Its back to square one
These are interesting times for Indian cricket now, if you're not a die-hard fanatic. If you are, then you have no business reading this post. You should have hung yourself in the bathroom after the 4th ODI against SA. So 'dada' Ganguly is back. This was almost expected what with all the so-called 'hopes for the future' (read Kaif, Raina etc) have failed miserably to grab the opportunities that came their way and the more promising ones were suffering from injury (read Yuvraj). So the selectors have no option but to take a step back. They have realized that India has absolutely no bench strength, so the wise men are betting on the same famed Indian middle order we had a few years ago.
First, I have a serious grouse on the following idiots in the team.
Virender Sehwag: He has done absolutely nothing of note in the last year or so. He's been an abject failure in ODIs for a couple of years now. And his test performances have been steadily dipping. Add to it his cavalier attitude and expanding waistline and its clear that he's getting too big for his boots. And he hasn't yet realized that teams actually give him width so they can catch him near third man. He needs to be sent back to the domestic arena to learn his lesson and to rediscover his hunger.
Mohm Kaif: He's always been a strokeless wonder of the Sidhu mould. But he had heart and was a great fielder, so I thought he would come good at some point of time. But despite a few promising 50s, he's never take over the mantle of senior player that was expected of him. You cannot remain a 'young turk' for 5 years.
Suresh Raina: When I first saw him bat, I couldn't believe he was a fresher. He was so authoritative and showed no sign of nerves. But all that has fallen by the wayside. He might be someone for the future, but for now he needs to do his stint in the domestic league.
Ajit Agarkar: I'm shocked to see how this guy manages to always find a spot on the Indian team despite consistently dismal failures. Its probably because the really promising bowlers (Zaheer, Irfan, Balaji) lose their way after a couple of promising series, and the selectors always seem to turn to Agarkar, knowing he can't possibly get any worse than he already is. Its time to say goodbye to him once and for all. That said, here's a beautiful piece by Anand Vasu on the enigma that is Ajit Agarkar and why I might actually be wrong in my assessment. Who cares though! Its my blog and I don't want Agarkar in the team anymore.
I'm also seriously worried about Irfan, who seemed to be a great all-rounder prospect. He bowls 125 kmph lollypops these days. Justin Kemp could take a potty break in the middle of the delivery, come back and then smash it for a six. I think the problem with these young guys stem from the fact that they've all been hand picked from the under 19 or India A teams. They've never had to slog it out in the domestic arena. I know its not highly competitive, but you still need to put in the time. There is a vast difference between facing a under 19 Zimbabwe bowlers and then facing the music from Makhaya Ntini. Another problem is that our 'stars' do not play domestic cricket. This takes away a great opportunity for these up and coming talents to rub their shoulders with the best in the business.
So now, we're welcoming back Ganguly in the test team and Laxman in the one-day team. Wait a minute! Shouldn't it be the other way around? Ganguly has always been a more than average ODI player, but a seriously flawed test player. And who knows, Laxman might be able to bring a semblance of stability to the ODI team, despite his dodgy knees and penchant for getting people run out. And making him the vice captain for the test team is a great move and sends a clear signal to Sehwag.
I also think Dinesh Karthik is a great prospect and should be given regular chances while keeping Dhoni as the first choice. Karthik's keeping seems to have improved a great deal and he's always been considered a very talented batsman, by none other than Robin Singh. Munaf Patel is coming along fine despite the injury, and Zaheer seems to have found his purpose in life on this comeback.
So where does all this leave the Indian team? All our batsmen seem to have lost their form. We can't bat for 50 overs. Our bowling is inconsistent, thought definitely performing better than the batters at tge moment. We have a few options and maybe could put together a decent 11 soon. But we have no bench strength and the prospects don't seem too bright in the near future. I would probably not harbor too many hopes for the World cup next year. And we're probably gonna get our ass whooped in the test series as well in SA.
But again, who knows! Ganguly might play one of those Brisbane innings, and the team might rediscover the joy and pride of playing for the country. And we might even start a successful run that culminates in the world cup. Sorry, just trying my hand at some optimism. Doesn't always come naturally to me...
First, I have a serious grouse on the following idiots in the team.
Virender Sehwag: He has done absolutely nothing of note in the last year or so. He's been an abject failure in ODIs for a couple of years now. And his test performances have been steadily dipping. Add to it his cavalier attitude and expanding waistline and its clear that he's getting too big for his boots. And he hasn't yet realized that teams actually give him width so they can catch him near third man. He needs to be sent back to the domestic arena to learn his lesson and to rediscover his hunger.
Mohm Kaif: He's always been a strokeless wonder of the Sidhu mould. But he had heart and was a great fielder, so I thought he would come good at some point of time. But despite a few promising 50s, he's never take over the mantle of senior player that was expected of him. You cannot remain a 'young turk' for 5 years.
Suresh Raina: When I first saw him bat, I couldn't believe he was a fresher. He was so authoritative and showed no sign of nerves. But all that has fallen by the wayside. He might be someone for the future, but for now he needs to do his stint in the domestic league.
Ajit Agarkar: I'm shocked to see how this guy manages to always find a spot on the Indian team despite consistently dismal failures. Its probably because the really promising bowlers (Zaheer, Irfan, Balaji) lose their way after a couple of promising series, and the selectors always seem to turn to Agarkar, knowing he can't possibly get any worse than he already is. Its time to say goodbye to him once and for all. That said, here's a beautiful piece by Anand Vasu on the enigma that is Ajit Agarkar and why I might actually be wrong in my assessment. Who cares though! Its my blog and I don't want Agarkar in the team anymore.
I'm also seriously worried about Irfan, who seemed to be a great all-rounder prospect. He bowls 125 kmph lollypops these days. Justin Kemp could take a potty break in the middle of the delivery, come back and then smash it for a six. I think the problem with these young guys stem from the fact that they've all been hand picked from the under 19 or India A teams. They've never had to slog it out in the domestic arena. I know its not highly competitive, but you still need to put in the time. There is a vast difference between facing a under 19 Zimbabwe bowlers and then facing the music from Makhaya Ntini. Another problem is that our 'stars' do not play domestic cricket. This takes away a great opportunity for these up and coming talents to rub their shoulders with the best in the business.
So now, we're welcoming back Ganguly in the test team and Laxman in the one-day team. Wait a minute! Shouldn't it be the other way around? Ganguly has always been a more than average ODI player, but a seriously flawed test player. And who knows, Laxman might be able to bring a semblance of stability to the ODI team, despite his dodgy knees and penchant for getting people run out. And making him the vice captain for the test team is a great move and sends a clear signal to Sehwag.
I also think Dinesh Karthik is a great prospect and should be given regular chances while keeping Dhoni as the first choice. Karthik's keeping seems to have improved a great deal and he's always been considered a very talented batsman, by none other than Robin Singh. Munaf Patel is coming along fine despite the injury, and Zaheer seems to have found his purpose in life on this comeback.
So where does all this leave the Indian team? All our batsmen seem to have lost their form. We can't bat for 50 overs. Our bowling is inconsistent, thought definitely performing better than the batters at tge moment. We have a few options and maybe could put together a decent 11 soon. But we have no bench strength and the prospects don't seem too bright in the near future. I would probably not harbor too many hopes for the World cup next year. And we're probably gonna get our ass whooped in the test series as well in SA.
But again, who knows! Ganguly might play one of those Brisbane innings, and the team might rediscover the joy and pride of playing for the country. And we might even start a successful run that culminates in the world cup. Sorry, just trying my hand at some optimism. Doesn't always come naturally to me...
posted by c2c at Thursday, November 30, 2006
2 Comments:
the pattern always seems to follow....
just before the world cup, india have a miserable run, but somehow they manage to do something about it....lets hope for the best..
Yeah, one man somehow comes through for India in every world cup. We all know who that is. Question is, will anyone be there to support him this time?
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