From: sbasu@spock (BASU)
Subject: Manjrekar & Prabhakar(was Re: Ravi Shastri (Indian team for 1st test))
Organization: New Mexico State University
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 22:57:19 GMT

In article <C1BCFL.JwK@cs.uiuc.edu> bharat@cs.uiuc.edu (R. Bharat Rao)  
writes:
 >How does he then get his highest Test AND one day scores when he opens  
the  
> >batting - 
> >100 vs Pakistan '87(Imran & Akram) (odi)
> >40 vs NZ '90(Hadlee & Morrison) (test)
> >64 vs SA '92(Donald & Pringle) (test )
> 
> First of all, I never said anything about ODI's -- Shastri would most
> assuredly NOT open for the ODI team.  For ODIs, either Prabhakar or
> Raman can partner Sidhu -- I don;t care.  Shastri would fight for his
> place in the ODI teamm as a 5th bowler plus slogger and could be
> dropped fairly easily -- my arguyments were primarily for Tests.
> 
> I am by no means suggesting that Prabhakar will fail as an opener --
> after all stranger things have happened (Asif Iqbal going from a
> bonafide tail-ender to a world class bat).  But, this is a short term
> solution -- 
> 
> You answer the question -- who do we need more, Prabhakar the pace
> bowler who has been the only consistent bright spot in the last year
> or Prabhakar the opener??  My point is that you cannot have him both
> open the inning and have him be one of the two main bowlers -- this
> may work for a while, but I doubt it.  Imagine having him toil for 30+
> overs in Madras under the hot sun and humidity, and then go open the
> innings 20 minutes later .  Even if he does manage it it will take a
> toll, and I for one don't think the Indian team can sacrifice his
> bowling (as in "lets not bring him on for the tail as he needs to be
> rested as he has to open", or "lets bowl someone else") to let him
> open.  And that WILL happen over the long run...

One's attitude is just as important. Since Prabhakar (in an interview with  
SPORTSTAR) said that he prefers opening the innings, he might be just as  
well (if not more) suited than Shastri. Also, by your argument, if an  
opening bowler happens to be the last man out in an innings, he shouldn't  
open the bowling in the next innings.

> 
> Note, this is NOT a problem in ODIs as you are limited to 10 overs
> only so he is far less tired and there is typically a 45 minute gap to
> rest up.

> >Pick Manjrekar, who deserves to walk into any Indian TEST side, & that  
> >problem is solved. Besides, Manjrekar has more gears than Shastri - not  
> >just 1st & top.
> 
> Manjrekar would be very nice IF he comes it at number 3 -- but he has
> flopped at that positions for the last 9 Tests. 

I agree here, but suggest having him bat @ #4 or 5; preferably 5. He  
dislikes opening, but coming in @ the fall of an early wkt, he effectively  
does just that.Vinod Kambli or Amre could bat @ #3.

> I for one believe he will be back though, but it would be a BIG mistake  
> to rush him back...maybe by the 3rd Test or later...

As I said,for a *TEST* side, he selects himself.
> 
> >Prabhakar has shown himself to do a better job of opening then Shastri.
> 
> But for Tests, Prabhakar has done it very few times, and I suspect
> Shastri's average over Australia and SA is not that bad --- look, as I
> said, I do not like Shastri, but I try not to let my bias versus him
> blind me to his obvious value.

I do like Shastri, & believe that IF SELECTED, he should be captain.  
However, Shastri, as of now, wouldn't be in any XI - test or odi & I  
wouldn't let my admiration for him actually have him in the side.

> 
> Do not mix up the ODI's with the Tests.  Shastri is a HORRIBLE ODI
> opener.

I didn't! I said Prabhakar's good for both.

> 
> To me its simple -- do you want Shastri or Raju as your 5th bowler? 
> THIS IS NOT A CHOICE BETWEEN Prabhakar and Shastri, as Prabhakar makes
> it in the team anyway.  
>  
> If Raju was a proven match-winner (and he may prove me wrong -- I
> hope he does), I would say to go with Raju.  But I think Shastri does
> not lose that much as a bowler especially if we have another spinner
> in the side (though raju would be much better on a turning track I
> agree), and he is *much* better as a bat.  Also, this lets Prabhakar
> bat at a lower position saving him as a bowler and has added benifit
> in both the short and long run...
> 
> Not, that if you think Raju deserves to be in along with Kapil,
> Prabhakar, Srinath, and  Kaumble then I won;'t argue with you.  But
> you are comparing the WRONG players IMO when you say its between
> Prabhakar and Shastri.  Now if Chauhan is a success as a bowler and a
> good bat as well, then he may well supplant Shastri in the team and
> Prabhakar will open. 

You can't suddenly ask a cricketer who bats @ #7 or 8 to open the batting,  
especially in tests. He has to be used to that. Despite the exceptions -   
Asif Iqbal going from a bonafide tail-ender to a world class bat, as you  
mentioned, or Bobby Simpson switching in the middle of his career from a  
middle order batsman to an opener - we can't do that here. Prabhakar is no  
Bobby Simpson.

> While this will still be less than ideal for
> Prabhakar, at leat with 5 front line bowlers, the call on Prabhakar to
> be a strike bowler will be less....
> 
> Also, I think that again if you go in with 4 seamers, then Shastri
> must make it purely as a bat (and he may not) as he should not be the
> only spinner on the team -- this cost us dearly in Australia wheh I
> wager if raju had played instead of Bannerjee we might well have
> won... 
I agree. Sydney is well known as a spinner's track, & we should have ON  
THAT OCCASION dropped both Srinath & Bannerjee & included 3 spinners in  
the side. But such cases are few(except for Indian pitches, where only 2  
seamers would be chosen, & where spinners would be the strike bowlers. In  
such a case, it wouldn't hurt to open the batting with Prabhakar.)

Scrooge

> 
> Bharat
> --
> R. Bharat Rao                         E-mail: bharat@cs.uiuc.edu
> AI Group, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
> 405 N. Mathews, Urbana, IL 61801   (217)-333-5978 (O), 337-6498(H)
> Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana