*Official* New Zealand in India 2010

[Shri]

Best at winning > Best at avoiding defeat

Doesn't really count for **** if it is obvious that the pitch isn't going to give a result from the start.

 

[TT Boy]

This is why India is the number one test side. Brilliant stuff from Harbhajan. Laxman IMO is the most under-rated player of the world.

The test match was near perfect. Had all the ingredients to make up for a ripper. Tests > T20s.

Apart from the fact NZ didn’t win, the wicket was a slow road, both attacks were rendered useless by the pitch and also by not being very good, it was a near perfect test match.

 

[Athlai]

Doesn't really count for **** if it is obvious that the pitch isn't going to give a result from the start.

Plenty of chances to push for the win on this IMO. After the 1st day you'd have to say India should have won.

 

[NZTailender]

1. B McCullum
2. BJ Watling
3. J Franklin
4. R Taylor
5. J Ryder
6. K Williamson
7. D Vettori
8. G Hopkins+
9. T Southee
10. B Arnel
11. C Martin

You know it makes sense.


Also, Cribb, when I read Franklin was picked as replacement my first thought was that he could bat 3, so don't even try and claim it

 

[Athlai]

I wouldn't mind that team but I still think McIntosh > Watling.

 

[Prince EWS]

I wouldn't mind that team but I still think McIntosh > Watling.

AWTA so much.

 

[biased indian]

Best at winning > Best at avoiding defeat

Best at avoiding defeat > Best at failing to win

 

[Hurricane]

[

I've supported and defended Franklin for years, but I don't think he's a good pick to play in the subcontinent as his bowling will just be fodder.

And I think it would be fairly desperate to bat him at 3 and replace Watling or McIntosh.

I suspect the team for the next test, like it or not, will be exactly the same but replacing Bennett with Southee or Arnel. Not sure which of those two they'd go with, though I get the feeling Vettori has been fairly unimpressed with Southee in recent times. Vettori loves Patel too much to drop him IMO.

Agree with all of this. Especially the Patel love affair.

 

[Hurricane]

Hard not to love Patel.

I saw the firebirds at the train station while they were doing a promotion. Patel handed me a bottle of water while refusing to make eye contact with me. he sort of handed it to me over his shoulder while facing the other direction. He was obviously sick of people saying hey your Patel.

 

[honestbharani]

I don't like bad decisions. I do get why the Indians are opposed to UDRS in its current form though.

Indian (Tendulkar and co) opposition to UDRS has to do with them not trusting its predictiveness enough, rather than an opposition to all technology. They don't trust it to accurately project the path of the ball on Indian pitches where the ball can do strange things off the pitch towards the end. They're fine with hot spot, which doesn't involve having to make predictions. So why doesn't the ICC meet the BCCI halfway and allow a Hot spot specific UDRS here? Something is better than nothing, which coincidentally seems to be premise of the current UDRS system of limited reviews.

Well, I would agree with that.. I also think you should use the mat thing to see if it was hit inline or not etc.. I believe the first time they implemented this referral thing (umpires went to the TV umpire than players), that was how it was.. Maybe that can be implemented in India?


But the real problem is gonna be consistency.. You can't have a team use the hawk eye in one series for referrals and then see it not being used somewhere else.. It is a no-win situation coz I feel ICC should have checked BCCI before bringing this in at all and BCCI should have made these concerns clearer back then.

 

[honestbharani]

Harbhajan on Martin:

He also felt that Chris Martin was the real Man of the Match for his devastating spell on the fourth day. "Hats off to this guy (Martin) for he bowled his heart out on this flat wicket. For me he is the Man of the Match; to take five wickets on this pitch was something really special."



Surreal hatred for this guy on CW.. For mine, he is, in some ways, better than blokes like Sachin and Dravid. When was the last time these two tried to do something like Bhajji did for a poor(er) team?

 

[honestbharani]

Let's have a team benefit much lesser than their opposition, and you'll see the **** hit the fan.

What is stupid about the lbw example, SS? The Indians aren't opposed to hot spot, you can't pretend they're afraid of asking to review nicks and edges.

But, Joe, the real issue is, if you bring in unlimited referrals, players (like Umar Akmal ) will refer everything........



The more I read both sides of this argument, the more I feel the idea of having the 3rd umpire step in by himself instead of players reviewing etc. Plus, that way, the onus will be again on the umpire to get it right, even if it is the one sitting up in the box.

 

[honestbharani]

I do agree that India didn't use the review system as well as the Sri lankans in that 08 series but to say they completely sucked at it is wrong. There were quite a few decisions that should have been given upon review but weren't and that is what I feel frustrated the Indians. A certain Sachin Tendulkar not too happy with the very first one either......











Another look at reviews | Opinion | Cricinfo Magazine | Cricinfo.com

The issue is that the way UDRS is there now, you can't overturn a decision if it is marginal.. In all the instances you quoted, the original decision was NOT overturned because it was perhaps NOT conclusive that the decision was wrong. I am not saying it is perfect but it is not exactly a controversy as that is how the rule was supposed to work.

 

[vcs]

Harbhajan on Martin:

He also felt that Chris Martin was the real Man of the Match for his devastating spell on the fourth day. "Hats off to this guy (Martin) for he bowled his heart out on this flat wicket. For me he is the Man of the Match; to take five wickets on this pitch was something really special."



Surreal hatred for this guy on CW.. For mine, he is, in some ways, better than blokes like Sachin and Dravid. When was the last time these two tried to do something like Bhajji did for a poor(er) team?

Why can't you praise him without comparing others to him?

 

[honestbharani]

Why can't you praise him without comparing others to him?

I juz find it funny that these guys have this image of "nice" guys but the one guy who is hated on by pretty much everybody goes ahead and does something far far better than what these guys have done for cricket and YET he is hated on...


Plus, this is a cricket forum. Comparisons happen all the time..

 

[vcs]

I juz find it funny that these guys have this image of "nice" guys but the one guy who is hated on by pretty much everybody goes ahead and does something far far better than what these guys have done for cricket and YET he is hated on...


Plus, this is a cricket forum. Comparisons happen all the time..

You have no idea what those guys are or aren't doing for cricket as they may not put it all out in the public domain.

 

[honestbharani]

You have no idea what those guys are or aren't doing for cricket as they may not put it all out in the public domain.

Trust me.. I happen to know some of the philanthropic things that they do here in Chennai.. for the spastics society etc. for instance. There is also this guy they take with the team everywhere in India and sponsor him (he is physically challenged, I think).. But as I said, it is juz a case of image > reality... I am just as sure that not all good deeds by Bhaji come out in the media as well.


If it came across like dissing Sachin or Rahul, I am sorry. But what I meant was that sometimes the image is completely false when compared to the actual person. And I am pretty sure most here at CW and elsewhere are going by image than facts when deciding who is a "bad" guy. It was one of the first things I figured out when I had the opportunity to talk to Warney back in 98 here in Chennai.

 

[vcs]

I see your point, of course. Just don't see why he needs to be compared to anyone else. But yeah, he's probably a lovely guy off the field.

 

[Prince EWS]

Who gives a ****? Lets talk about cricket.

 

[blahblahblah]

Who gives a ****? Lets talk about cricket.