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Cricket: Australia v. India v. Sri Lanka 2011/12

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Knuckles

Ted Thorn (20)
The bowling stocks look promising for the next few years - Pattinson, Siddle, Hilfenhaus, Starc, Cummins, Mitch Johnson, Hazlewood - good mix of guys who can bring real pace, seam, swing and aggro. I hope the "team" bowling continues along this theme, and is not a false dawn. They seem to be working well as a unit.
The batting looks thin at the moment, but guys like Khawaja, Hughes might come strong, Warner may stamp his place. Marsh looks classy, despite a Test to forget. Given Paine looks dicey, we need a good keeper / batsman to replace Haddin soonish.

I gotta be honest. I completely disagree with Mitch Johnson being grouped in your comment cyclo. It astonishes me how many wickets he gets from blokes chasing wide ones. He does nothing through the air or off the pitch........or atleast very rarely. The reason being that he does absolutely nothing to protect the seam. More often than not the seam is scrambled and that negates the swing and movement off the pitch. A lot of the credit for the bowling improvement surely must go to Craig McDermott. He has them pitching up more, which allows the ball to swing. Hopefully he can improve Johnson as well and then I will be happy to proved wrong.

The batting probably isn't looking as thin after the Sydney test as it has in recent matches however I believe the top 3 have once again failed. Dropping Khawaja was harsh and picking Marsh after a T20 match still wreaks of Tim Nielsen's philosophies. the problem is, with Shield cricket being nowhere near as strong as it was, there is no-one standing up with sheer runs saying pick me. And Katich should never have been dropped. Maybe if Watson ever gets fit again they drop Marsh, promote Punter to 3, Clarke to 4, Hussey to 5 and bring Watto in at 6. As for the keeper, I like the look of the young Victorian gloveman.........though admittedly his name escapes me.
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
Fair call, Knuckles. Johnson has been a quality bowler before, so I included him as a potential to get his shit together and threaten for a spot again. He is down the list for sure at the moment.
I think the batting is still a problem, despite the massive Sydney total, though of course seeing Ponting, Clarke and Hussey fire is a big relief. We were 3 for not many, and Clarke went close to being out that first session we batted, which could have changed the complexion dramatically. I think Katich would have been a big help at the top, and I think Marsh and Khawaja look technically the most likely to stay at the top level. Not sure about Warner.
Fortunately, we have developed a long tail, which has bailed us out a bit.
 

GaffaCHinO

Peter Sullivan (51)
The hate for players who fail is really getting to me. Marsh hasn’t had a great 2 test yes we all know this and prob wont have another chance in this test but really what is this obsession with dropping player who had a couple of failures. If the selectors did this Ponting Hussey and Clarke would not have been in test series and we all have just see what they have done.

To say they picked marsh of the back of a one T20 match is plain wrong. The bloke scored a 141 in his first test and 81 in his second before we injured his back. Give the guy a chance.

Steve Waugh took 24 tests to score his first ton if we went will what everyone is now calling for we would be saying Steve who? oh Marks Brother the one that failed at test level????

We must realise that it is a massive step up from Shield cricket to test matches. Cricket doesn’t really have the option of starting a player on the bench a few times to blood him then when we think he has proven his self enough throw him in the starting side.

If we a really looking to the future we must stick with some of these young guys with out the fear of failure.
 

Swat

Chilla Wilson (44)
If we a really looking to the future we must stick with some of these young guys with out the fear of failure.

Totally agree, although not with Hughes, he's had enough chances for now. The guy needs to sort his shit out and work his way back into the team.
 

Badger

Bill McLean (32)
Steve Waugh took 24 tests to score his first ton if we went will what everyone is now calling for we would be saying Steve who? oh Marks Brother the one that failed at test level????

If Steve Waugh was playing in this era, I doubt he would have been given the "luxury" of being in the Test side for such a long period before scoring his first Test century.
 

GaffaCHinO

Peter Sullivan (51)
If Steve Waugh was playing in this era, I doubt he would have been given the "luxury" of being in the Test side for such a long period before scoring his first Test century.

My point exactly and we all know what sort of player he turned out to be.
 

Karl

Bill McLean (32)
So Haddin dropped Tendulkar. He's having a shocker. Lucky there was a quick thinking slip and a lucky flight off the gloves.
 

Knuckles

Ted Thorn (20)
The hate for players who fail is really getting to me. Marsh hasn’t had a great 2 test yes we all know this and prob wont have another chance in this test but really what is this obsession with dropping player who had a couple of failures. If the selectors did this Ponting Hussey and Clarke would not have been in test series and we all have just see what they have done.

To say they picked marsh of the back of a one T20 match is plain wrong. The bloke scored a 141 in his first test and 81 in his second before we injured his back. Give the guy a chance.

Steve Waugh took 24 tests to score his first ton if we went will what everyone is now calling for we would be saying Steve who? oh Marks Brother the one that failed at test level????

We must realise that it is a massive step up from Shield cricket to test matches. Cricket doesn’t really have the option of starting a player on the bench a few times to blood him then when we think he has proven his self enough throw him in the starting side.

If we a really looking to the future we must stick with some of these young guys with out the fear of failure.

Gaffa, its not hate for players who fail. Certainly not from me. And it never will be. Though it is hate for the selection policy introduced by Tim Nielsen and Andrew Hilditch and is slowly being fazed out. You are correct in quoting Marsh's scores in Sri Lanka. And yes he did get injured. However, the fact remains that after that injury he played one T20 match and was selected for the 1st Test v India. See article attached..............http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/c...bourne-renegades/story-fn67w6pa-1226227862396

And this is the major issue I have. The man had not faced a ball for a long time and to prove his fitness for a 5 day Test he only has to compete in a 40 over match. You refer to Steve Waugh's day. And I'm glad you did. Any test cricketer back in those days (or any fringe test player too) was required to prove fitness for test cricket by playing atleast one 4 day Shield game, and the most crucial thing about the proof required back then too was that they also had to show form. Remember that old saying 'I need time in the middle to prove myself'? Ever stop to think what they were referring to? We did wait a long time for Steve Waugh's first century. But a couple of critical things were taking place at the time...............the bans on players from the Rebel South African tour were still in place when he debuted and Australian cricket, like now, was very much in a rebuilding phase. And it was rebuilt on the back of test players playing regularly in shield Cricket, exposing youngsters to a higher class of competition than what we see now.

Marsh is a class player, who has overcome his own demons in the past to be a vastly improved player. But I truly believe by rushing him back into Test Cricket after a little mickey mouse T20 game pretty much threw the man to the wolves. His dismissal in Sydney being the prime example. There's no way Marsh would have prodded at that ball if he'd been allowed to regain form and fitness in the 4 day game.

Showing my age a little here now............after Dennis Lillee returned to cricket after extended back injuries, he had to play over half a season in state cricket before he returned to the test team

The issues Australian cricket face at the moment can all be linked to T20 and the lack of the test players playing Shield cricket.
 

mark_s

Chilla Wilson (44)
What a test for Aus! Our brilliance was matched by crappiness of the Indian performance.

The Indians have big issues in their batting, bowling, fielding & tactics. All can be fixed with better coaching, leadership and attitude as the ability is there but its hard to see it happening before Perth. As always, Tendulkar was a joy to watch and, he along with Sharma, are the only Indians who can really hold their heads high after this test. They look to be a club in crisis to me and I expect Fletcher and Dhoni will receive the full support of the BCCI shortly.

I was a believer in Clarke as captain before this test but there were plenty that weren't. He has won them all over now with excellent batting and captaincy, not to mention timing in with Tendulkar's wicket today. It's hard to imagine he will every have a better personal test performance.

For Aus, the bowling attack is very well balanced. Gone of the days of a long hop or half volley every over to ease all pressure on the opposition. Now the team is hunting as a pack and bowling for each other as much as themselves. The injury to Johnson aappears to have been a godsend and he has a long road nack to prove he is even in the best 6 fast bowlers in Aus again. Lyon hasn't had success but very few spinners do against India. He will be perserved with. Special mention to Hilfenhaus who was written off by all and sundry after last summer but has been excellent since his recall.

Our batting is still a concern. Warner is reminding me more and more of Hughes as each innings passes, he has yet to win me over and I still remember how he rode his luck in Hobart for his 100. I think he will prove me wrong, but then again I still think Hughes will be back in the baggy green one day.

Marsh is having a terrible run but the tide will turn. Cowan has shown enough to be perserved with and I like the counterbalance he (theoretically) offers to Warner.

Ponting and Hussey scored heavily at the SCG and I am really pleased for them, but the pitch was an absolute road on days 2 and 3 and the Indians offered little in attack. Their performance in the second innings at the MCG (and Ponting's performance in the last session of Day 1 at the SCG) were just as meritorious in my view.

Haddin is the biggest concern. He had a shocker today with the gloves, not for the first time, and his batting has been patchy. He could well be the first of the older generation to be moved on later in 2012 give the return to form of his fellow veterans.

It was a great test, for Aus fans atleast - Days 1 and 2 were as good as any two days of cricket I have been two. The boxing day test was also a cracker. Long may it continue, both for test cricket and for Aus in particular.
 

Badger

Bill McLean (32)
Haddin is the biggest concern. He had a shocker today with the gloves, not for the first time, and his batting has been patchy. He could well be the first of the older generation to be moved on later in 2012 give the return to form of his fellow veterans.

He hasn't been up to scratch for a while now. Lucky the catch he missed off Tendulkar ricocheted to first slip today. If Tim Paine had been injury free, I suspect Haddin would be tapped on the shoulder. I won't soon forget how he got out when Sth Africa knocked over the Australia for 47.
 

Moses

Simon Poidevin (60)
Staff member
Does it have to be Paine? Surely Simpson or Ronchi would be better with the gloves and couldn't be worse with the bat?
 

Badger

Bill McLean (32)
Does it have to be Paine? Surely Simpson or Ronchi would be better with the gloves and couldn't be worse with the bat?

It doesn't have to be Paine. However, with the way things are positioned, it looks like that's where the selectors are heading....sort of like anointing Michael Clarke as the future captain in the past, though not as explicitly as that.
 

Sandpit Fan

Nev Cottrell (35)
And in the usual (these days) aftermath we have lost Pattinson for the rest of the series. Apparently a stress fracture developing. Looks like Ryan Harris to get a start in Perth.

Gives me the shits, we dig up a new quick and break them in the same series. :mad:

Sent using Tapatalk
 

Badger

Bill McLean (32)
11 seconds, same time he took for a 2.5 pint yard glass 48 years ago..

He got a big cheer from the crowd when the big screen showed him mingling with the crowd on the concourse below the Trumper stand.

Not many places in the world where the former leader of the national government can mingle with the crowd like that without a huge phalanx of security.

As an aside, John Howard appeared soon after on the big screen and he got the boos.
 

Moses

Simon Poidevin (60)
Staff member
He got a big cheer from the crowd when the big screen showed him mingling with the crowd on the concourse below the Trumper stand.

Not many places in the world where the former leader of the national government can mingle with the crowd like that without a huge phalanx of security.

As an aside, John Howard appeared soon after on the big screen and he got the boos.
I was watching on TV / listening to ABC Grandstand at the time. Johnny was in a suit and tie and sitting in the members with his wife. Kerry O'Keeffe this said something about the parties they represented..
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
I was watching on TV / listening to ABC Grandstand at the time. Johnny was in a suit and tie and sitting in the members with his wife. Kerry O'Keeffe this said something about the parties they represented..
I find the notion that Bob is more a man of the masses by virtue of his party a bit laughable - he is thick as thieves with big business and has been forever, as are many true socialists like Paul Keating and Bob Carr. I would agree he is less of a stuffed shirt than Howard though! Can drink still!
 
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