Mendis and that...

shared by straight point on Monday, July 21, 2008

will Fab-four be tamed?


i have not sensed this type of buzz since the debut of sachin...for an individual player...

i wanted to title ind-sl series preview or something sort of that...but read everywhere...the series is already billed as our batsmen vs mendis...

so allow me also wash my hand of mendis bandwagon...

every where you read they are proclaiming how our batsmen will be under pressure of this cricket's latest mysterious threat...

agreed.

but they are forgetting to realize that mendis will be under more pressure...

all eyes will be on him...time will freeze as and when jayawardene will decide to toss bowl to him...

he has his suddenly acquired fame to defend...

everybody will be expecting wickets and only wickets of his alternate bowl...

for a young guy it will be the test of character...

what if wickets come in bundle? what if wickets wont come?

will he succumb to the pressure of expectations...or will we see a birth of new champion...?

lots of questions...the answer is about to unfold in couple of days...

my sole fear is that media will not spare him in either situation...

i just hope and pray that when the mystery of unknown unfolds... cricket will be winner...

40 comments:

Gaurav Sethi said...

sp: for me, openers are the key. at least 2 batsmen should have clear instructions to get stuck into their spinners. vvs or gang @3to counter the 2Ms - depending on which opener gets out first, assuming india plays gambir.

straight point said...

its was SG who kept hogg interested in oz and he didn't had even one proper delivery... :)

Viswanathan said...

I hope our batsmen don't get carried away by the Mendis hype and lose wickets to others.

BTW, good photo.

Anonymous said...

yup it is going to be interesting...with the Indians one of the better spin playing nations...it couldnt be a better test for the youngster...

It will be interesting for sure...looking forward to it...

Anonymous said...

It will not be easy for the Indian batsmen to play Medis he is no ordinay spin bowler many of us believe that he has different grips for his different deliveries and sooner or later he will become easy to read, but there is another factor which is his speed his run up is like a medium pacer and he bowls a bit faster than normal spin bowlers giving less time to the batsman to think and adjust.
It will be interesting to see how the big three fare against him we all saw the rest of the Indian players struggling against him.

Anonymous said...

Great pic, SP. Though i must say it looks a bit grave. Are you expecting the fab four to fail?

There will be some Mendis-drama in the first test - its a question of whether he fizzles or surprizes (by getting some big wickets). Though I share Ottayan's fear, by I think the end of the Test series, the fab four might emerge the better of the duelers. Or so I hope. :)

Som said...

Prediction is a tricky business and you might end up with all the eggs of the world on your face. I still get the feeling that Mendis would prove a hype on the other side of the series. Of course he would continue troubling others, but against the Fav Four specially, I'm not sure. Well, I just have volunteered to have my face egg covered. Let's see.

straight point said...

thanks OTT...

its very complicated situation...if we give wickets to mendis...we are in problem coz of rookie...if we give wickets to others we concentrated too much on mendis...

i wonder if there is any perfect scenerio here?

straight point said...

without doubt UTP...

straight point said...

wasim...i may be they will...may be not...but one thing is for sure how can one completely forget murli with more than 1000 international wickets to his credit?

straight point said...

thanks VM...to me pic looked like as if they are out for something serious...

Gaurav Sethi said...

if it's a typical lankan wicket, might see M in the 9th over again. That's if our openers are still around. In fact, should be fun to see M bowl in the 9th, it'll be a sweet mind tickler. Can count on Mahela for that.

straight point said...

som...yes cricket has its unique way of making fool out of experts...

but i care for mendis...coz eitherway media is not going to spare him...

straight point said...

yes gaurav...but the way he is being handled by sl seniors i expect them not to bite hype...

i sense murli with more than 1000 international wicket to his credit is feeling bit hurt...and lion is dobly dangerous when he is hurt...

Gaurav Sethi said...

That'll be a first, Murali feeling hurt. Sure he's asking Mendis to bowl at him - for a mad slog!

Abt yr pic, those are yaks, right? That is a funny pic, for the fab four alright -strangely apt? Still feel, either Sehwag or GG (if he plays) will be the key. There's something abt these guys off late, they're on a murderous mission. Sehwag, in the Asia Cup, had a new found intensity. And idiocy, if you add that stroll in the 9th.

Q said...

I think Sachin & Co. will be at ease against Mendis... its different when ur trying to score of every ball in ODI cricket and when ur trying to survive at the crease... The Indian seniors are far better players of spin so they should be able to handle it better than most..

NC - no one is better than Dravid at 3. No one :-)

straight point said...

i still believe GG is the best player of spin in our team...the seems hell bent to prove a point and most certainly looking fwd to this series as platform to cement his place...

sehwag is displaying the pause he lacked all this while...and he looks more dangerous than ever...he is not only looking comfortable at crease but also scoring at breathtaking speed...

how i wish they both survive to see mendis...

straight point said...

thats a good point Q...there is no pressure to score as in ODIs...

but as i just said...it will be viru and gg who will steal the thunder...

Gaurav Sethi said...

Q -dravid circa 2003 was better than Dravid circa 2007-2008

Anonymous said...

mendis is surely threat to Indians. Specially Sehwag and Gambhir should play scencerly. I think if Dravid is on the strike, surely mendis will have to work hard.

straight point said...

the cracks in wall gaurav?

straight point said...

neno, i think most of us think dravid from memory...while his recent form is anything but 'the wall'

Gaurav Sethi said...

gotta get his feet and mind moving, it's premature for him to fade away

straight point said...

exactly garav...he is stuck somewhere...looks bored...gotta unwind himself...may be this fresh challenge will spur him...

Anonymous said...

SP.

I mentioned about Dravid because he will neither score runs and nor will he give wicket to mendis.

Mendis will be under pressure for not taking a wicket of this man and surely his line-length can divert.

straight point said...

mendis will be under pressure for not taking dravid's wicket?

great theory neno...!!

RS said...

The four individually have more grit than most of ODI team. So I believe they will handle Mendis, or figure out how to handle him fast. From the Indian bowling side, I think Harbajjan will be under most pressure - he has a lot to gain/lose with his performance.

straight point said...

RS i know it not easy to defend our ODI team after that final...but give them time and you will see the difference...there is some definite talent out there too...

regarding our fab four...i think they will cope with it...though the form of dravid and to some extent of vvs is not at par of late...

RS said...

I don't doubt the talent in the ODI team - just that the four have greater determination (maybe partly in their quest for personal achievements).

straight point said...

RS, atleast three of fab four have only tests as platform...that too is being constantly knocked...i bet you will be more determined than ever...

;-))

Anil Singh said...

I think all this hype is just another attempt to beat the opposition with mind games. Whoever defends India in these mind games, but I request Indian team management not to send Dravid. He is aweful in such contests:)

Anonymous said...

@Q. "no one is better than Dravid at 3. No one :-)" Didn't know you were a Dravid fan.

For the folks, who claim Dravid is not in form, he scored a 93 at Perth and a century-odd in Chennai. Yes, he's been a bit strachy compared to his run in 2003, but I wouldn't count him out just yet. A really big one or stubborn one is due.

straight point said...

AB the hype is not without substance...though i believe that our fab four have played enough test matches not to bite into it...

but you can never be sure...

straight point said...

VM...if someone says dravid is not in kind of form which is expected of his stature...that doesn't mean anywhere that one is not the fan of him... :)

if you want proof please visit this link of my previous post...

http://straightpoints.blogspot.com/2008/05/dravidi-am-with-you.html

Gaurav Sethi said...

SP, funny you should add the link. Was gonna add a few myself, guess we are both feeling guilty!
http://nakedcricket.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/10/third-man.htm

straight point said...

excellent link/article there gaurav...

i sometimes feel all dravid problems are irrespective of time we talk about him...they still remain relevant...

Anonymous said...

@SP, you make me smile. Yes, I remember reading and commenting on that article of yours.

@Gaurav, again, nice one. I think I may have read yours too.

For the past couple of months I've been getting kicks out of "pulling the legs" of folks like you who criticize the Wall, only to come back and defend in one way or another. Cheers!

straight point said...

VM...i guess this is the price one has to pay to defend dravid now a days ;-))

Soulberry said...

Tamed, culled, led, bolted in the head, skinned and deviened, dismembered, packed, frozen, loaded and ready for shipping.

The thing is, they might have lost to novelty and will never again, but all put together, they cannot win a test match back...unless Ishant can be inspired to rampage through like an angry young man...and Sehwag plays like he did on his comeback. Wasteful waft in the first opened the floodgates for the sorry stuff lower down.

straight point said...

i agree with each and every word there SB!!

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