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[Cover Point]

ha ha ... thought I would, for a change, get this discussion going.

With the injuries to RPS and SS, our bowling attack is down.

So basically this means,

we will go in with only 2 fast bowlers (we only have 2)

Means we will play only 4 bowlers (no chance of playing 3 spinners is there)

Means Ganguly has to be the 3rd seamer and has to work hard between today and tomorrow to learn how to bowl in tests.

Means we are totally reliant on ZK to get us wickets with the new ball.

Means we effectively play with 3 bowlers as Munaf will most probably be injured by lunch on day 1

(irrelevant but this means we have an all muslim pace attack)

Means Dhoni seems to be worried about his place in the team so has had a miraculous recovery.

IMO with his injury they should not make him keep. Allow KKD to keep since he has not played many ODI's anyway.

Means that since I will be in Detroit I cant watch T1.

Also means that most people here will be happy that I wont post much over thanks giving.
Also means that there will be no one to deride Ganguly's poor batting.

[gouravk]

we will go in with only 2 fast bowlers (we only have 2)

Monkey-man Zindabad !

[vincent]

What is wrong with Pathan? If Munaf pulled in, why not IKP?

[Cover Point]

What is wrong with Pathan? If Munaf pulled in, why not IKP?

We already have two spinners in the team.

[gouravk]

Well it is hard (nay, impossible at times) to find logic in the monkey man's moves. But this time maybe we can spare him a little bit of the rod. Munaf was in the squad in tests in SA and Ban before he got injured, so one could argue that Munaf was next in line after these 3. Of course it is a completely different matter that the way IKP was handled was abysmal and if a couple of trundlers were taken to England why are they not given a chance now ? Plus it is completely ridiculous to replace 2 bowlers by 1.

[poondu]

A result-oriented pitch, says curator



Rakesh Rao







NEW DELHI: Curator Radhey Shyam Sharma promises a sporting “result-oriented” pitch for the first India-Pakistan Test beginning at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on Thursday.

“This is not a typical Kotla pitch,” assures the 73-year-old curator, the man behind the surface that saw Anil Kumble make history with a 10-wicket haul in Pakistan’s second innings in 1999. Radhey Shyam is also recognised for his quality to prepare pitches that play true.

“I want to see a result in a Test match. In today’s cricket, there is no place for a five-day draw. People are keen for results and the advent of Twenty20 has only added to the hunger of the paying public to see results. So, I have prepared this pitch with something for every one,” Radhey Shyam had said on Monday.

“I have prepared two practice pitches and I am sure the teams will like them,” he said. The practice pitches are placed behind the new dressing rooms and came in for praise from the Delhi and Rajasthan bowlers recently.

“Easily one of the best pitches for practice one has seen,” the two stalwarts of Delhi cricket, K. P. Bhaskar and Manoj Prabhakar, had remarked.

Talking about the surface prepared for the Test match, Radhey Shyam said, “on the first day, it will be interesting to see how the bowlers use the conditions. Since it is a new stadium with raised stands, the advantage to the fast bowlers will not be the same as in the past.

Honest attempt


“In my opinion, the second day’s pitch is the best for batting and the strokemakers should make the most of it. On days three and four, the spikes worn by the batsmen and bowlers tend to damage the pitch. From thereon the spinners take over. I wish to see an even contest between the bat and the ball. For this reason, I’ve made an honest attempt to prepare a sporting pitch.”

[justforkix]

we will go in with only 2 fast bowlers (we only have 2)

Monkey-man Zindabad !

we can only go with 2 fast bowlers if Munaf doesen't bowl in the nets

[justforkix]

What is wrong with Pathan? If Munaf pulled in, why not IKP?

We already have two spinners in the team.

all the more reason to not include Munaf 

[keep-it-cool]

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/indvpak/content/story/321422.html

India v Pakistan, 1st Test, Delhi

'Yuvraj will have to wait his turn' - Kumble

Cricinfo staff

November 21, 2007

Anil Kumble, India's newly-appointed Test captain, has said that Yuvraj Singh will have to continue to wait his turn for a berth in the Test line-up. Yuvraj has been in sublime form with the bat of late, picking up the Man-of-the-Series award in the one-dayers against Pakistan. However, the return of Sourav Ganguly, during the tour of South Africa last year, had kept Yuvraj in the reserves. Speaking ahead of the first Test in Delhi, Kumble said that India are almost certain to field two spinners, including Harbhajan Singh.

[Poochandi]

// Kumble said that India are almost certain to field two spinners, including Harbhajan Singh//

who the other twist bowler? Murali karthik or Piyush chawla?

[keep-it-cool]

we will go in with only 2 fast bowlers (we only have 2)

Monkey-man Zindabad !

we can only go with 2 fast bowlers if Munaf doesen't bowl in the nets

well apparently they have called Munaf and Ishant ... as per the cricinfo article today ... question is, where does that leave Bose??

[feverpitch]

Bose has been dropped for good. Some rajasthan bowler in his first season might be called, according to ABP grapevine. Needless to say a Guru Greg find!

That's the Western Union ... erm... BCCI for you!

[justforkix]

Bose this season:

RR Bose 25.1 4 106 3 4.21 (2w)
RR Bose 11    1  42 1 3.81
RR Bose 19    4  83 1 4.36 (1w)
RR Bose 18    6  45 0 2.50
RR Bose 21    2  84 0 4.00 (1w)

Economy = 3.83, S/R = 113, Average = 72

[broadbat]

Bose this season:

RR Bose 25.1 4 106 3 4.21 (2w)
RR Bose 11    1  42 1 3.81
RR Bose 19    4  83 1 4.36 (1w)
RR Bose 18    6  45 0 2.50
RR Bose 21    2  84 0 4.00 (1w)

So his best is behind him?

[Libran]

Balaji..... where are u 

[justforkix]

Balaji..... where are u 

he may be playing for TN on Friday !!

[feverpitch]

Bose this season:

RR Bose 25.1 4 106 3 4.21 (2w)
RR Bose 11    1  42 1 3.81
RR Bose 19    4  83 1 4.36 (1w)
RR Bose 18    6  45 0 2.50
RR Bose 21    2  84 0 4.00 (1w)

So his best is behind him?

When the season has just begun. Especially when he has been repeatedly put under mental agony by making it clear to him that his quota is up before it had even begun [in a recent interview to a Kolkata daily he has confided that he has NOW given up hope of making it to the team]!

And what have his competitors done?

Note: JFKs stats miss out on the 5fer he took in the only tour game he played in England, probably bcoz the 'new season' hadn't begun yet!

[manee]

Munaf since return in 4 day cricket:

MM Patel 19.5 0 96 0 4.84 (10nb)
MM Patel 7.3 2 25 5 3.33
MM Patel 22 9 29 2 1.31
MM Patel 16 4 54 4 3.37
MM Patel 26 6 76 2 2.92

Not bad at all:

Economy rate: 3.15
Average: 21.54
Strike rate: 42.15

Taking into account the poor first match, those are some damn impressive statistics. More importantly, he has got a lot of overs under his belt without getting injured. 

[justforkix]

All these injuries probably means Bombay Duck will be back very soon

[keep-it-cool]

Wow ...he's fallen off drastically hasn't he? I did not realise. Anyway, I have had, and continue to have, my doubts over his effectiveness in international cricket. My grouse is more to do with the sheer lack of logic by the selection panel.

I hope they look at SS Paul at some point.

[manee]

Wow ...he's fallen off drastically hasn't he?

Has he?

I hope they look at SS Paul at some point.

Nah, I rarely say this but from what I have heard, he is too slow to succeed at international level.

[gouravk]

Why does this annoying Sreesanth have to get injured at these wrong moments ?? It is this that annoys me more than his antics on the field !

[OldPal]

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/indvpak/content/story/321422.html
India v Pakistan, 1st Test, Delhi
'Yuvraj will have to wait his turn' - Kumble
Cricinfo staff
November 21, 2007
Anil Kumble, India's newly-appointed Test captain, has said that Yuvraj Singh will have to continue to wait his turn for a berth in the Test line-up. Yuvraj has been in sublime form with the bat of late, picking up the Man-of-the-Series award in the one-dayers against Pakistan. However, the return of Sourav Ganguly, during the tour of South Africa last year, had kept Yuvraj in the reserves. Speaking ahead of the first Test in Delhi, Kumble said that India are almost certain to field two spinners, including Harbhajan Singh.

While Respecting Kumble's decision, I am little bit apprehensive of our batting line up .
We are throwing 4 new full time batsman just for tests who have not played pakistan bowling in ODI's (KKD,WJ,RD,VVSL) while leaving out somebody who has scored most runs against the similar bowling DAYS BACK (YS).
While Sami and Kaneria may be different bowlers , Tanvir and Chuckther will stay.
Let us hope SRT and SG are not the only ones that are batting.

[gouravk]

I do not share your apprehensions. Test cricket is an entirely different ball game and it is prior experience in test cricket that will matter much more than recent experience of playing Pakistan in ODIs.

[OldPal]

I do not share your apprehensions. Test cricket is an entirely different ball game and it is prior experience in test cricket that will matter much more than recent experience of playing Pakistan in ODIs.

You are right. I forgot they play with different color ball..

[OldPal]

I do not share your apprehensions. Test cricket is an entirely different ball game and it is prior experience in test cricket that will matter much more than recent experience of playing Pakistan in ODIs.

I missed the seconf part..  the bolded one...   how prior ? Does it comes back to discussion of playing players with class Vs Players in form ...

[keep-it-cool]

Wow ...he's fallen off drastically hasn't he?

Has he?

I am talking about Bose, not Munaf ... based on stats posted above.

I hope they look at SS Paul at some point.

Nah, I rarely say this but from what I have heard, he is too slow to succeed at international level.

I dont think so. At least not before his injury .. he was quite sharp from what I remember seeing of him ... maybe, things have changed since then ... but, I'd still like to have a look.

[Zacked]

Pitch Report: Interesting pitch this I must say up front. The pitch doesn't look to have any moisture here despite the fact that the conditions are a bit foggy. The pitch is composed of 68% clay and its dry nature means that nobody will want to bat 4th on this track. So it is a win-toss-bat-first wicket and after you do that, you need to post 500 runs as well. But when you are batting first you have to always remember that on Day 1 early on, there will be something in it for the quickies, no matter what the pitch is like.


Pakistan have won the toss and decided to bat first

[keep-it-cool]

Pakistan going in with 3 seamers and lone spinner .. if they have India on the mat in the 4th innings, I think they will miss Afridi ... India with 2 seamers .. so nothing new there .. but bowling first could easily turn out to be a disaster, especially if munaf is not fit enough to pull his weight through the day

[justforkix]

SG will have to do some bowling.

@ KIC: but can Pak really afford to play Afridi instead of a batter in their already fragile batting lineup ?!? I think a pacer (Tanvir/Sami) is a better option for Pak than Rehman, who looked quite ordinary in the ODIs.

[broadbat]

It will all depend on their batting. If they can not get much beyond 350 then they will struggle.

[kingcool1432]

Ok, is it just my stream or is the ground really hazy coz of fog?

[pipsqueak]

Ok, is it just my stream or is the ground really hazy coz of fog?

was just about to ask the same - mine is on cable and so it can't be poor quality telecast. it looks so murky there and wonder how they can play!

[Zacked]

Its quite Hazy.... cant see the ball atleast not on the stream... :p

[broadbat]

Its the famous Delhi smog.

[Zacked]

ZK stirkes....

[broadbat]

The smog got Butt. He could not see the ball. Btw Munaf doing a Mcgrath?

[keep-it-cool]

SG will have to do some bowling.

@ KIC: but can Pak really afford to play Afridi instead of a batter in their already fragile batting lineup ?!? I think a pacer (Tanvir/Sami) is a better option for Pak than Rehman, who looked quite ordinary in the ODIs.

I dont know how much work, say, a Tanvir will have on this pitch .. for all the curator's statements. Afridi may have been better. Even otherwise, I would have got Afridi in place of Misbah - I am not convinced he'll be very good in test matches - that would be a more attacking team.

[Zacked]

MM Patel bending his back from the looks of it... hope he lasts...

[pipsqueak]

The smog got Butt. He could not see the ball. Btw Munaf doing a Mcgrath?

Just watching Munaf makes me yawn -wish someone would shake him up!