India needs to introspect

[pasag]

Let's not blow things out of proportion.

[Arjun]

My take on this issue is that the sequence of results in this year's IPL is linked to the Indians' subsequent decline in T20. We've seen teams that are relatively well-rounded and depend a lot on Indians fall out early, including Rajasthan, Punjab and (later) Delhi. Likewise, Deccan, who won, were heavily dependent on Gilchrist, Gibbs, Fidel, Dwayne and later Symonds, with no Indian playing a frontline role in the campaign. RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha seemed to benefit by bowling for a team with very strong batting. This Indian batting lineup is not so strong. Moreover, both have been found wanting against top batsmen or on flat pitches. Rohit Sharma, contrary to perception, did little of note, scoring one T20 fifty. In comparison, Ishant, already a far better bowler than RP Singh, has been his team's one-man strike unit and done everything he could, but isn't given due credit.Talking of fifties, no Indian batsman then had scored more than two. All of them were out cheaply, not getting settled. They either lack the big shots or try to manufacture shots from impossible situations.

Coming to this team, the bowling has actually been quite good, though at times restrictive, but the field placings have been so weak that singles are so easily taken. They need to convert all singles to dots, even if it means placing fielders inside after the first six overs. Their problems are compounded when their best fielders happen to field so badly, that it costs them a match or two.

[BoyBrumby]

Originally Posted by Redbacks

Too many chiefs and not enough indians

Genuine lol there.

[Arjun]

Originally Posted by Redbacks

Too many chiefs and not enough indians

That's the Kolkata Knightriders, not the Indian team.

[Arjun]

At times, I don't think we should read too much into a tournament that's only two weeks long, and where one bad match results in an elimination. T20 seems a blink-and-miss style of cricket, with no room for a let-up at all.

Raina at 3 was going great till all the shuffling happened and for some reason, Dhoni thought he was the man for that spot.


It was a stupid move then, it is a stupid move now and it will be a stupid move forever.

Raina is no more a #3 in T20, when the same plan works against him twice and claims him cheaply twice.

[ret]

India crashes out .... I feared something like this happening and that's why I felt India needed to introspect

they didn't play well, got the strategy wrong right from selecting the squad for the WC [thought selectors pulled the gun a bit early], playing 11 to batting order

can't feel sorry for them in the end, they got what they deserved


For the game against SA, may be they could try some of the players who had to sit out in the bench. they should bench Raina, Gambhir, Ishant and Zak. the line up should be something like

- Rohit
- Irfan
- Karthik
- Yuvi
- Yusuf
- Dhoni
- Jadeja
- Praveen
- Bhajji
- RP
- Ojha

[Smith]

Originally Posted by ret

India crashes out .... I feared something like this happening and that's why I felt India needed to introspect

they didn't play well, got the strategy wrong right from selecting the squad for the WC [thought selectors pulled the gun a bit early], playing 11 to batting order

can't feel sorry for them in the end, they got what they deserved


For the game against SA, may be they could try some of the players who had to sit out in the bench. they should bench Raina, Gambhir, Ishant and Zak. the line up should be something like

- Rohit
- Irfan
- Karthik
- Yuvi
- Yusuf
- Dhoni
- Jadeja
- Praveen
- Bhajji
- RP
- Ojha

That makes the composition look like

Batsman
Bowling allrounder
WK
Batsman
Batting allrounder
WK
Bowling allrounder
Bowler
Bowler
Bowler
Bowler

Not going to address the batting problems anyway that lineup.

[ret]

Originally Posted by Smith

That makes the composition look like

Batsman
Bowling allrounder
WK
Batsman
Batting allrounder
WK
Bowling allrounder
Bowler
Bowler
Bowler
Bowler

Not going to address the batting problems anyway that lineup.

I knew someone would say that

I guess it's self explanatory, once you see at what positions they are playing, for what, whom they have replaced, what they guys who have been benched have done so far, and the importance of the next game

[aussie]

Tendulkar should have been picked. His assured presence at the top could have countered ENG bouncer tactic & everyone could have batted around him.

[ret]

Originally Posted by aussie

Tendulkar should have been picked. His assured presence at the top could have countered ENG bouncer tactic & everyone could have batted around him.

yep that's why I said selector pulled the trigger quickly .... guys like Nehra, Mishra and Pandey, who showed good form in IPL could have been considered too

In hindsight, a 11 like the below would have been more useful

- Tendulkar
- Panday
- Rohit
- Yuvraj
- Yusuf
- Karthik
- Irfan
- Mishra
- Nehra
- RP
- Ojha

PS Sehwag is not considered because of his injury

[Smith]

Originally Posted by aussie

Tendulkar should have been picked. His assured presence at the top could have countered ENG bouncer tactic & everyone could have batted around him.

Tendulkar has retired from T20 cricket 2 years back. And he is not coming back again. And India have won a World Cup without him. Just two losses, that too one in a tight chase and suddenly we have people irrationally clamouring for massive changes.

[G.I.Joe]

Aussie, ret, You can't pick a guy who doesn't want to play! Not that I agree with his stance. He seems to have no problem playing for money in the IPL.

[ret]

Originally Posted by Smith

Tendulkar has retired from T20 cricket 2 years back. And he is not coming back again. And India have won a World Cup without him. Just two losses, that too one in a tight chase and suddenly we have people irrationally clamouring for massive changes.

did he retire from T20? I guess he would have reconsidered that if cajoled to play

he would have been more useful than some of the guys that we had .... it's like Aus wishing Hayden and Gilly were still available

[aussie]

Originally Posted by Smith

Tendulkar has retired from T20 cricket 2 years back. And he is not coming back again. And India have won a World Cup without him. Just two losses, that too one in a tight chase and suddenly we have people irrationally clamouring for massive changes.

I'm not calling for massive changes. Just reiterating what i said before the tournament started, that Tendy should have been picked. I never heard/read him say he retired though, any links?

These two defeats are as significant as AUS achilles heel towards playing spin rearing up again. Teams who play IND in T20s in the future, will surely use their such tactics to keep their aggressive batsmen in check.

[Smith]

Originally Posted by G.I.Joe

Aussie, ret, You can't pick a guy who doesn't want to play! Not that I agree with his stance. He seems to have no problem playing for money in the IPL.

For him T20Is are not IPL matches. I don't think he really takes the IPL that seriously. Plus who wants to let go of a 1+ Million dollar contract?