India might have peaked too early

[rkt.india]

TBF the pitch today was a drop-in pitch. Batting second becomes difficult. Hope in KO's we'll have better pitches which gives a fair chance to both sides.

Chasing under lights will be difficult whether in Aus or NZ. Both places we have drop in pitches. Ball might do well more under lights too.

[zen]

We are worried about Ind might have peaked early because our bench strength is almost non existent. With the benefit of hindsight, I would make the following changes to the team: Out - In Binny - Vijay Rayudu - Uthappa Axar or Jadeja - Aaron (his pace would have been handful vs. teams such as BD, Zim, Ireland, UAE, Pak, SL, etc.)

[gaurav92]

I agree with OP. We have played some amazing cricket, but the last game v/s Zim showed our vulnerability.

[FischerTal]

negatives 1) raina will always be circumspect against shortball. aus won't be as kind as other teams in this aspect. also jadeja still doesn't evoke confidence with the bat. 2) rohit sharma continues to prove he is useless and nothing short of a miracle can save us from an early wicket with him there 3) spinners bowl decently until someone takes them out of their comfort zones like maxwell, taylor, etc two things can ensure our way into final- 1) masterclass innings by kohli, rahane, dhawan, or dhoni in the next 2-3 matches. 2) once-in a lifetime spells by our fast bowlers.

[Yoda-esque]

Rohit is a no-show

[Marut]

Today's match actually showed that beneath the ruthless exterior, we are vulnerable like hell. Great practice for our team though. Dhoni and Raina's confidence would be sky high after this. This match was needed for us to take a serious look at ourselves. Spinners need to go back to the drawing room. Rohit needs to go back to India. Kohli needs to work on his game. Jaddu has to develop his batting too. All in all - best match for our preparations.

An overreaction? Having sealed the group at 5-0, India may have relaxed a bit here. Four great matches versus two not so great matches does not mean having to take a serious look at ourselves. Chasing a score is always going to be tough in Australia this time, especially in the knockouts. The way Raina and Dhoni pulled off nearly 200 runs without getting dismissed shows India is a top contender for winning the cup.

[vvvslaxman]

We will take viagra and start again.

[cricketfan28]

when will rohit play

[veer]

Rohit is waiting on big games...

[veer]

We were not prepared for this game n only Taylor got better of us... Plus, rahanes run out... I think we will do good in QF n semi...

[Cricket_Hacker]

Rohit peaked in 2014 vs SL

[vvvslaxman]

We were not prepared for this game n only Taylor got better of us... Plus, rahanes run out... I think we will do good in QF n semi...

Every single team atleast had one bad game.. Atleast we just had hiccup not bad game. At the end of the day six wicket win is a solid win.

[CG]

An overreaction? Having sealed the group at 5-0' date=' India may have relaxed a bit here. Four great matches versus two not so great matches does not mean having to take a serious look at ourselves. Chasing a score is always going to be tough in Australia this time, especially in the knockouts. The way Raina and Dhoni pulled off nearly 200 runs without getting dismissed shows India is a top contender for winning the cup.[/quote'] Yup ,India and aus are the teams which have ability to chase totals under pressure.We are clearly the best team in the tourney with depth in batting and Good fast bowlers as well as spinners with a great fielding outfit . And after 4 months we have another match against aus which will decide who takes the wc and Winner will most probably end up being the wc.

[CG]

Yeah he would come good.. Just hope that Rahane or Dhawan play the supporting act well. Don't have much hope from rohit but if we scores then nothing like it. Also, lets just assume that this was an off day for Ashwin. If we are to beat teams like NZ or Oz, then we need a crafty spinner. The way he has bowled till now, he can be a handful for them.

We play aus in sydney where he has to bowl well to win us the match and he will do well on bigger grounds in aus.

[game_changerr]

it means new zealand have also peaked too early??,,,,

[Bumper]

2011 world cup winning team had similar flaws, probably bigger. Back then, we could hardly do well in the power plays, could not defend 300ish targets and barely stumbled over England & SAF in the group stages. What this team has shown is that they are flawed, but quite resilient. They've been successful in putting the opponents in their place early on in the game and if put under pressure have bounced back. Good, but surprising ride so far - did not expect such a smooth sailing in the initial round. KO games are about mastering the conditions on that day and riding on the momentum, so there is hope. That said, in this world cup many teams have picked up their slack as the tournament went on & are heading to the QF in good form. I think India & Pakistan, unfortunately, are heading to the guillotine. It will be Pakistan's turn first. I don't see India getting past this Aussie lineup at the SCG. In these conditions, Aussies are the team to beat - they just have too much firepower.

[Clarke]

It simply boils down to beating Australia in their den on that particular day.

[KFC_Zinger]

Today's match actually showed that beneath the ruthless exterior, we are vulnerable like hell. Great practice for our team though. Dhoni and Raina's confidence would be sky high after this. This match was needed for us to take a serious look at ourselves. Spinners need to go back to the drawing room. Rohit needs to go back to India. Kohli needs to work on his game. Jaddu has to develop his batting too. All in all - best match for our preparations.

Am happy we had this game before KO... Our spinners will be better when they are back in Aus... Rohit Sharma is third rate gamble and hopefully will win a game sometime, can't help that part now... Jaddu should have had a practice against Ireland, he is a worry... The match against Aus is very tough but we have a fair chance.. Also remember all teams have issues, so it's a race among equals

[youngindia]

the vast majority of the game are decided by the top 6 batsmen. we have masterful batsmen. rohit can be annoying as a problem solver but only with relation to other top batsmen we have. raina may not be the best bet against well directed genuine pace but he can damage many other teams its the high standard of our batting that keeps us near the top.. sure there is lack of mastery in these conditions. A batsman on way to a 140 at home may get out at 60 here because of a shot illsuited to the condition. but there will never be unless bcci sends a team every year. the problem will be against strong bowling sides of the future. if cummins,pattinson and hazelwood develop as per schedule Australia will thrash us like they used to in the 2000's. right now three sides are serious favourites.SA cannot be ruled out with some of their players and few dark horses as well. its very even.

[sensible-indian]

An overreaction? Having sealed the group at 5-0' date=' India may have relaxed a bit here. Four great matches versus two not so great matches does not mean having to take a serious look at ourselves. Chasing a score is always going to be tough in Australia this time, especially in the knockouts. The way Raina and Dhoni pulled off nearly 200 runs without getting dismissed shows India is a top contender for winning the cup.[/quote'] When did I say India is not a contender? I am saying India is vulnerable. Tougher batting periods: 1. Rohit and Dhawan's lack of technique can get them out. 2. That would put too much pressure on Kohli and Rahane. If one of them falls, batting can get really tough in a knockout. 3. Spinners when attacked can go haywire. India has its weaknesses. When Dhawan scores, everything gets hidden. That's why today's knock of Dhoni and Raina was a much needed one.