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

[hendrix]

I am probably as good as you are in your first language besides knowing a bit of French(10 years at school and college) and Spanish(not fluent or a whole lot I admit) apart from my mother tongue which is Tamil and another language from the neighbouring state called Telugu and I can also understand another neighbouring state's language calle Malayalam.

I believe the word barbarian was originally an onomatopoeia, in that foreigners speaking a different language sound like "bahbahbah" and basically just a fast collection of similar sounding syllables; thus the word early meaning was "those guys over there that are speaking gibberish".

Never have I subscribed to this definition so much as when I hear Malayalam. It seriously just sounds like a ridiculously fast collection of A's and L's. I was shocked when my mate told me that they actually have a greater collection of vowels and consonants than English - I guess that just goes to show how difficult it is to hear different sounds as a foreigner. Still, I'll hold onto being able to hear the difference between V and W!

 

[jonbrooks]

Enough talk on languages!

How is today going to pan out? Will BMac and BJ continue their partnership and help NZ put up a respectable total? Or will we see a flurry of wickets leading to an Indian victory around lunch time?

No matter what happens it's been a good summer for NZ cricket. We've dominated the WIndies in the tests and had parity in ODIs. We've dominated India in the ODIs and will most likely have parity in the tests. If before the season started I was told we'd beat the WIndies and draw against the Indians, I'd have take it any day of the week.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Watto? Please don't call him that.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

So you went over to that tent in the end? Better Tui than the impossible-to-open bottles?

It wasn't Tui that they were selling in the marquee. That would have been sol destroying.

 

[Flem274*]

Just get married already.

India are still going to win this with ease. This pair need to put on another 200 to give us a remote chance and that would be a ridiculous stand, and then Jimmy and the tail would have to put the boot in followed by a classy bowling performance. If anything we're likely to get a 50-150 run lead which India will chase down without too many dramas. Remember if one of these two fall only Wagner is known for batting time below them.

What a scrap though.

 

[_Ed_]

I choose to believe.

 

[jonbrooks]

Just get married already.

India are still going to win this with ease. This pair need to put on another 200 to give us a remote chance and that would be a ridiculous stand, and then Jimmy and the tail would have to put the boot in followed by a classy bowling performance. If anything we're likely to get a 50-150 run lead which India will chase down without too many dramas. Remember if one of these two fall only Wagner is known for batting time below them.

What a scrap though.

Yes, I've enjoyed the fight too but it will be a hurdle too big for the NZ team.

I've enjoyed watching the Indians bowl. It's always difficult for Indian seamers to get wickets on spin friendly Indian wickets so it's good to see them showing their wares in helpful conditions. There were some absolute rippers from Zaheer Khan yesterday ... deliveries which were too good for the batsmen.

 

[Bahnz]

Yeah, the pitch has gotten so good to bat on, I think we'd need to get at least a 300 run lead to have a chance. Which would mean we'd basically have to bat all of today. And wickets tend to fall early in the morning. I think the most likely result is we get bowled out with a lead of about 100, and India score that for the loss of 1 or 2 wickets.

 

[G.I.Joe]

I was shocked when my mate told me that they actually have a greater collection of vowels and consonants than English - I guess that just goes to show how difficult it is to hear different sounds as a foreigner.

It's a wonderful language, but the shortcoming is that it is an uncomfortable accent (from the listener's perspective) to be carried over to other languages. It's the fast pace and heavy lilt that kills it when transferred to something like English or Hindi. It's a very expressive 'accent' in the native tongue itself. If there's an innate shortcoming to it, I'd say it's the heavy reliance on the percussive consonants which might give the listener the grating feeling. Not enough S's or Z's or H's to soften the impact.

 

[Flem274*]

Albie are you and I fighting over the Foundation TV?

Have it if you want. I'll watch elsewhere.

 

[Mike5181]

Doull

 

[Flem274*]

what did doull say?

how good is it having an ex-opening batsman as our keeper btw? having someone who spent almost a decade as a specialist batsman is such a gain over having a guy who has only ever known the dual role.

probs jinxed OPWB now but what the hell.

 

[Blocky]

When would India start to feel a sense of panic? 250 or more in lead? Would require Watling and McCullum to basically score their scores again out there and for Neesham to come off with some hitting, but not completely outside the realm of belief.

I think if anything though, you'll see a very tired, worn McCullum who's body won't be feeling the best this morning, wouldn't surprise me if he nips out early.

 

[Mike5181]

what did doull say?

Richardson told him to use one of the bails in his pitch report, so he just threw it away.

 

[Flem274*]

I actually think the Craigs are wrong - Taylor has been batting in this manner since the SL win. I remember us all commenting on how sedately he batted at the time. Off field drama held him back for 6 months though.

 

[Flem274*]

I'll start believing a little if we can keep India out there. The longer India have to field, the more tired they will get, and the easier it will be for us - both for wearing down their bowlers and giving their openers a long spell standing around as well. India batted so quickly that their bowlers haven't had a massive rest either.

But they'll be fresh this morning, and I think McCullum's body might start slowly this morning which is a scary prospect. BJ to take most of the strike early on imo.

 

[Meridio]

That first ball makes me nervous. Can easily see at least one of these two nicking off early.

 

[Contra]

haha knuckle ball, gotta love it.

 

[Neil Pickup]

I'd put that one back in the locker for a bit if I were you, Zak.

 

[_Ed_]

Haha, just checked to see what NZ's all-time 6th wicket partnership record is, and we're a wee way off - a whopping 339 v Bangladesh.
Only Test: New Zealand v Bangladesh at Hamilton, Feb 15-19, 2010 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Next-best is 246 against a 1980s Sri Lanka.
1st Test: Sri Lanka v New Zealand at Colombo (CCC), Apr 16-21, 1987 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

And then 220 against WI.
1st Test: West Indies v New Zealand at Kingston, Feb 16-21, 1972 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo