Why Nehra

[R_D]

Everyone I spoke to before that last over was bowled (people watching the game with me, mates that SMSed me right before the over, and a friend emailing me from friggin' London) immediately criticised the Nehra decision before he even bowled a ball. Check out the match thread, CW said the same thing.

Not sure why everyone is pretending like this criticism is hindsight.

haha... same here was watching with few mates and called it soon as Nehra came on... We've lost this one.

Its ridiculous how Nehra and Munaf insist on bowling line and length at the death overs.
FFS try to bowl a little fuller if you can't bowl Yorker.... With Nehra i've come to the terms that he's just **** so not much is expected of him.

[R_D]

Didn't Kohli say the MC word ?

Yeah more like MC word.

[GotSpin]

Not sure what people are talking about. Bowling Nehra was the right move. Its standard to use a seamer in that situation.

Fact is, if you weren't planning on using the guy there then he shouldn't have played. Dhoni was just using the resources given to him, and placing trust in a young bowler.

In any case, its such a lottery at that stage its hard to place too much blame on anyone.

Nah Bhaji was getting some uneven bounce and lower order batsmen are always going to prefer a gentle medium pacer who bowls it on a nice length

[NasserFan207]

LOL

z

Yeah, ok I assume that every useless Indian seamer is an impressionable, delicate youngster.

In any case, the fact that he's basically a vet means its even more correct to pick him to bowl.

If you think he's that bad, you should blame the Indian selectors.

If Harby even gets it slightly wrong he can be carted. Seamers can just bowl straight up yorkers. Its tried and tested.

[jeevan]

Yeah, ok I assume that every useless Indian seamer is an impressionable, delicate youngster.

In any case, the fact that he's basically a vet means its even more correct to pick him to bowl.

If you think he's that bad, you should blame the Indian selectors.

If Harby even gets it slightly wrong he can be carted. Seamers can just bowl straight up yorkers. Its tried and tested.

Says a lot about the sad state of bowling affairs in India, but the second best yorker bowler in the India WC squad may be Harbhajan. A yard or two slower () but more accurate...

Bowls something like a handy off cutter as well...

[tooextracool]

Think my question really is why the heck is Ashish Nehra in the side given that he has been been pathetic for the entire last decade? I though Dhoni did a pretty good job captaining yesterday, with the exception of the decision to bowl Nehra in the last over because giving anyone who isnt ODI standard the last over of a crunch game is most certainly the wrong decision, especially when there is a perfectly decent option available.

[IndiaLose]

Think my question really is why the heck is Ashish Nehra in the side given that he has been been pathetic for the entire last decade? I though Dhoni did a pretty good job captaining yesterday, with the exception of the decision to bowl Nehra in the last over because giving anyone who isnt ODI standard the last over of a crunch game is most certainly the wrong decision, especially when there is a perfectly decent option available.

It's hard to figure out what Dhoni is thinking sometimes.

[Daemon]

You simply can't defend bowling Nehra in the last over. It was a decision Dhoni made purely out of gut feeling which clouded the most obvious decision he should have made. Nehra has hardly bowled an over without a 'hit me' ball in the last month or so. To expect him to do it all of a sudden means Dhoni just had a hunch. Poor decision, although I'm pretty sure SA would have won even if Bhajji was bowling. Just that we would at least have had a chance, with a miscued shot going into the air or something. With Nehra it was all too easy. Even that 'unlucky' inside edge was a **** ball, could have easily been flicked away down to fine leg or slogged over midwicket for six. The follow up length ball was even worse.

[tooextracool]

Dont think it was based on just a 'hunch'. I think he wanted to have a pace bowler bowling the final over instead of a spinner because generally a pace bowler is considered to be a safer bet, see Ajmal in the t20 semi final against Hussey. I dont exactly agree with that logic, and even if you agreed with that logic it seems absolutely ridiculous to put it in the incapable hands of Ashish Nehra.

[smalishah84]

Not sure what people are talking about. Bowling Nehra was the right move. Its standard to use a seamer in that situation.

This

Dont think it was based on just a 'hunch'. I think he wanted to have a pace bowler bowling the final over instead of a spinner because generally a pace bowler is considered to be a safer bet, see Ajmal in the t20 semi final against Hussey. I dont exactly agree with that logic, and even if you agreed with that logic it seems absolutely ridiculous to put it in the incapable hands of Ashish Nehra.

Agree with you here that it was a calculated move but there was no other good seam option available in the team and I think that Dhoni was correct in having Zaheer in the 49th over. Had some other bowler gone for 10+ runs in that over then the final over would have been meaningless.

[slippy888]

Ishant Sharma should have been in the squad not Nehra.

[smalishah84]

Ishant Sharma should have been in the squad not Nehra.

Ishant is no McGrath either.

[tooextracool]

Ishant Sharma should have been in the squad not Nehra.

Why?

[vcs]

Haha yeah. He'd have finished the match a couple of overs earlier. At least Nehra has a decent record in the last year, bowled well in the ODIs in SL and in the Asia Cup. It's gone pear-shaped for him since the series in SA this year.

[Daemon]

Yeah he was doing great until SA