[AtheK]

Instead of IPL Indian team should have done a 3 Test match Tour to South Africa, a series win is up for grabs there as well

One more would have been off the bucket list!!

[harry10]

Originally Posted by AtheK

Instead of IPL Indian team should have done a 3 Test match Tour to South Africa, a series win is up for grabs there as well

One more would have been off the bucket list!!

I think the tour is on at the end of the year. This will be the best opportunity to win series for the first time in SA. But, let's not jump the gun. There is still a match to win and series to be decided in few days.

[AtheK]

Originally Posted by harry10

I think the tour is on at the end of the year. This will be the best opportunity to win series for the first time in SA. But, let's not jump the gun. There is still a match to win and series to be decided in few days.

Ya, but the cherry is we will not lose this series now.

We are known to get super excited by a win followed by a shocker in the next, my view is that India should just replace Rahane, and rest of the team should stay the same. Ashwin debate can continue later, let's get the series first.

[landcruiser123]

Originally Posted by Eddy

I am fairly certain that Gill and Iyer are high on the list.

I think BCCI should give Gill a solid 2 years in the side and give him the reigns early like how RSA appointed Graeme Smith. Different circumstances though; I still feel BCCI should be ready with a succession plan quickly considering Kohli, Rahane, Rohit, Pujara are on the wrong side of 30 and their form has been iffy.

[searacer932]

Originally Posted by Eddy

Technically, it is a BCCI team and not an Indian team. But I agree, there needs to be more room for criticism.

Why do you think there is less criticism? All Billion Indians criticised the Indian team and Captain for not playing Ashwin in the 4th test match.

[ninjatalli]

Dinesh Karthik's session with Bumrah

What a wonderful youngster - his clarity of thought, frankness and down to earth attitude is very heartwarming to watch. No wonder the team is doing so well - with such smart on-the-ground thinkers being part of the team, it's no longer one-man army or one-leader kind of setup.

I'm sure Bumrah is not unique on this - Shardul, KL Rahul, Siraj and many more are made of similar mettle. Everyone brings something to the table - physical skills (batting, bowling, fielding) as well as mental abilities.

This can only get better. With the right level of grooming, I don't see why the next set of captain/leadership options can emerge from guys like these.

[KPR]

Originally Posted by Eddy

Quite likely that giving up captaincy will precede retirement by a few years, but only if there is someone ready to take up the job. Right now, there is no obvious candidate, unlike the MSD - Kohli transformation.

My prediction is that Rishabh Pant will take the baton from Kohli. Else it has to be Shreyas Iyer who fits in captaincy role.

[ebonho]

I think Jadeja is an overhyped white ball player frankly and him being in our test side keeping Ashwin out is beyond cricketing sense and reeks of some politics.

Whenever I see him bowl on anything short of a track which is disintegrating or has bowler footmark wear to help, he never instils the kind of penetrating confidence every ball that one gets when seeing Ashwin spearing them in like Kumble.

I don't buy the kind of flak Rahane is getting. He has played some real gritty innings for us. Big ones too. But Jadeja in red ball Test cricket really gets my goat man.

Cheers, Doc

[papr23]

Originally Posted by ebonho

I think Jadeja is an overhyped white ball player frankly and him being in our test side keeping Ashwin out is beyond cricketing sense and reeks of some politics.

Whenever I see him bowl on anything short of a track which is disintegrating or has bowler footmark wear to help, he never instils the kind of penetrating confidence every ball that one gets when seeing Ashwin spearing them in like Kumble.

I don't buy the kind of flak Rahane is getting. He has played some real gritty innings for us. Big ones too. But Jadeja in red ball Test cricket really gets my goat man.

Cheers, Doc

Picking Jadeja turned out to be a tactical masterclass on the final day by repeatedly pitching the ball into the rough which helped Bumrah in that terrific spell post-lunch. I wonder what would have happened had Kohli won the toss and elected to bowl on Day1! Which is why I think Ashwin should be the only spinner in the team.

Rahane's dismissal frustrates us lot more than others I think as his wicket tends to be that of the last recognized batsman. If we look at his scores in the last 3 years, it is comparable to that of Pujara and Virat.
Rahane's last 3 years scores: link
Pujara: Link
Virat: Link

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by papr23

Picking Jadeja turned out to be a tactical masterclass on the final day by repeatedly pitching the ball into the rough which helped Bumrah in that terrific spell post-lunch.

But are you saying Ashwin would not have utilized the same footmarks at least as well if not better? Ashwin is lethal in all conditions. That does not mean he is less lethal in favorable conditions. In fact he's even more lethal.

Jadeja's only on paper advantage over Ashwin is his white ball slam bam batting. That disappears in Tests where I think Ashwin on recent form is a better bat, and way more dependable as well.

Our current middle order inspires zero confidence. The runs are consistently coming from the top order bats and the rear-guard tail wagging. We need to address that.

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Jadeja's only on paper advantage over Ashwin is his white ball slam bam batting. That disappears in Tests where I think Ashwin on recent form is a better bat, and way more dependable as well.
.

What is the basis of this statement? Please check the red ball batting records of both Jadeja and Ashwin over the past 4-5 years.

Ashwin is a much much superior bowler, but as you said Jadeja is in the team as an allrounder.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Eddy

What is the basis of this statement? Please check the red ball batting records of both Jadeja and Ashwin over the past 4-5 years.

The basis of my statement is my watching and reading of the game since the Australia series. Stats are great and do it for some people. But if Jadeja is in the side as an all rounder then so is Ashwin on recent form. And I get a lot more confidence in the overall package of Ashwin as a bowler bat than Jadeja as a bat who can bowl when the track is spitting.

All runs are not built equal.

And all wickets are definitely not equal.

The impact factor is what stats can and will never capture. Of the stage of the game and value of the contribution.

Incidentally, I just checked. Ashwin has more test runs than Jadeja. And nearly twice as many wickets (nearly 200 test scalps more). There is really no contest between these two in red ball cricket. Its politics, plain and simple.

Cheers, Doc

[Eddy]

I don't think there is a debate on the bowling prowess of Ashwin vis-a-vis Jadeja. However, the latter is the better batsman for sure. His stats are better, and he has scored crucial runs in tests.

And number of runs for Ashwin are more because he's played many more matches than Jadeja.

As long as we want to play 5 bowlers, including 4 seamers - Ashwin does not fit in. Hence, I don't think they are competing one on one for the same spot in an overseas test. Ashwin, in spite of being the superior player, misses out in the combination scenario.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Eddy

I don't think there is a debate on the bowling prowess of Ashwin vis-a-vis Jadeja. However, the latter is the better batsman for sure. His stats are better, and he has scored crucial runs in tests.

And number of runs for Ashwin are more because he's played many more matches than Jadeja.

Ashwin has played around 20 tests more than Jadeja. However, Jadeja in his 56 tests has batted at least 2 positions higher than Ashwin, with established bats still around him. Unlike Ashwin who has always had to farm the strike with proper tails.

Even so their averages and strike rates are only marginally better for Jadeja who is essentially a batting all rounder, if Ashwin is a bowling all rounder.

What is really telling, and here i speak of impact, is that Ashwin in his 2700 odd test runs, has 5 100s and 11 50s.

In comparison, Jadeja, who is essentially a middle order bat, in his 2200 odd test runs, has ONLY one 100 and 16 50s.

Is it not weird that a lower order bat has 4 more centuries than an established middle order bat?

Ashwin has over 400 wickets to Jadeja's 200 odd, at a much better average and strike rate.

Ashwin is doing and has been doing what he is in the team primarily for.

Can't say the same about Jadeja, who falls more often than not when you really need middle order runs, in terms of his core competency.

Cheers, Doc

[Emvi]

Bangladesh defeat NZ in the fourth T20I to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the 5-match series. Aussies might find this result a bit comforting