ICC Cricket World Cup - May/July 2019

[LiveLoveABD]

Hafeez is quite good versus spin, and has been in pretty good form in comparison to Malik who has been very poor. Hafeez can also bat aggressively if needed, his only weakness is versus genuine rapid pace.

In my opinion, Hafeez is very astute about the game but he's no Malik. Malik is a better player of spin and he can turn it on. I have seen him decimate attacks. Hafeez is a very good opening bat when the PP is on, but that ship has sailed a long time back. If Pakistan opt to play both at the expense of a bowler or any of the other batters, Pakistan will not even have the slim chance they currently have of qualifying.

At this moment, I feel England & India are at the top. They are closely followed by Australia and New Zealand. Then, there is a gaggle of teams comprising of SA, Pakistan, Bangladesh, West Indies and Afghanistan. Unfortunately, Sri Lanka I predict will get the wooden spoon. If Pakistan select well and are led well, they can qualify. Why? That's just them. They're also fully capable of finishing 9th. Why? Well, that's also just them.

I keep coming back to the same thing again and again.. If the sub continent sides have an average start, they will come into their own later in the tournament. Once the wickets get dryer and dryer and wear out, spin will become a massive factor. Of course, you can't just lose your first 4-5 games and then pray that magic will happen. The miracle of 92' is hard to replicate in today's day and age.

 

[Ahmad94]

If anyone is watching the India game - Boult is really making the ball talk. It feels like he is bowling on a different pitch to the one Pakistani bowlers (and the British) have bowled on for the last 5 ODI's.

If anything, begs the question that why have the bowler immediately gone back of a length so early in the piece rather than pitching it and letting the ball talk. Will be interesting to see if India also get any swing early on.

 

[LiveLoveABD]

If anyone is watching the India game - Boult is really making the ball talk. It feels like he is bowling on a different pitch to the one Pakistani bowlers (and the British) have bowled on for the last 5 ODI's.

If anything, begs the question that why have the bowler immediately gone back of a length so early in the piece rather than pitching it and letting the ball talk. Will be interesting to see if India also get any swing early on.

Excellent post. I observed the same. CDG in particular, bowling back of a length is so absurd. I also don't think asking Pandya to bat ahead of Dhoni is a good sign. I am also really really tempted on the KL 3 and VK 4 option. P.S- Specially if a wicket falls in the first ten.

 

[Master Khan]

Wow India are 91/7, I wasn't expecting this

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

Wow India are 91/7, I wasn't expecting this

Most of them were as the pitch was meant to swing and it is doing so. I didn't expect this kind of pitch tbh but I am still liking it. This is exactly the atmosphere that India needs in a warm-up match

 

[Bevab]

This is shockingly bad batting from India. Absolutely zero match awareness shown by most players. The fact that Pandya looked like the second most comfortable player shows how daft the other batsmen were.

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

This is shockingly bad batting from India. Absolutely zero match awareness shown by most players. The fact that Pandya looked like the second most comfortable player shows how daft the other batsmen were.

If players like Dhawan, Rohit and KL stepped up we probably could've been 120-3 right now instead for 105/7. They didn't show much of application

 

[Bigby Wolf]

Perfect start for us.Going in the big tournament it is important that the weakness is exposed at the early stages be it the warm up matches or even in the first couple of games because the tournament is long and each team plays 9 matches so it gives an opportunity for comeback as well.

The top order is too good to fail consistently for 2-3 games in a row its upto the middle order whoever being selected to show some solidity and score runs. Suprised that Shankar wasn't given a chance today and Karthik yet again failing to grab a crucial opportunity when it matters the most.

 

[LiveLoveABD]

I don't think India were that poor. The conditions were really tough to bat in and Boult is world class. Most of the wickets were just good balls and Rahul was really unfortunate. No need to panic though. I think the wicket has begun to flatten out. Jadeja making a case for that no.8 spot.

 

[Alexei.]

Perfect start for us.Going in the big tournament it is important that the weakness is exposed at the early stages be it the warm up matches or even in the first couple of games because the tournament is long and each team plays 9 matches so it gives an opportunity for comeback as well.

The top order is too good to fail consistently for 2-3 games in a row its upto the middle order whoever being selected to show some solidity and score runs. Suprised that Shankar wasn't given a chance today and Karthik yet again failing to grab a crucial opportunity when it matters the most.

Shankar was injured or something

 

[Velocity]

Suprised that Shankar wasn't given a chance today and Karthik yet again failing to grab a crucial opportunity when it matters the most.

Apparently Shankar had an injury scare and was advised to be rested. I don't really understand the logic of playing Pandya at #5. Tbh, that was a position meant to filled by MSD and Karthik to follow at 6. Pandya still played well, capitalized on some poor short of a length bowling from De Grandhomme.

Jaddu is playing a little ripper of an innings right here, he is an ideal allrounder that fits perfectly in India's weak lower order.

 

[Bevab]

I don't think India were that poor. The conditions were really tough to bat in and Boult is world class. Most of the wickets were just good balls and Rahul was really unfortunate. No need to panic though. I think the wicket has begun to flatten out. Jadeja making a case for that no.8 spot.

Rahul’s been dismissed in a lot of unfortunate ways for a while in swinging conditions though. His technique against any kind of swinging ball looks really suspect. Wonder if we’ll ever get to see the old Rahul back.

 

[LiveLoveABD]

Shankar was injured or something

I'm even more convinced now that India should do a 2011 WC. Gambhir was an opener batting at 3 and I think the situation should determine the batting order more than the number. Rahul is a natural opener and considering how frail the middle order has looked, Kohli at 4 and Dhoni to follow would make our batting really solid. If ten overs are completed, Rahul can move to 4 and Kohli can walk out at 3. I know this is not ideal, but considering how the management has put us in the conundrum where top 3 and then over, this is the best solution. What is also mouth watering about the solution I'm proposing is, Kohli and Dhoni batting together/Rahul providing the much needed "oomph" needed when Dhoni is getting his eye in. I don't believe for one second that Shankar > Rahul. If Jadhav is unfit or out of form which he was, I'd play Shankar.

 

[Velocity]

I'm even more convinced now that India should do a 2011 WC. Gambhir was an opener batting at 3 and I think the situation should determine the batting order more than the number. Rahul is a natural opener and considering how frail the middle order has looked, Kohli at 4 and Dhoni to follow would make our batting really solid. If ten overs are completed, Rahul can move to 4 and Kohli can walk out at 3. I know this is not ideal, but considering how the management has put us in the conundrum where top 3 and then over, this is the best solution. What is also mouth watering about the solution I'm proposing is, Kohli and Dhoni batting together/Rahul providing the much needed "oomph" needed when Dhoni is getting his eye in. I don't believe for one second that Shankar > Rahul. If Jadhav is unfit or out of form which he was, I'd play Shankar.

The difference is, is that Gambhir played well by anchoring the innings and didn't play many risk taking shots. Gambhir was successful at #3 because he was able to anchor the team innings. Rahul is only a flash and go type of player which makes him suitable to open the innings with a fast paced, aggressive innings similar to the way Dhawan plays. Given this, it seems illogical to move Kohli, our best batsman down to 4 to accommodate the unpredictable Rahul who is highly inconsistent while showing flashes of brilliance. IMO it would be better to play him at #4 in a scenario where he comes in the middle overs, takes his time and can launch towards the last ten overs. Moving Kohli at 4 at such a time is absurd and it should absolutely not happen.

 

[Aoun13]

So far all the matches have proved by point that I talked in the Pakistan Team Discussion thread, i.e. you'll not get similar pitches as England vs Pakistan series.
Yes, you may get 350+ in some matches, but mostly it will be a good competition between bat and ball. Spinners will be very important along with the opening bowlers for all the team.