Ranatunga is out of his mind. He's trying hard to cover up the pathetic performance by the Sri Lankans. Going by his columns, we can safely say that he's no better than arm chair critic, who professes to know everything, but doesn't know a bit of reality. Mr. Ranatunga, Sri Lanka is a team revolving around Murali. The day they stop depending solely on him for victories, they'll make progress.
Of late, Ranatunga seems to be whingeing a lot!Before SL visited India Ranatunga was gung-ho about it's prospects. Now he is clutching at straws. Sri Lanka has succeeded mostly in home series largely because all the conditions favoured it. Besides there is always the home team advantage for every team so he is overstating the obvious! Fact remains that SL was outclassed,outplayed and outthought in both the ODIs & Tests.Indians played well every time there was pressure but SL succumbed. That was the difference.If the top half of Indian batting had fired consistently the result would have been even more one sided! Ranatunga should clean his own backyard rather than point out defects in the neighbour's! His blind support of Ganguly, inspite of the recent uninspiring batting forays,does not speak much about the astuteness of his observations!
...Sour Grapes plus Mr. Excuse-tunga, you should never be comparing Murali to Warne, Kumble or Harbhajan. He should rather be in the same league as Azhar, Jonty and Yuvi, who could throw from a distance and accurately hit the stumps..Also, next time on tour, have the SL team carry home air, home soil, home water plus some balls, you definetly seems to be lacking it.
This man is clearly out of his mind.Right thru the series he tried wrote controversial stuff probably to divert from the drubbing of srilankans.One time he said Indians dont respect heroes,and now - he says in his own words - blasphemically drop sachin !!What else we can expect from a man with no credibility.The comments are inane and riling.The srilankans had ample opportunity to show their class and skills,but couldnt simply coz they were overwhelmed by the Indians.He gives uttlerly silly excuses that SG ball and indian pitches dint help murali, well not for nothing he is a Great offspinner and conditions shouldnt actually matter to him.It was just that Indians had a measure of him this series. I ll never bother to read his comments again.
"I believe Sri Lankans have the firepower to rattle the Indians in Delhi. Vaas, Murali and Fernando are all match winners....".
"It is not easy to hit him for fours, more so when the ball is turning square"
"It is not a one-day but a Test match where Murali could not be too concerned about wides or that he is allowed to bowl only 10 overs. He can keep as many fielders around the bat as he wants. "
After loosing test series badly, now you complain under title :Indian conditions did not help Murali
"It is a quality (bouncing) which Muralitharan does not have. He relies on revolutions imparted on the ball and the degrees of spin and his variations"
You did not know before about local balls, pitches and Murali can not bounce the ball ?
Indian Team can handle better than any other team. That is the fact you have to accept.
Before each series, you try to show that Sri Lanka is going to finish India & after each lost you tried to write that in next match Sri Lanka will come back.
Now both series are completed. Numbers are in Black and White. Sri Lanka was destroyed.
Arjuna Ranatunga is one of the best cricketers that Srilanka has produced and unfortnately he seems to represent the "only" generation of quality cricketers from the island nation.
It is ridiculous to compare this Indian lineup with Sri lankan. The lankans were beaten fair and square and when a team has lost a series 1-6 (odi) and 0-2 (test), it is expected to admit the superiority of the other team. Rather Arjuna talks about mundane things like the ball used, pitches etc etc.
Please remember that this is a ICC approved ball and not the one picked from street corner shop. Is he being fair when a challenging pitch is at play rather than those 900 run pictches in Srilanka. If the lankans fail to hold their fort it is because they are used to batting beauties and low quality pitches.
Arjuna is best advised to do some soul searching on the junior cricket in SL. We have not seen a fast bowler of any quality other than Vaas and not even half a Murali in the spin department. If these two retire then lanka may well pack their team with 11 batsmen and no bowler. In any case it does not make much difference!
If Muralitharan's style of bowling did not suit the Indian conditions,how would you explain his sucess in Delhi ? Muralitharan was sorted out by the Indians by the third test.The likes of Irfan were never even affected by Muralitharan's gimmicks.
If Indian spinners were helped by the SG ball's seam how would you explain Kumble's success in Australia and Pakistan where this brand was not being used ?
If Muralitharan could not make use of the seam as the indians did then that is a lacuna in his bowling(chucking) art.
Do not even compare Shane Warne and Muralitharan.One is a bowler and the other a chucker.
Mr.Arjuna Ranatunga when your house is on fire you have no business to advise or caution the Indian Team. You please worry about the batting and bowling performances of your team than commenting about Tendulkar or Laxman. There is no single player from SriLanka who can compare even 50% leave alone match any of these two great players. Attapattu or Mahela jayawardene or class players probably compared within Sri Lanka but not world class. So may be they performed to their best of abilities and standards. The only world class player in SriLanka is Mr.Muralitharan and it is a worry that if and when he hangs his boots Bangaladesh would be a tough opposition and probably any of the Ranji trophy teams from India. Dilshan has no technique or class and only a honest trier who has a big mouth and concentrates more about picking on the opposition players than his game. He would not come anywhere close to any of the Top 50 guys in the Indian team. Good Luck and God help your team as otherwise the ICC idea of starting the second level would be the place for you guys to be. Boring series of Indian (MENS) against Sri Lanka (boys sorry kids). I sincerely congratulate the Indian Team.
Hi Ranatunga!, you were great captain as we know and now you are turnig bold cricket analyser as well. You have rightly said. Its unfornate now a days for each country to 'Doctor' the series of ODI and Test matches to suit their sides.I mean it looks rediculouse when you talk about 'Neutral Ampires' etc and let the home team decide what sort of pitches to be made!! Pitches requirement need to be standardised to really make game interesting. Other wise no surprise if you see kumble take 10 wickets in innings and in next matches, goes without any wickets at all!!
