[Chetan_Rao]

When our 'superstars' get their millions irrespective of the results, what's the incentive to care about winning or losing?

As pissed as everyone may be at the current squad, our collective national attention span is less than a bunch of ants. These same players will do well in IPL and all will be forgotten. Cycle, rinse, repeat, ad infinitum.

[Oxy]

Originally Posted by harry10

Whoever thinks BCCI cares whether we win or lose must get their head and stats checked. They simply don't. they understand only one thing- Money.
So logically we are out of Asia cup. Good collective job.
We just can't win batting first cos our bowling can't defend anything. Period.

Keep Pujara and Pandey out and don't try the bench strength cos we are winning so much. Why give opportunities to bench players, what if they perform like Mishra? So, keep playing Kartik who has no clue what he is doing behind the stumps and costed us 2 matches and test match player Rahane who makes sure his partner stays under pressure eventually leading to his dismissal.
Special mention for Kohli who didn't had the basic common sense of bringing field in to deny Afridi the strike cos Afridi can't hit sixes right, no matter if he holds the record for maximum sixes in the world. Good thinking Mr. Kohli, you are rocking as Indian captain
I am so damn upset with this team. Losses are fine, but not learning and losing like retards is unaccepted.

It was a very close game. Someone had to lose.

We tried Binny in the last game and Mishra in this game, so we are trying out our bench.

Kartik is the only specialist keeper in the squad. Who will keep if we don't play him?

Rahane deserves a spot just for his fielding abilities alone. If not for him, Pakistan would have probably won before the 45th over.

We badly missed Dhoni, Raina and Yuvraj. They are genuine match winners in this format.

[hemanth.anand]

Saw this on my friend's facebook wall.



It can't getmore similar than this...History does repeat!

[srishiva]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

Saw this on my friend's facebook wall.

Attachment 1215120

It can't getmore similar than this...History does repeat!

You cant compare the heartbreak caused by the six of Javed Miandad. It was last ball one. But a good identical match in terms of other stats.

[Oxy]

So no changes to the team in a dead rubber against a minnow. Such a hopeless think tank.

What was stopping them today from trying out Pujara in place of Rohit and Ishwar Pandey in place of Bhuvneshwar/Shami?

[harry10]

Originally Posted by Oxy

It was a very close game. Someone had to lose.

We tried Binny in the last game and Mishra in this game, so we are trying out our bench.

Kartik is the only specialist keeper in the squad. Who will keep if we don't play him?

Rahane deserves a spot just for his fielding abilities alone. If not for him, Pakistan would have probably won before the 45th over.

We badly missed Dhoni, Raina and Yuvraj. They are genuine match winners in this format.

Originally Posted by Oxy

So no changes to the team in a dead rubber against a minnow. Such a hopeless think tank.

What was stopping them today from trying out Pujara in place of Rohit and Ishwar Pandey in place of Bhuvneshwar/Shami?

Lol. What else can be expected from the morons governing our cricket. Lets face the ground reality. No one cares in BCCI and the players whether we win or not. There is no shame, no embarrassment of being humiliated world over.
Millions are being made by players with no risk of being reprimanded. Why will they care? When the root problem is in the attitude nothing can be achieved.

Even Gavaskar who has been a puppet for BCCI has recently spoken criticizing work ethics of indian players. He bluntly accused them of skipping practice session and going for shopping and fun on tours where they are supposed to give their all to win.
Mark my words, we will be humiliated in t20 world cup too.

Dhoni, Yuvi and Raina are must in subcontinent. Rahane, Rayadu cant win us matches like they can.

[pratyush6]

Originally Posted by HyperRetard

I know I'm going to get a lot of hate for this, but well played Afridi.

I don't think anynone out there would hate you for saying this. Afridi played like he was possesed. Love the guy, except when he speaks.

However, because it was Pak they made the Indian bowling look good, trust them to make a dead match interesting

And with that kind of a middle order, I never gave this team a chance. Rahane, Raydu, DK - I mean you can have one, but only one of them in a team.

We will still keep Pujara and Pandey on the bench. Still ask Bhuvi to bowl in the end overs. MSD has his own agenda, Kohli his own favourites. However, Kohli was still a breath of fresh air with his captaincy. MSD would have lost the game in 45 overs and blamed the pitch!

For me, looking at the next WC - we need a couple of adjustments. Kohli is our best bet and has to open. Pujara to be played at 3, Rahane and Rohit at 4 & 5 followed by MSD, Jadeja and Ashwin. We also cannot summarily dismiss Viru, Gautam, Raina and Yuvi. Lets give them all a chance and settle on the team. Play as many players as possible before the WC.

Comment on the team for today:
I am shocked that Pujara and Pandey are not playing. This is shameless. We will jump in joy for our win today.
Afgans on the other hand seem to be more courageous than this team. Certainly some of their bowlers have more talent and brains than ours; for sure.

[Oxy]

Originally Posted by pratyush6

For me, looking at the next WC - we need a couple of adjustments. Kohli is our best bet and has to open. Pujara to be played at 3, Rahane and Rohit at 4 & 5 followed by MSD, Jadeja and Ashwin. We also cannot summarily dismiss Viru, Gautam, Raina and Yuvi. Lets give them all a chance and settle on the team. Play as many players as possible before the WC.

Don't agree on Kohli opening. Why does our best batsman have to open? He does not have any experience opening even in domestic cricket. And for God's sake, Viru, Zaheer, Harbhajan and Ishant should be nowhere near the team. They are finished.

The following looks like the team which can really win the world cup.

Dhawan
Gambhir
Kohli
Yuvraj
Raina
Rohit/Rahane
Dhoni
Jadeja/Ashwin
Bhuvi
Shami
Yadav/Mishra (depending on the pitch)


Look at the sheer number of match winners in that eleven. It's crazy to leave out players like Yuvraj and Raina in ODIs. And I still think Gambhir is the best opener we have got. Rohit is a hack, and he is not an opener.

We would need the extra batsman in Australia. We would have to rely on Yuvraj/Raina/Kohli to bowl 10 overs between them.

[srishiva]

Over in South Africa, it looks like Australians are mastering the art of doctoring the ball legally

All other countries should now catch up with the 'art' of reverse swinging.

[pratyush6]

Originally Posted by Oxy

Don't agree on Kohli opening. Why does our best batsman have to open?

And for God's sake, Viru, Zaheer, Harbhajan and Ishant should be nowhere near the team. They are finished.

It's crazy to leave out players like Yuvraj and Raina in ODIs.

1.Honestly opening or No.3 does not matter, him being the best, simply sets it up. SRT never opened before, lots of similar stories.

2.We need to give these guys a chance - Playing against a weak Pak team, we were hopeless, imagine what happens in Australia. It's not a triangular series that we can fluff.

3. Yuvi and Raina are out for a reason - They were hopeless against good fast bowling - Yes, they are match winners, but in the flat subcontinental tracks. But I would still give them a chance before the WC to prove themselves

4. We need a couple of solid batsmen in the side; One Kohli, second whose there? Dhawan - In Aus, No; Raina, Yuvi, Rohit, MSD - No. Rahane- Yes/Maybe, that's my case for Pujara

5. Bhuvi/Umesh - Can't hold their own in the death overs - will be slaughtered.

Not to try other than your set team (which would turn out to be hopeless in Australia) would be criminal in my opinion.

[harry10]

Talking about Indian team and it's policies are waste of time. Let's start accepting that. Even Gavaskar was baffled by today's leaving out of Pujara and Pandey. He has directly accused the management of not trying new players as they are afraid it may get their favorites out of team. Check full article in cricinfo.

[pratyush6]

Originally Posted by harry10

Talking about Indian team and it's policies are waste of time. Let's start accepting that. Even Gavaskar was baffled by today's leaving out of Pujara and Pandey. He has directly accused the management of not trying new players as they are afraid it may get their favorites out of team. Check full article in cricinfo.

Completely agree. Just venting out the frustration

For once the Sunny said something which was not scripted by the BCCI bosses. He might be even pulled up for this. We need our great players to speak their minds - whatever they may be, rather than toe the BCCI line.

And all except VVS - For all his style with the bat, with words he is terrible, someone please be gracious to him and get him out of the Comm. Box.

[kaushik_s]

Seriously, what were the management thinking when they didn't let the bench play in that dead rubber.
Did they want to give the batting line up which has not been able to score off late more time at the crease? Nope, India won the toss and decided to field. Why they haven't given the batting some time in the pitch and let them get back to scoring some good amount of runs.
Did they want to give the poor bowling attack some confidence? Doesn't seem like, as instead of having a total to save, India decided to chase as that would be more comfortable given the track record.
And still all they decided to play it safe and just win this match and at what gain? Nothing, neither the batting got a chance to score some runs nor the bowling got any chance to defend a score and on top of all these, players like Pujara is still sitting in the bench.

[Eddy]

On the other hand, would we have gained a lot by playing the bench ? A 50 for Pujara against Afghanistan would not have counted for much, would it ?

Lets accept that it was a hopeless situation, and the match was a formality and was treated likewise.

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by Eddy

No need to play Pujara in ODIs/ IPL and corrupt his technique, let him remain our wall in test matches

Originally Posted by pratyush6

You mean to say, lets punish him for being good I don't see why he can't play ODIs atleast. T20s - he is already in the RCB squad (or rather was)

Originally Posted by harry10

I dont agree.
Kohli is playing extremely well in both Odis and tests. Sachin, dravid, Lara, Ponting all did it. So CP can do it too. He deserves a chance but stupid politics in the team and idiotic selections wont give him the chance.

Originally Posted by Eddy

Of course he can. However, other than Kohli, none of the batsmen you've mentioned had techniques 'corrupted' by IPL.

Sachin, dravid, Lara, Ponting are greats. We should be happy if CP turns out even half as good.

And remember, he has brittle knees.

Net net, he is too precious as an overseas #3 batsman to lose to ODI/T20 cricket. We will find players that can play the latter, but I do not see a CP like player on the horizon.

Remember this discussion ?

Now as a fan (and an armchair critic ), I am worried about this piece of news:

http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/co...tml?CMP=chrome

In his endeavour to get into the ODI playing XI, Pujara has taken up bowling and is under pressure to do well in the IPL. Now this is a distraction that our best overseas no 3 with brittle knees can do without.

I just hope that he keeps tests as priority no 1.