India in Pakistan

[SaiSrini]

India's pace attack is not comparable to Pakistan's. That is a fact. Anyway, about England being called lollypops. You might wanna refrain from coming to this forum when England busts you up left, right and centre! You are talking as if you saw the whole series. And I can assure you that your so called "fast" bowlers are no better than England's pacers. Infact they are worse.

BTW, this post was directed at ronny_kingsley.

No Indian fan or even the Indian bowlers have tried to call themselves as fast bowlers! Lets see if England busts us up right, left and centre!

I dont agree with ronny's comment on the English bowling lollypops but that doesnt make me agree with this post too! Flintoff, Harmison all bowled well in the test series against Pakistan but Pakistan simply played well against them. Thats the truth! They are in good form now!

 

[cricket_lover]

Well...you can say that Pakistan bowling has an edge over Indians but that doesn't mean you cannot "compare" them. Logically, both can be positioned under the same column but Pakistan will be first and then India. Remember that Pakistani bowlers have done well over the last season or so. Prior to that, they were terrible. Same goes with India, and for now, Indian bowlers lack the steam. Lets see if they can recover some before the first test.

 

[rahulk666]

Shoaib Akhtar is going to be a deciding factor in this test series. He is very much a form bowler. If he is in form then its difficult to negotiate it him but he loses it completely if he gets belted round the park in the initial overs. And that's where Sehwag comes in. His 309 just set up the series for India in 2004. Sehwag can really dent a bowler's confidence and confuse the bowler no end with his unconventional batting which is mixed with some risky and other textbook shots. Also, fitness too has not been Akhtar's forte. He has held up good so far but a will he be able to perform with the same intensity in yet another series remains to be seen.

As someone rightly said, India will try to win the matches by putting huge runs on the scoreboard, and Pakistan will try to win the matches by their fast bowling arsenal. As of now, the teams are at same level.

 

[SaiSrini]

http://www.hindu.com/2006/01/12/stories/2006011212912000.htm

Somewhat the above article gives more power to the side of the coin that Ganguly should be selected!

The wicket has a thick grass layering but is brownish in color! This means the wicket is not perfectly hard and true! It might give assistance on the first day or so but then the grass would lose its sting and then the pitch by Day 4 and Day 5 will be very good for the spinners to operate on!

In these conditions, both Harbhajan and Kumble should be picked in the team! However, since the wicket has the grass layering, India need 3 pacers! Ganguly is a medium pacer who has been having spectacular success in recent times in domestic cricket with the ball! He has picked up 20 odd wickets in domestic cricket after being dropped for the ODI series against Sri Lanka! So a combination of 2 seamers+2 spinners+Ganguly would lend that balance for India! Since picking between Yuvraj and Ganguly is conceived to be tough by many, this theory gives Ganguly the edge!

 

[Dhoni]

Can't for the match to start. I'm so excited!!! Just a day to go. Come on INdia!!!!!!!!!

 

[srk121]

For me shoaib akhthar would be a key player for pakistan, coz pitches in sub continent are batsman paradise so scoring runs wont be that difficulty. but taking wickets is the hardest job in cricket. i think shoaib has potential and will be a huge factor in this series.

for indian i think it would be all on dravid.. not only as a captain but also as a batsman. no doubt he is a great batsman, but sometime captainship makes it difficult for the batsman. a challenge for dravid, he is a key player becuase argueably is the one who keeps the wickets intact at one end. so for indian it will depend how dravid will play.

 

[sohum]

I have to argue against the useage of this phrase. Its not accurate. I mean, have you ever bowled on a pancake? Its a nightmare! As flat as tarmac is appropriate.

You don't need to bowl on a pancake to figure out whether it's flat or not. The same way you don't need to slice your finger off with a knife to figure out whether its sharp or not.

So a combination of 2 seamers+2 spinners+Ganguly would lend that balance for India! Since picking between Yuvraj and Ganguly is conceived to be tough by many, this theory gives Ganguly the edge!

That was always the argument for having Ganguly in the team.

And my dear passionate Pakistani fans, even prior to the previous India tour of Pakistan, the Pakistani pace attack was pumped up and revered. What happened then? They are in awesome form now, but you probably don't want to make stupid bets on them.

 

[Gilchrist]

Well, its Kamran Akmal's birthday, when the test starts, I would love to see, who come out on top - Kamran or Dhoni?

 

[mohsinshahzad84]

that guy was actually an indian supporter who gave this idea. open ur ------ :crying

 

[Sachin_007]

Go India!!!

Can't for the match to start. I'm so excited!!! Just a day to go. Come on INdia!!!!!!!!!

Ya man me too....Just waitin for India....Any idea whos gonna win the first match? Second match? third match?.....

 

[mohsinshahzad84]

look at the weather forecast looks like its gona tear apart the match with rain.
http://www.weather.com/outlook/trav...day/PKXX0011?from=36hr_fcst10DayLink_business

 

[cricket_lover]

Ya man me too....Just waitin for India....Any idea whos gonna win the first match? Second match? third match?.....

we aren't astrologers. Even educated guesses will be useless because its such a high profile, high-pressure involved series between to evenly balanced teams.

Shoaib Akhtar is going to be a deciding factor in this test series. He is very much a form bowler. If he is in form then its difficult to negotiate it him but he loses it completely if he gets belted round the park in the initial overs. And that's where Sehwag comes in. His 309 just set up the series for India in 2004. Sehwag can really dent a bowler's confidence and confuse the bowler no end with his unconventional batting which is mixed with some risky and other textbook shots. Also, fitness too has not been Akhtar's forte. He has held up good so far but a will he be able to perform with the same intensity in yet another series remains to be seen.

I don't think Shoaib will be the deciding factor of the test, let alone the series. He will be vital though...along with other players/factors. Inzi and the top-order will be vital. Naved-ul-Hasan/Sami/Kaneria also have a big role to play, they just can't play supporting role to one person. That can turn disastrous...and also putting too much pressure on Akthar. You can't be a one man army and expect to win tests and series.

 

[m_vaughan]

Ya man me too....Just waitin for India....Any idea whos gonna win the first match? Second match? third match?.....

Seriously man, why post something like that?

Coming to match I think Sai's theory of 2 spinners + 2 seamers + ganguly might work well for the visitors, however no matter how much grass they put on these subcontinental wicket, they will assist the fast and swing bowlers only on the first day. After that its runs all the way.

I also agree with nightprowler10 about Shoaib using his slower ball. He used it well in the England series, but it will be a bit tougher to disguise it against the Indian batsmen. Shoaib is the main man for Pakistan, thats for sure.

But where? In their own backyard and in conditions which they know better than anyone else?

Yes at home, but still England are the ONLY team to have beaten Australia at home in their last series. India did win the 2000 series but lost in 2004.

And I do not believe in the Aussies not being invincible theory also. Its just that other teams have improved, and do not let the Aussies play the way they want to. Yeah they might not be as strong as they were a few years back, but they were red-hot in form before the England tour.

Also mind you India's claim to fame in that 1-1 drawn series in Australia was against second string bowlers. No Warne, no McGrath and Brett Lee just back from injury. It was a historic achievement, but imo a fortunate one.

 

[sid_19840]

Made an pre match,article for the 1st test.Read it

 

[ronny_kingsley]

Well what I said was if India's bowling isnt comparable to Pakistan's then even Pakistan's batting isnt in the same lague as the Indian.

I still stand by my English "lollypop" attack.Barring some good sessions against Aussies in the Ashes Pom bowling attack hasnt been very special.

Also lollypop was said in the context of the subcontinental conditions.


If Shoaib Akhtar is in form then what about Dhoni,Pathan,Dravid,Laxman,Yuvraj ??????

Also the series decider will be the spin front no matter what pitch conditions prevail.
Going by Kumble's form over a nos of years (remember AUstralia,Pakistan) he seems to be the major force in either bowling attack.

Akhtar will be bowling against :

SEHWAG not STRAUSS
TENDULKAR not VAUGHAN
DRAVID not BELL
LAXMAN not COLLINGWOOD
YUVRAJ/GANGULY not PIETRSON (subcontinental conditions considered)

So mate still any doubts ????????