Chasing huge totals

In the last two months, we have seen three chases of over 300! First NZ chased down 317 against Bangladesh followed by two immensely popular chases India 387 against England and South Africa 414 against England.

So why are large totals being chased down offlate compared to 1990s? Here is my take on the reasons

• Steve Waugh Effect: In late 1990s Steve Waugh introduced a aggression in test cricket hitherto unseen. Aussies were regularly scoring at 3.5 to 4 run an over. Teams are learning to emulate the same. Scoring faster means more time in last innings to chase totals down.

• Twenty 20 Effect: Has accelerated the Steve Waugh effect

• Aggressive opening batsmen: All the chases of 300 plus have happened over 4 to 5 sessions. Batsmen like Sehwag and Smith are very aggressive making use of fourth day sessions to good effect. This means their teams go into fifth day thinking of victory instead of hopping around defensively with a negative mindset of drawing. The positive approach makes a big difference
  

• Quality of bowling: Quality of bowling has come off sharply. Surely Dravid, Tendulkar, Kallis would love to face Lee, Siddle, Swann compared to Warne, McGrath, Ambrose

• Batsman friendly conditions: Over the years conditions have become deeply batsman friendly be it covered pitches that don’t crack up, 2 bouncers per over only rule.....

I won’t be surprised if 418 chased by West Indies against Australia, in the not too distant past, is overhauled shortly.

Sachin buries Paki Ghost of 1999

At the outset hats off to English Cricket board and their team to come out to India in full strength. It was a terrific test match at Chennai and best possible advertisement for the game.
The genius of Sehwag was the key factor and ofcourse the determination of Sachin helped.
Re Sachin, I was his huge fan ever since I watched him blast Abdul Qadir for 5 conscutive sixes in a List A match in his debut tour of Pakistan in 1989. Felt he was the numero uno of his generation until his fatal attempt to hit Saqlain out of the Chepauk into the Marina beach. Still remember the shot vividly (yup with a lump still in my throat) being skied to midoff where Wasim Akram took a simple catch. India required 16 to win and his dismissal at doorstep of victory led to a typical India story in 1990s -- snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. I lost faith in Sachin then -- felt completely let down and ever since saw him fall short in crucial moments - numerous ODI finals or second innings chases. Even our momentous overseas test victories in this century have been orchastrated by the classy Rahul Dravid. Things changed finally in CB Series in Australia when he scored a century in Syndey in the finals early this year. And ofcourse his century in the first test against England is possibly his response (finally) to Lara's 153* against Australia at Kingston in 1999. Hats off to Sachin and the monkey is finally of his bat and he has buried the Paki ghost of 1999.
Sehwag is the most destructive cricketer around and along with Gambhir form the most formidable opening pair in world cricket at the moment. The momentum at the top gives the team a huge uplift and with exception of Rahul Dravid entire team contribued to the victory. Over to Mohali now and I hope to see Laxman bat at 3. England would find this defeat very shattering and may not recover to perform in second test which India should win.