*Official* India Tour of Australia 2018/19

[Red]

His **** makes it much more difficult for the others to take wickets, because they struggle to build up pressure when the batsmen will get freebies from the other end. Which makes his contribution significantly more negative than the scoreboard suggests.

I'm not gonna necessarily argue against that, but overall I feel his contribution puts us into the position to win more tests than we would if he was dropped.

Who'd he be replaced with? Bird, Tremain or Boland? Siddle? They're just lesser versions of Hazelwood or Cummins.

 

[Red]

Plus he conceded a whole stack of byes which won't appear in his analysis. Felt sorry for Paine there.

Yeh, that wasn't ideal, but no one with any cricket knowledge is going to think Paine at fault.

 

[Spark]

Plus he conceded a whole stack of byes which won't appear in his analysis. Felt sorry for Paine there.

36 extras in a score of 300...

I'm not gonna necessarily argue against that, but overall I feel his contribution puts us into the position to win more tests than we would if he was dropped.

Who'd he be replaced with? Bird, Tremain or Boland? Siddle? They're just lesser versions of Hazelwood or Cummins.

Like I said I wouldn't drop him. But it's definitely reasonable to expect a hell of a lot more from him.

 

[Starfighter]

Yeh, that wasn't ideal, but no one with any cricket knowledge is going to think Paine at fault.

It further reinforces that Starc bowled worse than his figures.

 

[Red]

It further reinforces that Starc bowled worse than his figures.

I'm not arguing that he bowled perfectly. Nor that it's likely he ever will.

I'm arguing that arguing for him being dropped makes no sense, and in spite of his waywardness at times, overall he is going to put us into more positions to win tests than the alternatives* would.

*until Patto is fully fit and firing.

 

[the big bambino]

Used to love the old SCG pitches of the mid 80s that were real bunsens. I thought then we could have one ground in Australia that turned a lot. Then I remember the ch 9 crew criticised it relentlessly and whether they were influential or not the character of the pitch changed and it’s been a colourless npc pitch ever since. Funny thing is the same commentators never criticised this retrograde change which always exasperated me. A situation where we had a Brissie greentop, Sydney turner, Bouncy Perth, a Melbourne that breaks up and a traditional Adelaide road would be great. I’d like to see Hobart become a challenge for bowlers too.

 

[Top_Cat]

Like I said I wouldn't drop him. But it's definitely reasonable to expect a hell of a lot more from him.

Already does so much, though. He leads the attack, has to bowl impact or dry depending on whether Cummins is having a day or not, bowls more overs than any of the other quicks and is the only quick who can reliably bowl reverse and clean up the tail. He didn't bowl well with the new ball nor with it in the winter but something had to give. It's a miracle he isn't crocked.

Everyone banging on about Starc's form since the Ashes seemingly haven't noticed that Hazlewood ain't exactly doing the business either.

 

[Bolo]

Already does so much, though. He leads the attack, has to bowl impact or dry depending on whether Cummins is having a day or not, bowls more overs than any of the other quicks and is the only quick who can reliably bowl reverse and clean up the tail. He didn't bowl well with the new ball nor with it in the winter but something had to give. It's a miracle he isn't crocked.

Everyone banging on about Starc's form since the Ashes seemingly haven't noticed that Hazlewood ain't exactly doing the business either.

Has he been getting reliable reverse post sandpaper? I haven't watched enough. Finding someone willing to work the ball heavily (even if we are talking strictly legally) seemed likely to present a problem.

 

[Starfighter]

I was waiting for Top_Cat to come on and bang on about how everyone's wrong and how he has to do the work of all the other three. Wasn't disappointed. Starc hasn't bowled dry since the Hobart test in 2012.

 

[Top_Cat]

Has he been getting reliable reverse post sandpaper? I haven't watched enough. Finding someone willing to work the ball heavily (even if we are talking strictly legally) seemed likely to present a problem.

I don't think he has, no. This is why I criticised the response to the sandpaper thing, pinning it solely on the three busted. Cricketing logic tells you there's no way the quicks would be allowing the bats to **** about with the ball at any stage without their say so.

 

[morgieb]

Already does so much, though. He leads the attack, has to bowl impact or dry depending on whether Cummins is having a day or not, bowls more overs than any of the other quicks and is the only quick who can reliably bowl reverse and clean up the tail. He didn't bowl well with the new ball nor with it in the winter but something had to give. It's a miracle he isn't crocked.

Everyone banging on about Starc's form since the Ashes seemingly haven't noticed that Hazlewood ain't exactly doing the business either.

Yeah I think pre-series Hazlewood would be in extreme danger. His performances in South Africa in conditions that should've been perfect for his MO were awful. The thing is though he actually bowled very well here.

 

[Flem274*]

i love top cats posts but i had to double take at starc being the attack leader.

which neatly transitions into my weekly reminder starc would be a nobody in tests if he wasn't left arm fast from australia.

atg odi bowler tho, hope he gets his form back after the world cup.

i also reckon top cat loves a left armer (pumped junaid khan big time a few years back). keen to hear his thoughts on shaheen afridi tbh. looks a great prospect as long as some moron doesn't try to make him bowl 150 clicks overnight.

 

[trundler]

Some horrific Miyagiying in this thread.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Junaid was genuinely awesome. Just ruined by some awful injuries.

 

[trundler]

I think around 2014 he was seriously good. Injuries did **** him over.

 

[trundler]

Also Bilal Asif > Maharaj > Jadeja > Ashwin and Lyon

 

[Flem274*]

junaid was a gun. top cat was one of the first on the bandwagon.

 

[Top_Cat]

Don't take my bandwagoning as anything meaningful, I was one of the clueless morons saying Smith should be the next Benaud and concentrate on slowly getting back into the Test side as a bowler with his batting an added bonus. Amongst many other fails (Mick Slater, what happened, man?)

But Starc is the clear attack leader. By elimination, really, because it probably doesn't suit him down to the ground. But it definitely ain't Hazlewood or Cummins. McGrath was even the real banker before McDermott retired so if Cummins wants to step up, now's the time. But he hasn't yet. It's still Starc.

 

[Burgey]

Used to love the old SCG pitches of the mid 80s that were real bunsens. I thought then we could have one ground in Australia that turned a lot. Then I remember the ch 9 crew criticised it relentlessly and whether they were influential or not the character of the pitch changed and it’s been a colourless npc pitch ever since. Funny thing is the same commentators never criticised this retrograde change which always exasperated me. A situation where we had a Brissie greentop, Sydney turner, Bouncy Perth, a Melbourne that breaks up and a traditional Adelaide road would be great. I’d like to see Hobart become a challenge for bowlers too.

They dug up the old square on the 00s or 2000s because the curator couldn’t really get a deck up which wasn’t falling apart by stumps day one. They relaid the whole square with the same Bulli soil, it as it’s new it lacks the old characteristics

 

[Flem274*]

But Starc is the clear attack leader. By elimination, really, because it probably doesn't suit him down to the ground. But it definitely ain't Hazlewood or Cummins. McGrath was even the real banker before McDermott retired so if Cummins wants to step up, now's the time. But he hasn't yet. It's still Starc.

why tho? i've always considered haze the prime bowler when watching aus. sure starc might get his act together by the second new ball and do something useful, and cummins charges in and bangs it in but haze is more of a probe than a voyager satellite.