Bedi slams Dhoni's captaincy

[Sid]

Bishan Singh Bedi has lashed out at India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for a 'defensive mindset' and for allowing New Zealand to draw consecutive Tests on Indian soil. Dhoni is a very defensive captain. It's a misconception that he's aggressive. Firstly, he doesn't encourage spinners to toss the ball, batsmen to use their feet, always has a long on as well as a long off. Brendon McCullum made a mockery out of the attack by playing so many scoop shots I have also noticed that he allows batsmen to steal lots of easy singles when the need of the hour must be to build pressure," Bedi told MiD DAY. "I have serious doubts about our bowling attack going into the tour of South Africa. We are going to depend heavily on Zaheer Khan," said Bedi. The former India skipper was critical of the spin duo, Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha for asking the curator a reason for the lack in turn: "The ball needs to be tossed above eye level. You need a big heart to bowl in Test cricket. A couple of good balls in an over does not help," he said Bedi said Harbhajan's four wickets in the first innings established that the pitch had a lot more in the offing than what the end result suggests Asked about left-arm spinner Ojha, Bedi said: "He bowls with a very flat trajectory. I don't know who has been advising him, but it is not working," the bowler with 266 Test wickets, opined S Sreesanth began proceedings yesterday, bowling an uppish length with two short mid-wickets in place. Kane Williamson struck the Kerala pacer for three boundaries, forcing Dhoni to make a change. "Sreesanth's inconsistent line makes it impossible to maintain pressure on a batting team. Dhoni needs to be a little more attacking in his mindset. "An average cricket fan must be wondering who the No 1 and No 8 Test teams are in this instance. It is high time India started behaving like the No 1 team," Bedi concluded http://http://www.mid-day.com/sports/2010/nov/171110-Bishan-Singh-Bedi-Mahendra-Singh-Dhoni-Captain-India.htm

[saneindian]

Aah, so 2 draws and the usual suspects are out in media!! Wonder why do these guys silent when we are doing well. Even though what he is saying is correct, what I don't like is his habbit of coming out in the media only when we have not done well. And on days when we do well and he speaks , his usualrefrain is "We did not play well, opposition played badly".

[hari504504]

The former India skipper was critical of the spin duo, Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha for asking the curator a reason for the lack in turn: "The ball needs to be tossed above eye level. You need a big heart to bowl in Test cricket. A couple of good balls in an over does not help," he said Asked about left-arm spinner Ojha, Bedi said: "He bowls with a very flat trajectory. I don't know who has been advising him, but it is not working," the bowler with 266 Test wickets, opined

S Sreesanth began proceedings yesterday, bowling an uppish length with two short mid-wickets in place. Kane Williamson struck the Kerala pacer for three boundaries, forcing Dhoni to make a change. "Sreesanth's inconsistent line makes it impossible to maintain pressure on a batting team. Dhoni needs to be a little more attacking in his mindset.

"An average cricket fan must be wondering who the No 1 and No 8 Test teams are in this instance. It is high time India started behaving like the No 1 team," Bedi concluded

Some food for thought :nervous: He should work with our spinners

[Clarke]

His love for left arm spinners is known, is there anyone else this guy doesn't slam ?

[Andy]

Well i agree with Bedi for a change.

[ZodiaC]

Aah, so 2 draws and the usual suspects are out in media!! Wonder why do these guys silent when we are doing well. Even though what he is saying is correct, what I don't like is his habbit of coming out in the media only when we have not done well. And on days when we do well and he speaks , his usualrefrain is "We did not play well, opposition played badly".

I agree with you here. I'm not a fan of dhoni's captaincy and have always been critical of his ultra defensive mindset and captaincy, but bedi should STFU, can't remember one positive thing the guy had to say about anything.

[Shakthi]

stfu bedi looks like dhoni didnt give any money to this bhikari

[ravishingravi]

Dhoni is a woeful captain. Seriously other than his calmness there is no redeeming feature to his captaincy. Just a matter of time, once the greats retire, everyone will realize this

[Fontaine]

Dhoni is a very defensive captain. It's a misconception that he's aggressive. Firstly, he doesn't encourage spinners to toss the ball, batsmen to use their feet, always has a long on as well as a long off. Brendon McCullum made a mockery out of the attack by playing so many scoop shots The former India skipper was critical of the spin duo, Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha for asking the curator a reason for the lack in turn: "The ball needs to be tossed above eye level. You need a big heart to bowl in Test cricket. A couple of good balls in an over does not help," he said

I agree. The mentality has been to pile on the runs, bowl defensively and hope for the other team to make the mistakes. But it has to be said that this strategy has largely worked pretty well. The results are there to see when India have won plenty of tests against good teams using the same approach.

S Sreesanth began proceedings yesterday, bowling an uppish length with two short mid-wickets in place. Kane Williamson struck the Kerala pacer for three boundaries, forcing Dhoni to make a change. "Sreesanth's inconsistent line makes it impossible to maintain pressure on a batting team. Dhoni needs to be a little more attacking in his mindset.

This is pretty much what a lot of us have been saying as well. Sreesanth can't land three good deliveries in an over and routinely starts off with new ball bowling wide and short or crap going down legside. It's no wonder batsmen play defensively against Zaheer to see off his overs because they can easily attack the dancing donkey.

[Ram]

Shut your pie-hole, old man.

[Sir john]

bedi always say useless things.:bubblegum:

[pensionplan]

Bedi is an excellent reader of the game. Despite all the negativity he seems to project by saying things as he sees when it comes to cricket he always has good insights. Here he is spot on with his comments on the spinners and how the pitch in Hyderabad is not the reason for their inability to force the issue but the limitations Harbhajan as a Test spinner. And by the way if the spinners want rank turners on the 5th day why do we need specialist spinners? Should a Raina or Sehwag won't suffice. One would have expected the combination of HS/Ojha to be more effective on the 5th day pitch at Hyderabad that had some bite and bounce available that was clearly evident to anyone watching the game as Bedi observed as well. That should tell a tale on how good a spinner they are at the Test match level.

[putrevus]

I agree. The mentality has been to pile on the runs, bowl defensively and hope for the other team to make the mistakes. But it has to be said that this strategy has largely worked pretty well. The results are there to see when India have won plenty of tests against good teams using the same approach. .

That defensive mentality will work against an aggressive team who is also looking to win by dominating like Aussies but it will not work against teams who are willing to be patient and have players who can bat for long periods. SA and Srilanka in SL have shown that they are capable of posting huge scores by being patient and they both have bowlers when Murali was there who could capitalize on huge scores by putting enormous pressure on our batsmen. Aussies dominated both SL and SA in their own back yards by taking attack to the opposition. Playing a waiting game against NZ has given them so much confidence that they were never out of the game and that almost costed them first test.

[hari504504]

I think what he says makes a lot of sense this time round. Hope someone in the team/administration takes it in its true spirit and works on the recommendations.

[CSK Fan]

Bedi is like the opposition in democarcy. A necessary evil

[The Dark Horse]

Bedi is like the opposition in democarcy. A necessary evil

:devil_smile:

[maniac]

Well Bedi might be a bitter old man but he did make some good points there.

[OriginalCopy]

Bedi is a ch00T!y@ of the highest order. He was a so-so spinner in his playing days and was regularly taken to cleaners by the Paki's. That said, although I have seen Dhoni having a defensive mindset at times, Bedi is contradicting himself when he says Bhajji and Ojha were not bowling well, and Sreesanth was dishing out crap. What is a captain to do when the bowlers are not bowling with an attacking intent?

[gaurav92]

Well i agree with Bedi for a change.

:dito:

[Ranjha]

Bedi is a ch00T!y@ of the highest order. He was a so-so spinner in his playing days and was regularly taken to cleaners by the Paki's. That said, although I have seen Dhoni having a defensive mindset at times, Bedi is contradicting himself when he says Bhajji and Ojha were not bowling well, and Sreesanth was dishing out crap. What is a captain to do when the bowlers are not bowling with an attacking intent?

1. Bedi wasn't an ordinary or so -so bowler. 2. Bedi is a controversy monger and an bitter man. 3. Bedi is right about Dhoni.