adbrite

Your Ad Here Your Ad Here

Jackson fans' tribute at Apollo

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Home » Specials Chat: 'Time for fab four to rise’ |


Sriram: Hello! What will be the result of the 1st Test?

Nishant Arora: Pheeww, tough one to predict! Isn’t it? That’s the beauty of India Australia Test cricket. All the three results are possible. I would hate to predict this one mate. It reminds me of 2004 India-Australia Test match where India needed 210 odd runs to win on last day. And what a big disappointment it was. It rained, rained and rained. I hope it doesn’t happen this time.

Subramanian C: Why do you think India is struggling against the quality Aussie fast bowlers? Don’t you think India are still finding difficult to play against good cricketing nations like Sri Lanka, Australia?

Nishant Arora: Yes, if you look at last four Test matches India have played they haven’t lived up to the expectations of theirs and others. And more than us they know it. Time to pull up their socks and make telling contributions to the total. The outcome of this series will depend on how these ‘Fab Four’ go from here.

Azam: Hello Nishant! What do you think of India’s chances of drawing this Test match?

Nishant Arora: I think India will either win this or loose it. Draw is not a possibility unless it rains.

Rajan: Tendulkar was injured even some time back and could not have any match practice for a long time. Do you think anyone can play at international level without any match practice? Why didn’t the selectors ask Tendulkar to play few matches to prove his fitness before including him in Test series? Even Ganguly’s fielding is awful, then why aren’t youngster given a chance. Is there any point in supporting all these senior players? Look at Kumble for that matter.

Nishant Arora: Rajan, if I may ask you who are the youngsters who give you so much confidence. Yes, all of them will go and their time is not far. But you don’t make changes for the sake of it. None of youngsters have pushed them hard enough. Do you think Ganguly could have made a comeback if any of the youngsters had grabbed their chances. If someone who has served cricket for two decades and is one of the greatest players India has produced, has to be trusted when he says that he is fit. Ganguly is leaving and youngsters will get their chances. Kumble is not going to last long. And lets give time to Sachin to decide his own fate. He won’t hurt Indian cricket.

Sudheer: When will Australia declare the second innings?

Nishant Arora: I don’t think they will declare before getting 300 runs on board. That means they need to bat for at-least an hour or 45 minutes tomorrow morning. And then India will require to survive two half and session.

Paramesh: Nishant, do you think Dhoni deserves to be in the Test team? Players like Parthiv Patel, Saha and Karthik are better in terms of wicketkeeping and batting in the Tests. Don’t you think so?

Nishant Arora: Dhoni certainly deserves to be in the team. He has earned his place and you can’t compare Parthiv Patel and Dinesh Karthik with him. I do agree that he needs to do a lot more in Test cricket but as an overall package he is far ahead of these guys. Dhoni is special cricketer and he needs prove that in Test cricket as well.

Aamir: Do you think Dravid is Inida’s best Test batsman? I certainly do.

Nishant Arora: If not the best then certainly one of the best and most reliable one.

Anand: How many matches have passed by since we saw the ‘Fab Four’ firing? I know you are not an astrologer, but I think they are no more the ‘Fab Four’. Do you think that its time for the young guns like Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan to be roped into the Test arena?

Nishant Arora: All the youngsters you have mentioned are extremely talented and have future in India cricket. But at the same time they have to wait for their chances. Yes, ‘Fab Four’ is walking towards sunset but you can’t remove all of them together, even in One-Day cricket. You have Sachin Tendulkar and some other seniors to guide the youth brigade. He was one of the reasons why we won tri-series in Australia. And at the same time youngsters haven’t done enough to push these seniors. If they had, then Ganguly wouldn’t have made a come back.

Digvijayd: Does India lack the killer instinct? Remember Bangalore last time when we had Aussies on the ropes, yet we let them off the hook and now they have the advantage.

Nishant Arora: Dear Digvijay, you have point to an extent. But this Test match is different form that one. This time India were always on backfoot but then they fought hard -- thanks to Zaheer and Harbahajan to make a comeback in the Test match. And they bowled well today to keep this Test interesting. One wise man told me when you are coming from behind you can’t afford to have even half hour of bad cricket and I agree with him. So, let’s hope famous Indian batting line-up play to their potential and save this Test match.

Ricky: Do you think not letting Ganguly bowl in the first innings was a good decision by Kumble?

Nishant Arora: He could have been tried. Although, I don’t know how much his style of bowling would have worked in the given conditions. But there was no harm in trying him.

Digvijayd: If Kumble is indeed injured and misses next Test, does Amit Mishra have the caliber to perform at the top level? He has a weight of reputation in domestic cricket.

Nishant Arora: I would prefer a left-arm spinner over him. Even in this Test match Clarke, who is not a full time bowler got some grip and turn from the wicket. And I don’t expect Mohali wicket will be different. Mishra is good bowler, but his style of bowling is different from Kumble who is much faster and straighter. Let’s see if that happens then what Dhoni decides.

Sudheer: Australia struggled in practice matches but they came back strongly in the Test match. How and why?

Nishant Arora: You think Australia played the practice game with same intensity. No way, mate! Test cricket is different.

Ravi: Do you think India lacked one attacking spinner and one attacking middle-order batsman who could have put India on victory path in this match?

Nishant Arora: I am not sure about middle-order attacking batsmen because Ganguly, Laxman, Dhoni -- they all are attacking players. And anyway, Harbhajan did the needful, but yes Kumble is not hundred percent in this match and that has really effected the match.

Digvijayd: Ponting vs Bhajji and now Ponting vs Ishant. Last year in Bangalore Ishant took five vs Pakistan. How do you look at him improving so much in one year? Is it just the confidence or the advice of the seniors coupled with sheer hard work?

Nishant Arora: I am really very impressed with the way Ishant Sharma has improved. His stature has improved by the day and he makes the maximum of his talent. Tall, hits the ball hard and has the ability to swing the ball both ways with some good pace. It is so good to see an Indian fast bowler rattling batsmen with pace and bounce. And good thing is that he is fit and has experienced Zaheer Khan to support him from other end. If he remains fit and keep his head over his shoulders he will go long way in international cricket.

Shashank Jain: Don’t you think that in the next match pitch curator should make turning pitch?

Nishant Arora: In Mohali it is very difficult to make rank turner. You can twist the wicket a little bit but you can’t change the basic character of the pitch. It will be dry wicket with some bounce for seamers and spinners.

Thanks for today….will be back tomorrow after the match!!

No comments: