As an aside, (and i have to do it)... Yuvraj is injured and out of World Cup , and India have called up Pandy. Does Andy know?
News to me...
I said earlier in this thread no team has won the world T20 with a perfect record and if we played NZ it would be a good omen. Still quietly optimistic we could actually win this. I wonder what the odds were on us winning the world T20 as we crashed out of the one day version...
As an aside, (and i have to do it)... Yuvraj is injured and out of World Cup , and India have called up Pandy. Does Andy know?
News to me...
I said earlier in this thread no team has won the world T20 with a perfect record and if we played NZ it would be a good omen. Still quietly optimistic we could actually win this. I wonder what the odds were on us winning the world T20 as we crashed out of the one day version...
Very long... but the way we played against NZ last summer in the ODIs and T20 showed a whole new positive and aggressive mentality
And to be fair, unlike Australia, we have actually won the T20 WC before
Dhoni isn't as huge a threat as people think, no scarier a prospect than Buttler in batting terms. Kohli however, can make a 50 without looking like he's not even got going.
Whoever we get, we get.. We'd stand more chance up against W.Indies this second time around though as it wouldn't be at the carpet that is Wankhede. Although we are a 'batting' team, Gayle on his day is different gravy.
you get 'Gayled' maybe once every 6 innings - to get it twcie in a row would be extremely unlucky - plus also, i think that ENgland would bowl very differently to him ie wider on the off and not allowing him so much in his arc.
Whether we win the T20 WC or not it has to be said that Strauss and Bayliss got it right. In getting rid of the old guard for this format of the game (Cook, Bell, Broad, Anderson, KP etc etc) and allowing players to play with both freedom ( but also direction) they have created one tight unit with a winning mentality. Morgan is clearly the weak link but the fact that we have succeeded in carrying the captain says much and Root is ready to take over from him.
None of this side is over 30 and the likes of Root, Roy, Buttler and Stokes are barely 25. Compare that to India, for example, with Dhoni, Yuvraj and Nehra all 35 plus and likely to be retiring from International cricket shortly or the West Indies who have Gayle and Samuels in a similar position.
We are also developing two separate sides - only Root and Stokes are automatic choices for the Test and one day teams. Compare that to South Africa who have ABV, Amla, Du Plessis, Duminy, de Kock, Steyn and Rabada featuring in both codes. This approach also allows our players to go off and fine tune their game at the IPL or Big Bash.
The Test side is of more concern especially as Broad and Anderson won't be able to go on forever. We have to hope that the likes of Finn, Topley and Wood will have stiffer competition for places in the foreseeable future otherwise our ability to bowl sides out along with out lack of obvious openers to partner Cook will be our achilles heel.
But let's embrace this success. I see no reason why this lot can't beat India or the West Indies. So long as we get Gayle or Kohli early that is.
I'd rather face West Indies and gamble on us getting Gayle out for less than 40 runs. If we do that then I think we'll win regardless if we bat first but batting second clearly is our strong suit rather than setting a score to be chased.
Can't see us bowling as poorly as we did the first time around either.
If we get India I think we'd need to chase down a score to win. Think it would be difficult for our young team to defend a total out in the field away to India with all the pressure that would be on the occasion and the home support. You only have to look back at last year's 50 overs World Cup Final when Australia thrashed New Zealand in the final as it was played in Australia. Yet that same tournament New Zealand beat Australia in New Zealand. Had the Final been played in New Zealand who knows what the outcome would have been?
Definitely prefer West Indies but whoever we face our best chance is chasing a score.
Kohli nearly run out TWICE off a free-hit (JUST missed by keper and then JUST missed by bowler coming back), and then should have been run-out of next ball too if keeper had collected. Incredible over.
Running well but not hitting enough, they are going to need some huge scores in the next 5 to scare W.Indies off. As good as 40 runs is from Rahane (so far) from 34 runs on this carpet is not helping their cause, if anything it's blocking Dhoni and co. from coming in for a bit of fun.
Running well but not hitting enough, they are going to need some huge scores in the next 5 to scare W.Indies off. As good as 40 runs is from Rahane (so far) from 34 runs on this carpet is not helping their cause, if anything it's blocking Dhoni and co. from coming in for a bit of fun.
And he's out, not strong enough.. that may help India.
It's so hard to judge whether a score is decent or not, as the conditions are so variable. My gut feeling is that India are slightly behind where they should be - no sixes since Rohit was out - but 3 good overs could change everything
Comments
I said earlier in this thread no team has won the world T20 with a perfect record and if we played NZ it would be a good omen. Still quietly optimistic we could actually win this. I wonder what the odds were on us winning the world T20 as we crashed out of the one day version...
And to be fair, unlike Australia, we have actually won the T20 WC before
Our team is very similar to WI, it really will come down to the toss I believe
Whoever we get, we get.. We'd stand more chance up against W.Indies this second time around though as it wouldn't be at the carpet that is Wankhede. Although we are a 'batting' team, Gayle on his day is different gravy.
None of this side is over 30 and the likes of Root, Roy, Buttler and Stokes are barely 25. Compare that to India, for example, with Dhoni, Yuvraj and Nehra all 35 plus and likely to be retiring from International cricket shortly or the West Indies who have Gayle and Samuels in a similar position.
We are also developing two separate sides - only Root and Stokes are automatic choices for the Test and one day teams. Compare that to South Africa who have ABV, Amla, Du Plessis, Duminy, de Kock, Steyn and Rabada featuring in both codes. This approach also allows our players to go off and fine tune their game at the IPL or Big Bash.
The Test side is of more concern especially as Broad and Anderson won't be able to go on forever. We have to hope that the likes of Finn, Topley and Wood will have stiffer competition for places in the foreseeable future otherwise our ability to bowl sides out along with out lack of obvious openers to partner Cook will be our achilles heel.
But let's embrace this success. I see no reason why this lot can't beat India or the West Indies. So long as we get Gayle or Kohli early that is.
Can't see us bowling as poorly as we did the first time around either.
If we get India I think we'd need to chase down a score to win. Think it would be difficult for our young team to defend a total out in the field away to India with all the pressure that would be on the occasion and the home support. You only have to look back at last year's 50 overs World Cup Final when Australia thrashed New Zealand in the final as it was played in Australia. Yet that same tournament New Zealand beat Australia in New Zealand. Had the Final been played in New Zealand who knows what the outcome would have been?
Definitely prefer West Indies but whoever we face our best chance is chasing a score.
Do you know that Cricket is the only sport where the islands are represented as West Indies ?
I would have kept Dhawan tho.
Incredible over.
India seem too scared to go aerial, WI won't have that problem.