Time for Kumble?

[living]

hmm, everyone's been talking about the batting and the fast bowling. No one's bothered to question Kumble's performance? I have never thought of him as a match outside the sub continent and was very dissapointed when Bhaji was dropped for the tour. When did Bhajji last play a test? The selectors are mixing up ODI's and Tests. Harbhajan is our best test spinner by far, one of few with the doosra, and he would have played a big role in the current if he was here. Didn't anyone else notice, how Monty was asking so many questions and generating so much turn AND bouce, while Kumble was content with his striaghter one and that once in a blue moon leggie which turns provided it lands in the rough. Not questioning his achievements, he has been a great bowler for India. But more than anyone else I think its time to let him go. Even in the last test in SA. The pitch had man holes for crying out loud, and he struggled to take wickets.

[The Outsider]

Can I move this post to the Have a Laugh, Funny threads forum?

[Ram]

Can I move this post to the Have a Laugh' date=' Funny threads forum?[/quote'] Absolutely ! But for Kumble's scalps of Strauss and Collingwood , the match would have been over by now. This is an out-and-out seamers pitch.

[SightForTheGods]

Can I move this post to the Have a Laugh' date=' Funny threads forum?[/quote'] I agree...common he opened the early stingy wickets in the first inning...he took out strauss who was looking very dangerous.

[Guest BossBhai]

-- Removed on request of the user --

[Gambit]

AK and Dravid are the only ones who are indispensable at the moment. Having said that, AK was disappointing last day of 3rd test against SA.

[living]

But for Kumble's scalps of Strauss and Collingwood , the match would have been over by now. This is an out-and-out seamers pitch.

But the question is, is he really the best spinner in India? C'mon for crying out loud England seems to have to best test spinner in the world today. Kumble wasn't penetrative at all. The ball that got strauss out was nothing special more of a lapse in concentration on the batsmen's part. And the collingwood ball was again, a straighter one (plz be honest his googly's don't spin the other way, they merely hold their line) - ok credit to him for getting that wicket, but does that mean Harbhajan singh or someone else will be unable to provide such breaks? See I really applaud Kumble's achievements, but he is far too predictable now and thus isn't as effective. And comparing Kumble's and Bhajji's performance in same tests is dumb, because Kumble a lot more overs than any other spinner playing in the test. No one shares similar views?

AK and Dravid are the only ones who are indispensable at the moment. Having said that, AK was disappointing last day of 3rd test against SA.

When was the last time Bhajji got to bowl on such a track? That game was there for the taking AK was extremely disappointing that series, particularly that match where he was out-bowled by some time pass South African left arm off spinner.

[Ram]

But the question is, is he really the best spinner in India? C'mon for crying out loud England seems to have to best test spinner in the world today. Kumble wasn't penetrative at all. The ball that got strauss out was nothing special more of a lapse in concentration on the batsmen's part. And the collingwood ball was again, a straighter one (plz be honest his googly's don't spin the other way, they merely hold their line) - ok credit to him for getting that wicket, but does that mean Harbhajan singh or someone else will be unable to provide such breaks? See I really applaud Kumble's achievements, but he is far too predictable now and thus isn't as effective. And comparing Kumble's and Bhajji's performance in same tests is dumb, because Kumble a lot more overs than any other spinner playing in the test. No one shares similar views?

Living , no disrespect to you , but you probably have no idea about Kumble's monumental role in the Indian attack. The indian pace attack is very young still and prone to off-days. Those times , you need someone like to kumble to fall back on , to bring back some sanity. Nobody told he is best spinner in the world today but make no mistake , the indian team would be much worse off without him. This is a seamers track , with nearly 95 % wickets falling to the faster bowlers. Dont judge kumble based on this. Having said that , I dont think he did badly in the test either.

[living]

This is a seamers track , with nearly 95 % wickets falling to the faster bowlers. Dont judge kumble based on this

Not judging him based on the current test match's performance, but by simply comparing him with Monty and asking the question is he the best spinner in India for the job. I understand that whenever an indian captain has been let down by his bowlers he tosses the ball to AK who does the *job*. But what's the job? Hold down one end with a low econ rate of around 2.5-3 and hope that the batsman loses his cool and gifts his wicket. Take a look at his recent dismissals you will see that most of his scalps are batsmen who have little to no experience playing decent spin bowlers and in most cases over estimate the amount of spin Kumble imparts on the ball - he beats the inside edge more often than the outside ...

[The Outsider]

Except for the passage of play after lunch today when Pietersen laid into him, Kumble has done extremely well in this test match. As for the SA test, Dravid/Chappell took one of the most boneheaded decisions in history to have someone like Kumble bowling into the rough from round the wicket.

[living]

ummm, so Kumble had no say in the matter - which side he should bowl from and pitch it where? c'mon its ignorant to think that it was a team management decision. The change in sides occurred simply because he wasn't getting anything done from over the wicket - other than keeping that end tight. But to win that bloody test we needed to take wickets.

[The Outsider]

ummm, so Kumble had no say in the matter - which side he should bowl from and pitch it where?

Perhaps he did and he deserves the blame for that test if that was the case because he has NEVER succeeded bowling the round the stump line. But so what, he failed in one test that too in South Africa not exactly known for spin bowling accomplishments. Remember, Harbhajan was our first choice spinner abroad before the Aussie '03-'04 tour and did jack$hit averaging 40 runs per wicket.

[King]

Monty has 1 wicket against his name so far. I guess going by this logic, he should be dropped the next game?

[living]

I never said number of wickets, but the manner in which the two spinners bowled.

[King Tendulkar]

it bothers me to no end when people talk about the "subcontinent" in almost derogatory terms be it while discussing Bowling or Batting achievements ... how do we manage to do that ? Its either easy to bat or bowl or there is middle ground . You cant say if discussing Indian bowling then its a minefield but if discussing opposition bowling IN India then its a flat pitch .... I REALLY want to know how we manage to do this double talk.

VERY good point, Very good post! This double talk is outrageous! As for questioning Jumbo this is madness!

[living]

But you have to agree SPIN bowling in the sub continent is much easier. I've played a lot of club cricket in Mumbai, and the pitches CRUMBLE after 2-3 days making it very hard to play spinners. In general, batting teams have put up big scores in the sub continent more often than anywhere else, which is why we say GENERALLY in the subcontinent pitches are flat. I understand what you guys are trying to say - for example I hated it when ppl would say that Ganguly centuries against Kenya were not so important or were easy. But the fact was had he not scored those runs we would have lost those WC matches.

[CC1981]

As for questioning Jumbo this is madness!

Not really. Biggest difference between Jumbo & Warne/Murali : Jumbo has always been rather mediocre overseas, apart from one or two series here and there.

[King Tendulkar]

Not really. Biggest difference between Jumbo & Warne/Murali : Jumbo has always been rather mediocre overseas, apart from one or two series here and there.

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[CC1981]

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Fact or not ? I am not asking him to be dropped- he is our MVP bowler by a longshot- but fact is, Kumble is not a great bowler (merely average) outside the subcontinent.

[King Tendulkar]

He is a very good bowler. To call him average is madness.