India

[AkshayS]

But then how can you say that he will come and will cover up your bowling problems too.

I didn't see bowling as a mojor problem in this WCT20.
They always tries their best to give chaseable scores, the batsman were at fault.

 

[Aoun13]

Bowling was you real problem, you didn't have bowlers who can try to defend any sort of total.

 

[sohum]

Bowling was you real problem, you didn't have bowlers who can try to defend any sort of total.

It doesn't help when you play 3 specialist bowlers.

Against the Proteas we defended 185.

Against Australia, we prevented them from going 200+. The score they put up was definitely chaseable given how small the boundaries were--Rohit Sharma was smashing mistimed shots for six at the end of it. So although our bowlers leaked runs there, I think it was a good enough track that if we had one guy who could stick there at the top, we would have made a game of it.

Against West Indies, we restricted them to 169, which was about par (Sri Lanka restricted Australia to 168 in the following match). Again, our batsmen could only put up 155.

Against Sri Lanka, our batsmen failed to capitalize on a good start on a dead pitch to put up only 163. Sri Lanka could have coasted to a victory there but they were playing it safe to make sure they got to the 143 magic marker first.

--

In short, if we'd actually played a balanced side with 7 batsmen and 4 bowlers, our part-timers would have been useful since they wouldn't have been bowling the bulk of our overs. The part-timers definitely stung since they bowled overs and overs of long hops which were easy pickings for international batsmen.

 

[Pranav]

Sehwag would have been a major bonus.

The 25-30 runs that he can score of 10 balls could have changed the outcome of every game imo.

 

[Varun]

Sehwag would have been a major bonus.

The 25-30 runs that he can score of 10 balls could have changed the outcome of every game imo.

I agree to this and I also say that Sehwag could have been a major bonus to confidence of Gauti.

 

[SaiSrini]

Sehwag doesnt score that every game. In T20 cricket if a batsman scores the amount of the runs off the amount of balls that you said, he is called "consistent". Sehwag and consistency can never be uttered in the same breath. Vijay's failure (and the failure of the openers in the previous edition) has made us feel the absence of Sehwag. IMO, Sehwag might have been slightly better off but I am confident his presence wouldnt have changed the result (even the amount of wins that we got in the end).

SaiSrini added 1 Minutes and 58 Seconds later...

I agree to this and I also say that Sehwag could have been a major bonus to confidence of Gauti.

Let both of them play domestic cricket together and let others open for India then (if they indeed bat well only if they bat together). Even if others fail, they wont have such a lame excuse to make (I am not saying you are making this, many have been saying this)

 

[Pranav]

Sehwag and consistency can never be uttered in the same breath.

His last five international T20 innings :

 

[sohum]

I think where Sehwag would have been useful is that even if he got out early to the short-pitched bowling, he would have counter-attacked. You couldn't count on him getting 30-40, even on average, but it would be better to be placed at around 50/4 after the powerplays instead of the around 25/4 that we were against the Aussies and Windies. We would have at least some momentum.

 

[shravi]

Who do you guys think the 8 overweight players are? Yuvraj and Zaheer for sure. Who else?

 

[SaiSrini]

Who do you guys think the 8 overweight players are? Yuvraj and Zaheer for sure. Who else?

Rohit Sharma. He also looks to have bloated up. Yusuf Pathan also looks to be one candidate. Dont know who others can qualify for that.

Yuvraj if he goes on like this, will one day end up worser than Dwayne Leverock (that Bermuda player who took that classic catch in the 2007 WC against India)

 

[sohum]

Did Kirsten say 8 specifically?

 

[shravi]

Did Kirsten say 8 specifically?

Kirsten to reveal Team India's darkest secrets, Times of India

Video

 

[SaiSrini]

The problem is, we will act like good boys for the next few months until we get our next notable win (in a series or tournament or whatever). Once that comes, we will be back to our good old bad ways. Also there is something about West Indies that brings out the bad in us (2007 WC and the 2010 T20 WC). After the 2007 WC, heads were called for, and now pretty much the same thing is happening. But my worry is, we wont change.

 

[sohum]

I hope Kirsten's report stays private, although who am I kidding, some BCCI employee will probably leak it and the media will either rip Kirsten/the Indian team to shreds.

The overweight factor is hardly surprising. The only regular ones who look fit in the team are the bowlers, Dhoni, Gambhir and perhaps Raina. I'm guessing the guys he's pointing out are probably Yuvi and his chums.

 

[SaiSrini]

@ sohum: bowlers? Zaheer is grossly unfit. Both he and Yuvraj are on the same boat. They are putting on weight quite fast.