India v Sri Lanka | 4th ODI | Colombo | 27/8/08

[tmac4real]

Is Mendis starting to get found out now?

He still hasn't had a bad game to date. His worst has been this "ok" game. Rest have been mindblowing. He's been "found out" or rather "bettr played" AFTER the asia cup and test series.

I know other teams have tapes available etc but who knows if they can pick him when they play him in real life. Atleast the first couple of tmes.

 

[W63L35]

Hussey wasn't a late bloomer as such though. He'd always been piling runs on at domestic level, but unfortunately there were guys like Steve and Mark Waugh, Ponting, Martyn, Lehmann etc in the team at the time.

Same as players like Chopra and Kaif! They did not have place in the test team ahead of fab-4 but now (even within last 1-2 years) some of the youngsters should be have been brought in ... one by one instead of all 4 going out at the same time.

 

[W63L35]

Congrats to India on winning the series. Specially after their seniors lost the test series. Its about time Indian selectors open their eyes to the young batting line for the test team.

 

[india_fan]

Same as players like Chopra and Kaif! They did not have place in the test team ahead of fab-4 but now (even within last 1-2 years) some of the youngsters should be have been brought in ... one by one instead of all 4 going out at the same time.

The problem of "bringing one by one youngsters in test" theory is India does not play that many test matches in a calendar year. I mean if you are going to blood some youngster you ought to give him some time.

 

[Cryin Out Loud]

A wannabe purist. Why post in this thread if this victory is not important to you?

You seem to be a few courses short of a full menu.

Do you realize India were beaten black and blue in test series ? Dhoni was missing his ace batsmen in Veeru and SRT, yet our youngsters were able to handle Mendis with some authority. India's first bi-lateral series win vs SL in SL. Well done lads.

Congrats RA

Thank you, come again.

 

[dinakar]

Is Mendis starting to get found out now?

surprisingly, the only game where he bowled full quota of overs and went wicket less was against Bangladesh

 

[pixaar]

surprisingly, the only game where he bowled full quota of overs and went wicket less was against Bangladesh

now you know when someone is very very very lucky.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Congrats to india, they got there act together after 2 average performances in 1st two ODIs. Sri lanka need to find sum new batsmen as they seem to depend to much on jayawardena and Sanga to fire all the time.

 

[W63L35]

The problem of "bringing one by one youngsters in test" theory is India does not play that many test matches in a calendar year. I mean if you are going to blood some youngster you ought to give him some time.

I am not sure if I understand your 2nd comment.

By "bringing one by one youngsters in test: theory I meant was.... replacing each of the fab-4 one by one. Ganguly should have been replaced with a youngster, then Laxman, then Dravid and then Sachin.......... as oppose to all 4 or even 3 in one series (lets next Ind-Aus series).

 

[Manish26]

Beating Lanka in their own very den is a very difficult or impossible task and India has achieved this feat without the services of our front line bowler and batsmen.It definitely has been a huge turn around and further reiterates the fact that cricket is a team game and you cannot win matches consistently based on individual performances from your key players only as was evident from this series as to how much they relied on the top 3 players in their team

 

[Manish26]

I am not sure if I understand your 2nd comment.

By "bringing one by one youngsters in test: theory I meant was.... replacing each of the fab-4 one by one. Ganguly should have been replaced with a youngster, then Laxman, then Dravid and then Sachin.......... as oppose to all 4 or even 3 in one series (lets next Ind-Aus series).

Well to be honest this was one bad series and we need to give the fab 4 another few chances before we get rid of them
Ganguly could be the only person who might be axed but the selectors should give him a decent run before the axe falls on his head

 

[Rickz]

Congrats India for beating Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka! Zaheer, Harby and Dhoni has been great for India in this odi series. Sri Lanka need to find some new batsmen, their lower order is way too weak.

 

[Indiafan]

surprisingly, the only game where he bowled full quota of overs and went wicket less was against Bangladesh

So Bangladesh are officially the best players of spin now

 

[Savak]

I think Vaas definately needs to call it a day. Murlis future also needs to be debated. The Sri Lankans seriously need to look at their batting line up. They depend so much on Sangakarra and Jaywardene. Jayasuriya is getting old, he might shine once in a while but isnt consistent enough in my books anymore. The other Sri Lankan batters have yet to impress me. Some serious concerns for Sri Lanka.

As far as India is concerned. Dhoni has made a huge difference and i think Kumble is going to be under a bit of pressure now to maintain the test captaincy. I dont think the Indians should completely discard the Fab 4 yet, but they need to be told that there are replacements waiting in the wings. But Indian Cricket is definately going in the right direction as of now. Zaheer Khan is back and that has also made a difference.

 

[Manish26]

I think Vaas definately needs to call it a day. Murlis future also needs to be debated. The Sri Lankans seriously need to look at their batting line up. They depend so much on Sangakarra and Jaywardene. Jayasuriya is getting old, he might shine once in a while but isnt consistent enough in my books anymore. The other Sri Lankan batters have yet to impress me. Some serious concerns for Sri Lanka.

As far as India is concerned. Dhoni has made a huge difference and i think Kumble is going to be under a bit of pressure now to maintain the test captaincy. I dont think the Indians should completely discard the Fab 4 yet, but they need to be told that there are replacements waiting in the wings. But Indian Cricket is definately going in the right direction as of now. Zaheer Khan is back and that has also made a difference.

As i was watching the highlights of the 3rd and 4th ODI must admit was disappointed with the way Indian line- up catapulted in both the games.To loose 7 wickets for 34 runs was a devastating and that too against Thusara??well they need to sort out their middle order woes and once sehwag and tendu are back sadly rohit and yuvi may get the boot to play the upcoming Irani trophy..

 

[OZGOD]

Same as players like Chopra and Kaif! They did not have place in the test team ahead of fab-4 but now (even within last 1-2 years) some of the youngsters should be have been brought in ... one by one instead of all 4 going out at the same time.

Agree with that for sure. I was surprised that they went "back to the past" with Bumpcatcher.

 

[Amjid Javed]

I think Sri lankas bowlers bowled well and with malinga and fernando to come back they will get stronger.

Apart from jayawardena the rest of batting flopped. Sri lanka need to find a decen opening pair and likes of chamara silva and dilshan need to start 2 perform!

 

[dinakar]

I think Sri lankas bowlers bowled well and with malinga and fernando to come back they will get stronger.

Apart from jayawardena the rest of batting flopped. Sri lanka need to find a decen opening pair and likes of chamara silva and dilshan need to start 2 perform!

yes, Malinga is missing.. but not Fernando.. he is the Srilankan version of Sami, Agarkar etc. I wouldn't be surprised if Yuvraj offers bribe to Mahela for playing Fernando in the next match

 

[Manish26]

Dhoni binds a winning ODI package

Dhoni binds a winning ODI package

Jamie Alter in Colombo

August 27, 2008


Mahendra Singh Dhoni was at the forefront of India's unexpected ODI series triumph in Sri Lanka © AFP


India don't like being favourites, and being written off by many even before their young ODI side assembled in Colombo ultimately worked just fine. Defeat in the final Test at the P Sara Stadium was so comprehensive that it was difficult to see where the one-day recruits would turn for solace as they landed for five matches against Ajantha Mendis and Co. Now, after beating the hosts by 46 runs, India have sealed their first series win in Sri Lanka. And central to their success has been their captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

From the day he landed in Colombo, Dhoni stressed the past should be left alone and the focus should be on the task facing his side. He admitted Ajantha Mendis would be a threat but said it was up to the individual to handle him. He stressed on the importance of the batsmen to back themselves to score briskly, despite the setbacks. India's recent record in the subcontinent included losses in the finals of the Kitply and Asia Cup, which Dhoni termed as "crucial games", and he hoped to rectify that trend. This match was a final in itself, and India held their nerve to win it.

He is a very important cog in this wheel, and for the second game running he was at the centre for India, overcoming health issues - he had a a fever yesterday and evidently hadn't recovered fully. Dhoni and Suresh Raina showed how it should be done, scoring runs at a good clip after Sri Lanka left India 81 for 3 in the 18th over. He led the way in proving Mendis could be thwarted, even as he struggled to remain on his feet towards the end of his innings. Overall, Dhoni has top scored in the series with 192 runs at a strike-rate of 79.33, won four tosses in a row, made the right selection choices, and been proactive in the field.

Under lights, with Sanath Jayasuriya in a punishing mood, Dhoni tossed the ball to Harbhajan Singh in the 18th over. With pace taken off the ball, Jayasuriya edged the third ball to a smartly-placed wide slip. After that Dhoni added an extra cover, who was sharp to deny runs. Attempting to work Yuvraj Singh off his pads, Chamara Kapugedera was trapped lbw. These are minor moves Dhoni makes, but they often have a resounding resonance. Dhoni opted for four specialist bowlers in the last two games and he was rewarded with wickets from Yuvraj. Dhoni also won four successive tosses: some call that luck; with Dhoni, it's all part of the package.

In his book, What Sport Tells Us About Life, Ed Smith writes of the 19th-century historian Thomas Carlyle, who believed the bravery of heroes and leaders derived from their inspired and resourceful force. "The history of the world," Carlyle argued, "is but the biography of great men." Dhoni is no great, yet, but he has this amazing knack to inspire. And, since becoming captain and changing his approach to batting, he has played key roles with the bat. He averages 57.17 when in charge, with ten fifties and one century.

Many had criticised Dhoni's decision to skip the Test series, forgetting that he had to endure such a gruelling schedule this last 18 months (14 Tests, 56 ODIs, eight Twenty20 internationals, and the IPL). In the Test side Dhoni has yet to cement his place, as one century in 31 matches suggests; in fact, he was dispensable at the time he announced he was opting out. Dhoni is the most important member of a young one-day side and he realised that for the better.

Numerous television chat shows slammed Dhoni for the loss in the series opener and for reportedly influencing the selectors to pick young talent instead of ageing, vastly experienced heroes. Now Dhoni has led this group, with their struggles and pressures, to win a series few expected them to even contest.



The line-up India fielded resembled virtually that of the dismal Asia Cup final but, led by Dhoni and his sheer bullishness in believing Mendis could be overridden, they overcame the odds. Ignore the awful times, and concentrate on the good ones, seems to be Dhoni's mantra



Unlike in the second and third matches, where Zaheer and Dhoni were virtually one-man shows, this was a collective victory. "Contributive efforts are better because you are not relying on one individual," Dhoni said after the last game. "You will get individual performances brilliantly, but it's always better to win through a team effort. Everyone can enjoy it that way."

Consecutive fifties from Raina and Dhoni, Virat Kohli's maiden half-century to papered over the failures of Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj, Munaf's two-wicket burst, Zaheer Khan's accuracy, wickets for the spinners. This match had it all, and that will give Dhoni immense satisfaction.

Critics can argue that India were helped by a complete batting failure by the hosts, and off-key series for Chaminda Vaas and Muralitharan. Dhoni will tell you that his bowlers got the measure of the batsmen, and there is no denying how Dhoni and S Badrinath's approach towards the spinners in game two sparked a revival. Sri Lanka were poor in this series, very poor, but India were good.

This isn't in the same league as the ICC World Twenty20 or the CB Series, but it should be toasted. It came after Mendis - he who mauled India in the Asia Cup final - and Muttiah Muralitharan made a mockery of the best middle order in Test cricket. The line-up India fielded resembled virtually that of the dismal Asia Cup final but, led by Dhoni and his sheer bullishness in believing Mendis could be overridden, they overcame the odds. Ignore the awful times, and concentrate on the good ones, seems to be Dhoni's mantra.

Baseball, poets say, cannot be scripted. Neither can cricket. After the barrage of questions they faced before this series, Dhoni and his bunch of upstarts can sit back and smile. They've defied the odds and deserved to win, and Carlyle would certainly have toasted their success.

Jamie Alter is a staff writer at Cricinfo

 

[jusarrived]

yes, Malinga is missing.. but not Fernando.. he is the Srilankan version of Sami, Agarkar etc. I wouldn't be surprised if Yuvraj offers bribe to Mahela for playing Fernando in the next match

malinga has never done anything good against us , Fernando though inconsistent aginst other teams has couple of match winning performance against us ...always picks up crucial wickets !

 

[umairriazmirza]

yaar DHONI is an exceptional ODI player..the responsiblity and maturity which he shows in every game is just exceptional...AFRIDI has not leaned after 10 yrs of cricket which DHONI has leanrd in just some yrs...gr8 going by the future gr8 for INDIA

 

[hasan316]

India is the best team in odi these days. They can beat aus too imo.

 

[Manish26]

India is the best team in odi these days. They can beat aus too imo.

Only if the lower order fires and the fielding improves drastically.They will have to play out of their skin to beat them at home in the upcoming series...

 

[Romali_rotti]

India is the best team in odi these days. They can beat aus too imo.

We did beat Oz recently...