*Official* New Zealand tour of India 2024

[ankitj]

Now let's wrap up NZ under 500 and then put up a fight from there.

 

[OverratedSanity]

doesn't have the accuracy of a fingerspinner

Total myth imo. He has terrific control.

 

[ankitj]

doesn't have the accuracy of a fingerspinner plus also batting cover.

Bruh Kuldeep is much better than Washington. These wickets not withstanding. Has lot of control, can make the ball dip and has good variations.

 

[Bahnz]

Reckon this could get wrapped up very quickly now Rachin is out

 

[Burgey]

Blundell is a shell of his former self these days with the bat, sadly

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Mitchell looking skittish as hell out there. It's like he's decided before the ball is bowled what shot he's playing - either the charge down the pitch, or the reverse sweep, or a block - and it's all premeditated.

so what mitchell has always done then

 

[Bahnz]

Yeah that dismissal looks really bad. Terrific ball, mind - especially coming after the slider the ball before. But Blundell got nowhere near it when he should've been looking to deadbat the last ball before tea

 

[PaulLennon]

Bruh Kuldeep is much better than Washington. These wickets not withstanding. Has lot of control, can make the ball dip and has good variations.

Batting cover is also a factor I guess.

India would go with Ashwin, Jadeja, Axar and Kuldeep only came in when Axar lost efficacy in his bowling in 2023-24.

 

[King Kane]

Blundell has run out of credits.

He will probably still get a gig against England in the home test series though as he bats better against them.

If he fails against England then he is definitely gone, enough is enough.

 

[honestbharani]

The one thing about Kuldeep that may have played a role here is people can attack him with success relatively more often than any other spinner we have had. Maybe the management felt the game went away from them very fast in the Kuldeep overs where the batsmen went after him. And while he has major variations in his trajectory often, the subtler ones (that can get batsmen to mistime or miss the ball to be stumped when down the track) seem missing in his armory. His control, pace on the ball at release and variations off the pitch have all gotten better but he is still lacking in the ability to vary the flight and the dip on the ball. That, coupled with his style of bowling, makes it easier to attack him heavily for a few overs which can let games get away, esp. if they are on the llower scoring spectrum.

 

[capt_Luffy]

The one thing about Kuldeep that may have played a role here is people can attack him with success relatively more often than any other spinner we have had. Maybe the management felt the game went away from them very fast in the Kuldeep overs where the batsmen went after him. And while he has major variations in his trajectory often, the subtler ones (that can get batsmen to mistime or miss the ball to be stumped when down the track) seem missing in his armory. His control, pace on the ball at release and variations off the pitch have all gotten better but he is still lacking in the ability to vary the flight and the dip on the ball. That, coupled with his style of bowling, makes it easier to attack him heavily for a few overs which can let games get away, esp. if they are on the llower scoring spectrum.

I still don't think Washy over Kuldeep was motivated by bowling of any sorts. It was purely to strengthen the batting, which imo wasn't really needed.

 

[PaulLennon]

I still don't think Washy over Kuldeep was motivated by bowling of any sorts. It was purely to strengthen the batting, which imo wasn't really needed.

I'd say a bit of both. Batting as well as an economical defensive 5th bowler.

 

[honestbharani]

Pant basically being the color commentator here.

For Philipps,

"Hard hands, hard hands." "Compulsory backfoot, compulsory backfoot"...

 

[Spark]

Not really sure what the comms were seeing there, that looked stone dead and hadn't turned much at all. Poor batting, really.

 

[_Ed_]

Not great.

 

[Spark]

Have to think that NZ are well behind the game here. Too many mistakes.

 

[anonymouskefe]

another Southee knock would be good here

 

[Spark]

Yeah that dismissal looks really bad. Terrific ball, mind - especially coming after the slider the ball before. But Blundell got nowhere near it when he should've been looking to deadbat the last ball before tea

Huge gate and just a loose wafty flick too.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Have to think that NZ are well behind the game here. Too many mistakes.

All depends on how India bat from here, really. Need a sizeable first innings lead because it's turning loads already.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Oof. This Blundell decline is getting more and more concerning.

If Mitch Hay performs in Sri Lanka he might get a test debut against England