India's starting line up for MCG test ?

[honestbharani]

I guess I am pretty much the only one who suggested dropping Dravid, though.

 

[SJS]

I guess I am pretty much the only one who suggested dropping Dravid, though.

Thats very very surprising, particularly coming from you HB

 

[Pratters]

The voting so far out of 21 votes recorded

As opening partner for Jaffer

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

1 person couldn't vote as his option wasn't in the poll.

As opening partner for Jaffer

• Karthik : 8
• Sehwag : 7
• Dravid : 6
• Yuvraj : 1

 

[SJS]

1 person couldn't vote as his option wasn't in the poll.

As opening partner for Jaffer

• Karthik : 8
• Sehwag : 7
• Dravid : 6
• Yuvraj : 1

Thanks for that Pratyush

 

[Pratters]

Pleasure Mr. Gold...

 

[jeevan]

1 person couldn't vote as his option wasn't in the poll.

As opening partner for Jaffer

• Karthik : 8
• Sehwag : 7
• Dravid : 6
• Yuvraj : 1

Were Sehwag and Karthik regular openers in domestic FC prior to their elevation in the test batting order? If not, and if they did no worse, apparently, than SS Das or S Ramesh etc, then Yuvraj to open may turn out to be a flash of inspiration too.

Certainly not disturbing Dravid-Tendulkar-Ganguly-Laxman-Dhoni batting order warrants unconventional thoughts.

 

[Manee]

Were Sehwag and Karthik regular openers in domestic FC prior to their elevation in the test batting order?

Not to my recollection.

 

[Salamuddin]

Jaffer
Karthik
Dravid
Tendulkar
Ganguly
Laxman
Dhoni
Kumble
Zaheer
RP Singh
Ishant

 

[iamdavid]

Play your best 6 batsman and your best 4 bowlers, even if it takes a bit of shuffling around to fit them all in.

1.Jaffer
2.Dravid
3.Laxman
4.Tendulkar
5.Ganguly
6.Yuvraj
7.Dhoni+
8.Harbhajan/Pathan (dependant on conditions and Kumble's gut feeling)
9.Kumble*
10.RP Singh
11.Zaheer

I know pushing Dravid up to open might unsettle things a little and put few noses out of joint but at the end of the day I think that is the team most likely to seriously challenge Australia.

 

[alternative]

^ I think the above is the way to go tbh, can't really leave Yuvraj out of the squad atm and leaving Laxman out of the picture pretty much sounds stupid.

 

[adharcric]

Jaffer, Dravid, Laxman, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Yuvraj, Dhoni, Pathan, Kumble, Zaheer, RPS

Basically, it comes down to Sehwag, Karthik or Yuvraj. Sehwag brings the X-factor (and has done well here in the past) and Karthik has that knack for saving his best for tough conditions (and top-scored for India in England), but Yuvraj should be in the side ahead of both of them. Dravid has the worst current form and the technique most suited to opening amongst the middle-order batsmen and Kumble as captain (and state mate) should have a good chat with him about this. Definitely want Ishant Shama or Pankaj Singh to get a shot (hopefully on a pitch with good bounce) as soon as one of these three (likely Pathan) begins to struggle. Nevertheless, it will be very interesting to see how Kumble fits Sehwag and Karthik into his plans.

 

[alternative]

How good is Pankaj Singh's recent performances? Actually his overall career thus so far. Hardly ever heard of him TBH .

 

[adharcric]

How good is Pankaj Singh's recent performances? Actually his overall career thus so far. Hardly ever heard of him TBH .

Unlike Munaf, VRV, Sreesanth and Ishant, he didn't emerge on the basis of hype about his pace or bounce but rather solid performances for Rajasthan, albeit not always against the greatest opposition. He got picked for India A (seemed a bit random TBH) and did reasonably well. He's tall and gets good bounce. His coach claims that he's very accurate and Ranadeb Bose recently bitched about being shunned for lack of pace - he claimed that only VRV and Pankaj are quicker than him (while Irfan, Munaf and Ishant are not). Let's see if it's all a bunch of bull, hope not.

 

[SJS]

Were Sehwag and Karthik regular openers in domestic FC prior to their elevation in the test batting order? If not, and if they did no worse, apparently, than SS Das or S Ramesh etc, then Yuvraj to open may turn out to be a flash of inspiration too.

Certainly not disturbing Dravid-Tendulkar-Ganguly-Laxman-Dhoni batting order warrants unconventional thoughts.

Yuvraj is a poor player of the new ball if it moves and even worse if it moves and bounces. It has been seen more than once. Go back and check the innings in which he has batted at number three and a wicket has fallen within the first 2 overs.

Although a much clearer indicator is his overall game. He is primarily a frontfoot player if not a completely frontfoot player. Even his pulls are made without moving back and mostly of the front foot.

For Yuvraj's own sake and for India's he should never have been asked to open the innings. When Tendulkar retires, Yuvraj should occupy the number four slot and stay there for the rest of his career.

 

[adharcric]

Yuvraj is a poor player of the new ball if it moves and even worse if it moves and bounces. It has been seen more than once. Go back and check the innings in which he has batted at number three and a wicket has fallen within the first 2 overs.

Although a much clearer indicator is his overall game. He is primarily a frontfoot player if not a completely frontfoot player. Even his pulls are made without moving back and mostly of the front foot.

For Yuvraj's own sake and for India's he should never have been asked to open the innings. When Tendulkar retires, Yuvraj should occupy the number four slot and stay there for the rest of his career.

Completely agree.

 

[Pratters]

Yuvraj is a poor player of the new ball if it moves and even worse if it moves and bounces. It has been seen more than once. Go back and check the innings in which he has batted at number three and a wicket has fallen within the first 2 overs.

Although a much clearer indicator is his overall game. He is primarily a frontfoot player if not a completely frontfoot player. Even his pulls are made without moving back and mostly of the front foot.

For Yuvraj's own sake and for India's he should never have been asked to open the innings. When Tendulkar retires, Yuvraj should occupy the number four slot and stay there for the rest of his career.

In Australia, the ball doesn't move as much as say in England. I don't think Yuvraj will have that much trouble in Australia. He is a good player of pace bowling and I think that he could do a good job opening.

Opening with Dravid right now is not that good an idea. He has been out of form and given how crucial a member of our side he is, I would like him to bat at the position he is most comfortable - 3. When India toured Pakistan, I had said that giving the opening to Dravid wouldn't be a bad idea. I remember you strongly opposing me saying he shouldn't have be given opening that time given he does not like opening and all that. He did open in that series and made runs too eventually. I find it strange that given your stance back then, you want him to open now, when he is going through a bad phase.

I personally think that we should not meddle with Dravid right now. Maximum, if Yuvraj gets out, we have Dravid batting at the position he is comfortable in. So it is not that bad a loss compared to Dravid getting out opening. It is a mental switch between opening and batting at number 3 and Dravid has a great game for an opener. However, putting him to open at this stage would be very risky.

Regarding Yuvraj being a middle order, yes, he is a long term middle order player but then we do not have a middle order slot open right now. The possible danger is - whether it will be harmful like it was in the case of Laxman (another player very comfortable at 3 but not opening like Dravid). If that is the consideration, it is fair enough (and in that case we would have to open with Sehwag or Karthik and drop one of Laxman, Yuvraj, some one else), though I don't make too much of it. Just because Laxman was affected because of opening, doesn't mean Yuvraj will face the same demons.

The real possibility right now is Sehwag opening - rumour has it that Kumble insisted for Sehwag in the side. In that case, one of our middle order players would give way. However, if Sehwag doesn't play well, we could have Karthik opening. I do not want Dravid opening for sure and given the other choices, I would rather have Yuvraj opening right now. The only alternate I would look at would be choosing Sehwag if he makes runs in the FC game.

 

[biased indian]

Jaffer
Pathan
Dravid
Sachin
Ganguly
Laxman
Yuvraj
Dhoni
Kumble
Zaheer
RP

 

[SJS]

Jaffer
Pathan
Dravid
Sachin
Ganguly
Laxman
Yuvraj
Dhoni
Kumble
Zaheer
RP

Its interesting but I am not sure if they will try that.

It doesn't give confidence that Dravid will not be required in the very first over (I know it can happen with the best opener). They might as well let Dravid open.

Also Pathan's shifting order has been severly criticised in the past (sometimes unfairly I think) and I doubt if they will go back to this so-called 'experimentation after all the negative connotations attached to it.

I have a strong feeling that it will be Sehwag (if he scores big in the first game) or Dravid who will open with Jaffer. Dravid must be feeling some pressure already and may want to show that he is the same team man he has always been PLUS he will surely realise that if ever India needed him to open the innings, now is the time.

 

[Pratters]

This is what SJS said about Dravid opening earlier:

But dont compound it further by sacrificing your best batsman (Dravid) by making him open the innings. If Dravid takes that decision I would not call it a captain leading from the front but Captain shirking his responsibility and allowing himself into being pressurised to take decisions clearly not in the interest of the team.

Ganguly opening is not the ideal situation but if he had to be in the side at the cost of a batsman, that had to be the batsman least sure of a place in the side and this was a toss up between Gambhir and Jaffer. Not great but this is what happens when we refuse to take the broom and clean up our own mess.

 

[adharcric]

This is what SJS said about Dravid opening earlier:

That was a completely different situation.