Blundering ways of Indian selectors

[putrevus]

I am not averse to playing Irfan as an all rounder in conditions where we are playing 2 spinners. Having said that, Mathews is a proper batsman who can bowl. He has a First Class average of 50+. But playing a 5th specialist bowler is pretty stupid given the quality we have at our disposal. Irfan seems to have fallen out of favor with someone on quite a serious note. Because regardless of the debate one can have over his place in the test side, that he does not make the squad or even the 30 probables for ODIs and T20s is quite surprising. He is the perfect number 7 batsman in the format and should be able to give you 6-0-35-1 on a regular basis. I also agree that our choice of fast bowlers is not at all in line with the swinging conditions in Sri Lanka. All our fast bowling choices are hit the deck variety and though they can get some reverse swing, their swing credentials with the new ball are non existent.

I think the fault is with expectations everyone has with Irfan, his initial success with ball with one time preferred over Zak as main bowler has made it hard for people to reconcile to the fact he cannot be spearhead for bowling attack but can be okay complimentary bowler who can bat. They have to decide now is that good enough to be a part of test team if answer is no then they need to find a bat who can bowl and hold one end without leaking lot of runs.Going with Yuvraj who has lost lot of his zip on field and is no certainty with bat is not the answer.His fielding yesterday was pathetic they were taking singles hit to him at will, with gambhir who is not even half decent at shortleg there is not backing of bowlers.

[Chandan]

It is not whether we play 4 bowlers or five bowlers is where the selectors have blundered. It is their failure to identify at least 4 test or even 5, is where they have failed As long as Zaheer, Ishant and Sree were fit, they didn't feel it necessary to identify 2 more seamers who can bowl in tests The moment two main seamers got injured, selectors randomness in selection without any vision got exposed. Same is the case with MO order batsmen. Have they identified 3-4 MO batsmen with choices 1,2,3 and 4 who can replace the main MO batsmen that are playing today? This very year when Rahul and Laxman got injured for the 1st test against SA, their randomness and useless selection was exposed cruelly. But did they learn a lesson? No. This time they've chosen Raina as the preferred MO batsman. As for test bowler, well they plumped for Mithun who has had just 11 FC matches under his belt and is still a work in progress. This set of selectors have destroyed the building of bench strength in tests completely and have taken India at least 5 steps back.

However, Sehwag does not enjoy Dhoni's confidence. And thats a pity.

Vortex, Sehwag enjoys full confidence of Dhoni but Dhoni doesn't want to over work him as Sehwag has had his shoulder troubling him since last two years. Do you want to lose Sehwag as a batsman too? Well, at least Dhoni doesn't want to lose him and hence uses him sparingly as a bowler and rightly so.

[thevortex]

Chandan - in this series, I do not think it is so much an issue with the selectors. About Dhoni and Sehwag, bear with me if I do not fall in line with your thinking. Dhoni has definite favourites - like many captains. And even when Sehwag did not have shoulder issues, his usage of Sehwag the bowler left much to desire.

[asterix]

I'm bit concerned about the quality/standard of players coming up. India is not throwing up top class players.. Most of them are mediocres. They might perform here and there but not on a consistent basis. I'm ready to blame it on IPL.. IPL has destroyed Indian cricket and will keep on doing it...Shame on you Modi.. Because of the readily available IPL money, players are not focussed on performing well in Test matches and we have seen a whole lot of indifferent/can't be bothered Indian players just going through their motions in Test matches..

[Fontaine]

Instead of going with a fifth bowler I would like to see captains being more proactive/creative in using part time bowlers. You can bring in a Yuvraj/Sehwag etc for a few overs and for example and tempt batsmen to slog away to certain fields meant to hole out the batsmen. Especially when you need to break a long standing partnership. But that's not going to work if your front line spinners are bowling a whole lot of crap either.

[asterix]

Pace bowling depleted by injury to Zak and Sree. But this is Srilanka tour and your spin bowling should help you in saving/winning matches..I don't Zak and Sree or any other medium pacer would've done much when you have 2 pathetic spinners in your ranks..

[putrevus]

Pace bowling depleted by injury to Zak and Sree. But this is Srilanka tour and your spin bowling should help you in saving/winning matches..I don't Zak and Sree or any other medium pacer would've done much when you have 2 pathetic spinners in your ranks..

Even the last series India won at home against these guys it was sreesanth and Zak setting up those wins and spinners chipped in,we all know how much Bhajji sucked in first test there also. Bhajji if you take out those 5 wickets in eden gardens against SA in which he labored to get three tail enders plus duminy (who was walking wicket) he has not played a major role in win since galle test last time.Even Bangbros had great time against him.

[saneindian]

It may not be what they are doing. But you will agree, Mr. Wicket, that they are not the ones who have to win this game. They are already 1-0. Not that they are not trying to win it. But would you describe India's strategies as aggressive? By any stretch of imagination? On such a featherbed of a track - would you select an extra bowler or an extra batsman?

Had the legspinner been picked, we would have been saying why pick a bowler who has done nothing on the tour!!

[asterix]

I think most of the fans know that on placid pitches atleast wrist spinners have better chance of success than finger spinners (unless otherwise they are bowling against India, then both sets have good chance)..

[saneindian]

I think most of the fans know that on placid pitches atleast wrist spinners have better chance of success than finger spinners (unless otherwise they are bowling against India' date=' then both sets have good chance)..[/quote'] The last time the wrist spinner played on a placud track vs the same opponents , he went for 200+ runs!! Lets not talk of Mishra as Shane Warne reborn. The only time he has bowled well in his career has been when India have piled up runs on the board , else he has been as ordinary as everyone else.

[thevortex]

Had the legspinner been picked' date=' we would have been saying why pick a bowler who has done nothing on the tour!![/quote'] On the tour? There was just a single opener. And that alone cannot be the metric to judge. Ojha picked up wickets by the bushel there - even though he was expensive. He is the least penetrative of all the bowlers - over the past two Tests (or 1.1 Tests as this is ongoing :)).

[asterix]

The last time the wrist spinner played on a placud track vs the same opponents ' date=' he went for 200+ runs!! Lets not talk of Mishra as Shane Warne reborn. The only time he has bowled well in his career has been when India have piled up runs on the board , else he has been as ordinary as everyone else.[/quote'] Then even Bhajji has poor past record on these tracks..Atleast the new spinners will genuinly try hard to perform, given a chance.. But Dhoni's hate towards Mishra is epic. He has a history of not backing Mishra with proper field placings..

[saneindian]

Then even Bhajji has poor past record on these tracks..Atleast the new spinners will genuinly try hard to perform, given a chance.. But Dhoni's hate towards Mishra is epic. He has a history of not backing Mishra with proper field placings..

Not sure about that, but you have left no one with any doubt how much you love Dhoni :--D

[The Realist]

Putting the pitch and conditions to one side - its in Sri Lanka and what do you expect. The cricket played by India has been frankly gutless and guileless. Considering HOW OFTEN India play Sri Lanka, you would have thought there would now be a well developed game-plan of how to bow to each batsman. But NO, India continue to play pathetic, tenth grade cricket led by a clueless captain who has more interest in producing ads than showing any level of intelligence in his team's cricket. So so poor but so avoidable as well.

[asterix]

Putting the pitch and conditions to one side - its in Sri Lanka and what do you expect. The cricket played by India has been frankly gutless and guileless. Considering HOW OFTEN India play Sri Lanka, you would have thought there would now be a well developed game-plan of how to bow to each batsman. But NO, India continue to play pathetic, tenth grade cricket led by a clueless captain who has more interest in producing ads than showing any level of intelligence in his team's cricket. So so poor but so avoidable as well.

Your Typo is actually correct!! :winky: They do have a Game Plan!!

[Chandan]

If the selectors do not develop a pool of 20 test players, it'll be extremely difficult in the coming months with packed schedule and one or two greats retiring. I'll suggest a pool of 4 openers, 6 middle order batsmen, 2 keepers, 5-6 test seamers and 3 test spinners. What choices can you have for all these candidates, guys. Openers: Sehwag (RH) Gambhir (LH) Vijay(RH) Mukund or Dhawan(LH) Middle Order Dravid Sachin Laxman Rohit Kohli Pujara Keepers Dhoni Karthik (no other choice is there) Seamers Zaheer Ishant Sreesanth Mithun Irfan Munaf? Spinners Bhajji Mishra Ojha? Your choices?

[thevortex]

Add Badrinath to that middle order, Chandan. Add R.P.Singh to the seamers list. And Karthik (Murali) has to be there in the spinners list. And lets not ignore Romesh Powar for Tests. I think it was a mistake to field him for limited overs matches in the first place.

[Chandan]

Hmm.. I think Badri's time is up Vortex and the attitude with which he batted in tests against SA proved it. RP Singh has been floundering even the Ranji matches. I hope you followed Ranji Trophy last year. If he gains his old swing magic of 2007-08, everyone would readily include him in XI, not just XX. Murali Kartik ---I'd have liked him so much to be there but he won't be selected for reasons not known to anyone apart from the selectors and he is quite old now. Same for Powar too. Did I leave anyone else?

[thevortex]

Chandan - count me shocked! In Test matches how do you expect people to bat? Is Strike rate going to be the measuring yardstick for prospective batsmen in Test matches? I dearly hope not. I saw nothing at all wrong with Badrinath's 'attitude' on the basis of that single Test match against South Africa. R.P.Singh remains a bowler to be invested in. As is Unadkat. Add him to the list please. What is this about age? They are spinners. It is after 30 that they are best. Age is a non issue in this case, Chandan.

[Chandan]

Chandan - count me shocked! In Test matches how do you expect people to bat? Is Strike rate going to be the measuring yardstick for prospective batsmen in Test matches? I dearly hope not. I saw nothing at all wrong with Badrinath's 'attitude' on the basis of that single Test match against South Africa.

Single match? I thought he was given the entire series, ie, both the tests. And no, SR is not the criteria, but your approach is. Dravid's SR must be one of the lowest but he never looks timid, afraid or fearful of failure which can be misunderstood as afraid of extreme pace, which is what Badrinath looked. And it isn't just these two matches where his this approach was visible to the spectators. I saw him during the Irani trophy match against Delhi where Ishant destroyed him. Then against BP XI, against Lee, Johnson and othe Aussie bowlers where Rohit, Kohli and Yuvraj hit tons but Badri failed miserably. I don't think he can succeed against quality bowlers, and the selectors agree with me now, it seems.

R.P.Singh remains a bowler to be invested in. As is Unadkat. Add him to the list please. What is this about age? They are spinners. It is after 30 that they are best. Age is a non issue in this case, Chandan.

How I wish RP Singh discovers his old magic! I'll be keeping a close eye on Ranji season this year too. If he shows any sign of coming back, he'll replace Munaf in the list without a hesitation. As for Unadkat, let him play at least one season first and then see how he goes. Wonder how we can choose/select a test bowler if he hasn't played even one season of FC cricket! Vortex, Kartik is 34 years old and don't think he can last for more than 3 years as you saw how Kumble, Warne, Murali etc retired at the same age as their body wasn't co operating to have long spells in test match and then recover within 2-3 days for the next test match. Same will happen to Kartik too. But his exclusion remains a mystry. I didn't include him because selectors won't select him anyway.