[Eddy]

We can go on and on about how India has a chance of upsetting SA at home this time, but the fact remains that we are not playing even a single warm up game before the first test match.

Yes, no warm up match at all in South Africa.

This is horrible scheduling, and if our batting does fail in that first test it's going to take hell of an effort to get back into the test series.

Seriously, BCCI could have done a lot better. Don't know what compelled them to play SL instead. Sheer stupidity & greed.

[PPS]

Originally Posted by Eddy

Seriously, BCCI could have done a lot better. Don't know what compelled them to play SL instead. Sheer stupidity & greed

There is more stupidity in store, we play SL again in the month of March! We did infact have a 2 day warmup game scheduled which the team management decided to cancel as they preferred high intensity net session, apparently some ground has been hired where bouncy pitches will be prepared! I wonder how they're going to emulate actual match conditions in a net session. Atleast two 4 day warm up games are a must in foreign conditions.
We do actually have a decent team on paper. I feel we should be happy if we're able to draw the series.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by PPS

There is more stupidity in store, we play SL again in the month of March! We did infact have a 2 day warmup game scheduled which the team management decided to cancel as they preferred high intensity net session, apparently some ground has been hired where bouncy pitches will be prepared!

Not sure how relevant this is but some article mentioned that the Indian team is staying back a few days in India so as to attend Kohli's reception in Mumbai.

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Not sure how relevant this is but some article mentioned that the Indian team is staying back a few days in India so as to attend Kohli's reception in Mumbai.

26th: reception.
27th: flight.
29th and 30th: practice.
31st and 1st: party.
2nd, 3rd and 4th: practice.
5th: 1st test match

[Arjun Reddy]

Originally Posted by PPS

There is more stupidity in store, we play SL again in the month of March! We did infact have a 2 day warmup game scheduled which the team management decided to cancel as they preferred high intensity net session, apparently some ground has been hired where bouncy pitches will be prepared! I wonder how they're going to emulate actual match conditions in a net session. Atleast two 4 day warm up games are a must in foreign conditions.
We do actually have a decent team on paper. I feel we should be happy if we're able to draw the series.

Srilanka is becoming an overkill. Probably keep thrashing them and maintain our ICC ranking.

Also the change in strategy of hiring a stadium was because the team Management were expecting flat pitches for the practice game and a lively one for the 1st test. Probably makes sense as it would have been a waste to play on a flat pitch.

[avingodb]

A Boxing Day game in South Africa would have been much better than those stupid T20s. Such is the attraction of money that the Indian board has lost its class and charm.

[vamsi.kona]

Originally Posted by avingodb

A Boxing Day game in South Africa would have been much better than those stupid T20s. Such is the attraction of money that the Indian board has lost its class and charm.

I think an IPL match would garner more views than a T20 with Sri Lanka . I am amongst some of the people who believe that T20 and ODI's should only be in Cup formats such as World Cup, or Asian Cup etc. No bilateral ODI's and T20's, leave that that to clubs. That would help garner better interest in those formats as well as leaving more space for Tests.

[selfdrive]

In terms of current team composition, Bangladesh would be a better bet for competitive cricket than Sri Lanka. Heck, even Afghanistan would be better.

In any case, bilateral series between India and SL have always been overkill. It is not even a golden goose, I wonder why BCCI pushes it so much. They might as well schedule more series with other countries (NZ, anyone?) if they want to mint more money.

[Eddy]

Another option is to do it the way we are doing it in England in the summer. Play the ODIs and T20s first and then move to the test series.

[AltoLXI]

Originally Posted by Eddy

Yep, it was a thrilling match. And it ended better from my PoV because I wanted Delhi to play Vidarbha in the finals

Originally Posted by dailydriver

The loss, and your comment, struck a knife right through my heart . Karnataka and Vidharbha have both been excellent this season. Kudos to them! This match in particular is a superb testimony to the thrills of a five day game.

Congratulations to Vidarbha team for winning the Ranji Trophy for the first time beating Delhi by 9 wickets.

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted by AltoLXI

Congratulations to Vidarbha team for winning the Ranji Trophy for the first time beating Delhi by 9 wickets.

They truly deserve the trophy.

Playing together as a team, with individuals rising up to the occasion whenever the need arose, took them to glory this time. The current Ranji season saw quite a few close finishes, thereby rekindling the fans' interest in the game. With the ICC experimenting with four day tests at the international level, the domestic cricket series is bound to get a fillip in the days to come.

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by AltoLXI

Congratulations to Vidarbha team for winning the Ranji Trophy for the first time beating Delhi by 9 wickets.

Yep, congratulations to the first time winners. Delhi lost, but an underdog won so happy happy

[am1m]

Originally Posted by PPS

There is more stupidity in store, we play SL again in the month of March!

This is not stupidity if you think about cricket in terms of a business and the Indian cricket team as a brand as opposed to a truly world-beating sports team. TV watching crowd needs victories to keep watching, advertisers need TV watching crowd to keep watching, BCCI needs advertising money.

The Indian cricket team beating SA in SA is not very probable, no matter how many articles state that Kohli is the "best batsman in the world". And we have to play better teams like SA and Australia in their home once in a while because of ICC scheduling.

So, sandwich a tough series in between playing 2 easy ones where victory is almost guaranteed and everyone will quickly forget our performance in SA!

[avingodb]

the difference is that BCCI does not need that money, it is greedy for it.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by am1m

This is not stupidity if you think about cricket in terms of a business and the Indian cricket team as a brand as opposed to a truly world-beating sports team. TV watching crowd needs victories to keep watching, advertisers need TV watching crowd to keep watching, BCCI needs advertising money.

The Indian cricket team beating SA in SA is not very probable, no matter how many articles state that Kohli is the "best batsman in the world". And we have to play better teams like SA and Australia in their home once in a while because of ICC scheduling.

So, sandwich a tough series in between playing 2 easy ones where victory is almost guaranteed and everyone will quickly forget our performance in SA!

This is the bitter pill that the general TV watching cricket lover needs to swallow. No matter how much you sugar-coated it, the fact of the matter is that the BCCI is in it for the money and not the sport. Meanwhile, it's the team and it's players that bear the brunt of it all - playing tirelessly one series after another, with the IPL only compounding the matter.

Your post sums up the reason why I have abstained from watching Cricket off late. It's no longer a game, it's a full-fledged business!