Clearly we here at CW know something about cricket.. as all the discussed topics were brought up on Cricinfo chat:
Pitch too flat?
Sambit Bal: I don’t understand this. Why shouldn’t New Zealand make pitches that suit whatever strengths they have. Yes, they might lose to this Indian side on seaming wickets. It’s fact that this is a much better Indian team than the one that came to New Zealand the last time. But that will be their only chance of competing with India. They just don’t have the bowlers to get India out on flat pitches. Cricket administrators have an unhealthy obsession these days about making matches last five days. Television pays for cricket and TV bosses want every commercial break they can get. But if it starts in the way of producing interesting cricket, it would be self-defeating. Such cricket will only turn people away from Tests. There have been too many pitches like this in the last couple of months. It’s killing Test cricket.
Mistake to enforce the follow-on?
Rajesh: It's easy to say that in hindsight - Vettori should have rested his bowlers for a couple of sessions, the set India a target of around 500. But the way this pitch behaved, it's difficult to see the Indian batsmen collapsing anyway. And Vettori would have expected at least some more assistance from the pitch on the final day. In the end, the pitch was just too flat for New Zealand to dismiss this Indian line-up twice
Sehwag's innings - bad or just playing his natural game?
Sambit Bal: I wrote about Sehwag's approach after the first innings. I have no problem with him trying to play his natural game. But I agree with Dravid that Test players need to adapt to the situation. Of course, as long as Sehwag stays at the wicket, runs will come. But both his shots in this Test were ill-chosen. Those two balls didn't deserve the strokes he attempted. He is an enormously gifted player, but this Test would have taught him something. If he learns from it, he will be a better player.
9:49
Yuvraj - **** and should be dropped, or needs more time?
Okay, here's another question about another Indian batsmen and his approach ...Kamala Kannan has some harsh words for Yuvraj. He says that Yuvraj has to find some form for Tests. He is not suited for this format ..Jamie/Rajesh what do you think?
Rajesh: I'd give Yuvraj some more time... remember he got a couple of half-centuries against England in the previous series. And this half-century, while not entirely convincing, might yet do him lots of good for the next Test. It reminds me of what Dravid went through in Australia in the 2003-04 series. He started with a duck, and there were plenty of questions about his form. Then, in the second innings of that match in Brisbane, he got an unbeaten 40-odd in a match heading for a draw. Not many thought much about that knock, but it was a fluent innings and it set him up for what turned out to be a prolific series. Hopefully Yuvraj can turn in similar performances in the next match. At least he has spent some time in the middle, and that can't be a bad thing
Jamie: Its not that Yuvraj isnt suited. He's a good player, but will never be a great Test player. His basic set-up allows him to score runs on tracks like this, but when there's a bit of nip around or its overcast, even an average exponent of swing will fancy his chances against Yuvraj. He's hardly been a fixture in the side for a few months and deserves more time.
