***Official*** South Africa In Australia

[Zinzan]

... you've got Sharma, Badri, Raina coming in...

Assuming you lost an avatar challenge there lad

 

[social]

... you've got Sharma, Badri, Raina coming in...

2 questions need to be asked

a. How many can bat?

and

b. How many can bat when the ball bounces more than shin high?

Obviously the jury is still out but what I've seen the answer is zero

 

[pasag]

Assuming you lost an avatar challenge there lad

Serves me right for backing Aus

 

[Johnners]

Haha, hate how people do this. How the hell is the Indian middle order even relevant to this thread ffs.

So glad I was out playing cricket/swimming all arvo/evening that I didn't get to watch/listen to yesterdays game by the sounds of things. I don't know what Ponting/Nielsen/Selectors having been thinking this series in terms of selection/batting orders and the like. Whatever it was though, they seriously need to have a re-think the direction they're heading, as Marsh/Warner has really been the only positive about this new-look team imo (not counting the form of Ponting or Bracken, as we know what they can do already).

 

[pup11]

Serves me right for backing Aus

Jumping the ship already mate....

 

[social]

Haha, hate how people do this. How the hell is the Indian middle order even relevant to this thread ffs.

So glad I was out playing cricket/swimming all arvo/evening that I didn't get to watch/listen to yesterdays game by the sounds of things. I don't know what Ponting/Nielsen/Selectors having been thinking this series in terms of selection/batting orders and the like. Whatever it was though, they seriously need to have a re-think the direction they're heading, as Marsh/Warner has really been the only positive about this new-look team imo (not counting the form of Ponting or Bracken, as we know what they can do already).

Nothing against Warner but if Jaques (assuming he was fit) or Rogers or Hodge had produced similar figures, they'd be regarded as failures - there's been too much dispensation allowed for the fact that he 's young and inexperienced

Fact is that he's not the best candidate

 

[pup11]

Clarke and Bracken back for the final OD. Hauritz and Harris out from the squad.

Hauritz and Harris are much better off playing in the upcoming domestic games, rather than wiping the bench with their arse, good to hear both Clarke and Bracks are back, that would certainly strengthen the side, but all too late from an Aussie POV, hopefully some momentum can be gained with a win at Perth, to then go into the series against with some confidence.

 

[Zinzan]

Serves me right for backing Aus

I'd bet money that it won't be long before they're right back up there dominating cricket like they have for pretty much the last 15 years. Probably 12-18 months with the talent pool they've got there. I'm still 50/50re the Ashes later this year

 

[Mister Wright]

Can't believe Hauritz has been dropped. Deserved more than one game in the series.

 

[pup11]

Nothing against Warner but if Jaques (assuming he was fit) or Rogers or Hodge had produced similar figures, they'd be regarded as failures - there's been too much dispensation allowed for the fact that he 's young and inexperienced

Fact is that he's not the best candidate

Yeah Warner hasn't showed anything that we already didn't knew about him, the bloke can hit the cricket ball well and is a definite talent, but he hardly knows how to build an innings atm, and that is something due to his lack of experience, his dismissal yesterday was a very good example of this.

I think if they are hell-bent on not opening the batting with Hopes in ODI's then Hodge can be a decent option, atleast he would be playing for Australia that way.

 

[Pieface]

The problem is that Hopes should be our FIFTH bowling option at best

Best attack would look something like

Lee
Bracken
Johnson
Siddle
Watson/Hopes

backed up by Symonds, Clarke, maybe North etc etc

It's funny you say this I was tossing up including this on my last post...

Isn't it a little concerning the frequency in which Australian fast bowlers go out through injury lately? If it was an AFL footy club there would big questions asked about what the heck the conditioning coaches and health staff were doing if players were consistently going out with injuries.

Anyone clued up on South Africa? I know they lost Prince early but do they have any other players who would be first XI if not for injury?
The Aussies clearly had a few good options unavailable with Stuart Clarke out for the summer and Symonds and Watson out of the ODI's.

 

[social]

It's funny you say this I was tossing up including this on my last post...

Isn't it a little concerning the frequency in which Australian fast bowlers go out through injury lately? If it was an AFL footy club there would big questions asked about what the heck the conditioning coaches and health staff were doing if players were consistently going out with injuries.

Anyone clued up on South Africa? I know they lost Prince early but do they have any other players who would be first XI if not for injury?
The Aussies clearly had a few good options unavailable with Stuart Clarke out for the summer and Symonds and Watson out of the ODI's.

As I've said all too many times, IMO Oz has real problems off the pitch with management etc

 

[TT Boy]

Hauritz and Harris are much better off playing in the upcoming domestic games, rather than wiping the bench with their arse, good to hear both Clarke and Bracks are back, that would certainly strengthen the side, but all too late from an Aussie POV, hopefully some momentum can be gained with a win at Perth, to then go into the series against with some confidence.

Apparently Bracken could have played yesterday. Injury was a mere niggle, the same niggles that most seamers just play through (Dale Steyn played through the test series with a hamstring). Seems pretty bizarre for even with a slight problem, Bracken you take over ****house anyday of the week.

 

[TT Boy]

It's funny you say this I was tossing up including this on my last post...

Isn't it a little concerning the frequency in which Australian fast bowlers go out through injury lately? If it was an AFL footy club there would big questions asked about what the heck the conditioning coaches and health staff were doing if players were consistently going out with injuries.

Anyone clued up on South Africa? I know they lost Prince early but do they have any other players who would be first XI if not for injury?
The Aussies clearly had a few good options unavailable with Stuart Clarke out for the summer and Symonds and Watson out of the ODI's.

Prince doesn't play ODI cricket anymore. The only player missing is Captain Smith and Boucher of course but his absence has strengthened the side if anything.

 

[Uppercut]

Prince doesn't play ODI cricket anymore. The only player missing is Captain Smith and Boucher of course but his absence has strengthened the side if anything.

Yeah, funny how you love to have Boucher around but when he's out injured the team improved.

 

[Johnners]

Nothing against Warner but if Jaques (assuming he was fit) or Rogers or Hodge had produced similar figures, they'd be regarded as failures - there's been too much dispensation allowed for the fact that he 's young and inexperienced

Fact is that he's not the best candidate

I don't disagree actually. However, the fact that he showed a bit of what he's capable of at only 22, whilst some vastly more experienced players down the order have struggled to hit the ball off the square, counts as a positive for mine.

 

[biased indian]

Dont get too ****y - last time I looked your middle order had already qualified for the pension and once they've gone ............................

don't want to debate,,,, but please do have a look at our middle order in next game .....don't remember seeing and old heads there ..only guy who is up for pension was sachin and he is opening

 

[Precambrian]

Dont get too ****y - last time I looked your middle order had already qualified for the pension and once they've gone ............................

... you've got Sharma, Badri, Raina coming in...

Excellent. Social getting jealous... FLASH NEWS!

Anyone among them can do a better job than what Dravid's been doing over two years now. The only cog which is irreplaceable is Sachin Tendulkar. Hopefully he won't retire before 2011.

 

[Precambrian]

2 questions need to be asked

a. How many can bat?

and

b. How many can bat when the ball bounces more than shin high?

Obviously the jury is still out but what I've seen the answer is zero

You'll need to use your arms above shoulders while batting in the subcontinent only to

a. Leave the ball
b. Acknowledge the crowd's cheers.

Since Indians play atleast 60-70% of their test cricket in the subcontinent, their inability to play bowling above the eyeline would not hurt their figures more than what Indian performances did for Ponting's career.

 

[Uppercut]

You'll need to use your arms above shoulders while batting in the subcontinent only to

a. Leave the ball
b. Acknowledge the crowd's cheers.

Since Indians play atleast 60-70% of their test cricket in the subcontinent, their inability to play bowling above the eyeline would not hurt their figures more than what Indian performances did for Ponting's career.

But India have pretty much always been awesome at home, it's the away form that they need to polish up on if they want to be considered the best side in the world.