Vijay ruled out of first Test

[The Realist]

Vijay may be ruled out but Team Cheerleader Shastri is back...

India’s Team Director Ravi Shastri says the learning curve for the side is over and it’s time that the players start winning Test matches abroad by finding ways to get 20 wickets. India are aiming to win a first series on Lankan soil in more than two decades when the first Test gets underway in Galle on Wednesday. “You don’t come to a cricket ground to draw a cricket match so you play a brand of cricket where you look to take the game forward and you look to take 20 wickets, that is paramount. You have got to think how you can take 20 wickets to take the game forward and win the game,” Shastri said. Shastri also backed skipper Virat Kohli’s strategy to field five bowlers. “And then the fact that you have an additional bowler might just help you close matches that you couldn’t earlier. It’s not about getting big runs but about taking 20 wickets. Look at England in the Ashes. It’s their depth in bowling that has made all the difference,” he pointed out. Talking about the Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara debate, Shastri said Rohit deserves his place in the playing XI. “Rohit is a class player. It’s just a case of him smelling the coffee, spending some time in the middle and getting a start, and then we know what he can do. It could be a good position for him because he has that ability to counter attack and yet at the same time he will have to be tight. If Pujara is in the best five batsmen of the team he will play, if not he doesn’t. I am sure he will make a comeback at some point, especially if we are playing only four bowlers.” This policy of five bowlers puts added onus on the lower order then, with the spotlight firmly on Wriddhiman Saha at the number six spot. The Bengal gloves-man hasn’t been in the best of form though and it is a bit of a worry going into the series. “Saha is a very good player and he might have got out cheaply but he has got the temperament to score runs. He batted really well in Sydney to save that Test match in the second innings as well as when he got the opportunity he looked good at the crease. It’s converting that start into one big score and giving himself the self-belief that he can perform. “And it’s not just Saha. Each one of those bowlers will have to put a price tag on their wickets. No wicket is free these days and you have to make the bowlers earn those wickets and a lot will be expected from the bowlers,” Shastri signed off. http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/ravi-shastri-throws-weight-behind-rohit-sharma-says-cheteshwar-pujara-will-make-a-comeback-at-some-point/

:facepalm:

[Austin 3:!6]

Bhuvi is in the team as a batsman who can bowl a lot of economical overs. Haha.

This is bad. Playing a bowler for its economy rate never works in test cricket. B.Kumar will be my first choice bowler in ODI's. But in tests you need Yadav.

[Detonator]

This is how Mooli got injured I guess

[jusarrived]

Ashwin has a batsman's temperament but NOT a good batsman's temperament. A very good ball is enough to get him out. He won't play it off like good Test batsmen do but he will be good enough to edge it. Scoring runs at No 6 (where you are expected to score every time you bat) is a totally different ball game compared to scoring those clutch 30s and 50s at No 8 (where you aren't really expected to score every time you bat). Plus Ashwin gets out too many times after getting set. He just has 4 50s but countless 30s and 40s. Right now, Ashwin should bat at No 7 (due to 5 bowler strategy) and told to focus on his bowling which has started to look good.

Hes a better bat than Saha , much better . Even if you play him as a batsmen am sure he will avg ~35 , your underestimating him a little here . In this series though , he will play a key role at 7 imo , cos there is a good chance we will be 5 down very quickly may need his help to cross 400 even on a flat pitch

[Gollum]

1st step towards Vijay's ouster from the team(bad luck with the injury:((). I expect that by the end of 2016 Vijay, Rahane ,Ashiwn and ChePu will be discarded forever. Basically anybody who is a threat to Kohli is going to get the axe. Mumbai lobby, CAB lobby and Kohli will play such high level politics that would make us long for the MSD era. Rohit over Che ROFLMAO. The way things are going I am sure Rohit will get an uninterrupted run under Kohli even if he fails every single time. Hackwan too will be persisted with and so will Chuckbhajan. Indian cricket is ruined. At least MSD was unbiased in his initial years at the helm.

[Austin 3:!6]

Vijay may be ruled out but Team Cheerleader Shastri is back... :facepalm:

:hysterical:

[tweaker]

I don't believe in this theory of carrying an injured player in overseas tour.Last Australlia series we had Dhoni,Jadeja Kumar injured for major part.Instead we should have selected another player.

[Lannister]

Since Vijay is out, I don't mind letting Rohit play. Both Rohit and Pujara have poor techniques, so might as well go for the one who at the least scores quicker. As for as bowling goes, I guess Ishanth, Ashwin, monkey-gate Harbhajan, Umesh and Aaron.

[BeautifulGame]

Vijay may be ruled out but Team Cheerleader Shastri is back... “Saha is a very good player and he might have got out cheaply but he has got the temperament to score runs. He batted really well in Sydney to save that Test match in the second innings as well as when he got the opportunity he looked good at the crease. :facepalm:

Saha scored a six ball duck in the 2nd innings :hysterical: This is what happens when we appoint a media cheerleader as coach :facepalm:

[BeautifulGame]

Our batting looks really horrible if the rumored team is true. if their is some swing early on we could fold as bad as Australia did with that line up.Only have confidence in Rahul and Rahane to defend if the conditions are bowler friendly. Really hope we go in with six if the conditions are helpful.Yes being positive with 5 bowlers is good but at Kohli needs to be pragmatic .

[Bigg Brother]

Good.now I will get 3 day test match and will spend my time in study.:D

[adi B]

We used to have a ganguly or a laxman at #6,now saha lol.I think Kohli should should go for another batsman and drop a pacer in SC ,thing is vijay is injured so nohit is a sure shot selection

[G_B_]

So who wants to make the first test thread?

[Texan]

and look around twitter the indian side will be 1. Rahul 2. Dhawan 3. Rohit 4. Kholi 5. Rahane 6.Saha 7. Ashwin 8. Harbhajan 9. Bhuvi 10. Ishant 11.Umesh/Aaron/Mishra (with Aaron tipped to be 11) thats what people think.

I would pick Mishra considering it is in SL

[CricketBuffOne]

With a fragile batting line-up and in the absence of Shami, it will be difficult for the Indians to beat SL.

[Shivaji bhonsle]

So who wants to make the first test thread?

Me. . Never got a chance to make a match thread.. ☹

[sensible-indian]

Hes a better bat than Saha , much better . Even if you play him as a batsmen am sure he will avg ~35 , your underestimating him a little here . In this series though , he will play a key role at 7 imo , cos there is a good chance we will be 5 down very quickly may need his help to cross 400 even on a flat pitch

I am not underrating his ability but questioning his temperament (which is good but not great). He may be a limited batsman but there are aspects to his game that I find are better than most batsmen. Like ability to play the ball no matter how much it swings. He can cover swing like crazy good. Most batsmen would get out playing certain deliveries that Ashwin plays with ease. But the same aspect is his weakness too cos just all it takes is one ball to do an extra bit (in tougher conditons) to remove him. His unwillingness (usually) to leave balls outside off stump (in tough periods) is a weakness. He is a compulsive hooker but usually gets late on the shot with the ball hitting the upper part of the bat and popping up (Stuart Broad England 4th test - if he had been calm, Dhoni would have gone on to hit a century and he too could have scored a big one). The sad part is that Ashwin can play the ball easily without hooking but he goes for the shot and gets out. He can work on his game and even average 40 at No 6. (potential wise) But is he working on his issues (leaving balls, not trying to hook too many times)? If so, I would be happy. But it remains to be seen how he performs when runs are expected off him for sure (where a good stroke filled 30 is considered a failure as opposed to a mild success at No 8).

[G_B_]

Me. . Never got a chance to make a match thread.. ☹

make one quickly... its yours

[Switchblade]

Vijay may be ruled out but Team Cheerleader Shastri is back... :facepalm:

:hysterical::hysterical:

[Furious007]

Bad luck for him and India.