Cricket - AUS v PAK

[chief]

I don't know how the fuck they won that one.

 

[Gagger]

hmm, anyone who had bet against Australia would have won a packet no doubt...........

 

[Scarfman]

What are you implying Gags?

(Hang on, I'll just get our lawyer on the other line ...)

 

[Pfitzy]

Proof positive that Ponting is a fucking idiot:

Ponting looked to his tormentors in the press: "Can everyone (who said Australia should have bowled first) put their hands up please? I feel better now."

Sorry dickhead, but you still look like a dickhead. Ya dickhead.

If just one of the Pakistan middle order had held their nerve they would have creamed us. Check out Yousuf's summary in the same article:

Yousuf said he blamed himself for the defeat.

"My shot was very pathetic and turned the game."

Right on! The only reason they didn't win was a little bit of inexperience and a lack of Test matches over the last couple of years.

People may only remember the famous victory long from now. I will remember Ponting's decision to bat first in conditions favourable to the opposition - much like the 2005 Ashes, and the fact that Pakistan seem to have completely forgotten how to play spin bowling, which is why a dirt tracker like Hauritz got another Michelle.

 

[barbarian]

Jeez Nick you are a hard man to please. We complete one of the finest victories of recent times and you still manage to badmouth Ponting and Hauritz, as well as generally whinge about life. Take some time to smell the roses man! The decision to bat first was somewhat vindicated by Pakistan crumbling under the weight of a run chase- Ponting knew that this could be on the cards, especially on a turning deck. I don't think he comes away smelling of roses (the only ones that do are Watson, Hussey and the bowlers) but we won for fuck's sake, and although the Pakis crumbled like Greg Norman at Augusta we can still take a lot of the credit.

 

[Moses]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HKC7b0_vh0

 

[Moses]

At the toss Nicholas asked Mark Taylor and Warney what they would have done, both said bat. Still, that shot he played coming in at 1/bugger all was not what we needed.

Hussey played well, sure he had a spot of luck such as being dropped 3 times by Kamran Akmal who also dropped Siddle once, but he took those 4 chances and scored some runs.

 

[Pfitzy]

At the toss Nicholas asked Mark Taylor and Warney what they would have done, both said bat. Still, that shot he played coming in at 1/bugger all was not what we needed.

Before or after the toss? I happened to flick over and I believe but can't confirm that Glenn McGrath said "bowl" (I believe Geoff Lawson also said "bowl"). If its good enough for the Pigeon, its good enough for me.

barbarian - I am a hard man to please when it comes to Ponting. I believe he's got attitude problems as a skipper. Steve Waugh played hard but (mostly) fair and didn't resort to the level of whinging Ponting does on-field when he gets a decision he doesn't like.

As for Hauritz - can anyone name me another bowler with his domestic average (from memory somewhere above 40) who is selected for national duty? He's making a fist of it now but is still a very ordinary spinner who can't support his fast bowlers when conditions aren't ideal for him.

 

[mark_s]

I am not sure who is the luckier? Is it Hussey for the many chance he has had (from both the Aus selectors over the last 12 months and the pakistanies in this test) or is it Ponting who had the pakistanies seemingly do everything possible to avoid winning this test?

Credit to Ponting for never giving up and drilling this culture into the team, he always sees a way to win from his current position. Ultimately, this was the difference between the teams yesterday and is probably the main reason why Ponting will keep the captaincy (unless he resigns) for the next 12 months.

 

[Gagger]

Pity that vision and culture doesn't seem to work in pommyland

 

[mark_s]

barbarian - I am a hard man to please when it comes to Ponting. I believe he's got attitude problems as a skipper. Steve Waugh played hard but (mostly) fair and didn't resort to the level of whinging Ponting does on-field when he gets a decision he doesn't like.

I don't understand this Nick and it smells of sour grapes to me. Waugh was a very similar captain to Ponting on and off the field and are similar personalities. Whats more Waugh was a far more selfish player.

 

[mark_s]

Pity that vision and culture doesn't seem to work in pommyland

I only said Ponting sees a way to win, it still requires execution from the rest of the team, which happened yesterday but didn't happen over there last year.

The failure to win the ashes in england twice will be a major scar on Ponting's captaincy. The 5 nil follow up drubbing in Aus made up for it last time and, while I am already looking forward to the next year, I doubt even a 5 nil victory will erase the disapointment of 2009.

 

[Ash]

To be fair, batting first at the SCG should be every captain's first reaction. The pitch normally turns awful for batters by the 5th day.

 

[Scotty]

Before or after the toss? I happened to flick over and I believe but can't confirm that Glenn McGrath said "bowl" (I believe Geoff Lawson also said "bowl"). If its good enough for the Pigeon, its good enough for me.

What a fucking surprise, the two bowlers said to bowl first, while the former captain Taylor and arguably one of crickets greatest minds, Warne said to bat first. Whats good enough for Warne is good enough for me (as far as cricket goes anyway).

The very simplistic view of the media, as well as you, Nick was that the biggest problem with our score of 127 was that we batted first. It was clearly not that bad a deck, and the majority of the batsmen were out due to either poor technique (Hughes, Clarke) or bad shot selection (Ponting, Hussey, Haddin). I have no doubt that if those wickets weren't given so easily then we'd have been closer to a score of 250-300 in our first innings.

You only have to see Pakistan's opening partnership on day one to see that the wicket wasn't as bad as everyone thought.

 

[Scotty]

I'll also add that Ponting's field placings on the final day were spot on, setting traps for Pakistani batsmen, and putting the pressure on them.

 

[cyclopath]

I would just say this - if the Pakistani bowlers were defending 170-180 in the 4th innings, I think we would have struggled against Kuneria, Asif and co as much, if not more than, the Pakistani batsmen struggled against us. There was some wicked turn developing; I mean even Hauritz was turning it!!
I thought Ponting was flat wrong at the toss, but seriously would pay little attention to McGrath and Lawson as opposed to Taylor and Warne. Ponting does have moments of very good captaincy mixed with some dross, but he looks like the best ever next to Yusuf who really got it wrong yesterday.
And I think Watson is surprising a lot of pundits - he got out to 2 cracker deliveries this Test. Apart from Hussey, few of the others display much gumption. Clark seems to have adopted the mantra of "occupation" but without ever looking like getting any runs. Needs to give the Bingle the flick, but I'd keep the Aston-Martin!

 

[mark_s]

Clark seems to have adopted the mantra of "occupation" but without ever looking like getting any runs. Needs to give the Bingle the flick, but I'd keep the Aston-Martin!

Did anyone hear the ABC commentary on day 1 around the time when Clarke got hit in the jatz crackers? It was champagne commentary and I won't try to repeat it. It was that funny that the members sitting just outside the ABC commentary box were laughing so loud that you could hear it through the ABC boradcast.

 

[Scotty]

Clark seems to have lost all of his instinct in his batting. Dug himself in a big hole.

 

[Geronimo]

Jeez Nick you are a hard man to please. We complete one of the finest victories of recent times and you still manage to badmouth Ponting and Hauritz, as well as generally whinge about life. Take some time to smell the roses man! The decision to bat first was somewhat vindicated by Pakistan crumbling under the weight of a run chase- Ponting knew that this could be on the cards, especially on a turning deck. I don't think he comes away smelling of roses (the only ones that do are Watson, Hussey and the bowlers) but we won for fuck's sake, and although the Pakis crumbled like Greg Norman at Augusta we can still take a lot of the credit.

I agree here Barb. Ponting stuck to his guns in regard to batting first wherever possible and also have the opposition under pressure on the SCG's deck in a fourth innings run chase. And he won!!! However there would be a certain Pakistani leg spinner shuddering after his comments as to how good he is and that videos of him need to be studied so that the Aussies have some idea of how to play him. "I'll knock these last two wickets over cheaply tomorrow morning and you'll see what hard cricket our team can play". Talk about setting up for a fall. NTA, I liked that Michelle pun

 

[Pfitzy]

Can't claim that one Geronimo - I got it from Skull O'Keeffe

What a fucking surprise, the two bowlers said to bowl first, while the former captain Taylor and arguably one of crickets greatest minds, Warne said to bat first. Whats good enough for Warne is good enough for me (as far as cricket goes anyway).

What a fucking surprise - the leg spinner wanted to bowl last on the most spin-friendly wicket in Australia :

You only have to see Pakistan's opening partnership on day one to see that the wicket wasn't as bad as everyone thought.

They didn't bat the morning sessions. They batted a few overs late in the day and prodded around, then came out and made hay the next day when the moisture lifted.


mark_s - Waugh wasn't a whiner like Ponting is. Yeah he had his controversies around sledging but being a little bitch wasn't one of them. He was a hardnose, through and through.


Ponting should be fired for falling into an obvious batting trap even beyond his idiot captaincy.