India's tour of Australia - December/January 2015

[angryangy]

It's weird because the rain hasn't really given India as much as you'd expect, which is to say, that at Adelaide, you expect you'll need the full five days to eke out a win. Australia have lost 60 overs, but if they were 517 off 150, it wouldn't be a bad effort. So it's more like they've lost 30 overs, and Adelaide being Adelaide, there's a good enough chance of staying out of the rain and recovering those overs. The point is, India still have to work hard to not lose the game.

 

[PokerAce]

Lets take a second to applaud the Jammu and Kashmir side for having pulled off an upset in the Ranji trophy of imaginable proportions. The minnows have beaten the giants Mumbai in their Ranji trophy match today. Shubham Khajurai the 19 yr old Kashmir opener led the way scoring a century in the first innings and a fine 78 in second innings with his side chasing 237 to win.

Well done J&K team and wish them all the best ahead.

 

[aditya123]

BTW forgot to ask, thoughts on Kohli's leadership in the first innings? Personally I think he got a big break yesterday when the second new ball in those 10 overs led to three wickets falling. However apart from that spell he has been seemingly distinctly average and let the game slip.

The reason I say this is not to slate Kohli, however there has been a lot of debate on whether MSD should go or not, especially after the Eng series. I had maintained that MSD must stay as its not his fault the team lost, but rather the team is not good enough to win overseas yet. Some however felt it was MSD's doing and he must go and Kohli take over. So based on the sample so far which side are you leaning on, and has anyone changed their thoughts on the issue.

I`ll still give Kohli some time. This is a road of a wicket and there is`nt a little doubt about this. Teams have routinely scored 550+ at Adelaide and even if India collapse here, I still maintain this. I would give both Kohli and the attack some benefit of doubt. They have been a bit wayward and we have tended to start test series overseas this way. Remember the Centurion test in 2010 where we were clobbered by SA and then got our act together at Durban to bowl SA out twice. This attack has potential to pick up wickets. Lets persist.

 

[aditya123]

It's weird because the rain hasn't really given India as much as you'd expect, which is to say, that at Adelaide, you expect you'll need the full five days to eke out a win. Australia have lost 60 overs, but if they were 517 off 150, it wouldn't be a bad effort. So it's more like they've lost 30 overs, and Adelaide being Adelaide, there's a good enough chance of staying out of the rain and recovering those overs. The point is, India still have to work hard to not lose the game.

India do have to do a lot to save this. In fact, if we do manage to stay even on the first innings score, Australia would be the ones under pressure going into their second innings. Thats how test matches in Adelaide generally pan out. All that is if and only if we can manage to bat long which is unlikely going by our current track record.

 

[Epic]

BTW forgot to ask, thoughts on Kohli's leadership in the first innings? Personally I think he got a big break yesterday when the second new ball in those 10 overs led to three wickets falling. However apart from that spell he has been seemingly distinctly average and let the game slip.

The reason I say this is not to slate Kohli, however there has been a lot of debate on whether MSD should go or not, especially after the Eng series. I had maintained that MSD must stay as its not his fault the team lost, but rather the team is not good enough to win overseas yet. Some however felt it was MSD's doing and he must go and Kohli take over. So based on the sample so far which side are you leaning on, and has anyone changed their thoughts on the issue.

The people who are trying to judge Kohli's captaincy after 2 days (not you, but rather the people on social media I've come across) in a game where he is merely a stand in are quite pathetic, questioning his tactics which for all we know were put together by a combination of Dhoni, Fletcher, Shastri and the other coaches, this is good that he is getting this opportunity overseas against a top team like Australia to test the waters, make mistakes from which he can learn from because to my prediction this is most likely Dhoni's final Test series (at the very least overseas), but until Dhoni is completely out of the picture, I refuse to judge Kohli's captaincy.

 

[namin96]

I`ll still give Kohli some time. This is a road of a wicket and there is`nt a little doubt about this. Teams have routinely scored 550+ at Adelaide and even if India collapse here, I still maintain this. I would give both Kohli and the attack some benefit of doubt. They have been a bit wayward and we have tended to start test series overseas this way. Remember the Centurion test in 2010 where we were clobbered by SA and then got our act together at Durban to bowl SA out twice. This attack has potential to pick up wickets. Lets persist.

They have potential but they don't show they have potential. Short and wide bowling it just doesn't make sense and then Kohli says that we can beat Australia in their own yard. That's too much positivity and hope with this kind of bowling attack. See I just want to make a point here that whoever captains this Indian side is helpless in overseas conditions because we don't have strike bowlers who get us wickets. People criticizing Dhoni should probably go captain the side and see how helpless Dhoni is when his bowlers to batsman just don't perform. Anyways, I predict India to be all out twice on Day 3 and give the match to Australia.

 

[namin96]

The people who are trying to judge Kohli's captaincy after 2 days (not you, but rather the people on social media I've come across) in a game where he is merely a stand in are quite pathetic, questioning his tactics which for all we know were put together by a combination of Dhoni, Fletcher, Shastri and the other coaches, this is good that he is getting this opportunity overseas against a top team like Australia to test the waters, make mistakes from which he can learn from because to my prediction this is most likely Dhoni's final Test series (at the very least overseas), but until Dhoni is completely out of the picture, I refuse to judge Kohli's captaincy.

In the end they are both helpless, they have to put up with bowlers who just can't bowl consistent lines and lengths in overseas conditions. Neither of them should be criticized because they have to put up with a lot of horrible performances from these bowlers and batsman.[DOUBLEPOST=1418219583][/DOUBLEPOST]

India do have to do a lot to save this. In fact, if we do manage to stay even on the first innings score, Australia would be the ones under pressure going into their second innings. Thats how test matches in Adelaide generally pan out. All that is if and only if we can manage to bat long which is unlikely going by our current track record.

We will probably be all out twice on Day 3!

 

[abhi_jacko]

Cant judge Kohli against Dhoni based on 1.5 days of being on the field. It will be unfair to him and to everyone else he would be compared to.

And the fact still remains, we went on the back-foot the moment we went with a 4 specialist bowler combo. God knows whose decision that was, but it is the most important ingredient in the recipe of a disastrous outcome

 

[aditya123]

Lets wait till both teams have batted. Before I absolutely write off this bowling attack, I would like to see them bowl in better conditions than Adelaide. Adelaide has been a tough place to bowl for a lot of bowlers, so lets give them some time. The Aussies might just blow us away but that would be more because of scoreboard pressure and the Aussie bowling in home conditions. Our bowling bar Ishant is absolutely green and its too early to write them off. You have a 3 game old quick, a debutant leggie and a seamer who is in his first tour to Australia.

 

[cricket_icon]

Lets wait till both teams have batted. Before I absolutely write off this bowling attack, I would like to see them bowl in better conditions than Adelaide. Adelaide has been a tough place to bowl for a lot of bowlers, so lets give them some time. The Aussies might just blow us away but that would be more because of scoreboard pressure and the Aussie bowling in home conditions. Our bowling bar Ishant is absolutely green and its too early to write them off. You have a 3 game old quick, a debutant leggie and a seamer who is in his first tour to Australia.

In all honesty, India's bowlers have consistently looked mediocre almost everywhere on the planet although I'm wiling to give that Sharma guy some time. He might be an ok-ish leggy.

But is it just me or is Australia's handling of the Hughes situation turned to farce? Every batsman looks on the verge of tears, every milestone is greeted with points and words to the sky or the 408 painted on the ground. It's gotten quite cringe, what happened was a tragedy and it was sad but it's time to move on and stop turning test cricket into one giant memorial.

 

[abhi_jacko]

But is it just me or is Australia's handling of the Hughes situation turned to farce? Every batsman looks on the verge of tears, every milestone is greeted with points and words to the sky or the 408 painted on the ground. It's gotten quite cringe, what happened was a tragedy and it was sad but it's time to move on and stop turning test cricket into one giant memorial.

Apparently its not just you, since this is the second post of this type in this thread.

I personally don't see a problem with this, and its definitely not cringe-worthy. If we can have extravagant good-bye ceremonies when players retire (Sachin, etc), then surely the Aussies are allowed to dedicate their milestones to Phil without having their intentions and emotions being questioned ?

 

[abhi_jacko]

Lets wait till both teams have batted. Before I absolutely write off this bowling attack, I would like to see them bowl in better conditions than Adelaide. Adelaide has been a tough place to bowl for a lot of bowlers, so lets give them some time.

Fair point. I remember the Australians demolishing the a full strength bowling unit during the 2012 Adelaide Test.

There is a good chance that out batting might not show as much grit as the South Africans did, but lets see ..

 

[SaiSrini]

But is it just me or is Australia's handling of the Hughes situation turned to farce? Every batsman looks on the verge of tears, every milestone is greeted with points and words to the sky or the 408 painted on the ground. It's gotten quite cringe, what happened was a tragedy and it was sad but it's time to move on and stop turning test cricket into one giant memorial.

Deja Vu.

On the game - that was a great start wasted by Dhawan. I guess he took on Johnson (who has figures of 0-18 from 3 overs till now). Hope Vijay can show his form from the England tests (the form from those initial tests against England)

 

[Aalay]

Murli Vijay looks a bit uncomfortable against Johnson. He needs to stop poking outside the off stump.

 

[Epic]

"You wouldn't need a drink if you were fit, Vijay."