ICC Cricket World Cup - May/July 2019

[Bevab]

This has been one of the finest powerplay bowling spells I’ve seen in ODIs for quite a while allied with some of the most braindead batting from the top order of a team. New Zealand showed how to bat yesterday by hardly going after the pacers during the powerplay, Guptill out of all people didn’t go for a rash shot until he faced 14 balls and Nicholls played extremely defensively too.

A solid partnership could still theoretically take us to a comfortable position but the pitch deteriorated quite badly yesterday and NZ have the ideal military medium bowler in CdG to take advantage of the skies and an accurate finger spinner in Santner to bowl those sluggish deliveries. I’m really pessimistic about our chances right now given that Dhoni might come into the game with the required run rate creeping above 6 which is never the ideal time to send him in.

 

[Velocity]

This has been one of the finest powerplay bowling spells I’ve seen in ODIs for quite a while allied with some of the most braindead batting from the top order of a team. New Zealand showed how to bat yesterday by hardly going after the pacers during the powerplay, Guptill out of all people didn’t go for a rash shot until he faced 14 balls and Nicholls played extremely defensively too.

Think it was more of a case of NZ bowling some excellent line and length in the Powerplay more than India batting badly. Henry bowled a cracker of a ball to Roiht, and Kohli was undone by a ball swinging sharply into his pads. Rahul did play a poor shot which he should've let the ball go instead of going for a shot. NZ were also aided by the cloud cover that was visible for the first 10 overs as well, along with the deteriorated pitch. Think it all goes down to Henry's brilliant opening spell and Boult keeping it quiet, and having definite help by the conditions.

 

[Bevab]

Think it was more of a case of NZ bowling some excellent line and length in the Powerplay more than India batting badly. Henry bowled a cracker of a ball to Roiht, and Kohli was undone by a ball swinging sharply into his pads. Rahul did play a poor shot which he should've let the ball go instead of going for a shot. NZ were also aided by the cloud cover that was visible for the first 10 overs as well, along with the deteriorated pitch. Think it all goes down to Henry's brilliant opening spell and Boult keeping it quiet, and having definite help by the conditions.

I’ve seen this one happen one too many times in tests over the last two years. But hey, the man scored 149 in a dead rubber match on a comparatively batting friendly pitch so that should mean he’s a proper opener right?

 

[abhi_jacko]

RRR crosses 6 now ...

 

[Bevab]

Think it was more of a case of NZ bowling some excellent line and length in the Powerplay more than India batting badly. Henry bowled a cracker of a ball to Roiht, and Kohli was undone by a ball swinging sharply into his pads. Rahul did play a poor shot which he should've let the ball go instead of going for a shot. NZ were also aided by the cloud cover that was visible for the first 10 overs as well, along with the deteriorated pitch. Think it all goes down to Henry's brilliant opening spell and Boult keeping it quiet, and having definite help by the conditions.

Personally I believe that there are times where you absolutely go on the defensive and not look to play any ball unless it is an absolute freebie that the bowler bowls out of desperation under extremely bowler friendly conditions like this. Bhuvi and Bumrah are no ways inferior to Henry and Boult but Nicholls and Williamson defended nearly every ball that they weren’t sure of with conviction and classic defensive blocks. It took them the last ball of the 8th over to even score a boundary.

In contrast, none of our top 3 were in that ‘all defensive’ mode and wanted to play positively unless it was an absolute jaffa which is the wrong mentality to have under such conditions. Sometimes, you’ve got to concede a battle or two in order to win the war and the Indian top three failed to do that today.

 

[abhi_jacko]

what have you done Pant ...

game over !

 

[Bevab]

Excellent captaincy from Williamson yet again to bowl Santner here and bait one of Pandya or Pant who both like spin in slogging out and potentially losing their wicket, which is exactly what has happened.[DOUBLEPOST=1562759479][/DOUBLEPOST]

what have you done Pant ...

game over !

Let me guess without having watched the game, he got frustrated and played a lofted shot into the legside when there was no chance of it clearing the ropes?

 

[hammadahmed88]

In all honesty, Pant looked really good and is surely a future superstar for India. It's probably not fair to ask a 21 year old to go out there and play against the grain as far as his approach is concerned. Why Dhoni wasn't sent out I'll never understand.[DOUBLEPOST=1562760026][/DOUBLEPOST]On a separate note, why on earth the broadcasters picked up Sanjay Manjrekar over someone like Sunil Gavaskar I'll never understand. Thank God for Ganguly.

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

Dhoni when not out in run-chases has won India 47 matches and lost just 2 with 1 ending as tie and 1 match as no result.

Phenomenal record to have that !!!!

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

Let me guess without having watched the game, he got frustrated and played a lofted shot into the legside when there was no chance of it clearing the ropes?

Hardik got out in the same way.

 

[hammadahmed88]

With Pandaya down lower, Shubman Gill, Pant and Shaw, India look well set up for a nice future.

 

[Villain]

The fact that I don't ever give up, Dhoni and Jadeja can take us to the final. Jadeja has a golden opportunity to fix the blunder he made during the CT 17 final where he got a backlash. C'mon India !

 

[hammadahmed88]

I'll bet Rayudu would have looked like a better choice today. Never understood why he wasn't picked.

 

[Villain]

If we want to win the Cup we gotta be the best, so it's time to show we are the ones or leave the stage if we cannot, let the best go through.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Maybe Pakistan v New Zealand would've been a more even quarter final contest.