Friday, June 27, 2014

Javagal Srinath- how quick was he? A real express bowler!

  It was often said that Indian cricket couldn't produce genuine fast bowlers- bowlers who were of genuine pace. For many decades, it was true. Indian cricket couldn't even produce fast bowlers of quality who would last long, leave alone tearway express bowlers. It all began to change with the arrival of a certain Kapil Dev in 1978-79. He was the first fast bowler from India who was very effective, and lasted a long time. He took a then-world record 434 Test wickets in 131 Tests and 253 one-day wickets in 225 games. But he was never seen as an express quick bowler, more of a bowler who relied on guile- swing and movement. 

  But then a certain Javagal Srinath entered the world stage in October 1991 and played till March 2003. He took 236 Test wickets in 67 Tests and 315 one-day wickets in 229 games. There has always been a controversy about how quick Srinath was. There were two points which often created biases in the minds of some people- one was that he was an Indian, and the second, above all, a vegetarian. Some people could not ever think that vegetarians could bowl genuinely fast (e.g. former Australian captain and now commentator Ian Chapell).

   In 2002, expert Eddie Smith, himself an Australian, wrote an article titled "Javagal Srinath: One in a Billion" on cricinfo . Eddie Smith was the most knowledgeable person on bowling speeds, as he had keenly tracked them. That article written in August 2002 can be read here.

   In that article, Eddie Smith states: 
"Srinath was a genuinely fast bowler and in the period between about 1995 and March 1997 Srinath's pace was at times frightening. He was right up there with the fastest men in the game. Perhaps at times Srinath was even No 1 in the pace stakes but just how fast he was at his peak we will never know. What we do know is that following South Africa's tour of India late in 1996, India travelled to South Africa where speed guns were in operation. Between December '96 and February '97 Srinath's speeds were timed in excess of 150kph and were comparable to those of both Allan Donald and South Africa's 'new' pace sensation Lance Klusener. Whilst Klusener's fastest ball came in at 154kph and he proved at the time to be faster than Donald, it has been brought to my attention on numerous occasions that Srinath pipped them both with one particular delivery measured at 156kph. This particular delivery was reported by a major Indian News service although the exact date and the match in question has not been confirmed. [Actually, it is known. Read below to know it]."

 Srinath's career can be classified in various stages. The first stage was until his rotator-cuff injury in March 1997, which kept him away from cricket till November 1997. Until that time, he was a real express bowler. This injury was very serious (caused due to overload of bowling) and Srinath at that time had 92 Test wickets from 27 Tests- only 46 in his first 18 Tests, but 46 in his last 9 games. It was wondered if Srinath would ever be able to bowl again, let alone be ranked among the fastest bowlers in the world. After he announced his retirement in Nov 2003, Srinath revealed that he feared his career was over when he was trying to recover from the rotator-cuff injury. (See para 14 of this article). http://www.telegraphindia.com/1031112/asp/sports/story_2562723.asp

The despration and seriousness of that injury can be seen from this article of September 1997 in weekly India Today.
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/javagal-srinath-patiently-waits-to-play-again-as-he-slowly-recovers-from-his-shoulder-injury/1/277009.html 

  The below article dated 5 Sept 1997 also reveals that Srinath was a real express bowler before that injury. None other than Australia legendary quick Denis Lillee called him 'a genuine fast bowler'.
http://www.rediff.com/sports/sep/05c.htm

 The second was after his return, from November 1997 till the 1999 World Cup. In this time, he was still very quick, but some commentators who closely observed him (like Prem Panicker for rediff.com) said that in this time, he did not always go at full pace. He bowled within himself, concentrating on line and length, and bowled express fast on occasions. But what was his speed on the normal ball will not be known. The third was from 1999 till March 2001, when his pace certainly declined as compared to his pre-rotator cuff injury, but he was still quick. And the fourth was from 2001 till March 2003, when his pace declined, and he could only be called 'medium fast' bowler, but as deadly as ever due to his improved accuracy, bowling in the 130s km/hr and only occasionally crossing 140.
  
  In the 1999 World Cup, speed guns were installed before the first match of the Super Sixes between India and Australia on 4 June 1999. The speed guns were unveiled one day before, by Srinath and McGrath.

  And Srinath was recorded at 93 miles per hour (149.7 km/hr), while McGrath, although fastest of the rest, was way behind at 88 mph (141.6 km/hr). Srinath bowled 5 miles quicker than McGrath, more than 8 km quicker. From cricinfo commentary of this match also we can see that Srinath was bowling very quick. 
This was 2 years after his career-threatening rotator-cuff injury of March 1997, and yet he bowled at 93 miles per hour or 149.7 km/hr, which was the fastest any bowler bowled in the tournament apart from Shoaib Akhtar. The other bowlers in this World Cup were Alan Donald, Lance Klusener (though his pace had declined after his 1998 ankle injury), Geoff Allot, Wasim Akram and company. But Srinath was recorded faster than all of them, including Alan Donald. Though Donald was past his quickest at this stage, so was Srinath.

 Srinath was reported to have been recorded at 156 km/hr in South Africa in 1996-97. This doesn't come as a surprise. The batsmen who faced Srinath and Donald in both 1992-93 as well as 1996-97 from India as well as South Africa said they found Srinath quicker than Alan Donald- though Indians played Srinath and South Africans played Donald only in the nets. They were vindicated by the speed guns of 1999 which recorded Srinath faster than Donald.

   If Srinath could bowl at 93 mph i.e. 149.7 km/hr in 1999, 2 years past his rotator cuff injury of 1997, he definitely could have bowled at 156 km in 1996-97. But the precise date and match is available in South Africa in the 1996-97 tour where Srinath was recorded at 157 km/hr. This was on 27 January 1997 at Paarl, in the game between India and Zimbabwe, which turned out to be a thrilling tie- both sides scoring 236. The then Zimbabwe Captain Alistair Campbell said about this game: 

   "We then moved on to our second game against India, at Boland Bank Park. In all 236 was quite a decent score, as it wasn't the easiest of pitches to bat on, and Srinath I think bowled the quickest that any of our guys had ever seen. He bowled a really quick spell early on, even quicker than Allan Donald; he was timed at 157 km/h, a good 10 km/h faster than Donald was bowling throughout the tournament. Grant Flower was hit on the thigh pad, and when he came off he said he thought he had broken his leg". (See paragraph 7 of the article by clicking on the below link).

   There is video recording of proof of that fact that speed guns were in use in this match, as in every match in this series. This is a video of this game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrUTHqQvi74
  
   In this video, at time 00:46-00:47 there is shown a big screen, which shows the bowling speed of the last ball bowled by Eddo Brandes of Zimbabwe, delivery 43.5 of the Indian innings, which clean bowled Indian batsman Ajay Jadeja, whose speed was 130 km/hr. The name of the Speed Gun company was also shown as "Mennen Speed Stick".

Actually, I remember it being said at that time that some people doubted the reading of the speed gun showing the ball at 157 km/hr and wondered if it had malfunctioned on that ball, but Srinath bowled another ball at 156 km/hr. But Alistair Campbell's was another testimony from a person who also faced Lance Klusener and Alan Donald, along with Srinath and found Srinath to be quicker. Alistair Campbell and Grant Flower had also faced Waqar Younis at his peak, and Wasim Akram and the Pakistani pace battery before this. They had in fact played a full 3-Test series in January 1995, when they had won their first Test match, thrashing Pakistan by an innings and 64 runs and scoring 544/4 declared in their only innings. But even they said that they had never faced anyone as quick as Srinath.

  In this 1996-97 series, Lance Klusener bowled a ball at 154 km/hr. This was in a one-dayer vs India, and Robin Singh hit that ball for a huge six over square-leg/ mid-wicket. I remember watching it live, and the commentators said "And that ball was recorded at 154 km/hr, one reason why it went that far". It was in the abandoned first final on 12 Feb 1997 when India scored 191 in 50 overs. But this again proves that Srinath bowled at 156 km/hr. Because batsmen from both sides said they found him quicker than Donald and Klusener, and one ball of Klusener was recorded at 154 km/hr. After Srinath announced his retirement in Nov 2003, an Indian newspaper again reported that he had indeed been recorded at 156+ kph by South African speed guns.

 I wonder if speed guns were in operation in India's 1992-93 tour to South Africa. They certainly were in operation during the Pakistan West Indies South Africa tri-series in 1993. Srinath was very quick in that 1992-93 tour and a ball from him hit Meyrick Pringle on the eye badly, which was very quick. It will be interesting to see if Srinath's speeds of 1992-93 South Africa tour are available. Srinath became the first Indian fast bowler to send the opposing batsman to the hospital. 

  In his first series after his return from the rotator-cuff injury in November-December 1997, Srinath was still very quick. In the 3rd Test of his first series since comeback from injury, against Sri Lanka in Mumbai in December 1997, his bouncer hit Sri Lankan wicket-keeper Lanka D Silva on the face, and he later needed 10 stitches at the hospital. The ball actually broke the grill of the helmet. It did not sneak through, it was so quick that it actually broke the grill. 
   Lanka D Silva became the 2nd batsman to be sent to the hospital by Srinath. 

   In 1996, India toured England. Though speed guns were most likely not used, video recording of Srinath's express bowling is available. This video shows how quick he was before his 1997 rotator-cuff injury. All the English batsmen, including well-set ones, were being beaten for sheer pace.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpUPtrGK5rg&list=PLQ6dhmRLWB-f48bfyS-6e1MohFGqizBn3

   In November-December 1996 India hosted South Africa for a 3 Test series. India won the first Test at Ahmedabad, defending 170 in the 4th innings, with Srinath taking 6/21. On a slow, spinning track, Srinath stunned everyone by express bowling, which broke the back of the powerful South African batting. It wasn't merely the wickets that Srinath took. All his 11.5 overs were very quick, as those who watched the game would remember. His 6 wickets can be seen here:

   In this video, Andrew Hudson may have been unlucky to be given out LBW as the ball may have missed the leg-stump, but the fact that he was beaten for pace cannot be denied. Jonty Rhodes was also beaten for pace by the in-swinging yorker, and was out LBW. Some reporters astonishingly called Jonty Rhodes' LBW as a wrong decision saying that the ball would have missed the leg-stump, but when a ball hits the batsman directly on the full, all it has to do is strike in line, and it is assumed to be going straight from the point of impact. It was surprising that the reporters did not know this. But while reporting, Prem Panicker of rediff.com said that : "And bravest of the lot would have been the man who suggested that on this "spinner's wicket", it would be the pace and fire of Javagal Srinath that would shatter the South African batting lineup with one of the most explosive spells of fast bowling in recent memory....Javagal Srinath, bowling faster than anyone has seen him in his career, blasted one into a tentative Hudson's back pad... Srinath was bowling as fiery a spell of fast bowling as you would want to see, getting enormous swing with the older ball and adding to the batsman's troubles by bowling the breakback, pitching on off stump and cutting the ball sharply towards leg."

   As we saw, that even after his rotator cuff injury, Srinath was recorded at 93 mph i.e. 149.7 km/hr in June 1999. He broke Lanka D Silva's helmet grill in December 1997. He was very quick even in March 1998 against Australia in the Tests. This video is an indication. Greg Blewett played across the line, but was also beaten for pace, the ball had already past when the bat came down.

 However, from the 1999 World Cup onwards Srinath's pace starting reducing. In 1999-2000 India toured Australia where speed guns were in operation. That was the first series in Srinath's career (when he was past 30) where every ball's speed was being shown on TV- by Channel 9 in Australia. In India ESPN-Star were showing Channel 9 commentary, but their own scorecard and did not show the speed. Srinath's average balls were 135-140 Km/hr and he was no longer the express bowler of pre-1997 days. But after Brett Lee, who made his debut in the 2nd Test between India and Australia and Shoaib Akhtar, he was the quickest, quicker than Waqar Younis (whose average speed was in the 130s only), and Damian Fleming and other bowlers. Bill Lawry on commentary said: "Srinath's not express but he is a quick bowler". In that tour, Srinath bowled the stop ball at 135-140, only sometimes crossing 90 miles per hour i.e. 144.9 km/hr. Until March 2001 this was the case. Then after June 2001, Srinath began bowling in the 130s, only occasionally crossing 140 km/hr.

   But even in his last tournament, the 2003 World Cup when Srinath was way past his quickest, he was recorded above 140 km/hr many times. In the game against England on 26 Feb 2003, he bowled at 143 km/hr with many balls being recorded above 140. If Srinath could bowl at that pace at that age, it shows that at his peak he was indeed a real express bowler.

   Therefore, we conclude that though Srinath's pace declined in his last 3-4 years in international cricket, he was indeed a genuine speedster and by no means a mere medium pacer. Whether he was an Indian or a vegetarian doesn't make any difference. He of course had many shortcomings as well- did not utilize his batting potential, and often indulged in ridiculous running in international cricket, getting run-out. But on the topic of speed, the above is what we conclude.
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Wednesday, October 13, 2010

How to get crowds for Test cricket

      After the full house in Banglore for the India Australia Test match there are voices to keep Test matches on centres which have a history of holding Test cricket. But this will not be the solution. At least we understand that we need to get people in the stadiums. I am very angry, and have been for the past few years, on arrogance of  cricket officials, drunk with money and power,horrible commentators and mediamen, who have no appetite to address the genuine concerns of the people. The spectators in India are treated as unwanted pests, and no one bothers whether people watch Test matches or not. All that was bad enough, but the latest suggestion that Tests should only be played at established Test centres and Test cricket should not be extended to new centres which currently host only one dayers is the height of brainlessness.

The recent Test in Nagpur between India and South Africa in Feb 2010 did not see proper crowds, while the one-dayer between India Australia last November was a full house.  This was because, for the one-dayer buses were arranged by VCA to go to the stadium and come back-the new stadium is a good 16 km away- and people could afford to go so far for one day on their own so far. But for the Test match, no buses were arranged and people couldn't go so far on working days. I had to pay for full 5 days ticket to watch the match only on day 4 because no daily tickets were available. This stupid policy of cricket officials of forcing people to buy tickets for all 5 days or not at all, has to be condemned by the media immediately.

   The claim that "Saurav Ganguly's retirement Test match could not attract more than 2000 spectators in November 2008" in Nagpur is the worst. People were dying to watch that match. But the stadium was so far away, that auto (A vehicle with 3 wheels which transports people) costs were around Rs 700 a day, no buses were arranged and no daily tickets were available. The season tickets (Of all 5 days) were so expensive that half of a man's monthly salary would have been spent on it. Instead of blaming the people of Nagpur for not going to the match, or the BCCI for awarding the match to Nagpur, the local cricket association should be condemned for its arrogance. Tests in Nagpur should be played at the old stadium in Civil Lines, which is in the city and cheap daily tickets should be available.

    I remember in February 2002, in the India Zimbabwe Test played at the old stadium in the heart of the city, daily tickets were available on day 3, and Sachin Tendulkar was batting (He scored 176 in that game), there was a full house of 40,000 people. Also, there was a huge crowd, though not a full house, for the next Test played in Nagpur against Australia in October 2004, which was also played at the old stadium. Every Test played in Nagpur at the old stadium saw big crowds, until Tests shifted to the new stadium 16 kilometers away in Nov 2008. Still, the new stadium would have been full in Nov 2008 had tickets been cheap, and transport facilities kept. And in Feb 2010, it was again due to the fact that the stadium was too far, and that Nagpurians had already watched 7 games, including 4 internationals, from October to December. When people have already spent so much, and seen enough to last a lifetime, why will they go so far as 16 km, to watch a Test with South Africans batting all day for 2 days, no food allowed inside the stadium? Still, many went there. And before the Test, teams were practicing at the old stadium in Civil Lines. There were many people (far more than the number of people who went to the Test 16 km away from the city in Jamtha) watching the practice. This shows that people wanted to watch the Test (if more number of people will go to watch Practice) but the distance of the new stadium in Jamtha drove them out. Of course, arrogant Boria Majumdar will not even bother to mention or notice this fact that despite having had 7 matches in the season, people still went to the old stadium to watch practice. How many would have gone to the Test had it been played in Civil Lines! To read Boria Majumdar's third class piece click on the link:

http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/mobile.aspx?article=yes&pageid=20&edlabel=TOIM&mydateHid=03-03-2010&pubname=&edname=&articleid=Ar02000&format=&publabel=TOI

 Nagpur has always seen crowds for Test cricket, except for the last 2 Tests- in Nov 2008 against Australia and Feb 2010 against South Africa. There were different reasons for these 2.  For the faults of organisers, why should the people of Nagpur suffer, and why should Nagpur be blacklisted as a Test venue?And these causes do not include ATROCITIES ON PEOPLE, no food allowed inside the stadium, not even in polythenes, no binoculars. You can only eat the expensive food available at the stadium. No hotels or eateries anywhere close by unlike at the old stadium in Civil Lines, as Jamtha is miles away from civilization.

     The belief : "While it is a bold attempt to spread Test cricket to relatively newer centres in India, evidence suggests that the experiment is premature and needs to be abandoned immediately" is absolutely wrong and false, and the reality is exactly the opposite. It is shocking to see eminent writers like Boria Majumdar feeling like this. Firstly, no such attempts are being made since Nagpur and Mohali are both old centres and there are a mere 9 centres for Tests in India. Nagpur hosted its first Test as far back as 1969. (Now the 10th one has been added- Hyderabad). The older ones like Lucknow, Hyderabad and Jallandhar which have hosted matches earlier are now abandoned. Actually, to get crowds for Test matches, this is exactly what needs to be done. Cities like Gwalior, Indore, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Pune, Vaodara, Kochi, etc need to used as Test centres. The crowd response here is amazing in one day matches, because these cities get games only once in a few years. Even the otherwise arrogant commentators, who don't care a damn bit about spectator convenience staying in their AC commentary boxes, said during the India South Africa one-dayer in Gwalior: "Looking at the crowd response to this match and the crowd that came to watch the practice yesterday, Test cricket needs to be moved to such centres now- to get full houses". This was said by Ravi Shastri.

    If the same centres get too many matches, people's enthusiasm is reduced, and also their ability to spend.There are less centres in England and Australia. In Australia also crowds are no longer strong, and the ones that do come are because live coverage of the match is banned in the city where the match is being played unless its a full house. England is an exceptional case. It is a traditional country and though tickets are costly, they are still affordable, unlike in Nagpur where it was totally beyond the means of the people to buy them.
   This is the very reason why there are no crowds to watch Tests in South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and West Indies- because the same centres get too many matches. And as for the claim that Sachin Tendulkar got his 12,000th run in Mohali in front of an empty house in Mohali, that was because there were no daily tickets available, people had to buy for either all 5 days or none, and there was a long security check of 2 hours to get in the ground, and then one had to sit in the blazing sun to watch the game. And inside no food was allowed to be taken, no binoculars, no transistors. Why would anyone take the trouble to do all this- blow away half the month's salary to suffer all this, when he could easily watch the match on TV at home? If, instead the PCA officials had kept daily tickets, for say Rs 50, and word had spread about Sachin nearing 12,000 runs and there been no 2 hour security check, people would have come to the ground and watched the maestro get to 12,000 runs.

   The claim that traditional centres see high crowds also is not fully correct. There were only 40-45 thousand in Kolkata in 2001 in that epic game when Laxman and Dravid were on song, against its capacity of 1 lakh. We saw this Delhi also now, against West Indies. We already saw how crowds have been poor for the India England series even in one-dayers in traditional centres like Kolkata (which saw a miserable 20,000 people for the one-dayer), Mumbai etc. Of course, that was due to fatigue and overpriced tickets. The crowds for the Tests between India and South Africa in Ahmedabad and Chennai in 2008 were also not strong enough, despite the fact that they are old Test centres. Attendances have declined everywhere- in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Banglore as well where earlier you couldnt get space for an ant to move. Now you will be lucky to have the stadium half full in Mumbai and Kolkata and 80 % full in Banglore or Chennai. In traditional centres like Delhi, Kolkata and even Mumbai against West Indies in 2011, there were near-empty houses. Only in Mumbai the crowds up from Day 3, due to the 'Tendulkar magnet' to watch the man get his 100th 100 in his hometown, which he missed by just six runs.

    To get crowds in Test matches following things must be immediately done:

1- Cities presently hosting only one dayers, with adequate facilities need to be immediately used as Test centres, like Vadodara, Rajkot, Pune, Hyderabad, Jamshedpur, Guwahati, Indore, Gwalior, Kochi, and Vishakhapatnam in India and other places in the world like Gujranwala, Hyderabad in Pakistan, Darwin in Australia,and all places which currently host only one dayers in other countries. This will ensure that the same centres will not get too many matches and ensure people's enthusiasm.

2- The concept of 'tickets for all 5 days or none' must be ended immediately with daily tickets available. The prices of the tickets should be cheap- and not extravagant and concession i.e. discount should be given if someone buys for all 5 days. If in case of poor turnout, free entry can also be given.

3- Cities which earlier hosted international games but are not now being used need to be used as one day centres immediately- like Patna (which hosted a World Cup game in 1996), Amritsar, Jallandhar and Lucknow (which hosted a Test in 1993) and Vijaywada (which hosted a one day game in 2002). Some of these can also be used as Test centres. A good beginning has been made by adding Ranchi in Jharkhand and Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh as one-day centres from 2013 onwards.

4- In cases like Nagpur, where the stadium is too far away, buses need to arranged by the board, with cheap tickets. Or Tests should be played at the old stadium in the heart of the city, and one-dayers and 20-20s can be played at the new stadium 16 kilometers away, because fans can go so far for 1 day, but not all 5.

5- If none of the above 4 give desired results, then along with them, live telecast of the match should be banned in the city where the match is being played unless its a full house or 80 % full, by law.

   With our officials drunk with money and power- it is no surprise to see them not do any of the above. But what is disgusting is the reaction of the media- and the commentators. Commentators have a duty to raise the issues of the people and the media too. Instead of raising these issues which will ensure full houses they are demanding that only few centres get to host Tests. Boria Majumdar should be asked to live in Nagpur and go for Test matches so far away, the ARROGANT man who wants to take away Nagpurians rights to host Tests, ignoring all of the atrocities on Nagpurians.

   The only encouraging thing is the voicing of the opinion that there is a need to have people in the stadiums for Test cricket. May God give brain to our officials  and the media and may the above steps be implemented to ensure crowds for Tests in India- and also worldwide!

                                                                           
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Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Murali Kartik is the best spinner

Murali Kartik is the best spinner

  Indian middle-order batsman VVS Laxman had said in 2010 that the bench strength in spin bowling department in Indian cricket is a worrying sign. He is not far from the truth. But unfortunately, everybody has ignored the best spinner available in India, who in my opinion is even better than Harbhajan Singh.He has really been a victim of selectorial whims and in my opinion should go down as one the best left-arm spinners in recent times.
   
 India has a high quality spinner who is one of the best in the world, and he is not even in the reckoning! He is Murali Kartik. He is dropped for long periods and then picked again. Whenever given a chance he performs. In 2003 November, he played in the TVS Triangular Series, and was by far the best bowler. Then he played in the Mumbai Test against Australia in November 2004, and single-handedly won India the match and was also declared 'Man of the Match'. He helped India defend 107 against the powerful Australian team. But he got to play only one more Test after that, against South Africa the same month (Nov 2004), and was dropped ever since. What else is he expected to do? He ran through the most powerful team in the world, won the Man-of-the-Match award, and never played another Test after just one more Test?

  After that, he was picked in 2007 against Australia for the one-dayers, and again did very well, he in fact took 6 wickets in an innings in an ODI against Australia in Mumbai and won the game for India. He took 6/27 against the very powerful Australian side which had won 3 World Cups in a row, the last two (2003 and 2007) without losing a single game. Those figures of 6/27 are till date the best ever figures by a left-arm spinner in one-day cricket. But he only played three more one-dayers and was dropped ever since. One wonders what else is he expected to do? Instead of continuing with him, selectors again dropped him ignoring his outstanding performance. Kartik is far better than Pragyan Ojha, Amit Mishra, Piyush Chawla or even Harbhajan Singh, and he is not even being mentioned!

These videos will show how Murali Kartik bamboozled the world's most powerful team Australia in 2007 in Mumbai.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u69SGafsuBE 
and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGl9pbooJwo 

He is 37 now (as of Feb 2014), but can still play for 4-5 years more. Pravin Tambe showed how good one can be even at 42, and that age is just a number, its performance that matters. Indian media and selectors are saying: 'There is nothing beyond Chawla, Mishra and Ojha'. These people are really very short-sighted. The best spinner Murali Kartik doesn't even occur to them. During the 2009 IPL season, which was held in South Africa, Kartik played in ten matches and  he was one of the most economical bowlers, conceding only 5.91 runs per over. His performance in the 2010 IPL was also awesome, so much that even the inept commentators noticed it and it was talked if he would make it to the Indian squad for the Twenty-20 World Cup held immediately afterwards in the West Indies. His economy rate in IPL 2010 was also an excellent 6.48. English counties like Middlesex realize his worthiness and sign him up, he keeps picking up wickets in heaps in unfriendly conditions in England, but our own selectors and media can't see his worth.

  In IPL 2013, RCB were defending a very very low total of 115. Yusuf Pathan hit him for a six first ball. But Murali Kartik hit back and ended with figures of 4-0-17-1 with the wicket of Yusuf Pathan. As a proof of the fact that destiny is against him, he was dropped for the next game of RCB! But this performance was noted by cricinfo.com, so much that they gave a special article on this dual, at a time when the space of site was filled with continuous IPL games and other cricket matches. This excellent article from Siddharth Monga on Kartik's performance titled "Kartik wins in RCB's loss" can be read here.
 http://www.espncricinfo.com/indian-premier-league-2013/content/story/635554.html

   After all 6 IPLs from 2008 till 2013, his economy rate of 7.06 across 54 matches is surely the credentials of a bowler who is not easy to hit out of the park with regularity.

  Indeed as this article says: "The pitches in India are understandably at their driest during the months of April and May, when the IPL usually takes place and hence it is necessary for a team to have a crafty spinner in their ranks who can take advantage of those conditions. In that regard, Murali Kartik is the sort of bowler who can take advantage with his skill and guile, while on the other hand he can dry up the runs as well with his accurate bowling. However, the nature of T20 is such that any bowler can get clobbered once in a while but it is rare to see Kartik being taken to the cleaners by any batsman and for a spinner that is a great achievement. He can open the bowling if need be and is usually a steady bowler in the middle overs, which allows his captain to plan that part of the innings around him."

  It is also surprising that the Chairman of selectors from 2008-12, Krishnamachari Shrikanth himself being from Tamil Nadu, the same state as Murali Kartik, did not seem to have noticed this man's talent. English commentators doing commentary in England for the domestic county cricket have also wondered many times as to why Murali Kartik is not playing for India. One of them rated Kartik as one of the top 3 spinners in the world. Micheal Holding, Mike Atherton, Nick Knight etc all see his worth, but not our media, commentators and selectors.

  I heard Sanjay Manjrekar say in 2010-11 that Pragyan Ojha is like Venkatpathy Raju, (complementing Anil Kumble in the 1990s). Venkatpathy Raju too was a victim of selectorial whims, could have played much more than he did. Murali Kartik is much more like Raju than Ojha. He has been a victim. Ojha has been lucky.
 
   Really, looking at the injustice done to this man, I feel that I want him to be picked in the Indian team more than he does! May God give brain to the selectors and the commentators, and the media, and may Kartik be picked to serve Team India for another few years.
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