The home advantage spin doctors take turns orbiting
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Dear Sir,
As long as the subcontinent pitches are turning and spinning, the entire cricketing world is going to be revolving in that orbit. Some spin doctors of the cricketing nations have gone dizzy and, in their frenzy, come out with arbitrary accusations hard on the curators, that pitches are doctored. The accusation of doctoring pitches began after Australia endured a disastrous 4-0 whitewash in India in the 2013 series. It was followed by the Proteas’ dismal dismissal for a meager 79 runs in 2015 at Nagpur. Even Hashim Amla could not assimilate the turn and digest it, and Maestro de Villiers totally mystified. Now Aussies bogged in a quagmire to an underdog in the 3-0 whitewash in Sri Lanka, is echoing a stereotyped hype that has reached high pitch and note, to ditch the pitches of the subcontinents substantially.
Thank God Pakistan does not host any matches in their home grounds for 6 years, to be accused of extracting home ground advantage! Have the curators gone too far in making pitches spin-friendly? Well, it is a tough and turf question. The game had reached a tipping point, and the subcontinent cricket pitches become controversial in the Thilanga Sumathipala era. The curators make the pitches amenable to spin, to control the bat, bet and ball, that is the cry. The conspiracy theories of cricket critics and the verdicts of Kangaroo courts are supportive of the Mars(h)upials who need juice and justice.
Drop-in pitches in the recent past have also changed the nature of the game, with the bouncy Aussie pitches, generally a batsmen’s paradise and speed friendly, when compared with the spinner-friendly, parched dusty ones in the subcontinent, with uneven twists and turns to the visiting team. The grafts and transplant of pitches and their hybrid nature and nurture in different terrains, are subject to controversial debate by cricket critics, in the interest of the game. This will continue to remain as long as the impediments and the spicy condiments in the subcontinent pitches are weeded and conditioned to make it more juicy and bouncy for the visitors.
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Murali declared “out of bounds” to local pitches is another copybook bouncer from the Chairman of the Cricket Board, that has stirred the hornets’ nest. Groundsman turned night watchman and security beefed up to prevent Murali from mentoring Australian O’Keef in SL pitches, has reached high pitch in TV interviews, where the highest achiever with a mischievous smile and the Chairman of the Board are locked in. Shane Warne advising Pakistani Yasir Shah epitomising his style, is another Chinaman in the Indian subcontinent.
The Aussie spin department hiring Murali as a consultant coach, is yet another doosra which has taken a different turn. Shane Warne’s absence at the Shane-Murali trophy, opting to be in Great Britain, no longer considered Great after Brexit, and Murali’s self proclaimed absence at the Test series, are the contradictory right arm, leg and off-spins off the sleeves of both Spin Maestros. The dynamics of cricket too has taken a different turn, with reverse sweeps and shorter versions of the game. The new innovations and inventions like doosra and ‘Dilscoops’ are improvisations against conventional cricket, which was a legacy handed down by our white masters who ruled the Indian subcontinent.
The whitewashes now result in b(l)acklashes. Perhaps the Aussies, the other breed of the white Masters settled in Australia, do not want to be penalised by the uneven turns of our pitches. Duckworth-Lewis formula, more than the spin and turn, reels your head. The DRS added another dimension with hot spots and ball tracking that makes the game even more complicated. Technology dominates the game altogether. Murali who broke Shane Warne’s record at Asgiriya, when a swarm of bees were droning with the stinger missiles over the pitch, and umpires ducking for cover on the pitch, is undeterred by the ban. The Wisden Trophy wizard should be wise enough to remember it was Captain Cool and his crew, together with all of Sri Lanka, stood by him defending his action.
Santa showered the Aussies with bountiful gifts on the eve of 1995 Christmas. Oh! Oh Dear, he left the sledge too with them to reign, that became handy on “Boxing Day” when Darrell Hair no-balled Murali. A real Boxing Day tsunami for the 23-year-old timid lad at MCG, in front of 55,000 spectators. He was totally flabbergasted and shattered by the hair-raising decision.
It echoed in the political arena, John Howard in his forward defense called Murali a chucker and went homeward not too long after in Bennelong. He was clean bowled by Mackinon Mckew. The maiden wicket dis-Lodged him. Hair vanished into the thin air. Indian Cricket Board’s Power slowed Malcom Speed to reduce the arm flex to15 degrees.
Eventually, Murali topped Shane Warne’s record and surpassed it. His achievement, like Don Bradman’s, cannot be broken in a hurry. Murali, perhaps like our politicians, may be having selective amnesia when he opted to play for the “Renegades”, after all the grenade explodes and episodes, and again now, as consultant coach to the spin department on native soil, which is considered naive by fans. May be he does not want to harbour the grudges and the sledges. Whether he is right or wrong depends on the degree of flex in the arms of the fans to point an accusing finger on the wrist spinner, who owes a lot to the fans for making him a hero.
It is they who provided the much needed knead for his cricket crunch, more than the crispy cookies from his Dad’s confectionery. Hair still strong with his convictions, insists the Augean stables should have been cleaned long ago, after the ban on Saeed Ajmal. Amidst the quandary and controversies of cleaning the Augean stable, old horse Rangana Herath bowled regardless, with his itch to pitch, extracting lots of turn to get extra scalps. This prompted his fellowmen to give him head massages, stroking his hair. The “different strokes” and high fives were sending strong messages to the world, he is still a formidable force to be reckoned with.
He, in the box-seat, proved he is no mug with the bat, scoring 33 not out in 71 balls, after getting a box office hit off the bowling of Hazlewood, and retired hurt. After being off the field, he re-emerged with renewed vim and vigour to steer the SL team to a comfortable victory. Sandakan the young debutant from nowhere, with his ‘chinaman’ mesmerized the Aussie batsmen to dance to his tune. The deep magic turn that turned tragic to Joe Burn is unforgettable, and prompts one to ponder and wonder if there is any logic in the accusation. After the whitewash and the first 2 ODIs, Aussie skipper Steve Smith in smithereens, returned for a smash repair and tinkering to face the Springboks on home soil.
The White Ball and Warners captaincy changed the complexion of the game. Though Warner did not perform better with the bat in the season, and the ball also at times popped out of his vice grip, that even was a challenge to his vice-captain grip. He managed to offset the test debacle of his side with a magnificent century at the end. His good captaincy rotating the bowlers, changing them swiftly were the key factors for the re-emergence. Gorgeous George Bailey bailed out Australia from the quagmire and helped the visitors clinch the ODI series with his supportive role, agile and actively motivating his side, is praiseworthy to mention. What the subcontinent pitches hold in store in future is still a Million Dollar question!! Que sera sera, whatever will be, will be!! Sinnathamby Sivanandan