Post Match Thoughts

[Ram]

No one has mentioned how Chawla failed yesterday. Was it just a bad day in the office or has been sorted out?

One cannot expect a spinner to take 2-3 wickets every match. If he is able to contain at 4.5 rpo ,with the odd important wicket , he has done his job.

[King Tendulkar]

Sachin looks fired up, doesn't he? I think he is really up for this. Doesn't take a lot to figure out that when he logged on to Cricinfo after that 99 and saw that ridiculously patronizing article by Andrew Miller or whatever his name is, he must have been smarting. I reckon those pull shots were the result of that indignation. I never tire of saying this, but great performances in sport need a degree of anger. You make the man mad, his reflexes will speed up, his self doubts will vanish, he'll have a point to prove. I sometimes think that the opposition deliberately praise Sachin to high heavens to keep him sated. I don't think it's a bad idea at all for the media to get on his back and question his greatness.

What a load of rubbish. Now you Sachin bashers are trying to claim he batted well cos people have slagged him of:hysterical: Yeah he played the pull shot cos of cr#p article he read in cricinfo:haha: He avergared over 40 last year in odis, was that cos of articles as well.

[Dhondy]

No one has mentioned how Chawla failed yesterday. Was it just a bad day in the office or has been sorted out?

Chandan, I feel it's unfair to judge somebody on a match to match basis. Give him 10 matches and see how he goes. In any case, he did pretty well in the first three, didn't he? He certainly needs polishing. However, he has that elusive quality so missing in our bowlers- he is a pretty decent bat. In the storm kicked up in the wake of Pathan's decline as a bowler, somewhat unfairly IMO, we shouldn't forget that it is a very important asset.

[Dhondy]

Coming back to my main focus, as ever, the Tests, who would have thought that Sreesanth and, to a lesser extent, Zaheer would destroy SA at Jo'burg, eh? These two will hopefully start against England, health permitting, and I am hoping they will surprise the Poms. Both are very underrated bowlers, I feel. If RP can provide good support, our much maligned attack may just make some headlines this summer.

[ludhianvi]

Perhaps, one match is not enough to indicate one's greatness. But from what I saw from Ishant Sharma, he seems to be another VRV in the making. Despite his height, he could not extract any bounce from the pitch. His length was very full and on the legs, which was easy pickings for the batsmen. I hope he proves he wrong and does well.

[Chandan]

Chandan, I feel it's unfair to judge somebody on a match to match basis. Give him 10 matches and see how he goes. In any case, he did pretty well in the first three, didn't he? He certainly needs polishing. However, he has that elusive quality so missing in our bowlers- he is a pretty decent bat. In the storm kicked up in the wake of Pathan's decline as a bowler, somewhat unfairly IMO, we shouldn't forget that it is a very important asset.

Of course he an asset, Dhondy. But I just hope the saffies didn't sort him out already. It was a tough pitch for the batters but as for spinners, even Tshabalala did well. Yuvraj did well. So I just hope it was an off day for Chawla.

[Predator_05]

Of course he an asset, Dhondy. But I just hope the saffies didn't sort him out already. It was a tough pitch for the batters but as for spinners, even Tshabalala did well. Yuvraj did well. So I just hope it was an off day for Chawla.

The South Africans can't play spin, so I wouldn't count on them to target Chawla again. One match doesn't prove anything.

[Bumper]

Good knock from Sachin. Really enjoyed all his shots. Am glad to see him finally back himself & play shots, something he was very reluctant to do & was ultra defensive about in his interviews (on how his role has changed etc). But i'd read very little into these knocks (other than the fact that it was very useful match practise in bowler friendly conditions). I wont get orgasmic about these knocks and start hailing him as the master or a champion yet. If Sachin can carry this form to Tests & assert his authority on the bowlers and in the process help India win the Test series, he will win back some fans. If he goes back to his grinding and accumulating methods he will not only fail, but do so miserably, and these knocks will turn out to be a mere flash in the pan. This knock of Sachin, once again shows why playing with the right attitude matters far more to one's success than just raw talent.

[gator]

Chandan, Chawla was pretty impressive.... but he had one bad over in the slog which spoilt his figures, otherwise, they were very economical... ofcourse, like someone alluded, the world's best odi bowlers average 1.5 wickets a match, so i wouldnt read too much into targetting or sorted out already.....

[Gambit]

Most heartening aspect of the match was Yuvi's knock. He, IMO, is our best ODI batsman today and if he can rediscover his form circa 2005-2006 we will be unstoppable.