Inbox http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/ en Copyright 2012 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:16:37 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss The myth of ‘bowling in the right areas’ The bowler’s biggest ally is variation; unfortunately, this skill never makes it to the statistics © AFP
Whenever a bowler is hit for a boundary these days, commentators resort to all kinds of clichés to describe the shot, followed by remark on how the bowler should be bowling ‘in the right areas’. With batsmen increasingly dominating, ‘bowling in the right areas’ is one of the most heard phrases in contemporary commentary. It certainly gives the impression that the commentators know what these so called right areas are, but they hardly ever elaborate; the comment is rarely followed up with a sensible, implementable suggestion. So, let us try to narrow down these ‘right areas’ by isolating the bad areas. Let’s start with a bad line to bowl. Down the leg side is, not surprisingly, never considered good: a slight error and the delivery will be a wide, and the umpires cannot rule lbw to all balls pitching outside leg and most in the vicinity. Too much outside the off stump and the batsman has the room to play a shot or the opportunity to leave it well alone. So unless the bowler can move the ball a touch in or out, there is not much point to this line either. Next, the length of the ball. Bowling too full or too short is out, with an area something like two-thirds of the length of the pitch being ideal. Short balls without much pace only invite well executed pull shots; too full and, once more, it’s rather easy to pick off if it is not combined with swing. So, that’s it then, that ball at about two-thirds down around the off-stump, the so called ‘corridor of uncertainty’. But all bowlers know this; this is the ball that they practice, over and over. ]]> http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2012/02/the_myth_of_bowling_in_the_rig.php http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2012/02/the_myth_of_bowling_in_the_rig.php Bowling Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:16:37 +0000 Cricket in a global village From Darren Harold, New Zealand
Nothing tops watching a match live at the ground © Getty Images
What a fantastic time to be a cricket fan. As I pen this piece I am part way through a long cricketing day – in hours only, the time is positively racing by! In the space of one day, I’ll hear, read and see the exploits of six international teams playing in all three of the games’ formats via a seemingly endless list of media sources. Over the course of a tiresome Friday in the office, I listened to my native New Zealand turn in a mediocre ODI performance against a Zimbabwean side in Dunedin still struggling to reacclimatise themselves to the rigours of international cricket. Though not the decisive victory they were hoping for, the feats of McCullum, Guptill, Nicol et al. were described via an audio commentary on my laptop, while I checked the details on ESPNcricinfo’s live scoring. Upon arriving home, Aggers, Boycs and Blowers were setting the scene before the opening session of the third Pakistan versus England test from Dubai. Competing with the excited shouts of my young son, their dulcet tones filtered out of my iPad thanks to a digital feed via BBC Radio 5 Live’s Test Match Special (TMS). Very soon, I’ll flick on the television to see if the hapless Indians can finally get a victory on their Australian tour in the second T20 from the MCG. The mute button will be on though so I can keep listening to the game in the desert – that, and I can only take so much of the Channel 9 cheerleading (sorry, commentary) team. ]]> http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2012/02/cricket_in_a_global_village.php http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2012/02/cricket_in_a_global_village.php Media Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:53:59 +0000 Why a Test Championship is flawed From Paul Leary, United Kingdom
The battle for supremacy of a sport such as Test cricket can never and must never be compressed to a single game © Getty Images
If recent weeks have told us anything, it’s that to be considered the No. 1 side, you must do more than just top the rankings. This winter, the two most recent incumbents of this prized position have been defeated by Australia and Pakistan respectively. India, a team which spent around 18 months at the top of the pile, have gone down 4-0 to an inexperienced but hungry Australian side, displaying the same technical flaws against the moving ball as were seen during the English summer. England, recently crowned No.1 and lauded copiously as such, have subsided in the heat of the UAE. Despite relatively friendly pitches and a notable lack of ‘rank’ turn, the mere sight of a spinner 22 yards away seemed to be enough to have England’s batsmen nervously shuffling and prodding anywhere but near the ball. There’s a lesson to be learnt. That to be considered the best team in the world more widely than just in the ICC Rankings, a team must win throughout the world, displaying aptitude against pace, seam, swing , and spin, in any and every set of conditions. Based on this conclusion, it’s fair to say that realistically, we are yet to establish another ‘No.1’ side since the retirement of Warne, McGrath, Gilchrist et al in 2007, and the subsequent decline in fortunes of the Australian team after more than a decade of domination. ]]> http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2012/01/why_a_test_championship_is_fla.php http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2012/01/why_a_test_championship_is_fla.php Tests Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:43:39 +0000 Test cricket in India - The way forward Inducting young players into the Indian XI would not in any way diminish the worth of the batting legends © Getty Images
From Balachandhran S, India
Dissection is being campaigned against. It is much maligned, I understand. In schools, children and young adults are encouraged to refrain from practical classes in dissection (biology). In reality that is because animals are sadly extinguished in the name of learning. In sport too, there is dissection. And sometimes sportsmen become the victims of the process. Not at all times is dissection illuminating. But then there is only one thing to do after every game for many people – dissect it threadbare and discuss what could have been. Therefore it is very tempting for us, as fans, to dissect the individual games of the Indian players who have featured in six consecutive away Test defeats. But better still is the process of shining the torch ahead to light up the way, rather than looking behind to see who is catching up and on which stone(s) we stumbled. This, primarily, is one such effort. Personal landmarks, a waste of media time
The peerless Sachin Tendulkar's much touted hundredth hundred probably weighs more on the minds of millions of fans and media people than on the man himself. Popular cricket columnists now claim that Tendulkar's quest for this statistical gem is bothering the entire team – weighing it down and not letting it perform to potential. Not only are such claims laughable, they are also outstandingly ridiculous for the sheer fact that these are people who have played the game at a very high level. When Virender Sehwag or MS Dhoni is facing down a 140kph delivery from James Pattinson or Peter Siddle, their illustrious team-mate's elusive landmark is the last thing on their mind. ]]> http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2012/01/test_cricket_in_india_the_way.php http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2012/01/test_cricket_in_india_the_way.php Indian cricket Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:37:00 +0000 The parallel tales of two writer-cricketers Stuart John, Australia
Can Ed Cowan make more out of his international career than his English namesake? © Getty Images
This sounds familiar to anyone? Regular first-class cricketer plays for over seven years, not excelling but not sinking into the abyss as many have before. Mid-table mediocrity, so to speak. Said cricketer then wakes up one morning and discovers the cricketing fairies (I'd like to imagine Merv Hughes in a Tinkerbell outfit tip-toeing around the house so not to wake anyone up) have turned him into a batting champion. Centuries flow from his bat like beer from the tap, eventually leading to a long-awaited Test call-up. Once there, our hero doesn't disgrace himself either, battling a difficult pitch and a strong bowling attack to make a useful 60-odd before being caught behind; his second innings is less successful, with an lbw decision against him early on. I should probably mention at this point that our hero is already a published author. If you're an Australian cricket fan, you probably know the answer. And if you said his first name is Ed, we'd be in agreement. But our hero for this particular story isn't new Australian opener Ed Cowan - instead, it's former England player Ed Smith. Mind you though, most of the above could be true for Messrs. Cowan or Smith – and there's more to it than that. Both made their first-class debuts at a young age, for world-famous British universities (Cowan at 20 for Oxford, Smith at 18 for Cambridge); both struggled for about four years into their first-class careers; and both have a reputation for being intellectual in a career that doesn't always look that kindly on those outside the norm. ]]> http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2012/01/the_curious_case_of_two_eds.php http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2012/01/the_curious_case_of_two_eds.php Australian Cricket Sat, 07 Jan 2012 13:54:03 +0000 Who is New Zealand's best after Hadlee? New Zealand's best bowler since Richard Hadlee, Shane Bond, had a career tarnished by injury that probably fell into the category of unfulfilled, rather than great © Getty Images
By Keith King, South Korea New Zealand is such a small country (many cities have more people than New Zealand’s four million-odd inhabitants) that, in many ways, is insignificant on the world stage. Sport is one avenue through which New Zealand and New Zealanders have asserted themselves on the world stage. For a country its size, New Zealand has done remarkably well in many sporting codes, including rugby and rugby league, netball and softball. For those that would argue (with some justification) that these are mere fringe sports in a global sense, New Zealanders have won both tennis and golf majors, made the semi-finals of the basketball World Championships and made the soccer World Cup finals twice (admittedly, they haven’t won a game yet once they have reached them). At the Summer Olympics, New Zealand has won 86 medals (which surprisingly enough is four times the number India, a country with a much greater population, has managed to win). Arguably, though, the one sport at which New Zealanders are not as competitive as they should be, despite taking it seriously, is cricket. Since New Zealand’s introduction to Test cricket in 1930, the New Zealand team (they weren’t known as the Black Caps until much later) has usually been at the bottom or near the bottom of the heap, the worst team going round. It took 26 years and 45 tests for New Zealand to register their first Test win. Australia wouldn’t even play their neighbours for a 27-year gap between 1946 and 1973, which must be rated as the ultimate cricketing cold shoulder. New Zealand has a win/loss ratio of 0.47, the lowest of all test teams barring Bangladesh and Zimbabwe (India has the next lowest win/loss ratio of 0.77, showing that it has not always been the powerhouse it is now). A brief respite was found with the introduction of Sri Lanka to Test cricket (the whipping boys of the 80s and early 90s) and then a more permanent one with the introduction of Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, who now seem to be the only teams New Zealand can reliably beat in test matches. ]]> http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2011/12/who_is_new_zealands_best_after.php http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2011/12/who_is_new_zealands_best_after.php New Zealand cricket Fri, 30 Dec 2011 11:30:06 +0000 Building up to Boxing Day From Rajan Iyer, Australia
Bring it on! © Getty Images
Melbourne, leading up to the traditional Boxing Day Test at the MCG is a city in a state of flux. In the build-up to the Christmas-New Year break during which most businesses are either shut or on skeleton staff, the last working days are a hive of shopping, last-minute work deadlines, end-of-year social events, some more shopping, sleep deprivation and some final midnight shopping to be sure. Christmas day itself, we are told, is a multi-pronged climax of church, cooking, relatives, heat, lunch, alcohol to excess, family feuds, a siesta if lucky, and a stupefied collapse into bed. It is thus that the relatively tranquil Boxing Day is looked forward to by everyone. For those who inquire of the etymology of Boxing Day, I am reliably informed it has to do with the unboxing of 55” flat screens and other embodiments of a consumerist culture picked up at the much-awaited Boxing Day sales, which these days begin well before Christmas. Where was I? Ah, yes, the looking forward to of Boxing Day. After the fraught build-up, it is but natural and traditional that the menfolk and their sons decamp to the calm and tranquil oasis of cricket with Christmas leftovers packed into ‘eskies’ and the womenfolk escape to the calm and tranquil oasis of…..shopping! Yes, I know, go figure. Irrespective of who’s playing, the Boxing Day audience at the MCG will always call into question the wild declamations of those who pronounce interest in Test cricket to be dead. Perhaps the frission of excitement caused by two teams, both strong and vulnerable in equal measure, has contributed to a near sell-out on the first day. The weather promises to be good, and apparently the Indian quicks bowled at full tilt in the MCG outdoor nets, which incidentally looked terribly green. Is this a portent of what the actual track will be like? An uncharacteristic green-top? Just one more sleep until we lumber up the MCG steps clad in green kurta, saffron shawl and white topi, clutching our tri-colour while our bags bulge with alu-puri and flasks of masala chai, all the better to lustily bellow ‘Viru sixer maaro’ to the tune of ‘We will, we will rock you’. Can’t wait!]]> http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2011/12/building_up_to_boxing_day.php http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2011/12/building_up_to_boxing_day.php India in Australia 2011-12 Sun, 25 Dec 2011 15:40:11 +0000 Sehwag and the circle of the seasons From Debojit Dutta, India
Sachin Tendulkar once replaced Mohammad Azharuddin at the centre of Indian cricket's consciousness; it is but the circle of life that Virender Sehwag is now seemingly taking over that mantle © AFP
It was one of those occasions when deserted by your own vernacular you seek consolation in another’s vocabulary and when even that is found to be depleted, you are left haywire – fixated on fixing a proper adjective to your newfound emotion. That emotion which allures both, but falls neither on the lap of joy or sorrow. As it occurs to me quite often nowadays, I was dumbfounded and then appalled at my loss of words in describing Virender Sehwag's one-day double hundred. I missed out on the live telecast of the match, (for reasons best known to the people in my office, the television was tuned to an Indian news channel, Aaj Tak) I had to rely on ESPNcricinfo for score updates. "Sehwag reaches his 100 off 69 balls. And runs out Gambhir off the next ball. 176 for 1," they tweeted. All merry on this side. Viru had, after months of waiting, reached triple figures and keeping the upcoming Australia tour in mind, its timing could not have been better. Moments had passed in my juggling between Twitter and Facebook when someone updated their status pleading, "Sehwag, for heaven's sake don't score a double". The immediate response was to laugh, laugh out loud. I did, and then regretted it. The profundity of the Facebook status was much greater than plainly visible. For what Sehwag was chasing was not a mere figure. For a generation born a couple of decades ago, it was a brutal invasion on their years of growing up.]]> http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2011/12/sehwag_and_the_circle_of_the_s.php http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2011/12/sehwag_and_the_circle_of_the_s.php Indian cricket Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:32:20 +0000 Bangladesh are going backwards Mohammad Ashraful's career sums up Bangladesh's performance over the last decade: plenty of promise but not much success due to dodgy technique and temperament © BCB Media
From Daniel Stone, United Kingdom Bangladesh's Test match status has been debated ever since they were awarded full membership by the ICC a little over 11 years ago. Bangladesh played their first Test match in November 2000, and since then have won just three of 72 matches, with a staggering 62 losses. Even those three wins were not much to cheer about, as they came against Zimbabwe and a severely weakened West Indies team. The team has shown some signs of improvement in ODI cricket over the last few years with a few surprise victories – the 4-0 drubbing of New Zealand at home last October, for example – but in 2011, it has been clear that they are actually taking backward steps. Bangladesh are too reliant on their world-class allrounder, Shakib Al Hasan, and Tamim Iqbal, one of Wisden’s five cricketers of 2010. Talented youngsters like Mahmudullah and Nasir Hossain have shown encouraging signs, but Bangladesh just don't have enough star players to compete with the more established teams. Mohammad Ashraful's career sums up Bangladesh's performance over the last decade. He showed plenty of promise and was obviously very talented, but he couldn't kick on after a good start due to dodgy technique and temperament. Their 2011 World Cup campaign resulted in them being bowled out for under 100 twice, including an embarrassing 58 all out in Mirpur against an average West Indies attack. ]]> http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2011/12/bangladeshi_cricket_faces_big.php http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2011/12/bangladeshi_cricket_faces_big.php Bangla cricket Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:52:50 +0000 Pakistan's welcome turnaround From Safwan Umair, Pakistan
Saeed Ajmal is part of the best spin attack in world cricket today © AFP
Does an ODI series sweep over Bangladesh merit an overzealous celebration? Should we feel ecstatic and make merry? Given the state of affairs in Bangladesh cricket, a resounding ‘no’ is the answer. From the perspective of a Pakistani cricket fan though, this latest win marks 12 months of unusually consistent success. There has been so much controversy in the past few years that any on-field performance or the lack of it hardly made headlines. Most news clips either focused on Pakistan’s cricketing venues missing international cricket, or lambasting the PCB's comical leadership. For many other media personnel, dissecting the dreaded spot-fixing fiasco was the only matter of interest. One wondered if the real essence of Pakistan cricket had been perpetually lost to a horde of incessant controversies. Brick by brick and inch by inch, sanity, serenity and dignity is returning to Pakistan cricket. Various factors have contributed to this turnaround. The masterstroke perhaps, post the calamitous England tour last summer, was the appointment of the calm Misbah-ul-Haq as captain. One of the greatest ironies in Pakistan cricket also revolves around the same man. A natural captain and an automatic batting selection had turned 37 before sealing a permanent slot in the side. The ODI results have been encouraging. A competitive Test side has gradually evolved courtesy a dependable set of openers and three solid, if unspectacular, middle-order batsmen in Azhar Ali, Younis Khan and Misbah. A mind-boggling flow of fast-bowling talent in Pakistan has ensured that the departure of Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif only helped unearth the likes of Junaid Khan and Aizaz Cheema. Saeed Ajmal is also at the top of his game, and together with Shahid Afridi, Abdur Rehman and Mohammad Hafeez, he’s part of the most potent spin attack in the game. ]]> http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2011/12/a_welcome_turnaround_1.php http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2011/12/a_welcome_turnaround_1.php Pakistan cricket Sat, 10 Dec 2011 07:38:18 +0000 Destiny, and an unforgettable domestic game From Pradeep Ramarathnam, USA
Two men experienced similar turnarounds in a Ranji ODI back in 1994. One of them has gone on to become an all-time great. The other never played for his state again © Getty Images
Last year, some 500 people saw the Ranji finals at the ground. The ones who didn’t turn up have no idea what they were missing. Away from the glare of international media, with dirt cheap ticket rates and questionable security, a domestic game is a great chance to get up close with cricket. And if you are lucky, you might witness something close to what I saw in 1994. The winter of ’93 was an unusual time for Tamilians in Bangalore. After years, no decades, of a seamless, unobtrusive civil orchestra with the local Kannada populace, there was a simmering undercurrent of uneasy tension. A first attempt at resolving the Cauvery water dispute was made by the British Government in 1890.Mysore and Madras gave way to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, but like Cromwell’s warts, the problem refused to go away. Instead, it lurked menacingly, threating to spill blood the instant anyone would so much as stoke it. After a tribunal verdict went against Karnataka’s favor in ’91, large scale riots broke out across both neighbouring states. Some counts put the urban Tamil population in Bangalore at a staggering 38%, with a healthy number of Kannada speakers in Chennai. Bellicose politicians on an unabashed publicity binge only added fuel to the fire. Buses were stoned, shutters were down, but the 1994 Subbiah Pillai Trophy tie – Ranji ODIs for South Zone teams – was on schedule between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in January 1994. ]]> http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2011/12/destiny_and_an_unforgettable_d.php http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2011/12/destiny_and_an_unforgettable_d.php Indian cricket Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:09:07 +0000 Daniel Vettori, lower-order saviour From Keith King, South Korea
Daniel Vettori has scored more Test runs than anyone else at No. 8 © Getty Images
Another Test, and another disappointment for that long-suffering breed, the New Zealand cricket fan. New Zealand cricket has never been a powerhouse but currently, the team is ranked eighth out of 10 teams, with only Bangladesh and Zimbabwe below them. They had just beaten Zimbabwe in a Test, but only just. Australia are far from the team they were five years ago, when the team list read like the roll-call of all-time greats. Now they are seen as vulnerable and the possibility of New Zealand beating Australia in a Test for the first time since 1993 had been written up in the New Zealand press, with even ex-players expressing that the game was New Zealand's to win. Such hyperbole ignored the fact that much like the All Blacks, there is never a bad Australian cricket team. Some just aren't as good as others. It also ignored the fact that the New Zealand seam attack consisting of Chris Martin, Tim Southee and Doug Bracewell, while probably the best New Zealand has to offer, is still well short of being world class. Martin, the aging but seemingly tireless spearhead averaged over 70 in Tests against Australia; Southee, while highly promising, still averaged over 40 in Tests and Bracewell had only played in one, the one in Zimbabwe that the New Zealanders only just won. True, Daniel Vettori is a classy spin bowler but not the sort of bowler to run through Australia in Australia. ]]> http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2011/12/daniel_vettori_lowerorder_savi.php http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2011/12/daniel_vettori_lowerorder_savi.php New Zealand cricket Wed, 07 Dec 2011 09:55:39 +0000 The ups and downs of English fandom England supporters could now look to the future with hope, a hope supported with evidence © Getty Images
From Ewan Day-Collins, UK Sustained success has never been something particularly associated with England. While other more tenacious nations choose the path of pragmatism, seeking longevity in their position of power, England never seem to have consistency in their play. Supporting England has been a trial of patience, the pain occasionally forgotten when victorious moments such as the Ashes victory in 2005 occur. These moments precede a sharp snap back to reality when yet another defeat soon turns up to spoil the joyous celebrations. A sense of optimism is stimulated by just a small sign of possible power, before yet more tribulations soon quash that feeling. It is these inklings of brilliance that keep the fans and the fanatical Barmy Army turning up, judicious beliefs, sometimes seemingly obvious outcomes that are often overtaken and nullified by unrealistic thoughts of prosperity. We lambaste the players, the coach, the ECB, when things go wrong, of course. But the constant flux in results creates rapid forgiveness, before more accusations are thrown at whoever is seen fit to receive them. ]]> http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2011/12/the_ups_and_downs_of_english_f.php http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2011/12/the_ups_and_downs_of_english_f.php English cricket Fans Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:26:44 +0000 Watching cricket at the Wankhede The moment the crowd didn't want to miss: Sachin Tendulkar walking out to bat © Associated Press
From Arish Rajan, India
I have never watched cricket in a stadium. I remember when Sachin made his debut. That was around the time I started paying attention to cricket. It is now 22 years and he will be gone soon. Even Dravid and Laxman will be gone soon. They have been wonderful heroes. For once I decided I must go to a stadium. I must see them bat once in real life, before they go away. I live in Pune, a few hours from Mumbai, making the Wankhede Test my obvious choice. I bought a season ticket via the internet, but of course work does not allow you to take five days off. So day three was chosen. A full day of India batting and maybe even the amazing century of centuries might happen. Getting inside the stadium In India, it is still not easy to get inside a cricket stadium. I woke up at 4.30am. Took a 5.30am bus to Mumbai from Pune. Reached Dadar (Mumbai's transport hub) and then took the local train to Churchgate station, which adjoins Wankhede stadium. Reached Churchgate around 9.40am. India still loves Sachin and so it still loves Test cricket. The road outside the Churchgate station was full of people desperately looking for tickets. I felt great having the prized ticket in my hand. The first step is to submit your printed online confirmation to get the actual ticket. This was luckily easy for me. I saw that office quickly. But if you are unlucky then you could be roaming around for half an hour searching for it. ]]> http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2011/11/a_day_at_the_wankhede.php http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2011/11/a_day_at_the_wankhede.php Crowds Fans Indian cricket Sun, 27 Nov 2011 02:53:56 +0000 MR Rangarathnam, Legspinner (1923-2001) From Pradeep Ramaratnam, USA My grandfather was an amazing man. The shipment of my books, from Mumbai along with the rest of my stuff arrived in New York this morning. All mental and physical faculties were singularly focused on ensuring they were stacked in their rightful positions in my bookshelf. Fat History Books at the bottom, Craig Thompson, Gaiman and Sacco at the top and my beloved cricket books at eye level. I was almost done, when I chanced upon The MCC 1787-1937. My grandpa grew up in a place called Manathattai in Tamil Nadu, India. Growing up, we were conned into thinking it is a village, while all it was was an “Agraharam”, a tenement of nine or ten homes, with fewer people than at my neighbourhood Irish Bar on a Tuesday afternoon. So his first real brush with cricket came in college, when he had a chance to be coached by the legendary AG Ram Singh.]]> http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2011/11/mr_rangarathnam_legspinner_192.php http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/inbox/archives/2011/11/mr_rangarathnam_legspinner_192.php Indian cricket Tributes Tue, 22 Nov 2011 13:07:52 +0000