Cricket World Cup 2011 - India is the World Champion!

[gbelday]

This article is from our very own Ashish Malhotra (gvhvhg)

Ashish Malhotra | Follow the Leader
India’s Captain Cool
http://www.tuftsdaily.com/op-ed/ashish- ... -1.2530712

The power of the team's success extended to Tufts, bringing together curious Indian−Americans who have never before watched cricket and die−hard fans who have followed it their whole lives. Undeterred by the wrath of the Hill Hall Resident Director fifteen minutes earlier, this pluralistic congregation erupted into a thunderous roar upon India's victory in the semifinal, a sound that reverberated in my ears until Saturday when it was replicated in Barnum upon India's moment of ultimate triumph.

BTW, Dhruv and mods. Ashish emailed me and mentioned that he is unable to get onto to the site (for a while now). Can someone fix his id/credentials?

[prasen9]

Given the brick-bats this guy has received, I think maybe a bit of praise is also due. I rate him as clearly our #2 ODI medium-pace bowler which is not saying much, but still. Munaf praised

[SriramP]

I don't know if this is true or one of those forwards but funny nevertheless:

Sreesanth's mother in an interview: "If my son had been given another over to bowl, Dhoni could have had his century..."

[Atithee]

Have you followed the controversy regarding Afridi's comments and retraction? It has to do with Indians not being as big hearted as Pakistanis and Muslims

World Cup: Afridi slams Gambhir for 26/11 remark

Business as usual in the above (he later "clarified" his stance).

But here is a brilliant retort from Yuvi that qualifies for the retort of the year:

Harbhajan slams Afridi for remark on Indians

"Pakistanis indeed have very large hearts which is evident by their generous gesture of dropping so many catches against India during the semi-final clash. India would not have gone to the final had it not been for Pakistan's large-heartedness."

Priceless!

[Atithee]

Can the BCCI and its puppet ICC not do even simple things right?

World Cup trophy lifted by Team India is a fake

Pretty moronic. As with Shahid Afridi's remarks, of course, this has also been dismissed by ICC. I wouldn't be surprised a bit, however, if the trophy involved in the celebrations was indeed a replica.

[prasen9]

For all the talk about India winning world cups with junior guys on whom the selectors took a flyer. Here is the team in the final in 2011:

Virender Sehwag debut 1999
Sachin Tendulkar debut 1989
Gautam Gambhir debut 2003
Virat Kohli debut 2008
Mahendra Singh Dhoni debut 2004
Yuvraj Singh debut 2000
Suresh Raina debut debut 2005
Harbhajan Singh debut 1998
Zaheer Khan debut 2000
Munaf Patel debut 2006
Sreesanth debut 2005

This was a very experienced team. Even though the nonsense merchants here would want us to believe otherwise. Kohli the least experienced was still 3 years in the game. Munafa 5, Sree 6, Dhoni 7, and the rest way over.

If you look at other ODI winning teams, experienced teams win. It is just not that simple that you can pick up a Suyash off the streets and play him and we magically win the cup. Teams are built. Experience matters because then the teams know how to do things in all situations, which is needed to win a WC.

So, we have to go with our experienced lot. However, when the experienced lot has tailed off, they should be trimmed. That means not throwing out every over 32 player but selectively throwing out those who have gone downhill. The job of the selectors is to build a team in the 4 years before the cup as we did with Kohli. But, maybe we have not done that well this time around and thus I am not that hopeful that we will make it past the finish line.

[Rajkumar Sharma]

For all the talk about India winning world cups with junior guys on whom the selectors took a flyer. Here is the team in the final in 2011:

Virender Sehwag debut 1999
Sachin Tendulkar debut 1989
Gautam Gambhir debut 2003
Virat Kohli debut 2008
Mahendra Singh Dhoni debut 2004
Yuvraj Singh debut 2000
Suresh Raina debut debut 2005
Harbhajan Singh debut 1998
Zaheer Khan debut 2000
Munaf Patel debut 2006
Sreesanth debut 2005

This was a very experienced team. Even though the nonsense merchants here would want us to believe otherwise. Kohli the least experienced was still 3 years in the game. Munafa 5, Sree 6, Dhoni 7, and the rest way over.

If you look at other ODI winning teams, experienced teams win. It is just not that simple that you can pick up a Suyash off the streets and play him and we magically win the cup. Teams are built. Experience matters because then the teams know how to do things in all situations, which is needed to win a WC.

So, we have to go with our experienced lot. However, when the experienced lot has tailed off, they should be trimmed. That means not throwing out every over 32 player but selectively throwing out those who have gone downhill. The job of the selectors is to build a team in the 4 years before the cup as we did with Kohli. But, maybe we have not done that well this time around and thus I am not that hopeful that we will make it past the finish line.

Eager to know who among the experienced lot in that squad hide in the team without performance in name of experience or had a huge problem in facing left arm pacers.In 2011 WC opponents had some top class left arm fast bowlers Wahab, Mitchell Johnson, Parnell in prime. 5 of the top order and Yusuf used to bowl and were better then part time spinners.2019WC hope was damaged with Rayudu Shankar issue and at the end team ended up playing 3 keepers in the playing XI and more surprising was they called a player as replacement who was yet to make debut.

In current scenario, team has Rohit, Gill, Ruturaj, KL ( depend on Pant's fitness) , Ishan even Dhawan in the mix for one spot as opener. Jaiswal is also not far and all are one dimmensional. 3rd is booked for Kohli. 4th Shreyas, underperformed SKY.Tilak Verma's inclusion still not clear. 5th Pant.6th Jadeja, 7th Hardik. Bowling is fully doubtful under lights in presence of dew

[prasen9]

I am assuming Pant will not be fit. The performers in the past few years in India have been: Rahul, Rohit, Kohli, Shreyas, Gill. We need one batter who can bowl. Leaning towards Jadeja. Now, we need one more batter - have Rahul keep. This is where we have a big hole. One batter makes a big difference. In this year's IPL due to the impact player rule, the winning scores have gone from 170 to 200ish. I don't like Dhawan that much. It should be between him, Samson, and Ishant. For now. This is why we need to try Yashasvi and NTTV urgently in ODIs to see if they can cut it in the big leagues. We rarely have depth and we need to plan for injuries.

#8 should be Hardik, although we may have him come in earlier. Plus, 4 bowlers. Kuldeep. And, three pacers: Siraj, Shami, Arshdeep. If we want three spinners, then one of Hardik and Arshdeep gets replaced by one of Axar or Washy, possibly Axar comes first.

But, someone will be injured. We need backups in each spot.

[Mukherjee Babu]

Lack of enough 50 over domestic cricket is making progress slow in the national team, specially the transisition. BCCI scrapping Deodhar & Challenger Trophy is hurting domestic performers. When the names of Tilak, Rinku, Jitesh, Venky will arise there will always be a barrier that they have done it in T20Is not in 50 over format

[prasen9]

Tilak and Rinku have performed across all formats. Jitesh has been bad in List-As with the bat. He has gotten 47 matches. V. Iyer has performed in List-As too. But, of course, so have many others.

[Mukherjee Babu]

Selectors have to keep a criteria wheather they will select player based on formats or draft any player in other formats like SKY, Ishan. Rinku, Tilak, Venky has performed in domestic lot earlier by now they should have featured in India A set up. Venky's future was already decided with 2 odis 9 T20Is, Ruturaj who made debut before Gill was benched and Gill is now preferred without being given proper go to Ruturaj. And baseless criteria like who plays spin bad, swing well should be thrown away, one who performs in domestic should get proper chance else it will be regarded as political and favouritism in selection. Some of them still trying Prithvi Shaw who is fully struggling with technical flaws for the national team. Its was so easy for Rahane to perform in domestic and make into the WTC final in the name of "experience" whereas Sarfaraz continue to become victim of politics. Word "Experience" is hurting the team alot in crossing the line of ICC title.Selector should watch Legends league and draft Gambhir/Uthappa into the Test Squad as they has got lots of experience

[Atithee]

BCCI should draft Mukherjee Babu, Rajkumar Sharma, and Raju Bhai as selectors with Prasen rounding up the four person committee. But wait, wouldn’t that leave two vacancies?

[prasen9]

We can fill one up with ChatGPT? It can then hallucinate players ... like Babu Ram Singh.

[Mukherjee Babu]

Hope will do better as there is lots of disagreement with each players and not a single yesman in the bunch