Not too sure about that!!! Jadeja is 'pathetic' with the bat in test matches. Ashwin is a much much better batsman who has even score a couple of centuries in test matches.
Jadeja could have had a bigger impact in this series had Dhoni not made him bowl that negative line down the leg side.
Yeah fairly sure about that. Ashwin was the regular till, SA where the tail collapsed in the 2nd test leading to SA win. Post that the logic has been that if our spinners won't find help from the surface then may as well play Jadeja over Ashwin who could bat better.
I never said that dropping Dhoni was the answer. He may stay as the wicketkeeper but he has to step down as the captain. Even saying things like the game getting over in 3 days is good is deplorable. Not once has the batting order been changed in this series or for that matter ever before. It is`nt rocket science to know that Kohli is not confident and Rahane has had a good time with the bat off late but not even once did we try shuffling the order. Ashwin is a far better batsman than Jadeja. Its totally illogical to suggest that Jadeja is in the side ahead of Ashwin due to his batting. The only area where he makes a case is his fielding and even there his drop of Cook was what turned the series on its head. Gambhir in the squad itself was an illogical decision. He was miserable in the Ranji Trophy along with Sehwag. He was even outshone by Sehwag in the IPL. Vijay Zol, Kedar Jadhav and K.L Raul must be in the test squad ahead of Nohit and Gambhir.
Gambhir, Binny and Pankaj are all selections that baffle me. I can at least think of 3 names who should be ahead of them in the squad. Non-India fans might think we are overreacting and the series is only 2-1 at the moment. The anger and frustration stems from the fact that we have let England get away with shoddy cricket. We showed discipline at Lords on that green mamba on Day 1 and that is why we won. Since then letting Moeen get so many wickets to go with loads of dropped catches is not a shadow of that effort at Lords. Even the performances in SA were actually really good. We bossed the SA side on that helpful Jo`burg track and did well in Durban to stay in the game for 4 out of 5 days. The team actually could`ve come out of the SA series with a win. In NZ, we showed a lot of character in the first test at Auckland where we were so behind and yet in the second innings bowled NZ out for a 100-odd and then almost chased down 400+. We let the game in Wellington slip when we should`ve finished it in 4 days. Yet, the team was progressing all that while up until Lords where we felt they had turned a corner.
Since then has been the most baffling and abject surrender by our side which is inexplicable and not much to do with lack of talent. The application has been poor. Selection has been timid. We were so aggressive to pursue that Anderson Jadeja case off the field. Had we applied ourselves even a fraction of that on it, we would`ve still been in the series. Even if we draw the series at the Oval, this has been a real step backwards.
Yes, things do change dramatically in test cricket. Australia, exactly a year ago had those two shambolic games at Lords and Durham where their batting collapsed inexplicable, just like ours here. They lost the series by a 3-0 margin far worse that the margin in this series at this point. Yet, they turned it around in 3 months time with aggressive selections and the right mindset. For the attitude to change, the change has to come from the top and that is why Dhoni must step down. People might say, where is our Johnson? We don`t need a like for like choice. Yadav, Aaron, Shami, Ishant and Bhuvi can form a lethal battery if they are backed up well by a pro active captain and a good slip cordon. We`ve got no choice but to play 5 bowlers at the Oval and I would go for 4 pacers and Ashwin. Rather lose 3-1 trying to make it 2-2 than play conservatively. Dhawan should be back. At least he seems to have some attacking flair which Gambhir absolutely lack at this moment. Also, he gives us our onl
My lineup for the Oval
Dhawan
Vijay
Rahane
Pujara
Kohli
Dhoni
Ashwin
Bhuvi
Shami
Aaron
Ishant
You want Dhoni to be sacked for not changing the batting order !! I mean of all the reason to sack a captain ... ! Look we have returned to the 90s in terms of overseas cricket lets not return to the 90s in terms of overreaction too. Every defeat later, we wanted Azhar gone. Cricket cannot work like that. Also apart from the fact that its not reasonable to start off with, months before the World Cup, there is not going to be any changes in captaincy and that is the end of that. Dhoni, whether you like it or not, is going to stay, and personally that is how it should be.
Yes India between 2007 - 11 WC had a good run overseas, losing just one away series in Aus (most of which were under Dhoni, including series win in NZ and draw in SA). Apart from this run though, India have always been poor overseas. So sacking Dhoni for not doing what no one has done before him anyway makes no sense. Instead Dhoni, has taken India to some new heights at home in tests and that should be appreciated. #1 in tests, Australia hammered 4-0, six straight wins at home !! India have always been dominant at home but I cannot recall the last time India won 6 straight tests at home, and remember Dhoni doesn't have Kumble to call on who was the foundation of the super record through the 90s and upto his retirement. These are all new territories India has covered under Dhoni. So while sure off late his over seas run has been abysmal, but why should that force you to ignore all the good stuff he has done which no one has done before him.
You are slaying him for not doing what no one could do before him anyway and ignoring the things he has done which those before him could not do in tests. Also you give the example of Australia who too collapsed to lose 3-0 in England, but returned to dominance at home. First of all Dhoni is not going to lose 3-0 in England, and that India will once again be dominant at home under Dhoni is a given. So why all the panic ! Dhoni is his worst enemy here, had he not won at Lord's but Drawn, I feel the public would be kinder to him. That he won, ppl started to believe India will win the series all of a sudden, when we all were expecing a 5-0 before the tour start. After the win at Lord's, brought about purely by Dhoni forcing Ishant to bowl short, suddenly nothing short of a series win became the expectation.
So lets not get carried away. Lets be honest, if before the tour someone had said, heading into the last test India would be 2-1 down, most of would have jumped and grabbed it. Suddenly its not good enough.
With the team for Oval I agree on most points, but on playing Shami. If the pitch offers, turn then 2 spinners have to play which means Jadeja over Shami. If it is a pitch which requires four seamers, then I would play Pandey over Shami. He has been on tour long enough lets play him. Lastly, Ishant may not be fit, in which case Pankaj plays.
