*Official* First Test at the Gabba

[biased indian]

Australia: 1 good bowling performance. 2 good batting performances.
England: 0 good bowling performances. 1 very good batting performance.

Australia: 1 good bowling performance. 2 good batting performances.
England: 0.5 good bowling performances. 3 good batting performance.

Read it all individual ...

don't think as a team both team would take very much out of this test match out of ten will give it 5.5 - 4-5 in favor of England

 

[GIMH]

Is there a presntation soon?

 

[Blaze 18]

I wonder which side will be the happier of the two.

 

[hazsa19]

I wonder which side will be the happier of the two.

England were 220 runs behind in the 1st innings, staring at defeat, looked shaky that evening. Ane we already have the Ashes.

We're definitely happier.

 

[Burgey]

I wonder which side will be the happier of the two.

It's always interesting to ponder that isn't it? Though I tend to think it has bugger all bearing on what comes next - Cardiff last year a good example.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Cook's knock was better than Hussey's, mate. (Although there is only a little in it.)

Disagree...with possible bias.

Hussey faced better bowlers. At the end of the day though, both batted well.

 

[Son Of Coco]

swann's looked so ineffective, i'm very pleased to be going to adelaide level, it almost feels like a win.

But this series is looking like it could be decided by who can collapse less.

Pretty much the same as last series then. I agree pretty much. That and who can bowl the most consistently over a 5-day period. That's 5 days over one match by the way, not 5 days in total over the whole series. Although the latter would probably do the job too at the moment.

 

[Blaze 18]

England were 220 runs behind in the 1st innings, staring at defeat, looked shaky that evening. Ane we already have the Ashes.

We're definitely happier.

It's always interesting to ponder that isn't it? Though I tend to think it has bugger all bearing on what comes next - Cardiff last year a good example.

I agree with both these posts. I reckon England are the happier side at this point in time, but it is unlikely to have any bearing on the next match.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Just watching the day's highlights. Some random thoughts:

- Cook and Trott both edged quite a lot early doors, I know three or four slips is a big call when the oppo is 300+/1, but given wickets were the order of the day...

- Clarke's drop was Lolsville, but again, why put a properly good cover fielder with a bad back as your only slip? Strange.

- Ponting definitely caught it IMHO, but his reaction when it wasn't given was pretty poor form.

- Crying shame Colly dropped Twatto. Another wicket would've been a filip for a chap who's probably going to have to bowl several thousand overs next test.

- Johnson's just gone. To keep him in the team would be beyond counter-intuitive and into ********.

 

[Goughy]

- Johnson's just gone. To keep him in the team would be beyond counter-intuitive and into ********.

Its a strange one. Ive never been a big fan of his but Ive also never been a fan of dropping a player after 1 Test in a series (unless they are a replacement for an injured player.) If he was one of the 4 best bowlers in the mind of the selectors coming into the game then 1 bad game shouldnt change that. To do so would be very reactionary. Saying that, he was very ordinary.

I expected him to respond to the criticism and come hard this morning to prove the naysayers wrong. Top quality athletes have their "I told you so moments" ala Coe in the 84 Olympics. Johnson had an "I proved you right" moment.

I guess what I am trying to say is that to drop him would send the wrong message and Id give him the 2nd Test but Id understand if he was dropped.

 

[GIMH]

I'm told Cook got MOTM. Harsh on Siddle but I'm pleased for Cook.

Scored more runs in this Test, and in fact in the second innings, than he managed in the 2009 series.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I agree with both these posts. I reckon England are the happier side at this point in time, but it is unlikely to have any bearing on the next match.

The only bearing it has is if Cook gets to 30* on day 1 at Adelaide and the Aussies start thinking 'Here we go again.'It shouldn't get in their heads that quick though,not this early in a series.

 

[GotSpin]

Somewhat of a good thing that our bowling got punished and it's cost us nothing really. It's like getting lessons for free. If somehow England only got 400 AO or something Johnson would continued to be carried throughout the series.

 

[Ruckus]

I'm told Cook got MOTM. Harsh on Siddle but I'm pleased for Cook.

Fair enough really. Siddle was very good in the first innings, but pretty ordinary in the second. Cook on the other hand bolstered the innings both times, and scored a double.

 

[Howe_zat]

I'm told Cook got MOTM. Harsh on Siddle but I'm pleased for Cook.

Scored more runs in this Test, and in fact in the second innings, than he managed in the 2009 series.

Also more than he got in the 2006/7 series. His 235* means that he now averages over 40 against Australia, and so averages over 40 against all opponents except New Zealand, the only side he also doesn't have a hundred against.

He now has 15 centuries, which is only bettered as a 25-year old by Sachin Tendulkar (19) and Don Bradman (15). Only Tendulkar has scored more runs before his 26th birthday. Cook's is on Christmas day.

</statsvomit>

 

[GIMH]

Averaging 45 now as well. Not too shabby.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Also more than he got in the 2006/7 series. His 235* means that he now averages over 40 against Australia, and so averages over 40 against all opponents except New Zealand, the only side he also doesn't have a hundred against.

He now has 15 centuries, which is only bettered as a 25-year old by Sachin Tendulkar (19) and Don Bradman (15). Only Tendulkar has scored more runs before his 26th birthday. Cook's is on Christmas day.

Imagine the records he will set for England by the end of his career.

Not bad for the supposed weak link to have 15 tons before his 26th birthday.

 

[GIMH]

The record is 22, right?

Can see Cook, Strauss & Pietersen all passing that in the next 18 months tbh

 

[Howe_zat]

The record is 22, right?

Can see Cook, Strauss & Pietersen all passing that in the next 18 months tbh

All of them have a good chance. I'd stretch that to 2-3 years for all of them though. Given that Cook has 5 centuries in the last year, another 8 may not be too far off.

Another less likely candidate for breaking the 22 is Ian Bell, who currently has 11 as a 28-year old.

 

[andyc]

Nope. Almost all the English boys threw their wickets away. Johnson was ordinary, Hilfenhouse average, and a random tweaker thrown in.

Anderson bowled one of the finest spells i've seen in a while, Broad bowled well, Finn ok, Swann poor. Apart from afternoon on day 3 they had control, but the aussies played really well and that's why they got their lead (bit of luck).

Sorry but AFAIC, if you bowl out a team for 200 less than the opposition in the first innings, you've bowled better than them. In the scheme of things it doesn't really matter how well Anderson bowled, because he still took 0 wickets, and you can't win games taking no wickets, as the Aussies found out vs. Cook and co.