***Official*** India in New Zealand 2020

[vcs]

It'd be relentless pressure on the Indians and a good chance of bowling them out quick enough that over rates don't really come into the picture. Decent idea.

 

[Chewie]

Yeah exactly. Four specialist seamers and a filthy part time spinner is a legit option when you have certain strengths and the pitch is a certain way, but that's not what we're talking about here. If the pitch is green enough to justify leaving out a spinner entirely then it's green enough for Colin to be a very serious bowler, in which case I'd just pick another batsman or at least a batting allrounder.

If it's really true with lots of carry it's a different matter again, but that's not what we're talking about here either.

also, it'd be illegal

 

[honestbharani]

Ishant ruled out. Awesome. Umesh and Shami in the XI. Get ready for NZ to rack up 600 at 4 an over.


Seriously, I hope sense prevails and we play 5 bowlers. Or leave out the spinner altogether and hope that Vihari can do the job. But going by history, this wicket, no matter how much grass they leave on it, should flatten out by the second half of the first day and then be a road. If that is the case, I will still go with the below XI:


Mayank
Vihari
Pujara
Virat (c)
Rahane (vc)
Pant (wk)
Jadeja
Ashwin
Umesh
Shami
Bumrah

 

[vcs]

Well, that sucks. They're going to have to step up massively in all departments with the lone bright spot from the last match now ruled out.

 

[Victor Ian]

Any chance Bumrah takes 10 this game?

 

[harsh.ag]

 

[OverratedSanity]

Yikes that's not great. Bumrah and shami need to lift because the best I expect from Yadav is that he's not terrible.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Ishant ruled out. Awesome. Umesh and Shami in the XI. Get ready for NZ to rack up 600 at 4 an over.


Seriously, I hope sense prevails and we play 5 bowlers. Or leave out the spinner altogether and hope that Vihari can do the job. But going by history, this wicket, no matter how much grass they leave on it, should flatten out by the second half of the first day and then be a road. If that is the case, I will still go with the below XI:


Mayank
Vihari
Pujara
Virat (c)
Rahane (vc)
Pant (wk)
Jadeja
Ashwin
Umesh
Shami
Bumrah

We can play 6 batsmen and just increase Ashwin's workload. Imo as the lead spinner he should be trusted to bowl more than he has been.

 

[honestbharani]

We can play 6 batsmen and just increase Ashwin's workload. Imo as the lead spinner he should be trusted to bowl more than he has been.

The question is not that. When you need to bowl more than 120 overs, you need a decent 5th bowler. And I do not back Shaw to score more runs than Jadeja.


EDIT: The management seemingly will go with this XI though:


Shaw/Gill
Mayank
Pujara
Kohli
Rahane
Vihari
Pant
Jadeja
Umesh
Shami
Bumrah


Funny thing is we are putting all our hopes on Jadeja to be the tight bowler in such a scenario. Bumrah is nowhere near his best and the others leak runs fast even on their best days. We will be asking for a bigger defeat than the first test if we play this side. The only positive maybe that it will force us to be all positive and attacking and it just MIGHT go in our favor and we get lucky and all or most of our good balls get wickets and we don't drop catches etc.

But I fear the worst for this game. Stacking the batting in a must win game just sounds so so stupid, it might just be what the Shaz-Virat combo will do.

 

[Flem274*]

yadav is the sort of bloke who will lull us into a false sense of security by going at 5s in his first spell before violating nzs nuclear free policy in his second, reducing us to a sub 100 score.

 

[Grasshopper]

The covers are off - coin toss will be at 11:45 and first ball at 12:15pm.

 

[Days of Grace]

Kane wins the toss and Kohli, after an eye-roll, calls his players onto the ground. They are forfeiting the match! Unprecedented! Scenes!!!

 

[Grasshopper]

Haha! We're bowling, with an all pace attack. Kane named himself as the only spin option if needed.

 

[vandem]

Karma. After India won all 3 tosses when NZ last toured.

 

[Gnske]

Even du Plessis would have got someone else to call for that one.

 

[straw man]

Pitch no doubt a total road

 

[Athlai]

Neil Wagner is my favourite spinner.

 

[silentstriker]

Good stuff - nice to see the coin toss not going India's way. Need to see this Indian team put up. You want to be the best? This is when you prove it.


On a more global note, I would support getting rid of the toss and letting visiting teams pick (India would lose more than they'd gain, but still) but it's too hard for any team to win overseas and this would make the games more even.

 

[harsh.ag]

Exciting attack for NZ

 

[vcs]

Good stuff - nice to see the coin toss not going India's way. Need to see this Indian team put up. You want to be the best? This is when you prove it.


On a more global note, I would support getting rid of the toss and letting visiting teams pick (India would lose more than they'd gain, but still) but it's too hard for any team to win overseas and this would make the games more even.

Why do you think that? Toss results don't seem to affect India's results much at home.