**Official** India in Bangladesh

[TT Boy]

I imagine the Indian X1 will be...

Wasim Jaffer
Dinesh Karthik
Rahul Dravid
Sachin Tendulkar
Sourav Ganguly
VVS Laxman
MS Dhoni
Ramesh Powar/RP Singh
Anil Kumble
Zaheer Khan
Munaf Patel

According to captain Dravid the wicket is a road and the likelihood is India will be going into the test with five bowlers (two spinners). Weather forecast does not look too pretty but it’s a series which I’m rather looking forward to. Just a shame Sreesanth is missing but hopefully Dinesh Karthik plays.

 

[Pup Clarke]

So the 5 bowlers would be Zaheer, Munaf, RP Singh, Kumble and Powar?.

So Powar would then bat at number 7?.

 

[Manee]

What about VRV Singh instead of Munaf?

 

[TT Boy]

So the 5 bowlers would be Zaheer, Munaf, RP Singh, Kumble and Powar?.

So Powar would then bat at number 7?.

You would guess so. Ramesh can hold a bat to a decent standard and Zaheer and Kumble are not the worst batsman in sub-continental conditions. Would be great if VRV played for his always worth a laugh when his batting.

 

[Pratters]

From what I have been hearing, India might go in with three spinners actually. Read this from DNA. I heard some news channel saying the same as well while flipping channels in the evening. If India does go with 5 bowlers, would make more sense to play 3 spinners in a typical road or even subcontinent pitch.

 

[TT Boy]

From what I have been hearing, India might go in with three spinners actually. Read this from DNA. I heard some news channel saying the same as well while flipping channels in the evening. If India does go with 5 bowlers, would make more sense to play 3 spinners in a typical road or even subcontinent pitch.

Then that would mean Ganguly would be the third seamer and if that is indeed the case playing Munaf maybe is not the wisest of decisions giving his fitness 'problems'. Zaheer, is usually pretty good for a long spell but neither Munaf or VRV have the greatest of tanks as yet.

Just looking at Rajesh Pawar's record and it looks like he can hold a bat as well and India would cover all the spinning facets if he was selected, a leg spinner, off spinner and a left-arm orthodox.

 

[Manee]

Then that would mean Ganguly would be the third seamer and if that is indeed the case playing Munaf maybe not the wisest of decisions giving his fitness 'problems'. Zaheer, is usually pretty good for a long spell but neither Munaf or VRV have the greatest tanks as yet

Well, if only two seamers then Zaheer Khan and VRV Singh would be the best options since they are both capable of destorying teams in spells rather than needing long spells of containment like Munaf Patel. Also, Zaheer Khan's angle and VRV Singh's bounce and pace may account for bowling with the old ball and still picking up wickets.

Just looking at Rajesh Pawar's record and it looks like he can hold a bat as well and India would cover all the spinning facets if he was selected, a leg spinner, off spinner and a left-arm orthodox.

Thats cool.

 

[Pratters]

A FC batting average of 16 isn't really a big deal in Indian conditions and when made in Indian domestic cricket.

 

[adharcric]

Pawar hasn't really been a force with the bat until the past few seasons though, IIRC. Certainly remember him scoring big runs over a few seasons recently and Arjun talking him up with Yusuf Pathan as all-round options.

 

[Pratters]

Nah he has been pretty ordinary. Look at his record.

FC:

1996-97 (India) 3 3 1 58 29 29.00 0 0 0
1997-98 (India) 7 7 1 66 28 11.00 0 0 1
1998-99 (India) 2 1 0 0 0 0.00 0 0 1
1999-00 (India) 9 12 1 161 49 14.63 0 0 6
2000-01 (India) 4 5 1 46 17 11.50 0 0 3
2001-02 (India) 2 3 1 19 18* 9.50 0 0 2
2002-03 (India) 3 4 0 78 37 19.50 0 0 1
2003-04 (India) 4 7 1 69 24 11.50 0 0 1
2004-05 (India) 8 13 1 296 95* 24.66 0 1 4
2005-06 (India) 6 6 0 37 12 6.16 0 0 4
2006-07 (India) 10 16 3 208 33 16.00 0 0 4

Not making any thing above 33 in 2006-07 FC season is nothing great. He did have a better than average season in 2004-5 because of his 95* but then there has been nothing of note the last two seasons.

Even if we want to get more insight via the List A batting, because of the such a small sample size, it cannot help.

List A:

1996-97 (India) 1 0 1
1997-98 (India) 1 0 0
1998-99 (India) 1 0 0
2000-01 (India) 2 0 1
2003-04 (India) 4 1 0 11 11 11.00 0 0 2
2004-05 (India) 11 7 1 132 89 22.00 0 1 1
2006-07 (India) 5 4 2 60 26* 30.00 0 0 1

 

[Pratters]

Yusuf Pathan's FC average reads 31.84. Without going into the details, that is vastly different from 16 at first glance.

 

[shankar]

Crap? Yes, he can bowl crap at times - in his second international stint, he bowled rubbish and was clearly striving for too much pace (in fact, I noticed this problem in a few A-level matches soon after he was dropped for "quick" bowlers ala Munaf, VRV, Sreesanth). He has pace, swing, bounce and control but he needs to focus on the last of these attributes; that's why he was impressive in his early days for the national side.

I really can't remember any instance except his first few ODIs when I've been impressed by him. He doesn't get much movement and has poor control. Yes, he does get some extra bounce but doesn't know how to use it. The standard pattern I've seen of him is this: He starts out bowling a few on a length, but lacks control and So moves onto Plan B which is mindlessly bowl short ball after short ball hoping the batsman will make a mistake and give away his wicket. If he can get some sort of accuracy he might be half-decent, but right now he's rubbish.

 

[marc71178]

Yusuf Pathan's FC average reads 31.84. Without going into the details, that is vastly different from 16 at first glance.

I dare say he's also got more than 1 50 in 11 seasons as well?!

 

[Manee]

India 113/1 at Lunch
Karthik: 52
Dravid: 50

Good start by India, going at a reasonable pace.

No VVS Laxman he makes way for Power and the three seamers are RP Singh, VRV Singh and Zaheer Khan.

 

[Perm]

Good to see Karthik doing well here, but I still don't like the idea of playing him as a specialist batsman.

 

[pasag]

Jeez, first ball of the series duck. Itstl.

 

[Trigger_Tiger]

.....

Dravid's back to being the Dravid that kills.

And Karthik looks a very nice prospect for the future of Indian team.

As for Bangladesh, Habibul Bashar is just a little too lackluster when setting the field. Enamul Haque Jr. looks a decent spinner (in fact looks better than Rafique at the moment!).

Good start by India, just the way they'd have liked it. Bad toss to lose for Bangladesh.

Hopefully none of the days in this test match would be disrupted by rain or thunder showers.

 

[honestbharani]

I know it's off-topic but it doesn't deserve a thread on its own...

I'm curious to know what are the chances that India will be playing in Mumbai on around 9-12 November this year.

I believe we have a test and ODI series against Pakistan and a test series against South Africa before we leave for the Aussie tour, but I am not sure if there will be any definite international cricket at Mumbai at that time. But the chances are there. I hope you are lucky and there is a match for India around then at Mumbai.

 

[Jono]

Even as an Indian fan I reckon I would have pissed myself laughing if I was watching Jaffer's dismissal. I like him, but that would have been hilarious. You just don't do that!

Karthik you gun!

Dravid just being Dravid as usual, we're spoilt in the sense that this is the norm.

Not a fan of the bowling line-up though. But I guess you gotta blood these guys.

 

[adharcric]

Spoilt? I'd say Aussie fans are way more spoilt than us.

As for the bowling, VRV and RP will get a real test here. Personally like the XI.