*Official* India Tour of New Zealand 2019

[straw man]

Is there any possible way we can fit sodhi, santner, ferguson, henry and boult into the same team?? Having them all looks like the only way we are going to be able to penetrate top and middle orders in the world cup. If our top order clicks (and it hasn't for a while now), we could really come into this WC with a chance...

If I thought all five of those were total guns with the ball it would probably be worth it, even though the batting from #8 would be awful. However to me, Sodhi and Henry come under the 'sorta ok' category, as do all our other bowlers outside the best 3, which means they don't just automatically make the side imo.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

only issue is that boult and ferguson can't open the bowling together as they both move the ball the same way so any wind will massively nullify one of them.

 

[Grasshopper]

Is there any possible way we can fit sodhi, santner, ferguson, henry and boult into the same team?? Having them all looks like the only way we are going to be able to penetrate top and middle orders in the world cup.

Can't help noticing nobody's in any hurry to suggest Southee still deserves a place, at least not in the First XI. Is he worth taking to the WC in a 2015 Kyle Mills elder statesman/mentor type role?

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Can't help noticing nobody's in any hurry to suggest Southee still deserves a place, at least not in the First XI. Is he worth taking to the WC in a 2015 Kyle Mills elder statesman/mentor type role?

think he's going whether we like it or not

 

[silentstriker]

OK my second post in this thread. I realize some non Tests are being played right now. I hope India did well. Why can’t they schedule a couple of Tests too?

 

[Bahnz]

OK my second post in this thread. I realize some non Tests are being played right now. I hope India did well. Why can’t they schedule a couple of Tests too?

My guess is that after a 4 test series in Australia, it was considered another 2 tests in NZ would be too heavy a workload. Also it's a world cup year, so the focus is on ODI's. India playing a test series in New Zealand next year anyway.

 

[silentstriker]

World Cup YEAR? Ugh.

 

[Senile Sentry]

I think NZ stands a good chance to win the WC

 

[Moss]

Neesham's dismissal clearly looked terrible but I guess it can happen, didn't know where the ball was and ends up looking like a dick. It's a concern though that neither he nor CDG nor Santner (nor Anderson) seem to respond very well to pressure situations. Really need someone with a cool head who knows what's required and can marshall the rest of the tail. As the only guy in the lower order who demands a spot in the side, Neesham will have to be the one to grow into that role.

Yeah, this. Can't help but bring out the Grant Elliott comparisons when you talk of responding under pressure. Equally, I'd like the think tank to be a bit more smart about things - for example at the fall of the fifth wicket Santner could have been sent out instead of CdG to negate the Chahal threat, it sould have forced India to at least think about reacting differently.

But in general most of the lineup tends to go missing in bigger games, we've seen it through big tournaments and bilareral series deciders, so for me it's the single biggest thing counting against NZ's World Cup chances.

 

[thundaboult]

If these last few years of at-home drubbings by SA, IND, and england serve for us to become a better team over this WC, so be it. But only time will tell. Right now, I don't see Gary Stead, Gavin Larsen doing anything brave or smart. They seem a bit clueless about the LO's setup of the blackcaps. Yes-men stuff. I know Mike Hesson had a rep for being like that too but hell, the way he talks about selections and strategies on commentary, he comes off pretty open-minded and unafraid to speak out. Idk if that's because he isn't in that setup anymore but I wouldn't be surprised if he was actually like that behind the scenes as well, low-key. lol I remember him calling out southee for bowling medium pace nothing balls in the nets around the time when the 2016 t20 wc was happening, it was in one of those blackcaps youtube channel vids where the players went around interviewing other players behind the scenes.

 

[Bahnz]

If these last few years of at-home drubbings by SA, IND, and england serve for us to become a better team over this WC, so be it. But only time will tell. Right now, I don't see Gary Stead, Gavin Larsen doing anything brave or smart. They seem a bit clueless about the LO's setup of the blackcaps. Yes-men stuff. I know Mike Hesson had a rep for being like that too but hell, the way he talks about selections and strategies on commentary, he comes off pretty open-minded and unafraid to speak out. Idk if that's because he isn't in that setup anymore but I wouldn't be surprised if he was actually like that behind the scenes as well, low-key. lol I remember him calling out southee for bowling medium pace nothing balls in the nets around the time when the 2016 t20 wc was happening, it was in one of those blackcaps youtube channel vids where the players went around interviewing other players behind the scenes.

Wouldn't call the England or SA series 'drubbings'. They were both hard-fought series with 3-2 scorelines where NZ unfortunately saved their worst performances for game 5. That isn't especially encouraging of course - it suggests a real problem with mental strength that will almost certainly be exposed at the crunch stage of the WC. But in terms of the teams general ability to match it with the best sides, the last 4 years leading up to this series had left me confident that this team's ceiling wasn't far below anyone else's.

Now...I don't know anymore. Things really have come apart in the last 12 months. There's also little doubt that the team's batting has been a shadow of it's former self since the triple blow of Baz and ET retiring, and Anderson turning into a walking crock.

 

[Chewie]

Guptill out of T20 series, Neesham in

 

[Grasshopper]

I think NZ stands a good chance to win the WC

Step away from the crack pipe, bro.

 

[danial khan]

india Showing there class well performed by india team

 

[The Hutt Rec]

If these last few years of at-home drubbings by SA, IND, and england serve for us to become a better team over this WC, so be it. But only time will tell. Right now, I don't see Gary Stead, Gavin Larsen doing anything brave or smart. They seem a bit clueless about the LO's setup of the blackcaps. Yes-men stuff. I know Mike Hesson had a rep for being like that too but hell, the way he talks about selections and strategies on commentary, he comes off pretty open-minded and unafraid to speak out. Idk if that's because he isn't in that setup anymore but I wouldn't be surprised if he was actually like that behind the scenes as well, low-key. lol I remember him calling out southee for bowling medium pace nothing balls in the nets around the time when the 2016 t20 wc was happening, it was in one of those blackcaps youtube channel vids where the players went around interviewing other players behind the scenes.

I thought Hesson made some great calls when Edgar was selector ... Elliott from nowhere for the WC and Boult coming into the side right before that tournament were both masterstrokes.

The last year or so of his tenure things went downhill though, Ronchi and Southee staying in the team for years while massively underperforming probably the lowlights.

Wonder how much of a role the Edgar/Larsen switchover played.

 

[shifty_eyes]

Gill should be kept out of team till the world cup is over. Later he should play along side Kohli as he will learn from one of the best if they want to see him as a leading batsman for the country in coming years.

 

[harsh.ag]

Yeah, it seems Shaw, Gill, and Pant will get their chance after this WC.

 

[Cruxdude]

Ya Gill is not ready for a WC yet. Seems like Rahane has booked his place in the squad. Let's hope it all goes well with the middle order.

 

[Bahnz]

Btw, am I right that tomorrow's T20 starts at 8:30pm local time and ends at midnight? If so, good luck getting any families with young kids to come along. I understand NZC bases their financial solvency on the Indian TV audience, but there has to be a balance struck between optimising revenues and providing a reasonable product for local fans.

 

[Athlai]

Btw, am I right that tomorrow's T20 starts at 8:30pm local time and ends at midnight? If so, good luck getting any families with young kids to come along. I understand NZC bases their financial solvency on the Indian TV audience, but there has to be a balance struck between optimising revenues and providing a reasonable product for local fans.

The reasonable product for local fans against unpopular teams is what gets paid for with the 2 am T20 match against India.

I suspect it'll probably have a pretty big crowd regardless.