*Official* India Squad discussion thread

[Prince EWS]

Frankly I won't be able to stand any more t20s after the IPL. Atleast till the next IPL. Also I think international t20s are really waste of time.

Yeah, tend to agree. I actually quite like the IPL these days and I follow the Big Bash closely as well, but I have very little interest in T20Is unless there's a 'minnow' playing and I can cheer on a potential upset.

[GingerFurball]

Uthappa is clearly a different player now than when he played previously. You only have to watch him in the IPL to see he's not a 115 SR player - second highest sixes, 180 tournament strike rate, and they're not just from one-two big innings where got in the zone and feasted on pies somewhat as Yusuf's done. Players have come on dramatically in the past 2-3 years in T20 and he is obviously one of them. I mean the guy was only 21-22 when he played T20Is. The guy has bulked out and matured. It's obvious just looking at the photos (we're talking a big difference in his arms, he's much broader etc.). Power is obviously important for the 20 over format and this guy now has it in spades. Obviously he'll mature with his batting skills too.

Gambhir on the other hand is just a good batsman. He doesn't have six hitting power at all. On his day sure he'll hit the gaps which will mean he gets a decent strike rate, other times he'll hit the field and he'll be struggle. I'd be looking elsewhere for an opening batsman personally, although who that would be I don't know. Opening the batting is such a big position. It may end up that Gambhir would end up being there for lack of other options but he would still be the weak link.

When the weak link in the batting is Gautam Gambhir, that's a pretty strong lineup.

Not as if Gambhir had a good IPL last season or anything.

[Shri]

Yeah, tend to agree. I actually quite like the IPL these days and I follow the Big Bash closely as well, but I have very little interest in T20Is unless there's a 'minnow' playing and I can bet on a potential upset.

Fixed.

[Shri]

Gambhir is important when all the big hitters fail collectively in a match. He will be the difference between a 140 score in such cases and a 160 score. Like in the 2007 WC final.

[Prince EWS]

Fixed.

touche

[Manee]

Gambhir is important when all the big hitters fail collectively in a match. He will be the difference between a 140 score in such cases and a 160 score. Like in the 2007 WC final.

Yes. He is worth his spot over Uthappa, who has shown himself to throw away his wicket early for prolonged periods of time, something that cannot be afforded until he cements a place as a Yusuf Pathan or Pollard-esque difference maker.

[irfan]

While we are on the Gambhir/Uthappa opening debate - is there any chance that Murali Vijay can do a Bradbury and sneak in the squad?

[Manee]

This is why I think we should have waited until the end of the IPL before picking a squad.

[Scaly piscine]

I wasn't suggesting Uthappa opened by the way, he would definitely be a 5/6 who floats.

[honestbharani]

Personally, I would agree with Scaly.. Uthappa a better bet than Pathan at that slot but then Uthappa can't bowl and we already have Dhoni to keep.. So would probably be a waste of space...

[Scaly piscine]

India have loads of moderate spin options already though.

[Manee]

India have loads of moderate spin options already though.

We would have one or two more quality ones if the selectors weren't so deadset on picking Chawla over Ojha or Mishra.

Looking at the likely Indian starting XI and their IPL records, I think it is looking promising for the World T20 for some and worrying for a few others...

1. Sehwag (260 runs at 28.88. SR = 174.49)
2. Gambhir (126 runs at 25.20. SR = 123.52)
3. Yuvraj Singh (170 runs at 21.25. SR = 150.44) (Econ of 6.71)
4. Rohit Sharma (285 runs at 32.25. SR = 143.33) (Econ of 7.87)
5. Suresh Raina (270 runs at 38.57. SR = 136.36) (Econ of 7.07)
6. MS Dhoni (174 runs at 34.80. SR = 146.21)
7. Yusuf Pathan (283 runs at 31.44. SR = 174.69) (Econ of 7.13)
8. Ravindra Jadeja (n/a)
9. Harbhajan Singh (95 runs at 47.50. SR = 175.92) (11 wickets at 17.81. Econ = 6.64)
10. Zaheer Khan (11 wickets at 18.36. Econ = 7.48)
11. Praveen Kumar (7 wickets at 37.00. Econ = 8.35)

The notable omissions though are...
- Murali Vijay (314 runs at 39.25. SR = 167.02)
- Amit Mishra (14 wickets at 16.85. Econ = 6.94)

In other words, revision is boring.

[Scaly piscine]

It was Dhoni at 3 and Yuvraj at 4 in the last T20I series, don't know if that was just experimental or what.

Anyway when you start selecting the team it emphasises against the use of a floating player like Uthappa who can come in and immediately hit boundaries.

It's so much easier in T20 to bat in the top 4 than coming in later with 5-10 overs left. You can have a nice depth on paper with plenty of proper batsmen, then they just subside meekly.

[Manee]

It was Dhoni at 3 and Yuvraj at 4 in the last T20I series, don't know if that was just experimental or what.

Anyway when you start selecting the team it emphasises against the use of a floating player like Uthappa who can come in and immediately hit boundaries.

It's so much easier in T20 to bat in the top 4 than coming in later with 5-10 overs left. You can have a nice depth on paper with plenty of proper batsmen, then they just subside meekly.

You raise a good point about the difficulty in batting at the end, but I do not think India need to select Uthappa to have a floating hitter. Yusuf is an accomplished hitter, Harbhajan Singh is in good form hitting in the later overs and Praveen Kumar has opened for his state and India A (incidentally, with Yusuf Pathan) in that very role, to hit quick runs.

[Scaly piscine]

You raise a good point about the difficulty in batting at the end, but I do not think India need to select Uthappa to have a floating hitter. Yusuf is an accomplished hitter, Harbhajan Singh is in good form hitting in the later overs and Praveen Kumar has opened for his state and India A (incidentally, with Yusuf Pathan) in that very role, to hit quick runs.

Yusuf is just as reliant on getting in as anyone, he tends to be 50+ or nothing. And he gets a lot of nothings, so you've got to consider him doing anything as a bonus really. Likewise you wouldn't be relying on Harbhajan and Praveen Kumar... well he's just a pretty weak player all-round.