Seven batsmen, five pacers likely for Oz Series

[Bumper]

Parthiv "yet to attain puberty" Patel ahead of KKD Gautam "minnow basher" Gambhir is a waste of a spot, but is the better of the worst when compared to Aakash "Master Blaster" Chopra. Munaf "Dadaji" Patel and Ishant "One dimensional" Sharma over VRV "Sami is my role model" Singh and Ajit "I am Sami's role model" Agarkar

[Dravid]

four bowlers — Ishant Sharma, VRV Singh, Munaf Patel and Ajit Agarkar — no brainer here ishant and aggy..

[coffee_rules]

Parthiv "yet to attain puberty" Patel ahead of KKD Gautam "minnow basher" Gambhir is a waste of a spot, but is the better of the worst when compared to Aakash "Master Blaster" Chopra. Munaf "Dadaji" Patel and Ishant "One dimensional" Sharma over VRV "Sami is my role model" Singh and Ajit "I am Sami's role model" Agarkar

ROFTL. What Dropthiv over wide-legs KKD? KKD hasn't yet dropped a catch in this test.

[Bumper]

I like Parthiv as a batsman (I dont expect him to keep, so the second keeper theory is all BS). I have more confidence on Parthiv as an opener than Gambhir

[Guest BossBhai]

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[fineleg]

I like Parthiv as a batsman (I dont expect him to keep' date=' so the second keeper theory is all BS). I have more confidence on Parthiv as an opener than Gambhir[/quote'] Yes, I dont think PP is going to keep wickets. He will be the opener if he gets in. So, as a batsman PP has proved himself reasonably well.

[kumble_rocks]

:haha::haha:@bumper's post !

[bharat297]

My 16 would be ... Kumble ( c ) Jaffer Dravid Laxman Tendulkar Ganguly Yuvraj Dhoni Pathan RP Singh Zaheer Agarkar Munaf D. Karthik / Parthiv Chopra Harbhajan On the keeping front, I am not sure between Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel. Karthik is having a tough time behind the stumps in this match, but he is a good athlete and a good keeper usually. So if it came down to keeping alone, I would lean towards Karthik. However, since opening the batting is also a consideration, it becomes a bit more difficult. Parthiv has toured Australia before, and has opened the batting before, and is in very good form. Karthik has opened a lot recently, however, is not in the best of form. The other advantage of Parthiv Patel is that he is a left-hander and if called upon to open, will provide us with a left-hand / right-hand combination at the top. However, Parthiv Patel has not played any form of international cricket for over 3 years. Its a tough call, I am probably leaning towards Karthik.

[Mr. Wicket]

I know ! :(( To top off the misery, I have a gut feeling they'll get Aggy into the squad

Let's be optimistic. If they do pick Aggy, maybe they will pick him on basis of his bowling rather than BECAUSE HE CAN BAT AND BE EXPECTED TO MAKE RUNS, as they did in 99/2000... and we all know what happened then. I would have said some time back that "be positive re. Aag, he can't get worse" - but then I said the same to Sami, and he proved me wrong by a long way.

[guju24]

5 bowler would be...khan, rp, munaf, pathan and kumble....and other seven would be...jaffar, parthiv, dravid,sachin, ganguly, dhoni, laxman...

[Guest dada_rocks]

IF somebody cud kick the backside of munaf he will come good.. he is pure gold if he puts his heart to it.. Ishant sharma: this lad is good don;t go by how he bowle, only thing missing was line and given it was his match it can be condoned RP Zaheer Munaf Ishant or pathan KUmble bowling options Sehwag ( yes I am not giving up yet), Jaffar dravid sachin vvs ganguly dhoni batsmen

[DesiChap]

My 16: Kumble © Dhoni (vc) Jaffer Gambhir Dravid Sachin Yuvraj Ganguly Laxman KKD/Parthiv Bhajji Zaheer RP Irfan Munaf Ishant

[fineleg]

IF somebody cud kick the backside of munaf he will come good.. he is pure gold if he puts his heart to it..

DR, Why should someone else go and motivate MP? He should own that responsibility and should have the pride to work hard. If he cannot be a responsible player, he deserves to be out.

[DesiChap]

Chopra dark horse for Australia tour Bangalore: Delhi opening batsman Akash Chopra is being considered a dark horse for the third opener’s spot when the selectors meet here to pick the Indian team for the tour of Australia starting from December 26. Indian selectors, chaired by former Indian skipper Dilip Vengsarkar, who meet on Wednesday to pick a 16-member team for the four-match Test series, will have a tough job on hand to pick a set of four ‘fit’ seamers while seven of the nine batsmen and three spinners pick themselves purely on merit. With the Indians scheduled to play two of their four Tests on spinner-friendly wickets at Adelaide and Sydney, the selectors have no option but to go in with three spinners – skipper Anil Kumble, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and left-arm spinner Murali Kartik or leg spinner Piyush Chawla – while the seven batting positions are more or less settled with Wasim Jaffer, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh and wicketkeeper-batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni all in good nick. Despite a string of failures against Pakistan, second wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik is expected to make it to the team as his skipper Kumble has lot of faith in the plucky stumper for his fighting qualities and his brilliant fielding in any position. With Gautam Gambhir unable to translate his One-Day form into the third Test, Akash Chopra, who has been in tremendous form this season seems to be the best bet to fill up the third opener’s slot even though Parthiv Patel of Gujarat, too, may be considered as he has been scoring heavily in domestic cricket. However, picking four new ball bowlers will be a real headache for the selectors as the ones who are certain to be picked are still nursing injuries while the fringe players, who are fitter, have not really impressed when they got a chance to prove themselves. Even though Ishant Sharma bowled well and ended the fourth day with his maiden five-wicket haul in the ongoing third and final Test against Pakistan, he could not trouble the front-line batsmen much on an unresponsive wicket. Irfan Pathan, on the other hand, slammed his maiden hundred and proved his worth to the team, but again his bowling lacked the sting and movement required to exploit in Australian conditions. Pathan, however, still might get the nod purely on his batting abilities and safe fielding while the two tried and tested seamers — Zaheer Khan and RP Singh — certainties for selection, are said to have regained full fitness. S Sreesanth has been ruled out till the second Test in Australia with his injury while Munaf Patel, who played in the first two Test matches at Delhi and Kolkata, again showed signs of breaking down during tours. With seamers bound to play vital roles during the Test series, the selectors might opt for experience in which case Mumbai lad Ajit Agarkar (if fit) might get the nod, as he has good track record in Australia. If the selectors decide to go for youth, then they have no choice but to persist with Ishant Sharma purely on the merit of his pace. However, medium pacers like Ranadeb Bose and rookie speedster Pankaj Singh are also in the list. http://www.cricketnext.com/news/chopra-dark-horse-for-australia-tour/28281-13-single.html

[DesiChap]

Lot of speculation and bull in the cricketnext article

[DesiChap]

New-ball bowlers’ fitness remains biggest headache - Pressure on Karthik but Parthiv has to keep fingers crossed LOKENDRA PRATAP SAHIDinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel

Calcutta: Gautam Gambhir managed no more than 5 and 3 on his big league comeback (in Bangalore), but that’s unlikely to affect his chances when the senior national selectors pick the 16-man squad for the four-Test series in Australia. Dilip Vengsarkar and his colleagues (Venkatapathi Raju, Bhupinder Singh, Sanjay Jagdale and Ranjib Biswal) meet in Bangalore on Wednesday. The squad was to have been selected last week itself, but the exercise was put on hold because of injuries to a clutch of new-ball bowlers. Instead, 24 probables got named. Gambhir’s failure in the ongoing Test notwithstanding, the quintet isn’t worried about the seven batting slots. Six batsmen — Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, V.V.S. Laxman, Wasim Jaffer and Yuvraj Singh — pick themselves and Gambhir isn’t badly placed either. According to The Telegraph’s sources, the “biggest headache” is finding five new-ball bowlers who’re fit and have the ability to take wickets. “Sreesanth’s non-availability is a huge blow… He would have walked into the XI as one of the three new-ball bowlers and his absence is going to hurt us,” said one of the selectors. Till late on Tuesday, only Zaheer Khan and Rudra Pratap Singh (both of whom have recovered from injuries) were absolutely certain of making it, with Irfan Pathan and Ishant Sharma almost there. There’s a degree of risk involved in choosing new-ball bowlers coming off injuries, but Zaheer and Rudra Pratap are needed. While they’ve at least recovered, the Munaf Patel picture isn’t clear. He’s so injury prone. Pathan got a hundred on his Test comeback the other day, but all five selectors aren’t fully convinced that he can take wickets upfront. “He’s very strongly placed, no doubt, but we don’t need a batsman down the order… We need wicket-taking bowlers…” explained another selector. Assuming Pathan and Ishant (who returned a career-best five for 118 on Tuesday) make it, then one from among Munaf, Vikram Rajvir Singh and Ajit Agarkar will fill the remaining berth for new-ball bowlers. Four of Ishant’s victims were tailenders, but he’s seen as one with big potential and his height could make him lethal on wickets that should have bounce in plenty. There won’t, by the way, be any discussion over the two slots for spinners: They’ve been booked by captain Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh. However, there’s going to be a big debate over who goes as Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s deputy. Dinesh Karthik has had a poor series (with the bat throughout and with the gloves in the only innings he has kept), but it appears he has Kumble’s confidence. Parthiv Patel is breathing down Karthik’s neck, but it’s to be seen whether he gets a call-up after what seems ages. Both are also third opener-options. LIKELY SQUAD (as of Tuesday night) Certainties: Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, V.V.S. Laxman, Wasim Jaffer, Yuvraj Singh; Mahendra Singh Dhoni; Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh; Zaheer Khan, Rudra Pratap Singh. As good as certain: Gautam Gambhir. Almost there: Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma. Straight fight: Dinesh Karthik, Parthiv Patel. One from three (in order of their current standing): Munaf Patel, Vikram Rajvir Singh, Ajit Agarkar. Dark horses: Pankaj Singh, Ranadeb Bose.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071212/asp/sports/story_8658419.asp