i cant say dont worry be happy coz i spent quite a good time on blogsphere and verdict is unanimous...
its doom for india...
one thing is for sure that the defeat was worse that could have happened after the high down under...and i am also certain that it would have hurt players equally if not more...
they are now shocked to senses of how much hard work is still needed if we want to see us amongst top two teams in test cricket if not numero uno...
kumble...
i will definitely give benefit of doubt to kumble...coz only two match before he was praised for his leadership qualities down under and he suddenly cant be that bad...
i am sure he would have not played last test under normal circumstances...first tendulkar being out...RP's and Sree's 'form' and they being only (or largely) available options made him play this test despite not being 100% fit...he was let down by our (fast) bowlers big time and i don't think what different he could have done with these limited, and largely unfit bowling resources... including himself...
he is being condemned for batting inspite of having the advantage of winning the toss...but seriously can he be blamed for 76 runs !!
india have not only survived more testing conditions in past but won tests too...but for nakedly brainless display we would be hailing him for positive and aggressive approach...thats how pendulum swings in india!!
kirsten...
i don't know if there was any honeymoon period...and if it was its well and truly over now...
he has, now, got first hand experience of how quickly opinion changes in india...and it will be interesting to see his next few moves...one more nice guy amongst gentlemen act wont do and sometimes its good to be assertive...will be my advise to him...
there were some key failures as well...
sehwag...
you just cant play in one dimensional way...he is still in his triple century mode...
its crime to waist good form like this...specially knowing that your partner at other end is struggling and being one of the senior member...in the absence of most senior player...sedate approach was the need of hour...and it wont harm your reputation a single bit if you put team first on your 'positive' stroke play sometimes...
dravid...
i still feel there's at least good couple years of test cricket still left in him…the problem with dravid (these days) i think is not his form but his ‘concentration’ level…which used to be his forte…somehow he is spending all his energies on survival…if only he needs to free his mind and we will see same old dravid…or else we might see premature end to his test career in not so distant future...there are not many options left for him...
...so Mr Dravid the choice is yours...
dhoni...
amongst few batsmen on either side of indian innings he got start in both innings and threw it away inexplicably...regulars of this blog would remember my post on dhoni titled 'Transformation' during last CB series down under...in which i wrote how when leadership is given to him...he transforms into a different person...and how he never looked like getting out...
though i know the difference between ODI and Test for sure...but i am also sure of what i have seen him so far...he would not have played those shots otherwise...
and thats where he lacks at this moment...he need to feel 'that' responsibility and it attains more means when india is looking at him as test captaincy material...
bowlers...
where were they...??
you cant win with only one match fit bowler who too is not close to his best...
hope...
one collapse can not wipe away the good they have done in recent past and i am more than hopeful that we will bounce back...
the team is same...its our (impatient) perception which has changed...one win and we were world beaters...one loss and we cant do anything right...
so all is not lost and being an eternal optimist (as my friend Ottayan noted in one of his post) i still see way forward for india...with fresh selections...smarting after the worst thrashing...we will see improved display...they will have to for thier own good...
Dont worry...
shared by straight point on Monday, April 07, 2008
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14 comments:
Did Ott really say that? If he did, then he's right. You lift the spirits.
The thing is the bowling looks so shaky if the surface is scratched. What bothers me about the batting is it is in effect the third failure in a row...and too many are happening. You are right about Dhoni needing to feel the responsibility even as a team man...it isn't that you accept responsibility only if you are the skip.
One can only hope for the best and hope that the Indian team is working with that in mind.
SP,
Refreshing read, esp when you can still feel the heat -today was to be the 5th day, no?
But yeah, I like the mentions there.
Kumble - I'm with him on the toss, bat first. Esp with two spinners, and that too in India.
More so, that's part of the +ve approach. But I'm still not ok, with him playing when unfit. Nobody is indispensable, and as captain, if unfit and still playing, what do you say about SRT and RP Singh then?
Sehwag: yeah, he had a good thing going. What a waste of form.
Dravid: like to see him around, but does he wanna be around?
Kirsten: At least he knows the value of full-time openers. Only the openers don't.
cheers!
Hey, calm down man. It's only one match. I would treat it as a one-off. No reason to panic.
Sree was very difficult to bat against on occasion. Arpy and Pathan were really really tame. Should not put Sree in the same bracket as Arpy, as far as Ahmedabad is concerned.
SB
thanks mate!
yea team india for nknown reasons are wearing down and out look...
any other team would have been roaring after the tour down under and sometimes i feel this team should never rest coz they take bit more time to come out of cold and thats where they loose some ground and confidence...
NP...i got your point...its always easy in hindsight...
although you are right about whoever is unfit should not play...but i guess kumble had little choice...
and very good observation abot dravid...he seems to be dragging himself...and looks so un-belonged...
atheist
you have commented on someone else post mate!!
where was the panic...??
'on occasion' is the key word here...john...
Motera meltdown is a freak incident, it's just an accident that had India on its wrong end. No question about that. It's not going to happen every second day. I just hope we learnt the lessons well.
Toss, well I'm not going to side with Kumble this time. A typically unresponsive Indian track is at its best in the first morning only -- that's the time when the pacers can hope to get something out of the pitch. After that, it just becomes a sleeping beauty, pampering the willowers' ego.
And if Kumble feared facing the South African spin attack in the fourth innings, he not only underestimated his own batsmen but also overestimated the Protea spinners.
SP,
On dravid I feel, he is totally a different person now on the field... something is strangely wrong... he is trying to be over-defensive but it will be unfair to say anything about him on my part.
On Dhoni, I somehow get that sneaky feeling that he deliberately throws it away to add to the pressure toil between the oldies and the other lot.
welcome som!!
consider this...
both rp and sree sprayed the ball like anything...rp got lcky to play at motera coz there was no body to select to...against that you had batting lineup (even mins srt) who had just scored more than 600 on last outing...an opener who just scored a triple century...and 150 in his last two test matches...
whom you trust more?
bowlers who were gifting boundary balls...? or batters ??
scorpy
both your observation can not be termed wrong on prima facie...
thats what i meant what i said about dhoni...
mark my words he will not play this kind of shot if he is captain...
"..india is looking at him as test captaincy material.."
Honestly, imho his Test batting is far from adequate to be counted as a long-term Test player. Plus, I'm with scorpicity here and having "that sneaky feeling that he deliberately throws it away to add to the pressure toil between the oldies and the other lot."
VM
thanks for dropping by...
as i said prima facie this possibility can not be ruled out...
besides, to me, he is long way being undisputed certainty in the test squad...
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