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2nd Test at the MCG, Melbourne, 26 Dec - 30 Dec 2020

Kirkut

International Regular
hmmmm going by past record, those are hardly the bowlers you'd play vs steve smith.
I wouldn't go by stats here, Bumrah took on a lot of workload in the absence of Ishant and Shami. Stats wise it's Jadeja who troubled Smith but Ashwin and Bumrah did it this time.
 

Daemon

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Warner coming in next game is absolutely huge. Averages 65 at home and might get to feast on some pies from our 3rd seamer.
 

Spark

Global Moderator
Shami missed that entire series didnt he? Or am I misremembering
oh yeah that's right, i was just remembering ishant.

I wouldn't go by stats here, Bumrah took on a lot of workload in the absence of Ishant and Shami. Stats wise it's Jadeja who troubled Smith but Ashwin and Bumrah did it this time.
to be honest, the sort of form and lack of rhythm smith is in at the moment, any good test bowler could pin him down right now. but that could literally last one ball; i've seen a lot of instances of batsman looking horribly out of nick, but they hit a few good shots and the fluency starts to return.

but yeah it was jadeja who gave smith real problems in 2017, and really was the difference between the sides.
 

Arachnodouche

International Captain
That third seamer (Saini) is going to be a huge release valve. I'd love to be proven wrong but he's shown zero nous whenever I've seen him. He's going to get carried away with the bounce and play Smith back into form.
 

Spark

Global Moderator
That third seamer (Saini) is going to be a huge release valve. I'd love to be proven wrong but he's shown zero nous whenever I've seen him. He's going to get carried away with the bounce and play Smith back into form.
Yeah that's the huge risk. India's success so far is principally down to having absolutely no escape valves for Australia that allow them to get any fluency, they've matched and outmatched Australia's attack for relentlessness (which is Australia's key strength). That was the big question with Siraj and he's passed, but if you have a single weak link in the attack, that whole approach fails and Australia will start putting up good scores (and Smith will probably start scoring actual runs again). They're actually batting for long enough, they just can't make any runs.
 

Salamuddin

International Debutant
Smith's decline will start at some point. Not saying it has but a guy like him with his hand eye coordination if that starts to wane even a bit his prodigious run scoring will tail off quite considerably. Players who are heavily hand eye reliant usually start tailing off around 32-33 and Smith is 32 in Feb.
 

GoodAreasShane

Cricketer Of The Year
Aussie Xi for the 3rd test
1.Jake Weatherald
2.David Warner
3.Will bossisto
4.Travis head
5.Jonathen Wells
6.Harry nielsen+
7.Tim Oakley (C)
8.Daniel Worrall
9.Jackson Bird
10.Pat Cummins (last chance)
11.Lloyd Pope.
Just need to sack Langer and hire Mark Cameron as coach and then we are there
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
What an amazing performance. Reminds me a bit of the 2012 series in India against England. Hopefully the results go the same way with the visitors winning.

To put it in context, we were missing 4 first choice players last game and were ahead after day 2 and then had the most humiliating session of batting for generations and lost our #2 fast bowler to injury. Then had to go back out and bowl with 3 bowlers to defend 80. And then, we started this test without 5 of our first choice players in the XI.

Playing 5 batsmen without Virat and 2 spinners in the graveyardest of the graveyard for finger spinners pitches that is Australia. And every one of them except Agarwal came to the party.

Kolkata 2001 is really unbeatable but this is up there with 2008 Perth AFAIC. Excellent team performance.
 

GotSpin

Hall of Fame Member
Yeah that's the huge risk. India's success so far is principally down to having absolutely no escape valves for Australia that allow them to get any fluency, they've matched and outmatched Australia's attack for relentlessness (which is Australia's key strength). That was the big question with Siraj and he's passed, but if you have a single weak link in the attack, that whole approach fails and Australia will start putting up good scores (and Smith will probably start scoring actual runs again). They're actually batting for long enough, they just can't make any runs.
Australia definitely need to put more pressure on jadeja. Cant be letting him bowl consecutive maidens and getting easy wickets (Wade...)
 

anil1405

International Captain
What an amazing performance. Reminds me a bit of the 2012 series in India against England. Hopefully the results go the same way with the visitors winning.

To put it in context, we were missing 4 first choice players last game and were ahead after day 2 and then had the most humiliating session of batting for generations and lost our #2 fast bowler to injury. Then had to go back out and bowl with 3 bowlers to defend 80. And then, we started this test without 5 of our first choice players in the XI.

Playing 5 batsmen without Virat and 2 spinners in the graveyardest of the graveyard for finger spinners pitches that is Australia. And every one of them except Agarwal came to the party.

Kolkata 2001 is really unbeatable but this is up there with 2008 Perth AFAIC. Excellent team performance.
Never knew we could be this good with a 'broken ****ing arm' for one of our key players.
 

Spark

Global Moderator
Australia definitely need to put more pressure on jadeja. Cant be letting him bowl consecutive maidens and getting easy wickets (Wade...)
Oh yeah that entire half-hour passage of play leading up to that wicket made me pretty mad
 

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