New Zealand Tour of India, November 2010/11

[Meet]

HIIYA!
I am back after watching last day of the 1st test at Motera.Enjoyed every bit of it.

 

[ferg512]

Yeah Franklin shouldn't have been called up but then who else? I doubt it will matter cause he probably won't play. I'm hoping we will go in with Martin, Arnel and McKay as the seamers with Vettori as the one spinner. I just don't think Patel did enough despite getting a couple of first innings wickets.

 

[riz7khan12]

The next test is at Rajiv Gandhi International, this test will be its first with only 3 ODI's being played there. From the IPL and the those 3 ODI's, the pitch would rival Napier's. So if our batsmen get in, this match is set to be another draw.

 

[AkshayS]

The next test is at Rajiv Gandhi International, this test will be its first with only 3 ODI's being played there. From the IPL and the those 3 ODI's, the pitch would rival Napier's. So if our batsmen get in, this match is set to be another draw.

yeah right.

If NZ batsmen or I should say Indian batsmen will be able to set in then this match can be another lame draw. Though chances of a result aren't that slim as Motera and it's a better wicket than motera.

 

[Chewie]

Yeah Franklin shouldn't have been called up but then who else? I doubt it will matter cause he probably won't play. I'm hoping we will go in with Martin, Arnel and McKay as the seamers with Vettori as the one spinner. I just don't think Patel did enough despite getting a couple of first innings wickets.

I think I'm the only one who doesn't mind Franklin being called up. And there isn't really anyone else you can call up. Aldridge bowled well for ND but he's too old. Boult on the other hand is too young. Tuffey has just come back from the Sixes and seems to have fallen out of favour with the selectors. Gillespie is injured and not that great anyway. Can't think of anyone else who'd be in contention.

They're probably not going to change the side a lot because we got so close but I reckon there are a few things that should be changed. Personally I don't really like McIntosh but there's no one else really who is better than him. Watling didn't look that great but he seems to be in better form than McIntosh so I'd open with him. At 3 you can either playing Guptill, or wait for it, Franklin . This way the selectors can continue with Patel but also have a third seam option. For the bowlers, I reckon the selectors will play McKay because they like playing someone 'fast'. I think they should play Arnel who is much better and you wouldn't need McKay as left arm variation because of Franklin. If they want someone fast they should play Southee who is only a few kms slower than McKay.

 

[SaiSrini]

Laxman will play his first home test after having played 115 test matches! Is that a record? The last test in Hyderabad was held in 1988 (22 years ago)

 

[TumTum]

Batting records, it's all what you Indians care about

 

[ferg512]

I think I'm the only one who doesn't mind Franklin being called up. And there isn't really anyone else you can call up. Aldridge bowled well for ND but he's too old. Boult on the other hand is too young. Tuffey has just come back from the Sixes and seems to have fallen out of favour with the selectors. Gillespie is injured and not that great anyway. Can't think of anyone else who'd be in contention.

They're probably not going to change the side a lot because we got so close but I reckon there are a few things that should be changed. Personally I don't really like McIntosh but there's no one else really who is better than him. Watling didn't look that great but he seems to be in better form than McIntosh so I'd open with him. At 3 you can either playing Guptill, or wait for it, Franklin . This way the selectors can continue with Patel but also have a third seam option. For the bowlers, I reckon the selectors will play McKay because they like playing someone 'fast'. I think they should play Arnel who is much better and you wouldn't need McKay as left arm variation because of Franklin. If they want someone fast they should play Southee who is only a few kms slower than McKay.

Yeah for some reason I have completely forgotten about Southee, dont know why. I still don't really think Patel should be there, he didnt really do enough in that last game but I suppose they will be reluctant to make any more changes seeing as we did so well. Im kind of now thinking against McKay and more for Southee. At least Southee does have the ability to swing it a little bit whereas I doubt McKay will, so Im now thinking of Southee, Arnel and Martin as the seamers with no Patel.

McIntosh is an interesting one because he has done badly like this before but he has been stuck with. I think they have kept him for so long they can't just get rid of him after one bad game. I don't really like him either, he has a horrible technique but he has scored some kind of runs at test level before. I also still remember that innings he played in Sri Lanka which although was a long time ago shows what he is capable of. Whereas Watling doesn't have that in him I don't think, we saw how badly he poked at that ball from Ojha. Keep McIntosh opening at this stage with either keep Watling at three or bring Guptill in.

 

[Chewie]

Both Watling and Guptill need more FC experience behind them, and to score big scores at that level before they come back to the test team. McIntosh at least had a number of double centuries there, and if you look at his overall career hasn't been terrible at Test level. Guptill has had one good knock but that was against Bangladesh so make what you want out of that.

I still reckon Franklin would do just as well at 3 as Watling would, and he provides another bowling option. I don't see the selectors dropping Patel because he's a favourite of Vettori and he bowled alright in the first innings. I'd much prefer the attack you suggest though.

 

[ferg512]

I just can't understand what you see in Franklin but then again his technique seems a lot more sound than Watling and he did get some form behind him recently in Zimababwe if I recall. The problem I have is his bowling because he has been woeful at international level for some time now and just bowls slow mediums. But i guess he could do the job Ryder would if he wasn't injured. We can't really blame them for not making any changes though as it has been forever since we have played test cricket like that.

 

[Chewie]

Franklin was quite a bit better than anyone else on that tour. Scored 180 runs at 60 and took a number of wickets at 17. His bowling is no way near as effective as it was in the early parts of his career, but I think it's good enough - better than Patel and Ryder.

Brownlie could be a bolter for the test side sometime soon. He had a great time in the Emerging Players Tournament, and scored 150 odd in the first FC game of the season.

 

[CG123]

I'd have McIntosh above both Watling and Guptill in the test team.
Both Watling and Guptill have done very little at FC domestic level, and were 100% picked on their OD form.

I'd have Guptill over Watling though, Watling strikes me as someone like Broom, who every time he bats looks as though he's not going to do great. I've never really been a fan of Broom, but I've got quite a bit of time for Watling, it's just that he doesn't look international quality.
At least Guptill's scored some runs at the international level, yes I know he's had more matches and they were mainly against WI and BNG, but especially in the ODI game Guptill looks better than Watling.

I had quite a bit of time for Franklin earlier in his career, but now it's just like you know he's going to fail with the bat nine times out of ten, and more often than not he gets taken to when he bowls.

Maybe it's time to pick some real bolters like Vettori was when he first came onto the scene, instead of going back to these has beens like Franklin.

Hopefully Franklin (and Watling) can prove me wrong, and score a match winning hundred, as well as take a few wickets.

 

[riz7khan12]

yeah right.

If NZ batsmen or I should say Indian batsmen will be able to set in then this match can be another lame draw. Though chances of a result aren't that slim as Motera and it's a better wicket than motera.

Ofcourse the indian batsmen will settle. The pitch should technically be worse than Motera if it doesn't break up like Motera's did.

Therefore if the pitch doesn't break up then there isn't a need for patel in the side. Arnel and McKay can replace Patel and the injured Bennet in the starting XI. My XI would look something like this...

1. Brendon McCullum
2. Tim McIntosh
3. BJ Watling
4. Ross Taylor
5. Jesse Ryder
6. Kane Williamson
7. Daniel Vettori
8. Gareth Hopkins
9. Brent Arnel
10. Andy McKay
11. Chris Martin

This lineup really depends on how the pitch is going to play, and the kiwi batsmen would have to do their job properly since there is no one that can bat after 8. I actually rather have Guptill come into the side at the expense of either Watling or McIntosh, but this probably wont happen until the 3rd test at best.

 

[ferg512]

Yeah I saw that Brownlie has got a heap of runs, btw Wagner when does he qualify?? saw he took 6 wickets today. In fact I think McKay is just there till he qualifies.

Also with Arnel and McKay in the side I cant believe how long the tail is, its like having 3 number 11s and Hopkins wont do that much better.

 

[Chewie]

Hopkins has a pretty good domestic record though. I've heard that since moving to Auckland he averages something like 50+. It's whether he can transform that into test form. And yea that is an amazingly long tail. 3 number 11s taking up positions 9-11. Patel and Southee are the only ones that can really play number 9.

Wagner wasn't that great last season, but because his overall figures are quite appealing, people call for him to be selected. I don't think he qualifies for a while though. Maybe a year. If he has a good season though, I don't see why he couldn't be tried out.