***Official*** India in West Indies

[roseboy64]

The Trinidad Guardian printed yesterday that a source close to the WICB says that Sarwan will be the new West Indies captain.

I don't see much benefit in picking a specialist spinner against players of the calibre of India. If they're going to collapse against a spinner, it'll probably be against a mediocre wannabe-spinner (like Udal *hides* or Gayle). I'd like to see Collins, Collymore, Edwards, and preferably another quickish bowler (not Best). I don't see any other worthy quickish bowler though (except maybe Powell and Richardson), so Mohammed may be the go.

I think Samuels is still a fair way in front of Joseph. Both did well in the 'A' series, and I consider Samuels a better batsman. He's also the most recently incumbent, so I'd pick him to be recalled before Joseph. Chattergoon may get a chance in ODIs before Tests. Ryan Hinds surely will feature at some point this home season.

Lawson seems to have become a spin bowler. No pace and doing nothing with the ball. Just a year ago he was bowling really well against Sri Lanka and now he's totally lost it. Best isn't fit at the moment, but he hasn't done anything with the ball in ages anyway, so I don't see him as an option. That said, I can easily see him coming in and taking some Indian wickets purely due to his pace and aggression.

Andrew Richardson is quite impressive. It's a shame that the likes of Dwight Washington got a chance before he did. That said, it's only this season that Richardson has truly stepped his game up to a higher level.

I heard yesterday that Sarwan and Lara had rejected the captaincy.
Richardson did do well a couple seasons ago but then got injured.

 

[roseboy64]

Because the short list is long.

 

[kvemuri]

Whoa. Deep.

Well the reasons you would watch a Keanu Reeves movie is the same reason you would end up watching a Shahrukh Khan movie.

 

[adharcric]

Let's talk about the one-dayers since those are coming first.
What will the Windies lineup look like? Is Bravo fit and able to bowl? Will a spinner be played?

As for India ...

if Uthappa does well in the EuroAsia Series ...

Sehwag, Uthappa, Dravid*, Yuvraj, Raina, Dhoni+, Pathan, Powar, Harbhajan, Munaf/Agarkar, Sreesanth

if Uthappa doesn't do so well in the EuroAsia Series ...

Sehwag, Dravid*, Kaif, Yuvraj, Raina, Dhoni+, Pathan, Powar, Harbhajan, Munaf/Agarkar, Sreesanth

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Well the reasons you would watch a Keanu Reeves movie is the same reason you would end up watching a Shahrukh Khan movie.

Keanu Reeves is only slightly less over-rated than Bree Lee's hairstyle.

 

[marc71178]

Because the short list is long.

Even longer than the WI tail in NZ?

 

[DanielFullard]

One thing I am most definetly looking forward to in these matches is hopefully seeing Uttapha again. Against England he looked like a very compotent batsmen and his score reflected that. The English bowling was not great but that shouldn't be allowed to hide what was a good debut and a confident looking, able batsmen staking his claim. In the serach for the next-Sehwag Uttapha shows potential but as we know debutants often struggle to turn early international promise into consistent class

 

[SJS]

You are forgetting Lara there my friend, yes he hasn't done well against us till now but you never know. Also I have a feeling that Chanderpaul and Sarwan will blaze, especially with Chanders no longer the skipper and given India's knack of making a nemesis out of a no name (Anderson Cummins, Jimmy Adams, Franklin Rose etc) Fidel Edwards with his pace and bounce might just do that.

Read the second sentence in my post .....tests depending upon Lara's form.

 

[kvemuri]

Read the second sentence in my post .....tests depending upon Lara's form.

Ah..my bad!

 

[Anil]

Some people? Who? A lot of people are tipping WI to win a test or 2 and some are even predicting a win. I hardly see this as people overestimating India's chances.

India was overestimated against the injury hit England team, and I think people are specifically making sure they don't do that again.

considering how india performs abroad in test series, "tipping wi to win a test or 2" is an overestimation in my opinion....remind me what we did against a severely injury-depleted england side at home? not saying that we have absolutely no chance but neither our past overseas record(in general or specifically in the caribbean) nor our recent test record give any indication that we are the favourites at the start of this test series so what are all the winning predictions based on?

 

[adharcric]

considering how india performs abroad in test series, "tipping wi to win a test or 2" is an overestimation in my opinion....remind me what we did against a severely injury-depleted england side at home? not saying that we have absolutely no chance but neither our past overseas record(in general or specifically in the caribbean) nor our recent test record give any indication that we are the favourites at the start of this test series so what are all the winning predictions based on?

Well, people have always expected India to do well because we look so good on paper and because of that batting lineup.
The real difference this time around might be Sreesanth and Munaf Patel. Maybe that Mumbai disaster will wake this team up (test team).

 

[Anil]

Well, people have always expected India to do well because we look so good on paper and because of that batting lineup.
The real difference this time around might be Sreesanth and Munaf Patel. Maybe that Mumbai disaster will wake this team up (test team).

at this point, let's leave it at "might be" and "may be" shall we...? looking good on paper is so different from delivering on the field and we have flattered to deceive so many times abroad....let's wait and see what happens....

 

[adharcric]

at this point, let's leave it at "might be" and "may be" shall we...? looking good on paper is so different from delivering on the field and we have flattered to deceive so many times abroad....let's wait and see what happens....

yeah thats true .. i'd still predict a 2-1 or 3-0 india win

 

[Dasa]

not saying that we have absolutely no chance but neither our past overseas record(in general or specifically in the caribbean) nor our recent test record give any indication that we are the favourites at the start of this test series so what are all the winning predictions based on?

The fact that the Windies have been poor for a long time now?

 

[Jono]

considering how india performs abroad in test series, "tipping wi to win a test or 2" is an overestimation in my opinion....remind me what we did against a severely injury-depleted england side at home? not saying that we have absolutely no chance but neither our past overseas record(in general or specifically in the caribbean) nor our recent test record give any indication that we are the favourites at the start of this test series so what are all the winning predictions based on?

Why should I remind you what India did against a severely depleted England side? My previous post said people have learnt from the England series.

And even that depleted England team had a better bowling attack than the WI, and seeing that was the key aspect of the series that resulted in England drawing, I'd say its fair for India to go in slight favourites. That's not even taking into account the WI record over the past 2 years as well which has been very poor.

What's the point of making predictions then anyway? There haven't been that many, if any, outlandish predictions. No one has come in and said India to win 4-0, or WI to not have a chance. Its all been fairly balanced, and with every single detrimental aspect you mentioned about the Indian team away from home, I could match with the problems in the WI at the moment.

IMO you're making a mountain out of a molehill. You would have probably been better coming in and saying this, like Honestbharani did, when everyone (English and Indian fans alike) was tipping India 2-0 or 3-0, seeing as it was a home series against a depleted England team. But IMO people have learnt from this, and its obvious in this thread.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

considering how india performs abroad in test series, "tipping wi to win a test or 2" is an overestimation in my opinion....remind me what we did against a severely injury-depleted england side at home? not saying that we have absolutely no chance but neither our past overseas record(in general or specifically in the caribbean) nor our recent test record give any indication that we are the favourites at the start of this test series so what are all the winning predictions based on?

I'd say they're based on the West Indies having won just 1 Test match in the last 16 months.

 

[kvemuri]

I'd say they're based on the West Indies having won just 1 Test match in the last 16 months.

Doesn't matter, we inadvertently or advertently end up finding a nemesis in that one batsman or bowler who will hound us throughout the series and then fall into an abyss never to be heard of again. I can only hope that the new crop of Sreesanths and Munafs can avoid that which the likes of Srinaths, Zaheers and AAs made a regularity. Examples of players, who played against India and who either took the next step towards being considered as the best for their coiuntry or regained their lost form or were great against us for that series and never heard from again include Chris Cairns, Greame Hick, Chris Lewis, Jimmy Adams, Paul Jarvis, Younis Khan, David Boon, Carl Hooper, Mathew Hayden, Salim Malik, Shoaib Malik, Mansoor Elahi, Anderson Cummins, Franklin Rose, Andrew Hudson, Gary Kirsten etc. See so I fully except someone in the WI to take that mantle up this time around, we are very generous people in that sense, off late Younis Khan has been enjoying our generosity

 

[Anil]

The fact that the Windies have been poor for a long time now?

doesn't matter...india has been poor abroad for a long time as well....so that balances it out mostly....add to that the fact that our top and middle order has been particularly brittle recently against even decent attacks on tracks offering just enough purchase.....another addition to that would be that our spinners are not likely to get much help from the wickets over there....a combination of facts that doesn't go a long way to putting a favourite's tag on india, does it..? of course if for once the paper tigers roar abroad, then anything can happen...but then we haven't seen that happen too often, have we?

 

[Sanz]

Well, I have to agree with Anil here. India doesn't start as favorites here and I have a feeling that WI batsmen will find their form against Indian bowlers. Last time when we toured we had a smoking batting line up with Sachin, Sehwag, Laxman, Dravid in cracking form and Ganguly,Dasgupta, Bangar, Das doing decent supporting role. We still ended up losing the test series against the likes of Dillon, Collins, Colleymore, Sanford.

I dont think the current WI attack is any worse/better than the last one, besides India's test batting has been awefully poor in recent times. I agree WI have lost last couple of series but almost all of them were either away or against better attacks. India's test bowling attack is one of the worst in the world.

 

[Sanz]

The fact that the Windies have been poor for a long time now?

yet no subcontinent team has been able to beat WI in WI in last 5-6 years.