The time machine - one cricketing incident you could change

[swami1984]

the biggest moment i would like to change would be to tell the selectors before the 2003/04 series against aus that parthiv would drop catches, so dont pick him for the aus tour & select either ajay ratra or dinesh kartik also, i would tell the selectors that parthiv would cost india the home test series against aus in 2004, so dont pick him and pick either ajay ratra or dinesh kartik

why not MS Dhoni back then? :-D....and I am the only one who has a non-India moment also? Come on....I really thought that WC '99 semifinal was heartbreaking (although I think I cried when India lost in WC '96 - cant remember!)

[SachDan]

99 Chennai test vs Pakistan...it seems to be topping the charts here and deservedly too..What a blinder GOD was playing till that horrible moment? Had he won that match for us,it would have featured in the top 10 innings of Wisden...As of now there's no inning from God featuring in the all time 100 list.Pitty.

[amits]

ms dhoni wasnt in india consideration during 2004 tests against aus. his fc batting avg was about 18 then

[Rohip]

Had he won that match for us' date='it would have featured in the top 10 innings of Wisden...As of now there's no inning from God featuring in the all time 100 list.Pitty.[/quote'] Top 10? He didnt even feature in the top 100. Lara is there, Gavasakar is there and even Laxman is there but no Sachin. I wish Sachin fans would stop whining about this. He'll end up with more runs and centuries than any player in history but for what??

[graphic23]

Top 10? He didnt even feature in the top 100. Lara is there, Gavasakar is there and even Laxman is there but no Sachin. I wish Sachin fans would stop whining about this. He'll end up with more runs and centuries than any player in history but for what??

You're not worth talking to. Go To Hell.

[printex]

1996 quarter final - Tell Aamir Sohail to keep his cool

[jf1gp_1]

i wish i could stop selection of azhar in Indian team. good batsman yes but India has been blessed with better. he (with couple of other but he was the captain) almost destroyed Indian cricket. no azhar for India you never know cronje might still be alive.

[Lurker]

There are quite a few that comes to mind but I will limit myself to the first one. I must admit if the same question is raised tomorrow my choice might be a little different because of the many close clashes that I have seen over the years. 1987 Reliance World Cup semi finals, Kapil Dev's hoick: India were chasing England's 250 or so in 50 overs at Bombay. After losing Gavaskar early India had built steadily and were about 160 or so for 3 wickets. Less than 100 to chase with Azhar batting on half-century and Kapil at 30 in 20 odd delivery. Still Shastri, More, Prabhakar to come. Then Kapil lost his mind and hoicked Hemmings to deep mid wicket only to be caught by Gatting. Indian chances went down the tube after that. India had come in the series as reigning champion and was a very formidable side. Can you imagine how Indian cricketing history would be different if India won back to back (83 and 87) world cups?

[satishg]

You're not worth talking to. Go To Hell.

brilliant :two_thumbs_up::two_thumbs_up:

[DomainK]

1996 quarter final - Tell Aamir Sohail to keep his cool

How can he keep someting he does not have?

[THX_1138]

Top 10? He didnt even feature in the top 100. Lara is there, Gavasakar is there and even Laxman is there but no Sachin. I wish Sachin fans would stop whining about this. He'll end up with more runs and centuries than any player in history but for what??

no reason at indeed... yeah he sucks dude. you win, now can we get on with life and return to reality? or do you have more to add from your peanut sized brain...

[CSK Fan]

Shoaib is a chucker. You know it, I know it, the Pakis know it and everyone knows it but he didnt chuck that delivery to Sachin in WC 03. There's one recurring theme in this thread and it's about Sachin screwing up over and over and his die hard fans wanting to tell him not to screw up! Hate to say it but he never had the heart that Dravid or Gavaskar had. He may have more runs than them but he's no match winner like those two! Get over it

If a player has most number of big knocks, he is bound to have most number of near misses too. Doesnt take an Einstien to figure that does it? Also it is the respect and relevance shown by fans which cause them to remember Sachin's near misses and forget the ones of the players you mentioned though they have plenty too. No one remembers when Dravid got out near a landmark because no one cares.

[CSK Fan]

Top 10? He didnt even feature in the top 100. Lara is there, Gavasakar is there and even Laxman is there but no Sachin. I wish Sachin fans would stop whining about this. He'll end up with more runs and centuries than any player in history but for what??

but the same Wisden features him as the 2nd best test batsman after Bradman, doesnt it? Or did you miss that? I will tell you for what his innings were worth. His innings were worth for all those wins he provided, with a winning average of 66%. in fact he has featured in more wins that Dravid in the period after Dravid debuted. He has has winning contributions in Aus test matches, in fact everywhere If i have to chose between a player who has one or two outstanding innings featured in Wisden(Lara) andr another who has none but has figured more consistently in indian wins i will chose later I will also chose a player who single-handedly took our team to the first WC final after 1983! So what were Gavskar's knocks worth for? According to your LOGIC, each of the player's innings, be it Gavaskar's, Laxman's, Dravid's or Lara's except those featured in Wisden top 100 are worthless? So why did Gavaaskar play so many matches only to contribute ONe useful innings. Laxman has ONLY one useful innings in his whole career, so is he worth it?

[CSK Fan]

I have been watching test cricket for years but it too me so long to figure this out. i thought that a player plays sio that his country can win over another country. But now i know:- All innings are played with the sole purpose of featuring in Wisden top 100s. any innings which doesnt is absolutely and inherently worthless and shouldnt even be broadcasted. Even those tests which do not have the said knocks should be scrapped from cricket stats.

[satishg]

I have been watching test cricket for years but it too me so long to figure this out. i thought that a player plays sio that his country can win over another country. But now i know:- All innings are played with the sole purpose of featuring in Wisden top 100s. any innings which doesnt is absolutely and inherently worthless and shouldnt even be broadcasted. Even those tests which do not have the said knocks should be scrapped from cricket stats.

:hysterical::hysterical: well Rohip i guess MTC has answered ur meaningless thots abt v needing to get over SRTs brilliance..seriously if u cant praise the man alteast stop saying stupid things abt him..as MTC said if u think Wisden is the only platform to judge the greatness of a player then im sorry dude u are not following cricket properly..u need to know abt the game much more before commenting on SRT:giggle:

[Rohan495]

An incident i wish i could change. VVS Laxman in the 03 Cricket world cup a squad.

[amits]

An incident i wish i could change. VVS Laxman in the 03 Cricket world cup a squad.

i wish i could change the 2007 wc squad and have gambhir & laxman in there instead of uthappa & ganguly

[nospam]

but the same Wisden features him as the 2nd best test batsman after Bradman, doesnt it? Or did you miss that? I will tell you for what his innings were worth. His innings were worth for all those wins he provided, with a winning average of 66%. in fact he has featured in more wins that Dravid in the period after Dravid debuted. He has has winning contributions in Aus test matches, in fact everywhere If i have to chose between a player who has one or two outstanding innings featured in Wisden(Lara) andr another who has none but has figured more consistently in indian wins i will chose later I will also chose a player who single-handedly took our team to the first WC final after 1983! So what were Gavskar's knocks worth for? According to your LOGIC, each of the player's innings, be it Gavaskar's, Laxman's, Dravid's or Lara's except those featured in Wisden top 100 are worthless? So why did Gavaaskar play so many matches only to contribute ONe useful innings. Laxman has ONLY one useful innings in his whole career, so is he worth it?

excellent post A+++++ repped! :-)

[Rohan495]

i wish i could change the 2007 wc squad and have gambhir & laxman in there instead of uthappa & ganguly

Indian selection is the dumbest panel ever. Sometimes i just dont know what theyre doing, they get paid all this money for some stupid ass thinking no logic what so ever. Its not that Laxman would of completely changed everything but sports is all about mental toughness and psychological factors and a player like Laxman is one who the Aussies fear. If the world champions fear him, how can he not be playing? with all this said and done Laxmans career in ODI"s is set in stone. I can argue all day about how Laxman should of been in the world cup squads but unfortunately India's golden gem well never be demonstrated to the world. Just gotta cherish a few great ODI knocks. Laxman has been the most underachieved cricketer we can say. but i will never forget 107 in Lahore, Historic series in Pakistan 87 Not out in Colombo 131 against a strong Zimbabwean side Tests wise: 281, 178, 109 ,154*, 69 ,79, 74, 72, 70 odd in england pretty much all historic wins for India Special Mentions: 104*(NZ), 100(WI), 112*(Pakistan), the first two knocks which helped India draw the series despite being in trouble. Theres no way Ganguly has played this many great knocks for India. Everyone praises Sachin as god, Sachin started at a young age Laxman not so young. Laxman has played so many great knocks but no one gives him credit. He is always the one making way for the Younger ones. Ganguly opressed Laxmans career, Dravid ignored it.

[umpire]

If I have to go back and change something in time, it will be that Barbados test match where we had to chase mere 100 odd runs. I remember how much I was looking forward to our chase. I had just finished by 12th Board Exams, had missed much of the series (stupid Education Board, how can they have test series while exams are on). My dad had literally cut off our cable connection so that I study :). As soon as I finished my last subject, I called up our cablewallah, he was good friend, he promptly installed cable before 7.30 pm. I expected us to chase down the total and win by 5 wickets. But team disappointed and along with Sachin I also cried. I believe till this day, if we had won that test, Sachin would have been most successful caption ever. With limited resources (No Srinath) he was so close to winning series in full strength windies team. I would like the change that part of the history. I would like to win that test match, perhaps I would became the umpire that gave Sachin out off the no-ball in first innings, Perhaps I would tell Dravid, to drop his wrist in 2nd innings to that "Jaffa".