India squad named for Australia

[Salamuddin]

The squad: Sourav Ganguly (c), Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Akash Chopra, V V S Laxman, Parthiv Patel (wk), Deep Dasgupta (wk), S Ramesh, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra, Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, Aavishkar Salvi.

1. They gotta be joking -- no Murali Karthik. Pathan hasn't shown enough to suggest he can play at this level. He shuld have been in the A side to play Sri Lanka.

2. Deep Dasgupta -- why on earth is he in the team. His batting isn't all that great and a toddler probably has better wicketkeeping skills. Ratra should have gone -- Ratra's batting isn't great but he is fairly safe with the gloves.

3. S Ramesh -- LOL. OMG -- Ramesh looked like a fish out of water on the 1999-2000 trip. Ramesh just doesn't have the technique
to be a test opener.

 

[Salamuddin]

forgot...

forgot to give my commiserations to the New Zealand All Blacks...

I'm sure the pommies will be really stoked now...
they want to beat france and beat the Aussies in the final..

 

[Langeveldt]

IMO, England would rather face Australia than New Zealand in the final....

About the India squad, Okay, havent seen Pathan so cant comment... But I reckon Kartik should have been in for Kumble...

Indias keeping situation never ceases to amaze me.. In my time of supporting South Africa, they have had two keepers and two reserves... India must have gone through about 10-15... I dont know whos who know, although Dasgupta didnt look too bad when I last saw him, maybe my eyes were shut....

Wouldnt Shiv Das be better than Ramesh??

 

[luckyeddie]

Re: forgot...

forgot to give my commiserations to the New Zealand All Blacks...

I'm sure the pommies will be really stoked now...
they want to beat france and beat the Aussies in the final..

It's not even PROPER rugby - sorry, but I like my RL.

The Aussies beat us at that again today.

 

[Rich2001]

I dont know whos who know, although Dasgupta didnt look too bad when I last saw him, maybe my eyes were shut....

Yeah Dasgupta played well when England toured India two years ago, I know it was a while back but he kept well and I recall him hitting a ton.

Not 100% sure how much he has played from that point, so he could have had a couple of shocking series and I could be looking a right fool but no change there

 

[iamdavid]

Australia eat innacurate seamers for breakfast on their home pithces , yet in the last 3 seasons , 3 left arm spinners have enjoyed succes against them , Vettori , Boje (albeit for 1 match) & Ray Price.

Yet they have chosen an innacurate seamer in Pathan over a tricky left arm spinner in Kartik , despite how well Kartick's been bowling lately.

Kartick should have been included for a bit of variety if nothing else , at leas the Aussies havent seen much of him , the Aussies play against Kumble & Harbhajan all the time & if the recent series is anything to go by they have worked them out.

I agree that Salvi should have gone though , at least he will get it on the spot & I reckon he's the sort of bowler who will give Ricky Ponting some trouble , Ramesh went ahead of Das because at least he will play some shots & not allow the Australians to dominate , Dasgupta is rubbish IMO but there was simply no one better so he had to go.

All up I reckon the only small hope the Indian's have is that Dravid , Laxman , Sehwag , Ganguly & Chopra will actually back up Tendulkars work (unlike last time).

Likely India team for 1st test , IMO
1.A.Chopra
2.V.Sehwag
3.R.Dravid
4.S.Tendulkar
5.V.Laxman
6.*S.Ganguly
7.+P.Patel
8.A.Agarkar
9.H.Singh
10.Z.Khan
11.A.Nehra

I'd say AA will get carted in Brisbane & replaced by Salvi for the Adelaide test.

 

[Rich2001]

This is only a probable 20 isn't it? So the likes of Kartik etc could still be picked couldn't they, espically if they help beat Australia in the final of the TVS Cup

 

[V Reddy]

Not 100% sure how much he has played from that point, so he could have had a couple of shocking series and I could be looking a right fool but no change there

He always batted well but his keeping was the problem. He kept ok in SAF on the bouncy pitches and batted very well. Against Eng he batted well but his keeping against the spinners was poor. Then in WI he dropped some catches and with the help of that Hooper made a double century and when he batted he got a delivery which didn't bounce and was out for a duck and that was the end of him. Since then according to reports he has been keeping well in Ranji but hasn't batted well. But Wright and Ganguly have confidence in his batting abilities.

 

[V Reddy]

This is only a probable 20 isn't it? So the likes of Kartik etc could still be picked couldn't they, espically if they help beat Australia in the final of the TVS Cup

This was selected esterday. Karthik, Yuvraj,Balaji and Badani were removed.

 

[Salamuddin]

options

well iamdavid, India did have another option in the wicketkeeping department.

Ajay Ratra who is the keeper of the India A side should have gone as backup to Patel. He's a competent gloveman.

But I presume Dasgupta's perceived quality batting skills swung the vote in his favour..

 

[Arjun]

Are they picking their best players?

I don't know what the selectors are thinking, if they actually think. Are they picking their best players?

The selection of 2 specialist openers over 2 better batsmen is baffling, when there are no openers in India who are of international quality. They will not score runs anywhere. You might as well play your 6 best batsmen. No point picking openers just to open the batting. Pick openers to score runs.

Same for the fast bowlers. Why are the Indians feeding the Australian batsmen and picking 5 fast bowlers to end their careers? Why can't they stick to their main strength, spin? The Indian spinners are always more effective than their so-called fast bowlers. None of them will find Australian conditions to their liking. None of them have pace. None of them will succeed. Why, one or 2 were enough, but 5 careers to terminate?

Yuvraj Singh has to play. He's a hard hitter, so his attacking batting will come useful. He may score just as many as the Das gang, but he'll get it quickly. When on song, he's a good batsman. Any team would want to have such a player. He also does his job even when not batting- on the field, with the ball.

Mohammed Kaif or Sodhi or Badani should have been picked. At least as substitute fielders. As many as 4 players are average fielders and of these, Laxman and Kumble CAN'T FIELD! They're a LIABILITY on the field. They have to be replaced. Besides, this is Laxman's lat chance. He's done nothing great, he can't hit a six, he can't field, he can't run, he doesn't last long out there.

Both spinners have to play together in every match. Sure, the Aussies have worked them out, but these are the best men against them. Our 4'th spinner is better than our second seamer, any day.

If Agarkar plays, I hope he goes for 8 an over in every match. He is no fast bowler. He was given enough chances and he has disappointed. He does not even have the build!

Where is Nayan Mongia? He's not only a much better wicketkeeper than these 2, he's also an enterprising tailender. Even his critics, Dungarpur for instance, are now backing him. Does he ever get a fair try?

 

[gibbsnsmith]

Typical, look at Laxmans stats, he has magnificent for India. You Do NOT drop your in-form players, no matter how crap he is in the field, he make up for it with the bat.

Now Kumble...He has been one of favourite bwolers for a ong time and he still continues to bowl well, so dropping him is tricky but its not as suicidal, idiotic change like dropping VVS.

Instead of claiming its Laxman's last chance, maybe you should look at Kaif and Yuvraj, their incredibe performances of late surely justifies a callup to Test side..

 

[badgerhair]

Re: Are they picking their best players?

Yuvraj Singh has to play. He's a hard hitter, so his attacking batting will come useful. He may score just as many as the Das gang, but he'll get it quickly. When on song, he's a good batsman. Any team would want to have such a player.

He demonstrated this year that he couldn't hack it in the second division of the English county championship. What on earth makes you think that someone so Yuseless he gets dropped from a county side is going to be anything other than a sick joke against Australia in a Test?

Cheers,

Mike

 

[iamdavid]

Re: Are they picking their best players?

I don't know what the selectors are thinking, if they actually think. Are they picking their best players?

The selection of 2 specialist openers over 2 better batsmen is baffling, when there are no openers in India who are of international quality. They will not score runs anywhere. You might as well play your 6 best batsmen. No point picking openers just to open the batting. Pick openers to score runs.

Same for the fast bowlers. Why are the Indians feeding the Australian batsmen and picking 5 fast bowlers to end their careers? Why can't they stick to their main strength, spin? The Indian spinners are always more effective than their so-called fast bowlers. None of them will find Australian conditions to their liking. None of them have pace. None of them will succeed. Why, one or 2 were enough, but 5 careers to terminate?

Yuvraj Singh has to play. He's a hard hitter, so his attacking batting will come useful. He may score just as many as the Das gang, but he'll get it quickly. When on song, he's a good batsman. Any team would want to have such a player. He also does his job even when not batting- on the field, with the ball.

Mohammed Kaif or Sodhi or Badani should have been picked. At least as substitute fielders. As many as 4 players are average fielders and of these, Laxman and Kumble CAN'T FIELD! They're a LIABILITY on the field. They have to be replaced. Besides, this is Laxman's lat chance. He's done nothing great, he can't hit a six, he can't field, he can't run, he doesn't last long out there.

Both spinners have to play together in every match. Sure, the Aussies have worked them out, but these are the best men against them. Our 4'th spinner is better than our second seamer, any day.

If Agarkar plays, I hope he goes for 8 an over in every match. He is no fast bowler. He was given enough chances and he has disappointed. He does not even have the build!

Where is Nayan Mongia? He's not only a much better wicketkeeper than these 2, he's also an enterprising tailender. Even his critics, Dungarpur for instance, are now backing him. Does he ever get a fair try?

Arjun most of what you just said made me laugh , with that kind of logic you'd make a good Pakistani selector.

The one good point you make is about Nayan Mongia , he was a far better keeper than either of those two & on his day he was a handfull with the bat.
Sad he's been cast aside now as I feel he still has a couple of years left.
They could drop Patel until he matures a bit , give him till he's about 21 , then when Mongia calls it a day they could pick him.

As for the suggestions Ratra could have gone

He's even worse than Dasgupta:O

 

[Craig]

Australia eat innacurate seamers for breakfast on their home pithces , yet in the last 3 seasons , 3 left arm spinners have enjoyed succes against them , Vettori , Boje (albeit for 1 match) & Ray Price.

It is no secert that quality left arm finger spinners have had success against Australia. And that'a what all 3 are - quality.

And I can include Tuffers has taken wickets against Australia and has done well against Mark Waugh (Oval 1997 Test for example).

And BTW I would like to formally introduce you guys to Arjun. You maybe be baffled by his logic, but Richard, David and I are used to it.

 

[marc71178]

Australia eat innacurate seamers for breakfast on their home pithces

I trust the inaccurate seamers are Barbecued and washed down with Tinnies?

 

[gibbsnsmith]

And BTW I would like to formally introduce you guys to Arjun. You maybe be baffled by his logic, but Richard, David and I are used to it.

thats a formal introduction???

 

[Neil Pickup]

I think Laxman does get a lot of completely unfair stick... remind me of the last Test India played?

Who saved it?

 

[Richard]

Yeah Dasgupta played well when England toured India two years ago, I know it was a while back but he kept well and I recall him hitting a ton.

Sorry, Rich, gotta disagree with you here - batted well, definately, but his 'keeping was shocking. He missed 4 or 5 absolute sitters in the series. And I mean sitters; the stuff you'd expect to be dropped about 1 in 50 or so.
Apparently this was nothing new. Apparently he has never been much of a 'keeper but I heard somewhere that he 'kept well in 2002\03 so it's just a WTS I guess.

 

[Richard]

It is no secert that quality left arm finger spinners have had success against Australia. And that'a what all 3 are - quality.

And I can include Tuffers has taken wickets against Australia and has done well against Mark Waugh (Oval 1997 Test for example).

And BTW I would like to formally introduce you guys to Arjun. You maybe be baffled by his logic, but Richard, David and I are used to it.

For me it's just coincidence that they've all been left-armers. Australian batsmen, with the general exception of Hayden and Stephen Waugh, all struggle when the ball is turning, same way they all struggle when it's seaming and swinging (with general exceptions of Waugh and Ponting).
Vettori had success on the approximately-quadrennial turner at The WACA, Boje and Price on typical perennial turners at The SCG. At The 'Gabba and MCG certainly, and quite possibly Adelaide Oval too, I can't see any fingerspinners, left or right-arm, having much success.