Breaking news: Aus Tour selection [Merged]

[DravidDaBest]

Opening with Yuvraj is a bad idea. It was already contemplated during Ganguly captaincy days and Yuvraj found wanting. If Yuvraj fails, then we're exposing our middle order where a good opender would have laid good foundation. Yuvraj's golden form will be grossly wasted if we sacrifice him at the top Opening is a specialist position (Ask VVS). When it comes to make shift openers, it should be dravid as he got a good technique and experience in Australia

[Predator_05]

He will fail as an opener. Remember, Yuvraj is still fairly new to test cricket and since he lacks that experience, he is a terrible starter. At the beginning of his 169, he looked very shaky and even when he started scoring he looked like he could get out at any time. That was against a substandard p@ki bowling attack - with the Aussies there will be even less margin for error, especially against the new ball. Dravid was useless an opener, as was Laxman - both better batsmen than Yuvraj, so what hope does he have of succeeding there. Play him in the middle order or don't play him at all. The batting lineup is decent enough without him.

[feverpitch]

No, He has no Opening experience ! Top 3 has to be specialists !!! Three out of Tendulkar,Ganguly,Laxman , Yuvraj should be played..... India needs a Coach now to make tough decisions.

that means RD is automatic over the likes of SRT, SG and Lax in your opinion, when he has been the worst performer over a year.... had it been SG he would have been dropped for less... actually, rd should be made 12th man and made to carry drinks and coffins

[kabira]

Yuvi has to wait. Its good situation to have. Your reserve batsman is hungry and ready to accept challenge in event of injury to RD, VVS, SRT or SG.

[DravidDaBest]

Yuvi has to wait. Its good situation to have. Your reserve batsman is hungry and ready to accept challenge in event of injury to RD' date=' VVS, SRT or SG.[/quote'] If the opening and middle order positions are rock solid, then yes. But not in this case. There is one slot vacant at the top as Karthick, Gambhir & Sehwag are struggling. A good opening partnership will elevate our middle order from good to great. Since Jaffer's spot is finalized, who has got the highest chances of succeeding at the other opening slot? Gambhir Karthick Akash Chopra Dravid Yuvraj The answer to the above one will have a major impact on the outcome of the series

[Bumper]

None of the alternatives we have as openers are specialists anyways (KKD, Parthiv are converts). The supposed specialists are hopeless (Gambhir, Chopra). So in ANY CASE, Dravid is a virtual opener batting at no. 3. He WILL HAVE TO COME IN, within the first 5 overs in atleast 6 of the 8 innings in Australia. So what difference does it make whether he opens or bats at no. 3 ? If Dravid opens we can solve many problems in one shot: 1) VVS can bat at no. 3 (he is being wasted at no. 6, as he runs out of partners, after looking set) 2) Yuvraj comes in => Our best 7 batsmen play 3) No free wickets in the opening slot. So the question is not whether Yuvraj should play or not. Rather, who should open ? Yuvraj cannot open. Its unfair to destroy his career asking him to open in Australia, which even senior and more experienced players are not willing to do. Playing Yuvraj is a MUST, as: - Yuvraj can share the 5th bowler workload. We will have to bowl at the Aussie batting machine for long periods of time. Ganguly, Tendulkar & Yuvraj will have to do some bowling. - Yuvraj's ground fielding & catching are big pluses. - We will have a very handy lower order (with Yuvi & Dhoni) to shepherd the tail.

[Guest BossBhai]

-- Removed on request of the user --

[coffee_rules]

RD's opening stats. The 2 100s were in Pakistan's airports. So, clearly he struggles in that slot.

                     Mat    I  NO  Runs HS1  HS2  HS3     Ave 100  50   0

unfiltered           114  195  24  9622 270  233  222   56.26  24  49   6
filtered               8   13   2   369 128* 103   31   33.54   2   0   0

[Bumper]

He averages 37 on these patta batting tracks against an under manned Pak attack. 33 is not that worse to be honest. And how many of these innings were played in recent times (after the Ind-Pak 2006). I dont think RD's innings as opener in the 90s is an indication of what we can expect from him today.

[living]

Sorry but no place for Yuvi unless you replace VVS. But its hard to see the team doing that since VVS has a spectacular record in Aus.

[Bumper]

RD's opening stats. The 2 100s were in Pakistan's airports. So, clearly he struggles in that slot.

                     Mat    I  NO  Runs HS1  HS2  HS3     Ave 100  50   0

unfiltered           114  195  24  9622 270  233  222   56.26  24  49   6
filtered               8   13   2   369 128* 103   31   33.54   2   0   0

Can you do the same stats for Yuvraj as opener & middle order bat ?

[Dhondy]

Somebody look me in the eye and tell me that Sehwag would have done worse than Kartick or Gambhir in this series. Select these two or Chopra ahead of Sehwag for Australia? Oh dear!

[guju24]

so many specialist opener batsman in the indian team...still yuvraj or dravid....i mean camon wht is this...cant u guys make a decesion....

[coffee_rules]

Somebody look me in the eye and tell me that Sehwag would have done worse than Kartick or Gambhir in this series. Select these two or Chopra ahead of Sehwag for Australia? Oh dear!

His form and attitude in Ranji says, he would have done the same as these two, if not worse.

[Dhondy]

His form and attitude in Ranji says' date=' he would have done the same as these two, if not worse.[/quote'] Right. And where did paying attention to Gambhir's form and attitude in Ranji get us to, exactly?

[coffee_rules]

Can you do the same stats for Yuvraj as opener & middle order bat ?

That's why I think it should be left to specialists. We can draft Yuvraj only if some other MO fails. We had Kartik/Jaffer, they will have to be tried out first test in Mel before getting Yuvraj in. Just because he is in the form of his life, you can expect other MO's to nudge themselves to make room for Yuvraj. Who knows he might be Yuseless in Aus.

[Bumper]

Who amongst KKD, Parthiv, Gambhir, Chopra is a specialist ? We have been successful converting MO bats to openers. Why not try that with Dravid ? He would prefer to open than being dropped.

[coffee_rules]

Who amongst KKD' date=' Parthiv, Gambhir, Chopra is a specialist ? We have been successful converting MO bats to openers. Why not try that with Dravid ? [b']He would prefer to open than being dropped.

I don't think he is there yet. Honestly, what's with this clamouring for Dravid's ouster? He has been dropped from ODIs, still a long way from getting into the same state in Tests. So, all Ganguly fans can stop dreaming about it for now. :hysterical:

[bharat297]

An opening batsman must have a very good technique and I am not sure that Yuvraj, Ganguly or Dhoni have that. The best batsman, defensive technique-wise is Dravid. I feel Laxman will be suited to no.3. Jaffer Dravid Laxman Tendulkar Ganguly Yuvraj Dhoni Thats the batting order. Its a long one. But I feel, we know we are in good batting form, when the least in-form batsman out of the top 7 is Dravid.

[The Outsider]

Dravid has earned his number 3 spot and the Indian team has seen the benefits of it. Yuvraj is a rookie and should be willing to bite the bullet and open if he wants to play at the MCG. The hard work and proven performance of years should not be sacrificed for what is after all one brilliant innings. If Yuvraj is not geared up for it, he should bide his time. Sehwag took the tough option and came out with stupendous success. Laxman evaded that option and had to sit on the sidelines for a few years. The onus is on Yuvraj.