Indian Test Team Grade - 2006
From:
Indian Test Team Grade - 2006
The 2005-06 Indian Test cricket season has concluded. It also marks the one year anniversary of coach Chappell's tenure at the helms. Let us look at the cricket played by the Test team this season.
The men in white played 11 Tests starting at Bulawayo,Zim with an innings victory. A total of 18 individuals played Test cricket. SC Ganguly captained 2 Tests winning both of them. RS Dravid captained 8 Tests - 2 wins, 2 losses, and 4 draws, Sehwag captained in 1 Test against the visiting Lankans which resulted in Indian victory.
In the previous season(2004-05), the team played 11 Test with 5 wins and 3 losses. W/L ratio of 1.67. The team's batting average was 35.2 and bowling average 33.3. In comparison, the current season's W/L ratio is 2.5. The batting improved to 38.2 and bowling showed a slight increase to 35.2. The high scoring series in Pakistan is the main reason for increase in team's batting and bowling averages.
Key individual contributions:
Sehwag, 10 Tests , 547 runs @ 39.07 with 1 hundred and 1 50.
(the leanest year so far in his career. Against career avg of 50+, this season has been the one
to forget in spite of the double hundred in Pakistan)
Dravid, 10 Tests, 834 runs @ 64.15 with 2 hundreds and 6 50s.
Another remarkable year with the bat. Watershed year for the new Team India captain.
Captaincy seems to have improved his run making ability. With astute and novel leadership, he has quickly shown what the team India was missing in the last few years.
Tendulkar, 9 Tests, 335 runs @ 27.91 with just 1 hundred (0 50s).
The worst ever season in his peerless career.
Yuvraj Singh, 9 Tests, 424 runs @ 38.54 1 100 2 50s.
He has becomes the top 3 middle order batsmen in the Test side. He has over taken VVSL in the pecking order this season. His improvement against spinners was demonstrated with a couple of fluent 70s against one of the greatest of spinners in the history of the game- Muralitharan on a spinning wicket.
Kumble, 11 Tests and 49 wickets @ 33.79
A lean year by Kumble's standards. A bad series in Pakistan proved costly to India.
Became only the bowler in world cricket to get 500 Test wickets.
Seamers(Pathan,Munaf Santh, and RP), 62 wickets @ 32.
A very remarkable season for the Indian seamers. They were back on the agenda in Indian cricket. One of the best bowling by Indian pacemen!
Indian seamers were a revelation this season. Led by Pathan, the Indian team has found a potential match winning combination to get 20 wickets in Test cricket. A remarkable improvement which is likely to pay rich dividends in years to come. The new coach and captain deserve a long applause for the new strategy instilled in the team. At least 3 pace bowlers are likely to feature in most Test matches going forward.
Dhoni made his Test debut and went onto score his first Test 100 - a match saving effort in Pakistan against a fired up Shoaib Akthar. Pathan emerged as an allrounder. His first over hatrick in Karachi is a FIRST in Test cricket history. Two fast bowlers with immense potential made debut for India. An assembly line of fast bowling talent seems to have emerged in the country. The importance of fast bowling for team's success has been recognized for the very first time in India. The new captain ably supported by the strategically advanced coach will have to accept credit for driving home a match winning formula.
The team has advanced strategically. They seem to have realized that it is wise to take a step back to move up three steps. 5 bowler theory shows the flexibility the team has and shows willingness to take calculated risks to win more matches in the long run. The repeated top order lapses in batting has been managed to a large extent with good success. A rejuvenated emphasis on lower-order batting has forestalled total batting collapses. It shows logical and forward thinking by the team management and the leadership. The batting tail has been made stronger by the new captain/coach. "All 11 players bat, only 4-5 bowl, so even bowlers get batting practice at the nets" - the mantra adopted by the captain.
Focus on survival of individuals has been replaced with team's sucess. The selectors have made bold calls to pluck out from the team those players who do not contribute enough or have no future potential. Injection of fresh blood has given a new fillip to the team spirit and has motivated everyone to perform well and take to the next higher level.
All in all -
1 A solid process has been put in place.
2 Captain leads by example. Sets challenges and inspires others in the team.
3 Solid, logical thinking by the support staff for team's success.
4 Commitment to excellence and no compromise on basic values.
5 New challenges given and accepted by players.
6 Wholesome good cricket for fans.
7 The spring is in the air!
The Test team has its priorities right and ready to enjoy some good cricket for the benefit of fans. The good times are here and it is going to get even better.
The bottomline, the grade for this season is B compared to D in the last season.
From:
Indian Test Team Grade - 2006
The 2005-06 Indian Test cricket season has concluded. It also marks the one year anniversary of coach Chappell's tenure at the helms. Let us look at the cricket played by the Test team this season.
The men in white played 11 Tests starting at Bulawayo,Zim with an innings victory. A total of 18 individuals played Test cricket. SC Ganguly captained 2 Tests winning both of them. RS Dravid captained 8 Tests - 2 wins, 2 losses, and 4 draws, Sehwag captained in 1 Test against the visiting Lankans which resulted in Indian victory.
In the previous season(2004-05), the team played 11 Test with 5 wins and 3 losses. W/L ratio of 1.67. The team's batting average was 35.2 and bowling average 33.3. In comparison, the current season's W/L ratio is 2.5. The batting improved to 38.2 and bowling showed a slight increase to 35.2. The high scoring series in Pakistan is the main reason for increase in team's batting and bowling averages.
Key individual contributions:
Sehwag, 10 Tests , 547 runs @ 39.07 with 1 hundred and 1 50.
(the leanest year so far in his career. Against career avg of 50+, this season has been the one
to forget in spite of the double hundred in Pakistan)
Dravid, 10 Tests, 834 runs @ 64.15 with 2 hundreds and 6 50s.
Another remarkable year with the bat. Watershed year for the new Team India captain.
Captaincy seems to have improved his run making ability. With astute and novel leadership, he has quickly shown what the team India was missing in the last few years.
Tendulkar, 9 Tests, 335 runs @ 27.91 with just 1 hundred (0 50s).
The worst ever season in his peerless career.
Yuvraj Singh, 9 Tests, 424 runs @ 38.54 1 100 2 50s.
He has becomes the top 3 middle order batsmen in the Test side. He has over taken VVSL in the pecking order this season. His improvement against spinners was demonstrated with a couple of fluent 70s against one of the greatest of spinners in the history of the game- Muralitharan on a spinning wicket.
Kumble, 11 Tests and 49 wickets @ 33.79
A lean year by Kumble's standards. A bad series in Pakistan proved costly to India.
Became only the bowler in world cricket to get 500 Test wickets.
Seamers(Pathan,Munaf Santh, and RP), 62 wickets @ 32.
A very remarkable season for the Indian seamers. They were back on the agenda in Indian cricket. One of the best bowling by Indian pacemen!
Indian seamers were a revelation this season. Led by Pathan, the Indian team has found a potential match winning combination to get 20 wickets in Test cricket. A remarkable improvement which is likely to pay rich dividends in years to come. The new coach and captain deserve a long applause for the new strategy instilled in the team. At least 3 pace bowlers are likely to feature in most Test matches going forward.
Dhoni made his Test debut and went onto score his first Test 100 - a match saving effort in Pakistan against a fired up Shoaib Akthar. Pathan emerged as an allrounder. His first over hatrick in Karachi is a FIRST in Test cricket history. Two fast bowlers with immense potential made debut for India. An assembly line of fast bowling talent seems to have emerged in the country. The importance of fast bowling for team's success has been recognized for the very first time in India. The new captain ably supported by the strategically advanced coach will have to accept credit for driving home a match winning formula.
The team has advanced strategically. They seem to have realized that it is wise to take a step back to move up three steps. 5 bowler theory shows the flexibility the team has and shows willingness to take calculated risks to win more matches in the long run. The repeated top order lapses in batting has been managed to a large extent with good success. A rejuvenated emphasis on lower-order batting has forestalled total batting collapses. It shows logical and forward thinking by the team management and the leadership. The batting tail has been made stronger by the new captain/coach. "All 11 players bat, only 4-5 bowl, so even bowlers get batting practice at the nets" - the mantra adopted by the captain.
Focus on survival of individuals has been replaced with team's sucess. The selectors have made bold calls to pluck out from the team those players who do not contribute enough or have no future potential. Injection of fresh blood has given a new fillip to the team spirit and has motivated everyone to perform well and take to the next higher level.
All in all -
1 A solid process has been put in place.
2 Captain leads by example. Sets challenges and inspires others in the team.
3 Solid, logical thinking by the support staff for team's success.
4 Commitment to excellence and no compromise on basic values.
5 New challenges given and accepted by players.
6 Wholesome good cricket for fans.
7 The spring is in the air!
The Test team has its priorities right and ready to enjoy some good cricket for the benefit of fans. The good times are here and it is going to get even better.
The bottomline, the grade for this season is B compared to D in the last season.