Daily Archives: 1 July 2007

Tendulkar this year…

Posted on 1 July 2007 by | Leave a comment

After reading Mohan’s post titled “Fixation with Tendulkar of the past…”, I thought I’ll dig up a few Sachin Tendulkar articles/columns that have appeared in the press. Here is a collection since the beginning of this year -

 I am sure there are many more, but it is interesting that when the press usually cover Tendulkar, it is like a pendulum swinging from one side to another (lavish praise on one side and the exact opposite on the other). 

-Mahesh-

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Dream Team

Posted on 1 July 2007 by | 5 Comments

The Deccan Herald has reported in its edition today (Sunday 1 July 2007) an all-time Team-India Dream Team to mark the 75th anniversary since India played its first cricket match against England (in 1932). The Dream Team was selected by G R Vishwanath, Dilip Vengsarkar, S Venkataraghavan, Kris Srikkanth, Ajit Wadekar, Nari Contractor, Syed Kirmani and Abbas Ali Baig. The Dream Team represents India’s all-time Test XI.

This panel of eight submitted its shortlist to a special panel consiting of E. A. S. Prasanna and Rajan Bala, who then came up with the Dream Team!

Surprisingly, Bishen Singh Bedi and Anil Kumble do not make it while Dravid is a ‘Reserve’!

Dilip Vengsarkar and Syed Kirmani (both panel members) and E. A. S. Prasanna (from the elite panel) do make it! Make of that what you will!

Most surprisingly, the now-banned-for-life middle-order player (and ex-captain) Mohammed Azharuddin, who was apparently not chosen by the intial panel of eight was chosen by the elite panel in the end!

The Dream Team (in batting order) is:
Sunil Gavaskar (captain), Vinoo Mankad, Vijay Hazare (vice-captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammed Azharuddin, G R Vishwanath, Kapil Dev, Syed Kirmani (wk), Javagal Srinath, EAS Prasanna, Subash Gupte.
12th Man: Vijay Manjrekar.
Reserves: Mohammed Nissar, B S Chandrasekhar, Rahul Dravid.

– Mohan

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Dhoni not to play today?

Posted on 1 July 2007 by | 4 Comments

Cricinfo in this article does not include Dhoni in India’s probable XI for the final ODI today against Soth Africa. Here are some reactions, speculative of course, about the probable team.

  • Dhoni is still unwell.
  • Indian team management thinks Gambhir would be better as SA might play the much faster Dale Steyn. Since Karthik has done well the last game, and we do need 5 bowlers, the guy to drop is Dhoni.
  • Do we need 5 bowlers? Can’t they just drop Ishanth Sharma and include Gambhir?
  • What about Uthappa?
  • Are Sreesanth & Agarkar still unwell or are they not being considered?
  • Does Cricinfo know what it is talking about? Or are they also speculating just like us?

- Sanjay

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Fixation with Tendulkar of the past…

Posted on 1 July 2007 by | 4 Comments

What is this horrible fixation with “Tendulkar of the past“?

Everyone seems to want to talk about it. Everyone seems to want to write about it. Every innings of his is compared to that benchmark. Why?

Tendulkar is in the present. He is around today. He, like all of us, is an alive, breathing, living man. He is today what he is today. He is mortal. We aren’t today what we were in the past. He too is not. He is comfortable with it. Leave him be. Why do we not want to enjoy and celebrate what he is today? Why do we yearn for the Tendulkar of the past?

If we do desperately want to see Tendulkar of the past, buy a few DVDs and a DVD-player, for heavens’ sake!

– Mohan

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Future of Indian Cricket – I

Posted on 1 July 2007 by | 4 Comments

This news clipping prompted me to suggest the introduction of a new and ongoing series on I3J3 that focuses on identifying and predicting the future stars of Indian cricket. I have briefly followed and, in some cases, watched (primarily during the Challenger series) some of the names on the side including the captain and vice-captain of the India U-19 side, Tanmay Srivastava and Ravi Jadeja, Iqbal Abdullah of Mumbai and Virat Kohli of Delhi and hope for the best for them. However, the one name that stands out on the list for other reasons is that of Abhinav Mukund. Sanjay knows more about him and his cricket and would like to request him to maybe write a line or two. I have been told  that he is an extremely talented cricketer and, of course, the son of former TN Ranji trophy player, TS Mukund. Abhinav is a left hand bat and was recently adjusted “Outstanding South Zone U-17 cricketer” and received the Ghulam Ahmed prize. I remember reading an article on rediff sometime back which talked about future stars of Indian cricket and had made a reference to Abhinav as being the find in the Cooch Behar  Trophy. Let’s hope that this young lad has an outstanding tour of Sri Lanka and a bright future ahead. Here’s also wishing the Indian team great success.

- Srikanth

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India’s win – Pessimist meets the optimist

Posted on 1 July 2007 by | 2 Comments

Pessimist: RP Singh bowls 6 overs for 21 runs and does not complete his spell. What was Dravid doing?

Optimist: Yuvraj Singh got 3 for 36. Otherwise SA would have scored 260 and we would have lost the match.

Pessimist: Dhoni is coming back from illness. Should he have batted ahead of Karthik?

Optimist: Dhoni has got the highest ODI average in the Indian team.

Pessimist: What is Ganguly doing at the top of the order. He cannot move his feet. He is uncomfortable against the short ball.

Optimist: Ganguly has scored 10000 runs and 20+ centuries over the last 15 years and opened the innings against all opposition most of the time.

Pessimist: 5 specialist bowlers are chosen and 7 people bowl.

Optimist:  If 8 can bowl then they will too. We need wickets.

Pessimist: After scoring 93 sparkling runs, how did Sachin manage his dismissal? His mind is just not on the game.

Optimist: As Dravid said after match, there is nothing left for Sachin to achieve in international cricket. And as Sachin said after the match, he would not mind getting out many more times in the nineties.

Pessimist: Yuvraj could have gotten out atleast 6 times in his innings. He was so lucky.

Optimist: When lady luck shines Yuvraj scores some stunning hits at the end of the innings and India win!

– Sanjay

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