The Cricket Thread

[amitoj]

LOL. On the other hand, Pakistan failed to chase down even 186 against SA! And to think, they went on to lose the game from a point where they needed only 19 runs from 55 balls with 6 wickets in hand!!

By the way, I loved this comment from Dhoni in the post match:
"Is 350 the new 280, 290 or 300? With the new bowlers they are mostly getting smashed. Even the fast bowlers are bowling with their third man up and fine leg up. Not sure where its going but if we are chasing like this it is not going to be good for the long-term health of the game. Only seeing boundaries and sixes for seven hours? "
Source:6th ODI Commentary

[vibbs]

I personally like to watch cricket when not so many fours-sixes are hit. I like it when it seems that bowlers can take wickets and it looks like an even contest. Nowadays it seems whatever score you make while batting first the opposition will better it. Not my idea of good cricket.

Cricket is fun when the odd ball flies past the edge and it looks like the batsmen are made to work hard for their fours and sixes.

That said, a wonderful innings by Kohli. He is the next superstar of Indian cricket.

[Oxy]

So Ishant Sharma gets picked again for Sachin's farewell test series against WI (http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-...ry/684305.html).

What on earth will it take for the selectors to realise that he is useless?

Good news is that Yadav finally returns. No place yet for Zaheer and Harbhajan. Jadeja also rested.

[NMS]

Originally Posted by amitoj

By the way, I loved this comment from Dhoni in the post match:
"Is 350 the new 280, 290 or 300? With the new bowlers they are mostly getting smashed. Even the fast bowlers are bowling with their third man up and fine leg up. Not sure where its going but if we are chasing like this it is not going to be good for the long-term health of the game. Only seeing boundaries and sixes for seven hours? "
Source:6th ODI Commentary

Originally Posted by vibbs

I personally like to watch cricket when not so many fours-sixes are hit. I like it when it seems that bowlers can take wickets and it looks like an even contest. Nowadays it seems whatever score you make while batting first the opposition will better it. Not my idea of good cricket.

Cricket is fun when the odd ball flies past the edge and it looks like the batsmen are made to work hard for their fours and sixes.

That said, a wonderful innings by Kohli. He is the next superstar of Indian cricket.

Kudos to the Innings by Kohli, he was at his diminutive best !

I seriously feel that we are loosing out on the artistry bit in cricket. The art of stealing the quick singles and twos. Watching an out swinging delivery go past the bat or an inswinger squaring the batsman up is equally enjoyable.

[PPS]

Originally Posted by amitoj

"Is 350 the new 280, 290 or 300?

Well all the more reason to maybe risk Ishant in the next game! We should aim to break South Africa's record of chasing down 434, for this we will need Ishant Sharma's help!

[AbhishekB86]

Originally Posted by Oxy

So Ishant Sharma gets picked again for Sachin's farewell test series against WI (http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-...ry/684305.html).

What on earth will it take for the selectors to realise that he is useless?

Good news is that Yadav finally returns. No place yet for Zaheer and Harbhajan. Jadeja also rested.

I find the non-selection of Zaheer baffling. Nothing prepares you for a major series unlike first hand international experience and playing against WI would have been a warm up before the South Africa series where he's really required.

Ishant Sharma seems to be the Imran Farhat of India. No matter how he performs he's always picked because his father-in-law is a member of PCB. Although to give credit to Pakistan, they have dropped Farhat after a long run and are looking for alternatives.

I will not be surprised if Sharma finds a place in the first test ahead of Yadav or Shami. Ganguly did a better job with the new ball in those games in the late 90s when he used to open the bowling.

[PPS]

Originally Posted by AbhishekB86

I find the non-selection of Zaheer baffling

I think this is right thing which the selectors have done. On flat turning pitches how many overs will be bowl anyways! And he hasn't played enough domestic games so let him prove his fitness first. He can always be given a chance in the one-dayers later on against the WI. I think they are saving him for the SA series.

Nothing prepares you for a major series unlike first hand international experience

He's played enough International games already, the domestic games if anything will be more challenging as he will find it difficult to motivate himself against lesser batsman & facing empty crowds!

And in other news, Mitchell Johnson will miss the last ODI as he has flown back home to prepare for the Ashes. Diwali has come early for Yuvraj & Raina after hearing this news!

[PPS]

What an astonishing game!

Vinay Kumar made sure that we have forgotten Ishant for now & he tried very hard to make the match close but i guess Aussies lost too many wickets.

The way Rohit Sharma batted today & in the series he's assured of a test spot now & very much untouchable in ODI's for next 1 year atleast!

Dhoni is the one who hardly ever shows any emotion on the field, but the way he celebrated when the last wicket fell was telling.

[StarrySky]

Admittedly I haven't watched any match of the current Ind-Aus series and have only followed the scores online. But, it looks as if ODIs have now become a six hitting contest like those "HongKong Cricket Sixes" tournaments we used to have earlier. We had 5 completed matches in the series with 8 or 9 innings over 300. Heck, we had 5 scores above 350! The dice is loaded so much against the bowlers that it's a very uneven contest, atleast in the sub-continent. For me, this current state does not make the game any more appealing. In fact, it has lost some charm in my eyes.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

For me, this current state does not make the game any more appealing. In fact, it has lost some charm in my eyes.

Its a function of pitches and players if you ignore the money. Dead flat pitches = easier run scoring and the IPL has tuned the masses to expect 200 in 20 overs. Hence the logical extension is close to 350-400 in 50 overs. And the new rules of second new ball and 4 players outside the ring don't help.

Still need to say that you need real skill to strike the ball out the park once every over but what I miss is the class and elegance.

Watching ganguly dance down the track or vvs playing those elegant flicks or dravid's drives was like watching someone perform a delicate dance. It actually made you sit up and watch the replay. But watching kohli/ABDV/Gayle/Faulkner smack it out of the park just doesn't create the same kind of reaction. Its just another six.just another statistic.

[AbhishekB86]

Other teams are also playing with 4 fielders outside the circle. Bangladesh and New Zeland have scored 240 odd as the maximum total in 2 ODIS while SA and Pakistan are defending totals like 183 and 209.

Now to say that Australia and India have weak bowling attacks is true but remember these are international teams. They are not so weak either to be taken for 350 runs regularly.

If rules aren't affecting other subcontinent wickets it comes down to pitches and the ground size. Even mis-hits are going for sixes. Plus the Bangalore stadium is really small. Frankly I do not enjoy such matches where it's bat vs bat and as Dhoni rightly said teams can do without bowlers.

We will get a better picture on the tour to South Africa and later in the 2015 world cup. Half of sixes hit on small Indian grounds would carry to the third man on australian grounds.

during the Jaipur ODI when George Bailey snubbed Ravi Shastri asking sarcastically if he really thought the wicket was a beauty was pretty much the way Indian wickets are being looked at by the world.

For cricket purists it's a sad state of affairs. I would actually enjoy teams defending a small total with disciplined bowling and fielding but now it seems the game has no place for bowlers.

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by procrj

Still need to say that you need real skill to strike the ball out the park once every over but what I miss is the class and elegance.

Watching ganguly dance down the track or vvs playing those elegant flicks or dravid's drives was like watching someone perform a delicate dance. It actually made you sit up and watch the replay. But watching kohli/ABDV/Gayle/Faulkner smack it out of the park just doesn't create the same kind of reaction. Its just another six.just another statistic.

That's exactly what I meant. Not questioning the skills of the batsmen, they were hitting sixes even before all the rule changes. Now it's just gotten a bit easier.

I think the 2 newball rule is keeping the ball relatively new and hard, making it difficult for the faster bowlers to get any reverse swing and also making it difficult for the spinners to grip the ball in Indian conditions. The same rule could make life very difficult for the batsmen in seamer-friendly conditions, making it another uneven contest between bat and ball.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by AbhishekB86

Other teams are also playing with 4 fielders outside the circle. Bangladesh and New Zeland have scored 240 odd as the maximum total in 2 ODIS while SA and Pakistan are defending totals like 183 and 209

SA bowling is arguably the best there is today and hence its no surprise that they can restrict scores to 180 & 200. Should also be cognizant of the opposition - Pakistan, who are anything but consistent.

Originally Posted by StarrySky

Now it's just gotten a bit easier.

Easier is putting it lightly.

Originally Posted by StarrySky

I think the 2 newball rule is keeping the ball relatively new and hard, making it difficult for the faster bowlers to get any reverse swing and also making it difficult for the spinners to grip the ball in Indian conditions. The same rule could make life very difficult for the batsmen in seamer-friendly conditions, making it another uneven contest between bat and ball.

Wonder how a Kumble/Warne would have dealt with this. I actually don't mind the pitch being a wee bit seamer friendly. For only then can class batsmen stamp their authority on the game

[AbhishekB86]

Good to finally see a pitch where the bowlers will have a say too. Also Sachin's 199 and Ishant missing from the squad has made it only sweeter

There's a poll running on cricinfo's home page about the recently concluded ODI series between India and Australia with 51 percent voting for 'boring, the bowlers should have a say too'. I agree.

[PPS]

Seems like Cricket Association of Bengal's plan to shower 199kg of flowers from an airplane on Tendulkar on Day5 is going to flop! The way the match is progressing its not even going into Day4.

It's good to see an Indian bowler bowling at a lively pace at last! Don't quite remember the last time it happened, maybe Munaf Patel!