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

[formula1man]

I have really enjoyed seeing how T20 tactics have changed over the last few years but especially in the Big Bash. I do think you need a specialist captain, and I have been intrigued by the number of lower Strike Rate batsman doing very well. This has meant that teams can go in with 5 straight out bowlers and not having a team diluted with all rounders to get the 20 overs bowled. Because really if your top 6 can't get the job done a few nothing players in the lower order arent gonna help to much either and then you have no bowlers to defend the meger total.

 

[aussie1st]

Captaincy is important but it's not the be all and end all. Clarke is considered a good captain yet he couldn't beat Collingwood and his men in the last World T20 final. Harbhajan Singh was captain of Mumbai Indians and he beat RCB who had Vettori at the helm. Then you have Cameron White who was also well respected within the Aussie community and is the most successful state captain in the country and he has just got the sack. And now Steve Smith has captained the Sixers to the finals.

 

[Aalay]

Brad Hogg? Seriously?

 

[SaiSrini]

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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Yes, India should prepare some lively wickets at the domestic level and test the batsmen. But when it comes to international test cricket, we should test visiting teams with some fast turning wickets (not the slow and low turners). The ball should bite at the batsman after pitching. Such wickets will test overseas batsmen.

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What about Indian team for this test....Are they going in with 2 spinners?....I have got to finalise my team for Fantasy Cricket and this time I am going in with majority of Indian players ...Come what may...

It seems they might go back to the Sydney team minus Dhoni (i.e. Ashwin back in place of Vinay Kumar). I hope they rest Zaheer and pick Ojha also. I have a feeling Laxman will play because this could be his final test match. They dont want to announce retirement plans before the test series is over, but I have a feeling that if Laxman plays, it should be his final test (they want to give him a proper send off).

 

[aussie1st]

India in Australia 2011-12: Virender Sehwag not ruling out move down the order | Cricket News | Australia v India | ESPN Cricinfo

Interesting, always thought Sehwag was an opener but looking through the old scorecards he always batted in the middle order. That would explain his footwork, but hey he's done a dam good job as opener. With the middle order depth starting to disappear and his form as opener following, the move down should suit him. The bowlers will be tired, the ball won't move around as much and he loves spin.

 

[sifter132]

To me Sehwag seems a natural fit in a new middle order. He's good vs spin and India will need some experience there once the 3 old guys are gone.

Captaincy is important but it's not the be all and end all. Clarke is considered a good captain yet he couldn't beat Collingwood and his men in the last World T20 final. Harbhajan Singh was captain of Mumbai Indians and he beat RCB who had Vettori at the helm. Then you have Cameron White who was also well respected within the Aussie community and is the most successful state captain in the country and he has just got the sack. And now Steve Smith has captained the Sixers to the finals.

I think I agree. How many captains/leaders have lauded for captaining sides who are getting hammered? Answer: none...Stephen Fleming is about the best example I can think of, and NZ were a pretty decent side under his watch. All the flowery "Bailey is a great leader" articles will start reeking if the side (or he himself) doesn't perform. Last year for example, we read how Cameron White was a great leader and would turn the T20 team into a strong unit. A leader seems only as good as his results unfortunately.


Anyway, T20 distractions aside - the 4th Test is upon us! Starc is carrying the drinks. I dunno, I might have given Siddle a rest - I think we might as well see what Starc's got on a flatter deck. Will India play 2 spinners? Could be a risk if they lose the toss and Australia bats, as I doubt the wicket will turn massively on day 1.

 

[aussie1st]

Anyway, T20 distractions aside - the 4th Test is upon us! Starc is carrying the drinks. I dunno, I might have given Siddle a rest - I think we might as well see what Starc's got on a flatter deck. Will India play 2 spinners? Could be a risk if they lose the toss and Australia bats, as I doubt the wicket will turn massively on day 1.

About time too, such a long wait! Harris and Siddle are the bowlers you know what to expect on a flat deck. I guess it's good to have a chance to see how the new and improved Siddle goes on a flat deck. So an attack of Siddle, Hilfy and Starc would give us answers to how each would perform. But oh well we have decided to go full throttle.

 

[SaiSrini]

India in Australia 2011-12: Virender Sehwag not ruling out move down the order | Cricket News | Australia v India | ESPN Cricinfo

Interesting, always thought Sehwag was an opener but looking through the old scorecards he always batted in the middle order. That would explain his footwork, but hey he's done a dam good job as opener. With the middle order depth starting to disappear and his form as opener following, the move down should suit him. The bowlers will be tired, the ball won't move around as much and he loves spin.

Happy that Sehwag also seems to be thinking about it. He has lot of test match experience now, and the experience is required in the middle order. Plus with his zero footwork and very little patience, he is being found out a lot more against the new and moving ball. So he can maximize his potential only by moving to the middle order. He should take No.4 or No.5 in the batting order. Gambhir and Mukund/Rahane to open, Pujara at No.3, Kohli at No.4, Sehwag at No.5, Rohit/Yuvraj/Raina at No.6 and then Saha/Karthik/Parthiv at No.7 should sound fine.

 

[angryangy]

I'm looking at the screen trying to work out why Dhoni appears to have melted and shrunk.

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Why, you're not Dhoni at all, are you?

 

[SaiSrini]

Australia win the toss and bat... Expect a long and hard day for India on the field. But one positive for India is that in 2003-04, Australia batted first, scored 556 runs and yet lost the match at this same ground. But then, India batted superbly to keep themselves in the contest (courtesy one Mr. Rahul Dravid). Can they do the same thing this time? I doubt so, but I love to be proved wrong.

 

[aussie1st]

Have to feel for India, probably the worst of the tosses to lose.

 

[alexczarn]

Gonna be a long day in the field for India...

 

[midgetwars]

Let's be fair here, Let's have bets here

Australia Top order collapse?
Middle order collapse?
Total collapse?
No collapse?

 

[angryangy]

Last year, there was a little early movement and although it wasn't their most severe collapse, Australia largely failed to play through it and surrendered any advantage. Australia have to set about overwriting those memories and on the very short term, it's probably good for India to not have that burden. The second innings is often a higher score at Adelaide; it's just that batting last is not advantageous.

 

[aussie1st]

Australia Top order collapse?
Middle order collapse?
Total collapse?
No collapse?

Good money on one of the first two occurring.