*Official* First Test at the Gabba

[Nate]

Please don't play Johnson at Adelaide.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

What is it with the Gabba this year and being remorselessly pulled whenever the chance springs up?

Lillee and Thommo would be spitting.

 

[Jono]

Up until today every day has had something in for the bowlers? How is that exaggerated

Saying that there is nothing in it for the bowlers in the subcontinent for the first four days is silly. It doesn't go from flat to a minefield in one day. Australia collapsed in India in both tests on the fourth day.

 

[Spark]

I wonder what England should do. Hang a carrot and go for the win or just bat and bat and bat?

 

[social]

Oz have really fed Cook and Trott's strengths today

It's as if they've never seen them bat before

 

[GotSpin]

And spinners usually come into play much more in the subcontinent..

Anyway, we've had this discussion loads of times and no one's probably going to change their minds on this. I don't even agree with grouping all subcontinent wickets under one general heading, wickets in SL are vastly different from those in India. If you genuinely feel the conditions in the subcontinent lead to an inherently lower/less entertaining standard of cricket, that's your prerogative. I tend to put it down to the bowlers not being good enough in those conditions.

umm. If you prepare a flat wicket, with little assistance to spinners or pacemen, most bowlers, aside from ATGs, are going to struggle. There's no two ways about it as much as I like to see batsmen drive up their averages.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Please don't play Johnson at Adelaide.

Johnson could get tattoos on his eyeballs, have his leg broken by his karate girlfriend and get grounded by his mother and still play all five Tests.

 

[Stapel]

Wow!
I just got up, to see England lead by 50 runs with 9 wickets in hand. Before this series got underway, I wasn't sure which team to support (there's nothing like being a neutral cricket fan). now that Fredddie doesn't play. And I still don't!

I also couldn't figure who would be favourites. But now I think England are. If this test will be drawn, Aus should consider themselves lucky, for not losing a couple of wickets during Anderson's new ball spell yesterday.

Or did todays first and 2nd session show equal drama?

 

[Ruckus]

I wonder what England should do. Hang a carrot and go for the win or just bat and bat and bat?

Can only see a draw from here. No chance England will declare unless they get past 300, if at all.

 

[joels344]

Johnson could get tattoos on his eyeballs, have his leg broken by his karate girlfriend and get grounded by his mother and still play all five Tests.

And still bowl like crap.

 

[GotSpin]

Saying that there is nothing in it for the bowlers in the subcontinent for the first four days is silly. It doesn't go from flat to a minefield in one day. Australia collapsed in India in both tests on the fourth day.

Although I acknowledged in another thread that reverse swing plays a big factor, batting doesn't face that many issues until the far latter stages of the match when it begins to break up.

 

[vcs]

umm. If you prepare a flat wicket, with little assistance to spinners or pacemen, most bowlers, aside from ATGs, are going to struggle. There's no two ways about it as much as I like to see batsmen drive up their averages.

pretty much sums up the direction I feel this discussion is going in for both of us. Never going to agree.

 

[tooextracool]

I would say it is a 300-350 pitch. 250 if you bat poorly, 400 if you bat well, which is about perfect.

2nd innings is bizarre though, its died, maybe a decent spinner would help

Its the same pitch, Sid has been off color, England have applied themselves. With the exception of Sid it was a very ordinary first inning bowling performance. At the end of the day, the par score on the pitch is subject to the quality of bowling you face and 260 was seriously flattering the quality of bowling from Australia in the 1st innings.

 

[Neil Pickup]

I think the only thing that's got us anywhere near a result on this track is the fact that it was a day or two underdone, soft and green when we batted first, and the top order didn't adjust to the comparative lack of pace - our first four wickets were all arguably "hard hands" dismissals. Once the pitch has bedded down/settled down/flattened out, no one bar Anderson has looked like causing regular headaches - and he got the square root of bugger all to show for it.

It's been easy-paced, the bounce has been consistent, there's been no sideways movement to speak of once the new ball's shine wore off, and the cracks have had a negligible impact - on a ground that's given result on result in Shield cricket. If Adelaide's meant to be even flatter then we could be seeing an ARG scorecard. Where are we going to get the results? What price that it's still 0-0 by New Year's?

 

[GotSpin]

pretty much sums up the direction I feel this discussion is going in for both of us. Never going to agree.

Well a bowling line up shouldn't be filled with ATGs to take 20 wickets either

 

[Ruckus]

Does anyone think we can actually win the Ashes with this attack? Can't see it happening...

 

[GIMH]

I don't see the point of us taking any risks at 0-0 tbh

 

[morgieb]

Put Katich on, dumb ****s.

 

[Prince EWS]

Put Katich on, dumb ****s.

He's been off the field. Not sure if he's back on yet or, even if he is, if he's been back on long enough to bowl.

 

[morgieb]

I don't see the point of us taking any risks at 0-0 tbh

Have more confidence in your lot bowling us out, tbh. If I was Strauss I'd declare after you get around a 200/250, probably just a gut feel as you have bowlers that can change a match.