It took us forever to arrive at what was a foregone conclusion. The Australian cricket team is simply the best in the world. And worse, they are miles ahead of the rest

Full credit to the Australians. No doubt that they are a bunch of unbelievably talented and super fit individuals. But what continues to amaze me is their mental strength and big match temperament. And it looks like they are putting together a great team for the next world cup. Earlier, I had argued that the Australian teams dominance was probably coming to an end with a spate of high profile retirements but the emergence of men such as Tait, Bracken and Clarke gives the Australian team every chance to dominate the next world cup as well.

They are so far ahead of the rest that it cricket has become a wee bit boring. The unpredictability factor is totally missing when the Australians play. So much so that even the smallest hiccup is big news. The rest of the world has a lot of catching up to do.

A word on Adam Gilchrist:

What a champion cricketer. Thanks to him the match was over as early as the 25th over of the Australian innings. The best cricketer in the last 25 years in terms of value to the team. Probably one of the top 3 of all time.

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[tag]Rafael Nadal[/tag] seems absolutely unstoppable on the clay court. He has just won his 70th consecutive match on the clay court in the Barcelona Open. 

Last week, Nadal won his third consecutive Monte Carlo Masters Title –his eighth Masters Series Title – by beating World No.1 Roger Federer in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4 in just over an hour (67 minutes). The match was no patch on last year’s final between the same players, which was also won by Nadal. Coming into the finals, Federer seemed confident with comfortable wins over the 12^th seeded Spaniard David Ferrer in the quarter finals (6-4,6-0) and the 16^th seeded 2003 French Open Champion Jaun Carlos Ferrero in the semi finals  (6-3, 6-4). Federer was playing smooth tennis till he reached the finals and his ploy of coming to the net and finishing off points on important occasions paid well till he played Nadal in the final. 

The final started with [tag]Federer[/tag] having a break-point on Nadal’s serve in the first game itself. Nadal managed to stave off that and hold his serve. The players matched each other, Federer showing his supreme shot-making ability and Nadal displaying his tenacious game tailor-made for clay. Leading 4-3, Federer had a chance to break his Nadal’s serve and go up 5-3. Nadal managed to save both those break points and held his serve. In the next game he broke his opponent’s serve and then held his own serve comfortably to close out the set. Nadal’s game plan was simple and effective- he kept attacking Federer’s backhand whenever he could and to add to Federer’s woes his forehand was quite erratic, especially in the second set. Nadal also showcased his new-found confidence in playing an attacking brand of tennis at crucial points, as he made successful forays to the net. With the first set safely in his pocket, all Nadal needed was a break in the third game of the second set to take complete command of the match. Federer’s volleys that would have been clear winners against his earlier round opponents were retrieved by Nadal and in many cases Nadal managed to hit accurate passing shots that Federer could not lay hands on.

The French Open is bound to be really interesting, with Federer chasing the one title, that could confirm his position as the greatest player of all time. But to do that he will truly need to dethrone the king from his clay court.

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The English premier league had its proudest moment on Wednesday with three of its members participating in the Champions League. I don’t ever recall the English dominating the competition the way they have done this year. First was the way [tag]Barcelona[/tag] were made to look ordinary by both [tag]Liverpool[/tag] and [tag]Chelsea[/tag]. Then there was Manchester United hammering Fransesco ‘Ferguson will know my name’ Totti’s Roma 7-1 in what was the performance of the season. However, I am not quick to jump on this EPL bandwagon. Barca had the post Champions league dip, Real Madrid are never this bad and to be honest the Italians were underrepresented without Juventus. Before all you Anglophiles brandish those knives I dont mean to say that EPL isn’t good, but I am more circumspect when it comes to the question which league is the best. I would have acceded if it weren’t for the same three clubs every year. As Phil Ball said in his article, its not the Chelsea’s that make the league, it’s the Villas and the Boro’s and they haven’t done diddley poo this year. [ More on this later]

The last two nights have been great for football. Tuesday brought the game of the season as Kaka and Ronaldo went head to head. You would be hard pressed to find two more productive players in the world. Yet, their gameplay is diametrically opposite. While Ronaldo relies on his flair and propensity for the spectacular, Kaka is the more direct, substance over showmanship type of player.

Ronaldo was shackled by a rigid [tag]Milan[/tag] defense that allowed him very little space, but in the process allowed the other young wizard in the team to take centre stage. Rooney had his best match in the Champions league and his second goal showed the opportunistic side of his. His first time shot took everyone by surprise and it was a killer blow to a Milan team that looked good for the draw.

Chelsea Vs Liverpool

Chelsea and Liverpool didn’t provide anywhere close to the entertainment of the previous night but they were never billed to. But it was fascinating to see Pool go back to the KOP without an advantage. I don’t think Rafa has been in such a spot in a long time. Against Barca and PSV they played their second legs without much pressure. So, this would be their first real test.

My Predictions (If you want to make good money, bet against this spread)

Liverpool 1 – Chelsea 1

Milan 1 – [tag]Man Utd[/tag] 2

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If there are any legal substances that provide a thrill to rival that of those unique sporting moments; that have hairs perpendicular to the neck and knuckles clenched to a shade of white, then this author has yet to indulge. Whether one reaches this climax at the World Cup Final, at the Lakeside Darts Championship or at a rain-beaten windy Whitehall on a run of the mill Friday night, when tenants Belgrove entertain in the Leinster Senior league, is down in its entirety to the viewers’ ability to become immersed in the build up and ultimately the climax of the achievement.

What these moments are in essence is impossible to say although one can surmise that there are certain factors that need to be present. A degree of tension and notion of the unexpected are required while variables such as an undercurrent, hero to villain character role or rivalries renewed only add to the mix. Over the past few weeks I have had the fortune to experience a few occasions when the problems of the world and sundry get put on hold, utterly irrelevant to be brutally forthright, as a manic unearthly sound resembling “Yeeeeeeeeeees” is gushed forward.
The first of these cherished moments started in the unlikely surrounds of a chilly front room by a 28 inch box that transmitted, albeit complemented by constant fuzz, the finale of Irelands Six Nations Championship. It was the dishevelled “morning after” and we righteously tucked into the Championships sponsor’s best, hoping beyond hope that our nation’s warriors would catapult themselves to the 6 Nations title whilst captivating us in the process. We were not to be disappointed until the final seconds of Frances compelling victory against the Scots. By then captivation had turned into stir crazy frenzy as we watched with an unblinking eye. Ireland thrilled and excited in the best 40 minutes of rugby this nation has ever produced ironically killing their hopes with the “try or bust” mantra that had put us to within touching distance. Dennis Hickie’s second try stupefied us with happiness and glee on this most patriotic of days- it almost seemed to be fate. Only for a bravado which bordered on naivety in the dying seconds that glorious try, in an utterly wonderful display, would have been the coup de grace that would have delivered the championship. Alas it was not to be. France abetted by a Northern Irish television judge claimed the crown. We claimed the moral victory. As it turned out the thrill of watching your country defy the odds on St Patrick’s Day did not end there. Instead our motley crew of charlatan cricketers delivered a result against Pakistan that shook the earth (and in the fall-out one fans sanity) and had us cynical Irish clambering aboard the most unexpected of bandwagons. Cries of “Easy, easy” rang around the heaving venue of The Barge in Ranelagh as the required runs were delivered with more than a touch of panache. These were heady days for any sports fans, over indulgent even, for me it was bliss.

The following day, emotionally drained, I headed to Goodison Park- the home of my true love Everton Football Club. They were entertaining Arsenal in a match that would not decide any silverware but would nevertheless have a huge bearing on Everton’s season. A win and a money-spinning European place was firmly within our grasp. After watching the razzmatazz on Sky Sports “Super Sunday” nauseously over hype Arsenal for an hour, while unsurprisingly discount us as merely well organised and hard working, we left the homely surrounds of The Winslow pub with countless other riled blues taking our wooden seats in the aging stadium creating a creaking clanking orchestra in the process.

Emphasis again how important Europe was to the club’s future aspirations. As it turned out our seats had us pitted beside John Morrison from the Wirral. John was an unemployed, balding, single, thirty-something, who had been a season ticket holder for 24 years. How he put himself through the torture, aside from chain smoking, only his pate could answer. He continued to be forthright with us and the team for that matter, with unreserved barracking upon any hint of a mistake. The game typified the league it represented – hotly contested, physical and full of honest endeavour. Goal mouth action was aplenty but neither team, particularly Everton had a killer instinct to capitalise on excellent build up play, a trait that would not be uncommon to John and his fellow season ticket holders. That all changed in the 93rd minute. With the hail pelting down relentlessly and the wind abetting it in its quest to hit us flush in the face Everton won a corner. We stood behind the goal, the weather only one of the factors for our hand rubbing and shivering. Basque magician Mikel Arteta whipped the ball over and after a melee in the crowded box the ball rebounded to Everton’s record signing Andy Johnson. His first shot of the day was arrowed on the half volley into the back of the Arsenal net- cue delirium. It was a joyous haze that replaced the hail as the stadium shook to the rafters erupting in a deafening chorus of random chants emanating from varying places – the normally serene family enclosure encapsulating the disbelief with their vociferous cheering. John was a distance of two seats from me but at that moment we were worlds apart. It was a feeling that was ubiquitous and isolated at the one time. The thrill derived from separate personal variables, his undoubtedly more powerful, yet both immeasurably satisfying. On the journey home I mused what it was that set the touch fire alight in these instances. I could not pin point it but rather settled on viewing sport for me, as the sage Kipling once wrote of his love; poetry, “as the wind that blows away the dust of every day life.” You see the thing is these sporting moments that have the “X factor” all have some thing that makes you feel better about yourself. I firmly believe that you reach a point at which you have to view your life through the things you’ve spent so much time doing. The alternative is a depressing feeling of waste. Just ask Mr. Morrison from the Wirral.

Paul Bassett

Paul is a guest writer and will offer a truly english flavor to our site. Expect more articles from him….

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“Yes, No…”. The non-striker responded and tried to scramble back to his crease but fell short. The disappointment on the man’s face was palpable. The crowd rose as one to salute, arguably the greatest batsman of our generation, [tag]B.C. Lara[/tag]. It was sad that this man had to scramble out but in some ways quite apt that it was not a bowler who got him. 

The highest test run scorer, highest individual score, a test average over 50, over ten thousand one-day runs: none of these describe Lara adequately. Figures give a good indication of value to a team when you use the right numbers but most cricket lovers don’t really pay to watch those numbers. They crave more and that’s what Lara gave them. His batting was joyful. Very few players in the modern game bring joy to the crowd and hope to the dressing room at the same time. And despite all arguments based on numbers, thsi is what sets Lara and Sachin apart from others of their generation. They bring such beauty to the game that when you watch these two, you rise beyond partisan support and watch the game in pure, unadulterated joy.

Lara was the most destructive batsman of his era. None could tear apart the attack like he could and with such regularity, ask the Aussies, the Lankans, ask anyone. True, he had his moments of madness during the initial parts of the career: the spoilt kid who had to be disciplined. Agreed, he was not a great leader of men but as a batsman he was sheer class and it has been a joy to watch him bat over the years. Many would have wanted that he bat longer and cut the risk out of his game. But I wouldn’t trade the batsman he was for anything else.

Brian, it is true that we would have loved to see you bat another series, a few more years even but perhaps this was the time to go. We would’ve loved to see you go out with the trophy but perhaps this is an indication of the state of Windies cricket: a lack of depth in the cricketing talent, a team that couldn’t give its captain a farewell that in my opinion he deserved. This man might well be the last of the greats to emerge from the Carribbean and among the last of the men who brought joy when they wielded the bat. So, long B.C. Lara and thanks for all the wonderful cricket.

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You know when you have tooth-ache, you know when you suck on the tooth that it will ache but you still do it to check whether it still aches. Why am I saying this? Well, that experience is not too dissimilar from being an Arsenal fan at the moment; you don’t want to watch because it is painful to see them lose. But you still watch in the hope that things might click miraculously and they end up tonking some team. Unfortunately, things rarely happen that way, if ever.

The present day malaise has been blamed on many things, World cup hangover, moving to a new stadium, loss of some key players, over physicality of the other teams, fixture congestions among other things. Chelsea had a lot of players in the World cup so did ManU that dint stop them this season has it? The fixture list hasn’t been kind to any of the teams, when has it ever? It was always a reason to have a good moan about but never an excuse.

To be fair to Arsene, he has had his fair share of injuries. Henry has been practically out for the entire season. Robin Van Persie’s season has been stop start. So has been Gallas’. Our (Arsenal fans) argument has been if ManU had Rooney, Ronaldo and Vidic out for same amount of time would they have been the same team? The answer is probably is No. But are you in effect, admitting the rest of the squad is not good enough to overcome the likes of West Ham (twice!), Sheffield United, Everton and Bolton? After all they still have the best record against the so called “Big Four”.

Out of the cups in a cruel fashion, for the first time in a long time we don’t have anything to look forward to, we have always had a cup final, or a title race to look forward to. There is visible lack of motivation in the players in the last few games. You are waiting for a player to take the game by the scruff of the neck and that almost invariably never happens. If the players assume that they are going to finish 4th then this season is in very real danger of falling apart. Bolton and Everton are breathing down our necks, even Sp*rs can mount a late charge. 7th place for Arsenal, anyone?

Finishing in a champions league spot is paramount to the clubs fortunes, not only in the literal sense but also in terms of being to attract top talent to the club. How many top class players would want to come to a club who is not going to play in the Champions league? Not many I would think.

More worryingly for the fans is that Wenger seems to think that present squad is good enough to compete for the league and that he is not likely to add to the squad in the summer. It scares the living daylights out of me, seriously. Freddie seems to have lost it, I don’t even remember the last time he scored in the league. Hleb for all his close control and ball-skill is never likely to get you 10 goals a season. Baptista looks as though he was born yesterday, new born giraffe at that. I think it’s time we showed these 3 players the door. That leaves us with a couple of 19 year olds, a 17 year old and no wide player to speak of, hardly a mid-field that would leave the opposition quaking in their boots. Defence too needs some work but that will be a rant for another day, Up front this over reliance on Thierry Henry has all too readily been exposed this season. We must dread the day that we have to replace this demigod.

I’m sorry if I sound so negative in the post, I can’t feel anything but that. I am typing as I watch the Newcastle game, one of the most insipid performances I have seen from an Arsenal team in all these years of following them.

Among all the doom and gloom do we still have reason to be cheerful about, straws that we can clutch on to, to save our faces this season? Yes, we never have to seen Alexander Song in an Arsenal shirt again.Kidding, one bright spark has been the kids and their wonderfully fearless performance in the Carling cup, notably Liverpool, Everton and Sp*rs and the first half hour against Chelsea in the final. It augurs well for the future but most fans can be notoriously fickle and instant gratification is on top of every fan’s list. The “punctual trophy” can be hard to achieve, ask Fergie, he’ll let you know.Next season can’t surely be as bad, can it? Until then I’ ll be praying. *Enters meditative state again*

Vignesh

Vignesh is an avid Arsenal fan and loves an argument. So now would be a good time for all those Man U, Liverpool and Chelsea fans to rub it in.

[digg=http://digg.com/soccer/Arsenal_Debacle]

EPL, English Football | 8 Comments »

Imagine a kid who has just failed in his examinations and has his report card reviewed by his parents. The parents – naturally angry at his poor performance – decide to clamp down on the kid in order to straighten him up. The easiest way they believe, is to deprive the kid of all his privileges and they think that the longing for them will make him do better next time around. So, off goes his allowance and his free time – he gets grounded. But they ignore that maybe a systemic change might have been better off.

So similarly what does our cricket board do when it reviews the performance of our players? It decides to show them who their daddy is and clamps down on the players. While I can see the intention behind the moves, I have issues with the way the board has tried to implement it.

For example if the logic is that due to endorsements, the players don’t get enough time to focus on the game – there was no need to undemocratically limit the number of endorsements for the players. Simply increase the number of mandatory camps the players must attend. Increase the number of domestic matches the players have to play compulsorily to be selected to the team. Create blackout periods where only training and cricket is focussed on but allow the players a specified time where they can go earn money from endorsements to the highest of their capabilites. Market forces will anyway ensure that money earned is proportional to performance on field.

The fact is that we have no bench strength and it can only be built through ensuring competetive domestic matches – which means that international players have to be routinely involved in these matches. How else will we know just how good a player really is? India A and U19 tours abroad hopefully will also help the cause. Finally I do hope the BCCI actually implements fast green pitches in as many locations as possible for domestic cricket – so that we have players who can actually play. Having said that as long as Kumble still plays test cricket, please have spinning beauties for Home test matches. No one wants to see a Nagpur green pitch while playing against the Aussies – the word i think is suicide.

The board might do well to realise that they support cricket which includes the players. Having anti-player diktats just smells of appeasement politics – hardly a surprise given that politicians run BCCI anyway. Maybe we can have control handed over to the players yeah?

They say that to spare the rod is to spoil the child. But to use the rod excessively is to have a child who will kick the parents out when its his turn.

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One can almost hear the Tifosis muttering, “If only Michael was there….” as a weekend, which the Ferraris were expected to convincingly rule, turned into a fight for the podium in the end. Ron Dennis would be giving the widest grin on the planet as both of his Mclaren drivers muscled the Italian outfit out of the top spots giving the perfect result for the woking team. Ever since Alonso took the inside line on turn 1 and nudged past the pole sitter, Filipe Massa, he never looked like losing the race. It was the sort of performance we have come to see and expect – monotonously flawless and perfect in execution.

But once again it was Lewis Hamilton earning accolades and winning admirers all over the place. He seems to be made up for these rollicking starts, stunning his fellow runners into submission. When the lights went out he was 4rth on the grid and after turn 1 he was running second. Two Mclarens leading the race! For nearly the entire race barring a small breathing gap in between, Lewis was constantly under pressure and the fact that he came through indicates what a matured driver this kid is.

Filipe Massa wanting to make up for his poor start began to hound the ‘rookie’ (not sure if i can still use the term) Mclaren driver trying to pull up a couple of overtaking maneuvers hoping that the young inexperienced driver would crack under pressure, make a mistake or just make a defensive move giving him way. In the end it was the Ferrari driver who came out red faced, out breaking himself and taking a trip down the grass and joining in the 5th position behind the BMW of Heidfeld. It was a rookie move by an experienced driver and it was a champion’s defense by the rookie. If there was any a time for the Tifosis to say, “If only Michael was there….”, this was it.

This left the top 5 as Alonso, Hamilton, Kimi, Heidfeld and Massa which ended up being the top 5 of the race. Also goes to show that if you had slept through the race you didn’t miss much. Renault’s race was not as horrendous as their qualifying and thats not saying much. I hate to say this but it was a nice steady drive from Fisichella to end up 6th in a car that would have refused to go anywhere above that and Heikki achieved his first point (just 1) in his formula 1 career. The finn’s drive was just enough for Briatore to proclaim that he redeemed himself of the Australian ignominy. As i mentioned in the preview, the podium still seems a distant object for Renault but then a few weeks are what it takes in formula 1 to change fortunes (ask the Mclarens) and Renault are capable of improvement during the season.It was a great race for Heidfeld, managing to beat one of the ferraris while his team mate (Kubica) again encountered problems. If anything the gap looks obscene in the result chart with them finishing 4th and 18th respectively. Rosberg looked fast and promising only to retire with a hydraulics fault. But they seem to have the equipment to finish in points and challenge the BMW and outpace the Renaults.Overall it was a shocker for Ferrari and they would be disappointed and we can be rest assured that they’ll come back strong and hard in the desert kingdom of Bahrain. Till then, lets just drink to Mclarens’ first race victory since 2005 and for the F1 world for having discovered Lewis.

It was a great race for Heidfeld, managing to beat one of the ferraris while his team mate (Kubica) again encountered problems. If anything the gap looks obscene in the result chart with them finishing 4th and 18th respectively. Rosberg looked fast and promising only to retire with a hydraulics fault. But they seem to have the equipment to finish in points and challenge the BMW and outpace the Renaults.

Overall it was a shocker for Ferrari and they would be disappointed and we can be rest assured that they’ll come back strong and hard in the desert kingdom of Bahrain. Till then, lets just drink to Mclaren’s first race victory since 2005 and for the F1 world for having discovered Lewis.

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Greg Chappell has resigned. And what a way to go: the entire nation barring Rahul Dravid (and the youngsters?) maybe seems to be against the man. A mixed reign would be the verdict: we did have successful run chase streaks, a test series victory in WI, a test match victory in SA, ODI setbacks in WI and SA and the debacle at the World Cup. But the Chappell era will be remembered more for the controversies- Ganguly affair (the Bengalis must be feeling all smug after getting the entire nation behind them now!), the constant interviews with the press and the like.

It is true in Indian cricket more than anywhere else: the more things change, the more they remain the same. The team’s nucleus remains pretty much the same, the fielding and fitness levels or mental strength haven’t seen any drastic upward trends, we continue to travel poorly and more action continues to happen off the field than on it. Chappell was and is wrong in making public the issues he had with individuals, groups or the team in its entirety. In answering questions during interviews – while it might go against his natural instincts- it is in everyone’s interests to “well-left” certain issues. And in imitating Chappell’s actions, the senior Indian players have shown lack of maturity too. Why should Sachin choose to say things in public now- something he hasn’t for 17 years? Makes one wonder whether these guys are no longer capable of actually going out on the field and showing us that the attitude issues that are being bandied about do not actually exist. Is there some truth in what Chappell is saying and are our players afraid that this time their actions on the field will actually lead the public to believe the coach? Is the media the last resort to extend flagging careers?

But I come here neither to praise Chappell nor to bury him. I don’t know the answers to any of the questions I raised or to any malaise afflicting Indian cricket but this much I know for sure: we have too much media involvement in our cricket and it isn’t good for Indian cricket to have dirty linen washed in the open like this.

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