Fineleg, you were right all along

[Desi Cartman]

Couple of weeks ago Fineleg announced that no more whining from her/him but now it seems all of us have missed her/his hate posts. We all have a little bit of fineleg in our thoughts but most of us don't express it. In this moment of sadness and helplessness I cant think of anything but to agree with some of the hate posts of Fineleg. Fineleg please end your strike and just be yourself. I hate to admit it ... our team is not the best, 2nd best or even 3rd best it seems .. Sad day for Indian cricket. I hope now selectors wake up and notice the results and the current form not the records and fix this mess up. :isalute:

[Chandan]

Typical fair weather fan!!!No?:--D

[Desi Cartman]

Typical fair weather fan!!!No?:--D

or someone who calls as he sees ... Please tell me what part of my post do u disagree with.

[suraj]

Typical fair weather fan!!!No?:--D

and pray tell "what is the definition of a true fan?" Pay money to go to the grounds, pay money to watch on satellite, stay up all night, let all the money in sports get drained towards cricket with negligible resources towards other sports, and then have zero expectations?? Celebrate a win and worship every player as a God, a legend or a fab 1, 2, 4........ and then celebrate even if the performance is awful and disastrous?? Not be able to criticize or vent out- why, why is Indian cricket so untouchable when it comes to criticism but seems to deserve all the adultation it gets from "true fans". If that is how an Indian fan is supposed to be then we will be no better than the Pakistanis- I wud rather take an intelligent fan who is able to praise when performance is good and criticize when it is bad instead of hero worshippers who believe 11 men in a country of billion deserve our unflinching and undying devotion regardless of the fact that they are often not even good at what they do- forget being the best.

[Desi Cartman]

exactly suraj , why is it a crime to open a thread when our players fail. I see something interesting in this series defeat. I think the Indian cricket is suffering from too much money and greed for more. ODIs : India plays more ($$$) ODI than any other cricket playing nation yet we have a very poor record in the finals. 20:20: IPL and WC every 2 years will make our youngsters more keen to play the game where they make max money with least effort. They dont have to defend for 3 sessions to save a game. They come out , throw the bat around and see what happens ($$$ anyway) Test : The seniors dont want to retire ($$$) just because they are untouchables. They havent given a new middle order batsman a go in the last few years. Due to intense pressure UV did get few chances but other than that Im yet to see BCCI/Team to make a serious effort to blood some new players. Some posters will ask who can replace the FAB 4 & thats where the team management/BCCI have screwed it big time since they havent tried anyone new for years now (except UV) Is it just hunger/greed to be in the side for as long as possible just for the sake of it ? Its not that we have failed in this series only, just a couple of months ago we barely managed to draw a series against SAF.

[Chandan]

or someone who calls as he sees ... Please tell me what part of my post do u disagree with.

A true fan is that who gets behind the team in a low perod and puts a perspective while praising or criticizing the team. I can very well understand that Lanka was a team in this match and hence it is showing in the scorecard. Indians were bogged down with lack of form and injuries, were low on enthusiasm, were one bowler short on the field today, were completely unsure of the form of their main batsmen, few of whom look to be right at the end of their career. Along with all that, they were really unlucky too in this match but fotune favours the brave and Lankans were cleary more brave. So what should we do? Start abusing the players? That will win us the match? No. If you can go along dealing contructively with each shortcoming, sighting its reasons and also presenting a solution, I'll say you're a passionate fan. Merely abusing the players don't put you there as a true fan.

[kablooee87]

I'm telling you guys, this match isn't over yet. If the lower order shows a bit of resolve tomorrow Sri Lanka could well have a tricky chase on their hands.

[MundaPakistani]

I'm telling you guys' date=' this match isn't over yet. If the lower order shows a bit of resolve tomorrow Sri Lanka could well have a tricky chase on their hands.[/quote'] Indeed. The Kolkata test match duo are still there. They are the A Razzaq and Kamran of India.

[Chandan]

Thanks for the support Faisal and Kabloee but I doubt if Laxman can carry on with that sprained ankle! He was in severe pain today. And what tail? Ishant is ruled out already. I doubt if he'll even come out to bat, Patel is already out and it is not much to expect anything from Kumble these days. He has deteriorated startlingly! And even if we get a lead by miracle, who'll bowl? Ganguly will open the bowling and most of the runs will be scored there! We have to give it to Lanka. They played much much better than India and hence luck was on their side as well. They deserve it.

[fineleg]

desi_downunder, It does not give me joy to read that I was "right all along". I wish I was wrong about the Indian cricket team. Its my frustration that the team lets us down, that I open threads and express it. Now, I am too numb. I am feeling real numb that even others have started to feel this let down by our team - that shows that truly they are letting us down big time. I am just sad, and I want to see ACCOUNTABILITY from selectors and players. I want to see axing and repercussions as a result of this nonsense performance from "fabulous guys". And also "fabulous" bowler and "new captain" Kumble seems to have lost it too. ==== PS: You folks will have no chance to get this opinion of "what is a good fan" across to Chandan. Even Dhondy-the-doc has been surprised with Chandan standing steadfast. She has her opinion on what it is, and she will never change it. Thats fine, each person has her/his own opinions. No big deal.

[Desi Cartman]

A true fan is that who gets behind the team in a low perod and puts a perspective while praising or criticizing the team. I can very well understand that Lanka was a team in this match and hence it is showing in the scorecard. Indians were bogged down with lack of form and injuries, were low on enthusiasm, were one bowler short on the field today, were completely unsure of the form of their main batsmen, few of whom look to be right at the end of their career. Along with all that, they were really unlucky too in this match but fotune favours the brave and Lankans were cleary more brave. So what should we do? Start abusing the players? That will win us the match? No. If you can go along dealing contructively with each shortcoming, sighting its reasons and also presenting a solution, I'll say you're a passionate fan. Merely abusing the players don't put you there as a true fan.

Chandan, Have you ever seen me post any abuse against any player ? The Indian team deserves criticism , why not ? Since I can remember we had issues like Young team , inexperienced,lack of quality bowling , umpiring , bouncy tracks ,etc etc when was the last time we were #1 team or we won an ODI WC. How many finals have we lost ? I have seen these things all my life and I still follow Team India because Im a fan but they have a duty too and its disappointing when they fail at it. If I run a compnay then Im expected to show the results. We havent been the worst but TBH we are far far away from being the best. Fineleg posts what she/he thinks, yes RD , SG , VVS have failed for a long time now, yes Kumble is ageing and cant win us games anymore. I disagree with the abuse but I totally respect the right of a fan to ask valid questions when the side fails more often than acceptable. As a fan I do my duty , I follow the sport , I back them to win , I have my favorites but still I support playing XI. Its their (& BCCI's) duty to try the best to win the games and work on developing the next generation of test players. This side that has been playing since 2000 has failed to try new middle order batsmen\spinners even when they had opportunities.

[Desi Cartman]

desi_downunder, I am just sad, and I want to see ACCOUNTABILITY from selectors and players. I want to see axing and repercussions out of this nonsense performance from "fabulous guys". And also "fabulous" bowler and "new captain" Kumble seems to have lost it too.

Thats what the whole nation wants. I refuse to give Team India benefit of doubt since they struggled against SAF at home too.

[fineleg]

^ Absolutely. Enough of "benefit of doubt". They got the whole series to show their fabulousness, a 0-3 drubbing it should have been, save for the brilliance of Sehwag who nearly single-handedly won the 2nd match. I wish Sehwag's 200 did not win us Test-2. You can bet 0-3 drubbing would have brought out the axes sharpened. Now 1-2 may not give us as many repercussions. Strong repercussions are required, and needed now. You said it right. SCREW BENEFIT OF DOUBT.

[kablooee87]

Thanks for the support Faisal and Kabloee but I doubt if Laxman can carry on with that sprained ankle! He was in severe pain today. And what tail? Ishant is ruled out already. I doubt if he'll even come out to bat, Patel is already out and it is not much to expect anything from Kumble these days. He has deteriorated startlingly! And even if we get a lead by miracle, who'll bowl? Ganguly will open the bowling and most of the runs will be scored there! We have to give it to Lanka. They played much much better than India and hence luck was on their side as well. They deserve it.

I have to agree that Sri Lanka have been the better team in this series and deserve to win. I'm just saying the situation isn't totally unsalvageable just yet. Sri Lanka need to win 1 session (maybe less) to finish off this match. India need to string together 2 maybe 3.

[Chandan]

Chandan, Have you ever seen me post any abuse against any player ? The Indian team deserves criticism , why not ? Since I can remember we had issues like Young team , inexperienced,lack of quality bowling , umpiring , bouncy tracks ,etc etc when was the last time we were #1 team or we won an ODI WC. How many finals have we lost ? I have seen these things all my life and I still follow Team India because I'm a fan but they have a duty too and its disappointing when they fail at it.

Now now, do not mix tests and ODIS. You want to be the number one team in the world? Sorry to say that you can't be because the system which produces cricketers is too poor to be a consistent good player producing system like what Australia has! Our board is not interested in cricket and hence the infra structure is poor, grounds at the school and club level are not fit where a player in his formative years can pay basis interests to fielding skills. After that the cricket at the FC level is extremely poor and without any interest from administrators too. Hence just forget the dream of becoming #1 team in either form.

If I run a compnay then Im expected to show the results. We havent been the worst but TBH we are far far away from being the best.

True and I agree 100% with that years before this series started. I think BCCI is happy with its team because they are earning money. They are hardly interested in anything else. However running a company is completely different from playing a test at international level.

Fineleg posts what she/he thinks, yes RD , SG , VVS have failed for a long time now, yes Kumble is ageing and cant win us games anymore. I disagree with the abuse but I totally respect the right of a fan to ask valid questions when the side fails more often than acceptable.

Who would you ask your questions? Are the selectors reading it? No. We are here to discuss a game which most of us are passionate about, we discuss it with each other, learn so many new things from others, learn how to communicate our views, put up our criticisms and our solution to the the problems and discuss about it with various other members. Is ranting going to take us anywhere? No.

As a fan I do my duty , I follow the sport , I back them to win , I have my favorites but still I support playing XI. Its their (& BCCI's) duty to try the best to win the games and work on developing the next generation of test players. This side that has been playing since 2000 has failed to try new middle order batsmenspinners even when they had opportunities.

So of course you agree that players are mere tools who keep changing but the main culprit is BCCI who is not interested in making our team the best, who is not bothered to see if players can handle that much cricket or not, who is not bothered how the quality players are going to come! Being a fan, I can tell you that if you are test cricket fan, this has been the golden age for Indian test cricket and it is very much near its end now. Since now we'll get more pain and very few occasions of joy in test cricket. Hence enjoy this as much as you can. We are very near to enter a dark era now. But, as a fan I'm still hopeful that someone will come up from somewhere to rescue us(not in this test, it is gone). We just have to wait with patience.

[veer]

if we win the next test, some of these posters will again start threads like we are the best and all.. I agree with what Chandan is saying.. ''fair weather fan indeed''

[Desi Cartman]

Thanks for the post chandan , can you also write something about what you think the current players should do. I agree that BCCI works a little better than Bihar Govt but for the current situation I think the players need to take some blame as well. If they are too old then Im sure they know it ... Its 3am here so I'm going to bed now .. I look forward to your answer ! DD

[Desi Cartman]

if we win the next test, some of these posters will again start threads like we are the best and all.. I agree with what Chandan is saying.. ''fair weather fan indeed''

Veer, when was the last time I said that any of our player or the team is/was the best ever ? Anyway , its a sad day for Indian cricket as our most experienced and most successful players are failing to score 20s in a series in the sub continent. To make it worse , if these old players decide to retire tomorrow then we'll be left with Uthappas, R sharma's , UV's , chawla's to take their place with NO experience at the international level. This period (last 4-5 years) was supposed to be India's time to shine in Test cricket but........ :((

[fineleg]

BCCI is inept and all. So, they do get the blame. But definitely players are not all saints. They need to cop enough and more of the blame as well.

[Chandan]

Thanks for the post chandan , can you also write something about what you think the current players should do. I agree that BCCI works a little better than Bihar Govt but for the current situation I think the players need to take some blame as well. If they are too old then Im sure they know it ... Its 3am here so I'm going to bed now .. I look forward to your answer ! DD

In the current series, India was unlucky to run into a freak bowler against whom no one is sure even till now. This won't happen in other series. Fielding was a point of concern since quite a long time and just one or two changes not going to change the equation anyway! Rohit and Karthik fielded for the entire day today, yet the fielding was ragged. Injuries affected them and this was pure misfortune. No one knew that two of the main batsmen will get injured in the field and during practice and one of the bright sparks of the team, Ishant will limp off the the field to cripple the team severely further in the bowling department. Yesterday, the third umpire overturned the decision against Samarweera and I still do not know why. Had we got the breakthrough there, things might have been different today---hence further misfortune! What should we do? The way Ganguly left the field after getting dismissed today, his demeanour suggested that he might announce his retirement after this series. Even if he doesn't, one of the MO player will certainly lose his place. Who is that player? Could be anyone! Is Kumble feeling the heat too? Will he retire as well? One doesn't know. But if Kumble would like to give himself a chance for the next series, I'll be right behind him, having full faith in him. So we'll certainly see some changes. We just have to wait and watch!