Border-Gavaskar Trophy (India in Australia) Dec-Jan 2011/12

[SaiSrini]

But you see we at least win games and put up a fight when we go to the sub continent. in asia the home country usually wins the first test then the groundsman just make roads so the rest of the series are draws. Sri Lanka have done well "ish" in South Africa and I bet they will come here and do a good job, but the Indian team just doesnt get it, they come here and just fall apart. I would understand the make pitches to suit yourself if India won 4-0 every series at home, but they dont. These are just sporting wickets that get a result, England smashed us last year, and New Zealand beat us this year too, so we arent making pitches to suit ourselves, its just a normal cricket wicket.

What Gambhir and I want is for our board to make such turners every game. Thats what we are arguing for. If that happens, we could possibly win all matches in the series. Gambhir was actually pointing it out to the Indian groundsmen and the BCCI to have them make proper turners instead of these flat decks which give opposition enough leeway. Turning wickets are as sportive as wickets with grass that aid pace and bounce (and movement). Raging turners are not bad wickets. And I was responding to mrtwisties sarcastic comment about me wanting raging turners in India.

You also talk as if India have not played well outside subcontinent at all. India have improved their record outside the subcontinent drastically in the last decade. Its only after the take over of Dhoni as captain (and more so after the exit of Gary Kirsten) that we are doing badly. Under Kirsten, we drew the series in SA 1-1. We have won series in England, NZ in the last 3-4 years and have looked more then pushovers in overseas games in the last 10 years or so. Something has pushed us back in the last 6-8 months and we have to quickly sort it out to get our overseas goal back on track.

 

[Sedition]

India's last hope to peg us back with this new ball and take a few quick wickets.

 

[shravi]

Stopped watching after Lunch and thank god I did .

 

[mrtwisties]

The traditional ideal Test wicket creates an even battle between bat and ball, favouring pace at the start and spin at the end. It's a test, in practice as well as name, of all the cricketing skills - and it takes a balanced team with mastery in many fields and grit where they lack mastery to triumph on such a pitch.

If you want to cut all that complexity down to a glorified net session against the spinners, that's your business. In some ways I'd actually like it if you did. But don't get all huffy about East vs West, or pretend this is a matter of cultural relativities. Fact is, you're taking a multi-faceted contest and making it mono-faceted to give yourself an advantage, like a cyclist who bans running and swimming from the triathlon.

 

[Hooper]

Ponting and Clarke yet again..

If India can show some and get a decent first innings score then hopefully this lasts past 3 days and I can watch it on Australia Day!

 

[iridescentt]

The wonders this series is doing to the aussies on Youtube defending Australian cricket is immense

 

[angryangy]

The traditional ideal Test wicket creates an even battle between bat and ball, favouring pace at the start and spin at the end. It's a test, in practice as well as name, of all the cricketing skills - and it takes a balanced team with mastery in many fields and grit where they lack mastery to triumph on such a pitch.

If you want to cut all that complexity down to a glorified net session against the spinners, that's your business. In some ways I'd actually like it if you did. But don't get all huffy about East vs West, or pretend this is a matter of cultural relativities. Fact is, you're taking a multi-faceted contest and making it mono-faceted to give yourself an advantage, like a cyclist who bans running and swimming from the triathlon.

But the whole point is that the turning wicket is at least counterpart to the grassy pitch which skids on a lot; sure it tests a batsman against pace, but flaws against spin may be completely concealed. You can't say that Perth was any more a multifaceted contest than one on a very dusty wicket because there simply weren't any spinners playing to add the extra facet. Perhaps people are mistakenly generalising in implying that groundsmen the world over are tailoring pitches to suit specific individuals in the home team; it's normally the grounds which drive a need for techniques and methods for success, rather than the players hatching fully trained from great stone eggs and demanding suitable conditions.

 

[cricket_icon]

Haven't had a chance to watch the game but from what I've read Ponting and Clarke put India to the sword. Great to see Ponting is getting back to his old self. I'll be catching the highlights tonight.

 

[mrtwisties]

But the whole point is that the turning wicket is at least counterpart to the grassy pitch which skids on a lot; sure it tests a batsman against pace, but flaws against spin may be completely concealed. You can't say that Perth was any more a multifaceted contest than one on a very dusty wicket because there simply weren't any spinners playing to add the extra facet. Perhaps people are mistakenly generalising in implying that groundsmen the world over are tailoring pitches to suit specific individuals in the home team; it's normally the grounds which drive a need for techniques and methods for success, rather than the players hatching fully trained from great stone eggs and demanding suitable conditions.

Sorry guys, have to put my hand up and admit I strayed a little bit into aussie extremist territory earlier on, and I'm really not that guy. Agree with a lot of what angryangry and SS have to say - albeit with the caveat that you can't lose a Test inside three days and complain that the wicket didn't take turn!

Ideally, I'd like to see Adelaide relaid to be even more of a spinner's pitch. Then you'd have Perth for bounce, Adelaide for spin, Hobart for seam and Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane offering something for everybody. What. A. Summer. That. Would. Be.

 

[icyman]

Indians have relaxed in this series. It seems as if they wish to go home early now. There is no enthusiasm in any of the players. Maybe this is a direct fall-out of playing outside the sub-continent after a gap of two years.
Performances have just not been upto the mark and I dont expect anything better in the ODIs too. Sri Lanka have done well in the last two ODIs in SAF, and I expect them to challenge these two teams well.
India is complaining about the pitches and they want turners at home. But the main question is- will your batsmen be able to play on those turners ? By contrast, the Aussies and English managed to play on their bouncy,fast pitches. I seriously doubt if the Indian batsmen will be able to play their own turning wickets.

 

[Umair7]

Well India Is A Champion Is A Joke

 

[MUFC1987]

Clarke running after the ball hit his bat sums up part of why people don't like him.

Ponting must be close to inking his name in for those 2013 Ashes, which is great news as an England fan.

 

[Sedition]

Clarke running after the ball hit his bat sums up part of why people don't like him.

I thought that was the purpose of the game?

 

[MUFC1987]

I thought that was the purpose of the game?

I'd presume when he's batting that he's trying to hit the ball with the bat, not the other way around.

 

[Sedition]

Seems fine to me to run on a deflection, they do it when it hits the stumps, so why not if it comes off a batsman while they're attempting to run you out? If they're also appealing for obstruction, then fearsome tweak them.