India A vs Australia A in India 2008-09 (SuperSelector added)

[Dinx - the Jinx]

good news is that katich, mcgain and co, dint get a chance to warm up

[Chandan]

A Team Triangular Series 2008-09 : A preview A Team Triangular Series 2008-09 All eyes on weather, Tait and hopefuls The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran September 14, 2008 Shaun Tait needs to convince himself and the selectors that he's fit and ready for the big league © AFP Had the Champions Trophy gone ahead as scheduled, the A team triangular series, which starts in Hyderabad tomorrow, would have been pushed into relative obscurity. However, the postponement of the event could well be the best thing to happen to a bunch of hopefuls from three countries, India, Australia and New Zealand. The series serves as a warm-up for their respective domestic seasons as well as an opportunity to impress the selectors for the forthcoming international fixtures. For Australia, this series gives a couple of fast bowlers the luxury of more time to acclimatise to Indian conditions before the Test tour of India starting next month. India have players at the fringes of selection for both the Test and limited-overs squads and a handful will be playing for places in the home Tests. The New Zealand senior team is on a rebuilding phase, so this series assumes greater significance for future selections. Poor weather in Hyderabad washed out two whole days in the recent three-day match between the A teams of Australia and India. The normally sound drainage facilities at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium weren't enough to counter the showers, and only 23.1 overs were possible in the entire match. However, the good news is that the opening match tomorrow between Australia and New Zealand looks a certain starter, with the ground apparently in good condition. The pitch, according to the head groundsman, should have plenty of bounce. The city has been hit by overnight showers over the last few days, so it's fingers crossed for the three one-dayers scheduled at this venue. The teams then head to Chennai for the four remaining games. New Zealand A The New Zealand squad has three players from their victorious Emerging Players tournament campaign in Australia - Trent Boult, BJ Watling and Martin Guptill. The squad stopped over in Australia, playing three warm-up games against Queensland before setting foot in India. The opening three-day fixture was washed out, but the New Zealand top order enjoyed a good workout nevertheless. They ended the short tour on a high, winning the first one-dayer by 36 runs and the second by a much narrower margin of four runs. Players to watch Peter Fulton: Fulton made a comeback to the New Zealand senior team following an injury lay-off but he's yet to firmly establish his place. He found his touch against Queensland earlier this month, scoring a run-a-ball hundred in the second one-dayer, as well as an 83 in the three-day game. Left out of the squads for the Bangladesh tour, Fulton's target will be the tour of Australia in November. Martin Guptill: A right-hand opening batsman, Guptill was the top run-scorer in New Zealand's State Shield with 596 runs at 59.60. His efforts took Auckland to the final, which they eventually lost to Otago. He carried his purple patch into the Emerging Players tournament, where he led the run charts for New Zealand with 280 runs. He may have missed out on selection for the one-day squad to Bangladesh, but age is certainly on his side - he's pushing 22 - making him a prospect for the near future. Squad: Peter Fulton (capt), Brent Arnel, Neil Broom, Grant Elliott, Mark Gillespie, Martin Guptill, Greg Hay, Nathan McCullum, James Marshall, Michael Mason, Jeetan Patel, Aaron Redmond, Bradley Scott, Reece Young (wk), BJ Watling Australia A Australia have had the luxury of acclimatising to the conditions, with their three-day games scheduled before the one-dayers. Unfortunately, the weather in Bangalore and Hyderabad hasn't allowed for much match practice. The team, led by Cameron White, has six players with very limited international experience, with Shaun Tait being the only one to have played Tests for Australia. Players to watch Shaun Tait: Tait's making his first serious comeback into the international reckoning after taking a break from the game in January, citing physical and mental exhaustion, and not surprisingly, his inclusion instantly hit the headlines. He joined the squad just before the second game in Hyderabad and opted for light training. Finding a place in the Australian squad isn't guaranteed, but a stint in the subcontinent will give him the opportunity to convince himself and everybody that he's ready for national selection. Doug Bollinger: A left-arm seamer, Bollinger's 45 wickets in the Pura Cup - the highest in the competition - helped New South Wales progress to the final. His efforts earned a selection for the tour of the West Indies and for the Test tour of India. The Indians would want to keep an eye on him in particular if he eventually plays next month. Squad Cameron White (capt), Phillip Hughes, Adam Voges, Marcus North, George Bailey, Peter Forrest, Luke Ronchi (wk), Ashley Noffke, Xavier Doherty, Ryan Harris, Brett Geeves, Peter Siddle, Doug Bollinger, Shaun Tait India A The time's ripe for budding Indian cricketers to impress the selection committee, with the home series against Australia and England coming up. S Badrinath leads arguably the strongest outfit in the competition, with as many as nine players having international experience. Irfan Pathan, fighting to reclaim his place in the national squad, leads a seam attack not very heavy on pace, with the likes of Praveen Kumar and Dhawal Kulkarni to partner him. The middle order has two explosive batsmen in Abhishek Nayar and Yusuf Pathan. Piyush Chawla is the lone specialist spinner. Players to watch Robin Uthappa: Indifferent form in the last few months led to Uthappa being dropped for the one-day series in Sri Lanka. Given another chance with the A squad, he will be scrutinised during these one-dayers and it can be gauged from his responses to the media that he's very particular about letting his performances in the field do all the talking. Swapnil Asnodkar: Asnodkar was among several unknowns in the domestic circuit who grabbed everybody's attention in the IPL. After a prolific season with Goa, a state not known for its cricketing talent, he aggregated 311 runs from nine matches for the Rajasthan Royals and his flamboyant starts as an opener won the praise of his captain Shane Warne. While his Twenty20 abilities aren't in doubt, his suitability to the one-day format will be tested. Squad: S Badrinath(capt), Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa, Swapnil Asnodkar, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Abhishek Nayar, Irfan Pathan, Praveen Kumar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Piyush Chawla, Ravi Teja, Yusuf Pathan, Jaydev Shah, Wriddhiman Saha (wk)

[Holysmoke]

Squad: S Badrinath(capt), Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa, Swapnil Asnodkar, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Abhishek Nayar, Irfan Pathan, Praveen Kumar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Piyush Chawla, Ravi Teja, Yusuf Pathan, Jaydev Shah, Wriddhiman Saha (wk) That is actually quite a good squad. I dont know much about Saha except for KKR, and I'm irritated to see Jaydev Shah in the squad. Its good to see that the selectors are making sure people are playing games, with seniors playing for rest of India, and these guys here.

[Cricketics]

with this squad, i will open with Uthappa and Asnodkar my team for the first odi which is tomorrow would be Uthappa Asnodkar Raina Nayar Badri Sharma Karthik(wk) Irfan Chawla Praveen Kulkarni

[Holysmoke]

Ticz, thats a good team. But I'd definately have badri there. Probably in place of Asnodkar. We need a 6th bowler option, so I'd be tempted to keep Nayar there. (Cant really rely on both the Pathans to bowl 20, and Chawla can go for a bit too)

[Cricketics]

Rofl how can i forget badri, i knew i was missing something. lol he is the captain yaar. thanks for pointing out

[Cricketics]

Ticz' date=' thats a good team. But I'd definately have badri there. Probably in place of Asnodkar. We need a 6th bowler option, so I'd be tempted to keep Nayar there. (Cant really rely on both the Pathans to bowl 20, and Chawla can go for a bit too)[/quote'] you are thinking in the rite way, but since this is a "A" team tournament, i would like to give these batsmans some chance. not many games they get to play against some team from outsider regularly. so it's good they are given a game. though i know what you mean. our bowlers can go for plenty and with the way fulton is batting today on the pitch, i think this odi series will again fetch 300 run scores

[ludhianvi]

good to see Asnodkar and Nair. I really liked Asnodkar in the IPL. Wow, this ipl is surely giving more chances to new players.

[SachDan]

Well balanced Indian team..Australian team too looks very solid.

[Feed]

Australia A v New Zealand A: Gillespie and Patel bowl NZ A to victory Chris Adams’ old ally Murray Goodwin provided him with the perfect way to end his career as Sussex captain, with the match-winning innings which clinched the NatWest Pro40 title. More... Australia A v New Zealand A, 1st ODI, Hyderabad Gillespie and Patel bowl NZ A to victory Cricinfo staff September 15, 2008 New Zealand A 235 for 9 (Fulton 75, Doherty 4-34) beat Australia A 106 (Patel 4-16) by 129 runs Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Mark Gillespie removed Australia A's top order © Getty Images Though their innings lost some momentum after Peter Fulton was dismissed for a polished 75, New Zealand A's two international stars, Mark Gillespie and Jeetan Patel, bowled them to a 129-run win in game one of the A Team Triangular Series in Hyderabad. A target of 236 seemed very achievable at the beginning of Australia's chase, given how they had curbed Fulton and the middle order, but a combination of accurate bowling and some reckless hitting led to their downfall. Having opted to bat first, New Zealand's first ten overs yielded just 34 for the loss of Aaron Redmond, but Fulton and Mark Guptill accelerated thereafter. Fulton stepped on the pedal, taking Peter Siddle for three consecutive boundaries in the 11th over. Guptill collected two sixes as well - New Zealand took 43 runs from the second Powerplay - and took a liking to Shaun Tait. This was Tait's first competitive outing since his Ford Ranger Cup match against Victoria eight months ago, but he was erratic and served up eight wides. Guptill fell to Xavier Doherty for 33 and by this time Fulton had eased on to 60 from 68 balls, repeatedly piercing the gaps in the field. It took a spectacular catch on the long-on boundary by Phil Hughes, catching the ball, then flipping it back in to the field as he lost balance over the rope, and finally diving forward to hold on again, to cut short the dangerous James Marshall, and that cued a collapse. Doug Bollinger returned to dismiss Fulton for 75 and the runs dried up. Doherty struck twice in two overs to chip away at the lower order to finish with 4 for 34, and New Zealand had thrown away the platform provided by Fulton and Guptill. However, a total of 235 for 9 proved way out of a poor Australia's reach. Mark Gillespie, the medium-pacer, removed Hughes in the opening over and added David Hussey for 0 in his second, though replays proved inconclusive. Luke Ronchi looked to have had the measure of the new-ball attack, playing some confident shots, but fell lbw to Gillespie for 27. Australia never recovered from those three strikes. Grant Elliott's introduction in the 11th over yielded the crucial wickets of Marcus North and Adam Voges, and thereon it was all downhill. Jeetan Patel, another bowler with international experience, didn't have do to much against the lower order and finished with 4 for 16.

[Chandan]

India A v Australia A, 2nd ODI : Australia A bulldoze India A India A v Australia A, 2nd ODI, Hyderabad Tait and Ronchi star in emphatic victory Cricinfo staff September 16, 2008 Australia A 168 for 1 (Ronchi 108*) beat India A 207 (Yusuf 54, Noffke 4-39, Tait 3-27) by 17 runs by VJD method Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Luke Ronchi blitzed a 71-ball century to power Australia's chase © Getty Images It was a dramatic reversal of fortune for Australia A and Shaun Tait as both bounced back from forgettable showings yesterday to crush India A. Luke Ronchi showed up India's wafer-thin bowling resources with a whirlwind century, and was toying with the spinners before the rains came down to end India's misery. The hosts were completely outplayed on the day as their batting lacked conviction, their fielding ragged, and the bowling unthreatening. Tait showed glimpses of his fiery best, shrugging off yesterday's troubles in maintaining his line, as he wrecked the top order. Three of the brightest talents of India's next generation accumulated just three runs between them before being snared by Tait. Robin Uthappa was the first to go; trapped in front of middle by a full, fast ball. Suresh Raina was next; an inswinging yorker at pace flattened his offstump. Captain S Badrinath's attempted drive ended up in the hands of wicketkeeper Ronchi and by the end of Tait's spell India were tottering at 26 for 3. The stiflingly accurate Ashley Noffke ensured the procession continued: he first got through Rohit Sharma's defences with a ball that kept low, before castling another player with international experience, Dinesh Karthik, cheaply. Karthik's shot selection caused his downfall on several occasions during the recent Test tour, and it let him down again today. An across-the-line flick to a ball on offstump only resulted in his stumps being uprooted. It was left to two allrounders who sparkled during the Indian Premier League, Yusuf Pathan and Abhishek Nayar, to stem the collapse with a battling partnership. Yusuf did the bulk of the scoring but, barring a few drives, there wasn't much finesse from him, dealing with the spinners with a mix of sweeps, even from outside off, and heaves down the ground. Nayar was initially content with the singles and just as he started to step on the accelerator, Noffke had him feathering to the keeper. Yusuf had just moved past his fifty before Cameron White struck twice in an over. A plucky last-wicket stand of 47 between Praveen Kumar and Dhawal Kulkarni took India's score past 200. The pair, though, weren't as convincing when they shared the new ball, rarely threatening Australia's openers. Phillip Hughes provided the momentum early on as he showed his penchant for the cut shot and the dab towards third man. Ronchi took charge in the seventh over as Kulkarni was dispatched for a couple of boundaries. The runs continued to flow when Nayar was brought on as his overpitched deliveries provided easy pickings. Next to face Ronchi's wrath was legspinner Piyush Chawla as fourteen came off three balls, all shots in the 'V' to full deliveries. Playing with the straight bat to the spinners remained a feature of Ronchi's batting right through his innings. There was a slight hiccup when Hughes' sweep ballooned to Kulkarni at mid-on with the score on 129 but Ronchi didn't let the initiative slip. He motored along to his third List A century, off 71 balls, before rain stopped play with 40 needed off 23 overs. Australia were declared victors by the VJD method. India will be hoping to emulate Australia's stunning turnaround in tomorrow's game against New Zealand, something that will be made easier if Irfan Pathan and Sreesanth are declared fit.

[Cricketics]

why are players like sreesanth and irfan pathan named in the squad for "A" side teams when they are not fit. they are just wasting space for another player.

[flamy]

Why is Nayar batting so low? BAH!

[SachDan]

Why did this bastard fail so miserably in IPL?

[flamy]

Chupa Rostom!

[Dinx - the Jinx]

anyone has any clue on wats this VJD method?

[SachDan]

anyone has any clue on wats this VJD method?

Only know that its not as complicated as DL method.

[Tapioca]

anyone has any clue on wats this VJD method?

A method similar to Duckworth-Lewis. Named after V Jeyadevan who devised it. In domestic cricket, it is used instead of DL http://www.cricketarchive.com/Miscellaneous/Rain_Rule_Methods.html

[Dinx - the Jinx]

thanks tapioca..i'm going to a look and try to grasp...

[Mr. Wicket]

Abhishek Nayar is a better batsman than at least 3 of the guys who batted in the top 6...