look around almost everybody is so animatedly disappointed with team india's performance so far... the reason being...?
we are not dominating while still winning... we should blast our opponents out in our quest to win world cup...
since the fall of oz empire... no team can be called the true dominating team in the world... in fact any of first 5-6 teams can defeat one another on its day... and for no reason this world cup is being called the most open world cup so far...
but still the narrative seems set... just dominate...
as if the world cup trophy will value less if we were to win in anything less than the domination fashion... as if it is written in holy books of world cup that only the team that win... sorry blast its opponent is entitled to the world cup trophy...
the better suggestion to those seeking domination from team india will be to watch or play cricket on play-station where they can make team india do what they want it to do on field... coz i am more than happy if we score just one run more or restrict them to just one run less in our way to the win the title... specially given the conditions this world cup is being played in... the resources and limitations we have in certain aspect of game like fielding etc...
in fact i feel better that team india is winning more and more consistently despite not playing 'dominating cricket'... which means team india accept, understand and yet prevail over the limitations instead of cribbing about it... which is the beauty of sport and the team i follow...
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now that every team has played 14 games and semifinal spots are sealed... like last time... its time to see how team india performed in ipl this season...here's the appraisal...
virender sehwar and gautam gambhir... poor...
strictly going by t20 form they should feel lucky that the team for t20 world cup was announced a month before... if one threw his wicket for reckless... random shots... another threw it for his reckless running which is threatening to become his hallmark... still gambhir managed to play some crucial knocks despite him not being in great form and but for his running would have played more... i would suggest, like last time, rohit sharma should open along with gambhir for team india there... leaving sehwag to either warm benches or play a finisher role in middle order... on current form...
suresh raina... good...
it should be attributed to his immense potential that even after being the highest scorer in ipl history... we look at him as still-in-finishing-stage batsman... though he seems to have listened to my advice... and now have started playing shots on off side too which makes him double dangerous now... the only question remains... will he be able to carry his ipl form to t20 world cup...? i think he will...
rohit sharma... good...
when he could not do with bat did it with his fielding and bowling in this ipl... developing into an all-round player... and a good finisher... seems to have taken his batting more seriously and also seems aware of the competition he is facing from his peers... i have this feeling that he will come out from this world cup with credit to his reputation...
yuvraj singh... poor...
from being the most agile fielder, his knee injury notwithstanding, he is fast becoming another player who needed to be hidden in the field... showing glimpses of his destructive powers here and there without looking threatening... the biggest challenge for team management will be to keep him motivated and focused as 'ghar ka khana' will not be available there...
dhoni... average...
despite him taking csk to semifinals with his sensational hitting... he has been average at best... he seems to have taken the burden of self-imposed responsibilities upon himself... i wish he just unleash himself and play with gay abandon he used to play... we might be in for a surprise...
yusuf pathan... hopeless...
its time he should be left alone and allowed to do what he does best... play nice cameos for rajashtan royals and when ipl is not happening... for baroda...
dinesh karthik... pass...
selectors are knocking the wrong door... its time they should move on and look at other budding good wicket keeping batsman talent... the guy just cannot see beyond his nose...
harbhajan singh... good...
apart from his ugly send off to some of india's upcoming talent... i must say... his bowling has been good... seems to have struck nice balance between wicket taking and run containing as per the demand of situation and when stars align perfectly in sky... can play blinder of an innings... explosive package i would say... will keep his team as well as opponent on its guard...
piyush chawla... lucky...
he has neither kept runs in check nor taken enough crucial wickets... he managed to have kept batting skills, on which he seems to edge out ojha and mishra, hidden to a place where even he can't fetch it when he wants... perhaps his selection can be best explained by the statement of dhoni when he said... "rather than best side the challenge is to select best balanced side..."
zaheer khan... good...
with experience he has understood his body dynamics... knows when to go full throttle and when to bowl within himself... but as i have been saying... will be under tremendous pressure as he is not given adequate support in seam bowling department... this will keep dhoni and team management praying for his fitness...
praveen kumar... average...
though he started well but fizzled out as the tournament progressed... could not make his presence count... praveen comes across as very impatient bowler... if he let go his experimentation itch with line and length can be a difficult bowler coz he can swing ball both ways from the same spot... there was one over to ganguly that explains (my stance)... after bowling three good dot deliveries that beat ganguly fair and square... he decided to come round the wicket and went for runs...
ashish nehra... good...
could not play most of ipl coz if his injury and when he looked fit and raring to go... his team ensured that his outing curtailed to few matches... but whenever nehra played he made his presence felt... looks in good rhythm and bowling with good pace... his fitness will be crucial too... coz he along with zaheer will be key bowlers who will share each other's load...
vinay lumar... average...
despite pitches suiting his bowling in the ipl... he failed to justify his selection for the caribbean party... i don't think that he will be playing in final xi anyways... barring injuries...
ravindra jadeja...
unfortunately we could not see him in ipl this season... but of what i saw before that he was bowling in good rhythm and in right areas... seems to have improved his batting... the pitches in caribbean will suit his kind of bowling and if he bowls the way he was bowling lately will turn out to be an attacking option for team india... jadeja should be the preferred all rounder...
to conclude... my preferred eleven will be in following order...
rohit, gambhir, raina, yuvraj, sehwag, dhoni, jadeja, harbhajan, praveen, zaheer, nehra...
update:
sehwag is out of t20 worldcup and murali vijay is going instead... though i adore viru... but i think this is blessing in disguise...
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yes you read it right...we will be discussing team india's performance in second season of ipl...
the first quarter of ipl is over which is covered and summed up very nicely by friend and fellow bored member Q of wellpitched fame... and if we look at individual performances of men in blue it does not project good picture... specially considering t20 world cup is not that far away...
virender sehwag...gambhir...very poor
viru and gamhir...seems to be taking adulation of most destructive opening pair bit too seriously and in their quest to prove same are failing...match after match...specially viru who has developed this uncanny habit of sucked into to the hype of destroyer...seems hell bent on destroying his form...self...not even the lure of tonking warne out of park could wake him for the job in hand!
raina...avg
raina is showing how he cannot be relied to carry the innings fwd…he has thrown it away many a times in this IPL when he looked settled to carry his team to victory or winning total...no wonder csk are falling short...just short...but short anyway...
rohit...ok
rohit seems to have find his touch...and more importantly much needed pause...looking cautious at start to bid his time which is bit of improvement but consistency is still lacking...
yuvraj...poor
yuvraj can’t play spin...can’t play pace when ball is doing something...and added burden of captaincy seems to have taken away all the fun element out of him...would you believe if i say i heard him yelling at fielder... “use your brain…you idiot”...imagine him telling someone to use brain...!!
dhoni...very poor as player as well as captain
dhoni...he just can’t decide what role he should play...dasher...? which he apparently left way behind...finisher...? conditions at sa seems to have exposed his limited technique...that’s why he is not even able to do it...the dilemma is seen to be believed...his captaincy too is lacking the ‘dhoni’ spark...luck seems to have finally eluded him...as an observer i am enjoying it in a way that the experience will make him re-think about game...strategies and more importantly make him do away with some fixed notions that he seems to have developed...hence his persistence with parthiv...joginder...like he does with mishra at international level thinking he is not a wicket taking option...
yusuf pathan...very good
pathan is amongst the few member of team india...who are leaving mark on ipl...though will be interested to see if he can perform in same way under the captaincy of dhoni...coz dhoni don't rate him at all as bowler...
irfan pathan...good
irfan seems to be getting there...he can be the dark horse of ipl...though his batting talent still remains untapped like his bowling...the problem in dealing with him that he is still considered as bowling all rounder...while according to me...he should be considered as batting all rounder...this will give him much needed space...taking some pressure and persistent glare away from his bowling...
harbhajan...avg
while he is gaining in batting with each outing...has allowed himself to get limited to being a dart bowler...the way he is bowling at the moment i wonder whether he should be called a spinner at all...?
zahir khan...very good
zahir khan seems to have discovered finally that more he bowls...more he gets perfection... rhythm...in great form for quite a while now...lending ball almost at will...pure...unadulterated class...i would call him left arm mcgrath of today...
ishant sharma...poor
ishant's aura with which he debuted is diminishing very fast...earlier he used to be accurate... would stick to basics...now seems to be trying too much for comfort and hence has lost rhythm and penetration in bowling...need rest more than anybody...
so one can see that team india is not performing well at all in this second season of ipl...but there is still hope...ipl is still a long way to go...they can still leave a mark and rise their stock value too...
its also heartening to see that quite a few players are knocking the team india door...
ojha and mishra
both have shown that branding them as not suitable for this shortest form of game is akin to closing eye on obvious talent...they have shown that they have it in them to be successful in all form of game given the confidence...chances...they have shown with performances so far that one can ignore them at one's peril...
rp singh
...he is enjoying the prevailing sa conditions to hilt...doing everything to deserve a recall...the zip and steep bounce...his main weapons which were missing...have returned...so are the wickets...and this certainly is a good news for team india...
another good news is that sree santh has declared himself fit and will be seen in action in short while...i hope and wish he comes good too...for the sake of ‘barren look’ of indian pace department...coz of which india struggled persistently for lack of options on on third seamer account...
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