***Official India in New Zealand***

[thierry henry]

For Yuvraj admit I haven't seen it, but can almost guarantee that the exact same ball to the right hander wouldn't have been given. Rightly or wrongly umpires just tend to err on the side of 'OUT' on the offstump and 'NOT OUT' on the leg stump.

You might have a point there

With the Yuvi lbw, Ryder was coming right-arm over and bowled an almost-yorker (Yuvraj got a big stride in and basically yorked himself) that hit him basically in front of middle, maybe the inside of middle. The way Yuvraj played outside the line and fell over himself, it gave the illusion that the ball had swung a bit and was going to hit middle or middle and off. Hawkeye showed the ball just going straight on and fractionally missing off.

However, more than the illusion of swing, I think the biggest problem for the umpire was that because it was a yorker, it seemed like the ball didn't have far to travel. However, the side-on view showed Yuvi had really lunged forward, hence the ball had a long way to travel and miss off.

 

[honestbharani]

NZL need to be given credit here.. The pitch is doing a bit more than expected, sure, but they didn't throw in the towels after that first hour.


I left just at the drinks break from home but by the sound of things, O'Brilliant and Franklin seem to have been the pick of the bowlers...


And Ryder just can't go through a spell without a wicket or a catch or a hundred, can he?

 

[thierry henry]

The pitch is doing a bit more than expected

I don't think the pitch has done anything

 

[thierry henry]

Sh*t, I was planning to leave the house today

 

[thierry henry]

Dhoni looking horrible here, playing and missing at straight ones from Southee and fortuitously managing two aerial nicks through the gap

 

[alternative]

With Dravid's wicket it seems like that will be tough to post any decent total for India.

 

[silentstriker]

Yea, 250 is looking like it. Anything less than 350 is going to be really hard to defend, and we won't get anywhere near 350.

 

[straw man]

Dhoni looking horrible here, playing and missing at straight ones from Southee and fortuitously managing two aerial nicks through the gap

Is it just me or has there been an awful lot of that this series. Frustrating as hell when NZ are trying to get Indian wickets, yet at times NZ have been just as lucky (Vettori, Taylor etc)

Harbhajan already throwing his bat around.

 

[neutralguy]

Looks like Dravid has simply lost it. Its time for selectors to seriously consider giving him a golden handshake. Making 20's and 30's and occasional 50's is neither helping him nor the team and this has been going on for pretty long time.
More than his poor strike rate , his inability to rotate the strike is causing the other batsmen not to play freely.
Time for yuvraj also to go and chance for rohit sharma and badrinath to step up.

 

[honestbharani]

I don't think the pitch has done anything

keyword being "more than expected"..


I was expecting, from what everyone were saying, a very very flat and true deck. But we have had a bit of swing and the pitch has helped in the ball staying reasonably good for swing and also the pace and bounce of the track is a bit more than a normal flat deck... Usually it means even better going for stroke players but with the swing around, it can be dangerous for batsmen. After all, it only takes one mistake to get out, right?


But NZ well and truly on top now... Expect India to fold up for 250 and NZL to rack up 400+...

 

[straw man]

But NZ well and truly on top now... Expect India to fold up for 250 and NZL to rack up 400+...

India will get 300 minimum from here. And for NZ to get 400 would be some achievement. Scoring 600 in the last match was great but doesn't in itself prove that our batting has 'come right' - could just as easily end up 30/3 again and to expect Ryder and Taylor to do that every match (and the Indian fielding to oblige) is putting a lot of weight on them.

 

[thierry henry]

keyword being "more than expected"..


I was expecting, from what everyone were saying, a very very flat and true deck. But we have had a bit of swing and the pitch has helped in the ball staying reasonably good for swing and also the pace and bounce of the track is a bit more than a normal flat deck... Usually it means even better going for stroke players but with the swing around, it can be dangerous for batsmen. After all, it only takes one mistake to get out, right?

The ball is swinging in the air, nothing is happening off the pitch

 

[honestbharani]

The ball is swinging in the air, nothing is happening off the pitch

you don't quite get it, do you? The pitch is quicker and has more carry than what I expect of a normal complete road... And it has more grass which helps the ball retain the shine more than usual.. Which aids the swing... And with that swing, given the pace and carry of this pitch being more than normal, batting is not easy as one would have thought...


I understand that the swing is not off the pitch but the pace and carry is, and that is what I meant when I said "the pitch is doing a bit more than expected"...

 

[honestbharani]

anyways.. given how dangerously Bhajji and Dhoni are living here, I wouldn't expect anything more than 260 from India right now..

 

[neutralguy]

29,47,2,9,37,11,55,12,38,34,50,8,19,42,5,16,53,38,93,3,18,11,111,3,17,29,18,14,10,2,44,10,68,51,5,39,11,11,0,3,3,4,136,0,66,8,83,62,35

Dravids scores from january 2007-april 3, 2009 in test cricket excluding bangladesh and zimbo.
Average/innings=29.28

 

[straw man]

If I followed India would love Harbhajan's batting with a passion. Must be the world's most annoying player to score runs against you.

 

[Prince EWS]

If I followed India would love Harbhajan's batting with a passion. Must be the world's most annoying player to score runs against you.

Paul Harris is far more annoying TBH; he just scores runs far less frequently.

 

[TT Boy]

Very handy stand this and 350 isn't looking like such a distant dream now (SS).

 

[thierry henry]

you don't quite get it, do you? The pitch is quicker and has more carry than what I expect of a normal complete road... And it has more grass which helps the ball retain the shine more than usual.. Which aids the swing... And with that swing, given the pace and carry of this pitch being more than normal, batting is not easy as one would have thought...


I understand that the swing is not off the pitch but the pace and carry is, and that is what I meant when I said "the pitch is doing a bit more than expected"...

Not sure that pace is really here nor there, it's often said that certain batsman "like the ball coming on to the bat" while others don't. The pitch is flat. It is a belter. And you are a smug pissant ****.

 

[thierry henry]

Not surprised to see NZ ****ing up a position of strength btw