***Official*** Sri Lanka in India

[luckyeddie]

There are plenty of teams that can challenge the Aussies. Don't get carried away please claiming India are the best now other than the Aussies, let the English do that

All right.

India are the best now other than the Aussies.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

All right.

India are the best now other than the Aussies.

Seriously, I haven't laughed that hard in so long.

 

[Jono]

All right.

India are the best now other than the Aussies.

You're English?

 

[ramkumar_gr]

All right.

India are the best now other than the Aussies.

that should go down as the most intelligent joke in this forum.

 

[honestbharani]

All right.

India are the best now other than the Aussies.

It is so nice that our old masters are still pushing our cause.

 

[SJS]

well, after gambhir's ton at ahmedabad, he won't be dropped for the next series, and it doesn't look like raina will get dropped either. yuvraj better make a big knock in the 6th or 7th match now.

He may still not make the final 11.

 

[SJS]

yes, after the way zaheer and ganguly were kept out, i think the selection process is more creditable now. perhaps this is the last chance for yuvraj, and he has gotten that because of his brilliance in the field.

anyways, what do you all want/predict as the team for the 6th odi?

Here's my team:
G Gambhir, S Tendulkar, M Kaif, R Dravid, V Sehwag, MS Dhoni, S Raina, I Pathan, A Agarkar, VRV Singh, H Singh Supersub: M Kartik (ideally Ramesh Powar)

This team is very deep batting-wise, but the bowling may be a concern with Sehwag, Tendulkar and Raina completing the 5th-bowler's role. We really need to try out Raina and see if he can become a regular part-time bowler (3 to 4 overs) along with Sehwag (4 to 5) and Tendulkar (the rest). Kind of sucks that we have 3 specialist batsmen in here, but the only way to bring in better bowling options and maintain the batting strength is with a solid all-rounder like Powar (Yadav hasnt been good enough) or Yusuf Pathan or Rajesh Pawar.

Yvraj's IS brilliant in the field but so are many others now. Most of the new entrants are brilliant. We are out of the Laxman, Ganguly, Kumble phase. Only fielding will not carry Yuvraj far anymore. Did you see Raina on the field. He was THE standout foiedler for India. The others arent far behind. kaif is coming back too.

I do not see how they are going to accomodate Yuvraj in the final eleven. As it is, they have been less than fair to Venu. Forget the runs, he looked the most confident of the youngsters at the crease and the most likely to score against the better bowling attacks.

I am surprised that he has been dropped.

 

[Arjun]

the only way to bring in better bowling options and maintain the batting strength is with a solid all-rounder like Powar (Yadav hasnt been good enough) or Yusuf Pathan or Rajesh Pawar.

Yadav is a lot better than those three. The selectors must have been building chocolate castles in the air when they decided to drop him. He's not been given a fair try, and for someone limited in ability as him (and also played in a difficult plan for him), he's done decently, unlike Agarkar and a few other specialists, who have had it easy but don't do much of note, except if they're lucky.

As for Powar, he's decent, but not the right man to replace Yadav, who's still the best at hand. Yusuf Pathan is still raw, while Rajesh Pawar has hardly ever scored runs- he's just had one big knock in ODs and two in FCs. That;s far behind Yadav or even Sanjay Bangar. Strange exclusion, they'd do better by keeping out Agarkar instead- he needs a break more than Irfan.

 

[SJS]

Yadav is a lot better than those three. The selectors must have been building chocolate castles in the air when they decided to drop him. He's not been given a fair try, and for someone limited in ability as him (and also played in a difficult plan for him), he's done decently, unlike Agarkar and a few other specialists, who have had it easy but don't do much of note, except if they're lucky.

Spot on.

 

[Arjun]

He does deserve more opportunities, but he didn't bowl as well as he should've in this series and it's worth trying out VRV Singh. I don't think the selectors will have that ridiculous approach of dropping a talented player forever just because of one slightly below-par performance (Yadav). In the same way, they shouldn't retain a player who isnt performing simply because he is talented, not for too long at least. (Yuvraj)

We've seen dumb jokers of the past do this numerous times, but hopefully we won't see that happen again.

Yadav is unlucky, but at the same time I don't think he's the guy to fill India's bits-and-pieces spot and be the 5th bowling option. I think Powar has more potential, as Yadav hasn't been exactly poor but he hasn't lit the world on fire either. But he probably should have lasted the whole series.

Compare the OD records of Yadav and Powar and you'd know why Yadav's a better choice. SO WHAT if he hasn't lit the world on fire? Not everyone can be Michael Clarke! And even HE has crashed down to earth now! And what did you say, bits-and-pieces? If that's what you want, he's good enough for that! Come to think of it, more than the average bits-and-pieces player. He's a good support act for the frontliners and a hard hitter of the ball, and the team ill feel the pinch sooner than later. Why, their strike bowler is a joke, except he's lucky unlike all those fringe players who get dropped after one bad performance, and hangs on even when bowling tripe.

 

[Arjun]

I must admit, I am getting a little overboard on the exclusion of one player, but when you have a fringe player form a lesser team serving a purpose no one else can, then dropped for a few below-par performances, as a fan, it leaves me fuming.

 

[Sanz]

My Team :-

SRT, Gambhir, Sehwag, Kaif, Dravid, Raina, Dhoni, Pathan, Harbhajan, Santh, Singh, Rao/Yadav (SS)

Yuvraj, Ganguly, Zaheer, Nehra, Agarkar can wait outside and continue to play in Duleep/Ranji/Deodhar/Irani Trophy. They have got more chances than they deserve. It is time to move on.

 

[ramkumar_gr]

I must admit, I am getting a little overboard on the exclusion of one player, but when you have a fringe player form a lesser team serving a purpose no one else can, then dropped for a few below-par performances, as a fan, it leaves me fuming.

You are absolutely right. After such consistent performances in the domestic circuit,
JP Yadav made it to the team. It is a case of pure merit. He has done really well in the limited opportunities he got. Hope the selectors have spoken to him that he is still in the scheme of things. The way he fielded in the 5th ODI was really amazing. Would love to seem him back for the South Africa series.

 

[honestbharani]

I think JP will be back soon. And I don't think Agarkar has done anything so bad to be dropped, based on this series.

 

[ramkumar_gr]

I think JP will be back soon. And I don't think Agarkar has done anything so bad to be dropped, based on this series.

See there are deserving players in the Railways who were never given a fair due.
Amit Pagnis, Yere Goud, Sanjay Bangar, K Parida all have been given a raw deal by the selectors. JP Yadav's presence in the team was a kind of consolation and was sort of an evidence that merit still prevailed.

 

[viktor]

Ramkumar, I think you are being unfair to the other players. You seem to imply that players from other zones do not get selected on merit. That, I am pretty sure you know, is not true.
I think we are getting too carried away by the Railways players and their success. Sure, at the domestic level, facing players who have by and large the same or slightly greater skill, they get good results because they combine well as a team. However, there is a thing such as talent and any amount of hardwork can make up for only a so much. Players such as JPY or Bangar are no doubt hardworking, but in my humble opinion, lack the skills to play at the highest level. I haven't seen Pagnis and Yere Goud play, so I won't comment on them.
Having said all that, the selectors have been pretty consistent so far and I am pretty sure JPY will get another chance to prove me wrong!

 

[ramkumar_gr]

Ramkumar, I think you are being unfair to the other players. You seem to imply that players from other zones do not get selected on merit. That, I am pretty sure you know, is not true.
I think we are getting too carried away by the Railways players and their success. Sure, at the domestic level, facing players who have by and large the same or slightly greater skill, they get good results because they combine well as a team. However, there is a thing such as talent and any amount of hardwork can make up for only a so much. Players such as JPY or Bangar are no doubt hardworking, but in my humble opinion, lack the skills to play at the highest level. I haven't seen Pagnis and Yere Goud play, so I won't comment on them.
Having said all that, the selectors have been pretty consistent so far and I am pretty sure JPY will get another chance to prove me wrong!

See i believe in giving a fair run to every player. JP Yadav had done very little wrong and he was a key to India's win in the first 3 matches though his performances went unnoticed. He had a relatively expensive spell in the last match and he was dropped immiediately.
I would love to see him back for the SA series.
I still feel the same yardstick is not applied to all players. In some exceptional case like Sachin, it is OK. But Raina preferred over Rao just goes on prove the bias. Anyone who had watched both playing would readily agree Raina is way behind Rao when it comes to technique.

 

[viktor]

See i believe in giving a fair run to every player. JP Yadav had done very little wrong and he was a key to India's win in the first 3 matches though his performances went unnoticed. He had a relatively expensive spell in the last match and he was dropped immiediately.
I would love to see him back for the SA series.
I still feel the same yardstick is not applied to all players. In some exceptional case like Sachin, it is OK. But Raina preferred over Rao just goes on prove the bias. Anyone who had watched both playing would readily agree Raina is way behind Rao when it comes to technique.

But in this case Raina plays for the "weaker" teams, UP and Central Zone..whereas Rao plays for AP and South Zone...so bias against less glamorous teams does not seem to be the issue. Also, Raina is probably the best fielder in India at the moment and not too far behind Rao in the batting stakes, if at all. So Raina over Rao is not something I've a problem with. Its Yuvi over Rao which seems a little fishy but I would like to believe that the think tank is just fiddling around, trying to find the best combination and so this non-selection does not mean the end of the road for either Rao or JPY.

 

[ramkumar_gr]

But in this case Raina plays for the "weaker" teams, UP and Central Zone..whereas Rao plays for AP and South Zone...so bias against less glamorous teams does not seem to be the issue. Also, Raina is probably the best fielder in India at the moment and not too far behind Rao in the batting stakes, if at all. So Raina over Rao is not something I've a problem with. Its Yuvi over Rao which seems a little fishy but I would like to believe that the think tank is just fiddling around, trying to find the best combination and so this non-selection does not mean the end of the road for either Rao or JPY.

Rao plays for Andhra(not Hyderabad), which is one of the weakest teams, if not the weakest and he is only the second player after MSK Prasad to represent India.

Till it does not mean the end of the road for Rao and JP, it is fair enough.

 

[adharcric]

Rao plays for Andhra(not Hyderabad), which is one of the weakest teams, if not the weakest and he is only the second player after MSK Prasad to represent India.

Till it does not mean the end of the road for Rao and JP, it is fair enough.

Raina over Rao is in no way a questionable selection. They both deserved a place in the team, but don't tell me Raina doesn't deserve his. Indeed, he is a better fielder than both Kaif and Yuvraj, and he batted brilliantly while chasing with Dhoni. I don't know how you can say he has poor technique after that, maybe you're thinking of his reckless shot in the 5th match, that was terrible I agree. Rao was more deserving than Yuvraj, but the selectors (and Chappell) just seem to have a lot of faith in Yuvi's batting talent and thing he's on the verge of making a big one.

I also think Zaheer Khan is close to deserving a return to the side, he's been brilliant on the domestic scene, and people need to stop holding a bias against him just because there was a bias in his favor in the past. That's not his fault, it's a result of faulty selectors and leadership.

Yadav should work on his bowling more because we need absolutely tight stuff from him. I'm hoping he can make his return soon, but it will be tough with 8 solid batsmen now (sehwag,sachin,dravid,kaif,yuvraj,gambhir,rao,raina). Believe it or not, that list doesnt inclue Laxman and Ganguly.