Anand Vasu
Selectors punt on Sehwag
Any which way you look at it, the inclusion of Virender Sehwag for the tour of Australia is an interesting one. The selectors pulled one surprise asking Munaf Patel to play more domestic cricket before he would be considered for international duty, preferring the largely untested Pankaj Singh instead. But it was the inclusion of Sehwag, not in the long-list of 24, that merits most discussion
Anand Vasu
In safe keeping
With two of India's best cricketers not wanting the most coveted job in Indian cricket, the responsibility now falls on the broad shoulders of another man no less worthy of the task. Anil Kumble has never politicked to get himself the job, nor has he clamoured for it
Anand Vasu
Mixed blessings
India's fast bowling has been up and down over the last three series. Then again, this has been the case over the years. It is only recently that there has been talk, often critical, about this unevenness, because a basic standard has been established
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The hunt that isn't
India don't seem any closer to finding a coach than they were four months ago. A look at what has been going wrong... more
Basic mistakes cost India dear
Against most teams, a start like one Tendulkar and Ganguly got off to, would have been enough to secure victory. Against Australia, however, you have to be playing at your best for all 100 overs... more
Better days haunt Dravid
Rahul Dravid needs runs, and India need his runs... more
Brought to earth with a bang
If India are to seriously build they have to put the win in the World Twenty20, and the attendant clamour over youth, in perspective... more
Short-term pain for long-term gain
The appointment of Mahendra Singh Dhoni as ODI captain signals a period of rebuilding for India - and not a particularly easy one at that... more
Rotation amid the revolution
In all, it was a selection where there were no surprises. If the selectors had a long-term plan vis-à-vis Sehwag, they didn't reveal it... more
Who after Dravid?
The appointment of the coach is a distant second with the quest to find a successor to Rahul Dravid becoming the burning concern. There aren't too many obvious candidates either... more
Selectors face tough task in picking Twenty20 probables
When the Indian selectors pick the probables for the Twenty20 World Championship they must remember that the format of the Twenty20 game is significantly different from the 50-over version... more
Too many holes
India appear to have picked a couple of passengers for the Tests in England but this is due as much to the bare cupboard in domestic cricket as it is to the fact that captain and selector aren't seeing eye to eye... more
Madness in the method
The Indian cricket board seems to have done little to find a new coach for the team, and in the end Dav Whatmore could get the job by default... more
Mixed signals
Among the inconsistencies in Friday's selection is a clear message to Sourav Ganguly that he must deliver in the Tests... more
Playing for a draw
The Indian board and the players see the need to quickly end the confusion surrounding the new payment system to everyone's satisfaction... more
The empire strikes back
BCCI has a stern message, delivered bluntly, for its superstars
The BCCI's response to the attitude of its superstars is a strong message delivered in a blunt manner... more
The importance of being earnest
Anand Vasu profiles Sanjay Jagdale, the Indian selector who may once again hold the answer to some extraordinarily tough questions... more
The man who wouldn't say no
Kumble the ODI bowler should be given his due
As he gives up the one-day game, it would be a pity if Anil Kumble is remembered by his last few years in that particular version of the game... more
India's biggest battle will be in the mind
To move ahead, India's Big Three must turn back the clock to their best years
India's three best batsmen must forget external pressures and dig out the cricket that has made them great... more
Tough, but not impossible
Anand Vasu calculates just exactly what India need to do to avoid elimination from the World Cup in round one ... more
At the heart of the game
The untiring men who've made the difference for Bangladesh
Anand Vasu salutes the good men of Bangladesh who have put in very hard yards, often unrewarded, even ridiculed... more
Battle of the unpredictable
In this clash between the West Indies and Pakistan there are many match-ups that could playa vital role in deciding which way the pendulum of fortune swings... more
A few good fast men
Anand Vasu looks at some of the bowlers who could make a difference at the World Cup... more
Playmakers make the difference
When all has been said and done, it is a few critical players that do the job with the bat. They are the ones that set up matches.... more
An inconvenient truth?
If you got together a completely different set of five Indian selectors, and they honestly picked 15, it would not be much different from the one already announced... more
Memo from the Board: Shape up or ship out
The good news for Sehwag is that out of sight no longer means out of mind
Virender Sehwag has been "given a break" for the first two ODIs at home against West Indies; ironically, those are the words usually used to describe someone being selected.... more
Back to the old guard
Too many variables may force the selectors to rely on the tried and trusted
India's selectors and team management have plenty to think about as they discuss selection with Rahul Dravid... more
Samuels's night on his day
Pakistan v West Indies, 4th ODI, Lahore
Marlon Samuels must make it his ambition to remove the words on his day from the keyboards of journalists and mouths of commentators when they talk about his batting... more
Something's got to give
Has Agarkar failed Indian cricket, or has Indian cricket failed him?
Why do we love to hate Ajit Agarkar? If you're serious about Indian cricket this is a question you must ask yourself before it is too late - for him... more
'I've been mentally prepared' - Rajat Bhatia
Delhi v Tamil Nadu, Ranji Trophy, 3rd day
When this season began, Rajat Bhatia's primary focus was to return to full fitness and get back to bowling his mediumpace in the manner he knew best ... more
My fitness, not talent, is on trial - Nehra
Delhi v Tamil Nadu, Ranji Trophy, 2nd day
Ashish Nehra spoke to Cricinfo after sending down 40 overs for one wicket at the cost of 88 runs on a dead pitch ... more
When the cricket did all the talking
The 2006 edition of the Champions Trophy provided enough good games, clear trends on which teams and players are on the rise and which are on the wane, and plenty to talk about... more
'It's really good to be back' - Kumble
Cricinfo exclusive with Anil Kumble
Anand Vasu chats exclusively with Anil Kumble about his selection in India's ODI squad for the forthcoming tour of South Africa... more
Morton's redemption song
Australia v West Indies, 4th match, Champions Trophy
Life's come a full circle for Runako Morton and put him down in a good place... more
Ganguly sinking as chances run out
Anand Vasu watches Sourav Ganguly's latest scrap for a recall... more
Just a game? Anything but
Anand Vasu tells the story of 16-year-old Dharamvir, who has literally crawled his way almost 2000 kilometres, over 36 hours, just to be at the Challenger Series... more
Message comes loud and clear
BCCI Annual General Meeting, 2006
The message, for those who still had not got it, has come through loud and clear at the 77th AGM of the Board of Control for Cricket in India... more
The unforgetful Lankan
Ranjan Madugalle's playing days accounted for 21 Tests, his second innings, in a suit and tie, rulebook at the ready, have already amounted to 92, a decent margin more than anyone else who has done the match referee's job since it came into existence ... more
Board needs to play by ear
Contracts spawn conflict of interests
The Indian team and the Board of Control for Cricket in India could be headed for yet another confrontation over the tricky matter of contracts and endorsements.... more
Doctrove moves into the spotlight
Man on the fringe's evidence could be decisive
From being an almost fringe player in the whole controversy, Billy Doctrove, Darrell Hair's umpiring partner in final Test at The Oval, has emerged as the key figure in the disciplinary hearing that Inzamam-ul-Haq will face on September 15... more
'Irfan is just 21 and still learning' - Chappell
Greg Chappell takes time off to talk to Cricinfo... more
Living to die another day
Dalmiya wins a close battle in Bengal
It's a sign of the times when Jagmohan Dalmiya scrapes through, just 61 votes to 57, in his own backyard, the Cricket Association of Bengal... more
Mongia's selection - a case of short-term pragmatism
In Mongia, the Indian team is looking for the spin-bowling equivalent of Irfan Pathan a player who can be used in a floating position as a batsman and contribute significantly with the ball... more
Sreesanth's battles with his mind
India v England, 7th ODI, Indore
Sreesanth's figures in international cricket do not flatter him, but he is slowly learning to marshall his mental resources better... more
Battling the run drought
The struggles of Kaif and Sehwag
The struggles of Mohammad Kaif and Virender Sehwag... more
On Balaji's trail
The moment of taking the new ball for India in a Test again is not here just yet, but when it comes, you sense Balaji won't waste it... more
Capital gain
India v Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Delhi, 1st day
The Feroz Shah Kotla is, nowadays, a surprisingly good-looking venue... more
Dhoni: Basic instinct
India v Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI, Jaipur
If anyone had doubts about Dhoni's ability with the bat - not merely as a mighty biffer of the ball but as a batsman fully worthy of a top-order slot - then they have been erased... more
The Nearly Man
Just how good is Murali Kartik?
There is the strongest chance that Murali Kartik would be in a situation many years down the road where he looked back at his career and wondered just how good a cricketer he was... more
Tendulkar returns with a magical touch
India v Sri Lanka, Videocon Cup, 1st ODI, Nagpur
To Indian cricket fans, Nagpur will come to be known as the town Tendulkar painted red with his inimitable bold brush strokes on return from injury... more
Dravid prepares for a fresh start
Captain and coach face several challenges
For long, Rahul Dravid has said that it barely matters to him whether he is captain of India or not. But in recent times it has become increasingly clear that the post is something he was desirous of... more
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