***Official*** India in New Zealand 2013/14

[Blocky]

nah, none more for mine.

This is far worse than what he's done previously. The night before a test match ffs. That's just utterly disrespectful.

Agree, don't disagree with that, but as per my sentiment above, I don't want our potentially second or third best batsman thrown away so easily. I understand he has a history of issues, you've got to make the threat count for more than just "You won't play cricket for NZ" - if you get it to "You won't play cricket in NZ" - it's really on Jesse.

 

[Athlai]

Jesse Ryder dropped by Black Caps | Stuff.co.nz

Speaking of Ryder.

His future is pending investigation but it leaves me to believe he'll be selected for the T20 world cup and given strict instructions on "If you binge, you're gone"

If I was NZC, I'd actually go to a viewpoint that Ryder gets one last, last chance but this one comes with the strict warning that if he screws up while within the squad again, he'll not only never play for NZ again, but that they'll also bar his ability to be selected by domestic squads in New Zealand meaning he'd have to ply his trade completely overseas. It's a "If you're good enough to stay clean and responsible, we want you, you're talented and we believe in you, but if you don't take this seriously, we want nothing more to do with you at all in NZ Cricket" message.

Yeah this is the way I'd go.

Jesse, look at this team right now. You aren't NZ cricket, you aren't the best player in the country. We'd love to have you in and around the team but the drinking has got to go. If you are willing to stay dry to play for your country then we can talk again later, if not then I wish you the best of luck plying your trade elsewhere.

 

[hendrix]

What would you be saying if Tim Southee pulled up with an injury on the morning of a Test, and Bracewell couldn't play because he'd broken his foot in a fight that Jesse had started?

 

[Athlai]

nah, none more for mine.

This is far worse than what he's done previously. The night before a test match ffs. That's just utterly disrespectful.

It wasn't the night before the Test match it was the 25th of Jan. The night before Ryder was selected in the Test squad.

 

[GingerBreadMan]

That's been done countless times though

 

[hendrix]

It wasn't the night before the Test match it was the 25th of Jan. The night before Ryder was selected in the Test squad.

nope, there were three nights.

One of them was the night before the test match. That's the night in which Bracewell broke his foot.

 

[Blocky]

What would you be saying if Tim Southee pulled up with an injury on the morning of a Test, and Bracewell couldn't play because he'd broken his foot in a fight that Jesse had started?

That's what Bracewell says. I take what Bracewell says very thinly after his "I cut my foot on glass while cleaning up after a party" was said to be him putting his foot through a window.

Ryder just needs to be told that while he's on call for NZ, there is a strict no alcohol policy unless he's within the change sheds.

 

[Days of Grace]

Just no alcohol. Make it crystal clear. And put him on a course for alcoholism, if that is all possible. We'll probably look like idiots 6-12 months down the line, but it's worth a punt.

 

[Blocky]

That's been done countless times though

It's been done from a "We won't select you for NZ" front. It hasn't been done from a "You won't play ever again in NZ"

 

[Blocky]

Just no alcohol. Make it crystal clear. And put him on a course for alcoholism, if that is all possible. We'll probably look like idiots 6-12 months down the line, but it's worth a punt.

The "Win at all costs" mentality I have says if Ryder came back into the team, averaged 70 with the bat and delivered some key overs, I wouldn't really care if he was a messy drunk outside of the cricket field if he kept performing at that level. Not great for team harmony though.

 

[Flem274*]

regardless, ryder shouldn't be taylor's cover anymore. i'd pick brownlie. he's not having a dominant domestic season but that's more due to throwing it away after reaching 50 rather than getting comprehensively owned. he has a hundred against full strength SA in SA and jadeja isn't going to cause him any issues in nz. brownlie is easily good enough imo.

 

[Blocky]

regardless, ryder shouldn't be taylor's cover anymore. i'd pick brownlie. he's not having a dominant domestic season but that's more due to throwing it away after reaching 50 rather than getting comprehensively owned. he has a hundred against full strength SA in SA and jadeja isn't going to cause him any issues in nz. brownlie is easily good enough imo.

Walking wicket against spin though.

 

[Bahnz]

I really don't know how succesful a "no alcohol for Jesse" policy is likely to be. Was talking to one of my work colleagues this morning about BFJ. He remembers the time when Jesse put his hand through that toilet window in Christchurch, and the result conference where he said he wasn't gonig to be drinking anymore. According to him, the next night he saw Jesse out on the town, doing shots with his arm in a sling at 2am. We all know that Jesse was supposed to be abstaining from alcohol when he was with Wellington, and yet there were so many drunken incidents last season that Wellington were on the verge of booting him out despite him single-handedly getting them to the final of the HRV cup. The guy has a serious problem, a massive ego and zero self-control. Things are probably made worse by the fact that a cricket squad is always going to be a pretty boozey environment at the best of times. Unless you physically lock him in his hotel room in between practice sessions I don't trust him to stay sober and professional.

 

[Woodster]

What a fantastic Test match! Really got caught up in this Test match, the wife going mad cos of the lack of stuff I've done around the house, but just couldn't leave this Test alone. NZ were always ahead after the first innings partnership between McCullum and Williamson but India just wouldn't let it go, and did almost make themselves favourites at various points on the final day's play. Have enjoyed several aspects of this game, from the new ball skills of Southee and Boult, the more Test-match approach from Shikhar Dhawan in nearly helping guide India over the unlikely line, to the decision to counter-attack NZ's second new ball on the fourth day by Dhoni and Jadeja which gave much entertainment and also gained a bit of momentum back by India and forced NZ to really consider more defensive alternatives.

Yet again like a broken record I bemoan the fact that we have a two-Test series that could potentially have produced a stirring and gripping series yet will be cut short after the next Test. Tests such as this one in Auckland can only help raise the interest and excitement around Test cricket.

 

[Flem274*]

Walking wicket against spin though.

handles terrible spinners like robbie peterson fine. jadeja in nz shouldn't cause him any trouble.

 

[straw man]

Someone needs to give the Eden Park groundsman a pat on the back - fantastic test wicket. Not often where you have innings of 500 and 100 in the same match, but it wasn't owing to any extremes of the wicket. It was a pitch that rewarded good seam (and swing bowling) and unlike many NZ wickets it was hard and quick enough that there was always something there for a bowler willing to bend his back (in this match, Wagner in particular). It even turned a bit. However woe betide any bowler that strayed as the wicket also played true for shot-making and rewarded good batsmanship.

It's always going to be difficult preparing a pitch where you don't know if the atmospheric conditions will be right for swing or not, and I suspect if it hadn't swung we might have complained it was too flat. However all things told, it was a great wicket.

 

[Blocky]

Yet again like a broken record I bemoan the fact that we have a two-Test series that could potentially have produced a stirring and gripping series yet will be cut short after the next Test. Tests such as this one in Auckland can only help raise the interest and excitement around Test cricket.

Yeah, but the problem with this is that BCCI, ECB and ACB all look at New Zealand and decide that they'll win easily, therefore a two match series should provide at worse a 1-0 result for them pending a draw. This is despite NZ almost beating England here at home (should have won, to be honest), beating Australia in Hobart (forcing a drawn series) and now putting India to the sword here in NZ. So you've now got a situation where teams are either 0-0 heading into the final and deciding test, or this situation where they're 1-0 down and at best have a chance at tying the series

I dare say if NZ keep this up and continue to win the first test of a series, they'll start to see a lot more three test series options.

 

[Blocky]

Someone needs to give the Eden Park groundsman a pat on the back - fantastic test wicket. Not often where you have innings of 500 and 100 in the same match, but it wasn't owing to any extremes of the wicket. It was a pitch that rewarded good seam (and swing bowling) and unlike many NZ wickets it was hard and quick enough that there was always something there for a bowler willing to bend his back (in this match, Wagner in particular). It even turned a bit. However woe betide any bowler that strayed as the wicket also played true for shot-making and rewarded good batsmanship.

It's always going to be difficult preparing a pitch where you don't know if the atmospheric conditions will be right for swing or not, and I suspect if it hadn't swung we might have complained it was too flat. However all things told, it was a great wicket.

Puts into perspective how good the Williamson, McCullum and Anderson innings were and also the same for Shikhar Dhawan. There was always something in the wicket for the new ball bowlers and for a guy like Wagner who was willing to run in and bowl hard the entire match, there was always the chance of a rocket ball too, only two issues I had was the slowness of the outfield and the situation that having a drop in causes in terms of decelerating good shots in the soft turf next to the pitch

 

[Athlai]

Someone needs to give the Eden Park groundsman a pat on the back - fantastic test wicket. Not often where you have innings of 500 and 100 in the same match, but it wasn't owing to any extremes of the wicket. It was a pitch that rewarded good seam (and swing bowling) and unlike many NZ wickets it was hard and quick enough that there was always something there for a bowler willing to bend his back (in this match, Wagner in particular). It even turned a bit. However woe betide any bowler that strayed as the wicket also played true for shot-making and rewarded good batsmanship.

It's always going to be difficult preparing a pitch where you don't know if the atmospheric conditions will be right for swing or not, and I suspect if it hadn't swung we might have complained it was too flat. However all things told, it was a great wicket.

Yeah someone send this guy to Hamilton so we can actually have a nice crowd to appreciate it too.

 

[SteveNZ]

Enough is enough. I don't care anymore about what Jesse can potentially add to this side - he's talked sh*t in the media over and over about how he wants to take this next chance, how he'll ease up/give away the drink, wants to do well for his country etc. His inner monologue clearly affords him the thought that no matter how many times he messes up, he'll get another chance and another chance because of his ability. Bugger that. We've proven over the last 18 months we can win in all formats without him, and team morale has been a key part of that. A situation where Jimmy has to be his 'minder' is beyond ridiculous - the guy is almost 30. If he never plays for NZ again, I'm fine with that.

What a slap in the face for the guys who just gutsed out a Test win over India, only to have it forced behind all Jesse's crap. I would imagine they're not too keen to have him back any time soon.

I'd love to be talking about how Wagner's proved me and a few people wrong, how Brendon did the same etc.