Too much soft cricket

[ravishingravi]

I don’t know whether the thought of world cricket domination has ever crossed the minds of Indian team think tank or management. Given how India lost the opportunity post 2011 WC and the current schedule of what really is low grade cricket with very average sides at home, I very much doubt we harbour any such ambitions. Individual record and averages seem to do it for us. 

 

India has really tough cricket in next 18 months. The world is waiting for them to fall apart and really hammer home the point of home track bullies. But instead of grooming our Young players in county cricket or planning three week preparation camp for foreign tours, we seem satisfied with playing third rate cricket with sub standard teams in home conditions to ratch up few records. 

 

It is worrying to see how the Young players seem so suspect against half decent spin. Never thought i will see this day. The technique on Day 1 of first test was complete shocker against a sub par side.  Watching the players in slips today was mind boggling. The way they are grabbing at the ball, they really are not groomed for catching in slips at test level. We had a great slip cordon earlier with Laxman and dravid. 

 

Like any Indian fan, I hope they will turn up on exam date and deliver. But quite frankly, it seems nobody cares given how the preparation is planned. It seems we are again planning to start the tour on the Backfoot. On a positive note, I believe there was deliberate strategy to prepare seamer friendly wickets to provide some level of preparation. But against such a poor side, it really isn’t enough for SA. Yes, Kohli spoke about it. But I don’t think deep down even he cares too much. In two years, we will be belting the sides at home again and talking about away wins. 

 

Do Not want to get into Manju mode. But I preferred the hard grind and competitive Ashes, to this joke of a series. I am Indian cricket fan, but also a cricket fan if you know what I mean. 

Edited December 3, 2017 by ravishingravi

[sandeep]

Overwhelming majority of the Indian fan base cares more about LOI cricket anyway.   To become world class in test cricket, and win in foreign conditions requires a level of commitment, work, planning and investment - that frankly speaking, is probably not worth it for the board.   Which is a shame.  We clearly have the personnel and player resources to accomplish this, but as you point out, there are some glaring issues that are crying out to be addressed.  

 

 

[Nonbeliever]

1 hour ago, ravishingravi said:

I don’t know whether the thought of world cricket domination has ever crossed Indian team think tank or management. Given how India lost the opportunity post 2011 WC and the current schedule of what really is low grade cricket with very average sides at home, I very much doubt we harbour any such ambitions. Individual record and averages seem to do it for us. 

 

India has really tough cricket in next 18 months. The world is waiting for them to fall apart and really hammer home the point of home track bullies. But instead of grooming our Young players in county cricket or planning three week preparation camp for foreign tours, we seem satisfied with playing third rate cricket with sub standard teams in home conditions to ratch up few records. 

 

It is worrying to see how the Young players seem so suspect against half decent spin. Never thought i will see this day. The technique on Day 1 of first test was complete shocker against a sub par side.  Watching the players in slips today was mind boggling. The way they are grabbing at the ball, they really are not groomed for catching in slips at test level. We had a great slip cordon earlier with Laxman and dravid. 

 

Like any Indian fan, I hope they will turn up on exam date and deliver. But quite frankly, it seems nobody cares given how the preparation is planned. It seems we are again planning to start the tour on the Backfoot. On a positive note, I believe there was deliberate strategy to prepare seamer friendly wickets to provide some level of preparation. But against such a poor side, it really isn’t enough for SA. Yes, Kohli spoke about it. But I don’t think deep down even he cares too much. In two years, we will be belting the sides at home again and talking about away wins. 

 

Not want to get into Manju mode. But I preferred the hard grind and competitive Ashes, to this joke of a series. I am Indian cricket fan, but also a cricket fan if you know what I mean. 

Great post..nobody cares Bhai.

[rkt.india]

On that first day first test pitch, sides don't matter. Most batting line ups will have the same fate. You conveniently forget how our best line shot out 76 at Ahmedabad.

Edited December 3, 2017 by rkt.india

[SK_IH]

@OP I have read some of your posts here,you come across as self loather,you find fault with anything/everything with this ind side but you are ready to aggrandize Ashes series where two mediocre sides are producing absolutely ordinary cricket,you must have enjoyed that hack Handscomb playing like local club level player or English bowlers trundling,the crowd the environment makes this Ashes series interesting not cricket at the moment for sure

 

As for rest of your post,every team in the world cricket these days is a home bully and Ind is no different as of now,so you are unnecessarily downgrading a very good side

[MechEng]

I would rather change the title to "Too much cricket". 20 years ago, the amount of cricket played was very controlled compared to today, so players had a lot of free time in which they would play for their counties in UK and hone their skills, they were light years behind today's cricket fitness standards but had well polished cricket skills.

[Nonbeliever]

10 minutes ago, SK_IH said:

@OP I have read some of your posts here,you come across as self loather,you find fault with anything/everything with this ind side but you are ready to aggrandize Ashes series where two mediocre sides are producing absolutely ordinary cricket,you must have enjoyed that hack Handscomb playing like local club level player or English bowlers trundling,the crowd the environment makes this Ashes series interesting not cricket at the moment for sure

 

As for rest of your post,every team in the world cricket these days is a home bully and Ind is no different as of now,so you are unnecessarily downgrading a very good side

Lakmal gamage and one more Lankan pacer (can't recall the name) are any day better than starc, hazlewood and Cummins.

 

[surajmal]

You are bad at trolling and worse at prose. Just give up already. 

[YCCC]

Personally I'm pinning my hopes on SA v India finally providing some good competitive Test cricket this English winter, but fully expecting another one sided contest with India falling apart at the first sight of pace and swing. May have to wait for SA v Aus for a competitive series and by then the new English county season will only be a month away.

[ravishingravi]

1 hour ago, SK_IH said:

@OP I have read some of your posts here,you come across as self loather,you find fault with anything/everything with this ind side but you are ready to aggrandize Ashes series where two mediocre sides are producing absolutely ordinary cricket,you must have enjoyed that hack Handscomb playing like local club level player or English bowlers trundling,the crowd the environment makes this Ashes series interesting not cricket at the moment for sure

 

As for rest of your post,every team in the world cricket these days is a home bully and Ind is no different as of now,so you are unnecessarily downgrading a very good side

Actually no. I am an ardent Indian cricket fan and would like to see my team dominate world cricket. We have a golden opportunity now again. But we seem content with bashing sides at home. 

[ravishingravi]

1 hour ago, surajmal said:

You are bad at trolling and worse at prose. Just give up already. 

Well considering that I have got that response, I might not be that bad at trolling. 

Edited December 3, 2017 by ravishingravi

[King Tendulkar]

Op Sri Lanka are crap . It’s frustrating for you to see India pound a poor team but that’s not india and kohli s fault ? 

 

Awesome play by india . Ruthless 

 

ps same Sri Lanka team that white washed Pakistan . Not sure if that means Sri Lanka better then we think or Pakistan is as bad as we think . Would like to think it’s the latter !

[SK_IH]

6 hours ago, Nonbeliever said:

Lakmal gamage and one more Lankan pacer (can't recall the name) are any day better than starc, hazlewood and Cummins.

 

I am not saying ind-sl series is of highest quality but there is no need to downgrade your side especially by exalting Ashes which has it's own share of ordinary cricketers

[SK_IH]

5 hours ago, ravishingravi said:

Actually no. I am an ardent Indian cricket fan and would like to see my team dominate world cricket. We have a golden opportunity now again. But we seem content with bashing sides at home. 

Same here but I have no problems with this side vis a vis performance,ambition.What I have issues is with lack of foresight/propensity to stick tried tested failures on the part of captaincy n team management,this I think will hold this team back from reaching good heights

[ravishingravi]

2 hours ago, SK_IH said:

Same here but I have no problems with this side vis a vis performance,ambition.What I have issues is with lack of foresight/propensity to stick tried tested failures on the part of captaincy n team management,this I think will hold this team back from reaching good heights

If they play well and get into a position to win the series, I will be moderately satisfied. But frankly, at this stage, we should expect nothing less than a series win. I do feel sad for the boys though. We are doing them no favour with this kind of preparation. 

[SK_IH]

8 minutes ago, ravishingravi said:

If they play well and get into a position to win the series, I will be moderately satisfied. But frankly, at this stage, we should expect nothing less than a series win. I do feel sad for the boys though. We are doing them no favour with this kind of preparation. 

I guess this is just too much expectation from a side  ,which has its share of weaknesses ,why such uber high hopes?   we will definitely compete better than most sides do overseas these days though

in so far scheduling goes,nothing ca be done,its the times we are living in but the situation is same for every side in the world.

[ravishingravi]

1 hour ago, SK_IH said:

I guess this is just too much expectation from a side  ,which has its share of weaknesses ,why such uber high hopes?   we will definitely compete better than most sides do overseas these days though

in so far scheduling goes,nothing ca be done,its the times we are living in but the situation is same for every side in the world.

Well. After drawing the series in 2010, which we should have won had we just prepared properly by playing a practice game. The series following that in 2015, which we lost 0-1, but should have drawn or won, but still understandable since it was relatively young team. Most of that team is included in current eleven. If as No 1 team we are not aspiring to win this series, I think we need another 10 IPLs to get ourselves straightened. 

 

On the scheduling, I wonder who planned the ODI and T20 series against NZ and SL at home. The ICC ? No. Tell me any non SC team coming to India 5 days before the first test. Sa, Aus and Eng will ve professional enough to prepare properly. Going from low bounce to high bounce is bigger challenge.  

 

I think it is amazing that we don’t aspire to be a quality test side that can win in all conditions. To me, we will never be respected without it. Ya, today most teams are stronger home. But India has a very poor history that we should be actively looking to change. 

[bhakum20]

the problem is there are really only 5 proper test playing nations in the whole freaking world! And one of them we won't play. The number of quality test teams is actually declining.

 

The golden age of cricket was from the 80's - early 2000's where there were several teams giving good competition to each other. Ideally that was the time when we should have had good pace bowlers giving stiff competition everywhere, but it was just the opposite.

 

Now I'm afraid this cycle of lions at home, lambs abroad will continue for all teams till test cricket dies within the next few decades. Sad to say but no one cares now.

[bhakum20]

For example, India should be touring NZ way more often than it does, but that will never happen. Just not enough money there.

[King Tendulkar]

Spoke to soon . Sri Lanka showing some quality