Time for some hard decisions

[Sachin_Rulez]

Re: Time for some hard decisions One good knock in tour game was all that needed for Ganguly to be in the line up for the first test. I honestly believe that he will struggle big time to buy a run against ntini, styen & co. Its good that he got selected for this tour. If he fails, we can dump him forever and ever...

[yoda]

Re: Time for some hard decisions

One good knock in tour game was all that needed for Ganguly to be in the line up for the first test. I honestly believe that he will struggle big time to buy a run against ntini' date=' styen & co. Its good that he got selected for this tour. If he fails, we can dump him forever and ever...[/quote'] But SR, what is considered a failure? What if a few others fail with him, which is quite likely. :chin:

[Sachin_Rulez]

Re: Time for some hard decisions

But SR, what is considered a failure? What if a few others fail with him, which is quite likely. :chin:

who are those "few others"? Let's see ... Sachin??? can't be touched, I'm afraid. Rules doesn't apply to tendlya !! Sehwag?? I'm pretty sure he will end up having better average than gangs in this series. RD??? haha..... VVS?? hmm..... if he makes more runs than gangs then retain him, otherwise drop vvs also...(but this man is capable of producing quite exceptional knocks now and then.....unlike gangs) Jaffer??? over-rated player...more likely to fail..so dump him..but being vengy in the helm, highly unlikely to happen Dhoni??? can't be compared to gangs as he's a WK batsman.... KKD??? He'll be lucky if he gets to play a test I think we are making a big mistake by not playing rao or badri and instead recycling same tested players from garbage. IMO, one of rao or badri certainly have the potential to become our next RD (Now that's a big statement to make but we never know unless we try them...)

[Predator_05]

Re: Time for some hard decisions Whether he scored 83 or 23, Ganguly would have made that first XI for the Jo'burg test. The selectors didn't fly him to SA just to carry drinks - that much is clear. He will be guaranteed 3 tests. Pathan's 111 and Ganguly's 83 are the best batting performances we've seen on this tour. It's impossible to see them missing out now. Considering how sh*t the top order looks, India cannot and will not afford to ignore their ONLY in-form batsmen. Ntini and Steyn won't be any quicker then Hayward or Morkel were. If these batsmen can score runs against those two bowlers - it's safe to assume that they won't be fazed by the two South African spearheads.

[Rahul]

Re: Time for some hard decisions reading doc's OP, i somehow cant help hark back and think about another very very similar player we used to have: manoj. think abt it, IKP is exactly the same, a big threat when it is swinging around, but a useful bat most of the time. IIRC, manoj opened for us. much as i like jaffa, i think he is not in the best of nick ATM, so i wouldn't really mind IKP opening. good OP, HD. as re: SCG, only time will tell. someone here equated his getting thwanged on the head with the Ntini thunderbolt that got Punter--the best bat against liquid pace alive ATM. i hope SCG does well, but as a veteran, i wont put his avg for the series over 25-30, with luck (he did get dropped during the 83, an eminently catchable slash straight to gully.) keep em flowing. take it easy, R

[Rahul]

Re: Time for some hard decisions

Ntini and Steyn won't be any quicker then Hayward or Morkel were. If these batsmen can score runs against those two bowlers - it's safe to assume that they won't be fazed by the two South African spearheads.

where did u get this, mate?? ("Ntini and Steyn won't be any quicker then Hayward or Morkel were") i bow to thine sources. i bow even more low to yr brilliant leap of logic that says, to quote, "it's safe to assume that they won't be fazed by the two South African spearheads." excuse me while i go BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. thanks for the titter. take it easy, R

[gator]

Re: Time for some hard decisions

Ntini and Steyn won't be any quicker then Hayward or Morkel were. If these batsmen can score runs against those two bowlers - it's safe to assume that they won't be fazed by the two South African spearheads.

where did u get this, mate?? ("Ntini and Steyn won't be any quicker then Hayward or Morkel were") i bow to thine sources. i bow even more low to yr brilliant leap of logic that says, to quote, "it's safe to assume that they won't be fazed by the two South African spearheads." excuse me while i go BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. thanks for the titter. take it easy, R

Rahul, AD has called Morkel as the bowler who will carry his torch... and i have personally seen Hayward touch speed of over 150..... remember, Steyn is not some accomplished bowler, he barely made it over these 2....next series, he could be out and morkel can be in...

[Rahul]

Re: Time for some hard decisions morkel is a wannabe. hayward is a has-been. ask saffie fans, if u dont believe me. neither is a patch on Ntini. speed isnt everything, u see. even AD would tell you that. take it easy, R

[Predator_05]

Re: Time for some hard decisions

where did u get this, mate?? ("Ntini and Steyn won't be any quicker then Hayward or Morkel were")

Hayward IS FAR QUICKER than Ntini - at least he was when i last saw him back in '01. I am guessing he still bowls at a similar pace, maybe a few k's less. Back in '01, he was really ripping it up against India in the Standard Bank tri-series final...had Tendulkar tied down before bowling him with a ball which kicked off and edged onto his stumps. In the first test against India at Bloemfentein (sic) he regularly bowled over 150 kmph. Of course Ntini is a much better bowler, but solely in terms of speed there is no contest. He was bowling in the high 130's when i saw him play against India last winter. Donald had this to say about Morkel...

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/columns/content/story/244853.html "We've got to keep our eye on Morne Morkel," Donald said. "He's six-foot-four, he gets serious bounce, and he's got really great pace - genuine pace. He's still very young and he's finding his way. He didn't play much last season because of injury, but he was outstanding at the fast bowlers' camp we had a couple of months ago, and he has a great attitude to go with his physical strengths. I don't think the Indian batsmen would enjoy facing him.

Really great pace, genuine pace. Coming from him, i'll take his word for it. What gives you the impression that Ntini and Steyn would be any quicker than these two ? IF Ganguly and Pathan can survive against these two bowlers, they won't exactly sh*t themselves against other bowlers who will bowl at more or less the same pace. Pace alone won't do them in.

[gator]

Re: Time for some hard decisions add to tht, Steyn has a reputation for being very wayward.... our batters never had trouble with wayward fast bowling...

[Rahul]

Re: Time for some hard decisions

Pace alone won't do them in.

i dont think pace per se was a prob. else, sami and lee shoulda steam-rolled IND line-ups. so what are u saying, exactly, when u say, "If these batsmen can score runs against those two bowlers - it's safe to assume that they won't be fazed by the two South African spearheads." i find the purport of that supposition highly fallacious. take it easy, R

[Predator_05]

Re: Time for some hard decisions It's not. I was talking about pace. Do you expect them to be scared of either Ntini or Steyn now that they have scored runs off two bowlers who can move it just as fast. Didn't think so.

[Rahul]

Re: Time for some hard decisions

Do you expect them to be scared of either Ntini or Steyn now that they have scored runs off two bowlers who can move it just as fast.

they dont really "move" it, do they?? IMO, polly will have his number, if Ntini doesnt kill him. Steyn, ah well, he's another patrick patterson/devon malcolm--capable of some unplayable spell or two, but mostly sami-esque. and who talked about being scared? does "form" mean anything to you? going by yr logic, SRT is "scared." LOL. take it easy, R

[King]

Re: Time for some hard decisions Pace is not a problem but movement off the seam (who isn't bothered by it ) and extra bounce is a major problem. It is not just for sub continent ones but for the locals too but you need tall guys say about 6 ' 4" and over to extract this extra bounce. Unfortunately we don't have as many tall bowlers to extract similar bounce.

[Predator_05]

Re: Time for some hard decisions

going by yr logic' date=' SRT is "scared."[/quote'] Judging by how poorly he has done in his last 3 test series, he probably is ! Scared of failure that is. Hope he proves me wrong...

[Predator_05]

Re: Time for some hard decisions So what happens now ? Jaffer's failure gives the team an opportunity to entertain the 5 bowler strategy. It worked for 'em in the Windies, and they might well go for it again. So assuming they do play 5 bowlers, who is going to miss out and who will make it ? Pathan's form with the bat makes him a necessary inclusion. Between Sreesanth and VRV, which one replaces Harbhajan Singh ? or will India stick with two spinners ? Decisions, decisions !

[gator]

Re: Time for some hard decisions

Pace is not a problem but movement off the seam (who isn't bothered by it ) and extra bounce is a major problem. It is not just for sub continent ones but for the locals too but you need tall guys say about 6 ' 4" and over to extract this extra bounce. Unfortunately we don't have as many tall bowlers to extract similar bounce.

munaf patel stands at 6'2-6'3 something... VRV is also around the same height.... as i compared earlier in the other thread, if u r talking only about pace, then both bowling attacks are comparable, the only difference is polly with his splendid seam movement...

[Predator_05]

Re: Time for some hard decisions

munaf patel stands at 6'2-6'3 something... VRV is also around the same height.... as i compared earlier in the other thread' date=' if u r talking only about pace, then both bowling attacks are comparable.[/quote'] No way - Steyn is easily a yard or two quicker than both of them and therefore tilts the scales for SA Do you think VRV should play the first test ??

[gator]

Re: Time for some hard decisions definitely.... i had posted about this earlier in a more comprehensive manner..... he is definitely not the same guy u saw on debut.... i will personally vouch for tht.... he crosses 140 easily, good bounce and aggression, pace and better control.... HE MUS PLAY