T20

Batting prowess overseas in seaming, swinging conditions predicates success

Team India appears to have turned the corner with Manish Pandey’s scintillating ton ending the losing spree of games in the ODI series. The spin bowlers and newcomers Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bhumra joined the party in the first T20. The scoreline now reads 4-2 if the matches were an eight game series.

It has been my pet theory that if Indian batsmen do well in South Africa, Australia, England and New Zealand, they can be counted on as long-term prospects and should be persisted with more than any other batters who may pile up runs by the dozen on the subcontinent but who come up a cropper against the antipodeans and the English.

Towards this end, I decided to gather some stats about how Indian batters have fared against the above four teams in their home conditions.

The following is a list of Indian batters who average above 30 against South Africa, New Zealand, England and Australia overseas.

Tests
Player	Span	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	0
SR Tendulkar	1990-2012	63	114	9	5387	241*	51.3	17	23	6
R Dravid	1996-2012	46	89	10	3909	233	49.48	10	17	2
SM Gavaskar	1971-1986	32	57	2	2464	221	44.8	8	11	4
SC Ganguly	1996-2008	32	59	4	2311	144	42.01	5	13	4
VVS Laxman	1997-2012	41	75	8	2710	178	40.44	5	15	4
M Azharuddin	1985-1999	30	48	3	1731	192	38.46	6	5	1
GR Viswanath	1971-1982	27	50	3	1805	114	38.4	2	16	3
DB Vengsarkar	1976-1992	37	64	6	2014	157	34.72	4	10	6
V Sehwag	2001-2012	29	54	0	1788	195	33.11	4	6	7
MS Dhoni	2006-2014	32	55	5	1529	92	30.58	0	11	5

The list is illustrious reading like a who’s who of Indian cricket in Tests with Mahendra Singh Dhoni bringing up the rear with an average of 30.58 with a highest score of 92 in 32 Tests and 55 innings.

Virender Sehwag, surprisingly, ranks just above him with an average of 33.11 from 29 matches and 54 innings. His highest score is 195 with four centuries to his name.

Let’s look at the list of players who have averaged over 30 in ODIs.

ODIs
Player	Span	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	0
V Kohli	2011-2016	35	34	3	1282	123	41.35	1443	88.84	4	7	2
RG Sharma	2008-2016	34	32	4	1140	171*	40.71	1437	79.33	3	4	1
R Dravid	1996-2011	53	53	5	1922	123*	40.04	2763	69.56	1	20	2
MS Dhoni	2006-2016	57	52	8	1737	84*	39.47	2117	82.05	0	14	2
SM Gavaskar	1974-1986	22	21	3	701	92*	38.94	1327	52.82	0	6	0
M Azharuddin	1985-1999	48	47	10	1416	93	38.27	2062	68.67	0	12	1
RA Jadeja	2011-2016	24	21	8	466	87	35.84	476	97.89	0	3	2
S Dhawan	2013-2016	20	19	1	621	126	34.5	674	92.13	1	3	1
SR Tendulkar	1990-2012	82	82	3	2584	163*	32.7	3301	78.27	4	14	4
AM Rahane	2011-2016	22	21	1	634	106	31.7	782	81.07	1	3	2
RJ Shastri	1982-1992	22	20	4	505	62*	31.56	887	56.93	0	4	2
SC Ganguly	1996-2007	46	46	0	1443	127	31.36	2008	71.86	2	11	5
SK Raina	2006-2015	34	30	2	869	100	31.03	871	99.77	1	3	0
V Sehwag	2001-2012	35	35	1	1027	125*	30.2	1099	93.44	3	3	3

Virat Kohli tops this list with an average of 41.35 from 34 innings with four tons and a highest score of 123. Rohit Sharma follows with 40.71 from 32 innings and three hundreds.

Surprising entries in this list include Sunny Gavaskar, Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina.

For an orthodox player, Gavaskar proved to be versatile and averages 38.94 from 21 innings with a highest score of 92 not out. Gavaskar scored just one hundred in the ODI format in 1987 in his penultimate game against New Zealand.

Jadeja makes this list—placed somewhere in the middle—with 35.84 from 21 innings with a highest score of 87. Dhoni’s faith in him might not be misplaced after all.

Dhoni’s other blue-eyed boy Raina averages 31.03 from 30 innings with a highest score of 100. He brings up the rear followed by Virender Sehwag with 30.2 from 35 innings. Evidently Sehwag was not the impact player against these four sides in their backyard. These are stats though and stats never tell the whole story.

The above two tables are for players who have played a minimum of 20 Tests or 20 ODIs.

There are no equivalent statistics for T20s. There are no players who average above 30 and have played 20 T20 games.

The following table lists batters who have averaged over 30 since Jan 1, 2005 against the four sides.

Tests
Player	Span	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	0	4s	6s
A Mishra	2011-2011	1	1	0	84	84	84	141	59.57	0	1	0	10	0
KD Karthik	2007-2009	5	8	1	364	91	52	736	49.45	0	4	0	46	1
V Kohli	2011-2015	17	34	1	1612	169	48.84	2791	57.75	7	4	3	191	3
AM Rahane	2013-2015	13	25	3	1069	147	48.59	1909	55.99	3	6	2	143	4
M Vijay	2010-2015	14	28	0	1108	146	39.57	2512	44.1	2	7	2	145	8
G Gambhir	2009-2014	13	26	1	982	167	39.28	2252	43.6	2	5	2	123	2
SC Ganguly	2006-2008	10	20	2	698	79	38.77	1163	60.01	0	6	2	85	6
KL Rahul	2014-2015	2	4	0	130	110	32.5	315	41.26	1	0	0	16	1

Amit Mishra is the anomaly averaging 84 from one innings.

Except for Dinesh Karthik who did well overseas especially in England and Gambhir who’s still struggling for form,  the rest are rightly pencilled in by the selectors when it comes to choosing a Test side.

ODIs
Player	Span	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	0	4s	6s
MK Pandey	2016-2016	3	2	1	110	104*	110	86	127.9	1	0	0	9	1
AT Rayudu	2014-2015	6	5	1	197	64*	49.25	265	74.33	0	2	0	16	5
YK Pathan	2009-2011	8	6	2	187	105	46.75	139	134.53	1	1	1	16	12
SC Ganguly	2007-2007	7	7	0	249	72	35.57	339	73.45	0	3	0	32	5
G Gambhir	2007-2012	19	18	1	576	113	33.88	750	76.8	1	3	0	47	2
R Dravid	2006-2011	14	14	1	428	92*	32.92	517	82.78	0	4	1	39	5
V Sehwag	2006-2012	13	13	1	387	125*	32.25	325	119.07	1	2	1	52	11
RV Uthappa	2007-2008	7	7	1	190	51	31.66	240	79.16	0	1	0	18	1
PA Patel	2011-2011	7	7	0	221	95	31.57	273	80.95	0	1	0	26	3

In ODIs, Pandey’s recent exploits see him top the list. Rayudu, Uthappa and Parthiv Patel offer the selectors an abundance of riches when it comes to choosing a replacement for MS Dhoni. Yusuf Pathan makes the list as well with a stupendous average of 46.75 from six innings.

The list of T20 players throw no surprises either.

T20s
Player	Span	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	0	4s	6s
MS Dhoni	2006-2014	12	11	6	228	48*	45.6	216	105.55	0	0	1	15	5
D Mongia	2006-2006	1	1	0	38	38	38	45	84.44	0	0	0	4	1
AM Rahane	2011-2014	2	2	0	69	61	34.5	43	160.46	0	1	0	8	1
S Dhawan	2014-2014	1	1	0	33	33	33	28	117.85	0	0	0	2	2
G Gambhir	2007-2012	8	8	2	195	56*	32.5	173	112.71	0	1	0	23	2
R Dravid	2011-2011	1	1	0	31	31	31	21	147.61	0	0	0	0	3
V Kohli	2011-2014	6	5	0	151	66	30.2	110	137.27	0	1	0	17	2

These statistics , of course, don’t provide any sign of deserving talent among batters who have not appeared for India against these four sides in India colours.

India ‘A’ sides have toured overseas and Indian batters have prospered in hostile conditions. Those stats could have provided a larger picture of prospective talent.

But for me, it’s a no-brainer that if Indian batters have scored runs heavily overseas in these four nations, they are likely to do even better elsewhere and especially in home conditions.

Let no one tell you otherwise, least of all, MS Dhoni.

(All statistics courtesy Cricinfo’s StatsGuru).

Is Dhoni finished as skipper and player?

As long as the Indian team keeps winning, Dhoni, the skipper, is inseparable from Dhoni, the player.

But once the side starts losing its moorings, Dhoni, the player, comes under the microscope.

The Indians lost the T20 series 2-0 to South Africa. A fair result would have been 1-1.

And the questions about Dhoni’s place in the squad start cropping up all over again.

This is not a new phenomenon.

The very same doubts were raised earlier this year when the Indians were outclassed in the tri-series Down Under.

A semi-final finish at the ODI World Cup and all doubts were swept under the carpet.

The victories have dried up; Mahi has lost his magic touch.

Dhoni’s batting record in ODI’s over the past year has been 485 runs at an average of 44.09 and a highest score of 85 not out.

This is against his career average of 52.24.

His T20 record is insignificant since he has batted in just two T20s this year.

While critics may be baying for his blood, his performances with the bat cannot be held against him—yet.

It is his position as skipper that is under threat especially given the new-found aggression Team India have discovered under Virat Kohli.

It is always going to be difficult for team-members to adjust from one leader’s all-out attacking instincts to another’s more laidback, restrained approach.

It is results that matter though and that’s where Dhoni will have to take charge in the upcoming ODI series against South Africa.

His leadership is being disputed.
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His treatment of Ajinkya Rahane baffles cricket connoisseurs.

How can Team India’s best batsman over the past two years be left out from the ODI and T20 sides?

Does Dhoni really prefer Ambati Rayudu, a player more in the Dhoni mould?

Rayudu is no slouch with the bat in T20s as his exploits with Rajasthan Royals in the IPL prove.

Does he really need to warm the bench?

Dhoni does not feel the need to change his mind.

Talking about Rahane’s chances of selection for the first ODI at Green Park in Kanpur, he said:

“I think four is the number for Rahane. Even four is quite low for him I would say. Opening fits him really well. Take the example of Rohit Sharma for that matter. In domestic cricket he bats lower but in international matches he opens for us. Our openers more often than not are who bat in the middle order in first class cricket.
So it is tough for him as of now. If am looking for someone to bat five or six I don’t think he is the person. His strength is top of the order. If given a chance, we will try to feature him in the top three, if not then we would find it tough to place him in the playing eleven.”

Speaking about his own performance in the T20 series, the Indian skipper characteristically remarked:

“I personally feel that I used too much brain in this format.It’s very important I keep myself free and go and play my strokes. Depending on that I play a bit slow initially. In this format, I believe I should play the big shots from the word go irrespective of whatever the scenario is because that’s what this format is all about. A lot of time when I go into bat, be it the 16th or 17th over or in the fourth or fifth overs when wickets have fallen down, I have the tendency of like let’s go to 130, that will be good score.”

Former India bowler Ajit Agarkar has sounded the warning bells about Dhoni’s place in the side.

He said:

“The selectors need to have a closer look at what Dhoni is doing, not just as captain, but as a player as well.He has been a great player for India, but you don’t want him to become a liability for the team. And he needs to perform a lot better than he has (been). Just because he has done it over the years, doesn’t mean it’s okay for him to fail.”

Agarkar feels that Dhoni’s moving up the order is simply to give himself chances to keep his place in the side and not in the best interests of the squad.

He said:

“I’m not convinced he should bat at four. Just after a World Cup, you’re now trying to develop your team for the next World Cup. Four years is a long time, but for Dhoni, towards the end of his career, to put himself up, I’m not sure about it. You can understand if there are batsmen who can’t bat 3 and 4. But there is Ajinkya Rahane, who has been one of your best players in Test cricket and I don’t think he can bat lower than four in ODIs yet, unless he changes his game over his career.

Dhoni seems to have lost that ability of going out there and smashing it from ball one. He obviously takes his time. But he batted up the order in Bangladesh, and India still lost the series. All his career when people wanted him to bat up because he is so good and has that destructive ability, he has always maintained that he wants and needs to bat at No.6, where he can handle the pressure.

It’s a hard job batting at 5, 6 and 7. I’ve seen Yuvraj and MS himself do it for so long, but that doesn’t mean that it changes at this stage in his career. You’ve got to have guys who are good at certain numbers. And at the moment MS by promoting himself, is getting a Rahane or anyone else who bats there, into trouble. I would still have Raina and Dhoni at 5 and 6, so contrary to what a lot of people have said, I don’t think Dhoni should be batting at four at this stage in his career.”

Agarkar believes that Dhoni may not be the future when it comes to ODIs and T20s, specifically when it comes to leading the side.

He added:

“Looking at the results, India have generally been good in ODIs, but you’ve lost the World Cup semi-final, then you’ve lost in Bangladesh where Dhoni was captain twice, and you’ve now lost a T20 series. Yes, the T20s can go either way very quickly so you don’t want to judge someone, but for Dhoni this is a big series.

The selectors maybe need to look at where the Indian team is heading because Virat Kohli has done well as captain in Test cricket so maybe the selectors need to make that call after this series.”

Sachin Tendulkar, meanwhile, batted for his former skipper and teammate.

Speaking to Gulf News, he said:

“Cricketers like Dhoni have played for a long time, over ten years, and he understands himself, understands his body and mind-set better than anyone else.

The best thing one can do is move aside and let him take decisions [about his career] rather than taking decisions for him. You have got to give that respect to the player who has done so much for the nation and I would leave it to him and let him be the best judge. He has served Indian cricket in the best manner and let him be the decision taker.”

Dhoni, skipper and player, has been written off before; he has always proved his detractors wrong. He believes in going by gut instinct whether it is handing the last over in the T20 World Cup final to a rookie like Joginder Sharma or quitting as Test skipper midway through a series Down Under. The timing of these moves has been impeccable. The unorthodox acts may no longer work as expected but he is still capable of surprising scribes and fans alike.

This series could either be his swan song or the beginning of another golden chapter until the next T20 World Cup.

Whatever his fate, Indian cricket will always cherish ‘Captain Cool’ and his formidable achievements in the shorter versions of the game.

It’s extraordinary when one looks back that this is Dhoni’s 11th year as an international cricketer. It seems much longer. That’s the kind of impact he’s had both as captain and player. It’s also a tribute to his supreme levels of fitness that he has rarely missed series due to injury. He will be missed.

Go well, MS.

Crowd misbehaviour detracts from fine series win for SA

When will Indian fans realize that unruly behaviour is never going to prevent their beloved team losing?

It only serves to reinforce the feeling that cricket followers in India are neither sporting nor knowledgeable about the intricacies of the game.

They lack the maturity to accept defeat—unlike the very cricketers they idolise.

The pelting of the South Africans with water bottles at the Barabarti stadium in Cuttack to signal the crowd’s displeasure with their team’s abject batting display was yet another black mark in the annals of Indian fandom.

Rajarshi Majumdar, writing for International Business Times, termed their behaviour ‘barbaric’.

The journo said:

“The name Barabati can somewhat be related to the word ‘barbaric’ and why won’t someone draw such relations!”

He added:

“Will these same bunch of chaotic people throw their valuables at the players when they win a game?”

The South Africans are ranked No.1 in Tests and despite termed ‘chokers’ in ICC ODI and T20 tournaments, are no pushovers in bilateral series.

Team India have ceded the T20 series without much ado.

The initiative has been surrendered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNGVrfeEKWI

MS Dhoni was sanguine about the entire episode.

He said:

“We should not be taking such things seriously. I still remember we play in Vizag once and we won the game very easily and that time also a lot of bottles were thrown. It starts with the first bottle and then it’s more of a fun for the spectators.

When it comes to the safety of the players, I don’t think there was any serious threat. A few of the powerful people in the crowd were throwing the bottles into the ground and the umpires felt it was safe to stay in the centre or go off the ground.

We didn’t play well and at times you get a reaction like these. It’s only the first few bottles that are hurled with serious intent, after that they just do it for fun.”

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His counterpart, Faf Du Plessis, was not.

He said:

“It’s not nice to see it. I have played 5-6 years of cricket in India, and I have never seen that. So, you don’t want that to be a part of the game. You come here to compete, and the best team walks away winning.

To have that happening, I don’t think it’s a good thing. It should not happen. Even the way the game was played towards the end, it lost its intensity because obviously India thought that we have already won as we needed only 20 runs. Disappointing in that sense, and hopefully it is the first and the last time we see it on this tour.”

He was not sure whether the boorish behaviour was a sub-continental malaise.

He added:

“It is a difficult question to answer. All around the world you get people who get really passionate about their team. Sometimes you cross that boundary you shouldn’t. This is the first time I have experienced in India, so I can’t say it happens a lot. But as you said, it happens a lot in the sub-continental conditions. That’s definitely to do with the passion that fans have. But, it is surely not something we as players want to be a part of the game. Obviously, player security is very important wherever we go across the world. Let’s just hope that it’s a bad day at the office.”

Speaking to NDTV, Sunny Gavaskar blasted the miscreants:

“Cuttack should not be given an international for the next couple of years. As a deterrent, the BCCI must also stop the subsidy to the Odisha Cricket Association.Do the crowd throw valuables when the team does well? When the team does badly, the fans have no business to throw rubbish.”

Aggressive behaviour and attitudes on the field are punished by match referees when reported by on-field umpires. Players are checked by limits imposed by the ICC Code of Conduct.

Is it time sports administrators and patrons of the game demanded the same of fans? Can they be allowed to rum amok whenever they please?  Does safety in numbers and anonymity imply that they are allowed to carry their rage over to cricket grounds? Or is it time the Indian penal system implemented measures like in the UK and Germany where known hooligans are closely watched and even prevented from travelling abroad  because of the mischief they can wreak there?  Isn’t it time?

Anger need not be ‘bottled‘.