Cricket Season Thread

[stryker]

Siddle is bowling thunderbolts! He has bowled both of these guys in consecutive overs.

Too bad, so sad Sachin.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

I'm just not sold on India's batting.

Really? I hope we can keep them under 400\. Hopefully you know something i dont :wink:

hmm maybe i might retract from that statement i think. What chance for another Dravid-Laxman partnership i wonder. Things tend to have a way sometimes of happening in three's

 

[happy_tiger]

Yes GNR I don't think another Australian team will ever enforce the follow on against India ever again

 

[Goose]

of course it will watson once fit has to come in for hussey he isnt performing and it is his time

Hussey is the leading the runscorer for us over the last 12 months.

He was our best bat by a mile in the Ashes, he was man of the match in all 3 games vs Sri Lanka, so he had 4 bad tests and everyone wants to flick him. Surely Mike Hussey has earnt to have a bad run of 4 tests.

hussey has deserved for sure to get a chance to go through a spell of bad form but i dont see anyone else being left out for watson upon his return.

1\. Warner - scored a century last match can take a game away from an opponent in a matter of overs.
2\. Cowan - started out very solid and looks to have the goods at crafting and knuckling out an innings
3\. Marsh - If Marsh was going to be dropped for watson why would of they pushed so hard for him to be playing this test match and potentially ruin his back even further. they could of easily played dan christian and made it a straight swap
4\. Ponting - scored 3 50's in his last 5 test matches. looks to be getting his form back
5\. Clarke - Captain and obviously won't be dropped
6\. Hussey - Has gone through a spell of bad form and luck more than likely won't be with the squad for the future.

watson will come back in but if cowan is injured then he could the one that gives way.

on a side note sehwag taking the game to the aussies but has been dropped twice by hussey and haddin australia bowlers have been very unlucky not to have had both sehwag and dravid out on more than one occasion

Watson wont be back to game 3

I think Watson will come in for Cowan, unless he scores runs over the next 3 innings, or Huss fails completely over that time.

Im ok with that as well.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

I'm sure the knives will be out for someone by the time Watson is due back, especially if they lose this test. The Aussie public alwayz need to drop somebody after a loss

 

[Bazzinator]

I'm sure the knives will be out for someone by the time Watson is due back, especially if they lose this test. The Aussie public alwayz need to drop somebody after a loss

i dont think u can say that. watson is the vice captain of the team. and has been the best player for the last 2 years prior to his injury.

would people on here be calling for someone to be dropped if it was benji and not watson that was returning from injury

 

[Bazzinator]

very good morning session so far by the aussie bowlers. 7/245 with the tail in facing the new ball could see warner in just after lunch and look to the game to the indian attack

 

[Yossarian]

Another terrible umpiring decision goes the way of India. It's all starting to look a little shonky - no DRS and every dubious call going India's way. To paraphrase Billy Birmingham channelling Ken Calendar - She's a bit of shet-up?

 

[Bazzinator]

yep weve had one go our way with haddin's non lbw but 4 indians. hopefully it balances out over the match and the series. you never know we could get it for the next match.

hilfenhaus with his first 5 for in tests could be interesting to see what happens if harris comes back for the next test like is being reported

 

[Goose]

Im glad they have picked some blokes in form. Ed Cowen and Warner if they dont go on to be long term solutions are least in top form and present the best chance to do well in the short term, and perhaps may turn out to be long term options.
Im happy for them not to pick Harris until he is 100% fit, given the drama he has had over the last 18 monthe with injuries, better to be safe than sorry.
**Hilfy is bowling well and has a heap of wickets in shield and when in form is top class. Id bring him in for Starx**, who is yet to impress me.

Hughes and Usman had to go.

Dont want to blow my own trumpet, but I went against the majority here and feel that Im allowed to brag about this :slight_smile:

great job with the ball Austalia

 

[GNR4LIFE]

I'm sure the knives will be out for someone by the time Watson is due back, especially if they lose this test. The Aussie public alwayz need to drop somebody after a loss

i dont think u can say that. watson is the vice captain of the team. and has been the best player for the last 2 years prior to his injury.

would people on here be calling for someone to be dropped if it was benji and not watson that was returning from injury

Not sure what you mean. I'm not saying he shouldn't be back, i'm saying by the time he is due back, somebodies head will most probably be on the chopping block like it usually is with the fickle, disloyal Aussie public

 

[Yossarian]

New players, same scenario - once again the top order meekly folds up after we get a first innings lead. Hussey and Ponting, the two most under fire batsmen in the side, doing the clean up work. 4/42 now…

 

[Guest]

A lot depending on Ponting and Hussey at the moment. Both look pretty solid at the moment at 4/137.

 

[Yossarian]

A lot depending on Ponting and Hussey at the moment. Both look pretty solid at the moment at 4/137.

That kind of comment was always going to lead to tears… Ponting gone in the 60s again... 5/142 still a good 50-100 runs from having a comfortable lead.

 

[underdog]

WTF happened to Haddin? I walk away for ten minutes and we are now 6'fa.

Sigh…

 

[Marshall_magic]

It's hard to watch Ponting these days. About 3 years ago he'd probably have scored 2 centuries in this one based on the starts he made, but he's just lost a little something and seems to get rolled in the 50-100 range way more often than he used to.

However in 2011 a scores of 50-100 usually top score for us, and his partnership with Huss has given us a shot in this one.

 

[Yossarian]

To be fair quite a few guys have made between 50 and 80 in this game. Apart from him and Ponting nobody has made double figures. Yep we're two veterans away from another sub-50 innings…
That must have been some batting camp...

 

[Yossarian]

WTF happened to Haddin? I walk away for ten minutes and we are now 6'fa.

Sigh…

His batting doesn't seem to be test class at the moment. He seems confused as to whether he should try and stick around or have a crack. His footwork (which was never his strong point) seems shot to pieces and his hand/eye doesn't seem able to compensate any more on a regular basis. First 30 minutes tomorrow will be massive. If Australia survive and get through to 260+ they will start thinking they're in front but if we fold up and are rolled for a lead of under 250 India will think they're massive chances with their strong batting.

 

[happy_tiger]

Actually Yoss I think he is a better bowler when he can get it to move off the deck a bit

When he does manage to get it to swing it is from the hand and usually not late which is far more dangerous

I'd say his bigger issue is when he swings the ball his control is lacking. As much as it us nice to see the curve of the ball, if doesn't really help when he pitches a metre outside off.

Being a swing bowler at Hilfenhaus pace shouldn't worry any top class batsman and the Indians have a few of them

No doubt after saying that he will probably get 6 for in an innings at 10 plus for the match and get the MOM award

In the famous words of Maxwell Smart "Missed by this much" Maybe he will get a five fa in the second

 

[Jazza]

I'm sure the knives will be out for someone by the time Watson is due back, especially if they lose this test. The Aussie public alwayz need to drop somebody after a loss

i dont think u can say that. watson is the vice captain of the team. and has been the best player for the last 2 years prior to his injury.

would people on here be calling for someone to be dropped if it was benji and not watson that was returning from injury

Not sure what you mean. I'm not saying he shouldn't be back, i'm saying by the time he is due back, somebodies head will most probably be on the chopping block like it usually is with the fickle, disloyal Aussie public

I'm not sure you can say that when you consider the outrage when Katich was dropped, and that a 38 year old is still in the side despite not scoring a century for 2 years and has only averaged 36 since India last toured here 4 years ago.

If anything the selectors have been too loyal in recent years, it backfired with Marcus North and it has backfired with Johnson too. It backfired with Hussey who had a long bare patch until 2 good series against England and Sri Lanka before losing it again

This is what Chris Cairns alluded too a few weeks ago, selectors had a ruthlessness about them but in recent years it has been conservative and out of form players have been given too much of a run in the side for not enough in return.