New Zealand Tour of India, November 2010/11

[used2bcool]

Re: Dhoni and the umpiring standards saga
Dear MS/Sachin/Kumble,
Own up to the fact that you used the UDRS horribly the first time around and got shown up by SL who successfully challenged 11 decisions to your 1. Also realise that complaining about umpiring right after you and your board spurned the UDRS is likely to end with egg on your collective faces. Unrelatedly (new word!), learn to be a more aggressive captain as would fit the Number 1 Test Team in the world.

Love,
Neeraj

Also, Sreesanth, you idiot! Should've had NZ at 22/2 and the story could've been different. Now they're about 100/1 and the platform is set for a big total. It should be unacceptable for test bowlers to be bowling no-balls. I'd love to see the explanation. Striving for extra pace? My ass. What, is he trying to bowl at 130.9 kmph instead of 130.1 kmph. That scrawny chump can't unfurl real pace either way. Better to focus on seam and swing.

used2bcool added 8 Minutes and 46 Seconds later...

The Zaheer one was gone, it hit the pad on the way through just before the bat, it's just the two Indian commentators who were on air at the time were pretty much as one eyed as the Aussie commentators are. With the Aussie ones you love listening to them because they're so one eyed, but no offense but I just can't stand the Indian ones, couldn't stand the BNG ones in the BNG series either. One of the Indian dudes was alright, but a few of them were terrible to listen to last test.

Agreed wholeheartedly. As much as I hate to say it, the current batch of Indian commentators are ████. Gavaskar and Shastri can be tolerable, but only sometimes. The rest of the interchangeable, cliche-spewing morons can all be burned at the stake for all I care. Laxman Sivaramakrishnan could be hanged in public to make an example for anyone aspiring to be a cricket commentator. At least Sidhu was so bad, he was almost good.

 

[aussie1st]

Pretty good start by NZ after the early loss of McCullum. And with their 4 best batsmen still in the sheds, things are looking really good for NZ after winning the toss.

 

[Chewie]

Yup Watling, Bennett and Patel are out for Guptill, Arnel and Southee.

McIntosh will get cleaned up early by Zaheer. I would call him Zaheer's bunny, but he's just too terrible in general.

I don't think these two will stay around for too long. Hopefully they can prove me wrong. Both don't look too great.

I'm glad to be proved wrong

Apparently once McIntosh faces about 80 balls he is extremely hard to get out.

 

[ferg512]

This is why I'm glad McIntosh was stuck with he can play these kinds of innings whereas I don't think Watling can yet. Surprised by Guptill though I don't think anyone really expected him to do anything but what a turn around hopefully these two keep going.

 

[Crew of Black]

Yeah thats the issue with McIntosh, do you really want a guy opening the batting whose biggest weakness is the first 50 balls of his innings. He's played some good knocks but he more or less stumbles into them.

I think he needs a big one here and at least another 50 in this series to be assured of playing against Pakistan later on.

 

[aussie1st]

Surprised by Guptill though I don't think anyone really expected him to do anything but what a turn around hopefully these two keep going.

Agree, completely forgot about him, hasn't really delivered in Test cricket but this knock will certainly get him back on people's radar. Good stand comes to an end, McIntosh usually goes on to make a 100 from here or at the very least use up a lot of balls.

 

[SAfrican]

Typical Guptill innings, looks the goods but then gets himself out with a poor shot. Mcintosh showing his worth once he gets going. never really rated him and he has a very awkward batting technique, his front leg is very fleming-esque

anywho not a bad session for NZ, the wicket doesn't look as flat as the one in the last test.

 

[CG123]

I've only watched part of it, but have listened on the radio for the rest, and from what I've heard it's another road, and we'll need around 400 - 500.

This is a great platform though, the likes of Ryder and Vettori should be able to cash in tomorrow as the four prong Indian attack tires.

Not to mention Dhoni always seems to be one step behind NZ, from what they were saying on the radio everytime NZ played a shot in a gap, Dhoni would just follow it and put a fielder there.

IIRC Hopkins actually played better than both Guptill and McIntosh in Zimbabwe, so he could very well come into play hopefully late tomorrow and get a few runs.

CG123 added 2 Minutes and 9 Seconds later...

And what do you know, McIntosh hits six, and Dhoni puts a fielder back there.
This is not good captaincy at all.
He should be encourages him to take risks, Dhoni has to realise that isn't going help him get McIntosh out, which is what he should be aiming to do.

 

[LongLegs?]

Martin Guptill's innings, after the initial hiccups, was lovely to watch. He's got too much talent to not become a successful international batsman. Just needs to get rid of those mediocre moments that he generally has after getting a start.

 

[Chewie]

Yea the pitch is extremely easy to bat on. The only difficulty when batting was when Sreesanth was bowling well at the start of the innings.

Guptill does have talent but he does throw away his wicket quite easily. At least he doesn't get out for hardly any like Watling does though.

 

[ferg512]

Well this should be a pretty boring draw, unless the pitch breaks up a bit for the spinners on the last couple of days. Not that we should mind, our batsman are getting some good time in the middle and another draw wouldn't be too bad of a result. Unless we have another one of those 2nd innings collapses NZ so often has.

 

[Chewie]

Well they said the last match was going to be a really boring draw, but it got extremely interesting near the end

I think our middle order is good enough to avoid a collapse as well, though I wouldn't discount our top order from having one.

It's good to see McIntosh cashing in though. He'll probably stay at opener for quite a while until someone new develops enough at domestic level. The current team actually seems pretty good for the first time in a while (though with Bennett instead of Martin)

And damn Taylor is out as I speak.

 

[Brook]

Yay it's a pancake

 

[AbhishekS]

McIntosh is just too boring!

 

[Chewie]

McIntosh is just too boring!

He's not as bad as Dravid was in the first test

Hopefully he can make it to his century though. And Ryder can continue his really good record against India