***Official*** Indian Domestic Season 2014/15

[Pratters]

Duleep Trophy Finals going on and Ranji Trophy to start soon.

Have been watching today. Robin Bist looks like a solid player. Technically sound and can play shots too.

Seriously though, what's up with the pacers? They used to bowl in 130s but now all are down to 120s. Vinay Kumar, Mithun, Sharath. FFS.

 

[Daemon]

Been eating too much biryani during the off season probably

 

[anil1405]

South 308/4 (69.0 ov, KL Rahul 168*, GH Vihari 38*, Jalaj S Saxena 1/49) - Stumps | Live Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

South Zone in command after day 2 of the final

South Zone - 308-4 (KL Rahul 138*, Uthappa 80; Pankaj Singh 3-55)
Central Zone - 276 (R Bist 79; B Aparijith 2-26, P Ojha 2-49)

 

[Pratters]

Watched most of the day's play.

KL Rahul is so sound technically. Made his highest score in FC cricket yet 160 or so not out and has a chance to make his first double ton tomorrow. I can see him playing for India within the next 12 months maximum.

Ishwar Pandey bowled well without much luck. Is some one to watch out for in the future.

One of the weirdest things from the Star broadcast was two commentators - one in hindi and one in english all day. Seriously?

 

[anil1405]

So thats two hundreds in the final for Rahul....and he is scoring this one at almost run a ball.

 

[Pratters]

Rahul is a stroke maker. The best part about KL Rahul's shots is that he doesn't slog them. Is a batsman in the classical style. The loops of his strokes are smaller like his namesake as compared to a Tendulkar. Doesn't stop him from making runs fast as despite his attention to 'correctness', he is always looking to make runs where the opportunity arises. And they arise aplenty in these games as the bowlers are not as disciplined as test bowlers. After a great last season, the guy looks more confident in his stroke play too. I am seeing him hit far more drives, cuts and pulls compared to before.

 

[Pratters]

South Zone's batting collapses and despite two centuries by KL Rahul, they end up losing by 9 runs. The batting collapses in the semi in Dharamshala and now this makes me think the batting techniques have declined a fair bit.

 

[Daemon]

Those last two wickets appear to be from utterly brainless shots judging by the commentary

 

[Pratters]

Has any one seen Basant Mohanty bowl? Is taking wickets fairly consistently. Had a pretty good Duleep Trophy game and took 3 of the Bengal top order in the ensuing Vijay Hazare Trophy.

 

[Pratters]

Pujara scored 138 off 129 balls but in a losing cause as Mumbai chased down 279. The star? Wasim Jaffer with 84 off 67 balls. He might be 36 but doesn't stop him from being a Mumbai powerhouse. Got to 4000 List A runs. '

Rujul Bhatt starred with 89 off 62 balls as Gujarat chased down 313. His 5th 50 in 9 List A games.

That's just the West Zone. Which so many games every day, difficult to keep track.

 

[Arjun]

Good to see some activity here. I don't have any stream right now because the local cable operator has blocked STAR channels, yet again. Greedy organised racketeers!

This is really sad. Because of the conflict between BCCI and RCA, Rajasthan players' future is uncertain, to the point that one of them has shifted base to a team that's not only underperforming, but also possibly low on talent and certainly poorly managed. A step down, indeed.

Has anyone noticed how often the order of scheduling of the Hazare Trophy and several other non-Ranji events keeps getting tossed around? November already, no Ranji match yet!

 

[Pratters]

Has anyone noticed how often the order of scheduling of the Hazare Trophy and several other non-Ranji events keeps getting tossed around? November already, no Ranji match yet!

I know man. Would be better to have just 3 main tournaments Ranji, Domestic ODI and possibly domestic T20.

Ranji should essentially be 3 divisions imo with promotion/relegation.

 

[weldone]

Rahul is in the India squad for Australia.

Dhoni rested for first Test against Australia; Rahul, Karn get call-ups | Business Standard News

 

[Daemon]

Central Zone: Rajasthan v Railways at Nagpur, Nov 11, 2014 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Sigh.

 

[karan316]

Very happy to see Ashish Reddy doing well, he has the potential to be a good pace bowling all rounder, hope he continues his form.

I think we have some pretty decent pace bowling allrounders in the domestic circuit. But don't see any initiatives from the BCCI or selectors to groom them or make them ready for the next level.

 

[Arjun]

Central Zone: Rajasthan v Railways at Nagpur, Nov 11, 2014 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Sigh.

Freak incident. I guess this whole tossing and turning with Rajasthan Cricket Association politics has left them in some trouble. It's also the legacy of serial failure CP Joshi, who's a failed administrator, failed politician and failed campaigner for his party.

Very happy to see Ashish Reddy doing well, he has the potential to be a good pace bowling all rounder, hope he continues his form.

I think we have some pretty decent pace bowling allrounders in the domestic circuit. But don't see any initiatives from the BCCI or selectors to groom them or make them ready for the next level.

Ashish Reddy needs to play more IPL matches. He's done well in Ranji/Hazare, but IPL owners have no confidence in him. He also plays for a Group C team, which restricts his chances of getting a game for India.

Most of India's best seam-up all-rounders are from Group C, which is left untouched by selectors. Most of the time. You'll see mediocre Group A players (think Binny) get plenty of chances, but not top Group C performers. Ideally, the BCCI should consolidate Bhuvneshwar Kumar's position as a bowling all-rounder. They can get more out of him that way.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Central Zone: Rajasthan v Railways at Nagpur, Nov 11, 2014 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Sigh.

****. Poor Rajasthan.

 

[Pratters]

Rajasthan won the Ranji Trophy a few years back and it was a great story. It is sad to see their team like this and the uncertainty surrounding talented players like Bist and Menaria because of this. I have watched Menaria a few times and I love how he bats. Solid player and yet not afraid to play his strokes.

The thing is, BCCI has only ever cared about making money. Ranji games and players have been like foster children. BCCI never cared about domestic tournaments. After ICL happened, they realised they can make money in India and started IPL. The reason India keeps playing so many ODIs is because it means 7 hours of advertisement money. BCCI was actually against T20 cricket in the beginning (if you recall) for this very reason.

It is always painful to see how cricket is run in our country.

 

[Arjun]

Rajasthan won the Ranji Trophy a few years back and it was a great story. It is sad to see their team like this and the uncertainty surrounding talented players like Bist and Menaria because of this. I have watched Menaria a few times and I love how he bats. Solid player and yet not afraid to play his strokes.

This. Bist, Menaria and Bishnoi have been doing well for their team, and from what we hear, are genuinely good players who need some encouragement, which is unlikely from incompetent admins like that CP Joshi. In fact, RCA fell into disrepair after Lalit Modi was hounded out. People there still swear by him and his work.

The thing is, BCCI has only ever cared about making money. Ranji games and players have been like foster children. BCCI never cared about domestic tournaments. After ICL happened, they realised they can make money in India and started IPL. The reason India keeps playing so many ODIs is because it means 7 hours of advertisement money. BCCI was actually against T20 cricket in the beginning (if you recall) for this very reason.

It is always painful to see how cricket is run in our country.

This quote sometimes makes me wonder, if we cut out the national team and the IPL, cricket seems in just the same state as every other, Government-run sport in our nation. Sad, indeed. BCCI needs to wake up, or change its priorities.

 

[Arjun]

Rajasthan are out of contention for a place in the knockouts, but Pankaj Singh has had a good tournament, with 14 wickets in four games, including one 6/50. He's now got decent figures in ODs, although not particularly impressive like those of Yo Mahesh or Shami, but then, we see several top Ranji bowlers struggle in Hazare Trophy games and surprise successes with the ball instead- most of whom we wouldn't expect to last long in an ODI, let alone play many ODIs.