***Official*** India in South Africa

[adharcric]

SS, you're going overboard with Tendulkar's situation. As others have mentioned, he shouldn't be a sure pick in the middle-order.
He should not be dropped on the basis of this series but he should be under the gun and he should be dropped if he fails in England.

 

[Dravid]

Its not just this series that Sachin is struggling that is the problem
In his last 8 series he has averaged over 40 twice and once was against bangladesh, no disrespect but Jason Gillespie makes double hundereds against them!

Sachin did not struggle this series. And like I said, coming into this series he was out of form, but he did decent in this series and shouldn't be dropped

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Also, just because Tendulkar isn't tendulkar anymore and isn't giving you a 100 every match doesn't mean he should be dropped.

2 60's and one 44 in three matches should be enough to keep a player in the side.

An average of 33 in a series would have a lot of other players questioned. Because it's Tendulkar he won't be.

Besides, you seem to be the only one here arguing Tendulkar's place on the basis of the one series. I initially stated stats pertaining to his last 15 Tests.

 

[Dravid]

SS, you're going overboard with Tendulkar's situation. As others have mentioned, he shouldn't be a sure pick in the middle-order but he should be dropped if he continues to underperform. On the basis of this series, you cannot drop him.

Thank you!

 

[Dravid]

An average of 33 in a series would have a lot of other players questioned. Because it's Tendulkar he won't be.

Besides, you seem to be the only one here arguing Tendulkar's place on the basis of the one series. I initially stated stats pertaining to his last 15 Tests.

But he put up a decent performance, signs of coming back in form. I get he was out of form, but the latest series, he put up a decent performance. So why drop him when he put up a decent performance in his *latest* innings

 

[adharcric]

Yeah, I assumed given his earlier comments that he probably meant should Tendulkar continue to fail.

Thank you. Really, it's a change in the attitude of the management because it's not like we haven't had a reserve middle-order batsman before.
The difference is that he should be treated as a potential replacement for an underperforming Tendulkar, Laxman or Ganguly.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

If I'm correct only Jaffer and Ganguly had more runs than Sachin this series..so like I said to SS, drop the rest and place a full inexperienced side and get our ass kicked even more?

Ashwell Prince has more runs than any South African in this series. In fact, he probably has more runs than any South African in 2006. But if he went on to average in the low 30s over more than a year of cricket, he would certainly be dropped. You can't justify a player's place because he's been one of the best of a poor bunch.

And again, I struggle to see why you are arguing for Tendulkar on the basis of one series. I've neither said to give up on Tendulkar nor have I criticized him solely for his performances in these 3 Tests.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

But he put up a decent performance, signs of coming back in form. I get he was out of form, but the latest series, he put up a decent performance. So why drop him when he put up a decent performance in his *latest* innings

He showed the same inconsistency he's been showing in recent times. Over his bad run he's regularly looked like coming back into form. But then he's also regularly looked out of it. I don't see how this series was any different in that regard.

 

[silentstriker]

SS, you're going overboard with Tendulkar's situation. As others have mentioned, he shouldn't be a sure pick in the middle-order.
He should not be dropped on the basis of this series but he should be under the gun and he should be dropped if he fails in England.

I agree, I said England is his chance. But he hasn't done enough this series.

 

[adharcric]

An average of 33 in a series would have a lot of other players questioned. Because it's Tendulkar he won't be.

Besides, you seem to be the only one here arguing Tendulkar's place on the basis of the one series. I initially stated stats pertaining to his last 15 Tests.

AFAIK, he's arguing for Tendulkar being persisted with and not for Tendulkar being a sure pick or "undroppable". Perfectly reasonable IMO.

 

[adharcric]

He showed the same inconsistency he's been showing in recent times. Over his bad run he's regularly looked like coming back into form. But then he's also regularly looked out of it. I don't see how this series was any different in that regard.

He actually scored a few half-centuries ... that's the difference.

 

[Benny2k1]

Sachin did not struggle this series. And like I said, coming into this series he was out of form, but he did decent in this series and shouldn't be dropped

I think that sums it up, saying the supposedly greatest batsman of this era did decent averaging in the early 30s in a series shows the decline.

Overall he will be in the top ten ever but at the moment he is not in the same class as Dravid, Kallis, Lara, Ponting, Yousuf, Hussey.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

AFAIK, he's arguing for Tendulkar being persisted with and not for Tendulkar being a sure pick or "undroppable". Perfectly reasonable IMO.

I'm arguing on the basis of my initial point being responded to.

Tendulkar needs to shape up and justify his selection. He needs more than "form is temporary, class is permanent" given how long he's been mediocre for. Dare I say, he needs to prove he can still score runs in domestic cricket of some sort. India can do better than a 33 average surely.

 

[Dravid]

Ashwell Prince has more runs than any South African in this series. In fact, he probably has more runs than any South African in 2006. But if he went on to average in the low 30s over more than a year of cricket, he would certainly be dropped. You can't justify a player's place because he's been one of the best of a poor bunch.

And again, I struggle to see why you are arguing for Tendulkar on the basis of one series. I've neither said to give up on Tendulkar nor have I criticized him solely for his performances in these 3 Tests.

Because, he is showing signs of coming back into form.

If he doesn't find form, which he showing is signs of, then you should drop him, but not with the performance in this series. Thats like saying, oh Lara had a few bad series, but he comes in the last series and shows signs of finding form, we should still drop him because he had a few bad series, despit him finally showing signs of getting back into form

 

[silentstriker]

Why didn't Tendulkar bowl early? Look at that turn....

 

[Benny2k1]

However he is turning it square!

 

[jot1]

6

 

[jot1]

2

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

He actually scored a few half-centuries ...

And? Didn't I cover that in my post? I said that he looks like returning to form several times and looked poor several times too. He passed 50 four times in 19 innings before this series. He's done it twice in 6 innings in this series. An improvement, but not a huge one. It really is a continuation of a trend.

 

[adharcric]

I agree, I said England is his chance. But he hasn't done enough this series.

He's done enough to retain his place. He hasn't done enough in general though (in this series). You expect an average of 45+ from a middle-order batsman in the national team.