India on brink of golden age according to Darren Berry

Chandan wrote:As you can see Trev that hardly new exciting bowlers are coming through, be it pace bowling or spin bowling. And players you named are not exceptional enough to propel a golden age!

The bowling, strangely and surreal-ly, is the least of our worries. Infact, it's not even a problem now. We have 2 pacers who are top class, 2 who can be as good, and 2 who aren't that good but can hold their own anyway, along with a few others who are above average in FC. All of them except Zak are very young. How many new exciting pacers do you need? As for spin, Bhajji's not going anywhere, Mishra, Chawla have immense potential and there are a few others like Ojha, Nadeem, Nanda who would probably be playing international cricket if they were Aussie. So, we've pretty much got that base covered as well.

The batting is a real concern.

Didn't "GOLDEN AGE" India lose their last two away series and struggle to a 1-1 draw at home to South Africa recently?

Didn't "GOLDEN AGE" India take a thrashing from a rookie spinner (more than a thrashing, but you understand) in Sri Lanka in their last series?

Honestly, I've never seen more rubbish spouted about any side than about this current India side. Their recent history alone has enough blots to write a book about (the World Cup humiliation) but because they've won a poxy Twenty20 tournament and started up a load of acronym-obsessed slog and giggle tournaments, everyone's brown-nosing them to the ends of the earth. They're not even the best of a bad bunch currently and that's saying something!

They'll beat Australia in this series, but all this heralds is a return to the days where home sides generally won series between two well-matched nations.

FWIW, I also think we're going to be pretty ****** once this generation retires. The bowling will have to keep us afloat, much like the batting has done for so many many years. And our bowling isn't that good. Hopefully, Darren Berry has seen something I haven't yet.

A fair call dori. The bowling looks good, but no side can lose the likes of legends of the game like SRT and Dravid and hope to put enough runs on the board to consistently win games.

While I think you may be a tad harsh on India's bowling stocks (Ishant and Bhajji should lead the attack for a few years yet), your point is well made.

skully wrote:A fair call dori. The bowling looks good, but no side can lose the likes of legends of the game like SRT and Dravid and hope to put enough runs on the board to consistently win games.

While I think you may be a tad harsh on India's bowling stocks (Ishant and Bhajji should lead the attack for a few years yet), your point is well made.

Don't think I'm excited at all and am quite amazed to see how the authors from other countries are getting carried away just by one win. there might be good twenty20 prospects in India at the moment but I just do not know how will they propel a golden age in India.

Wait for these 4 batsmen to retire and Sehwag would be in the same condition Sachin was 10-12 years back. I just hope and pray that at least two consistent batsmen come forward. Even if they are not as brilliant as Sachin and Dravid, a bit of consistency will do. But I can't see even that happening soon.

Someone will come along for India batting wise. Ganguly was written off at the start of his career as not good enough, much the same as Raina was, Rohit has immense potential, Pujara displays a Dravid like appetite for batting for a long time, Kohli has the game to score lots of test runs, and just needs more experience, Gambhir is coming good, and Sehwag is just about a great player now. Tendulkar and Dravid have both averaged in the low 40's for the last 3 years. It's not like they've been churning out huge runs recently, yet India have had some significant victories in that period.

Still we can't include the prospects in "sure to succeed" category, can we?

No. But who is "sure" to succeed?

skully wrote:If India can produce another foursome of the ilk of SRT, Gangles, Dravid and VVS (and this is a VERY BIG "IF") and dig up another Ishant Sharma, they could dominate World Cricket for the next decade, as Aus have done for the past decade.

We'll be very very lucky to get two, and I ain't kidding.

Agree Furry.

The reason India have been able to take on Aus more consistently than anyone else for the last decade was because the strength of your batting.

Yet there are Indian fans on this forum who have been crying that the end of Indian Cricket is not far off given the impending retirement / dropping of the senior stars.

I reckon Rao could possibly do a good imitation of Dravid if given a good chance to establish himself.

Yeah in the same way an auto-rickshaw does a good impression of a Ferrari.

Assuming Rohit plays in place of Ganguly against England, Pujara may just book himself a place in the squad with a half decent season for Saurashtra in Ranji.

Lara Lara Laughs wrote:I reckon Rao Batman could possibly do a good imitation of Dravid if given a good chance to establish himself.

Fixed

It'd be funny if a lot of Indian retirements came at the same time as the Aussie ones. The West Indies may become a cricketing powerhouse agian.

Basil wrote:

Para Batsman wrote:

Henry wrote:

Chandan wrote:As you can see Trev that hardly new exciting bowlers are coming through, be it pace bowling or spin bowling. And players you named are not exceptional enough to propel a golden age!

Huh? Am I missing something here? Did I not just see the most promising young fast bowler and the most promising young leg spinner in the world tear the Aussies apart in the last test? Maybe we were watching a different game....

Mishra is a doubt IMO. He could go for plenty outside India. Too slow and his action is readable.

He's only 5' 5", - so can't see him getting much bounce, which is traditionally a leggie's weapon.

Didn't stop Mushy from having an excellent career.