India A Series ....

[prasen9]

Sundar cannot make it into the team as a bowler alone.

[Kumar]

India A team wins. It is just that he is more a bowler of Root would so he needs to be a top order batsman to make the team . Basically a batting all round with average of 45+

[prasen9]

He should not be in the test team. After Ashwin, Jadeja - and I hope the I2 against England is not a sign that they are aging - I love watching them bowl. But, we have to plan.

Kuldeep - basically, for a right hander, moves ball in, cannot bat. Axar, moves ball out. Not a proven bowler but can bat in India. Ideally, we want a legspinner who can bat very well to complement these. Saurabh is a good bowler 27/24. Washy 31/32 (batting/bowling average). Saurabh is of more value. But, he may be very similar to Axar. We are playing Jadeja and Axar now and can play Saurabh and Axar, I suppose. Washy needs to improve his batting and bowling. However, I like Mulani even more. 33/23. Riyan is 37/37.5. Not up to it. Sort of a Washy type with more batting nous and worse bowler.

I have no idea why Mulani is not being given chances before Saurabh. I think Mulani is also a tad younger at 26. Who else is the candidate for spinner/allrounder?

[Kumar]

I guessselectors feel the same way and have Mulani for Surabi in 3rd match. Probably both of them should play over sundar.
Mulani is a player that could eventually replace Jadeja. My gut feeling is that saurabh is a better bowler than Mulani inspite of numbers. Saurabh bowls very well on flat tracks and I think will be successful on SENA pitches while Mulani will do well on pitches that aid spinners. Mulani is definitely a better batsman .

On the flat track in RSA and also here, Saurabh got wickets.

[Atithee]

Get Mushir (Sarfraz’s brother) now or at least prep him for induction in the team. No time to waste. Learn from Rehan—a 19 year old holding his own facing the best of the best with Pope to drive England to a potential winning position in the current test underway.

[prasen9]

We should not look at individuals and individual innings, etc. First, it is possible we do not have anyone as talented as Rehan. If we are going to blood someone willy nilly, then they have to be an SRT-types generational talent. England did this because their spinning talent is bare. Rehan is also an outlier.

We need a very simple change. The team management should just acknowledge reality. What has been the contribution by Siraj this series? Or the pace bowlers in the last India test series? Minus Bumrah?

We don't need a 19 year old. We need these:

1. Team should be chosen based on pitch. If you have a very spinning pitch, then play four bowlers. On this pitch, playing five is fine.

2. The chosen bowlers should be the best for this pitch. Someone should ask Dravid, given the other four, for the last bowler's place, why did you think that Siraj is a better choice than Kuldeep, say. Or a batsman say. In providing value. If you think our three spinners are enough and Bumrah is grea, then choose the best last bowler or a batsman. Stop the hubris of thinking that you can beat England or Australia playing 10 people against 11. That is arrogance or stupidity.

3. Except for one pacer, in India, and two pacers in SENA, choose only bowlers who can bat, however much their bowling may be worse. Stick to a policy and give a stern warning to all bowlers that they need to start paying attention to their batting.

4. Ask batters to bowl regularly. For the non 45+ runs/average batters, require all of them to support the team by bowling a bit or keeping. Otherwise, don't choose them.

In essence, the team should look for maximum production from any and all corners we can get. If you do this, then 19 or 25 or 30, we will have good players and win.

[Sin Hombre]

prasen - tell me more about Saurabh Kumar. Ready for the senior team?

[Kumar]

I don’t think we know anything about Saurabh apart from his stats. Unless someone have seen him bowl in person.

I know someone who knows some one and as per original source ( reputed coach ) , Saurabh is the best domestic left arm spinner. Again, this person is not from UP so there is not much bias involved. By numbers which Prasen relies on, Mulani is better than Saurabh. Both of them are way better bowlers than Axar. But probably not as good with bat.

[prasen9]

Kumar knows more about domestics. Saurabh is ready. How successful he will be? I don't know. I am more in the Mulani camp now. Although, I know Saurabh is more of a favorite of the selectors.

I can share one video which shows him bowl and bat. Very excerpted. He seems to be flighting the ball a bit and spins it a bit. In style with our current left-arm spinners. But, maybe not as fast and straight as Axar. His batting seems to be reasonable fluid. But, again, not as good as Jadeja. Nor Axar.

Saurabh Kumar

He seems to be able to spin the ball and vary things even on flat pitches. We will see.

Here is an article on him and Nishant Sandhu. But, these articles are always hyping whoever they are writing upon and never a critical appraisal of both their flaws and their strengths.

[Kumar]

I am okay with Mulani or Saurabh. If Saurabh do not make the team, it is probably his last best opportunity as there are lot of youngsters who will probably have better case in future when Jadeja retires. So I am partial towards Saurabh. Further my instinct tells me that Saurabh will do much better in flat tracks than Mulani and I may be wrong as well.

Mulani showed his batting credentials by rescuing Mumbai in both innings scoring fighting half century. For the
Match, he scored 120 runs in total just one run less than the highest scorer in that match . But he could not pull off a sensational victory for Mumbai as he just got one wicket in the second innings and UP won by 2 wickets.

Article on Mulani, his batting should probably give him an edge.
https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/ ... 3.ece/amp/

[prasen9]

I am in favor of Mulani and Axar because our pacers are so abysmally unathletic and total nincompoops with the bat as is Kuldeep, who will get the next run. But, yes, he may not have it to run through sides with spin and guile on non-responsive tracks. We need someone to emerge who will blow everyone away. A Pant types spinning all-rounder for tests.

I feel for Saurabh but want Mulani because if you are rebuilding, break the whole thing down and rebuild with youngsters all at once. This bandaid solution of rejuvenating the side does not really work.

[Kumar]

I think spinners are like fine wine that age well. If he is just playing test matches he could easily play for 5 more years

When u have James Anderson bowling at 41, a spinner if fit and taking good care should be able to easily play until 40 at least

[Atithee]

It’s simple—if they can’t bat, they don’t play. No more leniency on this. Even for Bumrah. Ask them to demonstrate in net sessions facing real bowling or a machine that they will not lose their wicket for at least five overs even if they won’t score runs. If you can pass this test, you are a candidate. Ditto for batsmen—show you can take a wicket or two while bowling in a real simulation. The former is more critical than the latter.

It’ll be awesome if India doesn’t play the WTC this year to drive home the point, but IPL riches make any other cricket a side show, so while they’ll all say the right things, in reality who wants to put their bodies on line and do the hard yards when they can easily survive on IPL.

[prasen9]

Our media is such crap that they will say nothing if India misses the WTC. Nobody will care. Unfortunately. I don't think we should just put a onus on people to stay at the wicket. They need to score runs. For each batting position, there should be a minimum batting average needed. Anyone who does not pass that should not be considered. Take the test averages by position, multiply it by 1.2 or 1.25 and then make that the minimum required. Only qualified players should be considered for positions.

[Kumar]

Sai Sudharshan, Kushagra, Saransh Jain, Shan’s Mulani all make the team.. Eashwaran is blowing every opportunity he has gotten this series. Once again fails quickly.

Sudharshan also fails