***Official*** India in Australia

[Craig]

So would you drop him straight away if Shane Watson finds some form or can harden up and not be so injury prone.

 

[Laurrz]

"We didn't get much time, we didn't get any side game," Harbhajan said of the preparation. "It's totally different conditions for batsmen and bowlers so it takes time for people to adjust on these sorts of wickets. That was the reason we got out in the first innings. The last time we showed our batsmen can bat for long times and if they just play to their potential they can definitely surprise."

 

[Craig]

I personally think it should be mandatory for a team to get at least two practice matches in a country when they tour there. Who cares about an ODI or a T20 match been missed out? I mean I love the other forms of the game, but Test cricket should be a greater priority.

And if a hosting country isn't going to come to the party with that, then said touring team shouldn't help said host team when they go to said touring team's country (bah does that even make sense ).

 

[pup11]

If India get close to 499 then Australia would have bowled very very poorly. There is enough in this pitch for bowlers to exploit and its only going to get worse to bat on on days 4 and 5. The only consolation for India is that Brad Hogg is far from being good enough to exploit said conditions.

The pitch doesn't have anything for the fast bowlers so that is a bit of a worry for the Aussies, this pitch is pretty similar to an Indian pitch in nature and if anything the pitch now has become even more slower something that the Indian batsmen would feel relieved about, so a lot depends on Bradley Hogg and tbf to him he hasn't bowled too badly like you are suggesting he has defintely bowled a few long-hops and full-tosses but in general he has bowled in the right areas and even today i think he was unlucky not to get Jaffer's wicket (Jaffer was pretty lucky to survive the lbw appeal made by Hogg).
But Ponting has made a sporting declaration which still gives both the teams a chance to win (Australia have the prominent chance to win but it still gives India slight hope of winning) 499 of 188 overs is highly improbable but not impossible so if India somehow manage to bat out the next 180 overs (which they shouldn't ) they should find themselves pretty close to the target.

 

[archie mac]

It's been so refreshing seeing Hussey and Ponting fail in this match - it's the way cricket should be - players shouldn't be scoring 50+ every time they go out to bat. In fact it's also been very refreshing seeing scores of round 300, I'm so sick of 500+ scores. I really liked Ponting's declaration, am very tempted to go again tomorrow with the prospect of seeing VVS and Sachin again.

Awta, makes for a much better cricket game, and actually requires some technique from the batsman

 

[deeps]

but lee can hit da masiv 6z tho!!

So can Hogg apparently

 

[Craig]

This must feel like a Test match form slump for Ponting.

 

[deeps]

Lee should bat above Hogg IMO.

No way, Hogg is a far better batsman. Lee is handy, Hogg averages 35 in first class cricket and has a highest score of almost 160, and has quite a few fifties and 100's to his name.

 

[tooextracool]

So would you drop him straight away if Shane Watson finds some form or can harden up and not be so injury prone.

I would probably be more tempted to try David Hussey atm or perhaps even Simon Katich although i think Katich's style is probably less suited to Australia's interests. Watson needs to play first class cricket consistently before being considered for a place in the side.

 

[pup11]

I cant see how someone with as atrocious a technique as his can possibly succeed. Based on his own approach to the game, i think even he realises that he isnt going to survive long at the crease and therefore attempts to spend the majority of his time at the crease slogging everything out of the park. As such, the way in which he was bowled by Zaheer Khan today of the noball was absolutely disgraceful, dont think it is possible to be anymore clueless about the delivery than he was tbh.

I think a good chunk of Roy's problems in test cricket are mainly due to lack of proper mindset and gameplan for the longer form of the game, his technique has never been the best in the world but with the same technique he has done exceptionally well in Odi cricket in every part of the world against different sort of attacks since the 03 world cup, now i know Odi cricket doesn't require a player to be as technically sound as he needs to be in test cricket but still Symonds has had phenomenal success since 03 world cup in Odi cricket which can't be ignored so whatever he does seems to work fine for him Odi cricket but while playing in test cricket he seems to be way too confused as to what he requires to do when he goes out there to bat, so either he bats defensively in test cricket or bats ultra-aggressively, so as far i am concerned lack of a proper gameplan for himself is something that hurts Symonds more than anything else in test cricket and the fact he doesn't have the greatest of techniques only makes test cricket a bit more harder for him.

 

[Josh]

So can Hogg apparently

Fair shots those at the 'G.

 

[Craig]

I would probably be more tempted to try David Hussey atm or perhaps even Simon Katich although i think Katich's style is probably less suited to Australia's interests. Watson needs to play first class cricket consistently before being considered for a place in the side.

Actually I think Katich would justify a spot given the amount of runs he has got this season. However, for some reason he gets made out to be the scapegoat.

 

[Josh]

Need a lot of luck to win/save this. Pitch looks like something I play on regularly, needing to bat about 3 metres out of your crease and it still skids on as low as anything.

Hogg the key.

 

[pup11]

So would you drop him straight away if Shane Watson finds some form or can harden up and not be so injury prone.

Watson is just screwing up with his career atm, he is trying his hand at opening in FC cricket and he has had pathetic string of scores to his name since then, he needs to comeback into the Queensland middle order and start making some runs again and if he stays fit and is in form through this season then yes i would pick him instead of Symonds, otherwise i would pick D.Hussey or Katich or Noffke.

 

[pup11]

Actually I think Katich would justify a spot given the amount of runs he has got this season. However, for some reason he gets made out to be the scapegoat.

Yup Katich would a good option but whether Aussie would want somebody with his playing style at no.6 is something i doubt, David Hussey seems to be better option as he is an aggressive batsman who can play big shots something the Aussie want from their no.6 batsman.

 

[Craig]

Noffke at 6? Unless you want Gilchrist to bat there and it depends if you think he can do a good job there.

 

[archie mac]

It might be worthwhile waiting for Symonds to fail before we give his Test place away

 

[Craig]

If Zaheer bowls those sort of balls to him more often, but with his front foot on the line then he might well be.

 

[Prince EWS]

Noffke at 6? Unless you want Gilchrist to bat there and it depends if you think he can do a good job there.

Gilchrist would obviously bat above Noffke.

 

[TheLad]

It might be worthwhile waiting for Symonds to fail before we give his Test place away

Wow a common sense statement getting in the way of a hypothetical proposition