***Official*** India in Australia

[Turbinator]

Not defending (no pun intended) Dravid (he was screwed by the team-management) -- the fact is he faced more balls than Tendulkar, Jaffer and Yuvraj COMBINED. So don't fault him for slow-batting -- at least he batted !!!

Exactly, like WTF at people blaming Dravid and his opening. He's a non-opener and he batted better than Jaffer, cuz atleast he batted damnit. We need somone like Sehwag on the other end to release some pressure off Dravid if he is to open. Once again, worth taking a gamble with Sehwag. Anyone who ****ing blames Dravid should be slapped.

 

[Matt79]

He hasn't bowled badly...but it has helped him IMo that India's best players are now in the pavillion. The pressure is off now and I think he can experiment with what he has in his repertoire.

Well he did have Ganguly plumb lbw early in his spell, so i think that's a little inaccurate. Plus an earlier chance that almost went to hand. I think he's now bowling with more confidence having got a couple of wickets as well...

 

[JustTool]

Exactly, like WTF at people blaming Dravid and his opening. He's a non-opener and he batted better than Jaffer, cuz atleast he batted damnit. We need somone like Sehwag on the other end to release some pressure off Dravid if he is to open. Once again, worth taking a gamble with Sehwag. Anyone who ****ing blames Dravid should be slapped.

Couldn't agree more !!! The 'media' is so..oo lost Let's start by slapping Kumble, Chetan Chauhan and the rest of the so-called team-management. Don't be fooled by the praise for Kumble - he screwed up big time here and lost the match for India....

 

[silentstriker]

Bowling is no longer our weak suit. This batting performance has been beyond inept. Completely ridiculous.

 

[silentstriker]

Exactly, like WTF at people blaming Dravid and his opening. He's a non-opener and he batted better than Jaffer, cuz atleast he batted damnit. We need somone like Sehwag on the other end to release some pressure off Dravid if he is to open. Once again, worth taking a gamble with Sehwag. Anyone who ****ing blames Dravid should be slapped.

He allowed pressure to be built up and couldn't release it via singles and other scoring methods. Dravid is not immune to criticism here.

 

[funnygirl]

well great experts like Gavskar are criticising him .He is still our best batsman ,yes thats the fact .An out of touch ,out of form Dravid is much better than clowns like Jaffer .

 

[caker]

Bowling is no longer our weak suit. This batting performance has been beyond inept. Completely ridiculous.

not really...to win tests..you need to get 20 wickets...Australia declared 2nd innings...

 

[silentstriker]

not really...to win tests..you need to get 20 wickets...Australia declared 2nd innings...

Um, I didn't say our bowling is exceptional. I said its stronger than our batting. Taking 17 Aussie wickets has been more than a lot of other sides have done in Australia lately.

 

[TheLad]

I would drop Yuvraj for the SCG game. He has looked clueless in aus conditions. Get him back in the tour match mid tour and tell him to go and face a lot of balls than and if he can get some adjustment than maybe reconsider him.

 

[Turbinator]

He allowed pressure to be built up and couldn't release it via singles and other scoring methods. Dravid is not immune to criticism here.

He's not immune but he's not the main reason either. Okay agreed he allowed pressure to build up, but are you saying Tendulkar, Jaffer, Yuvraj didn't by getting out trying to force the run rate? If Dravid did the same thing as them, who knows we would've been 6-7 down by now. Main point is, no one really released any major pressure, but atleast Dravid batted FFS, he played lots of balls stayed at the crease unlike Jaffer (who is a frikin opener by trade). Once again not saying Dravid is immune to criticism, but the amount of criticism he is getting does not serve justice.

 

[silentstriker]

I would drop Yuvraj for the SCG game. He has looked clueless in aus conditions. Get him back in the tour match mid tour and tell him to go and face a lot of balls than and if he can get some adjustment than maybe reconsider him.

I wouldn't drop Yuvraj yet. I never thought him as Test player, and I certainly don't now, but he has performed consistently for a long time in other formats and he needs to get a consistent run in the Test team. If he goes this whole tour without any contributions, or improvements, then I would drop him. But I think he deserves a chance. I think he'll be a failure at this level, but as I said, he has been consistent for a while now in ODIs and should get the chance.

 

[Turbinator]

not really...to win tests..you need to get 20 wickets...Australia declared 2nd innings...

Had our batsmen batted better, yes certainly we would've had the oppurtunity to get those 20 wickets.

 

[silentstriker]

He's not immune but he's not the main reason either. Okay agreed he allowed pressure to build up, but are you saying Tendulkar, Jaffer, Yuvraj didn't by getting out trying to force the run rate?

Well, you were never going to draw this game. I'd rather him face 6(116) than 6(10) in this situation, but the point is, he is clearly out of form and didn't bat as he should. He definitely should have pushed for more singles. The entire top order should get the blame, including Dravid.

 

[Evermind]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,22982431-23212,00.html



http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,22983210-23212,00.html

Sensibly, Kirsten plans to appoint a coach to hone mental skills. It has been suggested he might visit Australia this summer to become acquainted with the players.

From a long-term planning point of view, this would be to his advantage. No doubt he would have had conniptions if he watched on television India's performance in the field; it was dreadful and must have upset fielding coach Singh.

Chappell was frustrated and angered by the reluctance of India's players to address their weaknesses in the field seriously, and develop more sophisticated practice drills.

A lack of pace and natural athleticism was patently obvious and, while it is not always a definitive guide to the collective state of mind, the collective body language must have been discouraging for Kumble to observe.

Could it be that people are aware of this problem and are seeking to address it? It's a shame though that the Indian media can't see the problems of its own players, and it takes the opposition's media to point out the problems.

 

[JustTool]

Dravid unhappy to open - Gavaskar

Dravid unhappy to open - Gavaskar

India batting legend Sunil Gavaskar says Rahul Dravid is opening the batting reluctantly against Australia.
Dravid faced 66 balls but scored just five runs and had two slices of luck as India struggled on day two at the MCG.

And Gavaskar said: "I think it was something that he wouldn't have been too happy about. It's something he would have taken on reluctantly.

"Opening in India is one thing, opening in Australia against Brett Lee and Stuart Clark is a difficult thing."

Lee and Clark each took four wickets as India, replying to Australia's 343, were shot out for 196.

Dravid, 34, is playing his 116th Test and is opening for the ninth time.

Although he has had two centuries opening in Pakistan, his next best score is 31 and his average as an opener, at 33.54, is far below his career average of nearly 60.

Since relinquishing the captaincy in September, however, Dravid no longer has such a major say in team strategy.

New skipper Anil Kumble was keen to find a place for Yuvraj Singh in the middle order, and it was felt the best way to accommodate Yuvraj was to promote Dravid.

But Gavaskar said despite his reluctance, Dravid was happy to help out his team if necessary.

"He's a team man, and he and Kumble are best mates and would have discussed this at length," he said, predicting that Dravid could remain as an opener for the whole series.

"[Reserve opener] Virender Sehwag will be a tourist guide for the rest of the tour."

Discussing Dravid's innings in Melbourne, Gavaskar said: "He got a little bit too bogged down but tried his best.

"He's a very experienced player. He will put a lot of thought into it and will be sitting with the computer guy to try to see what he's done throughout the innings."

Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport2/hi/cricket/7161371.stm

Published: 2007/12/27 11:56:00 GMT

 

[caker]

Well, I for one feel The Little Master may be passed it. But Sehwag not playing was a joke. I really feel for Dravid - being pigeonholed to open. If you aren't an opener, you shouldn't be doing it....and, the BCCI have basically told him, "open or nothing".
Not a nice way to treat an ex captain..

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Two down, six to go.

 

[pup11]

Finally Mitch gets his first wicket in this test and it is about time too!

 

[JustTool]

Well, I accurately predicted the hasty demise of Yuvraj and Dhoni - the super-star multi-millionaires (ugh !) in India.

So who were questioning the timing of my posts -- head out of the sand please !!

 

[social]

I wouldn't drop Yuvraj yet. I never thought him as Test player, and I certainly don't now, but he has performed consistently for a long time in other formats and he needs to get a consistent run in the Test team. If he goes this whole tour without any contributions, or improvements, then I would drop him. But I think he deserves a chance. I think he'll be a failure at this level, but as I said, he has been consistent for a while now in ODIs and should get the chance.

Exactly - he's earned the opportunity and deserves more than one bad test to prove his worth.

If he continues to fail then so be it but at least he wont have anyone to blame bar himself and he wont be able to ignore the technical deficiencies in his game should that come to pass.

Selectors risk destroying India's most promising young batsman should they leave him out now

Personally, I'd select Sehwag, move Dravid back to 3, and drop/moveto opener Ganguly - the latter may be scoring runs (and might score a heap more in this game) but he's about the worst fieldsman in world cricket, not in the same class as Dravid or Sehwag as a batsman and simply cannot be allowed to pick and choose where he bats.