India in England/Ireland/Scotland

[Sureshot]

Patience will be the key in the test matches I feel. Lords, Trent Bridge and The Oval are the grounds. You know that you'll get fairly decent surfaces on all 3 pitches. We don't know what the weather is going to be doing but I'd bet on the London tests fairing better than the Nottingham one. Both teams have good test batting line ups, our seamers if they carry on replicating current rates of improvement should out perform the Indians, but we just won't know. The England Lions game shall be interesting that starts Friday at Chelmsford - good batting track - the England Lions team is fairly strong which is good.

Should India be worried about their performance against a depleted Sussex team?

 

[zub2005]

as it was a tour game. they should not be too worried, as they did not play completly crap. they where missing ganguly, tendulkar and khan. i think jaffer should play in the first test. if karthik can wicketkeep as good as dhoni, and dhoni does not perfrom in the next game and yuvraj does, it will be a hard one to call. i think dhoni will play the first test though.

 

[Sureshot]

I prefer Karthik tbh, in Test matches anyway.

 

[sohum]

Should India be worried about their performance against a depleted Sussex team?

Nah, I think not. Mumbai beat Australia back in the day (in 2001), though we had won that series 2-1. I think the players will naturally put up a lot more when they are playing for something.

as it was a tour game. they should not be too worried, as they did not play completly crap. they where missing ganguly, tendulkar and khan. i think jaffer should play in the first test. if karthik can wicketkeep as good as dhoni, and dhoni does not perfrom in the next game and yuvraj does, it will be a hard one to call. i think dhoni will play the first test though.

I would draw a line and pretty much play my Test XI against the England Lions. I understand it is a tour match, but I think we run the risk of trying to try too many people out in too many situations. My personal line-up would be as follows:

1. Karthik
2. Jaffer
3. Dravid
4. Tendulkar
5. Ganguly
6. Laxman
7. Yuvraj
8. Kumble
9. Zaheer
10. Sreesanth
11. RP/Bose/VRV

Our third seamer is going to bring us trouble so I think it's a crap-shoot in regards to who we choose. I think we need to go with Jaffer even if he hasn't performed because I think his technique is far superior to Gambhir's. Of course, if he doesn't play well against the Lions or in the first test, he should be axed for Gambhir. Jaffer has a pattern of scoring a string of low scores and then scoring a big hundred and I think that just isn't good enough. I'd rather go in for a guy who makes about 30-45 runs as at least that gives us a decent start most of the time.

Yuvraj must play at the moment because I don't think Dhoni has what it takes at test level yet. We may even consider pushing Yuvraj up the order if our top order gets runs because he will be able to tackle Panesar along with Ganguly.

 

[Animator!]

Karthik is a better Keeper than Dhoni. It's just if your going to play Dhoni and Karthik, Karthik has to be the one without the gloves, because he's very agile and can field very well, Weheras Dhoni cannot.

 

[cricket_lover]

Karthik has improved pretty well, and he has the ability to increase the scoring rate when required.

But its too early to anticipate who will be picked for the first test. Even if Dhoni fails in the next warm-up, there are chances that he might get the nod as the wicketkeeping-batsman.

Indian bowling will be a cause of concern. Agarkar would be ahandful in English conditions. Sreesanth was ok, but both RP Singh and Sree must be more consistent if they want to reap success. It'll put too much pressure on Zaheer Khan.

 

[manee]

Nah, I think not. Mumbai beat Australia back in the day (in 2001), though we had won that series 2-1. I think the players will naturally put up a lot more when they are playing for something.

Good point.

I would draw a line and pretty much play my Test XI against the England Lions. I understand it is a tour match, but I think we run the risk of trying to try too many people out in too many situations. My personal line-up would be as follows:

1. Karthik
2. Jaffer
3. Dravid
4. Tendulkar
5. Ganguly
6. Laxman
7. Yuvraj
8. Kumble
9. Zaheer
10. Sreesanth
11. RP/Bose/VRV

VRV is not in the squad. But Ishant is so it is a toss up between RP, Bose and Ishant Sharma. I think the Lord's slope could play a large part in the match and the selection should be based on who would use it more. If RP Singh goes from the end sloping downhill towards the off side it could really help him push the ball away from the right hander and it would make the inswinger potentially move away after pitching which would be a real handful. On the other hand, Bose's accuracy may be best suited to a helpful surface for the seam bowlers and so he could be the choice. As for Ishant, I think he has been selected too early and so should not play.

I think we need to go with Jaffer even if he hasn't performed because I think his technique is far superior to Gambhir's.

Is it? Jaffer fell twice in the Sussex match getting forward too late, such an error could give you a terrible series in England. None of Gambhir's errors would be spectacularly worsened in England than in India where he has performed very well.

Of course, if he doesn't play well against the Lions or in the first test, he should be axed for Gambhir. Jaffer has a pattern of scoring a string of low scores and then scoring a big hundred and I think that just isn't good enough. I'd rather go in for a guy who makes about 30-45 runs as at least that gives us a decent start most of the time.

Agreed, I am a Gambhir man through and through. He has the better first class record and is younger.

Yuvraj must play at the moment because I don't think Dhoni has what it takes at test level yet. We may even consider pushing Yuvraj up the order if our top order gets runs because he will be able to tackle Panesar along with Ganguly.

I think Yuvraj over Dhoni is obviously good in theory but the implications of making Karthik open and keep in a Test match are severe. Firstly, he would have squatted and stood up and not moved much in the last few hours and then have to go out and bat, stiff and all, tiring and inpractical. Also, the social and momentum based implications of having and naming Dhoni as vice captain in ODIs and not at all in tests would also be evident, in my opinion. It will certainly be interesting to see how India tackle the tough issue.

 

[Animator!]

Jaffar is going to get eaten for breakfast by Hoggard. He cannot play any swing/seam at all.
He's a waste of a space if you play him.

 

[SaiSrini]

Jaffer is not that technically sound. His off stump weakness, his suspectness against the swinging deliveries, etc will go against him.

I feel we can try out Gambhir. He can cover up his weaknesses with positive and aggressive strokeplay. Dinesk Karthick at the other end can graft well, so Gambhir would complement well with blistering strokeplay (if he gets into the opposition bowling).

We missed a trick not considering Akash Chopra who is one of the solid openers that India have seen in recent years! His combination with Sehwag was just lethal.

 

[Animator!]

I was thinking the same thing about Chopra a week ago when I was watching a DVD of the Pakistan - India series a couple of years ago. He looked very solid. Perfect for a tour of England.

 

[zub2005]

well jaffer's recent scores are not that great he gets a big score and then gets low scores then again gets a big score. i would still recommend him for the first test and he might get his big score

 

[SaiSrini]

well jaffer's recent scores are not that great he gets a big score and then gets low scores then again gets a big score. i would still recommend him for the first test and he might get his big score

Thats one of the biggest criticisms of Sehwag - he scores once in a blue moon. Jaffer is coming up well in that mould. Its India's bad luck that we always get these kinds of players often.

 

[aditya123]

Gambhir has`nt shown anything to suggest that he can face quality seam and pace bowling.
He has only scored runs against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe till not barring a knock against SA at home (on a flat Kanpur track).

We will surely miss Sehwag. Gambhir is no Sehwag.
Before people pounce upon me and talk about Sehwag`s inconsistency, I would point out that he has been a terrific opener in test cricket and was India`s most consistent test batsman in the previous 2 seasons along with Dravid.
He has been punished for his ODI failures by being dropped for the tests.
Sehwag would have been ideal to tackle Harmisson,although he struggles against Hoggard.

I would go with Jaffer ahead of Gambhir as he has the apetite for big hundreds unlike Gambhir who has a tendency to get out for good 20s and 30s.
I will stick with Jaffer for the first test and hope that he comes through well.
Karthik cannot both open and wicketkeep.
If Karthik opens(which is almost certain), Dhoni will have to be played.
Otherwise there is no reason why Dhoni would have to be played.

My team would be :

Karthik
Jaffer
Dravid
Tendulkar
VVS Laxman
Ganguly/Yuvraj
M.S.Dhoni (wk)
Z.Khan
A.Kumble
S.Sreesanth
R.Bose/R.P.Singh

I hope India field their Test XI in the England Lions game.

 

[sohum]

Indian bowling will be a cause of concern. Agarkar would be ahandful in English conditions. Sreesanth was ok, but both RP Singh and Sree must be more consistent if they want to reap success. It'll put too much pressure on Zaheer Khan.

Agarkar isn't in the squad either, I think. I believe this is the squad for the tests. Though I don't see Ishant in it either. :/

Thats one of the biggest criticisms of Sehwag - he scores once in a blue moon. Jaffer is coming up well in that mould. Its India's bad luck that we always get these kinds of players often.

I think that's a misconception because of Sehwag's poor ODI performance. Sehwag doesn't perform that blue-moonishly--he has not gotten past 50 in only 5 of the 20 series he has played in. 4 of those 5 were series of two test matches or fewer. He has also got past 100 in 11 of those series.

 

[aditya123]

Agarkar isn't in the squad either, I think. I believe this is the squad for the tests. Though I don't see Ishant in it either. :/


I think that's a misconception because of Sehwag's poor ODI performance. Sehwag doesn't perform that blue-moonishly--he has not gotten past 50 in only 5 of the 20 series he has played in. 4 of those 5 were series of two test matches or fewer. He has also got past 100 in 11 of those series.

And most of Sehwag`s hundreds have been 150+ scores in venues as varied as Blomfontein,Trent Bridge,MCG,Antigua and obviously the flat subcontinental tracks of India and Pakistan.
Was England not the tour when he was first asked to open in tests ?

I did a small comparision of how the Indian batsmen have fared in the last 15 tests and they have all been average except for Dravid who has been head and shoulders above all of them.

Sehwag hasn`t been any different to the rest of the batsmen and he did not have the luxury of playing 2 tests against Bangladesh and raise his average.
Tendulkar and Ganguly`s averages have somewhat been bloated by the hundreds against Bangladesh.

So Sehwag clearly has got a raw deal in Tests.

What those stats also show is that Indian batsmen have only been a pale shadow of what they were during their previous visits to England and Australia.

Stats : Courtesy Cricinfo