India A Series ....

[PKBasu]

Yuvraj makes 123 off 89 balls as India A pile up 312/4 in 42 overs. Blistering 70* off 32 balls by Yusuf Pathan, and a solid 67 (off 78 balls) by Mandeep Singh.

Windies A 184/8 in 32 overs. 2 wickets each for Vinay (conceding just 14 runs in 4 overs), Yusuf and Rahul Sharma. One for Narwal.

[prasen9]

I would have loved to see Baba Aparajith. Yuvraj's coming back to form is good news.

[Atithee]

I don't quite understand the significance of these A tours being organized in India. It doesn't do much for India. We cannot read much from the results obtained in India. The opposition certainly benefits a lot. So, what's the point? Why are we not playing in Australia, England, NZ? The SA tour was useful, but we didn't necessarily get a lot of testing conditions. When we did, we did not exactly inspire confidence by our batting performance.

[prasen9]

The A team is playing WI A. WI is 264/5. Mohit Juneja, Jiwanjot, Pujara and Palliwal are deserving selections --- given that a bunch of others are gone for the Champions T20s. The other batsmen are Khadiwale, Motwani, and Rahul. Khadiwale and Motwani are okay batsmen and Rahul is a youngster. The bowling is lead by IC Pandey and Shami. Dinda comes in along with Rasool. The latter have been mediocre in their FC careers. I don't know who else were available. Rohit is obviously not. What about Mukund? Is he in a Champions T20 team?

[prasen9]

India A is totally revamped. We have Gambhir, Sehwag, Pujara, and Nayar, all India players. And Kaif. Although I do not know what he is doing there. We must try Rohit, Rahane, etc. for a while and after that surely the next crop of Chand, Aparajith, Menaria, etc. will be knocking on the door. Kaul is a good selection --- good bat. What Jagadeesh is doing there who knows!

[PKBasu]

With Vijay unable to find form in any form of the game, there is a glimmer of opportunity for Sehwag and Gambhir to find a place in the test squad either for the home series against Windies or the big away series against SA (if it actually happens at all). Zaheer Khan too gets a chance to show some form. He only managed to get 1/44 in 16 overs -- slightly outshining Shami's 1/59 in 16 overs. The young left-arm spinner from Baroda, Bhargav Bhat, picked up 3/76.

[prasen9]

Vijay will be the next Sadagoppan Ramesh? The 37 year old had a promising start to his test career but did not take his chances and score big consistently. Inexplicably, he was not brought back after losing form in the domestics. Given that Sehwag and Gambhir have a long career behind them, if they do find form consistently, they should be back if Vijay is not in form. However, I think Sehwag will play in the middle order in this match because that is what he wants and Jagadeesh or someone else will open. So, Sehwag is perhaps not competing directly with Vijay. But then again will Dhoni be open to two lefties (Gambhir+Dhawan) opening if Gambhir finds form? Possibly not. So, Vijay will get a longer rope.

[Atithee]

It is very unlikely (and inappropriate) that Vijay will be dropped no matter what Gambhir and Sehwag do. Indian selectors hedge their bets by picking squads for half the matches at a time anyway. This policy will allow them to do so.

[prasen9]

Anyway both oldies failed. So, onward with Vijay. Get back your form soon.

[indiansportsfan]

I am sure the selectors are thinking of Sharma rather than Vijay for opening in Tests too. Sharma has done the job in ODIs and in seaming conditions, so it should not be any harder at home against WI. He doesn't have much chance of breaking into the middle order as long as Tendulkar is there, so he wouldn't object.

[prasen9]

I doubt it. He does not really have much experience in opening in tests. If it was so, they would have asked him to open in some first-class games. Ganguly and SRT regularly opened in ODIs but not in tests. Tendulkar is done. Rohit will play in the MO after a few matches. It would, of course, be better to drop SRT right away instead of carrying him further. I don't care for a double century against WI at home even if it happens. We have enough people who can bat at home.

[prasen9]

The third "test" will start soon. All eyes will be on Gambhir, Pujara, Kaif, Sehwag, Kaul, and Dogra to put runs on the board. I hope they play the second wicketkeeper in Sheldon Jackson and not the old Jagadeesh.

[PKBasu]

Gambhir (85*) and skipper Pujara (64*) find form against Windies A -- just in time for a possible recall for Gambhir into the test side (given Vijay's indifferent form in recent times, albeit in other formats of the game). India A 171/1 off 51 overs.

[prasen9]

I don't think it will happen. Dhoni is very fond of left-right combinations and like baseball managers values that too much, imho.

[Tolamu]

India A doing very well on day 3(/4) at 445/5 in reply to WI A's 268 all out. Gambhir scored 123 brightening his chances of a recall. Sehwag failed in the middle order scoring 38(49). Cheteswar Pujara is still batting on 214*.