Sachin: "I told Harbhajan that I believed he could bat"

[Anakin]

@KR, from Prem

It took him 96 balls to get the half-century, but with wickets falling in a heap thereafter, the aggressive intent was unmistakable. He took 11 off a Mitchell Johnson over, and challenged Harbhajan Singh to play the innings of his life as the wheels came off the Australian bowling

[Anakin]

Dude' date=' I am not stupid enough to make blanker accusations without having any backing for them. For every point that i have made against him, I have supported it with facts and opinions that conform with reasonable levels of cricketing logic. You are free to ignore them, but if you chose to engage me in a debate, please back your points with solid arguments. If i slowly realize that i have been wrong and you were right, i shall accept my mistake and withdraw all my allegations. So far, i havent got any such arguments from your side. Merely stating the same thing over and over again, does not mean it is true.[/quote'] I did some numbers game for you, although it's hypothetical but it's realistic.

[Ram]

I did some numbers game for you' date=' although it's hypothetical but it's realistic.[/quote'] Till now, you have either -- Referred to Steve waugh's tactics -- or, highlighted how that tactic helped Ind add 180 runs. And as i have said, Just because a tactic works, doesnt mean it is right. The runs Sachin added with RPS and Ishant were mere fluke.

[Anakin]

Till now, you have either -- Referred to Steve waugh's tactics -- or, highlighted how that tactic helped Ind add 180 runs. And as i have said, Just because a tactic works, doesnt mean it is right. The runs Sachin added with RPS and Ishant were mere fluke.

Posted this before too: just shielding the tail would never get 180+ runs, because if SRT and tailenders played like your idea, I'd say about 100 of those runs had to be taken by SRT as singles and the majority of the rest by boundaries again by SRT. I didn't have time before to break this simple concept to you but thought it was clear when I said max of 30-40 runs would be gettable by your idea And again and again, it's a fluke if it works only once, SW made it work before, in fact SRT and Zak had a huge partnership against BD (weak bowling I know but not many had done the same thing) too. So how is that a fluke.

[Ram]

Posted this before too: just shielding the tail would never get 180+ runs, because if SRT and tailenders played like your idea, I'd say about 100 of those runs had to be taken by SRT as singles and the majority of the rest by boundaries again by SRT. I didn't have time before to break this simple concept to you but thought it was clear when I said max of 30-40 runs would be gettable by your idea And again and again, it's a fluke if it works only once, SW made it work before, in fact SRT and Zak had a huge partnership against BD (weak bowling I know but not many had done the same thing) too. So how is that a fluke.

Again, dont call it 180 runs, call it 57 runs. Harbhajan is a decent enough batsman for Sachin to trust him, but its Sachin tactics with Ishant that i am specifically concerned about. Of course, you see the batsman and make your move. You do NOT expose a 19 year old no.11, playing his 3rd test and who is yet to score ANY run in international cricket and has a sum total of 15 runs in FC cricket, to the pace and bounce of Lee and Johnson. Simply doesnt add up. Besides, even going by your logic that tailenders should never be shielded, could you explain what stopped Sachin from trying to go over the top ? After all, if his logic was, " Its a partnership, doesnt matter who scores it, it was riskier for me to go over the top", then what made him think it was any easier for a no.11 to go after quick bowling at 90 mph, than it was for him ? It was ok to rotate strike with Bhajji and RPS, but with Ishant it simply doesnt make any sense at all. And EVEN if you repose faith in a tailender and give him the strike, nothing should stop you from going after the bowling. The only explanation for that would be, he wanted to be not out.

[Anakin]

Did you even see the field? The only place to go over the top relatively safely would be behind the stumps, unless you get bouncers you can't play the upper cuts, given that you're always ready and picked up the length early enough to play that shot. Another very plausible reason would be tiredness. Another reason definitely was Ishant played quite well actually, so may be then he thought of doing the same thing. The point is there are many other factors. It's quite something that you are just ignoring every other possibilities and sticking with what you have in mind. At least now you say it's fine with Bhajji and RPS. That's an improvement :haha:

[Ram]

Did you even see the field? The only place to go over the top relatively safely would be behind the stumps' date=' unless you get bouncers you can't play the upper cuts, given that you're always ready and picked up the length early enough to play that shot.[/quote'] This is the problem you see, all your arguments are based on events that happened on the ground and not logic. And why was the field well spead out ? To give Sachin the easy single of course, and he took the bait. Had he defended the first 3-4 balls of the over, Ponting would have bought in the field, and he could have tried to go over the top. Of course, Sachin just ruled out from that happening simply because he took the single from the first ball of EVERY over.

Another very plausible reason would be tiredness. Another reason definitely was Ishant played quite well actually' date=' so may be then he thought of doing the same thing. The point is there are many other factors. It's quite something that you are just ignoring every other possibilities and sticking with what you have in mind. [/quote'] Ishant batted well ? i suppose Sachin knows something about Ishant we dont and that is surprising because Ishant was yet to score even a single run in international cricket, and so far scored 15 runs in FC cricket.

At least now you say it's fine with Bhajji and RPS. That's an improvement :haha:

Again, shows how you never read my posts completely before responding. I NEVER criticized Sachin for rotating the strike with Bhajji or RPS.

[Captain of Bhangra]

Hahaha, in that case (back to OP), Sachin should do Team India an even bigger favour and tell Harbhajan that he believes he can bowl!...

[Anakin]

See your problem is you're thinking your logic is correct based on your ideas alone, there were many more things going on the ground than you or I can even think of, or cricketing instincts and brains of SRT can think of many things which we have no idea about. When I said Ishant batted well, I meant the first few balls, may be it was enough for SRT to continue the same strategy. Again, I'm sure you know about the tiredness of SRT when Ishant came to bat.

[suraj]

Hahaha' date=' in that case (back to OP), Sachin should do Team India an even bigger favour and tell Harbhajan that he believes he can bowl!...[/quote'] Good one! Can't remember the last time Bhajji ripped through an opponent's innings