India tour of New Zealand - March 2009

[mrtwisties]

You know what every one said about Indians when they pointed out umpiring decisions in the Sydney test. Everyone mostly agreed it is a part of the game and moved on. I guess the same thing can be said here.

I brought up these examples to make the point that dropped catches, poor weather and poor umpiring decisions are all part of the game - so you can't cling to these things and blame bad luck for a failure. This is test cricket, you've got to plan for it.

Dhoni has conceded that he knew rain had been predicted, but has some argument that a lead of 620 runs gave him more latitude to set aggressive fields than a lead of 550 runs would've.

To which I say, NZ playing at home have scored more than 300 runs in a 4th innings just four times in their nation's entire history and they still lost the match three of those four times. What difference 550 and 620 runs?

 

[shravi]

Lol, why is everyone complaining about declaring too late? If not for the rain we would have won with ease. Just look at the batsmen who were at the crease. They wouldn't have held on for much longer.

As for the excuses, it's expected. First, India will never win a series in New Zealand. Then, the pitches were flat. Then, this New Zealand side doesn't have Bond or Tuffey. Then, Vettori was out of form. Then, New Zealand is ranked 8th in the world.

You never wanted to accept it and hence you never will. Just leave it (to guys who are trying to debate something such a circular argument).

 

[mrtwisties]

I don't think any of the people criticising India is a kiwi. So, not sure where you get off labelling our arguments "excuses".

 

[King Pietersen]

480 to 500 would have easily been enough. There was still all but zero chance of New Zealand winning, and it would have given India more than enough time to bowl NZ out. Yeh, maybe he wanted to completely rule out the NZ win before going for the India win as they're 1 up in the series, but for someone that's supposed to be a new captain with a fresh attacking mentality, he was incredibly defensive, there's no doubting that. India should have won this and got the few extra ranking points that would have come with a win.

 

[SaiSrini]

Surely you jest. His English is so tortured I can't understand anything more than the overall gist of what he's trying to say.

Get some English classes to go... You'll improve!

saisrini80 added 4 Minutes and 45 Seconds later...

^Yeah, right- 1-0, sorry. And yeah, I'll agree it was a bit defensive, and not really what I expected from Dhoni. But what's the use saying all this now? What has happened has happened, we cannot change it.

Of course... The credit for beating NZ in NZ goes to Dhoni and the team (always captains take major credit for victory and the major flak if they lose). Apart from those two and a half days at Napier (where NZ scored 619 and we were bowled out for 305), we have outplayed them throughout the series and we have played very good cricket (the former cricketers who commented on the series concur).

What we need to seriously improve on is our fielding. Fielding is very important even in tests these days and the no. of catches we drop is pathetic. And we got to tell Yuvraj "Ok sir, we dont need you anymore in tests until you radically sort your technique to suit test cricket". Dhoni can survive in tests because he has moulded his game to that of a grafter and has shown patience to stay in there and wait for the bad balls.

saisrini80 added 2 Minutes and 39 Seconds later...

Dhoni should have declared after 500. But then, we won the series! No use giving NZ a chance to draw the series, it would have been ridiculous losing the match trying to win the series 0-2.

Agree.. There was absolutely nothing in the pitch after the first innings of both teams got done with. It got flatter as the game progressed. Ross Taylor scored a century on it and the NZ batsmen could survive in there easily on the pitch. Had we given them 530 with two days to go and they blazed off in the first session of Day 4 with 4-5 runs per over, panic would have set in easily because they have to score 530 in 6 sessions which amounts to less than 90 runs per session (i.e. less than 3 runs per over if the full 30 overs for the session is bowled). Thats seriously a ridiculous decision given the conditon of the pitch.

saisrini80 added 1 Minutes and 29 Seconds later...

No team has ever chased more than 420odd to win a Test match, so why on earth Dhoni thought he'd need 600 is beyond me. It should have been 480-500, with 500 at an absolute maximum. I know India were already 1-0 up so didn't want to give NZ a sniff, but they should have given themselves a better chance to bowl NZ out, and a lead of 480 would have given them easily enough time and runs, this Kiwi side are not good enough to chase 380, let alone 480 in a Test match.

But right now, the trend has been of stunning run chases. Didnt India chase down 387 to beat you guys at Chennai? It was the highest chase in India. After T20 has set in, almost no target is impossible. Take it session by session, and you stand a chance to do the unthinkable.

 

[mrtwisties]

True, nothing is impossible. But if you declare with a lead of 500 you'll win a lot more matches than you lose and shoot to the top of the test rankings instead of being weighted down by all these draws.

Of course, Dhoni may be shooting for the aura of invincibility. India are favoured to win every test series they're scheduled to play in the next two years, with lots of home games and minnow-bashing to make things easier. With cautious captaincy, India could conceivably start 2011 having played 20 test matches without loss. Even if the win rate ends up being less than 50%, that's one helluva record.

 

[SaiSrini]

True, nothing is impossible. But if you declare with a lead of 500 you'll win a lot more matches than you lose and shoot to the top of the test rankings instead of being weighted down by all these draws.

Of course, Dhoni may be shooting for the aura of invincibility. India are favoured to win every test series they're scheduled to play in the next two years, with lots of home games and minnow-bashing to make things easier. With cautious captaincy, India could conceivably start 2011 having played 20 test matches without loss. Even if the win rate ends up being less than 50%, that's one helluva record.

Hope that happens... Will be very good! I am confident it can happen.

Waiting for the next tour to SA or AUS. Thats when the true games begin. I hope somehow the BCCI and CA (or the South African board) squeeze in a test series between India and their team. Would be a great battle.

 

[TruSachFan]

Hope that happens... Will be very good! I am confident it can happen.

Waiting for the next tour to SA or AUS. Thats when the true games begin. I hope somehow the BCCI and CA (or the South African board) squeeze in a test series between India and their team. Would be a great battle.

I'm hoping for the BCCI to squeeze in some tests when we tour windies in july/august since we dont play tests until against the lankans at home in Nov.

 

[Leggie]

Was a Man of The Series announced?

 

[SaiSrini]

Was a Man of The Series announced?

Gautham Gambhir, I read somewhere.. Not so sure (coz I feel it should be Jesse Ryder)

 

[Ari]

I think it was Gambhir as well but I am not 100% sure.

 

[Cricketman]

Gautham Gambhir, I read somewhere.. Not so sure (coz I feel it should be Jesse Ryder)

Why? Ryder didn't win the series for them, Gambhir did. He did everything, set up the series win, batted for the draw, and got ensured a series victory in all three respective tests. Ryder got one big 200 and a hundred, bowled a bit, that's it. Gambhir was far better.

 

[mrtwisties]

Nah, Gambhir was a passenger.

 

[SaiSrini]

Why? Ryder didn't win the series for them, Gambhir did. He did everything, set up the series win, batted for the draw, and got ensured a series victory in all three respective tests. Ryder got one big 200 and a hundred, bowled a bit, that's it. Gambhir was far better.

I think Ryder was the surprise package (even though he scored in the ODI's, he was playing tests which is the toughest format), and Gambhir wasnt a surprise.

 

[King Cricket]

It's Gauti. He deserved this award. Ryder was no-where near him. And he was dismissed under 20 quite a number of times.