***Official*** India in England

[silentstriker]

Chopra...Gagandeep Singh...BLAH! Still, its a plus that Sehwag is out.

 

[shankar]

Very disappointed that Munaf is out. And don't know what Ishant Sharma has done to get ahead of VRV SIngh either.

 

[R_D]

Chopra...Gagandeep Singh...BLAH! Still, its a plus that Sehwag is out.

is that Aakash Chopra you talking about ?
Always wonder why G Singh is never in the running for selection surely he's done more than I Sharma.
I'm glad about Sehwag and Harbhjan not being in the team. Pretty in-experienced bowling lineup thou, you got to pick them sometimes i guess.

 

[honestbharani]

The squads seem decent enough. I am not really fussed about most of the selections although I think I would have preferred to see Badrinath get a chance in the test squad.


But the problems for India are plenty. In batting, we really don't seem to have anyone who can take the game away from the opposition. Jaffar and Karthik are both rather intent on playing time, at least in the first innings. I have no doubt that Karthik can up the ante when told to do so, but I don't think he has enough talent or power to pull it off too many times. I just think he will get himself out trying more often than not.


Rahul generally plays only one way and while he can be reasonably aggressive when he wants to be, I don't think he is the sort of guy who can score 2 boundaries an over when the field is spread against some negative bowling. And even at his most aggressive self, he is not someone who will put bowlers out of the attack or something anyways.


Sachin is not all that aggressive in tests even at his best and he has most certainly gotten into playing it slow nowadays. He is not the dominating batsman that he once was and I don't think he intends on being one again, to be honest. But still, as long as he gives the runs it cannot obviously be held against him too much. Same with Sourav. He seems to get into his shell a lot these days, even in ODIs.


Laxman is one man who used to be the guy who will come in and start playing strokes pretty soon. But he has changed his game too and is also more intent on spending time at the crease. Now individually, it is not a big concern as to how these guys play as long as they get the runs, but when the whole batting order seems to bat only one way and there is no one in the middle order to take control of the game, it does start to affect your side.



Dhoni is the one guy who does accelerate but just like Karthik, I don't think he will be too successful all the time. Karthik doesn't have the power that Dhoni has but Dhoni doesn't have the technique that Karthik has and that is why I think neither will be too consistent if they play the aggressive way.


And then we have a bowling line up that cannot bat, period.



And the same problem exists in our bowling. There is no one who is capable of getting too many wickets in a hurry. Kumble at home can do it, but I doubt if he will be able to do it in England. Zaheer is predictable, at best and he is not a guy to run through a side. AA is legendary, so we need not discuss him here and Sreesanth is still unpredictable, although he is the most likely to get us wickets in a hurry. Powar is once again steady rather than spectacular.



Nope, unless England implode I don't see us winning too much in this series.

 

[adharcric]

The squads seem decent enough. I am not really fussed about most of the selections although I think I would have preferred to see Badrinath get a chance in the test squad.

Badrinath? Who would he replace in the test squad? The reserve opener (Gambhir) is essential, Sachin and Sourav piled it on in Bangladesh, Laxman doesn't deserve to go just yet and Yuvraj is a superior pick at the moment. On a positive note, Badrinath did participate in the training camp so at least we know that the selectors are no longer ignoring him.

But the problems for India are plenty. In batting, we really don't seem to have anyone who can take the game away from the opposition.

Actually, I am not too worried about this aspect of the batting. Jaffer and Karthik will score at a good rate if they manage to accumulate the runs; Dravid is Dravid; Sourav and Sachin batted slowly in Bangladesh but I think they were desperate to restore their own confidence - if they get a start, they will probably play their shots; Laxman is a bit of a worry and Dhoni has shown the ability to bat for extended periods without going berserk and still scoring at a good clip.

And then we have a bowling line up that cannot bat, period.

Really? Kumble has certainly fallen away but Zaheer and Sreesanth are both solid tail-end bats.

And the same problem exists in our bowling. There is no one who is capable of getting too many wickets in a hurry. Kumble at home can do it, but I doubt if he will be able to do it in England. Zaheer is predictable, at best and he is not a guy to run through a side. AA is legendary, so we need not discuss him here and Sreesanth is still unpredictable, although he is the most likely to get us wickets in a hurry. Powar is once again steady rather than spectacular.

Zaheer should fare well in England given his new style of bowling - an accurate line with plenty of movement; he also has plenty of experience. Sreesanth will be the key as he has the real match-winning ability. The third seamer will be crucial, though I am not too confident in RP Singh or Ishant Sharma. RP has the ability but he hasn't shown me anything special in a while. Ishant, meanwhile, should not be headed to England this early and the only positive is that he has experience bowling at the U19 level in English conditions.

 

[honestbharani]

Badrinath? Who would he replace in the test squad? The reserve opener (Gambhir) is essential, Sachin and Sourav piled it on in Bangladesh, Laxman doesn't deserve to go just yet and Yuvraj is a superior pick at the moment. On a positive note, Badrinath did participate in the training camp so at least we know that the selectors are no longer ignoring him..

yeah, I understand that there aren't that many vacancies and that is basically my worry. I think when things start to go wrong, we may see a mass exodus and then these youngsters will have no time to acclimitize to international cricket. Ideally, one young batsman (a rookie, not young like Yuvraj), should go on each tour to get good exposure, esp. with the lack of India A tours.

Actually, I am not too worried about this aspect of the batting. Jaffer and Karthik will score at a good rate if they manage to accumulate the runs; Dravid is Dravid; Sourav and Sachin batted slowly in Bangladesh but I think they were desperate to restore their own confidence - if they get a start, they will probably play their shots; Laxman is a bit of a worry and Dhoni has shown the ability to bat for extended periods without going berserk and still scoring at a good clip..

I am not so sure. Sachin scores at reasonable rates but it is mainly through ones and twos. If you have noticed his cricket recently, you will see that, except for some exceptions a few times, he generally just get singles and leaves the acceleration to the other end and I haven't seen him really take the attack by the scruff of the neck since his knock in bloemfontein in 2001. Sourav is struggling to score quick even in ODIs, and unless he gets fed on the offside or by spinners, I don't see him scoring too quickly at all.

Really? Kumble has certainly fallen away but Zaheer and Sreesanth are both solid tail-end bats..

Yeah, but the nos.8 and 9 of most teams are a little more than just "solid tail end" bats. They can hang around but if there is no specialist batsman to guide them, I can't see us adding 100 runs for the last 4 wickets at all, which does happen reasonably frequently with the other sides.

Zaheer should fare well in England given his new style of bowling - an accurate line with plenty of movement; he also has plenty of experience. Sreesanth will be the key as he has the real match-winning ability. The third seamer will be crucial, though I am not too confident in RP Singh or Ishant Sharma. RP has the ability but he hasn't shown me anything special in a while. Ishant, meanwhile, should not be headed to England this early and the only positive is that he has experience bowling at the U19 level in English conditions.

Zaheer has never really been a match winning bowler and he may get us 2 or 3 initial breakthroughs but to expect more from him is not right. Sree has the potential but is a little too inconsistent for India's liking, I guess. The third seamers picked don't look like they will run through any sides. Kumble becomes rather ineffective away from home and Powar doesn't look like a matchwinner. As I said, our bowling attack, at best, can be steady and at worst, be milked away easily.

 

[viktor]

But the problems for India are plenty. In batting, we really don't seem to have anyone who can take the game away from the opposition. Jaffar and Karthik are both rather intent on playing time, at least in the first innings. I have no doubt that Karthik can up the ante when told to do so, but I don't think he has enough talent or power to pull it off too many times. I just think he will get himself out trying more often than not.


Dhoni is the one guy who does accelerate but just like Karthik, I don't think he will be too successful all the time. Karthik doesn't have the power that Dhoni has but Dhoni doesn't have the technique that Karthik has and that is why I think neither will be too consistent if they play the aggressive way.




And the same problem exists in our bowling. There is no one who is capable of getting too many wickets in a hurry. Kumble at home can do it, but I doubt if he will be able to do it in England. Zaheer is predictable, at best and he is not a guy to run through a side. AA is legendary , so we need not discuss him here and Sreesanth is still unpredictable, although he is the most likely to get us wickets in a hurry. Powar is once again steady rather than spectacular.



Nope, unless England implode I don't see us winning too much in this series.

Firstly, Power!! et tu?
btw, if your major quibble is about the lack of an attacking batsman, how is Badrinath the answer? From all I have heard/read about him, he is your typical middle order accumulator.
AA is of course, legendary, but he isn't in the Test side. His batting skills are irrelevant in this context.

 

[Richard]

Firstly, Power!! et tu?

Worried hbh is turning into Arjun, eh?

 

[viktor]

yes I am. Wouldn't you?

 

[Richard]

hbh hasn't mentioned it in every other post yet.

 

[Manee]

happy about Sehwag and Harbhjan missing out. Shame about Munaf, he would've tourbled english batsman but there was every bit chance of him breakign down after first seesion thou.
pretty happy aboyut the team... could to see some of the younger guys retain their places.

I believe Munaf is still injured and with his record, it was wise to rest him.

gpt a look on the squad, glad to see Ramesh Powar in, liked him playing in two ODIs against Bangladesh recently

Yes, Powar is the definition of F and G (flight and gyle (sp?)) and could be a wicket taker and strangler in the middle overs.

Only reason is the other openers are all very inexperienced. I can definitely see the logic behind his omission though, and it's not something I'm fussed about. Other than that, the only disappointment for me is the inclusion of Ishant Sharma - it's a hard ask to go on a long tour of England with only 1 Test against Bangladesh and 7 First-Class games behind him. Then again, I didn't see the Bangladesh Tests, maybe he showed enough to make it worthwhile to take him to England.

All you need to know about his tour of Bangladesh is that his accuracy was consistantly good (not great, but good); he bowled from low to high 130s and got some steep bounce. However, he is a front on bowler with a sideways back leg, could lead to injuries. I don't agree with his selection though, he is too young at 18 and inexperienced, give him some time. Oh well, the decision has been made and I think his unusual bounce and good accuracy could earn him a few wickets.

Very disappointed that Munaf is out. And don't know what Ishant Sharma has done to get ahead of VRV SIngh either.

Me neither, both were equal and VRV seems to better choice with more experience and proof he can play a whole season, Ishant may get fatigue since I imagine a first FC and international season could be very tough for a 18 year old pacer.

Always wonder why G Singh is never in the running for selection surely he's done more than I Sharma.

Yes, certainly is a mystery, stats point to a good bowler.

The squads seem decent enough. I am not really fussed about most of the selections although I think I would have preferred to see Badrinath get a chance in the test squad.

No room for him I guess with Yuvraj, VVS Laxman, Tendulkar, Ganguly and Dhoni all wanting the middle order.

But the problems for India are plenty. In batting, we really don't seem to have anyone who can take the game away from the opposition. Jaffar and Karthik are both rather intent on playing time, at least in the first innings. I have no doubt that Karthik can up the ante when told to do so, but I don't think he has enough talent or power to pull it off too many times. I just think he will get himself out trying more often than not.

What is wrong with playing time in a test match?

Sachin is not all that aggressive in tests even at his best and he has most certainly gotten into playing it slow nowadays. He is not the dominating batsman that he once was and I don't think he intends on being one again, to be honest. But still, as long as he gives the runs it cannot obviously be held against him too much. Same with Sourav. He seems to get into his shell a lot these days, even in ODIs.

I think Tendulkar going defensive is beneficial in a strange way. Now, nothing blinds the selectors from dropping or picking him instead of run scoring, which is how it should be.

Dhoni is the one guy who does accelerate but just like Karthik, I don't think he will be too successful all the time. Karthik doesn't have the power that Dhoni has but Dhoni doesn't have the technique that Karthik has and that is why I think neither will be too consistent if they play the aggressive way.

Anything in Dhoni's half of the wicket in the final overs is six or out, fun for the crowd and good for the team. It works in most conditions since there won't be much swing in the 40-50th overs.

And then we have a bowling line up that cannot bat, period.

If you add someone like Chawla who is an all rounder at eight, it is not so bad. He is not in Tests but India must think about that and if it means scoring slow, so be it, but the top order must perform.

Badrinath? Who would he replace in the test squad? The reserve opener (Gambhir) is essential, Sachin and Sourav piled it on in Bangladesh, Laxman doesn't deserve to go just yet and Yuvraj is a superior pick at the moment.

Yes, Yuvraj over Laxman for his equal career batting, better batting form and better fielding.

Really? Kumble has certainly fallen away but Zaheer and Sreesanth are both solid tail-end bats.

Zaheer can bat, Sreesanth cannot. One six and a ridiculous dance does not make you a good batsman. He averages under 10 in FC cricket in Indian belters and he has several not outs which boost his average.

Zaheer should fare well in England given his new style of bowling - an accurate line with plenty of movement; he also has plenty of experience.

England will pile on the runs as they always do at home, it will be his job to get the early breakthrough to prevent a partnership developing and bowl steadily while one is developing, hope he can do it.

Sreesanth will be the key as he has the real match-winning ability. The third seamer will be crucial, though I am not too confident in RP Singh or Ishant Sharma. RP has the ability but he hasn't shown me anything special in a while. Ishant, meanwhile, should not be headed to England this early and the only positive is that he has experience bowling at the U19 level in English conditions.

Sreesanth is the key, I want the other pacer to be RP Singh since he gets steep bounce somehow and this could trouble anyone.

 

[silentstriker]

You don't have to have attacking batsmen in Test cricket to be successful. Especially if the said attacking batsmen (*COUGH* Gambhir *COUGH*) don't know how to protect their wicket.

 

[viktor]

hbh hasn't mentioned it in every other post yet.

tbf, I can see where he is coming from, just found it funny that even he should equate scoring quickly with *power*.

 

[adharcric]

Yes, Yuvraj over Laxman for his equal career batting, better batting form and better fielding.

Give me a break.

Zaheer can bat, Sreesanth cannot. One six and a ridiculous dance does not make you a good batsman. He averages under 10 in FC cricket in Indian belters and he has several not outs which boost his average.

Clearly, you have never watched him bat carefully. He has a very good technique for a tailender. By the way, I had not even looked at his average before saying that he can bat.

 

[Manee]

Give me a break.

International experience wise. VVS has 166 international games and Yuvraj has 190.

Clearly, you have never watched him bat carefully. He has a very good technique for a tailender. By the way, I had not even looked at his average before saying that he can bat.

I don't think he can bat at all and has a sort of Mcgrath technique in that he can edge a good ball nine times out of ten but can't really bat.

 

[Dasa]

International experience wise. VVS has 166 international games and Yuvraj has 190.

That's irrelevant to how good they are as batsmen though. Yuvraj's experience comes from playing mostly ODIs anyway, Laxman is by far the more accomplished Test batsman and probably the better batsman overall.

 

[Richard]

Arunava, you've left the Staff!

 

[silentstriker]

Laxman is by far the more accomplished Test batsman and probably the better batsman overall.

No probably about it, and its not really a close contest either. I would rather have VVS Laxman over Singh any day of the week.

 

[adharcric]

No probably about it, and its not really a close contest either. I would rather have VVS Laxman over Singh any day of the week.

Not in one-day cricket.

 

[Dasa]

Arunava, you've left the Staff!

I have a lot of uni work coming up over the next few months and I don't think I'll be able to commit to writing for CW regularly, so I'm out for a while, at least until the Australian summer.