I'm probably going to be very biased in my opinion because I have been a massive Sachin fan since I was a kid, and basically the 100th hundred is all I am rooting for now.
I would take Sachin over Sehwag any day. A lot of people like him because of how his batting can devastate and tear away bowling attacks. But that is a hit or a miss. It is either something big or a very cheap wicket throwaway. There is absolutely no consistency. Sachin does have his failures, but if you graph his performances he is much more consistent. He may not be getting big scores like he used to but he consistently can put runs on the board. You can count on him to contribute at least a moderate amount at least.
The biggest problem with Sachin is that he is a sloppy outfielder. He does not dive or run as much as he ought to. However, when it comes to close fielding he is still sharp. When you factor in his age – Sachin's fitness is actually better than some of the youth. He is fast approaching 40 but his reflexes, running between wickets, and overall fielding is pretty good. His weight and girth are also reasonable. Compared to that Sehwag is more like a flabby uncle when he plays, his outfielding is sloppy and his close fielding is a hit or a miss like his batting, he makes no effort in running between wickets. Gambhir is even younger, even though he is the right weight and fitness – he still is a sloppy fielder and sloppy running between wickets.
That being said it is about time Sachin and Sehwag get phased out of ODI's. They will not be in prime form for the next World Cup. But support Sachin getting his 100th hundred. It will be another accolade or statistic, but I think it is a matter of pride India to have such an awe inspiring record and claim to a legend for a long time to come.
I like the idea of Kohli being promoted to captaincy. But as Souro said he is too young and inexperienced now. I like his attitude, especially in the short format. I can see him leading India down the road in the future. I'd say drop Sehwag from Vice Captain and make Kohli the Vice Captain.
Coming to tests, the youngsters have a lot of promise but not the mental ability and patience to transfer it to the long form of the game. There is value in still having the likes of VVS, Sachin and Dravid around because of their ability to perform in the long form. Although VVS seems to have lost it post West Indies, but we cannot forget Dravid was the only one who did anything in England. But I think we should rotate the test middle order. Play only one of the three (two max) and introduce youngsters. Their role should be to guide and mentor youngsters while batting and try to build test temperament. We are losing tests anyways, so experiment with new blood and see what combination works right.
I think the coach plays a huge part. Gary Kirsten was able to extract performance and fitness levels from the seniors as well. I think Duncan Fletcher was a poor choice. Ever since he 'gave up' on a winnable match in West Indies, I knew he lacked the ammo to successfully coach India. I think India needs a more positive coach who pushes them, who would rather lose than give up without trying. IMHO Fletcher needs to go ASAP.
I actually envision people like Wasim Akram or Imran Khan coaching India. We keep having these breakout fast bowlers who fade in no time. Someone like them could marshall these resources and not let them get wasted. I think they will also help fashion our all rounders like Irfan Pathan, Jadeja, Yuvi and perhaps even Ashwin. It is a pity people like Agarkar have crappy careers and Irfan Pathan keeps fading away a few years. A couple good all rounders will give us a lot more flexibility and rotation ability in our team.
Ok done rambling, I'm too OCD about cricket.
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