Will selectors be as bold in naming Test team?

[rkt.india]

The India squad for the ODI series against England has been picked and I am happy to see so many young faces, especially in bowling. It was disappointing to see the way India bowled in England in helpful conditions. There were discussions on why paceman Varun Aaron was not played in that one-day series, where he could actually have shown his skills. He will definitely get the opportunity now, albeit on good batting surfaces, but this will be a huge platform for him to showcase his skills. The selectors too need to back him, because if he can bowl at 90-miles an hour consistently, he deserves a better deal. They should also ensure good support to prevent him from becoming a medium-pacer within a span of one year, as has happened to so many speedsters here. There have been a few surprise selections too, with the selectors naming five seamers. Their tentativeness is understandable after the losses in England. But they will have to ensure that all five pacers get to play and don't become passengers, because then, the idea of selecting young bowlers will go waste. One cannot judge talent by keeping it seated in the dressing room, and even if their inclusion comes at the expense of the match, so be it. India will always be a difficult side to beat at home and the selectors should use this, as well as the West Indies series, to choose the squad for Australia, because it will be the performance Down Under, which will decide the image of Indian cricket. A good performance there is very important after the battering in England. Not bad decision The biggest news of this selection has been the exclusion of Harbhajan Singh. The selectors had to do something to send across the message that they meant business. I think it is not that bad a decision, as Harbhajan will get a break to recharge his batteries ahead of the tour of Australia, because I don't see an Indian team on that tour without him. He has bowled very well in the Champions League and, more importantly, has led the weakened side very well. He is a gutsy cricketer and will come back well. Every sportsperson has dull patches in his career and I have seen champions come back strongly after that. Dravid is a good example in the current team and I am sure Bhajji will do a similar thing. The chairman of the selection committee has said that reputations will not decide selection. It's a bold statement and rightly so. We saw that with the dropping of Harbhajan, but will he have the guts to maintain his stance when he sits down to pick the Test side, as the Test performance in England was below ordinary. We will have to wait and see before we put a tick mark next to his name. Meanwhile, the Mumbai Indians have silently cruised towards the last-four of the Champions League. They are a weakened side because of injuries to key players, but the unit has gelled well and, I believe, they could be the surprise pack in the tournament. http://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/columnscricket/Will-selectors-be-as-bold-in-naming-Test-team/Article1-752566.aspx

[vishalvirsingh]

The India squad for the ODI series against England has been picked and I am happy to see so many young faces, especially in bowling. It was disappointing to see the way India bowled in England in helpful conditions. There were discussions on why paceman Varun Aaron was not played in that one-day series, where he could actually have shown his skills. He will definitely get the opportunity now, albeit on good batting surfaces, but this will be a huge platform for him to showcase his skills. The selectors too need to back him, because if he can bowl at 90-miles an hour consistently, he deserves a better deal. They should also ensure good support to prevent him from becoming a medium-pacer within a span of one year, as has happened to so many speedsters here. There have been a few surprise selections too, with the selectors naming five seamers. Their tentativeness is understandable after the losses in England. But they will have to ensure that all five pacers get to play and don't become passengers, because then, the idea of selecting young bowlers will go waste. One cannot judge talent by keeping it seated in the dressing room, and even if their inclusion comes at the expense of the match, so be it. India will always be a difficult side to beat at home and the selectors should use this, as well as the West Indies series, to choose the squad for Australia, because it will be the performance Down Under, which will decide the image of Indian cricket. A good performance there is very important after the battering in England. Not bad decision The biggest news of this selection has been the exclusion of Harbhajan Singh. The selectors had to do something to send across the message that they meant business. I think it is not that bad a decision, as Harbhajan will get a break to recharge his batteries ahead of the tour of Australia, because I don't see an Indian team on that tour without him. He has bowled very well in the Champions League and, more importantly, has led the weakened side very well. He is a gutsy cricketer and will come back well. Every sportsperson has dull patches in his career and I have seen champions come back strongly after that. Dravid is a good example in the current team and I am sure Bhajji will do a similar thing. The chairman of the selection committee has said that reputations will not decide selection. It's a bold statement and rightly so. We saw that with the dropping of Harbhajan, but will he have the guts to maintain his stance when he sits down to pick the Test side, as the Test performance in England was below ordinary. We will have to wait and see before we put a tick mark next to his name. Meanwhile, the Mumbai Indians have silently cruised towards the last-four of the Champions League. They are a weakened side because of injuries to key players, but the unit has gelled well and, I believe, they could be the surprise pack in the tournament. http://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/columnscricket/Will-selectors-be-as-bold-in-naming-Test-team/Article1-752566.aspx

Not Sure whether Varun will be in the eleven in either of the two One day internationals keeping in view of DHoni's keep interest to play bowlers who only maintain line n length...i wish at leaset Umesh gets a chance to play at least..expecting chance to both varun n Umesh will be too much to ask from Dhoni..and umesh is definitely better of the two keeping in view of today's form.

[Sooda]

I hope so. I wish Mukund was in the ODI squad, he is proving that he should have been. Should have been in Eng too instead of Dravid or AT LEAST instead of Badri when he was drafted in. My squad for WI tests- Gambhir, Mukund, Laxman, Rahane, Sehwag (?), Pujara/Rohit, Saha, Mithun, Umesh, Ashwin, Ojha Pankaj,M Tiwary,Mishra

[saneindian]

A good chance to test the youngsters. If needed let MSD rest and Gambhir lead the side. Only one out of RD, VVS and SRT should ideally play in this series, Sehwag needs time to get fit and should be picked only after he has played a couple of first class games. Gambhir, Mukund, Rahane, Dravid/VVS/SRT, Raina (Rohit if fit), Manoj Tiwary (Yuvraj if fit), Parthiv, Ojha, Ashwin, PK, Mithun/Umesh

[rkt.india]

A good chance to test the youngsters. If needed let MSD rest and Gambhir lead the side. Only one out of RD, VVS and SRT should ideally play in this series, Sehwag needs time to get fit and should be picked only after he has played a couple of first class games. Gambhir, Mukund, Rahane, Dravid/VVS/SRT, Raina (Rohit if fit), Manoj Tiwary (Yuvraj if fit), Parthiv, Ojha, Ashwin, PK, Mithun/Umesh

Mithun wont be an international test success until he makes some changes to his bowling action like Yadav did. He is very one dimensional right now like Ishant is but then Ishant is quicker and taller.

[Crookbond]

I do feel Mithun has the right temperament to survive the rigors of international cricket though.

[rkt.india]

I do feel Mithun has the right temperament to survive the rigors of international cricket though.

Yes..he is fit and very athletic, but he needs changes in bowling action.

[saneindian]

Mithun wont be an international test success until he makes some changes to his bowling action like Yadav did. He is very one dimensional right now like Ishant is but then Ishant is quicker and taller.

In the absence of Sree, Ishant being injured , Zaheer injured etc, he is one of the very seamers having the experience of playing tests on these flat pattas. So should be in the 15. And he is a better bowler than Vinay who I am afraid may soon be a part of the test 15 as well.

[rkt.india]

In the absence of Sree, Ishant being injured , Zaheer injured etc, he is one of the very seamers having the experience of playing tests on these flat pattas. So should be in the 15. And he is a better bowler than Vinay who I am afraid may soon be a part of the test 15 as well.

Agree. I want Yadav to play these tests If Ishant is not there.

[CG]

Mithun wont be an international test success until he makes some changes to his bowling action like Yadav did. He is very one dimensional right now like Ishant is but then Ishant is quicker and taller.

ishant is not one dimensional at all,His release allows him to bowl the ball which hold its line which is dangerous but mithun just bowls inswing he does not have the outswinger.

[rkt.india]

ishant is not one dimensional at all' date='His release allows him to bowl the ball which hold its line which is dangerous but mithun just bowls inswing he does not have the outswinger.[/quote'] Ishant is one dimensional. The out swing that he gets usually happens unknowingly. He himself had admitted it on WI tour in an interview that you can find on ICF that he does not know how it goes away as he bowls his normal deliveries. Those are his normal deliveries. They just hold their line unintentionally and are not intended out swingers bowled by him. He is a tall man and when he bowls in that corridor of uncertainty, as he hits the deck hard sometimes seam changes direction and goes away instead of coming in.

[Cricket Tragic]

With the angle that he bowls at, he doesn't really need to bowl at outswinger. Anything that holds its line is tough to play.

[rkt.india]

With the angle that he bowls at' date=' he doesn't really need to bowl at outswinger. Anything that holds its line is tough to play.[/quote'] But it does not happen always and his angle gives batsmen an easy option to play him on the leg side, like what happened in England when KP played him so easily through the leg side whole day. It is not sure whether ball will hold its line or not. It normally goes on with the angle and very rarely holds its line. A bowler who bowls closer to the stumps and do not make big angle is always harder to play and likely to get more wickets in test matches. With this action, he also cannot bring the ball back to left handers which is a big weakness.

[Cricket Tragic]

But it does not happen always and his angle gives batsmen an easy option to play him on the leg side, like what happened in England when KP played him so easily through the leg side whole day. It is not sure whether ball will hold its line or not. It normally goes on with the angle and very rarely holds its line. A bowler who bowls closer to the stumps and do not make big angle is always harder to play and likely to get more wickets in test matches. With this action, he also cannot bring the ball back to left handers which is a big weakness.

Agreed but it is not an easy change to make for a bowler. Reg KP, he got him with one that held its line. He got picked through the leg side a lot because of the angle though.

[rkt.india]

Agreed but it is not an easy change to make for a bowler. Reg KP, he got him with one that held its line. He got picked through the leg side a lot because of the angle though.

Agree.

[Cricket Tragic]

I watched Sehwag's interview on the NDTV site y'day and he didn't appear very confident of making it in time for this series. I think it's better if he plays it safe and sits out.

[CG]

Ishant is one dimensional. The out swing that he gets usually happens unknowingly. He himself had admitted it on WI tour in an interview that you can find on ICF that he does not know how it goes away as he bowls his normal deliveries. Those are his normal deliveries. They just hold their line unintentionally and are not intended out swingers bowled by him. He is a tall man and when he bowls in that corridor of uncertainty, as he hits the deck hard sometimes seam changes direction and goes away instead of coming in.

Even if it happens unknowingly its his strength if he does not know batsman have no chance, He has gotten most wickets with the ball that holds it line son its unfair to label him as one dimensional .

[CG]

But it does not happen always and his angle gives batsmen an easy option to play him on the leg side, like what happened in England when KP played him so easily through the leg side whole day. It is not sure whether ball will hold its line or not. It normally goes on with the angle and very rarely holds its line. A bowler who bowls closer to the stumps and do not make big angle is always harder to play and likely to get more wickets in test matches. With this action, he also cannot bring the ball back to left handers which is a big weakness.

K.p is a legside player he played sharma well but he was lucky many times when the ball took the edge and lobbed up on off side when he was trying to force the ball legside.but 99% batsman are diff so no need to worry. Bolwers like ambrose,ntini also had angles its there strength they took wickets,People need to themselves sharma strength is inswing with the angle and one which hold its line and he should continue with that.

[rkt.india]

K.p is a legside player he played sharma well but he was lucky many times when the ball took the edge and lobbed up on off side when he was trying to force the ball legside.but 99% batsman are diff so no need to worry. Bolwers like ambrose,ntini also had angles its there strength they took wickets,People need to themselves sharma strength is inswing with the angle and one which hold its line and he should continue with that.

Ambrose did not have much angle while Ntini most of his life played on fast and bouncy SA pitches.