Yuvraj looked overweight in Rajkot, but he made batting look ridiculously easy too. Have the planets begun to fall into the right alignment at last? He is in form, there is a vacancy following the retirement of Sourav Ganguly, and the series is at home where his last two scores have been 32 and 169.

Yuvraj served notice before he was 19 with a stunning one-day innings in Nairobi against Australia. That was eight years ago, and when he was dropped from the Irani squad this year it seemed he was in the curious position of being neither senior enough to be protected, nor young enough to be given another chance.

So what went wrong? Those who will reduce everything to technique will point to his weaknesses against the moving as well as the turning ball - it is a double whammy. Others will put it down to his temperament, his lifestyle.

That he is talented, there is no doubt. But sometimes talent rewarded early can be a curse. It leaves the talented without the equipment to handle failure; sometimes future success is taken for granted. Seldom is success an accident and the precocious talent often discovers this too late. There is even a school which holds that talent is over-rated, and success comes to those whose commitment outweighs mere talent. Perhaps technique is over-rated too. A big heart often trumps quick feet or the straight backlift.

In Tests, teams know how to bowl at Yuvraj and play on his self-esteem. He can swing his bat with rare extravagance in one-day cricket; in the longer game, he will need to understand the virtues of patience. And of swallowing the ego. The Rajkot innings can be a stepping stone; it could be a millstone too if Yuvraj feels forced to repeat it every time he goes out to bat.

It is unfair to say that Yuvraj is not a good contender for a Test spot. Nevertheless, i am forced to say that. He is a wonderful on-eday player but he has long to go as a Test playe,r citing the lack of skills against swing bowling, good spinning tracks etc. I prefer he remains a good one-day & T20 batsman. We will have better options like Badrinath, being presently out of form,likely to regain his form, M vijay, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma all are waiting their opportunities to turn.

I would like to see Yuvraj as regular in test side. However, his susceptibility against ordinary spinners is the main cause for him not being in test side. How come he struggles so much against Brad Hogg, Michael Clarke, Symmonds (all second rate spinners) and of course the deadly Ajantha Mendis?

Yuvraj, as far as I can see is not a test material. For some reason, I thought this even after he scored the 169 against Pak and he proved that in Aus. I don't expect him to be given another chance in tests. If again the selectors do select him, this wud be his final chance. Pretty much a make or break. If it were to be Sourav, I can say with confidence that he will suceed, but certainly not with Yuvraj.

It is a tragedy that with such a sublime attacking game, Yuvraj Singh's name keeps being discussed only for the reason of his not having made it big as yet though he has been in the circuit for almost 8 years. The two things about his game which comes into view are firstly, that he has a very poor defensive game and secondly,he may not be watching the bowler's hand closely with his extravagant backlift and unmistakable style of play. Though he is already 25, I feel someone like Gary Kirsten can sort out the said shortcomings with some application on Yuvraj's part. Once he overcomes these, he can be a great batsman in the Sobers/Lara mould. I also believe that a player's luck changes with a change in the Captain. This is why I feel that Yuvraj's time is now. He is the ideal replacement for Ganguly in the Test side. He has played in England and Australia with a small measure of success earlier. So there is no need to think that he cannot succeed there provided there is sunshine.

Let him be consistent first......

Yuvraj has everything it takes to be among the best. Only he forgets that shots are means to have a good innings. He loves stroke making and like a narcisist enjoys it so much that he forgets the larger landscape. But the batterings of the critics as well as missing selections may make it challenging for him to mature. The scope generated by the retirement of Ganguly may look inviting. Let's keep our fingers crossed with prayer on the lips.

I think Yuvraj takes some time to settle down. In ODIs also he along with Kaif impressed in patches in the earlier part of their careers. I think if he is given a longer run, he will definitely impress in Tests also. MS Dhoni being promoted as Tests captain should help Yuvraj's cause. I am very sure Dhoni has a lot of faith in Yuvraj, and Dhoni will give Yuvraj confidence and assurity that he will give him all the opportunity to prove himself. Having said this, i do believe Yuvraj needs to be more serious about his batting and needs to improve him game against spinners and on bowler's-friendly pitches. Yuvraj should tighten his defence and should improve in leaving the good balls.

yes , very true , very sad & frustrating for genuine cricket fans who see so much talent & ability languishing at the sidelines while much lesser known talents are able to retain places in either format. He could just be the ideal no 6 lefthanded replacement for saurav where one needs to score quickly with the tail - mouthwatering proposition to imagine he & dhoni at 6 & 7 ! and when fit ( & sadly the when is more common now) he is an excellent, unparelled fielder plus handy leftarm spinner - excellent foil for bhajji overseas where we cant play 2 spinners. Critics rant,albeit justifiably about his spin- nemesis, his 'atitude' & his inconsistency but maybe lower down the order may suit him fine with the big guns ahead & dhoni to follow. of course his footwork leaves a lot to be desired but at the end of the day, its not technique or time at crease but runs that matter & you would know that with yuvi, one may go for a shower & come back to see him 50 not out - cricket needs showmen!

You sum it up all too well yourself saying that he has a weakness against both and moving as well as the spinning ball. What kind of a talent is it that cant overcome these adversaries? Especially spin bowling, the trade which is 'practised' by any one and every in India who can roll and arm over. By and by, Yuvraj Singh is and remains 'a flat track bully'. Not a whole lot of talent there mate....

yuvraj is overrated

He has failed enough number of times in test cricket to be given another chance. He should be used like Irfan Pathan(another wasted talent in test matches) - strictly as a backup for regular test players.

If a Srikkant could play Test cricket for so long,if Agarkar could be given umpteen number of chances in both forms of the game in spite of his being most expensive in all matches barring a very few successes,why cant the SELECTORS pick up Yuvraj for Tests,when his performances have been outstanding and any opposition is scared of his willow and when you need to fill up the void created by payees like Sourav. Wake up Selectors .

There is only one answer to the question you have raised. And it is a resounding NO, with N in bold capitals. He has too many problems that overshadow his obvious talent

There is a wrong perception that talent means style. But it can't be more ridiculous than that. Talent does not mean style........ batting stylishly mean one has style. That doesn't translate as talent. The real talent lies in performance, battling all odds and consistently being able to do something well over a period of time unfailingly.

For example, contrary to what many might say, Anil Kumble was extremely talented & that's why he was a match winner for 18 years. People may say 'warrior', 'fighter' etc... but that is as if to say he isn't talented but makes up for it with hard work. That's absolutely ridiculous. Unless a person has a talent for anything he can never do it.

Kumble was extremely talentd & gifted in that sense. And Yuvraj isn't..... and that's reason enough why he would never be a good Test Match batsman.

As I don't know the man personally or even know anybody who does, the following is purely conjecture and observational in nature.

I consider it to be a character deficiency that is holding him back. It is, and you've already alluded to many of these in your piece, a combination of ego, an oft languid approach to the sport and a lack of steel, will, determination, tenacity or like synonym at the crease in the longer version of the game. Easily distracted and quick to rest on his laurels, Yuvraj is often in the press for the wrong reasons as evident by his restaurant brawl a few weeks ago. The weight of expectation both from fans of his undeniable skill and more importantly from his progenitor, the notorious Yograj I-have-a-chip-on-my-shoulder Singh, definitely has not helped his cause.

That said, I believe that his psyche is slowly but surely catching up to his talent, and with determined application and reliable support will come good. When this will happen, remains to be seen.

Its very clear. For playing in Tests, Yuvraj has to be technically good. He may be talented, but how long he can sustain the longer version is the question. At the end of the day the score card speaks. His ODi avg is 36.71 and Test match avg is 32.81. Not bigg difference, except for the fact we all are making more noise than he deserves.
He cannot always hitout the spinners as he does in the shorter version.

no! yuvraj is not a test player, he is too fregile,unfit most of the time ,attitude problem, gets nervous easly,get angery fast,not will to stay long on pitch. love to play big shots only.most important inconsistent .one big odi score will not justiy his test selection ,
my first choice to fill ganguly's place is
m.Kaif ,2nd c.pujare 3rd murli vijay,4th irfan pathan .2throhit sharma 6th s raina,last choice yuviraj,very talented styleish good flieder when he is fully fit , best odi payer ,,,,,,,,,,,,,lets see what srikant & co thinks infew wk time.

The Yuvraj question again and thankfully there is no big push to give him a consistent run, fixed position etc. Yuvraj has not played genuine pace, swing and spin well in his opportunities. Inside the subcontinent, predictable bounce, no swing he is King. All grace, all power. It was Chappell who said that if Yuvraj was an Australian he would have played more than 50 tests in the 6-7 years since his debut. Unless there is a marked change in approach and attitude to get over his weakness I am afraid there will just be a few bright patches in the opportunities he would get. Cricinfo's statistics gives the clear picture.

yuvraj is the future of indian cricket and he is captain material and he is proved in pakistan and australia that he can play test cricket. don't yuvraj be another michael bevan. he is the greatest one player. no questions. he can be brain lara to indian team. he equally talented and dangerous. he got the power of brain lara and silken touch of sourav ganguly. selectors should take brave decisions and give yuraj ample opportunities to succeed in test cricket. he is going to make big in test cricket.

I don't see why everyone keeps ranting about Yuvraj in the test side. I mean, give the poor selectors a break. They've given Yuvraj so many chances in tests and he has failed repeatedly. It was absolutely SHAMEFUL to watch him in Sri Lanka where he seemed to have no clue whatsoever of where the ball was going. The others were very bad too but at least they could read most of the balls until that really good ball came and hit them. Yuvraj seemed like a 16 year old 'gully' cricketer playing against a top international side.

I'd say the selectors and the Indian audience have given him enough chances to prove himself. He's been truly spectacular in 20-20s and recently in one days as well. Let him have a successful and stable career in one days and let him enjoy that.

There was an article on Michael Bevan only yesterday here on Cricinfo and he went through the same situation. That guy had a ODI average in excess of 53! He wasn't selected for tests very often either.

I disagree with sudhakarpatnaik. Srikkanth was unfairly evicted from captaincy and the team just like umpteen seniors in Indian cricket and he didn't play long enough as cited by Sudhakar. Srikkanth was a true trendsetter on aggressive cricket and while Yuvraj reminds me of him, he has to prove himself in local circuits before he can earn a place in the Test Team.

He is a great talent and should be given a decent run in the tests..atleast two series to prove himself and it should be made clear to him..that this is your chance..so dont mess up as others are waiting..I am sure he will come triumphs..He is multi-talented.

Yuvraj singh's 169 against Pakistan was enough proof of his talent. He came in at time when India lost early wickets and needed a big partnership, so he has the temperament too. But he is very inconsistent in the longer format largely due to his weakness against the moving ball. He deserves another chance to proove his mettle

Talent alone is not enough to make it big in test matches. Players with the flair of Yuvraj needs to be given a free reign, much like Gillchrist did for Australia. India needs such attacking players, to progress from being a contender to the top test team, and become the leader like Australia did for the past 15 years. The core of players are being formed, and with the retirements, we need more players to fill the roles. I think we need to persist with Yuvi on a long term basis and i am sure that he will produce the goods. Competition is a very good thing, Raina for sure, Rohit, badarinath and the dark horse Vijay. With the bowling looking good(fast), with competition, it will be a pleasent delima to have choices to fill up the retirements and have the talent pool coming up. As I said earlier, i reiterate, we need players that bring in different talents and experiences, and comparisons of past failures may not be the best. If they are performing currently, give them the opportunity.

Lots was also said about the technique of Sehwag. He is one of (if not the best) leading test cricketers now. No foot work. All hand-eye-coordination, and all heart. Yuvie also has similar traits which can be used for tests quite well. If he can come in and smack the ball around for even 20-30 overs, and not worry about the pundits, he will make a few fifties. So he may not be equipped to bat like The Wall for days. Who cares? Dhoni isn't either, but he will be a successful middle order test batsman as well. Having Yuvie in the test middle order with an attacking role will be a refreshing tactic. Sort of like Jason Krecza picking up 12 wickets even though he gave 300 runs, Yuvie will probably play only a couple hours per innings but can bang out the runs. Go Yuvie!

It is easy to evaluate Yuvraj's potential as a ODI batsmen when you look at his record in the past 2 years.
But the thing that gets left out is the fact then when it comes to decent spinners he is always found wanting. Hitting Freddie and Stuart Broad out of the park is tough and he has proved himself in that regard but you need to look as far back as the recent ODI series against Sri Lanka to find his weakness. He just does not have a tight enough defense against spin. Brad Hogg sorted him out in tests in Australia.
Yuvi has to work on this aspect of his game before he can command a place in the Test team. Until that happens we can say that he is well on his way to becoming another Bevan or Jadeja

Yuvraj can and never should be in the test team.. He is one of the very few cricketers where sucess has gone to their head.. You can see it from the way he answers the media when asked uncomfortable questions..(his father s not helping with his eccentricities) And besides he cant play spin for nuts.. period

yuvraj needs a good coach to teach him the basics of defence especially against spin once he leans that art he can be the most useful middle order batsman capable of winning games for india especially when we are setting or chasing targets hope the selectors give him a lifeline atleast for a while.he is too much of a telent to be overlooked raw talent just needs a bit of grooming and a good teacher to teach him some lessons to keep a cool head.

I am pretty certain that Yuvraj yet does not have the stuff to become a reasonably good test player ...he is an aggressor but doesnot have the technique to defend ..... he is awful against good swing bowling and looks like a rudderless ship poking his bat at seaming and swinging deliveries ........ also most gr8 test players are extremely good characters off the field which only speaks of their composure and mental strength so vital in tests ...yuvraj doesnot have that ....every now and then he falls prey to controversies and brawls.... if he has to make the jump from ODIs to tests he has to adapt a lot both in terms of his technique as a batsman and otherwise

I have always thought Indian fans/selectors are too impatient with their stars, both young and old. How else could Laxman or Ganguly ever have been dropped. The sad fact is that India could have and should have been the best test side in the world for many years. They have certainly had the talent but have only learned in the last 5 years or so the value of giving good players an extended run in the test team. The result is that right now they are by some margin the best team. However, with the loss of Ganguly and Kumble, and the impending departure of the other members of the fab four, India could be about to start the rebuilding phase that Australia entered 2 years ago. Australian selectors have been much more patient over the years. Take a look at Steve Waugh's test record some time. I seriously believe that if India had started with Sehwag in the team then they would have beaten Australia by some margin last summer as well. Give Yuvraj a chance. He's only played 3 tests since 169.

Yuvraj is most certainly test material. He is an attacking player but is susceptible early on in his innings as a lot of players are. 2 of his hundreds against pakistan (@ Lahore and Karachi) came in matches when all other Indian batsmen failed. He just needs to be given a fair run.

As pointed out by others in comments, Yuvraj has a poor defence as compared to a similar batsman like Sehwag. He is poor against spin and this for an international cricketer who has scored 6000 runs in 1 dayers, is baffling, put it down to poor defence. He is also very uncomfortable against short pitched balls, which England bowlers like Harmison and Flintoff can exploit. Rohit Sharma could be the replacement for Ganguly, though his performances in one dayers seems to be inconsistent.

Why do we have to see the three forms as a hierarchy? Why should T20 be a path to ODIs? Why should ODIs be a path to tests? They are three different forms of the game (though I must admit the skills needed for ODIs & T20s overlap). Each has a place. If Yuvraj is a great ODI player and a not-so-hot test player, so be it. Let's use him for what he is good at. Ever since India separated the test team and ODI team, we have been doing much better in both forms of the game. Let's leave it that way.

On his current form just Give him a Go. Period.Anyways its only a 2 match rubber. Its matter of making a statement than anything else. Like Subramani had said Luck sure does change with a change in captaincy...Hope Yuv cash in on this. He will do well from NOW ON.

It may not be worthwhile to invest in Yuvraj at the test level. First let him prove his credential through a series of large scores in the Ranji that he is fit for the longer version. Of course, he can continue to be the mainstay in the shorter version of the game, where his quick scoring comes in handy, and the really quick bowlers and spinners do not have the flexibility to exploit his weaknesses. And he can be used at times in dead test pitches in India to bludgeon the opposition, just as Irfan pathan can be used occassionaly in spin friendly pitches abroad.

lets not get lulled again into the fall sense of middle order security that his 169 against pak brought. as we all remember, he came completely unstuck against australia. He remains what he has always been: a flat track bully with an attitude problem. sorry that i sound harsh, but his attitude, aloofness, temperament are all in question. remember how he sulked at not getting the 20-20 captaincy and refused to play against SA (20-20 WC) after hitting 6 6s in the previous match. In India, we tend to get carried away so easily.i was appalled that a man f Shastri's calibre was calling his innings in Rajkot one of ODI's best ever !! dont lose perspective, my fellow indians!

Now is Yuvi's moment to seize just like VVS did 7 seasons back in 2001 against Australia even he was shunted in and out of the team for 4 yeras from 1996-2000 inspite and despite some standout performance in Test Cricket,batting in irregular spot and he was 26 when he finally got a toe in the door he never looked back;strangely feel Yuvraj if given the chance shall not look back as he would be assured of his importance to the TEST team and to the contrary if not picked for the TEST team am afraid even the One Day genius in him shall suffer...validate my point just see how Yuvi'S performance dipped in the CB series post the disastrous performance in the test....Yuvraj needs to be given the confidence that he is wanted by TEAM INDIA.....as allsaid and done Cricket is a confidence game...once the selector's and captain repose faith in him ( give him 5 tests at a stretch) ..believe we are on our way to seeing the next GREAT In the indian batting firmament..TRUST NEEDS TO BE REPOSED IN HIM.

Yuvraj has all the talent to play test cricket.Why he is made to wait is because the team is packed with fabfour over the years.Now that Dada has retired, he will get a chance and he will be a regular in test team. Thats for sure.It is good to see that we have the reserve bench in Suresh raina,Rohit sharma and M.Vijay who can possibly fill the vacancies once the other three guys in the fabfour retire.But I would like to see Yuvraj replacing Gunguly for he has waited for long.

Yuvraj should have already been a part of Indian test team. Yuvraj is a far superior talent than Ganguly, while Ganguly is just a good player. I fail to understand how can Yuvraj be out of the team while we play Ganguly. Has Yuvraj been sacrified for Ganguly??? One off series does not make him a bad test players. He should have been persisted in the test team and he would have won India test matches as he does in the ODIs. Besides he is a far better fielder than Ganguly and useful spinner in Indian condition. I would have even considered Md. Kaif ahead of Ganguly. Md. Kaif also is exceptional fielder and of the all time best Indian fielders and man for pressure situations. Yuvraj, Kaif, and Ronhit Sharma should be persisted in the Indian test team and they have the caliber to make it big. In my opinion, though Rahul Dravid is a great test player, we have already seen his best and if not for records, it is Dravid's time to plan his retirment. Bottomline is bring Yuvraj&Kaif in test side

Yuvaraj MUST play TEST Cricket. Mind you distractors of Yuvraj that SCORING fast runs in any form of Cricket is a Bliss not a Blame. Its all crap that when someone says that he can't leave balls or play defence. If a ball there to be HIT then hit it why shold he defend? Also Ajantha mendis got him in Sri Lanka Lets us see how he gets Yuvraj some where else I think Mendis is OVERRATED.The best way to tackle Mendis is Yuvraj's Natural Game.HIT when the ball is there to be HIT.
Also most of the Aramchair TV commentators are parroting the theory that Yuvraj can't handle Test Cricket. But its sure given Chances HE will surely Prove his mettle.

At no 6 in tests you need someone to walk in and take control, as symmo does for australia quite effectively. Symonds also doesn't have real technique to overcome swing bowling but he backs himself and get runs and gets them fast. Yuvi also will do the same in tests. And speaking of is abilities not to forget his ability to withstand extreme pressure. In tests you need to withstand pressure situations at no six and most of the time you need to blast your way out to force a win. And india will need to force wins if it has to climb the ladder and topple australia. Yuvaraj is an obvious man to do all this and more if he works on his game. Especially against swinging ball. Because his susceptability against spinners is not entirely true. He has problems against quality spin if he is exposed early in the innings bit like ricky ponting. And i also think he needs consultation from lara rather than kirsten as lara had simmilar backlift and hitting style to he could be better equipped.

I am not exactly a fan of Yuvraj, but I think Yuvraj's case is rather similar to that of Gambhir, who also was considered to be only an ODI player not so long ago and has established himself also in tests now. Mind you, it is not very easy to hit six sixes of a regular (good!) international bowler in an international match in any form of Cricket. That indeed requires a special talent. Yuvraj is as good as any Indian batsman in Indian conditions. Admitted, he has been exposed outside India (but some of the "so called fab. four" were no different too in the past few series.) So Yuvraj should be given a fair chance to play tests regularly in Indian conditions first (e.g. in the England series) before judging him! With his fielding and part time left arm spin (there is no left hand spinner in the test side at the moment!) he will not be a liability anyway. If his confidence gets boosted by a few high scores in tests he certainly will be a great gain for the test team in the future.

yuvi was straight drafted in the one day squad,after winning the under 19 world cup in sri lanka. this chap never played a ranji trophy at that time. he became a one day champion,pls give him more time in test,because for test matches you need a sound defence to counter bowlers of different types. He should be given license to go like gilchrist he might fail on or two occasion but on his day he will proppel india to more victories as it is whenever he scores india has won. He bears a lot of expectantcy as he is compared to garfield cobers,swagger that of vivian richards elegant as lara brute strength of clive lioyd. so the selectors should tell him we are right behind you,after all he has the talent and it should be nurtured to the maximum.

Compare Yuvraj and Dhoni. Both strokeplayers. Yes, while the southpaw is a delight to watch, the Ranchi man's shots are anything but beautiful. But then when you compare the two on adding value, this is where the ugly becomes the star. Yuvraj must learn and learn now. His shots will only be noticed if he has the platform to showcase them. There was no doubt on his skill the moment he stepped onto a cricket pitch and put on show the amazing array of strokes he possessed. Now though, it is time to graduate. Yuvraj must now put his hand up and stop being the not so junior not so senior cricketer. As spiderman says, with great power comes great responsibility.

Completeley agree with Joe's comment -Yuvraj is one of the very few cricketers where sucess has gone to their head.. You can see it from the way he answers the media - Too much into show off than keeping his feet on ground. Give him more time put from the Test team to learn such qualities(of being non-egoistic) of Dhoni & Tendulkar

he certainly deserves a place in all formats.
cricket is about winning games and to win games you need to score runs,
the era of scoring 5 runs in a session by a batsman is gone , i feel whether you stay at the wicket for 1 hour only but you score a rapid 50 that is more effective than staying at the wicket for 4 hours and scoring only 40 runs.
its like hockey you score a goal you win it doesnot matter whether you play a stunning dribbling hockey but fail to score a goal .
yuvraj is a match winner but should be given chances
he deserves more than a wasim jaffer, ss das,or other lesser playes who could never win even half a game on the basis of their innings in any format.
look at sehwag,gambhir they are match winners so is yuvraj be fair to him.

I personally feel that Yuvraj Singh should not be drafted into the test squad for 1 simple reason - He isn't made for test cricket. We have seen him hitting 36 runs off Broad's over in the T20 world cup 07 & holding the record for the quickest half century in T20. In the One Day Game, he has also saved India's skin many at times, with some brilliant performances, such as the 138 he scored against England. If Srikkanth tries to bring Yuvraj into the test squad, it could ruin his form & style of play, which in the end would be disastrous.

Agree with Aniket Yuvi needs to get some lengthy consultation from no other the the Great Brian Charles Lara as they play with similar flair & pannache. If you recall even BCL fell into a slump and got advise from Sorbers. Since then Lara never looked back. Yuvi can have similar results as long as he is will to put in the hard work.

Yuvraj Singh - immensely talented and impeccably flawed. Look at his career graph and he shows he can squander the gift for his belief that he is gifted. Doesn't improve technique, attitude and a bad learner. All greats including Sachin, Rahul and VSS have improved, adapted to newer conditions, changed themselves to evolve as the greats that we call them. Yuvi goes slam bang in the Rajkot-type matches and vanishes from the scene for next ten matches. Such inconsistency is rare in world cricket. That's Yuvraj Singh for you.

I am tired of reading articles from indian jounalists who try to make players sound like all time greats after just one innings - Yuvraj, Dhoni and the likes are nothing but flat track bullies and have been fortunate to face a mediocre Australian and English bowling attack. Can they do this against the Sri Lankan bowling attack? Yuvraj will be lucky to get into double figures against Murali and Mendis- He is probably the worst player of spin in the sub continent -Afterall Sachin got just a total of 92 runs in the three test series against Sri Lanka, What can you expect from Yuvraj. Yuvi - stick to 20-20 and during off season give baseball a go.

Yuvraj should be selected for the England Test series only -he may be arrogant, short tempered and a spoilt brat but he pulverised the English attack, on of course Indian soil. England have not got a great spinner. Monty might work Yuvraj out but with the flat pitches of India Yuvraj can impose himself like a Sobers or Lara! Overseas he wouldn't stand a chance with the moving ball or with the likes of BAW Mendis. So Yuvraj - the Sobers/Lara of flat pitches - is ok to play in India against teams that lack genuine world class spinners. Finally, like English Tennis player Andy Murray, Yuvraj should seriously consider taking up Hatha Yoga to retain equanimity & also take up reading Srimad Bhagavad Gita to help him achieve his full potential i.e succeed against world class spinners & on overseas pitches where the ball swings.

it will be unfair on badrinath, sharma, vijay or even kaif if yuvraj gets recalled in the test team,yet again. Here's my take on the sequence of events in case he gets selected against England:-
1. he scores a century against a weak (In Indian conditions) England attack and stay in the team for the tour of NZ
2. he struggles there against unhelpful conditions
3. coming back to India, there are calls from the same experts to drop him from the test team
4. he impresses in one of those stupid matches in IPL
5. experts go gaga over his "talent" and ask him to be included in the squad.

the vicious cycle continues. he is not technically adept to handle a test slot. this fact needs to be accepted. he is a flat track bully, who, once in a while, gets some runs - only to fail again. you have got to stop this somewhere. this guy flatters to deceive. somebody please tell him that he should concentrate on odis and t20.
however, with his buddy dhoni test captain, he might get 1 more chance

I've always believed Yuvraj should be playing Test cricket. And this idea that he hasn't got the temperament is absolute rubbish...I remember the lovely hundred he made in Karachi in 2006 in the fourth innings against a good Pakistan pace attack when wickets were falling around him. Yet he seems to be a couple of failures away from getting dropped. He had one bad series in Australia and he was out. Of course, his attitude can sometimes seem to wander a bit but I think under Dhoni's captaincy he will know not to take things lightly because Dhoni has shown he doesn't care about individual reputations. And there are other strong contenders for Ganguly's too, like Raina, Badrinath, Vijay, Chopra, etc. That should keep him on his toes. But I say pick him in the Test side.

Good cricketing shots are good cricketing shots. It doesn't matter if they are in one days, T20 or Tests. The kind of shots that Yuvraj can hit, very few have been able to hit in the history of the game. Failure in tests in a mental thing for Yuvraj. He tries to play in "test" mode, gets nervous and gets out. I think he should focus on playing his natural game. Keep it simple. If the ball is there to be hit, then hit it. Don't worry whether it is a one-day, T20 or a test. Virender Sehwag has shown that playing your natural game is your best option whether it is Tests, one-days or T20's.

Conventional wisdom suggests Yuvraj is the replacement. However the problem with Yuvraj is he looks lazy, less willing to adapt. Take MS Dhoni and how he matured- similar traits are unseen in Yuvi. He has the technique to make batting look ridiculously easy, he is a kind of player who is more rhythm oriented. He gets out to good bowlers like Mendis (who didnt). The pity is the way he gets out. It looks silly and as if Yuvi has not tried hard to unravel the spin element. Similarly he is susceptible to swinging ball mainly due to lack of patience and some times he uses brawn than brain. Unless Yuvraj proves himself against quality attacks on all surfaces the Damocles sword continues to hang over his head. All his centuries in test cricket have come in trying situations but the batting conditions were very good and the new ball had lost its sheen. Time has come for Yuvi to stay focussed and show the right kind of temperament and technique. Could somebody tell him to learn the waiting game

i dont think yuvraj is as a good oneday player as people say and as mentioned here.True he scores a lot of runs in oneday matches but these are mainly in flat indian wickets.i would like to see him score runs in green top wickets like in England and NZ or in slow low wickets in SL. i dont think he will succeed. He might get away with it in oneday.s but it is highly unlikely in tests.that is because he doesnt have the correct technique for tests and with that high back lift of his.To succeed in test you must have a very good defence.which he clearly doesnt have as he showed in the series against SL.nevermind Mendis he couldnt even defend against the like of Kulasekara and an under performing Vass.but as long as he scores runs in flat indian wickets people will forget about these. i dont think he deserves a place in the test team.but a test in india he surely will score tons of runs and struggle abroad.

Yuvraj deserves another chance in Tests. But its a huge worrying factor that Yuvraj has totally flopped in Tests in overseas conditions.

In Aus averages 4 in 2 matches.
In WI averages 17 in 4 matches.
In Zim averages 18 in 2 matches.

This reminds me of Boycott saying that Yuvraj is poor in defending good deliveries and hence in not successful in Tests.(whereas Sehwag is)

India definitely does not need players who are heroes at home and lambs overseas (similar to most of them in 90s). Would love to have India - Pak series to be shifted to England.

Give a decent run for Yuvraj in England or in NZ and if he fails there, drop him forever from Test Cricket.

" Rahul Dravid adapted so well that he has over ten thousand runs in both forms" -"Adapted !!!" What??!!!. How many of those have been matchwinners when it really mattered. The only time I sweared when India batted was when dravid was at the crease. Great test player... never belonged to the ODI version. It was just the lack of pure talent at that time which kept him in the team.
As for the yuvraj question this dude can go either way...let him earn his place and pack his pride in.

Yuvi is s stylish batsman. He is xcellent player and good striker too. Only thing is that he has to keep away the other matter apart and bat with concentration. Also he should concentrate on Fitness. I hope very soon he will be in test team also. Hopefully the current form helps him getting place in the final IX of test match with England.

A definite NO!
Yuvraj lacks in talent when it comes to test cricket. Puer style alone will not get you into test team. You need to be patient and perservance is the Key. Although he has scored 6000 odd runs in ODI's if u see his track record he has struggled against spinners and in testing conditions.
Subcontinental condition is where you can Yuvraj scoring effortlessly.His test record is a clear indication of his ability in test cricket.
There are players like Badrinath, M.Vijay, Rohit Sharma who are more talented for the longer version, and have performed well over the time in First class waiting in the line to fill ganguly's shoes.
May be if Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman retire we can find a place for him to try how he fares.

He deserves to be in test side. He is only the player in world cricket who declared consecutive 3 times man of the series, and his recent form is fantastic.

Till few days ago, everybody criticizing Yuvi for his mediocre performance. Now he found his form, and all of a sudden media calling him international superstar. Its good to see him perform, but we cannot conclude his ability with just 1 or 2 stunning performances. Also, Yuvi lacks test skills, because of his weak defense skills. Lets see if he will be picked up for Ind-Eng test series. He might perform because of slow Indian pitches.

he should prove it playing against best quality spinners like Ajantha Mendis and Murali.We have seen he has failed when these two bowlers are bowling.

This guy does not even average as much as Ajay Jadeja...

Till few days ago, everybody criticizing Yuvi for his mediocre performance. Now he found his form, and all of a sudden media calling him international superstar. Its good to see him perform, but we cannot conclude his ability with just 1 or 2 stunning performances. Also, Yuvi lacks test skills, because of his weak defense skills. Lets see if he will be picked up for Ind-Eng test series. He might perform because of slow Indian pitches.This guy does not even average as much as Ajay Jadeja... Yuvraj deserves another chance in Tests. But its a huge worrying factor that Yuvraj has totally flopped in Tests in overseas conditions.

In Aus averages 4 in 2 matches.
In WI averages 17 in 4 matches.
In Zim averages 18 in 2 matches.'ve always believed Yuvraj should be playing Test cricket. And this idea that he hasn't got the temperament is absolute rubbish...I remember the lovely hundred he made in Karachi in 2006 in the fourth innings against a good Pakistan pace attack when wickets were falling around him. Yet he seems to be a couple of failures away from getting dropped. He had one bad series in Australia and he was out. Of course, his attitude can sometimes seem to wander a bit but I think under Dhoni's captaincy he will know not to take things lightly because Dhoni has shown he doesn't care about individual reputations. And there are other strong contenders for Ganguly's too, like Raina, Badrinath, Vijay, Chopra, etc. That should keep him on his toes. But I say pick him in the Test side.

This is directed at justanotherfan; you have no memory of Rahul winning a match in the ODI version of the game? How about the WC in SA when Pak scored 274 and reduced India to 55-3, Dravid and Kaif shared an unbeaten partnership which won the game for India. 5 years ago and you have already forgotten? You, sir are the typical Indian fan, all you can remember is who did what last week. As a Pakistan supporter, I remember all the great innings Dravid has played against us. Please
help Pakistan in January by dropping Dravid and picking Yuvraj, might as well pick Rohit over Laxman as well, you will be doing Pakistan a great big favour.

Why is he not a regular in the test squad? Well, simple, because he is not good enough to play test cricket. We all saw that in Australia, didn't we. The problem with Yuvraj's good form is that he will get selected for the test matches against England, which will be a travesty against the likes of Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary and Badrinath who are far better players.

Excuse me for butting in on what is probably a very emotional debate for Indian cricket fans, but the comments being said about Yuvraj sound very similar to those being said about Andrew Symonds a few years ago. I think everyone agrees that it would be brilliant for Indian cricket if Yuvraj could translate his one-day success into Tests. It was the same for Symonds. He needed a virtual lobotomy to tame his instincts, so he could play test cricket and this came in the form of faith and guidance from Ponting. Maybe Yuvraj needs the same - Dhoni appears to be the genuine leader of men required for the job.

In the meantime, Yuvraj should stop referring to himself in the 3rd person - nobody likes hearing that.

if u all question yuvi's skills and attitude...then dont u think that players from england, australia and south africa party?? if they can and still be part of the test team, then why cant yuvraj.

other thing about this records, the guy has only played like 23 matches, and the master Sachin Tendulka, in his 1st 23 matches has scores of 5, 11, 0, 10, 20...if this guy can still be given chances they y not yuvraj

all this guy needs is a good opportunity which should be given to him, and looking at his current form against the english team, and the way he is tackling the english bowling attack, he certainly should be included in this test series, and if performed good, should be considered for more tournaments.

From comments made in this blog-it is clear that people can be divided into Yuvraj-lovers, Yuvraj-haters, Yuvraj-sympathisers. The way he has played for 8years at this level is not a coincidence or good luck. He has seen all kinds of bowlers-home or abroad. Scoring 50’s and 100’s takes patience and he has that. He was not my roommate, so I cannot comment his character and brawls. Unlike some cricketers (e.g., Harbhahan) who are in media for wrong reasons with cricket-related issues (on or off-the field), Yuvraj had no such issues. That is a testament to his character. Plus, all aggressive players adapt a little even in 1 day match and he has done that coming and succeeding at the slot he batted mostly in pressure situation. His fielding and running between the wickets will be useful. Look at the matches India won when he scored-50’s. He was not the only failure against Ajanta Mendis- Sachin failed too. I think Yuvraj can fill Saurav’s slot. Give him at least 10 test matches.

There is room in cricket for flamboyant players. They can be used to upset the bowling team. Not everyone has this gift. It is much easier to teach Yuvraj to be patient and to select his shots than to teach a traditionally defensive player to be agressive.

Okay - These are the contenders apart from Yuvraj, and what they've done in the recent past (Hope I haven't missed anyone).
Cheteshwar Pujara - 3 triple hundreds last month, 3 hundreds in the Ranji Trophy this month.
M. Vijay - Double hundred in the Ranji Trophy, impressive test debut, could bat at three, leaving Dravid at six.
Badrinath - Was in the test squad against Australia, presumably to take over from Ganguly once he retired. Century in the Ranji Trophy.
Sharma, Raina - Failed to grab opportunities in this one day series.
I think we need to give more respect to people's recent test record and their recent Ranji performances ahead of one day performances in selection for Tests. So Pujara or Vijay in the team for me; batting at three, with Rahul Dravid coming in down the order.

Yuvraj does not have the technique, footwork or temperament of a test player and should not have a place in the Indian test team. Personally, I would like to see Cheteshwar Pujara or Rohit Sharma be given the place of Ganguly. If Rohit is chosen then Dravid should be sacked and Pujara be given his place. For sure the older players must be phased out, Tendulkar included if he fails against England or Pakistan.