*Official* - India in West Indies

[Blaze 18]

This is not India A or India B or India anything else. This is the Indian national cricket team. If they lose a game, it is India that has lost. And when they win, it is the Indian team that has won.

That a few prima donne are missing because they need to find time for a T20 circus, advertisement photo shoots etc. does not diminish the status of the Indian team in any way. All of them, including the prima donna absoluta, are smaller than India, and smaller than cricket. All that has happened is that they have now made themselves even smaller than what they were earlier.

And let us not be under the illusion that they are only insulting WI cricket. They have insulted cricket, the sport that has given them everything, without which they would be non-entities. They have insulted Indian cricket and international test cricket as a whole - and they have also insulted themselves in the process.

 

[hang on]

If the overall sum of happiness is increased by the extended tenure/career of a brilliant player then I can, just about, accept this picking and choosing of series thingammyjig.

Many would be thrilled if tendulkar were able to last a little longer by managing his workload in this fashion. The main question is whether the rigours of international duty are more enervating than the ipl rigmarole? 14 matches, albeit short 3 hour ones versus a full international tour with odis and tests.....

 

[shivfan]

It's hard to assess anything from this 20/20 because, after all, it is just a 20/20, and the Windies also left out Gayle, Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, because they missed the domestic 20/20 tournament in January to play in the Big Bash in Australia, and were therefore not considered for selection....

That trio would be automatic picks for the WI for a world 20/20 champs.

At least the Windies should be back to relatively full strength - barring Gayle, and an injured Barath - for the ODI series....

 

[akilana]

I hope there isn't any excuses like it's Indian B team or C team or anything if WI beat them.

 

[Daemon]

Read that the team isn't getting the types of pitches they ask for. Sad because WI have a decent pace attack and the new Indian batsmen are relatively weak against bounce. Not to mention the fact that they are weak against spin and India does have some quality in Ashwin and Harbhajan.

 

[salman85]

Saw the highlights before going to work today.

The TV was on mute so i couldn't listen to the commentary,but why was the Sharma dismissal off Rampaul's bowling reviewed?True it was probably a no ball,but the catch was clean,so how come they decided to check whether his foot was over the line?Or was it just something they noticed during the replay?

 

[Blaze 18]

It wasn't a referral from the batsman if that's what you mean - no UDRS. The umpires themselves decided to check for the no-ball. It's a relatively new thing that's been happening frequently over the last twelve months. When a wicket falls and the umpire feels the bowler has overstepped, they go upstairs.

 

[shivfan]

Read that the team isn't getting the types of pitches they ask for. Sad because WI have a decent pace attack and the new Indian batsmen are relatively weak against bounce. Not to mention the fact that they are weak against spin and India does have some quality in Ashwin and Harbhajan.

As Jimmy Adams said in the Sky studio recently, you have to be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it!

Apparently, Gibson has asked the groundsmen to prepare pitches with bounce, that should assist the pacers. However, pitches with bounce can also assist the spinners, as we saw at Warner Park....

As for Providence and Queens Park Oval, I doubt they will ever be able to provide bounce for the pacers.

 

[Edged&Taken]

windies batting first

 

[Blaze 18]

India have dropped Ashwin.

 

[nsniks]

India have dropped Ashwin.

Considering harbhajan, pathan, raina and sharma all bowl off spin, to add variety they left ashwin out and brought mishra in.


Bravo also gone

 

[Shri]

India have dropped Ashwin.

Raina was obviously dropped on his head as a child.

 

[Jono]

How bad was Bravo's shot. Woeful.

 

[GotSpin]

Such a weak looking Windies side

 

[nsniks]

Patel is having a horrid time behind stumps

 

[Cevno]

Mishra bowling well.

Patel is still poor behind the stumps.

 

[Daemon]

Poor Ashwin never seems to get a game

 

[shivfan]

Bhajji gets the wicket of Edwards....

 

[Austerlitz]

Edwards misery ends,totally leg stump plyer.

 

[Cevno]

Could have honestly played all 3 of Harbhajan,Mishra and Ashwin on this pitch against the West Indies who are suspect at playing Spin.