Australia vs Pakistan

[hujsh]

Re: Australia vs Pakistan

Batting on this wicket is the link between Ponting and i love me,

Chappel and Taylor backed his decision saying it was a 50/50 call so not necessarily arrogance. Even though it's not a great wicket for batting the batsmen have far from helped him out here. Backing your team to make runs doesn't mean you love yourself.

as he showed his arrogance in India with not taking a spinner,

Didn't the selectors (after all they are the ones selecting unless we're attacking Ponting in which case Ponting is) take McGain and Krejza and White? Not his fault if their injured or crap.

losing the ashes the first time by not having a 3rd man,

Yeah, that lost the Ashes. Forget the fact all bowlers bar Warne and McGrath for one test were out of form. At least not having a 3rd man lets you save runs in other positions where you might get a catch.

[Mantis]

Re: Australia vs Pakistan

I'd say the dismissal were more due to the pressure built from the conditions and the Paki bowling than poor batting.

That's crap ES.

Hughes comes out all guns blazing (how must Rogers feel when this little upstart bats like this??) on a seaming deck and was dropped the first ball he faced. He then went in the next over he faced playing another poor shot. Very next ball Ponting plays a disgusting shot and he is gone and we are serious trouble. There was no pressure built at this stage by the bowlers.

All today has showed is that our batting is pretty poor and there are a few questions to be asked.

1. How long can an out of form capatin bat at number 3? Who else can bat at no.3? (Surely not Clarke)
2. How many more cahnces does North get?
3. Does Phil Hughes care?

[LostDoggy]

Re: Australia vs Pakistan

That's crap ES.

Hughes comes out all guns blazing (how must Rogers feel when this little upstart bats like this??) on a seaming deck and was dropped the first ball he faced. He then went in the next over he faced playing another poor shot. Very next ball Ponting plays a disgusting shot and he is gone and we are serious trouble. There was no pressure built at this stage by the bowlers.

All today has showed is that our batting is pretty poor and there are a few questions to be asked.

1. How long can an out of form capatin bat at number 3? Who else can bat at no.3? (Surely not Clarke)
2. How many more cahnces does North get?
3. Does Phil Hughes care?

Ok I believe you, it was great decision to bat. Go Crap yourself

[Mantis]

Re: Australia vs Pakistan

Ok I believe you, it was great decision to bat. Go Crap yourself

No, in hindsight it was poor decision to bat (but I haven't mentioned anything about this decision in this thread), but you stated that tight bowling helped create pressure. I countered saying that poor batting caused the collapse.

[Rocco Jones]

Re: Australia vs Pakistan

Hughes comes out all guns blazing (how must Rogers feel when this little upstart bats like this??) on a seaming deck and was dropped the first ball he faced. He then went in the next over he faced playing another poor shot.
3. Does Phil Hughes care?

My take on it is that he cares 'too much' at the moment. Being overly aggressive seems to be his way of getting rid of the nerves as he doesn't have to wait too long to see if he succeeds or fails.

[GVGjr]

Re: Australia vs Pakistan

Hughes comes out all guns blazing (how must Rogers feel when this little upstart bats like this??) on a seaming deck and was dropped the first ball he faced. He then went in the next over he faced playing another poor shot. Very next ball Ponting plays a disgusting shot and he is gone and we are serious trouble. There was no pressure built at this stage by the bowlers.

All today has showed is that our batting is pretty poor and there are a few questions to be asked.

1. How long can an out of form capatin bat at number 3? Who else can bat at no.3? (Surely not Clarke)
2. How many more cahnces does North get?
3. Does Phil Hughes care?

I was all for having Hughes come into the side to replace North or Hussey but getting dropped on the first ball and then coughing up another chance 9 balls later won't win him too many pats on the back.

Then to top it off, Ponting goes to a similar effort in Melbourne when his side didn't have the platform to play that sort of shot.

The thing about the decision to bat though is that both Ponting and Nielsen praised our bowlers efforts in Melbourne and I would have thought there was enough doubts about Pakistans batting to really exploit them if the pitch was as juicy as it was described.

Once Geoff Lawson (predominately a bat first captain) indicated that it was a bowlers day I was surprised that we still elected to bat. Having said that though, the batsman didn't steady themselves and play to get through the first session like they should have.

We were very poor today and no doubt we will get some excuse presented too us.

[ledge]

Re: Australia vs Pakistan

In all this discussion all i can say is Ponting has come across arrogant in his captaincy over the years and as much as we disagree, i dont think any test captains would have won the toss and batted on this pitch.
All out for 126 sadly proves that it wasnt a good choice and wasnt rocket science to bowl first, all we can hope is that the wicket is still as bad in the next innings to even the game up.

[The Pie Man]

Re: Australia vs Pakistan

1. How long can an out of form capatin bat at number 3? Who else can bat at no.3? (Surely not Clarke)

Brad Hodge...oh yeah, right.

Seriously, Watson probably can, though that would mean opening with Katich and Hughes.... and Ponting won't get dropped

2. How many more cahnces does North get?

Damn good question - I'd say one more in the 2nd innings of this test, though the conditions maybe considered reason enough for another test of chances

3. Does Phil Hughes care?

He must've been nervous, but his footwork stunk in England and again today he gave two chances on zero, without getting his front foot to the pitch of the ball.

How's channel 9's form? Last thing the newsreader said was 'we're going straight back to th cricket' and the next thing we see is Bert's moonface ...WTF???

0/14 at stumps in any case

[Mantis]

Re: Australia vs Pakistan

Once Geoff Lawson (predominately a bat first captain) indicated that it was a bowlers day I was surprised that we still elected to bat. Having said that though, the batsman didn't steady themselves and play to get through the first session like they should have.

Exactly.

The technique of our top order is pretty poor against good bowling and on 'juicy' wickets, but there was a lack of application by the top order to grind it out. Watson tried to and got a good one, Hussey did for a while, but played a poor shot after toughing it out for a hour.

Hughes, Ponting, Hussey, Clarke, Haddin & North all played reckless or poor shots and it isn't good enough.

We really missed Katich as he would have been prepared to play an 'ugly' innings for the benefit of the team. We don't have too many others in the team capable of doing that at present.

[Mantis]

Re: Australia vs Pakistan

Brad Hodge...oh yeah, right.

Seriously, Watson probably can, though that would mean opening with Katich and Hughes.... and Ponting won't get dropped

Ponting to bat at 5 or 6.

[The Pie Man]

Re: Australia vs Pakistan

Ponting to bat at 5 or 6.

Not to fan the 'Ponting's arrogant' flames, but I doubt his ego would allow this to take place.

But is it a good idea? Yeah probably - I think Clarke & Hussey should probably swap places, Huss has looked a little better of late but looked his absolute best at 5.

[chef]

Re: Australia vs Pakistan

Ponting to bat at 5 or 6.

Who would you bat at 3?

[Rocco Jones]

Re: Australia vs Pakistan

Ponting to bat at 5 or 6.

I definitely agree with that. Even during his amazing peak years Punter was a bit of a nervous starter and I think moving him to 5 or 6 will take a bit of pressure off. It gives him the freedom to hit his way out (take that as you will) of a poor/nervous start without having the extra burden of being the most important batting position.

[Mantis]

Re: Australia vs Pakistan

Who would you bat at 3?

Not sure.

Might look at dropping Katich down the order and have Watson & Hughes open up. Other options could be Klinger or Bailey maybe even Rogers.

Our batting depth is quite thin and having a T20 running at present is really poor timing as it would nice if Klinger and others could be making some runs at Shield level to keep their names in front of the selectors eyes.

[Rocco Jones]

Re: Australia vs Pakistan

Not sure.

Might look at dropping Katich down the order and have Watson & Hughes open up. Other options could be Klinger or Bailey maybe even Rogers.

Our batting depth is quite thin and having a T20 running at present is really poor timing as it would nice if Klinger and others could be making some runs at Shield level to keep their names in front of the selectors eyes.

I can't see the selectors looking at Rogers or Klinger unless they put a ridiculously great Shield season together, 1500 region stuff. They will look for any excuse to play Hughes, Jaques and even Shaun Marsh as an opener ahead of Rogers in the opening spot if it opens up and there will always be plenty of options for the other batting spots.

I think they view Rogers and Klinger as being too negative and being found out at international level. On the bright side for the pair, I think Katich was in the same doghouse before his amazing Shield 07/08 season that forced the door down.