Any predictions on this? Will India be able to climb out of the bowling weakness and overcome the Kiwis? What would the Kiwi strategy be to deal with the Indian batting battery?
I think it would be a good competition.
Well that totally depends how much India is interested in testing their fast bowling strength.
I was reading an article on cricketnext.com suggesting that India might go into the test match with 3 spinners. Ok you can win the match and series in India with spinners but then think what India will do on fast tracks where even Harbajan was unable to perform.
If India want to take on NZ with possitive attitude they should go in with 2 spinners and give there fast bowlers a chance to prove themselves.
How come Dish is not showing it?
Re: India NZ 2003
Boring! 
India 36/1
Sehwag gone for 29.
He was playing as if these are the last last ten overs of ODI. Kinda same problem that was stuck with Afridi and Imran Nazir.
:bhangra:
India has a good team, I think they will walk away with the series. NZ is good but Indians have been playing good cricket recently. They always had a very strong batting line up and now their bowling is decent too. I think NZ players will have to lift their game up considerably to challenge India in their own backyard. So basically my heart says NZ my brain says India. :)
I thought you said something about “boring”… do you do a bhangra when you get bored.
Current Score :
INDIA 101/1
A Chopra batting 36
R Dravid batting 29
V Sehwag lbw b Tuffey 29 (32 balls, 3 fours, 1 six)
Did Sehwag think this was a one day match ?
Tendulkar’s failure puts India on the backfoot](http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/031008/323/eajcq.html)
AHMEDABAD, India (AFP) - New Zealand seamer Scott Styris dismissed master batsman Sachin Tendulkar cheaply to put India on the defensive in the opening Test here.
The tourists restricted India to 149-3 at tea on the first day after removing Tendulkar for just eight runs. Rahul Dravid was batting on a solid 58 with Venkatsai Laxman (10) at the break.
Dravid has so far hit six fours in his unbeaten 136-ball knock.
Styris got the prize wicket of Tendulkar in the afternoon session when he had the batsman caught driving by lone slip Nathan Astle.
Tendulkar did not look his best during his 54-minute stay at the crease. He was kept silent by left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori, who often bowled a defensive leg-stump line to deny the batsman freedom to play strokes.
Frustrated, Tendulkar drove a Styris delivery away from the body to be caught by Astle, much to the disappointment of nearly 5,000 spectators who had braved the heat and dust in anticipation of a long knock from their idol.
New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming used his bowling resources well to put India on to the backfoot on a good batting wicket. His bowlers never allowed the hosts to dominate on a pitch which favoured neither seamers nor spinners.
New Zealand captured two wickets in the post-lunch session, with Vettori holding a return catch to account for debutant Akash Chopra before Styris got rid of Tendulkar.
Chopra impressed more with his staying prowess than stroke-play, batting 158 minutes for his 42 with the help of four boundaries. He was involved in a 72-run stand for the second wicket with Dravid.
Hard-hitting opener Virender Sehwag fell in the morning session after scoring a 32-ball 29 with the help of one six and three fours.
Fast bowler Daryl Tuffey provided the breakthrough when he trapped Sehwag leg-before with a ball which cut in sharply off the pitch.
Sehwag looked in hurry, going for shots early in his innings in order to spoil the rhythm of new-ball bowlers Tuffey and Jacob Oram.
The aggressive opener cut Oram for a four and then slashed Tuffey for a six over third-man, the ball crossing over the boundary-line after hitting fielder Craig McMillan’s hand.
Sehwag failed to curb his strokes even after offering the difficult chance, pulling and driving Styris for two successive fours. His flourish, however, did not last long.
Scoreboard
India 1st innings
A. Chopra c and b Vettori 42
V. Sehwag lbw b Tuffey 29
R. Dravid not out 58
S. Tendulkar c Astle b Styris 8
V. Laxman not out 10
Extras lb2 2
Total for three wkts 149
Fall of wickets 1-35, 2-107, 3-134
Bowling Tuffey 13-1-42-1, Oram 15-6-28-0, Styris 11-2-31-1,
Vettori 19-5-46-1
India are 249 for 3, with Dravid on 110 and Laxman on 56 at the end
of the day.
That man Dravid again. He is just rock solid.
rahul dravid is one of the most complete batsmen in the world of cricket today. he is gr8 and i admire his batting technique. and he has once again pulled india out of the deep end, with a gr8 century. i wish he played for pakistan..........
Very ordinary batting from India against the pedestrian attack of NZ. I have said all along, Sehwagh doesn't deserve to play in Tests. Very irresponsible batting.
We should just stop playing test cricket and just do ODIs. This is so boring - a whole day for 249 runs?
Rahul Dravid rocks. I actually liked what Sehwag did - come in, hit some and entertain.
Shewag is a better Indian version of Afridi. I am beginning to doubt his test abilities, maybe he should play ODI's only.
@ better version
I agree. You dont see sixes in the whole test match let aside the six ad 3 four in first 10 overs of the first day of the test match.
I havent seen the game but looks like again a very composed inning by Dravid. He is always (or most of the time,) there when needed. Thats why I consider Dravid more valuable batsman for India than Tendulkar at least in longer version of the game.
Also I think 249 is a bit low score for whole day. Score should be 300+ at the end of that day and that too when India are only 3 wickets down.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ehsan: *
Shewag is a better Indian version of Afridi. I am beginning to doubt his test abilities, maybe he should play ODI's only.
[/QUOTE]
Except that'd make test matches even more boring. With India's batting depth, why not let a couple of batsmen go for the six? When they succeed, that'll release some pressure on bowling.
I just don't see the value of declaring after two days with 6 batsmen that didn't bat
Tom - what would you prefer India scoring 300 all out in one day or 500 for 6 in 2 days ?
No one is stopping any batsman from hitting Six & Four, all we are saying is Tullaybaajs shouldn't be allowed to play TEST Cricket. The Six Sehwag hit at thirdman boundry was a fluke and was hardly entertaining.
I prefer 300 in one day - better chances for a competition and result. In multi-day test format it's become too easy to hide mediocrity because the goal is to just stay there, rarely to attack the bowling. And similar abuse on the bowling end by spinners never floating and pacers trying the limits of wide.