Best Pace Bowler

[Neil Pickup]

Originally posted by Rik
Well they are when India block out the entire last day of the 3rd test last winter, you can't exactly say they were attacking or doing anything but trying to save the game!

And win the series... :rolleyes:

Ramprakash-bashing has its own special thread - "Most Overrated Player"

 

[Anil]

The last day of the 3rd test between India and England in India last winter was completely rained off. When not even a ball was bowled, what "blocking tactic" came into play? If you want the run rates of both teams in that rain marred match, England scored 336 at 2.73 r.p.o. India, in reply scored 238 at 2.52 r.p.o. Not such a big difference, is there? It was the weather which was the culprit for no result in that match. Indians scored slowly mainly because they were 1-0 up in the series, didn't want to take any risks and a major factor in the slow scoring was also Hussain's ultra-defensive bowling strategy which he employed throughout that series. Neverthless, England dominated that match and was in a good position to square the series had the match not been spoiled by bad weather. So, for the record, legit tactics were used by both teams and there were no sharp practices unless you want to list the rain as part of India's "blocking tactic".

 

[full_length]

unless you want to list the rain as part of India's "blocking tactic".

Ouch

It's hilarious to say that India's 'defensive tactics' won us that series 1-0 or even prevented Hussain's team from coming back to win 2-1. If only India had played defensively enough ** sigh** then that 6th stump tactic would have been buried then and there, and Hussain wouldnt have had to struggle to keep up with that Brearly tag at all. If only..

 

[marc71178]

I must say that there was only one defensive team in that series.

 

[Rik]

Well maybe it was the 2nd test? Dasgupta and SS Das blocked an entire day out when England had set them a very challengjng score! I did not say England would have won or neither did I critisize the Indian Players, I was using it as an example of how England have improved in their play from the laughing stock they once were, and not even a large Laxman Innings to be seen!

 

[marc71178]

Well that's a different story - I must say that England's past 2 winters have proved them to be good in the sub-continent, which when you consider the quality of spinners available is quite strange!

 

[lord_of_darkness]

Can i Please vote for Harbajan Singh , he seems quite the pace bowler these days ! Bowling at 75kmph sometimes scares batsmen , confuses me at times bowling that slow...

 

[Anil]

Well maybe it was the 2nd test? Dasgupta and SS Das blocked an entire day out when England had set them a very challengjng score! I did not say England would have won or neither did I critisize the Indian Players, I was using it as an example of how England have improved in their play from the laughing stock they once were, and not even a large Laxman Innings to be seen!

True. The Indians had already decided that 374 in a day was too risky and played for a draw. Even on that epic day at Eden Gardens, only 335 runs were scored(just replying to your allusion to Laxman's epic innings). If the Indian innings had started maybe after tea on the 4th day, they might have gone for it.

 

[Rik]

I have the highlights of that day on Video...I use it to help bore me to sleep, possibly the most boring highlights you'll ever see...but saying that, if it had been a great day they would have missed most of the good bits out of the program!:bird:

 

[Neil Pickup]

And then compare that to England not trying to win the Fourth Test this summer, exemplified by Hussain's defeatist article.

India have no case to answer.

 

[Rik]

Yeah Hussain is taking the "WE WILL NOT LOOSE" thing a bit far as it rarely lets him win either, Vaughan and Tres give England a flying start which Nas then stops dead in its tracks by scoring at less than half the rate then proceeds to bore the opposition to tears, we need Gough back, he was the one attacking bowler who would get wickets his own way.

 

[Anil]

Yes, Hussain is fast losing his halo:saint:, after the series in India, he was seen as the second coming of Brearley, now his reputation has taken a major beating. England needs an aggressive captain who can take the fight to the opposition. Hussain reminds me of Gavaskar, both captains had a defensive approach to the game.

 

[full_length]

Gavaskar was defensive but he was also levelheaded.

Hussain forms a plan and sticks to it, but a little too fast.
Methinks he can also afford to lose a little bit of that intensity - kinda gives me the impression that he's gonna frown himself to death, or break a nerve or something.

Hussain should never have gotten that halo in the first place. If India had played defensively enough... we wouldnt have had all these Brearly comments.
Marc's posts influencing me there

 

[marc71178]

Originally posted by full_length
Gavaskar was defensive but he was also levelheaded.

Hussain forms a plan and sticks to it, but a little too fast.
Methinks he can also afford to lose a little bit of that intensity - kinda gives me the impression that he's gonna frown himself to death, or break a nerve or something.

Hussain should never have gotten that halo in the first place. If India had played defensively enough... we wouldnt have had all these Brearly comments.
Marc's posts influencing me there

LOL!

I think Hussain changes his mind far too often nowadays - he needs to settle into patterns for periods of time and play in session rather than overs.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Or changing the field every ball, as he was at one point this summer...

 

[Rik]

He does need to relax a bit, I mean England score 300 in a day and end up with 500+ then Nass proceeds to play as if he's going for a draw and then luckly something like that victory against Sri Lanka early in the season comes along where Giles manages to get a few wickets and England are left with 50 to get in a few minutes, well thats what happens when you don't have Goughie in your side! A little more attacking wouldn't go amiss

 

[full_length]

listen to

Nasser Hussain's comments on his decision to play in an informal match before the Ashes series. You'll find it in the Sports, cricket section of bbc.co.uk

I haven't followed news about all this but he seemed to make sense. Would like to hear more of this kind of philosophy from him in the future.

Also the question he raised about why the same commentators that want England to rest before the Ashes don't raise a voice about their having to play county cricket right after a test match seems to be fair considering their creating a fuss about this one.
Ofcourse, even there, his 'job is to play cricket' like he says...

 

[R_Powell_fan]

Ermmmmmmm, back to the original topic please...I think the best pace bowler in the world currently is McGrath, well he isn't exactly fast and may not light up the world but he certainly is consistent and bowls at lively pace and can make the ball cut off the pitch sometimes and when that is coupled with his immaculate control he is certainly effective. But then again he isn't in the poll, is that purely because of pace??

Say whatever happened to that young Pakistani FAST bowler who made his debut in Sharjah....his name was I think Shabbir Ahmed.

 

[full_length]

Shabbir Ahmed: most clearcut case of chucking I've ever seen.

I heard he's back in contention with a cleaner action. No real news though. sorry!