Australia in South Africa Oct-Nov 2011/12

[Adarsh]

Given the bad light, we are basically only playing 70 overs a day. This could possibly end in a draw.

 

[swacker]

That was such an important innings by Ponting, very much goes in the face of those saying he can't make runs when they really need him, when batting is hard, and in attacking style.

 

[barmyarmy]

Given the bad light, we are basically only playing 70 overs a day. This could possibly end in a draw.

160 runs or 7 wickets in 70 overs? You could lose another whole session and still get a result.

 

[Rohit Doshi]

I wish Aussie's win and personally would love to see that, but I dont want Ponting to come into form, he would be dangerous to us Indians

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Wish there was a 3rd test if Aussie win this to decide who is better

 

[aussie1st]

Forget bad light rain is the main problem. 10 Day Weather Forecast for Johannesburg - weather.com

Figured Ponting would score in this innings. If he really wants to carry on he will need some serious runs against India and not just another last ditch effort 100 in the last innings of that series.

Congrats Cummins, good to see he got his pace back and a well deserved 6 fer on debut. And finally Khawaja passes the 50 mark, one more step to crack and that might be enough to get him going in Test cricket.

 

[Themer]

Tahir looks a pretty average leg spinner. With the amount of hype he had I expected a lot more from him. Comparing him to Amit Mishra of India, I think Mishra is better than Tahir.

Good googly to get Khwaja. His googly seems to be his stock ball...he needs to work on spinning his legbreak more, as well as better control of his leggie.

I completely and utterly disagree.

 

[Addy]

one pakistani took the wicket of another pakistani in an international match, and this is a match involving no pakistani team

 

[War]

I completely and utterly disagree.

Indeed.

 

[sifter132]

This lad looks the best bowler you've produced for 20 years.

Yeah he's exciting. Although I think Brett Lee 1999 was slightly more exciting. That match vs India was awesome, a new young kid steaming in to a team of legends, cracking the 150kph and swinging the ball nicely. Shame Lee didn't really put that potential all together in Test cricket for a long time afterwards. He was OK, but his raw skills promised so much.

But yeah, Cummins would be 2nd after Lee for potential. Gillespie was a pretty exciting prospect back in the mid 90s too.

My hope for Cummins is that he doesn't get overworked. A young kid with good pace and plenty of skill is a treasure, so we'd like to keep him for 10+ years if possible, rather than burning him out ASAP.

And Australia MUST knock off at least half the runs before we sight Haddin (preferably at least 75%). I don't trust the guy as far as I could throw him right now.

 

[aussie1st]

Agree Lee was an excitement machine back in the day, who doesn't love a 150km/h bowler. And yea now I look forward to seeing Cummins each ball Cummins bowls as there is always something going on.

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At 18, Cummins had become the second-youngest man in Test history to take a six-wicket haul, behind Bangladesh's Enamul Haque jnr. He had been on a hat-trick. He had outbowled his more senior colleagues. Most importantly, he had given Australia a fighting chance of victory in a match that 24 hours earlier appeared to have slipped from their grasp.

South Africa v Australia, 2nd Test, Johannesburg, 4th day: Pat Cummins delighted at debut display | Cricket News | South Africa v Australia | ESPN Cricinfo

Now that is impressive. Considering how young Pakistan usually unleash their fast bowlers I thought they might had had one.

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South Africa v Australia, 2nd Test, Johannesburg, 4th day: Can Ponting write his own Waugh story? | Cricket Features | South Africa v Australia | ESPN Cricinfo

Wow that is one amazing coincidence. The 156th test match deciding the future of 3 of our best batsmen.

 

[midgetwars]

Yeah he's exciting. Although I think Brett Lee 1999 was slightly more exciting. That match vs India was awesome, a new young kid steaming in to a team of legends, cracking the 150kph and swinging the ball nicely. Shame Lee didn't really put that potential all together in Test cricket for a long time afterwards. He was OK, but his raw skills promised so much.

But yeah, Cummins would be 2nd after Lee for potential. Gillespie was a pretty exciting prospect back in the mid 90s too.

My hope for Cummins is that he doesn't get overworked. A young kid with good pace and plenty of skill is a treasure, so we'd like to keep him for 10+ years if possible, rather than burning him out ASAP.

And Australia MUST knock off at least half the runs before we sight Haddin (preferably at least 75%). I don't trust the guy as far as I could throw him right now.

Clarke knows how to bowl his bowlers in short spells, hopefully that works well for cummins.

 

[Biggy]

Wow, why did Watson leave that ball?

 

[TumTum]

Shame Lee didn't really put that potential all together in Test cricket for a long time afterwards. He was OK, but his raw skills promised so much.

To be honest he couldn't extract movement after the initial spells. He was more of an entertainer and a genuine speedster, which is why he did so much better at the shorter forms. Whereas I see more to Cummins. He was getting movement both ways the whole innings and seems to be a thinking bowler as well. For example on day 3 he was bowling fast on sunny flat conditions but whereas on day 4 he slowed down his speed considerably and concentrated on line and movement.

Although capable of bowling at close to 150 kilometres an hour, he said he had cut down slightly on his pace in order to take advantage of early morning conditions that favoured swing.

There was no holding back on Saturday, though, when in the words of team-mate Shane Watson he "worked over" Jacques Kallis, the fourth-highest Test run-scorer of all time.

He sent down several vicious short balls to Kallis before having him caught at slip for 2.

"Yeah, he's obviously someone who has been a stalwart of the game. He's been an unbelievable player for South Africa," Cummins said.

"The plan was to give him a couple of short balls and if we could tie him up a bit outside off stump he might fish at one.

"Fortunately that worked."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-...all&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

To be doing that at 18 is incredible.

 

[Sedition]

Wow, why did Watson leave that ball?

Shortly afterwards, he was overheard saying that he thought it was a practice over.

 

[angryangy]

He was clearly expecting the away swinger; the first ball was nearly cuttable off the same line, albeit shorter. It was that 4th stump line he should have covered, but not quite off stump and not particularly full; right on the money and he may also have thought it was going over the top. What would have been interesting is with a good lunge at the ball, whether getting his pad in the line would have been favourable. Poor decision, but a perfect delivery, really.