India Cricket news

Dravid buoyed by Lord's nostalgia

London: As India and England get ready to lock horns in the 100th Test between the two sides on Thursday at Lord's, one of India's most successful Test batsman Rahul Dravid relives some of his fond memories from the home of cricket.

The senior batsman made his Test debut at Lord's 15 years ago during India's 1996 tour.

"Personally, it has very special memories. In a strange way you feel at home here, it's a place which truly understands history and tradition of the game.

"That 95 which I scored (on debut) meant a lot to me. I had played five years of first class cricket and scored a lot of runs. But I wouldn't have given odds to play for the country, given the team we had.

"A few injuries presented me with an opportunity. I knew this one was the only one or it would be back to domestic cricket where everyone scores a lot of runs. It was very tough," he recollected.

"I remember, I was on 50 not out and walking across the Lord's with Srinath that evening. I realized it was a very significant innings and had given me some more breathing space. I never expected it to lead to anything, certainly not that 15 years later I would be talking about it here."

Talking about the upcoming series between the top two Test teams, Dravid termed the contest as a fight between the bowling attack of the two sides.

"They have a good attack; they have improved since we last played them. We respect them but we know we can also play well. It might be the contest (which decides the series)," Dravid told the mediapersons on Tuesday.

England's three-pronged attack of James Anderson, Chris Tremlett and Stuart Broad along with off-spinner Graeme Swann commands a lot of respect from opposition while India has great players like Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Dravid himself. The trio share 99 Test centuries between them.

"The two teams have played well over the last few years.

We are very proud of our record at both home and away and England has a great record too. It surely gives the edge to the series," commented Dravid.

The stylish right-hander believes it is important that his side gets off to a good start, something which can set the tune for the high-profile series.

"It's important we start off well. We do realize that sometimes it hasn't been as good as we would like it to be. We want to start well for it can make a big difference."

Dravid recognized his role in the team was to lay the platform on which a few of the more exciting stroke-makers of his team could build a huge edifice.

"With the advent of one-day and Twenty20 cricket, a lot of shots are played which is fantastic and great to watch.

But every team has players with specific roles, specific skills and you need all kind of them. Men like Jonathan Trott have similar kind of role that me and Gautam perform. Men like Viru, Sachin and Laxman are more expressive stroke-players.

You know it takes all kind of players to make a good team."

Indians had a disappointing outing against Somerset but Dravid said it wouldn't unduly worry his team.

"It can happen sometimes in tour games. Having come from the West Indies and worked hard for runs, you could experiment in such games and play too many shots.

"But we have learnt our lessons and have the skill levels to bounce back."

Inevitably, questions on coach Duncan Fletcher were asked and if he was fitting in well with the Indian team.

"He has a calming influence and just speaking to him you know he's someone who has seen a lot of situations, batsmen, techniques.

"He still feel his way a little bit for besides the ones who were in the West Indies, others have been around with him for only 3-4 days."

The Lord's Test is the 100th between England and India, as well as the 2000th of the Test history but Dravid isn't the one to go misty-eyed at the forthcoming milestones.

"I know a lot of stats and numbers are floating around this Test. Frankly, it makes no difference to you when you walk out into the middle and face the first ball.

"You never think about stats and try to do as best as you can," he concluded.

How India won three Test series in England

New Delhi: In about 24 hours the cricketing world will tune in to the most anticipated Test match, at least in this decade. The last time India toured England in 2007, they won the three-match series 1-0 and with this tour signalling the probable farewell of some of India's top performers, everyone's rooting for an encore.

India, who were till 1971 considered as poor travellers, changed drastically under the inspired leadership of Ajit Wadekar. That year, India won two overseas series - in England and in the West Indies.

Both were landmark victories and went a long way in boosting the morale of the Indian team, giving them a belief that they could win abroad.

The first series win against England in 1971 was not just about leadership, but also about stellar performances from individuals and India's spin sensation of Bishan Singh Bedia, Bhagwat Chandrashekhar and Srinivas Venkatraghavan.

Here's how the 1971 series was won:

1st Test at Lord's - July 22 to 26

England: 304 and 191

India: 313 and 145/8

Result: Match Drawn

Full Scorecard

2nd Test at Manchester - Aug 5 to 9

England: 386 and 245/3 declared

India: 212 and 65/3

Result: Match Drawn

Full Scorecard

3rd Test at The Oval - Aug 19 to 23

England: 355 and 101

India: 284 and 174/6

Result: India won by 4 wickets

Full Scorecard

It took India another 15 years for India to win their second Test series in England. The hero for India this time was Dilip Vengsarkar, who scored his third successive hundred at Lord's. It remains to date India's lone Test win at the Lord's. India drove home the point in the second Test as well and took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series.

Here's how the 1986 series was won:

1st Test at Lord's: June 5 to 10

England: 294 and 180

India: 341 and 136/5

Result: India won by 5 wickets

Full Scorecard

2nd Test at Lord's: June 19 to 23

India: 272 and 237

England: 102 and 128

Result: India won by 279 runs

Full Scorecard

3rd Test at Birmingham: July 3 to 8

England: 390 and 235

India: 390 and 174/5

Result: Match Drawn

Full Scorecard

If the 15-year gap was a long one, the third series win for India took even longer. It took 21 years before a new-look Indian team won the series 1-0 to drive home a point. The The series will be remembered for Zaheer Khan's superlative show that won him the Man of the Series award and Anil Kumble's maiden Test hundred in the third Test.

1st Test at Lord's: July 19 to 23

England: 298 and 282

India: 201 and 282/9

Result: Match Drawn

Full Scorecard

2nd Test at Nottingham: July 27 to 31

England: 198 and 355

India: 481 and 73/3

Result: India won by 7 wickets

Full Scorecard

3rd Test at The Oval: Aug 9 to 13

India: 664 and 180/6 declared

England: 345 and 369/6

Result: Match Drawn

Full Scorecard

Dhoni, not Tendulkar the dangerman: Swann

London: When everyone is waiting with earnestness to see Sachin Tendulkar scoring his 100th international century in what could be the 2000th Test in the history of the game and 100th Test match between India and England, spinner Graeme Swann said the home team should not waste too much of an effort to plan against the little master but focus more on opposition skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Though Swann acknowledged the threat Sachin has been giving to the opposition teams over the years, focusing only on him will be a big mistake, feels the English tweaker.

"I think it would be very risky to focus all our energies on Sachin Tendulkar," Swann was quoted as saying by English daily The Telegraph. "Sure, he's the best player in the modern generation and his record speaks for itself. But if we focus on him there could be someone sneaking in the back door to take it away from us.

Terming Dhoni as the key man in the Indian line up, Swann illustrated the fact that the ability of the Indian skipper to lead from the front makes him the dangerman for the English side.

"In Dhoni they’ve possibly got the most charismatic player India have ever had, given the sway he holds in that country. I think he's a more important member of the team than any other player because he leads from the front and is a very dangerous cricketer. If we can get at anyone I think he's the key man."

The Indian captain averages 33 against England, which includes four half-centuries in 13 innings he has played against them. But Dhoni is not just capable of playing match-winning knocks but also has an ability of digging in to save a match if needed. It was evident from the timely innings (76 not out) he played in his last outing at Lord's to save the match for India.

Ind-Eng: The stats that go India's way

New Delhi: Going back in time, or rather making a complete mockery of it, Hollywood blockbuster, ‘The Curious case of Benjamin Button’ was quite simply a work of art in exhibiting the concept of rewinding or going backwards.

It probably goes without saying that Lord’s would have to be the venue for such an occasion, it was 79 years ago that the home of cricket played host to the first ever Test match between the Indians and their former colonists in 1932.    

 The wheel in fact has turned full circle which makes it worthwhile to relive some of the memories of India’s landmark Tests against the English.

While very few parallels can be drawn between a sporting event and a motion picture, 21st July 2011 will witness a historic development as England take on India in the 100th Test between the two sides, which incidentally is also the 2000th international match in the traditional form of the game.

Inaugural Test: India under CK Nayudu took on the England side captained by Douglas Jardine at Lord’s from June 25-29 in 1932.

Jardine who was to mastermind the infamous ‘bodyline’ series against Australia later that year led by example scoring 79 and 85 not out as the hosts won comprehensively by 158 runs.

(Scores: England – 259 and 275, India – 189 and 187)

India’s first Test win against England: The M Chidambaram stadium at Chennai or Madras as it was then known was the scene for India’s maiden Test victory over England.

Pankaj Roy and Polly Umrigar both scored centuries and Vinoo Mankad took 12/108 as India hammered England by an innings and eight runs in the February 6-10 fixture during the 1951-52 series.

(Scores: England – 266 and 183, India – 457/9 declared)

With this win India also managed to draw the five match affair 1-1 after the visitors had triumphed in the penultimate Test at Kanpur. The first three matches of the series were drawn.

India’s first series win over England: India won a Test series for the first time against England with a 128 run victory at Madras (Nehru stadium) in January 1962.

Nawab of Pataudi’s (Jr) 103 in the first innings and chinaman bowler, Salim Durani’s ten wicket haul were largely responsible for India’s win.

(Scores: India – 428 and 190, England – 281 and 209)

The final scoreline for the series was 2-0 in favour of India as the hosts had also won the fourth Test at the Eden Gardens. The first three Tests of the series were drawn.

India’s first Test and series win in England: India scored the perfect double during by winning the third and final match of the 1971 series at the Oval.

India won the series 1-0 after their first ever Test victory on English soil.

BS Chandreshekhar took eight wickets in the match and was well supported by the other spinners in the pack, Bishan Singh Bedi and S. Venkataraghavan.

(Scores: England – 355 and 101, India – 284 and 174)

India’s whitewash of England: India blanked the English 3-0 in the 1992-93 series after winning the third and final Test at Mumbai by an innings and 15 runs.

The highlight of the match was Vinod Kambli’s double hundred which went a long way in the home team’s thumping win.

The Indian spin trio of Anil Kumble, Venkatpathy Raju and Rajesh Chauhan had the measure of the England batsmen throughout the series and the story was no different at the Wankhede stadium.

(Scores: England – 347 and 229, India – 591)

Lord's Test awaits Sachin's 100th hundred

New Delhi: The contest between the two hottest teams in international cricket at the home of cricket will not just go down as a colossal clash. The first Test beginning from July 21 at Lord's will be the 2000th Test in the history of the game and will mark a century of clashes between India and England.                                                                                                                              

After the thrilling drawn game in the ICC World Cup against India, England will be eager to set the record straight after inflicting a 1-0 Test series defeat on Sri Lanka, sounding a loud and clear warning to India that they will have to grind out the results against a buoyant English team.

Over the years, tours to England have brought fond memories to Indians. They recorded their first ever Test-series win over the 'Three' Lions in 1971. Yet another unique record will be made as the second Test will be the 50th face-off between India and England on English soil.

It has been about four months since the world has been waiting for the mother of all records to be made by the best batsman ever to play the game of cricket. If Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar reaches the magical three-figure mark at Lord's, that would be the 100th time in his international career he would have done so. His last effort that took him to the 99th came in a losing cause against South Africa in the 2011 ICC World Cup.

Not only will Sachin reach the pinnacle of the number of centuries in cricket, he would have also then made the most number of hundreds in England. He is at present level with batting legend Dilip Vengsarkar with four tons in England.

'The Wall' Rahul Dravid, who has been a thorn in the flesh of the English team many a time, will complete 1000 runs in England, with 'Jammy' only being 85 runs away from the four-figure mark.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who achieved the 400-wicket mark in the Carribbean, is nine wickets away from reaching the half-century mark against England.

Dhoni's World Cup bat fetches 100,000 GBP

London: Mahendra Singh Dhoni's bat, which declared India World Cup winners with a six on April 2 this year, has been bought by an Indian investment group RK Global for 100,000 GBP (Rs. 72 lakh) at an auction held at a London hotel on Monday.                            Against Sri Lanka in the World Cup final, Dhoni scored the winning runs for India with a six. Since then, the bat has generated huge interest among cricket fans. In all, Dhoni - promoting himself up the order - scored 91 not-out runs and was also declared the 'Man of the Macth.'                                                            India won the final by six wickets, chasing down the 275-run target even though they had lost openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar early in the run-chase.                                   Also at the auction which raised 450,000 pounds, Sacha Jafri's Original Artwork also went under the hammer.                                                                                                                                       Jafri, one of the most celebrated artists of the world, was commissioned to create the official painting to commemorate Dhoni's historic World Cup winning team as well as the unprecedented achievements of "arguably the greatest batsman of all time" - Sachin Tendulkar.                                                                                                                                                        The painting, which includes hand-prints and signatures from some of the games' greatest players including the likes of Ricky Ponting, Andrew Flintoff, Allan Border and Lasith Malinga, went for 250,000 pounds.                                                                                                                                        A bound copy of the original script of Bollywood blockbuster '3 Idiots' went for 17,500 pounds.

With this, Dhoni launched his charitable foundation, 'Winning Ways Today for Tomorrow', at the function.

Dhoni said the charity was already launched in India in March last year and has helped cricket flourish in areas where children hail from poor socio-economic backgrounds.

"The charity will look to continue its dedication to improving children's accessibility to cricket by building a sports academy where children will be able to develop their talents across a whole range of disciplines," he said.

Citing his own example, Dhoni said he was 18 when in 1999-2000, he was approached by a Public Sector Undertaking and provided with three new cricket balls, bat and pad.

"That helped me groom. In just four years, there was change in me because of the infrastructure," he said.

He said the new sports academy in Ranchi for which the Jharkhand Government has allocated a plot of land, will enable children of all backgrounds to hone their skills.                     

"There are also plans for a housing complex to be built next to the academy which would serve as accommodation for students and staff working at the academy."

IndiantrioawaittheirlasthurrahinEngland

London: At the twilight of their incredible careers, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman could be touring England for one last time. The batting trio has been a force behind India's rise to World No.1 Test team and their improved overseas record.    When they play at Lord's on Thursday in the first Test, which will also the 2,000th Test match and 100th between the two nations, they will have new barriers to cross.                     The British media has already written realms about the much-anticipated series, diagnosing every small aspect of both teams like a surgeon's scalpel. The anticipation has been built not only around the series but also the three Indian stalwarts and their exploits in the bygone decade.                                                                                                                                                  Tendulkar, since his first Test century, a match-saving 119 at Old Trafford in the summer of 1990 when he was still only 17, has assumed cult status here. It will be a perfect setting for the 'genius' to get to his 100th international century at Lord's.                                                  The 'wall' or the 'builder' Dravid, who made 95 on debut at Lord's in the match where Sourav Ganguly began his fairytale journey with a maiden hundred, is held in high esteem for his rock solid defence and impregnable temperament. He, Tendulkar and Ganguly were instrumental in the Headingley victory of 2002.

Laxman is still to score a century in England, something he would like to achieve in this tour. But the 'artist' rules the heart of fans and media here by virtue of his dominating performance against Australia.

They were not in great touch when India toured last time in 2007. Dravid's form dipped with captaincy and he managed just 126 runs. Laxman averaged 50, but without any century. Tendulkar had only two half-centuries. Now they are back to show their class one last time.

The Guardian compared the trio with the three Ws - Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Clyde Walcott and Sir Everton Weekes.

"Since the three Ws played a pivotal role in West Indies's emergence as a cricket power, it is hard to think of three batting contemporaries who have had such an impact on a nation's cricket fortunes as India's middle order. They have been slotted into boxes that they each dislike - the genius, the builder and the artist - but for 15 years, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman have been united by a common purpose," it said.

"With more than 35,000 Test runs and 99 centuries between them, they have helped define Indian cricket's most successful era."                                                                                                  When Laxman made his debut in November 1996, India were far from being cricket's pre-eminent power. India were hard to beat on spin-friendly surfaces at home, but they found the going tough away from home.                                                                                                             India had produced great batsmen before them, most notably Sunil Gavaskar and the two Vijays, Merchant and Hazare. "But away from home comforts, their task usually involved digging trenches and saving face."                                                                                                      "Half the India's 110 Test wins have come in the period after Laxman's debut. Before then, India had won 13 of 139 Tests overseas. Since, they have triumphed in 24 of 83. In the last decade, when they came into their own, they have won more (22) than they have lost (19) away."                                                                                                                                                          Under John Wright as coach and Ganguly as captain, India started to hold their own in alien conditions. Victory in Pakistan for the first time (in 2004) was the pinnacle of that era, but once Wright gave way to Greg Chappell, the scenario changed.

They found inspiration in different ways under Gary Kirsten. Dravid scored a career-saving century against England at Mohali (2008), while Tendulkar put together the most prolific year of his career in 2010.                                                                                                                  Laxman has enjoyed two of the best years of his career, battling crippling back problems to script epic victories against Sri Lanka, Australia and South Africa in the last 12 months.                      "Like the three Ws, who made their debuts within a month of each other in 1948 - they have achieved all this without the clash of egos that can often tear a team of big personalities apart."

Dhoni's WC winning bat to be auctioned

Taunton: Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's prized willow, which won India the World Cup will go under the hammer in a five-star hotel in London on Monday.                                                                                          The aim is to raise funds for his wife's charitable organisation, Sakshi Foundation, for the under-privileged children of the society.                                                                                                                                Dhoni's bat is likely to ensure massive interest among cricket enthusiasts for the winning runs of the title triumph came via a crunching six off it.                                                                                                               Till he made that match-winning 91, Dhoni wasn't in the best of nick in the World Cup, but promoted himself in the title clash and got his runs off just 79 balls.                                                                                                       India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final in Mumbai, chasing down a target of 275 for the loss of four wickets with 10 balls to spare.                                                                                                                    Besides the bat, most of Dhoni's cricketing gear used in the final will be put up for auction.               

Yuvraj to make way for Raina for Lord's Test

Taunton: More experienced he might be, but Yuvraj Singh could still be forced to make way for an in-form Suresh Raina when India decide their playing XI for the opening cricket Test against England starting July 21 at the Lord's.                                                                                         Suresh Raina, also a left-hander but five years younger to Yuvraj, is all set to be rewarded for his consistency and will play on the hallowed turf of Lord' -- an honour that has eluded Yuvraj in his nine-year-old Test career.                                                                                                         Lord's was the venue of India's greatest triumph outside World Cup when it chased down a target of 326 set by England in the 2002 Natwest Trophy and in which Yuvraj had played a critical knock of 69 runs.                                                                                                                         This innings came within a fortnight of India sinking England at Lord's by six wickets but even then, Yuvraj had shone brightly with an unbeaten 64.

Yuvraj was India's hero in India's triumphant run in recent World Cup with 362 runs at an average of 90.50, to go with his 15 wickets at 25.13 average.

Raina, meanwhile, has worked hard to usurp the middle-order batting slot including the revised impression that he was a sitting duck against short-pitched deliveries.

The lifting deliveries had threatened to put a pause to Raina's nascent Test career when he was dropped for the remaining two Tests against South Africa after making 5 and 1 from the two innings of the Centurion Test in the 2010-2011 series.

His career so far has been in contrast to the one of Yuvraj. While he has made the most of his opportunity, Yuvraj has squandered most of his even though the latter is widely regarded as more talented of the two left-handers.

To be fair, Yuvraj never really got a decent Test run, except for nine Tests in 2006 when he made meager returns of 391 runs with just one century and no half century.

Misfortune hasn't helped Yuvraj for it was his flu which provided Raina with a Test debut in Sri Lanka last year.                                                                                                                                                    Recently, it was a respiratory problem which stopped him from going to the Caribbean, preceding the present series.

Yuvraj's fine record of 276 runs from four Tests at an average of 46.00 against England hasn't added to argument in his favour because all these matches were played at home.                         His left-arm spin is considered a potent threat against England's impact player Kevin Pietersen but it's deemed as an additional virtue and not the primary one of weighing in with runs.

Bedi to coach Jammu and Kashmir Ranji team.

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Assocation (JKCA) on Sunday roped in legendary spinner Bishen Singh Bedi to coach the state's Ranji and under-22 teams on a three-year contract.

"We have signed a contract with one of the greatest left-arm spinners (Bedi) to coach our upcoming cricketers and inspire our senior cricketers to achieve excellence," JKCA president Farooq Abdullah told reporters.

Abdullah said Bedi and his team will be coaching the Ranji team and the Under-22 of the state while coaches from the state will be associated with the former India captain.

"Our coaches will also learn from the wealth of his experience and then they can pass it on to local cricketers," he said.

Bedi, who was also present at the press conference, will begin his three-year deal with JKCA from August 1 this year.

He said the main aim during his stint with JKCA will be to turn the state team from just participants to competitors.

"They are not going to (just) participate anymore.

They will compete," the former India captain said.

"We will be taking these players to others cities to familiarise with conditions there so that they can adapt to changing conditions (during competitions)," he added.

Bedi said he was pleased to know that the JKCA was working on providing the right kind of infrastructure to the players from the state.

Asked what the players from the state lacked, he said, "I would rather focus on what they need. If they need a gym, then they should get it and if they need a video analyst, he should be made available."

Cricketers pained by Mumbai blasts.                                                                                 The shadow of the blasts in Mumbai could be felt in the reaction of the Indian cricket team here for the England tour. The players, with concerned looks, were anxious to gather the latest information about the situation while returning from their practice. “It’s very sad wherever it.                                                                                                                                                    happens, whether in an Indian city or outside. I hope such things don't happen in future.           Mumbai has shown great resilience in the past whenever such things have happened. We’re really hopeful that they’ll show the same spirit,” said skipper MS Dhoni.                                                                                                                                                                      “We are very sad and offered prayers for the victims. The most important thing in such moments is to stay united,” said S Sreesanth.                                                                                                         A senior official felt it would be better to ignore such gruesome incidents. “They (the terrorists) thrive on getting publicity; it is what they aim to achieve, get noticed and create panic. It is better if their cowardly acts are completely ignored,” he said.                

Bedi, Manjrekar peeved by MCA poll results

                                                                                                            Mumbai: Twenty-five English summers ago, Dilip Vengsarkar helped India achieve a historic 2-0 Test series win against England. His England-made Gunn and Moore bat proved too broad for the Englishmen way back then, but on Friday, in his stiffest off-field test, he was dismissed by a section of the cricketing fraternity from his own city.                                                                                                                                                    They opted to vote for a politician to head the Mumbai Cricket Association, which he served as vice-captain for over a decade.                                                                                                                                                 Former CM Vilasrao Deshmukh pipped Vengsarkar at the Wankhede Stadium to become the new MCA president.

Vengsarkar's first India captain Bishan Singh Bedi lashed out at the outcome, "To me, there is no winner, only one loser, Mumbai cricket. Somehow politicians come together while cricketers fall apart.

"This is a great tragedy for Mumbai cricket because Vengsarkar will not be in a mood to get involved with the association."

Bedi was also disappointed to hear that a few politicians were seen at the MCA elections. "What were they doing there when the city is reeling from the bomb blasts?" he asked.

Vengsarkar's former Dadar Union Sporting Club, Mumbai and India teammate Sanjay Manjrekar told MiD DAY, "I told him (Vengsarkar) before the elections that I am proud of him, no matter what the result. Winning elections against seasoned politicians is not easy."

Sehwag likely to miss first two Tests against England

Taunton: India's opening batsman Virender Sehwag is yet to recover from his shoulder injury and is likely to miss the first two Tests against England.
Sehwag, who underwent a shoulder surgery after the Indian Premier League (IPL), is supposed to join the team a fortnight later and coach Duncan Fletcher hoped the Delhi dasher would be fit for the third and the fourth Test.

"We've heard that he'll be over here for maybe the third and fourth Test, so we're crossing our fingers for that," Fletcher was quoted as saying by Cricinfo.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted that Sehwag's absence would be a big loss for the team. Dhoni, however, backed Abhinav Mukund to forge an effective partnership with Gautam Gambhir at the top of the order.

"As far as Virender Sehwag is concerned, there aren't many cricketers in the world who can have the impact he can. Of course, we'll miss him, but the good thing for Indian cricket is it gives a chance to a youngster like Mukund who can have a look at international cricket and see what areas he needs to improve. Viru will be back at some point, but it's good to have Gautam back as well."

"We are a side that relies on our openers quite a bit. If we get off to a good start, then we can really capitalise with the middle order we have," said Dhoni.


Scoring 100th ton not on Sachin's mind

A billion-plus fans in India would be expecting a record 100th ton when Sachin Tendulkar walks out to bat against England in the first cricket Test at Lord's but that is the last thing on the batting maestro's mind as he simply wants to enjoy during the tour.