'Official' Semi Final 2 - Pakistan v India

[Kaiser]

Hi folks,

Irish Cricket fan here.

I watched most of the game today and really enjoyed it.

What's everyone's thoughts on the batting? Tendulkar looked spooked half way through the innings and seemed unable to pick Ajmal.....

Meanwhile the rest of the players (save Sehwag!!) all struggled on what the commentators kept telling us was a good pitch.

Was it all due to pressure or was the pitch perhaps a lot tougher than thought and the 85 a really good battling innings???

 

[vcs]

Couldn't come here to post this during the first five overs...

SehWAFG!!

 

[Jono]

Hi folks,

Irish Cricket fan here.

I watched most of the game today and really enjoyed it.

What's everyone's thoughts on the batting? Tendulkar looked spooked half way through the innings and seemed unable to pick Ajmal.....

Meanwhile the rest of the players (save Sehwag!!) all struggled on what the commentators kept telling us was a good pitch.

Was it all due to pressure or was the pitch perhaps a lot tougher than thought and the 85 a really good battling innings???

The commentators, and even the players, just totally misread the pitch.

As Sachin said, at first it seemed a 310 wicket, but then once it became obvious the ball starting stopping and the pitch was playing slow, it was a 260-275 wicket.

 

[Kaiser]

The commentators, and even the players, just totally misread the pitch.

As Sachin said, at first it seemed a 310 wicket, but then once it became obvious the ball starting stopping and the pitch was playing slow, it was a 260-275 wicket.

Yeah. He too seemed to really struggle to pick the spinners though. Should have been out on about 40 odd.....

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Hi folks,

Irish Cricket fan here.

I watched most of the game today and really enjoyed it.

What's everyone's thoughts on the batting? Tendulkar looked spooked half way through the innings and seemed unable to pick Ajmal.....

Meanwhile the rest of the players (save Sehwag!!) all struggled on what the commentators kept telling us was a good pitch.

Was it all due to pressure or was the pitch perhaps a lot tougher than thought and the 85 a really good battling innings???

The batting on the whole was ****, but Pakistan's performance was worse. Baffled by Misbah's chase. He was hitting 4's and 6's at will at the end, and yet couldn't he have done that during the middle overs in order to relieve pressure. I thought Younis was generally off his game today (old age I guess). Tendulkar was scratchy and extremely lucky to have made the 80 odd runs. Should have gone earlier and therefore his score was the main difference between the runs (we should have won). The worst shot award goes to Hafeez for that horrendous premeditated scoop. Although if it had worked, nobody would be complaining about it. Nonetheless, with the way he was batting, shouldn't have needed to do that.

Brilliant bowling performance by Ajmal, Munaf and Nehra (why did he have to perform against us only). However it was Wahab who was the best bowler and overall player today and deserved MOM.

Sehwag and Umar Akmal were the best batsmen today and made it look easy as compared to the rest. I think the overall poor performance was mainly due to the nerves and pressure (won by India). The difference between the two sides was the fielding. Indian fielding was exceptional (have to mention Kohli and Raina). Pakistani fielding was disgusting.

 

[ankitj]

Yeah. He too seemed to really struggle to pick the spinners though. Should have been out on about 40 odd.....

Or 40 odd times, with only slight exaggeration.

 

[Kaiser]

Or 40 odd times, with only slight exaggeration.

Yeah! He also played some cracking shots as well as giving plenty of chances though.

 

[cnerd123]

**** YEA!!!


WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!


Great stuff. Munaf patel, WAFG. Epic spell when the team needed him the most. Bhajji bowled well, Nehra should never have been picked over Ashwin but did pretty darn well too, and with Yuvi tweaking out Shafiq and Younis are critical times, we were well set.

Batting wise, ZOMG Sachin. Worst innings he's played in this tournament, probably his worst innings in the last 2 years, yet he did it. What a knock. First the LBW referral, then the stumping, the drop after drop after drop...but he hung in there and how vital that innings proved to be.

Bhajji hanging in there with Raina at the end proved vital as well, as did Gul failing to show up today. Viru, WAG.

And all those other little moments. Yuvi's first ball duck sucked the wind and momentum of the innings, Riaz was brilliant, Hafeez was quite good, Ajmal looked brilliant in his first spell, hand Sachin in his web, terrific stuff. Afridi didn't have his same bite today, was dealt with quite well, but lead aggressively and showed a lot of good spirit.

MSD was fantastic in the field today. Rain, Kohli, Yuvra, Yusuf, Chawla were so good in the field, and the way MSD placed them was immense. The ball kept finding them. And even when it didn't, it was fantastic to see guys like Munaf, Nehra and Zak sprint around and dive and save runs. Viru making that diving stop at Midwicket had us all up in cheers. Superb fielding effort today by India, terrific bowling, brilliant overall. They showed they had the hunger and desire to win it, and they pulled off the win fantastically.

Bring on Sri Lanka.

 

[Jono]

agree with everything you said there. That is a good summary of the match.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

agree with everything you said there. That is a good summary of the match.

Were you agreeing with me or *****

 

[Jono]

Well I was responding to *****, but I agree with what you wrote as well. Particularly about India's fielding. Two matches in a row they've been good in the field. Very good in fact.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

As a result of this good performance by Pakistan in the world cup, do you think Pakistani players should be allowed to play in the IPL?

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Dire last few pages.

Congrats India, commiserations Pakistan.
Goooooo Sri Lanka.

 

[Prad100w]

The batting on the whole was ****, but Pakistan's performance was worse. Baffled by Misbah's chase. He was hitting 4's and 6's at will at the end, and yet couldn't he have done that during the middle overs in order to relieve pressure. I thought Younis was generally off his game today (old age I guess). Tendulkar was scratchy and extremely lucky to have made the 80 odd runs. Should have gone earlier and therefore his score was the main difference between the runs (we should have won). The worst shot award goes to Hafeez for that horrendous premeditated scoop. Although if it had worked, nobody would be complaining about it. Nonetheless, with the way he was batting, shouldn't have needed to do that.

Brilliant bowling performance by Ajmal, Munaf and Nehra (why did he have to perform against us only). However it was Wahab who was the best bowler and overall player today and deserved MOM.

Sehwag and Umar Akmal were the best batsmen today and made it look easy as compared to the rest. I think the overall poor performance was mainly due to the nerves and pressure (won by India). The difference between the two sides was the fielding. Indian fielding was exceptional (have to mention Kohli and Raina). Pakistani fielding was disgusting.

Misbah has always been that kind of a player who starts slowly and tries to make it up in the end. But the real issue was that, he wasn't rotating the strike often enough. When the run rate was close to 6 or more than that, its common sense to just take the single and give the strike to the other batsmen and few odd risks . He absolutely failed at it. So did Younis. But to be fair to him, If he had lost his wicket, Pakistan might not have come this close even. Pretty sure he must have been counting on the power play. And every chance would have pulled it off if he had one proper batsman at the other end.

 

[Spark]

Not especially eager to read through the last few pages containing too much arrogant hubristic bull**** for my liking as it looks to be, but I can't say I'm surprised at the result, or particularly feel it's unjust. You just can't drop the oppo's best bat three+ times and expect to get away with it.

 

[Manee]

It was incredibly annoying to hear Manjrekar making dire comments about Munaf. One over, his first and second balls were in the 135kph range, the other commentator said something like "Munaf's deliveries seem heavy, he bowls with the air of a man who is much faster than the 130 range". Little **** Manjrekar cuts in, giggles and says "The fans are quite used to seeing Munaf operate in the 120 kph range actually, Bowling at 130 is very rare for him". All this in a match where he was consistently bowling over 135 kph and over 140kph quite a few times. God Sanjay is the biggest prick on earth.

Indeed, was dire. Not sure that Munaf clocked 140kph more than twice, but was in the high 130s kph area more often than not. I remain convinced that this is the strength and fitness that he has got from playing a Ranji Trophy season and getting overs under his belt. Think he only played four or five matches FC matches but he got the overs under the belt and the difference in his fitness is significant.

I believe he still has the untapped potential to bowl fast, he just needs to be in better condition. When you compare his follow through to the follow through of Mcgrath at his age, there is no comparison. Mcgrath drove through the crease whereas Munaf often tamely puts the ball on a spot and this, imo, is why Mcgrath was often clocked at 140kph in his younger days whereas it is a rarity for Munaf. If anything, imo, Munaf has more innate potential to bowl quickly - just needs to drive through more with the non bowling arm. I do not buy it for Ishant Sharma or Irfan Pathan and other Indians who have lost their pace, but he genuinely seems to be one who bowls slower so he can bowl more accurately. I recall reading that it was Greg Chappell who told him he did not have the body to be a 145kph bowler and it is from that point that he stopped running in as quickly and become more line and length orientated.

Not that I'm complaining, he won us the game today. I just believe that he should be able to adapt his style for conditions where he does need to bowl more quickly and perhaps less metronomically.

 

[cnerd123]

Misbah played horribly IMO. Left it till too late to start attacking, should have started hitting out from the moment Riaz joined him in the middle. They also too the batting PP too late, should have taken it when Afridi walked in.

I also agree with Munaf being able to bowl faster and looking like he's holding back when he bowls.

 

[slugger]

Ive only seen highlights but regardless of the batting chase not enough singles, leaving it to late.... they dropped 3-4 catches no team has the right to win with fielding that sloppy. end of story...

 

[Sanz]

The batting on the whole was ****, but Pakistan's performance was worse. Baffled by Misbah's chase. He was hitting 4's and 6's at will at the end, and yet couldn't he have done that during the middle overs in order to relieve pressure..

You won't find many in the dressing room blaming Misbah. From what it looks, it probably was the part of the strategy for Misbah to stay till the end and let others hit . At one point when Akmal and Misbah were batting, it was working perfectly

It was working perfectly until Afridi got out. So may be Misbah played 10-15 balls more than he should have, but let's not forget that Razzaq and Afridi did not do what they were supposed to according to the team plan. If Pakistan did not win it was not because of Misbah but because others around him did not stay long enough and do their jobs.

 

[Bun]

It was incredibly annoying to hear Manjrekar making dire comments about Munaf. One over, his first and second balls were in the 135kph range, the other commentator said something like "Munaf's deliveries seem heavy, he bowls with the air of a man who is much faster than the 130 range". Little **** Manjrekar cuts in, giggles and says "The fans are quite used to seeing Munaf operate in the 120 kph range actually, Bowling at 130 is very rare for him". All this in a match where he was consistently bowling over 135 kph and over 140kph quite a few times. God Sanjay is the biggest prick on earth.

But the lemon should go to Mark Nicholas, when Misbah hit his 2nd four in 60 deliveries, the guy had the charm to shout "This is such a fantaboulous innings by Misbah"