Indian Cricket Fever - Indian Cricket Fighters XI

Indian Cricket Fighters XI

By Ananth August 8 2008
Seeing the disgusting batting display by India’s middle order in Sri Lanka recently and their particularly inept batting with the tail, I went on a thought tangent to think up a team of the greatest fighters in Indian Cricket. Here's my all time Indian - Test Fighter's XI

1. Sunil Gavaskar - A street fighter was always in him. The magnificent run chases he orchestrated: Port of Spain 76, Oval 79, the fine 90 in the tied test and the incredible 96 in his final innings are probably the four greatest 4th innings by an Indian. He had a bit of a short fuse but was always the fighter, his tiff with Lillee eventually galvanised the team to a most famous victory. Another example of this was when he mocked Miandad and out foxed Imran Khan to lead India to victory in the Benson & Hedges Cup in 1985.

2. Vinoo Mankad - He was accused of being overly defensive at times, but he could be aggressive(hit a first ball 6 once) and there's a cricketing verb named after him after initial accusations of "unsportsmanlike conduct." He was the bulwark of the rare Indian Test wins of the 50s.

3. Rahul Dravid: Despite his horrible slump of the past couple ofyears, this gritty cricketer has been our best away batsman by far contributing heavily in Adelaide, Pindi, Headingley, Kandy, Jamaica and a few more Tests. He may have overstayed his welcome, but he was the most reliable of our famed middle order when it came to the crunch for the period 2000-2006.

4. Mohinder Amarnath: The one Indian who was completely fearless against raw pace, apart from Sunil Gavaskar. His performance against the West Indians(after having a broken jaw) and the rampaging Imran Khan of 1982 will always remind us of his courage.

5. Saurav Ganguly(c): The man who bought fire to the modern Indian team and who by his shirt waving and standing up to all comers proved that great leaders can make a team much more than sum of its players. Now in a second avatar as a senior pro he has shown the world what may have been had he concentrated single-mindedly on his own batting. Now, like Dravid, he too may have overstayed his welcome, but his triumphant return, after being hounded out of the game by the coach he helped hire, and taunted by an ever sniveling media, was the stuff of legend.

6. Ravi Shastri(vc): A player with limited ability who made the most of his chances. I'll remember him for the fantastic way he fashioned the run chase of Chepauk 86, the tied test, in which he sheperded Maninder in the last over making sure India won't lose and but for the incompetent Vikram Raju(the umpire who gave the disgusting LBW against Maninder), India may have won it. He would have been the precursor to the Ganguly way of skippering, had he been given a longer run as captain.

7. Kapil Dev: While Kapil's most famous innings is in a one-dayer, he bowled India to a win at MCG 81 practically on one leg, skittling out the Aussies for 83. He was sometimes too ebullient, but did something again at Lords 90 unlikely to be replicated. Batting with bunny Hirwani, with 24 to avoid the follow on, he impeccably blocked the first couple of balls from off spinner Eddie Hemmings and then smacked 4 straight sixes to save it.

8. Lala Amarnath: The fiery Lala was India's first captain and an excellent swing bowler and hard hitting batter. But for the royal loser Vizzy, whom the Lala unwisely but bravely rebelled against, he would have had a more fruitful & longer career.

9. Manoj Prabhakar: He was a canny new ball man, who also put a price on his wicket. His partnership with Tendulkar at Old Trafford 90 comes to mind. Opened the batting when many other qualified batters were found wanting.

10. Kiran More: Wasn't India's best keeper, but probably the one with the most needle. He made Javed Miandad batty, which is extremely difficult and displayed spunk with bat many a time.

11. Anil Kumble - Has been atrocious the last few months with the ball, but no one can deny his spunk and the oversize role he has played in India’s Test wins. No Indian player can have single-handedly contributed to so many memorable Indian wins. Of course he was a hard man too as he showed when he played with the broken jaw or that defiant almost match saving innings at Sydney 2008.

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Re: All time Indian Fighters X1

Posted by: Birbal (IP Logged)

Date: 08/08/2008 21:33

Nice!...

But we need to find newer and better fighters... old guys like Dravid, Ganguly, Kumble seem to have passed their sell by date...

_____

ICL Ko Support Karo Yaro...

BCCI Ko Joote Chappal Maro....

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008:08:08:22:00:53 by Birbal.

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Re: All time Indian Fighters X1

Posted by: ananthd (IP Logged)

Date: 08/08/2008 22:01

True that...

But I doubt Dravid or Ganguly will bat so poorly with the tail as SRT & VVSL...

In the new crop I see fighters in Ishant & Gambhir...

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008:08:08:22:14:43 by ananthd.

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