It's dilemma.
He hasn't played quality spin bowling for quite along time.
Send Sachin, Dravid, Sehwag to domestic cricket.
Let them re-learn playing spin.
How many times we have seen these great players shut off against spin and mounting pressure on the team
See Karthik- how he played spin- primarily becos he is used to playing spin in domestic cricket
Only way to improve.
Send these seniors to domestic circuit

I completely disagree with Mr. Chakravrthy. Sachin is a genius and about dominating the ball pitching outside the leg stump, I think you are forgetting that he is the same player who destroyed Shane Warne in Mumbai who did deploy bowling round the wicket. He is coming back from a injury and is not in the best of forms and still he has runs coming of the blade of his bat. Secondly about retiring, forget it, he is here for the long haul I would say he is playing the world cup in India.

Sachin should take a break from all International cricket and return to domestic cricket. He should not return to International cricket untill he is fully fit. When you look at the way Inzamam and Lara play, Sachin pales in comparison

Maybe. But more anything, the Tendulkar of old who used to be the nightmare of bowlers is gone.... Gone are the days he used to demolish any team's bowling with relish and confidence... So I agree with Chakravarthy on the one day aspect, but I think Tendulkar should be given time till till the World Cup and he should hang up his boots... For Good.

Really can't understand y a player like Sachin is struggling like anything to score runs.Is that an attitude problem or age.I he would have got out playing aggresively thats ok but to see another face of sachin that too in this mood is toooooo disappointing for all of his fans

Hi,Chakravarthy . I don't think there was any single player from India who retire with great pride like S Warne, S Waugh, McGrah n more from other countries. So surely Sachin is going in the same way as his senior teammates. He is strugling, making some runs to be in team, not taking any chalenge from opp. Very sad.

VRS for VRS (Viru, Rahul & Sachin)?

I remember Sachin practising hard in the nets for balls pitched outside leg stumps when aus were supposed to some to india... and shane warne had nightmares! whrs that sachin?

I toatlly agree to your first point but how does that relate to one-day cricket and retirement. HOWEVER HE SHOULD BELIEVE IN HIMSELF AND PLAY SOME GOOD POSITIVE CONTROLLED AGGRESSIVE CRICKET.

Sachin hasn't been able to dominate spin in general for a few years now. Even when he came back from injury (both times) he looked rejuvenated and attacking, but it was always against pace bowling. He still shows the inclination (and thats the most important thing) to go out and create something against faster bowling. But against spin, in the last 3-4 years, he's happy playing the paddle sweep, the reverse sweep, the normal sweep, the late cut past the keeper and all other manners of shots that can be devised from the crease. Gone are the days of charging a spinner down the track or the slog over midwicket to a ball outside leg-stump. Why? I don't know, this change has been so bizarre, that only Tendulkar will be able ever fully answer it.

He should retire immedietly from both forms of cricket. The game he played yesterday was really painful to watch and signs that he should retire.
If he can play in such manner as yesterday than we should analise that he has wasted 18 years.

Tendulkar is not allowing new talent to come in team and blocking the seat for nothing .He should retire gracefully like the Australians are doing .Now he is playing only for his benifits.Shewag should rest so also Laxman is not required.Srisanth is orthodox and does not deserve a place in the team as he is spreading the wrong message for our young generation.

I think he is in no dilema, may be he wants to walk away on a great note and he has been pulling himself arduously. Look at Damien martyn, he for sure had days ahead of him and hear what Mcgraw has to say "It's time for the young guys to step forward now" . Time to walk away sachin before we forget those glorious days of " when I walked in there were 6 guys around me to disturb my concentration " visa power and boost..

Indians never know when its the right time to hang their boots. Except for SG, every other Indian Cricketer lost his way at the end of their careers and the same is it with SRT. There is too much to loose (money, fame) once you are outside the game. Its not that SG was an exception, perhaps he was making more money outside than playing.

Thats the sorry state.

Sachin is second highest run scorer for India in the series after Ganguly.

Dont forget India got first ever test victory in SA.

Just check out past Indian test victories outside India and Sachin's contribution to those matches...

Jigish, Chakravarthy's point is about what has happened in last 3-4 years. Please do not hold on to the old glories. Tendulkar has indeed lost a lot of his strengths -- for example, he cannot flick balls from the stumps with ease, he has almost forgotten to pull. He has lost many scoring shots, and if you don't score runs at some point you are going to get out.

About retirement, it is a different question altogether. However, I agree completely that Tendulkar is no more a player of the same quality.

Mr.Chakravarthy raises a very valid point. But this becomes relevant when a Country or Team plays Cricket for the sake of a Sport and Pride. If one listens to Star Sport Commentary Team - especially - Harsha Bhogle,Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar ,one gets confused. It appears we play cricket for some players to make records. Sunil Gavaskar a few days back said Sachin Tendulkar has lot of Cricket left in him and he will play till 2011 World Cup. Any one who saw his display of Cricket 14 runs in 62 deliveries can say that Gavaskar's comments were inspired by some other considerations other Cricketing ability of Sachin.
Listen to Harsha Bhogle's comments on his sliding to save boundary. Don't they realize that they are a suspect and so is Sachin Tendulkar's career.
One wonders how Harsha Bhogle manages to get Alan Donald and Pat Symcox also praise the same players our guys support. What binds them together.Mr.Chakravarthy - you and me or may be a thousand fans can not change things. Sachin will play unless his injuries can not be kept under wrap any more.

To be honest, Tendulkar is just going through a lean patch. In the last innings he made 64, and did a pretty good job if it. When Giles first bowled to himoutside his leg stump, he did struggle. But, in the next Test match he dominated Giles from outside his leg stump. That's the work of a genius! Of course, he's getting older, and I do think he should retire from interenational cricket after the World Cup. Also, yesterday, he was struggling with something at the beginning of his innings...perhaps that was pestering him? Maybe not..but I'm just saying.

I agree..Sachin should retire now he has done his bit and earned millions.Yes he did deserve the hype and money he has earned but now is the time to quit.Its been ages since we have seen him play the way he used to and I think I dian Board should look at this more seriously and also think about Sehwag,with his current form he is not doing the team any good.

I do not agree with Sachin Retiring from One Day. I feel that he should retire from test and keep playing one dayers, as he can add more value in one dayers with his leg-spin bowling and occasional solid batting performance. I agree that he is not even an average batsman (Pl. leave GREATEST tag for Ponting & Lara) since 1999, but still can add some value in One day. but he should retire from Test cricket...

and pl. all stupid fellas, stop calling him GOD or GREATEST...He is well past that 1999 since his back injury..I noticed his change of style in play in the century(140 odd) against Kenya in 1999 world cup, but no one admitted...Now this cancer has really flared up..

He is no longer the Sachin of yore, whose hand-eye coordination was lethal, whos instincts were razor sharp and who with his heavy bat would slap a quick ball to the fence. One gets the feeling that while the mind still craves for more, his body does not allow any longer. For somebody who walked into the international arena at 15,almost 20 years later, it's tough call to know when you changed!!! Sachin should quit one-days and concentrate on test cricket. He can still deliver there for sometime to come.

Arpit, in spite of being a Tendulkar fan all my life, I should say that his contribution to Indian victories in away tests has never been nearly as much as Rahul Dravid. However, it is true that most of Sachin's great innings in difficult condition came in the last decade when the rest of the team wasn't able to capitulate on that and win matches.

Sachin has completely lost his fighting abilities. He remains a liability for the Indian Team in the second innings of every test. It is hightime he plays some meaningful knock like Laxman and Dravid often do in the second innings of a test match under pressure. Our patience is really running out. May be we can wait for one more series. Otherwise, we should bid adieu to him and thank him instead for all the fantastic innings he had played in the past.

Hmm... Jigish, are you part of BCCI or a relative of Sachin? Wake up and smell the cool breeze... Sachin hasn't played at his best for the last four or five years (except for that aberration during the world cup against Pakistan). As many have commented repeatedly, he seems to grit it through one way or the other just to keep his place which I must say is remarkable, considering the kind of injuries he has... Even though many still respect his batting, it will be good for him to evaluate where he is. Is this the Tendulkar, India needs at this moment? Or should we look at grooming some youngster? There are a few who would definitely gain from some experience at the top level and in the meantime, Sachin can play some domestic cricket to get back to a better form even though I doubt he will ever get back to his best.

Sachin has been going through the very long bad patch. I'ms urprised he even in the team after the recent form he had with the bat. If he was in th Australian team, surely they would have dropped him. If he chasing Brain Lara to be the highest run scorer, he might aswell give up and retire because it is not going to happen, as per the way he is going.

Sachin has had glorious days and during those days it seems we forgot he is weak on his legside when it comes to spin. What we need to realise is every mortal goes through a bad patch and hence stop worrying about the Tendulkars retirement plans and rather have the patience to see him come back in form. Age and injury will prevent him from playing his full array of strokes. So let Sachin decide when he wants to retire and let the nation enjoy the game of cricket ;)

All this makes me idly wonder....why do we hear of graceful & self-imposed retirements, only from players outside India-very often ones who have a lot of ammo left in them...McGrath, Warne et al. In a total & rather depressing contrast our greats and even the not-so-greats never voluntarily hang up their boots even after a string of below mediocre performances. Correct me if i'm wrong but the last Indian cricketer who retired though he still had fire in him was Srinath.

Agree with you Prasanth. I can't recollect an Indian player announcing his retirement when he was on top of his game. The only player I can recall was Sunil Gavaskar and that was a long time ago. Indian players have been chopped and changed and none has retired as gracefully as someone like a Warne, McGrath or Langer after serving their country. Is Sachin close to retiring?

Have some fond memories of sachin's batting. Sad to see him reduced to this state. He needs to be dropped from the team. Hopefully this will re-ignite his fighting spirit and aggression and get back into the team with a more +ve attitude

I'm always amazed that junta time and again pick on Sachin as if the rest of the 10 members dont matter!!!
I liked wot happened to Ganguly, Pathan and Partiv Patel. If u dont perform, get back to local cricket, relearn the basics and prove urself fot the national team.
However, I don't blame the players, but the BCCI. BCCI is one of the richest sports board in the world, but I cant understand y they dont put that money into building cricket grounds, training youths, infrastructure, etc. See wot the Aussies have done. They have prepared match winners rite from the grass root level.
The same shud be carried out by BCCI.
As for Sachin, well, I personally dont give a damn. He'll be 35 this year and I'm assuming that 2007 will be his final year in international cricket.
I'm worried of our future. After Kumble, Sachin, Ganguly, Laxman, Dravid leaves soon, who are we to depend on??? Kaif? Yuvraj? Harbhajan Singh? God save the Indian cricket future.

Let the so called Seniors be asked to play domestic cricket in the same manner as Irfan Pathan was sent back.. The way Sachin and Rahul were struggling against Harris, who is playing his first test match and the duo are said to be masters in Test cricket, I thought the pitch has a lot to offer.. But, seeing "Jumbo" struggle against Smith and Co., I have a feeling whether they were digging their own grave by playing so cautiously.. Anyway, Sachin should play more domestic cricket and get back to basics.

What's pestering Sachin is his age. He's been getting hit on the head more often by bouncers and for a man who could pick up the line/length of a ball up so early that he could change his shot a few times while the ball was being bowled, now he can't even counter a bit of late movement or low bounce.
The problem is that Sachin was at such an amazing level, now he's dropped to a lower level, but its still a high level compared to the average world cricketer and is good enough to make any team. It's just that he'll never be that force he once was and bowlers now always feel they have more than a chance against him.

we are placing too much blame on sachin and not showering the proteans with enough praise. add to the tactic of bowling in the rough outside the leg stump of the right hander, they were brilliant in the field, not leaking any runs. add that to the precarious situation when sachin entered: a patnership that had finally be forged after the opening debacle, and yet faced with the precipice of putting enough runs on the board to outbat the proteans. his approach, cautious as it was, seemed logical, his execution however left us wanting.

i think this debate would not have been occuring had we not suffered two run outs and managed another 75-100 runs.

I am seriously appalled by some of the comments from my fellow readers. I wish this page is saved and few years from now all would be eating thier own words. Firstly he DOESNOT need domestic practice. He has been playing for years now, he sleeps, drinks and eats cricket. Since Deb mentioned about past glory, I am sorry in the last 3-4 years Sachin was the highest scorer in the last World Cup. Sachin is only 33-34 and has a good 4-5 years in him. Therefore I am seriously suprised at some of these comments and I cannnot just wait for Sachin to prove everyone wrong.

Well with all due respect to the little genius, I guess the way he played yesterday was very predictable, he had hardly played any test innings under pressure to save or win for India..!! it might sound bit harsh but with all the great betting records sachin has earned, the reults of winning or saving test matches is very very poor. I'm die hard fan of Sachin but if India loose this match, I think Sachin had played big role in letting SA run riot last eve....

I have one issue about retirement here.

Seeing Sachin bat in the last two years, it looks like it is more difficult for him to play long innings in tests (and he cannot score quick hundreds any more). In one day games, however, he has still played some reasonably good knocks. With the injuries he is carrying, if he has to retire from one version of the game, may be he should consider retiring from tests first. May sound strange for a class player, but probably that's what the situation demands. From his personal point of view of records (which shouldn't be the priority, but I'm sure it is, in the back of his and BCCI's mind), surely he cannot catch Lara in total number of runs and Ponting will soon overtake him in number of test hundreds.

If Sachin Tendulkar has love for the game and for his country - as he claims, then he should gracefully step down. Its painful and agonizing to see him bat. Why put your brilliant past at stake beats me! - Step down in glory and let people remember you as a dashing cricketer. Not a struggler. Take a leaf out of Martyn, Langer, Waugh etc. If it was only scoring an odd 50 here and there, trust me, we have several youngsters who can do that. Watchin Sachin now is like going through the painful experience we had watching Kapil in his last days! I wonder when our players will learn to go out gracefully.

All stalwarts were and are at their best in Sachin's age. Examples are Ranatunga, Injamam, Kallis, Lara and Rickey Ponting. Its really hard to understand is that for a cricketer like Sachin nothing is left to be proven then why can't he play for the country. Why so much insecurity. Where has that attitude gone where bowlers were a species to hate and punish.
People like Ponting and Yousuf are making 9 centuries in a calendar year and our greatest batsman has 53 as highest score of the year.

i agree people saying sachin is not in best of form today.But no player in this world played entirely well throughout his career and i agree sachin is no exception. one example i would like to give you about Ricky Ponting, his average during the 2000/2001 series against india is 10 or so... and then he shaped himself as the best batsmen and captain in the world... All have seen what sachin is capable of.. and im sure he will prove it soon and answer to all the critics against him... Some one says he wasted his 18 years career... sorry mate.... i he was not there then great Team India will not be playing international cricket today.....

Sachin was one of the greatest, I said "Was", its high time he takes the bow gracefully before people hoot him out, any one with some cricketing sense will see that he is well past his prime and not getting any younger or hungry for runs, Jaysurya still scores at brisk rate, Lara does so, Sachin is not doing that. He is "afraid" to step out or blast any fast bowler. He would be better of playing Ranji trophy and grooming young players rather than blocking one space. All legends had to move on, its time he does, before people start talking more about is loss of form than his 20000 + runs.

I am not saying that sachin is not the great player.He is one of the best players in the world today.I am telling that why sachin is not playing his usual cricket.why is he taking so many balls and putting himself in pressure and the other batsmen also.

Jigish: yes, Sachin has played well on ODIs, the last peak being the World cup, and also in the last Pakistan series, though the performance and consistency is also going down slowly. While praising his ODI hundreds in recent times, we shoudl keep in mind that India have lost most of the matches, which may (I am not saying it does) give a slight indication that in such nice pitches, he didn't do enough, and somebody in the opposition ran away with the game with a better performance. However, I am not blaming him for this, the bowlers also bowled quite bad in those matches.

But in tests, he has been not good at all. His last 4 test hundreds are 241*, 194*, 248* and 109, and in three of them which were against good teams, he didn't dominate the bowling. Also, his last 4 hundreds have come in 24 tests -- and if you drop the first two, in the last 22 tests, he has scored 2 centuries. That's quite a long time. In ODIs, he has played well, but in tests, not at all.

I believe Sachin has lost his passion for the game. He is a wonderful player and theres no denying that but in the last year or so he's averaged in the mid twenties. India's big problem isn't the likes of Dravid and Tendulkar retiring but the lack of youngsters that india don't have. They some good players in Gautaum Gambhir and Dinesh Karthik but once the likes of Tendulkar and Dravid retire, I don't think India have the depth to beat the likes of Australia particularly in the form of their batting. They be in for a tough few years

Sachin has been a great player over the years. I think the earlier, he quits, the more dignified it will be. I will certainly not relish if there is a moment where the selection board/coach/captain start talking about dropping from any form of the game. Tendulkar has been a true wonder boy and it is best for the emotions of the nation if he retires when people still have the same opinion.

At the moment, we can only HOPE for the best from our superstars (Sachin, Kumble...etal). I am sure sachin will be 1000 times as critical of him as we are. He is (was!) such an explosive and entertaining player and a perfectionist. Going back to domestic cricket isnt the soln. as far as sachin is concerned, not because he is a genius, but playing domestic cricket will further suck his physical/emotional energy. the BEST POSSIBLE SOLN. lies in him going after bowlers come what may. he should forget about getting out, the pitch, the bowlers, their reputation, the match situation ...etc. He should forget every negative thing..tonk the ball as hard and as creatively he could. Technically... i think he should open his stance for a while... his dismissals dont hurt us as much his fear of getting out...pushing tentively...prodding...hmm... i really think opening his stance or going back'n'across just before delivery will be great for him, azhar,s.waugh and lara are successful examples. For a gr8 man and entertainer...sachin will know these too well. I pray for him to entertain us again before his sun sets.

I think Sachin's game is over now.He never hot a Century from last 11 test matches. So I think its all over for Sachin. Sanjay Manjrekar was right at that time when he stated that Sachin is over now.

The genius called Sachin is surely on the decline. While players like Lara, Inzamam, Ponting seem to be getting even better with age, in case of Sachin it seems he has perhaps lost the appetite for Cricket as was seen in the last Indian innings.
He is not to be blamed for this loss in interest/appetite, for 18 years is a long time to have served the National cricket team with an amazing recors that speaks for itself.

i thinks they should drop tendulkar and sehwag for a year, and let them play domestic cricket until they can reach the hieghts of their game like they once were, and give younger players a chance in the higher order batting line up

Cricket is as much a mind game as it is about skills. It's the mental aspect that needs to be addressed more. The skills never truly go away - the ability to score off good balls, shot placement, timing, etc. The real question he needs to ask is: Is India better served with his Dravid-like-batting of defending good (even half-decent balls) and only playing shots on the loose balls or is India better served with his career long approach of dominating from the start & scoring off really good balls as well? Especially now that India has good batsmen to back it up in case he gets out ... he should be looking to dominate more. If he's having trouble dominating despite his intent of doing so, it's time to go back to domestic cricket & whack all bowlers around the park. I would really expect Chappell to sort this one out ... given that he has amazing record as a batsmen over the years.

The genius called Sachin is surely on the decline. While players like Lara, Inzamam, Ponting seem to be getting even better with age, in case of Sachin it seems he has perhaps lost the appetite for Cricket as was seen in the last Indian innings.
He is not to be blamed for this loss in interest/appetite, for 18 years is a long time to have served the National cricket team with an amazing record that speaks for itself.

Wrong diagnosis, absurd prescription. Sachin's batting is still needed for atleast another 3 years; just look at the Aussies and you will understand. Taylor, Waugh - Mark and Steve, Ponting, Hayden, Langer and evn Martyn and Gilchrist - all legends. Dravid, Sachin and Laxman... besides Ganguly; have to play together for atleast 2 more years, if India must win consistently abroad.

One day games are essential for batsmen to remain on top of their form against Test quality bowling. Suggesting Sachin retire from ODIs is absurd. Yuvraj, Kaif, Mongia, Raina and many more need to be tried out in ODIs before the big 4 are replaced in Tests. Even Sehwag.. who played Giles better than Sachin in that Bangalore Test isn't in good nick now - shows the importance of experience.

I don't believe Sachin should retire; he probably does have a lot of cricket left in him. Having said that, yesterday's innings was pathetic. A newcomer watching the Harris/Tendulkar contest would have been forgiven for thinking that Harris was the senior pro and Tendulkar the debutant, instead of the other way around! As captain, Dravid should have instructed him to get on with it, but I get the feeling that everyone in the Indian dressing room are so in awe of Sachin that they hesitate to give him advice. Hope he gets over this slump soon.

Sachin just crossed 25,000 international runs in Tests and ODIs put together. He has 75 International centuries. Maybe that is a kind of a human limit to excellence. Like thousands of other Sachin fans, I too want to see him play well. But unfortunately I think he has done all that is humanly possible. Time to move, maestro. As someone recently remarked about Justin Langer's retirement, it is always better to go a little early than a little late. Sachin should quit ODIs after the coming World Cup - 14,500 runs and 40 centuries ... that record will stay for a long, long time. He should take some time off and then concentrate only on Test Matches.

For some reasons, many of our indians are dedicated worshippers. Pity I say that because I am tired of arguing about Sachin. All they think of is how well he played before, was a nightmare for Shane Warne etc. etc. You dont know what would be running in Sachin's mind right now. Many bowlers like mcgrath and pollock are his nightmares now. He is not brave enough to say it aloud like Shane Warne.
Coming to the discussion, I agree with Chakravarthy in saying he should retire from one day after world cup giving way to youngsters.
Can you tell me how many times Uthappa got a chance after scoring 95 in his first ODI.

It is time for younger generation.
Will your employer keep you just because you worked very well before 2002 and are doing a mediocre job now?

I think Tendulkar has reached a point of saturation where his name alone caries the strength of his might rather than the willow talking. No doub't he is the best but it's time he paved way for the youngsters.

I think it would not be as difficult as it was before to beat Australia, their two sharp bowlers have retired.

I would hold him responsible for getting India in to a shell, where he and Dravid treated even long hops and on pad bad balls from Kallis and Pollock as if they were dealing with a rare and fragile Ming dynasty vase depicting nude Swans! Time for him to seriously consider what he has to offer, and more importantly, why is he on the filed at all, Akram was right in suggesting that there is nothing to prove to anyone, if at all, he just needs to play for the pleasure of it in his old ways.

Sachin does seem to struggle, but give him another chance. I'm a SA supporter, and we were thinking the same thing about Smith. I mean, his confidence was about as low as it can get, but he has pulled it together in this test and playing Mr. Reliable. Sachin is currently on a low, but give him time, and he'll be up there with the rest chop-chop.

I just hope that Sachin doesn't get discouraged by the sudden outburst of negative opinions from his fans, followers, friends and mentors in the upcoming weeks. His career has been riddled with similar moments where he's been doubted and he's had to prove himself all over again.
After what he's given to Indian and world cricket, I think he's earned the right to expect us to be patient with him. His one-day form's good; it won't be long before it perspires into his test game too.
And as someone had mentioned above: he has scored two half centuries in the series and notched up runs consistently. So has for that matter MS Dhoni who was the highest run scorer from the Indian side in the last match. It's easy to get carried away when someone like Karthik re-emerges into the side, but anyone who's played for India consistently deserves to be persisted with rather than some lanky new kid who's too cocky for his own good.
Whether he has a career spanning under two years or one neary eighteen years long, he still deserves our support.
Sachin must continue to play.

I really don't know what to say about Sachin,Only he himself can answer all the Question??? I think that he is not being as aggressive like he use to be that that's what is costing him, He should start back playing positive cricket, lets hope this new year will help him. Lets support him....
Concerning Sreesanth...Goyal says that he does not deserve a place in the Indian side because he is Orthodox, Come on lets be real don't judge him by his Religion, He earn this place Who has taken the most wicket in South Africa and help India win the First test. Let's not Judge because of Religion,Race ETC.
Almost all of the Indian team Batsman is failing, Lets hope it will turn around in the Series at home and in time for the World Cup.
I will be in the Carribbean to Support Them.
Lets GO India.

If Sachin retires or forced to retire, who would you replace Sachin with? Have compared perfomance of other players recently currently in the team or not? I dont see other batsmen doing good either. Sachin is doing ok. All great players were struggled after reaching peak a bit. I would be for Sachin's retirement or dropping him if there are other potential good players out there. Suresh Raina, Kaif, Dinesh Mongia? who else? Also, we still not sure about Shewag and Ganguly and may be Jaffer in the team?

Can we not take a leaf out of the Aussie way of retiring rather than waiting to be kicked out of the team? Our cricketers are the richest amongst cricket-playing nations. Companies have made millionaires out of people like Tendulkar. Sure he was great at one time but certainly not any more.

In Sachin's defensive can anyone tell me who is at the top of their game at 33 years of age after making 75 hundreds in both forms of the game ??? Yes i agree he is not the bolwer he used to be but at least he is an option in the indian when the full time bowlers need a rest in the test side. Also Das (first comment) made a very stupid comment about how tendulkar sehwag and dravid should go back to domestic cricket to "re-learn" there spin, those 3 are in the top 5 or 6 of india's top batsmen. And india's 3 most expericend players in the current test squad are kumble tendulkar and dravid who would send darvid tendulkar back to domestic cricket to "re-learn there spin.

The indian cricket has under performed for many years, in recent years they have relied on one or two players to dig them out of tough situation rather then playing a team game. The squad as a whole should look at themselves and realize that they are not reaching the potential that they should. Its not abour sachin, rahul or viru the team needs everyone to play. If you look at the aussie if they are in trouble they can still rely on the tail to wag, as can SA, and to an extent NZ and SL but india will always fail. Loose shots and very poor shot selection has let the whole country down as well as the inability to work well together (build patnerships) and handle pressure situations!

I think Sachin should hang up his boots and make way for youngsters. He has really been struggling for the past 2-3 years and appears to have lost his confidence. I thought he will finish his career on a high note but his recents performances have been pathetic in comparison to the brilliant exploits of Lara and Ponting.
I also think Virender Sehwag should be rested for a season or two. It is however comforting to see new fast bowlers come up and perform well.

I am really sad to see Sachin bat this way. He has been my inspiration right from the time he blasted his way into international cricket.

The way he demolished oppostion, the way he had the entire team's fortunes balanced on his young shoulders.

sometimes i wonder.....that the reducing of responsibilities...that the advent of batsmen like dravid, viru, saurav..who helped reduce the burden on sachin actually caused the decline in sachin's batting...

i mean...when india was totally dependent on sachin....he was GOD....He weilded the bat like magic..., but since the responsibility of carrying the entire team on his shoulders disaapeared, I have seen sachin the GOD, relegated to Sachin the mortal.

I wonder if the shifting of responsibilities dulled the hunger in the great man.... I wonder..

what do u think????

Yeah, Sachin is not like how he used to be. He may not be scoring heavily, we always compare him with old Sachin.

He has got nothing to prove at this stage and I always wonder why he is too defensive.
Sachin! either you play good cricket or please leave gracefully.
Same thing is applicable to Sehwag.
BCCI should atleast now stop selecting the players basing on their past performances
( decade back ) and always select the players who are in form and groom the youngsters.
Everyone should understand that this is not place where you can play for your own records it is a team game.

Heah Guys, give him a break and at the same time lets not worry him with such thoughts, he is in bad form, so what, who performs in the team today. Such comments will mentally put on more unwanted pressure on these guys, for a change switch the TV and go for another sport till you hear the team has performed.

I disagree with Chakravarti. Tendulkar should be removed from both the teams - one dayers as well as test matches. He should not be allowed to retire gracefully; he has missed that bus long time back.

Sachin has lost the aggresive approach which led to dominating the opposition attack. Nowadays he gives the impression of being scared to take the attack to the opposition.Thats where he has lost the plot and his form.Sachin we want you to go out and blast off the bowlers you are the best the greatest...

I keep reading the comment that Sachin should go and make way for youngsters. Which yougsters are we talking about really? People like Suresh Raina or Kaif, who started floating in the sky, after they played a couple of good games and could not get their feet on the ground?

Look at the Tendulkar and his modesty after doing so much for Indian cricket. He never allowed success to go in his head, but Sehwag did. Although Sehwag has not achieved 10% of what Tendulkar did. Two years ago, people were saying that Sehwag is "Next Tendulkar". Now, these people are eating their words, because there can never be another Tendulkar.
We should all grow up and learn to respect a genuis.

We cannot pass comments on a Legend. No one knows the game better than him. He eats, sleeps, dreams, walks, talks cricket. Every batsmen goes though a lean patch but i doubt whether that's the case here. Stats shows that he is the second highest run-getter after ganguly. I a may be wrong but I beleive it was sach's ploy to demoralise the South Africans by excess padding. Why is he being singled for India's dismal performance. There 10 other blokes in the team. The guys in the middle knows better than we spectators. LEt him alone guys and i'm sure he will strike a purple patch like Jayasurya, Lara & Ponting.

The way Sachin has been batting of late, it seems that he is more interested in preserving his wicket than scoring runs. He has faced Warne and Giles when they wetre bowling round the wicket and yet he had scored runs in a heap. I think he should have a session with Sandy Gordon and get the problems off his chest.

Regarding Gaurav's statement, yes it is true that Sachin has done alot for indian cricket, BUT that was in the past.

You have to see what's best for indian cricket at the moment, in the present, not the past. The past has no bearing for now. Tendulkar along with Sehwag have let the money and security of being cemented in the side get to their heads. They need to be kicked out of international cricket sent back to domestic to regain that hunger and thirst to play for their prided position, to play for that passionate country we call India. In addition, his fitness levels have gone down the drain too. All can be fixed by sending them back to the domestic scene as they will realise that holding aloft and bearing that indian baggy blue on their head is serious business.

How about Tendulkar does it the other way around, retires from test to concentate on one days, i know it does make sense but seriously look at the stats, he has been now a better one day player than test player for quite a few years. indian cricket will be better served with Tendulkar playing one days.

I believe Sachin is living on past glory. The way he played... it was awful, and not the Sachin we know who would take the fight to the opposition. He played like some-one under extreme pressure and great unwillingness to bat. Another important point.. never has Sachin come to India's rescue when India is in a tight corner. I think the entire Indian team management and also Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri etc., are protecting Sachin. He has never been a match winner or match saver. He is doing little for India when they are in deep trouble.. so, in my view out goes Sachin, Sehwag from the Indian team and we need to look for more Karthik's.

karthik just batted in one innings. It's not sachin alone who is struggling. every indian cricketer is struggling for runs. In my opinion, the problem is with indian team's attitude. the batsmen as well as bowlers..they don't improvise and adapt quickly. they will blame the pitch, opppsotion's negative tactics, sledging, reputation, accuracy...etc.,etc., Any team against india are able to improvise and wack indian bowling and get indian batsmen out. Simple reason...the hunger and pride for WIN!. Indian cricketers don't have this. They have more than source to make income..and all these games are just like unreal reality shows. If only millions of INDIANS stop watching cricket..this sorry state might change.
as far sachin he is younger than Lara, inzi and glichrist and jayasuria..but all the above seem to adapt and work hard. But doesn't seem to. he has the talent and skill. he just doesn't have the application[the attitude]

I love Sachin and have really enjoyed his cricket for the last 15 years. I feel blessed to have watched him when he was at his best, when i was in school and enjoyed his batting watching with friends.
I feel really sad reading your comments, criticizing him and asking him to retire. Not because the comments are wrong but because they are right. This is probably the time to go for sachin. Please please win us this World cup Sachin, playing the way only you can. One last time.
We will miss you and weep when you are gone.

There are strong signs that west indies are back on track. The youngstars are doing very well under the unbrella of experienced Lara, Chanderpaul etc. Good luck WI in the world cup. I want to see the team regain their lost glory