There was no recall for the experienced Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman for the tournament which also features Australia and Sri Lanka.
“The emphasis was on fielding abilities and they wanted a young fielding side for the series. That’s why you see a lot of youngsters in the side.” After a run of three half-centuries in four matches against England last year, Ganguly has managed 231 runs at 25.66 in nine innings.
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Squad:** Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Dinesh Karthik, Robin Uthappa, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Irfan Pathan, Praveen Kumar, RP Singh, Ishant Sharma, Sreesanth, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/cbs/content/current/story/332389.html
I think its a good team. Only the grand dad Sachin is in the team. The rest of them are well in their 20s. Hope we see some improved fielding performances.
Its pretty young team, sometimes you do need experience of Ganguly and Dravid likes. One of them should have been selected. Anyhow, lets beat both Aussie and Lanks,
Don’t quite agree with the decision to drop Dravid and Ganguly who are both proven performers in ODIs. Unlike in twenty-20 tullah cricket, you do need solid players in the middle overs (that is where most games are effectively won or lost) in the 50-over game. A good fielder can maybe save a max. of 10-15 runs in a game but Dravid (the recent blip in form notwithstanding) more than compensates for it with his batting. And it’s not like Dravid and Ganguly have been dropping catches in the slips. This recent Indian and Pakistani obsession with good fielding seems a bit over the top. Both Kallis and Yousuf showed with their consistent batting displays in the last PAK V SA one-day series just what their respective sidess had been missing in the Twenty-20 World Cup. You don’t win one-dayers with bits and pieces players, you do need specialist batsmen and bowlers to excel even in this format.
I think it is a good move to remove Dada. Gambhir is in great form in the domestic circuit and deserves his chance. They have to give youngsters the chance and I think it will pay off for India!
Gangulys test record should not be a consideration in picking him for one dayers. If so laxman should have been in the team for long time now. He is an absolute disaster in fielding. Raina is very good in this department. I think its a good move to invest in future. If it fails you could always call them back. But I am pretty sure they will succeed.
Well, great move. And what tremendous form of Ganguly? He is equal to the talent level of a one-legged horse in the outfield. The only time he can stop a ball from going over the rope is when the ball itself stops before him. At least it is giving a new life to a new team, Piyush Chawla, Praveen Kumar, and Raina - a much-needed excellent fielder - has given some joy to this otherwise lineup.
Also, "The Wall" needs to gather up it's bits and pieces scattered around recently. Great batsman, top fielder in the side, always gives it all, but for the sake of it, his 'shelled' mindset while batting is a detriment. It is depressing to see a batsman of his caliber timing the bad balls straight into the hands of fielders.
Bowling attack consisting of Sreesanth, Irfan Pathan, RP Singh, Piyush Chawla and possible inclusion of Zaheer Khan has the potential to make it rich.
If you don't start emphasizing the importance of the role of a good fielding side as a model behavior especially in sub-continent, it will be similar to a trap placed under the glass ceiling, failing to make it to the big leagues.
Well, great move. And what tremendous form of Ganguly? He is equal to the talent level of a one-legged horse in the outfield. The only time he can stop a ball from going over the rope is when the ball itself stops before him.
You got it...my friend.
Ganguly is such an awkward fielder in the outfied....the Aussie commentators could not make enough banter whenever Gangu made those ugly half-dives. And he is a joke in the infield. The weird thing is when he fumbles with the ball...he does not hurry on to the second-attempt....instead he will slowly walk back to retrieve the ball as if "the ball should apologize to him".
Dropping Ganguly for ODIs (where good fielding is paramount) is a good move.
I am not so sure about Dravid. He would have been much more useful compared to somebody like Dinesh Karthick - batting-wise. And like Karthick he can also play the role of a stand-by wicket-keeper.
I also don't like Uthappa.....he has a very limited stroke range....I have a feeling he will live up to my expectations like Jaffer did in the Test Series.
apparently the move to leave out the two seniors has been at the behest of captain MSD.
well I am for it - the superstars are not exactly getting young - till when can they continue? and when they do retire it would be a massive gap in the middle order.
also too many senior players who have been captains themselves in the team does not bode well for a young captain.
I also feel that selectors having taken a good decision - should stick with it. they should not rush to gangu and dravid if this turns out to be a catastropic move...if the combination does not succeed - try out some other players.
Poor Ganguly makes such a dramatic comeback and now poor fellow needs to do it again....unless hes too sick and tired of the system to be doing that again!
