Australia Tour Of India 2012/13

[Aalay]

Why do people want Rahane to open when he doesn't even open in first class or list A matches!

True but we don't have any other option. Selectors are thinking about going back to Wasim Jaffer which is not a smart move if we are looking to build a team for future. I also don't want to see Murli Vijay. So that means we will end up with Rahane. I would still think about retaining Sehwag but not Gambhir. Gambhir has to go now because his rough patch does not seem to end.

Kohli also have to prove him self because I don't think he is still much comfortable in this format as much as he is in ODI. He is out of form and he still did not play Irani trophy was also a bit odd to see. I also hope Dhoni and Pujara continue with their good form. Raina is again a weird case. He always does well in domestic but as soon as he comes at international level in longer format, he fails. We don't have much choice in spinning department. Ishant has apparently said that he is fit. So fast bowlers in final 11 will be Ishant and Sreesanth with Ishwar Pandey/ Shami as backup I think.

Australia in India 2012-13 : India ponder change in Test opening | Cricket News | India v Australia | ESPN Cricinfo

Sehwag
Rahane
Pujara
Sachin
Kohli
Raina/Manoj
Dhoni
Ashwin/Harbhajan
Ishant
Sreesanth
Ojha

 

[aussie1st]

Yeah, I'd be expecting some rotation for sure, especially between the 1st and 2nd Tests where there is only 3 days rest. Will be interesting to see who succeeds. I imagine reverse swing will be important (good for Starc), and getting bounce out of flat decks as well (good for Johnson, maybe Bird too). Perhaps a skiddy bowler like Siddle won't be as effective. I imagine the best combo will be one 'swinger': starc/patto; one 'bouncer': Johnson/bird; and Siddle the reliable 'line and lengther'.

I'd say Bird covers the reliable line and lengther guy too, infact I'd trust him in that role more than Siddle.

 

[icyman]

Someone mentioned about Nayar being drafted into the team. This could very well be a smart move. Decent all-rounder who can definitely bat and bowl pretty well.

True but we don't have any other option. Selectors are thinking about going back to Wasim Jaffer which is not a smart move if we are looking to build a team for future.

Wasim Jaffer's inclusion won't be seen as a backward move. When your top batmen are not performing, it is fine to have a person nearing 35, who is in great form ,to come out and replace the non-performers. Also, Jaffer has had a decent run in the Indian domestic season and has proven that he can perform at the top most level as well.

 

[WubbaLubbaDubDub]

This should be the team.

Good decision to drop Gambhir. Would love to see Rahane and Dhawan opening though and Sehwag playing down the order

Virender Sehwag
Ajinkya Rahane
Cheteshwar Pujara
Virat Kohli
Sachin Tendulkar
MS Dhoni
Ravindra Jadeja
Harbhajan Singh
Pragyan Ojha
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Ishant Sharma

Australia in India 2012-13 : Gautam Gambhir dropped; M Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan roped in | Cricket News | India v Australia | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[Gaurav_7]

Vijay again? Wow. I just hope he gets no matches!

 

[cerande]

I would pick Gambhir over Vijay any day.He is a very lucky person too.As far as I can remember,he did not do anything staggering in the Ranaji trophy as well.Just when the Irani trophy came and match was taken as a road to selection,he scores!

 

[AbhishekS]

Why his Murali Vijay selected, just because he plays for CSK? I'm happy that Dhawan is in the team, but why Vijay. Gambhir certainly should have been selected ahead of Vijay.

Murali Vijay had a terrible Ranji season too. Scored at an average of mere 15!

 

[Aalay]

Well Murli Vijay was the back up opener in England series and then he made a century in Irani trophy so of course they are gonna select him. However, I hope he does not play any matches and Dhawan gets a chance to open. I don't understand why they did not select Sreesanth? Bhuvneshwar Kumar is good but does look mediocre if there is no swing. However, I think Dinda will start with Ishant in the first test because Dinda was the backup bowler in England squad. I hope they pick Rahane instead of Jadeja.

Sehwag
Dhawan
Pujara
Sachin
Kohli
Rahane
Dhoni
Ashwin
Ishant
Dinda
Ojha

 

[icyman]

The question to be asked is why not Jaffer ? Averaging 76 this season is no joke. Instead ,the selectors continue to toe the line of CSK and keep on selecting players who turn out for that franchise.

 

[Aalay]

The question to be asked is why not Jaffer ? Averaging 76 this season is no joke. Instead ,the selectors continue to toe the line of CSK and keep on selecting players who turn out for that franchise.

I will ask you a question. Why not Badrinath? Averaging 60 throughout the Ranji trophy career is not a joke. Ready for the shocker? He plays for CSK! He still does not get selected. Again, I don't like Murli Vijay but I am happy because Dhawan got selected. He really deserved this chance.

 

[SaiSrini]

The question to be asked is why not Jaffer ? Averaging 76 this season is no joke. Instead ,the selectors continue to toe the line of CSK and keep on selecting players who turn out for that franchise.

They should have picked Raina then. Raina has vented his disappointment on Twitter on not being selected. Raina is a bigger favorite than Vijay as far as CSK goes. Vijay has been selected because his only century in tests came against Australia at home, and we are playing Australia again at home now. And Vijay has now scored a century in the Irani cup game, which put him obviously in favor.

Regarding Jaffer - well he didn't use his opportunities when he should have. I am surprised why Sreesanth is not picked. We have too many spinners in the side now (4 including Jadeja). This would be my XI. I will play both Vijay and Dhawan as openers, have Kohli at 4, Sehwag at 5 and Sachin at 6. I know this XI wont be picked by MS, but its time Sachin is downgraded down the order to provide stability at the lower middle order. He has to vacate the pivotal No 4 spot to Kohli. But I know MSD won't do it.

M Vijay
S Dhawan
C Pujara
V Kohli
V Sehwag
S Tendulkar
M Dhoni
H Singh
B Kumar
I Sharma
P Ojha

Having a batsman like Ashwin who is not as good as Sehwag when Sehwag can bowl as useful an off spin as Ashwin doesn't make sense. Same with Jadeja. Sehwag can bowl useful offspin and can double up as the 5th bowler. And a middle order slot might just be the tonic for Sehwag to extend his international career by a few more years.

 

[hedger_14]

Haurtiz generally failed to do the main job of competent test match spinner, which was to be a potent wicket taking threat in 4th innings/4th or 5th day turners/turning pitches.

And since when has Lyon taken big 4th/5th day hauls. On that argument, Lyon shouldn't even be in the side.

And Hauritz is a very good bowler on his day. He's just had his confidence shattered. Unfairly dropped, he finally made his way back into the squad, then got injured and it's just been a difficult time for him.

 

[War]

And since when has Lyon taken big 4th/5th day hauls. On that argument, Lyon shouldn't even be in the side.

And Hauritz is a very good bowler on his day. He's just had his confidence shattered. Unfairly dropped, he finally made his way back into the squad, then got injured and it's just been a difficult time for him.

I said 4th/5th day, 5-wicket hauls or general 5-wicket hauls on turning tracks (day's 1-3).

Lyon already has two 5 wickets hauls in the latter scenario (plus a almost "5 for" in the 4th innings vs india @ adelaide last summer).

However Lyon is certainly now under pressure to step up his 4th/5th day wicket taking intake. He sort of struggled vs South Africa & Sri Lanka this summer in those 4th innings situations.

This India tour could make or break him, since with Watson not bowling now, if he can't take a major wicket-taking load of the 3-man pace attack on wearing 4th innings wickets, his place will be under serious scrutiny.

On Hauritz, he is not & was never good test bowler for reasons already stated. His confidence after the india tour 2010 may have been shattered, but he was never good enough in the first place, so that thrashing was a blessing in disguise for australia. Because for every test he played i can go back & highlight why a better played should have always played instead.

I hope you don't believe if the then AUS selectors had kept playing him vs england in 2010/11 ashes, that the english batsmen wouldn't have equally smashed him out of test cricket.

 

[shravi]

The question to be asked is why not Jaffer ? Averaging 76 this season is no joke. Instead ,the selectors continue to toe the line of CSK and keep on selecting players who turn out for that franchise.

Are you serious? Jaffer is a tried and tested failure at International level. We are looking at long term solutions. Why bring in someone that is older than Sehwag and Gambhir. Even if Jaffer does succeed at International level, even outside India, it will not last more than a year, or two, at best. This is not the time for stop-gap-solutions. That is just ignoring the problem altogether, and ignoring the much needed long-term changes that need to be made.

Sehwag is still in the team when he had a worse series than Gambhir vs England. Doesn't make sense. Both of them should be dropped.

 

[crazyrahul]

I just don't get why Abhishek Nayar and Wasim Jaffer are not there in the team???

Nonetheless, I am happy that finally Gambhir is out of the team

My team would be ---

A Rahane
V Sehvag (1 more chance coz its Australians, Dhawan needs to wait)
C Pujara
S Tendulkar
V Kohli
MS Dhoni
R Jadeja
R Ashwin
B Kumar
P Ojha
I Sharma