Amazing how india turn their heros to zero in a few secs!

It was a dramatic match which ended in an anticlimax. There were incidents galore both ugly and sweet. Irfan Pathan was hit on the temple by a small metallic object, resembling a bolt. Tendulkar, who scored 100 but still ended up on the losing side, gestured at his glove to the umpire after being adjudged leg-before-wicket. He could face disciplinary action.

Captain Rahul Dravid had this to say after the match,"It was an unfortunate way to lose the match. But rules are rules and they are part of the game. The match was heading towards an exciting finish when it had to be called off."

The question is would 500 have been enough to defend?(AFP Photo)
The Indian captain said, "We should have got more runs in the last ten overs after the start we got. Unfortunately a few leg before dismissals happened to us and there were some great catches taken too by the Pakistan fielders." But disissals or not India still would have been unable to defend 350 with the kind of bowlig attack it possess.

Ajit Agarkar went for 58 runs in his nine overs, promising young bowler Sreesanth still has a long way to go - he gave away 75, Pathan went wicketless in his ten overs and Zaheer Khan gave away 50 in his eight. In short, the Indian seamers flopped badly. True even the Pakistanis were no good but Indians had a score to defend and all they had to do was put the ball in the right place but all of them failed miserably.

Murali Kartick should either not play an ODI again or should be sent back home immediately. He was disastrous to say the least. He bowled one no-ball and four wides giving away 64 runs in nine overs. Either Dravid should get over his Kartik favoritism or Chappell should bite the bullet. Kartik must go even Harbhajan Singh is better even if he goes wicketless atleast he doesn't give away wides and no balls. Murali is the weakest link in the Indian attack, a bowler who is taken lightly by every opposition batsmen.(AFP Photo)


If Murali is India's weakest link in bowling, Sehwag is the one in batting! The Nawab is an absolute failure on tracks which have pace and bounce . Instead of playing on the frontfoot with bat close to the body, Sehwag pokes at every ball. He has virtually become Asif's bunny on this tour. If India has to stage a comeback Sehwag must fire in the next match because time is running out for him and his team. In a five match series if India goes down 2-0 it would be as good as over because India cannot be then expected to win the next three games. So Mr Sehwag has to fire in the next ODI at Rawalpindi on Saturday.(AFP Photo)

India has to learn to shut the opposition. They had a brilliant chance when they had reached 200 in 30 overs but managed just 128 in the next 20 overs and to top it all lost six wickets for 33 runs. They slowed down in the middle overs and then lost steam towards the end to give Pakistan hope and the hosts captalised on it when they came out to bat. Soft dismissals, lack of application and run outs were on full display as the Indians collapsed in the end.(AFP Photo)

Even though Sachin got a century he could have done better. Rahul said after that match that "He played a great knock. If he bats for 100-120 balls he ends up making a hundred." But the fact is Salman Butt the other century maker played at a faster rate than Sachin and Shoaib Malik surpassed everyone with a 67-ball 90. Sachin often stands still in the 80's and 90's which are often the crucial middle overs. When he does get to his century India loses a big chunk of overs and then they are forced to play catch-up. It's time Sachin stopped batting for landmarks. (sachin playin for records? whever next!)

India's lower-middle order led by Dravid failed to give the big push and it's not that they lack talent or experience. Dravid has been in these situations several times, Kaif is an ODI specialist, Agarkar has been around for nearly ten years and Zaheer has played for a long time now but none of them stood up to be counted. The four batsmen used up 35 balls between them but scored just 34 runs. There was no one to lead the run-charge in the end which cost India the match.(Reuters Photo)

India has the arsenal to beat Pakistan but they will have to do some hard thinking and come up with a solid solution for the Saturday ODI at Rawalpindi . Pressure is now on India to square the series. It's time for Dravid to display his leadership qualities and be prepared to take hard decisions.There are no soft options anymore. One-day internationals are an unforgiving combo, the team which adapts wins in the end. Dravid must show his team as one which is capable of winning the next World Cup. His first test is on Saturday.(Reuters Photo)

this article says it all. what all the pakistani fans have been trying to say, tendulkar may score 100s, but those r not match winning like inzi or Mohammad Yousuf do for pakistan, liek gilchrist and ponting do for the aussies. it was a pure batting pitch. shoaib malik, and even salman butt showd that. tendulkar 100 was slow, and then he got out when he should have gone ofr the big ones.

M Asif?
Rana's 4 wickets?

to be fair it was a wrong decision.

With Dhoni and Pathan promoted, Sachin's role was to bat through the innings and be there near the end.

He did that. I don't think anyone could really criticise his innings.

http://cricket.indiatimes.com/quick...how/1404262.cms

There you go mods a link to the above article........no need to get your knickers in a twist!

Tendulkar is a match winner and INZY a match winner?? I dunt think sow!

no

GUL and Razzak

Do you even know what the term match-winner means? I dunt think sow.

Tendulkar put the pressure on Dhoni and Pathan to score at a good clip, even on a belter of a pitch.

The article summed it well. Strange but true, Sachin should learn from what our Malik does....blast all the way even when in the 70s and 80s...total team-man. But you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Even though Sachin got a century he could have done better. Rahul said after that match that "He played a great knock. If he bats for 100-120 balls he ends up making a hundred." But the fact is Salman Butt the other century maker played at a faster rate than Sachin and Shoaib Malik surpassed everyone with a 67-ball 90. Sachin often stands still in the 80's and 90's which are often the crucial middle overs. When he does get to his century India loses a big chunk of overs and then they are forced to play catch-up. It's time Sachin stopped batting for landmarks. (sachin playin for records? whever next!)

Sachin did get a bad decision, although had Rana not bowled a noball, Sachin wouldnt have even gone to score a century.

india have the arsenal to beat pakistan?? lol..what a laugh...with an attack like that they wont be able to defend any total...if we get them for less than 300 they will lose everytime!!...they need 300 plus in every game from now on to stand a chance!!...if you get sehwag and tendu out early this team will crumble under the pressure..hence why i call them the cookie team!!!...

no no no the dudes right tendulkar scored a match winning 100 (which even the indian press go he took the **** in the 80-90 with his slow scorin) the rest of the team didnt follow the plan! Tendulkar is a great player who is known for his match winning hundreds

how dare yu mock the cookie squatter...what a great hundred to win the match for..oh wait a minute..didnt india win coz of this great innings??

India Times are such a bunch of loosers. Before the series, they were writing what India would do to Pakistan.
Now that they have been beaten in tests and the first ODI, they have no option but to attack their own players.

Anyways... I felt the article was spot on about the fact that Sachin should stop playing for landmarks.
All the people praising his effort should look at what Shoaib Malik did. Once he got his 50 he went on to 90 from a mere 18 balls.
And he did get out trying to go for another big hit, not worrying about his century. Now that is playing for the team.
I cannot say that Sachin did not play for his team, but he did slow down in the 80's,.... even the commentators pointed this out during his knock.

I cant be asked to start a new thread so a'll add to this very intreasting!
http://in.rediff.com/cricket/2006/feb/07bedi.htm

Sehwag looks the odd man out!
By Bishan Singh bedhi

As if the wound in Karachi was not deep enough, the home team sprinkled some more salt into the Indian bruises, at a laidback one-day venue in Peshawar -- least equipped, playing surface-wise.

If we had not done with the curator in Lahore and Faisalabad, the man who might have buried many a promising bowler alive, he was there in Peshawar too dishing out another dead wicket.

In the end, after nearly more than six hundred runs were scored, the result had to be decided by that lousy mathematician duo of Duckworth and Lewis.

What a pity that cricketers have to leave their unfinished work to the unknowns, who may have never played the game.

The Pakistan coach was most familiar with the D/L method as he have been part of the South African team in a World Cup tie at Sydney when the Proteas were required 23 runs off one ball. Bob Woolmer was early and wise to keep his boys posted about the D/L method.

The Indians were cruising along merrily with three hundred plus, but the last seven wickets tumbled for less than 30 runs. They failed to bat the whole quota of 50 overs. And that for me was just not acceptable even if (Sachin) Tendulkar put some cotton wool and stuffed the mouths of the critics.

But frankly, that was not enough. (Virender) Sehwag is beginning to look the odd man out. He must shed a few pounds to look a competent athlete .


We were hoping that one-dayers would provide the right combination for M/s Dravid, Chappell but miseries in the Indian dressing room are far from over, which means camaraderie and hard work have to be seen at every given opportunity. The job of support staff to keep Sehwag, Zaheer, Kartik, Harbhajan and Sreesanth on their toes is blatantly clear. It is well nigh impossible to gloat of skills if limbs are not willing.

Moreover, I am beginning to have doubts over the wisdom of players' contractual system of the BCCI.

The commitment level of the boys was expected to have gone up with contractual arrangement. But has it? The question is stark naked and screaming for a nicely covered answer. Hopefully, the money-minded bosses of the BCCI will have some concern for the cricket as well.

A pity Inzamam was given out the way he was. The rules are pretty much clear. But shouldn't common sense be part of cricket and its spirit? We cease to be gentlemen if appeals become flimsy. Inzamam has my sympathies because he is a fine specimen of a human being. So is Sachin, whose hundred must be hailed.