***Official*** England in India

[flibbertyjibber]

One of the fat unathletic chumps has stood up to be counted in that session, Yuvraj has done really well on a few occasions stopping balls he had no real right getting to. The Sehwag instalments dive was hilarious though. Can't really blame Sachin as he is really old and was a great fielder by some of the rests standards in his younger days. Why the hell is Pujara at slip with the pads on again though? Silly mistakes and as Nasser says the 1% things like that all add up.

To illustrate the 1% thing, Monty, Finn and Anderson were having a batting net during lunch. Would Zaheer and Ishant do that if India were in the same position?

[smalishah84]

Originally Posted by zorax

Can't bat, can't bowl, can't field.

Lets summarise shall we? A good innings from Sachin, ended by a good ball, and a good innings from MSD given the situation.

Useless running from Gambhir, and then poor shot to end what looked like a good innings. Good bowling from Panesar got rid of Pujara, and from Anderson to get rid of Kohli, yet they both could have done better. They played loose. Yuvi threw it away. Tail can't wag barring Ashwin, who almost ran out MSD with what really was a pathetic effort from him.

And then the bowling is hopeless. Useless. Meek.

Dropping catches and lazy, un-athletic fielding doesn't help at all.

Ashwin has been terrible this series. Zak is fading. Ishant hasn't taken a wicket in what feels like years - always 'looks' good when bowling but can't buy a wicket to save his life. Ojha is trying, but he's not as good an SLA as Rehman, Herath and even Panesar. It's depressing.

And why are we this way? Where is all the talent that this massive, rich, cricket-mad country should be producing? And why are these established, supposedly World-Class players performing so poorly?

Cricketers being paid a huge amount regardless of their on-field performances could be one. Overworking them could be another - they could be fatigued physically and mentally.
Maybe a lack of desire to perform? No incentive to fight for your spot when there is a lack of competition from reserve players on the bench. I mean, even if India lose this...there are no feasible changes you could make in the playing XI barring dropping Yuvraj that could make the team stronger. And that's the worst part.

And why is that? Is there a lack of exposure to difficult conditions and situations in FC cricket? One would expect Indian bowlers to be used to bowling at set batsmen on flat tracks though. That's something they should be good at.

Maybe it's the calendar and point system in FC cricket, which encourages sides to set up shop and bat on and on for high first innings scores to secure points. Akash Chopra goes into detail on that here:
Beyond the Blues | Cricket Blogs | ESPN Cricinfo
Beyond the Blues | Cricket Blogs | ESPN Cricinfo
Leads to untested batsmen, bowlers cutting down on their pace and venom in order to extend their playing lives, flat economical spinners being favoured over good ones, and an emphasis on bowlers who can bat. Players don't go all out for a win, don't play with high intensity, and that becomes a bat habit that sits with them at Test level.

Maybe Ranji cricketers aren't being pushed enough to increase their levels of fitness and commitment to being full-time cricketers? Cosgrove got dropped from Australia for being too fat, Patel's selection was put on hold until he lost weight. Would India ever do that?

Or does it go deeper than Ranji, to the grassroots level? Are our School-level and Junior-level coaches not imbibing the right skills and mentality into the youngsters? Are we not teaching them to spin the ball with their body, to value their wicket, the play the ball late, to bowl with pace, to field like your life depended on it?

Or maybe it's all the big money to be made in the IPL? Encourages players to work on their big hitting and containing bowling rather than the skills needed to succeed at Test level - although the recent BCCI plans on dealing with uncapped players in the IPL is a step in the right direction.

Maybe it's the selectors? Persisting with failed players and seniors who are over the hill, too scared of offending the Public and the Media, not blooding youngsters at the right times, and at the same time making inconsistent selections when it goes to sides like India A, therefore never sending a clear message on who is in the frame for the National team and who isn't?

What is it? What's going wrong? For a country as large as India, with as much money and resources it has in Cricket, with so much domestic cricket going around and such a long pool of talent...they should not be so ****. 8-0 away from home and now being bashed by England at home as well.

Granted they're still doing well in ODIs and beat NZ and WI recently...but NZ and WI aren't much of a challenge are they now? India shouldn't be satisfied with being mid-table, they should have their expectations at Top 3, if not number 1.

Sure, India could still go on to win this match. They could still go on to win the series. But it definitely doesn't look like it at this stage.

Is this a temporary blip? Maybe what one could call the 'Transition Phase' with Dravid and Laxman having just left recently, Harbhajan falling out of form, and Sehwag/Sachin/Zak all past their best? Or is the sign of what is to come in the years ahead unless the BCCI gets their act together and sort things out?

pretty good post with a lot of good questions.

Very difficult to say what really is wrong but it sure seems that the Indian team's temperament for test cricket seems to have come down somewhat. The batsmen seem much more impatient, the bowlers seem to bowl flatter lines too. But of course that doesn't describe it all.

Is there any real structure at the grassroots level in India. Here in Pakistan there isn't any at that level. Whatever structure we do have at the domestic level is pretty **** from what I know. Xuhaib probably knows more about the domestic structure here in Pakistan. It does have an aura of mystery around it

[GingerFurball]

Originally Posted by Spark

Oh geez, the drop. Just sort of lobbed it back to him.

Hilarious, wasn't it?

[Spark]

At a bare minimum, Sachin looks like he gives a ****. That alone wins him many a brownie point.

[AndyZaltzHair]

Sanjay talking about McCullum at the right time, smart guy

[weldone]

Originally Posted by AndyZaltzHair

Sanjay talking about McCullum at the right time, smart guy

What about McCullum?

[Spark]

This is seventh time Ashwin is conceding 100 or more runs in an inngs in his 20 innings he has bowled in Tests #IndvsEng

Painful stat, that.

Looks like India have finally worked out how to bowl.

EDIT: That might be unfair. The spinners have bowled better today.

[Howe_zat]

So my bet on India is looking pretty good right now

[AndyZaltzHair]

Originally Posted by weldone

What about McCullum?

how India got his wicket with closing fielders

[flibbertyjibber]

Into the lead and the 150 partnership comes up. Unreal this that I am watching England in India playing like this.

[Noble One]

It will be interesting how highly history will rate Cook's 2012 efforts in India.

Already amongst the greatest performances on the SC.

[flibbertyjibber]

Originally Posted by Noble One

It will be interesting how highly history will rate Cook's 2012 efforts in India.

Already amongst the greatest performances on the SC.

The Hayden and Amla series spring to mind straight away and this ranks up there though this attack probably not as good as the ones the others faced so Cook marginally below them.

[Spark]

Counter to that, consider the fact that he's a new captain, the team has struggled recently in the SC, team hasn't had a great year etc

[zorax]

Cook is 40 odd deliveries away from having faced the most deliveries for an England batsman in a Sub-Continent tour, and there is still a Test to go. Amazing.

[GIMH]

Originally Posted by Howe_zat

So my bet on India is looking pretty good right now

What was it?