Commonwealth Bank Series Feb-Mar 2011/12

[angryangy]

This is the problem with having George Bailey in the team. He doesn't have the big hitting ability and because he's the captain it's not a good look for him to be batting at no. 7 behind Marsh and Christian.

If we had a Marsh of Christian in instead of Bailey, that 12 off 11 could easily be 22 off 11, giving us a total in the 180's instead of 170's. 10 runs makes a huge difference in T20's.

Remembering Marsh's poor stats from the BBL I had to look into this. Marsh has shown an ability to do a fair bit in 20 balls, but never at 2 runs per ball. Given even fewer deliveries, he'd almost certainly do nothing of note. His scores actually suggest that he would have done worse than Bailey in rotating the strike back to Hussey, who was the key player.

Christian definitely could make 22 from 11, but still with a high chance of failing. Like Marsh, his stats are a bit surprising. He averages 7 less than Bailey for 2 more runs per hundred balls. Knowing that he does produce substantial hard hitting, it's apparent that he has also produced a lot of momentum killing innings too.

If Hussey was in the shed, then Christian would become a useful risk, but with Hussey the set batsman, Bailey was the best option to support him. He actually tends to get off the mark quickly and in the past, he's even made some rapid scores. His high score of 60 came off 21 balls and he has an 18 ball 40.

I think it's interesting to look at players as varying shades of risk for a given target rather than this guy who slogs and this guy who doesn't, because ultimately they don't do the same thing every time. During the game I was expecting one of all-rounders to go in, but looking at numbers, it's harder to justify. It's one thing to bemoan a brief run-a-ball innings, but as India showed, you can get slower (and longer). You certainly don't want to be the captain who creates one of those situations for no reason.

 

[SaiSrini]

Thank god I didnt watch this. Thank god the CB series is going to run throughout the night for me, helping me not watch it. This tour is going to be 1999-2000 all over again. Hope what followed after that tour also happens to Indian cricket (the birth of captain Saurav Ganguly, and a new brand of aggressive and bubbling India with exciting youngsters coming in).

 

[shravi]

Hahaha. Loved the way he quickly walked towards other side with his hands behind his back as soon as he realized what he has done.

Anyway, Congrats Aussies. You were better side today.

Just today?

 

[Aalay]

Indians are considered to play spin very well but today they were playing well until the spinners came and seriously they are not looking very comfortable against them

Indians do play spin well but what Rohit got from Hussey was a shocker. He did not expect ball to turn that much. Kohli and Gambhir got out because of poor shot selection

In case of Brad Hogg, you don't see many left-arm chinaman these days and this guy can spin both ways which makes it even harder to play him. Whole team played him for first time. It's like what happened with Mendis. He killed Indians with his carrom ball when he was new but after the mystery was reveled, they killed Mendis. So it is just matter of time, although Brad Hogg is not in the ODI side but they can still bring him back in ODI's, too.

 

[sifter132]

It's because they were under pressure and why did Dhoni pick to bat first!

Why didn't he bat first? Because he wanted to know what was needed if the D/L system came in, plus it gave Australia the worse of the conditions. Australia got the rain break just as they were accelerating, and they also had the slowest outfield. Some have complained about how India's spinners found it hard to grip the ball. Fair call I guess, but the conditions were known well in advance, it had been raining during the afternoon, so a damp outfield was a given. Yet India only picked 2 fast bowlers...

 

[midgetwars]

Anyone wanna talk about wade? His keeping wasn't that flash. But his batting is awesome.

It seems like the best batsman in the country are keepers...

 

[Cricketdude]

Just today?

For the past 100 years in International cricket

 

[shravi]

For the past 100 years in International cricket

Ironically, also how long these last two months have felt...

 

[Aalay]

For the past 100 years in International cricket

How about NO.

 

[formula1man]

yeah Wade does really need to work on his keeping. but batting is fine for now. I think world cup wise this XI is pretty good, you might be able to drop an allrounder for another bowler, and I dont think I need to say I would like to see Shaun Marsh in the team, and he does have the best T20 record in the country.

Am I the only one who wishes the Channel 9 commentry team would stop playing dumb about T20. Its been around long enough surely we know how it works and what the tactics are. The players arent treating it as a joke anymore. you could see every person out there was taking it very seriously unlike a few years ago.

Also I believe the selectors only really need to pick two sides, a Test side and a T20 side. coz an ODI is really just a combination of the two, so a shock ODI selection like Forrest is likely actually a Test selection.

 

[War]

1st T20 review

I personally looked at the game with the T20 world-cup squad in mind for AUS and they were alot of positives for me and just one negative.

POSITIVES:

- With the world cup being played on a turner tracks we already saw in glimpses how important Hogg/Doherty will be as a spin partnership backed up by Hussey.

- Wade's hitting ability was wonderful and although he wont open when Watson returns, he could translate that sort of form down the order for sure.

NEGATIVES:

Watching Bailey bat it made be very nervous he could become another michael clarke part two flop t20 selection.

If he struggles in the next t20 and two games in the caribbean since the selectors must not be afraid to drop him before the world cup, since he would mess up the balance of the top 7 - if he stays.

The selectors then would have to give the captaincy to Watson reluctantly since he is Clare VC in the other two formats.


Best AUS T20 team and 15-man squad come the world cup

Warner
Watson (c)
S Marsh
Dussey
M Hussey
M Marsh
Wade
Hogg
Lee
Nannes
Doherty

Birt
Christian
Cummins/Harris/Pattinson/Bollinger - Anyone would be a good choice
Finch

 

[midgetwars]

Name ONE good hitting T20 captain??

Ponting - Nope; Retired
Clarke - Nope; Retired
White - Used to be; Dropped
Bailey- Probably Not, way too much pressure from the public

 

[Sedition]

The fantasy cricket game has been created for this 12 match ODI series. Register your team here.

Take note that I have extended the Australian squad to include players that weren't named, but may play later in the series, as the named squad is only for the first 3 ODIs. The FC thread contains the players I have added.

 

[icyman]

The sudden dropping of Cameron White is a shocker. White could have been given time till the end of the World Cup.And given that out of form plyaers generally do well versus India, I am sure that White would have worked wonders. Harsh decision really. Wonder whether its a sensible decision to give Bailey the captaincy just 2 games prior to the World Cup ???

 

[formula1man]

I do agree it was harsh to drop White, coz internationally he was doing well, but I don't really have a problem with Bailey. He looks like a captain, and I think thats what matters.