***Official India in New Zealand***

[Brett Dale]

O'Brian must be the new chatfield, what a workhorse, it was a pleasure to watch him today.

But the talking have to be the mediocre fielding performance by Martin, and Mills performance thruout this match, they both need to be dropped asap.

 

[Evermind]

Oram is a much better player than Franklin anyway. Definitely should come in for him.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Oram is a much better player than Franklin anyway.

Disagree - especially in test matches. Also, with Franklin, you don't feel as if his fingers will break each time he gets within 5 chains of a cricket ball.

 

[oitoitoi]

Will Mills get dropped? Oram is a viable replacement especially when you consider Mills' current bowling form. Will Butler be fit for the next test?

What do you reckon, another hundred for Sachin this series? Two even?

 

[biased indian]

Guptill played some nice shots, but to be honest I wasn't that thrilled with him. He reminds me a bit of McCullum in the way he tries to play run scoring shots to almost every ball. He was actually a little lucky to survive as long as he did. Having said that he's more gifted than any opener I've seen play for us in quite a while. Hopefully he'll work on his concentration and discipline, and not go down McCullum's path.

could he be NZ's answer for sehwag

 

[TT Boy]

Disagree - especially in test matches. Also, with Franklin, you don't feel as if his fingers will break each time he gets within 5 chains of a cricket ball.

Not for me. Oram comfortably with the bat and he is a better (or should say more economical) bowler than this current incarnation of Franklin, the non-swinging one. If Franklin doesn't score a run tomorrow then I'm not sure how he could keep his place given the way he has bowled since returning to test cricket.

 

[Evermind]

Not for me. Oram comfortably with the bat and he is a better (or should say more economical) bowler than this current incarnation of Franklin, the non-swinging one. If Franklin doesn't score a run tomorrow then I'm not sure how he could keep his place given the way he has bowled since returning to test cricket.

What he said.

 

[silentstriker]

Tendulkar 3 centuries in his last four Tests. Pretty good run of form he is having here.

 

[biased indian]

Tendulkar 3 centuries in his last four Tests. Pretty good run of form he is having here.

he has pulled away from ponting 42-37 now .... was 36-34 if am correct

 

[Jono]

he has pulled away from ponting 42-37 now .... was 36-34 if am correct

Ikki will be shattered.

 

[Shri]

Cricinfo - Sachin evokes his prime

An article on Cricinfo says that Sachin has hit his prime again. Hope it turns out to be true.

 

[Precambrian]

God, after a temporary detour to the land of the mortals, is back to where he belong, and all pretenders are blown away.

 

[Woodster]

Yes I think Oram in place of Franklin, in Tests, would make a big difference to the NZ side. Can be relied upon to bowl 20 overs and rarely go for more than 50, and be a much more reliable figure with the bat. This is all of course presuming he remains fit for the length of a Test match!

 

[Athlai]

Yeah drop Franklin he gets out by hitting the ball with his pad and is given caught. What a terrible batsman.

Averaging near 200 this domestic season? No crikey I saw him on the moving pictures box and he was out for not much I say!

 

[Blakey]

I thought Guptill was defending and leaving the good balls really nicely in his second turn at bat. Lack of concentration must have found him out..

 

[Lambu]

I thought Guptill was defending and leaving the good balls really nicely in his second turn at bat. Lack of concentration must have found him out..

I think he has a slight problem against spinners rather than any mental short comings.

 

[cowboysfan]

I think he has a slight problem against spinners rather than any mental short comings.

i would say he has a major problem against spinners-he will get killed in the sub-continent.

 

[Lambu]

CBF, i was being polite

 

[duffer]

It wasn't that bad! Crikey. It didn't look out, but at least it didn't bounce 6 inches in front of him and give him time to rotate his hands to push the ball into the ground. Some distance from good ole Mickey C.

Yeah, but I read some people saying he definitely would've known which is basically implying Sachin is a cheat. That's what raised eyebrows on my part.

 

[Flem274*]

Geez, a lot of changes being made here.

Tbh, apart from How, a fully fit Oram and an in form Franklin and Mills, there isn't much more we can do with this team. Arnel is OK, will probably be better than Mills/Martin but won't gain a huge amount. The batsmen are just woefuly inconsistent bar Flynn and Ryder and our best batsman Vettori.

The fact is India finally have a team that have a really good chance of winning in most places unless it suits seam bowling for 5 days. In other words, do we want to win? Because if so, instead of lambasting our bowlers (like I know will happen on radio talkback) lets give them something like that last ODI pitch. The Indians won't like it and extremists will liken it to last tour, but if we want to win, thats the only way. Case closed.

Roll out flatties or normals, our seamers will be OK without being devastating, the batting will be like NZ batting and India will win.

Boom, headshot.