***Official*** 2nd Test at Adelaide

[OverratedSanity]

I think that's selling Pistol a bit short, but tbf McGrath, Gillespie, Reiffel and Warne only played the 4 tests together.

Kasprowicz was very good too imo.

 

[Motorwada]

Saying that India have had a lot of home tests isn't a pointless criticism when the overseas tours they've had have been Sri Lanka (basically home tests), the Windies (who are getting slaughtered by New Zealand right now) and Bangladesh. The only series against a formidable foe away was against Australia 3 years ago and India got spanked.

It's entirely down to an accident of the scheduling but India are miles ahead on the rankings when they really haven't done anything outside winning at home and thrashing minnows. Which is what all the top sides have been doing.

It's probably inflated individual stats too (not saying this about Kohli though).

You do realize India has the best away record in the last 5 years? And this includes the 2013-14 away tours.

Team records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

India have complete mastery at home and in away conditions that are in the same sphere (SL, WI, Bang etc) so that's like 75% of matches. No other team has that.

Aus not only keeps losing in Asia (Ind, SL, Pak and drawn series in Bang of all places) but also keep losing in England and their victories in SA are offset by their constant home defeats against the same opponent.
Eng also keep losing in Asia and also keep losing in Australia and have been unable to win a series in WI for god knows when. Also they keep losing home matches every series.
As for SA, they just lost heavily to India and England away as well as lost to Eng at home.

The assumption that SL series are 'home tests' for India is like saying 'Eng/SA' tests are home tests for Oz. There is a hint of slight racism which lumps together all 'brown' people into this one homogeneous entity as the 'subcontinent' but SA/Oz/England are all varied.

 

[OverratedSanity]

People treated that as the high farce that it was though.

Blasphemy. Watching Elgar throw hand grenades and watching everyone except AB, Pujara and Vijay bat like garbage was hilarious.

 

[SeamUp]

Hobart when it's miserable, I guess.

Suppose a miserable Melbourne too as its the only place I've seen Steyn really get his out-swinger going without the assistance of a wind in Oz

 

[Starfighter]

Best swing venue in Oz ?

Hobart, which we don't play at all that often. And is terrible in almost every way.

Got to hope he didn't lose his skill but other than his action change I can't see any reason why he would lose it as he seems a smart bloke.

I don't remember him swinging the ball all that much in the shield last year when the Dukes balls were being used, other bowlers certainly moved it a lot more. He used to rotate a lot more in his action that he does now and I wonder whether that helped him swing the ball.

 

[adub]

Kasprowicz was very good too imo.

Handy in India, but a pretty big step down from McGrath and Gillespie. Andy Bichel with less pace but more swing.

 

[OverratedSanity]

The assumption that SL series are 'home tests' for India is like saying 'Eng/SA' tests are home tests for Oz. There is a hint of slight racism which lumps together all 'brown' people into this one homogeneous entity as the 'subcontinent' but SA/Oz/England are all varied.

Er, that's a bit of a stretch.

 

[Starfighter]

The assumption that SL series are 'home tests' for India is like saying 'Eng/SA' tests are home tests for Oz. There is a hint of slight racism which lumps together all 'brown' people into this one homogeneous entity as the 'subcontinent' but SA/Oz/England are all varied.

SA, England and Aus are a bit further apart in playing conditions. There's a more than slight hint of racism in those who feel the need to bring skin colour into things to distract from the point at hand.

 

[Motorwada]

Er, that's a bit of a stretch.

It's not racism of the form 'Go home you ***' but there is a subtle bias. Maybe not on purpose and more due to upbringing as well as the narrative on cricket being very much a white man's one as they invented it but it definitely exists. Case in point - the Rabada village thing from last year by Ian Chappell. More of a subtle prejudice than an in your face xenophobia but it is there.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Follow on tonight under lights? Or try to grind an enormous lead and give the 4-man attack a bigger rest?

 

[adub]

shared session...

 

[mr_mister]

Kasprowicz was very good too imo.

Fleming was the third best after Pidge and Dizzy. Just ahead of Pistol. Then Binga. All ahead of Kasper, Dale and Bichel.


Fleming gets so overlooked these days. Look at this test and odi records. Both very solid, albeit brief. He had an awesome 1999 home summer and that was it pretty much

 

[adub]

Australia will bat.

and tbf we have to break this partnership. The tail will fold, but these two could be a PITA.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Just saw a few shots from Root's innings. Very strange knock. He's at his best when he doesn't look like he's consciously forcing things but it was the total opposite today.

 

[Motorwada]

SA, England and Aus are a bit further apart in playing conditions. There's a more than slight hint of racism in those who feel the need to bring skin colour into things to distract from the point at hand.

As far apart as India and SL are. The balls used are different which makes a big difference. This is like the 90s where Australia was so dominant in non-SC conditions it won Ashes in both countries and India/SL who were two middling teams kept winning only at home (If conditions are so similar how come SL have never won a test in India even during Murali/Sanga's heyday while they destroyed us in SL and we kept winning over here but kept losing over there?). Right now India are so strong in SC conditions they can beat SL home/away and Oz/Eng the two middling non SC teams keep winning at home and losing away during the Ashes.

 

[Ausage]

It's not racism of the form 'Go home you ***' but there is a subtle bias. Maybe not on purpose and more due to upbringing as well as the narrative on cricket being very much a white man's one as they invented it but it definitely exists. Case in point - the Rabada village thing from last year by Ian Chappell. More of a subtle prejudice that an in your face xenophobia but it is there.

Serious question, is the climate in SL vastly different from India?

 

[adub]

Flem was very handy, but 20 tests and only 75 wickets really isn't long enough to be rated.

 

[mr_mister]

Flem was very handy, but 20 tests and only 75 wickets really isn't long enough to be rated.

Eh, we rate Graham Pollock after 20 tests


and before you mention it him and Flem both had a span of 7 years for their test career

 

[TheJediBrah]

As far apart as India and SL are. The balls used are different which makes a big difference. This is like the 90s where Australia was so dominant in non-SC conditions it won Ashes in both countries and India/SL who were two middling teams kept winning only at home (If conditions are so similar how come SL have never won a test in India even during Murali/Sanga's heyday while they destroyed us in SL and we kept winning over here but kept losing over there?). Right now India are so strong in SC conditions they can beat SL home/away and Oz/Eng the two middling non SC teams keep winning at home and losing away.

There's just as much if not more variety between different conditions throughout India than there is between Indian and Sri Lankan conditions. Saying that there's some huge difference between all Sri Lankan and Indian pitches is rubbish IMO.

I'd say the same thing about Australia and South Africa as well to an extent. England is very different though.

 

[mr_mister]

This is the official list of strongest suits for around the world


England, New Zealand: Suits seam/swing bowling
Australia, South Africa: Suits batting
India, Pak, SL and West Indies: Suits spin bowling