The African Safari: Make or break test series

[saneindian]

well PK is a slowish swing bowler who doesnt even have bounce. Not sure how effective he would have been. India's certainly got better prospects than pk in tests.

On those pitches, he would be handy even with his 80 mph bowling. BTW in good conditions, he is capable of hitting 83-84 mph and has done that previously.

[vaibhav_delhi]

On those pitches' date=' he would be handy even with his 80 mph bowling. BTW in good conditions, he is capable of hitting 83-84 mph and has done that previously.[/quote'] lack of pace and bounce makes him largely ineffective more so when the ball loses shine after first few overs.

[Chandan]

PK and Mithun sould have been an ideal choice as the 4th and 5th seamer for this trip. PK providing us the swing option and Mithun the hit the deck seam bowler. Yadav and Uadkat IMO are still raw and under development. But then now that they have been selected, I will back them to do well for us if need arises. Remember how Mithun was written off completely but made a decent impression on dead tracks. Also, it will not be a bad idea to play them in the 1-2 ODIs vs the kiwis.

Mithun vs Yadav This is what Dileep Premachandran has written about the squad selected for SA: In Norse mythology, Valhalla is where warriors go to die. For fast bowlers, it is Sri Lankan pitches that resemble the hall in Asgard. If you want to punish one, do not drop him from the team. Send him on a tour of the island instead. Back in 2006, when Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara added 624 at the Sinhalese Sports Club, South Africa's bowling line-up included Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini, hardly a pair of friendly medium pacers. In July, with Zaheer Khan out injured, Abhimanyu Mithun made his debut in Sri Lanka. Having made a name for himself with a 47-wicket haul in the previous Ranji Trophy season, where Karnataka reached the final after a long absence, it was his task to share the new ball with Ishant Sharma and confront a batting line-up renowned for mastery in their own conditions. Mithun bowled some lively spells on some of the most placid surfaces in the game, finishing the three Tests with an unflattering six wickets at an average of 62. In the final Test at the P Sara Oval, he contributed a sprightly 46 with the bat and took the vital wicket of the in-form Thilan Samaraweera as a side missing Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer pulled off a series-levelling victory. It was understood that he would make way when Zaheer came back for the home Tests against Australia and New Zealand, but he cannot have imagined that he would be jettisoned from the squad altogether. No matter. The combinations chosen for home games are not usually packed with pace bowlers and Mithun must have consoled himself with the thought that he would be recalled when names were jotted down for the tour of South Africa. Think again. On Saturday evening, the Indian board released a list of 17 names, and two pace bowlers were in as back-up for the established trio of Zaheer, Ishant and Shantakumaran Sreesanth. One was the 19-year-old Jaidev Unadkat, highly rated by Wasim Akram and already with the team as a reserve for the New Zealand series. The second name was a real wild card, Vidarbha's Umesh Yadav. Playing for a weaker team in the Ranji Trophy's Plate League - the second division - Yadav has taken 53 wickets at an average of 25.71 in 16 games. He caught the eye with his brisk pace during the last Indian Premier League season, but six wickets in seven games for the Delhi Daredevils hardly represented an eye-popping return. He then went to Zimbabwe and picked up just one wicket in three matches as a weakened Indian side were twice embarrassed by the hosts. Though he occasionally nudged the speed-gun beyond 140kph, his bowling was little more than innocuous. His selection ahead of Mithun and a whole host of others - RP Singh may struggle in India, but relishes South African conditions - is nothing short of perplexing. India have gone down this obsessed-with-pace blind alley before in South Africa. Vikram Raj Vir Singh was a left-field pick on the last tour in 2006/07. On the second day of a tour game against Rest of South Africa in Potchefstroom, he bowled a superb spell that showcased both genuine pace and hostility. By the next day though, he was struggling to land it on the cut strip. His radar was just as awry in the two Tests that he played and his profligacy in Durban - he went for 64 from 10 overs in the second innings - played a big part in India losing the plot. Not only was he not in the same pace league as Steyn, but, more importantly, he lacked any semblance of the control required against batsmen comfortable against speed. Yadav aside, the selection is on expected lines. The top six pick themselves, especially with Gautam Gambhir now having emerged from his lean spell. In case South Africa successfully exploit Suresh Raina's perceived failings against the short ball, Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara will be there to step in. MS Dhoni, whose fingers these days have more tape than a ballerina's feet, also has back-up in Wriddhiman Saha, the Bengal wicketkeeper with tidy hands and a decent range of strokes. That India do not foresee spin being a huge factor is apparent as only Harbhajan and Pragyan Ojha have been chosen. The off-spin of Suresh Raina and the all-sorts offered by Sachin Tendulkar could act as fillers, with the team keen not to strain Virender Sehwag's shoulder unduly in the build-up to the World Cup. Ishant and Sreesanth bowled as well as they have done in a while in the first innings of the ongoing third Test against New Zealand in Nagpur and provided Zaheer recovers in time, India have a pace attack that can again surprise South Africa, as they did at the Wanderers four years ago. But with the back-up so thin on experience, keeping the three amigos fit will be of paramount importance. So he agrees with me about pace and spin back up being tooooo thin!

[ZodiaC]

Excellent article by Dileep, sums it up nicely. Thanks Chandan for sharing.

[saneindian]

Just had another thought. What if Kohli/Yuvraj or both of them have a great ODI series vs the Kiwis? Will they be added to the squad for SA? What if Vinay Kumar does well with the ball? Will he be considered as well?

[vaibhav_delhi]

These are your posts where not one post gives a reason why Yadav should be picked in the test team. This is a thread for analysing the squad selected, not what we want the dquad to be as it has already been selected. Any discussion about ODI ot T20 are deleted from hereon, in this thread!!

"Selectors wanted to pursue with a youngster with a strong action, good pace and bounce, fairly accurate and a good fielder in all probability." this is what I have said about yadav not only in this thread but in 1 or 2 more threads. but I guess you cant read.

[Chandan]

"Selectors wanted to pursue with a youngster with a strong action, good pace and bounce, fairly accurate and a good fielder in all probability." this is what I have said about yadav not only in this thread but in 1 or 2 more threads. but I guess you cant read.

And where can you back it up with facts? In Zim, I didn't see him getting vicious, disconcerting bounce which Ishant can get. Where did you see him get that. Any article which says he has a strong action, he can make players from SA uncomfortable with his pace (means it should be consistently above 145km with few going above 150)? I haven't seen or read anything about him like that as yet!

unless the post is highly disruptive to public order here or uses a language of unacceptable standards,there is no need for this. if you look at it closely, he is reply to other people's post and also given some reasons which you have chosen to ignore.

YI, No. I have not ignored anything. I had started this thread for an analysis of the squad that has been picked for SA. And look what I'm getting . Everything except analysis! Whether PK sjhould be added or not, or whether he is fit for tests in SA or not, we already had another thread started by The Outsider "Fast Bowling stocks". There is no point in repeating them in this thread here too, missing the point of the thread altogether!

[ZodiaC]

And where can yoy back it up with facts. In Zim, I didn't see him getting vicious, disconcerting bounce which Ishant can get. Where did you see him get that. Any article which says he has a strong action, he can make players from SA uncomfortable with his pace (means it should be consistently above 145km with few going above 150)? I haven't seen or read anything about him like that as yet!

Yep, he hardly touched 140's in Zimbabwe, and didn't even deserve the 1 wicket he got. He was that wayward.

[vaibhav_delhi]

And where can yoy back it up with facts. In Zim, I didn't see him getting vicious, disconcerting bounce which Ishant can get. Where did you see him get that. Any article which says he has a strong action, he can make players from SA uncomfortable with his pace (means it should be consistently above 145km with few going above 150)? I haven't seen or read anything about him like that as yet!

he was bowling 140+ consistently in the IPL matches. do not bother replying to my posts coz I couldn't care less abt what you think.

[The Outsider]

Yadav isn't even that quick. Yes, his first spells were around the 140 kmph mark, but his second and third spells were barely in the 130-135 range. Can he even sustain the 140 speed over the length of a test innings where he would be bowling around 20 overs? I have serious doubts. Unadkat is inexperienced, no doubt. But he can be a very good back up third seamer for the tour. I've rarely seen or read about him completely losing the plot. In the absence of a proper strike option as the third seamer, someone who can keep control on things is the next best choice. And I think Unadkat can provide that option. For the same reason I would have been happy even if they had chosen Praveen Kumar. The only time Praveen Kumar gets taken to the cleaners is in the slog overs of an ODI, a situation he will never face in a test match.

[Sachinism]

he was bowling 140+ consistently in the IPL matches. do not bother replying to my posts coz I couldn't care less abt what you think.

Forget IPL, did he bowl those speeds in Zim? Also Chandan is talking about bounce, from what I saw of Umesh, didn't seem that kinda bowler

[Sachinism]

Yadav isn't even that quick. Yes, his first spells were around the 140 kmph mark, but his second and third spells were barely in the 130-135 range. Can he even sustain the 140 speed over the length of a test innings where he would be bowling around 20 overs? I have serious doubts. Unadkat is inexperienced, no doubt. But he can be a very good back up third seamer for the tour. I've rarely seen or read about him completely losing the plot. In the absence of a proper strike option as the third seamer, someone who can keep control on things is the next best choice. And I think Unadkat can provide that option. For the same reason I would have been happy even if they had chosen Praveen Kumar. The only time Praveen Kumar gets taken to the cleaners is in the slog overs of an ODI, a situation he will never face in a test match.

The worry with PK is that once the ball loses its shine he becomes an easy to play bowler. BTW anyone know if PK can get any reverse?

[vaibhav_delhi]

Yadav isn't even that quick. Yes' date= his first spells were around the 140 kmph mark, but his second and third spells were barely in the 130-135 range. Can he even sustain the 140 speed over the length of a test innings where he would be bowling around 20 overs? I have serious doubts. Unadkat is inexperienced, no doubt. But he can be a very good back up third seamer for the tour. I've rarely seen or read about him completely losing the plot. In the absence of a proper strike option as the third seamer, someone who can keep control on things is the next best choice. And I think Unadkat can provide that option. For the same reason I would have been happy even if they had chosen Praveen Kumar. The only time Praveen Kumar gets taken to the cleaners is in the slog overs of an ODI, a situation he will never face in a test match.

yes he can mate. He may have gone down in pace coz it is not doing him any good on the flat pitches in limited over matches. yadav has got a strong built and a strong and well synchronized action. He is right up there after Ishant Sharma as the most pacy and bouncy bowler in india.

[ZodiaC]

The worry with PK is that once the ball loses its shine he becomes an easy to play bowler. BTW anyone know if PK can get any reverse?

At his pace? Sounds unlikely IMO.

[youngindia]

His international record does not matter cos tests are different? So on what basis are you going to judge if someone can do well in tests?

it all boils down to what you can do to trouble top notch international batsmen and the quality of your game . any factors you mention is useless as long as you don't trouble batsmen in internationals. his trump card is " move the ball both ways"...but its highly dependent on weather conditions ,comes at pedestrian pace and lasts only a certain period. that makes his limitations significant.his line and length is acurate but not mcgrath category brilliant. in international cricket, its usualy the more brilliant bowlers who go on to have long careers. if you are talking baout in team comeptition, there are zaheer and sreesanth. so he is not needed. he is neither a special bowler nor he is the best available within the local team In international sports, its tough. its not a normal office job. limited places and high standards.

[saneindian]

it all boils down to what you can do to trouble top notch international batsmen and the quality of your game . any factors you mention is useless as long as you don't trouble batsmen in internationals. his trump card is " move the ball both ways"...but its highly dependent on weather conditions ,comes at pedestrian pace and lasts only a certain period. that makes his limitations significant.his line and length is acurate but not mcgrath category brilliant. in international cricket, its usualy the more brilliant bowlers who go on to have long careers. if you are talking baout in team comeptition, there are zaheer and sreesanth. so he is not needed. he is neither a special bowler nor he is the best available within the local team In international sports, its tough. its not a normal office job. limited places and high standards.

No we are talking about bowlers fighting for the 4th and 5th spot in the team. The 3 frontline seamers obviously are Zak, Ishant and Sree. On your rest of the points, its not as if we have got young Mcgraths and Marshalls knocking the door. Compare PK with the likes of Munaf, RPS, Unadkat, Vinay Kumar, Mithun, Tyagi, Yadav etc on the factors I mentioned in my post.

[saneindian]

The worry with PK is that once the ball loses its shine he becomes an easy to play bowler. BTW anyone know if PK can get any reverse?

Yes he does. In a Duleep Trophy semi final early this year shown live on Neo, he did bowl some good in dippers with the old ball. Even in the 2007-08 Ranji final, he bowled well with the old ball. Obviously pace is a handicap, but he troubled the batsmen with his slight reverse swing in the two matches I have seen him bowl with the red ball.

[ZodiaC]

Anyways Yadav is a terrible choice, that's sure. Really feels sad for Mithun, the guy toiled fricken hard on lifeless wickets and this is what he gets in turn.

[Chandan]

it all boils down to what you can do to trouble top notch international batsmen and the quality of your game . any factors you mention is useless as long as you don't trouble batsmen in internationals. .

I agree completely. With our spin bowler so ordinary (ie, Harbhajan--we shouldn't be expecting anything from him in SA; if he can hold one end up, that'll be more than enough), all the wickets have to be taken by seamers. So if the need arises, can any of the back up seamers provide us bagful of wickets? Thats the entite question. One can have all the attributes, but he needs to provide wickets and that is what matters. And it is here that Yadav disappoints me the most!

[ViruRulez]

Good and expected squad but a bit surprised not to see Mishra while both Unadkat and Yadav make it to the squad. Maybe BCCI included loads of pacers especially express sort of pacers due to the pacy wickets of SA.