[kavensri]

Congrats to this team on breaking the ‘duck’ (series win in Australia). It’s quite funny that the Kohli-Shastri combination dropped Pujara so many times earlier and now the same combination is all praise for him! I hope someone (in the press) remind them about their previous comments about Pujara, when he was dropped!
And I still see the arrogance in Kohli when he put this series win over 2011 WC win. Agree that we won the series in AUS for the very first time, but this was one of the weakest batting display from Aussies and I always put WC win over any other wins!
Finally, did anyone watched ‘che-che-che’ dance by Pujara? Poor guy, he does not even know how to put those simple steps. He is such a simple person.

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by kavensri

Congrats to this team on breaking the ‘duck’ (series win in Australia). It’s quite funny that the Kohli-Shastri combination dropped Pujara so many times earlier and now the same combination is all praise for him! I hope someone (in the press) remind them about their previous comments about Pujara, when he was dropped!
And I still see the arrogance in Kohli when he put this series win over 2011 WC win. Agree that we won the series in AUS for the very first time, but this was one of the weakest batting display from Aussies and I always put WC win over any other wins!
Finally, did anyone watched ‘che-che-che’ dance by Pujara? Poor guy, he does not even know how to put those simple steps. He is such a simple person.

Boss, why so negative ?

Players are dropped and recalled. It happens.

And if Kohli prefers this victory over the 2011 WC, is is HIS choice and preference. Please don't judge him. IMO, his logic of having lost an Australia series before winning it makes it more special is perfectly understandable.

[kavensri]

Originally Posted by Eddy

Boss, why so negative ?

No I am not negative, please read through my first sentence

Originally Posted by Eddy

Players are dropped and recalled. It happens.

I do agree that players get dropped, but never heard for the reasons given when Pujara was dropped. We need Pujara kind of players in test matches. He is almost similar to Dravid, did Dravid ever got dropped for his style of playing? And do you think his style of playing has changed since he was dropped? I don't think so.

Originally Posted by Eddy

And if Kohli prefers this victory over the 2011 WC, is is HIS choice and preference. Please don't judge him. IMO, his logic of having lost an Australia series before winning it makes it more special is perfectly understandable.

Yes, that's his choice. And what i mentioned is my 'opinion'.

[Eddy]

Well, you mentioned that Kohli was arrogant in placing this win over the WC11 triumph. That was, IMO, judging him.

And when he got dropped for a slow strike rate, maybe it was the right move. After all, his strike rate had dipped by 20-25% in a year prior to his dropping. He came back and has played well since. All is well that ends well

[Oxy]

I once read somewhere that Geoffrey Boycott was dropped after he scored a double hundred. So strike rate has been an issue in test matches since ages.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by kavensri

Yes, that's his choice. And what i mentioned is my 'opinion'.

On that logic, @Eddy's shared his 'opinion' of you being negative
(see what I did there )

Originally Posted by Eddy

Boss, why so negative ?

He's not alone; this thread is an epitome of being negative on the Indian team since the Eng & SA series. And to give some credit to such views, we are still far away from a perfect team - our opening pair conundrum is still not resolved but we do have options, especially with Shaw on the reserve list. Our keeper still drops a few, including sitters; but he's learning fast; if any indication by the recent test(s). But then we still have to stick to our guns and our views, no!

But what really cheers me up is that in all sense; this was a proper team effort and not by just one or two guys. At the start of the test series, if someone had told me Kohli would have just one 3 digit figure, I'd say #wellDoneAustralia. But others popped up; multiple bowlers and spinners did the job and we are still improving.

And the Indian team is aware of this if we go by the conversations, considering the ODIs are where we are going to be evaluated over the next 6 months, not test matches. We'll be playing the #1 ODI team on their home pitches; plus Australia board will definitely get Smith and Warner back in the fold by then as the ban timelines ends in March; and so will others.

Btw I'm waiting for the Australia - India ODIs and if by chance we fail, this thread will light up like a Christmas tree (again)

[kavensri]

Originally Posted by Eddy

And when he got dropped for a slow strike rate, maybe it was the right move. After all, his strike rate had dipped by 20-25% in a year prior to his dropping. He came back and has played well since. All is well that ends well

Originally Posted by Oxy

I once read somewhere that Geoffrey Boycott was dropped after he scored a double hundred. So strike rate has been an issue in test matches since ages.

I am bit surprised with these comments. We are not talking about ODI or T20 here, this is test match. Unless a batsmen plays slowly for his own personal milestones (selfish) or deliberately harm the chances of winning the test (for example, if a team is playing for declaration and a batsmen plays slowly instead of scoring fast), I don’t think any player should be criticized for playing slowly in a test match. That too in the first or second innings of a match.

Yes sir, I do remember reading about Boycott innings and it was indeed played in the 1st innings of the match. But as many pointed it out, he was ‘selfish’ and hence promptly dropped.
I also remember Dravid declaring the innings when Sachin was 194. I fully support Dravid decision, because Sachin was ‘selfish’ and was playing for records.
But, I don’t think Pujara was/is selfish. Again, this is my opinion and feel free to comment.

Finally, I am definitely not being negative about the team or our performance here. I do like Kohli as a player and he is one of my favorite player. But, what I did not like is some of the decisions taken by Kohli/Shastri combination in our previous tours and also the team selection in Perth. Now that we have won this series, they will have more 'freedom' to make mistakes in the future . That's what worries me.

[Eddy]

But, I don’t think Pujara was/is selfish

Agree. It was flawed execution, not a flawed mindset.

But, what I did not like is some of the decisions taken by Kohli/Shastri combination in our previous tours and also the team selection in Perth. Now that we have won this series, they will have more 'freedom' to make mistakes in the future . That's what worries me.

Yes, there have been selections that, on hindsight, were wrong. But you should not be worried - in fact the opposite. They selected the 11 that most of us armchair critics wanted and won. Maybe they will realise that playing safe sometimes helps.

[harry10]

No one likes Shastri. No one likes the selection decisions made by Kohli/Shastri combo. We lost in SA and Eng and also in Perth primarily because of that. Hopefully they may learn now. Our opening is sorted now with Shaw and Mayank.

Personally I rate World Cup win above everything else.

[PPS]

Well done Team India.
So now South Africa is the final frontier, only country where we haven't won a test series! BCCI instead of having those inconsequential Ind-SL games should arrange a tour of SA again. I don't know when that will happen since there are talks of having a World Test Championship.

Originally Posted by harry10

Rahane is a free loader since couple of years

Rahane is neither going through a bad patch nor is he in good form. He's just about surviving in the team somehow. He should immediately be stripped off his vice-captaincy & that baton should be handed over to Pujara perhaps.

[kavensri]

Originally Posted by harry10

No one likes Shastri. No one likes the selection decisions made by Kohli/Shastri combo. We lost in SA and Eng and also in Perth primarily because of that. Hopefully they may learn now. Our opening is sorted now with Shaw and Mayank.

Personally I rate World Cup win above everything else.

I agree. This is what I was trying to tell with my earlier messages. If we had lost those matches (and probably the series in SA) because of our performance, then I would not have worried much. But we lost it because of selection blunders by Kohli/Shastri combo! And the worst thing about them is, they never accept their mistakes and keep repeating the same in every tours!

[harry10]

Originally Posted by PPS

I don't know when that will happen since there are talks of having a World Test Championship.


Rahane is neither going through a bad patch nor is he in good form. He's just about surviving in the team somehow. He should immediately be stripped off his vice-captaincy & that baton should be handed over to Pujara perhaps.

Next SA series in SA will happen in 2022. We will host them before though. Rahane is slipping under the radar because others are performing around him in the middle order. He doesn't deserves to be in the team. Simple.

Originally Posted by kavensri

I agree. This is what I was trying to tell with my earlier messages. If we had lost those matches (and probably the series in SA) because of our performance, then I would not have worried much. But we lost it because of selection blunders by Kohli/Shastri combo! And the worst thing about them is, they never accept their mistakes and keep repeating the same in every tours!

Arrogance and ego is high to admit they made those selection blunders. Sadly for us with this series win Shastri won't go away anywhere till Kohli is captain and that's gonna be for a long time.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by harry10

Sadly for us with this series win Shastri won't go away anywhere till Kohli is captain and that's gonna be for a long time.

This is the only thing that mars this otherwise brilliant, historic moment.

Kohli's value to the team, leadership and performance are beyond doubt. But it is also pretty obvious that Shastri is around only because Kohli wants him there. The question I have is- is that ok?

Since we're winning anyway, let an unsuitable and often obnoxious coach hang around simply because a winning and powerful captain wants him around; why disturb a winning combo?

Or do you guys think the BCCI should read the riot act and get Kohli to accept a real coach who may not always agree with what Kohli says; but then again don't we all remember Greg Chappell?

[adi_gt]

Today is history. No win in the ODIs can compare with a test match series victory but still the top spot should go to the '83 WC victory because it propelled everything related to cricket from that point onwards in India.

[pratyush6]

Got to give it to Kohli and his team. Although all things considered this was the weakest Aussie team for a couple of decades, so much so that everyone expected India to win.

I hate the brash and abrasive behavior of this team but credit where credit is due - India were the better team by a long shot.

And on this being considered bigger than the WC? What the hell are people smoking?