India tour of New Zealand - Jan to Feb 2014

[asprin]

What a display from NZ. Yesterday it seemed like it would be 1-1 and now it looks like 2-0. So all this talk about green top backfiring seems to be nullified. Our attack just isn't of International standard. I say we should first be made to play against Associates and only then move onto the next level.

 

[abhi_jacko]

^^ LOL. Thats a bit too extreme, but I share your disappointment. From an innings victory to yet another overseas loss. I still feel team selection (lack of a fourth specialist bowler) is the main reason

And ofcourse the dropped catches !

 

[Biggs]

OH HAI EVERYONE!

Wow... what an innings. For a player that's constantly under-performed, far below the expectations of his position in the team, McCullum has finally met those lofty hopes for the country. He's put away all the nonsense shots and snapped a faint victory from the jaws of defeat at NZ's best cricket venue.

Great stuff!

 

[used2bcool]

A more than small part of me wants McCullum to get his three hundred. He's thoroughly deserved it. This Test is quite obviously gone. Those two dropped catches have come back to bite us mightily.

 

[asprin]

^^ LOL. Thats a bit too extreme, but I share your disappointment

Extreme yes, but necessary. India is definitely not among the top 6 when it tours aboard. I'd say it is only better then Bangladesh and Zimbabwe and to a small degree perhaps West Indies.

Bowling is the main reason we are doing poorly. If you don't have bowlers who can take 20 wickets consistently, I don't see similar results being avoided for every overseas series. Infact, I'm already predicting whitewashes in England and Australia. With all due respect, if India are struggling against NZ, I wonder what might happen when they face the other two giants in world cricket.

 

[grkrama]

Extreme yes, but necessary. India is definitely not among the top 6 when it tours aboard. I'd say it is only better then Bangladesh and Zimbabwe and to a small degree perhaps West Indies.

Bowling is the main reason we are doing poorly. If you don't have bowlers who can take 20 wickets consistently, I don't see similar results being avoided for every overseas series. Infact, I'm already predicting whitewashes in England and Australia. With all due respect, if India are struggling against NZ, I wonder what might happen when they face the other two giants in world cricket.

It is certainly not necessary, both teams have played their heart out, it is one of those days were Bmac has played a special like vvs did with aus, that doesnt mean aus/ ind should be made to play associates.
Agree the bowling attack we have isnt the best, also going in with 3 bowlers isnt certainly ideal for a test match on paper, but they have also bowled their hearts out, you cant do much on a day like this.Expecting a triple tomorrow from mcullum and a declaration with atleast 2 sessions for india.

Have a feeling this match is going to be thriller tomorrow and might top the first match.Hope both the teams dont go for a draw.

 

[playkid12]

What a display from NZ. Yesterday it seemed like it would be 1-1 and now it looks like 2-0. So all this talk about green top backfiring seems to be nullified. Our attack just isn't of International standard. I say we should first be made to play against Associates and only then move onto the next level.

Calm down, Colonel Crazypants. A 2-0 result is unlikely. It's the final day tomorrow. Since they want to win the series, they aren't going to give India any chances, and wont declare until they muster up a total that they think India are incapable of chasing. It's going to be 1-0-1.

It will allow Dhoni to look at the series and say we only lost one match. This will keep the critics off his shoulders, and allow for nothing to change in Indian cricket.

Honestly, one of the biggest problems in Tests is Dhoni's captaincy. He employs too many defensive tactics and his bowling changes are also difficult to defend. I understand he doesn't have much to work with, but the team is of his choosing, so he only really has himself to blame. He's going to go in history as India's best ODI and T20 captain, but not Tests. Lately, the ODI performance has been poor as well.

 

[ChinamanSpin]

Seems a bit quiet over here all of a sudden...

Brilliant from McCullum. 400 tomorrow! Now looking forward to The Best Team in The World's fightback.

It will either be a very interesting day tomorrow, or a damp squid. I'm pretty sure New Zealand will take 1-0 though.

 

[surendar]

Wait, is this fixed by BCCI to keep it alive till the end so that it will attract fans in last day adding more money for 5 full days?

 

[CG123]

That partnership, epic.

 

[asprin]

It will allow Dhoni to look at the series and say we only lost one match.

This attitude and the insipid bowling attack are the reasons we are never truly going to be no.1 in Test cricket. Bowlers win you matches - straight and simple. Get the bowlers, then tour overseas. Else, just be content playing in your own backyard.

 

[Dipak]

What an epic innings from BcCullum, probably one of the best ever played. And Watling! Amazing stuff from him and his skipper to lead NZ back in the game!

 

[Ohm]

That partnership called for the epic event in BC's cricket. 2-

 

[used2bcool]

It will allow Dhoni to look at the series and say we only lost one match. This will keep the critics off his shoulders, and allow for nothing to change in Indian cricket.

Not sure how this is a good thing.

I understand that the bowlers bowled their hearts out, but that's not good enough. It's easy enough to use the excuse that McCullum played an innings of a lifetime - remember Faf was playing an innings of a lifetime against us not two months ago - and Clarke before that. The common denominator is our bowling (and fielding). We're just not there, strength-wise. Once the lateral movement is gone, our bowlers are just trundlers who on a good day (like the last couple of days) will give you control but not wickets.

I used to think that some horridly embarrassing loss will change things around Indian cricket, but we've now had four series full of bad losses and nothing's changed. I'm not sure what you can change. Dhoni is entrenched, and his system isn't good enough. We keep hoping that some new bowlers will come along and magically fix everything, but no amount of untalented bowlers can win you tests.

I... I just don't know.

PS: I know Dhoni cops most of the blame, and rightfully so. But how has that fat fearsome tweak Duncan Fletcher been around for so long and under virtually no pressure?

 

[Aalay]

Seems a bit quiet over here all of a sudden...

You are certainly not looking at the right thread than.

As I said before, you can't really blame bowlers because when they did create chances, you dropped them. With this kind of bowling attack, you have to take every single catch that comes to you otherwise it will just end in a disaster. Top effort from both both B Mac and BJ Watling. I was more impressed by BJ because I did not know he can bat so well. He showed an amazing composure and left everything that was offered to him outside the off stump. Both of them have shown a brilliant fightback.

I just read on Cricinfo that NZ might not continue to bat today which will be a bit tough on B Mac because he deserves that 300. The lead is 325 and if the pitch behave in the same manner it did yesterday than we should definitely go for the target. I mean that is our only chance.