***Official Australia in India***

[duffer]

As much as I dislike the guy, I feel bad seeing Symonds mong away all the hard work he did to establish himself as our Test number 6. If Watson can maintain these standards as well as stay healthy it'll be really hard for him to get back in.

 

[Julian87]

LOL, Symonds did SFA hard work for the number 6.

 

[duffer]

Meh, he did enough domestically and played some great(albeit with luck) knocks once he got his spot. Also chipped in with a few wickets here and there. Deserved his spot.

 

[pasag]

hopefully, this will probably be India's worst batting performance in the series and if OZ couldn't close them here then it's highly unlikely that they will in the other games

the positive is that of the top 6, only one got a 50 in the game, so I am hoping that things would improve whether it be by the current players playing well or new ones coming in

and if better spinners come in to the side then the OZ batting will struggle more

the test was competitive mainly because its was best of OZ vs worst of India, the moment it becomes a contest b/w best of both teams, there would be one winner, i.e. Ind

Firstly, there's no indiciation that the Indians will suddenly step up. For all we know they'll be just as mediocre as they were for this Test, for the most part. Secondly, LOL at the best of Aus. Lee and Clark our two best bowlers underperformed and Hayden and Clarke two of our best batsmen in the conditions didn't get any runs so it's hardly the best of Aus now is it?

Frankly the notion that this was Australia's only chance to win a game in the series is absurd especially after what we've seen from this Australian side over the past five days.

 

[duffer]

Firstly, there's no indiciation that the Indians will suddenly step up. For all we know they'll be just as mediocre as they were for this Test, for the most part. Secondly, LOL at the best of Aus. Lee and Clark our two best bowlers underperformed and Hayden and Clarke two of our best batsmen in the conditions didn't get any runs so it's hardly the best of Aus now is it?

Frankly the notion that this was Australia's only chance to win a game in the series is absurd especially after what we've seen from this Australian side over the past five days.

That said I do believe India is the team which has the more improvement left in them seeing as our two spinners and our entire batting for the most part underperformed. Whether the players do get their heads into it and step up is yet to be seen.

As said before the toss will dictate the direction of the match more than anything for mine.

 

[Top_Cat]

Firstly, there's no indiciation that the Indians will suddenly step up. For all we know they'll be just as mediocre as they were for this Test, for the most part. Secondly, LOL at the best of Aus. Lee and Clark our two best bowlers underperformed and Hayden and Clarke two of our best batsmen in the conditions didn't get any runs so it's hardly the best of Aus now is it?

Frankly the notion that this was Australia's only chance to win a game in the series is absurd especially after what we've seen from this Australian side over the past five days.

Mate, ignore it. This is stereotypical Indian fan behaviour; hype what the players 'will' do after a poor first Test then, when the trend continues, claim you knew what was going to happen all along. Posters like Duffer excluded, obv. Surely I'm not the only guy on this forum to remember the Terraces of early CW.net?

Like I said, the Indian batsmen have some improvement left in them, sure. But so do the Aussie bowlers, as you said.

As for Symonds, if fit, he should be in the side. If that means dropping Watson, sucks for him but plenty of good players have been dropped over the years, he'd be back no doubt. He was Aus's best batsman last year by some margin (Haydos excluded but Symonds at least played every Test).

 

[Sanz]

No it isn't.

Must say though I had a quiet chuckle when both Sehwag and Tendulkar stood there and waited for the finger to go up after hitting the ball to slip and cover respectively, after what Clarke (rightfully) copped for the same thing in Sydney.

Same thing ?? Here it is Clark in Sydney :-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reNqR0YemZg&feature=related

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

If they were going to drop anyone for Symonds it'd be White surely.

 

[adharcric]

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/indvaus2008/content/current/story/373830.html

Zaheer needs to shut his trap hole. Actions speak louder than words - win the series, then you can talk. Don't just fire people up randomly.

Why? As long as he performs, and so far he has, Zaheer can talk as much **** as he wants to. Your criticism of Sreesanth in this regard was somewhat valid because he was all talk at some points but I don't understand this - if it fires him up, helps him perform and gets under the skins of the Aussies, he should keep at it.

 

[silentstriker]

Why? As long as he performs, and so far he has, Zaheer can talk as much **** as he wants to. Your criticism of Sreesanth in this regard was somewhat valid because he was all talk at some points but I don't understand this - if it fires him up, helps him perform and gets under the skins of the Aussies, he should keep at it.

My new motto is to shut the hell up. Sometimes its funny, but there is way too much drama these days.

 

[Sanz]

Firstly, there's no indiciation that the Indians will suddenly step up. For all we know they'll be just as mediocre as they were for this Test, for the most part. Secondly, LOL at the best of Aus. Lee and Clark our two best bowlers underperformed and Hayden and Clarke two of our best batsmen in the conditions didn't get any runs so it's hardly the best of Aus now is it?

Frankly the notion that this was Australia's only chance to win a game in the series is absurd especially after what we've seen from this Australian side over the past five days.

Now, I dont dispute that Indian batting was mediocre but it is a stretch to say that they will be as mediocre as they were during the first test. If the other guy is overstating India's chances you are understating it by pretty much same margin. Lee and Clarke your best bowlers under-performed, fine, but India's in form batsman Sehwag underperformed too, so did Gambhir. Tendulkar looked good for most part before getting out., Laxman in the second inning was the one saved the game.

I dont know if this test was Australia's best chance to win, hard to tell, in an India-Aus series, but they should have won the test, considering how mediocre Indian batting was and not to forget the fact Aus weren't batting last and Kumble was half fit. Australia didn't win this test because of some mediocre captaincy, mediocre bowling. Not to forget the inexcusable 72 free runs in forms extras. The positive for Australia in this test was Hussey, Ponting and Johnson. The positive for India was Zaheer and Ishant.

So yeah overall Australia were marginally better, despite winning most sessions in the test.

 

[silentstriker]

hopefully, this will probably be India's worst batting performance in the series and if OZ couldn't close them here then it's highly unlikely that they will in the other games

the positive is that of the top 6, only one got a 50 in the game, so I am hoping that things would improve whether it be by the current players playing well or new ones coming in

and if better spinners come in to the side then the OZ batting will struggle more

the test was competitive mainly because its was best of OZ vs worst of India, the moment it becomes a contest b/w best of both teams, there would be one winner, i.e. Ind

Best of Oz? Are you serious? Seriously, open that second eye up.

It wasn't close to India's worst, we had some real good positives, especially our tail batting, our sensible second innings batting and good solid fast bowlers performances. Our main negatives were Kumble and first innings batting. Overall, a mediocre performance, but its several magnitudes away from 'our worst'.

And Hayden is India-killer, you can't say it was the best of Oz when he scores 0 & 13. When he gets going, he will destroy India. And I'm not even talking about Lee - out of all the players, he has the biggest upside here (and he didn't even bowl badly), especially against the walking wicket that is going to be Gambhir all series.

 

[Top_Cat]

Why? As long as he performs, and so far he has, Zaheer can talk as much **** as he wants to. Your criticism of Sreesanth in this regard was somewhat valid because he was all talk at some points but I don't understand this - if it fires him up, helps him perform and gets under the skins of the Aussies, he should keep at it.

Have to pick your targets, though. He's trying to play Australia at the aggressive game they invented and will do nothing other than fire them up to do better. Guys like Sourav Ganguly and Ranatunga were great at getting under the skin of the Aussies because they didn't play the same game the Aussies do. Basically, Aussies get fired up by aggression but get annoyed (and distracted) by 'cheek'.

 

[duffer]

Have to pick your targets, though. He's trying to play Australia at the aggressive game they invented and will do nothing other than fire them up to do better. Guys like Sourav Ganguly and Ranatunga were great at getting under the skin of the Aussies because they didn't play the same game the Aussies do. Basically, Aussies get fired up by aggression but get annoyed (and distracted) by 'cheek'.

Where would you put Harbhajan though? Because his brand of attack isn't exactly cheeky yet it did visibly grate and distract a lot of the Aussies.

 

[ret]

Mate, ignore it. This is stereotypical Indian fan behaviour; hype what the players 'will' do after a poor first Test then, when the trend continues, claim you knew what was going to happen all along. Posters like Duffer excluded, obv. Surely I'm not the only guy on this forum to remember the Terraces of early CW.net?

Like I said, the Indian batsmen have some improvement left in them, sure. But so do the Aussie bowlers, as you said.

As for Symonds, if fit, he should be in the side. If that means dropping Watson, sucks for him but plenty of good players have been dropped over the years, he'd be back no doubt. He was Aus's best batsman last year by some margin (Haydos excluded but Symonds at least played every Test).

and whats the typical Australian fan behavior? .... There is always a plan to everything, if the plans don't work then its probably coz of some unexpected play by the opposition, the unexpected play is will not happen again so the plans will work

so whats going to happen next is the OZ quick bowlers will fire on pitches that probably will not favor them, Ponting's luck would continue both with the toss and the bat, the batting will do well in the 4th inning on a crumbling pitch .... and Indians will continue to play badly *cough cough*

 

[silentstriker]

All right guys, please don't generalize. This thread doesn't need to go down that route. Attack the specific poster's words, not a whole segment.

 

[adharcric]

My new motto is to shut the hell up. Sometimes its funny, but there is way too much drama these days.

The majority of players do it for tactical reasons or to fire up themselves or their team - nothing wrong with that. Yes, the ones who do it for drama need to shut the hell up.

 

[Sanz]

And Hayden is India-killer, you can't say it was the best of Oz when he scores 0 & 13. When he gets going, he will destroy India. And I'm not even talking about Lee - out of all the players, he has the biggest upside here (and he didn't even bowl badly), especially against the walking wicket that is going to be Gambhir all series.

Hayden's failure was more than compensated by Ricky's batting. Let's not forget what happens when Sehwag gets going. And your take on Gambhir is equally one-eyed, hope you are not suggesting that Akash Chopra should be in there in Gambhir's place.

Lee didn't do well but his failure was more than compensated by Mitch.

 

[pasag]

Now, I dont dispute that Indian batting was mediocre but it is a stretch to say that they will be as mediocre as they were during the first test. If the other guy is overstating India's chances you are understating it by pretty much same margin. Lee and Clarke your best bowlers under-performed, fine, but India's in form batsman Sehwag underperformed too, so did Gambhir. Tendulkar looked good for most part before getting out., Laxman in the second inning was the one saved the game.

Yeah I don't disagree with that at all, it's more the notion that the ok now the party is over say goodbye to Australia which furthermore as I said works both ways with four key Aussies underperforming.

 

[adharcric]

Have to pick your targets, though. He's trying to play Australia at the aggressive game they invented and will do nothing other than fire them up to do better. Guys like Sourav Ganguly and Ranatunga were great at getting under the skin of the Aussies because they didn't play the same game the Aussies do. Basically, Aussies get fired up by aggression but get annoyed (and distracted) by 'cheek'.

Perhaps there's a fine line between cheeky and aggressive. Either way, the aggressive game seems to help Zaheer and Harbhajan so the fired up Aussies may go harder at them but these two may just perform better as well. I'm sure everyone's motivated enough in an India-Australia series even without all the talk.