*Official* Pakistan in Australia

[silentstriker]

Oh yeah, Ponting is so arrogant, he shouldn't play those lovely pull shots.

He shouldn't at all.

 

[silentstriker]

Tendulkar put away his cover drive when it was causing him to get out, for example in his 241 in Australia, not a single cover drive. If you can put away a cover drive, you can put away the pull shot.

 

[four_or_six]

Very few have been lovely of late!

Yeah, I know. But I don't think he should give up on it now. Just keep going, don't back down, play himself back into form. I don't buy all this about him being in some kind of terminal decline.

 

[irfan]

Actually disgusted by that dropped catch.

This. So incensed over Pakistan's diabolical fielding this summer - have literally thrown away the ascendancy in this series

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Don't think arrogant is the right word to describe it.

Let's retrace the summer...
He was troubled by the pace of Roach, then hit on the arm and forced to retire hurt for the first time in his career. Since then he has been hopping around against the short ball and has thrown away his wicket twice in the last 3 innings playing the pull shot. The last time he was out first ball for a duck too. And then he comes out after an early wicket falls and goes for the ball before he's scored. Right. "Arrogance" is not the word?

Definitely some internal macho struggle going on.

 

[four_or_six]

Ooo, Mark Nicholas, cutting!

 

[silentstriker]

Commentators are right, the fielding is not exactly great.

 

[Pothas]

Going to get a century now though.

 

[four_or_six]

Don't think arrogant is the right word to describe it.

He's not been great in the run scoring department lately and the pull is his signature shot so I tend to perceive it as an attempt to hit himself back into form through a shot that in the past has scored him countless runs but has failed him recently. He probably sees the quality of his pull shot as a mark of his batting form.

awta

 

[silentstriker]

Yeah, I know. But I don't think he should give up on it now. Just keep going, don't back down, play himself back into form. I don't buy all this about him being in some kind of terminal decline.

It's not about terminal decline, it's about putting one shot away until you're back in form.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Yeah, I know. But I don't think he should give up on it now. Just keep going, don't back down, play himself back into form. I don't buy all this about him being in some kind of terminal decline.

I think you're underestimating just how lucky Ponting was to get off the mark, let alone stay at the crease this long.

 

[Top_Cat]

Tendulkar put away his cover drive when it was causing him to get out, for example in his 241 in Australia, not a single cover drive. If you can put away a cover drive, you can put away the pull shot.

Not quite the perfect example as it's not as instinctive a shot. Point taken, though.

Don't think arrogant is the right word to describe it.

He's not been great in the run scoring department lately and the pull is his signature shot so I tend to perceive it as an attempt to hit himself back into form through a shot that in the past has scored him countless runs but has failed him recently. He probably sees the quality of his pull shot as a mark of his batting form.

Yeah, I know. But I don't think he should give up on it now. Just keep going, don't back down, play himself back into form. I don't buy all this about him being in some kind of terminal decline.

Don't disagree entirely with you guys but, if you were his captain, wouldn't you be taking him aside and saying "Mate, pull your head in a bit?"

 

[Uppercut]

How about skying a pull when he's faced only a few balls? How about doing that when he's been out to the same shot multiple times this summer? Not very smart play.

He skied it down the throat of a Pakistani fielder. Easy single IMO.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Not quite the perfect example as it's not as instinctive a shot. Point taken, though.

For Tendulkar it may well be though.

 

[Top_Cat]

Let's retrace the summer...
He was troubled by the pace of Roach, then hit on the arm and forced to retire hurt for the first time in his career. Since then he has been hopping around against the short ball and has thrown away his wicket twice in the last 3 innings playing the pull shot. The last time he was out first ball for a duck too. And then he comes out after an early wicket falls and goes for the ball before he's scored. Right. "Arrogance" is not the word?

Definitely some internal macho struggle going on.

tbh, has been out on the pull quite a few times before this summer.

 

[Howsie]

Yousuf is such a horrible captain.

 

[irfan]

Not quite the perfect example as it's not as instinctive a shot. Point taken, though.





Don't disagree entirely with you guys but, if you were his captain, wouldn't you be taking him aside and saying "Mate, pull your head in a bit?"

Exactly. Much more discretion has to be used. Only if it there is to pull, then pull .

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

He skied it down the throat of a Pakistani fielder. Easy single IMO.

 

[four_or_six]

I think you're underestimating just how lucky Ponting was to get off the mark, let alone stay at the crease this long.

Not at all, he's definitely been lucky. I just feel that if he gets through to 20, he'll settle down. It's the last test of the series, worry about a technical overhaul later on.

 

[Johnners]

Haha no way is it about him trying to play himself back into form. I love Rickeh, and will defend him to my grave, but you're dreaming if you think it's about anything other than pride, and doesn't smack of arrogance. Look at his dismissals this summer, and the numerous times he's had to respond to questions relating to his ability to play the short ball in the latter stages of his career.