First-class cricket more important than IPL - Gambhir

[Invasion 550]

Selectors proved Gambhir wrong by selecting harbhajan based on his performance in reality TV.

:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:

[Pagalpanti]

Such words from Gambhir seem very hollow. I mean he better start scoring runs in Ranji or County, such statement's might be sweet to purists ears but this will not get him selected back into the team.

[beetle]

:ohmy::call::ohyeah: :call2::nervous::shot:

[Sooda]

Playing a world cup final and scoring 91...doesn't seem injured to me.

Yeah picked it up and played through it and played through it in IPL too... at the expense of his test form. Sehwag did the same and missed most of the tour to England

[Gollum]

Yeah picked it up and played through it and played through it in IPL too... at the expense of his test form. Sehwag did the same and missed most of the tour to England

Most people don't want to admit it but IPL was the primary reason for our demolition at the hands of England that season. Half the team was walking wounded, others were stressed out because of the hectic IPL that year. That show between no 1 and no 2 in test cricket was the biggest mismatch in cricketing history. The way the Englishmen treated our superstars made our rise to no 1 look farcical which is a shame because we played the best cricket between 2007-2010-11 RSA tour. Even today many pundits laugh off the fact that we were no 1 at one point and very difficult to counter them. No no 1 team can collapse into rubble like we did that year. England since then has got into our heads and we are psychologically beaten even before the 1st ball against them. 2-9 since that tour and I don't expect the mental scars to diss appear for another 10 years. We are England's ***** in test cricket, all courtesy IPL.

[Sooda]

Most people don't want to admit it but IPL was the primary reason for our demolition at the hands of England that season. Half the team was walking wounded' date=' others were stressed out because of the hectic IPL that year. That show between no 1 and no 2 in test cricket was the biggest mismatch in cricketing history. The way the Englishmen treated our superstars made our rise to no 1 look farcical which is a shame because we played the best cricket between 2007-2010-11 RSA tour. Even today many pundits laugh off the fact that we were no 1 at one point and very difficult to counter them. No no 1 team can collapse into rubble like we did that year. England since then has got into our heads and we are psychologically beaten even before the 1st ball against them. 2-9 since that tour and I don't expect the mental scars to diss appear for another 10 years. We are England's ***** in test cricket, all courtesy IPL.[/quote'] Im not sure the impact/legacy was as profound as that, psychologically etc - really our batting against quality swing bolwing is not good enough. But THAT tour you are right about. The team was tired and under cooked, there should have been a good break after the IPL and prior to that series, and proper pre test tour matches for the players to hit form. We were always going to lose as our stars were not good enough by then, but it could have been far less of a humiliation. Youre right it made a mockery of our no 1 status. The Boards desire to shoe horn cricket at the expense of players long term health and form was the factor, not that they have learnt. Why schedule this Bangla tour a few weeks after IPL. Good opportunity for an extended break, but no...

[rkt.india]

Im not sure the impact/legacy was as profound as that' date=' psychologically etc - really our batting against quality swing bolwing is not good enough. But THAT tour you are right about. The team was tired and under cooked, there should have been a good break after the IPL and prior to that series, and proper pre test tour matches for the players to hit form. We were always going to lose as our stars were not good enough by then, but it could have been far less of a humiliation. Youre right it made a mockery of our no 1 status. The Boards desire to shoe horn cricket at the expense of players long term health and form was the factor, not that they have learnt. Why schedule this Bangla tour a few weeks after IPL. Good opportunity for an extended break, but no...[/quote'] This isnt true. Lot of players had good a rest after IPL. SRT even went to England to practice for the tour skipping WI tour. Some players went to WI and did well. Dravid, Laxman, Raina, Ishant, and PK. Regarding practice. We never play too many warmups on tours anyway, max 1-2. We played 2 there too. They were just not good enough against top quality fast bowling by England. All England bowlers were at their best in that series and were able to swing the ball whole day. This was first tour for Gambhir, he failed not unexpected , first for Mukund failed not unexpected, Sehwag had a surgery but was always suspect against swing. Dravid did well. VVS never had great time in England. SRT's failure was unexpected but it started the end of his career, age was getting on him.

[Sooda]

This isnt true. Lot of players had good a rest after IPL. SRT even went to England to practice for the tour skipping WI tour. Some players went to WI and did well. Dravid' date=' Laxman, Raina, Ishant, and PK. Regarding practice. We never play too many warmups on tours anyway, max 1-2. We played 2 there too. They were just not good enough against top quality fast bowling by England. All England bowlers were at their best in that series and were able to swing the ball whole day. This was first tour for Gambhir, he failed not unexpected , first for Mukund failed not unexpected, Sehwag had a surgery but was always suspect against swing. Dravid did well. VVS never had great time in England. SRT's failure was unexpected but it started the end of his career, age was getting on him.[/quote'] It is true. If they rested at all it was not long enough, the WI tour was a problem, it should never have taken place just barged in to fill the gap between IPL and England. Some players made their way to England from WI, others from IPL, some had not played FC cricket in a long time. Like I said the batsmen were suspect against the swinging ball and that is why they lost and lost last year. They would always have lost that series. But if they had started the 2011 tour later- Given maybe 2 or 3 3 day matches (I know we normally dont play many warmups but because as you said it was first tour for people like GG and Mukund we should have then; we had just got by without good prep on previous away tours due to how good and experienced key players were) then it would have been less of a humiliation. All this is not hindsight, commentators were saying at the time, before the tour even began- Nasser Hussain for one

[rkt.india]

It is true. If they rested at all it was not long enough' date=' the WI tour was a problem, it should never have taken place just barged in to fill the gap between IPL and England. Some players made their way to England from WI, others from IPL, some had not played FC cricket in a long time. Like I said the batsmen were suspect against the swinging ball and that is why they lost and lost last year. They would always have lost that series. But if they had started the 2011 tour later- Given maybe 2 or 3 3 day matches (I know we normally dont play many warmups but because as you said it was first tour for people like GG and Mukund we should have then; we had just got by without good prep on previous away tours due to how good and experienced key players were) then it would have been less of a humiliation. All this is not hindsight, commentators were saying at the time, before the tour even began- Nasser Hussain for one[/quote'] Wasnt it better to play in WI and then go to England with practice rather than nothing. VVS, RD, Raina all looked good in WI on tough pitches. It is not like those were pancakes and for batsmen, it is always good to have game under your belt. I can understand about bowlers. What happened in Aus? We had full strength squad and it was worse than England. These are just excuses.

[Pagalpanti]

^Mental fatigue maybe? The team was spent, they gave their everything in SA tour, WC and then the IPL happened. I guess they just didn't have any fight left in 'em which is what made the results far worse. I still remember how we let game slip away from our hands in TB, both while Eng batting and our batting. Australian tour was purely down to selectors. They took a team that was fading to Australia. Historically a much tougher place for Indian's than England and expected different results. Well we got thrashed there as well.