Re: 2nd Test - Pakistan vs India - Kolkata (Merged)
mirza sahib, what you you think about younis khan's first ball dismissal? :)
Re: Second Test Conclusions
Afridi was by far our best batsman in this innings. If it wasn’t for him we would barely have made a 100 runs. What else do you want from him. He bowls good for the team, he fields better than anyone on the team, and he bats his natural game and gives us a boost that none of our other players can do. You can’t expect him to bat till the end, If you expect that then you shouldn’t expect a boost and should just put in Youhana, Younis or Inzi (all of whom failed and should really be blamed for the loss).
Re: 2nd Test - Pakistan vs India - Kolkata (Merged)
It happens, sometimes Tendulkar is bolwed on the first ball by Shoaib, and sometimes other players get out on the first ball.
Is tarha to hota hai, Is tarha ke kaamon mai.
Re: 2nd Test - Pakistan vs India - Kolkata (Merged)
aw another tendu fan. 
Re: 2nd Test - Pakistan vs India - Kolkata (Merged)
Yes tendu is good :D
Re: 2nd Test - Pakistan vs India - Kolkata (Merged)
Please DON'T drop Afridi :D
Re: 2nd Test - Pakistan vs India - Kolkata (Merged)
and what about that kid, Karthik? takes guts to come in after vvs was hurt at moster speed and stroke the 1st ball to 4. Good job! keep it up Mr.Karthik!
Jai Hind
Re: 2nd Test - Pakistan vs India - Kolkata (Merged)
and once again team pak proves helpless infront of the wall. very well played indeed showing how pressure or no pressure one should just play the natural game. Also, well played kaarthick under pressure to give very good support. Ahh and then kumble, well what can you say he is just a class act. I missed the game and waiting for the highlights.
Re: 2nd Test - Pakistan vs India - Kolkata (Merged)
Yesterday i knew afridi would be the top scorer when he got out on 59(dont ask me the logic behind it). Pakistan didnt get a chance to try for win today after a wicket on the first ball of the day. whatever strategy they made wouldnt have involved first ball wicket and that wicket pherred pani on the plans.
Gangs deserves kudos for his captani, even tho he sucked as a batsman. Pakistan kept on loosing wickets on important occasions, and after first session draw didnt look a possibility.
Well done dravid, tendu, karthik and kumble. all four of these guys at different stages played the expected role.
Third match will be intresting, pakistan can only paly for a win, and india has options.
i guess lacchu bahar and kaifu ander.
Re: Second Test Conclusions
The reason we all get frustrated with Afridi is that he has the talent to be so much better. He may perform better than others on the side on any given day, but we will still have a tinge of dissapointment if he gets out cheaply even after hitting a 50. All anyone wants from Afridi is for him to perform up to his abilities. His bowling, fielding, and hair are top class. Even as he is, he is very valuable to the team and shouldn’t be dropped. But if he could work out his shot selection (i.e. not trying to straight slog balls pitched just short of length or sweeping to a bowler coming round the wicket with a field set for the sweep) he would be one of the best all-rounders in the world.
Having talent like Afridi’s is a blessing and a burden - both for him and for the ones watching him.
Re: 2nd Test - Pakistan vs India - Kolkata (Merged)
each player is different - Afridi's type of play involves taking huge risks - that's what also gets the rewards. If he stops taking those risks, he will be be at the crease for 100 overs and score 6 runs totally. If he takes the risks, he is going to get out sooner than those who don't.
Very few can maintan stroke play at huge strike rates for any length of time. It takes the likes of Sachin, Lara, and that too in their prime. A different class altogether
Re: Second Test Conclusions
You can expect whatever you want, but his talent (of hitting huge shots) and his weakness (of hitting huge shots) are part and parcel of the same package. Take it or leave it.
Two words will explain why Pakistan lost: Weak Bowling. Thats it. Once we allowed Indians to score 407 in the second innings, the game was lost. Our batting relies on sparks of brilliance. Always has and will remain like that. Previously we used to win matches because we had world class bowlers in the team. No more. Until we do, get used to not-winning test matches. Our batsmen can only draw a test match, maximum.
Re: Second Test Conclusions
[quote=“Faisal”]
You can expect whatever you want, but his talent (of hitting huge shots) and his weakness (of hitting huge shots) are part and parcel of the same package. Take it or leave it.
Too many Pakistani players have presented the same dilemma to selectors - “this is how I play, take it or leave it.” How many players with big talent have been dropped because of it?
If that is the attitude of the players, then what is the point of having coaches? (And maybe why Pakistan got a foreign coach, to get rid of this attitude and become a more professional side). The coaches are there to refine players to maximize palyer’s talent and minimize their weaknesses. If a player is so hardheaded to say “This is how I play, I refuse to change” then we miss out on fielding a potentially great player, instead of just a good one.
Everyone enjoys the big shots and it takes a player of particular talent to turn a well bowled ball into a 6. Afridi can do that. With coaching perhaps he’d be better able to recognize which balls absolutely cannot be hit for 6, when to hit over the top and when to drive down the ground, when not sweep, etc. If Afridi gets bowled out inside edging a wide half volley, I wouldn’t be dissapointed. But if he gets out cheaply inventing a shot, then I’ll wonder if he couldn’t have done better.
That’s the true measure of performance. Not how well you have done - but if you have done as well as you can.
This may be why watching someone like Rana is strangely satisfying. Not because he’s the most talented player, but because you know he is at least maximizing his talent.
Of course satisfaction and objectivity are two different things. I’ll take a poor performance of a great player if it’s better than the best performance of a marginal player. That’s why I don’t advocate dropping Afridi - he put up runs, bowl well, and fields strongly. He very valuable and is one of my favourite players. I just know he can do better.
I agree the fielding a third string bowling attack was the main reason why Pakistan lost. That however, wasn’t what my post was about.
Re: 2nd Test - Pakistan vs India - Kolkata (Merged)
I agree with you on Afridi, though. No one would be more happier to see Afridi turn into a Sehwag, and deliver consistently for the team. I think he is a terrific player. Having said that, its clear that he is no amateur. He has been with the team for a number of years. Has worked with all kinds of coaches, from the street-smart Miandad to computer-smart Woolmer, and everything in between. Really, no one has been able to curb his penchant for playing outrageous shots. With Woolmer, atleast he is now getting to 30-60 run range, whereas, if my memory is correct, under some previous coaches he was not even at this level.
You raise the question, that what are the coaches doing. I guess, the coaches can do their best, but its the player who is going to deliver in the middle. And this particular player just doesn't seem to show much inclination to get this thing right. I guess, he figures, its his natural game. If he bats for 4 hours and makes 60 runs, everyone will say "vah vah". He bats for 35 balls and makes 60 and gets out, and we say "gosh, why can't he be more responsible". See the difference! :)
Re: 2nd Test - Pakistan vs India - Kolkata (Merged)
I’m not sure that’s true. If Sehwag batted for 4 hours and made 60 runs, an Indian fan should be dissapointed with that. That might be okay for Taufiq Umar, but I don’t think anyone would be happy if Woolmer turned Afridi into Aakash Chopra. That’s just as big of a waste of talent as sending him up there to slog wildly at every ball.
Matching performance to talent - that’s the key.
Re: 2nd Test - Pakistan vs India - Kolkata (Merged)
You are forgetting he scored a match winning 141 as well as a 70 odd under Miandad on the last trip to India…
Re: 2nd Test - Pakistan vs India - Kolkata (Merged)
I am not sure if it was really Miandad behind Afridi’s 141 because last I read an interview from Afridi in which he said Miandad was against Afridi’s inclusion in that series while Wasim Akram insisted his inclusion.
Re: Second Test Conclusions
Faisal Bhai,
Ek aap hi hou who can come up with a geml ke this, which is funny at the same time true:k: 
Re: 2nd Test - Pakistan vs India - Kolkata (Merged)
Can someone tell me who won?
Re: 2nd Test - Pakistan vs India - Kolkata (Merged)
You did Mahnoor, you did! 