Looks like Saha is going to play in Adelaide over Pant. (Source: Boria Majumdar)

[AuxiliA]

Boria is an obnoxious ass but he has access to insider news. What's your take on this guys? I personally would have gone with pant as he had a successful tour last time. 

Edited December 14, 2020 by AuxiliA

[maniac]

For pink ball test it is the right move.

we need a good keeper given our shoddy slip fielding.

 

Let’s not go by Pant’s warm Up 100, while 100

is a 100, the Aussies were

feeding him parttimers like Maddison etc even though he did decently against the main A bowlers as well.

 

Saha scored a more important 50 and looked a million bucks keeping and fielding as well.

 

However I wouldn’t mind kind of playing tnem

According to Conditions.

In tough conditions, Saha for Me is a no brainer. 

[Serpico]

4 minutes ago, maniac said:

For pink ball test it is the right move.

we need a good keeper given our shoddy slip fielding.

what can good keeper do for shoddy slips? is saha going to dive to first slip? pant didn't make any mistake keeping to pink ball in the practice match. Given how deadly aussie bowlers are with pink ball, we have to strengthen our batting lineup as much as possible.. we already don't have jaddu for first two tests. With saha, our tail starts at 7

[ShoonyaSifar]

7 minutes ago, maniac said:

For pink ball test it is the right move.

we need a good keeper given our shoddy slip fielding.

 

Let’s not go by Pant’s warm Up 100, while 100

is a 100, the Aussies were

feeding him parttimers like Maddison etc even though he did decently against the main A bowlers as well.

 

Saha scored a more important 50 and looked a million bucks keeping and fielding as well.

 

However I wouldn’t mind kind of playing tnem

According to Conditions.

In tough conditions, Saha for Me is a no brainer. 

Maddison is a part timer but is Travis Head a front line bowler? Saha scored 40% of his runs vs Head! 

 

If keeping quality is an issue, well Pant created Indian records in Aus last time. But it's okay let Saha play all 4 tests. Will be good to see how he does in his first full series in SENA

[maniac]

2 minutes ago, Serpico said:

what can good keeper do for shoddy slips? is saha going to dive to first slip? pant didn't make any mistake keeping to pink ball in the practice match. Given how deadly aussie bowlers are with pink ball, we have to strengthen our batting lineup as much as possible.. we already don't have jaddu for first two tests. With saha, our tail starts at 7

let’s see. Pant was fine in the practice game. Pink ball conditions are a lottery anyways. Also it isn’t like Saha is a tailender, he is a competent bat in his own right may be not as explosive as Pant. 
 

If Saha is your first choice and Pant is your back up, you play your first choice.

 

Slips will drop a lot or catches as expected, that makes it even more important to have the best keeper available.

 

IPL is no way the benchmark but based on Saha’s last few games IPL + first practice game, he looks to be in good touch as well.

[Gollum]

In the absence of Jaddu 2.0, Bhuvi and considering Ashwin's diminishing returns with the bat we need a boost in batting strength. Pant over Saha is a no-brainer as far as I am concerned. Imagine India at 80/5 at start of day's play and 25 overs old Kookaburra doing nothing, who can make better use of playing conditions, Pant or Saha? 

[maniac]

Just now, ShoonyaSifar said:

Maddison is a part timer but is Travis Head a front line bowler? Saha scored 40% of his runs vs Head! 

 

If keeping quality is an issue, well Pant created Indian records in Aus last time. But it's okay let Saha play all 4 tests. Will be good to see how he does in his first full series in SENA

It’s not a huge difference either ways but if

it comes down to 1 guy, my pick is Saha but I want  call it an outrageous decision either ways regardless of who plays.

[Gollum]

Best thing about the series is if we win, we celebrate. If we lose we have more than enough material for a few solid rants against Virat, Shastri, selection, BCCI, XYZ player, home umpires, Bhogle etc. Somehow I get the feeling selection will provide a lot of comedy content in the coming 35 odd days. 

Edited December 14, 2020 by Gollum

[Lone Wolf]

D/N test is like a lottery even Toss doesn't matter much.  It can go either way.  Pant would've been nice but if they want Saha to play then they should tell him to go for the leather & IPL mode score a quick 30-40 coz Aussie will eat him when he's on defence.  It would be enough I reckon. 

Edited December 14, 2020 by Lone Wolf

[Suhaan]

Good anyway,let him play under anyone but Kaptaan Toxic

[Suhaan]

51 minutes ago, maniac said:

It’s not a huge difference either ways but if

it comes down to 1 guy, my pick is Saha but I want  call it an outrageous decision either ways regardless of who plays.

Sir ,Pant didn't disappoint in keeping either

Last time he made a record for an Indian keeper when he was around here

We had largely same set of slip fielders then, let's hope Saha does well with the bat

You can make a case for him being a notch above Pant in SC but in Aus its 50-50

At any point one would like to have Pant like batsmen coming out at 7 in a pink ball test

 

 

But,trust me Im glad Pant is not playing in Adelaide (not that i don't want him to face stiff test hiding behind good guy Saha)

 

Edited December 14, 2020 by Suhaan

[sandeep]

5 hours ago, Gollum said:

Somehow I get the feeling selection will provide a lot of comedy content in the coming 35 odd days. 

Which would be as expected from Kuptaan Virat.

[Sandeep99]

After the kind of series Pant had in 2018, its mind boggling that we’re still having this discussion.

Let me clear this - Pant or Saha won’t make a difference in keeping. Both will do similarly with the bulk of the bowling expected to be done by seamers. Saha

adds real value against spinners but India won’t be going that route.

 

Australia will really prefer to have Saha in the line up. He is at best a 40 ball 20 batsman and won’t really be contributing with the bat. Pant is someone that can make partnerships with the tail and play those impactful knocks.

 

India will be foolish to go with Saha who has shown before even in 2014 and other overseas series after, that he doesn’t really have the x-factor to create impact in Australia.

[Majestic]

You pick Pant or Saha, won't make any difference. People are out of mind if they think Pant will play impact knocks against Australian pacers in a pink ball test against the moving ball in Adelaide. We already saw what he did when up against moving ball in NZ.

 

Saha is anyways trash with bat. Can't expect more than a 50 from him. Neither are good, so maybe go with a better keeper. 

[express bowling]

Our test batting line-up is filled with consolidators. Apart from Kohli and Gill/Shaw. most others will play slowly against pace bowling. 

 

Pink ball test matches provide periods of unplayable bowling and periods of easy batting.

 

Which is why it is important to cash in on the easy periods with some quick runs.

 

Pant should be played ... and sent during those easy periods to get as many runs as possible.

 

While the batters with good defenses and leaves should be used to tide over the difficult periods.

 

A batting line-up needs variety. Can't have 6 Pujaras or 6 Shaws.

 

This is why this consolidator filled batting line-up needs a Pant. 

 

 

 

[Real McCoy]

I would pick Pant over Saha. Pant has taken all the catches. So he is not that far behind in WK duties which I consider more important than Wk's batting. maybe he needs to improve his wk to spinners in SC conditions. That is the only thing Saha has over Pant. Pant is also a better batsman with due respect to Saha's batting ability. But I won't be surprised that this would happen considering we have a stupid captain and a vice captain who looks high all the time

[ShoonyaSifar]

30 minutes ago, Real McCoy said:

I would pick Pant over Saha. Pant has taken all the catches. So he is not that far behind in WK duties which I consider more important than Wk's batting. maybe he needs to improve his wk to spinners in SC conditions. That is the only thing Saha has over Pant. Pant is also a better batsman with due respect to Saha's batting ability. But I won't be surprised that this would happen considering we have a stupid captain and a vice captain who looks high all the time

Vice captain who is high or a coach who is high. Rahane being high is 

[Gollum]

5 hours ago, Majestic said:

Saha is anyways trash with bat. 

Harsh, avg 30+, 3 100s including one outside Asia which Dhoni never managed in his career in any format. Also his twin 50s on Eden greentop (2016, remember Bhuvi's 5fer?) against Boult and co was special, got MOM for his batting. Sure he isn't as accomplished with the bat as Dhoni/Pant but calling him trash is unfair. 

[Lone Wolf]

I'd pick Pant of 2018 in a heartbeat. He was keeping well overseas on par with Saha I reckon.  Ever since he has put on weight..  I think it'll be tough for him to take diving catches or something.  His fitness might be the reason otherwise it is foolish not to play him. 

[neel roy]

See the only reason I ll Pick Pant is there are no left handers in the whole batting line up which is bizarre and so the bowlers can settle in one line. 
 

also Saha and adelaide has a sad history.. the greatest ever innings by Kohli while chasing in 2014 and Saha hits a six and same over incredulously gets stumped ..nathan lyon