An Ageing Indian Side

[Deja moo]

I think it has more to do with sponsors than form

I hope that doesnt mean what I think it does ....

 

[SJS]

I hope that doesnt mean what I think it does ....

I am pretty sure it does.

Look back at the cricketers who you thought were suddenly dropped when they could have played and you will find names like Ramesh, SS Das, Sanjay Bangar, Akaash Chopra, Ajay Ratra even Romesh Powar. Add to them cricketers who seem to do pretty well but a couple of failures, sometimes only one, is enough to get them out of the side and you get Balaji, Nehra and Agarkar.

You can add others like Mongia and Badani. Even Laxman has suffered and is a prinme target for dropping again.

Now lets look at those who have become fixtures and will be in the side in form or out of it, on tour even if unfit and you will get names like Harbhajan, Zaheer, Parthiv, Please dont think I am suggesting Harbhajan is not a world class spinner but there are millions invested on these guys by sponsors.

They (sponsors) cant afford to have these guys out of public sight. The investment will go down the drain.

Of course, it is conjecture but the circumstantial evidence is pretty strong. You dont have a sponsor or a face (persona) that can sell products, you better perform day in and day out to stay in the side.

Irfan is doubly blessed with his talent and his looks .

 

[SJS]

I know Parthiv is dropped but just look back and see how many matches it took to drop Ratra and others and Ratra got a test hundred.

 

[Deja moo]

Going purely on ability , I'd like to see Sriram and Badani get their due. How long can one ignore a first class average of 60 ? And Badani IMO is more reliable than Yuvraj as a batsman , and is a damn good fielder too .
In One day cricket , Powar ,Badani and Dhoni are my picks .
As for Laxman , I think there exists a genuine case for dropping him ?

 

[Deja moo]

I am pretty sure it does.

They (sponsors) cant afford to have these guys out of public sight. The investment will go down the drain.

Of course, it is conjecture but the circumstantial evidence is pretty strong. You dont have a sponsor or a face (persona) that can sell products, you better perform day in and day out to stay in the side.

Maybe that is just what it is.....Nehra doesnt exactly have a face that launches a thousand ships

 

[Sehwag309]

Good point .I hadnt given thought to that ...But the newspaper today reported that Sachin might play for Mumbai after all in the tour game vs Aus .

OH man, thats some news to me..which paper, any web link

 

[marc71178]

You may well be right. But it just proves what I have always suspected, Saurav wants him in the test side at any cost.

Is it Saurav or is it the selectors?

One things for sure, it's not Sehwag's choice!

 

[SJS]

Maybe that is just what it is.....Nehra doesnt exactly have a face that launches a thousand ships

Look at Chopra. First 8 tests, 1st wicket partnerships of 35 and 20, 164 and 6, 61 and 4, 66 and 48, 141 and 5, 123 and 11 and 160.

Actually often it is Sehwag who went first. If you look at the score at which Chopra got out after opening it is, 107 , 97, 164, 128, 127, 4, 66, 48, 141, 5 128, 11 and 160 !!

Then he failed in the third test in Pakistan and we seem to think he is dispensable. If he is dropped, it wouldnt appear as if we wish to solve the opener problem that we keep harping about.

When Ramesh was getting runs we still wanted to drop him because fifties were not good enough though others failed to get into double figures.

His footwork was not good enough though same coming from Saurav and Laxman makes it strokeplay fit for Gods and we call it superb hand eye coordination.

Before that we had SS Das, who scored well had a straightest of bats and never looked like getting out and one bad series was all it took to discard him so unceremoniously that the guy has never recovered from the shock and cant be recognised as the same cricketer.

While Chopra was already in the team the skipper was talking about Yuvraj being tried in the opening. So much for the players' captain !

 

[marc71178]

Going purely on ability , I'd like to see Sriram and Badani get their due. How long can one ignore a first class average of 60 ? And Badani IMO is more reliable than Yuvraj as a batsman , and is a damn good fielder too .

But they're not openers are they?

The only batting vacancy (not that I think there should be one) is as an opener.

And the FC average of 60 isn't quite as large as it sounds.

 

[SJS]

Is it Saurav or is it the selectors?

One things for sure, it's not Sehwag's choice!

Well lets not forget that Yuvraj is a good player so selectors are not going to drop him from the squad. And Ganguly carries a lot of weight today. Much more than earlier captains.

Selectors too in India are not beyond influencing, are they

 

[Arjun]

From the couple of matches I watched on TV , Paul didnt seem a very good bowler IMO .

He bowls straight- the frontline pace lineup, in packs, bowl all over the place.

 

[SJS]

But they're not openers are they?

The only batting vacancy (not that I think there should be one) is as an opener.

And the FC average of 60 isn't quite as large as it sounds.

You are right first class averages, more so in Indian domestic circuit are no indicator. Wickets are flat and none of the top bowlers ever playes on regular basis. So there are easy pickings. The selectors really need to go and have a look at the talent and then choose.

But its also true that true batting tracks do produce good attractive batsmen. By and large the Indian batsmen have reasonably orthodox techniques and this makes most of them good material to work on. Later the wheat can get separated from the chaff.

We need a couple of openers, a couple of middle order batsmen and a couple of spinners who would fill slots that will start getting available and to provide a robust and competitive bench .

 

[Arjun]

From the present uncapped lot , Dheeraj Yadav (Jadhav?) , Ambati rayudu hold a lot of promise . Of course , it is highly unlikely we will ever see another Sachin/dravid , but they arent bad replacements .

Dheeraj Jadhav is a rather average runner between wickets and is rather stodgy. Gautam Gambhir may be a better choice.

Ambati Rayudu has awful shot selection. That's why he doesn't last long.

 

[Arjun]

Even Laxman has suffered and is a prinme target for dropping again.

Laxman was, and still is, a world class player, acut above the rest of the Indian batting lineup. He's as good as Sachin and Dravid. Getting big hundreds regularly in Tests is no joke. It is shocking that there are so many who want him dropped, when lesser players like Yuvraj, Kaif, Sehwag and Gagnuly have done little of note to be proven better than him.

 

[masterblaster]

Laxman was, and still is, a world class player, acut above the rest of the Indian batting lineup. He's as good as Sachin and Dravid. Getting big hundreds regularly in Tests is no joke. It is shocking that there are so many who want him dropped, when lesser players like Yuvraj, Kaif, Sehwag and Gagnuly have done little of note to be proven better than him.

Agreed, although Ganguly and Kaif are starting to turn the corner. Yuvraj's poor form has got me concerned. He was on such a high after the Pakistan tour only to come crashing down once more. As many know, Im a Chopra supporter and an advocate of him playing in this XI, and out of Das, Ramesh, Gambhir and Yuvraj, Chopra seems the best choice at the moment and I've already explained countless times why.

 

[Arjun]

The team can benefit by playing someone like Flintoff or Brett Lee, a fast bowler who can hit big sixes in clean shots.

 

[luckyeddie]

The team can benefit by playing someone like Flintoff or Brett Lee, a fast bowler who can hit big sixes in clean shots.

That's the first time I've ever seen those two mentioned in the same breath - and hopefully the last.

 

[Arjun]

That's the first time I've ever seen those two mentioned in the same breath - and hopefully the last.

Remember the VB Series Final, Sydney, 2003? Brett Lee is a matchwinner with the ball and a very good lower-order batsman.

 

[Dasa]

Remember the VB Series Final, Sydney, 2003? Brett Lee is a matchwinner with the ball and a very good lower-order batsman.

I would rather see a bowler who isn't rubbish in tests.

 

[luckyeddie]

Remember the VB Series Final, Sydney, 2003? Brett Lee is a matchwinner with the ball and a very good lower-order batsman.

Brett Lee is a lower-order hitter.

Andrew Flintoff is a batsman.