Pakistan in India

[.Mob]

Relax, if Sree plays, entertainment is not an issue, let's just hope he does.

 

[Leggie]

Ok, this will be my ideal India XI for the Tests...(so don't have a go at me if you think it is crap)

1) Dinesh Karthik
2) Wasim Jaffer
3) Rahul Dravid
4) Sachin Tendulkar
5) VVS Laxman
6) Yuvraj Singh
7) Mahendra Dhoni +
8) Anil Kumble C
9) Zaheer Khan
10) RP Singh
11) Shantakumaran Sreesanth

I have not decided to choose Sourav Ganguly because I strongly feel Yuvraj deserves a chance in the Test team because of his recent ODI and twenty20 success, whereas Ganguly has been out-of-sorts recently and will definetley struggle against Shoaib Akhtar in the tests...

 

[manee]

Ok, this will be my ideal India XI for the Tests...(so don't have a go at me if you think it is crap)

1) Dinesh Karthik
2) Wasim Jaffer
3) Rahul Dravid
4) Sachin Tendulkar
5) VVS Laxman
6) Yuvraj Singh
7) Mahendra Dhoni +
8) Anil Kumble C
9) Zaheer Khan
10) RP Singh
11) Shantakumaran Sreesanth

I have not decided to choose Sourav Ganguly because I strongly feel Yuvraj deserves a chance in the Test team because of his recent ODI and twenty20 success, whereas Ganguly has been out-of-sorts recently and will definetley struggle against Shoaib Akhtar in the tests...

I disagree with the team. Yuvraj Singh is not a Test match player, he is a ODI and T20 player. Adding to this that he has not played a competitive unlimited overs match for God-knows how long, he would not be a wise choice. Ganguly is a very strong Test match batsman and unless you are going to go with someone like Badrinath who has been playing all year and who has a far superior average in FC cricket, it would be unwise to drop Ganguly.

Furthermore, although RP is a good choice because of his performance in England and his good FC cricket in India, I would go for Harbhajan Singh who cleaned up for Surrey and to go with the tactic of two spinners on turning pitches which are likely to harbour long innings. Harbhajan has been showing good form with the ball in ODIs too, although his returns have not been showing such.

 

[.Mob]

I would have agreed with you that Yuvi shouldn't be picked, but recently he has been in superb form, I think we should give him a go, but not so much against the Aussies. Neither should Badri make his debut against the Aussies, it's just too fast a move, ease him into the Test scene first, I say.

 

[icyman]

If you really want to give Yuvi a go,which should be the case considering that he has improved his game drastically,you need to include him a an opener.

Rest Jaffer...God knows why Dilip Vengy is still persisting with Jaffer.Jaffer scores a ton,zero,ton,zero and the cycle continues !

 

[Leggie]

If you really want to give Yuvi a go,which should be the case considering that he has improved his game drastically,you need to include him a an opener.

Rest Jaffer...God knows why Dilip Vengy is still persisting with Jaffer.Jaffer scores a ton,zero,ton,zero and the cycle continues !

Opening with Yuvraj is not a wise option, Yuvraj is a stroke player who likes to go after bowlers and for an opener you just need someone who can set a good foundation for the innings and most importantly take the shine of the new ball, I can just imagine Yuvraj opening, slashing at a wide ball and edgeing it straight to 2nd slip...

 

[playkid12]

Yuvraj NEEDS to be given a chance in tests (but NOT as an opener). He's an amazing player, and in ODIs and T20, when he scores, India usually wins. He's given enough of glimmer in everything else to be given a chance for tests. I think Jaffer is a good player, and can evolve into a great player. He reminds me of Azhar when he plays, and in my opinion, he should be persisted with. And I agree with the fact that Harbajan should also play over RP Singh.

 

[usy]

IMO Irfan not playing test is a big mistake by India, however stronger team India have this time around.. anyways we can do it.

 

[Pak_cricketer]

Our batting will revolve around Yousuf. Get him out and we won't get more then 275. But Yousuf is in tremendous form and he likes tests better then OD's.

Our line-up for the test matches should be this:

Salman Butt
Yasir Hameed

Younis Khan
Mohammad Yousuf
Shoaib Malik

Misbah Ul-Haq
Sarfraz Ahmed +
Sohail Tanvir/Mohammad Sami

Shoaib Akthar
Umar Gul
Danish Kaneria

Or we could use a make shift opener such as Malik or Younus and then both Tanvir and Sami could play.

 

[anakwalajinn]

Yeah, that would be good. If it is bowling pitch than Malik open and Tanvir comes in. If batting pitch play Hameed as opener.
Sami, Akhtar, Gul & Tanvir, not that bad attack at all!

 

[Dare]

Yeah, that would be good. If it is bowling pitch than Malik open and Tanvir comes in. If batting pitch play Hameed as opener.
Sami, Akhtar, Gul & Tanvir, not that bad attack at all!

well by their names its not bad but once again i say this, Sami hasnt played a test in a long time and we dont know what for he is in, Shoaib is really unft to play he strugled to get in 4 consecutive overs in ODIs, Gul at the moment is in the ebst for out of the 4 and Tanvir hasnt played a test yet.

 

[Cricketman]

Dinesh Karthik
Wasim Jaffer
Rahul Dravid
Sachin Tendulkar
VVS Laxman
Subramanium Badrinath
Mahindra Singh Dhoni
Anil Kumble
Harbajan Singh
Zaheer Khan
Sreesanth

Kumble is always going to play 2 spinners. He has spoken many times on how he likes it when he has a spinner bowling at the other end. With him at the mantle its quite inevitable. I would try Kartik or Chawla in a couple games also.
Ganguly is a fantastic player but the selectors need to be brave. They must give these guys a go, Badrinath has waited a couple of seasons and is already 27- he is not getting any younger. There is going to be protests, no doubt, but they did it with Dravid and theyve got to do it with Ganguly in the tests.
I am a huge Dada fan also, but it was a tough but needed move.

 

[SaiSrini]

@ Rohit: Whats wrong with you? You always select players in your team who have not even found a place in the 15 selected for the respective series/game(s). Badrinath is not even in the 15

 

[aditya123]

I disagree with the team. Yuvraj Singh is not a Test match player, he is a ODI and T20 player. Adding to this that he has not played a competitive unlimited overs match for God-knows how long, he would not be a wise choice. Ganguly is a very strong Test match batsman and unless you are going to go with someone like Badrinath who has been playing all year and who has a far superior average in FC cricket, it would be unwise to drop Ganguly.

Furthermore, although RP is a good choice because of his performance in England and his good FC cricket in India, I would go for Harbhajan Singh who cleaned up for Surrey and to go with the tactic of two spinners on turning pitches which are likely to harbour long innings. Harbhajan has been showing good form with the ball in ODIs too, although his returns have not been showing such.

I disagree with you on Harbhajan Singh`s selection.
Harbhajan does not deserve to be in the Test match squad, to be honest.
He has`nt shown me anything in the ODIs to suggest that he can be a wicket-taker in tests. He has managed to keep it fairly quiet in ODIs and T20s by bowling it flat which will be of no effect in tests.
I`d strictly think of playing him as an ODI specialist from now on.
His strike rate in test matches in recent years has`nt been anything flash.
Except for the 2 tests against the Windies in 2006, his test record (average and SR) has been abysmal.
He struggled against England in India in 06 and is still not looking like a wicket-taking option.

He does not have a great record against Pakistan and was taken to the cleaners in the previous 2 series against them.
The Pakistani middle order are very good players of Off-spin bowling and I do not se the likes of Malik,Younus and Yousuf troubled by Harbhajan.

We`ll be playing the first test at Delhi and winter has started to set in there. The conditions should assist Seam/swing bowling .
Hence I would go in with a 3-prong seam attack of Zaheer,R.P.Singh and Sreesanth.
If we do play Harbhajan , it has to be at the expense of a batsman which I doubt they`ll risk against Akthar,Sami and Gul.

We also need to look at bringing Yuvraj in for Ganguly.
Yuvraj always seems to enjoy the Pak bowling and with Sehwag not there in the side, we need someone who can lift the run-rate in test matches and Yuvraj should be ideal as the No.6 batsman who could play the attacking role.

 

[sohum]

^ You contradict yourself with regards to Bhajji. You say that Bhajji has shown nothing in the ODIs to deserve a Test spot and then you sideline him as an ODI specialist. Make a decision, buddy. Also, since when did ODI performance become the criteria for Test selection. Harbhajan's obviously going to be a lot different in a Test match.