England in India

[JamesyJames3]

My mistake.


Bell was hyped to be the highest run scorer in this series. He was hyped up by English fans and media.

Ok, so what if he was? What is your point?

He aint done all that bad. He also got some good balls.

 

[SaiSrini]

I was really really pissed off when Dravid chose to field. But seeing Pathan's swing, I was a bit encouraged. But seeing the way their batsmen left the balls repeatedly, I was grudging at the Indian bowlers. The wicket had help in it for the first hour. Pathan didnt exploit it at all. Pathan seems very depressing these days with the ball. Agree with it or not, he is losing everything with the ball. A rare 5 wickets on a green pitch is not going to do you any cause. Thank god, we have Australia coming only in 2008 or 2009. I am already worried abt us touring South Africa. Pathan will get slaughtered!

Munaf was impressive in patches. Sreesanth started off very aggressively and was trying too too hard. This guy needs lot of experience before he can be a regular opening bowler for India! I thought Munaf has the mind and patience to bowl first up. Sreesanth wasted the opening helpful conditions by pitching it short and wide. The English batsmen didnt take toll of it but importantly, passed through the conditions!

Thankfully we got Pietersen and Strauss otherwise a forgettable day for india! we need to get collingwood and flintoff out. its not over yet. we all know what happened in chennai 2001. the opening day wicket was similar to this one and offered good bounce and help for seamers. still australia finished with 326/3 on day 1 only to crumble for 393 all out in the first session of day 2. so if india can get england out within 400, it would be really satisfying for the indians and they can look to their batsmen to try and get them a lead of 100 or above!

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Its situations like here we miss Ajit. He reverses the ball really well, is accurate and has a very effective slower ball. Fine, he won't get better with age, but he is still better than Munaf and Sreesanth and is an experienced player, should be there atleast to give advice.

 

[Adarsh]

Zorax, you really haven't got over Ajit being dropped, have you? Leave him alone!! He won't come back anytime soon. I doubt the selectors are even thinking about him now/

 

[varunvgiri]

Its situations like here we miss Ajit. He reverses the ball really well, is accurate and has a very effective slower ball. Fine, he won't get better with age, but he is still better than Munaf and Sreesanth and is an experienced player, should be there atleast to give advice.

What makes Agarkar better than Munaf and Sreesanth?? Is it a bowling avg. nearly touching 50???

One bad day and Munaf has suddenly gone from hero to zero, and we suddenly forget the hundreds of bad days that Ajit had.Except for that one day in Adelaide, I think Ajit has been disappointing throughout his test career.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

But still, he was and still could be a real assest to the team. He has become economical and effective in the last few years. Gets good swing, and has good variations. If Harbhajan and Laxman can keep a spot in the test squad after their lack of form, then Agarkar definately deserves a spot.
EDIT: And the current batch are good, but we have no experience in our pace attack!

 

[varunvgiri]

But still, he was and still could be a real assest to the team. He has become economical and effective in the last few years. Gets good swing, and has good variations. If Harbhajan and Laxman can keep a spot in the test squad after their lack of form, then Agarkar definately deserves a spot.
EDIT: And the current batch are good, but we have no experience in our pace attack!

Harbhajan may not be performing well now, but there were days not long ago when he contributed to Indian wins. There is no way that you can compare bhajji to Agarkar. If your measuring stick for a good test bowler is being rconomical, then bhajji still deserves a place as he is wuite economical. And when did Laxman perform that badly?? He isnt in the best of form but he isnt that bad either. He performed wuite well against Sri Lanka and got a couple of real beauties in Pakistan which any batsman in world cricket would have struggled against.

 

[newzolt]

Currently England in the driver's site.

 

[avk2love]

i realy hope india bounce back tomorrow

 

[RoboRocks]

Well, England need to keep this partnership going or the advantage goes back to India.

 

[cricket_lover]

The weather looks good in Mumbai, and England is in good position. 272/3 is quite a good score and they will be looking to score beyond 450. India would want couple of early wickets, and bring the score to 350-400. They need to bat, positively, in their first innings...if not, the odds will be agianst them when they bat last.

 

[Sureshot]

Thats not an excuse brother! If a country is not fit enough to build a good bench strength that can replace a player with another and not lose, only then does it deserve to be a top team! Do you seriously mean to say that you cannot get the required replacements?

This England squad has a long way to before claiming that they are No.3

well according to Aprils edition of TWC India haven't won a notable away tour since beating England in 1986.

Irony?

 

[s2sschan]

Ajit

Its situations like here we miss Ajit. He reverses the ball really well, is accurate and has a very effective slower ball. Fine, he won't get better with age, but he is still better than Munaf and Sreesanth and is an experienced player, should be there atleast to give advice.

As a rule India should not select Pacers who can't bowl pace. Unless you have something truly exceptional like Pathan and Kapil, you shouldn't be able to make it to the Indian team bowling less than 85 Mph.

Ajit Agarkar has to be the biggest underachiever of all time in the Indian team. Don't remember Ajit ever winning a Test Match for India.

We have a million advisors in India. Don't need another non-performing one.

 

[Sureshot]

There seems to be a common vein to your posts nowadays--bringing India down. I was just pointing out that the hyped up English team is not as good as they seem to be. The one thing that is creditable, though, is that they beat Australia (albeit at home).

Hyped up?

Benaud knows more about Cricket than anyone on these boards and most around the world.

England have had 5 debutants in the last 6 tests, and before that had only 6 changes in 23 tests.
India will always have bigger back up and will be No1 soon as long as they can do it away from Home something they haven't done notably since 86 (TWC).

India population around 1 Billion.
England population around 65 Million.

Good day by England, batted well on a decent pitch.

Strauss peed over his doubters with a great 128, bit patchy at times. Shah suprised me as he looked like someone playing his 51st not 1st test.

Munafs bowling was the best of the lot today even though Sreesanth got 2 of 3.

 

[sohum]

Ok, so what if he was? What is your point?

He aint done all that bad. He also got some good balls.

I feel like you I have said this to you before: read the context behind my posts.

Hyped up?

Benaud knows more about Cricket than anyone on these boards and most around the world.

Benaud no doubt knows a lot about cricket, but that is not the point, is it? Most of the players who the English media expected to be performing did play. Also, a quote for you, from Albert Einstein: "Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth."

England have had 5 debutants in the last 6 tests, and before that had only 6 changes in 23 tests.

Look at the Indian bowling line-up today and the one that took on Sri Lanka. You will perhaps find the faces of Kumble and Pathan familiar. Our pace battery is almost completely different. We have handed out debuts to Sreesanth, Munaf Patel and Piyush Chawla in the last two games.

India will always have bigger back up and will be No1 soon as long as they can do it away from Home something they haven't done notably since 86 (TWC).

India population around 1 Billion.
England population around 65 Million.

It doesn't really work that way, does it? If it did, India would have the world's best batsmen, best bowlers and best fielders playing for their XI. Obviously there is a discrepancy along the way, one that you have conveniently chosen to ignore.

Good day by England, batted well on a decent pitch.

Strauss peed over his doubters with a great 128, bit patchy at times. Shah suprised me as he looked like someone playing his 51st not 1st test.

Munafs bowling was the best of the lot today even though Sreesanth got 2 of 3.

It was indeed good batting from England. But it is their bowling attack which will be most worrying. As it is, the second innings should be pretty tough to bat against the spinners, so England should probably get the biggest first-innings lead they can to try and win this one.