The Official Bharat Army Thread

[Colourful Chaddi]

Originally Posted by DomainK

I am hurt by the crowd behavior this time. This is dissapointing and embarrasing

It is very sad to hear this news, there could have been serious injuries to many people including little children. This is not good for Indian cricket, it is like you said truely embarrasing.

But one must feel for the spectators. Most of them were there since 5am and had travelled from various parts of the country. They should have been told that the match could be abandon earlier than what they were told, I believe if they were told that the match looked like it was going to be called of this would have not happened.

Also I can't understand that the players couldn't play on that surface, all the crickteers have footwear to deal with the problem of slipping.

[marioratnakar]

Who is to blame for crowd behavior? I sincerely do not think it is the spectators. As Waseem pointed out, these venues get a couple of matches a year if very lucky. I do not know about people travelling from far away to watch the game, but I do feel about the people who live there, wanting to see a game which is the fancy of the whole nation. Agreed, they should have shown more restraint, but why does BCCI pick such venues? Chennai gets a lot of rain in November,a known fact, and if not known, then had been proven earlier. Why is BCCI interested more in raking up moolah rather than healthy growth of the game? I would really like to know the planning that goes into setting up venues. Do they even consider the conditions? Or is it on a basis of which venue pays more.


Guwahati on ICC watchlist? Why does BCCI let it go to ICC's watchlist. Can they not learn a lesson to make pitches worth playing before setting them up as international avenues. Should they not spend some money in the name of betterment of cricketing grounds? I guess they are too busy misappropriating funds that they have. May be they should set up a group of grade B venues for domestic cricket, assess a pitch before promoting them to a grade A pitch and offer it as an international avenue.

Crowd behavior comes into play afterwards. Like Eden Gardens has a beautiful pitch, but a very unruly crowd. I would say that if Eden comes under ICC watchlist, it is justified. But in Guwahati, the crowd behavior was justified, and so are the players who decided not to play.

I do not agree to the statement that cricketers, just because they have shoes which protect them from skidding, have to play a match even when the outfield is wet. I think that it would have been inhuman if a couple of bowlers broke their legs. The shoes might be skid-resistant, not skid-proof. People skid on really dry grounds.

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by marioratnakar

Who is to blame for crowd behavior?

The supporters at the grounds, it has been a trend in soccer, and cricket in the last few years, but at the end of the day the supporters are to blame.
There are no excuses for poor crowd behavior IMHO.

[DomainK]

I expect India to do well in the upcoming series in the West Indies. This is a very good opportunity for India to test the players on the pitches where the WC will be played. India's one day form has been excellent so far and given West Indian players poor form of late, I dont think there will be too much problem. I am keen to know how Pathan, Dhoni, Raina, Yuvraj and Sehwag perform there. Also the spinners will have a few experiments to do. I am sure Chappell and Dravid are taking this series very very seriously. Unfortunate that Sachin hasnt recovered fully yet....he would love to get a feel of the West Indian wickets at this time.

[Colourful Chaddi]

Hello DomainK long time no see, how our you my friend.

We have not won a Test series in West Indies for over 34 years but this time is the bet chance we have of winning because of the strentgh of the West Indian team at the moment. But I won't be suprised if we don't win this series considering our Test form recently.

I myself like Test matches more than ODI cricket but to be honest I don't really care about Test cricket at the moment, I am more focused on the ODI games with the world cup comming up, I would take that world cup more than any Test series win. We should really rest players in the Test matches and consentatre on the ODI's.

This will be a series to look forward to, it will be interesting to see how our players can play on those pitches before the start of the world cup. The pitches here will help our fast bowlers more than at home, so I am looking forward to seeing Pathan and Sreesanth getting some valuable experiance.

It is dissapointing that Sachin will not be playing but I am not overly concerned about him anymore. Yes he is India's biggest match winner but right now we have other players in the side that can win matches for us. In the last world cup, only Sachin could win us matches and when he got out cheaply we lost, this time around we have Dhoni, Yuvraj, Raina, Dravid, Sehwag and even Pathan to win the match for us with the bat.

Our attack is looking very good for the world cup, especially our pace attack. Agarkar has improved alot and is looking like the bowler he was when he came onto the International scene, Sreesanth is very hard working and is unlucky that he doesn't get many wickets due to drop catches, he beats the bat many times with his outswingers which he bowls at a brisk pace. Then we have Pathan who is arguably the best ODI bowler in the world on current form, plus we have his contirbutions with the bat, he is a very, very important member in our side.

This is the most likely team for the World cup:

1)Tendulkar
2)Sehwag
3)Dravid
4)Yuvraj
5)Raina
6)Dhoni
7)Pathan
8)Powar
9)Agarkar
10)Harbhajan
11)Sreesanth

[mojojojo]

Thats the team I had in mind too. But a lot depends on Sachin's fitness. We just have to have a suitable replacement at standby. So its very important that Uthappa is carefully groomed. Waseem, what you have given is the playing-xi. We need 4 more players to make it a squad. I'd like to see the names Uthappa, Balaji, Dinesh Mongia and Peeyush Chawla there. What do you guys say?

[DomainK]

HI Waseem, I was a little to busy in the last one month. But now I have taken a small break from work, so will be able to spend some time here.

Originally Posted by Waseem

I don't really care about Test cricket at the moment, I am more focused on the ODI games with the world cup comming up, I would take that world cup more than any Test series win. We should really rest players in the Test matches and consentatre on the ODI's.

I agree with you completely there. With the WC round the corner, its time to concentrate on one day cricket.

Originally Posted by Waseem

This is the most likely team for the World cup:

1)Tendulkar
2)Sehwag
3)Dravid
4)Yuvraj
5)Raina
6)Dhoni
7)Pathan
8)Powar
9)Agarkar
10)Harbhajan
11)Sreesanth

Bang on target. Thats the best team I can think of for the world cup.

[DomainK]

Here is an interesting article by Wasim Akram on Sachin Tendulkar.
http://deccan.com/Sports/Sports.asp#...le%20bat sman

[Colourful Chaddi]

Originally Posted by mojojojo

We need 4 more players to make it a squad. I'd like to see the names Uthappa, Balaji, Dinesh Mongia and Peeyush Chawla there. What do you guys say?

First welcome to the board mojojo, I hope you have a nice time posting here and we will love for you to be a regular here because this forum needs more Indian supporters.

Yes you are correct there that we need to take other good players to the world cup, but I don't think that will be much of a problem, IMO India have a very good bench strengh, arguably the strongest in the world at the moment. Out of the first XI these are the players India could pick from to take to the world cup:

• Ashish Nehra
• Zaheer Khan
• L Balaji
• Robin Uthappa
• Dinesh Karthick
• Dinesh Mongia
• Pativ Patel
• RP Singh
• Munaf Patel
• Piyush Chawla
• Laxman
• Ganguly
• VRV Singh

I just picked these player who have played ODI cricket before but im sure there are many other player in First class cricket who could get into the squad for the world cup.

[mojojojo]

Thanks Waseem! Nehra, Zaheer, Parthiv, Laxman, Ganguly and VRV will be kept out for different reasons, IMO. Nehra-Zaheer may be considered if they can start bowling the way they used to minus the injuries and attitude problem. I think Laxman still has a chance. To make it he will have to start getting runs now or he'll lost his place in the test squad too.