Sri Lanka in Australia Dec-Jan 2012/13

[angryangy]

"That's the way he plays"

It is weird seeing a player so dominant yet so careless.

 

[sifter132]

Dilshan bowling before Herath is strange. The excuse can't be because of two left handers.

It's the only possible reason. Captains are using this kind of logic WAY too often these days, it's a big peeve of mine. Bowl the part timer because he spins it the 'right' way

That said...Hughes was hardly covering himself in glory against Dilshan. He got a few cut shots away, but when Dilshan was full he looked threatening.


Just on Hughes, I thought he looked really good again - apart from against Dilshan funnily enough. Hughes and Warner should be fixtures at the top of the order for the next couple of series at least. Cowan? We'll see...he's not real good in the field and his running found him out yesterday. Quiney would be a guy I'd think of again - can bowl a bit, and importantly can catch in the cordon which is what Australia need. Actually I'd put Watson up there first, but the point remains: Cowan needs to lift.

 

[War]

Wouldn't mind Cowan being sacrificed soon. He has essentially been a stop-gap measure until the young talents potentially step up.

If Hughes wasn't dropped the second time, S Marsh didn't forget how to bat & Khawaja didn't convince the selectors initially, Cowan would have never played tests.

 

[sifter132]

Also wanted to mention: if Ojha and Monty have been watching this series, I think Herath has given them a good template of how to bowl vs Clarke. Bowl pretty full, with very straight fields and generally Clarke has found it difficult to get off strike. Yesterday Clarke had to resort to a couple of lofted drives down the ground, which worked in getting mid-off moved back to long-off, and then was out off a half slogged sweep shot which is a fairly rare shot for him. If you've got Clarke resorting to big shots to score vs spin, then you've done well.

 

[vorgaphe]

What a ton from Wade! Maybe too early to judge just yet but I'd put just behind Prior as best wicket-keeper batsman in the world. Also really impressed with Clarke's declaration.

 

[Sedition]

Agreed! There was a blatant 5 second shot of a hot chick bending over and showing PLENTY of leg later in the day's play too - could hear s------ing in the background of the commentary box, and when Healy threw to Bill Lawry he admitted that he hadn't been watching the last ball - classic So the Tony Greig spirit of checking out the ladies at the cricket was alive and well

Haven't caught much of this test, but that I did see. Shot of the day

 

[cerande]

Now why Hotspot didn't show the edge?Cricinfo says it was visible on snicko.

In any case Kudos to Karunaratne for not staying.

 

[midgetwars]

Wade just needs to work on his keeping and all will be good.

 

[Aislabie]

Looking at the Test bowling averages of the Sri Lankan seamers (before the start of this Test)
Suranga Lakmal - 19 wickets @ 59.57 (12 Tests)
Angelo Mathews - 11 wickets @ 69.45 (30 Tests)
Nuwan Pradeep - 1 wicket @ 345.00 (3 Tests)
Dhammika Prasad - 22 wickets @ 56.59 (11 Tests)

 

[MUFC1987]

Chandimal looks properly good as a Test batsman. Gotta think he'll replace Sameraweera after this Test. Australia should wrap this game up pretty easily though still.

 

[War]

"That's the way he plays"

It is weird seeing a player so dominant yet so careless.

Ye he needs to eradicate that carelessness or his test career is going to be full of disappointment & frustration.

----------

Australia v Sri Lanka, CB Series : Hughes, Khawaja tip out Hussey | Cricket News | Australia v Sri Lanka | ESPN Cricinfo

Hmm some satisfying and disappointing selection here.

Smith & Doherty really should be in this team. Really don't know what the selectors see in young steven - he is a bits a pieces cricketer at best. You already have two batsmen & dussey & maxwell who can bowl spell competently.

With Watson out - another seam bowling all-rounder like Henriques should have been picked instead.

Doherty was bowling fairly average in last years odi tours to england & uae & almost died in the t20 world-cup semi-final vs west indies. Why not give steve o'keefe a chance if the want a front-line odi spinner so bad or pick another all-rounder like hastings or christian.

 

[angryangy]

I suspect they really want to have an all rounder who bowls spin. I would have liked to see Henriques rather than Smith. Otherwise there's a lot of promise. The pace attack is sound and they've made the tough decision to move the Test players out and get the new blood into the top order. They really need to find batting options and even to put Watson and Clarke back into the side, some of these guys are going to be needed.

 

[sifter132]

Well now they have 3 all-rounders who can bowl spin! With no pace bowling AR I can see a team of 4 quicks + Maxwell/Hussey/Smith for 10 overs at some stage in this series.

ODI squad George Bailey (capt), Phillip Hughes, Usman Khawaja, Aaron Finch, David Hussey, Brad Haddin (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Steven Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Ben Cutting, Mitchell Starc, Clint McKay, Xavier Doherty.

It's a reasonable squad...I can see why Dave Hussey and Haddin are selected, but when Inverarity says that they have omitted Mike Hussey with a view towards the 2015 World Cup, it doesn't make sense to then select 2 35 year olds who can easily be covered by others. Dave Hussey has Maxwell and S.Smith that could audition for his job - and both deserve the chance to try after having pretty good recent success, and Haddin will be replaced by Wade after 2 games - why waste 2 games on a guy like Haddin? Paine, or any number of other young keepers could have had a go. I might have even toyed with giving Phil Hughes the gloves for 2 ODIs, just to get his keeping on the radar, and keep him ready for an injuries on a tour/mid-match as well as being able to play the role of backup keeper in a World Cup squad. I remember Jimmy Maher being shoehorned into the backup keeper job in 2003, and Hughes has a much better keeping history than Jimmy did.

Otherwise I can't really complain too much. Khawaja and Steve Smith might be argued, but they've done well domestically in the short stuff this summer, and both have talent. Finch obviously has too. I'd love someone to challenge Warner who I think had a poor year in ODIs - he doesn't know how to build an innings in this form yet. Bailey did well in his ODIs last year, so deserves another crack. Doherty hasn't done too much, but no other spinner is challenging him. Cutting's probably the other one that could be challenged as there's plenty of competition among the young quick bowlers, but he deserves a look, especially given his good lower order batting.

 

[midgetwars]

Hussey would of given CA a lot of money by making people go to ODIs on his farewell. Silly decision, who wants to watch these people play?

The only good hitter is Finch and Dussey and they aren't even that great.

 

[swacker]

Wish Hussey hadn't been a selfless and hit the winning runs instead of calling Mitch!

Lyon gets the song now? That's a surprise. I thought Siddle or Warner or ( my preference) Wade.