India in Bangladesh 2022

[Atithee]

^^Is bowling Bangladesh out on the first day itself not good enough to at least say the selection wasn’t wrong? What more proof we need?

P.S. Siraj seems a liability in the field and a horrible batsman. He has done well with the ball generally, but we cannot carry players like him in the team just for his bowling. He drops too many catches and is often wrong footed when fielding. The less we talk about his batting, the better off we are.

[rajitghosh]

Wonder on what basis Rahul is still part of this team. It was almost like the night watchman getting out. He is becoming like Vizzy, a player who is in the team only as a captain just because some bigwhigs back him. Kuldeep had he played as a batsman would have scored more than him.

[Atithee]

And Rahul had the audacity to promise to deliver bazball after English wins in Pakistan. What a fake!

[rajitghosh]

Hope Pujara and Kohli bat long and bat Bangladesh out of this match. This pitch would be a nightmare to bat on in the 4th innings. Already spinners are getting assistance and our great captain decides to leave the 3rd spinner out.

[PKBasu]

By that token there is never anything sinister. Or at least after the era, when we have proof of money exchanging hands, etc. Yes, Ashwin comes before Kuldeep because he is an all-time great, a mature bowler, the best bat among the bowlers, capable of playing at #7. Kuldeep cannot play at #7 and Unadkat is a dud with a bat. More than sinister-ness, it is a question of whether the team management are morons. A lot of people think that three pacers on this wicket is a waste. We will see after the match is over if the team management is correct.

Unadkat is a dud with the bat? If Shardul Thakur with a batting average of 16.39 in first class cricket can be picked as an allrounder in tests and LOIs, why should Unadkat not aspire to the same designation? He averages 18.42 with the bat in first class cricket. His T20 batting average is also better than Thakur's. Unadkat has clearly been working on his batting in recent years, and most of his 50s in all formats have come in the past 4-5 years.

[PKBasu]

Kohli's test slump continues. When Viru had a slump like this, he was promptly dropped as soon as his test average fell below 50. Virat cannot be dropped, I suppose, but he really needs to figure out how to get his form back before the Australia series. Going back and playing Ranji trophy is one way out.

Shreyas and Rishabh are showing how easy it is to play this Bangladesh attack, while the top order struggled and scratched around.

[Atithee]

^^playing Ranji is for Rahanes and Pujaras. Not for the great man. Don’t you know this?

[PKBasu]

Pant (86* off 86) and Shreyas Iyer (58* off 68) have quickly taken the match away from Bangladesh, with a brilliant counter-attack. India just 1 run behind Bangladesh's first innings score, with 6 wickets in hand on the cusp of tea.

(On your point about the star system, Atithee, things have really gotten a lot worse in recent years; Tendulkar, Ganguly, etc regularly went back to play Ranji trophy, Kohli never does and nor did Dhoni -- 3-format international player being the lame excuse).

[rajitghosh]

So true about Ranji Trophy. Earler the stalwarts used to play and some legendary matches were played. The one most recent would be the 2007 final between Mumbai and Bengal. Mumbai had Tendulkar, Zak, Agarkar and so on and Bengal had Ganguly, Manoj Tiwary, Rohan Gavaskar and Deep Dasgupta. It was one of the best finals. Another one from the 90s was when Mumbai led by Vengsarkar with Manjrekar and a very young Tendulkar taking on Kapil's Haryana. I think Haryana won the match by 2 runs or something.

[PKBasu]

India in trouble now at 273/7, with Shakib getting both Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer. Pant too has trouble quite often in his nervous 90s (or a bit sooner, such as 89): he fell for 93 to Mehdi Hasan.

Unadkat needs to stay with Ashwin for awhile to build a decent first innings lead (at least 100); otherwise, batting last here will be very hazardous.

[PKBasu]

Ashwin falls to Shakib as well for 12 -- LBW on umpire's call. But Unadkat (13*) moves India along to 296/8, a lead of 69 runs.

[PKBasu]

India all out 314 -- for a lead of 87 runs. The match is wide open now. The Indian bowlers need to pick up a wicket or two in the 10 or so overs to be bowled today.

[Sin Hombre]

Unadcutter is a joke of a bowler with no pace or variety.

And enough has been said about Kohli. He is averaging 26 over his last 20 tests. It is way past the point of playing FC cricket to recover form, this is his form.

[Sin Hombre]

And Rahul had the audacity to promise to deliver bazball after English wins in Pakistan. What a fake!

The only bazball in tests for India is Pant. I would fast-track Sundar and see how he does but he is not backed by any of the Indian cricketing mafia.

[Atithee]

It’s baffling why Indian batsmen play so safe. They make enough money in IPL anyway, so they shouldn’t be too worried about their central contracts. And, in the Indian system, we keep going back to same people, so even losing contracts shouldn’t be a fear.