Saying "I told you so" is no fun, when it follows an injury to Viru Sehwag. Naturally, he has been replaced with Dinesh Karthik about whom I had written here.
Form or no form, Viru is India's biggest matchwinner and he will be sorely missed. Not to mention the entertainment he would have provided.
However, this could be a good opportunity to persist with Rohit at the top and give him the guarantee of a few matches on the trot, rather than a JIT basis.
It would make more sense at this point of time rather that blindly swapping Viru with DK at the top. DK could keep and bat in the lower middle (along with Dhoni) where he did so well in the IPL.
Only hope MSD doesn't persist with his misadventure at no 3, in the garb of "providing experience at the top".
Posts
I don't think DK will get a game.. India will look to play with the same XI that won the first game.. maybe change their bowlers around..
ReplyDeleteDK will play only of Dhoni wants a rest from keeping.
Touche Q!I should have started "If DK plays".
ReplyDeleteBtw, Younis seems to have heard your repeated appeals for Fawad Alam.
About time Late! :-)
ReplyDeleteLate, Q,
ReplyDeleteStrange turn of events. I am not really sure if there actually is any problem at all, possibly the media trying to make something out of nothing. I cannot imagine why MSD and Viru might have any sort of a tiff.
1.I don't think Viru is too intrusive as a vice captain- so I doubt their are ego clashes.
2. Both , though being unique characters, aren't the Sreesanth sort - attention seeking whores , if I may. So that might not be a problem.
3. Now the last option is team balance. I think MSD wanted to go in with 4 out and out specialist bowlers (and try his best to include 2 spinners)- so those spots automatically go to:
Singh, Ohja (for now for sure), and the 2 of fittest and in form between : Zaheer, Praveen, ,RP, Ishant.
b. we've got 2 guys who can bat and bowl: Yousaf P and bro (though you dont want to hear that) :-)
c. That leaves 5 spots open : Gambhir selects himself on the basis of general consistency and reputation from last year. Yuvraj does too for general potential ass-kicking. So do Raina, and Rohit from this year's performances. So that's 4
d. 1 spot remains open. Who do we have remaining? Jadeja - isnt there yet, and can afford to sit out. The remaining 2 guys are those with capability, potential and reputation, but both didn't light the world on fire in IPL duex. One's a captain and the wicketkeeper, the other's a VC. So who gets to be the fall guy? :-)
Now , read the above and tell me why I can't become a writer for ToI, Sun or any of the other gossip mags!! :-)
5.for the same reasons stated above, I'll be surprised if Karthik gets a game. Dhoni's not good enough right now to warrant spot as a pure batsman.
6. If you want to play Karthik/Viru AND Dhoni - then we gotta drop one of the 4 bowlers (I don't think that's possible), or one of the Pathan bros - which might also not be possible. Yousaf selects himself on usefulness and reputation as of now, and Irfan on ability and a cover if one of the 4 bowlers fail (I don't think the mgmt thinks that yuvraj +rohit + raina can cover up for a 5th bowler. If I am not wrong, none of the 3 have even bowled in any of the games , including the warm-up games).
Fark,
ReplyDelete3. Thats the way TOI have built up steam on this issue. Sample this link http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/t20articleshow/4635916.cms
At the bottom of the page under related stories, they have made a mountain of the proverbial molehill.
The pontiff of cricket writers and journalists in India had put it thread-bare here.
http://prempanicker.wordpress.com/2009/06/10/what-is-the-sehwag-issue/
No reason to disagree with him. Indian cricket has come a long way from those cloak and dagger times.
I would think it is an injury which dint heal in time. Team combinations have to be worked out on an 'as is where is' basis.
6. Surprised me too that Raina, Rohit and Yuvraj were unused in mentioned warm up encounters.
Late, Q,
ReplyDeleteQuick! Need fantasy league advice : I can pick a squad of 16 for the super 8s now.
I think what works out best are IMPACT players - 50s, 100s, Man of hte matches, 3 + wickets etc.
here's what I have in my squad right now:
1. Batsmen (6 required) : Gambhir , Yuvi, AB de villiars , (3 remain)
2. 2 All rounders : Rohit, R Van De Merwe (I think I'm happy with these 2 guys)
3. Bowlers (big concern) 6 spots : I've got Pragyan, Mendis for sure
4 spots remain: I am thinking of taking :
Tanvir (risky pick), Mohammed Amer (risky pick), Steyn, Zaheer - any other suggestions??!
Wicket keepers (2) : Brendon M, and Andre fletcher. Should be fine right??
Basically, the best bet to take is project hte Finalists, SFs and try to fill the majority of the 16 - squad with them .
I think India and SA qualify from 1 , SL and Pak from the other.
Any suggestions? Help me out bros!
Would replace Gambhir with Dilshan on form.
ReplyDelete3 more Batsman
Gayle, Raina (on potential),Ross Taylor (injured, but he is around)
Reserve All rounder
- Bravo/ Albie Morkel
Bowlers from
Zaheer, Steyn, Fidel E(potential 3 wicket man), Umar Gul , Murali, Ojha, Mendis, Afridi.
What say?
As for picks:
South Africa from E
Sri Lanka from F look hot.
India - death bowling and early momentum questions are not addressed yet.
Late,
ReplyDeleteit's done man. The thing is I had already selected a squad of 16 before the tournament, and now, before the super -8s, I had a chance to use transfers. Unfortunately:
1. I didnt realize I have only 6 transfers possible
2. I had committed a sin of choosing 4 Aussie players. Thus, there was no doubt I had to replace those 4, plus took a gamble on 2 more (removed praveen kumar - who goddamn didn't even get a place in the starting XI , and one more).
3. The point is that we can only construct the squad within an allotted budget , and thus, some players are far more expensive than the others .
My team now looks like this:
6 Batsmen : Gambhir, Yuvraj, Ross taylor, AB De Villiars , Graeme Smith (these 5 were there from before) , and now - I've added Martin Guptill (a long shot gamble who was cheap - just a prayer he fires, I had David warner in the beginning, so he was now subbed )
2 All rounders : Rohit , Van de merwe (had them from before)
6 Bowlers : Malinga , Steyn (were there from before).
I had Ishant, Praveen, Bracken and Vettori . I have subbed them all with:
Ohja , Mendis, Edwards, Tanvir
2 keepers: Brendon Mc (had him from before). I had Haddin, and I've replaced him with Andre Fletcher.
So there you go. I can only follow a 6-2-6-2 combo, or a 4-6-4-2 (4 all rounders) combo.
Any suggestions?
Is this the Super Selector thingie which Manjrekar talks about on TV?
ReplyDeleteGuptill is a dark horse. Exceptional fielder. Perhaps your budget dint allow for Dilshan.
Guess the rest pick themselves...
Cheers
Fark, which fantasy league are u playing?
ReplyDeleteSuper Selector?
Cricinfo?
Cricket web?
Cricket inc?
@Q - something called indianfantasyleague dot com. Not sure what it is! I'm faring REAL bad till now! :((
ReplyDelete@ late - you're absolutely right sir - Dilshan was 1 guy I really wanted in my team, but against wiser intuition, I went ahead with some aussies who promptly proceeded to stink up the joint. In the 2nd stage - I didn't realize initially , but then finally caught on that I only had 6 transfers possible - and took Ohja, tanveer, Mendis and edwards to shore up my bowling dept and pick from other teams (my original team was heavy with india, SA, aussies - and hence the flaw).
Learning as we go along!