BG Trophy 2008 : Last Chance for veterans?

[cowboysfan]

imo ganguly should be dropped and raina should replace him.

[CSK Fan]

YES!

So lets see, you give Dravid and Ganguly 5+ series to fail but Sahcin has only 1 FULL series in which he was returning after an injury? Fair?

[fineleg]

Sahcin has only 1 FULL series in which he was returning after an injury? Fair?

Not 1 series, the SL series and Aus series. He shud be there for the Aus series, and then we can evaluate.

[satishg]

Not 1 series' date=' the SL series and Aus series. He shud be there for the Aus series, and then we can evaluate.[/quote'] wat crap no evaluation is needed for him..anyway he is not gonna fail against the aussies and no sane selector can even think of dropping Sachin ever..he will leave wen he knows that he cant contribute any more..so stop this nonsense..evaluation for SRT..gimme a break

[umpire]

Sachin was born to play cricket. He is doing his Karma when he is playing cricket. If we drop him, Lord Krishna will be mad at us. We will lose games left right and center and we alll will lose faith in the team, This site will close down. So its better not to drop him

[MalikBrother]

U-19 team with out Kohli' date='Goswami,Sangwan and Jadeja against a full strength Pak team...battle of the equals :-D[/quote'] We are not sure whether it would be Pakistan full strength team or not. Definitely, a weak team due to some important players who are unfit as usual. We have to depend on new players of Pakistan. That's hope we have now :nervous:

[fineleg]

wat crap no evaluation is needed for him..anyway he is not gonna fail against the aussies and no sane selector can even think of dropping Sachin ever..he will leave wen he knows that he cant contribute any more..so stop this nonsense..evaluation for SRT..gimme a break

Evaluation is for everyone. No one is above and beyond evaluation. Selectors will look at performance of Fab4 after Aus series.

[satishg]

Evaluation is for everyone. No one is above and beyond evaluation. Selectors will look at performance of Fab4 after Aus series.

yes they mite look at his performance but they will never ever drop him..that i can assure u..Indian selectors dropping Sachin is something that will never happen

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Young batsmen for tests : One-day shortcuts pose great danger Rohit Sharma and Subramaniam Badrinath are fine young batsmen. In any other country they may have broken into the Test ranks already. In India, they are forced to make a name by first playing limited-overs cricket, which makes the whole situation most ironic. More... One-day shortcuts pose great danger ASIANAGE 03 September, 2008 04:44:35 R. Mohan Rohit Sharma and Subramaniam Badrinath are fine young batsmen. In any other country they may have broken into the Test ranks already. In India, they are forced to make a name by first playing limited-overs cricket, which makes the whole situation most ironic. So crowded is India’s middle order in good days and bad that not even Yuvraj Singh, who made his reputation first in ODIs in one of the early versions of the Champions Trophy in 2000, has got his chances consistently to establish himself as a Test batsman. The presence of the Fab Four of the middle order see to it that the only ones who get a break are opening batsmen, which too is only because Dravid has always been a reluctant Test opener. The wicket-keeper batsman’s position was another that used to be open before Dhoni seized it and is now available only when the ODI skipper opts out of the longer version of the game. The great difficulty with blooding youngsters through the limited-overs route is that the confusion spreads pretty fast. To make a name with a match-winning knock or two in ODIs is not all that tough. But to sustain that form to make it to the Test side and nail a place can be nightmarish. The chances on offer in limited-overs cricket are quite limited. While those at the top of the order will always stand the better chance of being able to build innings and impress with the weight of scores, the late order men live out a life that is actually one big lottery. The pity is both young batsmen are well moulded for the longest version. Badri seems to be a readymade candidate for a Test spot as he has this capacity to build an innings. He looked most impressive when he had the space to deliver even in a tight situation in his first ODI though later he fell away under the burden of expectation or the need to have to force the pace in limited-overs game. Rohit may have played a flashy innings or two in the Indian Premier League when turning out for the Deccan Chargers. Even so, it is quite clear from his technique that he would be a perfect long distance customer. Everyone sees in him a long-term replacement for Sachin, not only because he plays with that classic, raised left elbow. Suresh Raina might have already been typecast as a one-day specialist. But then he seems more a creature of the limited-overs age. If he had a normal initiation he too may have shaped his game to be a contender for a Test place. Having made a name in the shorter versions, he would struggle to get near the Test team. There are any number of young players like Virat Kohli and the new stars of IPL like the few who figured in the Jaipur and Mumbai teams who seem to have come readymade for slam-bang adventure. To them, the shorter forms of the game are an opportunity..

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Middle Order prospects for India and the A team : Dileep Premachandran Unusually for an A team series, there's plenty at stake in the India-Australia showdown that began this week in Bangalore More... Opportunity knocks for Indian and Australian understudies Unusually for an A team series, there's plenty at stake in the India-Australia showdown that began this week in Bangalore Dileep Premachandran September 4, 2008 3:04 PM A team games not involving Hannibal, BA Baracus, Murdock and Face tend to be pretty mundane affairs. Fans weaned on a steady diet of international cricket tend to treat them as a Premier League supporter does a League One game, and the players themselves are motivated by different things. For the young and ambitious teenager, it's a chance to press his claim to be the next Tendulkar, Ponting or Wasim. These days though, with U-19 games and tournaments so common, many of these tyros take the escalator straight to the top, ignoring the A team staircase altogether. For most on the wrong side of 25, unless you're an Australian with the initials MEKH, the A team call-up is usually a sop, a reward for steady domestic performances for those who lack the X-factor that separates the merely good from the exceptional. It's hard then to think of an A team series that has had as much at stake as the one that India and Australia began yesterday at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. On October 9, the senior squads will commence battle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the game's best-contested bauble over the past decade, and at least three men playing in the A game must fancy their chances of a Test cap in a little over a month's time. For the Indian players, there's even more on offer. With the middle order in crisis and questions aplenty about how long Anil Kumble will carry on, Indian cricket is on the verge of tumultuous change. The jockeying for positions starts here, and the line-up for the first Test against England in December could be very different from that which takes on Australia in October. Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid are probably most at risk and while it's unthinkable that they won't be given at least two Tests against Australia to prove that class doesn't fade away in a Mendis moment, all eyes are on the pretenders wearing the A team shirts. One of them, more of an old-stager than a wannabe, has already made an impression, with a composed 94 on a pitch that certainly wasn't a batting paradise. Mohammad Kaif is best remembered for his 87 in a remarkable run chase at Lord's in June 2002, but he's also played 13 Tests spread over six years. The last of them was in Jamaica in 2006, and the 19 runs he made didn't save him from the chop just two Test matches after a breezy 148 in St. Lucia. That innings was far from being his best though. For that, you have to rewind a few more months, to the March heat of Nagpur and a scoreboard that showed 190 for seven when Anil Kumble joined Kaif at the crease. Matthew "Apparently-not-as-good-as-DJ-Pattinson" Hoggard was bowling as well as any visiting pace bowler had ever done in India, while an exuberant Monty Panesar had just outwitted Tendulkar on his debut. The game was there for England's taking, but Kaif and Kumble defied them for nearly 60 overs while adding 128. Until a magnificently flighted delivery from Panesar skidded past the outside edge of his bat, Kaif had looked good value for a century. His reward for that 91 was to be dropped for the next game, as India chose to go in with five bowlers. Kaif must have been used to the sinking feeling by then. Back in 2004, he had compiled two cussed half-centuries against a rampant Australian attack, while some of his more illustrious compatriots looked as ungainly as hippos on a trampoline. But at the end of the series, he was the one to be banished. He won't be holding his breath now either, with names like Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina more fashionable. But if India do need a solid middle-order presence to replace fading stars, they could do a lot worse than to look at someone who has worked tremendously hard on his game in recent months. One of his main rivals for that coveted Test spot, Subramaniam Badrinath, appeared to succumb to nerves and fluffed his lines badly on the opening day of the series, and it was the callow but precocious Virat Kohli that pressed his claims instead with a confident 49. If Kumble's shoulder doesn't hold out till December, another who played against England on that 2006 tour could return to the fray. Piyush Chawla, along with Haryana's Amit Mishra, is among the frontrunners to replace Kumble, and both should get their chances against Australia A. Mohnish Parmar is a promising 20-year-old offspinner who should keep Harbhajan Singh on his toes, and his performance against the Australian second string would have cheered those disheartened by the decline in India's spinning stocks. Chawla and Mishra are both terrific options to have in the limited-overs format, but whether they have the guile and temperament for Test cricket remains to be seen. In an age when the top players no longer play domestic cricket, it's hard to read too much into Ranji Trophy performances. Currently, the board is revamping the domestic tournaments, allowing the movement of players across states and also foreign professionals (with a minimum requirement of 10 Tests or 20 ODIs). But while such measures are welcome amid the constant talk of an IPL window, the most important step is never taken - ensuring that the best players in the land play at least a few games every year for their state sides. How is Chawla expected to suss out Kevin Pietersen if he never gets to play against Sehwag or Tendulkar? How can you be sure that Badrinath is ready to face Brett Lee when he doesn't even front up to Zaheer Khan or Sreesanth? On the other side of the divide, Australia A are unlikely to discover what they don't already know. The shaven-headed Doug Bollinger is a quality left-arm-pace option, and the one-day games that follow the "Tests" will see the long-awaited return of 'Slingshot' Shaun Tait. Simon Katich continues to hammer on the batting door, while Luke Ronchi should keep Brad Haddin honest behind the stumps. But if 36-year-old banking man Bryce McGain, three wickets on the opening day in Bangalore notwithstanding, is as good as Australian spin gets, then the O'Reilly-Benaud-Warne legacy really is in grave danger. India should be wary though. When Ashley Mallett came to India in 1969, he was as anonymous as the man on the moon (the mythical one, not Neil Armstrong). By the time the series was over, 3-1 in favour of Australia, he had outbowled India's famous trio (Chandrasekhar wasn't available for selection) and taken 28 wickets. If McGain or Beau Casson do half as well, Ricky Ponting can be quietly confident of emulating Adam Gilchrist's triumph of four years ago.

[Dinx - the Jinx]

Today we are talking about big boys blocking the way for new comers... Wait and watch.. once the big boys retire, our middle order is going to be changing so frequently. For the next 10 years we would not have a stable middle order... thats a curse

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Australia series will decide where the seniors stand, says Viswanath Viswanath is realistic about form slumps in a long career. “When you play for so many years, there are bound to be some failures as well,” he says. More... Australia series will decide where the seniors stand, says Viswanath S. Dinakar Chennai: They remember his magic at Chepauk; the dextrous wrists, the rapier-like strokes, the eye, the reflexes, the timing. Andy Roberts, fit, fast and crafty. India was on the mat on a lively wicket. Gundappa Viswanath counter-attacked. His unbeaten 97 in the Madras Test of 1975 stays in the Indian cricketing consciousness. Viswanath says he can still hear the roar at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. “My finest Test innings came here. The crowd loved me here” he told The Hindu. Vishy relished a duel. He looked forward to the challenge of facing the top bowlers. This is precisely why he awaits the India – Australia series. “We should witness some great cricket,” he says. Presently, batting consultant at the NCA, Viswanth is in demand. Sachin Tendulkar spent time with him in Bangalore recently. Viswanath is realistic about form slumps in a long career. “When you play for so many years, there are bound to be some failures as well,” he says. He quickly adds the series against Australia will be very important for some of India’s senior batsmen. “We will have a clearer idea about where they stand at the end of the series,” he says. The maestro comprehends the thankless job of being a selector. He is, however, delighted that the selectors will soon be handsomely paid. “When you spend so much of your time watching matches and monitoring the progress of the cricketers, it is only fair that you should be compensated,” he says. Would he take up the job of a National selector if it were to be offered to him again? “Why not? It will be a great challenge,” replies Viswanath. He once again shifts his attention to the series against Australia. “They do not have Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. But they still have a useful pace attack. Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson can test our batsmen.” Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, he believes, will once again be a major factor. Viswanath says Anil Kumble has some more cricket left in him. He calls M.S. Dhoni a strong and a responsible captain who reads the situation well and can change his game and plans accordingly.

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Ganguly fails to make an impact in the club match Ganguly left the fans disappointed with a scratchy knock of 20, as his side Leaders in Cricket (LIC) side went down to Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) by six wickets in the 15th JP Atray Memorial Cricket Tournament for Pearls Trophy at PCA Stadium on Sunday. More... Ganguly fails to make an impact Nitin Sharma Posted: Sep 22, 2008 at 2359 hrs IST CHANDIGARH, SEPTEMBER 21 : Dropped twice on Saturday, Sourav Ganguly had his share of luck. It’s just that he wasn’t able to latch on to the chances that came his way. Playing for LIC at the JP Attray tournament here, the southpaw managed a paltry 20 after an hour-long ordeal in the middle. He even tried rolling his arm over in tandem with Bengal team mate Ranadeb Bose, but failed to make an impact as RCA won the rain-curtailed match by six wickets. To the 100-odd spectators who had gathered to watch the batsman, the beginning looked promising. Anticipation filled the air as Ganguly walked in with a swagger. That, however, was the closest he could get to recreate the magic. To their credit, the RCA bowlers didn’t make any concessions, allowing the batsman almost no room to play his shots. The 109-Test veteran was troubled the most by Kishan Chaudhary and Ravi Kant Dhillon, who have interestingly been praised by Ganguly one-time nemesis Greg Chappell as the faces to watch out for. The other opener, Sunny Singh, tried to make things easier for Ganguly but it was not his day at all. He did show an occasional flash of brilliance, smashing two boundaries through the covers. But Dhillon soon got his man with a slower delivery in the 15th over. Once he was back in the pavilion, the rest of the match was merely a subplot. LIC managed 156 for 4 in their quota of 28 overs and RCA overhauled it with a ball to spare. He might have had an off day, another off day, but Ganguly has played long enough to know you are just a knock away from form. He has already switched his focus to the next tie — against India Cements on Monday. “It means a lot to me,” he said, packing his kit bag.

[DomainK]

Club matches dont matter to be honest. Who knows he may be trying to experiment in that match.

[Fontaine]

Anticipation filled the air as Ganguly walked in with a swagger.

That's no swagger. It was an old man's limp!! :-D

[Dravid]

he didnt do well last time he was dropped either... i remember sree bowling him and ppl saying "the final nail in the coffin".. buhahahahahaha

[Dinx - the Jinx]

he didnt do well last time he was dropped either... i remember sree bowling him and ppl saying "the final nail in the coffin".. buhahahahahaha

I second that. Dada is not finished yet. He'll cme back strongly.

[Cricketics]

Dada failz to make impact in Club match, and Team Indian fail to imake impact in the most reputed Domestic game in first innings. Omission of Dada from the squad was just not bloody on he should have been in baorda representing Rest of India

[straighttalk]

pathetic scores of dada- 20,33,54

[Dravid]

pathetic scores of dada- 20' date='33,54[/quote'] http://content-www.cricinfo.com/indiandomestic2008/engine/current/match/368335.html kthxbyeyougo