***Official Australia in India***

[BoyBrumby]

Dunno, really. If Oz want an all-rounder with (alleged) attitude issues surely Symonds would just get the nod?

Actually, if what vic said a few days ago about Noffke's behaviour is true (and, frankly, one would suppose it is) I'd guess his card was already marked tho & a threatened flounce (not even a veiled one) wouldn't improve his debit column. If that isn't too much of a mixed metaphor...

 

[pup11]

"Disillusioned" Nofke considers Indian leagues

Don't blame him for feeling that way TBH.

I can sympathise with Noffke tbh, if he is not good enough to be part of the Aussie squad after performing the way he did last season, then i don't think there is anything more he can do to impress the selectors, especially considering he is no longer a spring chicken to be patient and wait any further for his chance.

I don't think he needs to think of taking the ICL route as he is the part Royal Challengers in IPL, so he can just look to perform there and climb up the ranks.

 

[andyc]

Yeah i am not sure how Ponting can say something like this, and Symonds won't be amused one bit about this, tbh i rate Watson, but if i were to be his captain or a team-mate i wouldn't be really confident about him lasting through a tough 4 test match series in gruelling conditions, so i really can't see where Ponting is coming from.

Given Symmo' form in test cricket for the last 2 years i can't understand how Ponting can say Watson would have played ahead of him even if he was available for this tour.

Didn't see anything there suggesting that Watson would've played in front of Symonds, it seemed to be suggesting that he'd have played with him. Probably a 3 bowlers/Watson/Symonds deal.

 

[pup11]

Didn't see anything there suggesting that Watson would've played in front of Symonds, it seemed to be suggesting that he'd have played with him. Probably a 3 bowlers/Watson/Symonds deal.

Watson would do great service to the test side if he could somehow just bowl 15-20 overs every innings in a test match without putting his fitness at risk and bat well at no.6, but to hope Watson could have been a part of a 3 man pace attack hardly makes any sense, as much as i don't rate Johnson as a bowler in test cricket atm, he is still a much better bowler then Watson with the ball, and i don't think Australian team management are also crazy enough to assign Watson the role of a frontline bowler.

So considering all that one couldn't help but think who else Watson could have replaced other than Symonds.

 

[vic_orthdox]

If Watson bowls 15-20 overs, then the opposition has probably made 400+.

 

[pup11]

If Watson bowls 15-20 overs, then the opposition has probably made 400+.

Lee is a fast bowler and one can't expect him to bowl half of the overs in every innings, so guys like Johnson,Watson and McGain would have to share the overs among them and try to keep things tight.

Well 15-20 overs was a bit OTT, but still a handy 10-13 overs from would be needed, otherwise that would exert too much workload on other bowlers.

 

[Top_Cat]

If Watson bowls 15-20 overs, then the opposition has probably made 400+.

 

[duffer]

"Disillusioned" Nofke considers Indian leagues

Don't blame him for feeling that way TBH.

Has every right to feel dirty about not going to India. I don't know what barometer the selectors used to justify not picking him but he deserved a spot.

Not sure I see an IPL franchise stumping up big readies to get him but he'd be a fantastic capture for the ICL and I'm sure all their teams are interested (apart from Lahore).

 

[pup11]

Has every right to feel dirty about not going to India. I don't know what barometer the selectors used to justify not picking him but he deserved a spot.

Not sure I see an IPL franchise stumping up big readies to get him but he'd be a fantastic capture for the ICL and I'm sure all their teams are interested (apart from Lahore).

He plays for Bangalore in the IPL, so if he gets a regular chance there he could do well for them.

 

[Nate]

Fired up when reading the Noffke article. If things get desperate, I have a spare room with a bed made up, just in case. Will sleep in the garage if the kids need my room.

 

[pup11]

Fired up when reading the Noffke article. If things get desperate, I have a spare room with a bed made up, just in case. Will sleep in the garage if the kids need my room.

Jokes apart mate, Noffke has worked pretty hard season after season, and last season he was awesome and obviously deserved to be selected in the squad for the Indian tour, he is already 30 and has been dropped from the squad without any valid reason, so he is bound to get frustrated, but i also believe Noffke has hurt his chances of getting picked ever again for Australia by threatening the Aussie selectors.

 

[Nate]

pup11 - States the facts.

 

[krishneelz]

According to BBC Tendulkar might miss a few tests so the indian line up on an unexpected quick wicket would need to be something like this

1. Gambhir
2. Sehwag
3. Dravid
4. Laxman
5. Hmmm
6. Hmmm
7. Dhoni
8. Kumble
9. RP Singh (no harbs because quick track unless the indians are playing shifty mind games)
10. Khan
11. Sharma

Selection pool for number 5 and 6
Kaif (been solid as per usual)
Ganguly (maybe one more shot)
Kholi (nearly knocked a double century a few days ago, still a bit too raw and techniqully might be found against lee and co)
Chopra (move gambhir down)
Yuvraj (at his inconsistant best)
Tendulkar (if he is fit)
Bardinath (Watching him live recently he doesn't seem to have 'it', however his first class average looks good conversely 1st class averages in indian domestic cricket is misleading with the dustbowls they play in)
Jaffer (I have a problem with his technique)

Number 5 and 6 would probably come up against a spinner and a few quicks and must take advantage of the spinners. Ganguly seems like the logical selection at 6 with his established record, however he probably wont be picked...Most probably will be Kaif and Bardinath or Kholi...

 

[silentstriker]

If Tendulkar is unfit, I'd put in Chopra and Badrinath. Oh, and Bhajji will play.

 

[Jakester1288]

Harbhajan will play, no doubt about it. The batsmen should be Tendulkar, and Pathan, adding extra bowling to the side. That is my opinion on the above line up, at least.

 

[masterblaster]

It'll be a big blow for us if Tendulkar is unfit. However the only two replacements for me are Badrinath and Kaif. Kaif has been a stellar performer over the past few years and he has the ability to grind it out and play a crucial innings.

So that being said, here would be my team if Tendulkar doesn't play.

1. Gambhir
2. Sehwag
3. Dravid
4. Badrinath
5. Kaif
6. Laxman
7. Dhoni
8. Kumble
9. Harbhajan
10. Zaheer
11. Sharma

The option of swapping Laxman and Dravid would be one that I would willing to take. Laxman at 3 against Australia just seems like a good move.

 

[Prince EWS]

If Tendulkar is unfit, I'd put in Chopra and Badrinath. Oh, and Bhajji will play.

Yeah I agree, but it's highly unlikely Chopra will play.

I don't really think Gambhir is technically equipped to open the innings in Test match TBH and even his ODI successes which put him back in the reckoning have mainly come at #3. Chopra opening with Sehwag and Gambhir somewhere in the middle order would be my pick. I'd pick Badrinath as well as I'm a fan, but the case for Kaif is probably just as good really.

I'd say it'd be Kaif and Badrinath though.

 

[pup11]

Hayden seems to ready and pumped for this series.

 

[ramkumar_gr]

According to BBC Tendulkar might miss a few tests so the indian line up on an unexpected quick wicket would need to be something like this

1. Gambhir
2. Sehwag
3. Dravid
4. Laxman
5. Hmmm
6. Hmmm
7. Dhoni
8. Kumble
9. RP Singh (no harbs because quick track unless the indians are playing shifty mind games)
10. Khan
11. Sharma

Selection pool for number 5 and 6
Kaif (been solid as per usual)
Ganguly (maybe one more shot)
Kholi (nearly knocked a double century a few days ago, still a bit too raw and techniqully might be found against lee and co)
Chopra (move gambhir down)
Yuvraj (at his inconsistant best)
Tendulkar (if he is fit)
Bardinath (Watching him live recently he doesn't seem to have 'it', however his first class average looks good conversely 1st class averages in indian domestic cricket is misleading with the dustbowls they play in)
Jaffer (I have a problem with his technique)

Number 5 and 6 would probably come up against a spinner and a few quicks and must take advantage of the spinners. Ganguly seems like the logical selection at 6 with his established record, however he probably wont be picked...Most probably will be Kaif and Bardinath or Kholi...

when was Kaif solid? look at his FC average and he just cant play long innings..

Badrinath: That FC average includes all the 'A' games he played abroad.. having seen him for the past decade or so, he is a perfect fit for the longer version... It is very unfair to compare Badri and Kohli.. Hopefully the selectors do it the Aussie way.. select Badri ahead of Kohli and Kaif....

Chopra: simply strokeless as Kaif.. ya.. getting a good start spending time at the wicket all are ok.. but is there anyway he can get runs? to simply put it, he doesn't have any scoring shots to fetch runs at the international level..

My XI

1. Gambhir
2. Sehwag
3. Dravid
4. Laxman
5. Badrinath
6. Ganguly (definitely deserves a chance given what he has done in Test cricket since his comeback)
7. Dhoni
8. Kumble
9. Khan
10. I Sharma
11. H Singh/P Ohja

 

[Arjun]

What should the pitches be like? The Lankans put forth some pitches which aided their spinners more than a little, especially when they had better spinners than the Indians. Maybe the Indians should prepare square turners, given the relative strength in spin, though they would profit a lot more in the long run if the pitches offered the seamers a little. In fact, that's the kind of pitch Ishant Sharma needs to make an impact in a match. The batting is still a stronger suit, so it should take care of itself, and we don't want a flat pitch, as it would boomerang on the Indian team heavily.