[PPS]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

- Dinesh Karthik might play the third test
I hope the BCCI realize what this continuous pick-and-drop policy is doing to the players.

Agreed Parthiv is a shoddy keeper & had a very poor game at Centurion, but i feel its a bit unfair on him to be dropped after 1 game. He's got only a handful of chances to play in the last half a decade.
But the team management will have no option but to go in for this forced replacement as you need to hold onto the catches. Our best slip fielder Rahane is anyway cooling his heels in the dressing room.
The selectors keep talking about the youngsters & building the future but both Parthiv & Karthik have been around for more than a decade now. Pant is now out of favour with the selectors.
It just shows there aren't any quality keeper's around in the country.

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Someone needs to muster up the courage to talk to Kohli about team management and Shastri to act his role, or step out.

What role? He is only a cheerleader.
Not a pretty one either

[Oxy]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

What role? He is only a cheerleader.
Not a pretty one either

Exactly.

I knew where we are heading as a team the moment I heard the news of Kumble being booted out. Kohli is a power hungry buffoon and Shastri's only job is to say "Ji Hazoor" to all of Kohli's stupidity and antics. Soon the IPL circus will begin and this disaster in SA will be forgotten.

Don't expect anything to change in England and Australia either. A home series against WI or SL immediately after those embarrassments will cure the heartburns. Rinse and repeat the next time we travel.

I see only one solution to this - Two coaches and two captains. Make Rahane the test captain and bring back Kumble as the test match coach. Let Kohli/Shastri continue to hold their positions in ODIs and T20s. This will give Kohli and Shastri some much needed kick. Perform or perish should be the clearly communicated message.

Until then might as well give up on Indian cricket.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by Oxy

I see only one solution to this - Two coaches and two captains. Make Rahane the test captain and bring back Kumble as the test match coach. Let Kohli/Shastri continue to hold their positions in ODIs and T20s. This will give Kohli and Shastri some much needed kick. Perform or perish should be the clearly communicated message.

Won't work. As you said, perform or perish.

Kohli remains the best performing and consistent cricketer last few years. He needs to be reeled in strongly though.

[PPS]

Originally Posted by Oxy

Soon the IPL circus will begin and this disaster in SA will be forgotten.

I believe we have triangular T20 series against SL & Bangladesh in March! Again a needless series.

I see only one solution to this

Doubt that'll happen anytime. Not until Kohli gets fed up of captaincy or he goes through a terribly long bad patch with the bat!

[Sawyer]

The thing is that Rahane, who actually led the team very well in the matches against Australia, has done himself no favour with his lousy batting in India. You can't have a captain who isn't an automatic selection if he was not one.

For all of Kohli's issues, the one issue he does NOT have is of his selection; as a batsman it is never in doubt in any format of the game.

Shastri isn't fit to be around for any of the three formats. His bombast is ok only for those channels that can have him in the commentator's box.

[harry10]

Kumble will never come back. He is a proud dignified person who is also a legend in Indian cricket. The way bcci treated him was pathetic, he won't forgive them.
Shastri is paid around 8 crore a year for his so called coaching. Why won't he be a 'Yes man' for that amount for least amount of work done. Especially when he has seen how kumble was treated. Its going to be 3-0. Rahane or not won't make a difference.

Too many changes only demoralises a team. Even if someone isn't in form he should be encouraged instead of being axed after just 1 match.

[pratyush6]

Amazed to hear the knee-jerk reactions. Sack Kohli as the skipper and replace with Rahane? That guy hardly scores at home and is not captain material anyway. He invariably fails when there is pressure. The only way he seems to succeed is when he tries to hit out and luck goes his way.

I have no problems with Sharma in the team but not as a number 5 batsman, specially out of Asian conditions. Pandya is also not a No.6.
Also, we don't know what Ravi does as the lead coach - atleast he has all the results. I have no doubts that Kohli himself is blunt enough to kick the backsides of the players slacking.

I would drop Pujara, move Kohli upto 3, and have Rahane at 4 and Sharma at 6. Also, get Bhuvi back in place of Shami. Shami is horribly inconsistent and it pains me to say this as a huge fan.

[harry10]

Originally Posted by pratyush6

I have no problems with Sharma in the team but not as a number 5 batsman, specially out of Asian conditions. Pandya is also not a No.6.
Also, we don't know what Ravi does as the lead coach - atleast he has all the results. I have no doubts that Kohli himself is blunt enough to kick the backsides of the players slacking.

I would drop Pujara, move Kohli upto 3, and have Rahane at 4 and Sharma at 6. Also, get Bhuvi back in place of Shami. Shami is horribly inconsistent and it pains me to say this as a huge fan.

I agree with you on kohli and rahane. Any captain is replaced if he is out of form for long periods, fails to motivate his team members and is no more interested in winning matches for the country. As far as I have seen kohli is none of the above. Best batsman in all formats, gives his everything on Field and always plays to win rather than looking for personal milestones. He is simply irreplaceable as Captain atleast till 2019 world cup. Rahane is an inconsistent player. He has long stretches of being out of form. Still, no harm giving him a go for final test considering we have lost the series.

Now here is where i differ from you. Rohit sharma is a big NO in overseas seaming conditions. Not his fault cos its a technique and temperament thing to survive in test cricket and he doesn't have both against a moving red ball. In ODI's and T20 he is as great as Kohli.

Why will you drop Pujara? He had brain fade in last test with suicidal run outs but he is a solid bat. Also he made a 153 last time we played at this ground. I will drop Pandya instead for rahane if we wanna play sharma too.
Also bhuvi should come in for bumrah. Shami has been hot and cold but on this pitch he can be real hot. Its captain and coach's job to give him that confidence. Bumrah isn't a test bowler. He can't swing and his Yorkers are of very limited use in test cricket. Like Rohit he should only be played in Limited overs formats.

[Eddy]

All of us may hate Shastri, but at least he has admitted to lack of practice contributing to the series loss. And with the clout that the captain-coach seem to have - if they can implement this -

"But I am sure henceforth, in the future, when itineraries are made, that will be taken into account, there is absolutely no doubt about that. You get there couple of weeks earlier and prepare."

- it will be very nice.

The next tour is England where we play the ODIs & T20s before the tests so that should help.

[Chetan_Rao]

Congratulations to Mr. Shastri for winning the 'stating the obvious' trophy.

Needing time to prep and acclimate on overseas tours (esp. against a top-3 side) isn't exactly a new-fangled idea, and I'm pretty sure the lack of it wasn't down to the itinerary maker's ignorance of cricketing needs.

The next thing I'd say will win me the same trophy as Mr. Shastri, I'd rather not.

[PPS]

Originally Posted by harry10

Kumble will never come back. He is a proud dignified person who is also a legend in Indian cricket. The way bcci treated him was pathetic, he won't forgive them.

Agreed. Looking at the way Kumble was treated, Dravid will also have second thoughts about coaching the Senior team.
A panel had infact appointed Dravid as batting consultant & Zaheer as bowling consultant for specific tours, but that move was negated by the team management! I guess we're better of having Dravid coaching the junior team.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by PPS

...I guess we're better of having Dravid coaching the junior team.

All competent coaches are better off grooming junior cricketers in India while there's still time to mould them. By the time a player hits the senior side, their heads are usually too far up their butts to listen to anyone.

[msdivy]

Originally Posted by Eddy

All of us may hate Shastri, but at least he has admitted to lack of practice contributing to the series loss.

I think Ind-SA series was drawn up many months ago. Unfortunately, the captain's wedding & receptions came in between. Pity the series couldn't be postponed . But the team could have arrived at SA without the captain and played some practice matches. What stopped them?

Originally Posted by Fishtail

And it is difficult to accept that Parthiv Patel is the second best wicketkeeper in the country.

Parthiv is 2nd best keeper who has managed to play international cricket. There are many good keepers but with Dhoni around, they had no chance in the international scene.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

I hope the BCCI realize what this continuous pick-and-drop policy is doing to the players.

Dhoni had this thing for 'not changing the winning combination'. I have heard Shastri tell the same stuff many many times from the commentary box. Looks like changing team concept is purely Kohli's experiment.

Originally Posted by Sawyer

A professionally managed results oriented BCCI would make similar moves,

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

He rose in prominence at a time of immense turmoil at BCCI, and

BCCI has been a feudal organization, with total submission to the head, as seen with Dalmiya, Srinivasan. Surprised that devotion is extended to standing team captain.

Originally Posted by pratyush6

I would drop Pujara, move Kohli upto 3, and have Rahane at 4 and Sharma at 6. Also, get Bhuvi back in place of Shami. Shami is horribly inconsistent and it pains me to say this as a huge fan.

Dropping Pujara appears suicidal in the current scenario. Puraja may not score fast runs, but on SA pitches, we need somebody to grind the bowling, be cautious, eat the balls, survive sessions.

BTW, Fanie de Villiers disagrees on Shami - Shami is India's best Test bowler, could fit into SA pace attack very well

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by msdivy

I think Ind-SA series was drawn up many months ago. Unfortunately, the captain's wedding & receptions came in between. Pity the series couldn't be postponed . But the team could have arrived at SA without the captain and played some practice matches.

That's a tad unfair to Kohli. The SL series was more to blame for the delayed departure.

What stopped them?

Shastri.

""There was a thought [to send the Test specialists early] but then you are disjointed," Shastri said. "Even as a team you are disjointed. Who is going to handle things here? Preparation wise or whatever. Those thoughts can be put out in hindsight. But, in hindsight, I would say the best thing would be, reach there two weeks earlier.""

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/...e-ravi-shastri