Gambhir's Delhi team-mates couldn't go to the Kotla to watch him excel against Australia © Getty Images

Dear readers

How can I not write about my Delhi team-mate when he has got two consecutive centuries against Australia? Especially when the second one has come on our home ground, Feroz Shah Kotla. Gautam Gambhir has taken huge strides in the last one year. All of us in the Delhi team are proud of what he's achieved, and look to him for inspiration.

I could have gone to the Kotla to watch the game after my practice, but as it so often happens in Delhi the two tickets I'm entitled to - being an Indian player - still haven't reached my place. I've been told they're on their way, but day one has already passed, and with that the opportunity to watch a Delhi player excel. Mind you, I'm not the only one: none of us in the Delhi Ranji Trophy team has received a ticket - a first-class cricketer gets one in Delhi. Anyhow, that's the way our system works.

Another thing I wanted to write about is junior cricket. We've been keenly watching the results and performances at Under-22 and Under-19 levels. These kids are our immediate supply line, and as and when we need any replacements we'd be looking to them. Since we have not been able to watch the game ourselves, we go by what we hear from people at the ground, and read about it next day in the papers. Apparently these games are played with SG Tournament balls. For an outsider it might not make any difference as it's still a red ball, made of leather and weighing 5 ½ oz, but for cricketers it means a lot. The behaviour of the ball depends a lot on its quality.

The SG Test ball that is used in first-class and Test cricket in India is relatively soft (made with a soft cork inside and a finer quality of leather) with a very pronounced seam. The ball doesn't move too much, but once it gets a little old, if maintained properly, it swings throughout the day. The ball comes a bit slower off the surface unless it's been made to pitch on the seam. The only way to succeed with an SG Test ball is to land it on the seam, for otherwise you're doomed. On the contrary, the SG Tournament ball has a lot more glaze on it, and is made with hard cork and not-so-fine leather. The ball does a lot when it's new, and travels much quicker after pitching even when it is not pitched on the seam.

The figures we see at the end of the game could be quite misleading. You can't pick a fast bowler just because he wreaked havoc with that ball in the winters in north India. Spinners get less purchase, and hence shouldn't be condemned, and poor openers might not get big scores. The whole exercise of having an age-group tournament seems somewhat futile as it doesn't present a true picture of the talent available. Just to rub it in, the politicking at junior levels is beyond our comprehension. But one works within the system, and hopes that players like Gautam, Viru [Virender Sehwag] and Ishant [Sharma] keep coming good for Delhi and India despite these hurdles.

PS: I'm eagerly waiting for the tickets to come so that either I can go watch the match or pass it on to one of my nephews who have been crying to go to the ground all day.

	The bowling machine has taken some workload away from the fast bowlers © Cricinfo Ltd

The Ranji Trophy starts a week from now and all the teams would be preparing in full swing. Most teams have been training for the last three-four weeks hoping to peak at the right time. The initial phase of training camps focus mainly on the physical aspect of the sport, which involves a lot of running and strength training. Even though the skill aspect gets introduced fairly early, the focus shifts to the skills only a couple of weeks before the event.

Our preparation was similar, with the only difference being that we have one relatively lengthy session (from 8am to 12.30pm) as compared to a lot of other teams who divide their daily training into two sessions. They would do the physical conditioning and fielding drills in the two to three hours' morning session and the net session in the afternoon, with a decent break in the middle to allow the players to recover and come back afresh. Ideally, the latter is the best way of training because doing everything in one session means one of the two [physical or skills aspect] is often neglected. If you push yourself in training, you rarely have the strength to go full throttle in the nets and if you intend to bowl at full steam, you end up trying to save a bit [of energy] in the physical training session. Batsmen still get through it well enough but the bowlers, especially the fast men, face the brunt of the gruelling session.

The reason we at Delhi could never opt for two separate sessions is that we don't have residential rooms at the Feroz Shah Kotla. That will definitely happen in the years to come but as of now there's no place to rest in between practice sessions. If one plans to go home and come back for the afternoon session, one would spend all the time on the roads thanks to the distances and traffic in the capital.

Since we're the defending champions our association has taken a few steps to ensure a repeat of last year's success. There was very little possibility to add anything new to our playing squad so the association decided to strengthen our support staff. I'll just provide you with the list of the men involved with our team … at the risk of boring or confusing you guys.

We have a coach, an assistant coach, a manager, a logistics manager, a physiotherapist, a trainer, a video analyst, a yoga teacher, a homeopathic doctor and a net coordinator. I might have missed a name or two. We have a whole entourage to look after our team. How much of it helps? I'll keep my judgment reserved for obvious reasons. But one thing that has proved useful is the bowling machine. It has taken some workload away from the fast bowlers and helped in satisfying, only somewhat, the insatiable hunger of the batsmen in the nets.

We, at Delhi, have been watching our Delhi players' performances in the Challenger trophy with keen interest. A few shone and the rest at least got the feel of playing in a match. Now, we're looking forward to having them back and finish the last leg of preparation with a lot of zeal and enthusiasm.

Hello readers,

A friend of mine who works in a software company once asked a management guru for tips on leadership. To his surprise the guru advised him to talk to his own father and learn a few things from him. My friend's father is not a guru or leader by any standards and my friend explained that to the guru. The guru responded by saying that we all have a leader in us and we often act upon that without realizing it. According to him, there are four kinds of leadership and all of us exercise that from time to time, often unconsciously.

The guru asked my friend whether he remembered ever having burnt his hand or something else with a matchstick when he was a kid; or whether he'd spilled food or a drink on a carpet or a bed. Of course, he had. Well, what happened then? He got a scolding no doubt and was told not to repeat the mistake again. That has happened with all of us. We were told to stay away from matchboxes and be more careful with food and drinks. We didn't ask for a reason and none was provided. We were asked to trust our folks unquestioningly and always do as we were told. That is the first kind of leadership: the 'leadership by direction'.

Then as we grew up and started going to school, the focus was mainly on studies and especially on the subjects we weren't very good at. We were not only told to devote more time and effort on that subject but were also promised rewards if we scored high marks in that particular subject. My friend was weak at mathematics and was promised a bicycle if he did well. He did, eventually, do well enough and got that coveted bicycle. This is the second kind of leadership—'leadership by seduction'.

We grew up a little more, now well versed with the first two kinds of leadership, when we were introduced to the third. Now, we started discussing career-options with our parents: college, institution, organization and all. Parents would give their inputs keeping our interests in mind and finally would have a say/influence on the final decision. This kind of leadership is called the 'leadership by association'.

Once we got out of college and started working, we would seldom go to our parents for advice. We would inform them of our decision to quit or join a certain organization rather than ask them for their opinion. Parents are smart enough to understand that and would patiently listen to our story and would delegate us to do whatever we feel is right. This is called the 'leadership by delegation'.

Now, before you start wondering why I'm talking about leadership and its forms, I'll get to the point. Listening to my friend’s discourse about the four kinds of leadership, I wondered whether it was the same case in cricket as well. All captains would go back and forth from the first to the fourth kind depending on the situation and the person they were dealing with. A kid (read beginner, at any level) would be directed to do certain things. If he's a bowler, he would be told to bowl at a certain length to a certain batsman or if he happens to be a batsman, to play a certain role in the team. The kid would rarely ask questions and would follow the orders to the T. So there's the first kind of leadership.

Some cricketers would be lured into doing something when attracted by a reward, whether it comes as a promotion in the batting order or getting the new ball against a weaker opposition. But that only happens if they do as they're told on innumerable occasions before that. So the law of seduction works here.

But once the guy becomes a seasoned campaigner and knows (mostly) what is expected of him, the captain would discuss strategies with him. He would involve the player in the decision-making process and would, in turn, get the desired result i.e. what the captain wants on the day. This is leadership by association.

Then comes a time when the player is so experienced that he doesn't need to be told, at all. He knows what works best for him and no amount of persuasion would make him think otherwise. To get the best from that guy, the captain must respect his experience and allow him whatever he's comfortable with: if he's at his best batting a certain way or bowling to a certain field, the captain should allow that to happen as far as possible without ruining the team's chances of winning. The player, having played a lot of cricket, acknowledges that freedom and rarely lets the captain or team down. This was the last kind of leadership—'leadership by delegation'.

So, whether it is parents dealing with their kids, the management guru teaching his wards or a cricket captain leading his side, all of them are using the abovementioned tools of leadership to make their respective campaigns successful.

Incidentally, I've also been given the responsibility to lead Delhi this season and perhaps I could use the tools I've mentioned in this post.

Once again....please wish me and my team luck.

Cheers

	There are over 500 first-class players and only eight IPL teams © AFP

On both occasions the conversation drifted to the state of county cricket in England. Both were really unhappy with the way things were run in the country that gave birth to this sport. I argued that it's not the standard but the format that needs to be tinkered with. Probably they were playing too many games in a season and that causes the interest of spectators and players to wane so that towards the end of the tiring season they just go through the formality of turning up for matches while eagerly waiting for the season to finish. But my friends disagreed.

The ex-journalist said the standard was poor while the lawyer insisted a lot of players were clinging on to their places for monetary benefits. According to him most players get a three-year contract with the county and instead of trying hard every year, they take it easy for the first couple of years and then pull up their socks in the last year to get an extension and work towards the benefit year which is quite big in England. He added that this attitude towards the game infiltrates to the younger lot in the dressing room and they end up following their seniors. If that really is the case then this is a serious problem.

Instead of arguing further we got into a more informative chat. For starters I told him the value of having these senior guys around in the circuit. English cricket needs a few players like Mark Ramprakash to ensure that the standard of the game remains high. If young players dream of dismissing the Tendulkars one day then they must be good enough to breach Ramprakash's defence which, I must tell you, is not easy. Such players provide a reality check for these youngsters and give them a glimpse of the difficulties that lie ahead. Besides, having a senior in the squad provides the youngsters with a much-needed cushion that helps them grow as cricketers without putting too much pressure on them to perform every time they walk onto the field.

Even though my friend accepted my reason for having the seniors around, he insisted that the system is flawed. He said there are 18 counties and almost all of them have nearly 30 players in their books, which means that even for a second XI game, nearly 80% of the 22 players on the park are contracted with their respective counties. He couldn't see the point in having over 500 contracted players in the country when most of them do not have a realistic chance of ever playing for England.

Well, I couldn't quite get their system for we don't have contracts at the state level in India and there is no benefit year even at the end of an illustrious first-class career. The only way to cling on to our places in the side is to perform and perform consistently. Yes, the money has increased at the domestic level but one must do well and play the maximum number of matches to earn decently, which means first for one's state and then for one's zone and the opportunity to represent the zone is given only to those who've done well for their respective states. A few might argue that with the IPL the earnings of domestic cricketers have gone up manifold, which is true, but there are about 500 first-class cricketers in India and only eight IPL teams, which means a maximum of 160 players are required for the tournament and nearly 50% of those are either overseas players or the ones already playing for India. So that leaves only 80 places up for grabs for 500 first-class players. It doesn't sound that exciting anymore, right?

Even to get noticed and picked by an IPL team, one must perform in the domestic circuit.

So the problem of losing interest or clinging on to their places for money doesn't really exist in India. We agreed to disagree on various issues and like most discussions, ours too, ended without us finding any concrete solution to the problems we discussed.

Ciao.

	'A typical Aussie track, mate!' © AFP

Hi guys

I've just come back from a literary festival in Kovalam, Kerala. I read out a few pages from my book, and that was followed by a Q&A session on sports writing, which included Boria Majumdar and Suresh Menon as the other two panelists. It was an altogether different kind of experience. Being surrounded by all the great authors, writers, poets, etc. could be quite intimidating, and I must admit that it was so for me to begin with. But I'm glad that I not only managed to hold my own but also made a few friends.

It was refreshing to be away from the game for a couple of days, especially considering the way the match against the Australians panned out in the end. I got a start in the first innings, but couldn't capitalise. The good thing was that I batted confidently, and even though this was the first time in nearly four years that I was playing against an international attack, after initial butterflies I felt at ease. Actually I'd started enjoying my batting till that particular ball from Mitchell Johnson kept just a tad low.

Usually, I'm my biggest critic, and would always find a fault in myself whenever I get out, but in the last two seasons I've started looking at things objectively. Well, the ball wasn't a half-tracker but since Johnson's previous deliveries were regularly hitting the splice of the bat, I decided to get rooted to the crease instead of lunging forward. Going forward is a safe bet on Indian tracks, but not when the guy at the other end is bowling consistently at around 90 mph.

That particular ball was slightly short of a good length but kept a little low. The funny thing about such balls that keep low is that they skid and reach the batsman a fraction quicker and at that pace, a delay of just a fraction is all you need for your demise. The ball might have missed the off stump, but the way it looked from a distance I knew that I was doomed.

During the Australian innings, I teased Punter about the lack of bounce in the track. He'd tried to pull one ball, which was just short of a length and the ball bounced a few times before reaching the wicketkeeper. I told him sarcastically that this track wasn't like the tracks in Australia where you could trust the bounce. He laughed!

The IPL has helped bridge a few differences. Both Punter and I were in the Kolkata Knight Riders, and now share a more cordial relationship. Please don't get me wrong, we wouldn't give each other an inch on the field but off it, it's very light-hearted.

Little did I know that soon it would be Punter's turn to return the favour. Let me brief you a bit on the field placements and the tactics used by the Aussies in the second innings. The bounce was on the lower side so their bowlers bowled within the stumps with a heavy on-side field. Playing a bouncer on a track with low or uncertain bounce is a little difficult as you can't duck under the ball, trusting the bounce, and even playing any kind of shot isn't that easy either.

They had a leg slip for me because I like to go back and across on the balls pitched short to get in line with the ball and play it fine. The idea is to get on top of the bounce and just nudge it round the corner for a single or more. Stuart Clark was mixing the bouncers and full-pitched deliveries nicely, and was using his height to good effect. One such bouncer pitched halfway, but bounced only a few inches. I went back and across as usual, but instead of feeling it near my ribcage, I felt it hitting my shoe!

This was a first for me. Not that I'd never been hit on the shoe while batting, but I really can't remember being hit on the shoe off a bouncer. I could only manage a smile when the dreaded finger went up, but Punter was quick to remind me of what I'd said when he was batting… a typical Aussie track, mate! This was my turn to laugh, but laughing doesn't come naturally to me while taking the long walk back to the pavilion after getting out.

I wanted to blame myself for getting out, but however hard I tried I couldn't. My biggest match ever since I was dropped from the Indian team was over. I failed to make an impression, but there's little I could've done differently.

It was interesting to read the match report in some national newspaper the next day. It stated that I didn't do myself any favours by getting out for 6. That is true, I must admit. I, honestly, didn't do myself any favours by getting out for 6, but isn't that rather obvious? Scoring 6 in an important game against the touring side would never help my cause, all right. But astoundingly, the fact that the ball didn't bounce at all seemed to have been surprisingly neglected.

But let me assure you that this isn't the first time that such reporting has surprised a cricketer, and it probably isn't going to be the last time either.

Ta ta...