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*Official* New Zealand in India Thread

Rich2001

International Captain
Tim said:
NZ are really just paying for such a weak bowling attack & the heat has probably been a contributing factor aswell.

However, the pitch has had very little in it for the bowlers..although knowing that, India will come out & take wickets. lol.
New Zealand 41/3 (19.0 ov)

Well Tim you jinxed the NZ side in great fashion there :saint:
 

aussie_beater

State Vice-Captain
The best cover drive IMO is that of Sourav Ganguly in prime....although he is a southpaw.David Gower is my all time favourite in that list. These are just silky smooth, and nothing comes even close.
 

Mr Mxyzptlk

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Neil Pickup said:
Butcher is my favourite.
Butcher is probably one of the better left-handers, but Atapattu I think executes it with perfect balance. Surely his is as good as anyone who has played the game.

Kirsten is stronger through cover-point from when I've seen him.
 

masterblaster

International Captain
I certainly hope Zaheer Khan proved something to his detractors all over the world and on the cricketweb boards...

He is a special, special bowler for India.
 

anzac

International Debutant
Oh dear - here we go again ...........

At stumps you would have to say that Day 2 was India's - but it so nearly wasn't IMO. India needed to accelerate after Tea to reach 500 in order to declare & then give their bowlers an hour at the Kiwis. Yet again by the last session the Kiwis were visibly wilting in the heat - even when they came to the crease they did not appear 'fresh' enough to maintain the levels of technique & concentration required.

Again I bemoan these 2 Test series & lack of warm up games to aclimatise - but good to hear Indian commentators also share my view on this matter.

Khan should have bowled well considering he had a new ball and had been sitting in the stands for 2 days watching the game! What sets him apart from other seam bowlers (apart from being a 'leftie') is his ability to move the ball in the air and then off the pitch with pace when he pitches it up - something that I used to admire in Shayne O'Conner & why I would want to have such a bowler in my seam attack.

That aside the other thing it shows up is the lack of penetration by the Kiwi seamers with no genuine pace in the attack, and the required change of tactics to have the Kiwi seamers bowl just short of a length even with the new ball.

I remain bemused at the selection of Wiseman ahead of Butler, and I get the feeling that Fleming was none too convinced about the decision due to the lack of bowling by Wiseman over the innings.

Dravid was magnificant and deserved his best Test score. Probably not the most important innings, nor the most imperious, but certainly a joy to watch his immense concentration & ability to punish the loose delivery.

Congrads to Ganguly on his ton, but at times there are little things about him that just grate me!

NZ have an uphill battle for the remainder of this Test, but it is not beyond salvaging. India only have 4 recognised bowlers, and one of their seamers is a debutant & could be vulnerable to attack. Vettori was most effective when drifting the ball up into the rough, yet the Indian commentators acknowledge that Kumble bowls to a shorter length, and Harb doesn't drift the ball up into the same areas.

NZ must survive the first hour & Khan, bit also look to score off the loose deliveries. As well as preserving their wickets they should try to probe the Indian attack for any weakness in Balaji, as well as playing the spinners off their length - back foot preferred esp to Kumble.

The worst thing they could do IMO is to go into purely survival mode and hand the ascendancy to the Indians - they must ask questions of this attack & try to expose the lack of a genuine 5th bowler - Tendulkar & Ganguly should not be effective on this pitch as yet.

Above all else the Kiwis need to concentrate & be patient! What a wonderful opportunity for the remaining batsmen to put their hands up.

:)
 

anzac

International Debutant
ok so it's Tea at the moment....

so far I'd give the first 2 sessions today to the Kiwi batsmen for their fight back...2 good partnerships between Astle & Styris & Macca....with Astle securing a deserved ton....still plenty of work to do however.....

I note that both Styris & Macca got out playing the spinners off the front foot so to speak, whereas the Indian commentators recommended waiting for the ball to come onto the bat....both fell to great low catches to Chopra in close, with Macca's an almost freakish catch (although it was telegraphed)....

Great to see that both Astle & Macca had good knocks coming back to the side......

:)
 

anzac

International Debutant
this is slightly off topic, but just incase anyone was under any illusions about what's in store for the Indians in Australia, just take a look at these figures from the 1st Test v Zimbabwe.....

Hayden - 380 in 622 mins from 437 balls including 38 4s & 11 6s.
Gilchrist- 113 no in 140 mins off 94 balls.

Australia 735/6 dec in 5 sessions / 146.3 overs 5.02 RR
(the session after lunch today = RR 7.5)!!!!!

IMO if India go into these Tests with only 4 frontline bowlers the Aussie batsmen will murder them!!!!

:O
 

anzac

International Debutant
bugger - Astle's gone for 103 trying to force the pace.... :(

Oram needs to make a partnership with Hart & then Vettori.....
the last thing they need is to go into their shells now.......

:duh:
 

esgallindeion

U19 12th Man
7 wickets down for 228. Three more to go. It shouldn't be difficult for India to make the Kiwis follow on. But I wouldn't be surprised if something really unusual happens.
 

Mr Mxyzptlk

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anzac said:
this is slightly off topic, but just incase anyone was under any illusions about what's in store for the Indians in Australia, just take a look at these figures from the 1st Test v Zimbabwe.....

Hayden - 380 in 622 mins from 437 balls including 38 4s & 11 6s.
Gilchrist- 113 no in 140 mins off 94 balls.

Australia 735/6 dec in 5 sessions / 146.3 overs 5.02 RR
(the session after lunch today = RR 7.5)!!!!!

IMO if India go into these Tests with only 4 frontline bowlers the Aussie batsmen will murder them!!!!

:O
1/ That is very much off topic.

and

2/ The Indian bowlers may not be the best in the world, but they're a heck of alot better than the Zimbabwean bowlers. Not many teams would get rocked by the current Zimbabwean attack.
 

Mr. P

International Vice-Captain
326/8 at drinks, vettori has 55. india struggling to break this partnership which is now 63.
 

Craig

World Traveller
India 177-5 with Laxman out after going nuts. Bad news for NZ as Richardson has injured his back.
 

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