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

[Black_Warrior]

I've gone from being dissapointed to simply demoralized. I can handle losing by an innings, but I'm a little ashamed that in this age of professionalism, a Test team can just give up like this.

India need an 'Allan Border moment'. Make it a requirement that you need to be a good fielder to make into the Test side. If you stop running and diving at the end of the day, or because you're down 400 runs, you won't be selected. If you don't keep yourself fit by working out and eating right - you will be dropped, whether you're Sehwag or Rohit Sharma or Zaheer Khan. The replacement might be worse but you can't have people coasting by thinking they're too valuable to drop and they don't have to care about working out or eating right. You may lose more in the short term but it'll send a message all through the levels about what they need to do to earn the Test cap. The body language was depressing - it was the 90s all over again and while I don't think it'll ever get that bad, it's pretty pathetic to see. Makes me embarrassed to call myself a fan of this team. I don't know why Indians keep watching - I am not sure why I do. It's a culture change that's needed.

People who read my posts know that I don't usually get very upset with losses - dissapointed surely but not demoralized. I'm used to dissapointing and they're part of the game. I can accept a bad team and I can accept a team that's always an underdog, but in 2012, I shouldn't have to accept a lazy team. You can't control whether you have the ability to bat like Bradman, but you sure as hell control how many cheeseburgers you stuff down your fat disgusting throat. You can't control when you break your arm, but you sure as hell can control your ability to take those quick singles after being out in the field for 50 overs.

Greg Chappell tried to do something similar to what you are talking about. We all know how that ended.

 

[Ruckus]

I'm convinced Ricky Ponting's technical issues are improving like I thought they would itbt.

Were definately good signs there, but in hindsight it was one the flattest pitches he would have batted on in a long while and against really pretty poor bowling. A true gauge of his improvement is yet to come, one feels...

 

[Spark]

He couldn't get above 40 in SL where you could often say the same thing.

A Test match hundred is a Test match hundred, and at a minimum it should free up his mind.

 

[Daemon]

Wonder how much of a difference Kirsten made.

 

[Prince EWS]

Wonder how much of a difference Kirsten made.

Athlai to not reply.

 

[Burgey]

Were definately good signs there, but in hindsight it was one the flattest pitches he would have batted on in a long while and against really pretty poor bowling. A true gauge of his improvement is yet to come, one feels...

It was two for **** all when he came in though.

 

[benchmark00]

Were definately good signs there, but in hindsight it was one the flattest pitches he would have batted on in a long while and against really pretty poor bowling. A true gauge of his improvement is yet to come, one feels...

A seaming deck doesn't make your head go towards point before the ball is bowled though.

 

[sachin200]

So if you take away the good stats, you are left with bad stats? Really?

I am only taking out one tour 03/04 where the pitches were as flat as I have ever seen and the bowling attack consisted of Nathan Bracken, Andy Bichel, Brad williams, Brett Lee (who only bowled two lengths then, played 2 tests) and Gillespie (only played 2 tests and was coming back from an injury). The only bowler of real note who was was McGill.

Anybody who thinks that Rahul has played well in Aus are deluded to say the least

 

[Prince EWS]

Were definately good signs there, but in hindsight it was one the flattest pitches he would have batted on in a long while and against really pretty poor bowling. A true gauge of his improvement is yet to come, one feels...

He'd batted pretty well on the seaming decks he's come across lately too though. No tons, but scored important fifties and contributed more than most of our other batsmen. The criticism of him has been that he hasn't cashed in when batsmen really should be making hay, hasn't been converting his starts etc, and he did that in Sydney.

 

[Noble One]

Wonder how much of a difference Kirsten made.

Only a very minimal difference. Specialist coaches are the most important positions IMO.

 

[andyc]

loling at people criticising Clarke's declaration. Bloke won the game by an innings and 68 runs within 4 days but yeah, he ****ed up big time. I wish he did go on to break the record simply because I was at the ground for Days 2 and 3 and I really wanted to be able to claim it, but his job is to win games, and he ****ing destroyed this one. Knowing that you only have two days to bat out with all 10 wickets in hand - with the possibility of rain - is a lot different than starting those two days 2 or 3 wickets down. Top marks to him for it.

 

[Ruckus]

He couldn't get above 40 in SL where you could often say the same thing.

A Test match hundred is a Test match hundred, and at a minimum it should free up his mind.

I don't see how that's relevant. The point was about him showing signs of technical improvement, but because the conditions were so innocuous, it's hard to really judge whether they are going to be enduring or not - e.g. if the ball is coming straight onto the bat it's not going to be creating doubt in his mind and potentially inducing technical problems like it would when it is seaming all over the place. The real test for him will be to maintain form when the batting conditions are tough, without reverting to old mistakes.

The fact he got a 100 is the most important thing for me though. I've always thought Ponting's problems have been predominantly mental in origin, and it really should give him some much needed confidence.

 

[Black_Warrior]

I am only taking out one tour 03/04 where the pitches were as flat as I have ever seen and the bowling attack consisted of Nathan Bracken, Andy Bichel, Brad williams, Brett Lee (who only bowled two lengths then, played 2 tests) and Gillespie (only played 2 tests and was coming back from an injury). The only bowler of real note who was was McGill.

Anybody who thinks that Rahul has played well in Aus are deluded to say the least

Dravid in Australia has not been great..

 

[Jayzamann]

I missed a whole bunch of this game because I was boozing with friends up the river, but kept in touch with the match (and this thread, tbh) with my phone. Hats off to the boys, watching Pup plunder those runs was something.

 

[Flem274*]

I've gone from being dissapointed to simply demoralized. I can handle losing by an innings, but I'm a little ashamed that in this age of professionalism, a Test team can just give up like this.

India need an 'Allan Border moment'. Make it a requirement that you need to be a good fielder to make into the Test side. If you stop running and diving at the end of the day, or because you're down 400 runs, you won't be selected. If you don't keep yourself fit by working out and eating right - you will be dropped, whether you're Sehwag or Rohit Sharma or Zaheer Khan. The replacement might be worse but you can't have people coasting by thinking they're too valuable to drop and they don't have to care about working out or eating right. You may lose more in the short term but it'll send a message all through the levels about what they need to do to earn the Test cap. The body language was depressing - it was the 90s all over again and while I don't think it'll ever get that bad, it's pretty pathetic to see. Makes me embarrassed to call myself a fan of this team. I don't know why Indians keep watching - I am not sure why I do. It's a culture change that's needed.

People who read my posts know that I don't usually get very upset with losses - dissapointed surely but not demoralized. I'm used to dissapointing and they're part of the game. I can accept a bad team and I can accept a team that's always an underdog, but in 2012, I shouldn't have to accept a lazy team. You can't control whether you have the ability to bat like Bradman, but you sure as hell control how many cheeseburgers you stuff down your fat disgusting throat. You can't control when you break your arm, but you sure as hell can control your ability to take those quick singles after being out in the field for 50 overs.

Stop making me feel bad about wanting India to be destroyed.

Wonder how much of a difference Kirsten made.

Athlai to not reply.

 

[Black_Warrior]

I wonder how much India's decline is due to Fletcher.

 

[Daemon]

Athlai to not reply.

explain

 

[Uppercut]

Stop making me feel bad about wanting India to be destroyed.

I think it's easy to want them to be destroyed because of what SS is complaining about. Their lack of spirit invites contempt.

 

[Flem274*]

I think it's easy to want them to be destroyed because of what SS is complaining about. Their lack of spirit invites contempt.

Makes me feel sorry for SS though.

It's much easier when I picture all Indian fans as Daemon. WAC he is.

 

[morgieb]

Player ratings (again):

India:

Gambhir 6
Sehwag 3
Dravid 3
Tendulkar 7.5
Laxman 6
Kohli 3
Dhoni 4
Ashwin 4
Zaheer 4
Sharma 4
Yadav 1

Australia:

Warner 2
Cowan 3
Marsh 1
Ponting 9
Clarke 11 - 10 for the batting, bonus point for picking up Tendulkar
Hussey 9.5
Haddin 3
Siddle 7
Pattinson 7.5
Hilfenhaus 9
Lyon 3