2nd ODI, India vs South Africa, Gwalior, 24 Feb 2010.
Sachin Tendulkar became the first player to reach 200 runs in ODI history, against a strong South African bowling attack. Some advanced footwork lessons from the masterclass...
It was a great day to win the toss and the pitch looked just perfect for batting as the ball came on to the bat at a comfortable height- not too low, not too high. This means that if you lunge on the front foot to a slightly short ball- no problem the ball would be within waist height. Comfortable enough to punch on the up- in front of point. If the ball was full and slowish, it would not trickle away, but would be still be knee height.
Tendulkar cashed in on this pitch by interpreting length to maximize productivity. Early on against the quick bowlers, he was quick on the front foot to balls just short, and willing to play in front of his body- on the offside gaps in front of square. When the slower bowlers bowled it fuller and little wider, he was well inside the crease, guiding the ball to wide third-man.
When the spinners bowled it flatter and fuller, he went back to get under the moderate bounce, and lofted a few over the bowler and to long off. Just perfect to buy more time to swing the bat. Then later in the innings when slower variations and fuller lengths are to be expected from the pace bowlers, he smacked them off the back foot over mid-wicket, from outside off.
So if we are used to going back to short balls and front to fuller ones, Tendulkar surely altered that, owning to the favorable conditions- of nice bounce (moderate) and nice pace (coming on the the bat) of the pitch.
Nice lessons in this exciting innings.
Saumilzx
Mumbai, India
Note: In the recent Tests, both Tendulkar and Amla played spinners on the back foot (or just standing), often to pitched up deliveries, owning to the slowness of the turn, waiting and watching the ball, off the pitch. In Kolkata (2nd test), a lot of South Africans fell on the front foot- lbw or caught. Duminy actually went back in the second innings after falling lbw to Harbhajan on the front foot in the first. But he chose the wrong ball to be on the backfoot, it was quicker and flatter. The trick is to know which ball to definitely smother by coming on to the front foot. Amla did that to perfection in the Tests.
Feb 17, 2010
Non-Stop Cricket's Biggest Casualty? Fielding.
Fatigue due to the amount of Cricket played, is affecting Test Matches. Bowlers are getting tired but they are not being helped by fielders for sure.
Pakistan had a horrible time in New Zealand and then in Australia. They dropped Watson and Katich on Day 1 of the series. Then it was Hussey- thrice by keeper Karmal Akmal, in the second match- which was supposedly in their pocket. Then in the dead rubber Ponting was dropped on 0, when he tried to hook Mohammed Asif to fine leg. For Pakistan, it might be a case of lack of match practice.
But I guess it would not have mattered even if he edged a few early on, as South Africa have let themselves down in this much hyped - World Championship - match. Sehwag was dropped on 47 by Duminy in the slips, then A.B de Villiers - the stand in keeper for Boucher- missed an easy stumping off Harris, soon after Sehwag's century. Laxman, was dropped by Kallis in first slip, when he had just walked in after Harris had gotten Tendulkar in a similar manner (bowling round the wicket, and tossed up on off stump). Harris was visibly distraught- getting Laxman at the end of day 2 would have opened the doors for South Africa.
This was not all! On day 3, Mishra scored a few dozen after being dropped a few times! Laxman inside edged Morkel- and a diving de Villiers could not reach it. He was dropped again by Duminy at point. Dhoni was dropped in the slips off Harris...
Will the verdict on Harris as a spinner touring India, account for these missed chances? He got Tendulkar and Dhoni out few times in the series already, and should have had Sehwag, Laxman and Dhoni (again). I guess the scorekeepers and analysts are perhaps just as tired of three months of Test Cricket, in this T20 era. Let's move on to the IPL party next month.
... and, oh yes, you will hear about why Test Cricket will survive in the T20 era, since it is very different and has its own charm. It is ODIs which will be impacted, because they are sort of similar but not as exciting as T20... this is all fine, but I have always doubted how bowlers would bowl all day(s) in Tests, when they are used to bowling 4 overs per T20. But it now seems that even fielders are going to find it tough to concentrate beyond a session. Perhaps, T20 and Tests will just have a different set of players. But then maybe not, as both formats will not make the same money:-)
@saumilzx
Mumbai,
17 Feb 2010
Pakistan had a horrible time in New Zealand and then in Australia. They dropped Watson and Katich on Day 1 of the series. Then it was Hussey- thrice by keeper Karmal Akmal, in the second match- which was supposedly in their pocket. Then in the dead rubber Ponting was dropped on 0, when he tried to hook Mohammed Asif to fine leg. For Pakistan, it might be a case of lack of match practice.
Recently, Tendulkar made two chancy tons against Bangladesh. He was dropped a few times and I tweeted about how the law of averages will catch up with Tendulkar and he would make a flawless hundred! Well, guess what, it did not and he made yet another hundred being let off in the second innings of the 1st Test against South Africa. Finally, yesterday, the law of averages did catch up with Tendulkar. He made a chance-less hundred!
But I guess it would not have mattered even if he edged a few early on, as South Africa have let themselves down in this much hyped - World Championship - match. Sehwag was dropped on 47 by Duminy in the slips, then A.B de Villiers - the stand in keeper for Boucher- missed an easy stumping off Harris, soon after Sehwag's century. Laxman, was dropped by Kallis in first slip, when he had just walked in after Harris had gotten Tendulkar in a similar manner (bowling round the wicket, and tossed up on off stump). Harris was visibly distraught- getting Laxman at the end of day 2 would have opened the doors for South Africa.
This was not all! On day 3, Mishra scored a few dozen after being dropped a few times! Laxman inside edged Morkel- and a diving de Villiers could not reach it. He was dropped again by Duminy at point. Dhoni was dropped in the slips off Harris...
Will the verdict on Harris as a spinner touring India, account for these missed chances? He got Tendulkar and Dhoni out few times in the series already, and should have had Sehwag, Laxman and Dhoni (again). I guess the scorekeepers and analysts are perhaps just as tired of three months of Test Cricket, in this T20 era. Let's move on to the IPL party next month.
... and, oh yes, you will hear about why Test Cricket will survive in the T20 era, since it is very different and has its own charm. It is ODIs which will be impacted, because they are sort of similar but not as exciting as T20... this is all fine, but I have always doubted how bowlers would bowl all day(s) in Tests, when they are used to bowling 4 overs per T20. But it now seems that even fielders are going to find it tough to concentrate beyond a session. Perhaps, T20 and Tests will just have a different set of players. But then maybe not, as both formats will not make the same money:-)
@saumilzx
Mumbai,
17 Feb 2010
#
fielding,
shotszx,
T20,
Test Cricket
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