***Official*** India in Sri Lanka

[Perm]

Dilshan looking to attack here, will be interesting to see how many he can score.

 

[Dissector]

After his first couple of overs Kumble has bowled very loosely with a boundary ball almost every over. I think this series may be the turning point when it becomes clear that age has finally caught up with him. He just doesn't have the relentless accuracy he had at his peak. One implication is that Dhoni is probably going to become test captain quite soon. His place in the test side is looking a lot more secure and Kumble's a lot less.

 

[duffer]

Gah, Karthik what the ****!?

 

[alternative]

Tildil looking pretty good here.

 

[SJS]

In the 17 overs Ishant and Zaheer bowled in the first innings they went for 87 runs - more than five an over !

In this innings they have bowled exactly 17 so far and gone for 30 - 1.7 per over PLUS three wickets PLUS a dropped catch PLUS a wicket off a no ball.

We need to have them contribute more regularly if India is to perform consistently.

 

[Manee]

Dinesh Karthik simply cannot continue in this Test team for the next Test, but replacing him with Parthiv will hardly help the poor quality of wicketkeeping. Bringing back Dhoni will be seen as desparation and a huge lack of faith in Parthiv - the selectors have really dug themselves in a hole now.

 

[duffer]

Bring Parthiv in no question, at least he's a an upgrade in the batting department and honestly can't be any sloppier or lower on confidence than Dinesh.

 

[SJS]

Dinesh Karthik simply cannot continue in this Test team for the next Test, but replacing him with Parthiv will hardly help the poor quality of wicketkeeping. Bringing back Dhoni will be seen as desparation and a huge lack of faith in Parthiv - the selectors have really dug themselves in a hole now.

Its a big mess the selectors have created. I suggested at that time that this was being done to ensure a three Test sure-shot tenure for Karthik. That may or may not be the case but the net result might be the same.

I would like to see them play Parthiv for his batting and show some faith in their selection. If they continue with Karthik after this, they will end up with nothing but muck on their faces.

Of course, Karthik may come back and score runs in the third Test but the hope of that remote possibility can not decide his selection as of now.

 

[Dissector]

Such rubbish from Kumble. I can't believe India is letting Sri Lanka back in this game.

 

[duffer]

Dilshan making us par for that drop. We got away with the Vandort let-offs but eventually it has to end up burning us.

 

[duffer]

Arun Lal on commentary: "It's such a tender experience fondling those (turtle)hatchlings, makes you feel like a changed man."


Errrrr....

 

[Dissector]

Bringing back Dhoni will be seen as desparation and a huge lack of faith in Parthiv - the selectors have really dug themselves in a hole now.

You know I hadn't thought of bringing back Dhoni but I don't see why not if he is ready. He is clearly our best wicket-keeper right now so I don't care how it looks; we should do what it takes to win.

 

[Dissector]

Missed it on the tv but sounds like yet another moronic review request from India.

 

[duffer]

Ishant drops a catch falls on the ball and injures himself. This is getting out of hand.

 

[Dissector]

You were right about the "game over" bit I am afraid. For any decent team defending 300+ and having the other team at 10/3 and 37/4 it would be game over but India chose just that moment to show the full range of their incompetence; rubbish bowling, weird field placements, comical fielding efforts, dropped catches and a stupid waste of their first review. I am still backing them to pull this one off actually but they certainly know how make an easy win hard.

 

[Manee]

Wait a minute, nothing more is to blame but Karthik's keeping in this instance. We would have captured the fifth wicket if he could take a regulation chance which was to be expected as we encouraged the agressive strokeplay from Dilshan.

 

[Speersy]

Dinesh Karthik simply cannot continue in this Test team for the next Test, but replacing him with Parthiv will hardly help the poor quality of wicketkeeping. Bringing back Dhoni will be seen as desparation and a huge lack of faith in Parthiv - the selectors have really dug themselves in a hole now.

Did Dhoni get dropped? I thought he was just being "rested".

 

[Manee]

Rested for the entire series - he is not in the squad.

 

[Dissector]

Manee,
Karthik's drop was the biggest problem but it wouldn't have mattered nearly as much if India had bowled and fielded well. They would given away a lot fewer runs and might well have gotten a wicket anyway.

 

[duffer]

Woo, he caught one!