*Official* 1st Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, 05 - 09 Feb 2021

[Daemon]

I'm quite uncomfortable with how strongly I'm agreeing with hb here, unchartered territory

 

[trundler]

It's probably better for him to be in the squad and work on his bowling against the best bats in the country than to play in the SMAT imo.

People complain about this sort of thing all the time but it doesn't really make sense IMO. You'd obviously choose to be in the national set up every time and the outcry over a test prospect toiling away in domestix instead of being in the squad would be far greater anyway.

 

[silentstriker]

Three???? I don’t get it.

 

[Daemon]

People complain about this sort of thing all the time but it doesn't really make sense IMO. You'd obviously choose to be in the national set up every time and the outcry over a test prospect toiling away in domestix instead of being in the squad would be far greater anyway.

It depends, for example if Ranji was going on right now then perhaps an argument could be made that Pandya should be playing there and bowling to get match fit should the need to call him up arise.

The SMAT is not worth it though. It would actually impede Kuldeep's preparation for a Test match.

 

[OverratedSanity]

He is not gonna bowl a googly every ball. And his stock ball still goes the same way. I mean, if you wanna discuss variations, Ashwin can bowl actual leg breaks apart from his carrom ball, lol. I feel they just wanted someone whose stock ball turned the other way and its fair enough too IMO.

Yeah but ashwin cant land those consistently and are never a threat. Not arguing its their reason, I think variety in a bowling lineup in general is pretty overrated especially when you have a bowler with a great changeup. Dhoni used to do this spin the ball the same way thing all the time too.

 

[trundler]

Think these conditions might be kinder to Sibley's ungainly technique.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Of course it is.

Should australia have picked Tim may over stuart macgill?

 

[Daemon]

Should australia have picked Tim may over stuart macgill?

Dishonest comparison.

 

[ataraxia]

lol at Bumrah's first ball in tests in India being a dropped catch

 

[trundler]

So who's going to be a more atrocious keeper between Buttler and Pant? Reminder that Jos Buttler has taken one stumping so far in his test career.

Pant 1

 

[OverratedSanity]

Dishonest comparison.

Why? Its picking a guy who turns the ball the other way over a quality spinner who has a good googly

 

[Arachnodouche]

You go with the bowler with the higher ceiling always. Covering for angles at this level feels too simplistic a reading for my liking. Anyway, hope Nadeem does well.

 

[trundler]

Is Burns the only left hander ever who regularly gets strangled down leg?

 

[OverratedSanity]

Sibley just looks like a right handed Cook

 

[honestbharani]

You go with the bowler with the higher ceiling always

Nadeem may well have a higher ceiling as a test match bowler though, tbh.

 

[Daemon]

Why? Its picking a guy who turns the ball the other way over a quality spinner who has a good googly

I don't the gap in quality between Nadeem and Yadav at home is as large as May and MacGill. Espeically if (and this is pure speculation, Kuldeep isn't in form).

Also we're picking 3 guys who turn in the same way instead of 2 so idk.

This sort of thing is easy to downplay but just last series we saw the left right hand batting combination work for us beautifully.

 

[honestbharani]

Virat at first slip, yuck. Puji is an under rated slip fielder.


And India obviously continuing the tradition of playing net bowlers in test matches. 100% success rate.

 

[honestbharani]

Early days but this pitch looks a lot more like the Chepauk of the 90s. A lot of good true bounce and pace. Will be fun to see Root and Stokes here, if we don't get them early, they may well make us pay.

 

[ankitj]

@sunilz was it a Panauti decision by Kohli to not play Kuldeep? Please chime in.

 

[Daemon]

LOL hang on Broad isn't playing? What a relief.