West Indian Tour of India, 2013: Sachin's 200th Test Appearance

[SaiSrini]

Good team selection as usual. Rohit getting in as the next potential No.4 is a good choice. Also the option of not going with Zaheer might seem a surprise (more so considering Ishant is picked), but I feel Zaheer needs more match time in domestic circuit and then he can be considered for SA tour. And Shami for Dinda is a completely obvious replacement.

Good that the selectors got in variety for spin by having an offie, leggie and SLA bowler. For SA, one of those spinners should make way for Zaheer, and another would be Gambhir for Rahane.

 

[Epic]

Good squad squad I'd say, would've probably liked to have seen Zaheer in there, but he'll be back for the South Africa tour I'm sure, and all we've got to hope for now is that Vijay flops in the 2 tests and thus paves the way for a Gambhir return.

My XI from the squad:

1. Murali Vijay
2. Shikhar Dhawan
3. Cheteshwar Pujara
4. Sachin Tendulkar
5. Virat Kohli
6. Rohit Sharma
7. MS Dhoni*?
8. Ravichandran Ashwin
9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
10. Pragyan Ojha
11. Umesh Yadav

 

[surendar]

Even if Vijay is succesful, it would be worth to try in having Gambhir still as number 3 batsman for SA tour with Pujara/Kohli to follow as number 4/5. Vijay definitely has talent and temper that we would need to account for. I would put all my money on Vijay/Dhawan/Gambhir/Pujara as 1,2,3 & 4 instead of having someone new at number 4 which would be vacant after Sachin.

 

[Epic]

It wouldn't be someone new, just Kohli one position up the order at #4.

This is what I imagine to be our XI for SA:

1. Murali Vijay/Gautam Gambhir
2. Shikhar Dhawan
3. Cheteshwar Pujara
4. Virat Kohli
5. Rohit Sharma
6. Ajinkya Rahane
7. MS Dhoni*?
8. Ravichandran Ashwin
9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
10. Zaheer Khan
11. Umesh Yadav

 

[SaiSrini]

Virat Kohli will be the new Number four for India after Sachin. Kohli has had good experience so far in test cricket, and he has done well in the opportunities that he has got, especially that Perth innings and the century in Adelaide in that disastrous tour of Australia.

 

[zeustrojanstark]

I don't understand this somehow. Jadeja is dropped for the West Indies series due to shoulder injury but he bowled his full quota overs almost in every single ODI game. How is that possible?

 

[icyman]

Typical Indian selection- Jadeja has been rested.

I am not a big fan of Rohit, even after yesterday's double ton. However I feel he will be more suited to the longer format of the game will do well there. With the way he has been going, India might even try him in the opener's position.

For the RSA series, I'd like to see this squad take centre-stage

Gambhir
Dhawan
Pujara
Kohli
Rohit
MSD
Tiwary
Jadeja
Umesh
Zaheer
Bhuavneswar

 

[nandu saju]

I don't understand this somehow. Jadeja is dropped for the West Indies series due to shoulder injury but he bowled his full quota overs almost in every single ODI game. How is that possible?

I think they are trying to give him some rest,He has been playing so much and even played zimbabwe tour and also the CLt20,He surely deserves some rest

 

[Aalay]

Typical Indian selection- Jadeja has been rested.

I am not a big fan of Rohit, even after yesterday's double ton. However I feel he will be more suited to the longer format of the game will do well there. With the way he has been going, India might even try him in the opener's position.

For the RSA series, I'd like to see this squad take centre-stage

Gambhir
Dhawan
Pujara
Kohli
Rohit
MSD
Tiwary
Jadeja
Umesh
Zaheer
Bhuavneswar

I am a fan of Rohit and tell you what, if Gambhir fails to make some decent runs in next ranji matches, he won't be in that squad. Even I want to see Gambhir in South Africa but for that he needs to make runs. His form was decent during his Essex stint with an average of 35 but it is not still good enough to bring him back in the test team. If Rohit continues this form than he is likely to feature as a back-up opener.

Where did Tiwary come from? Rahane has been waiting long enough in the squad and he deserves a decent run before being dropped for someone like Tiwary. Tiwary is also an injury prone and he is not playing in ranji trophy so i don't know on what basis you are selecting him?

 

[SaiSrini]

You know how that Jadeja is in the good books of certain people, when the reason given for his dropping is that 'he has a shoulder strain' and he is rested as a precautionary measure. Yet, he bowls completely in the game after this reason was given for his non-selection.

 

[used2bcool]

After reading about all the Tendulkar-mania currently in progress in Kolkata, I can't help but think what would happen if we somehow flopped and lost the test. I know it's super-unlikely, but it'll be perversely funny, while vindicating all the Tendulkar haters out there in one swift stroke.

 

[Aalay]

Dhoni concerned over lack of all-rounders - The Times of India

Abhishek Nayar anyone? He is averaging 55 with the bat and 30 with ball in FC. He won't be too effective in Indian conditions but when we go overseas such as England, South Africa or Australia, his medium pace would be more useful than spin bowing of Jadeja.

 

[Aravind.]

Dhoni concerned over lack of all-rounders - The Times of India

Abhishek Nayar anyone? He is averaging 55 with the bat and 30 with ball in FC. He won't be too effective in Indian conditions but when we go overseas such as England, South Africa or Australia, his medium pace would be more useful than spin bowing of Jadeja.

You are spot on in terms of including Abi for the tour of sa.

 

[Aalay]

So from what I have heard, Rohit Sharma is likely to make his test debut today at number 6. He is also likely to be our fifth bowler by rolling his arms over for few off spin overs. For the second fast bowler, it is likely to be(and I hope) Shami Ahmed. He bowled with pace and accuracy during the ODI series vs Australia and looked good.

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If Rohit does get picked than it will be a little harsh on Rahane. He has waited long enough for his chance and it also makes you wonder what else he needs to do to make it into the final 11.

 

[War]

Will be interested to see how the windies balance their XI for this match. Sammy position continues to be the spoke in the wheel for that team.

In the warm-up game they picked a bowler short & given form IND batsmen are showing on home surfaces currently, that would be a suicidal tactic & it will put extra pressure on the likely 3 main bowlers of Roach/Best or Cotterell/Shillingford.

But if they pick 5 bowlers (2 quicks, 2 spinners + Sammy) they will be a batsman short & thus will expose their batting order.