Jan 3-7: 5th Test: Australia v England at Sydney

[shravi]

It's relevant if you use words like mediocre correctly. Just like saying a team is the best or the worst, it's got to be relative to something. A situation where there are like 1 or 2 above average and all the rest are mediocre makes no sense.

Of course it does. Let's say that two bowling attacks are 9's (out of 10), but the rest are all 5's and below. That shows that there are one or two above average and the rest are mediocre as there is a giant gulf between them.

 

[aussie1st]

Geez this is just painful watching this Aussie side, can't bat, bowl or field.

 

[sami ullah khan]

^Well I guess Australian fans have just got to get use to a little bit of losing now. Australia have a strong system in place and once the rebuilding is done, I am sure we will have another powerful Aussie line up. However, this rebuilding phase can take at least 2 to 3 years to complete.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Small difference between a 'little bit of losing' and 3 innings losses in 5 games.

 

[shravi]

Don't feed the troll.


Note: I'm not referring to Angryangy.

Haha, I don't think War has a beef with me (not that I know of ). I do disagree with a lot of his points but who's got the patience and the time to do anything about it ?

I used to cringe every time Bresnan takes a wicket. I really hated watching him play hoped that Australia would take him to the cleaners. I'm a massive Finn fan as well. However, he's sort of won me over with his workhorse attitude and his steady (if unspectacular) bowling. He's accurate, deceivingly quick as he hits the bat hard, accurate and is just a great team player. He might not win England matches single handedly but I think he rounds off this team very well.

That's what appeals to me about England as a potential number 1 side (I think they can make a genuine claim for this spot very soon). They're a very well rounded team. It might have the biggest of names (i.e. the Steyns, the Tendulkars, the Muralitharans, etc) but they are just a great team. They truly embody the old adage "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts". That's not to say that they don't have very good cricketers in their team. It's just saying that they don't have that many players who will go down as legends in the history of the game but as a team they just work so well together. There are no real weak points as such apart from Colly who has retired anyhow. They may not blow their competition apart in many spots from 1-11 but as a whole, I struggle to find a better rounded team in world cricket at the moment. South Africa have a brittle lower middle order, a non-threatening spinner and a constant dilemma over who to choose as their third seamer. India have a potentially shaky opening pair outside the subcontinent, an aging middle order (with one inexperienced and unproven batsman), a toothless pace attack (barring one of them who's highly injury prone), and an inconsistent (although high class) spinner.

 

[sami ullah khan]

Small difference between a 'little bit of losing' and 3 innings losses in 5 games.

I was trying to be gentle with my words

 

[aussie1st]

Small difference between a 'little bit of losing' and 3 innings losses in 5 games.

Yea losing is one thing but not putting up a fight at all is another. Cracker from Tremlett to get to this potential hattrick.

 

[shravi]

When's the last Ashes with as many innings defeats (or more)? I'm assuming that this will be another innings defeat, of course.

 

[Iridium]

At the beginning of the series it was a bit of a laugh to see the Aussies lose. But now it's almost become sad to see how meekly they've surrendered to England. It's been too easy for the Poms. I almost feel for Australia right now. Almost....

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Damn, I have to leave now. Will be gutted if England win and I'm not around to see it

For that reason, Hang in there Siddle!

 

[Themer]

Tremlett WAG. That is all.

 

[angryangy]

I maintain that Tremlett is in fact Skeletor

 

[TumTum]

Don't think much of Beer now, he has a decent action, but all he does is float the ball up hoping for an outfield catch, or bowl the odd quicker ball for the sake of "variety".
Bring back Hauritz.

Isn't that what Hauritz does?

 

[War]

Haha, I don't think War has a beef with me (not that I know of ). I do disagree with a lot of his points but who's got the patience and the time to do anything about it ?

Ok so i guess this means you wont be replying to this post:

http://www.planetcricket.org/forums/2021662-post342.html

That's what appeals to me about England as a potential number 1 side (I think they can make a genuine claim for this spot very soon). They're a very well rounded team. It might have the biggest of names (i.e. the Steyns, the Tendulkars, the Muralitharans, etc) but they are just a great team.

Surely KP is on that level?. Plus once he keeps improving Swann will be pretty soon.

ENG would look superb & id be calling them the best already if Flintoff where around batting @ 6.

They may not blow their competition apart in many spots from 1-11 but as a whole, I struggle to find a better rounded team in world cricket at the moment. South Africa have a brittle lower middle order, a non-threatening spinner and a constant dilemma over who to choose as their third seamer. .

Once SA as you said can get to pick their best XI without the influence of quota's etc. They would be just as well rounded as ENG if not slightly better due to presence of Kallis as a genuine all-rounder.

Smith
Peterson
Amla
Kallis
De Villiers
Prince
Boucher
Steyn
Tahir
Morkel
De Wet

Plus with real quality back-up like Rudolph, Dumminy, McLaren, Kuhn knocking on the door.

 

[shravi]

Their performances in the current series have been medicore. But ability wise they are not medicore. They all have showed over the course of their careers the skills needed to be quality test bowlers. Why they haven't been able to put it together more consistently like they did in the Perth test is BIG question they would have to ask themselves after this series.

Since when i see a bowler like Tim Bresnan who isn't better than any of the AUS quicks, getting all this reverse swing & causing AUS batsmen all this havoc the last two test. While the AUS quicks who have the same reverse-swing ability (except Johnson) failing to replicate the same thing is mind-bogging.

Then of course Hilfy form. Who as you would remember was so brillliant in IND & outbowled Anderson in ENG last summer. Suddenly in one month losing his swing.

Secondly I wouldn't mention the bolded at part of the AUS pace bowling reserves that are potential test standard. Peter George should be added to that list, since he has similar strenhts to Finn/Tremlett.

Overall as i said, the form of the quicks also has been werid & im willing to write this series off, since i have total faith in them going forward & for the rest of their careers.

I agree that they have the ability and potential to be good bowlers and have shown that in their international careers previously but I don't think they've done that anywhere near as consistently as they should have done.

I think Bresnan has done a pretty good job tbh as I said in that other post.

I forgot about Peter George. Oversight on my part.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see but I think that the Aussie pace attack is a little overrated and this is shown by their averages.

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Ok so i guess this means you wont be replying to this post:

http://www.planetcricket.org/forums/2021662-post342.html




Surely KP is on that level?. Plus once he keeps improving Swann will be pretty soon.

ENG would look superb & id be calling them the best already if Flintoff where around batting @ 6.



Once SA as you said can get to pick their best XI without the influence of quota's etc. They would be just as well rounded as ENG if not slightly better due to presence of Kallis as a genuine all-rounder.

Smith
Peterson
Amla
Kallis
De Villiers
Prince
Boucher
Steyn
Tahir
Morkel
De Wet

Plus with real quality back-up like Rudolph, Dumminy, McLaren, Kuhn knocking on the door.

Yep, I think KP is nearing that level now. However, even as one of his biggest fans I'll be a little cautious about this return to top form. No doubt he's got all the ability in the world but he doesn't do it justice at times.

Yep, for sure Flintoff would make this an even stronger team. An all rounder is probably all that's missing (if anything).

De Wet is still a bit of an unknown. Sure, he impressed vs England but we've seen far too little of him to convince us that he's capable of replicating that consistently. Tahir is a complete unknown. He hasn't played any international cricket yet so I'll hold my judgment on him.

Agreed on the back up though. I don't think you can call McLaren real quality. He's steady. Kuhn still hasn't played international cricket but while he may be a better batsman than Boucher, his keeping is said to be worse. Duminy also has to come back and prove that he's sorted out those technical deficiencies.