India Burnt Out?

[Pratters]

Talking about India in the cricket is like talking about Arsenal in the football. It's always a case of needing a few more players/saying x player(s) will come good in a few years/said players turning out to be average or crap/coming up short (and/or performing terribly) when it matters and looking for excuses.

If you say India is like Arsenal, I will take it as a compliment for India.

 

[Teja.]

Sreesanth clearly our Pires.

 

[Jono]

I am an idiot for thinking Sreesanth match fixing would end the Teja love for him

 

[sledger]

If you say India is like Arsenal, I will take it as a compliment for India.

People like you would do that.

 

[OverratedSanity]

The Arsenal comparison is actually perfect... especially considering what happens to Arsenal in big away matches.

 

[Pratters]

Sreesanth clearly our Pires.

Tendulkar is clearly our Henry.

 

[cnerd123]

And all this talk of Ishant Sharma is nonsense. The bloke is really not very good. And like EVERY other Indian quick we've seen over the last ten years, he will be back on the heap in no time at all.

I think Ishant has already played more Tests than every other Indian quick over the last ten years combined

 

[Pratters]

Sreesanth fits Balotelli for me but he never played for Arsenal.

 

[cnerd123]

That's the spirit, bring back Ajit Agarkar!

Not the worst idea tbh.

 

[Teja.]

I am an idiot for thinking Sreesanth match fixing would end the Teja love for him

It's probably not wise to mention it but I'm a big fan of Azhar as well tbh, largely for being from Hyderabad.

 

[Pratters]

I was just thinking about Azhar's batting the other day. I would actually have him ahead of Laxman. Had a tighter game and missed less deliveries. There is some thing about Hyderabad though producing those two. I wonder how Jaisimha used to bat for Gavaskar to be such a huge fan.

 

[Jono]

Vijay is the closest thing India now have to Laxman and Azhar's style. Delicious caressing of the ball.

 

[Pratters]

I remember SJS raving about Vijay very early in his career. Such a classical player. He is like a smooth car which rolls on a road. I love his style.

 

[Teja.]

Healy the other day was talking about how Rahane's innings the other day was like a typical Azhar onslaught and it's so true. Maniacal intent but classic strokeplay which you don't usually associate with a 147 (171).

2nd Test: South Africa v India at Cape Town, Jan 2-6, 1997 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo (115 from 110 at Cape Town '96)
2nd Test: India v South Africa at Kolkata, Nov 27-Dec 1, 1996 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo (109 from 77 v. SA at Kolkota '96)
1st Test: England v India at Lord's, Jul 26-31, 1990 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo (121 from 111 at Lords ''90)

A couple more insane innings like those as well. Just so weird and amazing for a classical test batsman with orthodox aggression to completely let rip like that. I was a kid but vaguely remember the match-fixing saga shaking up the city. Twas not just a cricket issue but a national tragedy.

 

[Jono]

9 years later he was an MP

One of my uncles was his best mate in school.

 

[silentstriker]

Burnt out? Has it not occurred to anyone that it might simply be a case of them not being very good?

It has occurred to literally everyone except the original poster.

 

[Pratters]

Bhogle who wrote the best book till then on Azhar (haven't read it) said how he felt he didn't know any thing about him, he felt. A lot of people I know never really went back to cricket after that. Yuvraj and Zaheer in that ICC event could not have been timed better for Indian cricket.

 

[GIMH]

Tbf arsenal fans ruin the footy thread almost as much as India fans ruin CC

 

[duffer]

The difference between Arsenal and the Indian cricket team is that the players we need are available for a price. For India they have a limited pool of players to choose from while we could buy a good striker or defensive midfielder.

 

[smash84]

An article in praise of Ishant on cricinfo (relatively speaking of course). I found this comment interesting.

India's gangling life support | Cricket Features | Australia v India | ESPN Cricinfo

POSTED BY McCurren on December 29, 2014, 11:27 GMT

Ishant is probably the luckiest cricketer in the world, how else can keep his place in the team despite his dismal numbers? He is the only 'specialist' bowler with an average of 37/wicket, take out West Indies and Bangla Desh and his average jumps to 47/wicket. But he has support from Dhoni, selectors and the media who are not tired of calling him the spearhead of Indian bowling. If this is the 'lifeline' of Indian bowling then there is no wonder why they are bleeding runs.