India v Pakistan, 2nd ODI, Mohali, 8th Nov

Any changes for either team? I think Pakistan might consider opening with Afridi, with Akmal dropping down the order. India will be unchanged.

Maybe Sehwag in for one of the pacers, otherwise unchanged.

Sourav
Sachin
Sehwag
Yuvraj
Gambhir
Dhoni
Uthappa
Pathan
Zak/RP
Bhajji
MKartik

would be my team.

Then again, this is Mohali and it has helped seamers a few times, then I'd drop Kartik.

Surely if a spinner is going to be dropped then it should be Harbhajan? Kartik at least tries to take wickets, and he is consistently looking more dangerous than Bhajji these days.

He's played only 4 matches, too early to say he's looking consistently more dangerous than Bhajji. I have seen Kartik bowl well in the last few games, but the utter crap he has bowled previously in an India shirt is also fresh in my memory. And Harbhajan does a very decent job as the spinner in ODIs, hardly gives away ay runs and has started taking wickets as well.

harbhajan doesnt take enough wickets but his economy of 4.12 in this era is superb.

zaheer should go imo. stats:

since - avg
------------
wc2003 - 34 (>50% of his odi matches)
2004 - 36
2006 - 37

his economys gone up too. save him for tests. the spinners and IKP do the containing job well enough, need a couple of wicket takers in there

the batting line up is looking good doremi - dhoni/uthappa/pathan at 6/7/8 is scary for the opposition

I'm with Ash, Zaheer should be dropped he just isn't picking up wickets. Harbhajan is a similar case but he doesn't give away too many runs.

My XI:

Tendulkar
Ganguly
Gambhir
Yuvraj
Dhoni
Uthappa
Pathan
Sreesanth
Harbhajan
Kartik
RP Singh

Apart from that match against Aussies at Mumbai on a bowler friendly pitch, Zaheer hasn't done anything in ODIs of late.

I'd preserve him for tests, especially considering we're scheduled to play highest no. of tests during next year or so.

Aathma wrote:I'm with Ash, Zaheer should be dropped he just isn't picking up wickets. Harbhajan is a similar case but he doesn't give away too many runs.

My XI:

Tendulkar
Ganguly
Gambhir
Yuvraj
Dhoni
Uthappa
Pathan
Sreesanth
Harbhajan
Kartik
RP Singh

Although Gambhir has got Dhoni's nod currently, but he isn't anywhere near India's top-20 ODI bats.

Sehwag over him any day of the week, who is not only a far far better bat than Gambhir but also a very handy off spinner.

Zaheer has beaten the bat a lot of late and hasnt had much luck, and unlike the other Indian seamers, he can at least be relied upon to go for less than 60 in his 10 overs.

Henry wrote:he can at least be relied upon to go for less than 60 in his 10 overs.

If thats the only thing we gain from him playing ODIs after ODIs, then we better save him for tests.

My XI:

Tendulkar
Ganguly
Gambhir
Yuvraj
Dhoni
Uthappa
Pathan
Aquacker
Harbhajan
Kartik
RP Singh

-fixed-

As per reports Sehwag may be brought in at the expense of one spinner.

Sounds about right to me. 2 specialist spinners at Mohali and that too in November, doesn't sound right.

You just love Agarkar, don't you horace?

yep...most under rated indian cricketer...takes wickets, good fielder, good bat ('cept against Oz)....seems

yep...most under rated indian cricketer...takes wickets, good fielder, good bat ('cept against Oz)....seems a

good team player

Sehwag himself is almost as good as a specialist spinner.

And dropping Zaheer won't be a bad idea, he seems to need a kick every once in a while to get him to perform to potential.

doremi wrote:Sehwag himself is almost as good as a specialist spinner.

And dropping Zaheer won't be a bad idea, he seems to need a kick every once in a while to get him to perform to potential.

did that help ganguly?

doremi wrote:Sehwag himself is almost as good as a specialist spinner.

But we'll still go by that senseless 5-bowler policy.

Indian team for last 3 ODIs is also to be announced today.

As per a selector, chances are that Dravid will still have to wait for his turn to play next ODI.

Also the test captain. Every news channel has a different view on who it's going to be. .

As for Dravid, they're making a mistake by leaving him out IMO.

Dhoni wins toss and elects to bat first.

As expected Sehwag replaces Kartik.

India: 1/73 in 13.4 overs.