***Official*** Australia A and New Zealand A in India

[Precambrian]

The Indian A team comprises nearly half the regular Indian ODI team for the one-dayers. Good selection, with five all-rounders (Irfan, Yusuf, Nayar, Praveen and Chawla, not counting two wicketkeepers) but the selection of Jaydev Shah is dodgy. Then again, not surprising, as Niranjan Shah Jr has found a way into selection for West Zone, and now India A. I wonder, will the next-of-kin of BCCI officials have places reserved in the main Indian XI? Anyway, the XI should have all of Irfan, Chawla, Praveen and Kulkarni, as these are the only frontline bowlers in this squad!

Jaydev Shah's selection obviously raised speculation, but then his further progress will only be on the basis of merit. Or rather should be. The worst case scenario i can imagine is him being a co-traveller with the Indian team on its tours under the pretext of being an all rounder.

 

[Arjun]

Jaydev Shah's selection obviously raised speculation, but then his further progress will only be on the basis of merit. Or rather should be. The worst case scenario i can imagine is him being a co-traveller with the Indian team on its tours under the pretext of being an all rounder.

This player has often been picked as a filler for West Zone, and now as a filler for India A. We don't know what value he can create, when statistics show he can do nothing. He's got batting averages in the 20's and bowling averages well over 40 in FC and List-A. Yes, Saurashtra are now Elite. Yes, they've won the Ranji-OD tournament. But that doesn't mean that players like these get a free ride. Having him in the national team would be catastrophic, given what we've heard and read about far better players struggling for form.

 

[bryce]

Just noticed Lee Carseldine scored 102 (not to mention damaged his hamstring) against NZ (the same match Fulton got 139). Although he has just one First-Class 100, it's fair to say he has a good track record against touring international sides..
Queensland Academy of Sport vs New Zealanders '01/02
Queensland Academy of Sport vs Indians '03/04

 

[four_or_six]

Just noticed Lee Carseldine scored 102 (not to mention damaged his hamstring) against NZ (the same match Fulton got 139). Although he has just one First-Class 100, it's fair to say he has a good track record against touring international sides..
Queensland Academy of Sport vs New Zealanders '01/02
Queensland Academy of Sport vs Indians '03/04

Lee Carseldine is another one of those 'overcoming serious injury' stories that's really inspirational. I think he has serious metalwork in his back. I presume he was a pretty good prospect in his early career. Looking at the dates he's probably one of the all-rounders keeping a young Shane Watson out of Queensland duties that precipitated his move to Tasmania.

 

[bryce]

Hopefully his hamstring injury isn't serious and he can get a full season in because he's obviously a class bat

 

[Arjun]

One more day rained out, and with it, the match. Over to the one-dayers now...

 

[Arjun]

Elsewhere, Jaydev Shah is aware of all the bickering about his selection, and said that he will silence his detractors by performance. He's got a century in the Buchi Babu tournament, playing a hand in Saurashtra's victory over Mumbai. That's a good beginning. Let's see a fat batting average and Saurashtra winning the Ranji Trophy. Actually, he had an average of 48 in the Ranji OD series that Saurashtra won. Wonder how it'll be in the next season.

No clear gains for reserves from either India or Australia here, because of the lack of action in this series, and nobody has dominated the series either.

 

[Polo23]

NZ A 11/1 against Australia...Bollinger just got Redmond, played onto his stumps.

A really strange NZ side, no Watling, Hay or Boult.

 

[Top_Cat]

2.6 Tait to Guptill, no run, back of a length, just outside off, moving away from Guptill, who is again content letting it go
2.5 Tait to Guptill, no run, shortish and wide outside off, batsman watches it through to the keeper
2.4 Tait to Guptill, no run, another good delivery, pitched up this time, and slightly wider, left alone
2.3 Tait to Guptill, no run, that was quicker, short and in the channel, Guptill didn't know too much about that
2.2 Tait to Guptill, no run, short ball on middle stump, wasn't very quick though and Guptill defends comfortably
2.2 Tait to Guptill, 1 wide, Another wide down the leg side, that's six extras already
2.1 Tait to Guptill, no run, on target this time, good length on the off, Guptill defends
2.1 Tait to Guptill, 1 wide, wild delivery from Tait, way down the leg side

Haha, Shaun's back. 0/11, 4 of them wides and few beating the bat for good measure.

 

[Polo23]

Tait starts with 4 wides in 3 overs..he's been taken off and replaced by Siddle.

NZ started off sloooow..21/1 after 7 overs. Guptill has hit a couple of boundaries in 9*

 

[Polo23]

and that's a maiden. Guptill isn't exactly motoring along here
11.6 Noffke to Guptill, no run, back of a length, angling into leg, takes the inside edge on to the pad

13.1 Noffke to Guptill, SIX, short on middle, and Guptill pulls it handsomely to midwicket. That just about clear the boundary

14.1 Tait to Guptill, FOUR, short ball, a little bit of room, Guptill gets on the back foot and crashes that wide of the point fielder

14.3 Tait to Guptill, SIX, Tait bangs it in this time, Guptill goes for the pull, didn't quite middle it, but it sails over the fine leg boundary

Lol.

 

[_Ed_]

Fulton 58 from 66 now, looks to be playing well...is it too late to add him to the squad for the Bangladesh tour?

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

To be honest, with Bangladesh in the state it is now (particularly after the ICL), you could send me along and NZ would still win.

 

[_Ed_]

Good point.

But the reason they give for leaving Fulton out is that he's apparently terribly out of form - but he looks to be playing well against superior opposition to Bangladesh.

 

[Polo23]

Good point.

But the reason they give for leaving Fulton out is that he's apparently terribly out of form - but he looks to be playing well against superior opposition to Bangladesh.

It doesn't excuse his terrible international form all last summer. He was absolutely horrible, and had about 1400 technical flaws.

He was rightfully dropped, and now he is back scoring runs...we shouldnt just thrust him back into the squad, let him get some confidence under his belt first.

 

[pup11]

Yup, Fulton looks in fine form atm and its strange why the NZ selectors wouldn't pick him, played pretty well today but the only negative in the way he batted today was probably that he hardly rotated the strike and was only interested in smashing boundaries.

Tait' comeback has been wayward (well lets say that's nothing new with him), he has been all over the shop so far and has in between also bowled a few beauties, though he hasn't picked a wicket so far, but the good thing is he hasn't lost any of his pace.

Dougie Bollinger has been the best bowler on show, bowled well in the first spell and came back to pick a wicket in his 2nd spell too, surprisingly White has been pretty good with the ball today, his control was better than usual today.

 

[pup11]

Doherty has pretty similar bowling style and a similar action to Michael Clarke, and he has been pretty successful too in this game, just picked his third wicket.

 

[Polo23]

Yup, Fulton looks in fine form atm and its strange why the NZ selectors wouldn't pick him, played pretty well today but the only negative in the way he batted today was probably that he hardly rotated the strike and was only interested in smashing boundaries.

Tait' comeback has been wayward (well lets say that's nothing new with him), he has been all over the shop so far and has in between also bowled a few beauties, though he hasn't picked a wicket so far, but the good thing is he hasn't lost any of his pace.

Dougie Bollinger has been the best bowler on show, bowled well in the first spell and came back to pick a wicket in his 2nd spell too, surprisingly White has been pretty good with the ball today, his control was better than usual today.

This is on TV in India? Wish we got coverage over here.

Fulton wasn't picked for the tour of Bangladesh simply because he was absolutely terrible for the National side last summer. He couldnt buy a run and his technique let him down.

I don't have a problem with NZ not picking him...he needs to get some runs under his belt before he comes back IMO. Nice to see him doing that. A shame NZ has had a collapse at the end here...270 was on the cards at the 40th over. A decent hit out against a quality attack though.

 

[pup11]

This is on TV in India? Wish we got coverage over here.

Fulton wasn't picked for the tour of Bangladesh simply because he was absolutely terrible for the National side last summer. He couldnt buy a run and his technique let him down.

I don't have a problem with NZ not picking him...he needs to get some runs under his belt before he comes back IMO. Nice to see him doing that. A shame NZ has had a collapse at the end here...270 was on the cards at the 40th over. A decent hit out against a quality attack though.

Yup, mate its on TV here, anyways the Black caps would be disappointed what they managed to get in the end, when Guptill and Fulton were batting they were looking good for 270+ target but White and Doherty put the brakes on the innings, was particularly impressed with Doherty showed good control today.

Btw i don't think the Black Caps can really afford to drop a player like Fulton particularly considering how they have lost some of their experienced players in the recent times, they might not miss him against Bangers, but he should be back for the West Indies and Australian series.

 

[James]

What a bowling performance so far from NZ A. Have Aus A 73-6 after 15 overs.