1st Test, Aus vs India, Adelaide oval 17th-21st December

[cnerd123]

India need to make 200. I think a target of 250 will be too much for OZ. Odd delivery now starting to keep low as well.

+100 because Smith factor

Everyone is sleeping on him.

 

[cnerd123]

I've been off the forum for a little while and not been a regular for years so unsure I understand the reference.

Correct observation of my ridiculous pessimism though. I just feel so burned by the consistent choking that we did in South Africa and England to have any genuine faith. And although Umesh and Ashwin were impressive, Ashwin remains inconsistent outside India and I'm worried by Bumrah's relatively low pace. Moreover, I remain to have no faith in the lower order or Saha's batting. Aggarwal, Pujara, Kohli and Rahane can only get us so many runs.

Mate I feel the same way

Last time around Che Pu had to be superman and Kohli was really good. Kohli is leaving, and we can't rely on superman again

 

[Pup Clarke]

It's definitely up there, a brain dead decision which has brought in a lot of uncertainty. They have no option but to back him for the 2nd test since rohit is available for the 3rd test so if they replace shaw with gill for the 2nd test then they have to drop gill again for rohit in the 3rd test.

It's just completely nonsensical. I get that you have to back certain players irrespective of form on occasions, but he's still very new to test cricket! I'd be a slightly different story if say Agarwal was out of touch, as he does have credentials at this level over a period of time.

 

[cnerd123]

It's just completely nonsensical. I get that you have to back certain players irrespective of form on occasions, but he's still very new to test cricket! I'd be a slightly different story if say Agarwal was out of touch, as he does have credentials at this level over a period of time.

Yea Shaw's not going anywhere, dropping him isn't ending his career. He just needs some time away from Tests to work out some minor kinks. He's still the chosen one and will get another crack.

Joe Burns is slightly different in this regard. He has more of a body of work and is 31 years old.

 

[OverratedSanity]

I know Virat/Ravi have a bizarre selection policy and have made so total blunders (Dropping Bhuvi in SA immediately stands out). But is opening with a completely out-of-form batsman in a pink ball test, also with a glaring technical weakness, the worst of them all?

It's probably the second worst of their regime so far . Top spot will always belong to the double whammy of dropping Pujara for Rohit and Bhuvi for Stuart ****ing Binny in SL (dropping Pujara for Raina on an Australian tour also worth a mention)

Feel bad for Shaw tbh. Cruel on him to be forced to bat against a world class attack on the first day of an overseas tour when it was so painfully obvious his game was shot.

 

[Gob]

Looking forward to a match winning ton from the future captain Travis Head in the second dig

 

[Gob]

Same with Head, a mediocre test batsman.

Wash your mouth

 

[Flem274*]

im not a huge fan of roid boi to begin with and his gaping wide gate isn't helping.

great to see umesh get a run. always liked his style. huck it up there for swing as fast as you can. looks to have lost a yard but i was only able to watch after aus were 5 down.

 

[OverratedSanity]

I'm still sad that bhuvis test career was ended for seemingly no reason so abruptly. Like ok, if you prefer the likes of Umesh, Siraj and Co fine. But the team misses his accuracy and tailend runs massively. Just deciding one day he's not a test bowler was a dreadful decision. Atleast keep him in the frame for selection ffs

 

[harsh.ag]

Feel bad for Shaw tbh. Cruel on him to be forced to bat against a world class attack on the first day of an overseas tour when it was so painfully obvious his game was shot.

Everyone says am wrong about this so probably am but I firmly believe that someone in Shaw's position should just put up his hand and say "Don't pick me, pick Gill or Rahul". Not doing so just hurts everyone - himself and the team.

 

[Kirkut]

This is why it is unfair to say that batting is easier than fast bowling when we look at Prithvi Shaw's performance in this test match. Both batting and fast bowling have their own unique challenges.

Bowling at 90 mph is hard on your body but then in fast bowling you have more freedom to make mistakes, after a bad spell you can always come back and win the trust of your team with good bowling. In batting you're just one error in footwork away from being dropped, stakes are higher.

 

[harsh.ag]

I'm still sad that bhuvis test career was ended for seemingly no reason so abruptly. Like ok, if you prefer the likes of Umesh, Siraj and Co fine. But the team misses his accuracy and tailend runs massively. Just deciding one day he's not a test bowler was a dreadful decision. Atleast keep him in the frame for selection ffs

This shoe-ining of Siraj is BS. He's nowhere near the skill level required for tests.

 

[Teja.]

Everyone says am wrong about this so probably am but I firmly believe that someone in Shaw's position should just put up his hand and say "Don't pick me, pick Gill or Rahul". Not doing so just hurts everyone - himself and the team.

Laxman was selected as a test opener early in his career and refused the selection because he didn’t want to open and would only play as a middle order batsman. Must have taken brass balls to do something like that.

Wonder if there are other recent examples of people straight up refusing selection in a slot like that.

 

[cnerd123]

I'm still sad that bhuvis test career was ended for seemingly no reason so abruptly. Like ok, if you prefer the likes of Umesh, Siraj and Co fine. But the team misses his accuracy and tailend runs massively. Just deciding one day he's not a test bowler was a dreadful decision.

Wait his career is over? I thought he missed out just because of an IPL injury.

 

[Flem274*]

bhuvi would get slaughtered in australia. short skiddy slow swing bowlers go there to die.

 

[Teja.]

Wait his career is over? I thought he missed out just because of an IPL injury.

Ravi Shastri said that he considers Bhuvwnesh a LO specialist moving forward.

 

[cnerd123]

This is why it is unfair to say that batting is easier than fast bowling when we look at Prithvi Shaw's performance in this test match. Both batting and fast bowling have their own unique challenges.

Bowling at 90 mph is hard on your body but then in fast bowling you have more freedom to make mistakes, after a bad spell you can always come back and win the trust of your team with good bowling. In batting you're just one error in footwork away from being dropped, stakes are higher.

Yea absolutely. I could never play cricket as a pure batsman. If i make a mistake first ball as a bowler, i at least have 5 more balls, if not another over.
As a batter if i make a mistake first ball, that's it.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Has the ship sailed on Dhawan in tests? Struggle to believe he'd have done worse than Shaw.

 

[h_hurricane]

Yea Shaw's not going anywhere, dropping him isn't ending his career. He just needs some time away from Tests to work out some minor kinks. He's still the chosen one and will get another crack.

Joe Burns is slightly different in this regard. He has more of a body of work and is 31 years old.

Exactly this. Shaw needs to go back to the drawing board and fix his game. Far too gifted to miss out on a good career. If he has the mental resolve, he will come back 4 years down the line and prove himself just like Ashwin proved today that he is too good a bowler to end up with a 0/190.

 

[Kirkut]

Laxman was selected as a test opener early in his career and refused the selection because he didn’t want to open and would only play as a middle order batsman. Must have taken brass balls to do something like that.

Wonder if there are other recent examples of people straight up refusing selection in a slot like that.

Dravid was ready to open in 2011 UK tour but not sure if Sachin refused to open, it's a rumour maybe.