***Official Australia in India***

[ret]

thank god u r not an indian selector

i don't play for the gallery

 

[pup11]

when was the last time australia scored @ less than 3 runs per over in a test match

668 in 223 @ 2.95

I didn't see either team scoring at great pace, obviously the pitch had a role to play in that as it was not great wicket to score quickly on, so i guess you should take something like that into consideration before saying a thing like that, Aussies read the pitch well and they decided to bat with patience and build a solid first innings total, so if you ask me Aussies showed good adaptability on a track like this.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Do you really have to defend every statement that could be possibly construed as negative towards the Australian side?

 

[Lambu]

^ thats the thing that really pisses me off..you know they are not gods.For heaven's sake stop making up excuses and stop describing imaginary tactics when there are none actually.Aussies indeed batted way too slowly, partially due to some good bowling and partially due to defensive approach..I think in the first innings Indians with Bhajji and Zaheer doing the bulk of the scoring scored at a much fatsre rate than Aus lol..seriously though one could argue that their RR in both their innings probably cost them the match(that and their bowling wasn't upto the mark).

 

[biased indian]

I didn't see either team scoring at great pace, obviously the pitch had a role to play in that as it was not great wicket to score quickly on, so i guess you should take something like that into consideration before saying a thing like that, Aussies read the pitch well and they decided to bat with patience and build a solid first innings total, so if you ask me Aussies showed good adaptability on a track like this.

I was in no way criticizing aussies.but they had some negative style plan coming into the match. it was very visible when they where in the filed that they thought one way of getting Indians out was to dry up the boundaries but I think that plan didn’t work out perfect for them

 

[pup11]

Do you really have to defend every statement that could be possibly construed as negative towards the Australian side?

Its not only about defending the Aussies in any way, bi was taking as if this game was being played on some sort of road and still Aussies were intentionally scoring slowly, from where i see some very absorbing test cricket was on display and i don't think there was much to complain about it in the end.

 

[Lambu]

I was in no way criticizing aussies.but they had some negative style plan coming into the match. it was very visible when they where in the filed that they thought one way of getting Indians out was to dry up the boundaries but I think that plan didn’t work out perfect for them

Indeed and Zaheer even mentioned that in the post-match conferance at which Ian Chappell took slight.Because its remarkable that Aus won every single session with the exception of one maybe and still didn't quite manage to win this.This was as good a chance as they are going to get to beat at the Indians,who now have much improved bowling attack(seamers) than 4 years ago and also another important factor to consider is that indian spinners failed miserably..i mean what are the ods thats gonna happen more often here on Indian pitches?Aussies otoh didn't do much wrong apart from Lee(who in all honesty should be cranking up his pace a bit more).Clark, i have been saying will not be the same bowler in these conditions(performance in this match atleast agrees with me).Johnson although has imroved slightly in terms of control from his last series against India still has quite a way to go.He was extremely luck to get 2 of his 5 wickets in this match.Watson bowled well with the old ball.And we all know about their spinners..So overall i would say that that Indian seamers outperformed the Aussie counetrparts(you don't get that often!),and it was no luck either.They seem to be better at moving the ball in the air,although a few yards slower.Also,there have been a lot of hue and cry over how Indian middle order is done and dusted..but the fact is,apart from Dravid who has waned dramatically over the last few years,i don't think people are justified in this assessment,well atleast not until not every team has a Mendis up their sleeve.So i think things are only going to get tougher for the aussies(and for the indians,but relatively to a lesser extent) from this point onwards.They might possibly regret not having batted a bit quicker.

 

[Johnners]

Its not only about defending the Aussies in any way, bi was taking as if this game was being played on some sort of road and still Aussies were intentionally scoring slowly, from where i see some very absorbing test cricket was on display and i don't think there was much to complain about it in the end.

Sooooo basically, yes?

 

[pup11]

Zaheer takes a dig at the Aussies.

 

[biased indian]

Its not only about defending the Aussies in any way, bi was taking as if this game was being played on some sort of road and still Aussies were intentionally scoring slowly, from where i see some very absorbing test cricket was on display and i don't think there was much to complain about it in the end.

Not for arguing but pup whats your take on them scoring 250 odd in the first day loosing only 4 wicktes and that to the fourth one on the last over of the day....surely the first day pitch was not that bad for batting may be was assiting bowlers for the first 20 overs at the max

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

It wasn't so long ago that 250 in a day was considered extremely good. The only reason it isn't anymore is arguably because of this Australian side.

 

[Prince EWS]

Not for arguing but pup whats your take on them scoring 250 odd in the first day loosing only 4 wicktes and that to the fourth one on the last over of the day....surely the first day pitch was not that bad for batting may be was assiting bowlers for the first 20 overs at the max

Was not easy to score on. Wasn't overly threatening as such but it wasn't easy to play shots on at all.

I don't think either team was too defensive as such with the bat; Australia went in a bowler short and Kumble was a basically a non-entity in the first innings and literally one in the second. We also saw some good batting and a pitch that held together late in the match better than expected so overall I think the match "deserved" to be a draw. I actually think Australia would have lost the game if they tried to be more aggressive early on TBH - the way Ponting, Hussey and Katich got themselves set early on is what got them to where they were and going too hard on that wicket would have resulted in their wickets IMO.

I agree that Ponting was a little defensive with his field placings but Australia have used these tactics in India before (admittedly with very different bowlers) to good effect so I can see the logic.

 

[Lambu]

Zaheer hit the nail right on the head..i don't think that stratergy is going to work anymore.I mean Ponting was literally,i mean literally,following the ball with his field placings.I am aware they tased huge amount of sucess with this stratergy in 2004, but i also think that Indians have improved their gameplay over the years.So i don't think this will work this time around.

 

[pup11]

Not for arguing but pup whats your take on them scoring 250 odd in the first day loosing only 4 wicktes and that to the fourth one on the last over of the day....surely the first day pitch was not that bad for batting may be was assiting bowlers for the first 20 overs at the max

I think it was pretty clear from the way the Aussies batted in the first innings that they wanted to make sure that do make the most advantage of winning the toss and build a substantial 1st innings total even if that meant grafting around for that, rather than losing wickets playing expansive shots on a slowish track where storkeplay wasn't easy right from the word go, just in order to show the world how aggressive a team they are, it's about taking a horses for courses approach more than anything else.

Now since they haven't been able to get a result in their favour, their pain naturally would be criticised, but its only Harbhajan and Zaheer' partnership that blunted the Aussie advantage to a big extent, so the Aussie bowlers let the team down during that period big time, and if that hadn't happened the Aussies would have had a lot more time to dismiss the Indian team, and nobody would have been taking about Australia's cautious approach with the bat.

 

[Woodster]

One aspect regarding Ponting's alleged defensive mindset, was first up, with Lee swinging the ball appreciably away from Sehwag early on, Ponting begun with only a single slip ? He has his premier bowler on and one slip, yet has a man sweeping on the off-side. Within two balls Sehwag had edged to Haddin (which may well have been taken the second slip via Haddin's deflection) then edged to Hayden at first slip. It didn't cost Australia, but I found it very un-Aussie like.

 

[Top_Cat]

Zaheer hit the nail right on the head..i don't think that stratergy is going to work anymore.I mean Ponting was literally,i mean literally,following the ball with his field placings.I am aware they tased huge amount of sucess with this stratergy in 2004, but i also think that Indians have improved their gameplay over the years.So i don't think this will work this time around.

It did, though. Indian's top-order was, in this match, pretty ordinary. The Aussie back-up bowling was where they fell down, being unable to stop Harbhajan and Zaheer from getting 50's (without which, India would have struggled to get much past 250 in their first innings) and letting the top-order off the hook in the 2nd dig.

 

[Woodster]

Yes none of India's top order was able to go on and make a real impression in the game. That partnership between Harbhajan and Zaheer will be the most disappointing aspect for Australia. So good in the past at ceasing the initiative and sensing the kill, this was a big part of the game where they could have done so, but they let them off.

 

[Lambu]

It did, though. Indian's top-order was, in this match, pretty ordinary. The Aussie back-up bowling was where they fell down, being unable to stop Harbhajan and Zaheer from getting 50's (without which, India would have struggled to get much past 250 in their first innings) and letting the top-order off the hook in the 2nd dig.

I disagree..i don't think their stratergies had anything to do with the first innings top order collapse..they were really down to poor shot selection(specifically MJ's wickets of Sehwag and Sachin).Anyway i'm confidant that all the Indian batsmen are aware of what Aussies are trying to do and if the second innings is anything to go by,things could get a lot tougher for them.India look really determined..the fact that they haven't lost this first test will boost them.we all know Indians have always been late starters but things certainly changed for the better from 4th day onwards..their attittude on the 4th morning was refreshing and gives me hope for the rest of the series.

 

[ret]

the fact that Bhajji and Zak saved the day for India in the Ist inning is something that everyone can see, but one has to understand that someone or the other will stand up for a team. and just like the specialist batsmen, Bhajji and Zak are a part of the batting too

there is no such formula that says that once you got the top part of the batting order back, you have done the job and thats why you have to take 20 in a test to win the game

when you are going into a game, you have to analyze both your batting and bowling and figure out the stronger part. If it is batting then you have to not only get a good total but do that quickly to give time to your bowlers to get those 20 wkts and those 20 wkts includes wickets of guys like Bhajji and Zak

If you look at the OZ batting line up then you will see that it hardly has a tail and that would have given them even more reasons to push for the runs then settle for something like 250/4 on the Ist day [yes, it was a good total on the fist day in the past but this is 2008]

such things are the difference b/w a win/loss and a draw ..... I don't think Ind will complain

 

[social]

Interesting reactions from the Indian fans here considering that this was a pretty typical Indian pitch and should play to their strengths

IMO, about the only positives that India can take out of this game are the performances of their seam bowlers and the fact that they didnt lose

Unfortunately, the captain is dead man walking, batting didnt do much to disprove the theory that they're past it, keeper continues to disappoint with the bat, spinners were toothless and ground fielding was exposed more often than not

Australia can take huge confidence out of this game and know that there was basically only one team in it from around lunch on day one and that's unlikely to change unless dustbowls are ordered