"No place for sentiments in Test cricket" : Mickey Arthur

[Fontaine]

46 overs' date=' 2 for 166. Do you actually believe that another seamer is going to do more damage to us? We are not producing the great spinners of yesteryears anymore to go with the 2 seamer + 2 spinner strategy.[/quote'] EXACTLY. The two spinners ARE NOT there on merit but because we're being too conservative, just like Grahame Smith said. Anways, we already have a guy in Sehwag who should be bowled more and can pickup some of the overs from the 2nd spinner because he gives it more turn and drift.

[Guest Gunner]

lol at picking up third seamer.....medium pacers dont pick wickets on flat pitches.... Zak is the only true performer..Ishant is useless on flat pitches...So why would u replace bhajji with a risky medium pacer? Secondly, Mishra is unproven but still playing..So you wanna drop Bhajji ahead of a important second test to bring in another replacement bowler so they can gain some experience too..hahahaha

If Bhajji doesn't deliver at Eden then its time to drop him.

Do you guys even read before you post? To answer the first part, no one here has claimed that Ishant etc have done a better job than Harby. We all know that our bowling is underperforming so avoid stating the brutally obvious. The point here is when things are not going well do you sit back and hope things will improve or try other combinations? I hope you understand now.

[Fontaine]

Ah the mods fav has spoken. More brown nosing from you to the mods. Yeah I have been banned from this site befoe. And...:hysterical: Better then sticking your tongue where the sun don't shine to curry flavour' date=' or what ever flavour the toddler is looking for:hysterical:[/quote'] Brown nose? Sticking your tongue? See what I mean about your posts being childish?

[King Tendulkar]

46 overs' date=' 2 for 166. Do you actually believe that another seamer is going to do more damage to us? We are not producing the great spinners of yesteryears anymore to go with the 2 seamer + 2 spinner strategy.[/quote'] And Mishras figure please? Since 2008 to now, Bhaji is the top wicket taking spinner in world cricket!

[Guest Gunner]

When you are a new spin bowler...people haven't figured you out and don't really have concrete plans against u...so you should be performing better and not worse...

That works when you are unconventional not when you are a traditional leg spinner. You don't know what the hell you are talking about do you? Can you guess what was Shane Warne's bowling figures when he bowled at the SCG (and that wicket is actually known to assist a bit of spin) in 92, it was 1-206. I should know, I watched him debut.

[King Tendulkar]

Brown nose? Sticking your tongue? See what I mean about your posts being childish?

You reap what you sow kid! You start it, then I will respond in kind kid! Now run to the mods and ask for me to be banned like a good little boy!

[Guest Gunner]

Cowardly. What OTT bakwaas. Its calling backing your players who are proven performers. If backing proven players who may have gone in to a slight dip in form is cowardly' date= then so be it call me a coward. Please give your thoughts on Bhaji being top wicket taker in 2008 and 2009 in tests. Its a fact that sits uncomfortably with anti bhaji mob who refuse to discuss this fact.

I am kind of getting annoyed with this holier than thou bullshit. No one here has ever shied away from supporting our players including Harby. My point is that if he is not able to deliver at this point in time then there is no harm in trying a different combination. Its not like people are suggesting that Harby's career should be ended. A time off sometimes can be a good thing.

[Fontaine]

Well' date=' Indian selectors won't drop Bhajji for the next test in favour of Mishra regardless of the nature of the pitch. I want to know ur opinion?[/quote'] No problem. IF we get a sporting track like the curator said that won't take much turn until the 4th/5th day then we need to go with: Zaheer/Sree: As the spearhead shock bowlers to come on in short bursts, especially with the new ball. Ishant: As the stock bowler because he's consistent and good enough to be economical to go for length and line like he has been doing for the last few tests. Bhajji: But only if he understands that he's there to give the ball drift and loop (then he can use his pace variations) and because he can bat better than Mishra and he's done well before at this ground. Sehwag: Give him more overs and ask him to do what he usually does in giving ball plenty of drift. But if Bhajji puts in another weak, maiden less performance where he can't take top/middle order wickets then it's time to send him back to domestic cricket and go with some other spinner. I would rate this as his last chance.

[King Tendulkar]

I am kind of getting annoyed with this holier than thou bullshit. No one here has ever shied away from supporting our players including Harby. My point is that if he is not able to deliver at this point in time then there is no harm in trying a different combination. Its not like people are suggesting that Harby's career should be ended. A time off sometimes can be a good thing.

I repeat tis statement Since 2008 to now, Bhaji is the top wicket taking spinner in world cricket! Is this the non delivery you talking about. Lets hope gambhir does not have a dip for a month or he will have people saying he should be axed as well

[Guest Gunner]

And Mishras figure please? Since 2008 to now, Bhaji is the top wicket taking spinner in world cricket!

I don't really follow your argument. Why exactly do you want to consider a comparison between Mishra and Harby unless you consider them to be equal? Strawman arguments are very poor in a debate. Try again.

Conveniently ignored by you I see. You are now just having circular arguments with yourself. Secondly, are you playing test matches in the year 2008 or 2010, how does his past performance justify his genuine dip in form currently? Harby might very well come good at the eden and I would be very happy to see that happen. But your arguments in support of keeping him in the team are extremely weak. If you want to defend a player I suggest you start doing a better job of it.

[King Tendulkar]

Zaheer/Sree: As the spearhead shock bowlers to come on in short bursts, especially with the new ball.

Sree!!!!! You have changed your tune. When I used to say he should be in the team you used to abuse and name call him and call him rubbish(as well as abuse me, not very successfully mind you). Now you say he should be in the team:haha: Looks like you have egg on your face with sree and had to eat a big slice of humble pie. You should have listened to my grade school mind on Sree earlier!:--D

[Karan114]

But if Bhajji puts in another weak' date=' maiden less performance where he can't take top/middle order wickets then it's time to send him back to domestic cricket and go with some other spinner.[/quote'] I agree with this, he had a really good run up till the New Zealand tour last year but has been ordinary in all forms of the game since. If he can't deliver at Kolkata he should be dropped and told to get some rhythm back away from the spotlight in domestic cricket. He is still only 29 and can come back with plenty of years left as a spinner depending on how much he wants it.

[King Tendulkar]

Conveniently ignored by you I see. You are now just having circular arguments with yourself. Secondly, are you playing test matches in the year 2008 or 2010, how does his past performance justify his genuine dip in form currently? Harby might very well come good at the eden and I would be very happy to see that happen. But your arguments in support of keeping him in the team are extremely weak. If you want to defend a player I suggest you start doing a better job of it.

Yep my argument is vey weak by showing over last 2 years Bhaji as a bowler has took heaps of wickets:(( In fact more then any other spinner in the world. Very weak point I make here!

[Guest Gunner]

I repeat tis statement Since 2008 to now, Bhaji is the top wicket taking spinner in world cricket! Is this the non delivery you talking about. Lets hope gambhir does not have a dip for a month or he will have people saying he should be axed as well

I don't know how to explain this to you. No one is questioning Harby's contribution to Indian cricket or his long term future. People are pointing his current dip in form which is not helping the team or his confidence. Since you seem to love stats, the is Harby in the past 12 months: http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/29264.html?class=1;filter=advanced;home_or_away=1;home_or_away=2;orderby=default;search_captain=Mahendra+Singh+Dhoni;spanmax1=12+Feb+2010;spanmin1=12+Feb+2009;spanval1=span;template=results;type=allround He averages 35. Please don't start a comparison with Len hutton, DOn Bradman etc. Just talk about Harby.

[Guest Gunner]

Yep my argument is vey weak by showing over last 2 years Bhaji as a bowler has took heaps of wickets:(( In fact more then any other spinner in the world. Very weak point I make here!

Oh for the love of god, stop playing daft. You know exactly what I am saying to you.

[King Tendulkar]

Well his form over last month has not been good. But to just axe him based on that is harsh. He is a proven performer over many years and as such deserves a longer rope then say a new and unproven guy like mishra(especially as mishra did jack in last test). This is the crux of the point. To find players who can deliver at the top level is not easy. Not any tom dick and harry can do it. Thus when you do find a proven performer you don't axe him at any slight dip of form and replace with unknown. You give him some rope to recover. And this is exactly what I advocate and selectors will do. Thats back your proven guys, give them a chance to recover their old form. Thats why they did with Dravid and rightly will do with Bhaji. I am backing Bhaji to recover his proven form and so will selecotrs and fair minded fans, especially as his dip is around 2 months at most.

[Fontaine]

And Mishras figure please? Since 2008 to now, Bhaji is the top wicket taking spinner in world cricket!

Last year Swann got 54 wickets at a better average than Dumbhajan who only got 29. By your childish logic Swann is miles better than him and it's not even close!!!

[King Tendulkar]

Swann bowled very well last year, all credit it to him.

[Fontaine]

Sree!!!!! You have changed your tune. When I used to say he should be in the team you used to abuse and name call him and call him rubbish(as well as abuse me, not very successfully mind you). Now you say he should be in the team:haha: Looks like you have egg on your face with sree and had to eat a big slice of humble pie. You should have listened to my grade school mind on Sree earlier!:--D

Don't you ever get tired of being wrong? I've always said he was an inconsistent but talented bowler. He can be included now because obviously all our other bowlers except for Zaheer are doing average to poorly so Sreesanth doesn't get a recall based on merit but lack of it from the current bowlers. But yeah, nice summary. All you need to do now is make it rhyme and you've got a nice children's fairy tail story.

[Fontaine]

Swann bowled very well last year' date=' all credit it to him.[/quote'] You don't know the first thing about how he bowled, how well, or even what types of deliveries he has, his action and so on. Honestly, how many times did you seem him bowl in tests for full spells? Now go google Swann and look at some of his videos, liar.