India in NZ, 2009 : What do you think?

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For Sehwag, nothing has changed He continues to be hungry for runs, wants to dominate the attack, and importantly, continues to ‘love’ cricket. More... For Sehwag, nothing has changed Vijay Lokapally NEW DELHI: Virender Sehwag has evolved as a batsman as none before. Nothing has changed about his cricket. He continues to be hungry for runs, wants to dominate the attack, and importantly, continues to ‘love’ cricket. There is nothing complicated about Sehwag’s cricket. A simple stance, a mind-boggling range of strokes, lightning downswing of the bat and exceptional hand-eye co-ordination make Sehwag a most entertaining batsman to watch. “I see no reason to change,” he says as a matter of fact. A matter-of-pride for Sehwag would be the prestigious Polly Umrigar award which he is set to receive at a function in Mumbai on Wednesday before flying off to New Zealand. “Why should he change? His natural game is his strength,” asserts former great Kapil Dev. “Sehwag’s attitude towards the game is his strong point. He is the same as he looked when he started. Most batsmen change with age,” says Kapil. “Don Bradman, Sunil Gavaskar, Viv Richards, Sachin Tendulkar all experienced changes with age. But not Sehwag.” “I can’t imagine any other contemporary batsman commanding such respect. Have you ever heard of Sehwag making 30 off 100 balls?” asks Kapil. On the other hand M.S. Dhoni, known for his savage hitting in the initial days, has shed his aggression to an extent that even a 50 without a boundary should not surprise his fans. “I think it comes from his responsibilities as a captain,” Kapil offers a defence. On his part, Sehwag says: “Honestly, I have always considered my role to be important. As an opener, I have the responsibility to give the team a good start. I feel happy only when the team wins.” “This is a team sport and individuals only contribute to make it a collective success,” says Sehwag, who, like the rest, failed in the two Tests on India’s last tour of New Zealand but hit two rollicking centuries in the one-dayers. This time the team appears to be better prepared and Sehwag had reasons to be confident. “We are looking forward to the series. The seniors are keen to share the experience with the juniors. We collectively have a goal to win the series. “I see a role for myself. I have to give the team good starts so that the incoming batsman walks in with greater purpose and confidence. Important thing is to play without putting yourself under needless pressure. “I am not looking at setting or achieving personal goals. It is all about the team doing well and I know all other members think the same way,” claimed the flamboyant opener. Sehwag relies on proper training, conserving energy for bigger situations and regular yoga for relaxation when it comes to concentration. “I have never felt jaded because I have known my role. I am lucky that my captains and coaches have allowed me to be my own. And that, believe me, is the best thought to have. We are all keen to beat New Zealand. We have the potential to do that.” India’s only Test series triumph in New Zealand was achieved 41 years ago.

[Lord]

Both of your points are out of depth, SR. Lanka's condition were very very different to what we'll get in NZ. Secondly, Bhajji is our premere spinner in tests and does need overs under his belt before he moves to all important tests. ODIs and T20 will provide him that

i'm not questioning bhajji's selection.i'm questioning his selection WITHOUT proving any match fitness.we only gonna need one spinner n after his performances in lanka,ojha deserves to be that spinner unless bhajji is fully fit.last thing we need is a haalf-fit bhajji playing ahead of ojha

And who would you choose as your third seamer, if not Munaf when RPS and Sree are ruled out? That is a no brainer I suppose. In ODIs Pathan might get chances before Munaf but in tests, Munaf will be there.

why are RPS n Sree ruled out?both have passed their fitness tests n Sree also played some games.after what happened with munaf in SA,he would be the last person i'd trust on fitness.yet selectors picked him without him proving his match fitness

[Chandan]

i'm not questioning bhajji's selection.i'm questioning his selection WITHOUT proving any match fitness.we only gonna need one spinner n after his performances in lanka' date='ojha deserves to be that spinner unless bhajji is fully fit.last thing we need is a haalf-fit bhajji playing ahead of ojha[/quote'] And what about tests? If Bhajji won't play ODIs, how will he get primed up for tests? And if he doesn't become match fit by then, who'll replace him in tests? Ojha? Ojha has done well in SL and in slow conditions he has come up as another very good option for us. But for tests I'm afraid that we are still dependent on Bhajji and for him to do well in tests, he needs to bowl in every T20 and ODI match in NZ, leading to it.

why are RPS n Sree ruled out?both have passed their fitness tests n Sree also played some games.after what happened with munaf in SA,he would be the last person i'd trust on fitness.yet selectors picked him without him proving his match fitness

Sree and RPS passed the fitness test but there were still doubts whether they'll last the full distance on the tour! Apart from that, they were extremely poor in whatever game they got to display they were back. Selectors do not agree with you on Munaf and nor does the captain. Besides his injury was very minor. So there you go.

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Vaughan, NZC CEO, promises India good pitches “We will be playing in New Zealand conditions which would provide some assistance. The pitches here are a lot like England and allow the ball to bounce a lot." More... Vaughan promises India good pitches © Cricket Nirvana Wednesday, February 18, 2009 10:39:52 AM Mumbai: New Zealand Cricket (NZC) CEO Justin Vaughan has promised India better pitches during their tour of New Zealand, when compared to the ones they played in six years back. On its last tour, it had a terrible time, failing to cope with the windy conditions and bouncy tracks. They were thrashed 0-2 in the Test series and 2-5 in the ODI series. “We will be playing in New Zealand conditions which would provide some assistance. The pitches here are a lot like England and allow the ball to bounce a lot. Both New Zealand and India are high on confidence, since India has just wrapped up a great series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand has done pretty well against Australia too,” Vaughan said in an interview to Times of India. More NewsNew Zealand is hoping to make it a memorable trip for India as the teams lock horns in three Tests, five ODIs and two Twenty20 internationals over the next six weeks. “We are very keen to deliver a fabulous experience for the Indian team during this series, both during playtime and downtime. On the one hand, we are ensuring all the venues have world class playing conditions and the practice sessions are well-equipped; on the other, during their downtime, we are looking forward to give them a real taste of New Zealand with our spectacular scenery and dramatic landscapes.” Vaughan revealed that the Indian players were indeed offered to take part in some exhilarating adventure sports during their stay in the beautiful country. “We are offering the players a wide range of adventure activities from sky diving, bungee jumping, jet boating, rafting, hot air ballooning etc to choose from.” Vaughan defended the pitches that were prepared during the 2002-03 series, citing the weather as the primary reason for low-scoring affairs. “The 2003 tour happened in early summer (Dec-Jan) when the conditions are a lot more bowlerfriendly. This time, the series is better timed (Feb-Mar). We have had a very dry summer so far, which means that the wickets will be of good quality and there should be no concerns on this aspect.”

[Lord]

And what about tests? If Bhajji won't play ODIs' date=' how will he get primed up for tests? And if he doesn't become match fit by then, who'll replace him in tests? Ojha? Ojha has done well in SL and in slow conditions he has come up as another very good option for us. But for tests I'm afraid that we are still dependent on Bhajji and for him to do well in tests, he needs to bowl in every T20 and ODI match in NZ, leading to it.[/quote'] we cant risk odis for hope of bhajji getting fit for tests.if he is not fully fit,let him play domestic games n get fit.international games are not for regaining fitness. n if bhajji still doesnt get match fit,we still have AMIT MISHRA.it is well known that a leggie performs far better with the kookaburra ball than an offie.agreed mishra is far less experienced in comparison,but seeing the way bhajji has used his experience every time we tour outside subcontinent,i dont think it'll matter much.

Sree and RPS passed the fitness test but there were still doubts whether they'll last the full distance on the tour! Apart from that, they were extremely poor in whatever game they got to display they were back. Selectors do not agree with you on Munaf and nor does the captain. Besides his injury was very minor. So there you go.

if there were doubts about RPS n Sree,then how was munaf cleared,that is my exact question?Agreed he has been in form ,but they were ODIs against Eng in december,good two months back.RPS has always been a handful in seamer-friendly conditions.ditto with Sree ,so they should have been in line first for tests atleast. besides,how can u trust munaf after SA debacle.he is not an indispensible member of the squad.so either ask him to prove his match fitness or pick someone else.how can they trust his word after he has faked injury n let the team down in SA?

[Fontaine]

While I do believe that Bhajji is match fit simply because he's played so much cricket that past year, I know that he's going to suck in NZ.

[Chandan]

While I do believe that Bhajji is match fit simply because he's played so much cricket that past year' date=' I know that he's going to suck in NZ.[/quote'] Very true! But he can be used to block one end up in tests so that the seamers have a go from the other end!

[graphic23]

I really hope that if we go in for 3 seamers, then Mishra can get a chance to be our spinner.

[cowboysfan]

if bhajji sucks in the odis we might well see mishra instead of bhajji in the tests.

[Fontaine]

Very true! But he can be used to block one end up in tests so that the seamers have a go from the other end!

Yes, against most batsmen Harbhajan is capable of holding up one end. I don't want to see too much of that though. Given the inexperienced kiwi batsmen I'd like to see him flight the ball and give it loop to at least test them.

[spectre]

I would like to see Mishra play in tests ahead of Bhajji because nz have traditionally struggled against spin and more so with leg spinners. Sehwag needs to bowl more in test matches as well

[Macj]

1-0 to New Zealand the rest drawn, washed out whatever.

[Fontaine]

“We will be playing in New Zealand conditions which would provide some assistance. The pitches here are a lot like England and allow the ball to bounce a lot."

You know, sometimes I just wonder what happened to cricket. Everyone's making such a fuss over conditions which will help the bowlers. I don't know, whenever I think of swinging/seaming conditions, I can't help but smile and think back to our greatest triumph in the WC win. We were defending a measely total of 183 and right from the first ball Kapil Dev was getting enormous outswing in the air. I mean, even medium pacers like Sandhu, Lal were getting so much movement and swing and it was those conditions that won us the match plus that magnificient over the shoulder catch Kapil Dev had.