Indian Cricket Dhaba

[Pratters]

Inspired by the Kiwi thread of a similar nature produced a bit back, this a place to have a virtual tea (with a samosa perhaps) and talk about Indian cricket.

If you talk bull ****, Joginder Sharma will take that up with you.



Any ways, with Dhoni gone for tests, who do you guys feel should take up the test wicket keeper's sport?

There's

A) Karthik - has made tons of runs in domestic cricket this season
B) Saha - Toured Australia
C) Naman Ojha - Not as safe behind the stumps
D) Parthiv Patel - The forever young guy, who hasn't been in the running for a while now
E) Some one else?

 

[Pratters]

I am veering towards Karthik but they will probably give Saha a go first. Bengal has a bit of power going in Indian cricket again right now with Dalmiya at the helm.

 

[Daemon]

I refuse to partake in this thread until it is renamed to include Chai

 

[Pratters]

Okay, Would be great if a mod can rename 'Tea' with 'Chai' in the thread title.

Apparently, Duncan Fletcher is getting the sack and the gentlemen in the running for the coach's job are Ravi Shastri, Stephen Fleming and Saurav Ganguly. Ravi Shastri and Ganguly seem crazy options. What is their experience in coaching, I ask.

 

[Niall]

Hussey was been talked up by someone recently, can't remember who though.

Fleming is the obvious choice, but Chennai always perform well in the IPL, so what would the appeal of managing India? Much more stressful, loads of travel and would he make more money?

 

[Pratters]

I really would like to see some one has done well with a team or two at first class level some where.

 

[Niall]

I really would like to see some one has done well with a team or two at first class level some where.

Ah I meant to say Fleming would be my choice from those you named. Yeah you'd want someone with experience, mammoth job really.

 

[cnerd123]

Saha has to have the keeper's spot after being understudy for so long.

Expecting Samson to step up soon.

Would love to see Dravid or Ganguly in coaching capacity tbh. Don't think they could be worse than Fletcher anyways.

We could use a good bowling coach - I suggest Agarkar, or maybe poach McDermott from the Aussies.

 

[Prince EWS]

I refuse to partake in this thread until it is renamed to include Chai

Not really a big threat. Does this thread really need Daemon?

 

[Pratters]

Would love to see Dravid or Ganguly in coaching capacity tbh. Don't think they could be worse than Fletcher anyways.

Indian cricket is such a concoction of egos, it's difficult to play the role of the coach. Wright and Kirsten managed it. Kapil Dev, Chappell and Fletcher didn't. Only one of those 3 who didn't manage to play a significant role had coaching pedigree. Fletcher's time coincided with the most skewed up period in a long while in Indian cricket when Srinavasan ruled it and Dhoni was stronger than earlier captains. I doubts Ganguly, Tendulkar, Azhar, Dravid or for that matter most would have survived 4-0 defeats in England and Australia.

Dravid has been in a coaching role with Rajasthan and I don't mind him. Ganguly, I would like to avoid. He already has commitments with being an owner of the premier football club in the ISL, doesn't have too much of coaching experience and can be a polarising influence in a team. There is a fair chance for him to be a coach as the Kolkata block might want a man from Bengal in the team. Kirsten and Wright's tenures make me want to go for some one similar. Dravid has a similar nature to both Kirsten and Wright in that he is happy to take a back seat and focus on improving things. So if it is one of RSD and SCG, would want RSD.

Having said that, I don't think Dravid would want a full time coaching job right now. It hasn't been long since he has finished his cricketing career and it can be so hectic nowadays. I would prefer a foreign coach with experience and I am sure they can find one suitable for the job, if they do enough research and have the willingness for it.

 

[Pratters]

Unlike the cricket brains in the country who love the idea of an Indian coach, I am usually in favour of a foreign one except in an exceptional case where a candidate is some one like Dravid. Abroad, there is proper coaching programmes and you are trained to be coaches with qualifications associated with it. Now, nothing can prepare one to coach an Indian team but I would just feel more comfortable if I had a more qualified person with success domestically doing the job.

 

[Arjun]

Coach- The best results have often been achieved with a younger coach. That worked wonders for India when they had Gary Kirsten at the helm. There are plenty who want Ganguly or Dravid as coach, and that's a fair set of choices. The days of foreign coaches being exceptionally better than Indian are now gone- we have Indians who have done coaching programmes and even had experience with associate nations, and are aware of what's needed at the top level now. Yet, the idea of a Lankan coach for India has never been explored- there's a strong case for one.

Wicketkeeper- Naman Ojha is the single best with the bat for the longer form of the game, but him not being safe behind the stumps is a valid concern. The same, though, can also be said of Saha- someone who's played plenty of games as a specialist batsman is hardly trustworthy behind the stumps. Karthik was far and away the best wicketkeeper in India, among the prospects, but his last international appearances had him spilling enough chances to make Dhoni look a top keeper. Maybe he's back to his best with the gloves, so he can have a shot. Maybe India can pick a wicketkeeper who's inferior with the bat, as long as he's solid behind the stumps- and leave the run-scoring to a bowler.

 

[G.I.Joe]

The IPL has had a brain drain effect as far as coaching gigs go. The prominent names much prefer to coach an IPL team for 2 months a year than stay away from family for 8-10 months. I'm not saying I blame Dravid, Ganguly, Waugh, Fleming etc; any one of us would make the same decision. One would either have to be an IPL/county 'reject' or accept the stresses and travelling associated with a national team to take the job at this point.

That said, I don't get the concept of team mentors. Coaches coach. The coach, captain and number crunchers pick players in the auction every 3 years. Steve Waugh was recently asked in an interview if he'd consider coaching the Indian team or an IPL team. He replied that he had family commitments at this stage, and that he'd rather mentor an IPL team if offered. What's the job description for a mentor?

 

[Pratters]

You would be kidding yourself if you think Indian coaching standards are as good as those in Australia or England Arjun. We don't even have proper practice pitches at lower levels ffs, forget about developing our coaches. The ones who we do have are exceptions to the rule.

Karthik has batted well against good attacks this season. He seems to have improved tremendously as a batsman. Was a key member of the Tamil Nadu ranji side as a batsman, a side which had such strong batsmen as Vijay, Baba Aparajith among others. I doubt they will give the boot to Saha for at least 1 series.

 

[G.I.Joe]

I also think that Indian cricket would be better served with Ganguly in an administrative role than as coach. It's time we had a change from all the businessmen and accountants at the BCCI. He's not the sort to play a token role at the BCCI, and his virtual monopoly in the East zone is a huge bonus from a political pov. Dalmiya can't keep up much longer, and there no other prominent former Indian players in administrative roles from the zone.

 

[OverratedSanity]

I have a very sudden, inexplicable urge to drink masala chai

 

[G.I.Joe]

You would be kidding yourself if you think Indian coaching standards are as good as those in Australia or England Arjun. We don't even have proper practice pitches at lower levels ffs, forget about developing our coaches. The ones who we do have are exceptions to the rule.

Karthik has batted well against good attacks this season. He seems to have improved tremendously as a batsman. Was a key member of the Tamil Nadu ranji side as a batsman, a side which had such strong batsmen as Vijay, Baba Aparajith among others. I doubt they will give the boot to Saha for at least 1 series.

Dinesh Karthik? I'd be surprised if he hasn't signed off on his national aspirations after dipping his pen in a team-mate's ink pot, so to speak

 

[Pratters]

Dinesh Karthik? I'd be surprised if he hasn't signed off on his national aspirations after dipping his pen in a team-mate's ink pot, so to speak

 

[Niall]

Dinesh Karthik? I'd be surprised if he hasn't signed off on his national aspirations after dipping his pen in a team-mate's ink pot, so to speak

Other way about wasn't it?

 

[Pratters]

Googled the story. Vijay and Karthik have played the Ranji semis and finals together since then, ftr. It sure would be uncomfortable sharing the dressing room together though!