Well the latest news that we hear is that Ottis Gibson has taken over as the coach of the present West Indies team after his successful campaign with the England team that made Australia lose the Ashes in 2009. It is difficult for anyone to make the opposition lose a series, which should not be confused with a team winning a series. It was Australia who lost the Ashes in 2009 rather than England winning the same. Anyways, coming to the fact the Gibson has taken over as the new West Indian coach, one comes across with phrases "glory days in WI cricket".
Which is the glory days that Gibson or Richie Richardson is talking about? Is it the era of the West Indies cricket in the mid 70s that went on to the whole of 80s and early 90s to a little extent as well? Or is it the one after fellow players like Ambrose, Walsh & Bishop announced their retirement from international cricket? Or is it the era after Brian Lara bid adieu to all forms of cricket that Gibson refers to as glory days? Anyways, it is clear that Gibson is referring to the era when the West Indies team won the world cup in 1975 and 1979 after which they couldn't even make it to the semis if not for WC 1996 and PC 1983.
Anyways, with Gibson taking over as the coach of the current West Indies team, Gibson not only has a great risk of returning the favor that the West Indies team has been gifted by other teams that include even Bangladesh and Zimbabwe but also the task of seeing that he himself doesn't prove of his inefficiency as a coach. It would be fantastic to see the West Indies gaining the lost glory atleast a little bit if not completely. Once in while, even the West Indies come up with surprises like they won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2004 beating England by 2 wickets.
West Indies is the only team so far to have beaten England in the finals of a mega event twice in England after they beat the same in the finals of the Prudential cup 1979. If Gibson's role as a coach is given a deeper look at, if not for the Ashes win in September 2009, he cannot boast of anything bigger. England came close to losing to Australia in the Ashes that were drawn. Then, in the recently concluded test series against South Africa, England came close to losing on 2 occasions. Since 2007, England's major victories apart from the Ashes was against New Zealand only. This well supports Gibson's role as a coach for a team that need not be taught how to lose.
Showing posts with label Ashes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ashes. Show all posts
Thursday, 4 February 2010
Sunday, 31 January 2010
Pakistan prepared for the worst?
The last time a team was found heading to Australia and coming back empty handed was Zimbabwe way back in 2003 when they lost both the test matches to Australia and then lost all the eight matches in the then Victoria Bitter series with 4 loss each to India and Australia. That was the test series where, in the first test Australia's Mathew Hayden scored a world record individual score of 380 runs breaking the 14 year old record held by the West Indian legend Brian Lara. Now, Pakistan after having been defeated in 3 tests and 4 ODIs are heading in the same direction.
It is no doubt that there have been teams in the past as well who have been whitewashed by Australia in tests. There was England team that lost all 5 matches in the Ashes 2006-07 and then there was Sri Lanka who lost both the test matches to Australia in 2007-08. Very few teams like India have been lucky not to have come back without winning even a single test match. India were able to win one test and draw another one on their last tour to Australia. Prior to that, South Africa managed to draw their first test at Perth in 2005-06 thus avoiding whitewash though they were not able to win.
Luckily, the West Indies were able to draw the second test at Adelaide in December last yer. But, when it came to the one dayeres, in the last decade there have been almost all major cricketing nations who have been a part of the VB series which is now played as a bilateral series under the sponsorship of Commonwealth bank. Though India was not able to win a game against Australia in 1999-00, they had a win against Pakistan in that year. So has been the case in the following years where a team takes home atleast one victory from the series be it against any opposition.
But, this time the Pakistan team that is currently under tour of Australia are found to break that jinx in case they lose the remaining one dayer to be played at Perth and the only T20 match that is bound to follow that. And moreover, Pakistan has not been whitewashed atleast in the recent past over almost a decade by any team. even in their last meeing with Australia, Pakistan despite losing the series could manage to win 2 out of the 3 one dayers and the T20 game also with it. Their worst defeat in the past decade has been 4-1 against India in 2006 and against New Zealand in 2004.
It is no doubt that there have been teams in the past as well who have been whitewashed by Australia in tests. There was England team that lost all 5 matches in the Ashes 2006-07 and then there was Sri Lanka who lost both the test matches to Australia in 2007-08. Very few teams like India have been lucky not to have come back without winning even a single test match. India were able to win one test and draw another one on their last tour to Australia. Prior to that, South Africa managed to draw their first test at Perth in 2005-06 thus avoiding whitewash though they were not able to win.
Luckily, the West Indies were able to draw the second test at Adelaide in December last yer. But, when it came to the one dayeres, in the last decade there have been almost all major cricketing nations who have been a part of the VB series which is now played as a bilateral series under the sponsorship of Commonwealth bank. Though India was not able to win a game against Australia in 1999-00, they had a win against Pakistan in that year. So has been the case in the following years where a team takes home atleast one victory from the series be it against any opposition.
But, this time the Pakistan team that is currently under tour of Australia are found to break that jinx in case they lose the remaining one dayer to be played at Perth and the only T20 match that is bound to follow that. And moreover, Pakistan has not been whitewashed atleast in the recent past over almost a decade by any team. even in their last meeing with Australia, Pakistan despite losing the series could manage to win 2 out of the 3 one dayers and the T20 game also with it. Their worst defeat in the past decade has been 4-1 against India in 2006 and against New Zealand in 2004.
Monday, 13 July 2009
Not Enough Courage From Aussie Bowlers
With most ups and downs in the five days that was seen in the first Ashes test between England and Australia, the match was finally declared a draw. Both England and Australia equally dominated the play during their batting. And in addition to that, the performance of both the teams was pretty decent like a tug of war. But, all this could only deceive the fans who would have bet on either team and ended up getting nothing. It was nice to watch 10 out of the 11 English batsmen post double digit figures if not for the number 11 batsman Monty Panesar who got out at the score of 4.
Finally, at the end of the first innings, England ended by losing all their 10 wickets at 425. This was and should have been a respectable total which actually was not the case whatsoever. One would have thought the Australian batsmen to flutter owing to them being on tour and not the host and the other fact that they are not the same world dominating team that they were a couple of years back. But to one's surprise, even the Australian batsmen fought fire with fire. The Australian batsmen put up a score of 674 reminding the English players the way they whitewashed England on their earlier Ashes tour.
After this feat by the Australian batsmen, the fans would have changed their minds which until then had favoured England now turned towards Australia. The Australian score would have well crossed 674 had they not gone in for a declare. Anyway that is a different issue altogether. This should have been a match winning one with some decent bowlers in the Aussie ranks like Mitchell Johnson, Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle and Nathan Hauritz. And the Australian bowlers did just that. They found England reeling at 70-5 which became 126-7. It was the 7th wicket partnership that proved too tough for the Australian bowlers that stood for as long as 17 overs somewhere approximately 2 hrs or a session.
This was more than enough to fetch a draw and escape from the jaws of defeat for England. Weather to win or lose or take home a draw was in the hands of the Australian bowlers. For, even had England not succumbed in their second innings, they would have batted on may be until the fourth day leaving little or no time for the Australian batsmen to chase down the total imposed by them, thus ending the match in a draw. If at all there could have been a result, it should have been an Australian triumph or a draw. The only was a result would have been possible was Australia bowling the English batsmen out for a score less that 239 which didn't happen. It shows a rather dismal performance from Australians not only in their bowling but also as a team.
It was not a great task by the Aussie batsmen to have posted 674 on a pitch that favoured batsmen. But, courage meant in bowling England in a track that was deteriorating and difficult to bat. Had Australia batted first, things would have surely been difficult for Australia. All that Australia could boast was the man of the match given to Ponting.
Finally, at the end of the first innings, England ended by losing all their 10 wickets at 425. This was and should have been a respectable total which actually was not the case whatsoever. One would have thought the Australian batsmen to flutter owing to them being on tour and not the host and the other fact that they are not the same world dominating team that they were a couple of years back. But to one's surprise, even the Australian batsmen fought fire with fire. The Australian batsmen put up a score of 674 reminding the English players the way they whitewashed England on their earlier Ashes tour.
After this feat by the Australian batsmen, the fans would have changed their minds which until then had favoured England now turned towards Australia. The Australian score would have well crossed 674 had they not gone in for a declare. Anyway that is a different issue altogether. This should have been a match winning one with some decent bowlers in the Aussie ranks like Mitchell Johnson, Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle and Nathan Hauritz. And the Australian bowlers did just that. They found England reeling at 70-5 which became 126-7. It was the 7th wicket partnership that proved too tough for the Australian bowlers that stood for as long as 17 overs somewhere approximately 2 hrs or a session.
This was more than enough to fetch a draw and escape from the jaws of defeat for England. Weather to win or lose or take home a draw was in the hands of the Australian bowlers. For, even had England not succumbed in their second innings, they would have batted on may be until the fourth day leaving little or no time for the Australian batsmen to chase down the total imposed by them, thus ending the match in a draw. If at all there could have been a result, it should have been an Australian triumph or a draw. The only was a result would have been possible was Australia bowling the English batsmen out for a score less that 239 which didn't happen. It shows a rather dismal performance from Australians not only in their bowling but also as a team.
It was not a great task by the Aussie batsmen to have posted 674 on a pitch that favoured batsmen. But, courage meant in bowling England in a track that was deteriorating and difficult to bat. Had Australia batted first, things would have surely been difficult for Australia. All that Australia could boast was the man of the match given to Ponting.
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