The Cricket Thread

[Ankit 3,176]

I think Sachin should retire fairly soon, at least from the 5 day form. He's now gone 24 test innings without a century, and it's very hard to reverse that kind of form at that age.

Of course Sachin has gone into worse form slumps before (e.g. in 2004 where he scored about 130 runs in 10 innings and then scored a 248 not out) and snapped out of them out-of-the-blue.

There are some echos around here as well about Sachin's future, more so after him getting bowled both times.. Most of them are of the view that since Dravid and Laxman have retired, so should Sachin. He is just delaying the inevitable and in doing so making a youngster sit out of the team. I,to be honest cannot have an unbias opinion on this.I love watching Sachin come out of the pavilion to bat and will love him till he hangs up his boots but i dont want that to happen. EVER.

It's upto him when to retire. He says he still enjoys his game and the day he feels he is not enjoying it, he will quit. So i ll trust the Little Master and leave it at that.

[Ankit 3,176]

Test match is right in balance. A lead of 244 is good enough to defend if New Zealand attack. Hopefully we will get that one wicket early tomorrow and then look to score at an easy pace. Could turn out to be a cracking chase.

[Madmax 9,219]

I'm more than confident we'll chase this down. Need Sehwag to stick around for a bit though.

[capriccioso 2,545]

Well, this opening partnership has pretty much ended the contest.

Another 60-80 run partnership after this one and India have it in the bag.

[Ankit 3,176]

India are just a wicket away from crumbling. Why did you retire VVS?

[capriccioso 2,545]

Raina is offensively awful.

[Ankit 3,176]

Raina is offensively awful.

He has a long way to go to cement his place in Test Cricket. Good ODI player but on fast and bouncy pitches, one short ball and he is walking back to the pavilion.

[capriccioso 2,545]

He has a long way to go to cement his place in Test Cricket. Good ODI player but on fast and bouncy pitches, one short ball and he is walking back to the pavilion.

It's not only that. His mentality is unsuited for test cricket. He's just too aggressive. You can get away with that if you are Sehwag or Gilchrist, but those two are among the greatest of all time to play the sport and its foolish for young players to try and copy them.

[Ankit 3,176]

It's not only that. His mentality is unsuited for test cricket. He's just too aggressive. You can get away with that if you are Sehwag or Gilchrist, but those two are among the greatest of all time to play the sport and its foolish for young players to try and copy them.

It's because of T20 cricket. Isn't it?? I mean most of the crowd if you ask them would watch a T20 match rather than a Test Match which is just sad. So kids today find it an easy way to stardom. Play aggresive cricket, find a IPL team and voila you are famous. Raina is that very breed. Take for example Pujara(the guy who made a century in the first match against NZ and some 40 odd runs in 2nd innings chase). He is famous through the domestic scene of being a guy who once settles in goes on to make heavy runs in an innings. But he takes his time and hence no takers for him in T20. On the contrary is Ravindra Jadeja.That bloke played some good shots in IPL 1 and guess what, he was in ODI squad before Pujara. Thank god he is no where near consideration for ODI now and he will never come close to being a test player.

I don't think Raina can ever make a cut into test team. Once Yuvi regains his fitness, Raina will be on sidelines. I just hope there are more youngster like Pujara who won't go toward the glamour side of cricket and concentrate on being a Test Player.

But with IPL circus, i don't see it happening.

[capriccioso 2,545]

It's because of T20 cricket. Isn't it?? I mean most of the crowd if you ask them would watch a T20 match rather than a Test Match which is just sad. So kids today find it an easy way to stardom. Play aggresive cricket, find a IPL team and voila you are famous. Raina is that very breed. Take for example Pujara(the guy who made a century in the first match against NZ and some 40 odd runs in 2nd innings chase). He is famous through the domestic scene of being a guy who once settles in goes on to make heavy runs in an innings. But he takes his time and hence no takers for him in T20. On the contrary is Ravindra Jadeja.That bloke played some good shots in IPL 1 and guess what, he was in ODI squad before Pujara. Thank god he is no where near consideration for ODI now and he will never come close to being a test player.

I don't think Raina can ever make a cut into test team. Once Yuvi regains his fitness, Raina will be on sidelines. I just hope there are more youngster like Pujara who won't go toward the glamour side of cricket and concentrate on being a Test Player.

But with IPL circus, i don't see it happening.

I can't think of many young (even relatively young) players that come into test cricket already with a patient approach. Pujara, Cook, and Cowan are all I can think of, off hand; and Cook and Cowan are in their late 20s. Most have to modify their approach once they start playing test cricket, like Mathews, Warner etc.

[Ollie 4,400]

Well that was great from Bell. Going great, nice pitch, 23-0 after 4 overs and he gets LBW to a slowy spinner and wastes a review. Great start, bad wicket to lose. Stupidity. And we all know Bopara will get less than 30.

EDIT: Oh, Bopara gets a duck!

23-0

23-2.

Idiots.

[Ollie 4,400]

One day cricket is dying. There was a stage when 300 was a realistic target. 250 was average and 340 was very getable. Now it's amost being played like test cricket this ODI match i'm watching atm has been awful. Hardly any boundaries, no 6's, going at around 4 per over.... And there are powerplays. The lack of ambition is embarrassing.

First 10 overs should get you around 65 - 70 runs, not fucking 40!

Then the other powerplays should get you at least 30 a piece.

Where have the scores of 300+ and the big hitting gone? I wanna see some excitement, this is plain shit. And some of the wickets that have gone down really leave a lot to be desired.

No way England can win now. 2-2, move onto the T20's.

[Duppy Conqueror 1,532]

really poor shot selection by virtually all the England batsmen today..183 is well below par and has given the bowlers a very hard task not to lose this ODI. Dernbach has got Smith tho. 11-1 South Africa..could see it coming with Smith ,the bowlers were dragging wider and wider and he fell into the obvious trap..t.11-2 now woo hoo..it`s on like donkey kong. it`s a batters pitch but it`s a bowlers day so far.

[Duppy Conqueror 1,532]

that second wicket delivery was a beauty by Jimmy tho. du plessis continues to struggle much like Bopara.

[Ollie 4,400]

de Villiars and Amla. This is the game right here. If we can break it before they get to 50,60 we've got a great chance. I still think the target is too low tho, should always bat your overs.

15-3 both numbers 3's suffering.

Ok 76-3 this game is OVER. Brave effort tho, Amla is just so hard to dismiss. He's a robot. 106 needed, can't be a problem.