Monday, March 12, 2012

And Dravid walked away…

When he walked onto the Lord’s Cricket Ground on 20th June 1996, little did the cricket world know that it was witnessing the start of an era. But 16 years and more than 24000 international runs later, there is little doubt that Rahul Dravid is a modern day legend. The batsman, who announced his retirement on 9th March, 2012 has left a huge void in the Indian team which will be difficult, if not impossible, to fill in the near future.

Known as ‘The Wall’ of Indian cricket, a name he personally never took seriously, Dravid formed the foundation of the Indian team, especially in Tests, over the last decade. Coming in at one-down, he was widely considered to be the best No. 3 bat in the world after the iconic Sir Don Bradman. And quite understandably so, with over 1000 runs and an average of almost 53 at that position! But that hasn’t stopped him from stepping up to bat at any position, from opening the innings to coming as low as No. 7 in the order, as and when the team needed. This is the mark of his adaptability, his temperament and most of all his commitment to the team. Statistically, the second best batsman in the game, Dravid’s numbers speak for themselves –


The value Dravid brought to the team is highlighted by the fact that many of his memorable innings have come while orchestrating India to some of its most historic victories. The 2001 Kolkata Test is best remembered for VVS Laxman’s 281 and India ending Australia’s unbeatable streak after following on. But as Laxman himself has said, that would have been impossible without Dravid’s support from the other end contributing 180 runs which helped stitch the mammoth partnership and turn the match in India’s favour. The 2002 Headingley Test saw centuries by the Trinity, but Dravid’s innings outshone Tendulkar and Ganguly’s, mainly because of the circumstances – playing a knock like that coming in the seventh over and facing the English pace attack in cold, tough conditions. The Adelaide Test in 2003, when India beat Australia on their home soil and drew a series Down Under, would have been impossible without Dravid’s fine 233 in the first innings and studious 72 in the second. The Rawalpindi Test in 2004 where a superb knock of 270, his highest Test score, saw India win a series in Pakistan. The list goes on. But we suspect one of his most prized centuries came in a losing cause – at Lord’s in 2011 – where he finally accomplished a long-cherished dream of scoring a ton at the Home of Cricket to make up for that 95 on debut at the same venue. That last series in England, one of his best personally, was one of India’s worst. And since that series, nothing went right for the team. A disastrous tour of Australia and a dismal run for the first time as tourists convinced him to finally call it a day.

As Dravid walks away, it’s time to focus on what his career meant to cricket at large. A respected individual in the cricket fraternity, he is a role model for aspiring cricketers. Dravid epitomized hard work, dedication, humility and team spirit. Cricket will miss having him around, as player, leader, thinker, gentleman and icon. CastrolCricket.com wishes him all the success on life after cricket and we hope he continues to inspire in all his future endeavours.

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Can the Proteas attain top honours in Tests?

South Africa have started off their tour of New Zealand in blistering fashion. After being beaten comprehensively in the first Twenty20 International, they hit back hard to clinch the series 2-1. A resplendent performance in the T20s was followed up by a 3-0 annihilation of the Kiwis in the one-dayers.

The focus now shifts to the Test arena as they take on the hosts in a three-match series. The biggest question, however, is can the Proteas keep up this momentum in the longest format of the game? If yes, then there is a big reward waiting in the wings. They are currently placed second in the ICC Test rankings and a 3-0 clean sweep of the Kiwis will propel them to the number one spot. England’s 3-0 whitewash at the hands of Pakistan has paved the way for the South Africans to stay alive in the race for the top position. They are just one rating behind table toppers England who possess a rating of 118.

South Africa’s series-wise Test performances since December 2009

The South Africans have been in sumptuous form in Tests of late as they haven’t lost a single series since 2009 – played seven, won two and drawn five. It’s a superlative achievement considering they were playing against top teams like Australia, England, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. A thrilling series against the mighty Kangaroos at home saw them draw the two-match series 1-1, including the first Test at Cape Town in which they were trailing by 188 in the first innings. But a resounding comeback saw them bowl out Australia for a paltry 47 and then chase down a tricky target of 236 with eight wickets in hand. Finally, they achieved their first home success since 2008 when they beat Sri Lanka 2-1 in the three-match series in January 2012. The two wins in the first and the third Tests were by thumping margins of 106 and 126 respectively on the Castrol Index.

Since January 2010, they have played 17 matches, won eight, lost four and drawn five. That they have the second highest win/loss ratio behind England makes the equation look even more authoritative.

In order to top the ICC Test rankings, they need to clean sweep the three-match series against the Black Caps. This is a humongous challenge for the Proteas as they have never managed to sweep a series of three Tests or more against the New Zealanders. The fact that they have never lost a series to New Zealand, home or away, works in their favour but a whitewash seems to be an arduous task as the Kiwis are in good form themselves in the Test arena having battered Zimbabwe in their last two series and drawn a tough contest with Australia, away.

Skipper Ross Taylor will return to the side after an injury lay-off, while both Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum have been in ominous form. Their bowling department has been bolstered with the addition of Doug Bracewell, whose heroics of 6/40 against Australia at Hobart in December 2011 will go down in history as one of the finest fast bowling spells ever witnessed, and the return of stalwart Daniel Vettori, who can take away the game single-handedly from the opposition with his all-round performance. Seamer Chris Martin, with 44 wickets from 10 matches, has been a long-time nemesis of the South Africans. 

The visitors have the required ammunition in their arsenal to deliver the goods when needed the most. They have three batsmen who have been in the top five positions of the batting average charts since January 2010. The sublime Jacques Kallis, who has been contributing relentlessly to the side, tops the list with an average of 77.43, scoring 1781 runs from 17 matches. New skipper AB de Villiers follows him in the second spot with an average of 73.00, amassing 1533 runs from 17 matches, while Hashim Amla stands fourth with an average of 64.92. (Note: The averages are taken considering the fact that a player has played at least 15 matches or more since January 2010).

Among the bowlers, the fast and the furious Dale Steyn has been phenomenal – he is the third highest wicket-taker behind Graeme Swann and James Anderson.



His 91 wickets from 17 matches have come at an astounding average of 21.37. Morne Morkel stands eighth with 68 wickets from 17 matches. The addition of Vernon Philander and Marchant de Lange has boosted an already venomous fast bowling line-up.

They are in imperious form of late and with winds of positivity blowing in their direction, it’s time for de Villiers and his team to lay the final brick in completing their quest to the top of the Test pyramid.