Who will win the SL-IND test series ?

[Predator_05]

Here is the schedule;

Fri 18 - Sun 20 05:00 GMT TBC v Indians Venue TBC Wed 23 - Sun 27 10:30 local, 05:00 GMT 1st Test - Sri Lanka v India Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo Thu 31 - Mon 4 10:30 local, 05:00 GMT 2nd Test - Sri Lanka v India Galle International Stadium Fri 8 - Tue 12 10:30 local, 05:00 GMT 3rd Test - Sri Lanka v India P Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo

India won't play at Kandy, the venue where they last beat SL back in '01, but they will play at two venues where Sri Lanka beat India in that same series - Galle and SSC. Ganguly, Dravid, and Bhajji will remember those losses, but the others won't because they weren't there Any predictions ?

[The Outsider]

India as a test team are really good and even though SL are giants at home I would back India to take this one if Zaheer is fit. SL just doesn't seem to have the bowling arsenal to dismiss the Indian batting line up twice in 2 out of 3 tests.

[Sachinism]

The way the batsmen batted today I would have to say SL you know the pitches are going to be dead and rough

[Predator_05]

India as a test team are really good and even though SL are giants at home I would back India to take this one if Zaheer is fit. SL just doesn't seem to have the bowling arsenal to dismiss the Indian batting line up twice in 2 out of 3 tests.

That's a big if. And even IF he returns, he won't be match-fit, so i don't know whether his return will do India any good. His amazing performances in England last summer were preceded by a lengthy period during which he had played lots and lots of non-stop cricket, not to mention one long, gruelling county cricket season. He was fit and raring to go back then - that's not going to be the case this time around. India's trump card will be Ishant Sharma. His performance today was very encouraging. India will need some big wickets from him and the ever-reliable Anil Kumble - they can't count on anyone else to deliver.

[Gambit]

I hope all Indian batsmen, from now until the test series starts, study/analyse/disect Mendis' bowling thoroughly. If they do that well and are prepared for him, I would back our chances. Intense preparation is vital because we don't want to be caught napping and be 0-1 down before we realise what hit us.

[The Outsider]

The way the batsmen batted today I would have to say SL you know the pitches are going to be dead and rough

Besides Sehwag, Dhoni, and Gambhir (two of whom scored today) no one from today's line up will be playing.

[The Outsider]

India's trump card will be Ishant Sharma. His performance today was very encouraging. India will need some big wickets from him and the ever-reliable Anil Kumble - they can't count on anyone else to deliver.

Not too sure about either - both rely on a bit of uneven bounce in the pitch and SL pitches are generally low in bounce though conditions aid swing, so RP Singh and Sreesanth might be more useful than Ishant. But again, Ishant has done well against Pakistan and South Africa at home, so might be able to adapt though both pitches had variable bounce.

[fineleg]

They will prepare spin pitches, and unleash Murli/Mendis/Jayasurya(he retired, i forgot) against us

[Predator_05]

The way the batsmen batted today I would have to say SL you know the pitches are going to be dead and rough

Raina and Rohit won't be in the Indian squad for the tests. Yuvraj will be there though - and god help him. I am no coach, but even i can spot his technical deficiencies. For starters I think that massive back-lift of his is a big hindrance against the spinners. He commits to the shot too early and can't play late. He uses too much bottom hand in trying to play them - that works well against the seamers and he gets full value for his shots whenever he connects, but he can't come down hard like that against spinners. There is also an issue with his footwork, or should i say the lack of it. Of course, niether the footwork nor the back-lift would be that big of a deal if he just KNEW how to READ the damn spinners instead of trying to play them off the pitch. He has a really nice slog sweep though, looks great when it comes off...:winky: But in all seriousness, even Dhoni is a mediocre player of spin but at least he is good enough to stick around for an hour or so. I don't get that same feeling while watching Yuvraj

[Predator_05]

Besides Sehwag' date=' Dhoni, and Gambhir (two of whom scored today) no one from today's line up will be playing.[/quote'] You think Gambhir will be there ahead of Jaffer ? I don't think they can drop Jaffer just yet. He will have Vaas and co. for breakfast and he can make massive hundreds when he is set. But will the selectors or the team be able to resist the temptation to play the in-form Gambhir...

[The Outsider]

Yuvraj will be there though - and god help him. I am no coach, but even i can spot his technical deficiencies.

Hopefully, Yuvraj won't get a game if no one gets injured.

But in all seriousness, even Dhoni is a mediocre player of spin but at least he is good enough to stick around for an hour or so. I don't get that same feeling while watching Yuvraj

Can't really compare Dhoni and Yuvraj - specially in tests. At the end of the day Dhoni is by far the best keeper we have got and even if he has got certain failings as a test batsman, we just have to live through them.

[The Outsider]

You think Gambhir will be there ahead of Jaffer ? I don't think they can drop Jaffer just yet. He will have Vaas and co. for breakfast and he can make massive hundreds when he is set. But will the selectors or the team be able to resist the temptation to play the in-form Gambhir...

I am pretty positive Gambhir coming in for Jaffer will be the only change in the line up. It'll be hard to ignore the mountain of runs Gambhir has piled up and his successful partnership with Sehwag over the past few months in light of Jaffer's no show against Australia and South Africa.

[satishg]

should be a tight one..our middle order would definitely handle Mendis than wat the youngsters did..and If Zak is indeed fit then v shd have a good bowling lineup..i would say that it would be 1-1 and if our players are well prepared to handle Murali and Mendis then it wud be 1-0 otherwise i stick to my 1-1 result..

[cowboysfan]

Sri lanka if they are smart.right now their spinners are better ours.

[Dhondy]

Don't know, Pred. It's too close to call. If India have Tendulkar, Laxman, Ganguly & Sehwag in batting, SL have Sanga, the best batsman in the world, Jayawardane, who is a terror at home, and pesky little Dilshan. Jayasuriya may decide to come back from retirement, given his current ODI form. You have seen what Murali and Mendis can do. If Malinga comes back, with the experience of Vaas, that's a very formidable attack. We'll be carrying a passenger in Bhajji as usual, so that leaves Kumble, Ishant and Zaheer, if he is fit. Pretty good, but we lack that vital fourth bowler. There is a fitness shadow over Zaheer. Ishant's improved as this ODI series has gone on, and his form gives me hope. We have already seen though that RP singh and Sreesanth can be desperately disappointing on flat tracks. If Zaheer's ruled out, SL definitely have the edge. Remember too that both Sachin and Laxman are coming back from serious injuries. What sort of form will they be in? Very uncertain times for India. They won't have a Steyn to torment them, nor will the pitches be anything like Ahmedabad. You'd expect India's fabulous batting stars to find a way to counter the threat of SL's spinners, but to be honest, I am not sure I can take anything for granted any more. 23rd July 2008. My butterflies will be flapping even harder this time.

[Sachinism]

Oh yeh I forgot the sachin, dada, dravid and lax will be back maybe one of them won't get a game, but a much better batting line up the only problem is, none of them have really played much competitive cricket lately and to go SL and play test matches won't be the easiest thing to do

[Predator_05]

Yep, way too many question marks. I forgot about the batsmen lacking match fitness - now things really don't look good. I guess that by itself is enough reason to play Gambhir, because his good form ensures that he is going to be a pretty safe bet to score runs. I am also wondering how Dravid will do. He needs to turn things around more than anyone else.

[Dhondy]

I am also wondering how Dravid will do. He needs to turn things around more than anyone else.

He won't. Notice I left him out from my list ? He's done. Will average 25-30 for the rest of his career against better sides. It's just sad to see him hang on for the odd half century.

[Predator_05]

He won't. Notice I left him out from my list ? He's done. Will average 25-30 for the rest of his career against better sides. It's just sad to see him hang on for the odd half century.

Wow. I thought you had more faith in him. I don't think he will slump to those lows, but i don't expect him to be anywhere near as prolific as he was from '02-'06. Watching legends like Dravid struggling now and remembering Ganguly's travails a few years ago makes me respect Tendulkar even more. Just 1 forgettable season in a career spanning almost 20 years.

[The Outsider]

I am also wondering how Dravid will do. He needs to turn things around more than anyone else.

He's been pretty decent in the last few tests - played well at Sydney, was the highest scorer from either team at Perth, and scored a hundred at Chennai and is averaging around 45 this year against Aussie and South Africa bowling attacks.