The time machine - one cricketing incident you could change

[Ram]

There are plenty of cricketing moments that I wish went the other way. 96 semi final against Lanka, 99 WC match against Zimbabwe and 99 test against Pakistan is probably in everyone's list by default. But apart from 'em, here's a few that I wish happened differently. The '96 test match in Jo'berg against South Africa is one I desperately wish had a different ending to it. We were hammered black and blue in the intial part of the series and Jo'berg gave us the best chance to win some credibility. The Saffies were behind the 8-ball right from the beginning of the match, but on day-5, when we had the chance of forcing a famous win, rain, a Cullinan 100 and a dogged Klusener denied us that moment of joy. 97 Barabos : It was the final test of the series, the scores were still 0-0 and we were 2 hours from victory, chasing 120. Alas, the unthinkable happened and the rest, as they say, is painful history. 98 Sharjah, final qualifying match: Though this match had a happy ending for us( We qualified for the finals), how I hoped we won the match just for Sachin's sake. He played one blinder of an innings and after the dust-storm break, he seemed simply unstoppable. But for that screwed up decision by umpire Akhtar, I am sure Sachin would have won us that match. 2003, final test against Aus, Chennai: The series was almost gone, with us trailing 0-2, but Chennai provided a ray of hope with Veeru's heroics. If only rain hadnt intervened on day, there was a good chance we could have pulled off that one.

[Mr. Wicket]

How is it NOBODY has brought up SMG's valiant effort at the Oval ruined by shockingly slow over rates (near 6 an hour at points with Brearley's masterful captaincy coming out in full force with long useless discussions with umpires and constant complaints about conditions etc), and a few brain farts late in the chase costing India momentum and the chance to produce what would be still remembered now as THE greatest test run chase?

[Lurker]

^^ maybe because often "what-ifs" are more romantic than actuality. Case in point 1987 Tied Test. Had Maninder taken off a single, or manage to put bat to the ball(which incidentally he claims he did), Chennai Test would have gone down in Indian history as an Indian win against Australia at home. Okay maybe a very close win. But still it would be nowhere close to sheer romanticism thats associated with the Tied Test phenomenon.

[amits]

what i dont get is the fact that if ganguly was given a chance to make an odi comeback in early 2007 against wi & sl, then y wasnt laxman given any chance against wi & sl. also laxman was recalled into the odi team against sa in 2006 & was there in the list of 30 wc probables, so logically laxman should have got the chances against wi & sl. laxman has always been a better odi player than ganguly. and not only this, laxman was dropped for no reason whatsoever in the end of 2004, despite averaging 40+ at over 80+ strike-rate in the year 2004 and scores a run-a-ball 43 in his last odi match & 79 just 2-3 matches ago. laxmans odi exclusion was always blasted by former cricketers and not to forget ganguly was the 1 who cost us the 2007 wc by playing a painfully slow innings of 66 from 130 balls against bangladesh at a time when not too many wickets were down. it was due to gangulys super-slow innings that we lost heaps of wickets after 42nd over to up the scoring rate despite being only 4 down after 42 overs. laxman instead of ganguly could have made a slight difference as laxman usually scores at 80-100 sr without taking too many chances the quota-system of the bcci is the 1 which should be ended as ganguly got lot of chances due to the quota system, otherwise in the absence of a quota-system ganguly would have been kicked out a long time ago & laxman would have been the 1 to play 200+ odis

[Rohip]

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.

It was danramah who brought up Wisden in this thread, I just responded to his post. Sachin has probably played the most amount of cricket out of any player living or dead yet he still hasnt produced any knocks that blow you away. Sachin has never had any innings of the class of that 270-odd from Laxman or even Sehwag's 309 vs Shoaib and Sami who were both bowling at 95mph at that time. Face it he's overhyped and overrated

[satishg]

It was danramah who brought up Wisden in this thread, I just responded to his post. Sachin has probably played the most amount of cricket out of any player living or dead yet he still hasnt produced any knocks that blow you away. Sachin has never had any innings of the class of that 270-odd from Laxman or even Sehwag's 309 vs Shoaib and Sami who were both bowling at 95mph at that time. Face it he's overhyped and overrated

:omg: dude seriously something is wrong with u..so u mean to say that only big scores are classy..WTF..did u see that 155 that he scored against SA in 2001..man that was class written all over it..the 169 again against SA in 1996 with a bowling line up of donald pollock and co was a gem..dude there are lot of innings that i can go and list out here..but its of no use talking to u..u are like other SRT criticizers so its better not to comment on ur posts..

[Rohan495]

what i dont get is the fact that if ganguly was given a chance to make an odi comeback in early 2007 against wi & sl, then y wasnt laxman given any chance against wi & sl. also laxman was recalled into the odi team against sa in 2006 & was there in the list of 30 wc probables, so logically laxman should have got the chances against wi & sl. laxman has always been a better odi player than ganguly. and not only this, laxman was dropped for no reason whatsoever in the end of 2004, despite averaging 40+ at over 80+ strike-rate in the year 2004 and scores a run-a-ball 43 in his last odi match & 79 just 2-3 matches ago. laxmans odi exclusion was always blasted by former cricketers and not to forget ganguly was the 1 who cost us the 2007 wc by playing a painfully slow innings of 66 from 130 balls against bangladesh at a time when not too many wickets were down. it was due to gangulys super-slow innings that we lost heaps of wickets after 42nd over to up the scoring rate despite being only 4 down after 42 overs. laxman instead of ganguly could have made a slight difference as laxman usually scores at 80-100 sr without taking too many chances the quota-system of the bcci is the 1 which should be ended as ganguly got lot of chances due to the quota system, otherwise in the absence of a quota-system ganguly would have been kicked out a long time ago & laxman would have been the 1 to play 200+ odis

Ganguly was a selfish fuuck. I have no respect for him. He has done nothing significant for India. Sure he might have led india into the WC Finals but he would hide around other peoples performance and when the bowling was weak wicket was flat he would shine.

[chanakya]

:omg: dude seriously something is wrong with u..so u mean to say that only big scores are classy..WTF..did u see that 155 that he scored against SA in 2001..man that was class written all over it..the 169 again against SA in 1996 with a bowling line up of donald pollock and co was a gem..dude there are lot of innings that i can go and list out here..but its of no use talking to u..u are like other SRT criticizers so its better not to comment on ur posts..

nah nothing wrong with him he just wasn't born then.

[Rajiv]

Ask BBC to call off the strike so they could broadcast kapils innings

[Desi Cartman]

* WC 96 semi final * WC 2007 Final * SCG test 08 , Nagpur test 04 , chennai rain affected test 04 , Chennai test ..................................... if I was to pick one then I would pick the WC07 final since we were so close to glory. :((

[Mr. Wicket]

Ask BBC to call off the strike so they could broadcast kapils innings

Wasn't there some jackass from PP bragging an age ago that he had the full innings footage? :cantstop:

[SachDan]

Ask BBC to call off the strike so they could broadcast kapils innings

Thats best of the lot Rajeev :two_thumbs_up::two_thumbs_up:

[Gambit]

Jo'Burg test 1997 - The match referee should have ordered the incredibly biased groundsmen to get on with drying the ground and not sit around chatting and playing cards. Sydney Test 2004 - SCG should have imposed the follow on. OZ were/are not very good at saving tests and their bats would have scored at 3.5 or so before getting dismissed and leaving us 100 odd to get.

[coffee_rules]

Sachin dismissal in Chennai '98, when we were a few runs from a famous win. That loss hurts the most. That worse than the last ball six. A Syney win in 2004 would have given Waugh a better sendoff. **** Bucknor.

[Rajiv]

Wasn't there some jackass from PP bragging an age ago that he had the full innings footage? :cantstop:

[suraj]

Ask BBC to call off the strike so they could broadcast kapils innings

Great one Rajeev!!:two_thumbs_up::two_thumbs_up: Anyone even with a camera phone in that stadium could have become sooooooooooo rich now

[nospam]

* WC 96 semi final * WC 2007 Final * SCG test 08 , Nagpur test 04 , chennai rain affected test 04 , Chennai test ..................................... if I was to pick one then I would pick the WC07 final since we were so close to glory. :((

u support sri lanka? :omg: wrong forum dude :winky: kapil's innings??

[CSK Fan]

It was danramah who brought up Wisden in this thread, I just responded to his post. Sachin has probably played the most amount of cricket out of any player living or dead yet he still hasnt produced any knocks that blow you away. Sachin has never had any innings of the class of that 270-odd from Laxman or even Sehwag's 309 vs Shoaib and Sami who were both bowling at 95mph at that time. Face it he's overhyped and overrated

Speak for yourslef. His 155 against Warne which set the tone for the series, blew me away. So did his numerous innings in tests and ODIs, maybe more than any other player. Tell me something seriously, how many of those innings have you witnessed yourself? I am pretty sure, you are just going by stats where an innings of 300> greater than one of 200, or the one in Wisden is more important than a match winning one not listed. Not only me, but those innings have blown away lots of ex and current international players, including oppsition players and the bowlers themselves who got the treatment. Not for nothing does the list of people with genuine knowledge of cricket (not a 2 bit youngster on a forum for whom cricket started in 2003), praising Sachin go three pages beyond those of any other player. Not for nothing do people in villages who know not their PM's name, name their son Sachin. He has blown me away all right. In a way from which I never recovered. He got me hooked to cricket and I stay hooked. Maybe I will find my feet again after he retires or maybe never. I myself pray for the latter.

[coffee_rules]

Sachin's best innings: Chennai: 155, 136 Perth: 114 SA: 155 I could list more if I didn't have this freakin hangover...

[siddhu]

Chennai match against Pak for me. That defeat still hurts...