India in Pakistan

[jwalits]

Originally posted by TheGame

I also want to see who will be out for the third Test, Ganguly is coming back. It is kind of difficult for him now to decide who he should rest now that the batsmen gave a bad performance. P. Patel, Y.Singh and Chopra, I think it would be one of these guys...I really think P.Patel should be out and Dravid should take the Keeping, this way the Indian's would get a better batting line-up, only if Ganguly can do some good

I don't think P.Patel can be dropped. I don't think Dravid will be made to keep in the Test Matches. It is ok to keep for just 50 overs, but in a test he could be there for around 150-160 overs and then get 10 mins break and put the pads back on. That is hard enough for a regular keeper to do, showed by Kumar Sangakarra's poor form with the bat against Australia, i don't think Dravid will be able to keep for that long.
Just read an article, where Ganguly was quoted to saying Yuvraj Singh will be in the final XI for the 3rd Test. I think the only ones that can be dropped are Chopra or Laxman, but I don't think u can drop those 2 after having great series in OZ. Personally I think Ganguly could sit out this test, but that won't happen, so we'll just wait and see!!!

 

[jwalits]

Heres that article link that I read last night:
http://cricket.123india.com/news/yuvraj-play.html
This is where Ganguly is quoted saying that Yuvraj will play the 3rd test...

 

[Rangeela]

2nd Test Result

India 1st Inning 287 (Yuvraj 112, Gul 5/31)
Pakistan 1st Inning 489 (Farhat 101, Inzi 118) (Balaji 3/81, Pathan 3/107)
India 2nd Inning 241 (Sehwag 90, Patel 62*) (Akhtar 3/62, Kaneria 3/14)
Pakistan 2nd Inning 40/1


Result: Pakistan won by 9 wickets

Man of the Match: Umar Gul

Series: 3-Test series level 1-1

 

[Saptarshi]

Indians batted very very badly. Sehwag is the only batsman who's not scared of the pakistan attack.

 

[TheGame]

Good to see Shouab Akhtar is back on track, he gave some good deliveries today and deserved those 2 wickets. About Danish Kaneria, he is really very lucky...I think Saqlain could have done better.

I really think Laxman will be out for the 3rd Test, but I wonder if Kamran Akmal will be put out. I think he has done well, and he should be kept in the team for the 3rd so that he can get some experience, Moin and Rashid can't be there for Pakistan forever.

No batsman is ever scared of a bowler, but Sehwag is something different. His shots are always amazing, it is only when he gets excited and throws his wicket away.

It will be do or die for both the teams, looking forward for an amazing match.

 

[TheGame]

Fitting answer to our critics, says Inzimam

Reporter:What are your reactions on this victory?
Inzimam:The boys did well and the result has been a fitting answer to those who criticised the team :cool:.
Did those criticism really affect you?
Yes. The criticism had actually demoralised our team. It was surprising to find many senior players, instead of encouraging us, were very keen to pull us down through their statements.
Were you hurt by all those brickbats?
Yes, it did hurt my feelings and the feelings of my coach Javed Miandad. If they hadn't stopped, it would have been difficult for me continue as captain.
I thought they knew that we were playing under pressure and that this is a tough series.
Does that mean criticism affects you and your team?
I am not against criticism. All I say is that it should be positive. Do you consider this win as one of the best in your career? Yes, after the World Cup victory (in 1992) this has been one of the finest victories. It is sweet mainly because it was a great comeback win .
Now that the focus is shifting on to the Rawalpindi Test, how confident is your team?
The pressure of playing in a deciding Test will be there. However, we have proved that if we can work hard, we can produce a good result. We will work hard during the next three days and try our best to win in Rawalpindi.
Now that you have bowled out India twice, have you changed your opinion about the Indian batting being strong?
No. The Indian batting is very strong, but my bowlers have got back their confidence.
Do you think Akhtar has regained his rhythm?
He has bowled very well in the second innings. It looks like he has regained his rhythm. Hopefully, he will do well in Rawalpindi too.
What do you feel about Tendulkar's form?
He is undoubtedly a great batsman. But I would really like to see him continue with that work and display the same form in the third Test too.

Well I seriously think that all those former cricketers, if they have anything to say...then say it to the players, give them tips tell them secret weak points you have seen. But saying something bad about the team on air, really people start getting wierd thoughts about the team.:

 

[TheGame]

Yuvraj's innings a major gain from second Test, says Dravid

Reporter:What according to you is the reason behind India's defeat in this Test?
Dravid:I think Pakistan played better than us in the three and a half days.
Where exactly did your team go wrong?
It is easy to sit and analyse after the Test that we should have put up a better score in the first innings and that we should have restricted them for a lower total. However, we have to admit that we went wrong in a few areas. The wicket was turning out to be difficult to bat, but if we'd managed a lead of 250 in the second innings the Test match would have been interesting.
Do you think that after the victory in Multan your team was also a bit over confident?
No, we were not over confident. We did try hard and no one can say that any of my players relaxed. They all tried their best.
Was it a good idea to bat first on this wicket after winning the toss?
I had a look at the wicket and it did not look as difficult as in Headingley or Melbourne. However, had I know that we would have been four wickets down before lunch then I would have bowled (smiles).
Do you think your run out in the second innings was the turning point of the match?
Just one run out does not decide the fate of a Test. I still think Pakistan played better cricket during the three and a half days.
Do you think Indian players are showing signs of fatigue?
No. All the boys are excited to play and have been hitting the ball very well.
Were you happy with the standard of umpiring here?
I feel the better team won here. Umpiring is a part and parcel of the game and both the teams have to accept it. In Multan we were the better team and here they were the better team.
Now what do you think will needed for your team to put pressure on Pakistan?
Whenever we have put a good total on board we have been able to trouble the opposition. We hope to do that in the Rawalpindi again.
What are the positive factors that you derive of this Test match
Yuvraj's batting. It was a brilliant century for one who is playing only in his third Test. Pathan and Balaji bowled well and Parthiv Patel's fighting knock was very heartening.
What is your team's immediate plan?
It is disappointing to lose. We will have to pick up from where we lost. This is a closely contested series. Whoever executes their plans during the course of the Test will emerge the winner. In the next few days we will work hard on areas where we did not do well.

Good to hear that India hasn't reported the Umpiring to the ICC. I wonder what ganguly has in his mind, I am sure he had been watching the matches in the hospital and found out any weak points the Pakistanis have got.

I also heard a report that, there is this Pakistani girl who has face cancer. The treatment for this is in India, and the Indian team urged the hospitals in India to help the child, four hospitals came forward and said they will help the child and for free. This is seriously going to help strengthening the ties between the two countries.

 

[Saptarshi]

I hear Yuvraj is going to open the innings with Sehwag. Personally I think it is a bad idea, coz Yuvraj hasnt got the technique to play the moving ball well at the early part of the innings.

And I hear it is also going to be a green wicket.

 

[TheGame]

Originally posted by Saptarshi
I hear Yuvraj is going to open the innings with Sehwag. Personally I think it is a bad idea, coz Yuvraj hasnt got the technique to play the moving ball well at the early part of the innings.

And I hear it is also going to be a green wicket.

I am not really sure about Yuvraj cause haven't seen him bat much. But if he plays good in the position that he is now then he should stay there (looking at the conditions though). Cause putting him earlier in the line-up (like opening) then I think that might put a bit of pressure on him, because he will have to give his best there.
Definitely it is going to be green, it was green in Lahore test and the Pakistani bowlers did very well. This was decided right after the Lahore Test, but loosing the bowlers because of injury, might put Inzimam in trouble.
I think the 3rd test will be a draw!

 

[Saptarshi]

I think we can predict resluts after the match starts! But injuries are a sure problem to both the sides on this tour!

 

[Rangeela]

probable squad for final Test

Pakistan (likely) 1 Imran Farhat, 2 Taufeeq Umar, 3 Yasir Hameed, 4 Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), 5 Yousuf Youhana, 6 Asim Kamal, 7 Kamran Akmal (wk), 8 Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, 9 Mohammad Sami, 10 Shoaib Akhtar, 11 Danish Kaneria.

India 1 Yuvraj Singh, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 VVS Laxman, 6 Sourav Ganguly (capt), 7 Parthiv Patel (wk), 8 Irfan Pathan, 9 Lakshmipathy Balaji, 10 Anil Kumble, 11 Ashish Nehra

 

[TheGame]

Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, wasn't he the one who was giving away loads of extras in the ODIs?

 

[Rangeela]

yes sure he was

 

[jwalits]

Originally posted by Saptarshi
I hear Yuvraj is going to open the innings with Sehwag. Personally I think it is a bad idea, coz Yuvraj hasnt got the technique to play the moving ball well at the early part of the innings.
.

Thats what was said about Sehwag, when he first started opening the batting in Tests, but now is probably on the way to becoming the most successfull Opener in tests for India since Gavaskar....
Personally, technique is important, but nothing is as important as runs and thats whay Sehwag is successfull and I think Yuvraj is in a similar mould as Sehwag, so I don't see much problem in letting him open unless Ganguly wants to open himself!!

 

[Rangeela]

3rd Test Stumps Day 1

Toss: India

Pakistan 1st Inning 224 (Sami 49) (Balaji 4/63)
India 1st Inning 23/1

India trail by 201 runs with 9 wickets remaining in the 1st innings