***Official India in New Zealand***

[Days of Grace]

What I meant was showing some application. From the sound of it,all four wickets today were got out by the bowlers, so that's okay.

 

[Uppercut]

What I meant was showing some application. From the sound of it,all four wickets today were got out by the bowlers, so that's okay.

I'd say they need to appreciate the situation. It would infuriate me if they got themselves out trying to hit a six when they needed to bat out the draw.

But "throwing their wickets away" is seriously overused. Some players like to score runs and take their chances, others hang around for as long as possible but inevitably make a mistake or get a good nut at some stage. Someone like Jesse Ryder isn't being irresponsible, they play in an aggressive fashion because that's the way to maximise their runs scored.

Yet every time they get out trying to score runs they're lambasted for "throwing it away", as if it's inherently better to get out playing a defensive stroke.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Days of Grace is Martin Crowe and I claim my $5 voucher for use at Pak 'n' Save.

 

[Somerset]

Who else agrees that Jeetan Patel should play in every single test NZ play. Vettori looks less and less threating every game. Look at how well Singh has bowled in this game.

Just as a point of interest, statistically when Vettori and Patel have both played test cricket together (so faced with the same conditions and opposition):
Vettori 30 wickets @ 31.40
Patel 26 wickets @ 34.61

Given Vettori has also averaged 47.55 with the bat in the matches they've played together in, and is our only real choice as captain for a test match (personally wouldn't fancy the role to fall on McCullum for five days), I'm wondering what your reasons (and the reasons of those that have agreed with you) are for being so in favour of Patel?

As for the member that raised the option of Nethula....I hope you're saying that tongue in cheek.

 

[ret]

Your probability work never ceases to amaze me, ret.

Ryder - 3 & 0 .... thats what I was talking abt

 

[Uppercut]

Ryder - 3 & 0 .... thats what I was talking abt

Doesn't make you any less ridiculously wrong.

 

[Prince EWS]

Ryder - 3 & 0 .... thats what I was talking abt

!!

 

[ret]

law of averages seem to work, don't they?!

 

[Uppercut]

law of averages seem to work, don't they?!

Gambler's Fallacy.

 

[ret]

have to rush to work but will read that and explain if what i thought is different

 

[Jono]

Gambler's Fallacy.

# Jane and Bill are talking:

Jane: "I'll be able to buy that car I always wanted soon."
Bill: "Why, did you get a raise?"
Jane: "No. But you know how I've been playing the lottery all these years?"
Bill: "Yes, you buy a ticket for every drawing, without fail."
Jane: "And I've lost every time."
Bill: "So why do you think you will win this time?"
Jane: "Well, after all those losses I'm due for a win."

# Joe and Sam are at the race track betting on horses.

Joe: "You see that horse over there? He lost his last four races. I'm going to bet on him."
Sam: "Why? I think he will probably lose."
Joe: "No way, Sam. I looked up the horse's stats and he has won half his races in the past two years. Since he has lost three of his last four races, he'll have to win this race. So I'm betting the farm on him."
Sam: "Are you sure?"
Joe: "Of course I'm sure. That pony is due, man...he's due!"



"That pony is due, man... he's due!"

Great line.

 

[Bahnz]

Well it's almost time for my team of the series. Lets see...

Guptill - Just wins over Sehwag. Sehwag actually had a slightly higher average (28 against 27.2), but Guptill wins on the grounds that he actually spent a lot more time at the crease (nearly 2x as many balls) than Sehwag, and in doing so did a better job of fulfilling an openers primary objective of surviving the new ball.
Gambhir - obvious
Dravid - obvious
Tendulkar - obvious
VVS/Taylor - Try as hard as I might I just can't split this yet. Two players who have very similar stats. Again, VVS actually has a slightly better batting average (73.75 as opposed to 71), but then Taylor often came in in much more trying circumstances. It's a toss up, but if Taylor can see NZ through to a draw tomorrow I think he'll clinch it.
Ryder - obvious
Dhoni - similar batting efforts, and McCullum was better behind the stumps, but Dhoni gets this spot on the basis of his excellent captaincy
Harbhajan - obvious
Khan - obvious
Ishant - While he was hardly spectacular, averaging a tick under 40, he's a long way ahead of all the other seamers besides Khan and Martin
Martin - more consistently threating than any seamer save Khan.

Any disagreements?

 

[honestbharani]

Well it's almost time for my team of the series. Lets see...

Guptill - Just wins over Sehwag. Sehwag actually had a slightly higher average (28 against 27.2), but Guptill wins on the grounds that he actually spent a lot more time at the crease (nearly 2x as many balls) than Sehwag, and in doing so did a better job of fulfilling an openers primary objective of surviving the new ball.
Gambhir - obvious
Dravid - obvious
Tendulkar - obvious
VVS/Taylor - Try as hard as I might I just can't split this yet. Two players who have very similar stats. Again, VVS actually has a slightly better batting average (73.75 as opposed to 71), but then Taylor often came in in much more trying circumstances. It's a toss up, but if Taylor can see NZ through to a draw tomorrow I think he'll clinch it.
Ryder - obvious
Dhoni - similar batting efforts, and McCullum was better behind the stumps, but Dhoni gets this spot on the basis of his excellent captaincy
Harbhajan - obvious
Khan - obvious
Ishant - While he was hardly spectacular, averaging a tick under 40, he's a long way ahead of all the other seamers besides Khan and Martin
Martin - more consistently threating than any seamer save Khan.

Any disagreements?

not really.. I completely agree with the side. The bowling stats show how dire both teams' bowling has been and how flat the pitches have been...

 

[Uppercut]

Well it's almost time for my team of the series. Lets see...

Guptill - Just wins over Sehwag. Sehwag actually had a slightly higher average (28 against 27.2), but Guptill wins on the grounds that he actually spent a lot more time at the crease (nearly 2x as many balls) than Sehwag, and in doing so did a better job of fulfilling an openers primary objective of surviving the new ball.
Gambhir - obvious
Dravid - obvious
Tendulkar - obvious
VVS/Taylor - Try as hard as I might I just can't split this yet. Two players who have very similar stats. Again, VVS actually has a slightly better batting average (73.75 as opposed to 71), but then Taylor often came in in much more trying circumstances. It's a toss up, but if Taylor can see NZ through to a draw tomorrow I think he'll clinch it.
Ryder - obvious
Dhoni - similar batting efforts, and McCullum was better behind the stumps, but Dhoni gets this spot on the basis of his excellent captaincy
Harbhajan - obvious
Khan - obvious
Ishant - While he was hardly spectacular, averaging a tick under 40, he's a long way ahead of all the other seamers besides Khan and Martin
Martin - more consistently threating than any seamer save Khan.

Any disagreements?

I'd consider just picking a middle-order batsman to open. There are in fact twelve batsmen including Vettori and Zaheer who have averaged more than either Guptill or Sehwag. They really were both pretty dire.

Other than that, you're spot on.

 

[Bahnz]

I'd consider just picking a middle-order batsman to open. There are in fact twelve batsmen including Vettori and Zaheer who have averaged more than either Guptill or Sehwag. They really were both pretty dire.

Other than that, you're spot on.

That's an interesting point. Maybe Dravid as the other opener and Ryder at 3? Although that is playing around with batsmen out of their normal positions, and I hated it when Ryder batted at 3 earlier in the year...

 

[Uppercut]

That's an interesting point. Maybe Dravid as the other opener and Ryder at 3? Although that is playing around with batsmen out of their normal positions, and I hated it when Ryder batted at 3 earlier in the year...

Something like that. I wouldn't normally do it in these kinds of teams, but Guptill and Sehwag both had really, really poor series.

 

[Days of Grace]

Just as a point of interest, statistically when Vettori and Patel have both played test cricket together (so faced with the same conditions and opposition):
Vettori 30 wickets @ 31.40
Patel 26 wickets @ 34.61

Given Vettori has also averaged 47.55 with the bat in the matches they've played together in, and is our only real choice as captain for a test match (personally wouldn't fancy the role to fall on McCullum for five days), I'm wondering what your reasons (and the reasons of those that have agreed with you) are for being so in favour of Patel?

As for the member that raised the option of Nethula....I hope you're saying that tongue in cheek.

If Jacob Oram was actually bloody fit for once, he would probably make an okay captain if you dropped Vettori.

Dan the man would make the side as an allrounder anyway, so that's that.

 

[Somerset]

# Jane and Bill are talking:

Jane: "I'll be able to buy that car I always wanted soon."
Bill: "Why, did you get a raise?"
Jane: "No. But you know how I've been playing the lottery all these years?"
Bill: "Yes, you buy a ticket for every drawing, without fail."
Jane: "And I've lost every time."
Bill: "So why do you think you will win this time?"
Jane: "Well, after all those losses I'm due for a win."

# Joe and Sam are at the race track betting on horses.

Joe: "You see that horse over there? He lost his last four races. I'm going to bet on him."
Sam: "Why? I think he will probably lose."
Joe: "No way, Sam. I looked up the horse's stats and he has won half his races in the past two years. Since he has lost three of his last four races, he'll have to win this race. So I'm betting the farm on him."
Sam: "Are you sure?"
Joe: "Of course I'm sure. That pony is due, man...he's due!"



"That pony is due, man... he's due!"

Great line.

Not 100% convinced that Joe's stats are truely accurate.

 

[Jono]

Lol. Joe's gotta lift his game.

But still... that pony is due, man he's due!

 

[Flem274*]

My god there's some knee jerkers on here. Nethula? McClenaghan?

I saw a 5 year old with a solid technique a while back, maybe we should get him to open.

Seriously, get a grip.

The 12 (including Patel) we have at the moment (excluding McIntosh) and maybe replacing Southee is the best available at the moment. Unless Oram hardens up, he's no longer a test match option.

This team has real promise. Maybe its time to get behind them, eh?

Thank you