People can come up with 62 million reasons why the team lost, but the main reason I believe why we lost is because there is lack of unity in the team. We can clearly see that there is no entusiasm in the field as well as harmony among the players. Something is telling in their faces that they are divided into groups and do not acknowledge their team members sucess. I partley believe this is also because of ganguly (having differences with Chappel and was forced to be included in the team and chappel and ganguly disgustures towards each other sends a message to the team. Here itself the harmony is broken). If there is no unity, there is no way to succeed. Also the second reason I believe for this terrible performance is lack of singles. INDIAN's had no intention of taking singles. All they were looking for are big shots which is senseless. Ganguly's stike rate for example has sent a ripple effect and pressure on the whole team. We need singles and energy in the team.
RE:REPLACE DRAVID WITH DADA
by Rairankandath Satish on Mar 27, 2007 02:12 AM Permalink
There is a lot written about Bengalis, Maharashtrians, Kannadigas, etc. in these columns. Are we looking at some regional cricketing outfits or for rebuilding a National Cricket team beyond these narrow partisan mentality.
Again it is sick to hear about tigers, lions, etc as we talk of our cricketers. It is like showing disrespect to the animal kingdom as a whole. Let us refrain from giving any titles to these current fallen heroes.
RE:REPLACE DRAVID WITH DADA
by preetham selva on Mar 27, 2007 02:35 AM Permalink
Ganguli should go home , since he came back there is uncertainity in the team , he is playing Mind Games.
RE:REPLACE DRAVID WITH DADA
by hemant chadha on Mar 27, 2007 12:50 AM Permalink
ya by getting runs with less than 50% strike rate. he should be kicked out of the team.
RE:REPLACE DRAVID WITH DADA
by ronald noel saldanha on Mar 27, 2007 03:10 AM Permalink
dont use word 'Tiger' with Dada. you are insulting a brave animal. its better Bengal Fox.
This guy is wrong. No failure of tact or strategy can be the reason of defeat. Question of failure arises only when there is tact or strategy. Nono of these things existed ever in Dravid Chappel regime.
Secondly,Ganguly inherited a battered team torn by match fixing controversies which even Sachin refused to lead. He hand picked players like Yuvraj, Kaif, Nehra, Balaji, Zaheer, Harbhajan. He insisted Sreenath to stay on. He made effective use of Kumble Laxman in suitable situations and pitches. Even Dravid was a very shaky and slow one day player. Gangly protected him from being dropped and lost. He even made him to keep wicket just to justify his place in the team. Dravid Chappel from day one started disturbing the rythm of the Indian team. The team hand picked by Ganguly fetched initial good results for Dravid also. As time passed by the entire enthusiasm evaporated. Everybody became shaky. None was sure about his position. All suffered from identity crisis. Pathan was destroyed in the process. So many mistakes they have committed it would be another Mahabharat. Only foolish regional robots like would disagree with me. Ganguly used his limited strength brilliantly. He knew how to get what from his team mates. He used his brain in field setting ball changing. He encouraged everybody to perform. Dravid is no no way near Ganguly, you must admit today after the debacle.
RE:No failure of tact or strategy
by Faceless Spirit on Mar 27, 2007 07:34 AM Permalink
Ganguly is a different material different mindset. After all said and done his WC average is 60 runs per match. In the 2007 WC his average was 53.6. That of Dravid was 27. Do nt even think about comparing the two. There is a gulf of difference between the two.
RE:[object]
by Indra Sengupta on Mar 27, 2007 07:36 AM Permalink
Yes while one is god another is a servant butler One is the ruler and another is the ruled.
RE:RE:No failure of tact or strategy
by ad on Mar 27, 2007 01:57 AM Permalink
ganguly protected dravid initially...OMG haa haa ROFL...i guess ganguly was captaining india when Dravid made his debut in 1996
RE:No failure of tact or strategy
by CricketLover on Mar 27, 2007 03:56 AM Permalink
For your information, Ganguly was NOT the captain in 1996. He and Dravid made their test debut together in 1996 in England. India did not play well and did not deserve to be in 2nd round. Even if they had gone to 2nd round, they would have been thrashed soundly by Aus, SA, NZ and perhaps WI (notwithstanding the warm up game win by India). During the last 1 year, India lost every 1 day series played abroad. Indian batting is suspect on helpful conditions, pace bowling average at best (I think Dilharo Fernando, who is not even a regular in SL side is much better than any of the Indian pace bowlers - he bowls consistently at 140 and swings both ways) and fielding is hopelessly bad. Harbhajan is vastly overrated bowler. This guy cannot take wickets on normal pitches and always needs spin friendly wickets. So on what basis was the expectation that they would reach last 4 or win the cup? Even if you replace the whole team with young players the result would be the same. They might win a few games here and there but they lack the skills and nerves to consistently perform well at the highest stage.There is no fighting spirit like the Aus and SA. Look at their teams, in any game atleast 2 of the top 6 batsmen would click and they play as a team. You bring Rainas, RP Singhs, Rohit Sharmas, Gambhirs or anyone the result would be the same. They are all proven failures. Vengsarkar is right when he says that the bench strength is not good. The domestic infrastructure needs to be improved and made very competitive, prepare helpful wickets and make fitness the topmost priority. But the pity is that once the team wins a few games at home on flat pitches, everything is forgotten and the players are again put on highest pedestals.
RE:No failure of tact or strategy
by kuntal banerjee on Mar 27, 2007 05:27 PM Permalink
what do u mean .... i don't know which community u belong to but i am sure u are the leader of that fool community
Hi ppl.. I was also disappointed about our team\'s failure but its just a game and we happened to lose.. Just leave it and get back to work!! Enjoy the other great games in the world cup...
What the author said is 100 % correct. This is the most apt analysis I had seen in the 'analysis paralysis' that gripped india after the loss. However, after reading this article, as well as watching other TV channels, i am getting a feeling that the root cause for repeated india failues is some where else, here is my take; India having 100 crore population obviously ended up having 100 TV channels, and cricket being the only sport with mass appeal, all these channels show some thing or the other in the name of cricket (even if it hardly helps cricket as a sport). Now, india being one of the oldest cricket playing nations, ended up having many useless, worthless, good for nothing, never played for the country ex-cricketers who are still hanging to the game as leeches, as this is the only thing that they know (they think they know!). All these idiots come on to the TV and instead of giving an objective analysis and provide constructive criticism to improve the game, are out there to promote their pet causes or settle old scores. When ever India failed, these fellows steer the public opinion in such a direction that it takes Indian cricket further down the drain. I have seen couple of programs on CNN-IBN on the internet and i can say that channel has the most pathetic programming. The rumors spread and opinions spouted on this channel are the most idiotic and dangerous to Indian cricket (like making tendulkar / ganguly captain, sacking Chappel with out giving him a chance to present his case etc. for the current loss of team) This is what must have happend during the last 6 months - 1 year time period when ever India failed and Dravid fearing media and these expert reprisals went in the direction suggested by them by including old horses at the expense and young guns and now paying the price for that mistake. If it is not Dravid but some one from the top who forced him to change course, then Dravid should bring it out to avoid recurrence of these failures in future. Another major factor could be the blind idol worship of Tendulkar as a demi god and his inclusion in the team irrespective of his fitness levels and current form. He became an achilles heel and also the excuse for other oldies also to sneak into the team (if you included tendulaker based on his experiance and past records, then why not us?).
The only solution as i see is, stop idol worshipping of cricketers based on record books first, and secondly, it is the responsibility of the Captain / Coach to come out with an analysis of a failure to the public and be very frank in what ever they think. If some one is at fault, that should come out in open, not to punish the player, but to give him a chance to correct that mistake. That is the only way they can stop these leeches from taking advantage of the situation. If that doesn't happen, then they are giving chance to these so called pundits to make it even worse to Indian cricket.
One thing I didn't like in team selection is regional support.
I think the following 3 simple points will improve a lot. 1. There should be a measuring tool in local tournaments which will help who is playing best and also make mandatory to play some number of games to be considered into national team. I saw most of the senior players skiping the local tournaments showing injuries and they will recover form it just a week ahead of an international game. Also rate the players and release it to press depending on the measurment.
2. If a player fails in 2 tournaments then he shouldn't be selected for next 1 tournament and then select him for 1 tournament if he fails again then drop him for 2 tournaments. Give him a last chance in 1 tournament if still he fails then drop him and he should prove him self in local tournaments.
3. People should go out and watch the local tournaments and encorage all the national team members to play in them.
RE:Procedure to follow for the Cricket development..
by Rairankandath Satish on Mar 27, 2007 12:40 AM Permalink
One of the approaches should be for all past cricketers - who currently sitting and criticizing the current team, forgetting thier own past dismal performances - to be working with the selected team well before their departure for any major outing.
It is sad that some of these so-called greats seclectively talks one on one with a few individuals of their liking leaving the others out and cold. This is a sheer case of bloated egos. I saw a video clipping of one of the current Indian fast bowler being given some tips from the legendary Andy Roberts. Thatt was absolutley nice of him to do so. Do our past cricketers think on the same lines. I dont think so. And last but not the least there are a few of the current cricketers who have bloated egos themselves; asking the oft repeated question - who are these greats to advice us?
Analysis of our previous victories suggest that whenever Yuvraj and Dhoni played well, we won matches .... and the credit went to the whole team, the captain and the coach. The simple fact is Dhoni failed at right time and result is seen. Aging or fitness of the team has nothing to do with the losses. Please analyse properly before wiriting anything.
U guys must b wondering what the hell am i blabbering. but once harsha bhogle had written that for india to be succesful we need heart and passion of leander and skill of vishwanthan anand. if any of our cricketers had seen leander play against quereshi in recent indo-pak davis tie they would have understood what passion, patriotism adn heart means. yes he is not the most talented sportsman we have eve produced but certainly the most passionate patriot...wish he had more god given ability. On tv i saw v.raju make a statement after this ignominous defeat that treat cricket just as a sport. ya rite if we treated it the way say mr. raju. then u guys wud have been treated lke our footaballers and hockey players jee that wud have just served rite. dont u guys agree with me
