The great Pujara v. Kohli v. Rahane debate

[Shady Slim]

well for that first test i thought that india were going to win, then vijay got trapped one short of a century and saha decided it was a T20 and suddenly it was all over

 

[longranger]

Need KL Rahul to open ahead of Dhawan.

Not sure KL Rahul is mature enough yet to be India's Test Opener. He's looked patchy when he starts, even in the IPL game (not last night's one). Yes, he seems the type to score big when he gets going but one wonders how many such chances he'll get. I say Dhawan is still odds-on to be opening when we tour Sri Lanka and play South Africa at home later this year.

 

[OverratedSanity]

I really hope we start looking at openers who have the game to potentially succeed away from home. It's always been a problem for us, and exposing Pujara and Kohli to the new ball too early is what cost us dearly in England. I think Rahul would be a good choice tbh. Kinda like a better version of Akash Chopra.

 

[cnerd123]

Dhawan has the game to succeed overseas IMO. He's not as technically flawed like Sehwag or some of the meh openers we've tried in the past. It's just about him not being fidgety outside off desperate to get bat on ball.

Vijay, Dhawan and Rahul all have the game to do well overseas, which is very promising. What we really need is someone to bat at six. Someone who isn't Raina.

I wanna nominate Pandey, or some young guy like Iyer for the experience.

 

[harsh.ag]

What about Rahul/Dhawan at 6?

 

[Daemon]

Are we over Rohit Sharma then?

 

[OverratedSanity]

Guys it's got to be Rohit at 6. If not him, I think Dhawan could work.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Dhawan has the game to succeed overseas IMO. He's not as technically flawed like Sehwag or some of the meh openers we've tried in the past. It's just about him not being fidgety outside off desperate to get bat on ball.

You do realise that's overseas opening batting 101?

 

[harsh.ag]

I don't even know what to think about Rohit. Feel 1990s nervous when he comes on to bat.

 

[cnerd123]

You do realise that's overseas opening batting 101?

It's not like he lacks footwork or has a badly angled bat or leaves a gap between bat pad or cant play the short ball or **** like that tho. It's all mental. He has the game over overseas conditions just needs to apply it.

Hate Nohit tbh. Don't want him at 6. Can't handle pressure. Bowl a few tight overs at him and he throws it away.

 

[Daemon]

His career so far is pretty much this -

53.2 132.9 kph, he was always in danger of that. Nicks off to the keeper and India's progress is undone by a bit of poor cricket. It was a length ball outside off, the kind that Pujara and Kohli have been leaving all day, but Rohit goes for a airy drive on the up and has to walk back 151/4

45.1 another poor shot, another overnight batsman gone. India folding like a piece of paper. Not driving length at all, pitches around off, angling away. Rohit plays the push-drive, with hard hands, gets an inside edge. Onto the stumps 138/6

81.1 and here is Rohit Sharma gone first ball. New Zealand have sensed the moment and seized it by the scruff of its neck. Lovely outswinger first ball after tea. No looseners from Southee. Just short of driving length, Sharma caught neither back nor forward, and the swing does the rest. This is unravelling fast 270/6

43.3 137.5 kph, fuller length, felt for, and a little edge behind! The batsman stands his ground but everyone else was convinced and Anderson strikes immediately. Poor stroke really, feeling a long way outside off with just a defensive stroke, that could so easily have been left. There was a hint of shape away from the bat and it was a very faint edge, as confirmed by Real Time Snicko 112/5

1.2 119.8 kph, got him, Smith's taken a beauty! Watson's struck with a good ball, but Rohit will wonder if he needed to play that shot. It was the wide outswinger, not quite up there for the drive. Rohit drove on the up, it curled away and took his outside edge, and Smith took a super catch diving low to his right at second slip 328/6

28.5 145.4 kph, and that's another. That was a back of a length ball outside off, a tiny bit of movement away to exaggerate the angle and extra bounce as well. Rohit wafts at it away from his body and edges it through to Haddin. Again they check for no-ball and again the heel is right on the edge. 86/4

Now I'm not knowledgeable enough to know whether he should be leaving those or he has technical deficiencies which don't allow him to play these sort of deliveries as well as he should, but if he's going to succeed overseas he needs to get his **** together.

 

[Niall]

Dunno guys, I know it might weaken your batting depth, but I'd like a batting all rounder at 6 or 7. Jadeja was gun last time India played at home (just ask Clarke)I'd go for him again. Not sure if Patel would offer anything that Jadeja wouldn't. Is their any other alternatives hidden away in domestic cricket?

So

Vijay
Rahul/Dhawan
Pujara
Kohli
Rahene
Jadeja
Saha
Ashwin
Ishant
2 from Mishra/Aaron/ Yadev/ Kumar

 

[Pratters]

Are we over Rohit Sharma then?

No I don't think we will be. Is in the team for the trps.

 

[Antihippy]

It's not like he lacks footwork or has a badly angled bat .

Admittedly I haven't seen much of dhawan but these are his exact problems whenever I've seen him.

If your problem is the moving ball then I'd say that 90% of the time you will have those technical deficiencies in your batting.

 

[cnerd123]

He doesn't have a problem with the moving ball tho. He showed us that this WC.

 

[Antihippy]

Oh, was more thinking about the test series, where he seems to nick it behind all the time.

 

[cnerd123]

He's fidgety. Any batsman would nick it behind if they keep poking outside off till they get their eye in. He's shown he can score when the ball moves around. He's shown that, when he takes his time to get his eye in early on, he can score runs. His flaws aren't technical ones.

 

[Pratters]

Dhawan has been fine for ODIs, not so in tests so far. It's not like he has just played 1 test. Over 13 tests, has mostly been poor. Even in first class cricket, he averages 44 which isn't very good for Indian conditions. Still early days but I feel more confident with Vijay and Rahul atm.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Dhawan struggles more against bounce than swing. Won't go as far as saying that he doesn't have any problems against movement though.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Dhawan has been fine for ODIs, not so in tests so far. It's not like he has just played 1 test. Over 13 tests, has mostly been poor. Even in first class cricket, he averages 44 which isn't very good for Indian conditions. Still early days but I feel more confident with Vijay and Rahul atm.

The first class average of 44 includes his overseas tests.