Smudge
Hall of Fame Member
Oh no, you don't.
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***Official India in New Zealand***
- Thread starter James
- Start date
silentstriker
The Wheel is Forever
No seriously. NZ has already removed the strongest part of the batting lineup. Sachin is in form, but Dravid and Laxman are not. Yuvraj can't bat in Tests and Karthik is average.
I don't see how we can get 300. NZ will certainly make India follow on tomorrow. The pitch may start to do something as well.
I don't see how we can get 300. NZ will certainly make India follow on tomorrow. The pitch may start to do something as well.
Days of Grace
International Captain
Even if India did not make the follow-on target, I think NZ should bat for perhaps a couple of sessions, and score merrily. Gives the bowlers a chance to put the feet up. However, if there are only 5 more sessions left after the Indian's first innings ends, then by all means enforce the follow-on.
luckyeddie
Cricket Web Staff Member
Not an easy decision, because it's a 'back-to-back-to-back' series. Having seen England make a right pig's ear of not enforcing follow-ons, I think people have tried to be too 'cute'. Wickets aren't falling apart on day 5 any more. They are dusting and keeping low, but tending to slow up.
I think you just have to go for it and enforce the follow-on, unless the wicket is showing huge signs of deterioration.
Anyway, 2 spinners in the NZ team. Shouldn't be a problem with stamina - IF they get the opportunity to enforce the follow-on. Small matter of the wee man to get rid of. My money's on a ton - but he might need a double to save India.
Evermind
International Debutant
It's not that I'm backing NZ to be super, it's that I'm backing India to be spineless and wilt under pressure. Like England, India are one of those teams that will get complacent, drop catches, and completely lose the plot if things aren't going well for them. The fact that NZ have scored 600+ only three times in their history suggests to me that it's not quite natural for them to do so, in some way - and the fact that Yuvraj and Dravid were crap in the field and dropped catches would testify to that. They wouldn't be at 600+ if India hadn't given them repeated chances. I'm sure Chris Martin can get to a half-century if he's dropped 5 times too.
adharcric
International Coach
Hmm, avatar bet? India make 300 - you use a picture of Yuvraj with the words "test class" for a week. Otherwise, you choose mine.
silentstriker
The Wheel is Forever
Deal.
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Hmm, New Zealand also have an annoying habit of breezing through the top six then letting the final four wickets go for 200+ runs or the like. They've had some serious trouble closing out test matches in recent times.It's not that I'm backing NZ to be super, it's that I'm backing India to be spineless and wilt under pressure. Like England, India are one of those teams that will get complacent, drop catches, and completely lose the plot if things aren't going well for them. The fact that NZ have scored 600+ only three times in their history suggests to me that it's not quite natural for them to do so, in some way - and the fact that Yuvraj and Dravid were crap in the field and dropped catches would testify to that. They wouldn't be at 600+ if India hadn't given them repeated chances. I'm sure Chris Martin can get to a half-century if he's dropped 5 times too.
They had England 136-5 in their first innings with Tim Ambrose at the crease, all out for 253 on a flat deck (having had England at 36/4), 179 runs behind after the first innings and 86/5 in their first innings, and went on to lose all four matches pretty comfortably. Let's not forget them rolling Australia for 214 on the first day of a test or Fidel Edwards and Daren Powell sticking around all morning on the last day of the recent series when NZ were trying to force a result.
Sorry for going so OTT, but my major doubts over New Zealand in tests is their ability to get wins out of winnings situations.
Athlai
Not Terrible
How many times did New Zealand have 600 runs on the board in those situations though?
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None of them, so i can't see them going on to lose this game, but i expect them to struggle to close it out. Especially since the pitch has looked perfectly flat while i've been watching.
Athlai
Not Terrible
This pitch also looks like its going to crack massively in one area and we have Jeets in the team. Who is clearly a hero.
honestbharani
Whatever it takes!!!
Even if India make 350-400 (highly unlikely), there is a still a great chance that we will lose horribly..
Damn.. can't we get rid of this inconsistency? And what the hell is up with Dravid in the slips? He almost never dropped any before this last year and a half..
Damn.. can't we get rid of this inconsistency? And what the hell is up with Dravid in the slips? He almost never dropped any before this last year and a half..
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Haha, well I admire your confidence having been on the wrong end of all of the incidents i mentioned in the space of little more than a year, but it's certainly given me more than a few doubts. Still backing the draw here.
Arjun
Cricketer Of The Year
This is a flat pitch. We may see a big score on the back of massive middle-order partnerships. There is no real bite in the Kiwi attack either.Even if India make 350-400 (highly unlikely), there is a still a great chance that we will lose horribly..
Damn.. can't we get rid of this inconsistency? And what the hell is up with Dravid in the slips? He almost never dropped any before this last year and a half..
You see it as inconsistency, I see it as lack of balance. This team is incomplete. They don't have the firepower to take 20 wickets on a flat pitch. This weakness has cost them several matches over the years, but nothing has been done about it. The few occasions they try to even that out, they're a batsman short.
As for the fielding, I don't know what can be done about it, so we can throw this open for discussion. They are fielding their best XI (more or less) in Tests now. They have a coach who has played in what was one of the best fielding sides of all time, as well as modern methods. Dravid is a record holder in catching, while Yuvraj is the best fielder in the Indian team. They have to work it out with that; unless they can drop these two for better replacements, but that's impossible- but surely they can get someone better and more useful than Munaf Patel; he's a total liability and a waste of space.
This requires some perspective. We already know the figures of the four Indian bowlers. What to get out of that is debatable. However, when Sehwag and Yuvraj bowled 24 overs between them, they went for an excessive 135 runs. That's far worse than Munaf Patel. This is a flat pitch. There's a far better spinner sitting out because he doesnt' fit in the scheme of things, for some reason. He adds so much more value than any third specialist seamer. Moreover, Sehwag and Yuvraj are more or less batting mainstays, and can ill-afford to have such a workload. What can be done about this?
Days of Grace
International Captain
There would probably have to be an absence of stumps, a keeper, and a slip cordon for that to happen as well.I'm sure Chris Martin can get to a half-century if he's dropped 5 times too.