India tour of Australia Nov'20-Jan'21

[LiveLoveABD]

I am surprised with Shaw, and would have definitely had Gill over him as the opener. I wonder if those 3-4 of overs by Shaw in the warm up, where he bowled a couple of big turning leg breaks under lights swung it in his favor - stupid reason, if so.

Ashwin being selected seems like an OK decision really - Jadeja is injured. Kuldeep has been in terrible form for almost an year, and was not even the first choice in IPL. Risking him with a chance in a day night match is not worth it.

I am quite happy with Saha over Pant. I know people have been going gaga over Pant's 100 in the warm up - but people are forgetting that Saha actually scored a critical 50 off 100 deliveries in the first warm up in tougher conditions and a more challenging situation with the tail, while Pant's knock came in friendlier conditions with a set batsman for company. Its the classical debate of whether to have a player who can push your 350 score to 450+ or can help you get to 250 when you are tottering at 100/5. And Pant's one dropped catch or missed stumping could probably cost us a lot more.

Mixed bag selection, but that was expected wasn't it

I love how people have made it a foregone conclusion that Pant will drop a catch.

Just to refresh everyone here and not just abhijacko that I am pointing out but it has made me incensed to the point that I might tear my already balding head out. When has Pant dropped a catch that has cost India the test match? And I would like to take everyone back to another test match that happened at Adelaide where Saha perhaps played one of the most stupid shots an Indian wicketkeeper played since Nayan Mongia in a certain Chennai test match that ultimately did end up costing India the game? Pant has never really made a WK error that has cost us anything, Saha has made those batting errors. Bumrah bowled a no ball in the CT final that ended costing us the trophy. So? It doesn't reduce his class. Same with Pant. Same with Saha. Mistakes will happen. It's inevitable.

It is an absolute joke that a guy who has made runs in England and Australia is on the bench. It's as bad as playing two spinners in a pink ball test or not playing Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and playing some other seamer for him in England or South Africa. In India, I totally would have understood under the current circumstances if two keepers were in the team and Saha played ahead of Pant. Not here.

Shaw has made a hundred on debut against WI in India. Rahul is in the form of his lifetime and already has tons in Australia and England. I am sorry, but anyone that saw the warm ups would have played both Rahul and Gill. Gill would have made a hundred himself if not for the torrid decision.

And the one that will probably hurt India the most in these 4 games is the lack of the workhorse in the attack i.e Ishant. I have seen Siraj bowl LONG spells and I think this was the perfect track and ball for him. Umesh will go at 3-3.5 an over just like Shami but Shami will pick wickets and bowl a spell that will turn a game on it's top, I have only seen Umesh do so in India. Siraj is just a natural with the way he bowls and I can almost guarantee that he will hoop it around with any new ball for at least 5-6 overs. Like Shami, he can bowl pearls and like Umesh, he can get clattered.

The only reason this series has me excited is Kohli leaving after round 1 and a real captain leading us. That really has my juices flowing and I think India will surprise a few people as well.

 

[asprin]

Green makes his debut. Expect India to make a star out of him

Jokes aside, I'm not feeling very much confident of India's chances in this Test series. Have an eerie feeling that India might not win even one Test.....as has been the case with us in overseas Tests, out batting might once again turn out be our bane. Hazlewood, Cummins, Lyon and Starc is a deadly lethal combo for any team.

 

[WubbaLubbaDubDub]

And there you go!! the walking wicket is out 2nd ball. This is so tweaking insane!!!!

 

[asprin]

 

[Aalay]

LOL, I am off guys. I will take some sleep over this.

 

[Bigby Wolf]

LMAO SHAW

 

[WubbaLubbaDubDub]

LOL, I am off guys. I will take some sleep over this.

Same here, I thought of staying up for atleast 1 hour, I am not interested with this management and this captain

 

[WubbaLubbaDubDub]

Well, I am all in for giving chances to people who actually show some intent to learn. I am a huge Shaw fan and have seen him bat really good, but the problem is that not shown any intent to learn. He really has an aura around him of him being really good and that has got to his head. He needs to sit alone and think really hard what he wants to become. Does he want to become another Unmukt Chand, a guy with tremendous talent given limelight since U-19 cricket or he wants to become the next Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, etc. He has to turn of the mobile phones and social media, work really hard at nets and really come back stronger. In this day of social media you get eaten up alive and Rishabh Pant is the best example.[DOUBLEPOST=1608179420][/DOUBLEPOST]I am pretty sure no matter how many runs he scores in 2nd innings, this 2 deliveries should be the end of Shaw for this series. I have heard from Harsha Bholge that Gill might be part of the 2nd test once Kohli departs. So they are looking at Sharma to open the innings with Agarwal and Gill replacing Kohli.

 

[QB1]

Shaw doesnt have the game for overseas. He needs to make few changes.

 

[asprin]

I have heard from Harsha Bholge that Gill might be part of the 2nd test once Kohli departs. So they are looking at Sharma to open the innings with Agarwal and Gill replacing Kohli

Not sure how much of a say Rahane will have in Team selection, but my guess is that Rahul will come in in place of Kohli. Regarding Shaw, if they wanted to drop him they would have done so already. Have a feeling he will be a part of at least 2 Tests or even 3 irrespective of how he plays.

 

[Yash.]

I love how people have made it a foregone conclusion that Pant will drop a catch.

Just to refresh everyone here and not just abhijacko that I am pointing out but it has made me incensed to the point that I might tear my already balding head out. When has Pant dropped a catch that has cost India the test match?

It's not that it's confirmed Pant will drop a catch.

But in a series against one of the strongest batting lineups in modern day cricket, the fielders need to grab on ,even the half chances that present themselves, and I would back Saha over Pant anyday to grab on those chances.

 

[QB1]

India got no chance of they don't make 400 in the first inning

 

[abhi_jacko]

I love how people have made it a foregone conclusion that Pant will drop a catch.

Just to refresh everyone here and not just abhijacko that I am pointing out but it has made me incensed to the point that I might tear my already balding head out. When has Pant dropped a catch that has cost India the test match? And I would like to take everyone back to another test match that happened at Adelaide where Saha perhaps played one of the most stupid shots an Indian wicketkeeper played since Nayan Mongia in a certain Chennai test match that ultimately did end up costing India the game? Pant has never really made a WK error that has cost us anything, Saha has made those batting errors. Bumrah bowled a no ball in the CT final that ended costing us the trophy. So? It doesn't reduce his class. Same with Pant. Same with Saha. Mistakes will happen. It's inevitable.

It is an absolute joke that a guy who has made runs in England and Australia is on the bench. It's as bad as playing two spinners in a pink ball test or not playing Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and playing some other seamer for him in England or South Africa. In India, I totally would have understood under the current circumstances if two keepers were in the team and Saha played ahead of Pant. Not here.

I hope my response wont make you pull out more hairs - keep that crown safe my friend

Pant may have not cost us a Test match yet, but do we need to wait and lose a Test match before we make that call. His keeping is not even upto the mark in limited overs, and keeping in Tests requires a different level of skills. Only two years back, on this forum we were cussing him out for dropping a regulation catch off Shaun Marsh in the australia series and saying, this is going to cost us the game - luckily Vihari got Marsh out without much damage.

On top of that, he was in poor form until that 100 in the warmup (under minimal pressure). I love how the Pant fan base is not willing to acknowledge Saha's hard working 50* off 100 in the first warm up under much more difficult conditions. That's one success each for both. Moreover, Pant's fitness has been a major question mark in the IPL less than a month back while Saha looks fit as ever even though he is way older. Way too many points against Mr. Pant imo

 

[LiveLoveABD]

I hope my response wont make you pull out more hairs - keep that crown safe my friend

Pant may have not cost us a Test match yet, but do we need to wait and lose a Test match before we make that call. His keeping is not even upto the mark in limited overs, and keeping in Tests requires a different level of skills. Only two years back, on this forum we were cussing him out for dropping a regulation catch off Shaun Marsh in the australia series and saying, this is going to cost us the game - luckily Vihari got Marsh out without much damage.

On top of that, he was in poor form until that 100 in the warmup (under minimal pressure). I love how the Pant fan base is not willing to acknowledge Saha's hard working 50* off 100 in the first warm up under much more difficult conditions. That's one success each for both. Moreover, Pant's fitness has been a major question mark in the IPL less than a month back while Saha looks fit as ever even though he is way older. Way too many points against Mr. Pant imo

Convenient way to suit your own argument.

Do you want to make a list of how many times Saha has been injured compared to Pant since his debut? Is Ashwin fit?

When you play someone as a WK batsman, you pick a package. To suit arguments, it's okay to say "Oh Saha is never going to drop a catch!" His shot in Adelaide a couple of tours back was as bad as dropping Smith on 0. It was that poor. Pant has already proved himself in Australia on the last tour.

Just like you feel Pant's fan base is making convenient arguments, the same can be said of his critics who are just hell bent to write him off. I am not a critic of Saha but on this tour in this test match, Pant should have been the starter. Not Saha.

I absolutely despise Ashwin but he is absolutely the right choice to play. It's not about personal likes and dislikes. There has been an agenda/propaganda against Pant and it has been in motion before he played a test match.

 

[abhi_jacko]

Convenient way to suit your own argument.

Is there any other way ?

Lets just agree to disagree on this. I feel there is equal merit on both sides - I do agree with the argument that the shot from Saha was terrible and worth a reprimand. Interestingly, back then we were furious with Saha because that shot was something Pant would have played given the situation (and may or may not have pulled it off) and Saha was supposed to take a more mature approach in such a situation