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***Official*** Sri Lanka in Australia
- Thread starter JASON
- Start date
pup11
International Coach
Now that's 14 in a row for Australia great stuff from the Aussies and to win back to back test matches on two flat tracks is a great effort by this new look Australian attack, Lee was extremly good and deserves a lot of praise for his exploits in this series he did a superb job leading the bowling attack and taking 16 wickets in a 2 test series on such flat tracks.
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I tell you, the selectors are really putting pressure on themselves by continuing to select him. He bowled decidedly average in Brisbane overall and was pretty awful in Tassie so he's not exactly in form. People are saying he should lose his place. So they offer up that he's carrying a knee injury. All that really does is intensify the feeling he shouldn't be in the side. And rightly so.
At his best, MacGill is a real handful but he's not at his best in terms of form or fitness right now. Couple that with bunny-like batting powers and slug-ness in the field and the Aussie team is carrying a real liability right now. His knee problems have been well-known for a while now so you have to wonder why he was selected when not fit.
Craig
World Traveller
Safety first?
sideshowtim
Banned
Yep, 14 in a row and 20 in a row undefeated. Quite an amazing achievement really. Winning Tests on Aussie featherbeds is never EASY given that you have to take 20 wickets to win it (Even though Lanka went close only taking 7...). So yeah, very proud of that streak. Great achievement.
Ponting deserves credit as captain too by the way. Has started this new 'era' magnificently as captain, worked the bowlers very well and his declarations appeared to have been spot on now...And got his team together and full of confidence for a McGrath and Warneless era. So yeah...excellent stuff.
Perm
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I know you love Ponting, but he fluffed around for ages in this Test while he made his half-century in the second innings. If he wanted time then he should have tried to score more runs while he was out there. I thought it was poor declaration batting to be perfectly honest.
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See, this I don't understand, to be honest. How is picking an unfit (injury and fitness-wise) out-of-form player who is below-standard with the bat and in the field safer than picking a bloke who is super-fit, bowling and batting well? There's little doubt MacGill is a more talented spinner than Hogg but right now, it means squat when he's performing so poorly for state and country. Every other player in the side had strong domestic form behind them, runs on the board, wickets in the bag, etc. Bricks-and-mortar stuff. How many more excuses for his poor form do the selectors need to hear before they get sick of them? Maybe when it costs them the series against India perhaps? "But he's more talented" is starting to wear thin after he didn't even reach par against players who (Sangkkara excluded) aren't exactly known for their ability to play wrist-spin well.
Continuing to select MacGill just strikes me as one of those decisions which, once the India series is over, everyone is going to be saying "Hmmmm yeah, we shouldn't have done that in hindsight."
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Perm
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Sangakkara should have been given Man of the Match, it was a superb knock and a poor decision brought his innings to an end. However, Lee bowled very well and fully deserved his MOTS award. Gun bowler, and awesome attitude.
Bit sad to see Atapattu gone, was such a good player to watch.
Bit sad to see Atapattu gone, was such a good player to watch.
burr
State Vice-Captain
Wow, that Sanga knock really was superb, he was hitting fours at will by the end. He would have had 3 doubles and a 50 in his last four innings if not for the decision, but still, awesome stuff. I always like seeing top class batsman perform in Aus (ala Dravid and Laxman in 2003/4)
sideshowtim
Banned
Agreed, but I'd play Tait instead. Can't see the Indians enjoying his pace.
sideshowtim
Banned
Well Australia won the match with adequate time and runs in hand, so I don't see how you can call it a poor declaration. Seems to me as if he was waiting til a certain time before lunch before declaring. Half an hour or something.
Craig
World Traveller
Would justify the selection of Symonds if he is fit. I know he has scored two fifties this series, but look at it in the context though, both were made when Australia had big totals up, a lot easy to play like that with such a platform. However, following in Queensland tradition he should follow the lead of Andrew Bichel and preform in the Boxing Day Test.
sideshowtim
Banned
Symonds has his spot wrapped up. Everyone in this team bar MacGill does at the moment.
Craig
World Traveller
How does he have it wrapped up if he is making runs when the pressure is slightly of? Would be different if Australia were 4/136 for example when he strides to the crease, not when he comes in at 4/442 after Hussey and Clarke have made a massive stand in between.
Mind you with Shane Watson more injury prone then a New Zealand cricketer I can see otherwise.
sideshowtim
Banned
Because he hasn't done anything to lose his spot either. He's made 2 50s in 2 innings, fielded excellently and picked up a couple of wickets. Can't see how one's spot would be in danger after a performance like that.
We saw at the MCG against England he can score with the pressure on though. Didn't he come in at like 4/80 or something? Scored 150. So yeah, he's done nothing to have his spot in danger.