*Official* New Zealand tour of India 2024

[wellAlbidarned]

I’m not saying there’s no logic to that theory, I’m wondering why I rarely used to hear it and now I seem to hear it (and see it via crazy batting) every other innings. It must be either that batters are bottling it or that for whatever reason curators around the world have decided to prepare unplayable pitches.

Cricket strategy has been ridiculously conservative for decades. Unless you were the one guy with The License (e.g. Sehwag, Gilchrist, McCullum) you'd get roasted and often dropped for getting out to an aggressive shot.

I agree that what we're seeing at the moment is probably an exaggerated pendulum swing in the other direction. I expect what teams will naturally find is that there's an optional ratio of boshing to blocking.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

also how often is Latham clean bowled or LBW to a gun barrell straight delivery from around the wicket? Seems like a pretty simple technical flaw but it's happened on a regular basis his whole career.

 

[danzydab]

NZ have a good chance if O'Rourke uses his long levers to smash a quick fire 30 and Ajaz somehow pinches 20 more runs.

 

[Arachnodouche]

Sundar's going to end his career somewhere in the middle order. Has to play every Test in Aus even if just as pure batsman. Really looks the goods; never a time when he hasn't tbh.

 

[centurymaker]

India doesn't have a great chasing record here. Tend to crumble. If India do win, it would be after losing at least 6 wickets or more. It's going to be a struggle. Only thing that could save India is the roller & successful early counter attack

 

[centurymaker]

Sundar's going to end his career somewhere in the middle order. Has to play every Test in Aus even if just as pure batsman. Really looks the goods; never a time when he hasn't tbh.

3 quicks + Jadeja + Sundar at all venues except Perth.

 

[centurymaker]

Do you really need 4 spinners though? Just play an extra batsman imo.

Axar Patel is as good a batter in these conditions as Sarfraz or Rahul, if not probably better. So adds proper batting with bowling.

If there are two RHB, you can bowl both the left arms together Axar and Jadeja. Right handers found it easier to score off the offspinners turning into them.

 

[Arachnodouche]

The laundry bills in this Test must be off the charts. Kohli looked like he was in a Dettol ad. How Test cricket must always be.

 

[Zinzan]

That is wild.

Surely they get this tho. Day 3, bat deep, no Santner, one partnership and its over.

Yep feels 80 runs short with the biggest issue for NZ even with the pitch offering plenty being our lack of accuracy which is where we're obviously most missing Santner this Test.

Phillips, Sodhi & Ravindra are all known for their loose deliveries & letting the pressure off and Patel doesn't seem as accurate as he once was.

Never say never, but 75-25 in India's favour for me.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

TAB had NZ 8-1 this morning, I reckon we're about 4 or 5-1 given the volatility of this surface and the indian batting.

 

[NZTailender]

O'Rourke to earn his paycheck for this match by boshing 3 sixes in a row which imo will take us to a defendable total

 

[Bahnz]

View attachment 42249

India doesn't have a great chasing record here. Tend to crumble. If India do win, it would be after losing at least 6 wickets or more. It's going to be a struggle. Only thing that could save India is the roller & successful early counter attack

Problem is NZ don't have the scoreboard pressure to make batsmen second guess their approach. All you need is one decent partnership and the chase is done.

 

[Skyliner]

I don’t really understand the rationale for selecting O’Rourke in this match. I think he only bowled something like 3 overs in the previous test, and he has been used just as sparingly in this one. The poor bloke has been a passenger, and it’s not his fault. You could easily have played one seamer and had Chapman there as another batsman. It is all by the by now but between that and the dropped catches, the BC’s haven’t really put their best foot forward in this match. They could of course still win but haven’t done themselves too many favours.

 

[Skyliner]

I feel sorry for GP in that he has had a number if catches dropped off his bowling. Blundell dropped a gimme in the last test, and then he had two goobers dropped in this test. So you look at his figures and it’s ‘gee, the bloke is expensive and he hasn’t taken wickets’ but he’s been let down by his fielders and if the Gill catch had been taken then that’s probably a match changing dismissal GP’s missed out on.

 

[morgieb]

IIRC the target for Aus in 2004 was like 105. Fell 15 short. I think that pitch was even more spiteful than this one, though, as even Harbhajan rapidly entering the "doesn't actually turn the ball" phase of his career was able to rissole Aus.

That was the same wicket Clarke took 6/9 on, lol.

 

[ataraxia]

Axar Patel is as good a batter in these conditions as Sarfraz or Rahul, if not probably better. So adds proper batting with bowling.

If there are two RHB, you can bowl both the left arms together Axar and Jadeja. Right handers found it easier to score off the offspinners turning into them.

Not sure this is true tbh; they looked hellish to face with the bounce offering so many catching chances close in on the leg-side, and they had lower economies than Jadeja.

 

[Bahnz]

A lot of people querying why Sodhi bowled so little, but I think it's justified. On a pitch ragging this much, Sodhi's probably going to be getting too much turn to pick up many edges or lbw's and of course he'll always give you at least 1 hit me ball per over. The real mistake was probably picking Michael Bracewell in the squad at all when they knew he'd be leaving, and not sending for a replacement finger spinner when he departed. Could've been a once in a lifetime opportunity for a Louis Delport or a Dean Foxcroft to do something special.

 

[thundaboult]

on our next indian tours first test sodhis gonna take 14-125

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

The real mistake was probably picking Michael Bracewell in the squad at all

That's right Bahnz

 

[Arachnodouche]

on our next indian tours first test sodhis gonna take 14-125

Seems the most hittable of the lot and not in the "so bad he'll troll his way to a big haul" way either. Guy might be the most unimproved spinner of the last 10 years.