Australia Vs India Test Series

[Barmy_in_Palmy]

I am gonna rock the boat a bit and disagree with some of you here, I think anything verbal should be allowable on the cricket field. Here's why...

I went from playing county cricket to U15 level in the UK where a set of slips might josh..."did anyone give him instructions with that bat, does he know what to do with it"...all very mild...

to QLD grade cricket where you would have some bogan from woop woop breathing down your neck at short leg telling you how he shafted your mum last night and trying anything to get a reaction.

How did I cope with it, shock at first that this side to the game existed, then a realisation that mental strength was just as much a part of the game as technique. If you lost the plot when a bowler took the piss out of your english accent or whatever and got yourself out trying to slog him then more fool you.

Lets face it, not all of us have it in us to dish it out, i know i don't, but we should all be strong enough to ignore it and I see no problem with teams having verbal players who create the aggro.

In a club game if someone calls ya a black bastard, monkey, pommie, yid, bloody anything, if it offends you that much then go and lamp them after the game...but chances are you'll be having a beer with them and they'll be telling ya how they really did knob your mum last night.

So to sum up, I don't agree with racism but you cannot have circumstances that are accepted and common in lower levels of the game wiped out at test level. Ditch the close mics on tv and let them sledge each other to their hearts content. IMHO

But thats just not cricket.

 

[sharky_marky]

It was fantastic to see the Aussies lose as it shows that the gap between them and the best of the rest isn't actually that huge. They are just like any other team - if you bowl well at them, presure builds and cracks will form. The aussies don't like being tied down to a scoring rate of less than four an over - they simply can't handle playing out maiden after maiden when the situation may call for it. The Indians have great depth in bowling resources now - that's also considering that Sreesanth and Munaf Patel are not even near the team and also remembering that Zaheer Khan (the best bowler against us last year) wasn't even playing!!! It's great to see and I feel that other countries like South Africa and even us have good enough youngsters to really close that gap further in the next few years - here's hoping, as it would be nice to see Ricky Ponting have to retire with a gloomy, rather than smug, face!!! :grin:

 

[Tickers]

Belting Test match. And, happily, because the bad decisions went against the Aussies rather than the Indians, we can all focus on the cricket instead of the international incident. Huzzah!

 

[TrueYid]

Truly was a belting match, India were very good value for their win.

Ponting is badly out of form, Australia still have no backup plan too Hayden and Langer as an opening pair, and to be quite frank Hogg isn't fit to lick one of Warnies girls, and Ghilchrist is not that good a WK, and his batting has dropped in quality too.

The rest of the world have an opportunity in the coming years to really step up to the plate.

 

[Bill_Oddie]

Yes, if it weren't for the fact they have the 2 best pace bowlers, best wicketkeeper, the batsman with the highest average and the most winningest captain and team in the world, they would be distinctly average. :wink:


I'd say you lot are kidding yourselves if you think any side will touch the Aussies until Gilchrist, Ponting, and several others retire. That'll be 2-3 years minimum.

India look great and are a fine cricket side. Likewise England until the past year. But neither could touch Australia on their day. And even when things were going hugely against the Aussies, the worst involved narrow, narrow defeats.

Hogg may not be fit to lace Warnie's ladies/boots, but I don't think many are. What Hogg has done is deal brilliantly with the burden of leading the Aussie spin department. His first spell in this series was when ganguly and Sachin were in full flow. Most others would have been destroyed by such an onslaught. Hogg came back with a tight spell (after Clark beautifully removed Sachin) and ended Sourav with a flipper as good as any I've seen Warne bowl. It was a jaffa.

Hogg then continued to bowl really very well for the 1st and 2nd Tests with next to no luck. The Indians tried everything, but he tied them down respectably. Not a single one of them can read his wrong 'un, which says everything about how good that particular delivery is. He also brings a wiser head. Albeit one with few caps.


Anyway, nice ideas, guys. But the Aussies are still the big dog in the yard!

 

[TrueYid]

They have far from the best WK in the world, India, South Africa and Sri Lanka have FAR better keepers than Australia. AG is slightly better than Reid with the gloves which doesn't say much - the only thing going for him is that he can score lots or runs, more than any other WK in the world. HOWEVER he hasn't produced with the bat for that last three years (bar his 50ball 100 against the poms last year) - he is so good with the bat that his keeping deficiencies are overlooked.

Hayden will retire at the end of the summer, and he is Australia's linchpin, with him and Langer Australia were unbeatable (proved by the fact that when they failed with the bat in 05 Australia looked a shadow of what they had been and got beaten by England) many Australians can not see where they are going to get a top pair like that from because there isn't anyone who stands out.

Granted Ponting is the best batsmen in the world, but as a captain he is shit, always has always will be, if Martin Jol was tactically naive than I don't know what Ponting is. Highlighted by a spell in India's second innings when they had scored 9 runs off 9 overs and he brought on Symonds and M Clarke and bowled them for SIXTEEN consecutive overs (in which they conceded 4.5 runs an over)

Yes they have great players and are still the number one team, however they lack a opening partnership, and world class wicket keeper and a attacking spinner (I am not convinced of Hogg's ability at all, but I am prepared to reserve judgment on him for now)

The only problem is there is no team who can step up because the quality of world cricket right now is VERY poor.

 

[Barmy_in_Palmy]

I'd say you lot are kidding yourselves if you think any side will touch the Aussies until Gilchrist, Ponting, and several others retire. That'll be 2-3 years minimum.

except that there will another Gilchrist, Ponting, Hayden coming right behind them to take over.

The simple fact is that Australia are to cricket what Brazil are to football, NZ are to Rugby, USA to American Football.

 

[Bromavinci]

exactly Barmy...look at how many players have never got a chance or had little opportunity to play regular test cricket for Australia - names like Stuart Law, Jamie Siddons, nowadays Rogers, even Jacques and Hussey had to wait a long long time to get in..and look at how many runs those blokes have gotten in 1st class cricket, in Australia and England..there is a very very long waiting list of Aussie players who spend a long long time learning their trade and come to test cricket with their game sorted. It is very rare for a young bloke to come straight on the scene, Clarke and Ponting being the only two real exceptions in recent years...the depth of cricket talent in australia is staggering and these guys come to test cricket absolutely 100% ready - we could almost put out 2 test teams i would venture and (alot like the all blacks) have an extremely competitive 2nd XI - we use to do it for the one dayers remember?

The bowling stocks are a little bit barer but Stuart Clarke waited in the wings a long time, as did Hogg...mitch johnson and stuart tait are young guys alright but obviously a life cycle for a bowler differs to a batsmen so they get a chance early (Matt nicholson, nathan hauritz, anyone?)...

Yes the domination has to come to an end, it has too eventually, but I will tell you that since the devpt of the Cricket Academy in Australia in the late 80s and early 90s (or even earlier), the cricket production line in Australia will continue to produce the absolute cream...its up to the rest of you to catch up....

 

[Bromavinci]

i didnt see a ball bowled - will try to catch highlights on SKY this evening...

but all hail the little master...im told it was an absolute class century!!

Odds on a draw??? Another Adelaide belter - should see some high scoring...

 

[sharky_marky]

I think that the Indians have got a great chance of winning this match, given that they have the best spinners. The Adelaide pitch is slow but will wear nicely for Kumble and Harbhajan on day four and five. If India get 450 plus, and don't drop Ponting like Gilo did in the Ashes last year, then they can exert serious pressure on the aussies.

Who won the Adelaide Ashes test match for the aussies last year? - Warne, first with his contribution with the bat in the first innings and then his devastating spell to bowl us out for 130 in our second innings. He's not there any more and his replacement, Hogg, is nowhere near as good. Should be interesting!!!!!

 

[Bromavinci]

shaping up nicely - we need to make alot of day 3 runs to close it out as a contest..

its not often the aussies drop so many easy chances, just hope that the guys make the runs and more importantly stay out there for the entire day, and into day 4...close out the contest and win the series 2-1...happy days....

 

[sharky_marky]

I can't believe that the Aussies actually scored their runs at less than three-an-over - that must be a first for a long, long time!!!!! It's good to see that the Indians are bowling well at them.

From an Englishman's perspective, it's great news about Gilchrist retiring as it will weaken them somewhat. I know Brad Haddin is an effective scorer as well, but does he have the batting technique to cope with test matches? Gilchrist has always struck me as one of the few nice guys in that team, so in that way it will be sorry to see him go. I'm just hoping that Hayden does the same, as if that happens we could have an interesting Ashes contest next year.

 

[TrueYid]

From an Englishman's perspective, it's great news about Gilchrist retiring as it will weaken them somewhat. I know Brad Haddin is an effective scorer as well, but does he have the batting technique to cope with test matches? Gilchrist has always struck me as one of the few nice guys in that team, so in that way it will be sorry to see him go. I'm just hoping that Hayden does the same, as if that happens we could have an interesting Ashes contest next year.

Haddin is the better Wicket Keeper, but not as prolific with the bat, Gilli has been out of sorts this summer with both bat and gloves so it is time for him to make way for someone else, it is a shame because he really is a fantastic bloke and hasn't deserved the harsh press which he has recieved in Australia, I am guessing he is leaving 12 months before he would have liked too, but that says so much about him that he is stepping down when he could easily have played on.

Australia will be stronger with Haddin in the side - their batting is so strong that they don't need their WK to score hundreds.

However they may suffer slightly in the shorter version of the game because Gilly and Hayden are so strong at the start of an innings.

 

[sharky_marky]

Hayden is a super-fit old pro and will hold out as long as his eyes allow him to, plus he's probably still to this day not happy that he didn't play too well in the Ashes here in '05, and will want to banish those memories next year.

I would probably agree with you True Yid that they won't miss Gilly too much in test cricket, as they do indeed have great batting depth anyway with Hogg at number 8 and Lee at 9. Still though, any team that loses a number 7 with a batting average of 50+ will be weakened in some way.

 

[TrueYid]

Hayden is a super-fit old pro and will hold out as long as his eyes allow him to, plus he's probably still to this day not happy that he didn't play too well in the Ashes here in '05, and will want to banish those memories next year.

I would probably agree with you True Yid that they won't miss Gilly too much in test cricket, as they do indeed have great batting depth anyway with Hogg at number 8 and Lee at 9. Still though, any team that loses a number 7 with a batting average of 50+ will be weakened in some way.

But what is his average post 2005? I am not certain, but prety confident that is some way off 50

 

[Bromavinci]

I would venture that Gilly made up his mind to retire this summer a while ago - it was mooted after the WC in the Windies it was on his mind, very dodgy kness apparently. I reckon the ACB convinced him to stay on so they didnt have the mass retirings that they were scared of, all in one go..also the powers that be have probably said thet Haddin is ready now after a few appearances in the hit'n'giggle (that 20 over crap), and a cpl of one dayers under his belt. Haddin is a better glove man to be sure and he is handy with the bat, as good as any WK / Batsman in international cricket so we wont be weakened. Only thing that will change my thought processes is if we are in trouble at 5 for very few, could always still feel ok that Gilly would knock a few up...

Anyway, goodbye and good luck Gilly, a true gentleman and will go down as one of the greats...

 

[sharky_marky]

You're right TrueYid - his career average dropped to around 48 which is some fall considering it was what, 56/57 a few years ago!!!! 48 isn't bad though.....:clap:

Gilchrist was a great player and also a great man by all accounts so it will be a loss to the game. Rumour is though that he was in effect persuaded to retire early by a lucrative offer, believed to be £400,000, from the rebel Indian Cricket League. Hayden, being the brute of an attacking batsman that he is, could also be offered huge amounts to join this Twenty20 league, which is threatening the fabric of global cricket. I can't believe that Shane Bond, who hasn't played that much international cricket due to injury, would go and play there and therefore foresake playing anymore international cricket, but he has which is quite staggering! Money talks though I suppose.....