Selectors may ask Dravid to open in test for Aus Tour.
The team think-tank and selectors, it is learnt, are thinking on those lines to crack two problems with one stroke: take care of the opening conundrum and also accommodate Yuvraj Singh in the middle-order.
Ganguly played very well in this test series and looks to be in very good touch but this not enough he has to make amends in Australia by carrying this form to prove a point.In test cricket Ganguly was consistently inconsistent hope he has learned from his old mistakes.
Fans going ga ga over his last 2 outings are quite justified b'se his best form in test cricket began again after the 2 centuires he played at his debute he has never performed this good.
He will definately play 100 test which will give him more satisfaction on his cricketing career but he should consider himself to be more fortunate in this league b'se the players who have played 100 test for India were much better and class players than him.
Why an Australian is saying this in mild language is a matter of discussion. Because they are master of verbal aggression and we in this series gaining false confidence playing with below average Pakistani side. My suggestion to my team members that keep your mental status on right track and dont live with these false confidence. You can win in Australia because they are not invincible.
well! going by what India is undergoing against Pakistan in terms of their inability to bowl them out Waugh's statement seems very true....we cant just dpend on the spinners....our medium pacers chest seems bare....Irfan is hardly anything near what he used to be and for all the other young guns...they "LOOK GOOD" and that ends it...
Either Kumble is too confident about his own bowling skills or pathetically devoid of captaincy thinking.
In Kolkata and now in Bangalore he packed his team with 7 batsmen instead of 5 bowlers. All his batsmen are firing and arguably India has the best batting line up in the world. And the Pakistani attack is depleted and that is known even before the match has started with Shoaib being out of hospital just then. Against what formidable attack he is facing so that he needs 7 batsmen at the cost of another bowler? In Kolkata his batsmen score a massive 600 but he could not bowl the opponents over twice and drew the match which he could have won.
Repeating the same mistake, even after scoring 600 in the previous test, he packed his team with 7 batsmen again and two rookie bowlers; one 19 year old who can not bowl 140 and another medium pacer who is trying hard to get his place in the team.
That means Kumble has the confidence that he and Harbhajan can bowl the opponents twice which he could not do in the previous test. He could not do it in the previouos series at Mohali and drew the match that India could have won. Now he is the captain and he has a say in teh team selection. Why didnt he take a Murali Karthick if he does not have a fit pacer?
India could have won this series 3-0 and I dont wonder if it is 1-0 or even 1-1.
RE:INDIA DOESNT DESERVE TO WIN WITH THIS ATTITUDE!
by rajan bar on Dec 11, 2007 12:18 PM
Because india failed to bat even 3 sessions against the weakest pak bowling last time in Bangalore.
Against an attack that was with out Shoiab and which had only Razzaq and sami to open the bowling , a part time spinner Afridi took 3 for 13 off 17 overs,and defeated india. india's famed balling line up collapsed from none for 87 to 214 all out in just about 60 overs!Pak drew the series 1-1.
If pakistan draws this series too by winning bangalore test, every one will blame Kumble.certainly not you.He is in the hot seat and has chosen to play safe.
the pitch curator said before the match that the pitch will assist the faster bowlers.shoaib is a real threat. the weather was bad and overcast till the day before the match.som kumble has to first ensure that he does not lose the test.nothing wrong in his approach. he cant be expected to go with 3 spinners on a allegedly pace friendly pitch.if he had done and if pak had won the toss and batted first, he would have looked dumb.
also, SRT and MSD are not playing in this match, Yuvi and Gambhir are making a come back, Dinesh karthik was a walking wicket.u still want india to go in with 6 batsmen? certainly Kumble was right at 61-4. definitely hinsight is a great blessing , pity, it dawns after 2 days!
RE:INDIA DOESNT DESERVE TO WIN WITH THIS ATTITUDE!
by Kabeer on Dec 11, 2007 12:44 PM
Your batting first on a NEWLY LAID WICKET WITH RAIN BEFORE after winning toss shows that you have more confidence in your batsmen than your bowlers. That answers the question.
Paks captain said, he would have fielded had he won the toss!
Now you know which dept you need to bolster, if you seriously want to win the matches. If you dont want to lose and play for a draw and win the series 1-0 then there is no argument with the current policy.
But this kind of thinking will inculcate defensive thinking which is not too incorrect of course. But then dont try to compare yourself with AUstralians, and be happy what you are and where you are!
RE:INDIA DOESNT DESERVE TO WIN WITH THIS ATTITUDE!
by Kirit Shah on Dec 11, 2007 12:12 PM
Man, its bcoz they pigked 7 batsmen that india could score 600 in both tests...And dont gorget, in Bangalore, they were 60 or so for 4 down, and the team could have been out for less than 200. Only bcoz 7 batsmen, this total was possible. And against pakistan, we dont need a 3-0 verdict. 1-0 will be more than sufficient. And our batsmen need more runs (confidence) just before they leave for Australia. Bowlers will deliver in favourable conditions.
RE:INDIA DOESNT DESERVE TO WIN WITH THIS ATTITUDE!
by Kabeer on Dec 11, 2007 12:34 PM
If you have quality bowling, like Australia has, play with only 4 bowlers; if you dont have, then you need 5 bowlers, if you are seriously want to win, which can happen only by bowling the opponents twice.
You may follow the current policy but then you are like playing to avoid defeat than playing to win.
It is like Clive LLoyd asked Padmore on that Port of Spain match when Indians scored 400 plus in the fourth innings,- How many runs you need to get these Indians out?
RE:INDIA DOESNT DESERVE TO WIN WITH THIS ATTITUDE!
by Kumaraswamy Pillay on Dec 12, 2007 06:06 AM
arey how can you field 5 bowlers. sab tho injured hai. Jitna bache hai utna hi khel rahe hai.
RE:INDIA DOESNT DESERVE TO WIN WITH THIS ATTITUDE!
by Satyajit Mahapatra on Dec 11, 2007 12:18 PM
It's much easier criticising from your sofa (or office seat) than face it yourself. I don't think Kumble has done too much wrong as captain. As far the quick bolwers are concerned, he didn't have a choice as all the four frontline bowlers were out with injurious (not sure how closely your folloing Indian Cricket team). On top of it all in a placid pitch with determined opposition batsman (give some credit to them as well) It's not easy to force a win. From your arm-chair you can win it 3-0 thoug ;-)
RE:RE:INDIA DOESNT DESERVE TO WIN WITH THIS ATTITUDE!
by Kabeer on Dec 11, 2007 12:36 PM
Simple logic, buddy!
If you accept bowlers are as important as batsmen, then it should be 50:50 in team composition, right? If one dept is weak, then bolster with one more player. Here you are bolstering the wrong dept. It is as simple as that. Pakistan doing it is understandable because they are finding it difficult to catch up with Indians in batting.
If you have quality bowling, like Australia has, play with only 4 bowlers; if you dont have, then you need 5 bowlers, if you are seriously want to win, which can happen only by bowling the opponents twice.
You may follow the current policy but then you are like playing to avoid defeat than playing to win.
It is like Clive LLoyd asked Padmore on that Port of Spain match when Indians scored 400 plus in the fourth innings,- How many runs you need to get these Indians out?
RE:RE:RE:INDIA DOESNT DESERVE TO WIN WITH THIS ATTITUDE!
by Satyajit Mahapatra on Dec 11, 2007 01:56 PM
Well if India was down 1-0, they should have gone all out to win the game as a draw means losing the series. So, they had to think about winning the series first and then go for improving the margin. On top of that they had a poor run in B'lore in recent times and lost last two matches agnst Aus and Pak. Any team including Aus would have guarded against a possible leveling series vs improving margin kind of scenario. Yes, if you are already 2-0 up, you can afford to go all out as a 2-1 still wins you the series. Remember it's imp to win the war even if you lost/drawn few battles. Before Aus tour, a series win is imp for India. As Kirit has already pointed out India was 61/4 and the 7 batsmen (counting Karthik, who is also the only Wicketkeeper in the match) actually saved the team. On Lloyd's comment, he could afford to say that as he always had four highly skilled and fearful fast bowlers at his disposal. Not that case with Kumble. And as we were criticising the 19 yr old fast bowler Ishant, he just took 5 wickets! (maybe too late). Now I would support Kumble when he doesn't take a hurried decision in declaring India's second Inns. Chance of winning is only 5% even if they do a aggressive declaration, and chance of losing would be 50%. So, get to position from where you can not lose and then only declare. The series win would be well deserved and should not be wasted trying to entertain the fans.
More than playing spinners we need variety so that the aussies are not allowed to settle in th any sort of rhythm while batting.A left hand right hand combo in both pace and spin will do a ;lot of good.So the best option would be to use Yuvi in short spells of spin and RTendulkar rolling his hands over. But the batting should goiive the strength to our bowlers to take a few risks and experiment.
