Pratters
Cricket, Lovely Cricket
Yeah... my mistake.
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***Official*** India in England
- Thread starter adharcric
- Start date
honestbharani
Whatever it takes!!!
Well, can't remember the last time when the rain actually worked FOR us than against us... I guess some ODI final against RSA in bangladesh right after the 2003 WC was it. But can't remember when the rain helped us save a test in my time of watching cricket. We are usually bad enough to lose inspite of the rain. 
OUr bowling is not great but I reckon it is passable, esp. on pitches which offer some movement like this one. So it won't be my biggest worry although I would be worried a bit about the way Kumble bowled in this test. He didn't look his usual self and was bowling a few more loose deliveries than he normally does.
The batting is the worry, let us not beat around the bush here by keeping talking about 2003 and early 2004... We have a bunch of guys who can't score 100s against decent opposition away from home. If the best the likes of Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman and even Dravid can do is fill their boots against Bangladesh and at home and just make decent 30s and the odd 50 away from home, it is about time we bid adieu to them. You can't hope to win tests when none of your batsmen can score 100s. Jaffar, Karthik and Dhoni are to be blamed too, sure, but we can't use these guys to screen the big four, which is what always happens in Indian cricket. Some tough decisions need to be taken and taken soon.
I felt Dhoni batted really well. He did keep exposing his stumps and played a few poor shots but I felt that his general idea about moving his feet away from the stumps was not bad at all. He was just taking out the lbw from the equation. He mentioned in the post match interview that he was very worried about Monty's arm ball. He actually said "Monty has one ball, the straight one which would trouble us".... (
). So given that is the way he was thinking, wasn't a bad idea to get his foot out of the way and get the lbw out of the equation. He perhaps reckoned, and I think not without reason, that he will be able to jam the bat in and keep the ball away if it is going to the stumps. But to play shots from that position wasn't too bright. But still, he comes across as a guy who thinks about his game quite a bit and I expect him to keep improving all the time.
Can't really see how we can drop anyone from this team. I am not a blind Tendulkar fan but I think the signs from have been good all through this new season and I just think we are not far away from a really good knock. Make no mistake here, he is not the player he once was in 97 and 98, and he certainly needs a chance or two to have a good knock but it is not unusual in test cricket and I just think we will see a really really good knock from him before the series is over, maybe in the next test even. He has shed a bit of weight, his feet are moving just that tad faster than it was in the WC and he seems a bit more positive in his outlook as a batsman too. Honestly speaking, I would be worried if I was Vaughan. Just think that he is just one good session away from a really good and big knock. Laxman is worrying but again, how did Yuvraj suddenly become the better option. He has far more holes in his technique than Laxman and it is not a given that he won't get out for even a pair, given his technique and his footwork. I think we have to give these guys another test before talking about dropping them. But the message has to be put across, and in no uncertain terms at that, that they can't just live on by scoring battling 30s and the odd 50 and then filling their boots against Bangladesh. Best middle order in the world? yeah, right......
OUr bowling is not great but I reckon it is passable, esp. on pitches which offer some movement like this one. So it won't be my biggest worry although I would be worried a bit about the way Kumble bowled in this test. He didn't look his usual self and was bowling a few more loose deliveries than he normally does.
The batting is the worry, let us not beat around the bush here by keeping talking about 2003 and early 2004... We have a bunch of guys who can't score 100s against decent opposition away from home. If the best the likes of Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman and even Dravid can do is fill their boots against Bangladesh and at home and just make decent 30s and the odd 50 away from home, it is about time we bid adieu to them. You can't hope to win tests when none of your batsmen can score 100s. Jaffar, Karthik and Dhoni are to be blamed too, sure, but we can't use these guys to screen the big four, which is what always happens in Indian cricket. Some tough decisions need to be taken and taken soon.
I felt Dhoni batted really well. He did keep exposing his stumps and played a few poor shots but I felt that his general idea about moving his feet away from the stumps was not bad at all. He was just taking out the lbw from the equation. He mentioned in the post match interview that he was very worried about Monty's arm ball. He actually said "Monty has one ball, the straight one which would trouble us".... (
). So given that is the way he was thinking, wasn't a bad idea to get his foot out of the way and get the lbw out of the equation. He perhaps reckoned, and I think not without reason, that he will be able to jam the bat in and keep the ball away if it is going to the stumps. But to play shots from that position wasn't too bright. But still, he comes across as a guy who thinks about his game quite a bit and I expect him to keep improving all the time. Can't really see how we can drop anyone from this team. I am not a blind Tendulkar fan but I think the signs from have been good all through this new season and I just think we are not far away from a really good knock. Make no mistake here, he is not the player he once was in 97 and 98, and he certainly needs a chance or two to have a good knock but it is not unusual in test cricket and I just think we will see a really really good knock from him before the series is over, maybe in the next test even. He has shed a bit of weight, his feet are moving just that tad faster than it was in the WC and he seems a bit more positive in his outlook as a batsman too. Honestly speaking, I would be worried if I was Vaughan. Just think that he is just one good session away from a really good and big knock. Laxman is worrying but again, how did Yuvraj suddenly become the better option. He has far more holes in his technique than Laxman and it is not a given that he won't get out for even a pair, given his technique and his footwork. I think we have to give these guys another test before talking about dropping them. But the message has to be put across, and in no uncertain terms at that, that they can't just live on by scoring battling 30s and the odd 50 and then filling their boots against Bangladesh. Best middle order in the world? yeah, right......
sideshowtim
Banned
I can remember a recent time when rain saved you - The day Mitchell Johnson annihilated your top order in the DLF Cup. Saved by rain big time.
honestbharani
Whatever it takes!!!
yeah, I forgot... But it wasn't the finals..... That 2003 match I talked abt was the finals and I thought we were mighty lucky to end up sharing the trophy that way....
The reason that Johnson was moving the ball around corners was because of the rain in the first place though.
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
Though he did some stuff of merit, it shouldn't be forgotten that he would have been out had Taufel noticed the nick.
Dasa
International Vice-Captain
When was this? There was one shout off Anderson (I think) that looked like it hit his arm rather than the bat, I didn't notice anything else although I didn't watch the entire innings.
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
TBH he didn't look too far removed from his normal self to me - he's bowled the odd few more loose deliveries the last 4 or 5 years. Still, the only person who even remotely looked like seriously getting after him was Pietersen, and he's got after just about everyone so that's not too much of a worry.
True....Kumble is a great bowler and im sure he'll get better as the series goes on. Plus, it didnt help that he had to bowl on a first day pitch at lords...there wasnt much assistance for him.
Pup Clarke
Cricketer Of The Year
Nishant's back . You still going to Scotland/India?.
. You still going to Scotland/India?.Nishant's back
Thanks guys for the welcome!
and yep pup...im still going to the match...cant wait to see u there!
Pup Clarke
Cricketer Of The Year
Nishant, you may call me Liam.Thanks guys for the welcome!
and yep pup...im still going to the match...cant wait to see u there!
Magrat Garlick
Global Moderator
Changed your password, Nishant? 
Nishant, you may call me Liam.
yh sure....i really didnt know ur real name, so kept calling you pup....quite funny now, when you think abt it. But..yh...liam..im going to the match..should be good. i was really disappointed with the india/pak game getting washed out...so looking forward to this now!
i actually havent...ill do that now though!!Changed your password, Nishant?
Turbinator
Cricketer Of The Year
Welcome back Nishant.
I thought you were banned forever tbh, but great to see you back.
I thought you were banned forever tbh, but great to see you back.
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Welcome back Nishant.
I thought you were banned forever tbh, but great to see you back.
thanks guys...im glad to be back!Nishant is back! Welcome mate
how've u guys been? raghav....i heard you changed sides and are now fond of india...is that true?