Arjun said:
Why Parthiv? Why not Zaheer Khan? Is there really any point in opening with tailenders? .
Parthiv is not a tail ender. Has 3 fifties and an average of 32 plus in 16 tests. If that makes him a tailender we need some more tailenders in the team
Arjun said:
Why Parthiv? .... At least Yuvraj has batted at 3 or even opened a few times
Here are their respective records. It is at slight contradiction to your well 'orchestrated views"
Yuvraj Singh : Tests played 4, Innings 6, Average 51, Record as test opener :
Not available , Highest position batted in tests todate 6 (Really!!)
Parthiv Patel : Tests played 16, Innings 23, Avg 32, Record as test opener 0 and 69
Arjun said:
.... but opening with a keeper has been a perennial bad habit of this Test team, which is why there have not been many good starts of late.
True. When Parthiv opened against Pakistan, Sehwag got out first over to Shoaib and Parthic put on 129 for the second wicket with Dravid, outscoring his senior partner. Bad start given by a keeper. no doubt !
The fact of the matter is there isnt a strong case for Parthiv to open but there is none whatsoever for Yuvraj !!
Parthiv is no long term opener, Yuvraj will never be an opener in tests.
I put Parthiv only to accomodate Yuvraj in a 5 bowler team (which is what was being discussed at the time of posting that one). If there are four bowlers, I would open with Chopra and get Yuvraj at 6 and Parthiv at 7.
To say that opening with a keeper is a bad habit is as silly as saying a player who is a good stroke player in the middle order must be sent in as an opener if thats the only slot available.
We need to look at Chopra AND others as opener. What would you have done id Azhar was fit, younger and allowed to play and no place in this packed Indian middle order ? Send him to open the innings soince Chopra seems more dispensable than Laxman or Ganguly ??
Ridiculous !
There are openers and there are those who are not meant to open. Yuvraj is clearly in the second category. An attempt to fit him in may work for a match or two. It certainly has a better chance to work on Indian pitches but if the selectors want to make best use of this gifted left hander he must be played where he is best suited, from numbers 4 to six. If that is a bit crowded, tough luck !!
If we had five great leg spinners we wouldnt play them all and ask two of them to bowl with the new ball !!!