India in West Indies

First topic message reminder :

First test starts in Antigua and Ind has had as good practice as they get these days

dunno exactly what antigua pitch will be like.....in genral WI pithces are slow, and aiding spin these days....

India has two decisions to make

1) Who is the 2nd opener.....given that Vijay is first?

Form and technique would make KL Rahul the front runner and gets my

2) Who is the 5th bowler....it's certain Ind will go with 5 bowlers

Ishant
Yaadav
Mishra
Ashwin are a given


the 5th is likey to be Jadeja ( who goot some runs) and wickets also....and frontrunner...unless pitch is green and seaming

and Binny if it is Green and seaming

although India shhould have brought Pandya in place of Binny


likely 11
1) Vijay
2) Rahul
3) Pujara
4) Kohli
5) Rahane
6) Saha
7) Binny/ Jadeja
8) Mishra
9) Ashwin
10) Ishant
11) Yadav

Batting isn't very solid....but they bat all the way down to No.9

saha tried to up the RR and Mishra has been positive.....seems its not easy to hit the spinners

Kraigg Brathwaite is no great spinner, and the bowling isn't doing much either. Not many poor balls, no great urgency from the Indian batsman, though Mishra has looked busy.

Will Kohli declare or will India bat on after tea?

India batting on after tea. Perhaps Kohli would look to bat 30 minutes or so and push the score along....... Lots of singles since tea for both Ashwin and Mishra.
And now Ashwin goes, as Kraigg B gets his 2nd wicket.

And India bat on.......

looks like dhoni is captaining WI

it's like we were used to seeing bresnan and Anderson score 90s against India under dhoni

Now Mishra gets to a 50. Been a busy innings that was the need of the hour.
WI field slipping from below average to downright ugly at the moment. Declareation very close.

hope ashwin opens the bowling

So 566-8 declared.
Over to the Indian bowlers.
Gabriel was generating serious pace and some good bounce on this track. What can Ishant, Shami and Umesh do? Think Mishra and Ashwin will have a big role.
K Brathwaite, Bravo and Samuels the key for WI, and their batting depth with Carlos Brathwaite and Holder slated to bat 8 and 9.

Think it will be Ishant and Shami.
Ashwin upfront for a couple of overs would be interesting.

yadav with his side arm action is not as much suited for new ball as Shami.

ishant has looked better.....hoever inspite of tight and fast spells ......India hasn't had a genuine even half chance so far

Rajendra Chandrika, o no one's surprise failed to last the hour and gave India their only wicket by stumps on day 2. Shami took the wicket for India.
What a disgrace that the likes of Chandrika are playing test cricket. The guy isn't even good enough for First Class cricket. Just doesn't have the game for top level cricket. Kieran Powell has returned to the WI field after battling personal issues, he is worth holding a bat in international cricket.
I was just checking on Adrian Barath on cricinfo. The youngster who created sensation with his ton against Australia 5 years back hasn't played domestic cricket in any formats since 2014. He's only 26 now. Any idea what happened to him?
Even Shai Hope, the makeshift opener, has much more potential than Chandrika. Hope seems a proper batsman at the FC level with an impressive average for a WI FC cricketer. Think they should perhaps bring him back.

The West Indies selection and team is just not fit for purpose

First half hour of the day belongs to the West Indies. The Nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo is fighting on, along with stubborn opener Kraigg Brathwaite. Think Kohli should bring on Mishra........

After being held up by Bishoo for more than an hour on day 3, the Indian bowlers are now hitting back. It was Amit Mishra who got Bishoo, and since then its all been Mohammed Shami. He has since then got Darren Bravo, Samuels and Blackwood to put West Indies in a serious spot of bother at 101-5. Kraigg Brathwaite is fighting on, and has gone pass his 50, but other than the nightwatchman, there has been very little support for him.
Roston Chase on test debut, what can he do here? There is wicketkeeper Dowrich who is picked for his superior batting abilities over Denesh Ramdin, and then there are the all-rounders Carlos Brathwaite and skipper Jason Holder, so India should keep the foot firmly on the gas.......

West Indies struggling at 157-7 at tea.

well Ind has shown intent and purpose.....that they have 3 of 140kph + bowlers.....
that's made the difference.....pitch has bounce they have bent the back and getting the ball to kick off a length every now and then
Shami has done it more consistently....but through the series ....all 3 of them will have their moments.

Mishra bowled well...ashwin is a slight concern.....when ball is not new....he doesn't get the zippp of the pitch...and even the edges he has invoked, fall short

Ind should have them batting again at the end of the day

ind lost a bot of intensity at 7 down and a fast pace partnerhip has blossomed

In Lanka Kohli used Mishra often to polish off the tail...and he does so here

In overseas conditions.....as I said earlier...Mishra is the best Indian spinner

Follow on enforced

Good bowling effort from West Indies. Of the 2 test quality batsmen that West Indies have in Darren Bravo and Kraigg Brathwaite, (Marlon Samuels haven't been all that good in the format, and he has been in absolutely atrocious form for some time) the latter delivered in the first innings with a fine 74 before he was undone with a brute from Umesh Yadav. But he failed in the 2nd innings, falling in Ishant Sharma's first over....... Bravo failed in the first innings with a poor stroke, can he lead the fight 2nd time round? Young Roston Chase and Shane Dowrich, both have potential. Dowrich came into the series with questionmarks over his selection, dropped a catch though he did look athletic
behind the stumps, but played a fine hand with the bat, stretching the WI innings a bit more.......

Shami was very good for India, and when Umesh got things right, he could produce some jems. Ishant didn't make the batsman play enough balls, though his pace was up.......
Mishra bowled alright, but Ashwin didn't look at his best though he looked better with a newer ball. Wriddhiman Saha had quite a few dismissals coming his way and he kept well in general.

True...Saha is coming into his own rhythm...the safest keeper in India tag he carries
ishant has bowled well in second inning.

twice......the umpire has denied Indians caught behind and in slip.....on the TV replay under suspicion that the ball bounced as it was caught
this is always the most inconclusive because they are trying to map 3d images on a 2d screen

I was away for a bit after lunch......ashwin meanwhile picked 4 and mishra 1.....

they will finish it quickly.....lower order is not picking the Indian spinners both of whom are turning it both ways

ashwin 5-fer.....he gets one every 2 innings

9th wicket causing conncerns for India
ashwin gets Bishoo while I type

and ashwin gets the 10th also finishing with a 7-fer in the 2nd inning following his hundred in the first

It's west indies all right....but the Indian team has dealt with them like Aus/ SA at their prime would.

the objective should be a 4-0 here

India's first innings win in the WI. Ashwin become a different ones he got that first wicket. He was really getting the ball to turn both ways, and more importantly, defeating the batsmen in the air, and finishes with a 7for. All the bowlers chipped in well overall.
And again impressive from Carlos Brathwaite, he had stood out in Australia too with a couple of half-centuries when there was very little else. After a misjudged leave gave him a golden duck in the first innings, he tried to make amends with another determined effort of resistance.

And Devendra Bishoo too. Lot more determined and stubborn than the WI top order.
Samuels The deadweight also scored a stroke-filled 50 before he was undone with a ripper from Ashwin. The West Indies badly need another bowler. With Carlos Brathwaite and Holder in there, think they should drop one of the batsmen and bring in another proper bowler. Perhaps for Blackwood.

And Carlos Brathwaite should clearly bat ahead of skipper Holder. CB looks a better bat though Holder do have some ability. Perhaps Carlos should be batting in the top order, perhaps at 6, leaving Dowrich at 7 and Holder at 8.

Ashwin's innings was crucial, and he was outstanding with the ball today. But it was Kohli's knock that setup the game. And he was proactive as captain most of the time. Tough call for MoM, they went for Ashwin, I'd have gone for Kohli, but no complaints.......

WI need to bring in a real pace bowler in place of opener Chandrika.....and get someone else to open the batting

they have talent...need application and willingness for tests....and the obviously believe they are better off without stars... Gayle, Narine, Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell

they cricketing talent in west indies...that is undoubted

Russell and the senior Bravo have given up on test cricket. Pollard hasn't played a test yet, Narine's test record hasn't been all that great. Gayle is the only one with a credible test record, and he's the best available batsman for them in this format at this stage. Though he ones said he wouldn't be too sad if test cricket dies, but has recently gone on record suggesting that his test career is not over in his mind....... But he hasn't played a test for nearly 2 years, doesn't seem like being picked again. And he's anyways 36+.
But yes, they need to come up with a better combination. Jermaine Blackwood, though started alright in test cricket, is been struggling a bit, and didn't score a run in the last game. Rajendra Chandrika never looked like a test batsman, though he did manage to spend some time (by his standards) at the wicket in both innings. Think they should leave both of them out.
Carlos Brathwaite to bat 6 in place of Blackwood with Roston Chase moving up a position, and Shai Hope to open with Kraigg Brathwaite. And a proper fast bowler to come into the side. Jerome Taylor has retired from tests, and Kemar Roach looks a very pale shadow of the bowler who ones got Ricky Ponting to dance to his tunes. Seems there are a few quicks still there in the region, but there is no one with experience....... Gabriel himself isn't much of a wickettaker and hasn't much more than speed as a bowler.......

Miguel Cummins --->was being recommended by Jeff Dujon and spoken of highly as the fast bowler who should come in.

Narine, shillingford, Benn, Permaul are all very good spinners.....both Peramul and Narine have been cleared.
Andre Russell and Dwayne Bravo if available are both world class allrounders

--India has brought the best possible selection of seamers.....those who a are quickest in the country...in Sami, yadav, ishant all touching 90mph.....and shardul is similar to shami...from accounts of those who have seen him.

--Bhuvi is a yard slower ...but has other skills
I am happy they did not bring Aaron for speed only....he needs to learn control ( without losing speed)

--and I am also happy that Dhoni's favorite brand of praveen kumar, vinay kumar, mohit kumar, kulkarni, Bran, Undakat are not in...they can all be considered in limited over games...

--I do think Hardik Pandya would make a good lower order allrounder...and should have been in place of Binny...he can get in as a genuine bowler ( hits 140kph) and can play game changing 30s to 70s type of innings...really a poor man's Kapil Dev
and Nathu Singh is the next one to be groomed on A tours....he is a fast test potential

Just checked out Miguel Cummins' cricinfo profile.
Like everything with WI cricket these days, the guy seems a Longer format specialist and yet got selected for the limited overs international side! Has played over 40 FC games and has a very decent average, and played only 5 List A games and one of them is an ODI! The WI selectors are serious jokers aren't they? The category of the Serious Joker itself is a bit of an irony, but a perfect fit nevertheless for the lot in the West Indies!
Disappointing to see Kemar Roach just drifting away like this. He used to be a class act when fit and firing, on any type of pitch.......

Hope/Chandrika
K Brathwaite
Bravo
Samuels
Chase
C Brathwaite
Dowrich
Holder
Bishoo
Gabriel
Cummins.
That side might just be able to at least start to play with a bit of positive intent at the outset, rather than playing for the draw from ball one. And that might be bit more of a test for the 5 batsman formulation of India.......

Think Harthik Pandya has solid potential as a decent all-rounder material in tests. Not sure he's quite ready yet, with either bat or ball. We know he can destroy spinners, but even in FC cricket, he has not shown that he can adapt his batting to the circumstances that much. And his bowling has the raw elements, good speed to start with, but not consistent enough at this stage to be anything more than a 3rd or 4th seamer. But of course, even Boycott's Nanny would have been better than Roger's son!

And yes, Shardul over Aaron any day. The former is quick though not as quick as Aaron at his quickest, but he is far more skilled....... And he can be an effective slogger some times.......

Hope to see Shardul in action somewhere down the line during the series.

msp83 wrote:Think Harthik Pandya has solid potential as a decent all-rounder material in tests. Not sure he's quite ready yet, with either bat or ball.

if ever there was a case for picking a player on potential...it's Pandya. He can bowl 140ish....he produces wicket taking deliveries we have seen.
and has the ability to negotiate pace bowling competently( he has straight batted batsman's technique) and can destroy spinners / medium pacers

if you have to go by FC records ....then Binny has been averaging 45+ with the bat and ~30ish with the ball over last 3 seasons....
and by FC record Jadeja should be playing as a specialist batsman.

Pandya is capable, confident and ready to be thrown in now in my view......hope they bring him in the ODI squad atleast

KP_fan wrote:WI need to bring in a real pace bowler in place of opener Chandrika.....and get someone else to open the batting

they have talent...need application and willingness  for tests....and the obviously believe they are better off without stars... Gayle, Narine, Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell

they cricketing talent in west indies...that is undoubted

Alzarri Joseph (19) has been called up. Think Holder and Brathwaite are more all rounders. They should also get Jofra Archer back from Sussex, someone who is very impressive. 4/49 and 1/24 v Pakistanis.

CI profile of Joseph
fast-tracked from Junior cricket......very young and with only a few FC games......picked on POTENTIAL

cricinfo wrote:things you dream of as a cricketer - playing for your country, winning World Cups and earning the praise of your heroes. Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph ticked all those boxes before he was 20. He was an Under-19 champion in 2016. Andy Roberts loved his pace, Ian Bishop wanted him to be fast-tracked to Test cricket and Curtly Ambrose said, "I am Antiguan, you're Antiguan and I am proud."

Joseph's career began in his backyard, bowling to his father Alva. Soon enough, he was playing for his old man's old club. He broke into the age-group teams for Antigua and Leeward Islands, and in 2014-15, graduated to playing first-class cricket. He took 7 for 46 against Windward Islands in November 2015.

Joseph was coached by former West Indies paceman Winston Benjamin and considers Dale Steyn his hero. He was among the top five bowlers in the 2016 U-19 World Cup, with at an average of 13.76 and economy rate of 3.31. He recorded the fastest ball of the tournament too - a 143 kph thunderbolt, which broke Zimbabwe batsman Brendan Sly's stumps.
ESPNcricinfo staff

Well good luck to the young man ; but let's not heap too much pressure on him as the savior of West Indies bowling

The other thing they need is some solid batsmen. With Blackwood not living up to his early promise they are too full of perennial underachievers like Samuels , some who are just not up to it , and all rounders who do the best they can. Must be wishing they'd never let Chanderpaul retire...

Hope Joseph would go on like Kagiso Rabada of South Africa. But Rabada is the exception not the rule, hope this won't be far too much pressure on the youngster. He's still getting to know his bowling, he doesn't have much of First Class experience....... But then, perhaps learning it at the top level, with all the challenges, would work better for him rather than wasting himself in WI FC cricket which rarely produce anything worthwhile of late.

Think they would go in with Cummins rather than Joseph, they might be thinking of introducing him to the international environment........ The lad has played only 8 FC games and just 12 games overall at the senior level.

msp83 wrote:Hope Joseph would go on like Kagiso Rabada of South Africa. But Rabada is the exception not the rule, hope this won't be far too much pressure on the youngster. He's still getting to know his bowling, he doesn't have much of First Class experience....... But then, perhaps learning it at the top level, with all the challenges, would work better for him rather than wasting himself in WI FC cricket which rarely produce anything worthwhile of late.

Dusantha Chameera is in the same mould....."poor man's Rabada"

and given how Chameera has performed so far......Joseph would do well if he matches Chameera

The difference between Joseph and Dushmantha Chameera is that the latter was picked for test cricket 3 seasons into his FC career, at the age of 23. Joseph is all of 19, with only 8 FC games behind him....... But any sign of hope from the West Indies, has to be significant.......

It's reportedly a very green pitch

so India has following options...

1) drop Mishra bring Rohit or Rahul ( my choice rahul)
2) Drop Mishra bring Binny
3) Drop Ishant , bring Binny

option-2 most likely

If its a green track with help for seamers, don't think there is any need for an additional seamer against this WI batting lineup. The 3 seamers should be able to do the job. Keep Mishra in, or bring in Rahul. Binny adds no value whatsoever to the side. He would be caught out as a batsman on a demanding track, and his bowling anyways is pedestrian.......