[pandey.jai]

I don’t think anything other than a draw is likely in this game. There’s just not enough time for an Aussie victory and I don’t think India can run through Aussie lineup on this pitch.

[Aakash118]

Virat silences his critics again. Great knock, batted Australia out of the game. More than the knock, loved his fitness, so many singles & twos, only he or MS can do this. I know people will say that this was a flat track, but I had said it before too that even before this game, he had more runs in the series than the likes of Pujara & Smith. It’s just that people love to criticise big players like him, MS or Sachin.
On another note, Bharat dropped an easy catch off Ash in the second last over. This guy looks promising but surely needs to work a bit on his keeping. Till than maybe India should consider bringing back Saha to test team who still is the safest gloveman available.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Originally Posted by Aakash118

l Till than maybe India should consider bringing back Saha to test team who still is the safest gloveman available.

Saha is done. Selectors were particularly harsh with him, but he has played his last international. They might as well play KL Rahul or Sanju Samson or Ishan Kishan as their keeper, till Pant regains fitness. Whether Pant is able to regain full fitness and confidence after what happened is an entirely different question.

Continuing with Bharat is the right call for now. He is a better keeper than these 3.

[AtheK]

very harsh to say it was a dropped catch, it took an edge and went and hit his pads, these are more like chances that stick, the first inning drop was bad though.

[Engine_Roars]

Originally Posted by Aakash118

On another note, Bharat dropped an easy catch off Ash in the second last over. This guy looks promising but surely needs to work a bit on his keeping. Till than maybe India should consider bringing back Saha to test team who still is the safest gloveman available.

I keep wickets for my team, it was not an easy catch. The ball literally changed the trajectory and hit him below his knees, had he taken it, would have been a bonus but it is unfair to call it an easy catch dropped sitting on this side of television.

[Aakash118]

Originally Posted by Engine_Roars

It is unfair to call it an easy catch.

I know that playing cricket is a lot tougher than it looks in TV, that’s why I usually don’t criticise any player. But talking of that catch, commentators’ view on TV was that he had stood up too early after ball being bowled and that’s why it didn’t go naturally to his hand which is a technical error and needs to be worked upon. So I ws going completely by the explanation of commentators in suggesting that he needs some time to make his keeping sharper.

[AtheK]

Originally Posted by Aakash118

I know that playing cricket is a lot tougher than it looks in TV, that’s why I usually don’t criticise any player. But talking of that catch, commentators’ view on TV was that he had stood up too early after ball being bowled and that’s why it didn’t go naturally to his hand which is a technical error and needs to be worked upon. So I ws going completely by the explanation of commentators in suggesting that he needs some time to make his keeping sharper.

And commentator probably was Sanjay Manjrekar 🤣

[Aakash118]

Originally Posted by AtheK

And commentator probably was Sanjay Manjrekar 🤣

Don’t really remember who it was. Okay, leave it..
Now Iyer is out of ODI series, who you guys think should be his replacement? My pick would be Samson as I feel he is a tailor made batsman for batting at 5 or 6 in white ball cricket.

[ValarMorghulis]

Originally Posted by Aakash118

... My pick would be Samson as I feel he is a tailor made batsman for batting at 5 or 6 in white ball cricket.

Why? We don't need a WK. We have ample already:
- KS Bharath is the designated keeper so far
- KL Rahul and Ishan are already there in waiting (in ODIs)
- Both are better batsmen than Sanju Samson
- Iyer can be replaced by another proper batsman and not a part time batsman-keeper

[Aakash118]

Originally Posted by ValarMorghulis

Why? We don't need a WK.

Aren’t we past the era of calling wks as part time batsmen? I think the likes of MS, Gilly, Butler, Mccullum have done enough to remove that stigma from wks. I’ve even seen teams playing with 2 or 3 wks in their eleven. India played with four wks in WC 19 semifinal. Eng regularly plays with both Butler & Bairstow in their first choice eleven.

[harry10]

Pant has been a big miss this series.
Most people often mistake Pant's bad record in T20 as a given for ODI too. However he has a very good record in ODI and was a sure starter for World cup. Sadly he is out for a year atleast.

So, now I am quite sure Rohit and Gill will open in World cup and KL will be keeping wickets and batting at 5 where he has done very well for India. Kishan will be the back up WK.

If Iyer could bat today we would have made more runs. Also, Kohli should have trusted Shami and rotated strike. Now barring something great from Ash and Jaddu a draw looks the likely conclusion. Draw gives us series win but then we are dependent on SL to lose a game for us to make WTC final. Honestly I will take the series win any day.

[AtheK]

With rain playing spoil sport in other match, that is also now heading for a draw, so most probably India will secure the series today and also make it to WTC final, until some one in Sri Lanka just runs through NZ batting line up in 50 overs.

[Emvi]

Meanwhile, Bangladesh has beaten England again to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the 3-match T20I home series!

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by Aakash118

Aren’t we past the era of calling wks as part time batsmen? I think the likes of MS, Gilly, Butler, Mccullum have done enough to remove that stigma from wks.

And not to forget the greatest of them all, Kumar Sangakkara whose test batting average is greater than even Sachin!!! He was a top batsman almost all throughout his career.

[srvm]

Originally Posted by joslicx

And not to forget the greatest of them all, Kumar Sangakkara whose test batting average is greater than even Sachin!!! He was a top batsman almost all throughout his career.

But he was not always the keeper in the SL test team. Once SL management realized his worth as a batsman, they kept him as specialist batsman in the team and wk gloves were given to one Mr Prasanna Jayawardene.