Indian ODI team - buidling to WC in Aus

[Red Devil]

For Tests

1 Dharwan
2 Pujara
3 Kohli
5 Rahane
6 Tiwary
6 Dhoni
7 Jadeja
8 Ashwin
9 Kumar
10 Sharma
11 Yadav

I would like to fit Tendulkar and Zaheer in there but time for the next generation.

for me, I would have Pujara at 3 and Kohli at 4, with Dhawan to open - that leaves an opening slot and a number 5. Vijay will probably get the opening slot and maybe Rahane should get 5. However, in reality SRT will stay at 4, Kohli will bat 3 and I guess Pujara will be at 5

Also, in SA I would expect them to give us pitches where it makes no sense to play 2 spinners, so you probably have to look either Jadeja or Ashwin rather than both. Given the India A squad, the best of the seamers should then get a go - Kaul or Pandey I guess - although Irfan may be an option. However, I suspect you are right and Ind will stick to 3 quicks.

[ddb]

Why would Pujara move down to 5?

100% sure he'll be our no.3 for years.

[Red Devil]

Why would Pujara move down to 5?

100% sure he'll be our no.3 for years.

Politically, if Kohli wants to bat 3 rather than 5 then he may get it, and SRT won't move from 4. IMO Pujara should be at 3 and should stay there.

[ddb]

Don't think Kohli will want to bat 3...he's waiting for no.4.

[shankycricket]

Pujara at 3. Makes no sense to bat him anywhere else. Anyone else think Rohit could do the job as an opener in tests? I know its "only ODIs" where he has done well but I've been quite impressed (and more so, surprised) at the kind of patience he has shown against the new ball in some testing conditions and him comfort vs the short ball, etc is exactly what we need from our opener.
I think its worth a try.
Pujara at 3 and Kohli at 4 (I know SRT will be picked). Number 5 and 6 are the question marks. The contenders are Rahane, Rayudu and Tiwary. Tiwary is injured and not on the A tour. Rahane has got some obvious technical issues, which were exposed by Finn in the ODIs. At present, I'd have Rayudu ahead of him. Depends on how they go on the A tour, of course.

[shankycricket]

For Tests

1 Dharwan
2 Pujara
3 Kohli
5 Rahane
6 Tiwary
6 Dhoni
7 Jadeja
8 Ashwin
9 Kumar
10 Sharma
11 Yadav

I would like to fit Tendulkar and Zaheer in there but time for the next generation.

for me, I would have Pujara at 3 and Kohli at 4, with Dhawan to open - that leaves an opening slot and a number 5. Vijay will probably get the opening slot and maybe Rahane should get 5. However, in reality SRT will stay at 4, Kohli will bat 3 and I guess Pujara will be at 5

Also, in SA I would expect them to give us pitches where it makes no sense to play 2 spinners, so you probably have to look either Jadeja or Ashwin rather than both. Given the India A squad, the best of the seamers should then get a go - Kaul or Pandey I guess - although Irfan may be an option. However, I suspect you are right and Ind will stick to 3 quicks.

Irfan in tests? He's become very injury prone of late and barely played Ranji last season.

[shankycricket]

Don't think Kohli will want to bat 3...he's waiting for no.4.

[shankycricket]

What'll be your team, ddb?

[Red Devil]

Pujara at 3. Makes no sense to bat him anywhere else. Anyone else think Rohit could do the job as an opener in tests? I know its "only ODIs" where he has done well but I've been quite impressed (and more so, surprised) at the kind of patience he has shown against the new ball in some testing conditions and him comfort vs the short ball, etc is exactly what we need from our opener.
I think its worth a try.
Pujara at 3 and Kohli at 4 (I know SRT will be picked). Number 5 and 6 are the question marks. The contenders are Rahane, Rayudu and Tiwary. Tiwary is injured and not on the A tour. Rahane has got some obvious technical issues, which were exposed by Finn in the ODIs. At present, I'd have Rayudu ahead of him. Depends on how they go on the A tour, of course.

I suspect the view will be that Vijay should retain the opening slot for the tests, and Rohit has failed to kick on every time after getting decent starts in ODIs as an opener, so that's not great for a test opener.

[Red Devil]

Don't think Kohli will want to bat 3...he's waiting for no.4.

I'm sure he is, but it comes down to whether he prefers to bat 3 or 5 while he waits. Hopefully you are right and he will bat 5 as that makes much more sense

[shankycricket]

Pujara at 3. Makes no sense to bat him anywhere else. Anyone else think Rohit could do the job as an opener in tests? I know its "only ODIs" where he has done well but I've been quite impressed (and more so, surprised) at the kind of patience he has shown against the new ball in some testing conditions and him comfort vs the short ball, etc is exactly what we need from our opener.
I think its worth a try.
Pujara at 3 and Kohli at 4 (I know SRT will be picked). Number 5 and 6 are the question marks. The contenders are Rahane, Rayudu and Tiwary. Tiwary is injured and not on the A tour. Rahane has got some obvious technical issues, which were exposed by Finn in the ODIs. At present, I'd have Rayudu ahead of him. Depends on how they go on the A tour, of course.

I suspect the view will be that Vijay should retain the opening slot for the tests, and Rohit has failed to kick on every time after getting decent starts in ODIs as an opener, so that's not great for a test opener.

When I look at someone in ODIs the bigger issue, for me, is, not whether he can bat long (I'm sure he can, he has 2 FC 300s, in ODIs, he throws his wkt under RR pressure, which doesn't exist in tests) but whether he looks int'l class and I think he has looked the part even though his go slow approach may become a problem for the ODI side, when other faster scoring players don't fire. But nothing that he has done in recent ODIs suggest he can't play Tests unlike say, Rahane, who, to me, looks a bit out of his depth ATM (has potential, no doubt) and the technical frailties he's displayed in ODIs would be exposed even more ruthlessly in Tests IMO, which is why I'm surprised you have him at 5. I have no problems with Vijay opening to start with although something tells me he's more suited to the middle order. Anyways, if he does open, I suspect I'd have Rohit and Rayudu (I know his FC record isn't that earth shattering but like Dhawan, he has really come of age in the last season and he has done well at his home ground, which assists the seamers) ahead of Rahane.
But thats just now and a lot could change post the A tour.

[shankycricket]

Don't think Kohli will want to bat 3...he's waiting for no.4.

I'm sure he is, but it comes down to whether he prefers to bat 3 or 5 while he waits. Hopefully you are right and he will bat 5 as that makes much more sense

There's no chance of Pujara being moved from 3. Your worries are rather unfounded, I think. Kohli will bat at 5 (preferably 4, with SRT dropped/retired)
I'd be more worried about SRT and the bowling attack (Ishant).

[shankycricket]

My ODI squad for the next series vs OZ (would like a lot of experimentation in the XI as it is a 7 match series)

Dhoni(c-wk), Dhawan, Rohit, Kohli, Pujara, Rayudu, Yuvraj, Raina, Jadeja, Ashwin, Mishra, Bhuvi, Praveen, Ishant, Unadkat, Mohit Sharma.

Umesh rested so that he can play some first class games in the Duleep Trophy ahead of SA tour. Hasn't played a single FC game since Ahmedabad Test.

[shankycricket]

What are you views on this, Red? ODI team, that is. What squad are you looking at atm?

[Red Devil]

What are you views on this, Red? ODI team, that is. What squad are you looking at atm?

it's still a long way off but

batting - Dhawan, Rohit, Kohli, Raina, Jadeja all look liklely - Yuvraj, Gambhir, Pujara, Vijay, Utthappa and maybe Mandeep or Chand must be the other contenders. I would take Pujara for sure, would like Yuvi but depends how he is going by then as he's not ideally suited to 2 new balls in Aus so Gambhir may be in.

wk - Kartik as the likely back-up for Dhoni but I don't think Parthiv has done much wrong

spinners - Ashwin and Bhaji I guess, with Jadeja, Yuvi, Raina and Rohit all around as well - not sure you'd actually play either of them though as on some wickets you may go with 4 seamers +Jadeja / Yuvi

seamers - Zak (if fit and bowling well), Umesh, Bhuvi would be the obvious ones. Ishwar Pandey may put pressure on Ishant for the 'tall' fat bowler position. Praveen has to be an option but again, it depends on how his come back goes, maybe too similar to Bhuvi as well. Basant Mohanty is one I'd like to see given a chance but you probably wouldn't play him and Bhuvi. Kulkarni has done well, but you suspect they may look to Sandeep Sharma or Kaul. Personally I'd love to see Irfan bowling well as that would really boost the batting depth. Varun Aaron is the outsdie bet but he has a lot to do to prove himself between now and then