Nasser Hussain about MS Dhoni's & K Jadhav's batting: "I am completely baffled by this"

[Napa]

No we are very happy because watching India lose is always enjoyable. We beat two teams England and New Zealand which your team couldn't manage. We are still in the WC you can now go back to the cave you crawled out of.

You should rather be thinking about the direct contest between the two teams, instead of who did and who didn't beat NZ.

If Pakistan had beaten India by 89 runs instead of losing by 89 runs, then it would have been the Indians who would be hoping that Pakistan beats other teams to help India get to the semis.

 

[IAJ]

Pandya and Pant showed intent and they are not politically shrewd.

They haven’t been around long enough yet, give them a couple of years more and they will understand the politics.

 

[CricketIsAwesome]

Pl. have Naseer connected to Rohit Sharma so that the latter can share some actual pitch stats with Naseer to correct his perspective

 

[Abdullah]

Game was over by then.

104 off 10 overs with 6 wickets left. U shouldn't finish 31 short AND still have 5 wickets left

 

[Sami92]

Me too. Looked like they gave up the chase when Hardik got out. It looked really ugly from Dhoni (a legend) & Kedar who has got good stats. Bad cricket I can say.

 

[KyoOne]

104 off 10 overs with 6 wickets left. U shouldn't finish 31 short AND still have 5 wickets left

Criminal in this age.

Its not like Dhoni or Jhadav are like Shadab Khan who don't know how to hit sixes, they did not even try.

Reminds me of 2004 Asia Cup match between Pakistan and India, where Tendulkar remained at the crease throughout the 300-run chase but showed no intent to win the game at any stage, India ended up with 241 out of which 38 were extras!

 

[Sunzi]

If they (Jadhav + Dhoni) truly batted because they are incapable of clearing boundaries then it's an issue, an issue that will come back to haunt them down the line inshallah.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nasser Hussain and Sourav Ganguly were excellent on commentary in the last few overs of the Indian innings. Said it how it needed to be said, when others would have just sat on the fence and kept quiet <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvIND?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvIND</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWC19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CWC19</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1145603147332800512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
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[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">If there was any team that had the ability to stop India’s winning run. It was England. Dhoni’s approach in the last few overs however was baffling. &#55358;&#56596;</p>— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) <a href="https://twitter.com/sanjaymanjrekar/status/1145392996130709506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
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[Rightarmfast]

Dhoni has been the biggest bane for Indian cricket. Just to keep his place, he has sidelined so many deserving players. And what the hell is Jadhav? Why is he in the team? Cant bat, cant bowl. We didnt have such useless players in Indian team since 90's.
And to think that Pakistanis were supporting Dhoni.

 

[AAli98]

If that was pak instead of eng yesterday would Dhoni & co be shouldering arms at 11 rpo required? With there 25-0 or whatever it is wrld cup winning record on line..

 

[Smbhayi]

Not over. One big over was all needed. A 20 run over. Asking rate would have drastically reduced. Towards the end Stokes smoked a few fours and sixes and took them to 338.

Game was lost after Dhoni - Pandya partnership.. If you're blaming Dhoni for the loss then blame Pandya too, don't be biased.. For him there's a big gap in off side but he's always going to long on to deep midwicket where fielders are fully covered..

On a side not I think there's couple of no ball where couple fielder outside the circle when they show fielding map..

 

[Mobashir]

So many years you should have been baffled by Dhoni's batting. He really has nothing of a great batsman in any format of the game, and I am saying it for many many years.

 

[Majestic_Inzi]

Eng hit 13 sixes and Ind hit 1, 59m boundary what were Ind doin?

 

[DHONI183]

Nasser Hussain about MS Dhoni's & K Jadhav's batting: "I am completely baffled by this"

Off topic but who else feels annoyed with Ganguly´s commentary of late? He makes the Indian team look like some invincible XI or something. I´m myself a huge fan of some of the Indian batsmen but Ganguly over does it a little in his praise. Yesterday, he asked Nasser how highly he rates Bumrah in the league of Ambrose, Walsh, Wasim Akram etc.

Nasser was quick to put Ganguly back into his place, reminding him how those guys had long stellar careers spanning over decades. Nothing against Bumrah here who´s indeed a brilliant bowler, but I think even he himself wouldn´t agree with such an assessment.

On their commentary in the last few overs, it was pretty much spot on. Zero disagreement with that.

 

[BreadPakoda]

Didn't Dhoni do the same in the 2015 WC SF? We never looked like we were in the chase. IIRC we needed around 100 runs in last 4 overs.

 

[ak619]

Would have understood had India fallen short by 20 runs losing 8 or 9 wickets. Losing 5 wickets yet not even trying in the last five overs just doesn't make sense.

Every one keeps talking about this 5 wickets nonsense. But are people even seeing who those next 4 wickets are?

Shami ( avg 7 SR 84)
Kuldeep (avg 12 SR 58)
Chahal ( avg 8 SR 50)
Bumrah (avg 4 SR 44)

Literally all four of them are number XI batsmen.

You're saying if we lost Dhoni via slogging then these guys would have scored 50 runs in 25 balls? Do you really think that was a possibility?

A far more real possibility would have been that by trying to hit out, India would have have been bowled out for 280 giving India a 57 run loss which would have dented out NRR even further.

A 31 run loss cost India almost a 0.2 loss in NRR and know they stand on 0.85.

A 60 run loss would have resulted in a 0.4 NRR loss where India would have a NRR of approximately 0.65 and NZ are currently on 0.57. Which is way too close for comfort.

By chance now if both India and NZ remain on 11 points, it's our NRR which will save us.

 

[ak619]

Didn't Dhoni do the same in the 2015 WC SF? We never looked like we were in the chase. IIRC we needed around 100 runs in last 4 overs.

Yeah. Useless Dhoni! Can't even chase 150 runs in the last 10 against Johnson and Starc. Even tail-enders would be able to slog to that score.

Australia had given India the match on a platter. Had even set the stage for Dhoni to score a 200.

But Dhoni deliberately lost that match. Just like he did yesterday.

 

[BreadPakoda]

Yeah. Useless Dhoni! Can't even chase 150 runs in the last 10 against Johnson and Starc. Even tail-enders would be able to slog to that score.

Australia had given India the match on a platter. Had even set the stage for Dhoni to score a 200.

But Dhoni deliberately lost that match. Just like he did yesterday.

No need to get hyper. Its the lack of intent that people are talking about. Nudging around for singles Vs going all out.

 

[akkers]

Official commentators have been appointed by ICC this time (bizarre). The commentators are bound by the T&C set by ICC and cannot step outside the box. Even on Sky debate last night the panelists were using words like 'bizarre' and not coming out with the harsh truth.
In the end its all a closed shop.

 

[ak619]

No need to get hyper. Its the lack of intent that people are talking about. Nudging around for singles Vs going all out.

I'm not hyper man. Just having some fun.

Look, this is not new. It's not even the first time this is happening.

I can understand that my Pakistani friends are tearing their hair out because this is the first time it's happening with them.

But Indian fans shouldn't be surprised about this. By now we should have realised that if Kohli, Rohit or Hardik don't play till the end, India cannot score 100+ in the last 10 while chasing. It's that simple.

We need to ensure that the 4 strike bowlers we have don't keep giving away 320+ runs in the WC. They cannot be complete duds with the bat and also give away 320 runs.

 

[BreadPakoda]

I'm not hyper man. Just having some fun.

Look, this is not new. It's not even the first time this is happening.

I can understand that my Pakistani friends are tearing their hair out because this is the first time it's happening with them.

But Indian fans shouldn't be surprised about this. By now we should have realised that if Kohli, Rohit or Hardik don't play till the end, India cannot score 100+ in the last 10 while chasing. It's that simple.

We need to ensure that the 4 strike bowlers we have don't keep giving away 320+ runs in the WC. They cannot be complete duds with the bat and also give away 320 runs.

That's exactly what I mean too. This is not happening for the first time and shouldn't surprise many. We have given up tall chases before as well. Once we know we are not in it, we just nudge around to complete the formality.

 

[BreadPakoda]

Unlike say what Hassan and Wahab did that day against Ozzies. Although they lost they went all out. Created a chance for a victory. Didn't just nudge around to settle for a "respectable" 220/7.

 

[Havok]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">If there was any team that had the ability to stop India’s winning run. It was England. Dhoni’s approach in the last few overs however was baffling. </p>— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) <a href="https://twitter.com/sanjaymanjrekar/status/1145392996130709506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Lol, he’s getting so much hate for it, as an India myself this is one thing that irks me about Indian people, they worship some people and will go to any extent to defend them. We all know very well that dhoni played a questionable inning and that should be atleast acknowledged.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Dhoni scored 42* at S/R 135. It was a very good performance, unfortunately he could not turn into Superman and score 80* at S/R 270 to help Pakistan qualify for the semis.

There were no "5 wickets left". The 4 batsmen yet to play are the worst last 4 of any team and it wasn't as if Dhoni and Jhadav were wasting balls that Chahal and Bumrah would hit for sixes.



It is natural for many fans to leave when they believe that the outcome of a game has been decided. It is not particularly about Dhoni and Jhadav.

Lol what a shoddy defense. Imad and Shadab played with more intent against India when Pakistan needed 136 off 5 overs. They scored 46 in those 5 overs. Dhoni did not seem bothered to even bring the game close. And India were content at playing 6-7 runs an over

 

[Mp812]

What's there to be baffled. Is he saying English bowlers did not or could not have bowled to make shot making difficult

 

[JellyBro]

they weren't going to win either way. It looks bad that they gave up so early in the game. That's not champion like at all. Dhoni being a senior "should" know how to play in these type of games. If he has forgotten how to do that then India needs to make a tough call and drop him. He's riding on his seniority and pass laurels but everyone knows he is way past his prime.

 

[jnaveen1980]

I would have preferred Hasan Ali and Wahab Riaz instead of Jadhav/Dhoni. Seriously Wahab didn't waste any time at all slamming a couple of sixes.

 

[jnaveen1980]

What's there to be baffled. Is he saying English bowlers did not or could not have bowled to make shot making difficult

Taking singles like they are playing 20th over of the match without any aggressive intent for 5 overs will baffle anyone. There were 14 singles 7 dot balls

 

[MenInG]

Simple question: What stopped Dhoni from the throwing the kitchen sink at every ball in trying to get the target?

 

[ak619]

Simple question: What stopped Dhoni from the throwing the kitchen sink at every ball in trying to get the target?

Simple answer: Net Run Rate.

This is a tournament and that too a WC. It's not the place to make risky decisions. India play percentage cricket. And their strategy is also based around it.

70 from 30 was not going to happen. Simple as that. Not only hay pitch against that bowling lineup with India's 7-11 batsmen.

Seems like a lot of Pakistani fans simply cannot digest the fact that a win was 96% out of the equation for India after 45 overs. Taking a risk against those odds make sense in a KO but not in the league stage when the team hasn't yet qualified. A 60 run loss yesterday would have reduced the difference in NRR between India and New Zealand to about 0.15 As it stands now, the difference is 0.28 which is far more secure.

I understand that Pakistani fans will have a whole laundry list of complaints about yesterday's match. But one simply has to understand that India was playing to secure their own chances of qualification and not some other team's.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Simple answer: Net Run Rate.

This is a tournament and that too a WC. It's not the place to make risky decisions. India play percentage cricket. And their strategy is also based around it.

70 from 30 was not going to happen. Simple as that. Not only hay pitch against that bowling lineup with India's 7-11 batsmen.

Seems like a lot of Pakistani fans simply cannot digest the fact that a win was 96% out of the equation for India after 45 overs. Taking a risk against those odds make sense in a KO but not in the league stage when the team hasn't yet qualified. A 60 run loss yesterday would have reduced the difference in NRR between India and New Zealand to about 0.15 As it stands now, the difference is 0.28 which is far more secure.

I understand that Pakistani fans will have a whole laundry list of complaints about yesterday's match. But one simply has to understand that India was playing to secure their own chances of qualification and not some other team's.

That is rubbish! India was the last team to be affected by NRR among the remaining teams. India has matches against Bangladesh and Srilanka. You worry bout NRR? YOu think India will lose to both. Then they don't deserve to b e in the semis in the first place.

 

[MenInG]

Simple answer: Net Run Rate.

This is a tournament and that too a WC. It's not the place to make risky decisions. India play percentage cricket. And their strategy is also based around it.

70 from 30 was not going to happen. Simple as that. Not only hay pitch against that bowling lineup with India's 7-11 batsmen.

Seems like a lot of Pakistani fans simply cannot digest the fact that a win was 96% out of the equation for India after 45 overs. Taking a risk against those odds make sense in a KO but not in the league stage when the team hasn't yet qualified. A 60 run loss yesterday would have reduced the difference in NRR between India and New Zealand to about 0.15 As it stands now, the difference is 0.28 which is far more secure.

I understand that Pakistani fans will have a whole laundry list of complaints about yesterday's match. But one simply has to understand that India was playing to secure their own chances of qualification and not some other team's.

I am assuming you were listening to the commentators who were 'baffled', wondering why Dhoni wasnt attacking. Guess they all missed this simple point?!

 

[ak619]

That is rubbish! India was the last team to be affected by NRR among the remaining teams. India has matches against Bangladesh and Srilanka. You worry bout NRR? YOu think India will lose to both. Then they don't deserve to b e in the semis in the first place.

Whoever is in the top 4 after the league stage ends deserves to be in the semis.

That's the beauty of the WC. Numbers matter over subjective opinions of people.

Bangladesh has been quite good so far. I'm sure you'll agree to that.

And as you saw today, if Sri Lanka clicks then even they can score 300+ against a team that bowled out Pakistan for 105 - a team that you might think "deserves" to be in the semis because they have beaten England. Different strokes...

 

[ak619]

I am assuming you were listening to the commentators who were 'baffled', wondering why Dhoni wasnt attacking. Guess they all missed this simple point?!

Well it seems that an entire nation may have missed that point. Is it too much if we throw in a few Indians and Englishmen in there as well?

Like I said, keen CSK fans will recognise this style of tournament play. Others may remain bewildered. Whether it comes off or not is a different matter but this isn't something knew that Dhoni is just trying out. This is how he has been playing tournaments for a while now. It came off in the IPL. Almost failed in the Asia Cup. Now let's see how things end up in this WC.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Whoever is in the top 4 after the league stage ends deserves to be in the semis.

That's the beauty of the WC. Numbers matter over subjective opinions of people.

Bangladesh has been quite good so far. I'm sure you'll agree to that.

And as you saw today, if Sri Lanka clicks then even they can score 300+ against a team that bowled out Pakistan for 105 - a team that you might think "deserves" to be in the semis because they have beaten England. Different strokes...

India is no.1 ranked side that cleaned up all the teams in their way. Even today they were not far off from pulling off a chase despite so many things went against them. You still think India will somehow lose to SL and BD? So in a similar scenario against BD and SL you will be playing for NRR?

 

[ak619]

India is no.1 ranked side that cleaned up all the teams in their way. Even today they were not far off from pulling off a chase despite so many things went against them. You still think India will somehow lose to SL and BD? So in a similar scenario against BD and SL you will be playing for NRR?

Of course it's unlikely. But can you rule it out? No.

Right now, even if India lose both games they are more or less secure on NRR because if NZ are to stay at 11 points that means their NRR will also go down in their next match. And Pakistan and Bangladesh have NRR which are too low to match up.

We saw how close the Afghanistan game got. With so many newcomers coming into the side - Pant, Shankar/Mayank and a fairly inexperienced KL Rahul, why would you risk anything?

Tell me what did India lose by not winning yesterday? Nothing, right? Then what's the big deal? At least we pretty much secured a SF spot even if nothing goes right for us in the next two games.

 

[zulfiqar]

Well it seems that an entire nation may have missed that point. Is it too much if we throw in a few Indians and Englishmen in there as well?

Like I said, keen CSK fans will recognise this style of tournament play. Others may remain bewildered. Whether it comes off or not is a different matter but this isn't something knew that Dhoni is just trying out. This is how he has been playing tournaments for a while now. It came off in the IPL. Almost failed in the Asia Cup. Now let's see how things end up in this WC.

You know, obviously Pak fans are upset and there's a lot of salt here from Pak fans who were rooting for India. But putting that aside, the simple question is - Should Dhoni have tried to get the target (which was by no means impossible, and he has chased similar targets down from the position he was in many times before - including int he IPL). No one is mad at him for failing, the problem is the intent - should he have at least tried?

Your answer about NRR would be credible for other teams, but not for India. The difference between losing by 50 runs and 30 runs is not that big of a deal. Had he gone for it, it was likely that India would lose by a similar # of runs even then. Interesting that rational posters would defend Dhoni's play. Misbah got regularly crucified here on PP for playing in a similar fashion many times - including in Mohali.

 

[zulfiqar]

Also let me add that, even though no one can know someone's intent - it was plain obvious here that he wasn't even trying until the last over when it didn't matter. I criticized Warner in a similar way in their game against India - and even though I stand by my criticism that his innings was baffling given the scenario his team was in, at least it was visible that he wasn't able to "get away" despite trying - and so he changed strategy and decided to just leave the target to the others batsman (in the process doing the team no favors by making it harder).

Dhoni knew he's the only one that can finish the game in this situation.

 

[ak619]

You know, obviously Pak fans are upset and there's a lot of salt here from Pak fans who were rooting for India. But putting that aside, the simple question is - Should Dhoni have tried to get the target (which was by no means impossible, and he has chased similar targets down from the position he was in many times before - including int he IPL). No one is mad at him for failing, the problem is the intent - should he have at least tried?

Your answer about NRR would be credible for other teams, but not for India. The difference between losing by 50 runs and 30 runs is not that big of a deal. Had he gone for it, it was likely that India would lose by a similar # of runs even then. Interesting that rational posters would defend Dhoni's play. Misbah got regularly crucified here on PP for playing in a similar fashion many times - including in Mohali.

Misbah played that way in a KO where "mitigating" a loss doesn't exist. It's an all or nothing game.

But a league match, that too at the business end of the round robin, where as many as 3 teams - India, New Zealand and either of Pakistan or Bangladesh can simultaneously end up on 11 points - is a whole another ball game altogether.

It's surprising to me that people are not counting the NRR factor to be a serious matter when there is a very high chance that the 4th spot will be decided by NRR only.

 

[zulfiqar]

Misbah played that way in a KO where "mitigating" a loss doesn't exist. It's an all or nothing game.

But a league match, that too at the business end of the round robin, where as many as 3 teams - India, New Zealand and either of Pakistan or Bangladesh can simultaneously end up on 11 points - is a whole another ball game altogether.

It's surprising to me that people are not counting the NRR factor to be a serious matter when there is a very high chance that the 4th spot will be decided by NRR only.

Real quick - the Mohali match was an example, Misbah has done that many times for Pak.

To the main point: If you are correct in assuming that Dhoni was playing for NRR (which is questionable, though I agree that it's the only rationale I can think of), then just like the bonus point that was discarded, the NRR needs to be looked at more closely. A team should never be rewarded for losing the game on purpose. Because basically what you are saying is, it's ok that Dhoni purposely lost because it benefited India more.

 

[ak619]

Real quick - the Mohali match was an example, Misbah has done that many times for Pak.

To the main point: If you are correct in assuming that Dhoni was playing for NRR (which is questionable, though I agree that it's the only rationale I can think of), then just like the bonus point that was discarded, the NRR needs to be looked at more closely. A team should never be rewarded for losing the game on purpose. Because basically what you are saying is, it's ok that Dhoni purposely lost because it benefited India more.

Obviously. Every team is playing for their own benefit only.

Many times in the last match of a tournament teams find themselves batting second and they have 2 targets - one that the opposition has set and a second, lower total that they need to get to ensure qualification.

Many teams in those instances have played to reach the safe score.

So what were those teams doing? They were willing to lose on purpose to ensure qualify. What that wrong?


The same thing happens in football too btw. Goal Difference is something every team keeps an eye on during a WC and many teams will play defensively at some stage during the tournament to maintain their high Goal Difference. Is that wrong to?


A team will do whatever it takes to win the trophy. As long as it's within the laws of the game, I don't see how anyone can have any legitimate complaints.

 

[loves_cricket]

Simple question: What stopped Dhoni from the throwing the kitchen sink at every ball in trying to get the target?

Why should he do it?
Supposedly one of them gets out and our tail enders will be exposed to hostile fast bowlers and gets injured
There are more important games awaiting and we already have injuries

Well thought and well executed by Dhoni but will not be understood by tinted glass wearing fans

 

[PakLFC]

Every one keeps talking about this 5 wickets nonsense. But are people even seeing who those next 4 wickets are?

Shami ( avg 7 SR 84)
Kuldeep (avg 12 SR 58)
Chahal ( avg 8 SR 50)
Bumrah (avg 4 SR 44)

Literally all four of them are number XI batsmen.

You're saying if we lost Dhoni via slogging then these guys would have scored 50 runs in 25 balls? Do you really think that was a possibility?

A far more real possibility would have been that by trying to hit out, India would have have been bowled out for 280 giving India a 57 run loss which would have dented out NRR even further.

A 31 run loss cost India almost a 0.2 loss in NRR and know they stand on 0.85.

A 60 run loss would have resulted in a 0.4 NRR loss where India would have a NRR of approximately 0.65 and NZ are currently on 0.57. Which is way too close for comfort.

By chance now if both India and NZ remain on 11 points, it's our NRR which will save us.

Doesn't matter who the remaining wickets were. When India had nothing to lose Dhoni should have gone for it instead of playing defensive shots. Better to lose trying by losing all wickets then playing like cowards. The run rate was most likely not gonna be an issue had India been all out, they could have scored and got much closer to the target that way too. When the commentators were baffled then that is good enough for me coz I was too.

 

[Napa]

Lol what a shoddy defense. Imad and Shadab played with more intent against India when Pakistan needed 136 off 5 overs. They scored 46 in those 5 overs. Dhoni did not seem bothered to even bring the game close. And India were content at playing 6-7 runs an over

You musn't have watched the India Pakistan match. Pakistan needed to score 130, and they scored 46. This is "more intent" for you???

Bumrah was bowling with a shortened lineup. The Indian bowlers were going through the motion, anyone with a brain knows what the result was going to be.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

You musn't have watched the India Pakistan match. Pakistan needed to score 130, and they scored 46. This is "more intent" for you???

Bumrah was bowling with a shortened lineup. The Indian bowlers were going through the motion, anyone with a brain knows what the result was going to be.

46 off 5 overs is a RR of 9+

Atleast they were trying to play shots unlike Dhoni who was out there for batting practice.

Also, my frustration comes not from the fact that Pakistan could have benefited from India winning. If Pakistan go out it will be because they made their own bed when they got shot out for 110 and again when they failed to chase 307 on a flat pitch. My frustration comes from the fact that this was a high-profile World Cup game and not trying is just inexcusable, especially from a senior player like Dhoni.

I thought that 114 ball blockathon against West Indies 2 years ago, in which he hit 1 boundary and failed to finish off the game was an anomaly but such is clearly not the case as the guy has lost it.

 

[Saj]

Just worth mentioning that Nasser and Sourav were excellent on commentary those last few overs.

Both were extremely uncomfortable with what was happening out there and didn't hold back like others would have.

 

[Varun]

Dhoni will lose us the cup if we have another 300+ chase on our hands, which we will.

 

[Zhasan]

Agarkar has also called out the India's batting in last 10 overs, stating Dhoni and Jadhav showed no intention of hitting big shots and were happy taking singles.

Also, termed it "baffling"...

 

[ak619]

Doesn't matter who the remaining wickets were. When India had nothing to lose Dhoni should have gone for it instead of playing defensive shots. Better to lose trying by losing all wickets then playing like cowards. The run rate was most likely not gonna be an issue had India been all out, they could have scored and got much closer to the target that way too. When the commentators were baffled then that is good enough for me coz I was too.

Of course you will be baffled because the outcome is detrimental for your team.

I'm not baffled because the outcome is relatively better for my team.

You can call our players cowards and whatever else you like out of your frustration.

But I hope the lesson you DO take out of this is that your team should play better cricket. If not then every WC you'll be biting your nails watching a match that doesn't even feature Pakistan.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Dhoni sucks these days. It is a figment of imagination to say Dhoni was playing for NRR lol . Not even Dhoni will buy it. With just one loss India shouldn't worry about 20 extra runs. They can easily make up in the other two matches against two lower ranked sides. It is just a baloney excuse.

Let us process this excuse. Dhoni is batting with 70 odd in 6 overs , he suddenly thinks "hey what will happen to our NRR if we lose to SL and BD. So let us take it deep and get extra 20 runs instead of getting bowled out" Yea right that is what he was thinking haha . Pretty lame

 

[UP]

Agree with Nasser. It was a bizarre chase, they showed no intent right from the beginning. They played like minnows.

 

[PakLFC]

Of course you will be baffled because the outcome is detrimental for your team.

I'm not baffled because the outcome is relatively better for my team.

You can call our players cowards and whatever else you like out of your frustration.

But I hope the lesson you DO take out of this is that your team should play better cricket. If not then every WC you'll be biting your nails watching a match that doesn't even feature Pakistan.

No! I am baffled coz India did not try and so were Ganguly and Nasser. If Pak is eliminated it will be coz of our own inadequacy not coz India were defeated by England. So what about the many Indian's who are questioning the Indian performance are they frustrated as well? The lesson we will take is losing to teams like West Indies is unacceptable, a slow start will catch up with you in the end. Pak will play in future World Cup,s, there will be no need to bite anything then.

 

[MP2011]

Dhoni sucks these days.

Dhoni has been sucking ever since last WC. FULL STOP.

 

[Balthazar]

Not sure how people are saying oh they’re not good enough. That can’t explain the clear lack of intent shown by them. How can you be tapping the ball around for a single when you’re needing 15+ rpo? Even tailenders, who obviously aren’t good enough, would atleast try and swing their bat.

It's because Dhoni didn't want to showcase his inability to hit the balls. It's easier to fool people if he didn't show any intent and give up on the chase. His image will take a hit if he comes across as an incompetent batsman.

 

[MP2011]

It's because Dhoni didn't want to showcase his inability to hit the balls. It's easier to fool people if he didn't show any intent and give up on the chase. His image will take a hit if he comes across as an incompetent batsman.

Another good point.

 

[MP2011]

Dhoni has been behaving like a politician since long, cue SIF. I'm least bit surprised to see him behaving they way he is.

 

[Balthazar]

Another good point.

I remember Kohli once questioning the lack of intent shown by the opposition in the press (I think it was against England in a Test match). He really has no shame as this is happening in his own team.

 

[MP2011]

I remember Kohli once questioning the lack of intent shown by the opposition in the press (I think it was against England in a Test match). He really has no shame as this is happening in his own team.

True. Kohli has no shame. He is so engrossed in boot licking Dhoni that he even forgot that he is captain of Indian team.

 

[akkers]

I think they are using tame words like 'baffled' because their hands are tied by the ICC and the broadcaster.
I am sure they would use some better choice words if allowed the freedom.

 

[jnaveen1980]

So the stupid NRR theory is null and void. They are just incompetent buffoons. That's all there is to it.

 

[shahman1980]

My take on this whole thing

India lost when
- England got the boundary to be short
- England rested the spinner
- Virat and sharma made 27 in first 10

Asking Jadhav and Dhoni to make at 10-12 an over for 15 overs is impossible

Dhoni played well and when game was unwinnable ensured we don’t loose much on nrr in case rain etc comes in future and also ensured that we were just 30 runs away

If india meets England again -they will bridge the 30 run gap

India has by far been the best team this tournament - lost only one match .
There is a method to indian madness .

 

[ak619]

So the stupid NRR theory is null and void. They are just incompetent buffoons. That's all there is to it.

No it's not null and void at all. If anything, it's confirmed even more strongly now.

Nobody is denying that Dhoni can't make scores like 50 off 24 balls anymore.

I've been saying this from the start that once it became 70 required off 30 after Hardik's dismissal, India's chances of winning became less than 5%.

And as we saw yesterday when our lower order and tail were trying to slog, we can crumble real quick. Which means in the England match, there was a high chance that we could have been bowled out for less than 280.

Given all odds, India went for a safe option. You can accuse the Indian team/Dhoni of being too defensive in their gameplans. But it's the team who's going out there and playing the conditions and the opposition. We have to assume that they are doing what they will gives them the best chance to qualify. Surely nobody is playing to lose the WC.

 

[jnaveen1980]

* Fact That Dhoni sucked because only because he was thinking about the possibility of India losing to SL and Bd is beyond ridiculous. Others had to hit since Dhoni was it hitting. If everyone thinks like Dhoni India will end up with 250/2

 

[ak619]

* Fact That Dhoni sucked because only because he was thinking about the possibility of India losing to SL and Bd is beyond ridiculous. Others had to hit since Dhoni was it hitting. If everyone thinks like Dhoni India will end up with 250/2

If you think the possibility of losing to any particular team in a WC is "beyond ridiculous" then I will seriously question your respect towards the game of cricket.

What is ridiculous is you saying "if everyone thinks like Dhoni". Why on earth would everyone in a team of XI play the same role? Everyone has a particular role to play in this indian team.

If you want everyone in the XI to play with the same mindset a la England then you have to also accept the very real possibility of being bundled out for less than 200 - which has happened to England several times in the recent past.

Every strategy has some strength and some weaknesses. You cannot be critical of one (India's) strategy and in the same breadth approve of another strategy (England's) when neither has a 100% success rate.


Look, don't expect 2019 Dhoni to play the same role as 2012 Dhoni. That role has now been passed on to Hardik Pandya. Dhoni's role now is still that of a finisher but a different kind of finisher. The kind of finisher that Dravid was in the ODI side.

Dhoni's role as a Dravid-esque finisher is still very relevant today as we saw in the series against Australia and NZ. Even Dravid wasn't great in 300+ chases. But like 2019 Dhoni, was also a master of 280 chases. So was Dravid a burden on India then? No way, he won us many matches playing that role.

The real failure of team India is that they failed to find a replacement for Yuvraj Singh.

Just think about it. If we had a 2007-09 version of Yuvraj batting at no 4 in this WC, would you be at all worried about Dhoni or the middle order?

That's been our failure. Not Dhoni. Not Pandya. But our inability to find another Yuvraj Singh.

 

[arunpsm]

My theory is there is no conspiracy during Eng match. Dhoni used to be a safe + yet good hitter. Thats why he used to finish without throwing his wicket away. For past few years he has lost his power hitting, only the "safe" part remains. So he is unable to score + unable to get out.

 

[MP2011]

* Fact That Dhoni sucked because only because he was thinking about the possibility of India losing to SL and Bd is beyond ridiculous. Others had to hit since Dhoni was it hitting. If everyone thinks like Dhoni India will end up with 250/2

Kind of depths people sink to defend grandpa!

India scored 63 in last 10 overs despite getting such a great platform. If this doesn't alarm people, then nothing else will.

 

[loves_cricket]

What i am baffled is crying and whining about India's lose again India's lose!
And also about so called intent, what intent?
Throw your wickets and expose your tail enders to hostile fast bowlers.we already have injuries.
It wasn't do or die for us. May be not good outcome for Pakistan. But India is not responsible for other teams.

 

[akkers]

I dont know why people are defending these sportsmen. It was simple and obvious, to anyone who has played cricket.
We as spectators/fans should not defend these sportspersons no matter who we support. We pay huge amount of money at the grounds and TV companies and expect sports ethos to be upheld.

Call a spade a spade and call out cheaters no matter who they are. Thats the only way we can stop cheating and malpractices in sport.

 

[loves_cricket]

I am baffled by NZ's batting today as well, ICC must inquire about it.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

I dont know why people are defending these sportsmen. It was simple and obvious, to anyone who has played cricket.
We as spectators/fans should not defend these sportspersons no matter who we support. We pay huge amount of money at the grounds and TV companies and expect sports ethos to be upheld.

Call a spade a spade and call out cheaters no matter who they are. Thats the only way we can stop cheating and malpractices in sport.

Name those cheaters please.

 

[jnaveen1980]

If you think the possibility of losing to any particular team in a WC is "beyond ridiculous" then I will seriously question your respect towards the game of cricket.

What is ridiculous is you saying "if everyone thinks like Dhoni". Why on earth would everyone in a team of XI play the same role? Everyone has a particular role to play in this indian team.

If you want everyone in the XI to play with the same mindset a la England then you have to also accept the very real possibility of being bundled out for less than 200 - which has happened to England several times in the recent past.

Every strategy has some strength and some weaknesses. You cannot be critical of one (India's) strategy and in the same breadth approve of another strategy (England's) when neither has a 100% success rate.


Look, don't expect 2019 Dhoni to play the same role as 2012 Dhoni. That role has now been passed on to Hardik Pandya. Dhoni's role now is still that of a finisher but a different kind of finisher. The kind of finisher that Dravid was in the ODI side.

Dhoni's role as a Dravid-esque finisher is still very relevant today as we saw in the series against Australia and NZ. Even Dravid wasn't great in 300+ chases. But like 2019 Dhoni, was also a master of 280 chases. So was Dravid a burden on India then? No way, he won us many matches playing that role.

The real failure of team India is that they failed to find a replacement for Yuvraj Singh.

Just think about it. If we had a 2007-09 version of Yuvraj batting at no 4 in this WC, would you be at all worried about Dhoni or the middle order?

That's been our failure. Not Dhoni. Not Pandya. But our inability to find another Yuvraj Singh.

What? Dravid was a finisher? Lol learning something new everyday. He has failed to accelerate 4 matches in a row. You are still trying to sell this theory they did to protect NRR

 

[Mp812]

Did Nasser have any comment about new zealand intent to chase England 305 score.

At least India without intent got to 305 chasing 338.

Any master pearl statement from Nasser

 

[ak619]

What? Dravid was a finisher? Lol learning something new everyday. He has failed to accelerate 4 matches in a row. You are still trying to sell this theory they did to protect NRR

That's always a good thing.

I also try to learn something new everyday.

Dravid batted at no 5 for India 70 times and was arguably his most prolific there. His highest average and SR is also at no 5 & 6 where he scored some great runs including multiple innings against Pakistan during 2003-2005 including that WC game in Centurion.

Maybe people have forgotten it, but Dravid only went up to no 3 permanently from 2005 onwards. From about 2002-2004/05 he was India's number 5 and wicketkeeper.

A wicketkeeper batsman who bats at no 5 and is good for 280-290 run chases... Imagine that!!

 

[Tubs]

Refrained from commenting on this due to how angry I was.

But I have to respect Pandya and Pant for giving it their all. I'm not saying it's some conspiracy, but it certainly seemed suspect.

 

[jnaveen1980]

That's always a good thing.

I also try to learn something new everyday.

Dravid batted at no 5 for India 70 times and was arguably his most prolific there. His highest average and SR is also at no 5 & 6 where he scored some great runs including multiple innings against Pakistan during 2003-2005 including that WC game in Centurion.

Maybe people have forgotten it, but Dravid only went up to no 3 permanently from 2005 onwards. From about 2002-2004/05 he was India's number 5 and wicketkeeper.

A wicketkeeper batsman who bats at no 5 and is good for 280-290 run chases... Imagine that!!

Dravid was never a big hitter. Rahul would never fit in modern era with no real higher gears. That is not supposed to be Dhonis role. Someone coming down the order should accelerate from the get go like Raina or look to accelerate. Not tuk tuk, leaving the ball,
Playing dots putting pressure on partner, no intent until 50th over

 

[hur rizvi]

Not a believer in conspiracy theories but lack of intent really was baffling