Australia vs India - 2nd test

[GVGjr]

What a comeback by Symonds, Hogg and Lee. At 6 for 120 odd I didn't think a score of 250 was likely.

Thoughts?

[Mantis]

Two crucial mistakes cost the Indians big time.

Firstly the bodged effort by Sharma to catch Hogg when he was on 14 and the howling mistake Bucknor made to give Symonds when on 30 odd when he knicked the cover off it.

Fair play to the Aussies though. A great counter attacking partnership by Hogg and Symonds. We really took the game to the Indians whose attack was shown to be sub-standard. To only play 2 inexperienced seamers was a mistake. They obviously missed Khan, but they needed another seamer to drive home the advantage they had gained.

The Indians in the last session reminded me of the Dogs over the last 7 weeks.

[GVGjr]

Two crucial mistakes cost the Indians big time.

Firstly the bodged effort by Sharma to catch Hogg when he was on 14 and the howling mistake Bucknor made to give Symonds when on 30 odd when he knicked the cover off it.

Fair play to the Aussies though. A great counter attacking partnership by Hogg and Symonds. We really took the game to the Indians whose attack was shown to be sub-standard. To only play 2 inexperienced seamers was a mistake. They obviously missed Khan, but they needed another seamer to drive home the advantage they had gained.

The Indians in the last session reminded me of the Dogs over the last 7 weeks.

I agree that Symonds should have been out and it would have been a vastly different day.
Did you also see the missed stumping of Ponting? It could have cost them.

It actually might have been a good toss to lose for them. I think the Australian Pace attacked would have been too much for them in the first two sessions.
I wonder why Parhtan is on the outer?

[Chops]

The beauty of cricket and umpiring is what comes around goes around. Symonds may have been out twice but Ponting was judged LBW when he clearly hit it with his bat.
As for home town decision they equal up too, I remember Harbajan getting some very soft dismisals in the Laxman test.

[Mantis]

The beauty of cricket and umpiring is what comes around goes around. Symonds may have been out twice but Ponting was judged LBW when he clearly hit it with his bat.
As for home town decision they equal up too, I remember Harbajan getting some very soft dismisals in the Laxman test.

Yeah, but he should have already been out from the leg side catch off Ganguly.

[bulldogsman]

Australia are trailing have not seen that in a while.

[GVGjr]

Australia are trailing have not seen that in a while.

They pushed back and have put their nose in front. I still think they are making an error by not playing Sehwag.

[Dogs 24/7]

Hayden is doing the job again.

[Chops]

Yeah, but he should have already been out from the leg side catch off Ganguly.

Later the LBW to Lee was a tough call.
As I already mentioned things even up quickly in test cricket. A bad decision one way will be fixed by another.
Too much is media is given to cricket umpiring mistakes when we support a game of AFL where umpiring decision mistakes happen more often and influence results more.

[Billy Blogger]

Its probably unlikely but the door has just opened a bit for the Aussies. A wicket or two to Hogg could make the difference

[southerncross]

Its probably unlikely but the door has just opened a bit for the Aussies. A wicket or two to Hogg could make the difference

No wickets to Hogg but the next one is important to the game. If they can get through either Kumble and Dhoni soon we should be able to run through the rest.

[The Coon Dog]

That game just reinforces why test cricket will ALWAYS be better than ODI's!

[Dogs 24/7]

Its probably unlikely but the door has just opened a bit for the Aussies. A wicket or two to Hogg could make the difference

Who would have thought that Clarke and Symonds would run through them?

[GVGjr]

Who would have thought that Clarke and Symonds would run through them?

I'm not a fan of Clarke in fact far from it but he is handy with the ball. Symonds is going from strength to strength after being a marginal test player a while back.

[Dry Rot]

Who would have thought that Clarke, Benson, Bucknor and Symonds would run through them?

Corrected for accuracy. Revives the claims about pre-neutral umpire continental umpires.

Our continent this time.

Disgraceful and puts a shadow over an otherwise great test match.

[Dry Rot]

That game just reinforces why test cricket will ALWAYS be better than ODI's!

Agreed - one day cricket is a senseless game best watched drunk at the ground.

Actually, most one day games are best just avoided.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Corrected for accuracy. Revives the claims about pre-neutral umpire continental umpires.

Our continent this time.

Disgraceful and puts a shadow over an otherwise great test match.

I'm grateful that the umpires weren't Australian. We might be at war with India by now.

I don't like those who slag off the Australian team (IMO, only because they've been so successful) but I was hoping the Indians held out, they didn't deserve to lose.

[RedWine&Blue]

Agreed - one day cricket is a senseless game best watched drunk at the ground.

Actually, most one day games are best just avoided.

I'm guilty of getting into cricket in the late 70's/early 80's because of the advent of the one day concept. Couldn't stand Test cricket, which I then thought of as "boring". I remember hearing or reading somewhere that part of the reasoning behind the introduction of one day cricket was to engage a female audience. Not sure if that is true or not.

Anyway, fast forward many years and I really, really enjoy watching the contest, pressure and mind games of Test cricket now. Just spent Thursday to Sunday (Wednesday - radio only) perched on the couch watching the 2nd Test and loving every minute of it. Such theatre.

Perhaps I'm a late bloomer.

[Sockeye Salmon]

I must be a little older than you.

I fell in love with cricket in the summers of 74-75 and 75-76. The best test cricket I think I've still ever seen.

Lillee and Thommo destroying the Poms and inflicting so much pain. David Lloyd copping it in the balls, John Edrich and Brian Luckhurst breaking thumbs/hands, 42 yo Colin Cowdrey wearing them on the body and saying "bring it on".

Tony Greig trying to hit them back over their heads and giving some lip as well.

Mike Denness sitting in the corner crying with Dennis Amiss.


Follow that up with Roy Fredericks hitting the second ball of the series for six off Lillee and then making 160-odd in the 2nd test in Perth (in about 2 sessions).

Roberts and Holding bowling as fast as Lillee and Thompson. Clive Lloyd smashing that 3 1/2 lb bat. Plus those two youngsters, Richards and Greenidge. Richards looks good but Greenidge can't bat!

The Windies might have got smashed but boy, did they know the way to play cricket.

If they always played test cricket like that there would never have been a reason to play one day cricket.

[RedWine&Blue]

I wonder if the West Indies will get their act together to become a formidable player in the world of cricket again?

[GVGjr]

I wonder if the West Indies will get their act together to become a formidable player in the world of cricket again?


I doubt it but they have improved recently. The politics is what kills their game.

I'd love to see them develop a couple of quicks and a high quality batsman like Lara just to add some stability and firepower.