[PPS]

Originally Posted by AbhishekB86

The last good I remember about him was in Australia half a decade ago.

That is his only claim to fame! Troubling Ponting on his home pitches.

If selectors can show the door to a senior yet proven performer like Zaheer I wonder why they let Ishant get away time & again?

Because of Dhoni's backing! Remember the long rope given to Piyush Chawla.

This might be odd but whenever Ishant comes to bowl in ODI's or tests I personally don't expect him to take wickets.

Neither does he! Its more about containment nowadays.

[aneezan]

I find that the Agarkar bashing(in print media) that kicked off after he announced his retirement is un-called for. His only faults was that he gave away too many runs, and he was not as effective in test matches. Otherwise, his wicket taking ability in one-day internationals was well known. But other cricketers have had a far more grey time than him.

[NPV]

438 South Africa Vs Aus
362 India Vs Aus
350 New Zealand Vs Aus
340 New Zealand Vs Aus

The Top 4 highest run chases in ODI's have Australia on the losing side, now that definitely says something

[AbhishekB86]

Originally Posted by PPS

That is his only claim to fame! Troubling Ponting on his home pitches.

Because of Dhoni's backing! Remember the long rope given to Piyush Chawla.

Neither does he! Its more about containment nowadays.

A lot of countries have previously done this but they've drawn a line. England stuck with Mark Ramprakash and Hick for the longest time. South Africa offered a lot of chances to Rudolph to establish himself. But the difference is that these guys were called back on merit after performing in domestic/county cricket.

If Ishant is assured a place for 30-40 odd test matches without being dropped where's the scope or the motivation to improve?

Check out this article on cricinfo http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-...ry/680147.html

Originally Posted by aneezan

I find that the Agarkar bashing(in print media) that kicked off after he announced his retirement is un-called for. His only faults was that he gave away too many runs, and he was not as effective in test matches. Otherwise, his wicket taking ability in one-day internationals was well known. But other cricketers have had a far more grey time than him.

Exactly my thoughts. He had a brilliant start to his career and was the quickest to reach 50 wickets till Mendis took that record from him. A lot of print media pun started with Twitter users making fun of Agarkar. He was trending above Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

288 ODI wickets is so mean feat considering he wasn't part of the side for a number of years now. He was a good ODI bowler with a healthy strike rate but floundered when it came to containing runs. Ironic with a seam attack led by Ishant Sharma people mock Agarkar.

[Oxy]

Originally Posted by AbhishekB86

I really don't understand how a bowler like him has survived 51 test matches. The last good I remember about him was in Australia half a decade ago.

He's playing like a player on 'quota' where performance isn't the criteria. He comes, gets plonked for runs, gets a tailender out and stares at the tail-ender as if he's bowled like Steyn. He doesn't contribute with the bat or in the field to justify his constant selection.

If selectors can show the door to a senior yet proven performer like Zaheer I wonder why they let Ishant get away time & again?

He's played for 6 years and now is the time where he goes back to Ranji cricket and make improvements to earn a spot.

This might be odd but whenever Ishant comes to bowl in ODI's or tests I personally don't expect him to take wickets.

Well surely this muppet has to be kicked out now. How can you not defend 15 runs an over is beyond me.

When the opposition needs 44 runs in 3 overs, he comes on and leaks 30 runs in his one over, thereby reducing the target to 14 runs in 2 overs, conceding 4 sixes and a boundary on the way. The guy just kept bowling one half tracker after another throughout the over.

And who did the hitting? James Faulkner, a guy who is in the side primarily as a bowler!

I bet even Raina is a better death bowler than Ishant.

[AbhishekB86]

Originally Posted by Oxy

Well surely this muppet has to be kicked out now. How can you not defend 15 runs an over is beyond me.

When the opposition needs 44 runs in 3 overs, he comes on and leaks 30 runs in his one over, thereby reducing the target to 14 runs in 2 overs, conceding 4 sixes and a boundary on the way. The guy just kept bowling one half tracker after another throughout the over.

And who did the hitting? James Faulkner, a guy who is in the side primarily as a bowler!

I bet even Raina is a better death bowler than Ishant.

Now that he's cost Dhoni a game maybe we would see a change in the next match. Dhawan, Kohli and co were defending him after the second game. I don't think anyone will do that now. Either get Yadav or Zaheer or probably both in for the rest of the matches. Gosh..even Nehra bowls better at the death than Ishant.

[PPS]

Originally Posted by Oxy

When the opposition needs 44 runs in 3 overs, he comes on and leaks 30 runs in his one over,

As the joke goes on Twitter:

Ishant Sharma's contribution to Indian Cricket Team is priceless.
As priceless as Sidhu's contribution to Comedy Nights With Kapil.

He has officially become a legend now! I bet even Nehra would have bowled better than him. He should have bowled around the wicket just to change the angle, maybe he could have given 10 runs less with that!
He obviously needs to be sacked & so does the Bowling Coach!

I never believed in these ICC rankings, we have a mediocre bowling attack who can't bowl decently in the death overs but for some reason we are ranked no.1!

[NPV]

Ishant Sharma now 'enjoys' the dubious record of most runs conceded in an over by an indian in ODI's - 30 runs and he shares this record with Yuvraj Singh

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by PPS

As the joke goes on Twitter:

Ishant Sharma's contribution to Indian Cricket Team is priceless.
As priceless as Sidhu's contribution to Comedy Nights With Kapil.

He has officially become a legend now! I bet even Nehra would have bowled better than him. He should have bowled around the wicket just to change the angle, maybe he could have given 10 runs less with that!
He obviously needs to be sacked & so does the Bowling Coach!

I never believed in these ICC rankings, we have a mediocre bowling attack who can't bowl decently in the death overs but for some reason we are ranked no.1!

Its not remained a bowlers game anymore. Innings like Faulkner's are becoming the norm rather than exception. Bowlers are leaking more runs (heavier bats, favorable conditions for batsmen, dew etc everything helps). The other day Yuvi clobbered 74 in 37 odd balls! This time it was payback time from the Australians! Nevertheless it was a good fight.

I am not denying that Ishant is, at best, just a mediocre bowler but what happened to him could have happened to any bowler. One day is a batsmen game and they had to take their chances (and luckily for them the gambles paid off) Yuvraj scored 6 sixes in an over (Broad I think was the unfortunate bowler that time). It happens sometimes. It doesnt make you a bad bowler. Its just one bad over. In this game Ishant was actually doing good till that unfortunate over.

[Oxy]

Originally Posted by joslicx

I am not denying that Ishant is, at best, just a mediocre bowler but what happened to him could have happened to any bowler.

Sorry but international players need to have something between their ears. This excuse is just not good enough.

Did you watch that over? He literally bowled six absolute half trackers. The moment you get hit for a six, how difficult can it be to alter your line and length or pace, just to try something different?

How can you not even try to out think the batsman? It just felt like Faulkner was facing a bowling machine.

[AbhishekB86]

Originally Posted by joslicx

Its not remained a bowlers game anymore.
I am not denying that Ishant is, at best, just a mediocre bowler but what happened to him could have happened to any bowler. (Broad I think was the unfortunate bowler that time). It happens sometimes. It doesnt make you a bad bowler. Its just one bad over. In this game Ishant was actually doing good till that unfortunate over.

While I agree that this can happen to the best of bowlers what goes against Ishant is his performances in the past. Stuart Broad was clobbered for six sixes but his performance has only gotten better after that so much so in the absence of Jimmy Anderson he is the leader of the attack. Also Broad can bat.

Ishant's best bowling is mediocre and usually he gets wickets when the batsman are slogging for runs blindly. In test matches he never maintains his line and length and often ends up wasting the new ball. In ODIs he's all over the place and then gets punished at the death.

Ishant has no variation but what's worse is that he has no control either. He can't even ball full outside off which ODIs demand of bowlers.

His record is dismal for someone having played 51 tests. He averages close to 40 with the ball. He has nothing else to offer apart from his dismal bowling.

What makes him a bad bowler is the fact that no one can remember any performance of his apart from troubling Ricky Ponting which was half a decade back. Whether for his IPL side or for India he has been pathetic past couple of years to put it very mildly.

Rohit Sharma can be carried in the side because out batting is strong but our bowling is our weakest link so we need to put the best performers forward. Also if someone has not learnt in 6 years and 51 test matches he should be dropped and 1/5th of the chances given to someone like Umesh Yadav who has more pace than Ishant.

[carboy]

Forget one day matches. Ishant is easily the worst bowler in the history of test cricket anywhere in the world. Find me a bowler who has played 50 tests with worse figures than him. Forget 50, find me a bowler who has played 30 tests with worse figures than Ishant.

The only explanation I can think of is that Ishant has some compromising photos of Dhoni or Fletcher or Srinivasan or all three of them.

[joslicx]

Ishant's figures 8 overs 63 runs 1 wicket
Out of those 63, 30 in one over so before that it was 7-1-33-1. Perfectly acceptable for a one dayer. He was doing quite good till then.

To put some perspective Watson's figures in the same match 8-0-74-1.

Just saying he was really unfortunate in that one over he got clobbered. I don't follow cricket that much anymore so don't know how good or bad he is but in this game he just got unlucky. Indian fast bowling was always pedestrian and I haven't seen a good fast bowler for ages now (except zaheer)

[AbhishekB86]

A read up his cric info page will also reveal his last 10 performances. Pathetic to say the least. Also the fact that the only bowler with a worse record than him in Tests is Elton Chigumbara from Zimbabwe who by the way bats pretty decently.

51 test matches 89 innings and just a mere 144 wickets. Average of 38. Also let's not forget Shane Watson is a batting-all rounder and not a specialist bowler.

[Oxy]

Originally Posted by joslicx

Ishant's figures 8 overs 63 runs 1 wicket
Out of those 63, 30 in one over so before that it was 7-1-33-1. Perfectly acceptable for a one dayer. He was doing quite good till then.

To put some perspective Watson's figures in the same match 8-0-74-1.

Just saying he was really unfortunate in that one over he got clobbered. I don't follow cricket that much anymore so don't know how good or bad he is but in this game he just got unlucky. Indian fast bowling was always pedestrian and I haven't seen a good fast bowler for ages now (except zaheer)

Sorry, but again that's not much of a comparison.

Shane Watson is mainly a top order batsman, who also contributes with the ball. Yuvraj again is primarily a batsman and a brilliant fielder.

Ishant is supposed to be our strike bowler in the absence of Zaheer. And he does not contribute either with the bat or on the field. Getting clobbered for 30 runs in an over, that too by a guy who is in the opposition side as a bowler, is plain embarassing.

Muppets like him and Vinay Kumar should be nowhere near the team.

Where has Praveen Kumar vanished? He used to be effective atleast in ODIs.