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*Official* India Tour of Australia 2018/19

quincywagstaff

International Debutant
Great Pujara innings, but as others have said, multiple Indian batsmen have had some fantastic innings in Australia. And against vastly superior attacks. It's been the fast bowling that has improved significantly for India in the last 10-20 years.
While it can't surpass the 1999/00 with Warne & McGrath, I think your underselling this attack a fair bit. In terms of variety and quality in Australian conditions, it's an excellent bowling lineup.

And it's easy to forget that most of the previous home Australian bowling attacks v India in the past had one or two weak spots.

1991/92 had Peter Taylor for a couple of Tests and Mike Whitney for three (albeit he had one outstanding match in Perth).

1999/00 had Kasprowicz for one Test and while Damien Fleming was a fine bowler, would he get a spot ahead of any of the current Oz pace trio?

2003/04 was Oz's weakest since the mid-80s with McGrath & Warne absent (and Gillespie and Lee didn't play the whole series). Nathan Bracken, Andy Bichel and Brad Williams all played one Test or more.

2007/08 was a very strong bowling lineup but had one weak spot in Brad Hogg for three Tests and Shaun Tait for one (both of whom never replicated their shorter format successes at Test level).

2011/12 doesn't look that imposing on paper with Siddle & Hilfenhaus playing all Tests in the series which makes Australia's success that series against a star-studded (but aging) Indian batting lineup all the more remarkable.

2014/15 is very strong with Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Starc, Hazlewood along with Lyon all playing multiple Tests. The only fallback was that most of them were just starting their career or coming towards the end.

So overall, only the 1999/00 is clearly superior to this one with the 2007/08 & 2014/15 lineups probably around the same level.
 
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quincywagstaff

International Debutant
Will never forget that tour for Gavaskar's dummy spit in Melbourne on the slowest deck in cricket history. Was ****ing gold. Dilip Vengsarkar got ****ing screwed over royally with a howler that test as well. Ball hit his foot off Yardley (iirc) and went to Chappell at slip. Looked out in real time but came square off his toe.
I think that Vengsarkar one was in the previous Test in Adelaide iirc; knocked over his stumps in anger after that dismissal as well.
 

quincywagstaff

International Debutant
Statistically speaking, such an odd innings that for Australia. Every partnership in the innings passed 15 but none reached 50.
 

stephen

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
But in 99/00 Warne was a shadow of his former self given he was recovering from his injury and had even been dropped against the Windies.
 

Starfighter

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Should make them train with bats from the 60s to teach them how to place the ball properly.
Aside from the fact that I think cricket should go back to sixties bats full stop, I find the way our batsmen just cream the ball straight to fielders ridiculously frustrating. The difference in strike rotation between SA and Aus in the ODIs was vast, and Burgey's right that there is never a time it doesn't work.
 

Shri

Mr. Glass
On what this win means to the side: "We lost the first Test in England by 31, lost the first Test in South Africa by 60-70, so this is a very good feeling for the boys to come out on top," says Ravi Shastri. "When you get off to a good start, there's belief. There was some rash shots played in the first innings, that was foolish cricket, but they learnt from it. Pujara was absolutely magnificent, we've asked him to be a little more upright to counter bounce in these conditions."
 
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stephen

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
The most gutting thing about this loss is that India have now nearly completed their SENA tour and can't be toppled from number 1 in this series.
 

CricAddict

Cricketer Of The Year
The most gutting thing about this loss is that India have now nearly completed their SENA tour and can't be toppled from number 1 in this series.
If they win this series, India is going to stay at No 1 for a long time now. Might even compete the mighty Aussies/Windies teams in terms of duration at No 1.
 

vcs

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England can make a real push for the No. 1 spot with a strong home summer. What's their upcoming schedule?
 

Burgey

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Jeez that was a great test match. How often is it that the best tests are low scoring and between two average batting sides? I suppose it makes sense because the one big score makes such a difference. That was so good from Pujara. If Australia had to get dicked, I’m glad it was him.
 

stephen

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Jeez that was a great test match. How often is it that the best tests are low scoring and between two average batting sides? I suppose it makes sense because the one big score makes such a difference. That was so good from Pujara. If Australia had to get dicked, I’m glad it was him.
Fully agreed.
 

quincywagstaff

International Debutant
Only the 3rd time in the past 30 years that Australia have lost the opening Test of a home series (SA in 2008/09 & 2016/17 the others).
 

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