Print

Please post once and this message will disappear! Introduce yourself, say hello, jump into a discussion...

[dextrous]

[Live Cricket Chat]: arjun has entered at 12:20 pm
[suraj] 12:20 pm: we  have a psychological block against Windies now
[justforkix] 12:21 pm: CPaul says he gets lotz of runs against indian attack because it is the crappiest attack he's faced         
[caught and bowled] 12:21 pm: DRavids captaincy was also brainless today....
[dhruvdeepak] 12:21 pm: i agree
[suraj] 12:21 pm: Well I put most of the blame on RD's dismissal and his captaincy for this defeat
[dhruvdeepak] 12:21 pm: captaincy was pathetic
[dhruvdeepak] 12:21 pm: anyways gotta go
[dhruvdeepak] 12:21 pm: tata boys
[ramshorns] 12:22 pm: From what it is worth somehow they need to bring in Kaif and Mongia for Raina and RP Singh against Aussies.
[arjun] 12:22 pm: let India win agst the Aus and all will be forgiven
[suraj] 12:22 pm: his run out was the clutch point in our batting
[Live Cricket Chat]: losingnow has left at 12:22 pm
[Live Cricket Chat]: losingnow has entered at 12:22 pm
[ramshorns] 12:22 pm: Those are high hopes
[justforkix] 12:22 pm: rams - i agree
[suraj] 12:22 pm: and his reluctance to introduce VS
[suraj] 12:22 pm: and spin at the right time
[ramshorns] 12:23 pm: I think JFK they will do that
[suraj] 12:23 pm: let Windies get too many runs
[losingnow] 12:23 pm: suraj: r u filing the post mortem soon
[losingnow] 12:23 pm: i did not see the game..but appears like they got the selection wrong once again and RD's captaincy has been
bad..correct
[suraj] 12:24 pm: yeah lets start with the selction; DM not being in
[suraj] 12:24 pm: not understandable at all
[ramshorns] 12:24 pm: LN:I think more than the selection somehow they should have scores 250 at home
[caught and bowled] 12:24 pm: And the number of times Dravid has got run-out, I think very soon he will overtake Inzzy
[suraj] 12:24 pm: four medium pacers?
[ramshorns] 12:25 pm: That to me is the issue and hate Pathan at 3
[suraj] 12:25 pm: then going on to batting
[justforkix] 12:25 pm: my batting order will be VS, SRT, MK, YS, RD, DM, MSD, IP
[suraj] 12:25 pm: wkts falling at the wrong time
[ramshorns] 12:25 pm: JFK I think something like that
[suraj] 12:26 pm: Lara uses his main 4 bowlers at a stretch and we lost our prime batsmen befor ethe 5th bowler was even
introduced!!!
[justforkix] 12:26 pm: selecting SR today and not DM was ridiculous to put it mildly
[losingnow] 12:26 pm: suraj/rams: selection of RPS does not make sense. Also, agree 250 is a MUST score
[arjun] 12:26 pm: don't bring back kaif, bring powar instead
[suraj] 12:26 pm: RD's unneccessary run out
[arasheed] 12:26 pm: we have seen enough of IP at 3. its should be MK or somebody else
[losingnow] 12:26 pm: ...and What is with Virrooooo... when will he deliver?
[caught and bowled] 12:26 pm: The logic I have heard for Pathan is, if Sehwag goes quickly, he is sent up at 3 to up the run rate and since
sehwag is failing more often, pathan keeps coming at 3
[suraj] 12:27 pm: followed by both SR and MSD's total failure to score singles- SR is so out of form
[ramshorns] 12:27 pm: Yes LN I agree Powar or Mongia for RP would have been decisive
[justforkix] 12:27 pm: but with a pitch with pace and bounce at mohali, there is no hope for us
[suraj] 12:27 pm: MSD eventually did hi *ting job
[justforkix] 12:27 pm: Lee and Mitchell will eat us
[suraj] 12:27 pm: only to be followed by completely baffling captaincy by Dravid
[losingnow] 12:27 pm: jfk: agree.. we will not beat Aus at Mohali..impossible. Let's forget about this tournament
[ramshorns] 12:27 pm: JFK:Safe to say we are in for a up-hill battle
[arasheed] 12:28 pm: current indian team is one of the poorest. i never expect them to win any thing now....pathetic
[losingnow] 12:28 pm: Suraj: RD's captaincy started getting bad in WI..and since then it has been on a decline..SAD
[justforkix] 12:28 pm: only hope is a slow rank turner     
[ramshorns] 12:28 pm: Arasheed:I am with you on that, frustrated
[suraj] 12:28 pm: defending 223- RDthrew the ball to IP, AA and RPS over after over even after it became clear spinners will have
to do the job today
[arjun] 12:28 pm: So where has the 'process' taken us now?
[justforkix] 12:29 pm: just shae off all the grass and let it dry in the sun for the next 48 hours     
[losingnow] 12:29 pm: arjun: this is not about process.. it is about using brains while applying process
[losingnow] 12:29 pm: process for process' sake is a recipe for disaster
[caught and bowled] 12:29 pm: I mentioned it earlier, could Ganguly, Laxman and Kumble do any worse??
[ramshorns] 12:29 pm: C&B:The answer is no.
[suraj] 12:29 pm: well ganguly is defintely a worse option
[arjun] 12:30 pm: Process does not improve brains then!    
[suraj] 12:30 pm: Laxman and Kumble may give us better chance of winning
[justforkix] 12:30 pm: nope because VS and SR are scoring only 0s and you can't score < 0     
[losingnow] 12:30 pm: c&b: Ganguly, laxmand and kumble are past ..let's not take 1 step forward and 2 backward.. right now we are taling 1
forwarrd and 1 backward
[suraj] 12:30 pm: Laxman can provide the solidarity in batting
[caught and bowled] 12:30 pm: suraj, atleast these guys have years of experience and can use their brians unlike the Rainas of the world
[losingnow] 12:30 pm: btw, how was the fielding
[suraj] 12:31 pm: c&B SG is done now
[suraj] 12:31 pm: History
[justforkix] 12:31 pm: rains on top it dropped Gayle and that cost us 30 runs !!!!
[suraj] 12:31 pm: VVS and AK shd not be ruled out
[justforkix] 12:31 pm: suraj - AK for RP is foregone conclusion
[suraj] 12:31 pm: but I wud first try DM
[caught and bowled] 12:32 pm: LN, Suraj, I am not advocating anything...jsut thinkingout loud...I am totally frustrated looking at whats
happening for the last so many months
[arjun] 12:32 pm: History! Who knows!
[ramshorns] 12:32 pm: LN:I am diappointed you said that if VVS or AK are in the team now it is like taking 2 steps back.
[justforkix] 12:32 pm: whenever AK gets fit
[suraj] 12:32 pm: VVS and AK being the past is a fallacy

[LosingNow]

Rams: I am not sure the seniors will come back

[suraj]

Rams: I am not sure the seniors will come back

SG- definitely history
VVS- can still provide the backbone in batting if fit and gets to prove himself
AK- never ruled out, still a strong bowling option

[LosingNow]

WI has our number!!

[dextrous]

WI has our number!!

well, we seem to only have england's number

[LosingNow]

Rams: I am not sure the seniors will come back

SG- definitely history
VVS- can still provide the backbone in batting if fit and gets to prove himself
AK- never ruled out, still a strong bowling option

I think they could have used Powar today .. he was one of our best bowlers in the match against England. I am still miffed at RD's team selection and captaincy.
It has been downhill since WI ODIs.

[caught and bowled]

More than Powar, it was the person selected in his place, RP Singh, who caused me more grief. Even without Powar we had 3 slower bowlers: Harbhjan, Sehwag and Yuvraj. Our batting has been doing badly, they should have either taken Kaif or Mongia in place of Singh

[LosingNow]

BTW, IP bowling has gone to the toilet!

[caught and bowled]

LN, agree we really need to evaluate Pathan's position in the team

[ramshorns]

Rams: I am not sure the seniors will come back

LN:More than vouching for a particular player I advocate taking decisions based on logic.  I strongly feel after seeing this team since the WI's tour in the ODI's it needs a few changes.  I hope Vengsarkar will step in and recommend the necessary changes to Dravid and Chappell.  It is worrying the way they are playing at the moment.  Remember the 4 straight losses in the WI's, the DLF cup and today at home. 

[suraj]

BTW, IP bowling has gone to the toilet!

Right now MP and HS are our only true "sureshot" bowlers. They of course cannot shine everyday but seems like atleast they are a notch above others. I don't think the situation is going to change much even till and in the WC- this is why I thot the whole mantra of flexible players was being mooted so there can be compensation from part-timers depending on conditions. AA will surely be included in the team- that still leaves bowlers like SS, IP, RPS, VRV, RP who will blow hot and cold on any given day. AK is another option but first has to be brought back in the team.

So with all this uncertainity:

When was the last time Raina bowled??
How much has Yuvi been used in bowling??
Wasn't one of the reasons DM was being selected was that he bowled well in county too?
Why is there reluctance to use VS even when RPS and IP are getting whipped?

Are we avoiding experimentation here for some "process" reason? Mere sawalon ka jawaab do.

[caught and bowled]

Cosy in their comfort zones

The Verdict by Dileep Premachandran at Ahmedabad

October 26, 2006


 
'What does it say of a man that he keeps getting out the same way time after time?' © Getty Images
 
 

On the eve of this game, one of India's many TV channels broke a story about Greg Chappell having harsh words for his wards before a practice session. In a country where analysis of sport on TV remains laughably slapstick, such things make news - a coach actually having a go at his players? Perish the thought! But after this shambles of a performance, some of those players should be profoundly grateful that they don't play for an Alex Ferguson or a Vince Lombardi. If that had been the case, cups and saucers or boots would surely have been thrown around the dressing room, with one or two repeat offenders banished into the frozen tundra forever.

The litany of woe started right at the top with Virender Sehwag. What does it say of a man when he plays in the same team as two of the greatest batsmen of all time - and coached by another - that he keeps getting out the same way time after time? Does it show an unwillingness to learn, a man so deeply entrenched in a comfort zone that he can't even make the effort? Or is he another Jerry Lee Lewis, who once proclaimed: "If I'm going to hell, I'm going there playing the piano", the difference being that Sehwag doesn't seem to be able to manage more than a few notes before the curtain rushes down.

The cameo is something that comes naturally to Suresh Raina as well these days. If he wasn't making a run, you could just write it off as bad form, or bad luck. But when a batsman manages to get a start, and then throws it away in a variety of ways, it reveals a deeper malaise. The way he's being utilised also needs to be looked at carefully. If the contention is that Raina offers a greater matchwinning option than Mohammad Kaif, who had three 50s in his last 10 outings, then he should be batting at No.3 where he has the time to construct an innings.

With teams having exercised caution during the Power Plays thanks to the prevalent conditions in this tournament, Irfan Pathan's big-hitting capabilities would surely have been more useful lower down the order. In conditions that cried out for attritional disciplined cricket, batsman after batsman chose the Bollywood option. But for Rahul Dravid's splendid 49, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni's wonderfully restrained 51, it was an abysmal showing, one that would have had Brett Lee and friends licking their lips up country. Later in the day, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Runako Morton showed how it should be done, with beautifully paced innings that made easy work of a challenging target before the inexplicable wobble at the finish.

With the exception of the dogged Munaf Patel, India's bowling with the new ball was just as woeful. Pathan got some swing, but offered up a four-ball every so often, while Rudra Pratap Singh's shoddy display merely made the selectors look foolish for having left out S Sreesanth. An atrocious bit of fielding on the rope, and two tennis-ball bouncers that Chanderpaul pulled contemptuously for four summed up his evening.

Both Pathan and RP Singh could have learnt so much from Ian Bradshaw and Dwayne Smith, who recognise their own limitations and the state of the pitch far better than most. Bradshaw is one of one-day cricket's invisible stars, a man who almost guarantees you two or three wickets in the course of a miserly spell. As for Smith, he slips easily into the sort of role that Gavin Larsen once performed with such distinction for New Zealand.

And then there was Jerome Taylor, long-limbed and languid in the best tradition of West Indian quicks. His sterling display, both with the new ball and later in the innings, was proof if any was needed that there's always a place for genuine pace. On paper, it may not be the most lethal attack in the world, but the way Brian Lara, and Sarwan against Australia, shuffle the pack around has been an object lesson for many.

India's foibles extended to the field as well, with Raina's drop of Chris Gayle proving extremely costly at the start. A batsman of the calibre of VVS Laxman has been excluded on the grounds that his fielding isn't up to scratch, but when those that replace him aren't worth more than 15 or 20 runs with the bat, it makes you wonder about the wisdom of sidelining a man who has one-day hundreds against Australia and Pakistan.

Harbhajan Singh's continued excellence with the ball made defeat appear respectable, but in reality it was anything but. Having got their bad game out of the way in an inconsequential tie against Sri Lanka, West Indies are looking ominously good in defence of their title, while India look every inch a side that misplaced their self-belief sometime during the off season. The chances of rediscovering it on a bouncy Mohali pitch against Australia must be rated very slim indeed.

Dileep Premachandran is features editor of Cricinfo

© Cricinfo

[LosingNow]

LN:More than vouching for a particular player I advocate taking decisions based on logic.  I strongly feel after seeing this team since the WI's tour in the ODI's it needs a few changes.  I hope Vengsarkar will step in and recommend the necessary changes to Dravid and Chappell.  It is worrying the way they are playing at the moment.  Remember the 4 straight losses in the WI's, the DLF cup and today at home. 

Agree.. they are on a terrible downslide. I am not sure if adding seniors is the fix though... part of it is what Suraj is suggesting - we just dont have GOOD horses. period. So we have to keep rotating them and hope one or two succeed.
The larger problem - the sawalon ka jawab that Suraj is asking- is cleary RD's at times boneheaded captaincy and selection. Even if he gets the horses, I think he is slowly turning out to be the wrong jockey on the field. He defies logic - and no process in the world says "be illogical and stop using common sense"

[ThankYouChappel]

For me here are the reason of our offlate poor showing -
1)Selection of Kaif and Raina in the 14 - They both are just fielders.. Kaif has played an inexplicable number of matches and he has proven than he can never win a match for us barring any strange astronomy.. Raina well, less said the better about his batting.. these guys can at their best play on truely pancake pitches and only when inserted in a already good situation..

2)Selection of RP singh in the 14 - why ohh why.. I seriously believe that he cant just be depended upon whatever be the situation.. so He is just not good enough.. Atleast Srisanth can get us a wicket occasionaly, this guys cant. He is just a club level bowler..

So what out our options -  Get a RU or GG.. anyday they are better than Kaif or Raina in terms of the contibution they can make.. atleast in known Indian sub continental conditions.. and they were the form players in the friendlies our team played prior to this tournament..

[dextrous]

For a change I like Premchandran's article. This is what I've been saying all along. What's the purpose of a Raina in this World Cup? Someone who has scored one/two centuries at FC level cannot even be expected to do so at international level. We are very close to the WC, there's not much RU can do to justify a place. However, with someone like VVS/AK/(and if he gets back in form) SG, we have people who can give us what these guys give at the very least, PLUS the chance to win.

How in the world do we even expect to win against the Aussies short of a once-in-a-lifetime innings by Tendulkar or Dhoni or Sehwag. Aussies, on the other hand, can beat us by just being consistent. Our consistent is not good enough because our consistent has players like Raina, who are not even expected to score a 50 on a good day!

[yorker]

If pitches for world cup stay same way as they were in last tour, I think we should look to players like VVS, who have experience and range of shots. We need someone who wants to stay at wicket and make use of all the overs. Something like what chanderpaul did today. Keep blocking and nudging till you get loose ball and whack it.

This world cup would be very interesting if 220-250 would be typical scores. Patience + experience will win matches. And ofcourse we definitely need AK. Time to drop "Stay the course" strategy. Even Dubya is changing   .. whats wrong in revisiting our strategies.

[suraj]

If pitches for world cup stay same way as they were in last tour, I think we should look to players like VVS, who have experience and range of shots. We need someone who wants to stay at wicket and make use of all the overs. Something like what chanderpaul did today. Keep blocking and nudging till you get loose ball and whack it.

This world cup would be very interesting if 220-250 would be typical scores. Patience + experience will win matches. And ofcourse we definitely need AK. Time to drop "Stay the course" strategy. Even Dubya is changing   .. whats wrong in revisiting our strategies.

Exactly!!!

[dextrous]

If pitches for world cup stay same way as they were in last tour, I think we should look to players like VVS, who have experience and range of shots. We need someone who wants to stay at wicket and make use of all the overs. Something like what chanderpaul did today. Keep blocking and nudging till you get loose ball and whack it.

This world cup would be very interesting if 220-250 would be typical scores. Patience + experience will win matches. And ofcourse we definitely need AK. Time to drop "Stay the course" strategy. Even Dubya is changing   .. whats wrong in revisiting our strategies.

Exactly!!!

We need a timetable (or as dubya would say, benchmarks) to ease back the veterans into the team ;-)

Although, honestly, I don't see GC allowing that.

[justforkix]

Since, there is ZILCH chance that GC will bring back VS and SG into the team, we can only hope and pray that the current batters in the squad find some form before WC07 because I don't think replacing VS/MK/DM/SR with RU/GG/VR will bring about any positive change.

[suraj]

If pitches for world cup stay same way as they were in last tour, I think we should look to players like VVS, who have experience and range of shots. We need someone who wants to stay at wicket and make use of all the overs. Something like what chanderpaul did today. Keep blocking and nudging till you get loose ball and whack it.

This world cup would be very interesting if 220-250 would be typical scores. Patience + experience will win matches. And ofcourse we definitely need AK. Time to drop "Stay the course" strategy. Even Dubya is changing   .. whats wrong in revisiting our strategies.

Exactly!!!

We need a timetable (or as dubya would say, benchmarks) to ease back the veterans into the team ;-)

Although, honestly, I don't see GC allowing that.

umm since we are looking ar only 2 veterans shouldn't be hard to draw a timetable for a revisit- and it is really a revisit because there is no gurantee that they will outperform and be a sureshot.

So for example VVS can be tried again in SA series if he is fit and same thing with AK- I wud still like to see DM getting some more chances- makes no sense for a player to be recognized for his improved form, seclected for the team and then be told to cool his heels while a 19 yr old gets chances.

[LosingNow]

If pitches for world cup stay same way as they were in last tour, I think we should look to players like VVS, who have experience and range of shots. We need someone who wants to stay at wicket and make use of all the overs. Something like what chanderpaul did today. Keep blocking and nudging till you get loose ball and whack it.

This world cup would be very interesting if 220-250 would be typical scores. Patience + experience will win matches. And ofcourse we definitely need AK. Time to drop "Stay the course" strategy. Even Dubya is changing   .. whats wrong in revisiting our strategies.

Exactly!!!

We need a timetable (or as dubya would say, benchmarks) to ease back the veterans into the team ;-)

I never thought the day would come when one would cite Dubya as an example for change ;-)

[suraj]

Since, there is ZILCH chance that GC will bring back VS and SG into the team, we can only hope and pray that the current batters in the squad find some form before WC07 because I don't think replacing VS/MK/DM/SR with RU/GG/VR will bring about any positive change.

Why does DM deserve to be replaced??- I mean the only chance he got he grabbed it but why wud we look for  a replacement for  a guy who wa snot even allowed to play since then??

[justforkix]

Also, I think we must seriously consider the following batting order for the Australia game :

DM, SRT, MK, YS, RD, VS, MSD, IP, HS, AA, MP.

[caught and bowled]

If Chappel cant see reason, he should be read the riot act. Someone like Vengsarkar can talk to him as an equal..

Frankly, Gambhir, Rao or Utthapa DONT have the class we are looking for..

[suraj]

If Chappel cant see reason, he should be read the riot act. Someone like Vengsarkar can talk to him as an equal..

Frankly, Gambhir, Rao or Utthapa DONT have the class we are looking for..

Rao for ODIs

[dextrous]

If Chappel cant see reason, he should be read the riot act. Someone like Vengsarkar can talk to him as an equal..

Frankly, Gambhir, Rao or Utthapa have the class we are looking for..

Rao for One Day--def. not.
Uthappa -- needs to prove hismelf in domestic games.
Gambhir -- starting to look good, esp. in challenger. should get some games at sehwag's expense.

[justforkix]

Since, there is ZILCH chance that GC will bring back VS and SG into the team, we can only hope and pray that the current batters in the squad find some form before WC07 because I don't think replacing VS/MK/DM/SR with RU/GG/VR will bring about any positive change.

Why does DM deserve to be replaced??- I mean the only chance he got he grabbed it but why wud we look for  a replacement for  a guy who wa snot even allowed to play since then??

Disagree. Either he was selfish or lacks brains. Both are bad. Also, a similar case can be made about MK who had a good series in WI and since then got only 1 ODI. I just included all players who don't have a guaranteed spot in the XI as of now.

[hastalavistababy]

Also, I think we must seriously consider the following batting order for the Australia game :

DM, SRT, MK, YS, RD, VS, MSD, IP, HS, AA, MP.

But sack GC before Australia game

[justforkix]

Rao for One Day--def. not.
Uthappa -- needs to prove hismelf in domestic games.
Gambhir -- starting to look good, esp. in challenger. should get some games at sehwag's expense.

BAH. So, that he scores those 20s and 30s and gets out again and again !!!! IMO, GG is just another Vikram Rathore and so is DM.

I think gien the nature of pitches in WI, DM should be given as many opportunities to proe himself before WC squad selection deadline.

[dextrous]

Rao for One Day--def. not.
Uthappa -- needs to prove hismelf in domestic games.
Gambhir -- starting to look good, esp. in challenger. should get some games at sehwag's expense.

BAH. So, that he scores those 20s and 30s and gets out again and again !!!! IMO, GG is just another Vikram Rathore and so is DM.

I think gien the nature of pitches in WI, DM should be given as many opportunities to proe himself before WC squad selection deadline.

dm needs to have done something drastic...last time at WC, i was ready to kill him. i kept wondering, what is he in the team for...

[LosingNow]

Shastri on CI...
1. Team Selection : Dropping Powar and playing 4 seamers in Indian conditions .. a stupid idea and a luxury even a Maharaja could not afford
2. Batting order : puzzling

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/talk/content/current/multimedia/264678.html

[LosingNow]

...and Sanjay Manjrekar alluding to "dressing room problems" at the end of his views..

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/talk/content/current/multimedia/264693.html

[LosingNow]

Reason for optimism?

We could not beat WI on an India-friendly pitch ...and we hope to beat Aus on a bouncy Mohali track.

[justforkix]

Reason for optimism?

We could not beat WI on an India-friendly pitch ...and we hope to beat Aus on a bouncy Mohali track.

speak for yourself. I already know the result of that match 

[ramshorns]

More than losing one game what bothers me is the team's approach. 

Why is Pathan coming in at 3 each game.

Why did they go with 4 seamers. 

Is it all GC or is RD even calling any shots.  If so then why 4 seamers in conditions he grew up and played in all his career. 

What is SRT doing.  Are his opinions even taken into consideration. 

Was it a folly declaring RD the captain till the end of WC. 

Can they change the captain now or is that too late.

All kinds of things are cropping up since the DLF cup and today after the defeat I think these are all very legitimate complains I have and they have merit.

[suraj]

Shastri on CI...
1. Team Selection : Dropping Powar and playing 4 seamers in Indian conditions .. a stupid idea and a luxury even a Maharaja could not afford
2. Batting order : puzzling

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/talk/content/current/multimedia/264678.html

The first one is very obvious - I won't go as far as saying that Powar shd have been selected- that is hindsight but defeinitely the sudden inclusion of RPS makes no sense at all. Excluding RPS- we could have easily selected RP or DM.

I am not as bothered about batting order-eventually folks need to fire you can tinker here and there but the fact remains when you top 6-7 batsmen get a chance they need to score. It is not like if Raina bats at no. 3 he will suddenly make 10000 runs or if IP drops down, Yuvi's average will improve. Basic scoring according to the conditions has to be done.

One observation that Shastri did not make is the captaincy. Despite the batting failure, we still had a chance because Windies can collapse any time but if the captain is repeatedly going to hand the ball to a bowler who is getting whipped you have to blame the lack of thought process.

[Jai]

Reason for optimism?

We could not beat WI on an India-friendly pitch ...and we hope to beat Aus on a bouncy Mohali track.

speak for yourself. I already know the result of that match 

Ah, I always suspected we have a fixer amongst us !! 

[Jai]

ABP reporting that KM was very much present in the nets giving the boys catch practice and GC was seen interacting with him a lot while Vengy and GC didn't talk much. Vengy is also against IP batting at #3. Aage aage dekho hota hai kya !!

[dextrous]

ABP reporting that KM was very much present in the nets giving the boys catch practice and GC was seen interacting with him a lot while Vengy and GC didn't talk much. Vengy is also against IP batting at #3. Aage aage dekho hota hai kya !!

I bet More's presence annoys a lot of cricketers.

Perhaps, he will get a gig as GC's assistant?

[inoc]

india lost this match in the dressing room and in the mind.

we picked RPS because the wicket was slightly green. what were the local experts doing. why werent they asked what was the likely nature of the wicket? we are playing at home and should have that advantage. a DM could have been advantageous because we scored 25 runs between  over 30 and 40. although that is simply not good enough in most situations the psychological advantage of having another batsman in the hut would have let us play a little more freely and get those 25/30 runs that RD wanted.

With the continuation of SRs backing we have now a batsman not in form but also feeling the heat of his non performance. he needs to be away from the limelight and not thrust into it. he was looking like a deer in the headlights and was the cause of those 25 runs in the ten overs. even his fielding suffered.

indian teams body language was that of a defeated team except for maybe harbhajan (but he probably doesnt have any other body language). lack of any planning was evident. there was no plan B/C/D. i will give dhoni credit for changing his batting style according to the situation but his performance also lacked the flair and felt as if he was under pressure.
on the other hand the west indians despite the wobble at the end had confidence and plans which were plain to see and executed them perfectly as well. jerome taylors bowling at the death was outstanding.

whether we win on sunday or not a long list of questions need to be answered and i hope vengsarkar and co. are up to it.