishing India all the best, I resign in hope to see some quality and intriguing game of cricket over the next few weeks.
Image Taken From www.cricketzone.com

Removing Rahul Dravid for the first two one-day internationals against Pakistan might be a bitter pill for many to swallow. But a closer look makes me believe that the time has come for him to bid adieu to one day cricket and concentrate on the real cricket i.e., Test Cricket. The hints began to come during the last one day series against Australia where he was shuffled up and down the order and he wasn't up to the task. He was the best one-down batsman a couple of years ago. But one-day cricket has become so demanding that conventional players like Rahul, Atapattu, Boeta Dippenar are finding it difficult to cope with.

Though he has played some good one-day innings and he has got the best technique in the Indian line-up (even better than Sachin), there seems to be no ideal place for him in the one-day format.

Another senior Sachin is altogether a different story. But the selectors can seriously consider replacing Ganguly with Gambhir. Though Ganguly is a great timer, his strike rate in the recent past has always been about 70.

So, as said above, Rahul needs to concentrate on his Test career and enjoy what he likes doing best.

This title aptly suits this great little master, who over the years have enthralled millions of people across the world with his amazing talent. His passion for and commitment to the game is unquestionable and he has always given his best to the team. Still, there are some people who say and will say that he fails to perform under pressure more often than not. They often compare him with Lara and Ponting, a few batsmen who come close to this batting wizard, saying Tendulkar doesn't stand up when the team needs him badly.

No doubt, he has succumbed to high pressure situations on a number of occassions and let his fans down, especially in the longer version of the sport. Rahul Dravid might have played more number of important and decisive innings than the little master and contributed heavily whenever India won a test match overseas.

Still Sachin has played some memorable innings in his illustrious career spanning more than 16 years- 148* at Sydney in 1991-92, pain-filled 136 against Pakistan in Chennai, 155* against Australia at Chepauk, 169 at Cape Town against SAF where he was fighiting against all odds, his comeback 241* at Sydney, etc. - which many batsmen would love to have against their names. Sachin has not played an innings like VVS Laxman's marathon at Kolkata (though his Chennai innings against Pakistan comes close to this) and I would agree with this. But Laxman's was once in a life-time innings and hope Sachin plays one such innings before bidding adieu.

Still Sachin is above all. He is still a special talent, a batsman from a totally different world. First, Sachin is not in the same league as Jaffer, Ganguly, Laxman, Ponting, Lara and even The Wall. Every time he goes out to bat, along with him come huge expectations of millions of people and his team mates, his own mountainous statistics and of course the position of his team (which is often in trouble given no consistent openers during the last decade). Never forget this is also true for Rahul Dravid, whom yours truly considers one of the best batsmen in the history of Test cricket.

The pressure Sachin has been handling since the mid-nineties is simply unbelivable. Never in his career did Sachin showed signs of frustration or anger in public. He was teased and tormented during India's tour of Australia in 1999-00 and had a forgettable tour of South Africa in 1996-97. During both the tours, he was the captain handling mediocre Indian teams. Not many would have come out of such trauma but Tendulkar came through with flying colours and importantly he is still serving the game.

Lara and Ponting come closer to Sachin but they are not as consistent as him. Of course, Ponting is in a form of his life during the last two years but has a strong team. But Sachin is altogether a different story. Support has come to him only during the last two-three years.

Regarding one-day cricket, he is the best and will remain the same for decades to come. We couldn't watch Sir Don Bradman or Sir Garfield Sobers or Ranjit Singhji play but we are lucky that the maestro belongs to our generation.

Finally, for all who believe Sachin should retire, my advice is to keep quiet and enjoy the craftsman at work. He has still got 3-4 years of cricket left in him.