World Cup Memory Lane

Domestic competition and bilateral series are all very well, but everyone loves a World Cup, don’t they? In the past six years I’ve become rather attached to the alternative Champions Trophy, if only because the use of Cardiff as a venue has enabled me to tag along several times in person. However, with only the top eight  ranked nations eligible to participate,  it lacks the cache of a genuine World Cup. 

The growth of Twenty 20 has inevitably led to the format’s own global tournament every two years. However, for me, the only cricket World Cup that matters is the one based on official one-day international rules. That now involves fifty overs a side but when the Prudential Cup launched in 1975 the poor things had to play sixty. Too long for twenty-first century viewers but great value for teenage fans like me.

The ODI as a concept was very much in its infancy; prior to this tournament the total number contested by the six Test-playing nations was fewer than twenty. With a straightforward format comprising two groups of four, semis and final, the World Cup was easily condensed into a fortnight in June. All the more reason to relish all fifteen matches. Given that all twelve group fixtures took place on just three days, the simultaneous scheduling and only two available BBC TV channels meant that few were televised live.

To be honest I have no recollection of watching England sail through Group A against India, East Africa and New Zealand. The other quartet was far more interesting and it was Pakistan who fell victim to the Group of Death, their fate determined by a thrilling finish at Edgbaston. Despite the efforts of Majid Khan, Sarfraz Nawaz et al, the West Indies scraped home by one wicket with just two balls to spare.

Infuriatingly, both semis were contested midweek, so pesky school commitments precluded a full day’s feast of TV cricket. I expected to get home to watch the England-Australia finale so was staggered to find it had already been wrapped up. Instead of Lillee and Thomson, it was the little-known left-arm swing bowler Gary Gilmour who dominated, taking a stunning 6-14.

And so it came to pass that the inaugural final involved the Aussies and Windies who were becoming bitter rivals. It turned out to be one of the most memorable matches I’ve ever watched. Annoyingly, we missed the middle section – including Clive Lloyd’s magnificent century – because Dad’s school fete took priority. However, from Roy Fredericks treading on his stumps in executing a hooked six of LIllee to some fabulous run-outs by Viv Richards and premature pitch invasions near the end, all the game lacked was a nail-biting last-ball climax. Just writing this 44 years later sets my skin all a-tingle.

The next two World Cups were also hosted by England who still couldn’t quite make home advantage count. In 1979, I glowed with pride and wonder as my idol Viv Richards flayed England’s finest to all corners of Lord’s. That audacious match-winning flicked six off Mike Hendrick will never leave me an image of an alien beamed down from a planet where cricket was played on an altogether higher plane.

Four years on and Viv was at it again, part of a Windies side that was if anything even firmer favourites. They cruised to the final where the fantasy fast bowling quartet of Roberts, Marshall, Garner and Holding dismissed India for under 200. And yet this time the script was ripped up. Once Kapil Dev had pulled off a terrific backpedalling over-the-shoulder catch to end Richards’ menacing innings, Amarnath and Madan Lal completed the job and we had new world champions.

England’s monopoly on hosting duty was over, and the Asian subcontinent assumed the role in the autumn of ’87 followed by Australia/New Zealand in ’92. The time difference and for us, out-of-season scheduling, meant I didn’t watch much of either tournament. The sport was becoming more open, with the Aussies and Pakistan respectively, holding the cup aloft. Imran Khan’s moment appeared destined, achieved at the age of 39 in his very last ODI. The crumbling of cricket’s barriers was further illustrated in 1996 when little Sri Lanka shocked the world by beating Australia with an innovative brand of limited-overs strategy, and the skill of Aravinda da Silva.

In the summer of ’99, cricket ‘came home’, sort of. In fact, England shared fixtures with Scotland, Wales and the Netherlands but at least the premier tournament was held in our summer and our time zone. That said, I don’t recall watching much of it on the box. One exception was the India v Sri Lanka group stage game at Taunton. I was working in London at the time but our office featured a little TV set high on the wall. Someone – not me - had the foresight to switch it on just as Sourav Ganguly and, more surprisingly, Rahul Dravid, piled on a terrific triple-century partnership. I doubt much work was done that afternoon. South Africa were looking likely winners only to lose their heads in a climactic semi-final scramble against eventual champs Australia. Thus the competition introduced not only the Super Six and the white ‘Duke’ ball but also the unwanted ‘chokers’ label around the Proteas’ necks. Twenty years later, rightly or wrongly, it’s still there.

Things took a political turn in 2003 and the combination of eye-catching results (e.g against Sri Lanka) and fortuitous boycotts in Africa propelled lowly Kenya and Bangladesh into the semi-final stratosphere. For all the giant-killings, Australia were unbeatable and duly thumped India in the final by 125 runs. I caught a few late-evening highlights on BBC2 of the 2007 event, which featured an early exit for India (which prompted a change of format to prevent any repeat of such a financially damaging scandal), Ireland’s defeat of Pakistan, the latter’s coach Bob Woolmer suffering a fatal heart attack and a farcical final completed in near-darkness.

By Spring 2011, I was seeing Angie, who had Sky Sports at home, so in between her precious football, I sneaked a few glimpses of cricket at weekends. England’s embarrassment at the hands of the green-haired Irish was joyous to behold but it was also a pleasure to witness the concluding hour or so of the final in Mumbai. The decision to stage the World Cup across the entire Asian subcontinent, with Dhaka hosting the opener, proved a resounding success. For all the caring and sharing, it has to be said that from Sehwag’s brilliant 175 in Match 1 to MS Dhoni’s characteristically piece of perfect pacing six weeks later, the trophy had India’s name on it throughout.

The most recent edition saw another Aussie triumph although co-hosts New Zealand pushed them hard with their aggressive play. Ireland won more games than England, whose chances of progression were ended by Bangladesh, but I was disappointed that for 2019 the ICC decided to raise the drawbridge to stop the Associate nations getting ideas above their station. 

On the plus side, the tournament is returning to these shores. Consequently, subject to politics, personal health and that perennial enemy of cricket, inclement weather, the coming weeks will allow me to watch my first ever World Cup matches live in Cardiff. This time, top-ranked hosts England will start hot favourites but above all I look forward to enjoying the multinational atmosphere and exciting performances. It may not match up to the nostalgic aura of 1975 – Viv, Clive, Lillee and all that – but here’s hoping for a summer to remember.

India Serve Up a Feast of Runs

Poor Virat Kohli. It must be so tough to taste defeat on home soil. After all, yesterday’s five-run reverse in Kolkata was the first time it had happened to him as captain in nineteen matches. So India are not quite invincible, and England gave them a real contest over the three ODI fixtures.

At Pune, it took a blistering innings of 120 in 76 balls from Kedar Jadhav to overhaul England’s excellent 350. A few days later, the Cuttack encounter produced 747 runs, with a Morgan-inspired chase falling a mere 15 runs short. The five-run victory at Eden Gardens was no more than the tourists deserved, especially having failed to chalk up a single major triumph so far.

For the first time in a three-match ODI series all six innings delivered at least 300 runs. Never before has such a series produced an aggregate exceeding 2,000. It’s not often you get two centurions in one innings in consecutive matches either.

Jadhav and Kohli may have dominated the opener but it was a fairytale in Cuttack when the two 35 year-olds MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh shared a stand of 256. With all the hullabaloo around Kohli’s successful leadership and Dhoni’s stepping down before the series began, it seemed like a re-run of times past when the latter delivered a vintage century. Even more impressive was the fact that his partnership with Yuvi turned a score of 25-3 into a match-winning 381-6.

It wasn’t all about the Indian batsmen. England’s line-up had more than a few moments, too. Jason Roy passed 50 on all three occasions. Root and Stokes did so twice, while captain Morgan’s rum run of low scores ended with a measured century that came close to reaching that huge target in the second game.

Of course, for all the entertainment generated by such a run-fest, it was no fun to be a bowler. Chris Woakes topped the wickets table with a mere six. Ravi Jadeja was the only man to concede fewer than six runs an over. Ball, Stokes and Bumrah all conceded at least 200 across the series. Moeen Ali failed to take a single scalp in 20 overs. No, no fun at all!

All in all, a splendid advert for 50-over cricket, and I doubt the forthcoming Twenty20 encounters will serve up three such brilliant contests.

Dramatic Semis, now it's the Aussies' Cup to lose

Well, the second semi-final couldn't possibly match the thrilling drama of the first, but the joyous Indian crowds at the SCG must have left even battle-hardened wearers of the Green Baggie with a smidgeon of respect. Steve Smith's century, and a late onslaught from Johnson and Faulkner, left India with a huge mountain to climb.

MS Dhoni reckoned that 328 was a par score but few sides have ever chased down such a target at Sydney, let alone India, whose record in Australia is famously poor. However, this is the World Cup, India the reigning champions and they were unbeaten throughout the competition. With their supporters thronging the ground, could Australia's home advantage be nullified?

Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan gave India a solid start but the latter's rash drive to the hands of Maxwell signalled the beginning of the end. The Aussie pacemen brilliantly strangled Virat Kohli, who could manage only a single in eleven balls, Suresh Raina and Sharma, and the required rate rapidly reached double figures. Enter MS Dhoni. The fans believed, maybe even the captain himself believed. However, even MSD is mortal and by the time he was run out in the 45th over, India needed a miracle. Instead they got the return of Mitchell Starc and James Faulkner who brushed aside the Indian tail and booked a place at the MCG at the weekend.

It was hardly a close encounter, unlike the fabulous game between New Zealand and South Africa. With neither side having made even a World Cup final before, it was hard to pick a winner in advance. SA boasted some global megastars, NZ a few match-winners and some great competitors. Much like many previous Black Cap teams from the days of Crowe, Hadlee, Fleming, Cairns and Greatbatch!

However, despite predictable contributions from AB De Villiers, David Miller and Morne Morkel, it was an opening salvo from Brendon McCullum off Dale Steyn, slogs from Corey Anderson and a wonderful innings of apparently calm, calculated aggression (is that possible?) by new recruit Grant Elliott to deliver victory off the penultimate ball in front of a frenzied Auckland crowd.

Having followed the climax online via CricInfo I was desperate to see highlights on Tuesday evening. However, watching such a contest reduced to a tedious succession of fours, sixes, missed catches and wickets did the sport and broadcasters a disservice. Surely it would have been the dot balls, the stretching muscles of a weary Steyn, and the shots of nail-chewing Kiwis which would have made for a more enjoyable TV experience.

Obviously I feel for the desperately sad South African losers who most certainly did NOT choke. They were beaten by an excellent team and it' a team I'd love to see repeat their last wicket heroics in the group stage against Australia in the final. That's what my heart says, but my head goes with the flow and sees Michael Clarke lifting the trophy on home territory in a few days' time.

Dhoni Over and Out

In a week when Steve Smith struck a career-best 192, Virat Kohli enjoyed a sledging spat with Mitch Johnson and Brendon McCullum's blistering 195 helped his Black Caps to a record fifth Test success in a calendar year, it was a shame that MS Dhoni trumped them all. Not with a great performance but a sudden announcement of immediate retirement from Test cricket.

Had he merely jacked in the India captaincy at the end of the Australia series, nobody would have been surprised. It's been a recent trend for the global superstars to plan their farewells months in advance to extract maximum media exposure and/or reach specific milestones. Not a trend of which I particularly approve. However, why would such an icon of world cricket, second only to Sachin Tendulkar, call it a day before the final match?

Was it to help Kohli bed in further as leader of the Test side? To give his body more time to recover before the next round of ODIs and the World Cup? Both, or something else entirely?! Whatever the answer, Dhoni has seen it, done it, got the T-shirt. Nobody else can have led his country to be the number one Test ranking, World Cup, T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy, all while being a great late-order batsman and wicket-keeper.

33 is no great age in terms of years. However, playing nearly 400 cricket matches in all formats, under the keenest microscope of the most enthusiastic of sports fans, must take its toll on anybody. For all his qualities, even MSD is human, and both his runs and athleticism behind the stumps have slipped this year.

It's interesting to note that many fans have accepted the decision as a good one for India. Six years as India's leader in all formats is a long time, added to his IPL responsibilities in the Super Kings yellow. He graced the sport in 90 Tests, two-thirds of them as skipper, scoring almost 5,000 runs including six hundreds and 33 mostly vital half-centuries. Only four men have claimed more dismissals behind the stumps than Dhoni's 294, nine of them this week at the MCG.

While he remains one of the one-day game's all-time greats, there is a feeling that with him goes the last real link with the golden era of 2009-10. The baton has been passed to the new generation of Kohli, Pujara, Ashwin and co, although I do wonder for how long India's latest idol Kohli can shoulder the responsibilities he faces. At least he doesn't keep wicket, too.

India now find themselves an unthinkable sixth in the ICC Test rankings, just a few points behind a resurgent New Zealand, so the only way is up. They have the talent, now all they need is to galvanise once more as a global force in proper cricket under Kohli and the BCCI. Maybe being the best in 50- and 20-over formats is all India craves. After all, that is where the money is. Dhoni, too, won't be short of a few dollars although like some of his former team-mates, he is commendably generous when it comes to charitable work. Unlike other sportsmen I could mention, he doesn't forget his roots.

So farewell MSD, for a few months at least, and good luck to his successors as Test captain and wicketkeeper!

Is Cook's time up?

Three Tests, three huge victories for England. Three ODIs, three massive defeats for England. Anyone would conclude that the five- and one-day formats are completely different ball games. To some extent, of course, they are. Yet they are both cricket, and the England and India protagonists are basically the same in each series. So why the sudden reversal of fortunes?

It may just be that India have become more comfortable in the 50-over game by sheer weight of experience. Tendulkar, Dravid, Zaheer Khan and co have passed the baton on to Kohli, Raina, Kumar et al, whil the super-cool MS Dhoni provides the link spanning the 'generations'. India are world champions and ranked top of the ICC ODI league, and they look as lively, committed with bat, ball and especially in the field as they appeared lacklustre in the last three legs of the summer's Test series.

On the other hand, there is England's situation. India have a more-or-less settled team while I think it's fair to say that Peter Moores and his selectors have no firm idea of who will take the pitch come next year's World Cup. The past week's performances surely indicate that the current line-up is not up to the task, but, no matter what Graeme Swann may say, the answer is not straightforward. Cook's slow scoring wasn't the issue yesterday; he just got out too early, and Hales and Ballance also lost their wickets quickly, leaving the rest with too much to do. Joe Root and Eoin Morgan steadied the ship yet also failed to impose themselves on the Indian bowlers. Moeen Ali demonstrated how to attack spin bowling but by then the damage had been done.

When India batted, England just could not break through and Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan were merciless. They showed how to set a foundation then accelerate to reach a target - and so with twenty overs to spare. Astonishing stuff! Even though Rahane gave away his wicket, it was special that, with the crowd baying for him to win the game with a six, Dhawan was able to oblige off the hapless Harry Gurney.

Of course the microscope is focussed on the captain Alastair Cook. One of his great strengths is his unflappability, a quality which has made him one of the world's foremost opening Test batsmen. While he is no Jayasuriya or Sehwag, neither is he a hopeless plodder in the one-day game. That he is out of form is not in dispute. Nevertheless, is it too late for him to step down and, if not, who should replace him in the team and as leader?

I feel vindicated that he wasn't sacked as Test captain. I don't like knee-jerk decisions like that; form is temporary and class is permanent, and Cook is a class Test run-scorer. But...this is one-day cricket and there is still time for England to find the right blend of experience, skills and tactics to forge a team capable of doing well in Australia and New Zealand, if not actually to win the trophy.

There are options for bolstering the batting but captaincy potential is more limited. Bell, Morgan and Broad are the main contenders from the current squad and, while James Taylor and James Vince merit opportunities in the side and have county and Lions leadership experience, is it too soon to expect them to take on both roles six months ahead of the biggest competition in cricket? Personally I am not a big fan of either Morgan or Broad and think Bell may be our best chance.

So what about the future for the rest of the team? The new guard of Root, Ballance, Buttler and Moeen Ali are high-class players with a solid claim for tickets Down Under in February, while the swing and seam stars, Anderson and Broad, should also travel. Ian Bell's net injury spared him any connection to the Edgbaston nightmare but he also needs to find some form in the forthcoming practice internationals. The jury is out on Hales but on 2014 form should be given more chances. The aforementioned Taylor and Vince have the ability to build and attack, and we shouldn't write off Ravi Bopara or even Samit Patel, both of whom remain consistently good all-rounders on the domestic circuit.

England's biggest problems are possibly in the bowling support for Anderson and Broad. Ali is an OK spin option, but used even by Worcestershire until 2013 only as a part-time bowler. It's great to see him progress this summer with England and only James Tredwell seems to be in the frame when it comes to slowing down scoring rates. Monty Panesar is out of the question, Simon Kerrigan's form has suffered, Ravi Patel is too raw and Adil Rashid perhaps too expensive.

I'm still a fan of Chris Woakes but Chris Jordan was hopeless at Cardiff and Steve Finn's drop in pace has reduced his effectiveness as a strike bowler. Harry Gurney is there only because he is the only left-armer around since Ryan Sidebottom. Is that a good reason for picking him, that 'he gives us different options'? Perhaps. If it's about extending the batting, then Woakes and Jordan are still worth a punt, and the likes of Tim Brasnan and David Willey (fitness permitting) plus Jack Brooks must be on the radar. Forget Dernbach and Meaker. Please!

Let's see what happens in the final dead rubber against India. A consolation victory will at least raise the spirits if only to paper over the ominous cracks which have appeared in the edifice which only a few years ago had England rated number one. If England don't conjure up a victory, then let us at least admire the Indians, from the bouncy Bhuvy, vibrant Raina, arty Ajinkya to the artful Ashwin and ooooh Ravi Jadeja. At least in ODIs, they seem to know what their roles are, and are capable of fulfilling them to the letter.

Raina and Ravi blow England away at Cardiff

I've just got back from Sophia Gardens where India made it three out of three ODI victories in the past year or so. They even took the final wicket just minutes before the rain pepped up - timing as impressive as that of MS Dhoni's batting. Maybe the BCCI should pay me handsomely to attend all their games around the world as I was in Cardiff for those Champions Trophy successes, too. Please get in touch, guys, and don't forget to include travel expenses!

It wasn't all plain sailing for India today. Jimmy Anderson and Chris Woakes bowled beautifully in the first ten overs, the latter rewarded by the wickets of Dhawan and poor Kohli, thumping a great off drive straight at the only fielder in the arc, Alastair Cook. After his earlier new-ball struggles, Rohit Sharma began to settle and, with Rahane, built a useful third-wicket partnership.

However, it was oves 38 to 41 which destroyed England. Woakes' second spell began with an over in which he conceded twenty runs, including two sixes from Suresh Raina. The next over seemed to go on forever as Chris Jordan served up no fewer than five wides, each greeted by even greater derision by the massed ranks of India fans in the Foster's stand. Jordan's stuttery run-up seemed even more forlorn by the end. Meanwhile Raina flayed all bowlers and reached three figures before holing out to Woakes on the cover boundary. His was the star innings but credit to his captain, too. Dhoni seemed to crawl in comparison but he produced some delightful shots and excellent running to reach fifty at more than a run a ball. It was inevitable that Ashwin and Jadeja would take their side past 300. and so they did.

I did despair when the rain started to fall just as Cook and Hales were on their way to the middle. They did a smatr about-turn with the Indian side still on the pitch. The weather forecast had been dismal but the skies turned slightly less dark and England's innings did finally get under way half an hour late, giving me time to see the ICC World Cup trophy on display in the Fan Zone!

Cook hit the first two balls for two on the leg side but he and Hales, batting in an ODI for the first time after the Bristol washout, played, missed and edged frequently against Shami, Mohit Sharma and Kumar. They were well ahead of India's scoring rate until things went wrong in the eleventh over. Shami had Cook LBW and bowled Bell whi inexplicably left a straight ball on his off stump. Root was beaten by a Bhuvi nip-backer, leaving Hales and Morgan to sink into a slough of despond. Even the introduction of spinners Ashwin, Jadeja and Raina failed to ignite them into going for their strokes.

When Hales and Buttler fell in quick succession, Duckworth-Lewis had England miles behind, and the required target of 295 from 47 overs was also lookig more and more remote. Dhoni rotated his attack frequently, the result being no opportunity for England to build any momentum. Sixes from Woakes and Tredwell came far too late and the death knell came mercifully for the home side elevn overs and about an hour early when Tredwell swung Ashwin to Jadeja.

India were best for batting, bowling and, I should add, fielding and they seemed to feed on the growing noise and energy from the boisterous but never menacing fans in orange, white, green and blue. Swann, Vaughan et al can't point the finger solely at Cook and Bell, as most of the others failed to deliver on the day. Bad day at the office? Maybe. Jordan must surely be dropped but perhaps he others deserve another shot. Meanwhile, Indian confidence must be a helluva lot higher than it was a few weeks ago, although I'm afraid I don't have tickets for the remaining ODIs. Find me on Facebook, Duncan and Ravi: Mike Smith's the name. I take cheques.

Now it's Indian Cricket in crisis

What a difference three weeks make. At the end of July, it was Alastair Cook's Test place and captaincy on the line, with all the ex-captains in the media demanding his head. Well, that head has always been level and, with the support of Peter Moores, his family and the majority of spectators, Cook stood his ground, scored 95 and 70 not out at Southampton, and laid the foundations for a superb turnaround from 0-1 strugglers to commanding 3-1 winners of the Pataudi Trophy.

It's not all down to Cook, though. Senior bowlers Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad led the attack with vim and vigour, Jos Buttler came into the side and has probably ensured Matt Prior's international retirement, Kevin Pietersen's successors Joe Root and Gary Ballance topped the runs table with more than 500 apiece, Moeen Ali's steady spin became feared more than his beard and The Oval offered Chrises Woakes and Jordan a share of the limelight, too.

Has there ever been a series which followed such a steady trend of performances? The Trent Bridge opener was a pitch-induced stalemate, but from the Ishant-Bhuvi-inspired Lord's triumph, it has been downhill all the way for India. The obvious question is why? Nothing boosts a side's confidence more than success. So what on earth prompted the dismal reversal of fortunes? India should have put the 2011 debacle behind them, recognised that England were after all beatable in their own backyard on helpful pitches, and built on the HQ result. Instead, previously promising batsmen like Vijay, Pujara, Dhawan and, in the last two matches, Rahane and the recalled Gambhir seemed to forget how to bat. They even made Moeen Ali look like a world-class spinner instead of the defensive 'filler' bowler he was until July 2014. MS Dhoni pretty much admitted it: all he had to was plonk it in the same place and wait for the mistakes.

Then there's Virat Kohli. Still only 25 but with almost 200 internationals under his belt, the successor to the Tendulkar mantle (no pressure!) proved a comlete flop from start to finish. 134 runs from ten innings and a highest score of 39 simply aren't good enough for such a key batsman. He has also become Anderson's 'bunny', a status which needs addressing. Even if he never faces the Burnley swinger again, there will be other pacemen like Steyn able to exploit Kohli's weaknesses in Test cricket.

The Anderson-Jadeja 'handbags' incident and pathetic trading of allegations and insults by the England and India authorities left a sour taste in the mouth but were in the event a mere sideshow to the cricket. The shenanigans seemed only to reinvigorate Anderson and his fellow bowlers, while India retreated into their shells. I don't approve of arrogant, foul-mouthed sportsmen but he bowled superbly and is now on the verge of becoming England's highest ever Test wicket taker.

England's only weak point was Sam Robson. The Australian's Middlesex form in 2013 and centuries for the Lions promoted him to the status of Cook's partner but he made just one half-century in the series. Actually, there were two. Ben Stokes, now with both wrists intact, was given two opportunities as an all-rounder. He took a few wickets but zero runs in three innings is a terrible total for such a promising batsman.

And so to India. Cook weathered his personal storm but now the pressure is on MS Dhoni. Having his pay docked for a slow over rate is a minor inconvenience compared to the criticism he and his side have received for their capitulation in the final three games, culminating in defeat by an innings and 244 in London. Had he not produced such doughty half-centuries himself, India's losing margins would have been even greater, but if he should fall on his sword, who on earth could replace him? At least he has the ODIs in which to re-establish his reputation.

As for England, they can at least hold their heads up high. Anderson's return of 25 wickets at 20 apiece was brilliant, while Root averaged over 100 for the series. Robson apart, all the squad did well, and poor Steve Finn and Simon Kerrigan will have to wait until next Spring at least for their Test returns. I feel for Yorkshire, too; they need to bolster their batting as from this summer's showing, Messrs Root and Ballance will both be on central contracts and become unfamiliar faces back at Headingley. Also, Essex will have Cook's appearances rationed just as much as before; don't be surprised if England zoom back up the ICC charts in 2015.

Sri Lanka Champions at last

Sri Lanka's recent record as one-day competition bridesmaids has finally been broken, but the T20 World Cup final was a low-scoring cagey affair. The India v Sri Lanka ODI history spans 35 years and 144 games, but this was only their sixth meeting in a 20-over thrash. Nevertheless, this was billed as a chance for revenge in the last 50-over world final and last summer's Champions Trophy semi. It was also the last opportunity to hold this trophy for all-time greats Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara.

Malinga won the toss and opted to field, and the decision looked correct as Rahane fell early, and both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were shackled during the opening overs. Nobody had scored more runs in this year's tournament than Kohli and he suddenly remembed how to launch an attack. Long on and extra cover were cleared brilliantly but when the strike switched to Yuvraj Singh, all momentum was lost. Malinga and Kulasekera delivered unplayable wide yorkers and when the ball came on straight, the former Indian master blaster could muster no more than the odd single worked to leg. Sad to watch, and MS Dhoni must have been relieved when Yuvi holed out for 11 in 21 balls. However, the Indian skipper also struggled and the 130 total looked flimsy. Kohli looked merely furious and frustrated!

Sri Lanka's response was measured. Why take risks when you need little more than a run a ball to win? India's four-man spin machine looked to have the upper hand until Sangakkara began to chance his arm. Boundaries started to flow, some superb, others streaky, but even the excellent Ashwin and Mishra were becoming rattled. Their variation produced some welcome dot balls but they had such a small score to defend that a few fours an over were too expensive. In the eighteenth over, two edged boundaries took the SL keeper past 50 for the 8th time in 56 T20Is, greeted by warm applause and a handshake from Kohli who by this time knew the game was over. A third big six from Perera merely confirmed it three balls later, and Sri Lanka had clinched their first global crown since the days of Aravinda De Silva, Muralitharan and Vaas.

T20 cricket is an unpredictable sport at any time, anywhere and between any teams. Much of the talk even in the semis was about India and the West Indies but in the end, superb 'death' bowling served up the foundation for a win for Sri Lanka. Poor Yuvraj Singh's desperate search for form when Kohli should have been pushing the total towards 150 may be blamed for India's defeat. However, Dhoni's similar travails in the final over proved that, for once, two seamers did the most to win the day. Sanga's 52 not out won him the Man of the Match award but the fact that none of the five SL bowlers each conceded more than 30 runs attested to the team effort.

Virat Kohli's 319 runs in six games made him the Player of the Tournament. His contribution to the competition in Bangladesh was immense but credit to the Sri Lankans for keeping things interesting. I look forward to seeing them in England this summer.

India's train runs off the rails

Until the very last week, 2013 was a good year for Indian cricket. Six successive Test victories, albeit at home, and that epic draw at Jo'burg, around that success in the Champions Trophy in England & Wales, gave the squad plenty of confidence. Tendulkar departed the scene but with Dhawan, Pujara, Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jadeja et al firing more often than not, the future was beginning to look rosy for MS Dhoni's side.

However, a heavy defeat in the Centurion Test and seven winless ODIs in succession has, to borrow an analogy from the local weather news in Somerset, left the Dhoni express running into South African and now New Zealand floodwaters and drifting off the rails across the Levels and into the trees. Losing a few 50-over contests overseas isn't a disaster but failure in the Auckland five-dayer is a real setback for a side bristling with global superstars. This is form reminiscent of Moyles-era Man United. As with the Fulham encounter, this was ultimately an exciting game in which the underdogs were in control from the start before almost throwing it away and nicking it at the death.

For New Zealand, Kane Williamson is in tremendous form. Five consecutive half-centuries in the ODI series, then a first-innings 113, has made him a young batsman to be reckoned with. Skipper Brendon McCullum has a great reputation in the shorter formats but his 224, one short of his career-best (also achieved against India) showed his more patient side. His seamers have impressed in recent months, too, and here Boult, Wagner and Southee made life tough for India's stars, leaving them floundering at 10-3 until Sharma steered them towards 200. McCullum didn't enforce the follow-on and may have been ruing that decision when NZ were dismissed for just 105.

India had a stiff but not impossible target of 407. That they had two days in which to get the runs was not part of the equation. They needed a strong foundation, and this was duly delivered by Dhawan and Kohli. Then, having reached 222-2, things turned against them. Wickets began to fall regularly and Dhoni, Jadeja and Zaheer Khan slipped into one-day strokeplay mode. However, the NZ seam attack combined with BJ Watling's gloves to end the opposition's resistance and made it three Test wins in a row. That hasn't happened for six years and that sequence included two against Bangladesh instead of the West Indies and India.

Great stuff for New Zealand but, with the Asia Cup, World T20s and IPL on the horizon, India needs to get the train back on the rails in the next Test to keep the fans and sponsors happy. As they showed second time around this weekend, they don't need to improve too much. Nevertheless more incisive bowling is desperately needed along with a Plan B when Kohli and Dhawan get out. Throwing the bat is fine in an ODI when the game is slipping away but the likes of Jadeja, Sharma, Dhoni and Khan surely have the ability to do better in Tests. I don't think this reverse will have any bearing on the T20 tourney but England must be licking their lips in anticipation of a post-KP win-fest come the summer!

Was draw a win for Dhoni or Steyn?

After 4.99 days of blistering Test cricket, it's a shame that the Wanderers Test opener may be remembered by one of the most negative cricketing displays since Trevor Chappell's underarm daisy cutter thirty-odd years ago. Having switched on the TV after spotting the imminent world record online, I was bitterly disappointed to witness such a pathetic capitulation to 'safety-first'. From the expressions of the home fans in the stands, I was clearly not alone. With South Africa needing about a run a ball from three overs with three wickets remaining and a decent batsman in Vernon Philander still at the crease, history was theirs for the taking. Perhaps more important for the hard-nosed management, it was a victory that would have maintained SA's margin ahead of India in the ICC rankings. Yet it didn't happen.

So whose fault was it? I can't criticise MS Dhoni's tactics at all. Once Faf du Plessis had taken his side to the verge of the highest fourth innings winning total in Test cricket before being run out by a direct hit, it was reasonable to expect Dale Steyn to be less comfortable against Zaheer Khan and Shami than Vernon Philander. Therefore to keep him on strike and deliver some unplayable balls was a good move. What was astonishing was Steyn's refusal to contemplate any risk at all, and Philander's lack of adventure in either taking the offered singles or taking the attack to the bowlers.

I can understand the negativity from Alastair Cook and it was argued that fear of defeat outweighed the temptation of going for the win. But they were eight runs from a world record, for heaven's sake!! The last-ball six put the tin lid on it!! Calm down, Mike. Take a breather and reflect on the preceding 430-odd overs. It was a match which pitched the top two Test sides against one another, and it lived up to the billing. There were wickets for Philander and the returning Zaheer Khan, grown-up batting from Virat Kohli, a masterful century from Pujara and last-day heroics from AB de Villiers which so nearly turned the tide in the home side's favour. In response to my question in the title, I guess Dhoni can take the greater pleasure from the result as his side didn't really deserve to lose.

As for Dale Steyn, it wasn't his greatest hour with the ball, either. However, everything is relative. Having led the Test ICC rankings for more than four years he finally ceded the top spot to team-mate Philander. Don't forget the older man's versatility; he is also number two in the ODI rankings. Speaking of versatility, AB de Villiers tops the table for batting in both formats, just ahead of Amla and, in ODIs, Kohli. That just speaks volumes for SA's strength in depth. Maybe Jacques Kallis won't be so badly missed when he retires after all, and his first-ball LBW didn't help!

Now for the Durban re-match on Boxing Day. With interest in the MCG action diminished by England's early Ashes wipe-out, South Africa and India can be expected to serve up more exciting fare. After the incredibly tight opener, I'm sure Steyn will be keen to get at Dhawan, Vijay et al. With Morkel injured, more weight will fall on his shoulders (and those of Philander and Kallis) but it remains a mouth-watering contest. Such a shame there are so few fixtures in this series. How many times have we said that in the past few years. Cricket needs more showdowns between the top sides. It was great to see these two in the Champions Trophy in the summer and I, for one, would prefer to see SA v India with the trurkey leftovers than yet another over-hyped Ashes clash. Bring it on...

Time to redress the ODI bat v ball balance?

Indian cricket must have been a bit bewildered today. They managed to bowl out the opposition twice for under 400. Yes, that's 20 wickets in 132 overs. Although the hapless West Indies may beg to differ, welcome back to REAL cricket!

The recent ODI series against Australia reached new heights in terms of consistent run-scoring but new depths when it comes to allowing bowlers a chance to demonstrate their art on a level playing field. Scrub that. One of the problems was that the playing field was too level. The pitch, anyway. The rest of the playing field could have resembled the Himalaya foothills for all it came into play in some of the matches. Nearly 3,600 runs in 11 innings makes for an average of around 330, incorporating an IPL-like 107 sixes.

However, for 330 to become the new 250 so quickly must go beyond specially prepared strips and bringing in the boundary rope. The men who excelled in the series were not surprising. Virat Kohli and George Bailey were magnificent, while Shikhar Dhawan, Glenn Maxwell and MS Dhoni also showed their class on more than one occasion. Then, of course there was Rohit Sharma's Bangalore masterclass and one-off century cameos from Shane Watson and James Faulkner. These are players who have sharpened their batting skills in the T20 era and, of these, only Dhoni has a lasting reputation in the Test format. Mind you, Sharma and Dhawan each have three-figure averages from their three matches between them!

Who remembers the bowlers from the ODI series? The only names that springs to mind are Mitch Johnson (for one good spell at Mohali) and Ishant Sharma (for his shocker in the same game). Nobody took ten wickets across the entire series; Ravi Ashwin's nine topped the table, albeit at 37 apiece while leaking a run a ball. Only this week's debut hero, Mohammed Shami, averaged under 30 of the main bowlers. Bhuvi Kumar and Xavier Doherty took a mere two wickets apiece and in terms of economy, Watson, Vinay Kumar and Faulkner each suffered a long-lasting pasting.

Following any other series, their places would be under serious threat. However, all you can do in the wake of such a run-fest is shrug your shoulders and hope that the next series will offer a fairer contest between bat and ball. I fear the worst, particularly in India. After all, when you have a limited-over batting order like that, the selectors and Dhoni can pretty much rely on hunting down every target set them and, if they lose the toss, put the game beyond most opponents.

Also, the series made fifty-over cricket major news around the world. Big scores make big headlines and these days big money, too. South Africa's victory over Pakistan today went way below the radar as the two sides could muster just seven sixes between them. Never mind the 43 fours which probably took more skill to achieve. The India-Aussie competition was certainly exciting, helped by circumstances leaving the final match as a winner-takes-all decider. Australia were no pushovers and will be genuine contenders come the next World Cup but I look forward more to ODIs in the MCG than Mohali and Newlands rather than Nagpur.

Should or could cricket's law-makers rewrite the books? All the tinkering with field restrictions and Powerplays have helped make mid-innings periods more lively but do they really help when the dice is loaded so much in the batsman's favour? Why not abolish such regulations altogether? Bowl to a 9-0 leg field? Then Kohli can just step inside and aim for the covers. If he misses, that's his problem! Place everyone on the boundary? Then nudge the ones and twos and score ten and over that way instead, with little chance of being caught!

It won't happen, of course. Modern innovations shouldn't be dispensed with on the evidence of five games in a single country. However, if ODIs continue to evolve into Fifty50 slugfests, then I will finally be convinced that the format has no future. And that really will be a shame.

India Cruise through

And so it came to pass: England will face England at Edgbaston for the ICC Champions Trophy. Each enjoyed an easy ride through the semis as first South Africa then Sri Lanka batted slowly and feebly, leaving their opponents straightforward run chases.

At a warm, sunny Oval, Jonathan Trott steered the ship home to port with an impressive 82 not out, but it was the bowling of James Tredwell and the ever-dependable Jimmy Anderson who strangled then carved open the South African batting. When Ingram, Amla, De Villiers and Duminy scrape together a mere four runs between them, the Proteas have no chance, and so it proved. They have missed Smith and Kallis although the absence in most games through injury of Steyn and Morne Morkel was probably the more harmful.

I was at Cardiff yesterday for the much-anticipated clash between neighbours and frequent rivals India and Sri Lanka. Fearing the worst, I turned up with brolly, book and newspaper but somehow the dull blanket of cloud never produced any rain once the overnight soaking had cleared this part of South Wales. The game started half an hour late to enable groundstaff to mop up the outfield but, with the floodlights providing welcome brightness and warmth, the weather failed to dampen the occasion.

As at the tournament opener at the same stadium, Indian fans thronged the stands, their cheerful but always polite exuberance creating a memorable atmosphere. It didn't quite match the colour and spectacle of that high-scoring win over South Africa. However, once it became obvious that the Indian seamers had complete mastery over the competition, the crowd settled down to cheer their young team to victory. In the main stand I took pleasure in watching Dharwan, the adored Kohli and new hero Ravi Jadeja respond to the crowd, milking then leading the applause. They felt at home, and their bowler were to respond, too.

To the neutral, it was a mediocre contest. Somehow I expected more of a side boasting Sangakkara, Jayawardene, Kulasekera and Malinga, each of whom had illuminated the competition with superb performances in the previous week or so. OK, so the retirement with a torn calf muscle of Dilshan soon after crashing two consecutive boundaries was a blow. Nevertheless, Sanga was clearly frustrated with his inability to make his strokes against 'Bhuvy' Kumar, Yadav and Ishant Sharma, each of whom frequently beat the bat, caught an edge or made the batsman duck sharply. Even Mahela wasn't his usual twinkle-toed self. The pitch seemed so conducive to seam that MS Dhoni even bowled four overs himself and had appeared to take a wicket with only his second ball, only for the decsion to be overturned on review. Is there anything that man cannot do?! Suresh Raina, meanwhile, helped himself to three successive catches at second slip.

After 20 overs, Sri Lanka were only 47-3 and, while skipper Angelo Mathews finally struck a defiant six on his way to 51, the total of 181 was hardly a strong one. Unless the high-scoring duo of Shikhar Dharwan and Rohit Sharma cold finally slip up, that is. They didn't. Where the Indian seamers had prospered in the heavy conditions, the Sri Lankans failed to dent the confidence of the prolific pair until Rohit charged at Mathews and missed in the 17th over. At that stage they had twice the runs as SL had at the same point in their innings. Dharwan rode his luck at times, with a few dropped catches, but he expressed annoyance with himself for being stumped by centimetres off Mendis for 68. However, there wasn't enough time to secure a third hundred of the tournament. Kohli and Raina stepped up the attack and suddenly it was all over with ninety balls to spare.

The Cardiff/Glamorgan organisers did themselves proud this fortnight. The volunteers, including stewards who earned their keep coping with two pitch invasions in the semi, were magnificent, entering into the spirit while retaining an air of professionalism. And the venue played host to a real mix of matches. All that is left is a final between the two most powerful sides in the competition. India have looked excellent right through the side, but then, apart from that reverse to Sri Lanka, the same could be said of England. Perhaps India have the edge with the bat although in Anderson, the hosts have the best bowler in these oonditions. My prediction: England to take their first 50-over title.

Mumbai give Tendulkar a winning send-off

Having picked the Super Kings to win back the IPL title, I suppose it was inevitable that the Mumbai Lions would come out on top in the Eden Gardens showdown. No Ponting or Tendulkar, but in this Final it was the T20 specialist Kieron Pollard whose batting proved decisive in the first innings. It was then the turn of the frontline bowlers to shine. When the two slingers Malnga and Johnson had despatched potential match-winners Mike Hussey, Raina and badrinath back to the dugout inside two overs with just three runs on the board, things were looking grim for CSK.

However, in T20, there's always hope. Some big sixes and there's always a chance of reaching the target before the remaining wickets tumble. Nevertheless at 39-6, all Chennai hopes were resting on one man's shoulders. Batsman, 'keeper and captain for CSK and India, MS Dhoni is used to immense pressure but this was one challenge beyond even his talents. To his credit, he compiled another unbeaten half-century but the pacemen, plus Ojha, Harbajhan Singh and Pollard, proved too difficult to hit. The dot balls mounted up and the game was up before the start of the final Pollard over. Sachin was out injured but the boyish enthusiasm was still to the fore on the boundary as Rohit Sharma spent ages pointlessly shuffling his field to defend more than twenty runs from the last ball!

What we didn't know was that the Little Master had already decided to make this IPL his last. A pity he couldn't represent the Indians on the pitch in their hour of success but he did at least bow out with a six a few weeks ago. At 40, Tendulkar has now officially retired from two of the major money-spinning formats IPL and ODIs. To his credit, he has left Test cricket to last but I think he should bow out this year. If he rediscovers the old form, perhaps he could persevere for longer, but at 40+ even the longest, most lucrative and stunningly successful career of the modern era has to end. Rahul Dravid, as so often, made the right decision at the right time. Perhaps Sachin is thinking of the succession plan in the national side. Essentially there doesn't seem to be one. So much batting talent in the Ranji Trophy and ODIs: Kohli, Raina, Rahane, Sharma, etc, etc, but such a shame that none have transferred their considerable potential on home soil to the Test arena around the world. Maybe it will come.

What the IPL won't produce is the next crop of Indian Test batsmen. The top order at the Indians, Super Kings, etc, are occupied by the international superstars like Gayle, Watson, Hussey and Jaywardene or retirees like Dravid and Ponting, giving little chance for the young guns. In any case, a few whirlwind 30s or 40s in IPL is hardly a firm foundation for a brilliant Test career. On the other hand, T20 does offer bowlers the chance to experiment with their craft in front of huge crowds, and has given an audience for the Narines of this world to develop. It doesn't allow them much of a chance to fail but when a bowler learns to take wickets and keep different batsmen guessing, that will hold them in good stead for any form of cricket.

Of course, this year's IPL has been rocked by the latest spot-fixing scandal. Where there's huge sums of money swilling around, there will also be unscrupulous individuals able to tempt players over to the 'dark side', risking their long-term sporting careers for short-term criminal gain. As Dravid said this weekend, that doesn't mean the IPL should be scrapped, because the dodgy bookies will merely find another tournament to taint.

And so the game moves on to what I would classify as more meaty cricket, with the 50-over Champions Trophy, more Test series and, for me, the County Championship. A 100% cake and chocolate diet is fun for a while, but mixing with some protein, carbs and greens is ultimately far more satisfying!

CSK lead the way

I know it's not my favourite competition - give me the County Championship any day, even with Somerset's dreadful run! - but the IPL is worth following just to see how the world's best cricketers fare against each other in the biff-bang game. Chris Gayle is the king of Twenty20 but even his sixes couldn't drag RCB into the top four. Not only that, but the Chennai Super Kings feature batsmen who have outperformed the West Indian opener.

Surely CSK should have the firepower in depth to win the final this weekend, whoever the opposition. Mike Hussey has played the same number of games as Gayle, yet has accumulated 24 more runs, featuring six half-centuries in the 16 innings. His 58-ball 86 not out against the Indians was superb and it took an even more ferocious performance by team-mate Suresh Raina to steal the headlines, though not the Man of the Match award.

Of the top players, Gayle doesn't even boast the best strike rate. That belongs to another CSK stalwart, their irrepressible skipper MS Dhoni. He may have endured considerable criticism since India slipped off their perch as number one Test nation but in the short formats, MS is as good as anyone. A strike rate of more than 167, with just the final to come, is phenomenal. Needless to say, he has also made more dismissals behind the stumps (15) than anyone else in this year's competition.

With the ball, CSK also field the highest wicket-taker, Darren Bravo. His 28 scalps often seem to come at the death, with a soaring economy rate to match, but his contribution to the Chennai cause cannot be overlooked. Lasith Malinga has been eclipsed at last! He wasn't even the best fast bowler in Mumbai's side; that is Mitch Johnson. Mean bowling is usually the preserve of the spinners such as Harbjajan Singh, Mishra and the excellent Sunil Narine, but Dale Steyn's 19 wickets at under a run a ball have taken the Sunrisers to touching distance of the final. James Faulkner has snared an impressive 27 IPL victims this year, making him the star of the Royals' march to the final eliminator. I hadn't realised what a fine all-round record he has in first-class cricket, too, so could a Test call-up be far away?

So will Chennai Super Kings claim their third title in four years? Even if they don't, their ace performers have lit up the tournament. Mike Hussey may have retired from Test cricket but his class in all cricket remains undimmed. The lights may have gone out on Tendulkar and Ponting this Spring but Mr Cricket, about to reach his 38th birthday, shines as brightly as ever.

Time for Abbott and Dhoni to shine

What an embarrassment of riches South Africa boast inte fast bowling ranks! Morkel injured? Bring in Kleinveldt. Kallis crocked? Call up a man averaging barely 20 in first-class cricket: Kyle Abbott. Every team has to blood new talent when one of the oldies drops out or loses form. But when South Africa does it, the debutant almost invariably blows away the opposition a la Philander!

Abbott has aspirations to be an all-rounder but just four fifties wil hardly make the great Jacques quake in his boots. However, he has been in cracking form for the Dolphins, including a twelve-wicket haul against the Cobras last month, and deserved his place in the Centurion sun.
Maybe it's the confidence that a successful side oozes that enables the newbies to fire on all cylinders rather than - dare I say the word? - choke on the big stage. It takes a lot to outperform Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander but the man from KwaZulu came in at second change and, starting with Mohammad Hafeez and endig with Younis Khan, proceeded to take seven wickets in under twelve overs to force Pakistan to face the follow-on.

Second time out, Steyn took the honours but Abbott bowled economically for another two wickets and the Man of the Match award. A great day for the team, of course, with a fifth successive Test victory, and Graeme Smith's fiftieth as captain: a terrific achievement. South Africa really are flying at the moment.

Over at Chennai, a few of the old dogs were showing their teeth. Australia must have fancied heir chances, especially when Michael Clarke celebrated yet another century on day one, despite Ravi Ashwin's seven wickets. By day three, all eyes were on Sachin Tendulkar. Sixty-odd days short of his fortieth birthday, SRT needed twenty-nine runs for his 52nd Test century and his stand with Virat Kohli was shaping up nicely. At close, everyone was drooling over an Indian legend's double-century, but it wasn't the Little Master. No, the focus instead was on MS Dhoni's maiden 200 in any form of cricket. Promoted to six, the skipper enjoyed one of his greatest innings not only for sheer volume of runs but also the way he bullied the bowlers despite an uneven pitch. The Aussies were probably regretting not selecting a second spinner although, to be fair, do they have two Test class slow bowlers anyway? And I'm not giving Shane Warne a second thought!

His previous best in Tests was the 148 he thrashed against Pakistan in one of his first matches seven years ago, although he has a 183 to his name in the fifty-over format. Until today, MS had often failed against Australia but his latest effort has added almost ten to his career average against them in fourteen Tests. Questions had been asked about his batting, captaincy, everything. However, if he gives his side a lead approaching 200 and the spinners exploit a friendly surface to secure victory, his hero status may be restored and recent misery forgotten. At least until India lose their next game! The Aussie top order still looks brittle without Ponting and, while Henriques batted well on his Test debut, I wonder how they will survive the retirement of Mike Hussey. Clarke can't do it on his own, but it has been a game for both skippers so far.

England win an ODI in India at last!

England and India have had a real rollercoaster ride in the past few years, veering from one extreme to the other in the different formats. However, it has been almost one-way traffic in ODIs played in India since 2002. Sixteen defeats, a tie and a solitary win preceded today's match in Rajkot. However, everything seems to be going the way of Alastair Cook these days so it shouldn't really have been a surprise when England racked up 325 and were able to defend it - just!

Joe Root may not have batted on his debut, but the top six all made runs. Ian Bell looked particularly strong, outscoring his captain in an opening partnership of 158. Pietersen, Morgan and Patel also passed 40 as Ishant Sharma took a real pasting during his final stint. India also got off to a good start thanks to Gambhir and Rahane, that supreme first-class cricketer who gets picked only for one-dayers! Yuvraj Singh and Raina each made brisk half-centuries but failed to score quick enough. When they departed there was too much for Dhoni and the tail to do at the death, and they fell nine runs short. Not a huge margin in such a high-scoring match but, needing ninety-odd in the last nine overs, it was a case of too little, too late.

At the end of 2011, India smashed England just as convincingly as they had lost the Test series so dismally on foreign soil. Margins such as 126 runs, 95 runs and eight wickets had made Cook's team look like amateurs. In particular, the visiting batsmen were hopelessly inconsistent and unable to put more than an occasional half-century together. Much of that side remains, with the key exceptions of Trott, Swann, Bopara and Bairstow. Borthwick and Meaker have been replaced by Tredwell and Dernbach and it was the former, the second oldest man in the XI, who won the Man of the Match award with his 4-44.

The only other win in that dreary decade of ODI disasters came on 12th April 2006 at Jamshedpur. Only KP, Bell, MSD, Yuvi and Raina have survived that seven-year gap, but on that occasion, it was Jimmy Anderson and the much-maligned Saj Mahmood who were instrumental in restricting Sehwag's side to a mere 223. Only Dhoni and Ramesh Powar scored more than 15! India's attack featured three Singhs - RP, Munaf and Harbhajan - and only the latter had any real success. Nevertheless, a century opening partnership at more than five an over ensured that the rest need only keep things ticking over without crazy shot selection. This they managed with more than seven overs to spare, Ian Blackwell ending proceedings with a mighty six over long on.

Going back further through the archives, it hasn't always been a home-side success story. When the first ODI in India between the sides took place in Ahmedebad in November 1981, one-day tactics were very different. More like pick your Test team, anchor the innings for forty overs then try and pick it up near the end! India managed barely three an over in their 46 overs, and Willis, Botham and Underwood conceded two an over or fewer. Even with a batting line-up featuring Geoffs Boycott and Cook and Keith Fletcher, England knocked off the 157 quite easily, as Botham showed that it really is not too vulgar to hit sixes in such fixtures.

England won six of their first nine ODIs in India through the 1980s then drew the six-game series in 1993. In 2002, Nasser Hussain's men slumped to 1-3 with two games remaining. At Delhi, Nick Knight's 105 helped England to a useful 271-5. In reply, Sehwag, Tendulkar and Ganguly made a good start but Mongia, Kaif and Badani failed to maintain the early strike rate. Despite some late hitting by Agarkar, Ashley Giles took five wickets and India lost by just two runs.

At Mumbai, it was the same story. Instead of Knight (who was dismissed for a duck), it was Marcus Trescothick who laid the foundation for a 255 total. Sehwag was out too early then, while Ganguly performed admirably for 80, the duo of Mongia and Kaif were again suffocated. Flintoff, Giles and even Michael Vaughan kept the scoring rate down. Needing six from the last three balls, wih two wickets left, any of three results looked possible. However, Flintoff ran out Kumble then bowled Srinath first ball to secure a five-run victory. Two desperately close finishes but England have saved the series.

Eleven years on, can England build on their early success? The Test series triumph has surely consigned historical hoodoos to the dustbin so now it's up to India to turn things around. Coming from behind is not their strength and I wouldn't bet against a 5-0 whitewash!

Obstructing the field?

Judging by his excuses for losing the latest CB Series match to Australia, MS Dhoni sounded more like a whingeing football manager than a respected cricket captain. Maybe he had a point that Sachin Tendulkar was unlucky to be given out after being forced to evade Brett Lee when running to the crease. The David Hussey 'hand of God'(?) incident was less clear cut.

The Indian skipper complained that the Aussie batsman should have been given out 'handled the ball' because his hand was outstretched and so was not legitimately self-defence, the reason the umpires give for not giving Hussey out. Now, I have not seen the incident in question but, while Dhoni appealed for clearer rules, there can never be a definitive answer. When is a hand outstretched or not outstretched? Does the TV umpire get out his electronic protractor ('Angle Eye?) to measure the angle at the shoulder? If more than 45 degrees and you're out, mate? Alternatively, what counts as self-defence? MS seemed to be contending that is only a genuine action if a batsman is trying to protect his 'crown jewels'. What about his head? Usually self-defence is an instinctive action anyway, so it's tough to rule on all these things in a flash. LBW is hard enough, without having to rule on a player's intent.

Dhoni harked back to Inzamam's dismissal at Peshawar six years ago, although on that occasion - when MS was keeping wicket - the Pakistan captain was given out 'obstructing the field'. He was judged to have deliberately used his bat to prevent Raina's throw reaching the stumps. After all, Inzy was never the quickest between the wickets!

Others have been given out in Tests for handling, usually for instinctively swatting a spinning ball which may or may not have been heading for the stumps. Graham Gooch and Steve Waugh have fallen foul of the law in this way. The last man to be given out 'handled ball' was another England opener, Michael Vaughan, against India in 2003. On that occasion, the batsman got tangled with the ball which he first smothered then flicked away with his glove, even though it didn't seem to be going towards his wicket. However, that is irrelevant and he had to go. Rather sheepishly, I suspect! His skipper at the time, Nasser Hussain later admitted he, too, would have appealed had he been in Ganguly's shoes.

In one-dayers, Darryl Cullinan caught the ball after first chopping it into the ground and was dismissed in 2000. However, only one man has been dismissed for both handled the ball and obstructing the field: back in the 1980s, the Indian batsman Mohinder Amarnath!

Forward to 2012, I may have a little bit of sympathy for MS Dhoni but these things happen and perhaps the decision, together with Tendulkar's controversial run out, may have contributed to his side losing the match. Nevertheless, I would hate cricket to go the way of football where every losing side blames the referee. Lambasting the officials is a tiresome feature of modern football, and ironically is usually prefaced by the phrases "I don't like to criticise officials but,..." or "I'm not looking for excuses, but..."! Decisions even themselves out, just like LBWs, run-outs, etc. I have a lot of respect for MS Dhoni, who has demonstrated tact and diplomacy many times in his career. I would hate to think these comments to the press are the start of something more insidious in cricket. leave the moaning minnies to other sports!

Man of the Moment: David Warner

When I made David Warner my Player of the Week back in October, he was hammering attacks in the T20 Champions League. Since then, he has enjoyed a renaissance in the first-class game and swiftly being promoted to the Test side while another aggressive opener Shane Watson has been injured.

While the likes of Chris Gayle and Luke Wright have enjoyed themselves in the various twenty-over tournaments recently, the 25 year-old from NSW has also been whacking boundaries galore, but in the Third Test at Perth. In the Australians' first innings, he scored more in 159 balls than the entire Indian side had achieved in 362. His 180 was the fourth fastest Test century in history and included 20 fours and five sixes. The opposition bowlers, not exactly the world's worst, were simply taken to pieces, and debutant Vinay Kumar experienced a baptism of fire.

Losing skipper MS Dhoni bravely held up his hand, taking responsibility because of his captaincy. However, the three games so far in this series have smacked of an embarrassing sequence of mismatches, much as the tour of England had been, and that can't be placed only at the door of Dhoni. Do the great batsmen no longer have the vigour and appetite at this level? Tendulkar may not have achieved that hundredth ton but then neither have any of his team-mates so far Down Under. Virat Kohli top-scored in both Indian innings at the WACA, showing the elder statesmen how to do it. When it comes to motivation, captain and coach should be showing the way, but Duncan Fletcher rarely takes the rap. Perhaps he should. Under a year ago, India were the world's number one Test nation and 50-over world champions. Now their reputations are sinking fast.

OK, so India still look a formidable outfit at home but is the increasingly poor record away the product of being unable to cope with foreign conditions, lack of confidence or lack of fight? Now is the time to ring a few changes for the fourth Test. It would help the selectors if, say, VVS Laxman fell on his sword before he is pushed, certainly before the next series. Dravid, Tendulkar and even the slightly younger Gambhir and Sehwag, look vulnerable but still surely have enough to continue for a while yet. Badrinath, Mukund and Raina have so far failed to make the grade but maybe they deserve another go? Also Virender Sehwag must have been concerned to see Warner score his runs in Sehwag-ian style while he himself struggled to accumulate ten runs in 32 balls across two innings.

Poor Dhoni. Not only has his side capitulated in such abject fashion and now he finds himself banned from the final match because of his side's slow over rate at Perth where India played four fast bowlers and no frontline spinner. Meanwhile Michael Clarke and David Warner must be licking their lips at the prospect of a 4-0 whitewash when the sides meet again at Adelaide. Will my next Man of the Moment be another Aussie, or could someone else produce a great performance or two?

India put England in their place

What a reversal of fortunes! After the disastrous tour of England (and Wales), India seem to have got their cricketing mojo back, albeit only in the 50-over format. So was it just an aversion to European wickets which made them so dreadful with bat, ball and attitude during the summer? They seem to have recovered their zest and talent in the heat and dust of the subcontinent, and now it's England looking distinctly second best as the home team made it 3-0 in Mohali, and there are still two games to go in this series.

At least today, Alastair Cook's side made a decent fist of it, following their two thumping defeats at Hyderabad and Delhi. The skipper himself failed again but his team-mates all contributed runs to the cause. Jonathan Trott anchored the innings, only just failing to reach three figures. Pietersen made 64 while Samit Patel supplied the late fireworks with 70 off 43 balls including a last-ball six off Vinay Kumar. At least 298 was a decent target, and Mohali has a reputation for favouring teams batting first. However, it is also known for high scoring, so England could not rest on their laurels.

As many predicted, Steven Finn bowled tidily but the openers made a steady 79 before Parthiv Patel was trapped lbw by a Bresnan inswinger. Rahane and Gambhir added 111 for the second wicket before Pietersen leapt to catch the latter in the covers for 58. His younger colleague progressed to 91 before mistiming a shot to Cook off an ungracious Finn. Rahane has a sensational first-class average of 69 so will we soon see him in the Test side, too?

There followed a three-ball duck for Raina and a Kohli cameo, after which MS Dhoni and Jadeja needed 64 off 50 balls to make it three consecutive victories. The captain is an old hand in this sort of situation and he took charge in inimitable fashion. The pair needed to strike fours and work the field. Maybe if Kieswetter hadn't fluffed his run-out attempt of Jadeja in the penultimate over, the pressure may have been too much. However, MS produced two brilliant boundaries off Bresnan in the 50th over and the triumph was secured four balls early.

At this rate England are improving enough perhaps to gain a consolation win or two, but India are doing what England did just a few months ago, namely spread the runs between them. Dhoni and Raina in the first match, Gambhir and Kohli in the second and now Rahane top scoring. No Tendulkar, Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Harbajhan or Yuvraj Singh so maybe there is hope for the future for the world champions. They just need to regain their reputations in the five-day game. They ought to make mincemeat of the West Indies on home soil next month but may face a much sterner test in Australia who also seem to be recovering from their Ashes hammering last winter.

England thought they had forgotten how to lose but if they can learn from this ODI experience and remember what they achieved Down Under and throughout the summer, they can remain top dogs for a while yet.

Cricketing decency prevails at Trent Bridge

The 4th Day scorecard at Trent Bridge reads Ian Bell c Laxman b Yuvraj Singh 158 but this didn't tell the most controversial story of the Test Match. The England number three had crafted an excellent century before Eoin Morgan flicked the last ball before tea from Ishant Sharma into the gap at deep square leg. Praveen managed to stoop to stop the ball short of the boundary before somersaulting over the 'rope'. The ball rolled along the outfield but failed to touch the advertising.

Things then get a bit hazy but, presumably believing a four had been signalled, Ian Bell set off for the pavilion. However, the ball was returned to the wicket, where Mukund whipped off the stumps as he was entitled to do. The run-out appeal was rightly upheld by umpire Rauf. However, there was clearly confusion, Bell seemed furious and the home crowd booed in disgust. Nevertheless, both India and the umpires had acted within the laws of the game.

Fortunately there remains some integrity within international cricket and, following a professional visit to the visitors' dressing room by Strauss and Andy Flower, captain Dhoni officially withdrew their appeal and Bell was reinstated after the interval. He added only 21 more runs before giving a soft slip catch which offered no need even for the bowling side to appeal. Something similar happened in an England-West Indies Test in 1973-4, when Tony Greig ran Alvin Kallicharran out. Then, the appeal was only withdrawn after umpires intervened in the face of crowd unrest. Six years later, India's Gundappa Vishwanath showed what sportsmanship is all about, when he called Bob Taylor back after being given out as caught by the umpires. England went on to win but full respect to 'Vishy'.

Anyway, back to 2011. Should India be vilified for appealing in the first place? In my opinion, no. India played by the rules. After all, the ball came in and they did their job. After all, why on earth did Bell walk off the pitch? He may have done so in the mistaken belief the boundary had been signalled but that's not India's fault. Justice was done over the tea interval when Dhoni reprieved the unfortunate batsman, which was within the captain's gift but by no means a decision he HAD to make.

Some commentators are slagging off the Indian team for getting Bell given out in the first place, the usual 'English fair play vs foreign cheats' nonsense. However, England don't have a great record in this respect so there's no mileage in that tabloid tack. I say let's give credit where credit's due. It's an unusual situation in a Test match but it had the correct outcome, with only Ian Bell perhaps emerging with, at worst, a red face! We shouldn't slam Dhoni, Mukund or the umpires. Nobody cheated. Cricket has emerged with dignity intact. However, the same probably won't apply in the match situation to India as they face a second successive defeat...