India the Test Future?

[ddb]

Can't disagree with that. We'd be stupid to discard him. But he needs a shock of some sort or some change. Think bedding him in a 5 might not be such a bad idea especially when Sachin goes eventually and Viru can play our next away tour in SA if all goes right.

[braveneutral]

You are right of course, Gambhir has averaged 49.16 away from home. Since Gambhir's debut, Sehwag has averaged 41.34 away from home.

I don't know for sure, but I am going to look at their performances since Gambhir's debut against South Africa, Australia and England away. I have a feeling that they will be similar.

Indeed, compared to their career averages, they have both done poorly since 3 Nov 2004. Gambhir (30.50) edges Sehwag (27.17).

Can't disagree with that. We'd be stupid to discard him. But he needs a shock of some sort or some change. Think bedding him in a 5 might not be such a bad idea especially when Sachin goes eventually and Viru can play our next away tour in SA if all goes right.

Another idea could be to have Gautam at 3? Whatever happened to Badrinath? Just looked, still has a healthy Ranji average, a shame he couldn't have been bedded in a bit earlier. Maybe when Sourav went. Alas, I fear that ship has sailed.

[andy]

IMO sehwag has to bat at the top of the order. He is so destructive and can take a game away from the opposition very quickly...i feel he would be wasted down the order.

[braveneutral]

Can't disagree with that. We'd be stupid to discard him. But he needs a shock of some sort or some change. Think bedding him in a 5 might not be such a bad idea especially when Sachin goes eventually and Viru can play our next away tour in SA if all goes right.

Something about Shanky and Russian in your signature...

[andy]

to be honest the sooner sachin gets that 100 the better...its weighing him down, and i bet the team are sick of hearing about it as well.

[shankycricket]

Anti Sehwag?Why?For pointing out the stats?
If you think that an average of 35 away from Asia is good for someone who is talked about as an all time great then what can I say really?
I never said Sehwag was poor outside the subcontinent before 2008.He was good but not really great.An average of 43 outside Asia should have been maintainable and if he had done that I would be looking at him as an all time great.But because he has been so atrocious outside Asia since then his average outside Asia has plummeted to the mid thirties which IMO is simply not good enough for an ATG which BN thinks he is.
Before 2008,Sehwag played some fine knocks at Melbourne,Trent Bridge,Bloemefontein but even then he wasnt consistent outside Asia.But I never said he was always bad outside Asia.But he was never great either outside Asia.However you dont have to be great in all conditions to be considered an ATG.If you are great in certain conditions,which Sehwag is in the subcontinent and good in other conditions then you are an ATG IMO.So if Sehwag had the record now that he had in 2008 then he would be a great in my books. However Sehwag before Feb 08 was good(not great) and since then he has been woeful so when you look at his overall record outside Asia it is fairly average now because he was never exceptional outside the subcontinent.He was good but he needed to maintain it.If he had averaged over 50 outside Asia before 08 then despite his poor form since then his overall record outside would still have been pretty healthy.But his was a record that was good but needed to be maintained.Sadly he has regressed big time and cant really be considered as a great.
I have not called him a FTB nor have I called for him to be dropped from the side have I?
If that makes me anti Sehwag then so be it

[braveneutral]

I don't think I said anyone in particular was anti-Sehwag. I also brought up statistics, so what makes yours better than mine and vice-versa. Statistics are but a tool. I could make ddb look like an ATG if I had access to all of his cricketing achievements, as I am sure that you could do exactly the opposite with the same statistics. It is a matter of opinion and that is that.

For the record, I do believe Sehwag is a great of the game. Does one need statistics to prove that or is it not enough that his destructive power is arguably unrivalled, probably most definitely in my lifetime and yours? His entertainment factor is unique and he does have some character flaws and some cricketing issues, but it does not take away from the fact that he has achieved what he has and how much he has. He is a fantastic opener, probably the best to watch in my life, perhaps of all time, and if that isn't an all time great, then I don't know what is.

I have had enough of the Sehwag argument as we could both (and others as well) keep churning out statistics to back our arguments.

[andy]

at least the spin bowling for india looks bright..

ashwin/ojha/rahul sharma/mishra....to name a few.. i think its the end for harbajhan.

[Red Devil]

at least the spin bowling for india looks bright..

ashwin/ojha/rahul sharma/mishra....to name a few.. i think its the end for harbajhan.

what?!?

Ashwin has a lot to prove yet, he is only starting. Some worrying signs at the end of WI ODI's and during this series that sides are working him out.

Ojha is solid, but no more ... difficult to see him doing much damage outside the sub-continent

Sharma - scarily bad FC record (or lack of one) makes him a huge gamble and really shows up the lack of options

Mishra - bowls an unbelievable number of bad balls even if he does bowl some good ones as well - too inconsistent.

Chawla - what the hell happened to him - seems to have regressed if anything.

Not exactly inspiring huge confidence really.

[ddb]

Ojha's our best spinner it seems atm. Think he can average around 35 outside of Asia. Would be great if Ashwin can pitch it fuller though and repeat to some degree what he's done in India as his batting is a big plus.

[andy]

na i think ashwin will be around for a long time, he has good variation, and is extremely good at no8.

[braveneutral]

Red has put my views on Ashwin. The only reason that I think he will stay there and thereabouts is because of his batting ability. I hope I am wrong, but he seems like the Panesar of Indian cricket.

[ddb]

I don't think he's been worked out at all though, he's just not had enough experience bowling away from India.

We must remember here that Harbhajan was crap away from home since 2005 so not much will change in that aspect.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... ew=innings

[braveneutral]

I don't think he's been worked out at all though, he's just not had enough experience bowling away from India.

We must remember here that Harbhajan was crap away from home since 2005 so not much will change in that aspect.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... ew=innings

No, but WI went after him from the 2nd ODI.

[ddb]

Players have bad days.

They hardly went after him in the 3rd ODI when he conceded 30 runs in 10 overs.