Test Cricket Prediction and Discussion Thread [self - mod]

[eaLiTy]

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Shakib is not available for this series?

Bangladesh is competetive team in home competition but Pakistan is not alien to subcontinent and they are not SENA countires. Without Shakib i'm not sure if Bangladesh is capable to compete against Pakistan. I would be very surprise if they successfully pull this off somehow.

I doubt Shakib Al Hasan will be fit enough to play the first match even though he is included in the squad, he is the main player in the team for Bangladesh but Pakistan is a much better team as they are good players of spin, Bangladesh usually troubles teams who has a weakness to play spin and i doubt they could spin the same web against India or Pakistan.

[romero121]

* KL Rahul is ruled out from the Test series against Kiwis due to injury.
* Surya Kumar added into the squad
* Good chance of Jadeja-Ashwin-Axar trio playing together.

Kiwis squad

* 5 spinners in their squad. (Ajaz Patel , Mitchell Santner, Will Somerville Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips)

Kane Williamson (c), Tom Blundell (wk), Devon Conway, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Will Somerville, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Will Young, Neil Wagner

KL Rahul being ruled out is a big blow though Jadeja-Axar-Ashwin trio could help India in a big way. Great opportunity for players like Axar, Sky etc to prove themselves in the test format in my opinion.

Williamson, Santner, Phillips, Jamieson and Southee are the players to look out for from the NZ squad based on my research.

The match has created some expectation looking after the squad. Most players were on rest, and India making a win in the first test might create space for the India B team, because lot many able players are available and haven't getting opportunity. Entry of Rahul Dravid is making big things in the team. Probably his experience will help Indian players tackle any situation.

[Sithara007]

I guess this time it is going to be an one sided match. New Zealand has the upper hand when they plays at home, but they always struggle under subcontinental conditions. On top of that, some of their key bowlers like Lockie Ferguson are not available. Kyle Jamieson should be leading the attack, as he depends more on pace and bounce compared to the medium pacers. Feeling excited for Shreyas Iyer, as I have always believed that he is the right person to succeed Kohli as the captain of the Indian team in the long run.

[laurenB7742]

I guess this time it is going to be an one sided match. New Zealand has the upper hand when they plays at home, but they always struggle under subcontinental conditions. On top of that, some of their key bowlers like Lockie Ferguson are not available. Kyle Jamieson should be leading the attack, as he depends more on pace and bounce compared to the medium pacers. Feeling excited for Shreyas Iyer, as I have always believed that he is the right person to succeed Kohli as the captain of the Indian team in the long run.

I agree with you. The match will be one-sided and India will win. India is always strong at their home ground. Without a strong squad and good performance, it is almost impossible f to win against them. Moreover, after a poor performance in the World Cup, the Indian players are now hungry, they will want to beat New Zealand by any means. Moreover, without Furguson, New Zealand's bowling lineup will be a bit weak.

[pakhitheboss]

I guess this time it is going to be an one sided match. New Zealand has the upper hand when they plays at home, but they always struggle under subcontinental conditions. On top of that, some of their key bowlers like Lockie Ferguson are not available. Kyle Jamieson should be leading the attack, as he depends more on pace and bounce compared to the medium pacers. Feeling excited for Shreyas Iyer, as I have always believed that he is the right person to succeed Kohli as the captain of the Indian team in the long run.

I agree with you. The match will be one-sided and India will win. India is always strong at their home ground. Without a strong squad and good performance, it is almost impossible f to win against them. Moreover, after a poor performance in the World Cup, the Indian players are now hungry, they will want to beat New Zealand by any means. Moreover, without Furguson, New Zealand's bowling lineup will be a bit weak.

Other than playing in the home ground I do not think there is much advantage for the Indian team. Test match is a completely different game and only the team that has skills can win it. Indian team is god but you cannot underestimate the Newzealand side too.

[JSRAW]

I guess this time it is going to be an one sided match. New Zealand has the upper hand when they plays at home, but they always struggle under subcontinental conditions. On top of that, some of their key bowlers like Lockie Ferguson are not available. Kyle Jamieson should be leading the attack, as he depends more on pace and bounce compared to the medium pacers. Feeling excited for Shreyas Iyer, as I have always believed that he is the right person to succeed Kohli as the captain of the Indian team in the long run.

Lockie Ferguson is not test player for starters so nothing to worry about as far as NZ is concern.

I really like that NZ also went with 3 spinners. You play according to conditions and that's very positive approach when you play in the subcontinent. Should be good contest and new kind of challenge for Kiwis's spin department.

PS : Surprisingly India also starting winning toss ( 4 toss back to back) 3 T-20 and this test also.

[Sithara007]

As expected, India is off to a very strong start. The partnership between Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara is now worth 61 runs. Pujara is taking a bit of time, so things are getting boring out there. BTW, surprised to see William Somerville in the bowling attack. Who is this guy? This is the first time I am hearing about him. I have seen Rachin Ravindra before, in a few matches. For pace bowling, they have just two options - Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee. Quite surprised to see the playing XI from New Zealand. 

[pakhitheboss]

As expected, India is off to a very strong start. The partnership between Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara is now worth 61 runs. Pujara is taking a bit of time, so things are getting boring out there. BTW, surprised to see William Somerville in the bowling attack. Who is this guy? This is the first time I am hearing about him. I have seen Rachin Ravindra before, in a few matches. For pace bowling, they have just two options - Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee. Quite surprised to see the playing XI from New Zealand. 

Now they are down by 2 wickets, what were they expecting? They need to realize it is test cricket and at least they need to stay on the wicket for 4 hours or more. These guys are so used to T20 format that they tend to forget what format they are playing. I expected Shubham Gill to stay on the pitch more. There was no need to score runs like that 5 fours and 1 six.

[teosanru]

I guess this time it is going to be an one sided match. New Zealand has the upper hand when they plays at home, but they always struggle under subcontinental conditions. On top of that, some of their key bowlers like Lockie Ferguson are not available. Kyle Jamieson should be leading the attack, as he depends more on pace and bounce compared to the medium pacers. Feeling excited for Shreyas Iyer, as I have always believed that he is the right person to succeed Kohli as the captain of the Indian team in the long run.

Lockie Ferguson is not test player for starters so nothing to worry about as far as NZ is concern.

I really like that NZ also went with 3 spinners. You play according to conditions and that's very positive approach when you play in the subcontinent. Should be good contest and new kind of challenge for Kiwis's spin department.

PS : Surprisingly India also starting winning toss ( 4 toss back to back) 3 T-20 and this test also.

Haha yes people are definitely going to doubt Kohli's Luck on toss now  Talking about the day, Iyer has been really fascinating today, he has played a few bad shots here and there but was lucky enough to get away with them, apart from that he has been in excellent touch, but unfortunately he will still have to sit out of the next match when Kohli steps in unless the team is planning to send Shubham Gill out, This is something I really hate about the Indian team, you can score a 300 and will still be dropped from the team because there is a senior player who has scored good runs in the past. I still feel bad for Karun Nair every day, just a couple of bad matches and boom he was nowhere in the team. On the other Hand, Shubhman Gill hasn't played any extraordinary innings so far and still has sort of a fixed spot in playing XI.

[Juggy777]

I guess this time it is going to be an one sided match. New Zealand has the upper hand when they plays at home, but they always struggle under subcontinental conditions. On top of that, some of their key bowlers like Lockie Ferguson are not available. Kyle Jamieson should be leading the attack, as he depends more on pace and bounce compared to the medium pacers. Feeling excited for Shreyas Iyer, as I have always believed that he is the right person to succeed Kohli as the captain of the Indian team in the long run.

Lockie Ferguson is not test player for starters so nothing to worry about as far as NZ is concern.

I really like that NZ also went with 3 spinners. You play according to conditions and that's very positive approach when you play in the subcontinent. Should be good contest and new kind of challenge for Kiwis's spin department.

PS : Surprisingly India also starting winning toss ( 4 toss back to back) 3 T-20 and this test also.

Haha yes people are definitely going to doubt Kohli's Luck on toss now   Talking about the day, Iyer has been really fascinating today, he has played a few bad shots here and there but was lucky enough to get away with them, apart from that he has been in excellent touch, but unfortunately he will still have to sit out of the next match when Kohli steps in unless the team is planning to send Shubham Gill out, This is something I really hate about the Indian team, you can score a 300 and will still be dropped from the team because there is a senior player who has scored good runs in the past. I still feel bad for Karun Nair every day, just a couple of bad matches and boom he was nowhere in the team. On the other Hand, Shubhman Gill hasn't played any extraordinary innings so far and still has sort of a fixed spot in playing XI.

@teosanru it may have happened in the past where a player had to make way for senior player, but under Dravid coaching I feel Iyer will be rewarded with a spot in the playing 11 provided he scores a century. Also don’t get me wrong he’s played exceptionally well today, but scoring a century will put the pressure on coach and captain to retain him, hence I feel that he needs to score a century to secure his spot for the next match.

[galambo]

Now they are down by 2 wickets, what were they expecting? They need to realize it is test cricket and at least they need to stay on the wicket for 4 hours or more. These guys are so used to T20 format that they tend to forget what format they are playing. I expected Shubham Gill to stay on the pitch more. There was no need to score runs like that 5 fours and 1 six.

Excessive T20 has changed mindset of players and they now they consider test and odi with same T20 mind. But India has recovered well they are 258/4 in 84 overs. Seems like they will get to 350 quite easily from here onwards. Lyer is looking for his debut test 100, lets see whether he do that or not.

[JSRAW]

I guess this time it is going to be an one sided match. New Zealand has the upper hand when they plays at home, but they always struggle under subcontinental conditions. On top of that, some of their key bowlers like Lockie Ferguson are not available. Kyle Jamieson should be leading the attack, as he depends more on pace and bounce compared to the medium pacers. Feeling excited for Shreyas Iyer, as I have always believed that he is the right person to succeed Kohli as the captain of the Indian team in the long run.

Lockie Ferguson is not test player for starters so nothing to worry about as far as NZ is concern.

I really like that NZ also went with 3 spinners. You play according to conditions and that's very positive approach when you play in the subcontinent. Should be good contest and new kind of challenge for Kiwis's spin department.

PS : Surprisingly India also starting winning toss ( 4 toss back to back) 3 T-20 and this test also.

Haha yes people are definitely going to doubt Kohli's Luck on toss now  Talking about the day, Iyer has been really fascinating today, he has played a few bad shots here and there but was lucky enough to get away with them, apart from that he has been in excellent touch, but unfortunately he will still have to sit out of the next match when Kohli steps in unless the team is planning to send Shubham Gill out, This is something I really hate about the Indian team, you can score a 300 and will still be dropped from the team because there is a senior player who has scored good runs in the past. I still feel bad for Karun Nair every day, just a couple of bad matches and boom he was nowhere in the team. On the other Hand, Shubhman Gill hasn't played any extraordinary innings so far and still has sort of a fixed spot in playing XI.

They should stick with the same squad even if they lose. I don't mind Kohli resting one more match, i would prefer if these youngsters gets the big rope at least at home condition. If Kohli's presence is important at home then may be rest Pujara or Rahane but not youngster.

Selection criteria is becoming big mess because of talent pool. Fans are having hard time selecting their playing XI so i can understand how selectors coping with the pressure. Opener slot back up seems full to me, considering Rohit, KL Rahul, Shubman, Mayank and Prithvi are on rotation. Middle order back up seems shaky as we have only 2 batters Vihari and new guy Shreyas. I think in longer run Shubman might start batting at 3 (after Pujara). 

[Mahdirakib]

West Indies scored 230 runs in their first innings and lost 6 wickets for 52 runs in the second innings. And looking at their batting, it doesn't look like they will be able to score a total of 100 runs in the second innings. They will be defeated by more than 250 runs. Sri Lanka is not a very strong team, such a poor performance against Sri Lanka is very shameful.

Finally West Indies made 160 runs before getting all out. They have lost the game by 187 runs, but they have done a good comeback in the second innings. Because they had lost their first six wickets in just 18 runs. Sri Lankan team isn't weak actually, they have some experienced players. And both teams have same quality players. West Indies team need a better guideline and coach. Otherwise they won't be able to do well.

Day one ended in favour of India. I think they will collect more than 400 runs in their first innings. And it will be enough to maintain the dominance in the game. I thought India will struggle when they lost their 4th wicket. But the new player Shreyas Iyer has made a good partnership with Jadeja.

[BALIK]

At the end of the first day, India scored 256 runs losing only 4 wickets. The decision to bat after winning the toss was right. They are batting well enough. At the end of the first day I think it will be a one-sided match. India will collect huge runs in the first innings. At the same time, they seem to be able to beat New Zealand by a large margin. I think India will win, I think the chances of a draw are low.

[Vaskiy]

At the end of the first day, India scored 256 runs losing only 4 wickets. The decision to bat after winning the toss was right. They are batting well enough. At the end of the first day I think it will be a one-sided match. India will collect huge runs in the first innings. At the same time, they seem to be able to beat New Zealand by a large margin. I think India will win, I think the chances of a draw are low.

In tomorrow's first session if there is no wicket fall, easily India will reach 400 runs by the second day end. If there is wicket fall, automatically the scoring speed will decrease. This takes more time to reach 400 runs. New Zealand is a strong team and they won't easily fall to India. If it gets a strong opening there is more chance of match ending in draw than win from either of the team.

[Haunebu]

In tomorrow's first session if there is no wicket fall, easily India will reach 400 runs by the second day end. If there is wicket fall, automatically the scoring speed will decrease. This takes more time to reach 400 runs. New Zealand is a strong team and they won't easily fall to India. If it gets a strong opening there is more chance of match ending in draw than win from either of the team.

NZ morale is low currently due to the recent World Cup final loss which is why I don't expect them to defeat India or draw the match especially considering the fact that almost all Indian batsmen are playing well at the moment.

Jamieson is the only NZ bowler who is performing well and I have no idea why such a world-class bowler wasn't part of the T-20 World Cup lineup.

[ene1980]

Finally West Indies made 160 runs before getting all out. They have lost the game by 187 runs, but they have done a good comeback in the second innings. Because they had lost their first six wickets in just 18 runs. Sri Lankan team isn't weak actually, they have some experienced players. And both teams have same quality players. West Indies team need a better guideline and coach. Otherwise they won't be able to do well.

The odds for a draw were much higher even though they lost their wickets during the match and i was not confident to place a bet on a Sri Lankan victory as the weather was also not that great as there were signs of rains and the West Indies tail end players tried their best to delay the match by playing long innings and somehow Sri Lanka were able to break their partnership.

Day one ended in favour of India. I think they will collect more than 400 runs in their first innings. And it will be enough to maintain the dominance in the game. I thought India will struggle when they lost their 4th wicket. But the new player Shreyas Iyer has made a good partnership with Jadeja.

The morning session will determine whether India will post well beyond 400 runs or will stumble around.

[7788bitcoin]

NZ morale is low currently due to the recent World Cup final loss which is why I don't expect them to defeat India or draw the match especially considering the fact that almost all Indian batsmen are playing well at the moment.

Jamieson is the only NZ bowler who is performing well and I have no idea why such a world-class bowler wasn't part of the T-20 World Cup lineup.

I do not think about the morale that is the issue here, too much cricket and some of the players are resting from this match and India is not playing their best team either. I am not sure about the Jamieson situation and why he was not part of the World Cup team. The spinners will be important once the match goes to the third and fourth day and lets see how the match goes.

[pakhitheboss]

NZ morale is low currently due to the recent World Cup final loss which is why I don't expect them to defeat India or draw the match especially considering the fact that almost all Indian batsmen are playing well at the moment.

Jamieson is the only NZ bowler who is performing well and I have no idea why such a world-class bowler wasn't part of the T-20 World Cup lineup.

I do not think about the morale that is the issue here, too much cricket and some of the players are resting from this match and India is not playing their best team either. I am not sure about the Jamieson situation and why he was not part of the World Cup team. The spinners will be important once the match goes to the third and fourth day and lets see how the match goes.

You cannot judge a teams performance on day one. There is plenty of cricket still left in this match. Day one India has already lost 4 wickets and after these two, who are on the pitch, not much batting is left. Ravichandran Ashwin can still bat and I am expecting them to score more than 350 runs. Day two would be interesting as Shreyash Iyer is on 75 run and can easily reach 100.

[Sithara007]

You cannot judge a teams performance on day one. There is plenty of cricket still left in this match. Day one India has already lost 4 wickets and after these two, who are on the pitch, not much batting is left. Ravichandran Ashwin can still bat and I am expecting them to score more than 350 runs. Day two would be interesting as Shreyash Iyer is on 75 run and can easily reach 100.

I am surprised about one aspect. It was supposed to be a pitch that is supportive to the spinners. But all the 4 wickets which fell on the first day went to the pace bowlers. Kyle Jamieson picked up three (which is not surprising, since I have always considered him to be the best bowler in NZ), and Tim Southee picked up the sole remaining wicket. The spinners (Ajaz Patel, William Somerville and part-timer Rachin Ravindra) conceded a total of 166 runs and yet went wicketless. Did they erred by dropping Neil Wagner? Also I thought that Mitchell Santner would have been a better option instead of Somerville.