New Zealand Tour of India, November 2010/11

[ZoraxDoom]

Can't believe I'm seeing Indian fans so optimistic. Usually by this time we'd have already decided who should be dropped for the next game and who's fault this loss was.


India still have a very real chance of losing this game. They need a minor miracle to win it from here.

 

[Gurjot95]

Can't believe I'm seeing Indian fans so optimistic

yeah I am surprised too after what happened for being so optimistic since series started. I'll say again as I said before series started don't be optimistic. Miracle doesn't happen every match and we can't depend on Laxman every match to save us.

We should be worried and thinking if India can get 150 runs lead and not 250 runs lead

 

[Chewie]

It was a mixture of bad shots and great bowling. The pitch wasn't doing anything, or not much at all, especially since Martin and Bennett stuck around for quite a bit of time on it.

I wouldn't feel too comfortable with us chasing more than 150 though. We're notorious for screwing up things like there. I would give McCullum license to swing though, at least until a wicket falls. A few good overs from him could bring the runs required down quite dramatically and in the kiwi mindset make it more likely that we could chase it.

That's provided we can bowl india out tomorrow morning. I wouldn't be surprised if these two put on a hundred or so runs.

 

[SaiSrini]

India will save it, India's win is not completely ruled out. What NZ has done is that have barged in through the door and have completely opened up chances of them winning this match. But I will say all three results possible with an Indian win being the lowest. Great display by Martin to turn the tables on India. It was indeed a special performance that brought them here. NZ have always been a weak team and expectations on them before this game were not misplaced. Its just that they have turned up when they were cast off.

I still think we will save it. If we get a lead of 200 by lunch and get all out, we might even fancy our chances of winning. But I think its time to sack Harbhajan and try out Ashwin. Ashwin has a good carrom ball, and he is not afraid of attacking and taking wickets. Harbhajan has lost his attacking instinct and lives on pure reputation. Ojha needs to step up and take the attacking role, and Ashwin should support him.

SaiSrini added 3 Minutes and 15 Seconds later...

Why? Pitch is doing absolutely nothing at the moment and New Zealands batsmen easily got over that score first time round.

Had the pitch ripping turn or uneven bounce perhaps but it doesn't

Dont tell me the pitch is still the same batting pancake. There is something off the pitch that has made India bat as badly as they have. I wont believe there is nothing to do with the pitch in our 2nd innings performance.

SaiSrini added 1 Minutes and 16 Seconds later...

Hehehe. A kiwi wish completed, now time for a Indian wish . Remember how India Bowled out Australia after lunch on the final day in 2001. It was a low total in that match too. Lets hope Laxman can get India to 250 and then bowlers do the magic

200+ by lunch should be enough.

 

[AngryPixel]

There is a good point Chappel made in his article, that Sehwag gives India flying starts and then Dravid gets in his shell and neutralizes the advantage. He allows opposition bowlers to settle down.Its time to give Pujara more chances and get rid of seriously-out-of-form Gambhir.
This should be the perfect lineup for next match :

Vijay
Sehwag
Pujara
Sachin
Laxman
Raina/Kohli
Dhoni
Harbhajan
Zaheer
Sreesanth(Ishant if fit)
Ojha.

We could try Laxman at number 3 too. He doesnt get bogged down and that would give him more time to bat with top order. Off late he has been batting with tail most of the time.

 

[Themer]

Dont tell me the pitch is still the same batting pancake. There is something off the pitch that has made India bat as badly as they have. I wont believe there is nothing to do with the pitch in our 2nd innings performance.

Ignorance is bliss I suppose.

Seriously the pitch had nothing with any of the dismissals. Gambhir was just terribly out of knick and wasn't sure of his off stump somehow ending up getting an inside edge, Sehwag was ran out, Dravid got a pearler on a length that just swung away slighty, Raina got a decent swinger which he tried to drive on the up and Dhoni played at a a ball that was too close which he really didn't need to. Oh and Tendulkar played a poorish shot to an inswinger which resulted in him chopping on.

Theres no indifference bounce or sharp spin it was just decent bowling and some poor batsmenship.

 

[Cricketman]

AP, are you seriously considering dropping our best test batsman over the better part of his career - that too when he scored a good century in this very match?

 

[Chewie]

I would say it's not too bad a decision to drop Dravid against us, because we're not exactly South Africa or England. But then again, if you go on to lose the test, he shouldn't be dropped since he did get a century in the first innings.

Pujara does need experience at the highest level, and who better to do it against than the 8th ranked side in the world

 

[Biggy]

It's a one off imo, odds are very high that India will crush NZ next Test. So no need to be calling for players heads after 1 Test, which isn't even lost yet.

 

[CG123]

Remember on day two India lost seven wickets for 158 runs, so it's the second time their batting order had fallen apart in the test match.

Excluding day one they've lost 13 wickets for only 240 runs, and during that time we scored 459 for the loss of 10 wickets, and in terms of bowling after day one we've only had one genuine pace bowler.

I just hope we can take advantage of this situation, so often the other teams tail wags against us, but Martin and Vettori will be fresh again so they'll be able to bowl the first 12 or so overs between them.

I struggle to see this sort of display by India in the second or third test, but the amount of positives to come out of this so far from us are immense.

 

[AngryPixel]

Selectors could have used this series to test some young players. I dont think they would try many things in SAF. So that would leave Pujara as a benchwarmer for next few months after a brilliant knock. You don't wanna discourage youngsters.

 

[SaiSrini]

Selectors could have used this series to test some young players. I dont think they would try many things in SAF. So that would leave Pujara as a benchwarmer for next few months after a brilliant knock. You don't wanna discourage youngsters.

Don't worry. Someone or the other will get injured. Pujara is going nowhere.

 

[relentless_rock]

Dravid should be there in next test match too, no two ways about it. Ofcourse he hasn't looked the solid himself, but best to get him in his prime form prior SA tour.

Gambhir poses a dilemma, I think he is solid of the two openers (other being Vijay) but looks out of match form and we should try and get him to play 1 odd Delhi Ranji match prior him flying off to SA.

Big decision, to rest MS Dhoni from next 2 test matches before the SA tour. Too much cricket is clearly taking toll, catches being dropped, string of low scores. You want him fresh for SA tour and the World Cup.

Here is what I would like our team to look like for next 2 test matches:

V Sehwag
M Vijay
R Dravid
S Tendulkar
VVS Laxman
S Raina (2nd Test) / C Pujara (3rd Test)
P Patel (bring him to play last 2 test matches on Indian soil)
A Mishra
Z Khan
P Ojha
S Sreesanth

 

[ZoraxDoom]

I wouldn't mind resting Dhoni TBH. He needs a break. Karthik will likely fill in for him though.

And unfortunately, no ones going to be dropping Bhajji. We're stuck with him. If anyone gets the chop, it'll probably be Ojha. And I'm not convinced with Mishra, he keeps screwing up at Test level.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

seriously wish it was not half 4 in the morning. I cannot stay up and this is a brilliant match.

oh well, will find out what happened when I wake up tomorrow, won't be the same.