5 debutants and the label of a "second string" team did not deter Mumbai from putting on a sterling performance ( including a follow on) against Karachi Urban in the Mohammad Nissar Trophy.
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And is Abhishek Nayar ready to make the move up to the national team? Kid has shown guts and gumption in adverse situations, is a left hand bat and a steady right hand medium pacer. The home ODI series is a good time to blood him, unless the selectors, in their infinite wisdom, deem that he needs another season in domestic cricket before he can be considered India material.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
We flippin' murdered them
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29 comments:
The Karachi Urban side seemed quite weak as well - Asim Kamal and Hasan Raza have played Test Cricket for Pakistan..... but in this decade Pakistan have probably gone through more Test cricketers than anybody else.
This was quite an impressive performance though. Im just not able to place the quality of the Karachi Urban bowling....
Kartikeya,
Fair point, but then we are fielding 5 debutants and then to have scored 623 runs inclusive of 4 centuries and following that up with imposing the follow on - all of this in an way game - Praveen Amre for India Coach??
Cheers,
That was good, but I'd rather not push the youngster into the senior team. However, I'd give him a full season of A tours to good cricketing playing countries like Lanka and Pakistan do...not to Zim and Kenya.
I remember Amol Mazumdar's beginnings all too clearly even now. I was reading it in the newspaper that early morning while waiting for a hot cuppa of chai from the resident canteen of my organisation following a hectic 24-hour duty. I did think he was the next best thing to happen to Indian cricket after Sachin...ended up discussing him over that entire cuppa and the utility breakfast of breaded omlettes with working colleagues and fellow enthusiasts of the game then...poor fellow didn't even get enough A tour chances despite consistent domestic performances.
He's 23 if I remember correctly...let us put him through the grind for a year or so and see where he stands. 25 is par for course actually in cricket...we forget that's how it used to be till Sachin stepped up at 17.
Soulberry,
Amol Muzumdar is the greatest middle order bat India never had and, quite frankly, it is India's loss.
Abhishek Nayar came up some real gutsy performances ( with bat and ball) in the last Ranji season and did not do too badly in the shorter form of the game either ( a sixfer if I remember correctly).
He isn't featured in the "A" team to take on South Africa and there are no "A" tours lined up after this either. I have serious doubts if he is in the selectoral vision either.
He has the tools, either we use him or we lose him. And if we lose him, only we will be to blame.
Cheers
Had a look at Abhi Nayar. Excluding first 3 FC games. When team scored plenty (>400), he was a significant scorer in each innings. Average for team = 68.5 per wicket. His average = 105.75. Impressive. When team didn't score as much < 320, he could only average 27 v 24.8 for the team. Not bad, perhaps a bit worrying.
FC bowling: Low scoring games re his teams scores... Average 16.8 v 19.9 for team. Taken 7 out of 40 wickets. Good average and decent wickets ratio. High scoring games ... 19.2 v 22 for team. Taken 10 out of 70 wickets. Similar results... both cases, shows above par average and below par wickets contribution. Should have bowled more in one game.
Conclusion: Not enough FC games. Batting a bit weak in tough conditions. Bowling holds up for a change bowler. Should bowl more..Is there a reason why he is not? He will have to show excellent fielding/ athletic ability to go further. If so, should be tried with better FC opposition/ tougher conditions. Already 23, he will to make a big impact and be ready with improvements.
Issacn
Anonymous,
Thanks for your comments and thanks for that breakdown of Abhishek Nayar vis a vis the team.
From what I have heard and read, kid is a pretty decent fielder and a safe pair of hands. And the kid bats at 7 or 8.And comes in as the first or second change bowler.
I agree that he needs to spend some time working on his skills in domestic cricket, but how much will that help?
I am not aware of Mumbai making any provisions for him to train in Australia or England nor have I read about him playing league cricket in the of season. And he is not featured in the "A" team either.So it is basically upto him to upgrade his skills and break into the Indian squad.
Kid has heart and he has temperament - I only hope and pray that his talent ( and Iqbal Abdulla's) don't go to seed.
Cheers
Mumbai plays most of its cricket on Wankhede, which aids seam bowlers and is one of the faster wkkts in the country.
So the debutants have posed an impressive performance in the game and it needs to be seen if Mumbai still needs Muzumdar in the upcoming ranji season.
And Homer, where was the place for Muzumdar to fit in the Indian middle order in the 90s ?
Tubbyy,
Muzumdar was better than Dravid. Dravid made his debut in 1996 while Muzumdar never got even a whiff.
Cheers
Muzumdar better than Dravid?? Sorry Homer, but I don't agree. In 90s, Dravid was litrally ruling in those age group tournaments but Amol was nowhere to be seen. I didn't see him bat in 90s but I saw him in this millenium. And I'm glad that we plumped for the fab four!
Chandan,
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/84306.html
I have been following Muzumdar's career since Harris Shield cricket and I personally feel that he was a much better bat than RD.. RD worked on his batting and has improved over time and he also got his breaks on time.
Muzumdar was resigned to being the bridesmaid always.
Cheers
There was a time in 1999 when lot of openings were created in the middle order after Azhar was pulled off the team post WC. Then we had a few hopeless creatures donning the India cap like Devang Gandhi, Vijay Bharadwaj ,Jacob Martin and even H Kanitkar.
Muzumdar dint even get a lookin then.
And terming him better than Dravid seems a cruelity on Dravid, who has worked his way hard to the top from how he began on the international level.
Once upon a time, it was termed that Manjrekar would be a better captain than Tendulkar. Let alone the captaincy, he wasnt even good enuf to retain his place in the team for long.
Anyways, today Muzumdar is finished commodity and the youngsters might have upstaged him!!!
http://cricket.indiatimes.com/News/Nike_wants_1228_million_from_BCCI_for_not_honouring_contract/articleshow/2359603.cms
this is not related to the discussed topic....but still worth discussing :)
Thanks!
Ashu,
At the time both RD and AM were playing domestic cricket ( early 90s), Muzumdar was considered one of the brightest prospects in a Mumbai team that was full of great players.
Again, better than Dravid or worse is a matter of opinion - fact remains that Muzumdar had/has the tools to make him one of the greatest Indian middle order bats.
Cheers
Jane,
Read that and also read Lalit Modi's statement that the Board has settled these dues with Nike :)
Cheers
Guess now AM is not good enuf for Mumbai team too..
Ashu,
He is Mumbai's captain for the 2008-09 season. League commitments in England prevented him from taking part in the Nissar Trophy
Cheers
hey y arent u guys discussing 20-20 wc ??.....Big upset yesterday ??
Thanks!
Certainly we need to have a look at Abhishek Nayar. I'd rather he doesn't end up disappointed. A good season of international cricket can only sharpen further his skills and then he could be the bat we want for the next 10 years.
Jane,
The bigger upset will be if Oz does not make it to the next round :)
Cheers
Soulberry,
If not the international side, the least the MCA can do is organize bilateral tournaments against foreign domestic sides.
The onus lies squarely with the MCA - whether they are happy being domestic champions or thier ambition exceeds that.
Cheers
Have the team for the Odi's against South Africa A been finalised? If not then Nayar has a chance of being in it. Although when vengsarkar(chairman of selectors, Mumbai & India) was speaking about nissar tournament performance he mentioned rahane and kukreja but no mention of nayar.
Anonymous,
Thanks for your comments..
The team for the ODIs hs not been selected as yet although with the Irani Trophy bing pushed back by 5 days, it will be interesting to see the choices the selectors make.
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About the team, this is what Vengsarkar has to say (per Mid-Day)
“About 10 of our players, who played in last year’s Ranji final, were missing. We had five debutants and a new captain. We were put in to bat after losing the toss on a green wicket. Everything was against us.
But Mumbai came out on top. It’s truly fantastic. Our youngsters, Abhishek Nayar, Ajinky Rahane, Sahil Kukreja, Iqbal Abdulla and Vikrant Yeligati came to the party,” Vengsarkar added.
Cheers
thanks for clarifying that.
Hey, does anybidy have an idea how quick abhishek nair bowls? Quicker than ganguly i hope.
Anonymous,
Lively medium pace is how Cricinfo describes his bowling :)
Cheers
lets hope he is quick enough. Otherwise its another all-rounder down the drain
Anonymous,
As long as he performs the role assigned to him , either as a run saver or wicket taker, and does that effectively, is what will matter in the end.
Kid has shown heart and the stomach for battle. Lets hope he keeps it that way.
Cheers
Sachin Tendulkar was a freak.... hes not a standard, neither is he an example BCCI or budding cricketers should follow.
I mean, the guy scored a Ranji hundred on debut at age 15.... and the next season, batted like a veteran in the whole Ranji season.
Thats a crazy standard to measure up to....
News Flash
Abhishek Nayar selected for the India A Team for the Odi's Vs South Africa A
Thanks for that update Anonymous.. Awesome news !!!
Cheers :),
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