***Official*** India's Tour of Australia 2020/21 - General discussion

[Flem274*]

The thing about #intent isn't that it's wrong, it's that it's not nuanced enough.

When you're a batter and the runs have dried up, it's important that you can wrest some momentum back from the bowling side. But the way to do that is not to try and tee off against the next ball you face "because #intent". What you have to do (and against the Australian bowling yesterday it was almost impossible) is figure out somewhere to score safely. Even if it's just a single. You then focus on scoring that way. You're not trying to hit the bowlers off their game, you're trying to change the momentum of the innings. Singles are as good as fours for doing that. Singles let you get off the strike and scuttle bowling plans against you.

Now applying that to Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood - most batters were getting a bouncer every over or two. So maybe focus on getting something down to fine leg for a single whenever they bowl one. It doesn't have to be pretty, it does have to be safe and result in some runs being scored. And you know that Starc is going to get his length wrong at least once every couple of overs, so consider playing an on drive with the swing to pick up runs there. All of a sudden you have two scoring shots that can safely get you off the strike.

Plans are just as important for batsmen as they are for bowlers. The Indian batsmen in the 36 AO looked like they had no plans. Part of that was good bowling, but a big part of that was poor discipline.

this is correct, and not really disagreeing with anything im saying. you can't just let good bowlers bowl at you because they will settle in and get you out. there were a couple of exploited flaws in individual batsmen as well but kohli's right his team didn't try to move australia off their areas or seize the initiative in any way #intent.

that and (i hesitate to use this phrase because it has harsher connotations than i intend) being worked out is indias issue. good test bowlers know exactly how to bowl to this lot now and they don't have an answer. 36 all out is an extreme version of what has been happening on recent away tours.

 

[Spark]

This time it's really baffling because India played with the same approach in the first innings. Pujara took something like 160 balls for his 43. If anything, had Kohli used the same approach he wouldn't have had been caught nicking off. I watched the whole of his innings in the first innings and he didn't play any cover drives at all through the whole 180 balls he played.

I understand why he thought he had to attack, though. It just didn't come off.

'Intent' as a word has lost all meaning when it comes from Kohli.

Kohli's first innings is actually a really good example of "intent" as defined by stephen. Kohli didn't go out and ~natural game~ it and start trying to flay cover drives; he came to the crease with a clear idea of how he was going to approach his innings and, in particular, where he felt it was safe to try and score on that pitch (i.e. not driving through the offside). And as a result he played probably the most assured innings of anyone in the game until, well, comedy run out.

 

[Flem274*]

his second dig looked bad but i didn't mind his plan tbh. when your team is collapsing someone with kohli's temperament is going to want to punch back at the bowlers and force them off their areas rather than absorb and snick off. he saw width and threw a punch.

cricket has this unspoken thing to look down on getting out attacking more than getting out defending. if anything im more worried if a guy is getting out while trying not to get out.

 

[Spark]

his second dig looked bad but i didn't mind his plan tbh. when your team is collapsing someone with kohli's temperament is going to want to punch back at the bowlers and force them off their areas rather than absorb and snick off. he saw width and threw a punch.

cricket has this unspoken thing to look down on getting out attacking more than getting out defending. if anything im more worried if a guy is getting out while trying not to get out.

Yeah he's definitely the Brad Haddin on this collapse; a bad looking dismissal but, if you get over how it looks, definitely the right general idea given the circumstances.

 

[honestbharani]

Plans are just as important for batsmen as they are for bowlers. The Indian batsmen in the 36 AO looked like they had no plans. Part of that was good bowling, but a big part of that was poor discipline.

I think when Virat said "intent" I took it to mean "focus". And you are right, it looked like most Indian batsmen had taken it slightly easy once we got the lead. The attitude seemed to be, lets just block for an hour and then make hay and they were slightly lazy in terms of the sharpness of getting into positions etc. And against an attack of this quality, you can see where it leads, especially when they are also having a day where every ball moves enough for the nick and every catch goes to the fielder etc. And they were relentless and bowled a lot of very good balls, I think Virat was right when he said it was the same in the first innings, which is why I think he meant being focussed or mentally sharp when he said "intent". We had a bit more luck and we were a lot more focussed on Day 1 than we were on Day 3 and it cost us.


Still feel a lot of similarities to the Pune test in 2017 than anything else, for some reason. And that was a more humiliating loss than this one, once you can look past the 36 number, coz we have been bowled out in a session often overseas. That Pune test was something else though, to lose like that at home to that Aussie side.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Just saw Allan Border's take on the lack of 'heat' between the teams due to the IPL. I agree with him. I wanna see some heat.

Also, 5-match test series is something I want between these teams.

 

[Pup Clarke]

Having 'intent' in your defensive shots is also really important. You can theoretically leave the ball with good intent, Ricky Ponting being a prime example. I'm only guessing, but he probably gave the signal to the bowler that if he bowled anything slightly fuller he would drive it (due to his large exaggerated stride). I've heard alot of coaches say that an attacking shot is only really an extension of a good defensive shot, and I totally subscribe to that. Only if you really trust your defence, which means judging length, going forward/back appropriately and playing the ball with soft hands (to use these as an example) should you look to expand and show 'attacking 'intent'

 

[Arachnodouche]

^Apropos intent in defensive shots and soft hands, some commentator made a pertinent point about Agarwal's high backlift, and how he's going to find it impossible coming down with soft hands on deliveries bowled at 145+ kmph on responsive pitches. Goes to show u can have all the right intent in the world but it can only take you so far if some component of your technique isn't equipped for the conditions.

 

[Gnske]

Intent is a ****ing buzzword that needs to die. It's the first and last refuge of inappropriate strokemaking gone awry.

Of course you have intent even if you're intending on surviving. If your great grandfather was stuck in some weasel infested trench in WW1 trying to survive while not being particularly keen on jumping over the top and getting mangled on some wire with Billy, Samson and the rest of the boys from Kents Green, all the while getting blasted with machine guns getting turned into split watermelon while they're screaming out that they just want to see blighty again, that's some pretty juicy intent by my reckoning.

Here's your example of intent. Clearly his issue was that the ball was so bad he couldn't focus all his intent on hitting it for 6.

 

[Burgey]

Just saw Allan Border's take on the lack of 'heat' between the teams due to the IPL. I agree with him. I wanna see some heat.

Also, 5-match test series is something I want between these teams.

AB has had his one **** take of the 21st century with the call for Aus to declare it's first innings at 6/120 odd or whatever it was

 

[stephen]

Intent is preparing to hit any ball for six if it's bad enough. Getting your body into position and if the ball can't be hit for six, hit it for 4, and if it's not there for that, hit it to the gap and if it's not there for that, leaving or blocking it.

The only difference between tests and T20s is that in tests you have to ensure that the balls are to be hit risk free. But it's still the same principle. You're there to score runs.

 

[Burgey]

I think the only time there was probably a condemnable lack of intent in the match just gone was at the start of Australia's innings where it took like eight overs to score a run when the data showed one ball would have hit the stumps.

You don't have to be going at fives, but you do have to look at rotating the strike. Ok, Burns was palpably out of nick and Wade hadn't opened before, but you have to look to score runs because you're playing test cricket and if the bowlers get to bowl multiple balls in a row at you, they will nail you eventually, especially on that deck.

Overall it wasn't a deck to score freely on, only Kohli & Paine(!) really did that in the first three digs. Interesting listening to Paine pre-game on day three and he talked about how he had done a lot of work on his approach to batting with Marnus, so that (in his words) "I'm not as much of a sitting duck." It makes sense tbh. And he genuinely has the best batting technique in that side.

 

[stephen]

How underrated is Paine as the Aussie skipper. Fine gloveman, gritty lower order bat and he's lifted this side from being a shambles to being arguably the best in the world. Who would have predicted 5 years ago that Paine would even be playing, let alone for Australia and let alone as captain. Legend.

 

[Gnske]

How underrated is Paine as the Aussie skipper. Fine gloveman, gritty lower order bat and he's lifted this side from being a shambles to being arguably the best in the world. Who would have predicted 5 years ago that Paine would even be playing, let alone for Australia and let alone as captain. Legend.

@Spikey has been saying this for years, one of the few intelligent enough to know Tim Paine's value.

 

[Spark]

I think the only time there was probably a condemnable lack of intent in the match just gone was at the start of Australia's innings where it took like eight overs to score a run when the data showed one ball would have hit the stumps.

You don't have to be going at fives, but you do have to look at rotating the strike. Ok, Burns was palpably out of nick and Wade hadn't opened before, but you have to look to score runs because you're playing test cricket and if the bowlers get to bowl multiple balls in a row at you, they will nail you eventually, especially on that deck.

Overall it wasn't a deck to score freely on, only Kohli & Paine(!) really did that in the first three digs. Interesting listening to Paine pre-game on day three and he talked about how he had done a lot of work on his approach to batting with Marnus, so that (in his words) "I'm not as much of a sitting duck." It makes sense tbh. And he genuinely has the best batting technique in that side.

Wade's approach in the second innings felt so much more comfortable for him in general than trying to "play properly". Regardless of what you think about him as a Test batsman in general, he's definitely not the bloke you'd pick to try and stonewall out the new ball; being aggressive and capitalising on any width in particular (which was on offer on occasion in the first innings) is his MO.

 

[Spikey]

How underrated is Paine as the Aussie skipper. Fine gloveman, gritty lower order bat and he's lifted this side from being a shambles to being arguably the best in the world. Who would have predicted 5 years ago that Paine would even be playing, let alone for Australia and let alone as captain. Legend.

underrated? he gets (Inappropriate ***ual reference) at literally every opportunity

 

[TheJediBrah]

It's time to thank Paine for his service and move on tbh. Give Wade the gloves, Paine is too old and not Test standard

 

[trundler]

It's time to thank Paine for his service and move on tbh. Give Wade the gloves, Paine is too old and not Test standard

I know you hate Lyon but this is just inhumane

 

[Pratters]

Mid Day (@mid_day) Tweeted:
#Exclusive

#BrettLee: Mr Kohli, You're Most Welcome To Have Your Child In Australia

#ViratKohli #AnushkaSharma
https://t.co/VTIu1NUmy2 (

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1340917434484703233

)

 

[Spikey]

i don't think virat can give birth himself