India vs England 2012

[maniac]

Yuvraj needs to be axed. Rahane can open and put veeru at 6

Agree with axing Yuvraj part... Still not sold on the idea of Veeru playing at No 6...I would rather have Viru and Rahane open and Gambhir at 3 and SRT at 4 and then everyone else goes down by 1 in the order. Viru has been a x factor for us opening....after so many years he either does that well or he goes out.....No need to unnecessarily shuffle our line-up

[King Tendulkar]

Agree with axing Yuvraj part... Still not sold on the idea of Veeru playing at No 6...I would rather have Viru and Rahane open and Gambhir at 3 and SRT at 4 and then everyone else goes down by 1 in the order. Viru has been a x factor for us opening....after so many years he either does that well or he goes out.....No need to unnecessarily shuffle our line-up

That means no pujara at 3:((

[The Outsider]

Agree with axing Yuvraj part... Still not sold on the idea of Veeru playing at No 6...I would rather have Viru and Rahane open and Gambhir at 3 and SRT at 4 and then everyone else goes down by 1 in the order. Viru has been a x factor for us opening....after so many years he either does that well or he goes out.....No need to unnecessarily shuffle our line-up

What?? You are going to push down your best batsman and the only one who has consistently looked good in the series to number 5? I still don't see what's so unusual about Rahane batting at 6. He has played both as an opener and in the middle order in domestic cricket. Most batsmen who make their debut at number 6 anyhow are not some specialist number 6 batsmen in domestic cricket. For their domestic teams all bat higher up usually at number 3/4 - Sehwag, Tendulkar, Dravid, Yuvraj, Raina, Laxman etc. etc. Having someone at number 6 who is capable of playing the new ball is a huge bonus.

[Tendulkar_Bhai]

No question I have been saying before squad was picked Rahane should be in the team, he did well opening in ODI's but they wont drop 1+2 so he should be in for UV. We dont need UV's rubbish batting and pie chucker bowling in tests.

[King Tendulkar]

What?? You are going to push down your best batsman and the only one who has consistently looked good in the series to number 5? I still don't see what's so unusual about Rahane batting at 6. He has played both as an opener and in the middle order in domestic cricket. Most batsmen who make their debut at number 6 anyhow are not some specialist number 6 batsmen in domestic cricket. For their domestic teams all bat higher up usually at number 3/4 - Sehwag, Tendulkar, Dravid, Yuvraj, Raina, Laxman etc. etc. Having someone at number 6 who is capable of playing the new ball is a huge bonus.

Agree. Going from opener to middle order is no probs, thats why sehwag should play at 6. But going from middler order to opening is a whole new ball game

[Sachin=GOD]

Not going to happen.

[maniac]

What?? You are going to push down your best batsman and the only one who has consistently looked good in the series to number 5? I still don't see what's so unusual about Rahane batting at 6. He has played both as an opener and in the middle order in domestic cricket. Most batsmen who make their debut at number 6 anyhow are not some specialist number 6 batsmen in domestic cricket. For their domestic teams all bat higher up usually at number 3/4 - Sehwag, Tendulkar, Dravid, Yuvraj, Raina, Laxman etc. etc. Having someone at number 6 who is capable of playing the new ball is a huge bonus.

Ok Sir.....Agree. I am all up for Rahane's inclusion in the playing X1 and getting a taste of international cricket even at No 6....exposure is exposure but if we are building towards and laying the ground work for South africa next year(which obviously we are not),we need to have someone with the experience to play the 1st new ball.... even though there is a daylight difference between the pitches ,some amount of experience will matter and on current form it will be sad if we see Sehwag/Gambhir still opening for us in south Afirca and from what little I saw of him in England I think Rahane is the natural successor and future of opening Going by that logic I said Pujara at No 5 because I wouldn't want Sehwag and Gambhir coming lower down the order just for the sake of accommodating them...they should play in the role they are picked for

[Pagalpanti]

Well it should happen but it isn't going to happen. If UV were to be dropped of XI due to form, he wouldn't have made the squad as well, so Rahane might have to wait.

[BERGKAMP]

gambhir rahane pujara kohli tendulkar sehwag

[Eternal Atma]

I think he should open and Gambhir pushed to 3 which is a familiar position for him anyways,if they still decide to keep him around..... No 6 is a stop-gap option for Rahane and we need to ease players into particular roles in the rebuilding phase rather than using them as stop-gap

So Pujara is our only batsman batting well under pressure in this series and you want to move him from three to accomodate GG :two_thumbs_up: Rahane should come in for UV for now. I don't see UV doing well if there is even some spice in the pitch.

[Eternal Atma]

gambhir rahane pujara kohli tendulkar sehwag

Demoting the world's premier batsman to five :finger:

[asterix]

If the same team plays in the next match, I wouldn't mind England trashing Dhobi XI again and again....would rather make me feel happy.

[Number]

Rahane should bat at no. 6. 3-4 should be for Pujara Kohli strictly.

[coffee_rules]

Yuvi scored a 79 in the previous test and is a recovering cancer patient. How can you drop him? Gambhir scored a 65 in this test. How can you drop him? Kohli had a major 2012 how can you drop him? Dhoni is the captain, How can you drop him? Sehwah scored a 100 in the previous test, How can you drop him? Pujara..How can you drop him? He can come only in place of Sachin who has been sucking in the last so many tests. But he is god, How can you drop him?

[urbestfriend]

NO, It would've been alright If they have selected Rahane in place of Yuvi for first test. But now that they have given a chance to Yuvi, it doesn't make sense to drop him after one failure. Rahane should wait.

[saneindian]

The question to be asked is if he was not going to replace any of the openers, why exactly has he not been released to play the ongoing Ranji matches? How does it help a young player if he is denied the chance to play and build his form in FC cricket and instead asked to warm the benches for the national side? The same goes for other reserve players in the side as well.

[Old guy]

The question to be asked is if he was not going to replace any of the openers, why exactly has he not been released to play the ongoing Ranji matches? How does it help a young player if he is denied the chance to play and build his form in FC cricket and instead asked to warm the benches for the national side? The same goes for other reserve players in the side as well.

++

[skindia]

he is failure on A tours.backup options are also not good

[skindia]

acccoding to me indian test cricket is over after dravid and laxman

[rkt.india]

'An amazing but harrowing day'

Lahli in Haryana is a village 14 km from Rohtak, which is a further 70km from Delhi, the nearest city you can trust an average cricket fan in India to know of. It is cold there these days. Temperatures have begun to fall to a low of single digits. On Tuesday, though, two Ranji teams warmed the place up with frenetic action. Fourteen wickets fell in the space of 30 overs and 81 runs, a total of 17 fell on the day, the ball turned and seamed, there was a 'mankading', an injured opener batted at No. 7 to help his side, a desperate fast bowler bowled 15 overs on the trot, there was a six hit by a No. 11 batsman with 16 runs to win, and finally the visitors, Baroda, went on to register only the 14th one-wicket win in the history of Ranji Trophy. Only a handful watched the match, and the players don't know of any reporter's presence. Yet it was a day everyone was proud to have been a part of. "There was action in every over," Ambati Rayudu, Baroda's captain, told ESPNcricinfo. "It's one of the best games of first-class cricket I have been a part of. I am fortunate and privileged to have led the winning side." "An amazing but harrowing day" is how Baroda's coach, Sanath Kumar, described it. Even the vanquished, although bitterly disappointed, took a lot out of it. "Yes we are gutted," Amit Mishra, Haryana's captain, said. "But we also look at it the other way. If we can fight this well when defending 130, we can do a lot more." Haryana are in need of that belief. They have already registered two of their lowest totals this season - 55 and 66 - and are the only team without a point. The overwhelming feeling, though, remains that of disappointment. They began the day at 127 for 2, with a lead of 98, one of their better starts in recent history. But too soon the craziness began with the run-out of Abhimanyu Khod, in the second over of the day. The partnership was broken, and as it happens with sides low on confidence, Haryana couldn't arrest the slide. Rayudu had sensed that too. He said Baroda knew they could convert their first-innings lead into an outright win if they could get early wickets. They were relying on reminding Haryana of their previous collapses. It worked. A little more than an hour later, Baroda could sniff those six full points. Haryana had lost their last eight wickets for the addition of just 33 runs. Lahli is set in open fields. The water table is high too. The pitch hardly ever loses its moisture, and the wind keeps the bowlers interested too. Mishra said that the Baroda bowlers managed both seam and reverse swing. "When we got them all out for 150-odd, we felt a target of around 130 shouldn't take much out of our batsmen," Sanath said, before adding he couldn't have been more wrong. For starters, they couldn't open the innings with their first-innings centurion, Saurabh Wakaskar, who was injured and had been off the field. Mishra, on the other hand, told his side that they have won such games in the past too, and they just needed to keep fighting. He also thought that if they could get a couple of early wickets, Baroda would have everything to lose -- not only the opportunity to gain six points, but also the three they had already secured via the first-innings lead. Mohit Sharma, who had taken four wickets in the first innings, began with the wicket of Kedar Devdhar with the first ball of Haryana's defence. The real collapse, though, began with the run-out of No. 3 Abhimanyu Chauhan in the eight over. That was the last ball before lunch. Thereafter, it became a contest between a bicycle stand and house of cards. Four wickets fell in the next 28 balls, and Haryana were now favourites at 48 for 6. "When we got them all out for 150-odd, we felt a target of around 130 shouldn't take much out of our batsmen," Baroda coach Sanath Kumar said, before adding he couldn't have been more wrong. Wakaskar, though, came out to bat, without a runner, and he and Gagandeep Singh took Baroda to 85. The needle was on, and so was the heat. Mishra, who saw the help for the quicks and brought himself on quite late despite a five-for in the first innings, lost the grip on the ball as he was about to deliver. He saw Wakaskar was backing up too far ... And this is where the stories from the two sides differ: Haryana say they clearly warned Wakaskar here, Baroda say they didn't. A little later, Ashish Hooda 'mankaded' Wakaskar. Baroda say they were shocked. The umpires confirmed with Haryana whether they wanted to go through with the appeal. Haryana did. And Wakaskar was gone. The Ranji Trophy, where teams try every trick for every single point, is not the place for such charity. Moreover, there is legally nothing wrong with 'mankading'. Neither side reported ugly scenes. Eighty-five for 7 then. Mishra said it was difficult to take the ball away from Mohit. He was enjoying bowling here, had had a tea break in between, and wanted to continue bowling until he had won the side the game. Three overs after the run-out, he produced the wicket of Gagandeep too, completing his second first-class five-for. At 91 for 8, Haryana were favourites again. However, Murtuja Vahora, who had triggered the Haryana collapse, was not going to watch his hard work being washed away. He hit two boundaries in a crucial 12, taking Baroda to 108 before he fell to Mishra. Twenty-four still required. Just the time for the biggest partnership of the innings. Enter left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt to join offspinner Utkarsh Patel. A reaffirmation that this is the week of spin twins in India (though not necessarily to the benefit of the home side). "When I walked in to bat after Murtuja was dismissed, not much was said in the dressing room," Bhatt said. "When I joined Utkarsh, all we said was 'humein khade rehna hai' [we have to stay at the wicket]." They did more than just stay in. Both began to attack. Mishra was taken on but kept himself on. With 16 required, Bhatt played the shot that rang around Lahli. The ball turned into him, and he stretched and lofted it for a six. "That wasn't predetermined," Bhatt said. "We required 16 or 17 then. He tossed it up and I felt I could reach it and stepped out and connected well." Mishra opted for Sachin Rana now. He felt the different pace could do the trick, but it didn't. "It was sensible batting," Sanath said. "They were positive, very positive. When the ball was there to be hit, they played their shots. One over of Mishra - they hit him for 12 runs. They were scoring off the balls that needed to be scored off. As a result, they didn't let the tension rise." In 3.5 overs, the two added 25 to take Baroda to the top of the table in Group B, and break Haryana's hearts. A game of four days was won or lost in the final 23 balls.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ranji-trophy-2012/content/current/story/593971.html