***Official*** Sri Lanka in India

[JASON]

I wonder if Jayasuriya should drop down to 3 (like Marvan) and let Sangakkara and Tharanga open the Innings for the next few ODIs.

Regardless of whatever happens in the rest of the ODI series, I hope the selectors will be a little more smarter when they pick the Team for the Test series.

The new spinner Weerakoon and Bandara or another leg spinner should be picked (to complement Murali) rather than Rangana Herath or Chandana - who IMO are likely to get smashed around by the Indian Top Order.(considering the form they have got into and their well known ease and expertise in playing most spinners [and often thrashing the hell out of them]).

I also hope they bring Kalavitigoda/ Van Dort/Daniel with a view to playing at least one of them in each Test .

Malinga should return to the Test Team to complement Vaas. It would seem sensible in Indian conditions to play at least 2 spinners in the Tests , which means the 3rd seamer would be a luxury considering the poor batting form of the SL top order.

 

[SJS]

I wonder if Jayasuriya should drop down to 3 (like Marvan) and let Sangakkara and Tharanga open the Innings for the next few ODIs.

Regardless of whatever happens in the rest of the ODI series, I hope the selectors will be a little more smarter when they pick the Team for the Test series.

The new spinner Weerakoon and Bandara or another leg spinner should be picked (to complement Murali) rather than Rangana Herath or Chandana - who IMO are likely to get smashed around by the Indian Top Order.(considering the form they have got into and their well known ease and expertise in playing most spinners [and often thrashing the hell out of them]).

I also hope they bring Kalavitigoda/ Van Dort/Daniel with a view to playing at least one of them in each Test .

Malinga should return to the Test Team to complement Vaas. It would seem sensible in Indian conditions to play at least 2 spinners in the Tests , which means the 3rd seamer would be a luxury considering the poor batting form of the SL top order.

You know Jason, I am pretty surprised by this Sri Lankan side and its tactics.

The most glaring has been the way the faster bowlers have been handled. It looksa like they only expect Murali to take wickets and everyone else just try to see that the 'clobbering' is kept within limits.

I would have thought that Murali, Vaas, Zoysa AND Malinga would have attacked the Indian side.

I know the Indians have batted brilliantly but the real surprise has been Dhoni and Pathan. India was without Ganguly, Laxman, Kaif and Yuvraj contributed NIX and Sehwag has not been at his best. India have really relied on two seniors Sachin and Rahul and a clutch of youngsters. How come an experienced attack could not deal with the rookies(relative rookies) more effectively.

For example, I feel both Dhoni and Pathan should have been given some more bouncers to handle. Maybe they would have survived but they got too many hits off the front foot or short stuff outside the off stump.

What do you think?

 

[JASON]

You know Jason, I am pretty surprised by this Sri Lankan side and its tactics.

The most glaring has been the way the faster bowlers have been handled. It looksa like they only expect Murali to take wickets and everyone else just try to see that the 'clobbering' is kept within limits.

I would have thought that Murali, Vaas, Zoysa AND Malinga would have attacked the Indian side.

I know the Indians have batted brilliantly but the real surprise has been Dhoni and Pathan. India was without Ganguly, Laxman, Kaif and Yuvraj contributed NIX and Sehwag has not been at his best. India have really relied on two seniors Sachin and Rahul and a clutch of youngsters. How come an experienced attack could not deal with the rookies(relative rookies) more effectively.

For example, I feel both Dhoni and Pathan should have been given some more bouncers to handle. Maybe they would have survived but they got too many hits off the front foot or short stuff outside the off stump.

What do you think?

SJS I have not watched any of these games , and so am not able to comment on what you said.

But the reports I have read and the comments of others seem to be consistent with what you have said.

The majority of the Team (except Murali and Sangakkara) have also come off a slight lay off , having played the might of Bangla and West Indies second X1 at home and to some extent struggled even against the Windies second XI .

The trouble with the SL team (and the SL cricket management) is a lack of vision for the future. Unlike India who have several players in their ranks awaiting ready to come in to fill all the different positions, SL cupboard unfortunately (I am sad to admit) is bare !!!

This is because whenever there has been a change of Government in SL, they have dismissed the administrators and selectors and changed them several times over .

The SL Cricket Board is a Joke with fraudsters, ex-mafia and people with Political clout all fighting and trying to outsmart the other , instead of working together for the greater good of Cricket .

The result is this shambolic mess -with no real vision for the future of SL cricket or for development of players to move up the ranks to fill the slots when say Jayasuriya retires even in his 50's !!

While the appointing of Overseas coaches have worked for India, for SL only Whatmore has done the business. I would say that was because he was a SL born from Australia and his heart was in the job and he wanted to do the best for his country of birth.

Dyson was a poor choice (having had little experience at this level). Moody has still not shown anything despite having been ther for over 6-8 months. And the Jury is still out although my gut feeling [going by the selections etc. so far ] is that he is just there to warm the seat for a couple of years (and collect his cheque) and keep his masters (the ones I mentioned above) happy .

Do I sound skeptical and annoyed ?
Unfortunately this is the reality of SL cricket ATM.

 

[Sudeep]

India 69-2 in 12.2 overs.

Zoysa picked up Sehwag and Dhoni on consecutive deliveries.

Gabhir is playing well, some very powerful shots.

Yuvraj is looking very tentative, and frankly, it seems he isn't going to last long...

300 doesn't seem a very probable score ATM.

And just as I write, adios Yuvraj. 3 off 21 balls. 69-3.

 

[Arjun]

The Indian batting looks weak. With Irfan rested, they will miss the big hits later down the order (none of the bowlers can do as well), while the decision to play JP Yadav as a super-sub is baffling, to say the leat. No, bizarre.

Gautam Gambhir thought he had pulled a Zoysa delivery to Russel Arnold near the boundary, only to realise what happens when a man on a bicycle crashes into a tank. He was running, and crashed into Zoysa, who was watching Arnold mess up there, and while the giant stood standing, Gmabhir crashed.

What was Yuvraj trying to do? Play for a place in the Test side? With an innings like this, he won't even make the ODI playing XI! With the kind of form Gambhir is in, he should replace Yuvraj, no two ways about it.

 

[Sanz]

Gambhir is playing some fantastic cricket. Hope I dont jinx him. Now there is some competition for the opener's slot.

 

[Sanz]

Actually, Sanz, I think SL have done well in India whenever they have been here in ODIs, from memory at least. I am not sure if INdia defeated SL too much in that tri series in 99, leading upto the WC which was held in India and which Pak dominated, but SL defeated INdia twice IN India in the 96 WC, and also trashed INdia in the Independence Cup in 97 and I don't think they have been here since then, except for 99.

SL team of 1996 was world champions and IMO were the best SL TEAM ever, no wonder they beat us most of the time. I was mostly talking about the present SL team..post retirement of Ranatunga and Arvinda DeSilva.

 

[Salamuddin]

SJS I have not watched any of these games , and so am not able to comment on what you said.

But the reports I have read and the comments of others seem to be consistent with what you have said.

The majority of the Team (except Murali and Sangakkara) have also come off a slight lay off , having played the might of Bangla and West Indies second X1 at home and to some extent struggled even against the Windies second XI .

The trouble with the SL team (and the SL cricket management) is a lack of vision for the future. Unlike India who have several players in their ranks awaiting ready to come in to fill all the different positions, SL cupboard unfortunately (I am sad to admit) is bare !!!

This is because whenever there has been a change of Government in SL, they have dismissed the administrators and selectors and changed them several times over .

The SL Cricket Board is a Joke with fraudsters, ex-mafia and people with Political clout all fighting and trying to outsmart the other , instead of working together for the greater good of Cricket .

The result is this shambolic mess -with no real vision for the future of SL cricket or for development of players to move up the ranks to fill the slots when say Jayasuriya retires even in his 50's !!

While the appointing of Overseas coaches have worked for India, for SL only Whatmore has done the business. I would say that was because he was a SL born from Australia and his heart was in the job and he wanted to do the best for his country of birth.

Dyson was a poor choice (having had little experience at this level). Moody has still not shown anything despite having been ther for over 6-8 months. And the Jury is still out although my gut feeling [going by the selections etc. so far ] is that he is just there to warm the seat for a couple of years (and collect his cheque) and keep his masters (the ones I mentioned above) happy .

Do I sound skeptical and annoyed ?
Unfortunately this is the reality of SL cricket ATM.

Bit harsh on Moody aren't you ?



Seems to me like he deserves a full 12 months before an assessment can be made of his contribution.

 

[adharcric]

If Kaif doesn't replace Yuvraj now, I'll be extremely disappointed. Also, Zaheer should come in for RP Singh unless the latter performs very well today.

 

[Sanz]

..and why should Zaheer come in place of RP Singh, who hasn't even got a decent run ? I would rather have some other new-comer than Zaheer. Everytime he is left out of the team, he starts performing, but the moment he is selected, its same old story.

 

[Sanz]

Murali is bowling..to be honest it looks like Gambhir has handled Murali pretty well and at the same time Dravid is having trouble against Murali.

 

[Sanz]

Gambhir on 99* ..and there is his 100 off 93 balls ...

 

[Sanz]

Shouldn't India be using its supersub now ?

 

[Arjun]

Shouldn't India be using its supersub now ?

It's bizarre to find Irfan Pathan sitting out and JP Yadav only in as a supersub. They've missed out on some big hits in the final overs here. Luckily, Dravid has taken control of things well. Whoever is in charge has goofed up massively.

 

[Jono]

My God Gambhir's ton is so awesome. Talk about rising to the occasion and taking the opportunity when it presents itself. I was disappointed he didn't score in the Challenger Trophy as I saw that as a perfect time for him to show he can be in the ODI team, but he's done it at an even better time.

Yuvraj better watch out, Kaif is still to come in and Gambhir, Rao and Raina have done well this tour.

Dravid has played well too, the master of consistency.

 

[Jono]

Shouldn't India be using its supersub now ?

No because then he'd have to take over a player that hasn't been out yet, i.e a bowler. That means we are a bowler short in the 2nd innings.

Yadav is a super-sub because he can do both, bat and bowl. So if we batted first he will be subbed on for a batsman who doesn't bowl at all, and if we had to bowl first he could have been subbed on to replace one of the bowlers and add the extra batsman. He's a good super-sub in my opinion, better than choosing batsman or bowler because than the toss is vital.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Dravid needs four off four now.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Now he needs three off two.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

11th one day ton!

 

[Barney Rubble]

And he's made it, four off the penultimate ball and a two to finish it off. 285/8, an intimidating score, especially without Tendulkar and Pathan in there.