*Official* - India in West Indies

[Dissector]

Yes, true. I don't think he'll get picked though, TBH. I'm reasonably sure Zaheer, Ishant and Sreesanth - in that order after the latest series - are the three first choice pacers. If Sreesanth bowlers utter dross in game one (definitely possible), he may get a look in.

I don't know about that. I would imagine both Sree and Praveen will play the first class game and that will influence the selection. And that is as it should be. Sree has simply not done enough to be an automatic choice.

 

[Outswinger@Pace]

I don't know about that. I would imagine both Sree and Praveen will play the first class game and that will influence the selection. And that is as it should be. Sree has simply not done enough to be an automatic choice.

That sounds like a good solution. I'd love to see a real competition between the method of Praveen and the madness of Sreesanth.

 

[shivfan]

All this talk about first-string and second-string is a bit irrelevant, when players choose the IPL over ODI and Test cricket....

If the BCCI allows them to make that choice, then as far as I'm concerned, the Windies played a first-string team.

 

[Borges]

All this talk about first-string and second-string is a bit irrelevant...

It is not merely irrelevant, it is also factually incorrect. A team made up of the very best Indian players available to play test matches for their country is the Indian test team. It was India playing the West Indies away in a test series. Period.

Perhaps, at some other time, they may organize matches between India A and West Indies A, and it would be a good thing too if they did that.

 

[Vroomfondel]

It is not merely irrelevant, it is also factually incorrect. A team made up of the very best Indian players available to play test matches for their country is the Indian test team. It was India playing the West Indies away in a test series. Period.

Perhaps, at some other time, they may organize matches between India A and West Indies A, and it would be a good thing too if they did that.

...as Borges scores to put Sanity one ahead.

(I would never say that about the author that bears your name)

 

[shivfan]

And for all that talk about second-string teams, what changes did India make to their side for the Lords Test?

Only three....

Gambhir, Tendulkar and Zaheer came in for Vijay, Kohli and some other bowler (Munaf?).

 

[G.I.Joe]

And for all that talk about second-string teams, what changes did India make to their side for the Lords Test?

Only three....

Gambhir, Tendulkar and Zaheer came in for Vijay, Kohli and some other bowler (Munaf?).

Sehwag, Gambhir, Tendulkar, Zaheer, Sreesanth were first choice players that didn't play in the West Indies. Praveen has overtaken Sreesanth now, but that wasn't the case until the morning of Praveen's debut.

5 first choice players not playing = second string side.

 

[shivfan]

Sehwag, Gambhir, Tendulkar, Zaheer, Sreesanth were first choice players that didn't play in the West Indies. Praveen has overtaken Sreesanth now, but that wasn't the case until the morning of Praveen's debut.

5 first choice players not playing = second string side.

Big deal....

You've ended up with Praveen, who's bowled better than Sreesanth could ever have done in the Caribbean, and has been picked ahead of him at Lords, understandably.

Sehwag is injured, because he chose IPL when he should've rested, like Gambhir.

It's time to stop making excuses for your players choosing IPL over Test and ODI cricket.

 

[Daemon]

Well if they did skip the IPL we would have still been stuck with Vijay, Yuvraj may be playing ahead of Raina, Sreesanth would be picked ahead of Praveen Kumar/Ishant Sharma.

We won while at the same time were able to form a better first XI than we would have done before the tour, so as an Indian fan I don't see why anyone would complain.

 

[centurymaker]

Well if they did skip the IPL we would have still been stuck with Vijay, Yuvraj may be playing ahead of Raina, Sreesanth would be picked ahead of Praveen Kumar/Ishant Sharma.

We won while at the same time were able to form a better first XI than we would have done before the tour, so as an Indian fan I don't see why anyone would complain.

good post

 

[vcs]

Tempted to post that broken record picture here. Four first choice players out + 3 debutants means it was clearly a weakened side. FTR, I have never once offered that up as an excuse or a justification, and wouldn't have done if India had lost either. But I can't see how we can pretend that taking out 4 first choice players and having 3 debutants doesn't weaken the team.

 

[shivfan]

I hope you're right, no zaheer really takes the sting out of the series.

It's hard for me to feel sorry for any player who plays in the IPL, and then misses a Test/ODI tour of the Caribbean....

Now, I just need to see Gambhir and Sachin get ducks, and my weekend will be complete.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Big deal....

You've ended up with Praveen, who's bowled better than Sreesanth could ever have done in the Caribbean, and has been picked ahead of him at Lords, understandably.

Sehwag is injured, because he chose IPL when he should've rested, like Gambhir.

It's time to stop making excuses for your players choosing IPL over Test and ODI cricket.

WTF is wrong with you? All you ever do is whine, whine, whine, and whine. Why would you think this is some sort of excuse for the players missing the tour? I've been pretty clear that Sehwag had himself to blame for his injury, while Tendulkar made a decision that I didn't agree with.

Yes, we have Praveen now. But he wasn't first choice at the start of the WI series - Sreesanth was. Praveen was very much B-team at the time.

Fact is, India were without 5 first choice players, and that's it. Their replacements were not to blame for the absence of the first choice players, and they deserve credit if they played well, and brickbats if they didn't. You don't just play down a replacement players' performance just because you don't agree with the reasons for him playing in the first place. They are completely unrelated matters.

FWIW, if the WI players suddenly went all Gayle on the WICB, and the WICB had to send in a B team to play in India, they'd be recognised as a second string side. We wouldn't be making excuses for how they should be counted as a first choice lineup because the other players had only themselves to blame for aligning with Gayle.

 

[vcs]

There's like 1 out of the 11231415 Indian fans here who's actually making excuses for players missing Tests for IPL.. the rest are uniformly against it.

 

[Cevno]

We won the tour(could have whitewashed too) and got some good alternatives for 3 positions in the full strength team out of it. Plus added to that gave the players who will have to take over in the future experience.

Don't know how can either team be whining about it still. West Indies got enough competition they could, imo.

 

[vcs]

We won the tour(could have whitewashed too) and got some good alternatives for 3 positions in the full strength team out of it. Plus added to that gave the players who will have to take over in the future experience.

Don't know how can either team be whining about it still. West Indies got enough competition they could, imo.

Zaheer could have possibly been given a game. Don't know if his latest injury is due to him lacking match practice and rhythm.

 

[shivfan]

Those two guys who chose to miss the entire tour of the Caribbean, Gambhir and Sachin, both failed to make half-centuries....

I couldn't be happier....

 

[shivfan]

The three players who missed the Test tour of the Caribbean are all injured or ill....Zaheer, Sachin, Gambhir.

So, there is a God after all....

 

[shivfan]

Gambhir LBW Swann for 22

Good...just need to get Sachin cheaply, and I'll be a happy man....

 

[shivfan]

Well bowled Jimmy you ****.

I couldn't be happier....

The three players who chose not to tour the West Indies (Sachin, Gambhir and Zaheer) have all had matches they'd rather forget.