***Official*** India in Sri Lanka

[Lostman]

Guessing the SL lineup here-

• Vandort
• Udawatte
• Sangakkara (WK)
• Mahela (C)
• Dilshan
• Chamara Silva
• Vaas (LMF)
• Kulasekara (RM)
• Mendis (??)
• Muralitharan (!!)
• Dilhara (RFM)

So who will make the middle-order? And three seamers or two? Whom will they choose to make up the three, if they choose three?

Vandort
Warnapura
Sangakarra
Jayawardena
Kapugedera
Silva
P. Jayawardena (WK) (might be still injured?)
Vaas
Malinga (same as P.Jaya)
Mendis
Murali

Udawatte is mostly regarded as an ODI option, as is kulasekera. Surprised its taking them such a long time to announce the squad for the tests. Cant wait for test cricket!!

 

[ret]

I don't understand why the selectors have not gone for an all-rounder for this series. clearly, Pathan is struggling with his bowling but is there no other option?

with the likes of Sehwag, Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman in the squad, the batting looks adequate on paper .... if we need an additional batsman in the 11 despite having these 5 then probably some of them are not in good touch .... what we need is an all-rounder coming in at #7 to lend that depth to both bowling and batting, esp since someone like Karthik can open the batting

other hole that needs to be plugged in is of a decent test level spinner to partner Kumble. let's see how Bhajji does with his monotonous bowling

 

[Prince EWS]

Guessing the SL lineup here-

• Vandort
• Udawatte
• Sangakkara (WK)
• Mahela (C)
• Dilshan
• Chamara Silva
• Vaas (LMF)
• Kulasekara (RM)
• Mendis (??)
• Muralitharan (!!)
• Dilhara (RFM)

So who will make the middle-order? And three seamers or two? Whom will they choose to make up the three, if they choose three?

I doubt Kalusekara will play in the Tests, myself.

 

[Migara]

Vandort
Warnapura
Sangakarra
Jayawardena
Kapugedera
Silva
P. Jayawardena (WK) (might be still injured?)
Vaas
Malinga (same as P.Jaya)
Mendis
Murali

Udawatte is mostly regarded as an ODI option, as is kulasekera. Surprised its taking them such a long time to announce the squad for the tests. Cant wait for test cricket!!

Samaraweera deserves every bit of it to be at #5 after his recent heroics in WI.

 

[Migara]

I feel floowing team will make it.

Vandort
Warnapura
Sangakkara
M. Jayawardane
Samaraweera
P. Jayawardane
Maharaoof
Vaas
Mendis
Malinga
Murali

 

[Prince EWS]

Samaraweera deserves every bit of it to be at #5 after his recent heroics in WI.

Very much so. Hadn't even noticed anyone leaving him out ITBT but it seems a few have. Certainly no case for him to be dropped ATM, although that hasn't stopped the selectors before.

 

[Prince EWS]

I feel floowing team will make it.

Vandort
Warnapura
Sangakkara
M. Jayawardane
Samaraweera
P. Jayawardane
Maharaoof
Vaas
Mendis
Malinga
Murali

Long tail. Personally I don't think you can afford to carry Prassana if you want to pick five bowlers. The value he adds overall WRT to Sangakkara makes him a decent selection at #7, especially with Vaas being a better-than-average #8 these days, but I think another batsman could add more than what the difference between Sanga when he keeps and Sanga when he doesn't is if he's going to bat #6.

As you mentioned before, too, Warnapura can bowl if needed in the old Dilshan/Jayasuriya role of fifth bowler. So can Silva if he is in fact picked ahead of Maharoof.

The selection toss-up, IMO, is between Prassana and Maharoof.

 

[Nishant]

Given sehwag's good recent form and Gambhir doing well as well, i think we can safely say that Kartick will not be opening in this test series.

Speaking of opening, Do you think jaffer should have been dropped??

 

[SJS]

Given sehwag's good recent form and Gambhir doing well as well, i think we can safely say that Kartick will not be opening in this test series.

Speaking of opening, Do you think jaffer should have been dropped??

He should have been in the squad.

 

[Lostman]

I feel floowing team will make it.

Vandort
Warnapura
Sangakkara
M. Jayawardane
Samaraweera
P. Jayawardane
Maharaoof
Vaas
Mendis
Malinga
Murali

no way maharoof should be the 5th bowler in tests. 20 matches SR>100 and average >60. 4 bowlers are plenty considering murali is good for 35 overs a day.

 

[Top_Cat]

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmp...9&contentid=20080709200807090237194983ca9bec1

Average article but good to see, in Nari Contractor, that Australian news isn't alone in having the token Neil Harvey-esque grumpy old man quote;

Contractor believes that India are glorifying Mendis needlessly. “Jasu Patel pocketed nine wickets for 69 against Australia. How long did he play?” he fumes. “Yuvraj Singh were Rohit Sharma were undone by Mendis’ pace. Had they played him off the front foot they would have negotiated him easily.”

Yeh, and had Contractor merely ducked, he would have negotiated Charlie Griffith's bouncer easily and not nearly been killed instead. All too easy from the couch, even for former players......

 

[Dissector]

Yeh, and had Contractor merely ducked, he would have negotiated Charlie Griffith's bouncer easily and not nearly been killed instead. All too easy from the couch, even for former players......

Actually from what I have read he ducked into the bouncer.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/tss/tss2521/25210260.htm

 

[Top_Cat]

Actually from what I have read he ducked into the bouncer.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/tss/tss2521/25210260.htm

Haha, all that does is further my point that it's far harder out there in the middle!

 

[duffer]

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmp...9&contentid=20080709200807090237194983ca9bec1

Average article but good to see, in Nari Contractor, that Australian news isn't alone in having the token Neil Harvey-esque grumpy old man quote;

Contractor believes that India are glorifying Mendis needlessly. “Jasu Patel pocketed nine wickets for 69 against Australia. How long did he play?” he fumes. “Yuvraj Singh were Rohit Sharma were undone by Mendis’ pace. Had they played him off the front foot they would have negotiated him easily.”

Yeh, and had Contractor merely ducked, he would have negotiated Charlie Griffith's bouncer easily and not nearly been killed instead. All too easy from the couch, even for former players......

Not sure about the Rohit criticism but you've got to admit that Yuvraj has been atrocious against decent spin for a while now. Think it's fair game to give him a serve about that.

 

[Arjun]

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmp...9&contentid=20080709200807090237194983ca9bec1

Average article but good to see, in Nari Contractor, that Australian news isn't alone in having the token Neil Harvey-esque grumpy old man quote;

Contractor believes that India are glorifying Mendis needlessly. “Jasu Patel pocketed nine wickets for 69 against Australia. How long did he play?” he fumes. “Yuvraj Singh were Rohit Sharma were undone by Mendis’ pace. Had they played him off the front foot they would have negotiated him easily.”

Yeh, and had Contractor merely ducked, he would have negotiated Charlie Griffith's bouncer easily and not nearly been killed instead. All too easy from the couch, even for former players......

Nari Contractor is a highly respected former player in India, and has always talked sense.

 

[Top_Cat]

Not sure about the Rohit criticism but you've got to admit that Yuvraj has been atrocious against decent spin for a while now. Think it's fair game to give him a serve about that.

Agree that Yuvraj hasn't been great against spin for a while but he was done with the quick straight one wasn't he? Reckon Yuvraj has temperament issues more so than technical ones against spin anyway.

Still, the point is that playing Mendis surely isn't as easy as blokes like Contractor are making it out to be. The international teams he's done well against have decent players of spin in the line-up and the watering-down of what Mendis has achieved so far is really crap stuff from commentators.

 

[Top_Cat]

Nari Contractor is a highly respected former player in India, and has always talked sense.

Oh okay, thanks for that. I'll remember never to disagree with him, then. Phew, what was I thinking?

 

[chaminda_00]

Last Test series we dropped Prassana to make way for an extra batsmen. Dilshan, Silva, Samaraweera all performed pretty well in a couple one off innings. None were that consistent, but none of batsmen really were last series. I would be surprised if anyone of those guys are dropped. Jayawardene is likely to bat at 3 and Sangakarra at 4 to minimise his workload, atleast after keeping.

Maharoof is likely to still be injuried and therefore it unlikely we will play another bowler. The only reason why we played five bowlers during the ODIs was that there wasn't confidence in Udawatte or Muburak as 7th batting option to make a difference. The make up of the Test top 7 is different and the selectors have more faith at present. One more inconsistent series we are likely to go back to five bowlers or a specialist keeper.

This is likely to be starting XI for the 1st Test IMO

M Vandort
M Warnapura
M Jayawardane (c)
K Sangakkara (k)
T Samaraweera
T Dilshan
C Silva
C Vaas
A Mendis
D Fernando
M Muraliatharan

The real question will be the make up of the reserves. Kapu likely to get a call up as reserve batsmen. Prassana is likely to be in squad to give another option. With Malinga and Maharoof injuried it likely to open up the reserve seamers spots. With Nuwan Kulasekera and Thilan Thurshara likey to get those positions.

 

[Migara]

Long tail. Personally I don't think you can afford to carry Prassana if you want to pick five bowlers. The value he adds overall WRT to Sangakkara makes him a decent selection at #7, especially with Vaas being a better-than-average #8 these days, but I think another batsman could add more than what the difference between Sanga when he keeps and Sanga when he doesn't is if he's going to bat #6.

As you mentioned before, too, Warnapura can bowl if needed in the old Dilshan/Jayasuriya role of fifth bowler. So can Silva if he is in fact picked ahead of Maharoof.

The selection toss-up, IMO, is between Prassana and Maharoof.

May be. But Maharoof, Vaas and Mendis are better batsmen than many strike bowlers other countries have. If 6 batsmen cannot make 350, I doubt 7 would. But on hot, humid conditions in SL, we need five bowlers. Or may be I am too aggressive in my mind

 

[Migara]

Last Test series we dropped Prassana to make way for an extra batsmen. Dilshan, Silva, Samaraweera all performed pretty well in a couple one off innings. None were that consistent, but none of batsmen really were last series. I would be surprised if anyone of those guys are dropped. Jayawardene is likely to bat at 3 and Sangakarra at 4 to minimise his workload, atleast after keeping.

Prasanna Jayawardane tore a hamstring in WI. He was not dropped. And see what Sanga did when he was keeping in WI. He should be only used as a batsman in Tests, and may be in ODIs if Dilshan is prepared to take up the gloves.