***Official*** New Zealand in India 2012

[M0rphin3]

Just came in to say - Southee WAG Z, haters can suck it etc.

India gonna win this comfortably though. Should've really got around 300+. Disappointed with Kaneh

 

[Agent TBY]

Hopefully a quick Sehwag century will put NZ out of it.

I wouldn't bet on it, considering it'd be the first time he ever scores a fourth inning century.

 

[benchmark00]

Reckon Sehwag is the key tomorrow. What do you think, Srizza?

 

[Bahnz]

Looks like the 30 odd runs we gifted india thanks to Guptill's drop might be crucial. Or, more likely, india will steam home with 6 wickets in hand. Either way, another classic case of New Zealand getting their noses in front before bottling it.

 

[Agent TBY]

Reckon Sehwag is the key tomorrow. What do you think, Srizza?

Oh definitely. Him getting out in the first five overs of the chase will really put India on the backfoot.

And don't get me wrong, I'm not Gambhiring or whatever. I just believe Sehwag almost never comes good when you'd expect or need him to - it's always at the most unexpected of times that he does. That's part of who he is and how he's played over the years, and it's both a good thing and bad IMO.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

That Southee bloke did alright I guess. No surprises from our batting while setting a total.

 

[Meridio]

Have been thinking about our **** batting vs spin, and am wondering whether there's been a change in coaching philosophy these days regarding sweeping. I might be wrong, but I think every single time one of our batsmen has got out sweeping, it's when they've been trying to sweep against the turn. Flynn obviously has been out three times trying to sweep Ashwin, yet I can't remember him playing any sweeps to Ojha. Obviously, sweeping with the spin is safer as you can get your pad outside the line of off stump to remove any chance of lbw, while if you're sweeping against the turn it's generally going to be pitching around middle and straightening.

Normally I'd just put this down to our batsmen being thick, but I went on a coaching course last year (as in a course to be a coach) and the batting coach there - who'd played first-class cricket - said he always swept against the turn. So started wondering if this was a common thing amongst players, or if some coaches actually encourage it. Anyone had any experience with this?

On a kind-of-semi-related note, I've noticed that on the few occasions our batsmen use their feet to come down the track, it's also been when the ball is spinning away, which again is far riskier than when it's turning into you. Everything seems the wrong way around.

 

[benchmark00]

Have been thinking about our **** batting vs spin, and am wondering whether there's been a change in coaching philosophy these days regarding sweeping. I might be wrong, but I think every single time one of our batsmen has got out sweeping, it's when they've been trying to sweep against the turn. Flynn obviously has been out three times trying to sweep Ashwin, yet I can't remember him playing any sweeps to Ojha. Obviously, sweeping with the spin is safer as you can get your pad outside the line of off stump to remove any chance of lbw, while if you're sweeping against the turn it's generally going to be pitching around middle and straightening.

Normally I'd just put this down to our batsmen being thick, but I went on a coaching course last year (as in a course to be a coach) and the batting coach there - who'd played first-class cricket - said he always swept against the turn. So started wondering if this was a common thing amongst players, or if some coaches actually encourage it. Anyone had any experience with this?

On a kind-of-semi-related note, I've noticed that on the few occasions our batsmen use their feet to come down the track, it's also been when the ball is spinning away, which again is far riskier than when it's turning into you. Everything seems the wrong way around.

It's an interesting discussion, but I don't think there is a hard and fast rule in that respect.

If you're sweeping with the spin you have to make sure the ball is pitching outside off so you can, as you say, get your pad outside the line.

If you're sweeping against the spin you want to make sure the ball is pitched outside leg, otherwise you're risking a) LBW or b) getting yourself in a situation where you're both sweeping against the spin and the line. Once you start sweeping against the spin when it's pitched in line you're getting yourself in trouble.

I think the only hard and fast rule is that you have to be extremely cautious when sweeping from the rough.

 

[Meridio]

It's an interesting discussion, but I don't think there is a hard and fast rule in that respect.

If you're sweeping with the spin you have to make sure the ball is pitching outside off so you can, as you say, get your pad outside the line.

If you're sweeping against the spin you want to make sure the ball is pitched outside leg, otherwise you're risking a) LBW or b) getting yourself in a situation where you're both sweeping against the spin and the line. Once you start sweeping against the spin when it's pitched in line you're getting yourself in trouble.

I think the only hard and fast rule is that you have to be extremely cautious when sweeping from the rough.

I think it's not just that you're opening yourself up to an lbw, but it also makes a top edge more likely to balloon up in the air if there's a bit of extra bounce.

Thing is, I actually think that sweeping the spinners is a really good way to play them. Problem is, we can't do it properly. I suppose it all comes down to option taking, which is where all our batsmen fail miserably - Flynn, Taylor etc all try and sweep from off the stumps.

 

[benchmark00]

I think it's not just that you're opening yourself up to an lbw, but it also makes a top edge more likely to balloon up in the air if there's a bit of extra bounce.

Thing is, I actually think that sweeping the spinners is a really good way to play them. Problem is, we can't do it properly. I suppose it all comes down to option taking, which is where all our batsmen fail miserably - Flynn, Taylor etc all try and sweep from off the stumps.

Well whether you sweep with or against the spin you're opening yourself up to a top edge if there's extra bounce. The shot is always going to have risks.

 

[Meridio]

Yeah, but it's less likely to balloon up in the air if you're hitting with the spin. It's more likely to travel a bit flatter and probably land around 3/4 of the way to the boundary, so you're reducing the risk of being caught. Doesn't always happen, obviously, but makes your chances a bit better.

 

[benchmark00]

I think that's pretty much a negligible difference given anything can happen with both.

 

[Jono]

Better late than never:

 

[Kippax]

Have been thinking about our **** batting vs spin, and am wondering whether there's been a change in coaching philosophy these days regarding sweeping. I might be wrong, but I think every single time one of our batsmen has got out sweeping, it's when they've been trying to sweep against the turn. Flynn obviously has been out three times trying to sweep Ashwin, yet I can't remember him playing any sweeps to Ojha.

NZ batsmen look at spin options - Story - 3 Sport - 3 News

Kane Williamson, who was the most assured of the Black Caps batsman in compiling scores of 32 and 52 at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, says watching the way Indian players tackle spin in the own conditions can provide some good insights.
Whereas New Zealand youngsters are taught to hit with the spin, Indian players tend to hit back into it, he said.
"It's quite a change," he told journalists on Tuesday.
"It's something they all look to do, so it's quite a clear difference and something our batsmen are looking at as a potential option."
Williamson - who has had success in India, scoring a century at Ahmedabad in November 2010 in his maiden Test innings - said it wasn't a cure-all.
Instead, the Black Caps batsmen had to work out their own individual plans to combat the Indian attack.
However, the different approach did mean batsmen giving themselves more room to play their shots, rather than always have the ball spinning into their pads.
"It's just one option some players are looking at," Williamson said.
"Some may look to incorporate it and some may look at other options."

 

[Hurricane]

Yeah but what's tricky? Five or six down? We needed a lead of 300 at least imo, just to maybe give us another shot with the new ball. As it is we'll need to take early wickets again, two or three in the first 20-25 overs probably. This pitch isn't doing enough for Jeetan Patel to be any kind of threat so I don't know, 50 short I reckon.

Came online to figure out if peeps thought we had enough runs and this post seems to be the consensus. Still catches win matches and if Guptil pulls of a stunner then anything is possible. And whatever extra runs this last wicket partnership can get I will gladly accept.

Not really sure how they should bat. One trent boult over of swinging for the fences could be quite valuable. I don't think Jeetan should try that though.

I am not hopeful of Jeets spinning us to victory and I think they will go after him early to not let him settle in. That's what they did in the 1st dig and it looked deliberate.

 

[BackFootPunch]

I don't think we've got enough. But we're certainly not in a terrible position.

The thing I'm most looking forward to is the attitude we have in the field. If we go out there and look to take wickets, look to win the game rather than letting India take it without a fight then I'll be satisfied. Even if that means they chase 250 in 60 overs. We've just gotta get stuck in and if that's not good enough then so be it. It's easier to cop a loss if we at least fired some shots.

We should be trying to bowl them out for 150 basically and taking wickets creates way more pressure than drying up the runs ever will.

 

[straw man]

Determined to enjoy the cricket today despite the disappointment of yesterday evening and the feeling that we *should* be in a better position were it not for some bad cricket (though equally Indian fans will view India's performance this test as being also a little subpar). Trying to be positive, it is nice to at least have a chance of winning going into the fourth day, even if that chance is only 20% ish.

Read this morning that Southee, Boult and Bracewell are itching to get hold of the new ball and why not - not much to lose. Go out there and have a crack.

 

[straw man]

Also, if we don't stack the slip cordon and gully or if they're too far back and edges are falling in front, I'll be fuming. Pls learn from earlier mistakes.

 

[Days of Grace]

Another way to look at it is we'd have been happy to take a 240 run lead with India only 5 wickets down at the start of yesterday.

Still really pissed with Taylor, Flynn, and Franklin, though. And what is disturbing is batting coach Bob Carter backing up Franklin in yesterday's cricinfo article. These guys will never learn unless the coaching staff is honest with them. Or are the coaching stuff hair-brained as well?

My final prediction is for India to get this with a minimum or 4 and a maximum of 6 wickets lost.

 

[Hurricane]

Sucks for us that Ashwin used to be an opening bat.