August 19, 2008

Four letter solutions.

Any major dude will tell you India’s problem is the middle order.

Not just the test middle order. But the one-day middle order too.

Basically, all Indian middle orders.

Apart from the opening batsmen that are two in number, and the tail, that are also two, the middle order is made up of as many as seven players – who can be defined as lower middle order, higher middle order, and middle-middle order batsman. Mm what does that tell you?

Sure, a solution to displace the middle-middle order (India’s core) appears drastic.

But what the heck, something’s gotta give, and it’s not Jack Nicholson for sure.

Let’s give it a try: Sehwag’s gone, so that leaves one slot on top open. Let’s move one of Mendis’ pawns up there – say Yuvraj. Face it, after Viru, Yuvi’s the only one with a four letter nickname to four letter the Lankans. Get him on top. Two left handers too many? No way. Give Yuvi time in the middle, get his feet and mind moving against the seamers, and hope he plays the Mms like that too.

Next, Mahi’s rook goes there – because no matter how much he tries, the Wall handle doesn’t suit him. Hell, it doesn’t even suit the Wall any more.

Crucially, Mahi also has a four letter nickname too. Get the picture? Good.

Did you know Bored Cricket Crazy Indians aka BCCI is also four letters?

PS: Zaheer Khan's nickname Zaks, also four letters, bowling analysis - 9.5-3-21-4

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

yuvi can't play swing either LOL... stale mate... btw... is that your new blog... would you not be posting here anymore from your comp naked? I like the name naked cricket... it has a personality some galle

Gaurav Sethi said...

scorpi - then hope they drop a few behind the wkt. bound to get lucky sometime! Also, at his murderous best, even the mistimed shots GO!
write to me at bcciwrites@gmail.com
we need to talk.
naked cricket stays.

Trideep said...

Yuvi at the top? Well I dont think that suits him NC. Guess Mendis will have to get injured or something.. thts the only way India may have a chance of winning.

Gaurav Sethi said...

Trideep - get Lanka out of their comfort zone and then see. Right now, we've Aussiefied them.

Trideep said...

NC, I think Raina is a better choice.

Gaurav Sethi said...

dunno Trideep, the so called Srs amongst this lot gotta bite the bullet. And if that means Yuvi opening, better now, than in a dead rubber game where he scores a 100. Raina is far too loose outside off. Not that Yuvi isn't.

Trideep said...

Raina is also not young NC. He should start taking some responsibility now. Moreover I really doubt Yuvi's abilities against the new ball. Raina has played in the #3 position. He might do a better job I feel.

Anonymous said...

I think Mendis has just opened up the lineup and taken them by surprise. They should come around but I am really wondering ...

Rahul Dravid has not been able to come up with something to counter him. I mean isn't he the genius in the team?

Gaurav Sethi said...

tri - seeing that yuvi's standing in the odi team is no less than srt's, doubt msd will make him open against his will. however, when someone like yuvi or msd takes lanka head on, it will rub off on the whole team. lead by example, isn't it?

sure, raina might do a better job, but it doesn't send the same signals. India desperately seeks signals right now. They are down for the count. And there are no bronzes or Q/Fs here.

Gaurav Sethi said...

utp - opened up the lineup and closed up the mind.

yeah, they should have come around, but two different teams we're talking here. and i doubt there's much +ve thought exchange, if any, between the test and odi teams.

all or nothing approach and its pitfalls i guess. msd's sternest test so far and we aren't even half way thru. Gonna be a very long week. and they're already weak in the knees or so it seems.

Anonymous said...

Honestly, the ODI middle order isn't really a middle order - it's a bunch of batsmen plonked into places on MSD's roll of dice. An Indian middle order batsmen who can't play spin is a definite misplacement. I could go on about the old days of glory but then I will have it from the folk, that the Gangulys and Dravids weren't able to counter him. But they got their 30s and 50s - four 50s make 200. Makes me wonder if the result would have been different if it were a 5 Test series. These folk aren't going past 10!

I'm with Scorpy, Yuvi can't play swing either! :) I've just ranted at my blog at how domestic cricket is important and picking u-19s will not help us. But at the moment, to salvage something from this series, yeah, send Yuvi and Pathan to open and see if anything changes. I've lost hope on Raina.

Gaurav Sethi said...

VM - after the 2007 WC, it's a miracle any of the greats played ODIs again. a sabatical thru the bangladesh series, and they were eased back in. it's grt they're playing tests, and we should all enjoy that when we can, while we can.

Also, I won't do an ODI-Test comparison, that's a fatal flaw in team selection. and the odi-t20-ipl-test comparison screws it up even more. guess the u-19s don't help matters either.

Gaurav Sethi said...

Zaheer Khan's nickname Zaks, also four letters, bowling analysis:
8-3-11-4 after 19 overs.

straight point said...

yuvi on top is an excellent choice coz anyway he is walking wicket in front of m&m...with him being on top he can do the irreparable damage to the psyche of not only sl but any team on his day...

but look whats happening now...we have shocked them to senses and how...gaurav...atleast till now...

will they drop jayasriya... sangakara...jayawardene now...?

even our kids did better on relatively tough wicket in first odi...?

Soulberry said...

It didn't quite happen that way Gaurav, but you and Sumit are certainly thinking better than MSD. MSD perhaps actually believes there is a future for Yuvi alongside Murali an Mendis...or is it that he'll get away a bit too ahead with a fine start at the top?

There is one other option, send in the tail (we have a decent tail) to take the shine off against Kulasekaras and Fernandos while scoring4 runs per over at the cost of 2-3 wickets (which would happen anyway), and leave the rest of the batting order (?) to play (or fiddle) with the middle and more middle till some sense of order is restored in Indian cricket.

Gaurav Sethi said...

sb - few balls that i watched ys play m, he was all at sea. in the build up to his wicket, he tried a hopeless sweep that nearly popped up to slip. Then that sedate lbw. Looked like he was sedated. And finally at peace. Compare that to YS playing the quicks - a straight drive comes to mind.

Kohli gone, not to a spinner tho.

Yeah, the tail first struck me too. As also the tail in the middle -that's where the jitters are, right?

Unknown said...

dhoni's case is diff from yuvi's. he's good against spin - in fact the only one so far who doesn't look at sea against mendis, although he got out to him going for a shot. besides, he's captain cool and can be relied on to deliver under pressure when the going gets tense at the end. yuvi has that ability too, but spin's the problem there.

Gaurav Sethi said...

sumit - badri didn't look too bad against mendis either.

but yuvi is either too cute or too crude vs spin. that lbw was for the highlights. with m, he's a lot like cullinan was against warne; even if he opens can see mahela getn m in a few overs, now that would be fun.

tho what about rohit sharma, he's been outta sorts for the last 3 odi series.

Anonymous said...

g, mailed you!

Gaurav Sethi said...

cheers scorpi! you got mail.