Ganguly Say's Sri Lanka has a better chance of beating Australia !

[Legglancer]

Well Sri Lanka beat them last didnt they ??


Ganguly wants Kiwis out; Jayasuriya in more trouble for Sri Lanka

Associated Press, Thu March 13, 2003 10:42 EST . JOHN PYE - AP Sports Writer - Ganguly
reckons subcontinental rival Sri Lanka - , with a bowling attack spearheaded by offspinner
Muttiah Muralitharan, is a better chance at beating Australia in a semifinal than New Zealand,
which slumped to a 96-run defeat to the Aussies at Port Elizabeth.

The Indians would prefer not to meet Australia in the March 23 final at the Wanderers and,
anticipating they'll account for Kenya and reach the decider, were hoping for an upset in the
other semifinal.

A New Zealand loss against India would give extra impetus to Sri Lanka - 's match against
Zimbabwe on Saturday.

The Super Six standings are: Australia 20, India 16, Kenya 14, New Zealand 8, Sri Lanka - 7.5,
and Zimbabwe 3.5.

So the Sri Lankans, half a point behind New Zealand, could advance if the Kiwis lose and they
can regroup from two massive defeats to overcome Zimbabwe, which had a seven-wicket loss
to Kenya at its last start.

``If we beat New Zealand tomorrow, then Sri Lanka - gets an opportunity to get into the
semifinal and they could be a handy side at P.E., where the ball has turned a lot,'' Ganguly said.
``There are a lot of things to get out of this game. It's not just another game (just because) we
have qualified for the semifinals.''

Sri Lanka - finished above New Zealand in the Group B standings, but hasn't won a game since.
Meanwhile, the Kiwis beat Zimbabwe and then Shane Bond took 6-23 to have Australia reeling
at 84 for seven before the Aussies rallied for a 96-run win.

New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming said the must-win status of the India match didn't chance
his attitude, because he always approached a match with the intention of winning.

``We're not in a bad situation. We have to win tomorrow to go through to semifinals. If you had
told me six months ago that we would be playing India to go to semifinals I would take it any
day,'' Fleming said.

After forfeiting a match to Kenya in Nairobi, New Zealand scraped into the second round when
South Africa and Sri Lanka - had a rain-enforced tie, forcing the hosts out.

Fleming said Kenya's surprise entry into the semifinals is an ``unusual situation to have and we
will go through feeling a bit heavy about the Kenyan decision.''

But, he said, there was no point dwelling on the forfeit, the reasons behind it or the fallout.

``We did pretty much all we could to get through, we've got the same scenario tomorrow. We
don't want to leave it to the last game. We want to win tomorrow and go through.''

Sri Lankan skipper Sanath Jayasuriya, who has picked up tonsillitis and the flu to go with the
fractured thumb he suffered in the Super Six loss to Australia, says his lineup wants to win
Saturday's match regardless of the India-New Zealand result.

``Even if we're not in the semis, we have to play good cricket,'' said Jayasuriya, who is Sri Lanka
- 's leading batsman here. ``I am really disappointed with the way we've played the last game
batting, bowling and even fielding.''

Sri Lanka - beat the West Indies and New Zealand in the league round but had an upset 53-run
loss to the Kenyans in Nairobi. A 96-run loss to Australia in its Super Six opener was followed
by a 183-run thrashing by India.

Reaching the Super Six round had been Sri Lanka - 's priority, Jayasuriya said, going further
would be a bonus.

``From hereon it's out of our hands,'' he said. ``Nothing will stop us from playing good cricket.
We're proud to represent our country and every game is treated as important even if it didn't
matter.''

Despite his illnesses and injuries, Jayasuriya expects to play against Zimbabwe.

``We've always had close matches against Zimbabwe and I don't think Saturday is going to be
any different,'' he said. ``Like us, Zimbabwe had a bad game against Kenya, and (they) will be
looking to take their frustration out on us. We have to be wary.''

The Australians haven't lost in their last 15 World Cup matches but were also wary of Kenya,
the first team without full membership of the International Cricket Council to reach the World
Cup semifinals.

No. 4 batsman Damien Martyn said the Australians would take a full strength lineup into the
Kenya match at Durban on Saturday, although there's been speculation that coach John
Buchanan will give spinner Nathan Hauritz and fast bowler Nathan Bracken a start.

There's nothing to say Kenya, which has gained support for its relaxed demeanor on and off the
field, won't rest some of its leading players to give the squad players a chance.

 

[V Reddy]

Well maybe he said that b'coz he feels irritated by Fleming's comments and wants to degrade them.

 

[krkode]

Well, I agree with him to a certain extent.

Good bowlers - Bond for NZ, Murali and Vaas for SL. I'd say the latter two are better than the former.

Batsmen, Jayasurya and DeSilva can make better batsmen than most Kiwi batsmen.

But then, looking at current form and the heart with which the Kiwis play, I find them currently a better team than SL.

 

[marc71178]

I think he's being very astute and very realistic here.

A turning wicket is definitely more suited to SL than NZ, and he realises that it's unlikely India would beat Aus, so is hoping SL can get though and do it.

 

[Gotchya]

and he realises that it's unlikely India would beat Aus, so is hoping SL can get though and do it.

Well, I dont know....If India manage to play anything resembling the last six or seven games, it could go either way. Though with Australian relentlessness, I am not sure how the Indian's might cope against.

 

[Eclipse]

Well Australia have not been any were near there very best this tournement but our best is better than Indias best and our second best is stil going to beat them on most occasions.

 

[krkode]

Well Australia have not been any were near there very best this tournement but our best is better than Indias best and our second best is stil going to beat them on most occasions.

I guess they haven't been required to show their very best. Easily Aus are the best with other teams making very distant seconds and thirds...

 

[Rik]

Well Sri Lanka beat Australia in one of the VB Series matches and also in the ICC Champions Trophy but on current form I can't see them winning. Jaysuria is playing with a combination of flu, tonsilitis, a chipped thumb and a badly bruised fore-arm (I guess that shows how much playing for his country means to him), Mahela Jayawardene, one of their best players, is out of form and has been dropped and his replacement, Jehan Murbarek hasn't done much in his International Career so far and got a duck in his only previous knock in the WC. Australia are too strong really, they haven't really been streached other than against England and New Zealand, but it shows how strong they are that they still managed to win. In this Australian side, only Symonds I think is their weak link, fine innings but not much since and Australia need an extra bowler whenever he plays because in this WC he hasn't managed to take a wicket despite conceeding over 100 runs.

 

[marc71178]

Well Australia have not been any were near there very best this tournement but our best is better than Indias best and our second best is stil going to beat them on most occasions.

I don't think Aus's 2nd best would beat India if their on top form, but the question remains as to if they will be?

Either way, they've surprised a fair number of people here.

I wonder if it has something to do with SRT going in at the top of the innings again?

 

[Anil]

I wonder if it has something to do with SRT going in at the top of the innings again?

Oh, I think it has a lot to do with that. He has proved that he is the best one day opener ever(only one to challenge that position, IMO would be Des Haynes) and Ganguly is just not the same opener without Tendulkar at the other end. So, ideally it has to be Tendulkar and whoever is in form(Ganguly or Sehwag or a third person) at the other end.

Another thing that has triggered this exceptional performance is the fact that as Dravid put it in a recent interview, "The bowlers have come to the party in this WC".

 

[Rik]

The problem is that neither Sehwag or Ganguly are in form. Sehwag has never gone on in this WC after a few starts and some early dismissals whilst Ganguly has scored unbeaten 100s against 2 of the "minor" nations although he has failed in just about every other match. Who would you pick? Mongia scored 159* opening the innings, why not give him a go and drop either Ganguly or Sehwag down the order in an effort to find form?

 

[krkode]

The problem is that neither Sehwag or Ganguly are in form. Sehwag has never gone on in this WC after a few starts and some early dismissals whilst Ganguly has scored unbeaten 100s against 2 of the "minor" nations although he has failed in just about every other match. Who would you pick? Mongia scored 159* opening the innings, why not give him a go and drop either Ganguly or Sehwag down the order in an effort to find form?

But Ganguly has once scored 183 opening the innings :P

An out of form batsman does not appear at number 3 in the highest run totals of a world cup as competetive as this one. True, he has scored his runs against "minor" teams, but most other players have also played these "minor" teams.

I think he's just unable to deliver when it's a "major" team...if you call that being out of form, then it's all good, but what I consider to be out of form is an Inzamamul Haq kind of performance and Ganguly has been far from an Inzi kind of performance.

 

[Rik]

But Ganguly has once scored 183 opening the innings :P

Yes but has he in the last year? Past form doesn't affect a current player's form...

 

[krkode]

Yes but has he in the last year? Past form doesn't affect a current player's form...

1 year ago, 4 years ago...makes little difference :P

They're both in the same relative form right now...

 

[Rik]

An out of form batsman does not appear at number 3 in the highest run totals of a world cup as competetive as this one. True, he has scored his runs against "minor" teams, but most other players have also played these "minor" teams.

I think he's just unable to deliver when it's a "major" team...if you call that being out of form, then it's all good, but what I consider to be out of form is an Inzamamul Haq kind of performance and Ganguly has been far from an Inzi kind of performance.

Well he's scored 330 runs in this World Cup at an average of 47.14 (all matches present and correct). Take away the 2 unbeaten 100s scored against Nambia and Kenya then you get 111 runs at 15.86 in 7 matches and 7 innings. In order to work out his total record in this WC against the "Major" nations all we have to do is take away his 9 against Holland and we get the following figures:

6 Matches, 6 Innings, 0 not outs, 102 runs at 17.00

Admittedly he did score those 2 100s and one of them was a good innings under pressure, but after the 112* against Nambia he followed it up with a chancy 19 against England and after the 107* against Kenya he contributed 3 against New Zealand. As soon as he comes back against stronger attacks he gets out. The guy averages 42 in ODIs, neither 111 runs at 15.86 or 102 runs at 17.00 go close to that impressive career average. It shows someone low on confidence, form and with a technical flaw against Fast bowling, which none of the 3 "minor" nations has faced, have in their armoury.

 

[Rik]

1 year ago, 4 years ago...makes little difference :P

They're both in the same relative form right now...

Same relative form? Ganguly's still in a slump, when he scored that 183 he obviously wasn't...

 

[marc71178]

Wan't one of his centuries against a side which is in the Semi Finals?

No matter what people say, I don't think Kenya can be classed as a minnow!

 

[Eclipse]

Well Sri Lanka beat Australia in one of the VB Series matches and also in the ICC Champions Trophy but on current form I can't see them winning. Jaysuria is playing with a combination of flu, tonsilitis, a chipped thumb and a badly bruised fore-arm (I guess that shows how much playing for his country means to him), Mahela Jayawardene, one of their best players, is out of form and has been dropped and his replacement, Jehan Murbarek hasn't done much in his International Career so far and got a duck in his only previous knock in the WC. Australia are too strong really, they haven't really been streached other than against England and New Zealand, but it shows how strong they are that they still managed to win. In this Australian side, only Symonds I think is their weak link, fine innings but not much since and Australia need an extra bowler whenever he plays because in this WC he hasn't managed to take a wicket despite conceeding over 100 runs.

About Symonds you are being very harsh mate he made 143* then 59 (run out) in his next innings followed by a duck but that duck was a bit ulucky because the ball was struck very well and could easly have gone for 4.

My point being he has played 3 innings faild once it's not quite true when you say he has done nothing much since especialy considering he has only played 3 games.

 

[krkode]

Same relative form? Ganguly's still in a slump, when he scored that 183 he obviously wasn't...

Same relative form meaning Ganguly and Mongia. They're both in an equally bad slump although Ganguly is a bit better looking...maybe Mongia hasn't had enough chances...

 

[Rik]

About Symonds you are being very harsh mate he made 143* then 59 (run out) in his next innings followed by a duck but that duck was a bit ulucky because the ball was struck very well and could easly have gone for 4.

My point being he has played 3 innings faild once it's not quite true when you say he has done nothing much since especialy considering he has only played 3 games.

Ok let's see what he does. But I feel his bowling is the weak link in the team and his batting can fail quite often. He's a brilliant fielder but so are most of the Aussies. The problem is that when he doesn't come off Australia need to bowl Martyn or Bevan to use up their overs. Lehmann has proven to be a godsend for the team with his brutal batting and also he can pick up useful wickets and keep the runs down as well as fill up 10 overs.