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***Official New Zealand in India Nov-Dec 2021 Thread***

Moss

International Captain
Rahane's absence is something of a mercy for India (well, taking the news at face value), allows them to play what should be the first choice batting lineup for this test without having to make a difficult announcement. If Iyer does well on his home turf, the case against Ajinkya gets stronger.
 

mr_mister

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Very convenient about Rahanes injury. I want to see an established name dropped and the reason to the public being an honest 'he sucks now'. Won't happen though

I bet Pujara leaving the side will also be some bogus injury
 

jcas0167

International Debutant
Difficult to share that opinion because a lot of players only started to put up performances around exactly the time Hesson joined (India tour in Aug 2012). Southee had been terrible for a couple of years before that breakout test in Bangalore, Boult wasn't a regular first XI player until that tour, KW was averaging below 30 after 2 years in test cricket, and NZ were still holding on to guys like Franklin and Flynn. Taylor was the only one who had really improved in that period.

If anything the team had gone backwards under Wright after the Doug Bracewell test in Hobart.
Under Hesson/McCullum there also seemed to be a cultural shift where they stopped sledging (I think Donald pushed that a bit at the 2011 WC Southee was quite aggressive and there was that incident where a group including 12th man Mills had a go at deVilliers (?) as he was leaving the field). They went on to be the nice guys of WC which seems to be something some other teams are trying to emulate.

In terms of results, things have gone very well under Stead but the disastrous tour to Australia remains a major blemish compared to the 2015 tour under Hesson.
 

Moss

International Captain
Phillips must feel a bit hard done by given Mitchell wasn't even in the OG squad.
Not sure how much him looking like a novice against Ashwin and Axar in the T20s contributed to this, but yeah given NZ's general rule of sticking to the pecking order he's a bit unlucky.
 

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