Pakistan vs India 2nd test Kolkata 16-20 march

[Nikhil]

The ICC is such an imbecile body, they can't do anything. If they can't ban Murali they can not ban anyone else. End of!! IMO..

[Paoli]

Originally Posted by Nikhil

The ICC is such an imbecile body, they can't do anything. If they can't ban Murali they can not ban anyone else. End of!! IMO..

I respect your view Nikhil...What boggles my mind is that only a month ago Harbhajan was cleared...

[Zainub]

Yeah, it's getting increasingly strange. One month ago you get cleared. Then in the first innings of a match you are also clear. Then ...SURPRISE...suddenly they've found something wrong with it..bewildering to say the least

[Shaka]

I think in the end India's superior bowling was the difference. Pakistan had a great chance to take a decisive lead at the end of Day 3 but India's attack was able to put the Pakistan batting under severe pressure through a quality spin duo backed by some excellent seam bowling from Balaji in particular. Pakistan's bowling was a bit too friendly to respond in kind. Razzaq as a 3rd seamer could be happy with his contribution and Kaneria can't really be blamed but the rest didn't pull their weight.

[Zainub]

Kaneria can't be blammed, of coarse. No one individual can be blamed. Cricket is a team game, so when you lose, the whole team must take the blame. But him not picking as many as wickets as would have ideally hoped for, or perhaps at the ideal time we would have hoped for definately was one of the factors that contributed to the result.

Over all I agree with you, India's more experienced bowling attack managed to turn over a potentially match losing situation at the end of day 2 into a match winning position by mid day 3. Our attack briefly came close to doing that at the end of day 1 and even more briefly at the start of day 4, but over all, India's attack always had the edge.

Rana Naved will definately have to come back in the side for the next test, Mohammad Khalil has played two test mathces, and still not picked up any wickets.

[Shaka]

I don't think Rana Naved is the answer either, I don't really see him as a test match bowler. I have no idea what Arshad the offspinner is like but if he's a specialist, he might be worth considering. Generally over the course of 5 days, it's the genuine bowlers who will produce when the pressure is on. Having said that, it's debateable whether Harbajhan would have been as effective if he hadn't bowled his doosra which he was later reported for in this game. Personally I think Pakistan opted for the wrong man in Khalil ahead of Rao for this tour, I said it when the squad was announced and it's turned out that way by the looks of it. Khalil looks like he's got a decent fast bowler inside him but he's very raw and just doesn't do enough with the ball. Rao would have offered that dangerous away swinger plus the ability to get one to come back in.

[Zainub]

By the looks of all the news I've read in the papers and everywhere else it now seems increasingly likely that we'll make two changes to the team that played and lost at Kolcatta.

Mohammad Khalil will make way for Arshad Khan
And Yasir Hameed will make way for Taufeeq Umar