***Official*** New Zealand in India 2016

[Kippax]

Nah you can't interpret these comments as anything other than the donkey getting right up into a photo finish here.

Hesson remained coy on what their opening partnership would look like, even after Guptill's red-ball struggles continued in the warm-up match against Mumbai (15 and 0) and Ronchi hit an impressive century at almost a run-a-ball.

"There was some eyebrows raised not taking a traditional third opener, but this is not a traditional cricket venue," the Kiwi coach said.

"We could well face Ashwin or Jadeja with the new ball. You don't need a traditional opener, you need someone who is experienced in the conditions and able to give your side a good start and Martin, Luke or Tom are all good players of spin.

"Whoever we go with, there will be someone who is lucky and someone who is unlucky. We have to take that out of it and do what we think gives us the best chance to win."

 

[Zinzan]

Guptill's a good player of spin? When did that happen?

 

[TheBrand]

He also doesn't open domestically, has next to no experience playing in the top order and has a worse NZ domestic record than Guptill. Ronchi SHOULD NOT be in the discussion for opener. He is there as a back up middle order player and likely opened so he could get as much time at the crease as possible, not to test his mettle against the new ball.

I suspect they aren't thinking of batting Santner at 3 either.

I don't think it's that far fetched to be honest. Hesson has always been about doing things differently, my gut says they will still open with Guptill but part of me wants them to take a chance and drop him to 5 with Ronchi opening.

And as for Bracewell vs third spinner. How is this even a thing? Bracewell is pretty much only in the squad because of his name right? His record is terrible, admittedly he is probably one of the most solid bowlers without wickets to back it up, but all the spinners will have better chance than him IMO.

 

[Prince EWS]

How on earth is it obvious to open with the bloke who averages about 20 against actual test standard cricket sides?

His point wasn't that Guptill>Ronchi (although I suspect he also believes that); his point was that if they're going to pick both, Guptill opening and Ronchi in the middle order makes a lot more sense than the other way around. There's a much bigger difference between Ronchi's likely output in the middle and up the top than there is between Guptill's respective likely output.

 

[Shri]

There is actually no cure for it

WHO | Chikungunya

Quite a terrible illness tbh :/

Yeah I have had it once.

 

[Shri]

When someone thinks wishing ill health to someone else if funny or cool, then you can imagine what kind of person he is.

Indeed.

I think you've made a typographical error of adding 'ty' after 'seven'.

 

[straw man]

And as for Bracewell vs third spinner. How is this even a thing? Bracewell is pretty much only in the squad because of his name right? His record is terrible, admittedly he is probably one of the most solid bowlers without wickets to back it up, but all the spinners will have better chance than him IMO.

Far be it for me to plug for Bracewell. However if they were thinking earlier of Neesham as an all-rounder, then as Bracewell is regarded in NZ selection circles as an 'all-rounder' too he would be considered a replacement for Neesham. In theory to offer some batting (scored a monumental 30 against SA) and keep it tighter than an inaccurate third spinner.

I can't get excited about that. But I also can't get very excited about playing a third spinner averaging over 40. Final call to depend on the pitch.

Btw welcome to the forum.

 

[morgieb]

His point wasn't that Guptill>Ronchi (although I suspect he also believes that); his point was that if they're going to pick both, Guptill opening and Ronchi in the middle order makes a lot more sense than the other way around. There's a much bigger difference between Ronchi's likely output in the middle and up the top than there is between Guptill's respective likely output.

I would've thought that if Ronchi was playing, they'd drop Guptill right?

 

[TheBrand]

Far be it for me to plug for Bracewell. However if they were thinking earlier of Neesham as an all-rounder, then as Bracewell is regarded in NZ selection circles as an 'all-rounder' too he would be considered a replacement for Neesham. In theory to offer some batting (scored a monumental 30 against SA) and keep it tighter than an inaccurate third spinner.

I can't get excited about that. But I also can't get very excited about playing a third spinner averaging over 40. Final call to depend on the pitch.

Btw welcome to the forum.

Thanks!

Valid point and I can see the logic. At this point I think Craig is more valuable as an "all rounder" with a batting average of over 40. Bracewell's bowling average isnt too far away form Craig's to be fair. I almost think that Craig should be an automatic pick if they're only playing 2 spinners, hence why I hope they play 3 cos I dont really want to see Sodhi or Santner miss out either.

 

[straw man]

Agree, Craig's batting far more valuable than Bracewell's.

I don't know either whether the current thinking is Sodhi first or Craig - Sodhi has incumbency but they now seem reluctant to select him, not without reason after the Zimbabwe tests. May not help Sodhi that he turns the ball the same way as Santner either.

 

[Kippax]

I would've thought that if Ronchi was playing, they'd drop Guptill right?

Yeah people saw Nicholls was channeling a bit of Munro in Zimbabwe, reverse sweeping his second or third ball, and the like. However Hesson is talking about the necessity to not die in a hole this week, so Nicholls seems pretty safe to me.

 

[Kippax]

14th ball, itbt.

 

[Kippax]

 

[cnerd123]

Yeah I have had it once.

And you recovered?

That sucks

 

[Daemon]

Indeed.

Ouch. Brutal dig, almost makes up for earlier post.

 

[Shri]

And you recovered?

That sucks

An argument can be made for the fact that I never truly recovered after being dropped on my head when I was less than a year old.

 

[Flem274*]

Well he's hacked a better FC record than Guptill and scored 107 more in his last innings.

Munros Law ends all discussion of Ronchi's FC Wellington record showing a serious batsman

ftr not against him as a pinch hitter, but Ronchi is a spud. Let's not return to 2012 where Australian posters and Scaly liked to pretend he was a specialist batsman for NZ.

 

[harsh.ag]

At this point, not selecting Ronchi over Guppy is just about fear of being ridiculed if it doesn't work out.

 

[Zinzan]

I love how everyone's taking the Guptill vs. Ronchi opening debate so seriously as if it's actually going to make an iota of difference.

It's beginning to sound like the Hillary vs Trump debate, they're both ****-ass Test opening candidates against decent Test bowling in anything close to challenging conditions.

 

[weldone]

Ya I can't imagine Hilary or Trump opening the batting for a test team.