m_vaughan
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Story Australian Int Season - RETIREMENT
- Thread starter MWaugh
- Start date
Match Introduction - Tony Greig
The Weather
"After some high temperatures over the past number of weeks, Adelaide is currently experiencing a cool change, this ladies and gentlemen is sweater weather. This will help all involved in this vital test match. It will allow the players to reduce the impact of fatigue and perform at their best while the crowd will be able to sit in comfort around this magical ground."
The Pitch
?As a result of the temperature experienced in South Australia lately, this pitch is very dry. There isn?t a lot of grass on the surface but it is very hard. It will turn along way early in this match which will suit the spinners but the pitch is hard enough that the pacemen may fancy themselves with the new ball. It is a batsmen?s paradise though, get set and you will be in for a big score, I expect a repeat of the last time these 2 great sides clashed here in Adelaide, where both scored 500+ in the first innings?
(The magical Adelaide Oval, surrounded by a combination of inner-city business buildings and traditional Adelaide churches)
The Batsmen
"India will consider themselves lucky that they took victory away in Brisbane with only 5 specialist batsmen. The lineup has been strengthened with Dhoni included along with Yuvraj Singh so India will have greater confidence to play their shots.
The Australian batting lineup doesn?t take kindly to being skittled for low scores and you can bet that they are hurting from the loss in Brisbane. The home side will come out with a point to prove and with a number of players under the microscope the pressure will be on. I would expect a really strong performance from the likes of Langer, Hayden, Ponting and company at the top of the order to build a large total."
The Bowlers
"The pacemen did their job in Brisbane for both teams. Khan and Agarkar retain their place as the only 2 seamers with Kumble and Singh expected to bowl a lot of overs. I don?t think Khan and Agarkar will be as effective on this flat track but Kumble will be very dangerous.
Brett Lee was the standout for the Australians, McGrath was rather quiet by his standards but kept proceedings tight for Lee to attack. This time Lee and McGrath have the leg spinning sensational pairing of Warne and MacGill which means Australia will constantly attack this dangerous batting lineup."
The Outcome
"I tipped Australia for the first test due to their class and I was showed to be wrong. However there is nothing worse than playing Australia after they have been hurting after a defeat. I know the home side will come out with all guns firing and the Indians will have to lift again to match the Australians."
The Keys
"With the state of the wicket its hard to look past the bowlers with the magic fingers. Warne and MacGill will be crucial for the home side while Kumble and Singh have tormented the Australians for a number of years now. Whoever gets last crack at this pitch with the ball will be in good stead bring home victory."
(Shane Warne, Stuart MacGill, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh will all have a vital role to play in the 2nd test)
The Weather
"After some high temperatures over the past number of weeks, Adelaide is currently experiencing a cool change, this ladies and gentlemen is sweater weather. This will help all involved in this vital test match. It will allow the players to reduce the impact of fatigue and perform at their best while the crowd will be able to sit in comfort around this magical ground."
The Pitch
?As a result of the temperature experienced in South Australia lately, this pitch is very dry. There isn?t a lot of grass on the surface but it is very hard. It will turn along way early in this match which will suit the spinners but the pitch is hard enough that the pacemen may fancy themselves with the new ball. It is a batsmen?s paradise though, get set and you will be in for a big score, I expect a repeat of the last time these 2 great sides clashed here in Adelaide, where both scored 500+ in the first innings?
(The magical Adelaide Oval, surrounded by a combination of inner-city business buildings and traditional Adelaide churches)
The Batsmen
"India will consider themselves lucky that they took victory away in Brisbane with only 5 specialist batsmen. The lineup has been strengthened with Dhoni included along with Yuvraj Singh so India will have greater confidence to play their shots.
The Australian batting lineup doesn?t take kindly to being skittled for low scores and you can bet that they are hurting from the loss in Brisbane. The home side will come out with a point to prove and with a number of players under the microscope the pressure will be on. I would expect a really strong performance from the likes of Langer, Hayden, Ponting and company at the top of the order to build a large total."
The Bowlers
"The pacemen did their job in Brisbane for both teams. Khan and Agarkar retain their place as the only 2 seamers with Kumble and Singh expected to bowl a lot of overs. I don?t think Khan and Agarkar will be as effective on this flat track but Kumble will be very dangerous.
Brett Lee was the standout for the Australians, McGrath was rather quiet by his standards but kept proceedings tight for Lee to attack. This time Lee and McGrath have the leg spinning sensational pairing of Warne and MacGill which means Australia will constantly attack this dangerous batting lineup."
The Outcome
"I tipped Australia for the first test due to their class and I was showed to be wrong. However there is nothing worse than playing Australia after they have been hurting after a defeat. I know the home side will come out with all guns firing and the Indians will have to lift again to match the Australians."
The Keys
"With the state of the wicket its hard to look past the bowlers with the magic fingers. Warne and MacGill will be crucial for the home side while Kumble and Singh have tormented the Australians for a number of years now. Whoever gets last crack at this pitch with the ball will be in good stead bring home victory."
(Shane Warne, Stuart MacGill, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh will all have a vital role to play in the 2nd test)
Bala
International Coach
Dunno if you have already got it, but here you go - all the pitch lists in the game.
PHP:
0ce83d1bd97d73f5eed69ec9529a53f5.fsh - dusty (Eng/NZ)
1c17a12091fbc4ad4472d24f47ef9141.fsh - hard (Eng)
3eb8b8c31c1f381ae04eac077d9ea5ec.fsh - green (Aus/SA/WI/Zim)
9ea146211cdf6d7ead3fc59a86e0d6d0.fsh - wet (all)
085a22817e78db2ab0ae41f3d4a4ecd0.fsh - dry (all)
833735f6dd0a3fa94226bdce9c27b390.fsh - damp (Eng/NZ)
b92fd0b5c5068b2257094267acf53067.fsh - hard (WI)
ba6ea8d3ab81042cc60905c87e91bdc8.fsh - normal (Aus/SA/Zim)
bc9ca3950f0a9d8bc6ef5264df44da3c.fsh - normal (Eng/NZ/WI)
c90799efb54aa395c60fb36ba9fd6b33.fsh - hard (Aus/NZ/SA/Zim)
d8584d634d8c63d1e4d57630342a7f9c.fsh - nets
d5646598f56cf4a071fbc1d96975708b.fsh - normal (Ind/Misc/Pak/SL)
f0fe8bd2e7ec57ac46bb6cf33e5b7e04.fsh - green (Eng/NZ)
f372a4c899782300322d1ee7769d1edd.fsh - dusty (Aus/Ind/Misc/Pak/SA/SL/WI/Zim)
f580a24be4ede1d0e5e9c3dd553baed6.fsh - dusty (WI)Match Introduction - Coin Toss
Mark Nicholas - Welcome down to the Adelaide Oval and we are only a number of minutes away from the start of the vital 2nd test match between Australia and India. Both sides are very well supported here and im sure both will be in full voice as they try and lift their team over the line today. The coin has just been tossed by Australian captain Ricky Ponting and Indian captain Rahul Dravid has unfortunatly lost the toss. Ricky what will you do today?
Ricky Ponting - We are going to have a bat thanks Mark
Nicholas - Im going to be honest not a lot of suprises there. Looking for a big total early or looking to play your spinners in late in the match?
Ponting - To be honest both actually Mark. Obviously we will be looking for a large total on a very good batting track but I think having Stuey and Warney bowling last on this pitch will be a big psychological advantage.
(Ricky Ponting makes his way to the centre of the ground for the coin toss)
Nicholas - Well best of luck for the match. Now here i have Rahul Dravid. Rahul you probably would have liked to make first use of this pitch i would expect?
Dravid - Yes Mark it probably is a pitch that we would have liked to have batted first on. The problem with these two teams is that we are so close and competitive. Our strengths are very much the same and we would have loved to have made a big score and then had Anil and Harbhajan bowling last.
Nicholas - Very true, however there may be some in it early with the bounce aswell.
Dravid - Yes thats something that we looked at closely before the toss. We will now have to work really hard in the opening session and then hopefully start to work through the top order and make the game ours.
Nicholas - Well there you have it, Ricky Ponting has won the coin toss and Australia will bat first on this beautiful Adelaide Oval wicket.
Mark Nicholas - Welcome down to the Adelaide Oval and we are only a number of minutes away from the start of the vital 2nd test match between Australia and India. Both sides are very well supported here and im sure both will be in full voice as they try and lift their team over the line today. The coin has just been tossed by Australian captain Ricky Ponting and Indian captain Rahul Dravid has unfortunatly lost the toss. Ricky what will you do today?
Ricky Ponting - We are going to have a bat thanks Mark
Nicholas - Im going to be honest not a lot of suprises there. Looking for a big total early or looking to play your spinners in late in the match?
Ponting - To be honest both actually Mark. Obviously we will be looking for a large total on a very good batting track but I think having Stuey and Warney bowling last on this pitch will be a big psychological advantage.
(Ricky Ponting makes his way to the centre of the ground for the coin toss)
Nicholas - Well best of luck for the match. Now here i have Rahul Dravid. Rahul you probably would have liked to make first use of this pitch i would expect?
Dravid - Yes Mark it probably is a pitch that we would have liked to have batted first on. The problem with these two teams is that we are so close and competitive. Our strengths are very much the same and we would have loved to have made a big score and then had Anil and Harbhajan bowling last.
Nicholas - Very true, however there may be some in it early with the bounce aswell.
Dravid - Yes thats something that we looked at closely before the toss. We will now have to work really hard in the opening session and then hopefully start to work through the top order and make the game ours.
Nicholas - Well there you have it, Ricky Ponting has won the coin toss and Australia will bat first on this beautiful Adelaide Oval wicket.
Teams Take To The Field
The Indian cricket team were the first to take to the field, lead by Rahul Dravid as the sides prepare for the first ball of the 2nd test. 1st Test hero Zaheer Khan will deliver the first ball for the tourists.
Traditional brothers-in-arms Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer strode confidently to the wicket knowing that there are runs on offer for the batsmen.
(The teams for the first test, Australia adding spinners Symonds and MacGill while Yuvraj Singh balances out the Indian lineup considerably)
The Indian cricket team were the first to take to the field, lead by Rahul Dravid as the sides prepare for the first ball of the 2nd test. 1st Test hero Zaheer Khan will deliver the first ball for the tourists.
Traditional brothers-in-arms Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer strode confidently to the wicket knowing that there are runs on offer for the batsmen.
(The teams for the first test, Australia adding spinners Symonds and MacGill while Yuvraj Singh balances out the Indian lineup considerably)
Langer Falls Early - Australia 1/14
Agit Agarkar took very little time to re-unite himself with the ground that he famously took 6/41 in the 2003/04 series against Australia as he snared the wicket of Justin Langer early on the first days play in the 2nd test.
Agarkar managed to get an in-swinger through a large gap between bat and pad to clean bowl the left hander. Langer fell for only 10 to continue on from a less than memorable first test in which he failed to reach double figures. The West Australian visibly dissapointed on a pitch that would have suited his horizontal bat shots.
Agit Agarkar took very little time to re-unite himself with the ground that he famously took 6/41 in the 2003/04 series against Australia as he snared the wicket of Justin Langer early on the first days play in the 2nd test.
Agarkar managed to get an in-swinger through a large gap between bat and pad to clean bowl the left hander. Langer fell for only 10 to continue on from a less than memorable first test in which he failed to reach double figures. The West Australian visibly dissapointed on a pitch that would have suited his horizontal bat shots.
Ponting Falls For 0 - Australia 2/15
Australian Ricky Ponting was unable to continue on his impressive start to the home season when he fell for a second ball duck as Australia slumped to 2/15 in the first 6 overs of the 2nd test.
Ponting was adjudged LBW to left arm seamer Zaheer Khan without scoring as he looked to play the ball onto the leg side. Ponting appeared frustrated at the decision and replays suggest he has good reason, with the ball appearing to pitch outside the line of leg stump.
Australia's new number 4 batsman Michael Clarke will now have to face the fired up attack of Khan and Ajit Agarkar as he battles to find form and cement his place in the team.
Australian Ricky Ponting was unable to continue on his impressive start to the home season when he fell for a second ball duck as Australia slumped to 2/15 in the first 6 overs of the 2nd test.
Ponting was adjudged LBW to left arm seamer Zaheer Khan without scoring as he looked to play the ball onto the leg side. Ponting appeared frustrated at the decision and replays suggest he has good reason, with the ball appearing to pitch outside the line of leg stump.
Australia's new number 4 batsman Michael Clarke will now have to face the fired up attack of Khan and Ajit Agarkar as he battles to find form and cement his place in the team.
Khan Bags A Double - Australia 3/44
Zaheer Khan put Australia further under pressure as he collected his second wicket with the dismissal of Australian opener Matthew Hayden for 19 to leave Australia at 3/44.
Khan beat the outside edge of the bat as Hayden looked to press forward to a good length delivery. The ball appeared to swing late towards the off stump, which it clipped on the way through.
Australia's new kids on the block, Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke will now have to work on rebuilding Australias innings on what has been described as a batsman friendly Adelaide pitch.
Zaheer Khan put Australia further under pressure as he collected his second wicket with the dismissal of Australian opener Matthew Hayden for 19 to leave Australia at 3/44.
Khan beat the outside edge of the bat as Hayden looked to press forward to a good length delivery. The ball appeared to swing late towards the off stump, which it clipped on the way through.
Australia's new kids on the block, Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke will now have to work on rebuilding Australias innings on what has been described as a batsman friendly Adelaide pitch.
Lunch - Australia 3/88
India took the honours from the first session of the first day in Adelaide as Australia stumbled to 3/88. Opening bowlers Zaheer Khan (2/43) and Ajit Agarkar (1/6) shared the spoils while Michael Clarke 31 not out and Michael Hussey 23 not out lead the way for the home side with the bat.
India took the honours from the first session of the first day in Adelaide as Australia stumbled to 3/88. Opening bowlers Zaheer Khan (2/43) and Ajit Agarkar (1/6) shared the spoils while Michael Clarke 31 not out and Michael Hussey 23 not out lead the way for the home side with the bat.
harishankar
Panel of Selectors
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Great work by India! 
Clarke Strikes Half Century - Australia 3/132
Michael Clarke scored a magestic 77 ball half century as he and Michael Hussey put Australia back on track in the second session of play on day 1 of the 2nd test in Adelaide. Clarke appeared at his elegent best, producing a mix of sweep shots, pull shots and cover drives as he found the rope 8 times, clearing it once.
Indian captain Rahul Dravid would have every right to worry should Clarkes form continue, after India witnessed Clarkes sensational debut to the test arena with 151 at Bangalore in October 2004.
(Michael Clarke in action during his innings of 151 against India on debut. This innings will surely still rest in the memory of Indian captain Rahul Dravid)
Michael Clarke scored a magestic 77 ball half century as he and Michael Hussey put Australia back on track in the second session of play on day 1 of the 2nd test in Adelaide. Clarke appeared at his elegent best, producing a mix of sweep shots, pull shots and cover drives as he found the rope 8 times, clearing it once.
Indian captain Rahul Dravid would have every right to worry should Clarkes form continue, after India witnessed Clarkes sensational debut to the test arena with 151 at Bangalore in October 2004.
(Michael Clarke in action during his innings of 151 against India on debut. This innings will surely still rest in the memory of Indian captain Rahul Dravid)
further match updates will be posted tomorrow. be sure to keep reading and posting and dont forget to check out the "story of the month" voting which has just opened. (its stickied at the top of the story thread page)
cheers
MWaugh
(Story Moderator)
cheers
MWaugh
(Story Moderator)
Cricket_60
International Coach
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I'm hoping to see a good comeback from the Aussies tomorrow 
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