Team for Ahmedabad - 2nd Test

[ICFtoday]

At least 10 to 15 better players. Gambhir, Sharma, Badrinath, Karthick, Patel, Kohli, Raina, Chopra and many othere are way better.

At number 5 or 6, eh?

[King Tendulkar]

I think to many posters having been following his performances on cricinfo and have forgotten how he actually bats. The akward stance, horrid grip and weak shots. Not to mention how he never scores big runs. He has a pathetic record of 10 FC tons!

[theguyinallblue]

R P Singh did look unfit on 5th day... his body language was not the way it should be for a young fast bowler.. i think he would do better to sit out and take rest...Unhelpful pitch is one thing...and showing your skills and application is another.. time to see Ishant if he can do something... with sachin out of the playing XI...responsibility to score most of the runs would come on Sehwag and Dravid...with others chipping in.. Kaif has a realistic chance to play ....ahead of Yuvi.. a lot depends on Kirstein also...as the playing XI is decided by Kumble and Kirstein..

[Rohan495]

1. Virender Sehwag 2. Wasim Jaffer 3. VVS Laxman 4. Rahul Dravid 5. Sourav Ganguly 6. Yuvraj Singh 7. MS Dhoni 8. Irfan Pathan 9. Anil Kumble 10. Sreesanth 11. Ishant Sharma

[WKmaster89]

1. Virender Sehwag 2. Wasim Jaffer 3. VVS Laxman 4. Rahul Dravid 5. Sourav Ganguly 6. Yuvraj Singh 7. MS Dhoni 8. Irfan Pathan 9. Anil Kumble 10. Sreesanth 11. Ishant Sharma

Actually, I'd rather see Kaif instead of Yuvraj and Kaif is also a good fielder. And Viru could be used for couple spin spells if its needed.

[Chandan]

Current test is going to be a draw as was obvoius after 1 hour of day 1. So lets think ahead to the 2nd test. Whats the pitch gonna be like? Another flat pancake? Any info? Any thoughts on team line up? Should Sharma come in as he has been declared fit? If so for whom?

Sporting pitch for India vs SA 2nd Test Saturday March 29 2008 00:00 IST PTI AHMEDABAD: The pitch at the Sardar Patel Cricket Stadium at Motera, which will host the second Test between India and South Africa, will be a sporting one, the curator said. "We are preparing a sporting pitch, it will help the seamers on day one and assist the spinners on the last two days," curator Dhiraj Prasanna said. Motera pitch has traditionally been batsman-friendly but Prasanna said the bowlers also can expect help from the pitch in the Test staring on April 3. "Batsmen, fast bowlers and spinners will get something from the pitch," he said. Prasanna said temperature, which is around 38 degree Celcius at present, will also play a major role if it reaches around 40 degree Celsius on the first day of the match on April 3. --------------------------------------------------- I don't believe the curator. In past few years, we've only got roads at Motera to have batting feast. I just can't remember having a sporting pitch there apart from December 2005 when we had an under prepared pitch vs SL. But that was December. I just don't know what the pitch will be like in the first week of april in raging heat. Some newspapers are already predicting a dust bowl. I just hope that Kumblebecomes fully fit and we add Pathan in our line-up. I also get the feeling that Sehwag will now fail in rest of the series. I hope he proves me wrong though! I'll also like to add Ishant in the line up. RP Singh's performance was very disappointing, If he is not in his rhythm then he needs to be dropped.

[Dravid]

i heard kumble is injured too sehwag jaffer dravid ganguly vvs yuvi dhoni bhajji sree rp ishant captain ganguly :yay: :yay: probably will be dhoni..

[fineleg]

I don't believe the curator. In past few years, we've only got roads at Motera to have batting feast. I just can't remember having a sporting pitch there apart from December 2005 when we had an under prepared pitch vs SL. But that was December. I just don't know what the pitch will be like in the first week of april in raging heat. Some newspapers are already predicting a dust bowl. I just hope that Kumblebecomes fully fit and we add Pathan in our line-up. I also get the feeling that Sehwag will now fail in rest of the series. I hope he proves me wrong though! I'll also like to add Ishant in the line up. RP Singh's performance was very disappointing, If he is not in his rhythm then he needs to be dropped.

I hope Sehwag does not let it drop off from here! If Kumble is not fit, then interesting toss up between Piyush Chawla and Irfan Pathan. Pathan may come in due to Test experience.

[Feed]

Kumble-Ishant fitness woes: Final call on match day Indian think-tank will wait till last moment to decide whether captain Kumble and Ishant Sharma can play in 2nd Test. More... Kumble, Sharma fitness woes: Final call on match day Agencies Posted online: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 at 1209 hrs IST Ahmedabad, April 2: : The Indian think-tank has decided to wait till the last moment to decide whether captain Anil Kumble and Ishant Sharma can play in the second cricket Test against South Africa commencing at the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium at Motera on Thursday. "We have some fitness concerns and want to give some more time. I am feeling much better. A final call (whether he and speedster Sharma will play) will be taken tomorrow morning," said Kumble after a full net session for the team at the venue. Kumble is fighting a groin niggle sustained in the drawn series opener at Chennai while the gangling Delhi pacer Sharma, who missed the first match, is recovering from toe and bowling finger injuries that he suffered during the one-day tri-series in Australia. The decision to wait till the morning of the match to decide on his own fitness issue makes him a doubtful starter for the tie. In case he's not fit, vice captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is all set to make his debut as a Test captain, after leading India in ODIs and Twenty20 internationals, which will add one more feather in his well-adorned cap. Kumble, who was felicitated at Chennai by the Cricket Board for having grabbed 600 Test wickets, simply brushed aside talks from the South African ranks that swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag was susceptible to the short-pitched ball bowled into his body. "I think he's a good enough batsman to deal with it. He scored 319 in the last Test. He's capable of handling it," Kumble said when asked to react to SA coach Micky Arthur's comments to the reporters in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. "We had a look at Sehwag's fantastic innings. We saw that he played his first pull shot after scoring 312. He cuts the ball very well. We plan to target him with short balls into his body and cramp him for space and see how he takes it," the South African coach said. Sehwag had dominated the SA attack with his blistering strokes in Chennai to put up his career's second triple century, an Indian record score, in which he struck 43 fours and five sixes off 304 balls. It was also the fastest-ever 300 scored in the long history of the game. Kumble very curtly told the media not to ask him any questions about the wickets prepared for the match here by curator Dhiraj Parsana. "I don't want to talk about the pitch. A lot of questions have been asked (in Chennai on this issue)." The Bangalore stalwart indicated that V V S Laxman would bat up the order which has opened up a bit due to the absence of the injured Sachin Tendulkar. "He will certainly bat higher up the order," he said. Kumble sounded pretty confident that his team, whatever be its composition, was good enough to battle it out against the Proteas after the high-scoring draw in the opening match. "Whatever the combination, we have enough potential and quality. We have plans to put pressure on the South Africans," he emphasised.

[cochise]

Injuries galore: http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/indvrsa/content/current/story/344785.html

Going in to a venue at which their spinners have enjoyed success and with the intention of playing five bowlers, India are struggling to determine who those five will be. Ishant Sharma has finger and toe injuries, RP Singh remains a concern despite recovering from a hamstring injury and Anil Kumble is struggling with a groin niggle. It is likely that India will play Sreesanth and Irfan Pathan as the pace quotient, followed by Kumble, subject to a fitness test on the morning of the second Test, Harbhajan Singh and Piyush Chawla. If Kumble does not make the cut then it's a toss-up between risking a clearly out-of-sorts RP Singh or using four bowlers with Yuvraj Singh slipping in at No. 6. Kumble confirmed that VVS Laxman would move to No. 4 in Sachin Tendulkar's absence but the batting is not a real worry.

[Dhondy]

Cochise, the artricle is written by Jamie Alter, an Englishman, and is typical of the wishy-washy English attitude to Indian cricket. It's poorly researched, probably written on the back of an envelope, while watching Man United thump Roma. Firstly, you can see that he wishes that Indian fast bowlers are injured or indisposed. An attempt is made to portray Ishant Sharma as unavailable, and inveigle Piyush Chawla ahead of him, an outcome that the author knows will be fatal for India. Secondly, every Indian fan knows that the 5-bowler combo doesn't work for India. The last time they tried that at home, they were roundly thrashed by England at Mumbai. Again, the author has no knowledge of the workings of Kumble's mind. This is his wishlist- a skewed and unbalanced Indian team, victory for SA, and an opportunity for people like Alter to snigger at the "renaissance" of Indian cricket. If India does play 5 bowlers, it will mean dropping Jaffer and getting Pathan to open- a disastrous gambit against a high class bowling side such as SA. The only way Piyush can play is if Kumble is indisposed- I think it will take several crazed elephants to keep Kumble out of this match- he is a pretty determined character, and it is his team. By all accounts, Ishant is fit, and must play, either for RP Singh, or if Kumble is indisposed, as the 3rd seamer. He is bound to be a bit rusty at first, but will get better as the match wears on, and might well be the difference between victory and defeat for India.

[Gambit]

Jamie Alter is actually of American descent and is an Indian citizen now AFAIK. Has lived in India for quite a bit now. He is Tom Alter's(the actor) son.

[talksport]

Mumbai was antidote to Nagpur.... The heights of *Pitch Fixing* if there is any

[cochise]

Hmmmm...you could have a point Dhondy. He does seem to be painting a rather bleak picture...for instance, Ishant. I was under the impression that he had more up to date info...but you are right, Ishant has been declared fit. But Gambit pointing out that he is now living in India...he may be coming from a different angle altogether. Could it be that he is actually a fan and is one of those negativity knitting club type fans? Or is he as you describe? Intriguing.

[Chandan]

Ahmedabad, April 2: : The Indian think-tank has decided to wait till the last moment to decide whether captain Anil Kumble and Ishant Sharma can play in the second cricket Test against South Africa commencing at the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium at Motera on Thursday. "We have some fitness concerns and want to give some more time. I am feeling much better. A final call (whether he and speedster Sharma will play) will be taken tomorrow morning," said Kumble after a full net session for the team at the venue. Kumble is fighting a groin niggle sustained in the drawn series opener at Chennai while the gangling Delhi pacer Sharma, who missed the first match, is recovering from toe and bowling finger injuries that he suffered during the one-day tri-series in Australia. The decision to wait till the morning of the match to decide on his own fitness issue makes him a doubtful starter for the tie. .

Cochise, By all accounts, Ishant is fit, and must play, either for RP Singh, or if Kumble is indisposed, as the 3rd seamer. He is bound to be a bit rusty at first, but will get better as the match wears on, and might well be the difference between victory and defeat for India.

...but you are right, Ishant has been declared fit. .

As far as I know, Ishant and Kumble are still under injury cloud. none of them have been declared fit, as yet. And doesn't the absence of these two players along with Sachin paint a bleak picture for India in this test? Not only this sorce but even HT mentioned that fitness of these two bowlers would be assessed today. But by all accounts it has been postponed till the last hour before the match starts. I'm afraid this doesn't give the picture of everything being rosy!!

[f.b.m]

If Kumble is unfit, we'll see Dhoni captaining our team for the first time? Interesting.

[theguyinallblue]

some news channles are claming that Pathan has replaced RP Singh and Yuvi will come in place of Sachin... No news on Kumble or Ishant..

[Cricketics]

I would like Sehwag to captain the test side rather then Dhoni.. if kumble doesn't play

[diegovegaz]

ishant should come in for rpsingh only if he is 110% fit, and the pitch has something in it for pace bowlers there r still questions abt ishant's and kumble's injuries sachin being out, yuvraj should b preferred ahead of kaif bcoz of recent international cricket xposure! but kaif's performance in india(i.e. domestic) is good this season, it is very difficult 2 make a choice but the 1st choice will definately b yuvraj singh

[fineleg]

I feel this will be the 11 1. Sehwag 2. Jaffer 3. Dravid 4. Ganguly 5. Laxman 6. Yuvraj Singh (injured SRT) 7. MS Dhoni 8. Irfan Pathan (injured Ishant Sharma) and omitted RPS 9. Harbhajan Singh 10. Piyush Chawla (injured Kumble) 11. Sreesanth

Cricinfo listing: (No YUVI - 5 bowlers!!!) India (probable): 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Wasim Jaffer, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 VVS Laxman, 5 Sourav Ganguly, 6 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), 7 Irfan Pathan, 8 Anil Kumble (capt), 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Piyush Chawla, 11 Sreesanth.