Tendulkar speaks out

[Sudeep]

20 558 100* 32.82 1 5

Not what he used to be, but still pretty acceptable IMO.

You add one more match to make it 21, and the average rises to 41.11.

My point here being: leaving the stats aside, the question is can Tendulkar play better than any other option available to India? I think this is still an open question. Since returning from injury he's scored two centuries and give half centuries our of a total of 20-odd outings in the middle. They might not have come in the same flamboyant way we used to see from him before, but he can still score runs. He might not be scoring those in pressure situations or against better oppositions, but is it conclusive enough to say that he should be dropped? I don't think so... there's enough doubt there to give him a few more chances.

 

[JBH001]

I dont think there is any problem with Sachin's attitude............its just that his performance is not as good as it used to be and the the arguement that a Sachin at 40% is better than any other player instead of him is really stupid...............if he continues to block up that position and place in the squad how will you ever find out if someone else can take his place??

I think people forget that Sachin despite all the hype about his talent etc started his career quite tamely. It was only after he had been in the team for 2 years that he started performing. If you throw a Raina or a Dinesh Mongia out of the team after 10-15 matches or so you will forever be selecting people based on temporary flashes of form and not serious talent.

I am not sure if that is entirely the case.
From what I remember ST toured Australia in 89/90 soon after he made his debut against Pak in Pak (where he scored a 50 in the series). IIRC he scored 2 hundreds against Australia in Australia, a 100 in Sydney (along with Shastri's 200) and a 100 in Perth (back when Perth was Perth). I am not sure if it was 89/90 or 90/91 though - in any case it was hardly 2 years before he started performing.

 

[sirdj]

I am not sure if that is entirely the case.
From what I remember ST toured Australia in 89/90 soon after he made his debut against Pak in Pak (where he scored a 50 in the series). IIRC he scored 2 hundreds against Australia in Australia, a 100 in Sydney (along with Shastri's 200) and a 100 in Perth (back when Perth was Perth). I am not sure if it was 89/90 or 90/91 though - in any case it was hardly 2 years before he started performing.

I meant performing consistantly.
Sachin began his career quite like he seems to be ending it. One or two good scores between one or two decent ones and the rest quite ordinary.
His test stats start better than his ODI stats.
Even between the series that you talk about he did not do well in the series in between(SL, Zim). He took almost a whole year to score his first Test hundred after his debut and 4 years to score his first ODI hundred.
Raina and Co seem to average in the late 20's and how about giving them the same amount of time to prove themselves.

 

[Richard]

Bit harsh IMO.

 

[Richard]

If Monty Panesar can go from absolutely hopeless in the field to quite acceptable (given his lack of athleticism) in the space of 18 months, why cant some of the Indians?

Err, Monty Panesar is still every bit as bad as said Indian players?

 

[Evermind]

They are seemingly quite happy to accept the rewards that goes with being a member of the team whilst being unprepared to do the work required to achieve success once there.

Welcome to the national mindset of India. It's a general and very deep-rooted malaise. That its cricketers are no different is unsurprising.

 

[Dasa]

Welcome to the national mindset of India. It's a general and very deep-rooted malaise. That its cricketers are no different is unsurprising.

Impressed that you can speak for 1billion+ people. You must get around.

 

[Richard]

Vintage Arunava!

 

[pasag]

 

[Anil]

You add one more match to make it 21, and the average rises to 41.11.

My point here being: leaving the stats aside, the question is can Tendulkar play better than any other option available to India? I think this is still an open question. Since returning from injury he's scored two centuries and give half centuries our of a total of 20-odd outings in the middle. They might not have come in the same flamboyant way we used to see from him before, but he can still score runs. He might not be scoring those in pressure situations or against better oppositions, but is it conclusive enough to say that he should be dropped? I don't think so... there's enough doubt there to give him a few more chances.

no the real question is are we trying any other option in order to be able to answer that question? no...his position has been locked and sealed and no young hopeful is allowed to hope as long as he wants it, isn't that what is happening right now?

 

[Ash_A55]

My point here being: leaving the stats aside, the question is can Tendulkar play better than any other option available to India?

Who else do India have to fill the huge void Tendulkar would leave?

 

[cricketboy29]

Huge??? In terms of statistics he's definitely huge, but his presence hasn't really been felt that much in the last few years IMO. Dravid much more than him.

 

[Sudeep]

no the real question is are we trying any other option in order to be able to answer that question? no...his position has been locked and sealed and no young hopeful is allowed to hope as long as he wants it, isn't that what is happening right now?

But to even ask the question whether we should try any other option is to first determine how good Tendulkar still is. It is this phase that I believe we're in right now. Sure he hasn't scored runs in Tests, but his ODI form hasn't been bad. He's scored runs, let it be against not the most top-notch bowling attacks. But as long as the runs are coming, there's still that doubt whether to get rid of him or not.

Mind you, I also think there's not enough time left for this phase, and Tendulkar needs to show that he can score runs against quality opposition, and soon.

 

[Ash_A55]

Tendulkar is too good a player to no perform for too long