New Zealand A tour of India 2013

[diga]

India has very few quality left handed middle order bats.. Hope Vijay capitalises on the opportunity.. BTW, I dont understand what Raina is doing with A squad in South Africa... Gambhir should have been there in his place

[Chandan]

This is actually not an India A team. India A team will be in South Africa. It is an India B team and he is selected base on his performance in age group cricket.

Selections based on age group should be done for FC team! Or at the most U-23 team multi tournament! I hope Vijay bucks the trend though and plays well despite not having played a single FC match!

[skindia]

Hope uthappa makes 2 centuries in 3 odi

[G_B_]

Vol has played list A matches for Maharashtra and T20. I think he will be played in those for the NZ A tour than tests.

[The Outsider]

Hope uthappa makes 2 centuries in 3 odi

Bas 2? :dontknow:

[Chandan]

The tour has started and the first day if the three day day match at Vizag was washed out. What a disappointing beginning!

[Chandan]

Test 1 Day 2 http://goo.gl/zrhGks Saxena stops New Zealand A at 310 Wisden India staff | Visakhapatnam | 29 August 2013 Scorecard: India A vs New Zealand A The second day of the three-day fixture between India A and New Zealand A at Port Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Thursday (August 29) had a cocktail of ordinary batting, exceptional slip catching, impressive offspin bowling and a fine counter-attacking century. Taken together, it made for an engrossing contest after the opening day was washed out without a ball being bowled. For the record, the New Zealanders rode on Luke Ronchi’s aggressive 125 to post 310 before they dismissed Unmukt Chand (4) in the dying moments of play as India A ended a nervy three-over period on 6 for 1. If the possibility of facing the turning ball had made the New Zealanders wary, that was exactly what they had to counter as the Indians loaded their side with three spinners in Jalaj Saxena, Rakesh Dhruv and Sarabjit Ladda. And New Zealand’s weakness against spin even on the good batting surface was well exposed by Saxena, who returned figures of 6 for 106. Given that the pitch was under covers for close to 24 hours, Tom Latham’s decision to bat after a 90-minute delay to the start because of a wet outfield was seen as a brave move. The top-order failure might have suggested that it was a mistake, but Ronchi’s seventh-wicket stand of 146 with Todd Astle (63) changed things. That helped New Zealand A script a remarkable recovery after being reduced to 106 for 6 halfway through the second session. Earlier, Saxena’s introduction into the attack led to immediate success as he picked up three wickets in his first three overs to expose the fragility of the batting order. He first had Latham (15) caught at silly point to a delivery that spun away sharply to take the leading edge. That was followed by a delivery that skidded on to take Daryl Mitchell’s outside edge, which Chand caught low at slip to send the batsman back for a duck. In Saxena’s third over, Carl Cachopa (15) was deceived in flight and CM Gautam completed the stumping. New Zealand A had slipped from 46 for 1 to 55 for 4. James Neesham (27) briefly resisted but Derak DeBoorder (0) didn’t last long as New Zealand’s innings was disintegrating alarmingly. It was then that Ronchi strode in. The Indians had placed a lot of chirping fielders around the bat but Ronchi expressed his intentions straightaway with a number of cuts and pulls, forcing Abhishek Nayar, the India A captain, to push the fields back in the hope of getting Astle on strike. But Ronchi’s confidence only seemed to rub off on Astle, who lent valuable support. In many ways, Ronchi’s approach was what the pitch demanded. Unafraid to hit through the line, he attacked Saxena to briefly throw him off guard. The pacers too – Aniket Choudhary and Dhawal Kulkarni – were treated with disdain as he cut and pulled in front of square and India A were suddenly on the defensive. Ronchi, who lived a charmed life early on after being dropped twice, raced away to his century off just 95 balls, and his downfall was perhaps due to a lapse in concentration. He was adjudged lbw while trying to pull a fullish delivery from Kulkarni. The last three wickets added 58 handy runs before the innings drew to a close in the 78th over. Astle then induced an edge off Chand’s bat in the second over as New Zealand A capped off a perfect end to the day. ----------------------------------------- 1.Ronchi's shots: pulls and cuts! Means Indian bowlers were bowling short? Don't think Ronchi can have Sehwag like talent and guts to cut and pull good length deliveries. 2.He was dropped twice? Means this India A unit is not such a fantastic group of fielders like its seniors. 3.Chand out cheaply again? What on earth? Can anyone do an expert analysis and say what the hype is about? Temperament is superb but he lacks big time in technique I suppose. Has anyone watched him closely? 4.Finally the coverage of this series is even worse than the SA A series. Not even ball by ball commentary by ANY site? Pathetic!

[cowboysfan]

I think Chand is a good prospect but he needs a few years in the ranjis,i hope the selectors dont discard him after these failures.

[jj_28]

I think Chand is a good prospect but he needs a few years in the ranjis' date='i hope the selectors dont discard him after these failures.[/quote'] its been an entire year of failures, he needs to be dropped and then work his way up again.

[Chandan]

Test 1 Day 3 http://goo.gl/6iEcPw Zol, Nayar score centuries in drawn match Wisden India staff | Visakhapatnam | 30 August 2013 Vijay Zol showcased his class for India A in the presence of the national selectors with an impressive century to grind the New Zealand A bowlers down on another hot and humid day in Visakhapatnam as the three-day fixture at the Port Stadium ended in a draw on Friday (August 30). Zol’s knock came on the back of an excellent bowling performance from Jalaj Saxena, who picked up six wickets, to bowl New Zealand A out for 310 on Day 2. While Zol’s knock flattened the opposition, Abhishek Nayar added insult to injury by smashing a quickfire 102 as India A finally finished on 388 for 7 when the players shook hands. While the result was a given following a washout on the opening day, the India A batsmen had an opportunity to dig in and bat out a possible 98 overs. They started slowly with Jiwanjot Singh (48) and Sarabjit Ladda (15) playing out the first hour with very little discomfort before Todd Astle gleefully accepted a simple return catch from Ladda to give New Zealand A an opening. While the Indian spinners extracted a hint of turn, there wasn’t much in sight for the New Zealanders who struggled for any sort of rhythm on a placid pitch. Jiwanjot’s patience stood out and his footwork against the pacers, especially during the initial burst, was proof of his solid technique. The bowlers were unable to go past the outside edge even once in the first two hours and a big score was there for the taking before a rare lapse in concentration saw Jiwanjot’s attempted drive off Ish Sodhi, the legspinner, land in the safe hands of slip at the stroke of lunch. From there on, the spectators who trooped in on a holiday thanks to a state-wide strike, were treated to some delightful strokes by Zol. At no stage did it appear as if Zol, on first-class debut, was intimidated by the bowlers, some of who had already played Test cricket. While the bowling was largely one dimensional, Zol didn’t miss out on any opportunity to put the bad balls away. His 97-run stand for the fourth wicket with Manprit Juneja (43) improved the scoring rate significantly in the second session. Juneja’s footwork, especially against the spinners, stood out as he took a liking to Astle in particular, tonking him for two huge sixes before being done in by a delivery that skidded on. As much as New Zealand A tried to force Zol into play big shots as he neared a century, he continued to accumulate runs in a sedate manner. After Zol had passed 80, a short burst from Doug Bracewell tested him. But Zol’s response showed signs of maturity. A fierce cut shot past point brought up a chanceless century, but the celebration that followed was enough indication of his temperament. While he looked set to carry on, a rare misjudgment of length caused him to to play back to a full delivery and Zol was bowled for 110. After that, Nayar brought the curtains down with some enterprising strokes that saw him smash a fifty off just 31 balls. Even as wickets continued to tumble, Nayar made merry with the only academic interest following the start of the mandatory overs being his century. Play was called off as soon as Nayar reached his century, with a boundary over mid off. Nayar’s innings injected life into an otherwise dull final session, but on the day, it was still a sideshow to Zol’s brilliance. The two teams next face off in a four-day fixture at the ACA-VDCA Stadium starting September 2. ----------------------------------------------------- Who are test playing Kiwi bowlers? Certainly not any spinners? When can we see Zol bat in FC cricket? Hope he gets chosen for Ranji matches that are shown on TV. Really want to see he bats.

[Chandan]

http://goo.gl/J2ZiEB Run-hungry Zol keeps up the good habit Wisden India staff | Visakhapatnam | 30 August 2013 Zol's innings of 110 off 153 balls against New Zealand A symbolised fluency against an attack comprising international bowlers. © BCCI In a season packed with international cricket, seldom have the performances of someone at the Under-19 level created a buzz within national circles. But it takes only a glance at the scorecards to understand why everyone’s talking about Vijay Zol. His roaring form and appetite to score big runs has been so striking that it is hard to believe he is yet to play in the Ranji Trophy for his state – Maharashtra. But on Friday (August 30), Zol marked his maiden first-class appearance with a sparkling century for India A against New Zealand A at the Port Stadium in Visakhapatnam. What stands out about Zol is his consistency. While the Indian team was on a bull-run at the ICC Champions Trophy in June and the two subsequent One-Day International tours to West Indies and Zimbabwe, Zol was in the midst of a purple patch, scoring a bunch of centuries for the India Under-19s in Australia and Sri Lanka. He was the leading run-scorer in the tri-series that India won, with 293 runs, which also included a century against New Zealand. As if to prove that wasn’t a one-off, Zol then scored consecutive hundreds in the four-day fixtures on the tour of Sri Lanka, while aggregating 467 runs in five innings at an average of 93.40. Those performances were recognised as he was rightfully rewarded a berth in the India A team for the home series against New Zealand A. Zol’s innings of 110 off 153 balls against New Zealand A symbolised fluency against an attack comprising international bowlers such as Doug Bracewell and Mark Gillespie. What stood out was his back-foot play, not traditionally a strength of Indian batsmen. “When you have two Test bowlers bowling at you, the margin of error is minimum,” said Zol, visibly tired after a 232-minute vigil. “No one from the team made me feel that I was making my debut and this hundred means a lot to me. There was a bit of nervousness, but I took it in a positive way since I knew the opportunity was there for me to make a mark. “You won’t get easy runs and you will have to be patient. Initially I took my time as I wanted to bat long. I had a chat with the coach Sanjay Bangar and he asked me to bat sessions and not worry too much about the runs” Zol’s approach and penchant to score big runs comes as a whiff of fresh air, given his growing up years has coincided with an era where Twenty20 cricket gained a lot of prominence. Zol, who comes from a town called Jalna, was a part of the victorious Under-19 World Cup winning team in 2012, and it was his exploits at the Under-16 level that heightened expectations. He was awarded the MA Chidambaram Trophy by the Board of Control for Cricket in India for being the best Under-16 cricketer of 2010-11, but it was with his unbeaten innings of 451 for Maharashtra against Assam U-19 in a Plate league match of the Cooch Behar Trophy in December 2011 that proved his mettle. Zol batted for close to 11 hours, facing 467 deliveries and in the process smacking 53 fours and two sixes. He proved that that innings was no fluke with subsequent scores of 176, 292, 90, 73*, 121, 225* and 57 in Maharashtra’s journey to the final, where they lost to Mumbai on first-innings lead. In all, he scored six centuries in 2011-12, propelling him to a List A debut for the senior team and to the India U-19 team for the quadrangular series in Australia in 2012, followed by the Under-19 World Cup. “There was a lot of expectations after the win in the Under-19 World Cup, but subsequently, I could not perform well,” he said, when asked about the brief stagnation. “ But when I led the India Under-19 team to a series in Australia (July 2013) after that the experience of winning the World Cup there last year helped since I knew the wickets and knew what was coming my way.” Apart from being named in the one-day squad that plays New Zealand A in three matches, he will also lead the Under-19 team for a quadrangular series in Visakhapatnam, involving Australia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. He has also been entrusted the responsibility of leading the India Under-19 team at the World Cup in the United Arab Emirates next year, where they will defend their crown. “I’ve always had this at the back of my mind that I’ll have limited opportunities to showcase my ability, so whenever that comes around, I need to grab it,” said Zol. “I didn’t want to sit back and keep waiting for chances.”

[rkt.india]

Test 1 Day 3 Who are test playing Kiwi bowlers? Certainly not any spinners? When can we see Zol bat in FC cricket? Hope he gets chosen for Ranji matches that are shown on TV. Really want to see he bats.

Doug Bracewell and Mark Gllespie, fast bowlers and both can clock good pace. Gillespie has a petty decent start to test cricket, but has not played many matches, might be due to injuries he suffered. Leg spinner Todd Astle has played a test too, debuted last year against SL.

[jj_28]

Apart from being named in the one-day squad that plays New Zealand A in three matches, he will also lead the Under-19 team for a quadrangular series in Visakhapatnam, involving Australia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. He has also been entrusted the responsibility of leading the India Under-19 team at the World Cup in the United Arab Emirates next year, where they will defend their crown

Zol is going to be pretty busy

[Chandan]

http://goo.gl/NfxKZz Jiwanjot, Chand must grab opportunities Shashank Kishore | 31 August 2013 Both Unmukt Chand and Jiwanjot Singh had a lot to play for in Visakhapatnam. © Performances for India A are often precursors to a step-up for players aspiring to make the Team India cut. Two back-to-back series involving India A are often good enough for the selectors to earmark some names as backups for the senior side. With India’s tour of South Africa coming up in November followed by a tour of New Zealand, India A’s recent tour of South Africa and the ongoing series against New Zealand A at home have come under close scrutiny. It did not come as a surprise, therefore, that Sandeep Patil and Rajinder Singh Hans, the national selectors, flew in to Visakhapatnam to watch the young India A squad take on New Zealand A in the three-day match, which ended in a draw at Port Stadium on Friday (August 30). Among the key positions in the line-up that the selectors would have liked to be offered more options for would be the opening slot, especially as the overseas tours approach. Shikhar Dhawan’s good run of form in the limited-overs matches on the India A team’s recent tour to South Africa got the selectors to rest him for the second four-day fixture and his place, it would appear, is secure for the moment. But Murali Vijay, who had an impressive outing in the four Tests against Australia in February-March this year, could manage just 48 runs in three innings in the two first-class games he played. Although neither of the two India A openers – Unmukt Chand and Jiwanjot Singh – may be in the running for the opening slot in the Indian Test team just yet, the selectors would have been more than happy to be offered encouraging signs. The two, therefore, had a lot to play for in Visakhapatnam. Jiwanjot’s exploits in the Ranji Trophy last season, where he topped the run-scoring charts with 995 runs, earned him a berth in the India A squad against the touring Australians earlier this year but he scored just 24 in the only innings the Indians batted in. He had an opportunity to build on his reputation at Port Stadium. And although he made only 48, there was a lot to like about his approach. He didn’t seem to be in any sort of hurry, whether it was in tying his shoelaces or in presenting a straight bat to blunt the new ball. His technique was solid and his judgment, especially while leaving the away-going deliveries, was proof of his temperament. There couldn’t have been a more batting-friendly wicket than the one at Port Stadium and some of the shots Jiwanjot played through the line were pleasing on the eye. The hard work was done and there was an opportunity to mark his stamp over a tiring New Zealand A attack. Instead, surprisingly, he went into his shell. The shot he eventually played – away from his body – to get out in the last over before lunch was almost because of his inability to score, not typical of someone known for his patience. The reaction after he got out was a giveaway – an opportunity had gone begging. Meanwhile, Chand’s case is in stark contrast to Jiwanjot’s. Being a part of the A team as well as the squad for the Asian Cricket Council’s Emerging Teams Cup, he now has the experience of having played in overseas conditions. But life hasn’t been a smooth sail following his heroics at the Under-19 World Cup and on a couple of other occasions last year. On the A tour of New Zealand last year, Chand scored just 113 runs at an average of less than 30. In the Ranji Trophy last season, his numbers were only marginally better – 445 runs in eight matches at an average of less than 40. Chand, who was coming into the series on the back of two fifties and a successful campaign with the India U-23 squad in the Emerging Teams Cup in Singapore, also had an opportunity to build on his credentials. But it was his lack of patience that resulted in his dismissal. Chand’s inability to cut off risk elements from his game has often proved to be his undoing, and it was the same characteristic that consumed him in the dying moments of play on day two when India A had a nervy three-over spell to negotiate. Chand may exhibit flashes of brilliance but, in order to succeed in the long run, he will have to learn to be patient. He is regarded as someone who can deliver under pressure. But poor performances have piled up as the selectors have chosen to persist with him, going purely by the talent they’ve seen. Elsewhere, of course, the once-successful openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir have launched their comeback bids through different avenues. While Sehwag checked in to the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai to train with a battery of pacers mentored by Glenn McGrath, Gambhir came up with a century for Essex in the County Championships on Friday (August 30) after four successive failures. Jiwanjot and Chand are still young and have time on their hands. But it’s important for them to grab the big opportunities that come their way, especially at a time when the selectors may be on the lookout for alternatives and ousted senior players are raring to make comebacks. ----------------------------------------------- Chand And Jiwanjot have to go a long way before they can even stake a claim, despite having scarcity of openers for test team. Still I don't understand why Mukund was discarded so inexplicably after so much was invested in him through A tours. Wasn't he the captain of Ind A to NZ? And he didn't perform that bad too.

[Sooda]

^Yes Mukund was capt and he did do well, scored a centruy. He did not have a good Ranji season but has shown enough glimpses of ability to be an A team opener. He should have been part of the squad that toured SA. Chand needs a year or so more of Ranji before he can play A team. Perhaps he can play for India A ltd overs side but not 4 days

[Chandan]

TEST 2 DAY 1 Anderson, Devcich rescue New Zealand A Wisden India staff | Visakhapatnam | 2 September 2013 Scorecard: India A vs New Zealand A Put through another test in subcontinental conditions, New Zealand A once again struggled at the outset, but then recovered, against India A on Day 1 of the four-day fixture at the ACA-VDCA Stadium on Monday (September 2). Corey Anderson (100) and Anton Devcich (115), playing their first game on tour, were the saviours for New Zealand A, striking aggressive centuries to bring direction to the innings after a top-order failure. When bad light stopped play an over short of the stipulated 90 overs, New Zealand A had reached 300 for 8. In conditions, that were only slightly more helpful to the pacers owing to the overnight rain and slight cloud cover early on, New Zealand A’s top-order failed to fire after an inspired opening burst from Dhawal Kulkarni and Imtiaz Ahmed left them reeling on 43 for 4. Tom Latham won a second straight toss and opted to bat. But an hour into the day’s play, Abhishek Nayar, the India A captain, must have felt it was a good toss to lose. Kulkarni struck in the second over of the day to dismiss Neil Broom (0) with an outswinger that took the edge to the wicketkeeper. That was followed by a testing eight-over spell where New Zealand A added just 15 runs. Carl Cachopa’s efforts to break the shackles resulted in him top-edging a pull to Imtiaz at deep fine-leg. When Luke Ronchi (0), the centurion from the first game, edged an Imtiaz delivery to Unmukt Chand at second slip, New Zealand A were reduced to 17 for 3. While Kulkarni and Imtiaz made the new ball talk, Shrikant Wagh, who replaced Aniket Choudhary in the playing XI, was guilty of bowling too short and was punished by Latham and Anderson. But a poor shot across the line resulted in Latham being adjudged leg before to Wagh to expose the middle order in the first session itself. New Zealand A found their hero in Anderson, who took the attack to the bowlers, even as Devcich took his time to settle in. In the next three hours New Zealand A hardly put a foot wrong as the batsmen feasted on some loose bowling. Anderson’s positive footwork against the spinners, Saxena in particular, unsettled India A for a while as the scoring rate picked up considerably in the post-lunch session. Devcich, cautious to begin with, opened up and attacked the spinners to force Nayar into bringing back his seam bowlers. As the partnership between Anderson and Devcich flourished, the desperation in the Indian camp was evident. That turned into lapses in concentration when Devcich offered two chances on either side of tea with Chand and Nayar being the culprits. The fourth-wicket stand of 165 was finally broken by Rakesh Dhruv, the left-arm spinner, when Anderson was caught behind playing back to a full delivery. That allowed India A to claw back into the contest with the wickets of Derek De Boorder (1) and Todd Astle (17) to ease into the tail. Doug Bracewell (12) and Ish Sodhi (14) then resisted for nearly 12 overs with spinners operating from both ends with light quickly deteriorating. But, in between a testing opening spell and a slow finish, Devcich played the anchor’s role and Anderson provided the punches in a three-hour exhibition of enterprising cricket that was the hallmark of the day’s play. -------------------------------------------------- Nayar and Chand even dropped catches? Spinners were tonked were kiwi batsmen? This India B unit doesn't look as talented. If we get to find out even two-three good young players (batsman, seamer or spinner), mission will be accomplished!

[Chandan]

http://goo.gl/1eMkOR Bracewell, Sodhi make India A toil Wisden India staff | Visakhapatnam | 3 September 2013 New Zealand A’s exhibition on Day 2 of the four-day fixture at the ACA-VDCA Stadium on Tuesday (September 3) was an indication of how the India A bowlers lost their plot completely after picking eight wickets on the opening day. It took the India A bowlers 43.1 overs to break a defiant eighth-wicket stand of 162 between Doug Bracewell (96) and Ish Sodhi (57) that helped New Zealand A post 437. The batting effort was then thoroughly backed by the new ball pair of Mark Gillespie and Bracewell, who removed Unmukt Chand (4) and Vijay Zol (2) in quick succession. But VA Jagadeesh (40) and Manprit Juneja (43) calmed the nerves with an unbroken 78-run stand that took India A to 94 for 2 before bad light ended play early for the second day running. Thick cloud cover welcomed the players when proceedings began after a 40-minute delay due to a steady drizzle. Bracewell and Sodhi started cautiously against Dhawal Kulkarni and Imtiaz Ahmed, who dismissed the top-order in similar conditions on the opening day. The pair could add just 20 runs in the first hour of play with Sodhi throwing his bat around repeatedly, only to connect with the humid Vizag air. With the seamers being unable to strike upfront, Abhishek Nayar, the India A captain, turned to his spinners – Jalaj Saxena and Rakesh Dhruv. The move was met with positive intent from Bracewell, with New Zealand A breaking the shackles in the second hour of play by scoring at nearly five runs an over. Bracewell and Sodhi went into lunch unbroken after adding 126 runs to their overnight total. The interval provided an opportunity India A to regroup as they took just 4.1 overs to dismiss the men who had tormented in the morning session. Bracewell played down the wrong line to be bowled by Nayar, while Sodhi gloved a short delivery from Kulkarni to gully to bring an end to the New Zealand A innings. The ease with which the tailenders batted, perhaps, was a sign of the amount of work the New Zealand A bowlers had to put in to pick wickets. And to their credit, the bowlers asked a number of questions straightaway. Chand, who appeared unsettled against the swinging ball, was caught behind while poking at an away going delivery from Gillespie. The seven-over spell following Chand’s dismissal produced just 10 runs with Vijay Zol, coming off a century on first-class debut, struggling for timing. The pressure of playing a release shot consumed Zol as he attempted an expansive drive to an away going delivery from Bracwell to be snapped by Tom Latham at first slip. India A had slipped to 16 for 2. Juneja walked out to three slips and two gullies with the New Zealand A seamers sniffing an opportunity to break into the middle order with the new ball. But he appeared unruffled. Even a blow on his rib cage which forced him to have a precautionary X-ray earlier in the day didn’t affect his footwork and concentration as he played some delightful strokes, particularly through the off side. Juneja’s sparkling form allowed Jagadeesh to play himself in. The passage of play after Zol’s dismissal, in many ways, indicated the true nature of the pitch. But New Zealand A would believe it would need just two early wickets to get back into the contest after creating a number of opportunities to wrest the initiative. ------------------------ Disappointed today!

[Chandan]

Manprit Juneja: reflection and flamboyance Wisden India staff | Visakhapatnam | 4 September 2013 Juneja is still in the nascent stages of his career, but he has built a reputation as a run-machine. © BCCI Manprit Juneja’s potential as a batsman has been talked about ever since he marked his first-class debut with a double century for Gujarat against Tamil Nadu in December 2011. He was only the fourth Indian – after Amol Muzumdar, Anshuman Pandey and Gundappa Vishwanath – to achieve that feat. On Tuesday (September 3), Juneja, who will turn 23 in just over a week, provided further evidence of his talent against New Zealand A. Although he was unbeaten on only 43 at stumps on the second day of India A’s four-day fixture, Juneja’s approach made a significant difference to the proceedings after two early wickets had fallen at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam. Juneja is still in the nascent stages of his career, but he has built a reputation as a run-machine. Although Gujarat didn’t qualify for the knockouts of the 2012-13 Ranji Trophy season, Juneja’s exploits stood out. He scored three centuries and was the side’s second highest run-getter with 796 runs in 13 innings at an average of 67. That was followed by a successful outing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he top-scored with 242 runs in four innings, including a century and two fifties. Juneja also played a vital role in Gujarat’s victorious Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign after that. Those performances earned him a place in the India Under-23 team for the Asian Cricket Council’s Emerging Teams Cup in Singapore in August this year. He scored two consecutive half-centuries including an unbeaten 51 in India’s win over Pakistan in the final. Before Juneja arrived in Visakhapatnam to face New Zealand A, he already had runs under his belt. On Tuesday, he walked in to bat with the score reading 16 for 2 after New Zealand A had piled on 437. Mark Gillespie and Doug Bracewell, bowlers with Test match experience, had just dismissed Unmukt Chand and the in-form Vijay Zol. This was a situation where most batsmen would have looked to play out the spell, given that the light was deteriorating rapidly. But Juneja had other plans. He got the scoreboard moving along quickly and within 20 minutes, the field had spread out, and New Zealand A had to revise their plans. Juneja come across as a flamboyant batsman, but retains an artistic touch that leaves you craving for more. What instantly appeals is the amount of time he has while playing his strokes. “That’s the way I’ve been batting since childhood,” he said on Tuesday. “I believe in dominating the bowlers. That is how I look at the ball. I look to play shots first and if it’s a good ball, I defend. “If this was a Mohali wicket, I may not have played shots immediately. These are conscious adjustments that come from within, you can’t practice it.” But Juneja’s batting wasn’t all attack. He took his time to get his eye in before opening up. His footwork against pace and spin looked assured and the confidence with which he negotiated the moving ball suggested significant work on his technique in the off-season. “In between the IPL and the start of the Under-23 tournament, I worked a lot on playing fast bowlers,” explained Juneja. “As soon as we got to know our Ranji Trophy group has strong sides like Mumbai, Delhi and Karnataka, I knew it was important for me to work on that aspect. “By that time, I’d also received news of my selection for the Under-23 Asia Cup where we were playing Pakistan, who have good pacers. So that was another reason for me to improve my backfoot play in particular. As the level of competition increases, you realise that you will be tested by the short-pitched stuff a lot more and that is what I did.” At the Emerging Teams Cup, Juneja worked closely with Mukund Parmar, who was the coach of the team. Juneja credited Parmar for helping him develop as a batsman. “I’ve been working with Mukud Parmar since my younger days,” he said. “It just happened that he was coach of the Under-23 Indian team as well. We’ve been working together for the last three years and he has had a tremendous influence on me. In fact we go back a long way. When he gave his level-three coaching exam, I was his subject.” Articulate and engaging, Juneja’s words leave an immediate impression, just like his batting does. “I’d always taken cricket as a subject, and I think I’ve done my research well,” he laughed. ------------------------------------------ Just one inning in two matches is not impressive!

[rkt.india]

------------------------------------------ Just one inning in two matches is not impressive!

You cannot blame him for that. Only played two innings, even first one was not a failure. He did well in U23 tournament too on difficult tracks.

[Chandan]

TEST 2 DAY 3 http://goo.gl/hW1TC6 Juneja masterclass lifts India A Wisden India staff | Visakhapatnam | 4 September 2013 Manprit Juneja extended his overnight total to 178 to help India A reach 408 for 7 on day three. © BCCI On a surface that didn’t deteriorate as much as New Zealand A hoped it would, Manprit Juneja stamped his authority with a dominating century as India A ended the third day of their four-day fixture at 408 for 7, trailing New Zealand A’s first innings total of 437 by just 29 runs, with Juneja unbeaten on 178 at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday (September 4). Juneja, playing in only his 12th first-class match, batted through the day. He joined hands with VA Jagadeesh, the Kerala opener, in a fine exhibition of batting in the first session that set the tone for the day. The third-wicket partnership of 197 put to rest any fears of India A’s middle-order being exposed against the moving ball early on. Juneja’s composure and Jagadeesh’s determination ensured New Zealand A were left searching for options in muggy conditions. Jagadeesh brought out a different dimension in his game, playing more freely against the pacers, unlike on Tuesday, where he was happy offering a dead bat. And with the conditions perhaps being at their best, the change in approach brought him runs. At one stage, Jagadeesh even matched Juneja stroke-for-stroke as New Zealand A quickly went on the defensive by adopting a negative line. Jagadeesh wasn’t always fluent, but his gumption and willingness to put a price on his wicket was admirable. He played on the bowlers’ patience, and as they lost their sting on a sapping morning, accumulated runs to race into the 90s. While Juneja breezed through to a century, nervousness got the better of Jagadeesh on 91. Doug Bracewell, brought into the attack for a ten-minute burst before lunch, struck straightaway by knocking over Jagadeesh’s leg stump with a delivery that nipped back sharply. Jagadeesh, who suddenly appeared to have shut shop with the lunch interval round the corner, played outside the line of a delivery that sneaked through bat and pad as New Zealand A got a much-needed lift going into the break. “I lost my concentration as the lunch break approached,” admitted a disappointed Jagadeesh after the day’s play. “Conditions were easier to bat in today, and I had a chance to make a big score, but overall I’m pleased with my contribution because it was my first game for India A.” After lunch, the pace of the game picked up as Abhishek Nayar, the India A captain, counter-attacked by repeatedly piercing the off-side field against Todd Astle and Ish Sodhi, the legspinners, even as Juneja suddenly struggled for timing, the heat visibly taking its toll. Nayar raced away to a fifty off just 47 balls with seven fours and a six, forcing Tom Latham, the New Zealand A captain, to take the second new ball five overs after it was available. That move worked straightaway as Bracewell broke an 88-run stand by dismissing Nayar (57), who played on while trying to force a length ball through the off side. A few minutes later, CM Gautam (1) hung his bat out to a delivery angling away to be caught behind by Luke Ronchi as India A slipped from a comfortable 301 for 3 to 304 for 5. Even with wickets falling around him, Juneja didn’t change his game drastically. He scored only 33 runs in the post-lunch session, which was also a sign of how well New Zealand A tied him down by maintaining a tight line. But to Juneja’s credit, his unwavering concentration and the determination to grind the bowling helped him steer clear of any pressure. But with wickets tumbling at the other end, Juneja was forced to take more of the strike. Jalaj Saxena (20) and Shrikant Wagh (19) didn’t stay for too long as the match quickly turned into a battle for the first-innings lead with India A 374 for 7. But Dhawal Kulkarni lent able support to Juneja as India A hung on till the close of play. A result looks unlikely now, with only one day’s play left. Astle, who picked up two wickets said Juneja’s knock had made the difference. “More than the conditions, I think it was Juneja who made the difference today,” said Astle. “As a bowling group we tried our best. The ball wasn’t turning that much and the cracks didn’t open up, so we wanted to be accurate. But all credit to him” On a day that produced 314 runs, Juneja’s knock was a reassuring sign of the batting depth in India, and of the fact that old-school principles of valuing one’s wicket were still being ingrained at the domestic level.