Also, tbf the people who are voting for Watson to open in an AT ODI XI are having a bit of a giggle too. It's not a contest to see who had the ATGBiggest front pad in cricket history ffs.
Ha ha nowhere. I love seeing that Rohit has got 0 votes so far.
Essentially you get an ATG XI that has all its bases covered.With Sachin capable of bowling loose leg-spin, Viv provides slow off-breaks and Murali offers the good variety of off-spin. Jayasuriya provides great variety in that regard with his fastish left-arm spin and his batting actually undermines his bowling. He is a very good support bowler.
His batting can also be nicely compatible with Sachin. He is not just a basher. His record since he started to open is very good both in terms of strike-rate as well as runs/average.
Its the unbiased thing to do.Why do you have to specify 0 votes for Rohit?
Dude, I am more pro-Rohit than many Indian posters who loathe him for some reason.Its the unbiased thing to do.
Yeah I had this reservation too, but:Lara
I was going to vote for Rohit but no point now. I don't trust Jayasuriya against ATG bowlers. Would be too loose. Already have a keeper too. So Lara it is. It's not like Tendulkar and Lara are traditional anchors. They can very much give you quick starts. They just didn't have the luxury to do so in their teams. I don't like that Lara only opened for a part of his career though but he's the best option for an ATG side.
It's biased towards Rohit, really. He's implying he deserves to be listed while a bunch of other batsmen with 0 votes were not.Its the unbiased thing to do.
he is loathed because he has been given more chances than any cricketer in Indian history before he came good in all three formats. he’s repaid that with ATG bilateral performances and some nice world cup group performances, some contributions in two overseas series and a cameo in a world cup final ages ago. Not what you expect from a guy coddled to that extentDude, I am more pro-Rohit than many Indian posters who loathe him for some reason.
I would love to have Lara-Sachin opening but the thing is, the MO spots are basically locks, between Viv, AB, Virat, Bevan (1 of them will have to miss out unfortunately), but with those 3 guys and MSD at 6 and the bowlers 7-11 most likely having only one spinner, I do think the variation of the SLA is important to the side.Yeah I had this reservation too, but:
1. His record there is awesome.
2. He batted #3 more than anywhere else which isn't that different and his record there is great too. He was worse the lower the batted after that. It really seems like he should have opened more.
3. Tendulkar-Lara opening combination is just one of the funnest things we could do without really taking the piss. Just too tempting, especially since he's a lefty.
Rohit and Watson will open for the 2nd XI and destroy the lunch menu.It's biased towards Rohit, really. He's implying he deserves to be listed while a bunch of other batsmen with 0 votes were not.
Yes, I voted Jaya too for the exact same reason. You can include Ponting to above list. Still, no one in the middle order bowls and so, a sixth bowler who is preferably a good spinner becomes imperative.I would love to have Lara-Sachin opening but the thing is, the MO spots are basically locks, between Viv, AB, Virat, Bevan (1 of them will have to miss out unfortunately), but with those 3 guys and MSD at 6 and the bowlers 7-11 most likely having only one spinner, I do think the variation of the SLA is important to the side.
Rohit should be in the 3rd XI or beyond. One of Lara/Jayasuriya along with Watson/Bairstow should be the openers in the second XI.Rohit and Watson will open for the 2nd XI and destroy the lunch menu.
I like the idea of a blaster in an ATG team if you are playing some quality in the lower order. I think if you are playing 5 bowlers it leaves the batting fragile. You are going to lose even against real world sides occasionally through batting collapses.There are plusses and minuses with a regular or blaster bat as opener.
In real play, having a blaster who is hit and miss at the top with a solid batting lineup backing him has been a tried and tested tactic. The team gets an initial burst of momentum when it clicks and backs itself to recover when it doesnt. A regular bat will be more consistent but the opposition will still feel in the game in the first 5-10 overs. The fear factor of Gilly at the top added to Australia's intimidation as an ATG side IMO.
And you could replace Jaya with Lara but then lose your extra spinner.
Lara and Tendulkar may give you 50/0 off 10 more often but once Jaya and Tendulkar give you 80/0 off 10 you basically have won half the game there.
Because in the SC, the likelihood Kapil or Klusener or a fourth seamer gets taken for runs in between is higher and having another Jaya on to shift momentum and speed through the middle overs with his darts is a useful option for a captain to have. And on really spinning wickets, Jaya can be an attacking option as he has shown before.
ODI cricket is more about adaptability to sudden shifts in momentum which favors teams with more options rather than specialists as it is in test cricket.