***Official*** Australia in India 2017

[harsh.ag]

If they are going to stick with the 5 batsmen shtick, then I wouldn't mind Nair in for Rahane either.

 

[harsh.ag]

Repost because I don't feel like praising them in words.

 

[Shri]

And Ashwin's batting is a concern too. Jaddu showed in one of the games against England that he can do a better job than him if given the chance. Jaddu batting ahead of Ashwin would be nice to see and would be awesome if it comes off.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Cheers colony of our Empire.

Haha was going to comment on this post but didn't particularly feel like starting a race war today tbh

 

[centurymaker]

It deteriorated visibly today imo. But by then the game was already gone. Are you seriously saying the pitch became unplayable early on day 2? These are the same excuses SA threw after they lost here. There was nothing unplayable in the first innings at all.

It became increasingly more difficult.
Easiest time to bat was Day 1

South Africa were sort of unlucky to lose that series tbh, given they lost all the tosses and lost Steyn & Philandar to injury. And preparing **** pitches was perhaps the best way for India to break past ABD, Amla, Faf, Elgar.. and because South Africa themselves didn't have decent spinners, it was a safe-ish gamble.

 

[harsh.ag]

And Ashwin's batting is a concern too. Jaddu showed in one of the games against England that he can do a better job than him if given the chance. Jaddu batting ahead of Ashwin would be nice to see and would be awesome if it comes off.

Yes, this is one of India's top 5 problems atm.

 

[Gnske]

So we're basically getting 3 roads now aren't we?

Bat for the draw in every last one of them I say, Aus needs the practice.

 

[vcs]

Maybe the additional responsibility of batting 6, plus being the leader of the attack is too much for Ashwin. Hope it doesn't mess with his bowling.

 

[Kirkut]

Why do I have this feeling that Australia may surprise us?

See? Now I'm officially the Nostradumus of CW.

 

[vcs]

This is what Smith did so well, played the line of the ball. Vijay played for turn, and was beaten on the inside edge

Kohli has left a straight one. Was saying it all along that Kohli was playing for turn, but the danger was the one that doesn't turn. Yes, it pitched outside off. And yes, there has been plenty of turn. But so many of O'Keefe's deliveries have not turned. This one too.

Another slider from O'Keefe, scurries on and hits Saha in front of leg.

Another delivery that skids on with the arm and an Indian batsman plays for turn. O'Keefe has double sixes now.

Sounds like a bit of a pattern..

 

[Fenil]

If they are going to stick with the 5 batsmen shtick, then I wouldn't mind Nair in for Rahane either.

The problem is that India have been playing on batting friendly pitches outbatting the opponents all season. This has to change. I'm glad that India lost because that will give them a reason to think whether or not they are doing okay. Yes, there are winning matches but are they playing quality cricket or getting any challenge from the opponents that helps them get better as players? The answer is no. I also think the fact, that none of Indian batsmen bowl a bit also is the reason why Virat goes for five bowlers. May be if Vijay and Nair get their part time bowling up a bit like Sehwag, we can have a good set of XI. No Rohit Sharma please. He's had his chances. I've also lost of Jadeja using his head and working on becoming a proper allrounder who can bat at #6 or #7 and may be this guy is perhaps not good to be selected which is why we have Jayant Yadav playing.

 

[centurymaker]

Steve Smith disagrees

Smith's dropped chances, Lbws, countless play & misses -Disagree emphatically.

And perhaps you didn't see the kind of field that was set for him Today, 3-4 boundary riders and hardly any catchers around the bat. Gift. Similar to what Dhoni did to Kallis in the Kallisball Test in 2011 Cape Town. Kallis was on one leg and it was spinning viciously and SA were 5 or 6 down but Dhoni decided to take away the catches & give Kallis freebie singles and he ended up getting another ton.

Kohli has lost it for now. Just from his body language early in the 2nd Test, we'll know whether there's any hope of bouncing back or India is gonna to crash badly. He looked horrible the whole game.

 

[Gnske]

Maybe the additional responsibility of batting 6, plus being the leader of the attack is too much for Ashwin. Hope it doesn't mess with his bowling.

No, Ashwin says he can bat at no.3 for India if he wanted. I don't think batting 6 is taxing his brain. I think his brain was fried by how **** his fellow batsmen were and seeing Kohli fail every review. This match for India was literally anti-intellectualism and I think they have put Ashwin's brain at great risk after such a showing.

Needs a couple of test matches off tbh.

 

[Burgey]

Sobers on Fox Sports Legends to top off an amazing day.

 

[Tec15]

Good to see India's pitch doctoring tactics backfire after they lost the toss for once and had to bowl first. Pity that the Australians were the beneficiaries, but it does show artificially inflated Inida's recent home run has been. After all, losing to Australia at home in the subcontinent is test status revocation territory. This wouldn't have happened to Sri Lanka or Bangladesh.

 

[Kirkut]

Sounds like a bit of a pattern..

Do our batsmen play spin early? Do they rely on intuition rather than playing them at merit?

 

[Burgey]

Warne-level tasting here from Tec15.

 

[vcs]

LOL everyone's piling in to troll India now. Expected I guess. Some people must have really suffered through the last 18 months or so.

 

[Shri]

Good to see India's pitch doctoring tactics backfire after they lost the toss for once and had to bowl first. Pity that the Australians were the beneficiaries, but it does show artificially inflated Inida's recent home run has been. After all, losing to Australia at home in the subcontinent is test status revocation territory. This wouldn't have happened to Sri Lanka or Bangladesh.

Shame how SA had it's chance and ****ed it up, eh?

 

[Burgey]

Tec strikes me as the sort of bloke who'd win powerball and bitch about having to collect the cheque. Scaly stuff in every post.