*Official* Australia in India 2010

[Spark]

It's not that Hopes needs to be protected. It's that Australia can't afford to roll the dice as much, we have to have a different philosophy to our batting than what we did with Hussey batting @ 7.

Indeed. Compare the current batting lineup with this one, with (the still brilliant, as one can see from the scorecard) Clarke at 6 and Hussey at 7.

On the earlier debate, it's interesting to note that that particular innings (54 off 28) contained only 6 fours. Something to ponder...

 

[Furball]

Clarke used to be one of the best in the business at eliminating dot balls and rotating the strike.

 

[Jono]

Exactly my point tbh. He was decent at hitting the boundary and clearing the rope, but he was never Symonds. So to suddenly expect that from him is harsh.

But he from 04-07 he was brilliant at rotating the strike and keeping the scoreboard ticking. Which is why he should rightfully be criticised, or at the very least concerns should be raised, when he doesn't do it now.

 

[Spark]

Clarke used to be one of the best in the business at eliminating dot balls and rotating the strike.

Well I'm holding out hope for the last six matches indicates a timely revival. Striking at over 80...

And the return of the midwicket slog.

Jono, it's a fair point to make. He started way too slowly. He looked better and better as the innings progressed and he found form, but he needs to do it from ball one.

EDIT: Unfair to leave out 03, tbh, he averaged 100+ then

I think the opening call could be a good one though. It's easier to hit through the covers and point which, let's face it, is his zone, during the first 10 overs than the last 10.

 

[Jono]

Yeah was supposed to include the year he debuted, I was not sure whether it was 03 or 04. Anyway, his first 5 years were awesome. Used to really like him.

Then he became a douche and batted like a douche.

 

[Spark]

Yeah was supposed to include the year he debuted, I was not sure whether it was 03 or 04. Anyway, his first 5 years were awesome. Used to really like him.

Then he became a douche and batted like a douche.

Haha, prefer watching him now than when he first came around tbh. Looks a lot more tighter and a lot more composed at the crease. Cover drive is probably my favourite to watch tbh - not a fan of some of his lazy carves, I gotta say though.

Slowness in ODIs has been an exercise in mild frustration though. Generally speaking not been overly exacerbated by the fact that either side of him was usually Ponting and Hussey who have been supreme.

 

[Jono]

Sorry was referring to pyjama cricket mainly.

Still don't mind watching Clarke in tests.

 

[Spark]

Sorry was referring to pyjama cricket mainly.

Still don't mind watching Clarke in tests.

Haha, fair enough. Aside from two innings I don't think anyone supporting Australia, and even those who aren't, have enjoyed a Clarke T20 knock in a long, long time. And in ODIs...

year 2008 18 18 3 471 79 31.40 755 SR 62.38
year 2009 23 23 3 868 100* 43.40 1249 SR 69.49

Yeah.

 

[Avada Kedavra]

Clarke reminds me a lot of a young Dravid-gun test player but considered a tad slow for odi.Imo,Clarke is a GOOD odi batsman.Odi is not t20,the domain of the sloggers.His innings last night was good one,very good even considering the predicament aus were in.To even think that white could have played like that had he come in at 20-3 is plain wrong.White came in 37th over and had the lion's share of the strike.Can't fault clarke.That aus bowling even against a depleted ind line up was always going to struggle in ind conditions.

 

[iamdavid]

When i first saw Starc today for a moment i thought it was Johnson bowling. haha.

Great, just what we need...Another bloody Mitch to come in and have one awesome test series per year then be a passenger the rest of the time

 

[Spark]

Michael Clarke's six-month marathon | Herald Sun

Christ almighty. Please don't let this flare his back up.

 

[Shri]

Clarke lost about 15 kilos after the 2008 Ind tour didn't he? Could it have affected his power hittin in any way?

 

[GotSpin]

Yeah Warney needs to get Clarke on a diet

 

[vic_orthdox]

Clarke lost about 15 kilos after the 2008 Ind tour didn't he? Could it have affected his power hittin in any way?

I think I remember something about him being ill, but I'd be surprised if he'd lost that much. You'd expect that he'd put most of that weight back on over the subsequent six months; couldn't really see it having a long term effect.

 

[Shri]

Look at the difference:

2007

2010

Needs to put on weight.

 

[Jono]

Clarke's 2009 strike rate was (marginally) better than his 2008 one, so I doubt it's the reason. That Indian series happened late in 2008 (October/November), whereas Clarke's problems became evidence in late 2007/early 2008.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Right, so he shaved his head?

 

[aussie]

Exactly my point tbh. He was decent at hitting the boundary and clearing the rope, but he was never Symonds. So to suddenly expect that from him is harsh.

But he from 04-07 he was brilliant at rotating the strike and keeping the scoreboard ticking. Which is why he should rightfully be criticised, or at the very least concerns should be raised, when he doesn't do it now.

The changed happened in his ODI game, after he was dropped from the test side & was recalled in Ashes 06/07. That style of play vanished & he has been struggling to replicate it ever since in ODIs.

 

[robelinda]

The changed happened in his ODI game, after he was dropped from the test side & was recalled in Ashes 06/07. That style of play vanished & he has been struggling to replicate it ever since in ODIs.

Yep exactly. Though even in the 07 WC he finished off some matches superbly with great hitting. After that, it all went downhill.

 

[Burgey]

Hussey and Dougeh on the way home apparently. Squad now down to 12 I think.

Dougeh.