CG Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 Gautam Gambhir has termed Umesh Yadav the find of the tour, and India's possible answer to the fast bowlers who have tormented their batsmen for long. He said it was time people stopped saying India can't produce fast bowlers. However, Gambhir's optimism about Yadav doesn't quite reconcile with the team management's. Before Yadav played the game against Australia on February 12, he had last bowled in a competitive environment on January 27. When he got a limited-overs game, though, Yadav bowled 10 overs for just 49, bowling inside Powerplays and at the death, removing two dangerous-looking batsmen, Michael Clarke and Peter Forrest. "Umesh for me is the find of the tour," Gambhir said. "Someone who can bowl 150 consistently. It's time we can give back to the opposition what we have been receiving for years and years. "Someone who can hit the deck hard and bowl 150 consistently can rattle any batsman in the world, even the greats 150 coming at you is always tough to face. Especially in the middle overs. The way he bowled for those two crucial wickets were fantastic. More than the wickets, 149-150 consistently is a great find, and hopefully we can try and develop him as a matchwinner for us. Still early days, hopefully he can go on for a long time, and try and take lots and lots of wickets." When asked where Yadav had been all this while - on tour but not being played - Gambhir didn't quite have a concrete response. In both the Twenty20s, India went with two specialist spinners to go with a group of part-time spinners. They did the same in the first one-dayer. Then Zaheer Khan recovered from his knee niggle, and was back as the third quick. There was an apparent lack of confidence in Yadav until the game against Australia. It could have had to do with his lack of control in Tests where he strayed onto the legs often and conceded runs at 4.66 per over, which took his series average to 39.35 despite a decent strike-rate of a wicket every 50.5 balls, the best among the Indian bowlers in the series. "There has always been a rotation policy," Gambhir said. "PK [Praveen Kumar] bowled well when he last came to Australia, and with two new balls he could have done well. But then Umesh, as we have seen, against Australia, on such a flat track, bowling that well, hopefully now he should play a lot more games." Gambhir went on to rave about Yadav some more. "Someone who can bowl 150 is great for Indian cricket because we have been missing this for years and years. We talk a lot about our fast bowlers that they are not as quick, but someone like Umesh, I think, he is fantastic for us. Now people should stop talking we can't produce fast bowlers. He can clock 150 with semi-new ball, we have developed one."
vamos_rafa Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 Sangakkara says India vulnerable overseas There was a time when you dialled Sri Lanka to knock India out of big competitions. They did that famously in the 1996 and 2007 World Cups. They beat India in the Asia Cup in 2008. They knocked India out of the World Twenty20 in the West Indies in 2010. At some time, though, the two teams' administrations became too friendly, and started making the teams play against each other every other day. The sting was taken out of the contest, and familiarity bred some insipidness. That India have been dominating their neighbours of late would be an apt assessment. Sri Lanka want that edge against India back, especially in matches outside India. A day before their second game in the triangular against India, Kumar Sangakkara said India were vulnerable when playing them in neutral venues. "Our strength has always been playing India away from India," Sangakkara said. "India are always strong in India, with the smaller grounds and conditions they are used to. But away from home we have always done very well against them." Sri Lanka have beaten India in 13 neutral ODIs, and have lost 21. However, since 2000, they have a better record of 10-10. For that record to get even better, though, Sri Lanka will have to start batting better. Their bowlers and fielders did a stellar job in Perth against Australia, but the batsmen messed up a chase of 232. "I think it was close only because Angelo Mathews really got us there in the end," Sangakkara said. "There was a time when we were out of it. It was a case of not building enough partnerships, and losing too many wickets too soon. It is a wicket that was quite flat in the end. We couldn't just capitalise on the opportunity. Once you have restricted them to 230, it's a case of having enough batsmen in the shed by the time you hit the 40th over. We didn't do that." There are issues in the batting department that will need urgent resolving despite the good form of youngster Dinesh Chandimal. Upul Tharanga is pushing tamely outside off, much like Gautam Gambhir did at the start of the tour. Lahiru Thirimanne at No. 6 hasn't brought much value to the side so far. Sangakkara said the side hadn't made any decisions around those players' future in the tournament. Sri Lanka have long struggled with that one middle-order position with neither Chamara Silva nor Chamara Kapugedera taking the opportunities they were given. One man who did bring value to that role, especially on tough pitches, as seen recently in South Africa, is out again. Thilan Samaraweera must more be wondering what he needs to do to be part of this team. A few of his team-mates might think that way, but can't comment much on selection issues. All Sangakkara could say of Samaraweera was: "I am not part of the selection committee. That's not a question for me, but he has done extremely well." Those issues, and many others with the administration, are for another day. Sangakkara said that once the team is on the field, they forget all that. "The greatest thing as a player is to be able to play," Sangakkara said. "Whatever troubles you have off the field, whatever issues you have off the field, when you are on the park I don't think anyone thinks of those things." It will be a mighty fine job if Sri Lanka can manage to do well despite those issues. And they know time is running out. They also know they should have ideally won one game by now. Now, though, they face the prospect of having to win four out of six games. "You have got to win a minimum of four games to have any chance of qualifying for the finals," Sangakkara said. "Tomorrow is another opportunity." He should add that our strength has been playing india outside india but in places like Sharjah. We have beaten the crap out of them in places like England, SA and australia. Their neutral record bvenue has a lot ot do with Sharjah,
Karan114 Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 Well, Sri Lanka are absolute rubbish in India, so its not saying much that they do better against us away from India. But according to the article we have a 21-13 record overall in neutral venues and even since 2000 its 10-10 which hardly suggests dominance on Lanka's part...in the last CB series we kicked Lanka out of the group stages before beating the Aussies in the finals.
Needforspeed Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 Yeah India suck abroad, but Sri Lanka suck worse. Next match at Adelaide, both teams are even because of the nature of the pitch and the fact that the Lankans have now got more used to the conditions.
tothepoint Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 Beware Dhoni n co, these sleeping pillas of cricket are now playing mind games.
peterparker Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 those victory of sri lanka came in sharjah,which always was HARJAH for india anyways..only once in west indies, in world cup 2007 they had beaten us farily..in 2002 in england tri series, no match..last time in CB series, no match once again
vamos_rafa Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 those victory of sri lanka came in sharjah' date='which always was HARJAH for india anyways..only once in west indies, in world cup 2007 they had beaten us farily..in 2002 in england tri series, no match..last time in CB series, no match once again[/quote'] This!!
Chalks Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 Sangananga :hehe: Methinks he should leave the mouthing off to Auzzies and Pommiez. Least they have a right to mouth off about our crap away record given what has happened in the last 6-7 months.
Old guy Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 we developed one? more like we were unable to destroy one :hysterical:
Old guy Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 even england now lost the right :hysterical: ^
daryl1985 Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 Lol Sangakkara knows how to troll. He will make a good pundit when he retires.
Stuge Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 Lol Sangakkara knows how to troll. He will make a good pundit when he retires. or maybe ICF can benefit from him :hysterical::hysterical:
saneindian Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 The least we want is to see a 4-0 scoreline in CB series vs the Lankans. Hopefully these pronouncements by a team that is yet to win a series in nearly 12 months will motivate our boys to get out and thrash the daylights of these jokers. Someone also needs to remind Sanga that Lankans have beaten India outside Asia in just 3 ODIs (losing 10 other ODIs), one back in 1979 when we hardly knew how to play ODIs and two other occasions being one in the 2007 WC in WI and other being at Harare in 2010 against a rookie Indian team.
Number Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 In SA,NZ,England,Aus. India vs SL - 12 games , SL won 2. Don't be surprised if whinga cries about scheduling of this series favoring India.
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