***Official*** India in New Zealand 2013/14

[Bahnz]

Someone needs to give the Eden Park groundsman a pat on the back - fantastic test wicket. Not often where you have innings of 500 and 100 in the same match, but it wasn't owing to any extremes of the wicket. It was a pitch that rewarded good seam (and swing bowling) and unlike many NZ wickets it was hard and quick enough that there was always something there for a bowler willing to bend his back (in this match, Wagner in particular). It even turned a bit. However woe betide any bowler that strayed as the wicket also played true for shot-making and rewarded good batsmanship.

It's always going to be difficult preparing a pitch where you don't know if the atmospheric conditions will be right for swing or not, and I suspect if it hadn't swung we might have complained it was too flat. However all things told, it was a great wicket.

Yeah, really agree. Probably one of the best wickets produced in New Zealand in recent years. Something in it for everyone. And I don't think the result was too reliant on swing. None of Wagner's 2nd innings wickets were swing resultant, and Boult and Southee were relying equally on seam and swing when it came to the 2nd new ball (Boult's non-lbw of Rahane was more the result of the ball cutting in off the pitch than the inward swing). Even Jadeja was starting to get some real bite on day 3, I'm glad that we weren't batting last.

 

[Athlai]

I think the Wagner thing was fairly awesome. He proved a lot of us wrong but most of us are able to actually enjoy it because we weren't calling for his head just yet.

 

[straw man]

Completely off topic of where the thread is at and probably already mentioned, I just cant get over the parallels between Dhoni's dismissal and the delivery Wagner bowled Prior last year.
Dhoni's hit the stump we won the game!!!!
Yes there are ten thousand if buts and maybes, but f*** me it is spookily similar.

Haha good point. The other deja vu I got this match was when Kohli managed to get himself out shaping to play a very ambitious legside shot to a short wide one. Reminded me of Ponting gifting us his wicket in Hobart 2011 when Australia looked to have the chase completely under control. Match changed from that point on.

45.4 did that stop on Ponting? Bracewell bowled that short of a good length and he mistimed it completely, punching it away from his body straight into the hands of extra cover, Ponting walks back to a standing ovation. The umpire checked again for a no-ball but Bracewell was safe there 159/3

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Agree, don't disagree with that, but as per my sentiment above, I don't want our potentially second or third best batsman thrown away so easily. I understand he has a history of issues, you've got to make the threat count for more than just "You won't play cricket for NZ" - if you get it to "You won't play cricket in NZ" - it's really on Jesse.

Could they legally do that? Wouldn't it count as a restraint of trade if, as he's demonstrated, he's clearly capable of playing to a much higher ability than most domestic batsmen even with his off-field troubles?

 

[Jono]

India have what they've always had, a very good batting unit and bowlers who thrive in their home conditions, with one outstanding seam bowler who does well away from home. That's been India for as long as I can remember, with only brief periods where they could play away from home. You'd anticipate them dominating in their own conditions due to the impact of their spin bowlers and the rate their batsmen can score at, but a little bit of swing in the air and these guys are out to sea. I'd hate to see them face the Duke.

Such a weird post considering these blokes bowled NZ out for 100 and came relatively close to chasing 400 away from home.

This team is nothing like any previous Indian team tbh. Batting is raw and untested for the first time in yonks, only two players are really experienced (three if you include Ishant, but lol) and they lack a real world class quality spinner which is something I can't remember being the case for a long time.

Its unrecognisable.

 

[Athlai]

Could they legally do that? Wouldn't it count as a restraint of trade if, as he's demonstrated, he's clearly capable of playing to a much higher ability than most domestic batsmen even with his off-field troubles?

Reckon his domestic team would have to make a similar sort of ultimatum.

 

[benchmark00]

Could they legally do that? Wouldn't it count as a restraint of trade if, as he's demonstrated, he's clearly capable of playing to a much higher ability than most domestic batsmen even with his off-field troubles?

If Cricket New Zealand are required to sign off on contracts to register them which I suspect they would, there's no reason why they couldn't refuse to do so. I imagine CNZ reserve the right to enter, or indeed not enter, into a contract with anyone.

 

[Bahnz]

I dare say if NZ keep this up and continue to win the first test of a series, they'll start to see a lot more three test series options.

The first real test of that will be the NZ v Aus tour planned in the future tours programme (though whether that is still going ahead is anyone's guess at this point). A three test series with zero ODI's and T20's. Could so easily see it getting collapsed into a 2 test and 3 T20 tour. But if New Zealand win this series, and put up a good fight in England next year then maybe the original programme will proceed.

 

[Flem274*]

Despite the loss I still think this Indian side is quite well suited to playing away from home because of the fast bowling attack they should be using; Shami, Zaheer, Yadav.

edit: relative to a lot of previous indian teams that is

 

[Flem274*]

The first real test of that will be the NZ v Aus tour planned in the future tours programme (though whether that is still going ahead is anyone's guess at this point). A three test series with zero ODI's and T20's. Could so easily see it getting collapsed into a 2 test and 3 T20 tour. But if New Zealand win this series, and put up a good fight in England next year then maybe the original programme will proceed.

we'e going back to england again so soon?

 

[Bahnz]

Yeah, we're being used as the Ashes curtain raiser for the 2nd time in a row in 2015.

 

[Woodster]

Yeah, but the problem with this is that BCCI, ECB and ACB all look at New Zealand and decide that they'll win easily, therefore a two match series should provide at worse a 1-0 result for them pending a draw. This is despite NZ almost beating England here at home (should have won, to be honest), beating Australia in Hobart (forcing a drawn series) and now putting India to the sword here in NZ. So you've now got a situation where teams are either 0-0 heading into the final and deciding test, or this situation where they're 1-0 down and at best have a chance at tying the series

I dare say if NZ keep this up and continue to win the first test of a series, they'll start to see a lot more three test series options.

The two-Test series issue doesn't just affect NZ, though I understand why you may be peeved. Another factor surely has to be that there seems such a lack of interest in Test cricket in NZ, such a wonderful Test played and a most memorable victory yet barely a person in the ground to witness it.

 

[Bahnz]

It'll be interesting to see how many people turn up to the Basin next week. It's meant to be beautiful weather over next weekend, and reports are that ticket sales have been pretty good.

 

[Blocky]

Such a weird post considering these blokes bowled NZ out for 100 and came relatively close to chasing 400 away from home.

This team is nothing like any previous Indian team tbh. Batting is raw and untested for the first time in yonks, only two players are really experienced (three if you include Ishant, but lol) and they lack a real world class quality spinner which is something I can't remember being the case for a long time.

Its unrecognisable.

India didn't bowl NZ out for 100.

They got Rutherford for a duck, then you saw Fulton play a bad shot, Williamson play a bad shot, Taylor brain explode and run McCullum out. I take your point that the scoreboard read 100 all out but that was more due to NZ imploding than India being threatening with the ball. They're not a great side away from home and never really have been consistently, because they've never had a seam bowling unit. They've had one or two good seamers and a heavy reliance on spin.

 

[Flem274*]

wish people would stop judging interest in any nz sport by auckland crowd figures.

 

[SteveNZ]

wish people would stop judging interest in any nz sport by auckland crowd figures.

The most apathetic city in the world, I would say, when it comes to attending sporting events. Partially to do with an inaccessible, half baked stadium certainly, but I think I read there was 3000 there on Sunday? Absolutely embarrassing.

 

[Blocky]

The most apathetic city in the world, I would say, when it comes to attending sporting events. Partially to do with an inaccessible, half baked stadium certainly, but I think I read there was 3000 there on Sunday? Absolutely embarrassing.

Apparently they've sold out the 9s. Be the first event ever outside of World Cup.

 

[Bahnz]

Apparently they've sold out the 9s. Be the first event ever outside of World Cup.

Will be interesting to see if that turns into a disgraceful piss-up like the 7s or whether people actually turn up for the League. I'm not optimistic.

 

[straw man]

Will put out my team for the next match. Spots open are:

*opener
*opener
Williamson
Taylor/*reserve
McCullum
Anderson
Watling
Southee
*bowler
Wagner
Boult

Firstly on Latham, although I thought from the time I first saw him play that he looked more suited to the middle order than to opening, he's opted to open for Canterbury and given his success there, there's no way he should play as reserve for Taylor in the middle order. Although it would be nice to give him longer as a domestic opener we really are short of options, he seems to have a good head and I don't see the harm bringing him in for one test knowing that he'll be opening on our tour to the West Indies too. I don't want to change both openers right now and Rutherford is clearly offering even less than Fulton - they both are horribly vulnerable early but we all know that Rutherford will throw it away if he does get in anyway as he has absolutely no idea how to construct an innings, whereas there's at least a chance Fulton will go on. Fulton is a useful slip too.

That means we need a different reserve for Taylor. Brownlie, Ronchi, Franklin, Redmond have all been mentioned as one-off options, though need to consider that whoever is picked is likely to go as reserve batsman to the Windies as well. I dislike all those options tbh. I dislike Brownlie least for the next match but he will die against spin if he ends up a reserve playing in WI. Still, Brownlie it is imo, narrowly beating out Ronchi. Taylor needs to put an order in with the someone upstairs for his baby to be born tomorrow so he can play the next test .

I'll be alone in my opinion that I still saw plenty to like in Sodhi's bowling - particularly the drift that he got at times (e.g. Saturday afternoon, but saw precious little of it yesterday) and that he actually turned his leg break. He was always going to get slaughtered bowling to Kohli in particular though (and Dhoni and Pujara too). I liked that McCullum showed some faith in Sodhi and backed him, but aside from his 1+ four-balls per over it was the way that he couldn't land his legbreak at all when the pressure went on that is the real problem - hello 15-run over. He can't play in Wellington - we can't afford that luxury. Not sure what to do for a spinner to the WI, if we want to gamble on Sodhi or go for a finger-spinner.

Injuries are putting a real dampener on my enthusiasm for replacements though. Gillespie, Bennett, Neesham, Wells, NcCullum have been mooted. The three Otago all-rounders haven't done enough at domestic level imo and at this point wouldn't be more than bits-and-pieces at test level. I want more wickets from Jimmy for Otago. Picking an out-and-out bowler also means less reliant on Anderson, who strangely lost his action at times this match. Although I'm not enthused by Bennett and that bowling action playing at test level, he does deserve it unless Gillespie is at top-speed. Makes our tail even more horrible though.

Fulton
Latham
Williamson
Taylor (Brownlie)
McCullum
Anderson
Watling
Southee
Wagner
Boult
Bennett

 

[Bahnz]

I think India might've found a serious weakness in Anderson's technique. He repeatedly looked enormously vulnerable to the right handers bringing the ball back into him from around the wicket. Whether or not he was out in the first innings, he was still well and truely beaten on the inside edge by Ishant, and it wasn't the first time that that had happened in his innings. And in the second innings Shami had no hesitation in coming around the wicket to him immediately, with instant success.