Ten ways to win in India

[Sachinism]

South Africa's coach has had a fair amount of success in Asia. He offers England ten tips for success in their Tests in India 1 Deal with pressure Playing cricket in the subcontinent is all about absorbing and applying pressure. You have to be able to endure dead periods where not much happens. Be prepared to play boring cricket if it's in the team's best interests. You will need to close the game down, maybe scoring only 50 or 60 runs in a session, especially when the ball gets older and starts turning. And you need to stop the Indian batsmen scoring. They're not happy if the ball's not going to the boundary. Stop that and you have control of the game. 2 Adjust to the game's pace When you play in South Africa, Australia and England, the game starts off quickly and then slows up. You would generally give the first session to the bowlers because the wicket is fresh and there's normally something happening. Once you get through that first session the game takes shape and the pitch flattens out. In India the game is very slow to start off with and the first innings is crucial. Say 450 plays 420 and everybody thinks it'll be a draw. But then the game really quickens up, the ball turns square, the wicket breaks up and you could be rolled for 150 in the second innings. It's the opposite of how you expect games to go in our part of the world. 3 Make first innings count Win the toss, bat first, but that's only the start of it. Facing the new ball can be the best time to bat in India because of the attacking fields and the SG ball, which is harder than others and doesn't swing much. But you absolutely have to make your first innings count. Then the opposition is playing catch-up. 4 Stay leg side of the ball The way our batsmen did well in India was to stay leg side of the ball and score through the off side. Most Test batsmen in England or South Africa are back-and-across guys who look to get in line with off stump before each ball. In our part of the world you need to do that to counter the bounce and sideways movement. In the subcontinent if you do this, you'll line yourself up for lbw as well as missing out on scoring through the off side. If you stay leg side - and we're talking about the difference between taking a guard of two legs as opposed to middle - then your foot can go straight down the wicket as opposed to across. If you're hit on the pad, the chances are it will have pitched outside leg or will be missing leg. And most importantly it leaves you free to score more readily on the off. The balls that you nick to third slip and gully in England fly behind point for four in the subcontinent because there isn't the pace and bounce. Of England's batsmen, I think Ian Bell might have to change his technique because he's very much a back-and-across player. It will be a challenge for KP as well, because he's not a big scorer in that area. He likes to get right across to the off and play through leg. To do that you need bounce and pace off the wicket. He's not a huge driver, and unless the ball is short enough to pull, flicking through the leg side is high risk. 5 Plan against spin You need to have two key scoring options against India's spinners. Firstly you need an accumulating shot like the sweep, which helps rotate the strike and relieve pressure. But you must also have an attacking option, because if you allow Harbhajan and Co to dominate, you will go nowhere. Equally, Harbhajan in particular doesn't respond well to being put under pressure. Neil McKenzie slog-swept well while Graeme Smith waited until Harbhajan dropped short and cut or dabbed him through the off side. To prepare for batting against spin we waited until the end of a net session, when the bowler's end was roughed up. We'd turn the nets around, rake the wicket and then throw balls into the rough. Our batters had to manufacture their strokes in those exaggerated conditions. 6 Handling reverse swing All Indian seamers bowl decent reverse swing, so your batters have to deal with that. One method we've used is to stay a bit deeper in the crease and try to hit the ball to mid-on all the time. Jacques Kallis is brilliant at that because he's such a technically correct player. Hashim Amla is also good because he plays later than others. Whenever bowlers got it wrong he would punish them through the leg side. There are three phases to batting in India: the new-ball period, when there are good opportunities to score; the spin period, often with two slow bowlers operating within the first hour, when you need to accumulate; and finally the reverse-swing period. 7 Use your bouncer Don't be scared to bowl bouncers. It's the seamers' one weapon in India to stop their batters lunging forward all day long. You need to have the ability to hit them on the head, and that is why Steve Harmison is crucial. None of the Indian batsmen pulls; they much prefer to cut. You bowl your bouncer to keep the batsman in his crease for your next delivery. Your bowlers have to bowl more attacking lines in India than you would in England or elsewhere. If you bowl outside off stump, you will simply get flayed. You must bring the ball back into the right-handers and cramp the batters for room. Andrew Flintoff could have bowled more attacking lines to South Africa during our recent Test series. He allowed us to leave too many balls, which someone like Virender Sehwag would get stuck into in India. 8 Role definition You have to be able to take 20 wickets, so you need to allow certain bowlers freedom to attack. We allowed Dale Steyn to run in hard and go after the Indian batsmen, knowing he would go for four an over. But then you need other guys who can hold down the other end for you. Monty Panesar will be a major strike bowler in the second innings but in the first he must be prepared to hold the game for the seamers. Indian batsmen like scoring, and if you can dry them up for periods, you're in control. Be prepared to be boring to get a positive result. 9 Bowling reverse swing There's so little going for the seamers in India that you have to be able to bowl reverse swing. The SG balls lose their shine quickly and they're also harder, which means they ping off the bat quicker. But they do reverse. In the first innings you should have Panesar at one end with your quicks rotating from the other, hopefully reversing it. 10 Play with field settings We always say that in India "caught cover" is as good as "caught second slip" in our part of the world. Seam bowlers don't like getting wickets caught at cover but they need to change their mindset. If you do get a batsman caught at cover in India, the chances are you've deceived him with a slower ball - it is just as good as bowling the perfect away-swinger in England. Having catchers in front of the wicket is the Indian equivalent of second and third slips elsewhere. There is a lot more scope to play with your fields. Try a short midwicket because your bowling lines will be straighter than normal. Any visiting team should be able to out-field India. Whereas Steyn might dive to stop a boundary at fine leg, Ishant Sharma will stick a boot out and it'll go for four. India's fielding has improved but they're still a way off most other teams. If you take your chances in India, you will have a 20- to 25-run advantage. And in the second innings of a Test over there it will take you an hour to score those runs, so that is how valuable good fielding can be.

[DomainK]

The SA coach is bent on making the English look more and more stupid.

[Ram]

If cricket matches are won notebooks and ppts, then Infosys will outplay an Indian XI anytime of the year. How about mentioning that you need players with adequate skill to, in order to win in India? Mickey Arthur must be feeling VERY chuffed about himself, for having drawn a series in India, the same year that Australia lost 0-2. Hopefully, they get handed a reality check down under.

[graphic23]

If cricket matches are won notebooks and ppts, then Infosys will outplay an Indian XI anytime of the year. How about mentioning that you need players with adequate skill to, in order to win in India? Mickey Arthur must be feeling VERY chuffed about himself, for having drawn a series in India, the same year that Australia lost 0-2. Hopefully, they get handed a reality check down under.

Yup.

[Shehezaada]

How to win in India? Gimme a break you won ONE test match! That too on a spicy track, bowling first in optimum conditions. You still can't play quality spin.

[zubinpepsi]

Any visiting team should be able to out-field India. Whereas Steyn might dive to stop a boundary at fine leg, Ishant Sharma will stick a boot out and it'll go for four. India's fielding has improved but they're still a way off most other teams. If you take your chances in India, you will have a 20- to 25-run advantage. And in the second innings of a Test over there it will take you an hour to score those runs, so that is how valuable good fielding can be.

p.ricky losting said they gonna play new age cricket, whereas india are a crippled team with no fielding whatsover.. and now this mickey mouse opens his peehole.. dont these guys ever learn?? someone show this idiot, the catch Ishant took in one of the ODIs against England.. shudnt tht shut this git up for good..

[h4te]

11 oh, you actually need good players (or Steve Bucknor). or else, the above 10 rules don't apply....

[Mr. Wicket]

Mickey Arthur didn't win tests (or a test) in India from what I recall. Steyn, Morkel, Kallis, Smith and company did. They should be the one giving tips. Arthur should STFU.

[Show_stopper]

Well looking forward to his list of "How to lose in Australia despite being the superior team"..tool.

[Lord]

arthur should seek tips from indians on how to win in aus rather than giving tips himself

[Lord]

Well looking forward to his list of "How to lose in Australia despite being the superior team"..tool.

RR, u must be furious now that raina isnt in the test team,arent u?

[fineleg]

Raina is ODI player for now, not in the Test league. I'll be surprised if someone is furious he's not in "Test team" He is still some ways off before showing the skills, temperament and technique for Test match cricket.

[Dinx - the Jinx]

South Africa's coach has had a fair amount of success in Asia. He offers England ten tips for success in their Tests in India 1 Deal with pressure Playing cricket in the subcontinent is all about absorbing and applying pressure. You have to be able to endure dead periods where not much happens. Be prepared to play boring cricket if it's in the team's best interests. You will need to close the game down, maybe scoring only 50 or 60 runs in a session, especially when the ball gets older and starts turning. And you need to stop the Indian batsmen scoring. They're not happy if the ball's not going to the boundary. Stop that and you have control of the game. Whereas if the same comes from the Indian Captain (like it did from Dhoni in the Nagpur test against Australia), its like killing cricket and Ian Chappel will go over the roof, complaining that fans wont watch Test matches anymore, rules have to be changed etc. The point is – in today’s scenario there are 3 different types of cricket fans. Those who are purists, who like the test format and are ready to endure some boring sessions, where neither runs are scored, nor wickets are taken, but yet the game is being setup for a good finish in the sessions to come, those who only limited overs action like the ODIs and T20s and the last group that loved all formats. Irrespective of whether one or two sessions of a 15 session match is played in a boring way, the crowd that loves test cricket will continue to watch it, those who love only the limited overs, will not both. Its sessions like those – that make up test cricket. Frankly speaking, that’s the beauty of cricket, not the slam dang in T20s. 2 Adjust to the game's pace When you play in South Africa, Australia and England, the game starts off quickly and then slows up. You would generally give the first session to the bowlers because the wicket is fresh and there's normally something happening. Once you get through that first session the game takes shape and the pitch flattens out. In India the game is very slow to start off with and the first innings is crucial. Say 450 plays 420 and everybody thinks it'll be a draw. But then the game really quickens up, the ball turns square, the wicket breaks up and you could be rolled for 150 in the second innings. It's the opposite of how you expect games to go in our part of the world. Its not like Ponting kept complaining that he was not winning the toss and hence not getting a chance to bat first and post a huge score. Its not just winning the toss. You have to win the toss as well as post a huge score. If you end up scoring less than 300 after winning the toss and batting first, then you are on the back foot. That’s exactly what Australia did in their Chennai test in 2004. They won the toss, batted first and score 100+ for no loss in the first session. But kumble came back and broke their back in the next two sessions. 3 Make first innings count Win the toss, bat first, but that's only the start of it. Facing the new ball can be the best time to bat in India because of the attacking fields and the SG ball, which is harder than others and doesn't swing much. But you absolutely have to make your first innings count. Then the opposition is playing catch-up. 4 Stay leg side of the ball The way our batsmen did well in India was to stay leg side of the ball and score through the off side. Most Test batsmen in England or South Africa are back-and-across guys who look to get in line with off stump before each ball. In our part of the world you need to do that to counter the bounce and sideways movement. In the subcontinent if you do this, you'll line yourself up for lbw as well as missing out on scoring through the off side. If you stay leg side - and we're talking about the difference between taking a guard of two legs as opposed to middle - then your foot can go straight down the wicket as opposed to across. If you're hit on the pad, the chances are it will have pitched outside leg or will be missing leg. And most importantly it leaves you free to score more readily on the off. The balls that you nick to third slip and gully in England fly behind point for four in the subcontinent because there isn't the pace and bounce. Of England's batsmen, I think Ian Bell might have to change his technique because he's very much a back-and-across player. It will be a challenge for KP as well, because he's not a big scorer in that area. He likes to get right across to the off and play through leg. To do that you need bounce and pace off the wicket. He's not a huge driver, and unless the ball is short enough to pull, flicking through the leg side is high risk. 5 Plan against spin You need to have two key scoring options against India's spinners. Firstly you need an accumulating shot like the sweep, which helps rotate the strike and relieve pressure. But you must also have an attacking option, because if you allow Harbhajan and Co to dominate, you will go nowhere. Equally, Harbhajan in particular doesn't respond well to being put under pressure. Neil McKenzie slog-swept well while Graeme Smith waited until Harbhajan dropped short and cut or dabbed him through the off side. To prepare for batting against spin we waited until the end of a net session, when the bowler's end was roughed up. We'd turn the nets around, rake the wicket and then throw balls into the rough. Our batters had to manufacture their strokes in those exaggerated conditions. Then why did they lose the last test so badly in Kanpur? 6 Handling reverse swing All Indian seamers bowl decent reverse swing, so your batters have to deal with that. One method we've used is to stay a bit deeper in the crease and try to hit the ball to mid-on all the time. Jacques Kallis is brilliant at that because he's such a technically correct player. Hashim Amla is also good because he plays later than others. Whenever bowlers got it wrong he would punish them through the leg side. There are three phases to batting in India: the new-ball period, when there are good opportunities to score; the spin period, often with two slow bowlers operating within the first hour, when you need to accumulate; and finally the reverse-swing period. 7 Use your bouncer Don't be scared to bowl bouncers. It's the seamers' one weapon in India to stop their batters lunging forward all day long. You need to have the ability to hit them on the head, and that is why Steve Harmison is crucial. None of the Indian batsmen pulls; they much prefer to cut. You bowl your bouncer to keep the batsman in his crease for your next delivery. Your bowlers have to bowl more attacking lines in India than you would in England or elsewhere. If you bowl outside off stump, you will simply get flayed. You must bring the ball back into the right-handers and cramp the batters for room. Andrew Flintoff could have bowled more attacking lines to South Africa during our recent Test series. He allowed us to leave too many balls, which someone like Virender Sehwag would get stuck into in India. 8 Role definition You have to be able to take 20 wickets, so you need to allow certain bowlers freedom to attack. We allowed Dale Steyn to run in hard and go after the Indian batsmen, knowing he would go for four an over. But then you need other guys who can hold down the other end for you. Monty Panesar will be a major strike bowler in the second innings but in the first he must be prepared to hold the game for the seamers. Indian batsmen like scoring, and if you can dry them up for periods, you're in control. Be prepared to be boring to get a positive result. 9 Bowling reverse swing There's so little going for the seamers in India that you have to be able to bowl reverse swing. The SG balls lose their shine quickly and they're also harder, which means they ping off the bat quicker. But they do reverse. In the first innings you should have Panesar at one end with your quicks rotating from the other, hopefully reversing it. 10 Play with field settings We always say that in India "caught cover" is as good as "caught second slip" in our part of the world. Seam bowlers don't like getting wickets caught at cover but they need to change their mindset. If you do get a batsman caught at cover in India, the chances are you've deceived him with a slower ball - it is just as good as bowling the perfect away-swinger in England. Having catchers in front of the wicket is the Indian equivalent of second and third slips elsewhere. There is a lot more scope to play with your fields. Try a short midwicket because your bowling lines will be straighter than normal. Any visiting team should be able to out-field India. Whereas Steyn might dive to stop a boundary at fine leg, Ishant Sharma will stick a boot out and it'll go for four. India's fielding has improved but they're still a way off most other teams. If you take your chances in India, you will have a 20- to 25-run advantage. And in the second innings of a Test over there it will take you an hour to score those runs, so that is how valuable good fielding can be. Lets see how England outfields India in the coming serires If the ODIs were any indications, the English were more sloppy in the field with the likes of Samit Patel. Its becoming too boring to hear foreign teams claiming that we are poor fielders. Gone are those days. Today India is as good in fielding as any other team in the world.

[Rajan]

our catching was horrible against australia-recent tests our catching was horrible against aussies in tests. some one like Dravid, a reliable slip fielder was dropping and Ishant sharma, Amit mishra dropping' must take' catches.If mickey talks about it, he is correct. it is not important who says about out fielding, point is whether it is true or not. v shud definitely improve our catching skills. one great catch will certainly lift the mood while one drop can turn the session in their favour. If Hayden was caught by Kumble or Ishant had taken Clarke's catch when he was on 21, it would have put a lot of pressure on australian line up.we shud tighten screws with better catching.Gambhir was atrocious as a fielder in the one dayers aginst england. ( if Dravid had not dropped Hayden in the 2nd innings in nagpur when he was on 36, i would have been very happy, his big mouth would have been shut even more.he went on to swing his bat for another 40 odd runs.)

[Show_stopper]

RR' date=' u must be furious now that raina isnt in the test team,arent u?[/quote'] Not really..i believe his time will come. But it definitely wasn't now. He should work on his pull/hook shots(his only real weakness actually).Otherwise he has all the shots..infact one of the best players of backfoot in our team(thats why i like him). He along with Rohit,i believe are a class apart from the rest in terms of talent but no doubt they haven't done nearly enough to get a test call.They are only 21 though.Plenty of time.