***Official*** Australia in India 2017

[social]

Good stuff from Australia as it is a match that we would have lost 10/10 on recent occasions

SMarsh is such a talent that it's infuriating to see his inconsistency

Jadeja was excellent but Ashwin was decidedly average and I think that proved the difference in the end for India

Oz will take a lot out of this and will be optimistic going into the decider

 

[social]

Not that I think that they will go this way but I would punt Warner and Lyon for the last test and replace them with Uzi and Bird

 

[stephen]

Not that I think that they will go this way but I would punt Warner and Lyon for the last test and replace them with Uzi and Bird

Depending on his spinning finger I think Lyon may be "rested" for the final test, given it is supposed to favour the quicks. I can't see them dropping Warner for Uzi though.

 

[quincywagstaff]

The batting of Renshaw, Handscomb and S Marsh this tour just makes Warner’s batting look all the more worse. He’s a senior player and leader yet for technical and/or mental reasons he just isn’t able to adapt when the pitch isn’t true and fast.

What may save him is that Oz’s next bunch of Tests are at home and South Africa where he’s performed best. But in a side that’s shown they can adapt to different situations, pitches and requirements, he’s beginning to look like an anachronism.

 

[Debris]

I'm not die hard and I fully enjoyed this pitch. Wham Bam result orientated cricket is boring. This was bite-your-nails for 5 days. Australia's first innings was gripping. Every wicket or run was precious as it became apparent that only a huge score was going to win this match and both were difficult to create. When India batted, they HAD to get past Australia's score, and then keep going to create a winning position. Pujara was like watching a man battle his way up a mountain, but he keeps taking one more step until he gets there. While wickets weren't taken, the gripping part became dot balls and while runs weren't freely flowing the enjoyment of each drip was much more satisfying than 'slamming down a Solo'. 'Exciting' is not the be all and end all in cricket. There is also 'gripping'. For me, this was the best test of the three.

You just posted on a cricket related forum. That pretty much makes you die-hard by definition. I think you had to have at least enough understanding as to why the sides were batting as they were to make this test interesting.

We have already seen the casual cricket fan posting about how this was a boring draw and that India cost themselves the chance to win by batting so slowly

 

[the big bambino]

I don't think we would have learned much about Australia's resilience if the last day pitch was a spitting turner. You'd have odds that any side would have collapsed in those conditions. Australia have had trouble batting out a draw ever since the days Steve Waugh decided we had to bat at 4 rpo. Ok for his team but subsequent sides not blessed with that talent have to be a bit more realistic in attitude and develop skills to bat out a day.

We've usually lollapsed in those circumstances and our form has been even more tragic in India. So I think its been an important result for Aus and proves they can do something now they haven't been capable of for years. Especially after losing 2 quick wickets late on the 4th day as well as Smith and Renshaw almost together on the 5th. Australia hasn't resisted the momentum going against them that often but did it twice this innings. Cap tip to Marsh whom I don't like but is one of our best in the subcon and Handscomb who at last converted a start just when it was needed.

 

[gettingbetter]

What about India? Nair doesn't seem to have kicked on since his triple. Admittedly, in 5 Tests, he has only batted in 6 innings.

 

[vitalogy83]

Where does this series rank as a spectacle for everyone?

I have a terrible memory but it feels like this series has had the same ebb and flow and drama that the 05 Ashes had...is it the best in terms of the cricket/ drama since that?

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

The batting of Renshaw, Handscomb and S Marsh this tour just makes Warner’s batting look all the more worse. He’s a senior player and leader yet for technical and/or mental reasons he just isn’t able to adapt when the pitch isn’t true and fast.

What may save him is that Oz’s next bunch of Tests are at home and South Africa where he’s performed best. But in a side that’s shown they can adapt to different situations, pitches and requirements, he’s beginning to look like an anachronism.

To be fair Handscomb and Marsh really haven't made that many more runs than Warner. Marsh has made 146 for example to Warner's 131 in the same number of innings. Average of 24 vs 21. That doesn't tell the full story because Marsh has played two innings that are better than anything Warner has and I think it's reasonable to expect openers to score the bulk of the runs in India, but Warner has made a lot of starts, and was a decent contributor in Pune with that opening stand that set the tone for the series. He's had a bad series but I don't think he's in any danger of being dropped and it is possible to overstate his failures. It hasn't been on the level of Kohli's series, or Ponting in 2001 or anything. And there's no reason to categorise Warner's performance as drop-worthy but Marsh's as a good series worthy of praise.

Warner's subcontinent failures are a problem for sure and he does need overseas runs, but he's such a monumental asset in more friendly conditions that I think by the next time a tour to a place he's likely to struggle rolls around (when even is that? 2019 ashes? He's not even that bad in England, and I don't think there's a winter away tour next year) he'll have made more runs and cemented his spot in the team again. I'm not sure when the next time he's even like to play on slow, turning wickets is. Australia have toured Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and the West Indies all fairly recently.

 

[stephen]

Where does this series rank as a spectacle for everyone?

I have a terrible memory but it feels like this series has had the same ebb and flow and drama that the 05 Ashes had...is it the best in terms of the cricket/ drama since that?

It's up there with one of the best series in recent times. Certainly the best India tour since '04.

 

[Arachnodouche]

Dharamsala ought to inspire even the deadest of dead souls to up their game. Must be like playing under Olympus, only grander. I don't know who has momentum going into this one, but with such a short turn=around Pujara and Saha's work will stand in far greater light if we bat first and grind out the first day with minimal loss.

 

[Gnske]

Where does this series rank as a spectacle for everyone?

I have a terrible memory but it feels like this series has had the same ebb and flow and drama that the 05 Ashes had...is it the best in terms of the cricket/ drama since that?

I think the 2013/14 ashes was a pretty good spectacle tbh

 

[stephen]

I think the 2013/14 ashes was a pretty good spectacle tbh

Since 05, all of the Ashes have been a thrashing one way or the other. Even if they have been entertaining. I'm glad I got to see Johnson terrifying English batsmen like that (before the events of '14).

 

[Spark]

I think we have to say SMarsh is generally underrated tbh. He's a frustrating player for sure, but he's now played quite a number of very impressive and important (if not numerically large) innings in very trying circumstances, and he's been deprived of the opportunity to pad his numbers at home in the way many other of our batsmen have in the last 5 years.

 

[Spark]

Given that Kohli's team has never played in any real non-sub-continental conditions apart from WI, I don't understand how it is fair to say that. Let them play outside before that.

Personnel-wise this is pretty similar to the side that toured Australia a few years back, isn't it? Although, as Smith is showing, leadership has a massive influence on a team that isn't easily quantified.

 

[Burgey]

To be fair Handscomb and Marsh really haven't made that many more runs than Warner. Marsh has made 146 for example to Warner's 131 in the same number of innings. Average of 24 vs 21. That doesn't tell the full story because Marsh has played two innings that are better than anything Warner has and I think it's reasonable to expect openers to score the bulk of the runs in India, but Warner has made a lot of starts, and was a decent contributor in Pune with that opening stand that set the tone for the series. He's had a bad series but I don't think he's in any danger of being dropped and it is possible to overstate his failures. It hasn't been on the level of Kohli's series, or Ponting in 2001 or anything. And there's no reason to categorise Warner's performance as drop-worthy but Marsh's as a good series worthy of praise.

Warner's subcontinent failures are a problem for sure and he does need overseas runs, but he's such a monumental asset in more friendly conditions that I think by the next time a tour to a place he's likely to struggle rolls around (when even is that? 2019 ashes? He's not even that bad in England, and I don't think there's a winter away tour next year) he'll have made more runs and cemented his spot in the team again. I'm not sure when the next time he's even like to play on slow, turning wickets is. Australia have toured Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and the West Indies all fairly recently.

Darsh to open, Warner to four.....

 

[Daemon]

What's Warner going to do at 4 lol. He's better off opening, at least he can slap around the quicks for a bit.

 

[Burgey]

Ask yourself what Darsh might do as opener though.......

 

[Daemon]

He's played two solid knocks at 4, I'd keep him there tbh

 

[OverratedSanity]

Marsh got runs opening in SL didn't he? No reason to think he can't do the job.