3rd Test at the SCG, Sydney, 7 Jan - 11 Jan 2021

[honestbharani]

Yes there is some truth in this. I'd rather watch Australia bowl than bat these days

Me the same with India. A nice change from the batathons that was the 2003 series tbh.

 

[Gob]

There hasn’t been as much rain around the past few days, so provided the curator has been able to attend to the deck as per usual, it won’t offer too much for the bowlers at all really. You’ll know from your first look whether it’s going to do much. Unless it’s underdone and really green, it’ll play pretty flat like it always does

Theres always something for the bowlers in the first half and hour and that is all either team need to lose the game

 

[honestbharani]

There hasn’t been as much rain around the past few days, so provided the curator has been able to attend to the deck as per usual, it won’t offer too much for the bowlers at all really. You’ll know from your first look whether it’s going to do much. Unless it’s underdone and really green, it’ll play pretty flat like it always does

Does it reverse over there? I guess the SCG flat wicket has been a thing at least in CW for a while now and yet, we always seem to get results, lol.

 

[Burgey]

Does it reverse over there? I guess the SCG flat wicket has been a thing at least in CW for a while now and yet, we always seem to get results, lol.

Usually a result as it’s the last test and visitors want to get out of the joint, especially the Poms the past few tours. It used to be a bit of a contender for some reverse back when it turned, but the pitch just isn’t abrasive these days. The SCG spinning deck is the east coast equivalent of “the WACA is back to being bouncy and fast” myth of its last 10-15 years as a test venue.

 

[honestbharani]

Didn't Ashwin get 3 very quick wickets with some big turn bowling with the new ball in a small chase there once? Or was it some other venue?

EDIT: I mean to say maybe it is not as much as it was relative to the years when it did turn big, but I suppose a bit of turn is always on the cards over there. Kuldeep got 5 last time, right?

 

[Burgey]

I don’t know, but it doesn’t turn like it used to at all any more

 

[Senile Sentry]

No replacement for KL then. God forbid some middle order batsman get injured and India will have to play Shaw or Agarwal.

Galaxy brain of BCCI

 

[Daemon]

I accept that, I just don't accept people saying they've lost 5 or 6 of their first XI. That was my point (overshot excluding Kohli)

1st Test
Ishant
One of Jadeja/Pandya who would’ve probably played, if not both
Perhaps Rohit but I’ll let that slide.

2nd Test
Ishant
Shami
Kohli
Rohit probably but again I’ll let you have this one too
Pandya maybe


3rd & 4th Test
Ishant
Shami
Kohli
Pandya more likely now that Vihari has not scored runs
Rahul not likely to make the first XI

Of course the above analysis fails to take into account that injuries to reserves that would not make a full strength first XI (like Yadav) result in us having to call up players even further down the pecking order.

So yeah, comparing this to losing Pucovski and Warner is laughable tstl.

 

[GotSpin]

We've had a ton of storms over the past couple of days though?

 

[Burgey]

Four years ago Ishant being ruled out of a series would have seen Indian fans ****-a-hoop. He’s been very good the last few years

 

[Burgey]

We've had a ton of storms over the past couple of days though?

Yeah but I think they’re less of an issue to pitch prep than constant, middling sort of rain. Guess we’ll see soon enough, but it didn’t look too green in some of the pieces on the network news tonight and even yesterday. Might sweat up a bit under the covers though.

Either way, with 21-22 degrees for the first three days, if you had to bowl, it’s not going to fry you

 

[aussie tragic]

I don’t know, but it doesn’t turn like it used to at all any more

I didn't see the last SCG Test but Lyon took 5-68 and 5-50. That would've turned wouldn't it?

 

[Kraken]

been pretty wet out where I live (northwest Syd, roughly 35 mins from the ground) but I would suggest it hasn't been as bad in the city

 

[Manee]

Four years ago Ishant being ruled out of a series would have seen Indian fans ****-a-hoop. He’s been very good the last few years

Yes, it has been textbook stuff. Enough pace (135kph), bounce, good length, good seam and able to move it both ways with a consistently probing line.

 

[Burgey]

I didn't see the last SCG Test but Lyon took 5-68 and 5-50. That would've turned wouldn't it?

Not necessarily turned big though. Was that NZ or Pakistan, I can’t remember? Either way they were cooked by the time they got here.

It’ll turn more than Perth or Brisbane but it’s not a turning deck any more like it used to be, unless they’ve done something completely different this summer to the past decade or two. Get something out of the rough, I suppose, but that’s any deck if it’s dry and wearing enough

 

[Prince EWS]

Didn't Ashwin get 3 very quick wickets with some big turn bowling with the new ball in a small chase there once? Or was it some other venue?

Ashwin has 5 wickets @ 81 at the SCG.

Kuldeep did take five, but it's worth mentioning who the five were - Khawaja (who can't play the ball turning away from him), Head, Paine, Lyon, Hazlewood (who scored 25 first).


Here are the averages in the last 10 years for visiting spinners:
WACA - 51.64
MCG - 52.76
Bellerive - 57.12
SCG - 59.10
Gabba - 63.73
Adelaide - 73.96
New Perth - 91.00

Australian spinners:
New Perth - 16.80
Adelaide - 30.94
Gabba - 32.94
MCG - 36.08
Bellerive - 38.75
SCG - 38.93
WACA - 48.00

"SCG so spinny" is probably the biggest trap in cricket.

 

[Starfighter]

I didn't see the last SCG Test but Lyon took 5-68 and 5-50. That would've turned wouldn't it?

Yep, but it hasn't been 40 every other day this summer.

 

[vcs]

Yeah, I wouldn't read too much into that Kuldeep fiver as Australia seemed obviously cooked by that point having spent 2 days in the field and no longer having a chance to get anything from the series. But would still expect Ashwin the way he's bowling right now to at least do a decent holding job and pick up a wicket or two along the way.

 

[GotSpin]

Yeah but I think they’re less of an issue to pitch prep than constant, middling sort of rain. Guess we’ll see soon enough, but it didn’t look too green in some of the pieces on the network news tonight and even yesterday. Might sweat up a bit under the covers though.

Either way, with 21-22 degrees for the first three days, if you had to bowl, it’s not going to fry you

Ah yeah, makes sense

 

[honestbharani]

Ashwin has 5 wickets @ 81 at the SCG.

Kuldeep did take five, but it's worth mentioning who the five were - Khawaja (who can't play the ball turning away from him), Head, Paine, Lyon, Hazlewood (who scored 25 first).


Here are the averages in the last 10 years for visiting spinners:
WACA - 51.64
MCG - 52.76
Bellerive - 57.12
SCG - 59.10
Gabba - 63.73
Adelaide - 73.96
New Perth - 91.00

Australian spinners:
New Perth - 16.80
Adelaide - 30.94
Gabba - 32.94
MCG - 36.08
Bellerive - 38.75
SCG - 38.93
WACA - 48.00

"SCG so spinny" is probably the biggest trap in cricket.

To me though, it also matters what the others in the attack are doing. The New Perth for Aussie spinners perhaps a good example of the kind of damage good spinners can do when backed up by good fast bowlers around them. Lets see how tomorrow goes. Kinda wanna see India bowl first as I feel its still our best chance inspite of the two spinners in the lineup.