*Official* Australia in India - ODIs

[four_or_six]

He was very stiff in his action tbf, it did look like he was holding back a lot, similar to when he bowled in the Ashes.

I don't think he looked that bad, a bit stiff perhaps but not like after the back injury. More likely that he had a niggle though than just thinking 'Yeah, I can't be arsed today. Maybe I'll wait for a flat track and have spent some time batting to tire me out a bit, that'll be much easier.'

 

[SJS]

Its very funny.

My wife thinks Sachin is a lousy batsman. But when, in February last year, he top scored with 63 (54 balls) against SRL to get us to the finals and then scored 117 not out and 91 in the two finals against Australia and she just shrugged and said it was a fluke, I told my son this was getting to be too much. He said,"Pa, you have to be more understanding with her. Look. She cant tell the difference between mid wicket and cover, between off spin and leg spin, I doubt if she can tell a baseball bat from a cricket stump and on top of that her major source of entertainment is watching television! What do you expect from her? How can she know anything worthwhile about cricket. She probably thinks if she criticises Tendulkar it will show that she must know something about the game. Or maybe all the other women at her kitty parties talk like that too. Just ignore her."

I took his advise very seriously because he really had a point. In fact what he said about watching so much television (and being influenced by it rather than having any personal knowledge about the game) explained the reason for the behaviour of many of my fellow countrymen as well :-)

 

[Pratters]

Haha. What glorious bull ****.

You have criticised Tendulkar in the past too when you said he was not playing well and should have been dropped. So we should infer you were doing it to gain attention too?

Also, you mentioned regarding having played more cricket than me therefore knowing more than me in our telephonic conversation a few years back. Let me tell you, we were three young brothers and a colony of friends and we used to play cricket every day. On Saturdays and Sundays, we used to go to the maidan and played proper duse ball cricket. I also learnt my cricket in the Rajasthan Cricket Club in Kolkata whom Rohan Gavaskar plays for. I made the 4th team and no better but I have played enough cricket for some one my age (though there is never enough really). I would still play proper duse ball cricket had it not been for my business committments.

You try to resort to a comfort zone of being an elitist fan, of knowing more, of degrading the other fan when you can't come up with a proper argument. That, in my opinion, is very sad for some one your age and knowledge about the game.

 

[four_or_six]

Goodness me.

 

[Cruxdude]

About criticizing Dhoni. As some one else said he is still new to the job and it takes time to learn doling out platitudes. Ponting has had time at the job and has learned, so will Dhoni.

 

[0RI0N]

About criticizing Dhoni. As some one else said he is still new to the job and it takes time to learn doling out platitudes. Ponting has had time at the job and has learned, so will Dhoni.

wait wut?

Is Dhoni 5 yrs old?
Did he land on planet earth 2 days ago?
"learn doing out platitudes".
He needs to stop being a bitter sore loser and give props where due.

 

[G.I.Joe]

0RI0N's right. Henceforth Dhoni will be expected to pat Ponting on the head and reward him with a cookie after every game, just to please 0RI0N.

 

[Pratters]

Dhoni is a fine sportsman IMO. Whatever little queries I had about his captaincy, he has answered them in style. He has a great cricketing mind. Also, he speaks what he feels. As he said during the presentation ceremony, India lost the game in the mind and would do well to learn from such an outing for the future. That's the best we can take away from such a game.

 

[Burgey]

0RI0N's right. Henceforth Dhoni will be expected to pat Ponting on the head and reward him with a cookie after every game, just to please 0RI0N.

I think it's a relative thing. I don't think Dhoni, Ponting or for that matter many international captains are generally unsporting. Sometimes thoguh, like all of us, they forget themselves at times. Obviously they would like to be held in good stead by everyone at all times, but after a game like that where a victory seems so close, the disappointment overrides other emotions.

 

[Streetwise]

I think it's a relative thing. I don't think Dhoni, Ponting or for that matter many international captains are generally unsporting. Sometimes thoguh, like all of us, they forget themselves at times. Obviously they would like to be held in good stead by everyone at all times, but after a game like that where a victory seems so close, the disappointment overrides other emotions.

Dhoni has not given Australia credit in any of the three defeats and in both wins he talks about how easy it was and how well he batted.

 

[Sanz]

Dhoni has not given Australia credit in any of the three defeats and in both wins he talks about how easy it was and how well he batted.

Credit for what ? Dhoni is someone who focusses on his own team's performance and analysing what his team did wrong. What you doing is ridiculously silly because Dhoni is not someone who is known to take credit away from anyone.

Please do not make up stories to suit your agenda.

 

[Uppercut]

Interesting p.o.v

Would you have classified Ponting's knock at Old Trafford vs. England as worthless has England managed to have got out McGrath?

Of course. It's in no way a slant on the quality of the innings, because it was brilliant regardless. And it would hardly have been Ponting's fault that all of his work turned out to be worthless. But what would it have been worth?

Actually, considering Australia lost the series anyway, can't one say the knock was worthless?

I wouldn't take it that far. You always want to win (or in this case not lose) a match, regardless of how the series pans out.

 

[Ikki]

Meh, I also think the argument re Dhoni here is exaggerated. Then again if it was Ponting I am quite sure people would stick the boot in him.

 

[Streetwise]

Credit for what ? Dhoni is someone who focusses on his own team's performance and analysing what his team did wrong. What you doing is ridiculously silly because Dhoni is not someone who is known to take credit away from anyone.

Please do not make up stories to suit your agenda.

Sportsmanship is giving credit ot the team that won for beating you.

Dhoni gave credit to himself both times India won but blamed others for their defeats, so perhaps you read the comments beore deciding who makes things up.

 

[JBH001]

Hmm, still don't agree with the idea that making one bad decision = choking.

Agreed. Its that hoary old chestnut again where SRT is concerned. Poor sod. Never good enough.


Speaking of which, thought this cricinfo statistical piece belonged here.

Tendulkar scales another peak | Cricket Features | India v Australia 2009/10 | Cricinfo.com

 

[social]

Meh, I also think the argument re Dhoni here is exaggerated. Then again if it was Ponting I am quite sure people would stick the boot in him.

I couldnt give a flying toss whether Dhoni was gracious or not - winners are grinners and losers can please themselves etc

However, what I did find laughable was his partially blaming the last defeat on the "inexperience" of the Indian bowlers.

Talk about making it up as you go along

 

[Hit_Wicket]

Putting the discrepancies in opinion aside (which have being made evident over the last few posts), I'd just like to praise Ponting for his admirable leadership over the course of the series to date.

He has contributed with some spectacular runouts in the field as well as consistently posting scores with the bat.
He may not be the most astute captain but he does have the ability to motivate and inspire his teammates and I feel that his experience has been a welcome influence, especially with the number of regulars succumbing to injury.

The competitiveness of the series so far has been pleasantly surprising regarding the situation of both teams but I hope that the last two games are equally absorbing.

Finally, choke or no choke, Tendulkar's innings in Hyderbad was a wonderful individual effort and an exhibition of class. It's just a shame he couldn't finish things off, or that no one else could stick with him when the game was very much in the balance.

 

[NUFAN]

Do people really consider Ponting not an astute ODI captain? I can understand if his leadership is questioned in Test Cricket, but I think he's a brilliant ODI captain.

 

[Sanz]

Sportsmanship is giving credit ot the team that won for beating you.

Dhoni gave credit to himself both times India won but blamed others for their defeats, so perhaps you read the comments beore deciding who makes things up.

Very sporting indeed :- Ricky 'excuse' Ponting's fresh list- TIMESNOW.tv - Latest Breaking News, Big News Stories, News Videos

 

[Redbacks]

Do you support Aus or India? If Aus

Fixed Below

Finally, choke or no choke, Tendulkar's innings in Hyderbad was a wonderful individual effort and an exhibition of class. It's great that he couldn't finish things off, or that no one else could stick with him when the game was very much in the balance. Gee Watson is a gun!!!!