Indian XI For the Next Little While

[fineleg]

^ Yes, on Indian pitches, it is scary lineup. not too bad either for Away series, but maybe some experience is lacking for that.

[Lord]

looking at that batting line up raina is a waste.we have enuf batting anyway.i think we should play mishra instead of raina.but otherwise its good lineup

[TaNk]

^ agree raina is waste ..

[Guest HariSampath]

Looks like a pretty sick lineup to me. I think we'll see the best of Tendulkar in this period. He knows the firepower of the lineup that's behind him so he could just cut loose. Or be the ultimate roleplayer...be the one to take the charge, or let the others bat around him. Is 20 000 ODI runs out of sight for the man? Don't think so, he's only 4000 away, if he plays another 4 years, it's definitely possible.

what sort of cr@ppy projection is that? 4000 runs in 4 years ? LOL Given the fact Sachin will play a maximum of 12-15 ODIs per year ( with difficulty), that means he will play 48 -60 ODIs more, over 4 years. Which means he has to average around 65 in ODIs, in the last leg of his career, which is next to impossible, and he has never done that before. Apart from that you assume he will play till end of 2012, begining of 2013...he will be 40 years old then. None of this is gonna happen, as Sachin himself has said he would first retire from ODIs before retiring from tests. Seriously dude, you have no idea of what you are saying

[SachDan]

Deadly batting lineup that! Opposing captains,bowlers and fielders have to be on their toes all the time with such an exciting bunch of stroke players to contend.

[Guest HariSampath]

Ojha needs to be in that 11...he is the best spinner in ODIs for us at the moment Pathan, Sehwag and Bhajji are same type bowlers, so Pragyan Ojha , who had been bowling splendidly is the better option

[SachDan]

what sort of cr@ppy projection is that? 4000 runs in 4 years ? LOL Given the fact Sachin will play a maximum of 12-15 ODIs per year ( with difficulty), that means he will play 48 -60 ODIs more, over 4 years. Which means he has to average around 65 in ODIs, in the last leg of his career, which is next to impossible, and he has never done that before. Apart from that you assume he will play till end of 2012, begining of 2013...he will be 40 years old then. None of this is gonna happen, as Sachin himself has said he would first retire from ODIs before retiring from tests. Seriously dude, you have no idea of what you are saying

Agree.20000 runs in the shorter version is not going to happen.There is no way Sachin would continue playing ODI's after the World Cup.That means at the most he'll play another 50 matches and end up somewhere between 18500-19000 runs. Where did you hear that Hari ?? when ever asked abt his retirement plans, he always maintained that "its the last thing on his mind"!

[Guest HariSampath]

No, he has clearly said this on the tour of England last year " I would probably retire from ODIs before I do from tests"...to The Times...remember thats what created all that confusion on whether that was his last ODI...this was last tour of Eng

[SachDan]

Hari, this is the interview.Even there he didn't mention anything. He is less prikly when asked when he might retire. He has asked India not to consider him for the Twenty20 world championship in September, but says he hasn’t given any thought to retirement from other forms of the game. “I’ve not come here with that frame of mind,” he says. “I’ve kept things very open. I don’t want to divide my energies in various directions. I just want to focus on playing cricket. I’ve not thought about where I might stop. I don’t think it’s the right time to think about that.” http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/cricket/article2076305.ece

[Sooda]

I do hope Sachin retires from ODIs soon. For this series tho matches 4,5 SRT, Murali V, Raina, Rohit, Sehwag ©, DKarthik, Irfan p, YOusuf P, Praveen K, Ishant, Praggers O macthes 6,7 SRT, Murali V, GG, Virat, Yuvraj ©, D K , Irfan, Yousuf, Praveen, Munaf, Praggers

[Guest HariSampath]

Hari, this is the interview.Even there he didn't mention anything. He is less prikly when asked when he might retire. He has asked India not to consider him for the Twenty20 world championship in September, but says he hasn’t given any thought to retirement from other forms of the game. “I’ve not come here with that frame of mind,†he says. “I’ve kept things very open. I don’t want to divide my energies in various directions. I just want to focus on playing cricket. I’ve not thought about where I might stop. I don’t think it’s the right time to think about that.†http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/cricket/article2076305.ece

Yes, I know about this interview. But when the "retiring from ODIs" controversy broke out, Sachin had cleared it by giving interviews to TOI and Times NOW tv, where he had said something like..." I dont know how this started...if at all anything, I had just spoken on how harder it is for the body to recover from small niggles and that I would probably retire from ODIs before I retire completely. That is what must have given rise to the speculation I am retiring from ODIs now"...words very close to this anyway...I even saw that interview on TV

[dial_100]

I thought he said he will play select few ODIs but never said he would retire first from ODIs. or rather the word retire was never used.

[SachDan]

I thought he said he will play select few ODIs but never said he would retire first from ODIs. or rather the word retire was never used.

Thats the point.He never mentioned the word RETIRE on his own in any of the interviews.

[Kartikey]

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar to open with Viru with Gauti down to 3 and rohit sharma dropped. Yuvi at 4 and Raina at 5. And Ishant in for RP.

[Guest HariSampath]

SRT at 3 and the Sehwag/Gambhir combo preserved, because that is the combo for the next 4 years and the most successful one in world cricket now.

[Guest HariSampath]

Thats the point.He never mentioned the word RETIRE on his own in any of the interviews.

Dan...he did. he clearly said that if anything he will quit ODIs before tests, but even that was not on his mind immediately.....I saw that one on Times Now TV

[Guest HariSampath]

I do hope Sachin retires from ODIs soon. For this series tho matches 4,5 SRT, Murali V, Raina, Rohit, Sehwag ©, DKarthik, Irfan p, YOusuf P, Praveen K, Ishant, Praggers O macthes 6,7 SRT, Murali V, GG, Virat, Yuvraj ©, D K , Irfan, Yousuf, Praveen, Munaf, Praggers

WHY , for god's sake ??? Even today he is one of the world's best batters, and if he reduces his ODIs to maybe 10 per year, he can play ( hopefully) till wc 2011, subject to form/fitness. In fact is it not a publicly stated ambition of his ? to win a world cup for India. Sachin can play , taking it season by season, playing 50% of ODIs each year, and also cutting down for 25% of tests, and IF he keeps performing and delivering , he can play till 2 seasons more .....and hopefully 3 seasons too.

[SachDan]

SRT at 3 and the Sehwag/Gambhir combo preserved' date=' because that is the combo for the next 4 years and the most successful one in world cricket now.[/quote'] Opening the batting is wat SRT cherishes the most in ODIs and there's no need to change him from that slot.Don't forget that Gauti too was quite a success at no.3 in the CB series.

[Shehezaada]

what sort of cr@ppy projection is that? 4000 runs in 4 years ? LOL Given the fact Sachin will play a maximum of 12-15 ODIs per year ( with difficulty), that means he will play 48 -60 ODIs more, over 4 years. Which means he has to average around 65 in ODIs, in the last leg of his career, which is next to impossible, and he has never done that before. Apart from that you assume he will play till end of 2012, begining of 2013...he will be 40 years old then. None of this is gonna happen, as Sachin himself has said he would first retire from ODIs before retiring from tests. Seriously dude, you have no idea of what you are saying

ODIs to Come in 2008: 4 ODIs to come in 2009: 20+ ODIs to come in 2010: 30+ (including masala ODI tourneys) ODIs to come in 2011 including WC: 30+ So atleast 84 ODIs to come for Tendulkar, and after WC 2011 he will most likely retire. He needs another 3639 runs. Let's say he plays all of them, he needs to average 43. If he plays 60, he needs to average 60. Wouldn't put it past him. If anyone can do it it's Tendulkar.

[SachDan]

ODIs to Come in 2008: 4 ODIs to come in 2009: 20+ ODIs to come in 2010: 30+ (including masala ODI tourneys) ODIs to come in 2011 including WC: 30+ So atleast 84 ODIs to come for Tendulkar, and after WC 2011 he will most likely retire. He needs another 3639 runs. Let's say he plays all of them, he needs to average 43. If he plays 60, he needs to average 60. Wouldn't put it past him. If anyone can do it it's Tendulkar.

TALL ORDER ! He would play at best 50 out of these 84 ODIs you mentioned.If he decides to have a go at all these ODIs we might see him play atleast 10 tests short and don't wana that happen.In the shorter version SRT is untouchable for any batsmen.Its in tests we want him to pile up more runs and make sure that no Pwnting or Kallis reach that record.