*Official* 3rd Test - England v India - Keep all Discussion Here Please!

[luckyeddie]

Craig White is definitely out for a month - abdominal muscle tear.

Dominic Cork is likely to be OK, but Derbyshire's physio revealed that there has been no request from the ECB for him to rest, so I think it's safe that he won't figure in the team for Headingley.

Flintoff's scan on his groin strain was inconclusive, so he was supposed to be seeing another for a second opinion (or a first opinion?) last night.

I reckon Kabir Ali will get the call.

 

[aussie_beater]

Personally i would like Bangar to be in, maybe he should replace Ajit.If not him, then TINU should be in the team, its time to drop Agarkar!

Leeds is normally a very seamer friendly wicket with swing bowlers doing fairly well.I still remember Roger Binny and Madan Lal demolishing the English batting lineup with some quality swing bowling in the 1986 tour.

So Bangar may be a good option, although I haven't seen him bowl and don't know how good a swing bowler he is.Also I feel Ganguly should be bowling more then what he normally does, in Headingley.

 

[Anil]

Agarkar should go. So should Nehra. Both Yohannan and Bangar should be given a chance. However, looking at various reports, Yohannan is almost certain to get in at the expense of Nehra, but Agarkar is likely to stay .

It is all very well to say that the wicket is seamer-friendly, the bowlers still have to bowl to a consistent line and length, something which the Indian bowlers have failed to do so far !.

I would say at this point, it doesn't matter who bowls as long as he bowls with discipline and responsibility.

 

[marc71178]

Yep you're right Neil

Like usual 8D

But not always 8D

 

[Neil Pickup]

Right - England bowlers.

Giles - Will be in squad, and not play
Corky - Not resting for Derby = Not Playing Leeds...
White - Out
Gough - Out
Caddick - Plays
Tudor - Squad
Hoggard - Plays
Harmison - Plays
Jones - Plays
Flintoff - Will probably play and sit out the Fourth (when we seal the series )

Hence no place for Kabir/Dean/Saggers

OT: Picked Dean for England on ICC Tonight - 1/33 - 3/37 - 7/15 Omen?

 

[Rich2001]

Just found a report on Cricinfo and it looks like you were close in your guess Neil. Andrew Flintoff has been declared available for selection for the third Test against India, although a decision on whether he is fit enough to play will not be made until shortly before the match. But it appears that Cork has recovered from the knee injury which he sustained in the second Test at Trent Bridge and is likly to make the squad. Both Andrew Caddick and Alex Tudor are also available, after returning for their counties following injuries earlier this summer. However no mention of S.Jones???

 

[lord_of_darkness]

This is what i reckon the Indian team should be like if they are after a win

SS Das
V Sehwag
S Ganguly
R.Dravid ( wicketkeeper )
VVS Laxman
S Tendulkar
Zaheer Khan
S.Bangar
Tinu Yohannan
A Kumble
Harbajan Singh

that way we have good options of spin and pace attack and our batting would be a more stronger unless if u want to omit a spinner and add an extra pace guy maybe, i have put Bangar in so that he is usable as an extra bowler option in the pace category so and extra paceman isint needed and he is better maybe in comparison to A.Agarkar

[Edited on 8/18/02 by lord_of_darkness]

 

[marc71178]

That's a new way of going for the win, only playing 10 players!

Jones isn't considered fully fit to play a Test match, and may make an appearance for Glamorgan in the CC later this week.

 

[luckyeddie]

Hey, Lord...

I see you've dropped Parthiv Patel.

I thought that he was one of the few plusses in the Indian side from a fielding perspective. The young man is a good keeper already, and I think will be world class in 2 years time.

 

[Neil Pickup]

I think it's down to:

Three from Five
Cork
Flintoff
Giles
Harmison
Tudor

I'll say Flintoff, Harmison and I hope Cork but think Tudor.

 

[luckyeddie]

I've got a feeling that they may just play Flintoff for his batting. It's obvious that he has a long term problem which either needs a good rest or an operation.

Hussain was actually suggesting that it was unprofessional to play Freddie in the last game, so what's changed?

I think that Cork just might get the nod over Tudor, but if Flintoff doesn't play, then there's room for both. Giles to miss out again?

 

[marc71178]

Flintoff is a certain at 7 now White's gone.

After that, I'm hoping Giles (when was the last time we won without him in the side?) at 8, Cork, Harmison and Hoggard.

I'm expecting Flintoff, Tudor, Caddick, Harmison, Hoggard.

 

[lord_of_darkness]

sorry about that 10 man team

new update to my list

i have put Bangar in so that he is usable as an extra bowler option in the pace category so and extra paceman isint needed and he is better maybe in comparison to A.Agarkar. Yes i realize Patel has made a big difference in the field but then when it comes to the bat he hasnt be contributing a lot , Bangar can score and going down the order might help him or he can be used as an extra opener but i wouldnt consider so as he hasnt been helping up there..

I thought that he was one of the few plusses in the Indian side from a fielding perspective. The young man is a good keeper already, and I think will be world class in 2 years time.

Yea i he is a real good player , and come on now so was N.Mongia he was the far best modern day keeper for INDIA , yet he was kicked out mongia did well in contributing with the bat and a really good job behind stumps , im sure if they give parthiv more time to mature he will get better , i mean send him to Australia and play academy cricket get better at batting on the fast pitches and get better at keeping , but yea if bangar doesnt do well , then its either parthiv comes back or Nehra does for the 4th test.

Does anyone know the pitch / ground conditions for this match ? that would be helpful in deciding if a spinner or pace bowler or a batsmen needs to come in or sent out ..

Also what are the stats for Ind vs England for the ground they are going to play their test on ?

 

[luckyeddie]

Yes i realize Patel has made a big difference in the field but then when it comes to the bat he hasnt be contributing a lot

He batted out the last 84 minutes of the second test and was as responsible as anyone for saving the game.

When it comes to wicket keeping ability, he is already more than the equal of Mongia. That should be that as far as I'm concerned (and yes, I would have had Jack Russell as England's keeper for the last 10 years and played Stewart as batsman only - but that's because I like class keepers).

 

[lord_of_darkness]

yea you do have a good point there, out goes bangar then i guess

 

[Anil]

No matter how many English bowlers are out injured, they still have an attack that is more potent than India's. It is a sad and humbling thought(for an Indian supporter, that is) that England are more than a match for India even with half their side out injured, just goes to show the total ineffectiveness of a toothless Indian attack !.

[Edited on 8/19/02 by anilramavarma]

[Edited on 8/19/02 by anilramavarma]

 

[luckyeddie]

So play two spinners and hang the consequences?

I reckon that will be the only way the current Indian team can win in England (and give Tendulkar plenty of bowling too).

 

[Neil Pickup]

You'll get nowhere with two Spinners at Headingley. Maybe at The Oval, which makes it important that we put the series to bed right away.

 

[luckyeddie]

The point is, Neil, that India are not going to win tests in England with their current seam attack (famous last words). That is to say, I don't think that they are capable of consistently taking 20 wickets.

I know that Headingley is supposedly seamer-friendly, but Richard Dawson has picked up a few wickets this season. Playing quality spin from both ends at least allows for pressure to be put on the batting side, and we've seen all too often in the past that England have tended to wilt under pressure.

The Indian seam attack have never been able to dry up the flow of runs in the two tests thus far, and until they can do that, they are doomed to continue facing scores in excess of 500.

It was just a thought.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Kumble is ineffective outside India, and I don't think he would be as good at keeping the runs down, however, Muralitharan/Warne/Harbhajan and yes, that would be a proposition.

But Kumble's not going to do that job and if he plays, I can see him going at 4+ an over.