***Official*** India in Sri Lanka

[SJS]

Miandad was a better Test match batsman than Dhoni will ever be. I'd be ecstatic if Dhoni was like Miandad in that regard.

Of course he was. He was a truly great batsman. Dhoni is not in the same book let alone page or chapter.

But I did not mean cricketing skills. I was pertaining to his other traits

 

[maxpower]

I admire Dhoni for trying to play Mendis sensibly. Even he had problems reading Mendis but he will not try to brazen it out. Thats why he is so different from others - some considerably more talented.

Dhoni is not talented, he is has something better than talent, that is finding a way to get things done, he reminds me of Kapil Dev in those terms, and I see someone compared him to Miandad, not bad at all.

 

[SJS]

Dhoni is not talented, he is has something better than talent, that is finding a way to get things done, he reminds me of Kapil Dev in those terms, and I see someone compared him to Miandad, not bad at all.

I am not sure, not being talented is something to feel good about. I agree with the sentiments about Dhoni otherwise.

Dhoni is a rustic cricketer. A man who clearly has become an international star without any great formal coaching. You can see that in his batting. He brings the great power that you will also associate with a 'rustic'. But there is something else he possesses which you do not associate with them - a very sharp brain.

The guy is bright. He can see what he needs to do and is willing to adapt, within his limitaions. He cant go back to school and relearn his batting but he is willing to fight, to curb his natural instincts, to do the right thing mentally and try and cut out the weaknesses even if that makes him look lesser in the eyes of those who (like the Pakistani fans of Afridi) thought they had found their champion terrorist-of-a-batsman. He is not playing to the gallery, to the two-penny seats with their 'sixer' playcards and "Dhoni ne dho daala" posters. This is remarkable.

Add to that the huge improvement in his wicket keeping from very average to very respectable and you know he is special.

If he keeps his head we may have a champion of a different type. Dhoni is still evolving and if he continues to evolve and improve (and their is a vast area where he can improve) we may not recognise him from what he is today.

But for that, he needs to keep his head as cool as he has done so far.

 

[Jono]

Dhoni is not talented, he is has something better than talent, that is finding a way to get things done, he reminds me of Kapil Dev in those terms, and I see someone compared him to Miandad, not bad at all.

Think it takes a bit of talent to smash the **** out of bowling without much footwork.

He's a mix of talent and guts/grit. Obviously has added temperament/brains to his play as well. People didn't expect that when he first came on the scene and was charging bowlers when batting out a draw.

 

[Top_Cat]

Think it takes a bit of talent to smash the **** out of bowling without much footwork.

He's a mix of talent and guts/grit. Obviously has added temperament/brains to his play as well. People didn't expect that when he first came on the scene and was charging bowlers when batting out a draw.

Yeah it's been an amazing turn-around. The bloke who hit 180-odd in a ODI compared to Dhoni today - may as well be two different players.

 

[Jono]

Well he did cut his hair.

 

[SJS]

Well he did cut his hair.

 

[kp4captain]

On another fantasy game (Not cricket web although i do that one as well) this is my team

Gambhir
Udawatte
Dravid
Vandort
Vaas
Sehwag
Sangakkara
Sharma
Kumble
Mendis
Khan

Are all these players likely to play?

 

[ret]

Only in the one respect of being a fighter and never giving up Thats where the similarity ends, thank God

along with street smartness .... and may be in the ability to innovate like move across to the off-side and flick the ball to the leg side

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I agree but I like to look at things positively .... if Sarwan and C'paul's performances against Murali and Mendis vary then so be it, why should I be using them as a benchmark .... I have Dhoni, who handled Mendis well in that game, to judge things and conclude that Sehwag would have done equally well

It's not a benchmark. It's a revelation that even quality players of spin can struggle against bowlers they have not seen before.

i have rated Sehwag as one of the best based on his ability

Okay, well then I rate Adrian Barath as one of the best Test batsmen in the world. Based on ability, of course, as he has never played a senior international.

 

[ret]

It's not a benchmark. It's a revelation that even quality players of spin can struggle against bowlers they have not seen before.

yes, 'can' and not 'will'

Okay, well then I rate Adrian Barath as one of the best Test batsmen in the world. Based on ability, of course, as he has never played a senior international.

good for him thats all I can say

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

yes, 'can' and not 'will'

Exactly. No telling that Sehwag would have handled Mendis then. That is all.

good for him thats all I can say

And for me. I called it.

Jerome Taylor is the best fast bowler in the world btw. And Amit Jaggernauth is better than Murali.

 

[ret]

Exactly. No telling that Sehwag would have handled Mendis then. That is all.

yes but not telling that he would not have .... thats all

as I said, i look at the half full glass as half full

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

yes but not telling that he would not have .... thats all

as I said, i look at the half full glass as half full

Which I never actually said. I said precisely what you are saying now. I was merely refuting the presumption that Sehwag would have handled him significantly better than his team mates. And that presumption was yours.

 

[ret]

Which I never actually said. I said precisely what you are saying now. I was merely refuting the presumption that Sehwag would have handled him significantly better than his team mates. And that presumption was yours.

scene - Sehwag gets out giving the bowler a charge without taking a proper look at him

my PoV - if Sehwag had not given the charge then he would have unsettled the bowler .... the way he was going in that game as i m looking at the positive side [much like Sehwag]

that comment is based on the observation that I made in the Asia Cup thread [may be during its initial stage] that only way Sehwag is going to get out is if he does something stupid .... so clearly, I m thinking that he did something stupid otherwise he is difficult to dislodge on tracks like that .... and that comes from the belief that he is one of the best players in the world

and ofc, i do understand that things could have gone either way but I as I said I m putting my money on Sehwag to have pulled things for India

 

[SJS]

It's not a benchmark. It's a revelation that even quality players of spin can struggle against bowlers they have not seen before.

Okay, well then I rate Adrian Barath as one of the best Test batsmen in the world. Based on ability, of course, as he has never played a senior international.

Those who live by the sword, must die by it.

Its wrong to compare the new avataar of Dhoni with Sehwag. They are completely different in mental make up.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I...made no reference to Dhoni...IIRC.

 

[SJS]

I...made no reference to Dhoni...IIRC.

I did not mean you did, it was actually the whole conversation. As happens sometimes, I quoted yours which was the last post in that bit of the debate.

 

[SJS]

It was really addressed to the gentleman you were debating with - ret.

 

[ret]

It was really addressed to the gentleman you were debating with - ret.

then i will happily come in

Those who live by the sword, must die by it.

Its wrong to compare the new avataar of Dhoni with Sehwag. They are completely different in mental make up

yes, Sehwag lives by the sword .... which to me implies that the more he lives the more he kills. so if hadn't got killed, he would have killed more

and I haven't had the opportunity to examine the mental make-up of the two players in detail .... i m comparing them [if it is not obvious] on their batting abilities. and to me, Sehwag and Dhoni are amongst the better players of spin in the team