India in Australia, 2018-2019

[prasen9]

I think what Atithee says is what will likely happen. The problem with Shami has been that he has been a bit more up and down whereas Ishant has been steady. So, Ishant will not be dropped.

[Atithee]

Or Pandya And Ashwin replacing Rohit and Shami is also possible.

Vihari should not be playing this match, but it would be unfair to him and selectors have already promised him a long rope regardless (or as a reward) of his performance as an opener.

[Sin Hombre]

At the SCG, we need to play two spinners.

I hope the team management doesn't do that.

SCG has not been a spinning track in more than a decade now.

In the last 5 years in SCG,

Lyon avg 43 in 5 tests
Ashwin avg 49 in 1 test
Yasir average 149 in 1 test

[Sin Hombre]

I think what Atithee says is what will likely happen. The problem with Shami has been that he has been a bit more up and down whereas Ishant has been steady. So, Ishant will not be dropped.

Shami is our best 2nd innings bowler and Ishant will be a required workhorse on a flat pitch.

Almost certain we intended to go with an unchanged xi but now it will be interesting to who replaces Rohit. Maybe throw KL another bone or Hardik comes in. Neither is optimal.

[PKBasu]

At the SCG, we need to play two spinners.

I hope the team management doesn't do that.

SCG has not been a spinning track in more than a decade now.

In the last 5 years in SCG,

Lyon avg 43 in 5 tests
Ashwin avg 49 in 1 test
Yasir average 149 in 1 test

In recent years, the SCG hasn't helped spinners much, but this time the Australians are trying to generate a result, and all reports suggest that the SCG will revert to being a turning pitch to enable Lyon to perform optimally. In addition, the choice of an extra spinning allrounder in the Aussie squad for Sydney also suggests that the SCG is expected to turn this year.

[Sin Hombre]

Think that selection is a bit disingenuous from the Aussies to get the Indian team management to make a poor team selection again like Perth where Kohli & co got convinced spin wasn't needed at all and selected Umesh.

In any case, Ashwin failed the fitness test and given how fragile our tail is, I don't expect us to play Jadeja and Kuldeep.

[prasen9]

I do not think it will spin that much anyway. Rain is forecasted for the four days except Day 2. So, I think the pitch will not dry much. The bowlers rough will be all that will give spinners something to bowl at. In some sense having both Pandya and Vihari would help us cover if the pitch is green and the conditions overcast all along as well as if the pitch dries and we need another spinner in the last innings.

As always, the toss is what is most important.

Okay, they announced that Ashwin, Rohit, Pandya, Vijay, Ishant, and Bhuvi are not in the 12. Rahul, Kuldeep, and Umesh are in the 12. So, if they leave grass, we will be going in with Umesh The team is trying to be too cute again reasoning that Umesh is better off on this pitch because it is going to be more like the subcontinent. We are going to get duped again into selecting nonsense. Or else, it will be Kuldeep, which may be a good idea to unleash on them without them having prepared much for him. Rahul will possibly open with Vihari slotting in the MO.

Why on earth did they bring Pandya and Bhuvi anyway?

[Sin Hombre]

Based off that 13, agree with prasen that Kohli & co have been duped again here.

[RohitG]

Why does Rahul's name keep popping up? What more does he have to do to not be a part of any discussion?

[prasen9]

Some sites say Ishant is not 100%. Old bones, I guess. I do hope we play Kuldeep and Jadeja then. With Shami and Bumrah being the pacers. With Vihari to backup. Can live with that.

Maybe Rahul's last chance to shine in quite a while.

[ssp]

Now Ashwin is included in the final 13! A late call will be made on his fitness.

So it's between Kuldeep, Umesh & Ashwin for the final slot. Kuldeep would be the best choice for taking wickets, while Ashwin would strengthen the tail. Umesh is just likely to ease any pressure built up by the other bowlers. Bhuvi would have been the sensible selection for the this test, but he has obviously done something to be treated so badly...so often.

[Sin Hombre]

Bhuvi is a permanent selection in the ODI XI with a dismal bowling average of 38+ so obviously the "team management" likes him. He was first choice in SA and would have been the same for the green pitches that we faced in the first half of the England tour.

I think there is no trust that he can do a job on a pitch which does not offer lateral movement. Not unreasonable.


Kuldeep will go for a lot of runs but might take wickets. He will hang around with the bat without scoring.

Umesh will go for a lot of runs and won't take wickets. He will throw his bat and be dismissed within 10 balls.

Ashwin is always a liability as a bowler and fielder when he is not fully fit.

[PKBasu]

It is ridiculous that Bhuvi hasn't played a test since the South Africa tour.

In South Africa, he was the Man of the Match at Johannesburg (where India won a famous victory). In the two tests he played in SA (where the pitches are very similar to Australia), Bhuvi took 10/203 and averaged 33.67 with the bat. HOW THE HELL do they ignore him for the entire series in Australia?? This is beginning to look completely insane.

[prasen9]

There was more swing in the air in RSA than in Australia during the summer. That is the thinking.

I am disappointed that the team thinktank seems to be evaluating whether Bhuvi can take wickets here in an absolute scale. If Ishant is injured, then the question is whether he is better than Umesh or not. It does not take much to be better than Umesh abroad.

Jaddu averages 37 with the ball abroad in non-WI away countries. Keeping WI out because the pitches are slow there these days. Ashwin averages 43 in Aus, RSA, and Eng (he has never played a test in NZ)!

Given the choices, if Ashwin is not 100% fit, I would go with Kuldeep. Hopefully, they have made him bat everyday in practice all the days he has been with the team yawning and picking his nose on the bench.

[prasen9]

So we win the toss and have two left-arm spinners spinning the ball opposite ways. Jadeja and Kuldeep. And they will be bowling 2nd and 4th innings. So, far so good. Now, you need to get a big first innings score. Hope Rahul will shine. And so will Mayank. The moisture in the pitch and the overcast conditions are a bother though. India does not handle swing very well