**Official** Australia in India Thread

[Mister Wright]

Has Patel opened successfully before?
As in First Class level.

Not sure. But I remember Ian Chappell saying that John Wright said he would be a future star for India as an opening batsman. But then Ian Chappell says a lot of things that you shouldn't pay attention to. Like his idea that batsman should warn bowlers when they are going to play the reverse sweep...

 

[Spetsnatz]

My Team for Nagpur:

Chopra
Sehwag
Dravid
laxman
Ganguly
Kaif
Parthiv
AA
Kumble
Turbanator
Zaheer

 

[Spetsnatz]

Not sure. But I remember Ian Chappell saying that John Wright said he would be a future star for India as an opening batsman. But then Ian Chappell says a lot of things that you shouldn't pay attention to. Like his idea that batsman should warn bowlers when they are going to play the reverse sweep...

Patel opened for India at the u-19 world cup in 2002 -- was smashing them around as well.

I believe he opened for India A on their tour of South africa in 2002 -- Got 30's/40's against Nel/Terbrugge et al.
It was the grit that he showed on this tour that prompted the Indian selectors to pick him for the national team.

 

[Arjun]

Hmmm...Irfan Pathan to sit out? Is his injury that bad?

Agreed about your team, though Harbhajan should come in at 7 or 8. They can also play a new fast bowler or medium-pacer. Nikhil Chopra even suggests playing a third spinner, though there are better spinners in India than Murali Karthik.

If they really deserved to win this match, they must come out playing for an outright win right from the first ball.

 

[SJS]

Why would you drop a make-shift opener for another make-shift opener?

Exactly. Why not show some confidence in those who are supposed to be openers ?

A good batsman in the middle order is not necessarily good as an opener. Just like a good fielder at short point (Yuvraj) is not automatically a good fielder at short leg.

We have suffered so long in filling the specialist positions (mainly keepers and openers) with those who have other reasons for being in the team (good fielder, tall and well built left hander etc ) but we refuse to learn.

If we do resort to a makeshift measure and fortunately (or rather unfortunately) it works , as it does at times, we just congratulate ourselves on a brilliant move and make the temporary arrangement permanent. This has happened before and can happen again. But for the sake of Indian cricket and for young Yuvraj's sake, I hope he fails again in the opening if ever given that chance.

 

[Arjun]

Exactly. Why not show some confidence in those who are supposed to be openers ?

A good batsman in the middle order is not necessarily good as an opener. Just like a good fielder at short point (Yuvraj) is not automatically a good fielder at short leg.

We have suffered so long in filling the specialist positions (mainly keepers and openers) with those who have other reasons for being in the team (good fielder, tall and well built left hander etc ) but we refuse to learn.

If we do resort to a makeshift measure and fortunately (or rather unfortunately) it works , as it does at times, we just congratulate ourselves on a brilliant move and make the temporary arrangement permanent. This has happened before and can happen again. But for the sake of Indian cricket and for young Yuvraj's sake, I hope he fails again in the opening if ever given that chance.

No point going with makeshift openers. In that case, why not a makeshift keeper (Dravid), a makeshift strike bowler (Sehwag) or a makeshift Number 6 (Kumble) or even a makeshift coach?

Some positions are very difficult, and need specialists for optimum use. You have to have your best man for each position.

 

[SJS]

Has Patel opened successfully before?
As in First Class level.

He opened in a test in Pakistan this year and scored 69 in the only innings.

 

[SJS]

No point going with makeshift openers. In that case, why not a makeshift keeper (Dravid), a makeshift strike bowler (Sehwag) or a makeshift Number 6 (Kumble) or even a makeshift coach?

Some positions are very difficult, and need specialists for optimum use. You have to have your best man for each position.

Did I say something different

 

[Spetsnatz]

Nikhil Chopra even suggests playing a third spinner, though there are better spinners in India than Murali Karthik.

Such as who ?

Amit Mishra looked a prodigious talent when I saw him last year...but he's not in the picture now.

Sarandeep and Golwalkar are the only others that I can think of and neither has done anything noteworthy to demand selection at this level.

 

[SJS]

My only question over Patel as opener, would be whether he is capable of making big scores? We have seen him make handy 40s, 50s & 60s which is what you want from your keeper, but from your opener you would want someone who could regulary score over 80.

Well Chopra is yet to score a fifty as an opener and half the country is rooting for him to be brought back.

Sunil Gavaskar's best known partner from that best opening pair India has ever produced in tests, Chetan Chauhan, never scored a test hundred.

I am not saying NOT-PLAYING-A_BIG_INNINGS can be a criteria for a successful opener, but nor can you just make it a convinient argument to keep out Parthiv.

A better argument for him not to open is that for a keeper, opening after a long day (or two) in the field is not a great option.

So Parthiv should be used only as an emergency/stop gap opener if he is to be a wicket keeper. He should not be expected to [perform both roles on a continuing basis.

 

[garage flower]

Such as who ?

Amit Mishra looked a prodigious talent when I saw him last year...but he's not in the picture now.

I was thinking that 3 spinners might be an option and thought of Mishra, who admittedly I've never seen play. Why is he no longer in the picture? Injury? Loss of form?

 

[Jono]

I'm shattered.
Rain ruins an awesome test match and Pathan is out of the third test.

Absolutely shattered.

 

[Jnr.]

What a shame. Such an awesome Test match ruined by rain. We will never know which way the result would've gone.

Huge blow for India with Pathan out too, especially if the replacement is Nehra, although SRT might be fit?

 

[Neil Pickup]

No point going with makeshift openers. In that case, why not a makeshift keeper (Dravid), a makeshift strike bowler (Sehwag) or a makeshift Number 6 (Kumble) or even a makeshift coach?

Some positions are very difficult, and need specialists for optimum use. You have to have your best man for each position.

Having advocated Pathan and Harbhajan as batsmen for the last six months, you criticise the logic of selecting a makehift opener?!

If Harbhajan's at eight, India won't win the series, as there will be in all likelihood at least one very low Indian score in the remaining two Tests.

 

[garage flower]

Having advocated Pathan and Harbhajan as batsmen for the last six months, you criticise the logic of selecting a makehift opener?!

If Harbhajan's at eight, India won't win the series, as there will be in all likelihood at least one very low Indian score in the remaining two Tests.

It was a very confusing post from Arjun. He seemed to have completely misinterpreted SJS's post.

I'd like to see Ramesh return to the side (though I realise it won't happen) and would prefer Agarkar to Nehra. Obviously, they need to pick the better bowler of the two, but Nehra's such a poor all-round cricketer that India would lose a lot in every aspect of their game if he was called up.

I've an inkling that SJS is right and Patel will open. If Sachin returns, I'd retain Kaif ahead of Yuvraj, but I'm not sure the selectors will/would.

 

[maxpower]

wow nehra gets the nod ahead of AA, is this is end of AA ?

 

[marc71178]

Whether the Aussies would be bold enough to drop McGrath for Lee is another matter .

I'd say stupid, not bold.

 

[marc71178]

Agreed about your team, though Harbhajan should come in at 7 or 8.

If he comes in at 7 or 8, India will be hammered.

If they really deserved to win this match, they must come out playing for an outright win right from the first ball.

If they did deserve to win, they wouldn't have taken 4 hours to remove Gillespie.

 

[Sanz]

If they did deserve to win, they wouldn't have taken 4 hours to remove Gillespie.

Exactly, A team which allowed Gillespie to bat for two sessions doesn't deserve to win.

 

[Hit4Six]

Exactly, A team which allowed Gillespie to bat for two sessions doesn't deserve to win.

isnt that like saying anytime which lets harbhajjan singh make 40-odd against them not deserve to win? i dont agre with your statement, but outta curiosity who were u rooting for?