India in Australia, 2018-2019

[PKBasu]

Vihari is the man with the golden arm in tests! Such an innocuous spinner, but he keeps picking up wickets even though he rarely bowls in first class cricket.

But it still was a terrible decision to play him ahead of Jadeja. It is odd that performance never seems to be enough for Jadeja (who averages 73 with the bat and 21 with the ball in tests this year!).

[prasen9]

Jadeja should have come in place of Umesh.

[Atithee]

Bhuvi for Umesh and Jadeja for Vihari is what was the need. There is a piece on India’s recent selection follies. Interesting read.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/ ... my-spinner

[prasen9]

I do not know if we need five full bowlers here. But, I would take Bhuvi and Jadeja for Umesh and Vihari in a heartbeat.

[Atithee]

Bhuvi +Jadeja = at least one full bat. Perhaps Vihari will be greater than the sum of these while batting and less than these two while bowling, but we need the bat more than bat. Assuming he’s a better bat than Jadeja, it may turn out to be the right decision after all.

[prasen9]

This batting lineup will struggle to cross 300 on this pitch. The chances of an Aussie victory is possibly 60-40 now. We need to take wickets quickly and keep them at 300. Herculean task with their tail. With our tail, we would not reach 280 from here because Umesh or Ishant would be coming in at 6 down. Think of that. How can a team just ignore their batting lineup so much after only Pujara and Rahane did anything useful in the last test? Another way to see this is that to get to 300, all our first six batsmen have to possibly score averaging 50 on this pitch! Okay, Pant may give you 25 or 30 or 40 more. The last four cannot be relied on for anything. Ishant can bat many balls out but if he is batting with Umesh who will be the one making the runs? Utter stupidity to go in with such a long tail. I hope our media writes about this and heaps some serious criticism. But may be that is too much to expect.

[Atithee]

Let’s see what happens mid way in the match (after one completed innings from both teams). I agree though that it’s more hope than realistic. I think Kohli etc. over estimate our pace prowess. Except Bumrah, we are just ok. This is more of a bravado laden decision that may backfire. But, we should give them a chance. Our single biggest test is how we tackle Lyon. All other things will be largely insignificant. Batting last on this pitch will be nightmare, not due to pace, but spin. Sadly, we are unable to make the proper use of that.

[Sin Hombre]

This batting lineup will struggle to cross 300 on this pitch. The chances of an Aussie victory is possibly 60-40 now. We need to take wickets quickly and keep them at 300. Herculean task with their tail. With our tail, we would not reach 280 from here because Umesh or Ishant would be coming in at 6 down. Think of that. How can a team just ignore their batting lineup so much after only Pujara and Rahane did anything useful in the last test? Another way to see this is that to get to 300, all our first six batsmen have to possibly score averaging 50 on this pitch! Okay, Pant may give you 25 or 30 or 40 more. The last four cannot be relied on for anything. Ishant can bat many balls out but if he is batting with Umesh who will be the one making the runs? Utter stupidity to go in with such a long tail. I hope our media writes about this and heaps some serious criticism. But may be that is too much to expect.

It is 90-10 in Australia's favor.

It was 70-30 already after the toss. In SENA countries this year, we have won one and lost 6 after losing the toss.

[Sin Hombre]

wow cricinfo bashing Kohli/Shastri team selections - I think the Oval selection was also ok.

The Kohli-Shastri captain-coach team has led India in 12 Tests outside Asia and the West Indies. Here is a non-results-based assessment of their team selections.

Adelaide 2014-15 - Play Karn Sharma - 66 first-class wickets in 34 matches at the time - ahead of R Ashwin. Karn goes for nearly five an over while opposition spinner Nathan Lyon takes 12 wickets.
Sydney 2014-15 - Drop Cheteshwar Pujara, who had just helped India draw a Test. Play out-of-sorts Suresh Raina.

Cape Town 2017-18 - Drop Ajinkya Rahane based on his form on slower pitches. Play Rohit Sharma.

Centurion 2017-18 - Continue excluding Rahane, and also drop Bhuvneshwar Kumar, India's best bowler and second-best batsman in the previous Test.

Johannesburg, 2017-18 - Finally get Rahane back, but play five bowlers on a brutish pitch where extra batting cover is required. Hardik Pandya is required to bowl only eight overs.

Birmingham 2018 - Shikhar Dhawan is picked again. Only one spinner when Ashwin takes wickets even on day one. Pandya required to bowl only 10 overs.

Lord's 2018 - Two spinners in a four-day Test on a pitch kept under covers and moist with the weather around.

Trent Bridge 2018 - Get it right.

Southampton 2018 - Play Ashwin, who has not yet fully recovered from an injury. Believed to be 75-80%.

The Oval 2018 - Pick Hanuma Vihari ahead of Karun Nair, who has been with the squad for ages and might never get to play a Test again.

Adelaide 2018-19 - Get it right. Perfect combination. Six batsmen on a difficult pitch, balanced attack of three best quicks and No. 1 spinner.

[ankit1407]

Kohli is just a poor poor test captain .. Aus having it far too easy right now ..

[Atithee]

Kohli is just a poor poor test captain .. Aus having it far too easy right now ..

What would you like him to do right now that he’s not doing?

[ankit1407]

First you always start a session or a day with your best bowler and I guess that’s pretty clear who he is .. secondly you ask bowlers to bowl a better line and attack stumps not bowl wayward short or wide stuff like our guys are doing ..third , you don’t start a session with going ok defensive and having 2 guys at back for guy like Cummins who hardly ever looked like playing a shot to short balls ..

For someone like Ishant , who has never bowled a outswinger in his entire career I would have him pitch the ball on stumps or just outside and bring back in and have a fielder at short leg .. this is just a way things a half decent captain will do ..the less we talk about his stupid team selections the better it is ..

[ankit1407]

Bumrah comes in now and see the difference in 9 balls he has bowled so far ...why allow guys a chance to settle down by bowling 8 overs of crap..

[ankit1407]

Finally an over targetting stumps , brings a wicket ..

[prasen9]

Ishant cleans up the tail. Shami did not get any wickets . Ishant has been a tad under bowled this innings.