Australia's Tour Of India - 2008
- Thread starter SciD
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King Pietersen
ICC Board Member
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2006
- Location
- Manchester
Make notes people, that's how to bring up a Test match hundred. Awesome stuff. Brilliant innings, looks a tremendous player, he's certainly started the series well.
I'm with Bob Willis here, apart from Lee and Clark, this Australia attack is very average, with the "spin" bowling just plain embarassing. Johnson is the luckiest bowler I've ever seen, 99/100 times Dravid would have left the wicket delivery, but Johnson just seems to get him playing a stupid shot and getting him out. It's not a plan, you wouldn't plan that against Dravid, he's normally too solid to play a shot like that, so it's just wayward bowling. His wicket of Tendulkar wasn't a great ball either, just again, another one that Sachin should have left. He's such a jammy bowler, how he gets a Test Match gig is beyond me.
I don't honestly think that Johnson, White or Watson would get into most Test match sides tbh, especially England, India's, Sri Lankas and South Africa's. Australia won't get near England with this bowling attack, Pietersen would absolutely destroy all 3 of them, especially White. They need to get some better players in before they come to England, they could possibly even lose to South Africa with this time, don't rate the bowling department at all. The batting is superb though, i'll give them that.
I'm with Bob Willis here, apart from Lee and Clark, this Australia attack is very average, with the "spin" bowling just plain embarassing. Johnson is the luckiest bowler I've ever seen, 99/100 times Dravid would have left the wicket delivery, but Johnson just seems to get him playing a stupid shot and getting him out. It's not a plan, you wouldn't plan that against Dravid, he's normally too solid to play a shot like that, so it's just wayward bowling. His wicket of Tendulkar wasn't a great ball either, just again, another one that Sachin should have left. He's such a jammy bowler, how he gets a Test Match gig is beyond me.
I don't honestly think that Johnson, White or Watson would get into most Test match sides tbh, especially England, India's, Sri Lankas and South Africa's. Australia won't get near England with this bowling attack, Pietersen would absolutely destroy all 3 of them, especially White. They need to get some better players in before they come to England, they could possibly even lose to South Africa with this time, don't rate the bowling department at all. The batting is superb though, i'll give them that.
What a good start that was for Lee but now Gambhir is playing shots freely against him. Australia are slowly losing their chances of winning this match. Once your opposition score 450+ in the 1st innings, it is very difficult to make a comeback later on.
Geez to go with our leaky bowling attack we have a captain that is too defensive. Just way too much defending by Ponting letting India cruise their way to 249. Watson should have had a wicket if we were attacking with 1st slip rather than the floater.
Lee is starting to look threatening which is a welcome relief, now if only Johnson could take note.
Lee is starting to look threatening which is a welcome relief, now if only Johnson could take note.
Ponting_14
International Cricketer
I wish India would bring Jaffer back. I don't like Gambhir very much.
All England need to do is to find consistent top order batsman at number 3. Owais isn't proven yet and if Bell goes there i'll eat my hat. Vaughan of old would make England a scary line up.
King Pietersen
ICC Board Member
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2006
- Location
- Manchester
Bell's the next Michael Vaughan. He's got the same style and fluidness of his strokes that Vaughan had. He's equally as stylish, but just lacks the consistency at the minute, if he's given time to develop himself at he'll work himself into a position and find some form. I've got faith in Belly, he's a top player, and very very good to watch when on form.
Ponting_14
International Cricketer
You honestly believe White will actually play any part of next years Ashes? This is most likely his last test ever.
Good day so far for India. After losing two early wickets: Gambhir, Tendulkar and Laxman have helped rebuild the innings. Gambhir has been superb. It has been a fine innings and should surely help silence doubters who say he does not have the technique to succeed in Test cricket. Of course, this is a flat pitch and he'll need to score runs on a seamer or a quick track consistently over his career to fully silence the doubters, but he has certainly shown the temperament of a Test opener, slowly increasing the pace of his innings, playing risk free cricket.
Tendulkar will be disappointed not to get to his hundred, but the 68 showed that the resurgant Tendulkar that we saw in Australia with the free flowing shots (especially that elegant, but yet so tight on drive which led the infamous Bradman comparison) is back after a blip in Sri Lanka and the road to the record. This Tendulkar we saw today looks like he has a few years left in him, especially in Indian conditions. As for Laxman, what can be said. This has been an innings of relaxed strokeplay of Mark Waugh proportions. I hope he doesn't get out in the lazy manner of the aforementioned in this innings though as a big one from him will remove a lot of pressure from Ganguly and Dhoni - both of whom are twice as deadly when the pressure is off.
The Australian bowling has been okay, imo. However, I feel that Australia's selection of Cameron White continues to prove its ludicrousy. Siddle could have added a lot of pressure and may have been able to negotiate a vital one or two more wickets as well as giving the four pace bowlers who are playing more time to rest imbetween spells and share the workload - keeping in mind that White has bowled just the four overs so far in the innings. Stuart Clark has bowled well, sticking to a miserly line and length, as he does so well. Johnson was wayward and managed to steal a few wickets, as he does, but I want to talk about Watson and Lee for a bit.
Watson spoke recently to cricinfo about his new training regime of which body alignment is a key factor. I believe it has helped him in this game maintain a very consistent line which only erred as he tired and yet continued to try to bowl fast - a classical mistake. Maintaining a consistently threatening line is the key on tracks in New Zealand, England and South Africa where I think he can do well with the ball (Jacob Oram esque, perhaps) and he needs to hope he can keep a place in the side elsewhere with his batting.
I recently posted an article on rebuilding Brett Lee from Foxsports and the effects have been evident here. The emphasis seemed to be on Brett bowling consistently quicker as he had been quite flat in the first two Tests. I think it has worked, I have not seen Brett drop down to 130s except in the variation and he has got consistently up to 147-149kph with the effort ball, remaining in the impressive 140-145kph territory otherwise. However, alas, Indian tracks in this series have shown that you need to be able to extract unnerving bounce (which Lee cannot simply due to his height) or a great deal of reverse swing to take a lot of wickets.
Tendulkar will be disappointed not to get to his hundred, but the 68 showed that the resurgant Tendulkar that we saw in Australia with the free flowing shots (especially that elegant, but yet so tight on drive which led the infamous Bradman comparison) is back after a blip in Sri Lanka and the road to the record. This Tendulkar we saw today looks like he has a few years left in him, especially in Indian conditions. As for Laxman, what can be said. This has been an innings of relaxed strokeplay of Mark Waugh proportions. I hope he doesn't get out in the lazy manner of the aforementioned in this innings though as a big one from him will remove a lot of pressure from Ganguly and Dhoni - both of whom are twice as deadly when the pressure is off.
The Australian bowling has been okay, imo. However, I feel that Australia's selection of Cameron White continues to prove its ludicrousy. Siddle could have added a lot of pressure and may have been able to negotiate a vital one or two more wickets as well as giving the four pace bowlers who are playing more time to rest imbetween spells and share the workload - keeping in mind that White has bowled just the four overs so far in the innings. Stuart Clark has bowled well, sticking to a miserly line and length, as he does so well. Johnson was wayward and managed to steal a few wickets, as he does, but I want to talk about Watson and Lee for a bit.
Watson spoke recently to cricinfo about his new training regime of which body alignment is a key factor. I believe it has helped him in this game maintain a very consistent line which only erred as he tired and yet continued to try to bowl fast - a classical mistake. Maintaining a consistently threatening line is the key on tracks in New Zealand, England and South Africa where I think he can do well with the ball (Jacob Oram esque, perhaps) and he needs to hope he can keep a place in the side elsewhere with his batting.
I recently posted an article on rebuilding Brett Lee from Foxsports and the effects have been evident here. The emphasis seemed to be on Brett bowling consistently quicker as he had been quite flat in the first two Tests. I think it has worked, I have not seen Brett drop down to 130s except in the variation and he has got consistently up to 147-149kph with the effort ball, remaining in the impressive 140-145kph territory otherwise. However, alas, Indian tracks in this series have shown that you need to be able to extract unnerving bounce (which Lee cannot simply due to his height) or a great deal of reverse swing to take a lot of wickets.
Why hasn't Katich bowled all series with that turn? And why on earth are we playing White when we have Katich that can turn it. Just shows what proper spinners can do on a turning wicket and this only the 1st day.
Hmmm Pup struggling with his back now, our selectors and Ponting have totally stuffed up.
Hmmm Pup struggling with his back now, our selectors and Ponting have totally stuffed up.
Chetan0304
Chairman of Selectors
Interesting..
: Gambhir is on fire now he is looking very confident .. now he should slow because 16-17 overs are left in the day come back fresh tomorrow and get the double hundred for his team :cheesy
aussie_ben91
School Cricketer
TBH, Johnson or Watson would easily get a gig in the English Cricket Team. You claim that England is one of the most bowler friendly conditions in world cricket but yet you produce mediocre bowlers like James Anderson and Stuart Broad who still somehow manage to average 35-40 with the ball.
And Watson is a better batsman then anyone in the English Cricket Team barring Cook or Pietersen and his probably on par with Ian Bell.
aussie_ben91 added 0 Minutes and 35 Seconds later...
OMG, Katich had Gambhir plumb!
Ponting_14
International Cricketer
Interesting..
Gambhir is on fire now he is looking very confident .. now he should slow because 16-17 overs are left in the day come back fresh tomorrow and get the double hundred for his team :cheesy
I will not bite... I will not bite... I will not bite... I will not bite.
