It was an effort worth praising by our team to ensure that we remain in the contention for the trophy. From here onwards, every combat is equivalent to the finals and we need to win each one of them. Wining against Kings Eleven Punjab was all the more special as somehow they have managed to win all the games against us, and all of them had been close encounters.

Losing a toss proved to be a blessing in disguise as chasing on the Centurion is comparatively easy then defending. We were there at the ground as witnesses, when Ross Taylor was destroying the hopes of Kinght Riders. He was toying with the Kolkatta knight Riders bowling and even 174 were not enough. Even the local cricketers suggest that it’s advisable to chase the total on this ‘batting beauty’ wicket. Though Kings eleven got a perfect start (50 runs in less than 7 overs) and were going great with Sunny Sohal playing some big shots, still the outcome of the match was not the one they wanted.

Brilliant piece of fielding and superb catching bought us back into the game and then we never looked back. I am really happy with the way I bowled in this match and took Kumara Sangakkara’s wicket at the right time. I bowled much slower in the air to ensure that I could get some turn from the wicket. Pushing the ball quickly wasn’t a feasible option on this wicket. Bowling quick would have meant ball will nicely come onto the bat to score. I would like to mention here JP Duminy’s bowling, as he was able to remove Yuvraj Singh just when it was required. Once he was back in the pavilion, we knew that from here on we can dictate terms and we did just that. Wickets at regular intervals gave us that needed edge above our rivals.

People might say that the game has changed and modern theories have replaced the normal route of the Gentleman’s game, but few basics of the cricket will never change. Be it Test cricket, One Dayers or T20, taking wickets is the best and ultimate formula to stop the runs. Even if you have to bowl 4 overs in the T20 format, the tactfulness of bowling is required here all the more. You need to be ahead of the situation and plan accordingly. It’s like a game of chess, where both the batsmen and the bowler are trying to out-smart each other with every move. But if you keep your basics right, more often than not, things will move in the right direction. And our bowlers exemplified it.

Low scoring targets are always tricky but this time we didn’t let the momentum slip. Batsmen batted sensibly to chase down the total and thankfully this time there were no nervous moments. Dwayne Bravo had a great match as he is a key player of our side. He is a kind of cricketer who can win matches both with the bat and the ball. It was a smart move to send him up the order as he takes his own sweet time to settle, but once his eyes are focused, he can play some audacious strokes. This win has really given us the confidence to move ahead in the tournament. The idea is to stay focused, perform the basics right and never look too far ahead. Our next game is against the Rajasthan Royal and the defending champions will come hard at us. I got to know that Shane Warne may not be fit for the game against us which can be a big blow for them. He is the back bone of this side and a lot depends on him. Going with the saying of not underestimating the opposition, we need to take them very seriously, irrespective of the presence of Warne or no Warne as they have some obvious match winners in their ranks.

To begin with, I must admit that so far in this tournament we have
played a very average cricket. And today whatever consequences we are
facing are largely our own creation. A team with so much talent,
experience and so well prepared is reeling in the bottom half of the
point tables, is actually mind churning. Thursday’s game was another
one where we lost from the winning position. Full marks to Deccan
Chargers, as they never let their shoulders drop and kept coming hard
at us. Before the start of the match if anyone would have given us 146
to chase we would have happily accepted it. But loosing wickets of
Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar in quick succession was a big
blow to us as we rely a lot on them. Still, JP Duminy salvaged the
position and at one point our chase was very much in control. After
the strategy break we needed 75 runs in ten overs and that was very
much achievable. But Dwayne Bravo’s wicket altered the scene
altogether. Our lower middle order, including me, was not much of a
help to the cause either and we ended up on the losing side. After
scrutinizing the situation, I think batting in middle overs has been a
problem with us. It’s very important to have a strong foot-holding in
the middle overs, but somehow we haven’t got the grasp of it. By the
time slog overs come we have too much to chase, with very few wickets
in hand. In the nutshell, we are not playing smart cricket or to be
precise, calculative cricket in the middle overs.

I must tell you that while in the nets or in the team meetings we
discuss everything and give attention to every minute detail, but
somehow that execution is missing in the centre.

As a bowling unit I think we have done fairly well. To restrict a side
like Chargers below 150 was a very good effort. As far as my bowling
is concerned most of the times I am bowling in power play and in some
of the matches I didn’t get to bowl my full quota of four overs. But
as a senior bowler I am ready to take on all kind of challenges and
would try to deliver my best in whatever role team wants me to play.

But all is not lost for us at the moment as still we have six matches
left and out of that we need to win atleast four to stay in the
league. And that’s going to be a colossal task. But we, as a group,
look at it as a great opportunity to avail and I am sure if we keep
our focus and intent right we can make this happen. I would say, if
from here we reach the semis, we will end up winning the event. So the
idea is to be optimistic and take one game at a time.

 As a bowling unit we tried our best to defend the total but Jacque Kallis was in a murderous mood and played a gem of an innings. He has a unique array of strokes and most of them are proper cricketing shots. None of our bowlers could bother him and more importantly he didn’t let any bowler dominate, another veteran cricketer showing us that how class will stand out in all forms of the game. Along with Robin Uthappa runs were scored from both side of the wicket and every scoring opportunity was maximized. Uthappa also batted well and they reached the target with a lot of ease. In a nutshell we were outplayed in all departments of the game.

 One of the biggest set-back for us is that with this defeat we have come in the lower half of the point tables. I am sure this will really hurt our boys and they will come back hard to strengthen our position in the point table.

 We have learnt our lessons well. In the last game I think we lacked discipline in our line and length and in batting we need to have at-least one senior batsmen to be their till the end to guide the youngsters. So far in this tournament, we have lacked the consistency to win two or more matches in a row. We have played one good game followed by one defeat to deter our prospects. But now the time has come to change the trend. Looking around in this dressing room I can see lot of quality and experience and I am sure we will pull our socks up and will come better prepared in the coming ventures.

 By each passing day challenges are becoming stiffer and our coming two games are against two very good sides in the tournament. On Wednesday we will be playing against Deccan Chargers who has already beaten us once followed by Delhi Daredevils.  Both the matches are very crucial for us and hope this time we will set the trends right.

The cricketainment of IPL season-2 has been in the buzz for the last ten days and the mercury is rising by each passing day. Some of the games witnessed, have been spell bounding and real value for money. One more fact which has re emerged from this tournament is that no matter which form of the game you are playing, class will always stand out. I was just going through the list of the top run getters of the tournament so far and was hardly surprised at the names. True to the core is one more fact that the cricket fans are actually startled to watch the likes of Rahul Dravid and Kumar Sangakkara anchoring the innings, retired cricketers like Mathew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist setting the field on fire and our very own Sanath Jaysuriya and Sachin Tendulkar giving us prolific starts, but then this was exactly that was promised by this format.

I have played with or against these cricketers and they are colossal figures. Over the years they have worked tirelessly on their game. They have spent loads of time in the middle and many a times encountered tough conditions, difficult situations and loads of expectations. And that is exactly what has toughened them to transcend these challenges. Just by the weight of their sheer experience they have scored (not just in literal terms but otherwise too) above the youngsters.

 As I have stated earlier, this season of IPL will be different than the earlier one. Conditions in South Africa will test the skill and the will of a player. Playing under lights on these bouncy pitches is not an easy task, especially when you are always looking for runs and you don’t have much time to adjust. There is an old saying that if you are a good Test cricketer more often than not you will find a way to flourish in all forms of the game. I am not sure whether this logic applies vice-versa or not but one thing that I am very sure of is that the presence of these very cricketers in this format definitely polishes the beginners.

 To share the same dressing room and to get the first hand experience of these veterans gives them the ripe opportunity to observe and absorb from these legends of the game. Old is gold and that is what this tournament has proved so far. I am delighted to look at our side which has a treasure-chest of such gems. The opening combination of Sachin and Sanath just proved that.

 Looking at my individual performance I am extremely happy to get a promotion in the batting order. And I would like to prove my worth as a batsman. Bowling wise I may not have taken wickets in heaps, but have so far managed to keep things under control. I am sure if I keep bowling in right areas wickets will surely fall into my kitty too.

Hoping for a good game today.. A victory, few wickets and runs to compliment : )

To lose the match against the Deccan Chargers on Saturday was a matter of grave disappointment and more so, as a victory was highly desirable by our team after a weeklong break. 169 was very much an achievable target on this pitch. With short boundaries and good batting wicket Durban is a high scoring ground and an average score on this pitch is 173. The opponents started with fireworks and at one point they looked like touching the target of 200 runs. But full marks to our bowlers. We came back strongly and took wickets at regular intervals to check them on 169. We were on the right track before we lost the crucial wicket of Sachin Tendulkar. And this was the turning point of the match and it came just after the strategy break. New batsmen found hard to deal with the constantly increasing run-rate and the credit here goes to the Deccan Chargers for the way they marshalled their resources. This year’s Deccan Charger is a different side and one of the top contenders for the trophy.

Here in lies the question of the existence of the strategy break. It can be good or bad depending on how it affects your result. And on more than one occasion it has helped the bowling side. In almost every match a wicket has fallen after the break and that has turned out to be the turning point of the match. Generally, in this format if the batting team gets a good start, they would like to continue with the same rhythm and this format gives them this much of lenience too. But seven and half minutes of break can easily derail the momentum of the batsman. On the other hand if bowlers are under the hammer they can always use this break to re-group, re-think, and rejuvenate. I am sure batsmen will learn from this experience and will avoid taking too many risks after the break. Once you are settled again and have wickets in hand you can always get the desired score.

On a more optimistic note, still there were many positives from Saturday’s game and that’s what we would like to take with us in the next match against the Kolkatta Knightriders. We bowled exceptionally well (again after the strategy break) to stop the Chargers’s charge towards a massive total. JP Dumminy showed lot of promise. He seems to have an intelligent head over the young shoulders and will be a great asset in these conditions. I also have this gut feeling that Sanath Jaysuriya is due for a big one and something special from his bat is round the corner. I know KKR will come hard at us. Their game against the Royals was a real close one and on Saturday they forced to share points with the Chennai Super-Kings. They have quite a few match winners in their line up and we need to be at our best to beat them. We only have a day to recover and adjust to the new conditions in Port Elizabeth. Thankfully we have enough experience and local input in the form of Jonty Rhodes and Shaun Pollock . So far in our two games we have done most of the things right and I am sure good results would follow soon. A win against my friend Shahrukh Khan’s side will be a good way to start with.

Today  is a special day for the entire team of Mumbai Indians. The date is April 24th and the day is the one when India’s greatest cricketer and a legend was born. We, at Mumbai Indians, had special plans for this special occasion. On the stroke of midnight we all got together to wish Sachin tendulkar his 36th birthday. Greats like Sunil Gavskar, Kris Srikanth and members from other teams also joined us in this celebration only to bring home the point that Tendulkar’s charisma has permeated every team and country. He belongs to the entire world of cricket. Sunny Bhai, Cheeka, Zaheer, Yuvraj and myself got chance to thank him for what he has done for the Indian cricket. A special cake was arranged for him and what followed afterwards was a fun-filled night. I was leading the pack of boys who gave him a good face massage with the cake. On a more serious note, this man holds a very special place in my life. It’s needless to say that he is like an elder brother to me and has always been a guiding force in my thick and thins.  This is his 20th year in international cricket but he is still young at heart and bubbling with exuberant energy. The enormous burden of expectations and demands of modern game hasn’t affected his affection for the game. The flick of a smile, the astonishment and the excitement are some very usual expressions one can see flying past his face when he is on the field.  The sixteen year old kid still lives in him, on and off the pitch. He is like an old wine getting better with age.
I was nine year old when Sachin made his debut for India and by the time I stepped into the Indian side, he was already a legend. Like scores of other people, he was my childhood hero too, the one who inspired me to pick up the game of cricket as my sole ambition and work hard on it. My very first shaky steps into the dressing room found me beholding the view where both of us were sharing the same space. 

With time I have started sharing a great chemistry with “Paaji” and can boast myself as few of those chosen ones who can take the liberty of cracking jokes on him or setting pranks on him. Make no mistake, beneath this serious man lies a very naughty kid who always has few tricks up his sleeves. Now with my improved batting, he really finds it tough to get me out. So, Paaji this time, as a gift, I am going to give you my wicket in the nets.
Reverting back to cricket, the last few days have produced very exciting combats. The two games on Thursday had nail biting finishes. And I am sure our game against the ‘recharged’ Deccan Chargers is going to be yet another great contest. With two wins in their kitty, they must be full of confidence and will come hard at us. Not to mention their batting line up that seems to be in great form.  Especially with the likes of Glichrist, Gibbs and our Mumbai boy Rohit Sharma, this looks like a tough battle ahead.
We have been without a game for almost a week. Our last match with the Royals was washed out due to rain. So we need to guard ourselves against complacency and have to re-group again. We started well but with this break our momentum has been broken and we need to re build it all over again, though we have tried our level best to keep the intensity high with working hard at nets. Personally speaking, the next venue ‘Kingsmead ground’, holds a very special place in my heart. In the T-20 world cup 2007, we played quite a number of matches on this ground and the most memorable one was the semi final where we were victorious against Australia. Square boundaries are short and as a bowler the margin of error is very little. This is a good wicket to bat and I am sure big names from both the sides will try to make the most of it. As I am pretty familiar with such conditions, my past experience will prove to be an asset here and will be of great help.

Coming back to our side, the first game has really boosted our confidence and people are already considering us as one of the contenders for the trophy. I think this year we have a great mix of experience and youth and we are peaking at the right time. Last year this tournament was an unknown quantity and we missed some key players. But this year team management has not left any stone unturned. From team selection to preparation to understanding the little needs of players, everything is well taken care of and that makes Mumbai Indian’s a very happy and raring to go dressing room. 

Sachin-Sanath opening duo is a dream combination for any side and we are lucky to have them at the top. Then in the middle order, likes of Dwayene Bravo, JP Dumminy and Shikhar Dhawan are good enough to handle all kind of situations.

I would not hesitate in saying that our bowling attack is certainly one of the best in IPL this season, Zaheer’s experience and the X-factor of Lasith Malingamekes them a great combination. With his slinging action and toe crushing Yorkers Malinga is not an easy bowler to handle. All rounders like Bravo and Jayasuriya give us lot of bowling options and I am there to play the role of a senior spinner. Presence of Shaun Pollock and Jonty Rhodes is a real help in understanding the local conditions much better. All in all we have all the ingredients to be a successful side this year. We just need to prepare hard and keep the intensity high.

Our next game is against Deccan Chargers on Saturday. And as I have said, every side has learnt from their past mistakes. They are a very formidable side and have some very exciting stroke players. I am looking forward to bowl against Gilchrist and company and am sure this will be a very interesting battle. Hopefully this time weather will not play a spoil sport. I am keeping my fingers crossed for that.  

The ‘First day first show’ of the IPL was received with as much anxiety and applauses as any other big banner movie. Any guesses as to who were the heroes? Well, yes on the whole the teams but the lead here was played by the ‘Spinners’. When this concept was in the pipeline the biggest threat was on the existence of the spinners as the format was not ‘meant’ to be spinner supportive. To be more precise, the format was thought as the killer to the ‘art of spin bowling’. But look hoe it has taken a 360 turn for our creed. Now the spinning section of the team is plays the pivotal role in this new ‘avtaar’ of cricket.

Here I would surely like to mention the performance by Anil Bhai. It’s nearly impossible to make out that this man hasn’t bowled for a while. The last time I saw him bowling was with a broken finger in Delhi, where afterwards he proudly walked into the cricketing sunset. Though, yesterday he bowled after a long break, but the zeal and the bounce, the accuracy and the intensity were the same. typical Kumble. The five wicket haul, shelling out just five runs for exchange is no joke in any format, forget about T20.

And how could I proceed without appreciating the undaunting efforts of the other magician with the ball-Shane Warne. You really need to pinch yourself to believe that he can still spin web around the best of the batsmen in the world. He retired in 2007 world cup and now spends more time on Poker table then cricket pitches. But give him a ball and the magic resumes. He can still spin big and land the ball in right areas. Leg spin is a difficult art, but they make it look so easy. That’s why I call them DADA cricketers, and I have learnt a lot from them.

 I should be modest but still would like to give myself a tap on my shoulder as I am also in the list of players who helped their team in their own small way. When I came into ball, two most destructive players of the present day cricketing world were at the crease, ‘Mathew Hayden and Andrew Flintoff’. It was very important to break this partnership otherwise in few overs they could have taken the game away. I got rid of Flintoff and didn’t give away many runs. So far so good.

And just when I am writing this blog, Daniel Vettori is troubling most of the Kings XI batsmen. He has taken 3 wickets for very little price. Another superb effort by a very shrewd spinner.

Next venue… Durban, the ‘mini India’ in South Africa. And thankfully we have two days break before we tighten up our screws for the last year’s champions Rajasthan Royals. God has been extremely generous in terms of natural beauty when it comes to this place. We went to table mountain last time we were here…it’s an experience in itself…one can see the whole Cape Town from there…a sight to behold. Overall it has been an easy day. But the rounds of packing unpacking take its toll. Can’t do much as it comes with the package and with time I have learnt the art. Durban has a great great resemblance to Mumbai… not just in terms of the surrounding but also in terms of support as a lot many Indians reside here. And the best thing is that you never miss the Indian food here. Plenty of Indian restaurants… and my favourite, well that’s Holiday Inns ‘Elangani’s Jewel of India’. So after few breathers will have to catch the flight for Durban. Till then..bye and take care.