***Official*** England in India

[aussie]

good stuff with the ball from England this morning, just need to get Dravid early tommorow and it will go along way in them getting a 100 plus lead.

great also to see Anderson getting Tendulkar who these days really looks a shadow of himself, he really is losing it..

 

[SJS]

Maybe both need a break for one series.....and one can expect both to bounce back harder in the next.

Let's look elsewhere. How did Irfan bowl? Why was he taken off after just 17 overs? Fans complain about te lack of wickets, and even lack of pace, an some go as far as suggesting he be dropped and replaced by RP Singh. Maybe he needs to bend his back a lot more, because he's capable of bowling a lot faster than that JP Yadav pace– and that all-rounder prospect lost his place because of lack of pace. That said, if the man at the other end is bowling fast, it's not too bad.

Then there's the fielding. There seems to be a deficiency in the slips. Maybe VVS is missed here most, but it's shocking to find Dravid dropping so many. Bu then again, how many do you find at slips? Maybe just one or two. Then again, was Sachin fieldign at slips? He may be needed there now, but Dravid needs to rediscover that consistency at that position.

Irfan's bowling wasnt required because the other two medium pacers bowled beautifully. Munaf Patel particularly was superb. But for poor fielding he would have had another fiver.

The other surprise was persisting with Harbhajan at the end. It looked (just looked) as if Rahul wanted his frustrated star spinner to pick up some easy wickets at the end. Bringing on Sreesanth at that stage would have brought the end quicker and Sreesanth may have ended with a fiver, his first.

Slip fielding is abig problem. India has only two specialist slip fielders and only one of them is playing in this test. The fact that jack-in-the-box like Kaif has been put there at times shows the poverty in this department. I dont know what the team management is doing in this regard.

 

[Nishant]

Tendulkar is just frustrating me now. i mean, he is said to be the best batsman india have ever produced, but after looking at his dismissal today and his run of poor form dat is no better than dat of ganguly, i think he should make way. Many of u probably think dat he needs to be given time, but i don't anymore. But, the only thing that saves him for he moment is dat he has performed a little in ODIs and one good innings could get him back in form. We'll see!

 

[SJS]

Do India not have a better Wicket Keeper than Dhoni?

There are many better keepers than Dhoni in india but no one bats like him.

When 1.2 billion people decide he bats like God who cares if he wouldnt make most top sides on keeping abilities

I am not against Dhoni but I am shocked at his keeping and the fact that it appeard to be getting worse by the day and no one is talking about it.

Add to that the fact that we have ONE solitary slip fielder in the team and its clear we may be providing a negative counter to the improving profile of the bowling attack.

 

[Swervy]

What the hell is going on with Lara and Sachin? I grew up watching them being the best and the most talented batters around. Now both of them are getting out to the likes of Franklin and Anderson... Oh, what has this world come to? Time for them to bow out?

mmm..bit of a difference between Lara and Tendulkar.

Before the first test vs NZ, Lara had scored 6 hundreds in his previous 26 innings against the top 8 teams(including 400*, a run of 4 hundreds in 5 tests vs SA and Pakistan, and only a few months ago scoring 226 vs Australia)...Lara can still be considered probably top 5 in the world at the moment

Tendulkar (as I said a while ago before this current series, and as I said one year ago and two years ago etc) has quite obviously lost it, one hundred in last 27 innings against top flight opposition, and its not as though he is just missing out on hundreds, he is getting out early... he looks, to be blunt, out of his depth.

Sure he will always have the potential to prove the doubters wrong, but how long does this bad run (which is in fact 3 and a half years long) before he is cast aside by India. He does at the moment look like THE weak link in the Indian batting line up , and I just cannot beleive the Iindian selectors chose to drop Kaif after the first test,and not entertain the thought of dropping Tendulkar

 

[silentstriker]

I just cannot beleive the Iindian selectors chose to drop Kaif after the first test,and not entertain the thought of dropping Tendulkar

Enterntaining such thoughts = career suicide. Whatever you think about the Tendulkar situation, no selecter is going to suggest dropping Tendulkar, unless he wants to seek another career.

 

[Swervy]

Tendulkar is just frustrating me now. i mean, he is said to be the best batsman india have ever produced, but after looking at his dismissal today and his run of poor form dat is no better than dat of ganguly, i think he should make way. Many of u probably think dat he needs to be given time, but i don't anymore. But, the only thing that saves him for he moment is dat he has performed a little in ODIs and one good innings could get him back in form. We'll see!

well Tendulkar for a time (and quite a long time as well) was the best Indian batsman I had the pleasure of watching play, but time moves on.
I think he should be in a position whereby he is actually fighting for his test place, as opposed to him just being an automatic choice

 

[Swervy]

Enterntaining such thoughts = career suicide.

yeah maybe, but its exactly that which will mean India will never become the world number one team. Winners look to the future, losers look to the past, and it is becoming increasingly apparent that Sachin is about 5 years past his best and sinking pretty quickly

 

[Swervy]

Enterntaining such thoughts = career suicide. Whatever you think about the Tendulkar situation, no selecter is going to suggest dropping Tendulkar, unless he wants to seek another career.

Test cricket selection shouldnt be about popularity, its about results, and as I say, its why a team like India will never be the best in the world...shame really

 

[SJS]

Tendulkar is just frustrating me now. i mean, he is said to be the best batsman india have ever produced, but after looking at his dismissal today and his run of poor form dat is no better than dat of ganguly, i think he should make way. Many of u probably think dat he needs to be given time, but i don't anymore. But, the only thing that saves him for he moment is dat he has performed a little in ODIs and one good innings could get him back in form. We'll see!

He is not "said to be" anything. He IS one of the great sportsmen our country has produced. To deny that on the basis of his poor recent form not just showing complete ignorance of the game, it is much worse.

To compare him with Ganguly is stupid.

If the selectors feel Tendulkar does not deserve a place in the side on current form they should drop him. That would be much more dignified than what happened at the wankhede stadium today. In his home town this great sportsman and one of the finest persons the game has seen was booed off the ground.

Why? Because he failed to entertain the crowds that come for entertainment? Yes he failed. Yes it is frustrating. Yes his bad form and his bad run has continued far too long but what do you want him to do about him that you think he is not trying to do?

If it is not working then he should be dropped. If the selectors think he should still be in the team because he may come back and when he does it will pay back the persistence, you may disagree with the idea and the hope but is it sachin's fault?

Does it undo his past record that we should doubt his greatness as a cricket player.

I was at the ground today and fortunately left before he batted. I thank my stars for it. After 45 years of watching test cricket, something died within me when I heard that Sachin was booed because he failed.

Why?

Cant he fail.

Yes he has failed for many matches. So does that mean we humiliate him.

He did not ask to be called God. Our foolish masses decided he was that and every one knows how uncomfortable he was with it.

Now when you discover he is just human, you are frustrated? Thats your problem. He has enough of his own

Can you imagine what he felt like today?

We dont deserve great sportsmen in this country because we know only Gods and Demons.

 

[BoyBrumby]

yeah maybe, but its exactly that which will mean India will never become the world number one team. Winners look to the future, losers look to the past, and it is becoming increasingly apparent that Sachin is about 5 years past his best and sinking pretty quickly

TBF the undisputed number one team have just recalled two ageing warhorses for their current tour, so it's not perhaps as cut and dried as that!

Sachin does look badly out of nick just now tho; his dismissal today was that of a bloke bang out of touch. He has played a heck of a lot of cricket (more tests than any other Indian after the current one), but has only just turned 33. Most of today's top batters (Dravid, Punter, Inzi, Kallis, Lara) are all around the same age so I wouldn't be surprised if Sachin yet surprised us all.

 

[Scaly piscine]

From the radio it sounded like the Indian crowd booed the other India batsmen who were out (most definitely Sehwag anyway, can't remember the reaction for Jaffer)

 

[PY]

I went to see the test today at Mumbai. Came back after England were 8 down since I did not enjoy watching from mid wicket.

Any one knws how best to post the pictures I took at the match.

James ???

I'll report this post to James and he'll probably get in contact with you about getting them hosted on CW if you don't mind doing so?

 

[SJS]

yeah maybe, but its exactly that which will mean India will never become the world number one team. Winners look to the future, losers look to the past, and it is becoming increasingly apparent that Sachin is about 5 years past his best and sinking pretty quickly

He is going through a bad patch, period.

Should he be dropped, maybe. It might do good to him to be out of the game for a bit. It doesnt have to be the end of his career. It may be but I seriously doubt that.

He has looked good after his elbow operation. Except for the last two innings he has got some sort of starts and has NEVER struggled till the ball that got him out. This is not the sign of a player who is finished.

Droppingb him isnt the end of the world and suggesting it is not blasphemy.

Tendulkar being Tendulkar IS a problem because till shome time ago Tendulkar translated GOD in all Indian languages. We are NOT used to Gods being removed from their temples. We will take toi the streets against that or take to the streets to make sure the God's and their pedestals are both shattered.

This is a great test for the coach. He is supposed to sort out the problems of all players and Sachin DOES have problems and for Chappell he should be another player - neither God nor Demon.

 

[SJS]

I'll report this post to James and he'll probably get in contact with you about getting them hosted on CW if you don't mind doing so?

Thanks PY

 

[DanielFullard]

All this talk about dropping Tendulkar is ignoring the fact that many great batsmen go through awful spells, often long ones, but come good again eventually and when they do its marvellous and Im sure Tendulkar will follow suit

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

What the hell is going on with Lara and Sachin? I grew up watching them being the best and the most talented batters around. Now both of them are getting out to the likes of Franklin and Anderson... Oh, what has this world come to? Time for them to bow out?

It's hardly right to compare Lara's slump to Sachin's. Just 6 innings ago, Lara scored a brilliant double ton against a fine attack. Just a couple Tests before that he was scoring a big century per Test match against the likes of South Africa and Pakistan.

 

[aussie]

It's hardly right to compare Lara's slump to Sachin's. Just 6 innings ago, Lara scored a brilliant double ton against a fine attack. Just a couple Tests before that he was scoring a big century per Test match against the likes of South Africa and Pakistan.

ye Lara is not a worry at all, thats how he plays these days i remember againts Englad after looking awfully out pf form he scored 400 from no where, wouldn't be surprised if the same thing occured in NZ. But Tendulkar just hasn't looked like himself in test since 2003.

 

[open365]

Didn't see much today.

I feel sorry for Tendulkar, he's gave 16 years service to Indian cricket, he of all people does not deserve to be booed of the ground.

What do the selectors do now? Take the brave option and drop him? or hope he comes good in the end? Matty Hayden went 30 innings without but is now on a run fest, will Sachin do the same?

I don't know what to say, from what i've seen of Sachin, he looks worse than someone who's out of touch, as much as i hate to say it, he looks like he's gone, i can only hope he isn't.

He's been good in fits-and-starts, much the same as Gilchrist, in my view, this signifies a player who's over the hill.

 

[steds]

Didn't see much today.

Nor did I. A friend talked me into going to see a union match in which "some mates were playing". It was the semi-final of some cup.








...turned out to be under-16's or summat. .