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Enduring memories as an Team India fan from 96-2001, when India was utterly mediocre and apparently talentless


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50 minutes ago, NameGoesHere said:

 

Bad times.

 

 

Those were times I had started watching cricket and these were first impression:

 

1. WI - why is world playing v India. Then found out it's a team called west Indies. Couldn't find this country on map though.

2. Every team has a left hander to torment Indian bowlers - Australia - Hayden, Sri Lanka - Sanath, Pakistan - Anwar (194 stood for long time), Zim - Andy Flower (impossible to get him out, remember 232), England - Trescothick,  WI - Gayle scored 3 ODI centuries in 2002 in 1 series. SA had none, NZ also none.

3. SA was team who probably gave least number of extras. Every time I would read sportstar in library or newspapare they would give 5-7 extras mostly in ODIs.

4. Andy Flower was best player of reverse sweeps. He did a lot to our spinners.

5. Ganguly was **** scared of pace.

6. India could win nothing against SA especially with Donald and Pollock in line up.

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8 hours ago, NameGoesHere said:

Do you remember?

 

Do Indian fans of a certain generation recall the years of trauma of being shown up by Sri Lanka?  

 

It was as if our collective egos were put inside a washing machine, drowned in a maelstrom, and hung out to dry. 

 

For decades Indian fans mostly thought of Lankan cricket with casual condescension, if not contempt.   Compete with us?  Hell not the 'little' Sri Lankans, not against big brother India.  Then came the 96 world cup - the game in Delhi when Jaya and Kalu took us to the cleaners.  I refused to believe the evidence of my eyes.   This couldn't be happening.   Then the semi finals in Calcutta when they beat us again.

 

Then the very next year Sri Lanka scored 952 against us in a Test game.  Just wouldn't get out.. I felt like banging my head against a wall.  How could this happen?  Sri Lanka?  My god!   

 

It was like someone took a dump outside your door and then proceeded to throw faeces inside your living room.  HOW WAS IT POSSIBLE?

 

Then games like the one linked in the above post (2000 Sharjah finals).  WTF?

 

One ungracious, unwilling part of me has never accepted the Lankans' rise as a cricket power.  That is why 2011 WC was so sweet.

 

That is why even today I find a savage pleasure, sometimes bordering on active hostility, when I read of the declines of SL cricket.

 

So basically, I'm the guy who keeps saying "How can she slap" at Sri Lankan cricket. 

 

 

 

Lanka used to be such a gun team those days in SC..  I wonder how the hell we have managed to keep them at bay in Test cricket?  They have not won a single test against us in India till date even when we had god awful sides. 

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Blame azhar for putting up crap teams so that he could keep making his money. Batsmen like Amre, Raman never got a longer run. Not saying they were world beaters but guy like Raman hardly played in India. Sehwag I think made he debut under Azhar then was gone for 2yrs till Ganguly brought him back. 

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13 hours ago, jf1gp_1 said:

Blame azhar for putting up crap teams so that he could keep making his money. Batsmen like Amre, Raman never got a longer run. Not saying they were world beaters but guy like Raman hardly played in India. Sehwag I think made he debut under Azhar then was gone for 2yrs till Ganguly brought him back. 

Technically under Jadeja as Azhar was injured.. I think post that series against Pak, Sachin got his 2nd stint of captaincy only to quit within 6 months. There were a few murmurs about Azhar and nothing came out. Even Amul had a classic graphic on this

 

cl_sachin.jpg

Edited by diga
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On 4/3/2021 at 12:52 PM, Trichromatic said:

Every team has a left hander to torment Indian bowlers - Australia - Hayden, Sri Lanka - Sanath, Pakistan - Anwar (194 stood for long time), Zim - Andy Flower (impossible to get him out, remember 232), England - Trescothick,  WI - Gayle scored 3 ODI centuries in 2002 in 1 series. SA had none, NZ also none.

Kirsten use to be good against us 

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14 hours ago, Jay said:

Srinath was a monster. If he had a Better support a support partner and a decent support bowler, he would have a career average of 23. Yes people he was that good.

 

He lacked support but he was erratic himself. Did not learn discipline, line and length for most of his career. Would bowl unplayable balls and then follow up with short and wide hit me balls. 

 

 

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