***Official*** New Zealand in Zimbabwe & Zimbabwe/New Zealand/India ODI Tri-Series

[SJS]

I think Dravid's time to captain India has come. In that case, I would dump Ganguly from the test side and see whether he can score runs in ODIs without the pressure of captaincy. If he can't then its time to say goodbye.

Re: Sunday's game, I'd like India to give a chance to Murali Kartik. Hopefully he can perform weel and jolt Harbhajan out of his comfort zone.

I tend to agree with you but he has far too strong a support from where it matters for him to be touched. This, whether we like it or not, is the main source of what can be seen as the first tremors of friction in the Indian team.

 

[honestbharani]

Kaif is very suspect to the away moving ball early in his innings. He stays rooted to his spot and feet dont move. He was looking terrible against Heath Streak the other day. More than a dozen deliveries could have had him caught at slips if he had been good enough to snick them. this problem will always bother him when facing a new ball early.

A number three has to be someone who has the technique of an opener after all he may have to face a delivery before the opener at the non-striker's end does.

He has to tighten his technique in this regard. That is why how a person scores at number three has always to be taken with a pinch of salt. To do so after a good opening partnership and/or against a moderate attack is one thing and to do it after one wicket has fallen for nothing against a good new ball attack is something else. We need to still see Kaif in this mode.

I have big reservations about Yuvraj as of now. He sweeps far too much. He plays either square to the cover fence or flicks off the toes to the on side. He seems reluctant(unable) to drive/play straight in the V often enough. Good bowlers wont allow him to get away.

His grip on the bat is loose. if you notice his driving closely, at the time of contact, the bat turns in his hands. I am not talking of a deliberate turning of the wrists but a failure to have a firm wrist so that the follow through is in the same direction as the stroke. This results in far too many drives not going exactly as intended and also in the air.

These are not defects which cant beironed out but knowing Yuvraj, I doubt he is likely to listen to anyone who tells him he has a flaw !!

I think Kaif will tighten up, to be honest. When you have guys like Chappell and Gavaskar around the Indian side, these things will be ironed out, esp. with Kaif, who I think, has a better attitude towards these stuff than Yuvraj. But the reason I said Yuvraj could do better than Kaif is because of sheer natural talent. AT times, it can carry you through, but obviously, not all the time.

 

[Isolator]

What's the news about Chris Harris? Is he fit?

 

[Salamuddin]

What do you guys make of Jai prakash Yadav so far ?

 

[honestbharani]

I tend to agree with you but he has far too strong a support from where it matters for him to be touched. This, whether we like it or not, is the main source of what can be seen as the first tremors of friction in the Indian team.

I still have belief in the strong Sourav/Rahul friendship. So, I think this little period will blow away. I am assuming that you meant that the friction was between those two. Otherwise, it will be another blow to our cricket aspirations.

 

[Sanz]

Nice to see one of my long lasting wants of seeing Kaif bat at 3 for India work well. I have always believed that if he were to play in the side, he had to bat at 3. There is no other position that he can do well in, IMHO.

Completely agree. A batsman like Kaif is wasted at no. 6-7. Every time have watched him bat at 3, he looks like a natural to bat at that position. I agree that Kaif may not succeed if one of the opener gets out early but he sure can work on that and I am sure a hard worker like him can take up such a challege. I watched him bat againstg Pak in the world cup when he was sent (basically to protect Dravid )after two early wickets (Sehwag/Gangs) had gone. He handled Wasim/Waqar/Shoaib/Razzaq pretty nicely.

Dravid, as good he has been at no. 3, IMO he is best suited at 5. He bats really well with the lower order. I have watched him bat there and If I am not wrong, his average at 5-6 is pretty good.

 

[Lyell_Chris]

What's the news about Chris Harris? Is he fit?

I think he's in England trying to get fit

He'll find it hard to get in the team atm though

 

[GladiatrsInBlue]

What a grat knock by M Kaif, the guy has loads of potential, he should always bat up the order.

And Dhoni was simply breathtaking, he made the target to look so eas, i knew i can always count on him on occasion like this.

 

[Blaze]

What a grat knock by M Kaif, the guy has loads of potential, he should always bat up the order.

And Dhoni was simply breathtaking, he made the target to look so eas, i knew i can always count on him on occasion like this.

Don't get too carried away. NZ rested it's two best bowlers.

 

[shaka]

Exactly, but it proves how vital both players are for NZ. Styris bowled really well, unlike Adams.

 

[Arjun]

Changes we'd like to see in the Indian side for the last match and maybe the final?

• RP Singh for Agarkar (even for the final)
• Raina for Yuvraj

 

[Sanz]

Don't get too carried away. NZ rested it's two best bowlers.

What else you expect from a guy who thinks Dhoni is better than Gilchrist.

 

[adharcric]

Changes we'd like to see in the Indian side for the last match and maybe the final?

• RP Singh for Agarkar (even for the final)
• Raina for Yuvraj

Yuvraj and Agarkar haven't been so bad that you should consider replacing them for the final by two unproven guys already. Definitely need to play the untested guys against Zimbabwe though, and that means all of them. Bring in Kartik, Raina, RP Singh for Harbhajan, Yuvraj, Pathan/Nehra/Agarkar. Agarkar has averaged 16, Nehra 23 and Pathan 12 in this series, so there's no reason to replace them in the final. Perhaps Pathan or Nehra should be given a breather.

Apart from Dravid and Ganguly, every batsman has averaged 30+ in the series, and Dravid has averaged 48 in 2005 (Ganguly 18 ...). Ganguly won't be replaced by Raina for the final, and neither will one of the three seamers by RP Singh. The only possibility then is Harbhajan and his average of 110 being replaced by Kartik's left-arm spin.

On another note, Dhoni has been awesome, proving his late-innings explosive utility.

 

[Zinzan]

Exactly, but it proves how vital both players are for NZ. Styris bowled really well, unlike Adams.

Styris did bowl well, but I was livid with his batting towards the end. I appreciate that he got the top score and got us out of trouble, but towards the end when he was just blocking it, I knew we were around 20-30 runs short. He just batting with no urgency

 

[meatspx]

Styris did bowl well, but I was livid with his batting towards the end. I appreciate that he got the top score and got us out of trouble, but towards the end when he was just blocking it, I knew we were around 20-30 runs short. He just batting with no urgency

Yeah, I through the paper at him I was so mad

4-5 overs to go, what does Styris do? Take 3 balls to get a single so he can bring up his fifty, what a muppet. Totally selfish play there. Every time he tried to hit a single approxiamatley half his shots went to the field.

 

[honestbharani]

Yuvraj and Agarkar haven't been so bad that you should consider replacing them for the final by two unproven guys already. Definitely need to play the untested guys against Zimbabwe though, and that means all of them. Bring in Kartik, Raina, RP Singh for Harbhajan, Yuvraj, Pathan/Nehra/Agarkar. Agarkar has averaged 16, Nehra 23 and Pathan 12 in this series, so there's no reason to replace them in the final. Perhaps Pathan or Nehra should be given a breather.

Apart from Dravid and Ganguly, every batsman has averaged 30+ in the series, and Dravid has averaged 48 in 2005 (Ganguly 18 ...). Ganguly won't be replaced by Raina for the final, and neither will one of the three seamers by RP Singh. The only possibility then is Harbhajan and his average of 110 being replaced by Kartik's left-arm spin.

On another note, Dhoni has been awesome, proving his late-innings explosive utility.

I am still not sure if Dhoni can do it against better attacks, but for India's sake, I hope he can.

 

[Pratters]

Raina for Yuvraj[/list]

Were you not vouching against Raina not many days back in the discussion with me on the forum.

 

[GladiatrsInBlue]

What else you expect from a guy who thinks Dhoni is better than Gilchrist.

ON PRESENT FORM, HE IS

 

[Pratters]

Robin Jackman:

What do you call the 12th man these days?

Ranjit Fernando

Supersub.

 

[Pratters]

Time to doze off.

This match is too exciting for my nerves and I cant risk it all by watching it.

After noon nap beckons.

Adios!