Blogs - Plan B

Given how momentous the 1999 World Cup semifinal between Australia and South Africa was, its far-reaching consequences were, perhaps, not so surprising. Experienced live - even through television - you knew that a superb match was unfolding, that history was in the making.

Dhoni's possible part-ownership of a player agency is up for debate, but without anything more than unsubstantiated whispers, his commitment to team and cause is not.

Every cricketer today is well coached in the art of the platitude, so you can discount the words, but what of their deeds? They might not have been close to India selection, but they were doing reasonably well for themselves.

Mounting hysteria on one side, willful blindness on the other. Fans of the game who might soon have a 'former' tag attached to them.

The most successful side in IPL history, Chennai have played five seasons without ever quite dominating the league phase like they've done in 2013.

Miller's has been the most prominent performance in what has been a very good South African presence in the IPL this year.

Both men have been markedly above the norm, though perhaps counter-intuitively, Gayle's performance in terms of average outshines that of Richards while the reverse is true for the strike-rate.

When Shaun Marsh is fit and available to play, the pressure on Gilchrist to justify his role with the bat will grow exponentially.

What of men like Jalaj Saxena and Rishi Dhawan, part of the Mumbai Indians, a powerhouse of a squad if there's one? True, they did give young Jasprit Bumrah a go, but to break into the XI of a side that is good enough to keep a domestic stalwart like Dhawal Kulkarni on the bench, or not have room for a Pragyan Ojha when only one spinner is required.

The season that began with an innings-and-115-run win over New Zealand in Hyderabad, plunged to the depths and then rose again, to leave India with an unexpectedly flattering record of ten Tests played and seven Tests won, with two losses and one draw.