All the three touring teams playing test matches in South Asia have won matches in the subcontinent. Bangladesh spinners defeated the West Indies at Khulna in an ODI in a form of game the West Indies are expert in and had broken millions of hearts in Bangladesh during the World Cup in Dhaka.This puts the West Indies victory in perspective and also belies home advantage.There can be advantage to bowlers or batsmen or to statistics on a flat surface but home advantage is not a really big factor.It worked when the top cricketers cried off from touring India or Pakistan.That looks so many years ago as we have international cricketers playing for Barisal Burners and UVa Next.There is essentially good teams, not so good teams and poor teams, of course on the days of the match.After that it is anyone's game as it appears to be in Perth.

India is not playing this weekend and timings at Perth are reasonable and this may be a three day test and Indians can watch the Test live and see if home advantage helps the home team, turning track or green tops.

Turning Track

Dhoni wanted a turning track.He was given a low not so turning track in Ahmedabad. England did not play Panesar. India managed a good total. Inspite of Sehwag's run a ball 117, India reached a reasonably safe total because Pujara palyed a patient and long innings. In Mumbai, Dhoni has the pitch more to his liking.Only Pujara stands between collapse and respectability Pujara is perhaps the only batsmen who in recent times has played plenty of Ranji and Duleep Trophy matches. The experience shows. It is a blessing that Pujara has yet to play ODIs and t20i and therefore will be generally available to play for Saurashtra once the Test engagements are over.
Dhoni should look at the team at his disposal before wanting a particular type of pitch.

Joys of Test Match Cricket

For the last two days Test Match cricket has produced thrilling run a ball scenario.Clarke and warner today and Abul Hassan and Mahmudullah yesterday batted with such gay abandon that t20 and ODIs seem passe as the matches are still opening up and we are only in the First Act of the Five Act Play. Infact, the Test Match is designed inherently like a five act play but it actually takes five days to unfold and one does not have to indulge in willing suspension of disbelief with one act in Rome and another in Egypt.In the Test Match arena all you have to do is follow as the game unfolds.

All the three Test Matches being played in South Asia over the last few days produced results.The hosts won at Ahmedabad and Galle and the west Indies showed punk and risk taking abilities to win at Dhaka. The positives inspite of slow and low pitches are that Tests are interesting and watchable. What the Dhaka Test and the opening day at Khulna has also proved is that genuine quick bowlers can be effective on any pitch. Yadav perhaps comes closest South Asian bowler on display to the West Indian quicks  and he proved pretty handful at Motera.

Seeing the discomfiture of Bangladesh batsmen against Best and Edwards, one is reminded of the old days when Indian batsmen, especially lower order ones were literally afraid of fast bowlers from West Indies and Australia. Madanlal at Pert in 1977-78 presented the sight as if he was rabbit facing headlights when batting against Thomson. Madanlal was considerably better in his second coming five years later when helmet had come into vogue and he participated in numerous crucial partnerships in Tests and the 1983 World Cup.Even with the helmets, the Bangladeshis will take time to come to grips against genuine fast bowlers.India took 20 years to win its first Test, that has easily been bettered by Bangladesh who have even won a series against a weakened West Indies in the West Indies.

Mohsin Kamal and Tino Best

As Tino Best scythed through the Bangladesh top order, I was reminded of  Mohsin Kamal doing the same thing more than twenty five years ago,  albeit in a one day match playing for PIA XI against Bangladesh at Dhaka's National Stadium.Bangladesh cricket despite their Test and ODI status acquired since then have yet  to learn the art of holding on in face of high speed bowling.For Bangladesh to become a good test side, they must first learn to play attritional cricket.They must also learn to play to their strength.There is no way they can defeat the West Indies on a batting wicket.What they can hope is to have a turner and then give their spinners adequate time and their batsmen can play Permaul and Narine better than they can play Best. 

On a batting friendly wicket, once runs are scored quick bowling can be dangerous as India found out in 1980-81 against Imran Khan.

Bangladesh deserve credit for putting up a brave fight and Sammy needs to be congratulated for his early declaration which resulted in a close match and a result inspite of the two teams scoring more than Five hundred in the first innings.Bangladesh must learn that scoring at four an over can work against you as that leaves the opposition enough time to change things over the second time.

Test Match cricket appears to  be doing pretty well at the moment.If it had not rained in Brisbane, their would have been a result and England face the prospect of batting over another day and a half to draw and there India's innings must be lesson for Bangladesh. Pujara, Yuvaraj and Aswin were able to slow down the innings so that after scoring 521, prospect of losing becomes remote.

Test Match Time

With so many test matches being played all over the world it looks that the World t20 was played ages ago.The most heartening sight is that of Cheteshwar Pujara strutting his stuff at the Test Match stage with an elan that any thought of him being a Bully of Rajkot is to be dismissed straight away.Pujara coming to Test cricket reminds me of Aishwarya rai at Miss India.She had done commercials with Amir Khan and was a much talked about minor celebrity even before the pageant.She lost to Sushmita Sen, She was the most famous runner up.So was Pujara, well known and talked about when he made his debut and he did not disappoint. INJURY DELAYED HIS FLOWERING BUT THE SECOND COMING has been good.  However, He must be knowing that the real success like the A List success of Aishwarya Rai will only come after scoring runs in South Africa towards the end of next year.Till then he can progress to being a very good batsmen at least in India,not that is not needed.Greatness like Gavaskar, Dravid and Tendulkar can come if he is consistent abroad.If he does so there will perhaps be no 8-0s something which had not happened for almost thirty years.