India tour of New Zealand - Jan to Feb 2014

[grkrama]

I'm not really sure you are being harsh enough on them, I know they're a young team and all that but to finish the whole tour without winning one game should be extremely disappointing. I didn't see anyone really giving us a chance in either series before it started. Even I thought we might win one ODI if we were lucky.

That was a misconception made by most with memory of the previous Ind vs NZ tour, and the decent showing by ind in SA and it had more to people underestimating NZ after their Ban tour and not taking into account this is home series for them, than being impressed with IND prowess especially with our bowling.
Im definitely disappointed the team didnt win a single match, but why im not harsh on them is that the mistakes have been identified and can be rectified*, The strength of the team has become more apparent and feel that it will improve to a good level in another year.
Also i cant discount the fact NZ is a vastly Improved unit and the form they are in right now will give any team a run for their money if they sort out the inconsistency and top order issue.

*if MS gets it into his head, he is still defending the 3 bowler move and saying they took 20 wickets including the last innings of first test and the first inning of second test, the atrocity i dont know whether to laugh at him or feel sad for the team.Hope it was just him backing as captain to keep spirits up and the real issues gets sorted.


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they would not have expected to come to NZ and not win a game.

That is underestimating NZ team which they have proved wrong, for which im glad.

 

[Biggs]

Series Win. Domination. Take a bow, New Zealand. Magic summer of cricket.

 

[IanG]

Congrats to the Kiwis. Series win. Glad to see the Kiwis do well. I don't know why but in the last 10 years or so that cricket in New Zealand has been withering on the vine so to speak. In fact some posters on another forum that I use to post on were calling for them to be sent back to Associate Member status

 

[Biggs]

We're actually had 2 pretty decent seasons, by most standards. You take out the blip on the radar (which was that Bangladesh series, because, Bangladesh) and we've had back to back decent Test and Limited Overs series.

Core of a really decent team and everyone, even the young kids, seem to be hitting their straps at just the right time. Looking forward to the T20 World Cup, but not bothered how that goes for us. It was more important to perform consistently at home with the World Cup on the horizon.

...the irony being our Test cricket success is going to sell a shitload of World Cup tickets.

Good crowds. Good results.

Hats off to the Wellington supporters too...

 

[karolkarol]

Have to say I have thoroughly enjoyed watching bits and pieces of this series. Much more entertaining than the attritional crap served up by England over the past few years.

Being from Northern Ireland I am also quite into supporting the underdog so well done New Zealand!

 

[grkrama]

^ I thought we were the underdogs after the odi's

This is a fun read check it out
http://www.theunrealtimes.com/2014/02/18/ms-dhonis-excuses-for-indias-dismal-show-in-new-zealand/

 

[harishankar]

Dhoni's lack of imagination as Test captain and his thin fast bowling resources will continue to haunt Indian cricket for a long time to come when it comes to overseas cricket.

Very very disappointing series for Indian fans who expected something more than the South African tour.

 

[IceAgeComing]

It is not the same team.

Be that as it may; it doesn't explain away the fact that they haven't won an away test match in two and a half years! I think that even at their worst, 1990s England were never that bad; and they had "a new team" every two years at times!

Surely if this "new team" couldn't win that last test match (it was a great batting performance for McCullum, but there's always the guy at the other end); then it shows that either lots of the team simply aren't good enough or that there is something up with the coaching and leadership in the team...

Hell, based on the under 19s performance against Scotland, then the kids might not be up to it as well!

 

[asprin]

Be that as it may; it doesn't explain away the fact that they haven't won an away test match in two and a half years!

This is a good point. Every time we keep saying it was just a single session or the first/second innings that cost us the series. But we can't continue making the same excuses again and again. Changes in the team are definitely warranted, else I don't see any light at the end of the tunnel.

then it shows that either lots of the team simply aren't good enough or that there is something up with the coaching and leadership in the team...

That's the bottomline. Not of International standards at all, especially the bowling unit.

 

[grkrama]

Be that as it may; it doesn't explain away the fact that they haven't won an away test match in two and a half years! I think that even at their worst, 1990s England were never that bad; and they had "a new team" every two years at times!

Surely if this "new team" couldn't win that last test match (it was a great batting performance for McCullum, but there's always the guy at the other end); then it shows that either lots of the team simply aren't good enough or that there is something up with the coaching and leadership in the team...

Hell, based on the under 19s performance against Scotland, then the kids might not be up to it as well!

I would give them a year especially this one, before sizing them up, we would pretty much know were they stand after eng and aus tours, and ya they are at second position in tests based on a flawed technicality.

The last match you cant do much when there is a special innings like that,however good your team is, like vvs/dravid did with aus both in eden and adelaide.

 

[used2bcool]

Surely if this "new team" couldn't win that last test match (it was a great batting performance for McCullum, but there's always the guy at the other end); then it shows that either lots of the team simply aren't good enough or that there is something up with the coaching and leadership in the team...

Probably both. And it's a bit of a vicious cycle. I suspect the leadership/coach knows that the team isn't quite there skill-wise, and go into matches with a don't-lose approach instead of a win-first approach. It would certainly explain a lot of the bafflingly defensive tactics used on day three with New Zealand five down and a good 150 runs away from making us bat again.

Hell, based on the under 19s performance against Scotland, then the kids might not be up to it as well!

I watched the highlights of the Pakistan game, and there's at least three or four kids on that team who are fat! Are you fishing kidding me? How are you fat at 18 years of age?! And if you are, why in blue hell are you allowed to represent the country at the under-19 WC?! At least look the part of an athlete! Is it that difficult to find 15 fit under-19 kids who can play cricket from the billion people we have? (/rant)

 

[grkrama]

^ its all recommendation and stuff, i really doubt the best kids get opportunity at the lower levels, in schools it would be kids whose dad can sponser shirts,at club level business associates recommendation, once in ranji, ex cricketers, board members, club members known people etc

Often we see there is this wonder kid who broke sachin's school record,this kid from banglore who bat well etc then they just disappear.

 

[shravi]

Dhoni's lack of imagination as Test captain and his thin fast bowling resources will continue to haunt Indian cricket for a long time to come when it comes to overseas cricket.

Very very disappointing series for Indian fans who expected something more than the South African tour.

You can only dare to imagine when you have a bowling attack that can plausibly execute a risky plan at least 1 out of 10 times. Dhoni's conservatism is but a product of the mediocrity that is put in front of him.

 

[harishankar]

You can only dare to imagine when you have a bowling attack that can plausibly execute a risky plan at least 1 out of 10 times. Dhoni's conservatism is but a product of the mediocrity that is put in front of him.

He must take some of the blame surely for the selection policies and pushing for his favourites.

I know his resources are meagre, but then isn't that a reason for pushing new talent into the side rather than sticking with an inconsistent Ishant Sharma and a declining Zaheer Khan?

The pace of this Indian attack is unsuited for the quicker pitches. They use swing and seam well, but with their lack of pace, it is blunted to a large extent... Also no Indian captain is willing to field 4 fast bowlers. I think it is highly essential on overseas tours to have a fourth seamer, preferably somebody who can also wield the bat.

 

[asprin]

They use swing and seam well, but with their lack of pace, it is blunted to a large extent...

NZ bowlers weren't express pace either. But they certainly performed much better than their counterparts