To say that India were flat as a pancake on the first day of the Oval Test would be an understatement. The second day too was not much of an improvement. What the match resembled was a casual net with the bowlers trundling in and the batsmen smacking them to all corners of the field. Cricket and its spectators who spent a lot of time and money to attend were severely shortchanged.
What a fall this has been for the number one Test team of only a few months ago.
With India having virtually defaulted the Oval Test, the attention will turn to the shorter form of the game, where the two teams play a T20 game followed by five ODIs. The Indian team will be well advised to pull up their socks and represent their country and the millions of Indian fans by giving 100 per cent. Winning or losing may not be in their control. A lot of that depends on the opposition and England will be formidable opponents. But a high level of commitment must be on display. There is already talk of the players being more motivated by the riches of the IPL. If there is any slackness on the field in the remaining matches, the Indian cricket authorities must take serious note of the culprits and come down hard on them.
Indian cricket is on the crossroads, with the top players ageing and few replacements available to take over in the longer form of the game. Cricket dominance is cyclic but India’s place close to the top threatens to be fleeting at best.
Talking of ODIs, a couple of years ago, this column had proposed a two-inning format for the one day game. This was endorsed by several players and the format was adopted by Australia in their domestic games. It seems that the idea has not come up to expectations, with the teams playing what amounted to be two T20 innings. Had the format been tested in its entirety, it may have been more successful. What has not been tested is the option for the batting team to declare their innings between the 15th and 35th overs and then continuing the second innings from the same score and remaining overs. There would also be the option to switch one player in the second innings, the decision depending on the situation the team finds itself in after the first innings. These two rules would be essential in ensuring that the game remains exciting till the very end. The fans would be kept involved with sudden declarations and player switches. The PCB should test this format out in some local games. They have been on the forefront of innovation in the past, with neutral umpires and the UDRS. This could be yet another feather in their cap!
On to the US Open
The tennis circuit is building up to the final Grand Slam event of the year, the US Open. Novak Djokovic has continued his invincible form, having lost only one match all year. He has also become the first player to win five Masters events in a calendar year. In Montreal, at the Rogers Cup, the Djoker was given a searching examination by one of the most improved players on the tour, the American Mardy Fish. Fish has become a serious contender for the major titles, the only American contender following the decline of Andy Roddick.
The Cincinnati Open is the last of the US Open Series with the Open to follow the next week. Rafael Nadal, the world number 2, has had a mixed warm-up to the Open, with an early round loss to Dodig in Montreal. He barely squeezed by Fernando Verdasco in Cincinnati and looked uncomfortable, making uncharacteristic errors on big points. Nadal is not a fan of the American hard court season. His high energy counterattacking style makes the surface difficult for his body. The sudden stop and go on the hard surface is much more punishing than the clay where the shock is absorbed by the soft, forgiving surface and the ability to slide to the ball.
Roger Federer looks to be running into form ahead of the US Open. After a loss to Tsonga in Montreal, one which could be attributed to a lack of match practice, Federer has impressed with straight sets wins over Del Potro and Blake. Whether Federer can maintain this form for two weeks and win seven matches over five sets is another matter. Too many players now believe they can beat him and he will have to remain at his best throughout. Some years ago, he used to stroll through the early matches. That is no longer the case. But if someone is to beat Djokovic in New York, it could very well be the master stroke player who has the armoury to do the needful. Roger Federer is nearing the end of a fabled career. In his dozen or so years in tennis, his behavior on and off the court has been exemplary. Never has a player dominated men’s tennis the way Roger did from 2004-2007. He reached 22 consecutive semifinals in the Grand Slam events, with sixteen wins, a record that may never be equaled. With a bit of luck running his way, Federer could very well add the seventeenth jewel to his crown. Serena Williams is still the best woman player in the world. With fitness and health problems out of the way, she won the Montreal event with some ease. She defaulted in the next tournament because of a swollen toe, but should be fit for the Open. Serena is one of the most complete players ever to have played the game. Her serve is a model for male and female players alike. The rest of her game is also technically sound and, when she is on her game and healthy, no one can quite stay with her. Her challengers could come from a bevy of attractive European players, the Wimbledon champion Kvitova, the Germans Petkovic and Julia Goerges and the veteran Maria Sharapova. Kvitova is already a star and has the game to stay at the top. She looks to be another in the long line of Czech champions, Navratilova, Mandlikova, Novotna, Lendl, Drobny and many lesser players. But the favourite for the Open must be Serena Williams.
