Opening Act - Boom or Bust

[coffee_rules]

I had thought only Rahul has the tag of going boom or bust. Vijay is also a partner-in-crime in the same time he has been opening with Rahul in the last few series since Aus 2015:

 

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/599009/opening-act-indian-worry.html

 

Quote

Their scoring patterns over the last couple of years show that both Rahul and Vijay either go boom or go bust. In 14 Tests since his debut, Rahul has 13 innings of 16 runs or less while in some cases he has got out after reasonably good starts like 24, 28, 32 and 38. 

This means more than 80 percent of his career runs has come in six innings. In the same period, Vijay had 17 scores of 20 or less out of 29 innings besides getting out at 29 and 40 on one occasion each. 

A strong middle-order performance in the last four series, extending from the tour of the West Indies, may have papered over lack of good opening stands but it’s when the most of the batting group fails to click, like it happened in Pune, the chinks at the top of the order appear glaring. While no one expects Rahul and Vijay to produce a 100 or even a 50-run partnership every time they go out to open, the success rate certainly has to be better than just one fifty-run stand in nine innings that the two have managed since the New Zealand series last year. And on four occasions during this period, both have been dismissed with the team total being 22 or less.

Prior to the onset of this home season, Rahul and Vijay had opened four times and the highest stand between them was 48 in the second innings of the Sydney Test. Vijay, who has had several great partnerships with Cheteshwar Pujara, hoped a big one with Rahul was around the corner. “Maybe a big partnership is around the corner between me and Rahul. Hopefully, it can happen in this (Bengaluru) match.”

Overall performance of India’s openers in the last four series plus the first Test against Australia hasn’t been any encouraging. Together, Indian openers have accumulated 654 runs in the last 21 innings, stretching from the series against West Indies, at an average of just over 31 runs with one century association (152 against England in Chennai) and three other fifty-plus stands.
DH News Service

A look at the 11 partnerships between Rahul and Vijay since they opened first in Sydney in 2015:
Sydney Test, 2015: I innings: 0 run; II innings: 48 runs
New Zealand series 2016 I Test: I innings: 42; II innings: 52
England series 2016 II Test: I innings: 6; II innings: 16 IV Test: I innings: 39
Bangladesh Test 2017: I innings: 2; II innings: 12
Australia Test 2017: I innings: 26; II innings: 10

 

But among them, Rahul is more prone to be dropped (atleast for the 4th test).

[express bowling]

5 hours ago, coffee_rules said:

I had thought only Rahul has the tag of going boom or bust. Vijay is also a partner-in-crime in the same time he has been opening with Rahul in the last few series since Aus 2015:

 

Vijay averages 39.8  and Rahul averages 38.3   ( both less than 40 )

 

Proving thereby that both are inconsistent.

[The Realist]

Pretty poor returns given that the majority of the games have been at home and on familiar tracks.

 

Need more competition for the opening slots because there is far too much complacency amongst the current openers as they do not fear being dropped. 

[Forever Indian]

1 hour ago, express bowling said:

Vijay averages 39.8  and Rahul averages 38.3   ( both less than 40 )

 

Proving thereby that both are inconsistent.

Since his comeback in 2013 Vijay has been averaging 43 which is not too bad for an opener. The average has dropped a little due to an average 2016 with his injuries. Hopefully he is able to come back strongly this year.

 

Openers have always been an issue for India, so chopping and changing frequently will not work and has never worked in past as well. Will have to give a bit of rope for Rahul as well, atleast till end of this series to see how he fares.

[express bowling]

2 hours ago, Forever Indian said:

Since his comeback in 2013 Vijay has been averaging 43 which is not too bad for an opener. The average has dropped a little due to an average 2016 with his injuries. Hopefully he is able to come back strongly this year.

 

Openers have always been an issue for India, so chopping and changing frequently will not work and has never worked in past as well. Will have to give a bit of rope for Rahul as well, atleast till end of this series to see how he fares.

 

I am not talking about changing them

 

But, they need to work hard and become more consistent.

 

Cut out all the loose shots and tighten their game outside off stump.

[Forever Indian]

2 minutes ago, express bowling said:

 

I am not talking about changing them

 

But, they need to work hard and become more consistent.

 

Cut out all the loose shots and tighten their game outside off stump.

Yes, they seem to play some loose shots at start of innings when playing in India. Even in India with bowlers fresh and something in pitch it's important to play out the new ball.

[SLICKR392]

On 2/3/2017 at 5:16 PM, express bowling said:

Vijay averages 39.8  and Rahul averages 38.3   ( both less than 40 )

 

Proving thereby that both are inconsistent.

Can be given a longer rope, because both have potential. Or do only fast bowlers deserve that long rope? Haha

And Vijay is just out of form.

[kubrickian]

5 hours ago, Forever Indian said:

Since his comeback in 2013 Vijay has been averaging 43 which is not too bad for an opener. The average has dropped a little due to an average 2016 with his injuries. Hopefully he is able to come back strongly this year.

 

Openers have always been an issue for India, so chopping and changing frequently will not work and has never worked in past as well. Will have to give a bit of rope for Rahul as well, atleast till end of this series to see how he fares.

Opening is the best position to bat in India. There will be very little swing or seam movement and not much turn for spinners. Batting lower down the order is more difficult because as the ball gets older, there will be more help for spinners and seamers with reverse swing. In overseas conditions, its the reverse. If you average anything less than 45 on Indian pitches, you are not doing a good job as an opener.

Edited March 2, 2017 by kubrickian

[express bowling]

10 minutes ago, SLICKR392 said:

Can be given a longer rope, because both have potential. Or do only fast bowlers deserve that long rope? Haha

And Vijay is just out of form.

Vijay is not out of form.   He has scored 3  centuries in the last 16 test innings but has not crossed  even 30 in the 12 other innings with one other score of 31.     He is showing boom or bust characteristics just  like Rahul.

 

Where have I talked about dropping them  ?

 

This is what I wrote about them earlier.

 

2 hours ago, express bowling said:

 

I am not talking about changing them

 

But, they need to work hard and become more consistent.

 

Cut out all the loose shots and tighten their game outside off stump.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SLICKR392]

On 3/3/2017 at 0:21 AM, express bowling said:

Vijay is not out of form.   He has scored 3  centuries in the last 16 test innings but has not crossed  even 30 in the 12 other innings with one other score of 31.     He is showing boom or bust characteristics just  like Rahul.

 

Where have I talked about dropping them  ?

 

This is what I wrote about them earlier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If Rahane deserves a run, so does Vijay, but like I asked in the other thread, what are our options? Really don't want to go back to Dhawan.

[express bowling]

6 minutes ago, SLICKR392 said:

If Rahane deserves a run, so does Vijay, but like I asked in the other thread, what are our options? Really don't want to go back to Dhawan.

 

Who is talking about other options     !!!!

 

I want Vijay to continue but practice hard and become more consistent.    Cut out the loose shots and  tighten his off stump game.

 

It is not difficult for a batsman of his calibre.

[SLICKR392]

On 3/3/2017 at 0:34 AM, express bowling said:

 

Who is talking about other options     !!!!

 

I want Vijay to continue but practice hard and become more consistent.    Cut out the loose shots and  tighten his off stump game.

 

It is not difficult for a batsman of his calibre.

Ummm...think you misread it. I was asking what are our other options if one of them do continue this way.

[express bowling]

1 minute ago, SLICKR392 said:

Ummm...think you misread it. I was asking what are our other options if one of them do continue this way.

 

Next in line are Abhinav Mukund and Priyank Panchal, in that order.

 

Mukund can be another boom or bust guy.  He is international quality in all likelihood ( can play pace and spin )  but his consistency can be an issue.

 

Panchal is in the form of his life in domestic cricket but his ability to tackle international pace or movement is unknown.

[jusarrived]

I partly blame Virat for droping him to accommodate Rohit/Dhawan when he was the top 2 test bat for India . Hes been very inconsistent since then . 

[jusarrived]

5 hours ago, Forever Indian said:

Since his comeback in 2013 Vijay has been averaging 43 which is not too bad for an opener. The average has dropped a little due to an average 2016 with his injuries. Hopefully he is able to come back strongly this year.

 

Openers have always been an issue for India, so chopping and changing frequently will not work and has never worked in past as well. Will have to give a bit of rope for Rahul as well, atleast till end of this series to see how he fares.

IIRC he was closing ~45 before the home series started and looked like getting close to 50 in a couple of seasons . The average dip when we have been playing at home is pretty disappointing after having done all the hardwrok on overseas tours . 

[express bowling]

4 minutes ago, jusarrived said:

I partly blame Virat for droping him to accommodate Rohit/Dhawan when he was the top 2 test bat for India . Hes been very inconsistent since then . 

As far as I remember, Vijay missed only 1 test after becoming fit.   

 

The other missed tests earlier were due to injury.

 

 

 

 

[Forever Indian]

1 hour ago, kubrickian said:

Opening is the best position to bat in India. There will be very little swing or seam movement and not much turn for spinners. Batting lower down the order is more difficult because as the ball gets older, there will be more help for spinners and seamers with reverse swing. In overseas conditions, its the reverse. If you average anything less than 45 on Indian pitches, you are not doing a good job as an opener.

Tell me then why have India not had many decent openers in the past? Gavaskar and Sehwag are the only ones that come to mind. Even Sehwag was average overseas, so other than Gavaskar we have not had a decent opener overseas. Vijay did very well in our overseas tours. 

 

Opening is difficult no matter where you bat with fresh pacers and something in most pitches, so you have to bat sensibly. Defenitely Vijay can improve at home which hopefully he will. I feel it is a matter of just seeing off new ball as he does overseas.

[Pollack]

Abhinav Mukund is plain average. I can bet on his failure at international level. He is one of those players who would be good in domestics ever but not for internationals.Panchal is also not much promising.Watched him less and its never a good idea to judge so soon but one knows straight away sometimes. Sadly we have not much choices for openers in tests.Maybe parthiv but his temperament is ever questionable.

[kubrickian]

12 hours ago, Forever Indian said:

Tell me then why have India not had many decent openers in the past? Gavaskar and Sehwag are the only ones that come to mind. Even Sehwag was average overseas, so other than Gavaskar we have not had a decent opener overseas. Vijay did very well in our overseas tours. 

 

Opening is difficult no matter where you bat with fresh pacers and something in most pitches, so you have to bat sensibly. Defenitely Vijay can improve at home which hopefully he will. I feel it is a matter of just seeing off new ball as he does overseas.

Gambhir was good for a decent period of time. So was Dhawan. Problem for Indian openers is once they tour overseas, their weakness gets exposed against seamers because of lateral movement and extra bounce and get dropped or they lose confidence and form and dont do well subsequently in Indian conditions as well. Make no mistake, its a lot easier to bat up the order in Indian conditions rather than lower the order.

[G_B_]

easily the most annoying player in Indian team atm. Has all this talent. Plays some dumb as * shots.