have we lost

[Bumper]

Re: have we lost Am not sure what to make of Uthappa. The guy is surprised when the ball bounces on him, when infact he should be expecting a short one, every single delivery (as he is a front foot slogger, who's been found out) SRT & Gangs are back to their best. Thats the best we could have hoped for pre world cup. Dravid will always deliver. Sehwag needs a game or two, he will be back (he got out to a silly shot, i dont expect him to gift his wicket away like that in the middle order). Yuvraj is a worry. He will be a key player, when we chase. Pathan is hopeless, i hope we dont play him. Am shocked Kumble made it to the world cup squad. Aggy, Munaf, Zakky, Bhajji (with Sree as a backup) is our bowling lineup. Sehwag, Tendu, Gangs can chip in as the 5th bowler.

[veer]

Re: have we lost

I'm not blaming but just hinting he should have played his natural game. Many a times when these cricketers fear a loss they change their game plan. When that happens it becomes anyone's game. What I liked about Tendulkar's batting was he played his natural game. He could have buckled down and picked up singles instead but he played his natural game hence prevailed. Dhoni didn't bat badly but he played an indifferent game for sure.

that is the leizure you have when you are middle order bat and not lower middle order.. after dhoni and karthik there was no one to depend on..

[Predator_05]

Re: have we lost

Uthappa seems to be seriously troubled by some extra bounce' date=' got out in very similar way in his last innings too..[/quote'] I have been saying this forever...this was made apparent to me when i watched him play for the 'A' team last season in Abu Dhabi - he has NO BACKFOOT PLAY WHATSOEVER. Absolute garbage - i have seen some crap batsmen in my many years of watching India play, but this guy is as close to a WALKING WICKET as it gets. Any bowler worth his salt can take him out within his first 2 overs - he is just THAT predictable. Notice the pattern in all these dismissals ? [code:1:ed3b2cdf44] Umar Gul to Uthappa, OUT: Gone! short pitched delivery outside the off stump, Uthappa walks forward and drives the ball on the riseto mid-off, he was trying to clear the in-field, but ends upscooping the ball straight to mid-off fielder Naved-ul-Hasan to Uthappa, OUT: Gone! short of a good length, onmiddle and leg stump, tries to play a pull shot on the front foot and to clear the mid-on fielder, went straight into the hands of Mohammad Yousuf Powell to Uthappa, OUT, Revenge! kicks up from short of length, outside off stump, Uthappa stabs at it and ends up steering it straight to first slip. Maharoof to Uthappa, OUT, caught on the bounce! short on off stump and climbing on the batsman, Uthappa goes forward instead of staying back, the ball hits the tip of the bat and headsto Jayawardene at first slip who leaps and takes it with both hands[/code:1:ed3b2cdf44] One good short ball, an inkling of lift and he is a GONER. It's that easy. I can't believe India are playing their best ODI batsman down the order to accomadate this waste of oxygen ! Speaking of batting combo's - today Saurav and Sachin shared thei 21ST 100-run stand ! 21 ! NO other batting combo even comes close. Greenidge ad Haynes are 2nd best FYI; with a mere 15. So WHY THE F*CK are these two not playing together in every match ? It defies all logic. When you have an opportunity to play two batsmen who know each others' game inside out, played with each other for years with multitudes of success - you don't seperate them ! Especially not for some scrawny, flat-footed kid who can't handle a single delivery above knee height !

[Anakin]

Re: have we lost Very well said Predator. Said it long time ago when ganguly was dropped and everyone was kicking him with every single opportunity, I was hoping to see SRT and Ganguly pair back opening again. At least both of them are in the team even if not opening together. Don't know why they would choose players like uthappa or GG when SRT is in this kind of form.

[Holysmoke]

Re: have we lost i feel SRT shepherding the middle order brings a LARGE amount of stability, and confidence in the middle order. otherwise, its just, get sachin, dada, with the new ball, pick up dravid, and game over. they tried this earlier, but SRT couldnt adapt. now that he has, he looks perfect. all teams have a shephard in the middle order, like what dravid was, what Inzi is, what kallis is. to have some1 like SRT, who can put away the good balls for 4, with 5 fielders on the boundary, is a huuuuge asset. add to that, he's now "pinching" the singles, running really hard. our run rate in the middle overs is going to be better. but thats my opinion. 1 blaster(uthappa/somebody else), at the top with dada. dravid/sachin at 3/4 , depending on the situation, with karthik, dhoni, and another batsman... looks good to me.

[cricajar]

Re: have we lost The reason India lost this game is simple: it was a mental break-down there is nothing else. You can't blame anyone especially not Uthappa -- he failed in one innings, shoot him! The middle-lower order did not finish the game its a simple as that. They had the game in their hands, this is what differentiates the aussies from the rest of the world, they're winners and each player wants to hit the winning runs, they get the job done. We didnt' its a mental thing more than any inidividual player, its team mentality...We need to stop blamining individual players like kumble or uthappa and look to the overall squad and the mental aspect of the game.

[King Tendulkar]

Re: have we lost

Uthappa seems to be seriously troubled by some extra bounce' date=' got out in very similar way in his last innings too. And yeah RD should bat down the order, he has changed himself enough to bat like pinch-hitters at the end.[/quote'] Yes uthappa seems to have a weakness of planting his front foot forward even to balls pitched short and then struggling. Lets hope we are wrong and he has ways of dealing with this. I want sachin at 3 with Dravid at 4. sachin wants the power plays while I feel dravd struggles with them and prefers the field more spread so he can work singles.

[veer]

Re: have we lost

i feel SRT shepherding the middle order brings a LARGE amount of stability, and confidence in the middle order. otherwise, its just, get sachin, dada, with the new ball, pick up dravid, and game over.

i agree.. SRT in middle order is perfect.. he carries lot of psychological advantage and disadvantage against opposition.. as long as his wicket is intact, opposition will fear our batting line up..

[King Tendulkar]

Re: have we lost The more overs you give sachin the better for us. He should bat 3 or open. With dravid at 4