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I had high hopes, naturally. Sadly, it was not to be. Yes I feel very sad/upset. But, I am proud of how you fought from being bottom of the pile to almost 4th. To beat favourites Eng & a unbeaten NZ was inspirational. The 92 vs 19 comparison was fun whilst it lasted..gave padosis a scare infact :D Indian’s can diss all they want but fact is Ind cricket is far superior. Good luck to them in the semi’s & final! As for Pak team, I am looking forward to the retirement of Malik & Hafeez..two very average cricketers that have had a free ride for the last 10yrs. I believe these two have been a massive obstacle. We’ll be back stronger in 2023.

PCB missing a trick here. They should let their players wear suicide vests as a tribute to the terrorists.

I have waited a long time for this day ! 4 Indian fast bowlers, terrorizing the opposition batters with pace, bounce, accuracy and movement ... and winning a test away from home. 20 wickets were taken for the test, 60 wickets for the series ... opposition batters were hit on the head, body and fingers. Bumrah ... pace, bounce, accuracy and seam movement Shami ... pace, bounce, swing and seam movement Bhuvi ... accuracy, swing and astuteness Ishant ... tall and economical workhorse with decent pace Lots of new fast bowlers coming up ... Saini the best prospect for tests. Good days ahead for Indian fast bowling fans ! Cheers ! A lot of credit goes to Kohli too ... Kohli ko pace pasand hai !

Y'day, I went to a restaurant and loved the food. I complimented the chef for his good work but the chef gave the credit to Dhoni, who had advised on the composition of the ingredients! Dhoni

Say what you want but its very commendable the way Inzy & co (Pak selectors) giving chances to young players regularly. Their U19 world cup squad was atrocious with only 1 good player Shaheen Shah Afridi. They realized his potential and straight away drafted him into national side. They make no bones of it. And here we are with our ignoramus selectors. In the same world cup, the likes of Shubhman Gill and Prithvi Shaw flared better than Afridi. But we choose to give more chances to Raina rather. The star of previous U19 world cup Rishabh Pant is still on the awaiting list. I am a huge Dhoni fan but what is he still doing in T20 team with no WC in sight? What happened to likes of Mavi, Nagarkotti etc? Lokesh Rahul forced his way back onto the team...else we would still have Rahane playing at no.4 for us in LOIs. Indian selectors

Every effing social networking site I visit whether it's Twitter , Instagram, WhatsApp Facebook fukc even Reddit , all I am getting is the nauseating worshipping (read asslicking) for grandpa. I mean wtf is wrong with people? How are they buying this easily into the thala PR machinery ? Or are they just choosing to be delusional? Don't they fukcing know that their hero grandpa is also one of the reasons why we lost yesterday ? Had he supported Jaddu a little bit by hitting a few boundaries or atleast....atleast rotated the strike better , we would have fukcing won. Every facking newsfeed is filled with utter cringeworthy filth of obnoxious and irrational Dhoni asslicking. I almost wanted to smash my phone out of frustration at a point. No one's even acknowledging Jaddu for what he did. All they want is their favorite thala to continue playing with those beautiful lunges until the next world cup. Maha chutiye bhare pade hai BC is Desh mein !!! P.S - I am not hating on him nor I have any agenda against him , but it's just sickening to see his whole PR doing the cover up job and everyone falling for it.

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In light of the recent FIFA World Cup, thought of comparing the cricket teams with football teams based upon history/ability/achievements/mindset/resources yada yada. 1. West Indies: Brazil Calypso/Samba...free spirited Greatest teams of all time once upon a time but not so successful in the last 20 odd years Greatest players....all time XIs will have max players from their countries Loved by all Immense natural talent which drives them to success without a strong domestic set up Swag/Flair 2. Australia: Germany Overall very successful Competitive in every era Very consistent in World Cups Many ATGs (2nd highest) Very organized, disciplined with high precision and scientific approach to the game Ruthless Excellent domestic structure and youth programmes which was/is able to consistently churn out high quality players 3. India: Italy Probably in terms of big success behind only Australia (Germany) and WI (Brazil) Punched above its weight and knocked out fancier teams in the past to win big trophies Mediocre for large parts but still a great history with a few top tier ATGs Both are very defensive teams (bowling=attack, batting=defence ) with max ATGs in defensive department (India=batsmen, Italy=defenders and GK) For most parts in big tourneys both are mentally tough units, very dogged India often stopped mighty WI('83)/Australia(ATG test streak) just like how Italy stopped many pre tournament favorites like Brazil, France, Germany in the past. Good domestic structure.....Ranji=slightly below par, IPL=best in the world, average it out 4. Pakistan: Argentina Chaotic, mercurial, unpredictable Have won the big trophies but not yet as successful as 1-3 Individual brilliance, X factor Lack of cohesion, full of controversies and soap operas Achieved success under strong dictatorial leaders Propensity to cheat with innovations like ball tampering, chucking, Hand of God, fixing... Unapologetic about cheating incidents in the past, they wear it like a badge of honour Domestic Structure LOL 5. England: England Invented the sport but watched other teams excel more Rich history but most greats from bygone era English media Historically the best domestic structure with great prestige, finest of the game have polished their skills in England.....finishing school for many ATGs Boring sides Nostalgia tards Ugly yet effective style of play, tenacious spirit which helped them perform beyond their capabilities 6. Sri Lanka: France Won all their trophies post 90s, since then possibly most consistent teams in big events Produced many freakish talents Very successful in a short span At their best as good as any of the other ATG units Tactically top notch Nice fakers, often resort to underhand means 7. South Africa: Netherlands Never won a WC in spite of being favorites many times, greatest nations to not win the ultimate prize in their disciplines Exceptional talent, very skilled Cryuff=Kallis...objectively greatest but not rated as GOATs by pundits 8. New Zealand: Belgium Punch above weight No standout ATG but many excellent players who gel well Never came close to winning a WC Honest triers Universally liked 9. Bangladesh: Some African country (Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria????) Lots of funds pumped in by governing body 1-2 high quality players surrounded by a bunch of mediocre players Occasionally upset higher ranked teams Too many false dawns Very passionate fanbase Perpetual victim mentality Feel free to add your choices...I don't follow football like I used to as a kid. I may have made some wrong assumptions and got a few observations wrong. But honestly quite difficult to find equivalents which everyone will agree upon . Pretty sure many ICFers are more knowledgeable in this regard !!!!

He seems to do it quite often in the commentary. In today's match .. "That's a big one. A west indian one." ... when the windies opener hit a big six. "Small man with a big one." ... when Rayudu hit a six.

Not as world class as Amir's at Lord's.

My heartiest love and kisses to Team Blue for defeating 5 time world champs (and defending champs) Team Yellow. It gave vibrations of a Night Shyamalan twist in a Manmohan Desai classic. Magnificent to see saffron spirit on fire like we saw a few minutes back. From the depths of despair a new life was infused into Indian cricket. It looked like a mighty army of dead resurrected from the grave, like how old Big B jumped out of hospital bed to fight 100 villains in Sooryavansham....only this time there were 11 Big Bs. I myself citizen Gollum wrote India off after they were beaten at home by Australia-Z who back then were literally dead and buried, but then spectacularly revived themselves like Team Imhotep in Mummy. Imagine losing 3 games on a trot at home where prey became predator in a classic role reversal epic. To me today India simply rose like Dumbledore's Phoenix and Kohli was like a Norse commander leading his troops to glory, Dhoni was an Egyptian God and Dhawan the Greek hero...there covered the 3 main civilizations in Age of Mythology 2012 version It once again proved that when Indian spirit blazes at its zenith only Majid's lantern burns brighter. It was like lion chasing deer, snake chasing rodent, shark hunting salmon, eagle in pursuit of hare, ED raiding Vadra, myself raiding my fridge on weekend night. Tiny little Hobbits pulled down Sauron of the cricket world. To me the best ever resurrection in cricket history. To summarize the match: Rohit: artistry at its supreme height with rubber wrists maneuvering the field like how we maneuver Rajasthani Thali Dhawan: poetry in motion like a pianist in complete control of the keys and inspiration coming from the gentle autumn breeze Kohli: mathematician, physicist, poet, engineer, doctor, lawyer, trader, teacher, lover and MMA fighter rolled into one Pandya: a perfect combination of Mozart's mind in Hulk's body Dhoni: an aging boxer landing them hard blows like sledgehammer on a cute kitten, taking the fans back in time when he reigned supreme Rahul: an atom bomb in a fish pond, a gymnast's mind in a panther's body on the field Bumrah: a cannon with the precision of a neurosurgeon, a ballistic missile fired with the grace of a ballet dancer Kuldeep: a painter using the pitch as a canvas to pay tribute to Da Vinci Chahal: like a wizard indulging in the dark arts while hapless batsmen look in bewilderment Bhuvi: unexpected thunderstorm mowing down the opponent camp blending the artistry of Picasso, genius of Kasparov and bravery of a Gurkha soldier Jadhav: why the * was he there? A great day for cricket, humanity, community, society and piety. It was tragic to see the once great hunters reduced to prey at home turf earlier this year. But now by felling the most powerful force in the cricket universe who knows even India may feel Majid Majid Majid a month later.

You’re keeping Rayudu out of the Rejects XI? How many 3D glasses does the poor guy have to buy?

I'd like to review this decision please. I love my trundlers!!!!!!

Just being an ass. He has no patience for his team youngsters. Behaves pathetic,taunts them in ipl...but acts like mother Teresa with other country players. Pathetic excuse of a leader.

Duckworth and Lewis are Jews.

A team that has lost all world cup games against India giving tribute to an army that has lost all its wars. How fitting.

Seriously what's wrong with our journalism? Dhoni's PR team will put the KGB/CIA to shame, they have their tentacles everywhere. I won't state my honest opinion about the man nahi to phir se log grievance thread bump karke rona start karenge. But check out the gems in this article. Have these shameless buffoons lost their marbles? Now they will hail a player based on his judgement of running between the wickets. Kya naubat aa gayi hai Indian cricket ki, do runs/wickets matter any more? Do wins matter anymore? What we are seeing today is unprecedented. Even Kim Jong Un and Maduro will be put to shame by Dadu's off field arrangements. LINK

Manish Pandey has played some classic test knocks, albeit in T20s. He could be the next one. Perhaps he will play some classic T20 knocks in tests ... like 8 off 5 balls.

Let us use this thread to track the various losing streaks of the greatest cricket nation of the Universe Test 0-12 in Australia 0-7 in RSA....may it surpass their 14 match ODI losing streak against same opponent in 90s 0-2 in NZ....also had a long ODI losing streak against them, 0-12 before they won a match in the recent UAE ODI series In Southern Hemisphere 0-11, can't even make a draw 72 years, ZERO test series wins in Australia ZERO drawn test series in Australia since 1978-79...40 years 27 years, ZERO test series wins in RSA ZERO drawn test series in RSA since 1997-98...21 years ZERO test series wins in England since 1996 ODIs, T20s 0-7 in WCs against Baap 0-4 in ODIs against Toygers 0-5 in WT20s against Baap 0-3 across formats in Asia Cup against Baap WC drought since 1992...slightly off topic but that was also the last year they won an Olympic medal, largest country to win zero medals in 1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing, 2012 London and 2016 Rio....sporting paawerhouse, beef eating monsters with best genes in the world Dil Dil Pakistan

100-3, Rayudu and Dhoni in the middle , perfect time to kill yourself

i doubt even pandya rates himself as much as you rate him.

India, a country with population in billions with arguably biggest Cricket fanbase (crazy or casual). BCCI richest board minting loads of money. Decent infrastructure and reach within the country in this decade. Cricketers are like treated like Gods and paid in millions. Taking into view the above, it's amazing to see people satisfied with India reaching semi finals. Ridiculous. Why are we satisfied with mediocrity?

Well it took SL 21 years after 1975 to win their first and it will be 20 years since Bangladesh made their World Cup debut in 1999 in England!. Can life come full circle and Bangladesh win the world cup 2019 in England? They have become a good ODI side, become a force at home, whitewashed Pakistan, beat India, beat SA. They have many things going for them: - with all the rage about all-rounders, they have the best AR in the world in Sakib - A bowler in top 5 - The Fizz - An opening batsmen to rival one of Rohit or Dhawan in Tamim Iqbal - A pocket rocket keeper, probably current the best wicket keeper batsmen in Rahim and dance moves to put the West Indians to shame - A Saurav Ganguly clone in Soumya Sarkar - Kohli's nemesis Rubel will charged up and give 110% as ever - A captain who now has REAL political power - Reached QF of last world cup - Reached SF of ICC CT in England!, only to be denied by rulings to favour India - Nearly came close to beating India and causing a historical upset in the recent Asia Cup - And....contingent of hair-raising fans with emotions and tears to flood the plains of Brahmaputra

Title says it all, bhu -kha is a shytier version of kul cha and should be no where near the t20 format, especially kha.

Icfers, enjoy this moment. Congratulations Team India and fans. Moment we have been waiting for years. WHAT A WIN. Well done everyone

I remember the year 1989 very well. Gavaskar had retired a couple of years earlier and Kapil had lost pace. We were losing to Pakistan more often than not in ODIs. The 1983 World Cup and 1985 Benson & Hedges Cup twin wins were things of the past. Crickets fans were feeling directionless. Then came the tour to Pakistan , where a baby-faced 16 year old stole the hearts of the entire nation with his brave batting against the Pakistani quicks. Watching cricket was a pleasure once again for Indians ... and this euphoria lasted for more than fifteen years. In the 1990s, when Tendulkar batted, the whole nation " batted " through him. In 1991, a tall, thin guy, with flailing arms while bowling , burst onto the scene and bowled really quick ... and India had its first genuine fast bowler, Srinath. The year 1996 saw an elegant left-hander score a century on test debut at Lords. This was followed by another century in the next test match. While this was happening, another young man with impeccable technique missed his centuries by a few runs in both those tests. Indian cricket fans were brimming with excitement once again at the emergence of these twin gems. Be it a wristy Hyderabadi scoring 3 centuries in his first three tests in 1984-85, a bespectacled Kumble taking a 4-fer in in Sharjah in 1991, Zaheer and Yuvraj sparkling in Nairobi in 2000, a dashing Sehwag scoring 105 in South Africa on test debut in 2001 ... these memories will stay with us for ever. More than these moments and memories, every time a special talent emerged, it gave us reasons to watch cricket for the next few years. No one will forget the dabaang innings of 148, that a long-haired keeper-batsman played in 2005 against Pakistan ... and a new star was born. No matter what one feels today, every Indian cricket fan felt a connection with that young man, which would stay with us till the time he won us the 2011 World Cup as captain. Then came Kohli, who would go on to become one of the biggest superstars. entertaining us in all three formats with his spectacular batsmanship. Rohit, Rahane, Pujara, Dhawan, Ashwin, Jadeja, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Bhuvi etc. ... all of them inspired interest among certain sections of fans. Seeing a young Shami debut, combining genuine pace with reverse swing to floor the West Indians in 2013, was very exciting. Fast bowling fans just loved it when young Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron bowled at 150 kph. Sports survive and grow in stature and popularity because of superstars and stars. Thirty-one years have passed but people still talk about and remember Maradona winning the football world cup. Fans need to find a connection with individual players. They are happy when that person does well and sad when he fails. They realize their own sporting dreams through him or her. Cricket is facing competition from other sports in India like never before and needs star players more than ever. In Indian cricket, we are recently seeing a trend of trying to introduce thirty-plus players as a matter of priority, especially the batters and keepers . Youngsters are getting chances but only when an " elderly " is not good enough or is injured or fails the yo-yo test or rotation policy demands more players. If the current ODI batting line-up makes it to the 2019 World Cup then we will have six batters who are 30+. Dhoni 38, Karthick 34, Jadhav 34, Dhawan 33, Rohit 32, Kohli 30. I am not suggesting that thirty plus players should all be be dropped or not given fresh chances. But, there should be a mix of experience and youth. Too many youngsters mean lack of experience and too many older players mean lack of new direction and dwindling fan interest. Moreover, there is no point in promoting mediocrity when it comes to selecting fresh players. We have seen young spinners and all-rounders being introduced and backed though ... and the result is there for all to see. Be it the wrist-spin twins, Kuldeep and Chahal, or the charismatic all-rounder Hardik Pandya, they have given new direction and new energy to our team. I hope that some talented youngsters are allowed to flourish in the batting, keeping and fast-bowling departments too. If they receive the same backing as the young spinners and all-rounders are getting, they will also do well . KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw, Vijay Shankar, Karun Nair, Md. Siraj, Basil Thampi, Avesh Khan, Kamlesh Nagarkoti etc. etc. are waiting. It never was and and never is about choosing the top performers in domestic cricket or the well known names. It is always about spotting and backing the players who have the potential to achieve something extra at international level from now on.

lol Don't change what works for you

This post inspired me to make this

Maybe Bravo was suppose to Credit Dhoni once again. HE must have refused.

High time he grooms himself. PLaying like sh8t in the last few months.

Would rather pick the dude on the right as more likely to take a wicket and not bleed runs

Blame Jadeja for this cynicism. The triple triple centurion but mug with the bat has eroded the value and esteem of a Ranji triple century!

Can we turn the commentators' mics down when Manju is commentating, please?

Today again, nowhere close to being out and walks off...this is pathetic !!!!

After the pic was taken, we have already over taken SA bowlers and are no 2 in that list. We can cross no1 in second innings easily

He may have been a dissappointment in recent time becuase it felt like he underachieves. He may never fulfill his true potential. He will fail again. But when was the last time an Indian Pacer picked up a 10-fer when India played 3 front line spinners. Who was the last pacer to pick up even 5 wickets with this combination? Heck other pacer only bowled 10 balls in the entire match. This thread is not to say Umesh will fulfill his potential but to simply highlight his wonderful performance in this match.

Don't grill shastri in the morning, he won't be able to recall India's defeat

Yes, probably. Sreesanth's biceps may have changed, but Bhajji's IQ is the same.

this is worse than "target mushkil to nahi hai, haaan Lekin difficult jaroor hai" by kapil

Oh... Blimey... have very little time left to criticise him before he joins BJP...

This is even good