[srishiva]

Guess Ganguly was right that you have to win in Australia and England to be No.1. They also have not won in SA (series). Hope BCCI reduces the international matches and makes everyone play more domestic multi day games.
Can they forfeit the remaining test?

[NPV]

My worst fears are coming true, Star batsman Virender Sehwag gets out for first ball duck in second innings also and gets a well-deserved King Pair !
Luckily England did not go behind Sri Lanka's 952 runs record and declared at 710/7.
It's definitely headed for a 3-0 margin with this match - and the last one will remain. Will it be a true 4-0 'White-Wash' ?
It's also co-incidental that after India won the 1983 World Cup they got thrashed by West Indies in a Test series very similar to this one - history repeats itself after the 2011 World Cup with a huge loss to England !

[Spitfire]

Oh well!!

Back to the good ole days.

Whats the biggest margin India has lost to England?

Ban IPL.

[driving_smartly]

Is Dunken Flectcher another Grag Chappell ?

Under Gary kirsten the team looked totally different with same set of players. But, Some kind of Shame needs to be Preserved by Playing 11

[amitoj]

We just got beaten by a team thats more fit, more motivated and more determined to win than our team.

I agree with Spitfire. Ban IPL.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by driving_smartly

Is Dunken Flectcher another Grag Chappell ?

Under Gary kirsten the team looked totally different with same set of players. But, Some kind of Shame needs to be Preserved by Playing 11

come on. isint it too soon to say that! This team is missing too many key players (zaks, a quality spinner like kumble, openers, etc etc)

we have too many unfit players. we have not prepared well for this series. no other explanations. team will get over this. all teams lose at one point or other (even the mighty aussies as well).

we can forgive our players for this series, for they have been nothing short of exceptional for the last 2 years or so. My friends, this has been the most successful era of indian cricket (last few years.) lets enjoy it while it lasts, for all eras come to an end (even the mighty dinosaurs did .

[carboy]

Originally Posted by joslicx

come on. isint it too soon to say that! This team is missing too many key players (zaks, a quality spinner like kumble, openers, etc etc)
.

Kumble was very rarely a quality spinner outside India. I think he averages somewhere between 35 to 40 outside India - that's not how quality spinners look.

[srishiva]

Originally Posted by carboy

Kumble was very rarely a quality spinner outside India. I think he averages somewhere between 35 to 40 outside India - that's not how quality spinners look.

Do we know what our other bowlers' averages are playing overseas?

[carboy]

Originally Posted by srishiva

Do we know what our other bowlers' averages are playing overseas?

Yes. You can get it all at Cricinfo, if you don't. Here's a link - CI

[download2live]

Well I had stopped watching cricket ever since one Mr. Modi came into picture.

This is what happens when you play IPL.

Current crop of Indian players want this to win:

1. A flat pitch. Ball should come straight to bat. So that it can be hit for a six.
2. Outfield should be fast.
3. Ground should be small.

They might as well start playing cricket like baseball. More sixes and fours = more fun and hence more Money.

Where are those bowlers who swung the ball in air or spinners who spun the ball a yard.

Bowl to the wicket. Keep a straight line. Play IPL. Reduce bowlers to run containing machine. Well chicken have come home to roost.

Mr Modi will remain unforgiven in my books.

[SilentEngine]

^ Modi did his magic with blessings from BCCI. BCCI is the real culprit.

Originally Posted by carboy

Kumble was very rarely a quality spinner outside India. I think he averages somewhere between 35 to 40 outside India - that's not how quality spinners look.

Our first choice spinner for this series came back with an average of 143.50. Quality spinner or not, this team is certainly missing someone like Kumble. Without Zaheer, our bowling attack is worse that a county team.

[carboy]

Originally Posted by SilentEngine

Our first choice spinner for this series came back with an average of 143.50. Quality spinner or not, this team is certainly missing someone like Kumble.

Sure - as they say - 'The squint eyed guy is the king amongst the blind'.

Originally Posted by SilentEngine

Without Zaheer, our bowling attack is worse that a county team.

There were lot of away series where Kumble's figures were such that it wouldn't get him into a county team.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by carboy

There were lot of away series where Kumble's figures were such that it wouldn't get him into a county team.

Now we are starting bashing a bowler that has 600 test wickets to his name! What has this thread reduced to? Why so much negativity?

Its easy to have opinions but why not put some rationale also in the thought process. I understand we are frustrated as the team lost an important series. But nobody wins all the time. There are ups and downs in life. Dont we all also at times fail at what we do?

[carboy]

Originally Posted by joslicx

Now we are starting bashing a bowler that has 600 test wickets to his name! What has this thread reduced to? Why so much negativity?

Its easy to have opinions but why not put some rationale also in the thought process. I understand we are frustrated as the team lost an important series. But nobody wins all the time. There are ups and downs in life. Dont we all also at times fail at what we do?

Quite seriously, I am not frustrated. I have followed cricket through the 90's when Indian couldn't win an away match even against Zimbabwe. The fact that they won some in the last decade was like a good surprise. That's the reason the current loss doesn't devastate me.

About Kumble's 600 wickets, the ones home have come at an average of 25 and strike rate of 60. The ones away have come at an average of 36 and strike rate of 75. His average in England was 41. His average in NZ in 40. His average in Pakistan is 42. His average in Australia was 38. His average in Sri Lanka was 45. Kumble was not a quality spinner or even an average spinner most places outside India.

[ghodlur]

The collossal loss of yet another innings defeat of India can be attributed to the follwoing reasons:
1) Poor coaching - Whats Duncan Fletcher doing by the way, relaxing?
2) poor captaincy
3) Poor opening batsmen pair for India
4) No quality spinners
5) Shoddy fielding
6) Ageing batting lineup
7) Too many injury ridden players

The list can go on. The Indian team themselves are to be blamed for this. Right from the start of the series Indian team was never in the right frame of mind, the will to win wasn't there at all. The lesser said the better.