Fab Four/three threads [merged]

[Ram]

This is something totally new for all of us. The combined weight of runs, experience and pedigree that SRT, RD, SG and VVS carry and 'em struggling to scrore even a 50 till now. I am curious, has it ever happened before? A 3 match series in which none of the 4 scored a 50?

[cowboysfan]

Big letdown. If not for Sehwag's brilliant 200*, I think SL would be 2-0 by now. Will atleast one of the Fab 4 score a 100 in 2nd Inn? :eyedance:

no-we are in dire straits right now,lets hope sehwag and GG come good again.infact i dont think they will even score a fifty with mendis bowling.

[Shane]

This is something totally new for all of us. The combined weight of runs, experience and pedigree that SRT, RD, SG and VVS carry and 'em struggling to scrore even a 50 till now. I am curious, has it ever happened before? A 3 match series in which none of the 4 scored a 50?

Its the Mendis factor mate, they will be back with a bang against Australia

[Predator_05]

Collectively, this has been a very bad series for the big 3. None of them have been getting scores, which is a bit worrying. I think Australia will be their last test series together. Surely the selectors' patience will be wearing thin...

[gs]

Its the Mendis factor mate' date=' they will be back with a bang against Australia[/quote'] I hope BCCI turns the Aus series into some kinda farewell series for the former fab 4 and sends them home. I cant see how a rookie bunch of players in the middle order could have done much worse than what these guys have done. Granted Mendis is a freak, but how can you get out to an aging trundler like Vaas or a greenhorn Prasad when the series is on the line?!? :((

[Ram]

Well, this isnt the first time the combo of SRT+RD+VVS+ SG failed to fire in a series. Remember Ind-Aus series of 2003/04 in Ind? Even then, Sehwag was sometimes the lone warrior. The collective failure of the middle order cost us that series, even though we managed to win the low-scoring final test. So, these stalwarts have shown the capability to bounce back in the past. The question is, Can they do it again? But one has to admit, the weakest link in the already weak chain is Rahul Dravid. His lack of contributions at no.3 is hurting the team badly. Him failing at the top puts more pressure on the rest of the batsman, making it even harder for 'em to succeed. Though, I would wait till the completion of the Lankan 1st innings before pronouncing sweeping judgements. Till the time when both the teams have batted once, we can never comment on the relative merits/de-merits of a batting performance.

[Shane]

I hope BCCI turns the Aus series into some kinda farewell series for the former fab 4 and sends them home. I cant see how a rookie bunch of players in the middle order could have done much worse than what these guys have done. Granted Mendis is a freak' date=' but how can you get out to an aging trundler like Vaas or a greenhorn Prasad when the series is on the line?!? :(([/quote'] Dude u r spot on, but i think they deserve one more go, and yaa this test aint over yet, lets see how they come out in their final innings in Sri Lanka

[Deleted_User_1]

The time has come.......... After this embarrassing series loss (oh yes we are losing this test), it will be time to let the big guns go. I think Ganguly and Dravid will go or retire after this series. For Sachin, the board will allow him to play the Australia and/or England home series and retire hopefully with some dignity and grace like Gavaskar did. For Laxman, it is a tough one. I feel he still have some play left in him since he does not play ODI and is a bit younger. I give him another year or so. He can mentor the younger ones. It is time to move on....let the Rohits, Virats, Badris and the Rainas take over. Sure they will struggle, but eventually they will come through.

[msb1991]

Well, this isnt the first time the combo of SRT+RD+VVS+ SG failed to fire in a series. Remember Ind-Aus series of 2003/04 in Ind? Even then, Sehwag was sometimes the lone warrior. The collective failure of the middle order cost us that series, even though we managed to win the low-scoring final test. So, these stalwarts have shown the capability to bounce back in the past. The question is, Can they do it again? But one has to admit, the weakest link in the already weak chain is Rahul Dravid. His lack of contributions at no.3 is hurting the team badly. Him failing at the top puts more pressure on the rest of the batsman, making it even harder for 'em to succeed. Though, I would wait till the completion of the Lankan 1st innings before pronouncing sweeping judgements. Till the time when both the teams have batted once, we can never comment on the relative merits/de-merits of a batting performance.

True. I get the impression that you think the thread a knee jerk reaction to their failure in this series, but if you re-read the first post you'll find that it isn't.

[gs]

After this embarrassing series loss (oh yes we are losing this test), it will be time to let the big guns go. I think Ganguly and Dravid will go or retire after this series. For Sachin, the board will allow him to play the Australia and/or England home series and retire hopefully with some dignity and grace like Gavaskar did. For Laxman, it is a tough one. I feel he still have some play left in him since he does not play ODI and is a bit younger. I give him another year or so. He can mentor the younger ones. It is time to move on....let the Rohits, Virats, Badris and the Rainas take over. Sure they will struggle, but eventually they will come through.

Absolutely. The not so talented youngsters cant do much worse than the current aging lot.

[King Tendulkar]

We are going to win.

[Deleted_User_1]

We are going to win.

Really?? I would be so happy then, but my friend that will not be. India has already squandered the advantage in the first innings, and we all know how they bat under pressure in the 2nd innings. Considering the form the middle order is in....uh uh.....we can depend on Viru to bail us out this time.

[Laaloo]

We didnt even lose yet.

[CSK Fan]

After this embarrassing series loss (oh yes we are losing this test), it will be time to let the big guns go. I think Ganguly and Dravid will go or retire after this series. For Sachin, the board will allow him to play the Australia and/or England home series and retire hopefully with some dignity and grace like Gavaskar did. For Laxman, it is a tough one. I feel he still have some play left in him since he does not play ODI and is a bit younger. I give him another year or so. He can mentor the younger ones. It is time to move on....let the Rohits, Virats, Badris and the Rainas take over. Sure they will struggle, but eventually they will come through.

absolutely a batsman who is averaging greater than 45 should be dropped after one series failure with dignity Sahcin averages 55 in 2007 In 2008 he averages 45+. What lack of dignity are you talking about? why dont we keep on replacing players every series after every failure. We all saw how great we did int he ODIs without seniors recently, didnt we.. You guys will be the same poeople who will ask for youngsters to be dropped and seniors to be back after another series failure because you do not have the mental capacity or the long term memory needed to look beyond 1 series. Fans like you are everything thats wrong with indian cricket. Fans like you are why we have news channels like aaj Tak.

[Ram]

True. I get the impression that you think the thread a knee jerk reaction to their failure in this series' date=' but if you re-read the first post you'll find that it isn't.[/quote'] No no, I didnt interpret it that way at all. Just felt its still too early to start talking about replacing people.

[Shane]

I think we should wait till the Australia series, it wont have the freakish element to the series, i think that will be a fair parameter to judge, and then we should go on from there

[msb1991]

No no' date=' I didnt interpret it that way at all. Just felt its still too early to start talking about replacing people.[/quote'] This is true, but we might see similar collapses as in this series on a regular basis if the Big Three are replaced by incompetant, unprepared batsmen.

[Fontaine]

I'm not in the camp of people who want to replace Ganguly/Laxman. I think the bigger problem is Dravid. In the past he always played in the classical mold of strong defense first but always had the gift to put away poor deliveries thus putting pressure and frustrating bowlers and grinding them down into submission. A true old school test number 3. However, the man has lost his attacking touch. He still defends well, but bowlers now see that he's hesitant and not confident enough to put away the odd delivery so he doesn't put that pressure on the bowlers, the other batsmen is then under pressure to keep the run rate going because Dravid gets bogged down and all it ends up doing is putting all the pressure on the batsmen and the bowlers have plenty of time to get their line/lenght right without any pressure. He's become a liability on the field in my opinion and needs to give way to someone else.

[King Tendulkar]

On the basis of this thread. Sankagara should be dropped from SL squad and Kallis from SA squad! KNEE JERK REACTION EVERYWHERE!

[msb1991]

On the basis of this thread. Sankagara should be dropped from SL squad and Kallis from SA squad! KNEE JERK REACTION EVERYWHERE!

You haven't even read the first post properly, have you? It is very little to do with this series. The only reference to their form is that this might be what it will be like if we send in underprepared players to replace the Big Three when the time comes.