miley cyrus

South African and Australian batsmen were mentally cluttered

Yesterday, at Cape Town the cricketing had world witnessed one of the most astonishing days of cricket where, after the lunch break it turned out to be a feast of wickets. Batsmen came in and in the twinkle of an eye they marched for the dressing rooms. 294 runs were scored throughout the day at the cost of 23 wickets and according to Daniel Bretting, “19 of them in an uninterrupted landslide of skilful bowling and abject batting between lunch and the first hour after tea.”

According to me the Cape Town track had something for the bowlers but it wasn’t an unplayable one. The track had deviations but it wasn’t a batman’s nightmare to trigger carnage. Batsmen from the both the sides have players who are well at home in applying to the conditions have the ability to take on the challenge to the opposition. Michael proved it on the first day on more difficult circumstances and the same was expected from a Smith or Kallis and again, the same was expected from an Australian batsman in their second innings.

But sadly, it didn’t happen.

But why such carnage took place? What led the batsmen fall a prey to the bowlers?

Before taking guard a batsman has to adjust his mental focus through proper ‘Awareness’ which means that the batsman is well aware of the situation surrounding him and not acutely focusing on a particular thing such as, the pitch or the opposition bowl. After being well aware of the situation a batsman gets into ‘Fine Focus’ and ‘Fierce Focus.’

But if a batsman is acutely focusing on a particular situation while adjusting his mental awareness then his mind gets cluttered and it’s obvious that a batsman will commit errors in substantial proportions.

Both the South African and Australian batsmen couldn’t adjust their mental awareness and acutely focused on the track which triggered a panic attack amongst the batsmen of both sides.

If the South African batting had been upsetting then the batting of the Australians in the second innings had been horrible. After lunch Shane Watson and Ryan Harris produced a spell where they bowled wicket to wicket to hassle the Proteas batsmen. Both Harris and Watson had been teasing but not as fearsome and dangerous as Steyn on the first day. The Proteas batsmen were too acutely focused on the track and kept on loosing wickets as they couldn’t adjust their strict mental routine.

Of the eleven Proteas wickets in the first innings, 4 of the batsmen have fallen a trap to lbw and 3 (2 of them are opening batsmen) of the batsmen’s furniture had been disturbed. This indicates that the batsmen’s feet were freeze and tracks aiding movements with low bounce an astute foot-work was needed. Sadly, it wasn’t there amongst the Proteas batsmen.

Australia took a lead of 188 as the South Africans were bundled out for just 96 and when they started their second innings, the Oz kicked away a dominant position on an incomprehensible second day.

Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel were the wreckers in chief for South Africa, bowling with pace and venom in helpful conditions, but it must be said they had plenty of help from the Aussie batsmen who were mentally cluttered as they never got into the zone of “Awareness” and like the Proteas batsmen they too were acutely focused on the track which led to such a dismal performance.

Ricky Ponting was out due to poor judgment of the line and again walked too across his stumps and was trapped lbw. Brad Haddin’s mind was surely surrounded by smokes as the manner in which he got out left all clueless as Brydon Coverdale described, “At 18 for 5, he was the last of the recognised batsmen. Instead of concentration he chose conflagration, blazing away to the leg side and trying to smash Vernon Philander over off. He edged behind for a duck. He had also thrown his wicket away in the first innings.”

A Pathetic, horrible, disgraceful and shameful batting display from Australia on a track which had no big cracks, no major grassy spots and no indication of the carnage to come and the same can be said about the Proteas batsmen who are not that kind of a mediocre stuff to be skittled out for just 96. Both the sides are competing for the number 1 Test spot but after yesterday’s pathetic batting display, I now wonder are they really worthy to compete for that?

In cricket, great batsmen have the technique and experience to fetch runs but when they are mentally cluttered they tend to struggle horribly. They tend to display ‘Brain Explosions’ as they are not well aware of the situation and acutely focus on a particular situation. Both South Africa and Australian batsmen were acutely focused on the track and which never let them to adjust their mental ‘Awareness’ before getting into the zone of  ‘Fine Focus’ and ‘Fierce Focus’ and for which such a crazy days of cricket took place at Cape Town.

Both the South African and Australian batsmen were mentally cluttered.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

Way to go Pup!

To score a hundred on tracks which provide the best fast bowlers in the world enough assistance is a rarity these days. The hundreds scored on flat tracks are hailed by us no matter how boring they are. But it’s not our fault as because fast bowling friendly tracks are almost absent at present.

Thankfully, yesterday, we were privilege to witness a modern day aggression on a lively track at Cape Town where the likes of Steyn, Morkel and Philander’s guile and venom couldn’t stop a man’s staggering courage and will power to score a hundred. The current Australian captain Micahel Clarke was at his sublime best in terms of mental toughness and technique on a swinging Cape Town track to pull his team out of the fire.

When Clarke entered the scene to face the chin music from Steyn and co, Australia were reeling at 40-3.  Steyn took no time in testing Clarke’s technique, physique and courage with bouts of short ball with deliveries touching 150km/h. But Clarke declined to duck and face the chin music with commanding authority.

Champion batsmen usually are at their very best when the bowlers at top. Michael Clarke decided to take on the South African attack with a controlled counter attack. And to script a counter attack a batsman has to have the solid defense and quick foot-work. Micahel Clarke’s technique and foot-work were found to be well at home when he continued to essay some sweet drives and pull shots.

There was a touch of Tendulkar in Clarke when he smoked a length ball, not usually was on the driving length, past Steyn. The body position, the head and the complex mechanism of batting all had came into one point while playing that stroke against Steyn’s last ball of the 23^rd over.  

Clarke’s attacking mindset was understandable the way he smothered Kallis with floury of boundaries. Kallis’ over-cooked outswingers were smacked hard, the short pitched balls were punished and those widish deliveries’ fate was terrible as they cleared the boundary ropes no sooner had Clarke lifted his bat.

In the 29^th over Micahel Clarke was more severe on Morne Morkel who tried to bounce him but as time passed Clarke was getting into even better position against the short balls and for which the boundaries came crushingly in Morkel’s first two deliveries.

Clarke’s 50 came off a full-toss delivery from Imran Tahir against whom Clarke was found with meaty cuts and fleet-footed flicks and his hundred came against the “Jack of All Trade” Jac Kallis with a crocker of shot.

Kallis tried to tempt Clarke into edging a drive with a full ball outside off. The drive came, the edge didn't. Clarke walked into the cover drive and almost inevitably finds the gap and the hundred came in just 108 balls.

In toughest conditions the toughest characters survives. And it’s the toughest characters who exhibit courage under adversity. Micahel, the captain of Australia, exhibited enormous courage under adversity to claim himself the perfect torch bearer of Allan Border, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh. 

That was a gem of a knock essayed by Michael Clarke.

Thank You 

Faisal Caesar

Australia are well prepared than South Africa

Just a two Test match in a series contested between the two most professional and exciting sides in the world of cricket and it also doesn’t do any justice towards the die hard cricket fans. But though a Test series spanning over two Test matches, by no means it would be short of dramas and excitement.

Over the two decades, both Australia and South Africa have produced some of Test cricket’s most thrilling and exciting Test matches. So, it is expected that again, this two Test matches will never be short of excitements. It was evident during the T20 and ODI series how these two teams can script nail-biting finishes.

Australia is a team who are on a rebuilding process. After torrid one and half years, team Australia, under Micahel Clarke seems to be gaining the lost momentum. Though, that aura of invincibility is absent but the current Australian side haven’t lost a bit of their sense of professionalism and fighting spirit. The team’s eager to win matches on trying conditions was evident during their tour to Sri Lanka where an ideal blend of young and professional unit left the World Cup runner-ups at bay on most of the times.

Australia are ready for the Test matches in Cape Town and Johannesburg to try and continue an awesome record in South Africa, where the Baggy Greens have not lost a Test series since 1969-70. Again, Australia have won four and drawn one of the five contests here since South Africa's readmission into international cricket. They've won the last four.

Starting to show signs of improvement after the Ashes disaster, Australia's only temptation to deviate from the combination in Sri Lanka is likely to be whether to give rapidly rising teenage fast bowler Pat Cummins his Test debut at Newlands, following swiftly on from the 18-year-old speedster's international bow at the same ground just three weeks ago.

The Australian team has the batsmen and bowlers to have a go at the South Africans. The batting lineup is boosted by Micahel Hussey, Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting’s experience while young guns like Shaun Marsh, Shane Watson are there to blunt the best attacks. The bowling is lead by Mitchell Johnson and with Ryan Harris doing well in Sri Lanka’s dead wickets and with Watson’s mercurial abilities, the Aussies have a balanced attack to be well reckoned of and if the young Nathan Lyon, who earned respect and praises from Sri Lanka with his off-spinners, gets included then the Australian bowling attack will have enough variety and spice.

Coached by Gary Kirsten, South Africa are the number. 2 ranked side behind England in the Test rankings after India's slide, but the Proteas have done little to prove they deserve that position having not played a Test since a drawn series with the Indians ended in Cape Town 10 months ago.

Captain Graeme Smith, all-rounder Jacques Kallis, vice captain AB de Villiers, wicketkeeper Mark Boucher and fast bowler Dale Steyn haven't played any long-format cricket at any level since the New Year Test against India this year.

But being a professional side it is expected that they are ready for the Australian challenge.

South Africa’s lineup could include Pakistan-born leg-spinner Imran Tahir and Cape Town-based seam bowler Vernon Philander, who are yet to play Test cricket. It will include opening batsman Jacques Rudolph, who hasn't played Tests since 2006 but was recalled straight to the team after a five-year sabbatical in English county cricket. With the return of injured AB de Villiers, the South African side will be well boosted.

In a sense Australia seems better prepared than the Proteas but any Test series or an ODI series contested between these two teams are hotly contested and it becomes an outstanding exhibition of sheer mental toughness and professionalism.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Smells like team spirit

As I watched the Pakistani players show their immense joy by lifting the trophy after the Test series victory against Sri Lanka, I just smelt something. I smelt a team spirit in this Pakistani team who are at present playing as a team and not waiting for one or two individual talent propping up nine others or I didn’t smell anything controversial or fishy in this team.

The Pakistani team is always about raw talent and it’s the exhibition of the raw individual talents that had always produced results for Pakistan since Imran Khan had left the scene. It had been devoid of methods and discipline for a long time. But this Pakistan team seems to have posses a certain method, a certain plan.

Misbah-ul-Haq, the captain whom many of ardent Pakistan cricket followers didn’t want as the captain on first choice, has applied some methods and plans to make the men in green perform. The method is to play as a team and for the country. A simple thing which can galvanize a team to give the best shot.

When the Pakistan cricket was being plagued by spotfixing saga, the coach-captain-board chief taamasha, the board chief’s moronic acts; it’s then when Misbah decided to open the windows to let the fresh air enter from the majestic mountains of Pakistan and let the polluted air ebb away to give entry to fresh air of unity and patriotism.

This Pakistan team breathes unity and this team wants to play for Pakistan. This team wants to go out in the field and fulfill the aspirations of a nation who are having the worst ever time in their history. For an ill-fated nation like Pakistan it’s important that their cricketing heroes deliver the best for their people who look up to them.

Misbah-ul-Haq, so far has been spot on with his captaincy. Misbah has gained the respect of the perennially factitious Pakistani team, a tough achievement only achieved by Imran khan. So far, Misbah has lifted the side into a playing unit, and jettisoned the ultra-egoistic attitudes from the players which have taken Pakistan cricket in doldrums. His presence on the field doesn’t   produce an aura like Imran Khan but Misbah’s presence is always being felt.

Misbah is transforming the Pakistani team from a procession of soloists into an orchestra which happened only once during the era of Imran Khan. Misbah-ul-Haq’s Pakistan smells like team spirit. Pakistan cricket team is on the right track.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar