Why does Bhaji get so much stick?

[Fontaine]

I am sure Bhajji too will bounce back, is going through a bit of a rough patch and is getting written off. All it will take is one good series performance and he will be back again.

When? How? It's nice to hope for some kind of change but the reality says otherwise. For two years now his performance has disimproved and not the other way around. This is his what? 3rd/4th series in Sri Lanka? Well with that much experience of playing in Lanka and exposure to those batsmen where has the improvement come from? The current reality says it's the opposite. This is turning out to be Bhajji's worst tour to Sri Lanka so far with him only grabbing one wicket in two test matches as Sri Lanka won't have to bat again. And that really is saying something given that he was averaging over 70 per wicket prior in Sri Lanka coming into this tour. There's been no improvement, because, as some one rightly said earlier there's no reason for Bhajji to improve. He gets all year round cricket through IPL/ODI/Test cricket with no time to take three/four months to work on various aspects of his bowling. He's already been quoted in the media as saying he doesn't spend too much time in the gym. The only form of genuine improvement will come from taking a break and working hard on these aspects of his bowling. Not simply hoping and waiting for him to stumble into some kind of form.

[Guest BossBhai]

-- Removed on request of the user --

[saneindian]

When? How? It's nice to hope for some kind of change but the reality says otherwise. For two years now his performance has disimproved and not the other way around. This is his what? 3rd/4th series in Sri Lanka? Well with that much experience of playing in Lanka and exposure to those batsmen where has the improvement come from? The current reality says it's the opposite. This is turning out to be Bhajji's worst tour to Sri Lanka so far with him only grabbing one wicket in two test matches as Sri Lanka won't have to bat again. And that really is saying something given that he was averaging over 70 per wicket prior in Sri Lanka coming into this tour. There's been no improvement, because, as some one rightly said earlier there's no reason for Bhajji to improve. He gets all year round cricket through IPL/ODI/Test cricket with no time to take three/four months to work on various aspects of his bowling. He's already been quoted in the media as saying he doesn't spend too much time in the gym. The only form of genuine improvement will come from taking a break and working hard on these aspects of his bowling. Not simply hoping and waiting for him to stumble into some kind of form.

If Kumble could bounce back at the age of 33-34 afer being written off by everyone, I am sure Bhajji can do that too. It's all about that one good spell. I would continue to hope that he will get back to his good bowling form sooner than later for the simple reason that after Zaheer, he is still our best hope in test matches.

[saneindian]

SaneIndian..Bhajji will not bounce back. Bouncing back doesn't means performing well occasionally. You have to do well at a regular rate. For Bhajji, it will be difficult because he can't be bothered, can't be asked, not willing to work hard, not willing to explore, not willing to change his bowling style, not willing to take advice from anybody, Ego, IPL, Business relations with Dhoni, overall hype and many other factors.. He might be able to help in winning occasional matches for India and then keep on bragging about it but he is now on the downward slope. As somebody mentioned, at his age and experience top bowlers try to do more to separate themselves from the crowd and achieve more specialisations. He is certainly not and it's quite obvious..

Warne, Kumble, Murali all got better with age and were at their peak from the age of 31-32 till 37. I am hoping (and praying) Bhajji to have a similar peak as well.

[asterix]

Kumble's 'work ethics' were miles ahead of what Bhajji has..No comparision..Actually it will be so unfair to even compare them..

[King Tendulkar]

^ Why whats wrong with his work ethic now??? Please clarify? Or you inventing stuff with lazy sterotypes?

[Fontaine]

If Kumble could bounce back at the age of 33-34 afer being written off by everyone' date=' I am sure Bhajji can do that too. It's all about that one good spell. I would continue to hope that he will get back to his good bowling form sooner than later for the simple reason that after Zaheer, he is still our best hope in test matches.[/quote'] So that's your solution. Hope and pray bhajji can somehow have kind of resurgence in his career? Ok. I would rather look at what the players, current and former, have to say and that is hard work, practice and more hard work. Kumble wasn't playing in ODI/T20 cricket in a packed calendar year so he had the time, the hunger and most importantly work ethic to get better. Bhajji doesn't have that time when he would rather spend what little time he has away from a packed cricket schedule chasing after public appearences, business deals and so on.

^ Why whats wrong with his work ethic now??? Please clarify? Or you inventing stuff with lazy sterotypes?

Why don't you ask the man himself? Bhajji is on record as saying he doesn't like spending time in a gym. That leaves him with plenty of time to work on his test match bowling in T20/IPL/ODI cricket. And we all know how that's working out for him.

[saneindian]

So that's your solution. Hope and pray bhajji can somehow have kind of resurgence in his career? Ok. I would rather look at what the players, current and former, have to say and that is hard work, practice and more hard work. Kumble wasn't playing in ODI/T20 cricket in a packed calendar year so he had the time, the hunger and most importantly work ethic to get better. Bhajji doesn't have that time when he would rather spend what little time he has away from a packed cricket schedule chasing after public appearences, business deals and so on. Why don't you ask the man himself? Bhajji is on record as saying he doesn't like spending time in a gym. That leaves him with plenty of time to work on his test match bowling in T20/IPL/ODI cricket. And we all know how that's working out for him.

Work ethic? Maybe Sachin is lying when he says Bhajji is one of the most hard working cricketers and does a lot of bowling in the nets and is always ready to bowl dozens of overs in the nets for any batsman who wants to have a hit!! As for him using his free time in media appearances, well thats laughable. Talk to anyone at the Jalandhar Stadium and they will tell you the tales of hours Bhajji spends in the nets there during off time.

[King Tendulkar]

Work ethic? Maybe Sachin is lying when he says Bhajji is one of the most hard working cricketers and does a lot of bowling in the nets and is always ready to bowl dozens of overs in the nets for any batsman who wants to have a hit!! As for him using his free time in media appearances, well thats laughable. Talk to anyone at the Jalandhar Stadium and they will tell you the tales of hours Bhajji spends in the nets there during off time.

Are you calling Sachin a liar Fontaine?:giggle:

[Fontaine]

Are you calling Sachin a liar Fontaine?:giggle:

As if SRT would ever say anything negative about a current team mate. Even you're not dim witted enough to think that.

[Ranjha]

Paaji, I did go through the stats. My point is Kumble had a terrific 4-5 year period post his 80th test when he picked nearly 225 wickets in 40 odd test tests and this was when verybody had nearly written him off (he hardly played a match in the 2003 WC). I am sure Bhajji too will bounce back, is going through a bit of a rough patch and is getting written off. All it will take is one good series performance and he will be back again. Also we are comparing him to Kumble, our biggest match winner ever. The very fact that he isn;t too far from AK on many accounts alone is a massive achievement, ad then as I said who knows what is in store for the next 5-6 years. Like Kumble, one good performance ( Adelaide vs Aus, 2004) can reignite the spark and get him back on track.

Well said.:two_thumbs_up:

[Ranjha]

I doubt even Murli will take wickets on this wicket.

[Jersey #10]

b/c he is bowling on un-bowl-able pitches

[Clarke]

I doubt even Murli will take wickets on this wicket.

Randiv has 2 so far along with some edges/mishits as well. There is certainly something to ponder about.

[King Tendulkar]

As if SRT would ever say anything negative about a current team mate. Even you're not dim witted enough to think that.

O here we go. The predictable name calling and Mr Angry routine by Fontaine. So predictable and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[SJS50]

Randiv has 2 so far along with some edges/mishits as well. There is certainly something to ponder about.

The match is so interestingly poised as i write this at lunch time. I watched only the last half an hour and now that India are a bit under pressure with a debutant next (at least on the list) it should make compelling watching. This is what Test cricket is about. If Sachin and Laxman bring out their best, Dhoni fights as he does pretty often and maybe the youngster shows a calm head we could watch some tense and eminently watchable cricket. If India were 250 for no loss at lunch time it is doubtful that I may have done more than catch a glimpse on cricinfo off and on. This is not because I am not an India supporter but because a dead match does not interest me. I wish people could understand that bit. It would have been exactly the same if the two teams were in exactly opposite situation. Coming back to the wicket. It is interesting to see how Dravid and Murali Vijay got out. Here were two deliveries that they played back to when, in hindsight, everyone feels they should have been played forward to. This is why they were such beautiful deliveries. This is what flighted spin bowling is all about. When the flight is good and the line is perfect the batsman, if he decides to defend, has difficulty deciding whether to go forward or back, particularly with fielders close by. This is what does not happen when you spear the ball in. The trajectory makes it easier to read the pitch of the ball that trifle earlier and the decision to move back or forward is made earlier and with more certainty. Secondly, the higher height from which the ball drops, makes it bounce a trifle more besides giving it a bit more bite off the wicket. Flatter deliveries are more useful on wet tracks. On drier wickets you are always better off flighting more. The Indians will have to get to use their feet more than they have done so far (Sehwag's stumping not withstanding) and go back only to the clearly short delivery. Sri Lanka have done so much better today by attacking the batsmen both with the bowling and with the attacking fields from what one could see in that last half hour at least. If they keep it up we are in for a treat. By the way a third days wicket is a bit different from a second day's wicket but a third morning's wicket isn't dramatically different from a second evenings. We must give credit to Sri Lankan spinners for bowling a good line and length. The run rate of the Indians in the morning session was dramatically lower and that tells a tale for which the bowlers must take credit. Plus they had Sehwag at the crease for so of the time. It was fabulous to see the cluster of Mendis's deliveries throughout the session. He moves the ball so ,little but his line and length are so good. Wish Dravid had started using his feet to the spinners from the beginning, we may have seen a slightly different figure in the wickets column. But thats hindsight for you :-)

[Ranjha]

Randiv has 2 so far along with some edges/mishits as well. There is certainly something to ponder about.

Sure, give the bowlers massive amount of runs to play with, there will be some wickets that will fall under pressure.

[Shane]

Bhajji is ****, but unfortunately he is the best **** spinner we have in the country at the moment. :(

[kabira]

No Ranjha, thats one thing. But you have to see how Randiv is flighting, the loop and the pace. Atleast we should have seen that from bhajji, instead we saw bowling flatter. Thats not expected from senior bowler.

[King Tendulkar]

I keep seeing Randiv being hit for 4 by tendulklar. Yet you guys are purring over him:((