When you've had a shite series.......

GAUTAM GAMBHIR has reacted to sledging of the Indian batsmen's techniques by calling on home curators to prepare ''rank turners'' when Australia next visit India, and refusing to laud the progress of Peter Siddle until the fast bowler replicates this summer's achievements on the subcontinent.

Gambhir faced Siddle's first ball in Test cricket - it hit him on the head - but the Victorian has since reinvented himself to lead the rejuvenated Australian attack by combining innate aggression with a full length and consistent outswing.

But Gambhir claimed the only difference between the Siddle he encountered in Mohali in October, 2008 and the one who has crashed through India's batsmen with 17 wickets for the series at 19.58, was his home ground advantage.

Advertisement: Story continues below ''The only difference is the conditions. He made his debut in Mohali, and we played really well in that Test series. It's his own conditions, his own backyard. The important thing is, once [he starts] doing well in the subcontinent, that is when you know he is a very good bowler,'' Gambhir said.

''Though he has bowled well in this series, no doubt about that - he has been the main bowler who has always taken wickets when he gets into his spells - let's see how he does in other conditions as well.''

India have lost their last seven Tests abroad but the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India last week shrugged off the dismal performances in England and Australia, saying the important thing was to dominate at home.

Gambhir has since spoken of the importance of winning overseas, but yesterday said England and India had prepared seam-friendly wickets to suit their own attacks and India should do the same.

''We need to realise that when we go overseas every country prepares wickets to their own strengths. So once the other teams come home, we need to prepare tracks to our advantage as well.

''So there should not be a lot of talk when Australia or South Africa or England come home that we should not be preparing turners. I think we should be playing to our strengths, and if we can prepare rank turners, that's where their technique and their temperament will be tested.

''We have seen in the last three Test matches and even in England, there was a lot of grass and that helped their seamers. Once these people come to India we should not be hesitant in making turners, and that's where we would get to know whether they are mentally strong, and [what happens to] the kind of chit-chat they do when we go overseas and they talk about our techniques.

''That's where they will be tested, and we'll see how good they are against spin bowling.''

India's strength at home has been its fallback position when the technique and mental resilience of its batsmen have been questioned.

Only one specialist Indian batsman, Sachin Tendulkar, has averaged more than 30 in the series, and Rahul Dravid, traditionally India's best technician, has been bowled six times.

Despite his grudging assessment of Siddle, Gambhir rated the Australian quicks ''at a par'' with England's world-beating attack.

''In England there was a lot of lateral movement but here a lot of credit goes to them because they have a very inexperienced attack,'' he said. ''The way they bowled in the series was tremendous … We all know Indians are known to score runs freely, most of our middle order are boundary hitters, but they never let us score those boundaries.''



Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/gambhir-i-wont-rate-siddle-until-he-takes-wickets-in-india-20120122-1qc79.html#ixzz1kEnMiGNj

I hope the Gambler does his usual trick of stepping away at the last minute after looking up late from his paint-drying like stance preparation, Milf bowls it anyway and knocks his pegs out of the ground, and the umpire says "fark off, yer out".

' I think we should be playing to our strengths, and if we can prepare rank turners, that's where their technique and their temperament will be tested.

Err... by which bowlers?

That is classic Indian "what-aboutism" as per Clamson's famous post.

It is typical that they are more worried about what australian deficiencies may show up at some point in the distant future rather than worry about addressing /acknowledging their own deficiencies now.

So what you're saying is that Bannies behave like a bunch of sooky schoolkids?

I suspect that the two condiditons of play next tour of Oz by Dad's army will be no DRS and no green tops.

skully wrote:So what you're saying is that Bannies behave like a bunch of sooky schoolkids?

Perhaps. But last if they were sulking boardingschool girls they would at least comfort each other

G.Wood wrote:

skully wrote:So what you're saying is that Bannies behave like a bunch of sooky schoolkids?

Perhaps. But last if they were sulking boardingschool girls they would at least comfort each other

You been watching the adult channel of Foxtel again????

I've never watched the Adult channel on Fox. How "hard" is it?

JGK wrote:I've never watched the Adult channel on Fox. How "hard" is it?

Not sure - but I would suspect it would be pretty tame.

JGK wrote:I've never watched the Adult channel on Fox. How "hard" is it?

Think Arjuna Ranatunga

um they aren't allowed to show qunts

Gutless git. If I remember correctly, this great techniqued team shat bricks twice against the West Indies, a team which could have and should have lost a test to the Bangles in their previous series, when there was a semblance of life (spin) in the wicket.

I don't use this word much to describe many players, but Mr. Gambhir typifies the word 'weakling' IMO.