***Official*** India in New Zealand 2013/14

[Bahnz]

It's only a few days out so any sensible assessment of who might have the advantage has long since been replaced by rampant Gambhiring.

So India to win by an innings and 500 at Eden Park obvz.

 

[Blocky]

No, that's not what the discussion was at all. Maybe earlier in the thread, but definitely not now.

Hendrix said that Wagner's performance as third seamer would be crucial, because without a performing third seamer additional pressure is put on the weak link of the attack, Sodhi, and he can't really deal with that; and that Sodhi's role in the attack is less crucial because he can be covered for by Corey J and the man with the tumblr fans, whereas Wagner cannot be.

Which somehow or other transitioned into you rambling on for two pages about how good Wagner is, as if we'd all said he shouldn't be playing.

I do want Henry in there ahead of Wagner, ftr, but not for any statistically-justifiable reason. I just (selfishly) want to watch him bowl when I'm at the Basin. On potential he'd be worth the punt IMO, but unseating an incumbent who has been serviceable in his role would be pretty harsh. In fact I actually quite like Wagner as a bowler.

Not at all the read I got, the read I got indicated that the third seamer position was vital and that Wagner wasn't good enough as a player to fill it, and that there were a treasure trove of better options out there than him. The conversation about Sodhi was ignored by other posters who concentrated their bollocks on Wagner which is why I pointed out his better points - no different to a bunch of people pointing out Guptill's apparent better points in lieu of some pretty bad performances.

Favorites to win the series, on the basis of rankings and recent performance would have to say India. Kohli is in his own class as a batsman in this series but I feel India's batting unit has a lot more success behind them and guys like Dhawan are too good to be bad for long. The NZ bowling attack is better, however if the Indians are able to see off the new ball, they'll find it much easier until it starts to reverse. The other unknown is how much Sodhi will bowl and how much India will take him apart, if he bowls 15 or more overs in any innings, I'd hazard a guess that India will set a massive total.

 

[hendrix]

No, there's noone more selectable than Wagner at the moment. There's guys who could be better (Henry, maybe) but we really don't know and thus we have to stick with Wagner.

The point is that he has to do better than he has done for us to have a chance.

 

[Kippax]

Vijay, Dhawan disappoint in tour game | Match Reports | Cricket Blogs, Opinions & Analysis | Wisden India

The Indians will look back at their final day’s competitive cricket before the Test series against New Zealand, and reflect on what might have been.

It wasn’t a disastrous day, it must be stressed, but it wasn’t a completely satisfying day either. There was some cause for optimism because at least two certainties for the first Test, starting in Auckland on February 6, spent much-needed time out in the middle while making half-centuries and a third looked in pretty good touch before giving it away. But India wouldn’t have been too happy with their openers, who, it must be said, were too lazy at the start of the day.

On a pleasant Monday (February 3), with the sun playing hide and seek with the high clouds, conditions at Cobham Oval were a lot more cricket-friendly. A gentle breeze wafting across the vast expanse of the ground made it even more pleasant for the bowlers, but there was no joy whatsoever to be had from the pitch, beautiful for batting to start with and then gradually slowing down as the afternoon wore on.

The bonuses for New Zealand XI on the final day of the two-day match arrived right at the start. In his only innings before the Test series, M Vijay failed to build on the hard work of the previous evening, lasting only four deliveries when he sat in his crease to a fullish delivery from Ili Tugaga, missing an ambitious whip to leg and having his off pole uprooted.

Tugaga and Tipene Friday bowled a lot fuller than on Sunday, when they peppered Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan with short deliveries. On day two, they sought to bring the batsmen forward. Dhawan looked more in control during his brief stint, but threw his hand away while attempting a third run after a wonderful punch through the covers, only to see Jono Hickey hunt the ball down and fire a return in to Roald Badenhorst, who dislodged the bails. The irony of the dismissal wouldn’t have been lost on anyone, least of all Dhawan. Having stubbornly desisted from hectic running in the one-day games, a run out in a leisurely practice game was perhaps the worst way to be dismissed, but Dhawan had nothing but his own tardiness to blame.

Admittedly, the bowling seldom rose above the friendly, but any time in the middle in a game situation is better preparation than several hours of practice at nets. Vijay and Dhawan denied themselves that luxury, as did Cheteshwar Pujara, who, however, looked extremely assured and in control, his back-foot play impeccable during his 77-minute stint.

India need not have too many concerns on the Pujara front for obvious reasons, and would have been pleased with the batting time stacked up by Rohit Sharma, the captain for the game, and Ajinkya Rahane, though beyond their early stages, they had little by way of challenge to encounter from the New Zealand XI bowling.

Both men made half-centuries, Rahane’s the more fluent, before retiring to give the other batsmen a go. Very little should be read into their efforts apart from the fact that Rohit had an open net for two-and-a-half hours and Rahane for two. The placidity of the surface and the lack of firepower in the bowling – both of which will be conspicuously absent at Eden Park – dictated that these two innings must be viewed in isolation and not with the larger picture in mind, even if there is no substitute for runs in any grade against any attack merely from a confidence perspective.

By having rested Ravindra Jadeja for this game, the Indian think-tank had as good as indicated that he would continue to be the first-choice spinner for the Tests. Further proof came on Monday when Wriddhiman Saha, the reserve stumper, batted ahead of R Ashwin. Jadeja, of course, had taken six wickets in Durban against South Africa in his first overseas Test, and had a pretty fruitful limited-overs outing in New Zealand. He is quite the logical option as the primary spinner right at the moment, though Ashwin was again quite majestic with the bat, especially against the second new ball. Perhaps at some stage in the not-so-distant future, he might even be a potential top-six choice.

Saha threw the opportunity away, playing all over a full toss from the offspin of Jono Boult, the older brother of Test left-arm paceman Trent Boult, but Ambati Rayudu, the only reserve batsman in a squad of 17, had a good look at the New Zealand XI bowling, which was at best steady. If the lashing Robert O’Donnell had feared on Sunday evening didn’t materialise, it was only because the Indians played well within themselves, crease occupation taking precedence over run making.

And, for the record, the Indians responded to New Zealand XI’s 262 for 9 declared with 313 for 7 declared when the game was called off.

 

[Dan]

I have no faith in the Indian openers whatsoever; Vijay's trash and Dhawan's good for one crazy knock a series. Pujara and Kohli at 3 and 4 could be scarily good though - could well win the series from their bats alone, tbh.

 

[Daemon]

I can't believe you're saying Vijay's trash after what I predicted and what happened in South Africa.

 

[Dan]

In the face of any and all evidence to the contrary, I will claim Vijay is trash until the day I die. Does not belong playing Test cricket as far as I'm concerned.

I don't even know why it is that I neither like nor rate him. I just don't.

 

[Daemon]

#Danthemanboy

 

[RxGM]

Interesting to see how the pitch looks, does anyone have any inside knowledge? New groundsman (whose name I cant remember) with his first test wicket - hopefully he isn't hyper-conservative like Andy Brown was in Hamilton.
Ideally something closer to the boxing day ODI wicket, as opposed to the piece of asphalt that was pulled off Sandringham road and called a pitch last week.

 

[hendrix]

2 days to go boys.

I'm so freaking pumped.

 

[RxGM]

Ditto.
Super nervous about the weather though, it is a bit of a complicated situation and anything could happen, there is the remains of a tropical cyclone tracking down from Fiji, which hopefully goes east. There is a southerly front tracking up the country which hopefully weakens due to the tropical cyclone while pushing the tropical cyclone east. The match will be rain interrupted it is anyone’s guess by how much.

 

[jonbrooks]

so which team is favorite to win the test series?

India.

Despite being beaten comprehensively in the ODI series, the Indian batsmen will get more time to establish themselves in the tests. However the key factor will be Ashwin and if the Indian batsmen can get good totals on the board then the pressure will be on NZ.

 

[Bahnz]

Ugh looking at the forecast it's pretty bleak isn't it, especially from day three onwards.

 

[Prince EWS]

However the key factor will be Ashwin

I really don't think he's very likely to play.

 

[hendrix]

Ugh looking at the forecast it's pretty bleak isn't it, especially from day three onwards.

yeah, rain scheduled for every day of the test. Man that would suck.

 

[RxGM]

I really don't think he's very likely to play.

Do you think they will play Jadeja instead, if this was the case I would have thought Jadeja would have bowled in the practice match.

Just looking through there test squad, I cant believe India have 17 players still here for a two test series.

 

[Prince EWS]

Do you think they will play Jadeja instead

Yeah I do. Ashwin was dropped for Jadeja for India's last Test match and Jadeja bowled really well; I can't really see them reversing that now, particularly given Jadeja has also scored runs on this tour. The only way I can see Ashwin playing the first Test is if they play five bowlers.

 

[hendrix]

just going to reiterate for the last time how ridiculous it is that Ojha isn't in the squad.

 

[Blocky]

India.

Despite being beaten comprehensively in the ODI series, the Indian batsmen will get more time to establish themselves in the tests. However the key factor will be Ashwin and if the Indian batsmen can get good totals on the board then the pressure will be on NZ.

In three of the five innings he played, we didn't look like getting Kohli out until he needed to push runs at 9 an over to stay in the game. The other two we got him early playing expansive shots trying to get his innings underway. Admittedly he hasn't seen Trent Boult or Wagner and hopefully Wagner repeats his usual form of taking out the top player in the unit but ultimately, even if you say Taylor can perform at Kohli's level for the series, it's going to require the best series from Rutherford, Williamson and McCullum in order for us to compete with the Indian batting order.

I also think irregardless of what others think that India will be a lot more threatening when the ball stops moving than we will, solely because they have Jadeja and Ashwin, even if these guys haven't set the test world on fire away from home, NZ loves giving wickets away to competent but non threatening spin. Our spin option will go for over 4 an over, maybe even 5 - theirs won't, which is where I think scoreboard pressure will creep in.

 

[hendrix]

Pujara is better than Kohli.