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Cricket Summer of 2014/15

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ChargerWA

Mark Loane (55)
Fucks sake Qwerty, you want to make cricket as unpopular as rugby in Australia?

I'd rather watch my team lose going for the win any day than playing it safe for the draw.

Today was the perfect illustration of why test cricket is transcendent. To play for 5 days and still having the result in the balance in the final session is what makes it special.
 

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Can't agree at all, losses are fucking tough to take. Why lose and Test when you can draw it? It may seem boring to play for a draw but a loss is not worth the risk. Indians were arrogant thinking they could win when Vijay and Sharma went.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
Can't agree with that Qwerty. I'd rather see a team lose trying to win a game than trying not to lose it as a first option (that's what teams like India and England used to be known for and why so many cricket people criticised them). They were looking a million bucks out there for all but an hour of the play. I still maintain they were right to go for a result, just as Haddin was right to keep pushing for the same and not stick 9 blokes in defensive positions.

As a rugby related question: did you think Cheika's game plan at the Tahs, revolving around running the ball as a first choice, was worthwhile?
 

ChargerWA

Mark Loane (55)
Can't agree at all, losses are fucking tough to take. Why lose and Test when you can draw it? It may seem boring to play for a draw but a loss is not worth the risk. Indians were arrogant thinking they could win when Vijay and Sharma went.
Are losses really that tough to take? Not to me, as long as my team had a proper go. I'd actually say draws are tougher to take.
 

Lindommer

Steve Williams (59)
Staff member
Left the beautiful Blue Mountains at 4:10pm yesterday to attend a concert in the city, India were 2 down. Pulled into a pub for a feed at 6:00pm to discover they were 8 down, WTF happened while I was on the train?

Kholi's attitude to go for a win must be commended to the highest order, it certainly made for a great day's cricket to end a very emotional test. I wonder if some in the Indian cricket hierarchy have bothered to rethink their attitude to the DRS? They probably still would've lost, though.

Lyon didn't deliver against the Saffers in the fourth innings in Adelaide two years ago, he's obviously learnt from that experience, and others, since. He'd have to be one of the best finger spinners going around ATM. Australian pitches seem to suit him with their extra bounce from his height, keep it up, Nathan.

A very good team performance from Australia with all the emotion swirling around. Outstanding efforts from Warner, Smith and Lyon.
 

Pfitzy

George Gregan (70)
With the Aussie bowlers doing jack shit through the middle of the day, India were well on their way to a win until Vijay failed.

Saha had taken big runs off Lyon and just had to block the next three balls or look for a few nudges. Idiot.

Though Kohli's shot wasn't exactly sound either, he'd seen the writing and had to try something. Class batsman. Will grow into a captaincy potential.

Particularly if he's going to try that go-slow bullshit that the subcontinent teams try when they're under the pump.

It's a blight on the game, and fining them won't help because their boats will pay it for them.

The only answer: at the end of each session or drinks break, (run rate x missing overs) are added to the total. Simples.
 

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
As a rugby related question: did you think Cheika's game plan at the Tahs, revolving around running the ball as a first choice, was worthwhile?

That's not the same at all, rugby is winning or losing. Test cricket is there's 3 options. I take you guys don't value losses like I do. I'd do anything to avoid losing which includes not winning!

The risk vs reward was not there for the Indians, they should not have gone for a win.

SA got it right.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/648665.html
 

light

Peter Fenwicke (45)
Had India played for a draw they would have lost. Defensive cricket on a day five pitch that is spinning a mile is asking for trouble. Kohli knew they wouldn't survive without playing a few shots before the new ball was due. Vijay's dismissal forced his hand earlier than they probably would have liked.

The right approach after tea was to go for the win. Their chances of picking up a win in any of the following tests is pretty minimal considering how favourable the Gabba, SCG and MCG are for Australia.

Alot of Lyon's credit should be going to Ryan Harris, his tight bowling really put pressure on India's run rate and held the batsmen down at a vital time.

Haddin also deserves praise for the attacking field settings that tempted the Indians to go over the top, most captains in the world would have placed fielders back on the rope to cut off the boundaries and slowed down the over rate once they looked at the scoreboard at tea.

We are extraordinarily lucky to have such a tactically brilliant coach in Darren Lehmann - the bloke should be nominated for Australian of the Year.
 

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
That's a big call considering Kohli, Saha and Sami all got out to big shots. Lyon was NOT bowling well despite what others have said.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
That's not the same at all, rugby is winning or losing. Test cricket is there's 3 options. I take you guys don't value losses like I do. I'd do anything to avoid losing which includes not winning!

The risk vs reward was not there for the Indians, they should not have gone for a win.

SA got it right.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/648665.html


The point I was making was about playing with positive intent. In other words, going out there with the objective of playing in an attacking manner, taking the game on and trying to win, rather than not to lose. There's a big difference. I don't know how you managed to support the Tahs this season when their whole modus operandi was about taking the attack to the opposition and imposing that game plan. Kohli clearly decided, as Light alluded to, that the best way to approach the last day was to go after the target. They were unlikely to be able to bat out the whole day with the lineup they had (nobody in the team is an obdurate blocker like du Plessis) and the wickets were going to come eventually. The target, even though it was big, was still in the realms of the possible and I feel they were right to go after it.

In that famous test against Pakistan in 1999, where we chased down 369 to win, would you have gone for the runs or tried to block out the whole day against that rampant attack?
 

Brumby Runner

David Wilson (68)
Lyon didn't deliver against the Saffers in the fourth innings in Adelaide two years ago, he's obviously learnt from that experience, and others, since. He'd have to be one of the best finger spinners going around ATM. Australian pitches seem to suit him with their extra bounce from his height, keep it up, Nathan.

Lyon had a very successful match and played a big part in the victory along with Warner, Smith and Clarke. But I'd still like to see him develop a bit more variety into his deliveries. While he was on song and pitching consistently into Sharma's footprints, his standard off break was a lethal weapon to most of the batsmen. For longish periods however he was a bit astray and he didn't then look anywhere near as threatening. I think he especially needs to bring in a ball that goes straight on while appearing to have off spin delivery, and a Doosra would be very effective. Otherwise, I think he needs to mix it up a bit more with changes of pace and delivering around the wicket to RH batsmen who effectively play him outside the off stump where the lbw is all but nullified.

But, was great to watch and hoping he continues his form for the rest of the tour.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
I think we've developed a bit of an obsession with finding an all rounder in Australia. In the 130-odd years we've been playing test cricket we've only had a handful of players who could be called genuine all rounders and we've still done alright.

To my mind you pick an all rounder if they are worthy of their spot as a bowler and batsman. It's OK to pick a guy who can do both, so long as he's properly test class in at least one of those disciplines, but bits and pieces players are what got England in trouble for all those years until Flintoff started to show something. We've been guilty of it since the 2005 Ashes I reckon.

So let's focus on picking six batsmen, a wicket keeper and four bowlers and try to win test matches that way, unless a genuine all rounder comes along.

Where Mitch is concerned, I think he has potential, but like Smith his focus should be on being a test quality batsman. You can't have a six at test level who averages 29 in first class cricket IMHO.

I agree completely with the rationale of only picking all rounders if they're either in your top 6 batsmen or top 4 bowlers. Unfortunately Australia has developed an absolute obsessioin with them.

I don't know that Mitch Marsh is good enough to be a test batsman without also contributing with the ball in the longer term. Whilst Watson is hardly doing the job with the bat, perhaps he is a contender to move down to 6 and replace Mitch Marsh. Shaun Marsh or Doolan could slot back into 3. With Clarke's injury however, Shaun Marsh will presumably slot back in at 4 and Mitch will remain in the team.

Hazlewood looks like an absolutely nothing player to me. Don't get the appeal of him at all. He doesn't take enough wickets to act as a strike bowler but then he's not economical enough to lock things down from one end.

He's very much in the style of Glenn McGrath. Due to his height he seems quicker than he is and he relies on putting it on a spot and getting a little bit of assistance off the seam. His first class bowling average is in the mid 20s which suggests he is good enough to try at the next level. He's had a fair few injuries in the last few years (like most of our young fast bowlers) and hopefully his body is right now. He was our star bowler when we last won the under 19 CWC so he's certainly been in the frame for a while. I tend to think he'd provide good balance to Johnson. I expect he'll play in Brisbane either because Siddle gets dropped or Harris gets rested.
 

No4918

John Hipwell (52)
Congratulations to Steve Smith. Strongly rumoured to become the third youngest Aus test captain.

On a less positive note his appointment over Haddin may suggest Clarke's injuries are bad.
 

GaffaCHinO

Peter Sullivan (51)
Mitch is averaging over 40 with the bat bloody good if you ask me for for a young 6 just starting out having played both Pakistan and India on spin friendly pitches.

The wickets will come he hasn't really played on any pitches that suit his style of bowling yet. Wait till the Gabba to pass judgement on his bowling.
 

No4918

John Hipwell (52)
Smith confirmed as vice captain and will captain the team in Clarke's absence. Haddin will remain vice captain under Smith until Clarke's return.
 

Sandpit Fan

Nev Cottrell (35)
That's the right call I reckon.

Clarke seems pretty unlikely to be (in the best case) back in the next 4 months, and while Haddin is certainly capable, he won't be around much longer.

Time to give the young blokes a crack.
 

mark_s

Chilla Wilson (44)
A bit late, but that was a great test. Well done to India for having a go. I think they might have known that a win in Adelaide was important as the other 3 venues are likely to be harder for them. In any event they were right in it. Unlike SA, they have dead wood at the bottom of the order and so I thought we were only ever 1-2 wickets away from cracking the game open.

I thought it was good bowling from Lyon. He was both unlucky and lucky. Importantly, he stuck at it, which eventually created the opportunities.

Congrats to Smith for his elevation. He is the only logical choice.
 
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