Indian One-Day Opener in Sachin's Absence?

[marc71178]

Everyone is sticking to convention. What is wrong with this team? It's very different from any of yours (more or less the same as the one playing), but it's worth a try.

• Sehwag- Attack everything that comes. Hold on to catches and improve outfielding techniques
• Gambhir- Attack a few, build partnerships, run hard, go after spinners, save boundaries on the outfield
• Kaif- Score at a quick pace in the first 15 overs and aim at the stumps from cover.
• Yuvraj- Build an innings, run hard, concentrate on singles.
• Dhoni- Hold on to catches. Go berserk with the bat.
• Dravid- Build a partnership in the later middle-overs, then tear into the attack in the final overs.
• JP Yadav- A little more watchful, watch the ball, then hit, or take the single. Bowl stump-to-stump, and use any old-ball tricks when needed.
• Powar- Smash the ball around, take the singles when needed. Bowl stump-to-stump and make the batsman play.
• Pawar/Harbhajan- Attack the batting side. Keep a tight line and length, and go for wickets. Not economy.
• Zaheer- Take the new ball. Swing it when it is new, then stick to a line/length and occasionally bowl a few snorters. Use the bouncer to good effect. On the outfield, attack the ball by blocking it, rather than arching over.
• Bhandari- Cut out the short stuff, except for the bouncer. USe all tricks of the old and new ball. Bowl on the spot in the final overs.

Hang on - you don't see the point in Kaif or Yuvraj down that low because it stops them scoring runs, so instead you put the team's best batsman down at 6?

 

[Arjun]

More point then there is in putting AA at 6 or 7.

You pick bowlers because of their batting, so why not put it to some use? For a bit role like theirs, you don't need a batsman.

And how much use is a slip in ODIs?

It gets early wickets.

Hang on - you don't see the point in Kaif or Yuvraj down that low because it stops them scoring runs, so instead you put the team's best batsman down at 6?

You have a number five who won't last very long. Besides, Dravid is better suited to the final overs than these two.

 

[ramkumar_gr]

You pick bowlers because of their batting, so why not put it to some use? For a bit role like theirs, you don't need a batsman.It gets early wickets.You have a number five who won't last very long. Besides, Dravid is better suited to the final overs than these two.

Arjun, may i know why dont you include Sriram in your team. Bob Woolmer has described him as a multi-dimensional player. The last innings he played was a good 50. For that matter, no one in the forum is discussing about him.

 

[Arjun]

Arjun, may i know why dont you include Sriram in your team. Bob Woolmer has described him as a multi-dimensional player. The last innings he played was a good 50. For that matter, no one in the forum is discussing about him.

Sriram is a good OD batsman, with a style similar to Michael Bevan's. He's good at finding gaps and poking singles, especially in the middle-overs. He's also a good fielder in whatever position he's placed. But ignore his bowling- he bowls only in bits and pieces, while the team needs a full-time bowler who can get wickets. A good selection for ODI's, but he's not one you would have bowling ten overs regularly.

 

[ramkumar_gr]

Sriram is a good OD batsman, with a style similar to Michael Bevan's. He's good at finding gaps and poking singles, especially in the middle-overs. He's also a good fielder in whatever position he's placed. But ignore his bowling- he bowls only in bits and pieces, while the team needs a full-time bowler who can get wickets. A good selection for ODI's, but he's not one you would have bowling ten overs regularly.

he has got everything in him except the selectors' confidence. he should be given enough chances and he will definitely win more matches for India than Yuvraj and Kaif.

 

[marc71178]

You pick bowlers because of their batting, so why not put it to some use? For a bit role like theirs, you don't need a batsman.

You what?! Nobody picks a bowler because of their batting!

It gets early wickets.

Occasionally, then for 35 overs you've got a fielder who isn't very good.

You have a number five who won't last very long. Besides, Dravid is better suited to the final overs than these two.

That makes even less sense? In fact, why not put another person who won't last long at 6 and send in Dravid at 7?

 

[Arjun]

You what?! Nobody picks a bowler because of their batting!

That's how Ajit Agarkar was first picked.

Occasionally, then for 35 overs you've got a fielder who isn't very good.

He's good in catching positions. In the VB Series, 2004, he picked up a lot of catches- maybe the highest in the whole series. That gets more wickets.

That makes even less sense? In fact, why not put another person who won't last long at 6 and send in Dravid at 7?

That number 5 was added for a knockout punch in the middle-overs.

he has got everything in him except the selectors' confidence. he should be given enough chances and he will definitely win more matches for India than Yuvraj and Kaif.

And where in the playing XI will he fit?

 

[ramkumar_gr]

That's how Ajit Agarkar was first picked.He's good in catching positions. In the VB Series, 2004, he picked up a lot of catches- maybe the highest in the whole series. That gets more wickets.That number 5 was added for a knockout punch in the middle-overs.And where in the playing XI will he fit?

If the selection is any meritorious, Sriram should play ahead of Kaif.

 

[Arjun]

If the selection is any meritorious, Sriram should play ahead of Kaif.

At number seven? He'll have the same problems as Kaif!

 

[ramkumar_gr]

At number seven? He'll have the same problems as Kaif!

i totally disagree with people saying Kaif never got enough opportunities.
He was the one to be given umpteen opportunities instead. He has batted higher up for Indian atleast 10 times. He had made a couple of 40s in England and one painstaking 50 against Newzealand in India (from 100 plus balls).
In tests also, he was given more than enough opportunities like he played 3 continuous tests in Srilanka, before that one against SA, and then 2 against Australia recently. He made a 50 against Australia, i personally watched his 50, almost 60% of his runs came from edges and he was dropped thrice.
Why was the same amount of opportunities given to Badani or Sriram. Let me not start discussing about Sharath,J Arunkumar, etc.

 

[honestbharani]

That's how Ajit Agarkar was first picked.He's good in catching positions. In the VB Series, 2004, he picked up a lot of catches- maybe the highest in the whole series. That gets more wickets.That number 5 was added for a knockout punch in the middle-overs.And where in the playing XI will he fit?

You cannot knock anyone out in the middle overs. You can probably outplay them, but you cannot knock them out in the middle overs. That can happen only at the start or at the end.

 

[Arjun]

You cannot knock anyone out in the middle overs. You can probably outplay them, but you cannot knock them out in the middle overs. That can happen only at the start or at the end.

Why not? We've seen knockout innings played by the likes of Symonds, Flintoff, Cairns and several others in the middle overs. Even Dhoni has done the same in that innings of 148 in Vizag- he came into his own in the middle overs.

 

[Prince EWS]

1. Sehwag
2. Ganguly
3. Kaif
4. Dravid
5. Yuvraj
6. Dhoni
7. Pathan
8. Agarkar
9. Harbhajan
10. Zaheer
11. Balaji

 

[Arjun]

1. Sehwag
2. Ganguly
3. Kaif
4. Dravid
5. Yuvraj
6. Dhoni
7. Pathan
8. Agarkar
9. Harbhajan
10. Zaheer
11. Balaji

An interesting selection, since you too have chosen five bowlers (not too many have), but again, the same old has-beens return. Of course, those who don't follow the domestic scene and A-team don't know the reserve players so well, but there should be more than a few changes in the ODI squad. They've tried Agarkar enough times and it's about time they try someone new. Besides, why pick four seamers? Maybe you've chosen Balaji because of his lack of pace, but there's Sanjay Bangar, who's a more accomplished batsman than him (at any level) and can serve as a big-hitting batsman in the ODI side. Not a bad idea- why not go back to him? He can do a good job as a regular third seamer and his big shots will come useful, but his fielding and running between wickets- key aspects in ODIs- are still suspect.

 

[King_Ponting]

1. Sehwag
2. Ganguly
3. Kaif
4. Dravid
5. Yuvraj
6. Dhoni
7. Pathan
8. Agarkar
9. Harbhajan
10. Zaheer
11. Balaji

Very very long tail u have there. Pathan at 7 hmm

 

[ramkumar_gr]

Very very long tail u have there. Pathan at 7 hmm

1. Sehwag
2. Ganguly
3. Dhoni
4. Dravid
5. Yuvraj
6. Sriram
7. D. Mongia
7. Pathan
9. Powar
10. Nehra
11. Balaji

I have made 2 changes and redefined the order a bit. How will this fare

 

[superkingdave]

are Pathan and Mongia coming out at the same time?

Harbahjan took 6-30 today btw

 

[aussie]

A few interesting selections there. You've gone in for the debatable selection of VVS Laxman, whom nobody wants because he's not a good fielder (laughable, since he's a fantastic slip fielder) or a good runner between wickets (although he gets enough boundaries in the first 15 overs)- maybe he'll do a lot better. Moreover, he had an aggregate of 40 last year, but struggled since the Holland tri-series, and is a LOT better than Yuvraj and Kaif.

There is no point in batting Yuvraj or Kaif at positions six and seven. It won't help either. Yuvraj is a hard hitter of the ball, but in the pursuit of quick runs, he gets out cheaply attempting a needless shot- that's affected his batting in the longer form of the game. If you want the best out of Yuvraj, you should bat him at four or five, so tat he can build a long innings. The same can be said of Kaif- he's a partnership builder, so if he bats at seven, either he may soak up too many balls (which the team can avoid), or hit a big shot off nearly every ball (which he can't do). You've chosen Ganguly, Laxman and Dravid, who bat for a long time, so these two won't get enough to score big. Let seven and eight go to non-batsmen who can hit the ball hard.

Keep Pathan out of action. He's getting injured a little too often, and he's just got a shoulder injury. Balaji is a target in ODI's- he bowls too slow, and isn't accurate enough at that pace. Harbhajan isn't of much use alone, and he needs a spin partner. You can go in for Rajesh Pawar (left-arm spinner) or Ramesh Powar (off-spinner who can hit the ball very hard). A few suggest Amit Mishra, but I doubt if he's ready for ODI's. But four bowlers among this lot are not enough to even take five wickets, let alone a full ten- you have to have a fifth. On an average, this team will score 242 for 7, which isn't enough given this bowling attack. Rather than improve the quantity, try to boost the quality- convert Kaif's average of 32 into 37 (up the strike rate as well), Yuvraj's average of 29 to 33, and get two bowlers who can score more than 40 together at more than a run a ball.

Dhoni may have had phenomenal success opening in club matches, but these are, after all, club matches. Opening in ODI's is a different cup of tea, and Dhoni's main strength is hitting the old ball, not the new one. He's been woeful against the new ball, but at four/five, he's in his element.

well i agree on some points while i am confused about the wrest. Anyway what do you think should be the best Indian ODI team when Tendulkar returns.

I would go for this:

Sehwag
Tendulkar
Ganguly
Dravid
Yuvraj
Kaif
Dhoni
Pathan
Harbhajan
Khan
Nehra

 

[Arjun]

are Pathan and Mongia coming out at the same time?

Harbahjan took 6-30 today btw

Dinesh Mongia can stay with Leicester, because he's performed better with them than with the Indian ODI side. He doesn't run too many between wickets, has limited strokeplay and after sticking around for a very long time, he'll get out to a loose shot. His outfielding is no great shakes, nor is his bowling- if that's what you're looking for, try out Reetinder Sodhi, JP Yadav or even Irfan Pathan.

 

[Arjun]

Very very long tail u have there. Pathan at 7 hmm

Frankly, quantity is not as important as quality. Moreover, if you take the total contribution by numbers 1 through 7, you would notice that they would last 292 deliveries, then add Agarkar (not that he should be an automatic pick), and they can go past 300- they'd still last the full 50 overs, and they would score a little over 240, and if you improve the averages of Yuvraj, Kaif and Irfan, numbers 1 to 7 would last the full 50 overs and score just about 250, which is as much as you get if you take the top seven specialist batsmen. However, having someone like Irfan at seven will not only allow you to pick an extra bowler (which the Indian team needs more than ever) but also some aggrerssion in the final overs when batting. That said, they can replace Agarkar and Balaji with a new pacer and spinner.