Time to take tough decisions

Hi ,
India once again proved that they are the world champions of T20 cricket. It was really smooth riding for Indians. Bowlers done their job perfectly well, specially spinners. Irfan also has improved a lot after making his comeback in the team. Batting also clicked, apart from Sehwag all enjoyed their batting. The way Gambhir and Uthappa batted, they had made strong statement for their permanent seat in the team.
I thought Indian team management can lesson or two from T20 victory. Though its another version of game and some what different from ODI, we can carry on some positives from that match.
We are doing consistently well with our young guns. They bring positive energy to the team. Though our senior players are doing well, its time that they should concentrate more on Test cricket and leave ODI and T20 for our young guns. I am not saying that they should be totally phase out. But young new players should get adequate opportunity, specially when they are doing well.
Pakistan is due to come and then Indians will be visiting Australia, so some tough competition is ahead. India need to do some tough decisions.

Consolation win

Hi ………At last India was able to achieve a consolation victory. The last time India successfully chased a target against Australia was way back in 1998, in Sharjah. Since then, India have attempted the task, 18 times, and failed on 15 occasions, with three matches, including the first game of this series in Bangalore, having no result. So it was really a great victory in that sense.
In Nagpur, India was to close to the victory. But India lost its way in the middle of the innings. After losing the wicket of Sachin and Saurav, (and then Pathan), downfall starts. With required runrate more than 7 runs per over Yuvraj and Dravid was not able to rotate the strike. In the process they lost their wickets and when Dhoni and Uthappa came the target was really out of reach…………….So, where the things went wrong. Though Ganguly was brilliant with bat, his strike rate suggest that India was chasing somewhere 275 not 318. India was 3-203 in 36 overs, requiring 115 more runs to win in 14 overs with 7 wickets in hand. Why, didn’t India start onslaught from that very moment, why they let pressure to build on them selves?
We had their time in each match. All through this series, India have had Australia in some trouble early on. In the first game Australia went from 90 for 4 to 307. In the second they turned 66 for 3 into 306 and, in the third, 135 for 3 became 290. In the sixth game, Australia went from 129 for 4 to 317.
Mumbai match was just a consolation win. Hats off to Murali Kathik and Zaheer Khan, both were brilliant with bat and ball. Apart from that their was really nothing to mention in Indian credit. Well 4-2 lost looks much better than 5-1 lost.
Now India has to do some serious thinking regarding……. role of the seniors in the team (specially Dravid), batting order and fielding. Or else its really gonna be tough…….

4th ODI IND- AUS : Dhoni's Dhamaka.......

It was a thriller of a match. At last India manage to pull out a victory over mighty Aussies, after three long years in ODI's. India also broke Aussies 14 match winning streak. For India all things went right from the beginning. Our finest opening pair, Sachin and Saurav gave us once again a solid start. Though, Sachin was not in his owns in the starting overs, he good thing he had done he didn't give up his wicket. From the other end runs were coming freely from the Saurav's bat. We had good partnership and that was the key to India's big total. Though Aussie were consistently bowling body line, India had a merry in their final overs. Yuvraj, Dhoni and Uthappa done their job perfectly.

Though Hayden was on the roll from the start, maintaining close to six runs per over was always difficult. In the process they lose some wickets creating pressure on themselves. But, again Symonds played a belligerent innings. At one time when Hayden and Symonds was on the crease, Indian chance was seems to be diminishing rapidly. Then Murali got the rid of Hayden, flighting the boll, tempting Hayden to go over the top. That was a brave bowling by Murali. But, real highlight was R P Singh's where he got rid of Symonds and then run out Hogg on the next ball.

Once again India gave too many runs in the initial overs, it is something that India need to think about. Their is no value addition by Dravid playing that low in the order. So, India need to think about his position in the team. Sometimes hard decision need to be taken for the benefit of the team.

Well, for me Dhoni was again the star of the match, effecting two brillant stumpings and scoring rapid fire fifty in the final overs of the Indian innings. For, Dhoni lets all sing..........Mahi ve.....

Are we competing?

Hi, Now the Three ODI's of the series are over. And the way India lose last two matches, India winning the series seems to be distinct possibility. Forget the series; India should save themselves from the clean sweep. Its not gonna be easy. Australia are playing there best cricket, as they always do. And there reserves are as strong as there playing eleven. So, the big question is what can India do?

Well I like to put some suggestion for this..........

Dhoni or Pathan should play up the order

India is not scoring enough runs in the power plays. When the team is chasing score nearing 300. They need to take the advantage of field restrictions. We have players to that, Dhoni has done this number of times and his success rate is very high up the order so he is the best candidate for this job. All his big scores has came, when he was playing up the order. While playing down the order he is curbing his natural instinct. He is doing not any justice to himself nor to his team.
Another man who has done this job effectively is Irfan Pathan. If India lose him early that wont be a big lose but his runs at top of the order will be bonus to the Indian team. If some one says that his batting will gonna spoil his bowling, then I will say that it’s a bullshit. There is no logic at all, how one’s batting can spoil one’s bowling. People who are all advocating this please reply me back

Dravid should bat in the middle order

Dravid is the best person who can navigate the innings in the middle order. He has done it before and there is no question of why can’t he do it again. There will support from players like Yuvraj at the lower order, who can play really big shots if required. Dravid role should be to carry the Indian innings through the middle overs. Off late India is losing its way in the middle overs and losing way before the completion of the match. So Dravid need to do what, Izamam was doing for Pakistan or what Clarke is doing for Australia.

R P Singh should play

I don’t know why RP Singh is not playing. My personnel feeling is that, R P Singh is would be the good option in place of Sreesanth. R P has good control on his line and length than Sreesanth. He also don’t get carried away like Sreesanth. Aggression is good for fast bowler, but Sreesanth is showing to much. RP was one of the best bowlers in T20 WC. So his tail is up, he should play.

Harbhajan should look to take wicket

I got the feeling in the last two matches that Harbhajan is concentrating more on stopping runs than taking wickets. Best way to reduce the scoring rate is by taking wickets. Harbhajan is India’s strike bowler and he should bowl like a strike bowler.

Now, India will be playing there fourth ODI tomorrow, no doubt moral of the Indian team will be down. They may try to do all sought of things, they need to be relax in first place. Captain Dhoni has got good thinking head on his shoulder. This is really a trying conditions for him. I have faith on my captain, so do the whole India .