India in Australia

[RoboRocks]

Bad shot really from Tendulkar, playing at a wide one with no feet. India are in a hole now and need these two to bat time as well as score some runs.

 

[harishankar]

Bah... I've stopped watching this abject surrender.

The pitch has no demons except a few balls keeping low. But Indians are used to playing when the ball keeps low.

Pitiful batting by Dravid again set the Indians back. Instead of being around 150+ for 1 or 2, they're now just dug themselves into a hole by negative batting.

Dravid should retire at the end of this tour. His batting is going nowhere ever since he resigned as captain and he just doesn't seem to have the motivation any more. Hell, he cannot even put the half-volleys, the long hops and the full tosses away now. He seems like a beaten man every time he steps out into the middle. The Indians cannot afford to open with him any more.

 

[aussie1st]

Good setup by Lee to grab the vital wickets. A few short ones followed by the juicy wide one gets Lee another. Ganguly and Laxman our danger pair got to get one of them out.

 

[smssia0112]

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.

It could have been a concern, but India failed to punish us.

As for Hogg, it's probably fair to give him one more chance, but if he doesn't do well in Sydney then drop him for Tait or another spinner even.

Bah... I've stopped watching this abject surrender.

The pitch has no demons except a few balls keeping low. But Indians are used to playing when the ball keeps low.

Pitiful batting by Dravid again set the Indians back. Instead of being around 150+ for 1 or 2, they're now just dug themselves into a hole by negative batting.

Dravid should retire at the end of this tour. His batting is going nowhere ever since he resigned as captain and he just doesn't seem to have the motivation any more. Hell, he cannot even put the half-volleys, the long hops and the full tosses away now. He seems like a beaten man every time he steps out into the middle. The Indians cannot afford to open with him any more.

I think that whoever is asking him to open should take the blame. Here you've got a very talented batsman who is struggling because he's out of position. Drop Yuvraj for a specialist opener and you might do better.

 

[harishankar]

Good setup by Lee to grab the vital wickets. A few short ones followed by the juicy wide one gets Lee another. Ganguly and Laxman our danger pair got to get one of them out.

Brett Lee is the main threat to India. If they can find a way to face him and score off him, the Australian attack will look much weaker.

I am not saying a word against Stuart Clark. But I've not seen him enough on flat pitches on the subcontinent where he will have his true test.

This Aussie attack is probably the weakest in over a decade now without their ace leg spinner and McGrath.

I think that whoever is asking him to open should take the blame. Here you've got a very talented batsman who is struggling because he's out of position. Drop Yuvraj for a specialist opener and you might do better.

I think the problem for Dravid goes beyond his batting number. It's in his mind now. He is technically capable of opening the batting and particularly on this pitch which wasn't a minefield.

He's been struggling ever since the tour of England and his batting is just fading away (just like Ganguly's batting faded away in the period of 2005.

I don't think Dravid enjoys his new role, somehow. His whole body language was so negative out there. He needs a break from cricket to go away and get his mind back in order. But can he return like Ganguly? Only time will tell...

But you could see how the whole Indian team was affected by his batting form in both the innings in this match on a pitch that was more like a subcontinent wicket than an Australian wicket.

 

[Hooper]

Well bowled Symmo, his spinners are causing a bit of trouble here. Im liking this - finally Ponting giving him a shot aye.

 

[harishankar]

Well bowled Symmo, his spinners are causing a bit of trouble here. Im liking this - finally Ponting giving him a shot aye.

If Symonds can get the ball to turn and grip so much, Harbhajan should hang his head in shame.

 

[Cricket_60]

Umpires have been really cautious about giving lb's. It seems only when it is absolutely plum and hitting the center of middle stump do they think of giving it. Both batsmen at the crease have had lifelines now.

 

[harishankar]

Umpires have been really cautious about giving lb's. It seems only when they think it is absolutely plum and hitting the center of middle stump do they think of giving it. Both batsmen at the crease have had lifelines now.

India deserve a bit of luck after the hard decisions of the first innings.

 

[Jit]

hope ganguly and laxman can get a big partnership i jsut hopes they can score big

 

[pal]

If this pair can take us to 200, then I might dare to dream.

 

[playkid12]

The wickets stopped falling once i stopped watching, so if i continue to not watch, maybe we'll win...

So illogical, yet so many times I've thought that......

 

[Gilly Fan]

Pure domination. VVS Laxman now goes. Caught Clarke, Bowled Clark.

 

[pal]

The wickets stopped falling once i stopped watching, so if i continue to not watch, maybe we'll win...

So illogical, yet so many times I've thought that......

Did you start watching?

 

[MUFC1987]

Pure domination. VVS Laxman now goes. Caught Clark, Bowled Clarke.

No, caught Clarke, bowled Clark.

Why do they have initials next to their names on most scorecards as well? It's not hard to tell the two apart.