A couple of links ... and other crap

What r Zaheer and Nehra upto?

Zaheer doesn't know what is wrong ... hmmm, I guess he can't correct it then. lol ... if a guy who bowled 145 bowls 125 and says he doesn't get it, then what can u say?

Nehra is singing a very different tune to some months back when he was quoted as saying "it is ok to try youngsters but when the seniors come back, they should be given preference"

Criticism of chappell in decent language

Chappell ain't perfect and his man-management skills have been pretty poor on some accounts (on some other accounts, u can say he has done good ... a la Yuveraj). If people don't talk about Chappell's "hidden agenda", I find it much easier to read the article to the full. What hidden agenda ... what is he, an Aussie agent sent by the Australian govt to screw the Indian team so they can never draw a test series in Australia again?

BTW, I read a very good statement in one of the notice boards I frequent ... the discussion was (sighhhh) the Ganguly - Greg thriller, for which one of the guys on the board posted "When Chappell came in as coach, he was Ganguly's best friend where his future as a player was concerned". So true ... Ganguly's batting was going to the dogs and who better to advise and correct the problems than an acknowledged master ... he didn't even have to approach him on an individual basis as he did earlier in Australia ... as coach of India, Chappell would have been present day in and day out to work out problems. Instead, Ganguly tried to be smart and hey, he is gone. Like they say, he was too big for his boots.

As I type this, India r 2 down for 130 odd chasing 230 odd at Kochi ... Sehwag flunks once more and all I can say is - "Hey Chappell and Dravid .... u dumb-asses ... can u move the guy down the order PLEASEEEEEE?????". Regular visitors to this blog have seen me advocating a shift down the order for Sehwag for more than an year and a half. The only time they did it, he made 70. Don't they get it that Sehwag is not having an off day ... his career average in ODIs easily suggests that he has been a failure ... of course, for those considering an average of 30 odd in ODIs for a batsman having 55 as average in tests, as not bad ... well, u deserve him, guys!!!

My solution - If SRT's back, toe, shoulder, elbow etc all hold till the world cup, let him open with Pathan ... I no longer consider Pathan as a makeshift batsman and unless Robin Uthappa does something unique in the chances he gets, we r gonna be one opener short by the time the world cup is on us ... and then we will have no option but to make Sehwag open. So the best solution that occurs to me is - Let SRT and Pathan open from now till the world cup ... that moves Sehwag down the order and that is "exactly" what I want. Of course, as regular readers will remember, in the Chuckster's team, Kaif doesn't find a place in the 11 ... in the 14, sure ... but not in the first eleven.

BTW, Robin Uthappa is a guy who can bat (open), bowl (medium pace) and keep wickets. If India wrap up the series in this match, we could see Dhoni being rested for a couple of matches and Uthappa / Dravid taking up the keeper's job. I definitely favour some rest for the wild haired one ... he has been doing a great job and hasn't had injury problems yet but one shouldn't push it when it comes to over-playing players. After crouching down and up every bloody ball over the past few series and doing his but with the willow too (and not just useful 15s and 20s we r used to from Indian keepers), I don't think he will complain if he can put his feet up for a couple of games.

Anyways cheers

The Chuckster