*Official* - India in West Indies

[Daemon]

Bun has a point. WI were playing really defensively, but I'm still disappointed that they didn't even make an effort.

 

[Bun]

We aren't Australia with Gilchrist, McGrath, Warne etc. FFS. We don't have Steyn. Even SA with Steyn and Morkel and all their best players available drew a Test here last year. Pakistan only drew their series. England lost. Chill, an away series win is always a good result.

exactly...

bloody hell we are playing with more than half of our regular chaps missing, and yet people expect us to win 3-0....

and we would have done it two nil but for rain at barbados.

a good win this. some guys who have never entered this thread now conveniently having a go at us.

 

[Cevno]

Yup, because they all showed up to watch a bunch of guys shaking hands. Imagine WI saving the game despite a brave effort by India -- now keep imagining, because it ain't happening.

Eh?

They saved the game alright.

 

[Vroomfondel]

Eh?

They saved the game alright.

There's the 'despite a brave effort by India' part that's distinctly lacking. Anyway...I suppose this is to be expected that's still a bit uncomfortable winning abroad.

 

[Bun]

It is not that they didn't win but the fact that they took the safe option so early with still 7 wickets in hand and About 20 overs to go which is dissapointing.

They didn't have confidence in their ability to play 10 overs out even if they were 5 down on this pitch which was really doing nothing much and where Edwards alone played 20 overs today?

frankly dont think we would have got all those overs in.... with the light and all...

and we all saw how it wasn't ur batting paradise... yes it wasn't good for bowling either... just became a slow low one where deadbatters can prosper...

with massively defensive fields and bowling, there really wasn't real chance of us winning tbh... it's that sort of pitch where u have to force it real hard... and even then couldnt really hope to do great...

 

[akilana]

We aren't Australia with Gilchrist, McGrath, Warne etc. FFS. We don't have Steyn. Even SA with Steyn and Morkel and all their best players available drew a Test here last year. Pakistan only drew their series. England lost. Chill, an away series win is always a good result.

What has SA has to do with it? Didn't they win it 2-0 and the drawn test was played on a road and SA didn't give WI an inch. The attitude of dragging other teams to justify India not going for the win is pathetic.

 

[Cevno]

There's the 'despite a brave effort by India' part that's distinctly lacking. Anyway...I suppose this is to be expected that's still a bit uncomfortable winning abroad.

From Cricinfo-
West Indies take a lap around the ground to loud cheers. The crowds turned up today to witness a fighting draw from the home side.

Seems to me they were pretty happy with a draw to me. Are you telling me that they would have rather lost the game than drawn early?
Even if India went for it they could have called it off after 5 overs.

 

[Bun]

I find it laughable when people are calling it disrespect for test crricket for not chasing down 167 in the last session of a test match, with slow low pitches, pathetically defensive fields, bowlers taking an age to walk back to their marks, and make no mistake we weren't stuffed up with world's best batsmen either......

 

[Cevno]

Dhoni - "Wasn't worth risking a series win"

Really dissapointing. Old 1-0 mentality coming to the fore.

 

[Vroomfondel]

From Cricinfo-
West Indies take a lap around the ground to loud cheers. The crowds turned up today to witness a fighting draw from the home side.

Seems to me they were pretty happy with a draw to me. Are you telling me that they would have rather lost the game than drawn early?
Even if India went for it they could have called it off after 5 overs.

Putting myself in their position, I would much prefer to have taken my chances with a loss, and looked forward to a draw fought out in a combative last session, rather than settled over handshakes.

I'm pretty sure you know what I mean, and I'm sure than any cricket fan (including yourself) would have preferred it.

But ok, whatever, bygones. India did dominate here and in the previous test, but could have done more (imho). Looking forward to England...

 

[Cevno]

frankly dont think we would have got all those overs in.... with the light and all...

and we all saw how it wasn't ur batting paradise... yes it wasn't good for bowling either... just became a slow low one where deadbatters can prosper...

with massively defensive fields and bowling, there really wasn't real chance of us winning tbh... it's that sort of pitch where u have to force it real hard... and even then couldnt really hope to do great...

Taking yesterday's closing time ,they had more than a hour to get in 15 overs and were bowling Bishoo one end.

They could have easily gone for the win for atleast 5 overs and then still have had only 10 overs left to play out with 5 wickets in hand.
Hell !! Could have promoted Praveen or Harbhajan to have a go atleast.

Even after 5 overs if 2 wickets more had fallen and the RR was below 6 ,West Indies would have called it off.

Remember that test against England at home a few years ago where they promoted Irfan up to have a go in a even tougher position and on a tougher wicket ,and ended up with lesser wickets chasing a bigger score?

The dissapointing thing here is not that they didn't went all out for a win but they didn't even risk more than 3 wickets down and 20 overs to go with a RPO of just above 5 when Laxman came in.

Even West Indies went for a win the last match from a way tougher position and on a tougher pitch.

 

[Cevno]

MS Dhoni: "Not disappointed about it. We did well in this game, they batted well actually, we are not disappointed in any way, Harbhajan was getting a bit of spin and bounce and he got valuable wickets, not much help for the fast bowlers, they did well. We were not sure about the wicket. If we go with a 2-2 combination and the track turns out to be flat, that can be a problem. We knew we had bowlers who could spin the all if it started taking turn, like Raina. We were risking a series win going after the target, we realised that it was not worth going for it after those wickets, we gave it a go but we are happy with the series win. It was a good exposure for the youngsters. Really good to see Ishant take responsibility."

Ahh well!!

Nice series win though and were never really under pressure with a young side.

Bring on England.

 

[Bun]

Taking yesterday's closing time ,they had more than a hour to get in 15 overs and were bowling Bishoo one end.

They could have easily gone for the win for atleast 5 overs and then still have had only 10 overs left to play out with 5 wickets in hand.
Hell !! Could have promoted Praveen or Harbhajan to have a go atleast.

Even after 5 overs if 2 wickets more had fallen and the RR was below 6 ,West Indies would have called it off.

Remember that test against England at home a few years ago where they promoted Irfan up to have a go in a even tougher position and on a tougher wicket ,and ended up with lesser wickets chasing a bigger score?

The dissapointing thing here is not that they didn't went all out for a win but they didn't even risk more than 3 wickets down and 20 overs to go with a RPO of just above 5 when Laxman came in.

Even West Indies went for a win the last match from a way tougher position and on a tougher pitch.

firstly am not defending dhoni.s decision. I am also disappointed we didn't give it a chance.

but then realistically I don't think we had a chance here.

while it is easy to say we should have pushed up harby or praveen on this pitch, really do u think they'd have given it a real thwack? I don't think they'd have done anything more than give it a slog and get out quickly. it isn.t the pitch where u can come and slog from ball one.

and considering yest's closing time, perhaps we had an hour more... but not 15 overs. push come to shove, they'd have pulled back bishoo in and bowled with two pacers. we al saw how snail like edwards was walking back after each delivery. I don't think we'd have got more than 12 or 13 overs at max by any stretch and frankly scoring at over 6 or close to 7 is impossible, given the scoring rates otherwise in this test match.

I am more disappointed that we didn't close windian inngs early... we had them by the scruff at 8 down, instead we played like millionaires and let them get out of jail. I am most disappointed with that rather than the run chase.

still i'd like to think this as a two nil win, and credit to the boys.

 

[Cruxdude]

Pathetic display from the number one team. Way to rob the paying spectators of cricket. Complete disrespect for test cricket, that was a comfortable win at worst.

Total crap post

 

[GIMH]

You've got England next? Who knew.

 

[Cevno]

Positives from this tour -

Rohit Sharma,Virat Kohli doing well in ODI's away.

Amit Mishra establishing himself as the second spinner.

Praveen Kumar doing decently well in the tests.

Ishant Sharma winning MOTS and taking 23 wickets and keeping up his improvement from the IPL.

Mukund getting ahead of Vijay for the 3rd opener role ,and showing grit on couple of occasions.

Raina showing some improvement atleast in test match cricket and his technique.(still not convinced fully)

Nice away experience for youngsters coupled with series win.


Negatives from this tour -


Mithun shown to be ****.

Vijay flopping again in tests and looking clueless for most part.

Kohli(will improve though,no doubt) and Munaf also dissapointing in tests.

Badrinath unfairly getting sidelined

Yuvraj somehow finding his way back for the England tour in tests FFS!!

 

[GIMH]

f
still i'd like to think this as a two nil win, and credit to the boys.

On what basis? You only won one Test.

 

[Bun]

Positives from this tour -

Rohit Sharma,Virat Kohli doing well in ODI's away.

Amit Mishra establishing himself as the second spinner.

Praveen Kumar doing decently well in the tests.

Ishant Sharma winning MOTS and taking 23 wickets and keeping up his improvement from the IPL.

Mukund getting ahead of Vijay for the 3rd opener role ,and showing grit on couple of occasions.

Raina showing some improvement atleast in test match cricket and his technique.(still not convinced fully)

Nice away experience for youngsters coupled with series win.


Negatives from this tour -


Mithun shown to be ****.

Vijay flopping again in tests and looking clueless for most part.

Kohli(will improve though,no doubt) and Munaf also dissapointing in tests.

Badrinath unfairly getting sidelined

Yuvraj somehow finding his way back for the England tour in tests FFS!!

haha good summation.

given how kohli was given an extended run without any realistic chance of making the eng squad, I am disappointed they didnt give badri a chance. still at his age, he had to grab whatever came his way, sadly he didnt in the odis.

would also add munaf looking innocous. maybe its because he's coming from injury....

cant wait for the eng series... so excited!

 

[Bun]

On what basis? You only won one Test.

robbed of one and half days by rain at barbados, still came within 3 wickets of winning it...

 

[centurymaker]

robbed of one and half days by rain at barbados, still came within 3 wickets of winning it...

there as plenty of rain in this test too..

I'm so pissed
As I have said on numerous occasions before, I ****ing absolutely despise DHoni and to some extent dravid as well. This last innings is a fine example why I do so.