Third Test - Australia v India, Melbourne

[lemmon]

Re: Third Test - Australia v India, Melbourne

Is there any reason why the SCG shouldn't be green and grassy? You can absolutely bet that if we were in India and they held a 1 test lead with 1 to play, they'd be curating a pitch that gives them the best chance at victory.

[jeemak]

Re: Third Test - Australia v India, Melbourne

In 2005 we had the likes of Hussey yet to be picked/making his debut. There was depth in the state leagues we don't have right now. Maybe it's related to the fact that we pause all first class cricket for a 20/20 tournament every year.

That's the point I was making, essentially. The cupboard is bare but we're looking for answers that materially, can't exist.

[jeemak]

Re: Third Test - Australia v India, Melbourne

Is there any reason why the SCG shouldn't be green and grassy? You can absolutely bet that if we were in India and they held a 1 test lead with 1 to play, they'd be curating a pitch that gives them the best chance at victory.

We have a jingoistic approach to pitches. WACA is bouncey, Adelaide is good for batting, Brisbane is good for the quicks, Melbourne is good for pissheads, and the SCG is good for Richie Banaud.

Obviously taking the piss a bit, but I don't need to tell you we kind of lock ourselves in with the apparent character of grounds and bank on opposition teams not being able to beat us on home soil. It's just that we're shite now.

[hujsh]

Re: Third Test - Australia v India, Melbourne

That's the point I was making, essentially. The cupboard is bare but we're looking for answers that materially, can't exist.

Fair enough. Didn't quite interpret it that way

[FrediKanoute]

Re: Third Test - Australia v India, Melbourne

We have a jingoistic approach to pitches. WACA is bouncey, Adelaide is good for batting, Brisbane is good for the quicks, Melbourne is good for pissheads, and the SCG is good for Richie Banaud.

Obviously taking the piss a bit, but I don't need to tell you we kind of lock ourselves in with the apparent character of grounds and bank on opposition teams not being able to beat us on home soil. It's just that we're shite now.

I think the one thing that I like most about Australian cricket is that we don't doctor the pitches just to suit our team. There is nothing worse than touring a country where every ground has been especially curated to suit the relative strength of the home team. I'd prefer we get beat at home by a better team or a team that adapts better to the conditions than prop up a bunch of guys who are nothing better than flat track bullies.

Put simply, you take Kohli and Pujara out of the Indian team this series and you have 2 pretty average batting sides. Put Warner and Smith back into the Australian side and you have a much more formidible batting line up.

[jeemak]

Re: Third Test - Australia v India, Melbourne

I think the one thing that I like most about Australian cricket is that we don't doctor the pitches just to suit our team. There is nothing worse than touring a country where every ground has been especially curated to suit the relative strength of the home team. I'd prefer we get beat at home by a better team or a team that adapts better to the conditions than prop up a bunch of guys who are nothing better than flat track bullies.

Put simply, you take Kohli and Pujara out of the Indian team this series and you have 2 pretty average batting sides. Put Warner and Smith back into the Australian side and you have a much more formidible batting line up.

I guess the issue is our bats used to be able to play length and bounce, but they can't anymore. We didn't need to craft an advantage by making roads, dustbowls or whatever, we just played to the length and the bounce and pretty much everything took care of itself.

The problem is, playing length and bounce means you need bats with decent technique and temperament. We have NONE such bats in Australia right now who have a combination of both. Our bats play at everything, irrespective of those two factors, it's like watching England play here in the mid 90's through to the late 20's.

It's maddening watching it.

[jeemak]

Re: Third Test - Australia v India, Melbourne

….as an aside, when they do try and play to the length and bounce their hands are hard as fark. Edges carry.

[FrediKanoute]

Re: Third Test - Australia v India, Melbourne

I think the one thing that I like most about Australian cricket is that we don't doctor the pitches just to suit our team. There is nothing worse than touring a country where every ground has been especially curated to suit the relative strength of the home team. I'd prefer we get beat at home by a better team or a team that adapts better to the conditions than prop up a bunch of guys who are nothing better than flat track bullies.

Put simply, you take Kohli and Pujara out of the Indian team this series and you have 2 pretty average batting sides. Put Warner and Smith back into the Australian side and you have a much more formidible batting line up.

Making pitches friendlier isn't going to help this though. The problem is limited 4/5 day cricket and the focus on the 1 day and 20-20 formats means you simply have guys with zero patience and zero technique other than being able to hit 18 out of 20 balls to the boundary.

[jeemak]

Re: Third Test - Australia v India, Melbourne

Making pitches friendlier isn't going to help this though. The problem is limited 4/5 day cricket and the focus on the 1 day and 20-20 formats means you simply have guys with zero patience and zero technique other than being able to hit 18 out of 20 balls to the boundary.

Has it gotten so bad you're quoting yourself Freddie?

[jeemak]

Re: Third Test - Australia v India, Melbourne

Making pitches friendlier isn't going to help this though. The problem is limited 4/5 day cricket and the focus on the 1 day and 20-20 formats means you simply have guys with zero patience and zero technique other than being able to hit 18 out of 20 balls to the boundary.

No other country has the conflict of AFL, nor do they have the issue of school holidays being condensed over a six week period like we do.

There are actually ways of getting around it though. 2 x 11/12's could be selected to play each other, three could on a rotational basis to get some four day form into players and it would have very little impact on the BBL. I can see the issue with needing to rest bowlers, but for *!*!*!*!'s sake, how hard to bats really work when not at the crease?

[Remi Moses]

Re: Third Test - Australia v India, Melbourne

For some reason Australia seem to think playing a part-timer spinner or unfinished article like Marnus will do the job as 2nd spinning option on turning decks because they erroneously think that the batting ability is more important for a 2nd spinner than their bowling ability. It's a flawed strategy to state the bleeding obvious.

Fawad should be playing in Sydney. Hell, even Stephen O'Keeffe would be a better option if he can stay off the piss - he did take 12 wickets in a match against the same mob only last year.

Couldn’t agree more . Fawad is the second best spinner in the country by a mile
How he didn’t get a gig on the UAE tour was staggering

[GVGjr]

Re: Third Test - Australia v India, Melbourne

Couldn’t agree more . Fawad is the second best spinner in the country by a mile
How he didn’t get a gig on the UAE tour was staggering

I think one of the problems is that he isn't playing for Victoria. Holland has been selected ahead of him and the Vic's also went in with 4 specialist quicks on a couple of occasions

Hard to pick him when his state isn't selecting him either.

I agree though he is a quality spin bowler