We need to play an extra spinner (Varun C) against Aus or SA in knockouts

[Ultimate_Game]

3 hours ago, Frustrated said:

We already hv 3 tailenders in our playing11.  (Kuldeep and 2 frontline pacers).  Adding Varun C would mean 4 tailenders.  Very thin batting lineup (plus RoKo are finished).  Our biggest concern is that Kuldeep's batting ability never improved.  (Though he has been playing intl cricket for 7 yrs).  

 

Varun C will replace Shami. So only 1 full time pacer and 2nd one will be Pandya. Batting depth remains the same as that's non-negotiable.

[tweaker]

Needed someone like Parag who can bat in middle order and bowl 5,6 overs.

[express bowling]

We already have 3 spinners. That's enough.

 

2 specialist pacers are needed. Hardik is not good enough as a 2nd pacer or death over bowler.

 

Shami in unfit. Replace with Arshdeep.

 

Replace Kuldeep with Varun C.

 

6. Axar

7. Hardik

8. Jadeja 

9. Harshit 

10. Arshdeep

11. Varun C

 

[singhvivek141]

Varun C's effectiveness in this format remains unproven.

 

Generally, longer formats tend to make it more difficult for unconventional bowlers to be impactful.

 

There's a significant possibility that Varun could be rotated for singles, creating opportunities for Head & co to attack other bowlers. Remember, our captain, Rohit Sharma, will likely remove the attacking fielders after a boundary is conceded.

[putrevus]

9 hours ago, singhvivek141 said:

Varun C's effectiveness in this format remains unproven.

 

Generally, longer formats tend to make it more difficult for unconventional bowlers to be impactful.

 

There's a significant possibility that Varun could be rotated for singles, creating opportunities for Head & co to attack other bowlers. Remember, our captain, Rohit Sharma, will likely remove the attacking fielders after a boundary is conceded.

I would still play him tomorrow in place of either Axar or Jadeja.Let both Varun and Kuldeep play in the same match.Kuldeep tends to fade away in knockouts.

[Ultimate_Game]

10 hours ago, tweaker said:

Needed someone like Parag who can bat in middle order and bowl 5,6 overs.

 

He would've been ideal here but he's not in the squad.  So gotta go with the personnel we have in the squad.

[Ultimate_Game]

24 minutes ago, putrevus said:

I would still play him tomorrow in place of either Axar or Jadeja.Let both Varun and Kuldeep play in the same match.Kuldeep tends to fade away in knockouts.

 

That's true and a mark against Kuldeep. He has seldom done anything worthwhile in a knockout. That's why Varun C is needed as an additional spinner. Seen it in IPL and in intl matches that if he's hit, Kuldeep doesn't handle it well and is taken out of the game. Varun has shown he can handle adversity much better. Plus none of the Aussies and SA players (barring Klassen) has seen much of him.

[Ultimate_Game]

9 hours ago, singhvivek141 said:

Varun C's effectiveness in this format remains unproven.

 

Generally, longer formats tend to make it more difficult for unconventional bowlers to be impactful.

 

There's a significant possibility that Varun could be rotated for singles, creating opportunities for Head & co to attack other bowlers. Remember, our captain, Rohit Sharma, will likely remove the attacking fielders after a boundary is conceded.

 

To me it's a simple question. Who would be more effective on this pitch against Aus (Short, Head) and SA (Rickleton, Stubbs) openers. They will relish pace much more in PP overs than spin. If we had Bumrah, would've been a different story. Better to let Varun C bowl in the PP from one end and let Harshit or Arshdeep bowl from the other.

[Nikhil_cric]

I think Arshdeep maybe a better option than anyone else against this lineup. 

 

NZ are the best players of spin in ODIs. 

[Lone Wolf]

10 minutes ago, Nikhil_cric said:

I think Arshdeep maybe a better option than anyone else against this lineup. 

 

NZ are the best players of spin in ODIs. 

Makes more sense to test Varun Chakri against them.  Finger spin seems more effective in Dubai so far.  Even if it doesn't pays off no one cares.

Arshdeep I feel would play today over Shami.

 

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Just now, Lone Wolf said:

Makes more sense to test Varun Chakri against them.  Finger spin seems more effective in Dubai so far.  Even if it doesn't pays off no one cares.

Arshdeep I feel would play today over Shami.

 

 

I don't think any spinner will make a significant difference against this NZ lineup.  They play all kinds of spin pretty well.  Mitchell can't be tied down by any kind of spinner for instance. 

 

And if it's a pitch on which they struggle against spinners, then Santner will make our batters grovel on the same pitch. 

 

 

[Lone Wolf]

38 minutes ago, Nikhil_cric said:

I don't think any spinner will make a significant difference against this NZ lineup.  They play all kinds of spin pretty well.  Mitchell can't be tied down by any kind of spinner for instance. 

 

And if it's a pitch on which they struggle against spinners, then Santner will make our batters grovel on the same pitch. 

 

 

India usually fields left arm and wrist spin against Kiwis who always employ left hand batters to trouble us.  Mitchell goes down the ground but may find it harder against Varun 

 

We never go off spin route against them.  Varun can basically bowl 90k off spin with ball turning away from lefties.

I see merit in this match up.  Folks like Chahal and Kuldeep will always struggle against them or even Klassen 

 

[coffee_rules]

We need pictures, CDs, tapes of Travis Head

[Adamant]

Nah, 3 spinners are enough, Rana and pandya are not good new ball bowlers, similarly they are not good in death overs too, we need Arshdeep to take the new ball and also bowl in the death overs.

 

Playing Varun sounds good but I don't want Kuldeep to get dropped especially considering the way he is bowling. Maybe we can get Varun in for Jadeja, but even that reduces our batting strength and Jadeja has done well so will be a bit unfair.

[nitinbwj]

ABSOLUTELY !!!! Chakri has to play. They won't drop Fraud though 

[Frustrated]

On 3/1/2025 at 10:03 AM, Ultimate_Game said:

 

Varun C will replace Shami. So only 1 full time pacer and 2nd one will be Pandya. Batting depth remains the same as that's non-negotiable.

Your wish got partly fulfilled (albeit this is a dead rubber game)   You wanted Varun C in place of Shami.  They are playing him in place of Rana.  Only 1 full time pacer today (as per your wish).

[Ultimate_Game]

5 hours ago, Frustrated said:

Your wish got partly fulfilled (albeit this is a dead rubber game)   You wanted Varun C in place of Shami.  They are playing him in place of Rana.  Only 1 full time pacer today (as per your wish).

 

Finally you see someone using their brain! Wish we also had the balls and foresight to have Jaiswal in the squad and play him. We're way too dependent on Gill and Iyer. Rohit and Kohli will fail more often than not, and KL is KL for a reason. Having Jaiswal in the team would add one more consistent batter in form.

[putrevus]

I don't think what varun has shown so far is enough to overcome all his other issues.He is a total dud with bat and on the field he is useless.

 

I stand corrected, he has done very well today.

Edited March 2, 2025 by putrevus

[Ultimate_Game]

6 minutes ago, putrevus said:

I don't think what varun has shown so far is enough to overcome all his other issues.He is a total dud with bat and on the field he is useless.

 

But he's replacing Harshit. It's not as if Harshit is great either. He dropped  catch against Pak and wouldn't have given us better bowling figures. We don't have someone like Riyan Parag sitting on the bench who can do better.

[vvvslaxman]

Good call. Seems like Ashwin has been talking about this for a while. This discussion is interesting.