1st Match - India v New Zealand (15th March)

[Jono]

For people pulling up posts after the first half: no one in his right mind could think NZ would win after their batting had finished except the NZ players themselves (and credit to them).

Nah its fair enough for us to be pulled up.

I said NZ batted poop, which I think they did, but clearly the pitch was a factor.

You said NZ won't make the semis.

So yours was worse

 

[Moss]

Don't think anyone is seriously criticising this pitch. NZ scored 126 and par was probably 130-140. If any of our top three would have stuck around you'd probably be fair to bet on us getting 160.

I sure hope the top 3 have got the memo that sticking around is a good idea.

While NZ's T20 form has been very good in the last year or so my main world T20 memories are of the top order routinely underperforming.

 

[Pratters]

Can still see New Zealand not getting through. If any thing, they have to bat much better.

 

[Pratters]

Any of the four teams can still go through. India chances are looking dim because of NRR though.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Nah its fair enough for us to be pulled up.

I said NZ batted poop, which I think they did, but clearly the pitch was a factor.

You said NZ won't make the semis.

So yours was worse

Nah, you mocked NZ and have already been proved wrong, whereas Pratters stands a chance of actually being proven right about the semis thing. As of now, he's still in the game.

 

[Moss]

For people pulling up posts after the first half: no one in his right mind could think NZ would win after their batting had finished except the NZ players themselves (and credit to them). New Zealand didn't exactly bat well. India were far worse with their batting and New Zealand bowled well. I thought how the spinners mixed the slower and faster deliveries was excellent.

The one thing NZ managed well (thanks primarily to Anderson) was not to lose wickets in clumps, and the middle order deserves some credit for that.

 

[hendrix]

Kippax will remind you all that although Santner's bowling looks like it won't turn due to the apparent lack of torso rotation he puts in his action he's no late-career Vettori; he's always achieved a surprising degree of turn.

His batting is the opposite IMO; looks a million bucks but is rarely all that effective.

 

[Stefan9]

What are decent pitches? The ones in Australia where we did pretty well? I like this tbh. Enjoy seeing games with a lot of wickets way more than too many runs.

Depends on the format. For t20 I prefer to see 200 play 200.

 

[Flem274*]

im just happy to get a win on the board tbh. while no one in nz cares if we go home early (including me), id rather nz didn't **** the bed completely.

kane dropping southee and boult lol ruthless. love it.

 

[Jono]

Nah, you mocked NZ and have already been proved wrong, whereas Pratters stands a chance of actually being proven right about the semis thing. As of now, he's still in the game.

Nah he said they won't get near a semi and that its near impossible. Whereas its clearly not.

So I like my version better

 

[Pratters]

It was near impossible for new Zealand to qualify for the semi after their batting was over.

 

[G.I.Joe]

I kind of want to do the contrarian thing with both of you, but youse making it tough by posting contrasting opinions so close to each other.

 

[Neil Young]

Can still see New Zealand not getting through. If any thing, they have to bat much better.

Yeah, agree. This group is wide open.

 

[Athlai]

It was near impossible for new Zealand to qualify for the semi after their batting was over.

Never tell me the odds. - Ish Solo

 

[Black_Warrior]

Also I do rate Santa. Think he's a better bowler than batsman. Pretty sure I've said this in the NZ domestix thread.

Liar. You mocked him on our podcast when he made his debut. Now just because no one here actually listens to our podcasts doesn't mean I'll let you get away with it

 

[BeeGee]

For people pulling up posts after the first half: no one in his right mind could think NZ would win after their batting had finished except the NZ players themselves (and credit to them). New Zealand didn't exactly bat well. India were far worse with their batting and New Zealand bowled well. I thought how the spinners mixed the slower and faster deliveries was excellent.

I'm in my right mind (wibble) and I thought NZ had a chance. Not a big chance, but definitely a chance.

 

[LightningStrike]

Awesome from NZ.

As they say in Table Football "Spin to win!"

 

[SteveNZ]

What are decent pitches? The ones in Australia where we did pretty well? I like this tbh. Enjoy seeing games with a lot of wickets way more than too many runs.

It's important to dissociate what I enjoy from what I think India should do. I like wickets, I was a bowler. Low score v low score excites me. I believe batsmen have it all too easy.

However, I also believe it to be such a narrow-minded view for home sides to 'doctor' pitches to suit what they're already good at. For a start, it's dependent on the flight of a coin to a large degree. Secondly, don't these sides want to be the best by competing in all conditions, rather than being 'home track bullies'? The great Indian side of the 2000s didn't need dustbowls, they won at home through seam and spin then went away and competed on everything but the dirty green ones we produced. This side just seems to sit back and wait until the conditions suit them. 3-1 in England and 2-0 in Australia hardly counts as pretty well, does it? Haven't won a Test series outside the sub-continent since 2011 in the Windies?

 

[The Hutt Rec]

I'm all for a pitch having assistance to the bowlers, but this just looked like a beast to bat on. Barely a shot out the middle of the bat all night. Ball was holding up too much to hit straight and turning too much to hit square with any power. Overall lead to a very dull and frustrating to watch match, imo (apart from the upset and NZ win factor).

 

[hendrix]

Still though, 126 runs scored in the first innings which is more than a run a ball.

I confess I've only seen the highlights and it did look difficult to bat on. Looked entertaining though.