INDIA Vs AUSTRALIA - DLF CUP

[XFactor]

I think they lost the plot at the end. Good cricket from Australia to bring Lee and McGrath early to finish things off.

 

[Muhammad]

Lee wasn't that expensive, he was going at below 5 runs an over?

 

[zulfiqar]

Tendulkar triggered the top order collapse as Dhoni triggered the lower order collapse.. both played unresponsibly (and tendulkar was given a chance too!). This game though was tainted by some bad umpiring decisions... as Dhoni was given out on a huge no-ball (Lee overstepped) and harbajhan did not nick the ball he was caught on (seemed pretty clear he missed it, snick and slow-mo replays confirmed it).

Never the less, this isn't Pakistan that lost so I can't whine too much, but Indian team played irresponsibly at some keypoints in the game which cost them the match.

 

[zulfiqar]

Well, Tendu was given a chance in the sense that the umpire called him back after wrongly giving him out at initial glance.

 

[jusarrived]

This is depressing to say the least..poor cricket from india,we din deserve to be in the final!

 

[Nice-N-Fresh]

well done Australia. Hope they lose in the finals...

 

[infamous9383]

Just another collapase in the tournament by either IND OR WI

 

[infamous9383]

Australia showed weaknesses today

 

[OZGOD]

Mongia taking singles when he needed to keep the strike was a bit strange. Is he only a young bloke? Seemed to play a decent innings aside from some poor judgment at the end.

 

[OZGOD]

Anyway, I'm off to work. I'll have to break the speed limit on the way I think.

 

[zulfiqar]

Mongia doesn't look young to me... I don't know his righ tage though.. looks 26+

 

[Daoud]

Mongia taking singles when he needed to keep the strike was a bit strange. Is he only a young bloke? Seemed to play a decent innings aside from some poor judgment at the end.

Nah, hes pretty experienced. Been around for quite a while

 

[infamous9383]

WI should lose easily cause they choke bigger than India

 

[Asim2Good]

I think Mongia's judgment may cost him place in team as well
he should have take strike as much as possible at end.

3-4 times he send tailenders to face at start of over or in middle of the over.

 

[infamous9383]

I think Mongia's judgment may cost him place in team as well
he should have take strike as much as possible at end.

3-4 times he send tailenders to face at start of over or in middle of the over.

if it weren't for him india wouldnt even be close

 

[CricketJunoon]

Mongia made a mistake with RP Sing but taking a run on the 4th ball is okay

 

[Asim2Good]

if it weren't for him india wouldnt even be close

But then he has to finish it as well specially when being just 20 runs behind. This ll not b accepted as some one have to face it and Mongia set himself as perfect candidate to b dropped after his proformance at final stage of match

 

[Asim2Good]

Mongia made a mistake with RP Sing but taking a run on the 4th ball is okay

No, he should taken single on 5th ball if not on last ball of the over.

he did 2 times with RP Singh and left him to face whole over and Munaf had to face Lee's 2 deliveries which he should have faced.

 

[OZGOD]

Oh well, it was a good game all up. Both teams had a chance to win it at the end, but the OZ held their nerve better. I feel for Mongia, if not for him India wouldn't have had a shout, but he showed a lack of composure there. Still, it's nervewracking batting out those last few overs with two bunnies.

 

[CricketJunoon]

It'll be interesting what happens to Ponting....good umpiring by Benson

CricInfo: While McGrath smiled ruefully and walked back to his mark, Ricky Ponting was livid. Forgetting the fact that the umpire is well within his rights to reverse a decision (Law 27.9), Ponting shared more than a few words, and it will be interesting to see what view the match referee takes at the end of the game. After his latest outburst against West Indies, Cricket Australia had come down hard on him, aware that the next offence would invite a multiple-game ban.

 

[Romali_rotti]

Oh well, it was a good game all up. Both teams had a chance to win it at the end, but the OZ held their nerve better. I feel for Mongia, if not for him India wouldn't have had a shout, but he showed a lack of composure there. Still, it's nervewracking batting out those last few overs with two bunnies.

Nah sorry mate, Asad Rauf held his nerve and handed you guys the win .... Congrats both of you Asad Rauf and Aus well done great job, hope this win makes you feel real good

 

[CricketJunoon]

Nah sorry mate, Asad Rauf held his nerve and handed you guys the win .... Congrats both of you Asad Rauf and Aus well done great job, hope this win makes you feel real good

You guys always make it seem like it is a conspiracy against you by the Pakistani umpire. See below due to Asad Rauf's consultation Tendulkar (the batsman in form and the most dangerous) was called back to bat after he was given out incorrectly. Those errors later on by Asad R. can be made by any umpire.
CricInfo:Tendulkar's reaction was about as animated as he ever gets on a cricket field, and it perhaps implanted the first seeds of doubt in Benson's mind. And while Tendulkar trudged towards the pavilion slowly, he decided to consult with his colleague, Asad Rauf. Once Rauf gave his opinion, Benson decided that it was better to look silly than give the wrong decision, and to his credit, he recalled the batsma

 

[OZGOD]

Nah sorry mate, Asad Rauf held his nerve and handed you guys the win .... Congrats both of you Asad Rauf and Aus well done great job, hope this win makes you feel real good

Well, if you want to use the umpiring as an excuse, fair enough mate. I felt your team was still in with a chance to win at the end, with 18 runs from 37 deliveries with a well set batsman. I generally find people who whinge about umpiring as the cause of a loss when their team was still in with a chance to win it despite the umpiring are generally those who like looking for external reasons for a loss before internal reasons. Personally, I felt that Mongia showed some poor judgment right at the end and this was a bigger contributing factor than playing the if-game (if Dhoni hadn't been given out we'd have won, if Harby hadn't been given out, we'd have won, etc). But to each his own, so knock yourself out mate.

 

[Romali_rotti]

You guys always make it seem like it is a conspiracy against you by the Pakistani umpire. See below due to Asad Rauf's consultation Tendulkar (the batsman in form and the most dangerous) was called back to bat after he was given out incorrectly. Those errors later on by Asad R. can be made by any umpire.
CricInfo:Tendulkar's reaction was about as animated as he ever gets on a cricket field, and it perhaps implanted the first seeds of doubt in Benson's mind. And while Tendulkar trudged towards the pavilion slowly, he decided to consult with his colleague, Asad Rauf. Once Rauf gave his opinion, Benson decided that it was better to look silly than give the wrong decision, and to his credit, he recalled the batsma

Nope I never said it was a conspiracy theory by the Pak umpire. How can it be, when all umpires from all countries do it to us on a regular basis? especially when playing aus

 

[kasoo10]

It amazes me how Australia can defend totals in low 200s. I do not think there is any other team that has done it so consistently. May be that is the reason they are on top.

 

[Perth93]

go oz go. what a team.
was celebrating every indian muppet to fall.
what a bunch.
get back dinesh karthick. atleast he doesnt have a bihari brain like Dhobi.

sehwag-well just isnt made for ODIs. dravid - its obvious he's praying for gangu to come back. great batter, but better as one.

i think the reason we fans got so carried away in recent seasons becoz international bowling standards were really poor....somehow i feel its slowly getting better. every team has 2-3 decent quicks now.
these FTBs cashed in on an era of brad williams, bichel, ronnie irani and dominic cork etc.

now that some new hot bowlers are steaming thru, the Great Indian Side is revealing its true colors.

had to happen. Yuvi, dhoni, veeru and kaif should be DENIED their visas- simply cant travel.

 

[Romali_rotti]

Well, if you want to use the umpiring as an excuse, fair enough mate. I felt your team was still in with a chance to win at the end, with 18 runs from 37 deliveries with a well set batsman. But people generally like looking for external reasons for a loss before internal reasons, so knock yourself out.

Mate

If Dhoni wasnt given out we would have won !!!!!.. Sorry the better team didnt win today umpires mistakes won you the game, accept it. We have every right to feel this after being on the recieving end from umpires from all over countless times espeically when playing against you. I am sure you wont forget how ur boy Darrell Harper gave SRT helmet before wicket a while back, so you have no credibility to argue put a sock in it......

 

[CricketJunoon]

It amazes me how Australia can defend totals in low 200s. I do not think there is any other team that has done it so consistently. May be that is the reason they are on top.

Australia is no more the great team it used to be and I figure it will soon start to get defeated by the number 2,3 and 4 teams. Teams are choking at the moment due to Australia's past reputation but I think in the ODI department they will not last at the top for very long.

 

[Romali_rotti]

It amazes me how Australia can defend totals in low 200s. I do not think there is any other team that has done it so consistently. May be that is the reason they are on top.

Hmm a bit of help from the umpires sure doesnt hurt their chances either ..

 

[CricketJunoon]

South Africa is breathing on their throats at the moment and if Pakistan had done a half decent job against England we would also be up there very close to them or would have surpassed them. They will no longer have the 20 plus lead in points in the ODI department of the game.

 

[infamous9383]

this is a good sign for Australia as they batted poorly but still managed to win

 

[CricketJunoon]

Hmm a bit of help from the umpires sure doesnt hurt their chances either ..

yeah yeah yeah all umpires are out to get India when they play Australia......Whatever man

 

[infamous9383]

very unforunate decison but not the first time it has happend and certainly won't be the last.

 

[samisback]

Come out come out where ever you are @ jusarrived


Told you , India was never in the finals mate...sometimes it pays to listen to dear ol cav

What a cracking final we have peeps, Aus Vs Windies, With Windies winning it

 

[Romali_rotti]

South Africa is breathing on their throats at the moment and if Pakistan had done a half decent job against England we would also be up there very close to them or would have surpassed them. They will no longer have the 20 plus lead in points in the ODI department of the game.

I wouldsay a full strength Pakistan side will topple Aus, they def have some cracks appearing, the only question is the; Umpire factor, and it is a huge factor tooo... But SA breathing down a full strength aussie side's throat? Pleaseee I hope you are seriouslyy jokinggggggggg.....

 

[infamous9383]

SA always sturggles in the world cups so therefore i don't consider them as a very big threat to Aus.

 

[Amir]

I wouldsay a full strength Pakistan side will topple Aus, they def have some cracks appearing, the only question is the; Umpire factor, and it is a huge factor tooo... But SA breathing down a full strength aussie side's throat? Pleaseee I hope you are seriouslyy jokinggggggggg.....

Considering SA just did beat the 3-2 in a ODI Series.

 

[Rickz]

Did'nt watch the whole match, but my mates said that 2 batsmen was out on no balls, and one batsmen was given out unfairly.

India bowlers did very well, D Mongia and Raina played well under pressure, but Mongia at the end should not have given Patel the strike.

 

[Rickz]

India would have won the first two games if it was'nt for rain.

 

[infamous9383]

India would have won the first two games if it was'nt for rain.

35/5 they would Have won,

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

[Amir]

India would have won the first two games if it was'nt for rain.

What? They were reeling at 35-5? Even before the rain it wasn't guantareed they would win. Tehy struggled to chase 200 here, and you expect them just to notch 245 off easily.

 

[sehsan]

India would have won the first two games if it was'nt for rain.

india would have won all the matches IF they wouldn't have participated in the tournament ) )

 

[CricketJunoon]

I wouldsay a full strength Pakistan side will topple Aus, they def have some cracks appearing, the only question is the; Umpire factor, and it is a huge factor tooo... But SA breathing down a full strength aussie side's throat? Pleaseee I hope you are seriouslyy jokinggggggggg.....

I'm saying on a ODI points basis SouthAfrica is very close and Pakistan could also have been there if we had done even a half decent job in England.

This is a quote taken from a recent article posted on the ICC website:http://www.icc-cricket.com/odi/
South Africa breathing down Australia's neck at top of LG ICC ODI Championship table

Australia's lead at the top of the LG ICC ODI Championship table now stands at its smallest margin in almost four years

 

[Rickz]

What? They were reeling at 35-5? Even before the rain it wasn't guantareed they would win. Tehy struggled to chase 200 here, and you expect them just to notch 245 off easily.

India would have won the WI, when the Windies was chasing 310 to win in the 1st game, I believe Lara and Sarwan would have lasted, but not long enough, and they hardly had any good batsmen to come in after them.

In the 2nd game, it was 50/50, but I would have backed India to win, India was preparing to chase 245, they was 16-0 in the 1st 5 overs, becuase of rain, the stupid duckworth lewis pushed our run rate from under 5, to 6.5 an over, we needed quick runs, so rain spoilt the game, the rain gave some assistance to the Aussie bowlers to.

 

[Romali_rotti]

Considering SA just did beat the 3-2 in a ODI Series.

I dont recall a Mcgrath being there ...

 

[Rickz]

india would have won all the matches IF they wouldn't have participated in the tournament ) )

)

 

[infamous9383]

india would have won all the matches IF they wouldn't have participated in the tournament ) )

the only reason India loss was due to lack of security provided at Kinarka Oval. Sachin didn't have his bodyguards with him and he thought he might be in trouble so decided to get out early. sensing the same situation all of them followed one another with the lone exception of Dinesh Mongaia who has been playing county cricket and didn't know the situation but at the end he ran out of partners and decided it was best to leave.

 

[Easa]

India choke again

 

[kasoo10]

Let me get it right. 3 teams play DLF cup. 2 go into finals. Does that mean the third one is the last? If that is the case then sure, third one is India.

 

[jackal786]

Lee did. lee got 5... excellent bowling from him!! He's my 2nd favorite bowler from the current lot of players (after Shoaib Akhtar). It was mongia's fault because he shoudl've guided his fellow batsmen at the end and made sure he maintains strike against the like of Mcgrath and lee..

Most of his wickets were a result of indiscrete approach from Indians. There were absolutely no demons. Even agarkar survived for that long! 34 balls 18 runs to win! The shots played by RP singh and Munaf were really dreadful. They paid no respect to Lee and threw the bat. Mongia was also responsible for letting them face Lee with just one more over for Lee.

 

[Tupac]

argh....man it's been a long day. Woke up at 1:30, excited to see India do well in the field, and then mixed emotions throughout the innings until doom at the end.

One thing I would like to say to my brothers here is that rain or no rain, all talks of luck, and umpiring decisions, are secondary. What we saw today, for the umpteenth time from the Australians, was that grit and determination. The ability to never, ever give up, no matter how much the odds are stacked against you. After getting blitzed by Chanderpaul, they fought back and won. After being bowled out for a poor 244, they scythed through us to have us at 35-5....and now after being skittled for 214, and at one point looking down and out, they win...yet again....

We need to learn that if we are going to challenge that. Sadly only Dinesh Mongia had the stomach for a fight today.

The only consolation is that perhaps Sachin Tendulkar might get Man of The Series...being far and away the best batsmen.

 

[akram_rejuvinated]

yeah yeah yeah all umpires are out to get India when they play Australia......Whatever man

no dude, some of the crucial decisions did go against India. we were lucky that the umpires reconsidered their decision on Sachin Tendulkar, but that really did not make much of a difference. Haddin's dismissal, Dhoni's catch on a no ball, and Harbhajan's caught behind appeal, all went in the favor of Australia, and they are such a team that you cant compete with them if their batsmen or bowlers receive a brief respite.

nevertheless, in the end india have themselves to blame. dhoni's shot selection was poor at best, he was better advised to practise restrain. and then later, instead of shielding r.p. singh who seemed like a gloating idiot, shining his 32s at every single he took (and decided to take on Lee for six consecutive delieveries), and just downright stupid. and if that was not bad enough, Mongia decided to take a single after somehow patel managed to rotate the strike.

India must really concentrate on improving tactics and teaching the younger players strategy. what we lacked today was strategy, and that too in the last 5 overs of the match. otherwise, irrespective of the initial collapse, india were well and truely on their way to a victory. alas, we will not have to wait till the champions' trophy to extract blood...

good game australia, good luck for the final... Brett Lee - brilliant stuff.

 

[samisback]

argh....man it's been a long day. Woke up at 1:30, excited to see India do well in the field, and then mixed emotions throughout the innings until doom at the end.

One thing I would like to say to my brothers here is that rain or no rain, all talks of luck, and umpiring decisions, are secondary. What we saw today, for the umpteenth time from the Australians, was that grit and determination. The ability to never, ever give up, no matter how much the odds are stacked against you. After getting blitzed by Chanderpaul, they fought back and won. After being bowled out for a poor 244, they scythed through us to have us at 35-5....and now after being skittled for 214, and at one point looking down and out, they win...yet again....

We need to learn that if we are going to challenge that. Sadly only Dinesh Mongia had the stomach for a fight today.

The only consolation is that perhaps Sachin Tendulkar might get Man of The Series...being far and away the best batsmen.

i blame him , he should not have been exposing the Tail, like he was...you certainly expect better from a well set Batsman , it was poor stuff from him, he is more than capable of hitting the ball long, should have done better.

 

[akram_rejuvinated]

I wouldsay a full strength Pakistan side will topple Aus, they def have some cracks appearing, the only question is the; Umpire factor, and it is a huge factor tooo... But SA breathing down a full strength aussie side's throat? Pleaseee I hope you are seriouslyy jokinggggggggg.....

i serious doubt that is possible. Pakistan's batting is based on the performance of the three veterans: Yousuf, Younis and Inzi. of these three, Younis is yet to deliever against the Aussies. As for their bowling, apart from Shoaib who can cause problems with discontorting pace, the rest, including mohammed asif would be easy pickings for the likes of ponting, hussey, hayden and co. notice that in the entire tournament, the only occassions where these batsmen were out cheap was due to a poor shot or opportune field placement. and save for hussey being outfoxed by the bowler in the last match, these guys have had good measure of everything tossed their way.

a full strength pakistani side could manage a victory or two against australia, but i expect an aussie riot all the way. it would take something special, maybe a bowler of exceptional caliber or a batsmen to rival the likes of ponting and hussey, to be amongst the opposition to topple or even hault this aussie juggernaut. they are favorites for the 2007 world cup. possibly india or west indies would face them in the finals where ponting would probably once again deliever the coupe de grace.

 

[mooz]

yeah yeah yeah all umpires are out to get India when they play Australia......Whatever man

Very hypocritical to criticise Indian fans when they complain abotu umpiring, when we have been crying over umpiring incompetence and prejudice for the last 4 weeks.

 

[akram_rejuvinated]

I dont recall a Mcgrath being there ...

true, mcgrath would never have permitted that dumb 400 odd run chase.

 

[mooz]

i serious doubt that is possible. Pakistan's batting is based on the performance of the three veterans: Yousuf, Younis and Inzi. of these three, Younis is yet to deliever against the Aussies. As for their bowling, apart from Shoaib who can cause problems with discontorting pace, the rest, including mohammed asif would be easy pickings for the likes of ponting, hussey, hayden and co. notice that in the entire tournament, the only occassions where these batsmen were out cheap was due to a poor shot or opportune field placement. and save for hussey being outfoxed by the bowler in the last match, these guys have had good measure of everything tossed their way.

a full strength pakistani side could manage a victory or two against australia, but i expect an aussie riot all the way. it would take something special, maybe a bowler of exceptional caliber or a batsmen to rival the likes of ponting and hussey, to be amongst the opposition to topple or even hault this aussie juggernaut. they are favorites for the 2007 world cup. possibly india or west indies would face them in the finals where ponting would probably once again deliever the coupe de grace.

I guess it kind of depends where we are playing. Back in the subcontinent Pakistan will win 4-5/10 games if at full strength, but probaby only 2-3/10 in Australia. The real question, ofcourse, is how will they afre against Australia in the WI during the WC.
Oh, and Asif will not be easy picking for any team.

 

[Easa]

i serious doubt that is possible. Pakistan's batting is based on the performance of the three veterans: Yousuf, Younis and Inzi. of these three, Younis is yet to deliever against the Aussies. As for their bowling, apart from Shoaib who can cause problems with discontorting pace, the rest, including mohammed asif would be easy pickings for the likes of ponting, hussey, hayden and co. notice that in the entire tournament, the only occassions where these batsmen were out cheap was due to a poor shot or opportune field placement. and save for hussey being outfoxed by the bowler in the last match, these guys have had good measure of everything tossed their way.

a full strength pakistani side could manage a victory or two against australia, but i expect an aussie riot all the way. it would take something special, maybe a bowler of exceptional caliber or a batsmen to rival the likes of ponting and hussey, to be amongst the opposition to topple or even hault this aussie juggernaut. they are favorites for the 2007 world cup. possibly india or west indies would face them in the finals where ponting would probably once again deliever the coupe de grace.

Asif, easy pickings? He is not the same bowler he was when he first played them, he is a much better one.

Has troubled every team he has played apart from Australia.

 

[Daoud]

And while Younis didnt score any centuries in the series in Aus, he was easily the best batsman and didnt look troubled by any Aussie bowler, be that McGrath, Warne or MacGill

 

[Usman Chadda]

they are favorites for the 2007 world cup. possibly india or west indies would face them in the finals where ponting would probably once again deliever the coupe de grace.

Is that a joke? West Indies in the World Cup final?!

 

[OZGOD]

Mate

If Dhoni wasnt given out we would have won !!!!!.. Sorry the better team didnt win today umpires mistakes won you the game, accept it. We have every right to feel this after being on the recieving end from umpires from all over countless times espeically when playing against you. I am sure you wont forget how ur boy Darrell Harper gave SRT helmet before wicket a while back, so you have no credibility to argue put a sock in it......

Playing the game of "if-only". World's against you, it's a great OZ conspiracy to keep the Indians down and all that. If only this hadn't happened, this would have happened. Dhoni may have gone on to win the game for you, he may well have repeated the shot the next ball and got himself cowlashed out (like against England in the last game of the Test series). I could easily say that if Dwayne Smith hadn't been given out LBW to Agarkar in the India-WI match before this that you would not have lost that game. Bottom line is your team still had a chance to win at the end if it showed a bit more composure.

You seem to be taking this a bit hard mate. No need for sour grapes, just chill out and have a Kit Kat. Your team played well all up, got hard done by on a couple of occasions but showed a lack of composure right at the end when the game was up for grabs. No point going back and playing "if-only" in that situation. Great teams bounce back from adversity and find a way to win. India's getting there but are not quite there yet. Sometimes the bounce of the ball favours one team, sometimes the other. Bounce of the ball favoured you in the Dwayne Smith incident. Seeing as he's a cowlasher like Dhoni, he may well have cowlashed WI to victory. Or maybe not. That's life.

 

[OZGOD]

India would have won the first two games if it was'nt for rain.

Indians love playing the game of "if". )

 

[OZGOD]

i serious doubt that is possible. Pakistan's batting is based on the performance of the three veterans: Yousuf, Younis and Inzi. of these three, Younis is yet to deliever against the Aussies. As for their bowling, apart from Shoaib who can cause problems with discontorting pace, the rest, including mohammed asif would be easy pickings for the likes of ponting, hussey, hayden and co. notice that in the entire tournament, the only occassions where these batsmen were out cheap was due to a poor shot or opportune field placement. and save for hussey being outfoxed by the bowler in the last match, these guys have had good measure of everything tossed their way.

a full strength pakistani side could manage a victory or two against australia, but i expect an aussie riot all the way. it would take something special, maybe a bowler of exceptional caliber or a batsmen to rival the likes of ponting and hussey, to be amongst the opposition to topple or even hault this aussie juggernaut. they are favorites for the 2007 world cup. possibly india or west indies would face them in the finals where ponting would probably once again deliever the coupe de grace.

We played pretty poorly in this match though. The batting was terrible, probably a reflection of the instability in the side, with players getting rotated in and out. I still don't understand why Krapich is in this side, he adds no value whatsoever. I think that Haydunce may have done enough to fight his way back into the team to partner Gilly at the top.

Another question mark is with Marto - I haven't been convinced by this bloke for a couple of years now. I reckon he's past it and needs to go. I would like to see Hussey in that second drop position as he can play the anchor role while also being able to play his shots.

Much as I hate Watson, his versatility would have helped us today - we looked to be a bowler short.

I'd like to see this team for the start of the CT:

Gilly
Haydunce
Ponting
Hussey
Symmo
Clarke
Watson
Hogg
Lee
Johnson
McGrath

Four seamers, a spinner and two part timers, plus a side that can bat down to 8 or 9. I think this side has better balance. Then you could have Jaques to cover the top order, Marto to cover the middle and Clark to cover the bowlers.

Anyone know what's happened to Shaut Tait? Is he injured again or something?

 

[Pathan007]

argh....man it's been a long day. Woke up at 1:30, excited to see India do well in the field, and then mixed emotions throughout the innings until doom at the end.

One thing I would like to say to my brothers here is that rain or no rain, all talks of luck, and umpiring decisions, are secondary. What we saw today, for the umpteenth time from the Australians, was that grit and determination. The ability to never, ever give up, no matter how much the odds are stacked against you. After getting blitzed by Chanderpaul, they fought back and won. After being bowled out for a poor 244, they scythed through us to have us at 35-5....and now after being skittled for 214, and at one point looking down and out, they win...yet again....

We need to learn that if we are going to challenge that. Sadly only Dinesh Mongia had the stomach for a fight today.

The only consolation is that perhaps Sachin Tendulkar might get Man of The Series...being far and away the best batsmen.

yaar stop lying. jhoot tou itna bhi nahi bolo. what has he done that could get him MOS award? 2performances that too against Windies and nothing against Aussie. i'm not saying he had a bad series. but to go that far and having sachin MOS is absurd. i would go for either Gayle or Lee.

 

[OZGOD]

Asif, easy pickings? He is not the same bowler he was when he first played them, he is a much better one.

Has troubled every team he has played apart from Australia.

Asif has definitely improved since his debut in OZ. I remember watching him in Sydney and thinking that he looked very ordinary. But since then he's progressed very well.

 

[MediumPacer]

After watching the DLF games and the England-Pakistan series I feel that
no team can challenge Australia at present. They are the most balanced
team. Other teams have weaknesses either in bowling, batting or the
fielding. In this situation, the team that will beat Australia will be the team
that plays as "TEAM" and not as individual players. Each and every player
will have to contribute and raise his hand in face of adversity. Reminds me
of 1983 team of India, 1987 team of Austrlia and 1992 team of pakistan.
These teams contained a bunch of fighters united against the
favorites and rising to the occasion. Team unity will be the most important
thing for this world cup.

 

[PlanetPakistan]

There are a lot of positive for IND. Their bowlers really did well in the last 3 games, Sachin made a successful comeback and D Mongia showed that he was mentally strong enough to be a successful international cricketer.
AUS fought very well and played good percentage cricket but it also needs to be said that they were just a touch lucky.

 

[Romali_rotti]

There are a lot of positive for IND. Their bowlers really did well in the last 3 games, Sachin made a successful comeback and D Mongia showed that he was mentally strong enough to be a successful international cricketer.
AUS fought very well and played good percentage cricket but it also needs to be said that they were just a touch lucky.

Yes lots of positives behind the loss;

- Riana looks a great talent very elegant indeed, as he ages and matures
should turn into a stud for our side.

- Kaif I ranked very low till today, the way he was batting against Mcgrath
and LEe he looked set and composed wasnt for that rash shot, I think
he needs a consistent run in the indian side to turn into a great player.

- The bowlers I think did an awesome job, India finally seems to have the
foundation of possibly forming a good pace attack in the future.

- Dhoni looked brave out there facing Lee and co, but very unlucky to be
given out on a no-ball.

As for the negatives;

- Sehwag, SRT played poor shots.

- Dravid is making it a very unchangable habit of not showing up, if he
sees that Mcgrath & lee are on the field together.

- While Mongia played a good knock I still dont see the point of having him
ahead of a younger more talented and athletic Yuvraj...

- Horrible umpiring by Asad Rauf and a very questionable run out not
given against Brad Haddin. I can gaurantee if a sub continental player
was in Haddin shoes the red light would have flashed at the speed of
light.

 

[akram_rejuvinated]

Very hypocritical to criticise Indian fans when they complain abotu umpiring, when we have been crying over umpiring incompetence and prejudice for the last 4 weeks.

big difference between questioning an umpire's motives for giving a questionable decision (and on one occassion in the match, the defaulting of the game was a result of inzi throwing a temper tantrum), as opposed to commenting on the quality of umpring on the basis of three outrageous decisions going against us... dont see anyone jump on the blame asaud rauf for losing us the match band wagon... accusing him to cheating for being a pakistani, or calling benson a racist for not spotting the no ball on which dhoni was caught or permitting haddin to return.

 

[akram_rejuvinated]

Playing the game of "if-only". World's against you, it's a great OZ conspiracy to keep the Indians down and all that. If only this hadn't happened, this would have happened. Dhoni may have gone on to win the game for you, he may well have repeated the shot the next ball and got himself cowlashed out (like against England in the last game of the Test series). I could easily say that if Dwayne Smith hadn't been given out LBW to Agarkar in the India-WI match before this that you would not have lost that game. Bottom line is your team still had a chance to win at the end if it showed a bit more composure.

You seem to be taking this a bit hard mate. No need for sour grapes, just chill out and have a Kit Kat. Your team played well all up, got hard done by on a couple of occasions but showed a lack of composure right at the end when the game was up for grabs. No point going back and playing "if-only" in that situation. Great teams bounce back from adversity and find a way to win. India's getting there but are not quite there yet. Sometimes the bounce of the ball favours one team, sometimes the other. Bounce of the ball favoured you in the Dwayne Smith incident. Seeing as he's a cowlasher like Dhoni, he may well have cowlashed WI to victory. Or maybe not. That's life.

good observation, maybe its fair to mention in the same breath that morton was LBW to an agarkar delievery much earlier in the match, before they took the lunch break, but was not given out. its difficult to judge to result of a match on the basis of a result going awry in the early overs of the match, but when decisions such as harbhajan which was given out simply because symonds and haddin were appealing like a bunch of bleeding baboons, one wonders if the decision could have been different. heck, in the sydney test in early 2004, katich survived three confident appeals for LBW on the 5th day, but survived to salvage a draw... nevertheless, which its not always in the spirit of the game to complain about the result on the basis of umpiring calls, its difficult to not reflect on them.

though using this reflection to accuse us of complaing about an aussie conspirary, well thats your personal delusion.

 

[akram_rejuvinated]

yaar stop lying. jhoot tou itna bhi nahi bolo. what has he done that could get him MOS award? 2performances that too against Windies and nothing against Aussie. i'm not saying he had a bad series. but to go that far and having sachin MOS is absurd. i would go for either Gayle or Lee.

wonder what lee has done? or for that fact Gayle. he got quick runs but his dismissals in crunch or rather relaxed situations makes one wonder if he takes the game seriously enough.

 

[akram_rejuvinated]

Is that a joke? West Indies in the World Cup final?!

west indies with edwards, jerome and bravo and not to forget the batting of chanderpaul, lara and gayle are a force to reckon with. infact in the past 5 years, they are the only team to have beaten australia more than once on the trot... they beat them 3 games in a row in a 7 match series, albeit after australia won the first 4, but nevertheless, the aussies were at full strength.

notice that save for once, no one got the better of chanderpaul and gayle in the same match.

 

[akram_rejuvinated]

And while Younis didnt score any centuries in the series in Aus, he was easily the best batsman and didnt look troubled by any Aussie bowler, be that McGrath, Warne or MacGill

i dont know about him dude, he really does not inspire confidence against quality bowling attacks. i am sure inzi and younis are upto the challenge, but younis, hmm... not so sure.

 

[akram_rejuvinated]

Asif, easy pickings? He is not the same bowler he was when he first played them, he is a much better one.

Has troubled every team he has played apart from Australia.

in ODIs asif has been as benign as a bee without its stinger. he might have tormented lesser mortals such as sri lanka (especially when they were low on confidence and had been softened to a pulp by india less than a month earlier), he failed against india (again in the ODI not the tests that i am talking about here), could not win pakistan the series against england and well was tonked about on his debut. he might have improved, but in the shorter version of the game, he is not quite as dangerous.

 

[inzidabest]

India played well. I did not expect them to make even 150 runs. ha ha ha

 

[inzidabest]

wonder what lee has done? or for that fact Gayle. he got quick runs but his dismissals in crunch or rather relaxed situations makes one wonder if he takes the game seriously enough.

Man of the series will either be Lara or Haddin.

 

[mooz]

in ODIs asif has been as benign as a bee without its stinger.

Dude, first of all, who talks like that anymore? Oh wait... I guess YOU do. And Navjot Sidhu.
Secondly all ur assertions are false. You said he got "tonked" on debut when infact he took 2/14 on debut against England. You said that he dominated SL, and called SL "lesser mortals", when a) his record against SL is slightly worse than his overall record and b) SL is actually a very good ODI team. You said he failed to win Pakistan the series against England, which I conceed is true, but it was not due to Asif but despite of Asif's brilliant bowling(8 wickets at 22). You said he failed against India in ODIs, but surely going at around 4 an over against the "mighty" Indian batting is hardly a failure.

If Asif is a "bee without a stinger" in ODIs, which of your bowlers has outstung him? Pathan? The only reason we give Asif so little credit for his ODI performances is because he is so d*mn exceptional in test cricket.

 

[Daoud]

i dont know about him dude, he really does not inspire confidence against quality bowling attacks. i am sure inzi and younis are upto the challenge, but younis, hmm... not so sure.

He had no problems against Warne and McGrath - the only times he got out was when he stupidly through his wicket away after getting set. Since then hes improved his concentration and was pretty dominant in England too

 

[Somali Pirate]

watching the highlights and i just wondering if dhoni has lost his brain. What an irresponsible shot at such a juncture in the game.

 

[D BHAI]

Accept the Defeat, that's all no excuse!

Support our Nation, when they fails, talk about their minus points, say one or two bad words for them!

then the next tournament, forget about past , support them again! that's what CRICKET