Boxing Day Test - Australia vs India

[azabob]

Re: Boxing Day Test - Australia vs India

Lot of people who listen to SEN wanted Cameron White as captain.
Interesting comment from Dean Jones tonight in that Victoria hasn't produced a decent batsmen since Brad Hodge.

Gee Remi, deflecting much? I know your a Clarke fan, as you said earlier its either feast or famine for him.

Personally couldn't care less what state our players are from as long as they do what they are paid to do. Victoria seem to have focused on winning the shield rather than producing test cricketers.

[EasternWest]

Re: Boxing Day Test - Australia vs India

Didn't see the first innings in South Africa? Unfortunately it's a big score or nothing for Clarke.

You'll note in my post that I mentioned he has done it before. You'll also note that I didn't say anything about a big score. I said "stay in". I love these selective replies that ignore the crux of the post they're replying too. You've got an agenda, I get it, but at least be fair in your reply. Oh, and I did see that innings. I also saw the 2, 11 and 2 in the other three. Funny you didn't mention those.

I repeat. HOLD your wicket. Stay in.

On Clarke - Rodney Hogg mentioned that Australia have batted 5 times this summer.

Siddle has outscored Clarke in 4 of the 5.

It might seem like I'm anti-Clarke. I'm not really, he just frustrates me. I'd love for him to become a great captain of our side. I actually think he's managed our bowling changes quite well this test.

But I would prefer it if he stayed at his crease longer than our fast bowler .

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Boxing Day Test - Australia vs India

You'll note in my post that I mentioned he has done it before. You'll also note that I didn't say anything about a big score. I said "stay in". I love these selective replies that ignore the crux of the post they're replying too. You've got an agenda, I get it, but at least be fair in your reply.

I repeat. HOLD your wicket. Stay in.



It might seem like I'm anti-Clarke. I'm not really, he just frustrates me. I'd love for him to become a great captain of our side. I actually think he's managed our bowling changes quite well this test.

But I would prefer it if he stayed at his crease longer than our fast bowler .

You're quite diplomatic E and W!. I'm not that forgiving....IMO, Mr Clarke, Trade your tattoos and your ferrari for a decent batting technique please!

[EasternWest]

Re: Boxing Day Test - Australia vs India

You're quite diplomatic E and W!. IMO, Mr Clarke, Trade your tattoos and your ferrari for a decent batting technique please!

I'm not Clarke's biggest fan, but he is a huge talent. And, regardless of my personal feelings, he's our captain and I want him to do well.

[BulldogBelle]

Re: Boxing Day Test - Australia vs India

Great bowling exhibition by both sides, seems to continue a world~wide trend of constant fast swing bowling on pitches that offer something. A great year for test cricket world~wide in my opinion. Lots of close finishes all round the world. Cudos to the selectors who seem to pull the right reign in terms of our bowling.

Our batting is fragile as anything I have seen for a long time. You can almost bank on the fact that we will collapse every Third innings. So many blokes out of form, unwilling to dig in, or maybe not up to it. Only time will provide the answers. Don't start me on haddin.

[Remi Moses]

Re: Boxing Day Test - Australia vs India

Gee Remi, deflecting much? I know your a Clarke fan, as you said earlier its either feast or famine for him.

Personally couldn't care less what state our players are from as long as they do what they are paid to do. Victoria seem to have focused on winning the shield rather than producing test cricketers.

Not deflecting at all. Just think some have a personal agenda with Clarke .
Agree would like more application, as We all do.

[westdog54]

Re: Boxing Day Test - Australia vs India

Not deflecting at all. Just think some have a personal agenda with Clarke .
Agree would like more application, as We all do.

I've defended Clarke but yesterday was dissapointing, needed a strong knock from him. Having said that it was a beautiful piece of bowling that got him and given how many inside/bottom edges were deflected to the boundary by the Indians he can count himself somewhat unlucky.

On a side note, I'd almost lost interest in Test Cricket until this match, its been a corker. 15 Wickets fell yesterday, that's over 1/3 of the match done in a single day. And the day before we had one of the strongest batting lineups that India has ever had going great guns.

Might not be the flogging I thought the Aussies would cop.

[Sedat]

Re: Boxing Day Test - Australia vs India

Our batting is darn right pathetic...the bowlers helped get us to a decent score in the 1st innings after a great platform was laid and yet again after the bowlers did a great job this morning, our batters (well most anyway) showed none of the application required to perform at test level.

Batting has been flaky for the best part of 18 months. The constant chopping and changing reminds me of England from 1989 to 2000 - it will never improve until there is some continuity in the line-up. As for Clarke, he gets bowled far too much for a batsman. Technique still scratchy against the moving ball.

[Sedat]

Re: Boxing Day Test - Australia vs India

I'm not Clarke's biggest fan, but he is a huge talent. And, regardless of my personal feelings, he's our captain and I want him to do well.

You want your captain having a narrower gap between best and worst - far too much feast of famine at the moment. He's good in the field but you don't want to end up like Brearley. And as captain, he should probably take the responsibility and bat at 3 instead of sending inexperienced heads in at first drop - mind you his technical issues will test him out even more at 3.

Good to see the future of our batting in good hands with those youngsters Ponting and Hussey.

[Sedat]

Re: Boxing Day Test - Australia vs India

Despite his brilliant hundred in Hobart, I'm nowhere near sold on Warner as a test opener. He is a poor backfoot player - was bowled yesterday trying to tee up a ball with an angled bat when he should have rocked on the back foot and either cut it with the horizontal bat or let it go. Also got hit on the gloves and could have been out for the 3rd time that way in his short test career. He better get more proficient at playing the short stuff because he will get plenty of chin music as a test opener.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Boxing Day Test - Australia vs India

Despite his brilliant hundred in Hobart, I'm nowhere near sold on Warner as a test opener. He is a poor backfoot player - was bowled yesterday trying to tee up a ball with an angled bat when he should have rocked on the back foot and either cut it with the horizontal bat or let it go. Also got hit on the gloves and could have been out for the 3rd time that way in his short test career. He better get more proficient at playing the short stuff because he will get plenty of chin music as a test opener.

Mentioned this already earlier in the thread -- I think he looks like a no.5 or 6, if anything. A hundred against the no.8 Test team in the world means nothing.

I know there's very little love for Katich here, but a Katich-type (if not Katich himself) would be a much better option as a Test opener.. you are at least guaranteed 20-40 overs to take the shine off the new ball. When Katich and Watson were opening they would generally stay in for a good 100+ runs before going off (and it wasn't their fault that our middle order is bloody dodgy).

I think your Sehwags and Haydens have confused selectors into thinking they need a dashing opener, not realising that those two guys are like all-time greatest XI type contenders, and in the absence of that type of talent, a more conventional opening pair works better than trying to force square pegs into round holes.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Boxing Day Test - Australia vs India

Batting has been flaky for the best part of 18 months. The constant chopping and changing reminds me of England from 1989 to 2000 - it will never improve until there is some continuity in the line-up. As for Clarke, he gets bowled far too much for a batsman. Technique still scratchy against the moving ball.

I don't know about continuity for batsmen; they've got a million chances as it is -- it's weird, our middle order has been collapsing for the best part of 3 years now, but the mainstays are still there (Clarke, Ponting, Hussey, Haddin). Logic suggests that if your middle order is collapsing you may need to change your middle order... meanwhile they've been changing around the top order non-stop to try to fit Hughes in even though Katich and Watson were going fine.

Also, the one part of our team that NEEDS continuity, and has ironically been performing pretty well -- the bowling attack -- gets chopped and changed on a whim. This combination is very good, hopefully they keep them together for a while.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Boxing Day Test - Australia vs India

Finally, a word on the DRS -- the Indians are idiots for not agreeing to it, but this does not absolve umpires from their responsibility of making good, correct decisions.

The number of absolute dead-set clangers Erasmus has made already this test (well over 5 and counting) is just rubbish umpiring, especially at this level... in such a close game he has ALREADY been incredibly influential on the final result, which is precisely what you don't want from an umpire.

[chef]

Re: Boxing Day Test - Australia vs India

Despite his brilliant hundred in Hobart, I'm nowhere near sold on Warner as a test opener. He is a poor backfoot player - was bowled yesterday trying to tee up a ball with an angled bat when he should have rocked on the back foot and either cut it with the horizontal bat or let it go. Also got hit on the gloves and could have been out for the 3rd time that way in his short test career. He better get more proficient at playing the short stuff because he will get plenty of chin music as a test opener.

Or as a test player.

I hope this form of the game doesn't wreck his T20 skills

[chef]

Re: Boxing Day Test - Australia vs India

I'm not Clarke's biggest fan, but he is a huge talent. And, regardless of my personal feelings, he's our captain and I want him to do well.

Same here, he's proving to be quite a good captain.