Diaries - Reports & Analysis on Cricket!

By Apurva Agarwal

This book contains reports on the sport that India fancies passionately—cricket! Matches were covered between 2005 and 2014, and hands-on analyses were prepared alongside following the sport. The author would sit down before a television set and write, write, and write as the competition unfolded on the telly. These reports are a flashback on the golden era of Indian cricket under the flamboyant leadership of Sourav Ganguly, prepared captaincy of Rahul Dravid, and the calmness at the top of MS Dhoni during this time frame.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing India
• Release date: May 17, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543702903

Apurva Agarwal

The author has a Management Studies degree from Mumbai University. He followed the sport of cricket passionately between 2005 - 2014 watching numerous games India played. These reports are prepared after watching cricket carefully and nicely. The author has nothing further to add and extends his gratitude to his readership.

Book preview

DIARIES-

REPORTS & ANALYSIS

ON CRICKET!

APURVA AGARWAL

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Copyright © 2018 by Apurva Agarwal.

ISBN:                    Softcover                        978-1-5437-0291-0

                             eBook                              978-1-5437-0290-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

www.partridgepublishing.com/india

Contents

*     India Thrash Bangladesh – World Cup 2011

*     An ode to Rahul Dravid

*     Baseball vis’-a-vis’ Cricket

*     Book Review: The Test of my Life by Yuvraj Singh

*     Where is Sreesanth?

*     Flashback Pune — Why India still has some distance to cover ahead of WC 2015

*     India overwhelm Aussies in a run-fest at Jaipur

*     On the blooding of youngsters — time to reap the harvest @ World Cup 2015

*     layback 2013 for Oz Preparation 2014 — The South African sojourn or the Judgement-day Tests

*     We have a trailblazer in Virat – Yes, Still…

*     India beat Australia 3-2 — Time to take cues from important wins against important teams to fuel up confidence ahead of WC 2015

*     India v Australia 2nd Test Day 2 – India on Top

*     India v Australia Day 3 - 2013

*     India v Australia 2013 – Day 4

*     India v Australia 2013 – Final day

*     India v Australia 2nd Test Review — India strangulate the Kangaroos

*     Match Report dt. March 2013 - An Aussie Comeback on Day 4, but India Ahead & more…

*     Tough ask for India – Lunch report 21 March 2013

*     Match Report dt. 22 March 2013 – India make heavy weather of Australia lower order

*     Yuvraj Singh – cynosure of all eyes in the only T20I (2013)

*     The Zen of Dhoni (and it continues)

*     Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Daredevils – Match 1 IPL 2013

*     Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians – Match 2 IPL 2013

*     Delhi Daredevils vs Rajasthan Royals – Match 4 IPL 2013

*     Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders – Match 8 IPL 2013

*     Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings – Match 11 IPL 2013

*     ‘Blades of Glory’ Pune Snaps Part 1

*     ‘Blades of Glory’ Pune Visit Photos Series (2013)

*     A tête-à-tête with Rohan Pate, proprietor of ‘Blades of Glory’ and ex-cricketer Nov. 2014

*     Can India become the No. 1 test team in the world, again? An Op-Ed. From 7 March 2013

*     Domestic Cricket review Deodhar Trophy round-up: South Zone beats East Zone in Quarter Finals

*     On Yuvraj Singh…

*     Op-ed on the nearly-there men Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma & Manoj Tiwary

*     Raina makes comeback, Yuvraj next? Jan 2018

*     Vijay Hazare Trophy & the Importance of Domestic Cricket

*     This is Totally Different Cricket

India Thrash Bangladesh

– World Cup 2011

Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli smashed tons to lead India’s charge against Bangladesh in the inaugural game of the Cricket World Cup here at Mirpur, Dhaka. The two Delhi boys were involved in a 203-run partnership for the 3rd wicket that helped India post a gigantic 370/4 batting first after India captain MS Dhoni lost the toss and was inserted into bat first on a flat track.

Speaking to Michael Atherton during the mid-innings break Kohli said that it was the evening dew factor that probably prompted Bangladesh captain to bowl first but Sehwag’s 170-run blitz off 140 balls thwarted all plans of the opposition.

At one stage, Sehwag looked mighty close to getting to 200 runs and thereby becoming only the second batsmen in ODI history of achieving this feat after the great Sachin Tendulkar but for a tired-looking off drive that he dragged onto his stumps. India, at that stage were 3-355.

Kohli then went on to post his second hundred against Bangladesh pushing the ball to long-on for a single. The Delhi lad clenched his fist and leaped in joy as he reached this milestone. Unfortunately for the incoming batsman Yusuf Pathan, he edged one to the wicket-keeper on the last delivery of the innings for a paltry 8 runs.

Bangladesh got off to a rollicking start with the openers sharing a 56-run stand and were going steady until almost the 40th over before wickets began to tumble and Bangladesh eventually finished with 283/9 at the end of the stipulated 50 overs.

The win has given India the much-needed momentum going into the tournament that is billed as The Cup that Counts by broadcasters and media alike. India, for the first time, are considered favourites to lift the Cup that is being co-hosted by them for the first time ever in World Cup history.

It was a good outing for both sides: the Indians getting a good workout in all departments, i.e. batting, fielding, fast bowling and spin department, and the Bangladeshis trying it out in the batting department not giving India a scare but still posting a more than respectable 283 that leads one to wonder had India managed something in the 300-run region they were probably in for a scare. But cricket is not a game of ifs and buts but as Navjot Singh Sidhu would like to put it, What you put in is what you get out of it and India emerged as deserving victors against the home team.

They now play England in the next fixture at Bengaluru on 27th February. With eight days rest they can well afford to relax before they go on to meet ultra-completive teams, for example, South Africa but not too much. If India aspire to lift the cup then they have to make winning a habit and be consistent because the other co-host, Sri Lanka, and ODI No. 1 team, as well as defending champions, Australia are waiting in the wings to command and conquer. Only time will tell!

Brief Scores

India 370/4 (50 overs)

Bangladesh 283/9 (50 overs)

An ode to Rahul Dravid

What an auspicious note to kick-off the countdown to the new season. The monsoons have arrived, Sourav Ganguly’s six-match ban is still on and there seems to be finally some decisiveness regarding our course of action. Technically this is the first published report.

Just the fact that this analysis has materialised should principally mean that now there is going to be a single-minded and devoted endeavour to writing such reports throughout the course of the season, and absolutely no other path will be looked into.

The frequency of the reports is going to be weekly. The content is going to be a basket of the following writing and thinking styles:

§ Commentary

§ Criticism

§ Research

§ Statistics

§ Citations

Apart from this report, there will be a Match Report (on match days), Updates (during the match) and Pictures/Photographs that lead us into insight.

Naturally, most people are probably disappointed that India did not do well against Pakistan. Impromptu, I can think of a few people, best classified as devil’s advocates, who are actually revelling in an Indian defeat, but then these are few