***Official*** India in Sri Lanka

[Migara]

Sanga's SR doesn't though.

Even Jayawardane's SR is very poor by SL standards. De Silva and Ranatuna had better SRs than them, even if they have played in an era where batsmen had lower SRs. Still our best ODI batsman is Jayasuria, followed by Dilshan and Maharoof. ANd that will tell a big story.

Maharoof needs one or two knocks up in the order in occasional match to give him chance to construct long innings. If Matthews improves his bowling and Maharoof his batting, SL will have two powerful strikers in late order which they have been lacking for years.

 

[DingDong]

The beginning of the end for Mendis as well. Oh well...it was fun while it lasted.

 

[Migara]

The beginning of the end for Mendis as well. Oh well...it was fun while it lasted.

Doubt it. He'll bounce back, with new things.

 

[adharcric]

Ojha has been disappointing for a strike spinner; Jadeja's probably a better option with bat, ball and in the field so I'd just go with him. India also needs to find a way to get Praveen Kumar and even Irfan Pathan some action - be it through rotation, another poor showing from Munaf (big trouble) or playing four quicks on the right pitch (doubtful) - because Sreesanth probably isn't ready, RP is at an all-time low and after that, you'd have to look at someone like Bose.

 

[Uppercut]

Ojha is useless. Someone tell me why Mishra isn't in the team instead. And before someone says "because Ojha goes for less runs" i demand they look at their respective List A and T20 records.

 

[Arjun]

Ojha is useless. Someone tell me why Mishra isn't in the team instead. And before someone says "because Ojha goes for less runs" i demand they look at their respective List A and T20 records.

Completely agree. Ojha's bowling, at best, is what to expect from a batsman who can bowl- though none of India's choices for that role have got the chances he has. Mishra may be slotted as a Test specialist, and missed out because he tends to go for a lot of runs. While we don't agree that should hold him back, he isn't doing too well in a Duleep match on right now. He's good for ODIs because he takes a lot of wickets, and plays for wickets and not economy rates, saves a lot of runs on the field and can also contribute useful lower-order runs, if you're assembling a lower-order like Sri Lanka.

 

[Arjun]

Ojha has been disappointing for a strike spinner; Jadeja's probably a better option with bat, ball and in the field so I'd just go with him.

Exactly.

India also needs to find a way to get Praveen Kumar and even Irfan Pathan some action

They need to be brought into action and they need to settle into the team for some time. There should be a core group for the next few years and these two should be in it- and for that, these two need to be in top form.

- be it through rotation,

They can rotate one place out of eleven, and it's no big deal. If it is, I'm game for it.

another poor showing from Munaf (big trouble)

Munaf is a one-day misfit. Terrible on the field, non-factor with the bat, so he has to be a McGrath or Lee, though he isn't one. He wouldn't have been here had it not been for poor showing by Irfan or Praveen, or injuries to Sreesanth and RP Singh. The sooner a more useful bowler is found (or rediscovered), the better.

or playing four quicks on the right pitch (doubtful)

If your best XI has four quicks (or two swingers, one quick and a seam-up bowler, one of them being left-handed), go for it. There's no point picking bowlers for variety if the variety isn't good enough for the match.

- because Sreesanth probably isn't ready,

We don't know.

RP is at an all-time low

He needs to be brought back to wicket-taking action, somewhere, be it India-A, Board XI, UP/North or even IPL.

and after that, you'd have to look at someone like Bose.

It's surely not that bad. You can only have four (maybe one more who can score runs) in the main squad and four in the second, so there's no chance of Bose coming into action- besides, Gagandeep and Balaji are better options.

 

[aussie]

What's happening with Chamara Silva. Haven't seen him in a SRI XI in a while.

 

[Evermind]

Whatever happened to Irfan Pathan? India badly need a Kapil Dev type figure.

 

[Precambrian]

Whatever happened to Irfan Pathan? India badly need a Kapil Dev type figure.

Irfan Pathan is slugging it out, rightly, in the domestic scene.

India, of course would love to have a Kapil Dev. But necessary? I don't think so.

Anyway Pathan is hardly a patch on Dev.

 

[Precambrian]

What's happening with Chamara Silva. Haven't seen him in a SRI XI in a while.

Dropped after a string of bad performances. Plus, at 32 he is not exactly spring chicken to be persisted with despite failures repeated.

 

[adharcric]

Whatever happened to Irfan Pathan? India badly need a Kapil Dev type figure.

He's in the squad.

 

[Precambrian]

He's in the squad.

My bad.

 

[Nishan]

What's happening with Chamara Silva. Haven't seen him in a SRI XI in a while.

Averaging over 40 in domestic cricket this season likely to come back soon but i would hope he is behind few other good prospects who are younger than him

 

[Migara]

Silva is a good steady batsman. But we have enough of them. We want real stroke makers. In current team one of them is close to 40. Another one (Kapugedara) throws it away frequently. Last one (Maharoof) is a bowler. Kandamby and Matthews are hugely welcomed to this side over Chamara Silva or Indika de Saram due to above reasons.

 

[Uppercut]

Completely agree. Ojha's bowling, at best, is what to expect from a batsman who can bowl- though none of India's choices for that role have got the chances he has. Mishra may be slotted as a Test specialist, and missed out because he tends to go for a lot of runs. While we don't agree that should hold him back, he isn't doing too well in a Duleep match on right now. He's good for ODIs because he takes a lot of wickets, and plays for wickets and not economy rates, saves a lot of runs on the field and can also contribute useful lower-order runs, if you're assembling a lower-order like Sri Lanka.

The thing is, Mishra doesn't even go for more runs. It's a complete myth borne of the basic fact that he's a leg-spinner and people expect young leg-spinners to be erratic even when they're not. There's nothing in his record at any level to suggest anything of the sort, nor have i ever seen him bowl a series of loose deliveries. His economy rates are as follows:

Tests: 10 innings, 1230 balls bowled, E/R 2.89
ODIs: 2 innings, 84 balls bowled, E/R 4.78
List A: 3298 balls bowled, E/R 4.35 (Ojha's is 4.44)
First Class: 17804 balls bowled, E/R 2.80 (Ojha's is 2.90)

Munaf is a one-day misfit. Terrible on the field, non-factor with the bat, so he has to be a McGrath or Lee, though he isn't one. He wouldn't have been here had it not been for poor showing by Irfan or Praveen, or injuries to Sreesanth and RP Singh. The sooner a more useful bowler is found (or rediscovered), the better.

Yeah, completely agree with this.

 

[Precambrian]

The thing is, Mishra doesn't even go for more runs. It's a complete myth borne of the basic fact that he's a leg-spinner and people expect young leg-spinners to be erratic even when they're not. There's nothing in his record at any level to suggest anything of the sort, nor have i ever seen him bowl a series of loose deliveries. His economy rates are as follows:

Tests: 10 innings, 1230 balls bowled, E/R 2.89
ODIs: 2 innings, 84 balls bowled, E/R 4.78
List A: 3298 balls bowled, E/R 4.35 (Ojha's is 4.44)
First Class: 17804 balls bowled, E/R 2.80 (Ojha's is 2.90)



Yeah, completely agree with this.

Good one mate. Mishy should be given a go ahead of ODIs before Ojha, as there is nothing to suggest so far from his performances that he is a test only bowler. And his batting is better than that of Ojha's and as to his fielding, just rewind to Nagpur Ponting run out.

 

[Migara]

For the next match we might see Fernando coming in. If he delivers it well, India will have a tough time. If he becomes his old self, it will be carnage by the Indians.

 

[funnygirl]

I am scared of Legend Jaya, what a man .Hope this jinx works

 

[Raghav]

I think today will be Sanga & Kadamby's day.. Love both of them piling runs with a good partnership winning the match for SL..

Kadamby has been good so far and hope he gets good outing today