Manchester Stats

[jalebi_bhai]

Don't want us to go defensive all of a sudden or try funky experiments with bowling combinations.

 

If it's a green top, replace Rahane with Vihari and Siraj with Shami. That's 6 bowling options right there. I know Vihari flopped in county this season but hopefully he learned from those failures and can adjust. Whether it swings or spins, I will take a gamble on Vihari's compactness over Mayank's strokeplay.

[SRT100]

31 minutes ago, express bowling said:

 

Opinions will obviously be divided on this issue.

 

But I don't trust our batters to chase even 130 in the 4th innings in matches played in  England, NZ or SA.

 

 

 

Once Hitman and KL are out early, then panic sets in and the real terror begins.

 

India can easily fold for under 130 if chasing this kind of target in the 4th innings.

 

Especially if you have walking wickets like Rahane, lets also not forget, Kohli has not being doing so great either. Anderson would love to get him out one last time in England.

[SRT100]

4 minutes ago, jalebi_bhai said:

Don't want us to go defensive all of a sudden or try funky experiments with bowling combinations.

 

If it's a green top, replace Rahane with Vihari and Siraj with Shami. That's 6 bowling options right there. I know Vihari flopped in county this season but hopefully he learned from those failures and can adjust. Whether it swings or spins, I will take a gamble on Vihari's compactness over Mayank's strokeplay.

 

All jokes aside, I genuinely would rather have Ashwin instead of Rahane as batsmen.

 

I agree with Vihari being selected over Rahane, then again so does most of India.

 

Rahane is mentally washed up. He is gone.

[jalebi_bhai]

8 minutes ago, SRT100 said:

 

All jokes aside, I genuinely would rather have Ashwin instead of Rahane as batsmen.

 

I agree with Vihari being selected over Rahane, then again so does most of India.

 

Rahane is mentally washed up. He is gone.

 

What I don't understand with guys like Rahane and Pujara is that why they still bother with IPL. They have zero chances in LOI so why not focus on county and heck, even top level club cricket in other SENA countries? These guys have made enough money so it can't be a job security issue.

 

Rohit, KL, Kohli and Pant are 3 format players, so it's understandable they will take a game or two to adjust between formats.

[Real McCoy]

2 hours ago, SRT100 said:

 

Kohli will NOT risk his reputation and have Ashwin play.

 

Imagine if Ashwin plays and he terrorizes the Poms? Kohli will look like a bigger clown.

fair point. his reputation overrides his winning mentality. we have to rely on jaddu to do the spinners job. please no more hahane and pissant

[Jay]

27 minutes ago, jalebi_bhai said:

 

What I don't understand with guys like Rahane and Pujara is that why they still bother with IPL. They have zero chances in LOI so why not focus on county and heck, even top level club cricket in other SENA countries? These guys have made enough money so it can't be a job security issue.

 

Rohit, KL, Kohli and Pant are 3 format players, so it's understandable they will take a game or two to adjust between formats.

Have you realised that pujara failed in county and maybe no team wants him? They can only allocate one sport for foreigners iirc. Or 2. 

[sandeep]

2 hours ago, express bowling said:

 

Opinions will obviously be divided on this issue.

 

But I don't trust our batters to chase even 130 in the 4th innings in matches played in  England, NZ or SA.

 

 

Its a question of picking your poison - I'd still say its a better bet (slightly) then asking them to bat first in bowler friendly conditions.  Because I feel it gives our bowlers a chance to knock that 140 down to 60 given the clean slate to attack first.  As wobbly our batting is, England is arguably worse, and our bowlers, better.   That's why I think the conventional wisdom of 'bat first' is unfair to a strong bowling unit.  T3 is almost textbook evidence of that.  

 

I'm not a betting man, but I'd put a big fat wager that the one toss that Virat wins, if he bowls first there, we do not lose T3.  

[sandeep]

2 hours ago, Jay said:

Problem is we just finished bowling last in the previous test. . Unless rat face plays shami and prasidh to keep the team fresh it will be hard for our bowlers to bowl at their optimal level after playing with such ferocious intensity just 3 days prior to Manchester test. 

Umesh is still fresh - Siraj can be rotated out.  Then its only Bumrah, who's a goddam freak.  And I leave that call up to him and the team staff about his fitness.  I don't think the fatigue and workload question is that much of an issue with this being the last test.

 

Fact is, we have dominated large parts of this series, and it could still end up 2-2 scoreline thanks to the rain in T1 and the *-up in T3.  

 

I say we put it all on the table and bring it home.  If it were up to me, and India wins the toss - I'd give the ball to Boom and say, go win the series now.    

[sandeep]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

Have you realised that pujara failed in county and maybe no team wants him? They can only allocate one sport for foreigners iirc. Or 2. 

Yeah thats "bollocks" as they say.  

 

 

[sandeep]

1 hour ago, jalebi_bhai said:

 

What I don't understand with guys like Rahane and Pujara is that why they still bother with IPL. They have zero chances in LOI so why not focus on county and heck, even top level club cricket in other SENA countries? These guys have made enough money so it can't be a job security issue.

 

Rohit, KL, Kohli and Pant are 3 format players, so it's understandable they will take a game or two to adjust between formats.

would you pass up the opportunity for multi-million paydays?  Come on now, why shouldn't they take their shot.  They are competitors, why wouldn't they back themselves and have the self-belief that they can deliver in IPL?  

 

Play at home in luxury and get paid mega $$$, or go overseas for pennies while eating microwave 'Indian' food - which option would you take?  

 

Unrealistic expectations.  

 

Doing it for a couple of seasons for the experience is fair enough, asking them to do it perpetually is OTT.

[SrinjayDutta]

Our team is simply not good enough in swing conditions right now. I am being defensive  but only way eng can come back in the series is like headingley. Not everytime shardul is going to save us. My vote is to bowl first as there lies the best chance of getting 10 wickets below 250 , try to gain a 70 80 lead and build from there. In a rain affected match, team batting 2nd always has the chance to favour the draw.

 

I would push bumrah one last time, risking him for wc. T20 is a gamble always, and he also may get thrashed in a semi. Better to go for kill as this is a legendary opportunity to win both in eng, in aus back to back. Get shami in and shardul,umesh. Very sad to say this, but after jadeja's performance, Ashwin wont get a chance. The most crucial thing about jadeja is he is doing a holding role both with bat and ball, eating up the second new ball and giving partnerships. He has been under par, but got us two great deliveries when it was needed. So keep him. My choice for 5 is vihari, as I feel he is a proper test batsman and will perform to his potential if given chance, plus a bit of offspin. So , KL Hitman pujara kohli vihari jadeja pant thakur shami umesh bumrah.

 

If pitch is really dry and there is not much chance of rain.. then ashwin instead of shami or umesh maybe. I am not in favour of giving a untested odi batsman chance at this point of time. Pant already takes such a place.

[SrinjayDutta]

14 minutes ago, sandeep said:

Umesh is still fresh - Siraj can be rotated out.  Then its only Bumrah, who's a goddam freak.  And I leave that call up to him and the team staff about his fitness.  I don't think the fatigue and workload question is that much of an issue with this being the last test.

 

Fact is, we have dominated large parts of this series, and it could still end up 2-2 scoreline thanks to the rain in T1 and the *-up in T3.  

 

I say we put it all on the table and bring it home.  If it were up to me, and India wins the toss - I'd give the ball to Boom and say, go win the series now.    

T1 was bad luck. Their bowling was weakest at that point of time. We might have been 110 for 3 or 4 by lunch, but would recover and bring the game home by tea, at least by 1/2/3 wickets.

[SrinjayDutta]

I still think getting over the final hurdle would be very tough. Both our wins have been miraculous unconventional win. I wish for something like the melbourne win, opponent on backfoot from the very beginning and foot never taken off their neck.

[jalebi_bhai]

8 minutes ago, sandeep said:

would you pass up the opportunity for multi-million paydays?  Come on now, why shouldn't they take their shot.  They are competitors, why wouldn't they back themselves and have the self-belief that they can deliver in IPL?  

 

Play at home in luxury and get paid mega $$$, or go overseas for pennies while eating microwave 'Indian' food - which option would you take?  

 

Unrealistic expectations.  

 

Doing it for a couple of seasons for the experience is fair enough, asking them to do it perpetually is OTT.

 

Maybe because they don't have a LOI future for India but they do in Tests? So they're better off honing their skills in the only format they're still relevant in. They're Indian cricketers with grade-A contracts, not associate nation cricketers. They're not living in penury.

 

It's ultimately a question of prioritizing. Rahane's India career is on the brink while Pujara is also teetering on the edge. A year from now, they might be completely out of the picture. It's not like their IPL stocks are very high either. If I were either one of them at this point in their careers, my sole focus would be on Tests and First class cricket.

[GeeGaw]

5 hours ago, Forward Defence said:

Looking at ground records Edgbaston has been the most successful venue for England historically. But in the recent past Old Trafford has been the best for them. There are minor venues like Chester le Street and Cardiff where they have never lost. Old Trafford is statistically the most impregnable English fortress since 1970 atleast.

Good thing our guys like to wreck shop on opposition hallowed grounds. 

[Forward Defence]

56 minutes ago, SrinjayDutta said:

I still think getting over the final hurdle would be very tough. Both our wins have been miraculous unconventional win. I wish for something like the melbourne win, opponent on backfoot from the very beginning and foot never taken off their neck.

Each time we have come close to such a dominant position in the series, England have come screaming back. You are right. In Manchester if we are in the ascendancy we must not take the foot off the pedal.

[coffee_rules]

SKY and Shaw are just Covid emergencies. They are sure not to be selected. Mayank and Vihari are the replacements. I don't think Kohli will be bold enough to go against his template that he is tom-toming all through the series, he will select both Ashwin and Jaddu. So, if Jaddu gets niggled out, and he is bold enough to drop Rahane, we can see 7 bats plus 4 fit bowlers to survive a 3-day test. Secure the series win first. 

[GeeGaw]

4 hours ago, Forward Defence said:

I get your point but Kohli has been known to make a few bold selections now and then. Bumrah in South Africa comes to mind. A lot depends on what is going on in the nets. 

Really put his neck on the line with Bumrah selection. 

[Lone Wolf]

I think it will be a tough game..  England would throw everything at us.  Before the series we knew Lords & Oval were our favored venues. 

Headingley was toughest & we lost by an inns.  Manchester is unpredictable venue & has been hostile to us everytime. 

Biggest Test match of VK's captaincy career.  Legacy defining.  Hopefully no Rahane. 

[The Realist]

4 minutes ago, Lone Wolf said:

I think it will be a tough game..  England would throw everything at us.  Before the series we knew Lords & Oval were our favored venues. 

Headingley was toughest & we lost by an inns.  Manchester is unpredictable venue & has been hostile to us everytime. 

Biggest Test match of VK's captaincy career.  Legacy defining.  Hopefully no Rahane. 

 

So its like a final?

 

Kohli will certainly lose then, starting with the toss and compounded with poor team selections and dodgy captaincy.

 

I fear Eng will come hard and the brittle middle order will fail yet again with no lower order bail-out this time. Kohli always chokes when a trophy is within range.