Border-Gavaskar Trophy (India in Australia) Dec-Jan 2011/12

Thats because Indian pitches have gone from rank turners to slow turners that give batsmen more time to decipher the spin and play for longer periods. And also we have these roads which are uses as pitches where batsmen make merry.

I am highly concerned with the thinking of these younger Indian players. With such thinking, India are well and truly back to the dark 90's where we used to pee in our pants whenever we toured abroad. With Sachin, Dravid and Laxman going soon, the average Indian fan better forget about test cricket completely. Wont be surprised if India someday opts out of test cricket completely.
Yeah and I thought maybe the real point of what Gambhir was saying was to send a message back home; not so much to say they have these pitches and it will be okay, but to tell them that they must prepare crumbling wickets that will test foreign batsmen.
 
No Michael Hussey, I guess they're giving him a break so we can see what youngsters like Hogg are made of.
 
I totally forgot about North, surely he is a better captain??

So I guess it makes the XI

1. D. Warner
2. S. Marsh
3. T. Birt
4. D. Hussey
5. G. Bailey
6. M. Marsh
7. M. Wade
8. J. Faulkner
9. B. Hogg
10. B. Lee
11. C. McKay

That gives you 3 smashers and 3 more conventional players in the top 6 then you have the option to open with Wade or Faulkner to change it up. Then you have 4 bowlers with 2 options from all-rounders. Especially for the World Cup Doherty is a strong option to replace a fast bowler.
 
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Pleased to see Hogg, Lee, Faulkner and McKay. Players who can be both hard to score off and also get batsmen out. I would have liked to see NCN or even Starc, just someone who naturally gets the ball to snort. Have my doubts about Doherty.

Batting is pretty much who I'd have picked as well. Easy pickings this summer because it's possible to pick experienced players who are in great form. Bailey is the only one of them to be set for debut and he's the choice captain of Aus A.

I think it probably is worth picking a 'specialist captain'. I think it's a bigger part of T20 than is often credited. You've got to be able to wear pressure for the whole game and out-smart the batsmen very deliberately. Then you've also got the prospect of micromanaging the batting order, something that won't really win the longer forms, but is key with only 20 overs to bat. It's all got to be done quickly, too.
 
Pleased to see Hogg, Lee, Faulkner and McKay. Players who can be both hard to score off and also get batsmen out. I would have liked to see NCN or even Starc, just someone who naturally gets the ball to snort. Have my doubts about Doherty.

Batting is pretty much who I'd have picked as well. Easy pickings this summer because it's possible to pick experienced players who are in great form. Bailey is the only one of them to be set for debut and he's the choice captain of Aus A.

I think it probably is worth picking a 'specialist captain'. I think it's a bigger part of T20 than is often credited. You've got to be able to wear pressure for the whole game and out-smart the batsmen very deliberately. Then you've also got the prospect of micromanaging the batting order, something that won't really win the longer forms, but is key with only 20 overs to bat. It's all got to be done quickly, too.

personally i'd go with the captain of the best team of the tournament North.
 
Yeah and I thought maybe the real point of what Gambhir was saying was to send a message back home; not so much to say they have these pitches and it will be okay, but to tell them that they must prepare crumbling wickets that will test foreign batsmen.

I'd be quite happy with India preparing bunsens, I've always liked the whole "final frontier" thing and anything's better than a flat track. Pretty sure there are one or two Aussie batsmen who'd be up for it as well. But I'm not sure it'd be conducive to any plans India might have to return to number one. Surely some bouncy, green pitches at home (particularly in domestic) would help their batsmen prepare more effectively for touring abroad?

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I'd be quite happy with India preparing bunsens, I've always liked the whole "final frontier" thing and anything's better than a flat track. Pretty sure there are one or two Aussie batsmen who'd be up for it as well. But I'm not sure it'd be conducive to any plans India might have to return to number one. Surely some bouncy, green pitches at home (particularly in domestic) would help their batsmen prepare more effectively for touring abroad?

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Absolutely correct point, there should be a few bouncy and green pitches for domestic matches, it will give the youngsters a fair idea of the pitches outside the SC and also improve their technique against pace bowlers.
 
What about Indian team for this test....Are they going in with 2 spinners?....I have got to finalise my team for Fantasy Cricket :D and this time I am going in with majority of Indian players :thumbs...Come what may...:clap :clap
 
Its really good to see the way Australian management is putting some emphasis on T20 team selection unlike India who could have easily gone for a few specialists for the two matches. T20 might not be as important, but picking specialists makes it more interesting and also helps in planning for the T20 World Cup.
 
Pleased to see Hogg, Lee, Faulkner and McKay. Players who can be both hard to score off and also get batsmen out. I would have liked to see NCN or even Starc, just someone who naturally gets the ball to snort. Have my doubts about Doherty.

Looking at the 14 man squad, you have to think an extra fast bowler would be the 15th and arguably should have been the 14th. They have picked 9 top 7 players (with Mike Hussey and probably Watson still to come into the squad), but only 5 specialist bowlers - 2 of whom are spinners. As formula1man implies though, 2 spinners will be needed for a World Cup in SL I guess, but one spinner + D.Hussey should be plenty for these 2 matches.

I think it probably is worth picking a 'specialist captain'. I think it's a bigger part of T20 than is often credited. You've got to be able to wear pressure for the whole game and out-smart the batsmen very deliberately. Then you've also got the prospect of micromanaging the batting order, something that won't really win the longer forms, but is key with only 20 overs to bat. It's all got to be done quickly, too.

I think I agree :yes Wasn't sure when I first read the tip about Bailey being captain, but it sounds like the selectors have been thinking it through (the 'discussing for 6 mths' quote I read from Inverarity). Having a specialist captain could be important, not just tactically as you point out, but particularly given the squad they've named. I say that because there's only 2 Test players in the 14, and they are Warner and Marsh, both of whom have been Test players for less than 6 mths. The other players who've played ODIs have been in and out, or are very good followers eg. Brett Lee, Dave Hussey (and Mike Hussey when he's ready to play), so having a well respected domestic captain leading them makes a lot of sense. And looking at it from the worst case scenario, it's also easier to carry a player in T20s than in other forms - just in case Bailey blows chunks...

The real problem is that whatever squad the selectors want to build for the World Cup will get a maximum of 5 matches together before the World Cup starts: 2 here, 2 vs WI and maybe one vs Pak. There can't really be any gelling or team building going on here, all they'll be able to do is get together for a few days here and there. If Cricket Australia is serious about winning the T20 World Cup, they need to organise some matches or at least some team training/get togethers after the summer is finished.
 

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