Mythbusters

[Bumper]

1) Gambhir: Meaningless runs in domestic competitions mean "NOTHING". Gambhir averages 100, this season ? Yet, you could pit him against quality test attacks & the results will be the same. Its the manner in which he got out, which tells me he has learnt nothing from his past experience. He can score a 30 or a 40, in the 2nd innings (if he gets to bat), but wont convince me enough. The Saffie opening bowlers routinely had him for breakfast, angling the ball across the off stump or shot pitching to Gambhir (which is his other weakness, that he falls for everytime). 2) Yuvraj: This is the day of reckoning for all those who wrote off Yuvraj. "The Yuseless", "The Poster Boy" he was mocked. "He lacked the technique to play in seaming conditions", went our resident arm chair experts (conveniently forgetting that our entire batting lineup is weak in such conditions). "His 32+ avg is bad, he doesnt have the experience or a history of a Sachin", went others, forgetting how much Yuvi has matured as a batsman in the last couple of years And how did Yuvi answer that ? An innings characterised by corruscating brilliance that pretty much came at a ODI clip. 169 at a strike rate of 83.3 (a SR which would have made a ODI batsman proud). At 61/4, when Indian fans were scratching their balls, hoping for anything in excess of 200 to offer a fight for Pakistan, in came Yuvraj. He went on to play one of the BEST COUNTER ATTACKING innings ever played by an Indian batsman under pressure (Dhoni played a similar innings on a flatter track against Akhtar & co, in Pakistan), putting India in a commanding position on Day 1. So brilliant was his innings, he ended up rewriting history on a couple of counts. His 169 was the best ever scored by a left hander on this ground, bettering Clive Lloyd's 163 in 1974/75. India's total 365/5 was the best ever Day 1 score on Indian soil. Wow Yuvraj, you've made me proud. 3) Sehwag: I dont have the slightest doubt in my mind that people who put down Sehwag pointing to his poor run, in the meaningless domestic competitions, will soon eat their share of crow meat. Reminds me of this funny anecdote that involved Sadagopan Ramesh and Prem Panicker. Apparently Prem had asked Ramesh, about the threat posed by Debong Gandhi (he was prolific in the domestic games at that time) for the opening slot. Ramesh played it down brilliantly, "Why Debong Gandhi, even Mahatma Gandhi would score in our domestic system". That pretty much sums up, how much or how little i value all our local heros' exploits. Moral of the story: Dont judge proven performers based on what they do against Himachal Pradesh.

[Mr. Wicket]

Gambhir's weakness is threefold. He can't handle the late swinging ball, especially from left armers like Johnson or Bracken. He can't handle a consistent line outside off stump. Even from Malcolm Sami (who has dismissed him 4 times in tests!) - Clark would eat him for breakfast. If he survives those, all the bowlers need to do is bang it in short and he'll fall pulling. When I first saw him in A cricket 4-5 years ago, I had very high hopes. In 2003 particularly I was very impressed by his knocks for the A-team and felt that he was a bit rough around the edges, but had the potential to be a very good test batsman if he could grow some brain cells. Four years later, he hasn't. Sad. On Yuvraj - yup, a very impressive knock cancelling a few of my doubts. Handled the seam movement well, handled Kaneria decently after some early alarms, and made a big score with some glorious strokeplay. It's a shame he got out when he did and gave Pakistan that bit of relief, not to mention bringing Karthik in who looked uncomfortable against Sami and Arafat of all people. He's earned the right to hold a spot in the side for a while with this knock, I will definitely grant him that. Well played indeed. The key though is for him to prove he can do this more often. One complaint I had earlier was that he could follow up a superb test knock (like his ton at Lahore or Karachi) with a series of starts and inconsistency when he did get a stretch of games to play in - which did pull that average down to 33 after 19 tests. Hopefully he can show he's matured since then and improved as a batsman by using this platform to make some more good scores on a consistent basis in Australia (as it's now almost certain he'll be accomodated in the XI).

[Donny]

Yuvi did NOT open. Let's be frank. He made his runs against Sami, a debutant and an out of form spinner.

[THX_1138]

Yuvi did NOT open. Let's be frank. He made his runs against Sami, a debutant and an out of form spinner.

as opposed to the tons hayden strokes against an aging tundler, other younger tundlers and a spinner. or at times the blitzing attack of zimbabwe. you play the opposition you get. it remains to be seen if he will play tests in australia, but if he does i reckon he will average above 40 with ease.

[Dhondy]

Yuvi did NOT open. Let's be frank. He made his runs against Sami, a debutant and an out of form spinner.

Troll alert, troll alert....

[Mr. Wicket]

Actually, there's nothing untrue about that statement. Still one hell of an innings though.

[Shehezaada]

Yuvi did NOT open. Let's be frank. He made his runs against Sami, a debutant and an out of form spinner.

relax, soon he'll be making runs against a chucker, an imitation McGrath, and a Shoaib Akhtar wannabe

[fineleg]

It's a shame he got out when he did and gave Pakistan that bit of relief' date=' not to mention bringing Karthik in who looked uncomfortable against Sami and Arafat of all people.

KKD definitely will be outta sorts as test opener as #6-7 bat i think he has decent potential over time.

[Mr. Wicket]

relax' date=' soon he'll be making runs against a chucker, an imitation McGrath, and a Shoaib Akhtar wannabe[/quote'] Showhaibh the moish whinnhaah is unfit, Asif isn't playing and Irshad hasn't been selected.

[Dhondy]

Bumps, we've always known that Gambhir is no good, but what about Dravid's alarming decline? He looks like a tailender, doesn't he? Has no idea whether to attack or defend. Hence a 12 off 96 balls when the need of the hour was to accelerate in that final Test in England, and an unnecessarily aggressive little knock of 19 when the situation was crying out for him to knuckle down and consolidate. He tried that cut shot a few overs earlier, off Arafat, was lucky to escape, but didn't learn. Very un-Dravid like. This is a man who doesn't know whether he is coming or going. His confidence is shot to pieces, and it is he who must make way for Yuvraj.

[Dhondy]

Actually, there's nothing untrue about that statement. Still one hell of an innings though.

There's also nothing untrue about the statement that we have a troll in our midst who is clearly looking for a few rises out of the posters here.

[fineleg]

Bumps, we've always known that Gambhir is no good, but what about Dravid's alarming decline? He looks like a tailender, doesn't he? Has no idea whether to attack or defend. Hence a 12 off 96 balls when the need of the hour was to accelerate in that final Test in England, and an unnecessarily aggressive little knock of 19 when the situation was crying out for him to knuckle down and consolidate. He tried that cut shot a few overs earlier, off Arafat, was lucky to escape, but didn't learn. Very un-Dravid like. This is a man who doesn't know whether he is coming or going. His confidence is shot to pieces, and it is he who must make way for Yuvraj.

Doc, You mention an interesting point abt Dravid's decline. He is no longer THE WALL (with caps), but just may still be the wall (in small letters). However too early to drop him. Over time, if he continues the decline surely he will be booted. Just not yet, IMO.

[Guest HariSampath]

Yuvi did NOT open. Let's be frank. He made his runs against Sami, a debutant and an out of form spinner.

Yuvi got 169 of the very best runs at a time when India was 61-4 and facing possible collapse, and against the same bowling that had sent back the double centurion of last test , Jaffer and Dravid and laxman too...Just that Yuvraj made the same bowling look pedestrian. if not opening is an issue, how many test hundreds have Dravid , Ganguly and Tendulkar made opening a test match. I think this is trashy logic.

[Guest HariSampath]

Dravid will play the first test in Aus as an opener..no other way he fits in. Top 6 batters will have to be Jaffer, Dravid , Tendulkar, Ganguly, Laxman, Yuvraj

[Guest HariSampath]

My 16 for Australia ideally would be ( if the team could be selected now and not just the 24). 1. Wasim Jaffer 2. Sehwag 3. Dravid 4. Sachin 5. Ganguly 6. Laxman 7. Yuvraj 8. Dhoni 9. Kumble 10 Zaheer 11. RP Singh 12. Harbhajan 13. Murali Karthik 14. Irfan Pathan 15. Agarkar 16. Dinesh Karthik or..maybe another bowling option

[talksport]

I pity those who are having orgasms over this innings of Yuvraj.....against an attack of Arafat, Sami and Danish Kaneria on a first day feather bed.. Well you can say he can only score against he was pitted against....but still I have my doubts and when the New Ball is taken he is promptly out ...

[Guest HariSampath]

I pity those who are having orgasms over this innings of Yuvraj.....against an attack of Arafat, Sami and Danish Kaneria on a first day feather bed.. Well you can say he can only score against he was pitted against....but still I have my doubts and when the New Ball is taken he is promptly out ...

It was probably one of the best match turning big hundreds by an Indian... so how did your other "top batters" fare against the same attack ? we were 61-4..so, just give it a rest

[Anakin]

Brilliant innings by Yuvi, hopefully he'll continue. If he agrees to open the innings, I don't mind seeing him do that. Otherwise the only other MO batsman he can replace at the moment is RD, which shouldn't happen. The bowling was mostly rubbish though.

[Guest HariSampath]

Talksport : Yuvraj had scored a brilliant 112 in 120 balls against Akthar, Gul and Sami coming in at 94-4 on a greentop in Lahore 2004 Again, karachi 2006, Yuvraj got a brilliant 122 coming in at 94-4... against Akthar, Asif and Razzaq and today again coming in at 61-4.. this innings just put that in your pipe and smoke it along with whatever else you are smoking

[Guest HariSampath]

Brilliant innings by Yuvi, hopefully he'll continue. If he agrees to open the innings, I don't mind seeing him do that. Otherwise the only other MO batsman he can replace at the moment is RD, which shouldn't happen. The bowling was mostly rubbish though.

The bowling was made rubbish after lunch by Yuvi's batting... same bowlers had our top batters struggling