New Zealand Tour of India, November 2010/11

[AkshayS]

Since Dravid got his finger injured, Pujara can walk into the lineup and that can be a good news to India. Gambhir should stay for one more test IMO, much talented batsmen just need to hit it right. Rest is fine with the lineup of India.

 

[SaiSrini]

Since Dravid got his finger injured, Pujara can walk into the lineup and that can be a good news to India. Gambhir should stay for one more test IMO, much talented batsmen just need to hit it right. Rest is fine with the lineup of India.

Is Dravid's injury serious? Yes, Gambhir should play one more test. But his record in the last 9 innings has been PATHETIC. 86 runs in 9 innings. Time for him to score and let Vijay play. Vijay got a hundred against Australia and is sitting out for an 'out of form but living on reputation' player like Gambhir.

 

[ferg512]

I'm hoping this doesn't come true but I'm getting the feeling that India just took us for granted in that last match and now they got that shake up they will pull their finger out and hammer us in the next two games. Its always very hard to back up a great performance like that.

Yeah I know about Wagner's stats as well it's just if you are going to have a left armer I would have him over McKay, and he has started well to this season. I'm just not sure Hopkins has it in him, for me he seems like another Ingram - amazing at domestic looks pretty clueless at international level. Hope he proves me wrong though

Also with Zaheer does he have an injury or something? He really looked like he was hobbling around in the field in the last match.

 

[CG123]

For some reason hardy anyone rates Hopkins and he hasn't even had a decent go yet, he's no McCullum, but batting down at eight he's better than most world number eights.
A FC average of 36 with 12 hundreds is pretty solid, I know a good domestic record doesn't mean he'll succeed at the international level, but he's been around a while so I'm sure he'll do a more than adequate job.
His technique looks pretty sound, not the greatest going around, but I wouldn't compare him to Ingram.

I wouldn't be surprised if McKay's a bit of a Southee, on his day he can trouble the best batsmen going around like Southee did in Australia, but not on his day he's going to get taken to.

I still rate our chances of getting another draw, I think a wins not on the cards after how we botched it last match, but we only really need four batsmen to get going and it'll be a draw. Of course I'd still say an India win is more than likely.

 

[Chewie]

For a left armer, how about Michael Bates? He bowled pretty well last season. Also, Adam Milne is an up and coming talent, and people say Mitchell McCleneghan is pretty fast as well.

 

[SciD]

Considering at number 8 bowlers are batting, Hopkins will definitely be better than everyone in world.

Just hate that India has no fast bowling bench to speak of. In one of threads War is in debate with others over Aussie fast bowling future and we have only one guy who is 32 and has fitness issues throughout his career.

Forget fast bowling, we have no world class spinner coming up as well. Bhajji is very average to say the least and all sides play to block him. Ojha is steady but is hardly threatening. That only leaves Ashwin and well he will be hardly a factor in test cricket from looks of things.

 

[relentless_rock]

Mishra is good, the guy has flight and dip but bowling on dead pitches has not helped his confidence and stats at all. Also don't think Dhoni is a very good captain when it comes to using spinners, too many singles keep leaking everywhere.

Sreesanth is only 27, and though he doesn't enjoy much respect because of his antics, I still think he could push his way upto Top 10 bowlers. He needs some special guidance like a bowling coach just dedicated to him.

 

[SciD]

Mishra leeks too many runs. Not ideal in any way for India as already our fast bowlers are like plenty of holes in bucket to loose water from.

Sreesanth should never be played in India. He is best suited for SA and England. He should get his mental checkup and try playing for a year in county circuit.

 

[CG123]

India v New Zealand: Hyderabad awaits Test action | Cricket News | India v New Zealand | Cricinfo.com

New Zealand (probable): 1 Tim McIntosh, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 BJ Watling, 4 Ross Taylor,5 Jesse Ryder, 6 Kane Williamson, 7 Daniel Vettori (capt), 8 Gareth Hopkins (wk), 9 Jeetan Patel, 10 James Franklin, 11 Chris Martin

Lol at cricinfo's probable team, they have Franklin batting all the way down at ten (Patel above him at nine), with him and Martin the only two pace bowlers assuming Ryder can't bowl.

The only reason he could possibly play is as a third seemer (Ryder's role), even then I don't know where he'd fit in (as Ryder will play as a batsman), as McKay, Southee and Arnel were all over their for the first test, so it would be stupid if Franklin just went ahead of him for his bowling.

 

[Chewie]

I'd be inclined to play

McIntosh
McCullum
Franklin
Taylor
Ryder
Williamson
Vettori
Hopkins
Southee
Arnel
Martin

but that's never going to happen.

 

[Iridium]

I don't think Franklin has what it takes to bat at 3. I'd still very much prefer him to bat lower down the order.

 

[CG123]

Do we need four pace bowlers in India?
I'd almost play Patel just as a part-timer, above Arnel or Southee.

 

[Chewie]

I think he'd be better than Watling there. It's not like they're gonna play Franklin there though.

 

[riz7khan12]

I think he'd be better than Watling there.

I'm not too sure about that, atleast Watling is a batsman and he has proved himself (once) when he made that 60 against Pakistan. Where Franklin would just make the top 3 even more fragile than it already is.

Do we need four pace bowlers in India?

It'll make sense to have them, because we have Williamson and possibly Taylor/Guptill as the part-timers, It'll be much harder to get the Indians out on this pitch i would assume, better to go with as many bowlers as possible.

 

[CG123]

The thing with Franklin is there's just no room for him, he's a middle - lower order player (6 - 8), and 4 - 8 (plus McCullum and Martin) are the only certainty positions.
The only reason they'll play him is in one of the two bowling positions, and that would just be stupid, as why would they have taken Arnel, Southee and McKay in the first place, if they rated Franklin's bowling better.

CG123 added 5 Minutes and 39 Seconds later...

I'm not too sure about that, atleast Watling is a batsman and he has proved himself (once) when he made that 60 against Pakistan. Where Franklin would just make the top 3 even more fragile than it already is.

Franklin's also proved himself a few times, he got a 100 in SA, and a few other 50's here and there, I just wouldn't have either of them there in the top three...

It'll make sense to have them, because we have Williamson and possibly Taylor/Guptill as the part-timers.

Taylor/Guptill are only very much part-time, Williamson looked alright, but I'd still like Patel/another batsman there ahead of four pace bowlers.
Considering Vettori's just going to bowl more or less all day at one end (with a bit of maybe Williamson), what's the point in rotating four fast bowlers from one end?

I'd have Vettori/Williamson rotating from one end, and you'll still be able to rotate three pace bowlers from the other end, therefore you won't need to play Franklin.

And also I doubt Guptill will be playing.