Virender Sehwag to lead Rest of India in Irani Cup tie, Sreesanth, Rayudu included

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has named Virender Sehwag as captain of Rest of India for the upcoming Irani Cup match against Ranji champions Mumbai to be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai from February 6-10.

The captaincy appointment should serve as huge motivation for Sehwag, who has been struggling for form in recent times and was axed from the India one-day side for the recent five-match series against England which the hosts won 3-2.

The All-India Senior Selection Committee, which met at Bengaluru on Tuesday, also picked seamer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, who is coming off a long injury lay-off.

Madhya Pradesh seamer Ishwar Pandey, who emerged as the highest wicket-taker in this year’s Ranji Trophy, was also included along with talented middle-order batsman Ambati Rayudu.

The selection committee also announced the Board President XI side for the two-day warm-up match against Australia to be played at Chennai on February 12 and 13.

The selectors also named the India ‘A’ team for the three-day game against Australia, to be played at Chennai from February 16-18.

Former India and Tamil Nadu opening batsman Abhinav Mukund will lead the Board President XI side, while Shikhar Dhawan will captain the India ‘A’ side.

Teams

Rest of India: Virender Sehwag (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Manoj Tiwary, Suresh Raina, Wriddhiman Saha, Harbhajan Singh, S. Sreesanth, Pragyan Ojha, Ishwar Pandey, Abhimanyu Mithun, Ambati Rayudu, Mohammed Shami, Jalaj Saxena.

Board President XI: Abhinav Mukund (captain), Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, Mandeep Singh, Kedar Jadhav, Parthiv Patel, Stuart Binny, Sarabjit Ladda, Parvez Rassol, Mohammed Shami, Parvinder Awana, Kamlesh Makwana.

INDIA ‘A’: Shikhar Dhawan (captain), Jiwanjyot Singh, Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Ajinkya Rahane, C. Gautam, Rakesh Dhruv, Jalaj Saxena, Manpreet Gony, Vinay Kumar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Ashok Menaria.

Dravid over Ganguly as the Indian coach

There has been a buzz over the possible successor of Duncan Fletcher, the current Indian cricket coach. Drawing parallels between the Singh, at the helm of the green well, to Duncan Fletcher is an unstoppable one. Both of them have thrived on silence, their prominent defense mechanism. The only solace is that the latter’s job is confined to the backstage. Under Fletcher, it has been a tumultuous period for the Indian team. The 8-0 drudgery abroad has hitherto been the worst mauling the team has ever suffered.  So, with the contract of Duncan Fletcher terminating, the question that looms large is, who would take over Fletcher’s job?

There have been calls for DADA to take over. Arguably the best captain of team India, Ganguly possesses one of the shrewdest cricketing minds. With the backdrop of match fixing looming over the team, in what is construed as the darkest chapter of Indian cricket, Ganguly had the fortitude to take over the helm. From a bunch of directionless youth which consisted of Viru, Yuvi, Bhajji, Zaheer, he built a team that would make it to the 2003 WC finals. Under him, they blossomed, transformed and transmuted. From a fickle youngster, they formed the backbone of the formidable Indian side. That is a testimony to his man management skills. He spots talent with a surgeon’s precision. Under crisis, he dazzles, his charisma being contagious. In the youngsters, he instills the flame that would keep lit their aggression and valour. He knows the country and cricket like the back of his palm. Yet, with all these towering attributes, he wouldn’t be able to fill the void.

Greg Chappell was a working example of how a forthright would be a misfit for the Indian coach’s job. Greg Chappell is an expert of the game. His consummate coaching skills was what the team was yearning for. He preferred to be at the forefront of the cricketing developments in the nation. He thrust his opinion on the team and went the extra mile to get the players to dance to his tune. He sought to bring in a wave of the changes and caught the system by its cuff  and looked to turn it by its head. That turned out to be a menace for the team and the players. Every player in the team is a star on his own. The last thing they would want is being bossed over. That was exactly what transpired within the team, starting with the ousting of Ganguly and the climax being the disaster of the WC 2007. When he stepped down as coach, he was being hailed as the worst coach ever. He shared a bitter rapport with seniors and the others too seldom vouched for him.

Contrasting him with Gary Kirsten, the most successful Indian coach ever, gives a clear picture. Gary Kirsten was the Godfather for many a youngsters and a friendly faculty for the seniors. He gelled well with the team and that which is called chemistry, peaked under him. He preferred remaining silent as long as things went well. He seldom tweaked a youngster’s game until he floundered. He provided the much needed room and let the players circumspect their own game. Sachin Tendulkar has great gratitude for him, for his thousand throw-downs that let the master stay afloat. He ushered the team to its zenith, the icing on the cake being the World Cup and the numero uno status in Test cricket.

From the conflicting and contrasting cases above, a few points emanate. We need a Gary Kirsten than a Greg Chappell. Ganguly and Greg trod along the same lines. The most coherent characters are Ganguly and Greg and that could have well been the reason for the spat. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the current Indian captain and a potential captain for three years down the line, has more or less attained the cult status Ganguly did. Today, the board adheres with his thoughts and so does the selection chair. He commands such clout in the nation. With Ganguly as the coach, a sharp critic, an authoritarian by himself, there would be an ego clash between the two of them. Being a sagacious captain by himself, he would detract Dhoni’s ways and that would lead to a bitter turn of events. To concise it, Ganguly the coach could be a Greg part II.

The Indian team needs a coach who would be an authoritarian, yet, affable. Someone who would walk with the youngsters rather than lead the way. A friend,  guide and a mentor. A complaisant coach and an Indian at it would be the perfect fit. Doesn’t this ring a bell somewhere?

There enters the erudite, astute and articulate master, Rahul Dravid. He walked his talk. His game was as eloquent as his speech is. The Bradman oration was one occasion where Rahul brought forth his articulate speech, providing great insights into the dynamics of the game. The voracious reader and keen observer he his, he is adroit at the game. The youngsters today lack the technical prowess as well as the temperament.He has the skill and the heart to diagnose glitches and correct them. He would do it in his own, subtle and gentle manner, and more importantly, as scrupulously as he batted. The insights he provides from the commentary box need to be done in the warmth of the dressing room.  Throughout his career, he was adept at playing second fiddle and never the one to hog attention. This quality of his is what I tried to elucidate above. Given his friendly and modest nature, he would strike a chord with the youngsters and pass on to be their perfect mentor. Given his eye for detail and his erudite knowledge, he is tailor-made for the job. The true gentleman he is, he was never amid controversies throughout his career. Given this, he would make the team devoid of the turbulence that could well be caused by astringent and monocratic coach.

Rahul Dravid would be a trade off between the authoritarian and a complaisant. He is an authoritarian in his own amicable ways. He would pass on his immaculate technique to the current lot that hates the stench of a cricket ball. He would pass on his mastery against spin and his discipline against the pacers. Last but not least, he would pass on his gentleman spirit that kept the cricketing fraternity in awe. The spirit of the game he upheld needs to be incorporated by the lads of today.

Ganguly might be the shrewdest and most dexterous coach, yet Dravid would be the palpable and affable friend, who would put his arms around your shoulder and set things right. The might of Ganguly might distort one’s ego, but the modest Dravid would let you grow in stature and be the guide, and strictly, only the guide. He could well be the coach the nation has been scouting for over the years.

11 thoughts on cricket from January

The first month of 2013 is almost over, and already it has shown signs of what to expect in the coming months. Here are 11 stray thoughts on the month that is (not quite) gone by:

1. New Zealand is the new West Indies

“If that is true, we will win the next T20 World Cup…huzzah!”

Get bowled out for scores of 45 and 121 en route to a crushing Test series loss to the Saffers before turning the tables on the hosts during the ODI series, which included a 1 wicket heist in the opener (from 105/7, they chased 209) and a match winning ton from future great Kane Williamson in the second game. Only a last ball six from McLaren in the third game prevented a series whitewash for the Proteas. The average Kiwi supporter must have gone through the full range of emotions possible in the past month.

2. Mike Hesson is the new John Buchanan

“That’s a low blow, sir”

Problems with team’s star player and favourite punching bag for all? Check. It makes perfect sense that the former Australia coach is responsible for Hesson’s appointment as New Zealand coach.

3. Enter the Faf

“Move over Jacques, there is a new rock in town”

In the span of three months, Faf du Plessis has gone from being a replacement in the Test squad and a fringe player in LOIs, to a regular team player in all formats of the game. It culminated in him becoming captain of the ODI side in their series against New Zealand after de Villiers copped a ban for slow over rate in the first game. Despite the loss, he is already being talked of as future captain in all three formats. This proves that good things happen to those who play for Chennai Super Kings.

4. De Kock will give rise to never ending puns

“The name is de Kock. The ‘de’ is silent”

South Africa’s newest member and interestingly named Quinton de Kock is a talented and hard-hitting batsman, who is capable of keeping the momentum flowing at the top of the order. As a keeper, his soft hands and ability to let the balls come to him instead of grabbing at it, make him a valuable addition to the team. Any puns detected in the previous sentences were intended.

5. Mahela is the past, Angelo is the present and Perera is the future

“Bad boys..bad boys..what you gonna do? what you gonna do? when they come for you……”

Dilshan, Sangakarra and Jayawardene are on their way out, but Lankan fans need not despair as the next generation take over. In Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera, they have their next stars who seem destined for great things. Nerveless batting, attacking bowling and electric fielding – they are the new age cricketers, as it was always meant to be.

6. To rotate or not to rotate, that is the question

“Psst…Mickey…don’t look now…but the KFC sponsor guy is coming over and he doesn’t look happy”

If it’s Australia and January, it is ‘talk about rotation policy’ time. Last year, India took the heat for theirs, and now it is the turn of Clarke’s men, or Bailey’s. Their ODI series against Sri Lanka ignited a fresh debate over the polarising topic, throwing up references to A-teams and B-teams, and free publicity for McDonalds after a bizarre put-down of George Bailey by the Channel 9 chief. Lost in all this hullabaloo was Phil Hughes’ impressive start to his ODI career, Kulasekara’s deadly bowling and a farcical abandonment of the 4th ODI. At the end of it all, the debate over rotation continues to rage.

7. The worst ‘Best death bowler’ in One Day Internationals

“The Girl with the Ridiculous Tattoos”

He is supposedly the death overs specialist for the number one ODI team in the world (before the conclusion of the series against India). Like Shakira’s hips, statistics don’t lie though: In 22 ODIs, Jade Dernbach has 30 wickets at an economy rate of 6.28, which is the highest for any international bowler who has bowled over a thousand deliveries. And by the way, this is the same man, who Nasser Hussain said that India would desire to have in their side. No thanks, Nass. We already have Sreesanth.

8. Joe Root is the real deal

“Size doesn’t matter”

After playing a supporting role in England’s historic Test series win in India last year, Root took the centre stage for the English in the ODI leg of the tour. He emerged as the find of the series for them as his reliable batting and disciplined bowling was all they could take away at the end of it all. Unlike a few others in the side, he seems grounded and is set for greater things ahead.

9. One step forward, two steps back

“Next stop…Test cricket!”

Positives: India won an ODI series against previously top-ranked side after a disappointing loss to Pakistan earlier and in the process, found quality seamers in Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shami Ahmed, while reiterating Suresh Raina’s value in the team.

Not-so positives: Gambhir continues to throw away starts, Kohli’s purple patch is over, Rahane and Yuvraj appear clueless against pace and spin respectively, Rohit booked his place for the next year after a solitary fifty while Pujara warms the bench till Tiwary returns.

10. ‘What’ is Ashwin?

When Ashwin came on to the scene, most Indian fans breathed a sigh of relief that an alternative to Harbhajan Singh was found. After disciplined performances in LOIs, he made a stunning entry into Test cricket by decimating the West Indians and Kiwis at home. That was as good as it got. Against England in the subcontinent, he failed in Tests, T20s and now ODIs to pose a threat to an opposition ripe for the picking, as he has been comfortably out-bowled by ordinary bowlers like Tredwell and Root. It’s a matter of time before the Indian selectors and management decide if they want to persist with Ashwin in their plans – as a batsman who can bowl part time spin. In that case, the Turbanator can confidently say, “I’ll be back”.

11. Move over Shiv, it’s time for Tag

“The cricketing world waits with bated breath to see if the gene for the crab stance has carried over”

From the maker of countless bore-athon knocks apart from the odd whirlwind ton in Tests, comes “Chanderpaul 2: Tagenarine”. Junior is said to be a carbon copy of his illustrious father, and as he makes his first class debut for Guyana at the tender age of 16, the WICB will hope that he turns into a future star capable of saving many Test matches for the team.

Genius run out by Ricky Ponting!

Kolkata 2001- Dravid's supporting act to Laxman's monumental 281

180 v Australia, Eden Gardens, Kolkata, 2001

At the end of the second day of the Kolkata Test match, India had lost eight wickets. Seven wickets were lost in the post-tea session. Thankfully, there were no 24*7 news channels that time, but from whatever little news that was being shown at that time, India’s batting was condoned. A lot was being discussed about this man whose average was a whopping 52.23 at the end of 42 Test matches. Dravid was considered as a liability in the team. There was a proverbial sword hanging over his head.

In the second innings of the Test match, Dravid did not bat at his usual No.3 position. It was taken by a batsman who was an artist at work. It was a desperate move from a side which had no answers against the Australian domination. But luckily for India, this move turned out to be a masterstroke. Skipper Saurav Ganguly instinctively threw up India’s best batsman in the first innings at an important number three position.

Australia, who had won a record 16 Test matches in a row, were about to get battered for the next two days. Laxman’s belligerence made Australia look like a mediocre cricket team. If Laxman chose his aesthetic display of batsmanship to take India out of trouble, his partner Dravid chose the hard way- the only way he knew to bat. While Laxman was compiling a beautiful essay, Dravid was struggling to frame a proper sentence. What compounded Dravid’s agony was the physical discomfort he suffered while he was batting. Andrew Leipus, Indian physio, gave pain-killers to Dravid. He was struggling to run the singles. In the hot and humid conditions, Dravid’s mind had a single goal- not to gift his wicket.

When Laxman took strike, it was a comforting sight for the Indian supporters. The heart beats were normal, life was in a state of normalcy and often the aura of invincibility was personified. When Dravid was facing the Australian attack, things were a bit dicey. On the second day, leg-spinner Shane Warne flummoxed Dravid with his guile- a loopy delivery that pitched outside Dravid’s leg stump and disturbed his stumps. India’s first innings lasted 58 overs and the only shining light of the innings was Laxman’s 59.

In the second innings, Laxman batted at three to give some impetus to the Indian innings. And to be fair to the team management, they were looking for a No. 3 who would move on with the scoring rate, fighting fire with fire. Laxman was the man to take the mantle of batting at number three. Dravid had stitched a useful alliance with Sachin Tendulkar in the previous Test at Mumbai, but runs came at a snail’s pace and the bowlers were not put under any pressure. Laxman started his innings with a flurry of boundaries and immediately put the bowlers under a bit of pressure. In the meantime, India lost Das, Tendulkar and Ganguly. But he was in a murderous mood. Dravid came in to bat when eight overs were remaining in the third day’s play. India needed 42 runs to make Australia bat again.

It was a time when Australia’s tails were up. The Australians designed an attacking field for Dravid who was not playing any shots at the start of his innings. The umbrella field and the charging fielders occasionally indulged in a barrage of verbal volleys. Dravid looked calm, but surely was battling inner turmoil. He was unable to get the ball off the square. He was not middling the ball. Weaker men have succumbed under such pressure, ordinary batsmen try to hit their way out of the trouble, but Dravid endured all the embarrassment. He was tied down. On the other hand, Laxman was in a playful mood. He was busy dispatching at least one delivery per over from the Australian bowlers. Dravid’s misfortune continued when he inside-edged an incoming Jason Gillespie delivery towards fine-leg boundary only to see umpire SK Bansal signalling leg-byes.

The first hour of the fourth day did not change Dravid’s fortunes. He was facing Glenn McGrath, who beat Dravid on a couple of occasions in one over. Dravid soon punched McGrath for a boundary towards mid-off. Soon, he was safely negotiating McGrath’s deliveries. A trademark forward defence and a good leave around off stump. In Michael Kasprowicz’s first over after drinks, Dravid hit the ball towards mid-wicket for a boundary. Dravid’s rhythm was finally getting back after a hiatus of 92 deliveries.

Just a few minutes before lunch, Dravid was tormented by Ricky Ponting’s brief spell. A couple of inswingers hit Dravid on his pads. There was a loud appeal. It was heart-in-his-mouth kind of anxious moments for Dravid. The impact was marginally outside off-stump on both the occasions. Dravid was batting on an unbeaten half-century by lunch time. India had added over a hundred runs in the first session. They were 102 runs ahead of Australia.

After lunch, Steve Waugh continued with Ponting. One particular delivery awkwardly bounced from a good length and hit Dravid on his right glove. Laxman called Dravid for a risky single. Laxman stopped. Ran again. Stopped. Sprinted like a gazelle. Dived. He was saved. Things were going India’s way.

India now were 132 runs ahead. Australia had employed only one slip. The Dravid-Laxman alliance looked inseparable. Dravid was slowly getting in his groove. Mark Waugh came into the attack bowling his off-breaks. Dravid danced down the track to him and hit him through wide mid-on, all along the ground. Were these signs of vintage Dravid? India’s lead reached 150 and Dravid was now batting in his eighties.

Gillespie came into the attack and troubled Dravid with his off-cutters. Gillespie generated a lot of pace with his beautiful bowling action. He was reverse-swinging the ball. He used every trick in his repertoire. Yet lady luck eluded him. Dravid was facing Gillespie with full concentration. Laxman had slowed down considerably as he was approaching his maiden double hundred. Laxman got a full toss from Mark Waugh which he dispatched for a four. Laxman raised his arms and Dravid hugged him.

14 Mar 2001: Rahul Dravid of India reaches 100, during day four of the 2nd Test between India and Australia played at Eden Gardens

Dravid was in his nineties. It was a dangerous territory for Dravid. He was dismissed on four occasions in the nineties (at Lord’s, Bridgetown, Mohali and Nagpur). Here too, Dravid sliced a hook off Kasprowicz. But everything was okay. At 97, Dravid survived a run out. Finally he had the audacity to step out to the bowler who had dismissed him on seven occasions in seven Test matches. Dravid took Warne’s delivery on the half-volley and dispatched it through mid-wicket boundary to bring up his maiden Test century against Australia. Dravid was animated. He waved his bat towards the dressing room. The 70,000 people at the Eden Gardens gave Dravid a rousing reception. India’s lead exceeded the 200-run mark. Dravid’s immediate target was to bat for the whole day.

Australia let the Indian batting duo lead the field at tea. Laxman was the first person to go in the dressing room. Dravid followed him. Leipus was a busy man inside the dressing room. Dravid was cramping up. But deep inside there was a voice reverberating- “You have to bat till the end of the day.”

Australia came on the field with a brave face. Deep inside they were bruised. The main bowlers were tired. They would not have expected such a backlash from the Indians after the humiliating first innings collapse. Hayden, Australia’s star batsman of the series, was given the ball by Steve Waugh. Dravid was in a trance. He played out maiden overs off McGrath and could not stand after that. The physio made another entry and gave Dravid a pain-killer.

The instances of unscheduled drinks break became a regular affair. Umpire Peter Willey did not allow such breaks anymore. Dravid was again battling against all odds. He was stoic – the objective in his mind was to bat, bat and bat. The day ended. Dravid and Laxman joined Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy and Gundappa Vishwanath and Yashpal Sharma in the unique feat of batting for an entire day. India was 315 runs ahead. The two warriors again led the way off the field.

On the fifth day, Laxman was out on 281 and Dravid sacrificed his wicket in pursuit of getting quick runs. He headed towards the pavilion a satisfied man. All his detractors were made to eat humble pie. A career-defining innings of 180 personified the grit and character of Dravid.

Square seamers - It's not just about the pace

In this fast pace of cricket world, the likes of Dale Steyn, Steve Finn, Umar Gul and Lasith Malinga are supposedly the real ambassadors of seam bowling. They usually clock mid 140s or more, generate raw speeds to beat the batsman’s willow and operate at great lines and lengths. It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise if you see their high wicket tallies too often. They are taken for  runs at times, but as long as they keep on picking up wickets, it’s a fair gamble.

Then there are the specialist death bowlers who operate with bags of exotic tricks such as sending down a slow loopy bouncer, bowling it wide of off stump, thrusting a yorker right into the block hole and cramping batsmen of some room. The likes of  Stuart Broad, Jacob Oram, Jade Dernbach(they say he’s a death bowling specialist) fall under this bracket. You don’t have an impressive wickets column beside their names but the economy rates are usually low.

So, in this world of fast bowling, where you either bowl it fast or use variations(even a mixture of both) to succeed, there stand out two particular pacers bereft of either qualities, who’ve come to the aid of their teams recently – Bhuvneshwar Kumar of India and Nuwan Kulasekara of Sri Lanka. There lie far more striking similarities between both these opening bowlers – both are short, thin, bowl military medium pace, operate at steady lengths and can swing the bowl either way square off the wicket. You normally associate a Muralitharan or a Warne while speaking about turning the ball square off the wicket but such are the angles subtended by the deviations achieved by their deliveries, that they make a mockery of the usual notion. Moreover, they boast of miserly low economy rates and attractive wicket columns.

A small dig into the recent past might prove what impact they had have had on their respective sides.

India had a bizarre cricketing season after their ODI World Cup win in 2011. They lost two Test series to England (one away and one at home) and were white washed in Australia too. They couldn’t make it to the finals of CB series and Asia Cup in 2012 and were knocked out before the semifinals in 2012 T20 World Cup. Their series wins at home against West Indies and New Zealand were quite obvious, given the level of the oppositions. The Pakistan tour of India started with a familiar batting collapse, when India could only post a sub 140 score. A young debutant named Bhuvneshwar Kumar was given the new ball to start the bowling. In the first over itself, he showed so much of promise with his swinging ability by moving the ball both ways and the manner he got his first three wickets – knocking down the stumps after pitching the ball, swinging it back onto the stumps, was a real treat to watch.

A sudden ray of hope was instilled in the Indian side, thanks to the impetus provided by the newcomer. Despite losing that match, India found a new hero in their ranks. From there on, he has only looked forward – picking up wickets and keeping a check on the scoring rate in the mandatory powerplay overs.

The greatest asset for any sportsmen is his/her hunger for success, offering no signs of discomfort. This 22 year old lad has a great knack of picking up wickets. Such is his consistency in line and length that with a clever variation in the swing, it eventually draws the batsmen to make mistakes. He offers no freebies and makes the batsmen work their way out by this disciplined effort. His Captain MSD imposes great faith in this guy and lets him continue his attack against the batsmen by making him bowl his full quota of ten overs in the first half of the match itself. This strong lad has shown great patience and no fatigue in living up to the expectations of his skipper. As any cricketing pundit would suggest, taking early wickets is the key to restricting the opposition. The job has been offered to his skilful hands and as it was evident in the recent Ind-Eng ODI series, he broke the spine of the English batting, exposing the lower order that could hardly carry forward the challenge; the result being a score of 150 for England and an emphatic victory for India. Such is his impact that even the batting failures of a couple of players are going unnoticed. Thus, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is an X-factor in the new and young Indian side.

Across the Gulf of Mannar, we have the cricket playing island-nation of Sri Lanka. There must be very few people whose first name is the same as last name. So is the case with this bowler – Kulasekara Mudiyanselage Dinesh Nuwan Kulasekara. Unlike India, Sri Lanka has always found their share of world class bowlers such as Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Lasith Malinga etc. Having made his debut alongside the aforementioned players, Nuwan Kulasekara was always thought of as a bright talent with the ball. His ability to pitch the ball in right areas and swing it both ways is such a rare gift and any captain’s delight. The consistency of his performances led to his mercurial rise to the top of ODI rankings which surprised many but none who have closely followed his play. Despite reaching the finals of the latest ICC ODI WC and ICC T20 WC, Sri Lanka has failed to repeat its performance in bilateral ties. They were comprehensively beaten 4-1 against India in home conditions. During the Australian tour, Sri Lanka suffered another humiliating 3-0 loss, even though it had classy batsmen like Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Angelo Mathews in its ranks. The injury during the first Test had sidelined Kulasekara for the next two Tests. After the first loss in the ODIs against Australia, it all seemed follow a similar script. But thanks to the absence of senior pros in the Aussie side(due to retirement of Mike Hussey, rotation policy and injury to Watson) and in some bowler friendly pitches, Kulasekara and other Lankan bowlers made big breakthroughs and took Sri Lanka to a breathtaking win. Following this spirited performance, Nuwan scripted an absolutely crushing victory for Sri Lanka in the third ODI at Gabba.

He took his maiden five wicket haul in ODIs with a career best figures of 5/22 to rip through the Australian batting attack. His sharp in-swingers to the right handers and the out-swingers to the left handers were too lethal for Aussie batsmen. Such was the deviation in trajectory the ball that he used it to make the batsmen dance to his tunes. He broke through the spine of the Australian middle order and they were left reeling, facing the ignominy of  posting their lowest score in ODI history, when a Mitchell Starc-Xavier Doherty last wicket partnership somewhat saved their face. Yet 74 all out was their third lowest score, and lowest in the last 27 years. Even the fourth ODI started on a familiar note, the most significant dismissal being that of in-form Michael Clarke. A sharp in-swinger from Kulasekara breached through Clarke’s defence and knocked the stumps over – it was surely the ball of the match. Eventually a late half-century by Mitchell Starc and a dramatic and controversial abandonment of the match due to unfair playing conditions saved the blushes for the Aussies. It was anti-climax when a batting failure led to a Sri Lanka’s loss that drew the series 2-2, denying the Lankans their first victory on Australian soil. Eventually, Nuwan Kulasekara was deservingly awarded the Man of the Series award.

Indeed, both sportsmen don’t boast of great physique to extract raw pace from, yet their consistent and disciplined approaches enabled them to trouble the batsmen, be among the wickets and gather success. Seam bowling is about consistency and it’s just not about the pace.

Rahul Dravid to play T20 tournament for MCC in Dubai

Rahul Dravid

Former Indian captain Rahul Dravid will feature in a Twenty20 tournament in Dubai in March as a member of the Marylebone Cricket Club.

Dravid, who retired from international cricket last year, has confirmed to play for the MCC team which will take on Sussex, Warwickshire and 2011 County Champions Lancashire in Emirates Airline Twenty20 Trophy which will he held on March 21 and 22 at 7he Sevens Stadium in Dubai.

Australian fast-bowler Shaun Tait will also play in MCC's T20 side for the second year running in the tournament, the MCC said in a statement.

The Twenty20 tournament is being held before the four-day (March 24-27) Champion County game, which will be a day-night match between MCC and Warwickshire to be played with a pink ball at the Zayed International Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Dravid's appearance will mean he has played for MCC in the UAE for three consecutive winters, which included scoring a century for the Club in its victory over Nottinghamshire in the 2011 Champion County fixture.

He appeared alongside fellow Indian player Sourav Ganguly and his teammate at Rajasthan Royals, Tait in the Emirates Airline T20 the following year.

Dravid has a warm relationship with MCC -- where he is an Honorary Life Member -- also sitting on the Club's World Cricket committee. The 40-year-old retired from first-class and international cricket last year, but is set for another season with the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League season six this year.

MCC squad (two more to be added): Dale Benkenstein (capt), Jimmy Adams, Joe Denly, Rahul Dravid (T20 only), Simon Kerrigan, Steve Kirby, Dawid Malan, Sam Northeast, Alan Richardson, Shaun Tait (T20 only), Peter Trego.