*Official* India Squad discussion thread

[Scaly piscine]

India have loads of moderate spin options already though.

 

[Manee]

India have loads of moderate spin options already though.

We would have one or two more quality ones if the selectors weren't so deadset on picking Chawla over Ojha or Mishra.

Looking at the likely Indian starting XI and their IPL records, I think it is looking promising for the World T20 for some and worrying for a few others...

1. Sehwag (260 runs at 28.88. SR = 174.49)
2. Gambhir (126 runs at 25.20. SR = 123.52)
3. Yuvraj Singh (170 runs at 21.25. SR = 150.44) (Econ of 6.71)
4. Rohit Sharma (285 runs at 32.25. SR = 143.33) (Econ of 7.87)
5. Suresh Raina (270 runs at 38.57. SR = 136.36) (Econ of 7.07)
6. MS Dhoni (174 runs at 34.80. SR = 146.21)
7. Yusuf Pathan (283 runs at 31.44. SR = 174.69) (Econ of 7.13)
8. Ravindra Jadeja (n/a)
9. Harbhajan Singh (95 runs at 47.50. SR = 175.92) (11 wickets at 17.81. Econ = 6.64)
10. Zaheer Khan (11 wickets at 18.36. Econ = 7.48)
11. Praveen Kumar (7 wickets at 37.00. Econ = 8.35)

The notable omissions though are...
- Murali Vijay (314 runs at 39.25. SR = 167.02)
- Amit Mishra (14 wickets at 16.85. Econ = 6.94)

In other words, revision is boring.

 

[Scaly piscine]

It was Dhoni at 3 and Yuvraj at 4 in the last T20I series, don't know if that was just experimental or what.

Anyway when you start selecting the team it emphasises against the use of a floating player like Uthappa who can come in and immediately hit boundaries.

It's so much easier in T20 to bat in the top 4 than coming in later with 5-10 overs left. You can have a nice depth on paper with plenty of proper batsmen, then they just subside meekly.

 

[Manee]

It was Dhoni at 3 and Yuvraj at 4 in the last T20I series, don't know if that was just experimental or what.

Anyway when you start selecting the team it emphasises against the use of a floating player like Uthappa who can come in and immediately hit boundaries.

It's so much easier in T20 to bat in the top 4 than coming in later with 5-10 overs left. You can have a nice depth on paper with plenty of proper batsmen, then they just subside meekly.

You raise a good point about the difficulty in batting at the end, but I do not think India need to select Uthappa to have a floating hitter. Yusuf is an accomplished hitter, Harbhajan Singh is in good form hitting in the later overs and Praveen Kumar has opened for his state and India A (incidentally, with Yusuf Pathan) in that very role, to hit quick runs.

 

[Scaly piscine]

You raise a good point about the difficulty in batting at the end, but I do not think India need to select Uthappa to have a floating hitter. Yusuf is an accomplished hitter, Harbhajan Singh is in good form hitting in the later overs and Praveen Kumar has opened for his state and India A (incidentally, with Yusuf Pathan) in that very role, to hit quick runs.

Yusuf is just as reliant on getting in as anyone, he tends to be 50+ or nothing. And he gets a lot of nothings, so you've got to consider him doing anything as a bonus really. Likewise you wouldn't be relying on Harbhajan and Praveen Kumar... well he's just a pretty weak player all-round.

 

[Manee]

Yusuf is just as reliant on getting in as anyone, he tends to be 50+ or nothing. And he gets a lot of nothings, so you've got to consider him doing anything as a bonus really. Likewise you wouldn't be relying on Harbhajan and Praveen Kumar... well he's just a pretty weak player all-round.

I'm not sure about Yusuf being 50+ or nothing, he has got a fair few quick starts for the Royals throughout the IPL. You will not rely on Harbhajan or Praveen, but you cannot rely on Uthappa either, it is not as if he consistently gets a team 20 off 10, he can just occasionally be explosive - his overall strike rate is nothing spectacular. You note Praveen being a weak player all round, but he can occasionally fire, he just hasn't done so consistently at international level, do not count him out as a potential difference maker - must admit though, it does pain me to watch him bat with the lack of technique that he has.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Geez, Rohit has gotten big!

 

[G.I.Joe]

Geez, Rohit has gotten big!

It's okay to not be politically correct, vic. You're allowed to use the word "fat".

 

[Scaly piscine]

Another exhibition of why Uthappa should be in the squad if not the first XI.

Yes he got a bit lucky at the end but before that he came in and made a potentially awkward situation a total cakewalk by smashing 34* off his first 15 balls.

 

[Shri]

I am now starting to see Scaly's point.

 

[ret]

Uthappa looks to be in very good form. Should have been considered in place of someone like Rohit .... Trivadi has been bowling quite well too

 

[Manee]

Uthappa looks to be in very good form. Should have been considered in place of someone like Rohit .... Trivadi has been bowling quite well too

Rohit has done okay in this IPL, but Robbie definitely needs to be put in the squad, he has been exceptional in this IPL. The other questionable selection, that of Chawla over Ojha and Mishra, is starting to look good now, he has bowled two good spells on the bounce, which is good to see.

 

[honestbharani]

You have to consider the conditions as well.. You guys seriously think Uthappa can do it on the slow and low tracks? He was found out last time in the 07 WC.. I agree he has gotten better since but ahead of guys who also offer us bowling options in Yusuf and Rohit, I don't think so..

 

[Manee]

You have to consider the conditions as well.. You guys seriously think Uthappa can do it on the slow and low tracks? He was found out last time in the 07 WC.. I agree he has gotten better since but ahead of guys who also offer us bowling options in Yusuf and Rohit, I don't think so..

The tracks aren't exactly rapid in the IPL. Seeing Uthappa recently (and Kohli) has brought me around to Scaly's point that Uthappa in this form is a player, like Yusuf Pathan, that we cannot miss out on. Indeed, the ideal situation is to drop Yuvraj, who has been a liability in IPL3 and bring Uthappa or Kohli in, but I think this could be unlikely. Indeed, if the selectors wished to be ultra daring, they may even look to challenge Sehwag or Gambhir for a spot in light of the extremely in form, Murali Vijay, but I don't think such a move (from established players to inform T20 players) will happen in this decade, at least.

 

[honestbharani]

I feel it is too early to conclude who is and isn't a T20 player. Let's face it. Vijay has had like 3 good knocks and Uthappa, again, has shown that he likes the flat tracks with a bit of pace and bounce... Nothing new in that, AFAIC.. His real test has always been away from home on slow tracks.. Don't see him succeeding much on that Kotla track, for instance. And given the fact that all those guys (Sehwag, Yuvraj, Rohit and Yusuf) can bowl to a decent extent, means this guy has to wait... If he keeps it up and keeps putting the runs on the board for India A, he will definitely come into the picture soon.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Where are these pitches with a bit of pace and bounce? I can think of maybe one game in the entire IPL3 where it has been a pacy pitch. The odd one has bounce, but it's usually tennis ball bounce. Most of them are like today. On the slow side, grippy.

 

[honestbharani]

Chennai is always hard and the ball comes on to the bat with good bounce and pace.. Same with Mumbai Brabourne and maybe Jaipur and Mohali and Bangalore.. These are the places where Robin is doing well, isn't it?

 

[Scaly piscine]

Chennai is always hard and the ball comes on to the bat with good bounce and pace.. Same with Mumbai Brabourne and maybe Jaipur and Mohali and Bangalore.. These are the places where Robin is doing well, isn't it?

Have a look at the bowlers who've done well.

Most of them are spinners. The seamers who've done well are slower rubbish like Pollard and Symonds. Lots of guys who can bowl variations like Trivedi, Harmeet Singh. Your typical fast bowlers like Bond, Steyn, Tait and Lee haven't had a great tournament. Only Malinga who's a completely different bowler has done well. Even for the FMs there has been little margin for error.

 

[Manee]

Have a look at the bowlers who've done well.

Most of them are spinners. The seamers who've done well are slower rubbish like Pollard and Symonds. Lots of guys who can bowl variations like Trivedi, Harmeet Singh. Your typical fast bowlers like Bond, Steyn, Tait and Lee haven't had a great tournament. Only Malinga who's a completely different bowler has done well. Even for the FMs there has been little margin for error.

Dale Steyn has been damn near exceptional in this IPL, he has just been unlucky not to have shots go to hand, edges go to keepers, etc and he did have that wonder spell yesterday. When he has been bowling at 150kph+, he has looked very difficult to play. Same goes for Bond bowling at 140kph+, he has also been a touch unlucky. Lee and Tait have both bowled poorly throughout the tournament, even pitches could not salvage how they have bowled in this IPL. Tait's pace and accuracy have been off, leaving him as a sharpish bowler with no accuracy and Lee does not look fully recovered from his injury. FM bowlers like Bollinger and Harris have found success and Zaheer was sublime the other day. So, I think you are overestimating the trend to which the tournament has been favoured toward the spinners.

Regarding Trivedi and Harmeet. I think Trivedi has been very impressive in this IPL, he has performed variations to a high standard. Harmeet has one slower ball, particularly well delivered but still just the one, I do not think he will continue to succeed. Jaskaran Singh, who competes with a place at DC with him, is a far more talented bowler, imo and he'll be a good'un in a few years time.

 

[Manee]

Does anyone think that India should redraft the squad in light of IPL performances? Murali Vijay, Ashwin, Mishra, Ojha and Trivedi all deserve somewhat of a reconsideration, imo. Praveen does not get into the BRC team, how can he play for India?