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[marc71178]

Indian Cricket Board have made a request to other cric board to cut down the Number of test matches and increase the number of onedayer to be played!.When the World cup is around the corner, one's priority changes!

Is this the same board who asked England for a 4th Test this summer instead of some One Day Internationals?

 

[wahindiawah]

Surely if Agarkar is a key bowler, they should do what's going to benefit him and the team more. I would have thought that his confidence was pretity low following the England tour, especially after being overlooked for the new ball in the final match in favour of a part-time bowler!

I think i have already answered that question.

As for Indian board asking the ECB for a 4th tests, there was no onedayer series going on so what would India had got by cutting down a test match? India is looking to cut down few test matches and instead play onedayers

 

[marc71178]

I think you misunderstood my point regarding Agarkar. Surely it'd be in the team interests for one of their key bowlers to regain some form?

 

[marc71178]

As for Indian board asking the ECB for a 4th tests, there was no onedayer series going on so what would India had got by cutting down a test match? India is looking to cut down few test matches and instead play onedayers

I'd heard somewhere (can't remember where now) that England had suggetsed a 3 match series, and India requested a Test. Perhaps I heard wrongly.

 

[aussie_beater]

Why don't India and England play a five match test series ? Same goes for Pak-England.Actually Pak got only two matches last season when they toured England.I am not sure what the reasons might be for this.

 

[Neil Pickup]

The Pakistan 2-match series was because the ECB had the option to play a 7-game Ashes but didn't want to so invited Pakistan for the two "open" Test Matches.

 

[wahindiawah]

I'd heard somewhere (can't remember where now) that England had suggetsed a 3 match series, and India requested a Test. Perhaps I heard wrongly.

This is really very very stupid, i have made it CLEAR that India's insistance on playing the 4th tests was coz there wasn't any onedayer(series) to be played, so avoiding a test would have served no purpose.Indian board doesn't want to AVOID playing test matches BUT if there is a onedayer series going on, they would prefer playing a long onedayer series rather than a long test series

 

[marc71178]

I know, and like I say, I heard wrongly.
I have now found the article in question.

Basically, when they were discussing the itineries, that lovely man Mr Dalmiya refused to play 4 Tests in England UNLESS England played a 6th Match (which ironically meant India didn't win that series) in the 2001/02 Tour, and also committed to a 5 Test Tour in 2005/06.

I knew there was some bargaining went on, but couldn't quite remember the finer details 12 months on - I apologise for that.

 

[aussie_beater]

The Pakistan 2-match series was because the ECB had the option to play a 7-game Ashes but didn't want to so invited Pakistan for the two "open" Test Matches.

ok, that explains part of my question.But the other part still remains as to why India and Pak don't play five test match series with England or Australia.Atleast I can remember one five match rubber between India and Australia.That was in 1991.But can't remember any five match rubber with England in England.Yes, it happened in India like in 1984 when David Gower led England to a series victory in India.

 

[marc71178]

I guess that with the Test Championship, there'll be less and less 5 Test series. AFAIK England will only play Australia in 5 Test series from now on - and that's to preserve the tradition of the Ashes.

 

[aussie_beater]

Yes the test championship has evened out things quite a bit, but before that the tours were according to the respective boards and they made their own choices based on god knows what.

 

[marc71178]

Indeed. I still mourn the fact that England were asked to play Bangladesh' first Test but declined, I mean it's not as if they'd have expended much effort, even we could thrash them!

 

[anzac]

just for something slightly different....

as these games are more sudden death than pool oriented, how about the following to consider....

most teams have had a break coming in to this tourneyment & players are short of a gallop at top flight (warm up games are not really the same thing),
there is little opportunity for giving everyone a go with so few matches available,
the teams performing well with the bat have done so via their upper orders & have not had much middle & lower order batting &
when it gets tight in the knockout games this could work against them,

the winners may be the most prepared for / via these matches with their middle & lower orders,
the best 'team' rather than the 'best' team!!!

 

[marc71178]

If that is the case, then the 2 it really benefits IMO are in the same group - England and India!

 

[anzac]

i had thought that but wasn't going to say so ......

one problem with that conclusion is that the English ODI lower order has player changes to those the were in the Test series & so their squad are not 'match hardened'.

So far as I know most of the Indian ODI players took part in the Test series. I do not think India can win because of their bowling attack - as I said it relys upon the loss of early wickets in the opposition top order to expose any soft underbelly, and India are not going to open their bowling with their spinners to do this!!!!

 

[marc71178]

Kaif hasn't played recently, and it didn't hurt him!

 

[marc71178]

So far as I know most of the Indian ODI players took part in the Test series. I do not think India can win because of their bowling attack - as I said it relys upon the loss of early wickets in the opposition top order to expose any soft underbelly, and India are not going to open their bowling with their spinners to do this!!!!

Why not - it's been done before!

 

[anzac]

yeah I remember Crowe opening the bowling with Patel in the WC & bowling his 10 straight off.... I think that was a bit of a hit & run concerning the lack of an effective / successful spinner available & an attempt to restrict the run rate rather than take wickets......it was basically a concession that they did not have the attack to take wickets early on without conceeding too many runs.....

I think the Indian spinners are a different kettle of fish and would not take to opening the bowling with field restrictions too kindly.....

I would love to be proven wrong but Ganguly does not strike me as having that sort of imagination or flair for the unexpected.....

and I rather think that one of the more favoured nations would be more likely to improvise at the WC as shock hit & run tactics than at the lead up tourneyment and show their hand so to speak......

 

[marc71178]

Good point re: not showing their hand.

I feel Kumble may be the right man for the job for India (if it ever arose) - could cause problems?

 

[anzac]

heyyyy!!!!!!

what was it I said about the loss of early wickets exposing an under done middle & lower order & the Indian squad V the English squad changes??????

8D