Musings

India wrapped up the test series against England today after a fascinating 4th test which India won by 5 wickets. The test saw many ups and downs. India were behind by almost 160-170 runs on day 2 with 7 wickets down. It looked as if England will get a big lead in the first innings. But a superb 90 by wicket keeper Dhruv Jurel, supported well By Kuldeep saw India finishing on 307, conceding a lead of only 46. India came back strongly in the second innings through their spinners Ashwin and Kuldeep to bowl out England for just 145. They needed 192 to win and made a good start at the end of day 3 scoring 40 runs without losing a wicket. Rohit (55) and Yashasvi (37) continued to bat aggressively today and India barely needed a 100 more when both the openers got out followed by Patidar for a duck. Gill was playing solidly at one end. But soon Jadeja and Sarfaraz were dismissed of successive balls and India were 120/5, still needing 72 to win. The match was delicately poised with England thr...

The 4th test between India and England got underway today at Ranchi. Eng won the toss and batted. But the morning session belonged to India as half the Eng side was back in the pavillion for just 112 runs. India fielded a new bowler Akash Deep. He had a dream debut dismissing first three batsmen. Deep bowled with pace, movement and perfect length. Jadeja and Ashwin chipped in with a wicket each and Eng went in for lunch looking at a first innings rout. But that was not to be. That's what makes this game so fascinating. Eng did not lose a single wicket in the afternoon session. Class batsman Joe Root supported by Ben Foakes built a partnership and pulled Eng out of trouble. Joe Root played a restrained innings and looked in no trouble. He is such a class player and makes batting look easy. He went on to get his 31st test hundred and remained unbeaten at the end of the day. Siraj got the wickets of Foakes and Hartley but Eng reached 302 at stumps with Root and Robinson at the crease....

For the upcoming fourth test between India and England, the spearhead of Indian attack Jasprit Bumrah, who has taken 17 wickets so far in the series, has been rested as part of his workload management. I am sure, the greatest Indian cricketer of all time, Kapil Dev, will find this amusing. Kapil played in more than 100 tests for India and led the bowling attack in a period when there was little support for him at the other end. The only test that he missed was when he was dropped as a disciplinary action taken for an irresponsible shot that he played in the previous test which cost India the match. He never missed a single test on the grounds of fitness. Today,  India's match winner is being rested in spite of being fully fit to manage his workload. Different times,  different rules. Ravindta Shenolikar

I have just returned from my morning walk. It was cool outside, though not so much inside the flat with all the windows closed. I don't walk briskly as advised by the doctors. Just fall into my stride while enjoying the beauty around the lake. Slowly the pace picks up. There is a nice place to sit in the garden beside the walkway, with a few benches arranged circularly and a roof at a convenient height. Usually there are some people in groups sitting there, but today it was vacant. So I went there after my walk and sat. It felt nice. The freedom of no work. Time not pressing hard. All the options to spend the day wide open. No targets, just be. However, we are so used to making plans, short or long term. Only then do we feel alive. We need to have a purpose all the time. While walking back, I was caught by the old habit and started making a few plans as usual. It gave me more energy and drive. The serene moment in the park was lost. Ravindra Shenolikar 

The 3rd test between India and England ended today on day 4 with India winning by a huge margin of 400 plus runs. But it was in no way a one sided affair.  India won the toss and batted first. Soon they were struggling at 33/3. But skipper Rohit Sharma and Jadeja built a partnership of 200 plus and bailed India out. Useful contributions by debutant Sarfaraz and from the lower order players Jurel, Ashwin and Bumrah helped them post 445 on the board. England fought backand were 207/2 at the end of day 2 with opener Dunkett unbeaten on 133. But on day 3 fortunes changed. Led by 4 wickets from Siraj India dismissed England for 319, getting a sizeable lead of 126. India batted well in the second innings with an unbeaten hundred by Yashaswi Jaiswal and unbeaten Gill on 65. India were leading by 322 at the end of day 3. India continued to dominate on day 4, yashaswi got a double hundred, Gill 91 and Sarfaraz got another half century and India declared at 430/4 setting a target of 557 for ...

England started the day at 67/1 and soon lost their night watchman Rehan Ahmed to Axar Patel. But they pursued with their audacious bazball cricket and attacked Indian bowlers. However, Ashwin got rid of Joe Root and Rohit took a brilliant reflex catch at slip to send Ollie Pope packing. Crawley and Bairstow played attacking cricket and England got to half the target very briskly. At that crucial moment Bumrah trapped Bairstow lbw. It was followed by brilliance in the field when Shreyas Aiyar ran out skipper Ben Stokes with a direct hit. This was a major blow and took the wind out of English fight. Crawley was trapped lbw by Kuldeep. But Hartley and Ben Foakes built a partnership though it was now a long way to go. Once again Bumrah produced a well disguised slower ball and Foakes gave him a return catch which Bumrah gleefully accepted. Hartley was bowled by another beauty from Bumrah and the match was over. India won by 106 runs and squared the series. Yashasvi, Gill and Bumrah were t...

Second cricket test between India and England is underway at Vizag and at the end of day 2 India is ahead by 171, thanks to a magnificent spell of fast bowling by Jaspreet Bumra who took 6 wickets. On a flat pitch Bumra's artistry with the ball and his command on reverse swing had to be seen to be believed. The spinners Ashwin and Axar were not very effective and only Kuldeep produced 3 wickets. But Bumra simply destroyed the middle order. The ball that bowled Ollie Pope, centurion of last test, was a vicious in swinging yorker, almost unplayable. He got Bairstove with a ball going away, edged to slip where Gill took a fine catch. Meanwhile, Ben Stokes was playing well and fighting back. Bot Bumra bowled him bowling round the wicket uprooting his off stump. The bat fell from his grasp. Stokes, the ultimate fighter, made a gesture of helplessness which is a huge compliment to the fast bowler. Bumra soon finished the England innings giving India a lead of 143 in the first innings. He...