Its really ironical when people like Srinath talk about consistency when he himself in his hey days was famous for bringing up the fine leg and bowling the next ball down the leg side. Though I do not deny that what he has written is correct but it should come from such a player who himself was consistent when he had played. Its like seeing Krishnamachary Srikant saying in his commentary that batsmen should not go for rash shots or should not go mad about run rate though how he used to play is known to all.
Really appreciate their comments and their wish for the Indian team succeed but if these type of comments come from people who did the same thing what they are preaching now, that would be a bit better.
India has always been unpredictable when it comes to cricket. They can defeat any team on this earth and get defeated by any team on a given day.
It did not come as a surprise that it collapse in 2nd test. This has been a trend for more than 20 years. Even in Bedi, Gavaskar days, the collapse was frequent and least expected when the team was required to stand up and play bravely. Remember, the Indian team collapse started since 1971 when they were bowled out by England with only 42 runs on board. Since the jinx got associated with the team and has stayed.
India gets into pressure when the expectations are high and the whole country looks towards it. From common cricket loving fan's perspective, it always looks easy but that is what cricket is all about in India. The team is expected to re-strategize before a pressure match, like the one happened recently in a way that expected results are achieved. Its tough, when team surrenders without a fight from top order and the whole country sinks into depression.
Can Indian team change its mindset when there is pressure around the corner ? It will help them and the cricket loving fans' psyche.
I donot agree with Javagal Srinath that a team scoring 600 runs consistently can fail only due to complacency. Pakistan should be given full credit for this victory, as Dravid said, they played better cricket. Indian batsmen tried: but some good deliveries, poor umpiring decisions undid their effort. Same happened in Multan, if Youhana and Inzamam were treated fairly by the umpires, victory would have been tough to come by for the Indians. India is surely a better team than Pakistan, but the best doesnot always win, so is the game of cricket and we should respect that and give credit to others when its due. I am sure India will bounce back and clinch first ever test series win in Pakistan. Good luck to Ganguly and the team.
I know Srinath and Rahul are long time friends and they played together in Karnataka and Indian team. But when some one right a column like this one should not let your friendship take driver' seat. I have nothing against Dravid, I think he is one of the greatest test players. But I have never seen Srinath criticizing Darvid. His score in this series was 6,33 and 0. When Dravid plays well, he is the first one to write about it. But when he makes a mistake or is not scoring, Srinath keep quite. Come on Sri, do not look at the faces, we need unbiased views.
What a stupid article!!! Indian batsmen could only Fail cuz of complacency? Mr. Sri seems to have forget that the opponenets of the indians are also here to play the game and are more than capable of getting them out twice in a match. As Umar Gul proved that paki bowlers are deadly, given little bit support in the pitch, they are leagues ahead of what Mr. Srinath was in heyday, so he probably can not think of getting oppositon out twice.
it's really shocking for any cricket lover in india , that the team who has performed reasonably good in the recent past'll go down to the arch rival in such a bad way. india was out played by opposition in all the departments of game.The batting performas was miserable,all the players looks like the novoices of game.it was only sehwag who show some sort of resistance against miger bowling attack.rest of the players seem clueless.
Well we hope Indian'll come out from this jinx in the next tie to save all the slugish.
Javagal Srinath in his article is not clear in what he wants to write. The loss at Lahore can be totally accounted for dismal batting performance by Indian top order. Especially Rahul Dravid & Laxman. Having so much of experience & match practice there was absolutely no need to those shots outside the off stump. Sachin Tendulkar, I believe in both the innings, he was not out & it was purely bad calls by the umpire & rest of the players played their part as usual. The current Pakistan team can be beaten in any match under any circumstance by the current Indian team as there are lot of inexperieinced players at test level in Pakistan & at the same time there are players who have lot of experience in Indian team.
Srinath has hit the right line & length with this article. Perfect & so true. People like him only should be in the BCCI.
Indians lack the grit to finish, whether in cricket or in any other sport. Indian cricketers are a spoilt bunch & the members of the team who are earning astronomical sums should come good atleast in one innings of every test. Nowadays, one century or one good bowling spell in a match is enough to assure one's place in the team for the entire series.
We also have to blame the management of BCCI who are as complacent as the players, if not more. The Board is housed with people who do not have a clue to management & are there only to earn a quick buck & enjoy power. Perfect management is Utopia & is not possible, but the present process of election to the Board & qualification requirements are certainly not enough to promote the game.
Unless the money in cricket dwindles, neither will we have a decent professional board nor a great team.
Instead of asking various companies to sponsor other sports in India, BCCI,Tirupati Devasthanam & various other religious maths have enough funds to do so & should take this up.
I dont believe this was complacency. This is the 5th time it has happened.
There are mainly 2 reasons for these kind of losses. Immediately after the opponent has lost, their bowlers either changed the length they were bowling to the Indian batsmen knowing they are uncomfortable at short, directed deliveries either on body or just outside the off stump. This is reason one.
The other is or the opponent prepared a Seaming green track or a hard bouncy track which the indians dislike to play on as they are pratically unable to handle fast bowling on these pitches.
The big scores india scored in recent past were all on batting tracks even if they were in Australia with a depleted bowling attack. And we all know what the same bowlers did in and after the one dayer in perth, once they saw how the indians bat on lively tracks. Even a zimbabwe bowling attack mesmerised Indians in perth when they were made to chase some 130 to win & won by just 4 wickets.
How can anyone forget the 2003 2 test series in NZ. Sourav cried foul after losing that saying the pitches were sub standard, but which team had better batsmen or the so called maharathis, India or NZ. Regards, Abby
