*Official* India in Sri Lanka 2010 - Tests

[G.I.Joe]

Originally Posted by prince ews

this is an argument i always find a little funny. If it does show that, it also shows that zaheer has match-winning performances in him a little less often. If anything it shows that sreesanth's probably a good partner for someone like zaheer.

awta

[honestbharani]

Originally Posted by Prince EWS

I'd have picked Badri too but I think it's perhaps harsh to judge Raina too critically about his play of the short ball in T20 in ODIs, for a couple of reasons. The first of which is that he's been managing to score a lot of runs anyway - he looks awkward when trying to score off the back foot but, a few ridiculous-looking dismissals aside, he's still been getting the runs on the board. Secondly, it's entirely possible that he may be a lot more comfortable getting out of the way of the short ball in First Class batting mode when he's not trying to score off every delivery. If he can just sway out of the way and wait for balls he likes in his areas he will be fine; I think a lot of his troubles in ODIs and T20s with the short stuff has been the need to score off it. They can't just bowl short at him all day so he could well be fine if he's patient.

tbh, I think that is the case with blokes like Vijay, Rohit and perhaps Kohli and Gambhir.. Just don't think Raina can even manage that.. Perhaps I have watched more of his struggles than you have..


And at the end of the day, it is not even about that. I just think Badri is a better long format batting option than Raina right now.

[Manee]

Originally Posted by Prince EWS

This is an argument I always find a little funny. If it does show that, it also shows that Zaheer has match-winning performances in him a little less often. If anything it demonstrates that Sreesanth's probably a good partner for someone like Zaheer.

Not necessarily. If a bowler has played five matches and taken ten wickets in one of the matches, it will boost the stats. Is it to say he'll take ten wickets every five matches? No. A bowler with a short career has statistics which have to be interpreted more than a bowler with a long, consistent career.

[Migara]

Originally Posted by Xuhaib

India to win 2-0 as there is no danger of being Mendised this time.

Or Muralied given his poor form

[Migara]

Originally Posted by Prince EWS

Interesting take. I get the feeling that Sri Lanka's batsmen would be a lot more uncomfortable on a seamer than India's, Yuvraj aside, and I'd rate Murali+Randiv/Mendis/Herath at least on par with Harbhajan+Ohja/Mishra, even taking into account Murali's apparent decline.

I think the best option is to prepare genuine turners if possible - not roads, but pitches that turn really early.

Only difference is when playing spin Indians >> Sri Lankans. on playing pace they are almost similar. On other hand SL seam attack will extract bit more out of the pitches than Indians of larger heights and / or quicker pace of the bowlers.

[Avada Kedavra]

Originally Posted by Migara

Only difference is when playing spin Indians >> Sri Lankans. on playing pace they are almost similar. On other hand SL seam attack will extract bit more out of the pitches than Indians of larger heights and / or quicker pace of the bowlers.

Interesting take Miagra.I would say the best fast bowler from both sides is Zaheer and the tallest is Ishant.Isn't this pace attack pretty much the same as it was last time India toured?Prasad,Welegedara,Mathews?Spin is Sri Lanka's best bet.India's fast bowlers are crap in flat pitches but give them a pitch that has something and they become dangerous.India batting is also>Sri Lankan batting at playing pace,Yuvraj aside.

[Avada Kedavra]

I predict a 1-1 draw.Sri Lanka are too good to lose at home and India are too good to get hammered for a second time.

[Xuhaib]

Originally Posted by honestbharani

tbh, I think that is the case with blokes like Vijay, Rohit and perhaps Kohli and Gambhir.. Just don't think Raina can even manage that.. Perhaps I have watched more of his struggles than you have..


And at the end of the day, it is not even about that. I just think Badri is a better long format batting option than Raina right now.

no offence I know he is from your city but the little I have seen of Badri he looks like India's answer to Faisal Iqbal.

I reckon Kohli has the best technique among all young Indian batsman and he should be blooded in next.

[Teja.]

Don't rate Badri very highly to be honest.

[Migara]

Originally Posted by Avada Kedavra

Interesting take Miagra.I would say the best fast bowler from both sides is Zaheer and the tallest is Ishant.Isn't this pace attack pretty much the same as it was last time India toured?Prasad,Welegedara,Mathews?Spin is Sri Lanka's best bet.India's fast bowlers are crap in flat pitches but give them a pitch that has something and they become dangerous.India batting is also>Sri Lankan batting at playing pace,Yuvraj aside.

Tallest is Thushara. He and Fernado comfortably taller than Ishant. and most are comfartably faster as well. Yes Zaheer Khan is in form, and so are Thushara, Prasad and Fernado. Like Zaheer, they are coming up the rankings. I would believe that on a typical SL grassy wicket no Indian bowler bar Zaheer would get much assistance (unlike a grassy Saffy wicket or a English wicket where every hack of a seamer gets movement). Compared to that, players like Thushara and Kulasekara will get movement if there's hint of assistance. Fernando and Malinga do not depend on the movement and their modus operandi is different. Last time none of Malinga, Fernando or Thushara played test series completetely. Four geniune 140+k bowlers should make a difference IMO.

[Avada Kedavra]

Originally Posted by Migara

Tallest is Thushara. He and Fernado comfortably taller than Ishant. and most are comfartably faster as well. Yes Zaheer Khan is in form, and so are Thushara, Prasad and Fernado. Like Zaheer, they are coming up the rankings. I would believe that on a typical SL grassy wicket no Indian bowler bar Zaheer would get much assistance (unlike a grassy Saffy wicket or a English wicket where every hack of a seamer gets movement). Compared to that, players like Thushara and Kulasekara will get movement if there's hint of assistance. Fernando and Malinga do not depend on the movement and their modus operandi is different. Last time none of Malinga, Fernando or Thushara played test series completetely. Four geniune 140+k bowlers should make a difference IMO.

You are right...I forgot Thushara.Will Fernando be getting a game?I doubt it,tbh.He is not really test material.Same goes for Malinga.I would agree that Sri lankan fast bowlers as a whole>Indian fast bowlers despite the best fast bowler from the two sides being Zaheer but the thing is I would also back the Indian bats to survive on a grassy pitch more than the Sri Lankan batsmen.

[Migara]

That is always a possibility. But On a grassy track, I would expect Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman to survive and score big. Gambhir may cash in. But Shwag, Dhoniand Yuvraj are very vulnerable. On a slow spinning track, of course, all seven will cash in, unless they have brain farts.

On other hand Sangakkara, Mahela and Mathews (although the latter not proven) are good on seamin pitches, and Dilshan plays seam better than Sehwag. Samaraweera if digs in will score some runs. Dilsha's aprtner is still undecided, and if it turns out to be Kaushal Silva, then he's also a superb player of pace and seam. When you keep some room for greatness and brilliance of SRT, Dravid and Sanga, SL has players who like to play on seaming tracks as equal to India. The difference is a balance between slightly superior SL fast attack vs Indian bastmen, who boasts two / three (with Laxman) players who do well against pace compared to one by SL (excluding Mathews). On other hand SL batsmen like Samaraweera, Dilshan and Mathews are better players of short fast bowling that likes of Raina or Yuvraj.

Fernado will get a game IMO, now touching 150k when in full flow. Malinga was getting up to 148k in the Asia cup and Thushara was getting up to 144k. So there will be some "perfume balls"especially against Sehwag and Dhoni. To complete the plan, Murali should bowl well to likes of Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman and keep the pressure on. But there lies the problem. Recent Murali is a shadow of what he used to be. If SRT and Dravid plays pacers well and attacks Murali, then SL will be a dead duck.

[Shri]

Indian pace bowlers rarely try to bounce batsmen out. They depend on good length balls with movement to get wickets. The spinners from the Indian side are the key bowlers to watch out for in this series afaic. If the spinners struggle, our attack is going to look flat. Hope Mishra finds some form.

[Pratters]

Will be tough to win the series in South Africa if we can't put up 3 good pacers. Worriesome.

[Teja.]

Originally Posted by Pratters

Will be tough to win the series in South Africa if we can't put up 3 good pacers. Worriesome.

If Sreesanth bowls anywhere close to how he did last time, we are in with a good chance tbh.