India the Test Future?

[andy]

vinay kumar wont have a long test career.

[ddb]

The natural reaction to a heavy series defeat is to call for blood. But just getting shot of all the oldies at once doesn't strike me as a very smart move.

Over the last few years Yuvraj and Raina for two have failed to nail down the number 6 spot...Kohli played well today and may be the answer ... but that is one spot , and people are advocating opening up three more (!) at a time when the openers are looking anything but secure...

Seems rather optimistic to expect several young players to walk in at once and click.

Perhaps they should have made changes earlier , but they didn't , and as you can only start from where you are now , it would make more sense to replace one at a time . as near as can be managed , would it not?

Not very long ago , many of us would have called time on Ponting , Hussey , or both - and if Australia had done so they just might have lost the Melbourne Test at the start of this series , and we would all be having a very different conversation now ...

No one is expecting the youngsters to click straight off and that's the point. You look at India's schedule and it'd be more stupid to keep all 3 seniors because none of them are going to go to SA in 2013/14. And we have 11 tests or thereabouts till then. 11 tests to give at least 3 youngsters a chance. Keep one senior around and he goes after the England series.

[meninblue]

Adi,

I few more A-tours would be helpful, I think england try and send the Lions on one overseas trip a year, theres also the Performance squad, which tends to be younger players.

I noticed that Dhoni is on an enforced rest from the Adelaide Test due to the second slow over rate in a year, and Saha picks up the gloves with Sehwag as Skipper.

I think we agree that the gradual change is required, and its a discussion between the board and he player concerned, so that it can be properly timelined, I'd love to see Dravid go into coaching and do what Gooch did become a batting coach as think he has a lot to offer, especially to new faces in the squad on thier first tour away.

A lot of the issues with the IPL can be sorted if they players werent expected to go to the after-match parties where the owners 'show off' thier team, or maybe they rotate it where they only do one in four, but thats something the players have to do and stand up to the owners by saying no.

Yes, A tours are a must. Kumble and V V S too were saying the tours to Australia should include more practice matches. That is more or less in line with the benefits of more A tours.

Sachin actually did that in first series of IPL i think .

Mr. Adi,

Our infatuation with the so-called "Big Three" should have ended a while ago! The gradual change you mentioned... well, it's too late for it already. Each of these players that you named in your post, are high quality Cricketers and would score/perform decently once in a while given enough chances. It does not mean they continue to enjoy their spot in the team without question.

The place one earns to be in team should be based on performance and that balanced planned strategy you speak of. As much as big a fan I am of Dravid, VVS and SRT, I think it is time we move on. SRT might have another year or two of good Cricket left in him but that's pretty much it! I would rather watch him score freely and enjoy whatever time he's got rather than that sickening "ton of tons" and all the charade around it.

Time to let go!

It is their performance which makes me feel we need Sachin, V V S and Rahul. They still are quality material and the best available specialist batsmen even at their respective ages.

As for the 100th ton, it's the fans and media who are building it. Not Sachin's fault really that he has made 99.

Dravid did well in England and against West Indies. He has a bad tour now and we suddenly jump on him as scapegoat. What about Sehwag and Gautam ?

The natural reaction to a heavy series defeat is to call for blood. But just getting shot of all the oldies at once doesn't strike me as a very smart move.

Over the last few years Yuvraj and Raina for two have failed to nail down the number 6 spot...Kohli played well today and may be the answer ... but that is one spot , and people are advocating opening up three more (!) at a time when the openers are looking anything but secure...

Seems rather optimistic to expect several young players to walk in at once and click.

Perhaps they should have made changes earlier , but they didn't , and as you can only start from where you are now , it would make more sense to replace one at a time . as near as can be managed , would it not?

Not very long ago , many of us would have called time on Ponting , Hussey , or both - and if Australia had done so they just might have lost the Melbourne Test at the start of this series , and we would all be having a very different conversation now ...

[ddb]

Sehwag and Gautam - people have questioned their spots too. Difference is, they can realistically play our next away tour. A 41 year old Dravid and 40 year old Sachin - no chance.

[HarryPotter]

Sehwag and Gautam - people have questioned their spots too. Difference is, they can realistically play our next away tour.

Why do you feel Dravid, VVS and Sachin cannot?

[Red Devil]

Sehwag and Gautam - people have questioned their spots too. Difference is, they can realistically play our next away tour.

Why do you feel Dravid, VVS and Sachin cannot?

because they will all be in their 40's (or near enough)

[dan08]

Sehwag and Gautam - people have questioned their spots too. Difference is, they can realistically play our next away tour.

Why do you feel Dravid, VVS and Sachin cannot?

because they will all be in their 40's (or near enough)

There have been quite a few 40+ year olds who have done well in Test cricket, although you don't often see any players at that age now. I reckon Sachin could continue into his early 40's if he or India wanted to.

[Red Devil]

The natural reaction to a heavy series defeat is to call for blood. But just getting shot of all the oldies at once doesn't strike me as a very smart move.

Over the last few years Yuvraj and Raina for two have failed to nail down the number 6 spot...Kohli played well today and may be the answer ... but that is one spot , and people are advocating opening up three more (!) at a time when the openers are looking anything but secure...

Seems rather optimistic to expect several young players to walk in at once and click.

Perhaps they should have made changes earlier , but they didn't , and as you can only start from where you are now , it would make more sense to replace one at a time . as near as can be managed , would it not?

Not very long ago , many of us would have called time on Ponting , Hussey , or both - and if Australia had done so they just might have lost the Melbourne Test at the start of this series , and we would all be having a very different conversation now ...

No one is expecting the youngsters to click straight off and that's the point. You look at India's schedule and it'd be more stupid to keep all 3 seniors because none of them are going to go to SA in 2013/14. And we have 11 tests or thereabouts till then. 11 tests to give at least 3 youngsters a chance. Keep one senior around and he goes after the England series.

That's the key, we are never going to have a better time to blood the youngsters, we have no away tests for a while so let them get used to test cricket in India first where they will feel more at home. Otherwise we are setting them up to fail in SA, which will be a tough enough tour anyway. I would keep SRT at 4 though, I'm also a bit concerned that we are starting to see the decline of Viru (I'm sure he'll still do well in good batting conditions but his technique relies heavily on hand eye co-ordination which may no longer be up to handling the tougher batting conditions).

[meninblue]

Dhoni's take on the topic about retirement of the big 3. It seems he as well is thinking more into gradual transition process rather than one step retirement solution.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v ... 49548.html




When asked if he would try to talk him out of it if Laxman indeed decided to call it quits, Dhoni said: "I won't like to answer something where there is a big if and big but. I don't know where this came from, but unless Laxman comes and tells me I don't know whether it's happening or not happening. I really don't have to think about it [now]."

Dhoni, however, spoke about the importance of phasing out the seniors thoughtfully. He said he hadn't sat and thought about it, but the end of the series might be a good time to start. "Not really right now," he said. "May be at the end of the series will be a right time. We also have to see what the senior's thoughts are. I think there is a bit more emphasis right now about getting rid of the seniors but it will be a very careful decision. Because of what they have done for the country, and the amount of experience they can share with the youngsters."

Dhoni spoke of getting a right combination of youth and experience. "Very important to have the right mixture at the right time," he said. "You can't have all the seniors missing out all of a sudden, and all the juniors coming in. We will have to thoughtfully decide the best option. Give a bit of exposure to youngsters coming [in], at the same time have the fair mix of experienced guys and youngsters.

"Ultimately [in] Test cricket a lot of people will be tested, but once they transfer that experience or share that experience, the job of the youngsters will become slightly easy. That's something we need to be very careful about."

[ddb]

The natural reaction to a heavy series defeat is to call for blood. But just getting shot of all the oldies at once doesn't strike me as a very smart move.

Over the last few years Yuvraj and Raina for two have failed to nail down the number 6 spot...Kohli played well today and may be the answer ... but that is one spot , and people are advocating opening up three more (!) at a time when the openers are looking anything but secure...

Seems rather optimistic to expect several young players to walk in at once and click.

Perhaps they should have made changes earlier , but they didn't , and as you can only start from where you are now , it would make more sense to replace one at a time . as near as can be managed , would it not?

Not very long ago , many of us would have called time on Ponting , Hussey , or both - and if Australia had done so they just might have lost the Melbourne Test at the start of this series , and we would all be having a very different conversation now ...

No one is expecting the youngsters to click straight off and that's the point. You look at India's schedule and it'd be more stupid to keep all 3 seniors because none of them are going to go to SA in 2013/14. And we have 11 tests or thereabouts till then. 11 tests to give at least 3 youngsters a chance. Keep one senior around and he goes after the England series.

That's the key, we are never going to have a better time to blood the youngsters, we have no away tests for a while so let them get used to test cricket in India first where they will feel more at home. Otherwise we are setting them up to fail in SA, which will be a tough enough tour anyway. I would keep SRT at 4 though, I'm also a bit concerned that we are starting to see the decline of Viru (I'm sure he'll still do well in good batting conditions but his technique relies heavily on hand eye co-ordination which may no longer be up to handling the tougher batting conditions).

It's maybe time to drop him down into the middle order.

[shankycricket]

The natural reaction to a heavy series defeat is to call for blood. But just getting shot of all the oldies at once doesn't strike me as a very smart move.

Over the last few years Yuvraj and Raina for two have failed to nail down the number 6 spot...Kohli played well today and may be the answer ... but that is one spot , and people are advocating opening up three more (!) at a time when the openers are looking anything but secure...

Seems rather optimistic to expect several young players to walk in at once and click.

Perhaps they should have made changes earlier , but they didn't , and as you can only start from where you are now , it would make more sense to replace one at a time . as near as can be managed , would it not?

Not very long ago , many of us would have called time on Ponting , Hussey , or both - and if Australia had done so they just might have lost the Melbourne Test at the start of this series , and we would all be having a very different conversation now ...

No one is expecting the youngsters to click straight off and that's the point. You look at India's schedule and it'd be more stupid to keep all 3 seniors because none of them are going to go to SA in 2013/14. And we have 11 tests or thereabouts till then. 11 tests to give at least 3 youngsters a chance. Keep one senior around and he goes after the England series.

That's the key, we are never going to have a better time to blood the youngsters, we have no away tests for a while so let them get used to test cricket in India first where they will feel more at home. Otherwise we are setting them up to fail in SA, which will be a tough enough tour anyway. I would keep SRT at 4 though, I'm also a bit concerned that we are starting to see the decline of Viru (I'm sure he'll still do well in good batting conditions but his technique relies heavily on hand eye co-ordination which may no longer be up to handling the tougher batting conditions).

It's maybe time to drop him down into the middle order.

I said that at the end of the England series but people disagreed.But the question is who would come in?
Mukund?I must say I wasnt impressed with his technique in the West Indies and England although he showed a bit of fighting spirit.
When I first saw Vijay bat,I liked the look of him.He had a solid technique and looked a decent,organised player.But ever since he has started playing T20 he is chasing balls outside the off stump and getting out.His defense has become non existent.Jaffer has previously done well in SA and England and he has got a good technique but is perhaps too old now.
Any others?
But I do agree that Sehwag should move down the order.I can assure you that not too many opposition spinners would be happy with that.

[dan08]

I said that at the end of the England series but people disagreed.But the question is who would come in?
Mukund?I must say I wasnt impressed with his technique in the West Indies and England although he showed a bit of fighting spirit.
When I first saw Vijay bat,I liked the look of him.He had a solid technique and looked a decent,organised player.But ever since he has started playing T20 he is chasing balls outside the off stump and getting out.His defense has become non existent.Jaffer has previously done well in SA and England and he has got a good technique but is perhaps too old now.
Any others?
But I do agree that Sehwag should move down the order.I can assure you that not too many opposition spinners would be happy with that.

Rahane can open, Sehwag can bat lower down.

[shankycricket]

I said that at the end of the England series but people disagreed.But the question is who would come in?
Mukund?I must say I wasnt impressed with his technique in the West Indies and England although he showed a bit of fighting spirit.
When I first saw Vijay bat,I liked the look of him.He had a solid technique and looked a decent,organised player.But ever since he has started playing T20 he is chasing balls outside the off stump and getting out.His defense has become non existent.Jaffer has previously done well in SA and England and he has got a good technique but is perhaps too old now.
Any others?
But I do agree that Sehwag should move down the order.I can assure you that not too many opposition spinners would be happy with that.

Rahane can open, Sehwag can bat lower down.

No he isnt an opener.A 22 year old who doesnt even open for his state side cant be asked to open for his country particularly when they are in such a bad state.

[dan08]

I said that at the end of the England series but people disagreed.But the question is who would come in?
Mukund?I must say I wasnt impressed with his technique in the West Indies and England although he showed a bit of fighting spirit.
When I first saw Vijay bat,I liked the look of him.He had a solid technique and looked a decent,organised player.But ever since he has started playing T20 he is chasing balls outside the off stump and getting out.His defense has become non existent.Jaffer has previously done well in SA and England and he has got a good technique but is perhaps too old now.
Any others?
But I do agree that Sehwag should move down the order.I can assure you that not too many opposition spinners would be happy with that.

Rahane can open, Sehwag can bat lower down.

No he isnt an opener.A 22 year old who doesnt even open for his state side cant be asked to open for his country particularly when they are in such a bad state.

Rahane opened for Mumbai in their last first class match. He usually opens or bats at 3 but of late he has opened more.

[GGAS]

Mukund deserves a chance to play tests in India. Can't forget about him after 4 away tests in tricky conditions. Rahane at 3, Kohli at 4, Sehwag at 5, Rohit at 6.