India in Australia

[sohum]

Yeah, he's declaring. I guess it's a good decision, but I was expecting Australia to set the lead over 550, just in case of a miracle like Kolkata.

Nah that was on a flat Indian wicket--this wicket still has a lot on offer for the bowlers not to mention that it is keeping quite low. Also the Aussie bowlers are in great form at the moment.

Dravid and Jaffer it is. Let's see if they make any runs tonight.

 

[Sman-21]

I dont even like haddin in the 1day team i hope he never makes the test team

 

[0601731]

the pitch is still playing pretty ok but dont see the match going past the 4th day.

 

[angryangy]

pitched outside off, hit in line, what more do you want in an lbw? I think Jaffer was pretty lucky on that one.

 

[sohum]

Yup. Clark is just too accurate and easily the most dangerous bowler in the Australian line-up. Hogg should have got Jaffer as well but he cannot complain since he almost had the 9 lives of a cat when he was batting earlier.

Dravid off to another slow start with 3 from 30. Let's see how he plays tomorrow. I cannot decide whether I want to wake up early or not tomorrow to watch the carnage.

 

[karnog]

The problem with India is that they have the capability of chasing such a total. They have 160 overs to chase around 490. I personally think they can chase the total down if they bat sensibly and put the bad bowls away. I saw two full tosses Jaffer should've scored off and atleast two poor bowls from Johnson. I think Brett Lee bowled a few ones that provided width and could've been hit for fours but i guess they had to survive.

From Australia's point of view Clark and Hogg should bowl together. Clark is dead accurate as always and Hogg could be the bowler they try to score off- leading to mishits, etc. etc.

 

[smssia0112]

Aleem Dar is umpiring in South Africa where the Proteas are currently being schooled by West Indies.


You are starting to sound like Niranjan Shah. It's quite obvious that you need practice to play well. Australia get at least two tour matches when they tour India, IIRC.

Yeah but you guys have had as much practice as we have, you've been playing against Pakistan, we've been playing against Sri Lanka. Te only difference is that you haven't been on our pitches much. But as far as match practice goes, you've just returned from your series against Pakistan.

 

[mattfb]

They could just get center wicket practise or go to Sydney and those nets in there, they are great. They have pitches that they try and make like other country pitches. Hard, dry, dusty etc..

 

[angryangy]

He hasn't had the chance to do much wrong coz he's always resting:
He hasn't made decent runs in tests in a long time.

Gilchrist doesn't get rested from tests :

All Test innings in last 12 months
35
23
67*
62
1
102*
0
64

That's an average of 59. If your complaint is simply that he doesn't bat often enough, just stop posting now, ok?

 

[karnog]

I highly doubt the indian batting line up will continue such poor batting form as the series goes on. Its quite obvious they lacked the practice but they should've folllwed the Australians and Sachin Tendulkar in putting the bad bowls + any width away as well as moving they're feet (Clarke and Hayden showed the way). To me Dravid should take a good look at Jacques innings cause i feel he can bat at a similar temperament (although Jacques is damn aggressive in county).

 

[mattfb]

Dravid off to another slow start with 3 from 30. Let's see how he plays tomorrow. I cannot decide whether I want to wake up early or not tomorrow to watch the carnage.

Well he wasn't given much to score from early. Mitch and Binga were pretty wide. Get up early, might as well. Its only one day that you might be tired out of a million more you will live

 

[smssia0112]

The problem with India is that they have the capability of chasing such a total. They have 160 overs to chase around 490. I personally think they can chase the total down if they bat sensibly and put the bad bowls away. I saw two full tosses Jaffer should've scored off and atleast two poor bowls from Johnson. I think Brett Lee bowled a few ones that provided width and could've been hit for fours but i guess they had to survive.

From Australia's point of view Clark and Hogg should bowl together. Clark is dead accurate as always and Hogg could be the bowler they try to score off- leading to mishits, etc. etc.

Not really, it's well over the highest run chase at the MCG of all time. 399 is huge for a second innings chase, and the pitch will start to show something for the spinners. They have the time, but after their first innings, it's unlikely that they'll make it.

I have to say that when Ponting and/or Hussey fails, our middle order is severely weakened. I'm all for keeping Gilly in for his keeping, but when he and Symonds are exposed in pressure situations, we are in trouble. Symonds is fine when the side is looking to declare, but he is not good enough in test cricket, certainly when you put him and Gilchrist together, trying to save an innings, it just isn't good enough.

Drop Symonds is my opinion, we have plenty of decent batsmen in waiting, and the all rounder argument is fruitless because Symonds bowled 3 overs and we still bowled a side with probably the best batting lineup in the world bar our own.

And as for Hogg, not good enough for test cricket either, he proved that in the first innings, other than a few decent late overs, he just doesn't do it. Didn't confuse the batsmen much with his wrong 'uns either, which he tends to do in ODI cricket.

We have suitable batsmen such as Voges, Hodge, Dave Hussey, even Katich to replace Symonds, or Noffke as an all-round option.

As for the spinners, I think that Bryce McGain's form deserves a callup, but we couldn't do much worse than throwing a youngster into the deep end for a crack.

 

[harishankar]

I think India's opening combination is wrong. They're allowing the Aussie bowlers to get on top and allowing them to settle down to a great rhythm line and length.

We needed an attacking opener. Why bring Sehwag to Australia if you aren't going to play him on what looked like a pretty flat pitch? This was a great opportunity to play a really aggressive opener and give him some confidence.

Dravid looks like a fish out of water opening. He might be a good technically correct player, but to be an opener, you need a different mindset altogether. I think if he fails again in the 2nd innings, he needs to seriously consider his career and maybe hang up the boots. Since resigning as captain, he's looked too negative as a player and his career is going nowhere at the moment.

I suggest Sehwag and Jaffer or even bring in Dinesh Karthik as an opening batsman and push Dravid to his usual position. I would either drop Jaffer and play Sehwag or use Jaffer and Karthik as openers.

Once again Harbhajan has proved a liability with the ball and RP doesn't have enough pace to get wickets consistently. I would drop RP and bring in Ishant Sharma for the next game.

 

[jordox]

Not really, it's well over the highest run chase at the MCG of all time. 399 is huge for a second innings chase, and the pitch will start to show something for the spinners. They have the time, but after their first innings, it's unlikely that they'll make it.

I have to say that when Ponting and/or Hussey fails, our middle order is severely weakened. I'm all for keeping Gilly in for his keeping, but when he and Symonds are exposed in pressure situations, we are in trouble. Symonds is fine when the side is looking to declare, but he is not good enough in test cricket, certainly when you put him and Gilchrist together, trying to save an innings, it just isn't good enough.

Drop Symonds is my opinion, we have plenty of decent batsmen in waiting, and the all rounder argument is fruitless because Symonds bowled 3 overs and we still bowled a side with probably the best batting lineup in the world bar our own.

And as for Hogg, not good enough for test cricket either, he proved that in the first innings, other than a few decent late overs, he just doesn't do it. Didn't confuse the batsmen much with his wrong 'uns either, which he tends to do in ODI cricket.

We have suitable batsmen such as Voges, Hodge, Dave Hussey, even Katich to replace Symonds, or Noffke as an all-round option.

As for the spinners, I think that Bryce McGain's form deserves a callup, but we couldn't do much worse than throwing a youngster into the deep end for a crack.

No, I really see the only replacement to Symonds being Katich, those others you mentioned wouldn't do any better than him I feel. But then again It'd be risky.

And I think judging Hogg from one performance is a little weak. He did bowl well towards the end, as you said, should give him at least 3 more matches.

I have said many times on here that Haddin would be a better player for Australia today in test cricket, he is very much capable of the big hitting and I feel his a better batsman and has a more down pact technique. Plus his keepings better. But it's GILLY! so he wont be dropped, nor will Symonds.

...At least not in the immediate future.

 

[aussie_ben91]

Symonds won't get dropped. He made 2 not out half-centuries in the 2 innings he played in the Sri Lankan series.

The naive selectors probably think from the last Boxing Day Test last year that Symonds can save an innings albeit weather he would've made a century that day if he wasn't batting with Hayden is another question. Perhaps they should give Hodge or Katich ago, although the number 6 slot isn't much of a concern at the moment and generally at that position the batsman should be an aggressive batsman anyway. Although, to an extent Hodge is an aggressive batsman and Katich has batted well with the tail in the past.

Hogg should play in Sydney and then should be dropped for the remaining last 2 Tests and get Tait in there bowling short to the Indians.