From: bharat@cs.uiuc.edu (R. Bharat Rao)
Subject: Re: Ravi Shastri (Indian team for 1st test)
Reply-To: bharat@cs.uiuc.edu
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 12:50:12 GMT

rajiv@dvorak.amd.com (Rajiv Malhotra) writes:
>In article <C19Iyn.3B0@cs.uiuc.edu> bharat@cs.uiuc.edu (R. Bharat Rao) writes:
	[about including Shastri]
>All the issues you brought up have been troubling me too. Maybe,
>just maybe Ajay Sharma is the answer. He is an allrounder.
>A much better bat then a bowler though. The other choice is 
>Chauhan, a much better bowler than a bat. 

I think its OK to diddle with a 5th bowler slot, by taking someone who
is a bonafide bat.  But unless Ajay Sharma is a reasonable bowler (>=
Shastri -- I have no idea about how good a bat/bowler he is!) he
will not be the answer.  Similarly, I am all for taking Chauhan IF he
is better than Raju as a bowler -- given that he is spoken off as a
bowler mainly, I doubt his batting will fall into anything but the
"useful" class -- and unless Sharma opens or is one-drop, none of
these solve the crucial problem -- no inning builder in the first 3
batsmen to hold an ining together...

>It beats the hell out of me as to why Yadav has been dropped. He
>is supposedly a much better bat than More ( Is this something 
>to do with the 30 xtras in the 2nd ODI?). This would allow more
>freedom to go in with 5 regular bowlers.  

Why is Yadav really a top order bat -- if he has the potential to be
another Farokh Engineer type with the bat (not necessarily with the
gloves) - i.e., a bonafide top order bat, then he is definitely the
ideal answer -- again, being out of touch so long, I have no idea.
Look at what having Dujon did for the West Indies --- a top class bat
coming in at number 6, let them pick the 5 best bowlers, without
worrying about their batting abilities -- of course, it helps
tremendously to have a lineup of Greensidge, Haynes, Richards, Gomes,
Lloyd as well:-)

I just assumed that the selectors picked More for the Tests because he
was a better bat than Yadav (and/or due to his "fighting" qualities!),
but from what you say, I guess my assumption was wrong.

>The Indian XIV has
>3 regular spinners and for Calcutta it is likely that at at least 
>two would end up playing. Since Raju has not been very adept at
>taking wickets, Chauhan is worth a try.

Hmmmm... is Chauhan good -- anyone who has seen him have anything to
say (PVR??).

>>No question in my mind.  We need Ravi Shastri to open the Test team, 
>>and we need him badly!

>I agree. I think we will see him in both the tests and ODIs
>as soon as he is fit. He will strengthen the ODI team by being
>the 5th bowler AND the slogger.

I avoided saying anything about the ODIs as that would cause
controversy.  yes, Shastri should play in the ODIs and bat after
Kapil.  Shastri+Sachin gives a much better shot at bowling the 5th
bowler's slot out, than Tendulkar alone.  Now, the aggressive lineup
is a real plus (And I think Jadeja will/should make it back to the ODI
team).

How about Sidhu, Raman/Jadeja, Kambli, Tendulkar, Azhar, Kapil Dev,
Yadav, Shastri, Prabhakar, Kambli, Raju/Chauhan/Srinath -- thats a
*good* team with lots of balance -- and freedom for the top order bats
to go for it given the depth of the order until #9....

>Rajiv

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