[diabloo]

Hey buddies, I have lost faith in the oldies or FAB whatever you call. I can't wait till the 20-20 world cup starts. Imagine Sehwag back in the team with Dhoni and other young legs. Good that BCCI threatened the oldies to keep off 20-20. I am sure India has decent chance of winning the cup.

[amitoj]

what do you expect when every player of a team is a compromise in itself?
Agarkar - takes wickets but can be expensive
Karthik - Bats well but horrible fielder
Sachin, Saurav, Dravid - tons of experience but are getting long in the tooth
Munaf Patel - what does he do??? After bowling two overs he looks ready to fall down!
Gautam Gambhir - Good batsman but cant play outside off stump (eh???)
Dhoni - Destructive batsman but has no technique
.
.
.
.
the list goes on and on.
Is it just my imagination or has the team's fielding gone from bad to worse every since Robin Singh became the fielding coach??

[normally_crazy]

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

Fab 3 scored 65 runs in 111 *****. Look at what your Fab 3 Juniors scored, 22 runs in 78 *****. Does the responsibility to score runs lie on the shoulders of SSD (Sachin, Saurav, Dravid)? This is a freaking team game.

Chotey - so would you dump the past or the future in such a scenario where the seniors and juniors, are failing repeatedly ? I guess juniors because they scored less runs in more ***** when the seniors did not show a stomach for a fight and left us at 34-4.

Lets dump the juniors. I say drop Karthick and Dhoni. Let Dravid keep wickets and lets get back Laxman back , even Jaffer for the opening slot. We need solidity.

[mclaren1885]

Originally Posted by amitoj

what do you expect when every player of a team is a compromise in itself?

Well said. Let me add a few more to the list.

Sachin - Tries to play a game of solidarity these days.
Ganguly - Can't play on his legs.
Yuvraj - Lacks consistency.
Kaif - Lacks the power to hit the ball out of the ground.
Sreeshanth - Needs to thought on how to be focussed.

You see I could go on and on and on.

Munaf Patel - what does he do??? After bowling two overs he looks ready to fall down!

Look at him throw the ball from the outfield. Even Yokozuna could run a comfortable 4 by the time the ball returns from Munaf to the keeper. Thanks to his under arm sissy throws.

Gautam Gambhir - Good batsman but cant play outside off stump (eh???)

Look at his fielding. He waste precious seconds to get rid of the ball. Hangs onto it like for eternity. Eliminating close run out chances.


Guys, cricket is just a GAME (like football, f1, rugby). Watch it, enjoy it. Stop making it sound like it is a part of your daily chores. If they win clap and cheer for them, if they loose pray that they put up a better show next time. There is no point showing fingers at anyone. It won't change anything. Not the way our seniors or juniors play. It is people like us who make the game so hyped than it should be and then wonder why Cricket is a religion in our country. Treat it like a game.

[rks]

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

He he he, the old brigade just does not want to give it to the new ones yet. What stops dravid from sending dhoni, yuvraj & karthik ahead of himself & ganguly ???

In Test matches, Karthik and Co. have to face the music up the order. In one-dayers, the old brigade would like to grab all the top spots in the batting order so that they can have the maximum opporutnity to "settle down" and get to decent personal scores (never mind the run rate); the bowlers cannot bowl more than one bouncer per over and there are field restrictions, so our old brigade has no problems going up the order. You can't blame Dravid for fielding first. If we had batted, India would have settled for something like 250 and with our Fab 3 "dominating" the proceedings.

As many commentators (including Kirti Azad, emphatically) pointed out, India is doing itself no favour by packing the side with batsmen. We need all-rounders like Powar (and in my opinioin, Pathan) to do justice to the role of 5th bowler; Tendulkar, Yuvraj and Ganguly won't cut it. Agarkar unfortunately has not lived up to the role of all-rounder and is struggling as bowler. Gambhir does not have the technique (at least, as yet) to survive at the international level except on flat Indian pitches. And the less said about the Fab 3 the better.

[normally_crazy]

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

Look at him throw the ball from the outfield. Even Yokozuna could run a comfortable 4 by the time the ball returns from Munaf to the keeper. Thanks to his under arm sissy throws.

Originally Posted by rks

In Test matches, Karthik and Co. have to face the music up the order. In one-dayers, the old brigade would like to grab all the top spots in the batting order so that they can have the maximum opporutnity to "settle down" and get to decent personal scores (never mind the run rate); the bowlers cannot bowl more than one bouncer per over and there are field restrictions, so our old brigade has no problems going up the order. You can't blame Dravid for fielding first. If we had batted, India would have settled for something like 250 and with our Fab 3 "dominating" the proceedings.

I agree rks with you completely. Anyways just finished downloading Chak De India - I am off to watch it 5th or is it 6th time ? Who cares !

[khaadu75]

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

Guys, cricket is just a GAME (like football, f1, rugby). Watch it, enjoy it. Stop making it sound like it is a part of your daily chores. If they win clap and cheer for them, if they loose pray that they put up a better show next time. There is no point showing fingers at anyone. It won't change anything. Not the way our seniors or juniors play. It is people like us who make the game so hyped than it should be and then wonder why Cricket is a religion in our country. Treat it like a game.

WELL SAID ..... this is exactly what I keep harping --- if you wanna grumble , then just don't watch it !!!

[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

Well said. Let me add a few more to the list.

Sachin - Tries to play a game of solidarity these days.

Like in ducking & tripping over himself to the teeniest weeniest of fast bowlers & all of us wanting to believe that he is still such a great player by just the incredible stats that he has got ?

No way. We expect sachin to play like sachin, if he cannot, then he can wait in the line. And dhoni looks like his 'future' captaincy has already taken a toll on him. He wants to defend 28 ***** scoring just one run in the process & seems very satisfied with that.

As for anyone who says that it is just a game that has to be enjoyed, I do just that, but would love it more if you could please show me a live telecast withiout commercials blocking the scorecards & deafening my ears & i accept your arguments.

[Mayavi]

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

Guys, cricket is just a GAME (like football, f1, rugby). Watch it, enjoy it.

In F1, when was the last time you saw the last car to finish the race was 2 hours behind the first car? That is the issue with Indian cricket team.

[mclaren1885]

Originally Posted by Mayavi

In F1, when was the last time you saw the last car to finish the race was 2 hours behind the first car? That is the issue with Indian cricket team.

Mayavi, in F1 given the budgets, the R&D a lot of teams do it would be a shame to be 1 lap behind the leaders. And a lap down on the leaders is like a light year in F1 terms. Ask the guy who finished second, he will say even a gap of 2 secs is like a lifetime. Different games, have different time lines.

John, I really don't care if Sachin were to be dropped. The fact is that I do not see anyone fit enough to replace him. Yes, I really think so. So I will sit back and watch India win or loose. All I am asking is for a good game of cricket, it really doesn't matter which side it comes from. Infact, the possible solution to this problem will be to only get these idiots off the TV commercials. Its this huge alternative TV money that makes them casual and careless.

I remember a time when everyone wanted Saurav out of the team, while I knew he would be back very soon. Look at him now, he has been the most consistent player since his return. Just give Sachin some time, he will realize it sooner or later. Or he will get dropped. And for those who are going to come with an argument that he is compromising the team, I would say its a team game where a player who has a bad day has to be covered up for by the rest of the players. If every player in the team fails, its really pointless to show fingers at a particular player or a group of players. Give everyone the stick they deserve. And I mean EVERYONE. That would only be fair.

Regarding the commercials, the less said the better. They crop up the minute the last ball of every over is bowled from the bowlers hand and before it hits the deck.

[esteem_lover]

Or he will get dropped

This is the thing i dread being a sachin fan, but this could be the kick up the backside that he so desparately needs. earlier it is administered the better.

I would say its a team game where a player who has a bad day has to be covered up for by the rest of the players.

Exactly why the seniors can now try to push the youngsters into the battle first & then join it later rather than play to a point from where there is no return.

Regarding the commercials, the less said the better. They crop up the minute the last ball of every over is bowled from the bowlers hand and before it hits the deck.

Not to mention those that pop up in between deliveries with annoying noise.

[rks]

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

We expect sachin to play like sachin, if he cannot, then he can wait in the line. And dhoni looks like his 'future' captaincy has already taken a toll on him. He wants to defend 28 ***** scoring just one run in the process & seems very satisfied with that.

Sachin has stopped playing like the genuine Sachin about 10 years ago. He has cut out almost all his trademark shots which made him so attractive to watch in the past. No cuts, hooks, pulls, drving on the up, etc. against pace bowling. Just a few flcks and nudges, and dogged defense. Unfortunately for Sachin, even his defense seems to be letting him down these days. He seems to either get out LBW or have a number of close calls with LBWs (this time on two occasions); he also gets bowled out once too often and weaknesses outside the off-stump have started showing up.

I really was surprised at the way Dhoni played. Was he playing under instructions from his skipper? I also suspect that the impressive bowling of Flintoff unnerved Dhoni a bit. He will learn and adapt, I think he is too good to be tied down this way.

Look at the way Flintoff bowled. Easily the fastest bowler on either side, at 90 mph. And almost every ball was short of a length, which the Indian batsmen don't like. He is a top-class batsman as well, and his arrival in the English team has substantially altered the balance. I think India is going to find it tough in the remaining matches (assuming they are not fixed, of course).

[normally_crazy]

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

John, I really don't care if Sachin were to be dropped.

Just give Sachin some time, he will realize it sooner or later. Or he will get dropped. And for those who are going to come with an argument that he is compromising the team, I would say its a team game where a player who has a bad day has to be covered up for by the rest of the players. If every player in the team fails, its really pointless to show fingers at a particular player or a group of players. Give everyone the stick they deserve. And I mean EVERYONE. That would only be fair.

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

This is the thing i dread being a sachin fan, but this could be the kick up the backside that he so desparately needs. earlier it is administered the better.

Guys- do you really think any of our selectors have kind of b alls - to ask for Sachin to be dropped or rested - unless Sachin himself opts out or retires ? NO ONE HAS THE B ALLS. Here the player is bigger than the game.

And as for covering up for a bad day for Sachin - I guess he has not had a GOOD DAY (by his standards that he himself set) in ages now.

[suman]

Originally Posted by rks

I think India is going to find it tough in the remaining matches (assuming they are not fixed, of course).

Agree with the first part of your sentence; the bit highlighted in bold is SO TYPICAL isn't it? If they win a game its fixed, if they lose, they can't play to save their lives. Come on RKS, make at least ONE unqualified observation

[mclaren1885]

Originally Posted by rks

Was he playing under instructions from his skipper?

(assuming they are not fixed, of course).

Yes, the matches were fixed. Dhoni was threatened by Dravid to play slow or else he would loose a place in the team. He would be replaced by none other than Mohd.Azaruddin so that the FAB 5 can fix more matches and make zillions. Rks, do you really enjoy a game? Or do you put your detective skills to use 24x7 and miss the enjoying part?

Sachin has stopped playing like the genuine Sachin about 10 years ago.

He is not the only one to have done so. Go back into the history of the game and check. many have done so, changing the way they play over the years (though Sachin might be over doing it). I am not going to do the dirty work for you, since you will never get the point.

Haha, just read the above post by RKS. Seems like the entire game for England now depends on Flintoff. You are making it sound like an individual game, it is not. It never was, will never be.

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

NO ONE HAS THE B ALLS. Here the player is bigger than the game.

AGREED. So whats the point discussing him? We are only acting like over grown grand mums hung up on only one topic. Sachin IS there to play as long as he WISHES. So move on, watch the game if you want to or switch the TV off and go watch a movie NC . Just make sure you put up reviews in the movie thread though.