A campaign that stirred a nation!!!

Late in 2012. New Zealand's Tour of Sri Lanka. They lost the first by ten wickets. The then Kiwi captain Ross Taylor scores 142 and 74 in the second test. They win by 167 runs. One of the greatest away wins for them. Then what happens is one of the worst periods in NZ cricket history. 

Hesson takes away the captaincy from Taylor. Worse that he gives to McCullum, his close personal friend. First series with McCullum as captain, against SA. Taylor not in the team. 1st innings of the 1st test at Cape Town. NZ rolled over for 45. McCullum had Taylor's blood on his hands and at stumps on day one against South Africa, he had blood all over him. Kiwi fans are furious. Martin Crowe, Taylor's personal friend, says he had burnt his NZ blazer. Crisis all over NZ.

McCullum, Hesson and NZC had taken the captaincy away from Taylor after one of their best ever away Test wins. Then they produced a Test series so pathetic. Four series into his ascendancy as captain, he didnt have a single series win. Then the tide started to turn, more so because of the man he replaced as captain. Taylor made 495 runs in 3 tests against WI, as NZ record their first series win under McCullum.

Enough of History Now, Lets move into the turnaround. India turn up in early 2014. He walks in at 30-3 makes 224. NZ win the first test by 40 runs despite a remarkable fightback by India. Next test, Walks in at 94-5, the team needing a further 158 to avoid innings defeat. Goes on to make a first ever triple hundred by a New Zealander. NZ end at 680-8 and draw the game. The turnaround had begun. They are winning more series consistently.

Growing into a formidable force, yet without notice. McCullum is building the team admirably. Taylor is back and contributing, having out behind the differences.

The world sits up and takes note of this during “A Campaign that stirred a nation”. The CWC 2015 campaign. Hosted jointly by the Trans-Tasman rivals, the World Cup was the discovery of a lovable cricket team. Performers all along. Aggression is the mindset. This is McCullum’s Team. Brendon McCullum’s own team.

There is something about this New Zealand cricket team. Something that has swept the country along for the ride over the six weeks. Something that turned a rugby nation temporarily into a cricket country, something that has brought the Black Caps up to the same level as the All Blacks, and lifted Brendon McCullum to the status of Richie McCaw. New Zealand's greatness has been contagious. It all culminated in what could have become NZ’s greatest day in cricket history. But it didn’t. But what they had achieved till then has endeared them to millions of cricket fans across the world.

Their approach to the game has helped them gain a lot of fans and followers. As Michael Clarke and his team-mates held the World Cup aloft on the MCG outfield on the night of March 29, the New Zealanders stood and clapped politely. Then they filed away one by one, ready to head indoors to sympathize. Brendon McCullum was the last man standing, the last one watching the Australians and applauding. It could have been no other way. There is no such award but if a prize existed for Captain of the Tournament, McCullum would have been the only possible winner. His approach has been infectious, his aggressive style responsible not only for New Zealand reaching their first World Cup final, but for dragging the entire nation with them on the journey. And he has done it with incomparable class. His indomitable style of leadership has made himself and his team loved across the world.

The approach not just ended with the WC. They toured England and thrilled another nation. They transformed English Cricket and their approach to ODIs. New Zealand discovered and gave to the world New England. His approach to batting in the test matches raised eyebrows.

“A leader less loved may have taken some stick for each of his innings at Lord's, but McCullum is loved, and not just in his own land. He is charging towards the future, and the game owes him a debt for it.”-Cricinfo. True words these. His style of captaincy and aggressive approach has earned him a lot of fans.

NEW ZEALAND’S WORLD CUP CAMPAIGN HAS STIRRED A NATION. THEIR APPROACH HAS WON THEM A LOT OF FANS. THEY HAVE BECOME THE POSTER BOYS OF CRICKET NOW. BRENDON HAS BUILT A TEAM IN HIS OWN IMAGE. I ONLY HOPE THAT NZ CONTINUE THIS APPORACH AND KEEP THIRLLING US!!!

Hope this hasn’t bored you. Do post your comments.

The Wall that had to Fall!!

He runs in from the boundary line. Puts in all the effort. 150+ Kilometers per hour. The batsman watches such a ferocious delivery pitch outside off stump. What does he do next? Nothing. He leaves it alone. The bowler marks his run up again. The sequence repeats. What frustration Shoaib Akthar would have endured to see the batsman leave his deliveries repeatedly??

Fast Forward to March 9, 2012. There is a press conference. He walks in and sits in front of the mike. Doesn’t wait for too long. Straightaway, he starts saying "I would like to announce my retirement from international and domestic first-class cricket. It is 16 years since I played my first Test match for India and today I feel it is time to move on. Once I was like every other boy in India, with a dream of playing for my country. Yet I could never have imagined a journey so long and so fulfilling."

Everyone is shocked even though it was expected yet no one was sure of what was happening. Without indignity, in his ever calm style, he goes on to complete his speech. Tributes to a legend have already started on Social Media. All round the world.

Hope you have guessed already, who am I talking about. Hailed as The Wall of Indian Cricket, Rahul Dravid carved his own legacy in the era of Sachin Tendulkar. He was so selfless, doing whatever the team needed him to do. Opened the innings, batted in the middle order, kept wickets, stood at slip and what not?? While doing all this, he was also humble. Never the rash behavior you would associate with modern day Kohlis or Gambhirs.

Eden Gardens, 2001. Who can forget the epic he and Laxman built to deny Australia the final frontier. Australia never conquered the Final Frontier and The Fab Four had a major part to play in it every time. He lead India to 19 successive wins in ODI chases. He lead the side in their most tricky and challenging period of his generation---the post Ganguly, pre-Dhoni era. The period when Greg Chappell was not loved anymore.

He lead India during one of its worst WC campaigns in 2007. He admirably remained strong during one of the worst dressing room atmospheres precipitated by Chappell. After defeat in WC’07, he duly resigned. Chappell’s reign had ended, he had a successor found in Dhoni, the tough times were over, now he stepped away. He could have continued to lead the side in easier times and taken credit for better performances. But he didn’t. He put his team’s good before his own.

He continues with his performances for the test side. He is dropped from the ODI team. India go up to No.1 in test cricket. India travel to England after WC 2011. 2000^th test match at Lord’s, A battle for No.1 spot. First Day it rains, India pick up three wickets in whatever play possible, but lose Zaheer Khan. The decline begins. Harbhajhan is ineffective. Even Dhoni rolls his arm over. All this to no avail. He battles single-handedly. India lose. Gambhir’s turn to leave the tour due to concussion. No Sehwag due to injury. India keep losing personnel.

Amid all this, Dravid continues to battle. He is the last dying light in a team that is dying a rapid and painful death. They are whitewashed. But Dravid hits three hundreds in the tour. If there was one batsman who put up a fight, it was Dravid. Throughout the tour. He is called up to the ODI side now. He could have made a late ODI career out of this chance. He doesn’t. He honours the selectors decision to call him up by agreeing to play that series but announces his ODI retirement at the end of it. India return winless from England. But one bad tour of Australia and everybody lose their mind. Second Successive whitewash. Critics start calling for the retirement of the seniors, sacking of Dhoni. Returns to India. Lets his emotions settle. Calls for the fateful press conference. Walks away with dignity.

He was a thorn in the flesh of the opponents for so long with his dour defence. For a lot of times, He was an impenetrable wall between India and defeat.

A WALL THAT STOOD IN BETWEEN INDIA AND DEFEAT FOR SO LONG. A WALL THAT STOOD STRONG TO ALLOW PLAYERS LIKE SACHIN PLAY FREELY. A WALL THAT SERVED A NATION FOR 16 YEARS. YET A WALL THAT WAS NOT IMMORTAL. ONE DAY IT HAD TO FALL. IT DID FALL, IT WAS NOT DEMOLISHED. IT CHOSE TO FALL ON ITS OWN.

A ROYAL SALUTE TO THE WALL OF INDIAN CRICKET. MAY YOUR LEGACY LIVE LONG!!!

End of Dhoni???

Hello guys!!

What an irony it is that my first article is about the end?? Lets find out at the "end".

Leading the national side of a cricket crazy nation like India at the international level brings along with it a huge amount of pressure. Doing so across all the formats is even more difficult. Seven years, unimaginable. Wicket keeping apart from that, this is becoming unthinkable now!!

Well, Not quite for this man. Nonchalantly he has done this. Without ever losing his calm composure. All until he spoke out that day.

"If I am the reason for all bad to Indian cricket, I am ready to resign and play as a player" Brave words by a brave captain. Very characteristic of this man who has remained hard and brave. The difference is his mental toughness was within himself all these years and now it has come out in his tough words.

Yet he is the first captain who has lost a series against Bangladesh. It is easy to criticize. Difficult to praise others. Especially when you are jealous.

"He is the only captain to win all ICC trophies. He is the third most successful captain in One Day Internationals. He is the only Non-Australian Captain to win 100 ODIs. He is the first Indian captain to lead his team to No.1 in ICC Rankings in all formats"

Now the haters will claim it is because of the players. If India win, players deserve all the credit. If they lose, the captain is responsible. Wonderful Logic, Isn't it?? Tired of hearing this stupid logic. Having achieved all this, now the big question?? Is Dhoni the captain and Dhoni the player fading away??? Has the last stretch of this great career begun?? Beginning of his end???

His technique is not perfect. But he has found ways to overcome his limitations and he has been immensely successful in his role in the team. He has finished countless matches for India, won several close games. No other players average over 100 in successful chases. But recently the pressure of not having good batsmen after him in the batting order has pressurized him to abandon his free flowing approach and pay cautiously resulting in sudden decline in his strike rates, prompting the critics call for his retirement.

The decline India suffered with successive whitewashes overseas and a long sequence of winless overseas tours had more to do with retirement of the seniors who had long served the team and the transition. He bravely battled the transition period and the media criticism all through refusing to surrender. Everybody praised Kohli's captaincy debut at Adelaide. It was then he realized that a successor for captaincy is ready and he duly walked away from test cricket, stunning every single cricket fan, even his haters.

That's Dhoni for you!! A hard person by nature, doesn't let his emotions take over his composure. Yet the way he celebrated after the last ball of Champions Trophy final 2013 brought the feeling of relief after being mired in spot fixing and betting controversy involving his CSK team boss. Yet when he spoke to the media like that, it revealed the torture he had undergone silently due to the unfair criticism on him. It was too much for him to keep it within himself any longer. His passive style of captaincy, his refusal to chop and change the playing XI or squad despite under-performance of many players has been a major point of criticism and that is not unfair i think. Blaming him as the sole reason for India team's defeats overseas is totally unfair and unwarranted, though.

His promotion to No.4 will only improve his performance and bring back his old flair. India won the WC 2011 under Dhoni and dedicated to Sachin, for having carried Indian cricket on his shoulders for several years.

Its only fitting that BCCI relieve Dhoni from his ODI captaincy (I say relieve, not remove) and allow him to play with more freedom as a player. It is only fitting Team India carry Dhoni towards a lot success and dedicate it to him as a thanksgiving gesture for his services to Indian Cricket.

ITS NOT THE END OF MSD. RELIEVE HIM OF HIS BURDEN AND ALLOW HIM TO PLAY AS A PLAYER MORE FREELY. IT SHOULD BE A NEW BEGINNING FOR MS DHONI. IT SHOULD BE A NEW BEGINNING FOR HIS FINAL JOURNEY AS A CRICKETER.

Dear MSD, I Salute you for what you have done to Indian Cricket. People who dont know your value will keep barking at you because they are jealous. I suggest you to resign and play more freely as a player and enjoy your final stretch in the Indian team without any undue pressure. Let your resignation spark a new beginning in your career and help you end on a high.



Hope this article didnt bore you much and you enjoyed reading. Critics are always welcome.