RedCafe Cricket Draft

Sorry lads big power failure in North India right now. Will see what I can do. I can still make a poll but you have to post team players etc stuff by yourself.

If you don't mind, I'll collect the data post it in 1 big post?

That is, if you're not going to abuse me for it again.
 
If you don't mind, I'll collect the data post it in 1 big post?

That is, if you're not going to abuse me for it again.

I was just kidding in that last post, mate.

Yeah that would be helpful.
 
I was watching some videos on youtube and by word spinners at their best are a joy to watch. Just the quizzical expression on a batsman's face makes it worth it. Warne, Murli, Saqlain were unbelievable.

Found this


 
I find Kumble to be under-rated. Perhaps not as talented as Warne, Murali etc but he was absolutely incredible when things weren't going India's way. So much fighting spirit, that it's unbelievable.

The way he used to get rid of tailender was also awesome.
 
I find Kumble to be under-rated. Perhaps not as talented as Warne, Murali etc but he was absolutely incredible when things weren't going India's way. So much fighting spirit, that it's unbelievable.

The way he used to get rid of tailender was also awesome.

Kumble was pretty much the McGrath of spin bowling. My father used to say that he isn't a spinner but more of a medium pacer. He was deadly due to his line, length and accuracy and his ability to slip in the flipper at the right time.

You could say he was more of a thinker than a Saqlain or Murali who used to use alot of variations to get their way. Definitely not underrated though. I rate him right up there in the top tier of spin bowlers.
 
We have to start a poll today to keep this alive.

If people don't turn in their team and write-up by say 12:00PM GMT, the poll should be started with just their team from the draft. Its their loss for not making the effort.

To avoid this happening, i'd suggest people create their post and put it in this thread a day or two before their turn just in case they're not around for their match.
 
We have to start a poll today to keep this alive.

If people don't turn in their team and write-up by say 12:00PM GMT, the poll should be started with just their team from the draft. Its their loss for not making the effort.

To avoid this happening, i'd suggest people create their post and put it in this thread a day or two before their turn just in case they're not around for their match.

Perfect. I'll collect both MJJs and Stretch's posts and post them unless either or both turn in their write ups.
 
Kumble was pretty much the McGrath of spin bowling. My father used to say that he isn't a spinner but more of a medium pacer. He was deadly due to his line, length and accuracy and his ability to slip in the flipper at the right time.

You could say he was more of a thinker than a Saqlain or Murali who used to use alot of variations to get their way. Definitely not underrated though. I rate him right up there in the top tier of spin bowlers.

If umpires were not so afraid to declare batsmen lbw on their front foot, he'd have heaps more wickets. The lbw was his main weapon and too many times it'd get negated by batsmen just taking a big stride forward. It was obvious that many of those balls would go on to hit the wicket...its not like he was a huge turner of the ball and often it was the flipper that thudded into the bat and that was always going on straight.
 
I might have erred by posting that Shane Warne clip of the left hander being bowled. The competition isn't who spins most, else Murali would eat everyone for breakfast. Its guile and class. That Saqlain dismissal of Martyn is special because it drifts in and then goes away which is amazing since he is an off spinner.

I don't think Giles or Kaneria can come close to the top bracket of spinners.
 
With Kaneria, I think he had the skill but not the brain to be a 'great' legspinner. Variety was never used at the right time. He could never out-think the batsman which, for me, is the most important part of a spinner's craft.
 
I know, I was joking! (I thought the mere mention of Ashley Giles would give that away)

D'oh.

I have Stretch's write up. I'm going to wait an hour for MJJ and then roll on the opening of our tournament.

If anyone wants to dance and sing for the opening ceremony, they're welcome.

I'll kick it off
 
MJJ - Younis, Steyn, M. Yousuf, Ganguly, S. Ajmal, Trott, Sarwan, Atapattu, Harmison, Hick,Ried

Ganguly(C)
Atapattu
Sarwan
M.Yousuf
G. Hick
Trott
WK
Ajmal
Steyn
Younis
Harmison

12th man-Ried/swap with hick when necessary.

Any comments?

Thats MJJ's team. His twelfth man pick was Ridley Jacobs so you'll have to put him in and leave Reid out. I think you can assume that would be his batting order as well.

I'll PM him just to let him know but i don't think he's online. He can always come in later to add his comments and maybe Interval can edit his OP to include them.
 
Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen to a nice summer morning here at the MCG.
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Well its all happening here at the MCG. We are here to kick off our Greatest XI Tournament. In our first match, we pitch the South African Pigeons managed by Stretch against MJJ's Squirrels. And this game will go down to the wire. Lots of greats on display here. Just what the doctor ordered.

Lets go down to Richie Benaud for the pitch report:
The pitch has everything for everyone. The ball will swing and seam around and has something for the spinners too. However, intelligent batsman can score runs here. It'll be a great contest between bat and ball.

Lets hear what the managers have to say:


Stretch XI
Stretch’s Rainbow Warriors line up:
1. Kepler Wessels (c) – Scoring 2788 runs at an ave of 41.00; dogged opener capable of seeing of the most potent seam attacks as he showed on debut for Aus scoring 162 against an England attack with Botham and Bob Willis. He also averaged 56 vs a Windies side with Marshall, Garner and Walsh.
2. Tillakaratne Dilshan (wk) – Scoring 5028 runs at an ave of 41.21; he’s got 80 tests under his belt and the exact opposite to Wessels in batting style. Aggressive and loves playing his shots, Dilshan is well travelled boasting an average of almost 50 in England.
3. Hashim Amla – Scoring 4775 runs at an ave of 50.26; Hash is a genius in the making, if not already. He’s been in immense form since 2009 for SA scoring 3733 runs at an ave of 59.25 and 12 hundreds since then.
4. Younis Khan (vc) – Scoring over 6500 runs at an ave of 51.69 with 20 centuries; Younis is a modern Pakistan great. He’s known for being a fighter when the chips are down and is known for his rearguard specialties. A master of the 4th innings, could be vital against a potent bowling attack.
5. Thilan Samaraweera – Having scored over 5000 runs at an ave of 51.29; Samaraweera is mister dependable and a mainstay in the Sri Lanka line up. His main strength is his patience which wears bowlers down. His 2 centuries in South Africa is testament to his determination.
6. Andrew Symonds – Scoring 1462 runs at an ave of 40.61; Symonds provides an attacking option with gusto after a line-up featuring sturdy batsmen. A brilliant fielder and decent enough part time bowler, capable of the all-important ‘partnership breaking’ ball.
7. Tim Bresnan – The one risky pick in the line-up with only 15 tests, Bresnan does provide a much needed balance to the side having scored 3 50s and taken 56 wickets at 28s; between Tim and Strang (12th man), they provide good options to balance the side depending on opposition.
8. Brett Lee – Having taken 312 wickets at 30s, Brett was just short being a great due to his injury concerns. At his best though, Lee took 58 scalps (shortly after McGrath’s retirement, 07/08) at 21s allowing Australia to still dominate. Capable of bowling at 150clicks with outswing with the new ball and reverse swing (to right hander) with the older ball, he’s a dependable wicket taker at his best. Having scored 5 50s and averaging 20.15 with the bat, he’s a great lower order batsman to have.
9. Fanie de Villiers – ‘Vinnige Fanie’ (means ‘Fast Fanie’ in Afrikaans) was one of SA’s strike bowlers after re-admission to international cricket. Due to the ban Fanie only played 18 tests but he’s 1st class record during the competitive 80s in SA speaks volumes of his ability. He took 85 wickets at 24s in test cricket and 427 wickets at 22s in 1st class cricket. Predominantly a swing bowler with guile, and quick at his best, he opens the bowling along with Bishop in this side. With 2 50s to his name with the bat, he’s useful at 9.
10. Rangana Herath – Rangana has taken 146 wickets at 31s as a left arm orthodox spinner with a ball ‘that goes the other way’. Well capable of being the lead strike bowler on a turning and slow wicket as well as holding an end for long spells, he’s a great spin option. He’s shown that he can bowl a side out in the last innings on a fading pitch. He’s no mug with the bat either having 80 n.o. as his highest score.
11. Ian Bishop – The teams main strike bowler, Bishop took 161 wickets at 24s and strike rate of 52. With a high side on action, he had pace and could move the ball of the seam. He got steep bounce from just back of a length and could really upset batsmen. Unfortunately for him, his career was cut short with injuries, else we’d be talking of the great trio of Walsh, Ambrose and Bishop today.

12th man: Paul Strang - agile fielder.

Wessels will captain the side with assistance from Khan and Dilshan as well. The team bats deep until 8 and even Fanie at 9 could hold his own. The middle order from 3 to 5 oozes class and determination. The right and left opening pair are experienced campaigners with Dilshan looking to attack whilst Wessels will look to anker the innings. The lower order batsmen can take the game away from the opposition as well as frustrate them, with Herath having a 50 to his name. The bowling attack sees Fanie and Ian Bishop opening the bowling. Fanie can swing the ball both ways whilst Bish could move the ball of the seam at pace. With Brett Lee as first change, he will be used for short stints of aggressive pace bowling to rough up batsmen. Herath will be the sides lead spin option and Wessels has Khan and Dilshan to call upon here for field placings and tactics for his spinner. Herath can hold an end if the pitch is suited to the quicks but can take a leading role if there’s turn. Bresnan brings the fifth option to the table with his seam and Symonds can be called upon if a huge partnership is in the making. All in all, this is a very well rounded test side with determination written all over it and can beat anyone.


MJJ XI
Ganguly(C)
Atapattu
Sarwan
M.Yousuf
G. Hick
Trott
Jacobs
Ajmal
Steyn
Younis
Harmison

My bowling is obviously my strength with an opening pair of younis and steyn. Harmison will be coming in as first choice and ajmal will be brought in later. With Stretch's batting I feel I can get away with playing only four bowlers. The match is being played at melbourne which suits my bowlers even more. I expect dilshan to get out very quickly as he is not a good opener, particularly in test matches. The only real problem in his team will be amla as he can build an innings but I would back steyn and younis against him. Younis Khan,Samaweera and symonds should fall in quick succession.

Harmison will be bought into to deal with younis khan due to his height and bounce.

If need be, Ajmal will destroy the lower middle order with waqar younis exploiting the reverse swing later on.

On the batting side, I have ganguly opening and Sarwan coming in at number 3. Lee is the only world class bowler he has in his team and I feel that my batting line up is strong enough to see him off. I also bat very deep with yousuf,trott and hick all capable of playing long innnings.

I expect my team to post a total in excess of 400 runs and probably win the match by an innings given his batting and bowling. I have better fast bowlers,better spinner and better batsmen. This match should be a no contest.

One of the teams has won the toss. Everything is in order. Dickie Bird screams play on. And here we go...
 
I'll give my opinions in a while. Let me have a look at how the 2 teams match up

In the meantime, can both managers give us reasons as to why their side can beat the other.
 
There are two options we have

1. Match off. Winner gets to pick one of the opposing team's player before the next round

2. Match off. Losers' players are pooled and the winners pick 1 from the common pool in reverse picking order of the draw (ie Strech to KM)

I don't think we've decided how picks from losing teams happen.

From Interval's two options, I lean slightly towards the winner taking one from the loser. Has a nice gladiatorial feel about it. Also allows a little advance planning and the game to move on quickly rather than a full round of selections after all the matchups are done.
 
I don't think we've decided how picks from losing teams happen.

From Interval's two options, I lean slightly towards the winner taking one from the loser. Has a nice gladiatorial feel about it. Also allows a little advance planning and the game to move on quickly rather than a full round of selections after all the matchups are done.

Yeah, I favoured option 2 first but having thought about it, I could do with Waqar or Dale after I defeat MJJ :wenger::drool:

So I vote for option 1 ;)
 
KM is facing a power grid failure in Delhi and can't present his team properly. Any match up willing to take up KM v/s mightberight's place today?
 
I have been too lazy to write one up for my team till now, so I can't volunteer. Plus I have the same power issue so even though I have internet at office, may not have it at home.
 
There you go, IL. Cut-paste when you make the thread. :)

The overriding strength within the team is the batting line-up. Class batting with a bit of everything, power, style, doggedness. I fully expect to bat IL out of the match, posting a strong first innings score in excess of 500+ and further, in my second innings, I hope to establish a huge lead in which I will declare as to have ample time to rattle him out for a second time. My match tactics play-by-play, personnel-by-personnel are discussed in more detail and thoroughly examined in each player’s write-up, as I dissect my team’s plan to win this test match. The overriding message I hold, however, is that my top 6 batsmen will bat IL out of the match, and a declaration late in my second innings will give my bowlers ample time to take another 10 wickets and win the test match. My choice of bowlers was influenced by my batting line-up in that my bowling team are known for taking wickets at the expense of runs, which is a small opportunity cost as I know my batting will amass a high score, and thus runs won’t be the problem in concession, I just need to take the wickets which will be done when ample time is given to the bowlers. I feel that the only reason my bowling may be perceived as “weaker” than usual is only because it is viewed in comparison against the context of my entire team, which has it’s obvious strength in batting. I feel man for man my team is superior to IL’s side and as a resulting consequence I think the lads have enough in them to win the match.

Enjoy!

Leaders XI

1. Andrew Strauss (vc): An opening batsman with solid technique and sound temperament, Strauss is an accumulator of runs rather than a big-hitter, he has the ability to keep the scoreboard ticking over without the need to hit boundaries. This will be crucial, as his temperament as my opener will be key in setting up my innings. An ambitiously determined cricketer, he is unlucky not to captain the side, however it shows the leadership quality within my team that he is “only” VC. Scored a hundred on his Test debut, and repeated the trick in his first overseas Test and his first as captain. Nigh-on 100 tests, 41.74 batting average, simply put, what a player! Nearly 7000 tests runs scored.

2. Aamer Sohail: An attacking left-arm opener, Sohail made his Test debut against England in 1992 and represented his country in 47 Tests with a high score of 205. His style contrasts nicely with that of his more established partner Strauss. A batting average of 35.28 with nearly 3000 runs amassed. Another natural leader, Sohail captained the Pakistan side during the match-fixing controversy, and as one of the whistle-blowers, his off field actions are just as commendable as his on-field exploits. Also a very effective left-arm spinner, Sohail took 25 wickets at an average of just a touch over a respectable 40. This will be crucial in my bid to break up partnerships within Interval’s side. I feel Sohail and Strauss will effectively combine to give way to the middle order to truly bat IL out of the game.

3. Ricky Ponting (c): Where to start with arguably one of the greatest test match players of the last few decades? After making his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Perth in 1995, Ponting has become one of Test cricket’s most prolific captains and batsman, averaging 52.75 over 165 tests, scoring in excess of 13 000 test match runs. Delving into his wide repertoire of shots, his abundance of determination and courage coupled with skill Ponting has been selected as captain and the main focal point of my batting line up. I feel once he comes to the crease, the runs on the board will be at an already healthy total and he can devastatingly put IL out of the game with a typical strong performance. Graeme Smith, described Ricky Ponting as the toughest competitor he had ever played against while Viv Richards declared Ponting was his favourite player to watch, slightly ahead of Tendulkar. His exceptional batting and outstanding captaincy aside, Ponting is also a more than adequate fieldsmen – vital to any top side.

4. Graham Thorpe: England’s most complete batsman of the last decade, able to attack or defend as the game requires, Thorpe is capable of steadying an innings, or exploding into life as the situation permits. The potential for him to strike a partnership with either Strauss or Ponting is dangerously catastrophic for IL, especially with an adequately able Bell and Healy to come. My dependable scored 6744 runs in exactly 100 tests at an average of 44.66 for England, notoriously hard to dismiss. By the end of his innings, I expect to have at the minimum 250-300 runs on the board thanks to my openers and next two batsmen.

5. Ian Bell: 77 tests, 5300+ runs and a batting average of 47.63 – not a bad man to have come to the crease when you’re 4 wickets down, now is it? There will be no rest bite for IL’s bowlers as Bell’s exquisite stroke play and technique will come to the fore. Capable of producing a huge score, Bell has scored 16 test centuries and one of only a few test players to score against every current test playing nation (excluding Zimbabwe). Bell’s role in the Ashes ’05 earned him an MBE, not without reason – his knocks in back-to-the-wall performances silenced critics. His exploits as a top batsmen showcase his potential to devastatingly take the game away from IL’s reach.

6. Ian Healy (wk): Between 1988 – 1999, Healy established himself as one of Australia’s greatest wicketkeepers of all time. In 119 tests he took 366 catches and 29 stumpings. He was a resilient batsman scoring 4356 runs at an average of 27.39. In total he scored 22 half centuries and 4 test hundreds including a highest score of 161 not out against the West Indies in 1996. His extraordinary performances in a struggling and poor-performing Australian side led to his recognition as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1994.

7. Irfan Pathan (all-rounder): By the time Pathan pads up, I expect my top 6 batsmen to have easily amassed a score in the region of 450-500 runs, perhaps even in excess of 500+ if Ponting and Thorpe stay at the crease for as long as we would all expect them too. A very talented swing and seam bowler and a very handy batsman down the order, Pathan has taken five wickets in an innings seven times in Test cricket, taking exactly 100 wickets at an average of a touch over 32. Twice, he has taken ten wickets in an innings. Pathan will be my opening bowler and a solid base to work from in defending the huge lead I believe I will hold after the first innings. I believe even if Pathan is not firing on all cylinders, the lead amassed from my batsmen prior will be more than enough when taking wickets. Pathan is no mug with the bat either, proving himself a more than adequate batsman by scoring 82 and 93 against Sri Lanka, opening the batting in the December 2005 New Delhi Test, when regular opener Virender Sehwag was ruled out due to illness. A batting average of 31+ for my number 7, particularly after following the best batting line up in the draft is quite simply staggering. It is for this reason that Pathan has been chosen as the all-rounder of my team, an extremely influential figure among the lads.

8. Harbhajan Singh: An exceptionally talented specialist bowler, he has the second-highest number of Test wickets by an off spinner. It was indeed in “that” series, that he became a household name in India in 2001 after taking 32 wickets against Australia, which included a hat-trick, the first Indian to do so in Test cricket. 406 wickets over 98 matches, at an average of 32.22 showcases the statistics to back up this man’s claim as an outstanding spinner. 5 wickets in an innings 25 times, 10 wickets in a match on five separate occasions, Singh will prove crucial in dismissing IL’s batting line-up. Career best bowling of 8/84, while impressive, does not surprise the knowledgeable cricket fan as Singh’s fantastic career spanning a decade has produced many memorable moments. A batting average of nearly 20 is also handy, however by the time he is batting in his first innings, a more than healthy total will have been reached. I expect if we bat first that he will not get a second innings as we will declare with a huge lead in an attempt to dismiss IL’s side in more than ample time.

9. Damien Fleming: Right then, the surprise package of not only my team, but the draft. He is regarded as one of Australian cricket’s premier pace bowlers, a recognised expert in the art of swing bowling. A career no doubt hampered by injury, his 20 tests yielding 75 wickets at an average of 25.89 was enough for me to envisage a place for him among my team. A hat trick on debut epitomised his showcasing of fine spells of bowling, and he would have had another hat trick if not for Warne dropping an easy catch in 2003 that cost him a third successive wicket. I feel he provides a great bowling option to supplement the attack of Singh, Pathan in conjunction with Patterson and Martin. A batting average of just under 20 is quite good for a specialist bowler, however as I previously mentioned above, I do not expect him to have to play any sort of meaningful role with the bat, such is my confidence in my top 6 order along with Pathan backing. If Fleming and Singh can contributed a few dozen runs combined, I see no way back for IL.

10. Patrick Patterson: A former fast right-arm bowler for the West Indies, Patterson took 4 for 29 on the first day of his Test debut and 7 for 73 in the match. His bowling could torment on pitches that offered any pace and lift, shown by his figures of 93 test wickets in 28 matches at an average of 30.90. 5 times he took 5 wickets in an innings, and I suspect he will cause some unexpected damage to IL’s lineup. Along with Fleming, Pathan and Singh his variety will cause problems, not least when looking at Graham Gooch’s evaluation of his bowling “his fastness frightened me”. His slightly high average of 30.9 was owing to his excessively attacking nature and subsequent field settings, which always provided opportunity for runs as well as wickets. The concession of runs will not be a problem for my side due to the undoubted strength in batting, so I take comfort in the knowledge that while Patterson may go for runs, HE WILL take wickets, which should prove crucial.

11. Chris Martin: Martin is one of four New Zealand Test cricketers to have taken 200 wickets. 218 wickets in 65 tests at an average of 33.33 show his ability to cause havoc for opposition batsmen. A regular in taking five wicket hauls in an innings, Martin in 2011 was recognised as New Zealand's premier cricketer, when he was awarded the inaugural Sir Richard Hadlee Medal, at the New Zealand cricket awards ceremony. I expect in conjunction with Pathan, Fleming, Patterson and Singh, Martin will be able to add effectively to the scalping of 20 wickets over the course of the match. I feel that while my obvious strength is the pure class in batting my side possesses, there is more than enough resources within my bowling line up to dispose of IL’s batting twice over the course of the match.

12th man – Boeta Dippenaar: A versatile batsmen, occasional bowler and fielder, Dippenaar has played as a specialist batsman in most of his matches, and has played Test cricket in all batting positions from one through seven. He bats right-handed and bowls occasional off breaks, also known for his able fielding ability. 38 test matches for a batting average of 30+, with a top score of 177* just epitomises the overall batting quality inherent within my line up.
 
Gautam Gambhir: A tale of 2 halves career. For those who don’t remember, this guy was “IT” at his peak between 2008-10. He could handle pacers, spinners. Could play leg side, offside, straight. Was great at building innings or exploding right away, one of the most complete batsman of this era.
Unstoppable at his peak, he scored 7 hundreds and 7 fifties in 13 matches at approximately 80 per match and was named ICC’s Test Player of the Year.
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Shane Watson: Probably the most talented player on the circuit as far as overall ability counts. The guy has really underachieved in his career. But even on his 3rd gear, he has amazing and match changing skills. Comfortable facing quickies and spin alike, he can dominate and make any bowler go into his shell. While bowling, he is quick, accurate and can make the ball nip either way.
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Robin “The Judge” Smith:

At his best he hammered fast bowling with supersonic cuts and hooks and visibly enjoyed the regular snatches of chin music from the West Indian quicks. He had a hammer of a cut and loved playing against fast bowlers. Archetypal English bat, he loved anything short. My earliest memories of cricket as a 5 year old was a cut shot of his against Shastri in the ’92 WC which went for a flat six and my mom cursing Shastri.
Due to his ability against the quicks, I’m sending him up to no 3.

To get a fair idea, I’d suggest watching at least 1 of these
1. He was out facing the mighty WI attack of Walsh, Ambrose and co with England at 86-5 and he produced this amazing innings: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3Na56_7eqc&feature=relmfu
2. Found his shot against Shastri : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOd9htAg5Xg (at 1:10)
3. Him vs Merv Hughes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgPqgJfAhdA&feature=related

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Jimmy Adams
In the first half of his career, Jimmy Adams generated phenomenal statistics. After 12 Tests, only Bradman had a better record than his 1132 runs at 87 average. He was a gifted stroke player and could build innings. He later went on to captain West Indies. He somehow never took it off in the second half of his career but at his peak of as much as 27 tests, he was scoring above 60 runs a match.
Oh and he was an amazing fielder (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks6ETAIXEWY )

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Shivnaraine Chanderpaul:
Everyone knows what he is about. Absolute grit, determination, doggedness and obviously, scary face paint. He is the anchor who will make the opposition cry after my first 4 score 250 and they see him stroll out. He has aged like wine and a great fielder. 25 hundreds, 61 fifties over 10,000 test runs, he is truly one of the most outstanding batsman of this generation.

Over the last 6 years, he has scored at an average of over 66:eek:
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Darren Lehmann:
He hasn’t had the longest of test careers. Only 27 matches. A superbly talented player, Darren Lehmann is a free-scoring left-hand batsman, and an underestimated left-arm orthodox spin bowler. Lehmann has built an imposing record in both his home country and with the county team Yorkshire. He achieved a telling milestone by playing more first-class games and scoring more runs than any other Australian - until Michael Hussey - before making his Test debut in Bangalore in 1998. He will add solidity to my lower middle order.
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