12th Match - India v New Zealand

[Sunil1z]

For starters, they probably would've given Phillips a bowl, or bowled out Matt Henry and Jamieson who India weren't exactly getting on well with, nor persist with O'Rourke (his figures are better than some of his overs suggest). Nor would they have tried to sneak Bracewell through like they did the other day, considering he was going at sixes.

So no, I think they would've played completely different and in part this felt a bit like the game vs SA where they deliberately stuck with a certain bowling plan to get a look at everyone.

You summed up my feelings perfectly. I also felt that NZ could have restricted IND to around 230 if they wanted. Too many overs of spin bowling in middle overs when fast bowling was troubling India more.

 

[NZTailender]

You summed up my feelings perfectly. I also felt that NZ could have restricted IND to around 230 if they wanted. Too many overs of spin bowling in middle overs when fast bowling was troubling India more.

Yes, but none of that was to avoid Aus in the semis.

This was India's third game on this pitch, and NZs first. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I suspect NZs plan was to get a feel for how it would play for their spinners considering that if they make the final it could be played on the same pitch. If that was indeed the plan, it failed to bring a win, but I doubt we'll see the same tactics if it's an India vs NZ final in Dubai.

 

[SteveNZ]

One thing I will say, is that winning the toss and bowling first on a pitch that clearly got harder to bat on, with plenty of spin options in India's side, is an interesting one....dew or no dew. Do we have thoughts on that? I didn't see the first innings or the toss

 

[SteveNZ]

Agree regarding Varun . He is a mystery bowler like Narine ( @SillyCowCorner1 What is your opinion regarding his bowling action. I mean Varun’s )

Those sort of bowlers are just hard for NZers to pick, because we're not exposed to it. We're sitting ducks on reasonably quick, turning wickets where we can't readily pick turn off the pitch

 

[Moss]

Henry really is in his senior pro era isn’t he? Yes he tends to save his A-game for India, and it wasn’t the best I’ve seen him bowl, but something to be said for taking responsibility at both ends of the innings on a wicket not exactly made for him. The batters really needed to follow that lead.

 

[honestbharani]

One thing I will say, is that winning the toss and bowling first on a pitch that clearly got harder to bat on, with plenty of spin options in India's side, is an interesting one....dew or no dew. Do we have thoughts on that? I didn't see the first innings or the toss

India won both games chasing there, so maybe they were just going by that and hoping for dew.

 

[Sunil1z]

One thing I will say, is that winning the toss and bowling first on a pitch that clearly got harder to bat on, with plenty of spin options in India's side, is an interesting one....dew or no dew. Do we have thoughts on that? I didn't see the first innings or the toss

India won both their games chasing here . If not for Varun mystery spin , you would have won by 4-5 wickets

 

[Moss]

India won both their games chasing here . If not for Varun mystery spin , you would have won by 4-5 wickets

I don’t think Pakistan or Bangladesh really had the quality or depth in their spin attack to cause the kinds of problems India did. But yes Varun provides the x-factor, NZ have seen enough of the others to have some idea of what to do with them. Simply a great selection (and right tactics by loading on spin).

 

[NZTailender]

One thing I will say, is that winning the toss and bowling first on a pitch that clearly got harder to bat on, with plenty of spin options in India's side, is an interesting one....dew or no dew. Do we have thoughts on that? I didn't see the first innings or the toss

Jamieson was getting plenty of hoop early on and Henry was generally difficult as well. O'Rourke was a bit rocks and diamonds but there was plenty for both seam and spin during NZs innings. I think it's a simple case of India's 4 spinners >> our 3 that we used, and played our spinners better than we played theirs. India lost 7 of 9 wickets to seam, NZ lost 9 of 10 to spin.

 

[halba]

I think Varun has booked his plane ticket to England tests with this performance and recent performances. Good leg spinner can do something in those England wickets, ask Shane Warne. Shami, Bumrah and Rana for the pacers. Pandya as the all rounder.

 

[straw man]

Only just caught up with the highlights of this match. Looks like we were pretty good for 3/4 of the match and then fell away to Varun's mystery spin on a wicket with assistance - if we make the final hopefully that exposure will help.

Also disappointing Jamieson was stranded shortly before his matchwinning 50.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

I think Varun has booked his plane ticket to England tests with this performance and recent performances. Good leg spinner can do something in those England wickets, ask Shane Warne. Shami, Bumrah and Rana for the pacers. Pandya as the all rounder.

Not that we have got the memo...

 

[Silly Point 2.0]

I think Varun has booked his plane ticket to England tests with this performance and recent performances. Good leg spinner can do something in those England wickets, ask Shane Warne. Shami, Bumrah and Rana for the pacers. Pandya as the all rounder.

There are good leg spinners, and there is Shane Warne. Offies are definitely the way to go here tbh.

Unless it's a really dry summer Jadeja will be enough if the seam attack is back to full strength.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

There are good leg spinners, and there is Shane Warne. Offies are definitely the way to go here tbh.

Unless it's a really dry summer Jadeja will be enough if the seam attack is back to full strength.

We are allergic to the craft of leg-spin (especially in Tests!), although with that said, Ahmed has never let us down, it'll never happen, but I'd like to see him given a whirl at home

 

[halba]

There are good leg spinners, and there is Shane Warne. Offies are definitely the way to go here tbh.

Unless it's a really dry summer Jadeja will be enough if the seam attack is back to full strength.

Jadeja? ON england pitches? Hell be completely useless as. Hes not even in a first picked XI for those conditions. Did you watch the recent BGT series? Jadeja was completely ineffective on seaming decks and his batting was terrible apart from 1 game.

Gotta play the pacers and the new mystery leg spinner in Varun - Varun only changed careers to become a professional cricketer after age 25, thats why despite being 33, he is an entirely new player. Already he is ATG level in T20 and ATG level in ODI. I am sure the indian team management are looking at him to play Tests atleast for a few years, he could be Indian Warne.

 

[Qlder]

Gotta play the pacers and the new mystery leg spinner in Varun - Varun only changed careers to become a professional cricketer after age 25, thats why despite being 33, he is an entirely new player. Already he is ATG level in T20 and ATG level in ODI. I am sure the indian team management are looking at him to play Tests atleast for a few years, he could be Indian Warne.

So Varun just played his 2nd ODI this match yet you say he's already an ATG in ODI's

 

[halba]

So Varun just played his 2nd ODI this match yet you say he's already an ATG in ODI's

so far. hes a mystery spinner though, so like Mendis and a few other examples, may eventually get figured out.

But so far indias own batters dont know how to play him. That bodes well as domestic indian batters are used to spin.


Some of our batters also couldn't figure him out, which is also nice."

Varun was a surprise and late inclusion in India's Champions Trophy squad, having played just one ODI in the preceding home series against England. That selection came after an impressive performance for Tamil Nadu in the Vijay Hazare Trophy - 18 wickets in six innings with an average of 12.16 and an economy rate of 4.36.