***Official India in New Zealand***

[GGG]

You talk as if NZ had a say in the matter. C'mon mate, surely you arent that naive. The BCCI held all the cards, we simply bent over to their wishes. Fortunately some time opened up and they wanted an extra test.

Reckon we have a pretty good chance of upsetting one of the best teams in the world here, India generally don't travel well, especially to New Zealand and I think we all remember what happened the last time they were here.

I think the extra money NZC would get plus the benifits to our cricketers had more of a say than "bending over to their wishes".

 

[Atreyu]

What do you guys think about the lack of a practise match?

 

[Bahnz]

Not ideal, but by the time the test series starts, most of the Indians will have been playing in NZ conditions for a month, so they should be well enough adjusted. For those who arrive as part of the test squad (Dravid, Laxman etc.), I'm sure the provinces will be more than happy to include them in some domestic cricket, like Auckland did with James Anderson last year.

 

[Raghav]

without the match practise, Indians will suffer a lot in the ODI's ....It will be even contest though!

I expect NZ to win against India with the conditions favouring them!

 

[Craig]

Not ideal, but by the time the test series starts, most of the Indians will have been playing in NZ conditions for a month, so they should be well enough adjusted. For those who arrive as part of the test squad (Dravid, Laxman etc.), I'm sure the provinces will be more than happy to include them in some domestic cricket, like Auckland did with James Anderson last year.

Call me stupid, but why would you want to play an opposition player into form before a Test series? That would be like before the Ashes in Australia and a state like Queensland giving Kevin Pietersen a run, which the chances of that happening are less then zilch.

 

[Arjun]

As many as ten out of eleven places are assured in the Indian Test XI, but how about Ravindra Jadeja in the middle-order? He's coming off a fantastic domestic season with both bat and ball, and until Irfan or Yusuf is in wicket-taking form again, he can make a place for himself here. In seamer-friendly conditions, he'll bat at six or seven and stretch the batting lineup, and also fill in for the second spinner in case there's a lot of bowling to do, though the Indians' emphasis should be on getting out the Kiwis twice for less than 250.

 

[Lambu]

As many as ten out of eleven places are assured in the Indian Test XI, but how about Ravindra Jadeja in the middle-order? He's coming off a fantastic domestic season with both bat and ball, and until Irfan or Yusuf is in wicket-taking form again, he can make a place for himself here. In seamer-friendly conditions, he'll bat at six or seven and stretch the batting lineup, and also fill in for the second spinner in case there's a lot of bowling to do, though the Indians' emphasis should be on getting out the Kiwis twice for less than 250.

May i ask whose spot is up for grabs?

 

[Arjun]

May i ask whose spot is up for grabs?

The spot vacated by Ganguly...or one soon to be vacated by Dravid or Laxman.

I wonder what kind of pitches will be (dropped) in store for the Indians...

 

[Craig]

The spot vacated by Ganguly...or one soon to be vacated by Dravid or Laxman.

I wonder what kind of pitches will be (dropped) in store for the Indians...

Depends how the weather turns out?

 

[adharcric]

As many as ten out of eleven places are assured in the Indian Test XI, but how about Ravindra Jadeja in the middle-order? He's coming off a fantastic domestic season with both bat and ball, and until Irfan or Yusuf is in wicket-taking form again, he can make a place for himself here. In seamer-friendly conditions, he'll bat at six or seven and stretch the batting lineup, and also fill in for the second spinner in case there's a lot of bowling to do, though the Indians' emphasis should be on getting out the Kiwis twice for less than 250.

The spot vacated by Ganguly...or one soon to be vacated by Dravid or Laxman.

I wonder what kind of pitches will be (dropped) in store for the Indians...

Forget the 6/7 slot in the lineup, Jadeja can't find a place in the test squad that easily; he'll have to make runs and take wickets in the Duleep Trophy to even come into consideration. Apart from the impressive performance in the quarters against Karnataka, his other big hauls this season have come against weak lineups and he hasn't done anything special before this season. Hell, you've been one of his fiercest critics in the past, calling him a bits-and-pieces cricketer not too long ago. Dhoni's still not a proven option at 6, Dravid and Yuvraj are up in the air and it's hard to imagine India playing less than six specialist batsmen on the pitches in New Zealand. India's biggest strength going into this tour is its pace attack, led by Zaheer at the top of his game with good support from Ishant and Munaf. Irfan also had a superb season for Baroda and if the selectors want an all-round option, he may be in with a good shout. Let's see though, a strong showing from Jadeja for West Zone (or the one-day side in Sri Lanka) could convince the selectors that he's for real.

 

[Evermind]

Forget the 6/7 slot in the lineup, Jadeja can't find a place in the test squad that easily; he'll have to make runs and take wickets in the Duleep Trophy to even come into consideration. Apart from the impressive performance in the quarters against Karnataka, his other big hauls this season have come against weak lineups and he hasn't done anything special before this season. Hell, you've been one of his fiercest critics in the past, calling him a bits-and-pieces cricketer not too long ago. Dhoni's still not a proven option at 6, Dravid and Yuvraj are up in the air and it's hard to imagine India playing less than six specialist batsmen on the pitches in New Zealand. India's biggest strength going into this tour is its pace attack, led by Zaheer at the top of his game with good support from Ishant and Munaf. Irfan also had a superb season for Baroda and if the selectors want an all-round option, he may be in with a good shout. Let's see though, a strong showing from Jadeja for West Zone (or the one-day side in Sri Lanka) could convince the selectors that he's for real.

I think IK Pathan, if managed properly, has the potential to be as good as Kapil.

 

[Polo23]

The spot vacated by Ganguly...or one soon to be vacated by Dravid or Laxman.

I wonder what kind of pitches will be (dropped) in store for the Indians...

No pitches will be dropped from anywhere in the Test series. All tests in NZ are played on pure cricket grounds (with the exception of Napier which plays a bit of rugby, but it still has a block and no drop in pitch). Pitches will likely be what they always are, slow, flat and they stay pretty much the same for 5 days. I've got my fingers crossed we will produce some nice green seamers with a lot of juice, but I don't see it happening.

 

[Arjun]

Forget the 6/7 slot in the lineup, Jadeja can't find a place in the test squad that easily; he'll have to make runs and take wickets in the Duleep Trophy to even come into consideration.

Jadeja is among the top ten run-scorers in the Ranji Trophy, alongside Jaffer, Pujara, Rahane and Sharma- one regular reserve and three youngsters like Jadeja who are often considered as Test prospects. Jadeja also gets wickets, so that should put him ahead at least slightly.

Apart from the impressive performance in the quarters against Karnataka, his other big hauls this season have come against weak lineups and he hasn't done anything special before this season.

He's taken wickets against weak and strong batting lineups alike. When you already have your top four bowlers ready, the fifth bowler is merely one to fill in so that the strikers get some rest, and wickets, if any, are a bonus. With Jadeja, wicket-taking was a certainty for Saurashtra, and those extra wickets will help a lot. The fifth bowler is needed so that Zaheer, Ishant, Munaf and Harbhajan don't bowl 30 overs in an innings, as eventually, at least one will get injured later on.

Hell, you've been one of his fiercest critics in the past, calling him a bits-and-pieces cricketer not too long ago.

That was something I said as a comparison with someone like Irfan, Yusuf or Praveen Kumar. Here, a Test middle-order spot is up for grabs and he's one of the leading run-scorers this season, and in addition, he also takes wickets.

Dhoni's still not a proven option at 6, Dravid and Yuvraj are up in the air and it's hard to imagine India playing less than six specialist batsmen on the pitches in New Zealand.

Dhoni hasn't been given too many chances at six, and is often redundant, with the six above him scoring loads of runs. While ODIs are totally different, Dhoni is a very smart batsman and when he doesn't blast a bowling attack all around, he'll smartly build partnerships, so that's a good thing. Dravid is Dravid, form notwithstanding, while Yuvraj is still not assured. But if the Indians play six specialist batsmen and end up fielding first on a pitch that's flat on day one, they're finished. Jadeja may not be a specialist batsman, but he'll get you runs, and take enough wickets to restrict NZ for a lot less than the usual 400-and-over-while-batting-first-against-India score we find so often.

India's biggest strength going into this tour is its pace attack, led by Zaheer at the top of his game with good support from Ishant and Munaf.

Of course. You still can't risk any of them bowling more than 25 overs in an innings.

Irfan also had a superb season for Baroda and if the selectors want an all-round option, he may be in with a good shout.

Like I've said before, I'm game for Irfan as an all-rounder or a third seamer/seventh batsman. We'd still prefer to see him taking wickets for not too many.

Let's see though, a strong showing from Jadeja for West Zone (or the one-day side in Sri Lanka) could convince the selectors that he's for real.

He can stay in West Zone, as his performance in the longer version of the game is more important.

 

[Arjun]

No pitches will be dropped from anywhere in the Test series. All tests in NZ are played on pure cricket grounds (with the exception of Napier which plays a bit of rugby, but it still has a block and no drop in pitch). Pitches will likely be what they always are, slow, flat and they stay pretty much the same for 5 days. I've got my fingers crossed we will produce some nice green seamers with a lot of juice, but I don't see it happening.

Maybe not drop-in pitches, but I've only seen vicious pitches prepared for India, while several other teams played on relatively easy surfaces. Those were pitches where we saw Jacob Oram, then Andre Adams, take five in an innings, while Daryl Tuffey upstaged Shane Bond as a frontline bowler and Scott Styris was a frontline seamer. Those pitches were so controversial, that NZC Chief Martin Snedden publicly said that they were not up to international standard, right after the ODI series against India, during the presentation ceremony. I wonder if the pitches for this series will be like those.

 

[Arjun]

I think IK Pathan, if managed properly, has the potential to be as good as Kapil.

This tends to annoy me, as an India fan. We've never seen an all-rounder last too long, because every all-rounder is expected to be the next Kapil. I'd prefer Irfan just taking wickets neatly and making a name for himself in a tournament-winning team, rather than chase a title that few can achieve. Brad Hogg was no Shane Warne, but he did his job and the Aussies won two World Cups, so that's all that mattered.

 

[HMas]

I will be rooting for NZ white wash India 3-0 in tests & 5-0 in ODIs.

 

[Smudge]

Maybe not drop-in pitches, but I've only seen vicious pitches prepared for India, while several other teams played on relatively easy surfaces. Those were pitches where we saw Jacob Oram, then Andre Adams, take five in an innings, while Daryl Tuffey upstaged Shane Bond as a frontline bowler and Scott Styris was a frontline seamer. Those pitches were so controversial, that NZC Chief Martin Snedden publicly said that they were not up to international standard, right after the ODI series against India, during the presentation ceremony. I wonder if the pitches for this series will be like those.

Yes, I'm sure they will. Because, with the Indian seam attack, it really makes sense for us to create such pitches again. Try watching some NZ cricket - the pitches have changed drastically over the last few years. That said, the timing of the tour won't help preparation.

 

[James]

I don't see what's wrong with us creating full on green-seamers if that's what Vettori and the Black Caps want. The advantage of playing at home, and I don't see anything wrong with it personally. Prepare pitches that will give us the best chance against India.

 

[Zinzan]

Maybe not drop-in pitches, but I've only seen vicious pitches prepared for India, while several other teams played on relatively easy surfaces. Those were pitches where we saw Jacob Oram, then Andre Adams, take five in an innings, while Daryl Tuffey upstaged Shane Bond as a frontline bowler and Scott Styris was a frontline seamer. Those pitches were so controversial, that NZC Chief Martin Snedden publicly said that they were not up to international standard, right after the ODI series against India, during the presentation ceremony. I wonder if the pitches for this series will be like those.

Umm, whats new & whats your point ? Isn't this what every home side has endeavored to do since international cricket began ?, that is preparation to favor the home team

 

[Uppercut]

I don't see what's wrong with us creating full on green-seamers if that's what Vettori and the Black Caps want. The advantage of playing at home, and I don't see anything wrong with it personally. Prepare pitches that will give us the best chance against India.

Hmm it doesn't seem to happen in New Zealand though. Not to the extent it does in India anyway, although that could be a combination of the soil type making that possible and the Indian side having a blindingly obvious pitch-type of choice. AFAIK in England the actual cricket team has no control whatsoever over what type of pitch is produced (although obviously their groundsmen are more likely to be sympathetic to them). Some do, some don't. I have no major objection to it but it gives your opponents one extra thing to whinge about it if you beat them.