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***Official*** India in Australia 2011/12

ganeshran

International Debutant
Dan Christian over Hussey or Ponting makes no sense IMO. What value does he bring to the team?

At best he is an average bowler and a batsmen - a bits and pieces cricketer . I understand some people might want to drop Ponting because of his form, but in that case the replacement should be a specialist batsman
 

howardj

International Coach
Dan Christian over Hussey or Ponting makes no sense IMO. What value does he bring to the team?

At best he is an average bowler and a batsmen - a bits and pieces cricketer . I understand some people might want to drop Ponting because of his form, but in that case the replacement should be a specialist batsman
Ponting for the last two years has been an average bat, so I guess that gives Christian an edge :p
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
I get annoyed when Mike Hussey's name gets mentioned alongside Ponting's in articles like the one above.

Huss was awesome against England and Sri Lanka. He's had a bad run with the bat in his last 4 Test matches only and in that time he's actually contributed with the ball, which has been quite important to the team missing Watson.

He has so much to offer and I really feel as though he's wasted down at 6.
 

flibbertyjibber

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Today couldn't be anywhere near as bad as last Boxing Day for us Aussies

Black Sunday

Agree with this by the way
If it is as bad then it will be a bloody miserable one for you.

Can't see the Christian over a specialist bat discussion at all. He isn't anywhere near being one of the best 6 Aussie bats so why consider dropping a specialist just for a few overs that probably won't cause problems anyway? England made the same mistake after Botham with the likes of Capel, Ealham and Irani, none of whom were ever good enough for test cricket. Christian is the same, bits and pieces player who may be useful in ODI/T20 but leave test cricket to the specialists thanks.
 

Viscount Tom

International Debutant
I get annoyed when Mike Hussey's name gets mentioned alongside Ponting's in articles like the one above.

Huss was awesome against England and Sri Lanka. He's had a bad run with the bat in his last 4 Test matches only and in that time he's actually contributed with the ball, which has been quite important to the team missing Watson.

He has so much to offer and I really feel as though he's wasted down at 6.
Stick Ponting back at 6 and Huss at 4 perhaps?

Its not like their not familiar with the slots.
 

howardj

International Coach
If it is as bad then it will be a bloody miserable one for you.

Can't see the Christian over a specialist bat discussion at all. He isn't anywhere near being one of the best 6 Aussie bats so why consider dropping a specialist just for a few overs that probably won't cause problems anyway? England made the same mistake after Botham with the likes of Capel, Ealham and Irani, none of whom were ever good enough for test cricket. Christian is the same, bits and pieces player who may be useful in ODI/T20 but leave test cricket to the specialists thanks.
Can see your point good sir, but Christian is a temporary measure until the return of Watson. I just think with back-to-back Tests, such an inexperienced four man bowling lineup, India's experienced batting list, and with Hussey the next best bowler, Christian could have been a valuable addition in this Test. His confidence is at an all time high, and his batting this year in Shield cricket has been blue ribbon. And it's not as though, in Ponting, he'd be replacing somebody who has torn it up of late. Ponting averages 22 in his last 10 Tests.
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
Stick Ponting back at 6 and Huss at 4 perhaps?

Its not like their not familiar with the slots.
I almost suggested this, but figure the team wouldn't be happy with 4 left hand bats in a row - I don't think it's that big an issue.

Can see your point good sir, but Christian is a temporary measure until the return of Watson. I just think with back-to-back Tests, such an inexperienced four man bowling lineup, India's experienced batting list, and with Hussey the next best bowler, Christian could have been a valuable addition in this Test. His confidence is at an all time high, and his batting this year in Shield cricket has been blue ribbon. And it's not as though, in Ponting, he'd be replacing somebody who has torn it up of late. Ponting averages 22 in his last 10 Tests.
I wouldn't worry about back-to-back Tests until the First Test is finished. If you think Christian in one of the best XI players that's fine, but I wouldn't be bringing in a player to cover for tiredness until the Second Test.
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
Australia have won the Toss and have elected to bat!

I'm not surprised that we chose to bat considering what happened in Hobart when we elected to bowl first.
 

Viscount Tom

International Debutant
Clarke did the reverse-Ponting-toss-win-manoeuvre.

Might be expecting uneven bounce later on? Or he could just be a bit dopey when he actually wins a toss.
 

Top_Cat

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I'd gather Clarke reckons India's new-ball attack isn't good enough to take advantage of the conditions and I reckon he's right. That and I doubt the pitch will have too many demons.
 
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Uppercut

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Surely bowling was the option purely on the grounds that it gives Zaheer and Ishant a little while longer to break down.
 

Ruckus

International Captain
I don't really get it. First session...Indian batsmen would be at their weakest in terms of feeling comfortable, pitch is green-ish, conditions are overcast, facing someone like Pattinson in that would not be easy...best chance to roll them for a small score. Why bat?
 

Uppercut

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I'd gather Clarke reckons India's new-ball attack isn't good enough to take advantage of the conditions and I reckon he's right.
Hmm, but it's not like they're going to get any better by the end of the first innings. You're also banking on Zaheer's most recent injury having seriously reduced the quality of his bowling. Which is a possibility, but none of his 234325 previous injuries did.
 

Top_Cat

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Pitch is going to flatten right out I reckon. Be crazy to bowl first on it.

EDIT: Gunning for a good score from Cowan today. Love the guy.
 
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