Poll: 1-0 or 1-1 (going for 2-0)

[The Outsider]

Strange things happen on the last day of a test. A team like Australia lost 7 wickets in the last session. Nothing wrong in having a go at a demoralized lot for 60 odd overs.

[Cricketics]

Whats the point of declaring ?

whats the point in batting out??? when u know the opposition can't score 350+ in 2 sessions.. this is like giving away another test match

[Ram]

I would rather prefer my top-order run into some more form, than going for a 2-0 scoreline. After all, history never pays attention to the specifics. The legacy this series is going to leave behind wont alter a bit, if we win 1-0 or 2-0. Ultimately, the record books will say, " India won the series" and that will be lasting memory of all the fans. Whenever any of us think about the English series we won last summer, do we ever think of the missed chance in the last test to go 2-0 up ? Rarely, our immediate memory is " We won a test series in england for the first time in 21 years" . It will be similar for this one too. And more pertinently, there is no way we are going to set them a practical target, with the series on the line. If at all we bat, we will bat for atleast a session and team management knows it hasnt got the resources or the pitch to bowl out pakistan in 2 sessions. I am pretty sure, we will keep batting deep into day 5.

[coffee_rules]

I think India will bat 1 hour after lunch and declare. Have a go for 40-50 overs. In Headingley, Pakistan were bowled in 47 overs. So, India win can still happen in this test.

[Cricketics]

I would rather prefer my top-order run into some more form, than going for a 2-0 scoreline. After all, history never pays attention to the specifics. The legacy this series is going to leave behind wont alter a bit, if we win 1-0 or 2-0. Ultimately, the record books will say, " India won the series" and that will be lasting memory of all the fans. Whenever any of us think about the English series we won last summer, do we ever think of the missed chance in the last test to go 2-0 up ? Rarely, our immediate memory is " We won a test series in england for the first time in 21 years" . It will be similar for this one too. And more pertinently, there is no way we are going to set them a practical target, with the series on the line. If at all we bat, we will bat for atleast a session and team management knows it hasnt got the resources or the pitch to bowl out pakistan in 2 sessions. I am pretty sure, we will keep batting deep into day 5.

mm.. why don't u think the other way around??? our bowlers need to bowl more too.. they are struggling more then our batsmanz.. they are the ones who need to make sure aussies don't score 500+ each inning... they need more time to bowl..

[Ram]

I think India will bat 1 hour after lunch and declare. Have a go for 40-50 overs. In Headingley' date=' Pakistan were bowled in 47 overs. So, India win can still happen in this test.[/quote'] I say we need atleast 100 overs to bowl any team out. So declaring with 60-65 overs left will be based more on hope, than a reflection of ground realities. And when it comes to defending for 60 overs, Pak is just one solid partnership away from shutting India out. More pertinently, the spinner have looked quite ineffective so far, in this match. The fact of the matter is, I dont think we can win this test match. Lets go for the best alternate option - Help our batsman find some more form. Besides, the team's morale wont change one bit, if we are 1-0 or 2-0.

[Ram]

mm.. why don't u think the other way around??? our bowlers need to bowl more too.. they are struggling more then our batsmanz.. they are the ones who need to make sure aussies don't score 500+ each inning... they need more time to bowl..

Tics, bowling is slightly different from batting. And we need to be realistic. No team has been dismissed within 90 overs in this series, EVER. It wont be practical to expect our bowlers to dismiss pak in 60 overs, its not gonna happen.

[Cricketics]

okay but why not give our bowlers a bit more chance to bowl anyway?? just like u said there is nothing left in the game and hence our batters should bat out and find some form, then why not do the same with our bowling?? our bowlers need to bowl too.. Ishant, pathan, offcourse they aren't fully ready for the aussie tour.. they need to bowl more and more... bowling in such conditions would be interesting and if they can get 6-7 wickets or more then it would do them the good too

[Ram]

okay but why not give our bowlers a bit more chance to bowl anyway?? just like u said there is nothing left in the game and hence our batters should bat out and find some form, then why not do the same with our bowling?? our bowlers need to bowl too.. Ishant, pathan, offcourse they aren't fully ready for the aussie tour.. they need to bowl more and more... bowling in such conditions would be interesting and if they can get 6-7 wickets or more then it would do them the good too

You have an excellent point there, i never thought on those lines. Maybe, just maybe, will give them 60 overs to negotiate. Lets see.

[Lurker]

I would put my money on Draw. India has an upper hand, if only for arguments sake, but this pitch is so cr@p that I fail to see Indian bowlers running through Pakistan in 2nd innings, more so when Pathan/Bhajji and Sharma are 3 of our main bowlers, the latter's effort in 1st innings not withstanding. India win 1-0. I am a tad disappointed as I was hoping for a 2-0 win, if not 3-0. xxx

[coffee_rules]

I would put my money on Draw. India has an upper hand, if only for arguments sake, but this pitch is so cr@p that I fail to see Indian bowlers running through Pakistan in 2nd innings, more so when Pathan/Bhajji and Sharma are 3 of our main bowlers, the latter's effort in 1st innings not withstanding. India win 1-0. I am a tad disappointed as I was hoping for a 2-0 win, if not 3-0. xxx

India were behind only in 2 sessions. D2 in Kotla when India were 139/5. And D1 in Bangalore when India was reduced to 61/4. Even with Misbah's 200 partnership sessions, India were never behind. So, thus kind of domination is equivalent of a 2-0 in my book.

[Online]

I dunno, i would rather watch Ganguly , Dravid or Laxman make a century rather than watching Butt, Younis or Misbah make 80-odds. If India intends to declare, you can bet your bottom dollar they will keep an impossible target, especially since its a decider. I predict a similar target to Kolkata, around 340, in 60 overs.

I agree - lets see our batsmen pile on some records :D

[DesiChap]

We need to bat big in the 1st session try to go for 150 runs and declare after lunch. Yuvi and Pathan need to come next and go ballistic

[riya]

We need to bat big in the 1st session try to go for 150 runs and declare after lunch. Yuvi and Pathan need to come next and go ballistic

It is not that easy to score that quickly with an out of form Dravid and Gangu living dangerously plus Akhtar will chuck his heart out . So not that easy realistically.

[DesiChap]

Ganguly Living dangerously? Riya did you watch the game? Ganguly was/is looking great, nothing dangerous about his batting except for the bowling side.

[coffee_rules]

It is not that easy to score that quickly with an out of form Dravid and Gangu living dangerously plus Akhtar will chuck his heart out . So not that easy realistically.

The team will score around Dravid. Dravid need not bat like others. After Ganguly, there is Yuvraj, Pathan. Send Harbhajan also to get some few quick runs. They can then shut shop with Laxman, Kartik, Kumble etc. So, getting 150 runs in one session is not that difficult.

[Cricketics]

The team will score around Dravid. Dravid need not bat like others. After Ganguly' date=' there is Yuvraj, Pathan. Send Harbhajan also to get some few quick runs. They can then shut shop with Laxman, Kartik, Kumble etc. So, getting 150 runs in one session is not that difficult.[/quote'] we have scored 115 runs regularly each session since game 1 of this series.. adding another 35 shoudn't be a problem unless they are ordered by kumble to play safe..

[DesiChap]

Pakistan to go for a win tomorrow, says Lawson PTI BANGALORE, December 11: India may have managed to take an upper hand in the final Test but Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson made it clear that his wards would be game for a chase on the final day on Wednesday. India have already taken an overall lead of 220 runs with eight wickets in hand but an unfazed Lawson said Pakistan, trailing 0-1 in the series, would go for a win even if they are set a 300-plus target. "We need eight wickets tomorrow and our job will be to get those eight wickets as quickly as possible. If India set a target, then we will go after it," Lawson told reporters. "If they set us a target like 320 off 68 overs or so then we will go after it," said the former Australian speedster. Though the placid M Chinnaswamy track drew flak, Lawson had a different view of it. "This wicket surprises me, the odd ball keeps low but it is getting better and better. It did something on the first day but it has got better on the fourth day. Persistence is the key." "Yasir (Arafat) bowled well on the first day. He got his three wickets quickly but the next two came after some time. Anyway, it is nice to see a young fast bowler (Ishant Sharma) getting five wickets so early in his career." Lawson looked impressed by the Delhi pacer and said, "It's nice to see a bowler hit the deck hard and he could be handy in Australia. He has pace and bounce." Among the Pakistanis, Misbah-ul-Haq, who slammed unbeaten 133 to help the side avoid follow-on, came in for rich praise from the coach. http://cricket.indiatimes.com/Pakistan_to_go_for_a_win_Lawson/articleshow/2615300.cms

[Parth]

If we bat for the first session and get another 150 runs and set Pak 370 to win in 60 overs is possible, with the likes of Misbah in the team. plus if they get to around 300 they can get the extra 30 minutes.

[Predator_05]

Those big cracks in the pitch will open up soon. India have plenty of time to force a win, so why not go for it ? Their batsmen will struggle to survive on a 5th day pitch, no matter what the target is. Lawson says they will go for 320 if they have 70 overs - that should make the task of taking 10 wickets relatively simple.