***Official Australia in India***

[silentstriker]

That's the common theory, but I think Sharma is the dark horse here that may do the damage whilst everyone is worrying about the spinners.

Possibly, and while Sharma can extract bounce, the pitches won't (hopefully) be aiding him, and he'll lose a lot after the first five minutes after the new ball. So we'll see how he does. I think Lee is the huge danger man, and I'd back Zaheer to do better than Ishant out of the Indian fast bowlers. I really think we could have won the series down under if he had been available for the last three Tests.

Of course, if either of them are doing exceedingly well, then it's a bad sign for India, because the Aussie trio will likely be doing a lot better and India can't win that battle.

 

[pasag]

I really think we could have won the series down under if he had been available for the last three Tests.

Definitely.

 

[pasag]

Too keep the hype moving along...

India can whip Australia 3-1, predicts Sehwag

 

[silentstriker]

Too keep the hype moving along...

India can whip Australia 3-1, predicts Sehwag

Hah, ****iness is funny, but then why does he concede the one loss? It doesn't make sense. Predict 4-0, or shut up . Though I am glad he is calling out the curators.

 

[pup11]

For all the talk of spinners, reckon Sharma might be the one to do serious damage for India.

Yeah the Aussie top order would do well to hit Zaheer and Sharma completely out of the game, if they are able to dominate them and not lose wickets to them, then that would exert a lot more on pressure on Kumble and Harbhajan.

 

[pup11]

Too keep the hype moving along...

India can whip Australia 3-1, predicts Sehwag

Haha, Sehwag needs to learn how to be ****y, you don't predict losing a game when you are making such predictions, could learn a thing or two about this from his Daredevils team-mate Glenn McGrath.

 

[Top_Cat]

Hah, ****iness is funny, but then why does he concede the one loss? It doesn't make sense. Predict 4-0, or shut up . Though I am glad he is calling out the curators.

Seriously pointless. The pitches might turn a bit but if they don't get dried out enough, which from reports I've suggests they won't (mostly due to the delayed monsoons), they won't be raging turners. If the weather was baking the pitches to death and the curators specifically avoided turners by watering them more, go ahead and hammer them. But in the absense of the right atmospheric conditions, it's now out of their hands.

The best they could do would be to avoid copious rolling of the dirt and prepare pitches which are uneven. But, personally, I'd not enjoy facing someone like Lee or Johnson on uneven pitches. Probably be pretty dangerous.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Opening partnership is huge. If Australia can have both your openers in when the spinners come on, it's a huge advantage. I think Hayden's prowess against spin is sometimes overstated - it's much easier to play spin when you have already faced 50 balls.

 

[pup11]

That's the common theory, but I think Sharma is the dark horse here that may do the damage whilst everyone is worrying about the spinners.

I completely agree with you on this, and someone like Ponting in particular should be alive to the kind of threat Sharma can be, Ponting' whole thinking and preparation leading into this series seems to be all about countering the spinners, whom of course without a doubt would be the biggest threat to him and all the other Aussie batsmen, but underestimating the threat of Sharma or even Zaheer for that matter would be asking for trouble.

 

[pup11]

Opening partnership is huge. If Australia can have both your openers in when the spinners come on, it's a huge advantage. I think Hayden's prowess against spin is sometimes overstated - it's much easier to play spin when you have already faced 50 balls.

Opening partnerships are vital for both the sides tbh, as you said for Australia its the matter of blunting out the pacers so that they can put extra pressure on Indian spinners, but in India' case the middle order is out of form, so if Aussies can break the opening partnership quickly, then there is a real chance for the fast-bowlers to make serious inroads into the Indian batting line.

 

[silentstriker]

The best they could do would be to avoid copious rolling of the dirt and prepare pitches which are uneven. But, personally, I'd not enjoy facing someone like Lee or Johnson on uneven pitches. Probably be pretty dangerous.

Yea, it'd be hard to face, but I still like India's chances.

 

[honestbharani]

Nope. I'd agree had he been a 25 or 26 yr old (like Yuvi), wherein he'd have had the time to play sufficient number of FC game, and more or less stabilised his average. Rohit has hardly had time to do that in his short career. However his class is apparent. And it is beyond doubt that he has grown immensely as a batsman in the last year. It's just that he's had a bad run of form recently. And with the board game, he's proved he has overcome that. And he was probably the best batsman in view.
I don't subscribe to the theory that stats be given priority in front of talent and recent form, esp in the case of youngsters.

On a side note, given Ponting's abysmal record in India, he's still touring. Why? Trust is placed on his immense talent and ability, rather than his records.

I don't mind giving him a chance but honestly, what did that innings prove what we already didn't know... We all know he is immensely talented.. It is the fact that he throws away his wicket when set, which we have seen so many times in ODIs recently, that is holding him back from a test berth. He needs to show consistency in putting up the big scores, and show that he can go on to make more than the 110s and 120s, for that is what you need at this level...


He is easily the best young batsman in the country, but I will like to see him do one more year in the Ranji, improve on these aspects and then walk into the side when the inevitable happens and 2 or 3 of the seniors are going out, around this time next year or even a few months earlier. But throw him to the wolves (Aussies) now and you may dent him forever... Let him learn some of the other skills that are so important at test level apart from talent alone.. Not everyone is good enough like Sachin to be given time to learn on the job...

 

[howardj]

Looking at the stats this morning, it's an absolute myth that Australia won with just pace last time in India. Fact is, Warne played a crucial role - he was extremely economical and also picked up his share of wickets along the way. Also, in the last Test, the only time we looked like winning was when Clarke almost bowled us to victory. Hauritz also got 3 for 16 in that final Test.

 

[Cricket_God]

Seriously pointless. The pitches might turn a bit but if they don't get dried out enough, which from reports I've suggests they won't (mostly due to the delayed monsoons), they won't be raging turners. If the weather was baking the pitches to death and the curators specifically avoided turners by watering them more, go ahead and hammer them. But in the absense of the right atmospheric conditions, it's now out of their hands.

The best they could do would be to avoid copious rolling of the dirt and prepare pitches which are uneven. But, personally, I'd not enjoy facing someone like Lee or Johnson on uneven pitches. Probably be pretty dangerous.

johnson is not dangerous for right handed batsman on any pitch,at best he is a defensive bowler angling the ball away,thats his job to bowl long spells and contain the batsman
his fc record also shows he will not run through a side or get 5 wickets he is a container at best e ven with reverse swing its basically mostly away going deliveries.

and facing a 6foot 6 fast bowler ishant on uneven tracks will be more dangerous than facing lee or johnson.,medium pacer clark

 

[Cricket_God]

Hmm, I don't think he'll be more important than Kumble and Harbhajan in India. In a place like NZ, SA or England, he'd be more useful for sure. Hayden and Ponting will look to target him, and I think they'll succeed.

he will be important in any series on any pitch ,fact is he takes the big guns e ven though
he might not end up as the higst wicket taker but surely he will scalp the important wickets.

 

[Top_Cat]

johnson is not dangerous for right handed batsman on any pitch,at best he is a defensive bowler angling the ball away,thats his job to bowl long spells and contain the batsman
his fc record also shows he will not run through a side or get 5 wickets he is a container at best e ven with reverse swing its basically mostly away going deliveries.

and facing a 6foot 6 fast bowler ishant on uneven tracks will be more dangerous than facing lee or johnson.,medium pacer clark

Have you faced someone quick on an uneven deck? My point is that preparing uneven pitches will help both sides. So if India were to instruct their groundsmen to do so, sure Sharma and the others would be tough to face but so would Lee, Johnson and Stuey Clark. Ishant is obviously a very talented bowler but Lee has form over him (over anyone, really) and on the flattest decks imaginable. Giving him any help is fraught with danger for India no matter who's in their attack.

 

[social]

For all his potential and the hype that surrounds him, people are forgetting one thing about Ishant - the guy still hasnt worked out how to take wickets at test level

To me, he looks like an early career Jason Gillespie - looks great but, on most occasions, simply bowls the wrong length to get people out

This will be an important series for him

Does he start living up to his potential or does India have a Sami on their hands

 

[bryce]

Does he start living up to his potential or does India have a Sami on their hands

Unlikely one feels, he gets very steep bounce which should keep him taking wickets

 

[Cricket_God]

Have you faced someone quick on an uneven deck? My point is that preparing uneven pitches will help both sides. So if India were to instruct their groundsmen to do so, sure Sharma and the others would be tough to face but so would Lee, Johnson and Stuey Clark. Ishant is obviously a very talented bowler but Lee has form over him (over anyone, really) and on the flattest decks imaginable. Giving him any help is fraught with danger for India no matter who's in their attack.

fact is facing ishant on une ven track will be harder as he has a high arm action and
when the ball is realesed from 7 foot ,batsman have more trouble judgeing the length of the ball and when the ball keeps low or bounces it more difficult,where as lee does not ha ve that high a release ,he may still bang the ball in at pace,but if you ha ve seen the ka npur test between india south africa the two dangerous bowlers were morne morkel ,ishant sharma,i would expect staurt clark to be more dangerous on those pitches,
also lee has always struggled in sub continent mainly in odis though,he is talking about been patient which i think is a recipe for disastor for a fast bowler,people like morkel,
shoaib were not succesful in india as they were patient but they were going for wickets,
i hope lee fires on full cylinders and does not hold back.

 

[Polo23]

I reckon Sharma has been a little overrated this early on in his career. He has a lot going for him, but I think everyone putting so much pressure on him to blow sides away is a little optimistic and unfair.

In other news, Sky (NZ) has obtained the rights to broadcast this series live