*Official* Australia in India 2010

[Teja.]

2 more Tendy runs would have made the day so much sweeter for me.

 

[Matt79]

Well said, pick your 6 best batsmen 4 best bowlers and a keeper, if your batsmen don't make runs, don't blame the bowlers.

Well, in this case I think you can blame the bowlers - Ishant in particular. But not for their contribution with the bat. When the batsmen pile up 380-ish in a second innings they've done their job up to that point, and you're still behind it means the bowlers were poor when bowling.

 

[Top_Cat]

The quality of cricket hasn't been the greatest and the catching has been terrible by both sides, but yeah, you can't take your eyes off.

tbh, overall, the bowling's been excellent. That's a 500 pitch, I reckon, and the batters have still not exactly run away with their scoring. Both sides had their expensive bowlers but I reckon Zaheer, Johnson, Bollinger, Harbhajan and Ojha will feel like they sent down some good stuff.

Sehwag aside, of course, but he's not a cricketer, some sort of blurn-hitting machine.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Gonna be really interesting tomorrow. At what stage does Ponting declare?

My money's on

- a draw (50%)
- Australian win, after they get a quick 250+, declare, and put India in on the 5th day (35%)
- an Indian win, after a poor declaration from Ponting and a Sehwag blitz. (15%)

I figure India are more likely to win than Australia because there's not a great deal of time left in the Test. It's pretty difficult for Australia to pace a declaration that will give them a significant chance of winning without India having a significant chancing of winning. India showed they can score quickly without having to play rashly and they're much more adept if spin becomes a bigger factor. If Australia collapse they can't really just block out 30-40 overs for a draw because India will just score faster to compensate. If India collapse Australia may well run out of overs if there's a some lower order resistance.

 

[Rant0r]

Ishant has been pretty pedestrian for 18 months now, he's getting picked on reputation still. But it's not like there's a shortage of options in the wings, Sreesanth for one, Pathan another, RP Singh, although I think he hasn't been bowling particularly well of late, correct me if i'm wrong

 

[Spark]

If it came down to India needing 300 to win on the last day you'd back a result either way - Sehwag, Raina with Tendulkar and Dhoni in support you'd think are more than capable of ensuring they either get the runs or get bowled out (given the relative fragility of the lower order and the presence of Michael Clarke)

 

[vcs]

If it came down to India needing 300 to win on the last day you'd back a result either way - Sehwag, Raina with Tendulkar and Dhoni in support you'd think are more than capable of ensuring they either get the runs or get bowled out (given the relative fragility of the lower order and the presence of Michael Clarke)

No Laxman. He will be a big, big miss for any target in excess of 200. Unless of course he has a miracle recovery.

EDIT : If Sehwag gets going and lasts long enough, he can compensate for anyone's absence though. Sometimes I think if we had two Sehwag's for subcontinent Tests, we'd win every match. Ideally, a first innings version and a second innings version.

 

[Spark]

No Laxman. He will be a big, big miss for any target in excess of 200. Unless of course he has a miracle recovery.

True, hence why the "bowled out" scenario is definitely on the cards. I think though, given the batting order, that hunkering down for the day is not the most likely scenario.

 

[vcs]

tbh, overall, the bowling's been excellent. That's a 500 pitch, I reckon, and the batters have still not exactly run away with their scoring. Both sides had their expensive bowlers but I reckon Zaheer, Johnson, Bollinger, Harbhajan and Ojha will feel like they sent down some good stuff.

Sehwag aside, of course, but he's not a cricketer, some sort of blurn-hitting machine.

True. Hauritz and North also bowled well.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Laxman is absolutely vital if India need to chase a target to win. The innings he played in SL recently was incredible.

 

[Rant0r]

Laxman could have just had back spasms, which he may have recovered from by the time he has to bat again, but of course it depends how long he spends off the field.

 

[vcs]

True, hence why the "bowled out" scenario is definitely on the cards. I think though, given the batting order, that hunkering down for the day is not the most likely scenario.

Yeah, agree.

 

[Manee]

If Laxman doesn't field, he'll be able to bat at seven or eight?

 

[Rant0r]

The pitch is still looking like a road, no bounce and fast turn really for any of the spinners, no sideways movement. There was a bit of reverse swing though. Not to mention some uneven bounce

 

[vic_orthdox]

Think the highest that you can bat is at 7 if you spend the whole innings off the field.

 

[Rant0r]

If Laxman doesn't field, he'll be able to bat at seven or eight?

I think so, not sure of the exact ruling. It doesn't seem particularly fair if he's able to bat at 7 when he bats at 5 or 6 anyway, but I think that might be correct

 

[Manee]

Think the highest that you can bat is at 7 if you spend the whole innings off the field.

That's really not so bad. Raina and Dhoni can do five and six without much trouble.

 

[Xuhaib]

still backing India purely based on the fact Sehwag is due as he missed out by his standards in the first innings.

 

[TumTum]

still backing India purely based on the fact Sehwag is due as he missed out by his standards in the first innings.

Well by his standards he shouldn't be too much of a worry for us in the 2nd innings

 

[AlanJLegend]

Backing Australia to get into a position of a likely draw with the slight chance of winning if India collapse. Think Sehwag will be the key to India winning though, you never know when he is going to score a 100-ball 150 and turn a difficult chase into a cakewalk.