***Official Australia in India***

[SirBloody Idiot]

If they were so intent on playing him in India, they had to pick him for the West Indies tour. I fail to see how Casson can fall out of favour so quickly when he wasn't that bad in the Windies.

 

[duffer]

All the bagging on here is more aimed at the selectors than at him. He patently isn't up to snuff yet and shouldn't be in this company right now. No-one's bagged the guy personally, although since you(Prince) have an attatchment to him I can see why you're a bit touchy when seeing people criticise him.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Oz pitches are generally shockers with nothing in it for anybody

Gabba, Adelaide and Hobart are absolute roads

WACA has been the worst of the lot but was a bit inconsistent in the tests last year

MCG is two paced and not great for anybody

SCG turns very very slowly

Basically, bowlers graveyards

The WACA is just as much of a road as The Gabba still IMO. Gets a bit of bounce for a session and then flattens out. Hopefully they can get it back to its best within the next couple of seasons.

The MCG is the worst wicket in the country IMO. Slow, **** for batsman, **** for bowlers, makes for ugly cricket.

 

[Prince EWS]

All quality players, PEWS just a jinx.

Haha yeah, they were all good at First Class level but basically Ramprakash'd it out. My fault there, clearly. Krejza has poor figures even at that level, although I did start "supporting" him very early in his First Class career so I guess you could say I jinxed that as well..

 

[social]

I've seen him bowl much better than this (obviously), and I've always rated him as a prospect. He hasn't done enough to be playing Tests at the moment and he still has a lot to work on (most importantly his accuracy and a ball in his armory that's a bit quicker and flatter) and in a way I think it's unfortunate for his development that he's been thrust into such a position, even if he doesn't play. He's obviously not Test standard at the moment but he's a bowler I've always expected a lot more from than what he's delivered. He has it in him to be a Test bowler IMO. Evidently he's not good enough at the moment, but I thought he was worth a pick in the squad given how ridiculously bad the other options were - it seems the selectors thought similarly. I wouldn't have him in the eleven after his performances in this match but that's what part of what tour matches are for. I'd have expected Casson to return similar if not worse figures though, FWIW.

I have somewhat personal ties to the bloke as a bowler as well - before I saw him bowl for NSW, I was a dire part-time leg spinner at social-club level. Now I'm a specialist off spinner and play about seven grades higher than I did back then. I know that's not really relevant to how good he is as such, but you asked me why I liked him and the fact that inspired me to take up off spin is part (but not all) of it. At his best he's a very attacking-minded off spinner who really looks to toss it up, bowl slowly and give it a huge rip: a rarity as a bowler in Australia. He's a really-poor-man's Ramesh Powar, basically, and I'd never really seen such a bowler before.. he made me realise that you could bowl completely conventional off spin and still be an attacking bowler.

Essentially though it's because I always backed him at state level, as a First Class bowler. Tests are beyond his skill set at the moment but I really don't like seeing him bagged repeatedly as he's one of my favourite cricketers at state level. Lots of the bagging is just, TBH, but I still don't like seeing it.

This post isn't really relevant to anything to do with the tour as such, but you asked so I thought I'd give you an answer.

If this was an old-time tour with a few fc matches to back up the tests - I'd have no problems with picking him for the experience of a tour with the test players without him ever really coming into serious consideration for the tests

Unfortunately, circumstances, the media and team management has cast him as the lead spinner and a "lock" for the first test and he really isnt good enough for that position

Hopefully, he can learn and return a better bowler in the future

BTW, we wouldnt even be having this discussion if the team management hadnt declared a fishing trip as being a capital offence

 

[TT Boy]

Why is Mike Hussey behind the stumps?

Edit- Just read about it on Cricinfo.

 

[Cevno]

Bp 11 declare.
What is the point of declaring now?
Might as well have batted throughout the day.

 

[TT Boy]

India declares after Huss lets four byes through. Poor decision for mine.

 

[R_D]

Yuvraj's such a dumb****.. why would you declare now.
Wise decision would've been to make aussie bowlers work hard throughout the day.

 

[pasag]

Someone, I think howardj, spoke earlier about how crucial winning the toss would be for us. Reckon he's spot on. If we win every toss I could see us winning the series, if we lose every toss I can see us losing four-nil.

 

[G.I.Joe]

I guess the hammering of Michael Clarke makes the case for Krejza's inclusion in the first test even more strong. I cannot see Australia entering into a test in India without a specialist spinner. Even pace reliant SA had Boje in 2000. It is a double edged sword. If Ponting went in with 4 quicks and lost a test, he'd be ridiculed far worse than if he lost with a specialist spinner included, however crap said spinner performed.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

I guess the hammering of Michael Clarke makes the case for Krejza's inclusion in the first test even more strong. I cannot see Australia entering into a test in India without a specialist spinner. Even pace reliant SA had Boje in 2000. It is a double edged sword. If Ponting went in with 4 quicks and lost a test, he'd be ridiculed far worse than if he lost with a specialist spinner included, however crap said spinner performed.

Disagree. They'd be criticised more for including Krejza on the back of such **** performances.

 

[TT Boy]

Poor shot from the Kat.

 

[social]

Double failure for Katich - as feared

OZ selectors have once more made life hard for themselves by not even giving Jaques a bat on this tour - MORONS

 

[BoyBrumby]

Bp 11 declare.
What is the point of declaring now?
Might as well have batted throughout the day.

Nah, think it's a clever move. Aussie batsmen won't know whether to stick or twist. There's no-way they can win the game and a few of them can lose their poles like Katto appears to have just done.

 

[pup11]

I don't think Katich would have a great time of it as an opener in Indian conditions, his shuffling footwork would put him in trouble in conditions like these, he would be much more comfortable batting in the middle order against the spinners, but in absensce of an opening in the middle order it would have been wise to go in with Jaques-Hayden opening pair at the beginning of the series, and Katich could have come into the playing XI in case Jaques would have failed.

 

[pup11]

What has gotten into Ponting, why is batting like a complete moron against Chawla and trying to hit him for a four of every ball.

 

[Mister Wright]

What has gotten into Ponting, why is batting like a complete moron against Chawla and trying to hit him for a four of every ball.

Trying to win the game to give his team confidence. However unlikely.

 

[howardj]

Surely Krejza can't play on Thursday.

Maybe White may get a game if he's over his jet lag.

 

[pup11]

Surely Krejza can't play on Thursday.

Maybe White may get a game if he's over his jet lag.

Tbh, i would even play a jet lagged White over Krejza, White's bowling is crap and his batting too won't set the world on fire batting as low as 8, but he is a much better choice on any given day when compared to Krejza.