India's starting line up for MCG test ?

[Pup Clarke]

Baffling

 

[silentstriker]

No. Chopra and Gambhir have outscored him for Delhi. I would rather have an in form Yuvraj than Sehwag or Karthik who are not among the runs.

Yuvraj to open? Ugh. Sehwag is a middle order batsman by trade as well, but at least he has had success at the Test level opening. There is nothing that gets me as annoyed as a make shift opener. It's a specialist position, damn it.

 

[Pup Clarke]

Laxman
Ganguly

Am pretty sure that Ganguly would bat 5 and Laxman 6.

 

[Pratters]

Yuvraj to open? Ugh. Sehwag is a middle order batsman by trade as well, but at least he has had success at the Test level opening. There is nothing that gets me as annoyed as a make shift opener. It's a specialist position, damn it.

I know about opening being a specialist position and all that jazz. I feel Yuvraj has a better chance to succeed opening than a miserably out of form Sehwag or Karthik whom I don't consider a specialist opener any way. Yuvraj is in the form of his life, raring to go while Sehwag, Karthik are not among the runs. In the end, you are concerned with who can make more runs for you, not who is specialist or non specialist or whatever. Yuvraj opening for the first time in Australia is not ideal but I don't see a better alternative in those available to us right now. Damn it.

 

[Pup Clarke]

Seeing as Yuvraj has just scored a big 100 in the middle order it would be wise IMO to not take that risk. Think some people are going a bit OTT about Karthik's form, he's had one bad series and we should remember how well he performed against England.

 

[Dasa]

Although he's in my team this line of reasoning is on a par with the one that cost the Aussies the 2005 Ashes and England the return series: "He's done it before some years ago and that's more important than who's in form right now".

The difference is Laxman is actually in form right now.

 

[Richard]

Haha, yeah, was gonna say - Laxman has looked better these last 3 Tests than he's looked at any point in the previous 2 years.

 

[Richard]

Am pretty sure that Ganguly would bat 5 and Laxman 6.

Is more likely that way but for mine it's a waste of Laxman to bat him six. Ganguly, a more naturally strokeplaying batsman and a natural improvisor from years and years of ODI opening, would be a better option to bat with the tail for mine.

 

[Sanz]

I know about opening being a specialist position and all that jazz. I feel Yuvraj has a better chance to succeed opening than a miserably out of form Sehwag or Karthik whom I don't consider a specialist opener any way. Yuvraj is in the form of his life, raring to go while Sehwag, Karthik are not among the runs. In the end, you are concerned with who can make more runs for you, not who is specialist or non specialist or whatever. Yuvraj opening for the first time in Australia is not ideal but I don't see a better alternative in those available to us right now. Damn it.

I kinda agree with you on KDK and Sehwag, but why not have Dhoni open instead of Yuvraj. If at all we are going to play Yuvraj, IMO he is more valuable in the middle order than Dhoni, esp when the chips are down.

Just some food for thought.

 

[honestbharani]

I kinda agree with you on KDK and Sehwag, but why not have Dhoni open instead of Yuvraj. If at all we are going to play Yuvraj, IMO he is more valuable in the middle order than Dhoni, esp when the chips are down.

Just some food for thought.

interesting but I think keeping and opening has been too much for many guys in the past.

 

[Jono]

Although he's in my team this line of reasoning is on a par with the one that cost the Aussies the 2005 Ashes and England the return series: "He's done it before some years ago and that's more important than who's in form right now".

Laxman was only dismissed once in three test matches vs. Pakistan.

 

[social]

4 bowlers including 2 spinners is a recipe for absolute disaster

 

[Jamee999]

I meant to vote for Team 2, but voted for Team 1

 

[Pratters]

I kinda agree with you on KDK and Sehwag, but why not have Dhoni open instead of Yuvraj. If at all we are going to play Yuvraj, IMO he is more valuable in the middle order than Dhoni, esp when the chips are down.

Just some food for thought.

Glad you agree on KKD and Sehwag... As hb said, I am not in favour of the keeper opening. It puts too much work toll and while a few players have handled it in the past, it is not that many players.

My cousin brother thinks that there is a good chance that Irfan Pathan will open. I don't think that is a very good idea to have Irfan Pathan open but he thinks that given that Yuvraj has scored a century in the middle order, Yuvraj wont agree to opening now which will leave us with this option only.

Very irritating that we do not have a settled opening pair. I would open with Yuvraj as while his role in the middle order is useful, I consider the opening issue vital.

 

[Richard]

Irfan Pathan opening really would be a recipe for disaster. Yuvraj and Sehwag (and any number of others who there's an outside chance of being makeshifted into opening) are at least front-line batsmen even while they're not specialist openers. Pushing a bowler-who-bats in to open is plain madness. Just imagine Yuvraj at seven and Dhoni at eight.

 

[Pratters]

Irfan Pathan opening really would be a recipe for disaster. Yuvraj and Sehwag (and any number of others who there's an outside chance of being makeshifted into opening) are at least front-line batsmen even while they're not specialist openers. Pushing a bowler-who-bats in to open is plain madness. Just imagine Yuvraj at seven and Dhoni at eight.

Yeah, agreed. I don't think there is much chance that Pathan would open too.

 

[funnygirl]

I choose Team 8 .Karthik i have seen how he faced Akhtar .Can't even think how he is going to fare against Tait,Lee ......Sehwag ,not so sure . Anyway Jaffer/Dravid will be fine.

 

[Burgey]

1. Jaffer
2. Sehwag
3. Dravid
4. Tendulkar
5. Ganguly
6. Yuvraj
7. Dhoni
8. Irfan
9. Kumble
10. Zaheer
11. RP

Though, it would be very interesting to see the tall fast bowlers (Pankaj and Ishant) operate at a place like Perth.

AWTA, save for having VVS in for Yuvraj.

 

[Burgey]

I choose Team 8 .Karthik i have seen how he faced Akhtar .Can't even think how he is going to fare against Tait,Lee ......Sehwag ,not so sure . Anyway Jaffer/Dravid will be fine.

I'm tipping if Sehwag plays, he'll play Lee & Tait by not moving his feet and swinging awfully hard at the ball.

Just a guess, but I think a pretty safe one.

 

[SJS]

As I expected there is no clarity on what it should be. Opinions are widely divided and I am sure even those who have voted for a certain option would be not 100 percent sure.

The voting so far out of 21 votes recorded

As opening partner for Jaffer

• Karthik : 8
• Sehwag : 7
• Dravid : 6

How close can you get. I made the error of not offering another option of Dravid to open, Karthik to keep, include both Yuvi and Laxman. Maybe there would have been a three place tie then !!

As wicket keeper

• Dhoni : 17
• Karthik : 4

Thats more easily agreed here further confirmed by how Karthik's role is seen. Kathik is preferred in the side by 9 people.

• As just opener : 5
• As opener and keeper : 3
• As pure keeper : 1

So if Karthik were to do badly as an opener he would join the bench.

VVS versus Yuvi

• Play only VVS : 10
• Play Both : 7
• Play only Yuvi : 4

So a majority of people want Dhoni to keep wickets, a majority also want Laxman to play which probably explains why there are no takers (yet) for the 7th option where both of them are out though there is one vote for the 10th which besides keeping these two out offers a fifth bowler.

Interesting.