anil kumble is aint good for the wc squad. may be the selectors have shown sympathy on the retiring cricketer. zaheer should keep performing despite his 5 wicket haul. actually its a pity that he has taken a long time to acheive this feat. hope he can keep talking wickets in a big way and make it as a habit.
RE:Shewag
by Rohit Kanade on Feb 14, 2007 07:29 PM Permalink
He seems to be getting such peaches for quite some time now. Its time he take a break and let other players handle such peaches now ( not taking away anything for his brilliant past performances ). I just pray he does not play foul with our WC plans by blocking the most important position.
RE:Shewag
by umesh - pillai on Feb 14, 2007 07:24 PM Permalink
Dear Binu, Only one reason-The attitude. Look at Dhoni's innings today. Its not that he couldnt have gone for a fire work,but he just played according to the situation or rather the team's interest. It is evident that the committment is missing with Sehwag. We need someone canm play for the interest of the team..
sehwag is aint going to improve his game unless he adjusts well to the situation in a given match situation. he has been a repeated failure all thru his odi career besides some good knocks at times. but this is not expected of an opening batsman. an opening batsman shouls score well atleast 6 out of 10 times. sehwag is good only at 3 down. wot great thing did shewag do all these years by opening?
Recently I read an article that about Sachin's average and contribution. This is just another example when India wins when all play well sans sachin. Recently when Sachin plays India losses most of the time. So hope everyone can understand which is important like average or winning!
RE:Winning more important than averages!
by ANIL SAMAL on Feb 14, 2007 07:08 PM Permalink
please see yhe last worldcup matches... only of sachin india went to worldcup final. only final sachin failed and so the india team.
RE:RE:Winning more important than averages!
by maharajan arumugam on Feb 14, 2007 07:48 PM Permalink
Not only in Final with Australia. He scared about facing Mc Grath. You see tendulkar average against Aussie with mc Grath and Without Mc Grath. Without Mc Grath he scored so many centuries, with Mc Grath he scored so many zeroes
RE:RE:RE:Winning more important than averages!
by geetha jaganathan on Feb 14, 2007 09:48 PM Permalink
Hi Maharajan Arumugam,
Sachin scored 110 (his first ODI Century)came against AUS with Mcgrath and India won by 31 runs. Mcgrath went for 45 off his 6 overs in that match as he was hit all over the park by Sachin in his initial spell.
Sachin scored 139 off just 120 balls against AUS with Mcgrath in Indore in 1998 which India won by 118 runs.
Sachin is the only batsman who blasted Mcgrath for 3 SIXES in any ODI in world cricket.(that match was also won by India - 1998 Champions Trophy)
Here is the sachin's other knocks against AUS with Mcgrath
Sachin Scored 88 in 1996 in Titan cup match no 3 and India WON that match by chasing a target of 216.The next highest score was 30 by srinath(a good knock in the end)
Sachin scored 62 off just 60 balls in the match no 9 in titan cup in 1996 against AUS with mcgrath.Ind WON that match too.
Sachin blasted 47 off just 40 balls aginst AUS with mcgrath in NZ in 1995 and India won that match by chasing.Mcgrath bowling figures was 40 off 5 overs in his initial spell.
Sachin scored 90 off just 84 balls in 1996 Worldcup agsinst AUS with mcgrath who had a bowling figures of 42 off his intial 5 overs again.Despite his vital knock India lost that game by 10 runs or so.
For your kind information, Sachin has an average of 45 Vs AUS with Mcgrath and 48 without Mcgrath.What is big difference that u found?
Also Sachin has so many test centuries against AUS with Mcgrath.
So Please get enlightened soon about sachin's dominance over Mcgrath though the later also has won a few battles against him and dont spam this forum just because you know some english.
RE:Winning more important than averages!
by ameya patil on Feb 14, 2007 11:05 PM Permalink
Kindly read articles about Lara's average and contribution and winning of WI team in ODI. No WI complained and let him play as he likes to. Only we like to make balance sheet of players than enjoy there performances. its same with player like Dhanraj in Hockey. At least Sachin survived in the biased regionalist and divided indian society .
there never will be another cricketer like ganguly, maybe his test record in not great but he compensated that with his captaincy and winning tests in foreign shores. Come to ODI, I can see only Tendulkar, and Jasuriya above him. However in sheer mental strength and fighting spirit, I dont put any1 above him. No1 can come back after being dropped for a long period 2 times in his career. When I see him play, one thing I learn is that one has to belive in himself and fight it out. I guess he has a lot burning inside him these days but its disguised by a calmness. Sample the war cry he gave today after taking that wonderful catch. Hats off to him and thank you ganguly for confiming my belief that there is a lot to learn from sports.
RE:Ganguly is the best
by navin kumar on Feb 14, 2007 08:17 PM Permalink
u better start following australian cricket!u would find many more inspiring cricketers who r well above our indian cricketers!
Replies form my last message indicates most want Saurav & Sachin to open. When both are in good form like now, they have to open. No1 knows better than the two when to attack and when to defend if bowling is good. Tendulkar can play freely when he gets support at the other end which ganguly can give, if wickets keep falling tendulkar goes into a shell. most time the two will survive till 10-12 overs and build a platform of 70 runs for others to follow. I remember Gavaskar commenting that your best 2 batsmen and in form must open in ODI.
its really a good come back by indian team....specially dhoni is showing more responsibilities.....we need a strong middle order and early wickets frm our fast bowlers to win world cup....
RE:RE:Dravid-The wall
by navin kumar on Feb 15, 2007 09:29 AM Permalink
yeah we know that u r a bengali n we r not surptised to see such stupid n non sense comment! chill!
Hello Nasar, Bharat and Suresh, It isn't just enough to appreciate a game, and criticize at will, at length, and re-do. There should be something for introspections.
I am quite sure, the same person, who has been dumping his contempt against Viru, is going to appreciate him, on his performing well in the WC. We don't know what's up there. Most of us aren't even colony level players. Most of us don't know what real technique is. Most of us can't just dive. Most of us really really are sure to fail, even in a inter house match, if put under the same kind of pressure. Just give a thought.
Sehwag, as I've stated previously, is experienced, isn't quite technically equipped, but has a good head on his shoulders. And, most of the team knows this fact. Its a rule not to be speaking out before the media. There lies something in the humane qualities of the cricketers as well. Some love good brains to be in the team, rather then them being thrown out. And Sehwag has every right to be in.
I am confident, as Dravid himself says, that India can make this WC, if three of their batsmen and three of their bowlers do sufficient work. As the law of averages states, India cannot have all six of their batsmen contribute, as this simply hasn't happened in the past. But, we won the trophy once, we made the finals twice. So, may be, Dravid is going to make up for the lost batsmen, and Sreesanth or Zaheer or Munaf, need to make up for the lost seamer. I'm not confident about Sachin. Sachin is, true to the heart, a wonderful player. But, his consistency is a matter. If he does well throught, we are the one.
Don't worry much about the fielding. Excepting a couple, we are sharp fielders, though not great divers.
RE:What the heck then?
by Manohar Prabhu on Feb 14, 2007 07:15 PM Permalink
I have not read what Nasar, Bharat and Suresh wrote, but from your write up I can guess so. I do agree that Viru is one of the best one day batsman India ever had, but the fact is he is not scoring runs. India needs to send the best team for WC and he does not fit in properly. It would have been better if he was given the same treatment as it was given to Ganguly, who today has come back as a better batsman than he was when was dropped. Viru should have been given a longer stint in domestic cricket and then brought back. Now it is too late. As for the fielding bit, I beg to differ. We have only one player in the best quality i.e. Yuvraj Singh. In WC, especially in the final stages where every run counts, it is the fielding that is going to make the difference.
Another thing, I have not played cricket even at colony level, but I have been following cricket right from the time Pataudi Jr was the captain. Please note that K.N.Prabhu's and Harsha Bogle's comments are also appriciated by international cricketers.
RE:RE:What the heck then?
by TRINATH A on Feb 14, 2007 09:38 PM Permalink
Hi Manohar,
Your comments were gracious. Yes, whatever you've said about Saurav is entirely apt. But, Saurav was sacked under different circumstances. And more so, there is something called "Winner's curse". Saurav was most successful of the Indian Captains, may be ... But he's come good now.
But just to your information, Saurav was pretty freaky, at that point of time, and he got used to extremities of cowardice in his batting display, which something Greg doesn't like.
Greg was after Sehwag too, right from the point he took charges. He was after Bajji and Yuvi too. But, you know, all three of these had something in common, which Saurav (at that point of time) lacked. U guess what it was and is. They just don't panic. Just don't panic.
Nice to know that you've been following cricket from so long. Would like to know more regarding cricket's history from you. I, too, am a great fan of Harsha, got to know later that he's from IIMA, which made me a much greater fan. I luv Prem Panicker's analyses.
