Dhoni, Karthik, or both?

[MundaPakistani]

i dont have dravid opening.. he comes in at #3... i have given 3 openers.. choose 2 to open...

oh :embaressed_smile:

[Predator_05]

That pitch at Lahore was possibly the flattest pitch in the history of test cricket so unless beaten in the air any batsman would have been able to score runs. At Faisalabad it was a slightly more tricky situation but once again the pitch was extremely flat and it didn't make much of a difference as to where Dravid batted he was always going to score runs how ever in the make or break situation at Karachi he only lasted for 16 balls in the entire match(11 and 5).

India lost the series the moment Harper gave Razzak not out when Zaheer had him plumb LBW. Pakistan were able to recover and India were chasing the game from that point on. What Dravid did or didn't do had nothing to do with it.

[The Outsider]

India lost the series the moment Harper gave Razzak not out when Zaheer had him plumb LBW. Pakistan were able to recover and India were chasing the game from that point on. What Dravid did or didn't do had nothing to do with it.

The conditions were ideal for bowling and while that decision might seem like a good hiding place fact is we lost the game due to our inept bowling in ideal conditions after the first hour. It was the likes of Akmal, Razzaq, and Akhtar we were bowling to FFS!! Surely we could have created more than one chance.

[MundaPakistani]

The conditions were ideal for bowling and while that decision might seem like a good hiding place fact is we lost the game due to our inept bowling in ideal conditions after the first hour. It was the likes of Akmal' date=' Razzaq, and Akhtar we were bowling to FFS!! Surely we could have created more than one chance.[/quote'] Yeah this one LBW decision going our way excuse doesn't wash...i can remember one or two crucial decisions going against us in the Rawalpindi test match but i would rather blame our catching, fitness and the brilliance of Mr. Dravid for our defeat. coming back to the topic.. Dravid with his technique was the most capable batsman in those conditions and by opening the batting he put his best batsman(himself) in an uncomfortable position from where he failed in both innings. It was a gutsy move as he was trying to do what's best for the team and he should be applauded for that but at the end of the day it was an incorrect decision.

[Chandan]

Dravid should not open!! No way. But I don't want to remove Karthik from the opener's slot too. I don't expect Jaffer to succeeed at all, nor Gambhir. So we are reduced to to just 4 MO batsmen + Karthik. Had Sehwag been there in place of Jaffer, it'd have been a boon for India!!

[King]

I think they should go with both. I don't reckon Yuvaj has really made his chances count. He had two good opportunities too in the county game but hasn't come good. I think India should stick with both Karthik and Dhoni at this point in time. If the choice is between VVS and Dhoni I would rather go for VVS and ask Karthik to wicket keep.

[Chandan]

I think they should go with both. I don't reckon Yuvaj has really made his chances count. He had two good opportunities too in the county game but hasn't come good. I think India should stick with both Karthik and Dhoni at this point in time. If the choice is between VVS and Dhoni I would rather go for VVS and ask Karthik to wicket keep.

And if the choice is between Dhoni and Yuvi? Karthik (keeper+opener) Jaffer Dravid Sachin VVS Ganguly Yuvi Kumble Zaheer Sree RPS How about this?? I know it'd be a desperate thing to do. But how about doing it for just this series?

[King]

I wouldn't choose Yuvi over Dhoni. I'll still go with Dhoni, he is not that bad a batter to drop him for Yuvi :wink_smile: Lest Dhoni does good wicket keeping. You could make a case for Yuvi considering he can field well and chip in with his left arm spin but somehow I'm not convinced about his batting prowess in test cricket as yet.

[Chandan]

I'm not convinced about his batting prowess in test cricket as yet.

Are you convinced about Dhoni's batting prowess in test?

[King]

I think he is quite capable even in test matches. It's just a matter of getting used to the conditions. Yuvi has been around for 7 years now and Dhoni only for the last couple of years. I would rather see Dhoni get few more hits.

[novpj]

I would choose Yuvi over Dhoni. Assuming the openers do their job we need some one to counter Monty and Yuvi being a left hander is a better bet.

[Chandan]

I would choose Yuvi over Dhoni. Assuming the openers do their job we need some one to counter Monty and Yuvi being a left hander is a better bet.

Yuvi against a quality spinner?? Have you ever seen him batting vs Murali?

[Predator_05]

Yuvi has been around for 7 years now and Dhoni only for the last couple of years.

They have played the same number of Tests.

[coffee_rules]

- Dravid, please don't open and Please, don't play 5 bowlers I think playing both Dhoni and Kartik will waste one good batsmen. Since we are going with 4 bowlers + Ganguly and Tendulkar, we need to strengthen the batsmen. It is hard to belive that Yuvraj is not a better bat than Dhoni. And Kartik opening has kept his chances of playing almost 100%. Risking Kartik to open and keep is a lower risk than not having the better batsmen out of Yuvraj and Dhoni. We need to have a stronger MO if the opening is weak. So, my vote goes for Yuvraj to play over Dhoni, who unfortunately will have to sit.

[Rahul]

You're right.. Stewart did it for 45 tests...

no.

 Stewart as an opener and 'keeper: 
 7   12   1   405  87   54   49   36.81   0   2 
 career 
 133  235  21  8463 190  173  170   39.54  15  45 
 overall as a 'keeper
 82  145  15  4540 173  164  124*  34.92   6  23 
 not as 'keeper 
 51   90   6  3923 190  170  148   46.70   9  22 

as is quite obvious, it is a bloody tough ask to open in both innings and keep wicket. BTW, i also seem to recall my dad telling me that Budhi Kunderan did it for IND. maybe i am wrong.

[SightForTheGods]

Very simple...Cut Dhoni (I hate to say this) for the tests but don't even consider cutting him for the ODI. As far as Karthik, keep him in both test and ODI. But if it comes down to choosing Dhoni vs. Karthik for the ODI, then pick Dhoni.

[Chandan]

Very simple...Cut Dhoni (I hate to say this) for the tests but don't even consider cutting him for the ODI. As far as Karthik' date=' keep him in both test and ODI. But if it comes down to choosing Dhoni vs. Karthik for the ODI, then pick Dhoni.[/quote'] We're talking about tests here SFG. Why does no one want to drop Jaffer? Any reason?

[SightForTheGods]

Why does no one want to drop Jaffer? Any reason?

Ya Jaffer needs to go. But then he has two bad scores now and he has the habit of doing bad in successive innings and then all of a sudden hit 100+ runs.

[Predator_05]

Why does no one want to drop Jaffer? Any reason?

...and pray tell, why should he be dropped ? What exactly has he done wrong ? Since his comeback last February, he has scored 945 runs in 12 test matches at an excellent average of 45 - a century in every series he has played. Sure, he makes a few single-digit scores in between but he is one of the few batsmen in this Indian XI that can play a long innings when set.

[Chandan]

...and pray tell, why should he be dropped ? What exactly has he done wrong ? Since his comeback last February, he has scored 945 runs in 12 test matches at an excellent average of 45 - a century in every series he has played. Sure, he makes a few single-digit scores in between but he is one of the few batsmen in this Indian XI that can play a long innings when set.

I'll be the happiest person if he succeeds. But to succeed in England is a completely different thing from scoring a double ton vs a weak WI or a ton against weaker BD. Let us see.... I don't expect him to succeed, but would be glad to be proved wrong!!