NZ tour of India
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@chris-b said in NZ tour of India:
@mn5 said in NZ tour of India:
@donsteppa said in NZ tour of India:
Last week the team wasn't announced until after the toss.
Righto. I predict unchanged apart from Wags for Somerville then.
Odds on - I reckon!
Agreed!
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Been some excellent Cricinfo reads from this week while we wait for the team namings and the toss:
As Tom Blundell presented Rachin Ravindra his New Zealand Test cap in Kanpur last week, the third member of the trio - Devon Conway - was glued to his television some 12,000 kilometres away in Wellington, feeling "gutted" at not being around for his mate's big moment - only an injured hand preventing him from being there on the spot.
The three are the best of friends who live close to each other, play for the same domestic team, frequent coffee shops and restaurants together, drop into each other's homes for meals. They used to spend their free time on the golf course too, until Ravindra put it on hold after being advised by one of their good friends, Sriram Krishnamurthy who is also one of the coaches in Wellington, to stop playing as it could potentially hamper his bat swing.
They bond over other things too, like marathon PlayStation sessions - "sometimes well into the night, 2-3am," laughs Conway - trying to pass missions on Grand Theft Auto. Yet for all the fun off the field, it's the camaraderie through cricket that they cherish and respect the most...
Read on at: Rachin Ravindra - the cricketer you want, and the friend you need
And:
Most memorable knocks by overseas batters on Indian soil have come when the visiting team got the opportunity to bat first; that not only allows them to bat at the best possible time - the first day - but also lets them avoid having to bat in the fourth innings, when the pitch is at its worst for batting. It wasn't that way for Latham, since New Zealand were asked to field first.
The pitch in Kanpur was not a rank turner, but the lack of bounce, and the quality of the Indian spinners, made it tougher for the batters as the game progressed. But Latham stonewalled everything the spinners threw at him, and even his dismissals weren't exactly caused by the bowler trapping him but instead the result of him being over-eager to reach the three-figure mark in the first innings, and a rather lazy shot in the second.
So what did Latham do to negate the Indian spin threat?
More at: How did Tom Latham bat so well on the slow Kanpur pitch against India's spinners?
And then Mr Southee
Forget the results and wickets, they are a byproduct. Just watch again how he bowled to Ravindra Jadeja at the start of the second day, and you will know it was a master at work. Southee had given his side a fitness scare on the first day, walking off with a tight groin. Once assured by medical staff it was not muscular but probably a tendon, he came back. Gingerly.
During that period, India punished the lesser bowlers and went to the final session without losing a wicket. Both Shreyas Iyer and Jadeja had half-centuries to their name when play resumed on day two. Southee had a four-over old ball, but not much else in his favour. There was no movement off the surface or big swing in the air.
Southee went round the wicket and began widish but on a good length. Slowly he worked his way in closer and closer. Four leaves, and then the right-to-left natural swing, and a pretty close lbw appeal that Jadeja survived on umpire's call. Back wide again, and then getting closer and closer, with the seventh ball bang on the stumps and swinging past his defence...
Read on at: Tim Southee and a five-for of rare mastery
And over on Spark Sport, the Northern Brave have a 15 year old player on debut:
IT’S GO TIME FOR NORTHERN BRAVE!!
The first ever Northern Brave (w) side!
The side includes three debutants Holly Topp, Kayley Knight and 15-year-old Tash Wakelin!
The game gets underway from 3:10pm at Seddon Park.
Northern Districts Cricket Association
IT’S GO TIME FOR NORTHERN BRAVE!! The first ever Northern Brave (w) side! The side includes three debutants Holly Topp, Kayley Knight and 15-year-old Tash Wakelin! The game gets underway from...
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A delay - via CricInfo...
8.58am: "Our main concern is the 30-yard (circle) and the bowlers' run-ups," says umpire Nitin Menon. "The conditions will not be 100% because it has rained last two days. But once the sunshine is out, we may get better conditions." Fellow umpire Anil Chaudhary adds: "Safety is the only thing, the rest is fine."
8.42am: We've had a lot of rain leading up to this game in Mumbai, so the toss is delayed. Inspection at 9.30 am. Ajit Agarkar says the sun's not yet out and there are still damp patches on the bowlers' run-ups, so it will take some time to dry out. Commends the ground staff for a sterling job, given the extremely wet weather.
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Unhappy speculation...
9.18am: Simon Doull speculates on air that Kane Williamson's elbow problem might have been acting up and he might not play. It'll be huge for New Zealand if they don't have their best batter and captain. Meanwhile, we also have Ajit Agarkar and Deep Dasgupta's pitch report: It has better carry than what Kanpur had. Might hold together more because there's moisture and it's been under the covers for two days. There are also cracks near a spinner's good length and the pitch will take turn as the game goes on. "You don't want to bat last, but if you bat first, you need to bat really well," says Agarkar.
9.12am: Update: We've got some news for you. The sun is peeking through a little. The areas affected are the bowlers' run-ups and short point at one end. The umpires feel they can't expect 100% perfect conditions, so if those areas dry out, the match can start. Meanwhile, we're hearing that there's a chance Mohammed Siraj could come back into the XI. He's fully fit now, recovered from the finger injury he got on his left hand in the T20Is.
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@donsteppa said in NZ tour of India:
Williamson confirmed out. Latham to captain. No other team news. I imagine Mitchell will be in to bat at six, and perhaps Wags for Somerville.
Edit: Glen Phillips being an obvious option who I'd forgotten...
Furk
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I suppose Philips joining the batting lineup would allow a bowling mix of;
Jamieson
Southee
Wags
Frontline spinner: Patel
Parttime/backup spinners: Ravindra and Philips... unless they think the pitch will take pace, but either way, Wags is surely back...?
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@booboo said in NZ tour of India:
@donsteppa said in NZ tour of India:
Williamson confirmed out. Latham to captain. No other team news. I imagine Mitchell will be in to bat at six, and perhaps Wags for Somerville.
Edit: Glen Phillips being an obvious option who I'd forgotten...
Furk
No Williamson and no Conway... no pressure on Messrs Taylor and Nicholls...
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@donsteppa what's up with Conway?
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@paekakboyz said in NZ tour of India:
@donsteppa what's up with Conway?
Still out with a broken hand from punching his bat.
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@paekakboyz said in NZ tour of India:
@donsteppa what's up with Conway?
Smashed his hand against his bat in the T20 semi final. Missed final and First Test
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@donsteppa said in NZ tour of India:
Williamson confirmed out. Latham to captain. No other team news. I imagine Mitchell will be in to bat at six, and perhaps Wags for Somerville.
Edit: Glen Phillips being an obvious option who I'd forgotten...
I'd pick Mitch Jr. and by quite a wide margin over Phillips.
I doubt either of their bowling will be much used or much use.
I watched Phillips score a 50 in his only test to date and it was about as chancy as they come.
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Big question of course is who will bat in the top 3?
I'd imagine they'll promote Blundell to open and move Young to first drop - which might perhaps lean them towards Philips as someone who could take a stint with the wicketkeeping gloves to give Blundell a chance to freshen up near the end of an innings?
I'd still pick Mitch Jr. and make Blundell tough it out.
