Time to move on to Punjab Test

[maaki]

Agree with Punjabi_khota.. Kumble deserves the boot, based on his form in the last 2 series... Sachin Rox.. Class is not permanent.. Retirement is ... Time of the 37 year old man to make way for new blood.. Dhoni is by far out best Wicket keeper among the lot.. he may have gone missing in his batting in tests.. but i think it is a learning exp for him and will come through.....

if hes fit he shud play.his bowling form is worrying' date='but form is temporary,class is permanent.i also dont think he captained badly . he lost an imp toss n we still held on to a draw.even ponting had sweeper covers. so u cant call kumbles captao=incy defensive[/quote']

[The Outsider]

Reading the article, we can safely rule out a track that is going to break and turn. More will come out over the next couple of days but whatever happens we will play our star studded spin line up and struggle to pick up 20 wickets. In current form it's simply a waste playing them unless it's a rank turner like Kotla.

[Kohum]

Reading the article' date=' we can safely rule out a track that is going to break and turn. More will come out over the next couple of days but whatever happens we will play our star studded spin line up and struggle to pick up 20 wickets. In current form it's simply a waste playing them unless it's a rank turner like Kotla.[/quote'] I don't think Kumble will be able to play for second test. We will likely have Munaf in our squad.

[King]

I'm with Shwetabh. When the curator comes up with so many reasons even before the game starts, the usually bouncy track of Mohali will be spin from day one and am not complaining this time around. Aussies hardly have a spin option and this is the best ever time to make a dust bowl.

[ludhianvi]

I dont think that the Mohali track would be a turner on day 1. Early morning sessions may provide assistance to the quickies. There are more chances of Mohali track being a flat wicket rather than a turner.

[vroomfondel]

I'm with Shwetabh. When the curator comes up with so many reasons even before the game starts' date=' the usually bouncy track of Mohali will be spin from day one and am not complaining this time around. Aussies hardly have a spin option and this is the best ever time to make a dust bowl.[/quote'] I think Shwetabh was saying the opposite (ie, rule out spin on day 1), but I like your thinking better -- chanakyan disinformation tactics

[King]

I think Shwetabh was saying the opposite (ie' date=' rule out spin on day 1), but I like your thinking better -- chanakyan disinformation tactics[/quote'] Yes that's right. I wanted to write I'm not with Shwetabh but mentioned I was with his POV. I really think the curator giving ample reasons for not producing the pitch that is natural to Mohali is a give away that the pitch will favour spin. I could be wrong though.

[Chandan]

Another, a bit detailed news about the mohali track: Rain hits Mohali preparation - The wicket definitely has moisture. However, some days remain, says Daljit LOKENDRA PRATAP SAHI Daljit Singh Calcutta: Rain till as recently as October 4-5 has hampered the preparation of the Mohali wicket for the second Test against Australia, from Friday. With the face-off in Bangalore ending in a draw, one can expect an all-out war in Test No.2 of the four-match series. All the more attention, therefore, on the surface. “The late rain has come as a bit of a bother and, today, the wicket definitely has moisture. However, some days remain and I’m praying that the surface offered will turn out to be a good one,†said Daljit Singh, chairman of the grounds and pitches committee, both at the national (Board) and state (Punjab) levels. Speaking to The Telegraph on Monday evening, he added: “We’ve stopped watering and are hoping that the sun will help dry the top layer of the wicket... The ferocity of the sun, though, has lessened and the day-time temperature has come down... As for the lower bit, we’re relying on transpiration.†Regarded as India’s Les Burdett, Daljit (who wore the big gloves for undivided Bihar and East Zone) explained that the surface had grass, which would be “cut†once the lower layer had dried. “For transpiration, the wicket needs a covering of grass… This needs to be understood.†He maintained that “nobody†should expect the surface to help spinners from Day One. “I would never prepare such a wicket and, traditionally, that just hasn’t been a Mohali characteristic.†Daljit continued: “If everything goes well, you could look forward to a traditional surface... Seamer-friendly (initially) with bounce... There will be something there for the batsmen as well... Later, spinners are likely to come into play... In fact, it’s interesting to note that (India’s Test captain) Anil Kumble has been the MoM in two of the seven Tests staged by Mohali.†Both awards, incidentally, came against England — 2001-02 (under Sourav Ganguly) and 2005-06 (when Rahul Dravid was the captain). The wicket earmarked for the Test has already hosted a few matches, including the rain-affected four-day inter-district final between Chandigarh and Ludhiana, this season. “It’s not going to be an untested surface... Because of the weather, the wicket during that inter-district final had been sluggish... But, then, that was some three weeks ago,†pointed out Daljit. The Australians, clearly, will be fancying their chances in Mohali. However, Zaheer Khan (MoM in the first Test) and Ishant Sharma would also be looking to make a statement on the traditionally seamer-friendly surface. Having stunned Australia in Perth this year, Kumble and Co. needn’t really lose sleep over the bounce-factor. “An aggressive captain would probably like to bat after winning the toss... Having said that, a captain may also wish to be aggressive by backing his bowlers and inserting the opposition… The call is going to be interesting,†remarked Daljit. Actually, it won’t surprise if the Team India think-tank actively considers fielding three new-ball bowlers for the maiden Test against Australia in Mohali. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Looks like it'll be a slow track. The winter conditions in north India will help the swing bowlers a bit in the morning session but after that the slow track won't help either seamer or spinner because the ball will reach too slowly to the batsmen. A draw is the most likely result unless one team loses wickets in a heap in the morning session.

[Lord]

ah another boring draw in store we dont want it:yawn2:

[Kohum]

Looks like it'll be a slow track. The winter conditions in north India will help the swing bowlers a bit in the morning session but after that the slow track won't help either seamer or spinner because the ball will reach too slowly to the batsmen. A draw is the most likely result unless one team loses wickets in a heap in the morning session.

Quite well predicted. I just hope that we bat first OR get to play third seamer.

[Feed]

Mohali is like my home ground: Brett Lee Brett Lee insists his team-mates have no issues with Ganguly, whom the Aussie media slammed for employing 'delaying tactics'. More... Mohali is like my home ground: Brett Lee Agencies Posted: Oct 15, 2008 at 1610 hrs IST Mohali, October 15: : Media back home may have dubbed Sourav Ganguly a 'serial offender' but Australian speedster Brett Lee insists his team-mates have no issues with the abrasive left-hander and said they have not lost their respect for Anil Kumble either despite the India captain's mundane show in the Bangalore Test. Though no more at the helm of Indian team, Ganguly continues to rub the Australians wrong way and the Aussie media dubbed him a "serial offender", accusing him of indulging into delaying tactics in the Bangalore Test to ensure that India walked away with a morale-boosting draw in the series opener. Lee, however, didn't find anything grossly wrong with Ganguly. "See, he has got a role to play in the side. I mean he plays his game and obviously has a job to do. We play the game our way. We play a Test match to win it. But of course there was lot of doubt about the light thing (in Bangalore)..." Lee said. Lee also made it clear that despite Kumble's lacklustre show in the Bangalore Test, the Indian captain remained a great bowler in the eyes of the Australian batsmen. "Look, he has got 600 Test wickets. We respect him both as a captain and also as a class bowler. He is a great bowler, who has been around for long and we will treat him just the way we would treat a great bowler," Lee said. Despite leading the side to the draw, Kumble was flayed for his lacklustre bowling and unimaginative captaincy in the Bangalore Test. The Indian skipper was so hurt by the comments about his lack of fitness and demand for his retirement that he hit back, rather uncharacteristically, at his critics and vowed to make a mark soon in the series. The Bangalore Test also witnessed occasional sparks fly around and both India pacer Zaheer Khan and Aussie wicket-keeper Brad Haddin were fortunate to escape a reprimand after their on-field brawl there. Lee, however, believes not a single player from the either side overstepped the line in the first Test. "I think the first Test was definitely played in the right spirit. There was lot of passion and controlled aggression. A few words were exchanged indeed but that was well within the right spirit. You cannot take away the passion, after all we are not playing tiddlywinks," Lee argued. "We'll play the game fairly and squarely," he added. Oozing charm and welcoming the media with the 'Sat Sri Akaal' greeting, Lee, who donned the Kings XI Punjab colours in the Indian Premier League, said the second Test would be quite a home match for him. "It's going to be a home game for me. It's a great place and hopefully the wicket will have enough carry, especially because this is traditionally a bouncy track. In Bangalore, it was pretty low and slow. The pitch here looks pretty hard and hopefully there will be enough carry for the young pacers," Lee added. He said it was disappointing not to win the first Test but felt the team should be happy with their game in Bangalore. "I mean it was really disappointing not to win there, for we came out to win the match. But in hindsight, we can be happy with the way we played and created chances. Personally, I'm really happy with the way I bowled. I mean you look at the scoreboard and you don't see too many wickets (against my name) but I'm happy that I created chances. I would be pretty confident going into this Test," Lee said. Almost inevitably, Lee was asked to comment on Sachin Tendulkar overtaking Brian Lara as the highest run scorer in Test in the Mohali match and the Australian said he was looking forward to bowling to the master blaster. "It would be nice if he does not get those 15 run in this series. But he is a world class player and deserves the honour...I love the challenge of bowling to the Little Master," Lee said.

[TaNk]

Lee gives it back to Zaheer Mohali, Oct 15 (IANS) Australian pace spearhead Brett Lee has shot back at Zaheer Khan's remarks on the defensive approach of the visitors, saying the Aussies were the only team trying to win the first Test in Bangalore. Zaheer, who was adjudged man of the match in the first Test, termed the visitors as the 'most defensive Aussie team' to visit India in recent time. 'He's entitled to his opinion. You've only got to look back the way we bowled on the last day and the way they attacked the batting,' Lee said Wednesday. 'Chasing 299 in 83 overs, there was only one team that was trying to win the match. We know, at any opportunity, that we are capable of winning -- it didn't appear that they wanted to win. 'There's a lot of things they can say, that they had a mental win, but we were very happy with the way we played,' he said. Lee also countered Zaheer's attack on Australian pace attack's inability to pick 20 wickets saying it was the pitch which was the real culprit. 'The way we look at it too is that they did not take our 20 wickets, which plays the fact that maybe the wicket was not capable of taking those 40 wickets, so I am not worried about that. 'The wicket was not capable of getting the ball above shoulder height, so the whole scare tactic, the intimidation, wasn't playing a part because the wicket was so dead. 'Probably (we learned) to be a bit more patient, as a whole bowling group we probably weren't patient enough.' Lee said that they will have to bowl with more patience. 'We have to make sure we have better plans. Sometimes the tail wags, it wagged when we were batting as well. 'Harbhajan can hold the bat, so can Zaheer, we know we're not bowling to traditional nine or 10 batsmen,' Lee said. Asked about Tendulkar coming close to become the highest scorer in Test cricket, Lee said: 'He was a world-class player and deserved to reach the number one spot by scoring the maximum runs in Test cricket. 'He is a world class player. I love to play against the Little Master. He deserves to reach the number one spot.' Tendulkar is 15 runs short of Brian Lara's record of 11,953 runs to become the highest run getter in Test matches in cricket. His tally stands at 11,939 runs. Lee said that the Australian side was looking to competitive cricket in the coming three test matches. 'I don't want to make a big statement (on Australia winning the series). There are three more games left in the series. I was disappointed that the Bangalore test did not produce a result,' Lee said.

[DomainK]

Good boy. Now its a battle.

[umpire]

>'The way we look at it too is that they did not take our 20 wickets, why did you declare??

[chanakya]

>'The way we look at it too is that they did not take our 20 wickets, why did you declare??

cause they were attempting to win ?

[Feed]

Kumble bats, doesn't bowl in nets at Mohali He wasn't doing what he is known for, but many eyes were on Anil Kumble when the Indian team was doing nets at the PCA Stadium, reports Atreyo Mukhopadhyay. More... Kumble bats, doesn’t bowl Atreyo Mukhopadhyay Mohali, October 16, 2008 First Published: 00:17 IST(16/10/2008) Last Updated: 00:20 IST(16/10/2008) He wasn't doing what he is known for, but many eyes were on Anil Kumble when the Indian team was doing nets at the PCA Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. A little bit of knocking was all that Kumble did two days before the second Test and tossing the ball while talking to teammates towards the end of the session was the closest the India Test captain came to bowling. With no access to the team's physio and no communication from him on the nature/extent of Kumble's bowling shoulder injury, the media had to ask Gary Kirsten about his leg-spinner's fitness. The coach didn't take the matter much forward. "We are watching him closely, he looks okay at the moment and with still some time to go before the Test, we hope he will be ready. He's a warrior and keen to play. Regardless of how he is, he wants to represent the country," Kirsten said. While the 'warrior bit' many are respectfully aware of, the last part of Kirsten's statement was confusing. Without casting aspersion on anybody's commitment, it's safe to say that one can't be 'regardless' of how one is when it's a question of representing the country. Given the brand of cricket Kumble plays it is expected that he will come up with a clearer explanation on Thursday.

[Feed]

Pitch preparation affected by showers at Mohali yesterday Kumble is grappling with a sore shoulder More... Pitch preparation affected by showers S. Dinakar Kumble is grappling with a sore shoulder Keen as ever: Anil Kumble, who has trouble with his shoulder, took part in the team’s practice session in Mohali. Mohali: It rained hard here on Tuesday night. The man from the ground-staff called it a thunderstorm. From a cricketing perspective, this was bad news. Showers before the Test have hurt the preparation of the pitch for the second Border-Gavaskar Test beginning Friday although bright sunshine greeted the cricketers when they practised on Wednesday. Cricketing fortunes too can change as quickly as the weather. Anil Kumble comprehends much about the uncertain path that a cricketing journey often is. The skipper had an unproductive first Test, is grappling with a sore shoulder and is rather unhappy with sections of the media for speculating. Kumble did not bowl during the Indian nets but batted. “He’s still feeling some pain. We are watching him closely. He is a warrior and is very keen to play,” said coach Gary Kirsten. Significant Then Kirsten said something significant — “You don’t judge someone over one Test but over long periods of time. Kumble is one of the greatest Indian cricketers I have come across. I am sure he will come back with a match-winning performance.” The pitch in Mohali traditionally helps the seamers before settling into a good batting pitch. In the later stages, there is assistance for the spin bowlers. India is exploring the option of fielding a third paceman in Munaf Patel. “We are looking at the various possibilities. We don’t have to make that decision yet. “We will have another look at the pitch tomorrow,” said Kirsten. Whom would Munaf replace if he is inducted in the eleven? Interesting question. Talking about pacemen, Kirsten focussed on Zaheer Khan. “He’s got tremendous belief now. He’s become intelligent, knows how to bowl on different wickets and conditions. He is bowling as well with the new ball as the old with a lot of variations.” Team spirit The prospect of defeating world champion Australia was “the greatest catalyst” for India, said Kirsten. He stressed the team spirit in the side. “No one is talking of individual records. They are speaking about what they can do as a unit. In all my years of playing against India or now coaching the side, I have never come across such a united Indian side.” He was happy that all the top six batsmen spent time in the middle during the first Test and believed they were on to bigger things in the second Test. Brett Lee would be steaming in to prevent the Indian batsmen from building edifices. “I was happy with the way the ball came out of the hand in the first Test. I looked at the pitch here and it appeared to be hard. There should be more bounce and carry here,” he added. Clark’s injury concern His pace partner Stuart Clark has an injury concern — a sore left elbow. Clark did not bowl at the nets on Wednesday but Lee said this was part of a quick-fix recovery programme. “It was decided that he would not be bowling today. But he would do so tomorrow.” Lee spoke about India not attempting a possible win on the final day after a bold Australian declaration and how the Aussies took more out of the first Test. The paceman, in a lighter vein, hoped Sachin Tendulkar would not get to the World record in the ongoing series — the maestro is 14 runs behind Brian Lara’s record for the highest run-getter in Tests. He then acknowledged, “You judge where you stand in world cricket by bowling to someone like him.” Lee highlighted the use of cross seam to get one side of the ball rougher — this would assist reverse swing — and bowling with the wicketkeeper and the slips standing closer because of lesser bounce and carry than in Australia. Resultantly, the pacemen are forced to bowl a wicket-to-wicket line rather than probing relentlessly outside the off-stump and search for edges. The surface at Mohali could be different.

[Guest Hiten.]

Why doesn't he atleast opt out of the match/series citing injury ? He surely has been a fighter and a great asset to Indian cricket, but this does not mean India has to play a injured horse and ask it to walk instead of running. Kumble's article which blasted the media was more of a 'emotional blackmail'. We all know realize how important this man has been and what a true fighter he has been, but he should realize that the battle cannot be fought forever, he has to rest the armor as they are worn out now. He is dragging himself now....

[Willow_on_fire]

Why doesn't he atleast opt out of the match/series citing injury ? He surely has been a fighter and a great asset to Indian cricket' date=' but this does not mean India has to play a injured horse and ask it to walk instead of running. Kumble's article which blasted the media was more of a 'emotional blackmail'. We all know realize how important this man has been and what a true fighter he has been, but he should realize that the battle cannot be fought forever, he has to rest the armor as they are worn out now. He is dragging himself now....[/quote'] well said....sad, but true...Kumble's performance has been rather low...surely the age factor is there...I wish he bowls a magical spell before he bows out.

[DomainK]

Well, its clear that he is not backing off. He will play. So lets just hope that he strikes some form with the ball.