*Official* Fifth Test at the SCG

[Spark]

I'd be incredibly surprised if there was bad blood between KP and Cook. Cook is the one who got KP his spot back and there's certainly been talk that KP feels indebted to him (although perhaps the Mumbai knock paid that off)

 

[Spikey]

joe root is a cancer in the dressing room iirc

 

[Burgey]

I dunno whom the trouble is between, but here's got to be. You don't just go from being a solid, professional side to a complete rabble in six weeks unless there's dramas

 

[jan]

Watched Rogers get his 100 and went to bed. Got up today and the Ashes were over with ENG all out in 32 overs. I seriously WTF'd.
And yes, bring the dramas! Twitter needs yet another hastag wave of #gate's

Left-handers are so cool even if they are moustached dwarfs or colorblind

 

[Spark]

I dunno whom the trouble is between, but here's got to be. You don't just go from being a solid, professional side to a complete rabble in six weeks unless there's dramas

Yeah I agree. But I just have trouble believing Cook is a part of it for some reason - it just jars with the mental image I have of him as a person.

Though, as captain, maybe he's part of it by default.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I dunno whom the trouble is between, but here's got to be. You don't just go from being a solid, professional side to a complete rabble in six weeks unless there's dramas

When you consider that Cook as captain makes Strauss look like Brearley then that may have something to do with it. If the troops can see Cook is out of his depth as skipper they won't be behind him.

Something has gone on, will all be revealed in Swann's book later this year.

 

[Spark]

Strauss was always known as a superb leader of men tbf.

 

[fredfertang]

I dunno whom the trouble is between, but here's got to be. You don't just go from being a solid, professional side to a complete rabble in six weeks unless there's dramas

Must be Broad

a. He's his father's son
b. He's not been as dire as most

 

[social]

Cook is too soft

He needs to grab Anderson, Broad and all the other bowlers by the throat and tell them to bowl to the field he sets or else they can **** off

Same with the back room staff - thanks for your input boys but last time I checked they were all retired

Can you imagine either of the Chappells, Border or Waugh putting up with some of the **** that has gone on this summer?

One glimmer of hope for England is that now he has the perfect platform to do it as no-one can argue that the old system is working

 

[Hooksey]

Cook is too soft

He needs to grab Anderson, Broad and all the other bowlers by the throat and tell them to bowl to the field he sets or else they can **** off

Same with the back room staff - thanks for your input boys but last time I checked they were all retired

Can you imagine either of the Chappells, Border or Waugh putting up with some of the **** that has gone on this summer?

One glimmer of hope for England is that now he has the perfect platform to do it as no-one can argue that the old system is working

Can you imagine Cook grabbing anyone by the throat

 

[Johnners]

Found it amusing Warne was carrying on about the captain setting the fields, not the bowler, yet he almost always set his field (granted he was quite good at it).

 

[Shri]

There's got to be dramas in the dressing room. Blokes retiring mid series when the team is down, senior players being so petulant on the field, selections all over the place and he team just rolling over.

It's like an Australian tour of India. Or an Indian tour of anywhere.

Hey we might get whipped all the time but we rarely make changes when we are getting whipped. Or retire mid series.

 

[Sean Flynn]

All we can say in England is congratulations to the Aussie team.....they have bowled brilliantly to plans and their lower order have been magnificent. To win in a record number of days is a top achievement. England are now at a very low ebb and i never saw this coming. I reckoned on a 2-2 narrowly fought draw.

 

[GIMH]

All we can say in England is congratulations to the Aussie team.....they have bowled brilliantly to plans and their lower order have been magnificent. To win in a record number of days is a top achievement. England are now at a very low ebb and i never saw this coming. I reckoned on a 2-2 narrowly fought draw.

Is your username a reference to the gun midfielder who played for Tranmere?

 

[andyc]

Some spectacular pictures coming from the Cricket Australia twitter account

 

[Sean Flynn]

Is your username a reference to the gun midfielder who played for Tranmere?

I don't follow football!!!

 

[Shri]

And nobody gives a **** about Tranmere. Not even Barnes.

 

[Furball]

Cook is too soft

He needs to grab Anderson, Broad and all the other bowlers by the throat and tell them to bowl to the field he sets or else they can **** off

Yeah, it's Anderson and Broad that's the problem with this side.

**** sake.

 

[Furball]

Lyon being so much better than their spin options and Kallis retiring throwing their balance out means you have a good case for it. Just so hard to go past an attack that has the best two bowlers in the world in it though.

South Africa still have the better attack for South African conditions, but I could probably come around to Australia being the best attack overall because of Lyon and, to a lesser extent, Watson.

Nah, Australia's attack is much better.

It's the South Africa vs England argument from 2011 all over again. Australia win now for the same reason England won in 2011. South Africa might have the best 2 bowlers in the world but Australia's entire attack (and I include Watson in this) is absolutely unrelenting in the pressure they exert on the opposition.

Michael Clarke (or whoever it is that's devising the fielding plans) also count as an invaluable part of the attack, his field placings both help buy wickets for the bowlers (see Johnson's 1st innings dismissal of Carberry) and help the unit slowly strangle the opposition batting lineup (see pretty much the entire English summer).

The presence of Lyon, Watson and Clarke the captain in Australia's attack, as well as Siddle being better than Morkel more than makes up for Steyn and Philander.

 

[MW1304]

It's entirely dependent on Johnson continuing something close to this form. As of right this very second, though, I'd definitely say Australia's is the best.