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***Official*** India in Australia

Matt79

Hall of Fame Member
Great day's play - this is why Test cricket is, and will forever be, the only real form of cricket, and anything else is a pale imitation.

Great effort by Singh with the new ball to get the ball rolling after Ponting elected to bat, and then just when Ponting and Hussey looked set to both go on and score big, the dramatic collapse - 4 wickets for 15-odd runs in half-an-hour - unheard for this team.

What followed has become an instant inclusion in my favourite bits of cricket - Symonds and Hoggy's partnership, from two players with so much to prove still in Tests, when their team desperately needed something special, and done in such a cavalier, adventurous spirit, is an instant classic. I actually missed about 45 minutes of it (stupid meeting at work meant I had to step away from the telly), and as I was walking back I was thinking "this day sucks, the Aussies are probably fielding by now, but maybe, just maybe, Symonds will still be there and have Hogg or Lee with him". When I got back it was 6/200, and I thought, you know, 200 is actually ok, it at least gives our bowlers SOMETHING to aim at. And from there it just went.

Was so stoked when Symonds got his 100 - despite his century last year, and his 50s this year, Roy still have a huge question mark hanging over him about his ability to mount a rescue mission when he wasn't given a huge platform from which to play carefree cricket, or didn't have a senior batsman at the other end to hold his hand. This innings, besides taking his batting average to the important 40 benchmark, answered that question in spades for me. I'm prepared to say now that Symonds is the genuine article as a Test cricketer. This could well turn out to be the highlight of career, and he'll obviously still have failures in the future, but to me this innings proves he has the stuff required to fill the #6 batsman slot legitimately, and that its not a compromised solution for the team.
EDIT: It's been pointed out to me that there was an obvious caught behind that Symonds received a reprieve for, which I didn't see and hence hadn't factored into the above, and didn't mention the stumping, which I actually thought the third umpire was correct in calling 'not out'. So that diminishes Symonds' effort a bit, although him making the Indians pay after 1 (IMO) let-off is still encouraging for mine.


Hogg's effort was just a joy to watch, and it was a shame that Symonds' ton making broke his concentration a bit, although he had lived by the sword in playing his shots, so sooner or later it was going to catch up with him. Still, would have loved it if he had got to triple figures as well. I was thinking that he and Lee had been having a duel about who's number 8 and who's 9 - and when he got out I concluded that Hogg had settled that issue for now, but now Lee's going well also. Hopefully Lee can mount a counter case by going on with it tomorrow morning.

I thought, having chosen to bat, par would be 400, especially given the pitch seems to have already, and will continue to get easier to bat on. The Aussies should reach that now, and how much more they get will be the big question. Just how good a first innings score that is will have to be decided once the Indian batsmen get their chance - if they declare at 5/600, it's not enough, if they get skittled for 200 again, it will be game-breaking. You'd suspect Australia will be much more frugal in the field, and that this total will be enough to put Australia in a strong position for the match, especially with Zaheer out.

The umpires continue to have an interesting series - from what I saw there seemed to be errors both ways, so here's hoping they can just get it right from here on in.
 
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Pup_23

School Boy/Girl Captain
Bucknor has to go IMO,

Three terrible decisions by both umpires.

Ponting being given not out to Ganguly

Ponting given out to Singh

Symonds given not out caught behind.

I thought the stumping was out as well but i can understand why they chose not to give it.

Terrific days cricket. Good start by RP Singh, let himself down towards the end of the game today though. Dont know what Pup was thinking :-O . Terrific knocks by Hogg and Symonds as well. Interesting to see how Indias top 7 handle the pressure of quite possibly a 450+ score when it could easily have been under 200.

I have a feeling Rahul Dravid may just prove a few wrong tomorrow. We will see.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Great day's play - this is why Test cricket is, and will forever be, the only real form of cricket, and anything else is a pale imitation.

Great effort by Singh with the new ball to get the ball rolling after Ponting elected to bat, and then just when Ponting and Hussey looked set to both go on and score big, the dramatic collapse - 4 wickets for 15-odd runs in half-an-hour - unheard for this team.

What followed has become an instant inclusion in my favourite bits of cricket - Symonds and Hoggy's partnership, from two players with so much to prove still in Tests, when their team desperately needed something special, and done in such a cavalier, adventurous spirit, is an instant classic. I actually missed about 45 minutes of it (stupid meeting at work meant I had to step away from the telly), and as I was walking back I was thinking "this day sucks, the Aussies are probably fielding by now, but maybe, just maybe, Symonds will still be there and have Hogg or Lee with him". When I got back it was 6/200, and I thought, you know, 200 is actually ok, it at least gives our bowlers SOMETHING to aim at. And from there it just went.

Was so stoked when Symonds got his 100 - despite his century last year, and his 50s this year, Roy still have a huge question mark hanging over him about his ability to mount a rescue mission when he wasn't given a huge platform from which to play carefree cricket, or didn't have a senior batsman at the other end to hold his hand. This innings, besides taking his batting average to the important 40 benchmark, answered that question in spades for me. I'm prepared to say now that Symonds is the genuine article as a Test cricketer. This could well turn out to be the highlight of career, and he'll obviously still have failures in the future, but to me this innings proves he has the stuff required to fill the #6 batsman slot legitimately, and that its not a compromised solution for the team.

Hogg's effort was just a joy to watch, and it was a shame that Symonds' ton making broke his concentration a bit, although he had lived by the sword in playing his shots, so sooner or later it was going to catch up with him. Still, would have loved it if he had got to triple figures as well. I was thinking that he and Lee had been having a duel about who's number 8 and who's 9 - and when he got out I concluded that Hogg had settled that issue for now, but now Lee's going well also. Hopefully Lee can mount a counter case by going on with it tomorrow morning.

I thought, having chosen to bat, par would be 400, especially given the pitch seems to have already, and will continue to get easier to bat on. The Aussies should reach that now, and how much more they get will be the big question. Just how good a first innings score that is will have to be decided once the Indian batsmen get their chance - if they declare at 5/600, it's not enough, if they get skittled for 200 again, it will be game-breaking. You'd suspect Australia will be much more frugal in the field, and that this total will be enough to put Australia in a strong position for the match, especially with Zaheer out.

The umpires continue to have an interesting series - from what I saw there seemed to be errors both ways, so here's hoping they can just get it right from here on in.
Not even mentioning Symonds being well into his forth innings for the match is slightly poor form IMO, but good recap otherwise.
 

Cevno

Hall of Fame Member
The stumping was actually closer than it appears in the photo above. Sure it looks like there's a fair bit of air between the foot and the ground when the bails are removed but what a still picture doesn't show is that a frame later when Symond's foot is flattened as if planted, the 'gap' is still there. The picture which shows a 'gap' is actually an optical illusion and likely a parallax error. This is why the umpire gave it not out I reckon. Certainly on first viewing I thought he was dead but when they showed subsequent frames, when his foot flattens, it looks like its levitating. But no, it's actually grounded.
No ,that is incorrect .If you observe the shadow carefully,the foot does not meet the shadow until the bails are off .If his toe's were planted then the shadow would be meeting and be on the shadow and the shadow would move backwards and foot would flatten on the shadow.
You say that the toe flattened itself without his body weight shifting from the front leg(which did not as his front leg position was not moving enough until after the stumping) and without the back foot being lifted at this position then symonds must not have any bones in his foot.:laugh:
the slow motion gives it away.


The most salient point of the day, in my view. Good teams or those playing well make sure that bad decisions don't ruin their day. They just create more chances and take those instead. India whining about today ignores that they bowled absolute tosh to Hogg and Symonds when they were going well and their third session was absolutely woeful. A decent team (emphasis on team) would regroup and tighten their game. Instead, they threw their toys out of the pram. No team will succeed if it relies onj absolutely everything going their way which, as it happens, was one reason why the Aussies kept losing in India all those years. As soon as they had a bad decision or something like that go against them, heads would drop
.

You come to India and then if in in three innings 7-8 decisions ,out of which some pretty blatant ones are given against you on spinning tracks without any warmup .And a Indian third umpire gives a decision not out for a indian batsmen with even all the Indian commentators saying it was out then how will you respond?
Ponting will be complaining about everything from a biased third umpire(like last time he and gilchrist did when an indian third umpire made a doubtful decision)to the hotel to spinning tracks to the other umpires being bad.I have seen him arguing with the umpires three times last year and I dod not watch much of australian matches.It would be intersting to see even how your team responds if decisions like this start going against you in this series.
 

Pup_23

School Boy/Girl Captain
Was so stoked when Symonds got his 100 - despite his century last year, and his 50s this year, Roy still have a huge question mark hanging over him about his ability to mount a rescue mission when he wasn't given a huge platform from which to play carefree cricket, or didn't have a senior batsman at the other end to hold his hand. This innings, besides taking his batting average to the important 40 benchmark, answered that question in spades for me. I'm prepared to say now that Symonds is the genuine article as a Test cricketer. This could well turn out to be the highlight of career, and he'll obviously still have failures in the future, but to me this innings proves he has the stuff required to fill the #6 batsman slot legitimately, and that its not a compromised solution for the team.
Should have been given out caught behind before the 200 was up. Where would that have left his rescue mission? I have no doubt he is a brilliant cricketer and actually one of my favourites but i still cant call him the "Genuine Article" when it comes to test cricket. It is harsh and no doubt in my mind he will become that but he is just not there for me at the moment.
 

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
All 3 Aussie commentators agreed tat Symonds was out.

Is THERE NO LIMIT this sport's bias or stupidity ??


Bucknor and Benson have won this match for Australia along with the 3rd umpire. For those who are attentive Yuvraj was given out when there was MORE doubt and that too by the field ump :wacko: :@ :@

No one should be surprised - in Australia this happens to all the visiting teams at critical junctures of the match.
Nope...it's the most ridiculous sport in the world. The fact you've given it human emotions only highlights this fact.

That's a widesweeping generalisation I'm surprised someone of your posting integrity would make. :sleep:
 

Matt79

Hall of Fame Member
Not even mentioning Symonds being well into his forth innings for the match is slightly poor form IMO, but good recap otherwise.
Haha - I actually didn't see the first decision that he apparently got a reprieve for (I was watching while trying to avoid being caught by my boss, plus as I said, I had to go to a meeting), so only caught up with that controversy now reading through this thread. I saw the attempted stumping, and thought it looked lineball, and that Symonds skated through on the thin thin edge of the benefit of the doubt.

As I've said previously, you play the whistle, and if India dropped their heads after a poor decision, then they don't deserve to win. Ganguly had 4 innings against Hogg in the first test, and the Aussies, Hogg in particular, kept on going.

As Pasag said, there will hopefully be a square up at some point with one of the Indian top order getting a couple of let offs, although it probably won't seem as significant because the Aussie attack will probably create another opportunity and still get whoever it is out for not much further addition to the score.
 

Top_Cat

Request Your Custom Title Now!
No ,that is incorrect .If you observe the shadow carefully,the foot does not meet the shadow until the bails are off .If his toe's were planted then the shadow would be meeting and be on the shadow and the shadow would move backwards and foot would flatten on the shadow.
Not what I saw. Believe me, I was firmly in the 'he's out' camp until I saw what can only be explained by a parallax error of some sort.
 

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Poor team play? Get some heart, two bad decisions and they give up, will never beat an Australian team with that sort of thinking, and as for the ground fielding:ph34r:
Yeah, it's dreadful again...how many times do we need to see a ball go through legs and hit the rope? As for the catch that went for four...either make a great attempt to take it, or back off and make sure you stop it. Don't let it go for four while never looking like you were going to get to it.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Haha - I actually didn't see the first decision that he apparently got a reprieve for
Was the worst I've ever seen of its type. Heard the edge here in Baulkham Hills with the TV on mute. Dire stuff.

As I've said previously, you play the whistle, and if India dropped their heads after a poor decision, then they don't deserve to win.
Agreed, but does Symonds deserve all this praise just because India dropped their heads? Out three times already. Fair enough to hold back on the criticism for a while, but to actually treat such an awful innings as the making of a player is a bit much. Certainly still has lots of a prove IMO, and scoring 130 odd for 3 times out really isn't that impressive.
 

Top_Cat

Request Your Custom Title Now!
In fairness PEWS, no-one in this thread is talking him up as such. It's mainly been the TV folk. Between the decisions, he batted well and most here acknowledge it as a good but quite lucky knock.
 

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