Border Gavaskar Trophy, India v Australia, 4th Test 9-13 March, 1430hrs at Ahmedabad

[Gough]

India from, Rohit Sharma (Captain), K L Rahul, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat.
Australia from, Steve Smith (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Mitchell Starc, Matt Kuhnemann.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Unchanged side you’d assume

 

[MatthewB]

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Unchanged side you’d assume

2 different pitches on offer, pitch may decide if there is a change. But if it looks to be a dry spinner again, then I’d be inclined to believe you.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Apparently there is 2 wickets on offer

 

[western royboy]

Watering Cans!!!! WTF!!!

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Watering Cans!!!! WTF!!!

Old school

I like it

Does a donkey pull the roller?

 

[doggies ftw]

So these campaigners actually do have water hey, what a surprise

 

[LukeParkerno1]

2 different pitches on offer, pitch may decide if there is a change. But if it looks to be a dry spinner again, then I’d be inclined to believe you.

Think regardless the 3 spin/2 pace is the formula. Green is basically a front line quick and Marnus bowls seam up if need be

 

[MatthewB]

Apparently there is 2 wickets on offer

The 2 pitches look similar

 

[danielnajdek]

India being dodgy yet again.

 

[grumbleguts]

So these campaigners actually do have water hey, what a surprise

It's probably not water, but a glyphosate solution.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

The 2 pitches look similar

Different soil according to reports, and possible to mow one right down to dry out.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Think regardless the 3 spin/2 pace is the formula. Green is basically a front line quick and Marnus bowls seam up if need be

More than likely, wouldn’t quite call green a frontline quick just yet. Amazing potential though. I’ll be very interested to see which pitch and in what condition it’s in on match day.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

More than likely, wouldn’t quite call green a frontline quick just yet. Amazing potential though. I’ll be very interested to see which pitch and in what condition it’s in on match day.

Did get a 5 for in Melbourne, if he’s given a good bowl he is just that our captains have underbowled him massively

If we go the two spinners only I’d gamble on Morris- Kuhermann and Lyon the spinners. However I’d go the 3.

 

[Richard Cranium]

The 2 pitches look similar

Do they?

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Did get a 5 for in Melbourne, if he’s given a good bowl he is just that our captains have underbowled him massively

If we go the two spinners only I’d gamble on Morris- Kuhermann and Lyon the spinners. However I’d go the 3.

Like I said, a serious talent, just not yet a genuine front line quick. That is the hard part, which spinner do you drop? The Indian batsman seem to be genuinely worried by Murphy, 16 overs for 18 runs shows this, but Kuhnemann gives us that left arm option - genuine damned if you do type situation.

 

[Mop]

Like I said, a serious talent, just not yet a genuine front line quick. That is the hard part, which spinner do you drop? The Indian batsman seem to be genuinely worried by Morris, 16 overs for 18 runs shows this, but Kuhnemann gives us that left arm option - genuine damned if you do type situation.

The one thing I don't like is that of our options, none of them can bat much.
Even with Cam Green, our tail feels long. Starc and Lyon can bat, but losing Cummins for Kunhemann or Murphy or even Boland is a big batting downgrade in a country where every run counts.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

The one thing I don't like is that of our options, none of them can bat much.
Even with Cam Green, our tail feels long. Starc and Lyon can bat, but losing Cummins for Kunhemann or Murphy or even Boland is a big batting downgrade in a country where every run counts.

Not sure I agree entirely. A tail making runs shouldn’t be something you rely on, and I don’t think picking a team that way is a good idea. Moot point anyway, Cummins has more important things to worry about, and isn’t available.

 

[11kgm]

I would be giving Morris or Boland a gig over Starc but most likely unchanged

 

[gustaaf]

Preparing two pitches to choose from takes pitch doctoring to a whole new level. Now the Indians will have two to choose from on the basis of what will best suit them, just in case one of them wasn't as advantageous as they'd like. Will the ICC ever step in on how pitches are blatantly being prepared to unreasonably and unfairly manipulate results?

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Like I said, a serious talent, just not yet a genuine front line quick. That is the hard part, which spinner do you drop? The Indian batsman seem to be genuinely worried by Morris, 16 overs for 18 runs shows this, but Kuhnemann gives us that left arm option - genuine damned if you do type situation.

If we go two spinners I’d go Kuhermann and Lyon as the two. Bare in mind you do have Head who is a handy third option.

 

[Mop]

Not sure I agree entirely. A tail making runs shouldn’t be something you rely on, and I don’t think picking a team that way is a good idea. Moot point anyway, Cummins has more important things to worry about, and isn’t available.

Oh don't get me wrong, I'm not saying pick a team because of it, I just don't like the long tail. I am also well aware Cummins is unavailable, and we also have no alternative options on the bench either.

 

[Mop]

I would be giving Morris or Boland a gig over Starc but most likely unchanged

..what?

Starc was brutal when he bowled in the first innings. On a spinners pitch he had them scared. Boland is a good bowler, but he's not your sole strike bowler in this state.

 

[craffles]

..what?

Starc was brutal when he bowled in the first innings. On a spinners pitch he had them scared. Boland is a good bowler, but he's not your sole strike bowler in this state.

This. If you’re going in with one strike bowler it has to be Starc