*Official* New Zealand in India 2010

[Bahnz]

I was on fire with my calls until just after McCullum got out early on day three. Now it's completely the opposite.

However I'm pretty confident India will manage to scrape 150 and NZ will be all out for 120. We've used our run budget for the first three innings of this series.

The thing is, the pitch is still good. The turn is still slow, the bounce is fairly predictable (if low) and no big cracks or footmarks have opened up. It was only Martin's ridiculously brilliant bowling that caused the collapse. Throw in the fact that the Indian seamers will be pretty shagged from having to bowl for four days in a row, and there really is no reason why New Zealand can't chase 200. Besides of course their hilarious incompetence with the bat.

 

[Athlai]

What? 35 is pretty meh. And he should be able to take wickets against Pakistan on our pitches, especially since he doesn't have to compete with Bond and O'Brien this time.

Taking his career average down to 32 would take a lot. A whole lot.

 

[Athlai]

The thing is, the pitch is still good. The turn is still slow, the bounce is fairly predictable (if low) and no big cracks or footmarks have opened up. It was only Martin's ridiculously brilliant bowling that caused the collapse. Throw in the fact that the Indian seamers will be pretty shagged from having to bowl for four days in a row, and there really is no reason why New Zealand can't chase 200. Besides of course their hilarious incompetence with the bat.

Yeah this ^ Agree entirely.

 

[Uppercut]

The thing is, the pitch is still good. The turn is still slow, the bounce is fairly predictable (if low) and no big cracks or footmarks have opened up. It was only Martin's ridiculously brilliant bowling that caused the collapse. Throw in the fact that the Indian seamers will be pretty shagged from having to bowl for four days in a row, and there really is no reason why New Zealand can't chase 200. Besides of course their hilarious incompetence with the bat.

Yeah I definitely think failing to take the last four wickets quickly enough is more likely than New Zealand collapsing completely in their second innings. Although they never seem to bat well twice in a match, so that's against them.

 

[Flem274*]

Bahnz is positive. This will either be a cakewalk or even more embarassing than usual.

26.

 

[Bahnz]

Bahnz is positive. This will either be a cakewalk or even more embarassing than usual.

26.

I didn't say that I think they'll do it. Just saying that if we lose we'll probably only have ourselves to blame. As usual.

 

[Flem274*]

Every good Central Districts man, woman and child knows that Michael Mason is still a better bowler than Chris Martin. if I could be bothered I'd go find the quintessential Central Districts cricket rant I posted.

Or alternatively visit the old NZ Domestic threads and search for posts by Princess EWS.

Ha, found it.

"Mathew Sinclair and Michael Mason are the hardest done by players in NZ cricket. They needed just one failure and ****ing Bracewell and those ****sucking Canterbury biased selectors would drop them.

Sinclair would average well over 40 if he was given a decent run and his confidence wasn't shot. They say he needs a better technique, but it scores him runs for fun. I don't see Vincent and McMillan getting dropped for their ****house techniques. Come to think of it, when was the last time McMillan played a shot that wasn't a reverse switch hit or straight scoop? It's a ****ing joke.

And Mason, well **** me, what is a hack like Ian Butler doing ahead of him? They say Mason isn't penetrative but how the **** would they know when they never play him? Guys like Mason and that Auckland **** who took six in his only test just can't get a chance ahead of Cantabrian hacks like Chris Martin, who only ever performs against South Africa."


It's all true!

 

[Flem274*]

I didn't say that I think they'll do it. Just saying that if we lose we'll probably only have ourselves to blame. As usual.

You know what will happen don't you?

This pitch is starting to get some life in it tbf. There's some good turn in it and TMS are saying it's got some nice cracks now. It's hard to get in on and importantly, hard to force the issue on unless you're Sehwag. 200 not good if we start our chase after lunch. 150 will take us a decent portion of the day.

 

[Flem274*]

On a sidenote, what would really piss me off is if we lost but that bloody performance review (which is ridiculous anyway) says "Oh we showed fight, let off the hook." We have shown fight and I think the review is stupid and knee jerk anyway, because it was never going to solve ****, but since they started the bloody useless thing they might as well put it to good use. Instead of praising the performance they should write "same as every other time we get into a winning position."

Yes I do get angry over things I find irrelevant anyway. GAGF.

Anyway, this is and will be our biggest chance all series to pull off a win this series. We have a hiding on the cards at some stage because to be realistic, this is India at home, but it would be nice to snatch a victory. Especially since Chris Martin just did something he hasn't done in years and bowled his best spell in his entire career.

 

[Flem274*]

And that was three posts in a row. I need to stop talking.

 

[silentstriker]

India will take us seriously from now on and own us.

Chris Martin will not take 9 wickets for under 30 runs.

You may want to just concede defeat now.

 

[Athlai]

Does anyone remember someone posting the link that showed the Test rankings over time?

Interested in seeing how many debut hundreds have been scored against the #1 team

 

[vcs]

Clearly Dhoni needs to go back to losing tosses again.

 

[grecian]

What an achievement by Martin today, honestly who'd of thunk it, 3 not out, impressive

 

[Shri]

Clearly Dhoni needs to go back to losing tosses again.

Yet to lose a test series as captain. Something works for him all the time.

 

[joels344]

It will be interesting to see if Martin can keep this spell going into the final day. He was incredible. 5/25.

 

[vcs]

210 runs were scored today for the loss of 11 wickets. If we can get the lead past 170 or so, every additional run after that will cut into NZ's time. Will take a great effort to do it though. If a wicket falls in the first couple of overs or so, especially Laxman's, it's NZ's game IMO.

What works in NZ's favour is that even if it's a respectable target, their top order can afford to throw their bats at it a bit in the knowledge that they have a very solid middle order. So anything under 220 is gettable in theory.

 

[weed wizard]

to flem274

Hey man itz not bout being a fan of watling/guptill.
May be sinclair was overlooked. Thats sad.
But he has had his share of wine.

Building a young team is the only way nz cricket will improve. And besides we have nothing to loose but everything to win.
Remember vinod kambli, childhood friend of sachin.
It was said that he was a better player than master blaster. May he was overlooked.
You win some, you loose some.

 

[kingkallis]

Harbhajan and Laxman will have to bat well to add 70-80 more...

 

[Chewie]

The only way I can see us winning is if we can bundle the remaining Indians out for not too much. We are notorious for screwing up easy opportunities like this. Also I reckon McCullum should go out and smack it around, at least until the first wicket goes down. he could knock off quite a high proportion of the runs and in the kiwi mindset that could make a big difference.

Also, annoyingly, I'm going to walk the Tongariro Alpine Crossing tomorrow and leaving in a few hours. So I'm not going to be able to watch Tommo run through the rest of the Indian lineup