Border-Gavaskar Trophy (India in Australia) Dec-Jan 2011/12

[MUFC1987]

Kind of ironic that India are talking about dropping one of the old guard, when they've all outperformed Sehwag, Gambhir and Dhoni in the last 12 months.

 

[shravi]

Have some fried chickening respect, both Yudi and Sai. These aren't just your average cricketers. They have served their country like nobody else and you are talking about chucking them away as if they're a piece of meat or something. While I may think that if Dravid should go then Sachin should go too, I don't put it across so disrespectfully.

As for Sai's argument about Sachin being more consistent, it's just blatant fanboyism. Dravid was more consistent in England and Sachin in Australia. What's the difference? 3 centuries, but who's counting, eh?

The biggest problem is the opening partnership as highlighted on Star Cricket yesterday yet nobody is talking about that because they aren't as old?

 

[bill_123]

hope dravid stays on...dont want him to go like dis....he is arguably the greatest test batsman india ever produced...and he definitely doesnt deserve dis kind of an exit...i think india next play sri lanka at home...maybe then but NOT now...atleast give him one more series....the way he played against england in england atleast for dat he deserves 1 or 2 more series...and its better if he leaves in india in front of all da indian fans...and hopefully sachin has got his 100th ton by den....coz if not fans will turn up for his ton and if he doesnt get it dey may leave before dravid takes his last walk back to pavilion knowin how crazy some of em are for their god's records....

 

[shravi]

The truth is, Sachin Tendulkar has been the more consistent of all three in both disasters put together. Dravid scored the big runs in England, but Sachin has looked the best of the three in terms of consistent run scoring and form put together.

In 8 test matches (16 innings) vs Austria and England, Sachin scored 560 runs at an average of 35.00 with 4 fifties and a highest score of 91.

In 8 test matches (16 innings) vs Australia and England, Dravid scored 655 runs at an average of 46.78 with 3 centuries and 1 fifty, and a highest score of 146*.

If you're going to make all-encompassing statements, at least make sure they're right.

I'm not saying who should be dropped or who should retire and who shouldn't by providing these statistics. I'm just showing you that you don't know what you're talking about.

 

[sifter132]

Yes but shravi consistency doesn't equal more runs. I think Sachin has at least been consistently mediocre over the 2 series. Dravid was great in England, but awful in Australia. That's not consistent. I don't know whether that's what Yudi or Sai meant, but that's what I think of when I hear about consistency.

If Dravid does announce his retirement today, then I hope it's for the right reasons and not because he was going to get dropped if he didn't. Right reasons being that he just doesn't have the drive anymore and has nothing left to aim for.

Actually, I hope the selectors have been talking to all 3 of them, leaning hard on them to find out how long they intend to keep playing for. I think one retiring now, and one or two after the England and Aussie Test series next year would be about right.


And I was thinking of a 'Team of the Series' this morning. Would it just be the Aussie XI but with Kohli instead of Marsh? You could argue for Ashwin over Lyon, but Ashwin has conceded a heck of a lot of runs this series (higher average than Lyon). You could argue for Dhoni over Haddin - I guess one of them has to be picked And Zaheer has taken more wickets than Pattinson or Harris, but I'm not sure I could argue for him. A bit depressing really for the Indians.

 

[shravi]

Yes but shravi consistency doesn't equal more runs. I think Sachin has at least been consistently mediocre over the 2 series. Dravid was great in England, but awful in Australia. That's not consistent. I don't know whether that's what Yudi or Sai meant, but that's what I think of when I hear about consistency.

If Dravid does announce his retirement today, then I hope it's for the right reasons and not because he was going to get dropped if he didn't. Right reasons being that he just doesn't have the drive anymore and has nothing left to aim for.

Actually, I hope the selectors have been talking to all 3 of them, leaning hard on them to find out how long they intend to keep playing for. I think one retiring now, and one or two after the England and Aussie Test series next year would be about right.


And I was thinking of a 'Team of the Series' this morning. Would it just be the Aussie XI but with Kohli instead of Marsh? You could argue for Ashwin over Lyon, but Ashwin has conceded a heck of a lot of runs this series (higher average than Lyon). You could argue for Dhoni over Haddin - I guess one of them has to be picked And Zaheer has taken more wickets than Pattinson or Harris, but I'm not sure I could argue for him. A bit depressing really for the Indians.

In this case it does . Dravid scored 95 more runs in the same amount of innings with a higher average. But fair point. Sachin has been distinctly average on both tours. Dravid was brilliant in one. I think puddleduck remarked that even though he scored 3 centuries he only averaged 46 or something in the England series. That is irrelevant. Your average is irrelevant when you score 3 centuries in 4 matches. However, he has been very poor in Australia.

Big calls. Big calls.

As for the team of the series, yeah pretty much agree with you. Haddin's a controversial pick but Dhoni didn't do any better so it's the lesser of two evils. Pattinson, Hilfenhaus and Siddle for the pace attack. I don't think you can look past them. Lyon gets in because he took some pretty big wickets in this last match. Ashwin took wickets but they didn't matter at all.

If one of the Aussie pacers got injured, I would bring in either Yadav or Zaheer.

 

[Jagar]

The commentators saying that was a beauty of a catch?

Yeah, for Akmal and Haddin it was a beauty

 

[SaiSrini]

Yes but shravi consistency doesn't equal more runs. I think Sachin has at least been consistently mediocre over the 2 series. Dravid was great in England, but awful in Australia. That's not consistent. I don't know whether that's what Yudi or Sai meant, but that's what I think of when I hear about consistency.

Yes, that was what I meant. Sachin has been consistently hovering at average to above average in both these disastrous series put together. Dravid was brilliant in the first one, pretty bad in the second one. Also, Dravid displays a clear technical flaw and pretty much exposes himself quite easily whereas Sachin has not displayed any technical flaw (his flaws are more down to his approach to each innings).

I am not a Sachin fan boy. I am all for him retiring ASAP, but I strongly feel Dravid should go ahead of Sachin (actually Laxman should go ahead of these two). Sachin should be the last in the line to go. Also favor his staying longer than Dravid because some of the juniors playing around him in tests would help him pick his brains (they obviously give him more respect than Dravid because of all the hype surrounding his greatness).

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The biggest problem is the opening partnership as highlighted on Star Cricket yesterday yet nobody is talking about that because they aren't as old?

I said about Sehwag either moving down the order or just plain MOVING OUT of the team. I dont want to see him open for India again. I would like to see how he fares in the middle order in overseas tests. Gambhir IMO is good enough to be given chances at the opening spot. He improved as the series went by. Also I want Gambhir in the test team for sometime because I see him in the role that Anil Kumble fulfilled when he acted as the transitional captain between Dravid and Dhoni. Gambhir should play a similar role between Dhoni and Virat Kohli.

 

[Sedition]

India crack 200 for just the 4th time in 8 digs. Well done

 

[1iram1]

Thats it then.

 

[shravi]

Yes! It's over! The longest series I've ever watched...

 

[Sedition]

Damn.. what a shame this series had to end, I wish it could go on forever. I guess that wouldn't be fair to all the other record holders though

Unlucky for Rohit Sharma and Usman Khawaja not to get a game. I'm sure neither would have done any worse than some others, though for Rohit it wouldn't have been hard.

 

[midgetwars]

Once again, One player from the Australian side has scored more than one of the Indian innings total.

 

[aussie1st]

Jeez miss an hour and the game is over.

Sachin did look good in this tour mainly early on. He always looked comfortable at the crease but then there always seem to be a ball with his name on it. If the reports are true then Tendulkar needs to stay in the team along with Gambhir and Sehwag just so India don't have 5 new batsmen plus Kohli in the side.

 

[SLICKR392]

Great stuff from the Aussies. Would love to see how well they do @ SC pitches.
They are much better side than 2008 n 2010.
Wonder how Hilfenhaus gets all that swing !


So Dravid isn't retiring ! Good stuff! I don't want Jammy to leave in such a manner.