Ind in WC 2011

[Ultimate_Game]

^^^^ Agreed that we need to work on our bowling combination and fielding plans a bit more but I never thought we will have "hiccups' after putting up 338 on the board. That's a f**k up of garangutan proportions.

[zen]

You can't play attacking cricket if you don't have players for it. Batting side we can do so but don't think our bowling can be used as an "attacking" option unless the pitch is turning and providing assistance to spinners.

we can attack with the ball too provided we play w/ a +ve mindset. And not look for cover ups like compromise on balance just because the perceived usefulness of the 7th batsman, or substituting 3rd seamer w/ a spinner because we feel that a spinner who mainly bowls mainly during middle overs has a better ER We can't change our bowlers but we can use them better. We need to learn to use conditions properly too like take advantage of swing with the new ball, ask spinners to attack during middle overs, set attacking fields and so on The bowling won't improve by taking half measures like 2+2, esp w/ so much at stake, including this being Ten's last world cup. All I hear is how weak our bowling is and notthing abt how to make what we have more effective Sometimes you have to think out of the box and try new things. In a dynamic enviornment, nothing is permenant. Similarly team India will to sort things out by thinking out of the box. As Holmes would say after all possibilities have been eliminated what remains however odd must be true.

[Ultimate_Game]

Enough with the negativity Ok so we didn't do that well against Eng but I would like to remind everyone, especially folks who are being way too hard on India or having a go at India... the tourney is across month and a half and 9 games. We are still into GAME 2! Lot of things have to happen yet. India still is unbeaten and managed to come back when their opponents needed to score just 58 runs off 48 deliveries with 8 wkts in hand on one of the best batting tracks you will ever see. Say what you want about India but they will fight every game as witnessed in the recent past - 2 close odi victories against SA when India were nearly out of the match, win against NZ in Dec (where Pathan scored a match-winning 100 to get us victory out of nowhere), warm-up win against Aus and now this tie against Eng when the spectators had already started walking out of the stadium! Everytime India looked down and out for the count, they have somehow responded and come back. That's a great quality to have and no matter what happens, someone will still need to beat India. Granted that we need to pull up our socks but the good thing is that we got the kick up our asses during the group stages. And expect Dhoni and the team management to come up with better bowling and fielding plans as the tourney goes on. Folks, keep in mind Dhoni is the captain who won IPL against much fancied teams (Mumbai and Bangalore) with Bollinger and a bunch of spinners. I expect Dhoni to use the same strategy - open with Ashwin and Zaheer with support from Munaf, Harbhajan and yuvraj in the middle overs. Keep the faith as Dhoni has won almost all the major tourneys once as a captain - T20 cup, CB Series (tri series in Aus), Asia Cup, IPL, Champions League even though he became a captain just 4 years back!!! I am sure Dhoni won't make the same mistakes of picking Chawla or keeping men on the boundary and leaking runs during the middle overs. Dhoni is a very street-smart cricketer and is quick to rectify the mistakes and we have plenty of time before we get to the knock-out stages - enough to decide on a winning combination and strategy :smiley: Already there are plenty of positives for India, especially our batting form and the way Zaheer bowled towards the end of Eng innings. If Zaheer can come into his own most of our bowling worries will disappear.

[therocky]

Team india for the win!!

[Ultimate_Game]

Team india for the win!!

:two_thumbs_up: And as someone pointed in one of the threads (I think Satyam) Dhoni has won all the tourneys he had a tied match in

[chicu1981]

This is how the WC could go: A1 SL A2 Aus A3 Pak A4 NZ B1 SA B2 Ind B3 Eng B4 WI If Ind is B2 QF: Ind vs Pak or NZ SF: Ind vs SL or WI Final: Ind vs Aus/SA/Eng If Ind is B1 QF: Ind vs Pak or NZ SF: Ind vs Aus or Eng Final: Ind vs SA/SL/WI

I thnk you need to modify the table a bit A1, A2, A3 iis open game for Aus, Pak and SL if Sl beats AUS. Will depend on Net RR India will have tough time getting into B1, B2.

[zen]

I thnk you need to modify the table a bit A1, A2, A3 iis open game for Aus, Pak and SL if Sl beats AUS. Will depend on Net RR India will have tough time getting into B1, B2.

B1, B2 and B3 is open too. Ind still has to play 2/3 of its games! Appears as if many in Pak have already made up their mind on Ind's fate :giggle:

[zen]

Let's sit back and enjoy the world cup! A very important week is coming up for India w/ 3 games from March 6 to March 12. Basically, this period will take us to the QF and probably also decide where we finish in our group. Bowling composition, team composition, etc all have been discussed to death. The team probably would have analyzed many of its weaknesses and strength by now. I guess, they would have some kind of plan in place. In the end, we have to play good cricket to win this one. Score runs, pick wks, take our catches, get a direct hit. Let's sit back and enjoy the cricket and leave it on our team to do what works for them and rise up to the occasion! As long as we play good attacking cricket and keep fighting, it doesn't matter what the result is :isalute:

[punjabi_khota]

Yeah important week is coming up..in one week that is :mad:

[shrapnel]

I guess, they would have some kind of plan in place. :isalute:

Don't bet on it , mate ! Judging from Dhoni's comments I very much doubt he has learned anything !!

[zen]

Don't bet on it ' date=' mate ! Judging from Dhoni's comments I very much doubt he has learned anything !![/quote'] In that case too, there is nothing much we can do. And we have to do w/ the resources, we have. We could go on worrying and coming up w/ possible solutions but many of things have been beaten to death. Only thing we can focus on is playing our best, playing attacking cricket and fighting for every opportunity .... So would prefer to sit back and enjoy the WC Remember the saying "Khuda merbhan toh Gadha phalwan" .... If Ind is to win the world cup then somehow we will sneak through, someone will do something to turn things. Hopefully, there will be magic moments

[Passion]

Sit back and enjoy four weeks of torturous, boring group stage. NO THANKS.

[Ultimate_Game]

The only game that will decide where we end up in the table is the game against SA. If we win we should top the group else we will end up B2 or B3.

[shrapnel]

In that case too, there is nothing much we can do. And we have to do w/ the resources, we have. We could go on worrying and coming up w/ possible solutions but many of things have been beaten to death. Only thing we can focus on is playing our best, playing attacking cricket and fighting for every opportunity .... So would prefer to sit back and enjoy the WC Remember the saying "Khuda merbhan toh Gadha phalwan" .... If Ind is to win the world cup then somehow we will sneak through, someone will do something to turn things. Hopefully, there will be magic moments

Or hope that the opposition makes mistakes , like England taking the PP when it was better that they didn't !

[zen]

Or hope that the opposition makes mistakes ' date=' like England taking the PP when it was better that they didn't ![/quote'] Whatever break we get! Don't forget if Ind had bowled badly in that PP, then Eng would have increased the tempo and got those runs :winky: .... The PP for Eng didn't work because Ind was good enough to change its game and make something out of the opportunity it got. They could well have messed it up further. What the PP did was force Ind to chage its strategy, something that they should have tried in the first place than allowing the game to drift. This is a valuable lesson for Dhoni.

[Sachin=GOD]

Whatever break we get! Don't forget if Ind had bowled badly in that PP' date=' then Eng would have increased the tempo and got those runs :winky: .... [b']The PP for Eng didn't work because Ind was good enough to change its game and make something out of the opportunity it got. They could well have messed it up further. What the PP did was forced Ind to chage its strategy, something that they should have tried in the first place.

Have to disagree there. India did not change its game during the PP, it was the English batsmen who, for whatever reason, crumbled and seemed to be in a hurry to get the runs and thats what cost them IMO.

[zen]

Have to disagree there. India did not change its game during the PP' date=' it was the English batsmen who, for whatever reason, crumbled and seemed to be in a hurry to get the runs and thats what cost them IMO.[/quote'] :hmmmm2:

[shrapnel]

Have to disagree there. India did not change its game during the PP' date=' it was the English batsmen who, for whatever reason, crumbled and seemed to be in a hurry to get the runs and thats what cost them IMO.[/quote'] I think rett means that PP forced India to keep more players inside the circle, by rule., thereby restricting singles automatically.

[zen]

The only game that will decide where we end up in the table is the game against SA. If we win we should top the group else we will end up B2 or B3.

Not really! Assuming that both Ind and Eng win all their remaining matches, only thing (theoretically) a win against SA insures that we are either B1 and B2. Because if Eng wins all its remaining games too then it boils down to the NRR :winky:

[Ultimate_Game]

Not really! Assuming that both Ind and Eng win all their remaining matches' date=' only thing (theoretically) a win against SA insures that we are either B1 and B2. Because if Eng wins all its remaining games too then it boils down to the NRR :winky:[/quote'] Since Eng only squeaked through against Netherlands and tied with India there NRR is quite low. On the other hand India has match against Netherland to boost its NRR further. If Ind beats SA Ind will end up B1 as I don't see Eng catching with India's NRR.