Good cricket amid bad selection


Seems India-Pakistan matches MUST be last over affairs. Anyway, no complaints, it was a great match, with almost 650 runs being scored(ahem ahem, do I sound like Ravi Shastri ?!). Also, its good to see the series 1-1, and it adds expectation to the coming matches.

Pakistan were never in the game, and they were never out of it too. Younis Khan played a brilliant and patient innings to be the backbone of the batting. And with some sloppy fielding and bad bowling changes, Pakistan inched to victory.

Indians couldnt have asked for a better start. 180 runs in 26th over is a dream start, and it is the middle order to be blamed for not building on the sound platform laid by Sachin and Gambir. Gambir needs to open the innings with Sachin, as the two share the pitch well, and its time to groom Gambir as a full fledged opener.

Another reason for the Indian middle order's failure can be attributed to the fact that the team was stocked with similar type of players: Uthappa, Yuvraj, Sehwag, Gambir, Dhoni... all ready to start hitting from the word GO. While it can be advantageous, as Sachn and Gambir showcased, the absence of Rahul Dravid was glaringly felt. It took Harbajan's cameo to get into a good score. Had Dravid been there to cement one end, perhaps Yuvraj and Dhoni could have done a bit more, and who knows, another 20 to 30 runs would have made a difference in the result.

All said and done, its time for the Indian think-tank to reassess strategies, mainly the middle order. It would be good if the players' interests take a backseat for the team's interest.

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