[Shumi_21]

Originally Posted by PPS

Modern day batters don't look to grind out the Opposition which is the main trait in Test Cricket, thanks to advent of T20 Cricket! There is just too much of a tendency to play a big shot/release shot.

It's a sound strategy, to not let bowlers settle, but our top order has lost the ability to execute this. Look how NZ have blunted Ashwin by taking risks sweeping and using their feet. Our batting has been dogshit against spin for years now, but it was being papered over because we ended up winning still. But our batting is shambolic, no question about it, evident by batting collapses that are becoming more and more frequent. In this series only, we've collapsed twice to pace and once to spin in as many innings.

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Safe to assume that we have lost this test match.

How can we lose when we have Hitman Sharma & King Kohli?

[Oxy]

Originally Posted by Oxy

The entire plan was to prepare a square turner where batting would become tougher with each passing day, then hope to win the toss and bat which didn't happen.

I won't be surprised if we end up conceding a 100 run first innings lead tomorrow. Santner and Ajaz Patel are excellent spinners and I fear this pitch is royally going to backfire on us.

Called it at the close of play yesterday.

Now we can only hope that we don't lose the next test in Mumbai. A whitewash at home would be an embarrassment of epic proportions.

Also, any hope of featuring in the WTC Final has evaporated.

[NomadSK]

Originally Posted by Shumi_21

Our batting has been dogshit against spin for years now, but it was being papered over because we ended up winning still. But our batting is shambolic, no question about it, evident by batting collapses that are becoming more and more frequent. In this series only, we've collapsed twice to pace and once to spin in as many innings.

I was out for running and by the time I came back India was all out , I was looking forward to their batting, but what I saw was pure horrible cricketing shots (highlights) to give away the wickets.

I agree with you on batting, How many batsmen in the squad are coming after the domestic grinding. Only Sarfaraz and we can see the hunger in him to perform. Rest of them haven’t played quality spin in ages. If they need to prepare turner tracks then they need to fill the batting places with whoever is playing impressive domestic cricket, because there you would grind for days against spin.

Shot of Kohli would make any club cricketer getting dropped from the team, leave alone being played at international level. Who plays a sweep shot to the almost full toss ball on the stumps and also when it’s not his go to shot.

Meanwhile Pakistan fighting out of their skin at the moment.

[Oxy]

Remember the last time we lost a home series? It was against England in 2012-13.

The exact same strategy was applied there - make rank square turners and spin the opposition out. But it turned out that Kevin Pietersen and Alastair Cook absolutely smashed our spinners while our batsmen succumbed to Graeme Swann and Panesar.

It's been 12 years and nothing has changed. Our batsmen are as clueless as they were then against half decent spinners. They are even getting out to bowlers like Glenn Phillips!

We are staring at an embarassing whitewash at home, against a team that has come here immediately after getting whitewashed in Sri Lanka. Heads need to roll starting with Gambhir.

[Vinod_nair]

Forget about any test plan, there is no plan in place... period.

Turner pitch is prepared, and black cap spinners just steam rolled our batters. And our spinners are groping in the dark, except for some resistance by Sunder.

Ridiculous is an understatement.

[Shumi_21]

Originally Posted by NomadSK

How many batsmen in the squad are coming after the domestic grinding

I think all our batters have done well in domestic matches before making to the international XI. It's after making it to the Indian team, that this bunch seem to be losing their ability to play on slow and/or turning wickets. Really weird, as these guys would be playing the likes of Ash, Jaddu, Kuldeep, Axar and also the best domestic spinners as net bowlers consistently in the nets. If not playing quality spin in domestic was an issue, how did Axar, Jadeja, Ashwin and Pant manage to score runs and save us the blushes on so many occasions? Why is it only the top order that has forgotten to play spin?

Anyway, NZ have scored 200 odd for 5 and the lead is upto 300. The ease with which they batted didn't make the pitch seem like a tough one to bat. Washington Sundar is waging a lone battle with the ball. If we were to even think of winning, the King & the Hitman need to score at least half of whatever NZ sets us.

[AtheK]

King, hitman all those names sound lame the way both of them have been batting from sometime, probably an Ex should be put in front.

Not long back everyone was Joking how Pakistan was getting belted at home, we are playing equally bad now. All this time we kept saying that lower order kept bailing us out, two matches they fail and here we are.

[NomadSK]

India's squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy:

Rohit Sharma (C),
Jasprit Bumrah (VC),
Jaiswal,
Abhimanyu Easwaran,
Shubman Gill,
Virat Kohli,
KL Rahul,
Rishabh Pant (WK),
Sarfaraz Khan,
Dhruv Jurel (WK),
R Ashwin,
R Jadeja,
Mohd. Siraj,
Akash Deep,
Prasidh Krishna,
Harshit Rana,
Kumar Reddy,
Washington Sundar.

Services of Shami would be missed though and the baggage of KL continues.

LINK

On the other side, It has been a terrible day for Indian cricket, first in Test match and now in Asia cup emerging teams, where the young colts of India A lost to Afg A team in a well fought Semifinal match. Better team on the day won at the end.

[PPS]

NZ have batted for 50 overs in the 2nd innings & Akash Deep hasn't bowled even 1 over! Team Management is absolutely clueless. Picking a seamer for the sake of it. An Axar Patel would obviously have been a much better choice on a slow turner. Both Ashwin & Jadeja are not their usual selves in this Test. Fortress is about to be conquered. Just hope better sense prevails & majority of players like Bumrah/Jadeja/Ashwin/Siraj/Pant are not considered for the next Test.

Originally Posted by Oxy

Remember the last time we lost a home series? It was against England in 2012-13. But it turned out that Kevin Pietersen and Alastair Cook absolutely smashed our spinners while our batsmen succumbed to Graeme Swann and Panesar.

I remember that series. Harbhajan was absolutely listless & the reason why Swann & Panesar were so successful was that they were much quicker in the air.

[pandey.jai]

Team for BGT looks pretty average. Bowling strength is weak, the less said about the batters the better. It is going to be pretty bad for Indian team this time around. I wouldn’t be surprised if we lose 5-0.

[hothatchaway]

Originally Posted by PPS

NZ have batted for 50 overs in the 2nd innings & Akash Deep hasn't bowled even 1 over! Team Management is absolutely clueless. Picking a seamer for the sake of it. An Axar Patel would obviously have been a much better choice on a slow turner. Both Ashwin & Jadeja are not their usual selves in this Test. Fortress is about to be conquered. Just hope better sense prevails & majority of players like Bumrah/Jadeja/Ashwin/Siraj/Pant are not considered for ir.

Jadeja will never be dropped. He has at least two quotas guaranteeing his place in the Indian eleven, one of which is the CSK one.

[VWAllstar]

Gambhir need to be shown his own innings in Napier against the same opponents.

The "Gamball" is entertaining however I am worried, we will lose more than we win matches.

[suhaas307]

And hitman is gone. Soft dismissal. Lack of application is glaring!

A result is eminent.

If we are able to string two big partnerships we could perhaps entertain the thought of a victory, but 360 odd in the 4th innings on a deteriorating pitch is a tall order, even for the most accomplished batting order.

[Revvatron]

The way India is batting this match will be done by end of the day. I don't think NZ can repeat first innings heroics.

[NPV]

Don’t have misplaced hopes, this match was lost when India played a bad first inning and conceded the 100+ lead.
Of course, I’d be the happiest to be proven wrong!