Pre-WC '19 Games - India-NZ Tour - 5th ODI - Redemption Time

I feel this game was one of the better game for a team to come back from a such a major setback from the score of 18/4 to win the game shows the depth of Indian batting and bowling. But most fondly considered a World Cup is round the corner. Really a great win for India.
I really feel it was a great decision done by Rohit Sharma when he decided to give a challenge to the Indian side by batting first on a pitch which had a lot of juice in it.
I still feel it shows the importance of batsmen and bowlers like Hardik Pandya, Kumar Anand Rai do we have some great batsmen who can give challenge to the likes of Jadeja In the middle order.
But the biggest diff was the 3 extra batsman. And though India went to even worse state of 18/4. The 3 extra Batsman gave the runs for Bowling a chance.
Great Boaster for WC. I think even better than the win in Aus or 3-0 lead against NZ earlier.
What are ur thoughts?


CricBuzz Post Match Analysis - Harsha/Gautam & Zaheer

AFC Championship Game Thoughts - Seeing God last time or Seeing his Usurper

In the Pre-Game, everyone said the offense of KC and Maloney would crush the NE. In addition, LII winner and last year’s runner-up, the team have won 8 AFC championship winner. The team that defeated Kansas Chief in the regular season were still called the underdog. However, Tom Brady showed why he is called the best QB or even best Football player ever. And why he with Belichick is considered the best combination ever maybe in any sports. AFC championship win, with so many things going against them, tells it all and after LII Overtime win - see SI coverage - as they saw "Brady does it again against all odds".
(On the side note - will never know why KC went for the field goal at 3rd down and 10 yards and not tried for covering the 10)

What is will the historical perspective of this AFC win especially with Super Bowl a repeat with LA RAMS and Groff? We all know that Patriots are the best team of the Superbowl era and Tom Brady is the best Quarter Back of Superbowl era (I think they got this epithet after Superbowl LII). Though he has great players under Edelman Androweski and the new running black Hogan. This year might be seeing the greatest paradigm change in how Football is been played. I think we saw that in AFC Championship and will see that been played out in the Super Bowl.

The offense is taking over Football like I have never seen. See this article in NY Times "How Offense took over N.F.L.". What this article points of why this season was so different from any other seasons

• The 1,371 touchdowns scored in the 2018 N.F.L. regular season were the most for a single season in the 99-year history of the league
• Quarterbacks threw more touchdown passes than ever
• For the first time, both teams in a regulation game scored 50 or more points. 
• Dozens of individual and team offensive records fell as players raced up and down the field, 
• The AFC Championship was one of the greatest game I ever saw - it saw 4 changer-over. 4 times.
• The offensive power could be seen when one of the best QB, was resorting to running plays. Brady taking one of longest touch-downs for him, ever.

What really happened in the last few years, which started with the Rams? After relocating from St. Louis back to Los Angeles in 2016 and posting a dismal 4–12 season in 2016, the team's fortunes changed with the hiring of 30-year old head coach Sean McVay, the youngest head coach in NFL history. Under McVay and second-year quarterback Jared Goff, who recovered from a lackluster winless rookie season to record a triple-digit passer rating, the Rams improved to an 11–5 record in 2017. Then in 2018, they won their first 8 games and finished the year with a 13–3 record, tying the Saints for the best record in the NFC, this was followed by 2017 NFC championship win against Saints. Getting a bit more details The Rams offense ranked second in the NFL in both points scored (527) and yards gained (6,738). Goff continued to improve in his third season, setting new career highs in passing yards (4,688, 4th in the NFL), passing touchdowns (32), passer rating (101.1), rushing yards (108) and rushing touchdowns (2). His top receiver was Robert Woods, who caught 86 passes for 1,219 yards and 6 touchdowns. Brandin Cooks, an off-season pickup from New England via trade, also made a big impact with 80 receptions for 1,204 yards and 5 scores. The team's #3 receiver, Cooper Kupp, suffered a season-ending injury after catching 40 passes for 566 yards in 8 games, forcing Goff to rely heavily on other targets like Gerald Everett (32 receptions) and Josh Reynolds (29). Pro Bowl running back Todd Gurley was the team's leading rusher with 1,251 yards (4th in the NFL) and 17 touchdowns, while also catching 59 passes for 580 yards and 5 more scores. His 17 rushing touchdowns led the league, while his 22 total touchdowns gave him 132 points, 5th in the NFL. Running back C. J. Anderson, who made the Rams his third different team in 2018 after signing up with them in December, also was a key aspect of the running game, finishing the season with 405 yards and leading the team in rushing in both of their playoff victories. On special teams, JoJo Natson returned 26 punts for 280 yards, while kicker Greg Zuerlein made 87.1% of his field goals, including a franchise postseason record 57-yard kick to defeat the Saints in overtime in the NFC championship game. [ Details from Wikipedia]. Though they lost to Brady it showed what the paradigm shift in Football had already started.

If Rams changed it - it certainly took on Steroids, with Kansas Chief again new coach - Andy Reid and Rookie Quarterback Patrick Mahomes - see this beautiful article on SI - The transformation that went in Kansas Chief. What Andy did was a very fluid offense which morphs’ into whatever form it needs to confront the offense. As Bruce Lee's said - "be shapeless, formless like water".

As it was put "To watch Kansas City’s offense in 2018 is to participate in a sort of shell game, striving to keep track of movements as objects are deftly rearranged in front of you. Reid’s Chiefs send someone in presnap motion more often than they don’t. And through Week 8 they’d sent three or more players in motion 15 times, more than any other team in the league. Their two most dangerous pass catchers, Hill, and tight end Travis Kelce, dart all over the formation, creating for quarterback Patrick Mahomes endless possibilities for where to go with the football". [From SI Article]. 

This where I really think Chiefs' Andy/Mahomes combination might be one of the biggest change that in AFC or even football. Though there run ended a bit earlier but then again the reason why they were pitched as the top-sided team in AFC. So I am sure we are going to see many more of Chiefs and Mahomes. And with the end in sight of Brady's and Belichick's Football lifetime, we are certainly going to see some AFC Championship or even rings under Mahomes. That is why in my understanding with his age and explosive power, he is the next God to Brady.

This makes the Championship game so much interesting. Even if, it will a repeat of last year. This year is a very different side. Patriots who had matured against quality offense the new and upgraded Chief with Mahomes, winning twice against the Chiefs awesome offense. Rams on the other side had even a better season than 2017. Jared Goff and Rams are now more matured, after their first Super Bowl with the God of Football - Brady, and Team. So will give a much tougher fight than last year.

Pre-WC '19 Games - India-NZ Tour - 4th ODI - Debacle at hands of Boult

So what was the 4th ODI debacle,. It was debacle where the ground had bit of juice ( good swing and bounce) and where we saw how a good swing bowler can complete cripple, the Indian side (Boult - 5/21 in his 10 with 4 Maidens - Out of 60 balls/50 were dot balls and out of 21 three were 3 fours and 1 six). 

5

. Getting to the crux of the problem was Harsha Boggle (see the attached video) The problem with India is if they lose 1st 3 batsmen cheap, you know you got India. So the biggest question now is - in England the Mecca of swing bowling where we will have WC soon
1. When England already has exposed Indian sides inadequacy of playing swing losing 4-1 to them
2. Still looking for the 2nd opener to Rohit Sharma
3. Besides England and now New Zealand has some great swing attacks including our arch Enemy Pakistan - 2017 Champions Trophy defeat.

So the question should remain how should India prepare or choose the side? We know how badly India plays in England can be understood that out of top 5 defeats in ODI's - 2 are in England. See the link - Sportskeeda- Top 5 Embarrassing Defeats For India In ODIs. The 5th was 1975 England WC and 3rd in 2017 by Pakistan seamers in England also. 

We always remember England as '83 WC but forget the worst WC for India was also England, The '75 and '79 WC and 1999 England WC. The WC of '99 is especially relevant as then we have the best batsman lineup, I would saw ever for any side in ODI. In the bowling, with Javagal, the of Agarkar and Kumble had decent bowling attack. Still might have been the worst performance by India in WC, only maybe after B'Desh debacle of '07.
See the Post Match Analysis especially both the takes from Harsha and Gautam Bhimani (son of stalwart cricket commentator Kishore) of what went wrong and what should be the WC cricket squads both for Indian and NZ.

Video Link
Cric Buzz - Posst Match Analysis - Harsha/Bhimani/