India needs improvement in the following areas to challenge Australia in ODIs.

[Nate]

Who, and I repeat, who, are those players?

Given the problems with Indian fast bowling and all-rounders (a problem made by the selectors), that was not funny at all!

Very valid points.

His captaincy may have 'moulded talented individuals into a team', but it requires really great players in that team to be effective for a long time. The Indians lack great players and that shows up against the Australians, but Ganguly can do absolutely nothing. Fleming uses a lot of intelligence as a captain and looks for alternatives in case plan A fails. However, Ganguly relies far too much on Plan A, even when it fails. Besides, he wastes far too much time, energy and patience building an image in press conferences, but the truth is there to see on the field, which is very much the opposite of what we see on TV and in the papers. Never has he translated his big talk into team victories. Like Nasser Hussain, he too is rather self-destructive in case of danger and ends up a cold turkey in a crucial match.

This is where the Indians need a Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist or Ricky Ponting or even a Fleming or Marvan or at least a Michael Vaughan- a captain who can use his imagination rather than pure instinct, and produce results on the field, rather than while facing mediamen. It makes me wonder, who's Ganguly's bigger rival? Media or opposition players? If one of these was captain of India, they'd be a far better side. An Indian team is best captained by imagination, not instinct.

The Indians definitely need a bowling all-rounder, since none of their bowlers can bat, except for Pathan and Balaji, who are still raw. There's Ramesh Powar, who may not be a very talented player (but far better than whatever Mr.XXXXXX said), but can balance his skills very well and is definitely ready for a big match- he has very good temperament. Yet he never finds a place in the team. A good selection committee would have picked him four years ago. They don't have a wicektkeeper batsman like gilchrist or Stewart, so they have to look for an all-rounder. Comments about absence of all-rounders are shockingly cynical, since a selector looking for all-rounders would have picked Ramesh Powar and Jai Prakash Yadav. Are the 'specialists' far better? I doubt it. In fact, Sanjay Bangar is a more useful bowler than Balaji these days! They also need a batsman bowling regularly, not in that odd match. This batsman will thus be used to bowlign and that will add more balance.

most call it a joke, but some will cry over it..

 

[alexkumar]

1.India need to select Dinesh Karthik.

2.Drop laxman in ODI.

3.Find an All rounder with fast bowling.

4. Kick in the butt for indian team , as i see they will lose to srilankan team.

Unless something strange happened , Sehwag goes nutzzzzz and score nearly a double century.

Otherwise its all over in asia Cup.

later.

 

[CrimeMasterGogo]

i disagree about India not having great players..the best batting lineup in the world..and a very decent bowling attack

Ganguly has been lucky to be captain when all these good players are appearing, but he has really extracted the best out of the players..

RE: AA

you siad his batting doesn't qualify him for AR status..

does his bowling? :-D

 

[Arjun]

Ganguly has been lucky to be captain when all these good players are appearing, but he has really extracted the best out of the players..

Pity his team hasn't won too many matches and few tournaments. Besides, wasn't it you who never supported Ganguly on SportNetwork ICF?

i disagree about India not having great players..the best batting lineup in the world..and a very decent bowling attack

If they really had a great batting lineup, they would have won the World Cup and have competed with the Australians hard, rather then get smashed and crunched by them. A great batting lineup gets runs anywhere, can adopt any method of play (six-hitting, defense, running hard) and can dominate a tournament. Not this batting side. Besides, only 6 of 7 need to play. In fact, Pathan's batting is not you average tail end stuff, but he can improve his batting to top-7 quality. The team needs a bowler at 7 who can get runs. Ramesh Powar is also a good contender- he's not just a potential all-rounder, but one who is actively involved in both skills. His heroics with the bat have won Mumbai many a match even in tough spots, and he is one of the top off-spinners in India- Ajit Wadekar thinks he's the best. A more productive all-rounder than some all-rounders picked recently.

 

[marc71178]

For number 7 if it's seaming conditions, what's wrong with Bangar?

He always impressed me when over here, and has shown he can change his game where circumstances dictate!

 

[Nate]

Pity his team hasn't won too many matches and few tournaments. Besides, wasn't it you who never supported Ganguly on SportNetwork ICF?

If they really had a great batting lineup, they would have won the World Cup and have competed with the Australians hard, rather then get smashed and crunched by them. A great batting lineup gets runs anywhere, can adopt any method of play (six-hitting, defense, running hard) and can dominate a tournament. Not this batting side. Besides, only 6 of 7 need to play. In fact, Pathan's batting is not you average tail end stuff, but he can improve his batting to top-7 quality. The team needs a bowler at 7 who can get runs. Ramesh Powar is also a good contender- he's not just a potential all-rounder, but one who is actively involved in both skills. His heroics with the bat have won Mumbai many a match even in tough spots, and he is one of the top off-spinners in India- Ajit Wadekar thinks he's the best. A more productive all-rounder than some all-rounders picked recently.

wow so they failed once so ur calling their batting bad?? aussies fail as well believe it or not. india has the 2nd best batting in the world imo

 

[Sudeep]

hi sudeep,

Tendulkar has n't proven anything in Big match occasions. So you all stop comparing INDIA to Australia.

Australian players know their roles very well. They play within their limitation.

Indian batsman boasts and chokes. It is always the case.

Tendulkar is fine as long he is just another member of the TEAM. Whole India is making him some kind of saviour. He has n't won anything yet.

The problem with Indian fans is they are blind.

Laxman should be dropped from INDIAN ODI XI though.

I do not like to have just slow scoring batsman in ODI. It reduces strength of the TEAM , if we want to compete with AUSTRALIA.

1. Sehwag --- Batsman/Bowler/Good Fielder.
2. Tendulkar --- Batsman/Bowler/Good OutFielder
3. Ganguly ---- Batsman/Bowler/Captain
4. Dravid ---- Batsman/Wicket Keeper.
5. Yuvaraj --- Batsman/Bowler/Great Fielder
6. Kaif --- Batsman/Best Indian Fielder
7. Pathan --- Bowler/good low order Batsman
8. Balaji --- Bowler/good low order Batsman
9. Kumble --- Bowler.
10.Dinesh Karthik --- Good wicket Keeper/Good batsman/young
11.Zaheer Khan / Nehra -- Bowler.

As you see almost every batman has dual skills except LAXMAN.

Laxman is unfit for Indian TEAM unless he opens INDIAN Batting.

If not , see ya.

You can dispute now.

later

Tendulkar hasn't won anything yet? Height of blindness...

 

[Arjun]

wow so they failed once so ur calling their batting bad?? aussies fail as well believe it or not. india has the 2nd best batting in the world imo

I never called them bad, but I said they're not great, otherwise they would win more matches.

[quote="marc71178]For number 7 if it's seaming conditions, what's wrong with Bangar?

He always impressed me when over here, and has shown he can change his game where circumstances dictate![/quote]Good point. Rather debatale, too.

PRO: He is a good bowler with the new ball and keeps a line and length, unlike India's so-called fast bowlers who are not as good with the bat. He uses seamer-friendly conditions well. He has hitting power, unlike Parthiv. He bowls like an opening bowler, not like a bits-and-pieces medium-pacer, such as Ganguly- he has a good action.

CON: His bowling is usually not good enough to get him into the XI, although he's as good, or better than Balaji at present. He lacks power and pace as a bowler and on non-seaming conditions, is a target for hard hitting batsmen. His batting is not of top-6 or top-7 quality, and should be the work of Irfan Pathan instead. His fielding is very average.

 

[marc71178]

I was only talking about him being the 4th seamer / number 7 when conditions dictate - didn't necessarily mean home games.

He is one of these players that has always impressed me - he'll give 100% no matter what, and IMO had the potential to be a key member of the Indian side.

 

[Arjun]

I was only talking about him being the 4th seamer / number 7 when conditions dictate - didn't necessarily mean home games.

He is one of these players that has always impressed me - he'll give 100% no matter what, and IMO had the potential to be a key member of the Indian side.

The way Balaji is bowling these days, Bangar would make a very good opening bowler. With lack of pace, the Indians can paly Sanjay Bangar as a regular bowler- they'll get more runs.

 

[Nate]

i think you may be overrating bangars bowling a bit... arent his averages well into the 40`s??

 

[Arjun]

i think you may be overrating bangars bowling a bit... arent his averages well into the 40`s??

So are some other Indian 'pace' bowlers.

 

[marc71178]

And if used in the right conditions, he is a very useful bowler.

 

[alexkumar]

Balajis problem is his action. He open the shoulder too much before even he delivers the ball. I watched in the India-Srilanka game. Frame - Frame analysis.

He has no speed because of that and also he is coming from outside which creates inconsistent release.

He has to come closer to the stumps to deliver the ball.

He needs a break and film study of his bowling action and correct it.

later

 

[Nate]

yeh but dude, from personal experience, i know that if you try to change ur bowling action too much it will screw you up good. bowl whatever way it feels natural, you may have to change it a bit, but its gotta feel right. my action (and runnup) have been adjusted recently and its helped my pace and lower back heaps, but it wasnt changed enough to make me feel whacked. balaji may need to do a few minor things, but for the most part, it is alright.

 

[Arjun]

yeh but dude, from personal experience, i know that if you try to change ur bowling action too much it will screw you up good

That's exactly what happened to Zaheer- too much advice, too many advisors, too little results.

That said, both Bangar and Balaji would make good opening bowlers if they cut out the wides and got good fielding support. Balaji should be kept out of action till the Holland series. I would not rule him out of action totally- he can come back better.

 

[V Reddy]

He is one of these players that has always impressed me - he'll give 100% no matter what, and IMO had the potential to be a key member of the Indian side.

Good to see i'm not the only one who supports him .

Saw a programme on him on BBC World a month back and he was such a great guy. The nickname "The Buddha" given to him is very apt . That was the only interview that i was ever moved by.

 

[marc71178]

I've always liked him - something about being a gritty opener, I like a player who shows his guts.