***Official*** Australia in India

[honestbharani]

I haven't really seen a lot wrong with Uthappa's technique, TBH. Gambhir just looks pretty dire in general against swing bowling (which makes his position as an opener quite strange, given he plays spin quite well from what I've seen) with his lack of footwork and tendancy to fall over - but I haven't seen any consistent problems with Uthappa's technique at all. I think he's a good prospect TBH.

not really. His trigger movement is pushing his front foot down the line (NOT the line of the ball, btw). And he plays EVERY ball the same way. On the front foot, on the move and therefore his drives and other shots like his punches down the ground are played with the momentum and he gets a lot of runs that way. It would perhaps explain his great success at the FC level in India as the tracks tend to be pretty much flat most of the time... But against real quick and swinging bowlers, he gets found out. Just look at how much he struggled in Port of Spain during the WC.

The thing about him is when he does get going, he gets his runs very quickly and in a way that demoralizes the bowlers. But that should not hide the fact that he has serious serious flaws in his game, even more so than Gambhir, who himself has a lot of trouble against good swing bowling.... I honestly won't mind if both are again taken out of the side for a while and they learn to counter quick swing bowling better. Because pretty soon we will be without Sachin and Sourav and maybe these two will be the next openers for us and we need them to be as good as they can possibly be.

 

[Perm]

Very good knock from Yuvraj, showing he can play well against the best team in the world. Had a look at his record and he's absolutely hopeless against New Zealand, and takes real advantage of games against the minnows. Can't argue with the numbers he has posted in the last two or three years though.

 

[Jono]

Missed the whole Indian innings, sounds like Australia tore them apart from the start and India were never able to recover.

Yuvi is still a champion though. What a man.

 

[Unattainableguy]

Australian cricketers come under rock attack

Indian police last night were investigating an attack on the Australian team bus following Friday's one day international in Hyderabad.
A projectile was thrown through the window of the bus, which was en route to the team hotel in central Hyderabad after Australia had defeated India in the third one day international.
Sources close to the team said a boy launched the projectile from a hiding spot at the side of the road. Police and armed forces who were riding with the Australian cricketers launched an immediate search, however it is unknown whether anyone was detained.
No Australian players were believed to have been hurt, but shards of glass fell inside the bus. The attack comes in the aftermath of a tense week, in which the Australians were accused of vulgar language and offensive behaviour by Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh.




http://www.smh.com.au/news/cricket/australian-cricketers-come-under-rock-attack/2007/10/06/1191091378403.html

 

[Jono]

Argh, that's disappointing.

 

[Matt79]

Especially as the latest match had been played in a much less tense fashion - there was really only one quick incident that looked a bit aggro.

 

[SJS]

not really. His trigger movement is pushing his front foot down the line (NOT the line of the ball, btw). And he plays EVERY ball the same way. On the front foot, on the move and therefore his drives and other shots like his punches down the ground are played with the momentum and he gets a lot of runs that way. It would perhaps explain his great success at the FC level in India as the tracks tend to be pretty much flat most of the time... But against real quick and swinging bowlers, he gets found out. Just look at how much he struggled in Port of Spain during the WC.

.

Very true.

Uthappa does look very one dimensional. He needs to show more variety in his stroke play than he has done so far otherwise he will be found out soon.

Without stretching a point, his 20:20 knocks had quite a heavy does of mis-hits going behind the stumps and fetching him runs. He has what we call, paon bahar nikalo aur laga do* type of atttitude . It will see more off days than good.

*put your left leg forward and go for it

 

[adharcric]

Ganguly needs to replace Gambhir immediately. I'd take Sharma over Uthappa as welll, if it comes down to that.

 

[SJS]

Will someone please remind Harbhjan, he's a bowler and he's also supposed to take some wickets as well. This is a 5th ODI in a row that Harbhjan hasn't taken a wicket. I was never a fan of him coming back into the ODI team once again.
.

I am glad someone noticed that. Harbhajan is one of those stars/glamour boys of Indian cricket who cant do any wrong as far as the Indian media is concerned. You have to see how his above average performances are hyped and failures (so many of late) are ignored.

In the last 14 games (in about a year) playing for India against non-minnows, he has taken

• 8 wickets at
• 76.1 runs each using
• 95 balls per wicket

In the 14 matches (in about six months) before that he had the following to compare

• 12 wickets at
• 38.7 runs each using
• 59.5 balls per wicket

In yest another 14 matches before that (in about 6 months), he had

• 20 wkts at
• 24.6 runs each using
• 40.6 balls per wicket

His decline in the last year and a half has been dramatic. The problem is Harbhajan isn't the kind of character who is ever going to think he has a problem. Thats the biggest road block to his recovery as India's strike weapon.

 

[SJS]

Ganguly needs to replace Gambhir immediately. I'd take Sharma over Uthappa as welll, if it comes down to that.

Sharma is in the side already though batting lower.


Ganguly seems to be out, according to todays papers, because Dhoni prefers to Gambhir.

BTW, Sachin had requestd to be rested but he has been pursuaded to play the next two matches in the teams interest since India would like to make a bid for recovery in the series. He is likely to be rested now after the next two games.

 

[Jono]

I agree Harbhajan's lack of ODI wickets is definitely a major concern.

However the question arises, how valuable than is an economical spell? He kept it very tight yesterday, however the fact that he couldn't get a wicket (along with the others in the middle overs) probably resulted in Australia having the ability to launch at the end and get to 290.

That being said, was his tight bowling the cause of Ponting's poor shot and hence dismissal? Its tricky.

Did Pathan bowl better yesterday or Harbhajan? It depends on how you view wickets and economy rate in ODIs. In my view, that depends on the rest of your bowling line-up. If the rest of your bowlers aren't anything special, than a spell of 10-39-0 isn't anything to be too proud of considering you're the one that is supposed to make the breakthroughs. But for eg. if Bracken bowled that, it'd be a top performance because in all likelihood he was backed up by Lee and Hogg taking wickets.

I'm not a fan of Harbhajan by any stretch of the imagination, but I think it depends on what you expect from him.

 

[honestbharani]

Honestly, if it is taking a toll on Sachin (and presumably, the other seniors), why do they insist on playing ODIs? Won't it be better if they all just quit ODIs to concentrate on Tests and of course, the IPL?


But seriously, how much worse would be doing without these 3? Surely there would be better athleticism in the field (catching, of course, is debatable) and also, it would give us a chance to groom some guys for the next WC. Not just for the WC, but just groom them for the future... I think that the big 3 will most probably call it a day on their ODI careers after the VB series in Australia, but if it is difficult for them to play so many matches on the trot, why not do it now?

 

[honestbharani]

I agree Harbhajan's lack of ODI wickets is definitely a major concern.

However the question arises, how valuable than is an economical spell? He kept it very tight yesterday, however the fact that he couldn't get a wicket (along with the others in the middle overs) probably resulted in Australia having the ability to launch at the end and get to 290.

That being said, was his tight bowling the cause of Ponting's poor shot and hence dismissal? Its tricky.

Did Pathan bowl better yesterday or Harbhajan? It depends on how you view wickets and economy rate in ODIs. In my view, that depends on the rest of your bowling line-up. If the rest of your bowlers aren't anything special, than a spell of 10-39-0 isn't anything to be too proud of considering you're the one that is supposed to make the breakthroughs. But for eg. if Bracken bowled that, it'd be a top performance because in all likelihood he was backed up by Lee and Hogg taking wickets.

I'm not a fan of Harbhajan by any stretch of the imagination, but I think it depends on what you expect from him.

Good point, Jono... I think the problem is, no one even in the team management seems to know the answer for this. They expect him to take wickets, but are also worried when he gets hit for runs, which happens when you are looking for wickets, esp. on flat tracks against good batting line ups. They keep the token slip in, and they also put men out on the boundary and this in and out field is not helping him at all. If the ball dips, holds its line and bounces (which is his Doosra), it takes the thickish edge and there is no short third man to tidy it up, because he is the one brought in to be the slip. And when he goes on the stumps, they just pick runs off him on the leg side...

I think it is a product as much of the team mgmt not knowing what they want out of him as it is of himself not knowing what approach to take. Sad days.


Maybe India will go in with Murali Kartik now as the lone spinner, which would be a risk too... Let us see.

 

[R_D]

I agree Harbhajan's lack of ODI wickets is definitely a major concern.

However the question arises, how valuable than is an economical spell? He kept it very tight yesterday, however the fact that he couldn't get a wicket (along with the others in the middle overs) probably resulted in Australia having the ability to launch at the end and get to 290.

That being said, was his tight bowling the cause of Ponting's poor shot and hence dismissal? Its tricky.

Did Pathan bowl better yesterday or Harbhajan? It depends on how you view wickets and economy rate in ODIs. In my view, that depends on the rest of your bowling line-up. If the rest of your bowlers aren't anything special, than a spell of 10-39-0 isn't anything to be too proud of considering you're the one that is supposed to make the breakthroughs. But for eg. if Bracken bowled that, it'd be a top performance because in all likelihood he was backed up by Lee and Hogg taking wickets.

I'm not a fan of Harbhajan by any stretch of the imagination, but I think it depends on what you expect from him.

Yeah agree with what you said. My problem with Harbhjan is that he's always just bowling flat and fast.. trying to push through the ball. He never looks like taking the wickets and opposition is quite happy milking him around for 3 or 4 runs per over. Few deliveries he did slow down in that second match and Hayden and Symmonds both had no clues to how to play the turning bowl but Harbhjan doesn't do enough it. Add to the fact Indian's don't seem to have too many wicket taking bowlers in ODI at least, they really need Harbhjan to step and take few wickets. Its really a shame he used to much more of attacking bowler.
He's taken this same attitude in test matches as well now, doesn't flight than bowl much and just hammers it in. He really needs to go back and start flighting and slowing down his pace.

 

[pup11]

India needs to win the next 4 games to win to series so how can Sachin be rested for any of those games, i think India needs to field their best side in the next four games unless they don't lose the series in the next 2 games itself.

 

[Raghav]

India needs to win the next 4 games to win to series so how can Sachin be rested for any of those games, i think India needs to field their best side in the next four games unless they don't lose the series in the next 2 games itself.

India can even be a full team even without Sachin... They should start to learn to play even without him....I think with sachin or without sachin is not going to make a difference at the moment...

 

[SJS]

I agree Harbhajan's lack of ODI wickets is definitely a major concern.

However the question arises, how valuable than is an economical spell? He kept it very tight yesterday, however the fact that he couldn't get a wicket (along with the others in the middle overs) probably resulted in Australia having the ability to launch at the end and get to 290.

That being said, was his tight bowling the cause of Ponting's poor shot and hence dismissal? Its tricky.

Did Pathan bowl better yesterday or Harbhajan? It depends on how you view wickets and economy rate in ODIs. In my view, that depends on the rest of your bowling line-up. If the rest of your bowlers aren't anything special, than a spell of 10-39-0 isn't anything to be too proud of considering you're the one that is supposed to make the breakthroughs. But for eg. if Bracken bowled that, it'd be a top performance because in all likelihood he was backed up by Lee and Hogg taking wickets.

I'm not a fan of Harbhajan by any stretch of the imagination, but I think it depends on what you expect from him.

Dont go by one match.

The three periods I have mentioned before show a decline in his utility as an economical bowler also. Here you are with runs per hundred balls.

1. Last 14 game :80
2. 14 games before 1 above : 65
3. 14 games before 2 above : 60

Its a fallacy to think Harbhajan checks runs as he used to because he doesn't.

 

[Raghav]

'Nobody can take their place for granted' - Vengsarkar

Dilip Vengsarkar, India's chairman of selectors, has sounded out a warning to the senior players following the team's second consecutive defeat to Australia in the seven-match series.

Vengsarkar made it clear that the seniors needed to raise their game, especially in the wake of the World Twenty20 triumph engineered by a young side. "There are many players like S Badrinath and Suresh Raina who are performing with the India A side," Vengsarkar told Mid-Day, a Mumbai-based tabloid. "These guys are waiting for their chance and you cannot ignore them. It's a professional set-up and nobody can take their place for granted."

India made one change for the fourth and fifth one-dayers, bringing in left-arm spinner Murali Kartik for offspinner Ramesh Powar. Powar bowled only 11 overs in the first two ODIs, failing to pick up any wickets and conceded 7.27 runs an over.

Vengsarkar justified the move. "If you get picked as a frontline bowler, then you have to bowl 10 overs. Plus, if your fielding is found wanting and you do not contribute with the bat, the team is obviously at a disadvantage. Ramesh has to get fitter and field better. He also has to improve his bowling."

Vengsarkar also justified Kartik's selection over promising Hyderabad left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha. "Ojha is very young, just 21. It is not fair to unleash him against a side like Australia. We need to groom youngsters. Kartik is experienced and offers us better variation than two offspinners."

"We are not a great fielding side anyway," he said when asked for an assessment of the series so far. "Australia saved about 25 runs on the field. If we had fielded that way, the match would have been much closer."

Source: Cricinfo

 

[Jono]

Dont go by one match.

The three periods I have mentioned before show a decline in his utility as an economical bowler also. Here you are with runs per hundred balls.

1. Last 14 game :80
2. 14 games before 1 above : 65
3. 14 games before 2 above : 60

Its a fallacy to think Harbhajan checks runs as he used to because he doesn't.

No doubt.

But if Harbhajan did what he did yesterday every game, would he be doing his job? It was more a philisophical question regarding whether a leading bowler can actually perform well without taking wickets.

 

[pasag]

Lee and Johnson bowled superbly and really never gave India a chance early on. Yuvraj batted superbly especially since he looked to be abit sick or something. A real quality innings from one of the best ODI bats going around. Haddin getting dropped after two top games, the latter a MOM was quite peculiar especially with Hodge not looking in the best of touch.