India-A unofficial tests & tour of Lanka

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It's a high quality series and the Indian side...here... batting and spin department could well be a full strength test side on it's own.
The Aussie side matching the strength of Indians, with high quality pacers.

India bats first and Pujara misses a great opportunity to put a very big total and seal a spot for himself.

KL Rahul going strong......I would so love him to make it big and hold on to his test spot...he is a "Lambi race ka Ghoda"

India bowled well up to stumps. But overall, its only Ashwin and Mishra who hold their heads up. The seamers did alright in the morning but then lost all control when Chandimal attacked. Aaron as usual was expensive, but Ishant too gave away plenty of runs and thus helped the Lankans change momentum.
Harbhajan was bowling like in a T-20, fast and flat, no attacking lines or length. He's exposing the stupidity of the selectors in picking him for the test side based on some IPL performances. Hopefully Jadeja will soon rediscover his bowling form, even if he doesn't score a run, he would be miles better than Harbhajan in this state. It is sad to see Bhaji like this, but his best days are long gone....... Time to bring back Ojha or Jadeja, or invest in Gopal or Rasool.

Its going to be a tough morning for India. Ishant can't be expected to last too long at the wicket. That would bring in Rohit to the middle, If he failes to surprise, Kohli could find himself walking into a massive pressure cooker situation.......

India slumping big time here. They are struggling at 45-4. Ishant didn't last too long, Rohit didn't fail to fail as expected, and Kohli was plucked out early. Rahane and Dhawan together now, India's last recognized batsmen. Think a quick finish is on the cards. What a turnaround this will be for Sri Lanka!!
Bring back Pujara for Rohit, drop Harbhajan.......

Dhawan gone! Think that's the official end for India.

The bowling all-rounder Ashwin and the bowlers who can bat Amit Mishra and Harbhajan Singh will have to cover for the batsmen if India are to get through this one. At 65-6, they don't look like crossing even 100! The famous Galle batting collapse is on, full mode!. Will India last the opening session?

Sending Harbhajan ahead of Ashwin for whatever reason, perhaps to give it a thumping, failed, and India are ddrowning fast at 78-7.

Looks like the umpires are going to go one up in this series!

Assuming SL win from here, this will be in the top 10 all time largest first innings deficits overturned

How soon will the end come for India?
The learning points for India.
1. Never pick Rohit Sharma for a test, particularly in a 5 batsman lineup.
2. Harbhajan Singh has reached the end of his career at the top level, no point in subjecting a hero like him to any further humiliation.
3. They have to quickly rethink their approach towards the DRS, get the substantive concerns like the inconsistency emerging out of the benefit of doubt to umpire system and the standardization of technology addressed and then adopt the system.

That is poor from Ashwin. Really should have left it to Rahane.

Herath takes 6 as Ashwin goes. The end can't be too far away.......

One of the most remarkable tests I've ever seen. Chandimal, take a bow!

Lol at India

So from being really close to an innings win, India have managed to lose the game by 63 runs. Despite all those high voltage rhetoric from Kohli and Shastri, poor, stubborn and stupid team selection, a couple of collapses with the bat, (the entire 2nd innings and from 255-2 to 375 all out in the first) and some atrocious umpiring has done India in. The umpiring standards were absolutely atrocious, but a lot of it could have been rectified had there been DRS in place, and for that too, there is the BCCI and the team to take the blame for.

Excellent turn-around by Sri Lanka. Marvellous victory.

Would like to understand what these atrocious umpiring decisions were as I really rate both llong and Oxenford.. Hope no Indian player (or fan) is blaming the umpires - as the chance to review is available if they are willing to backtrack.

--They choked....
Frikkkinn menatlly choked from a certain win positin at the end of D2....looking like an inning win....they, took it for granted an started looking at the glory at the end of the won..

--forgot they had to play with the same intensity until they win.
and then on the last day.....they panicked, hoped they would somehow win...fear of losing took over and they choked.

--it's a terrible way to lose....if the team in not menatlly strong, they can be long term scarred.
Shastri and Kohli have 3 test vs Lanka + 4 tests vs SA to make or break it......they donpt show they can win by then.....the current fair and free-er regime will bring someone else.


Stratgeically

--it's OK to talk the aggressive bravado talk and implement in action also...but somewhere siutuationally and rationally you must come down to 3rd and 4th gears...Kohli was caught clueless on D3 when Chandimal got going.

---and on D4 they dropped to gear-1......strokeless and hoping somehow they will win instead of having a plan to have a sustained attack.

--Rohit was badly exposed and Bhajji looked past expiry date...Aaron was brianlessley dleivering 80% short pitch.
the longer Kohli / shastri persist with these guys...the lesser chance they are giving themsleves.

--Pujara for Rohit, Bhuvi for Bhajji, Yadav for Aaron and Vijay for Rahul are no brainer swaps for me.

Its unfortunate we don't have another spinner, else Bhajji could have been replaced by Rasool or Ojha or Axar

PS* Chandimal was gone twice when in single digits but not given......DRS must be considered now by India

LondonTiger wrote:Would like to understand what these atrocious umpiring decisions were as I really rate both llong and Oxenford.. Hope no Indian player (or fan) is blaming the umpires - as the chance to review is available if they are willing to backtrack.

DRS or no DRS, that is not an excuse for poor umpiring. This test throughout was all about pretty poor umpiring. Both sides got a few calls wrong, India more than Lanka. Silva wrongly given out in Lanka's first innings, Saha wrongly given out in India's first. Rahane's and even Kohli's LBW calls in India's first innings looked suspect. Shikhar Dhawan not given out when it looked he was out LBW in the first innings. Chandimal edged and was caught not ones but twice before he reached 2 digits, when Lanka were struggling at 95-5 in their 2nd innings. Those last couple of umpiring mistakes led to a fine counterattacking innings and eventually turned the match on its head.
Those many mistakes from test umpires, that is just poor. It is another matter that the impact of those mistakes could perhaps have been minimized had India agreed for DRS. But the presence or absence of DRS is no excuse for such village cricket style umpiring.

it's human nature...msp..umpires have stopped looking at closein decisions with the fine eye with which they did before the DRS era
All but India games have DRS

It's like auto spell check......the advent of which has diminished the spelling building ability

The umpires may well have made mistakes - but there was a lot of sanctimonious BS about respecting the umpires decisions and DRS being a tool that would undermine that.

Unless anyone here has actually tried umpiring especially for up to 5 consecutive days in very hot and humid conditions they should frankly shut the f*** up about mistakes being to blame for defeats. Umpires will sometimes make howlers - but unlike the "perfect" fan they are not sat in luxury and do not have multiple viewings. Players make far more mistakes.

Since I have never been a traditionalist on DRS, I don't go with respecting whatever decision of the umpire just like that. If there is a chance to correct a wrong decision, it is good for the game. The 'mistakes even out in the end' theory is the greatest piece of BS I keep hearing on the subject. And on dRS, what I expect is consistency and as many correct decisions, so I don't favor the benefit of doubt to the umpire system that the DRS has introduced and argue for standardization.

And if only fast bowlers who have bowled at the top level day in and day out can comment on fast bowling and fast bowlers, if only batsman who have played in different conditions with success can critique the failure of an opening batsman, if only a Warne or a Kumble can talk about how a young test spinner is not able to spin the ball well, then that world would be an absolutely godforsaken place for the game of cricket!!!
Umpiring is a profession too, they are supposed to do their job well. If they fail to do so which they did in this game, it would obviously be pointed out, though we understand it is a difficult job. Even the job of the Prime Minister is a very difficult one, that hasn't stopped any government chief from being criticized?

Stuart Binny has been added to the test side as an additional member. The selection committee first errored in picking Harbhajan even when Kohli wanted to go in with 5 bowlers. There was not enough back up in the spin department All-rounders, Parwez Rasool or Ravindra Jadeja could have been picked in Harbhajan's place.
Now Roger's panel has yet again errored by picking Stuart who isn't really an all-rounder. Someone like Rishi Dhawan who has been in the top half of Ranji wickettakers is ignored. Binny can't be considered a substantive bowling option in test cricket. His bowling is not much better than say that of Sourav Ganguly.
What would be the latest nonsense from Kohli? Rohit at 3, Binny at 7 in place of Harbhajan and Pujara sitting out? Won't be surprised if they go that way.......

Binny coming in is a good move......he is as good an all rounder we have in the country......and will do the same job as Matthews does for Lanka with the ball.

will bat at 6.....and from what was seen of him in ODis and Ranji he will bring more solidity to the line-up.

I think he will play in place of Bhajji....which is good.

I only hope Bhuvi plays in place of Aaron....strengthens both batting and bowling IMO

While I would like to see Pujara....it does appear they will give Rohit one more game.

But given that the rope that Kohli and Shastri have to perform is limited......they are risking their own existence by playing Rohit.....and it's their prerogative.

Shikhar Dhawan has a hairline fracture on his hand and will miss the next 2 tests. Means Rohit will have 2 more opportunities to further establish he's not cut out for test cricket! Murali Vijay's fitness situation is being monitored on a daily basis and it seems they'll take a call on him only on the match eve. If Vijay isn't fully fit for the 2nd game, Pujara should be opening with Rahul. Even if Vijay is fit, think they should bring Pujara into the side and bat him at 3 instead of Rohit and retain Rahul. They might instead retain the Mumbai Flopshow and drop young Rahul and and make Pujara open. Pujara is one of the better players of spin, and besides his temperament and a test average of 47, that is going to be a very important factor as far as this side is concerned. Unlike yester years when the greats like Warne and Murali struggled against the Indian batsmen, this Indian lineup struggles against decent and even mediocre spinners.

Sad for Dhawan and another lucky break for Rahul...he will definitively open now.
and if Vijay is not fit ...Pujara will open

and Rohit is very likely to play anyway

Hope Kohli ends his stubbornness with the Rohit selection, He's really hurting team interests here.
Despite the selectors thinking otherwise for some strange reasons, Roger's son isn't really an all-rounder. The Mathews comparison is also misplaced as the Lankan skipper is a class act with the bat unlike Binny. Of course Binny is a much more solid option than Harbhajan with the bat, and in the current scenario, the eventual impact of their bowling may not be all that different. But Binny playing ahead of Pujara just for his non-substantive bowling will be a travesty. But fully trust Kohli to come up with that stupidity....... He's far too immature to lead the test sside really. All talk, no clear thinking. If there is intent to be shown, then start with the team selection. He should stop being a clown by going for soft selections like that of Rohit.

(1)We've gotta give Kohli and Shastri space....to back their convictions...they pay the price.
their rope is not infinitely long like Dhoni's.

One more series after this is all that they have.

(2) Binny is no Matthews with the bat.....but he is no less with the ball....and he is the best we have got as a seam bowling allrounder.
Dhawan has to break into ODis, prove himself there and then come into tests.
My first look of him.....he is like Axar and Jadeja......ranji level batsman but a tailender at the international level

Dhawan at least is a proper bowler unlike binny who is neither a genuine bat nor a bowler. Dhawan may not average 40 in test cricket like he is doing in FC cricket, but I don't think he would be a total misfit with the bat either. And if they needed an all-rounder, then should have gone for Rasool or may be even Gopal or Aparajith. And I think it is time the BCCI looks into Roger Binny's conflict of interest.

Binny did well 3 consecutive seasons in Ranji with bat nd ball
and then then did well in ODIs when given a chance
then he saved a test for India on debit with the bat in Eng
and then he palyed well in ODIs in Zim...he has earned his stripes.

dhawan has to earn his...his time will also come

Shastri as usual is talking a truckload of nonsense. He says they won't change the style of play despite the loss. Does he mean that they would continue to play the Lankan spinners the way they did in the 2nd innings led from the front by Rohit Sharma!?

At the moment, both Shastri and Kohli are on the same page, that of talking up a good game without showing any intent with team selection. Even the team selection is a show business. The requirement of conditions and team balance are not the primary concern. Though Harbhajan Singh will struggle to make it to the Punjab team for his bowling at the moment, they would pick him just because they want 5 bowlers. Rohit, when he would have a day that happens ones in a year can play shots and look a worldbeater. Pujara has far more substance, but for the show value, they will keep picking the Mumbai wonder.

With MSD at the helm, his worldy pragmatism could have been balanced by Shastri's chest thumping attitude. But Kohli and Shastri is a combination is all about talk and show, and no substance.

To be fair to Kohli, in three of the four matches he has skippered in, victory was within reach but for one bad session/loss of two days' play. The other was an away draw vs Australia.

India have had a few near misses in recent times. They had a few under Dhoni, they have had a few under Kohli. but the side as such hasn't really learned much from those experiences yet.

True msp...shastri must walk the walk first
and then he can talk the talk as much as he like....

Dhoni was an abysmal failure in tests matches....and should not be referred to ever..except when listing poorest test match captains for longest duration.

Kohli may also fail...but he must be given a chance to do it his way and go down if he has to in his own way.....

there are too many nuances / variables which even the best leader takes a while to adjust to........i think kohli has 2 full series to find his optimal balance and start delivering wins

The test captain who has won more tests than anyone else has to be the poorest of them all for sure. He wasn't the greatest, but he knew the limitations of his side much better than all the hyper talkers....... This often drove him to the wal and he at times did go looking for the wall, sat back too soon and too easily. But it all eventually was down to the limitations of his batting and bowling. Even when Kohli went missing in England, Dhoni was the won who stood up to the English bowlers, more through his temperament rather than technique. And on spinning wickets he operated with a plan and there are the results to show for that.......
Any ways Dhoni is gone, like Ganguly earlier. Now it is up to Kohli to carry things forward, and push the team forward. He needs to approach the game with a lot more maturity though, if he has to have any success. Understanding the limitations of your side is as important as knowing your strengths and backing them. Kohli has so far completely failed to do the former....... Lets hope he learns quickly.
Putting an end to his obsession with turning Rohit Sharma into a proper test batsman could be a nice start!

he is full right to stick to Rohit if he believes in him.

he knows he has to deliver results....for he has no corrupt Mai-Baaap to protect him even after losing 15-0 overseas...

so if he has to go he must not regret " I didn't back my convictions"

Judge shastri and Kohli on results

Currently 0 wins out of 4.......
And Kohli if 'Foolish' rather than fully right in sticking with Rohit!
I really hope his 1 fine innings of the year won't come in the next test as that would spell disaster for the South African series........

--Lanka would be happy they plucked 6 Indians out.

india shouldn't be too disappointed....with such a flaky line-up and terrible start....they are 319....a.nd with some controbutions from Ashwin ( billed an allroudner, who needs to stand up) and Saha pushing along...get close to 400

that would be a fighting total

--I am happy for Rahul...he is a very long term prospect and converts a second hundred in 4 tests...he's gotta learn to make it count big when he gets past the 100.

--Rohit......while I support captain/ coach's prerogative to back the talent they truts at the cost of risking their own careers....

I persoanlly feel Rohit ain't gonna cut it.....today was a flattered to deceive inning....neitehr here nor there.
when he gets so many chances......he should have turned this into a 170 type career changing / game changing inning.

--Binny is a good inclusion in principle.....hope he gets in in the second inning and plucks out a wicket or two like matthews

Looking at cricinfo, I see India A got bowled out for 204 against SAA. Dane Piedt got a fiver. Now I like Dane, but he's really not "get a fiver on day three". I don't know if the Indian side is the best of the rest or not, but it does point to a chronic inability to play spin.

kingraf wrote:Looking at cricinfo, I see India A got bowled out for 204 against SAA. Dane Piedt got a fiver. Now I like Dane, but he's really not "get a fiver on day three". I don't know if the Indian side is the best of the rest or not, but it does point to a chronic inability to play spin.

True

Kohli and Shastri have inflicted long term damage on the test team. To get Rohit Sharma, their chosen man to get some runs, they sacrificed Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane had made the number 5 position a stable one through consistent performances not on flat roads, but on challenging tracks against demanding bowling. Then comes the captain's favorit who can't get bat to ball but has to be kept in the side to prove an ego point for the captain and coach, the flat track bully is made as comfortable as possible sacrificing India's 2nd most consistent batsman over the last year and a half for a no hoper who would now stay in the side and fail to get pass 15 for the next 15 innings. And disastrously for India, Rohit even got a score on the board that Kohli and Shastri can talk about for the next year or so. The 6 wickets on a flat track is a disappointment, but even more damaging is the 79 that Rohit scored, makes the SA series a no contest aleady.......
Perhaps Saha can tough it out ones again, and Ashwin and Mishra can back him up and India somehow can push that total pass 400. As KPF said, there would be something to fight for as far as the bowlers are concerned.

Msp....why are you negative about rahane as a number 3
He is technically most correct to be a number 3.
In fact I thought he should be opening one time when he was being kept out.
He will succeed at no3

Rohit will not even at no5

And that will open up Middle order for one like rayadu or nair or some other stroke player to come in

saha gets 50 in second consecutive test match so he does bat well with the lower order......he have to develop his temperament to bat under pressure......when chasing or when in fear of losing a game.

"all rounder" ashwin has been missing from the series in the 3 innings he has played so far.....Mishra has shown pluck and fight and might be the biggest beneficiary from the series in terms of cementing his place

Ishant has regained speed.......hitting 88 to 89mph.....or should we think he is not being asked to ball line and length as slow speed

I would say Its India's day...plucked out 3 good batsmen....and looked in the game all the time....looked likely to pick wickets anytime.
every bowler looked potent...even Binny with this swingers was unlucky....ishant is bowling fast now...Yadav...10 times superior to Aaron...and ashwin / Mishra top class both of them......when 1 spinners bowl off spin/ doosra/ carrom ball so well and the other big turning leg breaks with deceptive googlies...turn and bounce...you don't need a 3rd spinner.

SL would have to do very very well to match India's score that seemed a bit below par at the onset but not now, given how potent Indian attack looks

meanwhile shankar and Nair bat out for a draw vs SA-A
shankar got some runs from his No.6/7 slot vs Aus-a also and is a Binny styled medium pacer. if Binny doesn't grab his chance in this test or next.....shankar may be the next in queue.

he is playing himsefl into reckoning....given that as a middle order batsman his FC average is 57+

KK Nair of karnataka continues to be a rising star for a a test match slot.....and if Rohit doesn't grab his chances, he might be the next in queue

Shankar's record overall still is in the mediocre category. And if he's yet another mediocre bits and pieces so called all-rounder, we can very well live without one. Roger's son himself is more than enough. His performance with the bat was painful to watch, and he's yet to pick a test wicket, into his 4th test. Some all-rounder he is!!

Skipper Mathews is going strong, and and Lahiru Thirimanne, who couldn't buy a test run for the last year or so is joining in the fun. India's 393 looks not much of a total. Unless the 2nd new ball does some quick damage, Herath will enjoy tormenting the Indians in the 3rd innings big time as he will have a good lead to bowl with...... .

Binny has been unlucky as a bowler.....they cannot go with him half heartedly....they have to give him a run with trust.
with the bat they pulled him out of cold...and now have to give him atleast 4 innings to perform

Shankar averages 57 with the bat and if he can bowl 10 overs per day seam up and pick one or two wickets per test then that's good enough for us as an all rounder.

at this stage bolwing allrounders don't work.....we have seen how bhajji, ashwin have fared with the bat
so we have to look for batting allrounders who can bowl seam up

--well India has scrapped hard, kept the nose ahead all the time and broken comfortably ahead in the race by the end of day-3..they are heading towards a good finish.
Indians have fought hard to try and keep traking wickets and shown they have 4 potent bowlers and a handy back-up in Binny who also did his job.


--but at the end of Day-3 in T1 we were also in a seemingly impregnable situation......so we are capable of imploding..

--if we can avoid an implosion.....then a declaration with 400+ with an hour to go is what India should look at

--Rahane is due for a big one and looking set, Vijay in good rythm.....and with plenty of batting to follow

--Mishra I have often said....is the best leggie in India, not a Warne , but more like Kaneria.....and he will spin us to a win on D5 pitch should we give him enough runs to bowl with.

fingers crossed....hope we don't blow it up tomm morning with a collapse