Drop Abhishek and open with Ishan Kishan

[Ultimate_Game]

Abhishek is mentally shot and it's best to replace him for the final. It's not just about low scores but the way he's getting dismissed. He has no timing & power in his shots, is picking out the lone fielder in the deep in PP and isn't able to find a way to do anything.

 

Nearly every time he's tied down by average off-spinner, can't do anything and lofts a lollipop to the lone fielder in the deep. And it's not as if he's caught right on the boundary. Both against WI and Eng the ball was caught by fielders running in. He has looked clueless, no idea how to score, can't play sweep, doesn't use his feet and is only able to feebly lift the ball in the direction of the fielder placed in the deep.

 

NZ has two off-spinners - McConchie and Phillips - and they're gonna make Abhishek a sitting duck. Better to go with the following team...

 

Samson

Ishan

Tilak

SKY

Axar (want to see him at 5 to take on NZ spinners in the middle overs)

Pandya

Dube

Rinku

Arshdeep

Bumrah

Varun C

 

We can't afford to have 2 walking wkts in the top 4 in Abhishek and SKY. We can't do much about SKY as he's the captain but at least move on from Abhishek. Samson and Kishan have been cleaning his shyte so far and it's time they get to bat freely instead of carrying him.

[vvvslaxman]

More than the shot, lack of game awareness is what irritating me.  Twice he has done. He got a reasonably big over. Still he took a risky option on the leg side and got out.

[Ultimate_Game]

2 minutes ago, vvvslaxman said:

More than the shot, lack of game awareness is what irritating me.  Twice he has done. He got a reasonably big over. Still he took a risky option on the leg side and got out.

 

Taking the risks is ok as well, it's the total lack of basic understanding. How can you loft a spinner to the only deep fielder every other game? If you want to take risk, hit in the area which is un-protected or invent new shots or find new scoring areas. Try sweep, try using your feet to hit straight. But nope, he feebly hits a weak lofted shot in the direction of the deep fielder!

 

I simply can't wrap my head around what's going on with him or whether he even knows where the deep fielders are positioned? Total lack of understanding of the game or match situation. Playing Abhishek is like gift wrapping a wicket at the start of the innings.

[bowl_out]

Not happening. They'll stick to the same 11 unless there are injuries 

[Ultimate_Game]

1 minute ago, bowl_out said:

Not happening. They'll stick to the same 11 unless there are injuries 

 

There're ways to get Abhishek "niggled" 

[cricspirit]

Either we play the same team..  if we change, we likely have to address bowling too. Not sure what that change should be. Every option can be bad option. Be it Siraj,  Kuldeep or Sundar. 

 

Sundar definitely does not belong to T20 but is the lone All rounder who can add 6th bowling option and no.8 option.

 

Samson

Kishan

Tilak

SKY

Dube

Pandya

Axar

Sundar

Varun

Arshdeep 

Bumrah

 

 

 

[Ultimate_Game]

2 minutes ago, cricspirit said:

Either we play the same team..  if we change, we likely have to address bowling too. Not sure what that change should be. Every option can be bad option. Be it Siraj,  Kuldeep or Sundar. 

 

Sundar definitely does not belong to T20 but is the lone All rounder who can add 6th bowling option and no.8 option.

 

Samson

Kishan

Tilak

SKY

Dube

Pandya

Axar

Sundar

Varun

Arshdeep 

Bumrah

 

 

 

 

We can't lighten our batting. The reason we've been successful is due to our batting depth. It allows the guys above bat freely knowing they've depth in case they get out. The moment you remove that depth which acts as insurance, we revert to the teams we had under Kohli. In LOIs batting depth is more important and going with an extra batter always proves more beneficial than playing an extra bowler.

 

Don't change that approach now. Eng had better batters and deeper lineup than NZ, and Wankhede is a flatter pitch and a smaller ground than Ahmedabad. The bowling will do fine against NZ but we can't compromise on our batting depth and our batting approach.

[Bigg Brother]

At this moment TM has given up on correcting his issues. Anything he scores is bonus. 

[Ultimate_Game]

2 minutes ago, Bigg Brother said:

At this moment TM has given up on correcting his issues. Anything he scores is bonus. 

 

NZ has 2 off-spinners so the "bonus" would be in single digit. better to replace him with someone who's a much better fielder and likely to score more at the death.

[vvvslaxman]

If they desperately want to play him send Axar to open the batting.

[Sandz]

Abhishek will do a Warner and win the final, honsla rakh.

[nevada]

30 minutes ago, cricspirit said:

Either we play the same team..  if we change, we likely have to address bowling too. Not sure what that change should be. Every option can be bad option. Be it Siraj,  Kuldeep or Sundar. 

 

Sundar definitely does not belong to T20 but is the lone All rounder who can add 6th bowling option and no.8 option.

 

Samson

Kishan

Tilak

SKY

Dube

Pandya

Axar

Sundar

Varun

Arshdeep 

Bumrah

 

 

 

Did you say Sundar? Since he can score as many as Abhishek(single digits), GG could make him open the innings instead of Abhishek. And he can bowl in the powerplay too! Looking forward to GG do a surprise deploy of his swiss army knife, all purpose player yet again! 

[vvvslaxman]

I think Abhishek should have been rested after his illness. I can't believe he couldn't clear wankhede. It is about 65 meter .  He was caught well inside. If he lacks power, if he is not fully fit it is futile to play him in the name of "backing"

[jf1gp_1]

1 hour ago, bowl_out said:

Not happening. They'll stick to the same 11 unless there are injuries 

More than Abhishek it's Varun I am worried about. 

[Ultimate_Game]

27 minutes ago, Sandz said:

Abhishek will do a Warner and win the final, honsla rakh.

 

Inshallah! 

[Ultimate_Game]

5 minutes ago, vvvslaxman said:

I think Abhishek should have been rested after his illness. I can't believe he couldn't clear wankhede. It is about 65 meter .  He was caught well inside. If he lacks power, if he is not fully fit it is futile to play him in the name of "backing"

 

Yup, both at Eden Gardens and now at Wankhede he tried to hit a lofted shot and the ball barely traveled 40m. Fielder had to come in to take the catch. Even against Pak he couldn't even clear mid on off a shortish delivery. Absolutely no timing or power in the shots.

[Ultimate_Game]

6 minutes ago, jf1gp_1 said:

More than Abhishek it's Varun I am worried about. 

 

Varun will be fine at slowish Ahmedabad stadium. But Abhishek giving away a freebie wkt at the start of every innings is a huge concern. You can't start off on the back-foot every time.

[jf1gp_1]

49 minutes ago, Ultimate_Game said:

 

Varun will be fine at slowish Ahmedabad stadium. But Abhishek giving away a freebie wkt at the start of every innings is a huge concern. You can't start off on the back-foot every time.

He was expensive vs SA as well considering the start we got hence the concern. Not saying Abhishek isnt but varun is so critical to our campaign.

[nitinbwj]

Drop Chakri too and add Kuldeep. Rinku after Dube. That's the only change. Open with Sanju-Kishan

Edited March 6 by nitinbwj

[bsriharsha]

Abhishek isn't India's biggest problem. We have a strong enough batting lineup to account for his failures. SKY coming in at 4 is India's biggest batting problem.