Indian ODI team - buidling to WC in Aus

[shankycricket]

Won't have Raina as a nailed on just as yet. Record outside the sc is dodgy. Have to see how he bats in SA ODIs. Rohit also needs to show consistency. I'd like to see Pujara and Yuvi (if in form) and maybe Chand might be ready by then too. Lots of options.

[dan08]

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.

Bit harsh on Ishant.

[shankycricket]

Not sure I'd count Jadeja among the batsmen. Surely he's more of a bowler.
And wrt Irfan, he can only play if we play 4 seamers IMO. If its just 3
seamers, he'll have to bowl at the death, which is a no go IMO.

[shankycricket]

I'm still not convinced by Ish but he's done okay since coming back into the ODI side. Its Test cricket, where I've a major problem with him. In ODIs, I think Bhuvi aside, all our seamers have a lot to prove including Umesh, who is a terrific test prospect but has a Dernbach-esque ODI record.

[shankycricket]

I'd like to see PK back in soon. Not only is a good new ball bowler but I think with his yorkers and variations, he can do a job at the death too.

[shankycricket]

For the next series, I'm going for Dhawan, Rohit, Virat, Yuvi, Dhoni, Raina, Jadeja, Ashwin, Bhuvi, PK, Ishant with Mohit, Mishra/Bhajji, Pujara and Rayudu in reserves.

[Red Devil]

Not
sure I'd count Jadeja among the batsmen. Surely he's more of a bowler.
And wrt Irfan, he can only play if we play 4 seamers IMO. If its just 3
seamers, he'll have to bowl at the death, which is a no go IMO.

yep - Jadeja (and myabe Yuvi) +4 seamers. If Irfan is bowling well then him and Bhuvi give batting depth and Umesh and Zak would bowl at the death. Praveen is the other option for that Irfan role and Mohanty is probably cover for Bhuvi, with Pandey / Ishant to come in if Zak doesn't make it. Would be nice if Varun Aaron could really come back from injury and fulfill his potential - he has pace and batting ability, just needs control.

[shankycricket]

For those wondering why I'm splitting my posts, can't type long posts on this mobile. Sorry.

[Red Devil]

For the next series, I'm going for Dhawan, Rohit, Virat, Yuvi, Dhoni, Raina, Jadeja, Ashwin, Bhuvi, PK, Ishant with Mohit, Mishra/Bhajji, Pujara and Rayudu in reserves.

Bhuvi and PK are quite similar - could only play both of them on helpful tracks - and PK has not been the same since his injury so will have to wait and see how he goes.

[shankycricket]

Not
sure I'd count Jadeja among the batsmen. Surely he's more of a bowler.
And wrt Irfan, he can only play if we play 4 seamers IMO. If its just 3
seamers, he'll have to bowl at the death, which is a no go IMO.

yep - Jadeja (and myabe Yuvi) +4 seamers. If Irfan is bowling well then
him and Bhuvi give batting depth and Umesh and Zak would bowl at the
death. Praveen is the other option for that Irfan role and Mohanty is
probably cover for Bhuvi, with Pandey / Ishant to come in if Zak doesn't
make it. Would be nice if Varun Aaron could really come back from
injury and fulfill his potential - he has pace and batting ability, just
needs control.

Would you go with 4 seamers though? 3+2 worked wonders in CT and WC is in the second half of the Australian summer.

[shankycricket]

For the next series, I'm going for Dhawan,
Rohit, Virat, Yuvi, Dhoni, Raina, Jadeja, Ashwin, Bhuvi, PK, Ishant
with Mohit, Mishra/Bhajji, Pujara and Rayudu in reserves.

Bhuvi and PK are quite similar - could only play both of them on helpful
tracks - and PK has not been the same since his injury so will have to
wait and see how he goes.

Indeed, they are similar but now is the time for experimentation, isn't it? I want to see how those 2 work together. If they work alright in India, then you'd assume they'd love bowling together in Aus.

[Red Devil]

Not
sure I'd count Jadeja among the batsmen. Surely he's more of a bowler.
And wrt Irfan, he can only play if we play 4 seamers IMO. If its just 3
seamers, he'll have to bowl at the death, which is a no go IMO.

yep - Jadeja (and myabe Yuvi) +4 seamers. If Irfan is bowling well then
him and Bhuvi give batting depth and Umesh and Zak would bowl at the
death. Praveen is the other option for that Irfan role and Mohanty is
probably cover for Bhuvi, with Pandey / Ishant to come in if Zak doesn't
make it. Would be nice if Varun Aaron could really come back from
injury and fulfill his potential - he has pace and batting ability, just
needs control.

Would you go with 4 seamers though? 3+2 worked wonders in CT and WC is in the second half of the Australian summer.

would have to assess the wickets really. If there's any spin then get in Ashwin or Bhaji. Must say that Bhaji is a better fielder than ashwin and a better ODI batter - he got a lot of stick for not taking wickets in ODIs but he always kept it tight, the problem was that they scored too many against the other bowlers. I'm not sure Ashwin has really taken that many more wickets in ODIs so I'd be tempted to have Bhaji for the ODI's and Ashwin for the tests.

[shankycricket]

I agree about Varun Aaron. I think he's a very good limited overs
prospect, probably got the best yorker among Indian seamers. Would be
nice if Umesh cracks the ODI code too as the potential is clearly too.
I'd play him in the SA ODIs but rest him vs Oz at home.

[shankycricket]

I agree regarding Bhajji tbh. And even in the WC, where he was supposedly useless, he delivered in the KOs, none more so than the s/f vs Pak when he got Umar Akmal, who was starting to take the game away from India. Must say he's been sidelined from ODIs cos of his test form, which is unfair.

[shankycricket]

Would love it if Zak makes the cut but I wouldn't play him in a lot of a bilateral ODIs purely because there's an equally good chance he won't be there for the WC and we need to plan for the worst. I'd personally play Zak only in tests till the Eng series and reassess his fitness.