My prediction for Australia India series: 1. Shewag walks in to bat: Field packed with three slips, Gulley, deep third man, Point, Cover and Mid off, short square leg and mid on. Australian New ball bowlers (does not matter which one)pitch the ball just on off or outside off: Shewag flashes his bat &is back in pavilion within first two overs.Shewag does not want to open but is forced to. He would have done better in middle order but no body will listen.He knows he is not a test class opener. 2. Akash Chopra: Same field, stays for 10 overs, scores 20 runs? no more, back in pavilion 3. Dravid stays and hopes he has someone to stay with him! 4. Sachin comes in. Australian umpires have a plan for him. He goes lbW!If he stays Steve Waugh soon brings in a left arm bowler and Sachin is in trouble!But, he will still score at least one century.He will still average 40+ in the four tests! 5. Laxman: Will have 1-2 good scores but no more 6. Ganguly: Same field as for Shewag: Flashes at ball outside the off stump and walks back.Avg: 15 runs. 7,8,9,10,11.Patel, Agarkar, Zaheer, Kumble,Harbhajan: Will average 20 runs between them!
Dear Prem:An accurate summary of the selection process. I believe that India lost the TVS finals not because of poor batting but because of poor team selection. Including Salvi was totally illogical. We should either have gone in with Kumble if the idea was to have five bowlers or included Kaif as an extra batsman. On a spinning pitch, Kumble might have not only kept the scoring down but may also have picked a few wickets- He would certinly have done better than Salvi! On the other hand adding Kaif would have given more depth to the batting and possibly helped in winning the trophy. As for dropping Kartik from the Aus tour, there is simply no logic or justification. He is the best spin bowler in the country today better than even Harbhajan. Does it not make better sense to include three spin bowlers given the fact that the Aus are more uncomfortable with spin than with pace? At lease when salvi pulled out, the selectors could have inducted Murali Kartik instead of Balaji. Balaji is likely to be no more than a net bowler during the tour. Including Kartik would have given a greater choice on which of the three to be included in the playing eleven.
No matter how many runs he scores while he plays test cricket, Lakshman should not be allowed to play one day cricket, period. Even if he scores a century every 10 matches in one dayers, there will be atleast two occasions where we lost because of him. The guy is like Nayan Mongia. Never understands what it takes to play one day batting. No matter what, he will always score only 4 runs an over, which is not good enough. On the contrary, look how Dravid has changed his batting to suit one day.
I had similar compaints about Agarkar. But, I never had problem him being the fourth bowler. He just can't be our opening bowler. Needless to say, I am disappointed with Deep Das Gupta and Kumble's selection to the Indian team. Why is Kumble not a good sport like Srinath and bow out in style. Looks like he wants to make more money:-( I can see no other reasons. Kumble has served Indian cricket well. Murali Karthik should have gotten in along with a few more new faces
After I came to the US, a coupla months back. I was happy, till the time the tri-series started. I was an avid follower and supporter of game called cricket. It used to be played with a true sense of spirit.
Every Indian took pride in seeing(literally) his team through the finals and lifting the trophy. But the Five blind men have spoiled the fun of the game. Even in the worst of democracy (pakistan of course!), the respect for the game is reflected in them picking (or atleast trying to) up young and deserving talent. But only in India do you find people are retained in the team because of performance, not the present but the past and the perceived potential to perform better. Classic examples in the bowling and batting category are Kumble and Shewag.
The world cup results made me think that the team was on the road of revival, seeking lost glory. But my enthusiasm was shortlived as the Indians lived up to their reputation (bad of course) and aligned themselves to their past track records.
By the way is there a selection committee to select the selectors or is like the elections in Bihar?
I feel disgusted at our so-called selection committee! I was shocked to hear the news that Murli Karik was not selected for the Aussie tour!! This is so UNFAIR!!!!! I dont know what is the selector's problem with Kartik's selection! Why they drop him, select him as & when they like!!?????? They are destroying an umcoming Cricketing talent! Couldnt they see that the Australian batsmen were struggling against Kartik in the series!!!?????? I must say, the Aussie players must be delighted to see that Kartik is not touring Australia! I feel so upset & bad for Murli Kartik! He's such an immensely talented cricketer! Dropping him for the tour is a big crime!!!!! I feel ashamed at the selection committee!!!! They are bunch of LOSERS!!! Absolutely DISGUSTING!!!
Murli is following in the footsteps of another great bowler, Padmakar Shivalkar. Unwept, unhonoured and unsung. Wonderfully expressed indeed. The ball control Murli displayed was exemplary. His reading of the wicket and the batsman was simply better than both Kumble and Bhajji. And yet he finds himself in the cold.
hi, i read ur article and i agree with most of the things but if the concerned factor is india lost by chasing 235 to the attack with no names like MC GRATH,GILLESPI,BRETT LEE and SHANE WARNE in a grand final with the so called gods of cricket (tendulkar,sehwag dravid etc) or what ever.anyways i surely know the result of the australian series but still HOPE for the best as an INDIAN. vijay
What is the matter with you? Don't just write-off Avishkar Salvi too soon. Remember a new guy playing against world champs in front of 100K people in a final match. I agree that they shouldn't have selected him in the first place in place of a batsman.
You seems to be biased against mumbai players. I remember your comments against Agarkar few days ago. Cheer up! And please don't try to pomote Rayudu too soon, there were better performers in the U19 tours than him..
It is strange that the author is pointing out to a shot by number 11 batsman. I feel there were other shots in the match that were more disastrous and which were played by more senior batsman. The author should note that the match was not lost because of the poor application by Salvi but by many other factors which needs no mention.
It truly is a tragedy that the simplest of cricketing logic doesnt appeal to the 5 big men of indian cricket (and I am not talking of sachin,Sourav,Rahul,Laxman or Viru). I can understand the selectors not understanding the simple results of flight and deception which Karthik embodies in his deliveries, but what goes against reading simple bowler statistics after each match. Karthik's figures just stand out after every match. And Rayudu's disappearance from the probables arena after trying him out in the challenger trophy speaks volumes of the selector's future vision. Here is a promising batsman who should be given every opportunity to tour with the Indian team and his name is not even discussed. And what is so shocking and upsetting is a former Indian great like Kirmani is leading this attack of Indian cricket's sensibilities. Come to think of it, I remember him in previous interviews bemoaning the lack of specialist wicketkeepers in the Indian side and the first chance he gets, he gets a goalkeeper into the team. Whatever happened to Naidu? Luckily I am not based in the country now for the last year, and can afford to look with a bemused eye towards these jokers and not suffer
