[vibbs]

Well Indian bowlers have started well. I hope they can keep this going and we get a wicket more in this session. Will be nice if that's Latham's.
Edit: Done that. Now go for the kill!!

[NPV]

Originally Posted by vibbs

Well Indian bowlers have started well.
...
Edit: Done that. Now go for the kill!!

Need to get Grandhomme and rest of the bottom half, it's been a struggle many a time getting the lower half out quickly.

[harry10]

Excellent bowling and fielding. Needed this spark as yesterday everyone looked flat. Hopefully last 3 wickets will be taken asap too. Btw, ball is moving so much a 2nd innings batting will be really tough.

[vibbs]

It is happening as we feared. 32 runs for the 9th wicket and New Zealand trail by only 33 more.

Is there a statistics on how many times the last 4 have scored more than 100 runs against India after being on the mat?

Edit: It's 51 now and finally the ninth wicket. But the lead is now only 14 runs. I hope we can atleast keep it to a second innings shoot out and not let the last wicket run away with a sizeable lead!

[hemanth.anand]

More often than necessary, Kohli has been telling that Pujara should improve his strike rate. Prithwi Shaw is showing with example that a high strike rate but no big runs will not help the team in any way. But the question is are Kohli and the coach ready to watch and learn?

[NPV]

Kohli out Lbw again, this time to Grandhomme, India tottering at 51/3 in the second innings!

[NPV]

Pujara goes after a fight, 84/5 now this test is almost done and dusted, 0-2 whitewash looks very much on the cards now.

What's Rahane upto ? He looked completely out of sorts, has no clue how to handle certain balls, he's a sitting duck in overseas conditions. His place in the team and role as vice captain are definitely questionable. Despite the gift of a life after being dropped by Grandhomme, he gets out to a pathetic shot.

Umesh Yadav out, 89/6!!
90/6 at close of Day 2.

[searacer932]

For a batsman of Rahane's potential his returns have been pretty disappointing.

Pant is caught in no-man's land and seems confused on what he should or should not do. Both of these guys have to go back to A tours and domestic and look to see how they realise their potential!

[vibbs]

I think the hope placed on Rahane overseas has not got any dividends. He was surely out of sorts against short pitched bowling.

I don't remember when was the last time he played a significant innings outside India. He used to be my favorite Test batsman due to that one series he had in England back in the days. But I have lost hope.

I feel we need to find someone else to take the number 5 position.

I think we can make a match out of this one if we manage to score 200 somehow. But it looks a fair distance away now. If only Pant could apply himself as if his life depended on it and Vihari manages to score as he did in the first innings.

[PPS]

India are 6 down for 90 runs while on the other hand NZ's last 3 wickets added 80+ runs! That pretty much sums up proceedings.

Originally Posted by NPV

What's Rahane upto ? He looked completely out of sorts, has no clue how to handle certain balls, he's a sitting duck in overseas conditions. His place in the team and role as vice captain are definitely questionable.

Perhaps Shubman Gill is worth a try at no.5. Haven't seen Rahane bat so badly ever before as he did today! His non-performance slips under the radar most times & same thing will happen again as we play Test Match Cricket 8 months later.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by PPS

Perhaps Shubman Gill is worth a try at no.5.

True. I thought he could even be tried as a makeshift opener instead of Shaw, since no.3 and 4 are cemented by Pujara and Kohli.

[KPR]

Ina green/bouncy track we need players like Saha to be in team to atleast have some patience to let balls through. The team selection is for a swinging test not for a T20. Hope the captain, coach understand this first. The way Pujara applied himself both innings expect this from every batsman in overseas condition. The woe continues and has never changed for India.

[mazda4life]

Very disappointing performance by our team , none showed the gumption to stand up and fight. With IPL starting in couple of days , all will be forgotten and forgiven.

[landcruiser123]

Spineless batting by India is both the Tests. This is a summary that doesn't require a TLDR.
Also, don't believe Yadav is the bowler for Tests where the totals are in the 250-300 range. He's a bowler for the flat decks where totals are in the 500-600 range.

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

More often than necessary, Kohli has been telling that Pujara should improve his strike rate.

Unless Kohli is asking Pujara to bat like Virender Sehwag, I think he's right. If you continuously give a same bowler 5-6 balls every over, he'll set you up. Bowlers hate batsmen who change strike often and Kohli is one of them.

Biding time by staying in end is not a good strategy as it increases the probability of a player getting that ball which has his name. (If you know what I mean )

Originally Posted by searacer932

For a batsman of Rahane's potential his returns have been pretty disappointing.

Wouldn't jump the gun on Rahane alone. He showed good composure in the 1st test, but was disappointing in the 2nd test.

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

Unless Kohli is asking Pujara to bat like Virender Sehwag, I think he's right. If you continuously give a same bowler 5-6 balls every over, he'll set you up. Bowlers hate batsmen who change strike often and Kohli is one of them.

Biding time by staying in end is not a good strategy as it increases the probability of a player getting that ball which has his name. (If you know what I mean )

I understand you, but from another perspective, A batsman should get in, tire and wean the bowlers and later take advantage of it. It's called a test match because it tests a player's temperament and patience among others.

If you look at the strike rates of Pujara, whenever he's dismissed for scores of less than 30, his strike rate is around 33. When he is dismissed between 30 to 50, the strike rate is around 50. when he is dismissed from 50 to 200, his strike rate has been around 54. This shows the fact that he first tires the bowlers, and once he is set, increases the tempo and takes advantage of a tired bowler.

I agree with Kohli to a certain extent that if a batsman scores quickly, there is time for the bowlers to force a win. But the problem is that in an effort to keep the strike rate high, our batsmen are getting out cheaply! It's defeating the main purpose itself.