Heads must roll

[Philhawk]

********* ******* **********

Well done Bangla - very much deserved the win - but what an insipid piece of ***** ********* from India nonetheless.

Kick them all out and bring in the Under 13 Indian team.

 

[sherb]

********* ******* **********

Well done Bangla - very much deserved the win - but what an insipid piece of ***** ********* from India nonetheless.

Kick them all out and bring in the Under 13 Indian team.

It would be interesting to hear Mr Gavaskar's views on this match.

 

[mickeytg]

It would be interesting to hear Mr Gavaskar's views on this match.

Ouch

 

[Slander]

Pretty safe to say that Brother Gregory is gone.

It's disappointing how time and time again India fails, I feel sorry for their fans and coach who are continually let down by a team playing as if they are millionaires.

 

[davey_magik]

Well there goes my prediction they'd perform this WC.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Sunil, Sunil, wherefore art thou Sunil?

 

[mark73]

It's disappointing how time and time again India fails, I feel sorry for their fans and coach who are continually let down by a team playing as if they are millionaires.

But another way of looking at it would be to say this is what the general problem with India is, and has been quite often. It takes more than just talent to be successful. If it just about talent India would win a lot more than they lose because they do have gifted players. Unfortunately what they also have is a pissweak constitution. Or put more simply. they've got the tools but not the heart or brains. Thats why they continually disappoint.

 

[stmookeyj]

Pretty safe to say that Brother Gregory is gone.

He was going after the WC anyway I would have thought.

The Shillong times reports (before they lost)....

India bundled out for 191

Port of Spain: Sourav Ganguly stood tall among the ruins as India put up an insipid batting display to be bowled out for 191 against Bangladesh in their opening World Cup one-dayer here on Saturday.

Former captain Ganguly’s mature knock of 66 was an exception to the hara-kiri committed by the top and low order Indian batsmen in the Group ‘B’ at the Queen’s Park Oval.

The only other batsmen to show sense of responsibility was Punjab middle order bat Yuvraj Singh who contributed a valuable 47.

The 85-run partnership for the fifth wicket between the two was backed by a smashing 32-run stand between Zaheer Khan (15 no) and Munaf Patel (15) after the team was in danger of being all out with a few overs to spare.

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (4-38) rocked the Indian innings with the new ball and left them tottering at 40-3 before Ganguly began the recovery process with skipper Rahul Dravid (14).

After Dravid's fall, Ganguly combined with Yuvraj to set the platform for a late assault but five wickets for two runs undid the duo's good work.

As it were, India slipped from 157-4 to 159-9 in the space of 15 balls.

Left-arm spinners Abdur Razzak (3-38) and Mohammad Rafique (3-35) did the damage in the middle overs.

Bad choice to bat first; poor start and shocking collapse all contributed to India's worst nightmare.

The pathetic score of 191 was way behind their previous low of 214 against their neighbours, recorded in a match in Dhaka in 2004.

Bangladesh put up a virtuoso performance with spectacular fielding and more than brilliant performance from its bowlers, medium-pacers and spinners alike.

New-ball bowlers Mortaza and Syed Rasel applied the screws early on before the life was squeezed out of the Indians by the spin trio of Rafique, Razzaq and Saqibul Hasan.

Dravid opted to field against the grain of thinking in this tournament which suggests chasing is a better option. It soon lived to regret the decision as Virender Sehwag (2) was bowled in the third over in his patented manner of dismissal. (PTI)

Then there's this from the Indian Express...

http://www.indianexpress.com/sunday/story/26000.html

And fans reaction from the India Times Blog

http://o3.indiatimes.com/cricketbuzz/archive/2007/03/17/3826136.aspx

 

[Freo Big Fella]

I'm sure Sunny will be quick to accuse Chappell of being an Australian "mole".

 

[Cooldude]

Greg Chappell's a disgrace

He can take a huge amount of responsibility over the Indian batting lineup being so abysmal for the past 12 months. Doesn't help when you change the order of your top 6 every ****ing game

 

[Romeo]

Chappell was seen clapping off the Bangers, he's on record several times as saying the Indians aren't prepared to tough it out and he thinks they're overrated. Easy to blame the coach but these guys are serial 'underperformers' away from home. The South Australians blamed Chappell's coaching for their lowly positions under him but what have they done since he left?

 

[likka]

Greg Chappell's a disgrace

He can take a huge amount of responsibility over the Indian batting lineup being so abysmal for the past 12 months. Doesn't help when you change the order of your top 6 every ****ing game

He may find himself coaching South Australia next year.

I actually tipped Bangas for this match on the back of the recent death. Long shot, but it is amazing what a tragedy like this can do for team resolve and determination.

Good result for cricket.

 

[Romeo]

Well Sunny didn't blame the Indians, instead praised the Bangers. Maybe he should get tougher on his beloved charges.

India in shock after shock defeat
March 18 2007 at 09:45AM [SIZE=+1][/SIZE]By Kuldip Lal

New Delhi - Millions of Indians woke up on Sunday numbed by their cricket team's shock defeat against Bangladesh that threatens to end their World Cup campaign.

Bangladesh's five-wicket win in Port of Spain on Saturday after bowling India out for a paltry 191 left Rahul Dravid's men red-faced and an entire nation seething in anger.

India must now defeat first-timers Bermuda by a big margin on Monday and wallop powerful Sri Lanka convincingly next Friday to remain in contention for the second round.

"Let's not fool ourselves, India's World Cup is over," said Delhi-based student Venayak Gupta, who stayed up all night to watch the horror show on television.
"Frankly, our overpaid, over-hyped and over-pampered cricketers do not deserve to stay in the tournament."

Cricket legends Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev chose to shower praise on Bangladesh, saying even an experienced team like India can learn from them how to win.

"Let's give credit where it is due -- I think Bangladesh were brilliant out there," Gavaskar said during a review programme on ESPN channel.

"The spinners were outstanding and the way the batsmen responded ... I will not take anything away from them."

Kapil, who captained India's lone World Cup triumph in 1983, said he was "speechless, too ashamed to talk."

"Bangladesh should be complimented for the way they played. India can learn from them how to win," Kapil told AFP.

"Bangladesh played like a team, we did not. It's sad but true."

Kapil was not convinced than an experienced team like India could crawl out of the deep hole it had dug for itself in the tournament.

"I think we should stop talking about teams being better on paper," he said. "Matches are not won on paper.

"What is the use of all this experience if you can't take advantage of it. The seniors have to take some responsibility and I don't think they did that against Bangladesh."

Kapil said India's shock defeat and Ireland's equally stunning win over Pakistan - which knocked Inzamam-ul-Haq's men out of the World Cup - proved minnows had a place in the showpiece event.

"Hope no one says now that minnows should not be playing in the World Cup," he said. "No team can be taken lightly in one-day cricket."

Gavaskar reminded Dravid's men that they must go "hammer and tongs" against Bermuda and Sri Lanka in order to qualify for the second round.

"India are down, but they are not out," he said.

Media firms, which had pumped in large sums to build hype around the World Cup to generate advertisement revenue, will be hoping Gavaskar's optimism is proved correct.

Newspapers on Sunday hinted the writing was on the wall even though the time difference with the Caribbean prevented them from reporting the entire match.

The Times of India's front-page displayed two photographs of Indian batsman Virender Sehwag and Pakistan captain Inzamam under the caption: "Mighty minnows put Asian powers on the mat."

"Campaign starts with collapse," screamed the headline in the Hindustan Times. "The World Cup finally began for India, but it might not last too long," wrote the newspaper's correspondent.

The Indian Express said: "Bangladesh grabbed India by the collar, poked a finger in the eyes of some of the world's best batsmen, tore up the elaborate blueprint prepared by coach Greg Chappell and punched an embarrassing dent on the face of the world's richest cricketing outfit."

 

[Philhawk]

I think Sunny should keep his opinions to his own ------------- self.

Go jump off a cliff, Sunil.

 

[Marklar_33]

I tipped India to make the final, but now I would prefer them to miss the Super 8's, as I am a big wrap for 'minnows' (Well, Bangladesh are outside the worlds Top 8 )

 

[apollo_creed]

firstly, Chappell announced ages ago he was leaving after the World Cup so that's that.

but the more important question is why didn't Pathan play?

very handy batsman, useful at 3 in either an attacking or defensive role and the pitch yesterday was suited to him coming up the order and protecting some of the other batsman.

not to mention he probably dominates Bangladesh more than any other bowler in world cricket. they can't handle his swing.

pretty pathetic not to pick him behind some of the other duds they had out there.

 

[-VC-]

Sunil, Sunil, wherefore art thou Sunil?

You are basically asking "Why are you Sunil?" when you translate that from 16th century English.

 

[belfast_bomber]

You are basically asking "Why are you Sunil?" when you translate that from 16th century English.

well, it is a bloody good question

 

[CF]

413 against Bermuda was a good comeback from their loss