**Official** 5th Test at Sydney, 3-7 Jan 2025

[Coronis]

I probably just denied it and said you were making it up.

I checked and I did get my one infraction for saying "stop trolling you sad ****" to you though.

Do as I say, not as I do?

 

[Prince EWS]

What did he say?

I mean the deck wasn't a minefield..it had a lot of life in it. Besides....do we really want decks prepared as roads for Test cricket? How boring. Good Test of batsman's technique and temperament.

It's like batting in India - big turning decks. Again a good Test for the batsman. That's what world Test cricket should be about.

The extra seam movement was great, and quite analagous to the turners in India that I also like. But the lifters and general inconsistent bounce made it too much of a lottery, and as Usman pointed out incentivised just hacking instead of actually be a test of technique.

 

[The_CricketUmpire]

Top 10 - Highest Australian Test Run Scorers

Ricky Ponting - 13378 @ 51.58
Home: 7578 @ 56.98
Away: 5800 @ 46.40

Allan Border - 11174 @ 50.56
Home: 5743 @ 45.94
Away: 5431 @ 56.57

Steve Waugh - 10927 @ 51.06
Home: 5710 @ 47.58
Away: 5217 @ 55.50

Steve Smith - 9999 @ 55.86
Home: 5015 @ 59.70
Away: 4984 @ 52.46

David Warner - 8786 @ 44.59
Home: 5438 @ 57.85
Away: 3348 @ 32.50

Michael Clarke - 8643 @ 49.11
Home: 4654 @ 62.05
Away: 3989 @ 39.50

Matthew Hayden - 8625 @ 50.74
Home: 5210 @ 57.89
Away: 3415 @ 42.69

Mark Waugh - 8029 @ 41.82
Home: 4019 @ 43.22
Away: 4010 @ 40.51

Justin Langer - 7696 @ 45.27
Home: 4428 @ 48.66
Away: 3268 @ 41.37

Mark Taylor - 7525 @ 43.49
Home: 3993 @ 43.40
Away: 3532 @ 43.60

 

[Skipper Pup]

A long way from Akram thats for sure. Akram is also an All Time Great. Starc will never be an All Time Great.

Really meaningful contribution this one, glad you made this point. Just wondering... does it hurt you to see Australian players praised or something?

 

[The_CricketUmpire]

Really meaningful contribution this one, glad you made this point. Just wondering... does it hurt you to see Australian players praised or something?

No I'm just telling you how it is. Akram is far and away from Starcy.

 

[Skipper Pup]

No I'm just telling you how it is. Akram is far and away from Starcy.

No one said otherwise.

 

[The_CricketUmpire]

No one said otherwise.

Good. Glad that's confirmed.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Starc an ATG? Now I've heard everything. If Bracken was born 15 years later Starc wouldn't have a career. Or Matthew Innes. Or Scott Brant. Or Keith from my local 2s, bowls handy left arm push em across yas

 

[Nintendo]

Top 10 - Highest Australian Test Run Scorers

Ricky Ponting - 13378 @ 51.58
Home: 7578 @ 56.98
Away: 5800 @ 46.40

Allan Border - 11174 @ 50.56
Home: 5743 @ 45.94
Away: 5431 @ 56.57

Steve Waugh - 10927 @ 51.06
Home: 5710 @ 47.58
Away: 5217 @ 55.50

Steve Smith - 9999 @ 55.86
Home: 5015 @ 59.70
Away: 4984 @ 52.46

David Warner - 8786 @ 44.59
Home: 5438 @ 57.85
Away: 3348 @ 32.50

Michael Clarke - 8643 @ 49.11
Home: 4654 @ 62.05
Away: 3989 @ 39.50

Matthew Hayden - 8625 @ 50.74
Home: 5210 @ 57.89
Away: 3415 @ 42.69

Mark Waugh - 8029 @ 41.82
Home: 4019 @ 43.22
Away: 4010 @ 40.51

Justin Langer - 7696 @ 45.27
Home: 4428 @ 48.66
Away: 3268 @ 41.37

Mark Taylor - 7525 @ 43.49
Home: 3993 @ 43.40
Away: 3532 @ 43.60

S. Waugh and border's away record's are nuts/

 

[Shady Slim]

So ends another 5 test summer with Starc running on fumes. Same as the last 3-4 years when all the fans know he should have been rested for at least one test, but selectors know better.

Fast forward to SCG next year when Starc is gassed playing 5th test in the Ashes...

but we'll already be up 4-0 then so it wouldn't matter tbf

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Not sure I'm on board with the groundstaff criticism here. Pitch preparation is a live argicultural experiment with a tiny sample size, multiple external variables, and massive forecasting error. The grass wicket is inherently chaotic and that's a huge part of why we love cricket over other more standardised sports.

I'm not saying the ground staff shouldn't take the feedback and tweak the recipe moving ahead, but I think they have an impossible job if the expectation is for this to never happen.

 

[Shady Slim]

Not sure I'm on board with the groundstaff criticism here. Pitch preparation is a live argicultural experiment with a tiny sample size, multiple external variables, and massive forecasting error. The grass wicket is inherently chaotic and that's a huge part of why we love cricket over other more standardised sports.

I'm not saying the ground staff shouldn't take the feedback and tweak the recipe moving ahead, but I think they have an impossible job if the expectation is for this to never happen.

i know what i'll say for sure - i'd rather the pitches we had this series with the odd one like this than fast bouncy roads with the odd mcg 2017
put another way, and building on what you've said, i'd rather the error tend towards spicier than more placid personally

 

[halba]

Well played, Australia! South Africa vs Australia it is then for WTC. Should be a cracker.

Advantage to Australia if they have both Boland and Hazelwood fit

Saf beating down the weakest Pakistan team current

 

[Redbacks]

Kohli having a dig at sandpaper gate probably the most likeable thing he has done this series. At least we deserve that shirt-front.

 

[halba]

No one said otherwise.

Starc not a great in Tests. He's good but a fast bowler around 28 average isn't anything great.

 

[trundler]

Being one of the 3 greatest left arm pacers Australia's ever produced seems pretty great to me

Katich is the greatest left arm wrist spinner Australia have ever had in tests

 

[halba]

So, for sri lanka are we looking at
1.Usman
2.Konstas
3.Marnus
4.Smith
5.Head
6.Webster
7.Carey
8.Starc/Jhye?
9.Murphy
10.Lyon
11.Boland

Usman had a bad BGT but I think in retrospect he looked fine when he wasn't facing bumrah. I don't think he's the usman of 12 months ago but I reckon he can do a Late career Warner "Average ~35" holding role while we wait for somoene to kick on or one of the older openers to find form again. Mcsweeney could replace marnus I guess? Marnus is still on thin ice but I don't think mcsweeney is a #3 at test level, more 4/5.

Starc will be rested for the sl tour given the injuries. Jhye and Abbott will tour. Kuhnemann will play as the 3rd spinner if it's a spinning deck which they are.

No to Boland for subcontinent

 

[Prince EWS]

Katich is the greatest left arm wrist spinner Australia have ever had in tests

Bevan was better at his peak.

 

[Prince EWS]

So, for sri lanka are we looking at
1.Usman
2.Konstas
3.Marnus
4.Smith
5.Head
6.Webster
7.Carey
8.Starc/Jhye?
9.Murphy
10.Lyon
11.Boland

Usman had a bad BGT but I think in retrospect he looked fine when he wasn't facing bumrah. I don't think he's the usman of 12 months ago but I reckon he can do a Late career Warner "Average ~35" holding role while we wait for somoene to kick on or one of the older openers to find form again. Mcsweeney could replace marnus I guess? Marnus is still on thin ice but I don't think mcsweeney is a #3 at test level, more 4/5.

We have another thread for this already where we're talking about it, probably best keeping it there so we don't have two parallel discussions.

 

[trundler]

Really meaningful contribution this one, glad you made this point. Just wondering... does it hurt you to see Australian players praised or something?

He's got a thing against current players, not Australian players