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DELHI THE HINDU 18 SPORT WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2019 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Kohli’s men should get their act together ‘My game doesn’t change when we bat or bowl first’ There will be no dearth of support for the Caribbean crusaders WI IN INDIA make drastic improvement in their performance to avoid Amol Karhadkar the series from slipping away. MUMBAI In an effort to build the “It’s coming home” was the squad with an eye on the T20 theme song for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, India may be giv­ World Cup, but by the time ing a long rope to some of the England started living up to fringe players. It has resulted the tag of ‘favourites’, it had in errors — not just with bat been adopted as the unoffi­ and ball, but more worrying­ cial theme song for the ICC ly in the field — at inoppor­ World Cup earlier this year. tune times. Amol Karhadkar you complement your The fans in the Maximum If India is to enjoy a home MUMBAI partner and specific role has City, while entering the run at the Wankhede, such It is among the most domi­ been given to all our batters. Wankhede Stadium for the basic mistakes will have to be nant outfits in world cricket We try and stick to that role deciding rubber of the three­ eliminated. Otherwise the in longer formats, but when and yes at times, you need to match T20I series between fans will have to sing “it’s it comes to the shortest ava­ be different and we all are India and West Indies, could coming home” to praise Pol­ tar, the Men in Blue have prepared to do that. well be humming the same lard instead of Kohli. been consistently inconsis­ “When we need to ap­ song. Not just in anticipation The teams (from): India: Virat tent. One of the major issues proach differently, we are of India’s series triumph but Kohli (Capt.), Rohit Sharma, to have plagued Virat Kohli prepared to do that. But the even with multiple “home” K.L. Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish and Co. in the last 12 months situation should provide us connect the match offers, Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Shivam is the inability to win while to do that. My game doesn’t from both the teams. Dube, Washington Sundar, Ra- batting first. change when we bat first or Three Indian players — vindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Cha- As much as India’s reput­ bowl first,” Rohit said. hal, Kuldeep Yadav, Deepak vice­captain Rohit Sharma, Chahar, Mohammed Shami, ed batsmen have failed to Rohit was non­committal middle­order dasher Shreyas Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Sanju put up a formidable total whether Shivam Dube’s pro­ Iyer and the new kid on the Samson. while batting first, as op­ motion — the left­hander block Shivam Dube — are West Indies: Kieron Pollard posed to chasing down gar­ batted at No. 3 in the second Mumbaikars. Ready to fire: Rohit Sharma, second from left, and Shreyas Iyer, right, will hope to turn things around on home turf. * VIVEK BENDRE (Capt.), Lendl Simmons, Evin gantuan totals, its bowlers T20I — will be persisted Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Bran- have faltered in defending with. Quiet series mier League (IPL), though, member in the opposition far would have reinvigorated One of the clichés used by don King, Nicholas Pooran, Ja- moderate to sizeable totals. “I don’t know if it’s going While Dube will be keen to support will not be limited to camp with a strong local interest among IPL franchis­ teams all around the world is son Holder, Keemo Paul, Khary Vice­captain Rohit Shar­ to be a long­term plan or just continue in the same vein af­ the home team. With Kieron connect. es for the auction after being to “focus on our own perfor­ Pierre, Denesh Ramdin, Sher- ma stressed that while he for one game, but everyth­ ter making his promotion to Pollard — who has spent Lendl Simmons, the open­ released by MI. mance rather than worry fane Rutherford, Hayden Walsh prefers to assess the condi­ ing depends on the composi­ Jr., Fabian Allen, Sheldon Cot- No. 3 count in Thiruvanan­ more years in the Mumbai In­ er who repeated his World If Simmons and Lewis can about the opposition”. Koh­ tions before starting to play tion, what are the bowling trell and Kesrick Williams. thapuram, Rohit and Shreyas dians (MI) camp than captain T20 semifinal heroics on stage an encore of the strong li’s comrades — most of Umpires: Nitin Menon and Nan- shots, batsmen have to exe­ options they have. will hope to turn things Rohit — leading the West In­ Sunday by anchoring a per­ foundation they laid on Sun­ whom preferred to take it ea­ dan; Third umpire: C. Sham- cute the roles assigned to “Just to change the mo­ around on their home turf af­ dies, there will be no dearth fect chase, has been a star day, the Men in Blue will have sy with only six turning up shuddin; Fourth umpire: Anil them. mentum we did that in the ter a relatively quiet series so of support for the Caribbean performer in one of MI’s four to play out of their skin in or­ for Tuesday’s optional prac­ Chaudhary; Match referee: Da- “It also depends on how last game. You never know if far. crusaders come Wednesday IPL title­runs. So has Evin Le­ der to avoid the ignominy of tice session — would have to vid Boon. your partner is batting. It’s it will happen in this game Thanks to the Indian Pre­ night. Pollard isn’t the lone wis, whose twin knocks so conceding the series. use the same yardstick and Match starts at 7 p.m. very, very important that or not,” Rohit said.

Pollard is a smart leader: Rohit ‘Don’t mess around with Dhoni’ Russian star Lasitskene Proactive with all players, says Windies coach Simmons Press Trust of India NEW DELHI slams officials over ban G. Viswanath India coach Ravi Shastri says Mumbai no one can “mess around Agence France-Presse These are early days for Kie­ with” Mahendra Singh Dho­ Moscow ron Pollard as captain of the ni if he decides to be in con­ One of Russia’s top West Indies’ white­ball crick­ tention for next year’s T20 athletes, three­time World et team. World Cup but the former champion high jumper After an undistinguished captain would “never im­ Mariya Lasitskene, on start, losing the Twenty20 pose himself” on the team. Tuesday called sports series 2­1 to Afghanistan in “That (Dhoni) guy is a le­ officials to account after Lucknow recently, the 32­ gend. The last thing he will her country was banned year­old Trinidadian led his want is to impose himself on for four years from team to a 3­0 win in the ODI an Indian team, having international competition. series. known him. He is wanting to In her open letter All along, the all­rounder, take a break but he is going published by who has lit up many an IPL to play the IPL,” Shastri said Championat.com sports Lasitskene. * FILE PHOTO match, knew that the bigger on the show ‘The Inspira­ website, Lasitskene, a challenge was to come tion’ to be telecast on India long­time critic of Russian Who was punished?” against India. Today TV. sports officials, demanded Lasitskene asked. Pollard, presently the Asked if he isn’t ruling out to know who has been In Paris, Russian most popular West Indian a comeback by the 38­year­ punished over the President Vladimir Putin among fans in India, espe­ In control: Kieron Pollard’s captaincy skills has come in for old, Shastri answered, “The country’s doping scandal slammed the decision as a cially Mumbai, has made a appreciation. * VIVEK BENDRE amount of sport he has and the fact that she “politically motivated” fine impression as captain in played... if he puts himself in cannot compete under the ruling that “contradicted” the two matches so far. he expects from his team. West Indies coach Phil contention... if he feels after Russian flag. the Olympic Charter. This was readily acknow­ Pollard is a smart player. Simmons pointed out that the IPL that ‘I am good Understanding professional: Ravi Shastri says that M.S. Dhoni Lasitskene missed the “There is nothing to ledged by his Mumbai In­ “When it comes to MI, he Pollard is proactive with all enough to play for India’, will never impose himself on the Indian team. 2016 Rio Olympics reproach the Russian dians captain Rohit Sharma has always been part of the players. don’t mess around with * FILE PHOTO: R.V. MOORTHY because of the doping Olympic Committee for here on Tuesday. leadership group. He’s a ve­ “He lets them know exact­ that.” crisis and had threatened and if there is no reproach “The West Indies plays ry smart thinker of the ly what he wants from them. Dhoni had recently stated clear that the panel has tralia. Dhoni was seen train­ to leave Russia so as not to towards this committee, well as a team and now is un­ game. He has great know­ He’s been good in the sense “don’t ask anything till Janu­ “moved on” and Dhoni is ing with Jharkhand’s un­ miss the Tokyo Olympics the country should take der the leadership of Kieron ledge about the game and that they know that he’ll give ary.” aware of its intent to blood der­23 team in Ranchi last in 2020. part in competitions Pollard whom I know really this helps him handle situa­ everything for the team. National selection com­ youngsters such as Rishabh month, triggering a fresh “Have we done an under its own flag,” Putin well. tions on the ground pretty That’s where he’s started,” mittee chairman M.S.K. Pra­ Pant keeping in mind next round of speculation on a internal investigation? said. “As a leader I know what well,” Rohit said. said Simmons. sad has, however, made it year’s T20 World Cup in Aus­ possible comeback. The man who dignified and illuminated the craft India signs off with a record

Neville Cardus learnt the importance of lacing his reports with humour haul of 312 medals ern stylist who writes with enviable (or critic) need each other more than Hamilton has dug much deeper. Six Indian boxers emerge victorious on the final day flow. either is willing to admit. From Dickens, he says, Cardus learnt Cardus­assessment has veered bet­ prolificacy. He learnt how to exploit ween hagiography and peremptory Witty and intelligent plot; to create and develop charac­ dismissal, getting closer to the latter Cardus may not have planned it that ters. He learnt the importance of lac­ thanks to increasing number of for­ way, but he could not have been un­ ing his reports with humour. “No one BETWEEN WICKETS mats and instant communication. aware of its advantages. His players can understand Cardus’s approach to Reading cricket reports for their style often came across as witty and intelli­ cricket writing without also under­ suresh menon and elegance is not as popular as get­ gent because he was witty and intelli­ standing his absorption in Dickens.” ting the running scores on the phone. gent. It gave heroes a new dimension Is Neville Cardus relevant today? Here’s Cardus on left­arm spinner and drew into the game thousands Impressionist painter That’s a question asked often. Just the Wilfred Rhodes’ bowling: “Every ball who might not otherwise have cared Commenting on Cardus’ description fact that it is being asked is testimony a decoy, a spy sent out to get the lie of for it. of fast bowler Ted McDonald, Hamil­ to his significance. As Alan Gibson, the land; some balls simple, some Cardus was self­taught, worked his ton says, “He admired him in para­ writer and commentator said: “All complex, some easy, some difficult; way up from the slums where he was graphs that were almost heart­ cricket writers have been influenced and one of them — ah! which? — the born to a prostitute. His fans included shaped with love.” Cardus was an im­ by Cardus, whether they admit it or master ball.” Bradman and Wodehouse, Pinter and pressionist painter — not a not, whether they have wished to be What, nothing about ‘dot’ balls or Beckett. The novel of a person of that documentary photographer. Any­ or not, whether they have tried to co­ strike rates? background going on to receive a way, as John Arlott said, Cardus py him or tried to avoid copying him. knighthood might have been rejected hadn’t made up nearly as much as he Well researched by publishers. was accused of. Champion: The triumphant squash team of Tanvi Khanna, Sanya Vats, Urwashi Joshi and Changed the course of writing Hamilton’s is a modern biography: As Hamilton writes, “He managed The reason Cardus didn’t go to Sunayna Kuruvilla. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT “He was not a model, any more than definitive, well researched, sympath­ to transform himself so successfully Australia to report on the Bodyline Macaulay, say, was a model for the as­ etic, and with a profound under­ into the figure he wanted to be all series was not because “I knew trou­ SAG dia won this time was 15 less mit clashes. piring historian. But just as Macaulay standing of the times Cardus lived in along — a gentleman writer — that the ble was brewing,” but, as Hamilton than the previous edition. changed the course of the writing of and wrote about. Cardus aspired to figure he had once been all but van­ points out, it was because he had be­ Press Trust of India Sri Lanka was a distant se­ Mixed luck history, Cardus changed the course of literature; the sport needed that am­ ished…throughout his early life, Car­ come infatuated with a woman and KATHMANDU cond with 251 medals while In squash, India won gold the writing of cricket. He showed bition. dus purposefully dusted over the couldn’t bear to stay away for so long. India ended its South Asian Nepal finished with 206. and a silver in the women’s what could be done. He dignified and In his debunking essay, Cardus tracks of his upbringing even when “He had his cricket friends, his Games campaign with a On the concluding day, In­ and men’s team events illuminated the craft.” and the Aesthetic Fallacy, Derek Bir­ pretending to come clean about it.” music friends, and his girlfriends,” best­ever medal haul of 312 dia added 18 medals (15 gold, respectively. The pioneer never loses relevance. ley upset legions of Cardus­worship­ He put words into the mouths of said Arlott, “and he stored them in and finish on top for the 13th 2 silver and 1 bronze) with Prominent medallists: Boxing: Now, over four decades after his pers; yet even he admitted that “The his characters that “god intended to,” different rooms.” Hamilton’s book time­in­a­row, in the region­ the boxers fetching six gold Gold: Men: Vikas Krishan death, Duncan Hamilton has written hankering after aesthetic significance said Cardus when challenged about provides the key to two of those al multi­sporting event, here and 1 silver. (69kg), Sparsh Kumar (52kg), a superb biography of this fine writer is harmless and often enjoyable.” some of his quotes. This was perhaps rooms. The music room generally re­ on Tuesday. Overall, the country’s pu­ Narender (+91kg). Women: who just happened to focus on crick­ Hankering after significance is hu­ necessary to elevate the craft from mains locked. India collected 174 gold, gilists won 12 gold, 3 silver Pinki Rani (51kg), Sonia Lather (57kg), Manju Bamboriya et and music. The Great Romantic: man, after all. No one likes to believe the basement of sportswriting to its This book might lead to a Cardus 93 silver and 45 bronze after and 1 bronze. (64kg). Silver: Varinder Singh Cricket and the Golden Age of Neville that what he is doing is of no import attic. In his centenary year, I wrote revival. Or not. Hamilton has 10 days of competitions to The Indian cagers fetched (men’s 60kg). Cardus earned Hamilton his third whatever. To ensure that his work be that Cardus was the Dickens of crick­ achieved the difficult task of huma­ surpass the 309 it had won both the men’s and women’s Squash: Gold: Women; Silver: William Hill Sports Book of the Year seen as important, Cardus had to first et writing, bringing to it characters nising an icon while clearing the rub­ in the previous edition at gold by defeating Sri Lanka men. award. Biographer and subject are show that what the cricketer did was and dialogues the novelist might bish away from the pedestal on which home in 2016. (101­62) and host Nepal (127­ Basketball: Gold: Men & wo- well matched; Hamilton is the mod­ important. Performer and recorder have. he stands. But the number of gold In­ 46) in their respective sum­ men.

CM A ND-NDE YK