LiveLoveABD
ICC Board Member
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2013
- Location
- Kolkata, India.
- Profile Flag
- India
- Online Cricket Games Owned
- Don Bradman Cricket 14 - PS3
Good day of cricket that!
Josh Hazlewood is seriously impressive on first sighting. I think he'll always be a handful on wickets that have a bit of spice about them. He's quicker than one guesses. His acid test will come in the sub-continent. I think, the ball he got Rahane with was the stuff of legends.
India have made some progress with their batting overall. Doff my hat off to Vijay. I didn't rate him much, but he's the real deal as far as opening in tests go. His reaction on getting out was particularly impressive. It shows, how much he wants to contribute to the team and not just at a personal level. I just hope, he can keep his head down and build on this. Not many people in India's test history are remembered for being fabulous openers. He's young and he's just got to keep improving.
India needs a new number 6. I know Rohit Sharma has only played 10 tests, but he simply has to go. I've been a staunch supporter of his, but the shots he plays and the situations he plays them in tells me he's never going to learn or be too bothered. It's good to show faith in someone, but his careless attitude in a game situation needs to be punished. It's almost as if to say he's going to play exactly like this because he knows he can't be dropped. It takes a lot of hard work to play for your national team and I have no doubt Rohit Sharma trains for hours and hours and hits a lot of balls, but, his growth as a cricketer when he's in a match situation is just zero. It's no use having all the talent in the world and preparing for hours and hours when you can't apply yourself or focus when it really matters. Raina's in the form of his life at the moment, bowls better, is the best fielder India has and so even if he has an issue with the short ball, at least needs to be given an opportunity. I don't think personally, I've ever seen him so focussed and hungry. It's the growth I see that Rohit lacks. May be I'm wrong, but there's no harm trying.
Kudos to Ashwin. I don't like him one bit, but he deserves his place in the team and his eagerness to contribute and learn is very enviable. He may not have a pleasing attitude, but his work ethic shows when he's on a cricket field and that's all that matters. MS Dhoni was MSD. Courageous, unorthodox and cool. His captaincy came as no surprise to me. When you have 400 odd on the board, three fast bowlers who are bowling above 140 and a determined spinner, any captain will attack. He can't do much when his bowlers are getting carted all over the park and bowling military medium. I've never doubted his captaincy. Not a surprise.
I think, India's tail can be a bit more rigid. They're not timid like those of yesteryear, but they're not as good as some of the other countries. They can be a bit more stubborn and work on their batting.
India's bowling for me today, was refreshing. It was like watching two SA quicks hurling down snorters and making the kangaroos jump and hop. The wickets they took, weren't wicket taking deliveries, but at least at their pace, they ask questions of the batsmen. Ishant Sharma needs to go. I've always said that he's been given a really long rope to perform and if he's going to win us one test abroad in thirty odd, you may as well try someone new. If I'm not mistaken, it's his third trip to Australia and he still doesn't have the consistency of a world class fast bowler.
Lastly, I'm very happy for Steve Smith. I backed him for a number of years and got ridiculed for it in my friendly circles. I think Rohit Sharma can learn a thing or two there. He hasn't changed his style or personality to pile on the runs, just matured by realising what that baggy green means. It's a privilege, an honour but most importantly a responsibility. I may well be wrong, but Steve Smith has arrived and I'll be shocked if he achieves any lesser than a Michael Clarke and dare I say a Ricky Ponting. Mark my words.
Josh Hazlewood is seriously impressive on first sighting. I think he'll always be a handful on wickets that have a bit of spice about them. He's quicker than one guesses. His acid test will come in the sub-continent. I think, the ball he got Rahane with was the stuff of legends.
India have made some progress with their batting overall. Doff my hat off to Vijay. I didn't rate him much, but he's the real deal as far as opening in tests go. His reaction on getting out was particularly impressive. It shows, how much he wants to contribute to the team and not just at a personal level. I just hope, he can keep his head down and build on this. Not many people in India's test history are remembered for being fabulous openers. He's young and he's just got to keep improving.
India needs a new number 6. I know Rohit Sharma has only played 10 tests, but he simply has to go. I've been a staunch supporter of his, but the shots he plays and the situations he plays them in tells me he's never going to learn or be too bothered. It's good to show faith in someone, but his careless attitude in a game situation needs to be punished. It's almost as if to say he's going to play exactly like this because he knows he can't be dropped. It takes a lot of hard work to play for your national team and I have no doubt Rohit Sharma trains for hours and hours and hits a lot of balls, but, his growth as a cricketer when he's in a match situation is just zero. It's no use having all the talent in the world and preparing for hours and hours when you can't apply yourself or focus when it really matters. Raina's in the form of his life at the moment, bowls better, is the best fielder India has and so even if he has an issue with the short ball, at least needs to be given an opportunity. I don't think personally, I've ever seen him so focussed and hungry. It's the growth I see that Rohit lacks. May be I'm wrong, but there's no harm trying.
Kudos to Ashwin. I don't like him one bit, but he deserves his place in the team and his eagerness to contribute and learn is very enviable. He may not have a pleasing attitude, but his work ethic shows when he's on a cricket field and that's all that matters. MS Dhoni was MSD. Courageous, unorthodox and cool. His captaincy came as no surprise to me. When you have 400 odd on the board, three fast bowlers who are bowling above 140 and a determined spinner, any captain will attack. He can't do much when his bowlers are getting carted all over the park and bowling military medium. I've never doubted his captaincy. Not a surprise.
I think, India's tail can be a bit more rigid. They're not timid like those of yesteryear, but they're not as good as some of the other countries. They can be a bit more stubborn and work on their batting.
India's bowling for me today, was refreshing. It was like watching two SA quicks hurling down snorters and making the kangaroos jump and hop. The wickets they took, weren't wicket taking deliveries, but at least at their pace, they ask questions of the batsmen. Ishant Sharma needs to go. I've always said that he's been given a really long rope to perform and if he's going to win us one test abroad in thirty odd, you may as well try someone new. If I'm not mistaken, it's his third trip to Australia and he still doesn't have the consistency of a world class fast bowler.
Lastly, I'm very happy for Steve Smith. I backed him for a number of years and got ridiculed for it in my friendly circles. I think Rohit Sharma can learn a thing or two there. He hasn't changed his style or personality to pile on the runs, just matured by realising what that baggy green means. It's a privilege, an honour but most importantly a responsibility. I may well be wrong, but Steve Smith has arrived and I'll be shocked if he achieves any lesser than a Michael Clarke and dare I say a Ricky Ponting. Mark my words.
