*Official* New Zealand in Australia 2019/20

[NZTailender]

Kuggs is a myth. Dodgy character aside he's just not got the tools to be a genuine bowling only option, nor a bits and pieces all-rounder option.

 

[NZTailender]

CDG just has too many attributes for this to ever happen. He's actually one of the best pure batsmen in this side, it's just that he gets it wrong mentally sometimes. And we all know he can biff it if he's given a platform.

And if it swings with a pink ball he's very handy, then even if it doesn't he can perform a holding role.

Kuggle will never be an international cricketer in any format. Mark my words. He bowls gun barrel 140km pace which international batsmen have no issue with, and he's a very inconsistent hitter who might have a 30 in his once every series or two. If you want an alternative, pick Neesham.

I honestly felt like CdG turned a corner with his batting in this Test. Like he figured out when to be mature and measured and when to accelerate.

 

[ataraxia]

I honestly felt like CdG turned a corner with his batting in this Test. Like he figured out when to be mature and measured and when to accelerate.

Feel like Test cricket suits CdG. Loves just going at a slow slow strike rate of 90 with no pressure to go fast. Maybe that's why he bats at 4 in T20s. As an aside, he should be an opening option in the shorter formats. Just feel like it would suit his style.

 

[Immenso]

Feel like Test cricket suits CdG. Loves just going at a slow slow strike rate of 90 with no pressure to go fast. Maybe that's why he bats at 4 in T20s. As an aside, he should be an opening option in the shorter formats. Just feel like it would suit his style.

I always felt CdG was too orthodox to succeed at T20 (and maybe ODIs).

Powerful hitter, but played in a classical way, sometimes got too cramped up and would get caught in the deep attempting to clear the boundary rather than find the gap. (Plus, visually, it appeared like his bat was too heavy and/or his back-swing too slow for the bowling variations). Suited test cricket playing orthodox attacking cricket with gaps in the outfield.

Is this still the case? I see he has an IPL contract now so I'm probably 5 years out of date.

 

[SteveNZ]

Feel like Test cricket suits CdG. Loves just going at a slow slow strike rate of 90 with no pressure to go fast. Maybe that's why he bats at 4 in T20s. As an aside, he should be an opening option in the shorter formats. Just feel like it would suit his style.

Yup, it's always been the case. His FC numbers have always been far superior to his list A and T20 - even though you look at him as a guy who can wack it to all parts and therefore should be the other way around. He thrives on less score board pressure and more gaps in the field - which as a guy who can play all around the clock, suits him to the ground.

I think there's a misconception that a) he's a bigger with the bat and b) he doesn't care enough at times. He's actually technically very, very good. Always has been. And he actually cares a lot, which is why he can get tight in certain situations. He's just a hell of a cricketer and I think he's starting to know that now, and trust in his game and own the responsibility.

 

[Bahnz]

I saw in the post-match interviews that NZ are considering playing both Tastle and Santa in the 2nd test. Argh, but understandable. If they're playing on the slow clay, Lockie might well be surplus to requirements, and now that we're 1-0 up, a tail of Santner, Tastle, Southee and Wagner would make it more likely that we'd secure a draw in the event that things don't go according to plan. Still, argh.

 

[ataraxia]

I saw in the post-match interviews that NZ are considering playing both Tastle and Santa in the 2nd test. Argh, but understandable. If they're playing on the slow clay, Lockie might well be surplus to requirements, and now that we're 1-0 up, a tail of Santner, Tastle, Southee and Wagner would make it more likely that we'd secure a draw in the event that things don't go according to plan. Still, argh.

Yeah I half-joked this would happen. Love to see Southee at 11 as retribution for Broad though.

 

[thundaboult]

This whole injury cloud over several of our players has really taken the spark out the Aus tests for me personally...Boult's condition so 50/50, CDG basically out, KW with a niggle. UGH.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Boult in a race against time to be fit for a critical tour to Australia, the more things change the more things stay the same I guess.

 

[NZTailender]

This whole injury cloud over several of our players has really taken the spark out the Aus tests for me personally...Boult's condition so 50/50, CDG basically out, KW with a niggle. UGH.

Eh, I've been feeling that way but as long as they don't drop Wagner again I think we're in with a shout.

Taylor needs to turn up tho

 

[thierry henry]

On CDG, imo his weak format is one-day cricket. This isn't actually that unusual for big boundary hitters, as they can come out and try to go long in T20s, and then just bat normally in tests. The in-between of trying to score relatively quickly while still having pressure to build a score in ODIs is tougher.

Or to put it another way, averaging 20-something in T20s is ok if you have a massive strike rate, but averaging 20-something in ODIs isn't good enough. That's basically CDG.

 

[thierry henry]

Another thought I had about CDG the other day - is his value as an all-rounder enhanced because his bowling and batting styles are sort of opposite to each other?

So like, on a really flat deck his batting comes into its own even if his bowling is a bit ineffective. Then even if he struggles a bit with the bat on a green seamer, it suits his bowling perfectly.

Compare that to someone like Neesham (or a number of all-rounders actually, who are generally seen as aggressive cricketers and whose bowling may be a little erratic - to an extent guys like Stokes, Pandya etc) whose "golden arm" style bowling is less reliant on conditions but less reliable when conditions are favourable.

 

[thierry henry]

Great example was the World Cup final - the two-paced pitch befuddled CDG's simple batting method, but then played right into his hands with the ball.

 

[Bahnz]

Another thought I had about CDG the other day - is his value as an all-rounder enhanced because his bowling and batting styles are sort of opposite to each other?

So like, on a really flat deck his batting comes into its own even if his bowling is a bit ineffective. Then even if he struggles a bit with the bat on a green seamer, it suits his bowling perfectly.

Compare that to someone like Neesham (or a number of all-rounders actually, who are generally seen as aggressive cricketers and whose bowling may be a little erratic - to an extent guys like Stokes, Pandya etc) whose "golden arm" style bowling is less reliant on conditions but less reliable when conditions are favourable.

Except Colin's bowling has proven strangely effective even in the roadiest of conditions - like when he picked up 5 wickets at 25 in the UAE last year, or his performances in the latest test. I think his bowling is actually just really rather good for a 5th bowler in tests. Especially with the new ball, his accuracy and seam release is generally good enough to give him a sniff even against quality batsmen. And at other times, he can give the other bowlers a rest by coming on, putting it on a good length and bowling 5 overs for 10 runs.

 

[thierry henry]

Except Colin's bowling has proven strangely effective even in the roadiest of conditions - like when he picked up 5 wickets at 25 in the UAE last year, or his performances in the latest test. I think his bowling is actually just really rather good for a 5th bowler in tests. Especially with the new ball, his accuracy and seam release is generally good enough to give him a sniff even against quality batsmen. And at other times, he can give the other bowlers a rest by coming on, putting it on a good length and bowling 5 overs for 10 runs.

Yeah fair enough....it's definitely not just green seamers, but I would still say on a fairly fast, bouncy but true pitch I wouldn't expect him to be particularly effective (and yet this is what suits his batting). There seem to be a variety of conditions where he can be effective with the ball - any seam, cut, slowness, variation in pace and bounce, and he's in the game. This means he's not just a danger man when it's seaming, he can also be the wicket taking option in conditions other bowlers find tough going.

 

[stephen]

I do hope Boult is fit for the upcoming tests. The battle between him and Smith was supposed to be the highlight of the summer.

 

[Spark]

I do hope Boult is fit for the upcoming tests. The battle between him and Smith was supposed to be the highlight of the summer.

Smith vs Abbas under lights could be very good.

 

[Burgey]

If they pick him.

 

[CricAddict]

Smith vs Abbas under lights could be very good.

Wrong thread, mate.

 

[Prince EWS]

Wrong thread, mate.

How unlike Spark to spark like that.