Australia Tour Of India 2012/13

[aussie1st]

So basically, all the current viable #3's - Khawaja, Marsh, Hughes and Watson - are all hovering around the 30 average mark after 4-6 tests, nowhere near enough time to have an accurate reading. The more games these guys string together, undoubtedly the greater their average will be, given their talents.

The big problem comes down to how spectacularly the guys are failing. Marsh and now it looks like Hughes have had absolute shockers at 3 to the point the selectors have no choice but to drop them. Watson and Khawaja would be the two guys that most likely wouldn't have those patches and hence could be maintained in that spot. If anything we should have gone on with Watson at 3.

 

[Aalay]

I won't say that I've been a fan of Smith for x-amount of time like you have Aalay ...but he's certainly copped more abuse than he deserves. I always like sticking up for those players.

Hah, no mate I am not a Smith fan but I am just surprised the way some of the Australian fans have been talking so negatively about him. Yes, he hasn't set the world on fire with his performances in the past but he has always been a decent player of spin.

Last year when India toured Australia, even though we were losing badly, Dhoni did not make any changes to the lineup and mostly went with the exact same line-up in almost every match. Even though we had an inform Rohit Sharma sitting in the dugout, Dhoni just wasn't ready to drop Laxman going by his record against Australia. He never tried Ojha in that series and kept playing Ashwin even though it was clearly visable that Ashwin was struggling. So, if a player is struggling than you have to try someone else to give them an opportunity to perform. Smith with that one inning has scored more runs than Hughes and Watson did in the whole series. Not saying that he is a fantastic player or better player than other two I mentioned there bu it just about giving other players chance if someone else is struggling.

 

[sifter132]

Ha, wow are we AUS fans so desperate for something to cheer about that we around going to jump of little innings of part of a test match here by Steve Smith. I hope you two were jumping when Smith made 77 vs Pakistan in 2010 facing Aamir/Asif/Gul in seaming conditions, saying he was the real deal leading up to the 2010/11 Ashes.

All credit to him for making the runs here, since the team certainly can do with someone attempting to make runs, but fact is nothing Smith did before this test in international cricket (ignore his FC record in the decline AUS First-class system) to justify a place. He also did well in the last IPL 2012 before his ODI call-up in England last year & looked out of his depth.

Plus its highly inaccurate to say Smith shows more potential than White ever did. Cameron White for a for 2 years once arguably the most destructive # 6 in ODI cricket. Smith has never reached such heights in any form of international cricket.

He hasn't overwhelmed with runs - you are correct. I think the selectors picked him for his style ie. quick feet vs spin, and what he MIGHT do as much as anything. It was a gamble. That said, he hasn't been the worst in the Shield this year. The only guys who've obviously outperformed him are either retired, already on tour, or are Chris Roger and Alex Doolan. Smith offers more secondary skills than those 2, and bats positively. Selectors thought he was worth a try - correctly it turns out.

As for 2010...I'm glad Smith got picked, but I hated that they basically picked him as a bowler. He'd just had one of the most promising Shield seasons WITH BAT by a young player (700-odd runs with 4 100s), yet Hilditch and co envisioned some world beating bowling allrounder

Amazing day ends. Shikhar Dhawan thanks for lighting up this match which could very well have a result now.

125 runs behind and 100 odd overs tomorrow to bat at, I can seriously see us batting for 80 overs for 275 runs and 150 runs lead would be pretty awesome to bowl at and then chase 100 runs total if at all Australia bat out

I think that's batting for too long. A lead of 100 by around tea would be good enough. If you have an innings in hand you can afford to be more aggressive with a declaration eg. even if Aus is 0/100 at stumps after that declaration, then it would be very difficult for India to lose. They would have to collapse badly in the final session on day 5 as Aussies wouldn't declare until they were at least 200 in front, and that would take most of the day.


And Shikhar Dhawan - what a man! I'm sorry I missed most of the innings because it sounds like it was brilliant. The sour part of me says that it's the crappy Aussie attack, but that's not fair. Was a fantastic innings by all accounts, and you can see that even in the scorecard by how he outscored Vijay so easily.

Aussies need to find a defensive option. It's obviously not Henriques bowling line and length, nor are the spinners holding up their ends. Maybe some more negative lines eg. pitching outside leg into rough?

 

[midgetwars]

Well, Smith says he's no longer an all-rounder. He has concentrated on batting.

But we don't know how we can say how good he is since because, Warner, Cowan both performed and that's rare. Even Starc managed to get 99.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

both smith and dhawan deserve a lot of praise imo. smith may not have the technique or whatever, but I'm a big believer in the idea that if you have the right attitude you can get over any lack of technique. he came out unafraid to score runs against the spinners which is a lot more than can be said for a lot of aussie batsmen this series. great knock and well deserved, his attitude might well be the key to a succesful career.

dhawan deserves credit because the way this series has gone india were under pressure to force a result, for the debutant to step up and play an innings that will satisfy that desire shows a lot of courage. so even though it was doherty and henriques bowling at him for periods he still did brilliantly.

 

[Epic]

187 it is then, good job Dhawan.

 

[Left_Hander]

inb4 all the Indian fans want DRS

 

[shravi]

I don't know how many times we have to say this before someone actually learns how to read. Indian fans want DRS. We just don't have the power to do anything about it.

 

[Left_Hander]

I don't know how many times we have to say this before someone actually reads. Indian fans want DRS. We just don't have the power to do anything about it.

Sorry, my comment was meant to be aimed at the BCCI

Still, you see my point. Any other Test match Pujara would still be batting. I'm sure the BCCI will enjoy seeing one of their own players get out when they shouldn't have.

 

[shravi]

I would say I hope this knocks some sense into the BCCI, but that is wishful thinking. Also, two words that shouldn't be used in a sentence together- BCCI and sense.

Heh, Pooja Pujara. Talk about meant to be...

Sunny comparing slogging with constipation. Wonderful...

 

[KrishnamurthiN]

Now what India needs is more good stability in the partnership of Vijay n Tendulkar.... Fingers Crossed.....

 

[King of Cricket]

Now what India needs is more good stability in the partnership of Vijay n Tendulkar.... Fingers Crossed.....

Tendulkar c E Cowan b S Smith
Now what to do??

 

[Epic]

Send Dhoni in at 5, only way we can force a result here, quick runs.

 

[cerande]

I don't think there was that much wrong with the way India played in the session.Commentators are going mad about playing more quickly and all,but this is a tricky thing,this pitch.If you would see,wickets have always fallen in clumps,even Dhawan and Pujara fell immediately.It was necessary to consolidate at that point,even though it was a touch too slower.

That ball from Smith actually landed on the pitch.

 

[Epic]

Collapse much India?