The Cricket World Cup Thread

nachiket · Post by **nachiket** » 15 Mar 2011 09:29

^^You are right. God's nickname is Tendulkar not the other way round. Bliss to forgive my blasphemy.

rvishwak · Post by **rvishwak** » 15 Mar 2011 09:35

most probably we will be meeting either pak or sri lanka in the QF and since it will be played in motera ,one of the flattest surface in India, raina and uswin should be playing.... I remember in one of the ODI's played in motera, SL almost chased something around 414 against TI loosing by 2 or 3 runs

Ashwin == uswin

Chinmayanand · Post by **Chinmayanand** » 15 Mar 2011 09:47

In QF, it will be better to meet Australia. If TI thrash them , the cup will be ours. Other than that, it's already a lost cause.
Vote for India vs Australia in QF ....

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 15 Mar 2011 10:20

rvishwak wrote:most probably we will be meeting either pak or sri lanka in the QF and since it will be played in motera ,one of the flattest surface in India, raina and uswin should be playing.... I remember in one of the ODI's played in motera, SL almost chased something around 414 against TI loosing by 2 or 3 runs

Ashwin == uswin

Zhat is the only match where I can remember Nehra getting his Yorkers right at the end of a match.

Bring Back Pranthan

rvishwak · Post by **rvishwak** » 15 Mar 2011 10:33

Ausssie will most probably top their group depending upon the outcome of their match vs paki and if that will be the case, in order to play them we have to be last in our group....

BhairavP · Post by **BhairavP** » 15 Mar 2011 11:05

Aditya_V wrote:
rvishwak wrote:most probably we will be meeting either pak or sri lanka in the QF and since it will be played in motera ,one of the flattest surface in India, raina and uswin should be playing.... I remember in one of the ODI's played in motera, SL almost chased something around 414 against TI loosing by 2 or 3 runs

Ashwin == uswin
Zhat is the only match where I can remember Nehra getting his Yorkers right at the end of a match.

Bring Back Pranthan

Here's one to refresh your memory:
http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/64880.html

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 15 Mar 2011 11:13

BhairavP wrote:quote="Aditya_V"]
rvishwak wrote:most probably we will be meeting either pak or sri lanka in the QF and since it will be played in motera ,one of the flattest surface in India, raina and uswin should be playing.... I remember in one of the ODI's played in motera, SL almost chased something around 414 against TI loosing by 2 or 3 runs

Ashwin == uswin/quote]

Zhat is the only match where I can remember Nehra getting his Yorkers right at the end of a match.

Bring Back Pranthan/quote]

Here's one to refresh your memory:
http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/64880.html

Ok corrected in the last 5years, sorry I did not consider 2003 and 2004 matches. Nehra was a great bowler at that time, but injuries and fitness issues now have made sure he is not the same bowler.

Tanaji · Post by **Tanaji** » 15 Mar 2011 13:10

Marten wrote: No one who knows Sandeep Patil personally would disagree with my statement. I worship the man, but damned if you could get him to pick up the ball.

I have seen Sandeep Patil so many times sitting on the katta at Shivaji Udyaan (Park for the Gawd hating seculars). He used to have an airplane mounted on his building balcony as his mini bar. Dunno if it is still around. A nice person to talk to, apparently has quite interesting stories when drunk...

krishnan · Post by **krishnan** » 15 Mar 2011 15:42

The might SA batting lineup is being tested by minnows.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 15 Mar 2011 16:12

SA recovering to 143/5, with thier bowling 250 is more than enough against Ireland.

Imagine SA losing to Ireland (this will not happen) then SA will be forced to Hammer and Tongs at BD, this means we can experiment in the WI game and if we win top the group with QF most probably against NZ.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 15 Mar 2011 16:59

Our players have this attitude too.

Ek match kelo, aur das match araam karo.

habal · Post by **habal** » 15 Mar 2011 17:17

BCCI XI will be out in quarters/semis in this world cup. Most likely quarters . . they don't have the fire nor the stamina to win, being way too exhausted from too much kirket the past season.

9/29 even looked like full-fledged fixing was on. Maybe they got wind of something else and decided to play poorly because they didn't want to end up on top of the group for some reason since Pakistan would then get incentive to perform just enough to be last in that group in order to face BCCI XI at motera.

The pakis are the freshest of the lot but have the weakest batting, which will fail except on the flattest of wickets.

England or saffies seem most mercurial this time around. My money is on England lifting this WC. They too will give full money's worth to the betting crowd since they can outperform or underperform at will on a dime.

A team flying under everyone's radar is New Zealand. They are fresh, motivated and fired-up.

merlin · Post by **merlin** » 15 Mar 2011 18:10

Supposedly Harsha Bhogle said this after India/SA match (email forward) - this is for GOD baiters

Remember when you failed an examination. How many people recall that, your class, friends, relatives? You failed to make it to the IITs or IIMs. Who remembers. How many times have you had the feeling of being the best in your class, school , university, state….., you failed to get a visa stamped this quarter…, you missed a promotion this year…, how did it feel when you dad told you in your early twenties that you are good for nothing…..and now your boss tell you the same...

You keep introspecting and go into a shell when people most of whom don’t matter a dime in your life criticize you, back bite you, make fun of you. You are left sad and shattered and you cry when your own kin scoffs at you. You say I am feeling low today. It takes a lot from us to come out of these everyday situations and move on. A lot??? really?

Now here’s a man standing on the third man boundary in the last over of a world cup match. The bowler just has to bowl sensibly to win this game. What the man at the boundary sees is 4 rank bad bowls bowled without any sense of focus, planning or regret. India loses, yet again in those circumstances when he has done just about everything right.
He does not cry. Does not show any emotion. Just keeps his head down and leaves the field. He has seen these failures for 22 years now. And not just his class, relatives, friends but the whole world has seen these failures. We are too immature to even imagine what goes on in that mind and heart of his. That’s why I would never want to be Sachin.

True, he has single handedly lifted to moods of this entire nation umpteen number of times. He has been an inspiration to rise above our mediocrity. Nobody who has ever lifted the willow even comes close to this man’s genius. His dedication and metal strength is unparallel. This is specially for those people who would have made fun of him again last night when India lost. They are people who are mediocre in their own lives. Who just scoff at others to create cheap fun. Who have lived in a small hole throughout their lives and thought they have seen the oceans.

Think about the man himself. He is 37 years of age. He has been playing almost non stop for 22 years. The way he was running and diving around the field last night would have put 22 year olds to shame. The way he played the best opening quickies in the world was breathtaking. He just keeps getting better which is by the way humanly impossible. Its not for nothing that people call him GOD.
But still I don’t want to be in those shoes. We struggle in keeping our monotonous lives straight, lives which affect a limited number of people. Imagine what would be the magnitude of the inner struggle for him, pain both mental and physical, tears that have frozen with time, knees and ankles and every other joint in the body that is either bandaged or needs to be attended to every night, eyes that don’t sleep before a big game, bats that have scored 99 international tons and still see expectations from a billion people.

And he just converts those expectations into reality. We watch in awe, feel privileged.
Well I think its time that his team realizes that enough is enough. They have an obligation, not towards their country alone but towards sachin. They need to win this one for him. Stay assured that he himself will still deliver and leave no stone unturned to make sure India wins this cup.
This is not just a game, and he is not just a sportsman. Its much more than this. Words fail here.....

--- HARSHA BHOGLE

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 15 Mar 2011 21:16

Saywhack, DON, bhojraj, rannah, and futhan must be specially trained by gawd ( perhaps watching SA power play videos), for how to really use power play, and how to restrain themselves to playing the wrong ball, or how to convert a perfectly good length delivery to the fence.

Zak must give Pranthan some peace of mind, and educate him on how to focus on good cricket., and chew the heck out of batsmen.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 15 Mar 2011 21:32

merlin wrote: And he just converts those expectations into reality. We watch in awe, feel privileged.
Well I think its time that his team realizes that enough is enough. They have an obligation, not towards their country alone but towards sachin. They need to win this one for him. Stay assured that he himself will still deliver and leave no stone unturned to make sure India wins this cup.
This is not just a game, and he is not just a sportsman. Its much more than this. Words fail here.....
--- HARSHA BHOGLE

First, I suspect if Harsha wrote the emotional blithering.
Second, it is idiotic to expect any team to win a sporting cup for any one player or individual of the country. I am a big fan of Sachin, but such crap statements is an insult to Sachin. It is my belief, yeah just belief, that even Sachin would feel insulted by such fanatic & idiotic statements. The country has billion plus people, and the team represents the country. A team plays for the country, and not for any one player. There should be no obligation to any one player. Period.

niran · Post by **niran** » 15 Mar 2011 21:59

SwamyG wrote: Second, it is idiotic to expect any team to win a sporting cup for any one player or individual of the country.

"Ze Champions of Champions Cup"(or some such cup) where Ravi Shastry won the Audi was a send off for SMG that was the last he captained
TI in ODIs and during the after win yak yak SMG and team members did acknowledge the fact, and i do not think SMG or any one was ashamed.
pray tell why would be one be ashamed of winning a kirkit WC?

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 15 Mar 2011 22:01

yeah.. Only Sachin played for the country. Rest all played for themselves, and were anti-gawd (their actions towards playing for the country) in their approaches.

or DON doesn't normally try to control/manage sewag, sachin or other senior players who is above him? if the theory is correct, then all those who fumbled and played out using don's guidance, and failed. Thus the kaptaan failed in sheparding his goats.

Chinmayanand · Post by **Chinmayanand** » 15 Mar 2011 22:21

Dhoni's Mom: Go and bring some vegetables from market.
Dhoni: But Mom, We defeated by South Africa, and public are in full anger.
Mom: Wear my sari and then go, no one will recognize you.
Dhoni goes to market wearing saree.
A Girl: Hi Dhoni, how are you?
Dhoni got shocked.
Dhoni: How did you know, I am Dhoni?
Girl: Abeh.. I am Nehra.
---------------------
From here

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 15 Mar 2011 22:51

Dhoni: abhey ga*du, because of you, we are hara!

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 16 Mar 2011 00:35

This is not just a game, and he is not just a sportsman. Its much more than this. Words fail here.....

--- HARSHA BHOGLE

With all due respect, I find HARSHA BHOGLE to be the Indian equivalent of a TSP RAPE. I have also seen his traveling India on discovery or someting. He talks about India like a condescneding gora.

Much has been made about the gawd's emotional outburst against the batsman who committed harakiri after the excellent start he & Sehwag provided. Although I must say that Sehwag lived pretty dangerously during the initial overs. That said, I think the criticism of the likes of Kohli, Pathan, while warranted, is now getting to be a tad too much. I mean its as if the gwad has never failed. Give me a break.

On the game for WI, I would bring in Ashwin, in place of Nehra (or Munaf Patel), and with a heavy heart I will drop Gambhir and bring in Raina. Gambir has played well, but I think Raina, with his ability to hit hit big and field brilliantly is a better bet in the cucial game against WI. I would caution against dropping Kohli. He is a class act, and is a crucial asset for the middle overs when India is batting.

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 16 Mar 2011 00:46

On Indian pitches Raina may temporarily replace GG. I feel GG is a more solid player than Raina from what I have seen till now. GG is not in good form but he is a very consistent player once he gets going. Raina is 400% better in the field and he can bowl too.

Mahendra · Post by **Mahendra** » 16 Mar 2011 02:02

Granted God fails once in a while but he never throws his wicket away.
Sehwag isn't someone whose batting style should be tampered with. He can win us the WC single handedly by playing a blinder in the Semi/Final.
GG is a solid player, he can handle pace comfortably and can maul the spinners, his presence is vital against teams like Pakistan/SL/Australia . GG has proven himself time and again against better bowling sides. Kohli has immense talent but he still hasn't scored big runs consistently against better bowling sides. If it is a toss up between GG and Kohli then GG should get the nod.
Raina needs to be drafted in if we play against SL, he can handle Mendis and Murali quite well. In my opinion it is either Pathan or Kohli who will have to make way for him.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 16 Mar 2011 02:34

niran wrote:
SwamyG wrote: Second, it is idiotic to expect any team to win a sporting cup for any one player or individual of the country.
"Ze Champions of Champions Cup"(or some such cup) where Ravi Shastry won the Audi was a send off for SMG that was the last he captained
TI in ODIs and during the after win yak yak SMG and team members did acknowledge the fact, and i do not think SMG or any one was ashamed.
pray tell why would be one be ashamed of winning a kirkit WC?

Pray tell me why would one not understand my simple English or twist my words? For heaven sake tell me where I said one would be ashamed of winning a cricket WC? Boss, the concept and my words were simple. It is not like Amber G or Bade are explaining nuclear physics, where one has to run to the Wikipedia after every sentence to understand what Amber and Bade are talking about.

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 16 Mar 2011 02:52

< snip>
That’s why I would never want to be Sachin.

That is why he is gawd.

wrt gawd, it is damned if you do and damned if you dont do--

he gets criticised anyway whenever TI loses if
1) hits a century - nay saysers belch ---plays for records and a poor finisher .... ithyadi
2) gets out soon- again some belch foul gas-- does not play when he is needed most for TI to win.

Give me a break - he is a human avataar eating drinking thinking playing cricket all day and night for over 22 years. delivering goods pretty consistently for TI. Remember he is a player among XI players in a team game.

Yayavar · Post by **Yayavar** » 16 Mar 2011 02:57

for the bhakts and the sceptics :
http://cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/38170/ ... dia-losing

To conclude, Sachin's contribution to the game and to India, regardless of what people say, is undoubted and he has more often than not provided joy than agony to the cricket fan. The South Africa match was another instance of the legend putting up his hand and giving his all to the team while the others failed, but can Tendulkar be blamed for his teammates not performing?

Mahendra · Post by **Mahendra** » 16 Mar 2011 03:18

halal

Prasad · Post by **Prasad** » 16 Mar 2011 03:25

Thing is at #3,4 we have guys who haven't, atleast in this tournament, shown that they can resort to big hitting. GG has come at #3 so hasnt needed to. Kohli on the other hand had the chance of increasing run rate earlier and he got out as part of a collapse and again during the SA match failed to stick on with MSD and get us to 310-320 or more. Thats two in two so far. Enough to say hes bad at that role? No.

Yuvraj has been sent in his place at #4 and he has the ability to really score big although hitting a shin high fulltoss straight to longon is terribly utterly pathetic. So swapping Kohli with Raina and sending Yuvraj at 4, Raina at 5 and Pathan at 6 will give enough big hitting strength and add a bowling option though you'd be swapping one good fielder to another and not making any increase in fielding strength. But when you need to settle down and play a long innings if we lose SRT and sehwag early, I'm not too sure yuvraj has shown the long innings capability. Raina and MSD are better options at #4 in that case than Yuvraj. So I'd say that scenario is covered. Of course you could swap GG with Kohli but GG is a leftie and thats a good plus for him.

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 16 Mar 2011 03:26

India does not deserve brickbats for SA loss: Ganguly
from yawn site. change .cum to .com

South Africa deserves the kudos for their outstanding win on Saturday but India is really not worth the brickbats which it is getting. They did lose a big game but that doesn’t mean that the World Cup is over for them. Dhoni and his boys need to remember, all that is happening around is only for creating hype for TRPs and sales.

I am fascinated to see how people who had almost handed over the trophy to India much before the World Cup had started, are now finding faults in the Indian team at the drop of a hat.

I had stated at the beginning of the tournament that India has as much chance to win the World Cup as the other big teams and I still stand by that. The key to winning the World Cup or reaching the ultimate level for any big side will be playing good cricket on a particular day and India just needs to focus on that.

There is a big game coming up for India against the West Indies. It’s good that the boys have got a chance to go back home for few days before that. It will help them to unwind and mentally settle themselves before they give it one big go for the final goal.

All the team members as well the cricket loving people of the country need to remember that this is not happening for the first time. There have been instances galore when a team has faltered at the start but has ultimately done well to reach the final stage.

In 1983 India would have been almost eliminated had they lost to Zimbabwe. From a dire strait in that match, Kapil Dev’s 175 not only kept them in the hunt but India went on to create history. In 1992 Pakistan bounced back from the jaws of elimination to lift the cup. Similar was the case for Steve Waugh’s Australia in 1999.

In 2003 also, we had a bad start and when people wrote us off we gathered ourselves to storm into the final. So it is nothing new as regards all the noise which is happening surrounding the Indian team.

Many people are finding fault with Dhoni as regards Ashish Nehra bowling the last over. I don’t find a fault in that and had I been there I would have done the same.(thank you dada for your forthrightness)

People forget but I do remember, Ashish bowled the last over against Pakistan at Karachi some years back in an even tighter situation and brought victory for the team. After Zaheer gave away only four runs in the forty-ninth over Dhoni had every reason to believe that a seamer was more suited to do the job. But he should have used Ashish one more over earlier to get him warmed-up because Nehra doesn’t have the best of physiques to come on strike and fire away.

Firing straight away is also not what our batsmen should have been doing after Sachin and Sehwag had set up such a wonderful platform. You can’t keep such a momentum going all through. With the run-rate already running high the middle-order should have given them some time to settle down and could have gone for the blast at the end.

This needs to be addressed seriously as the collapse has not happened for the first time. Against England we lost seven-wickets for few runs and against South Africa nine-wickets, this time for very few. In the match against the West Indies my advice to Dhoni would be, play on a good strip.( TI has had problems losing wickets cheaply)

I have watched a few games at Chennai and it seems to be extra dry and all set to provide help to the spinners. If you play on a good strip India is way ahead in all departments to West Indies. But if you are put on a difficult strip and get to bat second, then it could be trouble against Roach and company.

Also, my advice will be to stick to a set team from now on. Generally, Dhoni doesn’t have the habit of chopping and changing too much. If you keep doing that, the players become a bit skeptical.

So from here on Dhoni needs to get his eleven set for the rest of the tournament and it should be in the manner he feels comfortable. Also, Zaheer needs to bowl the forty-eighth and fiftieth over in any situation. That should be it.

like your views dada.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 16 Mar 2011 04:31

On a different note, the term "boys" when used in Cricket reminds English Colonialism. Now that BCCI "owns" kirkit, we have to bring newer Indic terminologies. What say boys?

C_Bhat · Post by **C_Bhat** » 16 Mar 2011 04:42

SwamyG wrote:On a different note, the term "boys" when used in Cricket reminds English Colonialism. Now that BCCI "owns" kirkit, we have to bring newer Indic terminologies. What say boys?

I am slightly perplexed as to what purpose such action would serve? Cricket is needlessly being transformed into something it doesnt need to be. Remember "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Cheers

Jatt

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 16 Mar 2011 04:55

Whatever, it is always the case of importing something or the other. Where is the indic game for all these genuine indic values to be attributed.

dada is siding with don, and is planning some thing!?

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 16 Mar 2011 05:23

^^^ Well, I'd rather have a TI staffed with men than with mere boys.

In the spirit of separating the men from the boys and all that jazz.

Heck, when sachin gawd descended to play his first ODI back in '89-'90, he was no boy but all man only. Ameen.

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 16 Mar 2011 05:34

Hari Seldon wrote:^^^

Heck, when sachin gawd descended to play his first ODI back in '89-'90, he was no boy but all man only. Ameen.

gawd -- like shri Ram going to battle the rakshas in his teens

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 16 Mar 2011 05:37

SaiK wrote: dada is siding with don, and is planning some thing!?

Both are skippers hence think alike. AWMTA

Mere players dont just understand it.

(plez gawd is above this- blasfamy

)

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 16 Mar 2011 09:10

I think it is more like Srikkanth and other board members decision to make dada speak now or will never get our dulling don corrected.

here:

Like all captains, Dhoni also has his players of choice who are given more licence, and his team recognises instinctively who those players are. Unfortunately for Dhoni his captaincy has not coincided with the discovery of new match-winners, like those found under Sourav Ganguly, for example

When a captain's instinct starts to head off in a direction where things do not go the way he wants, they sometimes overwhelm and undermine reason.

As much as Dhoni wants his batsmen to "curb their instincts", it is the best time for his leadership to internalise the same message. Since his debut for India in 2004, he has changed his batting to eliminate risk (as if we haven't noticed that the cola-patented "helicopter shot" is not to be seen these days), yet he will not bat higher up the order as Ganguly repeatedly beseeches him to do in both commentary and column.

bottom line ganguly to his rescue:

The match versus West Indies may have to mark the moment that his leadership evolves in a different direction. Or it could take a route he would rather not contemplate.

says:http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/co ... 06375.html
one more loss, eviction order may be given by higher authorities.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 16 Mar 2011 09:21

C_Bhat wrote:I am slightly perplexed as to what purpose such action would serve? Cricket is needlessly being transformed into something it doesnt need to be. Remember "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Same purpose as renaming old roads named after Englishmen to modern Indian politicians, leaders and freedom fighters. I was expecting someone to argue "ain't kirkit English game onlee; why play onlee"

Transformation/change cannot be stopped. Accept it and move along. I would still like 6 day test matches with 1 day rest; players wearing sweaters over white shirts tucked into white trousers; sipping tea on white china at 2:00pm, and saying "how do you do?" Instead of watching streaming circket on hitcric.info I would love to listen to BBC on old transistor radio, struggling to catch the commentary over crackling noise.

But what to do, change is inevitable, so I say "Be done with the term 'boys'"

Chinmayanand · Post by **Chinmayanand** » 16 Mar 2011 09:25

Viru for Kaptaan !!!

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 16 Mar 2011 09:41

merlin · Post by **merlin** » 16 Mar 2011 10:22

SwamyG wrote:
merlin wrote: And he just converts those expectations into reality. We watch in awe, feel privileged.
Well I think its time that his team realizes that enough is enough. They have an obligation, not towards their country alone but towards sachin. They need to win this one for him. Stay assured that he himself will still deliver and leave no stone unturned to make sure India wins this cup.
This is not just a game, and he is not just a sportsman. Its much more than this. Words fail here.....
--- HARSHA BHOGLE
First, I suspect if Harsha wrote the emotional blithering.
Second, it is idiotic to expect any team to win a sporting cup for any one player or individual of the country. I am a big fan of Sachin, but such crap statements is an insult to Sachin. It is my belief, yeah just belief, that even Sachin would feel insulted by such fanatic & idiotic statements. The country has billion plus people, and the team represents the country. A team plays for the country, and not for any one player. There should be no obligation to any one player. Period.

I don't agree with your opinion. Please ask any soldier if he fights for his country or for his paltan. I feel it would be easier to motivate fellow team members to win this one for Sachin than win it for the country.

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 16 Mar 2011 10:32

Chinmayanand wrote:Viru for Kaptaan !!!

+1