India tour of Australia, Nov 21 - Jan 18

[meninblue]

I don't see Virat dropping Rohit. He does not has confidence and rightly so to ask Rohit open in Red ball cricket. The only change for us will be Ishant being replaced with Ashwin(first choice if he recovers from injury) / Kuldeep. If Virat opts not to replace Ishant with spinner then it's the same playing 11.

Chances of Hardik replacing Ishant are very very less.

It's the last test of the series, so two pacers can be given workload given that their workload has been well managed by not enforcing follow-on. Two Indian spinners can bowl 40 overs each in innings unless the totally our of form Aussie batting bats like Taylor, Waugh, Ponting, Border, Steve Waugh.

Better to have a look at wicket though and take decision - obviously the captain will do so. If it's a spinners wicket, then two spinners will be normal for our team. Over that if we win toss, then that's icing on the cake.

Personally i would go with 3 pacers and 2 spinners combo (Replace Rohit with Hardik Pandya,Replace Ishant with one of Ashwin / Kuldeep in that order). That's my wich though.

Having said that, this is the team that i think think tank will play given Rohit deserves a spot in test team as per them:

They might as well ask Rohit to open just to keep in in team and accommodate Hardik by dropping Vihari, and add Hardik in middle order.

Mayank
Vihari
Chet
Virat
Ajinkya
Rohit
Rishabh
Jaddu
Ashwin / Kuldeep
Shami
Jasprit

[alfie]

If I were an Indian selector I would ask Rohit to open , bring in Pandya at six and Ashwin (if fit) for Ishant. Think five bowlers ( they must all be a bit weary by now) will be needed in Sydney and Vihari - while he may well have a future - isn't essential in either discipline at present. That gives you three seam bowlers , two spinners , and bats to nine.

[sussexpob]

Sharma averages 21 a wicket this year. Can't drop him surely?

[GarlicJam]

Sharma averages 21 a wicket this year. Can't drop him surely?

Not just his wickets, either, it is also the partnerships (bowling) he has had with Bumrah and Shami - in this tour at least. It is often that the credit for a wicket can be given to the partner bowler. (I am sure that Warne owes a few to McGrath)

If he was more handy with the bat, this would not be a matter for discussion.

[Red Devil]

Sharma averages 21 a wicket this year. Can't drop him surely?

Not just his wickets, either, it is also the partnerships (bowling) he has had with Bumrah and Shami - in this tour at least. It is often that the credit for a wicket can be given to the partner bowler. (I am sure that Warne owes a few to McGrath)

If he was more handy with the bat, this would not be a matter for discussion.

Agreed, I wouldn't drop Ishant at the moment

[meninblue]

As I expected , Ishant does not even makes 13 man squad.

Rohit missing as he will attend birth of baby.

13-man squad for SCG Test: Virat Kohli (C), A Rahane (VC), KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, C Pujara, H Vihari, R Pant, R Jadeja, K Yadav, R Ashwin, M Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav

[bigfluffylemon]

You were right, Adi, but strange to me that Ishant doesn't make the squad and Umesh Yadav does. Ishant's taken over 40 wickets at 21 in 2018, with an SR of under 50. He's been bowling well. The only thing I can think of is that he's picked up a niggle.

That said, the squad makes it apparent that India are planning to go in with two frontline spinners, so it will be Shami/Bumrah and Jadeja plus Ashwin if fit of K Yadav if Ashwin doesn't make it. The Yadavs are clearly there as cover for the preferred four-man attack.

Slightly surprised to see Rahul back, but if Rohit is out, then dropping Vihari back to 6 makes sense, as the experiment with him as an opener didn't exactly work out...

Meanwhile Australia have all sorts of selectorial quandaries. They won't change the bowling, even though Lyon has a bad record at Sydney and Starc has been off colour. Finch has been mentioned as being in severe danger, but there aren't any other openers available - you'd have to ask Shaun Marsh or Khawaja to open if Finch was dropped. Mitch Marsh seems to be in the squad to take the load off the bowlers, but a part time bowler who takes no wickets needs to contribute with the bat to be worth a place in the side, and he hasn't been.

I see Labuschagne has been recalled - he should probably be included if only because Australia need to do something different. I also note that Cameron Bancroft's ball-tampering ban is now over. Might be a bit left field, but he could come back (unlikely, but who knows?)

[bigfluffylemon]

Blimey, just look at those numbers for India's quicks last year:
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... ;type=year

You could make a good case for them being the best pace attack in the world on current form. And when the competition is Cummins/Starc/Hazlewood, Rabada/Steyn/Morkel/Philander, Anderson/Broad/Stokes/Woakes, Boult/Southee/Wagner, that's pretty impressive.

England's pace attack looks the worst of the lot out of that list at the moment, Jimmy's incredible twilight form notwithstanding. Certainly outside swinging English conditions...

[meninblue]

You were right, Adi, but strange to me that Ishant doesn't make the squad and Umesh Yadav does. Ishant's taken over 40 wickets at 21 in 2018, with an SR of under 50. He's been bowling well. The only thing I can think of is that he's picked up a niggle.

That said, the squad makes it apparent that India are planning to go in with two frontline spinners, so it will be Shami/Bumrah and Jadeja plus Ashwin if fit of K Yadav if Ashwin doesn't make it. The Yadavs are clearly there as cover for the preferred four-man attack.

Slightly surprised to see Rahul back, but if Rohit is out, then dropping Vihari back to 6 makes sense, as the experiment with him as an opener didn't exactly work out...

Meanwhile Australia have all sorts of selectorial quandaries. They won't change the bowling, even though Lyon has a bad record at Sydney and Starc has been off colour. Finch has been mentioned as being in severe danger, but there aren't any other openers available - you'd have to ask Shaun Marsh or Khawaja to open if Finch was dropped. Mitch Marsh seems to be in the squad to take the load off the bowlers, but a part time bowler who takes no wickets needs to contribute with the bat to be worth a place in the side, and he hasn't been.

I see Labuschagne has been recalled - he should probably be included if only because Australia need to do something different. I also note that Cameron Bancroft's ball-tampering ban is now over. Might be a bit left field, but he could come back (unlikely, but who knows?)

Even Ashwin is having a niggle but he is still in squad. Virat has used niggle to make his selection job easier in past as well to escape the public and media criticism. As Indian fan I have seen many such niggles when players missed match selections. If this was not Sydney then Ashwin with a niggle would not have made the squad or Ishant would have not had a niggle if this was not Sydney


Rahul comes back, which is shocker. Did not expect this.

[meninblue]

Blimey, just look at those numbers for India's quicks last year:
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... ;type=year

You could make a good case for them being the best pace attack in the world on current form. And when the competition is Cummins/Starc/Hazlewood, Rabada/Steyn/Morkel/Philander, Anderson/Broad/Stokes/Woakes, Boult/Southee/Wagner, that's pretty impressive.

England's pace attack looks the worst of the lot out of that list at the moment, Jimmy's incredible twilight form notwithstanding. Certainly outside swinging English conditions...

I saw a stat which says how great this pace attack has been in 2018. Will post it in night.

[sussexpob]

Re: Sharma,

He's not in the squad as he apparently has picked up a rib injury in the nets, and has been in some discomfort. They didn't want to risk him

[meninblue]

Ashwin's inclusion will be judged tomorrow morning subject to his fitness. Virat wants his runs and if it's a spin friendly wicket he will want Ashwin over Kuldeep. Kuldeep is now third choice test spinner out of Asia. Ash is injured since last 10 days and even today, yet makes the squad. One players recurring injury is fine another players niggle isn't. Funny selection drama which will get more criticism within India.

Virat should have a look at the wicket and play the conditions. If the spinners are expected to get more assistance, then 2 spinners have to be there which is why there are 3 spinners in squad of 13 (Jaddu, Ash and Kuldeep). If wicket seems to offer more assistance to Pacers, go for 3 Pacers. Virat does not reads the wicket correctly as some of the other Indian players do, which makes me unsure whether he will get the playing 11 right. If we win the toss then we will get away even of he does not judges the wicket correctly.

Umesh is a very risky option probability wise.

Think Rahul has 100 at Sydney. Perhaps that is why he makes the squad. Otherwise there is no way he could get in the squad after being given a very long rope and dropped.

[Arthur Crabtree]

This India squad looks a red herring.

[meninblue]

It is funny that the think tank has stated that they are resting Ishant who plays just Test format and next test series is at least six months away. Whereas Ashwin who has recurring pain and had much severe injury is in squad and a call will be taken tomorrow. This think tank is acting smart.

[backfootpunch]

Blimey, just look at those numbers for India's quicks last year:
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... ;type=year

You could make a good case for them being the best pace attack in the world on current form. And when the competition is Cummins/Starc/Hazlewood, Rabada/Steyn/Morkel/Philander, Anderson/Broad/Stokes/Woakes, Boult/Southee/Wagner, that's pretty impressive.

England's pace attack looks the worst of the lot out of that list at the moment, Jimmy's incredible twilight form notwithstanding. Certainly outside swinging English conditions...

India, Australia and south Africa all have very very good seam attacks

A lot of top notch quicks around at the moment imo