Day 3 Post Mortem

[Yuvraj4Captaincy]

However, at the same time I don't wanna blame Laxman cuz atleast he scored runs compared to rest of the batsmen(except dhoni) but I just think that he should have not worried abt his average and gone for big runs.

[The Outsider]

No, I would rather expect a set batsmen to score runs than the tailenders.You cant expect every tailender to score..All tailenders dont come to party in one innings. Kumble socred...The probability was that others won't..What tailenders score is bonus. Laxman should have gone for quick runs and shielded the tail until he saw them striking the ball good or they themselves wanted to take charge.

I just come from the Steve Waugh school of thought of playing positive cricket rather than pu$$yfooting around which transformed a very good Australian team into the history's best.

[novpj]

Actually I will go on and say that the innigs Laxman played showed that he is playing for himself and not for the team. He didnt take any responsibility and clearly showed he is not a leader but a coward. We should drop him - I would rather have a player who has lesser talent but shows some fights and guts.

[The Outsider]

Moreover, such decisions about whether to shield the tail or not are taken by the team management. Even if you don't agree with the concept of exposing the tail, it's pointless to blame Laxman for it.

[Bumper]

Am glad Munaf & Zakky are going wicketless, given the pacy nature of the Pakistani attack. Its evident that there is nothing in the pitch for fast bowlers. Indian batting lineup is its own worst enemy. If these guys have any pride left, they must stand up deliver (they will likely chase a 250ish target). Will Tendulkar repay the faith invested in him for all these years by standing up like a senior player & be counted ? After all, isnt this what we back big players ? Will Dravid rediscover his lost form & help us make history again ? Would Ganguly convert one of his 40s or 50s to a big 100 helping us win the test match ? We will know if there is any reality left in the hype surrounding our famed middle order or it is just a bubble created by their past exploits. India hasnt done enough to win the test yet. But Pakistan doesnt seem to want to win it either. India must go out there & play aggressive cricket & shock Pakistan. This is a mentally very weak team. The moment self doubts creep in, this Pak team will crumble on its own. Boy, do we miss a Sehwag!

[Bumper]

No point harping about Laxman. He's been playing this way for too long now -- starting with the last Ind-Pak test series at home. I dont know if its the lack of ability or poor attitude (I guess its a combination of both), Laxman does not want to play the big shots when batting with the tail. We must move Laxman up the order. He is playing the role of a Dravid these days & hence must bat at 3. Demote Tendulkar or Dravid to no. 6

[The Outsider]

Frankly, I don't have much hope from most of our middle order. Tendulkar's performance in the final innings of a test has been on the decline. Dravid goes into a shell too often for liking and Ganguly does not have the technique to make a big score on this track. Our best chance lies with Jaffer, Karthik and Laxman at number 3 putting on 100+ runs in quick time against the hard ball and shaking Pakistan's confidence.

[The Outsider]

Interesting little tidbit - India has never lost a test at the Kotla batting last and have never lost to Pakistan here, but we always knew that the current team is capable of creating history.

[Bumper]

Frankly' date=' [u']I don't have much hope from most of our middle order. Tendulkar's performance in the final innings of a test has been on the decline. Dravid goes into a shell too often for liking and Ganguly does not have the technique to make a big score on this track. Our best chance lies with Jaffer, Karthik and Laxman at number 3 putting on 100+ runs in quick time against the hard ball and shaking Pakistan's confidence.

This is why i want young turks in the side. These guys cant do any worse than our famed middle order. They have no fear of losing and have no painful memories haunting them. I'd rather lose with a bunch of youngsters than the supposedly more experienced middle order

[Bumper]

And mind you, this attack is nothing great. Akhtar is bowling well (but there is no demon in the wicket). Sami & Tanvir arent really Akram & Waqar. Kaneria is playing for his place in the side. If we cannot chase 250 on this track against this attack, its time to make wholesale changes in our batting lineup.

[ludhianvi]

The dropped catch of Misbah by Jaffer. THAT WAS BIG

[Dhondy]

Notice this: Misbah has scored over a 100 runs in this Test. Laxman has played well, Tanvir has wowed us all on debut, Kumble has been well...Kumble. But who gives a frotpage interview to Cricinfo? Yes, it's Bhajji, with two of his three scalps down to major contributions from dame fortune or the umpires, and in general treated as dirt by most Pakistani batsmen. No prizes for guessing who sought out whom.

[The Outsider]

This is why i want young turks in the side. These guys cant do any worse than our famed middle order. They have no fear of losing and have no painful memories haunting them. I'd rather lose with a bunch of youngsters than the supposedly more experienced middle order

Thing is Test matches are played over two innings and the same combination has given us good scores in first innings to win many tests and series even in their decline. Tendulkar seized to be a strong last innings contributor a long time back, Dravid has lost the art of being positive lately, and Ganguly just does not have the technique to succeed in the last innings on a consistent basis.

[Bumper]

Thing is Test matches are played over two innings and the same combination has given us good scores in first innings to win many tests and series even in their decline. Tendulkar seized to be a strong last innings contributor a long time back' date=' Dravid has lost the art of being positive lately, and Ganguly just does not have the technique to succeed in the last innings on a consistent basis.[/quote'] Its not about last innings Shwetabh. Its about pressure. Except Dravid (who is struggling for form atm), no one in the middle order has consistently shown the fight in dire situations in recent times. It is for situations such as these, we back seniors over juniors. If they cant deliver in these times, no point backing them. Technique is grossly overrated. Play a technique-less Uthappa or a Dhoni in these circumstances & expect them to score a bullying 50 more often than not. Our middle order loses it in their mind even before they start. I hope my words have jinxed them enough for a trend reversal.

[Bumper]

Misbah is an example of why technique matters little compared to attitude. The guy looks ugly at the crease, but has piled up over 100 runs in the test already. The guy literally thrives under pressure.

[The Outsider]

Misbah is an example of why technique matters little compared to attitude. The guy looks ugly at the crease' date=' but has piled up over 100 runs in the test already. The guy literally thrives under pressure.[/quote'] Have to disagree. Misbah has a very good technique while playing spin. The manner in which he gets his left leg out of the way, stretches completely forward, and meets the ball at a downward angle of the bat is as good a way of playing spin as you will see. Technique is not over rated. People say Sehwag does not have a good technique and still made so many runs, but Sehwag has one of the stillest heads at the impact of ball and bat I have seen. His foot movement is shoddy but he makes up with the absolute still head. No batsman has succeeded consistently in tests without some superb attribute in batting technique.