India tour of South Africa - 2013/14

[War]

While i can observe India would want to cover all bases for this tough tour, 17 players for just two test does seem like overkill though.

 

[SaiSrini]

I too thought so. I was thinking that they would maybe take a 15-man squad. And now more so, since its just two test matches.

 

[Epic]

I do very well understand the concept of having a bench. However, in the recent past, our bench has been untested even when certain players have not been performing well. As I have mentioned in my post have the 11 fixed and maybe 2 additional players.

This is because is simply doesnt make sense to fly 17 people out of the country and not make them play any game at all.

If you truly understood the concept of bench players, flying 17 players out of the country and to have a few not play any games at all would make all the sense in the world. Anyways, the real problem of concern is injury and not your own assessment of who needs to be cut and who needs to be brought in.

While i can observe India would want to cover all bases for this tough tour, 17 players for just two test does seem like overkill though.

Better to be safe than sorry.

 

[icyman]

If you truly understood the concept of bench players, flying 17 players out of the country and to have a few not play any games at all would make all the sense in the world. Anyways, the real problem of concern is injury and not your own assessment of who needs to be cut and who needs to be brought in.

Well as per your understanding, make it a 22 member squad then. One for each.

Try and apply your brains. Why on earth would you take 17 people just for 2 tests ? We have been, of late playing a fixed line-up. The probability of players getting injured ia not that high. 2 additional players makes more sense than flying out 17.

And its not my assessment as to who should come in and who should be out. Follow the game, you will understand that certain players(especially the Board favourites) are given a longer rope than others.

My main point is- Longer rope should not effect the careers of others. For which the perfect example is Manoj Tiwary.

 

[War]

Better to be safe than sorry.

Ye ha true. After all some players still have to prove their credentials overseas, and one potential drubbing in the first test, could set in a bit on panic.

 

[Aalay]

and one potential drubbing in the first test, could set in a bit on panic.

You my friend don't know much about Dhoni the captain, do you?

 

[War]

You my friend don't know much about Dhoni the captain, do you?

Ye ha im aware he tends to stick to his players even if the media is calling for heads (especially those who play with him at CSK).

 

[Epic]

Well as per your understanding, make it a 22 member squad then. One for each.

Try and apply your brains. Why on earth would you take 17 people just for 2 tests ? We have been, of late playing a fixed line-up. The probability of players getting injured ia not that high. 2 additional players makes more sense than flying out 17.

And its not my assessment as to who should come in and who should be out. Follow the game, you will understand that certain players(especially the Board favourites) are given a longer rope than others.

My main point is- Longer rope should not effect the careers of others. For which the perfect example is Manoj Tiwary.

Try and apply my brains? It's you who's ignoring the risk of injury on probability, forgetting the tour of England in 2011 are we? And many sides in world cricket go in with a fixed line-up, but none use that as an excuse to take a 13 man squad like you suggest we do.

Long rope, short rope, I really couldn't give a ---- because it's all subjective, and Manoj Tiwary is an atrocious example either ways because he's injured all the damn time.

----------

Looking at the fact that South Africa themselves took a 15-man squad to the UAE, that's probably what's most appropriate for a 2 match series.

 

[zeustrojanstark]

I seriously want to see Zaheer Khan, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav bowl in South Africa.

 

[Aalay]

I seriously want to see Zaheer Khan, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav bowl in South Africa.

Most likely that's the bowling attack that we are going to see backed up by Shami Ahmed and Ishant Sharma/Varun Aaron.

 

[icyman]

Zaheer could be destructive in SAF. but he needs to pull up his game. Bringing him back on his reputation is not going to help much.
Bhuvan will start in the line-up. So should Umesh cause he can be deadly on those pitches. Remember the Kallis dismissal by Sreesanth a few years ago ? Umseh can be lethal out there and with the kind of bowling we have ,he needs to be a permanenet fix for that tour.

 

[aditya123]

A fully fit lineup of Zaheer, Bhuvi, Yadav, Shami and Aaron would be a mouth-watering prospect in terms of wicket taking ability. They may not be as highly rated as the SA attack but will surely be a handful on spicy wickets.

 

[SaiSrini]

Aaron won't come back soon enough. If he stays injury free from here on, I think he will only be available in 2014. But how much of his pace has he cut down is something to see. People coming back from career threatening injuries generally cut down their pace drastically.

Zaheer, Bhuvaneshwar, Yadav, Shami and Ishant SHOULD be the bowling attack for South Africa. Jaydev Unadkat and Mohit Sharma should be the backup guys. I don't see anyone else beyond this. I would persist with Ishant for South Africa. I want to see what he does on helpful pitches out there. If he can't do much, its time to take the plug out of his international career.

 

[zeustrojanstark]

How about Praveen Kumar? He is a very interesting bowler actually.

 

[War]

A fully fit lineup of Zaheer, Bhuvi, Yadav, Shami and Aaron would be a mouth-watering prospect in terms of wicket taking ability. They may not be as highly rated as the SA attack but will surely be a handful on spicy wickets.

Ye would agree with this, such an attack has some potential in it indeed.