[harry10]

Originally Posted by meerkat

Till the time Hardik comes back, what do we stand to lose if Ashwin replaces Siraj?

1. Definite gain in batting.

2. Sure to concede less runs, and not likely to be less penetrative. I suspect we might not lose anything even considering the pace vs. spin angle. May even gain.

3. Do we really lose anything i.t.o. fielding?
.

A very good point indeed.
Ashwin will leak less runs even if he goes wicket less. Can bat at number 8 with run a ball innings. His fielding is his weakness but then Siraj was misfielding like anything yesterday so that equals it.

[PPS]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

I have always felt that Gill’s technique is suspect.

Lets face it, there was a hint of movement & it was more than a decent delivery. Most of our batsman will struggle if ball does a bit. But Gill is due for some runs, hopefully he's saved it for the Semis & Finals!

He comes across as a pure hand-eye coordination player.

Not really. A Sehwag or a Steve Smith can be termed as players who rely only on hand-eye coordination! If you look at Steve Smith's technique its all over the place, infact I hate to see him bat but look at the amount of runs he's scored in International Cricket.

It’s as if he gets committed to his shots, especially the drives, when the bowler is still only releasing the ball. Seems to lack footwork and deftness to react and adjust as per the swing or turn.

That's precisely the problem Virat Kohli was encountering when he wasn't scoring runs. He used to be always ready to go on to the front foot by default. There's a good article/video of Sanjay Manjrekar deciphering his technique somewhere.

Originally Posted by harry10

Shami has punched the management hard with his performances for keeping him out. Top class in both games.

These 2 performances by Shami should ensure that at some stage Siraj will eventually get dropped once Hardik regains fitness. Siraj has been mostly inconsistent & not his usual self this WC.

Originally Posted by VWAllstar

No, I meant Hardik at 4. He plays for GT at that vs position and has been successful as well.

Thats in the IPL. Hardik's job this WC is that of a finisher! Its a different issue that his hitting prowess is on the wane & that perhaps he could be more suitable for a no.4 in the future in ODIs but I'm not sure how many ODI's India will play & whether Pandya will be able to manage the workload with his fragile body!

[Eddy]

I dont think Hardik can replace Siraj in the playing 11. It is too big a risk to count 10 overs from Hardik as a given.

He can come in for Iyer/Sky, but not a bowler.

[VWAllstar]

Originally Posted by PPS

Thats in the IPL. Hardik's job this WC is that of a finisher! Its a different issue that his hitting prowess is on the wane & that perhaps he could be more suitable for a no.4 in the future in ODIs but I'm not sure how many ODI's India will play & whether Pandya will be able to manage the workload with his fragile body!

India has to then be far sighted and start grooming a bowling all rounder. Especially in limited overs cricket, be it T20 or ODIs, we need our own J Kallis
P.S: Before grooming, they need to first identify one

[RaghuVis]

By the way, SL is not putting up a huge total, though they have 5 more over pending. Will we see yet another sensational AFG inning?

Originally Posted by rx100

We folded mighty Australia and Pakistan under 200. How did you miss that.

I know it is a popular thought to tell good things about Pakistan, but please note, barring a few exceptions when they have put up a good performance, Pakistan has NOT been a mighty team for at least 5 years now.

[rx100]

Originally Posted by RaghuVis

I know it is a popular thought to tell good things about Pakistan, but please note, barring a few exceptions when they have put up a good performance, Pakistan has NOT been a mighty team for at least 5 years now.

I meant MIGHTY to the former only

[vijaykr]

Originally Posted by harry10

A very good point indeed.
Ashwin will leak less runs even if he goes wicket less. Can bat at number 8 with run a ball innings. His fielding is his weakness but then Siraj was misfielding like anything yesterday so that equals it.

I would fully agree with your assessment. Ashwin has way more tricks up his sleeve and can contain better than Siraj on most pitches. Fielding-wise, most of our pure bowlers only generally seem be not so great at fielding. Except Jadeja obviously. They just get good days once in a while when they appear to get their hands on everything

I remember the old days when Kumble, Srinath o and Venkatesh Prasad would escort the ball to the boundary running along with or behind it. They probably need an additional session of fielding drills before every series/tournament.

[RaghuVis]

After 6 matches each, AFG is above SL, PAK and ENG in the points table!

What a team and what a spirit. Hope they sustain the same way in future too!

PS: Have to really commend BCCI for its unwavering support to the AFG team for the past few years. It would have definitely helped them to become settled into a routine.

[Emvi]

Yet another fantastic win for Afghanistan. This edition of the World Cup continues not just to entertain but also to surprise as well. The last few matches have been terrific, and the results have been rather unexpected.

[Fx14]

AFG playing with maturity as the tournament progresses, which is good to see.

They lost their opener against BAN trying to hit out. Seem to have learnt their lessons well.

Would be nice to see them qualify instead of the Aussies by beating them.

[ValarMorghulis]

If only Afghanistan had not lost to Bangladesh, they would have had serious chances to qualify for the semis.

They can still do it, by doing the impossible:
Defeating Aus and SA

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by ValarMorghulis

They can still do it, by doing the impossible:
Defeating Aus and SA

The Proteas are terrible chasers. AFG just needs the toss to work in their favour

While the Afghans didn't look comfortable chasing 283 in MAC due to their lack of experience, they held their wickets like life. Against the same opposition on the same group, SA looked flustered chasing 271, if not for Aiden Markram's responsible innings would have easily ended up on the losing side.

[motorworks]

Originally Posted by harry10

A very good point indeed.
Ashwin will leak less runs even if he goes wicket less. Can bat at number 8 with run a ball innings. His fielding is his weakness but then Siraj was misfielding like anything yesterday so that equals it.

Should be a call based on the pitch. So far, Indian pacers have picked up far more wickets. However as the tournament progresses, the same pitches can help spinners more. Ashwin will be a great addition anyday though. But if Hardik is back, then Ashwin can replace Siraj. That way we will still get 50 overs from Bumrah, Shami, Kuldeep, Ashwin and Jadeja. Hardik’s 6-7 overs can be a backup if the mainstay bowlers have an off day.

Purely on current form, Hardik should come in the place of either Shreyas Iyer or Suryakumar Yadav. But its a very risky move. When you are 60/3 in say 15 overs, its a pure batsman like Shreyas iyer who can possibly stay in the crease for 20-30 overs and not someone like Hardik or Surya.

[AtheK]

Originally Posted by motorworks

Purely on current form, Hardik should come in the place of either Shreyas Iyer or Suryakumar Yadav. But its a very risky move. When you are 60/3 in say 15 overs, its a pure batsman like Shreyas iyer who can possibly stay in the crease for 20-30 overs and not someone like Hardik or Surya.

at 60/3 I will put my money on Hardik to stay longer (Way he has modelled his game now) then Iyer. Iyer just does not give any confidence these days.

I will also just do a firect swap of Hardik with Iyer and let him bat at #4, what instead can be done is to replace Siraj with Ashwin.

[VWAllstar]

A little unconventional way to look at the headache of number 4. Going to get a lot of dislikes from Hitman fans!

I Kishan (lisence to score freely)
S Gill
V Kohli
R Sharma
KL Rahul
H Pandya
R Jadeja
R Ashwin
K Yadav
M Shami
J Bhumrah

Siraj has been the S Iyer of bowling. He does not look to be effective and in sync with the other bowlers.