Let's accept the fact that India is a Home Track Bully and move on

[Austin 3:!6]

There is no shame in it and all current teams are HTB's. Some are very good at home like NZ & Eng while some are exceptional like Aussies and India. Considering the fact that we are almost invisible at home, we are rightfully rank no.1 amongst other HTB teams and should be proud of it. 

 

However, the issue arises when few people start comparing this team with Steve Waugh's Australia or Clive Lloyd's West Indies. Or when someone like Ravi Shastri (perhaps in an intoxicated state) makes claim that this is the best ever Indian side to tour overseas etc.

 

We all like cheerleading but there has to be some limit. This Indian team will remain no.1 irrespective of what happens in this test. We will surely thrash SA next and with IPL starting after that, all will be forgotten. We will all dance with yes bank maximums, get excited with superovers, pumped up for CSK-MI rivalry etc. But just so that we are clear, come next overseas test series, we will lose again.

 

This cycle will unfortunately continue. It's not a fault of any player or captain or IPL or anything. It's just that we are simply not good enough to win test matches overseas.

 

We have a test series in Australia later this year. It doesn't matter what we do or how much we practice till then, we will still not win it. Test cricket baccho ka khel nehi hai. We should focus on upcoming IPL, try to win the t20 world cup if possible, Virat Kohli's centuries in home ODIs and customary thrashing of teams in home tests. As a cricket fan I will be happy if we achieve the above as I know winning test series in SENA is way out of our league.

 

 

 

[kohli]

But our coach and captain don’t want to understand.

[Norman]

Home track bully isn't really the right word we should be using. We will easily thrash WI, Pak, SL, Ban etc in their home irrespective of the format. WI in T20is can be the only close call provided they play their strongest 11. 

 

Minnowbashers isn't really the right word either as we beat top teams at home and at most neutral venues. So, don't know what we are ? May be SENA track losers or STL in short ? 

[LordPrabhzy]

53 minutes ago, Norman said:

Home track bully isn't really the right word we should be using. We will easily thrash WI, Pak, SL, Ban etc in their home irrespective of the format. WI in T20is can be the only close call provided they play their strongest 11. 

 

Minnowbashers isn't really the right word either as we beat top teams at home and at most neutral venues. So, don't know what we are ? May be SENA track losers or STL in short ? 

You do realise Bang and SL pitches are the same as in India so it’s the same thing. WI are bouncy but the team is weak so we can beat them there.

 

the post was about india in SENA, in which they are utter tripe. So all they focus is winning at home.if anyone says India is like the WI or Australia ATG teams I will chuck a shoe at them.

[Gollum]

If we are HTB let us aim to be the greatest HTB of all time. Nadal is a clay court bully (his success extends to other slow, high bouncing surfaces....like how we will do well in rest of SC, WI), does that make him any less? If we win every *ing match at home, compete away with 1/2 good series wins...not bad. Maybe next gen will do better in SENA, this team is getting on the older side now. 

Edited February 29, 2020 by Gollum

[Gollum]

ATG WI and Aus are unique cases, only two such sides in the history of the sport. Not to forget they have much much much greater sporting legacy compared to Ind and cricket was a big thing there during periods of their dominance. We are a very poor sporting nation, why should cricket be any different even if the sport is #1 here? 

Edited February 29, 2020 by Gollum

[Forever Indian]

But then we have been HTB for at least 40 years now, so what makes Shastri and Kohli think this team is on par with the great WI and Aus team of yesteryears? And the less said about LOIs the better...

[LordPrabhzy]

49 minutes ago, Gollum said:

If we are HTB let us aim to be the greatest HTB of all time. Nadal is a clay court bully (his success extends to other slow, high bouncing surfaces....like how we will do well in rest of SC, WI), does that make him any less? If we win every *ing match at home, compete away with 1/2 good series wins...not bad. Maybe next gen will do better in SENA, this team is getting on the older side now. 

The next gen will be even worse.. they are the product of the IPL generation who don’t have the temperament to survive and play long test innings in overseas conditions. 
 

IPL has fked up the mentality of young Indian cricketers who would rather make sure they make money in the Tamasha League than doing things to correct their technique to play test matches; playing county or Club cricket in Australia which people used to do back in the day. When you don’t get fursat from parties, Bollywood , advertisements , tatoos and six packs then why expect them to do well in test matches abroad.

[raki05]

10 minutes ago, LordPrabhzy said:

The next gen will be even worse.. they are the product of the IPL generation who don’t have the temperament to survive and play long test innings in overseas conditions. 
 

IPL has fked up the mentality of young Indian cricketers who would rather make sure they make money in the Tamasha League than doing things to correct their technique to play test matches; playing county or Club cricket in Australia which people used to do back in the day. When you don’t get fursat from parties, Bollywood , advertisements , tatoos and six packs then why expect them to do well in test matches abroad.

Ya we have more show off like Pandya who has his priority set. * internationals, have boat party entire year and play 2 months of ipl. I think we fans should also change our priorities and think ipl is only premium tournament from here on.

[SK_IH]

I am just aghast at the history of mediocrity of India in their most enduring sport. Perennial issues still exist. Supposedly India's best bowling attack is at best comparable to current fast bowling attacks like Aus, NZ, Eng. Many may feel happy with the numero uno tag but one thing is for sure, this ain't the best side in the world and now we have witnessed that in multiple occasions.

With all the resources available, Indian cricket should be dominating this sport but as usual there is something amiss. May be too few talents among the too much of mediocrity.

 

[Gollum]

By circa 2022-23, I guess Ashwin, Pujara, Shami will retire together. Then our home dominance too will be under threat, after another couple of years even Kohli, Jaddu will most probably call it quits. I think once the Ash-Jaddu partnership breaks teams will be much more confident of wnning in India. 

[The Dark Horse]

Shastri to Kohli

[Turning_track]

We still haven't stamped our authority as no.1 test side except last Australia tour where they missed their top performers & despite having a great home record we still haven't got the desired results in overseas tests. The same mistakes are being made which were seen in SA, Eng & now NZ. The coach & captain are too headstrong they simply don't want to learn. Of course toss not going our way is unfortunate but you got to grind out the conditions which you are facing. The comparisons with ATG teams of the past is insulting their legacy, even Graeme Smith's team was pretty strong & they were great travellers. Kohli's team lags behind them also it is just that we have a very impressive home record & no team is as dominating like us at home.

[Scar]

This team really had potential. They really have damped all the high of winning down under by surrendering like this.

 

We lost in South Africa too, but the fight was there. This on the other hand, is complete surrender.

 

 

[Gollum]

35 minutes ago, SK_IH said:

this ain't the best side in the world and now we have witnessed that in multiple occasions.

We are the best until some other side can show it in the ranking table. For all the talk about Aussies they don't exactly have an enviable away record. At home in last 4 years (taken into account in the formula) they have lost to us and RSA.

[express bowling]

I dont know what to say.

 

It is almost like they are / were disinterested about playing tests and ODIs in NZ in 2020.

 

 

[TNAmarkFromIndia]

6 minutes ago, Scar said:

We lost in South Africa too, but the fight was there. This on the other hand, is complete surrender.

The biggest issue is our bowling. We seemed competitive in England and South Africa because of it but here they've been ordinary. Batting overseas has been bad anyway but they can't hide behind our bowling now.

[Scar]

1 minute ago, TNAmarkFromIndia said:

The biggest issue is our bowling. We seemed competitive in England and South Africa because of it but here they've been ordinary. Batting overseas has been bad anyway but they can't hide behind our bowling now.

True, it's been a long time since I have seen our bowling this toothless.

[SK_IH]

2 minutes ago, Gollum said:

We are the best until some other side can show it in the ranking table. For all the talk about Aussies they don't exactly have an enviable away record. At home in last 4 years (taken into account in the formula) they have lost to us and RSA.

Is Aus the best test side in the world? No

Is Ind the best test side in the world? Again No

 

You may be a big believer in ranking system but no.1 ranked team not even competing against the supposed lower rank team betray the uselessness of the system.

[SK_IH]

9 minutes ago, express bowling said:

I dont know what to say.

 

It is almost like they are / were disinterested about playing tests and ODIs in NZ in 2020.

 

 

You cannot brush aside limited skill set under the garb of disinterest lol