Expert Speak: Appreciate Both Virat and Sachin Says Gambhir

Don’t compare cricketers, says Gautam Gambhir. If however, you must, take into account the variables.

Three Threes are Four for Flying Kiwis

Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson and coach Mike Hesson have turned pitch-reading into an art, writes Daksh Panwar in The Indian Express. They made risky decisions that paid off, and New Zealand enters unbeaten into the semis.

In fact, an ESPNCricinfo story on his omission quoted an unnamed member of the coaching staff of an unspecified franchise questioning Guptill’s effectiveness on Indian pitches. “How much of Guptill’s performances are inside New Zealand and how much outside? There were doubts about his adaptability in Indian conditions. Even [RPSG coach] Stephen Fleming didn’t go for him,” the insider had pointed out. These doubts were removed emphatically.

Don’t Tinker with India’s Playing XI

In another game that India cannot afford to lose, India has many boxes to tick, writes Kris Srikanth in The Times of India.They need to bat themselves “into some sort of form” before their match with Australia.

Fortunately for India, Rohit Sharma has always done well against Bangladesh and that should boost him. I don’t think there is any need to tinker with the playing XI. The opener against New Zealand was a rude awakening but this team still has what it takes to trouble the best.

Tamim’s Absence a Boost for Hosts

Writing in The Times of India, Sanjay Manjrekar writes that the Indian team is back on track after “a small blip” against New Zealand. However, Bangladesh will feel the suspended Taksin and the unwell Tamim’s loss, he writes.

I feel sorry for bowlers pulled up for their bowling actions. Batsmen can use bloated bats to get the extra power and thus an extra advantage over the bowlers. But a slight flex in the bowling arm to add some venom to survive in a heavily-lopsided game in favour of batsmen sees the bowler getting banned. ICC must fast-track the implementation of restriction on bat dimensions and you will find after this that less bowlers will flex their arms.

Raina’s Form Could Play on India’s Mind

India will seek more than a win when they play aganist Bangladesh, writes Harsha Bhogle in The Times of India. Suresh Raina, who has blown hot and cold, will be under greater scrutiny than ever.

In recent times though, he has blown hot and cold, a stunning innings in Sydney followed by a few more mundane ones. In T20, a sequence of 20,30,13,1,25,1,0 isn’t yet reason to ring alarm bells but a typically buccaneering effort against Bangladesh will mean that the top order will have shed the fragile veneer it currently displays.

Let’s Appreciate Sachin and Virat Collectively

If one must compare cricketers, there are variables one needs to consider accurately, writes Gautam Gambhir in The Hindustan Times.

In this case, I feel Sachin paaji faced better bowling attacks than what my young friend faces today. Pakistan had Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis followed by Aaqib Javed and Saqlain Mushtaq. South Africa had Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener... Virat is playing far more cricket than Sachin paaji. He will complete eight years in international cricket in August and has played 252 international games to paaji’s 201 in a similar time span.

From Beyond the Border and Within, Shahid Afridi Gets Emotional Connect

Pakistan may have lost the match, but it wasn’t for lack of support from the stands. They must have felt at home as flag-smeared faces boisterously rooted for them, writes Nitin Sharma in The Indian Express.

“We have come here to cheer the Pakistan team play and my friends are from Bandipura. Most of us also study here nearby and we had struggled a lot to get the tickets for the match. But we are happy that we got a chance to see Afridi play in probably his last tournament and we will take these memories from here. I am also a fan of Shane Watson and will cheer for him in the next match,” said 21-year-old Amir Majid Dar who had come from Ganderbal in the Valley.