***Official*** Australia in India

[SJS]

Think you underrate India's bowling and fielding effort SJS. They just kept on getting a wicket (which is what they failed to do in the previous matches) and made boundaries very hard work - as I said, the spinners did very well in ensuring they weren't fodder for Hayden and Symonds.

India had good spells by Harbhajan and Karthik but I think Karthik could have been attacked. Australia allowed him to bowl as he did. I think Smonds should have lofted him straight as he did in his very second over.

RP Singh and Zaheer bowled some very ordinary stuff and yet they were not really taken to the cleaners in a sustained way. One boundary in an alternate over seemed to do for Australia. I know there were a few which had two boundaries before any one points it out butwhat I am trying to say is that the bowling was not so good as to not to be collared. IfAustralia had set them selves to win in 45 overs from the outset, (which is how one sees this Australian side going about so often) I an sure there would have been some bigger overs.

And they were not losing that many wickets. At the startof the 44th they had six wickets in hand.

But yes the wickets of Symonds and Hogg in successive balls was the big big set back.

 

[SJS]

Forgot to mention what a brilliant overall game Dhoni had. Took responsibility to bat up the order - brilliantly. As mentioned, his glove work was brilliant. And his handling of the field and his bowlers - especially keeping faith with the less established guys - was... brilliant.

Oh yes he was brilliant. Fabulous keeping and cool captaincy.

I was very impressed in that he did not bowl Yuvraj and Sachin at all.

 

[silentstriker]

One thing that I absolutely admire about Australia is that they don't change up their batting line up for every ODI. They have trust that every single player in their lineup can play any situation that arises: whether its aggression, consolidation, or whatever. If you are #4, you are expected and trusted to deal with any situation that a #4 would ever come across.

 

[Matt79]

Have to say, risking expulsion from the T20IBS in process, I wonder whether some of the captaincy of Dhoni today reflected his experience from T20 - it was noticeable how he was ringing the bowling changes near the death - he wasn't going to let anything drift for more than an over.

 

[Jono]

One thing about this loss for Austrlaia is it was in a very similar mould to many recent losses that India have had with Australia in ODIs.

A few in the VB Series in 03/04, but I particularly think of their loss to Australia in the DLF Cup in Malaysia, where India should have successfully chased down Australia's total but faltered.

I remember going to my mate when Australia just lost their fourth wicket that if given the choice to switch positions with Australia, and India be the ones chasing at the moment, I would still not feel comfortable, because they'd normally lose it from here. Little did I know Australia would falter.

Hussey being there would have probably changed things I'd imagine, but that's the nature of injuries. Gotta be able to cover them as best you can.

Oh and everything about Dhoni since he's become captain has been superb. Respect for that man grows everyday.

 

[SJS]

Have to say, risking expulsion from the T20IBS in process, I wonder whether some of the captaincy of Dhoni today reflected his experience from T20 - it was noticeable how he was ringing the bowling changes near the death - he wasn't going to let anything drift for more than an over.

I would say he was very good as captain from the very start of the T20 tournament also.

One had heard about how good a student of the game he was and it seemed so strange that this was beingsaid of someone who batted almost like a non-thinker like Afridi. But at the T20 WCit was immediately clear why this was said of him.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

One thing that I absolutely admire about Australia is that they don't change up their batting line up for every ODI. They have trust that every single player in their lineup can play any situation that arises: whether its aggression, consolidation, or whatever. If you are #4, you are expected and trusted to deal with any situation that a #4 would ever come across.

That backfired today, though, with Hodge coming in so late in the piece. Equally, India chopped and changed and it paid off with Dhoni's fireworks after his elevation.

Though we're flattered.

 

[Matt79]

Its not quite true either - Lee has been elevated on occasion - almost never worked, and I'm pretty sure Symonds has been elevated above 'slower' players a few times. But generally, yeah, all the players there can do whatever is asked of them.

 

[pasag]

I remember Martyn getting moved around on a few occasions before the end. I'm certainly for moving players up and down the order as the situation requires, anything less is just inflexible, imo.

 

[Prince EWS]

I remember Martyn getting moved around on a few occasions before the end. I'm certainly for moving players up and down the order as the situation requires, anything less is just inflexible, imo.

Bevan got moved around all the time near the end of his career as well.

 

[pup11]

Think you underrate India's bowling and fielding effort SJS. They just kept on getting a wicket (which is what they failed to do in the previous matches) and made boundaries very hard work - as I said, the spinners did very well in ensuring they weren't fodder for Hayden and Symonds.

Umm.. I don't think India bowled any great deliveries or wicket taking balls and when Australians were batting they were cruising through and they didn't look like losing the game at any stage of the game, Australian batsmen were guilty of poor shot selection.
Players like Gilchrist, Clarke, Symonds played dire shots to get out and in Ponting's case there was enough doubt to give him the benefit of the doubt.
As far as i am concerned the rub of the green went India's way today and they also played good cricket in patches.

 

[Turbinator]

Good news for adharcric....... but wait, promise me you won't go crazy ....

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/current/story/314533.html

 

[pup11]

I think Australia haven't had to shuffle their batting line-up because every batsmen in their squad is capable to shape and pace his innings according to the situation of the game, this very quality makes Australia such a formidable Odi side.

 

[jeevan]

Left arm bowling attack

India playing Zaheer, RP, Irfan and Murali Kartik.

Only Harbhajan breaks the monotony. (and not completely
off the hook either).

This is certainly unusual, but is this a recrod of sorts?

If India were playing a weaker team, can imagine these 4
bowlers backed by Yuvi to set some sort of a record.

Also someone said RP bowled one at 147 kph. Did that really
happen? That would be wonderful, dont know how many years
have gone by since that happened (around 2003 - Zaheer, Nehra and
Agarkar were clocking in that space).

 

[adharcric]

Also someone said RP bowled one at 147 kph. Did that really
happen? That would be wonderful, dont know how many years
have gone by since that happened (around 2003 - Zaheer, Nehra and
Agarkar were clocking in that space).

He was averaging 143 in his final spell. Yes, he did clock 147.

 

[Jono]

India playing Zaheer, RP, Irfan and Murali Kartik.

Only Harbhajan breaks the monotony. (and not completely
off the hook either).

This is certainly unusual, but is this a recrod of sorts?

If India were playing a weaker team, can imagine these 4
bowlers backed by Yuvi to set some sort of a record.

Also someone said RP bowled one at 147 kph. Did that really
happen? That would be wonderful, dont know how many years
have gone by since that happened (around 2003 - Zaheer, Nehra and
Agarkar were clocking in that space).

That was in the WC where the speedometer was very dodgy though.

RP Singh is so deceptively quick. Similar to AA in a way I guess. You can tell Zaheer puts his all in his action, but RP just ambles in and when you consider he looks like the biggest nerd to play for India since Kumble "the engineer" wore glasses when he bowled, its no wonder he may surprise the batsman with his pace.

I've always said he has talent (ever since he came on the scene against SL in 2005) and his general back of a length deliveries are good at ODIs. He still has a way to go though, but I think what is most promising is the fact that he bowled **** at the start of the innings, and managed to come back and bowl very well when the game was there to be won. Good effort. Handled the pressure well (just like the 20/20 semi).

 

[SJS]

Also someone said RP bowled one at 147 kph. Did that really
happen? That would be wonderful, dont know how many years
have gone by since that happened (around 2003 - Zaheer, Nehra and
Agarkar were clocking in that space).

Its another amazing reaction of an Indian friend.

It would be wonderful if RP Singh bowled a good line and length even if the speed was lower. We are seeing how Pathan is bowling on his comeback. Even Zaheer is bowling below RP's pace. Who is more useful to the team in this series ?

Yes if RP could bowl consistently good line and length AND at higher speeds great otherwise lets stop looking at speed by itwelf as our magic-mantra to success.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Fantastic game last night, the best game of cricket I've watched all the way through in some time, and a great advertisment for the ODI format as well.

Some great individual performances, but I hope anyone who believed the crap Barry Richards was coming out with about Lee earlier in the series (Wright!) watched his spell yesterday, because it was as good as you'll see. Made Tendulkar look like an absolute novice and could have had him so many times it isn't funny.

Despite the good fortune early, India were generally the better team and deserved the win. Harbhajan and Kartik were really impressive, and put to bed the "middle overs have no impact on the result" theory you hear about ODIs a lot, by basically winning the match in that period.

 

[stephen]

When looking at the scorecard it's pretty easy to see why Australia lost. Not enough QLDers :P.

 

[Prince EWS]

When looking at the scorecard it's pretty easy to see why Australia lost. Not enough QLDers :P.