***Official*** New Zealand in India 2016

[OverratedSanity]

So, didn't realize this was so close. Barely 3 weeks to go till this begins

1st test: 22nd September, Kanpur

2nd test: 30th September, Kolkata

3rd test : 8th October, Indore

Interesting selection of venues. No nagpur. Booooooooooooo.

And there are 5 ODIs too I guess.

 

[Flem274*]

It's not the rainy season or anything dumb like that?

 

[Gnske]

Interesting selection of venues. No nagpur. Booooooooooooo.

A great pity, I was looking forward to this thread going full nuclear when another pitch designed to kill test cricket was to be rolled out.

 

[straw man]

My NZ squad:

Raval
Latham
Williamson
Taylor
Nicholls
Watling
Santner
Sodhi
Wagner
Southee/Craig
Boult

Craig/Southee
Anderson, assuming he's fit to bowl
Bracewell
Ronchi, I guess

It's the familiar quandary in Asia of playing seam bowlers, who are our generally better bowlers, in the unhelpful conditions, or playing the sub-par spinners. All of Southee, Boult and Wagner seems like overkill, so I've bracketed Southee with Craig, or you could instead choose Anderson for that spot. Two of Anderson/ Sodhi/ Craig does give you a lot of potential for complete loss of control though.

Don't know yet whether the pitches will be on the roady side, spin paradises like SA's last tour, or somewhere in the middle like our last India tour, and that may affect selection. If it's a real turner our spinner most able to take advantage of that is probably Sodhi, bowling flattish like he does in limited overs.

Despite being a Henry > Bracewell kinda guy there's absolutely no point taking Henry to India right now, so Bracewell gets carried along. Would love to replace Ronchi but should probably wait for the next domestic season to replace him with the best-performing local wicketkeeper.

It's goodbye to Guptill too, obv.

Edit: Oh yeah, and if it so happened that Jeets were available, I'd be inclined to select him.

 

[OverratedSanity]

It's not the rainy season or anything dumb like that?

It is, unfortunately. It'll be towards the end of the monsoon in late September, so it should be all right but you never know.

 

[Bahnz]

Guptill (don't laugh, I reckon he could be handy bullying the new ball for the first 5 overs before the spinners come on - and I'd rather debut a new guy on home soil)
Latham
KW
Taylor
Nicholls
Watling
Santner
Sodhi/Craig
Wagner
Southee
Boult

Kinda feel yuck for rewarding Southee's continued average bowling with another automatic pick, but India's a poor place to throw Henry/somebody else a start with the new ball.

 

[NZTailender]

Southee bowled well in the second test ffs. Well in the first innings after his poor opening spell, and then bowled superbly in the 2nd innings. Much better than his last 18 months. But Boult should be taking over #1

 

[Black_Warrior]

A great pity, I was looking forward to this thread going full nuclear when another pitch designed to kill test cricket was to be rolled out.

Yeah same here. Damn it!!

The India-South Africa thread was so much fun

 

[Flem274*]

then bowled superbly in the 2nd innings.

so he bloody well should on that minefield. if he didn't...

 

[Flem274*]

I reckon NZ should select Devcich and play him if the pitches are Dean Elgar 7fer worthy. The world needs to see crickets two biggest dickheads in Devcich and Kohli going hammer and tongs at each other.

Hammer and tongs with their mouths of course. Neither would score a run in such a series because they're both hacks.

 

[NZTailender]

so he bloody well should on that minefield. if he didn't...

In terms of building pressure he certainly did. Part of the reason why we did so **** in the first innings is Boult was bowling superbly and Southee was just like "oi mate want me to open the door to let all this pressure out?"

 

[hendrix]

Sodhi is going to get pummeled.

Is Anderson fit again?

Latham
Raval
Williamson
Taylor
Nicholls
Anderson/Santner
Watling
Craig
Wagner
Boult
Southee

Sodhi
Henry
whoever the **** else.

 

[Howsie]

If Anderson is fit, or even Neeshm for that matter, they bat six, Watling seven, Santner eight (arghh). Sodhi has to play too so that leaves two spots left, which would go to Southee and Boult for mine.

Guptill
Latham
Williamson
Taylor
Nicholls
Anderson
Watling
Santner
Sodhi
Southee
Boult

 

[hendrix]

no way am I leaving out Wagner.

Horses for courses is fine but nope. He's an automatic selection.

 

[Howsie]

You just can't play three pacers, especially if we have Anderson back.

 

[StephenZA]

I asked this in the SA/NZ thread but probably better here...

I am interested to see what NZ are going to do about Guptill for Indian tour? Do you guys think he is going to keep his place or will they try somebody new? Because that would be a hectic baptism of fire? What about moving KW to open against the probable spin of Ashwin?

 

[OverratedSanity]

I asked this in the SA/NZ thread but probably better here...

I am interested to see what NZ are going to do about Guptill for Indian tour? Do you guys think he is going to keep his place or will they try somebody new? Because that would be a hectic baptism of fire? What about moving KW to open against the probable spin of Ashwin?

They've got to keep guptill and pray he somehow gets runs. Throwing a debutant in there would be put a ridiculous amount of pressure on him. Not many more difficult assignments than opening against Ashwin and Jadeja in India, especially if the pitches spin from the first over like the SA series. It'd be a van Zyl situation again. I don't see it ending well.

The flipside us that if the pitches aren't quite the bunsens of the SA series, opening in India is easier than pretty much any other country since you can get yourself set before the real strike bowlers enter the game. I don't see them producing these flatter pitches though.

 

[_Ed_]

You just can't play three pacers, especially if we have Anderson back.

In that case, one of Southee or Boult sits it out. Wagner plays. On current form, he's the second name on the team sheet IMO.

 

[Athlai]

I'd guess Guptill stays in the squad but Raval may squeak ahead of him now? Hard to tell with how poorly everyone performed against SA really. Nicholls may have been dropped but I think that innings will keep him in the team.

Would guess we will take

Openers:
Latham
Guptill
Raval

Batsman:
Williamson
Taylor
Nicholls
Young?
Craig

Keepers:
Watling
Ronchi?

All rounders:
Sodhi
Anderson
Santner
Neesham?

Specialist spinners:

Specialist quicks:
Boult
Southee
Wagner
Bracewell
Henry?

 

[Howsie]

You can't drop Southee in the SC, neither Boult. Wagner slightly unlucky I suppose.