India-Australia pre test discussion for Mohali

[cowboysfan]

I just wanted to get some info on thr bangalore pitch.has it magically been transformed or can we expect another dull snooze fest?.During the ipl3 there was a marked improvement in the bounce but that might have changed now.

[vamos_rafa]

Ricky Ponting:'When Australia play, there is very good cricket'

Ricky, you're coming off a long break. You must be looking forward to some good, challenging cricket? We are very excited. Looking forward to the challenge in the next few days of these Test matches. It's a very challenging place for all teams to play. It was supposed to be a seven-match one-day series, then the BCCI requested two Test matches. You play a lot of one-day cricket but Test matches are everything for any cricketer... It's always been my favourite format of the game. We've got the Ashes series just round the corner as well, and I'd rather be playing these two Test matches and three one-dayers, rather than the one-dayers that we were supposed to playing. It is a good opportunity for us to get back to playing Test match cricket. Two Test matches is a tricky kind of a series. If you lose the first, you are chasing to get the series level. You think this could be a tricky one? Yeah, I guess there's a chance for everyone. We've got a really short window. We're cramming everything in at the moment and then we get back to Australia and play three one-dayers against Sri Lanka. Hopefully we're the team that can take some initiative along the series and start the Test matches really well. In 2001, Australia came here as No. 1 and India were trying to challenge them. If you look at the history of India-Australia cricket, Australia has been dominant and India have tried to pose a challenge. This time it's the other way round. Well, I think we've got three very strong rivals. India is obviously one, as we have had such intense tussles in the last five years. The Ashes series against England - that has a bit of an extra edge to it. But I think some of the challenges against South Africa have been pretty tough. If you look at those three series, there is not really much to differentiate between them, but there is probably just more of an edge [in those] than in any other game. There have been fears that Test cricket would die, but it seems to be in the pink of health. There seem to be five teams competing at more or less the same level. Test cricket is really strong. You need all the countries that are playing to be strong. That's why Pakistan's situation is a shame. We never thought about our team as No. 1 team or of our team as being better than anyone else, but when Australia play, there is very good cricket. We don't play draws, we always have results. Now it is time we start lifting ourselves back to the top. The best way for us is to come back to India and perform. We look forward to the summer and Ashes series. We have got seven Test matches up until the middle of January. We'll manage to come out on top. How much you believe in the rankings? Do you think India is a worthy No. 1? Yes, of course. Does it give the players an extra incentive? This is India, No. 1, let's go out and teach them a lesson? It is a great challenge. We are not focused or sold on rankings. We plan to give it a good shot. Looking at the Indian side, what do you think of their team? Their bowlers were a lot better than our bowlers last time. The spinners played really well last time, but we are very well prepared on those fronts this time. When you look at someone like Sehwag, do you think he has been an impact player of the decade? Indian players play their best in Test cricket. Sehwag's dangerous. Our bowlers will be bowling their fair share of short balls at him. Young bowlers like [Mitchell] Johnson are looking forward to unsettling him at the top of the order. Sachin Tendulkar - people are falling in love with him all over again. You are about the same age. Is he an inspiration for you? Over the last 12 months, Sachin's been playing exceptionally well. He seems to be the batsman everybody seems to be chasing. He is the key wicket - if we get him, there is a good chance to win the game. There was a time when people used to think that Ponting would catch Sachin in terms of runs, but do you now think that he has widened that gap a bit? He is in his 40s, I am on 39 [centuries]. I am in the best of shape. Honestly, it feels like some of my best batting is just round the corner. I have worked really hard in the gym over the last four or five years to make sure of my fitness. One thing I have been working really hard on is to get that pull shot back on the way it was before. Harbhajan Singh has taken your wicket a few times. Why do you think he has been able to do so so often? None of the other offspinners have their way around me as Harbhajan does. So I have to give it to him. He has bowled very well against me, and he has picked up my wickets seven times [10] in Test cricket and a couple of times [three] in one-dayers. How much do you miss the early days of the India-Australia rivalry? It was a great period to play and every player was a champion player. We had [Matthew] Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Jason Gillespie, [Glenn] McGrath. Those guys built their own reputation. You can't afford to miss those players. We might not be as dominant as we were four or five years ago but we will really be looking to get some good results.

[cowboysfan]

first test XI@mohali i think Sree looks unlikely for this game(we might regret this decision) my team gambhir viru Dravid sachin vvs raina dhoni bhajji zak ojha sree

[diegovegaz]

mishra ahead of ojha, for me

[The Dark Horse]

I would still go with Ishant, rest is fine

[cowboysfan]

mishra ahead of ojha' date=' for me[/quote'] mishra has regressed terribly ,i cant see him playing the first test.

[Laaloo]

Sehwag Gauti Dravid Sachin Laxman RAina Dhoni Harbhajan ZAK Ishant Sree

[b555]

Sehwag Gautam Dravid Sachin Laxman RAina Dhoni Harbhajan ZAK Ishant mishra

[jibranpatel15]

mr.srikanth what do u see in ishant that all time u take him in 15 man squad even mithun bowled better than ishant against lanka man and munaf can be handy tha even shreesanth.by the way my playing 11 for mohali are : -Sehwag -Gambhir -Dravid -Sachin -Laxman -Raina -Dhoni -Harbhajan -Zaheer -Sreesanth -Ojha Think of munaf mr.srikanth hes better than sree and ishant atleast.

[Karan114]

Gambhir Sehwag Dravid Tendulkar Laxman Raina Dhoni Harbhajan Zaheer Sreesanth Ojha

[saneindian]

Sehwag Gautam Dravid Sachin Laxman Raina Dhoni Harbhajan ZAK Ishant Ojha Hope injuries to Sehwag, Gambhir and Bhajji are not serious. Would love to see our first choice test 11 take the field after a long long time.

[Sir john]

MY SQUAD vijay viru sachin dravid laxman raina dhoni ojha bhajji ishant zak

[Jersey #10]

Sachin x 11 and India wins

[Gunner_Mania]

i think Sree looks unlikely for this game(we might regret this decision) my team gambhir viru Dravid sachin vvs raina dhoni bhajji zak ojha sree

Vijay if Gambhir is injured Ashwin if Bhajji is injured else the same team as above

[Texan]

toss up between Ishant and Sree... not that both deserve to be in the team, but we don't have much options. I would also like to see Munaf being picked for tests now.

[Roshanrocks]

sachdan was supposed to open this thread :whine:

[ZodiaC]

Pujara Viru Dravid Goddy VVS Raina Dhoni Bhajji (Ashwin if injured) Zaheer Ojha Sree

[gaurav92]

Sehwag Gambhir Dravid Sachin Laxman Raina Dhoni Harbhajan/Ojha Zaheer Mishra Sreesanth/Ishant Can't decide between the two.I would like to go wityh Sree, but my heart says Ishant will have an edge over Sree with his opast records against Aussies.... Final Pick : Ishant after a long thought.

[philcric]

Not gonna happen but I'd like to see 3 pacers + spinner + sehwag. We have to consider sehwag as an all-rounder like Watson/Kallis/Mathews. Sehwag plus left arm spin (Ojha/MKartik) would be a good combination imo, and we wouldn't be losing out much by not picking 2 specialist spinners which invariably means sehwag is under-bowled. At the same time, picking 3 seamers means pace bowling workload will be shared, they'd be able to give it their all in all the spells, and also it gives scope for more pace bowlers to develop at test level. I know some of these players are not in the squad, but this is what i'd like .. Sehwag Gambhir Dravid Tendulkar Laxman Raina / Pujara *+ Dhoni Zaheer M Kartik Ishant Sreesanth

[ZodiaC]

Not gonna happen but I'd like to see 3 pacers + spinner + sehwag. We have to consider sehwag as an all-rounder like Watson/Kallis/Mathews. Sehwag plus left arm spin (Ojha/MKartik) would be a good combination imo, and we wouldn't be losing out much by not picking 2 specialist spinners which invariably means sehwag is under-bowled. At the same time, picking 3 seamers means pace bowling workload will be shared, they'd be able to give it their all in all the spells, and also it gives scope for more pace bowlers to develop at test level. I know some of these players are not in the squad, but this is what i'd like .. Sehwag Gambhir Dravid Tendulkar Laxman Raina / Pujara *+ Dhoni Zaheer M Kartik Ishant Sreesanth

3 pacers against Oz in Indian pitches? No effing way. Do you think aus will have trouble facing our pacers (trundlers) in Indian pitches? :hmmm: 2 pacers and 2 spinners are ideal. Sehwag can be used as the 5th bowler.