Perth Test Pre and during match discussion thread

[Ultimate_Game]

Every time it's the same story. Players like Dravid, Laxman, Gambhir etc. keep on blocking everything and don't even try to get a single or two, and as expected get a good ball and get out. One would expect that with experience they would try something different like Ponting/Hussey partnership in the last Test. At least that way you manage to score a few and put the doubt in the bowler's mind. Now the bowler is free to bowl as he likes knowing fully well even the bad ball won't be put away.

[vamos_rafa]

Yes and now even Sachin took 20 odd deliveries to get from 20 t0 21.

[Ultimate_Game]

I am not asking our batsmen to go Sehwag way but at least try to score singles and twos and keep the strike rotating. Blocking the ball down the pitch won't get you anything other than the bowler setting you up.

[Lord]

with the way they r bowling,blocking is hard enough,u want them to score runs:cantstop:

[Ultimate_Game]

with the way they r bowling' date='blocking is hard enough,u want them to score runs:cantstop:[/quote'] The reason they are bowling well is coz the only thing our batsmen do, other than Sehwag, is block. If we show some intent to try and score it will make the bowlers think and at least force them to rething their strategy. But we keep on blocking as if suddenly that will get the Aussie bowlers to bowl half volleys on leg stump. Maybe our batsmen get into this habit while facing our bowlers in the nets knowing a 4 ball is just round the corner and when it doesn't happen in the middle they are are totally clueless.

[vamos_rafa]

I am not asking our batsmen to go Sehwag way but at least try to score singles and twos and keep the strike rotating. Blocking the ball down the pitch won't get you anything other than the bowler setting you up.

+1

[Ultimate_Game]

Do we have the worst tail in intl cricket? Our tail starts as soon as we are 6 down and our last 3 batsmen/tailenders can't be relied to get 10 runs amongst themselves. I have never seen such collective ineptitude by an intl lower order in quite a while. I thought we were past such pathetic displays post Srinath, Kumble, Prasad, Joshi etc. but seems like we have plumbed new depths. I ond't really know why our 9, 10 and 11 even bother to pad up and come to the middle and we should simply declare once we are 7 down. At least it will stop our opponents from getting cheap wkts and they must be falling over each other to have a go at our tail. But when it's our time to have a go at any intl tail we make them look like Bradman and Hobbs.

[amiret]

The tail is only reflecting the dastardliness of the top order. If the top order shows some fight the tail can be expected to exhibit some resilience too. If leaders fail to lead then there is no use blaming the subordinates.

[Ultimate_Game]

The tail is only reflecting the dastardliness of the top order. If the top order shows some fight the tail can be expected to exhibit some resilience too. If leaders fail to lead then there is no use blaming the subordinates.

But tail can help convert a poor total into an ok one. We had Dhoni well set and batting was looking easy but as soon as Ashwin got out our tail scored 0, 0 and 0! If they had matched Australian tail's effort even by half we would have managed to reach 240-250.

[Texan]

It seems like the importance of hanging in there is not being conveyed to the current tail-end batsmen. It can make a world of difference as we saw in the last test.

[Ultimate_Game]

It seems like the importance of hanging in there is not being conveyed to the current tail-end batsmen. It can make a world of difference as we saw in the last test.

I blame the management and coach for the same. Surely in this day and age where you have helmets and all sorts of protective equipment, tail is expected to hang around and even score a few. Every tail does that barring ours. And to make it worse all the tails wag against us. How can we ever win if we can't get opponent's tail out and ours doesn't contribute anything?

[punjabi_khota]

Get Bhajji back :woot:

[surajmal]

I blame the management and coach for the same. Surely in this day and age where you have helmets and all sorts of protective equipment' date=' tail is expected to hang around and even score a few. Every tail does that barring ours. And to make it worse all the tails wag against us. How can we ever win if we can't get opponent's tail out and ours doesn't contribute anything?[/quote'] These days our specialist batsmen don't do much either. That is a bigger problem.

[Ultimate_Game]

Get Bhajji back :woot:

Unfortunately his replacement (Ashwin) is the only one who's performing and in fact is a better version of Bhajji

[adi B]

since dada retired, the tail starts after 4 down outside sc

[achilles]

These days, India plays Test matches like ODIs and ODIs like T20s. We've got it all screwed up.

[Sidhoni]

You cannot blame the tail if the top order has not fired

[achilles]

The tail bails us out more than the top and the middle order. Funny fact- They aren't batsmen.

[Ultimate_Game]

The tail bails us out more than the top and the middle order. Funny fact- They aren't batsmen.

I don't remember when they did so. I know tail is not the batsmen but scoring 0, 0 and 0, and failing to support the set batsman was the difference between a score of 190 and around 250. And 240-250 could very well have proved to be a competitive total on the pitch.

[Ultimate_Game]

These days' date=' India plays Test matches like ODIs and ODIs like T20s. We've got it all screwed up.[/quote'] Watching Dravid and Laxman pottering around balls and balls on end without scoring is frustrating. And then you see Aussies score at more than 4 an over and take the initiative.