zimcricketforums.com

Williamson, Bennett in Test squad
New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson and fast bowlers Hamish Bennett and Andy McKay, three uncapped players, have been included in the Test squad for the three-match tour of India beginning in Ahmedabad on November 4. The 15-man team also includes batsman Martin Guptill, who was in Zimbabwe with the New Zealand A team while the national side was being drubbed 4-0 in an ODI series in Bangladesh.

"Kane Williamson is an impressive young talent and his game continues to improve with his involvement in the New Zealand team, while Bennett did everything asked of him on the recent tour of Bangladesh and offers the side a genuine pace option," New Zealand coach and selector Mark Greatbatch said.

Williamson was one batsman to emerge with any credit from New Zealand's disastrous trip to Bangladesh, scoring his maiden ODI century in one of the defeats. Bennett picked up three wickets at 24.33 apiece in the two matches he played. Guptill as well as five other players - Brent Arnel, Chris Martin, Tim McIntosh, Gareth Hopkins and Jeetan Patel - will travel to India from Zimbabwe, where they have been playing four-day matches for New Zealand A.

"The group of players coming from Zimbabwe have had the ideal preparation with three hard-fought matches in difficult conditions," Greatbatch said. "The rest of the squad have been training hard and are keen to prove that they are better that the recent performances in Bangladesh."

The tour of India, the No. 1 ranked Test side, will be a testing one for New Zealand, especially after their disheartening performances in the slow and spinner-friendly conditions in Bangladesh. "We are well aware that we are recent performances are not up to scratch and we need to improve if we are to compete with a very strong Indian side - the team is determined to do so," Greatbatch said. "Players outside the 15 will continue to be considered and we will closely monitor performances in the Plunket Shield. The door has not closed for any player."

New Zealand's previous Test series was at home against Australia in March 2010. Three players - Mathew Sinclair, Peter Ingram, and James Franklin - were cut from the squad for that series.

Squad: Daniel Vettori (capt), Brent Arnel, Hamish Bennett, Martin Guptill, Gareth Hopkins, Chris Martin, Brendon McCullum, Tim McIntosh, Andy McKay, Jeetan Patel, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson.

Gambhir, Ishant and Laxman return for Tests
Gambhir, VVS Laxman and Ishant Sharma have recovered from injuries that kept them out of the second Test against Australia, and are included in India's squad for the three-Test series against New Zealand, which begins on November 4 in Ahmedabad. That Cheteshwar Pujara and M Vijay filled in superbly for Laxman and Gambhir in Bangalore made this a straightforward selection, with both of them retaining their places in the 15-member squad. Amit Mishra and Sreesanth will be the reserve spinner and seamer respectively.

All three returning players missed parts of the first Test in Mohali. Gambhir and Ishant struggled with knee injuries, and Laxman back spasms. Taking injections and painkilling tablets, Laxman and Ishant took India to an improbable win with an 81-run ninth-wicket stand on the final day. All three sat out of the second Test in Bangalore. Gambhir and Laxman have had to struggle with injury over the year: Laxman had to fight back spasms during his match-winning century in August at the P Sara Oval, a Test Gambhir missed.

No one will complain if Gambhir and Laxman walk into the side, but during their absence in Bangalore, Vijay and Pujara did enough to show they were ready should they be needed again. Vijay scored a century after India were 38 for 2 in the first innings, and Pujara smashed 72 off 89 balls from No. 3 in the successful chase of 207. Both were good in close-in positions in the field. Sreesanth, who bowled better than his figures of 0 for 79 and 2 for 48 might suggest, will be easier to replace by Ishant.

In what could be another good sign, India chose to go without any back-up wicketkeeper. That could mean MS Dhoni is more confident of his fitness after back trouble and a finger injury meant India had to pick a back-up keeper for the home series against South Africa and the Sri Lanka tour earlier this year.

With the first-choice XI presumably fit, and the reserves looking good for more responsibilities, this is perhaps the strongest Indian Test side, given the conditions, in a long time.

Kris Srikkanth, chairman of the Indian selection committee, was pleased with the exploits of the injury replacements who played against Australia, and looked forward to more success against New Zealand. "The team had performed extremely well against the Australians in both the Tests and one-day series. Particularly, the Bangalore Test was the icing on the cake. The junior players have gelled well with the seniors. I am confident that our players will continue their victory march."

India: MS Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag (vice-capt), Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Cheteshwar Pujara, M Vijay, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Sreesanth, Pragyan Ojha, Amit Mishra

New Zealand is winning in the polls at least.

India 135/1 (35.3 ov, R Dravid 15*, V Sehwag 92*, HK Bennett 0/22)

bernett and williamson debut for kiwis.

Hamish Bennett is our next candidate in the search for the next Shane Bond.

India 487 & 82/6 (40.0 ov)

New Zealand 459

India lead by 110 runs with 4 wickets remaining


india strugging here.

Chris Martin, what a bowler. Not got the pace he once had, but boy can he swing a cricket ball. Well bowled lad

First test ends in draw,

thanks to harbhajan.

sloandog wrote:Chris Martin, what a bowler. Not got the pace he once had, but boy can he swing a cricket ball. Well bowled lad

Chris Martin is a solid bowler. He is also part of a dying breed - the classic number 11 with the bat. His really is appaling with the bat. His batting wasn't developed early on his career with his provincial side Canterbury. He used to bike to practice and thus there was no room for him to bring his bat - so he never spent any time in the nets batting. Eventually someone started driving him to practice I think.

Chris Martin played at Woodhouses where i play my cricket. He had dread locks back then !! Can you believe that ?! hahah xD
Even then he was sharp apparently. I never saw him play but everybody said he'd go places