Ayaz Memon
Tendulkar’s knock brought back memories of old
The first session of play on Monday took my mind back more than 21 years ago when Sachin Tendulkar scored his first Test hundred at Old Trafford. It was a sterling effort by a 17-year-old on his first tour of England that not only saved the game for India, but announced to the world the coming of a great talent.
Team India lacking substance in all three departments
The big debate in the first half of the tour was whether India’s bowling had been inferior to the batting. By tea time on the second day of the last Test, I would imagine there was no dispute remaining, albeit with a rider: both batting and bowling were equally bad, but worse than both has been the fielding.
England’s dominance has been unrestrained, total
After three days of rioting and unrest, peace returned to the city of Birmingham but there was mayhem at the Edgbaston ground. England plundered runs at will on the second day against a haggard Indian attack supported by fielders whose shoulders sagged seem to sag at ankle level.
Are India pinning too much hope on Viru, Zaheer?
In a week marked by defeat and dismay the good news up front: Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan, touted as India’s big hopes in preventing a total rout in this series, are in action and look intent on regaining their Test places.
Sehwag, unaffected by jet lag, spent the better part of an hour at the indoor nets at Northants County ground and did not wince even once.
Hosts fought the big moments better
Looking back over the nightmarish fortnight in which he has lost two Test matches back-to-back, M.S. Dhoni will be flush with rue and remorse at what might have been.
Mind you, England’s victories have been so comprehensive that to deny them any credit would tantamount to absurdity.
Should India have forgiven Bell’s thoughtlessness?
Controversies bloomed and the ‘spirit of cricket’ was invoked several times on an extraordinary day at Trent Bridge.
Ian Bell, whose century was made at such a rapid pace as to give his team enough time to press for a result, was the batting hero and also central figure in the day’s high drama.
India will count on their veteran trio to come good
An England side packed with South Africans and coached by a former Zimbabwean batsman would have made W.G. Grace do a somersault in bewilderment.
BCCI’s stance on DRS does not hold water
In 1986, I convinced my editor at Mid-Day (where I worked then) of the importance to travel across the border to cover the second and third Tests between Pakistan and West Indies. For the first time in the modern game neutral umpires were to officiate in a Test; more importantly both were from India.
Indian hockey needs clarity of vision and clear agenda
The deadline expires today for rival factions in Indian hockey — Hockey India and the Indian Hockey Federation — to signal a merger or face action from the government. Sports minister Ajay Maken, who met members from both camps last week, obviously means well — for the sport. But to twist an old saying somewhat, mere good intentions may only pave the way to hell.
What does BCCI hope to achieve by disregarding UDRS?
If talent alone was enough to succeed at sport, Vinod Kambli would have been amongst the highest run-getters in Indian cricket history. What separates the truly great not just from the ordinary but also the very good is ambition, resilience, sound temperament, self-discipline and a capacity for hard work. Some luck too, but this is easily squandered if the others are missing.
