World Test Championship Final.

[BGman]

New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (c), Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Devon Conway, Colin de Grandhomme, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Will Young


India extended squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha

Kiwi bosses have finally ran out of patience with Santner.
BC top 6:
Latham
Conway
Williamson
Taylor
Nicholls
Young.

Not convinced Gill has the technique to open against the moving new cherry in English conditions.
Indian top 6:
Rohit
Agarwal
Pujara
Kohli
Rahana
Gill

 

[t_94]

Would bet on India playing 5 bowlers

 

[Park cricketer]

Agarwal couldn't do the job as an opener in Australian conditions against the kookaburra, he'll do fu** all as an opener in English conditions against Boult/Southee with the Dukes or Broad and Anderson for that matter. His exaggeratedly high back lift and his head falling over to the offside would always mean he would be vulnerable to the inswinger. Gill will probably struggle in his debut tour too, but so would all the other alternatives. Gill also has a higher ceiling than all other alternatives.

Indian likely XI:

Gill
Rohit
Pujara
Kohli (c)
Rahane
Pant (wk)
Jadeja
Ashwin
Ishant
Siraj
Bumrah

Kohli is also known for making wacky selection decisions and he might also pick Shardul Thakur as the 4th seamer instead of one of the spinners (maybe Ashwin) due to the rainy conditions. Kohli's latest tweet suggests that Siraj and Ishant are very likely to play in the XI.

[Edit]: The Indian squad got just announced and no place for Shardul and Agarwal, which means the team I have listed out is the most likely XI.

As for the Kiwis, this would be their likely XI:

Latham
Conway
Williamson (c)
Taylor
Nicholls
Watling (wk)
CDG/Aijaz Patel
Jamieson
Wagner
Southee
Boult

The only question is whether they go with an all seam attack or pick a spinner. Gary Stead hinted at the spinner having a role in Southampton, but the weather might dictate an all seam attack, which is New Zealand's strength anyway. I think they will stick to their strengths and pick an all seam attack, which would be the correct decision imo.

Two very strong attacks against good batting but not without questions, particularly Indian batting which is known to collapse in these conditions. I predict a low scoring affair with the disciplined batting of the Kiwis seeing them to victory. Like Sam Curran in the 2018 series against India, a good lower order cameo with the bat by either Jamieson or CDG might prove to be the difference in the end.

 

[BGman]

Agarwal couldn't do the job as an opener in Australian conditions against the kookaburra,

Yeh checked his Aussie stats.. pretty poor. Has not even played in England. India has not picked any other openers so guess it is Gill. tho he has not been tested on English decks as yet either. I see him struggling against the seam and swing on the grassy tracks over there.. specially if the weather turns murky.

 

[BGman]

Gill also has a higher ceiling than all other alternatives.

You are generous with this bloke. His Aussie efforts came with plenty of luck. Plays too far away from his body which makes him a walking wicket.. specially behind the stumps. I see him holing out often to England's swing & seam maestros Anderson and Broad. Like all the Indians he will find Wood's pace worrisome. Pant will also struggle against the moving ball.

 

[Park cricketer]

You are generous with this bloke. His Aussie efforts came with plenty of luck. Plays too far away from his body which makes him a walking wicket.. specially behind the stumps. I see him holing out often to England's swing & seam maestros Anderson and Broad. Like all the Indians he will find Wood's pace worrisome. Pant will also struggle against the moving ball.

I don't remember his 91 at the Gabba chase having any chances. His debut innings was scratchy yes, but then again, it was a 21 year old lad making his debut in the boxing day test on a spicy wicket against Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc. In the same innings, he played a pull shot against Starc. I've never seen any Indian player play a pull shot to a 150 clicks pacer with so much authority in Australia, never mind a 21 year old lad. Indians do not struggle against pace, otherwise they wouldn't have won twice in a row in Australia. This is not the 90s anymore.

What they do struggle against is lateral movement - in the form of seam or swing movement. They have generally struggled in England and NZ because of this and I predict them to struggle in the final too, if the conditions favour seam and swing. Gill might struggle in England, but that would be no different to Kohli who had a terrible debut tour but look where he is now. Irrespective of whether he struggles in England or not, I expect him to rectify whatever issues he has along the way and go on to comfortably have a 10k run career.

 

[010203]

The umpires for this match are Richard Illingworth and Michael Gough while Richard Kettleborough is the 3rd umpire. Sadly, it looks rain will reign supreme during this test. If there is to be a winner, I'm leaning towards New Zealand but not with much confidence.

 

[Doss]

This is us: New Zealand's climb to the top

From whingers no one liked to opponents every one adores, New Zealand are the feel-good drama we all want to binge on

www.thecricketmonthly.com

A really great read on NZ's rise.

 

[Gethelred]

You are generous with this bloke. His Aussie efforts came with plenty of luck. Plays too far away from his body which makes him a walking wicket.. specially behind the stumps. I see him holing out often to England's swing & seam maestros Anderson and Broad. Like all the Indians he will find Wood's pace worrisome. Pant will also struggle against the moving ball.

You are unkind to this bloke.

He's got about as good an eye as any in the game, he is exceedingly difficult to stop scoring, and the longer he's out there the harder he is to get out. I don't know what else you look for in an opener, but he complements Sharma near perfectly as such a dominant front foot player.

 

[Park cricketer]

You are unkind to this bloke.

He's got about as good an eye as any in the game, he is exceedingly difficult to stop scoring, and the longer he's out there the harder he is to get out. I don't know what else you look for in an opener, but he complements Sharma near perfectly as such a dominant front foot player.

Gill does have certain chinks in his technique, but even Kohli kept getting out around the off stump in the early part of his career. So I think it's harsh to write off Gill's career because of any chinks in his technique he may have now. Besides, in the longer run, I expect him to take Kohli's spot at no.4 after his retirement.

 

[Gethelred]

Gill does have certain chinks in his technique, but even Kohli kept getting out around the off stump in the early part of his career. So I think it's harsh to write off Gill's career because of any chinks in his technique he may have now. Besides, in the longer run, I expect him to take Kohli's spot at no.4 after his retirement.

There is no-one in existence who has a perfect technique. I think technical flaws are overemphasized in this sport; what matters more is how you go about mitigating your flaws and find a way to keep scoring or get off strike.

Cook had a clear flaw the entire way through his career; he could be forced into playing outside off stump. But sometimes he had the self control to avoid it, and when he managed to do so he was as close to impossible to get out as any who has ever played the game.

It is in the idiosyncrasies that cricket becomes worthwhile to watch. If all bats were just computers, it'd be far less interesting.

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

Pretty nervous about NZ's chances in the final, then I read Tim "wait til we get you to the Gabba" Paine's prediction.

WTC Final: Tim Paine backs India to defeat New Zealand ‘pretty comfortably’

Australia have lost two home Test series against India under Tim Paine’s leadership

www.crictracker.com

Feeling better about our chances now.

 

[Gethelred]

Pretty nervous about NZ's chances in the final, then I read Tim "wait til we get you to the Gabba" Paine's prediction.

WTC Final: Tim Paine backs India to defeat New Zealand ‘pretty comfortably’

Australia have lost two home Test series against India under Tim Paine’s leadership

www.crictracker.com

Feeling better about our chances now.

I don't know why you would take that personally. India's best cricket is arguably better than NZ, NZ have an utter inability to beat Australia at the moment despite being pretty ******* strong. He's allowed to have an opinion, and any opinion he gives here will get criticised.

I mean, I'm going to be supporting NZ because I like the way they play using their heads instead of simply being more talented/better, but while I expect NZ to win it's because they've been in England for a bit (ie, they've got a decent hold over the conditions) and because those conditions are not ones to which India is suited.

 

[Park cricketer]

I do think India are a more rounded team (great spin attack on top of a very good seam attack) and a bit better than NZ purely because they can beat NZ in more conditions across the world than vice versa.

But England and NZ are two places where India will start as the underdogs against the Kiwis because of NZ's experience of playing in conditions where there's swing and seam movement and their seam attack suited to exploit the same. India might have started as favourites if the match had happened in Australia or anywhere in asia, but in English conditions (& NZ), NZ would always start the favourites.

 

[Santana]

I would be more worried about Rohit scoring runs than Gill. We already know what Rohit can't do in these kinds of conditions.

 

[BGman]

Gill does have certain chinks in his technique

That is what I was saying. Correct, that no one has the perfect technique.. even the greats..Ponting for one. But a chink in your armor and a clever bowler will work on it. I expect Anderson and Broad will or already have identified Gill's flaws and will wear away at them during the series.. Pants flaws as well. These two can collar an attack if you are ragged tho.

 

[Westend]

Ummmm

If there is rain about on a seaming wicket could suit the kiwis ....India could get ambushed

 

[jle101]

Looking more forward to this than I expected. If Shami gets selected, I can see him being an absolute weapon in those slippery English conditions.

 

[corbies]

Pretty nervous about NZ's chances in the final, then I read Tim "wait til we get you to the Gabba" Paine's prediction.

WTC Final: Tim Paine backs India to defeat New Zealand ‘pretty comfortably’

Australia have lost two home Test series against India under Tim Paine’s leadership

www.crictracker.com

Feeling better about our chances now.

For a country who constantly point out that they are the nicest, most humble nation on the planet my god there has been a lot of sledging of Tim Paine over an absolutely nothing comment where he said who he thought would win after being asked who he thought would win.

 

[Maybe Tomorrow]

For a country who constantly point out that they are the nicest, most humble nation on the planet my god there has been a lot of sledging of Tim Paine over an absolutely nothing comment where he said who he thought would win after being asked who he thought would win.

Has there?

Surely Australians wouldn't get precious about so-called sledging? Would they?

Was that even sledging?

 

[corbies]

Has there?

Surely Australians wouldn't get precious about so-called sledging? Would they?

Was that even sledging?

Go and have a look at the comments of the video posted by CA on twitter. A heap of TVNZ journalists (for some reason) getting stuck into him about not having a test century.

It's not the sledging I have a problem with it's the hypocrisy.

 

[Santana]

The hypocrisy is not that surprising though. Aussie Cricket lives forever rent-free in these nice guys' minds.

 

[Santana]

Go and have a look at the comments of the video posted by CA on twitter. A heap of TVNZ journalists (for some reason) getting stuck into him about not having a test century.

It's not the sledging I have a problem with it's the hypocrisy.

*, you weren't kidding. The salt is real....

 

[BGman]

Ummmm

If there is rain about on a seaming wicket could suit the kiwis ....India could get ambushed

Ian Smith said June in England is akin to Kiwi conditions.. Expect he meant if moist, cloud cover, green deck. Yes then I can see India struggling against the Kiwi attack.. all of whom swing or seam the cherry. Did I read that the Aussie Kooka is being used and not the English Dukes?

 

[Santana]

Ian Smith said June in England is akin to Kiwi conditions.. Expect he meant if moist, cloud cover, green deck. Yes then I can see India struggling against the Kiwi attack.. all of whom swing or seam the cherry. Did I read that the Aussie Kooka is being used and not the English Dukes?

India was using Dukes during their training so it must be using Dukes for the final.