***Official*** Australia in India 2017

[quincywagstaff]

They won't do it for stability reasons. Be good if they did though.

Yeah, got too many credits from cheap centuries in dead rubbers at the SCG where the Ch 9 Comms act like he's the greatest opener in the world. Know I've said this before but crazy he's won back-to-back AB Medals despite not scoring an overseas ton since 2014.

 

[indiaholic]

Mathews overvalues himself so much that captains all over the world are forced to undervalue themselves.

Or maybe they don't want to work hard

 

[Gnske]

Nice. India would love that.

Pakistani though, superior diet gives him +50 dexterity against Indian "attacks"

 

[Spark]

Mathews overvalues himself so much that captains all over the world are forced to undervalue themselves.

Or maybe they don't want to work hard

With Smith, I honestly think he finds his own bowling kind of embarrassing. Which is a shame, because in theory if he'd worked at it he really could have been a very, very useful part-time bowler on these sorts of pitches with his natural trajectory and his very good topspinner/flipper (although you wouldn't want that to come at the cost of what he's become as a batsman)

 

[indiaholic]

Even if he doesn't work on it, his bowling is they type where he will bowl a long hop and the batsman will inevitably hit it in the air. Definitely should be an option when nothing else works.

 

[Spark]

Even if he doesn't work on it, his bowling is they type where he will bowl a long hop and the batsman will inevitably hit it in the air. Definitely should be an option when nothing else works.

It's not just that, it's that he naturally gets the ball to drop quite sharply on the batsman when he's bowling well. It's why a large proportion of his wickets are, like, caught and bowled, caught short cover etc etc beyond the long hops.

 

[anil1405]

The day couldn't have ended any better. While Pujara and Saha batted with lots of patience and determination for 2/3rds of the day to give India the advantage, those last few overs from Jaddu gave a glimpse of whats to come on final day.

 

[Spark]

Yeah, got too many credits from cheap centuries in dead rubbers at the SCG where the Ch 9 Comms act like he's the greatest opener in the world. Know I've said this before but crazy he's won back-to-back AB Medals despite not scoring an overseas ton since 2014.

In fairness, a lot of that was on the back of having an ATG-standard year in ODIs.

But generally I agree, especially since a large proportion of his big scores in the last few years have been of this variety:

(Mind you, that **** is seriously ****ing hard)

 

[srbhkshk]

Pakistani though, superior diet gives him +50 dexterity against Indian "attacks"

He'll need the +50 for doing the to and fro Pavilion walk in an inhumanly short time.

 

[S.Kennedy]

And to think people want 4 day tests. Tomorrow will likely be the most exciting day of the series and we can only draw at best

Correction, the ECB want four-dayers (and a few more idiots like Vaughan). The ECB are not fit for purpose. Only they would reveal they ''want four-day tests'' when there is a gripping test across the globe just about to enter its fifth day!

 

[Spark]

Peter Lalor
@plalor
Hey, Steve Smith has a side injury and can't bowl. Just to let you all know

Okay, uh, actually, never mind.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I wonder how much the runs actually matter tomorrow. Obviously if Australia were 500 behind they'd need to bat the full day to get a draw. As it is they could theoretically bat less and still draw the game but they have to get pretty damn close anyway. Even if they score 100 runs a session, which seems a bit unlikely on this wicket, their lead will only be 70 by tea which is obviously not enough. So they'd need to bat another hour or so from there to be safe. So even with a good scoring rate runs will only knock an hour or so off the day. With Warner already out I doubt the lead will be more than a handful by tea so realistically Australia need to aim to bat the full day and maybe get out of the very end of the day by having a lead of 40 runs or whatever.

 

[Spark]

I wonder how much the runs actually matter tomorrow. Obviously if Australia were 500 behind they'd need to bat the full day to get a draw. As it is they could theoretically bat less and still draw the game but they have to get pretty damn close anyway. Even if they score 100 runs a session, which seems a bit unlikely on this wicket, their lead will only be 70 by tea which is obviously not enough. So they'd need to bat another hour or so from there to be safe. So even with a good scoring rate runs will only knock an hour or so off the day. With Warner already out I doubt the lead will be more than a handful by tea so realistically Australia need to aim to bat the full day and maybe get out of the very end of the day by having a lead of 40 runs or whatever.

I mean this pitch is slow enough that if they go the full Faf/ABdV, it could come off.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I do rate Renshaw, Smith, Marsh and Handscomb's ability to bat relatively long periods safely so I think a draw is a possibility with a deadbat approach but it's going to be a massive challenge. I know there was a lot of talk earlier in the day about the demoralising nature of bowling 200+ overs and the hit to Australia's momentum in the series but getting out with a draw will be a pretty big achievement and should override all of that.

edit: On the other hand I think losing means the series is definitely gone, can't see a comeback to 2-2 from there.

 

[weldone]

Smith and Maxwell will be the most crucial wickets tomorrow. I don't think the lefties can get 50 on this pitch against Jadeja.

 

[centurymaker]

How ****ing stupid were India to prepare crazy lottery pitches in the last two games, almost lost it all 2-0 in Bengaluru itself! It was suicidal! India had no escape route, no possibility of batting out a draw when things didn't go well..

On the other hand playing on a true flat track really tends to benefit the Indian team because it's so hard to pick 20 Indian wickets on it.., and even when they loss the toss and things are not going that well, they can always fight back and escape with a draw via their batting. Or they can bat the opposition out of the match and really apply the pressure on the opposition in the 3rd/4th innings.

Interesting point to note is that, Australia have been on top in the series until Today..

In Pune, Australia were top throughout; in Bangalore they were on top until the last day and then collapsed on a really difficult pitch.

Here in Ranchi, winning the toss allowed them to lead and be ahead all the way until Today, when they finally went behind, so it's going to be interesting to see how they handle being behind because they have barely been in this position in the games this series.. So now there is a lot of pressure on the Aus batsmen, it's 50-50. Anything can happen. Smith is key.

 

[Spark]

I do rate Renshaw, Smith, Marsh and Handscomb's ability to bat relatively long periods safely so I think a draw is a possibility with a deadbat approach but it's going to be a massive challenge. I know there was a lot of talk earlier in the day about the demoralising nature of bowling 200+ overs and the hit to Australia's momentum in the series but getting out with a draw will be a pretty big achievement and should override all of that.

edit: On the other hand I think losing means the series is definitely gone, can't see a comeback to 2-2 from there.

Handscomb's gotta stand up here. He's actually looked really good in that series, but his returns have been well below expectations.

 

[centurymaker]

I mean this pitch is slow enough that if they go the full Faf/ABdV, it could come off.

Yeah! They just need to bat 80+ overs and regardless of the scoring rate, they will be safe. And that's what the focus should be on, rather than on scoring runs (enough runs will come anyway if they bat 80 overs) whereas if they look to play shots or attacking shots, they'll be more prone to losing their wickets and that could work in India's favour especially after how their attacking approach back-fired in Bangalore.

Just play proper defense and put away poor balls and demoralize Jadeja & Ashwin like Amla and ABD did with safe defensive batting.

 

[morgieb]

Handscomb's gotta stand up here. He's actually looked really good in that series, but his returns have been well below expectations.

Yup. He's probably the second best player of spin in the side, for all of his scores to be nothing starts is pretty pathetic. At least someone like Warner is just not that good against spin in these conditions.

 

[centurymaker]

Also, Ashwin is **** now and massively overrated! (It may be his physical problem hindering him but regardless). I don't think he's even a top 5 bowler in the world anymore!

He's not looked good for a few whole months. Has lost it. Needs a long break to heal himself.

If there was a genuine decent spinner in the Indian domestic circuit, I'd prefer him to Ashwin but there isn't any..