*Official* Australia in Sri Lanka 2016

[Burgey]

And that's being generous to the England side heading into that series. Some would have said Gillespie would get a run ahead of Harmison heading in, but he was sadly on the way out even by then.

 

[Spikey]

if we're assuming Flintoff is in the team than macgill becomes a possible selection

 

[Burgey]

Why? its just the usual Australia **** themselves against anyone who tosses a ball at them 50km/h with a bit of rotation. No different to any other Asian tour in the last 5 years.

Fair enough being crap against 150km/h bullets at your head from Mitch. But this is just comical.

Because it's SL ffs. It's embarrassing. This is the country which gave us Rumesh Ratnayake, Dilhara Fernando and Brendan Kuruppu; and considers Chaminda Vaas a great pace bowler. Fair enough in India, where Australia's last two tours were in 2004 and 1970 so they wouldn't know the conditions there very well; or in Paksitan/ UAE where we've been dog awful for years, but this is awful.

It's like the Romans losing to the Cathaginians - deep down, you know it's only an aberration, but it's still embarrassing.

 

[Burgey]

if we're assuming Flintoff is in the team than macgill becomes a possible selection

Ind33d he does.

 

[NZTailender]

I rated him up there with Kohli in terms of talent when they were both coming through as kids. There are probably a few "who will be the great batsman of the new generation?" polls hidden in the archives of CW in which I voted for him. He hasn't really come on like I expected -- he's always still had that random loss of concentration in him, and isn't a great strike rotator at times -- but I think he's still got it him in if he decides he wants to focus on his batting and move up to four again.

Chandimal seems to be on the Darren Bravo level of batsmen knocking about.

 

[DriveClub]

Because it's SL ffs. It's embarrassing. This is the country which gave us Rumesh Ratnayake, Dilhara Fernando and Brendan Kuruppu; and considers Chaminda Vaas a great pace bowler. Fair enough in India, where Australia's last two tours were in 2004 and 1970 so they wouldn't know the conditions there very well; or in Paksitan/ UAE where we've been dog awful for years, but this is awful.

It's like the Romans losing to the Cathaginians - deep down, you know it's only an aberration, but it's still embarrassing.

Ol bergs hasn't aged well

 

[Jono]

Its just cos Burgey's spent the last 4 years bagging Lanka and has now seen his mob absolutely mooted by them.

 

[TheJediBrah]

You think the **** show version of Martyn gets in ahead of Vaughan and KP in 2005?

Yes

Damien "the umpires decided to ignore inside edges onto my pads and give me out lbw regardless several times in the series" Martyn was a very fine player.

Kevin "dropped the first six catches of my Test career" Pooterson was in his first series

If Vaughan was Australian he would have been very lucky to have played 10 Tests in his career, in that era

 

[honestbharani]

Its just cos Burgey's spent the last 4 years bagging Lanka and has now seen his mob absolutely mooted by them.

Lol yeah, that anti-SL rant of his seemed like it come out of nowhere too.

 

[Prince EWS]

Why? its just the usual Australia **** themselves against anyone who tosses a ball at them 50km/h with a bit of rotation. No different to any other Asian tour in the last 5 years.

I didn't think the batting lineup was particularly more suited to play in Asia five years ago than this one though, and Australia still beat Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka five years ago.

Australia have struggled in Asia for quite a bit longer than five years, but if this tour is anything to go by then the struggles have actually been getting worse, losing to a team they beat last time around even though that team has itself has declined in that time. It's not just 'same old, same old'; it really is a new low.

 

[Black_Warrior]

I didn't think the batting lineup was particularly more suited to play in Asia five years ago than this one though, and Australia still beat Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka five years ago.

Australia have struggled in Asia for quite a bit longer than five years, but if this tour is anything to go by then the struggles have actually been getting worse, losing to a team they beat last time around even though that team has itself has declined in that time. It's not just 'same old, same old'; it really is a new low.

True. And I was quite surprised Sri Lanka did not win that series given the team they had. I would have backed that team to win over this team after their **** show over the last 2 years.

 

[DriveClub]

I didn't think the batting lineup was particularly more suited to play in Asia five years ago than this one though, and Australia still beat Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka five years ago.

Australia have struggled in Asia for quite a bit longer than five years, but if this tour is anything to go by then the struggles have actually been getting worse, losing to a team they beat last time around even though that team has itself has declined in that time. It's not just 'same old, same old'; it really is a new low.

Last time Ponting, clarke and hussey were there, definitely a notch above the current lot in playing spin

 

[TheJediBrah]

I didn't think the batting lineup was particularly more suited to play in Asia five years ago than this one though, and Australia still beat Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka five years ago.

Australia have struggled in Asia for quite a bit longer than five years, but if this tour is anything to go by then the struggles have actually been getting worse, losing to a team they beat last time around even though that team has itself has declined in that time. It's not just 'same old, same old'; it really is a new low.

That's because it's a completely different team, with **** all experience in Asia. For example the 2004 Australian team was full of players on their 3rd, 4th, 5th tours of Asia and they'd had time to build their games for it. So sure they've "gotten worse" since then, but it's more just because they've basically reset the players.

 

[Daemon]

Why are you comparing this side to the '04 one when Cribb mentioned specifically the side that beat SL in 2011

That side is kinda different too though, only Lyon, Khawaja and Smarsh remain.

 

[morgieb]

I didn't think the batting lineup was particularly more suited to play in Asia five years ago than this one though, and Australia still beat Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka five years ago.

Australia have struggled in Asia for quite a bit longer than five years, but if this tour is anything to go by then the struggles have actually been getting worse, losing to a team they beat last time around even though that team has itself has declined in that time. It's not just 'same old, same old'; it really is a new low.

Didn't that one contain Clarke and Hussey though? The latter especially was crucial towards winning in Sri Lanka.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Why are you comparing this side to the '04 one when Cribb mentioned specifically the side that beat SL in 2011

I thought it was obvious.

Because they were an Australian team that won in Asia.

2011 side one 1 Test match total in Asia.

 

[DriveClub]

Didn't that one contain Clarke and Hussey though? The latter especially was crucial towards winning in Sri Lanka.

I already posted that morgs, I demand due credit

 

[Prince EWS]

Didn't that one contain Clarke and Hussey though? The latter especially was crucial towards winning in Sri Lanka.

Yeah, I guess ultimately Hussey was the difference (I think Smith/Clarke is a bit of a wash), but I still think this is a notable loss. The team with the Ponting-Clarke-Hussey middle order got rekt in India twice but they still won in Sri Lanka. This team has taken sucking in Asia to a new low IMO, and it's this series that's proven it.

 

[Prince EWS]

I thought it was obvious.

Because they were an Australian team that won in Asia.

2011 side one 1 Test match total in Asia.

We all know they suck more now than they did in 2004 though (it's obvious as you might say); what I think is notable is that they suck more now than they did in 2011 as well, and by 2011 everyone had already come to the conclusion that they sucked. This is genuinely a new low since the heights of that 2004 side.

 

[Burgey]

Lol yeah, that anti-SL rant of his seemed like it come out of nowhere too.

It was an anti-Australia rant tbf