Archive for the ‘India Vs New Zealend 09’ Category
2-0 would have been better
This was a Test when effective 3rd and 4th bowler could have got the result in Indian favor. Ishant was off color and Munaf was as usual ridiculous. I mean what is the use of getting him in the team? When captain doesnt trust him to bowl more than 10 overs in an innings followed by his attitude followed by irritating habit to run to the bowler 100 times better than him and offer him free advice after every delivery ?
No attempt to bowl bouncers, no attempt to bowl different length. Much said about him in this blog and other blogs. he is not the kind of bowler you would turn to maintain the pressure after 2 bowlers have done the hard work to put pressure.
And one more thing comes in here to ask. Why was no Sachin Tendulkar given bowling before?
No doubt that Indians are now a different Test team altogether. Better than South africans and Australians, but to be like Aussies of yore, the Indians would need to go for the kill in every Test match and remove the weak links like Munfa Patel.
Wellington recession
I hope for a wicket to fall and somebody out of MS or Yuvraj comes in to step up the gas. 550+ should be an ideal target for the demoralised Kiwis to chase.
जीत की और बढ़ता भारत….
तेंदुलकर का यह छतवा किवी दौरा है और द्रविड़ का तीसरा। इससे पहले कभी भी यह दोनों नज़ से विजयी टीम का हिस्सा बनकर नही लौटे। बहुत प्रबल सम्भावना है की इस बारी यह सम्भव होगा और इस जोड़ी ने अपने अल्लोचाको को मुहतोड़ जवाब दिया होगा जो श्रीलंका के हादसे के बाद इन्हे क्रिकेट छोड़ने की बात कर रहे थे।
दूसरी पारी में सहवाग से एक शतक की दरकार होगी और यह उम्मीद होगी की वो अपना विकट दान नही करे। आज का खेल पूरी तरह से ज़हीर खान के नाम रहा है। न सिर्फ़ उन्होंने ५ विकट लिए बल्कि बहुमूल्य ३३ रन भी बनाये।
१००वि टेस्ट जीत अब ज्यादा दूर नही है। दूर हटो ऐ ऑस्ट्रेलिया और अफ्रीका वालो, टेस्ट सरताज खिताब हमारा हैं। टेस्ट में बेस्ट होना , यह संकल्प हमारा है…दूर हटो ऐ दुनिया वालो क्रिकेट पर राज हमारा है.
Very soon Sachin and Rahul are going to step to play their last innings in New Zealend for their illustrative career. And the way Zaheer has been bowling, it seems that innings would come in a memorable winning cause.
Sachin is touring NZ 5th time and Dravid 3rd time. Never before they were part of winning team. The duo has hit back hard at the critics who suggested them retire post diaster in SL.
It would be glad if Sehwag scores a 100 (I wrote this when NZ were 9/186) in 2nd innings and doesnt throw his wicket away. But the man of the day has been Zaheer who not only made 33 invaluable runs but also took 5 wkts for 65 runs.
Right now 100th Test win doesnt seem too far and also the crown of the world championship seems within the reach. The coming age belongs to the Indian cricket team.
100th Test win in pursuit!!
100th Test win beckons and it would be great to do that in a venue where we havent won in 33 years.
India’s day on day 4 in Napier Test
India inched towards the safety in Napier Test almost. Provided there is no madness set in the camps on final day. Its futile to expect the lower middle order to contribute much given the likes of Dancer and Yuvraj who strangely is back to his older ways in Test cricket. I still feel he should be persisted in the Tests. Hats off to Gambhir for a restrained 100. His job is not cut out yet. Spend as much as time tomorrow in the middle. One wicket more and then Laxman comes in. After him, not much hope. Dancer would continue to get out in cheap fashion and then nod on the way back to the hut as if he has scored big and got out unfortunately. Amazing man. Wonder what India lost when he was the opener with Jaffer in 2007 prior to Sehwag ’s return in Adelaide. Gambhir was itching to go out and hit the spinners, but Dravid first and then Tendulkar controlled him. Result out in the open. His most valuable 100 after the 206 in final Test against Australia. His 5 hundreds now have come against Australia, England and New Zealand (1 against BD). His average now reads a glorious 52 and he also finished 2000 runs in Tests, something which only 2 lefties in India did before : Saurav and Ajit Wadekar.
Though only 205 runs were scored in the day, Indians showed that they can play old fashioned defensive Test cricket too and it was not boring to watch. It was a shift of gear as per the situation. Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid showed the true value of experience. Dravid would be a miffed man, given the way he got out and the way he showed emotions, something which never come out of him. He has silenced his critics who asked him to quit the game. 3 50s, 1 hundred and a duck in last 6 Test innings reflects that he has got his nick back and looks good to carry on even further. Laxman something needs to do to bat well with the tail enders. He has been unable to do so well off late.
All in all it was a good day for India, though it came a bit late. If Gambhir and Tendulkar are able to save one more session then there are very good chances that the Test match would be saved and India would then go for the kill in the final Test from 4/3.
Good and bad thing about Napier test
Good thing is that the big guns have been in runs. Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman have got runs.
Bad thing is none of them could play a big innings as Ryder, McCullum and Taylor did
Good thing is that Dhoni is now numero Uno captain of India.
Bad thing is that Sehwag isn’t a captaincy material.
Good thing is that Sehwag is batting fluently.
Bad thing is that he is getting out too often cheap when his contributions are needed the most.
Good thing is MS is out of the game, so losing blame won’t be on him.
Bad thing is that he is injured. So the called luck factor is lacking.
Another bad thing is Dancer got in the team………And even worse is he got out on 5.
Dropped 6 catches and got out cheaply. So is he worth being a traveler in the team?
He should be kicked out from the team ASAP.
Bad thing is Yuvraj’s test failures continue. He is no replacement and match for his guru, his mentor and his idol Saurav Ganguly.
From here if we cud draw the game, it would be a great achievement. Kolkata – 01 beckons.
Dancer steps in on the 22 Yards!!
Paradigam shift
Polishing the tail off
Munaafa ya Ghata ?
There is just no variation. Just 3 kinda balls:
- Sliding down the leg side
- Just outside off stump
- Too far outside off stump
The first one is milked for runs down the leg side giving easy singles. Second one either is left on and or just left away. When it swings a bit inside, the lbw appeal is turned off. The third one is hit for fours..
He has got wkts. 5 of them so far. So he stays. In Napier he would be the 11th man on the team sheet. No bouncers, no slower uns, no aggressive looks, same lax attitude, sheepish grin.
