India tour of Australia Nov'20-Jan'21

[WubbaLubbaDubDub]

Australia-India Boxing Day Test Declared Possible Covid Hotspot | Cricket News

 

[LiveLoveABD]

Only a sub continent team can be accused of being fearful to visit somewhere after being bowled out for 36 and responding with a tight slap on the face in the next game.

I cannot imagine the uproar it would have created had a test been moved from Bombay to Pune if this was happening in our country.

"Lack of facilities, bad health care, horrible management of the pandemic and once the cricket started it would have sounded like Pune turned more than a top in a 6 year old kid's toy box."

 

[Ashutosh.]

Agarwal is dropped but Vihari is still in Playing XI.
Great decision!

 

[LiveLoveABD]

Agarwal is dropped but Vihari is still in Playing XI.
Great decision!

I knew Rahane would not drop Vihari. I am quite sure the decision to drop Mayank has nothing to do with Rahane or even Shastri/Kohli. It's a decision based on powers much higher. Is it correct? Not in my opinion.
But then, there is no way I would take Rohit to Australia, quarantine him and then not play him. He should never have been picked once he was unfit for the first two tests and I will say this even if he slams four tons in four innings and this comes from someone who supported his re-selection in the test side as an opener.

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

I knew Rahane would not drop Vihari. I am quite sure the decision to drop Mayank has nothing to do with Rahane or even Shastri/Kohli. It's a decision based on powers much higher. Is it correct? Not in my opinion.
But then, there is no way I would take Rohit to Australia, quarantine him and then not play him. He should never have been picked once he was unfit for the first two tests and I will say this even if he slams four tons in four innings and this comes from someone who supported his re-selection in the test side as an opener.

To make him an opener in the first place was a poor decision considering we had Shubman Gill lined up for Test selection. I am not sure what happened to Shaw but even he looked in decent touch back then. And then those couple of 150+ scores made things even worser.

 

[CerealKiller]

"If the Indians don’t want to play by the rules, don’t come,” will not help here.

Just to clarify, it was an opposition politician who said that. Not anyone from the cricket board or the government.

 

[WubbaLubbaDubDub]

India's lineup and my thoughts

1 Rohit Sharma - He has a lot to prove. If he fails this series, it should be curtains on his test career. We have better more adapted test openers in India currently and his ODI & T20 stature should not decide his place in tests. However if he clicks and scores 200+ runs in the next 4 innings, he will be staying with the team for the England series.
2 Shubman Gill - Needs to continue to play positively and has to keep learning from his mistakes. Aussie bowling will be dangerous no matter the pitch, condition. Grind and keep playing those marvelous shots.
3 Cheteshwar Pujara - Desperately needs to get some runs to get into the form he was last series. I understand this is his first outing and he has very little match practice, but he has now played 9 days of test cricket.
4 Ajinkya Rahane (capt) - Keep leading the way you lead in last test match.
5 Hanuma Vihari - I still have faith in him. He will come good and will get to play the entire series. At the end of the series, if he has under performed, management can have a word with him and get his spirits up.
6 Rishabh Pant (wk) - He is due a big one. I can just feel it. He is not a player where people will fear him especially in tests and that is what makes him so dangerous. He did bat well last match and if can concentrate a lot more, he will score big and quick.
7 Ravindra Jadeja - His batting again will be crucial.
8 R Ashwin - Let him be him! He is doing just fine and no body should be asking him to change his plans. Hoping he gets Smith again and cheaply.
9 Jasprit Bumrah - With Yadav out, hope he does not feel the pressure. He is a leader and now officially is the leader of this fast bowling attack.
10 Navdeep Saini - Good luck, you have a bright future ahead.
11 Mohammed Siraj - Keep bowling the way you bowled. Maintain your fitness cause we cannot lose another player.


Hoping the team can put behind off field talks and play good fighting cricket for the next 5 days.

 

[WubbaLubbaDubDub]

On Mayank Agarwal - He clearly was short on form. He looked amazing when IPL started but faded out as IPL progressed, post his injury he hasn't looked like himself. His scores of 28, 22, 17, 9, 0 & 5 does not represent how good a player he is. If Sharma was not with the team, he would have still played but since Rohit is back and the whole hoopla surrounding him missing due to injury and yet playing IPL, it becomes difficult to not play him with his stature.

 

[LiveLoveABD]

To make him an opener in the first place was a poor decision considering we had Shubman Gill lined up for Test selection. I am not sure what happened to Shaw but even he looked in decent touch back then. And then those couple of 150+ scores made things even worser.

I will back Rohit when he says that he wants to open if he plays. Why? He's at an age where he understands his game and himself as a cricketer and person. I will repeat that I have no issue with him opening the batting in test matches but I think the basis (white ball form) for it was unfair on other cricketers. The fact that he's made hundreds now, he deserves his chance. Should he have flown to Australia and played ahead of KL after getting injured and play a test after coming out of quarantine? I don't think there's cricketing logic to that.

EDIT: I don't think there's any logic to that.

 

[SaiSrini]

Disappointed that Mayank is given such a short rope. But it has more to do with the fact that Rohit Sharma has come back and they've even appointed him vice captain. Well atleast good that they are giving a longer rope to Hanuma Vihari than Mayank. Saini was an expected decision since he was in the original test squad and giving Shardul or Natarajan priority over him, would have been unfair on Saini.

India's best chance is to finish the formalities of retaining the BG trophy by winning this test. Also I wouldn't mind if the final test is played at the Gabba. India need not worry; they've defied odds and won tests at venues that are traditionally way off from their comfort zone; e.g. Headingley, Perth, Lords, Wanderers, etc. Wish Rahane builds upon his current form and hope Pujara also gets back his mojo. Pujara getting back his mojo will be a massive boost for us.

 

[LiveLoveABD]

Disappointed that Mayank is given such a short rope. But it has more to do with the fact that Rohit Sharma has come back and they've even appointed him vice captain. Well atleast good that they are giving a longer rope to Hanuma Vihari than Mayank. Saini was an expected decision since he was in the original test squad and giving Shardul or Natarajan priority over him, would have been unfair on Saini.

India's best chance is to finish the formalities of retaining the BG trophy by winning this test. Also I wouldn't mind if the final test is played at the Gabba. India need not worry; they've defied odds and won tests at venues that are traditionally way off from their comfort zone; e.g. Headingley, Perth, Lords, Wanderers, etc. Wish Rahane builds upon his current form and hope Pujara also gets back his mojo. Pujara getting back his mojo will be a massive boost for us.

It's a tweaking joke that Rohit has been made vice captain ahead of Pujara and Ashwin.[DOUBLEPOST=1609950911][/DOUBLEPOST]I have an atrocious feeling that for some reason Steve Smith will make 237.

 

[asprin]

Rohit as an opener in Tests doesn't give me confidence. Hopefully I'm proven wrong but I feel I won't be.

Pucovski probably set to debut. Will India welcome him with a red carpet?

 

[WubbaLubbaDubDub]

Rohit as an opener in Tests doesn't give me confidence. Hopefully I'm proven wrong but I feel I won't be.

Pucovski probably set to debut. Will India welcome him with a red carpet?

Obviously, completely forgot about Pucovski. India has already lost the early walking wicket in Burns. I feel between Warner, Pucovski, Smith, Marcus, they will easily score 400+.

 

[Bigby Wolf]

I have an atrocious feeling that for some reason Steve Smith will make 237.

Obviously, completely forgot about Pucovski. India has already lost the early walking wicket in Burns. I feel between Warner, Pucovski, Smith, Marcus, they will easily score 400+.

Let me do the jinxing job guys.

You Guys just relax and enjoy the game.

 

[LiveLoveABD]

Let me do the jinxing job guys.

You Guys just relax and enjoy the game.