India in Australia

[punterpupnroy]

Yeah tendulkar and ganguly have to form a long partnership at a runrate if bout 4 an over. but in my point of view and in the australians point of view wickets are pivotal in the context of this test.

 

[harishankar]

Much as Dravid tried hard, he just couldn't time the ball at all. Australia just bowled at his off stump and bottled up the covers and mid off region. Still he was beginning to look more positive and it was a pity he got out when he did. I think that upset VVS Laxman's concentration. We could have done with another 50-60 runs from him. He was in such sublime form...

On the plus side: Sachin looking much more positive. India should try and first get to around 300 without losing another wicket and then we can really turn it on.

Too bad that Zaheer is out injured. With him in the team for the next game, this test series could have really opened up a few possibilities for India.

VRV is a crap replacement for our top bowler.

 

[aditya123]

Much as Dravid tried hard, he just couldn't time the ball at all. Australia just bowled at his off stump and bottled up the covers and mid off region. Still he was beginning to look more positive and it was a pity he got out when he did. I think that upset VVS Laxman's concentration. We could have done with another 50-60 runs from him. He was in such sublime form...

On the plus side: Sachin looking much more positive. India should try and first get to around 300 without losing another wicket and then we can really turn it on.

Too bad that Zaheer is out injured. With him in the team for the next game, this test series could have really opened up a few possibilities for India.

VRV is a crap replacement for our top bowler.

Absolutely. VRV is no match to Zaheer.
Though he has been flown to Australia, I doubt whether he`ll get a chance to play in the XI.
We must go in with RP,Pathan and Ishant for Perth.

 

[gamerkid22]

Good day for India today considering the fact that they have crossed the 200 run mark for the first time in this series thanks to a Very Very Special innings by Laxman (3rd century at the SCG :happy). Dravid played a good knock as well which will help to gain his confidence back and may be he will try to score a bit quicker than he did today. Hoping that Sachin and Saurav bat well in the frist session and then India will get the lead at the end of the day if they bat nicely.

GAmerkid, offtopic but are your exams over ?

Yup, just before the new year

 

[harishankar]

Absolutely. VRV is no match to Zaheer.
Though he has been flown to Australia, I doubt whether he`ll get a chance to play in the XI.
We must go in with RP,Pathan and Ishant for Perth.

Ishant's fitness will be under the test now. Let's hope he doesn't get any injuries. He's looking promising and seems so willing to bend his back, unlike VRV Singh who just runs in and bowls straight up and down stuff (from what I've seen of him so far).

Ideally India should never have had to play Harbhajan on these wickets. Yes, he did take a couple of wickets, but the Aussies always target his bowling and he has bowled far too many dollies both at Melbourne and here. He releases the pressure built up by the seamers.

 

[punterpupnroy]

I dont think Harbhajan has bowled all that badly. from the australian point of view

 

[gamerkid22]

Ishant's fitness will be under the test now. Let's hope he doesn't get any injuries. He's looking promising and seems so willing to bend his back, unlike VRV Singh who just runs in and bowls straight up and down stuff (from what I've seen of him so far).

Ideally India should never have had to play Harbhajan on these wickets. Yes, he did take a couple of wickets, but the Aussies always target his bowling and he has bowled far too many dollies both at Melbourne and here. He releases the pressure built up by the seamers.

Even though Ishant Sharma was wicketless in the first innings, he was bowled well and was putting an extra bit of effort, although he was unlucky not to get Roy's wicket. I also felt that Harbhajan bowls few good overs and then when the batsmen tries to dominate him he starts bowling quicker than his normal pace which makes it easier for the Australian batsman. If India are looking to play 3 seamers in the 3rd test then Pathan should be given a chance instead of VRV Singh. Also it will interesting to see Ishant's fitness in the 2nd innings but hope he bowls well.

 

[harishankar]

I dont think Harbhajan has bowled all that badly. from the australian point of view

Yes, you'd love four Harbhajan singhs leading India's attack

We want 4 Michael Clarkes leading the Aussie bowling attack

Even though Ishant Sharma was wicketless in the first innings, he was bowled well and was putting an extra bit of effort, although he was unlucky not to get Roy's wicket. I also felt that Harbhajan bowls few good overs and then when the batsmen tries to dominate him he starts bowling quicker than his normal pace which makes it easier for the Australian batsman. If India are looking to play 3 seamers in the 3rd test then Pathan should be given a chance instead of VRV Singh. Also it will interesting to see Ishant's fitness in the 2nd innings but hope he bowls well.

Ishant should have had at least 2 wickets. Damn unlucky, but he's the bowler with the attitude that India needs on tough tours. I hope he gets an extended run in international cricket and the selectors show faith.

If he builds up his strength and bowls quick, he could be India's next Javagal Srinath. We haven't had a quick right arm fast bowler who can bring the ball back into the right handers for a while now...

 

[punterpupnroy]

I reckon Australia shud take a risk tommorow and open there bowling attack with hogg and Lee. to mix pace and spin, keep tendulkar and ganguly on their toes.

 

[SciD]

Indian fans should rejoice that Dravid got out when he did, now you have some strokemakers who will try to win rather than draw the match. At the current rate, it will take India 70 overs just to reach Australia's score and they clearly need more runs than that to ensure that Australia do not set a sizeable target.

I'd imagine they need to at least be 400. 200-250 will be pretty easy to scramble through even if India do manage to bowl well and if that leaves a 300+ target, it will be a record chase on the cards.

I wanted Rahul to get 100. :crying


India is scoring slowly because Australia has defensive field settings.

 

[harishankar]

I wanted Rahul to get 100. :crying

India is scoring slowly because Australia has defensive field settings.

If he continued batting at the rate he was at the beginning of his innings his 100 might have come long after India had finished and left the Australian shores.

Even with defensive fields, there was no justification for his not taking singles and rotating the strike a little bit more.

 

[aditya123]

If he builds up his strength and bowls quick, he could be India's next Javagal Srinath. We haven't had a quick right arm fast bowler who can bring the ball back into the right handers for a while now...

Yup. Munaf was the only one who seemed to have that ability but his fitness and attitude left a lot to be desired.
I still maintain that we have a good bunch of fast bowlers who if groomed can make a formidable pace attack in the near future.
Sreesanth,Ishanth,Munaf,RP Singh with Zaheer leading the pack would be a good attack if they are all fit.

 

[aussie_ben91]

Did anyone hear the hatred towards Dravid today? When he was on 18, people were just ripping into him. Basically everyone in the crowd was chanting "Dot Ball! Dot Ball!" after every ball he faced. You wouldn't believe it, I looked around and everyone was outta' there seat and the noise was so loud that it would be almost impossible to concentrate. Also massive chants of "Boooooorrrrrinnnggg" and "Dravid's a ******!" were chanted. Full credit to him though, he stuck it out and produced a much needed partnership for India.

Did they show Mitchell Johnson flip the birdy to the Swarmi Army after he got taken for 19 runs in an over?

I couldn't get over how many of the Aussie fans liked Johnson. His ****.

The eruption for Tendulkar was also immense when he came out to bat. Allot of people were pissed off whenever a bump-ball occured, a wicket off a no ball or one of Gilchrist's drop catches went down because they all wanted to see Sachin bat.

Also, I think I got on Indian television as a bunch of Indians with a camera were video cameraing the Indian supporters and I was right behind them. There was also a guy in an Indian ODI uniform, I can't remember his last name but it starts with "S" and he was wearing number 15 and was doing fielding demonstrations on the boundry rope. He appeared to be a Bollywood star as he kept jewing his hair every 5 minutes.

I was seating at the paddington end, a cover-drive shot. (The end Mitchell Johnson started out from) and was right next to the Indian supporters about 10 rows back.

 

[punterpupnroy]

I wanted Rahul to get 100. :crying


India is scoring slowly because Australia has defensive field settings.

defensive! im not so sure bout that, australia had half and half field IMO but not defensive it was just dravid scored way to slowly is 50 was of like 150 odd balls.

 

[harishankar]

I heard the "bo..oring" chants on telly. Dravid smiled at that. He knew he was being put under pressure.

He was just getting to be more fluent when he got out... but at least he set the stage for Tendulkar.

Australia did set defensive fields though. The deep cover fielder was present almost all the time when Laxman was batting after his first 50 or so runs. Unfortunately he didn't go on after 109 well made runs.