***Official*** New Zealand in India 2012

[Flem274*]

<Insightful original post here>

Thu Aug 23 - Mon Aug 27
04:00 GMT | 09:30 local 16:00 NZST
1st Test - India v New Zealand
Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad


Fri Aug 31 - Tue Sep 4
04:00 GMT | 09:30 local16:00 NZST
2nd Test - India v New Zealand
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore


Sat Sep 8
14:30 GMT | 20:00 local02:30 NZST +1d
1st T20I - India v New Zealand
Indira Priyadarshini Stadi

Tue Sep 11
14:30 GMT | 20:00 local02:30 NZST +1d
2nd T20I - India v New Zealand
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

 

[Hurricane]

on the first page...

 

[Dan]

2 Tests, 2 T20is. Seems like a strange schedule.

 

[Flem274*]

2 Tests, 2 T20is. Seems like a strange schedule.

...

No responsibility is taken by ESPNcricinfo for the accuracy of this information.

Fence sitters.

 

[Mike5181]

There needs to be preparation time for NZ in Indian conditions and with the WT20 straight after there probably wasn't enough time for a full tour of Tests/ODIs/T20Is.

 

[Days of Grace]

Starting to hate these tours with minimal warm-up games or none at all. New Zealand has traditionally been horrible in their first outings on tour.

 

[BackFootPunch]

If we play like we did against WI our 'tour' might consist of less than 10 days of cricket.

 

[Flem274*]

Pros: India can't bowl very well. We can bowl well.

Cons: We can't bat very well; India bat very well, or at least in India if recent away form counts for much; we're playing in India

 

[Dan]

Pro: Rahul Dravid retired. Rahane couldn't buy a run on the A tour.
Con: Tendulkar's still going. Pujara made runs.

 

[Mike5181]

Cons:
Ryder's had success against India and is no longer in the team
Martin our best bowler in the 2010/11 tour has just been dropped
Vettori our second best bowler in the 2010/11 tour is injured

 

[Flem274*]

Cons: we suck

 

[BackFootPunch]

Con: Ashwin will soon have two test hundreds.

 

[Dan]

Pro: They're coming from the most spin-friendly pitches in the world. If Guptill can make runs there, he should translate it across into India.
Con: Indian pitches are roads. No assistance for Boult, Wagner and Bracewell at all.
Pro: Indian pacers will be screwed.
Pro: India doesn't have a decent spinner.
Con: Neither does New Zealand.

 

[Flametree]

Con: Ashwin will soon have two test hundreds.

So you think we'll take enough wickets to get Ashwin to the crease? (Or did you see him in a nightwatchman role coming in at 330-2 late on day 1?....)

 

[BackFootPunch]

Oh we'll take enough wickets to get to him. They'll be 50 odd behind us in the first innings when he comes to the crease. On here we'll be getting all hopeful. Shastri and co will be talking about how we might be able to scrape a lead if we can just get these last few wickets. Then 45 overs later they'll be 150 ahead and Ashwin will have a ton followed by an inevitable Kiwi collapse and 8 wicket loss.

 

[Flametree]

Serious questions :

1. What do we know about the two venues for the test-matches? Slow and low getting slower and lower as it goes on, or just roads, potential dustbowls, good place for reverse swing, humidity offering something for orthodox swing etc?

2. Is Hesson involved in picking the NZ side? Any clues what he might do (call-ups for Rutherford, Broom, NMac, Beard and Wells maybe?)

3. I'm assuming India will pick
Sehwag
Gambhir
??
Tendulkar
Laxman
Kohli
Dhoni
Ashwin
Ojha
+ two seamers.

Any idea who the seamers will be and who will bat at 3?

 

[BackFootPunch]

We played at Hyderabad last time - McCullum got his 225, McIntosh got runs, Vettori got wickets. Bhaji got an unbeaten ton. So a road I'd suggest. Bangalore will be along the same lines, although Laxman only averages 26ish there.

Yeah Hesson will be involved. I imagine they'll want him and Taylor to sit down and have some discussions before they pick the side.

Pujara to bat 3 probably. Seamers should be Ishant and Zaheer. Irfan Pathan has been good in the ODI series against Sri Lanka so may get a look in.

 

[Flametree]

One of the most disappointing aspect of the last few months has been van Wyk's lack of runs. I honestly thought multiple years of seriously good numbers at first class level meant he would be a genuinely good test batsman, but gritty 15's and 25's isn't really good enough. As another poster in the Windies tour thread said, Young was dropped after the same number of tests with a higher average. It really does suggest the first class system is not a helpful pointer towards who might make it at test level (I should have realised that after Peter Fulton, but I still had hope...)

If Vettori is fit, then maybe Watling to keep and bat at 6, Vettori at 7, with either four seamers or three seamers and a second spinner to be selected via a lottery system?

 

[nsniks]

Serious questions :

1. What do we know about the two venues for the test-matches? Slow and low getting slower and lower as it goes on, or just roads, potential dustbowls, good place for reverse swing, humidity offering something for orthodox swing etc?

2. Is Hesson involved in picking the NZ side? Any clues what he might do (call-ups for Rutherford, Broom, NMac, Beard and Wells maybe?)

3. I'm assuming India will pick
Sehwag
Gambhir
??
Tendulkar
Laxman
Kohli
Dhoni
Ashwin
Ojha
+ two seamers.

Any idea who the seamers will be and who will bat at 3?

Hyderabad would be a flat track surely. Pujara would be picked to bat at 3 as he had a good A tour to WI this year.

Most probably India's line up would be

Sehwag
Gambhir
Pujara
Sachin
Laxman
Kohli
Dhoni
Ashwin
Zaheer
Yadav
Ojha

 

[Mike5181]

One of the most disappointing aspect of the last few months has been van Wyk's lack of runs. I honestly thought multiple years of seriously good numbers at first class level meant he would be a genuinely good test batsman, but gritty 15's and 25's isn't really good enough. As another poster in the Windies tour thread said, Young was dropped after the same number of tests with a higher average. It really does suggest the first class system is not a helpful pointer towards who might make it at test level (I should have realised that after Peter Fulton, but I still had hope...)

If Vettori is fit, then maybe Watling to keep and bat at 6, Vettori at 7, with either four seamers or three seamers and a second spinner to be selected via a lottery system?

Yeah, possibly. Van Wyk deserved selection for this test series based on his performances in the South African series and his first-class record in NZ for the last few seasons, but he failed to perform at an acceptable level.

Vettori's only about a 10% chance to play btw.