Is it worth a gamble backing KL as a wk-bat in a one off game like the WTC?

[jalebi_bhai]

We could play a potential XI of:

 

Gill

Rohit

Pujara

Kohli 

Rahul (wk-bat)

Jadeja/Rahane

Ashwin

Thakur

Shami

Siraj

Umesh/Unadkat

 

Jadeja averages more with the bat than Rahane in Eng (29.7 vs 26), plus he's a lefty and a legit bowling option, hence he would be my preferred option. 

 

KL averages 34 in England, not great but not terrible either. Is it worth a gamble?

[vvvslaxman]

There is a good chance he can end up sucking in both departments. This is too light weight batting line up. Oval is likely to be a batting friendly wicket with a bit of help for spinners. Australia can completely outbat this line up.

[nevada]

He will be picked anyway, so one can only hope against hope that he will do well. 

[jalebi_bhai]

29 minutes ago, vvvslaxman said:

There is a good chance he can end up sucking in both departments. This is too light weight batting line up. Oval is likely to be a batting friendly wicket with a bit of help for spinners. Australia can completely outbat this line up.

 

What would be your batting line up then?

 

Rahane over one of the spinners?

Just FYI, Rahane averages barely two runs more than Jadeja in Tests and has a worse batting record than Jadeja in England.

 

Ashwin is a known troublemaking sulker who will throw a fit if he's not selected.

 

And if it's going to be a batting wicket, don't we need as many genuine bowling options in our lineup as we can accommodate?

 

I would ideally not want KL in the lineup but Bharat has not done anything to convince me of his batting or keeping.

[vvvslaxman]

23 minutes ago, jalebi_bhai said:

 

What would be your batting line up then?

 

Rahane over one of the spinners?

Just FYI, Rahane averages barely two runs more than Jadeja in Tests and has a worse batting record than Jadeja in England.

 

Ashwin is a known troublemaking sulker who will throw a fit if he's not selected.

 

And if it's going to be a batting wicket, don't we need as many genuine bowling options in our lineup as we can accommodate?

 

I would ideally not want KL in the lineup but Bharat has not done anything to convince me of his batting or keeping.

 

I don't say Rahane. But there is no way they will play 6 bowlers. It will most likely be overkill. Ash/Jaddu all rounders. 3 bowlers. 6 batsmen whoever it is.

[AuxiliA]

Yes. Forget batting Bharat hasn't been good behind the stumps. He's no Saha to play on his keeping alone. 

 

KL for all his faults is a much better batsman than Bharat and keeps decently in ODIs. Just play him in the middle order and not as a opener.

[singhvivek141]

KL as a keeper in Tests...that too in England ??
Bowl will dance around and KL's glovework is not that great even on the flat pitches, on seaming conditions it will be a dozen drops in one inns, not to mention that he will have butter finger Kohli at the slips.
 

Edited April 26 by singhvivek141

[spiritb2]

KL Rahul selected by merit of his current IPL Form; I mean Test Form in IPL

[Lone Wolf]

1 hour ago, singhvivek141 said:

KL as a keeper in Tests...that too in England ??
Bowl will dance around and KL's glovework is not that great even on the flat pitches, on seaming conditions it will be a dozen drops in one inns, not to mention that he will have butter finger Kohli at the slips.
 

Bharat looks clueless behind stumps.  KL has never been a bad keeper in his ODI career so far.  Kept well in SL in that Colombo test in 2015 too. 

I'd play him with eyes closed in England. 

Rahane (Karate kid reborn)  & Kela FTW. 

Edited April 26 by Lone Wolf

[Moochad]

He batted well in England last time. We need all the batting we can get. Our bowling is looking weak

[zen]

Below will be the likely 11: 

 

Rohit

Gill or KL

Pujara

Kohli

Rahane or KL

Jadeja

Ashwin 

KS or KL 

Thakur or Unadkat or Umesh 

Shami

Siraj 

 

Theories that are likely to be used by India: 

 

* KL can play swing better than Gill or can’t leave out Gill as he is in form 

* Rahane is in good form or can’t leave out KL in Eng where at some point he did this or that

* Jadeja has to play an important game and/or need to get a left hander in the line up 

* Ashwin as Aus has many left handers 

* KS as specialist WK is needed in Eng or KL can’t do worse (and when he could)

* Thakur as he can lengthen the batting or Unadkat as he brings the left arm angle or Umesh as he is experienced 

 

There is no point in wasting time on imaginary 11s. Not many read them anyways. Every fan has his own variety (some may even include Sarfaraz for his irrelevant Ranji form on Indian pitches against average bowling line ups, and could even suggest he keep wickets even though he is not in the squad. Some may even suggest Arjun Tendulkar should be the 3rd seamer as his father played for India). 

 

Edited April 26 by zen

[AKane]

16 hours ago, jalebi_bhai said:

Just FYI, Rahane averages barely two runs more than Jadeja in Tests and has a worse batting record than Jadeja in England.

 

Ok let us compare Rahane with thou Peerless KL then. 

 

Rahane average 38.52

Rahul average 33.44

 

Last five years before Rahane was dropped (Jan 17 - Jan 22)  average - 33.xx

Last five years of thou Peerless KL average -  27.53

 

Look I am not defending Rahane - he was pretty pathetic in the last 5 years and his IPL form in India is irrelevant for test cricket in England vs Aus. But then Rahul..........  never mind.

Edited April 27 by AKane

[vvvslaxman]

2 hours ago, AKane said:

 

Ok let us compare Rahane with thou Peerless KL then. 

 

Rahane average 38.52

Rahul average 33.44

 

Last five years before Rahane was dropped (Jan 17 - Jan 22)  average - 33.xx

Last five years of thou Peerless KL average -  27.53

 

Look I am not defending Rahane - he was pretty pathetic in the last 5 years and his IPL form in India is irrelevant for test cricket in England vs Aus. But then Rahul..........  never mind.

 

Everyone we carry there is pathetic. We are talking about in terms of more pathetic, less pathetic.  India failed the opportunity to test some youngsters against Bangladesh. We ended up almost losing the Test match there. Once again it will be down to Ashwin/Jadeja/Axar and some other lower order to save our ass. 

[AKane]

1 hour ago, vvvslaxman said:

Once again it will be down to Ashwin/Jadeja/Axar and some other lower order to save our ass. 

 

I too predict that all three will play this match. Axar and Jadeja as batting allrounders with Ashwin as the bowling allrounder. Three other bowlers will be Umesh, Shami and Siraj. Bharat as wk and the four batsmen will be Rohit, Peerless KL, Pujara and Kohli.

 

Who will save what is to be tallied though...

Edited April 27 by AKane

[jalebi_bhai]

10 hours ago, AKane said:

 

Ok let us compare Rahane with thou Peerless KL then. 

 

Rahane average 38.52

Rahul average 33.44

 

Last five years before Rahane was dropped (Jan 17 - Jan 22)  average - 33.xx

Last five years of thou Peerless KL average -  27.53

 

Look I am not defending Rahane - he was pretty pathetic in the last 5 years and his IPL form in India is irrelevant for test cricket in England vs Aus. But then Rahul..........  never mind.

 

I'm hardly keen on KL playing myself. If Bharat had done well in BGT, the question of playing KL wouldn't arise. 

 

It's just that there is a certain upside to playing KL as a wk-bat in this game. It might be stop gap but having him in the XI will let us go with 2 spinners and 4 pacers. 4 pacers is a must as we don't want to repeat the mistake we made in 2021.

 

If Ash is made to sit out, he will throw a fit and disrupt the team like he tried to do in 2021 Eng series. Jadeja could be benched but he has a better batting record in Eng than Rahane plus his bowling is a plus.

[coffee_rules]

Hell No! Not with his weak mental fortitude 

[AKane]

15 hours ago, jalebi_bhai said:

It might be stop gap but having him in the XI will let us go with 2 spinners and 4 pacers. 4 pacers is a must as we don't want to repeat the mistake we made in 2021.

I think they will go with 3 spinners and 3 pace bowlers with Axar playing more as batsman than spinner.

[jf1gp_1]

Poll should be if India will lose by an innings or not

[nevada]

On 4/26/2023 at 7:11 PM, Lone Wolf said:

Bharat looks clueless behind stumps.  KL has never been a bad keeper in his ODI career so far.  Kept well in SL in that Colombo test in 2015 too. 

I'd play him with eyes closed in England. 

Rahane (Karate kid reborn)  & Kela FTW. 

This Bhagath conned everyone into thinking he is a pure keeper by batting like a tailender! He is no Saha. Just bring back Saha, he will do way better. 

[Majestic]

On 4/26/2023 at 2:27 PM, vvvslaxman said:

 

I don't say Rahane. But there is no way they will play 6 bowlers. It will most likely be overkill. Ash/Jaddu all rounders. 3 bowlers. 6 batsmen whoever it is.

6 bowlers is the way to go for ODIs.

 

In Tests especially in England, 5 are enough.