***Official*** Australia in India

[Perm]

And scored alot of runs against him too?

I dont see how you can say it doesn't prove alot.

Well, I don't see how he is statistically the best against Muralitharan. I don't have anything against Ponting, but I'm not too sure how you can make these claims. Australia ran up big totals in almost every game Ponting has played against Muralitharan, indicating the rest of the attack wasn't that good.

EDIT: I'm not saying Ponting is crap, but I just want to know how he is statistically the best against Muralitharan.

 

[The Sean]

Funny, I see a lot of poms using this arguement as to why Vaughn is the greatest batsmen their country has ever produced and that he should be an automatic selection, even with his dodgy knees and when he's completely out of form.

My question is, if form was temporary and class permanent, why did the Aussie selectors ever pick Katich

Edit: And why has Lee been in the test side for so long with neither form nor class to his name?

Not sure if you're overexaggerating there to make a point, but which Englishmen have EVER said that?

 

[Perm]

Obviously your memory is foggy. It was not the amount of runs that was the issue with katich, but instead the way in which he scored them. He chewed up a ridiculous number of balls to score his runs and only went on past fifty very, very rarely. His strike rate for the summer was something like 65! That's attrocious for a modern day one day batsman and put a lot of pressure on the bat at the other end. Meanwhile, that same season Jaques made 4 ODD centuries, ended with an average over 90 and the highest strike rate in domestic one day cricket.

I know why you are/were against Katich as an opener, I remember the situation very clearly. The thing is, Katich deserved to be picked in the first place and was putting runs on the board. It would have been difficult for the Australian selectors to drop him after consistently scoring, and I'm glad they didn't.

 

[Eclipse]

Well, I don't see how he is statistically the best against Muralitharan. I don't have anything against Ponting, but I'm not too sure how you can make these claims. Australia ran up big totals in almost every game Ponting has played against Muralitharan, indicating the rest of the attack wasn't that good.

EDIT: I'm not saying Ponting is crap, but I just want to know how he is statistically the best against Muralitharan.

Well what other statistics can it be messured by?

It does not mean he is actually the best, but so far you would have to say based on his results and that stats wise he is.

 

[Athlai]

Well what other statistics can it be messured by?

It does not mean he is actually the best, but so far you would have to say based on his results and that stats wise he is.

As there's the possibility of a batsman who hasn't got out against him its not a foolproof way to rate it.

 

[vic_orthdox]

I know why you are/were against Katich as an opener, I remember the situation very clearly. The thing is, Katich deserved to be picked in the first place and was putting runs on the board. It would have been difficult for the Australian selectors to drop him after consistently scoring, and I'm glad they didn't.

I guess the other thing about the time with Katich at the top was that Gilchrist was in pristine form, and they were still getting off to good starts in general. Even if Katich wasn't flying early, they were still going at 6 an over. I guess Katich might have been a couple of years too late, as the emphasis on scoring early has risen even further.

 

[Nate]

Katich averaged 36 at a strike-rate of 68 after more than fourty matches, which was not good enough for the Australian side and this was recognised by the selectors, so he was dropped. Enough said.

 

[honestbharani]

Well what other statistics can it be messured by?

It does not mean he is actually the best, but so far you would have to say based on his results and that stats wise he is.

not really. There is also the small matter of him not being under the same kind of pressure that some other batsmen have been against Murali because of Sri Lanka not getting big scores like they do against other teams against Australia...

I don't think Ponting is special against spin, he is just good. I still rate Hayden and even Martyn ahead of him in playing spinners. I also think Lehmann was extremely good against spin. I would probably put Ponting below these guys when it comes to playing spin among the Aussie batsmen.

 

[Laurrz]

oh gosh, Martyn and Lehmann... now THEY were good against spin.... so lovely to watch... *sigh.. miss em

 

[pup11]

I think there has been a constant reluctance on the part of of the Aussie selectors to not pick Jacques because of dire fielding ability especially in limited over cricket, in test cricket though he is a gun short-leg fieldsman.

 

[vic_orthdox]

not really. There is also the small matter of him not being under the same kind of pressure that some other batsmen have been against Murali because of Sri Lanka not getting big scores like they do against other teams against Australia

That's a rubbish reason. Test match pressure is Test match pressure. You think Sri Lanka try harder because they are defending 400 instead of 300? What about all those times when Australia bats first? So every Australian batsman should be marked down for playing in a good side?

 

[silentstriker]

That's a rubbish reason. Test match pressure is Test match pressure. You think Sri Lanka try harder because they are defending 400 instead of 300? What about all those times when Australia bats first? So every Australian batsman should be marked down for playing in a good side?

Yup, and there is also the pressure of winning. Australian public is usually shocked anytime they lose a single Test match, and the players have some mightily huge expectations to live up to. If anyone loses in Australia, well it's not a big deal because that's what happens to every side. There is less pressure to win, because you know you probably won't anyway, and no one expects you to. So you can play freely, and if you can pull off an upset, you'll be a hero.

On the other hand, Australia pretty much cannot lose at home. If they beat someone 4-0, it's just another series down under...but if they lose a series at home 2-1...well everyone and their mother will talk about how it signifies the end of an era and how Australia are going to be in the dumps and people will want to sack Ponting, etc.

It's like the hockey game between US-USSR in 1980. The USSR had all the pressure. They wouldn't really surprise anyone or win any accolades if they won, but losing was unthinkable.

 

[stephen]

I guess the other thing about the time with Katich at the top was that Gilchrist was in pristine form, and they were still getting off to good starts in general. Even if Katich wasn't flying early, they were still going at 6 an over. I guess Katich might have been a couple of years too late, as the emphasis on scoring early has risen even further.

They were scoring at six an over DESPITE Katich' efforts, not because of. Gilly was being put under a lot of pressure because of Katich' sloth.

Remember that Katich was the only Australian to score at LESS THAN a run per ball in the 434/436 game. Katich was a liability in ODI cricket. He was ok in test matches, though he won't get another run for a long time if ever.

My point though is that we have a new opportunity this season to start afresh with a whole new pace outfit. We should use that opportunity to build for our future. Brett Lee is not the future, he is the past and not a very good one at that.

 

[RolledOver]

It will be interesting to see how Aussies do i the third format of the game against India, so far its been 1-1 (Aus winning onedayer and India winning 20/20).

Someone (social) asked if Indians want to see a 5-0 thrashing in test matches, i don't thik its a possibility, as even though the momentum is with India and Australians are being psyched out by aggresive Indian youngsters, i think Australia are still good to win an odd test match in a 5 test series.

My prediction, India winning the series 2-0, with spin trio of K & H doing most of the damage with excellent support from SSS (both with the ball and vocally)

 

[The Sean]

It will be interesting to see how Aussies do i the third format of the game against India, so far its been 1-1 (Aus winning onedayer and India winning 20/20).

Someone (social) asked if Indians want to see a 5-0 thrashing in test matches, i don't thik its a possibility, as even though the momentum is with India and Australians are being psyched out by aggresive Indian youngsters, i think Australia are still good to win an odd test match in a 5 test series.

My prediction, India winning the series 2-0, with spin trio of K & H doing most of the damage with excellent support from SSS (both with the ball and vocally)

It'll be a dead set massive effort if either team wins the upcoming four Test series 5-0.

Do I take your first sentence to mean that, after Australia's convincing win in the ODI series, and India's victory in the one off T20 match, you consider that Australia and India finished the tour with honours even?

 

[Jono]

Haha. Rolled Over you're dreaming unfortunately.

The tour ended up 60-40 in Australia's favour, and thats only thanks to the last couple of wins by India. Could have been much worse. Could have also been much better if India didn't throw away the 6th ODI though. Even if you are chasing 300+, at 140-0 you should win 9 times out of 10 playing at home (I know Jack disagrees with me here though).

 

[silentstriker]

Do I take your first sentence to mean that, after Australia's convincing win in the ODI series, and India's victory in the one off T20 match, you consider that Australia and India finished the tour with honours even?

Tour? What tour? No FC/Tests = no tour. In any case, I don't care at all about ODIs, and pretty much don't care at all about Twenty20s, so in my estimation India won 100% of the matches.

But I would not have a problem saying 60-40, or 70-30 to Australia.

 

[Matt79]

I'll willing to go on the record and tip 4-0 to Australia for the coming tour.

 

[silentstriker]

I'll willing to go on the record and tip 4-0 to Australia for the coming tour.

Bleh, not much of a stretch. It would be if the series were in India. They've beaten England 5-0 and they are a better touring side.

 

[Nate]

Australia are a better touring side?