*Official* Australia in India 2023

[anil1405]

kohli needs to evolve to really be an atg

Lol what? His ego doesn't understand the meaning of evolution.

 

[Spark]

Truth be told , there doesn’t exist a Team in Cricket’s history that can whitewash this Australian side in a 4/5 match Test series . There is too much quality in the side like Smith , Labu , Lyon , Cummins and inform Khwaja .

IIRC even pathetic India in 90s were whitewashed only once in 99 tour to AUS . One of Tendulkar/ Dravid or someone else will score a century and that resulted in Draw Test

This is a real difference though that's independent of the quality of the teams - there aren't many "draw" pitches going around these days

 

[Sunil1z]

This is a real difference though that's independent of the quality of the teams - there aren't many "draw" pitches going around these days

I would also blame WTC for it . Everyone wants to qualify for it . So no Test is irrelevant. I mean Aus qualified after victory in last Test and India may qualify if they atleast draw 4th Test .

 

[Victor Ian]

I hope for a pitch similar to the first 2 for the last test to properly gauge if Australia has made progress in Indian conditions.

 

[the big bambino]

Some very good comments from #8206 down. I think we feel our own team's weaknesses more so than the oppositions. Australia's batting order is one of the best in the world but it is diminished in these conditions. I thought an India clean sweep wasn't a fantasy at all especially if Marnus and Smith under performed. Then with injuries, indifferent form of the captain, players coming and going, poor tactics and the brain explosions like the sweep shot stupidity the possibility firmed.

I know India have their injuries but crucially had with Ashwin and Jadeja the 2 most influential players for the conditions. Plus they had batsmen who have experience in the conditions despite being in flaky form. I wish Cummins and his Mum good luck and health but his vacating the captaincy for Smith unexpectedly gave Australia a boost for the 3rd test.

 

[honestbharani]

I really think both the Aussie batting line up and the captaincy abilities of Smith are being overrated here. I remember one game when Lara captained standing in for Walsh at Barbados and they defended 120 and everyone was raving about what a thoughtful captain he was. But the problem is, it is great to look all that in one off games when you are pushed to the wall and have to get creative as a captain. What happened later was his captaincy turned out to be exactly as galaxybrained as Smith's has been and it led to a lot of issues, inspite of some highs like the 2004 CT win and some amazing test series results. I feel Smith is like Sachin and Lara. Given the job full time, he is gonna break himself and his team overdoing it and also believing his own hype.

And as for the Aussie batting line up, I have said it since the BG series in 2020. They are really not that good. Individual players may help win games coz their bowling attack is world class and the odd contribution can set up games for that bowling line up, but as a batting group they are not far off India, except that they do get to dominate the smaller sides on flatter bouncier tracks at home, which always balloons their batting stats up.

 

[Sunil1z]

I really think both the Aussie batting line up and the captaincy abilities of Smith are being overrated here. I remember one game when Lara captained standing in for Walsh at Barbados and they defended 120 and everyone was raving about what a thoughtful captain he was. But the problem is, it is great to look all that in one off games when you are pushed to the wall and have to get creative as a captain. What happened later was his captaincy turned out to be exactly as galaxybrained as Smith's has been and it led to a lot of issues, inspite of some highs like the 2004 CT win and some amazing test series results. I feel Smith is like Sachin and Lara. Given the job full time, he is gonna break himself and his team overdoing it and also believing his own hype.

And as for the Aussie batting line up, I have said it since the BG series in 2020. They are really not that good. Individual players may help win games coz their bowling attack is world class and the odd contribution can set up games for that bowling line up, but as a batting group they are not far off India, except that they do get to dominate the smaller sides on flatter bouncier tracks at home, which always balloons their batting stats up.

Who do you think is our Labuschagne?
Current Indian batting line up would struggle even on flat tracks . We have 3 walking wickets in our line up .

 

[duffer]

I really think both the Aussie batting line up and the captaincy abilities of Smith are being overrated here. I remember one game when Lara captained standing in for Walsh at Barbados and they defended 120 and everyone was raving about what a thoughtful captain he was. But the problem is, it is great to look all that in one off games when you are pushed to the wall and have to get creative as a captain. What happened later was his captaincy turned out to be exactly as galaxybrained as Smith's has been and it led to a lot of issues, inspite of some highs like the 2004 CT win and some amazing test series results. I feel Smith is like Sachin and Lara. Given the job full time, he is gonna break himself and his team overdoing it and also believing his own hype.

And as for the Aussie batting line up, I have said it since the BG series in 2020. They are really not that good. Individual players may help win games coz their bowling attack is world class and the odd contribution can set up games for that bowling line up, but as a batting group they are not far off India, except that they do get to dominate the smaller sides on flatter bouncier tracks at home, which always balloons their batting stats up.

Yeah, having the job temporarily affords you some freedoms that a permanent captain might be apprehensive in using.

 

[honestbharani]

Who do you think is our Labuschagne?
Current Indian batting line up would struggle even on flat tracks . We have 3 walking wickets in our line up .

Its interesting coz I include Pant when you say current batting line-up. Just go by current form,

Rohit > Khawaja
Gill/Rahul <= their second opener
Pujara < Labu
Virat < Smith
Pant > Head
Shreyas > Green
Jadeja > Carey
Ashwin > Starc
Axar > Cummins

 

[Shady Slim]

Its interesting coz I include Pant when you say current batting line-up. Just go by current form,

Rohit > Khawaja
Gill/Rahul <= their second opener
Pujara < Labu
Virat < Smith
Pant > Head
Shreyas > Green
Jadeja > Carey
Ashwin > Starc
Axar > Cummins

hoooooold on

and edit: even if you include pant, if you're saying "current form" it's hard to say that he tops head who's been in terms of runs one of the most prolific batsman of recent times

 

[honestbharani]

hoooooold on

Going by results. Green is probably tested more than Shreyas but its only 3 tests.

 

[Sunil1z]

Rohit definitely isn’t better than Khwaja. At most it could be equal. Pant isn’t coming back as batsman. If he leads a normal life , we should be happy for him .

Peak of Smith + Labu is much higher than our batsmen. They make the Aussie batsmen collectively better.

 

[honestbharani]

Rohit definitely isn’t better than Khwaja. At most it could be equal. Pant isn’t coming back as batsman. If he leads a normal life , we should be happy for him .

Peak of Smith + Labu is much higher than our batsmen. They make the Aussie batsmen collectively better.

Hypotheticals Vs Reality.

I dont see Pant giving up cricket and I think he will stage a comeback and be at his best again. And I accounted for Smith + Labu being better than our counterparts.

 

[Sunil1z]

Hypotheticals Vs Reality.

I dont see Pant giving up cricket and I think he will stage a comeback and be at his best again. And I accounted for Smith + Labu being better than our counterparts.

They are not better . They are much better .

Eg.

8 > 5
2.5 < 3

However 10.5 > 8 . I have tried to explain mathematically ?

 

[honestbharani]

They are not better . They are much better .

Eg.

8 > 5
2.5 < 3

However 10.5 > 8 . I have tried to explain mathematically ?

I dont think they are, currently.

 

[TT Boy]

In a few weeks, Aus have gone from having Agar as their second spinner to seemingly having two quality reserves to Lyon. Wickets are helpful but not like every spinner is bowling well - see Axar. Kuhnemann has good control, and the amount of bad balls Murphy has bowled you could count on one hand. Seriously impressive considering their experience.

 

[PaulLennon]

hoooooold on

and edit: even if you include pant, if you're saying "current form" it's hard to say that he tops head who's been in terms of runs one of the most prolific batsman of recent times

Pant has away runs though.

 

[Sunil1z]

Pant has away runs though.

Pant isn’t coming back . Forget him .
Have you not heard what Ganguly said ?

 

[the big bambino]

In a few weeks, Aus have gone from having Agar as their second spinner to seemingly having two quality reserves to Lyon. Wickets are helpful but not like every spinner is bowling well - see Axar. Kuhnemann has good control, and the amount of bad balls Murphy has bowled you could count on one hand. Seriously impressive considering their experience.

And he got wickets with two of them.

 

[ashley bach]

Early market for the all important 4th test...

India 1.55
Australia 4.00
Draw 10/1

For sure India should be favourites but given what happened in the 3rd test and considering the momentum with the Aussies, it doesn't take a brain
surgeon to work out where the value lies.