Cricket

I think Australia are going to compete here.

I like the look of the squad.

Chris Rogers seems to be the ace up Inverarity's sleeve.

Lyon, of course, is a weakness, but the pace bowling looks awesome.

Very interested in seeing who the openers are. Rogers and Cowan seems to be the sensible choice on paper but Watson seems best utillized at the top of the order and then there is Warner. Clarke will move back down to #5 presumably and Haddin at #7 is a solid bat.

If Watson can get fit enough to bowl, I'd like to see, from this squad:
Warner, Cowan, Rogers, Khawaja, Clarke, Watson, Haddin

as the top 7.

A little jumbled, but that lower order has a lot of fight in it.
 
Btw, anyone playing in the fantasy IPL game. I'm on the 9th position overall!
 
I realize it's only IPL but it's interesting that Delhi demoted Warner to no.3 role as they reckon he can do the KP role. Maybe that's what Australia should do.
 
I just realized that Warner, Cowan, Rogers, Khawaja, Clarke, Watson, Haddin is 6 players who can open plus Clarke.
 
Glad they've bought back Haddin btw.

Wade might be a good player but Haddin is much better than him IMO. Haven't seen much of Faulkner except of the IPL but he seems to me a good limited over bowler(T20/ODI) rather than a test bowler. Maybe I'm wrong.
 
Shit loads of left handed batsmen in the Australia squad, Swann will love this.
 
Bowling attack looks good, Pattinson, Harris if he stays fit, Siddle and Watson if he decides to bowl will cover the bowling side well. Not seen too much of Bird or Faulkner in the longer form but that batting lineup has me licking my lips.
 
Bird is very good. I'd prefer starc over siddle. It should be between siddle and Harris. Probably rotate them as Harris won't last a five test series. Really looking forward to this ashes.
 
Watching Somerset versus Warwicksihre.

Somerset seem like a very strong batting unit.
 
Colin129 said:
Can someone explain what this ICC Champions Trophy thing is?

Champions of what exactly?

Looks like a 1 day tournament without all the shit teams.
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Pointless, needs to be ditched.
 
I enjoy the Champions Trophy. Fewer matches, none of the crappier teams and India-Pakistan will be playing :drool:

Regardless, they're getting rid of it after this summer.
 
Ind squad for CT: Dhoni, Dhawan, Kohli, Raina, D Karthik, Vijay, Rohit, Jadeja, Ashwin, Irfan, Umesh, Bhuvneshwar, Ishant, Mishra, Vinay.

Vijay ahead of Rahane is a farce.
 
I wouldn't call picking Vijay ahead of Rahane a farce. Dinesh Karthik on the other hand is more debatable. And whatever happened to Shami Ahmed???
 
Rahane has scored decently in England and had a 91 against England recently. Better than Mr. Vijay with a career best of 31 and a grand average of 6 in South Africa. Vijay in English conditions is as good as going in with 10 men.
 
Moreover Rahane was the first backup, did not get in before because Dhoni did not take him, now that the opener slot is open, instead of giving it to the first backup who has been carrying water bottles and missing Ranji while waiting for it, they bring out Vijay out of nowhere.

This will not end well in all probability.
 
They are looking at recent form and Rahane's recent form hasn't been the greatest. Including the tests he has crossed 10 just once in his last 7 innings
 
I get what you are trying to say and I agree it's a bit harsh on Rahane but it's about taking your chances. Both Dhawan and Vijay grabbed their chances against Australia and in some style but Rahane didn't didn't do that in the England series.

Another thing that probably counted against him is that he's no longer seen as a opener I think or is that just in the tests?
 
Yeah but Vijay scored those runs in India. Agreed that Rahane didn't help himself mich but I'd trust him more in swinging conditions. Its not saying that Rahane would score centuries but I clearly see him as a better option than Vijay in England. Plus as I said it is hypocrisy by the selectors. Vijay was given the chance in tests as he was the first backup, but same has not been one in Rahane's case.
 
I am looking forward to it but expecting India to get a hammering.

Weakest ODI team we've taken to a major tournament in a long while.

We haven't got any intimidating names in the batting line-up. Sehwag, Sachin were blockbuster.

And the bowling is super weak.

Compare:
Dhawan, Vijay, Kohli, Rohit, Raina, Dhoni, Irfan, Bhuvaneshwar, Ashwin, Ishant, Yadav

versus
Amla, Smith, du Plessis, AB, Ingam, Miller, Duminy, Peterson, Morkel, Steyn, Tsotsobe

It's like men against boys.
 
Incredible how many changes we've made in the ODI in the last two years. From the starting XI in the WC Final, only three players will be there in the team of Champions League.

For the ODI's, I'd drop Vijay and make Rohit play as a opener and strengthen our bowling by bringing in Jadeja. Bhuvi could be very, very useful in English conditions.

The pace attack of Bhuvi, Yadav and Ishant doesn't look too bad on paper, it might be the strongest pace attack we've had in ages, although that doesn't say much. An in-form Irfan would take this ODI team and Test team to another level.
 
I would've picked Rahane ahead of Vijay any day of the week.

Murali Vijay and Dinesh Karthik in one squad..hmm.
 
KM said:
Incredible how many changes we've made in the ODI in the last two years. From the starting XI in the WC Final, only three players will be there in the team of Champions League.

For the ODI's, I'd drop Vijay and make Rohit play as a opener and strengthen our bowling by bringing in Jadeja. Bhuvi could be very, very useful in English conditions.

The pace attack of Bhuvi, Yadav and Ishant doesn't look too bad on paper, it might be the strongest pace attack we've had in ages, although that doesn't say much. An in-form Irfan would take this ODI team and Test team to another level.
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If you play Rohit as opener(which I would, also, because as much as I would like for him to succeed in the middle order, he's just not cutting it), then Jadeja has to play at 6.

I wouldn't even play him at 7, in England, where his bowling won't be useful. I wouldn't even have him in the 15.


Ideally, I would like India to line-up like this:

Rohit, Rahane, Pujara, Kohli, Raina, Dhoni, Irfan

The lack of a quality all-rounder will really hurt us. Yuvraj's 10 overs were crucial in the last WC.

Donaldo,

Rahane seems to have been in bad form in the IPL and he did himself no favours with that mindless shot on test debut. Our selectos always choose for one format by considering performances across all formats, which is pretty silly.

Regardless, he was good in the ODIs in England in 2011 and should be playing.
 
Think they're doing the sensible thing with Pujara, waiting for him to get fit and then go to India A's tour to South Africa.

Their treatment of Rahane has been absolutely appalling, they've completely destroyed his confidence.
 
Agree on both counts.

BCCI appalling behaviour in the Player's representative issue.
 
Watching Rajasthan's chase and feck me, Binny gives it a good thwack.

This has been a very good chase.
 
Kevon Cooper, Mitchell Marsh, Dan Christian, Moises Henriques should never be part of the 4 foreigners your side can put out.
 
Stuart Binny's wife

images


Bastard.
 
Mayanti Langer. Used to present cricket IIRC.
 
No.. I didn't.

Cooper's pretty ordinary. If he's playing as a bowler, why not Kemar Roach, Jerome Taylor, or even Tait who is on the bench? There must be plenty of Aussies who can do better than him too. Cutting, Bird, Starc(did he opt out?) aren't at the IPL off the top of my head.

From England, there's Finn who could play half the games and do better than this guy.

Faulkner seems to be a shrewd buy. I liked ihm when I saw him first but I didn't think he had enough pace to be effective here. But Cooper? Why on earth?

And four, well done Binny.
 
I was at Ferozshah Kotla when Cooper absolutely owned Delhi's batting lineup in the last over.

How good does this Sanju Samson look?
 
Cooper's done well for them with the ball hasn't he?

Agree with Christian, seems a pointless bowler and a useless batsman...

Should've seen the game. Pollard dropped 3 sitters...of 3 consecutive balls...from Hussey!
 
KM said:
I was at Ferozshah Kotla when Cooper absolutely owned Delhi's batting lineup in the last over.

How good does this Sanju Samson look?
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Watched his 60 odd the other day, great knock and only 18. Future's bright for the lad
 
I just looked up Cooper's numbers.

He's played 2 innings for 2 runs.

Averages 24 at an economy of 8.65 and he doesn't even bowl in the power play.

Why is Sreesanth not playing btw?

Also, KM, who was the guy keeping for Rajasthan in the last match? Was it Samson or Yagnik?

Whoever it was, must be the best natural keeper in India right now. I saw some stunning takes.

Saha is very good too, but the Royals keeper was keeping up to Watson and Faulkner with ease.
 
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