[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by khaadu75

I raise my hand to your query ..

Me too. So who's the third?

[suman]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Me too. So who's the third?

Wasn't it Diabloo?
(20 characters)

[thefreak]

ye ye ye! India wins!

[woof]

The third one is yours truly!

[diabloo]

I voted first ......... !!!

Originally Posted by diabloo

I voted for series win. Inspite of the small fella's efforts, lets win this match. Then we will look at the next games tomorrow.
Symonds, Hogg out

Originally Posted by khaadu75

I raise my hand to your query ..

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Me too. So who's the third?

[khaadu75]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Go India!

7 full floors came to a standstill as all Indians in the office crowded around the flatscreens in each reception area. Worth it!

My MOM = Dhoni for that quickfire 50, but you know who will get it.

I agree with you ... but I wudn't mind either Bhajji or Karthik getting it either -- they kept the pressure on inspite of the flier they got of to !! Karthik specially as he came in after a very very long break and straight into a BIG game .

And what should happen to Ponting for showing dissent ...

[rks]

Originally Posted by pmbabu

India win despite heroic batting by Sachin and the best chosen batting positions by Dhoni.

And some extreme and uncharacteristic generosiity by the Aussies, who conceded 39 extras (31 wides and 1 nb included) against our 18. Plus their failure to play Haddin, who was their best batsman. And insistence on playing Hodge, their worst batsman, whose slow batting cost them this match. Very, very strange. Yet another ODI series is going to go down to the wire, with our cricket-crazy fans dishing out money by the bagfuls. Everybody will be kept on their toes till the final game, when we will get thrashed and lose the series.

[mclaren1885]

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

Show me one player/captain who was kept in the team inspite of repeated failures like Ganguly was before he was dropped.

Yuvraj Singh in ODI's.

In fact our Fab 3 should be playing like what Hayden is this last one year. Fearless and lead the youngsters from the front. Do they ? No - they don't.

Wonderful question with an even more simplistic answer. And I am glad that you asked this.

Two reasons:

1. Australians NO FEAR policy is one.

2. Look at their batting line-up & their track record. Even if they loose 3 early wickets they are 100 % SURE that SOMEONE or the OTHER WILL play well. Now look at India & you will realize that most often than not top 3 fail, rest of the team goes down as well.

The way Hayden, Gilchrist & Ponting play is because of this belief in the rest of the team. And also the fact that they have a bowling line-up that could defend the modest of scores. Unlike India.

I think if we do an analysis in the last 50 games for each teams and see the number of times each team has lost 3 or 4 wickets in the 1st 15 overs and then went onto post a winning total you would find that India's attempts will be like peanuts.

Until very recently (and I could say even now) India could not DEPEND on the middle/lower order to play incase of a massive top order failure. This fickle mindedness WILL put additional pressure on fab 3 because a LOT depends on them.

The day we have a batting line-up that exudes the kind of promise the Australian team does we will see the fab 3 play more freely. Agreed? Or not?

Dhoni is a safe captain with predictable moves.

Beats my logic asto what is this "NO FEAR attitude of Dhoni" people keep referring to? The only thing he seems to be doing well is asking his team to "enjoy the game". But, thats not ENOUGH.

Let me be mean here and say that was a subtle message to the selectors - test captain vacancy is still there.

This is the second time. First time dada had a word with that erratic monkey & he immediately improved his bowling. Secondly, I just realized that Gilchrist got out for the 1st ball after the trap was set.

TV certainly showed whose idea it was. Ganguly seemed mighty disappointed & angry that Dhoni hadn't thought about it. I say he DESERVES to be the captain. He is brutal, commanding, quick thinker & more importantly brave. And he knows how to get his players to do the work he wants them to. Or they get quite an earful from him. And look at where India has gone since he was sacked. Downwards.

Not any more IMO. I still do not see Pathan getting back to his old days.

See his performances since his return. He has been by far the best Indian bowler since the T20. Give him the new ball and see him swing it. Till now the only reason you haven't seen it is because he has never been given the chance. Also look at this match, 10 overs 1/46 while the rest of the pacemen were getting tonked.

PS: Looks like Australia did mighty well to slump down to loose until the final overs. But I must admit that Indian's bowled quite well in the death. Full credit to them.

[diabloo]

Dear Woof, where is your vote man? I can see only 3 votes for series win.

Originally Posted by woof

The third one is yours truly!

[diabloo]

It is indeed Dhoni

Originally Posted by Steeroid

My MOM = Dhoni for that quickfire 50, but you know who will get it.

[khaadu75]

Steeroid @ I guess they heard our choice for the MOM -- Dhoni gets it

rks @ Im that you havn't come out with a theory that the game was fixed as Aus gave away 38-39 extras and thus lost purposely . I love the way you keep driving in your santro and praying that India keeps getting thrashed , UNFORTUNATELY your prayers don't seem to work and THE MEN IN BLUE keep turning things around . Im sure it must hurt !!

Cheers

[thefreak]

Originally Posted by khaadu75

Steeroid @ I guess they heard our choice for the MOM -- Dhoni gets it

As he should have! Liked the look on Symmonds face when he was sitting in the dressing room once he got out

[rks]

No, I don't care one way or the other about who wins this series. Let's see if my prediciton comes true. The series will be decided in the final game and Australia will win.

And I love the way I drive my Santro these days, especially after getting a hefty bill for suspension/steering column maintenance. Stopped cornering hard and am trying to conserve fuel for a change.

[diabloo]

Do you think its because of match-fixing? Or is it because 2 strong teams trying to nudge out each other?

Originally Posted by rks

No, I don't care one way or the other about who wins this series. Let's see if my prediciton comes true. The series will be decided in the final game and Australia will win.

[rks]

Originally Posted by diabloo

Do you think its because of match-fixing? Or is it because 2 strong teams trying to nudge out each other?

To be honest I am not 100% sure of what the truth is. Too many of these one-day series seem to go down to the wire, as did the previous series against England. But then maybe I am being unduly suspicious or skeptical.