Videocon Cup

[Dhoni]

Excellent bowling by the Zimbabweans. India only could manage 226/6 in 50 overs. Good batting by Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh. Now, I hope India will bowl well to win this one because ZIM now have a chance to win over India.

EDIT: LOLz.. ZIM- 36/8. The match is similar to the last one IND vs NZ. That day, the man was Bond and today is Pathan. Lets see If Streak can do something. Excellent bowling by Pathan and Agarkar.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

India win by 161 runs. Streak 18, Pathan 5/27, Agarkar 4/19...

 

[zreh]

Why didn't Sehwag play?

 

[Dhoni]

Why didn't Sehwag play?

Because he doesn't perform well.

:happy India won by 161 runs :happy
Great innings by Yuvraj and Dhoni. Excellent bowling by Pathan and Agarkar. Our bowling has been great, but our batsmen need to work hard to put up a decent score on the board. Let's see what will they do against NZ in their next game.
:happy

 

[SaiSrini]

Not so bad performance from the batsmen! Seaming & helpful conditions for the bowlers, 250 being projected as a competitive score... I would say well played Yuvraj and Dhoni. Kaif did pretty well though he could have scored more faster but thats fine. India now at least have a measure of this Harare track. It would have bene dangerous had they faced New Zealand first up on this track with Bond firing as he is now!

When did this bowling attack accquire so much confidence? Our bowling has got that huge punch now that the likes of Khan and Balaji have to find it hard to get back into the team. I wont say Agarkar is going to be the long term because this is just Zimbabwe but our bowling department has improved a lot!

We might not be facing Bond for the next league match against New Zealand. So something which we might cheer about! But the main cause of this batting woes is a painstakingly slow Ganguly at the top. Either he should drop down the order or quit the team now! He is slowing things down at the top and it infects the other batsmen to also score slowly! He is like Laxman now - unfit for the ODI batting scheme of things. Where is that free flowing Ganguly? Suresh Raina might as well occupy Ganguly's slot in the ODI's if Ganguly doesnt get back to his free flowing ways with this series.

 

[irottev]

Pathan is in very good form. Indian batting is improving. The next NZ v India match should be a goodie.

 

[aussie1st]

India's batting has always been their strength but this series it was very suspect against NZ. Lets see what happens in round 2.

 

[SaiSrini]

India's batting has always been their strength but this series it was very suspect against NZ. Lets see what happens in round 2.

yes I agree. Suspect is a good word to describe the batting now

But the runs that Kaif, Yuvraj and Dhoni got today must place them in some sort of a good stead! May be next match Ganguly can reduce some pressure on himself by pushing himself down the order and sending some one like Yadav or Dhoni up to open the innings. This way, we can get a good start if the openers click and also Ganguly can face less pressure from Bond and can face the other bowlers through whom he can get valuable runs! An out of form Ganguly is a liability at the top!

The team is doing so much experimentation. Let them do this one too for the sake of the batting!

 

[ashu2411]

I think yadav is send too low in batting order. He deserves better chance with the bat then this. I agree with saisrini that ganguly should come lower down the order. Do you guys think that Yuvraj can be a good opener.

 

[SaiSrini]

Yadav has opened the innings for Railways before. He can be tried out. And since Sehwag is out of form too, we need some one who is in form to play at the top. I wont count Yuvraj to be fully in form. Dhoni and Yadav are the two possible candidates who are in form and also who can score quickly in the first 15 overs!

 

[Ashish_Nehra]

matches vs zimbabwe are practice matches
it is a 3 match odi series between india and new zealand
but the 3rd match is the one which will give the cup, so it is not even that

dravid is playing very bad
atleast now, rao must be dropped

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Sehwag had the flu, not dropped due to bad form. He will be back and Rao will be dropped(or supersub, whatever...)

Agarkar is my favourite, just that he doesn't seem to click. Let him in the tests, see what happens.

I also feel he should try out more with the new ball...

Dhoni failed as opener, no. 6/7 suits him well. leave him there. I'd send Yadav up and let Yuvraj take number 6, followed by Dhoni...

 

[Dhoni]

Is Bond playing in the next match against India?

Here is my line up for the next match against NZ.

Virender Sehwag
JP Yadav
*Sourav Ganguly
Rahul Dravid
Yuvraj Singh
Mohammad Kaif
+MS Dhoni
Ajit Agarkar
Ifran Pathan
Harbhajan Singh
Ashish Nehra

Super sub- Suresh Raina

 

[SaiSrini]

Is Bond playing in the next match against India?

Here is my line up for the next match against NZ.

Virender Sehwag
JP Yadav
*Sourav Ganguly
Rahul Dravid
Yuvraj Singh
Mohammad Kaif
+MS Dhoni
Ajit Agarkar
Ifran Pathan
Harbhajan Singh
Ashish Nehra

Super sub- Suresh Raina

Same team there... but I would have Murali Kartik instead of Bhajji. Kartik is more suited for the shorter version of the game because he bowls tight and also has the knack of picking up crucial wickets. Bhajji is deadly when he flights the ball but he just refuses to do that regularly in the ODI's where he thinks containing and bowling flat out is required.

Also Bhajji is a liability in the batting line up whearas Kartik is not! Kartik is a decent batsman and can be counted upon to provide support to the batsman at the other end in tight situations or in the face of some serious collapse! We need to make sure that our batting line up has no liabilities in the batsmen and has all 11 people being able to bat a bit!

So I vote for Kartik to take Bhajji's spot in the ODI's. Bhajji can forge a great combination with Kartik in the tests (aided with Kumble too!).

Lets see how Agarkar performs in the remaining matches. His 4/18 is enough to keep him playing till the finals (at least for the team management)! If he performs well in the remainder of the series, then Zaheer and Balaji are going to break their heads trying to find a spot in this team! The bowling has never looked so good before!

 

[Dhoni]

Same team there... but I would have Murali Kartik instead of Bhajji. Kartik is more suited for the shorter version of the game because he bowls tight and also has the knack of picking up crucial wickets. Bhajji is deadly when he flights the ball but he just refuses to do that regularly in the ODI's where he thinks containing and bowling flat out is required.

Also Bhajji is a liability in the batting line up whearas Kartik is not! Kartik is a decent batsman and can be counted upon to provide support to the batsman at the other end in tight situations or in the face of some serious collapse! We need to make sure that our batting line up has no liabilities in the batsmen and has all 11 people being able to bat a bit!

So I vote for Kartik to take Bhajji's spot in the ODI's. Bhajji can forge a great combination with Kartik in the tests (aided with Kumble too!).

Lets see how Agarkar performs in the remaining matches. His 4/18 is enough to keep him playing till the finals (at least for the team management)! If he performs well in the remainder of the series, then Zaheer and Balaji are going to break their heads trying to find a spot in this team! The bowling has never looked so good before!

I agree with you Sai. Kartik should be replaced for Bhajji.