The Roar
The Roar

Giri Subramanian

Roar Guru

Joined May 2017

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My first memories of watching cricket goes back 20 years when I watched a 18 year old Sachin Tendulkar tonk Mushtaq Ahmed for two consecutive sixes in one over in Sharjah. I have been hooked on to cricket since then. Even though my career has taken me to a monotonous Software Profession, my passion still remains with cricket. In 2005 I decided to write about the sport and have never looked back since. As an avid cricket fan and a passionate Indian team supporter I have been able to keep in touch with the sport through my writing.

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I think Waqar Younis said that he hasn’t been in great rhythm recently. It begs the question why was he even in the squad if the bowling coach thought he wasn’t in great rhythm to even feature in the X1. Pakistan team selections are always full of contradictions. They never seem to get the right people in the XI.

Pakistan will struggle in Adelaide despite their resurgence at the Gabba

Well if a 16 year old with no international experience and a grand total of 7 FC games is the key for Pakistan’s chances then God save them on this tour.

Prodigious Pakistani pace key to undoing Aussies

The biggest problem is the fitness for these young bowlers. Australia is a tough place for young bowlers touring. The heat and the hardness of the pitch can get you if you don’t have experience bowling long spells here. Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi don’t have too much experience playing long formats. The start is important. If they can get wickets they might enjoy the conditions but again if the Aussies put them under the sword, they will wilt under pressure.

Pakistan’s inexperienced bowling will struggle in Australia

It is going to be tough for them as all their fast bowlers irrespective of the length of their association with the national side are very inexperienced. Imran Khan Jr is the only one who has played Test cricket in Australia and it is not the performance he will want to remember. The other problem will be the conditions and the ability to keep going in the heat if they are put under pressure. Fitness will also be an issue with the young bowlers as they haven’t played too many FC games.
Yasir and Abbas are the key if Pakistan are to trouble Australia. If these two don’t fire they will find it really difficult.

Pakistan’s inexperienced bowling will struggle in Australia

To be really frank, there aren’t many failures for Australia to brood about in World Cups. They did go 2 World Cups without losing a single game (2003 & 2007). They are the defending champions as well. If there is one team who knows how to up their game in a world cup, that would be the Aussies. They will once again be the team to beat this time. I don’t care what happened in the warm up or what happens leading up to the WC. They will be switched on and will do well when it comes to the crunch time. They have the squad to do so.

Lessons learned from Australia's World Cup failures

Yup that’s what the selectors have been doing. We could see how he was struggling in the ODI series as opposed to how he batted with freedom in Tests and in IPL. He was trying to emulate Dhoni in everything he did including keeping and came a cropper. He just needs to be told to play his natural game without worrying about the results. That probably will happen once MS retires after the World Cup.

Is Rishabh Pant getting pigeonholed into a finisher role?

That’s exactly what I am saying. The selectors, experts and fans have already assumed that he is the replacement for Dhoni and he needs to do what the latter did. That’s the problem and that’s the reason he does not find himself in the Indian WC squad. The selectors saying that we are looking for a finisher etc..Pant isn’t one and we need to accept that. He will be a huge asset in the top of the order where he can be devastating in the first 20 overs.

Is Rishabh Pant getting pigeonholed into a finisher role?

That’s what I am saying, he just does not need the pressure of replacing a legend like Dhoni in a role he isn’t comfortable with. If he plays in the top order he can bat with the freedom and does not have to care about finishing games for India yet. When he plays more Tests he will mature as a player. Right now the selectors are being unfair on him and also possibly there aren’t any spots at the top of the order for him to be tried.

Is Rishabh Pant getting pigeonholed into a finisher role?

He does not have to be a finisher. Wicket keepers don’t have to bat at 6. Gilly opened for Australia in LO formats while being a Test great at number 6-7. Pant needs freedom to express himself. We don’t want to burden him by putting him in the shoes of Dhoni. If he fails he will disappear. We don’t want that.

Is Rishabh Pant getting pigeonholed into a finisher role?

Why are we talking about his ODI performances for Tests? Also how does it matter if he did not score runs at home against Australia? He has been brilliant in Australia on his previous 2 tours and nothing suggests that he will not have the same amount of success this time as well. He will do well and I expect him to score at least couple of hundreds. The batting around him is the worry.

Why we need to stop calling India favourites

Well ranking is just math and India have accumulated enough points to remain on top. There is no clear cut best team in the world. The one thing we need to hand it to India is that they have been brilliant at home against all comers. No one except Australia in 2017 were able to challenge India in India. That is the only reason they are at the top. To be frank, if England continue their current resurgence, they might as well become the best team in the world soon. They are probably the only team in recent years to win a series in Asia among non-Asian teams.

Why we need to stop calling India favourites

India can never be favourites outside of Asia unless they are playing West Indies or Zimbabwe. Indian team has all the problems you mention above. Except for Virat kohli none of the batters are secure of their place in the X1. If we examine how the English tour went, India dropped Pujara for the first Test playing Vijay, Dhawan and Rahul together in top 3. Then in the second Test they dropped Dhawan and played Pujara, Vijay and Rahul. In the third they dropped Vijay for good and went with Dhawan and Rahul.

Ajinkya Rahane who should have been the main stay of the batting line up also isn’t a certainty. He may be replaced by Vihari or Rohit if he fails in couple of innings. Pant is a Rookie, in the absence of Hardik, India might not be able to play 5 bowlers like they did in England.

Overall both teams have issues. Australia come on top in spite of their troubles is because they are playing at home. Indian batting isn’t reliable and the bowling well they will be Tested on wickets which don’t offer them any movement. They have done well in England and SA but again those pitches were very bowling friendly. But Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins and Lyon will bowl brilliantly at home.

I am not saying India cannot win, they can but I still feel this is 50/50 series. One good innings or one good spell from an Australian player will turn the series around and India normally aren’t a great team when they are down.

Why we need to stop calling India favourites

Zampa had a good JLT cup and on the evidence of these 2 T20I games, I feel that he has finally turned a corner. I just hope the selectors give him consistent run now. He will be good for Australia in the long run.

Why Australia needs Adam Zampa

I understand where you are coming from but I think spinners mature with age. I feel that the first T20I was the best I have seen him bowl. He looked brilliant and had amazing control over the leggies. To bowl to Virat, Rahul and Dhawan and still end up giving only 5.5 runs an over is brilliant. I think Australia should stick with him for LOIs. For Tests though there is Lyon and then Pope probably in the future.

Why Australia needs Adam Zampa

He was just an option, not that CA will try them. He is an exciting talent and he will make the team for sure in the future.

Glenn Maxwell is not the solution for Australia’s Test batting woes

He is a good short form player, especially in T20. He can destroy bowling line ups, field like a dream and bowl decently. The problem though is you need more than that in a Test line up. Maxwell does not provide consistency. He gets to starts and gets out playing ridiculous shots irrespective of the match situation. It is frustrating to see him play that way as I am a big fan. In the current Australian team set up in the absence of Smith and Warner, Australia need solidity, not someone who would score some cameos.

Glenn Maxwell is not the solution for Australia’s Test batting woes

I said his Test record is patchy. I am aware that he has a good FC record and had a brilliant shield season last year. When did Maxwell play his last FC game? What about players who are scoring runs in the current season? Don’t they get a look in?

Glenn Maxwell is not the solution for Australia’s Test batting woes

Exactly, lots of players can provide solidity in home conditions. In an already struggling Test line up you cannot have a batter who will score pretty 30’s and throw his wicket away.

Glenn Maxwell is not the solution for Australia’s Test batting woes

Maxwell is a good short form player and he would continue to be so but Australia need more reliable middle order bat than him. He is a good number 6 in a team which has solid top 5 but in the current team Australia is struggling to put up good scores. You don’t need someone like him who is a hit or miss type of player in your line up.

Glenn Maxwell is not the solution for Australia’s Test batting woes

World Cricket is becoming that way isn’t it? Teams think that filling your X1 with sloggers will accomplish what England can do which is not the right approach. If we look at the English batting line up, Johnny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Joe Root are all accomplished Tests batsmen. Eoin Morgan has played Tests as well for England. Moeen Ali plays Tests for England as well. So these are players who not only can score quick but also can score big. The players who are only success for in T20 format and are good for pretty 30’s and 40’s aren’t going to accomplish that. The same issue which is plaguing the Pakistan ODI team as well.

Australia’s ODI problems go beyond the absence of Smith and Warner

You are absolutely right. Australia’s team selections over the past year or so has been poor. The current fiasco with the CA administration also not helping. Australia haven’t been patient with lots of their players over the last couple of years and also it seems like the team management has also confused different formats while evaluating performances.

Australia’s ODI problems go beyond the absence of Smith and Warner

He is one of the best spinners currently and for sure one of the greats of Australian cricket. He has surpassed all expectations. I hope he gets to 400 Tests wickets and more.

Where does Nathan Lyon rank among the pantheon of Australian spinners?

Agree. Nathan Lyon has been brilliant.

Where does Nathan Lyon rank among the pantheon of Australian spinners?

I think the bowling averages in this era has been significantly higher. If look at people who have at least 200 Tests wickets, only Steyn & Philander averages under 25 among pacers. Among spinners only Ashwin has an average of around 25. The pitches are flat and spinners hardly get much help. Wrist spinners are different but except for Yasir Shah, there is no good wrist spinner in Tests. Nathan Lyon has done very well when you think the kind of wickets he has played in. Except for couple of pitches, most of the Aussie pitches in recent times have been completely flat.

Where does Nathan Lyon rank among the pantheon of Australian spinners?

Finger spinners cannot be compared to wrist spinners in terms of effectiveness but again Australia’s greatest have been the latter. It is commendable that Nathan Lyon has done so well playing on wickets in Australia which are nowhere close to what it used to be in the past.

Where does Nathan Lyon rank among the pantheon of Australian spinners?

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