***Official*** South Africa in India

[Pup Clarke]

Any chance of Chawla/Powar/Mishra coming in for Harbhajan?. Just really don't rate the fella at all and would like to see him dropped.

 

[Jono]

Can't drop him when he's taken more wickets than the captain in the recent test though?

If you were going to not play Harbhajan, it had to be for the first test.

 

[ret]

If Ganguly is not in the playing 11 then it would be because Ind chose to go with a specialist opener and extra bower [/bowling all-rounder] and not because he is aging .... and as I said you do whats best for the team and not how media / fans are going to make of it

2ndly, I m sure Kumble would have wanted a turner at Chennai but did he get that. as I said what if the pitch is not sporting [or assisting spin] then you have to play 5 bowlers to get a result. SA would be more than happy to draw the series

Rather then making sure that big 4 play in the team and in their normal positions at the cost of team interest, it's time that team Ind did whats right for the team

Considering that the pitch is flat, it's imperative to play a bowling all-rounder or an extra bowler as it's Ind who has to take the initiative

Ist decision is whether they want to play specialist opener or play with the best players, if it's specialist opener than Jaffar [or whoever] gets a look in .... if not then the best players get selected i.e. the top 3 Sehwag, Dravid & Tendulkar and then the next two Ganguly and Laxman

Now if specialist opener option is selected than one of Ganguly or Laxman sits, if the best 5 option is selected than one of the big 4 opens [i don't think that all of the big 4 are big but using the big 4 term as it's easier than typing 4 names] .... I wouldn't agree to sacrificing a wkt by opening with a lower order batsman just so that the big 4 play from 3 to 6

I m someone who believes in playing the best players, along with having the right balance, so I would drop Jaffar and open with Ganguly as he has done that in OODIs [actually lines up to open in ODIs] and that also gives a left-right opening combination

So the top 6 would be

- Sehwag
- Ganguly
- Dravid
- Tendulkar
- Laxman
- Dhoni

Now it would be b/w the bowling all-rounder, Pathan and the 3rd spinner. This one is tricky and would depend upon the pitch

So the next 5 would be

- Pathan / Chawla
- Kumble
- Bhajji / Chawla
- Isnant
- Sree

And yes, I don't again believe in cliches like Bhajji took more wkts than Kumble in the last test so he can't be dropped [Kumble didn't bowl for 2 sessions] .... I would do whats best for the team, if the best 5 bowling option would be Pathan, Kumble, Chawla, Isnhant and Sree from whats available in the squad then I will go for that

 

[jeevan]

On India's side there appear to have been two sets of failures: the pace bowling is one that every one is talking about. But also the middle order was shockingly brittle, went from 468-1 to 627-all out.

In light of this, can even see a 4-person bowling squad with Pathan-Ishant-Kumble-Harbhajan.
Can also think of two bowling all rounders in a 5-man bowling sheet, with Ganguly making way.

 

[jeevan]

Tendulkar has been ruled out. My guess is that his replacement is most likely Irfan Pathan.
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/indvrsa/content/current/story/344516.html

Yuvraj blew it so badly in Australia else he would've been it.

Expect:
Jaffer,Sehwag,Dravid,Laxman,Ganguly,Dhoni,Pathan,Kumble,Harbhajan,Ishant,Sree/Chawla (or very unlikely , Kartik).

Praveen Kumar or YK Pathan are not in the squad or may have been alternatives.

Surprised at Kaif being named to the squad.

 

[Jono]

Argh, I thought Sachin was set on breaking the test run record in India but now he may not after a duck and then this injury. If India go in without Sachin and Kumble, they could very well lose the second test! Danger signs definitely.

Although on another point, so awesme to see Kaif at least back in the mix of things. Still my boy Kaify, still my boy!

 

[ret]

Tendulkar missing the 2nd test is bad news but there is nothing one can do abt injuries .... This would make Ind go with the right balance but at the cost of missing its best player instead of one of jaffar, ganguly and laxman

Pathan obviously gets a head start as Yuvi had blown his chances in Aus but you never know with Kumble. Although Kumble is one of the best captains, his team selection has not been up to the mark

I would have Pathan in and make this a Jaffar vs Yuvi for a place in the 11. Both of them have done well in Ind and struggled in Australia

I would go for something like the one below

- Sehwag
- Ganguly
- Dravid
- Yuvi
- Laxman
- Dhoni
- Pathan
- Kumble
- Bhajji / Chawla
- Ishant
- Sree

Yuvi is batting at 4 and Pathan at 7, so I m not sacrificing them to open .... Yuvi could help with his spin as well and he has a good record at Ahmedabad .... Ganguly opens ..... Considering the injuries, the above is probably the best Ind could go with at A'bad

 

[Jono]

I love Yuvi ret but there is NO WAY you could drop Jaffer for Yuvraj after the first test. It'd be absolutely arbitrary and ridiculous, particularly with Sachin out.

And if India go in with 5 bowlers, Yuvi's spin bowling should not even come into it.

 

[Manee]

Maybe give Praveen a crack, looks like he could even swing a pebble if he wanted to.

He certainly does. In the Ranji Trophy final he showed swing of quality beyond anything that I had seen before then. However, being quite a short man who just bowls at around 130kph, I am unsure of what ability he could possess with the old ball; he has looked reasonably ordinary with the old ball in the ODIs he has played. It is a shame that he has come in 2008 rather than 1998 or 1988 when Indian pace bowlers at home merely had to bowl with the new ball. This being said, if Praveen Kumar could learn reverse swing or cutters, he would be well on his way to becoming a mainstay in the Test team. I would not pick him though, I feel that he would work well as one of three pacers; I am not sure if I could rely on a 21 year old medium pace bowler who has little experience bowling at international level as one of just two pace bowlers. Ishant Sharma, although younger, has pace and bounce on his side which can negate experience if you have a fair bit of accuracy, which Ishant does have. I would certainly not object to Praveen Kumar playing for India in the next Test though; but for the reasons above, and because he is not even a part of the squad, I am pretty sure he will not play.

 

[ret]

I love Yuvi ret but there is NO WAY you could drop Jaffer for Yuvraj after the first test. It'd be absolutely arbitrary and ridiculous, particularly with Sachin out.

And if India go in with 5 bowlers, Yuvi's spin bowling should not even come into it.

If Rohit Sharma had been chosen as the replacement for Sachin then I would have had him at #4

and as I said, Jaffar vs Yuvi is a close call but I would back Yuvi at 4. And SA don't have a gr8 spin based attack so less worries for Yuvi

if Kumble doesn't make it too due to injury then i guess, Chawla will come in and it would be interesting to see Dhoni captaining in tests. If that happens and considering Dhoni's faith in Yuvi, Yuvi could well be in the playing 11

 

[Prince EWS]

Both of them have done well in Ind and struggled in Australia

While one of them is an opener (a place that needs filling) and the other is a middle order player. One of them averages 35.67 at Test level and 48.58 at First Class level, while the other averages 32.83 and 43.02 respectively. One of them is the incumbent who scored 73 last start, while the other was not part of the XI.

There is virtually nothing to suggest Yuvraj should be in the team at all apart from your tireless crusade against a player who is a pretty good opening bat.

 

[ret]

While one of them is an opener (a place that needs filling) and the other is a middle order player. One of them averages 35.67 at Test level and 48.58 at First Class level, while the other averages 32.83 and 43.02 respectively. One of them is the incumbent who scored 73 last start, while the other was not part of the XI.

There is virtually nothing to suggest Yuvraj should be in the team at all apart from your tireless crusade against a player who is a pretty good opening bat.

You could say that but I have more faith in Yuvi's talent than Jaffar's .... Yuvi's last test in Ind was pretty good as well .... and if you didn't get a 50 at Chennai on that pitch then you obviously did badly

 

[Jono]

Yeah like Sachin

ret I understand you're trying to choose the team YOU want to see, but there has to be some consistency with selection.

You can't just go willy nilly dropping and picking random players (seriously, I am a huge Rohit Sharma fan but he does not deserver a test spot yet!).

If you just drop Jaffer after scoring 70+ he'd be compeltely lost as to what he has to do to stay in the team.

 

[Prince EWS]

You could say that but I have more faith in Yuvi's talent than Jaffar's .... Yuvi's last test in Ind was pretty good as well .... and if you didn't get a 50 at Chennai on that pitch then you obviously did badly

But Jaffer did score 50. Hence, no reason to even think about dropping him and reshuffling everything just to accomodate Yuvraj Singh. If you wanted to squeeze another bowler in then yeah, I suppose you could consider dropping him, even though I'd disagree strongly with promoting Ganguly to open the batting, but Tendulkar is out anyway so you don't need to drop Jaffer to do that.

Yuvraj could well play but only if India go with four bowlers. Jaffer will be in the team.

 

[Manee]

- Sehwag
- Ganguly
- Dravid
- Yuvi
- Laxman
- Dhoni
- Pathan
- Kumble
- Bhajji / Chawla
- Ishant
- Sree

I think that would not be wise to drop Wasim Jaffer in India. Jaffer has shown himself a solid, flourishing batsman on Indian soil and I see just one reason to replace him and that is to blood in a new opening batsman - but firstly, you are not doing that and secondly, I believe that it would be best done away from Indian soil - as a Chopra or Gambhir in the squad replaces a failing Jaffer in early [in the series] away Tests. The correct replacement for Tendulkar, in my opinion, should be Irfan Pathan. Sporting wicket or not, Indian Test pitches are always reasonably flat and the fifth bowler cannot do any harm - we need not forget that Pathan averages 29.74 with the bat in Tests which is adequate as a number seven batsman on Indian pitches - in my opinion.

 

[silentstriker]

You could say that but I have more faith in Yuvi's talent than Jaffar's .... Yuvi's last test in Ind was pretty good as well .... and if you didn't get a 50 at Chennai on that pitch then you obviously did badly

Yuvi has no talent in Tests. Or, he hasn't given us any hints that he has it. Jaffer has two double centuries. I'd much rather back someone like Badrinath than Yuvraj. Badrinath could quite possibly be in the best batsman in the world who has not played a Test.

1. Sehwag
2. Jaffer
3. Dravid
4. Laxman
5. Ganguly
6. Dhoni
7. Kumble
8. Kumar
9. Harbhajan
10. Sharma
11. Sreesanth

The tail is long, but Kumble and Kumar both average 20+ in FC cricket.

 

[ret]

Yeah like Sachin

ret I understand you're trying to choose the team YOU want to see, but there has to be some consistency with selection.

You can't just go willy nilly dropping and picking random players (seriously, I am a huge Rohit Sharma fan but he does not deserver a test spot yet!).

If you just drop Jaffer after scoring 70+ he'd be compeltely lost as to what he has to do to stay in the team.

Nah, i m selecting the one which i think is most talented based on whats available in the squad

IMO, Rohit should be in test squad ahead of Kaif, Yuvi and Jaffar

I know he scored a 70 odd but I m not too impressed with McKenzie, Amla or Dravid's 100s on that pitch so 50s by Jaffar, Smith, Boucher were more like a norm then exception

I expect players to understand if they are not in the 11 as only 11 can be in the 11 .... as i said, it's a close call b/w Jaffar and Yuvi and to me

Ganguly [opening] + Yuvi [at 4] > Jaffar [opening] + Ganguly [at 4]

 

[silentstriker]

Opening with Ganguly in a test match is such a ridiculously bad idea that it's not even remotely funny.

 

[ret]

Yuvi has no talent in Tests. Or, he hasn't given us any hints that he has it. Jaffer has two double centuries. I'd much rather back someone like Badrinath than Yuvraj. Badrinath could quite possibly be in the best batsman in the world who has not played a Test.

1. Sehwag
2. Jaffer
3. Dravid
4. Laxman
5. Ganguly
6. Dhoni
7. Kumble
8. Kumar
9. Harbhajan
10. Sharma
11. Sreesanth

The tail is long, but Kumble and Kumar both average 20+ in FC cricket.

Dude, Yuvi has 100s too in tests .... and Kumar is not in the squad

 

[ret]

Opening with Ganguly in a test match is such a ridiculously bad idea that it's not even remotely funny.

So what m i suppose to do with that

If Gambhir were in the squad, I would have considered him .... From what's available in the sqaud, I would have Ganguly open, with Yuvi at 4 rather than Jaffar open and Ganguly at 4