***Official*** India in Australia

[roseboy64]

Imagine if VVS had become the doctor his parents wanted him to be?

Dr VVS Laxman

Itstl.

 

[NZTailender]

It's just been superb watching Laxman bat today. Some of his shots have been breathtaking.

 

[Jono]

Far out VVS loves playing in Australia.

No surprise that two of the scores above 50 by Indians have involved aggressive play in this series. You gotta attack against Australia. Unless your name is Rahul, then you just do as you like as long as you stay in.

 

[Laurrz]

If Johnson and Clarke could not do it, Shaun Tait would have canned these guys by now with Lee putting pressure from the other side. Got to have them next time.

dunno, Tait i can see getting hit everywhere

 

[duffer]

Hogg is giving Dravid agita here.

 

[SJS]

The only innings by an Indian in Australia that can be compared with this one in the incandescence of its stroke play was Laxman's own 167 in 1999 at this ground.

• He scored it out of 258 (when he got out)
• in just 198 balls
• with 27 boundaries at
• The other batsmen scored 73 runs between them
• Only Ganguly (top score of 25) amongst the top six reached double digits
• Extras were next with 21 !!

He would have been dropped and perhaps gone from Indian cricket for ever but for that innings which showcased his pedigree for the whole world !

 

[funnygirl]

Oh my god Laxman is the best batsman ever look at the way he is batting, he and Dravid are the best batting duo.

 

[pup11]

What is this rubbish Johnson bowling way outside offstump?

He has been dire and if this is the way he is gonna bowl at test level then i can't see him playing ahead of Tait.

 

[dansa]

I would say 4 full time and 5th one would be Symonds

Symonds does not want to visit Pakistan. Could try the 5th pacer that is also an all rounder.

I know for sure that AUZ and SA can train fast bowlers like Akhtar and Ishant much better than any other country in the world.

 

[pasag]

Game really depends on the weather now, if we had five full days, this really could be a very exciting Test, but any significant time lost will kill the contest and the possibility of Australia's record or India becoming the side that actively and spectacularly puts an end to it.

 

[archie mac]

The only innings by an Indian in Australia that can be compared with this one in the incandescence of its stroke play was Laxman's own 167 in 1999 at this ground.

• He scored it out of 258 (when he got out)
• in just 198 balls
• with 27 boundaries at
• The other batsmen scored 73 runs between them
• Only Ganguly (top score of 25) amongst the top six reached double digits
• Extras were next with 21 !!

He would have been dropped and perhaps gone from Indian cricket for ever but for that innings which showcased his pedigree for the whole world !

I though the earlier one the better, but this is still pretty bloody good

 

[Craig]

Not even Symonds could of saved that four.

 

[Craig]

I would give Lee a bowl now.

 

[SJS]

I though the earlier one the better, but this is still pretty bloody good

I agree entirely

 

[pup11]

dunno, Tait i can see getting hit everywhere

But he is more than likely to pick wickets too something Johnson has hardly looked like doing through the last two test matches.

 

[Craig]

Good sportsmanship from Ponting.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

What a cheat that Ponti....oh.

Try and criticise him now.

 

[duffer]

Touched the ground there.

 

[Prince EWS]

Bill Lawry officially has no idea.

"Excellent knock by Laxman but he's been hampered by Dravid."

WTF? Lawry seriously must have thought of himself as the worst player ever back in the day given the pace he scored at mostly. The fact that it's so hypocritical just makes it worse.

Am I the only one who thinks that Laxman would have loved the assurance of his team-mate digging in and not throwing it away, and allowing him to play his natural game, despite being dreadfully out of form?

Actually, I don't care what anyone says - this is what makes Dravid such a great player, for mine. All players have dips in form - only great batsmen can score runs anyway, build massive partnerships and contribute massively to their team in the middle of it while slowly working their form back up at the same time. What do you think Laxman would have done in this form, Bill? I'll tell you now, he wouldn't have been anywhere close to 47* - he'd be back in the pavillion having exposed the middle order long, long ago. The same goes for even the best strokemakers of our generation like Ponting and Lara - they're great when they're in form and they're in form more often than not, but I wouldn't be expecting 50 from them when they were out of touch.

 

[LJMJ]

...AND Dravid's luck continues. Unbelievable.