India tour of South Africa

[asprin]

They won't be resting anyone, will try hard to to end it 5-1.

In my opinion, this approach would be good had the scoreline been 5-0 and we were looking for a white wash. But since that's not gonna happen, wouldn't it be best to test the bench strength now?

 

[zwarrior]

 

[LiveLoveABD]

Not sure who that is pointed to, but numbers have always been one of the most important things that matter. I don't think anyone here has called Kohli a great captain yet. He has done many things wrong in the Test series, especially when it comes to selection, but he has done many things right as well. Moreover, this is his first series in non-subcontinental conditions and he will have learnt plenty from it. If we can give MSD a chance post an 8-0 drubbing overseas and losing to England at home in 2012, surely we can give Kohli some time to prove his worth after scores lines of 1-2 in Tests and 4-1 in ODIs. And its not like we have to wait too long. England series this summer and then a tour to Australia followed by the world cup Plenty to criticize him on I am sure

Well, if numbers are your criteria then it's a fair assessment.

All I can say is that Dhoni himself was a poor test captain but with a weaker bowling line up than Kohli and Kohli in my opinion is worse. As for this one day success? India have been one of the best limited overs side since 2007 so this series win is pure and simple hype. If the wickets we are playing on is the judge then sorry, but this series the wickets have been Indian rather than African.

Again, when we go to England we will be a force in limited overs. We are a white ball crazy nation. But, the test team on tour this year is far better than any that's toured since I have been following cricket. Why? We have a bowling attack that can regularly pick 20. I don't remember any other India captain in my 25 years of watching cricket that had that.

People are bragging about that one test win but in my opinion, we should have won the series and won it with ease. This is not the greatest SA team, in fact it's rather average and a whole host of tactical errors led to the loss.

I'll just tell you why I absolutely loathe this obsession with numbers. And this is sighting out one example of many- The record books will always say Michael Clarke won the 2015 Wc but that was 100% Baliey's WC. He made that team and led it and Clarke simply walked in and basked in the glory. Clarke was 10x the test captain Ponting was but the numbers are different. Fortunately, there are still people that actually watch what's happening on a cricket field rather than just look at the score sheet.

 

[zwarrior]

Can't understand the obsession of playing Iyer at #5. Is our management too dumb to understand he doesn't fit there or they obviously see something which we don't ?

Not playing Manish Pandey in ODI is CRIME.

 

[AliB]

Thought Shami will get a chance, but...

 

[zwarrior]

Thought Shami will get a chance, but...

Shami in for Bumrah. (Bumrah has played a lot. He needs rest) or Bhuvi.
Axar for one of the spinners.
Pandey for Iyer

would have been good. But...

 

[Bigby Wolf]

Can't understand the obsession of playing Iyer at #5. Is our management too dumb to understand he doesn't fit there or they obviously see something which we don't ?

Not playing Manish Pandey in ODI is CRIME.

To be fair to Iyer the last 2 odis he played at home scored a 70 odd and 80 odd against Sl and looked good for his 30 of 36 balls in the last ODI although Pandey deserves a long run in the squad after the management squandered his position by making him bat too low earlier in the home season.

 

[zwarrior]

To be fair to Iyer the last 2 odis he played at home scored a 70 odd and 80 odd against Sl and looked good for his 30 of 36 balls in the last ODI although Pandey deserves a long run in the squad after the management squandered his position by making him bat too low earlier in the home season.

I am not telling we should dump Iyer. I am saying he should not be batting so low down the order as he doesn't fit there. When he scored 70 and 80, he was playing at #3. But here he is playing at #5 and he doesn't belong there.

 

[abhi_jacko]

Well, if numbers are your criteria then it's a fair assessment.

All I can say is that Dhoni himself was a poor test captain but with a weaker bowling line up than Kohli and Kohli in my opinion is worse. As for this one day success? India have been one of the best limited overs side since 2007 so this series win is pure and simple hype. If the wickets we are playing on is the judge then sorry, but this series the wickets have been Indian rather than African.

Again, when we go to England we will be a force in limited overs. We are a white ball crazy nation. But, the test team on tour this year is far better than any that's toured since I have been following cricket. Why? We have a bowling attack that can regularly pick 20. I don't remember any other India captain in my 25 years of watching cricket that had that.

People are bragging about that one test win but in my opinion, we should have won the series and won it with ease. This is not the greatest SA team, in fact it's rather average and a whole host of tactical errors led to the loss.

I'll just tell you why I absolutely loathe this obsession with numbers. And this is sighting out one example of many- The record books will always say Michael Clarke won the 2015 Wc but that was 100% Baliey's WC. He made that team and led it and Clarke simply walked in and basked in the glory. Clarke was 10x the test captain Ponting was but the numbers are different. Fortunately, there are still people that actually watch what's happening on a cricket field rather than just look at the score sheet.

We just think on very different tracks I guess. We are starting to go around in circles, so lets continue with discussing the series. I am going to hold judgement on Kohli and his captaincy until the end of this year.

I just take umbrage to only one statement of yours above - the bolded part. Maybe you did not mean it in an offensive manner, but I do not think you and a select few people are the only ones with the awareness that numbers do not mean everything in cricket. Almost Everyone here follows cricket religiously and understands the intricacies of the games beyond the scorecard

 

[abhi_jacko]

Sad to see no Pandey !! When are we going to test him?

 

[zwarrior]

Sad to see no Pandey !! When are we going to test him?

I feel it's enough of testing and he should be given a longer run.

Our middle order is collapsing more than it should and we have solid player in Pandey who can bat under all circumstances and we do not even give him one game ? He has good shots, he can play unorthodox shots, he can hit well, he is an amazing fielder, he can run as quick as Kohli and yet he doesn't get a game. I seriously hope they don't remove Pandey from the squad itself. Just like we did to Rahane in tests, we are doing the same thing to Pandey in ODI.

 

[abhi_jacko]

That wont help SAF ... what do we do with Amla

 

[Villain]

In my opinion, this approach would be good had the scoreline been 5-0 and we were looking for a white wash. But since that's not gonna happen, wouldn't it be best to test the bench strength now?

I posted that since I felt that is what they'd do and guess I wasn't wrong..

They won't be resting anyone, will try hard to to end it 5-1.

They only got Shardul for Bhuvneshwar, that'd also be majorly since he wasn't getting wickets more than giving rest to Bhuvi.

 

[Bigby Wolf]

I am not telling we should dump Iyer. I am saying he should not be batting so low down the order as he doesn't fit there. When he scored 70 and 80, he was playing at #3. But here he is playing at #5 and he doesn't belong there.

Well thats the biggest problem with our lineup too many top order players batting lower down the order - Rahane , Iyer (KL Rahul too) started their career as an opener in domestic circuits the former even opened when he made his international debut but were made to play in the middle order and the guy who started as a middle order player is a our premier opener and one of the main players in the LOI. We need to fill specialist middle order players in the playing 11 the likes of Raina, Pandey and too some extent even Jadhav the management needs to stick with them for a series or two to achieve anything substantial... if we look our playing 11 since the champions trophy people have been consistently dropped from the middle order or there is too much chopping and changing in the batting positions which did no good for the team nor for the players. KL Rahul was no.4 in the SL series but was dropped after 3 matches , Manish Pandey batted at 4 a couple of times vs Australia at home but was pushed down the order for the remainder of that series in expense of Pandya then Dinesh Karthik was our no.4 in the NZ series. So how on earth are we going to find a stable middle order with not only the batting positions but also the players are replaced just after a a series or couple of matches by this absolutely brilliant team management led by the Ravi Shashtri and co.

 

[LiveLoveABD]

We just think on very different tracks I guess. We are starting to go around in circles, so lets continue with discussing the series. I am going to hold judgement on Kohli and his captaincy until the end of this year.

I just take umbrage to only one statement of yours above - the bolded part. Maybe you did not mean it in an offensive manner, but I do not think you and a select few people are the only ones with the awareness that numbers do not mean everything in cricket. Almost Everyone here follows cricket religiously and understands the intricacies of the games beyond the scorecard

Sorry, if I offended you but that was not my intent. I'm fully aware that you see beyond the scorecard but there is a pathetic lust in our country to digest numbers. To put it in one line for you to communicate my feelings- I worshipped Tendulkar as a kid like millions of kids but once I grew up I simply felt I owed him a thank you for being a national hero. His numbers were a by product to his greatness. His 'numbers' are colossal but he also played a lot more than all his contemporaries. So now I remember him as the greatest batsman of his generation and I can't care less whether he got hundred hundreds or 50.