India v Pakistan | 3rd Test | Bangalore | Day 1 | 8/12/07

[Easa]

Great, great 100 by Yuvraj Singh.

credit has to be given where its due.

 

[dirk diggler]

Guys, unfortunately not able to watch the game. I know Kaneria hasn't got a wkt yet but how's he performing? He always talks a good game but rarely delivers at crucial junctures. No point cleaning up the tail when 450 is on the board

 

[purplehaze]

Well played Yuvi, marvellous 100!

Watch out world ... this is India's bench strength!

 

[dirk diggler]

Well played Yuvi, marvellous 100!

Watch out world ... this is India's bench strength!

to quote Geoff Boycott " my granny would score a 100 against these lollypop bowlers!"

 

[Dhonifan]

great 100 by Yuvi! But pitch is becoming dead as a dodo. This match is a draw imo.

 

[Perth93]

about time i give up all hope for pakistan and start enjoying this batting on display.

joke bowling from this bunch.

i think pak never had such a poor attack since the early 80s when imran was injured and sikandhar bakht/tahir naqqash bowled their dobblies.

 

[dirk diggler]

200 partnership creeping, perhaps not creeping - zooming up!

 

[jusarrived]

well played yuvi ..but am afraid you will have to wait a little longer to be a permanenet memeber of test 11!

btw wer are all the our pak fans , now ?

 

[kashmiri]

well played yuvi ..but am afraid you will have to wait a little longer to be a permanenet memeber of test 11!

btw wer are all the our pak fans , now ?

here, why do you ask?

 

[Perth93]

part of the blame must go to pakistan's ODI obsession that breeds defensive mentality in its younger bowlers.

sami, gul bowl too short or too full.
arafat is the only bowler who knows how to swing, good to see him cutting down pace and not going for the speedgun.

 

[jusarrived]

here, why do you ask?

well, few of them seem to appear only wen their teams doing well .....!

 

[Easa]

We need at least 2 more wickets before close, that means breaking this partnership..

I think we are missing Afrid, he would have played ahead of Bhanja and provided a 5th bowling option which is absolutely crucial now with super fit Akhtar off the field.

 

[Easa]

Arafat needs to work on his fitness. I've noticed that his speeds have been going down progressively since his fiery opening spell.

Test match bowling is all about fitness.

 

[Perth93]

and for all my love of pace, plz give akhtar a quick goodbye.

 

[TaZ]

Its time to say goodbye to akhtar, sami and kaneria

 

[Perth93]

yes, akhtar, sami, kaneria all should be fired.

hameed, faisal iqbal too.

akmal should be converted into an opener, and if he fails away from the subcontinent, that should be his end too.

nurture asif and gul properly so they can replace akhtar and sami.

 

[purplehaze]

just wondering, when should India declare! Perhaps by tea time tomorrow ...

 

[MIG]

One day to watch cricket and you get this bakwas...

277/4 in 72 overs.

 

[Perth93]

how can arafat be tired so quickly??

25 years old quicks should be fit like a horse.

look at lee at 31, so fit.

i remember a 38 year old walsh bowling 12 overs at a stretch.

 

[MIG]

YK still fighting...good luck

 

[Easa]

All this hate for Kaneria. This is a 1ST DAY PITCH and he is bowling with no pressure from the other ends, hell one of our bowlers doesn't even know where the hell the ball is going to go i.e. Sami. What do we want him to do, get a 5'fer on the first day?

 

[cricketcrazy]

we need a new team, no need of akhtar, sami, kaneria, bhanja, hameed, akmal..
anyone can do better then wht they do

 

[TaZ]

MIG sums up the bowling

Total Bakwas

 

[cricketcrazy]

i think so this is the worst bowling performance i have seen so far after that fiery spell from akhtar and yasir ..

 

[purplehaze]

I've seen malik and YK both in this kind of situation in this series, and somehow YK looks more calm with great control than malik. He looks like a natural captain... must be a big fool that he runs away from this responsibility

 

[MIG]

Kaneria has limped off...

Akhtar was never supposed to have 10 wickets....what are the rest doing

 

[purplehaze]

Yuvi toying with the bowling now... another 4

 

[Usman Chadda]

Salman Butt on now

 

[MIG]

Hameed comes into bowl...things only getting better now

 

[Usman Chadda]

This day has gone horribly, horribly wrong after lunch!

 

[filosofee]

303 for 4. Ganguly about to announce his century.

 

[purplehaze]

Congrats Dada, well played 100!

 

[TaZ]

Its time to overhaul this loser team

 

[invincible]

Superb HUNDRED !!! He held one end and never looked like getting out ... Superb knock ...

Man of the series for me !!! 2 consecutive hundreds and contributions with the ball ... what more can you ask ??

 

[TaZ]

Its time to turn this off and go and do something more useful in life

 

[MIG]

Its time to overhaul this loser team

with more rubbish players?

 

[Oxy]

I've just woken up.

312-4 with about 12 overs still remaining (light permitting!)

We've taken a bit of a pummelling today.......

 

[SUPERSAMI]

this sucks

 

[Oxy]

So who is captain for Pak today?

 

[Oxy]

What the hell! Just seen the wkts!

India were 60 - 4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Easa]

328/4

Who would have expected that at lunch?

 

[TigersFan]

What the hell! Just seen the wkts!

India were 60 - 4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

These two batsman - Ganguly and Yuvraj playing exceptaionally well and thanks to very week bowling as Akhtar was in hospital for a scan, kaneria and Arafat are too tired to bowl anymore,Sami same old same, now opening batsman are bowling for pakistan Butt-Hameed, even YK bowled one over.


Ind- 328/4
Current partnership- 267 runs, 60.5 overs, RR: 4.35 (Ganguly 99, Yuvraj Singh 148)

 

[purplehaze]

new ball taken ...

 

[P4K1 #1]

were getting hammered.. its really sad to watch

 

[Easa]

Yuvraj gets 150 with a streaky 4

 

[purplehaze]

Yuvi reaches 150 with an inside edge ... !!!

 

[slix10]

60-4 to 360-4.

Awesome.

 

[slix10]

I haven't been watching, but is this pitch flat (or flattening) now?

 

[Perth93]

so arafat now looking distinctly Pathanesque.
lets hope he can at least bat as well too.

 

[filosofee]

Yuvraj for a double, double-and-a-half?

 

[atesham]

yuvraj gone 167 well played !

 

[slix10]

****ing finally.

This is what you get for me coming back.

 

[purplehaze]

Well played Yuvi ... nice innings. Pakistan in with a chance again

 

[slix10]

Omg I'm going to cryy sami got two wickets someone hold mee

 

[Perth93]

butt, xxxx, malik, moyo, yk, misbah, afridi, xxxx, xxxx, asif, gul.

keep these 8 guys for the TESTS and find 3 replacements.


dont play ASIF and GUL in ODIs at all - too precious to lose.

 

[DM]

and paceless Sami gets another! Lightning does strike twice!

 

[DM]

butt, xxxx, malik, moyo, yk, misbah, afridi, xxxx, xxxx, asif, gul.

keep these 8 guys for the TESTS and find 3 replacements.


dont play ASIF and GUL in ODIs at all - too precious to lose.

Agreed

 

[filosofee]

Well played Yuvraj, saved India. Great batting (not that I'm watching, cricinfo-ing)

 

[slix10]

Now just finish up the tail in 2 overs.

And we'll be good.

 

[Xoib]

Bowled Sami Ct Iqbal

Is this the most mediocre combination ever in Pakistan's test cricket history?

 

[Perth93]

and paceless Sami gets another! Lightning does strike twice!

now, now DM - surely you're doing alan donald a grave insult.

more like a "raindrop" strikes twice.

 

[MIB]

Karthick - > Akthar

 

[DM]

raindrop in an ocean!

Why cant Sami find the pace anymore, I demand an answer!

 

[Imran_The Man!]

Woke up at a 4am, despite a bad cold and felt it was worth the effort at the lunch break. Went back to bed after the lunch break cos I had a familiar sinking feeling about what was going to happen next, as i watched Yuvi and Ganguly settle in.

Don't know how many times i have seen this over the years. Typical Pakistan, get in a winning position and throwing it away yet again. Totally guttless and pathetic perfomance, and as Mig said, complete and utter bakwaas.


As for "Mr. Fitness , don't get me started! issed:

 

[Perth93]

DM, sami's lack of pace is a natural result of his lack of confidence.

he just wants to hold onto his position as a 'stayer' with the bat and economical with the ball.

but the problem is, he feels 'safe'knowing this kind of mediumpaced back-off-length is good enough to bowl 10 overs for 40 odd in an ODI.

ODI success has killed him off, as it is with so many young quicks around the world.

they perform decently in 20 ODIs a year and get a national contract.
so why put in the effort for 5 tests a year??

pure economics is making pure pace extinct.

 

[jackal786]

Pakistan has made a strong come back in the last few minutes. They will feel more confident.

 

[Perth93]

wanted: 1 specialist quickie (sohail?) 1 specialist wicketkeeper (adnan?), 1 specialist opener (hasan raza reinvented?).

And one back-up spinner if afridi fails to take 20 wickets in next 5 games.

Isn't Bilal Shifayat qualified?

 

[DM]

DM, sami's lack of pace is a natural result of his lack of confidence.

he just wants to hold onto his position as a 'stayer' with the bat and economical with the ball.

but the problem is, he feels 'safe'knowing this kind of mediumpaced back-off-length is good enough to bowl 10 overs for 40 odd in an ODI.

ODI success has killed him off, as it is with so many young quicks around the world.

they perform decently in 20 ODIs a year and get a national contract.
so why put in the effort for 5 tests a year??

pure economics is making pure pace extinct.

That's actually a great post, I've never considered that logic before. It's a pity he didn't have the ferocious mindset of say an Akhtar or an Afridi, that would have prohibited him to nestle into comfort bowling

 

[infamous9383]

my reaction waking up after going to sleep 61/5 wft happend, what a bunch of losers.

 

[dinakar]

181 runs in 36 overs in this session!!!

 

[jackal786]

I cannot believe Yuvraj scored 102 runs in post tea session. That is some serious pasting.

 

[Rajan]

Pak fans need not have to lose heart.

Dinesh karthik looks like he will get out LBW or caught behind any moment.

Pathan is batting in tests after a long time. will be nervous.

Kumble may be a hurdle. he has played a lot in bangalore and might hold up some time.

Harbhajan will hit out.

Ishant has not batted at test level.

if Ganguly can be handled, India will find it hard to reach 450.

If they can role up the next few wickets with in the first hour, with in 420, then they have an opening to force a win.

however the way the pitch is playing and Shoaib's condition, I think Dravid and Co will bat well in the second innings and mange a draw.

The first hour tomorrow is crucial!

 

[Xoib]

India FTW easily.

 

[phoenix-suns]

Its a decent session for india only 20 runs short. Yuvi showed why Pakistan bowling attack is toothless.

 

[Rajan]

hopefully, Shoiab will be able to bowl better for 6 overs and can pose a challenge for the indian batsmen.

Sami bowled ok, Arafat was also ok.

far from toothless. actually Yuvi and Gangs counter attacked.
full marks to them.
if Yuvi's catch was taken by younis, then things would have been very different.

 

[purplehaze]

Can Shoaib do something similar to this tomorrow -->
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CHCvQB8o4a8

 

[iZeeshan]

Wow. WOW. WOW. 65/4 - 365/5. No comment on Pakistan. Brilliant stuff from India.

 

[Wazeeri]

Everyone crying on about Akhtar raising his arms during the run up need to have a look at bhajjis run up.

 

[rkk]

Just woke and as usual _dramatic_ performance.

Why do these teams like to put on bollywood-e-style performances on ground. One session they look pathetic and on session or another day they pull out world-beating performance.

As long as both teams keep winning (instead of dull draws) - I don't mind the tears in eyes once in a while

I could hope that miracles can happen. But not in Bangalore - we aren't very lucky there... and _fighting_ spirit is not in the genes I guess.

From this point, India will fight for _moral victory_.

 

[Dhonifan]

Can we...should we...dare we...hope for India making 500?

Dunno why Yuvi had to play harakiri 10 mins before end of play. It would have been a morale booster had he stayed today and got out first ball tomorrow...