Whatever has happened to Mr.A Chopra is unavoidable. As a decision ,whether fair or otherwise has been already taken, it will serve no useful purpose if other deserving cricketers are penalised due to this incident.
Many times I find the quality of cricket writing very poor, even in Rediff. The issue here is not one of opening partnerships but which batsman to leave out. Yuvraj has a hundred in the last match. Chopra has done a fabulous job over the past few matches. Ganguly had an average of 47+ in Australia and scored a very crucial century in the first match - facts which Fasial Sharif will never point out in his articles, while insinuating that Chopra is being hard done by just to 'accomodate' Saurav.
Very clearly, Indian cricket has a 'good" problem after many years. Dont try to make it a case of victimization.
I'm amazed at all this talk of getting Yuvaraj or Patel to open -- in a team which has a Tendulkar and a Ganguly. The latter, more than anyone, really needs to start pulling his weight in the team -- he is a terribly inconsistent bat and is by far the worst fielder in the side. The youngsters in this team are doing a fantastic job, it is time we started making more demands of our seniors. Sehwag is a brilliant, if crazy no. 1, Dravid is the best no. 3 in the world -- and we all know how talented VVS is in the middle order -- and more importantly, how pointless as an opener. Both Yuvaraj and Patel have extremely valuable roles to play in the lower order. Let the seniors do the work then. Let Sachin or Saurav -- preferably the former -- take up the really critical job of opening. Ganguly isn't a great opener, I can understand his reluctance -- but I truly believe that Sachin at no. 2 -- especially in his new, cautious avatar -- will make a huge difference to the team. He has broken lots of records, it will really be great to see him taking India to a much higher level by fixing it's opening worries.
I read this story with a growing sense of dismay. What wrong has Akash Chopra done ? His individual scores may be low but, the length of time he's spent at the crease has had a direct and positive relationship on how much the middle order flourishes. His utility can be seen in the matches when he hasn't fired and how much the middle order floundered. My recommendation would be: Leave out Yuvraj, include Ganguly and leave the Sehwag-Chopra opening combo undisturbed until this series is over. Yuvraj atleast is a permanent member of the ODI squad. The test side is the only unit where Chopra has an opportunity and his recent partnerships with Sehwag have illustrated the value he brings to the side (especially in foreign conditions). In case anyone has not noticed, we still haven't won this series and a stable experienced opening pair is crucial to them team's chances. Leave Chopra Alone !!
This is the stupidity that continues with all the Indian teams and current team is proving to be no better. Cant understand the logistics of dropping Chopra just to accomodate Yuvraj exspecially when trying to win the final encounter and thereby the series. This again proves Indians are emotional and sentimental when it comes to individuals and not when it comes to the team. On one side Dravid rubbishes these kind of reports and on the other side Ganguly continues to do his job. Not sure if media too is playing its part :-(
Well respected sir, nowhere in the article have you quoted anyone in the indian thinktank as saying that there is any trouble deciding on the opening batsmen. And yet you go on to say that there is a "PUZZLE". I completely agree with Rahul Dravid when he says that there things are discussed and debated more on living rooms than dressing rooms. Luckily the Indian Team is spared of such rubbish as they apparently don't read any newspieces.
In my view, Yuvraj has more than justified his inclusion in the tests. Lets not forget that Akash Chopra is a genuine opener and if his combination with Sehwag has been fruitful it mainly due to his gritty display. Sehwag is on record expressing his preference for the middle order slot while Yuvraj is inclined to become an opener to claim his place in the tests. So the puzzle gets solved with left-right combination of Chopra-Yuvraj at the top.
One more example how simple things can be made difficult is this discussion about team composition.
Yuvy & Akash both deserve to be in. Guys to sit out should be either Saurav Dada or Parthiv Patel. Saurav has better chances of doing well so Parthiv should sit out. In fact he should go back class Xth exams as he never deserved to be there in the first place.
India has to realise the importance of this game & Rahul should keep wickets. No tinkering the opening composition. We must go in with extra batsman & also Nehra inplace of Ajit bhai.
Kirmani uncle has tried a lot to boost another keeper but I am sure we are rushing tooo fast. Let Pappu go & prove himself at Ranji level otherwise he will fizzle out so soon that we will not even remember him at all.
I am amazed with our defeat in Pakistan in the second test match. I was actually wondering whether that the very same bunch of guys who gave us glory a few days back were getting crucified by an attack which was demoralised and shattered a few days back. One Gul did us Dabba-gul. OR maybe it was some other factor that was playing up there. Agreed we can't win everyday but watching such matches really makes me ponder as to the match fixing allegations made earlier. Just hope the results of the Third test are also not ready by now. Hope there would be leaks about such results too. So much of Indian time would be saved. We should forget the opening puzzle and hope the jinx of losing out to demoralised teams gets over. Also hope that if fixing still exists; which seems very much probable than the puzzle of finding these fixers and fixing them up also surfaces. If a traitor is punished in the court of law than why not a traitor in the Indian Ranks be punished too. So what if the whole cream of the team has to be sacked for that. Anyways we are losing. Atleast with a fresh new bunch of guys who are playing unfixed games it shall be worth the time and agony that an INDIAN incurs otherwise
