its time gambhir make some tough calls...

shared by straight point on Friday, April 16, 2010

it came as no surprise when gambhir came down heavily on top order after yesterday's match against chennai super kings...

"Chasing 113 was not an easy job and you can't just bat irresponsibly," he said at the post-match presentation. "The top order needed to bat with some responsibility. You can't bat just like that and leave the job for the lower order"

top order is consistently letting the team down with zero commitment towards team cause... everybody seems to shrug his responsibility by saying "that's the way i play..." and it is nothing short of a minor miracle that delhi is still in the hunt of semi final place...

from now on... gambhir should read the situation as the question of how he can win three matches on trot (to win ipl3) and he should channelise his energy... his resources towards this goal...

the time has come when merely issuing statement in disgust will not do... gambhir will have to take some tough calls and if it means he will have some sore egos in dug-out then so be it...

my team from now on, barring injuries, will be in following order...

karthik, warner, gambhir, dilshan, sehwag, collingwood, manhas, mishra, nehara, nannes, ladda/yadav

sehwag's role should be of a finisher in the team which should be conveyed to him in no uncertain terms... though both can take the game away on their own but gambhir and collingwood should look to tie the one end down and let players like karthik, warner, dilshan, sehwag dominate from another...

i still believe that delhi is the strongest team and if some of our players can bend their back for team cause... we can not only take the best of other teams in ipl... but even beyond...

13 comments:

lazysuperstar said...

I am not very sure whether DD is the "strongest team"... Team with best players - yes.. along with RCB. but as a team, MI seem better.

lazysuperstar said...

sorry for the second comment. forgot to add this in the first.

Gambhir was quite harsh about the top order batsmen.

Gambhir's innings :

2nd ball : Bollinger to Gambhir, 1 run, ooh, Gambhir nearly runs himself out once again. Tip and run straight to mid on, where Ashwin is slow to react and his throw is average too.

3rd ball : Ashwin to Gambhir, no run, HUGE spin, Gambhir is beaten all ends up, and somehow does not outside edge it

4th ball : Ashwin to Gambhir, no run, edges the cut this time, it goes in the air but is safe. PRESSURE!

7th ball : Ashwin to Gambhir, FOUR, lucky! Gambhir jumps out, but despite getting close to the pitch is beaten by the spin, as he looks to loft over the off side, and gets a thin outside edge that runs away to third man

He could have got out on any of those. would that have made him irresponsible?

straight point said...

but i am... :)

jokes apart... as i said if they can buckle down their fake aggression... DD will be the team to beat... but there lies the problem i guess... they are too daredevils for their own good...

straight point said...

when the pitch is taking turn you will get deliveries when you end up beaten square and i have seen biggest name getting beaten so no qualms there... the most important thing is the intent... how you read the pitch and how you make the adjustments...

when a player like manhas can come and so what is required with his limited skills and exposure... i don't thinks its too much to expect from players who have played about 10 years at international level...?

Ankit Poddar said...

that is an interesting suggestion you make, sp..

though i would agree that sehwag should be playing as a finisher, why not have dilshan as an opener along with warner, and provide sehwag some support in the middle...

but then we can talk as much as we want, the thing is that GG will not take any of these steps

vmminerva said...

That was a strong stmt by Gambhir wasn't it? I didn't expect it from him, but it was well said.

I do agree that DD is the most balanced side with a lot of potential and thus "strongest" on paper. But they need to spring out of the paper.

While Sehwag can play a good finisher, I think he is the most threatening (to opposition) at the top. He needs to curb the penchant for useless shot, play his normal 100+ strike rate game and things will fall into place.

Good to see DD win. At one point I was so nervous I switched from TV to cricinfo.

straight point said...

thanks ap...

i do not opt for dishan as opener coz as you can see i have spread dashers followed by a the guys who can hold on... so in case of collapse there is a guy to hold the rot...

dk has opened for india in past why not for dd too... always welcome indian talent doing the job... ;-)

straight point said...

I do agree that DD is the most balanced side with a lot of potential and thus "strongest" on paper. But they need to spring out of the paper.

how well said vm!!! very true and apt... just summed up the dd team in one line...

yes at one time it did look very nervy one wicket there and it could have been all over for delhi... that is why i valued manhas innings more than that of gauti's... the moment manhas stepped in he took situation in control... too good... :)

Soulberry said...

Gambhir has had two good innings this IPL - in the first match and this last one...both under some stress.

Sehwag's had two good innings too.

Unfortunately, Sehwag and Gambhir, both have been most irresponsible in between - when not injured that is in Gambhir's case.

Gambhir ran himself out most irresponsibily thrice.

Sehwag holes out as if by rote. But he's played like that always.

To gambhir's credit he made an effort to change things...Sehwag didn't.

Warner, Collingwood have to come good more often and Manhas must make the most of his good form. Dilshan will shine in T20 WC as will our Sehwag.

DD bowling set up the match for them and good work must continue. There was better fielding too.

straight point said...

you are forgetting the innings of gg when he guided DK to victory... which makes it 3 out of 7 DD wins he contributed majorly despite not being in best of form... tho i admit his run-outs are as reckless as some of the shots of DD top order...

regarding sehwag has always played like that... i still remember his innings on kotla rank turner pitch in champions league when he initially scored about run a ball and later in finishing stages went berserk... that was one hell of a classic t20 knock...

so it not that he can't play the sedate innings when he wants to... he is far accomplished batsman than he wants us to believe even in t20 format...

straight point said...

this is the match

http://www.cricinfo.com/t20champions2009/engine/match/416930.html

and this is what viru said after match

"Sehwag later said that he had to really watch the ball because it did not come straight on to the bat and that it gripped the surface when the spinners were on. In seven balls off Mendis, never once did he try to hit hard."

http://www.cricinfo.com/t20champions2009/content/story/429235.html

raj said...

So, they didnt learn their lessons and Gautam didnt take a tough call. What a waste!
And DK is escaping censure - he had one good match, gave a bravado filled interview that he wants to be a finisher for India. Not a single match he played well after that. He ended up "finishing" Delhi off.

straight point said...

exactly raj... it were we who misunderstood him when he said i want to be 'finisher'... :)

they never looked like a team... the team intensity was just not there... this is what happens when you play cricket more on reputations rather the facts like what's happening on ground...

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