ICF Strategy to deal with Pakistani 'Praying Mantis ' Usman Tariq

[Gollum]

26 minutes ago, deathmonger said:

There is a reason they worship him.

 

Man has a MoM vs them in each tournament.

 

ODI WC - 2015

T20 WC - 2012, 2016, 2022

CT - 2025

ODI AC - 2012, 2023

T20 AC - 2016

 

And I think Abhishek/Tilak will eventually. At least will get 4-5 MoMs each.

Kohli would have easily crossed 10k test runs at 50+ avg, and another 2k white ball runs if we had continued bilateral cricket with them. 

[deathmonger]

7 minutes ago, Gollum said:

Kohli would have easily crossed 10k test runs at 50+ avg, and another 2k white ball runs if we had continued bilateral cricket with them. 

Yeah. **** tip pitches post 2021 didn't help.

[Laaloo]

8 hours ago, Gollum said:

Kohli would have easily crossed 10k test runs at 50+ avg, and another 2k white ball runs if we had continued bilateral cricket with them. 

We also stoped playing sri lanka. We used to played them every year

 

[Gollum]

23 minutes ago, Laaloo said:

We also stoped playing sri lanka. We used to played them every year

 

Yeah, haven't toured there since 2017, such a long gap. 

 

Tough on our players, being limited to SENA 90% of the times. Less opportunities to statpad. 

[bowl_out]

Captain helping team prep for Usman Tariq

 

 

 

 

[govinda]

On 2/13/2026 at 11:47 PM, Gollum said:

Kohli would have easily crossed 10k test runs at 50+ avg, and another 2k white ball runs if we had continued bilateral cricket with them. 

Kohli was their baap

[Lord]

1 hour ago, bowl_out said:

Captain helping team prep for Usman Tariq

 

 

 

 

 

Still has better line and length

[BacktoCricaddict]

On 2/13/2026 at 8:40 AM, Vickydev said:

Doing your bit for Indian Cricket without looking for accolades. 

 

#inspiring

Be like a soldier. For common man sake. Simple as that. 

[Lord]

We used to smash Warne and Murali. If we can't deal with this chucker, that itself is a defeat

[Sean Bradley]

1 hour ago, Lord said:

We used to smash Warne and Murali. If we can't deal with this chucker, that itself is a defeat

Smashed Warne yes, but not Murali, we used to play cautiously against him without giving him wickets, Sehwag maybe took him on occasionally, Laxman played him well, but overall Murali has given us more trouble than Warne.

[Need4Speed]

1 hour ago, Lord said:

We used to smash Warne and Murali. If we can't deal with this chucker, that itself is a defeat

He will be smashed when the novelty factor is gone..

 

[StraightDrive26]

On 2/15/2026 at 3:34 PM, Sean Bradley said:

Smashed Warne yes, but not Murali, we used to play cautiously against him without giving him wickets, Sehwag maybe took him on occasionally, Laxman played him well, but overall Murali has given us more trouble than Warne.

Murali had lots of success against India in SL but he struggled in India. He was smashed by Siddhu in the mid 90's when SL toured India where the former would keep running at him at every opportunity. There is a reason he averages 45.5 in India in Tests with the ball. His economy rate was 3.16 in India which was quite high as well, his second worst after Australia. India struggled in SL post 2001/02 before that Murali was not a threat. Him developing doosra might have been a reason but he still continued to struggle in India. SL started preparing turning tracks which were slow and low and India did struggle a bit. This included the Mendis series as well in 2008. In ODIs as well his average of 31.78 against India was his worst. The only other team he had issues with was Australia. The sample size wasn't small either, he played 22 Tests and 63 ODIs against India. His record against us was one of his worst in both the formats with only Australia coming close. 

[StraightDrive26]

On 2/15/2026 at 4:00 PM, Need4Speed said:

He will be smashed when the novelty factor is gone..

 

I agree. This happened with Mendis as well when he tormented us in 2008. First in Asia cup and the Test series which followed. A year later SL came to India and Mendis was taken apart by the Indian batters. He wasn't a surprise anymore. Just having a gimmick like him doesn't provide longevity, you need to have skill as well. I am not sure how much he will be effective without his pause etc. Once teams start playing more of him, they will figure out a way to score runs of him and he will disappear. He is not young by any means. 

[vvvslaxman]

On 2/14/2026 at 11:30 PM, Need4Speed said:

He will be smashed when the novelty factor is gone..

 

I don't think he will stand a chance on flat wickets. These SL wickets were offering 2.3 degree turn

[Sean Bradley]

I have seen this guys interviews on social media, comes across as a very nice fellow. Idolises Dhoni as a role model for his cricketing journey and talk sensibly unlike their other Jahil players.

[vvvslaxman]

17 minutes ago, Sean Bradley said:

I have seen this guys interviews on social media, comes across as a very nice fellow. Idolises Dhoni as a role model for his cricketing journey and talk sensibly unlike their other Jahil players.

Funny story is he became a cricketer because of MS Dhoni movie.

[Sean Bradley]

1 hour ago, vvvslaxman said:

Funny story is he became a cricketer because of MS Dhoni movie.

Nah, he was a cricketer earlier, then he stopped and dropped out of cricket, then he watched MS Dhoni Biopic which inspired him and then he came back to cricket. But no way he loooks 30 , he is surely 35-36. 

[Chaos]

On 2/18/2026 at 2:15 AM, Sean Bradley said:

Nah, he was a cricketer earlier, then he stopped and dropped out of cricket, then he watched MS Dhoni Biopic which inspired him and then he came back to cricket. But no way he loooks 30 , he is surely 35-36. 

So real culprit is dhoni 

[bsriharsha]

On 2/18/2026 at 12:09 PM, Sean Bradley said:

I have seen this guys interviews on social media, comes across as a very nice fellow. Idolises Dhoni as a role model for his cricketing journey and talk sensibly unlike their other Jahil players.

He's a chucker who knows he's chucking. * him.