*Official* Road to India in England 2014

[Cabinet96]

Saw the first and last days of the series in 2011. Both reasonably tight days play that England won, but the mood couldn't have been more different second time around.

 

[MW1304]

That last day was so good. Seeing Strauss lift the mace, oh jeez..

 

[Maximas]

suspect we won't see the same pitches from this season next year when India/SL come, but should be a good contest. Ashwin will get a chance to prove that he is actually an international standard bowler, and the Indian batting will get the same chance, very exciting times for India

 

[Flem274*]

India will do better than expected imo

 

[Jono]

So ****ing tempted to fly to the UK again like I did in 2011 and go see some matches live.

 

[Jono]

So ****ing tempted to fly to the UK again like I did in 2011 and go see some matches live.

Actually I may not do this again as I am worried that once again when India start losing and I am not posting on CW because I am travelling Zinzan will call me a frontrunner.

 

[honestbharani]

Actually I may not do this again as I am worried that once again when India start losing and I am not posting on CW because I am travelling Zinzan will call me a frontrunner.

Of all the reasons to pass up a chance like this....

 

[Howe_zat]

England v Sri Lanka fixtures confirmed to be at Lord's and Headingley. So Edgbaston gets nothing this year and nothing next year. Not sure what they've done to piss everyone off.

Good news: Nowt for Cardiff

 

[GIMH]

England v Sri Lanka fixtures confirmed to be at Lord's and Headingley. So Edgbaston gets nothing this year and nothing next year. Not sure what they've done to piss everyone off.

Good news: Nowt for Cardiff

I thought our time in Cardiff was special to you

 

[JontyPanesar]

I just hope a certain walking wicket has retired by then

5 tests sounds too good to be true.

 

[JontyPanesar]

And if the pitches are similar to what they were for Australia, India should seriously consider two spinners nearly everywhere, especially given how shallow the seamer depth is for India

 

[MW1304]

There's no way pitches will be anything like those against Australia, that you can be sure of.

 

[JontyPanesar]

Agreed. Traditionally India typically faced spin-unfriendly pitches osc...i suspect because their batsmen were beasts against spinners (I'm talking sidhu/Azhar/sachin/ganguly/Dravid and to a lesser extent Laxman/Sehwag). But as a result, India's spinners didn't get much to work with

I'll still take a second spinner in Ojha or Jadeja who can keep it tight over ishant's BOAL bs

 

[MW1304]

Does Jadeja actually make it as a specialist batsman or is he solely being used as a second spinner option at home? If he could bat six that would solve a lot of problems. I guess the fact he's been batting below Dhoni suggests that is a definitive no.

But previous trolling aside, I see you bowling a hell of a lot better this time around. You will need a third seamer though, someone needs to break through and support Kumar and Yadav.

 

[JontyPanesar]

Jadeja is closer to being a frontline spinner than a specialist batsman IMO but Dhoni and fletch seem to love him. At least he can do a paul harris roundarm containment job well.

There are some not-terrible third seamer options but I wouldn't be surprised if India still go with Ishant...in which case India will still bowl horribly as a unit

 

[MW1304]

****ing Praveen.

 

[JontyPanesar]

What about PK?
Lack of fitness and fc matches under his belt are my concerns about him, but he could still be effective regardless of how ugly he bowls IMO. Maybe a screw loose but he won't be the first seamer with that issue. Idc if he didn't bowl tightly in the Asia cup (no one did or could on Bangladeshi asphalt) or really any other odi for that matter...he's a good bowler for fc cricket. Can swing it with the new ball, keep it tight with the old ball. That's better than what most Indian bowlers have to offer

 

[MW1304]

That's the issue, he'd make their attack even better in English conditions if he sorted his act out.

 

[Furball]

Does Jadeja actually make it as a specialist batsman or is he solely being used as a second spinner option at home? If he could bat six that would solve a lot of problems. I guess the fact he's been batting below Dhoni suggests that is a definitive no.

But previous trolling aside, I see you bowling a hell of a lot better this time around. You will need a third seamer though, someone needs to break through and support Kumar and Yadav.

It would be ****ing hard to bowl any worse.

 

[mde203]

5 Tests is excellent, but quite how we are able to give 5 Tests to this series and not 5 Tests to South Africa last summer, which was set up as one of the biggest Test Series for some time with the (at the time quite clearly) top two teams in the world is frustrating. For that series to have only 3 Tests was a travesty.