...Has India conceded 400+ in the 3rd innings
Amongst many other things; it was India's inability to restrict and bowl out Australia in Sydney 2008 in the 3rd innings that cost us a win. Almost 3 years later we repeat the feat. This time at home.
India accompany New Zealand and Sri Lanka as the teams that lack bite in the 3rd innings since 1990.
Its been the most disappointing of performances in the series thus far. Perhaps we still can't win without Sachin contributing. The void left by Kumble is too much for Harbhajan and Zaheer to fill.
Time for a designer pitch at Nagpur
Harbhajan? I can understand having expectations of Zaheer but Harbhajan has done nothing for people to expect him to fill any void.
ReplyDeleteHe can be a better bowler. Needs to take time off and let his niggles heal. You are being a bit harsh on him. He has won us a few test matches
ReplyDeleteTime for a designer pitch at Nagpur
ReplyDeleteyou have already given an angle if we were to win at nagpur... :)
before that oz become the only team in india that has lost a test despite scoring more than 450 in first innings (i read it somewhere i may be wrong about the oz being the only team in india)
i think india went awol in this series considering we have big SA series coming up... or what you can explain with our pedigreed batting line-up certain no.8 is the highest scorer from our side...?
Harbhajan has lost focus. I still feel Amit Mishra should play. A decent leg-spinner is a good bet against NZ, England and SA than a seasoned off-spinner.
ReplyDeleteStraight point has hit the nail on the head. The pitches haven't exactly been challenging NZ either.
Vidooshak, Harbhajan is playing injured. He needs to get away and come back fit.
ReplyDeleteSP, you are right. Only Australia is the team to have lost in India despite putting up 450 in the first innings. Here's a complete list
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?batting_fielding_first=1;class=1;filter=advanced;innings_number=1;orderby=start;result=2;runsmin1=450;runsval1=runs;template=results;type=team;view=results
Also, I agree, remember all the talk of sending test players early to SA. Clearly the focus was not on NZ. We were caught napping.
Good thing is SA is equally inept. They were unable to close out Pakistan. They took just 1 wicket on Day 5
Good thing is SA is equally inept. They were unable to close out Pakistan. They took just 1 wicket on Day 5
ReplyDeletethis put our bowling effort in right perspective... after all everybody seems to agree that sa have better bowling attack than us... :)
I was looking at the NZ series for India to increase the gap with SA on the rankings table. I had assumed SA will blank Pak 2-0 and hence we needed to beat NZ at least 3-0 to gain ground on SA.
ReplyDeleteGol, I wish I could agree with you but 5 consecutive years with a bowling average of over 30 has made me a non-believer. Surely he hasn't been injured for 5 years.
ReplyDeleteI am by no means defending Harbie's recent performances. I am defending his future potential. From what I have seen he needs a break. He just can't go on like this. He seems to be able to bowl through pain (like against SA) when the stakes are high. With low key NZ there isn't much in his tank. Like how Kumble took time off to mend his shoulder, Harbie needs to mend all his niggles and stress fractures and come back with v2.0
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ReplyDeleteI think Harbhajan is playing due to the TINA syndrome. Ojha, Mishra, Ashwin et al have yet to demonstrate that they are trustworthy. Too bad Sehwag was hurt, otherwise Bedi could have been proven right.
ReplyDeleteThere won't be an alternate if you keep dropping guys like Mishra and Ojha after a bad season or when they have to sit out because we're playing 3 seamers.
ReplyDeleteI somehow haven't bought into either Amit Mishra or Ojha. they don't have the buzz that came with a Kumble or a Harbhajan of 2001. Kumble's trait was perseverance, Harbhajan arrived with a truck load of wickets. Mishra and Ojha just don't seem to have it in them. India's spin heritage will have to be carried forward by someone whom we have not yet heard about. Ojha, Mishra, Chawla, Ashwin are all transitory players. I hope I am wrong on this one
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