***Official*** India in Australia

[tooextracool]

Was i the only one that watched his innings on the MCG last year, on a real seamer?

Shoulb have been given out plumb on 52 tbf. Nonetheless one swallow does not make a summer and I do not expect too much more from Symonds continual efforts to biff everything in sight

 

[Bracken]

As far as everything else is concerned, he was smashed from pillar to post by everybody from Tendulkar to Kumble. He was certainly not accurate(which is the most important aspect of any spin bowler) and even on the rare occasions that he wasnt bowling full tosses and long hops he bowled far too full to take advantage of a pitch that has been receptive,albeit not a raging turner, to spin bowling from day 1.

You know- I've watched every ball of this test, but I get the feeling that I must have been watching a different game to the one you saw.

Hogg bowled pretty well. He took some stick (and getting some stick from Tendulkar and Ganguly doesn't exactly make him unique among Australian wrist spinners), and came back pretty well with a few rippers and a pretty consistent line. No doubt he bowled a few four-balls- name one wrist spinner with less than 500 test wickets who didn't bowl their share of full tosses and long hops. It comes with the job.

All in all, he ended up with figures (including economy rates) that compared with those of both of the Indian spinners' second innings. Hardly the atrocious performance that you made it out to be.

Whether or not Hogg's last incarnation as a test spinner is going to be successful is yet to be seen. Might not have set the world on fire in the first innings, but he was far from poor.

 

[Nate]

I wouldn't take much notice of that game. It was a dead rubber and I have never seen such a disinterested team in a test match as England were in that game.

Haha, talking out one's butt-crack it would seem.

 

[river end]

Haha, talking out one's butt-crack it would seem.

No actually, speaking sense.

 

[tooextracool]

You know- I've watched every ball of this test, but I get the feeling that I must have been watching a different game to the one you saw.

Hogg bowled pretty well. He took some stick (and getting some stick from Tendulkar and Ganguly doesn't exactly make him unique among Australian wrist spinners), and came back pretty well with a few rippers and a pretty consistent line. No doubt he bowled a few four-balls- name one wrist spinner with less than 500 test wickets who didn't bowl their share of full tosses and long hops. It comes with the job.

All in all, he ended up with figures (including economy rates) that compared with those of both of the Indian spinners' second innings. Hardly the atrocious performance that you made it out to be.

Whether or not Hogg's last incarnation as a test spinner is going to be successful is yet to be seen. Might not have set the world on fire in the first innings, but he was far from poor.

Perhaps we were watching different games, or perhaps we were watching them with different glasses on. I cannot honestly see how he did not bowl poorly. He struggled to land 2 consecutive balls in the same spot in the last innings, and even when he did land the ball on the stumps as said earlier he bowled far too full for it to be any effective. Rule number one for any spinner is to not let the batsmen get to the pitch of the ball and negate the purchase that you get from the pitch. and Rule number one was broken enough times by Brad Hogg and it allowed the batsmen to play him easily. Yes on the rare occasion he beat the bat, well considering the ball has been turning off the pitch since day 1, any spinner will beat the bat on the rare occasion, that is no accomplishment. No wrist spinner should be condoned for bowling 4 balls and Brad Hogg is no exception.

Hoggs figures actually flatter his bowling performance because he was getting pasted at around 5-6 an over during the Tendulkar-Ganguly partnership while the Indian team was struggling to maintain an overall RR of over 2 and a half runs per over. His figures are a misrepresentation of the tripe that he bowled because they are covered up by some 'economical' bowling against the tailenders. I have given credit to him for his delivery to Ganguly, but anyone suggesting that he was deserving of his wicket of Harbhajan Singh is being extremely lopsided considering that it was Brett Lee that softened him up in the overs before.

 

[tooextracool]

I wonder what would happen if they dropped say Hayden saying that he is too old, I wonder if he would have a case of unfair dismissal? Dropped on age and not on form

Given that there was a time not so long ago that he had neither on his side and was still consistently picked in the side i would say he should consider himself fortunate. Full credit to him though, played well this test match in conditions that havent always been the best for batting.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Haha, was watching at that stage with two mates, and we all mentioned that Hogg would get Harbhajan that over.

 

[tooextracool]

That said, though, I have a lot more respect for his selection and role now than I did even against Sri Lanka. I don't rate his batting any higher than I did when he first got picked but his bowling has been much better than I anticipated and his role actually fits the composition of the team quite well, surprisingly, even if he does only score quick thirties and take a 1/35 every match.

you rate his bowling? This despite the fact that he has been bowling less and less as his batting has according to some 'matured'. Hes only bowled 45 overs in his last 8 tests, that is well barely even equivalent to part time. His role in the current side seems to be specialist batsman in my book.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Australia has been winning more comfortably in those last 8 tests than beforehand, hence been bowling less overs in total though. Therefore he hasn't been required as often.

 

[Nate]

Stats in those 45 overs?

EDIT: Either I can't use SG, or he's bowled a lot more than 45 overs in his last 8 matches.

 

[silentstriker]

You know- I've watched every ball of this test, but I get the feeling that I must have been watching a different game to the one you saw.

Hogg bowled pretty well. He took some stick (and getting some stick from Tendulkar and Ganguly doesn't exactly make him unique among Australian wrist spinners), and came back pretty well with a few rippers and a pretty consistent line. No doubt he bowled a few four-balls- name one wrist spinner with less than 500 test wickets who didn't bowl their share of full tosses and long hops. It comes with the job.

All in all, he ended up with figures (including economy rates) that compared with those of both of the Indian spinners' second innings. Hardly the atrocious performance that you made it out to be.

Whether or not Hogg's last incarnation as a test spinner is going to be successful is yet to be seen. Might not have set the world on fire in the first innings, but he was far from poor.

You're kidding right? He had a couple good balls, but he was generally carted around by all the recognized batsmen that he faced. And Kumble too.

 

[silentstriker]

Am I in bizarro world or is Chappelli making a lot of sense?

 

[tooextracool]

doesnt he usually? Think hes one of the better experts around.

 

[Jono]

I hate Symonds so much. I was so annoyed when he was bowled by that jaffer from Zaheer and it was a no-ball. At least when Dravid got out by a no-ball he had the dignity to not score many more runs and eventually get out. Symonds started hitting sixes. Piss off

And FFS Zaheer stop bowling no-balls you idiot. On day 1 he had two close shouts against Gilly off no-balls. Very frustrating.

Harbhajan's ball to Ponting was brilliant, and Clarke was a delight to watch today.

Gone all 3 days so far, will be going tomorrow. May come back a melted man though because its going to be ridiculously hot.

 

[Jono]

doesnt he usually? Think hes one of the better experts around.

Yeah definitely. I can understand why he may ruffle a few feathers every now and again, but Ian Chappell is a brilliant analyst of the game IMO.

 

[Laurrz]

Gone all 3 days so far, will be going tomorrow. May come back a melted man though because its going to be ridiculously hot.

i went yesterday and was semi melted and today was hotter..geez
good luck haha

the weather for the next week in melbourne is just wacked

 

[Nate]

Thought I may have seen you on the telly Jono. Where have you been located and who with? What is your quest?

 

[vic_orthdox]

Yeah definitely. I can understand why he may ruffle a few feathers every now and again, but Ian Chappell is a brilliant analyst of the game IMO.

Yeah, I don't think he's too bad like that, but he's not a good commentator. Big difference.

 

[Dissector]

Gone all 3 days so far, will be going tomorrow. May come back a melted man though because its going to be ridiculously hot.

Don't worry. has promised me two days of rain.

 

[funnygirl]

Hope Rahul dravid put bowlers and fielders into a long sleep for two days